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Training, always an appealing target for cuts in tight budget times, has also come under a further cloud in the wake of the government's conference hysteria, since there is sometimes an overlap between the two. Many believe that training is a crucial part of obtaining good employee performance, but others argue that a lot of training provided by government agencies or by vendors under contract to government, is rote and not engaging.
This cries out for performance measurement, to develop information about which training providers are doing a better or worse job, and to provide a series of natural experiments that could produce improvements in training offerings. If some ways of training on similar topics produce better results than others, we need to learn what distinguishes success from failure so we can spread good practice.
Having said that, we haven't gotten very far in developing performance measures for training programs, except for the student satisfaction ratings many of these courses use. (Those are not useless, but they are hardly dispositive.) We have talked somewhat about this at the Kennedy School with regard to our executive education programs. We have toyed with the idea of doing some before and after interviews of the direct supervisor of a sample of our participants, to see whether, and how, their job performance has improved after being exposed to our programs. I am embarrassed to say, however, that this effort has so far stayed at the discussion stage, and we are still limiting ourselves to the classic approach of asking students to rate the professors and the program.
Because of this, some efforts under way at the always magnificent Veterans Administration Acquisition Academy are noteworthy. (Full disclosure: I am on the advisory board of the Academy, an unpaid position, and learned about this effort at an advisory board meeting.) They have introduced a low-cost way of getting feedback from the supervisors of participants in their training course for VA program managers. In addition to surveys of participants about knowledge and knowledge utilization improvements (the results of which are almost certainly biased way upward), they have also done a simple survey of supervisors with questions such as whether there were "positive and noticeable changes in their staff members' project management behavior" and whether the supervisor believed that "cost, schedule, and/or performance improved as a result of training." While these responses are also probably subject to exaggeration (especially since the supervisor might feel that if the program was a bust, it would reflect badly on them for sending the participant there), results are likely more accurate than participant self-reports, and the specific questions do deal with outcomes of the training.
Incidentally, for what it's worth, on average 71 percent of supervisors report that participant behavior improved and 74 percent said cost, schedule and performance had improved. Even if those figures are double the real numbers, getting improvements from even a third of training participants isn't bad. In addition, I hope that over time the Acquisition Academy will develop enough of a database on supervisor reports so it can analyze differences among programs and faculty members in producing performance improvements.
All in all, the VA Acquisition Academy has developed an important innovation for improving the value the government gets from training programs. There are a lot of program management courses out there. How about the Acquisition Academy trying to work with the Defense Acquisition University, the Chief Acquisition Officers Council and relevant others to get a standard set of simple questions to ask supervisors so we can develop more data on the effectiveness of training programs in this area?
Posted on Aug 08, 2013 at 12:34 PM
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After a 2017 filled with uncertainty and slipped deadlines, the Census Bureau faces a critical 2018 that could make or break the constitutionally mandated count.
Interesting article and discussion! Measuring Level 3, or application to the job, can be straightforward and extremely cost efficient if done with a short survey of the employee/student or supervisor. Some agencies see supervisor input as more objective and thus credible while others do not trust their supervisors, especially in technical areas, to provide accurate responses. I've also run up against other obstacles, such as fear of poor results (possibly due a lack of front end analysis, as Judy notes), union restrictions, and supervisors who are not in the same location as their employees and therefore cannot provide input. In my experience, deep evaluation skill and experience is needed to go beyond routine Level 3 surveys and find other ways to gather credible measures of training impact, such as existing measures or short phone surveys or focus groups.
That last comment is simply perfect! Pay attention congress, just pay attention...
The first "measure" is to "measure" if the training was physical or virtual. If virtual, chances are it's not one the agency cares about. Next "measure" its nature with the sniff test. If it's simply a class that's meant to check a box to tell congress we're "training" our people - IOW if it's cyber security or HR related - then it's trash. So if you're required to take virtual cyber security training it's a given that it's trash. If it's virtual training for HR related things, then it's also trash and just meant to give congress the impression people were trained. And the agency feels like their off the hook.
Now, if it's training that physical training, in other words it was important enough to get you out of the office for, then it has a chance of being useful. However, if it's training that's meant to make you more efficient, due to congress' ineffective funding model, it's probably trash since the employee won't be given the tools and resources needed to build the bridge once they get back to the office. So you'll have a lot of ideas – most people call them common sense – but you won't have the people, money, or other tools to get the job done. And you'll have a congressman yelling that people are trained and not getting the job done. So they forget that a well-trained soldier with no rifle or rounds might not be an effective war fighter. Good to be them I say. So, be weary of taking training unless you sure you'll be funded and resourced when you get back to the office.
So that's how you "measure" training – by making sure you'll have a snow-ball's chance in hell of using the training as trained later on. And if it's virtual training, chances are it's trash from the start and only there to check off a box for congress.
Interesting topic Steve. I provide training services to VAAA, in addition to other private companies around town. In addition to DAU and FAI, the biggest problem I see is that federal government managers are required to be certified (FAC or DAWIA), with little thought into executing what they have learned. Due to budget issues, class sizes are at maximum capacity, with many students there to check off boxes. The most successful programs that I have experienced are those that hold the students accountable for executing some information they learned from the class via an "Action Plan" with their supervisors. Whether it is building better requirements, performing more effective market research, etc., students create tasks, due dates, and other items consistent with improving performance in that area. Many of the courses out there do not do this, so the student takes the binder back to their office, where it collects dust along with the others. There is little to no follow up, and the best practices lessons are quickly forgotten, replaced by the day-to-day grind of trying to get paper out the door with little thought into effectiveness or efficiency. As I always say to students, there is ample time to fix problems, but never enough time for the upfront work to do it right in the fist place.
Concur with Bruce's comment regarding Kirkpatrick's levels and Phillip's RoI as the classic models for evaluation of performance. Good training is based upon a front end task analysis that describes the performance standard or outcome the learner must achieve for each task. These objectives should be measureable. So the training effectiveness is related to the metric for performance. In my opinion, it is far better to collect quantitative data on performance to indicate training effectiveness than to use qualitative surveys of supervisors. Transfer of learning where the employee can perform to a standard is the bottom line. This is Level 3 evaluation in the Kirkpatrick model. The other question on training effectiveness is how long does it last. Can the employee still perform to standard 6 months or a year later?
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The packed Portland City Council chamber last Wednesday night told the story. There was testimony from the public and from the petroleum industry (local, national and Canadian representatives) concerning the pros and cons of tar sands oil and its potential effect or lack of effect on our land and water.
The debate was sometimes heated and sometimes coldly rational. Statistics and anecdotal testimony flew from both sides.
In the end, the resolution to ban the purchase of oil for city operations from refineries that process tar sands was sent back to the Transportation, Sustainability and Energy Committee for more review, in-depth study and clearer language.
I should have been disappointed, but I wasn't. We should all, as citizens, be doing our own review and in-depth study and honing our own precise language on the subject of tar sands being piped near our water source and off-loaded in our harbor.
When paid representatives from the oil industry take time out of their busy schedules to come, on one of the coldest nights of the year, to the council chambers of a small Northeastern city in the United States, something larger is at stake than a public relations call. This should be a personal wake-up call for us all to do our homework.
The information is out there, and we can all find it. We are "fact-check nation." Let's do it. This resolution will return, and so will we.
Nicole d'Entremont
Peaks Island
LePage misrepresents state, maligns our elected officials
Firstly, thank you for Ray Routhier's excellent article on Maine's Warden Service and the TV show ("Show tracks the wild life of Maine game wardens," Jan. 23). It portrays Maine and Mainers authentically to a nation that might be misled by other factors.
The primary other factor is our Gov. LePage. He has variously told the world that our schools stink and that educators lie to students, and he has refused to meet with legislative leaders elected by the people to help solve Maine's problems, leading our state's credit rating to decline.
It's incredible that the supposed leader of our great state has accomplished this almost single-handedly! Nice job.
My solution: Impeach this out-of-control man. President Clinton faced impeachment for little more than lying about a consensual sexual relationship.
The governor is causing incredible damage to our form of government. I'm certainly no constitutional scholar, but the idea that he has refused to do due diligence in the exercise of his office must have occurred to some others with more acumen than I.
Two more years of this is two years too much. I have no involvement in any of these particular heretofore-mentioned individual issues.
I am an independent politically and personally and have always been proud to be a born-and-raised lifelong Mainer. Can one maladjusted, tone-deaf, put-up-your-dukes governor destroy our state's reputation in four years? He's already done a pretty good job in just two.
Thomas Gribbin
I would like to respond to Gov. LePage's comment to the lawmakers who were duly voted into office by the citizens of Maine.
Again, anger led to the governor's blatant comment calling our elected officials a bunch of "idiots."
I as a citizen want to hear a formal apology to these officials and to the citizens of our great state. This apology should be personally done in front of television cameras and newspapers throughout the state.
Also, it is my opinion that the governor should attend anger management classes. These classes may curb these and other blatant outbursts aimed at our officials and avoid the impact these leave on the citizens.
Daniel F. Lynch
Hardworking caregivers do have resources for relief
There is a good chance that if you are not a caregiver yourself, then you know someone else who is.
In the United States, approximately 43.5 million adults provide what is called "unpaid" care to someone age 50 or older. Breaking that number down further, 19 percent of all adults are responsible for daily caregiving tasks such as meal preparation, travel to and from appointments and cleaning for an older dependent or loved one.
When one considers how many caregivers in America have jobs, other demanding responsibilities and/or children of their own, one can start to imagine how stressful their lives can be.
If you know someone who is a caregiver, there are ways to help. A lot of caregivers may be unaware that there are resources available that can provide some relief.
For example, the Department of Health and Human Resources' Eldercare Locator is a great way to get started, and they are just a phone call away at 1-800-677-1116.
The AARP Caregiving Resource Center at www.aarp.org/caregivers is also a site that offers a wide range of services and supports for both caregivers and for those of us who might wish to help.
If you've ever taken care of an older parent or loved one, you know how much it can mean to have a break and some free time for yourself. Helping out a caregiver in 2013 would be a great resolution for the new year.
Helena Trumble
AARP Greater Portland Chapter No. 228
Wrong Newtown count is more than inaccurate
Almost all media reported that 26 people died in the tragic Sandy Hook Elementary School slaughter in Newtown, Conn., on Dec. 14. But the true number was 27.
Not to include the suicide of the shooter, Adam Lanza, is to not acknowledge that he was human. He was sick. He was flawed. He was desperately in need of help that wasn't available. (States have cut mental health budgets by 12 percent since 2009.) But he was human. He counted.
So editors, take note. People, take note. When writing or speaking or thinking of that terrible event: Twenty-seven human beings died in that school. We owe it to our shared humanity to be accurate.
Catherine Wolff

