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WASHINGTON (May 6, 2014)—Fifty-four of the nation's brightest young geography whiz kids will gather in Washington, D.C., from May 19 to 21 to take part in the 26th annual National Geographic Bee. The fifth- through eighth-graders, who range in age from 11 to 15, will be competing for the 2014 Bee crown and three college scholarships. Google is the sponsor of this year's contest.
The scholarship prize money has been increased this year from $50,000 to $85,000. The winner of the National Geographic Bee will receive the top prize of a $50,000 college scholarship and lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society. The second- and third-place finishers will be awarded college scholarships of $25,000 and $10,000 respectively. Additionally, the Bee champion will travel (along with one parent or guardian), all expenses paid, to the Galápagos on an expedition aboard the Lindblad ship National Geographic Endeavour. Travel for the Galápagos voyage is provided by Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic.
The 54 finalists, winners of their state-level geographic bees, beat nearly 4 million fourth- through eighth-graders to earn a place in the national contest. They represent the 50 states, District of Columbia, AtlanticTerritories, PacificTerritories and Department of Defense Dependents Schools.
The preliminary round of the 2014 National Geographic Bee will take place on Monday, May 19. The top 10 finalists will each win $500 and advance to the final round on Wednesday, May 21, moderated for the first time by award-winning journalist Soledad O'Brien. She succeeds "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek, who moderated the Bee for its first 25 years.
National Geographic Channel and Nat Geo WILD will air the final round at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 22. It will be aired later on public television stations; check local television listings for dates and times.
Eighteen of the students taking part in this year's National Geographic Bee are repeat state winners, including two who are competing for the fourth time and three who are competing for the third time. The four-time returnees are Christian Boekhout of Arkansas and Krish Patel of South Carolina, who represented their states at the 2011, 2012 and 2013 National Geographic Bees. Returning for the third time are California's Tuvya Bergson-Michelson, who represented his state in 2011 and 2013; Colorado's Pranit Nanda, who was his state's winner in 2012 and 2013; and West Virginia's Andrew Christy, who competed in the 2012 and 2013 National Geographic Bees.
The other repeat winners are Patrick Lewallen, representing Department of Defense Dependents Schools (2013); Mika Ishii of Hawaii (2012); Amrit Singh of Idaho (2013); Sean Ives of Indiana (2013); Nikhil Krishna of Kentucky (2012); Abhinav Karthikeyan of Maryland (2013); Philip Huang of Michigan (2012); Gabriel Cuneo of New Mexico (2012); Gabe Straus of New York (2013); Kyle Yu of Ohio (2013); Max Levine of Rhode Island (2012); Akhil Rekulapelli of Virginia (2013); and Asha Jain of Wisconsin (2013). Asha's brother, Vansh, placed second at the 2012 National Geographic Bee.
Both this year's and next year's top 10 national finalists will be eligible for selection to the three-person team that will represent the United States at the National Geographic World Championship, to be held in Stockholm, Sweden, in 2015.
A survey of this year's state and territory Bee winners shows that they have numerous talents in addition to their prodigious geography knowledge. Many have won math, science and spelling contests; a number play musical instruments; and most enjoy a variety of sports and other outdoor activities. Grandparents and teachers top the list of people (apart from their parents) who the students admire.
Gary Knell, National Geographic Society president and CEO, said, "The National Geographic Bee is just one of the many ways National Geographic is fulfilling its mission to inspire people to care about the planet. The Bee expands students' knowledge of people, places and events around the world and fosters a lifelong love of learning and exploration, turning today's competitors into tomorrow's leaders."
Google is sponsoring the Bee for the sixth year. "We're proud to continue our sponsorship of the National Geographic Bee and to encourage the next generation of explorers and innovators. Maps are such an integral part of how we live and do business, and it's important that we continue to invest in geographic literacy and education. The students who participate in the National Geographic Bee have demonstrated an impressive understanding of the world and its many wonders, and we are proud that young minds across the globe are using Google products to learn and collaborate. This competition demonstrates the power of technology to foster learning and inspire future generations, and we're thrilled to be a part of it again this year," said Brian McClendon, vice president of engineering, Google Earth and Maps.
The National Geographic Society developed the National Geographic Bee in 1989 in response to concern about the lack of geographic knowledge among young people in the United States.
The National Geographic GeoBee Challenge app, with more than 1,000 questions culled from past Bees, is available from the App Store on iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.
The 2013 National Geographic Bee champion was Sathwik Karnik of Massachusetts, a 12-year-old seventh-grader at King Philip Regional Middle School in Norfolk, southwest of Boston. He correctly answered the winning question: "Because Earth bulges at the Equator, the point that is farthest from Earth's center is the summit of a peak in Ecuador. Name this peak." Answer: Chimborazo.
About the National Geographic Society
Founded in 1888, the National Geographic Society is one of the world's largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. With a mission to inspire people to care about the planet, the member-supported Society offers a community for members to get closer to explorers, connect with other members and help make a difference. The Society reaches more than 500 million people worldwide each month through its media platforms, products and events. National Geographic has funded more than 11,000 scientific research, conservation and exploration projects and supports an education program promoting geographic literacy. For more information, visit www.nationalgeographic.com.
Note to Editors: Press resources and profiles of the 54 state winners can be found at the Bee press room: http://press.nationalgeographic.com/geo-bee.
Videos of many of the finalists will be posted at http://www.youtube.com/nationalgeographic from mid-May.
The press room site will be updated at noon on Wednesday, May 21, with the names and pictures of the 2014 National Geographic Bee champion and the two runners-up as well as the winning question.


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This is an epic Darryl F. Zanuck production that plays fast and loose with historical facts regarding early 19th century French politics and the building of the Suez Canal. Tyrone Power stars as Ferdinand de Lesseps, an engineer and son of a French nobleman (Harry Stephenson). At the start of the film, he is in love with Eugenie (Loretta Young), but so is the French President Louis Napoleon (Leon Ames). After his father is appointed French consul to Egypt, the younger de Lesseps travels there and conceives the idea of a canal connecting the Mediterranean and Red seas. Back in France, he is promised help by Eugenie, now Napoleon's mistress, in exchange for Count de Lesseps' agreement to dissolve the government temporarily. Napoleon then declares himself emperor, making Eugenie his empress. The elder de Lesseps dies of shock at the political betrayal, while the younger de Lesseps starts building the canal, overcoming attacks by tribal people and severe heat. France cuts off backing, and de Lesseps has to get help from England to finish the project. A sandstorm injures de Lesseps, and his French-Egyptian lover Toni (Annabella) straps him to a post to save him, sacrificing her own life for the canal. Power and Annabella married each other after the film. The descendants of de Lesseps sued 20th Century Fox for libel, but lost.~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
Director: Allan Dwan
Writer: Sam Duncan and Philip Dunne
Cast: Tyrone Power, Loretta Young, Annabella, J. Edward Bromberg and Joseph Schildkraut
Sorry there are no upcoming showtimes for Suez (1938)

