text:
Regular Meeting Minutes: Please post your meeting minutes to the ALA Connect Workspace for your group. When appropriate, please post the minutes publicly so that other RUSA and section members, section chairs and RUSA leadership may see them. Please use this minutes template.
Board Reports: RUSA committees and sections are asked to report twice a year to the RUSA board for the Midwinter and Annual conference meetings. Please upload your board reports publicly to this group within two weeks before or after the conferences, and let the RUSA executive director know when the report has been or will be posted to the group.
Click here for a report template
If you experience any problems posting your report or need additional guidance, please contact firstname.lastname@example.com
Connect Committee Workspaces
RUSA and Section Committee meeting and annual reports may be found in the ALA Connect workspace for each group. Below are the groups and their Connect workspaces:
Access to Information
AFL-CIO/ALA Library Service to Labor Groups
Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction
Awards Coordinating Committee
Budget and Finance Committee
Conference Program Coordinating Committee
Gale Cengage Award for Excellence in Reference and Adult Services
Isadore Gilbert Mudge Award
John Sessions Memorial Award
Just Ask Council (Ad Hoc)
Margaret E. Monroe Library Adult Services Award
Membership Committee
Nominating Committee
Organization and Planning Committee
President's Program Planning Committee
Professional Development
Publications and Communications Committee
Reference & User Services Quarterly Editorial Advisory
Reference Service Press Awards Committee
Resource Development Committee (Ad Hoc)
Review Task Force (Ad Hoc)
RUSA Board of Directors
RUSA Executive Committee
RUSQ Editorial Board
Standards and Guidelines Committee
BRASS Emerald Research Award Committee
BRASS Business Expert Press Award for Academic Librarians
BRASS Business Reference in Academic Libraries
BRASS Business Reference in Public Libraries
BRASS Business Reference Services Discussion Group
BRASS Business Reference Sources
BRASS Conference Program Planning
BRASS Vendor Relations
BRASS Education
BRASS Executive Committee
BRASS Gale Cengage Award for Excellence in Business Librarianship
BRASS Membership
BRASS Morningstar Public Librarian Support Award
BRASS Nominating
BRASS Outstanding Service to Minority Business
BRASS Publications and Communications
BRASS Section Review
BRASS Gale Cengage Learning Student Travel Award
CODES Board
CODES Collection Development Education
CODES Collection Development Planning & Assessment Committee
CODES Collection Management in Public Libraries
CODES Communications
CODES/STARS Cooperative Collection Development
CODES Dartmouth Medal
CODES Executive Committee
CODES Executive
CODES Hot Topics Discussion Group (No Connect workgroup)
CODES Liaison with Users
CODES The Listen List: Outstanding Audiobook Narration (No Connect workgroup)
CODES Louis Shores Award
CODES Notable Books Council
CODES Nominating Committee
CODES Readers Advisory Research and Trends
CODES The Reading List
CODES Reference Publishing Advisory
CODES Outstanding Reference Sources Award
CODES Sophie Brody Medal
CODES University Press Books for Public and School Libraries
CODES Zora Neale Hurston Award
ABC-CLIO Online History Award Committee
HS Communications
HS Executive Committee
HS Gale Cengage History Research and Innovation Award Committee
HS Gale Cengage Learning History Research and Innovation Award Committee
HS Genealogical Publishing Company Award
HS Genealogy
HS Genealogy and Local History Discussion
HS Genealogy Preconference Planning
HS Historical Materials
HS History Librarians Discussion
HS Instruction and Research Services
HS Local History
HS Nominating Committee
MARS Best Free Web sites
MARS Conference Program Planning
MARS Professional Development
MARS Executive Committee
MARS Hot Topics in Electronic Reference Discussion Group
MARS Local Systems and Services
MARS Management of Electronic Resources and Services
MARS My Favorite Martian Award
MARS Nominating Committee
MARS Outreach
MARS Planning
MARS Products and Services
MARS Publications
MARS User Experience Design
MARS Virtual Reference Discussion Group
MARS Virtual Reference Discussion Planning
MARS / RSS Virtual Reference Services
RSS Virtual Reference Tutorial Subcommittee
MARS/RSS Workshop Planning Subcommittee
RSS Board
RSS Catalog Use
RSS Communication and Teaching at the Point of Need
RSS Discussion Forums Coordinating Committee
RSS Education & Prof. Development for Reference
RSS Evaluation of Reference and User Services
RSS Executive Committee
RSS Health and Medical Reference
RSS Job and Career Reference
RSS Library Service to Aging Population
RSS Library Services to the Spanish Speaking
RSS Management of Reference
RSS Marketing and Public Relations for Reference Services
RSS Nominating Committee
RSS Organization and Planning Committee
RSS Recognition Committee
RSS Research and Statistics Committee
RSS Review Editor & Archivist (No Connect workgroup)
MARS / RSS Virtual Reference Services
RSS Virtual Reference Tutorial Subcommittee
MARS/RSS Workshop Planning Subcommittee
MARS Young Adult Reference Services (YARS)
STARS Atlas Systems Mentoring Award
STARS Codes, Guidelines, and Technical Standards Committee
CODES / STARS Cooperative Collection Development Committee
LLAMA SASS / RUSA STARS Cooperative and Remote Circulation Task Force
STARS Education and Training Committee
STARS Executive Committee
STARS Hot Topics Discussion Group
STARS Interlibrary Loan Committee
STARS Interlibrary Loan Discussion Group
STARS International Interlibrary Loan Committee
STARS Legislation and Licensing Committee
STARS Membership Committee
STARS Nominating Committee
STARS Organization Committee
STARS Research and Statistics Committee
STARS Rethinking Resource Sharing Policies Committee
STARS Vendor Relations Committee
STARS (Virginia) Boucher — OCLC Distinguished Interlibrary Loan Librarian Award


text:
The Saints haven't had much luck at linebacker yet this year.
Good evidence of that can be found on the list of roster moves the team made to get down to the 75-man limit. Will Smith and Chris Chamberlain have been placed on injured reserve with torn ACLs, ending their seasons and leaving the Saints skeletally thin at linebacker.
Perhaps that's why the team is holding out hope that Victor Butler can return from his own torn ACL at some point this season. Butler tore the ACL in June and the Saints placed him on the regular season PUP list rather than injured reserve in case he makes a rapid enough recovery to help them at some point in the second half of the season.
Those moves got the ball rolling toward the limit and the Saints got the rest of the way there by placing wide receiver Joe Morgan on injured reserve with yet another torn ACL and releasing linebacker Eric Martin, wide receiver Tim Toone and safety Akwasi Owusu-Ansah.
The Saints also formally announced the acquisition of linebacker Parys Hamilton in a trade with the 49ers and claimed defensive back Jumal Rolle off waivers from the Bills.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
What is the difference between NCSF and the NCSF Foundation?
The National Coalition for Sexual Freedom is a 501c4 nonprofit membership organization that advocates for those in the kink and polyamory lifestyles. The Coalition Partners oversee NCSF's Board of Directors, who in turn run the projects and programs of both organizations. The NCSF Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit charitable organization that educates about BDSM, swinging and polyamory to destigmatize sexual practices between consenting adults. Donations to the NCSF Foundation are tax deductible.
What's going on with Consent Counts?
The NCSF Foundation has earmarked $20,000 for educational workshops and Continuing Legal Education (CLE) classes throughout 2014. NCSF's presentation: "BDSM? Erotic Play? What are the Legal Risks?" will also be presented in several cities around the country. The results from the Consent Violations Survey will be available in Fall, 2014.
What's going on with NCSF's Education Outreach Program?
The EOP team of presenters will be revising and updating all of NCSF's educational presentations starting in 2014. Additional EOP presenters are being brought onto the team to ensure geographic coverage of the U.S., and will assist in revising the criteria for selecting EOP presenters.
What's going on with Membership?
NCSF has chosen Wild Apricot as its new membership service, to remove the need for volunteers to maintain the membership database, and automating the process of renewals and acknowledgements. These records will be provided to the entire Board of Directors on a monthly basis.
What is being done to ensure transparency in NCSF finances?
The Board of Directors has made a commitment to transparency in all of NCSF's activities and accounts. The NCSF Treasurer and the Treasurer of the NCSF Foundation provide the bank account statements to all of the Board Members at each monthly board meeting as part of their reports. New Financial and Control Policies outlining the authority and responsibilities of the Board and staff of NCSF will be approved by the Coalition Partners at the March 14-16 Annual Meeting in Nashville.
What are the procedures for handling donations?
Mail that is sent to the Baltimore address is automatically forwarded bi-monthly to the c3 Treasurer who scans the checks and envelopes, and sends that scan to the c4 Treasurer and the Chairman, then deposits the checks in the appropriate account. The Chairman is responsible for sending out the acknowledgements.
What steps are being taken to ensure that the new policies and procedures will be followed?
The Coalition Partners have been presented with a proposal for the formation of an Ombuds committee, which will be voted on at the Annual Meeting in Nashville. This advisory committee will handle complaints and concerns regarding the conduct of NCSF officers and staff, and the operations of NCSF institutions, and is authorized to review Coalition administration and activities, assuring ethical and effective fulfillment of NCSF's mission and goals.
Does NCSF have an office or office manager?
Not at this time. Without office overhead or employee salary to pay, donations are solely funding NCSF projects and programs. Additional funding will allow NCSF to hire a part-time support staff person to handle administrative duties that are difficult for volunteers to consistently devote time to. Opening a new office is a consideration for 2015 and beyond.
How much money was taken from NCSF?
The forensic financial review has determined that $62,557.52 was fraudulently withdrawn from the NCSF 501(c)4 membership organization account by Leigha Fleming for her own personal expenses over a period of time from May 2011 to December 2013. These funds were not accounted for in the 2011 and 2012 annual NCSF financial reports or tax filings. The reported income for the combined NCSF and NCSF Foundation was $215,636.72 for 2011, 2012 and 2013.
What is NCSF doing to get this money back?
NCSF has filed a lawsuit in probate court in Texas. This lawsuit is seeking restitution of the missing funds as well as the return of all NCSF records that were in the custody of Leigha Fleming. NCSF will provide updates on this case as it makes its way through the judicial system.
Dated: 3/10/2014


text:
7:30 pm,
April 5, 2013
College Church Chapel
Prof. Gayle Woloschak, Goshen Conference on Religion & Science
The first of two public lectures by Prof. Gayle Woloschak, as part of the annual Goshen Conference on Religion and Science.
No cost, open to the public.
Register for the conference to hear all three lectures and take part in discussions with the speaker and other participants. (Special discounts available for students).
Contact: Paul Meyer Reimer, phone (574) 535-7318, email email@example.com


text:
Actress Mena Suvari's second marriage appears to be over – she has filed for divorce.
The 32-year-old American Beauty star has cited "irreconcilable differences" for her split from concert promoter Simone Sestito, according to TMZ.com. The couple wed in Vatican City, Italy in 2010.
Suvari filed the divorce papers in Los Angeles on Friday and she has asked the judge assigned to the case to prevent her husband from claiming spousal support. The actress lists the date of separation as November 1.
Suvari was previously married to cinematographer Robert Brinkmann. She divorced him in May, 2005.


