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Welcome to SLATE
An introduction and apologia.
The name? It means nothing, or practically nothing. We chose it as an empty vessel into which we can pour meaning. We hope SLATE will come to mean good original journalism in this new medium. Beyond that, who knows? Good magazines are exercises in serendipity. Credit--or blame--for the name "SLATE," by the way, goes to David Weld, then of Microsoft, now of Cognisoft Corp.
A Seattle cyberwag says that the name "SLATE" is appropriate, because whenever he asks anyone from Microsoft, "How's your project coming along?" the answer he usually gets is, "'s late." SLATE, in fact, has been reasonably prompt. Less than six months ago, it was a four-page memorandum and a single Internet naif. SLATE is not the first "webzine," but everyone in this nascent business is still struggling with some pretty basic issues. Starting an online magazine is like starting a traditional paper magazine by asking: "OK, you chop down the trees. Then what?"
To be honest, we are running late on a few things. For the reader--you--there is good news and bad news here. The good news is that our billing system isn't ready yet. We intend to charge $19.95 a year for SLATE. That is far less than the cost of equivalent print magazines, because there's no paper, printing, or postage. But $19.95 ($34.95 for two years) is more than zero, which is what Web readers are used to paying. We believe that expecting readers to share the cost, as they do in print, is the only way serious journalism on the Web can be self-supporting. Depending completely on advertisers would not be healthy even if it were possible.
And we want to be self-supporting. Indeed one of SLATE's main goals is to demonstrate, if we can, that the economies of cyberspace make it easier for our kind of journalism to pay for itself. Most magazines like SLATE depend on someone's generosity or vanity or misplaced optimism to pay the bills. But self-supporting journalism is freer journalism. (As A.J. Liebling said, freedom of the press is for those who own one.) If the Web can make serious journalism more easily self-supporting, that is a great gift from technology to democracy.
For the moment, though, SLATE is yours for free. So enjoy. We expect to start requiring registration in a few weeks, and to require payment beginning Nov. 1.
The bad news for readers is that some features aren't quite ready yet. Prime among them is "The Fray," our reader-discussion forum. Meanwhile, though, please e-mail any comments you may have to firstname.lastname@example.com. We'll be publishing a traditional "Letters to the Editor" page until The Fray is up and running in a few weeks.
We especially need, and appreciate, your comments in these early weeks. Every new magazine is a "beta" version for a while, especially a new magazine in a new medium. SLATE has gotten enormous hype--some of it, to be sure, self-induced, but much of it not. We appreciate the attention. But of course, it also makes us nervous. We have a smaller budget and staff than most well-known magazines--even smaller than some webzines. We don't claim to have all the answers. But, with your help, we plan to have all the answers by Christmas.
So What's in It?
First, let me urge you to read a special page called Consider Your Options. This page explains and executes the various ways you can receive and read SLATE. If you don't like reading on a computer screen, for example, there's a special version of SLATE that you can print out in its entirety, reformatted like a traditional print magazine. If you don't mind reading on a screen but hate waiting for pages to download--and hate running up those online charges from your Internet provider--you will soon be able to download the whole magazine at once and read it offline.
Also on the Consider Your Options page, you can order SLATE to be delivered to your computer by e-mail. (Caution: This may not work with your e-mail system.) We'll even send you SLATEon Paper, a monthly compilation of highlights from SLATE, through the U.S. Mail. (The cost is $29 a year. Call 800-555-4995 to order.)
Individual copies of SLATEon Paper will be available exclusively at Starbucks. And selected articles from SLATE will also appear in Time magazine.
While you're on the Consider Your Options page, please read about how to navigate around SLATE. We use page numbers, like a traditional print magazine, and have tried to make it as easy as possible either to "flip through" the magazine or to and from the Table of Contents.
OK, But What's in It??
SLATE is basically a weekly: Most articles will appear for a week. But there will be something new to read almost every day. Some elements will change constantly. Other elements will appear and be removed throughout the week. Every article will indicate when it was "posted" and when it will be "composted." As a general rule the Back of the Book, containing cultural reviews and commentary, will be posted Mondays and Tuesdays, the longer Features will be posted Wednesdays and Thursdays, and the front-of-the-book Briefing section will be posted Fridays. If you miss something, you can easily call it up from our archive, "The Compost."
Let me try to describe a typical issue of SLATE.
The Readme column will not always be as solipsistic as this one. It will usually be a commentary on public affairs by one of SLATE's editors.
Several regular departments in the Briefing section are attempts at "meta-news": the news about the news, a sense of how the week's big stories are being played and perceived. The Week/The Spin takes a dozen or so topics, from this week's election-campaign developments to the latest big book from Knopf, and analyses, as objectively as possible, the spin they're getting, the sub-angles that are emerging, and so on. In Other Magazines uses the covers and contents of Time, Newsweek, etc., as a handy measure of what the culture considers important. (We aim to have these magazines in SLATE even before they reach the newsstands or your mailbox.) The Horse Race tracks the presidential candidates like stocks, as priced by the opinion polls, the pundits, and a genuine market in political candidates run out of the University of Iowa. Our man William Saletan will compute and analyze changes in the pundits index.
The Gist, by contrast, is SLATE's effort to provide a quick education on some current issue in a form as free of spin as possible. Also free of quotes, anecdotes, and other paraphernalia. The only 1,000 words you'll have to read when you might rather read nothing at all.
In a weekly department called Varnish Remover, political consultant Robert Shrum will deconstruct a 30-second TV spot from the election campaign. You can download a video or audio clip of the spot itself. "Assessment" will be a short, judgmental profile of some figure in the news. (Coming up soon: James Fallows on Wired magazine's godfather, Nicholas Negroponte.)
Stanford economist Paul Krugman writes The Dismal Scientist, a once-a-month column on economic policy. (See his debut essay in this issue, about the economic war within the Clinton administration.) University of Rochester economist Steven Landsburg writes monthly on "Everyday Economics," using economic analysis to illuminate everyday life. (His first column, in our next issue, will explain how sexual promiscuity can actually reduce the spread of AIDS.)
"The Earthling" will be a monthly column by Robert Wright, contributor to the New Republic and Time, and author of the acclaimed book on evolutionary psychology, The Moral Animal. Other regular Briefing features will include a Press column by our deputy editor, Jack Shafer.
Doodlennium is our weekly cartoon strip by Mark Alan Stamaty, whose "Washingtoon" appeared for many years in the Washington Post and Time. Our SLATE Diary will be an actual daily diary, written and posted every weekday by someone with an interesting mind. Our first diarist is David O. Russell, writer and director of Flirting With Disaster. Our second diarist will be novelist Muriel Spark.
Can There Possibly be More?
Our Features section begins each week with the Committee of Correspondence, our e-mail discussion group. The committee is run by Herbert Stein, a former chairman of the president's Council of Economic Advisers best-known now for his witty columns in the Wall Street Journal. We have great hopes for e-mail as a medium of debate that can combine the immediacy of talk-television with the intellectual discipline of the written word. We hope for something halfway between The McLaughlin Group and the correspondence page of the New York Review of Books. Will it work? Check out our first attempt--Does Microsoft Play Fair?--and let us know what you think.
The Features section is also where we run longer articles and occasional humor pieces (that is, pieces that are intentionally, or at least aspirationally, humorous). This week in The Temptation of Bob Dole, SLATE's Washington editor, Jodie Allen, cruelly analyzes the arguments for a tax cut. Social critic Nicholas Lemann writes on Jews in Second Place, about what happens to American Jews as Asians replace them at the top of the meritocracy. And the legendary recluse Henry David Thoreau emerges to give SLATE readers an exclusive peek at his new Web page.
In SLATE Gallery, we have a continuous exhibition of computer-based art. You may like or dislike this stuff (we'll have plenty of linked commentary to help you decide). What appeals to us about computer art is that SLATE can show you not reproductions, but the actual art itself. We start with an offering by Jenny Holzer.
This week's reviews include Ann Hulbert's book review of Miss Manners' latest encyclical; Sarah Kerr's television review of the changing fashions in season finales; Larissa MacFarquhar's High Concept column, about how managed care could improve psychotherapy; and Cullen Murphy's The Good Word, about the difference between "Jesuitical" and "Talmudic."
In general, SLATE's Back of the Book will contain a weekly book review, alternating television and movie reviews, and a rotating menu of columns on music (classical and popular), sports, web sites, and other topics. Jeffrey Steingarten will be writing monthly on food ("In the Soup"), Anne Hollander on fashion ("Clothes Sense"), and Margaret Talbot on "Men and Women." Audio and video clips will be offered where appropriate.
Every issue will have a poem, read aloud by the author, with text. In this issue is a new poem by Seamus Heaney.
And coming up soon, two additional Back of the Book features: an interactive acrostic puzzle, and a stock-market contest.
Does SLATE Have a Slant?
SLATE is owned by Microsoft Corp., and that bothers some people. Can a giant software company put out a magazine that is free to think for itself? All we can say is that Microsoft has made all the right noises on this subject, and we look forward to putting the company's hands-off commitment to the test. But the concern strikes me as misplaced. In a day of media conglomerates with myriad daily conflicts of interest--Time Warner, Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., Disney-ABC--how can it be a bad thing for a new company to begin competing in the media business? A journalist who worries about Microsoft putting out a magazine is a journalist with a steady job.
Readers may also wonder whether SLATE will have a particular political flavor. The answer is that we do not set out with any ideological mission or agenda. On the other hand, we are not committed to any artificial balance of views. We will publish articles from various perspectives, but we will not agonize if the mix averages out to be somewhere other than dead center.
A good magazine, though, does develop a personality, an attitude, and some prejudices--even crotchets. A few of SLATE's are already becoming clear. In discussing current events, we have a preference for policy over politics. We'd rather discuss the effect of Bob Dole's tax-cut proposal on the economy than its effect on Bill Clinton. Within the policy arena, we seem to have a special fondness for economics. This was not planned; it's one of those serendipitous developments I mentioned. Whether it reflects good luck or bad luck is a matter of taste (yours).
Finally, we intend to take a fairly skeptical stance toward the romance and rapidly escalating vanity of cyberspace. We do not start out with the smug assumption that the Internet changes the nature of human thought, or that all the restraints that society imposes on individuals in "real life" must melt away in cyberia. There is a deadening conformity in the hipness of cyberspace culture in which we don't intend to participate. Part of our mission at SLATE will be trying to bring cyberspace down to earth.
Should be fun. Thanks for joining us.


