text:
Mitt Romney has stumbled recently in his quest to unseat President Barack Obama, but GOP stalwarts argue that his presidential campaign isn't a lost cause and say their nominee still has time to turn things around.
A series of stories – about Obama's convention bump, Romney's haphazard response to a diplomatic crisis in Libya, and a POLITICO story about infighting in the Republican's campaign – fueled a growing consensus that Romney is solidly trailing Obama right now, a feeling supported by polling data both nationally and in key battleground states.
NBC's Peter Alexander, who is traveling with the GOP presidential candidate, reports the Romney campaign is focused on resilience.
That perception was further hardened by the release of videos of Romney speaking to a closed-door fundraiser in May, in which the GOP candidate describes 47 percent of Americans as "dependent on government," and whom he'll never convince to "take personal responsibility and care for their lives." The videos were surreptitiously taped and published on the website of the left-leaning magazine Mother Jones and dominated the political conversation Tuesday.
Tuesday's new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, showing Obama at 50 percent versus Romney's 45 percent among likely voters, only added evidence to this emerging conventional wisdom.
"I'd give the edge to the president today," said Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole, a seasoned Republican political hand of the state of the race. "But I don't think that means much; Carter had the edge at this point in 1980 and Gore had the edge at this point in 2000."
As Mitt Romney heads back on the campaign trail, he doesn't back down from the substance of controversial comments secretly recorded at a private fundraiser.
With just 49 days remaining until the election, there isn't a lot of time for Romney to reverse the trajectory of the campaign. Television airwaves have been saturated by political ads for months now, and polls suggest that many voters are already "locked in" – that is, firmly dedicated to a candidate – leaving few true swing voters leftover.
"This is a very close campaign. I think all the polls taken together reflect that," Romney adviser Kevin Madden told reporters traveling with Romney on Tuesday. "I think it will be all the way until Election Day."
Madden added that the campaign would be "very well-positioned to win on Election Day if we focus on the issues that matter to the American public."
But the campaign has focused on anything but its stated central focus on the economy during the last few weeks, and Republicans argue that if Romney is to win, something must change in his approach.
"Romney has run a terrible race to this point, but, with that said, he can still win," said one Republican pollster who asked to speak on background so as to offer more candid analysis. "There's no data point out there that says this is an unwinnable race."
Jim Young / Reuters
Republican presidential nominee and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney laughs as he prepares to board his campaign plane in Dallas, Texas, Sept. 19.
Conservative media have become openly critical of the Romney campaign strategy, too. The Wall Street Journal's Peggy Noonan urged party elders to step in and "right this ship;" the Weekly Standard's John McCormack wrote that the only conclusion to draw from Romney's missteps was that he is "not a conservative," and that when he tries to sell himself as one, "he sometimes comes across as a right-wing caricature."
The Romney campaign tried early Monday to respond to criticism of its strategy by pledging a renewed focus on adding details and specifics to the nominee's existing proposals. But Republicans seem to be clamoring for something different. Former New Hampshire GOP Chairman Jack Kimball typified the sentiment when, speaking Tuesday at a town hall in the Granite State featuring Paul Ryan, he won an ovation by telling Ryan, "It's time to take the gloves off."
The Republican base's demands of Romney are two-fold: First, be more aggressive in taking the fight to Obama; second, offer a more affirmative agenda on a variety of issues.
The Daily Rundown's Chuck Todd shares details from the latest NBC News/ WSJ poll, which is the first national one after the conventions.
"He's got to get away from this class warfare argument and make it more about middle class families and small business," said the pollster. "He's very defensive when he needs to get on offense."
The open advice reflects the sense that Romney cannot only rely on a poor economy and anti-incumbent anger directed toward Obama. But these are also difficult demands for Romney to meet. As was the case with his accusation that Obama had sympathized with Libyans who attacked the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi (leaving four Americans dead, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens), aggression for its own sake can backfire.
Democratic pollster Peter Hart and Republican pollster Bill McInturff take a closer look at the latest NBC News/ WSJ poll, and explain who "up for grabs" voters are, and how they might act when making a decision in November.
And Romney's campaign has still offered no indication that it would become any more specific on some central issues, such as the deductions which President Romney would eliminate in order to finance his tax reform plan.
To even accomplish those goals, though, Romney must move past the series of controversies and uproars to dog his campaign for days at a time.
Republicans aren't particularly sweating the duration of the controversy stemming from the release of these videos. "There will be something more decisive between now and November," said Cole.
But with the election quickly drawing toward a close, the pressure is mounting on Romney to finally make his move – beginning, most importantly, at the Oct. 3 presidential debate in Colorado.
"I think those are the decisive moments in the campaign," Cole said of the three presidential debates spread throughout October. "That's where Romney has to make the sale, and has a chance to correct all the mistakes of the campaign to this point."


text:
Herc Rentals Accounts come with tools to make your jobs easier, faster and more rewarding.
Fill out this form and a representative will get back to you shortly
To speak to a local Sales Representative pleaseCall 888-777-2700
For Technical Assistance pleaseCall 800-654-6659 Option 1
Maybe there is already a solution for your issue.
Check out our FAQs

subset: commoncrawl


text:
LeTourneau University teacher education student Cristian Driver of Humble, Texas, was named 2013 Student Teacher of the Year by the Texas Directors of Field Experiences in San Antonio Monday, Oct. 21. Driver graduated from LETU in May with a degree in mathematics education and is certified to teach grades 8-12 math. He is now teaching algebra at Manvel High School in the Alvin Independent School District near Houston, where he also coaches track and basketball. At LETU, he played basketball for the YellowJackets.
He is the fourth student teacher of the year who has graduated from LETU's teacher preparation program since 1997 to win this distinction. Others included Matthew Bradley in 2010, Breanna Sellers Hurd in 2002 and Karen Bennett in 1997. One additional student, Nikita Mumphrey, was named intern of the year in 2010 by Texas Alternative Certification Association.
"Cristian represents the best of what our Teacher Education program brings to our local schools," said Dr. Wayne Jacobs, dean of the LETU School of Education. "His character, commitment and desire to see his students as unique creations of God are exemplified in his work in his school district. We have been blessed to have worked with Cristian at LeTourneau University and know he will make a significant impact on the lives of hundreds of students over the next several years."
Cristian's university supervisor Dr. Julie Teel-Borders said he was "a terrific example of one who lives out the call of servant leadership." She said that during his student teaching experience, several of his 9th grade high school algebra students expressed how much they had learned from him because he was able to explain it to them in a way they could understand.
Attending the Consortium of State Organizations for Texas Teacher Education (CSOTTE) awards event with Driver, Jacobs and Teel-Borders were Dr. Kathy Stephens, director of Teacher Education; Jodie Hilburn, instructor; Becky Birdsong, certification officer; and Dr. Darla Baggett, director of graduate school programs in Teacher Education.
Stephens, who directs the teacher education program, said, "Cristian is an excellent representative of our LeTourneau Teacher Education Program - one that includes a high-quality cutting-edge curriculum designed to train and prepare Christ-like educators who are compassionate and demonstrate the highest integrity and ethics to go and teach wherever they are needed."
LeTourneau University is one of the leading private universities in the state of Texas to educate classroom teachers. LETU is an interdenominational Christ-centered university located in Longview, Texas, with undergraduate and graduate programs online and at education centers around the state.
Academic majors include aviation, business, communication, computer science, criminal justice, education, engineering, health care administration, health science-nursing, human services, kinesiology, the liberal arts, psychology, the sciences and theology.
Claiming every workplace in every nation as its mission field, LeTourneau University graduates are professionals of ingenuity and Christ-like character who see life's work as a holy calling with eternal impact.
Categories: (none)


text:
Royal Cliff Hotels Group Executive Chef Mr. Walter Thenisch (second from left), Food & Beverage
Director Mr. Paitoon Ritdej (second from right), Restaurant Manager Mr. Vichai Pooalai (far right),
and Assistant Restaurant Manager Mr. Vinyoo Rosdee (far left).
The Royal Cliff Hotels Group's fine dining restaurant The Royal Grill Room & Wine Cellar- Excellence & Heritage was recently awarded the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence Award. This multiple award-winning venue serves high quality imported meats and seafood, enhanced by a magnificent underground Wine Cellar with over 1,000 new and old-world wine labels in its prestigious wine lists.
Executive Chef Walter Thenisch said "It is a great honour to receive this award. I am touched that our services and cuisine has brought joy and satisfaction to so many guests. That is indeed our fondest wish and goal."
The Certificate of Excellence award is given to outstanding hospitality businesses that have received praise and recognition in reviews by TripAdvisor travellers. Winners of the award range from one-room bed and breakfasts to 6,000-room hotels, from bakeries to Michelin star restaurants and hidden attractions to world-renowned parks and museums.


text:
The team behind New Orleans' wildly popular Cure, cited as one of the best American bars of 2011 by the likes of Esquire and Travel & Leisure, are at it again Neil Bodenheimer and Kirk Estopinal have recently unveiled Bellocq, a lounge located at the recently renovated Hotel Modern, formerly known as Hotel Le Cirque. The developers of this new venture hope to bring about the same type of revitalization to Lee Circle as was seen with Freret Street following Cure's popularity.
Bellocq aims to focus on a time period that may seem foreign to the clientele, ranging from the 1820s to 1900, garnering its namesake from E.J. Bellocq, well known for his haunting photographs of prostitutes in the red light district of Storyville. The influences of the era can be found on the bar's menu, which offers variations of cobblers, cocktails that traditionally include apertif wines, sugar, fresh fruit, and crushed ice. The bar has an updated boudoir decor with red walls, a zinc bar and drinks served on a silver tray. While Bodenheimer and Estopinal hope to provide a different type of drinking establishment, they understand what it takes for one to move out of their comfort zone. A unique, but small wine selection and hard to find 22-ounce beers sold by the glass will be available, as well as standard drinks.
Food will also be available at Belloq, with a menu created by and prepared in the kitchen of neighbor Tamarind. The restaurant, also new to the Hotel Modern, is French-Vietnamese cuisine created by chefs Dominique Macquet and Quan Tran.


