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Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, island country lying within the Lesser Antilles, in the eastern Caribbean Sea. It consists of the island of Saint Vincent and the northern Grenadine Islands, which stretch southward toward Grenada. The island of Saint Vincent lies about 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Saint Lucia and 100 miles (160 km) west of Barbados. It is 18 miles (30 km) long and has a maximum width of 11 miles (18 km). The larger islands of the Grenadines associated with Saint Vincent are Bequia, Canouan, Mayreau, Mustique, Prune (Palm) Island, Petit Saint Vincent Island, and Union Island. The Tobago Cays, just to the east of Mayreau, have been designated a wildlife reserve.
The name Saint Vincent originally applied to the mainland and the group of smaller islands associated with it. After the attainment of independence in 1979 the multi-island state was renamed Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The capital and major port is Kingstown, on Saint Vincent. The country is a member of the Commonwealth.
Relief, soils, and drainage
The island of Saint Vincent has thickly wooded volcanic mountains running north-south and many short swift streams. Though numerous, the streams are small except after heavy rains. There are no navigable rivers. The island's two highest peaks are both on the volcano Soufrière (4,048 feet [1,234 metres] and 3,864 feet [1,178 metres]), in the north, which erupted disastrously in 1812 and 1902, seriously affecting the country's agriculture and temporarily displacing residents of communities around the foothills of the volcano. The 1902 eruption coincided with that of Mount Pelée on Martinique. Soufrière became active again in 1979, repeating the cycle of agricultural damage and massive evacuation. The volcanic ash, which spread as far as Barbados, is said to have enhanced the fertility of the soil. Other noteworthy peaks on the island include Grand Bonhomme and Mount St. Andrew.
The soil of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is very fertile and permits the easy cultivation of a variety of vegetables and fruits as well as arrowroot, which is no longer a major crop but is still grown in the northeastern part of the main island. Vegetation is varied, and there are a number of plants of striking brilliance, including hibiscus and poinsettia. Cultivated land spreads out below the forest zone, and in some areas terraces protect against erosion. Birdlife on the island is especially rich.
Saint Vincent lies in the path of the northeast trade winds and has a tropical maritime climate. Rainfall and temperature vary with elevation. Average annual rainfall ranges from about 60 inches (1,500 mm) on the coast to 150 inches (3,800 mm) in the central mountains. More-moderate amounts fall on the coastal area, which annually receives about 60 to 80 inches (1,500 to 2,000 mm). Heavier amounts fall on the windward (eastern) side of the island. The temperature at Kingstown averages between the mid-60s and about 90 °F (between about 18 and 32 °C). Tropical cyclones (hurricanes) occasionally pass across or near the island; it suffered notably severe ones in 1780 and 1898, and less-severe but still destructive ones in 1955 and 1980. The dry season on Saint Vincent lasts from January to May; the rains start in June and continue until the end of the year.
Some two-thirds of the inhabitants are descended from Africans who were enslaved and brought to work on the sugar plantations; another one-fifth of the population is of mixed African-European ancestry. There are small minorities of people of South Asian, European, Carib, and mixed African and Carib descent; the latter are known as the Garifuna. English is the official language. An English patois is commonly spoken and referred to in some academic quarters as "nation language" (that is, a postcolonial version of a language that was imposed by colonizers—in this case, English—that incorporates underground language codes from formerly suppressed languages, in this case the African languages of the slaves).
Nearly half the population is Protestant, and another one-third is independent or unaffiliated Christian. Less than one-tenth of the population is Roman Catholic. The Spiritual Baptist, or Shaker (as it was known in Saint Vincent), church, a syncretic Protestant-African faith, was banned from 1912 to the 1960s; in the late 20th century the church began a significant resurgence. There are also branches of North American Evangelical churches, and there are smaller numbers of Hindus and Muslims.
Life expectancy is about 70 years for males and in the mid-70s for females. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines once had one of the highest birth rates in the West Indies. That figure declined drastically in the late 20th century, however, largely as the result of government family-planning efforts, and by the early 21st century it was roughly equivalent to the West Indian average. The rate of natural increase declined likewise over the same period. The country has a high rate of emigration.
Agriculture, forestry, and fisheries
The economy of Saint Vincent is chiefly agricultural. The country is one of the world's few producers of arrowroot, despite a major decline in the industry. Saint Vincent was once the greatest exporter of it. Cotton and sugarcane were formerly important to the economy, but, since the second half of the 20th century, bananas have been the leading export, and cotton is no longer grown. Other important crops include sweet potatoes, plantains, yams, coconuts, and dasheens and eddoes (types of taro). Rice and flour are milled from imported white-cargo or rice and wheat. All these agricultural products are used locally and exported to neighbouring Caribbean countries. The interior of the island of Saint Vincent is still forested, though there is significant encroachment on the woodland. There is a growing fishing industry, both offshore and inland, that produces for local consumption as well as for export to other Caribbean islands and to the United States, particularly to locations on the Eastern seaboard, such as Miami and New York City. Lobster, conch, tuna, and swordfish are the main seafoods exported.
Manufacturing and trade
Manufacturing is of minor economic importance. There is some focus, however, on light manufacturing, on the milling of rice and flour, and on the production of beer. There are also plants for distilling rum, building yachts, and making boxes for locally produced beer and the packing of bananas.
The major imports are machinery and transport equipment, food and beverages, chemicals, and fuels, coming primarily from the United States and the Caribbean Community and Common Market (Caricom) countries, especially Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela. The main exports are bananas, packaged flour and rice, and root crops such as dasheens and eddoes. The country's main export destinations are the Caricom countries, particularly Saint Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, and Antigua and Barbuda.
Tourism has assumed a significant role in the economy, especially with the greater accessibility of the Grenadines through the airports established throughout the islands and the use of larger and more modern boats. Noted for their coral reefs and fine beaches, the Grenadines serve as the focus of the country's tourism sector. They are particularly favoured by those interested in yachting and sport fishing and lend themselves to Caribbean tourism's traditional emphasis on sun, sea, and sand. One of the Grenadines, the island of Mustique, is privately owned by a consortium of landowners, many of whom rent their property to vacationers. Ecotourism is being encouraged on the main island, Saint Vincent.
The country's major airport, Argyle International Airport, is located in the southeastern portion of Saint Vincent. Several of the Grenadines also have airstrips. Kingstown has a deepwater port and a cruise ship berth.
Transport on the island of Saint Vincent is adequate. A road network runs along most of the coast from Chateaubelair in the northwest, down to the south coast, and back up to Fancy on the northeastern side of the island. The area on the western side from Fancy to Chateaubelair is extremely rocky, and the roughness of the terrain has prevented the completion of the road network around the island. A series of feeder roads were built from the coastal area inland to facilitate the movement of agricultural products to the markets and to serve numerous inland communities.
Government and society
Constitutional framework
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary form of government. The British monarch is the head of state and is represented by an appointed governor-general. A prime minister, the leader of the majority party, is the head of government. The unicameral legislature is the House of Assembly. It is composed of 15 members (called representatives) elected to five-year terms by universal adult suffrage, along with six nonelected members (called senators) who are appointed by the governor-general—four on the advice of the prime minister and two on the advice of the leader of the opposition. Two additional seats in the legislature are designated for the attorney general and the speaker. The number of members of the House of Assembly may vary between 21 and 23, depending on whether the attorney general and the speaker are elected from inside or outside the House.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines' court system consists of a lower and an upper judiciary. The lower courts include magistrates' and family courts; the High Court and the Court of Appeal form the upper level. Saint Vincent retains its connection with the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court. This consists of an appeals court and a high court, while the final court of appeal remains the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London.
Education, health, and welfare
Primary education is free but not compulsory. Most primary schools are administered by the government, and a small number are private. Secondary education begins at age 11. Most secondary schools are government controlled, with a few run by the Catholic and Anglican religious organizations with government assistance. Other educational institutions include technical and vocational schools, a school for children with special needs, and Saint Vincent Community College, which provides nursing and teacher training among other subjects. The University of the West Indies Open Campus has a location in Saint Vincent.
Government health initiatives are directed primarily against chronic diseases, including diabetes and hypertension. For children, the focus of attention is on immunization against diseases such as polio and measles. Combating obesity and asthma in children is increasingly a priority. HIV/AIDS receives great attention from the health authorities, and domestic violence is a growing area of concern. The country has a main public general hospital, several smaller public and private hospitals, and a number of outpatient health centres.
Cultural life
Carnival is the major cultural event. The Nine Mornings Festival takes place in Kingstown in the nine mornings preceding Christmas. While traditionally it consisted of early-morning street parades accompanied by caroling, bicycle races, and other festivities, the focus now in Kingstown is on early-morning street concerts. In the rural areas, celebrations of this festival are more diverse and include attempts to revive dying cultural practices. Some of the Grenadine Islands have annual regattas that include carnival-type activities.
Kingstown has a number of cultural heritage sites. They include the Botanical Gardens (founded in 1765) and Fort Charlotte (1806); of architectural interest is the Georgian-style St. George's (Anglican) Cathedral. Other 18th- and 19th-century buildings include the courthouse and the House of Assembly, which occupy the same building, and the police barracks.
Traditional cultural practices such as tea meetings (ceremonial speech and singing demonstrations) are occasionally held, and there has been some emphasis put on dance, drama, and music festivals. Calypso, soca (which blends traditional calypso and Indian rhythmic instruments), and Jamaican dancehall and reggae music tend to dominate the country's music charts.
