text:
Health care fact vs. fiction
The pertinent facts about the status of health care in this country should have been ample evidence to persuade Congress and the American people that 'kicking the can down the road' for another few years is not befitting, as President Barack Obama told the nation in a joint speech to Congress last Thursday, of our national character.It is in the American character, the president reminded us all, to address the tough issues and to rally around those in need. Many Americans understand the country is facing a crisis with a health care system that lets millions of Americans live, as the president said, an accident away from bankruptcy because they cannot afford health care insurance. Even the millions of Americans who do have insurance understand the heavy burden it places on their own pocketbooks and on employers. They understand that when insurance costs go up an average of 10 percent year, while wages typically increase a third of that, that employers and employees are on the losing end of a perilous trend. And they understand that the system is broken when insurance companies can dictate whom they want to cover and whom they don't, leaving millions without affordable options because of pre-existing medical conditions. They were probably shocked to hear that 14,000 Americans lose their health care coverage every day — that's every day — and they understand they could be in those same shoes at any time. And, as the president said, "more and more Americans pay their premiums, only to discover that their insurance company has dropped their coverage when they get sick, or won't pay the full cost of care. It happens every day."To suggest, as those who would kick the can down the road for another year or two do, that there is no crisis is to turn away from the reality facing far too many of our fellow Americans. To do nothing is a failure of character, of empathy and of leadership.Americans should ponder that and ask themselves what the Republican Party — that group that has tried to sabotage any progress on health care reform for the past several months — did to promote health care reform while President Bush was in office. They should ask themselves why, suddenly, are Republicans chiding a Democratic plan and suggesting they have a better idea — when for eight years they stood in positions of power and offered nothing, except to kick the can down the road and put more and more Americans at risk of financial insolvency and medical peril.The answer is simple: Making progress on health care reform is not a priority for the GOP; indeed, one might suppose that keeping it as an issue to fight against is part of the party's political strategy as they can demonize their opponents for the inevitable high costs, while ignoring the higher costs of doing nothing. They can promote fear and uncertainty — two emotions that they have become experts at exploiting.Americans might also ask themselves how we, as a nation, are better served by a system that places so many citizens in daily jeopardy — where they can be employed and healthy one day, then suffer an accident or illness and lose everything they have (homes, income, savings) to exorbitant health care costs — when better options are demonstrated around the world? "We are the only advanced democracy on Earth – the only wealthy nation – that allows such hardships for millions of its people," the president reminded the nation. "There are now more than 30 million American citizens who cannot get coverage. In just a two-year period, one in every three Americans goes without health care coverage at some point ... We spend one-and-a-half times more per person on health care than any other country, but we aren't any healthier for it. This is one of the reasons that insurance premiums have gone up three times faster than wages. It's why so many employers – especially small businesses – are forcing their employees to pay more for insurance, or are dropping their coverage entirely. It's why so many aspiring entrepreneurs cannot afford to open a business in the first place, and why American businesses that compete internationally – like our automakers – are at a huge disadvantage."Those are the indisputable facts. There is no hype, no conservative radio shock-jock trying to stir up unnecessary fear. Just the sobering facts.Those facts should be enough to inspire action. The president led the way last week; the Democrats in Congress are ready to follow and move the nation forward. The question remains whether the Republican Party will continue its role as "the party of no," or come to the table with ideas to help create a better health care system for all Americans. We hope it is the latter. We'll soon see.


