text:
Wikitravel:Travellers' pub
Please add new questions at the bottom of the page and sign your post by appending four tildes (~~~~) to it, but otherwise plunge forward!
Keeping the Pub clean is a group effort. If we have too many conversations on this page, it will get too noisy and hard to read. If you see an old conversation (i.e. three months after the last comment in that discussion) that could or should be moved to a talk page, please do so, and note there that it has been swept in from the pub.
Any discussions that do not fall into any of these categories, and are not of any special importance for posterity, should be archived to Wikitravel:Travellers' pub/Archives and removed from here. If you are not sure where to put a discussion, let it be—better to spend your efforts on those that you do know where to place.
At what point did the credits (example) cease to be displayed at the bottom of Wikitravel articles? I always thought being able to see who had been working on the article recently was pretty cool (in addition to being an exemplary way of showing attribution). Without this feature—even so much as a link to it—we are no longer keeping our promise to attribute users' real names, for those who have chosen said manner of attribution.
Did we have a discussion about this, or did IB just unilaterally change the way we attribute users' work? --Peter Talk 04:27, 11 April 2012 (EDT)
Without speaking out of turn, I believe we'd have resources for something like that, as it does not sound like a huge deal. Right now we have two techs working on WM upgrade and the booking tool, and we have them specced to work on WT for quite a while after that's complete. Let's see how the MW update affects performance, turn attributions back on as-designed, and revisit.--IBobi 13:32, 16 April 2012 (EDT)
MediaWiki upgrade is in staging and ready for testing
There is now a version of WT with the Mediawiki upgrade, live at this URL:
No credentials or password are needed to access this server. Just click through, poke around, and report any issues you find under BETA here:
Testing this is critical to ensuring that the transition to the full new site is smooth. This will be happening very soon (weeks or sooner) and we're anxious to hear feedback. So please, go look.
1. This is NOT the "real" Wikitravel site -- your updates won't carry over to the real site. This is just a testing environment for debugging; it will mimic the look & feel of the new site however.
2. The article data you will see on this staging server are several months old. New edits will not appear. Don't panic -- all the data will of course appear when the real site is switched over.
3. Speed will be okay; not as fast as the full site, but not nearly as slow as the previous testing environment.
Thank you,--IBobi 14:43, 11 April 2012 (EDT)
The Article Al Riqqa
I was reading through the page articles needing attention and Al Riqqa came across my mind. Al riqqa is a district in Dubai, I suggest either we delete it and put all the information in Dubai or introduce distritification in the article so that Al Riqqa will be included.
-SnappyHip 11:01, 14 April 2012 (PST)
The way that "table of contents" is displayed
Hi guys.
As a sysop of the French Wiktionary, I'm really interrested in the way tables of contents show up here.
Would any contributor please help me to understand how it works ? --ArséniureDeGallium 14:04, 23 April 2012 (EDT)
French Wikitravel
I'm very concerned by the French version of this wiki : it seems that there is not anyone by there to ensure as a basic thing as ensuring that the pages about licenses describes the licence in the footnote. --ArséniureDeGallium 16:47, 23 April 2012 (EDT)
Pure grumbling
I had the day off, and was looking forward to putting some real work into the New Orleans articles, but was completely unable to load even the main page (timeouts). Special:Recentchanges makes it clear enough that this wasn't true for everyone. Why does this happen? --Peter Talk 03:58, 25 April 2012 (EDT)
Changing time formats
An anonymous user changed all the times in the Tokyo article to 24-hour format. There's some logic behind that, since it's common in Japan to use 24-hour time in most public information displays... but if we were to follow that standard, wouldn't it be better done at a national level? Whichever way it goes, is this worth reverting? BigPeteB 09:49, 25 April 2012 (EDT)
I have nothing to edit. What can I?
Hello, I'm a new user. I am bored on here. I have nothing to edit. What can I do?
And besides, are you going to comment about my username and signature? Pmaistakingthebanhammertobanworld 22:35, 28 April 2012 (EDT)
Vandals getting around blocks
How is this vandal that I blocked able to still make edits, as an unregistered user, to a page that I protected from edits by unregistered users? See User talk:184.108.40.206 Ikan Kekek 21:27, 29 April 2012 (EDT)
French Wikitravel pages for deletion
Hi, could someone speedily delete some of the pages on the French Wikitravel pages for deletion? –sumone10154 14:01, 2 May 2012 (EDT)
Ontopic or not? Page gathering information on possibilities to take bicycles on public transport.
Hi! Over at the (Swedish-language) Facebook group [3] and Facebook page [4] we were discussing to create a collection of information somewhere listing the possibilties (and lack-thereof) of taking a bicycle on Swedish trains, buses, etc. I wonder if that would be on-topic on Wikitravel? It would be one page listing for all of Sweden with what companies and on what lines it's possible to take a bicycle and where it's not. If possible we would make a map out of it. A wiki would be useful, we don't have one, and on Wikipedia it would be off-topic I think. What about Wikitravel? Does it fit? --Gerrit 17:08, 3 May 2012 (EDT)
***RESCHEDULED for next week*** MediaWiki upgrade is scheduled for Monday 5/14/12
Site will be READ-ONLY for up to TWO DAYS while the upgrade is occurring.
If there are edits you'd like to make, please do so over the weekend and on Monday.
When the new site comes online, it will be on new hardware as well. Bug reporting is available here:
If for any reason you need to contact me, I can be reached on my Talk page or my email address paul.obrien at internetbrands.com.
Thank you for hanging in there with us; once this major upgrade is complete we expect to be able to update the site software in a much more timely manner (1.11 to 1.17 is a big jump), and we have development resources to address any technical issues still lingering after the upgrade, as well as to address the next set of feature requests from the community. We're looking forward to the next stage of the project and hope you are too!--IBobi 17:47, 4 May 2012 (EDT)
THIS HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED FOR 5/15/2012 due to network issues today. As we get closer to the day, I'll post a time -- it is likely to be around 5am PST (12:00 UTC).--IBobi 14:22, 7 May 2012 (EDT)
THIS HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED FOR 5/14/2012. It is still likely to be around 5am PST (12:00 UTC).--IBobi 16:28, 11 May 2012 (EDT)
I will update shortly on the upgrade status.--IBobi 16:55, 17 May 2012 (EDT)
Templated See and Do listings
Hi there. I'm only a new 'WikiTraveler', but am a seasoned Wiki-editor with many years experience. I am hoping to make some big contributions to this site, but something has been bugging me lately. I find that the See and Do listings on some articles can get very messy and disorganised. I think if we were to organise this information into a template/table, this would be much better for viewers to decipher information from, and also improve the quality of our articles.
This has been proposed many years ago at Wikitravel_talk:Attraction_listings, but with little discussion or progress. It seems many other language WikiTravels do it. See here for a Japanese example. I understand we use WikiCode tags, and it could take a long time to convert every article to a template format. One option is to keep the WikiCode we use, but change how the system organises the info within the tags; from a jumbled text wall, to an organised table format. This would allow for a total revamp across the board, yet with minimal effort.
Any other thoughts, ideas or comments? Thanks, JamesA 08:56, 11 May 2012 (EDT)
Moving the hours to a separate line could be really useful. I think we could make them more readable:
Current version:
Another idea:
Good idea to take a fresh look at this. We'll have to wait until we have functional tech support, or the ability to do our own tech support, before we can implement this, but it's good to figure out what we want in the meantime. --Peter Talk 15:55, 19 May 2012 (EDT)
I would also like to see some more discussion on this before making a change. Listings have a variety of completeness and length of information, so depending on what is there, the above proposal could easily produce a very lopsided-looking listing like this:
texugo 15:16, 3 June 2012 (EDT)
Mediawiki upgrade status
The planned MW upgrade has been postponed.
During the last 2 days, as you may have noticed, Wikitravel has been in read-only mode for a planned upgrade. Due to unforeseen technical circumstances, we had to re-schedule.
We have been working to transfer the entire site to new hardware while simultaneously migrating it to MW version 1.17 from 1.11.
As you can see, the existing version of the site running on 1.11 is back online for read-write access. Our technical department has built testing tools specific to the customized version of MW that runs Wikitravel, and we'll be using them to troubleshoot and log potential causes of the upgrade failure.
As soon as we have it, I will post a new timetable for the switchover to the new site.
Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns,--IBobi 20:37, 17 May 2012 (EDT)
A lot of links to this site have been posted in articles about various Chinese cities. I doubt this is an official airport site, but I'm not completely certain. If it's not, all such links should be deleted. Ikan Kekek 22:02, 25 May 2012 (EDT)
Deletion of user and talk pages
Every time I'm monitoring the Recent Changes, I notice new users creating accounts then pasting some huge advertising spiel on their user/user talk pages. I understand advertising is completely disallowed, but are these pages meant to be outright deleted? If so, it may help if we had a template for 'Speedy deletions'. All the pages with the template would be put into a category where admins would just delete them without discussion, as they are blatant breaches of guidelines. Template:Vfd seems to only cover deletions that require discussion and consensus. I'll go ahead and create the template in the few days, if there are no objections, but wanted to also notify admins of the idea.
On an unrelated sidenote, I think the pub is definitely in need of a sweep of items that are at least 3 months old. Any objections to that? JamesA >talk
The pub definitely needs more brooms! Please don't simply sweep everything into an archive, though. Discussions should be swept to the most relevant talk page, per the little sweeping guide at the top of this page. --Peter Talk 12:55, 3 June 2012 (EDT)
Introducing the Wikitravel API
Hey there. Just wanted to mention that I've gone and created an API for Wikitravel, for people who want to use Wikitravel data in other projects. It renders pages as hierarchical JSON objects, with wikimarkup rendered into simple HTML, and includes lists of subpages, geocoding of listings with addresses, etc. There's also a search API and the ability to search for pages and listings near a particular latitude and longitude. Please note, however, that it's very much a beta release; any feedback, suggestions, or bug reports would be most welcome! Rezendi 12:48, 4 June 2012 (EDT)
Mediawiki upgrade scheduled for 06-June-2012
Site will be READ-ONLY for up to 2 days while the upgrade is occurring.
If there are edits you'd like to make, please do so asap.
When the new site comes online, it will be on new hardware as well. Bug reporting is available here:
If for any reason you need to contact me, I can be reached on my Talk page or my email address paul.obrien at internetbrands.com. Thanks!--IBobi 14:07, 4 June 2012 (EDT)
Eratic readings since crash at 5. Juni 2012 in German Wikitravel
Seit dem 7. Juni 2012 werden auf der Deutschen Seite von Wikitravel Informationen zu Sehenswürdigkeiten, Gastronomie und Unterkünften nur noch zum Teil angezeigt. Auch die Darstellung am Beginn eines Artikels hat sich zum Nachteil verändert. Die Hauptseite hat einen aktuellen Stand vom 22. Juni 2011, also fast ein Jahr alt. Auch die Artikelinformationen sind veraltet. Interessierte neue Autoren springen sehr schnell ab und gehen zu Wikivoyage über. Dort werden sie herzlichst begrüßt und aufgenommen. Bei Wikitravel werden sie von einen nicht mehr aktiven Administrator gefrustet, der ihre Beiträge ohne Begründung löscht, anstatt ihnen Hilfe anzubieten.
Man bekommt den Eindruck Wikitravel ist gestorben und wird nicht mehr gepflegt. Es ist seit Januar 2012 kein aktiver Administrator mehr tätig. Die Wahl für neue Administratoren ist mangels Interesse gescheitert. Wie soll es weitergehen?
Please answer at the German Travellers' pub-Site. -- Knut 184.108.40.206 04:32, 8 June 2012 (EDT)
Upgrade to 1.17 complete
Hi all,
As you can see, we have completed the initial stage of the upgrade of the MediWiki software to v1.17, the most current version available when the upgrade began in November.
This has been an enormously complex endeavor, due to the huge size of the Wikitravel database and high level of visitor activity, as well as Wikitravel's highly customized MediWiki version, consisting of a great many plugins.
The next phase is now in progress: bug reports and fixes. Inevitably in an upgrade of this size and complexity there will be bugs. They'll be addressed as they are reported; the process started this morning.
Once we are convinced the new site is stable and fully functional, we'll be able to tackle feature requests and bugs that were reported previously but that we could not address before the completion of the upgrade, and new feature requests that are just now available with this version of the software, such as InstantCommons. And now that the upgrade past 1.15 has been completed, future upgrades to 1.19 and beyond can and will be done in a far more efficient and timely manner.
Wikitravel is now running on a completely new hardware platform. When the cacheing process is complete, we expect significant increases in performance and stability compared to the previous version of the site. We also have a larger and more experienced technical team to address the needs of the site.
What this amounts to is a Wikitravel that is dramatically improved from a technical standpoint than it has been for the last few years. Coupled with the renewed community engagement between members and Wikitravel's steward, Internet Brands, we have a recipe for longterm success with the technical aspects of the site, the ability of administrators to patrol edits, bug reporting and resolution, ease of contribution by writers, and above all usability for travelers around the globe.
Wikitravel would not be possible without the dedicated community of administrators and writers whose content and curation have made it the preeminent travel destination anywhere. We are very happy to have completed this hardware and software upgrade, and look forward to continuing to evolve the site, in partnership with this community, in the years to come.
We appreciate your patience and support during these last few months, as we have renewed our efforts to improve the site and energize the Wikitravel community. And we thank you for all you have done, both before and during Internet Brands' stewardship. With nearly 2 million edits to almost 80,000 pages; over 70,000 registered users; and 7 million monthly visitors, there has never been a travel resource like Wiktravel. It is massive. It is unique. And it's getting better by the day.
--IBobi 21:36, 8 June 2012 (EDT)
en: has been unbelievably slow the last couple of days, far more than other language versions.texugo 11:02, 14 June 2012 (EDT)
I still am not able to mark many articles as patrolled. This is a problem that seems to randomly apply to some articles and not others, but it's been consistently a problem with perhaps 1/2 of unpatrolled articles at any given time since the update. What happens is that the articles show up in the "Recent changes" list as needing patrolling, but when I open them, there is no button to patrol them. That's not because anyone else has patrolled them: When I refresh the list, they still show up as unpatrolled. And if I edit them, the resulting version also shows up as unpatrolled in the "Recent changes" list but generally still does not have a patrol button when I open it. I am using Firefox 13.0.1 in a Windows XP environment, if that matters. Ikan Kekek 18:25, 24 June 2012 (EDT)
Hi, thanks for the upgrade. However the breadcrumb navigation on fr: seems broken. It works on en: and nl: and I don't see any modification in Template:IsPartOf. Any idea? joelf
OpenID not working
Also, login on en: using OpenID from fr: and URL fr:user:joelf doesn't seem to work either. Thanks for your help. joelf
Shared seems to be completely down or something. I cannot reach it at all... texugo 10:23, 18 June 2012 (EDT)
Amtrak logo for routeboxes - fair use?
I would like to integrate American rail travel into our routebox navigation, but first I need to come up with some 100x25 route icons to use. Obviously I could come up with some generic train symbol to use, but ideal would be to use Amtrak's wave symbol on the left with the route name on the right. The Amtrak logo is trademarked, and I do not know if this would constitute fair use, or if not, whether it would be desirable enough to attempt to get permission to create such derivative icons. Does anyone have an informed opinion on this? texugo 10:29, 19 June 2012 (EDT)
OK, thanks. I took what you did and made a mock-up icon for each train line they have. I just updated the same .svg you uploaded. Please have a look and tell me what you think! texugo 22:49, 19 June 2012 (EDT)
I don't understand why we would see using the Amtrak logo as ideal. Surely that sends us down a slope of wanting to use each railway system logo around the world. There are literally hundreds of these, and some are going to want to enforce their trademarks. Stick to generic, I say. --Inas 00:52, 22 June 2012 (EDT)
Problems with the search/go function
There seems to be something wrong with the search function. No matter what I type in there the search result is always the same:
"No such special page You have requested an invalid special page. A list of valid special pages can be found at Special pages. Return to Main Page."
Has it something to do with the software update?
Ypsilon 05:18, 26 June 2012 (EDT)
Let's be clear. Go is working, but Search is still not working properly. Currently it does perform a search, but it spews forth every resulting page in its entirety in raw text form. Try searching for "New York" and see what I mean. texugo 10:12, 28 June 2012 (EDT)
POTALA INN, LITANG Sichuan China, DON'T GO!
<removed by LtPowers>
InstantCommons now enabled
Here's a bit of a bright spot in our messy upgrade: InstantCommons is enabled! This means you can add images from Commons to Wikitravel articles without having to re-upload them here. All you need do is add a thumbnail as usual (e.g., [[File:Wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery.jpg|thumb|270px|Wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery]]). It will then show up properly in the article, and will have a shadow page of sorts here (e.g., File:Wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery.jpg), analogous to how our software handles images from Shared.
To see this in action, check out Arlington (Virginia), to which I just added 10 Commons images, without the huge amount of work that used to entail! --Peter Talk 23:05, 26 June 2012 (EDT)
Are we using __TOC__ <div> </div> __TOC__ <div> </div>
I have seen this mark-up in a couple of articles today, are we using this image floating mark up here? -- felix 01:34, 27 June 2012 (EDT)
Edited 1.17 upgrade bug reports to reflect fixes
I have edited the http://wikitravel.org/shared/Tech:Upgrade_to_MediaWiki_1.17#1.17_UPGRADE_BUG_REPORTS to reflect what's been fixed & what's pending, as well as a number of clarifications that are needed for tech.
You'll also notice a parenthetical number next to many of them e.g. "(175)" -- this refers to the internal technical problem report assigned to each and will help us track them.
If you see "Fixed" next to an issue you reported, please test it; if it's resolved, remove your bug from the list. If it is unresolved, please explain.--IBobi 15:22, 28 June 2012 (EDT)
I currently can't seem to reach much of anything on Shared except the main page. Recent changes, the pub, random images, etc. all either time out or return a SQL error. What is going on there? texugo 15:43, 29 June 2012 (EDT)
semi-problem logging in
I seem to be able to log in, and when editing my changes are saved under my name, but while navigating it keeps saying "Log in / create account" in the upper right corner, instead of "Justme - My talk - My preferences" etc. As soon as I start editing I do see all those account-related options. Does anyone know why that is? Justme 12:09, 1 July 2012 (EDT)
Get Out is on the way out
Hi folks... if you haven't seen it, we've got a poll on options to change the name of our "Get out" sections to something less confusing. This will be a widespread change, so we want as much input as possible on it.
The discussion is at Wikitravel talk:Article templates#Get out, again. After you read the discussion, check out the poll at Wikitravel talk:Article templates#Approval vote. For each of the options listed in the table, if you would be willing to accept that option, sign just your name with three tildes (~~~) in the second column, and increment the vote total in the rightmost column. If you are not willing to accept an option, simply don't sign in that row.
As of right now, "Go next" is acceptable to seven of the nine people who've voted, followed by "Move on" and "Onward" at five each.
-- LtPowers 15:07, 1 July 2012 (EDT)
Moving to Wikimedia
There is a fairly advanced plan to launch a new copy of Wikitravel under the wing of the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation, who operate Wikipedia. This would get rid of the ever-increasing ads, solve many of the technical problems the site has faced in the past 6 years, and the proposal has near-unanimous support among administrators. jpatokal 23:20, 1 July 2012 (EDT)
(undent) My view: Discussion of the Wikimedia fork, including links to said fork, is and should be allowed on Wikitravel, and Internet Brands' ham-fisted attempts to censor this discussion should be reverted on sight.
We have, as far as I can tell, a *completely unanimous* consensus in favor moving to Wikimedia: the Meta RFC is up to 63 in favor, and I haven't seen a single WT user not on IB's payroll say that they would prefer to stay with IB, thank you very much. So if this community is in favor of discussion, site notices or whatever, it's silly to claim that this is against Wikitravel's "rules" somehow -- the rules exist to serve the community, and the community's will is clear. (Compare this with the Wikivoyage fork, which only had support from a small minority at the time.) jpatokal 20:52, 2 July 2012 (EDT)
Wikitravel still glacially slow?
Does anyone else feel that the site is basically just as slow as before the MediaWiki upgrade? This is the one thing that I most hoped the upgrade would fix, but it seems to me that things load just as slowly as before, especially here on en:, where I get to wait 15 seconds or more for even important pages like Recent Changes. texugo 12:16, 3 July 2012 (EDT)
A project for anyone who wants to help
I've been playing with Special:LinkSearch, which I assume to be a new feature since the upgrade, since I've never noticed it before. At any rate, it makes it pretty easy to spot hundreds of links which are not permitted in the main namespace by our external links policy. After eliminating a few dozen of them, I decided to appeal for help from anyone looking for something to do. Here are a few of the searches I tried:
Anyone bored? texugo 23:19, 3 July 2012 (EDT)
What if the future looked like this?
Three separate discussions about allowing Facebook links, web/email format, and redesigning our templated listings format have got me thinking how we can update or modernize the way we present our information, and I've come up with a tentative proposal. It's really less a proposal and more just me throwing some ideas around, so I'm open to debate on any of the multiple points this will introduce, but I think the general idea is worth considering. Before I lay out the proposed changes though, I'd like to make some points and detail some reasoning behind the proposal.
Accepting the above definitions as reasonable and assuming we can set up the templates to do what we want, the tentative proposition is simply this:
Template fiddling, spacing, which icon to use, how images are incorporated into such sections, etc. can all be worked out later, but I made mock-ups of a couple of layout ideas. I tried to include examples with an assortment of information quantities to approximate how it would look with the completeness of an average article. Anyway, I'd like to call for your general comments and opinions, so... what if the future looked like this? :
texugo 17:39, 4 July 2012 (EDT)


