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Scoop: CHICAGO FIRE on NBC - Wednesday, February 13, 2013
"NAZDAROVYA!"02/13/2013 (10:00PM - 11:00PM) (Wednesday) : DAWSON PUTS HERSELF IN DANGER TO HELP HER BROTHER-Dawson (Monica Raymund) attempts to help her brother Antonio (guest star Jon Seda) unravel the details of his drugs-and-gang investigation, and goes behind his back in turning to an unlikely source for assistance. Casey (Jesse Spencer) and his mother, Nancy (Kathleen Quinlan) struggle with their new relationship. Meanwhile, as a favor to Lieutenant Whaley (guest star Shane McRae), Severide (Taylor Kinney) visits someone important from his past, while Herrmann (David Eigenberg) and Otis (Yuri Sardarov) learn some hard truths about their "silent partner" in the bar. Lauren German, Charlie Barnett and Eamonn Walker also star.

subset: commoncrawl


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Home >> Course Descriptions >> College of Business Administration
Database Management and Design
Three semester hours.
The objectives and methods of database management are covered. Topics include objectives of data and database management, data models, elementary database design, data dictionaries, data integrity, security and privacy. Actual use of a commercial database management system is required. Prerequisites: MIS 5300, MIS 5330, 5350 or concurrent enrollment.
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Appendix A - Appendix B - Appendix C - Appendix D


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Majime is an eccentric young man and struggling salesman with a major publishing company. His linguistics qualifications and his tenacity catch the attention of Nishioka and Araki, dictionary editors seeking a replacement for Araki himself, who needs to spend more time at his ailing wife's bedside. Together, they embrace the ambitious task of creating a new dictionary called The Great Passage, in an attempt to reconnect people with the magic and romance of words.
Meanwhile, back at his at the rooming house, Majime meets Kaguya, his landlady's granddaughter, who has just returned from culinary school. Her beauty, charm, and dedication to gourmet pursuits soon melt Majime's heart. When Matsumoto, the chief editor, learns of the chemistry between the two, he asks Majime to write the definition for the word "Love."
Based on Shion Miura's best-selling novel, this gently absorbing drama features an all-star cast and a healthy undercurrent of quirky humour that celebrates ordinary people locked in decidedly glorious endeavours. The Great Passage has been selected as the Japanese entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 86th Academy Awards.
Yuya Ishii
Tomo Tsuchii, Kimitaka Goka, Noritsugu Iketa, Yasuyuki Iwanami
Ryuhei Matsuda, Aoi Miyazaki, Jo_ Odagiri, Kumiko Aso, Kazuki Namioka
Director's Bio
Yuya Ishii
Yuya Ishii is one of Japan's most renowned young directors. His previous work, Sawako Decides (2010), was screened at the Berlin International Film Festival Forum in 2010, and he has received much acclaim both domestically and internationally.
Official Japanese Submission for Best Foreign Language Film— 86th Academy Awards
Fantasia Festival 2013, Vancouver International Film Festival 2013, BFI London Film Festival 2013, Hong Kong International Film Festival 2013


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Thursday, 17 November 2011
Aunt Agathas and Amazon.ca
One of those classic, cold, gray, late fall day...the sky threatening, and then delivering. A mix of rain and snow. Michael and I were out in it - against all odds I got off the bed today. Returned the DVDs - then went for Indian food (which sadly wasn't all that great) then headed to a hardware store...and got caught in the sleet.
We stopped and bought a Christmas gift that needs to be mailed out...dear Lord, how quickly Christmas arrives! And a box of Christmas crackers. They're just about my favorite part of Christmas...popping the crackers, wearing the silly hats, reading the stupid jokes and trying to get the cheap plastic gift to 'work'. Can't imagine why those crackers just give me such pleasure, but I know Christmas wouldn't feel the same. I think it's just impossible to take anyone, or myself, too seriously with those hats. Just relaxes everyone. Like wine, with a small explosive.
After that we headed home to the apartment.
The really fun news is that the great folks at Aunt Agatha's bookstore in Ann Arbor (run by Robin and Jamie and very influential in the mystery writers/readers community) has chosen A TRICK OF THE LIGHT as one of their Best Crime Novels of 2011. You can get their full list if you go to Aunt Agatha's website. it makes a wonderful reading list, and Robin provides very thought reviews of each book, so you get a flavour before committing to the book. I'm just so thrilled about this...a genuine honour...especially given the other books and writers listed, as you'll see.
And - closer to home - Amazon.ca has named A TRICK OF THE LIGHT one of the top mysteries of 2011 - and among the best 20 books (fiction and non-fiction) published all year.
I am so thrilled I can't tell you. Though I think you can guess.
On top of that, my UK editor, Dan Mallory of Little, Brown wrote to say he also thinks the next book, THE BEAUTIFUL MYSTERY, is by far the best of the Gamache novels. Phew - and yippee....and all sorts of joyous swear words I won't impose on you here. It was a beautiful letter, detailed and funny, and very moving. I printed it out and won't tell you how many times I've re-read it - and how many times I plan to continue to read it. My new hobby.
Thank you, too, for continuing to support A TRICK OF THE LIGHT. Hope it finds its way under some Christmas trees...love to think of it wrapped and waiting.
Off to do some errands tomorrow - accountant and Michael's eye doctor for a visual field. Then I'll be signing at the Salon du Livres (the book fair) in Montreal on Saturday and Sunday, from 3 to 4. On top of that, the CBC Radio show C'est La Vie - which is on the english network but talks about issues to do with french Canada - has arranged for Kathy Reichs and me to have a conversation. I'm not at all sure what we'll talk about, but I can guess. I've met Kathy a few times and have been so deeply impressed by her smarts and how friendly she is. No sense that she's 'here' and the rest of us are 'there'. So, I'm looking forward to it.
I'll let you know how it goes, and take some photos (and hope Kathy doesn't bitch slap me - or if she does, we catch it on film.)
4 comments:
- danielle-momo said...
Bon salon du livre de Montréal et bonne rencontre avec Kathy Reichs.J'aime bien ses livres mais c'est surtout son travail d'anthropologue judiciaire qui m'impressionne.
Et Félicitations pour les compliments que vous avez recu pour The Beautiful Mystery, je suis sure qu'ils sont amplement mérités.
- 17 November 2011 at 15:52
- Laura said...
Wow - two of my fav authors talking? You'll let us know when, right?
Congrats on making the Agatha list - will have to check it out.
- 17 November 2011 at 16:01
- smacknee said...
If a college student with her hair cut in two different lengths asks to have a picture made with you, don't be alarmed! She is harmless and is merely humoring her mother, who is a huge fan down here in North Carolina!
- 17 November 2011 at 19:59
- lil Gluckstern said...
Congratulations on your making all these lists. If "The beautiful Mystery " is the best so far, WOW. I'm teasing a little because I've enjoyed all your books, but you see, practice makes perfect.:)
- 18 November 2011 at 10:56


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Research Lab
Positive Technologies Research Team and SecurityLab are willing to cooperate with independent researches in the analysis of the discovered vulnerabilities, in contacts with software vendors and CVE Number Reservation process. The vulnerabilities will be published in sections "Laboratory" and PT-advisory. The name of the researches will be preserved.
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Shipping to: Sverige
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LANCASTER (AP) - Authorities in central Pennsylvania say a woman and a 6-year-old girl died in a four-alarm fire that also injured three firefighters, one critically.
Emergency dispatchers said the blaze in Lancaster was reported shortly before 4:30 a.m. Monday.
The (Lancaster) Intelligencer/Lancaster New Era (http://bit.ly/XnSblR) says Lancaster Fire Chief Tim Gregg told reporters that the 38-year-old woman and the girl were on the second floor and unable to escape the blaze.
Officials said a man and a teenage boy who were sleeping in the basement were able to reach safety.
Fire officials said one firefighter was flown to Crozer-Chester Medical Center with burn injuries and later listed in critical but stable condition. Two other firefighters were treated and released.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Information from: Intelligencer Journal/Lancaster New Era, http://lancasteronline.com