text:
John Doe v. Chicago Board of Education, et al. (Federal Court, Illinois)
NO CHANGE. COMPLAINT FILED. When our original "John Doe" client applied to be a teacher in the Chicago Public Schools, the school district application asked his HIV status. After Doe confirmed that he has AIDS, his physician was required to complete an HIV-specific questionnaire that inquired about Doe's treatments, T-cell count, any opportunistic infections, as well as the manner in which he was exposed to HIV. In addition, Doe was required to submit to physical and psychiatric examinations every four months, a requirement imposed only on employees with HIV.
Lambda demanded that the Chicago Board of Education eliminate inappropriate health-related and HIV-specific inquiries and physical and psychiatric monitoring of HIV-positive applicants. In response, the board changed its official AIDS policy to eliminate the special medical and psychological examinations and reporting imposed only on HIV-positive applicants.
In September 1996, in response to Lambda's continuing criticisms of the application procedure for teachers, the Board further amended its medical information form to eliminate any specific reference to HIV. However, the Board continues to require a physical examination and submission of medical information (ranging from whether the applicant has "deformities" or venereal disease to whether and why the applicant takes any medications) as part of its teacher application process.
Despite Lambda's efforts to eliminate unlawful pre-employment medical inquiries, and despite the repeated applications and calls to the Board of Education by the case's "John Doe," who first applied for employment two years ago and was forced to disclose his HIV status at that time, the Board refused to process his application and continued to require additional medical information from him. Consequently, in April 1997, Lambda filed a complaint in federal court against the Chicago Board of Education and individual officials responsible for the particular policies and practices at issue. Settlement negotiations are underway.
Heather Sawyer is working with cooperating attorney and Lambda Board member Cynthia Hyndman, with assistance from Catherine Hanssens.
Bell v. Wells Fargo (California)
APPELLATE BRIEFS FILED. This case challenges a state court's use of a doctrine called judicial estoppel to dismiss employment discrimination claims of people with HIV who have been fired or forced from their jobs. The doctrine was created to prevent parties from abusing the judicial system, trying to "have it both ways" by swearing to completely different positions in related court proceeding. Courts have misused judicial estoppel to conclude that an employee whose employer refuses or discontinues a reasonable accommodation cannot maintain an action for violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act if the employee also filed for disability benefits.
Andrew Bell, whose employer previously had accommodated his HIV-related disability with a four-day work week, including one day of telecommuting, was exceeding work requirements and receiving favorable evaluations. When a new management team revoked this accommodation, Bell couldn't hold his job. Unable to work without an accommodation that allowed him to limit his travel and office hours, Bell applied, and qualified for, disability benefits. The trial court concluded that Bell's receipt of disability benefits barred him from claiming protection under California's Fair Employment and Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination against those with disabilities and requires reasonable accommodations similar to the ADA. The court considers his application for disability to defeat his assertion that he is a person who is "able to perform the essential functions of the job" he lost. This issue is of increasing importance to people with HIV, who may be refused the flexibility they need in their work schedules to accommodate their health needs.
Lambda submitted an amicus brief in support of Bell's interlocutory appeal which was denied. In early July 1997, Lambda filed an amicus brief, joined by the AIDS Legal Referral Panel, the Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice and the Western Law Center for Disability Rights, in support of Bell's appeal of the trial court's dismissal of his discrimination claim. Myron Quon, Catherine Hanssens, and Jon Davidson authored Lambda's amicus brief.
Employment-Related Benefits
Peter Castellano, et al. v. City of New York (Federal Court, New York)
NO CHANGE. AWAITING DECISION. This case represents the first time the Second Circuit Court of Appeals will consider whether former employees who qualify for employment-related disability benefits have standing as "qualified individuals with disabilities" to sue under the Americans with Disabilities Act when these benefits are allocated in a discriminatory fashion. The plaintiffs are a group of retired New York City police officers who allege that the practice of providing supplemental payments in addition to the basic pension benefits to police who retire after twenty years of service but not to those who are forced to retire earlier because of a disability, violates the ADA and the Rehabilitation Act.
While we took no position on the merits on these individuals' specific claims, we participated because of the great significance of the issue raised. Lambda joined in an amicus brief that included the American Foundation for AIDS Research, the ACLU, and several other disabilities and employment rights organizations. Catherine Hanssens assisted on a brief drafted by New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI) cooperating attorney Robert Schonfeld, and NYLPI attorney Ed Copeland.
Health Care Workers
Mauro v. Medical Center (Federal Court, Michigan)
NO CHANGE. AWAITING DECISION. William Mauro was a surgical technician for Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The medical center removed Mauro from his position after rumors surfaced that he had HIV.
Mauro filed suit in federal court under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act. The district court granted summary judgment in favor of the hospital. Despite the consensus that the risk of HIV transmission from Mauro to patients was extremely small, the court concluded that the presence of any risk, however remote, of Mauro transmitting HIV to surgical patients made him a "direct threat" to these patients and therefore not "otherwise qualified" to perform his duties as required by the ADA. Mauro brought his case to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Without explanation the court denied our motion to participate as amicus almost eight months after it was filed along with our brief, and subsequently denied our motion for reconsideration. Oral argument was held in October 1996. Catherine Hanssens and former AIDS Project Staff Attorney Barry Taylor prepared Lambda's amicus brief.
Galanty v. The Paul Revere Life Insurance Company (California)
OPENING BRIEF ON APPEAL FILED. This case attacks insurance industry practices that seek to deny disability benefits to people with HIV.
Mark Galanty was HIV positive when Paul Revere sold him a disability insurance policy. For the following five years, Galanty had no symptoms of illness, continued to work, and paid premiums under the policy until a problem with his hands caused him to stop working as a court reporter. The policy included an "incontestability" clause (required by law in California) that prohibits the company from denying claims for disabilities that start more than two years after the policy is issued. To get around that clause, the insurance company claimed that Galanty's disabling condition was present when he bought the policy, because he was HIV positive. But, Galanty continued to work long after his infection with HIV. His disabling sickness, AIDS, did not manifest itself or cause an inability to work until five years after he bought the policy. Particularly in light of the ever-lengthening period of health and productivity that those with HIV can expect, it is very important to reverse the trend toward "disabling" those with HIV from building future security. The lawsuit includes claims for breach of contract and bad faith insurance practices. In December 1996, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David Workman, describing this as a question of "first impression" in California, granted Paul Revere's motion for summary judgment, dismissing this case. We filed Galanty's opening brief on appeal in August 1997.
Jon Davidson is working on the case with cooperating attorneys Chris Caldwell, Lee Michaelson, and former Lambda Staff Attorney Mary Newcombe, all of the Los Angeles firm of Hedges & Caldwell.
Doe v. Chubb Sovereign Insurance (Federal Court, California)
NO CHANGE. DISCOVERY ONGOING. This case raises the question of whether insurance companies are subject to the anti-discrimination requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as whether an individual can be denied life insurance because her partner is HIV positive.
In November 1996, Federal District Court Judge Vaughn Walker rebuffed Chubb's efforts to have this case dismissed, ruling that the ADA does prohibit unjustified discrimination in insurance underwriting against individuals who are associated with people living with HIV.
Jon Davidson is working on the case with Cooperating Attorney Timothy Cahn of the Oakland, California, law firm known as Legal Strategies Group.
Public Accommodations
Baksh v. Human Rights Commission (Illinois)
APPEAL BRIEFED. In this case, a dentist appeals the Illinois Commission on Human Rights' ruling against him due to his refusal to treat, and subsequent referral of, a patient with AIDS. In June 1996, the Commission issued its decision against dentist Karim Baksh, finding that the referral of an HIV-positive patient for services that he could have provided violated the Illinois Human Rights Act. That ruling was significant in stating that the Act covers dental and medical offices as places of public accommodation that cannot discriminate against persons with disabilities.
Dr. Baksh appealed the Commission's ruling, arguing, among other things, that dentists are not covered by the Act because "private" dental offices are not places of public accommodation, and that his refusal to treat an HIV-positive patient and referral of that patient to another dental clinic was appropriate treatment and not unlawful.
Lambda and the Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Inc. filed an amicus brief on behalf of the patient, who died prior to issuance of the Commission's final ruling and whose estate is represented by Roger Leishman of the ACLU of Illinois. Heather Sawyer prepared the amicus brief.
Nicholas Knapp v. Northwestern University (Federal Court, Illinois)
PETITION FOR U.S. SUPREME COURT REVIEW DENIED. The U.S. Supreme Court refused to review this case, which questioned what constitutes meaningful judicial review of a decision to exclude a person with a disability from a program. The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, which denied Knapp's request for rehearing en banc, held that in cases involving a risk of "serious harm or death" courts must defer to a defendant's determination of the significance of the risk, "regardless whether conflicting medical opinions exist."
Knapp was a star high school athlete who filed suit under the Rehabilitation Act after Northwestern University banned him from its basketball team because he has a heart condition. The Seventh Circuit denied Lambda and Equip for Equality, Inc., a Chicago-based disability rights organization, permission to file an amicus brief urging reconsideration of the unfortunate ruling. The Supreme Court's refusal to review his case effectively ends Knapp's legal battle to play at Northwestern. But, Knapp has transferred to Northeastern Illinois University and is eligible to pay basketball next season. Heather Sawyer worked on this case with Barry Taylor, an attorney at Equip for Equality.
Doe v. Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Dr. Martin Greenberg, and Humana Health Care Plans (Illinois)
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE INVESTIGATION PROCEEDING. When our client, John Doe, refused to submit to HIV testing that was not medically necessary for his treatment, his previously scheduled surgery was canceled and he was informed that Dr. Greenberg would not operate until Doe had been tested. After considerable effort to clarify the reasons for the testing, and after having consistently been told that the testing was necessary to ensure the safety of Dr. Greenberg and his staff, Doe contacted Lambda.
In negotiations with Dr. Greenberg, Illinois Masonic Medical Center, and Humana Health Care Plans, Lambda requested that all parties provide treatment to Doe without requiring or conditioning treatment on his submission to unnecessary HIV testing and also requested written confirmation of their policies regarding HIV testing. In response to Lambda's request, Dr. Greenberg, Illinois Masonic, and Humana Health Plans indicated that they would treat Doe in the future but refused to clarify their policies and practices regarding HIV testing generally.
To ensure that neither John Doe nor any other patient would be forced to undergo unnecessary HIV testing as a precondition to receiving medical care in the future, Lambda filed a complaint with the Department of Justice in May 1997. Investigation of that complaint is underway.
Heather Sawyer is working on this matter.
Patient Autonomy: The Right to Refuse Treatment, the Right to Die
Dennis Vacco v. Timothy Quill, M.D. et al. and State of Washington v. Glucksberg (U.S. Supreme Court)
LOSS. On June 26, 1997 the U.S. Supreme Court decided these two cases, reversing the landmark Court of Appeals decisions which invalidated laws in New York and Washington which criminalize physician-assisted suicide.
In March 1996, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals had concluded in Compassion in Dying v. State of Washington (now titled State of Washington v. Glucksberg) that there is a constitutionally protected liberty interest in determining the time and manner of one's own death. It then ruled that a Washington state law prohibiting physicians from prescribing life-ending medication for use by terminally ill, competent adults violates this fourteenth amendment due process right.
The Second Circuit Court of Appeals, in Quill v. Vacco, invalidating New York's similar law on a more narrow ground, concluded that the statute violated the equal protection rights of mentally competent, terminally ill persons. Given that those on life support systems are permitted to hasten their deaths by having their doctors take them off life support, the court found no reason to prohibit those in the final stages of their illnesses who are not on life support from making the same choice by requesting lethal medication from their physicians.
In opinions authored by Chief Justice Rehnquist, the Supreme Court rejected the argument that the state statutes outlawing assisted suicide infringed any fundamental right, and concluded that, because all competent persons are entitled to refuse lifesaving medical treatment and no one is permitted to assist a suicide, that there was no different treatment of similarly situated persons to trigger the Equal Protection Clause. Although all nine justices agreed with the result, and the observation that this result "permits the debate [about assisted suicide] to continue, as it should in a democratic society," a majority of the justices made it clear that, after public debate and legislative consideration have run a reasonable course, they might rule differently in a different case at a later time.
Lambda had joined amicus briefs in both cases at the court of appeals. Catherine Hanssens assisted Andrew Batavia of McDermott, Will & Emery with preparation of a separate amicus brief filed in the U.S. Supreme Court in these cases on behalf of Lambda, Gay Men's Health Crisis, and five prominent persons with disabilities.
McIver v. Krischer (Florida)
LOSS. This case is a state court parallel to the federal Quill and Glucksberg physician-assisted suicide cases recently addressed by the U.S. Supreme Court. A terminally ill man with AIDS, Charles Hall, requested that his physician be permitted to assist him at an appropriate time in the future in expediting Hall's death when his suffering became unbearable and irreversible, without risking criminal prosecution of his doctor. Unlike the federal cases, Hall centered his claim on the Florida state constitutional right to privacy. On July 17, 1997, the Supreme Court of Florida reversed the state court of appeal, relying to a significant degree on the historical prohibition against suicide, the objections to physician-assisted suicide voiced by the American Medical Association and state medical associations, and the belief that the issue was one which should be resolved by legislators rather than judges.
In a dissenting decision, Chief Justice Kogan expressed the view that notions about death and suicide from an earlier era, before the basic processes of disease were understood, "reflec[t] a cruelty we cannot take lightly." Finding the court's distinction between "active" death by a "death producing agent" and "passive" death by "natural causes" artificial and unworkable in the context of today's medicine, Chief Justice Kogan refused "in good conscience" to agree with the majority's conclusion that the state had an interest more compelling than the privacy interest of the patient, Charles Hall, in controlling "the way in which he confronts his own personal fate."
Lambda joined in an amicus brief filed in the Florida Supreme Court on behalf of disabled individuals, which focused in part on the evolution of advocacy on behalf of people with HIV/AIDS as a struggle for equality and the right to autonomy in critical medical decision-making.
Catherine Hanssens assisted Andrew Batavia of McDermott, Will & Emery on the brief, which also included the Florida AIDS Action Council, the PWA Coalition of Broward County, Florida, and seven individuals living with disabilities.
Criminal Law
State of Mississippi v. Marvin McClendon (Mississippi)
NO CHANGE. AWAITING DECISION. In October 1994, two gay men, Robert Walters and Joseph Shoemaker, were shot and killed execution-style in Laurel, Mississippi. Upon arrest, Marvin McClendon confessed to the murders, claiming that the victims sought to sexually assault him. The court permitted the defense to conduct post-mortem HIV tests on the victims, upon defense counsel's insistence that positive results would be "equivalent to [the victims'] carrying a loaded gun."
Lambda filed a brief in support of the Jones County District Attorney's pre-trial motion to exclude any evidence related to the victims' HIV status or sexual orientation. At the February 1995 trial, the judge ruled that the HIV status of the victims was relevant, and permitted defense counsel to introduce as evidence the test results of the two men. Despite this, the jury rejected the justifiable homicide defense and found the defendant guilty on two counts of murder. The defendant lost his motion for a new trial and subsequently appealed.
After consultation with Lambda, the Jones County district attorney filed a cross-appeal on the admission of the victims' HIV test results. In mid-December, the state attorney general filed its appellate brief, joined by an amicus brief prepared by Catherine Hanssens.
State v. Jimmy Bird (Ohio)
BRIEF FILED IN OHIO SUPREME COURT. In 1993, Jimmy Bird was arrested for disorderly conduct. During the arrest, he allegedly spit on one of the police officers; Bird claims he was maced and that the spitting was involuntary. On the advice of counsel, he pled no contest to the charge of felonious assault, which the court accepted on the prosecution's assertion that the spit of an HIV-positive person is a "deadly weapon." Bird received a three-to-15 year sentence. To date he has served two years of this sentence.
In support of Bird's request that the Ohio Supreme Court hear an appeal of his case, Lambda filed an amicus brief focusing on the current state of medical knowledge on the risk of HIV transmission through spitting (i.e., safely characterized as no quantifiable risk), and arguing that a conviction such as Bird's cannot stand when the prosecution has failed to allege sufficient facts (in this case, actions that pose any threat of serious bodily injury) to establish the essential elements of the crime with which a defendant has been charged.
In May 1997, the court granted Bird's request to appeal. Lambda filed an additional amicus brief in Bird's appeal to the Ohio Supreme Court in August 1997. Lambda's briefs in this case were prepared by Heather Sawyer.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Peter C. D'Antonio, PE, CEM, LEED AP, an authority on building energy efficiency, is the newest member of HPAC Engineering's Editorial Advisory Board.
D'Antonio is president of Longmont, Colo.-based PCD Engineering Services Inc. (http://pcdengineering.com/), an award-winning provider of building energy analysis, mechanical/electrical design, and commissioning. His firm has contributed to more than 25 LEED projects and more than 200 Energy Star projects.
In 2001, D'Antonio received gold-level recognition from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for contributions to the Energy Star program. In 2006, he was named Colorado Energy Champion for his commitment to energy efficiency in government buildings and service to the Colorado Governor's Energy Office. Over the years, he has received numerous awards from the Colorado Renewable Energy Society for his application of renewable energy in commercial and residential buildings.
Prior to founding PCD Engineering Services, D'Antonio served as senior project manager for EUA Cogenex, a national energy-services company. While with EUA Cogenex, he played an integral role in the development and implementation of more than $30 million in business.
D'Antonio served on the boards of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and the Association of Energy Engineers and as director of advocacy for the USGBC and is a member of American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers Technical Committee 7.6, Systems Energy Utilization.
D'Antonio holds bachelor's and master's degrees in civil engineering from the University of Maryland and the University of Colorado.
HPAC Engineering's Editorial Advisory Board is comprised of 31 distinguished professionals serving the HVACR industry. Possessing expertise in various engineering and scientific fields, they provide valuable assistance to the magazine's editors.
Click here to read a complete list of HPAC Engineering's Editorial Advisory Board members.


