text:
What Hillary Knew — In 1993
Twenty years ago, Clinton's health care plan was on to something. But you wouldn't know it from Democratic policy since then.
Former White House press secretary Robert Gibbs' recent comments doubting that Obamacare's employer mandate will ever be implemented—he called it "one of the first things to go"—likely caused heartburn among his onetime West Wing colleagues. But there's one former Obama administration official whom Gibbs must have terrified more than most.
Years ago, that famous figure testified publicly that if Congress were to pass legislation with an individual mandate to purchase insurance, "we worry that the numbers of people who currently are insured through their employment will decrease because there will no longer be any reason for many employers" to offer coverage, when individuals can receive government subsidies instead.
Story Continued Below
That figure's name is Hillary Clinton.
It is a well-known fact that Clinton came to strenuously support an individual health insurance mandate in her 2008 primary campaign against Barack Obama. Less well-remembered, however, is that Clinton considered an employer mandate—not an individual mandate—the best way to achieve "universal coverage" in her health care task force's ill-fated 1993 proposal, put forth while she was first lady.
Back then, both Hillary and President Bill Clinton believed that placing responsibility primarily on individuals, as opposed to employers, to obtain coverage could cause employers to drop their existing plans. Little wonder that after millions of Americans had their health plans canceled last fall, Bill Clinton criticized President Obama's "if you like your health care plan" promise; in fact, the Clinton White House knew that pledge was dubious two decades before Politifact finally named it the " lie of the year."
The Clintons were onto something at the time, but the health policies they and their party have since advocated have not only failed to solve our nation's health care problems—in some cases, they've made them worse. Read two decades later, Clinton's 1993 congressional testimony reinforces both what has changed and what has not.
Consider another truth the Hillary Clinton of 1993 could tell Obama today. "If we subsidize individuals below a certain income level," she noted in her testimony before Congress, "there would be pressure on employers to keep wages below the subsidy level so that they [health insurance premiums] would continue to be paid for by the government." That sounds a lot like what the Congressional Budget Office concluded in February: that Obamacare will reduce the labor force by the equivalent of 2.3 million workers, because employers will not raise wages and individuals will choose not to work in order to retain access to government insurance subsidies.


text:
Patagonia Women's Capilene® Midweight Zip-Neck
Our classic, go-anywhere all-around baselayer, made with 100% recycled content. The smooth, soft face makes for easy layering; hollow-core yarns and a diamond-grid back trap warm air, wick moisture and dry fast. HeiQ® Fresh durable odor control keeps things fresh. Fair Trade Certified™ sewn.
- The smooth, soft face makes for easy layering; HeiQ® Fresh durable odor control keeps things fresh; stretch for added comfort and improved fit during movement
- Zip-neck styling with internal neck tape for added comfort; locker loop for hang-drying
- Raglan shoulder seams allow freedom of movement, with full underarm gusset for range of motion and chafe-free comfort
- Fabric's diamond-grid pattern next to skin provides warmth and breathability and wicks moisture
- Long center-front zipper vents body heat and is backed by kissing welts for low-bulk comfort next to skin
- Elastic thumb loops for secure hand coverage
- Fair Trade Certified™ sewn
- 170 g (6 oz)
5.1-oz (147-g) 100% recycled polyester diamond-grid double knit with HeiQ® Fresh durable odor control.
Fabric is certified as bluesign® approved.
Fair Trade Certified™ sewnView The Footprint Chronicles
Capilene® Polyester Baselayer
Made from moisture-wicking polyester, Capilene® synthetic baselayers wick moisture away from your skin, breathe efficiently and dry fast to provide the foundation for any layering system for any pursuit. Designed for fast-forward, aerobic activities, they're quick to wick and quick to dry. Capilene polyester is made from recycled polyester (30% recycled content or more) and is also machine washable.
We make four Capilene fabrics for different levels of exertion and temperatures. All Capilene fabrics have achieved bluesign® approval; have an updated and consistent fit in each fabric weight; and use Polygiene® technology to control odor in the garment. They are the best baselayer option for high-sweat activities and wet conditions.
Fair Trade Certified™
We pay a premium for every Fair Trade Certified item that carries our label. That extra money goes directly to the workers at the factory, and they decide how to spend it. The program also promotes worker health and safety and social and environmental compliance, and encourages dialog between workers and management.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
It's dyeable. It's bleachable. And it's highly sought after by thieves targeting shops in the Baltimore area and around the country.
Unprocessed human hair— prized for providing women with long, flowing, natural-looking locks — has been swiped from half a dozen area beauty supply stores. The high-end hair, often sewn or glued in place to add length or volume, costs nearly $200 a bundle.
Such steep prices have made the fashionable locks desirable among thieves, much like Nike Air Jordan Concords and Helly Hansen jackets. And stylists say the same products they sell in stores are being hawked on the black market.
"Now you are finding hair being sold on the street, being sold out of cars," said Tiki Spruill, a master stylist at About Faces Day Spa and Salon in Canton. The sellers "are street hustlers like you would see with watches or purses."
Police nationwide have reported a string of thefts and robberies in which the suspects were after hair — and not synthetic hair, which costs far less.
In Chicago, a woman pepper-sprayed a store clerk this month before making off with nearly $230,000 worth of hair, and similar thefts have been reported in West Palm Beach, Fla., Atlanta and Houston. In Michigan, a store owner was fatally shot two years ago during a robbery in which someone stole hair, according to news reports.
Much of the unprocessed human hair comes from countries such as India, China and Brazil, where people sell or donate hair for charity or religious purposes and buyers ship it around the world.
At the Beauty Supply shop on Reisterstown Road, a masked intruder broke a glass door last month and made off with dozens of packages of long, dark hair. The incident was caught on camera, but police have not identified a suspect. It was one in a series of incidents in April and May.
"They drive around and sell it on the street," said employee Larry Lawrence as he scrolled through photos of the aftermath on his cellphone. In one image, shards of glass covered the front entrance. Another showed a large brick from a construction site lying on the shop floor.
After the May 2 burglary, he said, the store installed metal bars over the front windows for security. They have also shifted the selection of "Unprocessed Brazilian Hair" to a spot lower on the wall where it's less visible from the counter.
At the Beauty Island shop just a few blocks south on Reisterstown Road, employees also said a large brick had been chucked through the front door, shattering the glass.
Only the most expensive hair was missing. The store, which sells all sorts of beauty products, including wigs and synthetic hair, was otherwise left untouched.
Targeted was the "True Brazilian Virgin Remy," which employees say costs as much as $179.99 a pack for the longest styles. A customer might purchase several packages, depending on the desired look.
"That was so surprising. We never thought someone would do this," said employee Tapaswi Rajbhandari.
The store has surveillance video of the break-in, but employees said the robber's features were hidden by a sweatshirt and mask.
Police in Baltimore and Howard counties have received reports of stolen hair valued at more than $20,000.
Baltimore County police spokeswoman Cpl. Cathy Batton said detectives are still compiling information on the suspect or suspects in the Reisterstown Road incidents, but said police were "investigating them as connected burglaries."
Unlike other expensive merchandise, she said the hair does not have serial numbers and can be hard to trace.
"We have never had a trend like this before in Baltimore County," she said.
Howard County police reported a similar burglary at the Long Reach Beauty Supply on Cloudleap Court in Columbia, where police said a suspect also broke the glass front door and stole hair pieces.
Stylists said the crime trend does not surprise them, given the popularity of sleek, shiny hairdos and the investments clients make.
Higher-end salons charge from $750 to $1,500 for a weave. Salons that permit clients to bring their own hair still charge around $200, and, depending on the look, might require several bundles of hair. The styles also require regular maintenance and clients are encouraged to get them shampooed at the salon.
Reggie Dowdy, the owner of Reginald Promise Dowdy salon in Middle River, said he does not keep the hair at his salon for fear of thefts; he orders it before clients come in for an appointment.
"If it's real quality, a four-ounce pack costs $200 to $300. A salon can easily go through $10,000 worth of hair with ordering just a few boxes," he said.
While synthetic hair is much cheaper — around $10 a pack, Dowdy said, stylists are limited in what they can do with it. Any heat from hair dryers, or curling and straightening irons will melt it. It can't be dyed.
Spruill, from the Canton salon, said the bundles of hair have been popular for some time. But with more natural-looking hairstyles coming into vogue, longer, unprocessed hair is in high demand.
In the 1980s, "it was more like you were wearing your crown," Spruill said. Now clients have moved from stiffer, sculpted styles to "more of a natural look." She said many younger girls in Baltimore want very long hair that reaches to the waist, with a more authentic-looking wave.
And the longer the bundle, the more expensive it is.
"To get hair that length is a big thing," she said, adding that two years ago, hair bundles longer than 24 inches were almost nonexistent.
Driving the trend, like most fashion, is Hollywood. Spruill said, "every African-American movie star with hair beyond their shoulders is going to have remy hair."
In high-quality, remy hair, she said, all of the strands run in the same direction, making it smoother and stronger. Lesser quality hair has strands that go in opposite directions, which can cause tangling.
Although the process is often associated with African-American women, Spruill said she has many Caucasian clients who are seeking added length or body.
"Everybody wants extensions, no matter the race," she said. "People want long, thick, shinier hair. They want good hair."


