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Data and information collecting isn't the most glamorous subject; however, with the influx of iPads into my school setting, and the increasing popularity of Google spreadsheets and forms, data collection has become a hot topic among the SLPs in our school system!
Several of us have embraced using Google forms and spreadsheets to make our data collecting lives border on fun. Before Google, my folders for kids were full of sticky notes, therapy data forms, attendance forms, and other assorted loose items. Now, progress report time is cleaner and more data oriented, because much of what I need has been systematically collected by Google forms into the spreadsheets. (There is a spreadsheet for every form.)
This is a brief description of various ways I currently use the forms and spreadsheets in practice–click the thumbnails for full-sized versions of the examples below. A tutorial link for creating your own Google forms is provided at the end.
1. Recording data and notes from a therapy session with a student.
There is still a spot for sticky notes, and recording tallies on paper to achieve percentages, but most often, the main part of my sessions with students is recorded on a Google Form.
|portion of a form
For each of my students, I have created a Google form based on the student's IEP goals and objectives. At the end of the session, I can quickly fill out the form (either on the iPad, or on the computer) recording notes and data instantly.
|summary of responses screenshot
The data entered on the form is compiled by Google Docs in to a spreadsheet, and a summary of responses can also be done through Google.
|sample spreadsheet of student data
2. Taking Daily Attendance
|Portion of my daily attendance form
We all know in the school setting why it's important to keep track of how many times a speech student was seen per reporting period, and why sessions were missed. I used to keep attendance on paper, then progressed to an Excel spreadsheet. Lately, I've been taking attendance on a daily Google form which sends all of the information into a spreadsheet stored in Google Docs. It's very manageable!
3. Recording and Sharing Hearing Screening Results
This is an area that came to me one day when I was scratching out hearing screening information on a piece of paper. A year ago, a group of us in the school began typing into a shared document all of our screening information. I've since developed a Google Form that I can use while I'm screening a child. I usually have an iPad at my side as I'm screening with this form on the screen. (I just tap the results in as I go). The results are instantly sent to the shared Google Doc—no need for a pencil!
4. CFY Supervision
This year, I've had the opportunity to supervise a wonderful new Clinical Fellow. I know that she will sail through this year with flying colors, but to be fair to her, and to adequately do my job as her supervisor, I have to observe for an allotted amount of time, and monitor her activities as prescribed by both the North Carolina State Board of Examiners, and by ASHA. I've created a Google Form for observations, which throws all of my observation data into a spreadsheet which I've shared with her online. This transparent online record-keeping has been helpful for both of us!
5. Weekly written feedback to a graduate intern
|Part of the form
I am fortunate in that I work at an elementary school close to a major university that has a top-notch graduate program, so I usually supervise two students during the course of a year. We have been asked to provide weekly written feedback which is extra work to my paperwork mountain—except that I created a Google form for providing such feedback. My grad student and I filled it out together every Friday last year, and all of the data was collected in a shared spreadsheet. The forms are nice in that they clearly defined expectations, and also allowed for some anecdotal feedback. At the end was a section for the two of us to write a short term goal for the coming week.
Nothing will totally replace all note-taking, and there is a place for hand-written data still in my office. These are just a few ways I have used technology to make my life run a bit more efficiently. I have loved the 'sharing' aspect of Google Docs—so for example, if several adults are working on the same goals for a student, they all can send their data using the same shared form to the shared spreadsheet.
For a tutorial on creating your own forms, go to this page.
I'm sure there are countless other ways to use these in a speech therapy setting and that we (as a profession) are only at the beginning of using technology more effectively in our practice. Comment if you have ideas for further uses for Google forms in speech therapy, or would like to see a specific Google form topic addressed.
(This post originally appeared on Chapel Hill Snippets)
Ruth Morgan is a speech-language pathologist who works for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools at Ephesus Elementary School. She loves her job and enjoys writing about innovative ways to use the iPad in therapy, gluten-free cooking, and geocaching adventures. Visit her blog at http://chapelhillsnippets.blogspot.com.


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Interactive Map: Click on a state below to go to that state's BLM recreation website, and find specific recreation opportunities on BLM Public Lands.
On approximately 250 million acres of public lands, visitors enjoy countless types of outdoor adventure – participating in activities as widely varied as camping, hunting, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, boating, whitewater rafting, hang gliding, off-highway vehicle driving, mountain biking, birding and wildlife viewing, photography, climbing, all types of winter sports, and visiting natural and cultural heritage sites.
In an increasingly urbanized West, these recreational opportunities and the settings where these activities take place are vital to the quality of life enjoyed by residents of western states, as well as national and international visitors.
2014 BLM Recreation Strategy Connecting With Communities --- By increasing and improving collaboration with community networks of service providers, the BLM will help communities produce greater well-being and socioeconomic health and will deliver outstanding recreation experiences to visitors while sustaining the distinctive character of public lands recreation settings.
Watch BLM Videos on YouTube Visit the BLM on Facebook
America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass

subset: commoncrawl


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Atherton Tablelands Accommodation Barking Owl Retreat has two romantic luxury self contained cottages the Dingo's Lair and the Owl's Hollow. The private cottages are hidden in a secluded valley at the end of a country road on our 41 acre Farm Stay.
Our Atherton Tablelands Retreat central location is only minutes from beautiful Lake Tinaroo Dam a short drive from the historical village of Yungaburra which has excellent Atherton Tablelands Restaurants beautiful country churches and also hosts the famous Yungaburra Markets. Conveniently only ten minutes drive from the main Atherton Tablelands township Atherton. And just over an hours drive up the Cairns ranges from the Cairns International Airport and the Great Barrier Reef. Yet nestled among the many Atherton Tablelands attractions on the Cairns Highlands, Tropical Far North Queensland, Australia.
Barking Owl Retreat offers quiet private romantic luxury fully self contained cottage accommodation with the friendliness and atmosphere of a traditional Australian Bed and Breakfast (b&b or bnb) Farm Stay. Ideally suited for couples although we also cater for singles and families with small children.


