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ACUITY has hired more graduates from Lakeland College over the past five years than from any other college or university in the state, said ACUITY Human Resources Specialist Tracy Wusterbarth during a visit to Lakeland on Tuesday afternoon.
Wusterbarth said that when it comes to finding employees for the highly successful, fast-growing and nationally renowned property and casualty insurance company, Lakeland graduates are trusted and coveted.
"They are really producing for us, and that's fantastic, because Lakeland College is literally in our backyard," said Wusterbarth, whose department processed about 4,000 applications for employment last year.
"The people we have on board from Lakeland are doing very well, so yes, we really like Lakeland graduates. We don't want to spend our time visiting campuses that are not producing, so we did a study and found out that Lakeland was our top school in terms of employees over the past five years."
Tuesday's event, free for Lakeland College students, was sponsored and organized by Lakeland's Career Development Office. Wusterbarth was joined by Lakeland grads and current ACUITY standouts Adam Beltran, Brittany Ryan and Nicole Shavlik. The trio of Lakeland grads talked about how satisfying it is to work at ACUITY and how current students can best launch a career there.
Beltran, a 2012 computer science graduate, works as a commercial line system programmer. Ryan, a 2012 business management/marketing graduate, is an inside claims specialist. And Shavlik, also a 2012 business management graduate, is a commercial lines underwriter.
ACUITY, which is based in Sheboygan, Wis., has established a reputation with numerous awards as one of the best places to work in the state. Wusterbarth said ACUITY's retention rate is much higher than the national average.
In the upcoming months, there are expected to be at least 19 openings for information technology (programming) as well as 14 commercial processor positions and 18 underwriter positions.
Wusterbarth said graduating students' major does not make or break them as applicants at ACUITY.
"We have business analysts with English degrees," she said. "It's more about whether or not the applicant is a cultural fit. And the ability to communicate effectively is more important than what your degree is in."
Wusterbarth stressed that the culture at ACUITY, which is about to exceed 1,000 employees nationwide (including more than 750 at the Sheboygan headquarters building), is "family oriented."
"You feel valued at ACUITY," Wusterbarth said. "It's a very happy environment."


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MOVIE REVIEW- He's back: Woody Allen hits a homer at last
When Woody Allen's at the top of his game no one is better. His batting average isn't what it was in the '70s and '80s but at 72 he keeps turning out a film a year, and hitting an occasional home run like Vicky Cristina Barcelona.
What's most remarkable is the way Allen keeps growing and adapting. He's only recently left his comfort zone of New York Jewry to study European cultures, and he's continually refining and updating his technique while retaining the economic storytelling style epitomized by the new film's title. It's not one woman's name, but a shorthand version of "Vicky and Cristina Spend a Summer in Barcelona," which sounds too much like the third Harold & Kumar film.
Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson) are best friends with personalities as opposite as their hair color. Blonde Cristina is a free spirit with no idea what she wants to do with her life, other than enjoy it and have adventures. Brunette Vicky opts for security. She's engaged to Doug (Chris Messina), who is steady, reliable, upwardly mobile– in a word, boring; in eight words, the guy your mother wants you to marry.
From an audience standpoint, I'd guess about 90 percent of us are Vickys who secretly long to be Cristinas.
A relative of Vicky's, Judy (Patricia Clarkson) offers to put the two up for the summer in the Barcelona house she shares with her husband, Mark (Kevin Dunn). They soon meet an artist, Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem), who invites the young women to fly with him to Oviedo for the weekend, being honest about wanting to have sex with both of them.
Vicky says no, Cristina says yes, and the ayes have it. The weekend doesn't turn out the way anyone expects, but back in Barcelona the natural order is restored. Soon Cristina moves in with Juan Antonio, who is obviously still hung up on the ex-wife who stabbed him on the way out of his life.
The movie appears to be moving along at a pretty good clip, but right at the midpoint it goes into hyperdrive with the arrival of Maria Elena (Penélope Cruz), Juan Antonio's ex. She drives everyone crazy before the household settles into a ménage à trois of sorts.
In the meantime, Vicky is concealing her own feelings for the artist and as her wedding approaches, watching Judy and Mark makes her question whether that's who she wants to be in 25 years.
Vicky Cristina Barcelona would have worked as a drama or as the kind of laugh-a-minute yukfest Allen used to make. Instead it's somewhere between, with enough humor that you can relax and enjoy it without feeling challenged, yet with enough insight into relationships and the human condition for a master's thesis.
Cruz is the standout in an outstanding cast, deserving of a supporting actress nomination for taking a clichéd spitfire role and boldly going where no woman has gone before. Bardem is sexier than he's been in a decade, while Johansson and Hall couldn't be better matched as the mismatched friends. I couldn't help dwelling on Hall's resemblance to Frances McDormand, but that's my problem.
Another problem I had was with the narrator, Christopher Evan Welch, who repeatedly mispronounces "Catalan," unlike most of the visible cast members.
Rumors of lesbian action have been greatly exaggerated. There's one hot but brief kiss between Cruz and Johansson, which Woody may have included for his own amusement, but it works; and when Bardem inevitably joins the ladies, their little dance recalls the one in Cabaret and fades out just as fast.
There's time for enough sightseeing that if you don't know who Antonio Gaudi was you'll be familiar with his style by the end of the movie. You're probably already familiar with Woody Allen's style but this is a chance to see it at its best.

subset: commoncrawl


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Bujagali is Commissioned! Uganda Nearly Doubles Electric Capacity in One Fell Swoop
This past Monday I was present as the 250 megawatt Bujagali hydropower plant on Uganda's River Nile – supported by MIGA [1], as well as our sister institutions the World Bank [2] and IFC [3] – was commissioned into active service.
After many years of preparation and planning, this was an auspicious moment indeed for Uganda, with the plant's opening coinciding with the Jubilee celebrations marking the country's 50 years of national independence. The new Bujagali power plant comes close to doubling the country's electricity capacity and in a single step has elevated Uganda to having the second largest kilowatt consumption per capita in East Africa, following Kenya.
President Yoweri Museveni presided over the opening, which was attended by a large audience including the heads of state of Burundi and South Sudan, His Excellency the Aga Khan, members of the Ugandan Parliament, representatives of the international diplomatic corps and other dignitaries. During the ceremony, President Museveni stressed the crucial need for electricity, noting that with so little achievable in today's world without power, it is "a waste of time" to think about development without electricity.
The $900 million project is a large scale run-of-river plant that has been realized through an effective and well-designed public-private partnership model between the Government of Uganda and a consortium consisting of Sithe Global, a U.S. company majority owned by The Blackstone Group, and Industrial Promotion Services (IPS), owned by the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development. This partnership created Bujagali Energy Limited, which will own the plant for a 30-year concession period before transferring it to Uganda for $1.
The benefits to the Uganda people are truly considerable. The new electricity has allowed older less efficient and less clean thermal power plants to be switched off, and has all but eliminated blackouts and load shedding. During the construction period, the project created about 3,000 jobs and brought many valuable services to the local communities such as clean water, education facilities, and health clinics. Most important is that this is a long-term, sustainable project with a low environmental impact, which will be bringing substantial benefits for Ugandans in the form of reliable electricity at lower costs.
This project was first contemplated as far back as 1994, when the site was formally identified as a least cost project. After a number of miss-starts, it was only in 2005 that the Sithe Global and IPS were selected through a bidding process to be the project developers, and it was in late 2006 that the foundation stones were laid. Since then the progress has been steady and sure.
The success of pulling off this highly ambitious project undoubtedly can be attributed to the breadth and depth of the many project participants. The strength and far-reaching experience of the sponsors was an integral element in keeping the project well managed and on track. It was also necessary to pull together a wide range of lenders, including a strong contingent from the multilateral community -- the World Bank, the IFC, the European Investment Bank, the African Development Bank, the Netherlands' Development Finance Company FMO, Germany's development banks KfW and DEG – and two leading commercial banks, ABSA Capital, and Standard Chartered Bank. And through it all, the Ugandan Government and President Museveni have made the successful development of this project a national priority.
This degree of partnership and cooperation over a five-year period proved absolutely necessary to bring all the moving parts together and get from concept to completion. To give just one example of the scope of the challenges involved, HE the Aga Khan commented how in order to connect the plant the 100 km to the grid it was necessary to traverse 2,632 separate land parcels – just one set of issues that had to be negotiated as part of this vast endeavor.Seeing Bujagali come on line, it is impossible not to be overcome by tremendous optimism and the belief that if a project of this complexity can be realized, then anything is possible.
The Bujagali project is going to serve as both a model and an inspiration for achieving large-scale infrastructure projects in highly challenging environments. From MIGA's perspective – we are delighted to have played a critical role by providing guarantees [4] to Sithe without which their investment would not have gone forward. As the continent's demand for power constantly rises, we look forward to being involved in many more such transformational deals.
- Tags:
- Uganda [5]
- The World Region [6]
- Energy [7]
- The Blackstone Group [8]
- Sithe Global [9]
- President Museveni [10]
- Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency [11]
- miga [12]
- Industrial Promotion Services [13]
- hydropower [14]
- Bujagali [15]


