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The EcoSys platform contains a robust reporting engine that helps deliver visibility and insights into the performance of your projects. Unlike other tools, EcoSys does not require a separate reporting system—reporting is fully contained within the core application.
Powerful Full-Visibility Reporting
Stemming from the powerful and advanced data architecture within the EcoSys logic and reporting engine, EcoSys reports act like the ultimate pivot table. Gain 360° visibility by applying powerful filters to "slice-and-dice" data. Access reports by choosing from all possible criteria from funding sources, projects, cost and size ranges, fiscal periods, etc. For example, contractors can generate client reports according to classifications required in their contracts, and then use the same data to generate different reports using internal categories. Data is real-time so changes made within EcoSys can be seen immediately.
End-User Report Writer
EcoSys' built-in report writer was designed to be used by end users: no programming is required. The report building interface is the same interface that is used to build data entry screens and business rules logic, so it is quick to learn how to navigate and tailor the system. Never again wait 6 months for an external consultant to build a single report. Respond to ad hoc reporting requests quickly and accurately.
Tabular Reports, Graphical Charts, and Dashboards
EcoSys comes with a library of pre-defined tabular and graphical reports, templates and dashboards. These pre-defined reports, templates and dashboards can also be modified by users that have been granted appropriate access rights. Any tabular report can be turned into a graphical report and vice versa in EcoSys. EcoSys supports rich and informative graphics.
Excel Template Reports
EcoSys provides organizations that have already settled on the look and feel of standard reports in an Excel format the ability to easily output EcoSys reports into those existing Excel formats. This allows Excel reports that were previously created manually and painstakingly to be run in EcoSys with just one click in a consistent and repeatable fashion. Any format supported by Excel can be automatically generated out of the software, including tabbed workbooks consisting of multiple reports.
Report Output Options
Reports can be output to PDF, Excel, Word, XML, HTML, or CSV files so the data can either be used for viewing externally or to feed external systems. EcoSys also publishes a data mart that can be used to serve data to 3rd party reporting platforms like Business Objects.
Automated and User-Initiated Reporting
Reports can be run on-demand or can be scheduled to run as batches and scheduled jobs.
Formula Builder
EcoSys formulas are very powerful in that they can be defined centrally and then re-used as fields anywhere in the application whether on data entry spreadsheets, forms, reports, and charts.
Global and User-Specific Reports
Individual users can create their own reports, or allow them to use only centrally created reports.


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THE unthinkable has happened: London is actually starting to become an affordable destination for American travelers. The pound has dropped to about $1.50 (it was around $2.10 this summer), a number of top hotels are offering great weekend deals ($230 a night at the trendy St. Martin's Lane; $196 at the Metropolitan, off Hyde Park), and airlines are cutting prices, with some fares in January as low as $560 round trip.
But the fall of the pound isn't the only reason to head to London right now. The city is also home to three exciting, must-see art exhibits.
Two — one at Tate Britain and one at Tate Modern — are devoted to unquestioned masters of 20th-century art: Francis Bacon and Mark Rothko. The Bacon retrospective, tied to the centenary of his birth, at Tate Britain (Millbank; 44-207887-8888; www.tate.org.uk/britain; £12.20 admission, about $18.40 at $1.51 to the pound) is an almost intoxicating show, particularly as it moves from his early works (like the series of paintings modeled after Velázquez's "Portrait of Pope Innocent X") to the near-hallucinatory portraits of his later years, like "Three Studies for a Crucifixion" (1962) and "Triptych — In Memory of George Dyer" (1971).
As a reviewer for The Independent put it: "I can't think of a better 100th birthday present than this, a show whose scale allows us to see the scale of its subject; a man whose theme and whose genius lay in instinct." The show closes Jan. 4.
The Rothko show at Tate Modern (Bankside; 44-20-7887-8888; www.tate.org.uk/modern; £12.20) — through Feb. 1 — is just as revelatory. It brings together for the first time 15 of the Seagram Murals, pulling together works from the Kawamura Memorial Museum of Art in Sakura, Japan, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, as well as eight in the Tate's collection.Continue reading the main story
In 1958, Rothko was commissioned to paint a series of murals for the Four Seasons restaurant in the Seagram Building in New York City, designed by Mies van der Rohe and Philip Johnson. But the artist soon had doubts about the appropriateness of a restaurant for his work and declined the commission.
Also on view are "Four Darks in Red" (1958) and the famed "Black on Gray" paintings (1969 and 1970), which were the painter's final series before his death in 1970.
The third show is very much devoted to the here and now: an overview of contemporary Chinese art. "The Revolution Continues: New Art From China" is at the new Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea (Duke of York's HQ, King's Road; 44-20-7823-2363; www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk).
Charles Saatchi, the former advertising-mogul-turned-art-collector who made his name with the Sensation show in 1997 (and who since has gained added fame as the husband of Nigella Lawson), has for the past several years turned his attention to the Far East and this first show reflects that interest.
It has a kind of grab-bag feel to it — a recent viewer commented that it looked as though the British collector had swept through galleries in Beijing and Shanghai, saying "I'll take one of these, and one of that" — but there is no denying the skill and imagination of these artists. Some are as much about texture as technique (as in the Liu Wie sculpture made of edible dog chews, and the paintings by Zhang Huan that are composed of incense ash from temples).
And almost every visitor to the gallery seems to stand dumbfounded before "Communication" by Cang Xin, wondering why this person is sprawled on the floor — before realizing it is an eerily lifelike latex sculpture. There is also surprising wit in the Mao paintings by Shi Xinning and a compelling directness in the haunting portraits by Zhang Xiaogang.
Admission is free, but shell out £1.50 for the helpful booklet, with its keen observations on each of the works.Continue reading the main story

subset: commoncrawl


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One of the long running features on the ICC website is Boris Alterman's Gambit Guide, a series of videos on sharp chess openings (for both white and black).
We recently learned that Boris has his very own WordPress site which contains useful information for the improving chess player.
A summary of blog post categories can be accessed on the left side of the blog.
Categories include:
- Coaching Tips
- Computer Chess
- Principles of Play
- Openings
On the negative side, the vast majority of blog posts are from 2008 (with a few newer posts from 2010 and 2011). It's likely that Boris has been more occupied with updating his lecture series on the ICC and has less time to maintain this blog.
In any case, it's certainly worth a visit. You can check it out by clicking the following link: Boris Alterman Website


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I love cats in general. Growing up, cats always seemed to naturally come into my life for one reason or another. Currently the cat in my life is a female cat named Hobbes, as seen in the above picture. When I created this pattern, I imagined a world run on Kitty Energy. Kitties would be the source of everything, pretty much from fruits, vegetables, desserts, random objects, transportation, weather, and so on. But before I could populate such a world with these different type of Kitties, I wanted to create a very simple basic cat amigurumi pattern, and so this is the result.
I call this crochet pattern "Kitty Mod" because I imagine all these different kitties with different mods (short for modifications) to them, and I see them all frolicking about in this wonderful universe. In the pictures, you can see Strawberry Kitty Mod, S'mores Kitty Mod, and Candy Corn Kitty Mod. I will blog very soon how to add on these simple customizations, but for now, please enjoy my Kitty Mod Pattern! Don't forget to share them with me after you've finished your project. I'd love to see your version of Kitty Mod! My social media is listed below after the pattern.
ch – chain
hdc – half double crochet
sc – single crochet
sl st – slip stitch
sc2tog – single crochet 2 together aka single crochet decrease
Round 1: 6 sc into adjustable ring.
Round 2: 2 sc in each st around – 12 sc.
Round 3: [2 sc in next st, sc in next st] around – 18 sc.
Round 4-6: Sc in each st around.
Note: We will now work in rows. If you're using safety eyes, now is the time to put them in. I like to put them between the 4th and 5th round with 4 sts in between the eyes.
Row 7: Stuff lightly and crochet shut with 8 sc across. See photos below for reference.
Row 8: Ch 1, turn, 2 hdc into first sc, sl st in next 6 st, [2 hdc, sl st] into last st.
Fasten off, leaving a long tail.
Round 1: 6 sc into adjustable ring.
Round 2: 2 sc in each st around – 12 sc.
Round 3: [2 sc in next st, sc in next st] around – 18 sc.
Round 4: [2 sc in next st, sc in next 8 st] around – 20 sc.
Round 5-6: Sc in each st around.
Round 7: [Sc2tog, sc in next 8 st] around – 18 sc.
Round 8: [Sc2tog, sc in next 4 st] around – 15 sc.
Round 9: [Sc2tog, sc in next 3 st] around – 12 sc.
Round 10: Sc2tog around – 6 sc.
Fasten off leaving a long tail.
Stuff and sew closed.
Note: Round 10 is the front of the cat.
LEGS (make 4)
Round 1: 6 sc into adjustable ring.
Round 2-4: Sc in each st around.
Fasten off, leaving a long tail.
TAIL (optional)
Row 1: Ch 6, sl st into 2nd ch from hook and into each ch across – 5 sl st.
Fasten off, leaving a long tail.
1. Sew Head to Body
2. Sew 2 Legs to Front of Body
3. Sew 2 Legs to Back of Body
4. Sew Tail (optional)
5. Make eyes for the cats. I like to cut 2 small black circles from felt and glue them on. You can also embroider the eyes or use safety eyes.
6. Cut and hide all ends.
I'll update as I keep adding different Kitty Mods.
1. S'mores and Strawberry Kitty Mods (added Aug 14, 2014)
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/amiamourfan
Instagram: @ami_amour #amiamour #kittymod
Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/designers/ami-amour
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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· Examples
Data Vignettes
This Week in Water
Data Vignettes
This Week in Water
· Saving Plots
· Troubleshooting
More browsers are removing the ability to run embedded Java applets (such as these data viewers), so now we are launching them using JavaWS
(Java Web Start).
Our applets will run outside the browser, but they are still subject to the same sandbox restrictions as when they are run within the browser.
The data viewer links will download a small app that is used to launch the applet -- a ".jnlp file"
(Java Network Launching Protocol).
Some browsers will allow you to launch the app directly. All browsers will let you save these files, which you can then open like you would any app.
Note: As before, you will need to have a JRE
(Java Run-time Environment) installed on your computer.
Note: All data should be considered provisional and subject to revision.
Get the QA/QC notes for the datasets
In development
NERR sites:
(National Estuarine Research Reserve System, Centralized Data Management Office)
Datalogger Status (as of June 12, 2017):
Lake Superior: LLO coastal buoys #1 (near-shore) and #2 (off-shore) have been deployed. Expect data soon.
St Louis River: The sonde is deployed at the shipping canal (lift bridge). We are also reporting USGS data from Scanlon.
Duluth Streams: The Chester, Kingsbury, Miller, Miller Creek at 24th Ave W, and Tischer Creek sondes are all reporting.
[plot SMU voltage]
Datalogger Status (as of June 12, 2017):
[plot SMU voltage]
Plots of the latest data
from Amity, Chester, Kingsbury, & Tischer Creeks.
Download the complete datasets (csv files)
Automated Stream Data Notes:
Jul 2008 - Dec 2008
Jan 2009 - Oct 2009
Nov 2009 - Jun 2010
Jul 2010 - Dec 2010
Jan 2011 - Sep 2011
Oct 2011 - March 2012
Mar 2012 - Oct 2012


