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International Day of the Girl
Thanks for Joining Us!
On October 10, 2015, 600 participants joined CARE CEO Michelle Nunn for the inaugural CARE Walk for Lasting Change, commemorating International Day of the Girl and walking through the heart of Atlanta in solidarity with girls around the world.
About the Walk for Lasting Change
2015 CARE Walk for Lasting Change attendees participated in a variety of experiential activities – such as pounding grain and carrying water, enjoyed fantastic performances from Giwayen Mata, the Sweet Auburn String Band, Mama Koku's Storytellin', the Fugees Family, and Barefoot n' Motion, and took part in a one-mile walk on the Atlanta BeltLine Eastside Trail. The walk represented the long distances that girls travel each day – to fetch food and water, to seek safety, and to attend school. It also symbolized the long journey toward gender equity – the path that stretches between a past dictated by limitations and barriers to a future filled with promise and possibilities.
Check Out The Photos
View our gallery to see some shots from the 2015 CARE Walk for Lasting Change.
Why Girls?
CARE observes the International Day of the Girl because fighting for gender equity is key to fighting global poverty. Women and girls are at the heart of CARE's community-based efforts to create lasting change.
Thank You to Our Sponsors!
CARE is proud to partner with Delta and UPS as the premier sponsors of the Walk for Lasting Change.
Keep Girls in the Picture
What does a girl's education have to do with fighting poverty? Everything.
LS: IDG box 1
Ruba married to survive at age 14.
LS: IDG box 2
LS: IDG box 4
LS: IDG box 5
The situation for girls in South Sudan is particularly horrific.
Ask the Expert: Joyce Adolwa on Girls' Education
CARE's Director of Education Programming answers your questions sent through social media about girls' education.
Where We Work
CARE works in 90 countries around the world to support over 900 poverty-fighting development and humanitarian-aid projects.


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Career Development Center
Thinking about life after Lipscomb can be intimidating—especially if you just got here, or if you're buried in books. Or maybe you've already graduated and still trying to answer What Next? The Career Development Center works with students and alumni, to help them do just that. We lean on our strong partnerships with faculty and staff, parents and families, employers, and the community, to help meet our goals and ensure our students meet theirs.
Explore this site to learn what services we offer and feel free to contact us to find out how we can help you.

subset: commoncrawl


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needless to say, when something is happening in real time where you need to isolate a user/unknown with statistical information to pinpoint to the cause, what do you use? since all alot of things could be considered "evidence" during an IH (incident handling), how or what have you used to triangulate the root cause?
example: p2p abuse
router log
firewall log
web log
network monitor tool


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This week in Island history
The news of 10 and 15 years ago is from the Jamestown Press. The news of 75 and 100 years ago from the Newport Daily News came from the collection of the Newport Historical Society.
100 years ago From the Newport Daily News, July 17, 1906:
The Conanicut Park Hotel, after years of idleness, is again occupied. The management of the Rhode Island Hospital has long been looking for a place near the seashore to establish a summer place for convalescent children. . . . Last Friday men started to put the place in order, and Monday evening 12 children with nurses and orderlies arrived by the Providence boat. . . . A portion of the bathing beach is to be put in first class condition and roped off to make a safe bathing place for the little ones, and with the attractive outdoor life of the place the little invalids are fortunate, and should be benefited.
From the Newport Daily News, July 23, 1906:
Today one of the linemen of the Providence Telephone Company was secured to climb the flagpole on Hotel Thorndike and reeve the halyards and the American flag was run up at noon for the first time this season.
A large number of automobile parties crossed the ferries yesterday, on their way from Newport to Narragansett Pier.
75 years ago From the Newport Daily News, July 18, 1931:
(At the Town Council meeting) the petition of C.H. King, Joseph P. Jewett, Frederick F. Lewis and Andrew T. King that a year-round street light be located on the corner of Marine and Narragansett avenue was granted.
The report of Lewis W. Hull, superintendent of the town's crusher, amounting to $650 was received and recorded.
From the Newport Daily News, July 20, 1931:
Members and stockholders and families of the Alliance Finance Corporation of Providence held a clambake Saturday afternoon on the grounds of the Holy Ghost Society.
A large number attended the dance at the Holy Ghost hall Saturday evening. The Hawaiian Ramblers orchestra of Providence furnished music for dancing and several parties from Newport and Providence were present.
From the Newport Daily News, July 22, 1931:
The question of cashing checks for the summer residents was taken up (by the Jamestown Board of Trade). . . . A committee . . . was appointed to investigate and report back at the next meeting. . . . Mr. Smith spoke on the matter of establishing a local bank.
50 years ago From the Newport Daily News, July 20, 1956:
After four members of the Jamestown Town Council met last night with three representatives of the Jamestown Protective Association at the home of Councilman Fred A. Caswell on Green Lane, Caswell announced to the press that the meeting was only an informal discussion of the opinion of each about an oil refinery in Jamestown.
From the Newport Daily News, July 24, 1956:
The Jamestown Town Council last night ordered Pickett M. Grieg, town attorney, to prepare a suitable zoning ordinance amendment for use if the oil refinery is approved.
Dr. Charles B. Ceppi was appointed health officer for Jamestown for the remainder of the fiscal year at a yearly salary of $300 by the Jamestown Town Council. . . . Dr. Alfred B. Gobeille, Council chairman, was health officer under the Democratic administration, has carried on the duties of the office until a successor was named.
The J.M. Cleminshaw Co., of Cleveland, notifies the Council it would be unable to consider a contract this year for a property revaluation survey but could do the work in 1957.
25 years ago From the Newport Daily News, July 28, 1981:
Several issues were discussed at the Planning board meeting Wednesday night concerning wetlands, the Jamestown Golf Course, paper roads, Route 138 and a new housing proposal.
From the Newport Daily News, July 21, 1981:
The Taxpayers Association's main concerns are with the town's water system, zoning ordinance, preservation of the golf course and the growth of Jamestown, the president of the organization told the Town Council at a workshop Monday night.
15 years ago From the Jamestown Press, July 18, 1991:
The Town Council Monday night voted unanimously to establish a panel composed primarily of business owners to advise the council on the island's economic issues.
The Jamestown Community Theatre's fall production will be the musical Fiddler on the Roof.
10 years ago From the Jamestown Press, July 18, 1996:
Jamestown was spared Bertha's full wrath this past weekend when she passed through as a tropical storm rather than a fullfledged hurricane.
Restrictions limiting residents' outdoor water use to odd or even calendar days are still in effect, despite what seemed like heavy rains from tropical storm Bertha.
St. Matthew's Episcopal Church will hold its 65th annual summer sale this Saturday, July 20.


