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T for Turtle 8x8
T for Turtle 8x8
This is one of the paintings included in the Animal Alphabet Series. Each of the 26 ABC paintings has a background pattern. Some of the patterns have symbols with spiritual meanings incorporated into them. For this series I chose a color palette in fresh trendy and happy hues.
- "T for Turtle"
- Acrylic/Mixed Media on Solid Wood Panel
- by Blenda Tyvoll
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- International buyers please contact me for rates email email@example.com
- Painting is signed on front and back.
- Artwork will arrive ready to hang on your wall.
- We take great care in wrapping your artwork so that it will arrive safely to your door.
- Original art typically shipped within 1-3 days after your payment is received.
- Your monitor colors may vary the colors slightly from the original art.
- Copyright of work, including all rights of reproduction in any form, are held by the artist, Blenda Tyvoll.
- Shop with confidence! You can check out my latest Etsy Shop Reviews


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What to do?
If you don't know what to do in Bologna and the surrounding area, Lodole Country House will be happy to help you rediscover the joy of simple things: In addition to its fantastic open air swimming pool and solarium buried in the luscious greenery of the Bologna Apennines, guests can also enjoy golf at the Molino del Pero Golf Club , horseriding at nearby stables, mountain bike rides (with bikes provided by the Lodole Country House) and endless enchanting nature treks and trails.
There are also numerous places of interest to visit, like the old water mills in the Savena Valley, the Etruscan museums and archaeological sites at Monte Bibele and Marzabotto, and local farms in which to sample and purchase local produce. Bologna, Florence and Venice are also within easy reach, as well as other important centres of artistic heritage, such as Ferrara, Ravenna, Mantua, Verona, Siena, Pisa and Lucca.
Lodole has prepared a list of things to see and do in and around Bologna. Alice is also more than happy to give you detailed instructions on how to get to the various activities, which are all nearby or within easy reach.
Lodole Country House has also selected some of the best restaurants in the area in order to offer guests a made-to-measure service. Our recommendations range from typical local trattorias to star-quality gourmet restaurants.
So don't be shy! Please ask Alice for information or advice about anything, as, here too, she will be glad to help you find the right restaurant to suit your taste!

subset: commoncrawl


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NEW YORK ( TheStreet) -- For decades, Warren Buffett's fortune tied to Berkshire Hathaway ( BRK.A - Get Report) has put the Oracle of Omaha in the same stead as industry titans J. Pierpont Morgan, Henry Ford, John Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie from 100 or more years ago. As it turns out, by way of Berkshire Hathaway's recent acquisitions, Buffett would likely have been formidable competition to the likes of so-called robber barons Carnegie and Rockefeller had he been the product of an earlier century. After the $28 billion acquisition of 144-year-old ketchup maker H.J. Heinz ( HNZ) on Thursday, Buffett's investing conglomerate, Berkshire Hathaway, increasingly traces its roots to the 19th century, when a handful of men dominated U.S. industry and formed some of America's largest corporations. Increasingly, it appears that as Buffett's fortune swells to a reported $46 billion, Berkshire's acquisitions are beginning to solidify his place in U.S. industry alongside the likes of billionaires from a past era. In recent years, Berkshire's largest acquisitions target companies that served 19th-century westward expansion, peddled early mass market consumer products, or were created in the throes of the Great Depression. The deals are indicative of Berkshire's focus on businesses insulated from competition and have the consistent earnings to last a century or longer. Berkshire's acquisitions, and a seeming focus on some of America's longest lasting and most iconic brands, also appear to play to Buffett's sense of history. The deal for H.J. Heinz targets a Pittsburgh-based company that dates to 1869 and a small horseradish operation that grew to 57 brands and over $11.5 billion in annual revenue over the years. For Berkshire Hathaway, the deal would be unique except for the fact that the investing conglomerate has long targeted 100-year-old businesses with distinctive products "moated" from competitors. Berkshire's largest deal, a 2009 acquisition of railroad Burlington Northern Santa Fe, harkens back to mid-19th-century Chicago and the industrialization and westward expansion of the United States. Amid consolidation of the railroad industry over a span of decades, Burlington Northern Santa Fe reached its present state in the mid-1990s. Berkshire's $26 billion bid put Buffett in the railroad business, where, a century prior, he would have been serving the needs of steel magnates like Carnegie or oil barons such as Rockefeller. Other recent deals indicate a fondness for 19th-century startups over a new breed of corporate giants emerging from Silicon Valley.
In 2008, Berkshire provided key financing to Mars in its acquisition of Wrigley, a Chicago-based soap and baking products company known for its popular chewing gum that traces its history to 1891. A November 2011 deal for newspaper conglomerate Omaha World-Herald indicates Buffett could have used ink, pulp and opinionated broadsheets to publish fiery screeds against the robber barons of a past day and age. The $300 million deal for the Omaha World-Herald put a newspaper conglomerate that traces its heritage to the mid-1880s and a highly political editor, William Jennings Bryan, who opposed gold and the titans of early U.S. industry, within Berkshire's coffers. Other recent Berkshire acquisitions would have never happened had target companies not survived the Great Depression or seen a business opportunity in its wake. Berkshire's $9 billion deal for Lubrizol put a company in Buffett's growing portfolio of industrial businesses that was created just prior to the Wall Street crash of 1929. Lubrizol, founded in 1928, was incorporated to sell a graphite lubricant called Lubri-Graph. The company later expanded to a chemicals and materials behemoth that is a key supplier to the transportation and industrial sectors. Berkshire bought insurer Geico (Government Employees Insurance Co.) for $2.3 billion in 1995, taking control of a business that was created in the throes of the Great Depression to provide insurance to federal employees and enlisted military officers. In November, Berkshire paid $500 million for The Oriental Trading Co., a direct marketer of novelty products and toys founded in 1932. The company, formerly owned by private equity giant The Carlyle Group ( CG), was one of the earliest wholesale companies in the U.S. Some deals even aim for the assets of titans of industry from a previous age, which blazed the trail for Berkshire's current diversified structure. In 2007, Berkshire bought a controlling stake in Marmon Group, a conglomerate spanning 125 businesses founded by Jay and Robert Pritzker, for $4.5 billion. Even when targeting stock investments, Berkshire and Buffett largely avoid younger startups. Consider that Berkshire's largest technological holding is IBM ( IBM - Get Report), a present-day tech heavyweight that traces its history to 1911 and mechanical business machines. All told, Berkshire's $28 billion acquisition for H.J. Heinz may say as much about Buffett's long-term investing philosophy as it does about the Oracle's growing presence in the pantheon of American industry. While Buffett is unequivocally one of the titans of present-day U.S. business and finance, deals such as Berkshire's acquisition of Heinz indicate Buffett may be of a timeless breed. For more on Thursday's deal for Heinz, see how Berkshire used its 'elephant gun' for M&A. Also see why Wells Fargo, Berkshire's top bank stock holding, may be benefitting from its relationship with Warren Buffett. -- Written by Antoine Gara in New York Follow @AntoineGara


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Bed Bugs Exhibit June 4 -- August 15, 2011
Few critters breed more fear, disgust, and outrage than the common bed bug. Come see our small exhibit (in front of the Business, Science, and Technology Center desk, 4th Floor of the Main Library) featuring this dreaded pest.
To help our local community prevent the spread of bed bugs, rather than spreading myths and hysteria, a variety of documents, photos, and graphics will be on display. A selected list of print, web, and contact resources is included -- ask for a copy to take home.
This exhibit is in conjunction with our Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite! program on June 15th.


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Office workers across the UK spend two years of their lives preparing for and attending meetings.
According to new research from eShare, office workers are spending around 25 per cent of their working week doing this - and many feel the meetings are unnecessary.
The survey of 1,005 office workers revealed that the average worker attends 3.7 meetings every week, spending one hour nine minutes preparing for each meeting and one hour 22 minutes actually attending it.
In any given working week, this means that office workers are spending more than a day preparing for, and attending meetings.
Across a 40 year career, this equates to a total of 17,470 hours - two entire years of someone's life or around 10 years of work time.
Alister Esam, CEO, eShare, said: "Meetings are an integral part of business life, but many are inefficient, with incorrect agendas and attendees unable to locate the required background information when they need it.
"With the average office worker spending more than a day every week on meetings, addressing the waste of hours resulting from ineffective and inefficient meetings could be the single biggest boost to productivity for any organisation."
eShare recently launched MeetingSquared, a new app for anyone who organises or attends meetings, and looks to bring an end to the inefficient preparation, scheduling and management of meetings.
The research found that 40 per cent of office workers feel that at least half of the meetings they attend are unnecessary, while 30 per cent believe that most meetings they attend are inefficient and could be much shorter.
The research revealed that many office workers (one in five) still attend meetings with agendas and supporting materials printed out on paper, but also that there is a worrying lack of diligence when the meeting is finished. 11 per cent of research respondents admitted that after most meetings they just throw away the agenda and printed materials, which has a number of security implications.
Almost half of respondents (45.7 per cent) said they often find their mind wondering onto other topics when in meetings, further highlighting the fact that meetings need to be more focused and goal-orientated.
"Anyone attending a meeting must have the relevant emails, documents and agenda available on their device, and be able to annotate and share those with ease," concluded Alister Esam. "Furthermore, actions should be agreed and recorded so you don't have to rely on an attendee's faulty memory to refer to what was discussed. Other areas of business have been brought up-to-date in terms of attitudes and technology, and it is high time that meetings did the same."