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The 2012 edition of the IPL auction started off in the worst possible note with Sahara, owners of the Pune Warriors outfit, backing out from the event at the last minute. The double whammy however came later when they also decided to terminate their contract as the sponsor of the Indian cricket team ending an alliance which started off in 2001. One of the main reasons for Sahara's withdrawal from the auction can be pointed towards the IPL governing council for not crediting the amount of money invested in Yuvraj Singh by the team to their auction purse after the Pune skipper was ruled out of the tournament.
The auction however did turn out to be an entertaining affair with 8 teams bidding for the auction listed players with a maximum spending power of 20,00,000 US Dollars per franchisee. There were some shock buys amongst the more expected ones while some teams failed to adhere to their team's requirement. Our earlier report brought out how some of the most talented and impactful players from around the world and India were comfortably ignored by IPL while preparing this auction list. In this report, we bring out some observations from the event's outcome.
The table below gives out details from the auction, the player's T20 experience, his T20
Herschelle Gibbs' purchase by Mumbai Indians for his base price of just $50,000 is also a smart buy considering his vast experience in the format coupled with ability to perform big in crucial matches.
Daniel Harris' purchase has got to be the second best deal in the auction (more so because his price went only 40% above his base price). For $70000, Deccan Chargers bought one of the most underrated but promising batters from the auction list presented. Harris' ability with the ball also cannot be discounted, especially in the subcontinent conditions, thus making him a value buy.
Dinesh Chandimal's purchase for the base price of $50,000 was perhaps the most farsighted step amongst the franchisees. Rajasthan managed to buy one of the highest impact wicketkeeper batsmen around the world in theT20 format and should make him a regular in the playing 11 if they are to benefit from their street-smart purchase.
Punjab's purchase of the vastly experienced Pakistani all-rounder Azhar Mahmood (now a British citizen) is also a smart move considering the fact that he is amongst the highest impact all-rounders around the world. Mahmood's ability to perform in big match situations also comes as an added bonus for the Punjab side who have in the previous editions failed to deliver during crunch situations. Punjab earlier in the auction let go off a few players in some furious bidding processes during the day but this buy should make them fairly happy by the end of it. Mahmood has the least failure rate as well as highest ability to deliver in crucial matches amongst all the all-rounders purchased. Even at his price of $200000, he is a better pick over the other all-rounders comprising of Robbie Peterson and Doug Bracewell.
Mumbai's purchase of Robin Peterson and Delhi's purchase of Doug Bracewell could perhaps counter Punjab's purchase quite closely though. Both of them may not be as high profile as Mahmood was in this auction, but their ability as all-rounders cannot be contested. While Bracewell has shown better ability overall, Peterson has a lesser failure rate than him.
It is important to note that the prices are most obviously considered alongside player's ability while ranking these deals. Players like Jadeja, McCullum, and Jayawardene are good impact players and will contribute without a doubt to team's performances. However, IPL teams do have options in getting competitive players with similar/higher impact at much cheaper rates. At least that was supposed to be their objective given what had happened right at the start of the day when Sahara opted out of the auction.
Also, it's a general mindset amongst the cricketing fraternity that T20 has become a bastion for the youngsters and that the older players can no longer fight against them. Well somebody seriously needs to put in a word or two to Brad Hogg if that is the case. The 41 year old from Australia showed the cricket fraternity what oldies could do with his scintillating performance for Sydney Sixers in the recently concluded Big Bash tournament and now finds himself playing IPL 2012 after Rajasthan Royals successfully bid for him in the auction. Rajasthan's belief in Hogg given his recent successes could well be rewarded as his failure rate is the least amongst all the players sold in the auction and his impact, amongst the best.
Now let's have a look at some of the most unexpected deals during the auction.
Marchant de Lange's purchase by Kolkata is easily the most surprising deal of the day. De Lange's experience as a T20 player is just one match and he is clearly picked on the traditional system of recommendations and conventional statistics from List A/ First Class matches. He is no doubt a good economical wicket-taking bowler but only time will tell how good his worth would be once the IPL starts.
Andre Russell takes away the crown of the highest price paid for a low impact player in the auction. He was paid $450000 for his all-round ability. On Impact Index scales, he doesn't cross the Impact 1 on either batting or bowling in this format of the game. This remains the best example of how player performances in different formats of the game as well as some flash-in-the-pan performances, like Russell gave in the ODIs against India, end up having deeper impact on the minds of everyone – both the audience as well as the franchisees.
Ramesh Powar's purchase by Punjab could well cancel out Punjab's smart buy of Mahmood. He is the lowest impact player to be sold in the auction at a price of $160,000, an amount which almost covers the cumulative prices of some of the best deals that had taken place earlier in the auction (Harris, Chandimal and Bracewell).
RP Singh, Sreesanth and Parthiv Patel's purchase by Mumbai, Rajasthan and Delhi respectively also were in the lower half on the list of effective deals in the event. Although their purchase as Indian players could be justified (given the limit on involvement of foreign players in the playing 11) the ignorance showed by the teams and the IPL of other domestic talents who have a much better impact in the format isn't the brightest possible sight for the game.
Now, let's look at the auction from the franchisees' perspective.
Hyderabad's move on buying Harris and Bravo makes them the team to have had the best auction this year although Parthiv Patel's move was definitely a step down, given his price tag of $650,000.
Rajasthan also had a good auction overall with the purchases of Chandimal, Cooper, Hodge and Hogg. Sreesanth remains a borderline buy considering his periodically sporadic bowling peformances.
Kolkata had a mixed day on the field. Their decision to buy Narine and boost their already strong spinning club was a good one but at the end of the day they ended up paying a tad too much for an inexperienced bowler like him. Narine, who made an impact with his performance in the Champions League last year, is an effective players but was purchased at 14 times his base price. Brendon McCullum, the New Zealand player known for his hitting prowess also was a touch expensive for his $900,000 tag. Their third buy of Merchant de Lange, who has only one T20 match to his credit, is also an unknown commodity to justify.
Delhi's buy of Andre Russell remains one of the worst in this edition while Jayawardene's 1.4 million tag is also debatable considering the abundance of T20 talent around. Bracewell's purchase however gives them a positive push.
Chennai bought only Jadeja, good enough to wipe away their limit in the auction, and remained inactive for the rest of the event. Yet, they had a better event than Kolkata and Delhi overall given Jadeja's capability to bat as well as bowl and his T20 experience. Bangalore, Punjab and Mumbai had a mediocre event overall.
It's a shame that players like Mendis, Simmons, Kevin O'Brien etc went unsold as they were amongst the high-impact players available at much lower base prices. Given the stage an event like IPL nurtures, the administrators do have a great opportunity in raising the best platform for the newest form of the game by bringing together the highest-impact players in the auctions. This will not only increase the level of cricket but will also be profitable to all the investors investing in IPL but then when money enters you should not talk about cricket. Hush hush.
Yahoo! page here.


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Retail's BIG Show Indeed!
The National Retail Federation's BIG show had another record-breaking year receiving over 25,500 attendees from 78 countries. With over 100 educational sessions and a jam-packed EXPO floor, energy was high.
The innovative demos in the Cisco booth attracted a great deal of traffic offering retailers new ways to generate revenue, create a consistent user experience across all channels, and maximize operational efficiency.
Cisco Interactive Services was very popular. This demo, developed by Cisco and partner Array Interactive, delivered interactive applications allowing attendees to build a wardrobe of outfits, receive fashion advice, and through video collaboration capabilities, connect with a live fashion expert on-demand.
The StyleMe virtual fashion mirror also received great interest as retailers "tried-on" their outfits of choice using gesture-based navigation to make their selection from the inventory of clothing. Attendees could even capture images of themselves in their new outfits to share over social media and email.
The Cisco/Agilence Point-of-Sale Video Auditing received great reviews as well showing retailers how to reduce shrink at point-of-sale. This demo highlighted Agilence Hawkeye with Cisco IP video surveillance cameras and Cisco's UCS Express platform.
Cisco also released its latest study on how consumers are hopping across multiple channels and how retailers can catch 'Em and keep 'Em. This study spoke to how consumers are shopping in this new cross channel world and how retailers can win the attention of shoppers shopping online and in the store. Watch Jon Stine and Lisa Fretwell from Cisco IBSG talk about the new research released at NRF 2012.
Overall, energy and optimism filled the Javits Convention Center. Retailers are preparing for the upturn and are looking for innovative ways to competitively position themselves. I'm excited to see what's in store for NRF 2013.
In an effort to keep conversations fresh, Cisco Blogs closes comments after 60 days. Please visit the Cisco Blogs hub page for the latest content.
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LAURINBURG, N.C. – A four-run eighth inning propelled the Coker baseball team to a 5-1 win over St. Andrews in a non-conference baseball game on Wednesday (Mar. 5) afternoon. With the win the Cobras improve to 10-6 overall.
After giving up a run in the fourth inning, the Cobras tied the game in the top of the seventh. They then plated four runs in the top of the eighth to take a 5-1 lead and the eventual win.
Coker threw eight different pitchers during the nine-inning affair. Korbin Causey (1-0) picked up win with a scoreless and hitless inning of relief work.
At the plate Tyler Bires, Sammy Song and Chase Spivey collected two hits and drove in a run each, while Ernie Kirkwood and Jarren Donato each drove in a run as well for the Cobras.
The Cobras will return to the diamond on Friday (Mar. 7) and Saturday (Feb. 8) when they host Lenoir-Rhyne in a three-game South Atlantic Conference series. Game one is scheduled to begin on Friday at 2 p.m.