text: Yep, I think this is two discussions, one is about a presentable shop space with more new shiny tools, and the other is how to ramp up our income. The first will obviously be a great help in the latter. So first things first... We really need to move, and when we do we will need to fill the new space with lots of new tools and toys to attract all the new members that we will have to get to afford the new space. Otherwise... You get the picture. I just updated Rick Needs and Wants list with lots of cool things that we could really use in a new space. Please check it out here: https://www.eugenemakerspace.com/wiki/Sites/WantsAndNeeds Now we can't take them just yet but if we all keep our eyes open for these items then when we do move we can haul them down there and set up shop! :-) I would like to make another wiki page for possible new sources of income so I'll work on that next. Please send me your ideas. :-) Ciao, Clif On 10/20/2013 10:51 AM, Austin McKimmey wrote: > I feel like we have discussed membership cost increasing many times > before. I don't think it has ever ended in any actual consideration to > change anything though. There are some of us, me included in not > embarrassed to say, that $25 is a hell of a lot to pay already. There > would have to be a much larger space and brand new shiny tools there > for me to consider paying any more. > > Everyone has heard me say this before. I personally think, if we have > a presentable space. Not something full of junk and rusty tools. We > could start asking for sponsorship funding from local businesses. > > There is a lot we can do. > Austin > > > On Sun, Oct 20, 2013 at 10:06 AM, James Hukill <James at hukill.net > <mailto:James at hukill.net>> wrote: > > I agree, but, there has to be some value add for the increase > dues. Bigger space with more room and not a project dump (aka > bike cart overdue for going away) site is a start. > We might chase folks away and there are some current members that > the current dues are already at their max. The idea of some shop > work credit has been thrown about but I never heard what he board > had to say about it(?). If you are at your max dues then you have > open and close the open house nights or other shop duties, well > lets be honest chores for lack of a better term. The shit no one > wants to due but needs to get done and if that helps you stay in > at a price you can afford I am all for that. > > But more to the point you were working on. Better tools, toys and > resources for current and a draw for future members. IMHO I think > a new space will breed some new enthusiasm into the shop and might > bring some life back into EMS.. who knows... > > Is there a list of tools we want/need anymore? It used to be on > the whiteboard and was supposed to get transferred to a inventory > system that was going online? That I was Kassandra I think. Do > we have a location for groups projects and their status? > > > On Sun, Oct 20, 2013 at 9:49 AM, Cord Slatton <cord42 at gmail.com > <mailto:cord42 at gmail.com>> wrote: > > Recently Marie came across an article that explained > Makerspaces and their costs and gave a range of services etc. > for a variety of areas and uses...The lowest membership dues > even listed were $35/month. Maybe we need to increase our dues > just slightly to give us more flexibility and to allow us to > invest in ourselves and have better equipment and a better > location. > > _______________________________________________ > Discuss mailing list > Discuss at eugenemakerspace.com <mailto:Discuss at eugenemakerspace.com> > http://eugenemakerspace.com/mailman/listinfo/com.eugenemakerspace.discuss > > > > _______________________________________________ > Discuss mailing list > Discuss at eugenemakerspace.com <mailto:Discuss at eugenemakerspace.com> > http://eugenemakerspace.com/mailman/listinfo/com.eugenemakerspace.discuss > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Discuss mailing list > Discuss at eugenemakerspace.com > http://eugenemakerspace.com/mailman/listinfo/com.eugenemakerspace.discuss -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://eugenemakerspace.com/pipermail/com.eugenemakerspace.discuss/attachments/20131020/0e0d8830/attachment.html>


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Graduate Program Requirements
What do we want our M.A. graduates to know and do after they have successfully completed their program of study?
- Students will be able to identify, explain, and critique the major paradigms, theories, and conceptual frameworks for understanding communication, and demonstrate an appreciation of the significance of ethics and social responsibility as they engage in communication. (Conceptual Foundations)
- Students will be able to analyze and evaluate published research, and design and conduct communication research studies using quantitative social scientific, interpretive, critical, rhetorical, and/or performative methods. (Inquiry and Research)
- Students will be able to demonstrate advanced competency in scholarly writing, oral communication, and the application of conceptual foundations and research methods in professional contexts by designing and conducting applied communication activities. (Professional Practice)
All graduate curriculum offerings (outlined below) are designed to integrate and provide meaningful connections between three areas: (1) Conceptual Foundations (paradigmatic, theoretical, and ethical underpinnings of the discipline), (2) Inquiry and Research (methodologies used in the study of communication), and (3) Professional Practice (advanced application of communication foundations and methods in professionally applied contexts).
M.A. in Communication Studies
Graduate study in communication (theories and foundations): COMM 200R - 4 units
Advanced Writing Workshop: COMM 297 - 2 units
Graduate comprehensive exam: COMM 297 (repeated with exams) - 2 units (can be completed as early as the end of your second semester in the program)
Subtotal - 11 units
Graduate seminars - 4 units each
Teaching practicum (COMM 285A and B) - 2 units each (must be enrolled in the Graduate Teaching Associate program)
Completion of a thesis (COMM 299) - 6 units (see program website for information about the thesis process and requirements)
Completion of a project (COMM 298) - 4 units (see program website for information about the project process and requirements)
Independent study (COMM 280) - up to 3 units (reserved for research that cannot be undertaken in a class and that is separate from work on a thesis or project)
Up to 9 C/NC units can be counted toward your degree. Additional C/NC units must be approved by the graduate coordinator.
Up to 6 units of graduate courses outside the department that relate to the study of communication and to your area of interest can also count toward your degree. As of fall 2013, no undergraduate courses will count toward the M.A. degree, except those units taken in the context of a study abroad program, in which case, up to 6 units may count, at the approval of the graduate coordinator.
Subtotal - 24 units
Student Success in the M.A. Program
Our M.A. program addresses graduate student success on two key factors, as indicated
in research about graduate education: a) mentorship activities with faculty members
and b) educational activities that foster the development of graduate students as
independent scholars. The proposed curricular structure foregrounds both of these
key factors through four-unit seminars with integrated instruction in research methods,
a two-unit comprehensive exam, and a two-unit writing workshop.
These requirements help us achieve streamlined and coordinated M.A. experience, one that helps enhance not only a sense of program identity, but also of students' and faculty members' scholarly community and engagement.
Through four-unit courses, graduate students who benefit from financial aid will have a less stressful and more productive experience in the program as they will be able to worry less about their unit load for a particular semester and more about the content of their seminars. Given the diversity of our enrollees, students in our M.A. program will take various amounts of time to complete their degree. However, with effective enrollment management, including revised admission processes, we hope to facilitate cohesion among students by creating more opportunities to build a cohort among student that enter the program together.


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- Sort All Books
- Information
Rhetorical Darwinism
Religion, Evolution, and the Scientific Identity
By Thomas M. Lessl
Subjects: All Cultural Studies, All History, All Rhetoric Studies, All Science, Science & Religion
Everything evolves, science tells us, including the public language used by scientists to sustain and perpetuate their work. Harkening back to the Protestant Reformation—a time when the promise of scientific inquiry was intimately connected with a deep faith in divine Providence—Thomas Lessl traces the evolving role and public identity of science in the West.
As the Reformation gave way to the Enlightenment, notions of Providence evolved into progress. History's divine plan could now be found in nature, and scientists became history's new prophets. With Darwin and the emergence of evolutionary science, progress and evolution collapsed together into what Lessl calls "evolutionism," and the grand scientific identity was used to advance science's power into the world.
In this masterful treatment, Lessl analyzes the descent of these patterns of scientific advocacy from the world of Francis Bacon into the world of Thomas Huxley and his successors. In the end, Rhetorical Darwinism proposes that Darwin's power to fuel the establishment of science within the Western social milieu often turns from its scientific course.
Rhetorical Darwinism: Religion, Evolution, and the Scientific Identity received the Religious Communication Associatons "Book of the Year" award in 2012.
1. The Social Meaning of Evolutionary Rhetoric
2. Francis Bacon and the Scientific Identity
3. Science in God's Bosom
4. From Two Books to One
5. The New Christianity
6. Positivism in the World of Thomas Huxley
7. Scientism Scientized
8. The Continuing Education of Evolutionism and Science's Battle for the Public Mind
"Science is no mere private pursuit. Rather, the most influential scientific ideas can transform a culture gradually, by first aligning themselves with older cultural ideas and icons, overthrowing the old order in the process. Those who wish to understand how 'evolutionism' insinuated itself into modern culture do no better than to read Lessl's work."
—Michael J. Behe, Professor of Biological Science, Lehigh University
"This is a superb piece of scholarship that ranges widely across disciplinary boundaries, shedding light on the underlying humanity of scientific inquiry and, ultimately, on its politics and sociology as well. Lessl asks novel questions about axiology and ontology and, in so doing, he becomes Charles Darwin's amanuensis for a new age."
—Roderick P. Hart, Dean, Shivers/Cronkite Chair in Communication, University of Texas
"From the beginnings of the scientific revolution, demarcating the boundaries of science has been a problem for the scientific community. Thomas Lessl, comparing 'evolution' with what he calls 'rhetorical Darwinism,' argues persuasively that the scientific establishment has never guarded those borders carefully."
—Christianity Today
"Lessl challenges readers to link thinkers and texts in a connected series across centuries and to see how current secular values grew incrementally from religious beliefs."
—Jeanne Fahnestock, author of Rhetorical Style: The Uses of Language in Persuasion
"I love it! Rhetorical Darwinism is a great read and is a truly important contribution, not just to understanding the impact of Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution, but also to situating the public place of science. I recommend this book highly."
—Michael Ruse, Director of the Program in History and Philosophy of Science, Florida State University
"With his insights into rhetoric, culture, and the English Reformation, Thomas Lessl makes a plausible case that the reformist science rhetoric of Francis Bacon and Thomas Henry Huxley gave us much more than research institutions—it also paved the way for a public ethos of evolutionism, a vision of 'progress' that keeps science well funded and prestigious. We may never see Bacon and Huxley—or the creation-evolution debate—the same again."
—Larry Witham, author of Where Darwin Meets the Bible: Creationists and Evolutionists in America
Thomas M. Lessl is a Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at the University of Georgia. A frequent contributor to the Journal of Communication and Religion and the Quarterly Journal of Speech, Lessl received the 2010 Religious Communication Association's Article Award for "The Innate Religiosity of Political Rhetoric." He lives in Athens, Georgia.
6 b/w images
More Information Available
Other books by:
Thomas M. Lessl
Books in Series:
Studies in Rhetoric & Religion
After the Genome - A Language for Our Biotechnological Future
Augustine for the Philosophers - The Rhetor of Hippo, the Confessions, and the Continentals
The Faithful Citizen - Popular Christian Media and Gendered Civic Identities
Martin Luther King and the Rhetoric of Freedom - The Exodus Narrative in America's Struggle for Civil Rights
Preaching Politics - The Religious Rhetoric of George Whitefield and the Founding of a New Nation
Preaching the Inward Light - Early Quaker Rhetoric
The Rhetoric of Sir Garfield Todd - Christian Imagination and the Dream of an African Democracy
The Rhetoric of St. Augustine of Hippo - De Doctrina Christiana and the Search for a Distinctly Christian Rhetoric
Rhetoric, Religion, and the Civil Rights Movement, 1954-1965 - Volume 1
Rhetoric, Religion, and the Civil Rights Movement, 1954-1965 - Volume 2
Rhetorical Darwinism - Religion, Evolution, and the Scientific Identity
Romancing the Difference - Kenneth Burke, Bob Jones University, and the Rhetoric of Religious Fundamentalism
Spiritual Literacy in John Wesley's Methodism - Reading, Writing, and Speaking to Believe
Stumping God - Reagan, Carter, and the Invention of a Political Faith
The Politics of Sacred Rhetoric - Absolutist Appeals and Political Persuasion
Words Well Spoken - George Kennedy's Rhetoric of the New Testament