text:
Today was the first of the grand mountain stages in the Giro, which made it an inopportune day for me to have no legs. But that's bike racing. The stage started in Como and hit a 12km climb early before descending, winding around Lake Como, climbing up the second mountain (Ghisello, home of the Madonna del Ghisello which I wrote about before) and heading to the finish. Because the first 15km leading into the first climb were narrow and quite hilly too, it was on like Donkey Kong from the start. USA got to the front and drove it, and no matter how much I screamed at my legs, they just didn't behave and I ended up in a piano group of 5. Some parts of it were quite cool, like when the ambulance drove up to our group on the climb and gave us some ice cold water and a can of coke. Problem was, there was only 1 bottle of water and 1can of coke, so we were passing it around from rider to rider, each savouring a couple of mouthfuls. I had just assumed I would miss out, until Bronzini (ex world champ on the track) passed me the can and immediately became my favourite person in the world. Happiness is a can of coke on a mountain climb in the summer.
Also in my group was a lady from Fenix who kept going to the front and driving it. I have no idea why. Our day was clearly over, but she just kept wanting to bridge the 15 minute gap to the leaders. I asked her whether she spoke English, so I could find out what she was thinking, but she said no. I assumed she was a hack who had no idea how to ride piano. Later I found out she was a former world champion on the road, which may have explained those little rainbow loops on her kit. And she was Russian, which may have explained the rest.
Shara, Tiff and Carlee all had good days, hurrah! Tomorrow we ride to Livigno, which means around 90km of almost pure climbing. And with that, I am off to bed.
Ride happy.


text: Winsor and Newton vine and willow charcoal is of the highest quality and carefully selected for uniformity without imperfections. Specially prepared for artists use, the wood is correctly baked to produce an even line of consistent intensity. Vine charcoal produces a rich dark gray line whilst willow charcoal produces a velvety black line. Our charcoal is available in a variety of sizes and packs.


text:
Home >> Course Descriptions >> College of Arts and Sciences
Four semester hours.
A detailed study of the immune response and related events. Emphasis is placed on cellular and humoral branches of immunity, including the study of blood (serology) as a diagnostic tool. Prerequisite: BIOL 2421 or permission of instructor. Lab fee: $27.25. (Cross-listed with BIOL 5425)
Home - General Information - Student Services -
Academic Undergraduate Regulations -
Undergraduate Degrees - Academic Graduate Regulations -
Graduate Degrees - Course Descriptions - Faculty -
Appendix A - Appendix B - Appendix C - Appendix D


text:
Note: Cover may not represent actual copy or condition available
More shipping options >
E-mail a link to this book
Biblio.co.uk member since: 2005
Biblio.co.uk member since: 2005
Chicago, Illinois
Aleister Crowley was a well-known and highly controversial figure in the first half of the 20th Century. A writer, occultist, magician, and mountaineer, Crowley impacted a diverse collection of sub-cultures and interests. See collectible Crowley from Biblio booksellers.
There are several important points to keep in mind when trying to determine if a book can be considered "rare". Read here to learn more.Learn how to determine if a book is rare


text:
Too much has happened over the last six months to bother going into much detail here.
In short, the Killing Joke concert I mentioned was so good that I deliberately missed my flight to Austin for it and consequently also missed the Ruby conference. Oh well.
Christmas came and went. As usual, we spent it on the east coast in Providence.
Sarah and I spent a week in The Netherlands at the end of April. We had a great time, but we were quite busy, so we hardly got to see any old friends.
Google has filed to go public.
Our plan to return to The Netherlands for good has now been postponed until the summer of 2005.
Finally, I've installed Moveable Type at home, so my blog will now be maintained there. This will be my last posting to Advogato.


text:
In the age of lavishly decorated and creatively flavored gourmet cupcake masterpieces, how much is too much to pay for one of these sweet treats?
I have long wondered what people consider the monetary line which they will not go above when it comes to seeking cupcake sweetness. Why so curious? Well, I am notoriously nosy about people's baked good preferences and thoughts. And also, I'm one of the people who remembers way back when Magnolia Bakery's cupcakes were under $2 apiece.
So, please, leave a comment to let me know your thoughts on how much you'd pay for a cupcake. Do you have a "strictly under $5" policy? Or do you have a sliding scale based on size, intricacy, fillings, etc?
Leave a comment in the comments section (moderation is enabled so don't panic if your comment doesn't show up right away) or leave your thoughts on my Facebook page, and not only will I greedily read your replies, but I'll enter each commenter's name in a pool to win a pair of my awesome "Trifecta" socks featuring artwork of cupcakes, unicorns, and robots! They're fantastic to wear when walking or running to a bakery. I'll randomly pick a winner one week from now, at noon on Sunday, July 8th, 2012.
UPDATE: WE HAVE A WINNER! The randomly-chosen winner was Anna of California, who said "Locally (SF Bay Area), I won't pay over 3.50. There's tons of cupcakeries that are that price or lower. While traveling to a specific, well known bakery, i would go up to 5.00. But i'd be buying ONE... i'd never buy a dozen for 5 bucks. So if you are thinking about doing some pricing i would take that into consideration - if you want repeat clientele from near by, and clients that buy quantity not just one, than keep it affordable."


text:
Kings Point, NY – Matthew McDaniels (Malverne, NY) made his first collegiate start at quarterback a memorable one, accounting for four touchdowns and over 300 yards of offense as the USMMA football team defeated Susquehanna, 35-28 Saturday afternoon at Brooks Stadium. The Crusaders scored 21 unanswered points to start the game before the Mariners rallied back. It was the big plays that made the difference as USMMA posted three 65+ yard scoring plays in the victory.
Susquehanna (0-1) cracked the scoreboard 4:29 into the first quarter as Tim Wade dove across the goal line from one-yard out. Wade would strike again at the 6:44 mark with a five-yard score that made it 14-0, Crusaders. The visitors quickly found the end zone a third-time as Josh Hunt scrambled in from five-yards out to make it a 21-0 affair with 2:08 to play in the opening stanza.
Merchant Marine (1-0) went to the air for its first points of 2013, catching the Crusaders crashing the line of scrimmage against the typically option-based attack. McDaniels hit Connor Kennedy (Bellerose, NY) with a pass up the seam that went for 77 yards and cut the deficit to 21-7. USMMA took advantage of several key Susquehanna penalties on its next drive to set up a McDaniels nine-yard touchdown run. McDaniels finished the game with 196 yards and three touchdowns on the ground to go along with 113 passing yards and one touchdown.
The Crusaders answered right back, needing only 1:58 to push the lead back to two touchdowns. Mark Rosenbaum found Denzell Walker for a 46-yard score, moving the scoreboard to 28-14 with 7:29 left in the half. Rosenbaum finished with 216 yards and one touchdown while Taylor Kolmer added 72 passing yards of his own for the Crusaders. Susquehanna would maintain a 28-14 advantage as the two teams headed into the locker room for halftime.
USMMA moved the ball methodically with the opening drive of the second half, covering 72 yards on 15 plays and chewing up 8:29 on the clock. The drive ended with a Colin Hinchey (Denton, TX) 10-yard touchdown run that made it a one possession game. Susquehanna punter T.J. Morton pinned the Mariners at the 12-yard line to start its next possession after a Crusaders drive stalled out in USMMA territory.
McDaniels wasted no time as he sprung free around the left edge for an 88-yard touchdown rumble that ignited the over 2,000 fans at Brooks Stadium and tied the game at 28-28 with 26 seconds left in the third quarter. USMMA was again marching the ball down the field with its first possession of the fourth quarter but a turnover deep in the Susquehanna end left the Mariners empty handed.
Merchant Marine got its final explosive play of the day at the 6:12 mark of the fourth quarter and it would again be McDaniels. The sophomore quarterback sliced through the left side of the Crusaders defense for 66 yards and a score that put the home team on top, 35-28.
Susquehanna would use over five minutes on its final drive and earned a first-and-goal at the USMMA eight-yard line. After two plays the Crusaders were staring at third-and-goal from the two-yard line and gave the ball to Wade. Wade tried the middle of the defense but was cracked by Scott Cokeley (Ukiah, CA), at the one-yard line. Cokeley finished the day with a game high 12 tackles for the Mariners. The Crusaders decided to throw on fourth down and a pass to an open Casey Tosches, in the back of the end zone, deflected off his hands and fell to the ground, sealing the Mariners comeback victory, 35-28.
Zachary Boucher (Wyckoff, NJ) carried the ball 16 times for 84 yards while Kennedy also rushed for 57 yards on just five carries. Merchant Marine finished the game with 491 yards of total offense, 378 rushing yards, and went 7-for-12 on third downs.
The next game on the USMMA football schedule is the most anticipated match-up of the year as the Mariners take-on arch rival Coast Guard at Brooks Stadium.


