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Peter Ksander
A scene from the Punk-Kabuki mashup, "Drum of the Waves of Horikawa"
Turning Japanese
Culture clash in 'Drum of the Waves of Horikawa'
Drum of the Waves of Horikawa
The Theater of a Two Headed Calf Production
Directed by Brooke O'Hara
Through November 17
Here Art Center
145 Sixth Avenue (entrance on Dominick St.)
(212-352-3101; here.org)
By Adrienne Urbanski
The similarities between the refined art of traditional Japanese Kabuki theater and '70s punk rock might not be obvious, but Theater of a Two Headed Calf's production of "Drum of the Waves of Horikawa" explores the parallels between the two. The result is an incredibly innovative work, exploding with adultery, nudity, beheadings, and sword fighting.
The play is an adaptation of an English translation of a Monsaemon Chikamtsu play from 1705. The play's many complex Shakespearean turns become somewhat lost amidst the thrashing, screams and often purposefully incomprehensible dialogue, but the essential plot remains intact: Ontane, the wife of a well established samurai, suffers from sexual unease during her husband's prolonged absence, and attempts to fill her loneliness with endless cups of sake. Jess Barbagallo shines with comic energy as a lecherous lesbian samurai, ironically named Usogayman, who lunges and leaps across the stage as she hungrily grabs at the bodies of her attractive female cast mates. Her unwanted advances ultimately unleash an avalanche of sexual confusion and false rumors, and after too much sake Ontane finds herself in bed with her brother's drum instructor. When her punk samurai husband discovers the truth, he seeks revenge against both his wife and her lover.
Director Brooke O'Hara took care to train the cast members in perfecting both punk and kabuki movement. Cast members prepared for their roles by studying videotapes of punk performers like Siouxise Sioux, The Germs, and Iggy Pop and emulating their stage movements. O'Hara then worked with the actors to blend a sense of Kabuki refinement into their work, and developed a unique movement style for each cast member.
Characters communicate their emotional unrest in a mix of both methods, sometimes screaming into an onstage microphone while thrashing about the stage, and sometimes freezing their faces into crossed eyes and distended tongue, the Japanese theatrical method known as mie. The play's lines themselves are often lost and unintelligible, clearly the noise and emotion they convey is seen as more essential than what is actually being said. During moments of extreme unease the characters even belt out lines from old films like Preston Sturges' "The Lady Eve," perhaps commenting on the differing texts of Japanese and western storylines.
The mergence of cultures is particularly apparent both in the costuming and in the play's score. The cast don eye-catching punkified kimonos, Crayola-colored hair, fishnets, samurai swords encased in blue and dramatic swoops of eye makeup. Composer Brendan Conelly skillfully merges both Japanese and punk influenced sounds into the play's score, adding a driving energy to the work. Connelly, who plays keyboards for the show, is joined by two drummers and a bassist, all plucked from local punk acts. He also serves as the play's MC, alerting the audience to the upcoming episode breaks (of which there are five) and to promote the purchase of cheap sake.
As if the screaming, thrashing, and beheadings were not assault enough on our senses, the play dabbles also in full frontal nudity, the intent behind which is never made clear, though it ties in well to the punk aesthetic.
While plot and emotion are somewhat drowned out in its noise, "Drum of the Waves of the Horikawa" wows in its ability to throw convention aside and successfully unify two drastically differing cultures.
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subset: commoncrawl


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With the conventions over and the first debate still three weeks off, few immediate catalysts loom to change the dynamics of the presidential race. So expect a multi-million-dollar blitz of advertising and heavy on-the-ground campaigning in the days ahead — centered mostly on battleground states.
As of now, the election still appears headed for a photo finish — pretty much just where it was four months ago. That raises the importance of the upcoming debates — three presidential and one vice presidential.
A Gallup poll released Sunday showed President Barack Obama opening a five-percentage point lead over Republican challenger Mitt Romney following last week's Democratic convention. Other major polls have yet to register such a blip.
That didn't stop the Romney campaign from engaging in some Monday morning damage control.
"Don't get too worked up about the latest polling. While some voters will feel a bit of a sugar-high from the conventions, the basic structure of the race has not changed significantly," Romney pollster Neil Newhouse said in a memo to "interested parties."
For the next few weeks there are no big events on the horizon likely to move the needle. The next unemployment report — the economic report most closely watched — is not until Oct. 5 after last Friday's lackluster August jobs report. The first of three presidential debates is Oct. 3.
Meanwhile, Obama and Democratic partners on Monday reported raising more than $114 million in August, outpacing Romney for the first time in three months. Romney and Republicans raised $111 million in the same period. However, Romney has more money on hand than Obama.
Romney was campaigning Monday in Mansfield, Ohio, a key swing state. Running mate Paul Ryan had fundraisers in Oregon and Washington. Neither Obama, who spent the weekend campaigning in Florida, nor Vice President Joe Biden had any scheduled public appearances.
Follow Tom Raum on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tomraum. For more AP political coverage, look for the 2012 Presidential Race in AP Mobile's Big Stories section. Also follow https://twitter.com/APCampaign and AP journalists covering the campaign: https://twitter.com/AP/ap-campaign-2012


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Literally it says; And a leper goes to him... but in English we usually use the past tense when we tell a story.
In Greek narative often the present is used even if the event has happened in the past. This is called Historical Present. It is supposed to increase the vividness of the narative.
In English we don't do this except in informal speech.
Ever heard someone say; ...so I says to the guy.... instead of; ...so I said to the guy....?


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Are you looking for a career where you can be innovative and grow your skill set while being challenged at the same time? We are looking for a solutions-driven SCADA Engineer in Louisiana.
At Gray Matter Systems, our goal is to transform operations and empower people. As digital transformations in every industry are underway, we partner with some of the largest companies in the world to help harness their data and use it to work smarter. After all, the industry is buzzing with talk of how to leverage the power of Big Data, the Internet of Things (IoT) and the Industrial Internet. We provide innovative, data-driven technology solutions for the industry's most complex problems. Our customers lean on us to protect and connect their critical assets with their people so every operator is empowered to be the best operator.
And that's where you come in.
Gray Matter is dedicated to create a team that has the best talent our industries have to offer. Our organizational cultures express a team-oriented environment, and encourages a successful future with vast learning opportunities. Our team understands that our core values are critical to our success and make our company stand above the rest. Accountability, Integrity, Respect, Innovation and Teamwork make up our DNA.
Everyday, our team is doing amazing things such as:
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- Configuring SCADA hardware and software (iFIX, OPC Server/Driver)
- Modifying PLCs and HMI applications in the field
- Performing factory functional testing
- Developing and implementing solutions to resolve customer issues
- Training customers on how to operate products and application
- Implementing standard engineering practices
- Bachelor's Degree in Engineering or comparable
- Minimum of 3-5 years plus related experience in programming or related field
- Willing and able to travel
- Good knowledge of VBA
- Knowledge of computer hardware and network components
- Strong understanding of networking essentials and Microsoft operating systems
- A strong knowledge of current computer technology and TCP/IP configurations
- Knowledge of industrial programming software packages (iFIX)
- Advanced computer skills
- Excellent analytical skills
- First-rate decision making skills
- Ability to multitask
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- Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written
- Benefits Include: Health, Dental, AFLAC, LTD, 401K, Immediate Vacation, Expense Reimbursement
- Positive work environment
- Team-oriented
- Salary based on work experience