text:
Deka Unigy II Spacesaver is the dependable choice for countless battery power applications.
Deka Unigy II Spacesaver Systems
With decades of experience, Solar Electric Supply has the friendly, knowledgeable staff for just about any large battery powered project. Contact us for wholesale pricing and expert system design.
Deka Unigy II Spacesaver battery systems are constructed using the finest quality materials and state-of-the-art manufacturing techniques and are known for their high reliability and superior performance. They are ideal for larger, battery-based solar systems that demand high performance and a long cycle life.
This battery module is ideal for powering telecommunications, digital cellular sites, island power, mountaintop microwave, microgrid, remote wi-fi, repeaters, railroad signs/communication, remote residential, grid-tie battery backup, and uninterruptible power sources (UPS).
EPM Unigy II products are designed to meet the requirements of
IEC 60896-21/22, BS 6290 and SR-4228.
Expected life of a properly maintained Unigy II system can be up to 20 years.
Contact us for wholesale Deka Unigy II Spacesaver 6AVR95-15 battery module pricing and complete systems.


text:
122, a photo by kristin~mainemomma on Flickr.
they are my favorite.
thank goodness there are many wild bushes of them where i can gather and bring them home. i picked up some purple while my mom was visiting, then the other night i stopped and brought home a handful of white ones. i fear all the rains may make for a shorter life than normal for them. maybe i need to go gather some more.
i took a walk in the woods by my home last weekend. the wild lily of the valley were pushing up. no blooms that day, but soon. so so soon. then i will be gathering them by the handfuls. oh they smell divine.
spring favorites:
favorite sound: spring peepers
favorite flower: lilac
favorite thing to do: open some windows
favorite smell: first fresh cut grass
favorite first: wash on the line
do you have a favorite sign of spring?


text:
As Souplantation prepares to open its new Atwater Village restaurant and salad bar next week, the San Diego-based chain seemed undecided about where its newest outlet was located. On the company Facebook page, Souplantation asked:
Hey Los Angeles we need your help. We are opening our NEWEST location on Monday, September 17 and we need to know what area you want us to call it, is it Glendale? Los Feliz? Atwater Village? Los Angeles?
While most of the Souplantation Facebook fans recommended against Glendale, they seemed divided over Atwater or Los Feliz.
"Definitely Atwater Village," said one of the more than 30 Facebook users who left a comment. No, it should be called the Los Feliz Souplanation said another, noting the new restaurant was "close to the Los Feliz exit off the freeway." A third Facebook commenter offered a compromise: "Maybe Los Feliz/Atwater location."
What did Souplanation decide? Looks like the firm settled on Atwater Village, judging by a press release received this past weekend by Atwater Village Chamber of Commerce Secretary Luis Lopez. However, the same press release touting the Atwater Village Souplantation said a grand opening celebration would include a fundraiser for an arts program … in Glendale.
* Correction: An earlier version of this post said the new Souplantation would open on Sept. 10. That's wrong. The opening is scheduled for Sept. 17


text:
Hear the words "Milli Vanilli," and a few other choice words might spring to mind: Fake. Fraud. Scandal. Hair.
But now, thanks to three re-visionaries, the story of the band's rise and spectacular fall might soon conjure up a very different connection: opera.
Yes, on Saturday night at the Watermill Center, Joe Diebes, Christian Hawkey, and David Levine presented snippets of "An Untitled Opera Based on the Story of Milli Vanilli." And why not? The life of the stripper-turned-millionaire-spouse Anna Nicole Smith received the operatic treatment at the Royal Opera House in London this spring; and a musical has been staged about Jerry Springer, king of sleaze television. The story of Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan, the public faces of a group of studio musicians working under the name Milli Vanilli, is not as tawdry as these.
In fact, it has many of the elements of classical theater, with its Faustian bargains, search for truth, damning chorus (the media), and a tragic end. That one protagonist ends up dead only increases the bona fides of this tabloid tale.
"It's a classically operatic story about human voice . . . German singers in the American pop idiom. The echt language of opera versus the language of pop," Mr. Levine said. "They are trapped between their authentic voice and the pop voice, and it ends tragically."
Milli Vanilli was the subject of the very first episode of the VH1 "Behind the Music" series in 2000. One of the most popular groups on the charts at the end of the 1980s, they became the object of international ridicule after it was revealed that the voices heard on their blockbuster America-debut album were not those of Mr. Pilatus and Mr. Morvan; a Grammy Award for Best New Artist was revoked.
Frank Farian, a German music producer, had formed the band in much the same way that the Monkees had been artificially created a few decades before. He already had his singers and musicians together — but, this being the zenith of the MTV era — was seeking front men with a more telegenic image when he found what he was looking for in a Munich dance club. Mr. Pilatus and Mr. Morvan had amazing, long corn-rowed hair, and they could dance. They were Milli Vanilli, as far as the public knew, and it was their picture on the front cover of the band's first album. Released in America in 1989 as "Girl You Know It's True," it went platinum six times.
The record released in Europe did not attribute the vocals to Mr. Pilatus and Mr. Morvan, but the American version did.
The truth was revealed at a concert in Connecticut, when the CD they were lip-syncing to began to skip, prompting them to run off the stage. Mr. Pilatus and Mr. Morvan were vilified. Mr. Farian finally admitted to the deception about a year later, and the group was stripped of both its Grammy and its American record label, Arista.
The story might have ended there, but it didn't. Mr. Pilatus and Mr. Morvan insisted they could indeed sing, and they continued to try to prove it by releasing records featuring their own vocals. In 1998, a comeback of Milli Vanilli was planned with both of them singing. Mr. Pilatus, however, was a troubled man, with a criminal record and a drug addiction, and just as a comeback tour was about to kick off, he was found dead of a suspected overdose in a Frankfurt hotel room.
Clearly, it was the stuff of tragedy.
The score of the embryonic opera was written by Mr. Diebes; Mr. Hawkey wrote the lyrics, and Mr. Levine directed. In notes describing the project, there is a reference to Walter Benjamin's seminal 1936 essay "Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction." Although the essay was a commentary on the impact of film on conceptions of artistic uniqueness, it has much relevance to the opera's themes of voice and authenticity. (Is there even such a thing as authenticity in studio pop recordings, with the level of technical intervention that has become the norm?)
Mr. Hawkey pointed out that the Milli Vanilli saga took place at a time when the world was moving from analog to digital technologies. What seemed a shocking fraud 20 years ago might these days be deemed almost the norm. The "fiction of originality" exposed in this story gives it the element of the tragic, Mr. Hawkey said. "The group Milli Vanilli performed that fiction in the visual space provided by MTV."
Since the Milli Vanilli scandal broke, more than a few performers whose fame relies more on appearance than singing talent (most notably, Britney Spears and Ashley Simpson) have been caught mouthing the words to pre-taped vocals. The prevalence and popularity of Auto-Tune, a processor that improves the quality of a vocal performance, makes the debates over Milli Vanilli seem almost quaint.
The five pieces the composers presented on Saturday in an open rehearsal were the result of a two-week workshop at the Watermill Center. The singers were John Rose (baritone), Jonathan Kline (tenor), and Christina Campanella (mezzo-soprano). Izzi Ramkissoon, a laptop musician, did the mixing and the samples that were incorporated into the performance, and Margaret Schedel played cello.
In one piece, portions of Wagner's opera "The Master Singer From Nuremberg" were sung while a character representing the music producer, Mr. Farian, repeated the opening sentence of "The Studio as Compositional Tool," a lecture delivered by the avant-garde pop musician Brian Eno in 1979: "The first thing about recording is that it makes repeatable what was otherwise transient and ephemeral." That line as well as a line from the Milli Vanilli song "Blame It on the Rain," performed by a character identified simply as "Studio," were sampled in real time with a digital recording deck.
In a fully realized version of the opera, Mr. Levine said, it was likely that the setting would be a recording studio. Only the lines sung by the characters who represent Mr. Pilatus and Mr. Morvan will be acoustic. "Everyone else will be on mike or have their voice manipulated to invert or redeem the two non-vocalists," Mr. Diebes said.
The other pieces included one that simulated a press conference, with the real responses of Mr. Morvan and Mr. Pilatus to media questions juxtaposed with comments posted on YouTube about the band. The third piece was a harmonic remix of "Girl You Know It's True" with nonsensical German sung over the music. The fourth was based on an interview with Mr. Farian.
According to Mr. Diebes, the telltale skipping CD became a motif that he found inspirational. "The loops, the cycles, repetition on many levels" — all these, he said, created a cycle with "no real beginning, middle, or end." The chord progressions and vocal lines of the opera were all based on this cycle, making the music and the text expressly nonlinear and impressionistic. Much of Saturday's performance by the vocalists and cellist was improvised, using melodic progressions worked out earlier.
The producers emphasized that the opera was very far from finished. "We're still working with fragments, technical ideas," Mr. Diebes said after the presentation. But, for the first time, concepts that had been discussed and experimented with for a few years came alive at the workshop as performance pieces. "This is not definitive, but a work in progress," he said, "a process that was still changing up to this morning."