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The Army intelligence analyst suspected of giving hundreds of thousands of classified documents to the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks claims three federal reviews concluded the leaks didn't hurt national security and caused little damage to U.S. interests abroad.
Pfc. Bradley Manning's civilian defense attorney, David E. Coombs, made the claims in a court filing he released publicly on Monday. He is seeking the reports _ done by the White House, Defense Department and State Department _ to counter statements by top federal and military leaders that the leaks could significantly damage U.S. security interests.
Coombs also asked for evidence that he said would show soldiers commonly installed unauthorized programs on their work computers, the basis for two of the 22 counts Manning faces.
And Coombs sought videotape of Manning being forced by jailers at the Quantico Marine Corps Base in Virginia to strip naked at bedtime last January, ostensibly for suicide prevention. Coombs said the video will support Manning's claim of unlawful pretrial punishment. He was moved in April to the military prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
The filing provides the first glimpse of strategies the defense may pursue in fighting charges that Manning, 23, leaked classified war logs, diplomatic cables and combat video to WikiLeaks while working in Iraq. If convicted, he faces up to life imprisonment, or even execution, although prosecutors say they will not seek the death penalty.
His first hearing, called an Article 32 investigation, is set to begin Dec. 16.
Military prosecutors didn't immediately respond to requests for comment on Coombs' filing.
One of the reports Coombs requested is a comprehensive White House review that he said details "the rather benign nature of the leaks and the lack of any real damage to national security." He also asked for a report on a State Department review that he said reached similar conclusions.
The White House review, conducted by a National Security Staff senior adviser, hasn't been made public. It led to a White House executive order last month that will create a special committee to coordinate information-sharing and ensure that classified computer networks are secure.
The White House publicly condemned the release of the WikiLeaks documents in November 2010, saying such disclosures put diplomats, intelligence workers and others at risk.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton similarly condemned the cables' release that same month.
Coombs also asked for a report on a Defense Intelligence Agency review of the WikiLeaks documents that he said was ordered on July 29, 2010. "Specifically, the damage assessment concluded that all of the information allegedly leaked was either dated, represented low-level opinions, or was already commonly understood and known due to previous public disclosures," Coombs wrote.
The Pentagon said in October 2010 that a special task force led by the Defense Intelligence Agency had combed the posted reports to determine what might have been compromised. Pentagon spokesman David Lapan said then that the review supported the military's initial assessment that the materials didn't include the most sensitive kinds of information but still posed a risk to national security.
Manning supporters say the material published by WikiLeaks exposed war crimes and triggered the recent wave of democratic uprisings in some Arab nations.
Associated Press writers Jim Kuhnhenn and Pauline Jelinek in Washington contributed to this report.

subset: commoncrawl


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Support Your UH Cougars
Fellow Cougars and Colleagues --
Our 2011-12 school year is off to a great start. I am very proud of our students, faculty, staff, alums and supporters for your continued hard work. Thanks to all of you, the future continues to look bright for the University of Houston.
Our football team has kicked off its season with an impressive 3-0 record. They will put that perfect record on the line at 7 p.m. Saturday when they return home to Robertson Stadium. If you do not already have tickets to this game against Georgia State, I encourage you to get them. Nationally televised games such as this provide an important opportunity for the university to show the entire country what the Cougars are all about. Think of the future students, staff, fans, recruits and other influential people who may be watching. So, let's fill the stands! This is our opportunity to shine.
I have spoken with the Athletics Department, and they do have some tickets remaining. You will find information about that below. I hope to see you all at the game. Good luck to Coach Sumlin and our team. Go Coogs!
Warm Regards,
Renu Khator
Tickets are available by calling 713-GO-COOGS (713-462-6647) or online at: http://www.uhcougars.com/tickets/hou-tickets.html


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Conus allaryi
|Scope: Global
Language: English
|Scientific Name:
|Conus allaryi Bozzetti, 2008
|Red List Category & Criteria:
|Vulnerable D2 ver 3.1
|Year Published:
|Date Assessed:
|Tenorio, M.J.
|Seddon, M. & Monnier, E.
|Peters, H. & Seddon, M.
This is a recently described species with a range that would seem to be restricted to a single location, possibly to a single bay. This location is affected by development of the city of Benguela. This is a relatively large city so that pollution from the city may be a real threat to this species. With increased development in the area and potentially rising population numbers, pollution is likely to increase. At present very little is known about the effects of pollution on the species (it is unknown whether it can withstand pollution up to a certain level), so that more research is required. Using a precautionary approach because of the very restricted location of this species next to major urban development, the species has been assessed as Vulnerable (VU D2). Increasing levels of pollution fuelled by development of the area is the most plausible threat to this species. The effect of increasing levels of pollution on this species is currently unknown; it may cause rapid declines over a short period of time towards a Critically Endangered listing, which is why the precautionary approach was adopted. If the effects are less severe, the species should be downlisted to Near Threatened once further information becomes available. Oil prospecting has been carried out along Angola's coast and eventual oil exploration may have an effect on Angola's coast in the future, but there is no current development of these activities.
|Range Description:
|This recently described species is endemic to Angola. The type locality is San Antonio Bay, 30 km south of Benguela, along a length of coast estimated as 30 km. Shell specimens offered for sale at internet websites all indicate having been gathered within the region of Benguela.
|Countries occurrence:
|FAO Marine Fishing Areas:
Atlantic – southeast
|Additional data:
|Range Map:
|Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.
|There are no records of population levels for this species
|Current Population Trend:
|Additional data:
|Habitat and Ecology:
|This recently described species has been found at between 3 and 5 m depth (Filmer 2001, amended 2009).
|Continuing decline in area, extent and/or quality of habitat:
|Use and Trade:
|The shells of this species are traded for the specialist Conus shell market only. As a result, the level of off-take is low (M. J. Tenorio pers. comm. 2011).
|Major Threat(s):
|This recently described species is endemic to Angola where it is restricted to a short area of coastline or possibly a single bay. Benguela is a relatively large city so that pollution from the city may be a real threat to this species. With increased development in the area and potentially rising population numbers, pollution is likely to increase. At present very little is known about the effects of pollution on the species (it is unknown whether it can withstand pollution up to a certain level), so that more research is required. Oil prospection has been going on along the Angolan coast, but there is no further development on this at the moment, so this is not considered a current threat; it may be more significant in the future if oil drilling commences (M. J. Tenorio and S. Veldsman pers. comm. 2011).
|Conservation Actions:
|This species is restricted in its range and scarce in the market and would benefit from further research into its distribution (i.e. whether it occurs in additional localities) and threats (effects of pollution on the species) before any action plan can be formulated. There are no known conservation measures currently in place for this species.
|Tenorio, M.J. 2012. Conus allaryi. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2012: e.T192594A2124378. . Downloaded on 20 September 2018.
|To make use of this information, please check the <Terms of Use>.
|If you see any errors or have any questions or suggestions on what is shown on this page, please provide us with feedback so that we can correct or extend the information provided


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This isn't the first time that we've featured an app from Gameloft in our App of The Day series, but it is the first time that we've included an app from the French developer that isn't a game.
You see Gameloft has branched out with its App Store offerings, and has done so in a very serious and informative manner, covering one of the most fascinating areas of WWII.
War in the Pacific (iPad)
- Format
- iOS
- Price
- £5.99
- Where
- iTunes
Yes, we were surprised when first heard that Gameloft was throwing an interactive book into the App Store.
And we were even more surprised to learn that the book didn't borrow heavily from other established titles (The Lord of the toe-Rings, Barry Potter and the Philanthropist's Stone...) and instead produced an entirely original publication. And a history-based non-fiction title to boot.
And we have to say, it's brilliant. Not only does it look stunning and feature some incredibly rich content, it also ticks all of the boxes that a contemporary tablet based book app should.
Within its 56-pages you'll find in-depth text, high-quality zoomable pictures, videos, interactive maps and more.
You don't have to read the book in order if you don't want to, using the map based timelines (which are based on the actual Operation maps), it's also possible to dip in and out of sections that you want to look closer at.
And each page is often more than you see before you. Click a photo and it will enlarge and offer a detailed caption, or it might throw out extra content - such as official documents, radio transcriptions and maps from the time.
The book begins with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour in 1941 and details the almost simultaneous attacks on US bases on Guam and Wake Island. It goes on to explain and document the bloody battles that took place across the region until the chilling end with the atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.
The book is written by Richard Overy, professor of History at the University of Exeter, and author of over 20 books on WWII. There is also a foreword by Dale Dye, Senior Military Advisor to HBO's blockbuster series The Pacific.
At £5.99 it's not cheap, in terms of app prices anyway, but pop down to Waterstones and see if you can buy a physical book on the subject with the same amount of detail for less than £6. We think it'll be a fruitless task.
This is a fantastic app, and well worth every penny. More please Gameloft, more.