subset: commoncrawl


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2005-10-05 / Obituaries
Anne Constantino, local volunteer
Longtime Massapequa resident Anne Costantino spent much of her spare time giving to others through her volunteer work. As a scout leader, hospital volunteer and through her church, Mrs. Costantino helped make her community a better place to live.
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It was a departure met with major media coverage and ample blog and message-board discussion. Typically the parting of ways between a pro basketball team and a player scoring seven points a game wouldn't be dissected at such an intense level. Drew Nicholas, however, is not your typical overseas player.
In the nine years since Nicholas finished his Maryland career, the 6-foot-3 shooting guard has won multiple championships and scoring titles for some of the premier franchises in the Euro League. So when Nicholas and Olimpia Milano decided last month that it would be mutually beneficial to go their separate ways, the former Terp admitted "it was a pretty big story."
But despite the premature end to his season in Italy, Nicholas says there are "no hard feelings." In a nine-year career filled with highlights in the U.S. and abroad, the most recent development in Nicholas' journey is just a minor blip on an otherwise incredible basketball resume.
The two signature memories of Nicholas' college career – his buzzer-beating 3 against UNC-Wilmington in the first round of the 2003 NCAA tournament, and his role on the Terps' 2002 national title team – remain unforgettable moments in Maryland basketball history. And for thousands of hoops fans in Italy, Turkey and Greece, Nicholas is easily one of the top shooting guards of the past decade.
"I'm really happy I'm able to get to this point," Nicholas said. "It was such a big process … going from the second division in Italy to a really small team in the first division to the best team in Italy to a better team in Turkey, and finally getting to the top in Greece. It's been a while."
Nicholas, 30, is back in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., enjoying his time at home and concentrating on "getting my body right." Being back in the states earlier than usual also gives Nicholas a chance to watch as much of the NCAA tournament as he wants, and enjoy almost constant reminders of when he and the Terps were all alone at the top.
Nicholas arrived in College Park during the summer of 1999 after a decorated prep career at Long Island (N.Y.) Lutheran. The wiry freshman got significant minutes off the bench right away, and finished his first year at Maryland averaging 5.1 points and seeing action in all 35 games. Sophomore year was more of the same, with Nicholas scoring 6.6 points per game and appearing in all 36 games.
After Maryland's devastating Final Four loss to Duke in 2001, Nicholas and his teammates came back to College Park the following fall with a championship-or-bust mentality.
"I think everybody on the team really realized that even though we were losing talent like Terence Morris from the team, you kind of saw how good we could be," Nicholas said. "We were still young and full of potential. With everyone getting a year older, a year more experienced and us still having Lonny [Baxter] to rely on, we felt we just had a great chance. Not many times a situation comes up like that."
Nicholas' role expanded with averages of 7.1 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 20.5 minutes. In the Terps' national-championship win over Indiana, Nicholas was as reliable as ever, scoring seven points while making five of his six free throw attempts.
Maryland wouldn't repeat as national champs in 2003, but the Terps' Sweet 16 run featured one of the most memorable game-winning shots of all time. Down 73-72 to UNC-Wilmington in the first round of the NCAA tournament, Nicholas took the inbound pass, raced up the court and launched a fall-away 3 that dropped in for a 75-73 Terps victory.
"First of all, it's a great feeling just knowing that I'll be part of NCAA history, at least for awhile," Nicholas said. "As years go on, different guys hit different big shots. Time passes and guys seem to fade off a little bit. The season was almost a decade ago. It still seems like people still remember my shot. They hear my name and recognize me. A lot of times people like to tell me exactly where they were, stuff like that. It's always pretty cool when I get to relive that and see the replay. It's kind of surreal to me."
After 103 wins and a senior season in which he averaged more than 17 points, Nicholas embarked on his pro career with a spot on the Orlando Magic's summer league team. Despite not playing much, several teams expressed interest in adding Nicholas to their training camp rosters. But Nicholas was realistic about his future.
"I knew the chances of me making a team were probably pretty slim," he said. "I was going to be a roster guy for the first couple of days or weeks, something like that. Pretty much right away, after the summer league, I talked it over with my agent immediately [and] we started [looking into] Europe."
Nicholas was quickly signed by Fabriano, a second-division Italian League team that offered him a decent first contract (around $60,000 or so) and plenty of playing time. Nicholas said he was excited to start his career and happy to live overseas, but that first year – at least off the court – wasn't easy.
"To be honest, I had no clue what I was getting myself in to," Nicholas said. "I remember looking up the city and town online. It was just a really small town between two mountains in Italy. It was a big culture shock, going to play from Cole Field House and Comcast Center to going to play in a town where there's probably 25,000 people."
What the town may have lacked in big-city amenities, it made up for in opportunity. Nicholas led Legadue in scoring at 27.1 points per game, putting the former Terp squarely on the radar of several more high-profile Italian franchises. Livorno, a Serie A team, offered him a better deal, and Nicholas was on the move for the 2004-05 season.
Livorno was far from an upper echelon first-division Italian League team, but it offered Nicholas better competition and much more exposure. The coaching staff put the ball in Nicholas' hands, and he responded by leading Serie A in scoring at 22.1 points per game. Another breakout season led Benetton Treviso to come calling, and once again, Nicholas was on the move.
"It was another step up – the best team in Italy and in the Euro League – the best 24 teams across Europe," he said. "Again, I was kind of on that same path -- people saying the competition in the league was tough, I was too small and couldn't have the success I've had. I just kind of played with a chip on my shoulder and ended up leading the Euro League in scoring. Trust me, I don't know how I did it. But I did. It was just another big step. That year we also won the Italian League. That was a pretty nice accomplishment."
After three seasons, three scoring titles and one Serie A championship, Nicholas had reached the pinnacle of Italian basketball. While Nicholas was undeniably happy with his success, another challenge loomed.
Istanbul is a city of more than 13 million people, making it by far Turkey's largest city and the third-biggest metropolitan area in Europe behind London and Moscow. Coming from a series of charming Italian towns, Nicholas needed some time to get used to his new surroundings.
For two seasons in Turkey, Nicholas was a top performer for Efes Pilsen, averaging 17.3 points during the 2006-07 season and 12.7 points the following year. Nicholas' success with EP, which raised his profile even more across Europe, led to his greatest pro opportunity.
In Panathinaikos, Nicholas was a star for one of Europe's preeminent basketball franchises. His time in Athens couldn't have gone much better.
"Greece was probably the best, probably where I felt the most at home," said Nicholas, whose top contract paid $1.5 million. "I think a lot of that had to do with just the success we had as a team there. We won the Euro League championship, pretty much like winning the Final Four in college basketball. It was just a great, great experience."
Nicholas, who teamed up with former Terp Sarunas Jasikevicius to help Panathinaikos win the 2009 championship, had cemented his status as one of Europe's top players during his time in Greece. He was a three-time Greek All-Star with two Euro League rings. Even Nicholas, a confident yet realistic person by nature, was somewhat surprised by his European success.
"At the time, I was in such a different mindset," Nicholas said. "I remember going out there and every night, just coming with a huge, huge chip on my shoulder. It's kind of like all I've been through in my career. Everybody talked about how I couldn't play at Maryland and I'd never be an ACC starter. Those kinds of things, they just stuck with me. Every time I got a chance to play, I felt like I had something to prove. I played angry. I just dedicated my life to see how talented I could be."
The financial crisis in Greece led to pay cuts for Panathinaikos players, so Nicholas was on the move again after 2011. He landed in Milan with a team -- owned by Giorgio Armani – that "hasn't won anything in the past 15 years." Coming from Panathinaikos, where Nicholas was hoping to win the franchise's first back-to-back titles, was a major difference.
"Just for whatever reason, it just didn't fit," Nicholas said. "Maybe I had just gotten so used to being with my team in Greece. Maybe the transition somewhere didn't work."
Whatever the case may be, Nicholas and Olimpia Milano proved to be a less-than-ideal fit. The shock of Nicholas' departure to Euro League fans has finally seemed to die down, and while a couple Spanish teams would love to land Nicholas for their playoff run, the former Terp is content to focus on resting up and getting back in shape for the 2012-13 season.
Nicholas owns a condo in Fort Lauderdale and still travels back to New York frequently to visit his family. He keeps in touch with Steve Blake and played against Andre Collins in Italy. And while he doesn't spend much of his time thinking about his college career, Nicholas credits his time at Maryland for preparing him for the pros.
No matter how much success Nicholas experiences overseas, this time of year always brings him back to Maryland's post-game scene in Atlanta 10 years ago.
"When I hear 'One Shining Moment,'" Nicholas said, "it takes you back to 2002."


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No, A New SOPA Is Not Likely, But There's Still Plenty Of Damage That Can Be Done
from the not-out-of-the-woods-yet dept
Historically, when the entertainment industry doesn't get its way in Congress, it just moves into international fora to seek the same thing. That's how we got the DMCA, of course. Congress hadn't been interested until copyright lobbyists went to WIPO (the World Intellectual Property Organization) and got it to create a treaty in 1996 that more or less required the DMCA. This is why we're constantly paying attention to various trade agreements and treaties, like TPP and others, which are really (among other things) about creating more ways for the entertainment industry to backdoor in new copyright laws. They'll get these agreements in place, and then point to them and insist that we have to change our laws due to "international obligations," ignoring, of course, that they were the same people who got those international obligations put in there in the first place.


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Selecting your vehicle's make, model, and year allows us to display only parts and items specific to your car's model and year.
Part# PZ00711
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OPGI Price: $29.99
Part Type: (G) Genuine General Motors product SB = Small-block engine
Years: 1978-1988
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2018 Monte Carlo Catalog Page: 132
The big-block valve cover gaskets are made of a solid rubber material with a steel insert to maintain its shape for a leak-free operation. The small-block gaskets are made from cork and will work on any perimeter bolt valve cover.