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About Us
Thunderbird School of Global Management is a No.1-ranked school of international business with nearly 70 years of experience in developing leaders with the global mindset, business skills and social responsibility necessary to create real, sustainable value for their organizations, communities and the world. Dedicated to preparing students to be global leaders and committed global citizens, Thunderbird was the first graduate business school to adopt a Professional Oath of Honor. Thunderbird's global network of alumni numbers 40,000 graduates in 147 nations worldwide. The school is sought out by graduate students, working professionals and companies seeking to gain the skills necessary for success in today's global economy.
Virginia Mungovan
Public Relations Specialist
1 Global Place Glendale, AZ 85306


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OSU-Cascades' military science program offers a unique leader development opportunity specifically for the civilian, career-minded student. This program provides motivated young men and women exciting and valuable instruction in a variety of areas such as decision-making, goal-setting, team-building and small-group leadership. Classroom and outdoor activities are designed to physically, mentally, and emotionally challenge you, build your self-confidence and develop your leadership skills. If you qualify, you could earn a commission as an Army officer upon graduation in the United States Military.
The military science program provides on-campus military instruction in two parts: the Basic Course and the Advanced Course. All classes are fully accredited and applicable toward fulfilling academic requirements for a baccalaureate degree. There is also a minor in military science offered through the OSU military science program. Many timeline options exist for those at different stages of their study.
Program Details
Military Science Minor Curriculum Checklist
Future students should connect with an admissions advisor for admission and program questions.
New students, including transfer students, will meet with an academic advisor at new student orientation.
1500 SW Chandler Avenue
Bend, Oregon 97702
541-322-3100 (Main)
Partner Institutions:Oregon State University Central Oregon Community College


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CROWN POINT - First Congregational Church of Crown Point ("Brick Church") invites the community to join them for their Epiphany Sunday Service, Jan. 2, 9:30 a.m. The Service will be conducted by Pastor David C. Hirtle. The annual Church Meeting and fellowship will follow the worship service. All are welcome to share in this portion of church life.
Second Blessings Community Thrift Shop at the Hammond Chapel (corner of Rt. 22 and Creek Road) is closed for the winter season. During the winter months, if there is an emergent need, call 597-3398.
First Congregational Church is located "at the head of the Park" In Crown Point. For more information and directions to these or any church activities, call 597-3398/3800.


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packing stresses me out. // i love lists.
purpose of the trip: will you be shopping? – pack less clothes, bring more money.
variables: how many days? how many nights? what type of event? weather- will i need a flat iron? is there a pool? special accessories? additional makeup- lipstick/eyeliner? special footwear – heels?
constants: travel outfit. pajamas. makeup. essential accessories. toothbrush. travel shampoo/conditioner (most hotels provide these, but i'm a bit picky sometimes) dry shampoo, basic footwear. phone & charger. camera & charger. everyday purse.
consider: the size of your suitcase. really all of this should fit into a carry-on bag, if you pack it correctly.
for a more detailed approach, Kendi has some valuable travel advice over at her blog // Kendieveryday.com
what are you packing secrets ??


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Holiday celebrations
recommendation by fer
In addition to the markets Thursday and Sundays, year-round calendar includes holiday celebrations, January 20 (San Sebastian), San José (March 19), Easter and June 24 (San Juan). Although the festival par excellence is the patron saint festival, from 14 to December 21, concluding with the day of St. Thomas, the most important pattern of Chichicastenango. That day there are processions, candles, fireworks and folk dances.


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|Message view
|« Date » · « Thread »
|« Date » · « Thread »
|Jack Ring <jackri...@gmail.com>
|Re: [RT] Design View in FlashBuilder
|Thu, 16 Feb 2012 15:35:16 GMT
I've been coding Flex apps since '06 and started to use design view to bump things around only about 6 mos ago. It has improved my workflow. I can't imagine not using it anymore. I do however toggle Enable Design View on when needed. Jack On Feb 16, 2012, at 10:25 AM, Nicholas Kwiatkowski <firstname.lastname@example.com> wrote: > I've been developing Flex applications since 2005, and yes I still use the > Design View. My workflow usually consists of mocking up an application > quickly and getting customer sign-off on a non-functional UX prototype. > It's not about dragging-and-dropping stuff onto the stage, but rather > making sure they line up, look cohesive, and have a good UX feel. (Does > this button look better with 10px spacing, or 12? Is 100px enough space > for this button including the icon and text? If I only have 150px width > for my app, do three buttons look too crowded?). Once the UX is signed > off, then I go into code view and never look back. > > But for that case, it make the tool for me. There are so many other tools > that are much better at straight ActionScript -- but some of the design > view and other small things that I expect to be cut based on these > announcements are what keep me in Flash Builder. > > On another related note, it looks like there is a plugin being developed > for IntelliJ that will fill this gap. It won't allow drag-and-drop, but it > will have a live-preview of your MXML so you can quickly see what some of > those changes will do without having to wait through a complete compile for > each iteration. > > -Nick > > On Thu, Feb 16, 2012 at 9:55 AM, Yousif Atique <firstname.lastname@example.com>wrote: > >> I would agree that design view is great for a very new beginner but for >> someone who has got at least 2+ years of RIA experience, s/he wouldn't want >> to get into the business of dragging and dropping controls just like how it >> was done back in VB days.... one would want to understand and >> learn/memorize different properties (along with their respective possible >> vales) to get his/her dirty with deep down details. >> >> In the past 4+ years, I haven't come across anyone who loved this feature >> religiously. And, need not to mention that design view is super slow if you >> try to make FB read an existing screen... >> >> No offense to anyone and with all respect to all, personally I think >> 'squeeze is not worth the juice'.... >> >> Regards, >> On Feb 16, 2012 9:24 AM, "Jeremy Tellier" <email@example.com> wrote: >> >>> I agree, I use design view to quickly mock up what needs to be on the >>> screen, then jump into code for refinement. I was miffed when they >> dropped >>> the CSS designer as I had a crew of non-technical designers creating >> skins >>> for my apps that were left high and dry when that occurred. Why does >> Adobe >>> just drop features left and right? Remember when Dreamweaver had Java and >>> DotNet Support? ;) >>> >>> Thanks, >>> Jeremy >>> >>> -----Original Message----- >>> From: Eugene Diana [mailto:firstname.lastname@example.com] >>> Sent: Thursday, February 16, 2012 9:19 AM >>> To: firstname.lastname@example.com >>> Subject: [RT] Design View in FlashBuilder >>> >>> Last night at the Boston meeting I was surprised to see that almost none >> of >>> the participants take advantage of the Design View (which Adobe will drop >>> from FB).as a relative beginner, I find it quick and easy to build a >> screen >>> (we have many in our app, and it is very data-driven).what am I missing? >>> What method is easier than simply dragging the components to the spot >> where >>> you want them, aligned and sized the way you want? >>> >>> >>> >>> Thanks much, >>> >>> Eugene >>> >>> >>
|View raw message