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People Power Wins Richmond -- Chevron & Old Power Elite Whooped!
Estimados Amigos y Comunidád:
On November 2, 2010, the People of Richmond re-elected Progressives Gayle McLaughlin for our Mayor and elected Jovanka Beckles to the Richmond City Council. We also resoundingly defeated Measure U by 57.5% to 42.5%.
A significant political blow has been suffered by the Richmond corporatocracy that has dominated all aspects of political and economic life in Richmond and beyond for 100 years.
Chevron alone spent at least $1 million to defeat the Progressive movement in Richmond, California, and got its ass whooped. Chevron's Mayoral candidate, Nat Bates, and City Council candidates, Maria Theresa Viramontes and Ludmyrna Lopez have been completely repudiated by the voters of Richmond. The People also elected Corky Boozé and, unbelievably, Jim Rogers! Pro and Anti casino forces also brought in another $1 million.
The Richmond Progressive Movement has been a self funded endeavor of positively committed grassroots community members. Now with an overwhelming mandate from the People of Richmond, the Richmond Progressive Movement will do what it has always done: bring the people of Richmond together for a healthier, cleaner vision of our future and the future of our families.
The Richmond Progressive Movement has now democratically defeated one of the world's most wealthy and powerful corporations in its own backyard. Chevron, along with its allies and surrogates; the Richmond Chamber of Commerce, the Council of Industries, the Richmond Police Officers Association, the Richmond Firefighters Association, BAPAC, BMW, the Contra Costa Building Trades Councils, Contra Costa Central Labor Council, the Contra Costa Democratic Central Committee and numerous operatives in the business and non-profit sectors, all ganged up along with the new exploiters, gambling speculators, in a head to head vote for the hearts and minds of the people of Richmond.
Our Revolution is like the Prague Spring or the Orange Revolution of the Ukraine. We peacefully and deliberately took the community's issues to the people to let them decide their own future. The People of Richmond have shown their intelligence and perceptiveness in seeing through the lies and false promises of the "Richmond Way" corruption.
There is much damage that has been done to our community and the healing must begin. But let us not forget that the People of Richmond have mandated a significant new way of doing business in town. Accountability must be part of the new way of doing business in Richmond. The days of cronyism, racism, incompetence, nepotism, pay to play must now end!
Congratulations to all of the candidates, contributors and volunteers who ran clean and admirable campaigns that energized Richmond voters to peacefully change the direction of our community.
¡¡¡One Richmond!!!
Paz y Amor,
Andrés Soto
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Oleander Poisoning: A Preventable Illness
- May 1, 2013
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Oleander is also one of the most poisonous plants and contains numerous toxic compounds, many of which can be deadly to people and animals--including horses.
Photo: UC Davis Center for Equine Health Horse Report
Reprinted from The Horse Report with permission from the Center for Equine Health, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis (UC Davis).
Oleander is an evergreen shrub that seems to grow everywhere in California—in yards, parks, and along freeways. It is often grown as a hedge that can reach up to 20 feet tall. The leaves are thick, leathery and dark green. White, pink, or yellow flowers that are sweetly scented grow in clusters at the end of each branch.
Oleander is also one of the most poisonous plants and contains numerous toxic compounds, many of which can be deadly to people and animals. It is especially dangerous to horses; signs of a poisoned horse include severe diarrhea, colic, and abnormal heartbeat.
The primary toxins in oleander are cardiac glycosides, which affect the heart. Cardiac reactions consist of an irregular heart rate, sometimes characterized by a racing heart that subsequently slows to below normal further along in the reaction. The heart might also beat erratically with no sign of a specific rhythm. Other toxic effects include nausea, excess salivation, abdominal pain, diarrhea (sometimes with blood), kidney failure, and colic in horses. Oleander poisonings can also affect the central nervous system and cause drowsiness, tremors, seizures, collapse, and even coma that can lead to death.
Several years ago, a sick 4-year-old Standardbred racehorse was brought to UC Davis' William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH). The owner reported that it had stopped eating the day before and was clearly unwell. The horse appeared to be in shock, judging from the color of its mucous membranes, a heartbeat racing at 160 beats per minute (bpm, a normal heartbeat for a horse is 28 to 44 bpm), and a slightly elevated temperature. It also had significant discomfort from ileus—a condition in which the bowel does not move the contents at normal rates of flow because of lack of neuromuscular control. The ileus had caused a backward flow of fluid and intestinal contents back into the stomach. Since horses cannot vomit, this poses a serious problem. To treat this condition, a nasogastric tube was inserted into the horse to drain the accumulating fluid while tests were performed to determine the underlying problem.
An electrocardiogram (ECG) revealed that the horse had ventricular tachycardia, which is an irregular and overly rapid heartbeat. Pleural effusion—fluid in the chest around the lungs—and pericardial effusion—fluid around the heart—were signs that the horse's heart was failing. This condition was treated as an emergency with lidocaine administered intravenously to slow the heart rate. Eventually the heart rate was brought down to 60 bpm, substantially closer to the normal rate of 40 bpm than before, and the arrhythmia was converted to a normal sinus rhythm.
Blood work and urinalysis results then indicated a build-up of toxins and renal failure. By now, the horse was quite weak and was staggering. It was immediately put on intravenous fluids to flush out the toxins and eventually was stabilized. Meanwhile, testing continued to determine the exact cause of illness. The diagnosis of toxicity was confirmed by laboratory tests, which showed the presence of oleander in the blood, feces, and stomach fluid. The owners of the horse had not realized that the pasture the horse had been turned out in days before was surrounded by oleander.
Fortunately, this story has a happy ending. With continued intensive treatment and supportive care, the horse began to recover and was eventually released from the VMTH. Three months after this incident, the owner reported that the horse was doing very well and was back in training.
Not every case ends this well, so remember that preventing exposure to oleander is by far the best course of action for your horses and other animals.
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By Amanda Wicks
With Mark Ronson sharing photos of Lady Gaga in the studio, rumors abounded that LG5 was officially on its way. But then Gaga seemed so busy between a new starring role in the Bradley Cooper-directed film A Star is Born and her upcoming second collaborative album with Tony Bennett that it didn't seem likely she'd release new music anytime soon.
Related: Lady Gaga Confirms Major Film Debut in 'A Star is Born'
Gaga loves a surprise and she sure dropped one today (August 17). Using 12 brightly colored posts to create a single message, she shared on Instagram that her new single "Perfect Illusion" will arrive this September. She also tweeted the information. Beyond sharing the announcement itself, Gaga didn't say much else about the single.
In May, producer Ronson posted a photo of Gaga and Tame Impala's Kevin Parker in the studio together. He captioned the image "Illusion," which, given Gaga's latest announcement, now makes a lot more sense. A Ronson-Tame Impala-Gaga track? It's sure to be killer.
If Gaga plans on sharing new music in September, does that mean a new album is also imminent? We certainly hope so.
Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) August 17, 2016