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It's not everyday you get to read positive stories about legal battles in the Philippines, especially coming from a foreigner. But read my story out and you will understand why I have the need to share my story about Attorney Boy with others.
I am an American who has lived in the Philippines years back. After a long while of living in the States, I came back here in 2015 for several reasons, one of which is to settle a looming legal problem that can turn into one of the biggest crisis of my existence.
I will not go into details about my issue but will, instead, share the journey I had with the best lawyer I was fortunate enough to meet.
When I got back to Iloilo City to settle the problem, I didn't have any luck in getting everyone involved to agree to a settlement. That was when I decided to file a case and seek the best lawyer in town. I searched online and asked around for recommendations.
Unfortunately, the five lawyers I found and met didn't manage to win my trust. Yes, they were professional, got great background and answered my questions well. The problem was that I didn't feel any assurance about my case with them and I wasn't sure of their competence.
And so, my search for a lawyer who I felt was competent enough to win my case continued. Luckily, a colleague of mine recommended a certain Attorney Boy. I immediately visited his law office and I was impressed. His office was professional yet welcoming. The outside area was spacious with lots of books, making it look like a mini library. And, oh, his staff made me feel comfortable right from the start of my visit. And so, I felt very optimistic.
When Attorney Boy and I first met, he had a very professional vibe but one that was warm and friendly. I didn't feel intimidated by him. And when we started talking, he made sure I understood everything. In short, he was laying everything out in the simplest of terms. As he said, "law doesn't have to be complicated, it is just common sense." I felt reassured of his abilities, his competence, and so, I hired him to be my lawyer right then and there.
The way Attorney Boy spoke really connected with me. That's when I learned that he is not just a lawyer but also a professor of law. He teaches in some of the most popular universities in Iloilo, including Central Philippine University and University of Iloilo. In between our talks regarding my case, he never failed to give me a glimpse of his own life. And that made everything a little less stressful and helped establish the friendship we now have.
As I came to know, Attorney Guillermo Melocoton Alcantara, who I first knew as Attorney Boy, is already 35 years in practice. He studied at Ateneo de Manila University College of Law, with the former Chief Justice Renato Corona as one of his teachers, and graduated in 1977. He passed the Bar in 1983 and immediately went into practice along with the current Congressman of Iloilo City, Jerry Trenas, who was one of his more famous his classmates in Ateneo, along with Pantaleon Alvarez.
Talk about connections with famous people, Attorney Boy definitely doesn't lack in this department. After all, he is the grandson of the illustrious Crispino Calopez Melocoton, the Mayor of Arevalo, which was the capital of Iloilo in the 1920s, and Rufina Avancena, first cousin of Ramon Avancena, who was a past Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. As a foreigner, I'm proud of my knowledge of the history of Iloilo. Thanks to Attorney Boy.
With this background of his, it wasn't any wonder why he has so many clients. But of course, he makes time for all of us. Maybe he just has great time management skills that enable him to accommodate us all. But, seriously, whenever I am in need of him, he never failed to set up an immediate appointment.
During the course of my legal battle, between hearings and what not, I frequent Attorney Boy's law office, where we would tackle solutions to my problem and what happens after my case is won. Yes, we already claimed the win right from the start. And that is what really sealed the deal for me. Attorney Boy treats every case he handles as his own. This made a huge impact on me and dispelled any worry I had.
And so, this made it a little easier for me that I even managed to squeeze in my schedule a little tour of the famous Balay na Bato, which is an amazing heritage house in Iloilo. The place was literally outside Attorney Boy's office. It was owned by his late grandmother, after all.
However, the long months spent on my case drained me. I knew these things took time. But as the months turned to a year, I got agitated and would continuously consult Attorney Boy for days. Fortunately, he was very patient with me. And we would sit down, find answers about everything regarding my case, and sometimes he would insert an anecdote about his life in between these serious talks. His stories made me laugh and made me impressed, yet again, and it always managed to lighten the mood.
I just had to share the fact that Attorney Boy went to Arevalo Central School in his elementary years, where he learned to fight. According to him, he was a very impatient and hyperactive boy. One incident during his first grade even landed him to the Principal's office and he got a serious punishment from his very strict father, Rodulfo Greenman Alcantara, who was Iloilo City's Administrator at the time.
Attorney Boy's childhood was not a boring one, to say the least. From being a wild child who loves singing and music to spending a year with the Dominican nuns and later becoming a varsity member of his school's swimming team. He even made it to the national team where they competed abroad and won awards. His achievements are not to be taken lightly.
These stories that he shared with me showed how real he is as a person. And I even got to meet his family during those times I was at his office. His wife, Susan M. Alcantara, is a judge in the municipal trial courts. His family members were just like him, professional yet very approachable.
Now, after a long year and several more months, my case finally came to an end. And of course, justice was on our side. Thanks to Attorney Boy's expertise, we won the battle which we rightly deserved.
This case took a lot from me, as what I had expected: time, energy, finances. But what stood out from my experience was that, all we agreed on from the start was all that Attorney boy took. No more, no less, even if I was such a demanding client. He was indeed a man of his words.
Moreover, I thought the time spent on this case will be pure negativity, instead, I found my self actually enjoying everything I learned from Attorney Boy: his background, about Iloilo City and about the law. That is more than what I bargained for. My case was won, I learned a lot, and I earned a new friend.
Let me just throw in these info about Attorney Boy.
He is currently the president of Ateneo de Manila college of Law Alumni Foundation Inc. Iloilo Chapter.
He is a political lawyer and is the election lawyer of Jerry Trenas, Carina Flores (Oton), and Exequiel Javier (Antique) to name a few.
He also handles civil cases, which deals with the family law, property law and sales, obligations and contracts, criminal cases, anti-graft cases, labor cases, transportation law, and all other commercial laws.
His clients are mostly from Iloilo, Bacolod, Antique and Guimaras. Among these are Alex So of Sincere Drugstore, Crispin Chua of Northbound Terminal, Steven be of Tristar, all of whom are based in Bacolod. His Iloilo clients include ILECO I, Cable Star, Punta Villa Resort, and more.
These are just some of the facts about my lawyer, and friend, Attorney Guillermo Melocoton Alcantara, otherwise known as Attorney Boy.
Hopefully, I have changed the way people generally look at lawyers, which is mostly negative. Because Attorney Boy is certainly not that.
Feel free to comment or contact me if you have questions. I have somehow become an expert of him. Seriously , though, it will be a pleasure to answer your queries and help you out.
Best Lawyer in Iloilo: My Surprisingly Pleasant Legal Battle Journey with Attorney "Boy"
It's not everyday you get to read positive stories about legal battles in the Philippines, especially coming from a foreigner. But read my story out and you will understand why I have the need to share my story about Attorney Boy with others.


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Tu UnganeScott Watson - Alfred Music Publishing
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Experience the best of two worlds! ĀThe title translates as "let's work together" and refers to musicians coming together to play, as well as the musical merging of African and Western styles. ĀThe rhythmic grooves and striking melodies make this a unique and exuberant concert addition.
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Learners will design and conduct experiments to answer the question, "how does distance and inclination affect the amount of heat received from a heat source?" They will measure heat change as a function of distance or viewing angle. From that... (View More) experiment, they will identify how the MESSENGER mission to Mercury takes advantage of these passive cooling methods to keep the spacecraft comfortable in a high-temperature environment. This is lesson 3 from MESSENGER Education Module: Staying Cool. Note: the student guide starts on p. 24 of the PDF. (View Less)
Materials Cost: $1 - $5 per group of students
This is a design challenge about heat transfer and insulation. Learners will apply the scientific method to design and build a container that will keep items cool when placed in boiling water. They will practice collaboration in team-building and in... (View More) teamwork. This is lesson 4 of 4 at the Grade 9-12 range of the module, Staying Cool. (View Less)
Materials Cost: Over $20 per group of students
Learners will construct a simple device to measure how effective different materials are for protecting against sunlight, explain how heat relates to the motion of atoms and molecules, describe how heat can be transmitted from one place to another,... (View More) explain how sunlight arriving on Earth interacts with matter, and describe how MESSENGER is protected by a simple sunshade in the hot Mercurian environment. Materials required to do this activity include several commonly-found items (e.g., coffee cans, ice cubes, tape, ruler, calculators, stopwatch, and scale). This is lesson 3 of 4 at the Grade 9-12 range of "Staying Cool." (View Less)
Materials Cost: $1 - $5 per group of students


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Bring your wild side to work! Wearing an on-trend animal print scrub top is a subtle way to let everyone know you're a little bit fierce, and allheart offers a large selection of functional and comfortable styles.
Large animal prints have become a fashion staple, so for a classy and classic look, opt for large animal prints in traditional colors, like this print scrub top from Baby Phat.
For a contemporary look, choose animal prints in bright colors, like a Cherokee Tooniforms top that blends Hello Kitty with a cheetah print, or a cheetah print mock-wrap top from Koi Happiness scrubs in a beautiful blue.


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How Many More Asteroids Will Threaten Earth?
How many more asteroids are in orbit besides 2012 D414, which passed by Earth on Friday? NASA's Dr. Jim Green joins Digits to discuss. Photo: NASA.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... I ... that huge asteroid about this what should pass the upper hundred and seventy ... miles and miles an hour and a sign that we got me to write slamming into the ... while commit Digits I'm Simon Constable we got the pajama green of a man so joining us now from Greenbelt Maryland to tell us all about this um what we should thank him should we be scared ... I don't agree with thanks for joining us ... my pleasure Simon ... ALM so let's start with the major rides ... on how unusual is it for an object of the size of the meat you're right that that that slams ... and into Russia to to actually do that ... it is unusual is it is a historic event ... people love were hurt ... we're getting those reports is everyone else is in its most un fortunate ... however other ... smaller media rights to enter our Earth's atmosphere almost on a daily basis ... they don't make such a big bang is this one guys ... did it did to to your knowledge has anyone been to ... buy me to write the fall ... to my knowledge this would be the first event will be and in our lifetime ... in a living here on earth people living on earth ... to be our first event for which we of of of of proof that people were hurt ... through this event ... denoted Sunstein sitting on the asteroid that passing abide by a B of A and a very fast they ... this is a law it is this a lot this thing that's come close to the up ... it is of very large asteroid in the sense that it's about the size of half a football field ... it does come close to the euro ... but ... everyone to say it's more than seventeen thousand two hundred miles so away from our cloud tops ... and its closest approach ... the smaller ones but none that actually can come closer to the euro and have in the past ... that said this is that the biggest one I knew nobody been tracking these for about twenty is this ... my understanding is that this is the biggest of the biggest the closest in and in twenty years ... aam will we see this asteroid again ... well it turns out is that the passes by us reverse gravity is the push of a little bed ... and it will change its orbital period ... right now has an orbital period of about three and sixty six days ... I don't change to about three hundred and seventeen days ... now that Saddam a completely different trajectory ... offer which will watch it moderate ... it will come by ... in another ten or twenty years of that will come between us and the minivan ... to know if this is this asteroid what's new with it the ... calm of an idea saying it wants ... what what I'd do a lot of damage would this be I complete my math for everybody ... one comparison between the two that happened today ... this one as I mentioned is about half the size of a football field ... in the one that I came down over Russia is about some ... of the fifteen yard line so it's about fifteen meters instead of of more of the forty five or fifteen years so ... size wise and say it is much different ... but you know we've been observing these now for twenty years there's about nine thousand objects that we've been looking at ... only about a thousand of them are really potentially hazardous and that means really big ... the we need to take care of up and watch their orbit motions ... I understand that as this asteroid passes bias on its way off you can and it was some great thou waitin to do that ... well this is a wonderful opportunity for our planetary scientists to learn a lot about this particular object we do that with radar ... as soon as it passes by ... for the next several days our readers are gonna hang ... this particular object will get a very good idea as to how fast it stands ... will see its entire shape ... overall over a period of hours ... a day every day for the next three or four days ... and will get a better idea as to how the orbit is change by the year's gravity ... okay I will grind stuff or you wish you luck with your research is on this thank you very much ... talk that GM grain from Macedonia from Greenbelt Maryland we appreciate time so ...