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3 Simple Father's Day burgers
Tip: Press an indentation in the center of your burger; as it cooks, it puffs up into a nice, even patty.
4 slices bacon, cut across in half
24 ounces lean ground beef
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 ounces thinly sliced Cheddar cheese
6 tablespoons barbecue sauce
4 onions rolls, split
1. Cook bacon in large, nonstick skillet over medium; transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Drain off all but 1 tablespoon bacon grease from skillet.
2. While bacon cooks, combine ground beef, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Stir the seasoning into mixture until well combined. Working meat as little as possible, form into 4 patties, each about 3/4 inch thick and 4 inches in diameter. Use your thumb to press an indentation in the center of each burger.
3. Heat the bacon fat over medium high; add the burgers and cook 5 minutes; turn and cook 4 minutes. Top the burgers with the cheese, cover the pan and cook until cheese is melted, about 1 minute.
4. Spoon about 1 1/2 tablespoons of barbecue sauce on the bottom half of each roll; top with a burger and crisscross 2 pieces of bacon on top. Close the sandwich and serve immediately. Makes 4 burgers.
Nutritional analysis for each serving 628 calories, 49 g protein, 53 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 23 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 1,327 mg sodium
1 1/4 pounds lean ground beef
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne (to taste)
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
4 slices (rings) pineapple, canned or fresh
4 hamburger rolls, split
4 tablespoons light mayonnaise
4 small lettuce leaves
1. Coat grill racks with cooking spray. Heat grill for direct medium cooking (350 to 450 degrees).
2. Combine ground beef with salt, allspice, cumin, thyme, cayenne and cinnamon in large bowl. Cut the seasoning into mixture until well combined. Working meat as little as possible, form into 4 (3/4-inch-thick) patties. Use your thumb to press indentation in center of each burger.
3. Place burgers and pineapple slices on grill. Cook pineapple about 3 minutes on each side, until nicely marked. Transfer to a plate. Cook burgers 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until cooked through. During last 2 minutes of grilling, place burger rolls, cut side down, on the grill and toast until lightly marked.
4. Spread the cut sides of the rolls with mayonnaise. Place a lettuce leaf on each bottom half; top with the burger and pineapple; close the sandwich and serve. Makes 4 servings.
Nutritional analysis for each serving 389 calories, 32 g protein, 34 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 14 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 674 mg sodium
Make these burgers a little thinner to make the sandwich manageable to eat.
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
4 slices bacon
1 ripe avocado, cut into thin slices
8 slices toasted sourdough or rye bread
4 slices tomato
4 lettuce leaves
1. Combine ground beef, salt, pepper and garlic powder in a large bowl, and, working mixture as little as possible form 4 ( 1/2-inch-thick) patties. Use your thumb to press an indentation in center of each burger.
2. Cook the bacon in a large, nonstick skillet over medium. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Pour off all but a thin film of the bacon fat from the skillet and return to heat. Add the burgers and cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side (for medium) or to desired degree of doneness.
3. Meanwhile, fan all but 4 slices of the avocado on 4 of the slices of toast and use a fork to lightly mash the avocado. Add the burgers, tomato, lettuce and bacon; top each with a reserved avocado slice and the remaining bread. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.
Nutritional analysis for each serving 444 calories, 33 g protein, 41 g carbohydrates, 6 g fiber, 16 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 912 mg sodium
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text: Samsung's latest high-end LCDs are minimal beauties. But you know what else the D7000 and D8000 do? They use their second tuner to stream live television directly to the company's 10-inch Galaxy Tab and the Galaxy S II smartphone. Let's see the iPad do that. [Pocket Lint via Slash Gear]


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Jennifer Lawrence finds herself fighting for her life once again in her new movie, House At The End Of The Street. In the super-scary thriller, Jennifer plays Elissa, whose family just moved to a new neighborhood. The live right next to a house where a double-murder occurred and shortly after they move in, Jennifer's character starts getting tortured by something she can't see. The trailer was just released today — check it out!
Scary, right? The movie comes out September 21, 2012. Are you going to go see it?


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Connecticut shooter's dad: 'You can't get any more evil'
NEW YORK (AP) — The father of Connecticut school shooter Adam Lanza says in his first public comments about the massacre that what his son did couldn't "get any more evil" and he wishes his son hadn't been born.
Peter Lanza also tells The New Yorker magazine that he believes his son would have killed him if he had the chance.
He said he hadn't seen his son in two years when Adam killed 20 first-graders and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown in December 2012. Adam killed himself as police arrived. He also fatally shot his mother, Nancy, in their Newtown home before going to the school. Peter and Nancy Lanza were divorced.
Peter Lanza said he also believed his son could have been schizophrenic.


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10 Most Popular Projects Presented in January 2012
The first month of 2012 did not lack pleasant design surprises. As a result, we gathered an impressive list of projects, each of them worth re-analyzing in detail. However, this post will is all about your opinion, so without any further ado, here are the 10 most popular posts presented by Freshome, according to your Facebook shares.Remember that by clicking on the pictures, you can see more photos and details about each project.
#1. In at number one, we have the opulent Jumeirah Vittaveli Resort, located in the beautiful Maldives. This new holiday destination consists of 91 villas and suites, each offering a private pool, direct beach and lagoon access plus a private massage room.
#2. Nestled on a hill near Bali's Valley of the Kings, Viceroy Bali Resort&Spa offers accommodation units that combine comfort and privacy. The 25 villas of the resort are integrated within this scenic landscape, allowing each of the guests here to enjoy exquisite views from the comfort of their cottage-like dwelling.
#3. If you ever wanted to see a genuine Italian villa made modern without its authenticity being negatively influenced, we found an example. Nestled in a beautiful landscape in the region of Uguria, Spinaltermine Villa is a private residence near the Castello di Reschio estate, at the border with Tuscany. This picturesque mansion features four bedrooms in the main building, and an extra guest house with one bedroom. Have a look!
#4. If futuristic digital designs are you thing, then have a look at this latest gizmo presented by Samsung at the CES trade show in Las Vegas. This new type of window is in fact a transparent touchscreen that will allow you to check out the weather outside while staying in touch with all your favorite websites. Samsung digital window can be installed wherever the user wishes: in the kitchen, to check out various recipes, in the bedroom, for early news in the morning or in the hallway, instead of a regular window.
#5. You see your friends on Facebook, you chat on Facebook, why not also eat and sleep on Facebook? This is probably what Croatian designer Tomislav Zvonari? of DevianTom had in mind when creating this unusual bed. FBed concept is shaped like the logo of the worldwide famous social network and I believe I even see some "like" buttons on the small pillow and sheets there. Crazy or doable?
#6. These next amazing intricate details created by Amsterdam-based artist Ingrid Siliakus have been gathered under the name "Paper Architecture". Miniature architectural details rise from thin folds of paper to shape three-dimensional artistic pieces. All those windows, corners and rooftops were designed to fit within a frame that imitates skylines and casts interesting shadows.
#7. When people hear the Italian word Vespa, it is instantly associated with Piaggio scooters. The word actually means "wasp" and was used by Enrico Piaggio for his scooters when they first appeared in 1942, because of their appearance and the buzzing noise that the two stroke engine created. By turning this 1968 vespa into a work station, its fate was sealed in an original, practical way.
#8. Steve Wheen is the artistic mind behind a great blog entitled the pothole gardener. It is here that he uploads pictures of various miniature gardens he develops around east London. The projects of the guerrilla gardener are original and diverse, offering a cheerful alternative to the otherwise sad state of some East London streets.
#9. Ever thought about building a home dark on the outside and filled with light on the inside? The Lake House is a perfect example of how these two elements can be successfully joined to shape a fantastic contemporary residential building. Just click the photo for more details.
#10. This impressive penthouse in San Francisco can be defined by color, inspirational interior design and luxury. The generous apartment has a total surface of 3,879 square feet and occupies the entire 21st floor of a beautiful Art Deco building.


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DANVILLE, Ky.--In its third straight game of the day after winning twice, the Birmingham-Southern softball team lost to Millsaps, 8-4, in the winner-take-all title game of the 2013 Southern Athletic Association Softball Championship, hosted by Centre College in Danville, Ky.
BSC ends the season with a 28-18 record, while the Majors move to 24-20. The SAA has no automatic bid to the NCAA Championship until the 2015 season, but Millsaps could still receive an at-large bid to the tournament.
The third-seeded Panthers started the day with a loser's bracket game against top-seeded Berry, which was supposed to be played Saturday evening but was postponed to this morning due to weather. BSC won in dramatic fashion, with the game going scoreless until the top of the seventh when Berry plated one run to take the lead. In the bottom of the seventh with one out, the Vikings walked sophomore Taylor Bassett for the fourth time on the day, followed by another out. With a full count and two outs on the board, and one out away from being eliminated, sophomore Alyssa Statham hit her sixth home run of the season to end the game and give the Panthers a 2-1 victory, moving them to the championship series against fifth-seeded Millsaps.
BSC would need to win two against the Majors to take the title, and the Panthers kept the drama going in the first game against Millsaps by going to extra innings. BSC scored in the top of the first on an RBI by senior Brittany Berkopec, and the Majors tied it up in the bottom of the fourth and then took the lead in the bottom of the fifth, 2-1. But Statham knotted it back up with another home run in the top of the sixth to tie it up 2-2. The Panthers took advantage of a Millsaps error in the top of the ninth, scoring twice, and held the Majors scoreless in the bottom of the ninth to win 4-2 and advance to a winner-take-all game.
In the final game of the day, Millsaps found their bats early, scoring three in the top of the second, but the Panthers tied it up in the bottom of the third with two home runs - one by Bassett and a two-run shot by Statham, her third of the day. The Majors responded quickly, scoring twice in the top of the fourth to take back the lead, 5-3. In the bottom of the fourth, the Panthers were able to cut it to 5-4, but Millsaps scored again in the top of the fifth to go up 6-4 and added two more in the top of the sixth to go up 8-4. BSC had a chance to score more in the bottom of the sixth, leaving two runners stranded, and then didn't get on base in the bottom of the seventh, allowing Millsaps to clinch the conference title with the 8-4 victory.
The workhorse of the tournament for the Panthers was sophomore hurler Bethany Fronk, who threw every inning of all six games - 49 total innings - in a span of approximately 80 hours. She gave up 14 earned runs with 31 strikeouts over the six games, and ends the season with a 22-15 record and a 2.86 ERA.