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Alexandre Lops | SC Internacional
Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas has confirmed that the club will no longer pursue long-term transfer target Leandro Damiao.
The Internacional forward had been the subject of Spurs' interest for the past 18 months, with Tottenham having submitted a £16 million bid for the 23-year-old on deadline day.
However, the club had their offer for the Brazilian rejected and Villas-Boas believes the transfer saga will now be consigned to history.
"The player has been linked recently with Spurs, we've made it public before that it's a player that we chase, but we couldn't agree on the full conditions so we've moved on," he told reporters.
"Could it [a deal for Damiao] happen in the summer? No I don't think so, it's probably finished now."
The Portuguese manager confirmed that Tottenham rejected a late Reading bid for Icelandic midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson on deadline day.
He said: "Obviously he's a player that means a lot to Reading, from their academy.
"He's a player that Brian [McDermott] appreciates and he probably could have been a big boost for them. But he's a player that we rate very highly, we couldn't allow him to leave."
Villas-Boas also expressed his disappointment that another transfer target, Willian, chose to move to Anzhi Makhachkala instead of the Premier League, suggesting that the Brazilian's talent would have been welcome on these shores.
He added: "Willian is a very difficult situation because he's rated very highly by Shakhtar, almost to a point where European clubs can't compete.
"Obviously his transfer was made by a crazy amount of money and he's moved on to a league which is the same level as the Ukrainian league.
"It's a pity that a player of that talent can't come to a bigger league because I think his talent is up there, but hopefully everything goes well for him."


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UK columnist Nick Cohen perfectly captures the realities of the post-Bush era, both for Europe and for liberals in general: "Why Bush has been a liberal's best friend."
By building him up into a great Satan, the oil man who invades countries to seize their reserves and the Christian who orders bloody crusades, [the liberal-left in Europe and North America] have hidden the totalitarian threats of our age from themselves and anyone who listens to them. Bush allowed them to explain away radical Islam as an understandable, even legitimate, response to the hypocrisies and iniquities of American policy. Even those in the European elites who do not buy the full 'America has it coming' package believe that Bush is a cowboy who doesn't understand that the postmodern way to end conflict is to compromise rather than fight.
In January, Bush will be history, leaving liberals all alone in a frightening world. Little else will change. Radical Islam will still authorise murder without limit, Iran will still want the bomb and the autocracies of China and Russia will still be growing in wealth and confidence. All those who argued that the 'root cause' of the Bush administration lay behind the terror will find that the terror still flourishes when the root cause has retired.
Agreed 100%. In many ways, an Obama presidency would be a relief, in that it would force the Democratic Left to confront the realities of an ideology of religious supremacism that stands foursquare opposed to all of its professed ideals. But since that ideology doesn't originate with familiar opponents, it may take awhile for the realization to set in. But those realities will be there to be confronted, and the illusions will last only so long once hard decisions must be made.
Once back in power, the Democrats will find that they can stay in power by pursuing popular programs here at home and putting out soothing idealistic rhetoric abroad, all the while quietly building on the assets left to them by the Bush administration, i.e., an emerging democratic Iraq and an al-Qaeda back on its heels after a stinging defeat in Mesopotamia -- a defeat Obama the Democrats would have gladly embraced to repudiate Bush and his war, regardless of the enormous cost. Fortunately, Bush made it easy by doubling down on the Surge, enabling that victory to occur at virtually no cost to the Democrats.
For their part, if the GOP is out of power, they will need to put country above politics and lend enthusiastic support to any moves by Obama to counter the influence and aggression of radical Islam, even if that means on occasion siding with the opposition party on principle, as did Joe Lieberman. Will the GOP have the courage of its convictions, even if they no longer call the shots?


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Thursday September 20, 2018; 04:59 pm EDT
Do your first job well, and you're likely to get a second
Colleen McCaig got her first job last week. Having delivered fliers door to door in her Fairhaven community, the 10-year-old waited by the phone.
"It will never work," she wailed to her mother. "Nobody will call."
A two-hour vigil tested the girl's patience. But the phone did ring, and, sure enough, a neighbor enticed by Colleen's enthusiastically lettered promotion asked her to walk a pair of dogs.
Another neighbor reports that her daughter's efforts to build a dog-care business did not go so well. "Perhaps she didn't do enough marketing," the mother surmised.
That's the kind of world we've evolved. Where entrepreneurs rule, even 10-year-olds have to devise marketing campaigns.
First jobs are on my mind this week, for they're the subject of this year's Back to Work feature, which has become a Labor Day tradition for Bay Weekly.
I love the two-dozen brief tales offered by Bay Weekly writers to develop Margaret Tearman's bright idea. I loved them first as stories, illuminating unique life experiences, rather than as lessons in how to succeed in business.
But before long I saw a lesson in all these tales, brought up to date by my neighborhood girls. In fact, a set of lessons.
Maybe you'll find these lessons interesting, and they'll set you reflecting, as they have me, on your own first jobs. I've revisited not only first jobs in my family (mine was envelope addresser and coat-check girl in my family restaurant; husband and sons were newspaper boys) but also the attitudes we brought to them. Some of us were born to succeed. Others of us had to be dragged to work kicking and screaming.
Maybe I'll try to teach this little list of lessons to my grandchildren, who are getting to first-job age. If they'll listen. If you figure out how to get kids, grand or otherwise, to listen, please let me know.
Maybe these lesson's only life will be the moment you read them on this page.
For what it's worth, here goes:
Lesson 1: Want to work.
End-of-summer boredom? Eagerness to make a bit of money? Adventure? Independence? Whatever your motive, it helps to decide that work is a means to an end well worth giving up the luxury of doing nothing.
Lesson 2: Assess your skills.
Many first jobs come to us by chance. If you've got to make your own, start with what you know.
Both my neighborhood girls have dogs at home. Neither has younger brothers or sisters. Presumably, they've learned more about dogs than kids; possibly, they think dogs are easier to manage and more fun than kids. So both chose to be pet rather than baby sitters.
Lesson 3: Match your skills to the environment.
Both girls are too young to go to work, and too distant, except from such home-based businesses as crabbing and lawn care. On the other hand, the neighborhood is full of dogs and cats, all within walking and biking distance.
Lesson 4: Market your skills.
I hired Colleen because her marketing campaign charmed me. For no particular reason, I hang a basket by my door, and that's where Colleen put her flyer; at last, the basket had found its purpose. Even more than her flyer's bright hand lettering in five colors, Colleen's scope and confidence captured my attention: Dog Walking and Pet Sitting • Walks • Brushing • Baths • Nail Clippings • Feeding • Do you need someone to watch your pet while you are on vacation? Colleen can do that, too! she wrote.
She headlined her flyer with price points and a call to action: Low priced! • Great Quality! • Call today!
Teddy Roosevelt — quoted by Margaret Tearman for the First Jobs feature — said, When you are first asked if you can do a job, tell 'em, "Certainly I can! Then get busy and find out how to do it."
Who can resist confidence? I hired Colleen to furminate one large, agreeable dog and two small, touchy cats.
Lesson 5: Enjoy your work.
"I love dogs," Colleen said, hugging Moe as she brushed him. The happiest people I've known loved their work and felt they recreated themselves in it most every day.
Lesson 6: Build on your success.
Success is a powerful motivator. The girl who got no calls at first didn't try again. Colleen got customers, but she'll have to work as hard on keeping her job as she did on getting it. Part of building on success is keeping in touch with your customers so they stay fresh on what you've got to offer. (Call me, Colleen. Ask if Moe wants a walk or needs another furmination.)
Learning more is another part of success. Maybe Colleen will learn more about cat psychology. We seldom know what there is to know until we start learning it. Work is a great teacher of that principle.
In fact, there's no better way to get a second job than to have gotten a first one.
What was your first job? What did you bring to it? Where did it take you? Please finish this year's Labor Day story with your own story. Send them to me at [email protected].


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About Power Plants
CARMA includes more than 60,000 power plants worldwide. Each facility has its own page that reveals the plants location, ownership, power production, and CO2 emissions.
Plants that are listed as "Planned" are not yet operational but are expected to be in the future.
You can select individual plants from interactive maps or lists like the ones on this page, use the Search Box above, or click Dig Deeper to filter and sort the data anyway you like.


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In the early 80s, Frank "Pancho" Leal was cruising the ocean streets of Corpus Christi. After a few years in the lowrider scene, Pancho decided to stablish his own car club, (City Style), in 1989. The club's base would be focused on unity and family values, which came easy, as all the founding members were his sons. Today, as son, Freddy Leal presides over the club, it has not lost site of the familia concept of decades past, with the club charter at 25 members strong.
On July 31, family and friends gathered to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of City Style C.C. With members' cars displayed inside the American Bank Convention Center, this premier event included local dignitaries and car clubs from the Gulf coast to include Latin Kustoms, First Impressions, Rollerz Only, Latin Image, Low Impression, Los Bajitos, Los Viejitos, Swift, and Amistad. Also, special presentations were given by Fabian "Candyman" Villarreal, Brown Impressions and Taste of Latin on the club's monumental achievement, to include special acknowledgements to the Leal brothers; Freddy, Benny Sr., Juan, Jesse, and Frank "Nano" III, for their decades of dedication to the club.
Throughout this summer night, the atmosphere seemed more of a family reunion, than that of a club event. More so, as club members, sons, and grandsons presented the club founder, Pancho, with "El Jefe", a retro customized 1974 Chevy Caprice, for his lifelong dedication and influence to his family, club, community, and the lowrider sport. With not a dry eye in the house, this humbled "jefe" in his own right; graciously thanked his family and friends for their never ending support toward his passion for lowriding. The music of Ramiro Gonzales y Sus Nuevos Campeones ended the night on a high note?but not the celebration.
The party resumed Sunday morning as nearly 100 Texas lows, led by "El Jefe" cruised Shoreline down to Ocean Drive Blvd, where a first class Tejano style barbeque awaited the cruisers. With the cool ocean breeze and summer sun, this beachfront celebration reunited club members with some OGs of the past, as they gave homage and drank a few cold beers over the "remember whens, you member?". The club wishes to thank all in attendance and sponsors in making the event a success and ending in style, City Style. Paz, Tejas.


