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Tuesday, February 02, 2010
Guest Blog: USDA Offers Funding Opportunities for NM Projects
This is a guest blog by Terry Brunner, State Director of the New Mexico Office of USDA Rural Development.
We are at a critical juncture in New Mexico's history as we approach our Centennial in 2012. Of great concern to us all should be how our rural communities will fare over the next 100 years. Will they continue to struggle or will we make the investments and decisions now to allow for their renewal and prosperity during the century ahead?
Before us lies an extraordinary opportunity, through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (also known as the Stimulus), to make immediate and necessary investments in our rural communities.
The United States Department of Agriculture New Mexico Rural Development office saw funding increases in many of its programs as a result of the Stimulus. USDA Rural Development in New Mexico almost tripled its regular programmatic spending for dozens of new projects in Fiscal Year 2009 to $354 million. We hope to have another banner year in FY 2010 before the Stimulus expires in September.
As we see tight budgets at the state and local level in New Mexico there is no better time for New Mexico's communities to consider USDA funding for their projects. USDA Rural Development offers programs in three areas: Community Development, Business and Housing.
Businesses and value added agricultural producers in New Mexico communities with a population less than 50,000 are eligible for our Business Programs. Most types of new or existing enterprises qualify -- manufacturing, wholesale, retail or service. We offer up to a 90% loan guarantee for bankable projects as large as $10 million and can provide smaller guarantees on proposals as high as $25 million. It is our goal to guarantee at least $29 million in business loan guarantees around New Mexico this fiscal year.
We also offer programs to help businesses and agricultural producers save on energy costs. Our Renewable Energy for America program allows USDA to cover 25% of any renewable energy or energy efficiency project for a rural business or an ag producer. If your farm or business hopes to install a new water heater, upgrade swamp coolers or even take advantage of solar, wind power or biodiesel; USDA would like to help with that investment.
For those producers that add value to an agricultural product, we provide up to $100,000 in grant funding for planning costs and up to $300,000 for working capital. Value added projects can include a wide variety of efforts such as turning tomatoes into salsa, carving wood products, and making a popcorn product from locally-grown corn.
On the community side, the stimulus program enhanced greatly our ability to loan and grant to communities less than 20,000 in population for community facilities. USDA Rural Development can invest in community facilities, such as: health care facilities, community centers, libraries, roads, emergency services, and community greenhouses -- just to name a few.
Water and Wastewater infrastructure is of tremendous importance to rural communities in our state. In communities under 10,000, USDA offers loans and grants to help with water and wastewater systems. Hundreds of New Mexico communities have participated in this program over the years and we are prepared to help many more.
To be competitive and innovative, rural communities need access to modern telecommunications. The stimulus set aside billions to increase broadband access in rural America and USDA Rural Development spent $199 million alone in rural New Mexico last year for broadband and telecommunications infrastructure. Not only do we invest in the first, middle and last mile of telecommunications infrastructure but we are very interested in supporting distance learning, telemedicine and other efforts that connect rural communities to the power of the internet.
When we talk about the sustainability of our rural communities, nothing says sustainability more than providing families the ability to make their home in rural New Mexico. In communities under 10,000, USDA provides home loans, home loan guarantees and grants for the construction, purchase or renovation of a home. More than 6,500 New Mexicans currently use our housing programs.
This is just a sample of the many programs USDA Rural Development has to offer. The Stimulus presents New Mexico with unprecedented opportunities to improve the quality of life in rural New Mexico and give rural communities the tools they need to prosper. The time to act is now, while federal agencies like the USDA have the resources to make more investments than ever. If you are interested in any of these programs, I hope you will contact the USDA Rural Development office in New Mexico at 505-761-4950.
This is a guest blog by Terry Brunner, who was appointed by President Barack Obama on September 3, 2009 to serve at State Director for the New Mexico Office of USDA Rural Development.
To submit a piece for consideration as a guest blog, contact me by clicking on the Email Me link on the upper left-hand corner of the page.
February 2, 2010 at 06:57 PM in Agriculture, Broadband, Business, Energy, Finance, Investments, Housing, Lending, Obama Administration, Rural Issues, Water Issues | Permalink | Comments (0)
Friday, January 08, 2010
Rep. Harry Teague's 'Solutions for Southern New Mexico' Tour Highlights Local Projects
Rep. Teague listening to a constituent
Congressman Harry Teague has been traveling hundreds of miles within New Mexico's massive Second Congressional District (map) during the holiday recess to touch base with constituents. Besides listening to the views of those he's dedicated to representing, he's been spreading the word about the many projects he's helping to bring to the District during this era of economic challenges. Every dollar helps.
On Tuesday, January 5th, Rep. Teague stopped in Reserve, and traveled to Milan and Grants on Wednesday, January 6th, on his "Solutions for Southern New Mexico" tour. He continued to Socorro, Belen, Los Lunas and Bosque Farms on January 7th and 8th. During the weeklong tour Congressman Teague will visit all 18 counties in the 2nd Congressional District.
As part of his "Solutions for Southern New Mexico Tour," Congressman Harry Teague is hosting a total of 20 "Harry in Your Hometown" events to meet with constituents throughout the district. According to a statement released by his office, the events held to date have been well attended and Congressman Teague has discussed issues ranging from improving veterans services, to healthcare and the state of the economy. On the economy front, Congressman Teague has updated constituents on the work he is doing to invest in communities create jobs and help turn the local economy around.
In addition to investments from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Congressman Harry Teague has worked with community leaders across southern New Mexico to secure funding for local projects, including:
Catron County:
Reinvesting in our Communities. The Village of Reserve received over $1 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The funds, which Congressman Teague helped to bring to the city, were used for the rehabilitation of downtown Reserve, main streets and transportation enhancements.
Housing Improvement Projects. Congressman Teague worked with tribal leaders to secure over $1.3 million in stimulus funds for multiple housing improvement projects in the Zuni Pueblo. The funding went towards 15 projects that improved housing facilities and living conditions in the pueblo.
Cibola County:
Keeping Kids Safe. Congressman Teague worked to secure $350,000 in funding for Acoma Pueblo's Youth Mentoring Program. The funds will create a mentoring program for teenagers that have been identified as "high risk" by the Pueblo of Acoma tribal court system. The program aims to lower delinquency and related indicators such as substance abuse, violent behavior and truancy among Native youth and increase the number of high risk youth receiving mentoring. Teenagers involved in the program and high school peer mentors will have access to employment skills training and opportunities to experience adventure, skills-based activities intended to decrease risk factors associated with juvenile delinquency.
Increasing Transportation Resources. The Pueblo of Laguna received $96,250 through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to improve public transportation in the area. With the funding, the pueblo purchased an 8-passenger van with lift, a new bus shelter/garage for vehicles, and administrative office supplies.
Socorro County:
Furthering Space Innovation. Congressman Teague worked to secure $4 million for Smart Instrument Development at the Magdalena Ridge Observatory, operated in part by New Mexico Tech. The funding will be used to support the development and sustainment of smart, advanced instrumentation for imaging space objects. This is in support of the existing MRO mission and will advance the capabilities of the observatory, particularly in the area of Space Situational Awareness (SSA).
Strengthening Infrastructure. The Rio Grande Floodway project from San Acacia To Bosque Del Apache received $756,000 in funding to reconstruct approximately 44 miles of existing west side spoil bank levee located along the Rio Grande. The effort will enhance the protection of the Rio Grande Low-flow Conveyance Channel from Rio Grande flooding.
Valencia County:
Enhancing Local Law Enforcement. Congressman Teague worked with community leaders to secure $400,000 for the Valencia County Law Enforcement Uniform Records Management System. Instituting the technology for a uniform law enforcement records management system for Valencia County will benefit all Law Enforcement in Valencia County, including the municipalities of Los Lunas, Belen, Bosque Farms and Peralta. The technology will allow all officers with every agency in the county to use and access the same records management system from the computers in their cars.
Making Homes Energy Efficient. Central New Mexico Housing, Inc. was awarded $143,000 through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The funding was used to provide weatherization assistance to 24 low-income home owners in Valencia County. The efforts aim to reduce energy consumption and improve energy retention-including installing insulation for homes and modernizing large appliances such as air conditioners and heating units.
January 8, 2010 at 01:06 PM in Children and Families, Economy, Populism, Housing, Law Enforcement, Native Americans, Obama Administration, Rep. Harry Teague (NM-02), Transportation | Permalink | Comments (1)
Monday, November 16, 2009
Terry Brunner Guest Editorial: USDA Rural Development Marks 60th Anniversary of Housing Act of 1949
This is a guest editorial by Terry Brunner, who's the State Director of USDA Rural Development in New Mexico.
2009 marks the 60th anniversary of the passage of the Housing Act of 1949. The Act was the result of a bi-partisan effort led by President Truman and Senator Robert Taft to pass legislation that pledged a "decent home and suitable living environment for every American family" at a time in our nation's history when 30% of living units lacked one or more basic plumbing facilities.
This year USDA is celebrating the signing of this law with special events and ceremonies across the nation. Last week, in Anthony, New Mexico, we presented more than $600,000 to Tierra del Sol Housing Corporation to help low income New Mexicans buy or rehabilitate their home.
Many Americans do not know that the Department of Agriculture plays a major role in providing homeownership and home repair assistance to millions of citizens living in rural areas. USDA became involved in housing as a direct result of the poor living conditions farm laborers faced in the early 20th Century. Since that time, housing quality and ability has certainly improved but as the recent home lending crisis proved, dependable housing continues to be at-risk.
USDA is there to help. We provide loans and grants to help individuals build, buy or improve their home. We provide assistance to those seeking to rent and to seniors who want just want to stay in their home.
To date, Rural Development has issued more than $124 billion in housing loans, grants and loan guarantees that have helped 3.4 million rural Americans purchase or improve their existing home. Here in New Mexico, Rural Development has made more than $355 million dollars in loans and grants to more than 7800 families in the last 60 years.
In communities of 20,000 or less we have programs that help prospective homeowners buy a home with no money down, eliminate mortgage insurance or provide 100% financing. Those that are interested may contact one of our offices in Albuquerque, Aztec, Las Cruces, Las Vegas, Los Lunas, and Roswell.
When President Lincoln created the USDA he called it "The Peoples Department" and we will continue to strive for excellence in the delivery of our programs to our fellow citizens who live in rural America. The USDA seeks to ensure that everyone has access to better housing, clean water and good jobs through the funding programs we oversee.
USDA Rural Development
State Director
To submit a piece for consideration as a guest blog or editorial, contact me by clicking on the Email Me link at the upper left-hand corner of the page.
November 16, 2009 at 04:25 PM in Guest Blogger, Housing, Rural Issues | Permalink | Comments (1)
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
At Last: Bingaman Reports Senate Approved Unemployment Benefits Bill
You may recall that GOP Senators have been on a mission to delay or quash legislation to extend unemployment benefits to those suffering in a struggling economy characterized by continuing job losses. They've been stalling and trying to add unrelated amendments about things like ACORN, immigration and stimulus money to muck up the process. After much ado, Dems finally managed to get the legislation to the Senate Floor for a vote, where it passed 98-0.
Senator Jeff Bingaman said in a statement released today that he is pleased the Senate has approved legislation to extend unemployment benefits to thousands of New Mexicans who have been unable to find a job in this difficult economic climate.
The bill would extend unemployment insurance by up to 14 additional weeks for jobless workers in all states and up to 20 weeks in hard-hit states with unemployment levels at or above 8.5 percent. New Mexico's unemployment rate as of September was 7.7 percent, up from 4.3 percent a year ago.
"Like the rest of the country, New Mexico is feeling the effects of the current economic situation," Bingaman said. "While it is not a permanent solution, unemployment benefits provide many families with temporary relief as they continue to look for work. I am pleased it has cleared another hurdle."
The bill does the following:
- Extend unemployment insurance by up to 14 additional weeks for jobless workers who exhaust their benefits by Dec. 31; and
- Extend benefits for an six additional weeks for workers who exhaust their unemployment benefits by Dec. 31, in states with unemployment levels over 8.5 percent.
The bill does the following to encourage new home-buying:
- Extend through April 30, 2010 the tax credit for first-time homebuyers (up to $8,000 or up to 10 percent of the purchase price of the residence), allowing 60 days to close (July 1, 2010), provided that the homes are under a binding contract by April 30;
- Provide homebuyer tax credit of up to $6,500 to owners who have been in the same principal residence for five consecutive years during the previous eight years;
- Increase the income limitations to $125,000 for individuals and $225,000 for joint filers;
- Phase out the credit for individuals with incomes above $125,000 for individuals and $225,000 for joint filers at the same rate as current law (over the next $20,000);