text:
By Bud Trinkel, Certified Fluid Power Engineer
Edited by Mary Gannon and Richard Schneider, Hydraulics Pneumatics magazine.
This manual is intended for those who have a fair-to-good understanding of fluid power components and their symbols, but do not know how to arrange these valves in circuits.
This manual shows and explains most basic circuits in detail. Most explanations give advantages and disadvantages of the circuit design and discuss alternative ways of doing the same job. When applicable, information concerning reliability, dependability, availability, longevity, and safety is given.
As with all books on fluid power circuits, the information presented is based on the author's experience and expertise. In circuit design there are few hard and fast rules. Giving six fluid power circuit designers a set of parameters results in six different schematics. All circuits would meet the specifications. Some designs would be highly efficient; some would run hot even with a heat exchanger; and some would just be different. Cost of the circuits would vary widely but the most expensive design would not always be best. Some designs would require constant maintenance while others would run trouble-free for the life of the machine.
The intent of this manual is to give information to circuit designers to help them come up with an efficient, long-life machine that is easy to maintain and less expensive to operate. It can also help the end user obtain enough knowledge about fluid power components and circuits to make an intelligent choice from the widely varying quotes they receive.
All information in this book is true and reliable to the best of my ability. All of the circuits in Section 23 are in daily use. Most of the circuits in the rest of the manual are in industry, some for many years. All of the circuits must be set up and operated by responsible persons who follow safety procedures applicable to the equipment used.***Editor's Note: The fluid power industry lost an icon in 2009 when Bud Trinkel passed away, but we are glad to keep his work alive with his technical training manuals published as eBooks. Please see his obituary below, or read a tribute to him from H&P Editor Alan Hitchcox here. Edgar W. "Bud" Trinkel Jr., of Evansville, Ind., died suddenly on August 12. He was best known in the fluid power industry for his years spent working as a hydraulic pneumatic specialist in sales and later for starting his own consulting business, Hydra-Pneu Consulting. He wrote several books on fluid power, including Fluid Power Basics, Fluid Power Circuits Explained, and others to aid his training endeavors. They became so well-accepted that he began producing them as stand-alone books. As president of Hydra-Pneu, Trinkel designed fluid power circuits, provided training, and performed troubleshooting for industrial clients. Prior to founding Hydra-Pneu Consulting in 1984 as a part-time fluid power consulting firm — which became a full-time endeavor in 1988 — Trinkel worked as a technical sales and service representative for a fluid power distributor. Prior to that he served as a sales and service representative for Miller Fluid Power for 14 years. Earlier in his career he worked as an industrial designer in the plastics industry. A veteran of the United States Air Force, he is survived by his wife of 56 years, Sharon; son, Charles (Michelle); daughter, Julie Woodson (Russ); and six grandchildren.


text:
Please note that this style is either discontinued and/or from a previous season.
Heavy-duty suede, sturdy action nubuck, or soft and resilient action leather upper for abrasion resistance and durability.
Foam-padded tongue and collar for added comfort and support.
Soft tricot lining.
Highly abrasion-resistant sticky rubber cup sole.
Multi-tone bottom with DC's trademarked pill pattern.
Vent holes for breathability.
Sole design provides excellent ground contact, wear and flex.
Product measurements were taken using size 10, width D - Medium. Please note that measurements may vary by size.
Featured Products


text:
A Massachusetts man accused of aiming a laser pointer into the eyes of the opposing goalie at his daughter's high school hockey game is facing criminal charges.
Authorities announced Tuesday that 42-year-old Joseph Cordes will be summoned to East Boston District Court to face a charge of disturbing the peace.
Police say Cordes pointed the light at the Medway/Ashland goalie during a Feb. 29 tournament game in Winthrop, north of Boston. He was ordered out of the arena by a school official.
Winthrop won 3-1, prompting a protest from the Medway/Ashland parents who asked that the game be replayed. The governing body of high school sports in Massachusetts denied the appeal.
Cordes hasn't been arrested. He tells WBZ-TV he feels "like a complete jerk" and humiliated his daughter.