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Raymarine's FAQs for Micronet 'Cruising' Systems
If the backlighting is used then time will be reduced depending on the level of illumination used.
Battery level can be monitored from an icon on the bottom left of each display.
Recharging will occur even in cloudy daylight and the charge rate can be monitored from the icon on the lower right of each display.
If the batteries are continually drained flat then recharged again, then the overall life will be reduced but this is not part of their normal operating range. All Tacktick instruments manufactured since 2006 have replaceable batteries so in the unlikely event of a total battery failure a new battery pack can be easily fitted.
An offset puts the sensor at a different vertical height on each tack, and the flow acceleration under the hull varies with height, hence the problem and it is a common problem with speed transducers when they are not mounted on centre (often you can't mount them on the centre line due to structural issues such as stringers. The simplest "solution" is to experiment with rotating the paddle housing either clockwise or counterclockwise by around 10 to 20 degrees. By doing this, you correct the asymetry with the rotational alignment.
If the housing is not aligned correctly in the hull it may be necessary to twist the transducer to ensure the correct speed readings. In these cases the keyway slot in the top of the housing should be extended using a sharp knife or small file to ensure the transducer can be fully secured and sealed into the housing.
The Tacktick Race Master, Maxi and Dual Maxi displays have a software calibration to correct for tack to tack speed differences.
Always ensure there is a good coating of silicone grease on the o-rings around the transducer inserts. Dry o-rings can cause the transducers to stick and not push fully into the housings. In severe cases damage to the housing and the internal valves can be caused by sticking o-rings.
Tacktick encourages the shortening of cables. Due to the nature of the Hull Transmitter and Speed/Depth Pod it is designed to be installed close to the Transducers reducing the requirement to run lengthy cables through the boat. Unusual in Marine Electronics it is acceptable to reduce the length of the Depth Transducer cable as well as those of the speed and compass transducers. It is preferable to shorten all cables rather than coil up any excess.
Increasing the cable length will result in reduced signals and possible introduction of "noise" into the system reducing reliability.
In the case of the T911 and T912 Speed and Depth Transducers insufficient grease will make the inserts stiff and hard to insert and once in place it may be very difficult to remove the transducer again.
In the case of the T910 Triducer the large yellow o-ring at the top of the Triducer insert will not pass into the top of the housing at all unless it is greased. The hand nut that secures the Triducer will feel tight but the bottom transducer surface will not be flush with the outside of the hull and speed and depth information will be incorrect. In severe cases the valve from the inside of the housing can be broken when trying to remove a Triducer that is not well greased.
All Tacktick Transducers are supplied with a small tube of silicone grease suitable for application to the o-rings.
916MHz - USA, Canada, South America, Autralasia, Japan.
869MHz - UK, Europe, Africa.
These different frequencies are required to operate within the legally defined bands in the relevant countries.
All displays manufactured since January 2008 can be changed via the keypad and transmitters (hull, wind, nmea) are "Global Frequency Response" from November 2007. Products manufactured before these dates should be returned to Tacktick for update should a frequency change be required.
To Change Frequency:
Press and hold key 2 for 2 seconds to enter setup.
Scroll down using key 1 to view the Health chapter.
Step right using key 4 to display the units own software version.
Press and hold key 3 for 5 seconds to enter frequency selection.
Press key 2 to make the selection flash*.
Use key 3 and 4 to change to the required frequency.
Press and hold key 2 to set the required frequency.
Power down the system.
On the next power up the complete network will operate on the selected frequency.
*The default frequency for a display is indicated on the serial number label. Setting the software switch to "OFF" will allow the display to operate at the default frequency.
If your boat is moored directly below a mobile telephone mast then it is possible that some interference could occur.
Due to international radio licensing restrictions Micronet is forced to operate on different frequencies in different locations:
916MHz - USA / Australasia
869MHz - Europe / Africa
Although Micronet systems will operate in any region of the world using the wrong frequency could lead to interference from other transmitting equipment in that region. All Micronet transmitters (Hull, Wind, NMEA, etc.) are Global Frequency and will work on either of the two frequencies automatically. Micronet displays can be switched from one frequency to the other via the keypad.
Depth - Yes.
The standard T912 retractable depth transducer supplied by Tacktick can be installed without cutting a hole in the bottom of the boat. The supplied through hull fitting can be bonded to the inside of the hull ( a spacer should be constructed to take up and angle (deadrise) in the hull ensuring that the transducer is mounted vertically downwards). Remove the o-ring seals from the bottom of the transducer and fill the fitted tube with oil before inserting the transducer and securing with the screw cap. If fitted correctly there will be only a very slight reduction of performance compared to a standard through hull installation.
Speed - No.
The Standard T911 Speed Transducer supplied by Tacktick is a paddle wheel device which requires through the hull installation. The standard housing is of a low profile design and is fitted with a valve to reduce the amount of water coming into the boat when the transducer is removed for cleaning. If required a "Flush Mount" housing (T943)is available to keep the housing totally flush with the outer surface of the hull.
Triducer - No.
The T910 Triducer supplied by Tacktick is a paddle wheel device which requires through the hull installation. The standard housing is of a low profile design and is fitted with a valve to reduce the amount of water coming into the boat when the transducer is removed for cleaning. If required a "Flush Mount" housing (T943)is available to keep the housing totally flush with the outer surface of the hull. The T075 Race Master System comes complete with the optional flush housing included.
Unlike many other marine electronics instruments Tacktick products are fully sealed and can be submerged to depths of 10m. There have been reports of displays being lost overboard and then retrieved later by divers several days later to be placed back on board still working.
It is recommended that Hull Transmitters and Speed/Depth Pods are located in areas of the boat such that they are not subjected to direct water spray.


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Tuesday, July 31, 2012 - Rado and Jirka - FULL CONTACT
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The End of William Higgins Newsletter


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Fox News' Expert Claims Transgender People Don't Exist
Dr. Keith Ablow, one of Fox News' most Fox Newsy-type regular commentators, has erased the transgender community from the historic record completely in a new piece for the network.
In response to California's law protecting trans students, Ablow writes:
...I believe that children have enough to deal with as they struggle to feel comfortable with their bodies, with the notion of privacy and with later changes involving puberty without urging them to grapple with the notion that their souls may have been born into the wrong bodies.
What's more, I don't believe we have definitive data (although many psychiatrists with very impressive credentials, who seem to mean well, assert that we do) that any male or female soul has ever in the history of the world been born into the wrong anatomic gender.
Let me put that more clearly: I am not convinced by any science I can find that people with definitively male DNA and definitively male anatomy can actually be locked in a cruel joke of nature because they are actually female.
And we are not convinced by any science that this man is a doctor.
(Via Towleroad)
The problem is that too many people do listen to this man. When he proclaims that he's a Dr and spouts his nonsense on TV, too many people are quick to see him as credible. His remarks, although based in ignorance, can have a powerful impact and the LGBT community must stand up to to him and people like him. It won't stop unless we make it stop.
I can't imagine that anyone would mutilate their bodies to the point of cutting their cocks of just for the fun of it. However I must say that these "transgender" need to be made to live within the body they were born, and realize they are lucky to be alive and healthy. I can ALWAYS spot the transgender freaks, as they NEVER fully lose their masculine traits. Thye should all be banished to an island similar to those with leprosy.
The women transitioning to men are the worst, as they will NEVER have a functioning penis, only a flabby section of skin that must be inlated like a balloon that only measures about 4 inches long. Pathetic!!
Trans Gender people are far more than there genitalia. Do you think they don't know that their birth traits often remain to some degree. Obviously, they don't change their bodies "for the fun of it". Clearly you can't imagine what it's like to be born in a body that doesn't match your mind, but maybe you should try. Try to empathize. Think what it must be like to grow up in the wrong body & how difficult it would be to come to terms with that yourself & then the courage that it must take to tell people that & then go through multiple painful surgeries, just to try to become the person that you know you should be. This is not something that anyone would take lightly. Imagine how hard it would be to grow up & live in a world where people call you "freak" & say things like "They should all be banished to an island similar to those with leprosy." Do you think that people would pick that life if they felt they had any other option? Trans people are some of the bravest & most admirable people. There is good & bed in everyone, we're none of us perfect, but we should all try to empathize with each other & treat each other with respect & understanding. THINK!
More uneducated trash from the uneducated worthless trash that is Keith Ablow, a rabidly grotesque, mentally unstable failure on every level of civilized humanity that belongs in a padded cell for the safety of civilized, sane human beings.
I am not convinced by any science that he is human let alone a man. In fact, I know he is neither.


