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No. 94,709
Under the facts of this case, where the plaintiff agreed not to execute against the defendant should punitive damages be awarded, and the defendant's insurance company, which was the only other party, could not be required to pay punitive damages, it was appropriate for the trial court to dismiss the punitive damages claim.
Appeal from Harvey District Court; RICHARD B. WALKER, judge. Opinion filed December 1, 2006. Affirmed.
Timothy J. King, of Speth & King, of Wichita, for the appellant.
J. Franklin Hummer, of Shawnee Mission, for the appellee.
Before McANANY, P.J., PIERRON, J., and BRAZIL, S.J.
PIERRON, J.: Ashley L. Pugh appeals the district court's decision to vacate her claim for punitive damages. She argues her agreement with Florencio Garcia Munguia not to execute personally against him for any punitive damages awarded to her does not prevent her from maintaining a claim for punitive damages. Munguia argues that the agreement not to execute renders the punitive damages claim moot and against public policy. We affirm.
Munguia stopped his car at a stop sign, and after pausing long enough to let a child cross the street, he drove across the intersection in front of an oncoming car. Pugh, the driver of the oncoming car, could not stop in time and struck Munguia's car. Munguia fled the scene of the accident. A subsequent police incident report showed that Munguia had a blood alcohol level of .176, over twice the legal limit of .08. Pugh suffered head, neck, and back pain as a result of the collision. She sued Munguia to recoup medical expenses stemming from injuries she had sustained in the collision.
The district court granted Pugh's motion to amend her petition to allow for punitive damages against Munguia. The court based its decision on Munguia's elevated blood alcohol level and the fact that he had fled the scene of the collision.
Pugh's and Munguia's attorneys held a conference call with the district court. Munguia's insurance company provided him with counsel, J. Franklin Hummer. Hummer discussed the possibility of Munguia stipulating to 100% of the liability for the accident and admitting liability for punitive damages. In return, evidence of Munguia's intoxication and flight from the scene of the accident would be excluded from the jury trial, and the jury would only hear evidence regarding the appropriate amount of compensatory damages. Pugh's counsel, Timothy J. King, requested that Munguia consult independent counsel before agreeing to the proposed stipulation.
Hummer hired attorney Thomas T. Inkelaar to consult with Munguia. Inkelaar and Munguia met for 1 to 1 1/2 hours regarding the proposed stipulation. Inkelaar stated to the district court that he was acting independent of the insurance company in advising Munguia, although the insurance company was compensating him for his time. After the consultation, Munguia agreed to stipulate to 100% of the liability for the accident as well as to liability for punitive damages.
Hummer faxed a draft stipulation to the district court, Inkelaar, and King. On the same day, King faxed Inkelaar an offer not to execute directly against Munguia on any judgment awarded against him in exchange for not stipulating to liability for punitive damages. After consulting again with Munguia, Inkelaar accepted King's offer not to execute. Inkelaar immediately notified Hummer of the new arrangement and asked him to withdraw the stipulation of liability for punitive damages.
Hummer then moved to modify the stipulation to conform to Munguia's intention not to admit liability for punitive damages. In the same motion, Hummer moved to strike the claim for punitive damages altogether.
The district court held a telephone conference with Hummer and King regarding the motion to amend the stipulations. Both King and Hummer agreed to amend the stipulation to reflect that Munguia would admit 100% of the liability for the accident, but not admit liability for punitive damages. Hummer then argued that allowing the punitive damages claim to proceed violated public policy.
Hummer argued that insurance companies were not responsible for punitive damages in Kansas. According to Hummer, because Pugh agreed not to execute on punitive damages against Munguia personally, and Kansas law prohibited her from collecting from the insurance company, the court should not permit the punitive damages claim to go forward. King countered that agreements not to execute are permitted under Kansas law, and so the punitive damages claim should proceed even if Pugh would not collect on it.
Permitting the punitive damages claim to proceed would enable King to put aggravating evidence in front of the jury–including Munguia's elevated blood alcohol level and flight from the scene--in the trial for compensatory damages.
The district court dismissed Pugh's claim for punitive damages as moot and against public policy. King filed an interlocutory appeal, which was denied by this court.
A jury trial was held to determine compensatory damages. The jury awarded Pugh $3,958.
On appeal, Pugh claims the district court abused its discretion in dismissing her punitive claim after she entered into a pretrial agreement with Munguia not to execute against him on any punitive damages that might be awarded.
A trial court judge has the discretion to grant a motion for punitive damages. See Lindsey v. Miami County National Bank, 267 Kan. 685, 689, 984 P.2d 719 (1999). Here, Munguia had a blood alcohol concentration over twice the legal limit and fled the scene of the accident. Based on these factors, the district court could reasonably find that a jury might determine punitive damages appropriate in this case.
After Pugh agreed not to execute on any punitive damages awarded against Munguia, however, Munguia moved to vacate the punitive damages claim. Pugh argues that her covenant not to execute on any punitive damages awarded does not prohibit her from seeking a judgment that includes punitive damages. Pugh distinguishes between an agreement not to execute on a judgment and an agreement to release Munguia from liability for punitive damages. According to Pugh, simply because she will not collect punitive damages does not mean that the court should bar her from presenting evidence of Munguia's elevated blood alcohol level and flight from the scene of the accident at trial. Pugh cites Glenn v. Fleming, 247 Kan. 296, 799 P.2d 79 (1990), for the proposition that agreements not to execute on a judgment are permissible in Kansas.
The types of cases that have recognized either postjudgment or prejudgment agreements not to execute, however, have all been where there was a release from payment on the judgment for the defendant in return for exclusively seeking payment from the insurance company for a valid amount. In Glenn, we indorsed the reasoning in the prejudgment case of Griggs v. Bertram, 88 N.J. 347, 368, 443 A.2d 163 (1982), finding such agreements are enforceable so long as they are conditioned upon good faith and reasonableness. Glenn, 247 Kan. at 318.
In Glenn, the defendant had a claim of bad faith against his insurance carrier that he assigned to the plaintiff after a jury verdict had been reached. In return, the plaintiff agreed not to execute the judgment against the defendant personally. Neither Glenn nor any of the other cases cited in Pugh's brief involved mere maneuvering to accomplish otherwise impermissible ends, such as arguing punitive damages solely for the purpose of introducing aggravating evidence at trial to increase the award for compensatory damages. As the district court indicated in its decision: "[T]here is no legitimate way in which any punitive damage claim could be assessed to or collected from the insurance carrier" or anyone else in this case.
In a trial otherwise devoted to deciding compensatory damages, evidence of intoxication and flight would be irrelevant or unfairly prejudicial. Cf. Ratterree v. Bartlett, 238 Kan. 11, 18, 707 P.2d 1063 (1985) (evidence of the smell of alcohol on defendant's breath would be more prejudicial than probative in car accident case, even when fault was disputed, when police determined alcohol was not a contributing factor to accident). If there is no justification for determining the appropriateness of punitive damages, evidence relevant only to that issue is superfluous. Pugh fails to explain why the court should permit her to pursue a "phantom" claim before the jury solely to permit admission of evidence that would otherwise be inadmissible or unduly prejudicial. Pugh does not have a right to pursue punitive damages:
"'Punitive damages are not given upon any theory that the plaintiff has any just right to recover them, but are given only upon the theory that the defendant deserves punishment for his or her wrongful acts and that it is proper for the public to impose them upon the defendant.'" Smith v. Printup, 262 Kan. 587, 602, 938 P.2d 1261 (1997).
Had Pugh entered into a covenant not to execute with Munguia prior to filing her motion to add a claim for punitive damages, the district court would have been well within its discretion to deny the motion to amend in light of the covenant.
The district court reasonably based its decision on the purpose of punitive damages. Punitive damages serve two public purposes–punishment and deterrence. Hartford Accident & Indem. Co. v. American Red Ball Transit Co., 262 Kan. 570, 574-75, 938 P.2d 1281, cert. denied 522 U.S. 951 (1997). Kansas public policy requires that payment of punitive damages "'"rest ultimately as well as nominally on the party who committed the wrong; otherwise they would often serve no useful purpose. The objective to be attained in imposing punitive damages is to make the culprit feel the pecuniary pinch, not his guiltless guarantor."' [Citation omitted.]" 262 Kan. at 575 (quoting St. Paul Surplus Lines Ins. Co. v. International Playtex, Inc., 245 Kan. 258, 777 P.2d 1259 [1989]). In fact, Kansas public policy opposes insurance coverage for punitive damages. 262 Kan. at 585.
The district court held that no public policy purpose would be achieved by allowing a claim for punitive damages in this case. As the court noted, neither party's position ultimately changes as a result of allowing or disallowing punitive damages. The dual purposes of punishment and deterrence are avoided by the agreement not to execute against the defendant, and public policy prevents recovery for punitive damages from the insurance company. Punitive damages serve no useful purpose in this context.
Consequently, Pugh's agreement with Munguia not to collect punitive damages renders the issue of punitive damages moot. "An appeal will not be dismissed as moot unless it clearly and convincingly appears the actual controversy has ceased and the only judgment which could be entered would be ineffectual for any purpose and an idle act insofar as rights involved in the action are concerned." In re M.R., 272 Kan. 1335, Syl. ¶ 2, 38 P.3d 694 (2002). Here, Munguia has indeed shown "clearly and convincingly" that any judgment entered into would be ineffectual. Even if this appeal were granted, a new trial would not change the positions of the parties. Neither party disputes the amount of compensatory damages awarded by the jury, and there is no one against whom to enforce an award of punitive damages.
Pugh has not been legally harmed by the district court's decision in this case. Even if there were some error in vacating the claim for punitive damages, the error would be harmless. Harmless error is error which does not prejudice the substantial rights of a party. It affords no basis for reversal of a judgment and must be disregarded. Printup, 262 Kan. at 603. Pugh does not argue on appeal that the amount of compensatory damages is contrary to the record. In fact, the jury's verdict clearly covered her medical bills.
Last, Pugh is not arguing that the agreement not to execute is somehow invalid. Both parties recognize that Pugh is prohibited by Kansas law from recouping punitive damages from the insurance company. Pugh made a strategic decision in this case to enter a nonexecute agreement; this is not an error by the district court. A new trial to redetermine the compensatory damages is unnecessary. There is no relief that the appellate court can provide, and the district court's ruling is affirmed.