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Hello and welcome to your InterNations Community of expats in Milwaukee. As a platform especially created to support expats, we aim to solve your dilemmas and ease your worries with our wealth of online resources. From comprehensive guides to insider tips, InterNations opens the doors to this colorful city. From finding answers to your initial questions, such as, "what accommodation is available?" to finding new friends, you know that you are part of our global community. We also encourage you to become an active member of our social forum where you can ask any question and our friendly fellow expats will be happy to help. Remember, they've already made the move to Milwaukee, so build on their experiences and first-hand knowledge as you follow in their footsteps to create your new life.
Attend our monthly events and activities for Milwaukee expatriates to get to know like-minded expatriates in real life.
Get trustworthy advice and local insights from fellow members in our Milwaukee expat forums.
Known as the "City of Festivals", residents of Milwaukee can enjoy a packed calendar with the Great Circus Parade, German Fest, Summerfest and the Wisconsin State Fair. Nearby, Lake Michigan offers sailing and wind-surfing in stunning surroundings, and back in the city, there are a number of science museums, galleries, and performing arts spaces to visit. Milwaukee's economy is made up of a number of large, international corporations, including the headquarters of six Fortune 500 companies. Prominent industries include financial services, publishing and printing, healthcare, and services. With a strong tradition of brewing, only one brewery remains: the Miller Brewing Company, which employs over 2,000 workers.
Once you arrive in Milwaukee, you are warmly invited to attend our regular InterNations Events to network, socialize, and have fun with fellow expats in the city. A great way to get involved in Milwaukee's social scene, these events provide easy opportunities to meet new friends in a safe environment. Don't forget to also check out our InterNations Groups, where you can share your interests with like-minded expats and start exploring the city together. With InterNations you can be sure that no matter what your new life holds, you have friends and support.


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S.E. Cupp is a well-paid token atheist amongst conservative fundamentalist Christian pundits. Many people suspect that she is pretending to be atheist and will eventually have a convenient, profitable conversion to Christianity.
As a single atheist, would you date S.E. Cupp or someone with the same opinions? Why or why not?
If you don't know who S.E. Cupp is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZkFqj5cX5U (debunks some of her claims in the previous clip from Bill Maher's show)
(Yes I know that there is no standard atheist and that no one can truly know what another person truly believes.)
Views: 1297
Yeah I thinks she's attractive, I'd date her but that's because I don't necessarily need to agree with a person's opinion to want to have sex with them and I don't mind business minded conservatives though some exteme beliefs can be a serious turnoff.
As for her claim to being an atheist, I believe it and I believe that above all she is a pragmatist who would sell out her non-beliefs if the price was right. How many people do you know would attend a church if the church paid them to go, instead of expecting you to support them? I listened to the interview if she met a rich handsome man who her dad would like, it would make it easy for her to convert. Perhaps we would think of her as a nominal atheist, kind of how many christians just show up to church for xmas, weddings, and funerals. Above all I think she's trying to sell her book, the christian friendly atheist is an interesting angle. After all I'm sure we all have a christian friend we've disagreed with, perhaps she's appealing to the christian single male crowd who just love to save souls and the more attractive the soul the better.
So they put her on Fox, perhaps they are looking for a conservative friendly accomodating atheist and would rather have her be the face of atheism instead of more aggressive atheists. I work in a majority christian workplace, it's a secular environment not just because of atheists but I think moreso because of different christian denominations, I'm not expected to pray and the only time I hear prayer is at the xmas party when they say grace but as a religious minority or non religious minority I have to respect some of the communities choices hopefully given they don't violate my individual rights. If atheists were a political majority we would like to deal with a minority religious community that was deferential to us instead of outright belligerent. As for her claim 80% of America is christian, well she's using a very broad definition of christian. I'd like to see what parameters she used to generate that statistic. Is simply a belief in god and no other religious affiliation enough to make that sort of claim.
It appears she does have a degree in religious studies, many atheist even if anti-religious in various ways do find religion to be an interesting subject, so I'd say yes I think she'd be a good date, though I think I'll pass on buying her book.
First off, I agree that she is quite physically attractive. There has never been a question about that, at least for me. The problem for me is, I place as much value, if not more, on personality and intelligence. Now, I've met SE Cupp through a friend who got two tickets to one of her talks and invited me (neither of us are actually fans of hers; he won the tickets and was curious). Not only did I sit through her talking for half an hour, but I got to speak with her about religion and atheism for about 10 minutes. We managed to agree on only one thing: faith alone is not necessarily a virus.
Between seeing her live, watching her on Bill Maher and Youtube videos, and reading her books (I checked out Why You're Wrong about the Right from the library and torrented the e-book of Losing Our Religion because I will not dignify that women with my money), I happen to find her personality too ugly for my tastes.
As far as whether or not she's an atheist... I abhor the No True Scotsman fallacy, but in this case I have to admit that I find it extremely hard to avoid. I am absolutely, 100% convinced that she is setting up for a very near future, extremely profitable Christian conversion, purposefully making herself an icon of why Christianity is better (unlike Antony Flu, she becomes a full-blown Christian... maybe even rejecting evolution?). I don't know if she truly does not believe in God or she's truly that dishonest, but I expect a convenient, money-making conversion within the next couple years.
I find SE Cupp extremely dishonest, horribly inconsistent, and terribly pathetic in almost every way. Her political views are somehow less intelligent than your average extreme conservative, her views on theism vs. atheism are so uninformed it's depressing, and her general dishonesty is enough to rival Sean Hannity in my opinion (I was originally gonna say Glenn beck, then realized that even she can't beat him in these areas).
Now, there is one extremely odd thing about her that throws me off. Apparently, she's a Ricky Gervais fan. I don't understand how or why, especially since Ricky Gervais is one of the poster-childs for what she calls "angry atheism". Half of his act is dissing religion and religious ideas, and, unless I'm much mistaken, the man is quite liberal. They would not get along at all.
So there's my opinion.
Gosh. I only saw about 30 seconds of video, and it was mostly Hannity re-defining atheism, which the Right does a lot. Haven't read any of her books. But if there were two women left on earth, and the other one was Michelle Malkin or Gretchen Carlson, Cupp and I would become an item.
She is, clearly, a shill for Fox. I would still date her in the hope that, as one poster said recently, there really is no evil beyond redemption.
By the way, we probably are wrong about the Right. They're all part of a secret Christian conspiracy. It's the only hypothesis that explains their lunacy.
Yeah, I'm not sure I could cope with someone that aggressively ignorant of the Constitution, when she plays within the political arena. I seriously doubt she's an atheist. When an atheist speaks the same line as the fundamentalists on Fox News, in regards to religion, I don't buy it for a second. She smells like a plant, playing a role for the camera, as Fox News has used before.
I'd also bet on a near-future conversion, after which she'll spread lies about atheists, which the Christians will lap up, since they'll buy the story about her having been an actual atheist ... since it's what they want to believe. It's just like the preacher at the one Austin church, who preaches that he used to be an atheist ... that all atheists really know God exists, because when he was an atheist, he knew God existed. I'm expecting the same kind of shit out of her.
I don't know that I've say she's very attractive. I mean she's cute, but I meet plenty of women every day who are at least as attractive as her.
She's cute enough that it wouldn't matter if she was any more attractive. Once a girl is a certain level of attractiveness, it just stops mattering, and what's in her head matters far more than anything else ... which is where we run into our little problem.
I don't even know about having sex with her. I realize I'm weird, but I greatly enjoy pillow talk, and I just can't see that ending well.
The way she forces her voice to squeak... I'd think that horrible sound would be counter-productive during sex... counter-reproductive?
(example about 4:30 into the dailymotion clip with Maher)
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Texting to 9-1-1 is now available throughout Larimer County, including in the Estes Valley area. It's always best to call 9-1-1, but for those who are hearing or speech impaired, or if someone cannot make a call, texting is a good option.
The Estes Park Police Emergency Communications Center is equipped and prepared to receive Text to 9-1-1 texts . Citizens should remember that texting should only be used when one is unable to make a voice call to 9-1-1. To text 9-1-1 follow these steps:
• Enter the numbers "911" in the "To" field.
• The first text message to 911 should be brief and contain the location of the emergency and type of help needed.
• Push the send button.
• Be prepared to answer questions and follow instruction from the 9-1-1 call taker.
• Text in simple words – do not use abbreviations.
• Keep text messages brief and concise.
Carriers currently participating are Sprint,Verizon, AT&T and Cricket.
LETA911 is excited to announce the ability to send a text message to 9-1-1 as an integrated service in our already robust 9-1-1 network and 9-1-1 equipment. The text to 9-1-1 service has been tested in Larimer County since Mid July. It is now live for the public!
During our testing period, Fort Collins 9-1-1 received a live text to 9-1-1 call for help from a citizen that felt a voice call would add danger to the situation. The citizen was alone in her apartment, heard a noise that sounded as if someone broke into her apartment, and hid in the bathroom. She stated "I sent a text because I felt it was too dangerous to call."
Texting to 9-1-1 provides accessibility to the hearing and speech impaired population, provides an alternative to reach help in a dangerous situation when a voice call is not possible, and in our high country where a voice call fails but texting is successful.
Only two percent of all 9-1-1 dispatch centers across the nation are capable of receiving a text to 9-1-1 message. LETA911 is pleased to join the 2% to open this communication path to our citizens, our visitors, and our community.
Larimer Emergency Telephone Authority (LETA911) is the governing authority for the administration of 9-1-1 in Larimer County Colorado. LETA911 supports five 9-1-1 centers in Larimer County and twenty-five government partners.