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Hillary Clinton assailed Donald Trump on Tuesday for refusing to say he'll respect the outcome of the presidential election, while Trump kept up with his push to paint Clinton as part of a corrupt establishment.
The Democratic nominee said in Florida that she has "serious doubts" about whether Trump understands the meaning of the president's oath of office to "preserve, protect and defend the constitution."
Clinton said Tuesday at a Coconut Creek rally that Trump is "attacking everything that has set our country apart for 240 years." She pointed to his refusal at the final debate to commit to conceding the race if he loses.
She joked that Trump would have called George Washington "a loser" for not wanting to be king.
During the rally, the crowd broke into a spontaneous singing of "Happy Birthday" ahead of Clinton's 69th birthday on Wednesday.
With the race for the White House speeding to an end, Trump and Clinton were both campaigning Tuesday in swing state Florida, where tens of thousands of voters are already flocking to the polls.
Trump, on the final day of a three-day Florida swing, has been denouncing the "disgusting" media that promotes "phony polls" showing him trailing Clinton in this and other battleground states.
"The media isn't just against me. They're against all of you," Trump told cheering supporters Monday in St. Augustine. He added, "I believe we're actually winning."
On Tuesday morning, Trump appeared with the employees at at Trump National Doral golf course just outside Miami where they offered testimonials to the boss.
Several dozen employees stood with the Republican nominee as he boasted about the golf course and said that 80 percent of his workers were of Hispanic origin.
Insisting it wasn't rehearsed, Trump invited employees to the microphone to offer their support.
One put on a "Make America Great Again" cap. Another said he supported Trump, though his family did not. And a bartender said she "loved" working for Trump.
Trump has frequently mixed his campaign and business interests as he touts his ability to create jobs. On Wednesday, he will attend the official opening of his new hotel in Washington.
At an afternoon rally in the town of Sanford, Trump added on to his usual job-creation rhetoric that he would revitalize the space program, which he said was destroyed by the "Obama/Clinton administration."
"I will free NASA from the restriction of serving primarily as a logistics agency for low-earth orbit...that's a big deal," he said. "Instead, we will refocus its mission to space exploration." He said he would encourage public-private partnerships to create jobs in the space industry.
In the same speech, he said Wikileaks' latest release of hacked emails sent among top Clinton campaign staffers held "one of the most shocking revelations to date." He was referring to an exchange that Trump said indicates President Obama was aware Clinton was using a private email server but kept quiet about it. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Tuesday that Obama exchanged emails with his then-secretary of state, but the president had no knowledge of where Clinton's server was located or what sort of arrangements had been made to retain her emails.
At the third of his three appearances Tuesday, at a Tallahassee rally, Trump responded to a comment made by Vice President Joe Biden last week. Biden, criticizing Trump's vulgar remarks toward women, said he wished he could take Trump "behind the gym" to settle things.
The GOP candidate told his rally crowd Tuesday evening that he'd "love that."
"You know when he's Mr. Tough Guy? When he's standing behind a microphone by himself!" he said.
Trump must win Florida to have any chance at the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency.
Earilier Tuesday, Trump praised veterans of the failed CIA-sponsored Bay of Pigs operation which tried to topple Cuba's Fidel Castro.
The Republican presidential nominee visited the Bay of Pigs Museum in Miami on Tuesday. He received an endorsement from the Veterans Association for the Bay of Pigs.
Trump said he was "in a room full of heroes." He said the veterans were "fighting for values that unite us all" during the 1961 invasion.
Trump's appearance in Tallahassee completed his three-day schedule in the Sunshine State.
Her confidence surging, Clinton is also eyeing a new Democratic majority in the Senate. Her campaign has been attacking Republican Senate candidates in Florida and New Hampshire.
On Monday, the Democratic nominee campaigned alongside New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan, who is locked in a tight Senate race against Republican incumbent Kelly Ayotte. They got an assist from Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who was merciless as she seized on recent revelations of Trump's predatory sexual language and several allegations of sexual assault.
"He thinks that because he has a mouth full of Tic Tacs, he can force himself on any woman within groping distance," Warren charged. "I've got news for you Donald: Women have had it with guys like you."
Trump, in an interview with WGIR radio in New Hampshire, called the accusations "total fiction." He lashed out at his latest accuser, former adult film performer Jessica Drake, who said Saturday that he had grabbed and kissed her without permission and offered her money to visit his hotel room a decade ago.
"One said, 'He grabbed me on the arm.' And she's a porn star," Trump said. He added, "Oh, I'm sure she's never been grabbed before."
As the war of words plays out, hundreds of thousands of Floridians are voting. Tuesday marks the second day of early in-person voting. Early voting by mail began two weeks ago.
Nearly 300,000 Florida voters showed up for the first day of in-person early voting on Monday, new totals from state election officials showed. Altogether, more than 1.6 million Floridians have voted so far.
Traditionally, Republicans have run up a large advantage in mail-in ballots, while Democrats rely on early voting to boost their turnout numbers. But this year the Democrats and Republicans are running nearly even. So far, slightly more than 665,000 Republican voters have cast ballots in the state, compared to slightly more than 658,000 Democrats. Another 300,000 voters with no party affiliation have also voted.
At the same time, a new national poll shows young voters turning to Clinton now that the race has settled down to two main candidates. Clinton now leads among likely voters 18 to 30 years in age by 60 percent to 19 percent, according to a new GenForward survey.
Young black voters already were solidly in her corner, and now young whites are moving her way, according to the survey by the Black Youth Project at the University of Chicago with the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
With Election Day two weeks away, Trump's electoral map looks bleak.
Trump's campaign manager Kellyanne Conway outlined a path to 270 electoral votes over the weekend that banks on victories in Florida, Ohio, Iowa and North Carolina along with New Hampshire and Maine's 2nd Congressional District. Assuming Trump wins all of those — and he currently trails in many — he would earn the exact number of electoral votes needed to win the presidency and no more.
Meanwhile, Trump and his party got fresh political ammunition with news that premiums will go up sharply next year under President Barack Obama's health care law, and many consumers will be down to just one insurer. Before taxpayer-provided subsidies, premiums for a midlevel benchmark plan will increase an average of 25 percent across the 39 states served by the federally run online market, according to a report from the Department of Health and Human Services.
Some states will see much bigger jumps, others less.