text:
The Trail Activities in the Nevada survey conducted by Nevada Division of State Parks found that:
Advocating access to public lands carries a responsibility to be part of the solution for managing the public lands. As a strong proponent for participation to make a difference, I am a full time advocate for recreation and the Managing Editor of the OutdoorWire family websites.
4x4Wire.com is dedicated to the four wheel drive recreation featuring technical articles and information to promote, protect, and provide outdoor recreation opportunities. 4x4Voice.com focuses on California issues. MUIRNet.net is focused on environmental, administrative and legislative news and information. OutdoorWire.com is Access and Landuse Central with an overall index to the contents of the family of websites.
Captcha Image


text:
Peyton Manning quotes: Broncos QB none too pleased after practice
Peyton Manning was not a happy camper Tuesday after the Broncos' first of three joint practices with the Texans. The Broncos' quarterback didn't hold back with his evaluation of his offense's performance at Dove Valley, saying the team "stunk" and that the Texans "kicked our butt."
Here's what else he had to say …
On holding joint practices with the Houston Texans:
"Well, I think it is great to get somebody different. You get to go against different players, different schemes. I thought our offense stunk today. I thought the (Houston) defense totally kicked our butt. I couldn't see what was going on on the other side of the field, so we'll learn from the film, there will be some good things to see. Hopefully we will come out and do a better job tomorrow for our players to uphold doing our jobs of executing. But I think there will be some benefit for them, they are a 3-4 defense, they got some great defensive players, and play a lot of different coverages, (with) one of the best coaches out there. Overall it will be a good week for us. We've got to do better than we did today on offense.
On how the Texans played:
"They executed better than we did. I don't know what the word is or the adjective was, but just thought they did their jobs a lot better than we did on offense. I couldn't see the other side of the ball. That was all I was worried about."
On the preseason so far:
"It's good. We have played two physical games against two physical teams, and this will be a great week of work against a physical defense, as well. Saturday, the game will be good work. When you play the third game you play the most, and like I said, they give you looks at 3-4 on certain downs and then looks for four down and have all the different blitzes and coverages, as well. They have good personnel so it's a good challenge."
On what he hopes to get out of the third preseason game:
"I think it is always nice for your young players to see different defenses. You like to see as many things as you possible can before you get to the regular season. You can't see it all, but this is a great way to get exposed to some different defenses, different situations, different blitzes, and what the adjustments are. Then trying to get on the same page with some of the new guys, maybe getting Emmanuel (Sanders) out there practicing and get him on the same page as (WR) Wes (Welker). Hopefully we can get him out there tomorrow."
On how imposing is it going against Houston LB Jadeveon Clowney and DE J.J. Watt:
"It actually is with J.J. Watt. I can't speak for Clowney, he hasn't really started his NFL career yet. Playing against Watt a number of times he is when you combine that kind of ability and his work ethic — that is why he is such a special player as well. Obviously Clowney appears to be some one heck of a talent."
On if Clowney set himself apart on the field today:
"I am probably the wrong guy to ask. I am sure if you ask (T Ryan) Clady or some of those guys they can probably give you a better evaluation."
On people being concerned the team may be "too ready":
"Yeah, I think you need to take that story out of the bag. After today's performance out there on Field Two, it will kill out."
On if the team is behind schedule:
"I think we try to get what we talk about just focusing on the now. Sunday's game is behind us, and we don't play these guys until Saturday. We've got two more practices against these guys. So (we) need to study the film, study our playbooks, be on top of our assignments, and hopefully have a little bit better show tomorrow."
On if joint practices are a trend and how they can be beneficial:
"Yeah, like I said, I think it is a good idea. I have done it a couple times before playing in Indianapolis. I know starters benefit from it. Like I said, the different schemes that you see, different techniques with the guys up front. Orlando (Franklin), Chris Clark, Clady, (Louis) Vasquez and Manny (Ramirez), I know it is great work for those guys especially when we put on the pads tomorrow to get more of a real look in person as far as with the pads. Receivers benefit from going against different corners every day. I think there's a benefit."
RELATED: Dannny Trevathan discusses his leg injury
On comparing the running backs now versus two years ago:
"It is hard to compare. Certainly Montee (Ball) is chomping at the bit to get back out there. He is doing everything he can during the walkthroughs and the individual drills without the contact. So as soon as he gets any kind of green light he'll be out there, but with him being out a number of guys have taken advantage of the opportunities. I thought Ronnie (Hillman) and C.J. (Anderson) have really done some good things out here in practice and both games and some of the young guys have gotten an opportunity. This is a big week for a lot of guys. I know the coaches are evaluating and tough decisions have to be made, so you pull for all those guys to have a chance to make this team. When all those guys have been called on to have an opportunity — (RBs) Brennan (Clay), Juwan (Thompson), Kapri (Bibbs) — those guys have done some good things."
On if his assessment of the offense's practice today is "harsh":
"I don't know if I am that smart. I just call it like I see it. To have a pretty below-average practice you've got to call it a below-average practice. I think this team does a pretty good job of staying pretty even-keeled. I don't think anybody is overly excited about beating a San Francisco team that didn't have Justin Smith, Patrick Willis, that didn't blitz us one time and looked like they were kind of playing pretty vanilla schemes. So I think we have a pretty humble attitude about that. It will be a different animal when we play those guys in the regular season, trust me, so we did make some strides last week. We focused on some things that we wanted to improve on, I think we did improve on those things during the week of practice and put those to use during the game. So hopefully we can do that again this week. We've got to be better tomorrow than we were today and hopefully be even better on Saturday than we were last week."
On why he thinks they didn't practice as well as he would have liked today:
"We played Sunday, we were off yesterday, so we didn't have a ton of preparation for this practice. So with the game Sunday, the schedule just didn't allow us a lot of time. We didn't execute well."
On how much time he wants to play in the final two preseason games:
"I am up for whatever. The coaches make those decisions and they have good reasons for it. I think I played a little bit more in the first two games then maybe they expected just because of the repetitions and the way the plays and games flowed. However long they want to put me in there, I will stay in there. I know they have a lot of decisions to make and a lot of evaluations to make as well. I think the work this week against these guys may weigh in how much certain guys play in the game on Saturday. That's why I think this is beneficial."


text:
National Security
Pakistani Taliban leader calls Obama 'our foremost enemy'
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Pakistan's extremist Taliban movement acknowledged Tuesday that its leader, Baitullah Mehsud, had died in the aftermath of a U.S. drone missile attack early this month and confirmed that two men would replace him.
Hakimullah Mehsud, a violent young jihadist with links to al Qaida, will be in nominal control but his rival, Waliur Rehman, will take charge of Waziristan, a vital region for the militant movement. Rehman, in a telephone interview Tuesday with reporters, threatened attacks against the West and called President Barack Obama "our foremost enemy."
The Pakistani Taliban provides sanctuary for al Qaida and the Afghan insurgents in Pakistan's lawless tribal area, and its leadership and goals will affect international forces in Afghanistan and terror plots against Western targets.
The militant group sustained heavy losses in late April following the launch of a U.S.-backed Pakistani army operation, and the death of Baitullah Mehsud appeared to leave it in disarray. Now Pakistan and the United States will be watching to see if new leadership can stabilize the Pakistani Taliban.
Both of the top contenders for the leadership said Baitullah had succumbed to his injuries Sunday, not on Aug. 5, when a U.S. missile struck a house in South Waziristan, his native region, as U.S. and Pakistani intelligence officials had thought.
The admission came after weeks of denials from militants that Baitullah, who brought together 13 extremist groups in the country's northwest to form Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan in December 2007, had been eliminated.
On the surface, the power struggle to replace Baitullah appears to have been won by Hakimullah, a trigger-happy tribesman with the reputation of a thug. But his rival, Rehman, who was closer to Baitullah and is regarded as much less brutal than Hakimullah, was given charge of the all-important Waziristan region.
"The real power is in Waziristan, and Waliur Rehman will run things there," said Saifullah Mahsud, an analyst at the FATA Research Center, an independent think tank in Islamabad. "It's a clever compromise formula. Waliur Rehman has the real power."
Remote, mountainous Waziristan is a potential hiding place for Osama bin Laden and a safe haven for jihadists from around the world.
According to a tribesman in South Waziristan, who could not be named for his own safety, Hakimullah, thought to be just 28, had threatened to form a breakaway group if he wasn't given the title of leader.
"In order to avoid bloodshed, Waliur Rehman has been forced by the Afghan side to agree. He's a decent, respected guy," said the tribesman.
He added that the dispute was mediated by a representative of Mullah Omar, founder of the Afghan Taliban, and Sirajuddin Haqqani, the son of veteran Afghan jihadist Jalaluddin Haqqani. The Pakistani Taliban regards its older Afghan counterpart as its mentor, and the Haqqani network in particular wields considerable influence over the Afghan branch.
Hakimullah could be the choice of al Qaida, analysts say, as he is linked closely to two terrorist groups banned in Pakistan — Sipah-e-Sahaba and its even more extreme offshoot, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi — that now take their lead from bin Laden.
Hakimullah formerly belonged to Sipah-e-Sahaba. Lashkar-e-Jhangvi is regarded as a key al Qaida facilitator in Pakistan and played a role in many of the bombings and other attacks that have rocked the country over the last two years, including the assault on the visiting Sri Lankan cricket team earlier this year.
Given the rivalry between Rehman, who is more popular in South Waziristan, and Hakimullah, analysts think that the power struggle could erupt again. According to an unconfirmed report, denied by the Taliban, the rivalry had led to a gun battle earlier this month in which both were injured. Until Tuesday, many were convinced that Hakimullah had died in that clash.
The pair appeared to be sitting together as they called select local journalists Tuesday evening, after the end of the Ramadan fast, as they passed the phone between them, according to one person who spoke to both.
"There are no differences between the various Taliban factions, and we are all united," Rehman told reporters from an undisclosed location.
Rehman, who has a religious education, unlike Hakimullah, hit out at the West, even threatening attacks.
"Obama is our foremost enemy and our workers are raring to face him," Rehman said. "Our workers cherish death more than the life and London, Paris and New York are not far away from them."
The Pakistani Taliban has no known capacity to mount attacks in the West.
Speaking before the announcement on the Taliban leadership, Pakistan's interior minister, Rehman Malik, was confident that the extremist movement was sinking.
"They cannot hide," Malik said. "We are close to their jugular vein. Now the people have turned against them."
Is Pakistan's Taliban movement on the way out?
U.S. officials: Strike may have killed Pakistan Taliban leader
Pakistani VOA journalist released from U.S. detention
Pakistanis say Taliban trained teens as suicide bombers
Follow national security issues at McClatchy's Nukes & Spooks.