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The annual Rotary Club May Breakfast will be held on Saturday, May 6, from 7 to 10 a.m. at the Lawn Avenue School cafeteria.
The popular breakfast serves up hearty New England breakfast fare, including homemade pies, and the proceeds will go to the purchase of a new scoreboard for the Lawn Avenue baseball field.
Tickets, at $6 for adults and $ 3 for children, will be sold in front of McQuade's market this weekend and at the door. J/22 sailing event scheduled
An open house for sailors interested in the J/22 sailboat will be held at the Conanicut Yacht Club on Saturday, May 6, beginning at 5 p.m.
Jeff Johnstone, president of J/Boats, and Randy Borges, president of US Watercraft, which builds the J/22, will make presentations
about the latest in speed tricks, as well as the increasing J/22 activity in the lower bay.
Fleet 12 Captain Jeff Westcott will discuss this year's schedule for the Sunday racing series, which runs from late June through August. All current and prospective owners, skippers, crew, or anyone just interested in J/22 sailing, will not want to miss this unique opportunity to meet with two of the foremost J/22 experts in the world.
Dance the night away with the JEF
It's time to dust off the dancing shoes to celebrate spring's arrival!
Everyone is invited to the Jamestown Education Foundation Contra Dance on Saturday, May 20, at the Portuguese American Citizens' Club.
Contra Dance is a lively English country dance that includes a lot of spinning each other around, laughing, foot stomping, clapping, and enormous fun.
Starting at 7 p.m., the evening will feature hors d'oeuvres, a seated dinner at 8 p.m. of chicken with artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, and sun dried tomatoes, with baby bliss potatoes, spring vegetables, and a selection of homemade desserts. Live music and dancing with the Parallel String Band will run from 9 p.m. to midnight.
Tickets cost $40 per person, which includes a cash bar. They can be purchased at Baker's Pharmacy and Slice of Heaven.
Send an e-mail to email@example.com to purchase a table for 10, or be placed at a table with friends. Tickets are limited to people age 21 and older. Everyone will be entered into a drawing to win a door prize of Keen shoes for the whole family. There will be an auction of a few special items, including a Martha's Vineyard Getaway, during the band's intermission.
Moneys raised will benefit the JEF. The Jamestown Education Foundation is a private, non-profit corporation dedicated to providing educational and cultural enrichment for all Jamestown students. The JEF works in partnership with Jamestown public schools and community organizations to support innovative programs that inspire young minds, encourage academic excellence, and promote healthy lifestyle choices. JEF is responsible for cofounding the Jamestown Teen Center, the Conanicut Island Raptor Project, providing after-school enrichment classes, founding the Conanicut Captain's sailing adventures, and sponsoring the Save The Bay summer camp at Fort Getty.


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14 May '12 to
31 Jul '12
Yeah, sure
Est. Cost
500 -
USD (USD United States Dollars)
Travel Partners Wanted
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I'm going to land in France in May,14 and stay there till May,18
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This is also flexible
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Raymond "Buck" Buchheit passed away peacefully Friday, Aug. 9, 2013, at Parkhurst House in Hood River, at the age of 86. Buck was born Oct. 15, 1926, in Portland, Ore., to Pansy and Ray Buchheit.
As a young boy, the family moved to Hood River where Buck attended Pine Grove Elementary School and Hood River High School; graduating from high school in 1945. Buck will always be remembered by good friends for many good times at HRHS, home of the Blue Dragons.
After high school, Buck joined the U.S. Navy and served during World War II and later the Korean Conflict and received an Honorable Discharge in June of 1946 after learning the skill of Printer Third Class. He returned to Hood River and was employed by the Hood River News.
On April 19, 1947, Buck married the love of his life, Barbara Ellen Matheny, and they had been married 66 years at the time of his passing. As high school sweethearts their marriage was always honored with love and dedication to each other, honesty, integrity, hard work and many good times with friends and family.
Buck worked at the Hood River News in a print career and management for 46 years. In 1982 he had been the longest-term employee of Eagle Newspapers with his career spanning five decades after starting during the summer of 1946. Known as production superintendent, Buck was responsible for many accomplishments while serving and working on the team for Eagle Newspapers.
The Hood River News team was named first place winner in the general excellence category of the National Contest 1982. The contest drew entries from over 3,600 newspapers and the News was chosen as the winner in the weekly circulation division. The general excellence award is based on competition in all aspects of newspaper publishing including printing. This award was received twice 10 years apart. He experienced hot type and hand-fed print, cold type print and offset printing in order to achieve these awards. Buck's skills were remarkable.
As a member of Hood River County Chamber of Commerce he served on the board of directors for 11 years. In 1989 he was given the Outstanding Service Award by the Chamber. He was a member of Hood River Elks Lodge and was Exalted Ruler in 1977. Buck competed in Elks Grand Lodge Ritualistic Contests in Chicago and Miami and he was All State Exalted Ruler in ritual in 1977.
As a lifetime member of Hood River Rotary Club Buck served eight years on the board of directors and five years as chairman of the scholarship committee. He participated in numerous fundraisers for the development of strong educational scholarships for local graduating seniors.
Buck enjoyed gardening, bird hunting and he enjoyed most all sporting events. He loved to travel with Barbara and together they enjoyed many cruises including Europe, Aruba, the Panama Canal and numerous trips to the Caribbean. Their favorite mini vacation was to Reno and Lake Tahoe and Palm Springs. Together they loved gaming, entertainment and good food.
They were also active in "The 78 Club," a group of local friends who starting hanging out together during the 1940s and said that once the collective age of each couple reached 78 they couldn't be in the club any longer. It should be noted that they still meet today — most of whom exceed the rule of 78 by themselves. Buck always looked forward to their get-togethers.
Buck is survived by his wife, Barbara; his sister Gerry Beauchamp and brother Bill Buchheit; nieces Jo Ann Wixon, Barbara Hosford (husband Mitch), nephew Michael W. Tenney (wife Valerie) and other extended family.
He was preceded in death by two brothers, Don Buchheit and Marvin Buchheit, and sister Lorraine Walters.
Services for Buck are planned as follows and all are invited to both Sunday and Monday services:
Sunday, Aug. 18, at 5 p.m. at Anderson's Tribute Center will be a time for friends and family to celebrate Buck's life with a reflections of life video tribute, eulogies by friends, the fraternal rites by the Hood River Elks Lodge and a praying of the Rosary;
Monday, Aug. 19, at 10 a.m. at St. Mary's Catholic Church, his funeral service and Mass will be led by Father Ron Maag and eulogy shared by U.S. Rep. Greg Walden. Graveside Rites with Military Honors will follow at Idlewilde Cemetery and then all are invited back to St. Mary's for a luncheon.
Donations are encouraged in memory of Buck to be made to Hospice of the Gorge.
Arrangements are under the direction of Anderson's Tribute Center, 1401 Belmont Ave., Hood River, OR 97031; 541-386-1000. Visit www.andersonstributecenter.com to leave a note of condolence for family.
Condolences are being received online.
Information from the News and our advertisers (Want to add your business to this to this feed?)


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Event: SEARA FOLK | 9 ianuarie 2012
09 Ianuarie 2012
SEARA FOLK | 9 ianuarie 2012 @ Expirat Club
Promoter: Expirat Club
Price: Free
To avoid the lack of alcohol at the bar crowd please visit the following form. Your opinion matters and trying to inform the organizers of preferences / your suggestions.
Suggestions and complaints.
Suggestions and complaints.
See also
Calendar of Events


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- Services and Products
- Academic Resources
- Administrative Systems & Services
- mySLU Portal
- Banner Self-Service
- Internet Native Banner
- Microsoft Office 2010
- Microsoft Security Updates
- Symantec Endpoint Protection
- Guest Account Requests
- Database and Business Intelligence Services
- Advanced Technology
- Classroom Technology
- Clinical Information Systems
- Departmental Hardware Purchases
- Departmental Software Purchases
- Gartner IT Library
- Google Apps & Listserv Technology
- Internet & Network Services
- ITS Projects and Plans
- Multimedia Services & Computer Labs
- Office 365
- Research Technology
- SpectrumU
- Telephones
Microsoft Office 2010
In an effort to streamline technology support and offer an enhanced product to the University, ITS has moved to the Microsoft Office 2010 suite as the default for all university-owned computers for staff, faculty, classrooms and computer lab spaces.
The Office 2010 suite offers enhanced versions of Office applications with intuitive functionality and a more user-friendly design. In conjunction with this change, we removed the Office 2007 suite from these machines.
To assist faculty and staff with the transition to Office 2010, the following resources are available:


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Story courtesy of The Dalles Chronicle
The 12,200-acre Sheldon Ridge Fire, in Wasco County between The Dalles and Mosier, is now 70 percent contained, according to the Oregon Department of Forestry.
On Monday night, officials lifted evacuation orders on the fire, allowing residents of Wells Road, Brown's Creek and Upper Chenowith to return home for the first time since Thursday night. More than 700 firefighters remain on the fire.
Operations resumed at The Dalles' water treatment plant last night, after being shut down Friday. The system is in full operation and service has been restored to Mill Creek Road residents.
But 45 mile-per-hour winds forecast Tuesday still challenged the operation, and firefighters prepared to defend the 80 percent containment level they'd achieved by Monday night. "It's great windsurfing, but tough on firefighters," said Stan Hinatsu of the U.S. Forest Service, a spokesman on the Sheldon Ridge Fire. "We're cautiously optimistic of reaching our containment goal of 6 p.m. tomorrow (Wednesday) night," Hinatsu said. "That's what we're shooting for."
Most of the fire is now "lined," either by hand trail, bulldozer or existing barriers such as roads. But strong winds yesterday pushed the fire beyond those boundaries in several isolated locations, Hinatsu said. Fortunately, the continued presence of a large firefighting force — 20 crews of 20 individuals each, 37 engines, eight bulldozers and eight aircraft as of this morning — quickly beat down those encroachments.
"No fire is fully contained until we're confident it won't jump the lines," Hinatsu said, warning the threat still continued today. "If we get through today with those kinds of winds without any slopover, we've done pretty well." The fire's estimated acreage increased yesterday by 600 acres, but Hinatsu said this is primarily because of refined field measurements within the original boundaries. Total acreage as of this morning stood at 12,761. No homes have been lost.
Evacuation was rescinded at 8 p.m. Monday.
"We wanted to get the homeowners in there as soon as we could. It's been a huge inconvenience for them, and we appreciate their willingness to move out so our firefighters could do their work," Hinatsu added. "The community support has been really encouraging for our firefighters. We really appreciate all the donations and the cards and thank-yous."
Crews ranged from near and far in fighting Sheldon Ridge fire, including fire departments in Hood River County, along with counterparts from Klickitat, Umatilla, Morrow, Yamhill, Marion, Columbia, Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas and Polk County departments, in addition to the Department of Forestry, Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue, and U.S. Forest Service.
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- Re-seller Welcome. Can ship directly to your customer.
Re-seller no need to keep inventory and cost
- Combine shipment with discount rate for any assorted
order (different items). Please refer the "Each additional item"
under "Shipping and Handling" for the cost of each additional item.
- Tracking number for all US order Or other countries with
order amount more than US$15
- Please feel free to contact me if any question


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Alfredo L Valente, MD, 315 464-4750
Current Appointments
- Associate Professor of Pathology
Hospital Campus
- Downtown
- Community
Clinical Section Affiliations
- Pathology: Anatomic Pathology, Surgical Pathology
- Pathology - Community Campus
- Upstate Cancer Center: Pathology
Research Programs and Affiliations
- Pathology
- Colorectal Oncology Program
Upstate Cancer Center
Google Maps & Directions
750 East Adams Street
Syracuse, NY 13210
315 464-1800
Education & Fellowships
- Fellowship: Mount Sinai School of Medicine, 1998, Surgical Pathology
- Fellowship: Mount Sinai School of Medicine, 1997, Pediatric Pathology
- Residency: Washington Hospital Center, 1996, Anatomic and Clinical Pathology
- Residency: Carlos G. Durand Hospital, 1979, General Surgery
- MD: University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1975
Clinical Interests
- Bone and soft tissue pathology, gastrointestinal pathology
Research Interests
Molecular pathology of soft tissue tumors
Specialties & Certification
- Anatomic Pathology
- Clinical Pathology
- Surgical Pathology
- Adults and Children
- Laboratory Services
- United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology
- College of American Pathologists (CAP)
Current Hospital Privileges
- Upstate University Hospital
Link to PubMed (Opens new window. Close the PubMed window to return to this page.)
Clinical Profile Shortcut: http://www.upstate.edu/findadoc/valental
Faculty Profile Shortcut: http://www.upstate.edu/faculty/valental
Faculty Profile Shortcut: http://www.upstate.edu/faculty/valental


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Dick's Sporting Goods (NYSE: DKS) is the a specialty sporting goods retail chain. Dick's operates stores in the majority of states in the US which sell a wide range of sporting equipment and apparel, in addition to Golf Galaxy stores and Chick's Sporting Goods stores.[1] [2] The company ranks as the second largest sporting goods retailer in the U.S by sales.[3] By increasing its presence in temperate areas such as Florida, Georgia, and Texas, the company hopes to temper the declining sales during the winter since most of its products are directed at outdoor, warm-weather sports.
While the majority of Dick's products are brand names manufacturers like Nike, adidas, and Under Armour (UA), one important trend affecting Dick's is the growth of its own private label product lines, which the company aims to account for about 15% of total sales.[4] In addition, as one of the largest specialty retailers in the U.S., Dick's is particularly prone to downturns in the economy that can constrain consumer spending on non-essential goods like sporting goods equipment.
As a sporting goods retailer, Dick's generates revenue through sales of sporting equipment and apparel in its physical Dick's Sporting Goods retail stores and DicksSportingGoods.com (Dick's e-commerce site fully outsourced to GSI Commerce (GSIC)). The company also owns the Golf Galaxy retail chain which sells golf equipment and apparel and provides club repair and other services.
In most Dick's stores, approximately 80% of floor space is used for sales and 20% is used for backroom storage of merchandise, receiving area, and office space. [5]
In order to boost margins, Dick's carries its own private-label brands (including Ativa) alongside its brand name merchandise from companies like Nike (NKE), Under Armour (UA) and brands like The North Face from V.F. (VFC). Its private-label products sell at margins approximately 5-6 percentage points higher than typical branded goods. As Dick's moves private-label products into Golf Galaxy stores and increases the presence of these brands in Dick's stores it should help the company continue to increase their gross profits.
Seasonality affects Dick's sporting goods in two distinct manners:
As a retailer of non-necessary goods Dick's is one of the first companies to lose sales when poor economic conditions dampen consumer spending. Since Dick's product lines are not diversified with non-athletic offerings (e.g., groceries or basic clothing) it is more exposed to economic downturns than other retailers such as Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) and Target (TGT).[6]
Dick's competes in fragmented industry, with the top six sporting goods retailers holding only 19% of the estimated $52 billion market. The Sports Authority (bought by a private equity firm in 2006) follows in second place.
Other companies that Dick's compete with in the sporting goods retail market include the following firms:
Dick's also faces considerable competition from footwear retailers like Foot Locker [7] and Finish Line (FINL) [8]. Dick's is also facing increasing competition from big box discount retailers like Wal-Mart, Target and Amazon.com who sell a selection of sporting equipment and apparel in their stores as well.


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Study assesses dollar impact of boaters on local economy
A survey of recreational boat owners who make Hampton their home port concludes that these boaters bring $55 million to the city and help create nearly 700 full-time jobs.
The study, conducted by Tom Murray and James Kirkley of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and Mary, and Doug Lipton of the University of Maryland, was commissioned by the city of Hampton. The authors surveyed both Hampton residents and non-residents who keep boats in the city to determine the economic impact of their boating-related activities. The city plans to use the study as it considers whether to change its tax policies towards recreational boats.
"The number of boats docked at Hampton marinas has risen steadily from 1,313 in 2002 to 1,796 in 2007, the most recent year for which we estimated impact," says Murray. "Central to this growth was the relocation of non-resident watercraft to Hampton marinas corresponding with the change in the city's watercraft tax regime."
Other major findings of the study, emphasized in a report from the Boat Tax Subcommittee to the Hampton City Council Finance Committee, also point out that the city gains $2.29 million in additional tax revenues from spending by recreational boaters. The report also noted that boats 33 feet and longer generate more than 70% of the spending and tax revenues from non-resident boaters.