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Renzo Piano's new Astrup Fearnley Museum is so laid back it's horizontal, writes Rory Olcayto. Photography by Nic Lehoux
Iconic buildings are a pain in the ass. They look great (if you like that sort of thing) but it's usually at the expense of function. Look at Renzo Piano's Shard. Why make an office building the shape of a tall, thin pyramid? The higher you go, the smaller the floorplate gets. That's why Piano stuck a boxy extension round the back, to satisfy tenant space demands. But from a distance the Shard looks amazing. On the skyline. On magazine covers. In films. Wow.
Piano's latest, the £65 million Astrup Fearnley Museum in Oslo is nothing like London's towering spire. 'This is the opposite to the Shard,' says Piano. 'This place tells the story of horizontality.'
That's true. It's located on parkland at the far end of the busiest strip of Oslo's waterfront and marks the end of a pleasant city walk. But it's also a much smarter building than the Shard in that's its iconic form, the one you'll see in press clips and tourist guides, is only part of the story. This is an icon with two modes of expression: an angular, expressive, metaphorical one, in the form of a giant glass roof that gives it the iceberg look tourists might expect an Oslo landmark to have. And a more formal, orthogonal, timber-clad one, huddled beneath the transparent glaze, that is comfortable to visit and use.
The museum, funded by two philanthropic foundations established by descendants of the Fearnley shipping family, houses a privately owned contemporary art collection, with some of the best work from the 80s and 90s on show. Jeff Koons' ceramic Michael Jackson and Bubbles is among them, alongside other striking works such as Damien Hirst's Mother and Child Divided (those cows, cut in two) and a series of Cindy Sherman untitled portraits.
There's loads of disturbing pop art, the kind that makes the tabloids squeal: stuff by Gilbert and George, Richard Prince, and Fischli/Weiss. In the main entrance lobby, visitors are greeted by Takashi Murakami's 3-meter Girl, a giggling, knock-kneed, Manga femme with unfeasibly large breasts. If you like this kind of thing, there's no better collection to visit in Europe.
That's why the building is a surprise. You'd expect a white cube like David Chipperfield's Folkwang in Essen. Or maybe a big shed like Zaha Hadid's Riverside Museum in Glasgow. Instead you get a three-building complex defined by steel masts, cable ties and Aspen timber facades, and laminated timber beams that soar overhead. It feels a like a campus or business park development. But in a good way. Because hidden beneath his iconic, arcing botanic-style roof, Piano has cultivated his own chunk of city in the Tjuvholmen district of the Norwegian capital. 'It's a happy building,' he says. 'It's a great quality. You don't have to be stupid to be happy.'
Divided in two by a canal with pathways either side, the museum covers an area of 7,000m2 of fjord-side headland southwest of the city centre. One half houses a large temporary exhibition space and café and sits alongside a waterfront sculpture park with its own beach. Across the canal over a wide bridge, the entrances to the other exhibition spaces, in two separate buildings, are at quay level. The larger of the two only has art at ground level - with office space above.
A broad expanse of steps between them leads to the Sneak Peak tower, a 90m observation spike marking the centre of this new arts quarter. In the network of streets in the emerging townscape beyond, a continuation of the Aker Brygge development built in the 1990s, there are a clutch of private galleries, a number of restaurants and a five-star hotel. Piano calls the museum 'a place where art and community can meet'.
This happens most deliberately in the galleries, a series of 10 rooms across the three buildings, each with a different ceiling height and shape. The biggest of them is the main gallery in the temporary exhibition. It has two floors: one floor at ground level and one on the mezzanine, and is lit with natural light from a corner-cut skylight. Across the canal, the exhibition spaces of the art museum on the north side of the canal extend under the steps between the quay level and the Sneak Peak tower (not designed by Piano). There is nothing special about the way the art is displayed and the spaces don't feel anything more than adequate but touring them is enjoyable: I felt comfortable there, and if someone took against the galleries I'd wonder why.
In some ways Piano has forged a definitively Scandinavian building and there are two seminal projects that have influenced his design, both very different expressions of regional style. As Piano himself admits, there is the remarkable Louisiana Museum of Modern Art by Vilhelm Wohlert and Jørgen Bo, 'a roof with many places beneath' set within grounds dotted with sculptures. And there is Snøhetta's opera house across town, whose building-as-landscape form and clamber-all-over me charms demanded an equally gestural and friendly response of Piano. It doesn't quite match either of those buildings in terms of craft and surprise but it successfully remixes their values to make a fun new venue for Oslo.
If you're used to the adrenalin hit you get from the Bilbao clones that usually host the kind of art the Astrup Fearnley specialises in, you might be underwhelmed. But stay for a while; it might convince you. Like when you stand on the bridge and look back towards the city and frame a perfect view of Oslo City Hall, a stylish brick giant by Arnstein Arneberg and Magnus Poulsson. Or when you skirt the edge of the beach and look back at the museum - its masts, the timber and glass - you could be at a sailing club. But what kind of sailing club has sculptures by Gormley and Kapoor in its grounds?
Then inside, you stop for a while by a picture window in one of the smaller side galleries. There are lovely views across the fjord. Later, you take a boat-trip, and see the strange roof in all its glory, sculptural, photogenic, perfect for the brochures. It seems an entirely different building. At one end it almost touches the ground. Is it dipping into a man-made pool… why? A huge cruise liner moves into view, children run and play on the grass verges; there's lots going on. It's a real place.
Read more: related building studies
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Subscribe To Epic Games Working On Next-Gen Unreal Engine 4 MMO Updates
I've already subscribed
[Update: This is actually not Epic Games but a loose subsidiary and the game is not running on the Unreal Engine 4. More details and the full report is here.]
New info has surfaced indicating that Epic Games is currently hard at work on a next-generation MMO. Based on the information the project has been underway for about half a year and will supposedly embrace the next-gen antics that come along with the Unreal Engine 4.
The news comes courtesy of Nixel Pixel, who did the superb job of picking up the job sheets for two employees of Epic Games China, Alex Chi and Alan Xu, from their LinkedIn profiles. Being the savvy armchair warriors that they are, Nixel Pixel didn't want to rely on the LinkedIn links for proof and instead provided readers with links to prove that Epic is indeed working on a next-gen MMO with images right here and right here.
Now if this were 2007 or 2008, we would instantly fall into the trap of believing that the upcoming game has to either be a third-person shooter or a first-person shooter. However, Epic's Unreal Engine has come a very long way since the days of Gears of War. With games like Blade & Soul on the horizon and Epic recently unveiling the Unreal Engine 4, it's anyone's guess exactly what kind of MMO they have planned. Could it be sci-fi? Medieval-fantasy? An MMO fighting game perhaps? Maybe a vehicular-type game? Who knows.
We'll soon find out and I'm betting it will either be at next year's E3 or the year after. With only a few months into the development cycle it's doubtful Epic will be showing off the new game anytime this year.


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Holocaust Lecture Series & The SSU Academic Program
Since its inception, the Holocaust & Genocide Lecture Series has attracted highly respected speakers from around the world, representing disciplines that range from History to Philosophy to Biology to Political Science, along with many others. This distinguished series has been offered for academic credit since the 1983-84 academic year. The course is currently housed in the Department of Political Science. Professor Diane L. Parness, Ph. D., is the Academic Coordinator of the series.
The Lecture Series is a popular and important component of SSU's General Education program. The course regularly enrolls over 100 students each spring semester.
A different theme is selected each year in order to encourage a variety of perspectives and interpretations. The 31st annual series will feature the theme "Never Again?" Several prominent national scholars will join us to consider this theme. Our featured lectures consistently attract the attention of local and national media.
To fulfill the education component associated with the Lecture Series, SSU students enroll in a 4-unit upper division course, Political Science 307: Perspectives on the Holocaust and Genocide. Course requirements include attendance at all lectures and weekly discussion sessions lead by the course faculty. Documentary films, selected readings and texts enhance student learning. The series' lectures are videotaped and copies are sent to the Schulz Information Center Media Center for student, faculty and community access. Our thirty year collection of these lectures is an invaluable source of testimony and insight about the Holocaust and various genocides.
The Holocaust and genocide lectures have featured the participation of Holocaust survivors, liberators and rescuers, as well as the contributions of leading scholars in the field. Perhaps the most powerful aspect of this series is the personal eyewitness accounts of Holocaust survivors and more recently survivors of the Rwandan, Cambodian, and Bosnian genocides. The speakers, students and the general audience are challenged to face the difficult subject of man's brutality and inhumanity, and to reflect on the common and varied causes of genocide. Students are encouraged to consider issues of individual accountability and to formulate ideas about how genocide might be prevented. Lecture series faculty regularly receive comments from students about how the experience of this series has moved them to evaluate their own moral and ethical responsibility.


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So this move basically block Frazier. If we go through with Votto to LF, Alonso at first (although we all know he isn't safe anymore), Rolen at third, can we PLEASE try Phillips at short and Frazier at second? That would give us a HELL of an infield offense. Realistically, in 2010 (Mid-May when Alonso/Frazier are up)
Stubbs CF
Bruce RF
Alonso 1B
Votto LF
Rolen 3B
Phillips SS
Frazier 2B
Hanigan/Hernandez C
2 of Heisey/Dickerson/Gomes/Nix
Janish (Cozart?)


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|Home >> Course Descriptions >> College of Arts and Sciences
|Problems in World History
|Three semester hours.
|A survey of world history (emphasizing non-Western civilizations) from the earliest times to the twentieth century. Emphasis on Eastern civilizations. May be repeated once when topic changes. Prerequisite: Graduate standing in history.
Home - General Information - Student Services -
Academic Undergraduate Regulations -
Undergraduate Degrees - Academic Graduate Regulations -
Graduate Degrees - Course Descriptions - Faculty -
Appendix A - Appendix B - Appendix C - Appendix D


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Authorization to Access Records
Unlike records in the State Archives, records in the State Records Center remain under the legal custody of their creating agency or department. Access to records stored in the State Records Center must be authorized by the appropriate state agency or department.
In some cases, an agency's records officer or records liaison may grant special authorization to access records via VSARA's Reference Room. All public records requests and inquiries related to records stored in the State Records Center, including requests for specific access, however, must be submitted directly to the appropriate state agency.
A list of State agencies and departments is available online at http://www.vermont.gov/portal/government/.


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Discover why the Outlander PHEV is the best-selling plug-in hybrid in the UK. With sublime driving dynamics, ultra-low CO2 and refined SUV versatility. Choose any of our national used PHEVs and test drive it at the dealer of your choice.Browse used PHEVs
|Representative Example
|On the Road (OTR) Price
|Finance Deposit Contribution
|Customer Deposit
|48 Monthly Payments
|Purchase Fee (inc in optional final payment)
|Optional Final Payment
|Total Amount of Credit
|Total Amount Payable
|Duration of Agreement (mths)
|Representative APR
|Interest Rate (fixed)
Introducing the Outlander PHEV
the award-winning plug-in hybrid SUV
Charge the PHEV every day and experience dynamic, responsive power from twin electric motors, dramatically reducing your fuel consumption and how often you need to fill up.
Dublin is 361 miles away from Guildford. It's the capital of the Republic of Ireland and is a truly beautiful city. The Outlander PHEV's range would get you all the way there.
PCP credit is subject to status and only available to UK residents aged 18+ through Shogun Finance Ltd, 116 Cockfosters Road, Barnet, EN4 0DY. With Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) you have the option after you have paid all of the regular monthly payments to: (a) Return the vehicle and not pay the Optional Final Payment. In this example if the vehicle has exceeded 24,000 miles, a charge of 8p (including VAT at 20%) will apply per excess mile. If the vehicle is in good condition (fair wear and tear accepted) and has not exceeded 24,000 miles you will have nothing further to pay; (b) pay the Optional Final Payment to own the vehicle or (c) part exchange the vehicle subject to settlement of your existing credit agreement; new credit agreements are subject to status. Offer not available in conjunction with any other offer and is available between 30th September 2019 and 31st December 2019. Offer may be withdrawn or amended at anytime without notice. Optional Final Payments and Monthly Payments may vary dependent upon date of registration, optional extras fitted and mileage, example shown is a guide.
(*) Apple CarPlay and iPod are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Overall device compatibility as well as individual feature operation and functionality is contingent upon the device software version.
(**) Android Auto is a trademark of Google Inc.