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Ingredients of Transition: Ensuring Land Access
The Challenge
Promoting the idea of local food production and the rollout of urban agriculture, whether in the form of market gardens, allotments or back gardening, will clearly struggle if no land is made available to make it possible. Many settlements, even if they are built to a high density, will have both land within them that could be used, and also land around them. Ensuring secure access to this land will be vital.
Core Text
The localisation of the production of food, fibre, fuel and so on will, by necessity, require obtaining access to land. Our towns and cities could be a network of intensive market gardens, productive fruit and nut-bearing trees, of fish and vegetable-producing hydroponics systems set up on areas of hard standing, of productive ponds and new allotments. Such a tapestry of land uses would greatly increase the biodiversity and food security of the community, but of course none of it is possible if no-one has access to any of the land needed to make it a reality.
A look at an aerial photograph of any town or city shows plenty of unused pockets of land in or around it, but there are a number of reasons why that land may prove problematic to gain access to. It may be that the owner is holding onto it in the hope of getting planning permission for development at some point in the future, it may be that its ownership is contested, that it is owned by the local authority to have no use for it, it may even be that nobody actually knows whose it is! Before we look at the stories of how different initiatives have secured access to land, let's first cover the basic principles. In order to be able to own or lease land or property, your Transition initiative will need a constitution, and will need to be a legally recognised entity. There are only 4 organisational models (in the UK at least) that can do this:
A Company Limited by Guarantee
Industrial and Provident Societies
Community Interest Companies
Charitable Incorporated Associations
If your Transition initiative is an unincorporated association or a Trust, legally speaking it is not able to exist as a legal person separate from the people who run it, and therefore it cannot hold or rent land in its own name. However, this can be overcome by one person in the group doing so on behalf of the organisation, although it should be noted that in that example, that person would be taking on the legal liabilities for the purchase/lease[1].
So, how have different Transition initiatives managed to access land in their area for projects? Here are some stories from across the Transition Network. For Rachel Roddam in Transition Derwent, one of the keys to accessing land was active engagement in the community in a range of groups, which has proved a great way of embedding Transition, and also taking any perceived fear out of making land available to Transition groups. She is a member of her local Hall and Recreation Ground committees, which had previously ignored engagement with the Transition initiative on particular projects, but now, with a re-energised committee, gives them a much fairer hearing. This active engagement has opened the door to a number of potential local food projects.
Environmental Change Makers, the precursor to Transition Los Angeles and many of the local initiatives now springing up across the city, began by working with a local church in 2008, who were keen for them to dig up their lawn and make a food garden. The garden is extended each season, and is maintained by a mixture of local neighbours and Transitioners, who also use the garden for running their reskilling courses. Much of the produce is distributed by the church. The success of this project led to the group being asked to support and advise other similar projects. Joanne Poyourow from the group offers these tips gleaned from their work so far:
- Land access that depends on a single decisionmaker (church priest, school principal) is MUCH easier to move forward.
- It doesn't matter if the groups align perfectly on why they want a garden. For instance, the church members aren't fully on-board our peak oil concerns, but they have other reasons for wanting a garden in that space. if you can structure a "win/win" situation, you have the potential for a great partnership.
- Land access that is tied up in large-scale politics is very challenging to obtain. Despite high visibility, it is probably not the best place to start because it takes so long to show results. It might be wiser to allow these laggards to follow at a later stage in the Transition timeline.
- When you can get a shovel in the dirt early, even in a small way, it invigorates the whole team. Enthusiasm builds, everyone gets a taste of the possibilities, and things get moving a whole lot faster.
- Using resources (community connections, know-how, materials sources, etc) from one small project to build another small project helps spread impact quickly and very visually. Environmental Change-Makers brought the community connections we had made via the church garden to bear on the middle school garden and that helped the groundbreaking happen much sooner.
- Capitalizing on an existing trend — like the Alice Waters movement for school gardens — really helps move things along quickly.
- Projects don't have to be big to be very successful, and to get lots of publicity and attention. The church garden isn't a lot of square footage, but it sure gains media attention, has built community familiarity, and has won neighbourhood affection.
- Starting small allows you to take care of and maintain the land well. There is a huge learning curve — how to take care of the land, how to build the soil back to fertility, how to achieve/maintain high levels of productivity. Our society doesn't have this know-how, we have been through "the dark ages" and now need to rediscover the knowledge base. You don't need criticism for under-maintained or abandoned-looking land to add to your burden while you're getting geared up.
- Design things so that the garden is highly visually attractive. This point — to bring art into it — is emphasized in other aspects of Transition, but it is worth saying about land access. Our first garden was built on a front lawn in an area where (we later learned) the homeowners association prohibited front-yard vegetables. Yet those same people featured our garden on the neighborhood Garden Tour in spring 2009! If you make it aesthetically beautiful, it wins people over.
Land access of a less conventional nature has been secured by the 'Food From The Sky' initiative[2] in Crouch End in London, an offshoot of Transition Belsize. They have been working with their local Budgens supermarket to increase its stocking of local produce (it now stocks 1,500 products from within 100 miles of the shop), and have now started a food garden on the roof of the shop. Getting access to the roof proved complex from a legal/insurance perspective, but now the garden is providing produce for the shop and for local people, and is attracting many volunteers, including pupils from the local school.
On the Isles of Scilly, Transition Scilly wanted to create a community orchard, and approached the Duchy of Cornwall, who own most of the land on the islands, to ask for a suitable plot. The Duchy weren't keen on letting land to Transition Scilly as an unincorporated organisation, being much happier with leasing land either to individuals or businesses, so one of the members who is already a farmer on the islands, leasing land from the Duchy, added to site to the portfolio of the land he rents. The two-thirds of an acre was identified by a sympathetic and supportive land steward, and the orchard was planted at a community tree planting day (see left) in March 2010 and is now growing nicely[3].
The old saying "if you don't ask you don't get" is well illustrated in the story of the North Queensferry Transition Initiative in Scotland and their quest for a site for a community forest garden. They began discussions with Fife Council, who invited them to look at the maps of land they own and to identify any sites they were interested in. Fortuitously, the site they identified is owned by a part of the Council that has a very supportive allotments officer, who is taking their designs[4] to the planning department. Turns out he is big on actively encouraging models of community gardens as opposed to traditional allotments because it simplifies things for the Council, who only need one contract with one organisation, rather than multiple leases to individuals.
The idea that a Council might actively encourage local community groups to take on land it owns is something that you might find a lot more interest in as government cuts mean that Councils are actively needing to find other ways of managing their assets. Transition Newton Abbot found that very shortly after their formation, they were approached by their local Council who offered them use of a site in the town that had been unused for 20 years and had become a bit of a jungle. Their advice for other initiatives is to find out what pockets of land the Council owns and have struggled to find a use for, those sites will be a good place to start.
Often though, the reasons for land not being available are more complex and are outside anything that a Transition initiative can influence. Almost by definition, land in or on the edge of a settlement is subject to great pressures in terms of possible future development. Darren Woodiwiss of Transition Town Market Harborough[5] told me that "we must be one of the most in-filled settlements in the country with every pocket of land having been built upon of speculatively purchased by Architects or builders apart from two plots". One site is owned by the local Council who have it earmarked for affordable housing, and the other by a family who don't want it built on, but also don't want it used by anyone else. The group has decided to wait until the Local Development Framework is published in the hope that then some sites will be excluded from development. This earmarking of land for possible future development and its resultant mothballing is one of the greatest barriers to innovative land use.
In Narberth, 10 years of trying to get the local Councils to provide new land for allotments had been unproductive and left many in the community to associate the word 'allotment' with feelings of intense frustration. In 2008 a new approach was taken, and a new group approached a co-operative landowner who was keen to support their efforts. The 3 acre site was leased on a 10 year lease at a reasonable rent, ploughed and divided into plots. The allotments have been well subscribed and there are now plans for a community orchard on the site. The group found input from local Transition groups and the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens very helpful. If your pursuit for land gets 'stuck', it may be worth adopting the lesson from Narberth of taking a fresh approach to the challenge.
One big success story in terms of opening up land for community food growing comes from the Isle of Man. Three years ago the Permaculture Association launched a campaign called "I want an allotment", where the public were told how to lobby their local authorities, while at the same time, the local authorities were alerted that this was going to happen. Three hectic years later there are now 7 new allotment sites, most of which can be linked to the campaign. An all-island planning guidance manual is now being prepared and landowners are being encouraged to see allotments as a form of diversification.
All of this need not take ages either. The Transition Town Dorchester group, inspired by Transition Network's 'Local Food' book, decided they wanted to start a community farm. The used GoogleEarth to identify odd bits of land in the area, and identified five. With the help of the local Town Council they looked into who owned the sites, and found that four were owned by the Duchy of Cornwall. They called the Duchy office, expecting to be put on the long finger, but had a very productive conversation with an intrigued official who told them "put together a proposal, send it to me and I'll see what we can do". The group duly created their proposal, described as "all very official and professional" and sent it in.
They met with the Duchy official, found that the site they had initially preferred wasn't available, but that three other sites were. They negotiated a 5 years tenancy (£200 per year for a 2 acre site), as part of which the Duchy paid for fencing the site, installing paths and also provided top soil. The site was designed as a mixture of vegetables, a polytunnel, orchard, poultry and a wild area (see right). The project now has a name, 'Under Lanche Community Farm'[6], and membership is open to anyone. When the agreement was signed, a public meeting was held, and now the project is well underway, a local comedy night donating over £1,000 towards the project. Timing from initial idea to securing the lease of the site? 8 months.
The Solution
Access to land can be secured in a range of imaginative ways. Work with landowners, seek land that is currently unused and which can be used for free (such as through a 'Garden Share' scheme), fundraise to buy some land into community ownership, or invite landowners to see opening up access as being in both their and the local community's interest.