text:
This is the history Debate about casino both Democrat Martha Coakley and Republican Charlie Baker in 22News Broadcast Center in Chicopee. Making it clear that they will make western Massachusetts a priority. Baker opened by saying that Massachusetts needs to work better for taxpayers, for those who work for state government, and those who rely on the services the state provides. He said that he has a broad record in both the public and private sectors; serving in the Weld and Cellucci Administrations, and also at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. In her opening statement, Coakley cited her upbringing in western Massachusetts, saying that she knows the issues that impact people in this area. The attorney general said that her economic development plan would turn things around for all of Massachusetts; not just Boston and Cambridge.
As attorney general, she has supported casino — so much so that her office denied an antigambling group's petition to repeal the 2011 law allowing them. When the Supreme Judicial Court in June ruled the group could put its initiative on the November ballot, Coakley said she was "pleased" by the decision and that it would be "healthy" for voters. But, One of the biggest issues affecting is sbobet plan to build a casino here, if voters do not repeal.
the state's casino gambling law. Baker and Coakley said they will vote against the repeal. But if the law is repealed, they would support discussing with the Legislature ways to go forward with the sbobet casino.
The debate began with questions submitted by 22News viewers via our Report It feature, with the first question dealing with one of the issues that particularly concerns people in our area: casino gambling. Both Baker and Coakley said that they would be voting no on Question 3, which would repeal the state law legalizing casinos. They also said that they would look at ways to still allow a casino in Springfield if the repeal effort passes.
With a week to go until the primary election, Martha Coakley is holding large leads over Democrats Steven Grossman and Don Berwick in a pair of polls released overnight. The history polls from 7News showed voters currently opposing a November ballot question to repeal the 2011 casino law, by margins of 59-36 and 52-37, respectively.


text:
Bisons finish 15th in Skyhawk Classic
The Lipscomb Bisons finished the Skyhawk Classic, hosted by the Tennessee-Martin, in 15th place.
The tournament, held at Paris Landing Golf Course in Buchanan, Tenn., featured 16 teams from 14 colleges and universities. The 54-hole tournament ended Tuesday.
Freshman Blanton Farmer led the Bisons with a three-round total of 221 (73, 76, 72) to tie for 28th.
Samuel Marcrom tied for 35th with a score of 223 (73, 76, 74).
Rounding out the scoring for the Bisons were Ben McMahon in a tie for 77th with a score of 235 (75, 82, 78) and Brandon Mundie and Chad Rush in a tie for 80th.
Mundie's three-round score of 242 included rounds of 84, 79 and 79. Rush shot rounds of 81, 83 and 78 for his 242.


text:
Desktop clutterbugs, podcasters, and wallpaper aficionados alike can appreciate the wonders of having a clean, icon-free desktop. There are plenty of tools that can help organize your files and regain organizational real estate, but sometimes you've just gotta sweep it all under the rug to stave off icon claustrophobia. Or perhaps you need to trick your podcast audience into thinking you actually are as organized as you brag on your blog. Whatever your desktop organizing and hiding needs are, FoggyNoggin Software's Desktopple Pro is likely your answer.
Installed as a System Preferences pane, Desktopple Pro allows you to instantly hide the files on your desktop and even swap out a new wallpaper on the fly. Users can bind this feature to a keyboard shortcut to make it work even faster, but the majority of Desktopple Pro's features—and even your desktop files—are accessible via a Menu Bar item. Desktopple Pro also offers powerful Window Cleaning and AutoHide features for hiding idle applications, or hiding some applications when you start a specific one. For example: if you start up iShowU, my favorite screen recording tool, Desktopple Pro can hide your browser, iPhoto, and your chat app to give you a clean area to demonstrate whatever you're going to record.
Desktopple Pro's updated Menu Bar item
In this most recent update to Desktopple Pro 1.3.1, two significant new things have been added. The first is Leopard support (actually it requires 10.5 now), and the second is a feature request I'm honored to say I made last year: Cover Sets. Previously, Desktopple Pro could only be configured to display one kind of desktop image when turning on hiding; your current wallpaper or another specific image, for example. Now with Cover Sets, you can define multiple images that you can switch between on the fly. Maybe you use one Cover Set for podcasts you record, and another for those times when you feel like indulging in your own illusion of a clean, clutter-free desktop. Other features like the ability to dim the Menu Bar, support for multiple desktops (and defining images for each), ignoring Exposé, and even Automator actions merely sweeten the deal.
As a former producer of screencasts at my previous publication (TUAW), I found Desktopple Pro to be a godsend for getting the job done. I'm using it again in heavy rotation for a project I'm working on, and it really is a handy utility whether you need to hide your desktop or just a few applications based on the way you work. A demo is available, and a full license costs $17.


text:
For the Rolls:
1 cup water, warm (not hot)
3 teaspoons regular active dry yeast
2 tablespoons butter
1 egg
3-1/4 cups bread flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
For the Topping
1 and 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
sea salt, for sprinkling
sea salt, for sprinkling
fresh or dried rosemary
Have the 3 bowls you will need out before you start. Bring the butter and egg up to room temperature.
Sprinkle the yeast into the warm water and let rest in a mixing bowl for three minutes. Add butter and mix with a mixer on low until the butter is broken up (the mixture will look curdled). Add the egg and beat on low until incorporated. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the bread flour, sugar and salt. Add to the water/butter mixture and beat on low until the dough just comes together. The dough will be very sticky, but should clean the bowl. Form into a ball with your hands, transfer the dough to a large buttered bowl, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and put in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, about one-two hours. Once the dough has risen, break off fifteen even ball shaped pieces of dough and place in greased muffin tins and let rise until doubled (about 30 minutes). Once risen, brush the tops of the rolls with the melted butter, sprinkle with rosemary and sea salt as desired.
Bake in a 375 degrees oven for 10-20 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. (For my oven 18 minutes is perfect).
Bake in a 375 degrees oven for 10-20 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. (For my oven 18 minutes is perfect).


text:
Chris Boyd, Program Manager
For smaller projects, we see a lot of users turning to SharePoint task lists. With the new SharePoint, we've made that experience even better to manage tasks as a team. But for most organizations, you'll want greater visibility into all your work. This is where Project Online and PWA (Project Web Access) really shines. Task lists can easily connect and sync with all the enterprise project data stored in PWA.
Adding a Task List to PWA
In PWA, task lists can be included in the Project Center. This enables you to include tasks tracked in task lists to be included in reports with all the other projects that reside in PWA. It also enables you to take SharePoint tasks into consideration when you review a resource's workload across your organization. To add a Task List to PWA:
- âââOn the Quick Launch in Project Web App click Projects, then click Add SharePoint Sites in the ribbon.
- On the Add SharePoint Sites to Project Web App dialog box, select the check box next to the site that contains the tasks lists you want to include in PWA.
Note: The list of SharePoint sites shown in this dialog is scoped to the site collection in which PWA resides.
- Click Add, then OK, then refresh the Project Center page until your projects appear in the list.
There are a few different ways you can take advantage of the task list once you've added it to PWA. For example, if you've assigned people to do work on tasks in your task list, when you add that task list to PWA, those people are listed as resources. To see this, on the Quick Launch in PWA, click Resources. Here, you'll see all the people you've assigned to tasks listed as Work resources in the PWA resource pool. You can then get detailed information such as resource availability across all the projects within PWA:
In addition to reporting, you can create project custom fields in PWA that can be edited in a connected SharePoint task list. For example, you might want to create a flag field that helps you identify whether a particular project is associated with a certain initiative in your organization.â
To do this, when you are creating your custom field, check the "Allow editing on Project Details pages for SharePoint Tasks List Projects" checkbox:
The custom field will then appear on the Project Details page found within the project site and team members will be able to set the custom field.
Enabling Enterprise Features on a Project
As you work on a project using a SharePoint task list, you may find that the project becomes more complex, and could really use the added functionality offered by PWA. For example, you may decide you'd like to capture timesheet data, or edit the project using the rich Schedule Web Part. If the SharePoint task list is already added to PWA, the PWA administrator can easily switch the project from being an editable SharePoint task list that is viewable in PWA, to being an editable project in PWA that is viewable as a SharePoint task list.
To make a viewable SharePoint task list into an editable project in PWA:
- In Project Web App, click Settings, and then click PWA Settings.
- On the Server Settings page, under Operational Policies, click Connected SharePoint Site.
- In the Enterprise Project Features column, for the row that contains your project, click Activate.
Once the enterprise features have been enabled for the project, the project can take advantage of all the features offered within PWA.
To recap, I have shown how you can connect your SharePoint Tasks Lists to PWA. As the Tasks Lists continue to evolve and be updated by the project team, the tasks are kept up to date within PWA. This allows an organization to get a complete view of all the work that is happening within the organization. If the project team wants to start taking advantage of some of the more advanced features of PWA, such as status reporting for the project, they can choose to enable the enterprise project features for their set of projects.
For further information on SharePoint Tasks Lists, check out the blog post: Managing tasks in SharePoint
Give it a try, and let us know what you think!


text:
Although the Lakers (9-8) have ruled Kobe Bryant out when they play today against the Portland Trail Blazers (13-3) at Staples Center, it's possible he will return when the Lakers visit the Sacramento Kings (4-10) Friday at Sleep Train Arena in what would mark his first game since tearing his left Achilles tendon seven months ago.
The Lakers practiced Saturday so Bryant could squeeze in a session of five-on-zero drills that mostly entailed shooting exercises. But the Lakers are hoping that three full-court practice sessions beginning Tuesday could pave the way for Bryant's return.
"I don't want to anticipate anything," Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni said. "It doesn't mean he will play Friday. It doesn't mean he won't. But that's a time you evaluate him."
Bryant didn't speak with reporters Saturday at the Lakers' facility in El Segundo. But once the Lakers opened their practice facility for the media, Bryant spent plenty of time on outside shooting drills with teammates Jodie Meeks and Shawne Williams. Bryant shot mostly jumpers and three-pointers with enough accuracy for D'Antoni to say "he looks good."
"He wasn't really rusty," Meeks said. "I'm sure he's been getting a bunch of shots up."
Bryant said last week he hoped the three full-court practices this week would help him both with his explosiveness and enable him to drive from a stand-still position. Bryant has taken a tempered approach in increasing his workload, waiting until he sees how his ankle responds the following day so he doesn't put any additional strain on his Achilles tendon.
After competing in two full-court practices two weeks ago, Bryant scaled back his activity after feeling general soreness in his left foot.
What are D'Antoni's expectations?
"I was hoping the first day of the season," D'Antoni said. "I'm not going to put a timetable out there. It could be a lot longer. As we go forward, it gets closer. We'll get a better read as he has more practices."
Keeping attendance
The Lakers plan to re-evaluate Steve Nash today after he spent last week in Vancouver with personal trainer Rick Celebrini to heal the nerves surrounding his back. The Lakers remain optimistic Nash could practice this week. Both Pau Gasol and Jordan Hill sat out of Saturday's practice because of various injuries that leave them probable today against Portland. Gasol has a right ankle sprain and an issue with his left hand, while Hill has a sprained left ankle.
Award-winning performance
Within a two-month span, D'Antoni has viewed Nick Young as a streaky shooter and inconsistent defender to a candidate for the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award.
"He's playing well enough," D'Antoni said. "If we surprise people, get in the playoffs and do really well, yeah, he'll have a really good chance at it."
Since D'Antoni demoted him as a starting small forward to a reserve, Young has jokingly touted himself as a sixth man of the year candidate. Young has backed up those words said in jest with his play, averaging 16.5 points on 47.4 percent shooting in 27.1 minutes through 11 games as a reserve. Young has also shed his reputation as a poor defender, such as taking a key charge that secured the Lakers' 106-102 victory Friday over the Detroit Pistons.
"As he says, he's changed his name to 'Swaggy D,'" D'Antoni said with a smile. "We'll see how that holds up."