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User talk:HistoricAccount Raphfrk
Style Guidelines
You are very welcome to take part in discussing and formulating the Style Guidelines for Erfwiki. I believe they would benefit everyone. -- Muzzafar 07:53, 2 May 2009 (UTC)
Crop template
Cool template. I'll take a look at it, it might be a better way to do panel-by-panel than the manual cropping I use. --> ERK!|eyeBook me 13:58, 7 May 2009 (UTC)
- Multibrowser is one issue; the other I see might be that it doesn't actually create a smaller image, but only hides the rest of the page. That could be good, though, for p-b-p, because it kinda preloads the next dozen panels so that the viewer can slip through them smoothly. --> ERK!|eyeBook me 14:35, 7 May 2009 (UTC)
- I'm not aware of any easy way to test a template, unfortunately. The best you could do is store the template edits at, say, template:crop/test and transclude template:crop/test into User:Raphrk/Sandbox, then just copy and paste the changes to template:crop when you were done. --> ERK!|eyeBook me 15:52, 7 May 2009 (UTC)
- Go ahead and change them over. The number of soft-cropped pages now greatly outnumbers the number of hard-cropped, so we may as well get consistency. Cheers! --> ERK!|eyeBook me 13:57, 14 May 2009 (UTC)
- Another advantage of soft-cropping is that it allows a click-through on a frame image to the page image, which IMO is a nice intuitive way to go from frame view to page view. SteveMB 22:55, 14 May 2009 (UTC)
Regarding Template:Paneler: Good idea, although I wince at having to redo my existing pages. Ah well. It would be wise to make the description/text sections "ifexist"s so that the headers don't appear if the fields are left blank. --> ERK!|eyeBook me 18:44, 7 May 2009 (UTC)
- Ah, I see how you're doing it. That's a wicked idea, but rather than the style you're using we should switch it to, for example, TBFGK 1:1/Description to fit the standard wiki format. I'll get on that for my newly uploaded pages, though I'm almost caught up to my backlog. --> ERK!|eyeBook me 18:46, 7 May 2009 (UTC)
- Whew, lots to look at. I think my paneler template takes alternate inputs, so you could use that as a base for your lister template. It just defaults to TBFGK. I could be wrong though. You could also look at my old similar template for ideas, though in many ways your lister template is better so far.
- I really like what you're doing though. This modular idea is excellent. It will be very useful and flexible. --> ERK!|eyeBook me 19:27, 7 May 2009 (UTC)
- PS: Oh yeah, and don't be shy about editing my templates. It's a wiki. Besides, I have backups on ewik.erku.ca --> ERK!|eyeBook me 19:28, 7 May 2009 (UTC)
- Dude, you're some kinda hero. Let's do this efficiently: I have up to page 19 in single-panel images. I will upload those soon, so don't worry about doing cropwork on that. If you feel like doing grunt work you could try cropping page 20, and if not don't worry 'bout it. When I have finished cleaning up the work I've done so far I'll get on that. --> ERK!|eyeBook me 21:34, 7 May 2009 (UTC)
The {{lister}} template is cool, but it needs someway of editing the individual panels from the main comic annotation page. Also docs for it and paneller.--Doran 23:46, 7 May 2009 (UTC)
- I haven't decided what to do about Klogs either. I guess just have the paneler template link straight to the Klog page as a whole... it really doesn't need a panel breakdown, unless we decide to separate the header but that seems frivolous. I can take a look at the template if you like, I remember the structure and can probably manage the klog thing without much trouble. There are some other things I need to work on anyway: presently the paneler template will break after page 40, and I have to go fix that old stopgap very soon. The two are related. --> ERK!|eyeBook me 02:53, 9 May 2009 (UTC)
Expandable Template
Is it possible to make an expandable template, rather like the spoiler boxes on the Giantitp forms? I was thinking pf uploading the full comics and hiding them behind these on the annotation pages. --Doran 23:37, 7 May 2009 (UTC)
- I just tried stealing the code directly off of the Giantitp website and it won't work on the wiki. The wiki cancels out any <input> tags which means you can't get the buttons on there. There might be a way to javascript a link or something, but it's a bit above my head. Code from Giantitp is as follows:

 Spoiler <input value="Show" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 80px; font-size: 10px;" onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = '';this.innerText = ''; this.value = 'Hide'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.value = 'Show';}" type="button">

{{{1}}}

I put the {{{1}}} myself as that is where the spoiler text is supposed to be put. --Ichthus 10:45, 16 May 2009 (UTC)
Page Annotation
Please do not replace text in the page annotation articles with a broken template. People spent their time writing that text and keep working on this project. I am reverting the changes that you made to those pages. -- Muzzafar 20:46, 8 May 2009 (UTC)
Created a section for discussing how to integrate this stuff --Doran 21:34, 8 May 2009 (UTC)
Oh my goodness. A cookie!. --> ERK!|eyeBook me 17:25, 9 May 2009 (UTC)
Uhm... what is the Booker template for? Just wondering. --Ichthus 08:40, 16 May 2009 (UTC)
"Ichthus created a subpage template. It adds a link back to the panel from the /text and /description pages, but doesn't include it in the actual panel page. It would be worth adding to any new panel by panels that you create. See TBFGK_27:1/Text as an example."
Thanks for the tip; I'll include that from now on and add it into the existing subpages in my copious free time. SteveMB 17:14, 17 May 2009 (UTC)
Summer Updates
Based on the structure of the Summer Updates, it looks like the best framework for them would be a simplified version of the Pager template, with an image, a breadcrumb for forward-back links (with no backward link on Page 1 and no forward link on Page N, for whatever the final value of N turns out to be), and a "Book" link to its own Descriptive Table of Contents page. Am I missing anything? SteveMB 20:34, 4 June 2009 (UTC)
- I updated the Erf template with another new template called ArchiveLink which works just like the TBFGK page info lists. Each time a new comic archive (like the summer updates) comes out, we just toss in a new alias and the link into the template and Erf will automatically be able to reference it properly. Words or numbers both work fine. I've also set it up so that {{erf|TBFGK|2}} or {{erf|1|2}} will both work. Any questions? --Ichthus (eyeBook) 23:34, 6 June 2009 (UTC)
The Main Page
This is the very top section of the main page
This is info for new users
The featured content is displayed in here
This used to be the featured article, but has since
been re-purposed to be just a list of tasks.
Change this to reflect the latest update
{{Latest Update/page}} controls the image.
Change this to change the Improvement Drive
Change this to change the Did You Know section
I'm going to revert your changes to the main page where you added edit links the the various sections. There's a reason why I didn't include them in the original main page. It helps keep the page clean and prevents people from editing those sections on a whim. you should use the above template, {{mainpagecontrol}}, to edit the main page. Miment 18:16, 3 November 2009 (UTC)


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Weekday Lunch RAW!
Welcome to the Smack-down ladies and gentleman. I couldn?t believe it when Brian walked into my office the other day and threw down this challenge. He actually thinks he can use one of his tired old webinar topics and get more attendees to show up for his session that I can.
I told him not to, I pleaded for him not to make me embarrass him, but he?s got this stubborn streak in him so I?m going to have to put him in his place by busing out some new sessions that are sure to rock his face off ? like this:
Brian Knight is taking a break from his WNBA mega fan/tryout tour to give even more time to the community so He and I are competing this month to see who can win this ?gentlemen?s? bet?.You decide who wins our inside bet (and subsequent lunch at a restaurant where Brian will have to wear real shoes and pants with a belt) by simply attending one of our educational webinars. Each webinar caps at the first 1,000 attendees so first come first serve.
But It?s not just about us ? Check out the rest of the all-star lineup and great sessions we have coming.
See Brian?s side of the story here?.
Speaker: Adam Jorgensen
Topic: Reporting Services ? Bringing Sexy Back!
Date: September 13, 2011 11:00 a.m. EDT
Crazy Awesome Reporting Visualizations are all the rage so come join Adam as he shows you how to design some of the coolest report visualizations you?ve ever seen. This includes cool new chart types, cube browsers and other awesome stuff! Come blow your reporting mind!
Speaker: Adam Jorgensen
Topic: SQL Server Denali ? What?s in the box?
Date: September 15, 2011 11:00 a.m. EDT
Come join Adam and an all-star cast of community pros as they show, review and discuss the newest and coolest features of SQL Server Denali! This will be an awesome action packed hour and will have all your favorite speakers as a part of it!
Speaker: Arie Jones
Topic: Swan Dive into Filtered Indexes and Filtered Statistics
Date: September 1, 2011, 11:00 a.m. EDT
SQL Server 2008 comes with some incredibly handy new indexes and statistics that you could leverage in order to boost performance of your systems. Unfortunately, with new technology also comes possible new hazards that need to be taken into account before making the big plunge. Join me in this session to dive headlong into Filtered Indexes and Statistics to show you the ins and outs of these incredibly powerful features and help you navigate around issues that may hinder smooth implementation.
Speaker: Brian Knight
Topic: What?s New in SSIS Denali Date: September 6, 2011 11:00 a.m. EDT
In this session, you?ll go through a whirlwind tour of what?s new in SSIS for you as a developer and administrator. You?ll first learn about the new designer experience and the death of configuration files in Denali. You?ll then learn how to deploy and administer packages in Denali. This release is going to be huge and you will not want to miss this session about the differences.
Speaker: Brian Knight
Topic: Building Amazing Reports with Project Crescent
Date: September 8, 2011, 11:00a.m. EDT
In this session, you?ll learn how to create an environment where your users can build their own interactive reports. Speaker Brian Knight will start by building a tabular Semantic in SSAS for your users to easily navigate the data model and data. Then, your learn how your users will build amazing interactive web-based reports using Crescent, SQL Server?s most exciting new feature in Denali.
Speaker: Bradley Schacht
Topic: SSIS Variables and Expression
Date: September 20, 2011 11:00 a.m. EDT
Building a dynamic SSIS package can be a daunting task.There are countless locations where expressions and variables can be used throughout SSIS.In this session Brad will walk you through the basics of variables including how SSIS deals with variable scoping.We will then take a look the unique expression language used in SSIS and how that can help in situations such as dynamic file names, connection strings and data cleansing.Next we will bring it all together and show how powerful SSIS can truly be by combing the functionality of variables and expressions.Topics will include user variables, system variables, the expression language, as well as where to use expressions and variables in the control flow, data flow and even event handlers to build a useful custom auditing solution.
Speaker: Arie Jones
Topic: Working Smarter Not Harder! Silverlight with Caliburn.Micro Date: September 22, 2011 11:00 a.m. EDT
As a developer one of my personal joys is discovering tools which simplify some of the mundane programming tasks and allow me to concentrate on the more intricate details of the application. Caliburn.Micro is a free open source framework developed by Rob Eisenberg that uses a Convention over Configuration approach to vastly simplify the types of mundane tasks that we would normally do in a typical Silverlight MVVM implementation. Come and join me in this session to learn the ins and outs of the framework and how to leverage it in order to drastically reduce your development timeline. I will be using minimal slides and lots of sample code in order to get you up to speed!
Speaker: Mark Brown
Topic: Introduction to the Repository Design Pattern and using it in MVC 3
Date: September 27, 2011 11:00 a.m. EDT
In this session, we will provide an introduction to the repository design pattern, what benefits it brings, and how to apply it in an MVC 3 project. We will look at using the pattern with custom classes and Linq to Sql generated classes. We will also look at refactoring the auto generated entity framework code from the controller into the repository pattern.
Speaker: Sherri McDonald
Topic: ?What not to Wear? Reporting Services Style
Date: September 29, 2011 11:00 a.m. EDT
In this session, Sherri McDonald will discuss some of the WORST practices of Reporting Services Designs. Please join us for a 1 hour interactive webinar where your reports will go from leopard spandex print to Louis Vuitton.