text:
Can Commercial VPNs Really Protect Your Privacy?
from the it-depends deptNick Pearson is the founder of IVPN - a privacy-focused VPN service, and Electronic Frontier Foundation member.
As Techdirt readers are no-doubt well aware, online surveillance laws are undergoing a major revamp across the western world. From Australia to the UK, law enforcement agencies are taking the opportunity to gain unprecedented powers over the data they can monitor, and are blaming the crackdown on everything from illegal file-sharing to terrorists. With western nations becoming increasingly hostile toward the concept of online anonymity, it's not unreasonable to suggest the use of commercial VPNs will likely gain more traction (indeed, there's already some evidence supporting this). But can VPNs really safeguard your privacy today and, in the future, what kind of protection can you expect with the legal landscape changing so rapidly?
VPNs under fire
VPNs have come under serious scrutiny since mid-2011 after one of the leading services on the market played a pivotal role in the arrest and prosecution of a member of hacker group Lulzsec. This kicked off the debate amongst filesharers and privacy groups over whether VPNs offered any real protection to their users at all. As TorrentFreak pointed out, many are no more effective than a regular ISP due to self-imposed data retention policies.
It's certainly true all VPNs have the ability to track users and log their data. Many do so because they don't consider themselves privacy services and logging helps identify repeat DMCA infringers and quickly troubleshoot network issues. Others do so seemingly because of a poor grasp of their country's laws.
Of course, anyone concerned about privacy should not sign-up to a service that's retaining data. Most privacy-orientated VPNs approach this issue by using a non-persistent log (stored in memory) on gateway servers that only stores a few minutes of activity (FIFO). That time window gives the ability to troubleshoot any connection problems that may appear, but after a few minutes no trace of activity is stored.
As you may know the EU's Data Retention Directive came into effect in 2006, requiring "public communications services" to hold web logs and email logs, amongst other data. IVPN, along with a number of other EU based VPNs, believe our services are excluded from this requirement and we do not abide by it. So far there's been no cases we're aware of compelling VPNs to retain this information. Indeed, from a user perspective, the presence or absence of retention laws seem rather arbitrary, given how many US-based VPNs willingly retain data, despite no government-mandated policy being in place (at least not yet).
When law enforcement and VPNs collide...
So what happens if a law enforcement agency approaches a VPN, serves a a subpoena, and demands a the company trace an individual, based on the timestamp and the IP address of one of their servers? VPN services, like all businesses, are compelled to abide by the law. However, there is no way of complying with the authorities if the data they require does not exist.
One of the few ways law enforcement could identify an individual using a privacy service, without logs, is if they served the owners a gag order and demanded they start logging the traffic on a particular server they know their suspect is using. We would shut down our business before co-operating with such an order and any VPN serious about privacy would do the same. So unless law enforcement were to arrest the VPN owners on the spot, and recover their keys and password before they could react, your privacy would be protected.
A changing landscape...
But the biggest threat to VPN usage is the changing legal landscape. The waters around the issues presented by VPNs are still being tested and laws may indeed be amended in the future to prevent such services operating in certain jurisdictions. So how do you navigate all this?
In all honesty, there are no easy answers. Picking a host country based on their current laws isn't going to help much in the long term. By far the best measure you can take is to choose a VPN that demonstrates a commitment to user privacy. Examine the company's small print, or, better yet, contact the owners and ask them upfront how far they go to protect your personal data. Ensure the company is committed to keeping users informed of any emerging threats to its service and – before buying any lengthy subscription – make sure the VPN is willing to re-domicile should its host country change any relevant laws.
Filed Under: local laws, privacy, vpn


text:
It's no secret the magazine industry is having a hard time staying afloat, as major titles folded by the dozen in 2009. And though Hearst made ears perk up when it said that it would launch Skiff, an e-reader service of sorts, in 2010, a lot of questions remain.
The publisher of Harper's Bazaar and O, The Oprah magazine said that Skiff brings magazines to smartphones and Kindle-like devices. Plus, the Skiff service and digital store will feature a selection of newspapers, books and magazines.
Still, it's unclear whether I'll be able to download rival publications (those from Conde Nast, like Vogue), through Skiff.
Even though Skiff will be ad-supported, who will use it?
Although digital media is cheaper to produce than print, there's "no proof" something like Skiff "is going to sell products," Steve Cohn, editor-in-chief of magazine industry publication Media Industry Newsletter, remarked during a recent phone conversation with me.
"It might be very good for Cosmo," Cohn said. "But for something like Bazaar that has great photography, are you going to want to read it on an e-reader? I couldn't see it being for Town & Country or Harper's Bazaar. Both have older audiences and I don't know if they'll embrace this technology."
We'll just have to wait and see!


text:
Drone Attack: How We Might Willingly Embrace The Surveillance Society
from the poisoned-chalice dept
It's striking how drones have passed from a mysterious weapon used to wreak destruction in distant lands to something that could well become a familiar sight in the skies of the US and Europe. Meanwhile, the technology is progressing rapidly, allowing drones to fly in synchronized swarms and even to be printed out by the sheet. But what might some of the effects on our daily lives be -- for example in the sphere of privacy?
That's what an interesting post by David Eaves begins to explore. As he points out, some uses of drones seem so sensible that it would be almost irresponsible not to adopt them:
it is entirely conceivable that, in 5-7 years, there could be drones that would follow your child as he walks to school. You can of course, already choose to monitor your child by giving them a cell phone and tracking the GPS device within it, but a drone would have several advantages. It would be harder for someone to destroy or "disconnect" from your child. It could also record and save remotely everything that is going on - in order to prevent anyone from harassing or bullying them. It might even remind them to look both ways before crossing the street, in case they forget. Or, because of its high vantage point, it could pick out and warn your child of cyclists and cars they failed to observe. Once your kid is safely at school the drone could whiz home and recharge in time to walk them home at the end of the day. This may all seem creepy to you, but if such a drone cost $100 dollars, how many parents do you think would feel like it was "the responsible thing to do." I suspect a great deal.
There are plenty of other obvious applications:
Protestors might want a drone observing them, just so that any police brutality could be carefully recorded for later. Cautious adults may want one however over them, especially when going into an unfamiliar or unsafe neighborhoods. Or maybe you'll want one for your elderly parents... just in case something happens to them? It's be good to be able to pull them up on a live feed, from anywhere.
But as Eaves points out, something important is happening here on the privacy front:
My larger point is that the pressure to create the surveillance society isn't going to come exclusively from the state. Indeed, we may find ourselves in a surveillance society not because the state demands it, but because we want the tools for our own useful and/or selfish ends.
It's the Facebook effect: people know that by using the service they are giving up lots of personal information, but that's a price they seem willing to pay in order to gain the benefits of social networking. Similarly, as drones continue to fall in price and become smaller with longer ranges, people may be willing to start monitoring themselves, even though there is always the risk of information leaking to third parties -- or being demanded by the authorities, just as information is obtained from Internet service providers today.
Given the continuing success of Facebook despite the well-publicized issues around privacy, there's probably not much we can do to stop people adopting drones in these ways -- and why should we, when they obviously offer clear benefits in many situations? The best we can do is to encourage people to think through the consequences of taking this road before we set off down it, accompanied by our swarm of personal drones.
Follow me @glynmoody on Twitter or identi.ca, and on Google+
Filed Under: drones, privacy, surveillance society