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Ambulatory surgical centers?
Can someone give me some pointers about working at a ASC, with a surgeon who specialize in breast cancer?
About IamRN4Life
Joined: Jun '13; Posts: 6Jul 2, '13Quote from IamRN4LifeYou have to be more specific...Can some of the experienced nurses help and give me some clinical scenario
Without some guidance, you will receive scenarios that will convince you that you DO NOT want to be a nurse! You will receive many that are complicated beyond your skill set, and you will receive some in jest.Jul 2, '13Thank you for responding
Sorry for being so broad. I'm a nurse who is starting a new job working with a general surgeon. I have want to get some advice or guidance on how to approach situations that I will come in contact with. For example triaging patients over the phone post surgery for complicationsJul 2, '13I would recommend that you research a good triage book and discuss it with your physician colleague(s). There are a number of good ones available at reasonable cost.
Generally speaking, what types of things would you expect you might get calls about from pre or post surgical patients?
Typically, when a nurse (or anyone) is triaging a call you must get detailed information about their concern. You should ask questions to determine the nature of their complaint. It is extremely helpful if you have access to their chart during the triage in your setting.
Keep in mind that you may not practice medicine when you triage patient calls. The physician will help you to understand what she/he prefers in way of process for obtaining orders and scheduling appointments or referring to other health providers (urgent care/ER, etc).Jul 3, '13Your post is a bit vague. It's difficult to determine exactly what you are looking for. You will get better responses if you are more specific in your request for information.Jul 3, '13One tip I give people starting out in the OR I work in is to get a little notebook to keep notes as not everything will be on the preference card. This notebook can also include frequently used phone numbers. I also keep a little cheat sheet as a guide for calling report to the next nurse caring for the patient. You may also want to check out this article: https://allnurses.com/general-articl...ng-426443.htmlJul 3, '13Thank you Sweet_wild_rose I will keep a notebook for notes!
I'm working with a doctor at a clinic who does procedure in clinic day procedures. And have to make follow up appointments. From what I understand I'll be his right hand nurse who makes his schedule, triage patients, and assist with procedures. I'm excited and wanted to get ahead so I can be a great nurse.
Must Read Topics


text:
Mid-Century Six Drawer Dresser With Detail
$285.00 Sold Out
Measures 54" wide x 18" deep x 30.5" tall
Condition: Good condition with some light wear from use and age. Please call 402 474 5407 with any questions or to request additional photos.
We offer free local pick-up or delivery to Lincoln, NE.
We deliver to Omaha, NE for $30! If you are in Omaha, please call us at 402 474 5407 to arrange delivery.
Out of state customers: We can ship smaller non-breakables to you. The price at check-out does not include shipping. We will email you with a shipping quote after purchase. We ship via USPS priority mail and charge only actual shipping costs. For furniture and larger items, we can hold items for up to two week for pick-up.
If you have any questions, please email us at email@example.com or call us at 402-474-5407


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Community High School District No. 230 recognizes that we live in a society that is highly focused on the use of digital communication tools and that employees use such tools for both personal and professional communications. The District recognizes that electronic communication and social media may be useful tools for staff/student communication about educational matters. Although the rise of new media and communication tools creates new opportunities for communication and collaboration, it also creates new responsibilities for District employees. The use of electronic communication and social media is acceptable for legitimate educational reasons or school business purposes, provided employees follow the guidelines/procedures for appropriate use.
The District encourages employees to utilize electronic communication and social media to communicate with students, parents and colleagues when such communication meets the following requirements: (1) the communication augments the District's educational programs; (2) the communication is for a legitimate educational reason or school business purpose; and (3) employees utilize District equipment or the District's network to send the communication that is appropriate as defined by policy 5:20, Workplace Harassment Prohibited; 5:100, Staff Development Program; 5:120, Ethics and Conduct; 6:235, Access to Electronic Networks; 7:20, Harassment of Students Prohibited; and the Ill. Code of Educator Ethics, 23 Ill.Admin.Code §22.20.
The District does not discourage employees from utilizing electronic communication and social media for personal communications provided that such personal communications are not made: (1) using District equipment, (2) using the District's electronic network; and (3) while on duty.
The Superintendent or designee shall create and manage the guidelines/procedures for electronic communications and social networking.
Electronic Communication and Social Media Procedures and Guidelines
Includes - Means "includes without limitation" or "includes, but is not limited to."
Electronic Communication – Forms of electronic communication include, but are not limited to, communication via telephone, text messaging, electronic mail, facsimile, instant messaging, web posts, and social media sites.
Personal technology - Any device that is not owned or leased by the District or otherwise authorized for District use and: (1) transmits sounds, images, text, messages, videos, or electronic information, (2) electronically records, plays, or stores information, or (3) accesses the Internet, or private communication or information networks. This includes smartphones such as BlackBerry®, android®, iPhone®, and other devices, such as, iPads® and iPods®.
Social media - Media for social interaction, using highly accessible communication techniques through the use of web-based and mobile technologies to turn communication into interactive dialogue. This includes, but is not limited to: Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Twitter, Xanga, Yahoo Groups, iGoogle, Wikipedia and other wikis, and YouTube.
Web Posts - A message or text published in an online forum, including internet websites, social media sites, blogs, or newsgroups.
District-Sponsored Electronic Communications/Social Media Use
Employees have the responsibility of maintaining an appropriate employee-student relationship at all times. Employees who choose to utilize electronic communication and social media to communicate with students and parents may do so provided such communication is made as part of their official duties and for a legitimate educational reason or school business purpose. These communications must comply with the following requirements:
1. Employees must use their District issued e-mail accounts when communicating with students and parents via e-mail. When communicating with students, employees must utilize the students' District issued email accounts. Employees may not communicate with students via text messaging, social media websites (not including school-sponsored websites or blogs, as discussed below) or private email.
2. Employees may decide to create a social media website or platform for their class, extracurricular activity or sport. In the event an employee determines that such a social media website or platform would augment their class or program and has a legitimate educational purpose, the employee must obtain prior written approval from their Building Principal or designee by submitting the Social Media Request Form. The Social Media Request Form requires employees to: (1) identify the class or extracurricular activity; (2) identify the preferred social media platform (e.g. Twitter, Facebook, etc.); and (3) provide a narrative on the purpose of the social media website. After the Social Media Request Form is approved by the Building Principal or designee, the employee must provide the web address to the Building Principal and Director of Technology. This approval process does not apply to websites/pages created on the District's student management system, Canvas.
3. The District acknowledges that employees may have personal relationships with students and parents outside of the scope of their employment (e.g. relatives, community activities, etc.). Employees who choose to utilize their personal electronic communication and/or social media accounts to communicate with students and parents due to a personal relationship with the student/parent, shall notify their Building Principal of the relationship.
4. Employees' electronic or social media communication should not disclose to anyone information that is confidential or proprietary to the District or to any third party, including, but not limited to, information contained in student records.
5. Electronic communication or social media should not contain defamatory, harassing, confidential, unlawful or otherwise inappropriate information as determined by the administration, or that contain copyrighted information (music, videos, text, etc.) without proper permission are prohibited under this policy.
6. The Board or District administration may require that employees avoid certain subjects in communication or remove certain web posts on District-sponsored sites if it determines that the electronic communication, web post or social media: (1) violates applicable laws; or (2) violates the rights of students/parents or other employees or Board members.
7. Any employee who does not utilize District equipment and/or the District's electronic network to communicate with students and/or parents, it will be presumed that such communication is not for a legitimate educational reason or for a school business purpose in violation of these requirements.
8. When using District technology or accessing the District electronic network, including its web server, employees are also subject to Board Policy 6:235, Acceptable Use of Technology Policy.
Personal Electronic Communications/Social Media Use
The District recognizes that some employees may maintain personal blogs, websites, and social media accounts and/or contribute posts to the blogs or websites or web pages of others and/or participate in social networking sites. The District does not discourage its employees from maintaining a private, online presence. However, as discussed above, employees are discouraged from communicating with students and parents via personal communications/social media or personal websites. Employees who participate in these personal activities must abide at all times with all legal requirements including compliance with student privacy laws.
Additionally, employees are prohibited from utilizing, posting or accessing personal email, social media sites, blogs or websites while they are on duty for the District.
Employees are encouraged to adhere to the following guidelines in their personal electronic communications or social media use:
1. If an employee has a presence on social media, employees should use the highest level of privacy tools available to control access to the employee's personal activity. However, even with these privacy settings, employees must remember that someone could hack those tools and make private posts public. In addition, social media sites can change their privacy policies and standards at any time, putting posts that users thought were private in the public domain.
2. Employees should not disclose student record information including student work, photographs of students or any other personally identifiable information about students in private email communications, social media accounts, websites or web posts.
3. Employees should refrain from posting defamatory, confidential, libelous, or slanderous comments about the District, its employees, students or parents. When posting information or comments related to District business or District-sponsored activity, employees should make it clear to readers that the views expressed on web posts are the employee's and that they do not necessarily reflect the views of the District or the Board.
4. Employees should refrain from posting copyrighted information.
5. Unless authorized by the Superintendent or his/her designee, personal web posts shall not include the District's logos, mascots, symbols, or other insignias.
6. Employees should ensure that profiles and related content (even if the information is of a personal and not an official nature) is consistent with how the employee wishes to present as a professional, appropriate with the public trust associated with the employee's position. District employees are representatives of the District during both working hours and non-working hours. The lines between public and private, personal and professional are blurred in online social networks.
7. If a student contacts an employee via a non-District sponsored web post or social media site, the employee should not respond online. The employee could speak to the student the next school day and suggest other methods of communication – such as an email to the employee's work address. If a student continues to contact the employee, the employee must share the information with his supervisor.
8. Employees should refrain from becoming "friends" with or "fans" of students or their parents online.
The Board will not interfere with or initiate disciplinary action against an employee for personal web posts or social media use regarding matters of public concern or other protected matters, made by the employee while he or she is off-duty, without using the District's computers or electronic network, and that are not part of the employee's official job duties. However, in the event such web posts or social media use substantially interferes with the efficient operation of the school district or the employee's ability to effectively perform his or her job, or otherwise violate this Policy, the Board may initiate disciplinary action against an employee up to and including termination from employment.
Violations of these guidelines are subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination.
LEGAL REF.: 105 ILCS 5/21B-75 and 5/21B-80.
Ill. Human Rights Act, 775 ILCS 5/5A-102.
Code of Ethics for Ill. Educators, 23 Ill.Admin.Code §22.20.
Garcetti v. Ceballos, 547 U.S. 410 (2006).
Pickering v. High School Dist. 205, 391 U.S. 563 (1968).
Mayer v. Monroe County Community School Corp., 474 F.3d 477 (7th Cir. 2007).
DATED: March 26, 2015
REVISED: December 22, 2016


