text:
Ross' gem goes for naught against Mets
SAN DIEGO -- If you squint hard enough, and if you dig deep enough, you can find a stain on Tyson Ross' impressive stretch of starts since returning to the Padres' rotation last month.
It was evident Thursday night, as Ross was thrown out trying to score from second base at a critical point in the Padres' 4-1 loss to the Mets before a crowd of 21,400 at Petco Park.Full Game Coverage
SAN DIEGO -- If you squint hard enough, and if you dig deep enough, you can find a stain on Tyson Ross' impressive stretch of starts since returning to the Padres' rotation last month.
It was evident Thursday night, as Ross was thrown out trying to score from second base at a critical point in the Padres' 4-1 loss to the Mets before a crowd of 21,400 at Petco Park.Full Game Coverage
In a tied game, Ross was cut down at the plate on a strong throw from center fielder Juan Lagares with catcher John Buck applying the tag on a close play, stealing a shot at momentum -- and the lead -- from the Padres.
"I'm definitely not as fast as I thought I was," Ross said, managing a smile. "I'm not used to sliding. I think that's the first time I've had to slide since I was 18."
There hasn't been a whole lot else to nitpick.
Ross' rusty work on the bases can be forgiven if his roll on the mound continues like it has since he went back into the rotation on July 23. Since then, he's 3-1 with a 1.32 ERA in five starts.
"That was really something," said Padres manager Bud Black.
Ross allowed one run on five hits in seven innings with no walks and eight strikeouts. He was still going strong at the end, using his mid-90s fastball, slider and changeup. In fact, he struck out the side in his final inning.
"He located his fastball, he got the slider in the zone and then moved it out when he had to," Black said. "He held his stuff for seven innings."
Ross needed to be good, especially with the way Mets rookie pitcher Zack Wheeler -- a player the Padres strongly considered picking in the first round of the 2009 Draft -- was dealing, as he struck out a career-high 12 batters and allowed one run in six innings.
"I made pitches when I had to," Wheeler said. "I think that was the biggest thing. My slider was working tonight. I was able to throw all my off-speed pitches over for strikes, and it worked out well for me."
Ross was right there to match him, though both pitchers were left with no-decisions after they departed with the game tied at 1.
Marlon Byrd gave the Mets (55-64) a 3-1 lead with a two-run double over the head of right fielder Chris Denorfia in the eighth inning. Catcher John Buck added a solo home run in the ninth as the Mets took the first game of this four-game series.
The Padres (54-67) finished with seven hits and have now scored more than three runs just once over the last nine games -- all of which have been played without Carlos Quentin (knee injury) and All-Star shortstop and leadoff hitter, Everth Cabrera (suspension).
"It's frustrating," said Padres first baseman Yonder Alonso, who reached base three times. "We have to score to win."
Alonso was involved in an odd play in the fourth inning that led to the Mets first run of the game. With Daniel Murphy on second base and two outs, Josh Satin rolled a grounder at shortstop Ronny Cedeno, who fielded the ball barehanded and fired across the infield.
But first-base umpire Brian McKnight ruled that Cedeno's throw pulled Alonso off the bag. Murphy kept right on running, sliding home without a throw as Alonso, then, eventually, Black, pleaded their case to no avail.
"It's such a bang-bang play," Alonso said. "I thought I was on it [bag]."
The ball reached Alonso in time to get the runner, had his foot stayed on the base, but the official scorer gave Satin a hit and an RBI, somewhat surprisingly, making Ross' only run allowed earned.
Then in the fifth inning, Ross singled sharply to center field with one out and moved to second base on Will Venable's single to left. Wheeler then got a big out when he got Chase Headley looking at a called third strike. Alonso then lined a single to center field that Lagares made a strong throw home on.
"That's the kind of shot we have to take," Ross said.
The Padres got to Wheeler -- well, if you could call it that -- for a run in the fourth inning as Headley lined a single to right field and eventually advanced to third base with one out. Rookie Jaff Decker lifted a fly ball to left field, medium depth, were Eric Young Jr. caught the ball.
Headley tagged up and scored ahead of the throw to tie the game, where it remained until Byrd broke the game open with his double off Padres reliever Luke Gregerson (5-7).
"That was sort of a tough play," Black said of the line drive hit over Denorfia's head.
And a tough loss for the Padres, who have dropped seven of their last nine games.
Corey Brock is a reporter for MLB.com. Keep track of @FollowThePadres on Twitter.


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source GAIA package: Sx_MilitaryTimes_M6201410304070024_5675.zip Origin key: Sx_MilitaryTimes_M6201410304070024 imported at Fri Jan 8 18:18:15 2016
Navy Secretary Ray Mabus wants to make your job better.
Mabus, now in his fifth year in the Navy's top post, is pushing to boost quality of life for sailors and their families by expanding opportunities for women and paying sailors more for fleet duty. Mabus was a driving force behind the career sea pay hike, set to take effect this summer.
"We are unique in the world in how well-trained, and how much responsibility and accountability we push down to the very junior ranks," he told Navy Times in a March 27 interview. "I want to make sure that force is resilient, is highly trained, and has the tools they need to do the job."
But some of his moves have been more controversial, including breath tests across the force and his latest push to curtail tobacco sales to sailors and Marines. Mabus sees tackling cigarettes, dip and e-cigs as a way of boosting the force's health and readiness.
"We demand that sailors and Marines be incredibly fit, and we know that tobacco hurts that fitness," he said in the sit-down interview at his Pentagon office. "We know that the cost for health care far exceeds any profit that we could possibly make selling that. We know that it brings bad health-care results and fitness results."
Mabus wouldn't go as far as to say that the Navy is looking into banning tobacco use entirely, but said his office is taking "a deliberate approach" towardbarring tobacco sales at exchanges and commissaries and aboard ship, and expects to unveil a detailed proposal in the coming weeks.
Mabus emphasized how the Navy is even more pivotal to the nation's strategy and is eying ways to better compensate sailors for the jobs most needed: Sea duty.
Sailors will still deploy around the world to maintain presence as they have been, and because of that and the smaller fleet, deployments will continue to push past the six-month mark. But the brass hopes to better compensate them for their time away.
"We are looking at ways to recognize that, to reward that, and to help sailors and their families — and Marines and their families — with some of the stresses that this tempo is putting on them," Mabus said.
Among Mabus' signature initiatives is expanding opportunities for women across the force. His accomplishments have been numerous.
He's overseen the integration of the silent service and now the brown-water Navy, efforts that are gaining steam.
In March, Navy Expeditionary Combat Command got the final go-ahead to begin deploying female riverines, a year and a half after the first group of women graduated from initial training. And in 2015, six female officers will become the first to serve aboard attack boats when they report to the Virginia-class attack submarines Minnesota and Virginia. Two more subs will follow in 2016, when the service plans to add enlisted women to the sub force.
"We are as forward-leaning as you can be on that," Mabus said. "One of the statements I make is, we literally couldn't put our fleet to sea without women."
Other far-reaching changes could be coming. Naval Special Warfare is slated to complete a study this summer that would determine if, and how, women could be integrated into the SEALs, the last Navy community to exclude them under combat rules.
If U.S. Special Operations Command gives the OK, women could begin reporting to boot camp in fall 2015 with the intention of heading to Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training in Coronado, Calif., the following spring.
Mabus is also pushing hard to ensure that women feel at home in the service, thus his initiative to outfit female sailors and Marines in the same uniforms as men.
"When I do all-hands calls — and I do a lot of all-hands calls — and I look out across 50 people, or 5,000 people, I see United States sailors. I do not see male sailors, or female sailors, and I do not think anybody else does, either," Mabus said.
Last year, controversy erupted when the Marine Corps' uniform board proposed a new, unisex cover that resembled the "bucket hat" worn by women. Dubbed "girly hats" by commentators, the Marines quickly backed off the plan.
Similar frustration arose in the Navy among female officers and chiefs who were ordered to start wearing male covers off-the-shelf; the covers gave many headaches as part of earlier wear testing for females to don "Dixie cups" covers and crackerjack uniforms.
Mabus, who's been a leading force for the changes, has said he supports the idea of a cover for women that resembles the one worn by men; a prototype has been designed and is expected to be wear-tested this summer.
"I think, if the covers change ... it's going to be shaped to fit a woman's head, because they're different than the jarheads we men have," Mabus told Navy Times on Nov. 6.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
I have for sale a Yeti ASR5 Carbon in medium.
Built with high end parts including:
XTR twin ring crank
XTR BB (brand new),
XTR Front & rear mechs,
XTR Brakes,
XTR shifters,
Chris King Headset.
Fox 32 QR15mm Talas forks (140-120-100mm)
rare SDG Yeti saddle,
Thomson seat post,
ODi lock on grips,
Raceface bars,
Nukeproof stem,
Hope Pro II hubs laced to Mavic 819 rims.
Please see here for more photos.
I have gone over this top to bottom (even down to removing the jockey wheels, cleaning them, lubing the bearings etc.) and cleaned it thoroughly before listing, so everything should be in super working condition.
Covered from new in Copter tape so in great condition.
Only selling as I've bought the same bike but in a Large frame size.
£2100 collected Essex/Kent but have a very sturdy box & plenty of bubble wrap so can post courier if you require.
Please feel free to contact me should you require any more information.