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The Code Of The Indie Road
"Making it" in the music business means something different than it used to. The concept of reaching for the stars has become counterbalanced by the notion of striving to make a living by touring smartly and economically. Many artists no longer tour to promote an album, they record music to promote a tour. While it is easy for GRAMMY-winning superstars such as Paul McCartney and U2 to book concerts around the globe at will, indie artists seeking to break through have to be more fiscally mindful.
"When I was starting out, gas was 21 cents a gallon, motel rooms were $19.95 a night and truck rentals were 25 bucks a week," recalls Twisted Sister guitarist and manager Jay Jay French. "You could make $150 a night playing in bars. Your overhead was so low that $900 a week gave you plenty of money to survive, rehearse and make demos while you were dreaming of becoming a rock star. These days, you have to pay $150 to start in some bars. Gas is $5 a gallon, motels are $100 a night and truck rentals are $500 a week."
The first step to becoming a successful live act is to cultivate a loyal local following. Steve Karas, co-founder of multiservice company SKH Music, recommends focusing first on markets close to home and playing repeatedly in cycles of every 8–12 weeks to grow a fan base.
"By keeping those markets in proximity to one another, you create an environment where those markets overlap one another, giving fans an opportunity to go to show A or show B, which are in proximity to their homes," says Karas.
Strong local acts also have a better chance of opening for a national headliner passing through town. Singer/songwriter Mike Ruocco, a former member of rock bands SR-71 and Cinder Road, visits the Pollstar website five times a day to scout for potential opening slots for national acts doing local shows. He has also been speaking with a similar genre artist about doing an acoustic tour.
"It's easier to do [an acoustic tour] because you can play these 150 to 300 seat rooms or coffeehouses as a solo artist, and people can come out there inexpensively, listen to some quality music and you can get some organic fans," says Ruocco. "It's certainly not glamorous, but if you're a lifer like me and your only alternative to tour is going in your own car with a guitar player and a box full of CDs and T-shirts and playing coffeehouses, then that's what you do."
When Cinder Road opened for Daughtry in 2007, they played for free on the first leg but sold 100 CDs per night. "Then on the second leg of the tour we moved from being the opening band to the direct support band and got 250 bucks a night," adds Ruocco. "But playing for 1,500 to 2,000 people a night is what mattered."
Genre-bending singer/songwriter Erin Barra has put plenty of effort into touring, often doing both radio and in-store performances on the day of a show. It helps that MMD, Blackheart Records' third-party distribution and marketing company, distributes her music.
"If a venue or a promoter knows that there's some amount of manpower behind you, they're a little bit more willing to go out on a limb," says Barra. "Although there are bottom lines to meet, venues and promoters are always looking for something up-and-coming that they can affiliate themselves with and grow with."
Barra stresses the importance of planning and goals. She has a special EPK available privately on her website and makes sure all photographic and video materials are of good quality. Wise economic choices are made in areas such as advertising and publicity.
"I've had a publicist for the past year and a half, and some really amazing things have come out of it," says Barra. "I've run Facebook ads that have been highly effective. You can put resources into different avenues, but if you don't do it correctly then it's a waste of money."
Veteran British rock band Marillion signed a five-album deal with EMI Music in the early '80s, and have since made albums themselves and licensed them via labels such as Castle Records. A fan-funded tour in 1997 was a revelation that prompted the fan-funded album Anoraknophobia in 2001. Through generating a fan database and shipping CDs for those endeavors, the group has grown a cottage industry of live albums and videos, fan conventions, and booking and selling tickets to many of their own gigs.
"The best piece of advice I can offer a young band is use your fans, especially if they have talents there," says Marillion keyboardist Mark Kelly. "They are going to want to do stuff for you, [whether it's] someone who's got a particular talent for taking photographs or shooting video."
Ellen Stanley, director of publicity and promotions for Red House Records and a musician under the name Mother Banjo, says that music conferences such as Folk Alliance and South by Southwest are particularly helpful for meeting musicians from across the country.
"Doing tours with them can be really helpful," says Stanley. "That's a great way of getting new fans and is often a more economical way of touring. Or you could trade those contacts. Josh Ritter got his start that way. He would open for the Frames in Ireland, and they weren't big in the U.S. at that time. They helped each other out in the early days."
Stanley adds that many major folk festivals have songwriting contests where finalists can mingle with other performers and winners often get a festival spot the following year. Musicians can audition for National Association for Campus Activities and possibly land lucrative college gigs through which club dates can be booked in between. Ruocco notes that some major rock festivals offer a battle of the bands to find a local opening act.
"The most important thing is to have a really good product," says Barra. "You can try to advertise, promote and shove things down people's throats all day and night, but if you're not doing something that is truly unique and actually of quality, then it's a moot point to begin with."
(Bryan Reesman is a New York-based freelance writer.)


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Red Chair Travels to the Best Bed and Breakfasts in New England
December 13, 2012 by Katie Pate
Red Chair has arrived in the Berkshires!
What, you may be asking, is the 'Red Chair?' Well, here is a description from the Red Chair Travels website that will clarify:
"The Red Chair is a symbol, a movement, a phenomenon, a happening. Not just a simple wooden chair, this bright red vintage object is moving from place to beautiful place, exploring the best of New England all this year.
Move aside Flat Stanley, lie down garden gnome, hang yourself out to dry traveling pants… the Red Chair has arrived and captured the hearts and minds of America. This humble desk accoutrement, crimson paint peeling and wooden legs wobbling, will journey around New England building connections, meeting innkeepers and generally exploring some of the most beautiful corners of our country."
Sounds fun, right? The Red Chair's visit to our Berkshires bed and breakfast was a great way for us to share with travelers all that the Berkshires has to offer as well as our thriving little community of Lee. Here are the places we brought the Red Chair:
Read the rest of this page »


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LMAO ... since when did bloggers have the inside scoop?
Source - Click hereIn a shocking discovery, the Bulls and Raptors have engaged in talks that would send Chris Bosh to the Bulls before Thursdays trade deadline. The Bulls would send Luol Deng and Joakim Noah to the Raptors for Bosh. Personally, Im surprischris_bosh.jpged by this. The idea of giving up Noah with the possibility of Bosh leaving after the season seems like a high risk. In addition, Noah is enjoying a breakout season and Im surprised theyre willing to trade him. On the other hand, it does clear Luol Dengs large contract and gives the Bulls a better chance at resigning Bosh at the end of the season. If the trade goes down, it would make it one of the biggest mid-season blockbusters of all time. Update: Tuesday, Feb. 16, 4:00 central time.
In smaller news, Tyrus Thomas is likely to be traded. Big surprise right? Thomas has been discussed in almost a dozen different scenarios and is almost certain to be moved by Thursday. If Al Harrington is not part of a T-Mac deal, look for a Tyrus-Harrington swap (and salaries to make it match) to go down.


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This weekend will begin the high school football season at SoonerScoop.com and we're hitting the road like nowhere else. To prove it we're going to start a new feature in which we offer you a look at the various football functions SoonerScoop.com staffers will be attending - be they games, scrimmages, or 'jamboree'-like events.
This weekend we'll be catching scrimmage events in Tulsa that will feature elite programs like Jenks, Booker T., East Central, and Union to forget any number of other quality in-state programs. Also we'll be all over the state of Texas watching a pair of Oklahoma commitments and a player that many think could be among Oklahoma's top quarterback targets in 2013.
Names To Know: Alex Ross, Trey'Vonne Barre, Ryan Boatright, Cameron Wrenn, Ashton Henderson, Michael Onuoha, Justice Hansen, Trevan Smith, Orion Jones, Jordan Smallwood, Nick Daniels, and Darrack Harger.
Obviously Jenks and Edmond Santa Fe eat up almost the entirety of the list of names to know and it's that game that will probably be the one to watch in this preview. Now that's not to say that Santa Fe is ready to stand toe to toe with Jenks but it will be interesting to see how their young star quarterback, Hansen, deals with a talented Trojan defensive line led by Jones and Henderson. Also as Jenks always puts together a strong offensive line it will be interesting to see how Onuoha battles and goes against a physical offensive line. Finally the collection of skill position talent, led by Sooner commitment Alex Ross, is going to be unparalleled almost anywhere in the Big 12 region.
Names To Know: Darius Graham, Michael Thomas, Quinton Paras, Adrian McDonald, Tae Douglas, Daniel Schwarz,
It's odd that the Oklahoma City preview is headlined entirely by Lawton products but that's the kind of talent that is down in Southwest Oklahoma not just over the next few years but just about every year. Obviously Graham, as one of the state's top players in a star-studded 2013 class is the headliner but tons of playmakers abound for both the Eagles and Highlanders. And that's to forget when you have successful programs like El Reno, Bishop McGuiness, and Mustang - who boasts the promising nephew of Sooner Butkus award winner Rocky Calmus, Tucker Calmus.
Names to Know: DeVante Harris, Richard Jones, Dru Smith, Vincent Hobbs, Wyliyam Stokes, Nick Jordan, David Busby, Sam Rice, William Udeh, Soloman Thomas
Obviously for a game between just two teams on the opening week of the season there is a serious collection of division one talent. The even better news is that two programs such as these have all kind of unseen young players. However for Sooner fans the emergence of Harris this summer has been an enjoyable revelation and watching him try and face a quality offense should only add to the intrigue. And with the Sooners success in landing Bennett Okotcha last year they figure to try and go back to Coppell over the next few years to look at talented pass rushers like Udeh and Thomas. All in all there is a ton of young talent to be aware of.
Names to Know: Trevor Knight, Connor Knight, Austin Hays, Shane Ax, Matt Beyer, Tanner Schorp, Derrick Kindred
Obviously the focus of the attention are two future Sooners, the Knight brothers however Reagan also has a talented young offensive lineman in Beyer and Wagner has several 2012 prospects that are worth watching. In the case of Trevor Knight he is just returning from an injury but is expected to be good to go on Saturday night it will be interesting to see how he has grown going into 2011 and handles the pressure of being something of a 'marked man'. Also keep an eye on Schorp who has drawn some early reviews and made strong impressions.