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Two Huntsman Teams Take Top Honors at Walmart IT Summit
May 2013
News Warehouse
Two Huntsman Teams Take Top Honors at Walmart IT Summit
By Steve Eaton
Two teams from the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business recently placed first and second in an information systems competition in Bentonville, Ark., that pitted 82 teams from top universities around the world against each other, testing their IT skills and their ability to find innovative solutions.
The Utah State University students took the top honors at the 2013 Walmart IT Summit and AIS Student Chapter Leadership Conference. The Association of Information Systems (AIS), the organization that hosted the competition, is a professional group for individuals and organizations that lead the research, teaching, practice and study of information systems worldwide. Teams from 17 universities entered the contest and just six teams in each of four different categories made it to the finals.
A team of three Huntsman MIS students, which included Vishal Patel, Dannaea Ward and Eric Schnell, entered the "IT risk identification category" and took first place. They were asked to do a case study for a fictional health care company that was trying to decide if it should store private patient data in an online secure cloud storage system or on a more traditional protected system. The team took first place on a regional level to qualify for nationals where it was further tested and asked to come up with a more detailed plan to mitigate the risks of its recommendation.
"In the IT risk identification competition we were up against students from Arizona State University, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Alabama, and Temple University, all of which are ranked among the top 20 MIS programs in the United States," Dannaea said. "By placing in both categories we competed in, we were able to gain great recognition for our MIS program. We as Huntsman Students take great pride in the education we are receiving and this was the perfect opportunity to show off the skills we have learned."
The other team of three Huntsman management information systems (MIS) students, which included Gina Baldazzi, Kristen Tenney and Kyle Bell, submitted a training video they created and the team took second place in the "interactive learning module" category. The video, which a former student, Marielle Sanchez, helped them create before she graduated in 2012, is aimed at helping people learn how to create an "entity relationship diagram," which Gina described as "the blue prints for a database." She said they wanted to create something that was not too technical so that even those who are not MIS students could understand it.
David Olsen, who heads the Management Information Systems Department, said it is impressive that the Huntsman students competed so well in this premiere international MIS competition.
"The hallmark of a great MIS student at USU is hard work, productivity and camaraderie," Dr. Olsen said. "Our students were just so determined to bring home awards and I am so proud of them. To see them excel like this when competing against some of the brightest students in the country is gratifying."
One competition broke students up into new teams made up of a mix of students from various schools. The team Gina was on took second place in that competition.


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Signs of Life :: Winter 2011
Hot Renewable: Wide Interest in Solar Power
The U.S. moves toward a tipping point for solar energy
The work of activists and researchers, along with shifts in the energy market, may be pushing solar energy toward a tipping point in the United States.
A series of mega-solar projects are being constructed in Arizona and California. The company Brightsource has already begun construction on the 370 MW Ivanpah project. In October, the U.S. Department of the Interior approved an application for construction of the Blythe Solar Power Project, consisting of four solar thermal arrays that will produce 250 MW each. Seven other projects are expected to break ground before the end of the year with a combined capacity of 4,000 MW when completed.
Activists are pressuring the Obama Administration to take leadership on solar policy, and recently scored a symbolic victory that they hope will bring solar more public attention and cachet and lead to policy change.
This fall, Bill McKibben, founder of the climate activist organization 350.org, and a group of students from Unity Signs of Life College traveled down the East Coast with one of the original
solar hot water panels that President Jimmy Carter installed on the White House in 1979. (Reagan removed them in 1986.) Along the way (and online), the group collected 40,000 signatures petitioning the White House to resurrect the panels. The White House initially rebuffed the request. But on October 5, U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced that the White House plans to install photovoltaic panels and a solar hot water heater on its roof.
"The Obama announcement has sparked this campaign to rev up in a number of other places around the world," says Jamie Henn, communications director with 350.org. On October 10, the day of a Global Work Party coordinated by 350.org, President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives also installed a set of solar panels, by hand, on the presidential residence.
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn has committed to putting solar on the governor's mansion, and Australians have launched a campaign to pressure Prime Minister Julia Gillard to put solar on the Lodge, her official residence.
Activists believe the White House gesture will also make solar seem more accessible to the average American homeowner. In his announcement, Chu said the White House panels "will show that American solar technology is available, reliable, and ready to install in homes throughout the country."
Meanwhile, recent technological breakthroughs may make home solar power much more affordable. An interdisciplinary team at Western Washington University (WWU) announced in
September a $970,000 grant from the National Science Foundation for additional research on a new kind of solar collector. Traditional photovoltaic panels use only the red band of visible light. The WWU team's collector uses colored polymers to gather light from the whole spectrum. The increased efficiency allows electrical generation on overcast days and will cut the cost of solar panels by as much as 90 percent, according to a WWU press release.
—Madeline Ostrander is senior editor at YES! Magazine, and Doug Pibel is managing editor.
"You don't need 60 votes to fix your roof."
-Bill McKibben to President Obama, in an email requesting that the White House put solar panels on its roof. The Obama administration in October announced its plan to do just that.
Boat-to-Table Fish CSAs Catching On
Do you know who your fisherman is?
Fishing communities from Maine to California are working together to save their
way of life and restore marine resources by establishing direct markets between fishermen and the people who eat their catch.
Several years ago, concerns about dwindling worldwide fish stocks prompted federal regulators to limit how much fish can be caught in U.S. waters, but the measures don't regulate who catches the fish. Small-scale fishermen in the North Atlantic region were hit particularly hard by regulations, because they were competing in the global market with domestic and international industrial-scale factory fleets and aquaculture companies.
Factory fleets can process and freeze large quantities of fish while still at sea, giving them a big advantage over smaller fishermen.
"All of a sudden everybody got out, and those of us who stayed didn't have anywhere or anyone
to sell to," says Gary Libby, a fisherman based in Port Clyde, Maine.
"The old model of catching as much as you could just wasn't working any longer," says Libby's
wife, Kim. Inspired by fishermen in North Carolina, who sell directly to the public off their boats, she started the first CSF, or Community Supported Fishery, from their home in Port
Clyde in 2007.
CSF shareholders pay up front for a share of the catch. Most CSFs deliver whole fish in
season, so customers experience variety and seasonality. Fishermen are paid a flat rate
per season, rather than being paid only for the number of fish they catch. This encourages them to diversify their catch and fish according to the demands of the ecosystem, rather than to
maximize sales.
According to the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance (NAMA), which works on policy
to support small-scale fishing, nearly 20 other communities across North America have been
inspired by the Port Clyde experience to start their own CSFs.
"It makes people feel good to know their fisherman," Libby remarks. He says no one left in
the small-boat community-based fishing business in New England is in it for the money. "Bringing a high-quality product to consumers they wouldn't ordinarily have is the real reward."
Interested? http://namanet.org/csf for a list of CSFs in the Northeast.
–Ellen Tyler is a graduate student of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Science & Policy at Tufts University. Daniel Fireside is the Capital Coordinator at Equal Exchange.
Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Hit the Road
How government and industry are getting behind a new breed of electric cars
Electric cars are gaining ground. Car manufacturers are rolling out new models next year, such as the Nissan Leaf and new Ford Focus, that will go about 100 miles on one charge. Private, public, and non-profit organizations are supporting consumer purchase of electric cars by launching new projects to provide charging stations.
The Electric Vehicle Project will install 15,085 electric vehicle charging stations in six states (Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, Texas, Tennessee) and Washington, D.C., by 2013. The project, managed by ECOtality, will install the charging stations in publicly accessible places in partnership with Arco, BP, Zipcar, Best Buy, and other companies. The $230 million cost is supported by $115 million from federal stimulus funds.
In addition, ECOtality will study 8,300 Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf drivers to learn how best to streamline electric vehicle adoption nationwide. BP plans to install over 1,000 charging stations along Interstate 5 in Oregon by next July. In support of the project, Washington, Oregon, California, and British Columbia have started the West Coast Green Highway initiative to "electrify" I-5. Washington is the first to start and is already installing several chargers along I-5 between Canada and Oregon.
Businesses that install a charging station can get a federal tax credit for 50 percent of the cost. Connecticut-based Green Garage Associates uses the credits to encourage sales of their "juice bar" chargers to parking lots.
Many states provide a rebate that, combined with the tax credit, covers the cost of chargers.
Massachusetts is using funding from a settlement over pollution violations to install 100 chargers, and the Beautiful Earth group built a solar-powered charging station next to its headquarters in New York. The Greenway Self-Park in Chicago and the Adobe headquarters in San Jose both have charging stations powered by wind. Even McDonald's is installing a charging station at a location in Cary, North Carolina.
Greenwashing or not, the Baker Institute for Public Policy says electric vehicles are the most effective way for the U.S. to reduce oil consumption.
—Alyssa Johnson is an editorial intern at YES! Magazine
A 37-day protest by parents in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood ended in victory. Whittier Elementary's Field House (La Casita community center) had been scheduled to be demolished. But Whittier parents occupied the building and demanded that the $350,000 demolition money instead be used to convert the field house into a school library.
Restaurants, Counties, Colleges Promote Tap Water
Tap into the movement that is doing away with bottled water.
Actions to promote tap over bottled water are spreading across the globe.
Restaurants in California, Oregon, New York, Maine, and other states are serving only tap water. Students at Brown University were inspired to start Beyond the Bottle after Washington University in St. Louis ended sales of bottled water on its campus.
Seattle University and Gonzaga University in Washington state, and the University of Portland in Oregon, have also ended sales of bottled water. Multnomah County became the first county in Oregon to ban bottled water from county meetings and functions. Efforts to prevent a bottling company from extracting millions of liters of water from the local aquifer led the city of Bundanoon, Australia, to ban the sale and production of bottled water. Toronto, London, and other cities in Ontario, Canada as well as school boards in Ottawa and Waterloo have stopped the sale of bottled water in municipal facilities.
Bottled water is marketed as superior to tap, but public water supplies are actually cleaner, less expensive, and more environmentally responsible, according to organizations like Take Back the Tap, Food and Water Watch, and Stop Corporate Abuse. They are mounting campaigns to combat misconceptions caused by bottled-water marketing.
EPA tap water regulations are more rigorous and require more disclosure than FDA bottled water regulations, according to a 2009 Government Accountability Office report. The cost of bottled water can run 10,000 times more than tap. An estimated 25 percent of bottled waters, often marketed as spring water or mineral water, comes from public tap water.
According to the Pacific Institute, the 38 billion plastic bottles sold in 2005 used 900,000 tons of plastic, which required more than 1.7 million barrels of oil for transport. More than 75 percent of discarded water bottles end up in landfills where they take up to 1,000 years to
–Tiffany Ran is an editorial intern at YES! Magazine.
Episcopal Church Works on Same-Sex Blessings
The birth of a new rite for gay and lesbian couples
The Episcopal Church is drafting an official same-sex marriage rite.
The church partnered with the Church Divinity School of the Pacific, a seminary in Berkeley, Calif., to secure a $400,000 grant from the Arcus Foundation to fund the project. They are working with priests across the country to create original prayers and essays on the spiritual meaning of same-sex blessings, and guidance for priests who will administer the new rite. Rev. Ruth Meyers, chair of the church's standing commission on liturgy and music, says she believes the effort acknowledges fuller participation in the church by gays and
The new rite will likely take years to complete, but will formalize the unofficial practice of blessing same-sex unions that has become common in dioceses throughout the country. The Episcopal Church has also ordained openly gay bishops in the United States, despite opposition from some segments of the worldwide Anglican Communion.
—Tiffany Ran is an editorial intern at YES! Magazine.
"I realized, sitting there, I can't talk to Billy Lucas, but I can talk to other isolated, miserable gay teenagers out there thinking of harming themselves."
-Dan Savage, Seattle activist and columnist on why he created the "It Gets Better" YouTube channel, after hearing of a gay teen who was driven to suicide. Savage asked other gays and lesbians to upload personal stories about how it gets better: watch them here.
Sourcing "Rare Earth" Elements
A jumpstart for the fair and safe sourcing of some of our most precious materials.
This autumn, China imposed, and then lifted, restrictions on exports of "rare earths"—17 elements essential to the manufacture of high-tech and green energy products. The news galvanized efforts to increase recycling and develop alternative sourcing of these elements.
Rare earth elements are commonly found in wind and solar energy generators and in products ranging from iPhones and hard drives to automobile windows and permanent magnets. A Toyota Prius, for example, contains at least two pounds of rare earths; an advanced wind turbine, roughly 660 pounds of the rare earth element neodymium.
China now supplies more than 90 percent of rare earths to global manufacturers, in large
part because extraction of rare earths in China is cheaper than in countries with stricter environmental protection laws. Although rare earth minerals occur worldwide, extracting them involves the risk of environmental contamination from the radioactive metals that accompany most deposits and from chemicals used in processing. Going from discovery to production takes up to 15 years.
A shortage of rare earths could drive up prices and slow down the development and production of green technologies. Japan is moving forward with the recycling of rare earth elements from used electronics and exploring new manufacturing processes that do not require rare earths.
The U.N. Environmental Programme's chief, Achim Steiner, told the AFP News Service that there is "a strategic as much as an environmental or an economic rationale" for developing a recycling economy of rare earth elements.
Last month, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill authorizing research funding and broadening government-backed loans for rare earth development, saying the elements are critical to energy, military, and manufacturing technologies. The bill aims to make the United States self-sufficient in five years.
The Department of Energy is developing a strategy to increase U.S. production, find substitute materials, and use rare earths more efficiently. The Pentagon will also complete a study of the military's reliance on the materials.
"We are certainly putting our country at risk in terms of our national security and our economic security if we don't do something to ensure that we have an adequate supply," Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper (Pa.) told the Financial Times.
—Rik Langendoen
Signs of Life :: Winter 2011 is part of , the Winter 2011 issue of YES! Magazine.