text:
Our Top Ten Blog Posts by Readership in 2012
Originally published on July 19, 2012
Even as the language of 'Open Government' has picked up steam over the past couple of years – driven initially by the 'Obama Open Government Directive', and further boosted by the multi-lateral Open Government Partnership – the use of the term has tended to fairly broad, and mostly imprecise, lacking a shared, consistent definition. As Nathaniel Heller of Global Integrity, a key player in the OGP, cautioned in a recent blog: "The longer we allow 'open government' to mean any and everything to anyone, the risk increases that the term melts into a hollow nothingness of rhetoric."
In a recent useful piece, Harlan Yu and David Robinson, draw a distinction between "the technologies of open data and the politics of open government," suggesting that 'open government data' can be understood through two lenses – open 'government data' or 'open government' data. The first approach reflects an emphasis on deploying the functionality of new information technologies to put government datasets in the public space in a way that is amenable to re-use, and can be tied to a range of outcomes – among other things, improved delivery of services, innovation, or efficiency. The second approach prioritizes a mode of governance characterized by transparent decision-making - particularly on issues of public interest and critical for public welfare – and the release of government data (and information in other formats as well) as furthering this goals of transparency.
The vision of the Obama Directive was broader than just a focus on transparency and extended to 'transparency, participation, and collaboration'. Beth Noveck, former Head of the White House Open Government Initiative underscored this point when she emphasized that open government was "…never exclusively about making transparent information about the workings of government," but rather an innovative strategy focusing on "using network technology to connect the public to government and to one another informed by open data…" The goal of last week's conference on Open Government Data – organized by the Bank in partnership with the U.S. Government, was to leverage "the historic opportunity presented by open government data to foster collaboration, transparency, and interactive public participation."
Attempting to provide a concrete and potentially shared definition of open government, Heller, highlights three dimensions - information transparency, public engagement, and accountability. And both Heller and Yu and Robinson recognize that while current technology trends have reincarnated the idea of open government, and that technology can be a powerful enabler, the idea itself, and the principles it embodies, is technology-neutral.
To those working on governance issues at the Bank, these concepts will, of course, resonate immediately. The triad of 'transparency, accountability, and participation' has been central to the Bank's work on 'Demand for Good Governance' and a key dimension of building states that were 'capable and accountable" as outlined in the 2007 Governance and Anti-corruption (GAC) Strategy and the 2012 Update to the Strategy. Following the framework provided by these key strategic documents, and more recently precipitated by the events of the Arab Spring, the Bank has expanded its work on supporting transparency, and fostering participation by a range of stakeholders – both as means of boosting more accountable governance.
The discussion on what open government means, what the driving principles behind it, and how it is distinct from related concepts, is not merely of academic or theoretical interest. As ambitious data and information disclosure initiatives are launched with aspirations of creating transparency, participation, collaboration, and accountability, understanding the meaning, objectives, and rationale for these policies is critical to assessing if investments are made in the right set of tools to achieve the intended set of outcomes.
Making information publicly available through openness initiatives is the beginning, not the end of a results chain that links openness to better governance and development outcomes, and requires looking at a number of issues. First, whether openness leads to accountable governance depends on the kind of information that is released. As Yu and Robinson point out, a government can provide "open data" on politically neutral topics, but still remain deeply opaque and unaccountable. Transparency initiatives could release a goldmine of information in various formats, and of tremendous interest to academics, businesses, and other communities, but if this is not information that enables scrutiny of the decision-making, budget allocation, expenditures, performance, contracting, or other such functions of government – it will have little bearing on improving accountability.
Yet, the information that extracts accountability for expenditures and performance, that enables corruption to be exposed, is precisely the information that is particularly prone to being kept hidden, or released in un-usable and incomplete formats. So, second, the kind of transparency regime matters. Transparency systems that are mandatory and demand-driven - such as those relying on Right to Information laws – rather than voluntary and supply-driven, might be stronger because they create a legal obligation to both proactively, and on request, release the information necessary to monitor public finances and performance.
Third, the larger governance ecosystem matters. Transparency policies will achieve little if the political system does not create the incentives for officials to be sanctioned when corruption is exposed, for service providers to be penalized when poor performance or absenteeism is revealed, or for safeguards or structural reforms to be adopted when evidence of systemic governance problems emerge. While more recently, much attention has been placed on the capacity of citizens to use information, and on the role of media and civil society groups as intermediaries to make information more accessible, the extent to which the political space exists for them to exert influence and effect change will determine the efficacy of their role.
Picture Credit: Flickr user Divergence