text:
Difference between revisions of "Pre-Meeting Findings & Recommndations"
(→Connectivity and Regional Library WANs)
|(2 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)
|Line 1:
|Line 1:
==Bob B.==
==Bob B.==
Latest revision as of 23:47, 3 April 2007
- 1 Nancy
- 2 John
- 3 Bob B.
- 4 Mark
Key Findings[edit]
1. There is considerable evidence on what contributes to a successful collaborative effort leading toward reduced cost for broadband (and in fact other successful projects).
a. Leadership
Often from a "third party" without a vested interest:
Missouri, Higher ed geek
Ohio, OLA executive secretary and a professor in library school
Kentucky, Connect Kentucky
Maine, NJ, Maryland – the State Library
b. Vision
Clear picture in their heads what they want to happen, often in print for quick distribution:
True in all the states with a robust network now
c. Exclusivity
Invited lots of people to meetings. Formed teams from interested meetings. Transparent publicity about the project.
d. Aggregation
Aggregated demand to get better rates from providers
Works in all states and regions with a good network
e. Good technical plan developed with "geek squad" to help libraries implement
f. "Road Trip" or "dog and pony" show to demonstrate what can be done with the new technology. True in many states. Leads to librarians willing to lobby for funding. Many people still don't see the need. It will need to be demonstrated graphically for people to see this.
g. Training of librarians in the new technology so they feel comfortable and see the value
h. Champion at state governmental level. This is often cultivated by the State Librarian. Governor's Office, Legislator, Budget/IT officer
i. Money – from state, erate, LSTA, local, often combined in a creative way to achieve goals.
j. State Library plays a role
2. Nobody has a satisfactory way to plan how much bandwidth is needed. There are a multitude of methods being used. The most successful combine these elements:
a. How much is actually available from a provider
b. How much does it cost and is it affordable
c. How much is needed to do what the users and the library wants to provide. Limitations drive users away.
d. Close tracking to determine actual use and when it is approaching capacity
e. A policy that encourages use and does not put moral or ethical limits on what is appropriate
In addition, adding more bandwidth often leads to more of something else: more staff or more staff training, more routers and servers, more computers, more policies to handle the increased use, more programs that can now be delivered and most of all….. more use. What is clear is that there is no ONE bandwidth appropriate for all libraries. If ONE has to be chosen, T-1 seems to be robust to handle most uses of most small libraries. What is crucial is that whatever bandwidth is chosen as the baseline, it should be scalable as soon as growth is necessary.
3. Libraries in rural areas are playing an incredibly important role in providing internet access to the public. This is a combination of their traditional role of open access to all comers and that they often have one of the most robust connections in down, even if the library's connection is pathetically poor. Internet connectivity is critical not just to the successful operation of the library but to its actually opening its doors. The lack of connectivity causes problems for local libraries from mild (such as slow down in the afternoon experienced even by libraries as large as San Francisco and Los Angeles) to major such as the inability to even search the card catalog.
4. Some people (including librarians) do not see the need for more robust broadband in the public library. There is a need to demonstrate this graphically (see above under "dog and pony show."
5. The very existence of our visits made a difference already. The reality of our visit caused the state librarian to reach out to people she/he had not reached out to before. And the response from states to the Gates name brought people to the table that had not met with the state librarian before. This will allow the state librarian to do follow-up that can lead to positive results.
For ALA
1. Publish the findings of this study, particularly in the areas of:
a. Focus group findings
b. Collaborative success factors
c. Network configurations that work
2. Send a report to each state we visited with some brief but targeted findings and recommendations for followup.
For Gates Foundation
The goal for ALA recommendations to the Gates Foundation should be tied to its goal of bringing broadband connectivity to the rural and under connected libraries in the country. This study has shown that, except where there is a VERY robust network (such as Ohio, Missouri, New Jersey, Maryland, Maine, ) there are pockets of libraries with low connection in every state.
1. Establish state visits such as just conducted but longer with a report to the State Librarian about potential networking opportunities. These visits could be slightly longer and perhaps facilitate bringing people together using the collaborative model developed as par to this project.
2. Assistance to libraries to plan for the future. This could be accomplished by assigning a staff person to each state to work with local libraries (this person should have close ties to the State Library but NOT be a state library staff person subject to the rules of such employment.
This might take the form of trying to answer this question? What would it take, library by library (with Gates determining the eligibility) to get a T-1 (recommended but could be other speed) connection to that library?
This could begin with a selected few pilot states, chosen by application by the states with a matching commitment for connectivity from the state or LSTA funds.
As part of this effort, prepare a planning guide that can be used by local communities that includes technical planning. Planning methods need to be combined with the elements mentioned above:
a. Bring together people in the library community or geographic community for planning
b. Consider the technical options available
c. Determine a bandwidth target (T-1 preferred) that is reasonable and affordable
d. Train libraries in negotiating as good a price as possible
3. Use the Gates name to bring people together at the state and national level. A contribution by the Gates Foundation to every state, with publicity, to specifically address the connectivity of public libraries would likely have a significant impact. If such a contribution is not possible, the Gates Foundation should, instead, mount a major, prominent publicity campaign about the role of libraries on the information highway.
4. In preparing a grant program, the Gates Foundation should realize that there are significant costs to bandwidth that include both telecommunication and equipment costs. Any funding should include an allowance for both as well as staff training. A funding program could include:
a. Assistance at the state level for collaborative and technical planning
b. Funding for telecommunication costs to cover the last mile
c. Funding for equipment that is necessary such as routers and servers
d. Funding for training of library staff
5. One major barrier is the attitude of citizens, governing authorities, library trustees and even librarians toward high speed broadband and its value. A major education program needs to be undertaken to show the value of broadband to:
a. Economic development
b. Health
c. Employment
d. Family connectivity
e. Education
f. Government
Ideas for ALA Brainstorming Session - April 3-4, 2007 - Submitted by John Windhausen - Telepoly Consulting
1. The private sector has little understanding of the needs of the libraries. Both cable and telephone companies consistently maintained that broadband services are available and anyone can connect that wants to connect. We were constantly educating the companies about the libraries' broadband needs.
2. The most organized states also had the best connectivity. Organization is either at a statewide level (Missouri) or regional level (Ohio and Michigan). Idaho was particularly noteworthy for the disorganization of the state government (several state agencies each building their own state network).
3. Libraries' broadband connectivity was often adequate until video streaming. This will only get worse.
4. Biggest problem with broadband connectivity is the "last mile." Many states have backbones already, and are finding solutions to the "middle mile " (extending the reach of the backbone into each community). The last mile link connecting the library to that link in the community is the most expensive.
5. The most successful libraries were those able to aggregate demand into a regional consortium and issue an RFP for service. Private sector was more likely to respond.
6. Investment in broadband was worst in rural areas served by a Bell Company. Rural areas served by rural telephone companies often had greater investment because of federal universal service funding; Bell companies serving metropolitan areas often had a large enough demand to invest without special programs. But many rural areas are served by a Bell Company that receives no subsidies.
1. Establish a Libraries' Broadband Advocate (LBA): Each state should have its own library broadband advocate, much like the Consumer Advocate in most states. Librarians often do not have the technical expertise or the relationships with the telecom providers, causing libraries' broadband connectivity to be unknown. Most telecom companies are completely unaware of the libraries' demand for broadband. Some states created educational networks but did not include the libraries because nobody was championing the libraries' cause. A Broadband Advocate could liaison with the industry, ensure that libraries are included in any state-funded network or broadband policy proposal. An advocate could also help organize libraries aggregate their demand into regional consortiums or cooperatives to obtain better terms from broadband companies (i.e. Upper Peninsula of Michigan).
2. Geek Squad for Libraries: This is related to the idea of an Advocate (above), but is more technical. Individual librarians, especially in rural areas often need basic help connecting computers to the network, installing wireless (Wi-Fi), monitoring demand, alerting the broadband providers to their needs and requesting the right kind of new capacity when needed. The geek squad needs to be travel the state to go to the library sites sometimes to install the equipment or negotiate with the local telephone or cable representative. (Texas set aside LSTA money for technical assistance)
3. Funding: There is simply no substitute for money. Often, the broadband capacity is available, but the library simply cannot afford to purchase the necessary capacity. Sometimes, the broadband capacity is not within reach of the local library because there is no "last mile" capacity to connect the library to the backbone network. The e-rate only goes a part of the way to satisfying this demand. Some creative ideas should be developed to make sure libraries and rural companies have the funding they need to deploy and purchase broadband, such as :
a. Micro-loans
b. State library connectivity funds, funded either by general state revenues or a state "universal broadband for libraries fund" (UBLF).
c. Require telcos to contribute to a fund in return for deregulation (Ohio), merger approval (California), or video franchise legislation (?)
d. Matching grant program for broadband companies (Idaho)
4. Encourage Centralization of E-Rate Applications: The E-rate is the single most effective policy currently in place to help libraries obtain broadband, but libraries are unable to take full advantage of the E-rate in part because of the complexity of the application process. State Librarians' offices are overwhelmed trying to provide e-rate assistance while working on many other issues, and there is considerable frustration with a program that should be regarded as a tremendous benefit. ALA attempts to provide e-rate training, but this is difficult to do on a national level. Ohio has a single person dedicated to help libraries fill out e-rate applications, and Missouri files a state-wide e-rate for all the schools and libraries in the state. Either model can be effective and help to maximize libraries' funding.
5. Create public-private partnerships: The private sector will fight to the death over government mandates, build-out requirements, government funded networks. On the other hand, a "laissez-faire" approach (simply trusting the market to work without government prodding) is dangerous because the private sector does not understand the libraries' needs. The state government can stimulate greater deployment by working with industry to develop goals, plans, maps, etc. ConnectKentucky is a useful model, as is the effort of states to award large contracts to carriers (Kentucky Educational Network, Ohio, California), and creating task forces and study groups to explore broadband connectivity (California, Ohio, Kentucky, Idaho)
No Recommendation:[edit]
1. Video franchise legislation: impact on broadband is uncertain. A state bill may remove roadblocks, giving Bell companies greater incentives to invest. On the other hand, cities often require companies to serve libraries as a condition of the granting a cable franchise, and this benefit would be lost if the state assumes control over the franchise process.
2. Funding to create a statewide library network: The problem with broadband connectivity for libraries is largely a "last-mile" issue. A statewide network is nice, and might allow the library to offer more appealing content or coordination with other libraries (increase the demand), but this may clog the library's local broadband connection even more.
3. Further rate deregulation of telephone companies: Broadband facilities are already largely deregulated. Deregulating POTS (Plain old telephone service) is not likely to stimulate new investment in broadband.
4. Supporting Municipal networks, or statewide networks: This might be helpful to libraries, but creates enormous opposition from the private sector (cable and telephone companies likely go to war against the Gates Foundation) and tie the idea up in political knots.
1. Negotiate for postalized (non-distance-sensitive) rates
2. Ensure libraries are included in any state contracts for state and local government telecom services
3. Aggregate demand to obtain lower prices
4. Set goals
5. Consider signing multi-year contracts to convince private sector companies to deploy last-mile facilities.
6. Take advantage of free broadband services offered by many cable companies
7. Encourage mapping and publication of broadband services and facilities (Connect Kentucky approach) is useful because libraries (and the industry) are often unaware of the broadband services and facilities that already exist.
Bob B.[edit]
ALA Broadband Study: Some Thoughts and Suggestions[edit]
In response to Rick's email of March 20, I have outlined below my thoughts on findings and possible interventions. While there are always exceptions, my thoughts below are based more on what appears to be the general "rule" on library broadband connectivity and not the "exception." As I noted while in D.C. two weeks ago, it is important that we realize there is not a single "magic bullet" solution that will fix every library's BB issues. I think my focus on regional library WANs is a good place to start for many libraries but it is certainly not going to be a viable option for all libraries.
Connectivity and State Networks[edit]
First big finding: As a rule, states that have statewide networks that obviously include libraries have fewer problems or issues with library connectivity and libraries having sufficient bandwidth. There are also related benefits of statewide networks. For example, it is often not the libraries responsibility to determine problems or issues with the library's circuit or to work directly with the underlying carrier provisioning those circuits to resolve any issues. Most (all?) state networks operate network operations centers (NOC) to handle issues. Even in Wisconsin with 85 LECs provisioning circuits as part of our statewide network, there is a single toll-free number to call to get a problem fixed. There is no finger pointing. (Except for fiber cuts, the average time to restore a down circuit is just under 2 hours.) Considering the success of state networks, one obvious answer to the broadband connectivity issue is to work with states that have no state network to help get one created. But the impediments to doing this are daunting and I question whether the state network model is replicable in many states. There are many roadblocks but two principle ones I see are:
1. Commitment: There is a need for a strong commitment from all parties involved. This includes, the highest levels of state government, the state's higher education and K-12 communities, local units of government and the carriers. I do not see this happening in Michigan, the state I visited. And in reading through the notes from several other states, it also appears that the statewide approach will be an uphill climb at best.
2. Time. Even with a commitment of key parties, state networks often take several years (minimum) to come to fruition. I do not think the library community has the leisure of time to address its bandwidth issues via the state network option.
Second big finding: Another big finding is the commitment needed to place the BB issue at the top of the library's agenda and keep it there until it is resolved. This commitment includes key staff and the library's board. In the regional approach that I advocate below, this type of commitment and leadership must also come at the regional level.
Connectivity and Regional Library WANs[edit]
Many of the benefits of statewide networks can be realized by working at a regional level. Most states have some type of regional library consortia or library cooperatives. In states with no statewide network, it appears that the most successful addressing of the library connectivity issue has been made in areas where the regional consortia have been proactive in creating and maintaining regional WANs. These are then often used for Internet connectivity and for the regional shared Integrated Library System.
Because the focus is more at a regional level the daunting tasks of a statewide commitment needed for a statewide network are brought down to a more manageable level. I think it is easier to build a coalition of the willing at the regional level. (This is not to imply it is easy, but it is easier relative to a statewide effort.) Below are several ideas on how to implement the regional model.
• Using results from the visited or interview states, work with the State Library to identify 2-3 regions in their respective states where, at a minimum, there is a high level of commitment already in place to address the regions' BB issues.
• Do some preliminary contacts and background work to winnow this list to 8-10 regions nationwide.
• Assist these regions to do a needs assessment (see model assessment below) to see where the 8-10 are in their broadband WAN development/implementation.
• Based on the assessment, winnow the list further down to 3-4 regions that show the most promise of success in a relatively near-term timeframe.
• Develop a team of experts in various topical areas that will work directly with the 3-4 selected regions to reach the goal of sufficient BB connectivity. This team would include experts in facilitation/problem resolution and coalition building; telecommunications both the regulatory aspects and more specific WAN engineering; legal issues including contract negotiations; procurement; funding, including E-rate.
The Gates foundation can help in funding all of the above activities or actions needed to bring the WAN to fruition. I also suggest an ongoing foundation commitment of two years in subsidizing circuit costs and providing technical support.
States Networks or regional WANS with connectivity issues:[edit]
In some states with state/regional networks, there are still issues in procuring sufficient bandwidth. To assist libraries in these states, I suggest working with the State Library, the state and/or regional library networks to identify the specific libraries that are having broadband issues. In straightforward situations, in which circuit capacity is available but costly, Gates' funding could be used to pay for the additional bandwidth for a two year period. At the outset, the library board would be required to make an upfront commitment that after two years it would make a concerted effort to replace the Gates $$ with other funds. One requirement for Gates $$ is that the library would have to apply for E-rate on its bandwidth.
In areas where additional circuit capacity is not available, Gates funds could be used to provide technical help to work with all parties (telcos, library) to determine the impediments to higher bandwidth. I doubt if the foundation wants to get into funding any needed telco CO switch upgrade, but there may be other ways to assist on this issue.
Public Relations Effort[edit]
Another area I think the foundation can be very helpful with is in conducting an aggressive, nationwide PR campaign on the need for adequate library connectivity. I know it cannot actively lobby, but an awareness campaign targeted at local and state government officials and the telcos could be very helpful. Such a campaign should be coupled with statements that the foundation, working in cooperation with ALA, will be actively working to address this problem.
Broadband Connectivity Assessment for Multi-library WANs[edit]
The table below is an attempt to try and measure where libraries or regional consortia are on establishing or sustaining regional WANs. There are almost endless ways to construct this. The important issue is to have a mechanism or methodology to assess the status of WAN development in regional consortia, identify the issues, and develop solutions accordingly.
In the table below a straight (horizontal/vertical) reading of the x and y axis show a linear progression. But when comparing between cells diagonally, you cannot always assume a linear progression. For example, a consortium may rank high on planning but they've done enough background work to realize that funding is doubtful and thus they rank low in this area.
Collaboration with others is an important factory. In most situations where libraries and other entities were connected, the libraries were collaborating with each other and/or other entities. Further, in some states that weren't well connected, there was a lack of coordination/collaboration at any level to connect libraries and/or other entities to broadband. Further, a champion or group of champions is key to the establishment continuing success of deployment.
There is a lack of understanding on behalf of a lot of the stakeholders as to the needs of broadband to libraries and some don't understand the role of the library in the 21st century. When we talked to stakeholders, some didn't quite get that there was an issue when it came to broadband deployment. They were not aware of the services libraries provided and the extra need for broadband because libraries need access to support both their staff work and for public access.
Many models exist for the creation of networks (in this case meaning broadband networks for connecting public libraries.) Various success factors for connecting entities include:
• The organization who builds the network negates with the ISP on behalf of the libraries
• The networking entity applies for E-Rate on behalf of the libraries it connects
o The entity that applies for E-Rate is able to apply for the telco circuit discount separately from the Internet access charge, which allows libraries to receive E-Rate without having to be CIPA compliant
• The networking agency was in the best position to provide for their clients. In some cases, this was a state agency (OH, KY), a non-profit (MO) or regional consortiums (MI and KS).
Broadband speed is contextual. Different libraries require different amounts of bandwidth based upon the number of computers and the usage of these computers. One thing that was constant throughout was that current connection speeds to libraries is increasing exponentially with video and other applications that are upcoming that aren't anticipated (one of which is higher quality video).
769 Kbps is not sufficient bandwidth for public libraries now or in the future. In many focus groups, they indicated that not even a full T1 (twice the speed) is sufficient. Further, provisioning this amount of bandwidth for libraries may cost just as much as a T1. To quote Elwood Downing of MERIT:
"In Michigan, provisioning of a 768K telco circuit connection is the same cost as a T1 (1.5M bps)circuit. When Merit places an order for a fractional T1 service with the Telecommunications provider in Michigan they install a T1 circuit to the Library. However, it is the Internet Service Provider that will provision the through-put on the circuit to be 768K bps instead of a full T1 1.5M bps."
Fund a project to increase collaboration between libraries and other entities. The level at which this collaboration takes place will vary from state to state (based upon the political environment.) I am not sure if this collaboration should be at the regional or state level, but it would appear regional is the most feasible. Through regional consortiums that exist in several states, they can aggregate demand to make a bigger investment case for and help libraries negotiate with ISPs and help apply for E-Rate. If no regional consortiums exist, perhaps the state? One thing that would be great is to fund a position at a state library that works with other agencies within the state to ensure libraries are considered in broadband strategies and partners with other agencies to get connected to ongoing projects.
Build tomorrow's broadband connection today. Whatever project we end up funding to help increase deployment needs to ensure a scalable connection, so that as demand goes up, the bandwidth is available. Deploying a technology, such as T1 or a DSL line, will help libraries in the short run, but only up to a point because each one has a maximum speed. In states of high connectivity, they have maximized usage of these technologies and are struggling to find their next act. As whatever we fund works to increase deployment, we need to ensure that it scales easily.
As part of the current advocacy activities, it is important to help show the case for broadband connectivity to libraries. I do not know the plans for advocacy activities, but specific groups need to be targeted to ensure that they receive the message that libraries are important when considering broadband deployment to communities and to help them to understand the needs of the libraries. The groups to be targeted include many of the groups we were talking to during our visits. Further, one option that has worked is to have 'dog and pony shows' whereby stakeholders are gathered at the library to discuss broadband deployment. One suggestion would be to work with elected officials to invite people to the library and have library staff express their need. Another is to initiate demonstrations of broadband within a public library.
Increase librarian's knowledge on broadband. Librarians need to understand that broadband is important and in many cases do not understand how to maximize the usage of their connection. Further, they may not know how to use the broadband effectively, how to adequately plan for connectivity, how to effectively apply for E-Rate, negotiate with ISPs, and a host of other broadband specific issues. A program to increase librarians' knowledge of broadband and technology
Finally, I would like to emphasize that we don't always have to think big. Occasionally, small things can have an impact on deployment (e.g. One Economy's strategy to require broadband in housing developments increased deployment in poor areas and low-income housing). Therefore, simple policy statements can have a great impact. One such suggestion would be to re-write zoning laws to make it a requirement to deploy fiber (and no copper) to every new house, business or library that is built for telecommunications. Such a policy shift could help spur deployment of fiber to residential areas and to libraries. As we talk over the next several days, it is important to not always think big thoughts.