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Jeffrey William Robinson (born February 20, 1970 in Kennewick, Washington) is an American football long snapper for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the fourth round (98th overall) of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Idaho.
Robinson has also played for the St. Louis Rams and Dallas Cowboys. He earned a Super Bowl ring with the Rams in Super Bowl XXXIV.
Robinson attended Joel E. Ferris High School and was a three-time letterman in football and two-time letterman in basketball, and baseball. In football, he was a three-time All-Greater Spokane League selection as a tight end and as a linebacker.


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Kellie McGuire
This weekend, a group of young performers may sing about a "Hard Knock Life" on stage, but the tiny stars are blessed to have the support of older peers behind-the-scenes.
The Flanders School Drama Club will present "Annie Jr." March 16 and March 17 at DePaolo Middle School.
The drama club, which was founded five years ago, features 54 young students rehearsing at least once per week throughout the school year to prepare for the production. The drama club committee consists of parent volunteers: Jennifer Lanci, Tina Michaud, Alixe Seebauer and chairperson Nathalie Bishman.
But the parent involvement stops at the committee level.
"The unique part of the Flanders Drama Club is that it is student run," Lanci said. "We have high school volunteers that direct and choreograph the entire play."
Co-directors for production are students Kayla Viviano and Oliver Kochal, associate directors are Paula Calandra, Katie Miller and Adam Vivano. Co-choreographers are Sofia Gonzalez and Becca Swol.
"In addition to the student directors, co-directors and choreographers, we work with amazing students who have come back to help year after year and are instrumental with the technical production of the play," Lanci said.
The extended cast of student helpers includes students Carolyn Zesut, Stephanie Krar, Marissa and Melanie Tedeschi, Rachel Dufrein, as well as Megan and Katie Cichon.
Several parents also supervise during the rehearsals and middle school students also help out, "to build a continuing flow of student director for the future of the Flanders Drama Club," Lanci said.
"Annie Jr." features two young actresses tackling the lead role: Grace Michaud is Annie at the orphanage, while Evelyn Micacci is Annie at the Warbucks mansion. Mikaela Spooner plays Miss Hannigan, Jordan Palmisano is Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks, and Dinah Kavanagh is in the role of Grace Farrell, Warbucks' secretary.
The role of Sandy the dog will feature a fun twist in this show, as the part is played by student Brianna Lanci, instead of a live canine.
The two-hour musical production is slightly different from the original Broadway musical, which opened on New York's Great White Way in 1
977 and won the Tony Award for Best Musical. The original musical is based on the popular Harold Gray comic strip "Little Orphan Annie," and features music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charmin and book by Thomas Meehan.
"Annie Jr." is shorter, with some scenes and songs cut. This version is customized for a younger cast.
"Some songs have been transposed to better fit younger voices," Lanci said.
Fans of the musical will still find their favorite song songs in the production, including the show-stopping "Tomorrow."
Tickets to "Annie Jr." are $5 and can be purchased at the door. Show times are 6:30 p.m. March 16 and 2 p.m. March 17. DePaolo Middle School Auditorium is located at 385 Pleasant St. in Southington.