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Video Tour of the "Line & Berry Chest"
The cover project for the December 2010 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine is a Line & Berry Chest built by Senior Editor Glen D. Huey. This chest is a traditional design from the Chester County area of Pennsylvania and is what Glen refers to as a transitional piece. It's transitional because it has some elements of the William & Mary furniture style as well as the Queen Anne period.
Last week, Glen and I took a quick trip to his shop in West Chester so he could explain some of the details about the piece. By far the most interesting features of this traditional piece of furniture are the non-traditional techniques used. For one, Glen beefed up the construction of the project by using stronger joints to provide more support. But the most impressive technique Glen used was when making the show-stopping line & berry inlay on the drawer fronts. Watch the video below and let us know what you think of the project.
The December 2010 issue will be arriving in subscriber's mailboxes this week. But if you're not a subscriber, you can pick up the issue on newsstands November 30.
Besides the impressive cover project, you'll also learn to build a Victorian Side Table, a Greene & Greene frame, and a useful English Layout Square. Plus you'll learn essential techniques for cross-grain construction, using stain on projects, ageing your projects and making simple patterns in veneer. For a complete list of articles and a broad selection of online extras, visit the December 2010 page.
P.S. Glen's forthcoming DVD on making inlay with a router will be available for pre-order at the beginning of December, and will ship in late December.
Additional Resources:
• Read Glen's blog entry about the chest.
• Pick up the compilation of our best router techniques on "The Complete Guide to Routers" CD. Right now it's only $19.99.
• Download the SketchUp model of this project.
Larry here from Wonderful Woodcraft. What an awesome piece, love the inlay and how the dovetail work is hidden.
Looking forward to seeing your next piece, and what new ideas you put into it.
I think that is one of your nicest pieces yet Glen.
The whole thing is just beautiful.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge.


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Benjamin M. Lawsky, Superintendent of Financial Services, on Wednesday continued New York Governor Cuomo's Administration's aggressive program to end no-fault auto insurance fraud with regulatory reforms that close loopholes that allow lawbreakers to exploit the system. This follows an investigation announced last month into health care providers whose participation in medical mills is essential to making fraudulent no-fault claims possible.
The new regulation tackles two issues--doctors being paid for health care they do not actually provide and some technical issues that are often used to prevent a decision on a claim or keep an otherwise faulty claim open, both of which increase costs to consumers.
The new regulation:
Puts an end to requirements that mandate insurers pay for treatments that were never actually provided, or pay more than the established fee schedule for a given service.
Prevents healthcare providers from ignoring requests for evidence that the treatments they are providing are medically necessary by setting a 120 day deadline to provide requested information.
Closes the loophole that allows courts and arbitrators to force insurers to pay fraudulent claims simply because the insurer made minor paperwork errors when processing a claim.
"These reforms will ensure that New Yorkers get the proper and timely treatment for legitimate injuries that they deserve, while closing loopholes that allow criminal medical mills to scam the system and drive up insurance premiums. We can and must have a system that works effectively for those in need and protects all drivers from paying a 'Fraud Tax' imposed by criminals," Superintendent Lawsky said. "The new regulations will give insurers more time to prove fraud and prevent payment, unlike the current system that requires insurers to pay no-fault claims within 30 even when they suspect that health care services have not actually been provided."
"I applaud Governor Cuomo and Superintendent Lawsky for continuing the fight to reform New York's broken no-fault auto insurance system," said Kristina Baldwin, co-spokesperson for Fraud Costs NY and assistant vice president for Property Casualty Insurers Association of America. "If implemented, these regulatory changes will help close the glaring loopholes that allow criminals to rip off the system and control the ensuing costs which are passed on to drivers by way of higher premiums."
Ellen Melchionni, co-spokesperson for Fraud Costs NY and president of the New York Insurance Association said, "Governor Cuomo and Superintendent Lawsky demonstrated real leadership when they took the critical first step reforming New York's no-fault system by targeting unscrupulous medical providers. Now, they are continuing the fight with important and crucial reforms that will protect consumers to ensure that those truly injured in an accident receive the necessary treatment they deserve."
Gary Henning, Regional Vice President, Northeast Region American Insurance Association, said, "The American Insurance Association applauds Governor Cuomo and Superintendent Lawsky for their continuing efforts against no-fault fraud with the promulgation of these regulations. These common-sense reforms will help take costs out of the no-fault system to the benefit of New York's drivers."
Regulation 68 implements New York's no-fault automobile insurance law by establishing no-fault claims settlement procedures. The new regulatory reforms amend Regulation 68 in three ways:
1. Prevent billing for services not rendered or billing for more than the mandated fee schedule.
The current law provides no remedy to insurers when doctors and other health care providers bill in excess of the mandated workers' compensation fee schedule or for services not actually rendered--two major issues plaguing the no-fault system.
No-fault law requires insurers to pay claims in 30 days, but often it takes longer to discover that the health care was not actually provided. Under current law, courts do not allow insurers to deny claims after the deadline based on the fact that the provider has over-billed or billed for phantom services.
This amendment provides that no payment is due where the treatments were not actually provided or to the extent that the fees charged exceeded the fee schedule. So insurers will be able to use those as grounds for denying a claim.
Consumers would greatly benefit from curbing these dishonest practices because no-fault benefits are typically subject to a $50,000 limit. Thus, when providers over-bill or bill for phantom services, the consumer's no-fault monetary limit is unjustly depleted.
2. Set a time limit for responding to verification requests and denial for untimely response.
Within 30 days of receiving a no-fault claim from a healthcare provider, the insurer must pay or deny the claim, or, within 15 days, send a request for additional information to verify the claim. Once it receives verification, the insurer has 30 more days to pay or deny the claim.
There is currently no deadline for responding to a verification request. In addition, an insurer is not allowed to deny or close a claim if it never receives the requested verification. Accordingly, some claims remain open indefinitely. Under the law, insurers must pay a very high interest rate on delayed payments, so anything that causes delays can substantially increase costs.
To solve this problem, this amendment requires the healthcare provider to provide a response within 120 days of an insurer's verification request, or provide reasonable justification why it cannot do so. If the applicant fails to do one or the other, the amendment permits an insurer to deny the claim. The amendment should thus speed claims resolution and reduce the number of claims that remain open indefinitely
3. Prevent immaterial defects in notices from invalidating them.
Under current law, if there is a small and insignificant error in an insurer's verification request or a claim denial, the healthcare provider can seek to fight it through the courts or arbitration. The new amendment states that a technical error cannot be used to avoid responding to a verification request and does not invalidate an otherwise proper claim denial. The amendment should substantially reduce litigation and arbitration over these issues, reducing yet another obstacle to the timely resolution of no-fault claims.


