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Reviewing MTA's New Subway App
By Pervaiz Shallwani and Ted Mann
On Friday morning, New York's Metropolitan Transit Authority joined several cities around the world by launching a smartphone application that reveals real-time arrivals for 7 of its 24 subway lines.
The long-awaited MTA Subway Time app went live shortly after 9 this morning for passengers with iPhones and iPod Touch devices. The MTA had planned versions for Android and Windows users, but said Friday that third-party developers will build apps on those platforms instead. A web version also launched on Friday.
For now Subway Time only provides minutes-to-arrival times for trains on the Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4, 5, 6 lines, along with the 42nd Street Shuttle, known internally as the "A Division." The agency will look to third-party developers to make it more productive.
According to the MTA, the data feed coming from the rail control center for the A Division (1,2,3,4,5,6 and 42nd Street Shuttle) sends an update every 30 seconds on the location of every train on those lines. That information feeds the countdown clocks, which use an algorithm to estimate the arrival time at a particular station. The app is designed to receive the same arrival estimates as the countdown clocks on station platforms.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Personally, I've come to believe that Lebron is a pipe dream. Hopefully I'm wrong, but I don't see him coming here. I think we end up with a combo like Stoudemire/Johnson. I also think it's pretty much a lock that Wade stays in Miami and maybe not as much of a sure thing, but that Bosh stays in Toronto.


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MI-5: Volume 10 (DVD)
David Wolstencroft
2-Disc box set.
With the truth about Lucas North finally revealed, and following his rooftop showdown at the end of the last series, Harry is facing some complicated questions about the future of Section D as well as some skeletons from his own past. Relationships between the CIA and MI5 have never been more strained, but add the Russian secret service to the mix and Harry and his team have a power timebomb on their hands. Fast-paced, tense and exhilarating, the latest series sees the team tested to their limits as the pressure is on to stop whoever is attacking the fledgling relationship between Britain and Russia.
Product Details
- Starring: Nicola Walker, Peter Firth, Max Brown
- Format: Color, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
- Language: English
- Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
- Number of Discs: 2
- Rating: Not Rated
- Label: BBC
- Release Date: 03/06/2012
- Run Time: 360 minutes
- Catalogue #: 1000235686
Special Features
- Harry's Game
- Top Ten MI-5 Moments


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When a thief took off with Leigh Ann Webb's beach bag last week, it's unlikely that he realized the ashes of Webb's father, former Spartanburg County coroner Jim Burnett, were inside.
Before his death in March, Burnett had made explicit the details of how his three daughters should handle his affairs. Those plans included scattering his ashes at the beach, a place Burnett loved.
Burnett's three daughters each took a portion of his ashes to the coast on their respective family vacations, and Leigh Ann Webb planned to scatter the ashes during a family trip to Hilton Head last week.
Webb said she had returned to her condominium from the beach and placed the large, bright bag containing her car keys, a few belongings and her dad's ashes outside the room while she ran back inside. She estimates the bag was outside for eight minutes at the most.
When her husband returned to the room, he told her the bag was gone.
"I panicked," Webb said. "I couldn't care less about the bag except for my car keys and dad."
Webb, her husband and two teenage sons spent the next 24 hours looking for the bag. She knocked on doors asking other vacationers if they'd seen the bag, called police and checked Dumpsters, trash cans, laundry rooms and the beach.
"I didn't sleep at all that night," Webb said. "I was frantic. I was really upset that someone had taken my things from a place where people leave their things out on the beach at night...I never expected someone would take that beach bag."
Those who had known or worked with Jim Burnett during his 20-year career as the Spartanburg County coroner remember Burnett's almost obsessive attention to detail and his meticulous nature.
"My dad would have never in a million years left a bag outside for one second," Webb said. "So, I was absolutely determined to get that bag back, but I didn't know if I ever would."
On the advice of police, she had her car towed to a dealership and re-keyed.
On Friday — the last day of the family vacation — Webb said her husband insisted she try to enjoy the day and accept that she would likely never see the bag, or her dad's ashes, again.
But later that same afternoon, Webb and her sisters think their dad had a hand in what transpired next.
Webb's teenage son was inside the condo and answered a knock on the door. A lady handed him the bag and said she had found it in a laundry room.
A small amount of cash, two articles of clothing and sunglasses were missing from the bag, but Webb's car keys, and her dad's ashes, were inside. Webb was on the beach when she received the picture that made her gasp.
"My son texted me a picture of the bag and I couldn't believe it," Webb said. "I still can't believe it."
Webb's family was able to carry out her dad's wishes, and she and her sisters are convinced Jim Burnett is teaching them lessons from beyond.
"My dad was the kind of person that if he came to my house and my car was unlocked in my own driveway, he would fuss at me," Webb said. "I know without a doubt that it was his last lesson to me....He would think the whole thing was hilarious and get a huge kick out of it."
Lesley Rentz, Webb's sister, said the whole incident, after it was resolved, brought a little laughter.
"Our dad was always in control," Rentz said. "Even in the end, he had a hard time letting go because he still wanted control, and to be able to look at this situation and think that he might have had a small hand in it made us all smile."
Daughter is glad to have father's ashes returned
When a thief took off with Leigh Ann Webb's beach bag last week, it's unlikely that he realized the ashes of Webb's father, former Spartanburg County coroner Jim Burnett, were inside.


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Hey guys! I have been pretty out of things for awhile, but I'm determined to make a great return! I should have declared a semi-hiatus, but instead I just kind of disappeared . . . .
If for some weird reason you would want to read the stories I have up, go right ahead. I must warn you that I deleted quite a few of them 'cause they were so embarassing and these aren't much better.
I think that there will be some more stories up in the near future . . . . stay tuned.
Thanks to all who have helped me out <3 I love you all.


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A Brief Look at the Future of the Red Sox Pitching Staff
Yesterday, 'Jacobyluvr' posted a comment with some great questions regarding the future some of the Red Sox's young pitching stars. Here's my take on them:
baseball craze. From what I've heard, I have to rally up some friends and start a league on either Yahoo or ESPN. So, here's an open call to all who would like to start a fantasy baseball team with me.


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Skip to page content
Could you help identify these fossils.
The fossil was found washed up at Saltburn by the Sea shingle beach in the North East of England earlier this year.
I know there is two bivalve shells, but I have been told the tooth could be from a icthyosaur or possibly a fish.
Could anyone give me an identification and a time frame for the fossils.
Need a bit closer and not too blurry image Inta, but if it is a Icthyosaur tooth from that area it will be Lower Jurassic about 200myo.
I have blown the image up and I think it it is a tooth but has been subject to the beach system and has suffered some water rolling and wear.
Don't think it is from a fish.
Great find!
Thanks for the help.
The rock was opened to reveal the tooth by a very helpful man at a fossil shop in Charmouth.
Have now had the tooth identified by the NHM, it is an icthyosaur tooth.
Once again thanks for looking and the help, much appreciated.
Well done Inta! now go find the rest of them.


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Alpha C1 center channel
Upgraded from the bose vcs10. The C1 is in a different league. I've owned many different center speakers like bose, klipsch, polk, etc. All are good and have different characteristics. The Alpha is one of my favorites. Sound is smooth and clear. Good off axis performance. Blends well with my klipsch sb2 bookshelf speakers. SO FAR it is handling THX levels beautifully. I am driving the speaker with an onkyo txnr818. Very happy I chose the alpha. I will consider psb on future speaker purchases.
Pros: Clear, good off axis performance, solid build
Cons: Rear port may not work well for wall mounting


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Marketplace Morning Report for Friday, August 24, 2012
Lance Armstrong loses his medals, but will the "Lance" brand survive? NASA is trying to get a better idea of the weather forecast for outer space. Usually August means panic on the stock market, but this year we've seen the S&P 500 hit a four-year high and Apple stock rocket to over $670 a share. Have we bucked the trend? And an analyst has a model that predicts an Obama victory in November.


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Wearable Electronics Driving Battery Revenue Growth
11 comments
With wearable electronics quickly becoming the fashion these days, demand for batteries to power smart watches, wearable health monitors, and smart glasses will increase tenfold over the next four years, according to an IHS report.
Worldwide revenue for wearable electronics batteries is expected to jump from $6 million in 2014 to $77 million in 2018. Revenue growth will be buoyed by annual shipments for wearable electronic devices, which will reach 56 million units by 2018, according to the IHS Power & Energy report (subscription required).
"Wearable electronics will be the key to sustaining the current very-high-growth levels of battery revenue in consumer electronics, Thomas McAlpine, a power supply and storage component analyst for IHS, said in a press release. He predicted a boost in shipments for "products geared toward an active lifestyle combining advanced technological trends in miniature computing with newly smart consumer imperatives in fitness and fashion," including smart watches and smart glass products, such as Google Glass, slated for release this year.
OEMs tend to prefer lithium polymer batteries over lithium ion batteries, since they are lighter and can be designed into a wider range of applications. As a result, lithium polymer batteries will account for 73% of worldwide revenue of wearable electronics batteries in 2018, the report says.
Though wearable electronics is an emerging market, smartphones and tablets is still driving the majority of revenue growth in the lithium battery market for portable electronics. Shipments of smartphones and tablet PCs are expected to grow 46% from 2013 to 2015 but then decline, IHS said. That drop, coupled with ASP price erosion of lithium battery cells, will put the brakes on growth in the overall lithium battery market for portable consumer electronics, according to the report.
As a result, McAlpine said, new applications are critical to the lithium battery market's overall health. "Lithium batteries will remain an integral component for innovation in consumer electronics. But to achieve sustained market growth, new wearable electronics and other devices need to be introduced and adopted by the mass market, similar to what is occurring now in recently emerging product categories."