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Monday, February 25, 2008
At Christian Dior……Carine Roitfeld, Paris
CommentsClose comment
83 comments
perfect! and i am loving the sheer black hose appearing all over the runways! total elegance!finaly it's chic to be a Woman!
s p e e c h l e s s.
….. Can a photo embody chic? Yes this is it.
Kinda want to make a poster of it.
This photo is about presence.
Yet your shot gives her face power over the photo– her fabulous outfit fades into the background– her marvelous boots become an afterthought.
Crop the photo right below Roitfeld's chin, and then I'll applaud you for being "The Sartorialist". Roitfeld probably owned that outfit at the Christian Dior show, yet your photo doesn't capture it.
Let the outfit speak rather her presence. Its an incredible outfit, adorned by an incredible person– yet this photo drops all her dynamism on the floor.
She's so chic, I just love her style.
very glamorous. very carine.
Sigh…I hope this is what 50+ will look like for me. Unfortunately, it ain't that far off. New York magazine just ran a flattering (not fawning) article on her. She seems like a decent person. I'd want her to be my friend!
Now you're talking. Smashing look.
Carine Roitfeld is one of the most stylish people on the planet (at least in pictures, as effects are always different in person). I can't quite figure out her outfit, what exactly it is (skirt and top, dress?), what's stringing from one end to the other and around her neck… But that's exactly what I love about it. There is intrigue.
She is one in a million. Literally.
What's great about her is that she always just does what she wants. She'll wear trends, but only because she likes them, not because they are of-the-moment. She never looks overly-turned out. Always effortlessly chic. And of course, she has the body type, the means, and the inspiration to do almost anything she wants. But she takes that free reign and does exactly what suits her the best, fashion-wise.
Above all, she has style integrity. And of course, she is flat-out fabulous.
she looks gorgeous….and she looks like she's walking on air!
c'est vraiment incroyable.
i like how she is wearing sheer black hosiery as opposed to an opaque black tight. a bit refreshing. and it breaks up the black. it is apparent that she is very comfortable with herself, and no wonder as she is carine roitfeld. the way her scarf is nonchalantly thrown over her shoulder, the easy drape of dress, non-fussy hair and eyeliner. it all speaks of ease.
:-D love heeeer
does anyone know where her shoes are from? they remind me of Linea. And her jacket is reminiscent of MA+. Awesome.
Lovely Carine! Her smile always brings a smile to my face!
See all those other cameras? Difference?
chicer than chic.
dark glamour – and she knows it! beautiful.
And all eyes are on her. She's incredible.
does anyone know the brand of the shoes? love them.
I know everyone else will rave too, but she looks like a Superstar here! Is that a hood on the coat or a scarf, either way, I like. The coat is fantastic. She deserves all that adulation from those phtographers!
wow….luv that caption..
nice suites…
adil sg
Anon 10:19
you're right, this photo is all about her presence
this is the Carine I know and her presence and sophistication are what I most admire about her.
sorry if you needed more than that
Thank you for your endless pictures of Carine, I look forward to seeing pictures of her and the Vogue Paris staff especially Emmaunelle Alt, Melanie Huynh, Julia Von Boehm and Geraldine Saggio. Please take lots of pictures of them this week, they are best dressed women in the world.
And thank you for all the past photos of them :)
argh! so awesome!
She looks so young it's incredible! She is deageing, literally!
she defines the parisian fem…i worship her lol
im going to take a guess at the shoes being Christopher Kane for Manolo Blahnik?
She's the perfect example that black, classy and chic works everytime
she has an inexplicable energy. every photo of her has this allure, but this photo especially.
I reckon the most stylish accessory that Carine always brings with her is her smile.
It's the most beautiful accessory, never out of trend, goes with everything, and priceless..
she wears in gothic style with a very chic coats by Junya Watanabe
She is lovely. The shoes look dangerous, in a fun way.
I think she looks so gorgeous. Perfect actually : )
She is so chic!
Ah-Carine once more.I┬┤m somehow starting to like the way she presents herself.What┬┤s her secret to stay so chic and slim? There is always a bit unfinished in her pics and I like that. I can fill the missing bit with my own imagination.Thanks.
Carine is my fashion idol. I'm so tired of women saying you can't wear long hair, short skirts, and blah, blaf, after forty. Carine is living proof if you got style and the looks, you can wear anything. She makes few mistakes. I'd love to have a copy of this photo!
an after 40 fan.
is she wearing the Christopher Kane boots for summer? thats fab
Looking great, as allways!
mr. badami is spot on when he wrote:
she looks gorgeous….and she looks like she's walking on air!
I've always loved her confidence…that incredible body… and that slight morning after expression!
One of the sexiest women in the world.
Great shot! As always, Carine looks fantastic.
The purple bags under her eyes certainly qualify her to be ranked as stylish beyond belief.
Presence and attitude!
I like how she's combined a very classic coat with more avant-garde pieces. And that is one stylish hoodie!
When does she not look fabulous?
I love the way the crowd parts for her. There's something very centered about her –in a good way.
she's stunning. great walk, great hose! love the laceup shoes too….. love the camera on the right and the guy watching her walk away. just a beautiful shot.
Isn't it funny how we can say how fabulous something is and then turn around and confess that we could never wear the same clothing ourselves? I love her shoes but I'm afraid I just couldn't tie them on…
I think it is very interesting that there are not as many negative reviews of this as I normally see. I believe if this was someone other than Carine Roitfeld, people would be tearing apart her black-on-black, the unflattering color of her hair, and her makeup (or lack thereof). I get the idea that people here are less likely to scrutinize someone whose name they recognize than someone nameless.
Just an interesting psychological phenomenon. I think she does look very confident and pretty chic, but I think her performance pales significantly to those of other nameless women who have been so highly scrutinized. I believe if you took her face and name away from the photo, her outfit would be much less well-received, regardless of the way she carries herself. It's her name that makes her revered, not her style.
*gasp* she has the christopher kane boots I've been lusting after!
Oh god i love people that demands attention. She's fabulous and she knows it
that's the way to do it.
Fierce as always. Attitude maketh the already perfect outfit… and they are amazing boots!
She looks great, but it just looks like a nice black outfit.
Photo is good though.
Gosh, you're all so blinkered. All I can think is: emperors new clothes; meh; and …dressed as lamb.
Good on her for having a signature (if dull) style – all black, skinny bondage inspired boots, boring blow wave, and carnivorous grimace. But imho the hype surrounding this person is completely disproportionate.
ps…sart, please be democratic and post my minority view!
For Anon 2:57
it is not her name that makes her revered, it is her accomplishments at Paris Vogue. That magazine has never looked better, would you really disagree?
The fact that she is a modern style icon is just icing on the cake
She looks like cat in the hat. But she's awesome. Very chic.
She'd probably still make it on the blog if she weren't "CR", but yeah, she's not all that inspiring to me.
I read that article and i thought she came across as smug. Not a fan or hers but i do enjoy this pic
I know we should stick to commenting about the style of the persons whom you photograph rather than their personality but "beauty is as beauty does" and Ms. Roitfeld's uncharitable comments towards others in her recent NY Magazine profile left me much less enamored of her. One of the reasons why I visit this site is the wide range of beauty you present and the fact that your pictures reinforce the idea that style goes beyond age, weight, race or gender. Hopefully her negative comments to NY Magazine regarding the full-figured were misconstrued. Otherwise I simply can not consider such an intolerant person as attractive. Sorry. No need to publish this since you don't like to offend your subjects but I just wanted to put in my thoughts. Great work and best of luck to you.
She's 53. She looks amazing. A couple of the comments are nasty. I should see such mutton. Hah!
Thanks Sart.
She looks absolutely stunning.
Carine! she is phenomenal. Not only is she very sexy and over fifty but she is a monster of an editor and a great person to work for (so I read) she also has an enormous charisma that travels with her everywhere she goes, I never saw a bad photograph of her, even when she was photographed at John Galliano's funeral and she looks destroyed, her faced almost deformed from crying, she looks fab, I give her my unconditional admiration, she is a Diva.
My opinion hardly counts, but being a woman of the same age,(albeit who has chosen a different lifestyle)I can relate to what has infomed her as an editor, a muse and a mother of grown children living at this time. I've seen a few of her ensembles that I did not like, but rarely. She personifies modern chic to a T. She is ageing fabulously precisely because she accepts it and celebrates it! She also understands that less is more. Note always, the lack of jewelry. And if embellishment is worn, it's for dramatic effect.She wears the clothes, not the other way around! Fabulous, inate sense of style!
I Luv Carine's style. Amazing!
she always looks amazing..does anyone know if when she was wearing that black sling thin on her arm at a previous show if it was in fact a sling or just something she was trying on…just a thought
Can we find out what skin care products she uses?? :-)
Fashion and presence-wise she is outstanding. I'm a big fan. I just wish she would get rid of the hair – the bleached colour with the dark eyebrows is heinous, in my opinion. I'd have the ultimate respect for her style if she were to rock her natural hair colour…
a sassy classy darth vader. I love it. the force fashion is with you
She oozes style and confidence. She knows she is amazing and seems to immensely enjoy the attention. You perfectly captured her persona – I agree that this shot is not about the outfit but about the person.
Off the Carine topic for a sec but when did Galliano die? (Anon 6:46).
Some may call it dull, I see it as simple elegance with an edge. That skirt, that hood, the boots – the combined effect. It's an outfit made for strutting and she knows how to strut! She's aging fabulously for sure, but I bet it takes more than acceptance & celebration to look this good.
the shoes are manolo for christopher kane aw 08
I have to agree with an earlier comment made. I find Sart's photos of dark subjects with light back grounds hard to discern. How can we make comments about a subject when all the detail is lost in shadow? Or if the exposure is made to satisfy the requirements of the bright background? I am not a pro photographer, but I think there is a better way to achieve readable shadow detail.
Still love the blog,
I don't work in fashion and I don't know Carine from a hole in the wall. So, there's no awe or baggage from my pov. And frankly she reminds me of the surfer girls in college…who I was crazy about! That she's the editor of a magazine and lives in Paris and looks like a surfer girl? Man, thats's a home run. You know, women like this probably never get asked out…but something tells me this one does.
I'm sure there is a little discipline involved as well! I am the same age as Carine – most people assume I'm a decade younger -I walk and swim and lift small weights. Pay good money for hair and skin care but that's it! More and more women our age are defying gravity by LIVING our lives!
hey the outfit is from junya watanabe and the shoes are manolos by kane !! u guuys should learn french and connect to youtube to hear one of her itw from that day !!
Oh Sarto, all that's stylish in me loves you! I was just drinking up your full Paris portfolio on Style.com, so inspiring! Not just the clothes, but its combination with that unique wash of colors you capture. (The cream 18th century stonework and crisp blue skies of Paris). Ah, it's the best winter happy pill! And am still loving those billowy top, slim bottom proportions…
To Anon @ 10:19…yes this photo is "all about the presence"…look further and see how he frames the picture. The story here is The Woman, clearly, she's surrounded by faces and cameras pointed at her. Her nearly matte black silhouette dead center, perfectly framed in the center of black coat-shapes, blurred people, plain sky, and legs…denim-clad legs in the background that offset the marvelous way she's chosen to be in sheer hose. Black bondage boots, miraculously, do not dominate her outfit (I am stupified as to how she does this.) Instead it's The Woman who is center stage at all times.
"Crop the photo right below [her] chin and then I'll applaud you for being 'The Sartorialist'"
No, you would be applauding him for being The Literalist.
Sadly, I do agree with Anon @ 6:27 regarding her NYMag interview. I suspect that perhaps her comments were the result of something lost in translation….
Great shot Sart
she's so chic , and at that age the rest of us are left in her dust
so chic . . .so perfect . . what an example how to wear what your comfortable in. love her style!
Wow! It's really cool!
why is this the only picture of her for the whole of paris fashion week? not only on this sight but anywhere? it seems that the whole paris vogue team was not in paris according to photographers.
OK cheerleaders, time to stop signing the year book.
I wish I had those marvelous boots. What are they?