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Saturday, October 13, 2012
So much has happened since my last post. My life has been so crazy I feel like I am chasing my proverbial tail. In late June I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. It was like everything suddenly made sense. I have really struggled the last few years trying to find a doctor who would listen to me. My new doctor is AMAZING! We have been working together to help me find my way back to a healthy life. I transferred from Butler CC to WSU in August. I was ready to get on the fast track to getting my degree finished. It has been extremely satisfying in most ways. Before, I did mostly online classes, this semester I am in a classroom everyday of the week. The kids are in 1st and 2nd grade. How did that happen? They come home with homework and little projects and I am reminded that they are no longer babies but big kids with best friends, individual interests, and big dreams. Valerie is struggling with a little teacher PTSD from last year (Probably blog about that later). Slowly getting better, but we still have some bad days. I picked up a part time job at the college. It is extremely simple. Making students feel welcome, checking classroom equipment, cleaning up the study areas. It pays minimum wage but they let me do my homework, so I think it is a winning spot. Wish I could say that I am keeping up with my workouts but that has not happened. I tried getting up at 5am for a couple of weeks to squeeze it in but that did not last long. Don't really know yet how to fix this. I miss it. My husband and I bought insanity to do together but we have owned it for a couple of months now and have not done it together once. ::sigh:: All in all, we have been busy. Steven and I kiss each other on the way out the door most days and then kiss goodnight as we roll into bed. We joke about living with a stranger. Now, it is Saturday. Big sis woke up at 6:30am, Steven went to work(because the weekend I do not have homework is the weekend he works), I could probably get ahead in a class or two if I did some work this weekend. I need to go make breakfast and get the girls to Bug Lady. Maybe I will post more later! Have a great weekend!
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Cortland State Wins National Championship With Win Over Gettysburg
May 24, 2009
From Cortland State Athletics
FOXBOROUGH, MASS. - Junior Brandon Misiaszek (New Hartford) scored a career-high five goals and was named the Most Outstanding Player as the nationally fourth-ranked Cortland men's lacrosse team won its second NCAA Division III title since 2006 with a 9-7 victory over fifth-ranked Gettysburg College at Gillette Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The Red Dragons finished 2009 at 19-2, setting a school record for wins in a season, and handed third-year head coach Steve Beville his 200th career victory. The Bullets had their 14-game winning streak snapped and finished 16-4.
Junior Brian Krol (Niskayuna) was the only other Cortland player to score more than one goal, netting two in the game. Senior Joey Morgan (Putnam Valley) and freshman Mike Tota (Webster/Webster Schroeder) each recorded a goal and an assist. Tota finished the season with 49 goals, just one short of becoming the seventh player in school history to score 50 in a season. Junior Tom Burke (Massapequa), sophomore Chris DeLuca (Sayville) and freshman Greg Wright (Irondequoit) chipped in with one assist apiece. Burke added a game-high seven ground balls, while DeLuca won 9-of-14 faceoffs. Senior goalie Matt Hipenbecker (Mountain Lakes, NJ) recorded 10 saves, including seven in the fourth quarter.
Senior Zach Pucci (Ridewood, NJ) and junior Kyle McGrath (Randolph, NJ) led Gettysburg with two goals each. Junior Joe Brody (Bethesda, MD/Walter Johnson) had a goal and two assists, senior Tom O'Donnell (Montgomeryville, PA/La Salle College) registered a goal and an assist and junior Josh Reichert (Englewood, CO/Kent School) scored once. Senior Tommy Kehoe (Coraopolis, PA/Sewickley Academy) and sophomore Danno Lynch (Medfield, MA/Avon Old Farms (CT)) contributed one assist apiece. Senior Zach Furshman (Miami, FL/Kent School (CT)) stopped 12 shots in goal.
The Bullets opened up a 4-2 lead after the first quarter as the Red Dragons turned the ball over four times and were outshot, 12-7. Reichert gave Gettysburg a 1-0 lead at 13 minutes, 24 seconds before Misiaszek tied the game with his first of the day at 12:18. McGrath then netted back-to-back goals for the Bullets for a 3-1 lead, but Krol came back with his 40th goal of the season just nine seconds later after a Cortland faceoff win. Pucci closed the scoring in the first off Brody's assist at 3:24.
After that, the Cortland defense took over the game, holding the Bullets without a goal in the second and third quarters as the scoreless drought spanned a total of 38:03. During that time, The Red Dragons were able to tie the game at the half as Tota and Misiaszek each scored. In the third quarter, Cortland pushed its lead to 9-4 as it outscored Gettysburg, 5-0, making it a 7-0 run. Misiaszek scored the first two goals of the third, followed by Morgan's 31st goal of the season and Krol's man-up goal at 3:56. Misiaszek's biggest goal of the game came as the clock was winding down in the third. He possessed the ball behind the cage, made a move on the right side and deposited a shot past Furshman into the upper corner with two seconds on the clock.
Regarding Misiaszek, Beville said, "He played outstanding. There's a reason why he was selected as the Most Outstanding Player of the game today because his performance was just that. It's been like that all year for us -- pick your poison."
The Bullets refused to quit, however, and cut the lead to 9-5 on O'Donnell's goal at 10:21, Gettysburg's first score since the first quarter. After the score, the Red Dragons worked the clock in an attempt to shorten the game and retained the four-goal cushion inside the five-minute mark. The Bullets cut the gap to 9-6 at 4:09 when Lynch assisted Pucci's score at 4:09 and forced a turnover inside a minute. That led to a fast break and a Brody goal at 27 seconds to make it a 9-7 game. Gettysburg won the ensuing faceoff but didn't have a good look and Cortland closed out the game for its second national championship in four years.
Misiaszek's success came from taking advantage of his situation on the field. "I was going hard all game," he said. "Then they didn't switch the pole to me and I felt I could take the shorty and I did."
For Hipenbecker, his 10 saves in the title game capped an outstanding run for him in the NCAA playoffs as he registered 40 saves and allowed 31 goals. After the rough first quarter, the defense clamped down and turned the momentum of the game. "We stepped it up (in the second quarter). We started talking and causing turnovers. When you know when the first, second and third slide is going to be, you can go push out and be aggressive."
FINAL SCORE: Cortland 9, Gettysburg 7
GAME SUMMARY: Team 1 2 3 4 Final Gettysburg (16-4) 4 0 0 3 7 Cortland (19-2) 2 2 5 0 9
Scoring (Goals-Assists):
Gettysburg: Kyle McGrath 2-0, Zach Pucci 2-0, Joe Brody 1-2, Tom O'Donnell 1-1, Josh Reichert 1-0, Tommy Kehoe 0-1, Danno Lynch 0-1 Cortland: Brandon Misiaszek 5-0, Brian Krol 2-0, Joey Morgan 1-1, Mike Tota 1-1, Tom Burke 0-1, Chris DeLuca 0-1, Greg Wright 0-1
Goalkeepers: Gettysburg: Zach Furshman, 12 saves (9 GA in 60:00) Cortland: Matt Hipenbecker, 10 saves (7 GA in 60:00)
Shots: Cortland 33, Gettysburg 31 Ground Balls: Gettysburg 33, Cortland 32 Clears: Cortland 18-of-21, Gettysburg 18-of-23 Faceoffs Won: Cortland 11, Gettysburg 9 Penalties: Cortland 4-2:30, Gettysburg 1-1:00 Extra-Man Offense: Gettysburg 0-4, Cortland 1-1