text: Hi Can anyone point me in the direction of a make program which will work with slave nodes on a scyld cluster? I.E. compile different .c/.f files from a Makefile on different nodes of a cluster. I am using the scyld beowulf software. Thanks in advance James --- Email: James at Armstrong.uk.net WWW: http://rsazure.swan.ac.uk/~rsjames Smail: Rockfield Software Ltd. Innovation Centre, SA2 8PP United Kingdom. Tel: +44 (0)1792 295551 Fax: +44 (0)1792 295532


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Is a Home Monitoring System Really Necessary?
The need for a home monitoring system is clear. If you want criminals to be deterred and quick assistance during emergencies involving hazards like fires and carbon monoxide leaks, then a home monitoring system is essential. If you want to increase your home protection, the right home security system can help.
If your home looks like a difficult target for a burglary, the chances increase that it will be passed over by burglars. Simple alarm systems create noise, which is a deterrent to a thief who is trying to get in and out unnoticed. Add a monitoring service, and the time they have to steal your belongings is severely diminished. There are a variety of ways your home protection can be increased but a home security system goes a long way.
How to Choose ADT Security Options That Fit Your Needs
If you are looking for a new home security system, make sure you know what features you need. Modern home security systems can come with a wide variety of features. Take a look at some of the options available with ADT security.
A simple system may be enough for some homes. Automation systems come with plenty of essential features for basic home protection. However, more advanced systems include some extra protection that might be ideal for certain homes.
There are also a variety of types of home alarm systems including wired and wireless systems, cellular connected, landline connected and a few other types. Depending on a number of factors, you need to decide on a system that's right for you.
What Qualities are in the Best Home Security Systems?
When it comes to home security, it stands to reason that you'd want your system to be the best, but what are the defining qualities of a great home security system. Before you choose a system, make sure you know what to look for.
It's also important to choose a home security company that is reliable and works for you. You want to be able to choose your ideal level of protection and have a system that works consistently.
It's also important to consider what security system works best for your home. For instance, if your interior walls are made of drywall, a wired security system is easier to install than if you have concrete interiors. This is just one a many considerations you should make before choosing a security system.
Is a Wireless Security System Right for You?
The two basic types of security systems are wired and wireless. For a long time, running physical wires behind your walls from your control panel to the door and window sensors was the only option. Today, you can connect to the sensors via wireless frequencies. This is ideal for homes with interior walls made of brick or concrete. However, is a wireless security system a good idea for you home?
One of the main worries with any home alarm system is that a burglar will be able to somehow beat it. Can they disarm your alarm system by cutting wires or telephone lines?
If you do have a wireless security system, can a burglar jam it or disable it? Of course, no system is impossible to overcome but that doesn't necessarily mean it's likely.
Alarm Monitoring: Is it Worth the Extra Cost?
Choosing to connect your system to an alarm monitoring service means paying an extra monthly cost but is it worth it? The monthly payment can mean getting the fast help during an emergency and having protection while you're away.
Home monitoring systems work by connecting to your security system through a broadband, cellular or phone line connection. If the alarm is triggered, the monitoring service is notified. They will check in on your home, typically
How Do Alarm Companies Avoid Reporting False Alarms?
It's true that false alarms are an issue that alarm companies have to overcome. Systems are designed to go off when windows and doors are opened or disturbed. However, the system may mistake a lightning strike or a bird hitting a window for a burglar trying to break the glass. Too many false reports may result in a city fining the company for dispatching police without cause.
Some companies even pass the responsibility onto you. If your system goes off, and causes too many false reports you might be charged a fee. It's important for you to do your part in avoiding false alarms with your security monitoring service. However, monitoring services are getting better at telling the difference between real emergencies and false alarms.
Learn more about Advanced Direct Security monitoring near you:
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Quality CareFind out why Mayo Clinic is the right place for your health care. Make an appointment.
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Mayo Clinic offers appointments in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota and at Mayo Clinic Health System locations.
The Electrophysiology Laboratory, located at each of Mayo Clinic's campuses in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota, provides care for people with heart rhythm disorders (arrhythmias). Doctors at Mayo Clinic have experience and expertise treating arrhythmias with cardiac ablation, implantable devices such as pacemakers and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), and other treatments.
The Electrophysiology Laboratory at Mayo Clinic's campus in Minnesota is active in all aspects of the care of children, adolescents and adults with arrhythmias. Doctors trained in treating children with heart conditions (pediatric cardiologists) provide care for children with arrhythmias at Mayo Clinic's campus in Minnesota.
The Electrophysiology Laboratory at Mayo Clinic's campuses in Arizona and Florida treats adults with arrhythmias. Doctors in heart rhythm disorders may evaluate you and determine whether you should be treated in the Electrophysiology Laboratory or if other therapies are more appropriate for your condition.
Cardiologists trained in the diagnosis and treatment of heart rhythm disorders (electrophysiologists) staff the Electrophysiology Laboratory. The experienced staff uses advanced 3-D mapping and imaging systems. The lab staff is actively developing new technologies to treat heart rhythm disorders.
Inpatient electrophysiology studies are performed in state-of-the-art biplane procedure rooms with advanced analysis and recording equipment.
People with several conditions may be diagnosed and treated in the Electrophysiology Laboratory, including:
Doctors in the Electrophysiology Laboratory conduct research in heart rhythm disorders. Learn more about research in the Cardiovascular Research Center.
To make an appointment, you'll need to be referred by your doctor. Not all services may be available at all locations. Please confirm when you request an appointment.
Doctors may refer a patient to the Electrophysiology Laboratory at Mayo Clinic's campus in Arizona by contacting the Referring Physician Service at 866-629-6362 (toll-free) 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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Doctors may refer a patient to the Electrophysiology Laboratory at Mayo Clinic's campus in Minnesota by contacting the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine Appointment Office at 800-471-1727 (toll-free) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central time, Monday through Friday. After business hours, contact the Referring Physician Service at 800-533-1564 (toll-free).
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Toyota's nightmare
1 comments post a comment
We're about to see whether Toyota really does have a handle on its gas pedal problem.
My next-door neighbhor didn't drive his Toyata Tundra to work today. The truck is among the Toyota models on a recall list for faulty accelerator pedals and an earlier floor mat problem. Similar problems have surfaced in the past with the Tundra.
We'll keep an eye on my neighbor's Tundra to see how long it takes Toyota to replace the accelerator pedal assembly based on a fix announced on Monday (Feb. 1).
Toyota is vehemently denying suggestions that the accelerator pedal problem is anything more than mechnical. Reports have been surfacing in recent days of wider problems with Toyota auto electronics. Again, Toyota executives dismiss these reports, saying that their fix will solve the gas pedal problem.
Time will tell.
Our former colleague, Charles J. Murray, addressed some of the auto electronics issues raised by Toyota's stuck gas pedal nightmare, including its throttle-by-wire systems and possible software fixes.
In the meantime, one blogger is cautioning Toyota owners to resist the temptation to trade in their suspect vehicles, suggesting instead that they focus on getting their Toyota fixed.


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Results 1 to 3 of 3
Which Battery Charger and to which Battery?
Just got a 200 hour 2002 LSV and I am going to install;
- a second "House" battery - Group 27 or Group 31 depending on the enclosure I can get and physical size
- Blue Seas ACR -- Which One?
- Should I change to a larger altenator?
- Which onboard charger? C-Tek or ProSport 20?
- Which battery do I hook the charger up to? House? Starting? Both?
- Can a ProSport 20 be used as a battery tender/maintainer for long periods of time?
Thanks for any help, Eric (starting to feel like a pro around here with 3 posts already!)
I think most people go with the ProSport 12, though I don't have one so take that for what it's worth.1985 Supra Sunsport Skier
06-11-2012, 11:34 AM #3Senior Member
- Join Date
- Feb 2005
- Location
- Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Posts
- 718
Regarding #3, what alternator is in your 2002 LSV now? In the 2005 model year that I have, the 310 and 325 HP engines had a 70-something Amp alternator, while the 340 had a 90A model. If you already have something around a 90A model, you probably have "lots", as opposed to "adequate only for original configuration".2005 XLV, upgraded ballast, Comptech swivel wakeboard and hydrofoil racks, Monster cargo bimini


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I don't get the Metta situation either, but at least Earl Clark was brought in to fill the small forward spot. Why did they buy out Beno Udrih and sign Shannon Brown? The starting five has three guards, and only Prigioni brings the passing the team needs (J.R. might be a better PG than Felton now), and two shooting guards coming off the bench.
I'm fine with small ball, but this team is not assembled well enough and the players don't have enough time to gel. Last season the team had the pieces to win a lot of games with that stategy (not using the big men to it's fullest potential was maddening), and also there's no Kidd to lead the team. If Murry and Brown gets minutes, we could be seeing six guards play.
I'll be rooting for Brown to play well, but he's not a PG, so what was the point of buying out Beno?
Another mystery of the bad coach and bad owner.