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Ahoy, Critterfolk!
New entry Dec 07
Critter Notices
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Yes, 23 years ago Critters was born. Wow! Thanks so much to all of you, who've made it such a resounding success!
Critters no longer accepting European Union members :(It's with a heavy heart that I have to announce Critters can no longer accept people in the European Union as members. This is a result of the "GDPR" privacy laws going into effect. I'm a big fan of privacy, and applaud the general idea behind the GDPR, but the way it's implemented forces me to close the door to EU writers. [read more why...]
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New Book from a Critter Member**NOW IN PRINT EDITION TOO!** Awesome new book, HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR SPECULATIVE FICTION OPENINGS, from a Critter member whose unearthed a shard of The Secret to becoming a pro writer. Really good piece of work. "...if you're at all concerned about story openings, you'd be nuts not to read what Qualkinbush has to say." —Wil McCarthy, author of BLOOM and THE COLLAPSIUM
P&E Has a New Caretaker!
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ReAnimus Acquires Advent!
ReAnimus Press is pleased to announce the acquisition of the legendary Advent Publishers! Advent is now a subsidiary of ReAnimus Press, and we will continue to publish Advent's titles under the Advent name. Advent was founded in 1956 by Earl Kemp and others, and has published the likes of James Blish, Hal Clement, Robert Heinlein, Damon Knight, E.E. "Doc" Smith, and many others. Advent's high quality titles have won and been finalists for several Hugo Awards, such as The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy and Heinlein's Children. Watch this space for ebook and print editions of all of Advent's current titles!
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I'm switching the connection over to a new, shiny 10X faster network because of all the load. There might be bits of downtime as your boxes learn new addresses and things. Should be brief. Let me know of any prolonged outages you see.
Preditors & Editors Changeover
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Book Recommendation
THE SIGIL TRILOGY: The universe is dying from within... "Great stuff... Really enjoyed it." — SFWA Grandmaster Michael Moorcock
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Your Votemaster (Dr. Andrew Burt)P&E poll volunteer votemaster, founder of the world's first Internet service provider, a guy who writes stuff you might enjoy,


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Formed: 1964
Nickname: Mėlynai Raudoni (Blue-Reds)
UEFA club competition honours (runners-up in brackets)
• None
Domestic honours (most recent triumph in brackets)
• League title: 6 (2010)
• Lithuanian Cup: 4 (2010)
• Taking their name from a local electronics factory in Panevezys, Ekranas first competed in the Lithuanian top division in the days of the Soviet Union in 1969 and are the only side to have been a permanent fixture in the top flight since Lithuania regained independence in 1991.
• Their first tangible success came in 1985 under the leadership of former FK Atlantas player Mindaugas Kaušpėdas, Ekranas winning the Soviet Lithuanian title and taking the cup as well.
• Virginijus Liubšys played in goal in that successful 1980s side before beginning a 17-year spell as the club's coach in 1989; under his leadership Ekranas won league titles in 1993 and 2005 in addition to two more national cups, and the foundations were laid for future successes.
• Liubšys was fully committed to local talent and, while Ekranas have struggled to make an impact in UEFA competition they take enormous pride in the players whose careers they helped to launch; defender Marius Stankevičius, who went on to Valencia CF, and wingers Edgaras and Deividas Česnauskis are among their illustrious alumni.
• After a transitional period following the departure of Liubšys, the appointment of Valdas Urbonas in 2008 started a new era; a clean sweep of domestic prizes in 2010 was the culmination of a run of three league titles in a row and confirmed Ekranas as Lithuania's undisputed top club.
Club records
Most appearances: Albertas Klimavičius (515)
Most goals: Povilas Lukšys (155)
Record victory: Ekranas 12-0 FK Dainava Alytus (First Division, 4 April 2001)
Record defeat: FK Tauras 7-1 Ekranas (First Division, 1976)
Last updated 31 December 2010