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There is usually a lot of happiness at the end of a school year. Kids enjoy spree days, slide shows and Popsicles, staff are proud and ready for a break, and parents mark another notch in their child's development.
That is how it was this year at Chandler Elementary Community and Union Hill schools. Three years ago, that wasn't the case. While kids were happy enough, the schools were under the cloud of being in the first group of state-designated Level 4 schools, the lowest performing and least improving in the state. The principals were being replaced, and many staff members decided to work elsewhere.
The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education gave Chandler Elementary, Union Hill and 33 other schools statewide three years to show �dramatic and sustainable improvement,� and those three years end this month. The verdict won't be in until the state publicizes the schools' spring Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System scores in September, but during the final weeks of school, both communities seemed upbeat.
�I think the Level 4 was the best thing that could have happened to us,� said Heather A. Coughlin, a special education inclusion teacher at Union Hill.
�The whole school has changed, the whole attitude, the idea of having higher expectations has changed. It's a more positive atmosphere,� she said. �Everybody is here to help everybody out, and everybody is here to help every single kid, no matter what you do.�
Principal Marie D. Morse said her hiring decisions have been more about people's mindset than their experience. �You have to have that belief in your students' abilities and never give up on that,� Mrs. Morse said.
How Mrs. Coughlin does her job has changed, too. She once worked with small groups of students in their classrooms or in spaces like closets, but she now uses the former art room to teach five to 10 kids for a half hour at a time. �They get more common core that way, but they also get special attention on something they might be having trouble with,� she said. It was a lot harder to do that in the middle of an active classroom, she said.
At Chandler Elementary, first-grade teacher Carmelo Borges said he is more effective, too. He said Chandler Elementary now focuses more on effective teaching than following a store-bought program, uses leveled readers instead of anthologies and focuses its math instruction around specific skills, not a manual.
�How you teach the skill is up to you,� he said. �It's based not on what you're doing, it's based on what the results are.�
Teachers are also teaching one another more, through common planning time and through rounds, a practice taken from the medical profession in which teachers observe their peers and give constructive feedback.
�I don't think what I was doing three years ago even comes close to what I'm doing right now,� Mr. Borges said. He has been teaching for 17 years, four of them at Chandler.
Alice M. Ball, a parent, grandparent and crossing guard at Union Hill, hasn't noticed classroom changes so much as the change in atmosphere and student behavior. Miss Ball had been having trouble with the previous principal and wasn't surprised when the state labeled the school Level 4.
�I said, 'This is going to change things,' and it did,� she said. Union Hill, like Chandler Elementary, has voluntary school uniforms. Miss Ball said the children are more respectful and the school has been more welcoming. �Every time you stepped in the building, you felt the love,� Miss Ball said. �You knew right then it was going to be good.�
Students themselves were more tuned into physical changes.
�We get to see more things from the technology and learn more about interesting things,� said Beverly S. Rosario, 11, who just graduated from Union Hill. �I think things are more organized. ... Outside the building, there used to be trash and garbage. Now there's, like, new plants.�
There's also a new playground. �Now, it's like a little bit better,� said Robert J. Jackson, 12.
When Beverly was asked what she would tell younger students about the school, she said, �I would say come here.�
Both schools have grown. Chandler Elementary will rent space nearby at the Central Community Branch of the YMCA of Central Massachusetts starting next year. Union Hill has grown 45 percent in three years. At both schools, a larger percentage of students are staying through the school year, according to figures from last year.
�The community's invested in us again. We're grateful that they trust us with this important job,� Mrs. Morse said.
There have been other investments, too. Union Hill gained reinvigorated partnerships with Worcester Academy and others, a $50,000 donation from philanthropist Pat Lanza, a reconfigured front office and a library. Both schools have part-time librarians, which are rare in the district's elementary schools, and each has a lead teacher. Both have 30 minutes of common teacher planning time and a school day that is 90 minutes longer than typical. While Chandler Elementary had an extended day before, it was in a different form. Now, the school simply has longer academic blocks, Principal June E. Eressy said.
Both schools also have summer professional development for their staff, and both have also had $400,000 to $500,000 each a year in federal school redesign grants to help pay for teachers' additional time. (Worcester, in fact, has allocated a larger percentage of its school redesign grants to teacher stipends than have other districts with Level 4 schools. Some of those districts spent up to a fifth of their dollars on consultants, while Worcester has only spent 5 percent on consultants.)
The grants, which started a year after the Level 4 designation, will continue through next year, but what happens after that is up in the air. Meanwhile, a third Level 4 school, Burncoat Street Preparatory School, was added in November 2011.
The main issue before the money runs out, however, is what the state decides about the city's first two Level 4 schools in the fall. For Mr. Borges, whether Chandler Elementary remains at Level 4 or moves up or down is less important than making sure what teachers are doing is effective. �I think that anyone at any level needs that little push toward realizing they're being complacent,� he said.
Mrs. Morse echoed that. �The label to me isn't as important as the progress our kids make,� she said, and she believes they are learning more. Internal tests show that 72 percent of Union Hill students who will be third graders this fall are on grade level, the highest percentage she has seen.
The students, teachers and principals have all put in the effort. �It's been like running a marathon at a sprint pace for three years,� Mrs. Morse said.
�It's such hard work. People really have no idea,� Ms. Eressy said. The pressure of the Level 4 designation, the fact that 96 percent of her school's families are low-income, and the mobility of the students take their toll, she said.
In addition, both Chandler Elementary and Union Hill have more students now who are not proficient in English than three years ago.
Still, Ms. Eressy said, people often get the wrong idea about Chandler Elementary's community. The parents �love their kids just as much as you love your kids, and they really, sincerely want to make a better life for them. They just need somebody to help them,� she said.
The schools have a lot on their plate. The 2012 MCAS scores showed that only about a third of Union Hill's students scored at grade level. At Chandler Elementary, only about a fifth of students did so. Still, that was better than in 2010.
Although new test scores will be released this fall, they won't be the only measure by which each of the two schools will be judged. State officials will also look at whether the conditions are in place for continuous improvement and whether the district can sustain the schools' improvement.
Marco C. Rodrigues, the district's chief academic officer, said he is confident that the schools are poised to move out of Level 4. The state requires an annual visit from an evaluator to both schools, and he said the contractor's report this year had a lot of good things to say. However, the report, by Beverly-based SchoolWorks, has not gone to the School Committee yet, and he declined to release it until district officials review it further.
�In my opinion, three years is not ever enough to turn around a school,� Mr. Rodrigues said. �We are not where we want to be yet, but I think we have grown tremendously.�
Contact Jacqueline Reis via email at email@example.com. Follow her on Twitter @JackieReisTG.


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Good morning and welcome to the web site of the Avon Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club, British Club Challenge Winners (PG), 2003, 2004 and 2006, runners-up 2012 (and other years!!) Click here to join.
20/09/2018 - New Highgrove House LOA here
20/11/2014 - CANP (Midweek Flying Notification) info now here
17/09/2014 - Gliding Club at Frocester information here for download
We need your input to make this site more useful. Please take the time to add to the site - use the links to add your own entries in the News, Flying Diary and Crystal Ball sections and so on. The web site is always developing - if you have any ideas for improvements or any other comments please send them to the webmaster.
And if you'd like to sponsor the club, please get in touch.


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Here was Harriet Tubman's Childhood home, it was know as the Brodess Farm. It was owned by Slave owner Edward Brodess. Her mother Rit Ross worked on the farm as a cook. Harriet tended muskrat traps in the Marshes close by. She was often separated from her Mother when she was hired out, to others. Harriet's brothers, Ben and Robert, recalled the cruel treatment by Edward Brodess. Robert said Edward Brodess "was not fit to own a dog."
The Brodess Farm was behind this Historical Marker it in now Private Property.
The United States is one of the most diverse countries on earth, jam packed full of amazing sights from St. Patrick's cathedral in New York to Mount Hollywood California.The Northeast region is where it all started. Thirteen British colonies fought the American Revolution from here and won their independence in the first successful colonial rebellion in history. Take a look at these rolling hills carpeted with foliage along the Hudson river here, north of New York City.The American south is known for its polite people and slow pace of life. Probably they move slowly because it's so hot. Southerners tend not to trust people from "up north" because they talk too fast. Here's a cemetery in Georgia where you can find graves of soldiers from the Civil War.The West Coast is sort of like another country that exists to make the east coast jealous. California is full of nothing but grizzly old miners digging for gold, a few gangster rappers, and then actors. That is to say, the West Coast functions as the imagination of the US, like a weird little brother who teases everybody then gets famous for making freaky art.The central part of the country is flat farmland all the way over to the Rocky Mountains. Up in the northwest corner you can find creative people in places like Portland and Seattle, along with awesome snowboarding and good beer. Text by Steve Smith.