text:
#32 wrote:tHe_pEsTiLeNcE wrote:I think that taxing smokers is a good thing to do because it discourages the new smoking trend in Los Angeles that's risen up over the last couple of years. People are replacing anorexia with cigarettes to lose weight (since it makes you less hungry). This tax won't stop people who are already addicts, but it will help prevent new people from becoming addicted.
Yes, but what about the people that are already addicted?
They're being exploited by 86. We already have enough cash shoveled into various anti-smoking organizations. We don't need to take a bigger cut outta some 60-year old lady's wellfare check.
If moronic 17-year old girls start sucking cancer sticks to lose a few vanity pounds, than screw them. That's just plain ignorant. But I don't feel it necessary to tax a steel mill worker off a 12-hour shift that needs to relax.
The college students that become addicts? Idiotic. They've been told ALL their life not to smoke. I'm a college student who smokes cigars every could of weeks, but I'm far from addicted. Anybody out of my generation whose become addicted to ciggarettes is a flat out moron. No questions, no excuses, no BS. You're a moron. Your life is NOT that hard.
People have known about the dangers of smoking since the nineteenth century. Maybe not quite the extent of it but the fact that it wasn't healthy. I've read recommendations not to smoke for health reasons in Dostoyevsky. And he died in 1881.


text:
Str8 Chaser 7Favorites [+]
Pay-Per-Minute Viewing
This premium movie consumes minutes at 2.0 times the normal rate. Why?
In an effort to encourage studios to send us their newest and best movies as close to their street release dates as possible, we must offer certain titles at a premium rate. Other content is placed at a premium rate because studios consider those videos to be rare, hard to find or special in some other way. While many premium titles revert to the regular price over time, some studios with rare content, require us to keep their content at premium prices for even longer. Movies at less than 1.0x rate are a limited time special discount streaming rate.
If you have any questions about pricing, please contact Customer Support.
If you have any questions about pricing, please contact Customer Support.
You can now enjoy this movie on your iPhone®, iPad®, or compatible Smart TV & Android devices.
Purchase Options
Pay-Per-MinutePurchase Minutes
Streaming Rentals
Running Time: 113 minutes
Studio Name: Reality Dudes
Series: Str8 Chaser
Categories: Amateur Anal Str8 Bait Safe Sex High Definition
Description: St8 Chaser is back and better than ever prowling the streets for the 'on the edge' straight guy willing to try out cock for the first time. It's even easier enticing these "straight" guys once they catch a glimpse of that hard cock. They go in straight and cum out gay sluts!!
4 Scenes from Str8 Chaser 7
Str8 Chaser 7: Scene 1 Free Preview
Starring: Cody ... More Details
Stars: Cody
Positions: Cowgirl, Laying, Missionary, Side Saddle, Sitting, Standing, Standing Doggy Style
Settings: Hotel Room, Outdoors
Str8 Chaser 7: Scene 2 Free Preview
Starring: Aston ... More Details
Stars: Aston
Positions: Laying, Missionary, Side Saddle, Standing, Standing Doggy Style
Str8 Chaser 7: Scene 3 Free Preview
Starring: Aiden ... More Details
Stars: Aiden
Sex Acts: Oral Sex, Handjob, Masturbation, Stripping, Anal Sex
Positions: Kneeling, Laying, Missionary, Side Saddle, Sitting, Standing, Standing Doggy Style
Settings: Train Station, Hotel Room
Str8 Chaser 7: Scene 4 Free Preview
Starring: Dietrich ... More Details
Stars: Dietrich
Settings: Hotel Room, Outdoors
Recommended Movies


text:
Same as the Australian thread. The idea is to create an AT English XI by open voting.
There will be four categories:
- Opening batsmen (2)
- Middle order batsmen (4)
- Wicketkeeper (1)
- Bowlers (4)
- Some players (Botham & Alec Stewart, for example) will appear in two categories. So, if you want Botham as an all-rounder batting at six, please select him as a middle order batsman. If you want him as an all rounder batting somewhere from 7-11, please select him as one of your four bowlers. This is not entirely fair I guess, but I can't think of another way without forcing the selection of an all-rounder.
You may wish to vote for players other than the ones I list. That's fine.
We'll start with the openers, please select two of the following:
Geoff Boycott
Graham Gooch
Mike Atherton
Andrew Strauss
Len Hutton
Alastair Cook
Marcus Trescothick
Jack Hobbs
Herb Sutcliffe
Alec Stewart
Michael Vaughan
Dennis Amiss
Arthur Shewsbury
WG Grace
Archie MacLaren
CB Fry
Cyril Washbrook
John Edrich
(England have produced a lot of ****ing good openers!)


text:
Why do you need to do tissue expansion for breast implants?
Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts,"
My friend had breast augmentation and they just put the implants without tissue expansion.
Rachel McKenna, MSN, CRNP, Nurse Practitioner in the Division of Plastic Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital, responds:
Placing implants after mastectomy is very different than putting in implants for cosmetic augmentation. When women have an augmentation, their skin and breast tissue are left intact. These healthy tissues are better able to stretch to accommodate and cushion the breast implant. After a mastectomy, your breast skin is very thin. The breast surgeon needs to make sure that all breast tissue is removed and in order to do this you are left with only a very thin layer of breast skin. This breast skin is not able to stretch in the way it needs to in order to accommodate an implant. This is why we have to very slowly and gently stretch the tissues using a tissue expander.