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Clint Mephisto's Road Show Episode 197- The Annual Sh*t Kickin' Halloween!
Clint Mephisto's Shit Kickin Road Show Episode 197, week of October 31st. It's the Annual Shit Kickin Halloween Episode! An action packed set of spooky and horror themed tunes celebrating the most wonderful time of the year! Featuring Calabrese, Buck Owens, The Cramps, Screaming Jay Hawkins, The Coffinshakers, Viva Hate more!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:45:02 — 96.2MB) | Embed


text:
1967 Chevy C10 Buildup - Project: The Show
Part 7: ISIS Three Cell Wiring Harness
As seen on this month's cover, project: The Show is a bare metal masterpiece of custom truck form meeting daily driver function. Using the best in aftermarket engine, brake, and suspension components, the crew at Chassis by Aaron Iha didn't cut any corners when building this '67 Chevy C10. Getting close to completing year-long build, the time came to purchase a wiring harness and with plans to drive the Chevy on a regular basis, a tried and true system needed to be installed. Keeping with the high-tech theme of project: The Show, an ISIS three-cell wiring harness was ordered.
ISIS (Intelligent Silicon Integrated System) is unlike any other wiring harness on the market as it uses a CAN (Controller Area Network) bus cable to connect the Mastercell to each subservient Powercell. This keeps with wiring basic, as you literally just need to run power from the cell to the electrical component. The ISIS features lighter overall weight than other wiring harness, smart technology that can troubleshoot itself, and the ability to coordinate and control up to 50 inputs and 50 outputs with variable voltage (0-5 volts) needs (for the Mastercell) and 10 fused outputs (per Powercell). Trick setups allow for electric fans or headlights to stay on after the ignition is turned off, daytime running lights with lower voltage draw, and the ISIS even has an optional inLINK key fob that provides maximum security. The inLINK allows the owner to lock out the fuel pump, ignition and starter, so even if a thief broke in and tried to hot-wire your ride, the fuel pump wouldn't fire and your truck would still be waiting on you to return with the inLINK. Now that's cool.
We caught up with Aaron Iha and asked him about his ISIS wiring harness experience and why he chose the high-tech system. This is what he said.
1-2. ISIS uses a Mastercell to control up to 50 inputs and 50 outputs and then, using a CAN bus system plugs into a Powercell.
3-4. Aaron, as we take a look at the ISIS Mastercell, why go with the ISIS wiring system rather than a traditional relay-equipped wiring harness?
5-6. I see for both the Mastercell and Powercells, you built a custom enclosure/mounting bracket for them under the dash. Why go that route?
7-8. Wow, that looks like a ton of wiring to man. Did you use any of the ISIS' custom features (ie. daytime running lights, electric fans, inLINK, etc)?
ISIS PowerElk Grove Village, IL


text:
Guess the Celebrity Crib
This $12 million mansion in the Pacific Palisades area of Southern California was just snapped up by an R&B singer who will most likely use every room in the home to take topless photos of herself and share them with the internet. In other words, the manse is a punishment to us all.
The newly-single lady (for now) has plenty of space in which to toke up, and plenty of bedrooms in which to house her on-again-off-again douche of a boyfriend when he's around. She'll post photos of him too, because she doesn't care what we think. About that or anything else, really.
But hey, at least the house is pretty — even if her personal life isn't.


text:
Waiting for Tuesday's Glee episode will be remarkably hard for me, as I've already gone through half a dozen tissues while tearing up over the premise of next week's "Funeral" episode.
Rumors abound, but the prophesy that a "beloved character" will die and a "major couple" will split up is too much for my weak, overly theatrical heart.
Especially when that's accompanied by the bittersweet crooning of New Directions singing "Pure Imagination" from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and Lea Michele singing an emotional "My Man."
"Pure Imagination"
"My Man"
After listening to those songs, who do you think is going to die on next week's Glee? Vote in the poll and let us know why you think that in the comments!
Tune in to "Glee" each Tuesday (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. For more info on "GLEE" The Music visit: http://www.gleethemusic.com. In the mean time, catch up on all the greatest "Glee" hits on "Glee" Radio.


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Fiji joined 168 other Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity [CBD], in the early hours of Saturday morning 30 October, 2010, in adopting the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing of Genetic Resources [ABS] at the 10th Conference of the Parties (COP10), held in the City of Nagoya, Aichi, Japan. The conference had been in session from 18 to 25 October, followed by a High Level Segment from 27-30 October 2010 at Ministerial level.
The protocol will ensure that the people of Fiji retain rights over their genetic resource and traditional knowledge and that profits from these resources can be shared fairly with the Fijian people. It has taken 12 long years of negotiation for the parties to finally reach agreement on what is considered by most at the conference as the single most important item to be negotiated at this COP.
Fiji signed and ratified to the Convention on Biological Diversity during the UN General Assembly in 1992. The adoption of the ABS Protocol ends a long journey of negotiations between parties which began in 2002 during the World Summit in Johannesburg. The protocol indeed signifies a remarkable achievement under the convention and successful negotiations of the 2010 CBD COP10 in Nagoya.
"We have seen history in the making here. The adoption of the ABS protocol is a major step forward in bringing equity and fairness in the sharing of the profits made by the developed world from the biodiversity resources of the developing world, including small island developing states like Fiji," said H.E. Isikeli Mataitoga.
The ABS is a compromise agreement which finely balances the interest of the vast majority of the Parties to the CBD. Apart from the ABS Protocol the other important item agreed to by the parties was the Strategic Plan for the period 2011-2020. Within this Plan are a set of Strategic Goal and Headline targets [Aichi targets]. Fiji must now look to the future and continue to provide leadership in the region to ensure the new targets will be reached and to set up mechanism that would enable it, to implement the Access and Benefit Sharing protocol.
The Fiji delegation [Team Fiji] team was led by H.E. Isikeli Mataitoga, Fiji's Ambassador to Japan. His expertise and experiences in Multilateral governance and negotiation was a valuable asset. Members of Team Fiji were Ms. Eleni Tokaduadua of the Department of Environment, Dr. Stacy Jupiter, Director Wildlife Conservation South Pacific, and Mr. Bernard O'Callaghan, Regional Program Coordinator and Advisor at IUCN. Ambassador Mataitoga expressed his gratitude and admiration to his team members for their expertise and dedication to the tasks at hand during the long hours of negotiation.
"Fiji was satisfied with the outcomes of the COP," said Ms. Eleni Tokaduadua. "We already have a number of access and benefit sharing partners in discussions with the government. The International Protocol on ABS will ensure that suitable benefits may flow to the people of Fiji".
Fiji's active participation at the negotiation table in the strategies for protection of Marine and Coastal Biodiversity and further development of the Protected Areas Program ensured the recognition of community participation in resource and ecosystem based management in Fiji and other Pacific islands, and the dire need for resources and capacity to ensure continuity of program support at the community level.
Fiji was able to showcase lessons learnt from the Fiji Locally Marine Managed Areas during the 'Pacific Voyage Side Event' and participated in a strategic discussion on the development of Pacific-wide cooperation through the 'Pacific 2020 Challenge' through engaging with all Pacific Rim countries for concerted management. The launch of the Western Pacific Ecosystem-based Management Guide, co-hosted by Fiji's Department of Environment and the Wildlife Conservation Society, was one of the highlights of Fiji's participation at the COP side events.
The engagement of NGO conservation partners in the Delegation Team was an added value to negotiating Fiji's positions at Nagoya because of the expertise and knowledge they bring with them. The Fiji delegation also provided the necessary expertise and leadership in the region's participation and understanding of relevant issues discussed at the COP10.
The Fiji Government is thankful to all our partners that provided technical and moral support during the long hours of negotiations during the COP10 on issues of priority to Fiji.


text: HISP-S 100 Elementary Spanish (4 credits) By permission only. Call (812) 855-8612 or e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com The course presents a four skills approach to Spanish with an emphasis on critical thinking skills. Students will practice speaking in small groups in class as well as reading and discussing materials in Spanish. Grading is based on exams, homework, participation, attendance, and a cumulative final exam. Enrollment in S100 is restricted to those with less than 2 years of high school Spanish or with the consent of the department. All others must enroll in S105. The next course in the sequence for HISP-S 100 students would be HISP-S 150 Elementary Spanish II. See schedule of classes at Registrar's web page: http://registrar.indiana.edu/ Click on Calendars and Schedules, then Schedule of Classes, then fall 2011 for active class numbers, times and days for this semester. We are listed under HISP.