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By Milwaukee Area
Skywarn Association,
Last updated March 2009
The Terminal Doppler Weather Radar (TDWR) is an advanced technology weather radar deployed near 45 of the larger airports in the U.S. The radars were developed and deployed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) beginning in 1994, as a response to several disastrous jetliner crashes in the 1970s and 1980s caused by strong thunderstorm winds. The crashes occurred because of wind shear--a sudden change in wind speed and direction. Wind shear is common in thunderstorms, due to a downward rush of air called a microburst or downburst.
The TDWRs can detect such dangerous wind shear conditions, and have been instrumental in enhancing aviation safety in the U.S. over the past 15 years. The TDWRs also measure the same quantities as our familiar network of 148 NEXRAD WSR-88D Doppler radars--precipitation intensity, winds, rainfall rate, echo tops, etc. However, the newer Terminal Doppler Weather Radars are higher resolution, and can "see" details in much finer detail close to the radar. This high-resolution data has generally not been available to the public until now. Thanks to a collaboration between the National Weather Service (NWS) and the FAA, the data for all 45 TDWRs will be made available in real time over the next few months via a free satellite broadcast (NOAAPORT). Six radar sites are already available (Figure 1), and the remaining radars will be added by June 2009. I'm pleased to announce that the Weather Underground is now making the TDWR data available to the public, and will be adding new sites as they become available. We're calling them "High-Def" stations on our NEXRAD radar page. The six TDWR sites available so far are:
Detroit, MI
Cleveland, OH
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Miami, FL
West Palm Beach, FL
Newark, NJ
Since thunderstorms are uncommon along the West Coast and Northwest U.S., there are no TDWRs
Figure 1
Summary of the TDWR products
The TDWR products are very similar to those available for the traditional WSR-88D NEXRAD sites. There is the standard radar reflectivity image, available at each of three different tilt angles of the radar, plus Doppler velocity of the winds in precipitation areas. There are 16 colors assigned to the short range reflectivity data (same as the WSR-88Ds), but 256 colors assigned to the long range reflectivity data and all of the velocity data. Thus, you will see up to 16 times as many colors in these displays versus the corresponding WSR-88D display, giving much higher detail of storm features. The TDWRs also have storm total precipitation available in the standard 16 colors like the WSR-88D has, or in 256 colors (the new "Digital Precipitation" product). Note, however, that the TDWR rainfall products generally underestimate precipitation, due to attenuation problems (see below). The TDWRs also have such derived products as echo height, vertically integrated liquid water, and VAD winds. These are computed using the same algorithms as the WSR-88Ds use, and thus have no improvement in resolution.
Improved horizontal resolution of TDWRs
The TDWR is designed to operate at short range, near the airport of interest, and has a limited area of high-resolution coverage--just 48 nm, compared to the 124 nm of the conventional WSR-88Ds. The WSR-88Ds use a 10 cm radar wavelength, but the TDWRs use a much shorter 5 cm wavelength. This shorter wavelength allow the TDWRs to see details as small as 150 meters along the beam, at the radar's regular range of 48 nm. This is nearly twice the resolution of the NEXRAD WSR-88D radars, which see details as small as 250 meters at their close range (out to 124 nm). At longer ranges (48 to 225 nm), the TDWRs have a resolution of 300 meters--more than three times better than the 1000 meter resolution WSR-88Ds have at their long range (124 to 248 nm). The angular (azimuth) resolution of the TDWR is nearly twice what is available in the WSR-88D. Each radial in the TDWR has a beam width of 0.55 degrees. The average beam width for the WSR-88D is 0.95 degrees. At distances within 48 nm of the TDWR, these radars can pick out the detailed structure of tornadoes and other important weather features (Figure 2). Extra detail can also been seen at long-ranges, and the TDWRs should give us more detailed depictions of a hurricane's spiral bands as it approaches the coast.
Figure 2. View of a tornado taken by conventional WSR-88D NEXRAD radar (left) and the higher-resolution TDWR system (right). Using the conventional radar, it is difficult to see the hook-shape of the radar echo, while the TDWR clearly depicts the hook echo, as well as the Rear-Flank Downdraft (RFD) curling into the hook. Image credit: National Weather Service.
No change to time resolution
Like the old NEXRAD data, the new TDWR data will update once every six minutes. The NWS advertises that the TDWR data will be sent out within one minute of when it is measured. The TDWR does scan the atmosphere once per minute at the lowest elevation angle of the radar, but unfortunately, there are no plans to make this rapid scan data available via the free public NOAAPORT feed.
Attenuation problems
The most serious drawback to using the TDWRs is the attenuation of the signal due to heavy precipitation falling near the radar. Since the TDWRs use the shorter 5 cm wavelength, which is closer to the size of a raindrop than the 10 cm wavelength used by the traditional WSR-88Ds, the TDWR beam is more easily absorbed and scattered away by precipitation. This attenuation means that the radar cannot "see" very far through heavy rain. It is often the case that a TDWR will completely miss seeing tornado signatures when there is heavy rain falling between the radar and the tornado. Hail causes even more trouble (Figure 3). Thus, it is best to use the TDWR in conjunction with the traditional WSR-88D radar to insure nothing is missed.
Figure 3. View of a squall line (left) taken using a TDWR (left column) and a WSR-88D system. A set of three images going from top to bottom show the squall line's reflectivity as it approaches the TDWR radar, moves over the TDWR, than moves away. Note that when the heavy rain of the squall line is over the TDWR, it can "see" very little of the squall line. On the right, we can see the effect a strong thunderstorm with hail has on a TDWR. The radar (located in the lower left corner of the image) cannot see much detail directly behind the heavy pink echoes that denote the core of the hail region, creating a "shadow". Image credit: National Weather Service
Range unfolding and aliasing problems
Another serious drawback to using the TDWRs is the high uncertainty of the returned radar signal reaching the receiver. Since the radar is geared towards examining the weather in high detail at short range, echoes that come back from features that lie at longer ranges suffer from what is called range folding and aliasing. For example, for a thunderstorm lying 48 nm from the radar, the radar won't be able to tell if the thunderstorm is at 48 nm, or some multiple of 48 nm, such as 96 or 192 nm. In regions where the software can't tell the distance, the reflectivity display will have black missing data regions extending radially towards the radar (Figure 4). Missing velocity data will be colored pink and labeled "RF" (Range Folded). In some cases, the range folded velocity data will be in the form of curved arcs that extend radially towards the radar.
Figure 4. Typical errors seen in the velocity data (left) and reflectivity data (right) when range folding and aliasing are occurring. Image credit: National Weather Service.
Ground clutter problems
Since the TDWRs are designed to alert airports of low-level wind shear problems, the radar beam is pointed very close to the ground and is very narrow. The lowest elevation angle for the TDWRs ranges from 0.1° to 0.3°, depending upon how close the radar is to the airport of interest. In contrast, the lowest elevation angle of the WSR-88Ds is 0.5°. As a result, the TDWRs are very prone to ground clutter from buildings, water towers, hills, etc. Many radars have permanent "shadows" extending radially outward due to nearby obstructions. The TDWR software is much more aggressive about removing ground clutter than the WSR-88D software is. This means that real precipitation echoes of interest will sometimes get removed.
For more information
For those of you who are storm buffs that will be regularly using the new TDWR data, I highly recommend that you download the three Terminal Doppler Weather Radar (TDWR) Build 3 Training modules. These three Flash files, totaling about 40 Mb, give one a detailed explanation of how TDWRs work, and their strengths and weaknesses. There is also a full product documentation guide available. I'll be adding the info in this blog entry into the radar help link available on each of our radar pages.
Jeff Masters 12/15/08 Blog
3 Part audio-visual training program showing successful uses and weak signal shortcomings.
|WSR 88D and TDWR level 2 & 3
plans and products. 19 pages
http://wdtb.noaa.gov/buildTraining/TDWR/TDWR_SPG_ICD_v43.pdf 42 pages 1.42 Mb
|Full Product Documentation
111 pages Micheal Istok
|Alphabetical List of Airports with TDWR.........http://www.nws.noaa.gov/tg/tdwr-radar-list.pdf
Supplemental Data; other radars,
Ridge map displays, transmitter specs.
http://ams.confex.com/ams/pdfpapers/145466.pdf 11 pages Istok and others.