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BACKGROUND IMAGE: iSTOCK/GETTY IMAGES
- FeatureRFID May Strain Storage
- FeatureiSCSI Waters Getting Warmer
- FeatureAttachStor reclaims e-mail storage
- FeatureInfiniBand Storage in Limbo
- FeatureOracle RAC, the Easy Way
- FeatureAre full backups dead?
- FeatureRein in e-mail storage
- FeatureRemote DR: faster, farther and cheaper
- Feature4 Gb Fibre Channel: Everyone's On Board
- FeatureHome is Where the Storage Is
- FeaturePut Your Data on Ice
- FeatureThe great divide: mainframe and open-systems storage
- FeatureIs storage certification worth it?
- FeatureSnapshot: How is Your SAN Architected?
- FeatureHow to get the best service for the least amount of money
- FeatureGeeks and spies are running storage security
- FeatureLost world or lost opportunity?
- FeatureHot data storage startups
- FeatureImplementing new data storage technologies
iSTOCK/GETTY IMAGES
Are full backups dead?
Tape may not be dead, but the way you use it can change. Consider increasing your use of incremental backup, particularly if you're integrating disk into your backup process.
- W. Curtis Preston, Druva
The traditional, tape-based backup system is becoming rarer every day, and its old friend--regularly recurring full backups--just might be next. You can blame it on cheap ATA disks. At first, people started using disk to solve a few problems with their backups, and ended up completely changing how they're protecting their data.
Today, the most common backup design is a tape-based system that's been enhanced with disk. But those who are willing to rethink things from scratch are examining other ways to improve their backup environment such as replication, object-based storage, real-time protection of data, protection of data in its native format and using systems that perform incremental backups forever.
Cutting the tie to tape
Many of the challenges with most backups stem from reliance on tape. Granted, tape drives are faster and more reliable than ever before, but tape is still a sequential-access medium that offers access times in seconds, instead of the nanosecond access times disk delivers. Tape is also an open system easily infiltrated by contaminants, unlike disk drives that are sealed at the factory. A tape drive can reliably write millions of bytes per second at a relatively low cost. However, due to its sequential operation, tape will always be slower to access and less reliable than random-access disk.
One of the greatest advantages of tape over disk is the ease with which tapes can be sent off site, which is what most people do. However, this advantage is eroding. When using tape, people either send their originals off site, or they make copies of the originals and send them off site. There's nothing wrong with doing this. In fact, if you're not doing it, you should be! This backup process has been going on for a long time, and certain things must take place for it to happen.
For example, let's assume that the process of creating and identifying the tapes to go off site has been completely automated. The process of moving a tape from a library into a container to the off-site facility and back again is very labor-intensive. While this work is routine for the most part, someone's got to do it and that labor is expensive. I've seen companies where a dozen people's sole responsibility was to manage such a backup process. It's also important to mention that in each step of this process, there is a chance for human error.
It's a fact that in many environments, backup is neither automated nor effortless. Many people spend many hours a day ensuring that their backups are complete. This effort is required for many reasons. The first is that the process of performing nightly incremental and occasional full backups requires a lot of processing power, network bandwidth and is usually directed at a target that's not perfectly reliable (tape). Every part of the process is capable of screwing up the backup.
If everything works and all the backups are completed, they should be copied, instead of just sending the originals off site like many companies do. But most environments have spent so much time and effort making sure that the backups are completed, there's little if any energy, time or capacity left in their system to make copies. Yes, many backup software products now allow you to create both the original and the copy simultaneously. But according to an informal survey of my clients, few companies are taking advantage of this important functionality. Therefore, most companies are sending their originals off site.
This means that they must wait for a tape every time they do a restore. While this is acceptable for low-priority systems, it's completely unacceptable for a high-priority critical application. But this is the status quo at many companies. That is, of course, until the first time they try to do a major restore and it goes horribly wrong. This happened at a company I was talking to last month. What should have taken hours took days, and the CIO is now looking for a new job.
Even when restores are successful, it's always a bad day when you have to restore something large. Unless you've adopted some of the technologies discussed later in this article, it often means hours of downtime, and it's rare that the system is restored up to the point of failure. There's almost always a gap of time that isn't restored. That gap translates into lost work for everyone using the system and is a huge loss of money in a large company.
And consider how backups affect applications. Many companies have grown used to slow access or no access to applications during backup and recovery time. While this may have been fine in days past, with today's 24x7 global operations this is no longer acceptable. Your work force expects uninterrupted access to all applications at all times.
|Saving duplicate data once
Backups are performed inefficiently
Many companies do a regular full backup every week or month, which further aggravates the problems I've mentioned. This means more tapes are created (and hopefully copied), more data is sent across the network and more CPU resources are consumed on the backup client. Why, for example, make another copy of files that haven't changed, and are already securely ensconced on tape? The answer is because restores would take longer than they already do. Not performing full backups means that in order to restore a large file system, you need a full backup tape from months or years ago, followed by every incremental tape created since then that contains the last version of any file that was in the file system before it was damaged. That could add up to hundreds of tapes. So, full backups are performed every once in a while to overcome this problem. However, not every tape product does it this way.
A similar question is: Why make additional backup copies of files that have already been backed up from other systems? For example, how many times do you need to back up wordpad.exe or /bin/ksh? The answer is, "only once," but no one does it that way. The reason is that tape-based backup software packages don't perform what's called single instance store backups--storing only one copy of each unique file. If they did, can you imagine how many tapes you would need to restore a large file system? Because most backup systems have been tape-based for years, until recently no vendors have even thought of adding such features to their software, but that's beginning to change.
Now ask yourself another question: Why is the backup copy of the data in a different format than the original? The answer is simple. The commands cp filename.txt /dev/rmt/0cbn and copy myfile.txt tapetape.0 don't work. You can't copy files to a tape drive. Of course, in the Unix world, you could use something like this:
find . –print| while read i do dd if=$i of=/dev/rmt/0cbn bs=32k
That simple string writes every file on disk to tape in its native format, similar to the way ANSI tapes for the mainframe were made. But this is an inefficient use of tape. Every file would write a file mark on the tape, which would translate into extremely slow throughput. So, some bright Unix developer came up with the idea of putting several files into a backup file that could be written to tape and cpio, dump and tar were born. Now it's 30 years later, and we're stuck with this handed-down way of doing things.
While writing regular files into a backup file makes perfect sense for tape, it doesn't need to be done when writing to disk. In fact, it adds unnecessary overhead. Not only does it slow down the creation of the backup copy, it slows down the restore of individual files from that backup. If the files were left in their native format, these problems would be eliminated. You could restore as many files at a time as is needed; the only limitation is the disk throughput. In fact, if the files were left in their native format, you could even use the backup copy as the production copy in a crisis. This is exactly what happens with replication products.
So, what's changed?
In case you've missed the recent news flashes, ATA disk arrays have changed the face of storage forever. Terabytes of disk-based storage cost fewer than three cents per megabyte. Inexpensive ATA disk opens storage options that were never possible with higher-priced disk.
ATA disk arrays have created a market for several new software storage products that change the backup equation. Everything from disk-to-disk-to-tape systems to real-time protection systems have recently come onto the market. Some of these new products allow you to change how you protect your company's data.
I'm dividing the products mentioned in this article into two categories: "enhanced traditional backup" and "new ideas." Enhanced traditional backup products perform traditional backup and recovery in a somewhat non-traditional way. Either they simply enhance it with disk or they perform incremental backups forever--forgoing occasional full backups. "New ideas" products approach the backup problem in very different ways.
Traditional backup is the way backups have been done for years: an occasional full backup to tape, followed by daily incremental backups to tape. However, such a system is fraught with problems.
Most backup systems can be enhanced by simply placing disk storage in front of tape storage. These systems use tape storage as a way to create backups for off-site purposes, but completely forgo the creation of tape for on-site purposes. Products to use in this scenario come in two flavors: file system-based devices and virtual tape products.
A file system device is simply a large disk array with a file system; your backup software writes to this file system. Each backup creates a backup file in the file system. These backups can also be duplicated to tape. While any disk array can be used for this, it's most common to use ATA-based arrays for this purpose. Copan Systems, in Longmont, CO, and Nexsan Technologies, in Woodland Hills, CA, are companies to watch in this space.
A virtual tape system is a bit more complicated and interesting. Several companies have built disk arrays that pretend to be tape drives. This allows you to continue to do backups the way you're used to, but with all the advantages of disk. Of course, tape-based backups need to be converted to real tape for off-site storage. Vendors to watch here include Advanced Digital Information Corp. (ADIC), Alacritus Software, FalconStor Software and Quantum Corp.
The major benefit of these products is that restores are quicker and easier. Whether you're using a file system device or a virtual tape system, you can perform full backups less frequently, as it doesn't increase your recovery time the way it does if you did this with tape. Restoring from a three-month-old full backup and 90 days of incremental backups takes no longer than restoring from a full backup done yesterday--if all those backups are on disk.
Incremental forever
Anyone who is familiar with IBM Corp.'s Tivoli Storage Manager (TSM) would read the first section of this article and say, "We don't perform regular full backups!" That's right, TSM users don't do that. And apparently Veritas Software Corp.'s NetBackup 5.0 users might not need to do it either.
The problem with never doing full backups is that you'll need hundreds of tapes to restore an individual system. TSM and NetBackup deal with this in two ways. The first is by creating new full backups from older full backups. Why go back to the original system and move a file across the network to create a new full, when you can simply move it from tape to tape? (See "Saving duplicate data once".) TSM calls this reclamation; NetBackup calls it synthetic full backups.
|Three ways to use disk for backup
Another way to reduce the effects of forever incremental (or progressive incremental, as TSM calls it) is to keep the backups of a given tape together. If you mix the backups of several different systems onto a set of tapes, you increase the number of tapes that must be loaded in order to restore each system. However, if you tell each system's backups to stay together, you minimize the number of tapes needed to restore each system.
NetBackup users could create a pool for each critical system. TSM users can turn on collocation. Just remember that either of these procedures requires at least one tape per system. However, you could specify several smaller pools of tapes, and point subsets of clients to each pool. That would reduce the effects of forever incremental without having to go to the extreme of complete collocation. You could also mix and match these methods based on the criticality of a given client.
It should be mentioned that incremental forever techniques, when used with a traditional backup system, currently only work with traditional file system backups. Databases still require the occasional full backup. Only replication-based backup systems can perform incremental-forever backups of databases.
New ideas
Although many of the following disruptive technologies can be integrated into a traditional backup system, many of them could completely replace an older backup system. In other words, these technologies are turning the backup world upside down.
One example is replication-based backup. If you were to look at the typical data protection hierarchy diagram, it would start with backups, followed by mirroring and RAID, high availability and finally replication. Replication used to be the thing you did once you've done everything else. With replication-based backup, that's no longer the case. The big advantage to replication-based backup systems is that they usually use block-level incremental backups to constantly maintain a full native-format copy of the data on the backup system. There is no need to perform full backups again.
One disadvantage is that if data is fully replicated, logical corruption--such as the deletion of a file--is replicated as well. The system needs to be able to create and maintain states of the replicated data. This can be done via copy-on-write snapshots, by logging or by backing up the replicated data using a traditional backup system.
Replication-based backup comes in a variety of flavors, and is being provided by a number of companies that can be divided into three groups. There is storage-based replication (see "Storage and host-based replication"), such as EMC Corp.'s SRDF and Network Appliance Inc.'s SnapVault. The largest group contains host-based replication products, such as Veritas' Volume Replicator or NSI Software's Double-Take. A newer group contains independent products that are trying to combine the features of both (See "Replication-based, disk-based backup system").
Another difference with the implementation in "Storage and host-based replication" is that the tape-based backup of the replicated system is replaced with another replicated system in an off-site location. If this system is also maintaining state data using snapshots or logging, there's now an on- and off-site backup without tape. The only reason to use tape here is for archiving.
In order to consider a product a replication-based product, the data must remain in its native format for at least one leg of the system. However, there is another type of product that is similar, but does not maintain data in its native format. Storactive Inc. provides real-time backup (with logging) of applications such as Microsoft Exchange. While the backup system does not maintain the data in its native format, it provides constant, replication-type backup of Exchange without ever performing a full backup again.
Another very interesting product area contains those products that recognize that all data consists of blocks of ones and zeros, many of which are replicated throughout your environment. In various ways, these products treat each file (or sometimes a block) as a backup object. The big advantage of these products is that if a particular object has been backed up before, it doesn't need to be backed up again. This is also referred to as single instance store. Of course, a true single instance store system would never need to perform a full backup again, as most of the files that would be backed up in a full backup already reside on the backup system.
|Block-based single instance store
A block-based single instance store stores only unique blocks or files in the backup system.
File-based single instance store systems compare files of similar names to ensure that they are the same, and only store one copy of a given file on the backup system. Block-based systems actually look inside a file, and store only unique blocks on the backup system (see "Block-based single instance store"). File 1 consists of blocks a, b, c and d. When it is backed up, all of these blocks are new, so they are transferred and stored by the backup system. However, when it backs up file 2, file 2 also contains a block that is identical to block d in file 1. Blocks e and f are new, so they are transferred to the backup system. However, block d is not sent again. The backup system only takes note that block d resides somewhere else as well. Since all blocks are simply patterns of ones and zeros, block d could be inside any two (or more) files, regardless of file, application or operating system type.
There are some systems that are designed from the ground up to provide file or block-level single instance store, such as Avamar or Connected. However, such functionality is starting to creep into other products such as TSM and NetBackup.
All of the backup systems mentioned in this article are available today. (There are many companies that provide similar systems that are not listed in this article due to reasons of space. Check the software directory at http://www.storagemountain.com/software-directory.html for a comprehensive, up-to-date listing of such products.) Whether or not any of them are right for your storage environment will depend on your particular application, and how far along you fall on the adoption curve. Some environments prefer systems that are tried-and-true; others prefer cutting-edge technology. The choice, along with the advantages and disadvantages, is up to you.