text:
University Billboard Celebrating 'Remarkable Women' Features Three Grinning Guys
Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax says it wasn't going for controversy when it decided to use a photo of three smiling men on a billboard meant to promote a campaign honoring remarkable women.
The billboard features Paul Kent, the president and chief executive officer of the Greater Halifax Partnership, former provincial Liberal leader Danny Graham and Rob Batherson, the senior vice-president of public affairs at Colour, an advertising and communications company. Each of the men has donated to the university.
The Women's Wall of Honour is set to open in December of 2014 and honor scores of women who have been submitted for inclusion by their friends and family.
According to a university spokesperson, many women have donated money to the project, but the university "wanted to appeal to another demographic, especially with Mother's Day coming up," so it decided to erect a billboard featuring three male donors instead.
If that makes any sense.
Many have taken to Twitter and other social media outlets to express their chagrin at the bewildering move, and some have received this ostensibly explanatory response from the university's social media handler:
While billboards feature men, online and print ads feature women and men who've honoured a woman.
Which is whatever, but then how do they justify giving the same three men top billing on the project's official website?
[H/T: AdWeek, photo via Chronicle Herald, screengrab via Women's Wall of Honour]


text:
Mujica trying to put struggles behind him
By Jenifer Langosch and Chad Thornburg / MLB.com
ST. LOUIS -- Edward Mujica, believing that his September struggles have been mostly mental, hopes that playing a mental game can help him emerge from his funk.
"September has been a bad month for me," Mujica said on Sunday. "But the playoffs start in October, and I'll be ready because it's a new month."
First, the Cardinals have to decide whether to place Mujica on the postseason roster. General manager John Mozeliak said on Saturday that he did expect Mujica to play a role out of the bullpen in October. However, that was before Mujica allowed three of the four ninth-inning batters he faced to record a hit -- one home run and two doubles -- in the Cards' 6-2 win over the Cubs.
Mujica entered September with a 1.73 ERA in 55 appearances. He seemed firmly entrenched as the team's closer and was poised to make a run at a 40-save season. It has since turned out to be one of the worst months of his career. Mujica has given up 18 hits and nine earned runs in 7 1/3 innings. Opponents are batting .514 against the right-hander, who is now no longer being considered for late-inning, high-leverage situations.
"Sometimes people are more concerned about the last month, because it's the month to get ready for the postseason," Mujica said. "But I feel pretty good. I have to go out there and keep battling. Everything is good throughout my body. The thing sometimes, though, is that this job is like a roller coaster. You have good months. You have bad months. My bad month is September."
Carpenter falls short in bid for 200 hits
ST. LOUIS -- Matt Carpenter led the Majors with 199 hits this season. But No. 200 eluded him, as the Cardinals wrapped the regular season with a 4-0 win over the Cubs.
Carpenter went 0-for-8 with three walks since he recorded hit No. 199 on Friday, finishing one shy of becoming the first Cardinals hitter to top 200 knocks since Albert Pujols had 212 in 2003. Before Pujols, the last player with 200 hits for the Cards was Willie McGee in 1985. Had Carpenter reached the mark, he would have been just the third St. Louis hitter to reach that milestone since 1979.
"The way I look at it is, after today, the St. Louis Cardinals have the best record in the National League -- and for me, that is the most important thing," Carpenter said. "Obviously, from an individual standpoint, 200 hits is a cool thing -- and, obviously, I would have liked to get that. But more importantly, we won a big game today. We have the best record in the National League, and now the fun begins."
Carpenter admitted to some relief that he's entering the postseason with a clean slate, alleviating the pressure of chasing the elusive hit.
"You always hear it when guys are chasing certain things, that it can kind of get to them a little bit," Carpenter said, "and I don't know if it did or not. Certainly, that last one was tough to find. It is what it is."
Though he fell short in his pursuit of 200, Carpenter wasn't lacking for impressive statistical feats in just his second full season in the big leagues -- and first as a starting second baseman. The first-time All-Star was honored before Sunday's season finale for passing Stan Musial and setting the Cardinals' single-season record for doubles by a left-handed hitter, with 55.
"You know, it's crazy," Carpenter said. "Something that you can't put into words what that means. To be mentioned in the same sentence with [Musial] is quite an honor and something I'm extremely proud of."
Carpenter also led the Majors in runs (126) and multi-hit games (63), and finished the season ranked sixth in the NL in batting average (.318) and fourth in average with runners in scoring position (.388). He also set the Busch Stadium III record for hits with 112.
"I don't know where we'd be without him -- having that leadoff hitter and having the kind of season that he's having and what he's done defensively," said manager Mike Matheny. "It's just off the charts, as far as how good he has been and how much he's proven just what a solid baseball player he is -- no matter where we put him."
Cardinals set new RISP mark
ST. LOUIS -- The Cardinals concluded the 2013 regular season by setting a new standard for average with runners in scoring position.
Their .330 mark (447-for-1,355) is the best in the Majors in at least the last 40 years, eclipsing the 2007 Tigers and the 1996 Rockies -- who set the previous high at .311.
"That's been our trademark all season," said Matt Carpenter. "... We've done a great job with that, top to bottom, all of our lineup has done really well. It's been something that we did an amazing job all year with. Hopefully, we'll keep that going this postseason."
The Cardinals landed five players among the top six hitters with runners in scoring position. Allen Craig, who hasn't played since Sept. 4 due to a sprained left foot, finished the season hitting .454 with runners in scoring position. In the last 40 years, only George Brett (.469 in 1980) and Tony Gwynn (.459 in '97) finished with better marks than Craig.
Atlanta's Freddie Freeman (.443) finished second, while Matt Holliday (.390), Carpenter (.388), Carlos Beltran (.374) and Yadier Molina (.373) rounded out the top six.
Freese, Holliday get rest in season finale
ST. LOUIS -- Out of the lineup for a second straight day, David Freese reiterated that the weekend of rest is no indication that there is anything wrong with him physically.
Freese, who started 21 straight games before sitting on Saturday, has hit safely in 11 of his last 14 games. Over his last 21 games, he has 18 hits, three homers and 10 RBIs. If he doesn't pinch-hit on Sunday, he'll finish the season with a .262 average, nine homers and 60 RBIs.
"I feel good," Freese said. "This [time off] isn't anything to overanalyze. I'm just going to rest for a few days and be ready for Thursday. This last month, I feel like I've been hitting a lot better."
Asked how he would describe his up-and-down season, Freese said: "So close to being so much better."
Joining Freese on the bench on Sunday was left fielder Matt Holliday, who came out of Saturday's game in the third inning. The Cardinals had hoped to allow Holliday to finish the season with a .300 average, and were able to do so after he homered and walked in his two plate appearances on Saturday.
Holliday's average had not been at .300 all season, but it methodically climbed toward that mark as he went 19-for-37 in his last 10 games.
"We had a pretty good idea yesterday that when he came out of the game that would be it, especially how his last hit was a good one to keep in your memory for about four days," manager Mike Matheny said. "We're excited that he's on a good note, right now."
With Holliday and Freese resting, Matheny was able to give starts to Shane Robinson and Kolten Wong, both of whom could be on the team's bench during the postseason.
Jenifer Langosch is a reporter for MLB.com. Read her blog, By Gosh, It's Langosch, and follow her on Twitter @LangoschMLB. Chad Thornburg 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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Top Stories
Old North Rises Again: Construction Begins this Spring to Restore the Historic Tower
Work begins this fall to complete the renovation of Old North, Central's most beloved landmark.
The effort, however, is a two-phase project, with funding in place only for Phase I.
For many, though, seeing the work begin is a boon in the grand building's long history.
Like most UCO graduates, Foundation Trustee member Leroy Coffman (BSEd '57) fondly remembers parading through Old North for graduation.
However, what was then called the traditional "walk through" became the "walk by" with records indicating the last march occurred in 1999. Old North was closed in 2001.
"Old North's closing was disheartening for not only our faculty, staff and students who were displaced but also for the countless number of alumni who have proudly walked the halls of Old North during their years at UCO," said UCO Provost Dr. Bill Radke.
Nine years later, the outside façade of Old North has been preserved, but Old North's doors remained closed. Repairs became more extensive than originally anticipated, building costs increased, and then came recent funding shortfalls.
Part of a $5 million state bond issue was used to renovate the exterior of Old North. University officials will use the remaining $3 million to complete Phase I, including the construction of a new structure to the east of Old North. This structure will solve building code requirements such as an elevator system and a new air handling unit. Crosswalks will connect the two buildings, which will appear as one. The new structure also will include information technology rooms and an outdoor classroom amphitheater opening into Plunkett Park.
Old North's red sandstone façade - deteriorating before renovation because of its soft, porous nature - will be duplicated for new construction using a process where ground sandstone is combined with an epoxy substance, then cast into molds. The new product will be more durable, while matching the original Old North Tower's exterior.
Phase II will focus on renovating Old North's interior. Approximately $6 million in private gifts will be needed.
"With the recent budget shortfalls, we are relying on the generosity of our alumni and friends more than ever to make the renovation of Old North Tower's interior possible," said Anne Holzberlein, vice president for development at UCO and executive director of the UCO Foundation.
Phase II will create new office and classroom spaces on three floors. And the President's Office will return to the third floor, its original location.
"Phase II is critical for several reasons," said Holzberlein. "Not only do we desperately need the classroom and office space for our growing student body, but more importantly, we have a community responsibility to restore such an important link to our state's history and institutional identity."
With the bond money in hand, Phase I is expected to take 18 months to complete. Phase II completion depends on raising the additional $6 million.
For more information, or to contribute, contact the UCO Foundation at (405) 974-2770.