- Limit the credit to purchases of principal residences equal to or less than $800,000;
- Eliminate the 36-month recapture requirement for military personnel, including members of the Foreign Service and intelligence community, forced to sell as a result of an official extended duty of service; and
- Extend the tax credit for one year for military personnel serving outside the United States for at least 90 days in 2009 or 2010.
The bill must now be approved by the House of Representatives before it can be signed into law. It's expected to pass quickly.
November 4, 2009 at 04:56 PM in Economy, Populism, Housing, Jobs, NM Congressional Delegation, Sen. Jeff Bingaman | Permalink | Comments (1)
Friday, October 02, 2009
Terry Brunner, Saloman Ramiriz Sworn in Today to New USDA Posts in NM
Left to Right: Salomon Ramirez, FSA State Director,
Dennis Alexander, NRCS State Conservationist and Terry Brunner, Rural Development State Director (click image for larger)
Farm Service Agency State Executive Director Salomon Ramirez and Rural Development State Director Terry Brunner took the oath of office today during ceremonies at the USDA Building in Albuquerque.
Natural Resources Conservation Services, State Conservationist and Chair of the State Food & Agriculture Council (NM FAC), Dennis Alexander administered the oath of office which completes the appointment made by President Barack Obama late last month.
Congratulations to Terry Brunner and Salomon Ramirez! They deserve it. There are only four Presidential appointees in New Mexico, including the US Attorney and US Marshal and the state directors for RD and FSA.
Terry Brunner will oversee USDA Rural Development in New Mexico. Rural Development's mission is to increase economic opportunity and improve the quality of life in rural communities by funding emerging and expanding businesses, construction of affordable housing, new and updated water/wastewater systems and community buildings. Currently, Rural Development is obligating millions of dollars in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds for numerous projects across the state, including the expansion of service by electric and telephone co-operatives. Recovery Act funds for rural projects support President Obama's goal of rebuilding and revitalizing the nation's rural infrastructure.
Salomon Ramirez will oversee USDA's Farm Service Agency which is dedicated to equitably serving all farmers, ranchers, and agricultural partners through the delivery of effective, efficient agricultural programs for all Americans. New Mexico FSA delivered over $62.5 million in federal program payments and loans to New Mexico farmers and ranchers during FY 2008. Salomon has served in various positions in FSA for the last 31 years.
Immediately following the swearing in ceremony, a reception and an open house at the USDA building was hosted by the staffs of both agencies in honor of their new directors.
See my earlier post about the appointment of Terry Brunner. Many of you know him as he previously served as Sen. Jeff Bingaman's State Director.
October 2, 2009 at 04:30 PM in Agriculture, Business, Energy, Events, Government, Housing, Obama Administration, Rural Issues, Water Issues | Permalink | Comments (0)
Friday, September 11, 2009
Guest Blog: Taxpayers Being Fleeced in Albuquerque by NAHB
This is a guest blog by Greg Lennes, Las Cruces resident and retired Business Executive.
Taxpayers are being fleeced in Albuquerque. This time it's the National Association of Homebuilders ("NAHB") seeking their own bailout in Albuquerque. The organization is running a national campaign to reduce or suspend impact fees that are vital to building infrastructure and for an orderly growth in cities.
So let me get this straight. Bad and unscrupulous lending and borrowing decisions were the culprits in the real estate market collapse. Now the NAHB is sending a speaker criss-crossing the country including my city -- Las Cruces -- telling local governments of the evils of impact fees. According to a number of authoritative studies like that of the Brookings Institution (see here), there is no evidence that cutting the impact fees results in any increase in residential or non-residential construction.
Dr. David Swenson, an Iowa State University economist unmistakably said that NAHB's housing and economic model is "a victim of flawed thinking. It's absolutely not possible for a community to grow itself into prosperity by building new homes. It's not the idea that 'if you build it, they will come.' It's actually the idea that if people come, you will build homes for them." The "build first" mentality will ruin the budget of a city. Click to read Mr. Swenson's excellent letter (pdf) on the subject.
The NAHB is throwing around all kinds of bogus data and statistics to convince municipalities and counties of the need to decrease impact fees for a quick-fix. As Mark Twain so aptly stated: "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics." So if a city slashes impact fees for essential roads, sewers, water lines, etc., it is obvious taxes will have to go up. This will be a disaster for Albuquerque and taxpayers. The NAHB and its members have to remember the 1930's adage that "There ain't no such thing as a free lunch." Mayor Chavez and the Albuquerque City Council have made a big blunder.
A bill package originally proposed by Mayor Martin Chavez to reduce or waive impact fees for one year was narrowly passed by the Albuquerque City Council this past Wednesday. The vote was 5-4 with support from Councilors Ken Sanchez, Trudy Jones, Sally Mayer, Brad Winter and Don Harris. Opposed were Isaac Benton, Debbie O'Malley, Michael Cadigan and Rey Garduño. The legislation would cut impact fees in half for the next year for most projects, with a full waiver available for development that meets certain "green" requirements. Check out this piece by Marjorie Childress at NMI for background on this issue.
This is a guest blog by Greg Lennes. You can read his previous guest blogs here and here. If you'd like to submit a piece for consideration as a guest blog, contact me by clicking on the Email Me link at the upper left-hand corner of the page.
This is a guest blog by Greg Lennes. You can read his previous guest blogs here and here. If you'd like to submit a piece for consideration as a guest blog, contact me by clicking on the Email Me link at the upper left-hand corner of the page.
September 11, 2009 at 11:49 AM in Business, City of Albuquerque, Corporatism, Economy, Populism, Guest Blogger, Housing, Jobs, Land Issues, Las Cruces, Sprawl Development, Urban Issues | Permalink | Comments (0)
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Rep. Heinrich Intros HEARTH Act to Ease Homeownership for Native American Families
Rep. Heinrich introduces HEARTH Act before the US House
New Mexico's freshman members of Congress have been very proactive in introducing legislation and amendments to help our state. US Rep. Martin Heinrich (NM-01) is no exception. Today he introduced legislation aimed at removing barriers between Native American families and homeownership. According to a statement released by Rep. Heinrich's office, the Helping Expedite and Advance Responsible Tribal Homeownership (HEARTH) Act would expedite the lease approval process by allowing tribal governments to approve trust land leases and submit them directly to the Secretary of the Interior. The HEARTH Act would remove existing bureaucratic and time obstacles prospective Native American home owners encounter when seeking approval from the Bureau of Indian Affairs to buy a home on tribal land.
"We can put the dream of owning a home on tribal land within reach of Native families," said Rep. Heinrich. "This bill would cut through bureaucratic red tape and open doors to homeownership for Native American families in New Mexico and across the country."
Currently, before Native families can close on the sale of a house, they need approval from the Bureau of Indian Affairs to lease the land the house is built on. That approval can take between six months and two years. A seller is rarely able to wait two years to sell their house and banks are often unable to hold a mortgage approval for that long. This delay often results in a family deciding to move off tribal land because it's the only way they can own a house, even when they would rather stay in the community where their family has lived for generations.
Zuni Pueblo Governor Norman Cooeyate said in a written statement, "This legislation provides more of our tribal community members the chance to achieve the dream of their fellow Americans: home ownership. Access to new financial services on tribal land reduces the financial burden on our families and breaks down barriers to keeping our community intact."
"With this legislation, Representative Heinrich has shown his commitment to reforming Federal laws in a manner that respects tribal authority and decision-making. This is good legislation that improves the delivery of housing assistance and related economic development to meet the needs of Indian Country," said Marty Shuravloff, Chairman of the National American Indian Housing Council. "We heard from our members that they need these reforms and we are committed to seeing this bill signed into law this year."
May 20, 2009 at 11:58 AM in Economy, Populism, Housing, Native Americans, NM Congressional Delegation, Rep. Martin Heinrich (NM-01) | |
Monday, April 20, 2009
Rep. Heinrich to Host Housing Summit and Housing Assistance Workshop
U.S. Rep. Martin Heinrich today announced he will host an Albuquerque summit to address the housing crisis and how the "Helping Families Save Their Homes Act" will affect New Mexico's First Congressional District. The event is set for Saturday, April 25, 2009 at 12:30 PM at Los Volcanes Senior Center, 6500 Los Volcanes NW, in Albuquerque (Map).
- Adam Consiglio, New Mexico Association of Mortgage Brokers President-Elect
- Angela Muxworthy, New Mexico Educators Federal Credit Union Mortgage Director and President of New Mexico Mortgage Lenders Association
- Erik Nore, Mortgage Finance Authority Director
- Frank Padilla, HUD Community Planning and Development Field Office Director
12:30 to 1:30 PM: HOUSING SUMMIT
Join U.S. Rep. Martin Heinrich and local housing advocates for a summit focusing on the housing crisis and how the "Helping Families Save Their Homes Act" affects working families in New Mexico's First Congressional District.
1:30 to 3:00 PM: HOUSING ASSISTANCE WORKSHOP
Mortgage counselors, representatives from the banking and housing industries, and local housing resource organizations will be available to help constituents access the support necessary to help our community weather the housing crisis and home value depreciation.
Also, check out a summary of Rep. Heinrich's First 100 Days in Office to learn what he's been up to in this, his freshman year as the First District's Congressman.
April 20, 2009 at 05:29 PM in Economy, Populism, Events, Housing, NM Congressional Delegation, Rep. Martin Heinrich (NM-01) | |
Monday, April 13, 2009
Rep. Luján to Participate in Ground Breaking for Affordable, Energy Efficient Home in Santa Fe
Note: Congressman Lujan's office has published a revised schedule (pdf) of Congress On Your Corner Events for the period April 13-18, 2009.
Tomorrow, Rep. Ben Ray Luján (D, NM-03) will join Santa Fe Habitat for Humanity, YouthWorks, Santa Fe Community College, Oshara Village, and Santa Fe Area Home Builders Association to break ground for an affordable, energy efficient home. The event takes place at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, April 14, at 54 Willow Back Road in Oshara Village in Santa Fe.
"Building energy efficient homes helps save families money and create green jobs," said Rep. Luján in a statement released today. "This project should serve as a model for energy efficient home building that can help families across New Mexico live in houses that are good for our planet and our pocket books. By building energy efficient homes and weatherizing existing homes, we can create green jobs and help grow a new, clean energy economy in New Mexico."
This project is a partnership between Santa Fe Community College, Youthworks!, Santa Fe Area Home Builders Association and Santa Fe Habitat for Humanity. The groups are working together to train at risk teens in green building while constructing energy efficient homes for Santa Fe Habitat for Humanity. Training local youths in green building will help create a workforce that is essential to growing a clean energy economy in New Mexico. The program is called "Training Today's Youth for Tomorrow's Jobs."
Rep. Luján will join the partner organizations to break ground for an affordable, energy efficient home that will be located on 54 Willow Back Road in Oshara Village. Once the home is complete, a Santa Fe resident and her three children will move into the home.
Prior to his election to Congress, Rep. Luján was a member of the Extraterritorial Zoning Commission in Santa Fe County where he worked with his colleagues to approve the development of Oshara Village, a state of the art sustainable community. Oshara Village is a community that uses energy efficiency, water reclamation and mixed-use design.
April 13, 2009 at 01:57 PM in Green Economy, Housing, NM Congressional Delegation, Rep. Ben Ray Lujan (NM-03) | Permalink | Comments (0)
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
NM House Delegation Announce $9 Million+ in Recovery Fund Housing Grants
Today, Representatives Ben Ray Luján (D, NM-03), Harry Teague (D, NM-02) and Martin Heinrich (D, NM-01) released a statement announcing that the Department of Housing and Urban Development is awarding $9,313,573 in Capital Funds to Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) in New Mexico through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Capital Funds grants are for the development, financing, and modernization of public housing developments and for management improvements.
The funding can be used to improve energy efficiency for public housing and provides for investments in large scale improvements. The Department of Housing and Urban Development is awarding $2.985 billion in Capital Funds to PHAs participating in the public housing program throughout the nation.
Click for a breakdown (pdf) of Capital Fund grants in New Mexico by location.
"These grants to public housing agencies will help New Mexicans who need help the most while creating and saving jobs through a wide range of projects," said Rep. Luján. "It is encouraging that funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is making its way into communities across New Mexico and helping families during these tough economic times."
"Not only will this funding create jobs repairing and modernizing these facilities throughout southern New Mexico, it will also improve the energy efficiency of these facilities and that will save everyone money in the long run." said Rep. Teague.
"These funds will allow for significant public housing improvements in the First Congressional District," said Rep. Heinrich. "This is yet another example of the immediate impact that the Recovery funding is having in our community."
According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the funding is allocated through an established formula and will allow local housing agencies to address the long-standing capital needs of public housing, create jobs, and increase energy efficiency. PHAs are to give priority to projects that are ready to begin construction rapidly. PHAs are also to prioritize construction that will increase energy efficiency and lower the long term costs of operating public housing.
For more information, visit HUD's Recovery website.
March 25, 2009 at 12:52 PM in Economy, Populism, Housing, NM Congressional Delegation, Rep. Ben Ray Lujan (NM-03), Rep. Harry Teague (NM-02), Rep. Martin Heinrich (NM-01) | |