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Archive: Easy as pie--really! Pie Crust Recipe
I cannot remember when I made my first pie; maybe I was 7 years old? Mom always let my sister and I help in the kitchen and taught us to cook and bake at an early age. The great thing about it was that she did not mind that it looked like a disaster area when we finished. It is a fond memory that I hold in my heart.
Many people are very afraid of making a pie. I think it might be because they don't have a good pie crust recipe to start with. I think Mom's recipe came from the Settlement Cookbook. It is a good, simple, basic recipe. I've never had a flop and never heard a complaint.
Here's the recipe--enough for 2 double crust or 4 single crust pies:
3 cups of all purpose, unbleached white flour -not bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups of real, salted butter OR 2/3 cup of real, salted butter and 2/3 cup of lard (yes, lard) I tend to use all butter simply because I always have it on hand. Lard makes a flakier crust.
½ cup of very cold water
The process:
Measure the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl.
With a pastry cutter, cut in 2/3 cup of the butter. (A pastry cutter is an inexpensive gizmo with a handle and multiple semi-circle dull blades--obtainable even from the widget section in the grocery store cooking accessories isle.) Keep cutting, pressing the cutter through the butter into the flour, until the texture is even. The color will be an even creamy tone.
Add the lard or remaining portion of butter and cut in again. This time you want to stop before it is all finely worked in. Stop when the largest chunks are the size of very small peas.
Next, fluff up the butter/lard/flour/salt mixture with a fork. Run the cold water until it is very cold and measure out ½ cup. Drizzle it into the mixture while tossing with a fork until the water is distributed. Here is where you must be careful. DO NOT OVER MIX! Over mixing will develop the gluten in the flour and make your crust tough. Properly done, your dough will probably be somewhat crumbly with some white looking streaks. This is fine.
Most recipes say to chill now. I have never needed to do that, but if your kitchen is very warm, you may want to chill for a half hour. You can also put it in the refrigerator and use it later in the week. I press down the crust dough in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. You can also freeze it in a plastic bag for future use.
When it is time to roll out the pie crust, get out the pastry canvas and pin sock. These are essential to pie making. You can use a stiff piece of laundered canvas or other tightly woven cotton cloth for the canvas. If you cannot find a pin sock, I have used a leg from a pair of clean pantie hose. Just cut off the leg and slip over the rolling pin. Leave an inch or so extra on each end and cut off the foot. Liberally flour the cloth and the rolling pin. That means you sprinkle on flour and work it into the fabric with your hand.
Cut the pie dough into 4 parts. With your hands, form the quarter section of the dough into a round, flattened disk, patting it into shape. Lay it in the center of the floured canvas. Take the rolling pin and start to gently press it into the center in a cross mark and roll outwards. You are flattening it out a little at a time. Continue rolling it in all directions, keeping its round shape. If it starts sticking to the canvas or pin, put more flour on the fabric. Roll from the center to the edges.
When it is about 1 to 1½ inches bigger than your pie pan all the way around (hold the pan over the crust to estimate) you are ready to put it into the pan. It will be a scant 1/8 inch thick. I roll the crust loosely onto the pin--about half way (here is where the canvas really helps you out; you can lift the cloth up from one side and help maneuver the pastry onto the pin)--and then lift the crust over the pan and lower it into place. Put the outer edge about ¾ - 1 inch over the pie pan edge. Then unroll the remaining crust. Re-center if needed. Ease the crust down to the bottom edges of the pan. If it cracks a little, just squish the edges back together. If you need to put in a patch (a piece of extra rolled out crust from the edge) just wet the area to be patched (use your finger or pastry brush) and put the piece of crust on top. Gently pat into place. No one will ever know!
Now if this is a double crust pie, you repeat the roll out, leave it on the canvas and make the filling. After the filling is in the pie shell, some people brush the edge of the crust in the pie pan with a little water (it acts like glue), but I don't. Once the filling is in the pie shell, repeat the loose roll up of half the pie crust onto the pin and transfer to the pie shell. Start at one edge, leaving that extra margin of crust to hang over the edge and unroll.
For either single or double crust pies, the crimp phase is pretty much the same. First, cut the excess of crust off the pie-I use a butter knife or small paring knife for this. I support the crust with my finger from underneath and cut into it. I leave about ½ inch for double crust and 3/4 inch for single crust pies beyond the pie pan edge. Then start to gently turn and tuck that extra pie dough under all around the pie. Once you have gone around the pie once, go around again and push into place any irregular spots. The idea is to make it an even thickness.
Note that for single crust pies, there is a tendency for the crust to slip into the pie when blind baking (baking the crust with no filling in it--such as for a banana cream pie). To avoid this, make sure you do not stretch the crust to fit the pan. In fact, try to ease a little extra crust down into the pie pan.
Now comes the fun part: the crimp or decorative edge. The simplest method is to just use a fork dipped in flour to prevent sticking and press down gently to make little ridges. My favorite is the peaked crimp. For this one, I first pinch the crust edge into a raised lip all the way around the crust edge. Then using the knuckle of my right forefinger and thumb and forefinger of my left hand, I gently coax the dough into the pinch of my left two fingers with the knuckle of my right. Keeping my fingers lightly floured will keep the dough from sticking.
Be sure to cut ample steam vents into that top crust, or your crust will be soggy. This can be simply done, or in an artistic design. Sometimes I write the name of the pie into the crust with little slits or make hole in the center apple shaped, for an apple pie and add some extra crust apple leaves.
For a double crust fruit pie, bake at 450 degrees in a pre-heated oven (very important) for 15 minutes, then turn down to 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Because I like to really fill up my pies, usually I need to bake longer at 350-at least until I see the filling bubbling inside.
If you are baking a single crust pie, blind (no filling), be sure to *** the crust bottom with a fork before you put it into the pre-heated 450 degree oven. This prevents large bubbles from forming in the crust. These you bake at 450 for 8 to 10 minutes. Check after about 6 min. You don't want it to get too brown. I have as of late started at 450 degrees and then turned down to 425 once the shell is in the oven. This seems to give me a good crust that does not get too brown.
You can make a fancier crust edge by using small cookie cutter shapes of pie dough and gluing onto crust edge with water. Martha Stewart had some very pretty pie edges on page 36 of her November magazine issue.
Sometimes I make some pretty shapes such as a free form Maple leaf or cookie cutter hearts, etc. to place on top of the whipped cream on a pumpkin pie. If you plan on doing this edge, cut more off your crust edge before you turn it under. Otherwise there will be too much crust under the cut outs. For shapes, roll out your crust as usual and cut out the shapes. You will need to flour the cutters to prevent sticking. Place on an un-greased cookie sheet. Bake as you would the single, blind crust, but check after a few minutes. The smaller shapes bake faster. You can also sprinkle these with cinnamon and sugar before baking. Better tell your family these are spoken for though, or they may disappear before you get them on the finished pie!
Glass pie pans are my favorites. They make a much crisper crust. Aluminum would be my second choice. (I won't use that horrid baker's secret tin ware.)
One lady recently told me her grandmother always replaced 1 t. of water with 1 t. cider vinegar per double crust pie. She said it made for a flakier crust. I may just try that trick. Let me know if you ever tried that one
I know many people like to use the Cuisinart for crust. I have one and have used it, but I still prefer to do it by hand. I think you have more control by hand.
For a little extra zip, I have used about 1/4 C lemon juice mixed with enough powdered sugar to make a thin frosting. I then drizzle it over an apple pie. Yum.
PS Dad sometimes would make pies too, so don't think pie making is only for women!
Links: Practically Speaking, Betterbrookfield, RandyMelchert, Jay Weber, Vicki McKenna, The Right View Wisconsin, CNS News, Mark Levin, Breitbart BigGovernment, The Heritage Foundation
Labels: Good food / recipes, Homekeeping