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Tonight I went with my husband to Sutton's Congregational Church. They were having their Christmas Concert and Garry and a friend of his had produced a documentary about the concert … how it was put together, how the choir family pulled together to create this every year. It's playing now on local cable stations around the valley.
This was the official Christmas concert performance. Considering how trying these past few days have been, a trip to church to hear Christmas carols was exactly what we needed. It was a nasty night. When we got out of the car at the church, the entire parking lot was covered with black ice. It was drizzling, but just cold enough so that the drizzle froze instantly on all the paved surfaces. I barely made it the 20 or so feet from the car to the church without falling and the minister did fall on her way out of her house.
The concert was lovely. Good singing, lots of smiles. And I took pictures and by the time we left the church, it had warmed up just enough so that the ice was gone. As the minister said, we had been blessed.
And now, blessed again by yet another gift of a Very Inspiring Blogger Award, courtesy of Dear Kitty. Some blog: On animals, peace and war, science, social justice, women's issues, arts, and much more. This is a woman whose causes are my causes, whose passions are also mine, a woman who I greatly admire. I am touched and honored to receive this award from her.
I often don't feel particularly inspiring, but inspiration comes from many sources. I am glad that my words and pictures … and the other posts I find and reblog because I think they are important and worthwhile … provide inspiration for others. It makes the effort worth it to know that there are people "out there" who read the words and it means something to them.
That somehow I've gone in less than a year from "who's that?" to getting more awards than I imagined possible leaves me a little breathless. Awards are always given by people who do not know us intimately. I am sure if people knew me better, they'd be incapable of giving me an award because they would, as my old friends do, remember that time I had one Mai Tai too many, fainted dead away and had to be dragged home by three big guys in a fork lift. People who know you very well may love you, but they don't give you awards. Moreover, anyone who met my second husband or first boyfriend would never find me inspiring, although I might serve as a cautionary tale … if that could be considered inspirational.
The difference between something that gives me a migraine and something that inspires me can be razor-thin. This last week, full of tragedy and madness has been inspiring … but not in a way I would ever have chosen. It's been a grim week. I only hope that from this something positive will emerge. I guess we'll see how long people remember and if all the talk turns into some kind of action.
Being told that I'm an inspiration is an inspiration. It means I have not become irrelevant and maybe the experience of a lifetime is was not entirely wasted. All of you in my blogging world inspire me. I read your stories and poems. I admire your photographs and art. You change my view of the world, the way I do things, give me food for thought. If I do a bit of the same for you, I am glad.
Happy whatever you celebrate. Celebrate everything, why don't you? Rejoice that you are alive, because you have a friend, a roof over your head, and maybe something to eat. Forget for a while all the problems and craziness because it won't forget you … it'll be there, waiting, when the party's over. Love you all!!
The rules of this award are:
- Display the award logo on your blog
- Link back to the person who nominated you.
- Tell us at least seven things about yourself that you would like to share.
- Nominate other bloggers for this award and link to them. I am not going to set a specific number. I know how difficult it can be to keep coming up with nominees and rather than burden you all with having to find everyone all at once, you can keep a few awards in your back pocket and pass them along when the time is right. The holidays are upon us all, so please don't feel pressured to push beyond your comfort zone.
- Notify your chosen bloggers of their nomination and the award's requirements.
Seven things about myself that I haven't explicitly said before (at least not where anyone could hear me) are:
- I was a music major in college, then finally graduated as a drama/broadcast dual major. I would have stayed for a third major in social science, but they told me I had to graduate.
- My favorite movies are comedies. I love to laugh.
- I have owned so many cats and dogs that I really can't remember all of them any more.
- I'm a good cook, but after more than 40 years of dishing up meals, I'm very happy to eat other people's cooking.
- If the mother ship comes and offers me a ride, I'm outta here.
- I learned to read in about two hours when I was five.
- I believe that anyone could write well if they would just remember that writing is just talking through your fingers. Good writing should sound as natural as speech. Most people try too hard; others don't try hard enough.
My nominees (the envelope please):
- Lust and Rum: New York, thy name's "Delirium" — because I grew up in New York and Anton Brookes' photography and commentary reminds me that I still love it. His pictures are touching, evocative, the kind of photojournalism you rarely see any more.
- Wessays — by my old friend Wes Richards whose writing is so good that every time I read one of his posts, I immediately feel inadequate.
- Awakenings: Awakenings from Then 'til Now allows you to Embrace Your Past, Empower the Present, Enrich Your Future. Because Sharla inspires me every day in more ways than I can count.
For all of you to whom I've already give awards, know you are likely going to get more. I like you, I like your websites, your thoughts, your pictures, you opinions … so you'll have to cope with getting a few awards now and again. There are worse fates!


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University of Vermont
2011-12 Online Catalogue
Plant Biology (Doctor of Philosophy)
The Plant Biology Department has ongoing research programs in: ecology and evolution including physiological ecology of aquatic plants, effects of acid depositions on forest ecosystems, physiological ecology of acid depositions, systematics and evolution of vascular plants, biogeography; physiology including morphogenesis and developmental biology of embryonic plant systems, mineral nutrition, growth and development, translocation, cellular electrophysiology, membrane function, amino acid transport, aluminum effects on cell membranes; and cell and molecular biology including molecular genetics; recombinant DNA of fungi and plant molecular development.
The Plant Biology Department participates actively in the Cell and Molecular Biology Program which provides opportunities for interdisciplinary research with other life science departments.
The Plant Biology Department offers a multidisciplinary non-thesis program leading to the degree of Master of Science, Field Naturalist Option. Enrollment is limited to a small number of mature, highly talented individuals who have demonstrated sustained interest in field aspects of the natural sciences. The program is designed to provide students with: (1) a solid grounding in field-related sciences; (2) the ability to integrate scientific disciplines into a coherent whole at the landscape level; (3) the ability to evaluate sites from a number of perspectives and/or criteria; (4) the ability to translate scientific insights into ecologically sound decisions; and (5) the ability to communicate effectively to a wide range of audiences.
General Requirements
Specific Requirements
Requirements for Admission to Graduate Studies for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy
The equivalent of a UVM major or minor in a natural or physical science. Satisfactory scores on the Verbal and Math sections of the Graduate Record Examination.
Requirement for Advancement to Candidacy for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy
Completion of one academic year in graduate study at The University of Vermont.
Minimum Degree Requirements
A total of seventy-five credits of course work and dissertation research. A minimum of thirty credits of course work should be in botany, other natural sciences and supporting fields, and at least twenty credits should be in dissertation research. In addition, each candidate must participate in six semester hours of supervised teaching.
- Colleges and Schools: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Graduate College.
- Departments and Programs: Plant Biology Department.


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Church of San Salvador
Plaza del Salvador s/n
46340 Requena, Valencia-València (Region of Valencia)
Tfn::+34 962303851
- Autonom region: Region of Valencia
- Provins/ö: Valencia-València
A Spanish Elizabethan Gothic style church in the fascinating neighbourhood of Villa de Requena
Salvador parish church is an ornate Gothic building from the fifteenth century, although Baroque modifications were made to it in the eighteenth century, when a Communion Chapel was added and the bell tower was rebuilt. Located in the beautiful neighbourhood of La Villa de Requena it has been declared a national Historic-Artistic Site. It has three naves, with adjoining chapels in between the buttresses. The main front has three archivolts with images of virgins and angels. It is currently the only church open for worship in the whole of the neighbourhood of La Villa.
- Byggnad: Church
- Konsthistorisk period: Gothic
- Historisk period: 15th century
- Miljö: The Villa de Requena neighbourhood was declared a national Historic-Artistic Site in 1966, because of its wonderful buildings and churches that are of major cultural and patrimonial importance.
Praktisk information
- Fritt inträde


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What is with the major controls/service companies
treating fitter/techs like independent contractors?
The message is produce your own work,plan your jobs,
keep all your financials,and bring it all in on time.
Everything but billing.Then they hire from this seemingly
endless conveyor belt of these dufus office people,who
have these titles.Used to be none of these yokels,now
they are in your shop and that good shop you said you could
always go to across town.


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CBS Snags Shawn Ryan's Beverly Hills Cop Sequel
Jay Pharoah, call your agent.
CBS has won the rights to that Eddie Murphy–Shawn Ryan–produced small-screen sequel to Beverly Hills Cop Vulture told you about last week. The network has given a pilot production commitment to the potential show, which is being described by folks close to the Sony TV project as "a continuation of the iconic Beverly Hills Cop universe" in which 90210 cop Aaron Foley, the son of Murphy's Axel Foley character, works to "take down the criminal elements of the rich and famous, while simultaneously trying to escape the shadow of his larger than life father." As expected, Murphy will be in the pilot and may recur in the series. The Interwebs are already suggesting SNL's Jay Pharoah might be good for the Aaron role, though we suspect Lorne Michaels might have something to say about that.