text:
2007: A MD 530F helicopter operated by Blackwater USA is shot down by insurgents in Baghdad. All six men onboard are killed, possibly executed after surviving the initial crash.
2003: The final communication is made between Earth and Pioneer 10, a spacecraft intended to fly past Jupiter. It was launched in 1972, and its last trajectory would have the craft the first artificial object to leave the solar system.
2001: Yemenia Flight 448, a Boeing 727-200, is hijacked by an Iraqi man armed with a pen gun after takeoff from Sana'a International Airport. Among the 101 people onboard are the United States Ambassador to Yemen, the US Deputy Chief of Mission to Yemen, and the Yemeni Ambassador to the US. The hijacker is overpowered and arrested after the plane makes an emergency landing in Djibouti.
1990: Two Blue Angels jets collide during a practice flight at NAF El Centro, California. One plane is destroyed but the pilot ejects safely. The other plane suffers damage but lands safely.
1982: World Airways Flight 30, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10 (reg N113WA) flying from Newark, New Jersey to Boston Logan, crashes on landing. After landing too far down the runway and getting "poor to nil" braking action, the pilots would decide to steer the plane off the runway to avoid the approach lights. This would send the aircraft and its 212 souls into the harbor, where it would break apart, killing two people whose bodies are never found.
1957: A Lanica Airlines DC-3 (reg AN-AEC) crashes into the Concepcion Volcano in Nicaragua, killing all 16 onboard.
1951: Chesley Burnett "Sully" Sullenberger, III is born in Denison, Texas. In 2009, as a US Airways Captain, Sullenberger would instantly become one of the most famous airline pilots in history after guiding his stricken Airbus A320 to a safe landing in the Hudson River.
1951: First flight of the Douglas F4D Skyray, a carrier-based supersonic fighter/interceptor and the first US Navy aircraft that could fly at Mach 1 in level flight.
1948: First flight of the de Havilland Australia DHA-3 Drover, a tri-motor, short-haul airliner.
1941: Famed pilot and anti-war activist Charles Lindbergh testifies before the U.S. Congress, recommending that they negotiate a neutrality agreement with Adolf Hitler.
1939: First flight of the Douglas A-20 Havoc, an attack, light bomber and night fighter aircraft that would play a key role in World War II. Nearly 7,500 would be built and flown by the United States Army Air Forces, the Soviet Air Force, the Royal Air Force and the French Air Force. Douglas would later build a civilian airliner version called the DC-5.
1934: First flight of the Berliner-Joyce XF3J biplane fighter for the US Navy. The Navy would pass on further development, and the prototype would be the only one built.
1925: First flight of the Blériot 118, an amphibian flying-boat fighter. The French Navy rejects the design for being unstable in flight.
1909: First flight of the Blériot XI. Months later, an XI piloted by Louis Blériot would become the first plane to cross the English Channel.


text:
- Home
- News
- Sports
- Opinion
- Obituaries
- Features
- Special Sections
- Classifieds
- Public Notices
Name: Maria Campos
Age: 30
Address: Holly Dale Drive
Family: Husband, Hugo Campos, and a daughter, Mabelyn Campos
Job: Volunteer for ESL (English as a Second Language)
Church: St. Catherine Catholic Church
Hobbies: Reading and watching movies
Favorite movie: "The Notebook"
Favorite book: The Bible
Favorite food: Mexican food
If you currently subscribe or have subscribed in the past to the The Lancaster News, then simply find your account number on your mailing label and enter it below.
Click the question mark below to see where your account ID appears on your mailing label.
|ZIP Code:


text:
WebGL app?
Are there any high quality WebGL based apps in the Marketplace?
A game or demo would do. I want to see how well WebGL works, for example on the Keon.
Additional System Details
- User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/30.0.1599.66 Safari/537.36
More Information
Helpful Reply
Ludie webgl
Ludie webgl
Hi feklee,
I'm not aware of any webgl apps in the marketplace, but my favorite demo has always been crystal skull. You can go to webgl.com to find the webgl-demo-glass-skull and view it in the browser. It almost seems to perform better if you then bookmark it to the home screen and run it again that way.
Best regards, Michelle Luna
Helpful Reply
What's Ludie webgl? I cannot find something by that name in the Marketplace.
Question owner
About the crystal skull: It displays, but movement doesn't work because there is no mouse pointer to follow.
Modified by feklee
Question owner
The other day I found on Marketplace: Asteroids Mania
When tapping on the icon on Firefox OS 1.0.1, like with other packaged apps, I see a folder with files. To start the game I tap on index.html. I assume that this is a known bug with version 1.0.1. Anyhow, in the folder I see a file three.js, a library which wraps WebGL and other technologies for displaying 3D graphics in the browser. This indicates that the game could make use of WebGL. The game runs fine on my Keon!
Modified by feklee


text:
Contact Us: (503) 273-8719
Pendleton Falcon Cove Baby Blanket Set
Moonstruck Chocolate Nine Piece Truffle Collection
Oregon's Best Products Delivered To You
Northwest Road Trip
Hungry Pioneer
Shop Oregon's Finest Gift Basket Selection!
Pendleton Wool Green Heather Yakima Camp Throw
Limited Edition Oregon Blanket by Pendleton Woolen Mills
Oregon Wool Blankets Shipped To Your Door, For Free!
2015 Cristom Pinot Noir - Louise Vineyard
2017 Watermill Cab Franc - Hallowed Stones
Shop Sommelier Picks
to browse our currated wines from our Certified Sommelier.
Premium Hot Chocolate by Cacao 12 oz
Regular Price:
Sale Price:
Rogue Batsquatch Hazy IPA 12oz
Indulge In Our Wonderful Selection Of Gourmet Food & Drinks,
Moonstruck Willamette Valley Winery Collection 12pc
Commemorative Oregon Milk Chocolate bars 8pcs
Regular Price:
Sale Price:
Oregon Chocolatiers & Candymakers Are Creating Magic. Check Out Our Selection!
Oregon Mountains Canvas Tote Bag, One Lane Road
The Shark Corkscrew and Waiter's Tool, Milo and Trixie
Handmade Pottery, Rare Myrtlewood, Beeswax Candles & Much More
Pacific Wonderland Women's T-Shirt
Triangle Earrings In Stripe/Coral, Steady Ceramics
Be the first to review this product
In stock
Join us on Social Media to stay up to date on our new products, sales, and events.
Subscribe to our newsletter to receive the most recent news, products and discounts.


text:
'Cyberbullied' School Administration May Have Violated Student's First Amendment Rights By Suspending Him
from the the-most-power;-the-thinnest-skin dept
All the cyberbullying policies and laws being put into place to protect kids seem to be invoked most frequently to protect adults -- specifically, the adults who are responsible for the crafting of these new rules. Another case of school administrators being "cyberbullied" has hit the courts. This one stems from a disgruntled student who was unhappy with his treatment during the basketball season.
Following the season's final game, Rosario was out to dinner with his family and sent a series of crass and offensive tweets about school administrators and his coach:As you can see from the emphasis Venkat Balasubramani added, this collection of tweets should have remained outside the purview of the policy used to suspend Rosario. But that didn't stop the offended parties from kicking the student out of school. Unfortunately for the administration, Rosario's family took them to court, searching for injunctive relief from the suspension. (Rosario was ultimately allowed to transfer to a different school.) That was denied due to lack of irreparable harm and the school district filed a motion to dismiss. That didn't go quite as smoothly.
1. Mr. Isaacs is a b*tch too
2. I hope Coach brown gets f*cked in the *ss by 10 black d*cks
3. Now I can tweet whatever I want and I hope one of y'all mother f*ckers snitch on me
4. Fuck coach browns bitch *ss
5. Finally this b*tch *ss season is over
6. Aiight I'm done y'all can go snitch now like before
7. Oh yea and Mr. DInkel's square *ss
8. AND Ms. Evans b*tch *ss boyfriend too He a p*ssy ass n*gg* tryna talk shit while walking away
Etiquette breach (while at family dinner) aside, school administrators were not happy. They punished Rosario for his tweets under a cyberbullying statute. The text of the statute read as follows:
"A member of the board of trustees of a school district, any employee of the board of trustees, including, without limitation, an administrator, principal, teacher or other staff member, or any pupil shall not engage in bullying cyber-bullying, harassment or intimidation on the premises of any public school, at any activity sponsored by a public school, or on any school bus."[emphasis added]
Rosario's family brought a "slew of other claims," but most notable is the First Amendment claim, which the court will allow to move forward.
As to Rosario's First Amendment claim, the defendants argued that the speech in question was not protected speech at all because it was "racist, violent, offensive, and hateful." The court (correctly) rejects this argument saying that the only legal basis for the speech in question to possibly be unprotected is obscenity, and this only applies to one tweet.The court also notes that school administrators can discipline students for off-campus speech, but they need to show "substantial disruption" has occurred on campus in order to justify suspensions or expulsions. This district's policy covers a very limited area -- Balasubramani points out that its specific wording makes it unlikely to be enforceable against "activities in cyberspace," no matter if these activities happened during school events or on school grounds.
Cyberbullying policies have the built-in potential to cripple free speech, thanks to the general shift towards subjectivity, rather than objectivity. Beyond that, these policies seem to encourage a culture of heightened sensitivity and overreaction in far too many administrators.
There must be something in school administrators' DNA that causes a heightened reaction when they see their name mentioned in social media. The tweets were ill-advised at best and crass, depressing even. But I wonder whether the school would have been better off using this as a teaching moment rather than taking a harsher disciplinary approach that was not necessarily on solid First Amendment grounds.This last point is also rather crucial. The district punished a student for tweets administrators never would have seen without jumping through some extra hoops. Rosario's Twitter account was private, meaning these were only shared with followers. While the court doesn't agree this gives Rosario an "expectation of privacy" in regards to his claims of Fourth Amendment violations, it does bring into question how much work administrators had to do simply to recover the tweets that offended them so much. It should have been a teachable moment, or at worst, something that could have been ignored.
The fact that the school relied on the cyberbullying statute is telling, and a good illustration that these types of statutes are often used in an unintended manner, to improperly suppress speech. It's a stretch at best to argue that tweets from a private account—that would not have reached the coach or administrators absent their inquiry—somehow amounted to "cyber-bullying".
Filed Under: cyberbullying, first amendment, free speech, school administrators, suspensions, tweets


text:
Our Publications
- Aspen
- Atlanta
- Boston
- Chicago
- Dallas
- The Hamptons
- Hawai'i
- Houston
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Miami
- New York
- Orange County
- Palm Beach
- Philadelphia
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- Scottsdale
- Silicon Valley
- Washington, D.C.
Home › Scene › Shopping Spree! ›
Shopping Spree!
The premier classic modern home furnishing store, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, was the perfect setting for a charitable evening benefiting Dwell With Dignity. The store's new spring/summer collection was unveiled and the crowd toasted the latest edition of Modern Luxury Interiors Texas while enjoying food from Parigi and special drinks with Ketel One Vodka. Another perk this evening: getting a discount when using Uber as a method of transportation to and from the event. Also, a very lucky guest won a $2,000 shopping spree at Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams. Photography by Daniel Driensky


text:
Deep & Steep Terrain
The Elektra™ Stratus features secure traction and the micro-adjustable, precision-fit of the Wrapp™ Helix binding, to take you to the peak and beyond. Find limitless adventure with a simple clockwise turn of the Boa® Closure system.
Technology + Features
|Surface Area
|Elektra Stratus 23
|23 in (58 cm)
|145 sq in
(935 sq cm)
|3.98 lbs (1.81 kg)
|80-160 lbs
(36-73 kg)
|Elektra Stratus 27
|27 in (69 cm)
|176 sq in
(1135 sq cm)
|4.08 lbs (1.85 kg)
|120-200+ lbs
(54-91+ kg)
*Load refers to total weight of user plus anything they are carrying such as pack, equipment, etc.
Recommended loads are based on light, dry snow conditions. Powder snow may require a larger snowshoe.