text:
Albrecht Dürer
The Dresden Altar.
1496. Tempera on panel. Alte Meister Gallerie, Dresden, Germany.
Additional Links
Albrecht Dürer Main Page
Albrecht Dürer Complete Biography
Additional Works by Albrecht Dürer
Saint John's Church.
The Wire-Drawing Mill.
Portrait of Durer's Father.
Self-Portrait at 22.
Christ as the Man of Sorrows.
St. Jerome in the Wilderness.
Virgin and Child before an Archway.
View of Arco.
Putti Dancing and Making Music.
House by a Pond.
Pond in the Woods.
Portrait of Frederick the Wise.
The Dresden Altarpiece.
The Seven Sorrows of the Virgin.
Willow Mill.
Portrait of Durer's Father at 70.
Self-Portrait at 26.
Lot Fleeing with His Daughters from Sodom.
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
The Paumgartner Altarpiece.
Allegory of Justice.
Portrait of Oswolt Krel.
Portrait of Elsbeth Tucher.
Self-Portrait at 28.
Nuremberg Woman Dressed for Church.
Lamentation for Christ.
A Young Hare.
The Large Turf.
The Virgin among a Multitude of Animals.
The Jabach Altarpiece. Job Castigated by His Wife. Piper and Drummer.
The Adoration of the Magi.
Adam and Eve.
Portrait of a Young Venetian Woman.
Madonna and Child.
Portrait of Burkard von Speyer.
The Altarpiece of the Rose Garlands.
Madonna with a Siskin.
Christ among the Doctors.
Portrait of a Young Venetian Woman.
Adam and Eve.
The Martyrdom of the Ten Thousand.
The Adoration of the Holy Trinity.
Wing of a Roller.
Virgin and Child with Half a Pear.
Portrait of a Man.
Emperor Charlemagne and Emperor Sigismund.
Knight, Death and the Devil.
St. Jerome in His Study.
Melencolia I.
Adam and Eve.
Cupid the Honey Thief.
Portrait of Michael Wolgemut.
Portrait of a Clergyman.
Apostle Philip.
St. James the Apostle.
Portrait of Maximilian I.
St. Anne with the Virgin and Child.
Portrait of Erasmus.
St. Jerome.
Portrait of Bernard von Reesen.
Portrait of a Man.
Draughtsman Drawing a Recumbent Woman.
Portrait of Hieronymus Holzschuher.
Protective cover of the Portrait of Hieronymus Holzschuher.
Portrait of Jakob Muffel.
Madonna of the Pear.
Portrait of Johannes Kleberger.
The Four Holy Men.


text:
Face and head burns consistent with scalding
BURNS to the head of Neil McCarthy were consistent with a hot liquid striking his face, a burns expert has told Toowoomba Supreme Court.
Dr Michael Rudd examined Mr McCarthy at the Royal Brisbane Hospital after he arrived from Toowoomba Hospital on March 13, 2009.
Explaining hospital photographs shown to the court of Mr McCarthy's injuries, Dr Rudd said the 70-year-old had burns to the whole of his face, forehead, ears and some burns to the top of his head.
The injuries were consistent with Mr McCarthy being scalded with a hot liquid, in particular hot water.
Swelling to his throat above the larynx and around his eyes were consistent with some of the hot liquid entering his mouth and that he had his eyes closed at the time of impact.
The prosecution claims Peggy Louise Wyborn, 31, poured hot water on Mr McCarthy which set off a chain of events that ultimately led to his death.
She has pleaded not guilty to a charge of murder.
Mr McCarthy had been found unconscious outside Wyborn's then home in Robsart St, North Toowoomba, on the night of March 12, 2009.
He was rushed to Toowoomba Hospital before being transferred to the Royal Brisbane where he was immobilised and treated.
He never regained consciousness.
Pathologist Dr Alex Olumbe, who performed the autopsy after Mr McCarthy's death on April 3, 2009, told the court he found the deceased's immobility during the three weeks he was bedridden and treated in hospital had been the primary cause leading to DVT, blood clots forming in his legs, which dislodged and moved up into his heart and lungs.
The defence is expected to produce its own expert pathologist evidence today which, while agreeing with the cause of death, disputes the mechanism found in Dr Olumbe's autopsy.


text:
Not sure if anyone has posted this or not, but bleeding snort has released rules (a couple of days ago) that detect the sony rootkit phoning home. If you auto update your bleeding snort malware rules, you should already have it enabled. If not, it in the bleeding-malware rule set.
I'm using both the bleeding snort rules and the delayed rules release. I didn't see anything in the official rules regarding sony's rootkit... but then again, I didn't look that hard.
I just wanted to see if any of our lusers had installed this on their machines. So far, we're looking good.
Another good article @ http://www.cbronline.com/article_new...C-499BEDA78251


text:
Amanda Ikonos hasn't added any Apps yet.
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May 6, 2013 WIC Update
SUBJECT 1: Breastfeeding Continuing Education Opportunity
SUBJECT 2: REMINDER: WIC Help Desk Meeting
SUBJECT 3: Procedures for Correcting MOWINS Data-Reminder
SUBJECT 4: Over-the-Telephone Foreign Language Interpretation-New Statewide Contract
- Breastfeeding Continuing Education Opportunity: "Secrets of Baby Behavior" training is available at several locations throughout the state. This training is based on Dr. Jane Heinig's research from UC Davis and will assist all local WIC provider staff to understand what normal newborn behavior is and how it relates to infant feeding. Materials from this training will assist WIC agencies in providing baby behavior education in a consistent and effective manner. A short presentation will also be provided on Missouri milk banks and depots. All local WIC provider staff are encouraged to attend. Peer Counselors received this training in January and this is another opportunity for those who were unable to attend previously.
Training dates and locations are listed on the attached registration form. If you are interested in attending one of these sessions please complete the form and email to Reba Brown at firstname.lastname@example.com. If you have any questions about the training please contact Kathy Mertzlufft by email at firstname.lastname@example.com or by phone at 573-526-4792. (ONE ATTACHMENT)
REMINDER: WIC Help Desk Meeting: This is a reminder that there will be no WIC Help Desk coverage on Friday, May 17, 2013, from 8:30 am to 10:30 am. Although staff will not be available during these hours, feel free to leave a message and all calls will be returned as soon as possible. The purpose of these meetings is to review processes and procedures in order to provide the highest quality customer service to local agencies and WIC participants.
In our ongoing efforts to better our customer service please remember to complete the WIC Help Desk Customer Service Survey regarding your experience after contacting the WIC Help Desk. The survey can be located here and should take approximately 3 minutes to complete. Your assistance is greatly appreciated!
If you have questions, please contact Melissa Seaver at 800-554-2544 or email@example.com.
Procedures for Correcting MOWINS Data-Reminder: We need your help to ensure all participant records in MOWINS have a DCN number recorded in the participant folder. To help with this ongoing project, there is a new document on the MOWINS webpage with instructions for helping us correct data in MOWINS. If a participant does not have a DCN number, please assign one and enter that number in the PMI field. DO NOT enter zeros, the HHID, another person's SWID/HHID or the word "None" in the PMI field. Please visit the MOWINS webpage at http://health.mo.gov/living/families/wic/mowins/index.php to view the document titled: Procedures for Correcting MOWINS Data (under "Miscellaneous" near the bottom of the page). Please review this report monthly to keep updated on any records that do not contain a DCN number.
If you have any questions, please contact the WIC Help Desk at 800-554-2544 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
Over-the-Telephone Foreign Language Interpretation-New Statewide Contract: The State WIC office was notified that the newstatewide contractor for over-the-telephone foreign language interpretation will be AVAZA Language Services Corporation effective May 1, 2013. The Language Select contract expired April 30, 2013. If you have been using the statewide contract with Language Select please make the necessary arrangements (i.e. setting up an account number) to make the change in service to AVAZA Language Services Corporation if you wish to continue using the statewide contract. Please note that charges for language interpretation are allowable expenses under your Local WIC Provider contract. Here is the AVAZA contact information:
AVAZA Language Services CorporationIf you have any questions, please contact Takako Tagami at firstname.lastname@example.com.
5209 Linbar Drive, Suite 603
Nashville TN 37211
Phone: 615-364-2600
Fax: 615-810-8506
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Contract #: C313089001 Vendor #: 2735139530 0
Secrets of Baby Behavior Training Registration