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They're Blowing Up Our Mountains – There Oughta Be a Law!
February 16, 2010 by Julia Wasson
Filed under Blog, Coal, DOI, Environment, Front Page, Mountaintop, Natural Resources, Slideshow
In his 2010 State of the Union address, President Obama mentioned that the U.S. needs "continued investment in … clean coal technologies."
But, according to Matt Wasson, Ph.D., Director of Programs at Appalachian Voices, as well as many other experts, when you look at the entire process — from mountaintop removal through burning and coal ash disposal — there is no such thing as clean coal.
Blue Planet Green Living (BPGL) spoke with Dr. Wasson about the activities of Appalachian Voices, and about coal in particular. Matt Wasson is my first cousin. Following is our interview. — Julia Wasson, Publisher
BPGL: What sparked your interest in the environment?
WASSON: I am someone who loves being outside. When I was living in the Pacific Northwest in the late '80s and early '90s, the old growth forests were being cut at a phenomenal rate. I just loved forests, and that was a huge motivating factor to go down that path. Then I fell in love with the mountains in the east, when I came out here for grad school.
BPGL: You were part of the cleanup of Prince William Sound after the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska. How did you get involved in that?
WASSON: I didn't actually work to clean up the spill, but worked on a team studying its aftermath — specifically, the spill's impacts on sea bird populations. I got the job through one of my professors at the University of Washington. After the first summer working on a remote island out in the Gulf of Alaska, I was pretty much hooked on biology.
Appalachian Voices
BPGL: After you earned your Ph.D. in ecology from Cornell University, what did you do then?
WASSON: I actually started at Appalachian Voices several weeks before handing in my dissertation, and I've been working here ever since. I knew I wanted to do environmental work, and I really fell in love with the eastern mountains when I was doing my dissertation work out in the middle of the Adirondacks in New York. As it turned out, my research on air pollution's impacts on birds and other wildlife provided an excellent background for working at Appalachian Voices — at that time, fighting air pollution in the mountains was our signature issue.
BPGL: What is the nature of your work at Appalachian Voices?
WASSON: I have been at Appalachian Voices for the last eight years. Currently, I am the director of programs. I oversee our campaigns to reduce air pollution, protect water quality, end mountaintop removal coal mining, and promote energy efficiency and renewable energy development in the mountains.
I am blessed to have my dream job here. I can focus on the things I really love doing and that I am really good at.
BPGL: There is no mountaintop mining in North Carolina. Why did Appalachian Voices choose that location for your main office, with all the mountaintop removal going on elsewhere?
WASSON: Mountaintop removal is a very small part of what Appalachian Voices worked on back in 1998, when the organization first formed. We've been building this national campaign over the years and really found our niche because nobody else was focused on passing federal legislation. We started doing it because we knew it was the right thing to do; over time, it has become our signature issue.
It strikes anybody that mountaintop coal removal is awful. But then it just becomes this whole other thing as you get to know all the people that are affected and come to care about them personally. It becomes a whole different level of motivation.
BPGL: Last year, Google Earth named Appalachian Voices a "Hero" for the way you use Google Earth in the fight against mountaintop coal removal. What role has Google Earth played in that fight?
WASSON: We began using Google Earth for a project called the "National Memorial for the Mountains," which was the centerpiece of iLoveMountains.org when we launched that site in 2006. The memorial was built around an interactive map of 470 mountains destroyed by mountaintop removal coal mining. Google Earth technology was perfect for that project because it allowed us to connect the enormous scale of destruction to the impacts on real people and real communities.
The folks at Google loved how we were using the technology and helped us create the "Appalachian Mountaintop Removal" layer, which is one of the most effective outreach tools we have ever created. More than 200 million people who have downloaded Google Earth can see and learn about mountaintop removal by turning this layer on inside the "Global Awareness" folder — pretty much the same as they might turn on road names, restaurant locations, or campground layers, which come as part of the core Google Earth package.
We have been incredibly fortunate to be able to partner with people at Google Earth Outreach on other projects as well. Most recently, we worked on a tour of Coal River Mountain that was shown at the climate conference in Copenhagen last December. Coal River Mountain is sort of ground zero in our transition to a renewable energy economy. It's a mountain in West Virginia where local advocates want to see a 320 megawatt wind farm built and at the same time coal companies are seeking permits for 6,000 acres of mountaintop removal mining. The proposed mining would destroy the wind resources on the mountain forever and, according to the folks at Google, it made a powerful impression on delegates in Copenhagen.
BPGL: Is iLove Mountains.org just a friend of Appalachian Voices, or is it part of Appalachian Voices?
WASSON: We put the website together and manage it — kind of administer it. But we are coordinating our efforts with the Alliance for Appalachia, which is an umbrella for 13 groups across Appalachia. They are all working to end mountaintop removal.
They are mostly local and pretty under-resourced groups. Our role has been to provide a megaphone — or an amplifier — for their voices, to tell their stories.
BPGL: How are you funded?
WASSON: It's a mix, everything from foundations to a number of larger donors in the region. We also have a membership. We publish a newspaper that we send to about 50,000 people every two months. It's distributed for free at grocery stores. And we advertise in the newspaper. It is a real mix.
BPGL: What other issues do you work on besides mountaintop removal?
WASSON: Air pollution was our old signature issue, and it still is important. So much of our focus is on coal, and about preventing coal-fired plants from being built. At the same time, we support alternative energy development and conservation and efficiency. So that is the other side of our work. We want to see this concept of "green jobs" turn into something more tangible for coal miners, whose jobs may be threatened. It's not about conceptual "green jobs" for them, it's just about "jobs" that will support their families.
We also are now a part of the Waterkeeper Alliance. We have a Riverkeeper here, who protects our local river, the Watauga River. She is also branching out to bring more of a water focus to our coal work, because when we are dealing with mining, water quality is the big deal. When you look at Google Earth and see all that destruction, it is awful. But the worst impact to all that is what you do not see — and that's what's in the water.
"Clean Coal": An Oxymoron
BPGL: What do you say to people who say, "It's clean coal"? How do you respond to this huge advertising campaign about clean coal?
WASSON: The basic response is that there is no clean coal and that this is an oxymoron.
But the more detailed response is that the concept of clean coal put out by the coal industry is very well thought out. I mean, it has been tested with audiences all over the country. This is their big public relations [P.R.] message. And it's worth recognizing it for what it is: just a P.R. phrase.
More importantly, it addresses a single stage of the entire life cycle of coal, all stages of which have enormous impact on the environment. So when someone talks about clean coal, that does not reference mining at all. The idea that something "clean" came from mountaintop removal mining — polluting streams with heavy metals and causing fish to be deformed and people to become ill — it is absurd to call that "clean."
BPGL: And after it's burned, there's the problem of dealing with that coal ash. A lot of people have heard of the coal ash disaster that the TVA had last winter. That certainly was not clean.
WASSON: That's the other end of the cycle. After the coal has been burned, then all that ash is laden with all the toxic metals and poisons like arsenic. There is nothing clean about these sludge dams, or these coal ash dams, particularly where, as in the TVA's case, they break.
BPGL: We recently learned that Iowa is accepting coal ash from Illinois. Quarry owners are dumping it in their quarries in exchange for money.
WASSON: Coal affects everyone — even in states like Iowa, where you don't have a lot of coal mining and no mountaintop removal. Climate change obviously is the big issue that affects us all; it's always going to be the 900-pound gorilla in the room. And there are a lot of other factors that will affect everybody.
There is a group that I very much appreciate, from up in your area. It's Plains Justice, out of Iowa. They released a report on coal ash.
BPGL: Donna Wong-Gibbons from Plains Justice has spoken at several meetings we've been to. She gives a powerful talk about coal ash.
WASSON: That is good to know. So the coal ash situation is just a great example of how you are also affected by the political dynamics.
I remember well, back around when the Iowa Caucuses were coming up, a group that at the time called itself Americans for Balanced Energy Choices gave tours all over Iowa. They were talking about coal and about how more than half of Iowa's energy comes from coal. If you follow the coal money trail, even Senator Harkin is taking a lot.
BPGL: I had no idea how much coal money my own legislators were taking until I looked it up on your website. As a taxpayer, that's appalling.
It's also interesting that you mentioned Americans for Balanced Energy Choices, because someone recently sent me an article about "balanced energy" and asked me to publish it. He said we have to look at the whole picture and not just one part of it. It sounded kind of innocuous, but then when we looked up "balanced energy," and found out who he was affiliated with, we thought, You've gotta be kidding.
WASSON: [He laughs.] That is really funny. They are clever.
BPGL: Yeah. Absolutely.
WASSON: Their "Balanced Energy Choices" means that the half of our electricity that is coming from coal is somehow unbalanced, and that we need more of it to come from coal. It is just Orwellian. It's incredible.
Myths about Coal
BPGL: What is the next step? If we're not going to get our wind and solar financial boost from the government, are we stuck with coal until it runs out?
WASSON: You know, in terms of the percentage of U.S. electricity that is produced by coal, it has been declining for the last 25 years. That is the part that the coal industry does not like to talk about. They like to talk about how dependent we are on coal.
The price of coal in the last decade has doubled and is only going up, because — certainly out here in the East — most of the easy-to-reach coal is nearly mined out. What we are looking at with all of these coal subsidies in the climate bill isn't about what we need to produce our energy.
In fact, coal really isn't that competitive in a lot of areas. It may well be in Iowa, because you are so close to Wyoming. Except there it is also so cheap to create wind power. I don't even know how the economics of it works out there.
Here [in the Eastern U.S.] we are probably paying triple the price of coal that you pay there. And while it costs a little more to produce wind power as well, there is just not that strong of an argument, increasingly, that coal is inexpensive. And, in fact, it's not even that competitive looking forward, with carbon allowances and what not. So the idea that there is no replacement for coal is just not true.
I think most credible reports on conservation and efficiency suggest that we can reduce our electricity use by 25 to 30 percent in cost effective, relatively painless, measures. And if that percentage is taken out of coal's percentage, as opposed to somewhere else, then we could make real progress, really quickly, in reducing our demand for coal.
The coal industry has spent hundreds of millions of dollars in the last decade on P.R. efforts and lobbying efforts to go out with their message about "clean coal." That's their focus-group phrase, but it is not the only one that they use. If you go to their websites, "affordable," "abundant," and "essential" are the other key words that they put out. That's where I think they have the most success. They have gone relatively unchallenged on those assertions, even though every one of those is highly debatable.
There Are No Freebies
BPGL: What is the most recent project that you're working on?
WASSON: A lot of groups that are concerned about mountaintop removal are coming together to hold that 5th Annual Mountaintop Removal Week In Washington in the beginning of March. That's where we bring dozens of people from affected communities in Appalachia and more than 100 others from across the country to speak with their Senators and Representatives about the importance of ending mountaintop removal. It's those sorts of activities, where people also get the resources to go back and organize in their own communities, that have built so much political momentum on this issue. We now have 163 co-sponsors of the Clean Water Protection Act, which would put an end to most mountaintop removal.
It's really escalating, but we need more support on the key committees before we can win. That's where states like Iowa, which seem pretty far removed from the problem on the surface, become so important. For instance, Representative Boswell, who represents Des Moines and areas to the east, is a Democratic member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. His will be a crucial vote for passing this bill but, so far, he has not taken a position on the bill.
BPGL: Then Iowans in Representative Boswell's district need to contact him a.s.a.p. to tell them what they think.
WASSON: Of course, there's also a lot of action in the Obama Administration as well. I think they're learning that allowing mountaintop removal to continue under Bush's rules is going to carry a political price. And they need to know that.
It's not like we want to undermine the administration, but there are no freebies. That's a huge signal that needs to be sent. But we are going to stay focused. I have talked about a lot of different things, but really we have got a very simple message: "They are blowing up our mountains, and there oughta be a law."
That is what we are focused on. This is our mantra. And that is our plan. That's what we are doing. All of this other stuff is dealing with the immediate needs of the communities, but we are trying to translate all of that into law that will solve the problem permanently.
BPGL: What was the regulation that President Obama signed in the fall?
MW: The Stream Buffer Zone Rule, which was written by the Department of Interior.
BPGL: So, the Obama administration just allowed mountaintop removal to continue?
WASSON: Right, it's the Bush Rule. Basically, mountaintop removal, as a whole — is continuing under the rules that were set up by the Bush administration.
BPGL: Did Obama allow that, or was that a challenge that the administration lost in court?
WASSON: Last year, the Department of Interior asked that this Bush rule be vacated and that a new rule making process be initiated. A federal court struck that down, saying that vacating the rule would not be appropriate. So the ball came back into the Department of Interior's court, and ultimately, the President's. We just found out about it late on a Friday evening. They kind of snuck over to the Federal Court building, and effectively announced their intention to delay any rule making process until 2011.
BPGL: Can we lay blame on the judges?
WASSON: No, I think they are legitimately trying to interpret the law. I am not a lawyer, I don't really understand it. But if the courts said that the way the Interior department initially tried to deal with the rule change is illegal, I more or less take it on faith that there are some problems with it. What is disappointing is that instead of initiating the rule making process now, they are content to move ahead under Bush rules. This whole "Change we can believe in"? Come on.
BPGL: That is disappointing. So there is nothing that can be done until 2011, is that correct?
WASSON: It is not that nothing can be done. The Interior department is trying to not do anything about it until then.
BPGL: Is the Director of the Interior on the side of trying to make things better or is he on the side of letting things go pretty much as they were during the Bush Regime?
WASSON: We just do not know. We know only that this is not a good sign.
How to Take Action
BPGL: Is there anything citizens can do as far as lobbying the Department of Interior, or is the Interior Department pretty much insulated?
WASSON: No, they are not insulated. We will be sending out alerts to our mailing lists, to the iLoveMountains list, suggesting people should contact the Department of Interior. I am very confident that will happen.
What people outside the region need to do is to stay connected by signing up at iLoveMountains.org. They won't get spammed, and their names don't get sold or traded. By signing up, they will get an email about every other week. This will keep them informed about what is happening.
It is really hard to keep up with these things for people who are not on those lists. And we are not asking a lot. So, honestly, the most important thing for people to do is just stay informed by getting on a contact list. The lists will give them guidance as to what email address to use, how to contact the Department of Interior, and what phone number to use.
If people do not want to get on a list, by all means get the Department of Interior's information on the web. They can find somebody to talk to. And they should just call them up and tell the Interior Department what their concerns are.
BPGL: So, the key to this whole conversation is to get our readers to sign up on that website to start receiving updates.
WASSON: It's just got to be the first step. It is the only way for people to really engage in this. That is the message; that's the first task, and then it's real easy to get in touch with your legislators. Before you call, have an idea of what you want to say. Sometimes people want to call their legislator, but this might be a topic that their legislator might not be able to do anything about it. That's why it is important to be on one of these lists — to find out who is responsible and who can take action to make a difference.
Blue Planet Green Living (Home Page)
Helpful Links
National Memorial for the Mountains
Plains Justice Environmental Law Center
Contact Representative Leonard Boswell