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You'll give birth to a dead pig!!
you are a horrible person, and I hate the fiber of your very being!!!! suck my dead pig.......SUCK..MY DEAD PIG!!! you give birth to a dead pig serenity! If you have a joint of weed I'd smoke it...yeah I'd smoke a joint a weed a england! chaweenies suck!
I think your look, the face with the bloody cloth is brilliant. It is something new, unusual and mysterious and gives that big hint that maybe the guy wearing it just recently had a mouthfull of blood and possibly it was not his own, but then you probably knew all of this?
Was it inspired by the TB epidemic from 80 years ago? (Just HAD to ask)
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Humor is one of the sharpest, most accurate and most revealing tools to address social and political issues
This program presents an exploration of the use of humor by Chican@ comedians to address issues of race, identity, history, culture, etc., and how the Chicano Movement influences (and was influenced in return), by the work of comedians in different media - stand-up comedians, radio, films, etc.
This program represents an unique take on the study and understanding of one of the most important 20th Century movements in the United States.
With Lois Gutierrez, Donna Mercado, Sienna Chaligren, Leonides Victoria, Amanda DuPont and Jacob Vasquez
Privacy Statement
© KFAI, 1808 Riverside Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55454 Tel: 612-341-3144


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Winter TV preview: 20 new series worth watching
New year, new month, new TV season. And here are 20 new scripted and reality series that could become appointment television this winter. OK, "Rob!" definitely won't be. Let's just say these 20 new shows caught my eye either because I'm eager to see more of them ("Smash," "The Fades") or I won't watch them ever again ("Rob!" "Fashion Star"). Curt Wagner, RedEye's Show Patrol
Copyright © 2019, RedEye Chicago


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The micro-blogging platform announced Chernin's appointment via a tweet yesterday.
Chernin replaces former Twitter board member Mike McCue, chief executive and co-founder of personalised media app Flipboard.
The appointment comes as Twitter aims to boost ad sales of the platform and to explore media partnerships. Rather than compete with other media, Twitter maintains it works as a companion service.
Chernin joined News Corporation in 1989 and served as president and chief operating officer between 1996 and 2009. He helped launched US TV service Hulu and runs the film and TV production company Chernin Entertainment.
He also holds a board position at US digital music service Pandora.
Earlier this week, Chernin invested more than $10m (£6.3m) in Base79, the UK online video company that says it is YouTube's largest original programming partner in Europe.Follow @shearmans


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I agree with a former commenter in that it was an excellent article AND I am not sure about the added caloric expenditure using hiking poles. I have hiked with two sticks for years. I know I go faster when I used upper body with the poles. But it feels like my feet are doing less of the work. I'll bet if on uses time (instead of distance) and keeps up a vigorous upper and lower body pace, that it will burn off more calories. I also know that I cannot sustain that level throughout a whole 6-7 hour hike. So, for myself, I don't think I'll count on that extra coloric burn calculation and hold off gorging on those 2-3 extra snickers bars I think I would have deserved.
I also think body weight as a backpacker's concern gets far too little focus and I laud your efforts to raise our consciousness in that regard.