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Manu Ginobili's play in the final 50 seconds was almost too much for Gregg Popovich to handle. Then again, the Spurs' coach is used to his veteran guard's free-wheeling style.
Ginobili's 3-pointer from the wing with 1.2 seconds left in double overtime lifted the San Antonio Spurs to a thrilling 129-127 victory Monday night over the Golden State Warriors and Stephen Curry, who had 44 points in the opener of the Western Conference semifinals.
The game-winning shot came 43.7 seconds after Ginobili took an ill-advised 3 that appeared to cost the Spurs the game.
"I went from wanting to trade him on the spot to wanting to cook breakfast for him tomorrow morning," Popovich said. "That's the truth. When I talk to him and say, 'Manu,' he goes, 'This is what I do.' That's what he's going to tell me. I stopped coaching him a long time ago."
Ginobili's 3 capped an improbable comeback for the Spurs, who trailed by 16 points with 4 minutes left in regulation before going on an 18-2 run to close the fourth quarter and force overtime.
Golden State trailed by five with 1 minute left in the second overtime before the Warriors scored six straight points to take a one-point lead on Kent Bazemore's reverse layup that gave the Warriors a 127-126 advantage with 3.9 seconds left.
Bazemore's layup was set up by Ginobili's errant 27-foot 3-pointer with 44.9 seconds left.
"I took a really bad shot," Ginobili said. "I was on the top of the key. I had no chance whatsoever to make it to the basket. I couldn't penetrate; I was very tired. Jack gave me a couple of feet and I thought I could make it."
Trailing 127-126 with 3.9 seconds left in the second overtime, Ginobili launched a high 3-pointer off a cross-court inbounds pass from Kawhi Leonard.
"On the last play, it wasn't for me; they just left me open," Ginobili said. "I set a screen for TP (Tony Parker) and they both went with him and left me open on the weak side. When I caught it I just saw Brazemore flying. I just gave it a lot of air and it went in.
"I wasn't even an option. They told me just go screen and stay far from the play. The play was for Tony or Boris. And they got confused."
Golden State had one final chance but Jarrett Jack's 3-pointer from the top of the key was off.
"We had a heartbreaker in Game 1 of the last series (against Denver)," Curry said. "A last-second layup by Andre Miller. So we've been here before. But we know how to come back. We've been a resilient team all year. To have an opportunity to go 1-1, we still have a chance to do that."
Tony Parker scored 28 points to lead San Antonio while Danny Green added 22 points, Leonard had 18 and Ginobili 16.
Tim Duncan finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds in 35 minutes. Duncan, who is battling a stomach bug, left the game with 3 minutes left in regulation and only played the final seconds of each overtime.
"He's had the flu," Popovich said. "He's been sick and he gave it a shot. It became pretty apparent there that he wasn't going to tell me the truth anymore, so I had to pull the plug myself."
Curry had 11 assists and was 18 for 35 from the field and 6 for 14 on 3-pointers for Golden State, which has lost 30 straight in San Antonio dating back to Feb. 14, 1997.
Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes each added 19 points, Jarrett Jack had 15 and Andrew Bogut had 10 points and 15 rebounds.
The Warriors missed eight of their final nine shots in regulation, including a desperation heave by Curry at the buzzer against several defenders.
"You should (win)," Golden State coach Mark Jackson said. "We're not the first team to lose a game like this and we will not be the last. That doesn't mean we're going to accept it. We're going to get better. Even down the stretch in the process of losing the lead, we did some things that were good. At the end of the day, they made plays and we didn't make enough."
The Spurs slowed Curry early in the fourth quarter by putting the 6-foot-7 Leonard on in the fourth quarter. Curry scored only six points in the fourth quarter, helping fuel San Antonio's rally behind Parker and Leonard.
Curry had 22 points in the third quarter, including 14 straight late in the period. Curry's run gave Golden State a 90-72 lead with 37.5 seconds left in the third.
"We just wanted to keep playing and keep competing," Popovich said. "Try to make stops and try to make some adjustments both personnel wise and defensively to try and get more stops and then stay in attack mode on offense. It worked out. It was anybody's game for sure."
Curry found his groove after a sluggish first half.
After averaging only 3.3 turnovers in Golden State's first-round upset of Denver, Curry had four in the first quarter alone while struggling to find his shot.
Curry missed his first two attempts while committing two turnovers and picking up a personal foul before hitting a 19-foot jumper with 6:31 left in the first. He finished 2 for 6 in the first quarter, scoring four points in 12 minutes while primarily being defended by Green.
Curry's first 3 came did not come until there was 7 minutes left in the first half.
The Warriors had plenty of offense without Curry, though.
Golden State raced to a 28-25 lead in the opening period by outscoring San Antonio 12-2 in the paint.
The Spurs started 1 for 9, with Green's 3-pointer their only basket in the opening 4 minutes. Parker's jumper with 7:17 left in the first broke the drought and pulled the Spurs within 11-5.
San Antonio shot 38 percent from the field in the first half, but kept the game close by going 13 for 14 on free throws compared to 5 for 10 by Golden State.
NOTES: Spurs F Tiago Splitter (ankle) missed his second-straight game of the playoffs. Splitter did not miss any games during the regular season due to injury, but sat out the finale to rest. ... San Antonio G Nando De Colo was inactive. . Warriors W Brandon Rush (knee) missed the game. ... Barnes was 5-years-old the last time Golden State won in San Antonio. ... The national anthem was sung by Haley Scarnato, a former American Idol finalist and San Antonio native.


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iPod Cities: Massive Chinese iPod Sweatshops
This morning we're going to be doing some hating on Apple. Might as well just warn you now. So if you're one of those smug idiot Apple zealots who were the main reason why I put off buying a Mac for as long as I did, you might want to avert your eyes. Because Steve Jobs isn't God, iTunes DRM sucks and, oh yeah: iPods are made in Chinese sweatshops.
According to the Mail on Sunday, the average Chinese worker who puts together that sleek, reflective black iPod 5G for you works fifteen hours a day in a dirty factory surrounded by police and makes only
27 a month. We don't know how many iPods you can make in a fifteen hour shift, but no matter how you slice it, that translates to pennies per iPod.
All employees live on the factory grounds. Long hours and lack of money practically cut them off from the rest of the world. How many people live in these iPod cities? One factory supposedly houses two hundred thousand workers: "This iPod City has a population bigger than Newcastle's."
If this report is true, this certainly makes me love my new iPod less. Oh, who am I kidding? It could be made with human flesh and only play mp3s of the Necronomicon Ex Mortis for all I care. I am a sucker for sex appeal.
Inside Apple's iPod factories [Macworld UK]
Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.