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(CNN) -- Microsoft made a major leap skywards this week with the release of a cloud-based version of its Office software to businesses called Office Web Apps.
But can it dominate cloud-based computing or will new giants emerge?
Microsoft's new product launch counters what many tech commentators thought the preeminent software company would never do.
"A lot of people say we will see pigs fly before we see Microsoft Office running in the cloud," said Tim O'Brien, Microsoft's senior director of platform strategy.
"We are betting big on the cloud with our most successful product, and we are investing heavily both in the product engineering side and the physical infrastructure side."
While Microsoft has offered varying cloud services for a while -- 15 years, according to O'Brien -- the launch of Office 2010, one of Microsoft's most lucrative products, is noteworthy.
It means a company that has made its mark selling shrink-wrapped software will be going head-to-head with Google and other firms that have grown up offering productivity tools online.
"It goes without saying that this is a massive step-function for the industry and it is a disruptive one," O'Brien told CNN.
"The history of our industry has shown that it is quite fashionable for disruptors to write off the existing market players while the existing market players have an opportunity to reinvent themselves as a business."
The move to the cloud, where applications and information is hosted on remote servers rather than privately owned computers and databases, is the latest paradigm shift in computing.
Companies that once dominated traditional models, like Microsoft and IBM, have had to find ways to reinvent themselves or potentially become obsolete.
Office Web Apps isn't a complete reinvention for Microsoft but it allows users to access online versions of programs such as Word, Excel and Powerpoint. Similar to the advertiser-supported Google Docs, documents can be edited and shared via a Web browser.
The tools, to be released for consumer use in June, will be offered free to Microsoft's more than 500 million users of Windows Live services like Hotmail and Live Messenger, the company said. A technical preview of Office Web Apps is available now via SkyDrive, Microsoft's online storage service. Microsoft will also offer the online productivity suite to the more than 400 million users of Facebook.
Analysts say business is where Microsoft stands to make the most gains in the cloud.
"There are millions and millions of existing customers of Microsoft who have familiarity and affinity for their products," said Sheri McLeish, an analyst with Boston-based Forrester Research. "Microsoft is, if nothing else, pervasive."
Forrester estimates that 81 percent of businesses run the 2007 version of Microsoft Office. While the use of the paid Google Docs enterprise software is steadily increasing, it is still in the single digits, according to McLeish.
"People already have Office so they don't need Google. If they already have something, there is no need to go looking for it," said McLeish.
Microsoft itself says Google has little chance at taking away its market share.
"Google is a consumer Web company trying to figure out how to sell to businesses. They have a long way to go," O'Brien said.
"Google is up way past their bedtime in the enterprise [space]."
However Google does not see its applications in direct competition to Microsoft.
"I certainly would characterize our Google Apps business very, very differently," Ken Norton, a senior project manager at Google, said. "It has been hugely successful."
More than 2 million businesses run Google Apps with more than 3,000 signing up each day, according to the company. Norton says one of the biggest challenges for Microsoft is whether it innovate rapidly in the ever-changing environment of the Web, pointing out that Google had an "optimized" version of Gmail available for the iPad almost immediately after Apple released the device last month.
The search giant is also continuing to release new features on Google Labs, its site used to demonstrate and test new products, he said.
"In traditional software, you have to plan really far ahead," Norton told CNN.
"We can do releases constantly, which allows us to do innovative things... and get immediate responses from our end users. We are in a position where we are able to respond very quickly."
Other cloud software providers, like Zoho and SalesForce, said that while they welcomed Microsoft's move into the space, they do not consider it a major threat to business.
"It is all about innovation," said Raju Vegesna with Zoho, a California-based company offering online productivity tools.
"Sure, Microsoft has great distribution and other things in the desktop world, but the Web game is different."
Jeremy Cooper, Asia Pacific regional marketing director for SalesForce, believes Microsoft is taking a risk.
"Microsoft has a lot to lose in this environment while net native companies have nothing to lose," Cooper told CNN.
"Our business has grown up entirely on this model. Our ability to win customers in this environment is not conflicted with an early business model and technology model."
Where Microsoft stands to loose the most ground is not with the consumers of today but with younger generations using iPads instead of laptops and writing notes via social networking sites instead of Word documents.
"What about the obsolescence of tools like this?" McLeish said.
"There is a bigger issue about what is the value of a document? In the future, that will become a very outdated notion."
"It is really high drama. It is titans going at each other at their core product base. At the end of the day, the consumers win because there will be more choices and there will be more competition, and it is going to force all of these vendors to step up and offer something more," she said.


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Both Sony and Microsoft have released multiple hardware revisions and packages since launching their gaming consoles, but today Sony has announced a bold step: the company is discontinuing the 20 and 60GB PlayStation 3 models in Japan, effectively ending backwards compatibility support in that country. In Japan the 40GB model, which will not play PS2 titles, will be the only unit available after the two other SKUs are sold out at retail, and will cost ¥39,980 ($341).
Since the PlayStation 3's launch, Sony has been trying to find the sweet spot in terms of price and features. The system was released in the US and Japan in 20GB and 60GB flavors that included backwards compatibility, what Sony at the time considered a "core value." When the system launched in Europe, the backwards compatibility took a hit as the new software-based solution meant lesser compatibility with some titles.
Sony then dropped the 20GB system in the US, although it was still available in Japan. After that, the 60GB model saw a price drop, with a new 80GB system being released for $600 with the now-limited backwards compatibility as well. Sony then released a new 40GB $400 model, along with a price drop for the 80GB model down to $500.
Are you confused yet? It's hard to keep track of what units are available in what regions, and what features come with what configurations. What is clear is that Sony has retreated from its strong position on backwards compatibility. That feature will no longer be available in Japan once stocks are depleted and the US system will only offer the software-based solution for playing PlayStation 2 and PSone games with the 80GB model. The 40GB model that is poised to be the company's flagship product has dropped the feature completely. This comes on the heels of Sony shipping the rumble-enabled Dual Shock 3, a technology it once claimed was "last generation."
The initially slow sales of the PS3 hardware has forced the company to drastically rethink what it was offering gamers, and at what price. Now, the console appears to be going through some growing pains as Sony struggles to find what consumers want out of the hardware, and how to offer that in the simplest and least expensive way.
The good news is that the 40GB system gives Sony one product to push, and the PS3 makes for a very capable Blu-ray player. With studios defecting from HD DVD, the PlayStation 3 may see a sales boost. Indeed, the PlayStation 3 figured prominently at both Sony's hardware and Blu-ray booths at CES.


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Swimming Pool Blog
by Rob Cox, April 3, 2010
Swimming Pool Painting, a How-To
Painting your swimming pool can brighten up a plaster pool finish by coating it with an almost ceramic like surface. Underwater pool paints have come a long way in the last 50 years, when pool painting was an annual chore. Rubber Based pool paints, not known for durability or low VOC, was lathered on every year.
Now, we have more environmentally sound pool paints, with a wider variety of colors and paint types. We have paint that converts rubber based paint to epoxy pool paint, and you can even paint onto a damp surface. You do still have to drain the pool to paint it, however.
Swimming Pool Paints now can last 5-7 years or longer - when properly applied. This article covers some pitfalls to pool painting, as well as the mechanics of measuring your surface area, surface prep and pool painting techniques.
Choose the right pool paint: With so many options available now, choosing a pool paint can be confusing. Once upon a time, you could get any pool paint you wanted, as long as it was Blue rubber-based pool paint. Nowadays, you can choose from Acrylic or Epoxy. Acrylics are cheaper, and allow you to paint over top of either epoxy or rubber pool paints, and also allow you to paint on a damp surface - but, only have a lifespan of 2-5 years. Epoxy pool paints can last 5-7 years, by contrast.
My advice for a painting a pool for the first time would be to use epoxy pool paint. If you are repainting your pool, if you know the type of paint currently used, (Rubber or Epoxy or Acrylic) use the same type paint, or use an Acrylic pool paint. Rubber based pool paints disappeared for a few years, but now low VOC Synthetic rubber based paints are now available.
Measure your pool surface area: Ordering the correct amount of pool paint is important. Not too much and not too little. We need to add up the floor and wall surfaces to get total area, in square feet. You need to know your longest length and your widest width and the average depth of the pool.
* Multiply Length X Width of pool to calculate the floor area, in square feet.
* Multiply Length X Average Depth X 2 to calculate the long walls area, in square feet.
* Multiply Width X Average Depth X 2 to calculate the short walls area, in square feet.
Add all of these sums together to get total square footage. If your pool is not as rectangular as the picture show, but very free-form in shape, then Multiply your total square footage x 0.9 to take account for the loss in area.
How to "Prep" your pool surface area for painting: This can be the most time consuming part of painting a pool, and the one that should be given the most care. Properly prepping your pool plaster involves cleaning and etching the surface to improve the bond of the pool paint.
- Drain your pool properly and carefully. Make sure that water is balanced, and chlorine levels and other sanitizer or algaecide levels are as low as possible to prevent polluting your local watershed. Check with local water authorities for specific advice on discharging or draining a swimming pool. Make sure that you pump far from your pool so that the water does not go under the pool. Also, when the water level reaches the floor, remove hydrostatic relief plugs, shown on the right, plastered into the floor. This allows ground water under the pool to enter the pool, instead of possibly lifting the pool out of the ground! Chip the plaster out from inside and around the plug, then turn with large pliers.
- Hose pool as it empties, cleaning all leaves and debris from the pool. Use shop vac or buckets/cups to get all the water from the bottom, even emptying the main drain pot. Remove pool light from niche, set up on deck. Remove any wall fittings, ladders.
- Clean the pool with a pool paint prep kit.
- Sweep off any steps or low spots or use a blower. Empty the main drain pot with small cups and a bucket or a shop vac.
- Allow pool to dry for 3-5 days for most paints, except Acrylic pool paints.
How to Apply Pool Paint: This is the fun part.
- Most important - read the complete instructions printed on the label of your pool paint.
- Check the long range weather report. Don't paint if rain or high winds or hot temperatures are in the forecast over the next few days.
- Make sure pool is bone dry for several days, unless you are painting with Acrylic pool paint. Any weepers or wet cracks in the shell must dry up as most paints will not adhere to any damp surface, and will blister and bubble later, which is a real bummer, let me assure you.
- Assemble your materials: We have a pool paint application kit available for your convenience. You will at least need the following supplies to paint your pool:
- Roller Brushes and Roller Frames, large and small.
- 5 gallon bucket with bucket grid.
- Drill and mixing paddle to mix paint.
- Tape off the tile line and anything else that you don't want painted. Use blue painter's tape.
- Use brooms or blowers to sweep all debris out of the pool and from the surrounding pool deck.
- Begin painting the pool in the deep end of the pool, working your way to the shallow end steps if you have them. Plan your exit - don't paint yourself into a corner!
- Paint during the cool part of the day, out of direct sunlight. Mid-morning, after the dew, or early evening is best.
- Paint section by section, keeping an even coat throughout. If this is the first time painting the pool, plan on two coats.
- Use Skid Tex or another textured additive on painted steps and some on the shallow end floor - painted pool surfaces are very slippery!
Time to fill the pool! Hold on, not just yet - most pools need to dry for several days before filling with water. If rainstorms come soon after painting, use a blower immediately after the rainstorm to blow all water to the deep end and then remove with cups/buckets, shop vac or small pump. When you do fill, try to fill without stopping until full, and balance your pool water chemistry as soon as possible.
For more information on pool painting, see our Pool Information Page on Swimming Pool Painting.