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9/11 ContradictionsAn Open Letter to Congress and the PressDavid Ray Griffin
6" x 9" • 346 pagesISBN 9781566567169 (UK ISBN 9781844370733) • paperback • $20.00 •
"David Ray Griffin, writing specifically for members of Congress and the media, has presented the often incredible but true details of 25 major contradictions in the Bush administration's accounts of 9/11. This book, based on careful research but written in a fast-moving, readable style, blows apart the notion that The 9/11 Commission Report presents an accurate account of what happened on September 11. It makes crystal clear the need for a new investigation."-- Bill Christison, former senior CIA official
In 9/11 Contradictions, David Ray Griffin shows that the official story about 9/11 is riddled with internal contradictions. For example, the 9/11 Commission's claim that Vice President Cheney did not enter the Presidential Emergency Operations Center until almost 10 AM was contradicted by Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta, who testified that when he arrived at 9:20, Cheney was already there; the White House's early claim that President Bush left the Florida classroom immediately after being informed by Andy Card about the second attack on the World Trade Center was later contradicted by a video of the session, which showed that the president remained for about 10 minutes; Rudy Giuliani's recent claim that he did not know the Twin Towers were going to collapse contradicts a statement he made to ABC's Peter Jennings on 9/11; Ted Olson's claim that he received two phone calls from his wife, Barbara Olson, who was on Flight 77 has been contradicted by the FBI report on phone calls from the airliners; the claim that several passengers on United Flight 93, such as Tom Burnett, used their cell phones to report its hijacking has been contradicted by that same FBI report; the claim that there is no doubt about Osama bin Ladin's responsibility for the 9/11 attacks has also been contradicted by the FBI, which says it has no hard evidence of his responsibility; the claim that information connecting the attacks to al-Qaeda was found in Mohamed Atta's luggage contradicts the story told by the FBI immediately after the attacks; and the claim that the Pentagon had no way of knowing that an attack was coming has been contradicted by proof that an E-4B was flying over Washington at the time. Two contradictory statements cannot both be true. These contradictions show, therefore, that individuals and agencies articulating the official story of 9/11 have made many false statements. Congress and the press clearly should ask which of the contradictory statements are false and why they were made. This book is purely factual, simply laying out the fact that these internal contradictions exist. As such, the book contains no theory. Politicians and journalists who deal with the issues raised herein, therefore, will not be giving credence to some "conspiracy theory" about 9/11. They will simply be carrying out their duty to ask why the official story about 9/11, arguably the most fateful event of our time, is riddled with so many contradictions.
David Ray Griffin is emeritus professor of philosophy of religion and theology at Claremont School of Theology and Claremont Graduate University. He has published over 30 books, including Physics and the Ultimate Significance of Time, The Reenchantment of Science, Postmodern Politics for a Planet in Crisis, Jewish Theology and Process Thought, Religion and Scientific Naturalism, The New Pearl Harbor, and Whitehead's Radically Different Postmodern Philosophy
Olive Branch Press
Media Reviews
"[I]t succeeds as a searing and close reading of the events of September 11."--Publishers Weekly"No matter how you feel about who is responsible for the 9/11 attack, at least we need a thorough independent, unbiased investigation. In this book, Griffin provides 25 useful questions--contradictions worthy of honest answers."-- Jim Hightower, author of Swim against the Current and editor of The Hightower Lowdown"When the smoke finally cleared from the pile of rubble on September 11, 2001, we were left with a host of burning questions. The 9/11 Commission did not provide the answers, despite their extensive mandate. 9/11 Contradictions is a work that needed to be written. With characteristic clarity and focus, David Ray Griffin masterfully lays out the most critical of these questions. Now the challenge is to finally get real answers."-- Lorie Van Auken, widow of Kenneth Van Auken, killed at WTC 1 on 9/11/01, and member of the Family Steering Committee for the 9/11 Commission"So who cares that the 9/11 Commission chose to believe that Dick Cheney did not enter the White House bunker until 'shortly before 10:00, perhaps at 9:58,' twenty minutes after the strike on the Pentagon? Surely the vice president would not fib, so the Commission threw out the testimony of several eyewitnesses, including Norman Mineta, the transportation secretary. Mineta must have been making it all up when he testified that he joined Cheney in the bunker at about 9:20 and heard Cheney reaffirm an apparent stand-down order just before the Pentagon was struck. Such conflicting testimony is typical of the many serious '9/11 Contradictions' documented in David Ray Griffin's highly readable book. We need a truly independent investigation to put Cheney and Mineta under oath, along with the still unidentified 'young man' who, Mineta reported, kept coming into the bunker and, after telling Cheney 'the plane is ten miles out,' asked him whether 'the orders still stand'--about 12 minutes before 125 people in the Pentagon were killed. What were those orders?"-- Ray McGovern, former CIA analyst and presidential briefer"David Ray Griffin is America's bulldog on 9/11. His demand that the amazing contradictions in the story be explained resonates with millions of people."-- Paul Craig Roberts, former associate editor of the Wall Street Journal and assistant secretary of the US Treasury during the Reagan administration"Because the 9/11 attacks became the excuse for myriad disastrous changes in U.S. foreign and domestic policy, unraveling the true history of those events is the paramount exigency of our times. By virtue of pointing out an astonishing number of irreconcilable contradictions in the official story of 9/11, David Ray Griffin's 9/11 Contradictions is a must read, not only for the Congress and the press, but also for any American concerned about the truth, because those contradictions suggest that we have not yet been told the truth about 9/11."-- David L. Griscom, research physicist, Fellow of the American Physical Society, retired from the Naval Research Laboratory "This book describes in very straightforward and non-technical terms some major inconsistencies in the government's official story about the events on September 11, 2001. It points out many attempts in the 9/11 Commission's report to cover up evidence . . . . As an engineer, I am especially troubled by the cover-up of evidence relevant to the collapse of the three major World Trade Center buildings. I hope that Congress and the public will heed this call for a full and impartial investigation to determine what really did happen on that fateful day."-- Jack Keller, Emeritus Professor of Engineering at Utah State University and member of the National Academy of Engineering"The Congress and the press may not pay attention, but this scholarly yet accessible analysis is must reading for Americans concerned about good government and effective democracy. Every reader will reach the only logical conclusion: 9/11 truth is not yet known."-- Joel S. Hirschhorn, former official at the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment and author of Delusional Democracy: Fixing the Republic without Overthrowing the Government "According to St. Timothy, God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.' In 9/11 Contradictions, David Ray Griffin, demonstrating once again what a fearless spirit and powerful mind can do, shows the official account of 9/11 to be so riddled with contradictions as to be essentially worthless."-- Catherine Austin Fitts, assistant secretary of housing in the George H. W. Bush administration
Reader Reviews"9/11 Contradictions by David Ray Griffin is the fifth of his books to examine the official account of the events of September 11, 2001. This brilliant and highly readable book takes a new yet simple approach to the truth about 9/11. It focuses entirely on contradictory statements made by members of the Bush administration, government departments and agencies, and official bodies such as the 9/11 Commission. All the statements thatGriffin examines are official claims in direct conflict with other official claims. How could this be? Why would the government keep changing "the official story"? The public, of course, is expected to take all the statements as incontrovertibly true, yet they directly conflict with one another. And why, if the government pronouncements are contradictory, haven't members of Congress and the mainstream media launched investigations to determine which are true and which are false, and to ask why are obvious falsehoods about the events of 9/11 being promulgated by the government? I say 'obvious falsehoods' because, as Griffin explains in the Preface, 'If [Transportation Secretary Norman] Mineta said 'P,' that is a fact. If the 9/11 Commission said 'not P,' that is a fact. And it is a fact that 'P' and 'not P' cannot both be true' (p. viii). The subtitle, 'An Open Letter to Congress and the Press,' indicates Griffin's hope that the juxtaposition of the contradictory claims the book provides will stimulate such investigations. But the book is really intended for the public at large, and its clear focus makes it the easiest to read of all Griffin's books on 9/11. Because of its relative simplicity it is a perfect introduction to the subject. Drawing on government publications, media reports, testimony from the 9/11 Commission hearings, oral histories from the Fire Department of New York, and other official sources, Griffin documents masterfully 25 of the most serious contradictions, divided into five parts: 'Part I. Questions about Bush Administration and Pentagon Leaders,' reveals the contradictory claims about the activities of George Bush, Dick Cheney, Richard Myers, Donald Rumsfeld and Ted Olson. In this part Griffin shows that Bush's long stay at the Florida school was initially confirmed and later denied by the White House, that various government spokespersons and the 9/11 Commission could not agree on where Cheney, Myers and Rumsfeld were at key times that morning, and that DOJ Solicitor General Ted Olson's claims to have received phone calls from his wife on Flight 77 were directly contradicted by the DOJ's FBI. 'Part II. Questions about the US Military,' explores the many contradictions within government claims about when the military was alerted to the emergencies on the flights, whether the military could have shot down Flight 93, and whether it had envisioned 9/11-type attacks prior to that day. 'Part III. Questions about Osama bin Laden & the Hijackers,' examines the contradictions in official claims about the religious devotion of the alleged hijackers, where the luggage with the Arabic-language flight manuals, attributed to Mohamed Atta, was found, whether cell phone calls from the flights provided evidence of hijackers, and the existence of hard evidence for Osama bin Laden's responsibility. 'Part IV. Questions about the Pentagon,' spotlights contradictions in the official account of Hani Hanjour's flying skills, what caused the large hole in the interior C Ring wall of the building, and whether a sophisticated US military reconnaissance plane was overhead during the attack. 'Part V. Questions about the World Trade Center,' exposes the contradictions in Rudy Giuliani's account of his foreknowledge of the catastrophic collapse of the Twin Towers, in the official claims about explosions in the towers and WTC 7 before they disintegrated, and in official statements concerning the presence of molten steel in the subbasements after the buildings came down. When examined under Griffin's microscope, it becomes clear that the 'official story' has kept changing over time, just like the stories criminals tell as they are interrogated. As holes in the government's explanations of the incomprehensible events opened up under questioning, to some degree from the press but primarily from the 9/11 truth movement, they were plugged by new claims. And virtually all of the new claims have been accepted by the press and Congress without asking how they could be true in light of the earlier, contradictory claims. You don't need to be a conspiracy theorist to see that when the story keeps changing, doubt is cast on all of its versions. Any police investigator knows this, as should investigative journalists and elected representatives. Of course, if Congress and the press won't do their jobs, it's up to the rest of us. With this authoritative dissection of the conflicting statements of the principal suspects, Griffin has done much of the pre-trial legwork already. The American public should not allow his selfless devotion to truth and justice to be squandered by inaction. This may be one of those things that representatives just cannot do for us." --Tod Fletcher
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New Pearl Harbor, The
Mysterious Collapse of World Trade Center 7, The
Osama bin Laden
9/11 and American Empire (Volume I)
New Pearl Harbor Revisited, The
9/11 Ten Years Later
War on Truth, The
9/11 Commission Report: Omissions and Distortions, The


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This is my first foray into Java code so your patience would be highly appreciated.
There's a Chrome extension called Page Load Time that displays the web page loading time in a toolbar, the source code of which is linked below. I'd like to somehow be able to log the output i.e total time in seconds, to file. My ultimate goal is for the browser to auto refresh every 2 mins and for the download time to be logged.
What would be the best approach in achieving this?