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The only "holes" in the daily schedule of Steven Kaiser, a fourth-year mechanical engineering major, come in the form of the holes in his bowling balls. In addition to a busy agenda of engineering classes and co-ops, Kaiser fulfills the duties of president of the RIT Bowling Club, which typically has 15 to 20 members each year. The club, which participates in intercollegiate competitions across the country, is hosting the annual College Bowling Night at 10 p.m. Oct. 26 at Clover Lanes in Brighton. For more information regarding the event, contact the club at email@example.com.
Question: Where are you from?
Answer: I am from West Babylon, N.Y.
Q: What brought you to RIT?
A: I chose RIT over the other schools I applied to because of the quarter system and the co-ops that are incorporated into the education.
Q: In your opinion, what is the most interesting or unique thing about yourself?
A: I think the most interesting thing about myself is my ability to always laugh and have fun, no matter what I am doing or whom I am with. I'm always laughing and have a smile on my face, even when things are not going my way. Other than that, I am an Eagle Scout representing Troop 104. I am very proud of this accomplishment and all that scouting has taught me in life. Boy Scouts was one of the things in my life that truly allowed me to take leadership roles and gave me the confidence to stand up in front of people and help them grow.
Q: What has been your favorite RIT moment?
A: My favorite moments at RIT have come from traveling with the bowling team over the past three years and getting to meet new people at all of the different events that we go to. Spending hours in the car driving to our competitions and just enjoying each other's company has given me memories and friends that I will never forget.
Q: How did you get involved with the bowling team and what is your role?
A: I bowled all four years of high school and while I was looking for a college, I found that RIT had a club-team that competed at the intercollegiate level. During orientation week, I visited the bowling club booth at the club fair and signed up for their e-mails. My current role is president of the club, which means I book all of the tournaments and hotels, arrange rides and practices, and make sure that everyone is focusing on improving their game.
Q: What is College Bowling Night?
A: College Bowling Night is a night of bowling, music and just fun in general. Students can come to Clover Lanes in Brighton, just over 15 minutes from campus, and bowl all night for just $15. There will be great music and of course, lots of bowling, and proceeds help raise funds for our team to travel to tournaments across the country.
Q: Is there anything that you would like the RIT community to know about the bowling team?
A: Over the past four years, our team, which competes at the highest level of the sport, has been ranked in the top 10 teams in the nation, out of more than 150 teams. During that time, we have also qualified for the USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships each year and have represented RIT and the vast western New York bowling community very well in our showings. We want everyone at RIT to know that our team exists and is competitive, even though we are only officially recognized as a club. You can track the progress of our season on Twitter by following @RITBowling.
Q: What advice would you give to other students at RIT?
A: For all RIT students out there, especially younger students, I would recommend joining as many clubs as you can and doing as many different activities as possible while you are here. College should be the best time of your life and you should enjoy every bit of it.
Q: What are your plans after graduation?
A: My plans after graduation are to hopefully get a job in the automotive field, or to work for a bowling ball manufacturer, designing the newest balls to be released.
Matt Gregory compiles "Student Spotlights" for University News. Contact him at firstname.lastname@example.com with suggestions.