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The Evidence So Far
Closer examination of the scant details available on the 30 European
cases reveals that the vast majority, 21 cases in all, involved the
concomitant use of hepatotoxic drugs and/or alcohol. This is not
significant evidence of hepatotoxicity.
Jerry Cott, PhD., former Chief of the Psychopharmacology Research
Program at the National Institute of Mental Health said, "If the
incidence of liver toxicity for kava is correct, then according to
German researchers it is very similar to that of conventional
pharmaceutical anti-anxiety and antidepressant prescription drugs. These
are generally considered to be acceptable (though small) risks," he
said, referring to the risk-benefit comparison by which conventional
medicines are evaluated. Cott also pointed out that a small clinical
study from Duke University published in October showed no adverse
effects from kava on the liver.
The fact is, you are far likelier to suffer from liver damage by taking
the prescription anti-anxiety drug, Valium, as you are kava, yet it is
taken by millions daily with little question-and with no major adverse
publicity. The over-the counter pain medication, acetominphen (Tylenol),
also has a high incidence of liver toxicity, especially when combined
with alcohol.
The Research
Kava has a long traditional use in the South Pacific at often
considerably higher doses than those used in Europe i with few reported
liver toxic effects, and its safety/toxicity has been studied
extensively in recent years. In 1990 the German government's Commission
E, a panel of herbal experts in the fields of medicine and pharmacy,
evaluated the scientific and medical literature and had approved the use
of kava as a nonprescription medicine for "nervous anxiety, stress, and
The longest running study conducted to date, with 101 people for 6
months taking 70mg 3/day had negligible side effects, and in fact, more
of the placebo subjects reported side effects than those taking kava.
The researcher concluded that, "in contrast to both benzodiazapines and
antidepressants, kava possesses an excellent side-effect profile." ii
The safe and effective benefits of kava to relieve symptoms of anxiety
were also supported in a meta-analysis, a systematic statistical review
of seven human clinical trials published in 2000 in the Journal of
Clinical Psychopharmacology, and again in a similar critical review in
2001. The reviews did not find significant adverse effects related to
liver toxicity.


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Lakewood, Colorado – With just hours to go until her husband hits the debate stage with President Barack Obama in Denver, Ann Romney starred at her own "Women for Mitt" rally here to help fire up a critical constituancy in this critical swing state.
Romney — surrounded by three grandchildren — marched onto the stage to the tune of "American Girl" and the cheers of everal hundred enthusiastic Republicans, mostly women, at the event at Hudson Gardens in Lakewood — a community that's a political hotspot in Colorado's belwether of Jefferson County.
Many in the crowd had waited hours in the sun to hear Mrs. Romney's address to the women of Colorado, a state with prize of nine electoral votes, and where Democrats are currently enjoying a double digit gender gap.
Mrs. Romney — in jeans and white shirt — regaled the crowd with grandkids stories, telling them how her 4-year-old grandson, seeing Romney on the campaign bus recently, asked, "Papa, have you beaten Obama yet?"
When he was told no, Mrs. Romney related, the child said, "What's taking so long?"
"We're coming to that, aren't we?" she told the crowd, laughing. "Let's just make sure Papa wins."
And Mrs. Romney, noting tomorrow's debate at the Univesity of Denver, said "we're focused — and I can't wait for the contrast that we're going to hear tomorrow."
[gopher videoid="1875337215001″ isbrightcove="yes" autoplay="no"]
Mrs. Romney appeared eager to tackle issues raised by the release of the "47 percent" video in which her husband appeared to dismiss low income Americans who don't pay income tax — an event that has consumed his campaign for at least a week. She argued that her husband understands the lives of average Americans, and is in the best position to help them in tough times.
"Right now, the country's in trouble. We need someone that cares," she said. "In Colorado, you need someone who has compassion..who understands what people are going through..and who has the solutions to get the job done."
"One thing I know about Mitt..he doesn't fail," she said.
Noelle Tarabulski, 51, a consultant and small busines owner, was among those in the audience who said she came out to volunteer at the event, because she believes the 2012 election could be a watershed for the economy, and for her business.
"People in Colorado are sensible and pragmatic," she said. "We have disagreements and you learn how to solve them, and that's what Mitt Romney has been doing his whole life," she said. "Mitt knows how to fix things."
Tarabulski said that she is convinced that Obama doesn't understand business people like herself. "I worked for 5 years at 30 percent of my income to start my business in 1991," she said. "So "You didn't build that?" she said, referencing a line that Obama said at a campaign event which has since been seized upon by the Romney campaign.
"Really? That's so insulting," she said. "The man just does not understand small business."
"Business people are scared to death of another term of Obama," she said. "If he's re-elected, people will hunker down, play tennis and play golf. I'm not going to work that hard; once you get past $150,000 (a year), why work so hard when they're just going to take your money?"


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The fully restored pages of a rare collection of Kiowa calendar art will be on view in a new exhibition opening May 1 at the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History in Norman. "One Hundred Summers: A Kiowa Calendar Record" features hand-drawn illustrations by renowned Kiowa artist and calendar-keeper Silver Horn representing 100 years of Kiowa tribal history. The exhibit will be on view through Aug. 23.
The traditional Kiowa calendar uses pictorial images to represent events in the tribe's history. Each year is represented by two images – one for the summer and one for the winter. The events depicted are agreed upon by tribal elders and drawn and maintained by designated tribal calendar-keepers. The calendar records were originally kept on hides or cloth, but eventually were copied into ledgers.
Silver Horn was born in 1860 ("The Summer That Bird Appearing was Killed," according to his calendar). Both his father and older brother also were calendar-keepers for the tribe. He was a prolific artist, and created hundreds of drawings representing Kiowa history and tradition before his death in 1940.
Only one other full Silver Horn calendar is known to exist today. It was created by Silver Horn in 1904 specifically for the archives of the Smithsonian Institution and covers the period from 1828 through 1904. The SNOMNH Silver Horn calendar also begins in 1828, four years earlier than Kiowa calendars by other artists, and continues through the winter of 1928-29. It includes more than 200 drawings on 80 pages.
Candace Greene, a Smithsonian scholar and expert on Silver Horn's work, prepared explications of each image for the exhibition. Greene is also the author of a new book about the calendar. One Hundred Summers: A Kiowa Calendar Record, will be published this spring by the University of Nebraska Press.
"Entries in this calendar are probably the last drawings that Silver Horn made," said Greene. "Before this book was found, I thought he had quit producing in the 19-teens because he was going blind. But obviously he was very committed to continuing this work. There are a few other calendars that continue into the early 1900s, but this one, with entries well into the 20th century, offers a unique perspective on that period of history."
The calendar on view in this exhibition was donated to the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History in 2001 from the estate of Nelia Mae Roberts, who ran an Indian trading post in Anadarko. The museum subsequently received a Save America's Treasures Grant that provided for the conservation and restoration of the calendar's fragile pages by a professional paper conservator. The process took over a year, but the restored pages are now available to be viewed for the first time by museum visitors.


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Vice Provost for Diversity and Inclusion Shari Clarke
Photo courtesy of: Shari Clarke
Feb 6, 2014
Ellis Wallinger
New Ohio University Vice Provost for Diversity and Inclusion Shari Clarke may just be a one-month-old Bobcat, but she's already hit the ground running. Clarke began working this January in her new office, set in Cutler Hall, after departing from Marshall University as their vice president of multicultural affairs. She is the new leader of Diversity and Inclusion.
"I haven't even had time to set up my office," she laughs adding she has already been set to work. Her positive attitude about the future of the Office for Diversity and Inclusion cannot be masked.
"I love coming into an environment and building from the ground up. I am very good at that." Clarke says confidently, a smile on her face.
Clarke is a diversity leader who directed her team to win the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award in 2012. She says she and her team achieved through their "uniqueness" and ability to work across the spectrum of the institution.
"We were very successful infusing diversity on campus and in the community." says Clarke. Here, at Ohio University, she plans on bringing the same attitude. Among Clarke's goals is branding the division. Publicizing the diversity office to the entire campus community is important, she explains.
"We don't have anything that says this is who we are," she said. One of the ways Clarke will be pursing these goals is by meeting with everyone in the division one on one. In addition, Clarke is meeting with leaders across campus.
"I'm having massive meetings and great sessions," Clarke said.
This job opportunity seems to be a dream job for Clarke, who says she was attracted to the position and the University after visiting the Athens Campus for the first time in nearly 20 years.
"I think it is what I've been working toward my entire career. It's the job that I wanted to have in the environment I wanted to be in," Clarke said. "I wanted to be at an institution where people were really walking the walk of diversity not simply talking without visible action."
It is clear that OHIO students will be a huge priority to Clarke. They are an important aspect to her work.
"They help me to get ideas and provide the pulse of the campus," Clarke said. She is looking forward to seeing them in her office in the future.
She plans to visit Baker University Center's Multicultural Center, Women's Center & LGBT offices to interact with students, since her office in Cutler Hall is not a hub of student activity. Beyond her work, she likes to focus on community service and on her family, including her two sons Austin & Iain.
"I love reading, antiquing, art, and basketball, my older son played for Penn State Hazleton and my younger son plays. I describe myself as a Hoop Mom!"