text:
Rhonda Otten and Debra Curtis
New Jersey
Rhonda and Debra met at a women's conference at Rutgers University in New Jersey, and they instantly connected. They've been together ever since, six years in total. But it was their 10-year-old daughter who was the biggest advocate for getting married.
New Jersey offers same-sex couples only civil unions, which just wasn't the same to them. So they decided to come to New York City on Sunday to make sure they were among the first to wed.
Rhonda and Debra's flowers were made by a neighbor, and their families joined them for the ceremony. Afterward, Rhonda's mom pulled the photographer aside to say how beautiful it was that her daughter could finally marry the love of her life and that it hurts her heart that people in other states cannot do the same.
Click here for more coverage of marriage equality in New York


text:
The force will be even stronger in "Star Wars" fans when the highly-anticipated seventh movie installment of the blockbuster sci-fi franchise lands in theaters just in time for the 2015 holidays.
Lucasfilm and Walt Disney Studios announced Thursday that "Star Wars: Episode VII" will open on Dec. 18, 2015.
"We're very excited to share the official 2015 release date for 'Star Wars: Episode VII,' where it will not only anchor the popular holiday filmgoing season but also ensure our extraordinary filmmaking team has the time needed to deliver a sensational picture," said Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn in a statement.
Horn's mention of the time needed to "deliver a sensational picture" alludes to rumors that the movie would be pushed back to 2016 due to recent scriptwriter changes.
On Oct. 24, it was announced that scribe Michael Arndt had exited a galaxy far, far away with "Episode VII" director J.J. Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan (co-writer of "The Empire Strikes Back," "Return of the Jedi" and "Raiders of the Lost Ark") assuming scripting duties. That swap had chat rooms and fanboys questioning whether or not the movie would be ready in time for a 2015 release. Shooting is scheduled to start in the spring of 2014.
Originally slated to open in May of 2015, "Star Wars: Episode VII" jumps to the December birth vacated by the George Clooney sci-fi adventure "Tomorrowland," also a Disney property. "Tomorrowland," directed by Brad Bird ("The Incredibles"), will now open May 22, 2015, the date formerly earmarked for "VII."


text:
Local media report companies interested in the project toured the prospective site last week. Cost of construction has not yet been made available.
Some GO Transit trains at present lay over at an existing site just north of downtown Kitchener. But GO Transit expects to increase both rail and bus service between Kitchener and Toronto in the future, plans for which include electrification of numerous GO Transit rail lines.
The 64-mile Kitchener Line, formerly the Georgetown Line, was renamed in 2011 after being extended to its namesake city, linking Kitchener and Toronto Union Station and serving 11 intermediate stations.


text: Nov. 14 will be the day of the 3rd Annual Apple/Pumpkin Festival for the benefit of the Al Harmon Memorial Scholarship Fund at the American Legion Post on 23rd Street in Ocean City. The time for this year festival will be 11 a.m.-3 p.m. The past two annual festivals have raised over $9,000 for the scholarship fund. Pictured above are event committee members Joe Salafia, Eileen Salafia, Paul Hawkins, Chris Hawkins, Rosie Garlitz and Dolores Price. Not shown are Joy Faulkner.


text:
Trout wins second straight Angels MVP
By William Boor / MLB.com
ANAHEIM -- For the second straight season, the Angels' struggles will likely hurt Mike Trout's chances of winning the American League MVP Award. But for the second straight season, the Angels phenom won another MVP award.
Trout was presented with the Owner's Trophy, given annually to the Angels' MVP, prior to Tuesday's game against the Athletics. The outfielder is just the seventh player to win the award in back-to-back seasons and the first since Vladimir Guerrero in 2006-07.
Trout is wrapping up another memorable season, but has been scuffling at the plate recently with just nine hits and 18 strikeouts in his lat 50 at-bats (.180). However, he walked 17 times (two intentional) in that same span.
"Obviously, at the plate, he looks like he's not quite as comfortable in the box," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "I'm sure there's some wear and tear, like there is with every player, but he's fine to play and we'll evaluate him to see how he feels with the day-night tomorrow."
Trout was in Tuesday's starting lineup, but at DH rather than center field for the eighth time this season.
Hanson's return draws praise
ANAHEIM -- Tommy Hanson's statistics on Saturday night were not overwhelmingly impressive, but the right-hander left a positive impression on both his manager and catcher.
"Tommy looked great," manager Mike Scioscia said after watching Hanson pitch in an Angels uniform for the first time in over six weeks. "Tommy looked like he did when he came off the DL after he couldn't make his start in Detroit. Motion looked good, ball was coming out really strong."
Catcher Chris Iannetta had similar things to say and was also impressed with Hanson's command and fastball, which was consistently in the low to mid 90s.
"I thought he was great," Iannetta said. "I thought he was awesome. "He definitely reminded me of how he was when he was extremely dominant with the Braves."
On July 23, Hanson gave up one run in 5 1/3 innings and struck out eight batters. His fastball was in the low-to-mid 90s and it appeared the right-hander was back on track.
Then came the tailspin.
In Hanson's next three starts, he posted an 8.59 ERA and was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake.
Hanson was not recalled until Sept. 16 and although he gave up three hits, a walk and two runs in 2 1/3 innings, he felt it was a step in the right direction.
"I felt really good physically," Hanson said. "I was just trying to keep my momentum going toward the plate. [The ball] felt like it was coming out good, my body felt good. I thought my stuff was really good, just wish the result was a little bit better."
Scioscia keeping an eye on Williams
ANAHEIM -- Jerome Williams was hit in the foot with a ball Monday, and although Angels manager Mike Scioscia indicated the right-hander will still start Thursday in Texas, he did leave the door a little bit open.
"He's still on board to start on Thursday," Scioscia said. "But we'll see."
Williams was playing catch with Dane De La Rosa and an errant throw hit his left foot. Williams was "hobbling a little" Monday, but was doing better Tuesday.
"We'll see how he feels," Scioscia said. "We obviously have some options, but we'll see."
Worth noting
• Erick Aybar was not in Tuesday's lineup so that he could get some rest.
• The Angels will finish 2013 with a sub-.500 home record for the first time since 2001.
William Boor is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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jayme langford and victoria vonn
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text:
A POLICE officer who twice defeated cancer has compiled an alternative "bucket list" in the hope it will inspire others to beat the disease.
Greig Trout, a former crime scene investigator with London's Metropolitan Police, is travelling the world to follow his dreams after being given the all-clear a second time.
His list of "101 things to do when you survive" is a take on the 21st-century phenomenon of the bucket list - a wishlist of things to do and see, set up for those battling terminal illness before they "kick the bucket".
Mr Trout is one of the survivors behind Cancer Research UK's Every Moment Counts campaign, which highlights the special moments of those who have encountered the disease.
He was seven years old when he was first diagnosed with cancer, which necessitated the removal of one kidney. Since beating cancer again, the 34-year-old, originally from Dumfries in Scotland, has spent three months working with a remote community in Nicaragua, climbed a volcano in Costa Rica and nature-watching on the Galapagos Islands. Most recently he was in Ecuador.
Mr Trout, who lived in Newcastle and Bristol before moving to London to join the police, says: "After my bowel operation and with chemotherapy looming, the worst-case scenario was death.
"At that point, my thoughts were not of all I had achieved at work as a crime scene examiner or the nice apartment I lived in, they were of the places I had visited and of the experiences I had had. I also thought of the places I hadn't seen yet and may never get a chance to.
"When I got my two-year 'all clear', I decided the time was right to follow my dreams and travel the world with the aim of inspiring others affected by cancer."
The idea for the anti-bucket list came to him when he was in a hospital waiting room.
"It's exactly that 'every moment counts' feeling,'' he says. "As I watched people come and go, I knew some of them were not going to get good news.
"I thought how wonderful it would be if they could come on my trip with me and the idea of '101 things to do when you survive' was born.
"Most books and travel journals concentrate on bucket lists and 'things to do before you die'. I thought it was about time to inspire others to show them what is waiting for them when they survive."
Mr Trout created a website for his challenge with 50 ideas on the list, leaving a further 51 vacancies for other suggestions. Three of Trout's dreams involve Australia and six mention New Zealand.
Mr Trout says: "I knew I wanted to create a website showing a double cancer survivor who has one kidney, a missing piece of bowel and deep vein thrombosis, living a full and happy life.''
His ideas have caught the eye of adventurer Bear Grylls, who says: "Greig is truly one brave man and is determined to shine a light and help and inspire those who have faced real battles," Grylls says.
"I admire his courage and resolve so much."
To follow the adventure, visit whenyousurvive.com
Greig Trout's list of "101 things to do when you survive" includes 50 suggestions - some of which he has already completed. The list of adventures and experiences includes:
1. Help others get through cancer
2. White water rafting
3. To experience Raleigh International in Costa Rica
4. Travel around the world
5. Have an entire day where I don't think about cancer
6. Stand at the foot of Angel Falls
7. Climb a volcano
8. Learn the tango in Argentina
9. Watch the sun rise over Machu Picchu
10. Dive at the Great Barrier Reef
11. Sail from Panama to New Zealand
12. Visit Antarctica
13. Kayak on the Amazon
14 Taste the air at Angkor Wat
15. Watch the sun set over Uluru (Ayers rock)
16. See the glaciers at Los Glaciares in Argentina
17. Learn to surf
18. Hike through the Rockies
19. See the and hear the geysers explode in Yellowstone National Park
20. Sky Dive (my worst fear but I love Point Break so this has to be done)
21. Visit Christ the Redeemer in Rio
22. Stand on the equator
23. Do the Lord Of the Rings Tours in NZ (I'm a bit of fan)
24. Hear the water thunder down at Iguazu Falls in Brazil
25. New Zealand - all of it!
26. Look out the window in awe on the Trans-Siberian Express
27. See the Buddhist temples in Tibet
28. Look at K2 and Everest with my own eyes
29. See the amazing Mayan ruins at Tikal in Guatemala
30. See the northern lights (aurora borealis)
31. See the mountains of Alaska
32. Sing Flower Of Scotland on stage at the Sydney Opera House
33. Travel through Canada by train
34. Visit Everest base camp
35. Trek to the Lost City in Columbia
36. Learn to snowboard
37. See Matt Damon say, "Do you like apples?... Well I beat cancer... How do you like them apples?'' (Ridiculous I know! Good Will Hunting is my favourite flick and I may have said this a few times myself)
38. Throw a ridiculous amount of tomatoes at the annual Tomatina festival in Spain
39. Climb Ben Nevis
40.. Black water rafting in the Waitomo caves in New Zealand
41. Heli-hike on the Franz Josef Glacier in New Zealand
42. Rock out at Glastonbury
43. Stand toe to toe with the terracotta army in China
44. Stop worrying as much
45. Swim with dolphins in New Zealand
46. Visit the Forbidden City in China
47. Volcano boarding
48. Watch the sunrise over Lake Atitlan, Guatemala
49. Sail to Colombia via the San Blas Islands
50. The Galapagos Islands
Originally published as 101 things to do when you survive