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King Air - Premium PU Leather Wallet Case with Card Slots, Cash Compartment and Detachable Wrist Strap FOR Samsung Galaxy S4 IV I9500 i9508 i959- Anchor Boat Pattern
We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock.
- Loop closure to firmly secure full contents
- Card Slots, cash compartment and detachable wrist strap
- Wrist strap can be worn while taking calls
- Single Magnetic Button Closure Design : safe, secure,convenient and tightly.
- 100 % Brand New
Have a question?
Find answers in product info, Q&As, reviews
Product description
Features : - Protective case, designed with flexibility in mind. Serves as a case, a wallet & a stand for your All New PHONE. - Internal cradle for your PHONE is built to house it securely. The device snaps easily in and out of the cradle as it would in any protective skin. - Invisible magnetic flap closure further ensures your device's safety, while staying out of sight & keeping the lines of the case elegant. - Our Wallet Case offers 3 slots for Credit and/or other cards and a larger slot underneath for cash. - The Folio Case is ready for the occasional movie watching. It folds easily into a stand. - Use your New HTC One as if it wasn't in a case & don't worry about damaging it. All the functionality of your device is and unobstructed while the case is keeping it secure. Samsung Galaxy S4 IV I9500
Customer reviews
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Quick and Dirty How-to: Showing Projects from DonorsChoose.org with PHP and AJAXWhile developing the Memory Lane application, I decided I wanted to list projects from DonorsChoose.org on the app's main page. Given their convenient API, this seemed like an easy way to support a good cause.
The DonorsChoose API for retrieving project data is simple and well documented. Project data is returned in JSON format; JSON itself is pretty simple, so I figured that retrieving and displaying the project list would be as well.
Turns out that I was both right and wrong, so I wrote up what I learned in case it helps anyone else. If you're curious see my DonorsChoose.org API How-To.
I *Knew* that Option Existed Somewhere!A number of years ago some folks at Oracle told me about the -runfast option, and I figured there had to be an analog for SQL Server. At long last, someone has proven me right: see http://sqlinthewild.co.za/index.php/2010/04/01/running-sql-faster/ for details.
Maybe I should start compiling a list of these obscure but highly useful options... hrm...
Asked and Answered: When Are You Going to Post Something New?A couple months ago, someone asked:
When are you going to post some new stuff ?
First let me say that I'm flattered that anyone even noticed that I stopped posting stuff, and even more flattered that they weren't happy about it. So thanks. I appreciate you asking.
With that said, the answer is depressingly simple:
I have no idea.
I started Full Table Scan at a time when I was employed but largely unoccupied. Think wrist restraints of the precious metal variety. Boooorrrring. Combing my love of database technology and writing seemed an ideal way to pass the time.
When my employment nightmare finally came to an end, I decided to take some time off, enjoy my kids while they were still young, and finish the college degree that I had deferred after three very un-stellar years following high school. I took to doing some contract work part-time to grease the wheels and keep my brain from dripping out my ears, but largely I just checked out of society in general and specifically the database world.
A funny thing happened when I started doing contract work - I had to track how long I spent working. From there I would generate invoices, in order to get paid. As a result I became very conscious of where my time was spent and when I was spending time doing something other than playing with my kids. And that pretty much spelled the end of the posts to this blog.
I love databases, and I love to write, but I love my wife and kids a whole lot more. Given the choice between unpaid time with them and unpaid time writing blog posts, well... sorry y'all.
With the college degree finished and the children growing older, however, I've slowly increased the amount of time I spend working. (It's hard to spend time with kids who are in school most or all of the day.) I'm sure that I still don't count as a truly productive member of society, but then again I probably never did. Maybe some day I'll also get back into the habit of paying close attention to the database industry and recording my thoughts about it, but for now I think I'll keep plugging away at the more mundane problems my clients throw at me each day.
It certainly pays better.
Irresistable Miscellaneous• From the I Never Thought I'd See That Department comes Open Source Database Magainze. Uh-huh.
• Further proof that the database industry is hipper that people think: http://www.dataliberators.com. If nothing else I like Bob's goatee/sunglasses look.
• More silly (and slightly dated) YouTube database fun: 1 and 2
Carry on...
"New Breed" Database ExtensibilityAt present, I can think of at least 5 "new breed" database vendors that you allow you to extend their SQL language in some form or another:
Greenplum (I think)
Of course, the old guard is well-represented in this category as well - Oracle, DB2, SQL Server, Teradata, etc. all allow language extension via custom functions, plug-ins, etc.
I don't know enough about it yet to know, but I think that Greenplum and AsterData might also belong on this list due to their support for Map/Reduce.
It wasn't all that long ago (3 or 4 years) that most of these vendors didn't even support the full SQL standard, never mind compiled-code extensions to their SQL language. Oh, the possibilities.


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Myneta.info: India's Technology Transition From Software Giant to Fighting Corruption
When India first started using technology for national development, it used technology to build a huge software industry which helped the economy grow in the 1990s. In the decades that followed, with a much improved economy, civic minded Indians set their sights on a much loftier goal – tackling corruption.
In July 2008 The Washington Post reported that nearly a fourth of the 540 Indian Parliament members faced criminal charges, "including human trafficking, immigration rackets, embezzlement, rape and even murder". The criminalization of politics causes a huge drain of public resources and the resulting loss of credibility for politicians dissuades civic minded citizens from stepping forward. Unfortunately the average voter often has little to no idea of the criminal background of some of these Parliament members and hence public opinion cannot be used to throw them out of power. The media, too, does not have capacity to focus on all the corruption cases and usually focuses on the most egregious violations.


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You are here
Simplicity: A Tribute to Ruth Stone
with Ruth Stone, Lucille Clifton, Galway Kinnell and Sharon Olds
Date and Time:
February 22, 1996 - 7:00PM
Event Location:
D'Agostino Auditorium, 110 West 3rd Street
A celebration of the poet's 80th birthday and her entire career. After presentations by her "friends in poetry," Ruth Stone will read from her new book, Simplicity (Paris Press). Introduced by Jan Freeman
Event Sponsored By:
Poets House, co-sponsored with the Creative Writing Department of New York University
Event Type:
Readings and Conversations


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At 5:30 a.m. on Monday morning, a group of 117 kids and adults to accompany them embarked on a fourteen and a half hour trip from San Antonio, Texas, to La Junta, Colo. The adults and kids are from University United Methodist Church and Coker United Methodist Church in San Antonio, under the direction of Aaron Buttery, a youth pastor at United Methodist Churches there.
At 5:30 a.m. on Monday morning, a group of 117 kids and adults to accompany them embarked on a fourteen and a half hour trip from San Antonio, Texas, to La Junta, Colo. The adults and kids are from University United Methodist Church and Coker United Methodist Church in San Antonio, under the direction of Aaron Buttery, a youth pastor at United Methodist Churches there.
The group is here through a project called Connected Community Project. They came to establish a better bond for the United Methodist Church with and among the people of Otero County. They had been in contact with various people in the La Junta/Rocky Ford area for over a month, deciding on the projects they would undertake.
Laura Hicks of the Arkansas Valley Pregnancy Center said that at first, she had thought of little projects like flower pots, etc. Then the director said, "Think big!" So Hicks did, and the projects the group is working on are a large mural for the west side of the building and framing the office area for individual offices. These offices, which will be soundproofed as much as possible, will allow the clients to have privacy while they are consulting with the counselors at the center. "I've been praying about it for a long time," said Hicks, "and these kids have made it possible."
Dennis and Janet Golding were working with the group at the pregnancy center. Although they aren't Methodists, it's like Dennis said, "We are all working for the same God." The neat part about having the visitors in La Junta is the connections that are made. Groups and people in La Junta, Cheraw and Rocky Ford are making new friendships. The visitors and local folks are making connections, said Ardeth Sneath.
At the Otero Museum on Tuesday, a crew was working on cleaning the switch engine and railroad cars to get ready for the professional painter who will be painting them. It looked like a hot, dirty job but there was not a word of complaining. Part of the crew was under the side of the switch engine, chipping away at 50 years of dirt, grease and debris. Don Lowman looked happy as he roamed around the busy kids.
At Southeast Health Group, another team was putting landscape beams into place to form garden plots for a community center for the youth and family services and other clients of the center.
Other projects have been cleaning 200 windows at Evergreen Gardens on Monday and painting and patching kitchen walls at the La Junta Senior Center on Tuesday. They are working with the 4-H of Rocky Ford at the Tri-County Family Care Center, painting the building. They will also paint four homes in he Arkansas Valley, install a handicap ramp for the elderly, paint the exterior of a business in Rocky Ford and also paint a mural. In addition, the group will build a fence for an elderly lady's dog and do several jobs not listed.
They came together for a barbecue supper at the United Methodist Church in La Junta on Tuesday evening, so the Tribune-Democrat took the opportunity of getting nearly all the kids and adults in the same place at the same time to have their picture taken. It's not all work and no play. The kids also have games, arts and crafts, a pool tournament, a dominoes tournament, a soccer camp and tournament, an outdoor concert and swimming. Amid the fun activities at Casa Del Sol, they set up for the annual yard sale on Saturday.