text:
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Richard Carter scored 20 points and Drake stunned No. 17 Creighton 74-69 on Wednesday night, handing the Bluejays their first consecutive losses of the season.
Ben Simons added 13 for the Bulldogs (9-10, 3-5 Missouri Valley Conference), who blew a 16-point lead before rallying for their first win over a ranked opponent in five years.
Grant Gibbs brought Creighton within 71-69 with 32 seconds left, and the Bluejays got the ball back on a steal. But Gibbs missed a layup and Simons sealed the win with a steal and two free throws with 0.5 seconds left.
Doug McDermott had 21 points to lead Creighton, which shot just 24 percent from 3-point range. But McDermott had just four points in the second half and didn't touch the ball on Creighton's last two possessions.
Four days after losing by three points to No. 20 Wichita State, the Bluejays opened with perhaps their worst half of the season.
Drake's substantial lead didn't last long, though.
Will Artino's dunk off an alley-oop pass preceded two layups by Grant Gibbs that brought Creighton within 53-51 with 12:03 left. Creighton finally retook the lead, 62-61, with 7:10 to go on McDermott's first basket of the second half.
Gibbs added 16 points for the Bluejays, who outscored Drake 41-30 in the second half but couldn't get it done in the final minutes.
Creighton pounded Drake by 30 points in their meeting in Omaha two weeks ago.
The Bulldogs seemed intent on returning the favor in the first half.
Consecutive 3s by Carter gave the Bulldogs a 25-20 lead, riling up a home gym that was much more packed than it usually is. With everyone but McDermott struggling for Creighton, Drake pushed its lead to 41-28 on a layup by Seth VanDeest.
McDermott then got called for a sloppy travel under the basket, and Chris Hines drilled a 3 from the elbow that put the Bulldogs ahead by 16 at halftime.
McDermott, who entered play as the nation's second-leading scorer at 24.1 points per game, had 17 at halftime. But his teammates chipped in with just four baskets in 20 minutes.
Follow Luke Meredith on Twitter: www.twitter.com/LukeMeredithAP


text:
- Latest Industry Standards
- Professionally Trained Team
- Residential service
- Performed by Qualified Professionals
Understand just what to anticipate
You have to be well informed with regards to Acrylic Blocks in Conneaut, OH. We will not encourage you to come up with imprudent choices, since we know just what we are working at, and we ensure that you understand what to anticipate from the project. You won't need to face any unexpected surprises when you do business with Acrylic Block Guys. Begin by contacting 888-400-5746 to talk about your work. Within this phone call, you will get your questions addressed, and we're going to arrange a time to initiate work. We are going to work together with you through the whole process, and our crew is going to arrive promptly and prepared.
Consider Acrylic Block Guys for Acrylic Blocks in Conneaut, Wyoming
If you find yourself planning a project for Acrylic Blocks in Conneaut, OH, you'll find great reasons to work with Acrylic Block Guys. Our company is the best option when you need the most efficient cash saving options, the best equipment, and the greatest rank of client satisfaction. Our company is ready to help you with the greatest working experience and competence available. Call 888-400-5746 to connect with Acrylic Block Guys and consider your goals about Acrylic Blocks in Conneaut.


text:
Oh boy, sorry man, probably should've clarified this early on. But as you quote on quote "level up", you can create a skill that pertains to your class/sub-class and have a max of two. That sum it up? I'll make a post about it to clarify, but if you have any other questions. Just post on VM.
Nice. Mine are probably my Gigalith or my Volcarona. Not my two favorites, but two of my best.
Probably a stupid question, but I'm guessing you like Mega Absol? XD
I seriously wondered if Acutelatios literally made that Friday Funk like that to get a story out of me. Probably just a big coincidence.
Actually I've been working on that. You see, my two characters, Levi and Ignus (James), are an immortal and a time traveler! What a coincidence... XD
It's no problem man, I've just kinda been really bored lately. No inspiration for writing lately. *sigh* But whatever, have a good time writing that war, I'll enjoy reading the story.
I'll definitely be voting, I wanna see how this goes down. Also, were you planning on just using the Night Creatures in the war? Or would your, allies, (Mercs) Help you out a bit?
By voting, what do you mean? I'm not a member of either clan, so I don't really have a say.
Though, I was thinking that Levi could somehow get involved. He hasn't had any real missions from the Mercs, so maybe he or Leoncio could approach each other looking for a job/helping hand.
Good stuff. Parchment paper sounds ideal, its easy for you to obtain and also somewhat environment friendly. What sort of menu are you hovering on at the moment? Having a lot of items could add variety to your services, but it'll take a lot of time. If you have 3-5 meals then even if you don't have a lot of variety, you could churn them out at a very rapid rate as some kind of specialty food truck. It may be too soon for you to think of an exact menu (or not, I have no idea about your market scenarios) but it might be worth mulling over for a bit.
Yes, which is why you need to make sure that your first step is in the right direction. I'm assuming you're studying similar business models? Like what kind of patterns did other food truck services encounter? How long did it take them to make a profit? What are the ideal areas, and the ideal times? What kind of packaging do they prefer? Some people don't buy food from plastic or Styrofoam bags because of the environment etc.
Send an Instant Message to Azure Using...
You're dead to me.
Return of Asshat Supreme
The Cutest Latios
Junior Member
Infinate Inferno
Small as Cell
Gimme a hug.
Senior Member


text:
Handling Archival Materials
From UA Libraries Digital Services Planning and Documentation
We work with extremely rare and valuable materials, so it is important that we always handle them with the utmost care. Here are some good guidelines to follow:
- Always keep your hands clean. Please be sure to wash your hands at the beginning of each shift. As you work, your hands may get dirty if you are handling dirty materials. Please wash your hands often to avoid contaminating other materials. Also, please do not use hand lotion while you are handling the materials. The oils in lotions can be harmful to the materials.
- Use gloves when handling photographs and other objects that easily take fingerprints. (This excludes most paper items.)
- One truck for turning fragile pages of a bound item is to slide a piece of copy paper under it, then lift.
- Be careful! Use two hands to lift materials on and off of the scanner.
- Be mindful of the condition of the material when deciding whether to put in the book cradle or flatten it under glass. This is especially important for bound materials, as we don't want to crack or otherwise damage the binding.
When in doubt, always err on the side of caution. It's more important to protect the item than digitize it. If you have any questions about an item you are handling, please find Jeremiah to help determine what kind of action should be taken.