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CES, LAS VEGAS, January 5, 2016 – SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK), a global leader in flash storage solutions, today announced availability of the new SanDisk® X400 SSD, the world's thinnest one terabyte (1TB) M.2 solid state drive (SSD). It is the first single-sided 1TB SATA M.2 form factor with a mere 1.5mm height. The X400 SSD is designed for fast start-up and application launch, as well as for extended battery life. Consumer research conducted by SanDisk in late 2015 indicates that these benefits are important for more than 70% of consumers when using PCs.1.
"Consumers have spoken. They want to work faster, with fewer interruptions. Our ultra-slim 1TB2 M.2 X400 SSD enables our OEM customers to build completely new form factors with outstanding reliability and the near-instant boot-up and application loading that consumers expect," said Tarun Loomba, Vice President and General Manager of Client Storage Solutions at SanDisk. "The X400 SSD is the flexible, highly reliable platform that our customers need to ensure an exceptional user experience for consumers."
"We have been witnessing a major shift in PC user-adoption as more consumers are increasingly choosing ultramobile devices," said Jeff Janukowicz, research director for solid state drives and enabling technologies at IDC. "The evolution of flash storage and its form factors has helped this category grow. SSD-based machines that are thinner, more lightweight and optimized for mobility provide a compelling and powerful solution to consumer and business users."
Designed for High Reliability
Both consumer and enterprise PC users can expect exceptional reliability even with heavy use. For example, in testing, a 256GB X400 SSD was rated to operate for more than 5 years with a workload of approximately 40GB/day3. This performance makes the X400 SSD an optimal solution for enterprise or other OEM customers who need a highly reliable solution for systems that are broadly deployed in the field, such as digital signage, networking gear, point of sale (POS), and commercial PCs.
The X400 SSD also achieves increased reliability and endurance by implementing SanDisk's own nCache™ 2.0 technology and DataGuard™ technology as well as additional error correction mechanisms. Based on SanDisk's 6th generation X3 Technology, the SanDisk X400 SSD uses 90% less power than a traditional hard disk drive4. Consumers that upgrade to the X400 SSD will now have the luxury of working longer without a power source, and enjoying faster response times while moving data more efficiently.
In addition, the X400 SSD offers data protection through AES 256-bit compliant encryption and TCG Opal 2.0 compatibility, targeting users in the healthcare, financial services and education sectors who need to be compliant with industry regulations.
The SanDisk X400 SSD is currently available in 2.5'' cased and M.2 2280 form factors at 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB capacities. For more information about the new SanDisk X400 SSD, please visit: https://www.sandisk.com/business/computing/x400.
About SanDisk
SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company, is a global leader in flash storage solutions. For more than 27 years, SanDisk has expanded the possibilities of storage, providing trusted and innovative products that have transformed the electronics industry. Today, SanDisk's quality, state-of-the-art solutions are at the heart of many of the world's largest data centers, and embedded in advanced smartphones, tablets and PCs. SanDisk's consumer products are available at hundreds of thousands of retail stores worldwide. For more information, visit www.sandisk.com.
1 Online and in-person research conducted by SanDisk in.September, 2015 in North America. Based on approximately 1,000 responses.
2 1TB= 1,000,000,000,000 bytes. 1 GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes. Actual user capacity less.
3 Based on 350TBW (terabytes written) to the 1TB drive and SanDisk internal testing. TBW values calculated using JEDEC client workload (JESD219) and vary by product capacity. Average consumer use is approximately 10-20GB/day.
4 As compared to 5400 RPM SATA 2.5" hard drive, based on published specifications and internal benchmarking tests using PCMark Vantage scores.
© 2016 SanDisk Corporation. All rights reserved. SanDisk is a trademark of SanDisk Corporation, registered in the United States and other countries. nCache and DataGuard are trademarks of SanDisk Corporation. Other brand names mentioned herein are for identification purposes only and may be the trademarks of their respective holder(s).
Media Contact:
Rebecca Parr
SanDisk Corporation


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The Martha Rules: Rule 2
Rule #2: Focus your attention and creativity on basic things, things that people need and want. Then look for ways to enlarge, improve, and enhance your big idea.
I think this is great rule to think about when you are trying to start a business. Many times in my life I have come up with many, many, many business plans and because my plans are so massive and in a way vague nothing comes of it. In order to truly get the ball rolling on a business idea you really need to think about what it is you want to sell.
Do you want to sell an actual item? Will you sell it in shops or online? Will you have sales reps? What makes your products unique in the market?
Or do you want to sell a service. For a small business owner selling a service is a great way to start because there is not a lot of start-up costs. No need to get inventory on items, etc. You do need a presence though to let the world know you are out there. Whether it be a blog, twitter account or website. In most cases all 3 are a good idea.
Whether you are selling a service or a product you really need to sit down and take a moment to figure out what it is that makes you stand out. Why hire you instead of the person down the road?
This has been something that I have had to struggle with in my own business. I love budget design, but wasn't sure if I wanted to be pigeon holed into it. After a lot of thought I decided that I wanted to offer a mix. I didn't want to be the interior designer that charged 40,000 per room and a 35% mark-up on items, but I didn't want to offer room packages for $100. This is a business after all and you hire a professional to help you achieve the look you want. It doesn't seem right to have the designer end up making $2 an hour once all is said and done.
So while my counterparts in the NY area charge around $150-$350 an hour and around 25-35% mark-up on to the trade items. I charge less an hour to help the everyday person achieve a beautiful look to their home. For me it is exciting to mix some designer fabric in toss pillows with a thrift store lamp find that I scored for pennies that helps me achieve the perfect vintage meets modern look and doesn't break the bank. I'm also full of DIY solutions that I offer my clients that enjoy hands on work. They get the idea and steps from me and then execute it on their own making both parties happy.
Some other tips for Rule #2 are the Seven necessities for assessing your business idea.
1. Is your idea better than alternatives on the market.
2. Is your idea simple for you to develop and simple for customers to understand.
3. Are you in a geographic location where your idea will work?
4. Is your idea affordable?
5. Is your idea too big?
6. Can you expand and extend your idea?
7.Does your idea make the world better?
I have to say that I'm really enjoying this book. It's great to follow all of the steps that it took Martha to reach her massive success. Instead of being overwhelming it's a helpful book that has been reassuring me being a small business owner is a dream job.
Labels: about me, the martha rules


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|Biosequences .. Software .. Molbio soft .. Network News .. FTP
Kalvert Personnel Service, Inc. is a professional recruitment firm specializing in the Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical and Diagnostics industries. Our extensive contacts, knowledge and understanding of these industries offer candidates a wide spectrum of career opportunities. We represent a biotechnology company seeking a Group Leader - Expression Systems. Research: Gene Therapy, recombinant expression in eukaryotic systems, bacterial genetics. Ph.D in Molecular Biology or Bacterial Genetics. Recognized expertise and publications in expression systems is essential. The company is discovering and developing drugs which modulate the immune system. Very copetitive compensation. ALL FEES AND EXPENSES ARE PAID BY THE COMPANY. Leonard Kalvert President Kalvert Personnel Service, Inc. (est. 1966) P.O. Box 1579 Stony Brook, NY 11790 (516) 331-3388 (tel) (516) 331-1886 (fax) kalvert at ibm.net (e-mail)


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Some older Samsung Electronics Co smartphones and tablets could be taken off store shelves in the US after the Office of the US Trade Representative opted not to reverse a ban ordered because the devices infringe Apple Inc patents.
The decision is the latest step in a patent battle across several countries as Apple and Samsung vie for market share in the lucrative mobile industry. Samsung and Apple are the No. 1 and No. 2 smartphone makers globally respectively.
Neither the US International Trade Commission (ITC), which made the patent ruling, nor the US Customs and Border Protection, which would enforce the ban, has spelled out which of Samsung's many devices will be affected.
Despite the ban, AT&T expected to continue selling Samsung products.
"This decision will not affect our ability to provide the latest Samsung devices," AT&T spokesman Marty Richter said.
The ITC said on Aug. 9 that some smartphone and tablet models made by South Korea's Samsung infringed on Apple patents, and banned their importation or sale.
US Trade Representative Michael Froman had 60 days to overturn the ban, as he did in a recent case where Apple was found to have infringed on a Samsung patent, but decided not to.
"After carefully weighing policy considerations, including the impact on consumers and competition, advice from agencies and information from interested parties, I have decided to allow the commission's determination," Froman said in a statement.
"We are disappointed by the US Trade Representative's decision to allow the exclusion order issued by the US International Trade Commission. It will serve only to reduce competition and limit choice for the American consumer," a Samsung spokesperson said.
Apple filed a complaint in mid-2011, accusing Samsung of infringing its patents in making a wide range of smartphones and tablets.
The ITC ruled that the Samsung devices infringed on portions of two Apple patents on digital mobile devices, related to the detection of headphone jacks and the operation of touchscreens.
Samsung has said its newer models incorporate features that work around disputed technology, and that those changes have been approved by the ITC.
In August, the office overturned a proposed ban on some older-model Apple iPhones and iPads that had been found to infringe Samsung patents. Patents involved were standard essential patents, while the patents covered by Tuesday's decision were not. Standard essential patents are central to the products at issue and are supposed to be licensed broadly and inexpensively. US antitrust authorities have argued that infringing on them should trigger requirements for license payments, but not import or sales bans.
Separately, Apple is planning to reveal iPad updates at an invitation-only event later this month, the technology news Web site AllThingsD reported on Tuesday.
The next-generation iPad is expected to be thinner than its predecessor and boast improved camera capabilities. An upgraded version of the iPad mini is likely to list an improved screen among its features.
The event will be held on Oct. 22, according to AllThingsD. Apple declined to comment on the report, which cited unnamed sources.
Apple is coming off a wildly successful launch of two new iPhone models last month. The California firm said it sold a record 9 million iPhones in the three days after launching two new versions of the smartphone.


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Dogs and Lollipops
Below are some things I've been working on lately. The first is the cover of an edition of Sisyphus (first appeared in Kramer's Ergot #4) that I'm putting out in Finnish with Boing Being. Following that are the cover and three pages from Big Questions #11(D&Q). Both are due out this fall.