The rise of individualism, economic independence, and migration have led to a decrease in the importance of the extended family. Women are increasingly involved in economic, political, and cultural life to a greater degree than was the case traditionally. Men and women have equal status under the law, and a government department of gender affairs is concerned with issues including gender equality and equal access to social, political, economic, and educational opportunities.
With globalization, the demand for foreign foods has increased, and these are widely available in supermarkets. Growing awareness and concerns about health and nutrition are beginning to lead to a greater emphasis on local foods for consumption, however. The country's markets are usually well stocked with fruits and vegetables. The national dish is roasted breadfruit and fried jackfish (jack); the fish are commonly caught locally, and breadfruit have been present on the island of Saint Vincent since 1793, when they were brought by Capt. William Bligh, the former commander of HMS Bounty.
Sports and recreation
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines are internationally renowned for the clarity and calm of their offshore leeward waters, which have lured countless yachtsmen, sailors, surfers, and scuba divers to the islands.
Native Vincentians, however, favour land-based sports, especially cricket. The Arnos Vale Sports Complex, in Kingstown, has become a popular venue for one-day international cricket matches. Over the years, Vincentian cricketers have represented the West Indies in international cricket tournaments and have played professionally in England. Vincentians are equally fond of football (soccer); the national team has played in the Caribbean Cup and the Gold Cup world competition. The sport of netball has also produced a number of strong Vincentian national teams. Basketball and women's cricket and football are gaining popularity.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines made its first appearance at the Olympics at the 1988 Seoul Games. Vincentian athletes compete and place regularly in the quadrennial Commonwealth Games.
Media and publishing
The government runs a free public library system. Several weekly newspapers are published. Cable television service provides programs mainly from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and from North America. Local radio and television programming is provided by a government-owned broadcasting company in the capital. There are a number of private radio stations, including one affiliated with a political party and another that broadcasts religious programs.
Before the time of European contact, Saint Vincent was first inhabited by the Ciboney, who were joined and eventually displaced or conquered by an Arawak people who had originated in Venezuela and settled the West Indies. About a century before the arrival of European explorers, the Arawak were themselves displaced by another group, the Carib, who originated from South America.
It was formerly thought that Christopher Columbus first visited the island and named it Saint Vincent on Jan. 22, 1498, a day that used to be celebrated as "Discovery Day." It is now known that Columbus was still in Spain on that day, and there is no evidence to suggest that he ever visited Saint Vincent.
In the 17th century a group of so-called "Black Caribs," also known as the Garifuna, was formed from intermarriage between the indigenous Caribs and more-recent African arrivals. The Africans were mainly slaves who had escaped from plantations in Barbados or were taken from raids on European plantations; other Africans came from a party of slaves who were shipwrecked in the Grenadines in either 1635 or 1673 (both dates are frequently given) and eventually reached the Saint Vincent mainland.
The Caribs resisted frequent British, French, and Dutch attempts to settle in Saint Vincent, but they eventually allowed limited French settlement of the island's west coast in the early 18th century. This move was likely aimed at gaining French support against the more aggressive English. In 1763, with the Treaty of Paris, Britain was granted control of Saint Vincent and settlement proceeded, although the Caribs refused to accept British sovereignty. In 1779 the island was seized by the French, but in 1783 it was restored to Britain under the Treaty of Versailles. The Caribs' ongoing resistance to British presence led to two wars (1772–73 and 1795–96); the Caribs were exiled following the second. Most were deported to an island off the coast of Honduras, from which they later migrated to Belize and other areas along the Atlantic coast of Central America. Those who remained sought refuge in the interior of the island until an act of the colonial legislature in 1805 pardoned them for their rebellion, which had been deemed treasonous.
Following the conquest of the Caribs, the British government took full control of the country. After the Treaty of Paris of 1763, Saint Vincent had become part of an administrative union known as the Windward Islands. The union comprised the islands of Grenada, Saint Vincent, Dominica, Tobago, and the Grenadines; they shared a common representative assembly and a seat of administration in Grenada. This union soon collapsed, and the islands were given separate representative assemblies. In 1791 the islands of the Grenadines were partitioned between Grenada and Saint Vincent, with Saint Vincent having administrative control over the ones to the north; these were closer to Saint Vincent and therefore could more effectively be administered by it. This system of administration lasted until 1877. It was replaced by a crown colony system in which a governor and a nominated council administered the islands on behalf of the British crown.
A plantation economy grew, producing sugar, cotton, coffee, and cocoa with the use of the labour of enslaved Africans. The emancipation of the slaves in 1834 increased the bargaining power of the former slaves and reduced the planters' total control; Portuguese and South Asian labourers were introduced later in the century to increase competition and weaken the position of the emancipated people in the labour market.
In the latter half of the 19th century, sugar prices fell, plunging the island into a depression that lasted through the end of the century. The hurricane of 1898 and the eruption of Soufrière in 1902 were especially damaging to agriculture, hindering economic recovery, and virtually signaled the end of the sugar industry. Sugar was replaced as the major crop by arrowroot and Sea Island cotton, which remained the dominant export crops until their place was taken by bananas in the 1950s.
The 20th century was dominated by a struggle to replace the crown colony system of government by a representative system. A legislative council was established in 1925, but the franchise was limited and the majority of descendants of slaves were kept out of the process. Efforts to extend the franchise and to get further constitutional reform culminated in a federation of the islands. Riots in the mid-1930s, sparked by fallout from the Great Depression, paved the way for further constitutional reform that reached a climax in 1951, when universal adult suffrage was introduced. Saint Vincent also joined the West Indies Federation, which existed from 1958 to 1962. A new constitution was adopted in 1960. Saint Vincent became a state in association with the United Kingdom on Oct. 27, 1969; it had become a member of the Caribbean Free Trade Area on July 1, 1968. It joined the Caribbean Community and Common Market (Caricom) in 1973 and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States in 1981.
After the collapse of the West Indies Federation in 1962, efforts began that were aimed at creating political union among different groupings of the federation's former members, but the efforts did not bear fruit. Most of the islands sought independence individually. Independence for Saint Vincent was achieved on Oct. 27, 1979. Shortly thereafter, the political entity became known officially as Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The new government was formed as a constitutional monarchy and became a member of the Commonwealth. The country held its first elections in December of that year. The Saint Vincent Labour Party, the ruling party of the time, won the elections, and its leader, Milton Cato, became the first prime minister of the independent country. Cato, a Caribbean nationalist, favoured closer links with the relatively centrist governments of Trinidad and Tobago and of Barbados.
In 1979 the Soufrière volcano erupted once again, damaging agriculture and the tourist trade. The banana industry was seriously damaged by Hurricane Allen in 1980. Recession in the United States and the falling value of the pound sterling against the dollar further lowered tourist visits and exports of bananas during the early 1980s.
In July 1984 the New Democratic Party, under James Mitchell, won the general elections. Mitchell began a program of reorganizing agriculture and of lowering unemployment by encouraging the construction industry and facilitating land settlement among landless agricultural workers. Mitchell's party won the next several elections. He remained in office until his retirement from the presidency in August 2000 and was succeeded by Arnhim Eustace. A general election was called for March 2001; the left-wing Unity Labour Party won a decisive majority, and its leader, Ralph Gonsalves, became prime minister.
The people of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, like other people of the Commonwealth Caribbean, see the deepening of a regional integration movement as one of their goals. In the early 21st century the various countries were concerned with the creation of a Caribbean single market and economy, and in December 2009 a subgrouping of members of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States—including Saint Vincent and the Grenadines—signed a treaty establishing an economic union. Since independence many attempts also have been made to form a political union, including, in the early years of the 21st century, one seeking to link Saint Vincent and some of the other eastern Caribbean states with Trinidad and Tobago.Richard Tolson David Lawrence Niddrie Adrian Fraser
A seven-year process to reform the 1979 constitution culminated in November 2009 with a national referendum. Voters rejected the proposed draft constitution, which would have replaced the British monarch as head of state with a president elected by the legislature; it also would have established the Caribbean Court of Justice as the country's highest court of appeal in place of the Privy Council in London.The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Learn More in these related Britannica articles:
flag of Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesThe coat of arms of Saint Vincent shows peace and justice represented by two women, one holding an olive branch (peace) and the other making a sacrifice over an altar (justice). This design with the Latin motto "Pax et justitia" ("Peace and justice") was used as a flag badge on…
Grenadines…Grenadines are administratively part of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, while the southern islands are a dependency of Grenada. The Saint Vincent group consists of Bequia, Canouan, Mayreau, Mustique, Union Island, and associated islets. Carriacou Island, the largest of the Grenada group, has an area of 13 square miles (34…
Lesser Antilles
Lesser Antilles, long arc of small islands in the Caribbean Sea extending in a north-south direction from the Virgin Islands to Grenada. A number of other islands—Trinidad and Tobago, off the northeastern coast of Venezuela, and the east-west island chain from Margarita Island to Aruba, off the northern coast of…
Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea, suboceanic basin of the western Atlantic Ocean, lying between latitudes 9° and 22° N and longitudes 89° and 60° W. It is approximately 1,063,000 square miles (2,753,000 square km) in extent. To the south it is bounded by the coasts of Venezuela, Colombia, and Panama; to the west…
Grenada, island country of the West Indies. It is the southernmost island of the north-south arc of the Lesser Antilles, lying in the eastern Caribbean Sea about 100 miles (160 km) north of the coast of Venezuela. Oval in shape, the island is approximately 21 miles…
More About Saint Vincent and the Grenadines5 references found in Britannica articles
Assorted References
- administration of Grenadines
- In Grenadines
- flag history
- history
- physical geography
- population