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Watch ABC Review
Review Overview
Quality of Video Stream5
User Interface7
Content on Offer6
Device Availability4
Airplay and iOS3
The ABC is one of the Big Three US television networks that dominated American screens from the 50's to 80s. But despite the following puissance of cable networks and recent shifts towards on-demand services, ABC still remains one of the most influential television networks in the country. But how well does their catch-up services compare with the best from around the world?
The ABC (American Broadcasting Company), not to be confused with the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) is one of America's oldest television networks, first broadcasting in 1948. It was also the first American network to stream full episodes of its television line-up on the Internet in May 2006. Since then, their on-demand website has evolved to their new corporate identity, Watch ABC, where they stream a good range of new content the day after their terrestrial airing.
Content available on Watch ABC is nowhere near as extensive as that found on similar UK services such as the BBC iPlayer or Channel 4's All 4, nor does the network retain a back-catalogue either. In fact, even PBS's media library can make Watch ABC seem rather small in comparison. But what it lacks in quantity it certainly makes up for in popularity. Many of the programmes available on Watch ABC include those which provide some of America's highest ratings.
Most series will retain episodes for approximately a month after they first appear, so it is usually possible to find 4 or 5 full-length episodes available. However, the odd series, especially reality-competitions may retain all episodes from the beginning until the last is aired.
Video quality is nothing to write home about, with variable bitrate streams peaking at a respectable 1500kbps, platform dependent. This is a basic standard definition stream and although it may lack the clarity of even 720p HD, it is far better than many similar services around the world. It is worth mentioning that many ABC programmes are also available on Hulu not only often for a longer period of time, but also in the case of Hulu Plus, at a much higher resolution and available on a greater range of platforms – that said, Hulu Plus is a great subscription service, but Watch ABC is free.
As is so often the case with catch-up services for American television networks, even the traditional OTA ones, hardware support is left to a bare minimum. Granted, some networks do offer a greater range of platforms if the viewer kindly also subscribes to a partnered cable TV service, but many may argue that that defeats the whole point of being a FTA network which traditionally could be received with little more than a bent coat hanger. Watch ABC follows the typical trend here for American FTA networks with not only very limited catch-up hardware support, but lacking almost any way to bring their content to a television outside of whacking an HDMI cable directly out from your computer or laptop.
In a similar fashion, Watch ABC may have been the first of the main American networks to offer live streams as well as catch-up via the Internet, but unlike similar and much longer-running services in the UK and Europe, live ABC streams are only available to Internet users who are both customers of selected cable subscription services, and who also live in a very small selection of American cities. Due to those restrictions, I could only test the free catch-up material for this review.
Finally, ABC is a commercial network which derives its revenue from advertising. This means there are ads before each programme and at regular intervals during playback. Commercial breaks are currently less than with live television and include a handy countdown, with a typical hour-slot programme containing approximately five commercial breaks. I personally don't find this excessive, and it should be expected for a FTA commercial network.
abc.go.com is the new home of Watch ABC. What difference there is between ABC Go and Watch ABC is a mystery to me and probably the world as well, but in any event, the recent revamp of ABC's webpage is very much welcomed. Gone are the highly annoying full-sound video clips advertising ABC programmes with the dark, gloomy screen, and welcome to a bright, clear and quieter new look.
Some commercial networks flood their catch-up websites with ads, which granted, don't get in the way of full-screen playback, but if they are too overwhelming they can make navigation unpleasant and even difficult. Thankfully, this is not a serious problem with Watch ABC, and thanks here must go to their design and management team. While I'm on a appreciative note, I also would like to congratulate the network for not flooding the site with short clips either.
Outside of the Live television tab which I couldn't get working due to the fact I don't subscribe to an American cable network, and the Featured home page, Watch ABC also offer a Shows page, which lists all of the current programmes from ABC. Unfortunately, they have omitted any way to filter these to only show the ones that have full episodes. Clicking on a show is great if it contains full episodes, as a list will hover providing you with the options available. Unfortunately, if there are no episodes, it will take you directly to the programme's own page which I found rather irritating.
Your watched shows are listed in My Profile, which is hidden behind the Menu button. There are a couple of nice features here, including a small timeline that shows how far you have been in a show before stopping, and the ability to remove programmes from the page. Programmes will resume where you left off, but since there is no way to log in via the web portal, there are no cross-platform features to shift this across to other devices.
Video quality was quite a bit of a letdown on this platform. Whilst the Watch ABC FAQ states a bitrate of 1500kbps should be expected – and this was achieved via iOS when tested on the same network, I was lucky to see 900kbps* on my own tests on the web portal. So, Watch ABC are providing higher quality streams on the smaller-screened mobile device and lower quality on larger monitors. Go figure eh. As my young nephew grows up and starts asking why the sky is blue, why people get sick, or the fundamental differences between nuclear fission & fusion, providing the right answers will be a lot easier than trying to understand Watch ABC's motives.
Platform Pros:
- Easy to use and well laid out.
- Buffer level on video playback screen.
- Includes My Profile for previously watched shows.
- Timeline on previously watched shows, along with ability to clear programmes from the list.
- Ability to resume previously watched material.
Platform Cons:
- Video quality seems often substandard compared to iOS app.
- Not very sofa-friendly.
- Live TV requires partnered cable service.
- No cross-platform support.
(Accessing WatchABC outside of the US may require a good SmartDNS or VPN service)ABC iMac ShowsABC iMac PlaybackABC iMac MyProfileABC iMac HomeABC iMac FullScreenABC iMac EpisodeSelection
This service is geographically unblocked on this platform by the following Smart DNS providers:
[pro_ad_display_adzone id="19173″]
Watch ABC's iOS app is available via the American iTunes store and is possibly the best way to watch ABC's content – as long as you don't mind the smaller screen.
The app itself is well designed, clear and easy to use. Granted, there are funkier television catch-up apps out there, Channel 4's 4oD is possibly the nicest I have used, but the new look recently laid out for the Watch ABC app is still quite pleasant.
As with the website, the app's front page concentrates on featured shows, with an all-on-one All Shows page listing everything ABC offer. And just like the webpage, there is no way to filter this down to programmes that actually contain full episodes. It's a bit of hit and miss here.
In a move that seems as if it were created to curb the ever growing number of cord-cutters, the Live tab will only work if you subscribe to a partnered American cable TV operator and you are in a geographic location they support.
So that said, a bit more useful for cord-cutters is the Me tab, which is exactly the same as My Profile on their website, but with a different name. You even have the same opportunity to delete shows from the list, as well as track where you are by a handy timeline.
Video quality on the iPad is surprisingly better than what I could achieve on Watch ABC's web portal. I tested regular streams averaging 1500kbps*, which is essentially standard definition. The video looked great on the iPad and it would probably also look good enough on your television, that is if Watch ABC supported AirPlay.
AirPlay will work through mirroring, but considering this is the cropped version, with black borders and diminished video quality, there is very little reason to resort to this.
The iPhone on the other hand, seemed to make do with only a 400kbps* stream. This is shockingly low by any standard, but I have to admit the algorithms used produced a good enough video on the tiny iPhone screen. Much better than many other streams I have tested at higher bitrates.
In almost all respects, this app would deserve the best platform title, but with no AirPlay, and thus no possible way to watch on a larger screen, along with the lack of offline downloads, this seems to relegate the app to a method of watching ABC programmes when in the garden or on the john.
Platform Pros:
- Standard definition streams that are good enough quality to watch (iPad)
- Watchlist through the oddly named Me screen.
- Ability to delete titles from the Me screen, as well as see where you are with the timeline.
- Program resume possible, and cross-iOS-platform compatible via iCloud syncing.
- Well designed user interface.
Platform Cons:
- No proper AirPlay support (Only poor quality mirroring).
- No offline download feature.
- iPhone only uses 400kbps streams.
- Not cross-platform compatible outside of iOS devices.
(Accessing WatchABC outside of the US may require a good SmartDNS or VPN service)ABC iPad ViewingHistoryABC iPad HomeABC iPad FullScreenABC iPad FlashABC iPad EpisodesABC iPad AllShows
This service is geographically unblocked on this platform by the following Smart DNS providers:
[pro_ad_display_adzone id="18165″]
For a country that has some of the best commercial pay-wall on-demand services, such as Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant and many more, the United States does lack behind many other countries for their FTA catch-up. A lot of this has to do with the country's complicated licensing agreements, the fact that Hulu Plus already exists and the ever powerful and slow to adapt cable networks – not to mention a clear fear of the direction modern television is heading. No other country has such complicated and restrictive contracts and partnerships between cable/pay TV and terrestrial FTA television as that found in the United States. And this does hold back the catch-up industry quite significantly – with the viewers suffering the most.
But all that aside, it is possible to watch free-to-air catch-up television without paying extra for the privilege, even if it is then heavily restricted. Watch ABC provide a good basic service that is certainly worth visiting if you don't have a Hulu Plus subscription. With such a subscription, there would be very little reason to hit the official ABC website or their respective apps, as Hulu Plus not only offer a larger range of ABC content, often with more episodes and at much higher resolutions, but also available on plenty of alternative devices making it easy to watch on your main television set – but that does come at a price.
Otherwise if you don't mind watching low quality streams on your PC/Mac (which technically can be fed to your TV via an HDMI cable) or on a mobile platform, then Watch ABC's own services may still be worth the effort. ABC do produce a wealth of entertainment, and if their new programming is up your street then it is certainly worth a visit.
The most important thing lacking here is full AirPlay support – after all, a recent survey did suggest that only 1.5% of people actually like to watch content on their mobile device rather than the main television, so why ignore the remaining 98.5%? While we are at it, try adding a Roku channel as well. If PBS can offer their services on Roku, the nations highest rated television network shouldn't be dragging their feed either.
- Easy to use user Interface.
- Free access to a range of recently aired ABC programmes.
- Video quality up to standard definition.
- Resume and watchlist on each platform.
- No offline downloads.
- Free content arrives 8 days after airing.
- No proper Airplay support (without mirroring).
- Live streams require a partnered cable subscription despite being FTA.
- Limited hardware support and difficult to bring to the television.
- No cross-platform support.
- Watch ABC on the Apple TV will only work when subscribing to a partnered cables service.
Technical Details:
- Live Stream is only available with a participating Pay-TV Provider account.
- Windows PC: 2.33GHz or faster x86-compatible processor, or Intel® Atom™ 1.6GHz or faster processor for netbooks. 128MB of RAM (1GB of RAM recommended for netbooks); 128MB of graphics memory
- Windows PC: Microsoft® Windows® XP (32-bit), Windows Server® 2003 (32-bit), Windows Server 2008 (32-bit), Windows Vista® (32-bit), Windows 7 (32-bit and 64-bit)
- Windows PC: Internet Explorer 8.0+ (IE 9.0+ for Live Stream), Mozilla Firefox 8.0+, Google Chrome 17.0+, Safari 5.0+
- Mac: Intel Core™ Duo 1.33GHz or faster processor. 256MB of RAM; 128MB of graphics memory
- Mac: OS X v10.6 or v10.7
- Mac: Safari 5.0+, Mozilla Firefox 8.0+, Google Chrome 17.0+
- Linux is not supported.
- iPad, iPad mini, iPhone, iPod touch: iOS 5.0 or above.
- Other devices: Kindle Fire (2nd Gen), Kindle Fire HD 7.0″, Kindle Fire HD 8.9″, Google Nexus 7″ & 10″, Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7″ & 10.1″, Samsung Galaxy Note 8″ & 10.1″.
* All bitrate results are averaged from multiple tests.
28.08.2013: Review published: Score 5 – Average.
24.01.2014: Major update on all platforms.
Found this review helpful? Why not like on Facebook and help others find it?
Thanks for the article. ABC Go offers some great shows and of course the ABC live feature. If you don't live in US, you can use UnoTelly or similar tools to access it in your country.