text:
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Passwords are case sensitive.
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Too bad the good point of this scene is 1/4th og the video. Still wanna know her name
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it'd be even hotter if the car would move around the streets. sex in action!
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she got a nice ass, face is all blah
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text:
Difference between revisions of "Textual Entailment Resource Pool"
(→RTE data sets)
(→Knowledge Resources)
|Line 20:
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== Knowledge Resources ==
== Knowledge Resources ==
== Tools ==
== Tools ==
Revision as of 09:58, 19 June 2009
Textual entailment systems rely on many different types of NLP resources, including term banks, paraphrase lists, parsers, named-entity recognizers, etc. With so many resources being continuously released and improved, it can be difficult to know which particular resource to use when developing a system.
In response, the Recognizing Textual Entailment (RTE) shared task community initiated a new activity for building this Textual Entailment Resource Pool. RTE participants and any other member of the NLP community are encouraged to contribute to the pool.
In an effort to determine the relative impact of the resources, RTE participants are strongly encouraged to report, whenever possible, the contribution to the overall performance of each utilized resource. Formal qualitative and quantitative results should be included in a separate section of the system report as well as posted on the talk pages of this Textual Entailment Resource Pool.
Adding a new resource is very easy. See how to use existing templates to do this in Help:Using Templates.
Complete RTE Systems
- VENSES (from Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Italy)
- Nutcracker (available for download)
- Entailment Demo (from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
RTE data sets
- FrameNet manually annotated RTE 2006 Test Set. Provided by SALSA project, Saarland University.
- Manually Word Aligned RTE 2006 Data Sets. Provided by the Natural Language Processing Group, Microsoft Research.
- RTE data sets annotated for a 3-way decision: entails, contradicts, unknown. Provided by Stanford NLP Group.
- BPI RTE data set - 250 pairs, focusing on world knowledge. Provided jointly by Boeing, Princeton, and ISI.
Knowledge Resources
- C&C parser for Combinatory Categorial Grammar
- Minipar
- Shallow Parser - from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, see a web demo of this tool
Role Labelling
- Shalmaneser
- Semantic Role Labeler - from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, see a web demo of this tool
Entity Recognition Tools
- CCG Named Entity Tagger - see a web demo of this tool
- CCG Multi-lingual Named Entity Discovery Tool - see a web demo of this tool
Corpus Readers
- NLTK provides a corpus reader for the data from RTE Challenges 1, 2, and 3 - see the Corpus Readers Guide for more information.


text:
Whatever sticky situation your prospects find themselves in, we'll have them covered. Browse ePromos for handy promotional items, including lotion, sunscreen, and stain remover branded with your company logo. Hand sanitizer is especially helpful for exhibitors, trade show visitors, and business professionals who are constantly shaking hands. Options are far from limited, as these items make practical giveaways for any occasion. Reach out to our team today for product recommendations and design specs specific to your business.
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Promotional sanitizer with color tint to match your logo.


text:
Le professeur de trail
(Disclaimer - ok ladies you obviously did not read or just blew through the stop sign. Just know that if you keep reading, it is at your own risk. You have been warned.)
Question - running in cold(er) weather has a way making certain appendages cold. So for the fingers, there are gloves, even wearing two pair if needed. Toes are covered by socks and shoes and usually stay warm. But I need suggestions on keep another appendage from getting so cold it feels like it's going to fall off. Suggestions?
The incarnation of peacefulness and patience
Refurbished Hip
My friend once stole some newspaper out of a garbage bin during the middle of one of his winter runs and stuffed it down his pants. He wrote a post about it on RWOL a long, long time ago. I shall re-post it in his honor:
Hello Fellow Gentlemen,
It is with a tingling pain that I write to you this morning. Awaking before sunrise, I set out for an easy 10 miles. The sky was clear and the look of frost hung in the sturdy boughs of the massive trees. I donned my tights.
Now, normally, if it's very cold, I'll wear compression shorts under my tights...below zero, a pair of pants over said tights. However, I took no note of the temperature before leaving (windchill estimate of about 25 degrees upon my return).
Well, at about mile 4, a ways from home, with no object of comfort in hand, I stuffed a glove down my tights, hoping to alleviate the nether-region frost, thinking I'd rather lose a hand to frostbite than, er....umm....
It didn't help.
Because it was garbage day in the neighborhood I was in...I spotted a newspaper recycling bin. Quickly sifting through for a "clean" section of newsprint...ah, yes, the "Sports" section will be just the fit. Football, basketball, hot stove....
So, dear residents of Westpark, Rocky River, and Fairview Park, I apologize that you had to see me running down your streets with that large piece of newspaper-windblock-cod-piece in my tights.
I'll never forget to protect myself, nor will I offend your eyes with such a ghastly sight again.
Huh, I have a blog?
I've doubled up my shorts a few times. (I have refused to wear tights thus far in my long running career. I may change that this year)
Doubling up works for me down to -5 or so.
You could always run faster, so you get your miles over more quickly
Trail and Ultra Running User Group
Wandering Wally
My base layer down there is a pair of Under Armor heat gear compression shorts. Despite the "heat" being in the name, they do a bang up job in the winter too. Over that I wear my running shorts. When the temps get down below freezing I break out my tights so then it's UA compression shorts, tights, running shorts. Below 10-ish and I swap the running shorts out for running pants. The running pants are a little heavier and provide more insulation. That set up has worked well for me down to -20F.
Run! Just Run!
Trail Runner Nation Podcast
Eat to run, Run to eat
Sadly, I'm not so well-endowed to have this be an issue. Everything retracts and keeps itself warm.
I'll wear shorts only down to 25-30 degrees or so, then long pants over shorts down to 0 or so, after that it's too damn cold for my face and hands anyway.
Stone Mill 50m 11/16/13 12:42
Febapple Frozen 50k 2/22/14 9:20:55
DIrty German 50m 5/18/14 12:06:16
Brooks makes some windblocker underwear with a, yes, codpiece of wind resistant material.
Yes, I'm a lady. My husband is a runner.
I've been suggesting he try the kmando. But he's pretty sure I just want to look and laugh, so he's said no.
This is definitely a big issue on the bike. I have several pairs of wind block briefs that work rather nicely for the bike and running. Couldn't find any pictures to post but did stumble onto these from brooks. Someone else also mentioned these but here's a link.
jbyram2 - You're right, everything does retract. The problem is when it retracts so far that you have to stand in the hot shower for 20 minutes trying to convince them that it's now Ok to come back out . The only thing I could think of was "What will they say at the ER if I have to go in" .
Occasional Runner
Sadly, I'm not so well-endowed to have this be an issue. Everything retracts and keeps itself warm.
That's a ballsy statement.
Endless trails
I use wicking briefs I get from Eastern Mountain Sports under my tights. I also have a pair
of running-specific briefs with added protection in the front section, for severe wind/cold days.
Kinda like the pair DD1 posted.
Gotta protect the package, jame, that penile frostbite shit hurts just to hear about!
Thermajock. I've never worn one, but the website is hillarious. I just wear a pair of compression shorts, and it seems to help.
Take Charge. Train Harder. Suck Less. No Excuses.
It doesn't get that cold down here (there?)...
You guys (and girls) are hilarious! It figures that Mandy was the first to respond.
I wear a compression type of boxer shorts and a pair of shorts even with temps in the teens and single digits. I don't like the idea of running tights. But maybe two pair compression type underwear?!?
Newspaper? Ummm...
Some other good ideas to check out. Thanks!
I may just get this for everyday wear, cold or not.
Is this where I get to insert something about how this thread is worthless without pics?
Computer Geek
here you are, dear moderator queen:


text: I thought he was burdened with a team who couldn't help him be more efficient. But I realize that efficiency is a one-man thing, doesn't really have anything to do with your team. You either take good shots and make good decisions with the ball or you dont. Melo doesn't. If they traded away Melo and Amare tomoro, I wouldn't bat an eye.


text:
The Planck Space Telescope: Surveying the Sky
Launch: May 14, 2009
Status: Mission Completed
Planck is Europe's first mission to study the birth of the Universe. Planck was launched jointly with the Herschel Space Observatory aboard an Ariane 5 rocket, on May 14, 2009. The satellite is the most sensitive telescope ever designed to study the cosmic microwave background--the remnants of radiation from the Big Bang 13.8 billion years ago. Planck's detectors measure the temperature of this light, searching for regions that are slightly warmer or colder than the average. These small fluctuations in temperature, called anisotropies, provided the seeds for the formation of galaxies that exist today.
The Planck satellite is giving astronomers a glimpse of conditions near the beginning of the Universe. The mission's objective is to help answer some fundamental questions of modern science: How was the Universe formed? How has it evolved to its present form? And what shape will it take in the future? Scientists thereby hope to establish which theory best explains the origin of all cosmic structures.
Drs J. Richard Bond of the University of Toronto and Douglas Scott of the University of British Columbia co-lead a Canadian science team that plays a key role in the Planck collaboration. Dr. Bond is on the faculty at the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics (CITA) and directs the Cosmology and Gravity Program of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR). The team includes astrophysicists at the University of Toronto, University of Alberta, Université Laval and McGill University.
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Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana and the Willis-Knighton Physician Network have come to an agreement on terms to continue their relationship.
Blue Cross members can continue to count Willis-Knighton physicians as part of their Blue Cross and HMO Louisiana networks.
"In this new healthcare environment, negotiations are no longer simply about reimbursement amounts, but about how we can work together to bring the most value to our mutual members," said Dr. David Carmouche, Executive Vice President for External Operations and chief medical officer at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana. "At Blue Cross, our team of doctors, nurses and healthcare analysts now have extensive cost and quality data. We use this data as the foundation of our negotiations. This ensures the negotiations are about rewarding quality, not quantity."
"The turning point for us was when Willis-Knighton agreed to participate in our quality assurance programs," he added.
"Willis-Knighton physicians have a long and positive history of providing quality care in our region and we value our relationship with the Blue Cross members," said James K. Elrod, President and CEO of Willis-Knighton Health System. "We are pleased that Blue Cross recognized the importance of giving its members in-network access to the most comprehensive array of providers in our region, all dedicated to addressing the health and wellness of residents here in Northwest Louisiana."
The Willis-Knighton Physician Network is part of Willis-Knighton Health System a locally-owned, locally operated not-for-profit community healthcare corporation dedicated to continuously improving the health and well-being of residents in the Ark-La-Tex. The Physician Network includes medical doctors and other professionals who provide care in a wide range of medical specialties. It serves as the foundation for the health system's medical staff that numbers over 800 physicians.
More information about Willis-Knighton and its physician network is available at wkhs.com.