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Do you have a special ritual or method for getting through the checkout lane in a speedy manner? Some of my readers do, and I found many of their tips so thoughtful and clever that I'm going to share some this week.
"Dear Jill,
I've never encountered rude customers in the lane when couponing. For the people that do, I wonder if these shoppers weren't quite ready to present their coupons when they reached the cashier. It might be good to give those who are new to the game a few suggestions.
To prevent a backup in the line behind me, the following seems to work:
1. Put applicable coupons in an envelope as you pick up your items.
2. When you are ready to check out, stop in a quiet store aisle to prepare.
3. Get your store loyalty card out and place it in the same envelope.
4. Find your credit or debit card, or your cash and add to the envelope.
5. Put everything in an outside pocket of your purse.
6. Now you are ready to hand over your loyalty card and unload your basket.
7. Hand your coupons to the cashier as he/she reaches the end of your order.
8. The cashier will complete scanning the coupons before the bagger is done.
9. Scan your credit/debit card or fork over your cash.
10. Voila! No complaints or annoyed people in the line behind you!
Keep up the good work!
Mary J."
"Dear Jill,
I have a tip for making your cashier's life easier when checking out. When I have coupons for buy buy-one-get-one-free or totally free products, I'm sure you know the cashier has to type the price of the item in to make the coupon go through. I make this easy for the cashier by leaving any of those products I have free coupons for in the cart until the rest of the checkout belt is loaded. I put them up last. Then, when I hand over my coupons, I put the free coupons on the top of the pile. When the cashier scans them and they beep, the prices of those items are still on the register screen because they were the last to scan. At my store, the cashiers really like it when I do this and I get out quicker too!
Lorraine L."
"Dear Jill,
I am surprised how many people don't get their coupons ready before they go to checkout. By ready, I mean go through them and get all the ones you plan to use together in the front of your wallet. I remember you talking about this as what you do too, but it really saves time. It is much easier to just get the coupon ready when you put that item in the cart, and when you go to the checkout, hand over the pile.
Nina T."
I agree! This is the method I use too. As I walk through the store and add an item to my shopping cart, I pull out the corresponding coupon and stick it in the pocket at the front of my coupon wallet. When I am ready to check out, all of the coupons I need are stacked together neatly. I hand them to the cashier, who scans them in. I pay, and I'm on my way!
At times I've been behind couponers who are furiously digging in their wallets or files trying to find that last coupon � the "I know it's in here somewhere!" syndrome. Why put others through that? Take a few extra moments before you get to the lane and get everything in order. Everyone, including you, will have an easier experience.
Smart Living Tip: I'm sure you've heard the old adage: "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Something similar could be said for couponing. Spending a small amount of time getting your coupons in order before you reach the checkout lane helps prevent delays for the cashier � as well as disgruntled shoppers behind you.
� CTW Features
Jill Cataldo, a coupon workshop instructor, writer and mother of three, never passes up a good deal. Learn more about Super-Couponing at her website. Email your own couponing victories and questions to firstname.lastname@example.com.

subset: commoncrawl


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Events Management is dedicated to the success of Barnard's numerous on campus events and activities. We coordinate the scheduling of on-campus events and provide event consultation and advancement for students, faculty, staff, and administrators.
Our team helps event organizers determine the best spaces and set-ups for events. We work directly with the fulfillment department, such as Facilities Services, Public Safety, and Instructional Media and Technology Services to arrange the necessary logistical support. Additionally, we assist in finding appropriate resources such as publicity and catering, and work with event organizers on registration needs, along with providing day-of support for selected events.
From simply locating the best room to managing the most complex conference, our staff is here to help!


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Living in London – Live as a Londoner: Part 1
Living in London means that you will be living in one the most exciting and fascinating cities in the world. London is also one of the most important and most visited tourist attractions on the planet, but if you are moving to London you will want to fit in as fast as possible and live life as a Londoner not as a tourist. Here are some great tips that will help you get settled into your way of life as quickly as you are settled into your new London rental.


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They're baaaaack! While the all new season of Keeping Up With The Kardashians doesn't debut until August 22, the season 5 trailer has now been released.
If there's one thing certain by the new clip released by the E! network, it is that wherever the Kardashians go, drama is sure to follow them.
In the new season preview, we get to meet Kim Kardashian's new man Miles Austin(whom she has since broken up with), we learn some TMI information about Khloe Kardashian's lady parts, and Kourtney Kardashian continues her roller coaster relationship with beau Scott.
We also see an irate Bruce Jenner, as he gets upset with wife Kris Jenner because she's flirting with a much younger man. "You're hitting on him as much as he's hitting on you. I don't want my wife fooling around with some young kid," yells Bruce at her. Kim is also seen making out with her bodyguard and Miles .
The preview clip is below –
It other Kim K news, it seems Kim Kardashian is fearless. Just months after receiving death threats from Justin Bieber fans, after tweeting of a photo of the two of them together, the two are now back at it in a new cougar creepy-ish Elle magazine spread.
Elle released some new photos yesterday from the shoot Kim did with 16-year-old teen pop sensation. As for the explanation for the random shoot, Kim blogged, "Remember those paparazzi pics of me and Justin Bieber in the Bahamas!? Well, I can now reveal that we were shooting for Elle Magazine! The theme of the shoot was The Graduate, for obvious reasons, LOL."
Kim Kardashian and Justin Bieber
Kim Kardashian, Justin Bieber in Elle Magazine
Kim Kardashian and Justin Bieber on the Beach


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Earlier last month, OCZ decided to launch a Far Cry 3 bundle that was available with its flagship Vector SSD, but only with 256GB and 512GB models.
Today, we have been informed that the bundle was extended to the entire Vector SSD range, so even those that buy the cheapest 128GB Vector SSD will be able to download the Far Cry 3 game.
The special offer is available for North America, South America, EMEA and Asia regions but excludes Africa and China. The download code expires on July 14th, 2013 so there is more than enough time in case you did not already download your copy.
All you need to do is, of course buy an OCZ Vector SSD, and head to this OCZ dedicated site.