text:
• The Schedule
Sunday, October 16, 2011 at 5:00 p.m.
UCSB Gauchos vs. UC Riverside Highlanders
at UCSB's Meredith Field at Harder Stadium
Live Stats available at UCSBgauchos.com
Online audio at KCSB.org
• Tickets Available
The UCSB women's soccer team has just two home matches remaining. The Gauchos host UC Riverside on Sunday, Oct. 16 at 5:00 p.m. at Meredith Field at Harder Stadium and then, on Oct. 28, they host Cal Poly at 7:00 p.m. The matcha against the Mustangs will be Senior Night and all of the team's senior players will be saluted prior to the match. Tickets for both contests, as well as men's soccer, men's basketball and women's basketball, can be purchased at the Ticket Office in the Intercollegiate Athletics Building on campus, by calling 805-893-UCSB or online by clicking here.
• Ticket Office Open Saturdays
Don't forget the UCSB ICA Ticket Office is open Saturday's from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and there are two convenient parking spots available in the area between the ICA Building and Robertson Gym.
• The Gaucho Record
UCSB enters its Sunday evening game against UC Riverside with an overall record of 5-9-2 and a Big West record of 0-4-0. The Gauchos are winless in their last five matches going 0-4-1 over that span. The five-game winless streak comes on the heels of a two-game winning streak and a three-game unbeaten string.
• Close Only Counts In...
In the first weekend of Big West play, UCSB lost two matches by identical scores and under identical circumstances. The Gauchos dropped 2-1 decisions to visiting Long Beach State and Cal State Fullerton with each coming in overtime on a penalty kick after a handball in the box. Doesn't get more painful than that. In week two of conference play, Santa Barbara went on the road and lost matches at UC Irvine and Cal State Northridge, both by 1-0 scores. UCSB has now lost four straight matches by one goal and, in fact, seven of the team's nine defeats this season have been by one goal.
• Wanted: Goals
UCSB has scored just 14 goals in 16 matches this season. They have been shutout five times and scored one goal nine other times. The Gauchos tallied a season-high three goals in a Sept. 2 win over Fresno State and one week later, on Sept. 9, they scored a pair in a 2-0 win at Oakland University. Those are the only times this season that UCSB has scored more than once in a match.
• Shooting Gallery
The Gauchos' scoring struggles are not a result of a lack of opportunities. They enter Sunday's game against UC Riverside with 216 shots on the season, 92 of which have been on goal. By comparison, UCSB opponents have just 176 shots overall with 76 on frame. The Gauchos shot percentage is .065, their opponents have a .119 mark. In addition, Santa Barbara has 82 corner kicks through 16 matches while the opposition has 64.
• The Other Side Of The Story
While UCSB has had trouble scoring this season, its defense, for the most part, has been stellar. The Gauchos have allowed just 21 goals in 16 contests and have a 1.27 goals against average. Of the 21 goals allowed, three were on penalty kicks, so they have actually allowed just 18 goals during the run of play. UCSB's defenders have been some of the most stable parts of the team. Senior Alexa Stringer has started all 16 matches on the back line while seniors Nicole Romanowski and Alyssa Benjamin have each started and played in 14 and senior Kat Matthew has played in all 16, starting 12.
• The Last Word In Defense
Sophomore goalkeeper Makenna Henry has been the last line of defense for UCSB and she has done a solid, sometimes spectacular, job. She has played every minute for the Gauchos this season, a total of 1,485, and allowed 21 goals, three of which came on penalty kicks. She has a 1.27 goals against average and 50 saves for a save percentage of .704. Last weekend, in games at UC Irvine and Cal State Northridge, Henry allowed just two goals and came up with 10 saves. Finally, if you exclude back-to-back games against nationally ranked Michigan State and Pepperdine, she has allowed just 14 goals in the other 14 games, 11 of which came during the run of play. Henry's goals against average in those 14 is a very solid 0.96 goals against.


text:
November 26, 2012
Gabriel Aubry Claims He Is Victim In Bloody Fight With Olivier Martinez
Halle Berry ex Gabriel Aubry is claiming he is the victim in a nasty fight with the actress's current fiance Olivier Martinez on Thanksgiving. Both Gabriel Aubry and Oliver Martinez ended up in the hospital after fists flew during a heated confrontation at Halle Berry's home on Thanksgiving. Now Aubry is claiming he was threatened and attacked by Olivier Martinez without provocation.Read More..>>


text:
DARLINGTON have welcomed Adam Mitchell back into the fold and are hoping to re-sign him before the season.
Having ended last season with Quakers, he had been on trial with Gateshead since the beginning of pre-season and the winger made a surprise appearance in Saturday's 5-1 loss to Sunderland.
Mitchell played in Gateshead's 2-0 win over a Newcastle United XI at the International Stadium on Friday evening and after being told by Heed boss Gary Mills that he would not be offered a contract, he played against former club Sunderland at Heritage Park the following day.
"Adam was a real bright spark," said Quakers boss Martin Gray. "His energy was good, he was against his old club and wanted to do well. We're going to sit down and have a chat.
"He's not on trial anywhere else at the moment so he's available and we'll see what we can do."
Mills, who has also told trialist Craig Lynch that he is not needed, explained: "They have both done well in their short time at Gateshead. But we are running with a small squad and I have to look at what we already have.
"In some ways they can count themselves unlucky not to be offered contracts, but I have to make decisions on players and I'm delighted with the way the squad is shaping up."
With four weeks to go before the season-opening game at home to Warrington on August 16, Gray says there's still time for additions to his squad, though on Saturday he was frustrated to be without two players due to holidays.
"We're still looking at players and there's one or two situations that we're looking at," said the manager.
"There's one or two lads on holiday. Leon Scott is injured, David Dowson is on holiday, so is Jordan Robinson, and that's the frustrating thing at this level. Gus Poyet has his team from July 1 until the end of the season and he could do as much work as he wants with them. I'd love to be in that position."
Darlington were given a tough afternoon by Sunderland in front of a 2,000 crowd at Heritage Park. Gary Brown pulled a goal back in the second half following a mistake by Wes Brown, but Quakers were otherwise on the back foot.
Gray said: "Like any manager, this time of the year is about looking towards what you're going to do come the start of the season and hopefully we have gained a lot from the match. I told the players not to worry because they won't play another side as good as Sunderland this season.
"It was a good exercise and worthwhile if only from a fitness point of view. It was nice to pinch a goal, but the main thing we can take it from the day is fitness because we had to work very hard.
"Sunderland's class and quality of movement, their decision making is so impressive, but what impressed me most was how quickly they won the ball back. They had the appetite.
"The gulf in class is massive, but we had a little spell before half-time when we got into the game a little bit.
We had a little bit of play, but you're always going to be limited in the number of chances you're going to get when you're playing against players from that level of football."


text:
- Home »
- Alias Union SC Medium Italic Font
See preview alias union sc medium italic font and download this cool font for free. The font is classified as regular fonts. This font viewed 488 times and downloaded 22 times. You can also downloads other fonts: Alias Union Regular, LDJ Union Jack, Grunion Script, Alias Union Medium, Holy Union, Alias for Windows and Mac at FreakFonts.com. If you like this font don't forget share them with you friends!
Views: 488
Downloads: 22
Size: 29640 Kb
Style: Regular Fonts
Font Family: Alias Unionsc Medium Italic
Format: True Type (TTF)
File: Alias_UnionSC_Medium_Italic.ttf
You may also like related fonts in .ttf and .otf format.
Alias Union Regular Added: 2014-04-30 17:40:02
LDJ Union Jack Added: 2014-10-18 20:48:16
Grunion Script Added: 2014-08-19 15:14:02
Alias Union Medium Added: 2014-04-27 10:30:05
Holy Union Added: 2014-09-04 21:28:01
Alias Added: 2013-09-08 18:07:57
Alias Union Bold Added: 2014-02-25 03:00:04
Alias Union Bold Italic Added: 2014-04-22 05:20:03
Sevil Alias Esra Lite Added: 2013-09-08 18:07:57
Alias Union Medium Italic Added: 2014-04-27 11:40:02
Alias Union SC Bold Added: 2014-04-29 05:00:02
Alias Union SC Medium Added: 2014-05-04 21:30:02
Alias Union Bold Italic SC Added: 2014-03-27 17:30:01
Alias Union Regular Italic Added: 2014-05-02 06:20:03
Alias Union SC Regular Added: 2014-02-17 14:40:01
Alias Union SC Regular Italic Added: 2014-02-02 09:40:02
Alias Union SC Medium Italic Added: 2014-05-05 06:40:02
Grunion Script Italic Added: 2014-08-19 15:56:01
Grunion Script Bold Added: 2014-08-19 15:28:02
Slushfaux Union Added: 2013-09-08 18:07:57
Home | Popular | New | Random | Advanced Search
If you are a copyright owner, and you see that you work has been uploaded with the violation of the copyright, please contact us. Such material will be blocked immediately.


text:
Two Russian cosmonauts will attept to upgrade the International Space Station Monday during a scheduled 6.5-hour spacewalk, space.com is reporting.
Gennady Padalka and Yuri Malenchenko will conduct a 6.5-hour spacewalk to complete maintenance and repairs beginning at at 9:40 a.m. Central time, and prepare the station for a new lab module.
Today's work will be the first spacewalk of the station's Expedition 32 mission. Two other astronauts on the station's six-person crew will carry out a separate spacewalk for NASA on Aug. 30.
For today's excursion, Padalka and Malenchenko will focus primarily on installing new micrometeoroid debris shields over parts of the Russian Zvezda service module and moving a hand-operated crane, called Strela-2, from the station's Pirs docking module to the outpost's Zarya control module.
The cosmonauts are moving the crane to clear the area by the Pirs compartment in preparation for a new Russian laboratory module. This new unit is slated to launch to the space station in 2013, NASA officials said.
Watch the events live on the space station webcam here.