text:
When the magnitude 9 earthquake and resulting tsunami devastated much of northern Japan on March 11, it was a human catastrophe of almost unimaginable proportion. But it was the damage at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant that potentially had the greatest implications for the United States and power companies including Entergy that generate significant electricity with nuclear power.
Although the situation in Japan has not yet been stabilized, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said there is no evidence that overheating during the last month has resulted in any melting of the reactor vessels or their containment structures.
The New York Times reported April 5 that federal officials believe the plant is unlikely to suffer a complete meltdown, in which uranium fuel gets so hot that it melts through the bottom of the reactor and containment vessels, spewing high-level radiation into the plant's underlying foundation. If that assessment is correct, then significant additional releases of radioactivity into the environment will be limited.
This is good news for northern Japan – and other regions around the globe where people live near nuclear plants that produce the power they consume. The probability that a particular reactor core at a U.S. nuclear power plant will be damaged as a result of a blackout ranges from 6.5 in 100,000 to less than one in a million, according to a 2003 analysis by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
"Compared to many more mundane technologies, such as cars and airplanes, nuclear power facilities are quite safe. For the past half century, we have assumed they are safe enough," said Larry M. Elkin, president of Palisades Hudson Financial Group and a former editor and reporter for the Associated Press.
"The disaster at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex demands that we rethink what 'safe enough' means," he asserted in a piece titled "Japan Shows Us It Can Happen Here."
Elkin said American scientists believe U.S. power plants have almost no chance of experiencing the kind of earthquake and tsunami damage that the Japanese plants sustained, but insisted, "The question we need to consider is not whether similar earthquakes and tsunamis can happen here; it is whether a plant could, for any combination of reasons, simultaneously suffer a failure of its outside electrical supply and its onsite backups."
For residents of Southeast Texas, the threat seems more remote. The closest nuclear plant to the area is 160 miles to the west at the South Texas Project, outside of Bay City in Matagorda County southwest of Houston.
More relevant to our area is the River Bend Station nuclear power plant in Louisiana, 186 miles to the east, just north of Baton Rouge. It is owned by Entergy – and is a major source of electricity in the Golden Triangle and beyond.
"Roughly 20 percent of the power Entergy supplies to Texas comes from River Bend Station in St. Francisville, La.," said Mike Bowling, communications manager for Entergy Nuclear.
Entergy is a utility giant, a Fortune 500 company with annual revenues of more than $10 billion in 2009 and about 15,000 employees.
Entergy is also the second-largest nuclear generator of electricity in the U.S. after Exelon Corporation, operating a total of 12 nuclear units at 10 plants including River Bend, Waterford near New Orleans and Grand Gulf near Port Gibson, Miss.
Bowling sought to allay fears aroused by nonstop coverage of the Fukushima Daiichi crisis on cable news outlets, where the name of Entergy was repeatedly invoked as a prominent American nuclear operator.
"Nuclear plants in the U.S. are designed and built to withstand threats specific to their location, including earthquakes, floods and other natural disasters," said Bowling."Federal regulators will grant a license only if the plant is built above and beyond any credible natural or man-made threat," he added. "The NRC requires all safety-significant structures, systems and components in nuclear plants to be able to withstand the most severe natural phenomena historically reported for each plant's surrounding area, plus a significant margin for error."
It was not damage from the quake or tsunami that threatened to destroy the Daiichi plant but a loss of power that shut down the cooling system.Entergy Nuclear believes they have made such an occurrence in their plants highly unlikely.
"Systems are designed with multiple contingent backup systems to provide greater safety margins in our ability to keep cooling water in the reactor and spent fuel pool," said Bowling.
"Various emergency diesel generators at Entergy plants are located within hardened structures and at elevations designed to protect the emergency diesel generators from the sites' design-basis environmental disasters, including hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes and flooding."
These redundancies give the utility a high degree of confidence.
"A nuclear plant can maintain a shutdown condition isolated from the bulk power transmission system indefinitely," asserted Bowling, who noted, "During Katrina, Entergy's Waterford 3 plant shut down safely in anticipation of the hurricane's landfall. Although the electric grid was down for five days, plant systems ran safely on diesel generators stored in reinforced concrete bunkers until power was restored."
One irony on the American nuclear landscape is that many nuclear plants are not operated today by the company that originally constructed them.
"River Bend Station, which now supplies power to Texas, originally began operation in 1986 and was owned by Gulf States Utilities Inc. Entergy announced plans to acquire Gulf States Utilities in 1992 and completed the merger in 1993," said Bowling.
What the Japanese crisis means for the nuclear industry in this country is less clear. A long-planned addition of two nuclear reactors at the South Texas Project has been indefinitely put on hold, with partners CPS Energy and NRG reportedly having a difficult time finding new investors and selling the 2,700 megawatts the new units would produce, in part because of the reduced demand for power and the persistent low price of natural gas.
Suggestions that this failure to attract new investors means Wall Street wants nothing to do with nuclear plants were rejected by Bowling.
"I wouldn't say that this is a fair characterization," he said. "There is no question that the United States hasn't built new reactors in decades, and it will take new plants being built on time and on budget to assure Wall Street that new nuclear build is a good plan financially."
Elkin also cautioned against a rush to judgment on these financial questions. In an interview with the Business Journal, he said, "I don't know that anybody's nuclear business is booming – and certainly what has gone on in Japan in the last month hasn't helped – but it's a little early to say what the long-term fallout is going to be in the industry."
The bottom line for the financial markets, of course, is money.
"As long as there is a market for these kind of securities, I don't think it's a fair statement to say that Wall Street isn't interested in the industry. General Electric is a major player in nuclear power, and they certainly have a following on Wall Street," he said.
The fact is this nuclear construction moratorium was already ending before the recent events in Japan.
"Note that plants are being built overseas at rapid rates," said Bowling. "Here in the United States, loan guarantees – not loans or grants, but the ability to receive limited loans with the backing of the federal government – are helping to jump start the build process. Companies like Southern have already broken ground for new reactor preparation, in Southern's case, at the Vogtle site in Georgia."
So what is Entergy's corporate strategy going forward in terms of the kind of plants the company will construct?
"Entergy has made no commitment to build new nuclear plants, but the company does want to keep options open for meeting future energy needs," said Bowling, who indicated any new nuclear plants are likely to be built on existing sites.
"Entergy has construction and operating license applications for both River Bend Station in Louisiana and Grand Gulf in Mississippi on file with federal regulators, but work on both applications was temporarily suspended in 2009 after Entergy was unable to reach a business agreement for deploying a new reactor with potential vendor GE-Hitachi," he said.
But Elkin, the AP editor turned financial advisor, offered a darker assessment of the American nuclear future.
"What happened in Japan proved that safety measures there were unacceptably weak. Our plants run similar risks, and we ought to acknowledge that our safety measures are equally unacceptable. A 6.5 in 100,000 risk is low, but when it comes to radioactive materials, it is too high, especially given the margin of error in our own ability to estimate such risks," he said.
Bowling takes sharp exception to such declarations.
"Entergy knows that we can operate each of our plants safely, regardless of its location," he said. "We believe very strongly in nuclear power and in the health and safety of the public near them. Entergy would not operate units that it did not believe were safe. The nuclear power industry will learn from this event and will redesign our facilities as needed to make them safer in the future."
Originally Published in the April 2011 issue of The Beaumont Business Journal
[1] http://theexaminer.com/users/james-shannon
[2] http://theexaminer.com/sites/default/files/en.jpg
[3] http://theexaminer.com/stories/news


text:
Kumon: the organization that never stops learning
I became a Kumon Instructor to carry on the aspirations of my mother, and the key to my Center's success is what I learn from my fellow Instructors.
Seeing the way my mother and her colleagues learned from each other inspired me to become a Kumon Instructor myself
My mother was a Kumon Instructor. I saw her working in her Kumon Center many times over the years. The day my mother opened her Center stands out in my mind as if it were yesterday. Ever since that day I have been full of admiration for Kumon Instructors.
My mother always encouraged me to follow in her footsteps. From the age of eleven she would take me with her on Center visits and to Instructor meetings. I remember being fascinated by the way the Instructors would get together and talk about student case studies as if all the students they were discussing were from their own Centers. Those meetings were devoted to the pursuit of students' potential, and I was able to witness the way experienced Instructors freely shared their knowledge with others, as well as the way in which my mother's input was eagerly received by the other participants.
Learning from other Instructors and realizing
how to avoid leaving students at a disadvantage
Over time, my mother became very popular as she had built up a lot of experience and was able to support new Instructors. Many Instructors visited her Center in order to learn from her. Later, I began working as an Instructor in the Belém region myself and received a warm welcome from all of the Instructors and staff there. I visited many Centers throughout Brazil and was always happily received by the Instructors who shared valuable tips and know-how with me. Through visiting other Centers, having other Instructors and Kumon staff visit my Center, and attending regional meetings, seminars and Instructors conferences, I have been exposed to a vast amount of knowledge which I have used to further develop my Center. At my Center, we search for ways to improve our instruction on a daily basis.
One day, I was worried about how I should go about instructing a certain student. This student was capable but I was unable to develop her ability more fully and had ended up assigning her an excessive amount of repetition. Then, I discussed the issue with an experienced Instructor. Based on her advice, when doing the native language worksheets, I made sure that the student read the instructions, passages, and questions thoroughly and had her read over her answers after writing them down. Her results instantly improved. Upon reflection, I realized that I had been leaving that student at a serious disadvantage.
Etching Toru Kumon's words into my consciousness and learning from peers around the world
After seeing so many student cases, I became firmly convinced that the Kumon Method of education was a wonderful method for increasing students' potential. Kumon has enhanced my life and the lives of my students. I have drawn great inspiration from Toru Kumon, who said, "There is never 'good enough,' there must always be 'something better.'" These words are always foremost in my mind: "The more you learn, the clearer your deficiencies become." Nothing should cause you fear or hesitation when attempting new things. I want to continue to learn more about the Kumon Method from my fellow Kumon Instructors in Brazil, South America, Japan, and around the world.
Toru Kumon, the founder of the Kumon Method,
left us with an abundance of valuable messages
that we continue to place great importance on.
In this section you can read some extracts from the inspiring messages that Toru Kumon delivered to Kumon Instructors and staff since the time of the company's foundation. Indeed, we continue to share the Mission and Values prescribed by Toru Kumon, and place great importance on them in our daily work. This has been vital to ensuring that Kumon has, for over half a century, continued to be the company that it is to this day.
- Give It a Try!
Or You Will Never Discover Your True Potential.
- It Is Not the Child Who Is at Fault
- There is Never "Good Enough,"
There Must Always Be "Something Better"
- Study at the "Just-Right" Level
- Advancing Beyond School Grade Level
Kumon's Aspirations
We at Kumon share a dream,
a dream of world peace brought about by education.
We will move toward the realization of that dream
by helping people to better themselves
through individualized education.


text:
Department of Biology
Neuroscience Minor
Dr. Valerie Haftel
Program Director
E-mail: email@example.com
Phone: 470.639.0626
Neuroscience, the scientific study of the brain and its functions, is a field on the frontier of science. Neuroscientists study such issues as the molecular and cellular basis of neuronal function, nervous system structure, how systems of neurons process information, the way in which functions are represented in the brain, the evolutionary development of the nervous system, neural correlates of behavior, and mechanisms of nervous system disorders. The neuroscience minor at Morehouse College was designed to encourage students to approach their studies of human behavior from an inter-disciplinary perspective. Completing a minor in neuroscience distinguishes you for having pursued your interest in the sciences beyond the courses and electives required for your major. Training in neuroscience will be useful for many careers in the 21st century, including:
|Occupational Therapy
|Physical Therapy
|Public Health
|Veterinary Medicine
Neuroscience Minor Requirements
Students in any major and in any division are encouraged to pursue a minor in the neurosciences. To minor in neuroscience, you must complete 17 hours, consisting of the following courses: BIO 112, BIO 123/PSY123, BIO 317, PSY 460, and one elective. In addition, students must take one advanced laboratory class (e.g., 317L), or 461)
Neuroscience Activities
Neuroscience is a booming field and there are many ways to get connected. Try these for a start.
- GO to a neuroscience talk
GSU Brains and Behavior Program
Morehouse-sponsored seminars
CBN-sponsored seminars
- READ a neuroscience paper
- TALK to one of your neuroscience professors:
Dr. Larry Blumer
Dr. Valerie Haftel
Dr. Daniel Hummer
Dr. Duane Jackson
Dr. Chris Markham
- JOIN a research lab
- THINK like a scientist
Approved Neurobiology Elective Courses
- Biology
BIO 316 Principles of Physiology
- Psychology
PSY 341 Animal Behavior
PSY 372 Learning and Memory
PSY 386 Abnormal Psychology
PSY 393 Health Psychology
- Computer Science
CSC Artificial Intelligence
Additional courses on other Atlanta campuses may substitute for electives, subject to prior approval by the Neuroscience Committee at Morehouse College.
Declaring the Minor
If you would like to declare a neuroscience minor, contact:
Dr. Valerie Haftel, Program Director, email@example.com
You must complete the Declaration or Change of Academic Major/Minor Form. Enrollment can be done at any time during your studies at Morehouse. The earlier, the better.
Atlanta Neuroscience Resources
Metropolitan Atlanta is home to one of the most active neuroscience research communities in the country.
Center for Behavioral Neuroscience
Centers for Disease Control
Morehouse School of Medicine
Neuroscience Institute
Society for Neuroscience – Atlanta Chapter
Yerkes National Primate Research
There are many student opportunities for research as part of the Atlanta Neuroscience Community.
Also, check out all the resources at the Society for Neuroscience website! www.sfn.org.