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Follow RFF News on your cell phone. Text follow rff to 40404 you will receive txt messages with RFF News
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
okay, now my curiosity is up!!
Quote from: Texas_kimmie on October 24, 2006, 08:48:14 AMokay, now my curiosity is up!!Mine too! snicker.. wonder if I could get a trial membership for Real play.....
I stumbled on this today, maybe it will give us a way to watch the Chat tomorrow night."Reality TV's hottest couple is coming to Film.com. Big Brother All Stars Will and Janelle are having a live video chat Webcast and you're invited!Here's how it works -- come back to Film.com this Thursday, October 26, at 7 p.m. PT (10 p.m. ET) for free access to the chat Webcast. But if you want access to Will and Janelle, you have to join SuperPass. Only SuperPass members will get to ask Winelle chat questions. Then watch the star-crossed couple answer live. You can check back here for the link as we get closer to the chat, and of course check out my Ask Big Brother Blog for updates."http://www.film.com/story/bigbrotherallstars/12131996We can't ask questions during the chat but we can send them in ahead of time. I'm not worried about asking a question anyway. :hallo25 :hlol (Except about that grapefruit.....)
thanks for the update TexasLady ..so Will really is an ass ?
the only thing i have to say isJanelle you are NOT a princess, step away from that dam crownI wish she would put it on ebay so i can buy the dam thing a smash it to pieces
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United Arab Emirates Hotels
Number of hotels in this location - 40
Map Key:
Emerging as a must see location on a tourist's itinerary, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) offer expansive deserts, white sandy beaches and varied landscapes. Explore the desert on quad bikes, enjoy the luxury of Dubai with its famous Palm Islands and The World, admire the amazing architecture in Fujairah or visit the largest emirate Abu Dhabi, nicknamed the 'Manhattan of the Middle East' for year-round traditional events. For a more tranquil setting visit Ras al Khaimah with its tall striking mountains and azure seas.
Dubai International Airport is the world's busiest airport by international passenger traffic and sits just a few miles outside Dubai. The airport is served by Dubai Metro as well as buses, offering quick and easy transport into Dubai. Similarly, Abu Dhabi International Airport has excellent ground transport links to whisk you to your hotel.
- Dubai is the largest city in the UAE and is located on the northern coast overlooking the Persian Gulf. Famous as a playground of the rich and famous, it features super-luxurious hotels, enormous shopping malls and towering skyscrapers. The largest of these are the iconic Burj Al Arab and Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest man-made structure.
- Abu Dhabi is the seat of the UAE government and is a modern, advanced metropolis. Sports play a large role in Abu Dhabi's tourist industry. The Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium is currently home to the Pakistan national cricket team and has also hosted Indian Premier League games. The Yas Marina Circuit hosts the F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as well as other motorsport events.
- The Dubai Mall is the largest shopping mall in the world and features over a thousand shops as well as restaurants, cinemas and even a zoo! It is one of the most visited buildings anywhere on the planet and regularly attracts over 50 million visitors per year. Alternatively you could visit the Mall of the Emirates which houses the world's largest indoor snow park!
Choose Hotels by Availability
Hotels in United Arab Emirates
Abu Dhabi
The capital Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island surrounded by the crystal blue waters of the Arabian Gulf and some 200 offshore islands. Soon to be home to a new Formula One race circuit and a Guggenheim Museum, the new construction of Saadiyat Island reaffirms Abu Dhabi's status of 'Manhattan of the Middle East'. Expect impressive skylines, turquoise waters, manicured gardens and numerous fountains as a guarantee when visiting Abu Dhabi.
On the south coast of the Persian Gulf in the United Arab Emirates, Dubai is one of the world's fastest growing cities with a multitude of luxury Dubai hotels to choose from and is now known as the gateway to the Middle East. With year-round scorching temperatures, stunning scenery in the surrounding vast deserts and jewel blue seas, our hotels in Dubai are a popular choice for sun-seekers planning an exotic escape. Dubai boasts some of the most innovative examples of modern architecture, and the hotels in Dubai are amongst the most luxurious in the world. Signalling grandeur and wealth, recent developments of The Palm Jumeirah and The World Resort show Dubai's ambition to become one of the world's leading tourist destinations. Dubai is also the setting of the breathtaking Burj Khalifa, which is currently the tallest man-made structure in the world and a nearby attraction for visitors choosing our Dubai hotels. This extraordinary city is also a world-class shopping destination. Fusing traditional souks with ultra modern shopping malls close to many Dubai hotels, the city is home to Dubai Mall, the world's largest shopping destination. Whether you're hoping to splash some cash or simply soak up the glorious sunshine, our hotels in Dubai are the perfect choice when visiting this ground-breaking destination.
Please note that information contained in these location guides was correct at the time of research, but may be liable to change. Any mentioned attractions/points of interest can change or close. Maps are a guide only. If you do find any inaccuracies or know of something you feel deserves inclusion in our guides, please email your comments to firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Tesla Motors will announce a new strategy tomorrow that its customers will like, CEO Elon Musk said on Twitter today.
There's a lot going on with Tesla these days, so it's hard to guess what the new approach will be.
Our best bet is that it's a new way to change laws in many states that prohibit automakers from selling cars directly to buyers (as opposed to doing it through dealerships).
Musk has been on the campaign trail this month in Texas, and has been making progress in Virginia and New York lately.
Just how Tesla could change its approach — which has consisted mostly of petitions and lawsuits so far — is unclear.
The last time Musk promised a big announcement, it was a new financing scheme that is a hybrid of owning and leasing a Tesla Model S, and uses some questionable math.
Here's Musk's tweet:
Announcement of new @teslamotors strategy tomorrow. Tesla owners will like this. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 25, 2013
Earlier today, Musk teased Tesla haters on Twitter, as the company's shares are up 2% today, hitting a new 52-week high.
Get the latest Tesla stock price here.


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Everyone who cares for your child – from babysitters to adult relatives – should be trained on the basics of diabetes care and what to do in an emergency.
Finding a Safe Diabetes Sitter
This can be a big challenge for parents of kids with diabetes. One great way to find an experienced babysitter is to meet other families like yours.
Through the American Diabetes Association's Family Link, Diabetes Camp or other events, you can meet other families of kids with diabetes.
Together you can brainstorm some babysitter options including:
- Taking turns watching each other's kids.
- Training a babysitter together.
- Placing an ad in a local university's newspaper for someone with diabetes-related experience, especially if the school has a nursing program.
- Recruiting a teen or young adult with diabetes, or an older sibling of a child with diabetes.
Training a Safe Diabetes Sitter
Before leaving your child in someone's care, it's important that the sitter knows that every person with diabetes is different – and so is their diabetes care plan.
Be prepared to train every baby sitter to know:
- What to do in an emergency situation. Describe when and how to administer glucagon. Show your babysitter where all of your emergency supplies are kept. Make sure your babysitter knows how to reach you with a question or in an emergency.
- How and when to check blood glucose (blood sugar) and ketones. Demonstrate how to use your child's meter, and then ask your babysitter to practice preparing the meter and checking your child's blood glucose level.
- Your child's target blood glucose range. Provide detailed instructions on what to do if the blood glucose level is high or low.
- How to administer insulin. Demonstrate the process and let your babysitter practice, if possible. Write down your child's insulin regimen clearly so the correct dose is given.
- Your child's signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia and what to do if these occur
The American Diabetes Association's Safe Diabetes Sitter Guide can help parents prepare a sitter to take care of their child with diabetes. Download a copy of the Safe Diabetes Sitter's Guide - a one page information sheet for parents to leave with the sitter.
Snacks and Mealtime
Provide foods you know your child will like. Involve your child in planning the meals and snacks to ensure he will be willing to eat what you prepare.
Give a schedule and menu to the babysitter for each meal and snack, and indicate how much insulin your child will need to cover each food.
If your child refuses to eat or wants something else, review substitute foods or ask the babysitter to call you with questions. Be sure to talk with your child about the importance of eating the meal or snack.