text: Have just learned - but can't find it on main travel sites yet - that A82 will be closed between 0930 and 1530 hours on all three days at Pulpit Rock whilst they deal with slope stability. Diversions via Rest and Be Thankful - if no landslips! The day time closure is in addition to the overnight closures for roadworks round Pulpit Rock.


text:
Serena Williams' Olympic Medal Ceremony Marred by Major Flag Mishap
The bluster that helped Serena Williams blow past rival Maria Sharapova in Saturday's women's singles final wasn't as helpful during the medal ceremony when it caused one of the Olympics more embarrassing flag-related blunders yet.
The loosely affixed American standard was no match for the strong winds at Wimbledon, falling off its mount just as "The Star-Spangled Banner" reached the line about the flag still being there.
Williams took the flag fumble in stride, telling reporters "it was amazing to just be up there for the USA and hold this medal."


text:
Hammel's next step could be simulated game
By Todd Wills / Special to MLB.com
Hammel, the Orioles' best starting pitcher before injuring his right knee on July 13, could throw two or three innings in a simulated game in Baltimore on Friday, if he comes out of Tuesday's work OK.
"We'll have to wait and see how he feels tomorrow," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "He was pretty gassed. He got after it pretty good today."
Hammel fielded bunts and covered first on "tweener" ground balls between first and second, Showalter said. Hammel was 8-6 with a 3.54 ERA before getting injured against Detroit.
Machado progressing at third base with Orioles
ARLINGTON -- Rookie Manny Machado, who played shortstop in the Minor Leagues, made his 12th start at third base Tuesday night since being called up.
He said Tuesday he's still getting acquainted with the position and called it a work in progress.
"I can't complain," Machado said. "It's been an adjustment. It's different footwork. It's all about reaction."
Manager Buck Showalter said Monday that he wants the 20-year-old Machado to get every experience possible in his first season in the Major Leagues. The bonus is Machado getting to play on a playoff contender.
"This is great, playing on a young team and winning games," Machado said.
Emotions involved for Orioles returning to Texas
ARLINGTON -- Much has been made of the six Orioles returning to Texas to play against their former team -- one they helped win the American League pennant the last two years.
Reliever Pedro Strop didn't appear in Monday's 5-1 loss, but manager Buck Showalter wasn't surprised to hear that the 27-year old told reporters he's not sure how he'll react to pitching against the Rangers for the first time.
"That's Pete," Showalter said. "He's an emotional pitcher."
Showalter said he had a talk on the bench with Wednesday night starter Tommy Hunter about pitching against the Rangers earlier this season. Hunter started Game 4 of the 2010 World Series for the Rangers.
"Sometimes old guys like me don't take that into perspective as much as we should," Showalter said. "It means something to them. They're very proud of their time here."
Worth noting
First baseman Jim Thome heads to Sarasota on Wednesday, where he will begin his rehab. The Gulf Coast Orioles end their season Saturday, so Thome is likely to get his rehab assignment in Aberdeen.
Top pitching prospect Dylan Bundy allowed two runs on five hits in six innings in his second start for Double-A Bowie on Tuesday night. Bundy allowed a home run while striking out four. He threw 97 pitches.
The latest on infielder Wilson Betemit was a little discouraging. Showalter said he's not optimistic that Betemit, out with a right wrist injury, will be ready to come off the disabled list on Aug. 28. Showalter did say he wants to see what happens in the next few days.
Todd Wills is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
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Reusable and durable 18/8 single wall stainless steel and curvaceous look makes this a great promotional sports bottle.
Flip top reusable custom water bottle with carabiner hook for easy carry.
A trendy little promotional water bottle that folds flat for storage and travel.
Durable aluminum custom water bottle with screw on lid and matching carabiner.
With the eco-friendly craze growing day by day, many people are looking for alternatives to their current promotional items. Many retailers are stepping away from traditional shopping bags and are changing to imprinted shopping tote bags, and other custom eco-friendly items.


text:
CyberLink Corp., a world leader and pioneer in providing integrated solutions for the Digital Home, announced today the release of PowerProducer 4 Next-Gen, an enhanced version featuring high-definition video capturing and production, widescreen support and advanced Magic Video Editing tools. The new features combine CyberLink's intelligent DVD authoring technologies with the newest generation of disc technology, offering authoring and burning on HD DVDs and Blu-ray Discs.
PowerProducer 4 Next-Gen recently received certification for Blu-ray compatibility and fully supports the HD DVD format. It also supports 16:9 widescreen playback ratio, and includes both 16:9 and 4:3 menu templates. Magic Video Editing tools permit quick and easy corrections, thematic titles and transitions for both videos and photos.
PowerProducer 4 Next-Gen includes options for creating disc chapters automatically and manually, supports background music and first play video and features alpha-blended, animated and static menu designs. Right-to-Disc eliminates the need for large hard diskrequirements and allows users to record directly from an HDV camcorder or digital camera.
PowerProducer 4 is already available online, both as a download and boxed version, supporting the following languages: English, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), German, French, Italian, Korean, and Spanish. PowerProducer 4 will be available in German retail stores beginning November 15, 2006. CyberLink also offers OEM versions to PC and CE manufacturing customers. Existing users of earlier versions of PowerProducer can download an upgrade from our website.
PowerProducer 4 is available online and in stores in the following versions:


text: Stringing with 18G Gamma and halfway through the X's the flying clamp pops off. I should have tightened the clamp before beginning.... Question; was it OK to re-tension and clamp or did I need to redo X's from the beginning? It seemed to be alright but am I just kidding myself? Thanks.


text:
Hello to all you quality people.
I aims to get a large heavy cruisable preloved flat twin boxer with a round headlight and low miles and (capability to have) a windshield, give it a sexy female germanic name, and begin to run up the odometer lovingly. Have peeked at the flea market - figure I'll find a nice kid there up for adoption.
Peace. Be Safe


text:
Watch This Man Break the World Record for Longest Drill Bit Drilled Into One's Own Nose — Or Don't
There are a lot of ridiculous world records out there — some are impressive, some are pointless, some are truly disgusting. Here's one that's all three.
Canadian Ryan Stock has broken the world record for longest drill bit drilled into one's own nose, and there's video to prove it.
The drill bit is 4.5 inches long, which doesn't sound too bad, until you actually watch it go down. According to always reliable internet comments, 4.5 inches deep is 3/16ths of an inch from one's brain stem. That sounds about right, but it's truly horrifying either way.
Of course, the "blockhead" bit is a sideshow classic, with a rich cultural history dating back to the earliest of circus freaks. Not that the historical context makes this any easier to watch.