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Watch Here : http://ift.tt/1i74s6M
Download After Effects Project Files - Photography Logo - VideoHive Download Here : http://ift.tt/1nTWciD Short description Photography Logo features clean, minimalist, modern and energetic design combined with variety of animated elements and lights with shadows simulations. Beautiful shadows + Reflective environment + Crystal Clear image, Glossy photos, everything is there. There are two versions included in the pack. You can edit everything and see how all the elements were made. This project is made in FullHD 1920×1080 and HD 1280×720. Main features After Effects CS4 or above FullHD 1920×1080, HD 1280×720 2 Versions in the pack -- 2 sets of animation, Digital + Polaroid Very Easy&Fast customization -- Drop in your logo, photos and hit Render NO 3rd party plugins needed Organized and color coded Video tutorial included Additional information You can fine tune this project to your needs completely. You can also change the colors of everything, shapes, background, speeds, duration etc... Cycore FX plugins must be installed (comes with AE). Feel free to contact me anytime if you find difficult to customize this template and I'll try to help you as much as I can. I have included a text file in the pack with links to photos used in the preview if anybody is interested. Thank you for your time and don't forget to rate. Enjoy Thanks!

subset: commoncrawl


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Stocks have headed higher without respite to start 2013.
Many strategists are warning that a sell-off is in order (see here and here), especially given a wide range of indicators that suggest investor sentiment is at historical highs.
Today, we get an indication from BofA equity strategist Savita Subramanian that hedge funds are now selling stocks - and they're selling them to private investors, who are picking up their pace of buying.
Below is a chart showing that BofA "private clients," or individual investors, have been buying stocks since mid-January:
Meanwhile, hedge funds are doing the exact opposite:
Subramanian writes (emphasis added):
Net buys were $1.22bn, the largest since November, and continued to be led by private clients.Private clients have now been net buyers for four consecutive weeks, a sharp reversal from their large net sales ahead of the Fiscal Cliff late last year.
Institutional clients were also net buyers last week after two weeks of net sales, while hedge funds were the sole net sellers. Pension funds, a subset of institutional clients, were net sellers for the fourth consecutive week.
Just so you know.