text:
Stephen Kariuki MP Elect Mathare By Elections 11 August 2014
Submitted by William Ang'awa Monday, 11 August 2014
Stephen Kariuki of the Orange Democractic Movement (ODM) and a Masters in International Relations graduate of the University of Tennesee. USA is the provisional winner of the Mathare By Elections in Nairobi County held on 11 August 2014. He defeated the former member of parliament George Wanjohi of TNA (The National Alliance). Stephen Kariuki represents a new generation of young and articulate members of parliament in Kenya. He believes in "Transformative Leadership, " and a "Just equitable and progressive society." The Orange Democractic Movement (ODM) has learnt from its experiences of March 2013. During the 2013 Kenya General Elections ODM fielded candidates of parties affiliated to the coalition in the same constituencies. This split the votes and a TNA victory. Stephen Kariuki is not the first person in his family to become a Kenyan MP. His mother Bishop Margaret Wanjiru was an MP for Starehe in Nariobi County.
Stephen Kariuki's Mathare consituency has one of the biggest slums in Kenya. Challenges are plenty. Poverty, crime and lack of resources that should be available to all citizens of Kenya. If Stephen Kariuki delivers what his constituents's wants and needs – he could upset the status quo in Kenya. Appealing to people of different ethnic and social groups, expecially the young, who will have a greater say in the Kenya 2017 Elections. Mathare is changing, but will it change with Stephen Kariuki?
What is in a name? Stephen Kariuki is also known as Steven Kariuki. Steven Kariuki is the name frequently used by the IEBC. if researching Hon S Kariuki use both forms of forenames.
Orange Democractic Party (ODM) is part of the Coalition of Reforms and Democracy (CORD).
The National Alliance (TNA) is part of the Jubilee Alliance – Kenya's ruling coalition.
Tags: George Wanjohi, IEBC, Mathare By Elections, Mathare By Elections 11 August 2014, Mathare Consitituency, Nairobi County, ODM, Orange Democractic Movement, Stephen Kariuki, The National Alliance, TNA


text:
Farmingdale's Farber, Post's Softy can really hit a softball
-Farmingdale State's Nicole Farber and C.W. Post's Christie Softy hope to lead their teams to the NCAA Tournament-
By Steve Marcus, Newsday
Farmingdale State shortstop Nicole Farber is a pure hitter. C.W. Post shortstop Christie Softy is a pure power hitter. With conference playoffs about to begin, both hope to lead their teams into the NCAA Tournament.
Farber, a junior, is hitting .515, which places her in the top 10 in Division III. That equates to better than a hit in every other at-bat, on average. And that's not good enough for her.
"I'll get a single and it might not be a hard-hit single and I'll be ticked,'' Farber said. "Even if it drives in the run. I'll be on first base tormenting myself, thinking 'My weight wasn't back, my hands were wrong.' ''
Farber has had at least one hit in 87 of 117 games in her three years at Farmingdale. "I don't usually don't go up there in fear that I'm going to strike out or in fear that something isn't going to go my way,'' she said. "I know I'm going to make contact with the ball.'' She has struck out only twice in 101 at-bats this season.
Farber, who played for Connetquot High School - where she holds records for home runs (32), runs batted in (141) and hits (165) - is the reigning player of the year in the Skyline Conference. She hit .410 as a freshman and .435 as a sophomore. She has 32 home runs and 141 RBIs in three seasons.
Farmingdale will play in the Skyline Tournament this week. The winner earns an automatic bid to the NCAA's.
How difficult has it been for Farber to raise her average by an astounding 80 points?
"I have to hit that outside pitch and get that single,'' she said. "I have to take that inside pitch and get that double. When I see it, I drive the ball. I just have that hard power swing, I guess you could say.''
Trying to pitch around Farber does not work. "People say walks are as good as hits,'' she said. "Walks don't do anything for you; they keep you right where you are. I didn't realize pitchers would rather walk me than have me drive in a run. Before this season, I didn't look at it that way.''
At Post, the 5-3 Softy belies her size with home run power. She holds the school record with 46 career homers, 12 more than previous record-holder Jill Fisher hit. She has 207 RBIs in her career.
"Everyone says I'm too small to be hitting home runs,'' she said with a laugh. "In high school, we never played with fences. Maybe a shot in the gap kept rolling.''
Softy, a senior from Floral Park High School, hit 15 homers her freshman year but tailed off to five as a sophomore. She knows why. She missed the competition of having Fisher in the lineup. "We were hitting home runs back and forth, then she graduated,'' Softy said. "So that second year, I might not have been as focused.''
Softy hit 11 as a junior and has 15 this season. There was a drought of 16 games before she set the career mark on April 6.
"I had tied the career record [March 20]. Everybody was like, 'When are you going to hit the next one?' I said, 'I don't know.' It wasn't coming. One day it finally came.''
She had three homers last Saturday against Molloy. "I heard the coach yell out, 'Don't give her anything good to hit','' Softy said of the at-bat after her second home run of the day. "I swung at the first pitch, then there were three balls. She threw a high pitch that I thought was ball four; they called it a strike. The next one was around the same area, I swung and it went over the centerfield fence.''
Given her size, Softy said she often is asked about her ability to hit home runs. When she was a freshman, she used to say the power came from her derriere, but that has been amended because of the ribbing she took. "The hips and very good mechanics and a lot of practice,'' she now says.
Post is likely to be the top seed in the East Coast Conference Tournament next week. The team has made the Division II World Series twice in Softy's career. "That,'' she said, "is where we want to get back to.''


text:
About Us
The Jamberry Legacy
Jamberry was conceived in 2010 when three sisters, Lyndsey, Christy and Keri, were together for a girls' day out. Realizing that a slow and expensive visit to the nail salon could be something much more, they came up with the idea for a line of do-it-yourself nail wraps. Founded on the notion that styling your nails could do more than just look great, Jamberry entered the beauty sphere in early 2011 with a social selling business model. The founders believed that together, they could not only enrich their own lives but the lives of women everywhere.
From the beginning and as Jamberry has transformed into a global beauty brand, the goal has been to inspire and show women that it's never too late to go after your dreams and that you truly can have it all.
Jamberry was acquired by M.Global in the summer of 2018.


text:
to contradict what you've said or portrayed previously often in avoidance of repercussion; spinelessly diverting responsibility by being covert or passive-aggressive
She tried to provoke me behind my bf's back and make me look crazy. I thought she was a sweetie until she went flippy switchy on me!
by Strappy Red Shoes May 21, 2010
buy the domain for your pet site


text:
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Baby G. Update: Week 5
17 comments:
- Susan said...
He's adorable! Happy one month birthday, Baby G!
I'm glad that he's letting you get some more sleep!
- April 7, 2011 at 2:38 PM
- The Sister Sophisticate said...
Oh my gosh he has got some personality in his eyes! Get ready Momma! Staring at the fan seems to be a well admired activity among these babies because my baby did the same thing up until he was about 9mths old, he's 16mths now!
- April 7, 2011 at 3:43 PM
- Liz @ It's Great To Be Home said...
What a cutie!! How fun that he's starting to develop his own personality, that must be amazing to see!
- April 7, 2011 at 6:01 PM
- Happiness Is... said...
He's precious! He and Thatcher share their love of ceiling fans :)
- April 7, 2011 at 7:13 PM
- pretty pink tulips said...
He is just gorgeous!!! Love those curious little eyes....seeing the world through their eyes is such a gift!!
- April 7, 2011 at 10:26 PM
- The Zhush said...
SOOO cute!!! LOVE these photos, thanks for sharing!
- April 8, 2011 at 5:38 AM
- Janell @ Isabella and Max said...
What a handsome boy! 5-7 hours is a great stretch and given he would prefer to sleep in the bassinet rather than someone's arms (amazing...my kids only wanted to sleep in my arms!) he is likely to keep up a good sleep schedule. Enjoy!! Janell
- April 8, 2011 at 7:50 AM
- Laura@JourneyChic said...
Cutie!! I agree with Janell that he'll likely keep up the good sleeping with a few off nights here and there. I love chubby babies!!
- April 8, 2011 at 12:35 PM
- Kelsey Lou said...
what a sweet little thing! I'm a new follower of your blog I love hearing about attorneys in the design world. Can I ask where you went to law school? My husband and I are trying to decide where to go right now...
- April 8, 2011 at 1:51 PM
- Averill said...
Kelsey Lou: Hey! I don't know if I'd consider myself an attorney in the design world insomuch as an attorney with a design fetish! Anyway, I went to the University of Texas at Austin for law school -- while I would never call law school fun, it was a great choice for me and I made a ton of friends for life (and it helped me land a job in Houston, my hometown).
- April 8, 2011 at 2:13 PM
- Kathysue said...
Averill, he is such a beautiful little baby boy. He really is getting big. he looks so content. So fun to see his progress11 xo kathysue
- April 9, 2011 at 5:41 PM
- Christy said...
Adorable. Perfection. LOVE him! And boy oh boy did you hit the sleeping baby jackpot Averill.... LUCKY GIRL!!!! :)
- April 11, 2011 at 8:26 AM
- Bromeliad said...
What a cutie.
- April 11, 2011 at 1:35 PM
- Hyphen Interiors said...
Congrats!! He's precious! Thanks for the comment back. Yeah, I was already fairly obssessed by a few years, but finally diving into the blogging world after slowly being exposed to blogs like yours, it took it to a new level when it comes to obsession. :)
- April 18, 2011 at 12:05 PM
- Sarah said...
Averill - he is simply awesome!! What a cutie, love those cheeks!! Can't believe he's sleeping that much in a row already, or that he's one month old already! Thanks for the update, love seeing pics of him:)
- April 18, 2011 at 10:16 PM
- FROM THE RIGHT BANK said...
What a doll!!! Glad to see and hear he is doing so well! :)
- April 21, 2011 at 3:31 PM
- Bromeliad said...
He's filling out nicely, as my mother would say.
- April 25, 2011 at 8:06 AM


text:
Going Gender Neutral: Kids' Twin Bedding
Whatever your reason for going gender neutral, be it decorating a shared room, your parenting philosophy, or your child's particular aesthetic preferences, there is a high demand for this kind of decor in children's rooms.
We went on the hunt for the most modern, stylish bedding that could be used for a girl or a boy. What color scheme would you go with? The classic yellow and green? Reds and whites? Teal? French blue? What bedding would you suggest?
For those of you who are going the gender neutral parenting route, to what extent? These parents may have taken it a bit far, but buying toys and educational products designed for both sexes makes sense for a child's mind.
Stay tuned for crib bedding choices.
1. Aptly titled "Unison" bedding, you'll find a stripe to match almost any palette. $108.
2. Another fast favorite is Auggie. Pony love is an obvious neutral choice, but if you little girl loves robots? We say go for it! Twin duvet cover $195.
3. Should your boy and girl be sharing a room, try layering different patterns of red and white with a rocket ship lamp for him, a mushroom lamp on her side. This organic red star bedding from Pottery Barn Kids could be perfect. ($55)
4. Target has a few photo realistic bedding choices. Depending on your locale, try this bridge or the skyline bedding with maps and global treasures as decor. $48.99.
5. While the Owls might be the obvious choice, we think this Skyline pattern from Dwell works equally well for the right girl. $156.
6. This Ikea Eivor Leva set caught our eye for its vivid palette and childish whimsy. Your tween boy might not be into it, but we think it could easily work for a toddler of either sex, maybe minus the flower pillows. $49.99.
7. Rikshaw Design carries a line of Indian patterns in a plethora of colors. $148 duvet.
8. My music-obsessed four-year-old daughter would fall head over heels for this Land of Nod Dream On set. $79 for the duvet cover.
9. Serena and Lily launched this Frankie line specifically for shared rooms. What do you think? $150 for the twin duvet.
10. A perennial favorite, we've seen this Argington organic Fish & Pebbles bedding pop up in many an Apartment Therapy child's room. So glad they decided to continue it. $110.