text:
I've just returned from ten days in China, five in Shanghai and five in Beijing. Thanks to earlier posts and other advice, it was a fantastic food trip. Here are the highlights from Beijing, grouped by cuisine.
My related Shanghai post is at http://www.chowhound.com/topics/456996
Roast duck
Amazing duck at Dadong Kaoya Dian. Crispy skin, meaty flesh, lots of condiments. I also really liked deep-fried chilies with peanuts. In contrast, Quanjude (the branch west of Wangfujing that's open later) was a disappointment. The duck was too fatty, with soggy skin and a cloying sauce. The side of vegetables was inedible: cornstarch-slicked rounds of zucchini, carrots, and mushrooms.
Handmade noodles
I had the noodles of my dreams at a small order-at-the-counter place called Huanghe Shui Shaanxi Mianguan. Floppy, wide fresh noodles, with bean sprouts and bok choy, all tossed in vinegary chili oil with a big pile of flaked chilies on top. There's no picture menu here, but they have an English-language magazine review that mentions this dish as "oil-spiced noodles," and if you ask the cashier for something "la" (spicy) that's what they'll give you. I went twice. Amazing.
Noodle Loft offers many types of handmade noodles, including knife-shaved, cut, pulled, and made-with-one-chopstick – all prepared in full view from the first-floor dining room. The texture and taste of the noodles (I tried several) were great, especially the made-with-one-chopstick long noodles. The best preparation was noodles in beef brisket soup. Other sauces, like sliced pork or eggplant, were less exciting. Extensive bilingual menu with pictures.
Loved our meal at Baguobuyi, especially the "very spicy fish," which is an enormous bowl of chili oil with gently cooked fish, bean sprouts, and green onions. I also liked the dan dan mien, wontons in chili oil, and mutton with peppers and garlic. They have a brief performance in the evenings, though we went at lunch. Nice setting in a traditional courtyard.
At South Beauty we had ma po dofu, which was fiery with the right balance of heat and numbing peppercorns. I also really liked the Sichuan cold noodles, in a vinegary-sesame sauce. I was less excited about their famous ribs, which come in a sauce that dominates the taste of the meat; also, the ribs were so tender that the meat partially disintegrated into the sauce. Our meal at a Shanghai branch of South Beauty was better.
We tried Xinjiang Crescent Moon, and it was disappointing. While I liked the flavoring of lamb skewers and a lamb-with-onions dish, the meat was unpleasantly gristly. The "walnut omelette" looked intriguing in the picture but turned out to be mostly raisins in a thin omelette wrapper, which was overly sweet.
Yunteng Binguan, the restaurant at the Yunnan provincial government office hotel, was fantastic. I loved the crossing-the-bridge noodles, fragrant with fresh herbs. A wild mushroom stir-fry was very good but somewhat overwhelmed by green peppers. Mung bean jelly noodles in chili oil and garlic were totally addictive. This was one of our favorite meals.
Breakfasts in the mall
We stayed part of our time at the Raffles Beijing Hotel, between the Forbidden City and Wangfujing. Rather than having hotel breakfast, we headed to the basement of the malls at Oriental Plaza and found two good places. At the western end, crowded with morning commuters, is Yong He (Field House). There, I liked the fried donut, xiao long bao, and pan-fried dumplings – not as good as at places specializing in dumplings but definitely good enough for a quick breakfast. A bit more toward the middle of the mall is Kyo-Nichi, a Singaporean chain serving Japanese ramen. My mackerel miso ramen was good: the noodles had nice firm texture and the fish was well-flavored, but the broth was nothing special. A Beard Papa cream-puff counter is nearby.
Dadong Kaoya Dian, 3 Tuanjiehu Beikou, Chaoyang
Quanjude, not sure of address, but not recommended
Huanghe Shui Shaanxi Mianguan, 24 Meishuguan Dongjie, Dongcheng
Noodle Loft, 20 Xidawang Lu, Chaoyang
Baguobuyi, 89-3 Dianmen Dongdajie, Dongcheng
South Beauty, eastern end of basement level, Malls at Oriental Plaza, and other branches
Xinjiang Crescent Moon, 16 Dongsiliutiao, Dongcheng
Yunteng Binguan, Building 7, Huashi Beili, Dongqu, Chongwen
Yong He, western end of basement level, Malls at Oriental Plaza
Kyo-Nichi, western end of basement level, Malls at Oriental Plaza


text:
Discussion in 'Star Trek: Deep Space Nine' started by Bry_Sinclair, Sep 7, 2013.
And having jungle sex with Worf is a bad thing?
Kira did (apparently) make love to some "boring" Bajoran males, which some might consider a worse offense. LOL! I don't have a transparent skull and I don't like violence, but I am boring, curmudgeonly and a bit OCD...so I figure I have a better chance with Kira than Jadzia. That might have influenced my vote as well. If only I could shapeshift too.
Major Kira
I don't think there was a season where she didn't look good, and it culminated in her looking great in Season 7. Also, the fiery side of her really helps in the attractiveness department.
They're all lovely to look at but Terry Farrell was (and still is) absolutely gorgeous. I think it's the cheeky smile.
There MUST be at least 7 more Kiraphiles out there...
If only...
The ruminations of one particular Kiraphile.
Note to Ezri fans: Nicole DeBoer turned up in the season premiere of HAVEN last night, which is no doubt being rerun at some point.
So she can CRUSH Jadzia into Trill pulp in this poll?
As the same character from the Pilot?
Would have voted for Felecia Bell if I had the option, but since I didn't I went with Farrell.
Yep! Good memory!
Kira's my favorite character but I don't find the character attractive. She's like a good boss.
Awesome! While I didn't see the full pilot (or any of the rest of the show, TBH)--still, I did catch the last half of it, and got a big kick out of her basically turning out to be
Spoiler: Haven.
a weather goddess.
Oh, yeah...one guess who I picked.
Torn between Kira and Jadzia.
If there was a best looking DS9 guy, I would go with Siddig. He still looks sexy now.
Can I nudge you??
Did I mention you have an incredible avatar?
Thank you! Yours is awesome too!
oops, I guess my eyes skipped right over the alternate name
hmmm..... most attractive....
Some samples shall we?
Attractive? I think this qualifies...
Separate names with a comma.


text:
Who saw the Hopkins Pascal fight? What a performance hopkins put on, it reminded me of the first pacquaio and marquez fight were marquez got knocked down 3 times in the 1st round, came back and fought to a draw (I thought he clearly won the fight)
Hopkins got knocked down in the 1st. It shouldnt had counted because he got hit behind the head. Then he get knocked down again in the third, a clean knockdown. But he really dominated Pascal, i think he landed around 75 more punches so his connect rate was much higher. He took the kid to school while being less then a month shy of 46 years old. Pascal is 28 i think, somewhere around there. It ended up being a draw but at the end of the fight Pascal looked like a defeated man, Hopkins looked like a champ.


text:
October 10, 2009
Smiley Taylor Snapped at Swift Show
A fan emailed snaps into NewMoonMovie of Taylor "I'm-too-buff-to-only-be-legal-in-Georgia" Lautner.
He was spotted at his Valentine's Day cast-mate, Taylor Swift's concert in Chicago last night looking especially smiley :)
- Lorabell
Update: I spotted this video over at TwiFans - she gives him the cutest hug at the end - awww!
8 comments:
- twilightislifeOctober 10, 2009 at 5:49 PM
Taylor "I'm-too-buff-to-only-be-legal-in-Georgia" LautnerReplyDelete
hahahaha you make me laugh xD
he looks gorgeous, as per usual ;)
Yes Taylor, please start a romance to take the heat (well, some of it) away from Rob & Kristen.ReplyDelete
@ Lorabell, so funny LoL :DReplyDelete
He's so cute as always :)
- Sarah AnayaOctober 10, 2009 at 7:23 PM
im soo using that line someday :-) he is too hot , makes me wish i was 17 again , nice to see he supports his friends ... or something else * wink ,wink * J/k i dont think there dating she's a little old for himReplyDelete
- AnonymousOctober 10, 2009 at 9:53 PM
Let the Taylor/Taylor rumors begins.....lol.ReplyDelete
haha i agree. he's too buff and too darn hott to not be legal yet!! and I've had my suspicions about Taylor & Taylor since the VMAs... but i'm not one to start rumors so I'll keep my thoughts to myself.ReplyDelete
and to Sarah- T. Swift isn't that much older that T. Lautner.. whats 2 years?! even if he's not "legal"...lol