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Brandon Brusca of Carson, CA got started in the Lowrider scene back in the 80's; a time when his grandfather would let him tag along to various classic car cruises. The scene was surreal to the impressionable Brandon, and he soaked everything in pretty quickly. "I remember that at the end of the night, all the Lowriders would come in and I fell in love with the paint jobs, the music, and their whole style," says the candid enthusiast. His infatuation bubbled to a peak when Brandon purchased his first Lowrider–a 1963 hardtop he found at the Pomona swap meet in 1988, while he was a freshman in high school. "I've always liked the long sleek design and the sharp lines of the '63 Impala," says Brandon. It was only a couple years later, in 1990 that Brandon found this '63 Impala. "I ran into a guy that wanted to sell it to start his own business. The car was running and it was pretty much stock when I bought it." Luckily for Brandon, the previous owner didn't know and didn't care that under the Impala's hood there was a rare 409 engine.
Excited to begin work, Brandon tore the car apart and did a frame-off resto with a stock-colored paint job and chrome undercarriage. He debuted the car in 1996 and while the car took home many awards and also landed a front cover, Brandon found it hard to truly standout amongst the height of the stock-style Impala craze. "I had always admired Lifestyle cars like "Sun Goddess," "Butterscotch," "On the Rocks," and "Paradise," Brandon explains. "My eyes always drew to those cars because of the bright yellows and oranges and I loved the magenta stripes." In 2005, Brandon decided to tear the Impala down in favor of starting fresh. "As I got older, I started to see some of the mistakes that I had made and they really started to bother me; so I figured that if I tore it down that I would be able to fix those mistakes."
Brandon was contacted by a guy from Kansas City who was selling an Algon intake manifold. "I wasn't looking for that manifold but it came across it and it was a piece of history for the 409's," he says with a smile. The Algon in Brandon's '63 is documented as being 1 of 12 for high performance 409 fuel injection manifolds ever made. "There is a reason why you don't see that style of manifolds on the streets, and it's because they are very temperamental," he cautions. "Still, when I was building the car, I wanted to do things that were different but I also wanted to make sure that I stayed true to my Lowriding roots. It was a very hard thing to do; especially since I was trying to have racing nostalgia parts from that era but I also wanted to build the next generation of a Lowrider."
Tech Specs
Owner: Brandon Brusca
Vehicle: 1963 Impala Convertible
City/State: Carson, CA
Club: Lifestyle
Engine: Curt Harvey built the 409/425 4speed, large port high performance ALGON with Kinsler Mechanical Injectors, Magneto Vertex built by Don Zig, Muncie M22 transmission with Hurst close throw shifter, 2-chamber Flowmaster exhaust, 690 Doug Thorley tri-y headers, Street & Performance wide mount, Taylor Wires solid core, Mark 7 billet SPAL fans, 4 wheel disc brakes.
Body/Paint: Angel Zaragoza of Classic Carz Hot Rods in Chatsworth, CA took care of all the bodywork including shaving the emblems, gas door. Macklovio Garcia of Northridge, CA and Danny D worked on the multi House of Kolor paint. Walt Prey and Danny D are credited for the fine pinstripping work.
Interior: Armando's Rod & Custom in San Jacinto, CA did the four buckets seats in all leather and suede. Dakota Digital gauges and billet trim was added to finish the interior look.
Sound System: Mario Escamilla of Montebello, CA installed the Sony I-pod head unit, Precision Power Art Series amps, two JBL 6″x9″ and a 10″ Kicker Solo-baric subwoofer.
Chrome: Johnny 58 is responsible for the custom grill. Universal Plating of Irwindale, CA did all the chrome and Hernan of Hernan's Custom Engraving did all the engraving.
Setup: Brandon took it upon himself to install the 4 Eemco motors, 3000psi piston pumps. Lincoln Versailles of Super Natural Hydraulics in Gardena, CA handled the frame work. Hoppos Hydraulics in Ontario, CA molded the trailing arms and A-arms. Big Frank built the battery rack and pump table.
Tires: Original Premium Sportway
Wheels: 72 spoke Daytons


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Corsair Announces New Keyboards and Mice at Computex
Posted: 08:36PM
Author: bp9801
Corsair, one of the leaders in many things computer related, has annouced a slew of new products at Computex. Keyboards, mice, cases, and RAM are all included, with something for everyone to drool over. First up are the keyboards and mice, with Corsair introducing some new switches for the Vengeance K70 keyboard, the brand-new Vengeance K65 keyboard, the Raptor K50 gaming keyboard, and the Raptor M40 and M30 gaming mice. The K70, introduced a few months ago with Cherry MX Red switches, has now been decked out with both Cherry MX Blue and Brown switches to give users more of a tactile feel (along with a distinctive 'click' on the Blues).
The Vengeance K65, meanwhile, is Corsair's first compact mechanical keyboard. Eschewing the number pad yet keeping the key spacing of a full-size keyboard, Corsair is able to offer a more portable version of its popular mechanical keyboard line. The K65 features a 100% anti-ghosted matrix, full key rollover, and a detachable cable for easy transport to LAN parties.
Corsair's Raptor K50 gaming keyboard is of the membrane variety, and it features customizable backlighting of 16.8 million colors. It also includes 18 fully programmable macro keys, with three profiles to enable up to 54 macros in total stored in the onboard memory. There's also six dedicated multimedia keys, a Windows lock key to disable it, and 100% anti-ghosting with full key rollover on USB. The Raptor M40 and M30 gaming mice both feature an Avago ADNS-3090 4000DPI optical sensor, large PTFE pads for smooth gliding, DPI switching, and a right-handed design. The M40 resembles the Corsair M60/65, while the M30 is all smooth contours.
The Vengeance K70, K65, and Raptor K50 keyboards are going to be available in July for $129.99, $89.99, and $99.99, respectively, with the Raptor M40 and M30 mice available this month for $49.99 and $39.99, respectively.
Source: Press Release