text:
In ancient languages, including Persian, Babylonian, Hebrew, and Greek, the root for the word "paradise†means "garden.†The enclosed garden of antiquity suggested tranquility, and in many cultures symbolized innocence of consciousness, absence of shame and guilt, like the simplicity of a child, or the fragrant flowers within paradise. The idyllic paradise of these cultures was not heaven but an earthly place of rest. The Hebrew "sheol," abode of the dead, was a deprecated paradise, a station of rest, however gloomy. Only consciousness, called by scriptural Genesis "the knowledge of good and evil,†disrupted and lost for humanity the inheritance of paradise, intended to be its permanent abode.
The sense of paradise as resting place is obliquely referenced in the canonical New Testament parable of the beggar Lazarus, who upon death dwells in "the bosom of Abraham.†More specifically, the New Testament cites the words of Jesus in the Passion wherein the crucified thief is assured that he will soon be with Jesus in paradise. As some Gnostic sources pointed out, Jesus would go to paradise (sheol?) upon his death because the spiritual abode of God was too distant to achieve and too distinct to accommodate material beings. To some Gnostics, heaven, the pleroma, could only be achieved with practiced knowledge, "gnosis."
So while "sheol" may have become purgatory in Christianity, the concept of paradise lingered even through the Middle Ages. Thomas Aquinas affirmed that paradise was originally both a corporeal and a spiritual place, intended by God as a dwelling for immortal human beings, while heaven was the dwelling place of angels, not humans.
Dante's adoption of the title "Paradiso†to describe the third book of his Divine Comedy adopts a misnomer based on his complicated version of cosmology. Dante's heaven includes multiple heavens trasversed physically through the solar system, from purgatory through paradise, and on past moon, sun, planets and stars, to Empyrean. Earthly paradise is barely mentioned (only in Canto 1) as Dante and Beatrice quickly ascend like astronauts through the heavens, literally. Paradise is merely a sighting along the way, "that place, made for mankind as its true home.â€
But humanity had lost that "true home†and fallen back to earth to live in fallen nature due to being conscious of good and evil. Again, some Gnostics, disbelieving that God was the creator of a universe of suffering, argued that Adam had to learn the truth about Ialdabaoth, the half-maker, the demiurge, the one responsible for creating this vale of tears. Eve, they argued, having informed Adam from what she learned from Ialdabaoth's mother, was punished by the vindictive demiurge and, with Adam, cast out of the only safe place.
Paradise dramatically reappears in John Milton's Paradise Lost, which is wholly constructed on the traditional Genesis account of the fall, highlighting the expulsion of Adam and Eve. At the epic poem's finale, the archangel Michael offers compensation to the couple, telling them that they will "possess / A Paradise within thee, happier far.†And so
They hand in hand with wandering step and slow,
Through Eden took their solitary way.
The image of paradise effectively animated apocalyptic movements of the past, such as the Zealots in the Jewish-Roman wars, on to medieval and early modern millennarian and peasant revolts in Christian Europe, to the emergence of Mahdis in the Islamic world and periphery, and messianic cults in the West.
Apocalypticism characterizes messianic and utopian uprisings intended to overthrow exploitative occupiers in order to establish a just state or conditions. Historical Jesus scholars carefully parse the perceptions of Jesus in this apocalyptic tradition, from traditional Messiah fulfilling Old Testament prophesy to what John Dominic Crossan calls "Mediterranean peasant cynic†pronoucing a decidedly different apocalype of the heart and the community. In this latter view, the on-going inspiration of Paradise is not distant and imaginary but recoverable in the utopian and intentional community movement, not simply Hesiod's lost Golden Age but as a future and forthcoming realm, aspiring to a religious or secular kingdom of God or kingdom of heaven on earth. Historical apocalypticism has not always required the presence of God on earth, only a messianic personality, a guiding ideology, or communal effort.
Today apocalypticism only engenders wariness, as in the case of cults like Jonestown or evangelical dispensationalism, where apocalypse is Armageddon. These notions oppose the core apocalypticism of the historical Jesus and the notion of a kingdom of God within individual and the community, of a paradise here and now.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Before discussing the
nameof operator in C#6, I want us to consider why
nameof exists at all. So, let's head back ten years to the heady days of 2005.
When version 2.0 of the .NET framework arrived, it transitioned the fledgling platform from a sketch of what might be to a fully-formed platform that could support ongoing and future desktop and web development. Since then, each release of the framework and its associated languages have added a variety of bells and whistles that simplify and enhance the way we develop. Among many of the concepts and types introduced by .NET 2.0 was
System.ComponentModel.INotifyPropertyChanged, part of the enhanced data binding introduced to Windows Forms development. This interface turned out to be a workhorse and introduced many developers to a new problem; making sure the string that named a variable matched the name of an actual variable.
Now, you may well object to this claim since various versions of
ArgumentException already demanded this of developers, but I think we both know that until our tooling got smarter (like FxCop and Resharper), many of us just did not fill that argument out if we could help it. After all, the stack trace would tell us where the crash happened, we could put something meaningful in the exception message, and keeping that variable name up-to-date after refactoring was a pain. With the advent of
INotifyPropertyChanged the benefit of putting the variable name in a string started to outweigh the costs. Quickly, patterns emerged to try and simplify this, from dubiously performant uses of reflection to build-time code generation. As tools matured, we could get refactorings that took these strings into account and warnings that could shout at us if a variable was mentioned that didn't exist. Few of these were particularly elegant or entirely foolproof, and none were both1. In addition to
ArgumentException and
INotifyPropertyChanged, property names would be used for logging and debugging.
In the Name of Progress
There were calls for a new operator to accompany
typeof; the new operator,
infoof2 would provide the corresponding reflection information of a particular code construct (like
MethodInfo or
PropertyInfo), simplifying not just obtaining the name of something, but also any reflection operation involving that something. All this use and discussion of meta-information did not go unnoticed. Eric Lippert blogged about
infoof and why it would be useful, why it was so difficult to implement, and indirectly foreshadowed where we would be today. However, amid the discusson, there was little action.
In 2012, .NET 4.5 brought us the
CallerMemberNameAttribute type and its siblings,
CallerLineNumberAttribute and
CallerFilePathAttribute. These new attributes enabled developers to decorate method arguments, indicating that the appropriate piece of information was to be injected into that argument when the method was called. This fell short of an
infoof operator, but it greatly simplified use of
INotifyPropertyChanged (and
INotifyPropertyChanging, introduced in .NET 3.5). Alas, argument exceptions, logging, debugging, and other uses of method, variable, and property names were left as they were, often leading to mismatched error messages, obscure data binding bugs, and other problems.
That changed in 2015 with the new releases of both .NET and C#, and the new
nameof operator in C#6. The
nameof operator is sublimely simple; in fact, its concept seems so obvious that it's a wonder it took so long to appear3. Using
nameof, we can inject the names of variables, types, methods, events, and properties into all sorts of places at compile-time4, knowing that if we change the name, our refactoring tools can update all references with confidence. Not only that, but our intent is clear; we want the name of this thing to be here and not just some string that happens to look like the name of some thing. While the
nameof operator does not replace
CallerMemberNameAttribute, which so deftly simplified
INotifyPropertyChanged5, it does simplify other scenarios like throwing
ArgumentException, logging errors, and outputting debug information.
In Conclusion
When I first contemplated writing a whole blog entry dedicated to
nameof, I thought it was too simple a feature to warrant such focus; now I have finished, I believe
nameof to be entirely worthy of the attention. Along with the fantastic string interpolation in C#6, I believe
nameof is one of the simplest and most useful additions to the C#6 language. Like many C# and .NET features we now take for granted,
nameof is a beautifully simple concept that we will come to rely upon. I believe it will save us countless hours of fixing erroneous refactoring, arguing over coding style and code reviews, and head-scratching at spurious errors.
pronounced, "Info Of" ↩
As is often the case in software development, we were all too busy discussing the most complex use-case we could think of rather than the one that really needed solving ↩
unlike reflection-based solutions that do all the work at run-time ↩
nameofdoes provide an alternative, more wordy alternative for that scenario ↩