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DEARBORN, Mich. - When you think of a museum, you picture a calm and serene learning environment, but for a child with autism, jarring noises, bright colors and flashing flights can be frightening.
The Henry Ford Museum and Autism Alliance of Michigan have been working together to provide families with autistic children the same experience as other families.
On their website, Amy, Director of Guest Services at the Henry Ford, describes what parents and children can check out online before they visit.
"Sights, sounds, smells, places that are busy, places that are quiet, so parents can do a schedule before they go and show the child what they will be doing with pictures," said Amy. "Hopefully they have an extra level of comfort."
The staff of the museum, Greenfield Village, IMAX and the Ford Rouge Factory have been trained on how to work with people with autism to give them a better learning experience.
Each member from guest services will have an autism training card on hand at all times.
"This just adds another level of security for those families if they want to come out and have a good day here that they know they can be safe," said Amy. "There are people here who understand their situation and can help them with any need."
Amy also explained that many kids with autism are drawn to trains, whether they are small and in motion or large and parked.
It is only fitting that they will be kicking off their new partnership with the Autism Alliance by hosting Thomas the Tank Engine at Greenfield Village on April 28th.
They are inviting families with autism to attend.
Visit The Henry Ford's official blog to learn more.
Copyright 2013 by ClickOnDetroit.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Elderly Commission
Emily Shea, Commissioner
Emily Shea, Commissioner
On this page, you can find historical performance reports which are dated prior to the launch of our interactive online reporting tool. Click below on the report you are interested to see a static PDF report from that time period.
For the latest web reports, visit the BAR homepage.


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Get instant appeal — even before plants begin blooming — with this colorful railing planter. Simply drape over any railing up to 6" across. There's no need to drill holes or install mounting hardware. Mix and match to create a style that's uniquely yours. Made from fade-resistant nylon with a waterproof liner and drainage hole. Folds flat for easy off-season storage.
(based on 15 reviews)
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Very Pretty
By DBEST
from Ingram, Tx
I use the planters to add some color to my back deck. The only thing I would change would be to make them a little larger.
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
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not what I expected
By Neti
from Sacramento,CA
This product was not worth the price. I must have misunderstood what it was. Didn't think is was a plastic sack to fling over a fence. This product will not last the summer.
Bottom Line No, I would not recommend this to a friend
(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)
I've been looking for decorative planter
By garden guru
from RI
I like it on the deck. It's handy for picking fresh herbs. I also like it for lettuce. It does well in the shade.
(2 of 3 customers found this review helpful)
By Carajane
from Detroit, MI
pretty designs, versatile & love how it's made to be easy to water.
(2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)
great product look and functions great
By bminott
from sugar land, tx
product works well and looks great
(4 of 4 customers found this review helpful)
flower fancy
By garden grandma
from Muskego, WI
I love this item. I put silk flowers in it and they add so much to my pouch.
By Rebeky
from Houston, Texas
great planter holds water well
(3 of 3 customers found this review helpful)
Works great
Product was great for a backyard covered patio
An innovation I've been waiting for.
By Dodh
from Fort Worth, TX
Up to now there has been nothing available for narrow metal railings. Everything on the market has been for wooden railings, which are much wider. This product is an answer to prayer for my very tiny patio.
(5 of 5 customers found this review helpful)
easy to use, looks great!
By Iowa teacher/gardener
from southwest Iowa
This is a great addition to my garden. I love the ease of filling it and letting it hang on the deck. I did not use the suggested potting soil, just regular potting soil, flowers look great. I wish it was in solid colors, the design is a little distracting and busy with the flowers. Will get another one for the other end of my deck.
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Hello everyone! My name is Carly, though you may see me as either of my alias's, Brielle or InCompanyOfFaeries.
I have been part of MNFF and the Beta Boards for quite some time now. I have been working on two different stories: Harry Potter and the Untitled Book (Harry/OC), and my newest is in the process of unfolding, The Melody of A Fallen Tree (Next Generation). Though chaptered stories have been my focus, I am looking to expand my horizons and try some one shots and challenges. So, stay tuned! I promise there is more to come.
Thanks for stopping by and send me a message over at the Beta Boards if you'd like to chat! I love talking to fellow Harry Potter nerds.
Thank you all, and be sure to check out my new story, The Melody of A Fallen Tree, coming soon!