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I started last Sunday at Book Soup in West Hollywood, next to Los Angeles. That was a small talk, but the highlight came after when I got to have dinner with blogger Kanani Fong and her Writerly Pause group. Kanani was one of the earliest supporters of my efforts via her blog and book reviews, and it was great to finally meet in person.
The next morning, I flew to Denver where I met a book escort for the ride to Boulder. Book escorts are a little-known secret of the publishing industry. Their job is to shepherd authors to bookstores, media events, and hotels. They even feed and water us. And sometimes they read our books, and talk about them.
When you fly into a strange city, and you're due at a radio station in less than an hour it's invaluable to have someone who knows the way, knows where to park, and knows all the people you're going to see.
My Boulder appearance was actually set up back in the winter when I walked into the Boulder Bookstore while in town for a speaking engagement at the University of Colorado. They called the publisher and asked if I'd visit when my paperback was released.
Google was a fun place. I was particularly interested in the work they are doing with their Sketchup drawing and modeling program and kids on the spectrum. I'll write more about that when I get home. I loved the offices and the environment – it was so free, and so different from what I'd encountered as an engineer 25 years ago. As I told them, it was a place I could have succeeded, if it had existed when I worked as an engineer.
After that I was off to Vail and the most spectacular scenery of the trip. I wish I'd had more time to take some pictures because the views were just magnificent. My Vail appearance was at the Bookworm of Edwards, a community place where everyone seemed to know everyone else. We had folks from all the local schools, plus a pediatrician and a psychologist in the audience. I had a great night there and a good sushi dinner with the owner and her husband later.
In the morning I was off to San Francisco and my first appearance at Corte Madera. But before that – I went for a walk. I stayed at the Rex Hotel, a small place just around the corner from Union Square. At the square, I hopped on a cable car and rode it all the way to the end, at fisherman's wharf. I walked all over, and looked at the ships and the sights.
The next night I read at Books Inc in the Castro district, and then it was off to Portland. My brother in law – Little Bear's big brother – and his family have lived out there many years, and it was good to see them. I also enjoyed seeing the shipping on the Columbia River, though it was just the briefest of glances. My Portland event – at Powell's Burnside store – was scheduled for the same time as the presidential debate. To my amazement, we had a full house despite the televised competition.
I've had a wonderful trip, thanks to all of you and your support. Now, I'm headed east to Dayton and then back home. But it's not over . . . I'm back on the road again this coming Saturday, when I speak to the Asperger Association convention with my brother.


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Racing Takes Hold in St. Peter-Ording
Focusing solely on racing, the seventh day of competition proved to fit well with the conditions, as wind was light, yet perfectly suitable for the continuation of course racing. With 8-14 knots of wind, racers entered the water in the early morning, hungry for a day full of racing action. At this point, Riccardo Leccese (COL) and Christine Bonniger (GER) held first place positioning, and hoped to keep it that way. For the third racing day in the competition, the best racers on the planet gathered around the starting line for the fifth race of the Beetle Kitesurf World Cup.
On this fifth race, Leccese, Bryan Lake (USA), and Olivier Dansin (FRA) pulled out to the lead first. Lake and Leccese quickly gained top positioning and widened their distance from the rest of the fleet within several minutes. While Heineken pushed past his competitors toward the front around the windward mark, Blazeg Ozog (POL) and Florian Gruber (GER) battled in fourth and fifth place. On their second lap, Lake continued to hold his lead with Leccese staying strong in second. Many competitors took different lines, which greatly separated the fleet. Minutes before the finish line, Koch gained some ground, which put him in fourth, and the end result turned out to be Lake in first, with Leccese, Gruber, and Koch behind.
The second race of the day – race six – proved to be just as exciting and suspenseful to watch, as the varied strategies and tactics became more clear. Adam Koch crossed the start early, which disqualified him, while Lake immediately traveled further upwind than his fellow competitors. Heineken and Leccese fought interchangeably for top positioning at the front of the fleet, while Gruber once again moved ahead past Olivier Dansin (FRA) and Julien Kernuer (FRA). Lake then took a faster line from the first windward to leeward tack, locking into serious speed, as he barely had to work his kite to gain power. Taking a big risk, Lake then short-tacked and Koch continued to hold his placement in front. With Leccese close behind, Lake overtook Gruber and sped over the finish line, followed by Gruber and the disqualified Koch.
Race seven stood out as an interesting battle as well, as all racers took off on the same tack, allowing for an impressive viewing perspective from the beach. Lake tacked quickly, as did Heineken; however, Heineken came in too tight and missed his first mark. By the windward buoy, Lake had gained an impressive lead. Heineken and Leccese then battled for second and third place. Amazingly, by the leeward mark on the second lap, Lake was 35 seconds ahead of the rest of the fleet. By the end, racers were very spread out and Lake happily took another "bullet", in what would be his best racing day yet. Christine Bonniger (GER) went on to earn first as well, continuing her winning streak for the majority of the races so far and making her German fans very proud.
In the last race of the day, competitors continued on the square-shaped course that took approximately 13-15 minutes for the first racers to complete, with marks roughly 1 kilometer apart. The wind shifted and picked up briefly for this race, so many riders switched to smaller kites. This was the best race of the day for Katja Roose (NED) who raced incredibly well, earning 15th overall against the men, and first for the women. For the men, Koch led in the beginning of the race, as Leccese, Heineken, and Lake kept close at his heels. Gruber also held strong in the front of the pack. After pulling around the first windward mark, Lake claimed the lead again, leaving Koch and Leccese to battle it out. Heineken, on the other hand, took a very different tack, hoping this would improve his ranking. Lake continued pushing forward at remarkable speeds, causing some to comment that it seemed as if he was in a different race. Lake then finished first and Heineken's tactics worked enough to put him in second, with Dansin in third.
When asked about his successful day of racing, Lake commented "It was nice 'big kite' racing today on a good course. I was able to do pretty well and am really happy with my wins. I just feel honored to race with all these guys and am stoked to take the lead at this point." Overall, the morning and afternoon proved to be an incredible day of racing. Tomorrow, winds of 11-21 knots are expected, which may allow for any and all disciplines to take center stage.
Also of note, an official announcement regarding a new confirmed tour stop has been finalized. Haikou, Haiman Island, China will host the 2012 PKRA World Tour Event – Hainan International Kitesurf Festival. This event will take place from the 12th-18th of November and will feature both racing and freestyle disciplines. Tour organizers and the PKRA are very much looking forward to this first-time event and remain eager for its 2012 debut. And as the biggest kiteboarding event to ever take place in China, this tour stop will surely be one to remember.


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Comments on "Making Sense of Master Limited Partnership Tax Rules," by Mary Lyman, in the November 2012 AAII Journal:
What's missing in this article is taxation on sale of an MLP [master limited partnership] in an IRA. Also, how is the tax paid? Meaning, who prepares the tax statement?
— Gerald Lanois from Florida
Mary Lyman responds:
Thanks for your comment. I generally don't get into the issue of taxation on the sale of an MLP in an IRA unless specifically asked because it is not a completely settled issue (the IRS has never ruled on this question) and I am not a tax adviser.
It is clear that the portion of gain from the sale that would be taxed at the capital gains rate in a capital account will not be taxable to the IRA. The question is: Does the IRA have to pay tax on the recapture portion, the amount that is taxed as ordinary income in a sale from a taxable account? Of the MLP tax experts I've consulted—some tax lawyers, some accountants—some feel that there's an argument to be made that the transaction would be completely tax free to the IRA. Others argue that there is only one interpretation—that because the tax code gives precedent to depreciation recapture over any other rule, the recapture amount is treated as unrelated business income and the IRA must pay tax on it. All agree that the IRS would take the latter position; the only question is which position would prevail in the Tax Court and any subsequent appeals. Again, I don't give tax advice, but the safest route is probably to assume that recapture applies.
The article actually does indicate how the unrelated business income tax is paid, as does the material on the subject on the NAPTP (National Association of Publicly Traded Partnerships) website: It is the responsibility of the plan's custodian—for example, Fidelity if you hold your IRA in a Fidelity account—to file the appropriate tax return (Form 990-T) and pay the tax out of the IRA's funds. Perhaps I should have emphasized this more, as there is a of lot confusion among investors about how it affects their taxes. If you are the beneficiary of the IRA, it has absolutely no effect on your taxes—the IRA itself is the taxpayer owing money to the IRS and any tax payments come out of its funds, not yours.
Comment on "Target Date Funds: A Simple Premise, but Underlying Complexities," by Charles Rotblut, CFA, in the October 2012 AAII Journal:
I appreciate the article written by Charles Rotblut on target date funds. Lots of good material included. One of the issues that concerns me is that most target date funds invest more in growth stocks than value stocks and in large-cap rather than small-cap stocks. This is inconsistent with the long-term results determined by many analyses that value outperforms growth over time and small-cap stocks outperform large-cap stocks. It is a mystery to me why all the target date funds are structured in reverse of what would be optimal.
— Tony Hausner from Maryland
Comment on "Using Bonds Instead of Stocks for Portfolio Income," by Stan Richelson and Hildy Richelson, in the October 2012 AAII Journal:
The article recommends buying and holding individual muni bonds to maturity. If an investor does that, they will know exactly what the return will be. A major caveat is what happens if the investor decides to sell the bonds before maturity.
You have no guarantee what the bid price will be or even if there is a bid price. For higher-quality issues like the article suggests, this is less of a problem, but it is still a problem. If a broker bids to buy your bonds, the price may be disappointingly low, particularly for small lots that individual investors typically have.
The other major issue is the implicit assumption of low inflation. The article recommends buying bonds that mature in 15 to 23 years that yield approximately 3.5%. If inflation remains constant at 2.0% for 23 years, the real return will be 1.5%. If inflation picks up in the next 23 years, the real return might be substantially lower.
— Greg Bayless from Texas
Allen Reeves from TN posted over 5 years ago:
DOES or Has anyone obtained the algorithm that is going to be the new "chain rule "COLA" adjustments method for calculating the Federal SS entitlements in the future?
Sorry, you cannot add comments while on a mobile device or while printing.