text:
There are two badges given for consecutive duration on the site - "enthusiats" (30 days) and "fanatic" (100 days).
I guess that a simple script can login every few hours instead of the user, to gain the badge. Am I correct?
EDIT: Great. I hope to publish the script as soon as I understand the OpenID mechanism well enough.


text:
(402) 486-9880
Opening hours
Welcome to inMOTION Auto Care Inc. your Michelin tire dealer in LINCOLN. Meet our team of trained specialists and get advice or assistance in the selection and fitting of your Michelin tires.
Find summer or winter tires at your Michelin dealer in LINCOLN, learn about the condition and wear of specific tires for cars, SUV, or 4x4...
A variety of services are available in our repair shop. You can also benefit from our promotional events displayed on our store page.
Don't wait to visit inMOTION Auto Care Inc. to find tires for your vehicle and your driving comfort.


text:
So I want to discuss what we're ALL talking about. Hannah Montana Miley Cyrus. Now, I recorded the VMA's because *some* hot piece of hiney was hogging the TV playing some XBOX. However, once I was seeing people blowing up FB and all the celeb gossip sites about this chick, I just had to go see what they were talking about. So I logged onto PerezHilton.com and there was the clip
You guys? I mean...I just........ The Smith's had my reaction PEGGED
I am right there with you, Smith Clan. I felt every.single.one.of.these.reactions. Shock, disgust, confusion, embarrassment for Miley.
Now dolls, listen. I am NOT a prude, scouts honor. But, Miley...girlfriend, I was so embarrassed for you. You want to shed this Hannah Montana, Disney, good girl image, and create a whole new you in the land of Hollyweird. I get that & I can respect that. But what's up with the raunchy stuff? Like the foam finger going down to your lady parts and that tongue?! We get it, you have a long pink tongue that you can rub the side of your cheek with. I seriously felt like you were trying way too hard with that. I dont understand your need to OVERSEXUALIZE yourself. Hey, Britney did it in 2001. She let the whole world know she was not a girl, not yet a woman. She taught us how to dance in a an abandoned warehouse, sweating up a storm, while telling men everywhere how we want to
take back feminine rights be slaves. The difference is, she wasn't doing things that pushed the line on what would be deemed appropriate for even a 30 year old to watch. I feel like you're just trying way too hard to be this "can't stop, wont stop, I love all the haters, watch me stick out my tongue and make out with a teddy bear and STILL be engaged to a hot normal guy", that you're not even entertaining. It just doesn't make sense to me. Twerking? Sure, makes sense. Hell, I've been practicing my twerk since you've made it so popular. And I LOVE "Can't Stop". One of my main workout jams. Shoot, Ill select it when Im feel just sassy & am alone in the car. But the making out with the bears, the oversized baby dolls, the foam finger all over Robin Thicke's junk? Yaaaaaa.....it just doesn't make sense to me. And while we're talking about you rubbing over Robin Thicke and twerking your backside on him: Where was Liam?!?!?! I know Robin's wife, Paula Patton, is fine with his antics, but ummm...is Liam? From one married woman to soon to be married woman, Nick would have me locked up once I got off that stage if I was rubbing on Mr. Thicke.
But I guess, you're just being Miley. Anyone else feel like me?


text:
This attack's power starts off with 20 Base Power but increases by 20 Base Power for each stat increase used by the Pokémon. Can get a maximum Base Power of 860. Moves with stat lowering effects do not affect this move's power.
Pokémon That Learn Stored Power By Level Up


text:
MOSCOW – Ukraine claimed Monday that rebels in the east of the country fired rockets and mortars on civilians trying to flee from the region's intense fighting.
"Many people were killed, among them women and children," Col. Andriy Lysenko, a spokesman for Ukraine's national security council, said at a briefing. He did not say how many people or vehicles were in the convoy.
Story continues below
The barrage took place between the towns of Svitlivka and Khrashchuvate, which lie on the main road leading from the besieged city of Luhansk to Russia. There were no immediate further details.
That road is likely the one that a convoy of Russian humanitarian aid would take if Ukraine allows it into the country.
The International Committee of the Red Cross, which is to take responsibility for the aid convoy when it enters Ukraine, has demanded security guarantees from all sides, including the rebels, for the mission. As of midday, there was no indication that the guarantees had been given.
Russia's foreign minister earlier said he expects the extensive humanitarian aid mission for eastern Ukraine to enter the country in the near future.
Speaking at news conference in Berlin, where he met a day earlier with his counterparts from Ukraine, France and Germany, Sergey Lavrov said Monday that all questions regarding the mission had been answered and that agreement had been reached with Ukraine and the ICRC. It was not clear if Lavrov was referring to the security guarantees.
The humanitarian aid convoy from Russia has been watched with suspicion by Ukraine and Western countries, who suggest it could be used to spirit in weapons for the separatists, who are gradually losing ground to Ukrainian forces.
©2014The Canadian Press


text:
Hi Hungry Girl,
I love your cocktail book, Happy Hour, but I'm confused when it comes to the Weight Watchers PointsPlus® values. When I plug the recipe stats for one of the drink recipes into my Weight Watchers calculator, I get a much lower PointsPlus® value than what's listed on your site. The values according to my calculator seem too low for alcoholic drinks -- some have a value of just 0 or 1. What gives?
Beverage Baffled
Hi BB,
Here's the deal. To determine the PointsPlus® value of a recipe, the WW calculator uses fat, carbs, fiber, and protein -- but the calories from alcohol aren't factored in. So if you plug the stats for a cocktail recipe into your PointsPlus® calculator, the value will not be accurate. To figure out the real value of a cocktail recipe, you need to start with Weight Watchers' determined value for the alcohol itself (typically a PointsPlus® value of 4 per 1.5-oz. shot). After that, calculate the recipe's value based only on the non-alcoholic ingredients. Then, add those values together. Sound complicated? Don't worry; we've done all the work for you! The values listed in the Happy Hour section of our book site take all of this info into account. Cocktail recipes in other HG books as well as past HG emails have also been updated with the specially calculated values.
Bottom line? Using the calculator to determine PointsPlus® values for cocktail recipes won't work. But you can find accurate values for all the recipes in Hungry Girl Happy Hour by clicking here. Now go make some cocktails (if you're of the legal drinking age and won't be driving, of course)!
Dear Hungry Girl,I'm going to Disney World in a few weeks, and I'm wondering if you have any tips on eating there. As far as I know, the restaurants don't provide nutritional information, so I am at a loss. Help! How do I not gain weight while I'm there? Amusement Confusement
Dear Amusement Confusement,
You're not alone! Now that the warm weather is here, many of us will be spending time at fairs and amusement parks -- spots that can be pretty scary when it comes to meals and snacks. I have a few rules for day trips to these types of places... 1. Bring emergency snacks. These are things you can keep in your bag to help you avoid eating the crazy-high-calorie snacks that pop up at parks. I like to have sweet stuff, minty things, and protein-packed options handy: Tootsie Pops, sugar-free hard candies, sugar-free mints, sugar-free gum, jerky, light cheese snacks that don't need refrigeration, 100-calorie packs of almonds -- all GREAT. Click here for a huge list of travel-friendly treats. 2. Track down better-for-you options. If you find yourself at the park without emergency snacks, seek out treats that aren't too bad for you. You can usually find fresh fruit at amusement parks. And you're better off with a few bites of cotton candy or a soft pretzel than with greasy, fatty funnel cakes or churros! 3. Do a little homework. Check out menus online ahead of time. Even if the restaurants don't have nutritionals posted, you can usually find out what's on the menu before you get there. Then at least you will be prepared for what to expect and can make the best choices. In fact, check out this unofficial guide we found for dining at Disney! 4. Go for lean protein at mealtime. In general, when it comes to meals, stick with deli meats or grilled lean protein (like chicken), rather than hot dogs, pizza, or hamburgers. And if you're going for a salad, pay close attention to the dressing, 'cuz there's a good chance it will have more calories than the salad itself! Your best bet with salads is to order the dressing on the side, and then dip (don't pour!). Click here for an overall guide to menu reading and dining out. And click here for more info on surviving theme parks. Good luck and have fun!
Today, June 15th, is National Lobster Day. Mmmmm! Click here for everything you need to know about keeping up with the crustaceans!
Have a question for Hungry Girl? Send it in! She answers new Qs each week (but cannot respond to emails personally).
SmartPoints® value not what you expected? Click here for more info on how the values are calculated, plus more FAQs about PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® values on our website.


text:
Speed Up Indexing In Windows 7, Disable Windows 7 Search Indexer Throttling
A couple weeks ago I was testing some things on my Windows 7 laptop and needed to make sure that all of the data on my hard drive was included in Windows Search. After adding a large amount of data it seemed as though Windows Search was taking forever to index everything so I started investigating how to speed up the index process. There is a configurable option called "Disable Indexer Backoff" which can be disabled to allow Windows Search to index without any limitations though by default the Indexer Backoff is enabled and thus depending on the speed of your Windows 7 computer it can take quite awhile to index everything on the hard drive. Follow the directions below to speed up Windows Search indexing process by disabling Indexer Backoff.