text: Children Books Children Books My Mommy's a Soldier This special little book is dedicated to all the children who have to wave goodbye to their mommies and daddies as the go off to serve their country. Their sacrifices are imeasurable, their courage is commendable, and their love for their mommies and daddies is irreplaceable. They are the REAL American Heroes .RECOMMENDED AGE: 2 - 8PAGES: 18 Journal, While Mommy was DeployedThe journal begins by asking about the military member that is deployed, what they do, where they have been, the day they deployed. It then has pages to describe events in their lives, such as the various holidays, birthday and blank pages to write about special moments that they want to share with the deployed parent. Included with the journal are 25 postcards.The front of the postcard reads:I don't like us being apart, but I know that you goto stand for what you believe in and to ensure myfreedom and safety. When the night falls and thestars fill the sky, remember that I am staring at the same stars and therefor we are together.I love you and I am proud of you. I will pray each day that God will keep you and those who servewith you safe, and you will return to me.Suggested Retail $14.95Our Price $14.50 Prev


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Marlins announce Minor League award winners
Brent Keys named Minor League Player of the Year; Anthony DeSclafani named Minor League Pitcher of the Year
MIAMI - The Miami Marlins today named OF Brent Keys and RHP Anthony DeSclafani as its Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Year. The announcement was made by Marlins' Vice President of Player Development Marty Scott. The players will be recognized with an on-field award ceremony prior to tonight's game.
Keys, 23, won the Florida State League batting title with a .346 average (132x381) in 95 games with Single-A Jupiter, just a year after winning the South Atlantic League batting crown (.335) with Single-A Greensboro. His .346 mark was the highest in Jupiter team history, besting Logan Morrison's .332 average in 2008. He also led the FSL with a .418 on-base percentage and ranked second in hits. He was the recipient of the Miami Marlins' Minor League Player of the Month award in May, batting .356 (36x101) with 12 runs scored, a home run, seven RBI and a .440 on-base percentage. Keys, a Florida State League Post-Season All-Star, led Marlins' minor leaguers in batting average, hits and on-base percentage. The Marlins' 17th round pick in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft owns a .315 career average, with 50 doubles, four triples, eight home runs and 145 RBI in 356 games.
DeSclafani, 23, posted a 9-6 record with a 2.65 ERA (129.0 IP/38 ER) between Single-A Jupiter and Double-A Jacksonville. He began his season by going 4-2, 1.67 (54.0/10) in 12 starts for Jupiter, earning Marlins' Pitcher of the Month honors in April, Florida State League Pitcher of the Week honors for June 3-9, and FSL Mid-Season All-Star honors. He was promoted to Jacksonville on June 19, where he went 5-4 with a 3.36 ERA (75.0/28) in 13 starts. DeSclafani was acquired by the Marlins from Toronto on November 19, 2012.


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text:
Council Sources River Bacteria
Environment Waikato has pinpointed the location of high bacterial counts in the Waikato River to an area six kilometres downstream of Cambridge.
Environment Waikato has pinpointed the location of high bacterial counts in the Waikato River to an area six kilometres downstream of Cambridge.
Boaties and other water users have an opportunity to voice their opinion on the bylaw covering navigation safety as Environment Waikato reviews its Navigation Safety Bylaw.
Alert city residents are helping spot errant sewage spills into the Waikato River – and playing a part in cleaning up the river.
Farmers are not in for massive rate rises under Project Watershed, according to Environment Waikato.
Environment Waikato is to take a proactive stance on the re-assessment of the pesticide 1080.
Contamination near Cambridge may be contributing to high bacterial counts in the Waikato River through Hamilton City, according to Environment Waikato.
The Waikato's coastal environment is potentially at risk from the introduction of new marine species, Environment Waikato's policy committee heard this week.
Morrinsville student Luke Price has won an Environment Waikato scholarship for his university studies in engineering.
The large amount of information gathered on the fragments of native forest left in the Region is assisting Environment Waikato to help landowners manage them.
An earthquake is the biggest hazard risk for Hamilton city, according to a study into what major facilities could be damaged in an emergency.
Nearly 500 people have made submissions to Environment Waikato on Project Watershed, which is developing a system to pay for river management, flood protection and vital soil conservation work in the Waikato and Waipa river catchments.
Environment Waikato's Regulatory Committee has recommended pursuing costs against an iwi authority which appealed against the granting of resource consents to upgrade a boat ramp at Waikawau in Thames.
Environment Waikato wants to work more closely with the dairy industry to improve effluent discharges in the Waikato.
Transit New Authority has approved a plan for completing the Mercer to Longswamp section of the State Highway One Expressway – if funds are available.
Environment Waikato says it cannot delay the introduction of Project Watershed any longer, as delays will only compound the serious problems faced in managing the Region's major rivers.