text:
This study is provided by ICPSR. ICPSR provides leadership and training in data access, curation, and methods of analysis for a diverse and expanding social science research community.
Current Population Survey, April 1983 (ICPSR 8265)
Principal Investigator(s): United States Department of Commerce. Bureau of the Census
This data collection supplies standard monthly labor force information for the week prior to the survey. Comprehensive information is given on the employment status, occupation, and industry of persons 14 years old and older. Additional data are available concerning weeks worked and hours per week worked, reason not working full-time, total income and income components, and residence. Supplemental items pertain to immigrant women. Information provided includes date of birth, country of birth, citizenship status, year entered the United States, number of children born, date of birth of the most recent child, total number of children born in countries outside American jurisdiction, and number of children born in countries outside American jurisdiction currently living in the household. Information on demographic characteristics such as, age, sex, race, marital status, veteran status, household relationship, educational background, and Hispanic origin, is available for each person in the household enumerated.
Series: Current Population Survey Series
Access Notes
Data in this collection are available only to users at ICPSR member institutions. Please log in so we can determine if you are with a member institution and have access to these data files.
Study Description
U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. CURRENT POPULATION SURVEY, APRIL 1983. Washington, DC: U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of the Census [producer], 1984. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 1984. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR08265.v1
Persistent URL: https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR08265.v1
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Subject Terms: census data, demographic characteristics, employment, Hispanic origins, households, immigration status, immigrants, income, labor force, national identity, place of birth, population characteristics, population estimates, unemployment, women
Geographic Coverage: United States
- 1983-04
- 1983-04
Universe: Persons in the civilian noninstitutionalized population of the United States including members of the armed forces living in civilian housing units in April 1983.
All records contain weights, which must be used in any analysis.
Sample: A national probability sample was used in selecting housing units. Approximately 71,000 units were sampled.
personal interviews
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text:
The Bayfield High School girls soccer team capped its regular season with a 10-0 victory over Center on Thursday.
All six of our seniors scored on Senior Day, BHS head coach Jen Zelinski said. We moved some people around, and we tried to get some other scoring opportunities.
Eight different Wolverines scored in the victory.
Keenan Moreta scored first.
Then, Lindsey Reinmuth scored off an assist from Sanna Penton.
Effie Nistler added an unassisted goal.
Haley Fleming of the Wolverines scored after a taking pass from Charlene Hammit.
Goalkeeper Jaylie Ross, moved to the field, also scored. She was assisted by Grace Harvey.
Jordyn Harrison, Breetta Moe and Taylor Harrison also scored for Bayfield. And Fleming added a second goal for the Wolverines (14-0-1, 11-0-1 Mountain League).
Zelinski said the Wolverines capitalized on the Senior Day energy.
There was a lot of enthusiasm, Zelinski said.
The Wolverines now await their playoff assignment in Class 3A. The playoff pairings are expected Sunday afternoon.