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Breashears: From Everest to Fenway
Filmmaker who conquered famed mountain shoots ballpark
By Alex McPhillips / MLB.com
That's what David Breashears, huddled behind a large, unsightly contraption, was doing in the third-base camera well on Friday night. The director and co-producer of "Everest," one of the most successful IMAX films of all time, and a member of the 1996 Mount Everest expedition that claimed eight lives, was filming baseball on an IMAX camera for the first time.
"You know what?" said Breashears, as he outfitted his large camera with a new lens. "I've climbed Everest five times. And every time ... you're down here [at Fenway], there's an energy, and just a buzz in the air, that I find impressive."
Breashears, a New England transplant from Wyoming and Colorado who has lived in Marblehead, Mass., for 26 years, was contracted by Cherie Rivers, director of the of the Boston Museum of Science's Mugar Omni Theater, to film the Red Sox.
The Omni is currently undergoing renovations. As such, the theater's "signature film" -- "Celebrate New England," which plays for five minutes before every IMAX movie -- is gathering new footage. The old film, Breashears said, can look every bit of its 20 years.
"It still has [Boston's] central artery in it," Breashears said.
Earlier on Friday, Breashears' camera was flying on a helicopter over New Hampshire's Mount Washington, home of the highest recorded wind speeds on aarth.
"Part of the theme of this film is that New England is a land of extremes," Breashears said. "From the highest wind speed on earth to the beautiful bays and coves of the Cape."
"And," he added, "there are great teams."
Breashears' camera will also travel to Gillette Stadium to film the Patriots this fall. Later, it will return to Mount Washington in winter.
On Friday, Breashears planned to film the first two innings of Game 2 of the American League Division Series between the Red Sox and Angels from the third-base camera well, before moving the camera to two different sections of the stadium.
Nothing as strenuous as climbing the world's highest mountain, say, but Breashears could draw parallels between the two.
"This is all manufactured," he said, pointing to the outfield, where members of the Angels were warming up. "Every blade of grass. But you know what you have here? You have people who believe in excellence. People who are competitive. Climbers are competitive. You have passion for what they do. And that's what I feel is a sense of camaraderie among team members.
"But there's a big difference between here and Mount Everest. Here, you lose, you risk embarrassment and loss of pride. And [on] Everest, you lose your life and your fingers and your toes."
Alex McPhillips 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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A caller called into the Stephen A show and asked about Phil Jax. Stephen said he KNOWS from multiple sources that Phil Jackson "wants to be here" and if the Knicks "Want" him they can have him.
A caller called into the Stephen A show and asked about Phil Jax. Stephen said he KNOWS from multiple sources that Phil Jackson "wants to be here" and if the Knicks "Want" him they can have him.
Image hotlinked from a malware website // removed
He followed up on it by saying "Its up to Dolan. If Dolan wants him he can have him...But he has to want him.'
Dolan is a total dumbass but even i dont think hes dumb enough to pass of Phil Jax!
Will we ever win a championship again? Id like to think so!
- My Zen doesn't come cheap
really though he probably will want some say in the personnel on the team similar to Adelman in Minnesota. I have a feeling its control more than money that is jamming this up.
Cmon home Phil!
Doesn't Phil Jackson always toy with the idea of coaching the Knicks but ends up rejecting them whenever he's not coaching?
Last edited by knicksin60; Mar 13, 2012 at 00:47.
Humility is a virtue and pride is a vice.
Phil's not coming mid-season though. He's coming at the end of the year. If we fire D'Antoni now, we're just going to have the rest of the season with Mike Woodson as coach.
i hate dantoni so much at this point already. please let the guy go. he makes me miserable
Both Wilbon and Stephen A Smith said he is willing to come. His wifey Dropped a ton of hints when he was leaving LA he would be looking at NY.
The only question is will Dolan fall back and let it happened. Now with that said correct me if I am wrong but isn't he somewhat a less involved owner with the successful rangers because their coach more or less runs that team? I am hoping I am right because he doesn't need to get involved am I right. He has the talent to sell MSG out. He has Lin to get all that money from the Asian markets that follow him. Why would he be against a coach who if he is successful will get him playoff money $$$ and atleast 1-3 championships to shut up all his haters. He want's to be the Yankee's go and get Joe Torre then.
Don't get hyped for no reason. This is a win - win situation for Smith if the Knicks get him, he says I told you so. If they don't, I told you its all Dolan's fault.
You really think Phil jackson had a conversation with this assdick and was like, "Hey Steve, don't tell anyone this, but I really want to coach for the Knicks before I retire"
Smith is just connecting rudimentary dots that any average fan could come up with.
Jackson played for the knicks
Jackson isn't coaching
+ Knicks have 1 of the most talented teams in the league
Phil Jackson wants to coach for Knicks
**** Stephen A. Smith a monkey on a typewriter could do his job


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We have been using Zone Alarm Extreme Security with Datalock on several systems, yet our Toshiba laptop keeps giving us issues. When we try to use data encryption, the system freezes at 29% and never moves on from there. We have tried reformatting our hard disk several times, and the error is consistent. The system is running Windows XP, and has a recovery partition.
If anyone has a solution to this, please post a reply. Thanks!