text:
"My Favorite Headphone Ever"
The reference-level LCD-X is an exciting addition to the Audeze LCD planar magnetic headphone collection. The LCD-X features a newly developed and processed transducer made of a thinner and lighter alternative material with new Fazor technology.
"Simply put, its my favorite headphone ever," raves Brent Butterworth in an About.com posting. "Its an open-back model so it doesnt isolate you from external sounds."
"The LCD-X is now my favorite headphone for recreational listening and studio monitoring," reports Michael Mercer in his Positive-Feedback.com review for November/December 2013.
"A Real Thrill"
"The subtle gradations of dynamics in piano recordings are a real thrill," notes Steve Guttenberg at CNET.com. "You'll realize how most headphones gloss over that aspect of sound reproduction."
"The sense of space is enormous, sounding more like speakers in a room than drivers next to your ears," reports Geoffrey Morrison, Forbes, November 10, 2013.
"The smallest details, the shortest transients, were all a clear and well defined as I could imagine possible. There was not a hint of over-sibilance," marvels John E. Johnson in a November 18, 2013 review for Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity.
Fazor Technology
Patent-pending Fazor elements are unique to the LCD-X and LCD-XC and help guide and manage the flow of sound in the headphone. The result is improved phase response, greater frequency extension, smoother frequency response, and remarkable 3D holographic imaging.
The LCD-X transducer is specifically designed to work with a wide variety of driving sources. From portable players to studio use, the LCD-X provides high volume without a headphone amplifier, even though all LCD-series products benefit from a high-quality amp.
Luxurious Ear Cups and Ear Pads
The LCD-X earcups are made from polished anodized aluminum with sloped ear pads of premium lambskin leather. The earpads are designed with specially-crafted foam offering the proper firmness and acoustic balance.
The LCD-X comes with an ADZ6SE single-ended 1/4 TRS to 2x4-pin mini XLR cable, an ADZ6B4 balanced 4-pin XLR to 2x4-pin mini XLR cable, and a 1/4" to 1/8" adapter. It also includes a 'Ruggedized travel case' and warranty documents from Audeze.
Audeze Planar Magnetic Transducer Technology
Planar magnetic speaker technology is a dramatic departure from traditional dynamic speakers. The unique design and functionality of planar magnetic transducers (or drivers) overcome many limitations inherent in cone drivers.
Planar magnetic transducers typically consist of two main components: a diaphragm with circuit and magnet arrays. The 'planar' in planar magnetics refers to the magnetic field that's distributed in the same plane (parallel) to the diaphragm. Planar magnetic diaphragms are thin and lightweight compared to much heavier moving-coil or dome diaphragms found in 'dynamic' drivers. This thin diaphragm is suspended in the magnetic fields created by the magnetic arrays.
Unlike a dynamic driver with a cone or dome attached to a voice coil, a planar magnetic diaphragm has a printed circuit spread across the surface of a thin-film substrate. When the circuit is energized with an audio signal, it interacts with the magnetic field and produces an electromagnetic force that moves the diaphragm back and forth creating sound.
Audeze employs a number of proprietary techniques that improve upon basic planar magnetic design, including the integration of unique, ultra-thin diaphragms and stronger and more optimized magnetic fields and circuit patterns. Audeze's goal is to bring the best in planar magnetic design and continuing to improve the personal audio experience.
Planar Transducer Advantages
Planar magnetic transducers offer numerous benefits compared to dynamic drivers, beginning with enhanced responsiveness. Since the force created by the magnetic field is distributed across most of the diaphragm surface, the planar magnetic diaphragm moves faster and with far greater accuracy to the input signal.
The magnetic force that drives the lightweight diaphragm delivers rapid acceleration thus achieving a wide frequency response, low distortion and excellent sound quality.
Planar magnetic transducers also offer added durability compared to conventional dynamic drivers. Because the circuit pattern is spread flat across the diaphragm surface, it can dissipate the heat generated by the current passing through it more efficiently. Additionally, planar magnetic transducers have few moving parts and can maintain performance without any sonic degradation. Dynamic drivers continuously degrade in performance over their life due to a multitude of moving parts and use of glue joints.
Amplifier friendliness is another attribute. The circuits found in planar magnetic diaphragms present an almost purely resistive load to amplifiers, making the transducers easy to drive. The impedance over the entire frequency range is completely flat vs. dynamic speaker, which could have variances in impedance values over the frequency range.
"Simply put, its my favorite headphone ever Its an open-back model so it doesnt isolate you from external sounds."
- Brent Butterworth, About.com
"The LCD-X is now my favorite headphone for recreational listening and studio monitoring."
- Michael Mercer, Positive-Feedback.com, November/December 2013
"The subtle gradations of dynamics in piano recordings are a real thrill... you'll realize how most headphones gloss over that aspect of sound reproduction."
- Steve Guttenberg, CNET.com
"The sense of space is enormous, sounding more like speakers in a room than drivers next to your ears."
- Geoffrey Morrison, Forbes, November 10, 2013
"The smallest details, the shortest transients, were all a clear and well defined as I could imagine possible. There was not a hint of over-sibilance."
- John E. Johnson, Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity, November 18, 2013
|Product Reviews


text:
Kim played alongside two-time winner on the European Senior Tour this year and joint overnight leader Thelen, and the American just could not keep up with his Asian counter-part from the get-go at the Taipei venue in Taiwan.Kim birdied all but three holes in an exceptional front nine as he reached the turn in 30 shots, but proceeded to card his first back to back pars at the tenth and 11th holes.
That would not last for long, however, and he embarked on a run of four birdies in five holes from the 12th hole, although the odd one out at the par four 13th proved to be his first bogey of the week.A par at the par three 17th hole ended that streak and when the 51 year old knocked a chip to four feet at the par five 18th, it looked for all the world that he would sign for a ten under par 62 which would have given him a four shot cushion going into the final day.
Instead, he has the in-form Thelen close on his trail just three shots off his overall score of 14 under par as they both attempt to follow in the footsteps of Chien Soon Lu, the winner of the inaugural Fubon Senior Open last year."I am really happy with my round today," said Kim. "My irons were really good today and my putting was perfect so I am looking forward now to the final round."
Thelen, for one, was thoroughly impressed by the performance of his playing partner and is relishing the challenge of trying to chase Kim's lead in what it sure to be a tense battle in the final round in the Taiwanese capital."Kim shot a 63 today like it was nothing," said the 51 year old. "He had a great round and I really have to go out there and play well tomorrow.
"I am going to have to be a little more aggressive in the final round but that might all depend on where the pins are and how the weather is because although I want to go for it, I have to be sensible too."Thelen followed up his opening round 66 with a five under par second round of 67 which included birdies at three of the four par fives - the sixth, 12th and 18th - and he had his game on the greens to thank for his round.
"I didn't hit my irons as well as I did on the first day," said the man from Texas. "I drove it well though and I putted well and when you're putting good it makes up for a lot of other things and it maintains your momentum."Kim didn't miss a shot today and it was fun to watch and I just had to try to keep up with him. He hit a great shot into 18 and at that point I was looking at going into the final round four shots back.
"But I'm still there and I can still make a push and there are plenty of other guys not far behind who will fancy their chances of catching up too so it should be an exciting day."Frankie Minoza is one of those players in with a shot after he carded an eagle and eight birdies in an eight under par round of 64, which left the man from the Philippines on eight under for the tournament and six shots off the lead.
Thailand's former Senior Tour Order of Merit winner Boonchu Ruangkit was joined by compatriot Ji-xiang Lin and South Africa's Chris Williams in tied fourth place on seven under par while the best of the Taiwanese was Ter-chang Wang, who was in tied ninth place in five under.Defending champion Lu was two shots further back on three under par as his chances of retaining the title he claimed last year faded.
|Player name
|THELEN, Tim
|WILLIAMS, Chris
|MINOZA, Frankie
|RUANGKIT, Boonchu
|WESSELINGH, Paul
|PRICE, Terry


text:
It would've been easy not to write anything about this knife, and just let the picture do the talking.
SOG's new SE38 Force Fixed blade knife is nothing short of a beast. It sports a thick, minimally ground full-tang AUS-8 blade for strength, wrapped in a grippy fiberglass-reinforced handle and terminating in a solid glass breaker. SOG also includes a nylon MOLLE-compatible sheath. In short, this knife is a force to be reckoned with. Take a look for yourself at www.knifecenter.com!
SOG has this to say: Continue Reading


text:
GOODYEAR, Ariz., Feb. 16 (UPI) -- The Cincinnati Reds and starting pitcher Homer Bailey have avoided arbitration with a one-year contract, the team said Saturday.
Terms of the deal weren't announced, by the Cincinnati Enquirer reported it was for $5.35 million.
Bailey had filed for $5.8 million in his arbitration proceeding, while the Reds countered with a $4.75 million offer.
Bailey, 26, last year compiled a 13-10 record with a 3.68 ERA over 33 starts, while setting new career marks in wins, innings (208), strikeouts (168) and quality starts (21).
The signing settled the last of seven arbitration cases the Reds had been facing entering the new season, following deals with Mat Latos, Logan Ondrusek, Mike Leake, Bailey, Chris Heisey, Shin-Soo Choo and Alfredo Simon, the Enquirer noted.