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If You Don't Care About The NSA Because You 'Haven't Done Anything Wrong,' You're Wrong
from the you-have-done-many-things-wrong deptCardinal Richelieu's famous line is:
If you give me six lines written by the hand of the most honest of men, I will find something in them which will hang him.It's easy to twist almost anything to be used against you if someone cares enough. And with a legal code that means people are committing, on average, three felonies a day (at least according to one estimate), it can be even worse.
That's worth keeping in mind any time someone writes off the NSA as not being an issue for them because they've "done nothing wrong." Driving home that point is an excellent short "Op-Doc" in the NY Times by filmmaker Brian Knappenberger, which has brief interviews with a bunch of great people (many of whom you'll hopefully recognize) explaining in very clear terms why you should absolutely care about the NSA. There are many reasons discussed, but a simple one, highlighted by David Sirota, goes back to that quote above. You can claim that you've done nothing wrong all you want. However, if someone really powerful decides they want to railroad you, you'd be surprised at how much it can be made to look like you've "done wrong." And when the NSA (or the FBI) can readily access all sorts of data about your life, their ability to build such a story increases tremendously.
Filed Under: brian knappenberger, haven't done anything wrong, nsa, privacy, surveillance


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Governments could slow — and even reverse — the growing epidemic of obesity by taking measures to counter fast food consumption, according to a study published today in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization.
Led by Roberto De Vogli of UC Davis, the study showed that fast food purchases were independent predictors of increases in the average body mass index (BMI) in the U.S. and 24 other wealthy nations from 1999 to 2008. Nations with stronger government regulations — such as producer protection, price controls, and stronger intervention on competition and taxes — experienced slower increases in fast food purchases and average BMIs.
De Vogli's research is the first to look at the effects of deregulation in the economy, including the agricultural and food sectors, and the resulting increase in fast food transactions and BMIs over time. It suggests that if governments take action to control food industries, they can help prevent overweight and obesity and its serious health consequences, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke and diet-related cancers.
"Unless governments take steps to regulate their economies, the 'invisible hand of the market' will continue to promote obesity worldwide with disastrous consequences for future public health and economic productivity," said De Vogli, associate professor in the UC Davis Department of Public Health Sciences.
Rather than looking at the density of fast food outlets or self-reported fast food consumption as researchers have done in the past, De Vogli and his colleagues compared data on fast food transactions per capita with figures on BMI, which is a standard measure of body fat based on height and weight. A person with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight, while a BMI of 30 or more is considered obese.
The study focused on high-income countries, but the findings are also relevant to developing countries as "virtually all nations have undergone a process of market deregulation and globalization — especially in the last three decades," De Vogli said.
The authors of the study found that while the average number of annual fast food transactions per capita increased from 26.61 to 32.76, average BMI increased from 25.8 to 26.4. Thus, each 1-unit increase in the average number of annual fast food transactions per capita was associated with an increase of 0.0329 in BMI over the study period.
The BMI figures revealed that the problem of unhealthy weight is widespread; people living in the all 25 countries included in the study were, on average, overweight.
The average number of annual fast food transactions per capita increased in all 25 countries. The sharpest increases were in Canada (by 16.6 transactions per capita), Australia (14.7), Ireland (12.3) and New Zealand (10.1), Norway (9.0) and the U.S. (8.6), while the lowest increases were in countries with more stringent market regulation, such as Italy (1.5), the Netherlands (1.8), Greece (1.9), Belgium (2.1), Portugal (2.6) and Spain (3.4).
"It's not by chance that countries with the highest average BMIs and fast food purchases are those in the forefront of market liberalization," said De Vogli. "Whereas countries with lower average BMIs and fewer fast food transactions have some of the tightest controls on food economies."
"This study shows how important public policies are for addressing the epidemic of obesity," said Francesco Branca, director of the Department of Nutrition for Health and Development at the World Health Organization (WHO). "Policies targeting food and nutrition are needed across several sectors, including agriculture, industry, health, social welfare and education. Countries need to take action to align the food supply with the health needs of the population."
The study authors also found that increases in BMIs could not be explained by increases in animal fat consumption or total calories, which remained close to constant over the course of the study.
"This was surprising," De Vogli said. "Fast food tends to be high in animal fats, which have been linked to unhealthy weight. The only factor that can partially explain the BMI increases is soft drink purchases."
De Vogli recommends that future research focus on categorizing food items according to levels of processing instead of fats and calories, which could help identify the specific determinants of overweight and obesity.
"The next step will be to study in detail what is done with food and how those processes alter calorie and nutrient content along with health," De Vogli said.
In addition to De Vogli, the study authors were Anne Kouvonen of Queen's University in Belfast and David Gimeno of the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. Their study, titled "Fast Food, Body Mass Index (BMI) and the Role of Market Deregulation: A Cross-National Time Series Analysis," is available at http://www.who.int/bulletin/en/
The research was funded by a grant from the Economic and Social Research Council in the United Kingdom.
UC Davis Health System improves lives by providing excellent patient care, conducting groundbreaking research, fostering interprofessional education and creating dynamic community partnerships. It encompasses one of the country's best medical schools, a 619-bed acute-care teaching hospital, a 1,000 member physician practice group and the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing. Together, they make UC Davis a hub of innovation that is transforming health for all. For information, visit healthsystem.ucdavis.edu
The Bulletin of the World Health Organization is one of the world's leading public health journals. It is the flagship periodical of WHO, with a special focus on developing countries. Articles are peer-reviewed and independent of WHO guidelines. Abstracts are available in the six official languages of the United Nations: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. The complete content of the journal is available free to readers worldwide through PubMed Central at http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/tocrender.fcgi?journal=522


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10 Questions to Answer as You Work to Build Your Blog Brand
Nov 17 2010
This post is a stop along Tanya Peterson's Blog Tour 2010. Tanya is the blogger behind Blogelina, where she writes about blogging your way to success. Be sure to check out all the other stops along the tour and enter to win $100 to use in improving your own blog!
10 Questions to Answer as You Work to Build Your Blog Brand
As you seek to make your blog known, there are several important questions to consider and answer:
What is the end purpose you want to accomplish?
First and foremost, when considering how to build your blog name and brand, you need to answer the why question. Why are you blogging? Having a clear idea – for yourself – of what you are seeking to achieve through all your hard work will focus your branding efforts and make your work more effective. Define your vision and all the other questions below will fall in line to make your branding efforts a success.
What are your goals to get to that purpose?
Now that you know more specifically what your vision is for you blog, decide on two or three goals for your blog. Make them as specific as possible. Where do you see your blog being in 5 years? Dream big. Is there a blog that you admire and want to emulate? Decide what goals would help you do just that.
What steps will you take to reach those goals?
Now that you have a couple of overarching goals, what steps are you going to take to reach those goals? Determine what you want to accomplish on your blog this year, this month, this week, and so on. Write down your goals. Revisit them often and revise them as needed.
Who is your target audience?
Now it's time to do a little research and determine who exactly it is that you want to reach with your blog. Who are you seeking to benefit? Try to be as specific as possible. Instead of just wanting to reach moms, decide to reach stay-at-home moms who blog. The more focused and specific that your niche is, the more success you will have in marketing to your reader.
Who are your competitors?
Do a little more research to answer this question. Look at the other blogs reaching your target market. What are they doing that works? What doesn't seem to be working? If the occasion arises, ask the bloggers in your niche about their success. How did they get to be where they are?
What do you have to offer above and beyond your competition?
Again, take a look at the other blogs in your niche. What are some things that you can offer to your readers that isn't already being offered? What about your blog will make readers visit it instead of the hundreds of others out there? Be sure to determine the answer to this question – and then use it in your advertising. Let people know why your blog is different… and why they'll love it!
When people think of you, what do you want them to think of?
When someone remembers your blog, what do you want to come to mind? Do you want them to think of how informative it was, how fun it was to read, how beautiful your design is, etc.? Pick one or two specific things to focus on and put your efforts into standing out in those ways.
How will you market your brand?
Will you use a recognizable image? Do you want people to know your face? What will be your elevator pitch?
Where will you market your brand?
You can have the best blog that features the most helpful content out there – but if you can't get it in front of the people who want to read it, it's going nowhere. Think about your target audience. Where are they hanging out? Where can you get in touch with them? Do some research and brainstorming to find out – and then get there and start talking about your blog.
Have you considered doing a Blog Tour?
Guest posting is a great way to get the word out about your blog – and to build your brand! If you're interested in going on your own guest posting tour around the blogosphere, you can find more information at my Blog Tour homepage.
Taking the time to answer each of these questions clearly in your own mind will focus your efforts in marketing your blog. More focus will then result in more success.Author: Aruni | Filed under: blogging, networking | Tags: blogelina, blogging, building your blog brand, guest post | 3 Comments »


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MAYOR Ed Koch once said that New York City is the place "where the future comes to audition." And that's something our Administration takes very seriously. In fact, we're bringing the spirit of innovation to every corner of the city. And by thinking creatively — by flipping the conventional wisdom on its head — by having the courage to try new things — we're gaining new ground on some of our most complex, longstanding challenges — like fixing our schools and protecting our environment.
We're also using innovation to change the way government itself does business — making us more efficient and more effective than ever before. A great example of this came to fruition last week when we unveiled a groundbreaking partnership with Microsoft. The technology giant has a long history of working with our schools and our government, but our latest partnership — the first of its kind — elevates our commitment to innovation to a whole new level.
Central to this agreement is a new licensing contract that significantly lowers our technology costs. In the past, the city's numerous agencies would each negotiate their own licenses and purchase their own software individually. But by leveraging city government's tremendous buying power, we've now been able to consolidate these dozens of agreements into one single license covering more than 100,000 city employees.
And instead of us purchasing a bundle of products for every employee, Microsoft has also agreed to charge us based on which applications our city workers actually need and use. Together, these improvements will produce an incredible $50 million in savings for the city over the next five years.
This new agreement also gives us access to Microsoft's latest tools and products — like "cloud computing," which is becoming an increasingly popular way for people to collaborate and access information. By storing some of our information on Microsoft's data servers, our employees are going to be able to work together online — regardless of where they are in the world. This will also take some pressure off the city's own computer servers, which means we won't need as much hardware or use as much energy — which will save us even more money.
And that really goes to the heart of what innovation can do for city government. By harnessing the power of data and technology, we're not just making government leaner, faster and more responsive. We're also making government more cost effective — and that's something that all New Yorkers can appreciate.
Tim Lyncecum See details