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Andrew Chicken necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 260 diseños de 45 diseñadores freelance.
Project Energy
We offer a one stop shop solution to allow our clients to acheive significant carbon emissions savings and long term financial savings from within their existing budgets.
We will assess their building portfolio, propose energy reduction solutions and also the installation of renewable energy generation where that is appropriate.
Once we have agreed the best solutions for them we will provide the finance if necessary, carry out the works on site and if required manage and maintain the installation on site in the years ahead.
We can save them hundreds of tonnes of carbon emissions from the start and tens of thousands of pounds over the lifetime of the project all without the need to find either financial or human resources to make the project happen.
There is a target marketplace for Project Energy worth several billion pounds in the UK
This is a new market and will target any energy hungry buildings.
The people we need to excite are the property owners and management professionals in both business and the Public Sector.
I am also bidding for a large amout of investment into the company so need to attract the attention of Venture Capital type investors.
We intend to use trade press publicity and apply for sustainability awards to promote the business
Our image needs to be professional and trustworthy but also new and exciting.
The logo needs to be in a format that is suitable for use on
Our new website
E-mail signatures
Powerpoint presentations
Letterheads and invoices etc.
Banners and promotional material requiring it to be blown up to be a large scale. (These will be used at trade shows and the like)
Vehicles (This will be in the future)
The logo needs to portray that we are a young and ambitious company but must portray a professional and trustworthy image (we will be working with our clients over a 15 year timeframe) and the Public Sector do not tend to like quirky.
The logo can include images and needs to portray the "green" nature of the business
Other than that, use your imaginations!!
Our current logo that I created using word art and clip art is on the current letterhead that is attached for information.
Also now uploaded first draft of front page for website, the images will scroll across the top.
Now uploaded swatch that the web designer is working to. Not fussed about your design matching these but will need the corresponding information from your designs to allow us to make the website match.
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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Monday, May 31, 2010
GIVEAWAY: Autographed Copy of Necromancer by Michael Scott
In honor of Michael Scott's Blog Tour visit, Fantasy Book Critic is lucky enough to offer 1 autographed copy of The Necromancer by Michael Scott, and a second winner will get a surprise gift.
The Necromancer is the fourth book in the Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flammel series.
THE NECROMANCER picks up with Josh and Sophie Newman finally home in San Francisco, though it's anything but a relaxing homecoming. The twins are more confused than ever, and Dr. John Dee is still pursuing them. The most disturbing issue they face is whether or not they can trust Nicholas Flamel. Michael Scott's passion for history and mythology shines as he brilliantly weaves legendary figures into his signature fast-paced plot. Fans of the series will be spellbound as they read of these renowned historical characters on their quest to obtain the last two pages of the coveted Codex—and ultimately save the world.
Rules To Enter Giveaway:
1. This Giveaway is open to the US only. If a friend is willing to accept the book and send it to you that's fine, mailing address must be in the US.
2. Only one entry per person. Duplicate entries will result in all entries being deleted.
3. Send an email with the subject "NECROMANCER" to fbcgiveaway@(NOSPAM)gmail.com (Remember to remove the NO SPAM). Please include your name and mailing address.
4. Giveaway starts at 12:01 PM EST May 31, 2010 and will end at 12:01 PM EST June 8, 2010. All entries sent after the closing date will be deleted.
5. Good luck to all who enter the contest!
12:01 PM | Posted by Cindy | | Edit Post
1 comments:
- Heather said...
What an awesome giveaway!!!
- June 1, 2010 at 8:20 AM
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The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority announced Tuesday that it fined UBS Securities $12 million for violating Regulation SHO and failing to properly supervise short sales of securities.
"Firms must ensure their trading and supervisory systems are designed to prevent the release of short sale orders without valid locates, and properly mark sale orders, in order to prevent potentially abusive naked short selling," said Brad Bennett, FINRA executive vice president and chief of enforcement, in a press release. "The duration, scope and volume of UBS' locate and order-marking violations created a potential for harm to the integrity of the market."
For its part, UBS said in a statement that it "is pleased to have resolved this matter. This investigation is concluded, and all issues identified by FINRA and UBS have been remediated."
According to FINRA, investors making short sales are selling securities that they do not own, and when it is time to deliver the securities, they must either purchase or borrow the securities in order to make the delivery.
"Reg SHO requires a broker-dealer to have reasonable grounds to believe that the security could be borrowed and available for delivery before accepting or effecting a short sale order," the regulatory group said in a press release. Firms are required to obtain and document this "locate" information before short sales occur, which reduces the number of potential failures to deliver securities. In addition, Reg SHO mandates that broker-dealers mark sales of equity securities as long or short.
In its finding, FINRA said that UBS' Reg SHO supervisory system regarding locates and the marking of sale orders "was significantly flawed and resulted in a systemic supervisory failure that contributed to serious Reg SHO failures across its equities-trading business."
FINRA found that UBS placed millions of short sale orders into the market without locates, including in securities that were known to be hard to borrow. These locate violations, FINRA says, involved numerous trading systems, desks, accounts and strategies, and "impacted UBS' technology, operations, and supervisory systems and procedures."
Second, FINRA says that UBS mismarked millions of sale orders in its trading systems, notably short sales that were mismarked as "long," resulting in additional significant violations of Reg SHO's locate requirement. Third, UBS had "significant deficiencies related to its aggregation units that may have contributed to additional significant order-marking and locate violations," the regulatory group explains.
"UBS made a substantial investment to upgrade systems and procedures, including supervisory protocols, IT change control processes, and compliance programs to tighten its Reg SHO controls," the company said in a statement.
"UBS is also pleased that FINRA has acknowledged the corrective actions UBS took during the course of the investigation, as well as the substantial assistance provided by UBS in undertaking an internal review of its Reg SHO supervisory policies, procedures and systems and providing the results to FINRA," the investment bank said.


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Jim Freeman admits that he doesn�t jog so well anymore. He describes it as more of a wobble.
Jim Freeman admits that he doesn�t jog so well anymore. He describes it as more of a wobble.
That�s why the former college track athlete was all smiles as he received a bike as one of his retirement gifts Monday at a retirement party at the Havelock Tourist and Event Center.
�That will be a help for my knees,� he said.
Though the bike will come in handy, the gift that left Freeman stunned the most was a presentation of the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the state�s highest honor presented through the governor�s office to those who have demonstrated a lifetime of service to North Carolina.
�Unbelievable,� Freeman said, shaking his head.
Freeman is retiring after eight years as Havelock�s city manager but more than 30 years in public service. He said he didn�t start out to be a city manager but that he was glad his career choice worked out the way it did.
�I wanted to be a P.E. instructor,� Freeman said. �When I figured out my sophomore or junior year that I ain�t going to make money being a teacher, I decided to become a geographer and planner.�
The event featured a dinner in his honor as well as a slideshow presentation and various video clips from city staff, one of which jokingly talked about the elaborate vacations and cars Freeman had provided for them over the years.
Cindy Morgan presented a gift on behalf of the city staff, a gift that was purposely packaged with pink paper to represent the all-female staff.
�It�s hard to work in a building full of women,� she joked.
Joking aside, a number of those attending thanked Freeman for his work and dedication to Havelock.
�One of the best jobs I�ve done as a city commissioner in 10 years is hire Jim Freeman,� Havelock commissioner Danny Walsh said. �I hired him for two reasons: One is that he had a dog named Cisco, and anybody who knows us knows we like dogs, and the other was his ethics. He had stood up for one of his employees and lost his job, standing up for one of his employees, and I said that�s my kind of man.�
Commissioner George Liner thanked Freeman for helping him as a new board member.
�You�ve been a friend and a mentor, and I�m sorry to see you leave,� Liner told him. �You taught me a lot. I came in as a hot head, and you settled me down quite a bit.
�You have been great for this city and you�ve show us a lot about what can be done and how we can work together as an organization, so I thank you for that.�
Freeman made a point of thanking former Havelock mayor George Griffin, who was responsible for hiring him.
�You gave me a great opportunity, and if it wasn�t for you, I wouldn�t be standing here today,� Freeman told him. �I really appreciate that.�
Freeman said he had many people to thank, including his wife Sheila and other family members who attended the retirement dinner.
He was credited with several city projects, such as upgrades to the water plant, construction of the West End Fire Station and the 9/11 Memorial, purchases of fire trucks and ambulances and improvements to the sewer plant.
He said while the list of accomplishments during his tenure as city manager is great, those accomplishments were not his.
�There�s so many people that I have to thank,� he said. �It�s not just Jim Freeman. It�s the organization and the people we have in the community that has made it successful the past few years. ... Those people on the front lines, they have made the city great, and it�s been a pleasure to work with them.�


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I guess, the expression " would love to do sth" is a milder form of "want to do sth", and the Perfect Infinitive after would refers the intention to the past. So, the analitical form "would+Perfect Infinitive" cannot be considered here as the means of expressing unreality in the past. It's just the coincidence of forms.
Interested in Language


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AfricaAssociates necesitaba un nuevo diseño de página web y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 98 diseños de 27 diseñadores freelance.
We're a diasporan start up based in Australia setting up an online marketplace business to contribute back in our home country.
We're starting by setting up an online mobile classifieds business under the brand Cheki which is Swahili for Check.
We're trying to get the balance right in contributing to our home country but also building a sustainable profitable business that helps consumers and provides great employment opportunities to Africans, whilst delivering a moderate return.
Our target market is aspirational African middle class, both male and female.
Although little realised outside Africa, the middle class in Africa is growing at a very fast rate; they are connected to international trends and technologies. Mobile phone ownership is around 100% of the population in this sector, and the use of data as opposed to voice is growing in the high double or triple digits. Much of the population is urban.
We aim to capture the attention of this market with our brand and range of products.
We are looking for a logo to represent our online business cheki. Ideally we would like a core logo with an icon and the word cheki, and a similar one with the URL cheki.co.tz or cheki.co.ke
We would love to have the logo incorporate the concept of motion or wheels; the fact that the business is a digital online / mobile phone based business is also an element that could be communicated.
The brand needs to be able to work on web as well as phone. A great example of this is http://www.frontlinesms.com/ whose logo works in SMS as well as other media. Simplicity is key - nothing overly complex or technical. We'd like the logo / typeface to stand the test of time and not be overly 2010 fashion.
Please feel free to experiment with colors! The files we will require are: Print file format - .ai (CMYK) Web file format - .jpg and layered .psd (RGB)
Please do not use any stock images or clip art in the logo
We're trying to avoid undesirable African cliches ie wildlife, tribal, nature, sunsets, landscapes, images of people with different skin colours etc.
A good guide to African logo style can be found here:
http://www.africandigitalart.com might also help you break the cliche' mold of international perception of Africa