text:
Read the full story here Web Link posted Monday, May 21, 2012, 6:02 PM
Town Square
Pleasanton school board to look at restoring programs, new savings from union, management concessions
Original post made on May 21, 2012
Read the full story here Web Link posted Monday, May 21, 2012, 6:02 PM
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on May 21, 2012 at 10:45 pm
Why is PUSD supposedly hiring a new assistant superintendent tomorrow night? It is hard to say what they will be paid or who it is because the PUSD seems to be hiding the actual proposed contract. It is nowhere to be found on their web page. Will they get the supposed secret perks like car allowances and such as in days past?
a resident of Vintage Hills
on May 22, 2012 at 6:48 am
The position exists and the current employee is retiring. However, not posting the contract is a problem because the public has had no time to review it. It would seem 72 hrs. notice (Brown Act) to the community applies. I don't think the board should take action tonight.
a resident of Birdland
on May 22, 2012 at 10:03 am
One again the school district "forgets" to publish public information. The last city and school board joint meeting had to be canceled because of this and I believe now they ae doing it again by not releasing a new contract, that is to be voted upon at a public hearing, in time for the public to review, since it is our tax money that is paying for it. Unless the contract says that the superintendent will be paying the salary and benefits for the assistant superintendent from her own pocket, this item should not be voted upon today.
My guess is the new contract has a bunch of clauses in it for excessive benefits and the superintendent does not want the public to see the contract until after it is signed. My guess this contact has car allowances (which the community has said over and over should not be done any more), free retiree medical (which is a benefit not available to the general public and is paid for 100% by the taxpayer, and the district has already stated they do not have enough money to fund this liability to the actuarial amount (actually 100% unfunded)). Who knows what else is in there.
I guess the superintendent feels she has three "yes" people on the board what will approve anything she wants, so she can thumb her nose to the public and get away with this.
If the board was smart, they would continue this item until the public has a chance to review the contract. Otherwise I believe they are violating the Brown Act, which would mean that the vote could be made invalid. That could mess up things for this new employee, of which we know nothing about. Not sure if this is an internal hire, somebody from another district, or just a friend of the superintendent (how the previous superintendent did a lot of his hiring).
a resident of Laguna Oaks
on May 22, 2012 at 11:05 am
I would feel better with all information made available. It important for the public to feel informed when making decisions on additional public funding.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on May 22, 2012 at 11:25 am
Agreed, now more than ever, we need to know how our money is being spent. Cutting a 150k + benefits position would pay for numerous programs that are being dropped.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on May 22, 2012 at 12:51 pm
You would think with their constant whining about the budget and their history of bringing in outsiders not actually qualified to do the job, that they would go with an interim assistant superintendent on a trial basis for a year or so to see if they can actually do the job.
a resident of Mohr Park
on May 22, 2012 at 1:04 pm
Would the most highly qualified candidates be willing to leave a secure position in order to come to Pleasanton "on a trial basis"?
My info suggests that the contract is not finalized. My guess is that the agenda item will be postponed for another meeting.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on May 22, 2012 at 1:32 pm
Administrators who misrepresents facts or who is outright dishonest, do not foster confidence in the work environment. 'Walking on eggs' is not a mindset that produces anything positive. Certificated and classified staff and the public should not have to put up with ineffective, unsupportive and unproductive administrators.
How can the trustees know the best candidate for any administrator (district or site) was selected? Given PUSD staff is firmly enmeshed in a system whose prime axioms are secrecy and control and cover-ups, I'll bet the trustees don't interview them and worse than that, I'll bet the superintendent doesn't even show the trustees the resumes.
Trustees have the responsibility to provide the best possible environment for our teachers to teach and our students to learn.
a resident of Vintage Hills
on May 22, 2012 at 1:36 pm
Sandy, I'd have to argue that someone who wants to come to a good district and do the job well has nothing to fear even without a contract or a minimal one year contract. Having a strong candidate in the curriculum position is vital to students. Paying generous severance packages to someone who fails, particularly with the uncertainty of future funding, is ludicrous. After all, the district is already under water on a lot of its future commitments.
a resident of Birdland
on May 22, 2012 at 2:16 pm
We do not give our principals contracts, so why give the assistant superintendents contracts? I would argue that a school principal is going to have more of an impact on our kids impacts than anyone at the district office.
Did you know that the City of Pleasanton does not give out contracts for any employees, except the City Manager and the City Attorney. Why does our school district seem to think that our school district needs contracts for all these district people? I think the school contracts were done to protect friends of the superintendent.
My understanding is that very few school district do contracts for employees except for the superintendent. And they have people applying for those jobs. What makes Pleasanton so "special"?
We need to do away with these contracts, which just ties the hands of the school board.
Tell you what, if this new employee is any good, he or she should insist on not having a contract. The only ones who need a contract at that level are those who do not feel they will perform well in their job.
a resident of Vintage Hills
on May 22, 2012 at 4:05 pm
As information and based on a response I received a few minutes ago from the district's attorney, it is entirely likely the board will consider taking action on this contract this evening. The intention is to present the contract after the closed session discussion.
I have requested, based on time available before the end of the school year and the presumed beginning of this contract, that the action be postponed to allow the community time to review this commitment.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on May 22, 2012 at 4:18 pm
I have some predictions as to why the mystery contract is being kept secret:
-- I'll bet the candidate is not an internal candidate or from a high performing Silicon Valley district like Palo Alto Unified
--I'll bet the candidate is another one of these San Joaquin and Central Valley 'barely scraping by' districts like those found around Modesto, Lodi, Stockton, or Fresno.
-- I'll bet the contract is full of the same ol' perks and car allowances.
a resident of Amberwood/Wood Meadows
on May 22, 2012 at 4:32 pm
Educational Services is a very vital component of our children's education. However, given budget constraints and the fact that this is the superintendents background, the district should be able to get by with a coordinator or director in this position. Let the superintendent oversee, which is her job anyway. Come on district....save a few dollars. Instead, they continue to be secretive about the budget implications. Say what you want about prior admin, but this admin is certainly not any better or any more transparent.
a resident of Foothill High School
on May 22, 2012 at 4:42 pm
Posted by Sandy Piderit, a resident of the Mohr Park neighborhood, 3 hours ago
Would the most highly qualified candidates be willing to leave a secure position in order to come to Pleasanton "on a trial basis"?
Sandy, I assume your question is not rhetorical. The answer is "no". PUSD must offer compensation that is comparable to that of other districts for all positions: classified, administrative, and teaching.
Ms. Ruegsegger's contention that a highly-qualified candidate would relocate his/her family and give up a well-paid job for a job that might last one week, one month, or one year, is one of the more ridiculous things I've read this week. And I read The Onion every day.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on May 22, 2012 at 4:59 pm
Bradford's comment seems to indicate no knowledge of private sector employment which is entirely "at will." There are no guarantees and cushy contracts for private sector employees. Private sector employees relocate for job opportunities all the time.
Also CA school district administrators seem to be a fly by night set of people that move jobs so often that many never relocate to the district they work for. Some even require that the taxpayers loan them money for the privilege of having the esteemed superintendent move to town (the $200,000 house loan for Casey).
Why do these administrators seem to have none of the rules that others go by? There are probationary periods for teachers. There are federal employee probationary periods of 1-3 years.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on May 22, 2012 at 5:06 pm
Astronomical administrator salaries and their $100,000+ pensions are bankrupting the State and destroying the quality of children's education throughout the State Web Link
"Booming administrator salaries are largely behind the trend. Public school superintendents, on average, earned $168,000 in base pay last year, roughly 56 percent more than they did 10 years ago, according to data from the California Department of Education."
Read more here: Web Link
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on May 22, 2012 at 5:30 pm
"Bradford's comment seems to indicate no knowledge of private sector employment which is entirely "at will." "
Private sector employment practices aren't relevant. PUSD can't decide to play by a different set of rules on its own. Any administrator PUSD offers a job will be comparing the offer against his current benefits or any other offers for school administrators. He will not be comparing against benefits for a private sector job.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on May 22, 2012 at 5:44 pm
Honestly people, until we quit entertaining the idea of a parcel tax for PUSD and show a desire to the PUSD to quit throwing money at them to mismanage, this school district will be broken. Tighten the leash and make them do the tough cuts. Eventually they'll see that the padded administration salaries and perks are a waste and the money needs to go to the classroom. PPIE made a large donation which is great, how much of it will be wasted?
a resident of Birdland
on May 22, 2012 at 9:00 pm
To xyz, I believe most districts now do not have contracts for these positions. So we do not need these contracts to attract the "best" employees. We do not offer these contracts to school principals and we have no problem with great candidates applying. And why do we need a gaggle of assistant superintendents? All those positions should be directors, just like the City. A group of people tagged as assistant superintendents with contracts is just another way for the superintendent to give out favors. It does not make our district any better.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on May 22, 2012 at 10:27 pm
I agree with your point about principals vs. assistant superintendents.
ptown mama,
None of us were talking about a parcel tax.
a resident of Mohr Park
on May 23, 2012 at 7:43 am
Could someone please present a few examples of districts close to our size (15,000 students) and quality (API above 850) that have no assistant superintendents, only directors?
I was not able to watch the board meeting last night. What happened on this agenda item?
a resident of Amberwood/Wood Meadows
on May 23, 2012 at 8:10 am
I don't think it matters what districts have directors or asst superintendents. In these budget times, districts need to think about what is most cost beneficial for them. I believe that the directors are typically the ones who do the majority of the work and the asst supts do some polishing and take the credit. That may be acceptable in good times, but not in bad.
a resident of Downtown
on May 23, 2012 at 8:36 am
If an "existing" administrator is retiring, that is a golden opportunity to eliminate the position and spend more than $150-$200,000 per year on EDUCATION.
a resident of Foothill High School
on May 23, 2012 at 9:23 am
I agree with Chemist. Why is this person being replaced?
Can we DOWNSIZE the administration like virutally every company in the US has done during these difficult times?
Can we CUT positions at district office like they are asking every school in the district to do. Every school is expected to do the same, or more, with less. The district office needs to lead by example.
How much longer is this superintendent in office? Can we get rid of this administration
a resident of Vintage Hills
on May 23, 2012 at 9:43 am
The contract still is not posted; the item for the asst. supt. of ed svcs was last on the agenda (this should not be done with items of interest to the public and is done to discourage public comment--and yes, it is intentional); and while the video is posted, you cannot skip to the chapter you want to see.
The superintendent and the other two current asst. supts. essentially have three year perpetual contracts (generally, with a satisfactory review, another year is added). You'd have to get the board (or a new board) to be willing to stop renewing the contracts.
a resident of Vintage Hills
on May 23, 2012 at 11:34 am
My understanding is the contract is available with an email request to Bill Faraghan, Human Resources - firstname.lastname@example.com
a resident of Birdland
on May 23, 2012 at 12:59 pm
But the contract has never been made available to the public before the hearing. And now you have to identify yourself in order to see the contract, past-haste.
I would like to know who voted for this contract and who did not (if any). Our district is out of control and we need a lot of replacing to do to get it back.