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You might say the Staten Island native has made good - quickly rising up the ranks on Saturday Night Live since 2005 when he joined the program as a writer. In 2012 Colin Jost was named head writer of the New York City comedy program. He now will man the anchor desk of Weekend Update on March 1.
"Saturday Night Live announced that borough native Colin Jost will be the new man at the "Weekend Update" anchor desk," according to a report in http://silive that was reported (Thursday, January 23) and Deadline Hollywood.
Current "Update" anchor Seth Meyers is set to host "Late Night" and will leave his anchor chair on February 1, where he sits at the 'Weekend Update' desk with Cecily Strong. "Jost will join Cecily Strong as co-anchor of the "SNL" spoof newscast on March 1." added http://silive.
"He (Jost) has also written and appears in "Staten Island Summer," an upcoming movie based on his days as a lifeguard," adds http://silive. A 2004 graduate of Harvard University, Jost was president of the Harvard Lampoon. He is a former Staten Island Advance intern, added http://silive.
Not a bad career for the young Staten Island native who has had a successful career in comedy at Saturday Night Live. Expect to hear more from Colin Jost. This comedic writer has a lot more comedy up his sleeve!


text:
Adam John William's performance using MAX/MSP patches.
About Openlab
About OpenNight
About MusicHackSpace
OpenLab Open night is a night of performances where people can come along and try out their new open-source based creations in front of an audience, or just have a jam (e.g. patch swap, etc). Anyone is free to join in Performances can be from 10-25min, they can be work in progress or finished pieces, or just anything you want to play in front of an audience. Of course all the performances use at least some open-source software.