text:
About NIJ
What's New
All Topics A-Z
Contact Us
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Researchers examined the impact of Megan's Law on New Jersey as a whole and each county within the state.
Phase one of the study used a pre-post research design to determine trends in the rates of sexually based offenses reported
by law enforcement agencies in the 21 counties of New Jersey from 1984 to 2004 — 10 years before to 10 years after the implementation
of Megan's Law. Data on violent, nonsexual crime and drug offenses were also collected and analyzed for the same period to
compare trends. All data came from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports. Prevalence rates for three types of offenses — sexually based offenses, nonsexually based offenses and drug offenses — were
established using population estimates from the Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics guidelines and cross-referenced
with the Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics, a yearly publication of the federal government.
Phase two used a sample of 550 sex offenders arrested and released from New Jersey Department of Correction facilities before
and after the implementation of Megan's Law to examine the differences between the two groups. Pre-post comparisons looked
for differences in general reoffense arrest rates, sexual reoffense rates, harm (violent offense rates, percentage of child
victims) and community tenure.
The final phase of the project assessed costs associated with the implementation and current operation of community registration
and notification activities in New Jersey. Cost assessment questionnaires were mailed to the Megan's Law Units in the prosecutor's
offices for the 21 counties. Survey questions were classified under two general categories: start-up costs (equipment, Internet
sex offender registry) and ongoing yearly implementation costs for the 2006 calendar year (staff salaries, Internet registry
maintenance, equipment maintenance/supplies and office supplies). Fifteen of 21 counties completed the survey. Along with
the cost assessment survey, prior New Jersey state budgets were reviewed for costs associated with the incarceration, rehabilitation
and tracking of sex offenders.
Convicted offenders and their offense types were similar before and after Megan's Law was passed. Compared to the average
criminal, sex offenders are generally older, are more likely to be married or have been married, are more likely to be employed,
are better educated and are more likely to have children or step-children. In terms of the offenses, 79 percent of the crimes
committed were child molestations and 20 percent were rapes.
In 48 percent of the cases, the sex offender was a member of the victim's family. In 42 percent of the cases, the perpetrator
lived with the victim and in 77 percent of the cases, the crime occurred in the victim's or offender's home.
The greatest challenge in conducting research about sexual offenses is the low rate of reported sexual offenses. Because these
crimes tend to be underreported, official sources of data and most measures of recidivism may underrepresent true offending
Another challenge in this study was determining whether Megan's Law served as a deterrent. Although the study found long-term
downward trends in sexual arrest rates, it was not possible to determine whether the results were due to decreases in new
first-time sex offenses (general deterrence) or to decreases in repeat sexual offenses (specific deterrence).
The study did not examine the extent to which sex offender registration and community notification increased surveillance
and prepared the public to take preventive action.
Read the full report from this study Megan's Law: Assessing the Practical and Monetary Efficacy (pdf, 46 pages).
Back to: Sex Offender Registration and Notification: Research Finds Limited Effects in New Jersey.
National Institute of Justice, 810 Seventh Street, NW, Washington, DC 20531


text:
If history is any guide, Donovan McNabb's unexpected benching late in the fourth quarter of the Redskins' 37-25 loss to the Lions Sunday isn't good news for the Eagles, who have to travel to D.C. for a Monday night game against McNabb and the Redskins in 2 weeks.
You may recall the last time a coach told McNabb to take a seat. If you don't, let me refresh your memory. Nov. 23, 2008. Halftime of a 36-7 loss to the Ravens in Baltimore that dropped the Eagles to 5-5-1 and seemed to effectively kill any hope they had of making the playoffs.
That benching by Eagles coach Andy Reid was warranted. McNabb had been stinking up the place for a while. He'd completed just 8 of 18 passes for 59 yards and had thrown two interceptions in the first half against the Ravens.
That dreadful performance had been preceded by one equally as awful the week before when McNabb managed to complete just 28 of 58 passes and threw three interceptions in a 13-13 tie with the Bengals that will forever be remembered around these parts as the I-didn't-realize-there-was-only-one-overtime-period bowl.
Anyway, McNabb ended up bouncing back from that ignominious benching to play some of the best football of his career. Four days after the loss to the Ravens, he patched up his bruised ego and led the near-dead Eagles to an impressive 48-20 Thanksgiving night win over the Arizona Cardinals, completing 27 of 39 passes and throwing four touchdown passes and zero interceptions.
In the five games after Big Red sat him down in Baltimore, he completed 64.3 percent of his passes, threw 9 TDs and just one interception, and compiled a 98.7 passer rating as the Eagles won four of those five games, qualified for the playoffs with a 9-6-1 record and made it all the way to the NFC Championship Game before their bubble finally burst.
So, be wary of a wounded Donovan on Nov. 15.
McNabb wasn't playing quite as bad prior to his Sunday benching as he was in '08. But he wasn't playing very well, either. He's a dreadful 25th in the league in passing right now, with a 75.9 rating. Has a .574 completion percentage and already has thrown eight interceptions in 277 attempts, including one in the fourth quarter Sunday that gift-wrapped the Lions' go-ahead touchdown. And yes, before you McNabb supporters get all huffy, the Redskins' offensive cast around the quarterback is pretty bad.
The possession after his interception, he threw back-to-back incompletions, then was sacked for the sixth time in the game on fourth down. When the Redskins got the ball back with 1:45 left in the game and trailing by 6 points, coach Mike Shanahan replaced McNabb with, gulp, Rex Grossman.
Now, if I were a coach and Grossman were my backup quarterback, the only three circumstances under which I would put him in the game are a) my starting quarterback was dead; b) my team was up 56-0; or c) my starting quarterback had two broken legs. And I'd have to think long and hard about C.
Shanahan, though, insists it was a no-brainer. In fact, he said at his Monday news conference that he had decided several days earlier that he would replace McNabb with Grossman if the Redskins found themselves in a 2-minute situation with no timeouts, which, quite frankly, I find a little difficult to believe.
He gave several reasons for the decision, including a couple that were pretty eye-popping. Mentioned that McNabb was hurt, which wasn't one of the eye-popping ones. Said both of his hamstrings were sore. Said his quad was sore. Said he had a contusion. Didn't mention anything about scoliosis or diverticulitis or athlete's foot, but give him a few days. He may add it to Donnie Mac's list of problems.
Shanahan said he had actually talked to McNabb earlier in the week about not even playing in the game, but McNabb, ever the warrior, convinced him he was fine. Apparently, the interception and that last of 6 sacks convinced him McNabb wasn't fine.
Then he mentioned the eye-popping reasons. Suggested that because McNabb's been banged up and hadn't been able to fully participate in all of the team's quarterback drills, he wasn't in good enough shape to run the 'Skins' 2-minute offense without the aid of timeouts.
I can just see all of the anti-McNabb conspiracy theorists who still go to sleep at night believing he threw up in the huddle at the Super Bowl, jumping up and down and saying, "See, I told you. I told you."
"The cardio-vascular endurance that it takes to run a 2-minute drill all the way down (the field) with no timeouts, calling plays," Shanahan said, "it's just not easy.
"When you're dealing with the 2-minute offense, and you don't have any timeouts, and you haven't done it in 5 weeks, and you're calling sometimes two plays that you haven't called in a 2-minute attack, and you have to hustle to the line, and you're actually working cardio-vascular endurance at the same time, it's really hard to do that when you haven't practiced it and you haven't really put yourself out in any type of strenuous activity because of your hamstrings. So I thought it would be in our best interest to go in a different direction."
Then came the real bombshell. Pressed further, Shanahan suggested that another reason he benched McNabb and went to Grossman was that he didn't feel comfortable enough with the six-time Pro-Bowler's familiarity with his offense's 2-minute terminology or his ability to process two play calls in his head at once, which you have to do when you're running a 2-minute offense.
Keep in mind, McNabb was traded to the Redskins last April, not last Tuesday.
"The thing that's hard to do sometimes is call two plays in the huddle, get to the line of scrimmage and then you gotta do it in a very quick fashion," the Redskins coach said. "When you have timeouts, it's not so bad. But when you don't and you've gotta move pretty close the length of the field, it's different. It's different on the quarterback.
"When you're in a 2-minute situation, you're calling two plays. You've got different protections. Maybe \[one play is\] left formation and \[the other is\] right formation. It's gotta be automatic and you've got to execute those two plays. And you're coming to the line and you're getting two more plays in your head set.
"Unless you've been doing it for 4-5 weeks, it's not easy to instantaneously come up with those formations. Especially when you haven't been running it as much as you should."
Wow. Wade through all of that and it sure sounds like Shanahan is saying he can't count on McNabb to remember two lousy plays at once, which is a pretty damning thing to say about a soon-to-be-34-year-old quarterback with more than 5,000 career pass attempts and 223 career touchdown passes.
McNabb has spent his entire career trying to pound into submission that old stereotype that blacks aren't smart enough to play quarterback. And now, along comes Shanahan suggesting that he doesn't have faith in McNabb's ability to remember two plays at once.
I'm guessing that, right about now, Donovan really misses Andy Reid.
To read our report from practice, click here.