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Drug information provided by: IBM Micromedex
Meclizine is used to prevent and control nausea, vomiting, and dizziness caused by motion sickness. It is also used for vertigo (dizziness or lightheadedness) caused by ear problems.
Meclizine is an antihistamine. It works to block the signals to the brain that cause nausea, vomiting, and dizziness.
This medicine is available only with your doctor's prescription.
This product is available in the following dosage forms:
In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For this medicine, the following should be considered:
Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.
Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of meclizine in the pediatric population. Safety and efficacy have not been established in children younger than 12 years of age.
No information is available on the relationship of age to the effects of meclizine in geriatric patients. However, elderly patients are more likely to have age-related kidney problems, which may require caution in patients receiving meclizine.
Studies in women suggest that this medication poses minimal risk to the infant when used during breastfeeding.
Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with this medication or change some of the other medicines you take.
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.
The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:
Take this medicine only as directed by your doctor. Do not take more of it, do not take it more often, and do not take it for a longer time than your doctor ordered.
The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of this medicine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.
The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine.
If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.
Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light. Keep from freezing.
Keep out of the reach of children.
Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed.
Ask your healthcare professional how you should dispose of any medicine you do not use.
This medicine may cause some people to become drowsy or less alert than they are normally. Make sure you know how you react to this medicine before you drive, use machines, or do anything else that could be dangerous if you are drowsy or not alert.
This medicine will add to the effects of alcohol and other CNS depressants (medicines that make you drowsy or less alert). Some examples of CNS depressants are antihistamines or medicine for hay fever, other allergies, or colds, sedatives, tranquilizers, antidepressants, or sleeping medicine, prescription pain medicine or narcotics, medicine for seizures or barbiturates, muscle relaxants, or anesthetics, including some dental anesthetics. Check with your medical doctor or dentist before taking any of the above while you or your child are taking this medicine.
Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:
Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:
Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Portions of this document last updated: April 01, 2019
Original article: https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/meclizine-oral-route/description/drg-20075849
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A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.org," "Mayo Clinic Healthy Living," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.


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Click on the thumbnails to play the videos
I wished to send a quick note of thanks to the entire WarmlyYours staff.
We have worked with your company for a number of years and have found your customer service and reliability second to none. Just this past week we had a client who wanted to add a floor heat system to her bathroom area. Needless to say my Project Manager was in the process to begin laying the tile for the room.
The entire production of the bathroom area came to stop. We rushed a drawing off to your company for a quote and like clockwork your quoting staff came through and returned the quote in no time. It basically set the entire process up for success. We estimated the additional cost and in less that 24 hours had a confirmation from out client that this was in deed what she wanted. Again I called your company knowing the clock was ticking on our production schedule and again you come through with flying colors. Again, professionally and efficiently the order was put into production late into the evening way after the rest had gone home and the meeting had finished. The long and short of it is this. Our total production time down from start to finish was roughly 1 week. That was from first fax for quoting to product delivery to our location. It takes a highly professional staff to pull that off, and you did. We at Remodeling Designs, Inc. thank you for all that you do and the service that you provide to us.
I recently made a purchase with WarmlyYours and I just wanted to tell you how pleased I was from my initial phone call to the time I received my order. The Sales person was a pleasure to talk to when placing my order. I was also impressed upon opening my order to find everything packed and documented so nicely, seemed to be a personal touch. Really to throw in a screwdriver and tester, what more could I ask for. I have not yet installed the system in the bathroom, but already planning to order another one for the Kitchen. PS: You Web site is very well done and extremely helpful as well.
Fantastic product. Well written instructions and quality parts. I did the entire installation myself and it was very easy. Technical support calls were always answered immediately. Outstanding!
I installed the Warmlyyours system under a marble floor. I did it myself and found it relatively simple to do with easy-to-follow directions. The floor is so nice and warm that I've used it to convince my wife that we should do marble in two more bathrooms. I find myself walking into the bathroom to warm my feet on a cold morning. It's great!>
Difficult to describe how pleasant it is to step on a nice warm floor even when the outside temperature is well above freezing. We were really pleased with the installation and Warmlyyours was outstanding in providing all the information and material we needed. Thank You!
Outstanding! WarmlyYours.com has an excellent website. Qualified personnel assisted on the telephone. Ordering was easy and product arrived as promised. Installation instructions are excellent and the product is very easy to work with. The most important is - yes the floors are warm.
It has been great! The layout provided was "right on" and really helped. It is a great service to provide to your customers.
Wow, I am just as impressed with your service as I am with your product. Thanks for your quick & informative response. I look forward to doing business with you and your company in the near future. Sold, I'll take two!
Thank you for your prompt response. I must say I am very impressed with your customer service.
Thank you for your reply. Your explanation about the risk free operation in a damp concrete slab on grade was reassuring, certainly the best from all the suppliers I've contacted.
After Installing our first order from WarmlyYours, we encountered a problem with the final temperature of the floor. I contacted WarmlyYours and was rewarded with outstanding service after sale. Your company should be proud of the way it stands behind your product in every way and proud of it's commitment to customer satisfaction. I have dealt with many companies in the past, but yours stands with only a select few in integrity and service.
I love the floor in the morning. The warmth permeates the room. The bath is over the unheated garage, so it is a real improvement. Thank you.
This has been a really great addition to my home. This is the only source of heat in the room and it is a dramatic improvement from the electric baseboard heaterswe previously used. It works beautifully with the natural slate tile as it holds the heat for 4 hours after the thermostat heas turned off.
The floor heat is truly a marvel. Sometimes I don't want to leave the room because the floor is so toasty!
I really appreciate how well WarmlyYours has responded to our questions and concerns, and we really like the look and the quick heating operation of the towel warmers. We definitely plan to use them again in our future projects.
I would not hesitate recommending this company to anyone because of the superior customer service, product quality and variety, and competitive pricing. The detailed personalized installation plan (recommendation) is an added bonus. Customer service was very courteous, prompt and professional. Product shipment was also prompt as advertised.
We love both the towel warmer and the floor heater. My wife was originally pretty mad at me for making the investment and is now in love with me all over again.
Thank you for your support, and making it so easy and fast to get this going, you are amazing. Really.
Installation of the floor was easy and it works very well. Your installation instructions are very well written, easy to follow and have very clear instruction on what to avoid and what to be careful of. Thanks again.
I am amazed and delighted by your excellent customer service. When I do see anything come across my desk, I will work with you only."
I just received shipment that was ordered yesterday morning. Thank you for stepping up and making this happen for me. We like to borrow the term "the easy button" when someone like you makes matters painless… especially in a pinch. I'm hoping that you are going to be our salesperson from this point forward.
I wanted to call and thank you personally ... you guys have been wonderful to work with... everything is very neat, easy to take of... thanks for having such a great product and a great company.


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Reviewed by Morgan R (age 9)
I like books that are mysteries. This is a book thathas a mystery. I liked solving the mystery with the kids.
My favorite part is when Bigfoot pops out. I liked it very much. Eddie thought he was taking pictures of Bigfoot, but Bigfoot was behind him.
This is part of a series. "Leprechauns Don't Play Basketball." I like reading about the same characters. I felt as if I was in the woods and there was someone behind me. I was scared that Bigfoot was going to do something bad to them. I recommend this book to 3rd graders and anyone who likes mysteries.