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See Article
See Toplines
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Platinum Page
Survey of 1,000 Adults
Conducted October 5-6, 2013
By Rasmussen Reports
1* Do you intend to get a flu shot this year?
2* Is it possible to get the flu from a flu shot?
3* How effective are flu shots in preventing flu outbreaks?
Will this year's flu season be better or worse than last year?
NOTE: Margin of Sampling Error, +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence


text:
A Lotto player who thought she had scooped an £80,000 jackpot was crushed when told she had only won £2.
Esme Arbous, 69, thought all her retirement dreams were about to come true when she found a winning number eight on the scratchcard.
Dashing her hopes, Lotto officials revealed the blurred printing actually showed a number three and the confusion was caused by a watermark.
National Lottery operator Camelot is now taking up the case with its scratchcard printers.
Camelot revealed it has been contacted by 24 Lotto players who have mistaken a number three for an eight.
Esme was planning to give a large chunk of the cash she thought she had won to charity.
"We had already thought about it," she added. "We wanted to give at least £15,000 to children's homes.
"I sent a picture of the card to my son and he said 'wow mum, you've got to send it off'."
Esme and husband Tim, of Ruislip, north west London, were bitterly disappointed when they were told they had not won.
"I will be retiring in November and this would have been absolutely fantastic," Esme said.
"I work on contract, so I won't be getting a pension from work.
"With the money I could have happily retired knowing we had some money in the bank. It would have been completely amazing to win."
As a crushing consolation, the card won Esme just £2, with enough points for that prize on another line of the card.
A spokesman for Camelot said the 24 cards had come from a print run of more than 17 million.
They added: "We're currently speaking to the supplier that manufactures our scratchcards to minimise the risk of this happening in the future, but please be advised that this does not affect the integrity of the game.
"Each National Lottery Scratchcard outcome is predetermined at the time of print, and all our operations and processes are subject to the scrutiny of our own internal auditors, independent external auditors, and representatives from our regulator, the National Lottery Commission."


text:
In addition to placing orders by mail with a check or visiting Sissy's Country at Heart in Baytown, all items below may be purchased securely with a credit card or PayPal by emailing us at firstname.lastname@example.com. (A PayPal account is not needed to use your debit or credit card.) In your email, include the items you would like to order and the quantity of each. Also, please let us know if you would like your order to be mailed or if you will pick it up locally at Sissy's Country at Heart.
The sale of all items benefit the BHPA's restoration/preservation projects. Thank you for your support!
Baytown, the Yesteryears!
Baytown, the Yesteryears, a collection of articles written by Wanda Orton and published throughout the years in The Baytown Sun, is the perfect gift for anyone with a Baytown connection.
Click on the book image for more information on how to order this unique book.


text:
Sun, 13 February 2011
Soon after the September 11th attacks, the US government actively tried to minimize and oppress information relating to a possible role in the attacks by Saudi Arabia. Ultimately, the 9-11 Commission cleared Saudi Arabia of any role in the terrorist attacks despite many anomalies including the fact that 15 of the 19 high jackers were actually from Saudi Arabia.
Direct download: Red_Flag_Protecting_Saudi_Arabia.mp3
Category:Visibility 9-11 Red Flags of September 11th -- posted at: 9:58am MDT


text:
Please find enclosed the further information
requested by the Environment Sub-committee in your letter of 15
February. The papers cover:
We also agreed to clarify the proposals in the
draft Bill relating to flood defence. A note on this is also enclosed.
Claire Jenkins
The Committee requested an explanation of why
those provisions raised by the Environment Agency in their evidence
were included in Taking Water Responsibly, but were not in the
draft Water Bill. Each provision identified by the Agency is addressed
in turn.
The Committee also asked whether, in the context
of the new abstraction licensing system, the Environment Agency
should be required to give precedence to abstraction for statutory
domestic purposes over abstraction for "non-domestic purposes"
(ie in a comparable provision to that set out in the Water Industry
Act 1991 with respect to supply undertakers).
Under section 15(1) of the Water Resources Act
1991, the Environment Agency has a duty to have particular regard
to the duties imposed on water and sewerage undertakers by Parts
II to IV of the Water Industry Act 1991. Those provisions include
precedence of domestic water supplies over supplies for non-domestic
The Committee asked for further information
on the extent to which bills for remaining non-metered customers
were rising due to customers switching to meters.
Unmeasured household water and sewerage bills
have tended to rise more steeply in the past than measured bills.
For example, in the final year of the previous periodic review
period, between 1998-99 and 1999-2000, the average unmeasured
household water and sewerage bill increased by 1.6 per cent in
real terms while the average measured bill fell by 2.5 per cent.
This divergence is caused mainly by the switching
of meter optants from unmeasured to measured charging. This affects
customers in two ways. Firstly, meter optants have tended to be
those with below average consumption of water. This has had the
effect of raising the average consumption per household of those
remaining on an unmeasured basis, which in turn affects their
share of the costs. The second effect is that optants have tended
to come from above-average rateable value properties, so increasing
the average contribution of each property in the unmeasured group.
Both these effects are explored in greater detail below.
Ofwat regulate tariffs with the objective of
maintaining an equality of charging between the two groups. The
costs of metering (for example, meter installation and meter reading)
are recovered from metered customers alone, so that a customer
with an average consumption would pay slightly more to be metered
than to pay on an unmeasured basis. But, with this exception,
an equivalence is set so that the overall charges paid by all
unmeasured customers match their overall consumption of water
services. In other words, the total bills of all unmeasured customers
would be the same if they were all measured. As a result of unmeasured
customers switching to meters, the average rateable value of remaining
unmeasured properties falls and the average consumption of all
unmeasured customers rises, so therefore the average unmeasured
bill rises. So the individual bill of each customer may rise,
even though the individual characteristics of that customer may
not have changed.
What actually happens from year to year between
measured and unmeasured charging depends on several variables:
These variables and therefore the effects of
switching on charges also differ markedly from company to company.
For example, companies with a high fixed charge for unmeasured
customers will have an unmeasured tariff under which the difference
in the bill of high and low rateable value properties is small,
and the incentive for occupiers of high rateable value properties
to opt for a meter is reduced. Conversely, a high measured standing
charge produces lower potential savings for low-consumption optants.
In the past the differences have been accentuated by differences
in the meter option policies of different companies. Either having
no meter option or metering properties regardless of their characteristics
and the choice of the occupiers would produce very different balances
between measured and unmeasured charges.
The complex effects of these many variables
produce wide variations. The average measured/unmeasured bill
differential is not necessarily highest where metering has reached
its highest proportion. In Anglian Water's area, for example,
in 2000-02 the proportion of metered households was already 45
per cent, yet the differential between average household measured
and unmeasured bills was £20, the same as in Southern Water,
where metering was at 20 per cent.
The introduction of the statutory free meter
option will also have an effect on charge differentials. As the
meter option takes effect on companies with very different starting
points and as metering reaches higher proportions this may produce
a different pattern of change. For example, once the optants who
will most clearly gain have already switched, leaving a remaining
unmeasured group with overall higher than average consumption
and overall lower than average rateable values, the characteristics
of future switchers will be necessarily different from those already
Much also depends on the rate of take-up of
the free meter option. Ofwat made a provision for each company
in the final price determinations for the periodic review allowing
for between five and 15 per cent of households, depending on each
company's starting point, to opt for meters in the five year period
2000-05. Ofwat is monitoring the take-up. The first three months
of the statutory meter option, 1 April to 30 June 2000, saw requests
for meters varying between 10 per cent and 528 per cent of those
projected rates. It is too early to make a long-term forecast.
The number of variables, and the fact that these
are designedly subject to customer choice, makes it very difficult
to project the long-term effect of metering on bills for those
customers who choose to remain on an unmeasured basis. As the
Minister indicated, it is an issue of which the Department is
aware, and the changes will be monitored closely together with
Source: DETR analysis of DSS Family
Resources Survey (FRS)
Source: DETR analysis of DSS Family Resources
Survey (FRS).
For basis 1, households are divided into deciles on the basis
of household income, unadjusted to allow for differences in household
size and composition.
For basis 2, they are divided on the basis of equivalised
household income. This measure takes into account differences
in the size and composition of households, reflecting the fact
that a larger household will tend to have larger essential demands
on its resources than a smaller household with the same total
income. The DSS and the Office for National Statistics recommend
that where income deciles are used as a measure of household welfare,
they should be based on equivalised income.
* The income measure used for comparison with water and sewerage
charges is total household income, not including income tax, NI
contributions or Housing Benefit. This is the same measure used
in the water affordability indicator published in "Quality
of Life Counts" (DETR, 1999).
The Family Resources Survey gives estimates of households'
total water and sewerage bills, without splitting the two. The
split between water and sewerage charges has been estimated using
Ofwat data on average water and sewerage charges.
The Committee asked for further information about highway
drainage charges and the distribution of their impact on customers.
This note considers only households, though any change to the
system of recovering highway drainage costs would also affect
businesses and other non-households who pay both water charges
and national and local taxation.
Current highway drainage charges
Ofwat have information about each company's sewerage charges,
but the highway drainage element is not fully separated out by
every company. For example, some companies set an undivided standing
charge covering all aspects of the sewerage service. The current
structure of highway drainage charges varies considerably between
companies, even for households. Some companies make a single flat
rate fixed charge, others charge a variable amount to measured
water customers based on their meter reading, with unmeasured
customers paying according to rateable value, and other companies
charge a tariff with both a fixed and a variable element.
No comprehensive information on the average highway drainage
charge is collected centrally. Ofwat have made an estimate of
the approximate highway drainage charges of each sewerage company
on the basis of the information that is available. This suggests
that highway drainage will account for about £27 or 12.5
per cent of the average annual household water and sewerage bill
for 2000-01.
The incidence of highway drainage bills on customers
No separate analysis of the impact of highway drainage bills
is available. However, considerable information is available on
the incidence effects of total water and sewerage bills.
The Department has just undertaken an analysis of data from
the DSS Family Resources Survey (FRS). The results are included
in the attached spreadsheet, as they may be of wider interest
to the Committee. They show, for a run of years from 1994-95 to
1998-99, the absolute level of bills and the percentage of household
income for each income decile. (Alternative tables show the income
deciles on an adjusted and unadjusted basis). The bills are further
subdivided between water and sewerage, though this separation
must be treated with caution as it is based on Ofwat figures for
actual bills applied to the FRS data for the bills of sample households.
The results of this analysis of FRS data show, for the equivalised
income deciles (the adjusted basis), an average household water
and sewerage bill of £4.58 a week in 1998-99, in a range
from a £4.27 average bill for the first household income
decile (representing 3.7 per cent of household income) to a £5.12
bill for the tenth decile (representing 0.5 per cent of household
income). If the Ofwat estimate that highway drainage charges represent
12.5 per cent of total water and sewerage charges held true evenly
at all levels of bills and income, the impact would be strictly
proportionate to those FRS figures: an average household highway
drainage bill of £0.57 a week in 1998-99, in a range from
a £0.53 average bill for the first household income decile
(representing 0.5 per cent of household income) to a £0.64
bill for the tenth decile (representing less than 0.1 per cent
of household income).
It is likely that highway drainage charges are in fact slightly
more regressive than the total average water and sewerage bill,
so that they may represent more than 12.5 per cent of the average
water and sewerage bill of lower income households. This difference
is because, within the wide range of different company tariffs,
several make charges for highway drainage that are entirely flat
rate or include a large fixed element, whereas the major part
of most water supply and foul water drainage charges is still
linked to rateable value. The variation in company tariffs means
that any national average has to be treated with caution.
The effect of an alternative arrangement
It has been suggested that the burden of highway drainage
charges could be moved from sewerage companies and their customers
to highway authorities. Modelling has been undertaken and published
on the effects of changing all water and sewerage charging from
a rateable value to a council tax basis, but the results would
not be applicable to highway drainage alone. Not only is the present
incidence of highway drainage bills probably different from that
of overall water and sewerage bills, but also the alternative
would recover the costs in a different way. Insofar as highway
authorities include a national Government body (the Highways Agency),
part of the transferred burden would fall on national taxation
as well as the part falling on local highway authorities and their
council tax payers. The most noticeable change would be that the
local Government share of the new burden would fall entirely on
those persons who are liable to pay council tax, who might exclude
a number of persons currently paying sewerage charges, giving
a narrower base for the recovery of the costs.
The Government has not supported such a change in charging
arrangements because of the lack of sufficient proven benefit
to warrant the costs and disruption of a change for companies
and local and national government. All transitional costs would
ultimately be passed on to water customers and taxpayers.
The Committee asked whether it would be possible for the
Bill to make supply undertakers responsible for the whole of supply
pipes to the first point of practicable use by the customer. They
considered that this would ensure that water companies made a
further contribution to reducing leakage by repairing supply pipes
which at present householders were responsible for.
The issue of statutory responsibility for supply pipes is
something we will consider alongside other possible additions
to the draft Water Bill. There are, however, a number of concerns
about the transfer of statutory responsibility for supply pipes
from customers to water companies.
Firstly, such a transfer of responsibility would remove a
property right for which compensation would not be paid, and it
cannot be assumed that this would be generally acceptable. Some
people might welcome it, but others would be concerned about a
water company's right to dig up their garden or path to repair
or replace a pipe. Were ownership to extend to "the first
point of practical use by the customer," the right might
even extend into people's homes.
Second, there would also be significant cost implications
for water companies, which would be passed on to the generality
of customers through water bills. This would result in customers
with well-maintained pipes subsidising those with poorly maintained
ones. In addition, the water company would probably be expected
to fund the full reinstatement of the garden or driveway; a considerable
expense that would have to be met from all customers' bills. Currently,
every water company has a scheme for providing a subsidy for customers
who need to repair or replace their leaking supply pipe. While
the precise terms of the schemes vary, this provides a flexible
arrangement in which customers receive assistance with repairs
while not incurring the disadvantage associated with full transfer
of ownership.
Third, transfer of ownership would also transfer responsibility
for the replacement of lead supply pipes from householders to
water companies. It is estimated that the cost of such replacements
would run to several billions of pounds and would again have to
be met from increases to the bills of all customers. Under the
current system, householders have a range of options available
to them to make dealing with the effects of lead pipes more cost-effective.
They might decide to combine pipe replacement with general house
or floor renovation; to flush the pipes by using water for something
else before drawing water to drink; or to buy bottled water for
any pregnant women or young children living in the household (levels
of lead between 10 to 50 micros will affect only those people,
and then only if drunk regularly). These options would not be
available to water companies who, if responsibility were passed
to them, would need to replace lead pipes at all households where
the presence of lead brought about a breach of the 10 micro lead
standard. So the cost of dealing with the effect of lead pipes
would be greater for companies (and hence, for customers) than
it is for householders.
The Committee asked whether it would be possible for the
Bill to ensure that all new properties were serviced by sewers
of an adoptable standard; and that those sewers were therefore
adopted by a relevant undertaker.
Currently there are two standards for building sewers. All
sewers must satisfy the Building Regulations , which are essentially
concerned with minimum standards for the health and safety of
people in and around buildings. If sewers are to be adopted by
the sewerage undertaker, they must be built to a higher standard,
which is set by the industry. There would be cost implications
for developers and home purchasers if this standard were to be
applied to al new private sewers. The Department issued a consultation
paper last year on "The Provision of New Drains and Sewers"
and there was overwhelming support for the proposal in the paper
that there should be a single standard for the construction of
all new sewers, and that this should be an adoptable standard.
We are considering how this single standard can be achieved by
harmonising the water industry's current specification for adoptable
sewers with the part of the Building Regulations that specifies
the standard for new sewers. This part of the Building Regulations
is also under review, and has recently been the subject of a consultation
exercise. There are a number of technical issues that remain to
be resolved and these are being addressed. It is not considered
that primary legislation would be required to achieve a single
standard for sewers.
A number of respondents to the Department's consultation
on the draft Water Bill have expressed concern about these proposals.
This concern has centred on the impression given by the consultation
paper that the Bill would abolish Local Flood Defence Committees
(LFDCs). This is not the case.
The Water Bill will make minor technical amendments that
are necessary following consolidation of water legislation in
1991, including restoration of Internal Drainage Boards' powers
to borrow to fund contributions to the Environment Agency. The
Bill will also amend the Environment Act 1995 to allow the number
of Regional Flood Defence Committees (RFDCs) to be increased beyond
the present maximum of 10.
These amendments would be needed if, in future:
The Water Bill will provide an enabling power to make an
order to create additional committees. It is proposed that such
an order could combine other provisions to increase the number
of members of RFDCs and to abolish LFDCs, for which powers already
exist but which require an individual order in each case. This
would avoid the need for separate orders for these purposes. Any
proposal to abolish LFDCs in a particular region would be subject
to full consultation.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Department
of the Environment, Transport and the Regions and HM Treasury
are currently conducting a review of the funding arrangement for
flood and coastal defence. MAFF plan to consider the committee
arrangements in the light of the conclusions of that review, which
will be completed in early autumn.
March 2001