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The Morning Ledger: CFOs See Stronger Earnings, Weaker Spending
The Morning Ledger from CFO Journal cues up the most important news in corporate finance every weekday morning. Send us tips, suggestions and complaints: email@example.com and firstname.lastname@example.com. Get The Morning Ledger emailed to you each weekday morning by clicking here.
CFOs see solid sales and earnings growth on the horizon, but their outlook on capital spending is grim. The 86 CFOs surveyed in the latest Deloitte CFO Signals survey (PDF) predicted mean earnings growth of 10.9%, on sales growth of 5.6% in Q4, up from survey-low expectations of 8% earnings growth and 4.8% revenue growth in the third quarter. But they also expect only 4.2% average growth in capital spending, 2.7% in R&D and 2% for marketing and advertising next year — all of those predictions are survey lows, CFOJ's Maxwell Murphy notes. Domestic hiring is expected to pick up a scant 1% on average. That's better than the 0.6% average in the third-quarter survey, but 28% of CFOs are expecting job cuts — a new survey high.
Speaking of hiring … the December nonfarm payrolls report – out at 8:30 a.m. – is likely to show some modest improvement on the jobs front. Economists are expecting 150,000 jobs added – slightly higher than November's 146,000. But some scrambled to raise their forecasts yesterday after the ADP report blew past expectations, Ahead of the Tape's Spencer Jakab notes. The unemployment rate is seen holding steady at 7.7%.
Markets flash: Japanese stocks surged in their first trading day of the new year as the yen continued to weaken. But other Asian markets fell in reaction to the FOMC minutes. European markets are little changed, as investors wait for the U.S. jobs report. DJIA futures are flat.
Gap CFO: Cash flow key to buybacks. Gap disclosed plans for a new $1 billion share-repurchase program, just days after it closed on the $130 million acquisition of retailer Intermix, showing that it sees investment opportunities but is still throwing off excess cash. Even so, Gap CFO Sabrina Simmons said the moves don't reflect a shift in its thinking about the amount of cash it plans to keep on its balance sheet. Both the deal and the buybacks are "completely consistent" with the company's desire to invest in the company and return capital, Ms. Simmons told Maxwell Murphy. Gap's cash flow is "strong" in both good economic times and bad, Ms. Simmons said, which is why the company can pursue both goals simultaneously. Its new buyback follows a previous $1 billion program that it completed during the current quarter, its fiscal fourth; it repurchased about 17 million shares for about $539 million so far during the period to complete the prior authorization.
Today's CFO: Which profile best suits your company? In this guest piece for CFO Journal, Ankur Agrawal and his colleagues at McKinsey take a look at different types of finance chief and the questions companies should ask themselves as they choose among them. Agrawal breaks CFOs down into four categories: finance experts, typically internal hires with years of experience; generalists, who have spent time outside finance; performance leaders, who have strong track records in transformations; and growth champions, valued for their experience in M&A. With these profile characteristics in hand, companies can more weigh CFOs against the skills and capabilities they require.
Wal-Martrile rivals. Toys "R" Us andBest Buy are fighting back against Wal-Mart's aggressive new ad campaign that claims better prices than competitors. In complaints to state attorneys-general, the rivals claim that Wal-Mart's ads cross a line by making misleading comparisons or promoting products the company doesn't have in ample supply, report the WSJ's Ann Zimmerman and Shelly Banjo. Best Buy complained about a Wal-Mart ad that claimed a Dell laptop cost $251 more at Best Buy. The electronics retailer said that the two laptops were different models. "That would be like comparing a Toyota to a Lexus," Keith Nelsen, Best Buy's general counsel, wrote in a Dec. 20 letter to the Florida attorney general's office.Qualcomm faces lawsuit over political spending. New York's public pension fund has filed a lawsuit against chipmaker Qualcomm for the right to inspect the company's books and records for political spending. The lawsuit, which could have a big impact on corporate political giving, alleges that Qualcomm has declined to disclose its political donations, despite a formal request by the pension fund and other institutional investors. The fund, invoking a Delaware law that requires certain corporate disclosures, wants the company to open up its books and records so it can see how much Qualcomm donates, the Journal's Dan Strumpf reports.
Inquiry into tech companies' tax strategies wraps up. Congressional investigators are wrapping up an inquiry into the accounting practices of Apple and other tech companies that allocate revenue and intellectual property offshore to lower the taxes they pay in the U.S., the NYT reports. It's unclear how broadly Senate investigators are looking into the tech industry, if any laws are thought to have been broken or how many companies are involved. But Apple's domestic tax bill has drawn the interest of lawmakers because the company's accountants have found legal ways to allocate about 70% of the company's profits overseas.
Deal unites Spam and Skippy. Hormel is buying the Skippy peanut butter business fromUnilever for $700 million in cash, DealBook reports. One big attraction for Hormel is that Skippy is the leading brand in China, where peanut butter is just starting to catch on. Skippy sales in China account for between $30 million to $40 million of the $100 million in international sales. "Outside the U.S., peanut butter is a growth story," Hormel CEO Jeffrey Ettinger said. "Skippy has a good franchise in Canada, it's growing in Mexico, and we really see opportunity in Asia."
Ackman gives up on General Growth. Activist investor William Ackman has given up trying to forceGeneral Growth Properties to put itself up for sale. Mr. Ackman's Pershing Square Capital Management agreed to sell his warrants in General Growth toBrookfield Asset Management for a premium. Pershing, another large shareholder, also said it would abstain for four years from agitating for a sale, the WSJ reports. Mr. Ackman said he was backing down partly because renewed talks between General Growth and Simon went nowhere.
Shale oil boom boosts Buffett and Icahn. Warren Buffett and Carl Icahn are reaping the rewards from the shale oil boom, as demand increases for railroad tank cars. Buffett's Union Tank Car is working at full capacity and Icahn'sAmerican Railcar Industries has a backlog through 2014, Bloomberg reports. The shortage is exacerbated by makers who are keeping many of the tank cars they produce to supply their own leasing businesses, where rates in some cases have more than quadrupled to $2,500 a month. The manufacturers also are wary of boosting production too much and getting caught with unsold cars as they did in an earlier coal boom.
Fed divided on bond buying. A new fault line has opened up at the Fed over how long to continue bond-buying programs, the Journal's Jon Hilsenrath reports. Minutes of the Fed's December policy meeting showed officials were divided – some wanted to keep the programs going through the end of 2013, others wanted to end them before then and a minority wanted to stop right away. Officials worried that, among other things, the Fed's huge balance sheet could make it hard to tighten credit if inflation heats up.
Geithner about to bolt. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner plans to leave the administration by the end of January – even if there's no deal in place to raise the debt ceiling, Bloomberg reports. Mr. Geithner's exit would ratchet up pressure on the President to name a successor quickly. White House Chief of Staff Jack Lew is the leading contender to take over. Because Mr. Lew's experience in financial markets is thin, President Obama "may seek to name a Wall Street executive as deputy treasury secretary."
U.S. clears Google of 'search bias.' The FTC closed its two-year antitrust probe of Google, getting the search giant to agree to some voluntary changes to search practices and to allow online advertisers more flexibility working with rival websites. Closed without action was the core investigation into whether Google unfairly hurt rivals by favoring its own products and services in search results, however. Google rivals were predictably upset at the outcome, reports the WSJ's Brent Kendall and Amir Efrati. While FTC Commissioner J. Thomas Rosch said that while he did not believe Google's actions amounted to antitrust violations, the other four FTC commissioners should have demanded binding commitments from Google.
New swaps rules underwhelm. Swaps rules that took effect on Monday haven't produced the kind of transparency the CFTC expected, writes the WSJ's Katy Burne. The CFTC is allowing many trades to be reported after a delay, in some cases several hours, while it finishes disclosure rules. That gap isn't much of an improvement over trade data already available, said Luke Zubrod, director at Chatham Financial. "It would seem it is a step in the direction of real-time but not there yet," Mr. Zubrod said, adding he is "skeptical" the new data will provide much value.
Every Friday we select a handful of in-depth articles we think are worth a bit of your valuable weekend time, either because they peel back the layers on a compelling business story, or somehow make us look at business in a different light.
- D.C. finance chief weathers storm. Natwar M. Gandhi has faced a torrent of criticism during his 12 years as Washington, D.C.'s chief financial officer. He's been labeled "Dr. No" and "Chief Fictional Officer," but as the Washington Post's Nikita Stewart writes, he prefers to refer to himself as "The Supreme Bean Counter." Mr. Gandhi is often credited with reforming a finance agency that once piled thousands of unprocessed tax returns in a basement office. He's also taken heat for poor internal controls and a $48 million embezzlement case by tax office employee Harriette Walters. Mr. Gandhi points out that he offered to resign after the embezzlement was detected, but the mayor rejected that idea. "If you have been here as long as I have been here, 12 years, you always find things that are not always up to the best of the standards," he said. "This [is] not all cookie-cutting business here. You are trying to balance the overall mission with the daily demands, and it's messy."
- The path to bank reform. Public trust in banks collapsed along with the economy back in 2008. But investors aren't the only skeptics. When Frank Partnoy and Jesse Eisinger asked former FASB member Ed Trott whether he trusted bank accounting, he said, simply, "Absolutely not." Writing in the Atlantic, Partnoy and Eisinger say that current disclosure requirements "don't illuminate banks' financial statements; instead, they let the banks turn out the lights. And in that darkness, all sorts of unsavory practices can breed." A perusal of Wells Fargo's recent financial statements bolsters their argument that there needs to be a straightforward standard of disclosure for banks to follow: "describe risks in commonsense terms that an investor can understand." And there has to be a real risk of punishment for executives who mislead investors, or otherwise perpetrate fraud and abuse.
- Is Dish Network the meanest company in America? Charlie Ergen, the founder and chairman of Dish Network, is "a living rebuke to a library of management textbooks that suggest fostering happy, self-actualized employees in a transparent environment of trust and communal effort is the path to wealth," writes Businessweek's Caleb Hannan. The list of alleged misdeeds by Mr. Ergen reads as over-the-top and exaggerated as some of the evil CEOs portrayed on B-movies beamed to Dish subscribers. Mr. Ergen's treatment of employees and analysts alike created a "culture of condescension and distrust," writes Hannan. When not chewing out employees, Mr. Ergen spends much time in court, suing the competition, the neighbors and, in one case, his own lawyers. But the "one-trick pony," as Mr. Ergen has described his business, has managed to beat estimates five times in the last eight quarters. Since leaving the CEO role in 2011, employees tell Hannan that the corporate culture has relaxed some, but Mr. Ergen maintains 53.2% of the outstanding shares and 90.4% of the voting rights.
- Advanced Micro Devices said that interim Chief Financial Officer Devinder Kumar will now hold the position on a permanent basis. Before taking the role of interim finance chief in September when CFO Thomas Seifert resigned, Mr. Kumar had been the company's controller since 2001, and a company employee since 1984. As part of his promotion, his base salary was increased to $500,000, and he received 726,556 stock options and a 336,322 share stock grant. Mr. Seifert received compensation in 2011 valued at $3.8 million, according to its most recent proxy filing.
- Carbonite hired Anthony Folger as its chief financial officer. He succeeds Andrew Keenan, whose resigned at the end of last year. Mr. Folger was most recently CFO of Acronis AG. At Carbonite he will receive a base salary of $280,000, 175,000 stock options and will be eligible for the company's bonus program. Mr. Keenan received compensation in 2011 valued at $854,353, according to a proxy filing.
- Isis Pharmaceuticals promoted Elizabeth L. Hougen to chief financial officer. She succeeds B. Lynn Parshall, who will remain in her role as chief operating officer, according to a regulatory filing. Ms. Hougen was most recently chief accounting officer and vice president of finance. Ms. Parshall received compensation in 2011 valued at $1.4 million, according to a proxy filing.
- SIFCO Industries promoted Catherine Kramer to chief financial officer. She succeeds Frank Cappello, who left the company at the end of the year, according to a press release. Ms. Kramer was most recently director of financial planning and analysis. Mr. Capello received compensation in 2012 valued at $317,500, according to a proxy filing.


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HOUSTON - Cosmopolitan magazine announced its hottest bachelors of 2012, and a Houstonian made the list for the state of Texas.
Don Vaughn, 25, is featured in the November issue.
The Stanford physics graduate appeared on KPRC Local 2 in January as one of Houston's hottest bachelors. Vaughn is a neuroscientist, drummer and model. He said his celebrity crush is Angelina Jolie and considers himself "rational and passionate."
This year's Cosmopolitan bachelor group also includes professional athletes, a TV news anchor, a lawyer, and a set of brothers from Montana.
Readers can check out all the single guys online at www.cosmopolitan.com/bachelors-2012 and vote for their favorite until Oct. 18.
A panel of Cosmo editors will choose the Bachelor of the Year out of the top 10 bachelors with the most reader votes. The winner will receive $10,000.
Copyright 2012 by Click2Houston.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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The planning of the maintenance work for an aircraft is done by the short and long-term planning department within SWISS maintenance. The team is responsible for scheduling the work with regard to the required manpower, such as specialists, as well as to equipment, hangar space and material needed.
I started my career in the aviation industry in 1985 with Swissair Technics as an aircraft mechanic and became a ground engineer afterwards. In 1998 I changed to the planning department of SR Technics and in 2010 started working within the SWISS planning department.
For the past two years I have been leading a team of 10 short-term planners. There are five staff members on duty per day, working in early and late shifts and subdivided into the aircraft type groups: AVRO, A320fam, A330/340. Our office is located at Zurich Airport, right under the observation terrace and next to the tarmac because proximity to the line maintenance operation is quite essential. The team plays a very important role as a link between the engineering department, purchasing, troubleshooting and the aircraft engineers. All work performed on an aircraft is planned based on the due dates of the tasks. "Priority 1" tasks have to be done before the airplane departs again. Therefore, prioritizing is the key word for the planning work, since aircraft ground time is sometimes very limited for the performance of all maintenance tasks.
Planning is influenced by various factors such as shorter ground times due to weather conditions or operational issues, unavailable material, equipment, hangar space – and manpower availability. A practical example that is very important for our passenger's comfort is the coffee machine. There is a saying: "No coffee, no take-off". Therefore, any coffee machine that is out of order has to be fixed as soon as possible.