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Galea'i : ASG is responsible for LBJ fiscal crisis, not hospital employees
LBJ Medical Center's plans to implement a reduction of working hours for certain employees over the weekend, has been described by Sen. Galeai M. Tu'ufuli as a "punishment" imposed on employees, who are innocent of any wrongdoing when it comes to the financial crisis faced by the only medical center in the territory.
Galeai, who is also chairman of the Senate Health/LBJ Hospital Committee, has since scheduled a committee hearing for next Tuesday. Witnesses being called to testify on the financial condition of the hospital as well as the reduction of working hours are LBJ chief executive officer Mike Gerstenberger, chief financial officer Viola Babcock and board chairman Moananu Va.
Working hour reductions are set to be in effect this Sunday and this personnel action is part of the agreement between LBJ and the Togiola administration on cost saving measures in order to get the $3 million money loaned by the government from the Workmen's Compensation Account.
The reduction in hours are as follows: four hours deduction for employees getting paid up to $20,800 annually; six hours deduction for wage earners of between $20,801 and $49,999; eight hours deducted for $50,000 to $62,399; and 12 hours deduction for salary earners $62,400 and above.
Meanwhile, Galeai told his colleagues this week that the hospital issue is one that has been discussed widely within the community, because it continues to affect everyone — through the planned reduction of working hours — despite the $3 million money approved to help the hospital.
He said the governor and the LBJ board's decision to implement layoffs is a clear indication that employees are being punished for something they didn't do, and they had no hand in the financial crisis faced by the hospital.
"The cause of the financial crisis at the hospital is due mainly to ASG's failure to pay required monthly subsidies, which were approved by the Fono and signed into law in the budget bill," said the Manu'a senator, who points out that the ASG had also failed to give required subsidies to other semi autonomous agencies, such as the American Samoa Community College.
He said matters dealing with the hospital are a public issue and employees should not be affected but instead, have the financial woes faced by LBJ handled by the government, which is responsible for providing sufficient funding.
He again reiterated that the major issue here is the lack of ASG paying subsidies as required by law.
LBJ says the government didn't pay close to $3 million in subsidies in FY 2011, and for FY 2012, ASG has paid $1.31 million in subsidies between September and January. LBJ is banking on having ASG pay the monthly subsidy — which is $354,000 — for the rest for the current fiscal year (from February to September) to ensure continued revenue streams.
Galeai has requested several pieces of information from the hospital for next Tuesday's hearing, among those is a request for the written agreement between LBJ and the Togiola Administration for the $3 million from the ASG loan bill.
Galeai said the Senate wants to review the agreement to see if there are any other provisions added in the document that were not part of the loan bill approved by the Fono.
Sen. Fonoti T. Aufata supported Galeai's call for a hearing, adding that it's important for the Senate to find out the total savings to the hospital from the reduction in working hours, which should not be done, she said, because the Fono has already approved the $3 million loan bill.
In support of the committee hearing, Senate President Gaoteote Tofau Palaie said the Senate should also obtain and review all salaries for hospital employees and other supportive personnel information.
Gaoteote also voiced his concern over the Governor's Committee appointed to work with the hospital management team. He said this type of arrangement could have an impact on the hospital carrying out its duties and responsibilities.


text: Chicago Sun-Times Event Succeeds Without Pelé December 23, 2013 | Tom Bartsch | Leave a reply The Chicago Sun-Times Show lacked its star attraction, but an otherwise strong lineup of signers and collectibles drew attention. Meet a few of the dealers at the show and what items were on the show floor. Read More


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Site Usability and Accessibility is next, moderated by Anne Kennedy from Beyond Ink. And Shari Thurow is the speaker from Omni Marketing.
She begins by asking where we would be without the search engines. The answer is we would be a bit screwed, frankly.
What is website usability? It's not quite what people think it is. It's not about personal opinion, not even your SEO people's opinion. It's only about your users.
Find out why people do what they do on your site and how. Can they achieve their desired goals, how easily and how quickly? How easily can people who've never been there before use the site?
Even if they love your video, if they don't find what they want they'll still report low satisfaction.
The scent of information consists of a set of textual and graphical cues that allow people to know where they are, where they can go and is it what they want. Get good and smelly, folks!
Make sure people know what the stuff on the page is for. Tell them how they can get what they need.
What about when Wikipedia comes at the top all the time – people are pleased. They know where they are and they are happy to click it because they are sure it's going to give them what they want.
There are three types of searches: navigational, informational, and transactional.
People are poor at evaluating their own behaviour – for example a search for 'united' can be people looking for the Manchester United score or to check their United Airlines frequent flyer points. Same search.
Some keywords are not often used. When people want to listen to a podcast they don't search 'listen to a podcast'. Similarly they may not use the word 'buy' when they want to buy something.
A plural search term often indicates they are looking for a list. Sometimes a high bounce rate is a good thing if people were looking for a quick piece of information. The quicker the bounce, the happier the customer.
Be wary of Flash. It looks good, but it can distract people and search engine crawlers from their tasks. Motion can attract or distract. And distraction from goals is a bad use of your time and website. Test first before filling a site with Flash or videos.
She says sites should be designed for humans, not just the search engines. Understanding how and why people search is important as well as just how the search engines work.
Testing is fundamental. Make sure that a high page visit rate per visitor is a good thing and not just a lack of the scent of information forcing people to stay there too long looking for what they need.
One good test is to show people the page for five seconds and then seeing what they remember about it. If it's not your keywords, then you have failed.