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The choices individuals make often are influenced by their experiences. The luckiest of people are those whose choices are also affected by the experiences of others. Although the fitness industry is nascent, it has its share of seasoned fitness facility owners and managers. What they have learned during their lifetimes could take those new to the industry their own lifetimes to learn. That is, unless the newcomers are made aware of the triumphs, challenges and decisions that some of the fitness industry's veterans have experienced.
Below, four industry veterans tell their tales of survival in a business that often requires innovative thinking, risk taking, perseverance and a large dose of people skills. Cliff Buchholz, owner of two Miramont Lifestyle Fitness clubs in Fort Collins, CO, has learned that the membership model may not be the best way to attract new members. Red Lerille, owner of Red Lerille's Health and Racquet Club, learned from one of the founders of fitness, Joe Gold, that continually improving is a main ingredient for success. Kevin Buck, owner of Newport Athletic Club, has adapted to a more knowledgeable member base with education and constant change. Carol Kennedy-Armbruster, who helped plan the fitness program for Indiana University's Student Recreational Sports Center and is now a lecturer in the Department of Kinesiology, shares her thoughts on student recreation centers, which have grown in size but may require more intimate spaces.
As you read their stories, the goal is that you will learn from the combined 134 years of experience that this group represents. After all, what better way to jump start your business than to learn from those who struggled before you and who continue to thrive in an increasingly competitive industry?
Cliff Buchholz
Owner, Miramont Lifestyle Fitness
The industry has come a long way since Cliff Buchholz opened his first club in 1965. The former tennis pro has come a long way, too, owning several clubs in different cities and now owning two Miramont Lifestyle Fitness facilities in Fort Collins, CO.
During his career, Buchholz has seen members change (moving from just the young and fit to now include seniors, teenagers and deconditioned of all ages), staff change (employees now see fitness as a career path rather than a part-time job) and business operations change (EFT was unheard of in 1965), yet he has been able to adapt to the changes and remain successful.
One of the biggest adaptations he's made is a recent change in how to bring people into the club. For Buchholz, business isn't about selling memberships. Instead, it's about selling wellness. To that end, he talks with local business owners about offering his clubs' four nonmember wellness programs to their employees rather than offering memberships.
"We need to eliminate barriers to getting people in to exercise," Buchholz says. "If membership is one of those barriers, then we need to eliminate that. Teach them how to exercise, how to take care of their backs, how to lose weight. Then, they might become members."
One of the nonmember programs, the six-week, $90 Quick Start program, introduces nonmembers to exercise. The program shows them how to use equipment, introduces them to group fitness classes and requires that they meet with a personal trainer a few times a week. Once participants complete the six weeks, they have used each part of the club and all the equipment, and that often translates to a comfort level that moves them to join the club, Buchholz says.
The other nonmember programs are a weight loss program, a nutrition program and a healthy back program — all offered as a way to provide wellness to the community and instill a comfort level with exercise and the club.
Because Buchholz just started the nonmember programs a year ago, he doesn't have firm numbers on how many program participants have joined the club, but based on his personal observation, he says the join rate is high.
Despite his attention to the customer, Buchholz has learned through the years that the customer no longer comes first; instead, employees come first, he says.
"You take care of your staff, and they'll take care of the members," he says, adding that customers come second.
The members' second place status at Miramont hasn't hurt membership. The two clubs have 12,000 members combined. One club has an 80 percent retention rate while the other club has a 68 percent-70 percent retention rate.
Perhaps the retention rate is so high because for Buchholz the real work starts after the membership has been sold, he says.
"The challenge is to get your members to use the club, especially if you have a full-service club," he says. Retention will be high if a club can get someone in the family to use the club every day and if the members develop relationships with the staff and other members. Buchholz's goal is to see each member in the club every two days and to have 40 percent of members involved in one of the group exercise programs each day.
Members stay despite an automatic annual increase in membership dues. Few balk at the increase, Buchholz says, since a large part of the money goes back into improving the club and bringing in new equipment and programs.
"You have to determine your market and the type of club you are and then price that accordingly," Buchholz says, adding that he doesn't want to be dependent on just pricing. People will pay more if they are getting more, he says.
However, today's market is more competitive than ever as universities, condominiums, and parks and recreation departments offer fitness facilities.
"There's still plenty of room for growth," he says. "It just means that you have to do a better job of providing hospitality, a better job of reaching individuals who never thought they'd be a member of a club, and be better at helping them reach their fitness and wellness goals."
Years in the Industry: 40
Education: Bachelor's from Trinity University, San Antonio, TX; law degree from Washington University, St. Louis, MO
Biggest Surprise: Recently, Buchholz has been surprised by the number of seniors at his clubs and the number of people who participate in the clubs' free Cancer Well Fit program. "I'm surprised at the number of people willing to work out as a group," he says. "We've filled up every class we've offered. I thought it would be more difficult to market."
Advice for Newcomers: Anyone entering the fitness business must be willing to work hard, be caring, be a self starter and enjoy what they are doing. "It's not an industry where you can have a lot of down days," Buchholz says. "People are paying to enjoy themselves and work out. So you better smile at them when they get there, have good programs and make them feel welcome."
Red Lerille
Owner of Red Lerille's Health and Racquet Club
Seventy-year old Red Lerille doesn't spend his days in an office or listening to voicemail. On most days, he stands at the front door greeting members or walking the floor of his health club in Lafayette, LA.
"I've known a few owners who have a back door to their offices so they don't have to walk through their club, but I stand right at the front door waving at everyone as they come in," Lerille says.
Some club owners may feel like they're above certain tasks and responsibilities, but Lerille does whatever needs to be done, whether it's giving tours, selling memberships, cleaning the club or putting Pilates equipment together.
Throughout his years as a club owner, he's also followed one fundamental rule from his friend and mentor, Joe Gold — continually make improvements to your club to stay successful. Gold owned Ajax gym in nearby New Orleans prior to his move to California and founding of Gold's Gym, and he served as an inspiration to Lerille, who won the Mr. America and Mr. Universe competitions and opened his gym in 1963.
"As a kid, I would scrub showers and do anything I could to hang around Gold on the weekends," he says. "I was so excited to see such a gym and hang around the bodybuilders."
Lerille took Gold's advice to heart by gradually transforming his 3,000-square-foot gym into an 185,000-square-foot multipurpose health club spanning 20 acres. Over the years, his club has added two indoor pools, a water slide, an indoor jogging track, a basketball gym, a children's workout area, kids' locker rooms and Pilates equipment. A boxing ring is next on Lerille's list of club additions.
His facility isn't the only thing that has changed over the last four decades; the membership also has shifted from competitive bodybuilders to families. During the summer months, the children from the surrounding neighborhood flock to the club, which has a total of 8,000 memberships.
Lerille worked solo at his gym for several years before hiring staff members. The local university is the health club's largest supplier of help, but Lerille also has some full-time employees who have worked for the club for the last 20 or 30 years.
"It's a record in this industry," he says. "No one keeps employees that long. I treat them well, and we've been through some rough times together, which helps us to bond."
One of those rough times happened 25 years ago, when his community had an oil bust and lost 1,700 members in six weeks. All of his employees showed up on time and ready to work, which helped the club survive the downturn, he says. Every day, he arrives at the club at the crack of dawn to open the doors and work out for an hour and a half. He also encourages his employees to exercise and stay in shape to serve as an example for his members. To drive this point home, he even tried to pay his employees a few dollars to work out, but it didn't motivate them.
"You can't pay people to do this," he says. "Somewhere, you have to have that commitment to stay in shape. It's the toughest thing you'll do in your life."
Although you can't pay staff to work out, Lerille has been surprised that members will pay an additional fee on top of their $50 to $120 monthly club membership for personal training. His philosophy, however, is that instead of making the client dependent upon personal trainers, trainers should teach their clients how to exercise and take care of themselves for the rest of their lives without them.
Lerille plans to keep working at his club and working out for the long haul. As long as he has enough money to pay his bills, pay his help, continue improving his club and buy a few "toys" for himself (like antique airplanes and bicycles), he's satisfied.
"I started with nothing, and I'm leaving the earth with exactly the same thing," he says. "I'm having fun and see myself living for another 30 years and working until the day I die. Why else be here?"
Years in the Industry: 43
Education: Bachelor's degree in general studies from the University of Southwest Louisiana, which is now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Fitness Experience: He won Mr. America while in college, and like many other winners, he started his own health club. Forty-three years later, he still works 10-hour days at his club.
Adapting to Changes: Lerille forgoes voicemail in favor of a yellow pad and pencil. His club, however, does rely on computers, which has made running his club significantly easier, he says.
Advice for Newcomers: Show up on time and ready to work. Learn the two most important words in the English language: hello and goodbye. Keep trying to educate yourself. Make a change every month. Make sure you stay in shape to inspire your members.
Kevin Buck
Owner, Newport Athletic Club
Kevin Buck has worked nearly every job at Newport Athletic Club in Newport, RI. He started part-time at the front desk in 1982 and now owns the 36,000-square-foot multipurpose facility, which has 2,900 members and 75 employees. He's also been floor manager, spin instructor, food and beverage director, fitness director, membership director, assistant manager and general manager among other jobs.
"Being well versed to some level in several areas of the club is very important, especially as a manager," he says. "I'm led by the management motto that I wouldn't ask someone to do something that I wouldn't do myself."
The knowledge he has gained in each position has served him well as members have become more aware of the benefits of fitness and exercise. Ninety percent of the people who come into his club today have worked out someplace else before joining his club. This percentage is much greater than just a decade ago, but it may be unique to his club since it is located in a market with a high number of government contractors and military personnel who are generally transitory and fitness-oriented. However, his club also has a large number of Baby Boomers, and a third of his members are older than 55.
Regardless of their background and fitness experience or knowledge, more members ask health-related questions of the staff, a trend that indicates that people see the employees as more professional today than in the past, Buck says. To adapt to these more knowledgeable members and their questions, Buck ensures that his employees get continual education and keep up their certifications. He also continually changes the club and offers new programs.
"As members become more educated as they travel and see a new program and piece of equipment, you have to keep offering new stuff," he says.
The Newport Athletic Club certainly has changed over the years. It started as a racquetball club but integrated other parts of fitness as they became popular. The club now has an indoor/outdoor pool, spinning, group fitness classes, strength equipment and the many other amenities of a multi-purpose club.
Large clubs that are able to meet the general public's needs will draw in members, Buck says. Still, they will face competition, something that has increased in the years Buck has been in the fitness business.
"It used to be you could open a facility and people would come to you," he says. "Now, people have a choice and have to make a decision on why go to place A or B. It's more than price. Now, it's convenience, cleanliness, amenities. There are so many factors that go into their choice."
When less competition existed, a club could try something different to see if it worked, but now before Buck tries anything, he analyzes the cost, who the program would reach, how it would be marketed and other factors to decide if it is worth the expense and whether it would be successful.
Still, he says competition is good.
"It keeps you on your toes," he says. "You can't get stale or rest on your laurels. You have to keep in touch with members and find out what they think you are doing right or wrong. That's where the importance of talking to members comes from. I can think an idea is great, but if I don't bounce it off members, I might be the only person in the room [when the program is implemented]."
Being alone in a room would be difficult for Buck who has an office but doesn't spend much time there. He prefers to walk the floor and talk with staff and members.
"If I had three things to tell people, it would be talk to members, talk to staff and send out thank you notes," he says. He does all three and is pleased at the response he gets, especially from the thank you notes, which he says is a lost courtesy now with e-mail.
What's not lost on Buck is that club owners will continually face challenges. To solve these issues, they need to break down the problem, pick it apart and develop choices with possible outcomes.
"Then, you pick the best choice and move forward," he says.
Years in the Industry: 24
Education: Bachelor's degree in physical fitness from the University of Rhode Island
Advice for Newcomers: It's important to have a passion for fitness and helping people. They have to understand that they are in the customer service business, and they have to help people and not just come in and take home a paycheck. No matter how you treat people, be fair, honest and upfront. It's important to build relationships with employees and members so you get to know them and they get to know you. If you show a genuine interest in people and go out of the way to help them, you not only have a friend but you have a customer for life.
Carol Kennedy-Armbruster
Lecturer, Dept. of Kinesology at Indiana University
If it's not there and you want it, create it. That's the advice of Carol Kennedy-Armbruster who has served as a fitness education coordinator, program director, group exercise instructor, writer, presenter and currently a lecturer in the Department of Kinesiology at Indiana University (IU).
"Every job I've ever been in didn't exist until I got it," she says from the phone in her office on the IU campus in Bloomington, IN. "You can create your own position based on ideas."
After starting and running IU's Student Recreational Sports Center (SRSC), including making programming and equipment decisions, managing more than 125 people and running the day-to-day operations of a comprehensive fitness program for eight years, Kennedy-Armbruster knows a thing or two about recreation centers and the fitness industry, and she's seen a number of changes through the years. One major change is the development and growth of recreational facilities at colleges and universities. Case in point: the SRSC, which opened in July 1995 to meet the demand for additional and improved recreational sports facilities at IU. In the 1980s and 1990s, many higher education institutions hopped on the recreation center bandwagon, she says.
"It's a recruiting tool, and parents are willing to pay for it because they want their kids to be healthy while at school," Kennedy-Armbruster says. "Rec centers have really taken off and are now part of campus culture."
Even though college rec centers have been growing in size, she sees a push and need for them to be more intimate, social and individualized. If she were to run the Recreational Sports Fitness/Wellness Program at the SRSC over again, she would encourage room design to be more segmented to accommodate for different needs and allow the beginning exerciser to feel more comfortable.
She's also witnessed a change in student's needs and wants. The industry is starting to focus on the aesthetics of the rec center experience as more equipment is being designed that is not only biomechanically correct but also pleasing to the eye. Many students are also turning to activities that are less structured and more time convenient. For example, IU students don't have to sign up for a group exercise class in advance; they can just come in and participate when it's convenient for them.
"The culture of the university is based on time," she says. "You can't make the students do something extra like sign up for an activity. If you can just drop in and go, that's huge."
She urges fitness newcomers to get as much education as possible. After running the SRSC, Kennedy-Armbruster was hired as a full-time faculty member to assist with creating a fitness specialist undergraduate degree, making IU one of the first universities in the country to offer a four-year degree in fitness.
"We need to combine business with the knowledge of fitness," she says. "We need to study fitness a lot more because we really don't know that much about it."
Kennedy-Armbruster practices what she preaches. She is studying fitness management and within the next five years hopes to have a Ph.D. in human performance from IU.
"I'm secure that within higher education fitness is its own entity and deserves its own degree outside of exercise science," she says. "It's the combination of business and science that's exciting. I think you'll see more of that, and I'd like to be one of the first people to do that."
Years in the Industry: 27
Education: Bachelor's degree in leisure studies from the University of Illinois and a master's degree in exercise and sport science from Colorado State University
Fitness Experience: She has worked in both the private and university setting as an educator/supervisor of fitness staff. She has also served on the American Council on Exercise and the American College of Sports Medicine credentialing committees and chaired the IDEA Water Fitness Committee.
Adapting to Changes: Kennedy-Armbruster helped plan the fitness program for the Student Recreational Sports Center, which opened in July 1995 to meet the demand for additional and improved recreational sports facilities at Indiana University. Since then, student expectations have only grown.
Advice for Newcomers: Approach fitness from more of a sense of purpose and health rather than just aesthetics. After the age of 25, what really becomes important is your quality of life.