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Paula Abdul is getting back in the talent-search TV game.
The ex-"American Idol" judge will headline ABC's reboot of the hit TV series "Star Search," Entertainment Weekly reported Monday.
Abdul was long-rumored to be in talks with ABC since her departure last summer from the monster Fox hit that saw her replaced with comedian Ellen DeGeneres.
The "Straight Up" singer was originally rumored to be appearing on the network's smash "Dancing With the Stars" but instead landed in a gig on the "Star Search" remake, slated to premiere this summer.
It wasn't immediately clear what Abdul's duties will be on "Star Search," but Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello speculated it would be a mix of hosting and judging.
ABC refused to comment to EW.
Fellow "Idol" judge Simon Cowell will also depart the show this year to work on "The X Factor," a U.S. version of his British hit.


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Bounce Sesame
Thank You for visiting our website for all your party rentals needs. We are fully licensed and insured. Our inflatable games are state inspected by North Carolina Department of Labor. We carry the most unique and clean inflatable equipments in the Triad. We have big selection of inflatable bounce house rentals, inflatable obstacle courses rentals and Inflatable slides rentals. Ready to deliver to High Point, Kernersville, Greensboro, Winston Salem and surrounding cities in the Piedmont Triad area.We are known for renting commercial party inflatable at an affordable price. We will deliver, set-up including removal while you relax!
Attention!! Churches, Business, Schools and Event Planners: Allow Bounce Sesame to give you a discount quote for your upcoming events.
We can help you budget planning for your next party rental event. We specialize in birthday party, School event, church festivals, fundraising events, company picnics, and any parties in between.
Planning the best party ever for your Kids! We have an amazing selection of inflatable bouncers rental. We have large inventory of Jump house rental in various themes, colors and sizes to suit every Kid's party theme. Rent any bouncy house from us, it will be the centerpiece of any party and make every kids dream come true.
Jumpers & Slide Combos
Jumper with slide combo offer the best value for your money!! Combos are packed with many fun activities in one unit!!. Want a full size bouncer? Sure! Want to add Extra activities such as rock climb or basket ball hoop? Why not!! What about an exciting slide after some bouncing? Absolutely! Rent a jumper and slide combo, what you get is a tall slide attached to a full size bouncy house. Include inside the big bouncing area are: rock climb, pop up and/or basket ball hoop. Our versatile bounce and slide combos has many themes and sizes. Search no further! We have big 3-in-1, 4-in-1 and 5-in-1 bounce house and slide combos for rent!
Inflatable Water Slides Rentals
Water Slides are great for hot summer parties! Party entertainment is more exciting with an inflatable waterslide rental. Blow up the excitement and non-stop water fun with one of our inflatable slip N slide with a pool. Throw your child the summer party of a lifetime, then rent a water slide with a pool. You can choose from our popular Sea world waterslide with a pool - Princess water combo - Crayon water combo or a slip and slide with a pool. We also rent commercial concession machines - Cotton Candy Machine - Snow Cone Machine and Pop Corn Machine Tables and Chairs rental to turn any party into a festival.
Inflatable bouncers rental. Check out our popular list below. We also rent moonbounces and moonwalks
Most customers ask these questions: Where can I rent? Or Where do I rent? We service the Piedmont Triad area. We rent jump house, inflatable bouncers, jumping castle, bouncing houses, kids party jumpy thing and inflatable rentals
We deliver to MOST of these cities:
High Point, Kernersville, Thomasville, Jamestown, Winston-Salem, Greensboro, Oak Ridge, Colfax, Climax, Rural Hall, Mc Leansville, Cedar Falls, Julian, Asheboro, Sophia, Pleasant Garden, Randleman, Bethania, King, Tobaccoville, Walkertown, Pfafftown, Lewisville, Midway, Welcome, Clemmons, Stokesdale, Archdale, Advance, Summerfield, Dobson, Lexington, Westfield, Salisbury, Denton, Charlotte, Raleigh, Guilford County, Forsyth County, Davidson County, Randolph County, Davidson county, North Carolina, NC


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Nutrition Facts
Ingredients and Preparation
- Combine olive oil, lemon juice, rosemary, garlic, salt, and pepper in a resealable plastic bag. Add lamb chops and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
- Prepare grill.
- Grill for 5-6 minutes on each side or until cooked to preference. Garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs


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ROTFL! I already understand EFI booting well enough to do this, and in fact I am doing this -- after all, I maintain rEFInd! Whether the Mint developers want to adopt rEFInd or stick with GRUB is entirely up to them.mintybits wrote:I would encourage you to put your efforts into understanding the details of booting linux and how to write the code necessary to do it. This way you might be able to develop an EFI booter for Ubuntu/Mint that can be incorporated into the official installer. By gaining a more detailed understanding you would also recognize the means to avoid the grub-bios partition.srs5694 wrote:It's kept me busy -- both incorporating Secure Boot code into rEFInd and answering a lot of posts on Web forums. And yes, Linux is built as a follow-on product for a massive commercial juggernaut (meaning the PC industry as a whole, not just Microsoft). As such, Linux is at a disadvantage in some ways, and the transition from BIOS to EFI is highlighting that fact.
If you want to learn more a new thread would be appropriate.
The BIOS Boot Partition (what you're calling the "grub-bios partition") is entirely unrelated to EFI-mode booting; as the name implies, it's required for BIOS-mode booting. Personally, I see no point in investing time into improving BIOS-mode booting, since that's a dead-end technology. Furthermore, you're the one who's being critical of the BIOS Boot Partition. I have no problem with it, so I'm not motivated to find a way to eliminate it. Since you're the one who finds the BIOS Boot Partition to be so offensive, you should be the one to find a way to boot without it! (Alternatives do already exist, but they've got their own problems -- look into GRUB Legacy, LILO, and SYSLINUX for details.)
Your programming language snobbery is noted. You might want to be aware of a few facts:PS: Your statement that Refind is written in C horrifies me. I suggest you learn about modern languages. C is really old-fashioned and a hacker's delight. New code should not be based on C, IMO, but on properly structured languages.
- EFI is written in C.
- C is, by a very wide margin, the best-supported language for programming EFI applications, including boot managers and boot loaders. No other language is really a practical alternative.
- Every other Linux boot loader and boot manager for EFI that I'm aware of uses C. These include rEFIt, gummiboot, ELILO, Fedora's patched GRUB Legacy, GRUB 2, efilinux, shim, the PreBootloader, and the kernel's stub loader. Chances are most of them use C because of the previous point, although I haven't communicated with their authors about this topic.
- rEFInd is a fork of rEFIt, which was written in C. Thus, I didn't really choose C; Christoph Pfisterer, rEFIt's author, chose it.
- C is currently at or near the top in most lists of programming language popularity. (See here, for instance.) Thus, your bias against C is your personal bias. Get over it.