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May 23 – Happy Birthday Arch McDonald
Arch McDonald was the original voice of the New York Yankees. The three original New York City MLB franchises were the last three to permit radio broadcasts of their games. They all caved together in 1939. Brooklyn hired Red Barber for their booth and the thrifty Yankees and Giants decided to share an announcer. Since the two teams never had home games scheduled on the same day and had both agreed to blackout broadcasts of road games, it was possible that one person could do play-by-play for both teams. That person turned out to be McDonald.
Born in Arkansas but raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee, he was a country music DJ in that town when the local minor league team reached a deal to have their games broadcast by the station that employed him. McDonald became the play-by play announcer and the listening audience loved him. In 1932, Sporting News conducted a contest, inviting readers to vote for the best baseball announcer in the country and surprisingly, McDonald beat out several big league microphone jockeys to win the honor. Two years later, when Clark Griffith was looking for a radio announcer to do Senator games, he did the same thing he did when he needed a player. He reached down into the broadcast booth of Washington's Chattanooga affiliate and brought up McDonald. During the next five seasons, he built a loyal following of listeners in our Nation's Capital with his relaxed southern speaking voice and homespun charm. McDonald was credited with coining the phrase "ducks on the pond" to describe "men on base." When a Senator hit a home run, McDonald would call it by saying "There goes Mrs. Murphy."
When the Yankees finally went on radio, the sponsor of their broadcasts, Wheaties Cereal lured McDonald to New York with a big salary. The first ever radio broadcast of a Yankee game took place on April 17, 1939, with McDonald doing the play-by-play. During that first season, a young CBS announcer by the name of Mel Allen was also hired as McDonald's assistant. In addition to being the first radio voice of the franchise, McDonalds' next most significant contribution to Yankee history was coming up with the nickname of "Yankee Clipper" for slugger, Joe DiMaggio.
It would end up being Barber and Allen who did the best job at capturing and keeping the attention of Big Apple baseball fans.Those two injected their calls with a lot more enthusiasm and a lot more words than McDonald, who preferred to describe a play and then stop talking until there was another play to describe. The silence in between proved deafening for radio listeners and McDonald was let go after just one season in New York, leaving Allen to take over the Yankee booth as number one announcer.
McDonald ended up going back to Washington, where he became a sports broadcasting institution, doing both Senator and Redskins games. In 1946, President Harry Truman, a regular listener, convinced the announcer to run for congress. He ended up losing the election.
He kept doing both Senator and Redskin games right up until he died in 1960, of a heart attack, during a train ride back to D.C. after a Giants Redskins football game. He was 59 years-old.
May 23rd is also the birthday of this one-time back up catcher, this former Yankee Manager and this other former Yankee manager.


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Staples (NASDAQ:SPLS) topped profit estimates in the third quarter and maintained its fiscal 2013 earnings outlook on Wednesday despite a worse-than-expected decline in sales.
Continue Reading Below
The largest U.S. office-supply chain, which swung to a quarterly loss of $569 million, or 85 cents a share, compared with a year-earlier profit of $324 million, or 46 cents, has been struggling with softening demand for computers and software.
The ailing global economy has weakened spending among Staples' corporate customers and dampened discretionary spending among general consumers.
Excluding one-time items, such as an $840 million overhaul charge related to the closure of some 75 stores in North America and Europe, Staples earned 46 cents, topping average analyst estimates in a Thomson Reuters poll by a penny.
Revenue for the three-month period fell 2% to $6.35 billion from $6.48 billion a year ago, missing the Street's view of $6.45 billion. The decline was fueled by a 12% decrease in international revenue as European same-store sales fell 6%.
In North America, retail sales were flat, though demand began to ramp up again for core office supplies and copy and print services. Delivery sales in the region climbed 1%.
The Framingham, Mass.-based retail chain continues to anticipate flat full-year sales with non-GAAP earnings per share increasing in the low single-digits from $1.37 a year ago. The consensus is calling for fiscal 2013 earnings of $1.36 on sales of $24.77 billion.
Staples said it is looking to generate more than $1 billion of free cash flow and reaffirmed plans to continue repurchasing outstanding stock.


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Blackwallstreet Member Runs After 40 Glocc Pulls Out The Gun On Them? Footage Of 40 Glocc At The Video Shoot & Affion Crockett
"Raw footage of a black wall street member getting punked by 40Glocc" - 40 Glocc TV
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About Me
- Knitting Inspiration
- I admire handmade, no I'M IN LOVE WITH HANDMADE, especially knitting!!! Handmade is a very special - it suits perfect to you, it's exclusive, it has warmness of the author's hands or designer, it's taste and energy. There are no fabric-produced things that you will feel yourself the same perfect as in handmade things! I have a mamma, the gorgeous, the best ever mamma in the world!! She's a Handicrafter. And she has been knitting and crochetting for all her life!! Not only knitting, but also lots of other handmade. She makes perfect and unbelievable things by her hands!! From the very childhood I was surrounded by handmade, I was like a little princess clothed in knitted unique things, and I begun to do them by myself, but of course I know that it's a long way to do them like mamma, but we work in tandem. I like to have exclusive things and to feel that I'm the only and everybody looks at me! We also can knit and crochet whatever you want, please feel free to contact us, be exlclusive and glad! We're about to start our own design and instructing others!
20 February 2012
have been thinking few days about this coat\cardigan
Автор: Knitting Inspiration на 9:51 AM
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The Sun's recent editorial on guns laws ("Resigned to guns," Sept. 25) should have added a picture of Joe Biden and his advice to buy a shotgun from last February. I am sure the victims of the Navy Yard incident would appreciate our vice president's advice. But since it is un-PC to say anything bad about a Democrat, no chance of that happening.
Lyle Rescott, Marriottsville


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How sad that even "monks" have taken to Harry Potter.
The Bishop in question is a schismatic that is somewhat irrelevant (well expect perhaps to his flock of 20 or so - even a generous estimate of his entire's synod's flock is in the hundreds). The pamplet here http://www.stanthonysmonastery.org/cgi-bin/ccp51u/cp-app.cgi?usr=51F3377539&rnd=4234811&rrc=N&affl=&cip=&act=&aff=&pg=prod&ref=3HARRYEP1&cat=&catstr= gives another perspective.[/url]
There are other books written by authors who were devout Christians that are much better IMO for kids. I.E. C.S. Lewis
...Voldemort is evil and repugnant, willing to do almost any damage to his own soul in order to further his intent. There is nothing attractive about Voldemort; the most positive emotion that he can evoke is pity for the damage he has done to himself.
Anastasios, the group that puts out the most rhetoric against the synod of Metropolitan Cyprian of Oropos is your own GOC of Archbishop Chysostomos of Athens. The communion with ROCOR with the TOC is tenous at best....so I do think it is justified to call the TOC in a dubious state. Well in one sence I agree that his information should be refuted on its own merit, I disagree with him being presented as an Orthodox authority. ÂÂ
Anastasios, I was more alarmed at the misrepresentation of calling the Etna group an Orthodox authority. If say Metr. Herman or Archbishop Demetrios had made the statements then I would say that represents an Orthodox authority - as they have real flocks which they tend... sometimes Etna is more an academic institution than anything else.ÂÂ
Ok, I've got a question. What would you say is the most attractive aspect of the Harry Potter books? On the day (before) the new one was released, while I was at work we saw people lined up the whole way around the Barnes and Noble parking lot (which is quite large). What is so fascinating about these books? Is it something that you can put your finger on? My only experience with HP is seeing the first movie, which I didn't find particularly mesmerizing; but obviously the books have attracted a lot of loyal readers.
Well, I finished it. I stayed up way too late until "Oh-dark-thirty" to get through the last 3 chapters. Once you get to the ante-penultimate one, you've not going to stop until the end. I' still processing it. what a rideEbor
Donna Rose,Ahh, well that makes sense. Maybe I will have to give the series a try with the first book, the next time I get down to the Library.
I finished the book on Friday night, and though the end saddened me quite a bit (trying not to put in spoilers), I see why it was absolutely needed for this to happen. It means that in the next book, HP has to stand alone, as a fully mature (notice that he will be "of age" next book) adult, and have to deal without help from anyone but his two oldest friends.
J.K. Rawlings better have the last book ready by next summer. :-)
I just found out that "Scrimgeour" is from a word meaning "skirmisher"... interesting choice.
The first chapter was a treat to read. I kept seeing Tony Blair as the Muggle Prime Minister. And he thought he has problems with Iraq...
I was wondering how Margaret Thatcher would have reacted to meeting the Minister of Magic. ;) Ebor
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2013-01-09 / Obituaries
Melvin Wright, 92, World War II deep sea diver, marina owner
Melvin H. Wright, a resident of Massapequa for 40 years and a veteran, died Dec. 27, 2012. He was 92 years old . Mr. Wright was born Feb. 6, 1920 in Brooklyn to Joseph Harold and Gertrude (Weiss) Wright. He served in World War II as a deep-sea diver with the United States Navy.
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Opinion: A Nativist King
Iowa Rep. Steve King on why he's opposed to the Gang of Eight's immigration reform plan and the prospects for reform in the House. Photos: Associated Press
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... I ... while back to Opinion Journal why Mary Kissel ... immigration reform is an insurer saying thanks in part to a wing of the Republican party ... that SEC very firmly against it ... here's I'll Republican Steve Cain a longtime critic and I quote ... on border security and electric offense quote would simply be a discouragement for them to be fooling around with it ... we do that with livestock all the time end quote ... because the congressman here with us on sat night comers in the comment was made several years ago ... do you stand by that comparison ... my ... shirt yes absolutely aam the minutes to livestock militant apparently owners to livestock I just say here's what you do you set this up ... and we need to have an electronic means to let us know when they would round and when they would cut the fence ... there's enough electric fence to keep people in or out in Mexico and walls in Mexico ... to move that up in reconstructive along our southern border so nobody down there would be offended by this they live around it all the time ... there's a lot of glass said in an Capital's walls too as I think people need to step back and take a deep breath ... that is simply illogical statement ... Enobia logical not the handsome got a warning device on the top of a fence or wall that we should bail ... out beginning of a proposal was a big comprehensive proposal border security is part of it ... um you voiced concern in particular about what you call the amnesty provision what concerns you most about that part of the bill ... well it into a mature granting amnesty is departing immigration law breakers and reward them with the objective of their crime ... this bill does all that and then some ... it sends an invitation to people that of Ardi been reported that are in their home country now so after re apply we think we may be made a mistake ... come on back in ... but the border security pieces which Ask about ... and that I don't have confidence in Jan Impala tonneau was going to follow through on them ... we pass the did the secure fence Act ... to build the fence we get something like forty miles of double fence and that's about yet ... so I would say this we're spending at least six million dollars a mile southern border ... than if you give me down upon those jobs ... in a president who didn't tie my hands ... we can take the resources we have only to get way in the upper nineties on efficiency and security and border ... they don't wanna do that and that's the hardest part of the president will keep his word he's proven ... represented what about those eleven million illegals in the country right now ... I the center marker Rubio says it's not an amnesty they would go to the back of the wind in the fact that we take in some cases more than a decade for them ... I'd to get ... to even a green card ... I think the force to register we released the weather like the fine and they have to pay taxes ... on what's your beef with that and in love with your other solution but it is a no on all those points ... I'm first of all if their eleven million now for a long time there are at least twelve so ... they went somewhere ... they got here on their own and is so they can make those decisions on their own ... no we wouldn't force along but if we did get an opportunity to sign up daily if they wanted to follow the path to citizenship ... that the advocates of the gang of eight say doesn't exist ... then they could do them but they're in the of those who have violated the law say they're they're Fallon said the gimmick of forty anyway ... that's why they have to write document fraud amnesty into the building ... or you only have about three of the eleven million it would come forward and they're the ones that are not working ... so I think that people that are advocates for this gang in these goes a step back ... read the bill looks are all over that romantic discern ... how will people actually act and react this practical boat to say to eleven million people many of whom are working some of whom are in fields are others in that they're in the hospitality business to say ... what didn't get out of the country how we can track them down how to find and what would your solution well I don't need to do any of that actually ... and if we do stop the bleeding at the border and on to say ... we can do that and and how to do them ... the way shut off the Jobs maiden this is something the Wall Street don't read before ... in the attacks deductibility of wages that are paid to people that are working here illegally ... I'm that's should not be a business expense I have a bill that does that the new idea at the legal reduction elimination Act ... and the chairs are ten dollar an hour illegal into a sixteen dollar an hour illegal Etsy employer as safe harbor using e verify ... so we shut off the job magnet and you shut off the bleeding at the border ... people make a decision a lifetime decision on whether they're gonna go north or whether there are no sell ... that's up to them they made the decision to come here and live in the shadows on their all ... and one Ironman swim again until about eleven million ... I don't know what moral obligation I am to try to change the lifestyle that they have decided to change other than to force or rule of law let them decide we've got about thirty seconds left to split surge briefly on the guest worker program ... and the gang of eight says this is the way to fix the immigration system for the future ... so we can have a flexible flow of its illegal flow ... of workers coming in seasonally to America ... and then returning to their home country we'd know about them in identifying them ... would you ever support such a pack ... of well written a guest worker program ... likely has some air and I would be happy to sit down and have that discussion if we restore the rule of law and I'd be happy to have the discussion with the people who was was restored deeply ... now here in America ... after we restore the rule of law the we all know that ... their agony and force a lot ... can happen in eighty six Ronald Reagan let me down in nineteen eighty six ... and it is the really I am now many say is I wasn't designing the order for them is killing me