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Psychology - Becoming an educational psychologist
- Created by: Holly Thurston
- Created on: 30-05-13 17:24
Who might an educational psychologist work for?
An educational psychologist (Ed Psych) could work in the UK for:
- the local authority responsible for state schools in the area
- an independent (fee-paying) school
- themselves - self-employed.
Alternatively they could work abroad, for example as a school psychologist in Australia or the USA.
Skills required
Before thinking about getting qualifications, you need to know you have the right skills to be a good educational psychologist. Communication is the main skill required. You need to be able to listen carefully and able to speak with people comfortably. The Ed Psych training covers communication skills such as empathic listening.
Empathic listening is a way of listening to another person so that there is a real understanding. It also involves responding in a way that shows that you have listened. Your training would also include role play to practise communication skills. You have to be able to talk to a range of different people too because you have to communicate with children from a very young age right up to shy 17-year-olds, for example. You would also need to be able to communicate effectively with parents, teachers and other professionals.
Qualifications required
- First, you need a degree in Psychology - one that is recognised by the British Psychological Society (BPS), which most psychology degrees are.
- You need to get some experience that involves education, though you don't need to teach. (Previously you had to train as a teacher and do two years' teaching before doing a Masters degree, which is one level above a degree.)
- Then you have to do a three-year doctorate in educational psychology (a doctorate is one level above a Masters degree).
The changes that have taken place were designed to bring the training in line with clinical psychology.
Chartered status
If an Ed Psych is a chartered psychologist they have to prove their Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in the course of their work.
'Chartered' means you have satisfied the requirements of the BPS (British Psychological Society) and have sufficient qualifications and experience to be called a psychologist. Not all educational psychologists are chartered and not all educational psychologists decide to become members of the BPS, even if they have the appropriate degree. Most psychologists who work on a self-employed basis are chartered, as being in the Directory of Chartered Psychologists is a sign of competence that can help them gain business.
Key definitions.
empathic listening: a way of listening to another person so that there is real understanding. It also involves responding in a way that shows you have listened
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SKYNET SKYNET 200 WATT Powersupply SQUARE CROSS REFERENCE POW-00010-02, SKYNET SNP-200E-01.
* We have limited quantity of SNP-200E-01 in stock. Our inventory changes constantly and quantities listed are based on available stock. This item comes with our 100% Money-Back Guarantee.
I purchased a battery for my Gateway cx2610 laptop from Code Micro. I was very happy with the produ...
Jason G.
Great NorthWeb
Our department needed two discontinued drive modules for our servers. Code Micro delivered on time. ...
Mark E.
Citi Corp


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On Saturday, August 16th, we were able to celebrate the ribbon cutting and grand opening of the new PK-12 school in Elbert Colorado. The day marked the fruition of a dream that began for the Elbert community in 2010. Upon the passing of a District wide bond in 2012, on their third attempt, the SLATERPAULL design team along with RLH Engineering, Elbert's owners representative and FCI Constructors, the design of the school began.
After the completion of a 14 hour day touring schools throughout Colorado, the Elbert Design Advisory Group articulated their vision and goal for their school to be the center of the community, where all of the community spaces visually and physically were connected to each other. The results of this vision was a unique design of a three story school, with a top-down walk out gymnasium on the lower level, the main entry at the second level and the school and public library on the third.
There was a great turnout by the community today and a great deal of excitement among all in attendance. It is days like today that remind us why we do what we do every day. Congratulations to the Elbert community, it was a pleasure and honor to be your architect.


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IMagic Inventory Software v.5.24
On this page
Sick of seeing your business stagnate while you get bogged down in spreadsheets, stock lists, and other boring paperwork? Never fear: iMagic Inventory Management Software is here to help you get out of the office and get back to your customers. This intuitive inventory software suite builds you a database of stock and customer information that updates automatically with every barcode you scan and every invoice you create, linking up to the...
Read more
- Rate:
- Release Date:06/14/2017
- License:Shareware
- Category:Inventory & Barcoding
To free download a trial version of IMagic Inventory Software, click here
To buy software IMagic Inventory Software, click here
To visit developer homepage of IMagic Inventory Software, click here
Versions History
|Date Released
|Release Notes
|Updates for June 2017. customized purchased orders, new features and bug fixes. iMagic Inventory - when your business is serious. It's speedy, no lag, running right from your desktop.
|Updates for April 2017. Support for modern Tablets and older PCs, new features and bug fixes. iMagic Inventory - when you want to take your business seriously. It's speedy, running right from your desktop.
|Updates for February 2017. Interface updated with the latest features and fixes. iMagic Inventory - serious stock management for business owners. Right from your desktop.
|Updates for October 2016. Include new customer return options, user rights, interface and reorder stock updates. iMagic Inventory - inventory management for business owners. Right on your desktop.
|Updates for August 2016. Include fast pricing changes and new invoice style. iMagic Inventory - inventory control software for business.
|Updates for March 2016. Highlighting Warehouse Stock Locators. iMagic Inventory - small business inventory software.
|Updates for August 2015. Update for Windows 10, new inventory search options, Item Tracking update, Invoice List, speed optimization and more. iMagic Inventory - keeping small business inventory running.
|Updates for March 2015. Brand new Item Tracking features for serial numbers and manafacturing. Receiving Stock has been steam-lined, new user privileges and more. iMagic Inventory - tuning your small business for success.
|Updates for November 2014. We've added new Audit Log features, Order Item search options, new reports and more! iMagic Inventory updates for small business helping you to stay on top like the experts.
|Updates for August 2014. Includes an entirely new vendor reordering system with vendor based pricing, item codes, importing of vendor price lists and automated reorder reports. And more! iMagic Inventory keeping small business healthy while you manage inventory like the pros.
|Updates for July 2014. Including new features requested by Erica Heyl and Anthony Hill, to make monitoring stock easier than ever and custom linking to other systems. Keep up to date with iMagic Inventory helping your small business manage inventory like the pros.
|New invoice options, item custom field, order date, shipping, invoice terms, bug fixes, more inventory management updates to help in running your small business.
|New reports, exports, reorder, custom invoice examples, bug fixes, more inventory management updates.
|GUI Updates, New Export Options, Reports Updates, Custom Invoice Update. Inventory Software Update.
|GUI Updates, New Barcode Printing Options, New Export Options, Report Updates and various bug fixes.
|New export options, SQL Server update, Vendor Reorder updates, invoice history view changes, auto hiding of inactive items and various bug fixes.
|New barcode options, inventory management features, updated reports and invoicing, added new group inventory options. Print multiple invoices and combined picking lists. Added timeout option for logged in users.
|New user tracking options, GUI enhancements, Packing List and Delivery Note changes, updated exports, new receipt template for Point of Sale. Inclusive tax rates for VAT and GST tax systems. Increased decimal accuracy. Automatic sale price calculations. Updated Item Warehouse/Location control.
|Interface updates and new features.
|Updates in v2.97 - Sep 2010 # Bug fix - Manual reorder wasn't automatically selecting item after search. - Many thanks to Kim S for this suggestion. # Added ability to modify report title. - Many thanks to Bill F for this suggestion.
Screen Shot
Click on a thumbnail for the larger image.
System Requirements
IMagic Inventory Software requires Win2000, WinXP, Win7 x32, Win7 x64, Windows 8, Windows 10, WinServer, WinOther, Windows2000, Windows2003, Windows Server 2012, Windows Tablet PC Edition 2005, Windows Media Center Edition 2005, WinVista, Windows Vista Starter, Windows Vista Home Basic, Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Enterprise, Windows Vista Ultimate, WinVista x64, Windows Vista Home Basic x64, Windows Vista Home Premium x64, Windows Vista Business x64, Windows Vista Enterprise x64, Windows Vista Ultimate x64.
IMagic Inventory Software v.5.24 Copyright
Shareware Junction periodically updates pricing and software information of IMagic Inventory Software v.5.24 full version from the publisher using pad file and submit from users. Software piracy is theft, Using crack, password, serial numbers, registration codes, key generators, cd key, hacks is illegal and prevent future development of IMagic Inventory Software v.5.24 Edition. Download links are directly from our publisher sites. Links IMagic Inventory Software v.5.24 from Bittorrent, mediafire.com, uploadfiles.com, hotfiles.com rapidshare.com, megaupload.com, netload.in, storage.to, depositfiles.com and other files hosting are not allowed. The download file is obtained directly from the publisher, not from any Peer to Peer file sharing applications such as Shareaza, Limewire, Kazaa, Imesh, eDonkey, eMule, Ares, BearShare, Overnet, Morpheus, BitTorrent Azureus and WinMX.
User Reviews
(2017-04-01 09:27:02):
Review This Software
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OnContact CRM Software by WorkWise delivers the power to cultivate and grow outstanding relationships. From lead generation to nurturing prospects to managing your pipeline, OnContact supports your sales staff throughout every phase of your sales cycle.
Our easy-to-use, adaptable sales automation software steers users efficiently through daily actions such as scheduling meetings, creating follow-ups and alerts, tracking communication history, writing sales proposals, generating quotes and sending emails. Managers can oversee their sales team, manage their pipeline and generate accurate forecasts using our detailed sales management reports and dashboards.
Get the most out of every interaction. Our contact management software gives you a 360° view of your contacts so you can turn relationships into real results.
Guide reps through predefined steps of your sales cycle and generate reliable and accurate sales forecasts with our opportunity management solution.
The OnContact mobile CRM app ensures your team is always in touch when on the go. From your smartphone or tablet, our app gives you quick access to your data.
Generate and send quotes faster than ever with OnContact Quotation Management. Our solution can be customized to meet your needs or integrated with other accounting applications.
No matter where you go, our mobile CRM app gives you ultimate flexibility. Take your data with you on the road and access it with or without an internet connection.
No confusing pricing tiers here. Our CRM solution includes comprehensive sales automation, marketing automation and customer service functionality. No hidden fees. No extra charges.
Our powerful Microsoft Outlook integration makes managing your email communications easier than ever.