text:
ST Aug 24, 2009At one level, it's all simply about the (actual or perceived) inadequacies in the local school system. If the parents are able, they will naturally look for alternatives. After all, parents love their children and want the best for them. Simple as that.
More Malaysians turn to international schools
Demand up despite cost, as middle-class parents give up on local system
By Elizabeth Looi
KUALA LUMPUR: More middle-class Malaysians are enrolling their children in international schools despite long waiting lists, as parents grow increasingly frustrated with the local education system.
Up to 2006, the only Malaysians who could send their children to these schools were those who had lived abroad for at least three years, or had a foreign spouse.
An exception was those with businesses that could attract foreign direct investments for the country. These business owners were wealthy Malaysians.
Thus, there were not many local students enrolled in international schools. But since 2006 - when the rules were relaxed and international schools were allowed to enrol up to 40 per cent Malaysians - middle-class Malaysians have started placing their children in such schools, which have increased in number - from 32 three years ago to 40 now.
The number of Malaysian students has also gone up - from 2,608 among an estimated 10,000 students, or 26 per cent, in 2006, to 5,000 among an estimated 15,000 students, or 33 per cent, in 2009.
At least 20 more international schools are scheduled to open soon, according to school operators.
One reason some parents are transferring their children to international schools is the changes in the curriculum of the national schools.
One example: the decision last month to reverse the policy of teaching maths and science in English, which had been in effect for six years. Another change was when the government decided to limit the number of subjects students are allowed to take for their O-levels, compared with the unlimited number previously.
'The Education Ministry is very fickle-minded, they do not know what to do most of the time with the policies,' said property agent Tan Ching Suan, 49, who is unhappy with the constant changes in the local system.
So, even though the national schools are free of charge, she transferred her daughter to an international school two years ago.
More middle-class Malaysians have, like her, become willing to draw on their savings to send their children to the more expensive international schools. Some of them also work overseas or are highly mobile. Having their children in international schools makes it easier for them when they move from one country to another.
I'm sure that some readers will want to say that Singapore's local school system is much better than Malaysia's. But that's not the point. Both systems have their own problems. One system may be better. But whichever country you happen to find yourself in, you will still want the best available opportunities for your children.
What's "best" also depends on the special circumstances of each child and his or her family. They can vary a lot from family to family. For example, MM Lee's grandson was dyslexic, and at the relevant time, the family decided that the Singapore American School would be the best choice for him. Why? Because the local schools lacked the expertise to help dyslexic students.
Other Singaporean families may be interested in international schools, for other reasons. Some possible & common reasons would be:
(1) they may think poorly of the Cambridge O and A-level syllabus that local schools typically use (in recent years, the reputation of the Cambridge syllabus has suffered badly);In the long run, some of these problems could be fixed by improving the local education system, not necessarily for all local schools, but by having some of these local schools operate on a different model, thereby increasing the range of options available for parents and their children.
(2) their child, if raised in a non-Chinese speaking family environment, may not be able to cope with the Chinese Language at the level which local schools teach it;
(3) they feel that the local school system is unnecessarily stressful and exam-oriented and tends to kill creativity and innovative thinking;
(4) as the world becomes more globalised, they feel that it is better for their child to be educated in an environment where he will interact with classmates of many different nationalities;
(5) the parents have future plans to emigrate or work overseas, so it is better for their child to start getting used to an international school environment;
(6) international schools tend to have a smaller student-to-teacher ratio (local schools are still mostly about 40 students to one teacher) and they feel that their child would benefit more from a smaller ratio.
But if you are a parent and you need to register your child for a school next year, that's not much comfort.


text:
* New tech boss mulls hardcore TT * Hot TT could weigh less than a tonne * Diesel-hybrid sports car considered, too...
The Audi TT coupe could get an ultra-hardcore version weighing less than a tonne if the firm's new technical boss has his way.
Wolfgang Durheimer has been Audi's board member with responsibility for technical development for less than 100 days his previous post was as boss of Bentley and Bugatti. However, in his first media interview in this new role, he revealed that he has already identified how some of his prior experience with the Porsche could be applied to the TT to offer a more extreme model.
'Audi is well known for lightweight construction, and reflecting on racing, you don't need to twist my arm to persuade me that lightweight can sell cars, and bring emotions and fun to the drivers,' said Durheimer. 'For this reason I think a car in the segment of the TT, weighing 1000kg, would be quite an interesting and fantastic car for the market. That's one of the first ideas I've had that can be officially mentioned.'
'The TT created an icon, and this car could be a derivative of the TT,' he added. 'The TT created a new face in the automotive market when it first appeared, and I think it will have an interesting and very emotional future at Audi.'
Durheimer admitted that getting the car's weight down to 1000kg (around 300kg less than the current car's) while offering it with four-wheel drive 'will be a challenge'. He said: 'The construction of the car would need to be in rigid sections with steel or aluminium against carbonfibre.'
'It would have a much higher price, too. I have a model in my mind that is like the (Porsche) 911 GT3, where you get 'less for more'. This car would be emotional and sporty.'
He also acknowledged that the hardcore TT would include a roll cage and expressed a preference for the car to use a five-cylinder petrol engine.
Audi could harness its diesel-hybrid Le Mans success by adding 'a super-sports car' to the top of its range, according to Durheimer. 'I was at Le Mans (24 hours) this year and saw the victory there for the R18,' he said. 'As I was driving home afterwards, I was thinking to myself, how can we leverage this success on the road?' I think that if we can do a super-high-tech race car with a diesel-hybrid drivetrain, this could be a hot seller in the sports car segment too. It would be the identical technology to the race car and would prove there is a solid technology transfer from the racetrack to the road cars.'
The car would be positioned much higher than Audi's current top sports car, the R8, and Durheimer does not believe that being powered by diesel instead of petrol would prove a sales challenge. 'What always sells is performance,' he said. 'If the car is quick, economical, and good looking, I think it would be quite an offer.'
Audi's management is meeting in the next few days to consider and prioritise a number of research projects that could eventually make production. 'We have three stages of priority and we will make the selection later this week,' said Durheimer. He insisted that the lightweight TT is 'not in the official decision-making process at Audi yet' but stated, 'I will speed it up.'
Read the full Audi TT review >>
By John McIlroy


text:
Sailor Johnny has just arrived at port. Immediately he goes to the whorehouse looking for Rebeca. She is Johnny's favorite and no matter what he always wants to fuck her. At first Johnny treats her like a simple whore but she has to make sure to remind him why he's always back. And it is for her tight wet pussy, her great tits and the way she makes him pop the biggest most vibrant load. Collapse
Available formats
Niche & Categories


text:
My son attends a local preschool, and their breakfast has something to be desired. They serve the children cereal, milk and maybe....maybe some fruit. The only protein the get from that diet would be the milk. Sometimes the school serves sugary cereal, and Lucky Charms.
This is a crucial time in his life, his brain is not growing as rapidly as it did when he was a baby, but still neurons are making connections on a daily basis. Kids need a diet with healthy fats and protein. I make his breakfast at home every morning, and send it with him to school. He still eats with his friends, but he will not be eating school food.
Sometimes, I make him scrambled eggs with salmon. He only eats a little of that. Then I think of other ways of getting fat into his diet, like mixing some fish oil into his peanut butter - but he can't have peanut butter at school. One thing he always loves its my pancakes. Every two weeks I make a large batch of pancakes, freeze them in little baggies. When I assemble his breakfast in the morning I toss in a couple blueberry pancakes with his egg whites and fruit. Today - I made him a different kind of pancake.
|Naomi's Avocado Pancakes
So, the small amount of avocado in three pancakes certainly is not enough fats - but hey, it is something, and it is certainly better than pancakes without any avocado.


text:
X1 I'm still in. Wonder if Fred's needs a heads-up call? They're pretty small - we'll be takin' over the joint! Too bad there's no outdoor seating.
JRPfeff X1 - I will be bringing a cooler. Bobbi called and they said we should get there around 11:30 if we expect to be seated to eat by 1:00. No reservations accepted.