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California Department of Transportation
January 21, 2011
District 11 - San Diego and Imperial Counties
Contact: Edward Cartagena, (619) 688-6723,
or e-mail: email@example.com
Colleen Windsor, (619) 699-1960,
or e-mail: email@example.com
Sacramento – Continuing the push to rebuild California's infrastructure and spur job growth, the California Transportation Commission (CTC) today allocated $1 billion to 107 transportation projects statewide, including $838 million from Proposition 1B, a transportation bond approved by voters in 2006. The remaining allocations came from assorted state and federal transportation accounts.
"From one end of the state to the other, transportation projects are providing jobs and improving mobility for people and businesses in California," said Caltrans Director Cindy McKim.
Since its passage, $6.8 billion in Proposition 1B funding has been allocated by Caltrans and the CTC. Highlights of today's funding allocations include:
- State Route 78 - $10.5 million to construct an auxiliary lane between Woodland Parkway/Barham Drive to Nordahl Road.
- State Route 78 - $3.8 million for the extension of the freeway connector from Nordahl Road to Interstate 15.
- Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) will receive $10.5 million to upgrade freight signaling system to increase efficiency and $15.5 million for the installation of a signal reversing system and track improvements.
- MTS also received $31 million to purchase 57 new state-of-the-art light rail vehicles.
- North County Transit District received two allocations totaling $8.5 million for rail collision avoidance technology along the Los Angeles to San Diego rail corridor from San Diego to San Onofre and the Pacific Surfliner Corridor.
For information about all projects that received allocations please visit: http://www.dot.ca.gov/docs/ctcprojectallocationsjanuary2011.pdf
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FreeDarko's Bethlehem Shoals, a regular contributor to NBA FanHouse and co-author of The Undisputed Guide to Pro Basketball History (visit the FreeDarko store, too!), is keeping a game-by-game diary of the Heat's season — the one you're pretending not to care about.
Result: Celtics 88, Heat 80
Record: 0-1
"Sorry if everyone thought we were going to go 82-0. It's just not happening."
That was Dwyane Wade (he's the superhero, not the introspective braggart), speaking after the Heat's loss to those nasty Celtics. That said, they will still play 82 games, maybe even more. I will write about each and every one of them. After last night, I am considerably less excited about this assignment.
Strip away, for a second, all this summer's talk about how the Heat spelled the downfall of Western civilization, the rising up of the young, gifted, and black, or a total betrayal of everything that great athletes are supposed to believe about themselves. If nothing else, Miami was supposed to be good. If there were going to be problems, they would at least be grandiose, and interspersed with moments of face-shattering basketball play. How could James, Wade, and Bosh not deliver theater — even it was a theater of pain and mixed blessings?
In other words, even if we detested the Heat as a media circus, we were all excited about them as a basketball spectacle. ESPN's Heat Index met with near-universal ridicule, but what if it had simply been tailored to their on-court exploits? Theater is not the same as soap opera; the drama we all crave in sports is quite different from the Mary J. variety. Rather than ruining the sport by furnishing the ultimate distraction, the 2010-11 Miami Heat were going to renew interest in the game itself.
You don't know how many X's and O's conversation I had about them during the offseason, and I can barely diagram a pick-and-roll.
The problem with the Big Three's inaugural outing wasn't that they lost to the Celtics. Boston is damn good, and more importantly, the C's make other teams play their worst. No, what troubles me — selfishly, as someone gearing up to spend all fucking year with them — is how uneventful it was. From a competitive standpoint, it's certainly good for the Heat that even with Wade a non-factor, and the James-Bosh connection we saw in the preseason never quite clicking, they were able to come within three points late. That's why LeBron James is the game's most valuable player, caps or no caps. What made it one of the biggest disappointments of my adult life (other candidates: the time I found out that the funny little Jewish man my wife and I met in the cemetery was a registered sex offender; the Nick Hornby book I bought in hardcover; Woody Allen's British period) was how utterly blank a performance it was by the Heat.
There wasn't even tension between James and Wade, the two principals who both supposedly need the ball at all times — neither of them much seemed to want it. And not in an unselfish way; both All-Stars seemed to be waiting for a cue card to drop from the ceiling of the arena. Too bad it wasn't a home game. Who ended up taking the last shot? That would be LeBron, if we're talking about the last shot before the shot clock buzzed. That was the leitmotif for much of the Heat's first half: a totally impotent group of superstars, with James haphazardly putting up jumpers to bail them out. And because he's LeBron James, several of these shots went in. Then came LeBron's 15-point third quarter, which could have taken place on the most desolate Cavs squad, and even that was dispiriting. There were no brilliant exchanges of roles and responsibilities to rattle the Celtics' schemes; no ruthless fast breaks; and there were only brief
flashes — er, patches — of rangy, attack-dog defense. Sir Charles put it best, and I'm sure he recognized the cruelty of this statement: "They're a jump-shooting team, and they can't get out on a run." This was not the Total Football in hightops (yes, I had that conversation several times) that we had been promised.
I know that the word "meme" now refers only to funny videos, but I remember that at one point, it could also be an idea. Here are some memes (for lack of a better word) that I've heard over the last 12 hours, some of which I came up with myself for the sake of attracting Twitter followers: Wade should come off the bench; the Heat should have gone for Amar'e; Bosh can't run and plays soft; Riley is about to take over from Erik Spoelstra; Mike Miller is the key to the kingdom; preseason really does matter. To me, all this seems like an attempt to alleviate the boredom, even disappointment, we felt last night. It's kind of like treating the symptom; after the Heat failed to deliver that good kind of drama, we were forced to fall back on the old, tawdry variety. Because we are powerless to make the pieces fit ourselves. Without that, there's no way to make this about basketball. We'll be stuck moving in the opposite direction again.
Fine, so maybe Wade's role and Miller's importance represent basketball problems. Yet the Heat without Wade and James together are not only a horrific compromising of what could be, but also a recipe for unease — or at least a lot of questions about it from the press corps. Miller is underrated, and yet when he's necessary for James, Wade and Bosh to engage us with their play, he has officially crossed over from dork favorite to magical white boy talisman.
On the other hand, maybe it was just the Celtics. Maybe they are that good and have taken on the role of universal spoiler that the Spurs played at their most aggravating. That's what it felt like when they closed out LeBron's career in Cleveland in last year's playoffs. Plus, they have Kevin Garnett; Shaq playing like he's not dead yet (their relationship is both dispiriting and endlessly amusing, like a sitcom with Ares and Poseidon); and Kendrick Perkins still on the mend. That's size and then some. Granted, the Heat have Jamaal Magloire and Dexter Pittman — a veteran 7-footer and rookie big boy — but neither played last night. Against Boston, Joel Anthony and Bosh just wouldn't cut it. Imagine what happens when you add Perkins to the mix.
To hammer this point home even further: If point guard is now the league's most important position, as some would argue, this game pitted All-Star Rajon Rondo, one year older and better, and out for blood after a mysterious exit from Team USA, against Carlos Arroyo/Mario Chalmers. LeBron eventually took over those chores, but this wasn't James deciding he wanted to be the next Magic Johnson. As with his god-awful adventures in the post last night, it was out of necessity, not strategy.
Tonight, it's the Sixers. That should be fun, and the Heat should blow out a Doug Collins team that is somehow both crowded and thin — if prone to fast-paced play as a masking agent. For the Heat to matter to basketball, first, there must be basketball. We have to feel like they're all on the same court together. What's troubling is that, since you can't teach or engineer chemistry, the missing preseason experience shouldn't have affected this at all.
That's what I'll be looking for tonight. If it's not there, I will cover my head and get ready for two news cycles worth of "who's zoomin' who?"
Bethlehem Shoals is a founding member of FreeDarko.com and a regular contributor to NBA FanHouse. You can buy The Undisputed Guide to Pro Basketball History and lots of other stuff at the FreeDarko store.