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Alfex 5581_021
Swiss Ronda 1019 quartzanalogue with date plated stainless steel band and case, anti-reflective sapphire glass WR 30mt Measures: case 31x7mm, bracelet 18cm x 26mm
You save: €401 (76%)
For 65 years, alfex has worked to stand out on the watchmaking landscape through a strong focus on design, respect for the criteria of swiss quality, and mid-range pricing. An in-house design team makes this combination possible, in order to continue to follow today the vision of its founder, ferdinand gindraux. in 1948, gindraux created the company with the goal of creating a brand that would revolutionise the traditional conception of timepieces. Design was immediately chosen as a priority, a choice that would lead the ticino-based brand to win a number of international awards: the Òred dot awardÓ, presented by design zentrum of hamburg, for which alfex is also competing this year, and the Ògood design awardÓ, presented by the chicago anthenaeum museum of architecture and design for the product with the most innovative graphics and design. In 2013, thanks to the work of marcus weber, company ceo and majority shareholder, alfex is celebrating its 65th anniversary and launching a new brand repositioning strategy, focussing strongly on design, the brandÕs heart and soul.SKU: 5581_021


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The Dukes' Jessica Simpson
You just gotta let it roll of your shoulders. If people weren't interested in writing about me, then I'd be nervous. In some ways, you just have to look at it as a compliment and just keep going, and hope that your character proves all the false things wrong.
Don't be duped by the clueless ditz act. Though Jessica Simpson has built a career by behaving like a dumb blonde, she is said to have an I.Q. of 160, which would make her a genius and eligible for membership in Mensa. But between her television shows, singing career, clothing line, and endless endorsement deals, the 25 year-old Texas-native probably doesn't have any time right now to hang out with other eggheads. Together with her hubby, Nick Lachey, Jessica has met with tremendous success with their own reality TV series and hosting specials, most recently, a USO tour during which they entertained American troops stationed around the world. Here, she talks about making her feature film debut in The Dukes of Hazzard, where she's been asked to fill some pretty tight cut-off jeans in bringing the beloved Daisy Duke to the big screen.
BSN: How familiar were you with the TV show before you took this role?
JS: I was young when it came out, but I watched a lot of the re-runs. Me and my cousins played Dukes of Hazzard and I was always Daisy.
BSN: What made you want to do the screen version?
JS: The spirit of the TV show was something that I really loved. I always liked the idea of this great family that has a really cool bond and just fights for each other all the time. So, when I heard they were making the movie, I basically knocked down [producer] Billy Gerber's door. And I begged, begged, begged for the role. This was about two years ago, when I heard it was in production.
BSN: You hadn't made a movie before. Did you land this role easily?
JS: No. It came out in the press that I already had the role, even though I didn't. I still had to audition for it. So, that put a lot of pressure on me.
BSN: How did it go?
JS: I was really shy in my first audition. I didn't even know how to audition. They told me to come back. I had three auditions. The screen test was so much easier for me, being dressed up and in the scene. I just slipped right into it. I thought it would be the best first movie role for me.
BSN: Did you like the process of making a movie compared to your other work?
JS: The best part about it was being in the same place for three months. I can't remember the last time I was in the same place for three months. I took a bath in the same bathtub. I slept in the same bed. In my musical career, you're traveling all the time. When you're on tour, you're in a different place every day.
BSN: How did you come up with the drawl you adopt for this role?
JS: I look at Daisy Duke as just this cute, Southern, sexy thing. And I wanted to kind of give it a couple of extra syllables, more than somebody from Texas.
BSN: Were you at all hesitant about wearing any of the costumes?
JS: Some days on the set, I'd look over at my wardrobe, and say, "You've got to be kidding me!� there were so many days when I didn't want to put those clothes on and go though all the body make-up and the whole thing. But it is what it is.
BSN: Did you draw a line?
JS: I definitely told them that I wouldn't wear anything up my butt, except if it was a bikini. But I didn't want the shorts to be like that at all.
BSN: What was it like to be on location in Louisiana away from the set, after hours, during the shoot?
JS: All we did was have fun. There were lots of karaoke bars. And I learned how to play a little bit of pool. It took me out of the trendiness of Hollywood and L.A., it was so cool to be around all these guys, because I can hold my own and burp with 'em. I'm such a guy's girl, so I really had a blast. And I had my girlfriends out there with me, too. I always surround myself with really great people. I couldn't have asked for a better cast.
BSN: What karaoke songs do you like to sing?
JS: I don't. I sit back and watch. I'm horrible at karaoke. I don't know why. When I was 14 years-old, I got up there to sing a Shania Twain song and totally messed it up. I dropped the mike and walked off stage and I haven't karaokeed since.
BSN: Did you prepare for any of the auto stunts in this picture?
JS: I did go to driving school and I learned how to do reverse 180s and all kinds of fun stuff, since Daisy drives the Jeep.
BSN: Do you and Nick have any plans for another reality series?
JS: No more reality shows. I think people have seen enough of our reality. More than anything, we enjoy doing the ABC specials. We might do a couple more of those, 'cause that's really the only time we've ever worked together. The only other thing we work on is our marriage, and that's what Newlyweds was. That wasn't work for us.
BSN: What was it like being on tour with the USO?
JS: It was unbelievable. They didn't show a lot of what really went on, all the enemy attacks and the shelling. There was so much stuff that went on.
BSN: Why didn't they air any of the footage from when you were in Iraq?
JS: Somehow, the tapes got mysteriously replaced.
BSN: How did being in a war zone change you?
JS: I was ready to come home. It put everything in perspective for me. Those men and women really did teach me the definition of sacrifice. I can't even fathom being out there right now.
BSN: how do you feel about always being the subject of tabloid rumors?
JS: You just gotta let it roll of your shoulders. If people weren't interested in writing about me, then I'd be nervous. In some ways, you just have to look at it as a compliment and just keep going, and hope that your character proves all the false things wrong.
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Determined to paper the Internet with articles about ME, Jody Smith brings some additional focus to Severe Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Day of Understanding and Remembrance on Aug. 8, 2017 ...
Discuss the article on the Forums.
Donating to What About ME? film
Discussion in 'General ME/CFS News' started by WHAT ABOUT ME?, Aug 24, 2010.