text:
WASHINGTON--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--Easterly Government Properties, Inc. (NYSE: DEA), a fully integrated real estate investment trust focused primarily on the acquisition, development and management of Class A commercial properties leased to the U.S. Government, announced today that it has agreed to acquire and complete the development of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Outpatient Clinic located in Mishawaka, Indiana (VA - South Bend). The closing of the acquisition of VA - South Bend is subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions and is expected to occur in the third quarter of 2017.
"Easterly's head of acquisitions and development, Mike Ibe, and team bring a proprietary edge in sourcing, structuring and underwriting acquisition and development deals like VA - South Bend, which extend the overall duration of Easterly's assets"
The VA is a cabinet-level federal agency responsible for providing vital services to the 22 million U.S. military veterans currently living in the U.S. and an additional 25.7 million family members and dependents eligible for benefits. The VA is America's largest integrated healthcare system with over 1,700 sites of care, serving 8.97 million veterans annually. The VA employs nearly 350,000 people, all dedicated to providing infrastructure and support to U.S. veterans and their families.
"The Department of Veterans Affairs is a new market opportunity for Easterly Government Properties, and we are pleased to add this attractive development project to our existing portfolio of mission-critical government facilities," said William C. Trimble III, Chief Executive Officer of Easterly Government Properties, Inc. "By expanding our acquisition and development target universe to include the VA outpatient facilities, it opens another avenue of accretive growth for the Company."
The VA is a service-based organization with a sizeable portion of its annual budget going towards the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). The VHA offers a broad range of primary care, specialized care, and related medical and social support services for veterans in need through the 124,000 health care professionals throughout the VA. The VA, as widely reported, is undergoing a transformation in the design and functionality of its healthcare facilities. The VA is shifting much of its medical treatment from traditional inpatient hospital facilities to state-of-the-art Class A outpatient facilities, often developed and owned by the private sector.
Delivering on one of the core missions of the agency, the VA - South Bend facility will provide outpatient services, including primary medical care, mental health care, audiology, optometry, radiology, cardiology, pulmonology, podiatry, urology and gastrointestinal endoscopy to thousands of veterans located throughout several surrounding counties. VA - South Bend is a relocation of an older VA clinic in South Bend and, when construction is completed, will be four times larger than the VA facility it replaces. It is anticipated that the new facility will be staffed with approximately 190 employees. The VA estimates this facility will see 12,000 patients in its first year of operation, 14,000 patients in its second year of operation, and 16,000 patients in its third year of operation. Following the trend of newer VA facilities, the property will be in close proximity to the St. Joseph Regional Medical Center, a recently constructed $350 million 254-bed facility.
VA - South Bend is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2017, and upon completion, this state-of-the-art facility will be 100% leased to the VA for an initial, non-cancelable term of 15 years. VA - South Bend is targeted to achieve LEED for Healthcare Silver certification.
"Easterly's head of acquisitions and development, Mike Ibe, and team bring a proprietary edge in sourcing, structuring and underwriting acquisition and development deals like VA - South Bend, which extend the overall duration of Easterly's assets," said Meghan Baivier, Chief Financial and Operating Officer at Easterly Government Properties, Inc. "The Easterly team has the background and skill to deliver an exemplary Class A build-to-suit facility with an initial 15-year lease term for the VA. We welcome this and future opportunities to become a partner of choice to our newest tenant, the VA."
The estimated combined purchase price of VA - South Bend and the Company's separate VA - Loma Linda transaction, also announced today, is estimated to be $260 million.
The Company is raising its guidance for FFO per share on a fully diluted basis for the twelve-month period ending December 31, 2017 to $1.25 - $1.29.
|Net income (loss) per share – fully diluted basis
|Plus: real estate depreciation and amortization
|FFO per share – fully diluted basis
This guidance assumes $350 million of acquisitions in 2017, including the completed acquisition of the OSHA - Sandy laboratory and the pending acquisitions of VA - Loma Linda and VA - South Bend, and does not contemplate any dispositions. This guidance is forward-looking and reflects management's view of current and future market conditions. The Company's actual results may differ materially from this guidance.
Non-GAAP Supplemental Financial Measures
This section contains definitions of certain non-GAAP financial measures and other terms that the Company uses in this press release and, where applicable, the reasons why management believes these non-GAAP financial measures provide useful information to investors about the Company's financial condition and results of operations and the other purposes for which management uses the measures. These measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance in accordance with GAAP. Additional detail can be found in the Company's most recent annual report on Form 10-K, as well as other documents filed with or furnished to the SEC from time to time.
Funds From Operations (FFO) is defined by NAREIT as net income (loss), calculated in accordance with GAAP, excluding gains or losses from sales of property and impairment losses on depreciable real estate, plus real estate depreciation and amortization, and after adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures. FFO is a widely recognized measure of REIT performance. Although FFO is a non-GAAP financial measure, the Company believes that information regarding FFO is helpful to shareholders and potential investors.
Other Definitions
Fully diluted basis assumes the exchange of all outstanding common units representing limited partnership interests in the Company's operating partnership, or common units, the full vesting of all shares of restricted stock units, and the exchange of all earned and vested LTIP units in the Company's operating partnership for shares of common stock on a one-for-one basis, which is not the same as the meaning of "fully diluted" under GAAP. Fully diluted basis does not include outstanding LTIP units in the Company's operating partnership that are subject to performance criteria that have not yet been met.
About Easterly Government Properties, Inc.
Easterly Government Properties, Inc. (NYSE:DEA) is based in Washington, D.C., and focuses primarily on the acquisition, development and management of Class A commercial properties that are leased to the U.S. Government. Easterly's experienced management team brings specialized insight into the strategy and needs of mission-critical U.S. Government agencies for properties leased primarily through the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). For further information on the company and its properties, please visit www.easterlyreit.com.
We make statements in this press release that are considered "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, which are usually identified by the use of words such as "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "intends," "may," "plans," "projects," "seeks," "should," "will," and variations of such words or similar expressions and include our guidance with respect to Net income (loss) and FFO per share on a fully diluted basis. We intend these forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and are including this statement in this press release for purposes of complying with those safe harbor provisions. These forward-looking statements reflect our current views about our plans, intentions, expectations, strategies and prospects, which are based on the information currently available to us and on assumptions we have made. Although we believe that our plans, intentions, expectations, strategies and prospects as reflected in or suggested by those forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that the plans, intentions, expectations or strategies will be attained or achieved. Furthermore, actual results may differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements and will be affected by a variety of risks and factors that are beyond our control including, without limitation: the risk that we may not complete the acquisition of VA - South Bend in a timely fashion or at all; the risk that we may be delayed in the completion of VA - South Bend; risks associated with our dependence on the U.S. Government and its agencies for substantially all of our revenues; risks associated with ownership and development of real estate; decreased rental rates or increased vacancy rates; loss of key personnel; general volatility of the capital and credit markets and the market price of our common stock; the risk we may lose one or more major tenants; difficulties in completing and successfully integrating acquisitions; failure of acquisitions or development projects to occur at anticipated levels or to yield anticipated results; risks associated with actual or threatened terrorist attacks; intense competition in the real estate market that may limit our ability to attract or retain tenants or re-lease space; insufficient amounts of insurance or exposure to events that are either uninsured or underinsured; uncertainties and risks related to adverse weather conditions, natural disasters and climate change; exposure to liability relating to environmental and health and safety matters; limited ability to dispose of assets because of the relative illiquidity of real estate investments and the nature of our assets; exposure to litigation or other claims; risks associated with breaches of our data security; risks associated with our indebtedness; and other risks and uncertainties detailed in the "Risk Factors" section of our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 2, 2017. In addition, our anticipated qualification as a real estate investment trust involves the application of highly technical and complex provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or the Code, and depends on our ability to meet the various requirements imposed by the Code through actual operating results, distribution levels and diversity of stock ownership. We assume no obligation to update publicly any forward looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.