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Collectively we are known as WCS Team UK 2014, but there are a few individual parts that make up this whole!
I'm Lauren, a recent graduate and long-time cosplayer who is excited (and a little nervous) to be representing the UK in WCS this year. I'm interested in eSports, comic books and sleeping into the afternoon. Also I guess I write this blog now, too.
I'm Emi, an avid photographer and illustrator in-training. I love playing games, travelling, reading and eating mass amounts of cake. Being able to represent the UK at WCS is both exciting and daunting but I'm looking forward to seeing how our journey progresses throughout this blog~!
We decided to publish a blog with our thoughts and experiences throughout our journey to WCS, and hope to find the time to update it at least fairly frequently. Neither of us are journalists, and I'm definitely not winning any awards for my writing ability any time soon, but maybe you'll find it interesting enough to follow and hey - who knows, you might enjoy it!


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Tim + Spencer's Yet Unnamed Magic Project at 2014 Orlando Fringe
Magician Spencer Hojdila and and mentalist Tim Hoffman have been so busy in the basement cooking up new illusions that they didn't have time to come up with a decent title for Tim + Spencer's Yet Unnamed Magic Project. Now these best friends are locked in a duel to the death with each other -- and their nemesis David Copperfield -- over the last remaining membership in a magician's council so secret they don't even know what it's called.
Spencer displays stellar sleight-of-hand skills, staring with a clever new trick in which one playing card "ingests" a bite from another; a later stunt with sharp construction spikes is heart-stopping. Tim's mind-reading wasn't quite as successful; he correctly guessed the word a volunteer picked out of a fat book, but several other of his attempts fell flat, though he kept his humor throughout the failures. Between the pair, they produced enough effective effects to keep me entertained for almost an hour.
The pair have an easygoing jokey rapport with each other and their audience, though they could use a director to help them tighten up their show flow. If you like your magic shows served with a silly side of bromance, Tim and Spencer won't steer you too far wrong.
Corrupting the Kids - Orlando, FL
Length: 60 Venue: Purple Price: $9 (+svc. Charge)
Disc.: FA | FV | STU | SR | MIL
Rating: All -
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Higher Education Ministry
Grace Episcopal Church is committed to the spiritual growth of the students and cadets at Washington and Lee University and Virginia Military Institute. We recognize that nurturing spiritual growth is vital to academic and human development. Our mission is to assist students and cadets as they discern their vocation through the discovery and stewardship of their God-given gifts. Through the Canterbury Fellowship we provide opportunities for Christian fellowship, study and worship that foster interaction between W&L students, VMI cadets, and members of the Grace parish family.
Cadets and students are invited to participate in the life and worship of our parish. Some sing in the choir; serve as lay readers, chalicists, ushers or acolytes; assist in the Church School program or volunteer with our youth group. Some choose to attend one of the Sunday morning services, but others prefer the more informal 5 p.m. Eucharist that is offered during the academic year. This service includes music selected from both traditional hymns and contemporary worship music. Students participate in the leadership of the music and liturgy for this service.
Immediately following the evening service there is pizza and dessert. During the meal and following, students, cadets and parishioners engage in fellowship and informal discussions.
For more information
please contact our College Chaplain, James Keane
202.236.9617 or email@example.com


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Hi Folks,
I'm visiting from the Weight Loss board and just wanted to say that from time to time people tell us there that they're addressing their 'extra' weight which they've gained since they've giving up smoking.
Generally, I'd advise you to tackle your smoking first and then - when you have that well under your control -, then consider addressing any weight gain that may have occurred. And there's plenty of good (and FREE) advice on the NHS live well lose weight web pages and lots of support on our board, mainly from people who are on weight loss journeys themselves or have completed them.
Since last Christmas, I've lost about 26 kgs and I can't really put into words just how much better I feel for it. My only question is why oh why didn't I deal with it years ago?
What I will say though is that when I look at the best life decisions that I have ever made, losing the weight, and giving up smoking (I was once a 60-a-day man) are two that are well up at the top of the list.
Good luck with your smoking cessation efforts.
To access the NHS Weight Loss community please click on the following link:


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Tom Jones Critical Essay
In a relatively short life span, Henry Fielding was a poet, a playwright, a journalist, a jurist, and a pioneer in the development of the modern novel. The early poetry may be disregarded, but his dramatic works gave Fielding the training that later enabled him to handle adeptly the complex plots of his novels. Although he wrote perhaps a half dozen novels (some attributions are disputed), Fielding is best remembered for The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling. This novel contains a strong infusion of autobiographical elements. The character Sophia, for example, was based on Fielding's wife Charlotte, who was his one great love. They eloped in 1734 and had ten years together before she died in 1744. Squire Allworthy combined traits of a former schoolmate from Eton named George Lyttelton (to whom the novel is dedicated) and a generous benefactor of the Fielding family named James Ralph. Moreover, Fielding's origins in a career army family and his rejection of that background shaped his portrayal of various incidental military personnel in this and his other novels; he had an antiarmy bias. Fielding's feelings of revulsion against urban living are reflected in the conclusion of Tom Jones (and in his other novels). The happy ending consists of a retreat to the country. Published a scant five years before Fielding's death, Tom Jones was a runaway best seller, going through four editions within a twelve-month period.
The structure of the novel is carefully divided into eighteen books in a fashion similar to the epic form that Fielding explicitly praised. Of those eighteen books, the first six are set on the Somersetshire estate of Squire Allworthy. Books 7 through 12 deal with events on the road to London, and the last six books describe events in London. The middle of the novel, books 9 and 10, covers the hilarious hiatus at the inn in Upton. Apparent diversions and digressions are actually intentional exercises in character exposition, and all episodes are deliberately choreographed to advance the plot—sometimes in ways not evident until later. Everything contributes to the overall organic development of the novel.
This kind of coherence was intimately connected with Fielding's concern about the craft of fiction. Tom Jones is one of the most...
(The entire section is 944 words.)


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Do you feel your Wi-Fi connection has become slow or your recipe-of-the-day cookery show is endlessly buffering and not showing signs of playing? Your video is taking hours to get uploaded or you are facing connectivity issues? If you are using a single band Wi-Fi router, then it is time for a change.
More about Single Band Routers
A Single Band Router utilizes 2.4 GHz frequency band (450 Mbps) for connectivity. It is widely used (802.11b and g devices) in the domestic sector where internet applications mostly revolve around browsing, mail accessing, upload and download of files and social networking. The advantage of this router is that it is more compatible with the existing devices and also offers greater signal reach.
However, Single Band Routers transmit only through 3 non-overlapping channels, and being widespread, these channels are crowded and noisy with low signal clarity due to interference. These channels may be used by many other devices or consumer gadgets like cordless phones, monitors, other Wi-Fi access points, Bluetooth devices etc. This brings down their performance. The presence of a busier network like business centers, offices, organizations etc adds to the connection woes.
What can replace the Single Band Router?
If your current Wi-Fi router is not serving its purpose, then it can be replaced by a dual band wifi router which is capable of utilizing either one or both of the frequencies 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz (1.3Gbps) wireless bands for transmission. The frequency used may depend upon the requirement of the user. The 5 GHz channel experiences less interference and hence transmission is cleaner compared to 2.4GHz channel. Also, it has 23 overlapping channels for transmission. This makes it suitable for heavy applications like streaming high definition (HD) contents, using cloud storage, database working, online gaming, etc.
Dual Band Routers allow two separate Wi-Fi connections to run simultaneously and being separate, there will be no interference. Though they are suitable for low range activities as compared to a single band, they provide much higher bandwidth. They also offer multiple radios to be transmitted together on a single band, which is known as Multiple-In Multiple-Out (MIMO) radio configuration.
There are two types of dual band equipment available in the market now; the Simultaneous Dual Band Routers and the Selectable Dual Band Routers. The Simultaneous Dual Band Routers provide two independent and dedicated networks for video and gaming and are better in performance and flexibility.
Get better home networking experience with the Dual Band Router instead of lagging with your old single band device.