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Loading some great jobs for you...
Are you Caring, Compassionate, and Patient person who wants to make a difference in the lives of others? Interim Healthcare is hiring for Home Health Aide's in the Grand Rapids, Kentwood and Wyoming areas on 1st and 2nd shifts!
Interim Healthcare of Grand Rapids, Michigan is seeking responsible and reliable individuals to join our team in the role of Home Health Aide. This is a great opportunity to provide individuals with companionship, help someone with disabilities, or assist someone struggling with dementia or Alzheimer's. In this role, you can do a lot of good and build a meaningful career all while working with a wonderful team!
Job Responsibilities:
* Assist patients by providing personal services, such as, bathing, dressing, and grooming.
* Help patients care for themselves by teaching use of cane or walker, special utensils to eat, special techniques and equipment for personal hygiene.
* Support patients by providing housekeeping and laundry services; shopping for food and other household requirements; preparing and serving meals and snacks; running errands.
* Record patient information by making entries in the patient journal; notifying nursing supervisor of changing or unusual conditions.
*Maintain a safe, secure, and healthy patient environment by following standards and procedures; maintaining security precautions; following prescribed dietary requirements and nutrition standards
Required experience or certification:
6 months of experience with personal care and grooming or a CNA certificate/licensing
Job Benefits Include:
* Competitive pay
* Flexible shifts & scheduling options
* Free continuing education courses
* Employee referral bonus program
* Weekly pay
* Direct deposit available
* Medical insurance
* Stability
* Performance based pay increases
* Locally owned and operated
* 401 (k)
Apply Today!
This position is open at our Grand Rapids office, located at 1971 E. Beltline Ave NE, Suite 216, Grand Rapids, MI 49525, our office serves the Grand Rapids, Kentwood, Wyoming, Comstock Park, Jenison, Byron Center, Lowell, Ada and Caledonia areas and this position may require travel to those areas. Learn more here:* The salary listed in the header is an estimate based on salary data for similar jobs in the same area. Salary or compensation data found in the job description is accurate.
Launch your career - Upload your resume now!Upload your resume
Loading some great jobs for you...


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Use the form on the right to contact us.
You can edit the text in this area, and change where the contact form on the right submits to, by entering edit mode using the modes on the bottom right.
80 Rte 214
Phoenicia, NY, 12464
United States
The Graham & Co. is a 20 room hotel in Phoenicia, a small hamlet in the Catskill region of New York State. Inspired by the heritage of the Catskills, the Graham & Co. is a modern take on the classic weekend getaway. We are located at the foot of Hunter Mountain and just two blocks off of Phoenicia's main street, approximately 2.5 hours from New York City


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How We Solve Problems Today (and a whole lot more...)/
Bruce Sterling has a great post in Wired on "Atemporality for the Creative Artist".It speaks accurately of the present, and offers a great prescriptive for what comes next. What's "Atemporality"? Look at how problems are dealt with these days. I know I come fairly close to what Sterling lays out here, and it goes a long way to answering that first question:
'Step one - write problem in a search engine, see if somebody else has solved it already.
Step two - write problem in my blog; study the commentory cross-linked to other guys.
Step three - write my problem in Twitter in a hundred and forty characters. See if I can get it that small. See if it gets retweeted.
Step four - open source the problem; supply some instructables to get me as far as I've been able to get, see if the community takes it any further.
Step five - start a Ning social network about my problem, name the network after my problem, see if anybody accumulates around my problem.
Step six - make a video of my problem. Youtube my video, see if it spreads virally, see if any media convergence accumulates around my problem.
Step seven - create a design fiction that pretends that my problem has already been solved. Create some gadget or application or product that has some relevance to my problem and see if anybody builds it.
Step eight - exacerbate or intensify my problem with a work of interventionist tactical media. And step nine - find some kind of pretty illustrations from the Flickr 'Looking into the Past' photo pool.'
Among many other treats, the piece also goes on to explain how today's existence leads narrative to a non-linear, transmedia approach. Let's face it, our brains have been rewired.
In trying to help find a solution to the indie film problems, I think it is crucial to deal with the real now; Sterling's article describes it well for me. Many that I speak to, yearn to return things to the old; that's nostolgia and melancholy. The genie is out of the bottle. Our world has changed.
Sterling takes it to where it really is: we have a new historical situation ("we have atemporal organized representations of verbal structures"). He also offers up how to approach it, and have fun too. He offers clear cut recommendations on approaching creative endeavors ("No longer allow yourself to be hypnotized by the sense of technical novelty. Just refuse to go there. Accept that it is already passe', and create it from that point of view. Try to make it news that stays news."). It's a great rewarding read. And it's short too. So take the 4 minutes. Don't delay. Bring us (and yourself) into the now.
Read the whole article, and let's talk. Or blog. Or text. Or tweet.


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Saturday, May 14, 2011
Essay: Why We Are Homeschooling
Imagine, being required to remember things even though your short term memory is a bit faulty. Now, imagine trying to deal with all I have described and having to focus on paperwork all day even though the muscles in your hands (and maybe even in the rest of your body) are weak. That is how I envision what school must have been like for my twelve year old son with autism.
For years, we gave public education a good try. We've tried inclusion, mildly impaired classes, and even a life skills class with mild to moderately impaired students. I worked hard with two different school districts (we moved last year), in order to "make it work." I even participated in an intensive program designed to help train parents and staff to educate students with autism.
Finally, it dawned on me that he'd probably struggle with any school environment. I realized that he needed a quiet environment, one-on-one attention, and a highly personalized curriculum designed to motivate him. The best (and really only) place set up to fulfill those needs is home, with a "facilitator" who knows him better than anyone else...his mom!! (That's me!).
Anyway, the clincher was when my son made his own "declaration of intent" to file with the local district if a family plans to home school their child). My son said "I'm not ever going to school again!," We listened. Taking his recent "flight and fight" behaviors at school, it was clear that he had enough public school for awhile.
People initially expressed concern for me and my mental health after we announced the decision to the district, health providers and friends, but I can honestly say I'm far less stressed than I was when he was in school. I no longer have to worry about getting distressing phone calls, or notes. Also, I have a much calmer child on my hands. He is far less stressed at home where his environment can be controlled at home (it's quieter and more predictable.)
Even though I met the qualifications for homeschooling in the state of Washington, I still decided to attend a course on homeschooling which I have just finished. Being new in town, I figured it was a good way to get ideas, meet other moms, find some educational opportunities, and start networking. After a total of 24 hours of instruction, pretty capable of covering all eleven topics as required by our state. I also have a good grasp of our state laws on education as outlined here.
We are still getting services from the school district. They sent us to this place for Speech Therapy, and this one for Occupational Therapy. It's been been going fairly well with more participation than what the public school providers were getting from my son. It helps that both places are ran out of converted houses and do not look anything like school.
Also, I have found that another bonus of homeschooling is that I don't have to worry about scheduling doctor appointments around his school day. Further, we can alter the "school hours" to fit our needs rather than going at the designated hours. Finally, we can go on more field trips and have more fun while learning than what he would have had in public school.
I have tons of ideas. A lot of my plans will be designed to make learning fun again. Some of them will be designed to give him skills to succeed and be more independent as he gets older. We will see how it goes. Wish me luck.
7 comments:
- Casdok said...
Wishing you lots of luck x
- May 15, 2011 at 1:18 AM
- Mimi said...
It is never an easy decision to home school, but it seems like it is the right one for you and your son. I hope it continues to go well! Thanks for posting this,
- May 16, 2011 at 7:18 PM
I've been mentoring special needs children for over seven years. I've worked with children ages two to nineteen, and as you have stated about your son, I do feel that they learn best when in a chaos free environment. In all honesty, I have always felt people with autism do have more challenges than the average person, but they're just like us. Normally, for someone without autism to retain information successfully we would prefer to work in a stable environment as well. The catch is, those without autism do have the ability to block out what happens to be going on around us at times. People with autism can't always do this, and have a harder time handling situations such as what normally goes on during the course of a school day. I think what you're doing for your son is amazing, and encouraging to the parents of children with autism that may be doubting their own abilities to successfully home school. Anyone with autism is capable of doing just as much as one without; someone just has to care enough to take the time to figure out the best way they learn. This is clearly you for your son, and he is very lucky to have a parent that cares so much.
- May 17, 2011 at 6:51 AM
- EarthMuffinMama said...
Hi Julie, I am considering whether or not to homeschool my two boys. One was diagnosed this week as "classic" autistic, highly functioning. The other was diagnosed 4 months ago with Asperger's syndrome. We have had troubles at school since day one of preschool for both of them. I agree that it may cut down on stress...for all of us. My kindergartener (the classic autism boy) actually asked me if I would homeschool him after the last disaster of a fieldtrip. I go back and forth, but I would love to find out more of what you learned about homeschooling kids with autism.
- May 17, 2011 at 2:21 PM
- Nancy said...
After reading you blog, Your site is very useful for me .I bookmarked your blog!
Thanks for sharing information.
- May 24, 2011 at 2:58 AM
- Morgan said...
Sounds like it's going okay so far. Hope it keeps up. And funny how the website for the curriculum mentioned a project on frogs!
- May 25, 2011 at 5:43 PM
- Angela said...
Homeschooling is great for children with autism! They can learn more without the distractions as you identified in your blog! I homeschool my daughter part-time with the Son-Rise program. Many blessing to you and your family.
- May 28, 2011 at 7:15 PM