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Two years ago, home builders couldn't construct houses fast enough to meet demand. They transformed huge tracts of lands into millions of new single-family homes, emboldened by rapidly appreciating home prices. Meanwhile, in cities across the country skylines were dotted with construction cranes as new multifamily towers rose. Moreover, developers transformed older hotels and office buildings into condos.
To suggest that there was overbuilding then would have gotten you laughed out of any room. But that building boom came with a price — and not just because it contributed to the downfall of the housing market. The boom sent prices of construction materials skyrocketing. Some materials costs grew at double-digit percentage point paces. This, in turn, had a profound effect on retail construction. For one, new retail follows residential, so new construction created opportunities for retail builders. But there was another impact. Developers — if they wanted to build at all — had to act fast or else risk seeing project costs skyrocket in a matter of weeks or months based on how quickly materials prices changed.
But now — with the residential market thrust into chaos — a different picture has emerged. New housing starts declined 27 percent in the first six months of 2007 compared to the same period in 2006, according to Reed Construction Data. Single-family starts dropped 28.5 percent and multifamily starts fell 18.5 percent.
With only 1.49 million units starting construction since October 2006, the country's housing market is in its worst shape since 1997, Reed researchers estimate.
On the downside, a slowdown in housing usually does not bode well for retail. The appetite for new development dissipates. Moreover, faced with a housing crunch, consumer spending remains a concern. This time, however, there is a silver lining. Suddenly materials prices have taken an about-face. On many items, such as gypsum, plastics and ceramic tile, prices have dropped. On cement and precast concrete, prices are still rising, but not nearly as fast as before. And there aren't as many shortages occurring.
Retail developers can now enjoy stabilized construction pricing. As of July, prices for commodity construction materials were up only 0.5 percent from a year ago, and down 0.4 percent from June, according to Reed. In the second quarter of 2007, the price for construction of shopping centers remained flat, says Brian Smith, chief investment officer with Regency Centers, a Jacksonville, Fla.-based REIT with $1.3 billion of new space currently under construction.
By more generous estimates, however, the cost of commercial construction may have gone down as much as 10 percent compared to 2006, says Scott Loventhal, director of development with Garden Commercial Properties, a Short Hills, N.J.-based real estate owner with more than 25 million square feet of commercial space in its portfolio. Garden Commercial is a subsidiary of Garden Homes, a residential developer, and based on the slowdown in the firm's residential business, Loventhal doesn't expect to see an improvement in the housing market at least until the spring of 2009.
Which way is up?
The drop in the price of gypsum products, which are used in both residential and commercial construction and which came down in value 17.3 percent compared to a year ago, is one of the most notable changes so far, according to Reed data. Also going down are prices for engineered wood products, which have decreased 9.4 percent from last year; plastics, which posted a 2 percent price decrease; and softwood lumber, which posted a decrease of 5.3 percent.
When it comes to other commercial construction materials, however, such as concrete, there hasn't been much of a change, though price increases have moderated compared to the previous three years, says Jim Haughey, chief economist with Reed. Precast concrete is up 4.9 percent compared to last year, cement is up 4.7 percent and sheet metal is up 2.3 percent. However, those increases are modest compared to the jumps experienced in the recent past. In 2005, for example, prices of concrete products rose 17 percent.
Looking forward, over the next 12 months construction prices will increase an average of 3 percent to 5 percent, estimates Kenneth Simonson, chief economist with the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), compared to annual increases of 6 percent to 9 percent experienced over the past three years.
Still, the volatility in the oil markets can cause a spike in the price of plastics, paints, rubber and steel at any point, in addition to driving up the cost of site work that relies on fuel-guzzling road machinery, such as excavation trucks. As of July, the price of diesel fuel used for construction work was up 1.7 percent year-over-year, according to AGC, but on Sept. 13, crude oil prices rose more than 2 percent in one day, to $79.91 a barrel, and analysts worry that they will continue to climb higher because of the increased demand for energy in China and India.
Plus, "some of the decreases [in construction materials prices] are offset by higher wage rates for labor for nonresidential building contractors," Haughey says. "Wages have gone up for nonresidential subcontractors because their skills are different" than those of residential builders.
As of August, average hourly earnings for construction work were up 4.5 percent compared to the same period last year, while earnings for all private production workers were up only 3.9 percent, according to the Data DIGest published by AGC. The wage rate for subcontractor labor went up 4.2 percent compared to last year, estimates Haughey. This suggests that contractors are still bidding up wages, Simonson writes, even though the contractors lost approximately 96,000 jobs since September 2006.
The slowdown in the residential sector has freed up those subcontractors who can be used for site work — in AGC's estimates, up to 400,000 residential workers switched to commercial projects this year. But laborers who specialize in retail development are still hard to come by, according to Walter Bagley, director of construction with Edens & Avant, a Columbia, S.C.-based retail developer with a $1 billion construction pipeline.
Retail developers worry about more than just the labor prices, however. As a rule, retail follows rooftops, and a decrease in the number of new residents in certain areas means a slowdown in new retail construction and, possibly, scrapped projects. This year, overall spending on retail job sites is going to rise 13 percent compared to 2006, according to Reed, but in 2008, that figure is expected to drop to 5 percent, with $37.8 billion in new projects. "That is just a little more than the construction cost increases," says Haughey, who expects the pace of new retail development to slow down.
Shrinking pipelines?
Still, that's ahead of the figure for commercial building overall, which is forecast to increase 3.8 percent from 2007 to 2008, with $103 billion in new projects.
A big factor in how things play out could be retail sales. Retail sales have averaged growth of 2.4 percent in 2007 on a same-store basis, down from 3.6 percent last year. They could fall further depending on housing. But even if retail sales plunge, the fallout won't be felt equally. While the slowdown in the residential sector is likely to affect developers of neighborhood and community shopping centers in up-and-coming markets, those whose pipeline is concentrated in primary areas with established populations should emerge unscathed, says Smith.
"As home building slows down, it will slow down retail," says Steven Rivers, senior vice president with Hardin Construction Co. "But the Southeast is still pretty active, and out West, places like Arizona and Nevada still have a large influx of population, so I think they will keep up. Where we are, in Orlando, we had such a large inventory of new homes come in that the retail is still catching up to the new rooftops."


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6 Seriously Spooky Cocktails to Get You Excited for Halloween
It might only be the middle of the month, but Pinterest is swarming with Halloween DIYs and creative treats. Have you started planning for the occasion yet? These spooky cocktails definitely got me excited for the weeks ahead.
Here are a few to get you into the ghoulish spirit. I particularly enjoy the black rimming salt and the vampire teeth garnishes. It's the little touches after all, more than the drink itself, that make a Halloween cocktail great.
1. Vampire Kiss Martini - Cooking with Sugar
2. The Weeping Woman - Muy Bueno
3. Black + Orange Rum Punch - Brit + Co
4. Vampire Punch with Lime Shebet - Cookin Canuck
5. Candy Corn Martini - Boulder Locavore
1. Concord Grape Goblin Punch - Pretty Plain Janes
Do you have a favorite Halloween cocktail? Let us know in the comments!
(Images: As Linked)


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"We looked for a nationally touring exhibition about Abraham Lincoln," says MAG director (and longtime Lincoln admirer) Grant Holcomb, "and when we couldn't find one, we created our own." On February 12, 2009, Lincoln's 200th birthday, a special opening day admission of one Lincoln penny brought in 893 visitors, many of them first-timers. What they saw were more than 40 images of our 16th president from MAG and other area collections. As Holcomb noted in numerous press interviews, it wasn't Lincoln's first appearance in Rochester. His inaugural train made a stop here in 1861, followed tragically by his funeral train four years later. Learn more about Lincoln in the MAG collection
Pictured: On February 11, director Grant Holcomb and Board president Andy Gallina accepted a proclamation honoring the exhibition from Jean Howard, chief of staff to mayor Bob Duffy, and city coucilwoman Elaine Spaull. Photo by Richard Baker.
Lincoln in Rochester was made possible by the Chester and Dorris Carlson Charitable Fund and presented in honor of the City of Rochester's 175th anniversary. More about the exhibition


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With a tree-lined campus in the heart of a Southern capital city, South Carolina's beauty and hospitality are best experienced in person.
Schedule a Tour
Carolina offers walking tours led by our students, called University Ambassadors, who will welcome you to campus and help you get the most out of your campus visit.
Campus Photo Gallery
Our tree-friendly urban campus looks great in all seasons. Sneak a peek at the beauty you will find here.
Campus Map
Get your bearings, find your way to and around campus and check the current shuttle bus locations with our interactive campus map.
Explore Columbia
Discover new things to do and nice places to stay, and see why our famously hot hometown is so surprisingly cool.
Photograph of McKissick Museum by Rick Smoak


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WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. – Low-income residents affected by Hurricane Sandy can apply for Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, commonly known as food stamps, beginning Friday, Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino announced Wednesday.
If your household was damaged or you lost possessions or income from the storm, you are eligible to apply for the disaster benefits, which can be made available when an emergency or disaster causes the number of applications to significantly increase in a short time.
In addition to disaster-related expenses, eligibility is based on household income, resources and other circumstances. Food loss alone won't qualify you for assistance. Current SNAP recipients are not eligible for D-SNAP, which is supervised by the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance and administered by local departments of social services.
"People need to know that help is available," Astorino said.
Applications will be accepted at:
- The Westchester County Department of Social Services Yonkers District Office, 131 Warburton Ave., Yonkers – 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Nov. 16 - 21.
- DSS Mount Vernon District Office, 100 E. First St., Mount Vernon – 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Nov. 16 and Nov. 19 - 21.
- DSS White Plains District Office, 85 Court St., White Plains – 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Nov. 16 - 21 and Nov. 23.
- DSS Peekskill District Office, 750 Washington St., Peekskill – 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Nov. 16, Nov. 19 - 21 and Jan. 12.
- White Plains Disaster Recovery Center, County Center, 198 Central Ave., White Plains – 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. Nov. 16 - 21 and Nov. 23.
No applications will be taken at any of the designated sites on Thanksgiving, Nov. 22.
To find out more about applying for D-SNAP benefits in Westchester County, call 800-342-3009 or the county Department of Social Services at 914-995-5000.
Click here to sign up for Daily Voice's free daily emails and news alerts.