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W.H.: Site works for 'vast majority'
The Obama administration said Sunday that it achieved its goal of making HealthCare.gov work for the "vast majority" of users after the disastrous start of enrollment in the president's signature health law.
The Obamacare website will be able to support more than 800,000 consumers per day, the administration said. And the site is now online more than 90 percent of the time, not including scheduled downtime for maintenance.
Story Continued Below
These are huge improvements for a site that was up an average of 43 percent of the time in October, crashing frequently, spewing error messages, thwarting millions of people who tried to visit it.
( Also on POLITICO: White House: We're getting it right — this time)
"The bottom line: HealthCare.gov on Dec. 1st is night and day from where it was on Oct. 1st," Jeff Zients, the management expert steering the repair mission, told reporters Sunday morning.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services says it has repaired more than 400 items on its "punch list" of bugs and needed fixes. The agency also said it reduced response times from 8 seconds in late October to less than 1 second and error rates are under 1 percent.
But when asked directly what work remains, Zients did not provide specifics. He said new rapid response teams will be ready to repair any bugs, which were not in place on Oct. 1 originally.
The real test will be when consumers get back on the site — and whether it performs.
Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), on a "This Week" panel, said the problems with Obamacare will continue to damage the president and his administration.
"The first impression here was terrible, and I think it will be an unfolding disaster for the president," Cole said. "This thing is going to be an unmitigated political disaster for the president."
Performance and stepped up enrollment now is critical for the administration - and for millions of people eligible for health insurance in the new exchanges. Those who want coverage by Jan. 1 - including several million distraught people whose current health plans were cancelled despite the president's assurances — have until Dec. 23 to sign up.
Challenges that remain include getting the "back end" of the site working better so it can send the health plans the enrollment data they need to get people covered.
( Understanding Obamacare: POLITICO's guide to the ACA)
An administration spokesperson said Sunday that people who have already tried to get on the site — not new customers — are the first priority in the coming days.
"While there is more work to be done, the team is operating with private sector velocity and effectiveness, and will continue their work to improve and enhance the website in the weeks and months ahead," the administration wrote in a report outlining its success.
For all the claims of improvement, Zients acknowledged that the site's overall performance isn't good enough and that work will continue on both the consumer experience and the inner workings of the site.
( PHOTOS: 10 Sebelius quotes about Obamacare website)
CMS officials acknowleged the "back end" remains a concern. That includes the features that send consumer applications and data to the insurance companies to finalize enrollment in a specific health plan.
"A number of the fixes that went into place this weekend in particular will significantly address some of the highest priority things that we know were a particular concern with those transaction forms," said Julie Bataille, spokeswoman for CMS.
Many of the early "834" files — which transmit the information to the insurers — had errors or duplication. Bataille said now that improvements have been made, the administration needs to see new "834" transaction forms go to the insurance companies to analyze the success or error rates. But she said the improvements to the applications and overall system will ensure that better data go to the insurance companies.


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Inspiration, ideas and information to help women build public speaking content, confidence and credibility. Denise Graveline is a Washington, DC-based speaker coach who has coached nearly 200 TEDMED and TEDx speakers--including one of 2016's most popular TED talks. She also has prepared speakers for presentations, testimony, and keynotes. She offers 1:1 coaching and group workshops in public speaking, presentation and media interview skills to both men and women.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Henrietta Wells dies at 96
She's been the most-read-about person on this blog, with thousands of visitors coming to learn more about her. Today,we learn of the death of Henrietta Bell Wells--the lone female debater on the historic Wiley College debate team in the 1930s, depicted in the recent movie The Great Debaters--at age 96. (Read all our posts about Wells here.) Wells was the lone surviving member of the team, which won the first interracial college debates. You'll find the New York Times obituary includes quotes from our exclusive interview about Wells with Jeff Porro, story developer for the movie, and many of the resources you've already seen on this blog. The obit includes photos of Wells with the team, and as she appeared recently. In the wake of the movie, many colleges are reviving the old-style debates and--judging from the interest in our coverage on this blog--thousands of readers have found her an inspiration.
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AASA's Hurricane Sandy Relief Efforts to Help Schools Ravaged by Storm
Thank you for all of your interests, donations, and participation in helping 22 districts recover from Superstorm Sandy. AASA is no longer facilitating district-to-district exchanges but you can continue to make monetary contributions through AASA's Urgent Need Mini Grants:
AASA1615 Duke StreetAlexandria, VA 22314ATTN: Accounting - Hurricane Sandy
AASA1615 Duke StreetAlexandria, VA 22314ATTN: Accounting - Hurricane Sandy
This devastating storm has affected millions of people on the East coast. Thousands of children have been displaced and have no place to go, their homes and neighborhoods left destroyed. Efforts to rebuild affected areas will take years as communities work to restore homes, schools, roads, libraries. AASA believes that we all must reach out to lend a helping hand to those most in need. AASA's Hurricane Sandy Relief efforts will aid these ailing communities through a four-pronged response to the storm and its aftermath.
AASA DISTRICT-TO-DISTRICT EXCHANGEAASA and its members are working to assist districts and students in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. As we did after Hurricane Katrina, AASA will identify affected districts' specific needs and link those in need with school leaders across the country willing to donate resources. In these instances, AASA members have always shown solidarity for public schools and the children they serve.
AASA has organized an exchange to connect what districts are able to give with those most in need. We are regularly updating this list with information from districts we have heard from awhile also expanding the list to other affected areas:
For those interested in donating to students and schools in need in these districts, we ask that you contact us at email@example.com. We will connect your school district with the one in need for a seamless donation.
We thank you for your willingness to donate, as your efforts will assist those working to pull their schools and communities back together after this terrible event.
WAYS SCHOOLS CAN HELP VICTIMS OF HURRICANE SANDYStudents, staff, and families of the schools impacted by Hurricane Sandy will have many needs in the coming months as they continue to realize the extent of their losses. Schools across the country have the capacity to help those in need. Here are some ideas and suggestions for how you can help:
AASA's URGENT NEED MINI-GRANT PROGRAMThe American Association of School Administrators (AASA) developed the Urgent Need Mini-Grant program in 2002 to help public school districts meet the urgent health, mental health, education, and social service needs that impact poor children and their families. Every day you see the kinds of hardships faced. And, as school administrators, you know how the smallest kindness can enhance a child's life…make them feel good about themselves and more connected to school.
This year, the AASA Urgent Need Mini-Grant will, through your membership and goodwill, provide funds to assist both children and families affected by Hurricane Sandy AND those children and families in school districts who need a leg up.
In 2009, AASA awarded monetary grants to 16 school districts for dental health, school uniforms, winter clothing and coats, school supplies and more as a result of the Urgent Need Mini-Grant Program. AASA strongly encourages those districts serving children affected by Hurricane Sandy to apply for this opportunity. For more information and to apply click here.
Follow @AASAHQ and @AASATotalChild for more information as it becomes available. For immediate questions, email email@example.com.


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Tents and canopies allow you to hold outdoor events in comfort and style regardless of the weather. If you are looking for tent and canopy rental in Chicago for your wedding reception, banquet, or other special occasion, Arlington Rental has the equipment you need to ensure your event is a success.
Include Installation