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Published Dec 17, 2014
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|2008-01-30, 01:18
|Link #21
Μ ε r c ü r υ
Join Date: Jun 2004
The thread created to discuss "The new world" covers the Yonkou part (Yonkou was the main reason for its creation). This thread didn't receive a lot of attention, so I guess we can alter the title of the thread to invite discussion on both topics, the New World and Yonkou.
|2008-01-30, 02:18
|Link #22
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
|2008-01-30, 03:18
|Link #23
Μ ε r c ü r υ
Join Date: Jun 2004
First, I highly recommend using spoiler tags. You are giving away very important *spoiler* information regarding the non-animated chapters.
Second, regarding the Yonkou and New world discussion, I suggested to the admin to change the title of the referred thread to cover both topics. For now, the level of discussion is not at the level to require the need to separate the discussions (I am sure, when, it reaches that level, the separation will invite itself). Also, soon, when we get details on the other Four Emperors, corresponding threads will be started, which may further reduce the discussions on that specific topic. I will leave my suggestion at that. But, don't fully count on me. If the admins think it would be a better idea to separate the threads, then, your suggestion might be realized earlier.
|2008-01-30, 03:22
|Link #24
Just call me Ojisan
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: U.K. Hampshire
For the moment, please use the General Discussion on The New World and Four Emperors [manga] thread. If need be we can create more specific discussion threads on separate topics (once we know what they may be).
|2008-01-30, 13:44
|Link #25
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
|2008-02-14, 17:43
|Link #29
Just call me Ojisan
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: U.K. Hampshire
Fair enough. Could someone create a decent opening post (here in this thread) to define the scope of such a Marines in One Piece thread. Should the topic also include the World Government?
I would assume that such a discussion thread would be [Manga] related.
|2008-02-14, 19:07
|Link #30
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
How about we call the title "General Discussion on the Marines/Navy thread (Manga)"? I think that the Marines/Navy alone would be a sufficiently detailed topic to discuss. However, if you wish to include the world government as well, I am fine with this. A change to the title of the thread would be necessary upon doing so.
As for an opening post, how about we discuss general information on the prominent members within this world power and then speculate on the roles that these characters will play throughout the story yet to come. I feel that lots of interesting discussion will take place concerning the opening post I provided. Let me know what you think. Thanks.
|2008-02-21, 17:04
|Link #33
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
So xris, are we going to create a Navy/Marines thread (manga)?
Opening Post
As we all know, the marines is one of the three great world powers in the one piece universe. Amongst its vast repertoire of marine personnel, there is a hierarchal system of ranking in place. This hierarchal ranking system is as follows (from top to bottom of authority): Fleet Admiral, Admiral, Vice Admiral, Commodore, Captain, Commander, Lieutenant Commander, Lieutenant, Lieutenant Junior Grade, Ensign, Master Chief Petty Officer, Chief Petty Officer, and Seaman Recruit. Please note that I have taken this hierarchal information from wikipedia as a reference, so it takes credit. Regarding the marine personnel, every individual is bestowed a title of rank based on seniority, combat experience, and skill proficiency.
When comparing the marines to the other two great powers (shichibukai and yonkou), it is evident that the marines have the largest force. Its numbers far exceed those of the shichibukai and the yonkou. However, based on what we have seen so far, a lot of low level marines constitute the bulk of the marine force. The marines high caliber individuals basically comprise the ranks of Fleet admiral to Commodore. Now, considering Ace's imprisonment in Impel Down and Blackbeard successfully claiming the vacant warlord position, it is likely that the great incident foreshadowed at the end of Blackbeard's duel with Ace is going to come to fruition. It has been speculated by many of us fans that this is going to adversely affect all three of the world powers and create a big change in the one piece world. Having said this, most likely the Marines top ranked officials are all going to somehow be involved in this affair. So, the purpose of this thread is to speculate on what roles you think the high ranked officials in the Marines force are going to play in the story to come. When I talk about high ranked officials, I am talking about characters such as Sengoku the Buddha, Aokiji, and Garp. Anything else concerning the characters in the Marines force can also be talked about here. Have fun.
|2008-02-21, 17:12
|Link #34
Just call me Ojisan
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: U.K. Hampshire
General Discussion on the Marines / Navy (Manga)
|2008-02-21, 17:32
|Link #35
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
|2008-03-03, 16:49
|Link #37
33million Humming Brook
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Ask me no questions and ill tell u no lies
Age: 26
i dunno maybe just for fun could u put up a "what devil fruit would u choose to eat for real life. Maybe u wanna take over the world or just make life easier which devil fruit would u wanna eat?
|2008-03-03, 16:52
|Link #38
cho~ kakkoii
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: 3rd Planet
Search under the keywords "devil fruit" and pick one of the several threads' covering the topic to post. Here is a very simple way to search effectively in case you already don't know about it.
|2008-03-11, 21:40
|Link #40
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
I was thinking that it would be better and more efficient to combine both the Strongest Shichibukai?? spoilers thread and Discussion concerning the Shichibukai (Spoilers) thread into one thread entitled "General Discussion on the Shichibukai (manga)". This way, anything regarding the shichibukai can be posted into this one proposed thread.
|Thread Tools


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Denis Olivier
It has been since his childhood that Denis Olivier has been plunged into the world of art and photography. A childhood bathed in a red light and marked by the perfume of chemical products. Artists also, his parents make him discover numerous exhibitions that will bring him towards drawing and painting. After a few detours, it is at the Schoolof Fine Arts of Poitiers that he discovers in infographics,in programming and in theimages of synthesis a new and fascinating mode of expression. It is Alain Fleig who will initiate Denis Olivier into art photography but also into technique, notably of the laboratory. Then arrives a first personal exposition and a training internship withPhilippe Salaün¸ Robert Doisneau's developer. Then again a student, the first commis-sioned works, articles in the press, and expositions fall. In 1995, he begins to work in architecture then in the conception of Internet sites. The apparition of digital photography opens numerous horizons for him in permitting him to work more rapidly and to allow his experiments to run free, without wasting too many resources. Born in 1969 in Royan (France), Denis olivier lives in Bordeaux. It uses digital boitiers Canon, Hasselblad and Holga camera.www.denisolivier.comRead about the artist
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10% Tuesday for UAB's Minority Health Research Consortium Young Professional's Board. 10% of sales from 5PM until midnight will benefit this organization.
The UAB Minority Health & Health Disparities Research Center (MHRC) generates and disseminates research knowledge from biomedical, behavioral, and social sciences in order to reduce the health disparities experienced by vulnerable populations and disadvantaged communities locally, regionally, and nationally.
The Center was established in 2002, and since then has maintained its status as a University-Wide Interdisciplinary Research Center, as well as a Center of Excellence (P60) funded by the National Institutes of Health.
The MHRC supports three programs- Research, Training, and Outreach - that align with the University's broad strategic goals and make it an enabling platform for UAB's research, teaching, and service missions.


text:
Outgoing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta on Tuesday hailed the military's more than 800,000 civilian workers as vital to the nation's defense, even as the Department drew up plans that would furlough nearly all of them for 22 days beginning March 1.
"You're the unsung heroes of this nation," Panetta said in a farewell address to the civilian workforce in the courtyard of the Pentagon. "You support our warfighters downrange. You don't get a helluva lot of public recognition, but the fact is, your efforts make a difference. We could not do this job without the civilian workforce."
As Panetta spoke, Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter was on Capitol Hill testifying on the drastic impacts for DOD if Congress and the White House fail to reach a deal to avoid sequestration, which is set to begin on March 1 and would result in about $500 billion in cuts for defense over 10 years on top of $487 billion in cuts already underway.
By the end of February, "we've have to institute the process of furloughing them," Carter said of defense department civilians.
In his remarks, Panetta made a final pitch to Congressional leaders to compromise and avoid sequester. He told his audience that "because our leaders in Washington have not yet resolved the key budgetary issues facing our country, we are facing a period of budget uncertainty that threatens across-the-board cuts in defense and in domestic programs."
Panetta pledged to continue making the case for the DOD civilian workforce even after he leaves office, although it was still unclear when he would go back to his walnut farm in Monterrey, Calif.
"So you have my word that I will continue to fight for the rest of the time I'm in this office and wherever I go to try to urge the Congress of the United States to exercise the responsibility that they owe the American people to do what's right," Panetta said.
Panetta has said that he will not formally resign until the Senate confirms President Obama's nominee to succeed him – former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.)
The Senate Armed Services was expected to vote Tuesday afternoon to send Hagel's name to the Senate floor on a party-line vote, but several Republican senators have threatened to filibuster the floor vote.
Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), the ranking Republican on the Armed Services Committee, and others have been demanding more information on Hagel's finances, and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) has said he might hold up the nomination if Obama declines to provide more information on the September attacks on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya.


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Compare cheap flights to Palmerston
When is the cheapest time to fly to Palmerston?
What to do in Palmerston
Palmerston North is a city in New Zealand that's rich in breathtaking coastlines, museums, rose gardens, and more. It's also your gateway to exploring the Manuwatu district, where you'll find the most exciting outdoor adventures. So if you're looking for a thrilling destination, Palmerston North is perfect for you.
Start your trip at the heart of the city at Te Manawa Museum of Art, Science and History. This incredible spot combines a museum, art gallery, and interactive science centre, so you can experience the fusion of life, art, and mind. It's a fantastic place to visit whether you're travelling with kids or not. And if you want to see more artworks, just stop by the Zimmerman Art Gallery.
Are you more of a sports fan? Then you can't miss the country's biggest collection of rugby memorabilia at the New Zealand Rugby Museum. And if you want to get your heart pumping even more, visit the exhilarating Ultimate Indoor Paintball and have a splash at the Lido Aquatic Centre.
For a more relaxing time in the city, spend an arvo at Victoria Esplanade. You can enjoy a picnic, see the aviary, walk along the Manawatu River, and more. Explore the outdoors at Totara Reserve Regional Park and set up camp too.
See the spectacular sight of the Manawatu Gorge Track, and walk the trails as you enjoy the scenery of the New Zealand bush. Other nature walks that you can't miss are the Tawa Loop, Manawatu River Pathway, and the Sledge Track.
Take a trip to Shannon for the Owlcatraz Native Bird and Wildlife Park and the Mangano Reserve and White Water Park. Go river rafting at Rangitikei River. Then defy speed and gravity at the exciting Mokai Gravity Canyon.
When to visit Palmerston
The best time to visit Palmerston North is during summer from January to February, when the weather is best in the city. Fall from March to May and spring from September to November are also great times to visit the city, especially if you want fewer tourists on your trip.
Australians like you can fly to New Zealand and travel to Palmerston North visa-free. But before you start packing, make sure that your passport is valid on the day you arrive in New Zealand. For more travel info, just visit Smartraveller.
Travelling to and around Palmerston
You'll be welcomed in this part of New Zealand through Palmerston North Airport, where you can easily get to and travel around Palmerston North by bus.
For a fantastic outdoor adventure in New Zealand, Palmerston North is a top choice. So get your passport ready and book your Palmerston North flights with Skiddoo today!
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West Nile Virus (WNV)
West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquitoborne virus that can cause encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) in some people. This virus usually circulates between mosquitoes and birds in Africa and Europe. However, in 1999 an outbreak of West Nile encephalitis was reported in New York City. Since then, the virus has spread to 48 states and the District of Columbia.
WNV was found in Minnesota in 2002 and will remain a public health concern in the foreseeable future. Fortunately, most people who
are bitten by infected mosquitoes will experience either no symptoms
or mild illness.
- About West
Nile Virus
West Nile information. Including transmission, prevention,
signs and symptoms, and answers to frequently asked questions.
- West
Nile Maps and Statistics
West Nile statistics and maps of counties with positive birds, horses and humans.
- West Nile
Information for Health Care Providers
Important information for Health Care Professionals about West Nile.
MDH is no longer taking dead bird reports. Thank you for your help during the initial years of WNV surveillance in Minnesota.