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Vermont gas tax likely to rise, Windham County rep says
BRATTLEBORO -- The way state Rep. Mollie Burke sees it, delaying work on Vermont's roads and bridges is as foolish as putting off essential repairs on a home.
"Eventually, you're going to have to spend the money," the Brattleboro Progressive Democrat said.
That's why she was among 10 members of the House Transportation Committee who voted this week to impose a new 2 percent sales tax on gasoline.
There were no committee votes against the plan, with one member absent. And Burke believes there is similarly broad support in the House for the plan, which is designed to help plug a gaping hole in the state's transportation budget for next fiscal year.
"I think a lot of people who are opposed to taxes in general can swallow a gas tax, because they know it's going toward a dedicated fund," Burke said.
The state's transportation-funding issues are due to the fact that people are driving less and driving more fuel-efficient vehicles, which in turn is driving down gas-tax revenue.
Transportation Committee members were tasked with finding a way to cover a $36.5 million shortfall in the proposed fiscal 2014 transportation budget. They came up with a three-pronged solution: Cut $4.4 million in spending, borrow more than $10 million from a transportation infrastructure bond fund and impose a 2 percent tax on the retail price of gas.
With drivers already paying the state's 19-cent per-gallon tax, the new 2 percent levy would raise the cost of a gallon by roughly another 7 cents at current prices.
Burke said the tax proposal now contains both a floor and a ceiling.
At the low end, revenues from the sales tax cannot sink lower than 6.7 cents per gallon. If they do, it would become a flat, per-gallon tax to ensure state revenues stay steady.
But the sales tax also cannot exceed 19 cents per gallon, Burke said.
"The ceiling number protects the consumer," she said. "And the lower number protects the state."
The changes wouldn't stop in fiscal 2014. For fiscal 2015, the gasoline sales tax would rise another 2 percent, but Burke said the per-gallon tax would decrease by nearly 6 cents to alleviate the impact on drivers.
Future increases would be tied to the Consumer Price Index.
That's a concern for state Rep. Mike Hebert, who said such mandated, built-in hikes for future years take the matter out of lawmakers' hands.
"With automatic indexing, the legislators don't get to vote on it," Hebert said. "It's just going to occur."
The Vernon-based Republican also was critical of past administrations using the transportation fund for other purposes.
"They dug into that fund when it was flush," he said. "And now, it's coming back to haunt us."
Hebert could not predict whether he will vote for a gas-tax increase when the matter comes before the full House.
"That's going to be a tough one," he said. "I'm not sure how I'm going to come down on that one."
State Rep. Tristan Toleno, a Brattleboro Democrat serving his first term, said he understands the plight of residents straining under stagnant wages while taxes and prices rise.
"I think there's a lot of concern shared across political parties about how we fund government and what we need to do," Toleno said.
"On the other hand, there's a real cost to maintain our road infrastructure," he added. "We're underfunding it, and we have been for some time."
Given that quandary, Toleno said he will support the tax hike at this point. He also reasoned that the gas tax is a way to ensure that Vermonters aren't the only ones bearing that cost.
"Our roads are part of our business and tourism infrastructure," Toleno said. "Gas taxes are one of the few ways we have of tapping into the out-of-state people who use our roads."
Burke said the Transportation Committee carefully examined its options and "heard a lot of testimony on what it would mean to not do this." For instance, she said Vermont would lose $56 million in federal funding if lawmakers didn't find a way to cover the state's $36.5 million transportation shortfall.
Still, she acknowledged that the gas-tax hike creates "a difficult situation."
In addition to transportation-funding debate, Windham County's lawmakers were busy with a variety of issues as they worked to meet "crossover" deadlines designed to ensure that both the House and Senate have time to consider bills before the end of the current session.
For the most part, lawmakers said, a bill had to be approved by its committee of jurisdiction by Friday if there were hopes of it passing during this session:
-- State Rep. Valerie Stuart, a Brattleboro Democrat, said she was happy that her Education Committee approved two bills at opposite ends of the educational spectrum.
The first expands access to "high-quality, publicly funded" pre-kindergarten. It calls for at least 10 hours per week, 35 weeks per year of instruction for any child ages 3, 4 or 5 (if not yet enrolled in kindergarten).
Parents or guardians "would retain complete discretion whether to enroll the child in a pre-kindergarten program and could select from prequalified public and private providers who have available space," the bill says.
"It's really an exciting thing whose time has come," Stuart said. "It gives (students) a boost and helps make their continued educational success more likely."
For college students, the committee also approved a "Vermont Strong Scholars" bill. Initially proposed by Gov. Peter Shumlin, the program would reimburse some college-tuition debt for Vermont residents who graduate and stay in the state to work.
The proposal initially applied to those studying in the "STEM" fields -- science, technology, engineering and math. Stuart said her committee expanded that to include "fields that prepare Vermonters in targeted workforce areas."
"In five years, we may need more people in different fields," she said.
The state secretary of education and secretary of commerce and community development, along with the state labor commissioner, will determine which fields of study qualify for the program as the labor market changes, Stuart said.
-- Hebert said his Natural Resources and Energy Committee has been preoccupied with an energy bill. Funding concerns were a major hurdle.
"Right now, throughout the state, everybody's looking for money," Hebert said. "There are no new sources."
Hebert said the bill eventually was split. He was on the losing side of an 8-3 committee vote to approve a bill that includes a new, 55-cent surcharge on each electric meter to raise money for a clean-energy development fund.
"There are some companies that have a lot of meters, and they would pay a lot of money," Hebert said. "I didn't feel it was right to put more of a financial burden on people."
However, Hebert said he did vote to approve a bill promoting thermal efficiency in homes and buildings. While some money is available for that purpose, the measure did not include any large-scale, new funding sources, Hebert said.
"As far as the funding, that will be something the state needs to take a look at," he said.
-- State Rep. David Deen, a Westminster Democrat, chairs the House Fish, Wildlife and Water Resources Committee. That committee "has moved eight bills so far this session," Deen said in an e-mail to the Reformer.
"The bills we have gotten out include an omnibus Fish and Wildlife bill that includes altering different hunting seasons, carrying a sidearm while bow hunting and changes in the duties of the Fish and Wildlife Board," Deen said. "We have extended the life of the Petroleum Cleanup Fund for five years so it can continue to immediately respond to leaks from underground gasoline storage tanks and home heating oil tanks."
The committee also approved "a bill that asks towns and regional commissions to add flood resiliency to their plans so events like (Tropical Storm) Irene will not catch us unawares again," Deen added. "That bill has passed the House and is now in the Senate Natural Resources Committee."
-- State Rep. Mike Mrowicki, a Putney Democrat, said his House Human Services Committee "has been working hard in collaboration with Appropriations and Judiciary Committees."
"Appropriations has asked for recommendations on the Human Services policy implications of the budget, most especially in regards to services for the developmentally disabled," Mrowicki said in an e-mail to the Reformer. "These can have, literally, life-or-death implications for those Vermonters who cannot take care of themselves."
Mrowicki also said work continues in cooperation with Judiciary Committee members on a "wide-ranging bill to address prescription opioid drug abuse."
"From prescribing patterns to better coordination of treatment options and a host of other attendant concerns, we are taking action to address this growing statewide problem," Mrowicki said.
-- In other legislative news, Deen was among five legislators introducing a bill that would "create a regulatory structure for the wholesale and retail sale of marijuana that includes licensing and oversight by the Department of Liquor Control." The bill also would allow regulation of and licensing for industrial hemp "regardless of whether federal regulations have been adopted."
In a related matter, Burke, Mrowicki and Democrat John Moran of Wardsboro were among those introducing a bill altering regulations on the "therapeutic use of cannabis." The bill allows registered caregivers to care for up for five patients; permits medical marijuana use for post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and insomnia; and removes a cap on the number of patients eligible to receive medical marijuana from dispensaries.
Mike Faher is the political beat writer at the Reformer. He can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com or 802-254-2311, ext. 275.
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