text:
OHSU Knight Cancer Institute researcher wins prestigious early-career award
07/02/14 Portland, Ore.
American Association for the Advancement of Science recognizes Jeffrey Tyner, Ph.D., for accelerating the discovery of cancer-causing mutations and the development of gene-targeted treatments
Jeffrey Tyner, Ph.D., assistant professor of Cell & Developmental Biology for Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) and a researcher with OHSU's Knight Cancer Institute, has won a distinguished award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) for the development of a research program that more rapidly identifies the mutations driving a patient's cancer and accelerates development of precision treatments. Tyner shares the AAAS Martin and Rose Wachtel Cancer Research Award, which honors early-career cancer researchers, with Li Ma, Ph.D., of MD Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas.
Tyner and Ma's award entry essays were published in the July 2 edition of Science Translational Medicine. Both will deliver public lectures on their research July 7.
Tyner's work is distinguished by analyzing data on genetic mutations in patients' cancer cells, derived through deep genomic sequencing, and simultaneously assessing the manner by which tumor cells with those mutations respond to a variety of gene-targeted drugs. This approach more accurately determines which aberrations are most lethal and how they can be targeted with a precision treatment. It also allows for a better understanding of the biology of each patient's disease and, in some cases, identified new subtypes of the disease.
"Full delivery of the promise of genetically driven medicine will require that we make the leap from knowledge of cancer genetic events and translate this information into new and personalized therapeutic regimens for patients," Tyner wrote in his award essay.
Tyner's peer-reviewed studies in Cancer Cell in 2012 and the New England Journal of Medicine last year demonstrate the benefits of this research approach. The latter study pinpointed a cause of two types of leukemia and demonstrated the possibility that these diseases could be treated with existing FDA-approved drugs. As a result, a clinical trial to test ruxolitinib in patients with chronic neutrophilic leukemia (CNL) that is driven by mutations in a gene called colony stimulating factor 3 receptor (CSF3R) is soon to open.
"Jeffrey Tyner's work is making a significant contribution to the advancement of personalized cancer medicine. His approach makes it possible to achieve new discoveries in months that used to take decades," said Brian Druker, M.D., director of the Knight Cancer Institute. "It is gratifying to see his contributions recognized with an AAAS Martin and Rose Wachtel Cancer Research Award."
Tyner's methodology also forms the backbone of Beat AML, a pioneering collaboration launched in 2013 between The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) and the Knight Cancer Institute to vastly accelerate development of treatments for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). AML is a particularly devastating blood cancer with less than 25 percent of newly diagnosed patients surviving beyond five years. It causes more than 10,000 deaths a year in the United States, and treatment options largely have not changed in the past 30 years.
Beat AML creates a profile of the possible genetic drivers of AML by conducting a deep genomic sequencing analysis of participating AML patients' samples. As information from the samples is analyzed by the Knight Cancer Institute's bioinformatics team to determine potentially relevant mutations, researchers simultaneously test the response of patients' leukemia cells to different drugs and combinations of drugs. This dual process on patient samples better equips scientists to confirm that they have correctly identified a genetic driver of the disease. It not only speeds progress in understanding AML, but more efficiently determines ways to stop the disease and block potential recurrence.
Tyner said his lab will likely deploy a similar model for drug development for other types of cancer in the future. "It's an honor to have this work recognized by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and it is another strong incentive to perform research that will improve therapeutic options and clinical outcomes for patients."
Tyner was named an assistant professor in the OHSU School of Medicine in 2012 following a postdoctoral fellowship in Brian Druker's laboratory. A native of West Lafayette, Indiana, Tyner earned his Ph.D. from Washington University's School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, and his B.A. from Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa.
About the Knight Cancer Institute
The Knight Cancer Institute at Oregon Health & Science University is a pioneer in the field of personalized cancer medicine. The institute's director, Brian Druker, M.D., helped prove it was possible to shut down cells that enable cancer to grow without harming healthy cells. This breakthrough has made once-fatal forms of the disease manageable and ushered in a new generation of targeted cancer therapies. The OHSU Knight Cancer Institute is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center between Sacramento and Seattle – an honor earned only by the nation's top cancer centers. It offers the latest treatments and technologies as well as hundreds of research studies and clinical trials. The institute continues to build upon its scientific and clinical leadership with both public support and private philanthropy. Most recently, the institute's plans to advance the early detection of cancer inspired Nike Chairman Phil Knight and his wife Penny to pledge a $500 million donation to the Knight Cancer Institute if OHSU raises an additional $500 million as part of a two-year fundraising campaign. This pledge follows a transformative $100 million gift from the Knights in 2008.


text:
by Diana Tower
In this video Jerry tells us about...oh wait a minute? That is your job! It's time to share your answer from step 8 of "It's English Time". Give your description of "video 3: Jail Time for Jerry" using as much new vocabulary, expressions and phrasal verbs as you can.
Return to It's English Time Step 8: Use It or Lose It!.
Still looking? Search the site for exactly what you need using the site search box below.
Happy exploring!
Every month I get the learning English newsletter and it helps me improve my English. it is very cool! - Inara


text:
Faculty and Employee Assistance
Welcome to the
Faculty and Employee Assistance Program Website!
The Faculty and Employee Assistance Program has been providing comprehensive, onsite Employee Assistance services to employees and their families since its inception in 1991. What began as an EAP for the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia has expanded to include all of UVA plus many of the area employers as well.
The mission of FEAP is to provide comprehensive and high quality EAP services which assist organizations in maximizing employee productivity, help employees identify and improve personal concerns that may affect job performance, and boost morale and improve employee retention. FEAP will address this mission through individualized, confidential assessments based on clinically-sound standards that will result in solving the issue, offering brief counseling or offering appropriate community referrals as necessary. FEAP will also provide consultation to supervisors and managers to assist in addressing employee/team challenges.
Our utilization rates are high and customer feedback is overwhelmingly positive. Much of this, we believe, is a result of being able to meet face to face with employees when they want and need services most. We give them the time and attention needed to accurately identify the issues at hand and immediately start finding solutions.
We realize that each organization is unique, with its own culture, policies and goals. We will become familiar with your mission and needs to tailor our services to your specific needs and always provide a personalized program. We offer a wide range of services and are committed to providing excellent customer satisfaction to both the employee and the organization.


text:
Media interest in the Julian Assange case reached fever pitch again this week with the Ecuadorian government's decision to grant him asylum. As usual though, much of the coverage continues to ignore important facts and context, spin the story in a way that suit their own political and economic agendas or simply attack Assange and anyone that disagrees with them. It's important to highlight some important facts that are routinely being ignored in the media regarding the current plight of the WikiLeaks founder.
1. Assange has already been questioned once in Sweden.
The prosecution is perfectly within its right to re-question Assange but hardly a single media outlet offers any context by mentioning the fact that he's already been questioned once in Sweden and released without charge. Shortly after, the interview transcript was mysteriously leaked to the Swedish press. Nor does the media highlight that Assange waited for 5 weeks before being granted permission to leave the country and continue his work on the War Logs and Cablegate releases with The Guardian in the UK. Some newspapers, especially in Sweden, instead say that he "fled" the country implying that he is somehow "on the run" from the allegations.
2. Assange is willing to return to Sweden but prosecutors can also question him in the UK.
Assange has stated his willingness to return to Sweden if a legal guarantee is made that he will not be extradited to the USA for his work with WikiLeaks. However, there is no compelling reason for him to be in Sweden for questioning. It is standard Swedish practice that when there is no charge and someone is merely wanted for questioning, it can be conducted anywhere in the world including over the phone and via video call. Swedish prosecutors also frequently travel to other countries to question suspects as they did recently to question a man suspected of murder in Serbia. In Assange's case however, Swedish prosecutor Marianne Nye is insisting that Assange must physically be in Sweden to be questioned. No reason has been given for this inflexibility but Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter justifies it by saying it is "a matter of prestige" for Sweden.
3. There is mounting evidence that the US are compiling a criminal case against Assange.
There is enough to suggest that Assange's legal team's fears are justified. Australian diplomatic cables released to the Sydney Morning Herald under the freedom of information act reveal that the Australian government has confirmed that WikiLeaks has been the target of a US Justice Department investigation in Australia "unprecedented both in its scale and nature". The Australian government also suggests that media reports that a secret grand jury has been convened in Alexandria, Virginia, were "likely true". In addition, the WikiLeaks Stratfor Intelligence releases revealed that the Stratfor vice president Fred Burton claimed that: "We have a sealed indictment on Assange". Besides this, considering the atrocious treatment of Bradley Manning currently in a military jail in the US for allegedly leaking documents to Assange, you don't have to wear a tin-foil hat to believe that the US will do whatever it takes to get their hands on Assange and make an example of him.
4. It's actually easier for the US to extradite Assange from Sweden than the UK.
Many people dismiss Assange's US extradition fears on the basis that if it wanted Assange, it would be easier to get him from the UK anyway. However, it's actually considerably harder to extradite him from the UK for various reasons. One is that the UK does not have the "temporary surrender" extradition agreement that exists between Sweden and the USA which can be used to override current international extradition agreements and effectively give the US "instant" extradition powers. Another problem is that if the US were to issue an extradition order for Assange from the UK to the US, it would put the UK in a very difficult position because normally, the first extradition request received from Sweden would have to be honored first. In addition, the more diverse media and greater public support in the UK are factors that would make it harder for the US to extradite from the UK. And for all those that think that the Swedish justice system is somehow the best in the world, the Human Rights Watch archive on Sweden makes some interesting reading.
24-08-12: It's since come to my attention that the "temporary surrender" agreement also exists between the US and UK which is definitely something that many of Assange's supporters don't seem to be aware of. However, the same problem would apply – since Sweden has already issued an extradition request, it would put the British Government in a very tricky position. There's an interesting discussion on this here.
There are many more examples of facts and context routinely left out in media coverage that are important to understanding the Assange case. These are some of the more important ones but as the propaganda war goes on in this increasingly dramatic legal battle, they surely won't be the last.
Postscript: If you want a really revealing and disturbing insight into how the sex allegations against Assange in Sweden unfolded, read the comment thread on my original post about Assange written almost exactly 2 years ago today.