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MYRTLE BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA -- In Dec 2009, I made an online purchase for 10 vouchers at $149/ea under Direct Air's "Family Ties" program. At that time, their website was misleading and not clear as to when the vouchers expired. In my case, the vouchers were good from January 1, 2010 until April 17, 2010 for only 3 months for flights between Springfield, IL and Punta Gorda, FL. There was no way I could use them in a short time.
For 3 months, I could not reach anyone who could make decisions from Direct Air. I quickly found out that Direct Air has no customer service! It took me several emails, phone calls, complaints to the BBB before I finally got a call from a 'supervisor". I was finally able to get an extension until April 2011.
On February 2, 2011 during the blizzard in Illinois, Direct Air was the only air carrier that did not cancel its flight to Springfield, IL. Direct Air forced many passengers to wait ALL DAY at Charlotte County Airport in Punta Gorda Florida. My husband and stepson gave up… so they each wasted a voucher.
Why would anyone fly to springfield when all the roads from that airport were closed? Direct Air does not care about the safety or what happens to its passengers! My stepson ended up buying a ticket with another airline. My husband tried to reschedule a flight for February 16, but was told that all the seats were booked until mid April. Yet Direct Air just launched a "Valentine's Special" promotion on Feb 11th for discounted tickets because they couldn't book all their seats!
Direct Air discriminates against Family Ties voucher holders through a special online "itinerary request" form and through their phone in reservations. The online form asks for a first and second choice preference for the reservation. After submitting the form online, no one called or emailed us to let us know which date has been reserved.
The Family Ties online form states: "Please remember that the availability in the Family Ties class of service is limited on each Direct Air flight. Availability in the Family Ties class of service is granted at face value of the voucher solely on a first-come, first serve basis…. If your flight has been confirmed, you will receive a confirmation email." He received no confirmation email.
My husband had to make a special trip to the airport to find out the date he was supposed to fly out. Also, the form does not allow you the option of using your voucher for a 1-way trip, so you are forced to call for your reservation. Even though they have "other seats" available, they will not allow customers with vouchers to use them. The scam (or fraud) is: Direct Air sells the vouchers, limits the number of available seats for customers holding vouchers, then sells the same seats TWICE when customers are not allowed to use their vouchers for ANY seat!
On February 11, 2011, my husband waited over 1 hour for service representative. The "reservation clerk" told my husband there were no available seats that he needed to book his voucher a year in advance! But he could upgrade his voucher by paying an extra $96.00. Yet there were 57 available seats showing online on flight 5876 from Punta Gorda to Springfield on February 12th at 3:00 PM EST.
We decided to use their online form and gave Feb 16 and Feb 19th as desired options for reservations. Since we did not receive an email, my husband went to the Punta Gorda airport again to check on his reservation status. He was told all seats were booked and he had no reservations. My husband then booked his ticket on another airline at a cost of $200.00 to fly out on Feb 18th. Then, we received an email confirmation on FEB 16TH from Direct Air that my husband had a reservation for Feb 18th! We wasted another ticket and there is no human being to talk to as there NO CUSTOMER SERVICE!
We wasted 3 vouchers at a total of $447.00 plus purchased 2 tickets on other airlines to get to our destination at a total of $400.00. We will never use Direct Air and fly from Punta Gorda using your airport. As residents of Charlotte County we will go out of our way NOT to support Direct Air… even if it means flying to St. Pete/Clearwater or Ft. Myers airports. If another airline such as Allegiant Air offers service between Peoria Illinois and Punta Gorda, we will use them for our air carrier. We have lost $450.00 in vouchers and there is no one to complain to because there is no customer service!
The Family Ties promotion offers great prices, but horrendous service. Flights must be booked by phone, but after over 2 hours I had to call customer service number and wait for them to call me back. Very long check-in lineups reveal that you get what you pay for. After the trip from Niagara Falls we were not surprised by the hour and a half line at Punta Gorda, but we were not prepared for the 10 hour flight delay.
It's been noted in other reviews that Direct Air doesn't have any staff on hand at the airport and that's certainly the case in Punta Gorda. It's also a big problem if things go wrong, and with their fleet of older aircraft, my guess is that this is not an isolated situation. The most frequently asked questions by our entrapped passengers: When mechanical breakdowns occur, does Direct Air have an active back-up plan in place?
Apparently not. Beside our plane another Direct Air jet sat idly on the tarmac all day. It must have been experiencing issues too, or presumably they could have used it to fly us home. Makes one wonder how serious the problems are with their aircraft. Why isn't there a representative from Direct Air on hand at the airport that is empowered to make proper decisions in case of emergencies?
Passengers respect that the airline cares about safety, even if it means delays. The airport staff and TSA officials made every attempt to help us, but let's face it, it isn't their problem - it's an airline issue. It also seems reasonable to ask why the replacement plane had 5 less seats on it than the original. As for the 10 hour encampment, provision of a slice of pizza and a can of soda is a pathetic response.
Passengers can deal with the truth; why did you lie to us? The announcements made at the airport and aboard the aircraft were misleading at best, and lies at worst. Here's what we were told: 1) "There is a mechanical problem with the plane, but we'll have you in the air shortly." 2) "The problem with the plane is more serious – it may take an hour or so." 2. "We can't get the part in time, so we'll arrange for another plane." 3. "You'll be on your way in a couple of hours." 4. "Your flight will leave shortly." (Scheduled to leave at 2:30, we boarded around 9 o'clock and took off at 10:20).
On-board, we were first told from the flight deck that they needed time to add fuel because of turbulent weather in the Niagara area. The next delay was attributed to 3 missing passengers who didn't match up with the manifesto??? 1) References to weather in Niagara Falls were announced in flight, but they didn't tell us we were actually heading to Buffalo. After landing they said the weather in N. F. was not suitable. Word on the street says the NF airport is not staffed at that time of night. What so hard about telling the truth?
2) From the flight deck after landing at 1 a.m: "We're going to arrange some buses to take you to Niagara Falls. By the time you pick up your baggage – the buses will be ready." One of the bus drivers told us that they had been called at 10:30, and had been waiting for us since 11:45 pm.
With such an extended delay, doesn't management care about implications to passengers and their families? Some were able to cash vacation time the following day; others had no choice but to report to work with only a couple of hours sleep. Our daughter at home was frantic. Her whole family was aboard that flight but nobody to answer the phones at Direct Air and there was NOTHING on the website.
We were influenced to travel with Direct Air based on comments by friends. We heard about direct flights between small airports at very reasonable prices. It sounded too good to be true, and you know what they say about that. The answers from this airline are anything but direct, and when we speak to our friends now about this airline it is accompanied by clear advice: great caution is advised. It's hard to put a price on peace of mind.
MYRTLE BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA -- SUMMARY: PURCHASED 6 FAMILY TIE VOUCHERS, SERVICE UNAVAILABLE 7 OF 10 MONTHS OF FAMILY TIES PROGRAM, RESULTS IN LOSS OF 4 VOUCHERS WITH NO REFUNDS OR OTHER CONSIDERATIONS. The following details our experience which we are certain is not unique to us, and suspect has been perpetuated on many travelers in the Toledo Market, flying out of Toledo Express on Direct Air.
In December 2009 Direct Air advertised "The Family Ties Voucher Plan" in the Toledo market. When we talked with their representative on December 23, 2009 we were told that the vouchers would be good for one year. On this basis we purchased six vouchers, planning our vacations throughout 2010.
We were able to use two vouchers in February 2010. However when we attempted to utilize Direct Air vouchers in April we found that there were no available "voucher seats". When we attempted to utilize their vouchers once again on May 15, 2010 for flights from Toledo to Punta Gorda, we found that they were no longer offering those flights, "That service was not offered out of Toledo over the summer".
Subsequently we attempted to book flights in October only to find once again, service was not available. When it was announced that service was resumed we, once again attempted to book flights between Toledo and Punta Gorda for November 29 and December 6th to find that… the vouchers expired October 31, 2010. Thus we were left with worthless vouchers for which we paid good money under good faith that Direct Air services would be available from Toledo throughout the stated period, when in fact, the vouchers were only valid in the Toledo area from January through April, expiring in advance of their restoration of service in the latter part of November.
In as much as Direct Air promotions and practices are at a significant variance, we have respectfully requested consideration in resolving this problem through their customer relations department via 3 e-mails and two phone calls, only to be initially ignored, and then, after 10 days, informed that there would be no extension of the "Family Ties" vouchers nor would there would be any refunds or other considerations. Subsequently we were provided with a reference to their "Family Ties" website via an e-mail. On this site the following references were made:
1) "Nonrefundable sales policy: Family Ties purchases are nonrefundable, and no refunds or credits will be issued for unused vouchers. Extensions for travel past October 31, 2010 using Family Ties Winter 2009 vouchers will not be granted (enumerated term #4)."
2) Disclaimer of availability, reading: "Travel using Family Ties Winter 2009 vouchers is valid between any Direct Air city pair in effect at the time of travel. Although Family Ties vouchers may be used for any round-trip on any route in the Direct Air system, they are not route-specific. Additionally, schedules for certain routes may be seasonal, and routes and schedules are subject to change. As such, Direct Air makes no guarantees of schedules or destinations until the time of booking (enumerated term # 6, emphasis original)."
I had purchased a friends and family ticket. It was a pretty good deal. The airport was much closer on both ends. Booked a flight for 6/24/2011 from Lakeland, fl to Springfield, IL. It was supposed to leave at 2:15 pm... Then 4:15 pm... Then 8:15 pm... Then finally left sometime the next day (Two of the delays were due to mechanical failure). I had gotten my suitcase off the aircraft. When I called the next day to request a refund I was told I would have to drive back to the airport to unboard the flight!!!
After much discussion, she agreed that it was their error since I had taken my luggage with me! She told me my account would be refunded the full amount of the ticket and luggage charge plus gave me a voucher number for the amount that I had spent to be used within one year. I thought that was great. What wonderful customer service...
The next week I called to ask where my refund was. I was told it takes 10-14 days and it was being processed. No problem. Each time you call you have to give your confirmation number, so there is not any confusion... Well, by July 12 I still had not received the refund. When I called, the girl got very rude with me and told me it was one or the other and I had already been given voucher numbers. Why would I want to let them keep my money? Why would they not tell me that when I called the first 2 times?
After hanging up, I decided to call and ask for a supervisor... They will not let you do that. The gentleman I spoke with ended up telling me he would put me on hold, then hung up on me. Each time they would get upset with me that I should expect my refund before 10-14 days. I told they I had already waited beyond that time period. With my 3rd call today, they supposedly have completed the refund. We'll see. I know I will never deal with them again. Literally hours spent on the phone for them to play with my money for 3 weeks. Totally unacceptable.
This airline is the worst airline I have EVER dealt with. When a LEGITIMATE company advertises a voucher program they know will involve higher than normal call volumes, that company would have more trained staff available during peak times. It is extremely frustrating dealing with this company because they have NO CUSTOMER SERVICE!
I purchased 4 vouchers through the family ties program last fall. It took me WEEKS of being on hold (not just HOURS) to get to talk to someone because when I reserved my flights online they had processed the request wrong. When I finally did get to talk to someone, she was very friendly and helpful. However, yesterday I received a message that the flights I had scheduled for May 6th - May 9th had been cancelled. I tried calling the number and was on hold again for over 20 minutes. Again... wouldn't you think a reputable company would have more agents on hand to help customers when things like this happen?
These vouchers were charged to my credit card in November. When asked when I could expect the credit to be issued I was told 14 business days. WHAT!!! They've had my money since November! And now I have to find other flights that are proving to be more expensive, or cancel the vacation along with hotel rooms and other activities my friends and I have been looking forward to since November!
The lady I talked to on the phone this time was not very helpful and was rude when I told her that I thought that having to wait for the refund was unacceptable and I expected the credit immediately so I could find other flights. She said that was just the way it is because I wasn't the only one having their flight cancelled. When I asked to talk to someone else she told me they didn't do that there. I lost my cool then and told her that I hoped my call was being recorded - she hung up on me. Way to go Direct Air - You won't be in business very long with customer service like this and I do hope I get my refund within 14 business days as promised!
FLORIDA -- I purchased Open-Ended Direct Air Friend and Family tickets. I have tried several times to turn in my voucher as the deadline is at the end of this month. I have called over 60 times in the last month to have the phone give me the same tone as a disconnected number and then say "all circuits are busy at this time." Then I finally got through yesterday (Sunday) morning at 7:10 A.M. and was told they are only making reservations for people who were affected by a storm last week.
I tried to explain my situation to the call representative "Becky" and she could have cared less. She was VERY unprofessional and sounded VERY white-trash. NOT a good representation for a customer service individual. I asked to speak to a supervisor. She told me there was nobody there and disconnected my call.
Today I called into the Direct Air counter in Kalamazoo, MI and was told to come in for a non-published number that she could not give to me over the phone. I told her I could be in at 2:30. She said OK. I got there at 2 and she had left for the day. The person working baggage for another airline called the representative on her cell and she told him that she was wrong. I could not have the number after all to reach them directly.
He called the number instead for me and was put on hold for 1 hour and 45 minutes. I had to get back to work so he let me leave much earlier but promised to give them my number so I could reserve the tickets I had ALREADY purchased and when they finally did pick up they told him they don't call customers. If I wanted to reach them it's my job to call them. He tried to reason with them and explain that I had been trying to do so but they didn't care.
I found out they have 30 lines working during the week and 7-11 people working the lines on the weekend. Very CONVENIENT for them if the goal is to get you to buy into their deal to then not provide a way for you to get the service you paid for. SCAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Having just experienced Direct Air, I would pay double just to never hear their name again. We tried the Family Ties vouchers. Bought them, month later used their online form to reserve them. They don't tell you when you buy them most flights aren't available with them, you have to provide 2 dates to fly out and 2 dates to fly in - Direct Air chooses which days you fly, you don't get to choose which times you fly, you don't get to choose your seats and they probably won't be by each other. Even though I listed my daughter, a THREE year old, they put her 5 rows away from either of her parents. Brilliant.
After I filled out the online form, and hit submit, I was told Direct Air would contact me "if" my reservation went through... What? If? So if it doesn't I never hear from you again? After a week with nothing, I called them. And called them. And called them. The first three calls I was told "Due to heavy call volume, we ask you call back at another time". What? No hold? So I submitted a contact form online. Two days, nothing.
OK, so I called again. The 4th time I got "through", and by getting through I mean after I waited on hold for no less than 62 minutes. Then they add every charge in the book. $10 per person per way to change your seat even though they put the 3 year old rows away from her parents ($60 total), $10 convenience fee per person each way (What IS that? $60 total), oh and even though I first tried to make my reservations online, I was still charged $5 phone reservation per person per way ($30). I am up to an additional $150 not counting the luggage fees, which go $25-100 per checked bag per way. In the end, there is nothing discount about them.
We haven't flown out yet, but I can only pray they put more money into their Mechanics and Pilots than they do customer service. Just no one, ever, ever, ever try using their Family Ties vouchers... I honestly will never even fly with them again. Ever. Even if it were for free.
MYRTLE BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA -- Back in April 2009, I purchased 4 round trip tickets to Myrtle Beach. Direct Air had advertised and marketed this "direct from Kalamazoo to Myrtle Beach" route with lots of fanfare starting in December 2008. The trip was scheduled for July 6, 2009 and almost $1000.00 was taken from my account to pay for the tickets. Then on June 20th, just a couple weeks before the flight, I got a voicemail (no e-mail, no personal phone call) saying to call a number concerning our flight. I called and was on hold for over an hour. Finally a female who sounded about 12 years old and had about the same intelligence level, said the route to Myrtle Beach was stopped.
We had already booked a Marriott Resort Hotel, a rental car, reserved kennel for the dog, and purchased certificates from Restaurant.com for use in Myrtle Beach. She had no further information and said they would credit the money back, but nothing else for the short notice. Of course now being so close to travel time, the same flight on another airline is 3 to 4 times as much per ticket. When I asked how long I would have to wait for the money to be refunded, she had no concrete information and said it could be weeks.
So they used my money for over two months, cancelled the flight and broke the contract with me, and still have not refunded our money. They are probably going bankrupt. I called our local newspaper, who had not heard that Direct Air had pulled all flights and gave them the info. Direct Air is sneaky, dishonest and extremely inconsiderate and has not refunded the money they took. I have been on hold today for over an hour waiting for a Direct Air "representative" to find out the status of the refund. Save yourself a headache and DO NOT book with Direct Air.
I just got through after an hour and 20 minute wait. The woman said "Only one employee is processing the credits, and he has other obligations and that is why it is taking so long". Oh really? Have you ever heard of hiring a temporary worker to help process credits for the people you have already pissed off by canceling their vacations? I guarantee that Direct Air will not last. Not with this type of customer service.
Great price! Great convenience. The premise: Opportunity to purchase discounted air tickets online for nonstop flights through Direct Air. Tickets are transferable and usable for 1 year! Great! The problem: You must book the actual reservation for the flight you want via phone. Online is only to purchase the open-ended ticket[s]. Once you have a confirmation #, you MUST book by telephone.
THE SCAM: No one ever answers the phone. I have many siblings and myself [10 of us with spouses and children too] who bought Friends and Family Ties tickets. To date, we have countless tickets that have either expired or our opportunity to travel when and where we wanted has passed because DIRECT AIR DID NOT EVER ANSWER THE PHONE! An automated message says "all reps are busy, try the call later."
I have made 203 calls and have never reached a human to book, plus 1 call, I did reach a human, and I was told that the flight I needed was sold out for F&F but that I could purchase the flight at regular price. Cancellations must also be done by phone. My sister had a heart attack and tried to cancel her flight... Again, no one answered the phone and she could not cancel, so she lost her ticket. More MORE MORE horror stories like this. They have our money, but we have NO WAY to redeem what we paid for!
I still have a couple of months left on 7 tickets, and have no recourse except to try to be lucky enough to get a DIRECT AIR REPRESENTATIVE ON THE PHONE. So FAT LOTTA LUCK actually getting what you paid for. My family and I have been scammed more than once. We bought the tickets within a few days of each other, purchasing multiple tickets, but never again! We learned the hard way!
We can't go to the airport, as we live 120 miles from there. My sister has tried to go the airport in Myrtle Beach, but they are only there when a flight is arriving or departing. Otherwise, they are closed. SCAM, SCAM SCAM. BUYER BEWARE!!! If this has happened to you, please contact me. I am learning how to start a class action suit.
I have purchased two Family Ties and I am trying to book a flight! Their ad says to call them to book. I have been trying to reach them by phone for two days now and only get a busy signal! I have tried to book online and am told that I have to wait for an e-mail from them to let me know if my flight is confirmed. I e-mailed them to find my confirmation and was told that they are busy and it will take three to five days to receive (or not receive a confirmation). I cannot plan my vacation and have asked twice now for my money back from this Family Ties offer so I can book a regular flight but they have not responded to that yet. Family Ties is a ripoff!