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Marinepits wrote:I haven't had the best luck treating Mac's allergies with any type of steroid, but pred specifically. Mac drank constantly and then peed CONSTANTLY, plus his resource guarding and bad attitude got REALLY bad.
I know some people have had good luck with steroids, so hopefully they will post about their experiences.
There are also MANY antihistamines out there that may provide some itch relief for your girl. Mac built up a tolerance for Benadryl very very quickly. He went through about 10 different ones before we found the one that works best. It's amitriptyline, also known as Elavil -- an antidepressant that just happens to be a marvelous antihistamine in dogs.
Let us know what happens with the new vet! Keeping my fingers crossed for you.....
I am one of the lucky ones that didnt' really have any problems with the prednisone. She acted teh same, (I almost wish she had gained some weight on it, shes kinda ethiopian) but i was more worried about long term side effects. It didnt' change her demeanor or anything, I was just sick of loading and tapering and trying again. Back and forth. No antihistamines did a thing for her, and I was worried she's begin to get resistant to certain antibiotics too. This was three years of controlling with antihistamines otc and RX then to steroids, injections and pills, and shampoos, and sprays, and supplements. The atopica seems to be the best so far, but i'm told she was a serious case. It wasn't seasonal, it was year round, and she would get raw, hot spots and hives every time.


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Sioux Falls Restaurants Targeted by Toilet-parts Thief
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - Forget about cash drawers. It seems that robbers striking restaurants in Sioux Falls have another target in mind: toilets.
A dozen fast food restaurants have been hit recently by a thief - or thieves - targeting brass flushers and other metal pieces that can be easily stolen in the privacy of the public restroom.
Kevin Kopsas tells KELO-TV that the parts are likely being sold for scrap. Kopsas should know: As manager of TJN Enterprises Operations, he runs the type of recycling business that buys such items.
Kopsas says the flusher out of a commercial bathroom weighs about four pounds, meaning a thief could get about $7 for one.
Kopsas says recycling businesses nationwide are seeing stolen toilet parts showing up on their lots.
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Material may not be redistributed.


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Welcome to the CRG Discussion Forum!Forum registration problems: Make sure you enter your email correctly and you check your spam box first. *Then* email KurtS2@gmail for help.Classified ads are not allowed on the forum.
Not bad - in fact, not bad at all. Did you bead the chromate version ? I bet if you top coated with clear it would be dynamite. Probably last forever, too. Great job - Regards,Steve
How many times do you strike your parts in the zinc bath?


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Daily Slice: Numero 28, East Village
A different slice profiled each day.
Daily Slice gives a quick snapshot each weekday of a different slice or pie that the folks at the Serious Eats empire have enjoyed lately.
The East Village branch of Numero 28 was packed with revelers: birthday partiers and post-work groups, big families from out of town. The gas-assist wood oven was burning hot, and waiters rushing around with huge pizzas (up to 29 inches long) on wooden peels. We slipped into a table for two and were immediately distracted from our usual mission (one Margherita, please) by an advertised "Pizza of the Month" topped with cherry tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, Parmesan, and porcini mushrooms.
Porcini mushrooms are my favorite: Earthy, fragrant, rich, and woodsy, I can't resist them. I wish that porcini were as trendy as truffle oil (a trend I'm happy to see fade into decades past).
But I shouldn't have been lured by the call of porcini; the pizza didn't live up to my fantasies. The pie arrived promptly (at the same time as our oversalted arugula salad) and the porcini were spongy and nearly flavorless. I've bought frozen porcini that still tasted vividly mushroomy, so I'm not sure how No. 28 managed to leach all the flavor from these.
With the exception of those mushrooms, the pizza wasn't bad. The mozzarella was buttery and rich, though slightly overpowered by shavings of bold Parmesan. The cherry tomatoes were sweet and fresh, but the basil was added before cooking and totally shriveled.
The crust flavor was nice enough, with good chew and char. But there wasn't much rise in the crust, or quite as much puff and lightness as I'd like. In another neighborhood, farther from the masterful crusts at Motorino, Numero 28 might be a contender. But if I find myself back here again, I'll stick with the Margherita.
Numero 28 Pizzeria Napoletana
176 Second Avenue, New York NY 10003 (map) 212-777-1555; numero28.com
This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Serious Eats. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.