text:
On 19 May 2011, BioCentrum, part of the Selvita Group, received a certificate of compliance with the principles of Good Laboratory Practice (GLP). The certificate was awarded after a successfully completed verification by the Bureau for Chemical Substances (institution of governmental administration granting GLP certificates) .
GLP Certificate No 3/2011/DPL covers all the activities of the BioCentrum's Cell Laboratory, including analytical and clinical chemistry testing, as well as in vitro tests in the area of cytotoxicity of chemical substances. This certificate has been issued for an indefinite period of time, however its subject to compulsory re-certification in 2 years from the date of the issue.
GLP certification marks a very important step in the company's development. It provides evidence that the services offered by BioCentrum are performed with the highest quality standards and requirements set by the industry, as well as it shows that BioCentrum possesses adequate facilities and equipment, as well as employs a team of professionals who guarantee the highest standards of quality in all performed work.
"GLP Certification is an extremely important stage in the development of our company. This certification is an indication that all the services and research done by us in the field of cell and molecular biology are conducted in accordance with the highest international standards of Good Laboratory Practice. This certification is also a confirmation that our standards of work in the laboratory are identical with those of the finest laboratories in the world. Since the very beginning of BioCentrum we've been striving to deliver our customers with the highest quality of services, GLP certification is a confirmation that we've been able to achieve that. " – said Dr Milosz Gruca, BioCentrum's R&D Director and Member of the Board.
Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) embodies a set of principles that provides a framework within which laboratory studies are planned, performed, monitored, recorded, reported and archived. These studies are undertaken to generate data by which the hazards and risks to users, consumers and third parties, including the environment, can be assessed for pharmaceuticals (only preclinical studies), agrochemicals, cosmetics, food additives, feed additives and contaminants, novel foods, biocides, detergents etc....GLP was instituted as a standard meant to ensure the quality, integrity, and reliability of safety data.
BioCentrum is a privately-owned biotechnology service and product provider from Kraków, Poland and is a part of Selvita group since 2008. The company was established in 2004 and its mission is to create a platform for its clients and partners in order to help them translate innovative discoveries into preclinical candidates with improved chances to reach the market, in the shortest amount of time possible.
BioCentrum is active in several areas of life science and offers a following range of services:
- In vitro preclinical development services, which include the key steps in the process of drug development, used in the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industry.
- In vitro assay development, working primarily on ELISA and cytotoxicity assays. We execute spectrophotometric, fluorescence, fluorescence anisotrophy and chemiluminescence measurements, as well as we perform cell cycle arrest analysis and apoptosis/necrosis identification in the area of fluorescence analysis.
- Highly specialized services in analytical and physicochemical chemistry, aimed at the companies from pharmaceutical industry
- REACH analytical services
- Services in the field of protein chemistry, covering a wide range of standard and advanced analysis, as well as the production and purification of proteins.
- Production of highly purified and highly active enzymes, inhibitors and other biologically active recombinant proteins.
The laboratory is fully integrated with STARLIMS laboratory information management system both for control of the analytical equipment and for data reporting and processing. Since 2010, BioCentrum's laboratory is certified with the General Pharmaceutical Inspectorate certificate, in the field of therapeutical substance manufacturing for the physicochemical analyses of the substances and their certification, as well as with the GLP certificate for the analytical and clinical chemistry testing, and in vitro tests in the area of cytotoxicity of chemical substances.
Media contact:
Natalia Pawela
+48 784 069 418


text:
Subscribe To Why The Ender's Game Boycott Won't Hurt Orson Scott Card Updates
I've already subscribed
Though its release date isn't technically until tomorrow, Ender's Game arrives in theaters across the country tonight, and at long last for those who have been waiting decades to see Orson Scott Card's novel adapted since it was published back in 1985. But how much does the book's author actually stand to gain from the success of the film at the box office? According to The Wrap, "he won't see a penny of your ticket money."
This isn't just insider knowledge about how profits from a film are distributed; some people have decided to protest Ender's Game in response to Orson Scott Card's well-publicized anti-gay views. If protesting the film is an effort not to hand your money over to someone whose personal, religious and political views don't line up with your own, that isn't an issue here, since Card's fee was paid through a decade-old deal and there's no backend, meaning he won't get a cut of the box office profits. The site goes into further detail on the history of the adaptation, noting that it bounced around for years before landing at Warner Bros. in 2002.
By the time OddLot rescued it from studio development hell a few years later – assigning the screenplay reboot to director Gavin Hood – Card's involvement, both creative and financial, had dissolved to virtually nil. For all intents and purposes, the "Ender's Game" movie was out of his hands.
So while he has a producer credit, it doesn't sound like he'll be pocketing any profits made by the film, nor does it sound like he had much creative say in what went into the film, beyond the source material, which takes no stance on homosexuality or gay rights.
Of course, that doesn't mean that Card won't benefit from the film's publicity, as the Wrap quotes Jono Jarrett of Geeks OUT — the organization that's called for a boycott of Ender's Game due to Card's views — as pointing out that book sales have been driven up by the film's publicity. That may be true, but the publicity has also driven up a lot of attention and skepticism toward Card for his personal views, which could hurt him in the long run. I don't think those views were a secret before, as he's been pretty up front and on the record about them for years. But I read the book ten years ago and had never heard anything about Card's anti-gay opinions until we started hearing news about the Ender's Game film over the last year or so. From what EW posted earlier this year, neither did producer Roberto Orci:
''It didn't occur to me to do background checks on anybody.'' Still, he says, the movie should be judged onits message, not the personal beliefs of the original author. (Card had minimal involvement in the film; Gavin Hood penned the screenplay.) As Orci says, ''If it's on the screen, then I think it's fair game.''
Orci's comment about the background check may seem a bit dismissive, but it's a reasonable argument to make when we consider the number of people involved in making a film and the varying political and religious beliefs among them. Where do we draw the line? According to Orci, by what's on the screen.
At the very least, in this case, people who had concerns that some of the money they spend on a ticket for the film might go to Card can rest easy as it doesn't sound like he'll see any of it.
Ender's Game arrives in theaters this weekend.


text:
Have an account?
Need an account?Create an account
Cisco IOS Quality of Service (QoS) is specifically designed to accelerate the adoption of revenue-generating services in the Service Provider environment, while reducing the operational expense associated with these services.
IP VPN QoS features provide equivalent service guarantees for transport of Frame Relay and ATM traffic in a multi-service-edge environment. Broadband aggregation QoS features work in conjunction with the Cisco Intelligent Service Gateway to provide dynamic provisioning of broadband on demand and hierarchical bandwidth shaping. Technologies such as Link Fragmentation and Interleaving and IP Header Compression enable efficient usage of link bandwidth, and protect voice traffic during transient congestion.
Review additional information about Quality of Service Solutions for Service Providers in the Technical Support site area.
> Download Software


text:
Holiday Safety Tips From Missoula Fire Department [AUDIO]
The Missoula City Fire Department has some helpful tips as people spend more time in the kitchen to prevent fires from starting, and what to do in case of fire.
Fire Marshall Gordon Hughes says there were over 1300 kitchen fires in 2010 on Thanksgiving Day. He offers several suggestions to keep your home and family safe.
Never leave the kitchen while cooking, keep all combustibles away from hot surfaces, and when deep-fat frying a turkey, follow manufacturers instructions, and never deep-fat fry inside.
He says if you do experience a kitchen fire, just get out, and close doors behind you. Contact 9-1-1 from outside the home. If there is a fire in the oven, turn off the power and close the oven door.
Missoula Fire Marshall Gordon Hughes


text:
Taking a Pregnant Pause at the Pool
If you're thinking of trying water workouts, but you aren't sure where the nearest pool is, consider the following locations that may have a pool that you can use:
- YWCA or YMCA: Many Ys built pools in the '70s and '80s, so if you have a Y in your area, it probably has a pool. YWCA and YMCA pools are often open very early in the morning (5:30 or 6:00) and remain open throughout the evenings and weekends, but the pool may also be quite busy during those times. Ys with pools also generally offer a wide variety of swimming and water aerobics classes and may even offer prenatal water-aerobics classes. To find the Y nearest you, log on to YMCA.net and enter your Zip code on the home page.
- Fitness center or gym: Although smaller, nonchain gyms usually don't offer a pool, the bigger chains often do. Call all the gyms in your area to see whether any offers a pool. When you find one that does, ask whether you can get a free pass to try it out — most gyms do nearly anything to get potential members in the door and will gladly grant your request. Anywhere from one-day to two-week free memberships are common. Also get a schedule of classes — a fitness center or gym with a pool is likely to offer water aerobics classes several times a day.
- Local community center or parks and recreation building: The trend in community centers is to become more sophisticated and try to provide one-stop fitness shopping for the public, so some are adding pools in addition to their indoor tracks and fitness equipment, and they offer plenty of classes at those pools.
- Boys' or girls' club: Boys' and girls' clubs often have full gyms at which kids can play basketball, take gymnastics lessons, and so on. Once in a while, you can find one that has a pool, but because the boys' and girls' clubs are supposed to serve children, adults may have limited pool hours. If you have a boys' or girls' club in your area, give it a ring and see what pool amenities it offers you.
- Local high school: This is the most common location for a community pool, but because of daytime use by physical education students and swim practices before and after school, the pool may not offer a lot of opportunities for you to work out.
- Local college or university: If you're fortunate enough to have a college or university in your area, find out whether the school has a pool and, if so, whether you're eligible to use it. Many small, liberal arts colleges don't have their own pools, but community colleges and large universities often do, and they make them available to the local public.
- Local hospital: Because water therapy (also called hydrotherapy) is an excellent way to return injured and/or older patients to their full capacity, some hospitals have pools for this purpose. Although most aren't open to the public, if your hospital has a pool and an excellent prenatal program, you can bet that they'll let you use their pool for a fee.
- Hotels in your area: Most hotels offer pools to their guests because people expect this amenity, yet few hotel guests ever use those pools. If that's the case at a hotel in your area, you may be able to convince the hotel manager to let you pay to use its pool during nonpeak hours. Peak hours vary: A business-class hotel gets the most use before and after the workday; a family-oriented hotel pool is usually brimming with kids from about 10 a.m. to 4 or 5 p.m. Few people tend to use hotel pools between check out and check in (usually noon to 3 p.m.), so if you're available during that time, you may be able to convince the hotel manager to let you use the pool then, unless, of course, that's when the pool is cleaned. Oh, and be prepared to sign a densely worded legal waiver, because a lifeguard will almost assuredly not be on duty.
- In some areas, hotels even offer low-cost membership programs to encourage the local community to spend time at the hotel. A hotel in your area may even allow more than one person to sign up on an account, which means that you can split the cost with a friend, or you and your partner can pay just one fee.
- A friend's house: If you live in a warm area (or, if you have a friend with an indoor pool), you may be able to borrow your buddy's pool for one hour, a few days per week. If your kind friend agrees to this arrangement, consider drawing up some paperwork that eliminates her liability if anything happens to you while you're in the pool.
After you find a pool that allows you to work out at times that fit your schedule, consider signing up for adult swimming classes, if offered (these are pretty rare) or a water aerobics class. Because water aerobics is very popular among pregnant women (and, incidentally, among the elderly — it's definitely not the hippest sport in the world), you may even find a prenatal water aerobics class in your area.