text:
Capitals Sign Tyson Strachan to One-Year, Two-Way Deal
Welcome to the team. (Photo credit: Joel Auerbach)
TSN's Darren Dreger reports that the Washington Capitals have signed former Florida Panthers defenseman Tyson Strachan to a one-year, two-way contract. The terms of the deal have not yet been disclosed. So far, this is the biggest signing the Caps have made since free agency opened Friday.
Strachan, who turned pro in 2006–07, has played 120 games in the NHL with both the Panthers and St. Louis Blues. Last season he played the entire year in Sunrise, tallying four points and racking up 40 penalty minutes. The right-handed shot ultimately gives the organization some more depth on the blueline after the recent departures of buy-out victim Jeff Schultz and Tom Poti. John Walton believes Strachan will start the season in Hershey.
My brother-from-another-mother, Peter Hassett, describes Tyson as a sheltered, unlucky, and unremarkable defenseman, which is a pretty nice way of saying he's a cheap, replacement-level type player. The 28-year-old Canadian also has a bit of a mean streak, as evidenced by this dirty, blind-side hit he delivered to Jason Chimera last season.
Read More


text:
Become a Nurse >> Browse Articles >> Specialties >> Mental Health
All About Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners are advanced practice nurses who provide care and consultation to patients suffering from psychiatric and mental health disorders. For additional information from actual nurses in this field, please see the Psychiatric Nursing discussion thread.
Average Annual Salary
Educational Requirements
- Article: NursingLink's Ten Step Guide To Becoming A Nurse
- Afraid you can't afford nursing school? Check out the millions of dollars available in <a href=http://nursinglink.monster.com/content/education-resources scholarships!
- Nurses with advanced degrees move ahead quickly. Let NursingLink connect you with nursing schools to move you ahead today.
RN license with MSN and NP certification
Check out this site for further information on advancing your nursing education.
Search our job listings for psychiatric nurse positions.
Related Organizations
American Psychiatric Nurses Association
Australian and New Zealand College of Mental Health Nurses
Canadian Federation of Mental Health Nurses
Mental Health Nurses Association (UK)
Featured Books


text:
Daily Roundup: Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, Top 100 Country Songs + More
The tour of the summer began over the weekend. Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw and Jake Owen opened the Brothers of the Sun Tour in Tampa, Fla., and few walked away not believing they'd seen one of the greatest shows in country music. Read a full recap, lus catch up on the latest entries in the Top 100 Country Songs countdown in the Daily Roundup below.
It was a full day of news in country music, but a few non-country stories caught our eye as well. See some of the highlights from the 2012 MTV Movie Awards in today's recap.
Today on Taste of Country:
Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw Launch Brothers of the Sun Tour With a Bang
Top 100 Country Songs Countdown
Win a Copy of Brad Paisley's 'Diary of a Player' Book
Hunter Hayes vs. The Band Perry – The Showdown
Vince Gill, Jake Owen + More Sign on for Second Harvest Food Bank Benefit Concert
Can You Guess Whose Tattoo This Is?
Eric Church to Play Free Makeup Show for Taste of Country Fans in Buffalo
Carrie Underwood, Steven Tyler Duet Rumored for New Aerosmith Album
Dierks Bentley Reflects on Loss of His 'Biggest Influence,' His Dad
The Band Perry Are Stalked, Caught Up in Jewel Heist in 'Postcard From Paris' Video
Rodney Atkins' Annual Music City Gives Back Concert to Take Place Thursday
2012 CMT Music Awards Winners – Readers Poll
Eric Church Insists That a Fourth Album is the Last Thing on His Mind
Scotty McCreery, Carrie Underwood + More to Go to Bat for Annual City of Hope Softball Challenge
Taste of Country Also Recommends:
10 Cover Songs More Famous Than Originals
'Family Feud' Host Richard Dawson Dies – Relive Some of His Funniest Moments
2012 MTV Movie Awards Winners
Black Keys Jam With Johnny Depp at 2012 MTV Movie Awards
Queen Tops British Poll as 'Best Band of the Past 60 Years'


text:
InformationWeek is part of the Informa Tech Division of Informa PLC
This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them.Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.
TECH STOCKS: Inauspicious End Of Glorious Quarter Monday was a sour note for the markets' best quarter in more than four years.
MCI Bankruptcy Crimps EDS Cash Flow A $98 million payment's in limbo. On the other hand, EDS did win a $27 million HR-services contract.
VMware Enhances Server Virtualization New software lets companies create virtual servers on the Intel platform.
Veritas Completes Precise Acquisition The deal is part of the storage-resource management market leader's plan to expand into new areas.
Accenture Launches E-Elections Business There's money to be made helping local, state and federal governments, as well as foreign governments, modernize electoral processes.
Oracle Prepares To Address Justice Department's Concerns But the vendor expects that the department won't find its attempt to take over PeopleSoft anti-competitive.
It's A Reality: Monitoring Business In Real Time Celequest debuts business-activity monitoring software, which tracks and analyzes operational data from manufacturing, financial, and retail systems.
Integration Vendors Speak On IBM's Mid-Market Push Squeeze play from IBM with lower-cost integration wares for small and medium-sized companies puts competitors on defensive
PC Fuel: Fill 'Er Up, Regular NEC is demonstrating a prototype laptop that gets its power from a five-hours-of-power methanol fuel cell.
Bill Would Require Hacked-Account Alert A proposed law would force the disclosure of certain hacker attacks. The Bush administration wants details of attacks kept secret.
IBM Takes On Microsoft: Smaller Businesses Win Companies gain more choices to help them build adaptive, real-time infrastructures
IT Confidential: Nelsonville, Big Brother, And Me 'We're already doing what the Supreme Court wants us to do.'
Rule Changes Could Cut Fed I.T. Workforce Supporters say revisions will increase efficiency; detractors say jobs will be lost
PDAs Make Inroads Into Businesses Vendors make handhelds that are easier for companies to manage
TECH STOCKS: Markets End Week On A Down Note Better-than-expected consumer confidence didn't spark investors on Friday, but the markets are on track to finish the second quarter with solid gains
Symantec: We Should Have Done More The security vendor acknowledges it could have done a better job of informing customers of a security problem.
Taking Stock: Agilent Needs Agility To Reach Profitability Agilent's balance sheet remains strong, with a healthy amount of cash.
Survey: Online Customer Service Is Getting Better The Customer Respect Group's annual study shows the nation's 100 largest companies are improving their Web-site design and handling customer inquiries--but there's still room for improvement.
Bill Would Require Companies To Notify Customers When Accounts Are Hacked The measure, introduced in the Senate, follows a similar law in California that takes effect next week
EDS Inks Deal With Flemish Government The services firm will provide computing and support services in partnership with a Belgian telecom provider.
Sybase Covers All The Bases New offerings help manage very large databases and mobile and small-business apps.
RadView To Ship Web Application Testing Tool WebLoad 6.0 adds support for testing Web services and notification and performance tools.
Lawson Struggles Through Tough Year The ERP vendor had a big drop in sales and net income in fiscal 2003, though it scored several big wins in the fourth quarter
Tech Company Insurers To Pay At Least $1 Billion In IPO Fraud Case Hundreds of companies that staged IPOs during the tech boom will pay investors and cooperate in litigation against 55 brokerages accused of funneling payoffs to insiders.
Federal Outsourcing Battle Heats Up Revised rules that would increase the amount of government work that can be outsourced have put the Bush administration at odds with Congressional Democrats and union leaders


text:
Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Justin Mikita's Tie the Knot bow ties are not the first product to emerge from the intersection of fashion and the marriage movement. Here's a brief timeline of other recent occasions when the fashion industry showed its support for gay rights:
May 2009
Mannequins at Levi Strauss stores in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco sport White Knots, a symbol of support for same-sex marriage.
April 2011
Marc Jacobs releases a limited-edition T-shirt to support the Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights advocacy group. The unisex shirt features an image of a lesbian couple and their child with the text "I pay my taxes, I want my RIGHTS!"
May 2011
The Marc Jacobs flagship store in Manhattan unveils a window scene featuring two brides about to be married and words from Jacobs supporting marriage equality in New York.
J. Crew's May catalog features a picture of two men in J. Crew apparel with the text "Happy Together. Our designer Somsack and his boyfriend, Micah."
Vogue Editor-In-Chief Anna Wintour films a video for the HRC in support of the New Yorkers For Marriage Equality campaign. In the video, Wintour says, "As far as I'm concerned, having the right to say 'I do' is as fundamental as the right to vote."
August 2011
A billboard for Kenneth Cole goes up on New York's West Side Highway reading: "Gay people getting married? (Next they'll be allowed to vote and pay taxes.)"
November 2011
The Calvin Klein Collection store in New York plays host to the launch party for the HRC's Americans for Marriage Equality campaign.
February 2012
HRC Americans for Marriage Equality buttons are distributed at New York Fashion Week events, including in gift bags at the Charlotte Ronson and Costello Tagliapietra runway shows. The Costello Tagliapietra runway show features the first work from designers Jeffrey Costello and Robert Tagliapietra since their wedding in October 2011.
May 2012
Target begins selling limited-edition gay-pride-themed T-shirts through its online store. All proceeds from the shirts are donated to the Family Equality Council, an organization that represents LGBT families.
A page of the J.C. Penney Mother's Day catalog features a lesbian couple with their daughters. The company's Father's Day catalog in June also featured a gay couple with their children.
July 2012
Target stores begin carrying same-sex-marriage-themed greeting cards bearing messages including "Mr. and Mr." and "Women. Love." This month, Target also runs an ad for its wedding registry service, featuring two grooms.
Perfume maker Bond No. 9. releases I Love New York for Marriage Equality, a unisex fragrance in support of the pro-same-sex-marriage I Love New York organization. The perfume features a scent inspired by wedding bouquets.
October 2012
Fashion designer and "Project Runway" star Tim Gunn hosts the HRC Chefs for Equality fundraiser in Washington, D.C. Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley is the event's featured guest.
November 2012
Washington state's Referendum 74 passes, legalizing same-sex marriage in Washington. The ballot measure was publicly supported by Nike, Nordstrom, Amazon.com and several other Washington-based companies.
--Michael Darling


text:
Skyline Releases Softball Report #5
- Zino named Pitcher of the Week, Mistretta named to Honor Roll -
Clifton Park, N.Y. - The Skyline Conference released the fifth softball report for the 2010 season on Monday, April 12th, including Player of the Week, Pitcher of the Week, Rookie of the Week, Honor Roll and Conference statistics.
Sophomore pitcher Hope Zino (Bay Shore, N.Y./Bay Shore) was named Skyline Conference Pitcher of the Week. Zino went 4-0 with a 0.00 ERA last week. In 22.0 innings of work, Zino gave up just 10 hits and three unearned runs. She struck out 27 batters while walking just two. Zino did not allow more than three hits in any game (Baruch, St. Joseph's (2), Sage).
Freshman second baseman Maressa Mistretta (Shirley, N.Y./Longwood) was named to the Skyline Conference Player of the Week Honor Roll. She batted .550 with 10 runs scored and four RBI in six games for the Rams.
To view the full report, click HERE.