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Podcasts are radio at its finest. As such, they should be lauded and enjoyed, and most importantly shared. I am an official podcast connoisseur, listening in only the fanciest of rooms with the fanciest of headsets. These shows come in such varied flavors that anyone can find something to like. While we continue many of my own personal favorite shows, this is about exploring new shows as much as sharing old ones. From the dreadfully popular to the freaky basement recordings of strangers, welcome to Podcap. This week we visit with Hardcore History, for the episode "Show 51: Blueprint For Armageddon II," released January 31, 2014.
Who Made This History?Hardcore History is one of the shows that proves you don't have to release something new every week, or even every month, to do great podcasting. In fact, Dan Carlin has poo-pooed the idea of the traditional podcast. Instead every few months, typically around every 3 months, a new mega episode goes up. Often clocking in at well over 3 hours, Dan tackles the specifics of history. It's not just the boring history we all know of from school, either. I've had a thirst for knowledge my whole life, but until I listened to Dan Carlin I had no passion for knowing the past.
How Dare You! I No Like The Learnings!Dan Carlin's show doesn't fit into the podcast mold. There are no inside jokes, and no niche concepts that fans can share as a bond between the true Hardcore History lovers. Nope, this one is PBS' The Civil War for the podcasting world. it's informative, innovative, full of tremendous insight, and made with entertaining panache. Dan Carlin, whether you agree with his politics, paints a fascinating picture of history time periods. More so than any modern historian, or lover of history, besides maybe Ken Burns. What's more, Hadcore History is all about a man's passion for something being shared.
The topics vary from episode to episode. You may find Dan waxing poetic a bit about Napoleon for a few hours one time, and then hear his recount of what happened with "The Trail Of Tears" next time around. Some of the best podcasting to have ever been done is the multi-part series of episodes "Wrath of the Khans," wherein Dan lays out the fascinating history of the Khan clan's rise to power in China. I'll honestly say that if you will only ever listen to one podcast episode in your life, then make it "Wrath of the Khans I."


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Android malware steals money from QIWI Wallets
Cyber criminals are continually finding new ways to earn money using infected devices. We aware of SMS Trojans that earn money by sending o...
Experts at Kaspersky have recently spotted a new Android Trojan that not only send SMSs to premium-rate numbers but also steals money from QIWI electronic wallet.
Visa QIWI Wallet is electronic payment service can be used to pay for goods and services around the world, receive payments, and transfer money.
Once installed on a device, the malware, dubbed as 'Waller', attempts to communicate with Command and control (C& C) server located at playerhome.info and awaits further commands.
Malware is capable of checking the balance of infected phone by sending SMS to mobile network operator and intercepts the reply, send SMS, open web pages, download and install other malware. It is also capable of updating itself and send SMS to victim's contact list.
This trojan also checks the balance in the QIWI Wallet by sending an SMS to 7494. The response messages is intercepted by the trojan and forwarded to the cyber criminals. If there is money in the Wallet, the malware will send message to 7494 with attacker's wallet number and the amount to be transferred.
The Trojan is being distributed via SMS spam and cybercriminal's site disguising as various applications.


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Price Inspector UK - Find the Best Deal
PriceInspector Suggestions
You are viewing some inexpensive offers for nintendo ds lite pink in Video Gaming and Video Games including these related brands: TGC CANDG, BLUE OCEAN ACCESSORIES, POWERA, THIRD PARTY, HORI.
To improve your nintendo ds lite pink search, you should use the list of Refined Categories on the right, or find more results by changing your keyword in the search form above. If you're happy with your detective search, you will now solve the case on your new Video Gaming items.
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When I was a small child, I toppled headfirst out of a parked car, cutting one ear severely on the jagged roadside. My mother immediately turned to God in prayer. She had learned that God is the true Father-Mother of everyone and that He is Love, as the Bible states. By actively trusting my well-being to God, all-powerful good, she was actually calling upon the most consistent, ever-present help possible. She was looking to ''the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.'' n1
n1 James 1:17.
A Christian Science practitioner was asked to pray for me, to work with the Biblical truths that reveal man's God-given safety and wholeness. Within a short time I was completely free of pain and distress. My mother kept the ear clean but did not anxiously inspect it or speculate as to whether it would heal without stitches.
It did heal, perfectly. The active understanding that I was safe in God's embrace, never for a moment out of His watchful care, erased all traces of the accident.
The Bible implies that God is Principle, the one supreme lawmaker. God's creation, then, is based on law, a law of harmony that each one of us can understand and prove. Since God is Love, this law operates for the good of us all, as Christ Jesus illustrated in destroying the mental and physical ills of multitudes. Our Master showed that all types of troubles can be met successfully through reliance on God alone. God's law is uninfluenced by human opinion. To embrace this law in our hearts and learn to prove it in our daily lives is deeply rewarding.
There is no Scriptural authority for thinking that God is capable of healing some difficulties but not others. The Bible illustrates that He heals the sick as well as the sinner, and this divine law is practical today.
We can wisely rely on God when our trust is established on an understanding of Him, which surpasses even the noble qualities of hope and faith. Our Father, with whom is no ''shadow of turning,'' is reliable, consistent, all-powerful. So His laws of health and stability are established, and it is our acceptance of, or resistance to, these eternal laws that determines their effect in our experience.
God, ever-present good, is not the source of an opposite, evil, any more than light is the originator of darkness. By listening in prayer to what God is telling us of the health and joy that belong to His children, and by identifying ourselves as His children, we realize in our own natures more of the consistency and stability that characterize our Father's nature. Changing human perspectives and material remedies cannot supply us with the steady health and serenity we seek; but our eternal Principle, the loving Father, does.
Mary Baker Eddy, a thorough Bible student and the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, writes in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures: ''The divine Principle of healing is proved in the personal experience of any sincere seeker of Truth. Its purpose is good, and its practice is safer and more potent than that of any other sanitary method.'' n2
n2 Science and Health, p.x.
Everyone is, in reality, the child of God, divine Principle, inheriting all of His good qualities and expressing them in individual health and joy. The impartial law of Love, understood, works for all races, ages, nationalities. It heals and sustains all who hunger after proof that ''God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.'' n3
n3 Psalms 46:1.
DAILY BIBLE VERSE Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. Psalms 42:11