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Mentally Retarded Autistic Mute Breaks Her Silence, Joins Forces with Her Psychologist and Friend to Write Life Affirming Memoir on Living with Autism
Knoxville, Tennessee (PRWEB) April 23, 2013
"Did you hear the severe autism alert sirens wailing? Did that storm luckily miss you and yours? Not us. Our family took a direct hit." [I Might Be You: An Exploration of Autism and Connection is a fresh look at the damage and emerging sun as told by an adult with autism who is disguised as a poor thinker, has much to say, yet, does not speak and a therapist who helps rebuild. With experience, wit, warmth, and wisdom these two collaborate to rethink roles, expectations, treatment strategies, education, meaning and the healing truth about connection.
[I Might Be You was written for overwhelmed parents, teachers and practitioners needing inspiration, and those with ASD, or Autism Spectrum Disorder, seeking purpose as hope is found.
This is a highly entertaining, thought provoking, and deeply emotional account of life with autism, discover who you might be and the unique contributions that may be yours to make. After all, without you, I would not be me. (Native American Proverb)
Note from Barb Rentenbach on how this book was written:
Our style editor asked them to clarify, upfront, exactly how this book was written, to explain to the full satisfaction of the reader that these are indeed her words.
Barb's response was, "This book took 10 years to write. That time frame may best be appreciated by understanding the arduously slow progress involved. I communicate through facilitated communication or FC, which is a form of augmentative and alternative communication seen as a basic right by The Autism National Committee (AutCom), The Association for the Severely Handicapped (TASH),now, The Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, and me. FC users are supported by individuals called facilitators who provide physical support to help stabilize movement, reduce impulsive pointing and perseverations (repetition of the same motor response) and increase movement initiation."
The goal of facilitated communication (supported typing) is to progress toward independent typing. In the words of Barb, "I work hard every day with several facilitators to accomplish that goal and now type with just one hand touching my back for support to help me initiate movement and overcome my apraxia." The National Institute of Health defines apraxia (called dyspraxia if mild) as a neurological disorder characterized by loss of the ability to execute or carry out learned movements despite having the desire and ability to perform them. This includes talking and typing. She continues, "I also struggle with ataxia, which is characterized by imbalance, unsteady walk and tendency to stumble, problems with fine motor movements, and difficulty positioning in space. I often politely ask my brain to please move my hand to do this or that only to be told, 'Were sorry due to high autism volume we are not able to answer your call at this time. Please try harder later.' These vexations may prevent me from ever being a good driver, a great drunk driver sure, but never good. I am, however, determined to be the best writer I can be and this book is my Rubicon."
When Barb finally realized that it is easier to change herself rather than everyone else, she put learning how to type on her own as priority number one. That focus resulted in hundreds of hours of practice and real improvement.
The first part of this book was written by Barb using facilitated communication. Lois typed her chapters by herself, as she is, in Barb's endearing terms, less interesting.
Barb Rentenbach is a writer and advocate for people with disabilities. She is an impassioned presenter concerning Autism, Social Justice, Teacher Training, and Communication. Barb continues rigorous self-education to develop her writing and speaking in order to champion others. She helped create Greater Living Institute (GLI) a non-profit organization designed to serve bright adolescents and adults with disabilities. Barb is the co-founder and CEO of Mule and Muse Productions, LLC.
Dr. Lois Prislovsky earned her Ph.D. in educational psychology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and completed over 138 hours of post-doctorate studies in assessment, cognitive psychology, Lindamood-Bell reading therapy, DIRFloortime methods for strength/relationship approaches to ASD treatment, and advanced certification in Ericksonian hypnosis. Other areas of expertise include communication and social skills training with clients on the Autism Spectrum and ADHD coaching. Dr. Prislovsky serves as the Executive Director of the Greater Living Institute (GLI), President of Psychoeducational Network (private practice), and President of Mule and Muse Productions, LLC.


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Science Olympiad 2006 Results, Feb. 27, 2006
by George Zamora
(The New Mexico Science Olympiad website has full results, and is located at http://infohost.nmt.edu/~science/olympiad/).
SOCORRO, N.M., Feb. 27, 2006 – Two teams from Albuquerque took home an abundance of Olympic-style medals and won top honors in the high school and middle school divisions at the 20th annual New Mexico Science Olympiad, which was held on Saturday, February 25, on the New Mexico Tech campus.
The Albuquerque Academy, a perennial winner at the statewide academic competition, again took first place overall in the high school division, while newcomer Albuquerque Area Home School, a team comprised of ten home-schooled students, finished first overall in the middle school division.
Socorro High School once again garnered second in the high school division, while the Albuquerque Academy placed second in the middle school division of the state Science Olympiad.
In addition to the first-place trophies and numerous medals the science champions amassed, the two top-placing teams from the Albuquerque area also won rights to represent New Mexico later this year at the National Science Olympiad on May 19-20, at Indiana University at Bloomington.
More than 800 student "intelletes" representing 25 middle schools and 25 high schools from throughout New Mexico gathered on the university campus in Socorro to compete in 45 spirited mental workouts—all of which required massive amounts of brain power, motor skills, teamwork, and imagination . . . not to mention months of planning, practice, and fine-tuning.
During the daylong event, teams of Science Olympians launched rockets propelled by compressed air and water, built Rube Goldberg contraptions, and constructed efficient boomilevers, bridges, and robots in a quest for Olympic-style medals and the chance to represent New Mexico at the national competition.
The New Mexico Science Olympiad website has full results, and is located at http://infohost.nmt.edu/~science/olympiad/


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About the Associate Editor
Debora Shaw is a professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where she is Executive Associate Dean of the School of Library and Information Science. Her research focuses on information organization and information seeking and use. Her work has been published in the Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, the Journal of Documentation, and Online Review, among others.
Dr. Shaw served as President of the Association for Information Science & Technology (1997), and has also served on the Society's Board of Directors. She has been affiliated with ARIST as both a chapter author and as indexer over the past 19 years. Dr. Shaw received bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Michigan and the Ph.D. from Indiana University. She was on the faculty at the University of Illinois before joining Indiana University.
Dr. Shaw can be contacted at: firstname.lastname@example.com


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April 12, 2013
Emmy-Award winning actor Richard Thomas shared stories and tips Friday from more than 50 years on the stage and screen.
Anyone familiar with 1970s television would recognize the familiar face of John-Boy Walton. He admits the role has never 'worn off' and joked, "It will probably be on my tombstone."
Thomas took questions from Wabash theater students and members of the Wabash and Crawfordsville community. His stage and screen credits go far beyond the iconic TV family drama though. He started work as an actor at seven years of age and continues today with a role on The Americans, FX Network, as a 61-year-old.
But it's the Walton's that made him a household name. "It's a big deal to be lucky enough to create a character that's vivid enough to always be remembered in people's mind," he said of his years as John-Boy Walton. "You never wipe it out but it takes a lifetime to balance it out (with his other work)."
He said the show became a hit because it was unique at a time of the Mod Squad, Laugh-In, and lots of cops and doctor shows. The series was spun off from a made-for-TV movie but a big fan of The Homecoming insisted it made into a series. That big fan, CBS CEO William Paley, said the show could be cast to the producers' whim but they had to keep all the children.
Has the John-Boy lore worn off? Thomas laughed and said "walk around out there with me" while motioning to the back of the theater.
But Wabash students, way too young to even remember the Waltons in syndication, came to hear about his lifelong career on the screen and critically acclaimed stage roles.
Thomas said the film roles are more lucrative but he loves theater work and the opportunity to work with the words written by the best playwright.
"The difference is texture and the excitement and real challenge is in the text," Thomas said. He noted that making a movie or even television is hours of waiting and sitting and shooting scenes out of sequence. "In theater, once the curtain goes up everyone is going to get to go on and perform."
He gave students plentiful tips on the craft of acting, physical presence and awareness of space, but kept coming back to the same theme. "It's about your sensibility with the words," he said. "It's all about how I'm going to work with the words writing for a play."
He learned his craft the old-fashioned way by working with veteran actors like Christopher Plummer, Julie Harris, Barbara Hershey, and Hume Cronyn. He laughed when thinking of his apprentice ship and noted Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward were his parents in 1969's Winning.
"My parents were dancers (ballet) and I learned discipline from them but I had lots of work as a child actor," Thomas said. "Then you find yourself doing something similar, as I'm doing today, helping younger actors."
Mr. Thomas' appearance was made possible by the Fairfax Corporation, owners of retirement homes in Crawfordsville and Williamsburg. Thomas is a spokesperson for the company.