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By Lisa Capobianco
Staff Writer
From red heart cutouts and cupids to hand-written poems to images of red roses, the Barnes Museum has displayed a variety of different Valentine's cards throughout the month of February, featuring many of the original embossed stamped and postmarked envelopes that date back to as early as 1855.
These Victorian and early 20th century Valentines, displayed throughout the lower level of the homestead, were sent to family members of the Bradley Barnes family by various friends and relatives, most of which signed the cards anonymously with the date and the word "town" or "Southington."
"They were mailed that day and delivered that day," said Barnes Museum Curator Marie Secondo, adding that it was common not for the secret admirers to reveal their names in the cards in those days. "Back then it was such a romantic thing to show your affection."
As a child, Bradley Barnes received a variety of Valentine's cards and notes from secret admirers, some of which were sent from girlfriends from school, including Mable Ives, Secondo said. The museum also displays a valentine that Bradley's mother, Alice, received from a secret admirer who wrote, "Your affection is my ambition," in 1859.
Purchased for a few cents at a local store, many of the Valentine cards, printed blank inside, originally had a plain style, but people embellished them by gluing on flower-shaped cut-outs, doilies, or other images and hand-wrote their own message. A variety of the cards also featured three-dimensional images on the front.
"Valentine's Day in those days must have been so romantic," said Secondo, adding that Victorian and early 20th century Valentine's cards were more personal during those time periods.
One card displayed in the exhibit was even addressed to "Fluffy Harriman Barnes," the pet cat of the Bradley Barnes family. Sent from Columbus, Ohio in the 1920s, the front of the card featured a white cat with a heart on its leash—a Valentine from Fluffy's original owner.
"I think it's a pretty impressive collection," said Secondo, referring to the entire Valentine ephemera exhibit.
The Barnes homestead also displays various cards and letters Bradley made exclusively for his parents on Valentine's Day. Using a piece of paper from a pad he received one year from his grandmother, Bradley also wrote a Valentine's letter to his parents during recess, including a poem at the end. At age nine, Bradley addressed a heart-shaped Valentine of a lock and key to his mother. At the age of 14, Bradley also drew a picture for his parents along with a short poem.
"[The drawings] look like he did them yesterday," said Secondo, pointing to the original drawing Bradley made for his parents on Valentine's Day.
As an adult, Bradley Barnes received numerous cards of affection from his wife Leila on Valentine's Day, including one addressed with the message, "To My Hubby on Valentine's Day." Another card features the image of a woman holding a red heart adorned bearing the message, "Say something it's up to you, Brad dearest, xxxxxx," while her sweetheart hands her flowers.
"I like how she writes 'Brad dearest,' with kisses," Secondo said. "He always gave her pink carnations for Valentine's Day."
Besides Valentine cards, the Barnes Museum has also displayed for the first time a collection of paper dolls from 1894 that Mrs. Bradley Barnes (Leila) received as a child,
and Bradley Barnes' Circus cutouts from 1896.
"Back then, they really cherished the things they obtained over the years," Secondo said. "These are the things the kids played with back then."
Viewing the collection of paper dolls, Secondo said they are still in excellent condition even though they date back to the end of the 19th century. Besides collecting these dolls from companies like Hood's Sarsaparilla, which sold remedies, Leila also made doll dresses using brown paper bags and doilies.
"They savored things from their past," Secondo said.
By mailing in various labels from early products, Bradley received the circus collections for free from Richardson Silk Co. The collection, consisting of 24 circus pieces, has marketing advertisements printed on the reverse sides promoting their products. Between bears and elephants, the circus figures contained small clips on the back, so they could be arranged in various ring acts. The Circus products also include the original coupon offer to receive free tickets to the Barnum and Bailey Circus during their 1896 season by mailing in 50 tags from silk thread spools.
"This was special to him…and he just never found it in his heart to throw it away," Secondo said.
Visitors can view the ephemera collections during regular museum tour hours, which are Monday-Wednesday and Friday from 1-5 p.m., and Thursdays until 7 p.m. and for large groups or private tours, arrangements in advance are available upon request. The museum will also be open Saturday, Feb. 22 from 1-5 p.m., but will be closed on Lincoln's Birthday and President's Day on February 17.
Barnes Museum displays Valentines
By Lisa Capobianco


text: Nature of poverty Millions of Indians need a helping hand. An ideological schism at the top reflects the uncertainty about how to do this. Samar Halarnkar writes. columns Updated: May 24, 2012 19:32 IST Samar Halarnkar Hindustan Times In the village of Marenahalli Bunde — a settlement of quarry workers supplying Bangalore with stone for its seemingly unceasing building boom — I recently listened to 30-year-old Kayelveli (she uses one name), a third standard dropout, who narrated how she toiled from daybreak to dusk."It takes a week to bash a truckload of stone," she told me on the windswept bluff of the quarry, a giant, ugly gash about six storeys deep. Kayelveli, an energetic woman with jasmine in her hair and a smile on her round face, was not unhappy with life. Though her husband died of a heart attack three years ago, her 10-year-old daughter, Kirtishri, was a fourth standard student at a school for poor, young achievers. The Rs 6,000 that Kayelveli earned every month was enough to buy food from local farmers for herself and her younger daughter and install a satellite-television dish on one of the sticks supporting her two-room shack. Kayelveli does not have a ration card and is not officially recognised as poor. "It's a hard life, but it is better than before," she said, "And I know my children will escape this."No optimism was evident when, a few months earlier, I met 25-year-old Rajkumar, a tired-looking, clean-shaven odd-jobs man — in other words, unemployed — as he watched over his tuberculosis-afflicted wife, Rekha (both use one name), in a spare hospital in a shabby backstreet of old Gurgaon, a 20-minute drive from the chrome-and-steel towers of its flashy, globalised avatar. Their only satisfaction was that Rekha was getting free medical care, thanks to the National Health Insurance Scheme, which charges Rs 30 and covers medical expenses up to R30,000 for families with ration cards. "This system works for people like us, but I do not know what will happen now," said Rajkumar, an 8th class pass. "I need a steady job more than anything else, but I have no qualifications." As UPA chief Sonia Gandhi prepares to give her verdict next week on the uproar over India's official poverty line — declared as the ability to spend Rs 32 every day in urban areas and Rs 26 in rural — the stories of Rajkumar and Kayelveli indicate that India's anti-poverty measures require rewiring and alignment with a word that increasingly defines 21st-century India: aspiration.Those on the left of the debate, including Sonia Gandhi, believe India underestimates the numbers of the poor. The official figure is about 400 million; the highest estimate is 800 million. They argue welfare spending must rise in what is one of the world's most unequal nations. One way to do it is, some say, to withdraw tax exemptions to India Inc, now worth Rs 4 lakh crore.Those on the right, including the prime minister, believe that India cannot afford to spend R4.5 lakh crore a year on the social sector. The benefits are uncertain (about 60% of food subsidies never reach the poor, for instance), at a time of slowing growth and a fiscal deficit tipped to hit 5% this year, instead of the budget target of 4.6%. Better, they say, to invest instead in India's collapsing infrastructure and push the most effective anti-poverty measure — growth. The truth appears to be somewhere in between; it requires a step back from established positions to create a blend of subsidies, investments and re-imagined public services. First, with growing uncertainties, economic and otherwise, safety nets are vital. As a new study from the advocacy group Action Aid warns, India is ranked seventh, ahead of Pakistan, Nigeria and 21 other countries, for its vulnerability in growing food and feeding its poor. So tenuous is the existence of those just above the poverty line, about 250 million people, that it takes just one health crisis to slip below, says a 2010 report by the Independent Commission on Development and Health in India. Yet, as Rajkumar explained, without a job, subsidised food and basic health care were, at best, band aids. In his village, 16 km from Gurgaon, farming is receding and there is little on offer for a semi-educated man.Second, welfare spending cannot be India's long-term fix. That can only come from investments in infrastructure and agriculture. As data from the world's largest jobs-for-work programme, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, indicates, the rural poor are better off than before, but digging ditches and ponds does not create strong assets, skews the labour market and could slow growth needed to generate real jobs. Third, as Kayelveli's story shows, India's poor are willing and eager to haul themselves up the ladder. In Marenahalli Bunde, the grim, backbreaking job of smashing stones had delivered mobile phones and satellite dishes to most of the village, even those in shacks. Fourth, those moving up the ladder need access to basic public services. As part of Hindustan Times' and Mint's 'Tracking Hunger' series, my colleague Pramit Bhattacharya recently chronicled the life of 'Pipeline', a precarious Mumbai slum — it literally sits atop a water pipeline — home to maids, drivers and others just below the lower middle-class. Most people here earn twice as much as the R32-cutoff, get no doles and can afford food. But they have no health care and sanitation. So, most children in 'Pipeline' are malnourished, as are nearly 80,000 in India's richest city. This is not to suggest that the malnourished, in general, are rich enough to buy food, especially at a time of record inflation. Poorer slums and India's most deprived tribal areas resemble a failed State with millions consigned to real, grinding poverty. The common thread is the failure to invest in public services. With only 1% of its GDP spent on healthcare, India will continue to house the greatest share of the earth's malnourished people. So, too, without more and better teachers, schools and universities, it will continue to produce semi-educated young people — and the statistic that only 15% of Indian graduates are employable. India must urgently decide how it can better returns on its investments. First Published: Oct 12, 2011 22:54 IST


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10 Beautiful Buildings Inspired by Famous Books
Truly wonderful books have a habit of growing and changing years after they've been written, worming themselves into places you might not expect — our decisions, our aesthetic and cultural sense, and even, with the right kind of care, our physical world. Case in point: Orhan Pamuk's Museum of Innocence, which opened in Istanbul last weekend, is an extensive museum (reportedly, he spent almost all of his 1.5 million Nobel Prize dollars on it) devoted to expanding on and complementing his recent novel, The Museum of Innocence. Since we can't make it to Turkey to experience the place for ourselves, we've collected a few other amazing buildings born from books — whether inspired by particular novels, stories, or a writer's entire oeuvre — to tide us over. Click through to see our gallery of real-life architecture inspired by literature from all over the world, and let us know if we've missed your favorite literary tribute in the comments.
The Museum of Innocence, inspired by Orhan Pamuk's The Museum of Innocence
In Pamuk's best-selling novel The Museum of Innocence, a man, Kemal, falls in love with a woman, Fusun. After a short affair and a long obsession, wherein he begins to collect things she has touched or that have some meaning to him, she leaves him forever. He buys her family's house and begins to fill it with the things he has collected, turning into a museum to her and his passion. Pamuk has created a museum of the same kind in Istanbul's Çukurcuma neighborhood, representing memories from the book entwined with his own. Our favorite exhibit has to be the collection of Fusun's 4,213 cigarette butts, each dated and affixed to a canvas that covers an entire wall. "The Museum of Innocence is not an illustration of The Museum of Innocence the novel. Neither is the novel an explanation of the museum. They are deeply intertwined because they are both made by me, word by word and object by object," Pamuk said at the museum's opening. The book comes with a free ticket to the museum, although those who purchased it upon its release in Turkish in 2008 have been waiting a long time to use it. Find out more at the museum's website.