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Providing user-submitted gear reviews in a way similiar to the mountain bike reviews found at www.mtbr.com and amazon.com has been suggested by some and looks to be an ideal way to provide un-biased user reviews of kites, boards, harnesses, DVD's, accessories and more.
We're looking at different ways of doing this and would like to implement a system that is easy to use, can be user-controlled and runs itself, similiar to the discussion forums so all the information doesn't need to be processed a second time after submission to be viewed by others.
If anyone has any suggestions or is familiar with a customizable system that will work for this let us know. We'll try and get this going soon. :o


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This item is noncancelable and nonreturnable.
Tiffen's 55mm Warm Black Diffusion/FX 2 Camera Filter produces silky-smooth textures, even in tight close-ups without sacrificing image clarity. Many techniques have been developed for diffusing or softening images, whether to create a mood in a landscape or portrait or simply as an aid to make people look glamorous. This filter offers the most advanced diffuser ever developed by Tiffen and creates a diffused image that doesn't look like it's been shot through a filter.
This filter does spectacular job of suppressing facial blemishes and wrinkles while maintaining a clear focused image. With this filter, eyes stay clear and sharp and it unwanted details are eliminated without being dull or "fuzzy". The bare minimum of highlight flare is produced and the effect of lighter grades is subtle, with higher grades becoming gradually more noticeable.
|Diffusion FX
|55 mm
|Not Applicable
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|Landscape or portrait photography
|Color Temperature
|Warm Black
|Not Provided by Manufacturer
|Front Filter Thread Size
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|Front Lens Cap Size
|Not Applicable


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Mayor Challenges Leaders to Leave Impactby Howard Hewitt • January 14, 2012 Share:
Crawfordsville Mayor Todd Barton '00 challenged student leaders Saturday morning to live a life that will make a lasting impact on Wabash, Crawfordsville, and beyond.
Barton, elected last fall, was the keynote speaker for the second-semester HELP session. Student leaders in fraternities and residence halls return to campus two days early each semester for leadership training and educational sessions. The HELP program was established seven years ago by the Dean of Students office.
The former fire chief, Wabash Psychology major and Independent, told the students his decision to run for mayor grew from his life-long desire to "make a lasting impact on our community."
"But let me tell you being a firefighter and Wabash graduate is kind of odd," he began. "As a firefighter the one thing most likely to come between you and your sleep is a Wabash student."
After the laughter, he made his point. "Wabash is a world-class institution … and I want to make a serious effort to make Crawfordsville a world-class city. To the outside world Wabash is Crawfordsville,"
Barton said he knew the young leaders in the room had already decided they wanted to live a life of impact because they enrolled at Wabash.
"You are in a unique position as a leader among leaders," he said. "Now more than ever this community needs your help. We've been through some rough times lately."
Barton talked about job loss other issues affecting the city and suggested "there for a bit we lost our direction."
He urged the students to have a lasting impact by volunteering in Crawfordsville and Montgomery County. And he used a simple example to get the students attention.
"From a town perspective at basketball games where Wabash students are coaching there's a lot of discussion in the crowd about how great it is Wabash students take the time to help. There's more discussion on that than the game."
He re-emphasized that spending time with a community young person is "truly a lasting impression."
But he said making a positive contribution goes beyond volunteering and requires only simple steps for every Wabash student. "Each and every time you leave this campus and each and every time you venture into the city you are representing Wabash.
"Take a moment to do a kind deed. Take a moment to listen."
He noted that some people may encounter Wabash students daily, or seldom, or just that one interaction that leaves a lasting impression.
The day also included skill building and educational sessions.
Crawfordsville Police Sergeant Hal Utterback (above right) talked about safety issues and how to deal with police officers when they respond to calls on campus. City Fire Department Inspector Eric Small (at left) discussed safety issues in fraternities and dormitories.
Health issues were on the agenda with with Wabash nurse Carol Lamb and College counselors Kevin Swaim and Jamie Douglas. Athletic trainer Mark Elizondo covered first aid and CPR. Wabash graduates and Crawfordsville physicians Dr. John Roberts and Dr. Scott Douglas presented a program on substance abuse and how to know the signs and how students should respond.


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Bacon Cinnamon Rolls
Cinnamon rolls have been vegetarian for too long. Too long.
While grocery shopping the other day I picked up a tube of ready-to-cook cinnamon rolls and thought hey, I wonder how these would taste with bacon. As I read the back of the package I was reminded that the rolls are actually un-rolled when you remove them.
Yup, he did it. He made a bacon cinnamon roll. After rolling a bacon strip up with cinnamon roll dough, he just went ahead and baked those suckers. [via Serious Eats community member dithie]


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Patricia A. Lukaszewski, docent for Burchfield Penney Art Center
Feb. 5, 1932 – June 22, 2013
Patricia A. Lukaszewski, of Marilla, a longtime docent at the Burchfield Penney Art Center, died Saturday in Beechwood Continuing Care, Getzville. She was 81.
The former Patricia Lukowski was a graduate of Depew High School and earned a bachelor's degree in anthropology from Buffalo State College.
Her strong love of nature, gardening, literature and art history informed her 20-year tenure as a docent for the art center. With her extensive knowledge of the permanent collection, she led tours of the collection and exhibitions, specializing in children's school tours.
Using her ability to engage children, Mrs. Lukaszewski shared her expertise to educate hundreds of children about the arts.
She was very involved in St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Alden, where she was a member of the Bishop's Committee and the Catholic Bible Studies Group.
Mrs. Lukaszewski was a longtime member of the Dickens Fellowship of Buffalo and enjoyed the book club at the Lancaster Library.
Survivors include a son, Timothy J. Lucas; two daughters, Sandra Kubik and Judith Lucas; and a sister, Jean Robbins.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 11:30 a.m. today in St. John the Baptist Church, Sandridge Road, Alden.


text: I recently purchased an unlocked BB Storm to use Tmobile services with. I am able to use the phone, text, internet, etc., but unable to set up my email accounts, use my BB Messenger, or the Browser. It has come to my knowledge that the phone had previously flashed to Metro PCS. can someone please help me. :burnout:


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Halloween Lady Bug Party
I'm fairly certain they are the multicolored Asian lady beetle, or Halloween lady beetle, Harmonia axyridis. They were introduced in the U.S. in past decades to control pests such as aphids, and the websites I've read say they're doing a pretty good job. In fall they start to look for hiding places in which to overwinter. In some places they become so numerous they get into people's hair and fall into their food and drinks, although I think if one plunked into a martini it would suffer more than the martini.
Homeowners often express concern and aggravation with these nuisance pests. During late autumn, homeowners complain that multicolored Asian lady beetles cluster on the sides of houses; "crunch" under foot; get into food and drinks; alight on hands, arms, and other parts of the body; and sometimes enter the ears and mouth. The lady beetles can be so numerous that they appear to be "raining" outdoors or swarming like bees.
We first saw them in the mid 1990s. They show up every year on a warm, sunny day, always gathering in the same room -- the upstairs bathroom, where we live now, and on a west-facing, glass-enclosed porch in our old house. A few of them hang around through the winter; the others, I suppose, find a better place to hibernate than the bathroom.
We generally don't mind bugs coming into the house, although we don't go as far as some of insectophiles I've read about. William T. Davis, a pioneering entomologist who lived on Staten Island 100 years ago, used to keep a bowl of sugar water on his desk so bees would visit while he was working, and I think I've read that the writer Guy Davenport does something similar. We draw the line at mosquitoes and deer ticks, but the lady bugs are welcome. Our habits amount to a mutual agreement -- I have my drink downstairs, and they hold their lady bug party upstairs.