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Touching The Lives Of Billions Worldwide: Lead Free Solder
A lead free solder, developed at Ames Laboratory by Iver Anderson, John Smith, Chad Miller, and Robert Terpstra with a co-inventor, Frederick Yost, at Sandia National Laboratory, combines tin, silver and copper in a novel alloy combination that is low melting, applies easily on typical metal joints, and has a reasonable cost, serving as a direct (no-cost) swap in the industrial setting. This revolutionary solder alloy replaces many uses of the traditional tin-lead, low-melting solder, reducing further the number of lead toxicity hazards in our everyday environment.
The use of leaded solder has a 5000-year history. There are examples of its use in Mycenae from about 1500-1300 BC, during the Roman Empire and in Denmark around 800AD. Modern electronic assembly uses solder to attach electronic chips and components to printed wiring boards to create an electronic assembly which are joined to form functional systems like cellular phones, computers or televisions. The Ames Laboratory solder alloy formula is now considered a preferred lead-free solder by the worldwide electronics assembly industry and can be found in many new consumer electronic items, including cell phones, laptops, TVs, and VCRs.
The technology's initial two patents, (5,527,628 and 6,231,691) were licensed to a small business, Johnson Manufacturing, Princeton, IA. To extend the availability of the solder, two other licensees, Multicore Solders of Richardson, Texas (now Henkel Corporation), and Nihon Superior Co. Ltd. of Osaka Japan, also obtained licenses to the technology. A Japanese industry-based consortium set up a voluntary initiative to go lead-free in consumer electronics beginning in 2000, spurring a widespread movement in this direction. Subsequent legislation enacted by the European Union to eliminate most of the lead in consumer goods sold in Europe by July of 2006 resulted in more broad licensing interest. As a result, the technology was sublicensed to over 65 companies worldwide. The patents have now expired, but Ames' lead-free solder continues to be used in virtually all electronics worldwide.
Federal funding through the Department of Energy was provided for the basic research and technology development of the solder. DOE funding developed the metal and alloy powder production capability, the eutectic tin-silver-copper composition, joint microstructure and properties studies, and alloy additions for resistance to thermal aging. The Laboratory's Contractor, Iowa State University Research Foundation, and Nihon Superior provided development funds. Ongoing product development continues to try to improve drop impact strength, thermal aging, and thermal fatigue resistance; two patent applications on improvements were filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office in 2010 and 2013.
Virtual Engineering Tools Provided the Foundation for Improved
Management Decisions Tools for the Agriculture Industry
Ames Laboratory's VE-Suite's library of tools, an open-source software, provided the background and expertise needed for AgSolver, Inc., a startup company located in Ames, IA, to create and market LEAF (Landscape Environmental Assessment Framework) application tools. VE-Suite tools were developed by
K. Mark Bryden, Doug McCorkle, Aaron Bryden and other team members at Ames Laboratory and Idaho National Laboratory. Mark Bryden's team won 3 R&D 100 awards for tools developed for VE-Suite.
Doug McCorkle is a co-founder of AgSolver and currently holds the position of Senior Vice President of Operations. Dr. McCorkle's research at the Ames Laboratory focused on using diverse data streams within the engineering process to create virtualized systems that enable engineers to make well-informed decisions. At AgSolver, the open-source tools developed during that research are being deployed for training simulators, interactive design environments, and agronomic decision services products.
The AgSolver core environmental process engine determines a broad range of land performance characteristics at a high resolution that deliver market specific services to customers. AgSolver's agronomic decision service products improve land management decisions, and simplify mandatory compliance and reporting activities. Their technology uses readily available precision agriculture data including yield maps, soil sample data, and fertilizer application data, in combination with simulation tools to guide better management decisions. The technology uses these datasets with some simple inputs about the management practices for an operation to provide valuable insights at a high resolution 30 foot scale such as: profit projections for a field over 50 years of actual climate conditions, 10 – 30 year projections of key soil productivity metrics including organic matter and erosion scale, and nitrogen use efficiency. The coupled data management and simulation technology also supports high resolution conservation planning. By integrating this technology with a secure cloud computing framework AgSolver's applications can provide these improved decisions within minutes.
Creating Efficiency in Titanium Parts Production.
Titanium's strength, light weight, biocompatibility and resistance to corrosion make it ideal for use in a variety of parts — from components for artificial limbs like those used by wounded veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan to military vehicle components, biomedical implants, and aerospace fasteners. But, working with titanium can be difficult when casting parts because molten titanium tends to react with the materials used for machine molds. Using a gas atomization process (which makes a fine, spherical powder form of titanium) manufacturers can then press the powder together at high temperatures. The process is ten times more efficient than traditional powder-making methods thereby significantly lowering the cost of the powder to manufacturers. Utilizing titanium powder has the benefits of conserving processing time and energy, and it produces less waste material.
To make titanium powder, titanium metal is melted using a standard commercial process, then it is heated and precisely guided by an Ames Laboratory-patented pour tube into a high-intensity atomization nozzle, also patented at Ames Laboratory. The metal is then sprayed out in a fine droplet mist. Each droplet quickly cools and solidifies, creating a collection of many tiny spheres, forming fine titanium powder. Inventors of the nozzle or pour tube are Iver Anderson, Robert Terstra, Matt Besser, Daniel Sordelet, Joel Rieken of Ames Laboratory and Alan Hartman, Edward Argetsinger, Jeffrey Hansen, Jake Paige, Paul Turner of the Albany Research Center.
The Laboratory's patents were exclusively licensed to Iowa Powder Atomization Technologies (IPAT), Ames, IA, a start-up company founded by two former Ames Laboratory employees, Joel Rieken and Andy Heidloff. Iowa Powder Atomization Technologies was one of three winners of the Department of Energy's America's Next Top Energy Innovator Challenge in 2012. The challenge recognizes some of the most innovative and promising startup companies that took an option to license DOE-funded technologies. IPAT also won the 2012 John Pappajohn Iowa Business Plan Competition, honoring top business plans of companies in business for four years or less, with an aim of stimulating business development. In 2014, IPAT was acquired by Praxair, a Fortune 250 company and one of the world's largest producers of gases and surface coatings. In 2015, Praxair announced they had begun to market titanium powder.


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Found these photos recently, all terrible, but I have learned several things from them.
Like that we were HIGHLY obnoxious, but pretty fun in those days.
And that every culture has its own Lionel Richie. Look, there's Honolulu's own Lionel Richie, Jr.!
Also, that I should never have tried to get a tan, ever.
And that getting braces in college was not one of my best ideas. Although it worked out okay.
This last picture was taken the following year, when I was moving home from the islands after camping there for a while.
I worked for the luau with these two, and Faa, the one on the right, was one of my roommates. What do I learn from this photo? That the poodle look was not my best bet. Sadly, it would take me YEARS to learn that.


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|Visit Griffith Observatory in daylight! Astonishing panoramic view of the city and there are also many nice hiking trails in the surroundings. Also, on 4th of July the Griffith park is open and gives you a good view of the fireworks around the city at night. But go early to find a nice spot!
|If you're around, check out the Hollywood Farmers Market on Sunday morning. It's one of the biggest markets in California. Free samples, fascinating people, hot street food. And you'll be coming at the peak of blood orange season, so try some, it's a California specialty.
|Visit Chinatown. Cheap, awesome food and lots of interesting shops. Get some genuine dumplings or roast duck.
|If you are a proper petrolhead, going on a road trip is in the U.S. is a must. Buying a car as a foreigner is difficult, but renting is always a good option.
|Feel like catching a football game? Check out the Los Angeles Avengers.
|Sports are big in the U.S., and the baseball matches of local team LA Dodgers are always entertaining!
|Lavish accommodations can be found in Lost Angeles, just look up Shade Hotel. Professional service, up to international standards.
|Tourism in Los Angeles is quite big, so finding a welcoming place to stay is quite easy. Try Magic Castle Hotel, the service is friendly and the food is great!
|If you have no real needs ask around for Surf City Hostel, they have some cheap rooms.
|Drive down to Venice Beach and take a walk towards the Santa Monica Pier.


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Ellie Jenson and Luke Thayer didn't exactly get along when they were at school together. Unlike Luke, Ellie didn't come from money and being at Harvard made her feel looked down on.
But she makes it through and builds a great career. Fifteen years later Luke shows back up in her life in the most unexpected way possible: He's the new boss.
Not only that, but Luke has changed since their Harvard days. He was paralyzed in an accident some time ago and it seems to have made him a bit more sympathetic.
Could Luke and Ellie be friends now that they've both grown up? Or maybe even more than friends, if Luke gets his way.
When I first met Luke Thayer, I hated him.
If this were a movie, that would have meant I was destined to fall desperately in love with him. That's...
Read more


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Mompreneur Monday: The Mom Writes/
Today, I'd like to introduce you to Prerna...the mastermind and mama behind The Mom Writes. What does she do? Well...she provides affordable and effective solutions to help mom business owners live {and survive} online!
What do you do?
How do you maximize your time as a busy mom running a business?
Focus. Shutting out distractions like Twitter, FB and my email works wonders. Also, I'm an early riser and am often up at 4 in the morning. That gives me a good 4 hours before my preschooler needs to be up for the day.
Also, saying, "no" to tasks that wouldn't add to either my life as mom or mompreneur helps.
What do you see as your greatest challenge being a MOMpreneur?
Keeping a hold on ALL the ideas that keep jumping into my head. I'm constantly thinking about how to grow my business, add more value to my clients' businesses
What advice do you have for other moms looking to start a business?
Start. Don't wait for the kids to grow up or to move to a house with space for an office. Just start.
Take action. Every day. Do something to build your business every single day. From researching ideas to building your customer database, make sure you're working on your business, every day.
Stay hopeful and positive. Honestly, it isn't easy being a mompreneur. There will be discouragement and disappointment, but don't let them shake you. Surround yourself with positive, inspiring women who're rocking the business world and stay encouraged and positive.
Is there anything else you'd like to share with Sweet Stella's readers?
First, I'd like to offer ALL your readers with a business a FREE one-on-one social media/web content strategy session. Please sign up here
I'd like to offer a 20% discount on ALL web content, business blogging and social media services. Please mention "SweetStellas" in your email to me. I can be reached at prerna(at)themomwrites(dot)com.


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PlayStation Plus to Give Early Access to Lara Croft
PlayStation Plus released almost two months ago and subscribers have already experienced some great content including WipEout HD and Qore for free. While the free content has been great, the early-access is another included benefit that hasn't been fully explored yet. Thankfully, Sony has many more plans to deliver early-access to subscribers.
The PlayStation Blog has announced that the PS-One classic Tomb Raider will be hitting the PlayStation Store in just over two-weeks from now. As a bonus to PlayStation Plus members, subscribers will have access to Tomb Raider two-weeks prior to release, which is only days away.
PlayStation Plus members had early access to Pixel Junk Racers 2nd Lap not long ago so this isn't the first time Sony has surprised subscribers. With beta access and more still on the horizon, PlayStation Plus is shaping up to be a cost-effective and noteworthy service for PlayStation 3 owners.