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Are records without a diagnosis (DX) code edited out of the workload reports?
What are the criteria used to produce a specific report?
Why are my counts low?
|National Data Warehouse (NDW)
User Population/Workload Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Workload Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Are records without a diagnosis (DX) code edited out of the workload reports?
What are the criteria used to produce a specific report?
Why are my counts low?
User Population Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can you explain how you arrive at the Userpop counts and how the process was determined?
What is the IHS definition of a userpop?
Who decided on the definition?
Where can I get the official Userpop count? What if I disagree with my numbers?
How should I interpret the Userpop reports on the web?
How does the Userpop report on the web relate to the "official Userpop count" issued by HQ?
Why doesn't it match my local (RPMS Patient Registration) report?
How often are the reports posted to the web?
What if I disagree with my numbers?
Who is excluded?
How are registrants unduplicated?
How important is it where the LAST visit of the 3-year period took place?
What if: One of my registrants is also visiting another area?
What if: One of my residents chooses not to visit my area?
How do you decide who is an Indian?
What constitutes a workload-reportable visit?
What are the Userpop report options?
The available variations in the breakout are:
UP1 – Area/Service Unit/County
Note: 'Area' in these titles is equivalent to ITU.
All seven of the above reports are routinely posted to the web.
Can I get a special variation of a Userpop report? How far back?
Why can't I get a Userpop report by facility?
Why does my Userpop report contain residents of other areas?
Why might counts for any given service unit be low?
How do I suggest a change to the user population process?


text: Hello There Iam running ISPConfig 3 for about 1 year, but now i have my first big Problem! I have about 50 running Domains, everything works fine, but today i wanted to create a Hosting for a new Client. Well, so i added the domain @ DNS, but then it didn't appear @ Webhosting or @Email How to fix that Problem ?! Regards, Alex


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Saratoga Real Estate
Not only does the prestigious city of Saratoga boast one of the highest median household incomes in all of the United States, it also ranks high on lists of best places to live in the country year after year. Saratoga's charming downtown offers a variety of restaurants, European-style bakeries and antique shops. Visitors can also steal away to the city's foothills which are dotted with vineyards and wineries, some dating back to the early 1900's. Saratoga avoids suburban home uniformity through zoning and planning that leaves space between the unique and magnificent estates. Personal retreats provide privacy, while still being in a location convenient to all the amenities of the area. Whether retreating to the foothills or enjoying downtown, Saratoga is a place to stay and enjoy.
Saratoga Property Info
area data
While overarching trends in real estate such as interest rates, economic factors, and consumer confidence all influence the purchase or sale of a home, smaller monthly changes in our local markets can affect your transaction just as much. Our real time market data gives you the most accurate and timely snapshot of your city or neighborhood.
Saratoga Market Report
Market News, May 2019
All residential. Information obtained from the Multiple Listing Service and/or public records. This third party information has not been independently verified.
New Listings
Reduced Prices
Open Houses
Saratoga Homes For Sale
Search for properties in Saratoga


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Birkhead Mountains Wilderness
Applicable Wilderness Law(s)
|Acreage Change (in acres)
|Public Law 98-324
|June 19, 1984
North Carolina Wilderness Act of 1984 - Public law 98-324 (6/19/1984) To designate certain public lands in North Carolina as additions to the National Wilderness Preservation System
This public law also includes the following wilderness area(s): Catfish Lake South Wilderness, Ellicott Rock Wilderness, Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness, Linville Gorge Wilderness, Middle Prong Wilderness, Pocosin Wilderness, Pond Pine Wilderness, Sheep Ridge Wilderness, Shining Rock Wilderness, Southern Nantahala Wilderness.
download 98-324 or view legislative history for this law.
Acreages reported above are legislated acres. Learn more about acreages.
|Libraries: Wilderness Laws | Special Provisions | Legislative History


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Price: $100
Buying Unit: Each
The perfect gift when you can't make up your mind! Especially great for parents of younger (preK-grade 6) age children.
Your Home Life Gift Certificate is printed attractively and mailed with your special message (include in the Comments field when checking out) along with a copy of the Home Life Catalog.


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Loved ones remember West firemen's sacrifices
A few firefighters confirmed dead; others presumed deceased
WEST — As flames lit up the night sky of this small central Texas community, firefighters and other emergency responders raced to the West Fertilizer Co. plant, leaving behind school work, jobs and loved ones to answer the call.
Several men who fought the blaze and went toward danger to help others are known or presumed dead, including longtime volunteer fireman Perry Calvin.
Just days ago, he learned that he was going to become a father again.
The 37-year-old was enrolled in the Hill College Fire Academy and attended EMT class in West on Mondays and Wednesdays in hopes of making firefighting his career.
When the page came Wednesday evening, he and another classmate headed to the fire and didn't make it out, said his father, Phil Calvin, a farmer and rancher who serves as the Navarro Mills volunteer fire chief.
A jack of all trades
Perry Calvin leaves behind two young sons, 5 and 9, and a wife who found out a few weeks ago that she is due around Thanksgiving.
"He was going to be in the middle of everything," Phil Calvin said. "He was going to be the last one on the hose."
The father and son became volunteer firefighters in Navarro Mills in 1996. The younger Calvin also belonged to the Mertens Volunteer Fire Department in Hill County.
Perry Calvin was a jack of all trades, dabbling in cattle, like his father, but also doing home renovation, welding and even mechanic work.
"He was one of those guys who could help everybody do anything," his father said. They last saw each other Wednesday morning as the son was headed to a remodeling job at a friend's house.
Phil Calvin said the family couldn't get "definite confirmation" of his son's death from the lead agency investigating the explosion, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, but admitted the possibility of his survival was bleak.
"It's been over 24 hours. He would have gotten hold of somebody," he said late Thursday. "They do know that the guy he was with - they found his body (Wednesday) night. I was told they found (Perry Calvin's) body this afternoon, but the ATF won't confirm that."
'No survivors there'
A Facebook page dedicated to the memory of firefighters who lost their lives in the explosion included Morris Bridges and Buck Uptmor, both West Volunteer Fire Department firefighters. Brothers and West volunteer firefighters Robert and Doug Snokhous also were missing.
Uptmor was confirmed deceased by his family, according to the page.
Marsha Croll, who operates a veterinary practice in West with her husband, said friends and family were shocked to hear about Uptmor's death.
"He worked hard," Croll said. "He was a good guy. That's about all I can say right now."
Uptmor grew up in West, and was known around the small community. In addition to his own land and cattle raising, Uptmor oversaw a fence building crew and cared for people's horses, Croll said.
Uptmor's daughter, a college freshman, worked part time in the Crolls' veterinary practice.
Brent Bridges, 18, stood distraught and shivering in the cold rain outside the firehouse Thursday morning and recounted how his father, Morris Bridges, left home to fight the fire the night before.
"The mayor talked to my aunt, saying that he probably didn't make it," Bridges said. "I am just hoping that he was wrong."
From Florida, Marqee Snokhous spent Wednesday night and Thursday morning calling every hospital in the area hoping to find her father, Robert Snokhous, 47, and her 50-year-old uncle, Doug.
As of Thursday afternoon, she said the family still had not received confirmation about the fate of either.
"There's not been anything official but the mayor did call my stepmom," she said. "He told her that he's pretty sure that they're both inside the business in the plant, trapped in there. And that there's a pretty high probability that there's no survivors there."
Snokhous, 23, said her father and uncle, both residents of West, had been volunteering with the fire department since she was a young girl.
Put in harm's way
Joey Pustejovsky, West's city secretary, volunteers as a town firefighter and "was there doing his job and he put his life in harm's way to protect the people that he needed to protect," said his brother-in-law, David Sebesta.
He said his sister, Kelly, and Pustejovsky, 29, were married on March 10, 2012, at St. Mary's Catholic Church of the Assumption in West.
Pustejovsky brought a son into marriage and blended the family with his wife's son and two daughters.
"The best thing about Joey was he took my sister's kids and took them as his own," Sebesta said. "They call him Daddy."
St. Mary's pastor Fr. Ed Karasek confirmed that Pustejovsky was the son the church's secretary lost.
"He loved our community, loved his family, loved his kids," he said. "Just a loving, kind man."
Another West firefighter, Cyrus A. Reed, also was killed in the explosion, according to social media postings by family and friends.
Great 'acts of bravery'
The family of Dallas-Fire Rescue Capt. Kenny Harris learned of his death about 1 p.m. Thursday, the department's chaplain said. The family declined comment on Thursday.
The 30-year Dallas fire veteran, who lives in West, rushed to help when he learned of the crisis in his community, according to Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings.
"Captain Harris' response is typical of all our first responders: night and day, no matter where they are, no matter if they are on or off duty they respond with the greatest acts of bravery," City Manager Mary K. Suhm said. "The City of Dallas and citizens of Dallas have lost a real role model."
The chaplain and other firefighters from Dallas Fire-Rescue were in West on Thursday to support relatives of Harris, a 52-year-old married father of three grown sons, according to the department.
"Our hearts are heavy and hurting with the loss of such a great firefighter, great husband and great family man," said Dallas Fire Chief Louie Bright III. "Dallas Fire-Rescue is wrapping its arms around the Harris family to provide comfort and support."
Dug Begley reported from West. Cindy George reported from Houston. Chronicle reporter Anita Hassan, reporting from Houston, and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram contributed to this story.
More Information
• Official death toll still unknown
• Double disasters for marathon runner
• Blast felt as far away as Katy
• Similar to 1947 tragedy in Texas City
• Houston relief groups standing by to help
• Gov. Rick Perry declares McLennan County a disaster area
• Scary YouTube video catches the blast
• SciGuy Eric Berger explains why ammonium nitrate explodes
• Pope Francis tweets prayers for Texas explosion victims
• Social media responds to the West tragedy
• Fertilizer plant had been cited in 2006
• TCEQ staff monitoring environment at blast site
• Gov. Rick Perry mobilizes state resources