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-Hand Made 2 Order In GB
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-The Pisa Tub Chair range is a very attractive, extremely comfortable Tub Chair. It consists of a solid wood frame construction with webbed seat for extra structure while also having a removable foam seat cushion. The fabric is a textured FR Upholstery fabric available in 10 Prominent colours, meeting BS7176 Medium hazard and 100k abrasion.
– Finished with attractive wooden turned legs in a choice of two colours (Light Oak) (Mahogany). Or why not go for the extra luxurious look with a chrome swivel base.
-Colour: Taupe
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-Fabric Care: Clean the fabric with water based product, for overall soiling have professionally cleaned.
-All materials comply to the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations 1988 Act.


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Scott Fishman, chief of the Division of Pain Medicine and professor of anesthesiology at UC Davis Health System, was the keynote speaker at the annual meeting of the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) on Saturday, April 28, in Fort Worth, Texas.
The intensive three-day educational forum for physicians, state medical and osteopathic boards, and health leaders nationwide brought together national experts who discussed a wide range of controversial issues, including safe and effective pain management.
Fishman spoke on "Pain and Prescription Drug Abuse," a complex issue that reflects two colliding health-care trends in America -- the overuse of opioid painkillers as a treatment for pain and the millions who still suffer with undertreated pain.
"We must treat pain, but we have to do it safely," said Fishman. "Opioids represent only a small part of the spectrum of options for mitigating pain, but they carry a substantial level of risk. The statistics on opioid-related misuse, diversion, morbidity and mortality are unacceptable. But I believe we can -- and must -- educate ourselves about how to improve our practices to minimize misuses and diversion, while at the same time providing the best pain management possible."
A strong advocate for broader physician training in pain management, Fishman emphasized the need for mandatory physician training and offered pragmatic steps to reduce risk and improve patient outcomes. His revised and updated book, Responsible Opioid Prescribing: A Clinician's Guide, was recently published by the FSMB. It can help practitioners understand and implement practices that support rational, transparent and risk-managed opioid prescribing based on the latest research and best-practices guidelines from the FMSB and leading pain medicine societies.
Gil Kerlikowske, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, discussed the federal government's national drug control strategy and efforts to combat prescription drug abuse. He applauded the FSMB and state medical board efforts to educate practitioners on sound prescribing practices through Responsible Opioid Prescribing.
Fishman is a leading pain medicine clinician, researcher, teacher, lecturer and writer. He also is the author of Listening to Pain: A Clinician's Guide to Improving Pain Management Through Better Communication and The War on Pain.


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China Corruption Blotter (July 5, 2013)
Kong Fantai, former deputy director of State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission in Shandong Province, was sentenced to 12 years for taking $308,993 in bribes. Kong reportedly helped a Guangdong-based pharmaceutical company win a contract to supply animal vaccines and influenced local SOEs to deposit money with Qilu Bank on behalf of a Shanghai-based investment management firm. Kong also was charged with helping bribe-givers get jobs at SOEs. http://fanfu.people.com.cn


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Consider this your update, hopefully the last one, on the story that captivated a nation. Police had described the suspect as bald with glasses, and, yep, I'd say David McCosby fits the bill.
McCosby has been arrested after two weeks on the lam, and has reportedly confessed to the assault. Look at that face. Look at that mustache. Pure evil.


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So 3.1 is finally here and dual specs are all the rage!
To start out with, I took a full survival spec for Ulduar (5/14/52), and also took a UA spec (37/0/34) to try out. The servers were too unstable last night to try out either in a raid setting, but I'll be looking forward to using both soon enough.
One thing I did do is head outside Orgrimmar to try out the UA spec in PVP. Let's just say that UA >>>>>> melee. The UA spec made it almost trivial to utterly smash melee's face into the ground. The absence of the mobility talents really hurt vs. casters. In the end, I didn't take UA for PVP, I was just tinkering.
Nobody had the Glyph of Last Stand or Glyph of Vigilance as of yet, but I can't wait to get my hands on them.
So what did you use as your secondary spec?


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Art of all kinds will be on view Nov. 24-25 during the 47th Annual St. Augustine Art & Craft Festival at Francis Field, 29 W. Castillo Drive. This juried art fair will showcase 150 top national and regional artists exhibiting paintings, pottery, jewelry, sculpture, woodworks, glass and other fine art creations.
The two-day event also will feature live folk music by some of the Gamble Rogers Folk Festival performers, a Colonial crafts corner featuring members of the Textile Arts Guild of St. Augustine, a variety of food and drink vendors and the Hyundai Kids Art Zone.
"This festival is a St. Augustine Thanksgiving tradition," said Diane Bradley, festival coordinator.
"We invite folks to take a break from football and turkey to enjoy beautiful art in the beautiful outdoor setting of our historic city."
A panel of art experts selected the exhibitors from hundreds of entries this summer. Each artist will compete for awards including a $1,000 top prize to be selected by Judge Mark Parrish, a professional award-winning artist and filmmaker.
The St. Augustine Art & Craft Festival had its early beginnings in 1934 as an Art Mart, held in connection with the St. Augustine Woman's Exchange.
It was first located in the courtyard of the Old Spanish Treasury on Saint George Street and later moved to the Plaza de la Constitucion.
With artists from around the U.S. participating, the event outgrew the Plaza and relocated to Francis Field adjacent to the Visitors Center Parking Garage.
An estimated 15,000 visitors attend the annual art gathering, which is produced and staged by community volunteers of the St. Augustine Art Association, a non-profit arts organization founded in 1924 to promote excellence in the arts.
Admission is a $1 donation, and visitors receive a prize drawing ticket for a chance to win certificates for area attractions, restaurants and speciality gifts.
Festival proceeds benefit art education programs and exhibitions for the local community. All-day parking for $1 is available in the Historic Parking Garage with a PARK NOW Card.
For information, call 824-2310 or go to www.staugustineartfestival.com.
Saturday, Nov. 24
10-11 a.m. Gamble Rogers film (recorded)
11-11:45 a.m. Al Poindexter and River Rise
Noon-12:45 Wingo Johnson
1-1:45 p.m. Blue Lotus Dance
2-2:45 p.m. Emmett Carlisle
3-3:45 p.m. Ancient City Slickers
4-4:45 p.m. Jim Springfield
Sunday, Nov. 25
10-11 a.m. Gamble Rogers film (recorded)
11-11:45 a.m. Blues Got Us
12-12:45 p.m. Bob Patterson
1-1:45 p.m. Blue Lotus Dance
2-2:45 p.m. Jim Springfield
3-3:45 p.m. Paradox


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A few thousand (well, more like 100,000) lucky gamers can now use the new Steam community features announced this week by Valve.
The new features, which include organized hubs for each game, new group organization, updates about your uploaded content, and a new friend interface, are now operating in a beta, according to an update from Valve.
The first 50,000 players who have earned the "Pillar of the Steam Community" badge will be allowed into the beta, and will be given an invite for a friend. After that, Valve says that "Beta access will increase incrementally until the public launch." The "Pillar of the Steam Community" badge is earned by linking one's Facebook profile to their Steam profile, among other things, which of course helps Steam move one step down the path to total world domination.
Clever, Valve. Very clever.
You can check out a preview of the new content here, and see a "Game Hub" for Team Fortress 2 here.