text:
I'm designing a book reader, where I need to search functions: Search inside the book, and search on Google. How do I differentiate the icons without using Google's logo?
closed as off topic by JonW♦ Jul 23 '12 at 18:39
Questions on User Experience Stack Exchange are expected to relate to user experience within the scope defined by the community. Consider editing the question or leaving comments for improvement if you believe the question can be reworded to fit within the scope. Read more about reopening questions here. If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
Including a "world" shape with the magnifying glass is commonly used for "Search the web" queries.
And then for the "inside search" the magnifying glass alone or maybe adding document or book shape along with it.


text:
Group fights for its right to ride at Tenderfoot
summit daily news
"We're a group that wants to ride," said Mike Stoveken, the owner of Silverthorne Power Sports and a member of Summit County Off-Road Riders.
Stoveken was among dozens of motor sports enthusiasts who packed Dillon Town Hall on Thursday to rev their engines and voice their support of a controversial plan to build a 21-mile singletrack system for motorized use at Tenderfoot Mountain.
One after another, the members of the audience sporting biker jerseys stepped up to the microphone at the Snake River Planning Commission meeting to defend their right to recreate.
"Twenty-one miles is not a whole lot," Stoveken said. "It shows that we're willing to back way down."
The proposed project, located in the Dillon Ranger District at the juncture of the Straight Creek and Frey Gulch trailheads, would create a network of 13 miles of new trails and approximately 8 miles of existing pathways. It is a scaled-down version of an initial plan that called for more than 60 miles of motorized trails.
Of the 39 speakers at the meeting, the majority were members of the motorized recreational group who support singletrack in Summit.
"Most of the trail has been taken away from us," said Carolanne Powers, a member of SCORR and resident of Dillon. "If we're not responsible riders, we won't have a place to ride anymore, and 21 miles is not a large area."
County planning staff and nearby residents, however, expressed concern that the trail will become a regional attraction.
Powers doubted that such as small system would draw crowds.
"I don't think that's going to happen – currently we have a lot of riders that do travel to other areas, but riders are not going to come here and ride 21 miles of singletrack, people go to other places so they can ride hundreds of miles of singletrack," Powers said. "What you're going to see if this does go through, is the after-work riders – the locals that live here that want to unwind after work."
The county planning staff compiled a list of concerns arising from the environmental analysis of the project conducted by the U.S. Forest Service. The main problem areas stemmed from inconsistencies in the report with designation of the intended use of the system and impacts on wildlife and the environment.
"We're here to accurately gauge what the citizens of Summit County want," said Kate Berg, senior county planner. "We feel overall that the entire document is very inconsistent in its assessment."
The project review process is currently in a 30-day comment period that closes Dec. 17.
After four hours of deliberations that included a project overview, a county staff report, a U.S. Forest Service overview of the proposal and public comments, the Snake River Planning Commission provided input for drafting a comment letter to submit to the Forest Service.
"They have just as much right to recreate in this area – these people are not second class citizens," said Jeanne Otman, on the commission. "What they're asking for in the context of the whole county is minuscule."
Otman said she encouraged those opposed to the system to make suggestions for alternative areas for the singletrack.
"My husband and I have been all over this county in our Jeep," she said. "The only place that I've been that would be at all, in my opinion, acceptable would be up in Williams Fork, but there's wildlife up there too. There's no perfect place but this is a large user group that needs a place to go."
Peech Keller, with the Forest Service said avoiding impacts in a project proposal like the Tenderfoot motorized system is impossible, but that the proposal had identified and mitigated concerns.
John Crone, a resident of the Snake River Basin who serves on the planning commission for the area, said the system would attract riders outside of the county.
"This will absolutely be a regional draw – we had people coming over from other counties to testify that it wasn't, but it was a regional draw for this meeting alone," Crone said.
Crone added the analysis created by the Forest Service, "provided a lot of answers with no explanation of how those answers were reached."
Coming to a consensus, the commission recommended the Forest Service conduct a more in depth environmental impact statement while also identifying alternative locations for the system that would serve both parties, create templates for projected uses of the area and conduct more thorough and conclusive noise studies.
The trail system would offer a winding trail less than 5 percent in steep grade with challenging, narrow, rocky and winding areas, said Ken Waugh, recreation staff officer for the Forest Service.
Other user-created, non-system trails in the area would be closed and rehabilitated, Waugh said. The trail system, if approved by Scoot Fitzwilliams, the deciding official for the proposal, would be managed for all non-motorized uses as well as for singletrack motorized uses.
The Forest Service's goal is to change an unmanaged, expanding system of mostly steep, eroded user-created trails to a managed, finite system of sustainable, well-designed trails.
But according to Berg, the management of the area and enforcement of laws like spark-arrestor requirements, would be difficult to maintain without funding.
Waugh said the Forest Service would work closely with SCORR and create an ambassador program to have a presence on the trail and bolster the effort by intensifying education for dirt-bike riders.
The trail system allows for more representation of motorcycle recreation in the multi-use national forest, officials say. Currently, recreators are limited to riding forest roads and creating trails that often don't comply with Forest Service management goals.
"The purpose of this comment period is to provide an opportunity for the public to provide early and meaningful participation on a proposed action prior to a decision being made by the responsible official," said Jan Cutts, district ranger. "It is very important to note that this proposal does not include the Tenderfoot or Oro Grande trails, which are only open to non-motorized uses."
Start a dialogue, stay on topic and be civil.
If you don't follow the rules, your comment may be deleted.