text:
NYSE's Worries Helped Drive Separate Clearing Deal with ICE
A side agreement that NYSE and IntercontinentalExchange signed while reaching their $8.2 billion merger, has caught the M&A world's attention because it may make NYSE less attractive to other bidders.
So-called "crown-jewel lockups," in their extreme form, deter other buyers and are generally frowned upon by courts because they can harm shareholders. But they are rare in practicality, as WSJ reported today.
But lawyers say agreements like this side contract are generally acceptable if they have business reasons, even if the unintended result is deterring bidders.
NYSE's business reason was born in the failure of its deal with Deutsche Boerse.
The contract calls for NYSE's European derivatives unit to clear trades through ICE and lasts, according to people familiar with it, for at least two years. The contract could be lucrative to ICE given it services NYSE's sought-after Liffe unit, which ICE has previously bid $6.3 billion alone for.
The idea for a separate agreement came up almost immediately when the two sides started talking about a merger last year.
NYSE had a bad experience with a big merger, and didn't want to be stung again, according to a person familiar with the deal.


text:
Trespa International BV is a world leading manufacturer of high performance High Pressure Laminate (HPL) coloured panels for rainscreen cladding, decorative facades and interiors. Our range of cladding panels include Trespa Meteon a impact, VU and weather resistant coloured external cladding panel for ventilated facade rainscreens. Virtuon is our internal cladding panel for hygiene critical surfaces in healthcare and Athlon internal cladding panels that is ideal for environments where impact, scratch and wear resistant is critical. TopLab is our hygienic, chemical and stain resistance panel ideal for laboratories and laboratory worktops. Trespa holds both ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 accreditation.
HUNTER DOUGLAS SUN CONTROL & FACADES is a fully integrated facade cladding system which incorporates glazing, panels and solar-control louvres to provide a bespoke Facade system. Products include a wide range of sliding or folding window shutters, motorised window shutters and louvres, as well as architecturally versatile ventilated rainscreen facades, insulated Sandwich Wall cladding panels and MPF single-skin rainscreen systems. A full range of sun control products are also available including Louvred Aerofins, Aerowings, Aerofoils, Brise Soleil. Our sun control systems can be fully integrated with any Hunter Douglas facade system and manufactured to bespoke requirements.
Whether you are an Architect, Self-Builder, House Builder, Social Housing Provider, Developer or Contractor, our comprehensive services can help you realise your projects faster and more cost effectively. From site surveys, town planning, architectural design and structural engineering, through manufacturing and specialist erection, to procurement and project management services, our Value Engineering approach is designed to help you secure the project you want. And, with the name 'Benfield' synonymous with high quality building & property development for over 80 years, you'll know that your project is in safe hands.
Get listed
If you supply CLADDINGS EXTERNAL Timber Finish . then contact us today! There has never been a better time to promote your company and products with BPi. Get in touch NOW and your company will be available to our millions of users. Send us your details or simply call us.


text:
Illness, Injury & School
The title of today's post needs no explanation- I have not been keeping well and was diagnosed with acute stomach infection....my mother had to take a week off from work. If that was not enough, I ended up injuring my right eye on Monday after a freak accident involving a paint-brush that landed on my eye.......an injury that could only be noticed yesterday after my mom saw a blood clot underneath my lower eye-lids......26th being a republic day, doctors were not available; so had to resort to phone advice- nothing serious is what he says!
Amidst all this, in their bid to to divert my attention and make me "feel-good", my parents took me to show me my likely school-
Dihika - and it seemed to have paid off as from then my infection started to give way to new-found desire to go and attend my new school..... My parents have chosen that school because it is based on "Education for life" philosophy instead of currently in vogue book based education......An excerpt from their website is as follows:
"With parents working long hours, the already sketchy nuclear family survives on minute windows of 'quality time'. Young parents look to the child's school to provide care, nurturing, stimulus and inspiration…. to "deliver the finished product", as it were. Credible surveys have found contemporary learning to be rote-based, taking place in watertight compartments with little relation to life. The school simply churns out neat little beings that speak correctly, follow rules, sing rhymes, and rattle off factoids about Continents and Constitutions.... yet all the while, the beautiful wiring INSIDE them lies neglected and untended. An easy answer to fears of encouraging bigotry has been for schools to abandon moral and spiritual instruction altogether..... effectively throwing the baby out with the bathwater. We see people everywhere growing into set patterns of negativity and only after being buffeted by life's storms "finding" spirituality and trying to straighten out their lives. Einstein's revelation that the Universe is composed of 'Energy' rather than 'Matter' validates the ancient Vedic premise that this Dwapara Yuga that we live in is, indeed, the Age of Energy. Dihika uses the eternal principles of Yoga Vedanta to provide a spirit-centered learning environment that takes into account this new Energy Paradigm, using techniques continuously refined in the Living Wisdom Schools in the United States. A central part of the curriculum is teaching a child how to be aware of his own energy and how to harness it towards what he is trying to accomplish."
Let me end this post by uploading some pics of me and my Rudra bhai having a laugh-riot.....you will love these pics!


text:
And you call yourself an Apple fanboi? Dressing up like a mutton-chopped Steve jobs (true to life!) while your buddy tromps about in a cyborg suit comprised of vintage mac parts—that's showing your fandom.
The photo was snapped in Chongqing, China but other details have been elusive. Were they cos-playing for a con? Was this an impromptu tribute to the late Apple CEO? Am I the only one that thinks the cyborg looks like Kanti from FLCL? Check out the full image of the dynamic duo below. [MIC Gadget via Cult of Mac via Geekosystem]


text:
Education Position Paper: Improving Learning, Expanding Opportunities
Download: English
This paper sets out how the UK, through the Department for International Development (DFID) works to improve education in some of the poorest countries in the world. A good education is a human right, a global public good and a necessary ingredient for economic development and poverty reduction. Education enables people to live healthier and more productive lives, allowing them to fulfill their own potential as well as to strengthen and contribute to open, inclusive and economically vibrant societies.
The benefits of education for girls and women are particularly strong. Evidence highlights that for education to enhance economic growth, children must be both in school and learning. Learning propels the transformational potential of education to contribute to better governance, more peace and democracy, political stability and the rule of law. Taken together, evidence suggests that a quality education can enable people to shape, strengthen and contribute to the building blocks of open economies and open societies. Education is also an essential part of responding to current and future challenges, from demographic and climate change, to rising inequalities within and between countries.


text:
We have recently been made aware of several scams being successfully perpetrated via the private messaging system. These scammers are registering to the forum, never making any posts, and sending dozens of phishing PMs to several legitimate users looking to buy/sell goods. Once the bank transfer is completed there is no recourse, and because all of this occurs out of our sight this type of scam is impossible for us to guard against without taking pro-active measures.
In order to provide everyone a searchable history of member participation in the community you must now have at least 10 posts before private messaging becomes available. We realize that this undoubtedly causes some minor inconvenience, however, this move accomplishes 2 things which dramatically negate the effectiveness of this type of scam with such a low barrier to entry. It increases the amount of time and effort 10 fold that a scammer has to put forth before his first attempt so the majority will likely give up or move on to a different platform, and for those few remaining a paper trail of data is captured to cross reference against search engines.
We at AF1 loathe scammers and we feel that a temporary roadblock was warranted to help protect the community. Moving forward, all legitimate members will need to contribute is at least 10 posts to the forum and private messaging will be enabled withing the hour. We appreciate your understanding and participation.


text:
GULLANE, Scotland — By the time young pro Jordan Spieth is able to legally buy a beer, he might be able to buy the whole beer company.
Spieth will turn 20 on July 27, giving him another year (before he can sidle up to the bar) to work on a bank account that has already grown incredibly.
He is the Dallas golfer who left the University of Texas in December to join the pro tour. There are good decisions and great decisions. Judging by current events, that Texas degree can wait.
He already had made some money, thanks to several tournament exemption entries and successes, when he walked into a sand trap late Sunday at the John Deere Open in Silvis, Ill., with one hope of getting into a playoff for the title. He had to chip in.
Spieth didn't just chip in. He hit the flagstick and watched as the ball slithered directly down and into the cup.
About an hour later, he had won the playoff on the fifth extra hole, and with it $828,000. Suddenly, just six months after deciding to give pro golf a go, his portfolio is at $2,034,179. He is also No. 59 in the world, No. 11 in the Tour's FedEx point standings and the youngest to win a PGA Tour event since Ralph Guldahl in 1931 at the Santa Monica Open at Riviera.
The win qualified him for tour events for the next two years. Also the Masters and this week's British Open here at Muirfield.
So, flash forward to the 18th green Friday. Spieth stood over a two-foot putt for birdie, almost the exact distance he had for his winning tap-in at the John Deere.
Clunk. Par.
"I need to get back out to the putting green," Speith said after his round of 74. "Need to get my mind back around the short putts."
For a while Friday, Spieth was climbing the leaderboard like a real contender, which he said he still is with his total of 143, one over par. He'd gotten to three under, just two shy of the lead, and had it there heading to No. 15.
Then he chipped into the bunker and took a double bogey, followed with bogeys at 16 and the par-five 17th, and the missed birdie chance from two feet at 18.
Was he upset with himself? Showing maturity and poise, he said no.
"I think I'm tied for 26th or 27th right now," he said, "and that's only going to improve. This golf course is extremely difficult. Anybody within a few shots of par still has a chance to win."
O'Meara falls apart
Mark O'Meara followed his contending 67 with a 78 Friday, and while the 1998 British Open champion made the cut, he was not happy with his play.
"It's pretty simple," said O'Meara, 56. "You don't hit it good in an Open Championship with the rough the way it is, you're going to make some bogeys. The short game is key. You have to putt well. I did none of those well. That's why I shot seven over."
Lehman also stumbles
Tom Lehman, 54 and the British champion two years before O'Meara, also followed a good day Thursday (a 68) with a bad one Friday, shooting 77 for a 145 total, and was even quicker in his summation.
"Really ugly golf," he said. ". . . Not happy with it."
Home disadvantage
Lehman made an interesting point about the European players, especially the Brits, and the so-called home advantage.
"That can work for you or against you," he said. "You either embrace it and feel the love . . . or feel the added pressure that doesn't allow you to perform.
"The expectations are so high. Everybody is saying this is a great course for Luke Donald. Hey, it's a great course for anybody hitting it well."
Donald shot 80 Thursday, followed with a 72 Friday, and missed the cut.