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Class loaders in the GlassFish Server runtime follow a delegation hierarchy that is fully described in Table 2–1.Table 2–1 Oracle GlassFish Server Class Loaders
Class Loader
The Bootstrap class loader loads the basic runtime classes provided by the JVM software.
The Extension class loader loads classes from JAR files present in the system extensions directory, domain-dir/lib/ext. It is parent to the Public API class loader. See Using the Java Optional Package Mechanism.
The Public API class loader makes available all classes specifically exported by the GlassFish Server runtime for use by deployed applications. This includes, but is not limited to, Java EE APIs and other Oracle APIs. It is parent to the Common class loader.
The Common class loader loads JAR files in the as-install/lib directory, then classes in the domain-dir/lib/classes directory, followed by JAR files in the domain-dir/lib directory. Using domain-dir/lib/classes or domain-dir/lib is recommended whenever possible, and required for custom login modules and realms. It is parent to the Connector class loader. See Using the Common Class Loader.
The Connector class loader is a single class loader instance that loads individually deployed connector modules, which are shared across all applications. It is parent to the Applib class loader and the LifeCycleModule class loader.
The LifeCycleModule class loader is created once per lifecycle module. Each lifecycle module's classpath is used to construct its own class loader. For more information on lifecycle modules, see Chapter 13, Developing Lifecycle Listeners.
The Applib class loader loads the library classes, specified during deployment, for a specific enabled module or Java EE application; see Application-Specific Class Loading. One instance of this class loader is present in each class loader universe; see Class Loader Universes. It is parent to the Archive class loader.
When multiple deployed applications use the same library, they share the same instance of the library. One library cannot reference classes from another library.
The Archive class loader loads classes from the WAR, EAR, and JAR files or directories (for directory deployment) of applications or modules deployed to the GlassFish Server. This class loader also loads any application-specific classes generated by the GlassFish Server runtime, such as stub classes or servlets generated by JSP pages.


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2Pac vs Biggie, it ain't -- but now the beef between 50 Cent and Rick Ross has reached a whole new level ... and it involves a homemade porn tape.
A source tells TMZ 50 Cent plans to release a porn tape featuring one of Rick Ross' baby mamas. We're told 50 bought the tape and will post it on his own site -- and even provide voice-over on it. This is 50!
The feud between the two rappers -- one popular, one not -- has included animated videos, radio station disses and a video where 50 Cent took another of Ross' baby mamas shopping for clothes.
Waiting for your permission to load the comments.


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April 28, 2008
DALLAS, TX - Senior Associate Dean Alfred E. (Al) Osborne, Jr. was inducted into the Minority Business Hall of Fame and Museum on Thursday, April, 24, 2008. According to the organization's press release, Osborne has, "shown a longtime commitment to the development and growth of minority businesses." The purpose of the Minority Business Hall of Fame and Museum is to preserve, recognize and educate society on the contribution of individuals that have assisted in the development and growth of Minority Businesses nationally and globally.
In addition to his role as senior associate dean, Osborne is faculty director of the Harold and Pauline Price Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at UCLA Anderson. Under his direction, the Price Center is a dedicated champion of diversity in business and the advancement of minority businesses owners and executives. For example, the Management Development for Entrepreneurs program focuses on supply chain diversity, educating minority and women entrepreneurs, enabling said executives to grow and expand their companies as they do business with large corporations. Osborne's work in the area of supply chain diversity earned him inclusion on Minority Business News' inaugural 100 Men Impacting Supplier Diversity list.
Of his most recent accolade and induction, Osborne said, "To be considered a pioneer in the development of minority business, leaves me with a feeling of pride and awe. I see myself blessed and fortunate. My efforts to build capital in minority firms - through the Price Center - and the development of human capital have been greatly rewarding. It's simply humbling to have all of this recognized, including some writings I did years ago. If I don't do anything else, I feel I've left the world a better place."
About UCLA Anderson School of Management
UCLA Anderson School of Management, established in 1935, is regarded among the very best business schools in the world. UCLA Anderson faculty are ranked #1 in "Intellectual Capital" by BusinessWeek and are renowned for their teaching excellence and research in advancing management thinking. Each year, UCLA Anderson provides management education to more than 1,600 students enrolled in MBA, Executive MBA, Fully-Employed MBA and doctoral programs, and to more than 2,000 professional managers through executive education programs. Combining highly selective admissions, varied and innovative learning programs, and a world-wide network of 35,000 alumni, UCLA Anderson develops and prepares global leaders.


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January 04, 2010
LOS ANGELES -- UCLA Anderson School of Management and the G. and R. Loeb Foundation invite business, financial and economic journalists from print, online and broadcast media to submit entries and nominations for the 2010 Gerald Loeb Awards for Distinguished Business and Financial Journalism. The Loeb Awards are the most prestigious honor in business journalism, recognizing writers, editors and producers who make significant contributions to the understanding of business, finance and the economy for both the private investor and the general public.
This year, the Loeb Awards are launching significant changes that embrace emerging technologies and new media. The awards submissions process will be entirely electronic and two new Loeb Awards categories have been created: Online Commentary and Blogging; and Personal Finance. Submissions and nominations for the 13 competition categories and two career achievement awards will be accepted online only at www.loeb.anderson.ucla.edu.
Entries Accepted in 13 Competition Categories
- Large Market Newspapers
- Medium & Small Market Newspapers
- Magazines
- Commentary
- Breaking News
- Beat Writing
- News Services
- Feature Writing
- Online Commentary and Blogging
- Personal Finance
- Television Breaking News
- Television Enterprise
- Business Book
Consideration is limited to entries that were published or broadcast in the United States during calendar year 2009. All submissions and nominations must be submitted online at www.loeb.anderson.ucla.edu by midnight Monday, February 1, 2010.
Nominations Accepted for Lifetime Achievement and Lawrence Minard Editor Awards
The Loeb Awards are also accepting nominations for (1) the Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognizes exceptional career contributions in the field of business, financial and economic news; and (2) the Lawrence Minard Editor Award, which recognizes career contributions in business journalism editing. Nominations will be accepted online only at www.loeb.anderson.ucla.edu.
For more information or to receive a call for entries brochure by mail or e-mail, please contact the Loeb Awards office at email@example.com or (310) 825-4478. To download the entry brochure in PDF format, visit: http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/Documents/areas/adm/loeb/LOEB2010Call4Entries.pdf
Loeb Awards Final Judges
STEPHEN J. ADLER, Senior Vice President and Editorial Director Thomson Reuters Professional Division
AMANDA BENNETT, Executive Editor Enterprise Bloomberg News
MATTHEW BISHOP, Bureau Chief The Economist
GENE BLOCH, Managing Editor CNN New York
CHRYSTIA FREELAND, U.S. Managing Editor Financial Times
JOHN HILLKIRK, Executive Editor USA Today
GLENN KRAMON, Assistant Managing Editor The New York Times
JOANNE LIPMAN, Former Editor-in-Chief Condé Nast Portfolio
TYLER MATHISEN, Vice President for Strategic Editorial Initiatives CNBC
MATT MURRAY, Deputy Managing Editor, National News The Wall Street Journal
JUDY D. OLIAN, Dean UCLA Anderson School of Management
DAVID SCHLESINGER, Editor-in-Chief Thomson Reuters
RUSS STANTON, Editor Los Angeles Times
ALLAN SLOAN, Senior Editor at Large Fortune
JONATHAN WALD, Former Senior Vice President Business News CNBC
About UCLA Anderson School of Management
UCLA Anderson School of Management, established in 1935, is regarded among the leading business schools in the world. UCLA Anderson faculty members are renowned for their teaching excellence and research in advancing management thinking. Each year, UCLA Anderson provides management education to more than 1,800 students enrolled in MBA, Fully-Employed MBA, Executive MBA, UCLA-NUS Global Executive MBA, Master of Financial Engineering, and doctoral programs, and to more than 2,000 professional managers through executive education programs. Combining highly selective admissions, varied and innovative learning programs, and a world-wide network of 36,000 alumni, UCLA Anderson develops and prepares global leaders.


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Be sure to check out our Couture Catalog and our print catalogs on our Downloads page.
|Celeste Stein Designs Inc. is the largest sublimation printer for women's hosiery in the United States. We currently manufacture and design for over 10 of America's largest department stores, and over 1,000 private enterprise boutiques.
We carry more fashion prints for hosiery than any other manufacturer in the world and have the ability to print to almost all manmade materials. We are a women owned and operated business. All products are produced in Galveston, Texas. So if you are need of hosiery, you have come to the right place!
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|Please feel free to browse through our products, and use the search function to find "keywords" on any particular style you might be looking for in the catalog of prints. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to email us or call.