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We are proud to announce that this Apr 14th, 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM we will be hosting an Open House at 1881 144 Street, Surrey in Brambley Hedge in the Sunnyside Park neighborhood, Surrey. This is an opportunity to visit this excellent Townhouse for sale in beautiful Sunnyside Park.
Please come with any questions you may have. In the meantime you can take a virtual tour of this Sunnyside Park Townhouse for sale.
As always please do not hesitate to give me a call at 604.468.0010 if I can answer any questions before the open house, or if you would like to book a private showing.
Kris Goudreau
Kris Goudreau


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JERUSALEM, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- Israeli settlers left an illegal outpost on the West Bank voluntarily Saturday evening, a day after they clashed with soldiers trying to evict them.
The Israeli military negotiated the evacuation of Oz Zion with leaders of the settlement of Kiryat Arba and Rabbi Dov Lior of Hebron, Channel 2 reported.
An attempt to clear out Oz Zion before the beginning of the Sabbath at sundown Friday turned into a melee, The Jerusalem Post reported. Settlers threw stones, inflicting minor injuries on five police officers, and slashed the tires of a police car.
Dudi Ashraf, a spokesman for police in Judea and Samaria, said one person was arrested.
Police were summoned to the outpost Friday by the military, which said a group of young people were refusing to leave and said they wanted to remain in Oz Zion through the weekend.
Shelly Yacimovich, a leader of the Labor Party, said those who attacked police officers should be punished.
"Justice must be pursued against the lawbreakers," Yacimovich said. "This was a grave undermining of the rule of law, and a challenge to the state, its laws and the IDF [Israeli Defense Forces], whose strength is necessary to our existence here."
Naftali Bennett, leader of the right-wing Bayit Yehudi or Jewish Home Party, said authorities could have avoided trouble by delaying the eviction until after the Sabbath.


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Ray Fisher Lands Cyborg Role in 'Batman-Superman' Movie!
Ray Fisher has landed a major movie role in the form of Cyborg for the upcoming, and still untitled, Batman-Superman movie!
The 26-year-old actor won't have a major part in the upcoming superhero movie, but his role is a member of the Justice League and he will have a much more significant part in upcoming films from the comic book franchise, according to Variety.
Already set to appear in the Batman-Superman movie are Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, and Gal Gadot.
Ray, who is most known for his work in the theater world, was most recently rumored to be in the running for a role in another highly anticipated movie – Star Wars: Episode VII.
WHAT DO YOU THINK of Ray Fisher joining the Batman-Superman movie?


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Track Description
The inspiration flows with this airy track full of deep atmosphere. This emotionally fulfilling piece of music works perfect in any kind of cinematic context, e.g. movie intros, credit openers and so on. A smooth guitar melody, thrown-in ambient piano notes and varied percussion alternate with sweet solo instrumentation always backed by a calm atmosphere.
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- Download the watermarked preview file of the track you like.
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After you have released your project, please let us know about it! Perhaps we can help you promoting your project by placing an icon of your file on our profile and/or item page.


text: 30 items matching your search terms. Filter the results. Item type Select All/None Article Blog Entry Collection Page File Folder Issue Link Old Collection New items since Yesterday Last week Last month Ever Sort by relevance · date (newest first) · alphabetically On the Road to Detroit: How to Get to the U.S. Social Forum 2010 Are you thinking about going to the U.S. Social Forum this year? Here are some tips on how to get there. Feb 11, 2010 One More Thing Seattle's WTO Shutdown Taught the World Nov 24, 2009 First Anniversary of the U.S. Social Forum A milestone in movement building Alice Lovelace Jan 22, 2019 World Social Forum :: Liberated Spaces at Your Doorstep Lilja Otto Jan 22, 2019 USSF: We Saw Another World in Atlanta Since 2001, tens of thousands have been gathering at World Social Forums. The United States has been slow to catch on, but on June 27, it finally happened. Sarah van Gelder Jan 22, 2019 Malik Rahim Speaks to the Freedom Caravaners Sarah van Gelder Jun 27, 2007 Pass it On On the occasion of the first United States Social Forum June 27, 2007 by Alice Lovelace Alice Lovelace Jun 27, 2007 What the US Social Forum Means to Me Alice Lovelace Jun 27, 2007 Interview with Victoria Rodriguez Sarah van Gelder Jun 27, 2007 Interview with Susan Gleason Diane Horn Jun 27, 2007 Previous 10 items 1 2 3 Next 10 items


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ArchiveGrid includes over 5 million records describing archival materials, bringing together information about historical documents, personal papers, family histories, and more. With over 1,000 different archival institutions represented, ArchiveGrid helps researchers looking for primary source materials held in archives, libraries, museums and historical societies.
If you'd like to see your collections included in ArchiveGrid or have questions about the ArchiveGrid project, please get in touch with us.


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ATLANTA, May 19, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Premier Exhibitions, Inc. (Nasdaq:PRXI) today announced that the Company's results for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014, which ended February 28, 2014 will be released May 27, 2014.
After the Company's results are released, Premier Exhibitions will host a conference call to discuss the results the same day, Tuesday, May 27, 2014 at 5:30pm (EDT). Investors in the U.S. can access the call by dialing 1 (888) 299-7209 and International callers may dial 1 (719) 325-2491. Callers should reference Conference ID number 2077099. A transcript of the conference call will be made available on the Company's website: www.prxi.com.
Premier Exhibitions, Inc. (Nasdaq:PRXI) is located in Atlanta, GA and is a major provider of museum quality exhibitions throughout the world. Premier Exhibitions is a recognized leader in developing and displaying unique exhibitions for education and entertainment. The Company's exhibitions present unique opportunities to experience compelling stories using authentic objects and artifacts in diverse environments. Exhibitions are presented in museums, exhibition centers and other entertainment venues.
CONTACT: Michael Little Chief Financial Officer (404) 842-2600 firstname.lastname@example.com
Source:Premier Exhibitions, Inc.


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10 simple steps for a better shave and smoother skin
A great shave isn't just about the shaving part—it's also about prepping your face. Try shaving after (or even during) a hot shower, dermatologist Nicholas Perricone explains, "because the moisture will give you a lot of lubrication, and you'll have less traction on the skin." Alternatively, you can use a high-quality shave oil to get the same effect, like this one from Ren, made with all-natural Tahitian Tamanu oil. $27, www.renskincare.com
You know that drugstore shave gel you've been using since you were 17? Do yourself a favor: Stop. Not only do gels smell like high school gyms, but many are also full of irritants. Instead, go for a smooth, lightly scented, modern-style cream. Rubbing it in vigorously will coat and soften your stubble. Try this one from Baxter, which has an easy-to-spread, unscented formula. $16, www.baxterofcalifornia.com.
Now shave downward, going with the grain of your whiskers. Then (but only if your face can handle it) shave up, in the opposite direction.
"There's no question that you'll get a closer shave going against the grain," says dermatologist Bruce Katz, director of the JUVA Skin & Laser Center in New York. "But if you have razor-bump problems, it'll irritate your follicles more." Katz's other tips: Hold the razor handle at ninety degrees to the skin and shave in long, even strokes (short ones only mean you'll be chopping at your face).
As soon as you've finished shaving, thoroughly rinse your face with cold water. This calms down the skin. Then apply a moisturizing, nongreasy balm to stop razor burn. And please, steer clear of traditional aftershaves. "Most contain alcohol or are extensions of fragrance lines," says Pirooz Sarshar, owner of Grooming Lounge in Washington, D.C. "You want something that's going to take the stress away, not burn the crap out of your face." Give this one from Sharps a shot; it's quick-drying, oil-free, and soothes your face with aloe and chamomile. $16, www.sharpsusa.com
Finally, remember: Giving your skin a rest once in a while is beneficial. Try letting your beard grow out a bit on weekends. You have the day off from work. Why not take the day off from shaving, too?
Ask any dermatologist: The most important thing anybody can do to protect their skin and stave off wrinkles is wear sunscreen. Apply a daily moisturizer, like Kiehl's Facial Fuel SPF 15 ($25, www.kiehls.com) and a lotion with SPF 30 if you're outside for long periods.
Wax-based lip balms typically offer an SPF level of 4. This cooling lemon version from Jack Black is SPF 25 and doesn't give off a sheen. Our hands-down favorite lip balm. $7, www.getjackblack.com
Green tea has high concentrations of EGCG, a potent antioxidant believed to keep your mind sharp and reduce your risk of heart attack. If that's not reason enough to drink it, studies are now suggesting that it can reverse the effects of sun damage on the skin. www.teanybeverages.com
It's not the pimple that's the problem; it's the failure to do something about it. Accept that zits happen to grown-ups, too, and keep a lotion that contains salicylic acid handy. $16, www.anthony.com
Clean your face and then gently work a small amount of product onto your damp skin, rubbing in small circular motions for one to two minutes. Rinse until clean. And always use a moisturizer when you're done, since eoliating can leave your skin drier than normal. This wash from Billy Jealousy (which they call "liquid sand") is much less abrasive than most scrubs you can buy and leaves your face with the perfect polish. $24, www.billyjealousy.com
What, you think Robert Pattinson was born with those manicured things? Even guys who don't have unibrows need regular maintenance. And yes, you can try it at home. New York brow specialist Maribeth Madron (more than 10 percent of her clients are guys) offers a plan for achieving a natural (not hypergroomed) look. Aim to follow it about once a week.
Check for strays: Brush your eyebrows toward your hairline with a toothbrush (one reserved for this purpose, obviously). With scissors, trim any hairs that are a lot longer than the others—don't pull them out or you'll get a big bare spot.
Thin them down: If your brows look a little bushy, you can thin them from the bottom—carefully. Using tweezers, start in one corner and move horizontally, pulling adjacent hairs in the direction they grow until you've cleared out a line across. Start with one row and check yourself in the mirror before doing a second. Note: Never yank hairs from the top of your eyebrow—it's easy to mess up the arch, which makes mistakes much more noticeable.
Clear the way: If you do suffer from unibrow action, pluck individual hairs from the center of the space between your eyebrows until the deforested area is the width of your index finger.
Set boundaries: If your brows come dangerously close to connecting with your sideburns (it happens), do this: Place one end of a pencil at the outer edge of your nostril and hold the other end toward the corner of your eye. Pluck any hairs that are past the pencil's edge.
When you're in your twenties, dealing with ear and nose hair is simple: If you have a stray, snip it or pluck it (oh, c'mon, have you seen what your girlfriend puts herself through?). As you hit your midthirties, you'll need the following tools to keep yourself tidy.
Electric Trimmer
The thin head of the Philips Norelco NT9110 allows for a more controlled cut. Even so, use this trimmer on nose and ears only; use tweezers on brows. $13, www.amazon.com
Specially aligned tweezers by Rubis should be used primarily for the brows, but they'll get rid of strays in the nose or ears, too. $30, www.rubis.ch
After using your trimmer, target any wayward hairs with these round-tipped (stab-preventing) scissors from Wsthof. $35, www.wusthof.com
Up-to-the-minute photo slideshows of all the runway looks
Twitter feeds and blog dispatches from GQ's editors on the ground
Shots of the most stylish men on the streets of Milan, Paris, and New York