text:
Native Programs
"When I first walked on that campus, the beautiful thing that I felt there was the Spirit.
The Spirit said 'Come'. This is a place for people to hear what your ancestors wanted you to pass on."
—Vi Hilbert (Upper Skagit), Daniel J. Evans Chair Scholar (1995)
"Evergreen is an institution of education that conveys the lessons of the past to the leaders of tomorrow. Through Native American and World Indigenous Peoples Studies, Evergreen transcends the limits of education to reach out to people of all backgrounds and beliefs."
—Billy Frank, Jr. (Nisqually), former member of the Evergreen Board of Trustees
A Long History of Working With Native American Communities
Established in 1969, The Evergreen State College is a small, public, liberal arts college with an outstanding national reputation. Evergreen has a long history of bridge building with Native American communities in the region. Since the early 1970s, the college has developed a unique combination of Native programs, both academic and public service, that are not offered at other institutions of higher education.
The uniqueness of this comprehensive set of programs is enhanced by the fact that the programs were developed in collaboration with local tribes. Tribal partnerships are vital to Evergreen's Native Programs and have been since the beginning. In keeping with Washington State's Centennial Accord, Evergreen works on a government-to-government basis with tribes to jointly develop programs that respond to the needs of tribal people in the Northwest.
Mary Ellen Hillaire (Lummi) initiated the Native programs in 1972 to make Evergreen a hospitable place in higher education for cultural literacy. The college today embraces its Native student community of 4.4 percent—which is more than twice the ratio of Native students than all other public four-year colleges in Washington. An astounding 6 percent of all Evergreen graduate students are Native American (the state population of Native Americans is 2.7 percent). The college's faculty is 7.2 percent Native (compared to 0.6 percent nationwide).
Evergreen has an unparalleled combination of academic and public service programs, designed in partnership with Northwest tribes, to make a lasting impact on education in Indian Country.
Evergreen has these Native American academic and public service programs
- "House of Welcome" Longhouse Education and Cultural Center
- First Peoples' Advising at Evergreen
- Master of Public Administration in Tribal Governance, (which began in 2002)
- Native American and World Indigenous Peoples Studies (on-campus undergraduate)
- Reservation Based Community Determined Program (undergraduate)
Together these programs enable the college to continue and expand upon its history of responding in partnership to the educational needs of indigenous peoples. Students at Evergreen can also work with Native American Studies faculty throughout the undergraduate curriculum (such as in the Expressive Arts).
In addition to the MPA with Tribal Governance concentration, Evergreen also offers a Master in Teaching (MiT) and a Master of Environmental Studies (MES). MiT students engage with Native American topics through coursework which explores K-12 culturally relevant curriculum and pedagogy. Candidates may also have opportunities to work with Native students in local schools, and dig deeper into Native American issues within a master's project. Opportunities for MiT students to receive support to attend Evergreen include the Hearst Endowment Award for Future Native American Teachers. MES students may choose to focus their studies on Native American topics through coursework, internships, independent learning contracts, or thesis projects.
In all Evergreen programs, Native American students, community members and tribes have a dedicated place in higher education, and easy access to technology and research services.
Download the Rivers of Knowledge Brochure (PDF) about Native Programs at Evergreen.


text:
After struggling during the recession, franchising gained some traction in 2012 and is forecast to grow almost as much in 2013, according to a study prepared for the International Franchise Association.
And some franchisers say they have their sights on Orange County for this year's growth. That's good news because one out of 10 U.S. employers is a franchise and, collectively, they contribute about $800 billion to the U.S. economy.
These newcomers rate Orange County highly for its large population and desirable lifestyles, demographics and disposable incomes. Two dessert franchisers add great weather to their list.
Among the diverse franchisers moving into Orange County:
Kona Ice , Tennessee, shaved ice trucks, already has four franchised territories in Orange County and six more prospects.
Children's LightHouse , Texas, education-based child care, has two Orange County sites under construction and plans for up to 18 more within seven years.
Right At Home , Nebraska, at-home elder care, has four Orange County franchisees and plans for up to 13, based on the population over age 65.
Sloan's Ice Cream , Florida, upscale dessert and gift shops may have its first shop in Orange County by summer, and an entrepreneur has signed an agreement to build five more in Southern California, with plans for 30 eventually.
Instant Imprints , San Diego, promotional products and sign supplier, expects to have two franchises open in Orange County this year.
Dunkin' Donuts , Massachusetts, doughnut and coffee takeout, is recruiting multi-unit franchisees for Southern California, including Orange County. Dunkin' Donuts plans to open an unspecified number of restaurants in the region by 2015 after opening 291 nationwide in 2012 and scheduling up to 360 new units to open this year.
Another Broken Egg Cafe , Florida, upscale breakfast restaurants, is scouting for as many as four locations, including Newport Beach, Huntington Beach and Anaheim.
Good weather is one of Orange County's best attractions. "We're profitable in areas with seven-month selling seasons," said Kona Ice founder Tony Lamb. "In California, you have 10, 11 months of good weather that make for a better business model. Of course, Orange County has a huge population."
Eric Wilford, whose three Orange County Kona Ice trucks work from Dana Point to Huntington Beach, cited coastal Orange County's high disposable income and parents who care about their schools' finances as important factors in his success. Kona Ice gets most of its business at schools, youth sports leagues and other nonprofits that get 20 percent of revenues from franchisees' sales at their events and fundraisers.
Wilford owned a mortgage company for 20 years and became Kona Ice's first California franchisee after the mortgage meltdown. Each truck is a separate franchise, and he says three are enough for him to run.
Kona Ice has one of franchising's lowest initial fees, $1,500, and a flat $3,000 yearly royalty instead of a percentage of revenues. Total cost including truck and training is $99,000, Lamb said.
More important than weather for Sloan's Ice Cream is Orange County's lifestyle, according to founder Sloan Kamenstein. He is just starting to franchise after proving the success of premium ice cream, candy and toy shops in Palm Beach, Fla., since 1999.
"California is a priority for us," Kamenstein said. "We're a destination and experience, and you have a lot of fantastic lifestyle centers in California."
San Diego businessman Larry Greenberg bought exclusive development rights for Sloan's in Los Angeles and San Diego and agreed to open a demonstration store in Orange County to attract other developers.
"I have identified two likely locations in Orange County, and as it works out, it is likely to be the first to open," said Greenberg, who also owns multiple Edible Arrangement franchises.
"I'm a business junkie, and I'd been looking at Sloan's for quite awhile," Greenberg said. "It's a very expensive store to build – about $800,000 – but its sales are five to six times greater than the average ice cream store."
Sloan's franchising fee is $40,000 and royalties are 6 percent, said David Wild, head of franchise development. Startup costs range from $600,000 to $900,000, depending on real estate costs.
Instant Imprints is only now moving into Orange County, although it has been franchising since 2002, said President Ralph Askar. He had the master license in Canada and bought the parent company two years ago. The proximity to the San Diego headquarters makes Orange County a logical move.
"We have 45 stores: two in San Diego, one in Corona and one in Concord. Orange County is a huge opportunity for our concept," Askar said. "Eighty percent of our business is with small to mid-sized firms, and there are 300,000 firms in Orange County."
Instant Imprints combines three businesses: promotional products emblazoned with a company's name; clothing with a company name put on by embroidery or heat transfer; and signs and banners. The total cost is $150,000, including a $29,950 initial franchise fee and $10,000 marketing budget. Royalty is 6 percent.
Children's Lighthouse is eyeing Orange County for another of its demographics: large numbers of families with children under 18 and an appreciation of educational components at child care centers, according to Stephen Dixon, head of franchise development for the Fort Worth, Texas, company.
"Orange County fits what we have been successful with in other places," he said. "Thirty-seven percent of households have children under 18 at home, high median income … and high percentage of parents who value phonics, math, character and values education and a very structured day."
Like Sloan's, Children's Lighthouse isn't an inexpensive franchise. Total startup costs, including building construction and working capital, are around $3 million, Dixon said.
"We haven't had difficulty getting good franchisees," Dixon said. "We have high gross revenues."
Right At Home is attracted to Orange County for the opposite end of the demographic scale: Orange County has nearly 400,000 people over 65, and the number will grow exponentially, said Eric Little, vice president of franchise development.
"We're not even taking care of the aging baby boomers yet," Little said. "But we want to have our operations in place so when baby boomers need our services, we will have a reputation in the market."
In addition, most at-home care is not covered by insurance, so Right At Home looks for communities where people have enough income to pay for the services, he said.
Right At Home's startup costs are $100,000, including a $42,500 initial franchise fee. Royalty is 5 percent, Little said.
Greg and Pat James of Orange recently opened the Fountain Valley Right At Home franchise because they have retired and wanted a business that would help people.
"We didn't want to move after we retired. We like Orange County," Greg James said. "We saw a need here. The target group of 65-plus is growing."
Source : https://www.ocregister.com/2013/01/21/new-brands-spreading-franchise-fever-in-oc/1204