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WHEN BRITISH PRIME MINISTER Benjamin Disraeli first complained about the three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics, polls did not yet exist. Disraeli probably couldnt have imagined how appropriately his aphorism would apply to elections a century later, when the uncertainty of statistics would combine with the fog of political war to confound us all further.
Today, polls often reduce rather than enhance electoral clarity. And theyve become as controversial as the campaigns themselves. With the availability of detailed poll data on the Internet, and an army of politicos and bloggers to comb the fine print for telling arcana, each round of polling numbers is now accompanied by a chorus of commentary as to what those new numbers mean.
Case in point: recent dueling polls by the two gold standards of measuring public opinion, Gallup and the Pew Center for Public Research, diverged widely. Gallup gave Bush a 13-point advantage. The Pews survey the same day had Bush with a 1-point lead (a more recent CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll of likely voters gave Bush an 8-point lead). Left-wing blogs quickly identified problems with the Gallup Poll. Right-wingers had their own criticism of the Pews information. The Kerry campaign pointed to the Pew and told the photographers to start getting ready for a photo finish. Bushs people tried to ride the Gallup to a multi-length lead.
As usual, the Bush camp stretched the truth much further, but the reason polls have succumbed to so much spin on both sides is that they are, unfortunately, easily spinnable. Polls are imprecise. The process is susceptible to bias, both statistical and political. Results can be shaped just as easily by methodology than by actual changes in opinion. Even the most carefully constructed poll yields only a range of possibility; and when the election is close, as it was in 2000 and will be again in 2004, Bushs and Kerrys respective ranges overlap making all the soothsaying surrounding polls somewhat moot. The question is not what polls mean, but whether they have any meaning at all.
To be fair to Carl Friedrich Gauss, Disraelis remarks were only half-true. When carefully applied, statistics is fairly reliable. Without the discipline, virtually none of modern science would be possible. Its in the realm of interpretation and faulty application that statistics gets its taint of doubt.
Heres how statistical theory works in polls. (Numerophobes: Fear not! There will be no equations or tests, and the background, I promise, is easy to follow.) Out there in the voting population is some proportion of people who at this moment are thinking of voting for Bush or Kerry. Thanks to the insights of Gauss and the magic of a mathematical principle called Law of Large Numbers, we know that a decent-sized cross section of those people can provide a rough estimate of the voting plans for an entire population. The bigger the cross section, the better the estimate. This is the tried-and-true discipline of sampling, and incredibly it means that a thousand people or so can speak for a hundred million.
Or can they? For the theory to work in practice (always the kicker with theories), the sample has to represent the larger population it is intended to describe. If a poll has more Republicans than Democrats, or reaches an unusual number of retired people, college students, African-Americans or any other subdivision within the electorate that has a specific voting tendency then the answer will be prejudiced. This is called sampling error, and it is a fact of statistical measurement.
Thats the difficulty, explains Lynn Vavreck, a professor of political science at UCLA who specializes in quantitative methods. Polls, which rely on calling people and getting them to answer questions, have many sampling pitfalls. The polling firms take a randomized list of 5,000 numbers and start calling in order to get their 1,000 responses. From a scientific standpoint, you need to reach every person on that list to avoid a selection problem. But they throw out cell phones. That might have some effect. And the bigger issue is that not everyone answers. Response rates are getting lower and lower.
In the end, the respondents are the people who picked up the phone and felt like talking. And who those people are could be influenced by all kinds of things, like the days covered by the poll, the wording of the questions, the timing of the calls, a holiday weekend, or whether or not Bush is on television. As in the case of the 10-point lead Bush had in the Newsweek poll right after the RNC, which was conducted partly during the convention and may have gotten more Republicans who were watching at home and eager to talk politics.
Even if pollsters reached everyone on their lists, however, more methodological trouble lies in wait in the form of the widely applied but controversial likely-voter screen.
Many polls report two sets of numbers. The headlines that trumpet dramatic figures in bold type usually refer to the response from likely voters. More quietly, the same polls also provide an additional breakdown of opinion from registered voters, and you will sometimes find those numbers tucked away somewhere down the column or well past the jump.
The distinction is critical, however, because there is an intrinsic fluctuation caused by the way polls determine who is and isnt a likely voter. The problem is and this is particularly true of Gallup that they use an elaborate screening mechanism, explains Ruy Teixeira, a fellow at the Center for American Progress who has been a vocal critic of the likely-voter model. Gallup asks seven questions that try to gauge involvement and interest in the campaigns. This captures people who are most energized by the campaign at any given time. And that has party implications, because at different times, different people are energized.
Again, the period after the RNC stands as an example: Bush supporters are excited, so more Republicans than Democrats turn up in the likely-voter samples. This means, says Teixeira, that much of the movement in the Gallup Poll is due to who is counted as a likely voter rather than movement in public opinion.
Gallup recognizes that their likely-voter model encourages wider swings but they say that swing is what they want to measure. Gallup looks for movement, explains Frank Newport, the editor of the Gallup Poll. Ours is more sensitive than other polls, so that we can see changes. Jim Norman, the polling director for USA Today, which along with CNN has an exclusive arrangement with Gallup, also acknowledges that their system at certain times exaggerates the turnout from one party or another.
Kerry partisans note that the exaggeration this year has favored the Republicans. Some have been making the conspiratorial observation that Gallups CEO, Jim Clifton, is a Republican donor, and they suggest that the organization puts its thumb on the scales. Every polling professional I spoke with dismissed that theory out of hand. But in this election cycle there is no question that for whatever reason, Republicans have been overrepresented by Gallup and other likely voter polls.
Take the Gallup report with Bushs 13-point advantage, for instance. Here was the party identification among likely voters, with 7 percent more Republicans in the sample:
GOP: 305 (40 percent)
Democrat: 253 (33 percent)
Independent: 208 (28 percent)
Actual voter turnout, however, has never looked like this. In 2000, the proportion was even: 34 percent Republican, 34 percent Democrat, and 33 percent Independent. For the 20 years previous, more Democrats than Republicans voted in national elections. Adjusting Gallups sample composition to reflect that kind of turnout in 2004 would slash Bushs lead. That would bring it more in line with Pews poll, whose sample had slightly more Democrats than Republicans.
Gallups explanation for the GOP tilt in their sample is that they dont weight based on party identification because they view that as a fluid attitude rather than a firm characteristic like gender. We do carefully weight the sample for hard demographic data like age, region, ethnicity and so on, says Newport. But people change their minds about affiliation, so we treat that as a variable that moves.
Michael Dimock, the research director for Pew, said the same about their process. We dont weight for party ID either, because it shifts from one poll to the next, he said.
But if both the Pew and Gallup polls were conducted with similar methodologies over mostly overlapping time periods, I asked, why would they have such different samples and results? Yes, Dimock responded, thats a good question.
Neither did Newport have an explanation. But the discrepancy was caused by something. It could have been the likely-voter screen, or some other bias in the questions or time frame. Or the culprit may be what professor Vavreck called the reality of sampling, which is that You just dont always get a great draw.
THIS MAY HAVE BEEN the case for the Gallup Poll, which looks like what statisticians call an outlier a technical term for sampling error. Defending his poll, Frank Newport said that Gallups numbers were not out of line with other polls, none of which tilted toward Kerry which is true, but it is also true that no other poll showed Bush with a 13-point lead.
The true state of opinion, most likely, is somewhere in the middle. You need to look at a preponderance of the evidence, professor Vavreck advises about gauging the information contained in polls. Look at several and get a general sense. Newport himself suggested doing the same, and cited the Web site Real Clear Politics, which compiles an average of available polls. Their current estimate: Bush is up by 5 points.
This is not, unfortunately, how the media usually approach poll numbers. Not only do news stories never question or even describe methodology, the reporters rarely create context by noting that the poll theyre reporting is just one of many.
And herein lies yet another systemic polling problem: Each network or paper commissions its own survey and then acts like it got some kind of scoop. They want to get their numbers out first, and tout them as news, so they dont mention that the other guys numbers are different. The competition between proprietary polls forces the media, when reporting on the extremely sensitive state of national elections, to be essentially un-journalistic: They use only a single source their own poll while ignoring other, potentially conflicting information.
Its a phenomenon professor Vavreck calls incentive incompatibility. The candidates, the public and the media all want different things. USA Today and CNN are trying to sell their products. Candidates are looking for sympathetic coverage. And voters need information. And those things often dont line up.
So when USA Today rushes to a headline that says BUSH CLEAR LEADER IN POLL and declares a definitive Bush surge, the voter is getting shortchanged.
As a remedy, Ruy Teixeira thinks that poll reporting should have more information, with full disclosure of other polls, and perhaps also provide the reader with additional detail about sample compositions, weighting and other methodologies.
Newport agrees, saying it wouldnt be hard to add a sentence or two explaining the context of a particular poll or the nuance of its results. The burden is on journalists, he says. They should be having the discussion were having.
Especially when the race looks like it will be another squeaker. Recall that in 2000, the vote in Florida and several other states was a statistical tie. These kinds of unprecedented, razor-thin margins are another reason to tread lightly with poll information. When the country becomes so evenly polarized in many places, and public opinion migrates inside the tolerance of statistical sampling, even the best poll is not precise enough to have much predictive power.
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This is what Karl Sigman, a professor of applied mathematics at Columbia University, discovered in 2000. He and a colleague input state-by-state poll data into a computer simulation that assigned probabilities for each candidate to win the electoral college. Sigmans model was an innovative method for presidential forecasting, and it came closer than estimates by most of the pundits or political professionals.
But even with polling figures released the day before the election, the model was slightly off. Ultimately, what 2000 reminded us about is that polls are not like taking samples of bacteria in a lake; they are an attempt to gauge human intentions, which are messy and resist quantification. That basic ambiguity made it impossible to capture the prospect that, at that late date, some people would still change their minds. Or not vote when they said they would to pollsters. Or come out in unexpected force in one state but not another. In 1984, this wouldnt have mattered; no last-minute budges would have helped Mondale overcome a 20-point deficit. But in 2000, and probably again this year, the shift that tips the scales may not be easily detectable by polls.
That leaves voters, candidates and the media in the strange situation of poring over an endless series of numbers with only tentative analytical value. And almost no democratic value, since the constant horserace bulletins divert attention from substantive reporting about the actual issues at stake.
This is what Canada realized in the early 90s, when it prohibited poll reports in the run-up to federal elections. This year, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation decided not to commission any polls, citing the detriment of pure horserace coverage. A legislative polling ban would never work in the United States Canadas experiment was in fact short-lived, as its Supreme Court overturned the law on the grounds that it restricted freedom of expression, which is precisely what would happen here and its hard to imagine any of our news organizations following in the brave footsteps of the CBC. But maybe we voters can create our own, self-imposed collective ban. Let us avert our eyes from the polls and shun the temptations of numerology. No more playing obsessively with the L.A. Times interactive electoral map. It just might be that if you get out the vote, the polls wont matter.