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California Department of Transportation
Date: December 14, 2012
District: Headquarters
Contact: Tamie McGowen
Phone: (916) 654-5467
SACRAMENTO - Caltrans today filed a lawsuit under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) challenging Madera County's approval of the Tesoro Viejo Specific Plan and its certification of the development's revised Environmental Impact Report.
The lawsuit alleges that the county failed to mitigate for traffic impacts and is in violation of CEQA.
Caltrans contends that the county's traffic study underestimates the volume of traffic the development is expected to generate, making the proposed mitigation inadequate.
"This is about realistic planning and the integrity of the state highway system," said Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty.
In addition, the specific plan proposes to realign State Route 41 in a location inconsistent with the preferred realignment of the highway, as designated in the Rio Mesa Area Plan. It would also re-direct the highway through a Caltrans vernal pool mitigation site south of the development.
Caltrans and Madera County signed an agreement in 1995 acknowledging that the highway needed to be realigned to accommodate for future growth and selecting the preferred realignment route. The county's approval of the specific plan jeopardizes the realignment.
Tesoro Viejo is a proposed housing and commercial development adjacent to SR-41 about nine miles north of Fresno. It would include more than 5,000 housing units and three-million square feet of commercial retail office and light industrial space.
# # # #


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In yesterday's post, I laid out the economic argument that dictating lower prices to the health insurance market from Washington will necessarily create shortages (and therefore long lines and rationed care), but that opening the market to competition would shift the dynamics at work on the supply side, resulting in lower prices and more health care.
As President Obama pushes forward on his proposed health "reforms," advocates of H.R. 3200 may respond that the "public option" does just that- create more competition. They are very mistaken! Greg Mankiw, a professor of economics at Harvard University, exposes the critical flaw in this argument:
"[M]ost discussion of the issue, leaves out the answer to the key question: Would the public plan have access to taxpayer funds unavailable to private plans?
If the answer is yes, then the public plan would not offer honest competition to private plans. The taxpayer subsidies would tilt the playing field in favor of the public plan. In this case, the whole idea of a public option seems to be a disingenuous route toward a single-payer system...
If the answer is no, then the public plan would need to stand on its own financially and, in essence, would be a private nonprofit plan. But then what's the point? If advocates of a public plan want to start a nonprofit company offering health insurance on better terms than existing insurance companies, nothing is stopping them from doing so right now."
Exactly! The public option does not offer real competition and therefore, will not really bring down prices. Instead, it will shift them around, transfer them to taxpayers, hide and obscure them even worse, and result in a greater cost to Americans for less quality, less privacy, less liberty, and less care.
What will create real competition is 1) ending government policies that enforce employer-based insurance, and 2) allowing Americans to purchase insurance policies across state lines.


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While I was in London in May, I stopped by the Nars counter to get a few Summer goodies e.g the eyeshadow trio in Ramatuelle and the blush in Liberté. Bummer, Summer hasn't really arrived yet, so I haven't gotten around to wear this much so far.
But we're enjoying a sunny and warmer day today, and I thought it was a good occasion!
I found several descriptions on the web of how the look on the promotional picture had been created, and I tried my best to achieve a similar result on my much paler skin! I used:
- Nars Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in Finland
- Nars Liberté blush on the cheeks, but not before I had added some Givenchy bronzer
- Nars Ramatuelle trio on the lids
- Givenchy Noir Couture mascara
- Dior Addict Ultra Gloss Glow in Rouge Croisière (Summer 2012)
The application of the eyeshadow is pretty easy: mix the two paler colors on the lid, then add the darker peach in the crease. Higlight under the arch of the brows and on the inner corners with one of the paler colors - the peach works well for a more subtle effects but the icy blue works too, it's what I used here.
How do I like the products?
I think that the eyeshadows, although they're not overly pigmented, are really pretty and combine greatly to create a summery but very wearable look. You can add some liner for a bit of drama.
The texture is easy to blend, not overly frosty or shimmery, and I think this is pretty foolproof to use. Also, the combination of colors works particularly well for blue or grey eyes.
The blush, on the other hand, is trickier to use. It is very dark and more terracotta-ish than peach. On the promo picture, the blush is actually used like a bronzer to contour but on me this just looks ridiculous (yes, I tried, of course!). I need to apply it with a very light hand and a skunk blush, but even this way I don't find the texture to be the easiest to work with. I'm not really conviced by this one. I think that the darker peach shade of the eyeshadow trio would actually make a pretty blush with this look!