text:
Wow - I can't believe Bett 2013 is nearly upon us. It only seems like yesterday that we were packing up our stand at Olympia after a fun and rewarding 4 days at the show. In this case, time definitely does fly!
So, with a fairly wide remit at Bett 2012 that was built around the theme of 'Anytime, Anywhere Learning… for all', what's on the cards for Microsoft @ Bett for 2013?
Well, with the move to Excel, we are all definitely going to need to find a new café for that much needed bacon sandwich in the morning (Franks Sandwich bar, you will be missed). On a more serious note, though, we are super excited about many of the new opportunities that the new venue, and the fresh new approach by the Bett organisers for the 2013 show, provides to help us add greater value to our community.
More specifically, the theme for Bett 2013 is going to be a 'New Era of Digital Learning'. With a number of sub-themes that align to this umbrella theme, such as Windows 8, Office 365 for education, 1:1 Computing and tablets in education, we will be discussing how technology can help create more engaging and emotional connections with learning that is steeped in real world problem solving.
Furthermore, in response to the tremendous amount of innovation in the technology available in classrooms, we will also be extending our focus on supporting teachers in the resulting shifts in pedagogy, practice and management needed for us to deliver on the promise of a new era of digital learning through Partners in Learning (PiL) and our Windows in the Classroom seminar programme.
Microsoft @ Bett 2013: So what about the detail…
New for Bett 2013 is the Bett Arena, and we are proud to be sponsoring its inaugural year. We have been busy working closely with the folks at Bett to curate an amazing line-up of insightful, entertaining and informative speakers that will add a new dimension to visitors experience at the show. With a mix of household names and passionate in-sector speakers, visiting the Bett Arena is going to be an essential part of your day at the show.
Our very own VP for Education, Anthony Salcito, will be presenting in the Arena on the opening day of the show and we are also running a computer science in the curriculum panel discussion. More details on both of these will be available via the blog at a later date.
Moving beyond the Bett Arena, Microsoft's presence is very much focused around sharing best practice and solving your problems. With the Microsoft Learn Live Theatre, we are delivering a wide range of keynotes across all 4 days of the show that address the sub themes associated with the show.
These include:
- Windows 8
- Office 365 for education
- Cloud: Public and Private
- 1:1 Computing
- Apps
- Community and teaching & learning - Windows in the Classroom and Partners in Learning
- Devices inc Surface RT
As with previous BETT events, Learn Live Theatre sessions will be delivered by a mix of teachers, network managers and Microsoft Staff. We feel privileged to work with some amazing teachers and I highly recommend taking the time to visit the theatre to learn more about how the likes of Charlotte Beckhurst, David Rogers, Janet Hayward and Kristian Still are using technology to raise attainment and help their students realise their full potential.
Full details regarding the schedule for the Learn Live Theatre sessions will be made available in a future blog post.
In addition to the Learn Live Theatre, we are also hosting a Windows 8 stand for 2013. This space will complement the Learn Live Theatre by giving a more direct focus on Windows 8, devices (including Surface RT) and apps.
The Windows 8 stand will include representatives from a selection of our OEM community - Acer, Toshiba and Asus- and the partners behind our Top Apps in Education. Our Surface RT device will also be available to trial on the stand. I personally can't get over the build quality of this device and can't wait to make it available for you to test on the stand. It really is a thing of beauty!
The Windows 8 stand will also feature an intimate theatre where we will be showcasing short presentations around the core focus of the stand - Windows 8, Devices, Apps, WMS and Windows Phone 8.
But what about the demos?
Across both the Microsoft Learn Live Theatre and Windows 8 Stand, we will be signposting to our partner community who are exhibiting at the show to help demonstrate how our technologies, in conjunction with the experience and expertise of our partners, can help make a difference within your institution.
We will be making a handy flyer available on our stands that list all of our partners, combined with their area of expertise and stand number, so you can easily find someone to answer your questions or offer a demo. Additionally, we will be signposting to relevant partners at the end of each Learn Live Theatre presentation. Our Microsoft @ Bett Microsite (available soon) will also feature a list of the partners at the show if you want to plan your visit ahead of time.
Microsoft staff will be available on both stands if you have a question or need guidance on which partner to speak with. Just shout and we will be happy to help!
Treasure Trail
More details on our theatre agenda and overall presence at Bett 2013 will be shared via the blog over the coming weeks, but just wanted to take this opportunity to share some information about our Treasure Trail. The Treasure Trail will be run in conjunction with participating partners and will offer visitors to the show the ability to win some amazing prizes that range from a Surface RT Device, Xbox 360 and a PC.
Entry cards can the collected from the Microsoft Stand. Visit each participating partner stand, answer the question, and you will receive a stamp. When completed, the card should then be dropped off at the Microsoft Stand. We will be carrying out 2 draws per day at 4pm on the Microsoft Learn Live Theatre (Wednesday – Friday).
Pop by the Microsoft stand for the entry card or if you have any questions about the competition.
Stand Number
Other than to say keep an eye out on the blog for more information about all the latest news regarding our presence at Bett 2013, I just wanted to share the stand numbers for our stands at the show.
- Microsoft Learn Live Theatre - Stand # D270
- Windows 8 Stand - Stand # E270
More news to follow and if you have any immediate questions, please do not hesitate to reach out via Twitter - @tbush
Look forward to seeing you at Bett 2013!


text:
GWAR To Debut New Scumdog During Upcoming 'GWAR-B-Q'
GWAR are back at full strength! Singer Oderus Urungus has revealed the band has found a replacement for late guitarist Cory Smoot (Flattus Maximus), and will announce the new member of the band in just a few days.
At the time of Smoot's tragic death in 2011, Oderus Urungus revealed that there would never be another Flattus Maximus in the group. The singer has now revealed that there will be a new "scumdog" joining them when they take part in the "GWAR-B-Q" Aug. 18 in Richmond, Va.
Urungus took the time to give an update on their latest album without Smoot, explaining, "We are writing 14-16 songs for the new album … then we will keep the best 12 or so, then use the rest for imports and other stuff … This album is the hardest but most satisfying so far. To keep or even surpass what we achieved w Flattus is no easy task. Have never worked so hard on an album, and never in our own in-house Slave-Pit Studios. For Flattus. And you guys! There is a new Scumdog, song titles, lyrics, all kinds of stuff…but it will have to wait til' this GWAR -B-Q!"
Gwar will play Hadad's Lake Aug. 18 for the "GWAR-B-Q," with a handful of dates booked in September, followed by a full-on tour in October and November.


text:
Paula Creamer warms up with beatdown
Pitchers and catchers are reporting to Major League Baseball camps, but Paula Creamer went through her own version of Spring Training this week.
With the beginning of her 2013 LPGA Tour season not scheduled for another couple of weeks, the Pink Panther decided to knock some of the rust off by playing in a Suncoast Ladies Series event this week. The 54-hole event kicked off on Monday, and this afternoon Creamer wrapped up an 11-stroke victory.
''The reason I played is I'm not going to Australia next week, and I wanted to get a scorecard in my hand and get a tournament under my belt before starting the LPGA season, '' Creamer told the Golf Channel. ''It was a good golf course,'' she said of host venue Orange Tree Golf Club in Orlando.
The 2013 LPGA Tour season begins next week at the the ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open. Creamer is planning to start her campaign the following week at the Honda LPGA Thailand event.
Creamer pocketed a check for $2,100 for her victory. She led by five after the second round, then closed with a 65 to establish her 11-shot victory margin.
Despite the beatdown, Creamer's presence was a positive for her young competitors, said Suncoast Ladies Series Director Scott Walker.
''It's nice to see a player of her stature in our event, '' he told the Golf Channel. ''It's good for the players who aren't as established to play with her and see how they compare.''
The Latest
PGA of America Championships
Bethpage State Park, Black Course
Farmingdale, New York
Oak Hill Country Club
Rochester, New York
Hazeltine National Golf Club
Chaska, Minnesota
Bluffton, South Carolina
Whistling Straits
Kohler, Wisconsin


text:
Need a hand during the holidays? Try getting your grocery delivered using Instacart and get $15 credit on your first order of $35 or more.
Instacart Introduction
With Instacart, you can save yourself that trip to the market — Instacart delivers groceries in as little as 1 hour! We connect you with Personal Shoppers in your area to shop and deliver groceries from your favorite stores. You can shop your favorite local grocery store from anywhere using your computer, iPhone, iPad or Android device. You can schedule your groceries to be delivered in as little as 1 hour, or have them delivered later in the day or week, and they will be delivered straight to your door!
- Instacart may not be available in all zip codes so check availability in your area
- Log in below and click on the link. Fill in your name and email address to receive the $15 Instacart promo code emailed to you
- On your first purchase of $35 or more, use the $15 promo code to get your discount
Log in below to access this discount.