text:
Universal Duck/Goose Shoes, Ice Blue
About The Waterfowl Shoe:
-Made out of Neoprene (wet suit material).
-Closed-cell rubber material helps keep out moisture
-Provides cushioning
-Has a rubber grip bottom to prevent slips
-Helps keep bandages and medicine against the foot
-Can prevent males from mounting females during breeding season
-Can be worn on either the left or right foot
-Helps ducks and geese recovering from infections like Bumblefoot
-Protection from hot asphalt, icy patches, and dirty/poopy/rough surfaces
-Protects yourself and others from sharp nails
-Can be worn every day, with breaks for bathing and bandage dressing/medicine application.
-Is universal, can be worn on either foot.
Important Info about Shoes:
- Shoes are NOT a replacement for proper veterinarian care and are not guaranteed to prevent or heal any illness or Injury.
- Inform your vet to your use of medical items for your pet. Discontinue use if your vet recommends it.
- Closed toe shoes must be removed for bathing! Open toe shoes should be removed for a short period each day to allow your fowl to preen. Waterfowl should bathe/preen for at least 1 hour a day.
- If using a closed toe shoe, your fowl should be sequestered away from swimming or bathing water sources to prevent the holding of moisture against the foot.
- Wash shoes when they become soiled, about once a day. It works great to wash the shoe while your pet bathes/preens.
- Shoes can be worn both inside and outside of the home or coop.
- Fowl with injuries such as Bumblefoot can wear this shoe even after recovery. The extra cushioning of the shoe can help prevent infection by padded tender feet.
- Fowl should have access to a predator safe structure, as the extra weight from the shoe may limit the ability to escape from predators.
- It is normal for fowl wearing a shoe for the first time to ecperience slight balance problems while adjusting to the shoe. Fowl may sit more often as well.
-If your fowl pecks or removes the shoe, medical cloth tape may be placed around the top of the ankle cuff and leg to secure it into place.
Benefits of an Open-Toe Shoe:
This style of shoe has three open holes in the front for each toenail of ducks and geese, as well as a hole in the ankle cuff for the back toe nail. It allows waterfowl the use of their toenails for roosting, scratching, climbing, etc (this design is great for Muscovy ducks). It also provides extra cushion or to prevent injury to susceptible feet. This design also allows for swimming. If your pet has infections or wounds, please consider the closed-toe design.
Benefits of a Closed-Toe Shoe:
This style of shoe completely covers the front three toenails and has a an opening for the back toenail in the ankle cuff. The foot is able to move around inside the shoe (provides room for bandaging) and can seem a little big, especially on smaller ducks. This design is best for fowl with injuries/infections that need extra protection. It is recommended to NOT allow your fowl to swim/bathe with this design. You may need to trim longer toenails on some waterfowl to fit in the shoe properly.
Additional Info
Lead Time- It typically takes 2-3 weeks for a pair of shoes, during the busier times of the year. If you need this item on an emergency, please contact us. We ship as soon as all items in an order are ready. If you'd like items with shorter lead times shipped as soon as possible, either purchase separately, or contact us for additional shipping charges.
Your monitor setting may influence the exact color of an item. Colors can change, have variations due to dye lots, or sometimes a color will run out before a listing can be updated. If a color you request is unavailable we will contact you by email about a second color/fabric choice.
Putting on a Shoe:
1. Sit down on a chair, open all velcro straps of the shoe, and place the shoe on a table or surface within easy reach.
2. Place your fowl on your lap. Tuck your fowl's head under one arm while using the other hand to gently pull the desired leg out from under the bird. This will cause the fowl to sit. (NOTE: Only pull your bird's leg from the joint to prevent injury).
3. Gently fold your fowl's foot (like and accordion) and slip it inside of the shoe.
4. Once the toes are positioned correctly (if you have open toe shoes, you will need to place each toe in each opening), close the foot strap.
5. Carefully position the back toe in the opening on the back of the ankle cuff.
6. Allow your fowl to stand, then close the ankle cuff snug around the ankle.
Cleaning Instructions:
It is recommended to wash this PartyFowl Shoe by hand in a sink with mild detergent (like hand soap), and allow to air dry. Turn the shoe inside out, and do not use until fully dry. They can be placed in the wash with all velcro straps closed with other less linty fabrics (like denim, avoid placing with towels or sweaters), and can be dried in the dryer though machine washing/drying can wear the shoe out quicker.


text:
The Downtown Council of the New Bern Area Chamber of Commerce, along with area businesses in the historic downtown district, kicks off the holiday season Friday with a �Beary Merry Christmas.�
The Downtown Council of the New Bern Area Chamber of Commerce, along with area businesses in the historic downtown district, kicks off the holiday season Friday with a �Beary Merry Christmas.�
Festivities continue throughout December with a variety of activities and events.
Friday�s start-up is �Light Up the Season,� an annual family-oriented event featuring the arrival of Santa and the illumination of Bear Plaza on Middle Street with hundreds of lights.
Among the activities on the 200 block is the opening of the Santa House. The seasonal block party is from 4 to 8 p.m. and will include holiday music, dancing and crafts for the children.
Magicians Gary Shelton and P.J. Walker will perform, along with dance teams from Get the Pointe, Margaret Fletcher Dance Studio and New Bern Ballet.
Downtown shops remain open late for a jump-start on holiday shopping.
Snow will begin to fall once the lights have been illuminated, through snow machines, which will churn out the white powder on specific dates through Dec. 22. Dates include Dec. 6, 13, 20, 21 and 22.
The Friday event is made possible through support from Joe Alcoke Auto and Truck Center.
On Dec. 14, from 1:30-4:30pm, families can put their marching boots on and participate in the Chamber of Commerce�s �Bernie�s Beary Merry Mistletoe March.� This year�s march will begin at the New Bern Area Chamber of Commerce on South Front Street, with hot chocolate and other surprises before the march to New Bern Civic Theatre on Pollock Street. That is the site of a showing of the movie, �Polar Express� This event is sponsored by Coastal Children�s Clinic.
The forecast is for more snow for Dec. 15, with the lot on the corner of Craven and South Front streets transforming into a winter wonderland. Children will have the rare opportunity to enjoy a day of sledding at no cost thanks to the support of event sponsor Chesnutt, Clemmons & Peacock, PA. The �Sledding and Shopping Sunday� is from 1 to 4 p.m.
Local residents can cast a vote for the prettiest wreath adorning the businesses of downtown in the �Beary Beautiful Wreath� contest, sponsored by The Sun Journal and the Galley Store.
�Downtown New Bern� is celebrated each Friday night, with many shops remaining open until 8 p.m.
Also, New Bern Tours will be offering a special Christmas Bear Trolley Tour on Friday evenings at 5:30 and 7 p.m. Reservations are required.
A full day of activities are planned Dec. 7, beginning with Breakfast with Santa at the Riverfront Convention Center.
The Craven County Jaycees Christmas Parade is at 3 p.m. and the annual Christmas Flotilla follows that evening.
Tryon Palace will host its popular Candlelight Tours on Dec. 14 and 21, with the theme, �Seasons of Delight.�
For a complete list of event, on the web: bearymerrychristmas.com
In addition to the events sponsors Joe Alcoke Auto and Truck Center, Chestnutt, Clemmons & Peacock, PA and ViaMark Advertising, presenting sponsors include A.G. Salem & Associates, Coastal Children�s Clinic and TradeIdeas.
Santa sponsors include Current Communications, Morgan�s Tavern & Grill and The Accidental Artist.


text:
14th October 2005, 08:45 PM
Cedar just came back from her last puppy vac visit at the vet's. She's 5.1 pounds. I'm curious to know how her size compares to the "average" size for her age. I know that we've recently discussed the full grown size range, but I dont know much about the average size at different puppy stages. My vet does not care for any other cavs (they are not very well known in my area!), and he mentioned that he didnt think she'd get much bigger than 10 pounds. Since he's not as experienced with the breed, I dont know how much to value his prediction. I know the breed standard is a little bigger than that, but then again Cedar may not be standard.
Cedar is just over three months old and weights 5.1 pounds. How is she doing?
Cedar is just over three months old and weights 5.1 pounds. How is she doing?