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This week, tens of thousands of delegates are meeting in Washington for the biennial International AIDS Conference, striving to advance an agenda for an AIDS-free generation. Achieving such an ambitious goal will require multiple strategies, but virtually all agree that male circumcision -- which provides powerful protection against HIV infection as well as other health benefits for men and women -- must be a core element. Yet although some prevention efforts in Africa have been successful, others have floundered.
One of the lessons learned from these experiences is that when powerful Western donors set out to help people in poorer parts of the world, they sometimes end up creating more problems. However, when done properly, with local communities and their leaders centrally engaged, international health initiatives can save millions of lives.
On July 5, PBS' "NewsHour" included a GlobalPost report on "Why a U.S. Circumcision Push Failed in Swaziland." Long-term follow-up research indicates this one-time procedure reduces HIV risk in heterosexual men by about 70%. As fewer men become infected, fewer women are exposed to the virus. Thus, if a recent program had been more effectively implemented, many thousands of new infections could have been prevented in Swaziland, which suffers from the world's highest HIV rate.


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Gamma Ray
Gamma Ray is a power metal band from Hamburg, northern Germany, founded and fronted by Kai Hansen after his departure from the German power metal Helloween. Hansen is the current lead vocalist, guitarist as well as the chief songwriter of Gamma Ray. The band is known as one of the most prominent bands of the German heavy metal scene. Despite having many lineup changes in their early career, the band's lineup has remained stable since 1997.
Sursă: Wikipedia engleză
Zonga logo


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PHELAN, Calif., March 5 (UPI) -- A California man was arrested after allegedly being caught on camera stealing $550 in Girl Scout cookie sale proceeds.
The girls were selling cookies outside a Phelan, Calif., grocery and were packing up for the afternoon, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's office said. One of the girls momentarily left the day's proceeds in a bag on a table when Colin Sawyer, 20, rode by on a skateboard and allegedly swiped the cash, KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, said Tuesday.
Sawyer was able to escape despite the girls chasing him, but he wasn't able to evade store security cameras that caught several images showing his face.
The footage was released to local media and Sawyer was identified and arrested within hours, the sheriff's department said.


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Christopher Sciortino will lead Certification and Accreditation unit
Raytheon Trusted Computer Solutions, a Raytheon Co. subsidiary, has hired Christopher Sciortino as vice president of professional services.
He will direct the organization as it focuses on architecting and implementing complex high-assurance and cross-domain solutions for government and industry.
Sciortino also will oversee a highly skilled Certification and Accreditation unit to ensure solutions meet mission objectives and conform to or exceed government information assurance requirements.
Sciortino has more than 22 years of experience leading large-scale system implementation teams, with a strong background in strategic planning, process implementation and improvement.
He has held leadership positions at several large solutions companies, including BMC Software, Computer Associates and HandySoft Global Corp.
"Adding Sciortino to our leadership team will further strengthen RTCS' ability to deliver enterprise-level cross-domain implementations in North America and around the world," said Ed Hammersla, RTCS' chief operating officer.
Raytheon Co., of Waltham, Mass., ranks No. 4 on Washington Technology's 2011 Top 100 list of the largest federal government contractors.
About the Author
David Hubler is the former print managing editor for GCN and senior editor for Washington Technology. He is freelance writer living in Annandale, Va.
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It looks like Subaru has teamed up with Guinness World Records to try and set the record for the "largest parade of Subaru cars". The recent announcement comes in the form of a press release from Subaru of America. The event is planned to take place on July 11th at 9 am in Itasca, Illinois. However […]
Posts Tagged 'subaru event'
Subaru teams up with Guinness to set the record straight
Posted by Acejam on June 26th, 2009


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Stephanie Aston competed in six tournaments and 13 rounds as a senior ... finished fourth in the team with an 81.4 stroke average ... took 1,058 strokes over 13 rounds ... ranks ninth on the Northridge career stroke average list with an 81.56 average ... best round was a final round 75 at the Lamkin Grip/Cal Poly Invitational (Nov. 3-4) and had the second-best 36-hole round (155) at the same tournament ... competed at the Big West Championship but was forced to withdraw in round two.
Aston competed in seven tournaments and a total of 16 rounds during her junior season ... finished fifth on the team with an 81.0 stroke average after taking 1,296 strokes over 16 rounds ... posted one top-10 finish and three top-20 finishes ... her best finish of the season was an eighth-place finish at the Elco, Inc. Intercollegiate (Mar. 17-18) where she posted rounds of 80-84 ... low round of the season was a final round 74 at the Aztec Fall Classic (Oct. 15-16) ... finished tied for 15th at the Big West Championship after a three-round +21, 237.
Competed in five tournaments completing a total of nine rounds ... compiled a 79.78 stroke average after taking 718 strokes over nine rounds ... finished a season-best fifth at the Snow Burst Classic (Mar. 8) after carding a single-round 79 ... finished a Northridge-best ninth at the Big West Championship after firing a three-round +15, 231 ... low round of the season was a 73 at the TaylorMade Aztec Invitational (Oct. 16-17).
Competed in five tournaments completing 14 rounds for the Matadors as a true freshman ... took 1,169 strokes for an average of 83.5 per round ... posted one top 10 finish at the Matador Spring Invitational (Apr. 10-11) when she finished fifth playing as an individual ... fired her season-low round of 75 at the Big West Championship (Apr. 24-25) where she placed 24th.
Earned four varsity letters in golf at Saugus High School in Saugus, Calif. ... the Centurians won a league championship in 2004 ... played all four seasons for coach John Molacek ... graduated in 2005.
Born January 25, 1987 in Van Nuys, Calif. ... parents are Helen and James Aston ... has one older brother, Christopher who also attended Cal State Northridge ... hobbies include reading, sleeping and watching movies ... favorites include the Los Angeles Dodgers, LPGA golfer Annika Sorenstam, the TV show "Laguna Beach" and the movie "Pirates of the Caribbean" ... says her greatest moment in sports was making an eagle at Robinson Ranch G.C. ... major is General Business.


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Transferring / Re: LSAT scores in regard to transferring« on: October 20, 2005, 11:29:12 AM »
QuoteI'd be suprised if most T2s dip below 160.
Some of them do if you have a stellar undergrad GPA. Not to mention affirmative action admissions.
I got in a T1 school with LSAT score 157..that is not counting my 3 times retaks and lowest score of 148. I don't have a stellar GPA from a top 15 private school and master....
I really want to transfer to a top 20 law school....but I really really afraid that my horrible LSAT will come back and haunt me.


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Muji skincare launching in the UK... still waiting in the US!
Muji, the makers of my favourite travel radio alarm clock, the purveyors of the minimalist, hyper-organised aesthetic to which I am a slave (as the perpetual wish list I am now keeping on Posterous has made painfully clear), are bringing their simple, lovely skincare to the UK. Japan has been privy to Muji's skincare secrets for, well, as long as they've existed.
So what do we have to look forward to? A capsule collection of the popular Muji skincare products and ranges, which is based on the water of Japan's Iwate region, apparently renowned for it's softness and tiny particle size (all the better for absorption). The sensitive skin range, high moisture range and three cleansers (an oil, a milk and a gel) will kick off Muji's entry into the UK beauty market.
The two ranges are free from alcohol, parabens, artificial colouring, mineral oils, synthetic perfume (and perfume full stop in the sensitive skin range).
The sensitive skin range includes star ingredients grapefruit seed extract, which is naturally moisturising, and Portulaca Oleracea (Common Purslane) extract, which protects the skin. Not sure what their concentration is, but worth noting. Same with the peach extract, Hyaluronic Acid and Lipidure ® (Polyquaternium -51) in the high moisture range.
When can you buy the goods? At the end of March, both in store and at www.muji.co.uk. With prices ranging from £7.95 to £16.95, I foresee them being an instant hit.


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PolitiFact Trashes Lamar Smith: Says His Claims About Economic Impact Of Piracy Are Flat Out False
from the fact-checking dept
It turns out (as we've pointed out) there's nothing true about that statement. PolitiFact tracks down the key points on which Smith bases this claim, noting that it's a Chamber of Commerce report that says, "the U.S. consumption-based share of counterfeit and pirated goods is between $66 billion and $100 billion." Smith, obviously, just takes that higher number (already a questionable move), and insists that's the "harm." But, as PolitiFact points out, that's not what the report actually says.
In fact, the report flat out states that it "has not attempted to estimate business losses associated with counterfeiting and piracy." So to pretend that's what the report says is, well, lying.
PolitiFact checks in with a number of experts -- including someone from the Chamber of Commerce who produced the report -- who admits that it's simply not true to say that $100 billion is the cost to the economy. Add everything up, and PolitiFact says that Smith is being anything but truthful in his claims:
Smith's statement draws on a high-end estimate also based on flawed assumptions for the U.S. "consumption-based share of counterfeit and pirated goods" in 2008. The cited $100 billion figure doesn't reflect the costs to the economy, contrary to Smith's claim; the 2011 study did not assess such costs, which are understandably slippery.Unfortunately, there still doesn't appear to be any punishment for trying to pass a really bad bill by using misleading stats, other than public ridicule.
Maybe there is no solid estimate of the cost to the economy. Smith's CNN.com statement rates False.