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This is a work in progress. Feel free to fill in the blanks.
This is a sample Project User Profile based on the Project User Profile Template
Kivio is an easy to use diagramming and flowcharting application with tight integration to the other KOffice applications. It enables you to create network diagrams, organisation charts, flowcharts and more.
User Profile 1: For each group of users identified (or primary groups, or particularly special groups if many groups are defined), write a description of that user's characteristics based on a real user you know.
Use Scenario 1: For each task identified (or major tasks, or particularly special tasks if many tasks are defined), write a description of how that user would accomplish the task independent of how they would complete it within the application.
Use Case 1: If a use scenario has been implemented, include a matching use case which describes how the task use scenario can be completed in the application. There may be branching or multiple ways to complete the task, and this is a good way to document it.


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Would anyone know of visualizers or applications, that could isolate and simply visualize bass (guitar)'ish frequencies? No fancy artwork - just basic frequencies or notes.
I am asking from a learners point of view.
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Would anyone know of visualizers or applications, that could isolate and simply visualize bass (guitar)'ish frequencies? No fancy artwork - just basic frequencies or notes.
I am asking from a learners point of view.
This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason:
You're not likely to find a program that can identify the notes that the bass guitar plays in a complex musical composition. With sound editing programs (DAWs, or digital audio workstations), it can be easy to filter out high frequencies with EQ, and visualize the sound waves with some spectrum analyzer plugin. But what for?
If you need to get familiar with the sound, use your ears. Arm yourself with some patience, some loudspeakers with halfway decent bass response, and listen to all the different genres of music that prominently feature the bass guitar - ranging from jazz through rock through hip-hop through death metal. Listen to different kinds of bass players, and in different contexts - the bass can play funky slap solos, back growling grooves, or be a barely discernible frequency filler. It's an amazingly versatile instrument!
If you need to visualize notes on your fretboard, Guitar Pro has this feature. The sound quality's bad with Windows' MIDI sounds, and not much better with the "Realistic Sound Engine" packs, but there are tens of thousands of good Guitar Pro tabs on the Web. Guitar Pro is a great tool, but overrelying on it (and software, in general), especially when just starting out, can influence the way you understand music - and you might not like the result. Ask me - I'm a victim of the Guitar Pro syndrome!
It's better if you go to a lot of small local concerts where you can get close to the stage and observe the musicians - pay attention their music, their technique, their attitude.
And play. Nothing ever beats that. Try to figure out songs by ear - this is a very important skill for every musician. Someone must have created those Guitar Pro files from scratch, after all!
One thing that I do all the time to pick out the bass in songs is to throw in a DAW (such as Audacity or SoundTrack Pro) and put a low-pass filter on it. Then it is really easy to hear only the bass (and drums too, unfortunately).
Pitch up the music one octave in your DAW. Keep the speed to 100%. Add some low-pass filter. The bass lines come out an octave too high but are easy to hear. I have successfully transcribed James Jamerson this way.


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Confucius had said "By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest."
What will the students learn:
- Brief History of Tarot & How Tarot works.
- How Tarot is useful in Day-to-Day Life.
- Major Arcana & Minor Arcana.
- Various Spreads (like Three Card, Horse Shoe, and Celtic Cross etc.)
- How to read Tarot Cards for yourself and friends.
- Wheel of Life.
- Pendulum Dousing.
- Use of Healing Crystals.
- Psychology of Tarot.
- Client Reading Skills.
- Tarot & Divination.
- Tarot & Divination: Introduction
- Cleansing and Charging of Cards
So come and identify yourself with the Tarot deck and understand about the cards. It will help you get initiated your journey into wonderful world of tarot and mysticism.
- Desire to know more about the world of Tarot
- Intermediate and above
- Seven Classes of theory of two hour duration each twice a week
- Eight Practice Sessions of two hour duration each twice a week
Note:- The fee includes the Detailed Study Manual, Personalized Tarot card deck, Crystal Pendulum & Crystal Chart
- The time is flexible
- The classes are conducted on Saturday and Sunday
- Please confirm the time of the workshop before signing up
- The classes can be arranged for individuals as well
- Please confirm the time of the workshop before signing up
- The classes can be arranged for individuals as well


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By James Benavides
Public Affairs Specialist
(March 24, 2008)--The multimedia exhibit, "Arte Latina: Roar," will show the depth and excitement of Latina expression from April 3 to June 8 at the Blue Star Contemporary Art Center. Hosted by UTSA President Ricardo Romo and Dr. Harriett Romo, the UTSA Women's Studies Institute, the UTSA Mexico Center and the Blue Star Contemporary Art Center, the exhibition will include the work of 14 visual artists and six writers in a variety of media including painting, sculpture, photography, film, installations and the written word.
The works of Latina artists occupy a unique place in the world of artistic expression, yet often Latina artists are not included in mainstream venues, according to exhibit curator Arturo Almeida, UTSA art specialist and curator of the UTSA art collection. "Unifying artists by their gender and cultural roots inevitably responds to an undeniable pattern of exclusion," said Almeida. "But, what this show is about is bringing to light the unique vision and the indomitable spirit of the Latina artist. The themes of the exhibit will resonate well beyond Women's History Month."
"This is the first time in the history of Blue Star that we have had an exhibition exclusively about Latina visual and literary artists," said Bill FitzGibbons, executive director of the Blue Star Contemporary Art Center. "'Arte Latina: Roar' is an important event, and we look forward to an informative and provocative symposium."
Among the many notable works in "Arte Latina: Roar" is a photograph by Guillermina Zabala portraying a stark image of a young Latina, her face a canvas for scrawled words in black ink including "Sin Fronteras, Second Generation, Familia, Community, Borderland," among others.
Adriana Garcia's work, "Standing Tall," portrays a modern, working and empowered Latina surrounded in radiant light, evoking the cultural iconography of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
A striking series of photographs from Carolina Rubio shows Latina stereotypes with captions such as "La Ideal Wife, No Dice Nada. She Says Nothing." Rubio uses irony to reflect the forgotten position and voice of Latina women.
Among other contributors are artists Anita Valencia and Kathy Vargas and writers Norma Cantu, Raquel Marquez and Rosemary Catacalos.
Free and open to the public, the Blue Star Contemporary Art Center is in Suite 116 at Alamo and Probandt streets, San Antonio, Texas, 78204. Gallery hours are noon-6 p.m., Wednesday-Sunday.
For more information, visit the Blue Star Contemporary Art Center Web site or call (210) 227-6960.


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Where are those avocados?
A thankful life is a victory parade with Jesus.
Do you remember to thank Jesus after He has blessed you?
God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
- 1 John 5:11


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Android Scale Descriptions
Android Scale is the first wireless electronic scale display in the Android Market. With Android scale you can display the weight of an Elane Bluetooth scale. THIS IS A REAL WEIGHING SCALE. Not a "fun application" as many similar programs in the Android market - it allows precision measurements, calibration and matches with our other Android applications such as the FREE USPS Postage calculator. This software does not display a weight reading unless an ELANE bluetooth scale has been paired. Please don't leave comments about "no function" or "not working" - this application works very well with an ELANE Bluetooth scale. The ELANE Bluetooth scale can be bought in ebay or direct from Elane Electronics. Functions include: ANY WEIGHT Scale calibration, Tare, Hold, Zero, gr/oz switch. About Elane Electronics: We are the leading manufacturer and designer of postage computing scales, postal weighing scales, digital scales, specialized scales, and other scale products. We also design scales and software according to customer's needs and specifications. We can make any scale together with its software that will suit your needs and specifications. We build high quality and excellent scales at reasonable prices. We are ISO certified.