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Here is the May 2013 Update for some great Waterfront and Water Access properties for Sale on the Sassafras River off the Northern Chesapeake Bay. This is not a comprehensive list as some brokers do not allow us to display their listings, for a complete list call us at (800)-890-0381 or just contact us. Visit these Properties and more at our website or call us at (800)-890-0381 to discuss your specific needs. Today's post is highlighting those homes on the Sassafras River.
The Sassafras River is one of the most desireable rivers on the Chesapeake Bay. Its wide mouth on the Chesapeake Bay and deep water channel make it a destination for day boaters and cruisers alike.The river and its creeks have many spectacular Waterfront and Waterfront communities with full time and vacation homes. There are several small creeks on the northern shore of the Sassafras River, including Money Creek, Cox Creek, Foreman Creek, Back Creek, McGill Creek, Dowdel Creek, Hall Creek, and Duffy Creek. On the southern shore small creeks include Lloyd Creek, Turner's Creek, Freeman Creek, Woodland Creek, Dyer Creek, Mill Creek, Swantown Creek, Jacobs Creek, and Herring Branch.
Steve Hubbell REALTOR® - of the The "Bay Property Team", Selling Cecil County Waterfront - - The "Bay Property Team" was formed in 2006 by Susan and Steve Hubbell to specialize in helping Buyers and Sellers invest in Waterfront and Water Access Properties in Chesapeake City, Elkton, Earleville, and Warwick in Cecil County MD and local Rivers and Creeks including the Sassafras River. We also serve, Georgetown, Galena, and Kennedyville in Kent County MD and surrounding areas. (800)-890-0381 (Equal Housing Opportunity (O)-1-(410)-398-9000)


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We all have one, our very first memory of The Nutcracker ballet. We remember it as magically today as when we first sat in the audience, amazed by what was happening on stage.
I was five years old. I'd been taking dance classes for about a year and a half when my mom, who also grew up dancing, told me we were going on a mother-daughter date to see The Nutcracker. The what? We had quite a collection of real nutcrackers around our house so I didn't know why we had to go see more…they weren't that exciting. But despite the confusion, I put on my fancy red satin dress, black patent leather "heels", enormous hair bow and hopped in the car as we headed to the Wortham Theatre in downtown Houston.
I fidgeted in my seat, still completely puzzled, as we waited for the curtain to open. And when it did…I sat perfectly still with my eyes glued to the magic and dancing that was happening before me. The production was breathtaking.
I'm now twenty-two and for the past seventeen Christmases, my mom and I haven't missed a Nutcracker season. For me The Nutcracker represents everything I love about the holiday season: family, tradition, joy, excitement, and wonder. It was not only my first ballet, but it is still my most treasured.
So what's your most memorable Nutcracker experience? Share with us what makes this one-of-a-kind production a treasure in your eyes! Post your story in the Comments section below and see all the different memories The Nutcracker has inspired!


text: NEW YORK (MarketWatch) - Apple Inc.'s AAPL, +1.08% advance bolstered the technology sector Wednesday as Wall Street cast a wary eye on fourth-quarter earnings including results from J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. JPM, +0.28% and Goldman Sachs GS, +0.35%. "The market seems to be in neutral mode, especially after a pretty good start to the year," said Brad Sorensen, director of market and sector research at Charles Schwab. Up 3.1% for the year so far, the Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, +0.93% fell 23.66 points, or 0.2%, to 13,511.23. The S&P 500 index SPX, +0.82% gained less than half a point to 1,472.63, leaving it with a 3.3% rise from the end of 2012. The Nasdaq Composite COMP, +0.90% climbed 6.77 points, or 0.2%, to 3,117.54, also up 3.3% year to date. Apple shares rose 4.2% to $506.09.


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of degrees
& programs
Fall: May 31
All applications are processed at the same time—after the May 31 deadline.
Number Required: 2
From Whom: Letters of recommendation should come from college/university faculty members familiar with the applicant's academic competence
Yes. Candidates should contact the department to discuss appropriate disciplines.
The Statement of Goals should be approximately
500-1,000 words and should include the following
elements: your specific interest in Temple's program; your research goals; your future career goals; and your
academic and research achievements.
The GRE is required. Applicants must submit scores on the aptitude portion of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). The scores of successful applicants on each of the three components of the GRE typically fall within the following percentile ranges: Verbal: 70 to 81, Quantitative: 70 to 99, Analytical: 70 to 92.
Minimum TOEFL score or range of scores needed to be accepted:
600 on the paper version and 260 on the computerized version.
A resume is required.
Campus Location:
Main Campus
Students are able to complete the degree program through classes offered after 4:30 p.m.
Number of Didactic Credits Required Beyond the Master's: 36
Required Courses:
For the Ph.D. in economics, the student must complete 42 semester hours of work: six core courses, six specialization or elective courses, and six semester hours of dissertation research. The student must also pass two theory exams and two field exams and submit and defend a doctoral disseration. The core courses are: Mathematics for Economists I 510. Econometrics I 615, Microeconomic Theory I 601, Macroeconomic Theory I 606, Microeconomic Analysis 501, and Macroeconomic Analysis 506.
The student enters a research stage upon finishing the coursework. This research stage involves studying economic literature and models, preparing a dissertation proposal, and writing a dissertation. Economics 799, 899, and 999 courses are used to structure and monitor this process. Economics 799 (Field Exams and Dissertation Proposal Research) is designed for students who have finished all coursework and passed the theory prelims. Along with preparing for the field exams, they must chose a topic and start reseraching their dissertation proposals. Economics 899 (Dissertation Proposal Research) is designed for students who have passed all theory prelims and field qualifying exams. The students are expected to complete their disseration proposal and submit it to the Graduate Affairs Committee for consideration. Economics 999 (Doctoral Thesis Research) is designed for student who have an accepted dissertation proposal. Their research should be divided into several stages each leaddi
Internship: No internship is required.
Language Examination: No language examination is required.
Preliminary Examination:
The purpose of the preliminary examinations is to demonstrate critical and interpretive knowledge of current research.
Subject Areas/Major Components of the Preliminary Examination There are two theory exams, in microeconomics and macroeconomics, and two field exams. The subject areas of the field exams are chosen by the student, in consultation with the graduate advisor.
At what point in the program is the student expected to take the preliminary examination The theory exams must be passed by the end of the second year, and the field exams within three semesters of passing the last theory exam.
Writing the Questions for the Preliminary Examination The members of the student's department write the questions for the preliminary examinations.
Evaluating the Preliminary Examination The Department Committee will evaluate the examination. Each member votes to pass or fail the student. In order to pass, a majority of the committee members must agree that the exam has been satisfactorily completed.
Criterion for Passing the Preliminary Examination. The student must answer every question on the examination in order to be evaluated. The evaluators look for a breadth and depth of understanding of specific research areas, a critical application of that knowledge to specific phenomena; and an ability to write technical prose.
Administering, Scheduling, and Proctoring the Preliminary Examination Students who are preparing to write their preliminary examinations should confirm a time and date with their departmental advisor.
Dissertation Advising Committee Information
The Dissertation Committee is formed to oversee the student's doctoral research and is comprised of at least three Graduate Faculty members. Two members, including the Chair, must be from your department. The Chair is responsible for overseeing and guiding the student's progress, coordinating the responses of the Committee members, and informing the student of his or her academic progress.
Dissertation Examining Committee Information
The Dissertation Examining Committee evaluates the student's dissertation and oral defense. This committee is comprised of the Doctoral Committee and at least one additional Faculty member from outside the department.
Advisor/Committee Information
If any member of the committee decides to withdraw from the committee, you shall notify the chair of the dissertation committee and the Director of the PHD program. You are responsible to find a replacement, in consultation with your chair. Inability to find a replacement shall constitute evidence that you are unable to complete the dissertation. In such a case you may petition the Director of the PHD program for a review. Once a review of the facts and circumstances is completed, the Director will rule on your progress. If the Director rules that you are not capable of completing the dissertation, you will be dismissed from the program. This decision may be appealed to SBM's Senior Associate Dean. If you are dismissed, you may appeal to the Graduate School.
Dissertation/Monograph Philosophy
The Doctoral Dissertation is an original empirical study that makes a significant contribution to the field. It should expand the existing knowledge and demonstrate the student's knowledge of both research methods and a mastery of his or her primary area of interest. Dissertations should be rigorously investigated, uphold the ethics and standard of the field, demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the primary area of interest and the broader field of business, and be prepared for publication in an academic journal.
Philosophy of the Proposal
The dissertation proposal demonstrates the student's knowledge of and ability to conduct the proposed research. The proposal should consists of the following: (a) the context and background surrounding a particular research problem; (b) an exhaustive survey and review of literature related to the problem; and (c) a detailed methodological plan for investigating the problem. The proposal should be completed and approved no more than one year after passing the last field exam. Upon approval, a timeline for completing the investigation and the writing process will be established.
Criterion for Passing the Dissertation and the Defense.
The Committee will evaluate the student's ability to express verbally his or her research question, methodological approach, primary findings, and implications. The Committee will vote to pass or fail the dissertation and the defense at the conclusion of the public presentation.
Dissertation Defense Scheduling
Students preparing to defend their dissertation should confirm a time and date with their Dissertation Committee and register with the Graduate Secretary at least 15 days before the defense is to be scheduled. The Graduate Secretary will arrange the time, date, and room within two working days, and forward to the student the appropriate forms.
Announcing the Dissertation Defense
After the Graduate Secretary has arranged the time, date, and room, for the defense, the student must send to the Graduate School (501 Carnell Hall) a completed "Announcement of Dissertation Defense" form at least 10 days before the defense. The Department will post fliers announcing the defense.
Fox School of Business
and Management
Speakman Hall
Philadelphia, PA 19122
Natale Butto
Director of Graduate Admissions
Program Coordinator:
Dr. Fyodor Kushnirsky
Graduate Chairperson:
Dr. William Stull
The Ph.D. in economics is designed to prepare the student for university teaching and research, and for positions as economists in government, business and industry. The program emphasizes the development of advanced research and scholarship skills in applied economics areas. To accomplish this, the program has fields in econometrics, economic development, industrial organization, international economics, financial economics, and labor economics. The program has a strong track record in placing its graduates in desirable positions.
Time Limit for Degree Completion: 7 years
Main Campus
Students are able to complete the degree program through classes offered after 4:30 p.m.
Fox School of Business and Management
Speakman Hall
Philadelphia, PA 19122
The Fox School of Business and Management is currently ranked in the top 75 business schools by Forbes and in the top 50 programs for our Executive M.B.A. The Fox School has also been ranked 14th for technology M.B.A. programs by Computerworld, and holds a specialty ranking of 26th in the nation for healthcare management programs. The Fox School has been recognized for research in numerous departments and is in the top 1% of citings of university research.
All Fox School of Business and Management graduate programs are accredited by AACSB - Association for the Advancement of Collegial Schools of Business.
The Fox School's economics faculty are conducting research in the following area: applied econometrics, industrial organization, development economics, international economics, and labor economics.
The program is dedicated to producing well-trained researchers who will work in academic positions and research oriented jobs in companies, think tanks, government, and other institutions.
Not applicable.
Interdisciplinary tracks are available with finance and statistics.
Non-matriculated students are permitted to take doctoral courses when granted an exception.
Assistantships are awarded to exceptionally good candidates. They require 20 hours of service per week, which can include teaching, tutoring, and supervised research An assistantship provides a stipend and tuition remission.
Other Financial Opportunities