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MLB.com At Bat 2009 app expanding
Watch out-of-market games for just 99 cents each
By Mark Newman / MLB.com
For the rest of this season, simply choose any game anytime. Let's say you want to watch your favorite team clinch or your favorite pitcher start, or you want to see a milestone like Ichiro Suzuki breaking the record for most consecutive 200-hit seasons. Whatever the game, just buy it as easily as you would a must-have song in Apple's iTunes Store.
This follows the recent announcement that all MLB.TV and MLB.TV Premium subscribers who have the MLB.com At Bat 2009 app can see all out-of-market games live over their iPhones or iPod Touch devices, just as they can over a computer.
Now fans can have it both ways, just as the pennant races are hitting overdrive. You can use your MLB.TV subscription to immediately watch any live out-of-market game at any time. The 99-cent games are great options to those fans who do not have MLB.TV and who want the a la carte convenience.
Apple's newest feature also includes customizable notifications, so if you have MLB.com At Bat 2009, then you will be notified whenever a game is about to start. Many fans will thus be prompted to order that game immediately and start watching it live wherever they are.
Fans can access every out-of-market game in high quality video over either a Wi-Fi connection or the carrier network as part of At Bat 2009. Leveraging standards-based https streaming technology enabled by the recent iPhone OS 3.0 update, the MLB.com app includes controls to give users the ability to pause a game or rewind the action. Additionally, adaptive bitrate technology is constantly working automatically to give users the highest-quality voice stream their network connection can support.
MLB.com will continue to make up to two free games per day -- the AtBat.TV Game of the Day -- available for all At Bat 2009 subscribers, subject to blackout restrictions.
The application also offers live audio broadcasts without blackout restrictions, a continuously updated scoreboard, MLB.com Gameday functionality, real-time video highlights and Condensed Games, a short-form video recap of every payoff pitch from every game.
This is the latest in a series of big baseball-tech breakthroughs this season, many of them involving mobile technology. Fans have raved the past year about the MLB.com At Bat app, which has been a steady No. 1 among top-selling sports apps.
"Having MLB.TV was already awesome in itself. Then came MLB.com At Bat 2009 on my iPhone," said Cristian Podar, a 31-year-old Tigers fan in the Detroit area. "I thought I had it made until now. Now I have the ability to watch every out-of-market game on my iPhone wherever I go.
"I am a baseball nut and a Tigers fan. I follow what every team in the division does constantly throughout the day. Now I can actually watch the action live on my iPhone. This is an absolutely revolutionary way to provide fans with the complete experience. This will literally change my daily routine."
Wade Strange, a 30-year-old Red Sox fan transplanted from Western Massachusetts to "the heart of Yankees country" -- East Rutherford, N.J. -- said being able to watch live games on his iPhone changed life for the better.
"As a complete workaholic, I spend more time at the office than I care to admit," Strange said. "I need access to my Sox. My normal routine of using MLB.com At Bat audio on my iPhone to listen to the start of night games, and then racing home to log on and finish the game in HD using MLB.TV will now get a significant upgrade with the recently updated MLB At Bat app for iPhone. I was happy with just the audio and now I'm ecstatic for video access to every game wherever I am. I consider myself a modern, technically savvy baseball fan and I'm still amazed every time I pull out my phone to watch a Sox game. We are truly living in the future."
Mark Newman is enterprise editor of MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text: "In revisiting the career of his mentor, Shimon Peres presents a uniquely human portrait of David Ben-Guriona master strategist with a long view of history and an abiding vision for Israel's future. Peres brings his nation's founding father to life with the energy, candor, and wisdom he's become known for in his six decades of public service."Bill Clinton


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Going to Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and few days + in Labrador this July or August. Got any tips on places,accommodations, and eateries/coffee stops, e.t.c.. I have been to N.S. three or four times ('70's-'80's and '90's) and Western Newfoundland a bit once in the '90's. Both were wonderful and the people even better.
Charlie in VA


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DeJesus activated off DL; Sappelt optioned
By Carrie Muskat / MLB.com
PHOENIX -- Cubs outfielder David DeJesus, sidelined since June 24 with a sprained right shoulder, was activated from the disabled list on Wednesday, and Dave Sappelt was optioned to Triple-A Iowa.
The next question, though, is how long will DeJesus stay with the Cubs?
DeJesus was injured when he crashed into the outfield wall at Citi Field. He played four rehab games for the Cubs' Rookie League team.
"When I'm at the plate, I'm not really worrying about it," DeJesus said of his shoulder.
Sappelt played 11 games in July, and was 10-for-30 with a double.
DeJesus started in center field and led off on Wednesday against the D-backs. Rookie Junior Lake, who had been playing center and had 12 hits in his first five games, shifted to left field.
"I thought about [the order] for 10, 15 minutes, and decided just get Lake at the top of the lineup, and it doesn't matter first or second," Cubs manager Dale Sveum said. "DeJesus' game is built for that spot. I've got 'Laker' in the second spot."
DeJesus' name has been mentioned in trade rumors, and Theo Epstein, president of baseball operations, did take time to talk to the outfielder, but not about a possible move. Instead, Epstein wanted to thank DeJesus, and tell him how much they appreciate his mentorship of the younger players. DeJesus showed that during his rehab stint with the Rookie League players, many of whom are teenagers.
"He's a really good baseball player, lived up to his contract. He's a left-handed bat who has the exact approach we're trying to teach in this organization," Epstein said. "There's a lot of value to having him here. That said, will we make him untouchable? No -- no one's untouchable. We'll sit and weigh out the options and what's best for the Cubs."
DeJesus was prepared.
"My name's been in the rumors before," he said. "It's nothing new. You've just got to be professional and play the game and see what happens from there."
Lake's Cubs run continues with DeJesus back
PHOENIX -- Junior Lake primarily played the infield in the Minor Leagues, and Cubs manager Dale Sveum considered moving the rookie from the outfield to third base on Wednesday.
"[Sveum] didn't want to do that because [Lake's] riding such a wave right now. Why give him something extra to think about?" said Theo Epstein, Cubs president of baseball operations.
Lake entered Wednesday's game with 12 hits in his first five games, and then doubled in his first at-bat in the first against the Diamondbacks. He joins George Kelly (1930) and Emil Verban (1948) as the only Cubs to have a dozen hits in their first five games.
He was promoted from Triple-A Iowa after Brian Bogusevic aggravated his left hamstring, which left the Cubs thin as far as outfielders. The club could've sent Lake back to the Minor Leagues after David DeJesus was activated from the disabled list on Wednesday, but instead, Dave Sappelt was optioned to Iowa.
Lake isn't going anywhere now.
"He's got that incredible physical ability, amazing tools, where when he is locked in and seeing the ball well, he can do some things on the baseball field that make you drop your jaw," Epstein said. "His development is all about maturation and the mental side of the game. He's made huge improvements in seeing the right-handed breaking ball. He used to be a really big chaser. It's something he's cut down on. ... You don't see guys with bodies like that and power and speed.
"He's got the physical abilities to take a big step forward. Do I think one week in the big leagues show that he has? No. We're really excited for him and the start he's off to."
Lake finished third in the Most Valuable Player Award voting in the Dominican Winter League, which Epstein said may have helped the rookie's confidence. David Jauss, whom Epstein knows from his days with the Red Sox, was Lake's manager in the Dominican Republic.
"He's showing right now he's playing with a ton of confidence that he really belongs here," Epstein said. "This is the league he feels he's ready for and he's going out and showing it."
Baker goes three innings in rehab start
PHOENIX -- Cubs right-handed pitcher Scott Baker, rehabbing from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, gave up three runs on five hits over three innings in his third rehab start for Class A Kane County.
Baker started against Beloit on Wednesday, and served up a two-run home run in the first inning.
The right-hander, whom the Cubs hoped could pitch for the big league team this season, now has been charged with 13 runs on 17 hits and six walks over 8 2/3 innings during his rehab.
Carrie Muskat is a reporter for MLB.com. She writes a blog, Muskat Ramblings, and you can follow her on Twitter @CarrieMuskat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Coming in September
Barr, Nevada. Burn.
Nevada Barr brings her acclaimed New York Times bestselling Anna Pigeon series to Minotaur Books with one of her most compelling, complex novels yet!
Brown, Rita Mae. A Nose for Justice.
On Jeep Reed's Wings Ranch near Reno, Jeep, her great-niece, former Wall Street banker Magdalene "Mags" Rogers, and their two dogs King and Baxter investigate a pump company employee's disappearance, along with an environmentalist's shooting "suicide" and the identity of a really cold corpse.
Gabaldon, Diana (text) & Hoang Nguyen (illus.). The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Nov
Diana Gabaldon's brilliant storytelling has captivated millions of readers in her bestselling and award-winning Outlander saga. Now, in her first-ever graphic novel, Gabaldon gives readers a fresh look at the events of the original Outlander.
Gibson, William. Zero History.
Two people trail in the wake of Bigend, the global marketing genius: a former singer-turned- journalist who can't say no to him; and a former addict, useful because he's brilliant, watchful, and essentially invisible. Bigend needs these people to help him stay on top of the global market. Because clearly someone wants to push him off it.
Lindsay, Jeff. Dexter Is Delicious.
The latest in the Dexter series. He only kills people who are really bad. This time he is after vampires...oh wait, they might be cannibals.
McCall Smith, Alexander. The Charming Quirks of Others: An Isabel Dalhousie Novel.
In this latest and most felicitous addition to the Isabel Dalhousie series, our; inquisitive heroine comes to see that there are very few of us who are not flawed . . . herself included.
Paretsky, Sara. Body Work: A V.I. Warshawski Novel.
A shooting in Chicago is nothing new, certainly not to V.I., who is hired by a veteran's family to clear his name after his arrest for the murder of a performer known as the Body Artist. As V.I. seeks answers, her investigation will take her from the North Side of Chicago to the far reaches of the Gulf War.
Sandford, John. Bad Blood.
When a murder suspect commits suicide after his arrest for killing a soybean farmer, Virgil Flowers uncovers a multi-generation, multi-family conspiracy involving a series of monstrous crimes.
Steel, Danielle. Legacy.
This compelling, centuries-spanning novel brilliantly interweaves the lives of two women-a writer working in the heart of modern academia and a daring young Sioux Indian on an incredible journey in the eighteenth century.
Woods, Stuart. Santa Fe Edge.
Ed Eagle, the six-feet-six, take-no-prisoners Santa Fe attorney, has recovered from his encounters with Mexican organized crime and--more treacherously--his ex-wife, Barbara. Now a mysterious new client has come his way, one who may shed light into some dark corners of Ed's past ... and put him in danger once more.
Blair, Tony. The Journey.
Lee, Euna. The World Is Bigger Now: An American Journalist's Rescue from Captivity in North Korea…a Remarkable Story of Faith, Family, and Forgiveness.
Smith, Laurence C. The World in 2050: Four Forces Shaping Civilization's Northern Future.