Kathleen is right about the perpetual contracts. The perpetual contracts are designed to let the superintendent keep his or her buddies with jobs. I am greatly disappointed in the current superintendent and the board that allows this. Perhaps we need a local initiative brought before the voters to restrict the district from doing certain actions. It takes a bad board majority to initiate contracts with personnel, making it difficult for the future.
a resident of Amberwood/Wood Meadows
on May 23, 2012 at 2:12 pm
Stacey is a registered user.
I can't fathom why the board would act upon an employment contract that only became a public record immediately before the open session if they hoped to improve relations with the community. Someone should have continued the item.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on May 23, 2012 at 2:29 pm
Because there are so many school districts in CA, the superintendents and management job-hop from one district to another. (That is one reason why salaries for administrators are so high). Many never care to really never become part of the communities in which they work. So they don't care about improving public relations with the community.
Then when they get entrenched, they just expect the board to rubberstamp everything. And because the board just cares about having nice relations to the entrenched superintendent rather than the community that elected them in the first place, the cycle of no accountability and no transparency continues.
There should have been a public hearing months ago to have the board decide whether the position of asst superintendent should be filled or made director level in the first place. I'll bet the superintendent never even asked.
a resident of Birdland
on May 23, 2012 at 4:19 pm
These employees can leave a job under contract without any repercussions but the district cannot terminate them without a big payout. Completely one-sided contracts designed to protect friends of the superintendent.
In the instance when you have a worker that is not performing to expectations, you hope they look for another job and you will give a good reference check in order to not pay to cancel the contract. Then the next district has to deal with that person and possibly go through the same process. Government works so hard to protect under performing workers.
I still have not hard whether the board actually voted on this item, or continued it since the public did not have a chance to see the documents. Related to this, the district consistently changes and adds items to the public hearings at the last moment. They are called "blue sheets". They have these at EVERY meeting. The district puts together the minimal amount of info for an agenda item (e.g., Personnel changes) and then right before the hearing they release the "blue sheet" with the information. This should be illegal. There are only two reasons for these "blue sheets". One, the employees are incompetent and cannot prepare ahead of time for a meeting. Two, they are hiding information from the public before a vote. The City would never do something like this. They know it is probably illegal but more so, the City respects the public where the district has contempt for the public.
On the previous post, you are right, there should have been an agenda item months ago to discuss replacing employees at this level.
a resident of Mohr Park
on May 23, 2012 at 4:39 pm
I finally made it through the 4-hour-long webcast, and can report that the board unanimously approved the new contract. If I heard correctly, the new assistant superintendent's name is Dr. Odie Douglas and he will start July 1.
This news story provides some background about his job transition.
a resident of Mohr Park
on May 23, 2012 at 4:39 pm
Sorry, my link was omitted: Web Link
a resident of California Somerset
on May 23, 2012 at 4:50 pm
Uh, okay.
a resident of Vintage Hills
on May 23, 2012 at 4:58 pm
A mixed read. My concern is whether Lodi's focus on all college prep, which they are now stepping back from, is a fit for PUSD if that focus was Dr. Douglas' bailiwick. Nothing wrong with high expectations, but not all students, even in Pleasanton, are prepared for or interested in college, especially right out of high school.
a resident of Birdland
on May 23, 2012 at 5:30 pm
If you search a little on the internet, you will find that Dr. Douglas had the same position in Lodi WHERE THEY OFFER NO CONTRACTS.
Web Link
In that article it states, "Thirty-six people applied for the job. There is no contract for the year-to-year position. The pay is determined by the district's manager salary schedule. The only administrators on independent contracts are the superintendent Cathy Nichols Washer and chief business officer Tim Hern, confirmed Mike McKilligan, director of personnel."
Lodi, among with many other districts do not offer contracts for this position.
I think we need to replace board members who perpetuate problematic items (like contracts) and just say yes to whatever staff wants.
a resident of California Somerset
on May 23, 2012 at 5:51 pm
Throughout my illustrious career as an educator I have always argued against contracts. Such are evil things, as indicated amply by the egregious contracts the PEOPLE have written with profligate unions. Contracts allow administrators and teachers to feel secure in their jobs. With that security (most people in the private sector have no such security), they begin to get too big for their britches, experimenting with new ideas and thinking that they can do so without feeling the reactionary ire from the community which knows better about education than do administrators and teachers. (E.g., see Kathleen Rugsinooger's suggestion that schools should have a built-in mechanism for students and their parents who don't buy into the elitist college aspiration; we must have ample dumbing down opportunities to suit community demand.) Ideally, we should banish all contracts and democratize education. All educators and administrators should be voted into their positions by parents every year. School Board members should be elected every 3 months. It is the only fair way to do things. I would much prefer educators spend their time attempting to placate community interests than doing things like teaching, administering, innovating. Respectfully yours, Dr. David Strem, MD, Ph.D., MA, BA (magna cum laude), AA.
a resident of Vintage Hills Elementary School
on May 23, 2012 at 5:58 pm
We must have ample opportunity for all students to succeed in finding their calling. That does not require dumbing down anything, Mittens.
a resident of Amberwood/Wood Meadows
on May 23, 2012 at 6:28 pm
Stacey is a registered user.
I think it is pre-mature to assume that Dr. Douglas' bailiwick is an all-college prep curriculum and that he will bring it to PUSD.
Also, the gaming of the contract disclosure before approval should in no way reflect upon Dr. Douglas. Let's welcome him to the district and wish him luck.
a resident of Vintage Hills
on May 23, 2012 at 6:53 pm
Stacey, I did said if; can't tell from the article whose recommendation it was originally. I would only wish the best for anyone coming into this role for PUSD. The job will be challenging enough.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on May 23, 2012 at 7:10 pm
"Nothing wrong with high expectations, but not all students, even in Pleasanton, are prepared for or interested in college, especially right out of high school."
That sounds to me like you are working hard to find something wrong with this guy. He seems to me like a very good fit for the district where heavy emphasis on college prep and academic-rigor are what many Pleasanton parents, like myself, want. I'm more worried about "Mittens" concern about "dumbing down" the curriculum.
a resident of Foothill High School
on May 23, 2012 at 8:19 pm
The point about contracts--the administrative equivalent of teacher tenure, which means you can't be fired except for just cause--is a good one.
Pleasanton voters and taxpayers expect the administrators and teachers of PUSD to make choices and decisions. Choices and decisions inevitably anger people; if you are an "at will" employee who can be fired at any time, will you, as a teacher, have the courage to assign a failing grade to the child of a politically powerful, rich family? Will you, as an administrator, have the courage to back up that teacher's decision? Anybody who denies there is intense political pressure on teachers and school administrators is naive beyond belief. Tenure and contracts enable us to partly resist those political pressures.
If you want administrators and teachers who have the job security and status of Wal-Mart clerks, then be very careful what you wish for.
Throughout my eight years at PUSD, I was a vocal and well-known critic of the lack of transparency and communication during Dr. Casey's administration. Believe me, Dr. Casey knew who I was! I worked less than two years under Ms. Ahmadi's superintendency, but towards the end I didn't see much difference between her stewardship of the district and Dr. Casey's. It's within the power of the Board to demand changes, but the majority of the Board seem to think that everything is fine. I've worked for other school districts besides PUSD, and PUSD is actually one of the better-managed districts (no, really)--I've seen far, far worse. But there is definite room for improvement.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on May 23, 2012 at 9:10 pm
Did the management contract described in the article get approved? If so, then PUSD has started down the path of true structural reform as outlined here Web Link .
That PUSD has chosen to eliminate the longevity bonus completely is worthy of commendation. I hope for their sake this is a permanent change. And that more structural changes are on the way, including those that require permanent changes to the APT and CSEA contracts.
a resident of Vintage Hills
on May 23, 2012 at 9:29 pm
xyz, I don't know Dr. Douglas, and I said the article was a mixed read. I'm definitely not in favor of dumbing down curriculum, I'm just indicating the one size fits all approach doesn't actually work. Plenty of room to make public education successful for all students in the community.
Nomad, according to Sandy, Dr. Douglas' contract got a unanimous approval by the board members.
Daniel, the voters and taxpayers generally do not have contracts in their own jobs, and they have to make tough decisions, and I haven't actually seen a rich/powerful or not rich/less powerful family win very many debates with school districts either. A teacher (really) said that unless they are caught with a body (and maybe even a weapon), little is going happen. So, maybe a contract/union is never going to be undone, but there definitely is room for improvement.
a resident of Foothill High School
on May 23, 2012 at 9:44 pm
Kathleen: You're living in fantasy land. Every teacher I know has come under pressure many times--not once, but many times--to change a student's grade. Every school librarian I know has come under pressure at least several times in his or her career (including mine) to remove "objectionable" books from the library.
I have seen veteran teachers with decades of experience and tenure "feel the heat"--just imagine what could happen to a teacher who had a year to go to qualify for his/her pension and was threatened with dismissal if he/she didn't do the administration's or a parent's bidding. The only thing that's going to go away if you get rid of teacher tenure and contracts is academic integrity. Teachers are NOT waiters in a restaurant; we are professionals who must have the ability to exercise our own judgment and discretion.
Getting rid of teacher unions and contracts won't improve schools. The only people are convinced that making teachers' jobs less secure and lower-paid than they already are, are the ideologically-driven anti-tax, anti-union crowd.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on May 23, 2012 at 10:00 pm
Getting rid of unions and contracts will ensure that bad teachers who can't teach can be fired (I've seen waiters much more qualified to teach than those hired by school districts). Now, they stay forever unless by chance incarcerated for some felony and being housed in some state penitentiary.
The 10% bottom performing teachers should be let go every year similar to the way private sector businesses get rid of the bottom 10% of non-performing employees every year.
How hiring someone that seems to be some sort of Peggy McIntosh devotee focused on "white privilege" and "male privilege" and "unpacking the invisible knapsack" accomplishes anything positive is beyond me.
a resident of Birdland
on May 23, 2012 at 10:02 pm
Daniel, you state that teachers are professionals. Why then do these professionals need unions and contracts? I would rather see a professional that is paid based on their ability, not on their tenure.
You think that the unions are needed to protect salaries of teachers. I think it is the opposite. A good teacher should be making more than a poor teacher (a good professional should be making more than a poor professional). As long as there are unions and contracts, the profession is only as good as the worst performers. I believe our community wants to pay good teachers well. It is not possible with the current structure.
Our district, and we are not alone, needs to address several things in order for the public to want to contribute more taxes.
- Not giving out automatic raises based on longevity. We are giving out $1.5 million dollars per year in raises right now, no matter how good they are. At the same time we are laying off teachers, no matter how good they are. This needs to be fixed.
- We are giving out free benefits to retirees (medical insurance). A benefit that is not even paid for by current taxes. We borrow against the future on this. This needs to go away. Start with management today.
- Certain management positions, except for possibly the superintendent, should not be protected by contracts. I do not think those employees are significantly more valuable than other management (principals) or teachers. We have no problems in filling those positions. Those jobs are supposed to be for "professionals". They do not need protection. They need to perform the duties of their job well. That gives them continued employment. Not a contract that locks that person into that job, or benefits that we cannot afford. I am a professional, like a majority in our community. I would guess that there are almost no contracts for the professionals in our community.
There are probably more that I have missed.
We cannot continue with "business as usual." It does not benefit our students.
a resident of Amberwood/Wood Meadows