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An obligatory follow-up to Friday's post, with Michael openly wondering whether Ron might have ended up pulling the lever for Mondale in 1984. One thing I neglected to mention on Friday: Isn't it an unfortunate tradition for presidents to continue in office long after their health has become a major liability? For all the obsession about Reagan's occasional memory lapses, you'd never know that arguably the two most influential Democratic chief execs of the 20th century were both heavily burdened by illness in their last years in office. Wilson had a catastrophic stroke in 1919, a year and a half before his second term expired, and FDR was already so frail by the time of the 1944 election that Democrats booted Henry Wallace from the ticket in favor of Truman precisely because they feared the VP would end up as president relatively soon. Reagan's problems were comparatively minor until a few years after he left office, but as Michael says, pretending he was already lost in the fog of Alzheimer's is a useful way to deny him credit for his achievements. And of course, it turns Reagan into a vividly literal example of the stereotypical Republican who's "out of touch with reality."
But there's no use fighting this rumor; it's been around forever and will go on forever, precisely because it serves political ends, however cheaply. In fact, I remember as a kid my parents talking about it while Reagan was in his second term, with the claim at the time being that Nancy, as her husband's caretaker, was effectively running the country. Quoth my dad, "She's doing an awfully good job."


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That is an awesome picture!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That picture could be nominated for awards. It captures the moment perfectly. The only thing it is missing is LJ.
not only is it for our country, our armed forces, and chiefs nation,,,
its for lamar hunt. RIP.
That pic is my new desktop, BTW.
Thanks for all the yards, TDs, and memories, Priest!


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Editor's note: By the request of the family, the photo on the doll will not be shown, and its final destination will not be disclosed.
FARINA, Ill. - Just inside the Farina city limits in South Central Illinois sits a truck stop with a cashier who has a heart of gold.
"A customer came in carrying a doll and told me he'd found it at the pumps and told me I ought to put it behind the counter in case someone came looking for it," said Kim Lane, who works at the Jack Flash truck stop in Farina.
With one look, Kim knew it was no ordinary doll.
"It's something very special," she said. "It's a valuable keepsake."
A doll stitched in camo with a recorded message.
"Hey buddy, it's dada. I miss you and I love you," the doll says.
"I just knew that it had something to do with military personnel," Kim said. "I just wanted to find the person that lost it."
That's when the cashier's quest began.
"I couldn't imagine any other way of finding it, so I decided to put it on Facebook," she said.
Within minutes of posting her plea, social media did its thing.
"It was nonstop," she said. "Every time I looked at my phone there were more shares, more likes more comments"
A thousand likes and nearly 3,000 shares later, success.
"I looked back through the messages and actually spoke to the grandmother of the little boy," Kim said.
The little boy is a 2-year-old named Grayson whose dad is a deployed soldier whose identity we promised to keep secret.
"With everything going on in the world right now it feels great that so many people are standing behind my husband and military people in general because they don't really personally know him," said Grayson's mom, Ashley. "So it's amazing to see social media and the world come together for something seemingly so small."
"It's a United States soldier and his family," Kim said. "We appreciate everything and want to do what we can to help."
So Kim is grabbed a little of this and a little of that from the truck stop's shelves and put them in a box as gifts to accompany the lost doll to its destination.
A cashier whose big heart is bursting with pride.
"I feel honored to be a part of it."
Dolls with recorded messages are popular with military families. The one found in Farina is from a company called called "Huggs to Go. "
You can learn more on their website, www.HuggeeMissYou.com.
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It's no secret that diesel prices are reaching new highs. The real unknown here, though, is how the trucking industry as a whole can deal with this huge and ever-expanding bulge in its bottom line for the long term.
I mean, when oil prices hit $75 a barrel in the wake of Hurricane Katrina back in 2005, you would've thought the end of the world arrived from the way the general media covered the resulting run-up in diesel and gasoline prices. Today, however, the price per barrel is near the $100 mark, with diesel and gasoline pump prices hitting all-time records -- above even those set in 1981, adjusting for inflation, when the nation sat mired in a major recession.
On average in the U.S. now, diesel fuel costs just over $3.44 per gallon, with the pump numbers going higher and lower in different parts of the country. Truckers in Wisconsin report $3.58 per gallon -- one lucky trucker who phoned into "The Loading Dock" trucking news show on Sirius Satellite Radio's channel 147 scored $3.42 in California of all places (where fuel prices are usually way above the national average).
The price run up of the last few weeks happened so fast than many carriers and owner-operators alike couldn't revise their fuel surcharges upwards quickly enough, thus having to eat many dollars during the lag time. And with fuel representing 25% of a carrier's bottom line operating cost on averge, according to the American Trucking Association (ATA), a lag in fuel surcharge adjustment adds up to big money in a hurry.
Just look at the industry's escalating fuel bill over the last several years. In 2004, trucking paid $65.9 billion for fuel, according to ATA's statistics. By 2005, that bill climbed to $87.7 billion -- a ONE YEAR spike of $19.8 billion! In 2006, fuel costs jumped to $103.3 billion -- another double-digit spike, this time to the tune of $15.6 billion -- and now trucking is on track to spend $110.1 billion on fuel in 2007. IF we hold steady at that $3.44 per gallon average, mind you.
Talking to truckers on the air, you can plainly hear their frustration. Owner-operators that spent $400 to $500 a week on fuel seven years ago now face a staggering $1,600 to $1,700 weekly fuel bill -- even if they are getting a solid 6.5 mpg on the highway. That type of expense would blow a hole in anybody's wallet quickly -- especially if freight revenues are slack, like they are now. And it's no wonder that the talk is turning (yet again) to holding a nationwide trucker's strike -- this time being called for Jan. 3 through 8 in 2008.
What can be done? It's beyond obvious that the U.S. lacks anything that even remotely can be labeled an energy security strategy -- we've gone through nothing but cycle after cycle of fuel price spikes since 1999, when diesel cost (can you believe it?) 90 cents a gallon. Yes, that number is from the late 20th century folks ... though it seems like a lifetime ago.
Making your trucks as fuel efficient as possible (adding aerodynamic roof and fuel tank fairings, reducing engine idling, making sure ALL 18 tires are properly inflated, running the engine in the 'sweet spot' on the highway) is of course the standard reply. Reducing out-of-route mileage, using a fuel buying strategy, and other management tactics are all there for the taking, too. But the reality is trucks need to roll -- and petroleum is really the only fuel of choice, representing some 97% of what's burned in truck tanks today. Until we get some alternatives out there in some big numbers, we're stuck with petroleum -- and all the price hikes that go with it.


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(c) Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield MA. All rights reserved.
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In 1884, 180 years after she was slain on the march to Canada following the attack on Deerfield on February 29, 1704, a monument was dedicated to Mrs. Eunice Williams, wife of the Deerfield minister, the Reverend John Williams. Rev. Moors, minister in Greenfield, Massachusetts, delivered the address at the dedication. He recounts Eunice Williams's ancestry, discusses warfare from the 15th century to the 19th, and concludes that the 19th century has done more and better things for humanity than all the previous Christian centuries combined.
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See Also...
"The Redeemed Captive Returning to Zion"
"The Deerfield Captive"
Puritans Led Off in Captivity
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