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2012 Dodge Caliber Values
Select a 2012 Dodge Caliber trim level
2012 model year changes
The Caliber's lineup has been revised again and the trims are now known as SE, SXT and SXT Plus, but the relative equipment remains similar to 2011, but with a few changes. Mango Tango Pearl paint is no longer available, and Redline has been added. The SXT, or the "Heat" as it was once known, no longer offers a manual transmission and now comes with 17-inch wheels as standard equipment and the SXT Plus gets 18-inch wheels.
Competitive comparison
Flexible 5-door configuration; advanced technology features; good performance; fuel efficiency
Special features for 2012
The 2012 Dodge Caliber is squarely in the small car category, offered as a 5-door hatchback. With bold styling and a new trim lineup, the Caliber combines a sporty coupe-like profile with the functionality of a larger wagon or small SUV, the fuel economy of a small car, the Caliber appeals to buyers who might consider the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla or Chevrolet Cruze.
A compact FWD five-door hatchback, the 2012 Dodge Caliber features a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine that produces 158 hp and 141 lb-ft of torque. Transmission options consist of a standard 5-speed manual and CVT transmission. Fuel mileage falls within an EPA estimated range of 22 mpg city to 32 mpg highway, depending on transmission selection. Features include 17-inch aluminum wheels, touring tuned suspension, removable/rechargeable flashlight, rear spoiler, fog lamps, CD/MP3 player, and cabin air filtration. Safety is comprised of front head airbags, rear head airbags, emergency braking assist, stability control, traction control, electronic brake force distribution, and tire pressure monitoring. The Caliber is backed by a 3-year/36,000-mile warranty.


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Professor Andrei Jitianu has been elected to the Board of Directors of the International Sol-Gel Society.
In materials science, the sol-gel process is a method for producing solid materials from small molecules, and Professor Jitianu is a leading researcher in the field. The International Sol-Gel Society promotes sol-gel technology in the scientific and industrial communities, and works to bring researchers together from various fields and geographic regions.
"This is one of the highest recognitions from my peers," said Professor Jitianu. "It shows that my research performed at Lehman together with my students reaches international standards. Moreover, this proves that one can perform quality research in an undergraduate research institution."
Professor Jitianu is one of two new Directors elected at the Society. He is joined by Dr. Masahide Takahashi of Osaka Prefecture University in Japan.
Professor Jitianu has taught at Lehman College and the City University of New York's Graduate Center since 2008. His research focuses on new inorganic and organic-inorganic hybrid materials obtained by sol-gel method. These materials have a variety of applications from electronic industry to biomedical materials. He has published more than 60 papers in sol-gel science and developed a material science laboratory at Lehman College, focused on nanomaterials and sol-gel processing.
"This election honors and obliges me at the same time," he continued. "The Board of Directors together with the President is in charge with the destiny of more than 1,000 scientists from around the world. I hope to influence the opening of new borderline research avenues, such as electrochemistry sol-gel or biomedical sol-gel. These new directions can have a huge influence on the quality and impact of our research. Plus, I hope to bring the International Sol-Gel Conference to the United States for only the second time."
In 2011, Professor Jitianu was selected by the Research Council and the Provost of Lehman College to receive the New Investigator Award. In 2010, he received the Feliks Gross Endowment Award from the CUNY Graduate Center for his excellence in research. In 2005, he received Gheorge Spacu Prize from Romanian Academy for his novel research in the field of hybrid organic-inorganic nonmaterials. Professor Jitianu was co-editor of Sol-Gel Processing for Conventional and Alternative Energy, focusing on the use of sol-gel processing in materials in energy systems, conversion, storage, and generation.
Professor Jitianu completed his Ph.D. in 2001 at the University of Bucharest, Romania. He studied materials chemistry, focusing on sol-gel processes. He has conducted postdoctoral research at the Centre de Recherche sur la Matière Divisée (C.R.M.D.) C.N.R.S. / Université d'Orléans, Orléans, France; at Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY; and at Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ.


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An interesting bit of family history underlies the stack of logs the two-year-old me is plopped before. A few months earlier, these were some of the trunks of several huge acacia trees that shaded the front portion of our yard. A particularly violent winter storm sent them all a-tumbling down, luckily missing the house entirely. We had a tree service clear and cut them; some went into the fireplace and the rest my father used as fill to enlarge this terrace for his cut flower garden. Not the best idea, because twelve years later in another winter storm the rotted remains gave way. In its place, Father erected a nice, sturdy redwood bulkhead. The exact nature of the thing I'm holding has been the subject of speculation; my sister, who took the shot (scanned from the original 120 negative), can't remember its precise origin. There are some suggestive clues in the shapes of the pieces, however. |
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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Torrential overnight rains had washed away the blood so the searchers at first thought the pale form lying on the earthen berm might be a mannequin.
"I almost didn't believe it," recalled former Lincoln County Sheriff Ken Albers, the first officer to approach the body of 9-year-old Becky O'Connell. "You don't mess up a crime scene, but I had to walk over and touch the body to convince myself that it was real."
The shocking discovery that night in 1990 began a 22-year legal and emotional saga that is expected to end Tuesday, when Donald Moeller, who was convicted of abducting and murdering the girl, is scheduled to be put to death by lethal injection in the state penitentiary.
After decades of appeals, Moeller, 60, now accepts his fate without protest. But the end leaves behind a community still marked by the crime and its experience with capital punishment.
Moeller's death sentence in 1992 was the first handed down in South Dakota in 45 years. Until this month, when the killer of a prison guard was executed, there had been only one other execution in the state since the 1940s.
The child's mother, Tina Curl, plans to drive the 1,400 miles back to Sioux Falls from her native New York state to watch Moeller take his last breath. She didn't have the money for the trip but did fundraising events to pay her way.
"I'm looking forward to it," said Curl, who said she fell into alcoholism after her daughter's death. "All this is just bringing what I tried to push way in the back, back up front."
Some residents said the murder changed how they felt about their city, where violent crime is rare.
"It's just like society as a whole just kind of tightened up for a long time," said Jeff Masten, the former Lincoln County state's attorney who prosecuted the case, and who later changed careers because of the strain of criminal law.
LaVonne Martley, a juror, said she knew the execution would bring the case back into the public spotlight — "and I've dreaded it." But she has never questioned the outcome. "He definitely did it," she said.
Curl thought she was escaping the dangers of big-city life when she moved her family in 1990 from New York to Sioux Falls, a well-kept, medium-size city along the Big Sioux River that serves as a market center for the sprawling expanse of farmland where South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota come together. Homicides happen, but not many — about a half dozen a year, most involving people who know each other, and where there is no mystery to solve.
On May 8, 1990, Becky, a fourth-grader who lived with her mother and stepfather in a Sioux Falls mobile home, began walking a couple of blocks to Omer's Market to buy sugar to make lemonade. She never returned.
Authorities say Moeller, a felon with a history of assaults who lived nearby, lured the brown-haired girl into his truck and drove her to a wooded area near the Iowa state line, where he raped her, stabbed her and left her to bleed to death.
Moeller was interviewed shortly after the killing but disappeared before investigators could follow up. Detectives later tracked him down in Tacoma, Wash., and brought him back for trial. He was convicted in September 1992 based on DNA and circumstantial evidence. The trial, with detailed and graphic displays on how the child was killed, devastated the community, but the ordeal wasn't over: The verdict was overturned by the South Dakota Supreme Court because of the mention of past crimes during testimony.
With a new trial ordered in 1996, the horror of the gruesome killing was relived, and lingered for years longer.
Residents around Sioux Falls — and also in Yankton and Rapid City, where the two trials were held because of pretrial publicity — worried in new ways about the safety of their cities.
"We very seldom left our kids at a baby sitter," recalled Marcel Kathol, a father of four and a juror at Moeller's first trial. "A lot of us, we held onto our kids a little tighter and made sure where they were at."
Masten said that even though prosecutors won a second guilty verdict, the case stayed with him over the years through the periodic reports about Moeller's appeals.
The stress of his work led him to shift into private practice and eventually to a career change to nuclear medicine.
"Whether you're prosecuting or defending, the emotional investment that you've got in that is tremendous," he said. "You just sleep eat and drink that case for months, if not years. You have to be able to walk away from it, but it's really tough to develop that skill."
Moeller fought his conviction and sentence until July, when he said he was ready to accept death as punishment for his actions. He removed the final obstacle by persuading a federal judge to dismiss his long-standing challenge of South Dakota's lethal injection procedure.
"The law has spoken," he said. "I killed. I deserve to be killed."
Just hours after Becky's private memorial service in Sioux Falls, Curl and her husband had packed up their belongings and moved to Lake Luzerne, N.Y. She said she soon lost control of her life.
"Right after Beck was murdered, I started drinking every day," she said. "I drank from the time I woke up to the time I passed out at night." She has dealt with a series of health problems, suffering a heart attack and quadruple bypass in 2003.
She said she hopes her trip back to Sioux Falls to watch Moeller's execution will help still the memories of her daughter's haunting crime scene photos.
"I picture them every day in my head," she said.