on May 23, 2012 at 10:07 pm
Stacey is a registered user.
Employment contracts are not simply there to provide protection to employees. They provide protection to employers as well.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on May 23, 2012 at 10:15 pm
"The 10% bottom performing teachers should be let go every year similar to the way private sector businesses get rid of the bottom 10% of non-performing employees every year."
That is a gross exaggeration. I've worked in the private sector all my life and have never seen numbers that high. What industry do you work in? At Microsoft, there were rarely times when 1% were let go, much less 10%. 10% every year? You've got to be kidding.
a resident of California Somerset
on May 23, 2012 at 10:58 pm
One thing I learned in my illustrious career as an educator is that the less money a state has to support education the more the community should launch crusades to ensure that austerity is magnified with teachers/administrators forced to take cuts to pensions, rights, decision-making autonomy.
In California, for example, we provide less money per student than virtually every other state in the union. All the more reason, therefore, to vigilantly attempt to exert community pressure on teachers/administrators for purposes of hurting them where it counts, in their pocketbook, of course, but also in the classroom where they have to think twice about offending one of their student's parents. (Consider, for example, being assigned to teach or administer one of Nomad's or Rugsinuckle's kids? What a relief, eh, to have them help you with your day to day decision making!)
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on May 23, 2012 at 11:26 pm
10% (that is a low percentage by the way) of non-performing employees are routinely let go or laid off each year in the private sector. They proactively have personnel departments and there are proper processes in place to have performance improvement plans that have measurable goals.
Misconduct means employees are let go.
Examples are:
Many consulting and financial services firms or tech support firms hire people that are put through a substantial training period. If they can't cut it or don't pass the qualifying exams after being trained, they are let go. Consulting firms routinely let go people who are unbillable.
Almost any firm that has anything to do with selling something means they have a sales force. Sales consultants and sales reps that don't meet their quotas, unless there is a very compelling reason, are routinely let go.
Then there are companies like HP that don't do this sort of thing, but then every few years they get rid of 20,000 to 30,000 of their work force.
a resident of Mohr Park
on May 24, 2012 at 7:51 am
As a business professor, I know that few businesses can pull off the Jack Welch rule on terminations effectively, because not many managers understand how the idea of firing the worst 10% fits into the whole system of GE's Jack Welch-style management.
If you're not familiar with Jack Welch, this Business Week article from 1998 is a great short bio to start with.
Web Link
One key difference between the GE work environment and the PUSD work environment: Jack Welch can give a bonus whenever he feels like it.
a resident of Vintage Hills
on May 24, 2012 at 8:16 am
Daniel, there is a disconnect here. First, I was talking about more expedient removal of ineffective teachers. The rights of teachers far outweighs those of parents/students. Secondly, I would agree teachers are often asked to compromise on grades/assignments; on a rare occasion, the requests are legitimate. Third, there is a process for those who find books objectionable, including the policy that allows a student to opt out with the onus for substitute work falling on the parents/students who object.
As to "feel the heat," I don't think you can claim teachers are professionals (I do believe they are) and not expect them to make the hard choices. However, a teacher should expect pushback when exercising his/her own judgment and discretion and the judgment is found not to be grounded in academic integrity. Teachers/professionals do not work in a vacuum.
There are possible changes that don't involve removing tenure and getting rid of unions/contracts. At a minimum, tenure could be granted at the beginning of the sixth year (and long waits already exist elsewhere). And I would pay teachers more and/or include a bonus structure.
The last sentence stereotypes and is unnecessarily punitive. Which number of people with a shared belief isn't ideologically driven? I have argued that if value-add to society is the measure, teachers are underpaid (and more grossly so in other states than in California or Pleasanton specifically). From my perspective, I'm willing to pay more taxes when the aim is specific and the accountability is transparent. I am not willing, however, to commit every household in California to pay $30,000+ to shore up a defined benefit pension plan when there are better ways to provide a pension. My belief is you have to have both (more pay, different pension) for it to work.
a resident of Birdland
on May 24, 2012 at 8:41 am
Stacey, how do these employment contracts protect the employer? I do not see anything in these public employee contracts that project the employer, only the employee. Please tell me what I am missing.
a resident of Amberwood/Wood Meadows
on May 24, 2012 at 9:30 am
Stacey is a registered user.
I'm referring to contracts in general. It is a one-sided view to think of a contract as protecting only one party to it. For example, a collectively bargained public employee contract could contain language protecting a district from having to pay sick day wages if the employee takes a sick day when they are not really sick (see Madison, Wisconsin).
a resident of Amador Estates
on May 24, 2012 at 9:39 am
Another pot smoking liberal running to be politician. Web Link
a resident of Birdland
on May 24, 2012 at 11:07 am
Stacey, what is in the district's contracts that protect the district (the taxpayer actually)?
I agree that there are times when a contract benefits the employer but that is very seldom.
a resident of The Knolls
on May 24, 2012 at 1:04 pm
Why can't the children who are having a hard time reading get help? It seems again that Barton was passed up and overlooked. If you have so many childrend needing this program and so many who have gone threw it who can show it works then why not help to save it? They say they want to but they never do. It is too bad that it cant be about what really helps the kids and not about politics!
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on May 24, 2012 at 1:42 pm
Children can't get the help they need because the district spends too much of its money on bloated administrator's salaries, like giving the Lodi manager just hired an outrageous $30,000 raise to come to Pleasanton.
And they withhold agendas and contracts from agendas so people don't know about it.
On Tuesday, without posting the contract, they gave the new asst superintendent a nearly $30,000 raise to come from Lodi, where he had been demoted from assoc to asst superintendent to Pleasanton and recently had all out warfare with the Lodi teachers union over his dept having admins taking it upon themselves to arrest teachers. Web Link
His current salary in in Lodi is $136,701 and his new sal/stipend in Pleasanton is $29,089 higher than that. Of course, the public would have known that if the PUSD had not hidden the proposed contract.
Now there will be all out war because again, PUSD has done something purposefully deceitful that makes no financial sense.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on May 24, 2012 at 3:12 pm
Personnel matters, including contract negotiations, are legally closed session items.
The job (and its salary range) was posted on the district's website.
a resident of Vintage Hills
on May 24, 2012 at 3:45 pm
But not the actual contract the board took action on in open session, as the last item on the agenda for a meeting that went until 11:30 p.m. or so.
a resident of Vintage Hills
on May 24, 2012 at 5:26 pm
My comment was not a reference to the candidate. This is entirely about board action without public access to the document. There is neither a press release or the addition of the contract to the updates for the board meeting. You have to contact HR to get the document. Not the candidate's fault.
a resident of Birdland
on May 25, 2012 at 12:08 pm
Contract negotiations are for closed session. However, approving a contract is a public action and all the Brown Act rules apply with disclosure.
Lorri, this is the same group of people who say "trust us" when asking for parcel taxes. The district administration, as you probably remember, wanted full control on the money and how it will be spent. The public oversight committee that they also spoke about was to appointed by the same administration (just like the facilities master plan committee was appointed by staff without even the board's input).
I can't believe they keep pulling this stuff on us. You know they will want to put another parcel tax on the ballot but all of these stupid actions they are making is making it harder and harder for the public to trust them.
The administration's number one job is to protect the administration. I feel sorry for this new employee being put into this mess. Or maybe there is more to the story here. This new employee has been saying to the media that he wants a superintendent position. Perhaps the board is bringing him on to work on a transition to superintendent here?
a resident of Vintage Hills
on May 25, 2012 at 1:52 pm
Inside candidates don't get the top job very often from what I've seen. If anything about Dr. Douglas' statements is a concern, it would be whether he will continue to apply for superintendency positions. This curriculum position is one you could argue needs some stability for teachers and students.
a resident of California Somerset
on May 25, 2012 at 2:06 pm
Well, isn't this just peachy? So we hire someone at almost $170 grand who offers little of value, and who's likely to spend his days applying for superintendent positions all over the country. Thanks so much for making this astute point, Kathleen. We obviously need all school officials to sign an affidavit attesting to the fact that they will not apply for superintendent positions outside of the district. (Applying for superintendent WITHIN the district is okay because inside candidates rarely if ever get the position, so we're not threatened so much by that.)
a resident of Vintage Hills
on May 25, 2012 at 3:21 pm
DDS, I said it was a concern. Most superintendent retirements or moves to other districts have already been announced anyway. Whether he stays or continues to search is his personal choice.
a resident of Hart Middle School
on May 25, 2012 at 5:54 pm
And a very important concern it is, too. This will be something the gossip mongering community will need to vigilantly keep track of. I just cannot believe this candidate wasn't more extensively vetted than he was. Did anyone even bother to raise such an extremely critical issue?
a resident of Vintage Hills
on May 25, 2012 at 6:03 pm
Always the drama queen, eh Mittens.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on May 25, 2012 at 7:47 pm
Sounds like Lodi Unified spends more time litigating than actually educating.
A quick search of the San Joaquin superior court system at Web Link is sure full of lawsuits. The search fills up with pages and pages of lawsuits.
This is just the first page.
Carolyn Gladney vs. Lodi Unified School District
Diana C vs. Lodi Unified School District
George Gonzales vs. Lodi Unified School District
Valerie Rose vs. Lodi Unified School District
Brandon Null vs. Lodi Unified School District
Torie C Schantz vs. Lodi Unified School District
Lodi Unified School District vs. Alex James Niktaris
C.G. vs. Lodi Unified School District
Bangar Contractors Corporation vs. Lodi Unified School District
Vantha So vs. Lodi Unified School District
Tamara Stafford vs. Lodi Unified School District
Gayle Manufacturing Co Inc vs. Lodi Unified School District 1
Chalysa Williams vs. Lodi Unified School District
Chalysa Williams vs. Lodi Unified School District
Arika Geiszler vs. Lodi Unified School District
Con J Franke Electric Inc. vs. Lodi Unified School District
Tracey Singh et al VS Lodi Unified School District et al
Amy Jayne Johnson VS Lodi Unified School District
Marelich Mechanical Co. Inc VS Lodi Unified School District
Urata & Sons Cement. Inc.. VS Lodi Unified School District. et al..
People vs Lodi Unified. etc.. et al.
Charles Smith. et al VS Lodi Unified School District. et al Crystal Moreno. etc. vs Lodi Unified School District. et al.
a resident of Downtown
on May 27, 2012 at 2:57 pm
I'm done with PUSD crying poverty and cutting programs and increasing class sizes with hands out bleating for donations. Then they hire expensive consultants and administrators with seemingly no conscience. Bowser even said in the board meeting that people had been emailing him asking him to not fill this position. Seeing school staff and administrators regularly spending their working hours dining at Mexico Lindo and enjoying the sunshine at area golf courses (that is what the car allowances are for apparently since you never seem them at the actual schools) means they can't be very busy, doesn't it?
I read an article in the Valley Times yesterday that talked about the lack of voter confidence in elected officials. To borrow from their theme, no wonder the school administration with its actions have an approval record that is only slightly higher than Satan's.
I will never donate to PPIE or the schools again.


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LEP Local Authority Comparator Profile - These enable official statistics to be compared and ranked across all 39 LEPs, and allow official statistics for each of the local authority areas within a selected LEP to be compared.
LEP Comparator Profiles - These provide a means of comparing data for a selected LEP against data for another LEP, a selected local authority and England.
In addition, a short article is available to illustrate some of the potential for analysis using the data within the profiles. It has been produced to provide a flavour of the data available in the LEP Local Authority Comparator Profile. The article focuses on the South East Midlands LEP. The aim is not to provide a comprehensive overview of all aspects of the particular LEP chosen, but rather to provide an indication of some of the charts and data available within the profiles that can be examined for each of the 39 LEPs.