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JAMAICA, N.Y. – Junior Joseph Rafidi (Los. Angeles, Calif.) secured seventh place at the NCAA Northeast Regional Championship on Sunday, resulting in the first top-10 performance by the MIT men's fencing team in seven years and the first in epee action since 2004. Qualifiers for the upcoming NCAA Championship will be announced on Tuesday, March 12 with the competition slated for March 22-23 in San Antonio, Texas.
Following a first-round bye, Rafidi won his pool, placed fourth in the third round, and closed out the day with a 6-5 total in the finals. Senior Jackson Crane (San Francisco, Calif.) also received an opening round bye and then won his pool with a 5-1 ledger. In the next round he went 3-3, which placed him fourth in the group and 13th in the final standings. Freshman Jack Greenfield (Oyster Bay, N.Y.) rounded out the epee unit in 26th place as he went 2-4 in the second rotation to rank fifth in his pool.
Junior Ehsan Izadmehr (Wayne, N.J.) recorded the best performance of his career by finishing 17th in the sabre competition as he compiled a ledger of 5-7 on the day. In his first appearance, classmate Luke O'Malley (Los Angeles, Calif.) posted a 2-3 first-round total that resulted in a ranking of 22nd. Freshman Pon Jirachuphun (Chantaburi, Thailand) picked up a win en route to 29th in the overall rankings.
Freshman Scott Robinson (Califon, N.J.) and senior Alexander Siy finished 32nd and 33rd, respectively, in the foil portion of the event. Robinson was the runner-up in his pool with a tally of 2-2 but was unable to come away with a win in the second round. Siy also had a 2-2 outing which put him in third in his pool; however, like Robinson he did not register a victory in the following round.


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From HaskellWiki
(→Why breaking lots of old and unmaintained code?: Changed the hawiki link for HaskellTwo to point to the Web Archive)
|Line 139:
|Line 139:
say compiler, text editor, analyzer and so on.
say compiler, text editor, analyzer and so on.
If we arrive at [[Haskell two]] some day, (http://haskell.org/hawiki/HaskellTwo)
If we arrive at [[Haskell two]] some day, (http://haskell.org/hawiki/HaskellTwo)
it will certainly be incompatible to former Haskell versions.
it will certainly be incompatible to former Haskell versions.
This does not mean, that old code must be thrown away.
This does not mean, that old code must be thrown away.
|Line 148:
|Line 148:
Syntactic replacements like <hask>if-then-else</hask> syntax to
Syntactic replacements like <hask>if-then-else</hask> syntax to
<hask>if'</hask> function should be especially simple.
<hask>if'</hask> function should be especially simple.
=== Summary ===
=== Summary ===
Revision as of 11:04, 19 December 2016
1 Replace syntactic sugar by a function
For processing conditions,the
if' :: Bool -> a -> a -> a if' True x _ = x if' False _ y = y
Unfortunately there is no such function in the Prelude.
2 Advocacy
2.1 AdvantagesThe advantages of the function
are the same like for all such alternatives. So let me repeat two important non-syntactic strengths of Haskell:
- types: classification, documentation
- higher order functions: combinators
each language tool can process it without hassle. Haddock can generate documentation for it, a text editor can make suggestions for values to insert, Hoogle can retrieve that function.
For example, the Hoogle query
[Bool] -> [a] -> [a] -> [a]
may return
zipWith3 if'
2.2 Use casesEach of the following functions could be defined in terms of
Actually, they do not even need to be in Prelude because they can be constructed so easily.
That function is harder to explain in English, than by its implementation. :-)
zipIf :: [Bool] -> [a] -> [a] -> [a] zipIf = zipWith3 if'
infixr 1 ? (?) :: Bool -> a -> a -> a (?) = if'
From a list of expressions choose the one, whose condition is true. The first parameter is the default value. It is returned if no condition applies.
select :: a -> [(Bool, a)] -> a select = foldr (uncurry if')
See Case.
Easy lifting into monads (MonadReader in this case)
ifF :: (a -> Bool) -> (a -> b) -> (a -> b) -> (a -> b) ifF = liftM3 if'
2.3 Why add this function to Prelude?Actually people could define
where they need it,or import it from a
that must be provided in each project. Both solutions are tedious and contradict to modularization and software re-usage.The central question is, whether
that is so general that it should be in the Prelude, or not. I think it is, otherwise it wouldn't have get a special syntax.
2.4 If-Then-Else vs. guardsSome people (any exact statistics?) prefer guards to
This practice has its own drawbacks, see Syntactic sugar/Cons and Things to avoid.
2.5 Is If-Then-Else so important?Counting
in today's Haskell programsisn't a good measure for the importance a
- frequently guards are used instead of if-then-else
- there is no standard function, and this let people stick to work-arounds.
2.6 What is so bad about the if-then-else sugar?
Since syntactic sugar introduces its own syntactic rules, it is hard to predict how it interferes with other syntactic constructs. This special syntax for instance led to conflicts with do notation. A syntactic extension to solve this problem is proposed for Haskell'. It is not known what conflicts this extension might cause in future.
2.7 Why breaking lots of old and unmaintained code?Haskell without
makes Haskell more logical and consistent. There is no longer confusion to beginners like: "What is so special about if-then-else, that it needs a separate syntax? I though it could be simply replaced by a function. Maybe there is some subtlety that I'm not able to see right now." There is no longer confusion with the interference of
say compiler, text editor, analyzer and so on.
If we arrive at Haskell two some day, (http://haskell.org/hawiki/HaskellTwo (Web Archive)) it will certainly be incompatible to former Haskell versions. This does not mean, that old code must be thrown away. There should be one tool, that converts Haskell 98 and Haskell' to Haskell-2. Having one tool for this purpose is better than blowing all language tools with legacy code.Syntactic replacements like
2.8 Summary
- Light proposal, compatible with Haskell 98: Add to the Prelude, maybe with a different name.if'
- Full proposal, incompatible with Haskell 98 and Haskell': Additionally remove syntaxif-then-else
2.9 See also
3 Objections
Haskell is not intended to be a minimalistic language, but to be one that is easy to read.
It shows clearly which expression is returned on a fulfilled condition, and which one is returned for an unsatisfied condition. It is thus easier to read. The special syntax saves parentheses around its arguments. If properly indented, like
if a then b else c
if a then b else c


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For Mother's Day, here is a chart of matrilineal descent, with pictures where possible. I have joked any number of times that my matrilineal line goes straight back to Scotland, and that's where I got all my qualities of frugality and thrift.
I have never looked at the records past Isabella Hood Hill and I cannot say if the genealogy is correct past that point.
Happy Mother's Day!
My mother with her mother, Beverly Lucille Glade Wessman (1924-2008)
Lucile's mother was Mary Isabell Pettit Green (1866-1905)
Mary's mother was Rebecca Hood Hill Pettit (1845-1922)
Rebecca's mother was Isabella Hood Hill (1821-1847)
Isabella's mother was Margaret Jane Bisland Hood (1791-1856)
Margaret's mother may have been Agnes Pollack Bisland (abt 1755- )
The picture from the gate of the Winter Quarters Pioneer Cemetery where Isabella Hood Hill is buried is from www.flickr.com/photos/dmclean/200984463/. The picture of Simcoe, Ontario, Canada, where Margaret Hood evidently spent her last years is from www.flickr.com/photos/msvg/4620478196/. The photo of the Robert Burns Statue in Glasgow, Scotland, where Margaret Hood was born, is from www.flickr.com/photos/athoos/2450798730/. Burns would have been a contemporary of Agnes Bisland.