text:
We offer professional gutter guard installation with the best prices and warranty in the Grantville Pa area!
We provide professional gutter guard installation in Grantville Pa area to help protect your homes rain gutter system. Installing our highly rated Flexxpoint aluminum gutter guards on your Grantville area home will eliminate the need to climb dangerous ladders in order to clean your unprotected gutters. We guarantee in writing that your gutters will remain maintenance free after having our Flexxpoint gutter guards installed! It is crucial to keep your gutters clean and flowing freely to eliminate the risk of costly water damage to your homes roof, walls, landscape and foundation. We provide the affordable solution!
WE GUARANTEE to save you thousands of dollars over any competitors prices for quality gutter protection! Don't make a $5,000 mistake by throwing your hard earned money away on overpriced, inferior gutter protection systems that don't work! Keep reading to learn more about the design flaws and outrageous prices of the different styles and brands of gutter protection products on the market.
Ecoclean Property Services takes a totally different approach to gutter protection with our Flexxpoint Gutter Guard Systems. We are a small family owned business and we don't have any pushy, high pressure salesman. The owner will provide you with a free estimate and also be on site during the installation to ensure your complete satisfaction. We don't cut corners or use subcontractors who only worry about getting paid, don't have much training and don't take pride in their work. We take pride in our work and it shows.
We have installed dozens of different styles and brands of gutter protection over the years and know from experience what works and what doesn't. Learning from these years of experience, today we will only install Flexxpoint Gutter Guards because of how well they work and the outstanding warranty that backs this product! Micro mesh guards work well for a year or two before they become clogged from the oils emitted from your shingle roof rendering them completely useless as water comes directly off your gutters like a sliding board. Helmet style guards sound like a good idea until you realize that debris can actually get in your gutters causing clogging and then overflowing, because of their design you can't even get into the gutter to clean them. We replace systems like these every week with our affordable Flexxpoint Gutter Guard System at a small fraction of the cost with outstanding results and backed by a 30 Year "N0 Clog" Manufacturers Warranty by a company that actually stands behind their product because they know it works!
We offer our Flexxpoint Gutter Guard System which is an aluminum perforated guard with raised center ridges to allow airflow under debris to promote self cleaning. They are installed in four foot overlapping sections and are fastened to the front, top lip of the gutter as well as the rear fascia with stainless steel zip screws which will never rust and strengthens the entire gutter system after installation. Once installed these guards can not be seen from the ground so they do not detract from your homes curb appeal. Our Flexxpoint gutter covers come in white, thermal thaw black and brown although many customers are going with the thermal thaw black guards to aid in the melting of snow and ice during the daily freeze and thaw cycles after a snow event. It is proven that black guards will rid the snow and ice four times faster than white guards and help to eliminate ice damming issues.
Our Flexxpoint Gutter Guard installation service includes gutter and downspout cleaning, gutter tune up and installation of our Flexxpoint Gutter Guards and include a 30 Year Manufacturers No Clog Warranty in writing all at under $5.00 per foot installed. No separate pricing for gutter cleaning or tune up! No hidden fees! One low price per foot and as always FREE ESTIMATES! Read Over 425 Trusted Amazon Reviews For Flexxpoint Gutter Guards to see just how happy real homeowners just like you are with Flexxpoint Gutter Guards installed on their homes!
If you'd like maintenance free gutters and never want to climb a ladder to clean your gutters again then we have the affordable solution for you! Don't pay 10 times more than you need to! Guaranteed best prices, best customer service before and after the sale and best warranty in the entire gutter protection industry! You owe it to yourself and your wallet to call us today to arrange your free, no obligation estimate! Flexxpoint guards come in white, brown and thermal thaw black!
How does our 30 Year "N0 Clog" Manufacturers Warranty work? We are so confident in our Flexxpoint gutter guards that we don't just talk about how good our warranty is, we stand behind it! ****If you ever have any problems with our Flexxpoint guards after installation simply call us and we come out and take care of any issues at no charge to you with no questions asked**** NO ONE ELSE CAN SAY THAT! Some of our competitors may claim to offer Lifetime Warranties but that does little good when they deny all claims! Compare our prices to our competitors and you will be shocked! We dare you to compare!
LeafFilter = is a micro mesh style gutter guard system. The downfall of ALL micro mesh style gutter guards is that your roofs asphalt shingles emit oils that will completely clog the micro mesh covering within a year or two rendering these guards completely useless. Water will just flow right over them like a sliding board and eventually cause water damage to your home. These guards will cost anywhere between $30 and $40 a foot. This company is famous for deleting bad reviews and negative comments online and on social media so buyer beware!
LeafGuard by Englert = requires removing all your existing gutters for their own entire system. This is considered a helmet or waterfall style gutter. They claim leaves and debris can't enter your gutters but they clearly can and will allow debris in and after a few years they will become completely blocked and start overflowing which will cause water damage to your home. The worst part is when this happens you can't even get in your gutters to clean them out and the entire system will have to be removed. This system can cost anywhere from $32 to $45 a foot to install.
LeafGard by The Gutter Guys = uses a helmet / waterfall style guard that slides under your roofs shingles and attaches with an internal gutter bracket. The most important thing to understand is that any gutter guard that slides under your roofs shingles WILL void your roofs warranty. They may claim it won't void your roofs warranty but a call to your shingle manufacturer will prove otherwise. They claim leaves and debris can't enter your gutters but they clearly can and will allow debris in and after a few years they will become completely blocked and start overflowing which will cause water damage to your home. When this happens you can't even get in your gutters to clean them out and the system will have to be removed. This guard sells for between $18 and $25 a foot.
Gutter Helmet = uses a helmet / waterfall style guard that slides under your roofs shingles and attaches with an internal gutter bracket. The most important thing to understand is that any gutter guard that slides under your roofs shingles WILL void your roofs warranty. They claim leaves and debris can't enter your gutters but they clearly can and will allow debris in and after a few years they will become completely blocked and start overflowing which will cause water damage to your home. When this happens you can't even get in your gutters to clean them and the system will have to be removed. This guard sells for between $25 and $35 a foot.
These and many other types of gutter protection systems can cost consumers as much as $50.00 a foot or as much as $10,000 per home depending on size. Having installed dozens of styles of gutter guards over the years I can tell you that even the most elaborate gutter guards on the market cost under $1.50 a foot to the contractor with the largest majority of guards costing under $1.00 a foot to the contractor. This is highly guarded information amongst contractors as they don't want that information in the hands of their potential customers for good reason.
Surely they don't want the customer to know that they are getting the guard for $1.00 a foot and charging them $30 or $40 foot to install, that could lead to many questions they don't want to answer. The bottom line is you, the consumer is getting overcharged for a product that won't even work after a few years. Yes, it is expensive to be in business and the contractor does need to make money to survive but this is simply highway robbery. Many people equate high cost to high quality but that couldn't be further from the truth when it comes to gutter protection. We provide full transparency to our customers as they can go directly to Flexxpoints website to see a full rundown of material costs and warranty information. We leave the smoke and mirrors to the other guys!
We install seamless gutter and our Flexxpoint gutter guards year round. If you ever thought about investing in gutter protection for your home the time is right now! Protecting your homes gutters shouldn't cost a fortune and now it doesn't. Why spend up to 10 times more for an overpriced, inferior gutter system with useless warranties when you can get high quality gutter protection that actually works for a fraction of what the big guys charge and a warranty that has you covered before, during and after the sale. You owe it to yourself and your wallet to call us today to arrange your free estimate!
Flexxpoint is a small aluminum manufacturing company located in Huron, OH. All products are made right here in the good old USA. Flexxpoint sells to both contractors and homeowners on their website flexxpointdirect.com as well as Amazon.com.
We are a participating Angieslist & Thumbtack service provider. We are a Pa licensed contractor (PA HIC# 121016) we are fully and properly insured and will provide insurance certificate upon request! Don't trust just anyone to work on your property.
We provide Military & Senior discounts on non sale services to all our customers. Ask about our Cash Discounts. We service residential, commercial, property managers, HOA's, real estate agents, building contractors, landlords and many more.
We offer the greatest value and cost savings in the entire gutter protection industry guaranteed! We dare you to compare!
Services we offer:
- Gutter Cleaning
- Gutter Guard Installation
- Gutter Repair & Maintenance
- Seamless Gutter Installation
Call us today at 570-739-7147 to schedule your free gutter guard consultation and learn how Ecoclean Property Services can help you!


text:
ECLECTIC RANT: Snowden and the NSA Surveillance Program
Much, maybe too much, has been reported on Edward Snowden's leaking of classified information, the NSA Surveillance Program, and Snowden's desperate attempts to find asylum. I would just add a brief comment,
In my view Edward Snowden is neither a hero nor a villain. He broke the law as an act of conscience. As a result of his act of civil disobedience, he will probably spend his life in exile.
Taking advantage of the public's concern for security in the wake of 9/11, our government initiated the NSA Surveillance Program in 2002. Then security trumped privacy concerns and still does in many quarters. A stunning shock such as 9/11 was the cover needed to implement i-- in the name of security -- Draconian measures such as the NSA Surveillance Program, which in ordinary times would have been vigorously opposed by the populace. (See Naomi Klein's book, The Shock Dpctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism.)
If the American public is shocked at the NSA Surveillance Program, then they haven't been paying attention. As early as 2005, the New York Times exposed the government's "warrantless eavesdropping," which forced NSA to open the program to broader review. In fact, there is evidence that the surveillance program had been cleansing itself well before Snowden's leaks. No doubt, Snowden's leaks will help speed the cleansing process.


text:
The mission of the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food is to promote agriculture in the public interest and to serve farmers and consumers in the marketplace. The department assures safe and healthy food supplies, provides accurate information on prices and availability of farm commodities and crops and develops markets for the state's farmers.
Portable Document Format (.pdf). Visit nh.gov for a list of free .pdf readers for a variety of operating systems.
NH Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food
Mailing: PO Box 2042, Concord NH 03302 -2042
Physical: 25 Capitol Street, Second Floor, Concord, NH 03301
(603) 271-3551 | fax: (603) 271-1109


text:
When it comes down to it, good photographs have a good/interesting subject, good light and good composition.
I talk about that stuff on my workshops and in my on-line classes.
I also cover those topics in my books.
When you look through the viewfinder, before you shoot, think about the importance of light and composition – and how these element can be used to make a good image.
Explore the light,
This post sponsored by x-rite. X-Rite is the global leader in color science and technology. The Company develops, manufactures, markets and supports innovative color solutions through measurement systems, software, color standards and services.
Check out these cool x-rite products:
Passport Color Checker


text:
Lilly's Kids
Lilly's Kids has all the coolest personalized toys, bags, beach towels sleeping bags, and more for babies, toddlers, and school-aged children. We also feature unique girl and boy décor for kids' bedrooms, baths, and playrooms if you're looking for a gift that's fun and useful!
- Our trendy back-to-school collections feature sturdy backpacks, lunchboxes, sports bags, pencils and other school supplies. We offer free personalization and some of the latest and cutest designs they will love.
- Make your kid's bathroom fun and bright with our personalized bath accessories including toys, towels, decorations, and storage items to keep it all organized!
- Make bath time fun and entertaining with our personalized bath towels, robes, and bath organizers to make it easier for you!
- Lilly's Kids is known for our Kids Rolling Luggage selection. We offer bright, fun colors and designs — yet sturdy for traveling families. Whether they are packing for camp, Grandma's, or vacation they will be able to roll their own belongings and stay organized!
- Don't forget to check out our Kids Beach and Outdoor category. We offer personalized kids beach towels that are plush and absorbent, Kids Beach Chairs with Personalized Umbrellas, and Personalized Fun-in-the-Sand Plastic Buckets for the playtime in the sand at the beach or backyard.