text:
Robert Pattinson Hasn't Ruled Out Reuniting With Kristen Stewart
There's still hope, Robsten fans! Though Rob is living the single life right now, a source close to the actor tells HollywoodLife.com EXCLUSIVELY that he hasn't fully given up on his love for Kristen.
Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, perhaps their love will never die. The former couple is currently giving each other space — and Rob has even tested the dating waters — but is it only a matter of time before they get back together?
Robert Pattinson: Still Thinking About Getting Back Together
"At this point, Rob's just going to focus on making great cinema and hanging out with his friends," a source close to the Twilight star tells HollywoodLife.com exclusively. Rob is still feeling some after-effects from his tough breakup with Kristen, so he needs some time to himself to get a breather.
But despite being hurt by Kristen and the split, the source says that R-Patz hasn't quite given up hope on their relationship: "He's told his friends that during a different time and different circumstances, they could make it work."
That's hope right there! Rob just mentioning that he's thinking about how he and Kristen could make it work is a sign that he hasn't ruled out the possibility.
Kristen Stewart: Hope May Be Exactly What She Needs
The fact that Rob is leaving the door open for a potential reunion is huge news, and no one will be happier to hear it than Kristen.
The 23-year-old actress was devastated when Rob ended things in May, and a source tells HollywoodLife.com exclusively that she's still badly struggling.
"Kristen is still a damn mess," the source says. "She's been regretting cheating every day since she got caught, and she's convinced that she could still have Rob if not for that."
Kristen is clearly having a difficult time, but knowing that there's still a chance — that all hope is not lost — may lift her spirits. It sounds like Rob still wants some more time to himself, but the important thing is that the relationship is not totally over.
What do you think, HollywoodLifers? Are you thrilled that Rob is still considering a reunion? Let us know!
WATCH: Robert Pattinson Quits Smoking After Kristen Stewart Split
— Andrew Gruttadaro
More Robert Pattinson & Kristen Stewart News:
- Robert Pattinson's Night Out In Los Angeles: Avoiding Kristen Stewart?
- Robert Pattinson Is Brushing Off Riley Keough Because Of Kristen Stewart
- Kristen Stewart: How She's Coping With Her Broken Heart


text:
It's well known that investments in early childhood education reap long-term rewards. "The foundation for a strong workforce begins at birth," reads the 2012 " Making Maine Work" report by the Maine State Chamber of Commerce and the Maine Development Foundation.
At a time when more than 20 percent of Maine's youngest live in families earning less than the poverty level, and 47 percent live in low-income families, it makes no sense for the government to neglect quality early learning programs like Head Start, which not only let mothers and fathers work to support their little ones but give children a greater chance of succeeding in and out of school.
Yet Congress allowed sequestration to take effect March 1, resulting in $85 billion in broad-based cuts to federal programs and departments. Sequestration happened because a "supercommittee" tasked with finding $1.2 trillion in cuts over the next decade failed, and Congress couldn't agree on a solution, leading to automatic funding reductions for programs dear to Republicans and Democrats alike.
The cuts to Head Start, a federal program for children from birth to age 5, will only harm the economic prospects of the state and its children. In Maine, Head Start will lose $1.61 million in 2013, according to the Maine Head Start Directors Association. About 360 children, out of 4,433 served in the 2011-12 school year, will not be placed in a classroom. Twenty-two classrooms will close, and 86 Head Start workers will lose their jobs.
Moms and dads in each county will lose a service that, even before the cuts, had resources to only serve 30 percent of eligible families.
Oxford and Franklin counties will lose 55 enrollment openings and 12 jobs. York County will lose 49 enrollment slots and nine jobs. In Penobscot, Piscataquis and Knox counties, it's 45 slots, 10 jobs. Hancock and Washington: 43 slots, eight jobs. Northern Kennebec and Somerset: 34 slots, six jobs. Southern Kennebec: 28 slots, eight jobs. Cumberland: 34 slots, five jobs. Aroostook: 30 slots, six jobs. Sagadahoc, Lincoln: 20 slots, four jobs. Androscoggin: 15 slots, 17 jobs. Waldo: seven slots, one job.
There would be an uproar if businesses were closing like this. We want to see an uproar from Maine's congressional delegation, which has some power to reverse the cuts.
Congress can act when it wants to. This spring, the House and Senate quickly approved legislation, sponsored by U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, to release $253 million to air traffic control operations less than a week after an increase in flight delays caused by sequestration. The percentage of flights at major American airports that waited more than an hour to take off had grown to 1.4 percent from 0.7 percent, according to a consulting company called masFlight. The percentage that waited from 31 to 60 minutes increased to 9.5 percent from 7.2 percent.
An increase in delays at the airport is a tangible problem. The harm caused by eliminating Head Start openings for poor children is more invisible. But the loss is pronounced. The same urgency shown to fixing flight delays can surely be applied to Head Start.
Maine's congressional delegation has bemoaned the sequester and the fact that Congress could not find an alternative. They support Head Start and do not want to see classroom closures. The program is an economic development tool: those who receive consistent, nurturing early childhood education go on to show higher levels of educational attainment, require fewer special education services and are more likely to graduate from high school.
Maine's representatives and senators should continue to fight this battle — fiercely.


text: Farm Bill Torn Asunder August 23, 2013 10:09 PM Tweet If the House's farm-policy only bill had made it to President Barack Obama's desk, his advisers would have likely recommended a veto. Politics halt legislative progress yet again It's a different year but basically the same story. While farm policy is typically one of the most bipartisan pieces of legislation, that hasn't been the case with the 2013 farm bill process—and the chances of that changing yet this year are slim. The Senate handily approved their version of a new farm bill with several key shifts, compared with their 2012 version. In particular, the Senate bill now includes a target price commodity program known as Adverse Market Payments (AMP), in addition to revenue-based Ag Risk Coverage (ARC). The target crop prices would be set at 2008 levels, except for rice and peanuts, which would receive a boost. The ARC program still remains the top choice because, based on the Congressional Budget Office assessment, 80% of the outlays under the Senate bill would come through the revenue-based ARC program. In the House, the farm bill process is riddled with numerous amendments and resulting debate—both in committee and on the floor. As the bill was being readied for the floor, House Ag Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) expressed confidence that the votes were there for the House to approve the farm bill, "short of interesting things happening on the floor," he said. Guess what? Several interesting things did happen. First, an amendment on dairy policy from Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) stripped the voluntary supply management plan from the package. At the last minute. Late in the House process, an amendment from Rep. Steve Southerland (R-Fla.) and backed by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) was approved that would allow states to impose work requirements on food stamp recipients. Democrats chafed at the amendment, which showed when the final votes were cast and the bill was defeated 195-234 (171 Republicans and 24 Democrats voting in favor and 62 Republicans and 172 Democrats voting no). The defeat immediately spurred a search for a way forward, which led to a separate track for the farm policy portions and the nutrition portions. In the end, the farm-policy only bill was approved on a straight party-line vote of 216-208, with no Democrats opting to support the plan. Ag circles in Washington, D.C., were in a state of shock and disbelief—the decades-standing link in the farm bill between agriculture and nutrition had been broken. Despite the House's ultimate vote, Senate Ag Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) chided the House for separating the two elements and blasting the lack of a nutrition title. The White House warned that should the House farm bill arrive on President Barack Obama's desk, his advisers would recommend a veto. Another key shift in the House bill comes relative to permanent farm law. The House farm-policy only bill would replace the arcane permanent law provisions (known as the 1938 and 1949 Acts) with the new proposed Commodity Title of the bill, Title 1. That move was opposed by both the American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Farmers Union. This would likely be the first time a House farm bill was passed without the support of the two major farm groups. Moving forward. As it stands now, the House is scheduled to pull together a nutrition-only bill and get it approved by the chamber in September. Current indications point to the House package cutting $40 billion from the nutrition programs—spending that makes up roughly 80% of USDA outlays under the farm bill. That compares with $20.5 billion in reductions in the failed House farm bill and just $4 billion in the Senate-approved bill. How will the food stamp funding differences between the House and Senate shake out? The final figure might ultimately have to be decided by congressional leaders, Lucas says. "This may be one of those issues where the conference committee can work out what each policy really does and the dollar effect on the budget, but then you have to have a little more guidance from on high," Lucas says. "That's not passing the buck; that's just saying it's a tough bridge to cross to achieve consensus." Sources predict an eventual food stamp funding cut of $10 to $12 billion. House Ag Committee Ranking Democrat Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) declared the level of reductions to nutrition programs a non-starter. "Adding an additional $20 billion in nutrition cuts, on top of the poison pill nutrition amendments that brought down the Agriculture Committee's bipartisan farm bill in June, effectively kills any hopes of passing a five-year farm bill this year," Peterson says. Chances of an extension? So what about an extension, given there are only nine legislative days the House will be in session in September and just 16 for the Senate? No odds, according to Stabenow and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). But then Stabenow also opposed an extension in 2012, only to agree to one later to avert a sharp rise in milk prices when permanent law provisions would have kicked in at the beginning of 2013. Stabenow says that is in part due to opposition to continuing direct payments, especially from Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.). Still, the odds for an extension of the 2008 Farm Bill exist, but it might not take the shape of a status quo one-year extension. In order to address concerns by Flake and others about continuing direct payments, those might be reformed or even jettisoned if an extension takes place. Based on the options, the most realistic scenario might be an end-of-session grouping of the farm bill, including food stamp funding, with a continuing resolution for fiscal year 2014 funding and a short-term extension of the debt-limit ceiling. The farm bill savings could then be used for some "pay-fors" regarding other issues. An extension of the 2008 farm bill is also possible, and as noted, it might take longer than a one-year extension to get the matter on the other side of 2014 elections. The final option is a solo House-Senate farm bill conference report. Most observers are putting their money on option one or two, noting that Washington can act when it comes to the end of the year. Politics From All Sides While political bashing and bluster is nothing new when it comes to legislative initiatives, what is new, based on media accounts, is when a farm group president says she was given permission by her corn grower members "to use swear words" with House members if it was necessary to get the point across. To make her case, National Corn Growers Association President Pam Johnson says her members would tell Congress: "We are mad as hell. We are not going to take this anymore. We are going to hold you accountable." Seldom heard from during the farm bill process, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack waded into the political waters as well, expressing his opposition to an extension. "Extensions are an acknowledgment of failure," he said. "We need five years of certainty. This is not just a farm bill. This is a jobs bill and a food bill." Vilsack went so far as to say farmers need to set aside their "rural politeness" and demand action from lawmakers, labeling it a "silly notion" for House leaders to strip the nutrition title from the bill. On CBS's "Face the Nation," host Bob Schieffer chimed in and said that the House Republicans passed a bill providing "welfare for the wealthy" while leaving the poor to fend for themselves. Back to news


text:
Guys, it's election season — obvious, I know, right? But this is important when it comes to "The Voice" because tonight's show was cut short because of the third and final presidential debate.
Now, this is a space free of any politics (a safe place, if you will) but I have to hammer this home: IT IS SO IMPORTANT YOU VOTE…for your favorite singers on "The Voice." But, right now we're still wrapping up the battles, and audience votes won't count just yet, but they will. So yeah, voting is important.
New Orleans native Alexis Marceaux and second-time Voice-er Daniel Rosa were the first battle of the night, with Adam Lambert's...