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Amy's News
News articles related to our company and products.
Salsa Stars
This zesty and healthy chip topper is fast becoming America's favorite condiment. But since all salsas are not created equal, we sought out the best organic mild, hot and wild (read: unconventional) options available. After all, who wants nachos spiked with pesticides? Of the 15 jars we tested, these took the chip.
Amy's Kitchen Black Bean & Corn
Layers of flavor in this hearty, bean- and corn- flecked salsa set it apart. It's smoky, garlicky, and tangy all at once. Served on grilled chicken or rolled into an enchilada, it lends a bit of Southwestern flair to a meal. $3.59, amys.com
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Hand Foot Syndrome
Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts,"
I am beginning Doxil chemotherapy this month for an ovarian cancer recurrence. Do you recommend Amifostine, B6, or Vitamin E to minimize the hand/foot syndrome?
Christina S. Chu, MD, Assistant Professor of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at the University of Pennsylvania Health System, responds:
Most patients experience hand/foot syndrome to some extent while on Doxil. For prevention, I usually recommend conservative measures first:
Stay out of the sun, be gentle with skin and scalp (avoid forceful rubbing or prolonged pressure), take lukewarm baths and showers, and use skin moisturizers aggressively. In particular, try lanolin based therapy (like Bag Balm) on the palms and soles at bedtime. Patients sometimes wear gloves and socks to bed over the lanolin while it is slowly absorbed overnight. Some patients have had success with using ice packs around their wrists and ankles during infusion of the drug.
Regarding medications for prophylaxis, pyridoxine, dexamethasone, amifostine, and celecoxib have all been used and have shown some benefit in small studies. Pyridoxine is a form of B vitamin that has very few side effects, and is inexpensive. Early studies have shown some benefit, but large phase III trials comparing pyridoxine to placebo are underway.
For more tips, see OncoLink's patient guide on hand and foot syndrome.


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Datum und Uhrzeit
Floating Lounge
Mühlenstraße 73
10243 Berlin
It's Berlin's #1 (and only) English Comedy Show on a Boat. On the Spree. It's Laughing Spree Comedy!
And it's free to get in! Including compulsory FREE SHOTS at the door!
Laughing Spree Comedy is a weekly comedy show, hosted by Comedian Chris Doering, with an extremely friendly atmosphere and some of Berlin's finest comedians, lots of guest comedians and the occasional first timer. Hang out after the show with us and the Comedians and one another at the bar. And after we also go to Karaoke afterwards. Yeah!
When? Every Monday
Where? The Floating Lounge
When again? Doors open at 8pm, Show starts 9pm
See you buoys and gulls aboard the ship. Keep on laughing!
Datum und Uhrzeit
Floating Lounge
Mühlenstraße 73
10243 Berlin


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Slideshow: Pulp Mill Bridge Exposed
Wed, 03/21/2012 - 4:43pm Anonymous
Stripped down to its structural elements, Middlebury's Pulp Mill Bridge is undergoing a $1.7 million renovation. The project, which will provide new siding, roofing and decking for the 192-year-old span, is scheduled to be completed by November. But don't worry walkers, joggers and bikers, the adjacent footbridge of the Otter Creek will remain open during construction.
Last week, our one and only Trent campbell got down and dirty in construction rubble to expose the fabled bridge's bare essentials. Click below to enjoy the slideshow!


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Servers: Getting a grip on power and control
Cut costs and do more with less
Video Power has long been a consideration for server and data centre operations and design. In many cases, power was a constant to design the solution around, and not something that could easily be monitored, manipulated or optimised.
But developments such as regulation in the form of the Carbon Reduction Commitment, the increasing cost of power and cooling, and increased server and computational density have started to put strains on both budgets and capacity.
Effective power management is becoming a central pillar of server planning and strategy. But it can seem like a daunting challenge to take on, with the potential for a lot of pain with little (tangible) gain.
It can be easy to make a case when you have direct control or responsibility for power. In the case of limited power supply or space, the control and return may be very direct. But in many cases, power supply and costs are the responsibility of another department. Without involving the broader organisation in the efforts to control power use and become more efficient, there may be little payback to investing in power management.
All of this, and more besides, is the hot topic of discussion during this our latest workshop roundup video.
The Register's own Tim Phillips hosts the affair and he's joined by Andy Buss from Freeform Dynamics and Iain Beckingham from Intel. The video is 30 minutes long and packed full of interesting discussion and advice from the three of them. You can watch it all, for free, right here. ®


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Perhaps I'm oversensitive to my public image this week because this Friday there will be a new photo of me to go along with this column.
Look for me in the snack aisle.
That was where I noticed Publix supermarkets had redesigned the packaging for their Original Thins house-brand potato chips. And they found a design that people would naturally respond positively to: A picture of a potato chip equipped with glasses, a nose with roughly the proportions of an equilateral triangle, and a bushy, uneven moustache.
"Nice-looking chip bag," I thought.
I've been noticing a distinct lack of moustaches on supermarket shelves ever since Brawny paper towels made the unfortunate decision to go cleanshaven 10 years ago. It's good to see somebody bucking the trend.
And I thought nothing more about this until the comments started.
"Did you see yourself on the chip bag?" asked our head photographer.
"We have rules about commercial use of your image," my editor reminded me.
Personally, I didn't see any resemblance. But as a social experiment, I posted a photo of bag and columnist on my Facebook page and polled the public. The results were discouraging.
"Is that the real bag and not one some artist drew with your picture?" one person asked.
"Demand royalties!" wrote another.
"Wow! That is better than being on a Wheaties box," wrote another.
I don't know about that. It's a humbling thing to realize one's personal essence can be easily reduced to a few squiggles superimposed over a popular snack food.
It's amusing when someone finds a potato that looks like Richard Nixon. But few of us would know how to react should the potato look like any of us.
"Really, it's the shape of the potato chip that makes the head work," said my wife, in that not-at-all-insulting tone public relations professionals instinctively use to convey obvious factual information.
Perhaps I'm oversensitive to my public image this week because this Friday there will be a new photo of me to go along with this column. The News-Journal is getting a new look and that extends to columnists' pictures.
Column photos allow columnists to feel they're aging differently from other people. It's a fringe benefit of the job. My current column picture was taken nine years ago, so at least in public, I haven't changed a bit since 2004. And really, I like to think I haven't.
Such continuity in print is hardly unusual. Within our pages, the picture that went along with the Dear Abby column showed Abigail Van Buren with the same dark-haired flip for decades, unchanged from the mid-1980s back to, oh, I don't know, sometime during the Warren Harding administration.
And there was something reassuring about seeing this over breakfast each morning. It's a kind of immortality, actually.
So now, I must face up to the passage of time, and it's not easy. Sheesh, all that and a bag of chips.


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