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Watch 'Glee' Performance of Whitney Houston's 'How Will I Know'
The 'Dance With Somebody' ep of 'Glee' is set for this Tuesday (April 24), as the New Directions will perform the music of the late great Whitney Houston. In this preview clip, they offer up an absolutely stunning (and semi-rearranged) version of Whit's early dance hit 'How Will I Know.'
Mercedes starts the song out a cappella, with Kurt and Santana harmonizing alongside her when her nemesister Rachel Berry swoops in to offer up her vocal as they walk the halls and sing their little hearts out.
The 'Glee' rendition is both a slower and sadder version of Whit's ode to crushing on someone and being apprehensive about telling him, but the finger snapping is a nice addition. We were hooked when they harmonize on the stage while being impeccably well-dressed. Soon, the students disperse as Berry hits that note like her voice was a hammer.
Gorgeous. The ending is spare, as the camera cuts to the spotlight on the stage floor. Who's going to graduate McKinley High and on to stardom? Time will only tell.
In other 'Glee' news, the show and its talented cast notched another record industry milestone, becoming the first and only act to place 200 entries on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The show's cast has long surpassed Elvis Presley, who had 108 entries. Congrats, 'Glee' guys and gals.
Watch 'Glee' Cast Perform Whitney Houston 'How Will I Know'


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Toll free (in US and Canada): 888-426-6840
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