text:
Ian Eagle is back in 2017 for his ninth season as the play-by-play announcer for Westwood One's Thursday Night Football coverage. During that span, Eagle has also called the action for Westwood One's coverage of the SEC Basketball Championship and the Regional Semi-Finals and Finals of the NCAA Tournament.
Eagle is primarily known for his work with CBS Sports, where he has called NFL games, NCAA basketball games and U.S. Open tennis. He also serves as an announcer for the Tennis Channel's coverage of the French Open.
Eagle has also served as the play-by-play announcer for New Jersey Nets television broadcasts since 1995, moving with the NBA franchise to Brooklyn prior to the 2012-13 season. He was the play-by-play radio voice for the New York Jets in 1997 and hosted Jets pre- and post-game shows on WFAN from 1993 to 1996. Eagle was awarded the Bob Costas Award for Outstanding Sportscasting while attending Syracuse University.


text:
In this section, you will create separate solids for the letters in the word ballet. The letters need to be individual layers because you will be animating each letter separately. To create each letter, you start with one solid layer, and then duplicate the layer, edit the text, and rename the layer. The grid and the Align & Distribute palette will help you to align the layers.
Set the current-time marker to 2:00.
Since you will be concentrating on the ballet letter layers, it will be helpful to hide and lock the other layers in the Time Layout window temporarily.
To hide and lock the other layers in the Time Layout window, click the Shy switch and Lock switch (shown in the illustration below) for the At The, Afternoon, Sunday, and Sugar.mov layers. Then click the Hide Shy Layers button or choose Hide Shy Layers from the Time Layout window menu.
All the shy layers disappear from the Time Layout window but remain visible in the Composition window.
Choose Effect > Text > Basic Text, type b (lowercase) in the text entry box, select the Center Alignment button, choose a font such as Adobe Garamond or a similar font, set the style to italic, and then click OK.
In the Effect Controls window use the eyedropper to sample the color from any of the other pieces of text, and then set the font size to 60 points. Close the Effect Controls window.
In the Time Layout window, set the Quality to Best.
To help you initially position and align the letter layers, you'll display a grid in the Composition window. The default proportional grid is the well suited to this purpose because it is fairly coarse.
Note: You can also display a standard grid by choosing Show Grid from the View menu or by holding down Ctrl/Command and clicking the safe-zones icon, or by using Ctrl+apostrophe (Windows) or Command+apostrophe (Mac OS). It is possible to adjust the spacing of the grids by choosing File > Preferences > Grids & Guides.
With the B layer selected in the Time Layout window, choose Edit > Duplicate. A duplicate layer appears on top of the first layer in both the Composition and Time Layout windows.
Note: When changing the name of a layer on a Mac OS system, always use the Return key, not the Enter key on the numeric keypad. Pressing Enter on a Mac OS system opens a layer window for the selected layer.
To rename the B layer, click the duplicated layer in the Time Layout window to activate the window, and then press Enter or Return. Type A for the name, and press Enter or Return again to apply the new name.
To rename any layer or footage item, you must always first press Enter or Return. You can also change the source name of a solid by choosing Layer > Solid Settings and typing a new name in the Solid Settings dialog box. Changing the name in this dialog box, however, changes only the source name, and not the layer name.
To edit the text, click the triangle for the A layer to expand the outline, click the triangle next to Effects to display Basic Text, and then click Options next to the Basic Text effect. The Type dialog box appears.
Replace the b in the text entry box with a lowercase a, and then click OK.
Click the triangle next to the A layer to collapse its outline.
With the A layer selected, choose Edit > Duplicate, or press Ctrl+D (Windows) or Command+D (Mac OS), and then select the new layer in the Time Layout window. Press Enter or Return, type L for the name, and press Enter or Return again to apply the new name.
When you duplicate a layer with a modified name in the Time Layout window, an asterisk appears next to the name of the duplicated layer.
Click the triangles for the L layer to expand the outline, and then click the Options button next to the Basic Text effect. Replace the ain the text entry box with a lowercase l, and then click OK.
With the new L layer still selected, drag it to the right of the third vertical grid line in the Composition window, constraining movement using the Shift key as before. Collapse the layer outline in the Time layout window.
With the L layer selected, choose Edit > Duplicate, and then position the layer. (You can delete the asterisk in the name if you'd like.)
Although in some cases you may want to position layers manually as you just did with the letter layers, there is an easier way to accurately distribute layers. Here, you'll use the Align & Distribute Plug-in palette to evenly space the letter layers between the b and the t.
Choose Window > Plug-in Palettes > Align & Distribute to open the Align & Distribute palette.
Select all of the letter layers in the Time Layout window by choosing Edit > Select All or by pressing Ctrl+A (Windows) or Command+A (Mac OS).
To align the baselines of the letters, choose the right icon in the top row ( ) in the Align & Distribute palette.
Close the Align & Distribute Plug-in Palette.
You can view layers two ways in the Time Layout window: by layer name or by source name.
Click the Source Name heading above the stack of layers in the Time Layout window to view the layer names.
If the Source Name and Layer Name are the same, the original source file's name appears inside brackets under the Layer name heading.