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I think I'm going to cry. The Knicks haven't started this well since Ewing had knees.
I think I'm going to cry. The Knicks haven't started this well since Ewing had knees.
Just saw this on twitter:
The #Knicks beat the #Heat, #Sixers and #Mavericks, who are a combined 12-1 against OTHER teams in the #NBA.
This game thread should have more replies.
I guess the guys are out getting some poontang.
yeah guys we need to get this board more active, 8 pages is just bad, I mean I was doing HW most of the game so I couldn't reply but damn where is everyone
Being used to so many years of suck can do that to a fanbase, winning is confusing atm.
Just got in... I saw the game however, and I must say I am glad we passed the test of pulling out our first tightly contested game. Defense gave up the the most it has all season but still held them under 100, Jr is playing REALLY well off the bench.. looking like a 6th man of the year candidate right now. Great team, great win.. 4-0!
I think we lead the NBA in
At least we did before this game. I wanted to see us under adverse conditions and we saw some tonight.
Melo cold in foul trouble, close game, and who steps up...?
JR Swish. Perfect.
Like Woodson said, "we locked in on D in the 3rd quarter, and it carried over to the 4th".
If we get use to doing that we'll be good.
we seen atleast tonight that this team can close out games with leads.Lord when was the last time we could say that.
Missed the game, can't wait to download the game. Judging by the 2 minute highlight from NBA.com, the game looked intense, to say the least.
I know it's still very early in the season and we have a plethora of games left, but its nice to see the team winning early. Especially after Melo, Amar'e and Chandler showed real time commitment by taking care of their bodies way before the season started. Nice to see hard work paying off for the whole team,with them starting 2 weeks early for training camp. Good job Woody. Seriously, Bravo.
Melo for MVP
JR for 6th Man of the year
Woody for Coach of the year
Grunwald for Exec of the year
Sheed for best comeback in NBA history, better than MJ lol
Signature created by AmareforPresident
Solid win tonight. It wasn't flashy or a blowout like our first three, but you need to close out games when you are the better team. This squad undoubtedly has more talent than the Dirkless Mavs and played that way tonight. The defense has just been superb and was terrific in the 2nd half. This is the smartest NYK team I've watched in a long time, exciting stuff!
been enjoying Ronnie Brewer's game more and more. such a better player than Laundry Fails. RB's defense is solid, but his offensive game has been surprising, and he's a smart aggressive player, whereas Laundry would disappear after strong starts. so happy Mrs. Fields is crapping all over the craptors. f*ck toronto.
Melo showed some weakness tonite doing the iso against 3 or more players a few times, and getting the "T", but his aggressiveness is pleasing when he's beating everyone to the hoop. needs to keep his ego in check. but when he's hot and feels it, one of the best in the league. i can put up with his shortcomings when he's feelin it.
nice to see Camby in, but at the cost of KT's minutes, idk. i like how Wood Son's bringing him along.
Sheed seemed to play more than i thought he would, but it's good to see him in there.
Feltip and Kidd together looking great, Captain Kidd's hands of steal were a joy to behold tonite.
Junior Swish once again showing why he's sixth man of year material. major props to coach Wood Son for recognizing this and not giving in to starting JR. Wood Son's substitutions continue to impress, giving everyone rest when they need it, and letting the players find their hot hands.
Novak did not stay in long when he was cold as cocaine, sub out.
but Defensity is the name of the game this year, and after OJ Mayonnaise and Brandon Wright were romping in the first half, the Knicks shut down the Mavs in 2nd half (37 points!).
i'd like to see more opinions on this forum, not really necessary during the game, i'd rather watch than comment, but i think it's important for KO fans to express themselves before and after the game. maybe the storm has something to do with it, or the election, or Friday night, or just disappointment that DZWons Son choked on the GT - but hopefully Knick fans on this forum aren't getting lazy when the team's playing their best ball in over a dozen years.


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Hildene Lincoln Essay deadline set
In the fall of 2012 competition packets were distributed to teachers of 8th grade English, history, social studies, librarians and homeschool networks. With all materials available on line, interested students are able to enter the competition independently as well. The competition is open to all eighth grade students who live in Vermont and attend public, private or home schools in the state.
The program's goal is to promote awareness in the minds of a young generation of Americans of the contributions of this nation's 16th president, Abraham Lincoln. This is an objective that fits squarely within Hildene's mission: Values into Action. In the words of Hildene Executive Director Seth Bongartz, "We consider this competition to be one of the most important things we do. Not only does it reinforce the importance of research, critical analysis and good writing, but it also promotes awareness of civic responsibility using Lincoln's legacy as touchstone."
The students who accept the challenge this year are required to respond to the following question in an essay of no more than 500 words: Is civil discourse necessary for civil society? Sometimes? Always? Never? Support your position.
Essays will be evaluated by a panel of judges based on the content, the student's understanding of the subject and his or her ability to convey that understanding using good writing practices including style, composition, factual accuracy and grammar. All winners will be notified by the end of March. A celebratory luncheon will be hosted by Hildene at the Lincoln family estate on Sunday, May 19, 2013, following a tour of The Lincoln Family Home. Each winner, along with their parents, teacher, and principal will attend as Hildene's guests. The first, second and third place winners will read their essays and receive their awards. Winners will be awarded the following prizes: First Place, $1,000; Second Place, $750; Third Place, $500; and up to ten Honorable Mentions of $200 each.
Lincoln Essay Competition entry packets are still available by download at www.hildene.org /schools.html. If you have questions or would like to receive a packet by mail, call Stephanie at 802-367-7960 or email stephanie @hildene.org. Perfect Wife, Spiral Press Café and r.k. Miles are this year's sponsors.
If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us. We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.


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Tag Archives: 403
Block Visitors From Viewing Directory Indexes
By Xps.
Adding blank index.htm files to all your website directories in effort to keep nosy visitors from viewing all the files in a directory is an annoying chore. You have to check each directory and upload an extra file per directory, so you end up wasting time. Fortunately, there is an […]
Posted in: Web Development
Tagged: .htaccess, 403, code, directory, disable, folder, index, message, permission, syntax, web, web development


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Independent school statutes need review
The Vermont Board of Education is correct in contemplating proposed legislation to alter the legal process allowing public Vermont schools to become private independent schools that still receive public funding. And the public funding issue is the key point.
Some state board members say they want more leeway in approving or denying applications for school conversions, similar to what is proposed for North Bennington Graded School.
At its September meeting, the board discussed the motivation of public districts to effectively privatize their schools, the legal process, and the philosophical question of whether private schools that are not required to follow the same requirements as public schools should receive public tuition dollars. Education Commissioner Armando Vilaseca also raised concerns during the meeting -- wondering whether it is good policy to allow a community to replace a public school with a private one overseen by an unelected board of trustees while still receiving public funding.
Vilaseca said at the meeting that such decisions on the local level can't help but have statewide ramifications for public school districts and education funding.
The officials said current state law apparently allows schools to make this change if criteria are met, such as voter approvals, but apparently doesn't allow the board the option of rejecting the application on policy grounds for the good of public education locally or statewide.
Although any legislative changes won't affect the North Bennington proposal, provided district voters on Oct. 23 approve closing the public school and opening a private one, state board members said there are three or four other school districts also considering a switch to a private school.
Previously, only Winhall in 1998 had closed a public school and reopened it as a private one. While NBGS voters have shown strong support for the change, the overall effect on public education of numerous similar changes in Vermont has to be considered. In fact, on the surface at least, it creates a situation in which the public is funding a private school not as accountable to the public, most likely only in a wealthier district capable of raising additional money for the school and its programs.
This is not the same as creating a private school, in which parents pay the entire cost of sending their children there. North Bennington school officials have argued, however, that pressure from the state in recent years to consolidate some of Vermont's districts for efficiency purposes has them wondering about the future of NBGS. And they argue a private board would have greater leeway in promoting long-term planning and maintaining the school's building and programs -- and adding to the district's reputation for quality education.
This is not a cut and dry issue, which is why the state board should have more authority over the closing of a public school for a private one in light of the educational needs and priorities of the entire state.
If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us. We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.


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Gawker.TV: The Five Best Videos Ever of the Day
Today at Gawker.TV, Stephen Colbert investigates Taco Bell's meat, Community puts on an anti-drug play, the return of Archer, Pawnee gets the flu on Parks & Rec, and Michael Scott and David Brent meet on The Office.
Here is Michael Scott Meeting David Brent For the First Time
A longtime dream of many Office fans was realized this evening as two titans of industry finally happened upon each other in a hallway. The Gervais/Carell team up was exactly as glorious as you'd expect.
Archer is a Hit with Not-Quite-Legal Teens
No, not the show, but Sterling Archer himself. Last night's season premiere finds our hero trying to dissuade unwanted finger-banging from a sixteen year old seductress hailing from a country where the age of consent is fourteen.
Community: A Drug-Awareness Play Gone Awry
Annie has convinced the study group to become the Greendale Anti-Drug players and they'll be putting on a play for 50 middle-schoolers. The play couldn't have gone worse if they tried, and culminated with the kids chanting "we love drugs!"
Stephen Colbert Discovers a Way to Eat 100% Meat at Taco Bell
Bummed out about the recent discovery that Taco Bell's "meat" is really only 35% meat? Stephen Colbert investigates with a Beefy Crunch Burrito.
Parks and Recreation: Pawnee Gets Hit With The Flu
On Parks and Rec, the entire town was hit with a bout of influenza. No one—not even Rob Lowe's physically perfect body—was immune to the damage. At least Ron and Andy got some bonding time out of it!