text:
by Laura Jamieson
While "the classics" are valuable in the pantheon of literature, ninth graders at Germantown Friends School are looking beyond the usual tomes to more modern works and formats. This fall, they studied the graphic novel "Persepolis" by Marjane Satrapi, a coming-of-age story about a girl growing up in Tehran amidst the turmoil of the Islamic Revolution and Iraq War.
At the end of this lesson there was no pop quiz or book report – instead, the students created their own graphic novels.
"We looked at how Satrapi is influenced by her heritage. We asked the students to think about some part of their heritage, using a broad sense of what heritage might be," said English teacher Connie Thompson.
The students then wrote a short essay and turned it into a graphic novel.
"I believe in the power of personal narrative writing," Thompson said.
The students had a wide variety of stories to tell: One student, following in the footsteps of a grandfather and great-grandfather, who were both osteopathic doctors in China, wrote about her decision to pursue medicine.
Another student illustrated how each member of her family taught her a new aspect or form of music. She wrote, "a real family doesn't need the same blood pumping in everyone's veins – it needs an understanding of the rhythms beating in each others hearts," and one ninth grader, using few words and mostly illustrations, showed how he connected to his Jewish heritage on a trip to the American Jewish Museum with his grandparents, just days before his Bar Mitzvah.
The students enjoyed working in a format that is very modern and popular right now.
"This is only the second year we have been teaching "Persepolis" as part of our literature program, so it's relatively new for us to be including a graphic novel," Thompson said.
She noted that a graphic novel made The New York Times Book Review's 2012 "Ten Best Books of the Year" list. "The ninth-grade teachers all believe, however, that this is first-rate literature in the comic format."
Both the students and faculty agree that graphic novels have come a long way from newspaper funnies and "comic books" that students used to hide behind their textbooks to covertly read during class. For their assignment, the ninth graders rose to the challenge and created impressive works of both literary and artistic merit.
A number of the graphic novels are currently on display in the GFS Friends Free Library, 5418 Germantown Ave., which is open to the public. Stop by, relax and enjoy the artistry of these students' words and images.


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Friday, January 20, 2012
Dance Ontario - DanceWeekend 2012
Friday, January 20, 2012
7:00pm 10:00pm
Dance Ontarios stunning winter showcase features more than 26 superb companies and hundreds of dancers, live musicians and much, much more. Come celebrate the diversity of the city's dance companies in this unique weekend experience. Presented in Association with Harbourfront Centre.
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Monday, August 9, 2010
Endearing Family Stories...Fun Even if They're Not True
Grandma Bessie's Age
The story: my maternal grandmother Bessie Schneider (born Peshe Bergzon in Lazdijai, Lithuania) had to lie about her age when she arrived at Ellis Island. She said that she was 14 when she arrived in America but lied to the officials saying she was 16 so she could work instead of going to school. This was her own story...makes sense...times were tough in the early 20th century.
The facts: Bessie/Peshe arrived in New York in 1929 at the age of 19. I have the ship manifest. I also have a copy of her Lithuanian Internal Passport (ID papers issued by the govt between the wars) showing her date of birth as April 13, 1910 and a list of 1915 evacuees from the Suwalki Province showing her at age 5. These 3 sources confirm that she was indeed 19 when she arrived in America.
Grandpa Aaron/Harry/Harvey
The story: my paternal grandfather Harvey Klein, born in NYC in 1907, was actually born Aaron but when his mother first took him to school, she said his name with such a heavy Yiddish accent, the person at the school heard Harry instead of Aaron and that's how Aaron became Harry.
The facts: his 1907 birth certificate does show his name as Aaron so we know that's true. However, the 1910 census shows him at age 2 with the name Harry. So much for the school story. Where does the name Harvey fit in? My grandma Irene, back when they were dating I think, decided that Harry was an old fashioned name so she called him Harvey :-D As the oldest grandchild I didn't know any of this until Irene died in 1985 when I was 20. I was there when her will was read and the will had to mention all of the names that each party to the will was known by. FYI...Irene was born Ida but thought that name was also old fashioned so she went by Irene.
Conclusion: I can't even guess at how this story got started but I do know the name changes created confusion for my grandfather throughout his life. When he applied for a social security number in 1936, he wrote his name as Aaron but signed Harry so they made him cross out Harry and sign Aaron. My dad and his siblings like to tell how Irene would always yell at him "pick a name already!". My uncle told me that he finally made a legal name change to "Harry A" because that was the name on the title to the house they owned in Brooklyn. His headstone reads Harry but the Hebrew name is wrong. To me Harry sounds funny and he will always be Grandpa Harvey.
Irene Needed a New Coat
The story: when Harvey and Irene were courting (they married June 1931 so 1929-1930) Irene didn't have a good winter coat because her grandparents Solomon & Rebecca Lutsky (she was raised by her grandparents) couldn't afford it...they had to provide for their own girls. Apparently Harvey asked his mother for the money and she said "no".
The facts: by 1929-1930 the "girls", Irene's aunts Bertha Berland, Yetta Rotheim, and Olga Haykin, were already out of the house and married with children of their own.
Conclusion: this is a cute romantic story with Harvey wanting the woman he loved to have a good coat. I don't know if or why Irene didn't have a good coat to begin with and if she didn't why her grandparents might have denied her to provide for married daughters. I have no idea if the second part, Harvey asking his mother for the money, is correct. It is possible he asked his mother for the money and it would be likely that she would say "no" because Irene wasn't family yet. (photo Irene & Harvey c. 1930, probably taken at Coney Island)
and the best for last...
Sarah and Her Sisters Were Whores
The story: my father's paternal grandmother Sarah Klein and her sisters were whores. They didn't stand on a street corner but the men knew where to go.
The facts: I always found this one odd because I'm named for Sarah. If she was so terrible, why name a baby after her. Sarah, born Sora Mariam Zejburska in 1884 in Lomza, Poland, did have 2 younger sisters but she was approx a full generation older than both of them (they were born 1900 & 1903) so I don't know how close they would have been. Sarah divorced my ggf Abraham in 1931. Sometime after that she was living out of wedlock with Harry Mindel, a widower, who was a family friend and interestingly enough a witness in the divorce records.
Conclusion: this past April I found out the source of this story from my aunt, at least as far as Sarah is concerned. She told me that her father (Aaron/Harry/Harvey) always resented his mother Sarah for living with a man out of wedlock. Hence the "whore" label. I don't know anything about her sisters yet to know how they fit into this story. Personally, I don't look down on Sarah. At the time of the 1931 divorce most of her children were out of the house and she had to survive. I do know that she barely knew her grandchildren...not sure if that's the family intentionally pushing her away or if she chose not to be close to the family.
If it is wasn't for my research these stories would live on. Sometimes I think it's more fun to laugh at the stories being wrong or exaggerated. I wonder what my grandparents would say if I were able to challenge them on the facts.
4 comments:
- Jennifer said...
Great post! I enjoyed reading it immensely.
- August 9, 2010 at 3:18 PM
- Sarah said...
I am also named Sarah after someone in my family (a great aunt), and I was born in 1984 -- 100 years after your Sarah!
Anyway, I edit a website called Family Legends (www.familylegends.ca), which is a collection of family stories that my mother sometimes researches. Please consider submitting one of your stories (and your excellent research!) to me.
All the best with your research,
- August 9, 2010 at 5:01 PM
- Greta Koehl said...
Those are fascinating stories, especially when the story is contrasted with what is actually known. Reminds me of a few stories in my family, but especially in my husband's family.
- August 9, 2010 at 5:49 PM
- Nancy said...
I don't know if it's better to have family stories that aren't true or no stories at all. I come from a family of non-story-tellers, so I especially appreciate reading other people's. Yours are gems!
- August 29, 2010 at 8:09 PM