text:
We'll still be friends, she said.
—Grand, he answered, and then he was walking down a street by himself, before he fully understood what had happened. He knew the street, although not very well. He wasn't sure why he was there, why they'd gone over to this part of the city. His wife had just told him she was leaving him. Or he was leaving her. One or the other.
And they'd still be friends.
He made it home. He got the Dart, figured out how to get a one-way ticket out of the vending machine at the station. He'd left the car for his wife. She wasn't there when he got in. He paid the babysitter.
Later, Ciara came home. And she was all over him. She climbed onto him and cried as she came.
—I'm so, so sorry.
And that was that, he thought, if it had ever been anything in the first place. He didn't want to ask her if she'd actually told him that she was leaving him. He knew she had. It didn't matter.
—You'll be fine, she said, after she'd kissed his stomach and lay tucked in beside him. He'd passed a test, or something. He was delighted. She was gone in the morning.
He went to work. The house was empty when he got home after collecting the girls. He thought, This is it, this is me. I live alone. With the kids. She'd taken nothing. The bedroom was exactly the same. Her book was still beside the bed.
She came in very late. He wasn't sure—he didn't know—if she'd changed her mind or if she'd just come home later than usual. She was drunk—he didn't ask. She rode him again, said nothing about being sorry this time. She didn't cry.
Then she was gone again.
He put Erica and Wanda to bed again the next night, made them brush their teeth, read a story to them. "Kipper's Toybox," twice.
—Where's Mammy?
—Poor Mammy.
He turned off their light and made sure their bedroom door was open exactly as wide as they wanted it.
—No, stop.
He went downstairs. Ciara didn't come in. He put the mobile phone beside him, on the arm of the chair. He watched telly. He slept. She didn't phone. He went up to the bed. He turned off the light.
He woke up. She wasn't there. Three in the morning. And she wasn't downstairs. He went back up to the bed but he didn't sleep. He went down to the kitchen again. He accepted it as he put the coffee on the hob: She's left me.
You think she has? said his brother, Mick.
—You think? said Mick.
They were in the kitchen.
—Well, like. Did she actually tell you she was leaving?
—Yeah, he said. I think so.
—You fuckin' think so? Jesus, Kev, you can fuckin' do better than that.
—She told me.
—Grand. And what happened then?
—She rode the arse off me.
—Strange, said Mick. But it makes sense, too. The long goodbye. The ride of the guilty. You've heard of it.
—It's brilliant, said Mick. I recommend it. What happened then?
—I think she went to work.
—Is she riding anyone else?
The question shocked him. Although it shouldn't have. It annoyed him, the invasion. And frightened him.
—I don't think so, he said.
—Think again.
—As far as I know.
—How would I know?
—Well, said Mick. She might have told you.
—Yeah. I think so—no—yeah.
—O.K., said Mick. Credit-card statements.
—Hang on, said Kevin. It's the man who always gets caught because of his credit card. Am I right?
Mick shrugged.
—Does she have her own card?
—Yeah, said Kevin. Course.
—So, let's have a gawk. It can do no harm.
Kevin was starting to dislike his brother, but this wasn't a new feeling.
—No, he said.
Mick shrugged again. He was a cunt for the shrugging.
—O.K., he said.
He stood up. He had to go to their mother's.
—She's complaining about the jacks.
—She's always complaining.
—Ah, she's not the worst, said Mick. It won't turn off properly, or something.
—The toilet?
—Yeah, said Mick. She says it sounds like the cistern is talking to her when she's downstairs and it's upstairs.
—It's always upstairs. It's attached to the fuckin' wall.
—You're becoming a very bitter little man, Kev.
—Fuck off, Mick.
—This is me fucking off, said Mick as he walked to the back door. Away, to have a chat with our mother's toilet. What a fuckin' life. Good luck.
Kevin took out the accordion file where they kept the bank statements, the insurance stuff, birth certificates, and all the other crap they were supposed to keep. It was in the wardrobe, at the back, behind her shoes and boots, a heap of the things.
He sat on the bed and held one of her high heels as he looked at a recent statement. He put the page on a pillow, propped a bit, and he read it from a distance. He didn't really read it—you couldn't read a bank statement. He gave it a quick look; he glanced down the page.
—Why are you holding Mammy's shoe?
It was Erica, the younger one.
—What makes you think it's Mammy's shoe?
He hadn't a clue why he'd said that.
—It is, said Erica.
—You're right, said Kevin. It was on the floor. Do you want to put it back?
—Can I, like, wear them?
—Yeah, all right.
—Can Wanda?
He left the girls in the bedroom lining up the shoes.
—Where's Mammy?
—Poor Mammy.
—That's right.
—Always working.
—Now you're talking.
He went downstairs.
—Nothing, he said, when Mick answered his mobile.
—I looked. There's nothing on the credit-card statement.
—Nothing incriminating, no?
—Jesus, Mick, take it easy.
—Well, said Mick. What were you looking for?
—I don't know, said Kevin.
He was regretting he'd called Mick now. Big time. But he'd had to.
—A name or something, he said.
—A name? said Mick. What name? D'you think she's paying whoever she's having the affair with?
—No. What affair?
—Or it's a rent boy or something? She has to pay someone to—
—No. Fuck off.
—Any restaurants?
—He's paying, so.
—The rent boy.
—Fuck off, Mick.
—Stranger things have happened, man. People go off the rails in times of recession. Especially women.
—What are you on about?
—The moral compass, man, said Mick. They try to ride the fuckin' thing.
—Good night.
Mick texted him.
Hav u foned hr?
Wy not?
He phoned Mick.
—Because I'm frightened.
—O.K., said Mick. I'm with you.
Mick wasn't the worst, Kevin thought.
—What would you do? he asked.
—Well, look it, man, said Mick. Just to remind you. I live in a poxy one-room flat because I had a short, meaningless fling with my son's religion-and-civics teacher, who gave him a note to give to me and he—and I love my son, I blame only myself—he gave the note to his mother instead. Who read it, and it said—
—I know.
—You can do it to me that way next time.
—I know, sorry.
—Ten words that shook the fuckin' world.
They were enjoying themselves.
—And you want to know what I'd do if I was in your position?
—Yeah, said Kevin. I do.
—Grand, said Mick. I haven't a clue.
—Good night, Mick.
—Go a bit mad.
—You asked.
—How what?
—How would I go mad?
—Wife swapping.
—I'd need a wife.
—Good night, Mick.
—Let me work on it.
—Good night.
—I'll get back to you.
He went to his room—their room—and started throwing the shoes back into the wardrobe.
—Excuse me!
It was Erica.
—We're, like, trying to sleep in here!
He got down on his knees and put the shoes and boots away, quietly. He piled them. The wardrobe door swung slowly toward him, and with it the full-length mirror. He looked, and saw nothing. He wasn't there. He pushed the door back slightly. And there he was.
He got into bed. He phoned her. Her voicemail was gone. It was the automated voice, the Vodafone woman, telling him to leave a message. He had nothing ready and he couldn't think of anything he wanted to say out loud—The kids miss you; I miss you; Where the fuck are you, you stupid mad bitch of a cunt?—so he said nothing.
Mick texted.
Jcksns, snday.
Jackson's was a pub near Mick's place. It was an ordinary pub six nights a week but on Sundays, according to Mick, it changed. It filled up with men—n wmn—of a certain age, who were no longer married or had never been married.
—People like you.
—Exactly, said Mick.
—And that's going wild, is it? said Kevin. Going to a pub full of Micks?
They were laughing.
—Works for me, said Mick. No one goes home empty-handed.
—Lovely, said Kevin. I can't wait.
—I'm telling yeh, man, said Kevin. I went home the last time with fifty-seven-year-old twins.
—Oh, Jesus.
—Combined age, one hundred and fourteen.
—Good night, Mick.
—Next Sunday, so.
—No, fuck off. I'll think about it.
—Do that.
—Good night.
He did think about it. Sunday was four days away. He'd need a babysitter. The young one from next door. Grace. The girls loved her. He could only stay out till eleven, because Grace would have school on Monday. That would give him two hours in Jackson's. Two hours of abandonment. Then he'd have to come home. He'd come into the house and pay Grace, while Mick's twins hid behind the car till the coast was clear. Or he could sneak them up the stairs then go back down to pay Grace and send her home. Or he'd sneak them up the stairs—they'd be pissed and too skinny and giggling—into the bedroom, and Ciara would be in the bed, waiting for him. He'd sneak them up the stairs, send Grace home, then stand at the bottom of the stairs, all night, till he could go to work. He'd sneak them up the stairs, and—he could see this now; he groaned—they'd go into the wrong room and wake Erica and Wanda. Oops! Or, he'd go to Jackson's, have three pints, and come home. Mad.
It wasn't funny.
He'd stop at the chipper on the way home.
It wasn't funny.
He wasn't going anywhere on Sunday. Mick and his fuckin' twins.
He woke before Ciara got into the bed.
—Hi, she said.
—I don't want to have sex with you.
She climbed in. He didn't have to move. He was lying on his side of the bed. She lay back, and turned. She put her hand on his shoulder. She patted it—he thought she did. He felt her breath. He could smell it. No wine or anything—just toothpaste. He was asleep before her—he thought he was. And she was there when he woke.
She came into the kitchen. The girls were still asleep. They'll be delighted to see you. It was business as usual, although they managed to avoid touching or looking at one another. So are you back, or what? She cleared the old plates off the table. She got a cloth from the sink, wiped the table, and put four bowls and four spoons on the placemats.
—We'll have to talk, she said.
He chopped a banana, to put on top of the girls' cornflakes.
—O.K., he said.
About what?
He threw the banana's brown skin in the bin, so the girls wouldn't see it and object. He looked, but Ciara wasn't in the kitchen.
She'd gone up to wake the girls. He could hear the squeals. He didn't want to hear them laughing; she didn't deserve them—he didn't want to think that. He turned on the radio, to get the news. He was bang-on, half-seven. He actually listened. He ran to the hall.
—Come down, quick!
—The news! Come on!
They all sat in front of the telly and watched the Icelandic volcano erupting.
They looked at the cloud as it grew and curled.
—It's all ash, he told them.
—What's ash?
Erica's question—it was one of those brilliant moments. Kevin and Ciara looked at each other. They smiled. There were no coal fires in the house and neither of them had ever smoked. The cooker was electric. Nothing was ever burned. There was no real religion, at home or in school, so Erica had never noticed the gray thumbprints on Ash Wednesday, on the foreheads of the old and the Polish. A child like Erica could get this far without knowing what ash was, until she saw it spewing from a mountain.
—It's like dust, he said. Burnt.
—What burnt?
—Stone, I think. I'm not sure.
—I think so.
—You, like, can't burn stone.
—If it's hot enough, you can. Lava.
—It's scary.
—It's only a cloud.
They sat and watched, and ate, and gathered the expertise. Ash killed planes; it attached itself to the turbine section of the engines.
It was an act of God.
—What's that?
It had nothing to do with climate change or the economy. No one was to blame. All flights in and out of Ireland, in and out of Europe and everywhere, were cancelled. The airports were crowded and shut. There was no escape.
—Does that mean there'll never be any more planes?
—No, said Kevin. It doesn't.
He looked at Ciara.
—It's just for a while. Things will get back to normal when the ash drifts away. Or falls.
—Will it hurt?
—No, said Ciara. It won't. ♦


text:
Hepscott are one of the leading UK suppliers of water dispensers including mains fed water coolers, instant hot water boilers and bottled water coolers. We have the latest, highest quality, WRAS approved water dispensers suitable for every location, from small offices to a large staff restaurants, schools or gyms
We all know drinking water is good for you and our mains fed water coolers are good for the environment too! We fully comply with the WEEE directive and our water dispensers use a sleep mode option to reduce energy use and use recyclable materials.
Save time and enjoy hot water on demand with an instant hot water boiler. No more waiting for the kettle to boil. Replace old scaled up kettles, reduce health and safety risks and reduce high energy costs.
Be reassured by our quality products and unbeatable customer service. We also have full accreditation for:
For a limited time only we're offering our value for money drinking water cooler at an unbeatable price.


text:
We LOVE kids yoga and want to share it with YOU!
Teacher Training
Teacher Training provides specific plans, programs and techniques designed to give you the tools to make your Yoga Classes the best they can be!
Our classes provide real world training and examples of how teaching Yoga to children can be a powerful tool in their development!
Yoga In My School provides an abundance of ready to use kids yoga teacher resources making it easy to plan your next class and supporting your professional development.
Change the world one child, one moment, one breath at a time.
Providing tools for children to be positive, peaceful and productive
Monday, March 28, 2011 was a great day, a momentous day, a once-in-a-life time kind of day. It was the day I woke up to find my name in the Wall Street Journal. Yes, the actual Wall Street Journal.Emily Glazer
A local yoga instructor is doing her part to promote healthy living for children. Donna Freeman is the author of the new book Once Upon a Pose and today she joins us in studio. She's also brought along some kids..CTV Interview
Learning downward dog can help children get down to work in the classroom. Teacher's appreciate that it's flexible. Children are learning to focus their attention and calm themselves.Christine Langlois
Yoga instructor Donna Freeman chats about her book, Once Upon a Pose, which makes it easy to bring yoga into the classroom during this BT Bite.