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Vancouver to host 2015 Women's World Cup gold medal game
B.C. Place Stadium will host the first-ever World Cup soccer final on artificial turf in 2015.
The Vancouver venue was named Thursday as the site for the 2015 Women's World Cup championship game. All other senior women's and men's finals have been played on grass, say organizers.
"There's a lot of factors that go into [choosing the final venue]," said Steve Reed, a national organizing committee member following a news conference across the street from the stadium, which seats approximately 55,000.
"The final match, certainly, we wanted to maximize the number of participants, the number of people that are in the seats. B.C. Place obviously has that capacity."
Canadian organizers and FIFA, the sport's world governing body, made the decision on the final venue jointly. Reed looked forward to building on the success of the soldout 2012 CONCACAF women's Olympic qualifying tournament that was held at B.C. Place.
He said the stadium's new retractable roof, which was installed after the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, and upgraded suites and seats which meet FIFA standards also appealed to the governing body.
All games during the CONCACAF tournament in January 2012 were sold out as only lower-bowl seats were open. During the World Cup, all seats will be available.
"We've got good facilities across Canada," said Reed. "But, I think, at the end of the day, FIFA looked at B.C. Place and determined that that was obviously the best [place] for them."
Montreal and Edmonton will host semifinal games in the tournament that runs June 6 to July 5 in six Canadian cities.
"Vancouver for the final was part of trying to reach our goal of 1.5 million ticket sales," said Sandra Gage, the event's chief marketing officer. "There are really three venues of the six host cities that are capable of reaching that number for us because of their capacities, so [they] would be Montreal, Edmonton and Vancouver.
"And, really, Vancouver is probably the newest stadium in Canada right now [of the host venues], with its refurbishment. So we felt that it was the appropriate place to [host] the final."
Artificial turf frowned upon
FIFA has frowned on using artificial turf in major men's events and professional leagues, because of concerns about a greater risk of injury. But Gage said the use of artificial turf has not been an issue in the women's game.
The Canadians, seeded No. 1 in the A pool, will open group play with two games in Edmonton and then move to Montreal for their next contest. Other nations will have similar schedules of two home and one away game in their first three contests.
"That is done with travel times, distance, time zones to ensure that [the schedule] is fair across the teams," said Gage.
In total, 52 matches will be played over 30 days with games also scheduled for Winnipeg, Ottawa and Moncton.
"Each of the groups will have a No. 1 seed in them, so all of the markets will have a No. 1 seed playing in them at least two times," said Gage.
Even if Canada does not reach the final, Vancouver fans will still get to see captain Christine Sinclair and company in action.
"Actually, if you look at the way the schedule is now, if Canada were to finish first in their pool, they would actually play a round of 16 and a quarter-final game here in Vancouver," said Gage. "If they do not [finish first], the quarter-final would be in Ottawa."
The schedule was unveiled during news conferences in Vancouver and Edmonton.
Vancouver Whitecaps president Bob Lenarduzzi said the selection of Vancouver as the final venue was a testament to the support displayed for the 2012 CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament.
"The venue is as good as you get anywhere in the world," said Lenarduzzi. "The province is one of the most beautiful places to visit. So to be hosting the world in July of 2015 is a very exciting prospect."
The Vancouver final, he added, will raise interest in his MLS club and "continue to move the game forward" in B.C. and across the country.
"There's no doubt in my mind that the legacy of that will be more young girls wanting to play the sport of soccer," said Lenarduzzi.
The World Cup draw will be held at a yet-to-be-named Canadian location after all qualifying games are complete in November 2014.


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During the first twenty years of our program's existence, we achieved many milestones in the field of transplantation. Our priorities for the next five years are to build on developments in both the laboratory and the clinic so that every patient who comes to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center for a blood stem cell transplantation procedure leaves a success story.
Memorial Sloan Kettering's doctors are working to improve the use of donor-derived T cells after a transplant to fight infections, and to prevent or reverse cancer relapse after a transplant. Research in gene therapy is also under way, with the goal of one day being able to transfer therapeutic genes into blood cells and immune cells to correct diseases of genetic origin. Clinical trials are vital to bone marrow transplantation. Read about the importance of clinical trials and learn about our newest clinical trials in our clinical trials section.
Another blood stem cell source is showing promise: studies have shown that infusions using cord blood stem cells, collected from the umbilical cord and placenta of newborns, are successful between matched siblings in the treatment of both genetic and acquired blood disorders and can also be used for unrelated adult patients.
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center investigators are also helping to develop two additional transplant techniques. Reduced-intensity transplants (RIT) use lower doses of chemotherapy and radiation in the preparative regimen, suppressing a patient's immune system just enough so that it cannot attack and reject the donor's blood stem cells. RITs rely on the patient's new immune system — growing from the donor's cells — to destroy disease. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center physicians use this approach for older patients, those with chronic leukemias and lymphomas and multiple myeloma, or patients who cannot tolerate standard transplants due to poor overall health.
In a tandem stem cell transplantation — sometimes referred to as a "double" transplantation — an autologous transplant is followed six months later by a second transplantation, which is either autologous or an allogeneic reduced-intensity transplantation. Although the benefits of this procedure are still not fully understood, early results have shown that tandem transplants may improve the survival rate of some cancer patients.
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center laboratories are also making progress in blood stem cell transplantation research, with mouse models proving to be particularly helpful. Using mouse models allows us to mimic the transplantation process in humans. This helps us understand some of the major complications, like GvHD, that occur after a transplant. We can use this knowledge to develop therapies to treat these problems and to prevent them in the future.
Our investigators have advanced the use of adoptive cell therapies with T or natural killer cells after transplantation to treat or prevent infections, post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder, and disease relapse.
Memorial Sloan Kettering investigators have developed and used new strategies (including Interleukin-7 and Keratinocyte Growth Factor) to reduce the complications of immune deficiency after transplantation.


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Serving Wendell and surrounding areas919-374-0232
At Snapology we believe that children are meant to learn through play. When children are engaged in interactive, hands-on learning activities, their creativity flourishes and they show an increased interest in school. We help your child grow up with a thirst for knowledge. How do we do it? Snapology engages children ages 1-14 using LEGO® bricks, K'Nex and technology. While the kids are having fun with familiar toys, laptops and iPads, we sneak in the learning. Shh, don't tell them it's educational!
Snapology is the premier partner for STEAM programs, offering year-round programs in schools, community facilities, homes and in our Discovery Center. Kids have so much fun in our programs that they don't even realize they're learning!
With dozens of programs to choose from, there's something for everyone. From fun themed programs using LEGO® bricks and K'Nex® to STEM / STEAM programs, Robotics, Movie-Making, Drones and Video Game Design, your children will be engaged from the minute they walk in the door. Shh, don't tell them it's educational.
With dozens of programs to choose from, there's something for everyone. From fun themed programs using LEGO® bricks to STEM / STEAM programs and even Robotics, your children will be engaged from the minute they walk in the door. Shh, don't tell them it's educational.VIEW THE CLASS SCHEDULE
Interested in having Snapology come to your school or community? We're always looking to expand our programs. Fill out the form below and we'll be in touch!
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A truly amazing indoor play center where your kid(s) can make friends and have tons of fun. Their imaginations will soar in our educational, clean and safe atmosphere. Yes, Snapology features areas with LEGO® building toys and activities, but our focus is on interactive activities for children and educational play of all kind. It's a makerspace like no other. Help your kid become a maker kid! Best of all, you can drop them-off* while you run errands, shop or dine in-or-around the area.
* Drop off for children ages 5+
"Thank you for an awesome birthday party for my son. Our "helpers" couldn't have been better. This was the least stressful birthday we have ever had, and we are very appreciative. The kids had a blast and we'll recommend Snapology to our friends! You have the best birthday party around!"
"Our students really enjoyed the Snapology after-school program. They were engaged and had great feedback about the instructor and quality of the program. Thank you for offering such a great program. We look forward to bringing a Snapology program to our students next year."
"My son attended two Snapology camps this summer and each week he was so thrilled to go! He wished they were a lot longer. He says it's the best summer camp he's ever been to. He learned so much and had so much fun. What a great program you have! We look forward to next year!"
All parties include a birthday theme and a certified Snapology party instructor who sets-up, cleans-up, provides supplies and leads all activities.
$200 all ages
90 minute party at chosen venue
Your choice of theme
Up to 12 guests
Additional guests $10 each
Snapology T-shirt for the birthday child
$225 ages 8+
90 minute party at chosen venue
Motorized amusement park ride LEGO® build
Up to 12 guests
Additional guests $10 each
Snapology T-shirt for the birthday child
$250 ages 7+
90 minute party at chosen venue
LEGO® robotics build activity of your choice
Up to 12 guests
Additional guests $10 each
Snapology T-shirt for your birthday child
Treat Bags: $8.99 each
Take-home Mini-figures: $3.99 each
Snapology offers the best summer camps the surrounding area. We offer camps and workshops year-round, including spring break camps, summer camps, holiday break camp and camps during teacher in-service days. Your kids will love our fun camp topics and themes. Shh, don't tell them it's educational!
Snapology provides interactive, STEM / STEAM programs for children featuring technology and/or popular building toys (such as LEGO® bricks and K'Nex® toys). We provide a dedicated Snapologist to teach your scouts, as they work in pairs to promote team building and earn badges, pins and awards. Snapology STEM scout patches are available at an additional cost.
Need a customized event? We'll design one to accomplish your desired goal or achieve a scouting pin, badge or award. We offer dozens of scouting activities for your group.
Use laptops and LEGO® bricks to build and program a robotic model. It's one our favorite scouting activities.
Design a light saber out of LEGO® bricks to withstand several challenges. Perfect for your scouting event.
Use LEGO® bricks and Snapology models to create a simple machine, such as a catapult, crane or windmill. Earn a scouting badge, pin or award.
Is your troop looking to earn STEAM Badges? Look no further than Snapology of Wendell, NC who has a ton of specially tailored programs for STEAM badges.Read More>
There are many different programs at Snapology of Wendell that allow your child to have hands-on experience with robotics!Read More>
There are many different programs at Snapology of Wendell, NC that allow your child to have hands-on experience with robotics!Read More>


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Talk:Timeline of Orthodoxy in America
"Although school children are no longer taught that Christopher Columbus discovered America, what they are not told - and what is not generally known - is that the first European to set foot on the New World was an Orthodox Christian, some five hundred years before the Roman Catholic Genoan. Who was he? ..." "Orthodox America. Orthodox Christians in North America 1000 Years Ago" by Priest Andrew Phillips