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We are proud and honored to have a 5-Star rating on Yelp and TripAdvisor. Click the links to read more about people's experiences and reviews of the show.
In The News
Check out the latest news from Illusion Fusion including interviews, photos, press, and more!
Tickets / Shows
Catch Illusion Fusion nightly 6 nights a week (Dark Wednesdays) at the Golden Cabaret Theater inside the Horizon Casino Resort at 8:00pm. For information on tickets, show times, and more,
Welcome to Illusion Fusion! This high-energy theatrical show stars Award-Winning Master Magician Alex Ramon and features mind-blowing illusions, slight-of-hand close-up, and unique never-before-seen magic that defines the word "art". To learn more, click here: About Illusion Fusion.
NEWSLETTERStay in touch with the latest events
Latest Reviews"Any discounts for locals tonight? Thanks!!"Kathy St. George via FacebookWritten on July 8, 2013
Latest Reviews"How family-friendly is the show? "Bethany Drysdale via FacebookWritten on July 9, 2013
Latest Reviews"We really enjoyed your show Thursday night! You mentioned that you'll be on tour soon, where is the best place to find the cities and dates?"Christi Manning via FacebookWritten on July 14, 2013
Latest Reviews"This is the other show guys"Roy Gonzales via FacebookWritten on July 23, 2013
Latest Reviews"Amazing show! Alex Ramon is a very confident, talented, friendly, magician that is on his way to the top. The kids could not stop talking about it for the rest of our road trip. Thanks Illusion Fusion for a great night in Tahoe (and thanks for my ring back :))"Dawnelle Davis via FacebookWritten on July 24, 2013
Latest Reviews"Our group ranged from 8 years old to 80 years old and ALL of us were amazed. Alex Ramon has a very special way with an audience that is rare to find - highly recommended! Thank you for making us all laugh! We'll see you in the Bay Area soon!"Amanda Mina via FacebookWritten on July 26, 2013
Latest Reviews"My Girl Scout troop had a great time at your show! Thanks. Did you get your samoas yet?"Nancy M. Ryan via FacebookWritten on July 31, 2013
Latest Reviews"I just wanted to say Thank you for the most fantastice family time ever.....You and Megan killed it....."Cheryl Elaine Gilmore via FacebookWritten on August 4, 2013
Latest Reviews"We saw Alex on Saturday Aug 3rd. One of the highlights of our first trip to Tahoe. Awesome show, performer, hilarious, did not lose our gaze for one second. And he took time to meet the kids. You rock dude."Alison Viljoen Martin via FacebookWritten on August 5, 2013
Latest Reviews"My husband and I are in Stateline tonight and tomorrow night. We bought tickets for Thursday night, but aren't going to be able to attend. Understand there is no exchanging them. We'd love to see the show. Any chance we could get free tickets for the show tonight or tomorrow? "Pat Adams via FacebookWritten on August 6, 2013
Latest Reviews"Loved your show in San Jose, Ca tonight. It's heartwarming to see someone follow their passion."Renay Greene Gaye via FacebookWritten on August 7, 2013
Latest Reviews"fun show tonight!"Nancy Meyer via FacebookWritten on August 10, 2013
Latest Reviews"Had an absolutely amazing time last Monday night here. I even had the chance to participate in the act and enjoyed it a ton. I highly recommend the show to anyone in the south lake area "Leroy Smith via FacebookWritten on August 11, 2013
Latest Reviews"Went to the show tonight...absolutely amazing family show! When in South Lake Tahoe, it is a must see! "Tom Bordonaro via FacebookWritten on August 12, 2013
Latest Reviews"You picked a man from the crowd to do a comedy act....so natural"Earl Vicky via FacebookWritten on August 12, 2013
Latest Reviews" Can you do this one.....?"Earl Vicky via FacebookWritten on August 14, 2013
Latest Reviews"Thanks Alex for taking the time to speak to my daughter. She was so pleased! Great show!"Clare Conner Jenkinson via FacebookWritten on August 28, 2013
Latest Reviews"Great show in Antioch tonight. Loved it."Brian Elliott via FacebookWritten on August 28, 2013
Latest Reviews"Fantastic show Alex Ramon. Loved every second. Cannot wait to see it again and again."Check over hereBecky Allen via FacebookWritten on August 29, 2013


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RYE BROOK, N.Y. – Tucked into the leafy suburbs north of New York City, the Blind Brook-Rye public school district seems to have it all: state-of-the-art classrooms, high test scores and an enviable record of sending graduates to college, including many in the Ivy League.
What it hasn't always had in recent years is enough students. So to keep from laying off teachers and cutting back programs, the district is embarking on a plan to recruit from neighboring districts whose families are willing to pay tuition of more than $20,000 a year — to a public school.
"We believe we have something that's highly attractive, and to use a business term, 'marketable,' " said Superintendent William Stark, whose 1,500-student district has one grade school, one middle school and one high school.
In a glossy brochure sent to neighboring districts, Blind Brook touts class sizes in the low 20s, 16 Advanced Placement courses, a top-100 ranking for its high school by U.S. News and World Report and award-winning Model UN, Mock Trial and math teams.
Outside students will be accepted only in grades where there's enough room to add students without hiring another teacher. And they'll have to arrange their own transportation.
"If we get one or two dozen, that's a quarter- to a half-million dollars," said Stark, whose district's annual budget is $41 million. "That can make the difference in offering another program or keeping a teacher or two, or maybe even lowering somebody's taxes."
Actively recruiting tuition-paying students from nearby districts is rare, but experts say it's a testament to the financial squeeze on public schools at a time of tax caps, tapped-out homeowners and dwindling government aid.
"School districts are all pinched and most are looking at ways they can trim," said Patte Barth of the National School Board Association. "They're increasing class size. They're laying off staff as a last resort. We do hear about some districts thinking creatively, and this is one."
Some public schools recruit students in states that have school choice rules, under which a student from one district can go to school in another district, and some state aid goes with the student. But those students do not pay tuition.
Superintendent Brett Kustigian of the Quaboag district in Warren and West Brookfield, Mass., said the district had been losing up to $800,000 a year under the choice system until it started recruiting. This year's effort included 19,000 postcards sent in April to parents in neighboring districts, highlighting Quaboag's AP classes and U.S. News ranking.
"We've got about 100 (outside) students now, so that's half a million dollars (in state aid)," Kustigian said. "We also do open houses. Some districts put up billboards."
The Riverdale district in Oregon also takes interdistrict transfers — if the home district consents. If not, outside students can come to Riverdale anyway and pay tuition of up to $11,500, said spokeswoman Jody Haagenson.
The district, though within the city of Portland, is independent of the city school system. It boasts the state's top percentage of students going on to college, Haagenson said.
"We don't do any active recruiting," she said, "but word is out that we hope to pull in students. We do have an open house that we advertise in the community papers."
Public schools in many states recruit students from abroad, directly or through agencies and charge tuition plus room and board. Such students can stay only one year under current federal regulations, however.
In the Newcomb school district in New York's Adirondack Mountains, Superintendent Skip Hults says that in six years, students have attended from 26 countries, paying tuition that now is $5,000 a year. Foreign students also pay $5,500 for housing, which goes to the residents who put them up.
"We're a very underutilized district. We have extra books and desks," Hults said. "We offer a very good education and we are in a very safe area, and that's what parents look for when they send their child overseas."
He said Newcomb is now looking into recruiting from districts nationwide but hasn't begun yet.
"Maybe we'll recruit some students from Blind Brook," he said.
At Blind Brook, Stark said a dwindling school population was behind the recruiting plan.
"Our elementary school population went down close to 25 percent over the last five years, and we had to cut staff," he said. "We lost some really fine teachers. The other thing is, with the (New York state) tax cap, we're not allowed to raise taxes beyond a certain point and yet we have to meet an increasing number of mandates that the state sets forth."
Those mandates include pension-fund payments, and Stark has found still another way to help out local taxpayers – and his own pocketbook. He plans to retire at the end of the month, then sign up again for four years, making him eligible for an estimated $200,000 annual pension on top of his $260,000 salary. The state will fund the pension and district homeowners will save nearly $50,000 a year by no longer having to contribute to his pension.
Glen Schuster, who is president of the Blind Brook school board and has children in grades four and nine, said of the recruiting campaign, "We're going outside the box and innovating to stay as strong as possible."
Blind Brook sent mailings to households in neighboring districts, including Port Chester and Harrison in New York and Greenwich in Connecticut.
Stark said applications for September are coming in, mostly from the New York metropolitan area, and tours are being arranged.
He noted that Blind Brook tuition, at $19,569 for kindergarten through sixth grade and $21,500 for grades seven through 12 under a formula used by the state, compares favorably with what a private school would charge in the area.
Walter Johnson, headmaster at the Hackley School in Tarrytown, where tuition is $33,000 to $38,500, said he welcomed Blind Brook's strategy.
"Anything the public schools can do to try to strengthen their financial situation is not only understandable but commendable," he said. "I cheer them on."
Tuesday's NHL roundup: Red Wings send Ducks to 12th straight loss
Local & State
Some accused priests on Jesuits' list played key roles at Cheverus
Stephens sharp in second-round win at Australian Open
Varsity Maine
Tuesday's boys' roundup: Falmouth takes charge in fourth quarter to beat Thornton Academy, 51-47
Local & State
Food pantries across Maine helping furloughed federal workers


text:
These poems tell the story of Yashodhara, the wife of Gautama Buddha. The poetic forms used by Jaireth are those that were popular in ancient and medieval Indian, Sanskrit and non-Sanskrit literatures.
The narrative is constructed around poems about six seasons, with each season made up of six poems of fourteen lines. The season-poems follow a strict poetic structure and represent the voice of Yashodhara. Longer narrative poems interject the season-poems. The narrative poems are about the Buddha and are written in the voice of a contemporary narrator.
(Source: Author's notes in the text of Yashodhara : Six Seasons Without You and in introductory comments to the text of some of the poems that were published in Conversations : Occasional Writing from the Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies vol.2 no.2 December 2001.)