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What's Changing
Ravens coach John Harbaugh made his biggest move during last season. Offensive coordinator Jim Caldwell will be back for his first full season calling plays after taking over the offense in Week 15. Linebacker Ray Lewis' retirement is just one big change to a roster in major transition for 2013.
Biggest Free Agents
» Joe Flacco, quarterback: Flacco agreed to a monster contract that will pay him in the neighborhood of $120 million over six years. Flacco will sign the deal on Monday. He bet on himself last August, and now it's the Super Bowl MVP's time to cash in.
» Dannell Ellerbe, linebacker: Lewis' retirement makes Ellerbe that much more valuable. He can do a little bit of everything, and do it well. He's probably the team's top priority after Flacco.
» Ed Reed, safety: This is where things get tricky. Reed is valuable, but clearly in decline. It would not be a shock if he got more money elsewhere. (Indianapolis Colts? New England Patriots? Miami Dolphins?)
» Bryant McKinnie, tackle: He might have been one of the five most valuable players on the team during the playoffs. But do the Ravens trust him to keep the weight off?
» Paul Kruger, linebacker: The Ravens probably can't afford to keep their best pass rusher from 2011.
Other key free agents: Cornerback Cary Williams, defensive tackle Ma'ake Kemoeatu, defensive tackle Ryan McBean.
|Take a look at the best photos from the 2012 Baltimore Ravens season.
What they need
More than anything, the Ravens need salary-cap space. They will have a hard time retaining their free agents, much less adding new ones, so don't expect anything but bargain shopping before the NFL draft. The most pressing concerns come on defense. Both the safety and cornerback positions are thin and could lose starters. The Ravens lack pass rushers (although a healthy Terrell Suggs will make a huge difference), and Haloti Ngata needs help on the defensive line. The depth at wide receiver also could be improved.
Offseason crystal ball
General manager Ozzie Newsome made it clear the Ravens will not try to keep the band together at the expense of future financial pain, so it's safe to expect a lot of the names above to fly the coop. A new Flacco contract should happen, but he might miss some offseason work before that happens. Look for Kruger and Williams to find deals elsewhere. Wide receiver Anquan Boldin should stay, possibly on a reduced contract. A new long-term deal for tackle Michael Oher or restricted free-agent tight end Dennis Pitta makes sense.
Newsome's comments indicate he won't be sentimental. That's why I think Reed will be wearing another uniform in 2013.Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.


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The best-known breastaurant of them all, Hooters of America, is turning 30 this year. High time for a makeover, the company said.
Hooters is remodeling one of its stores in Houston with hopes that the design will serve as a prototype for future locations.
The Atlanta-based company is notorious for using bosomy young women in tank tops and skin-tight orange shorts as servers and for inspiring similar hormone-charged restaurants such as Tilted Kilt, Twin Peaks and the Heart Attack Grill. There are 435 Hooters in 44 states and 28 foreign countries.
The new look involves "sleek and contemporary finishes" a high ceiling, painted ductwork, bright cypress wood walls and light-colored brick, the company said. There will also be new booth seating and high-back chairs "with an enhanced seat size and added padding."
The hope, according to Hooters Chief Marketing Officer Dave Henniger, is that customers view the revamped store as "the ideal environment to kick back and relax after work, get together to watch their favorite sports team and enjoy a delicious meal with their family."
After all, there's nothing like barely concealed cleavage to perk up dinner with the kids.
3,120-calorie entree: Extreme or 'life's simpler pleasures'?
Dunkin' Donuts to return to Southern California with 150 stores
Whole Foods CEO says he regrets comparing 'Obamacare' to fascism

subset: commoncrawl


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|+ view similar properties
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Pero is a spacious and comfortable studio apartment situated on the second floor of the Fattoria. Large living area with double bed, table and chairs, settee and screened and well-equipped kitchen area with oven and hob. Bathroom with shower.
Generous communal garden grounds with good walking opportunities from the doorstep and plenty of outdoor furniture provided. There are two swimming pools on the estate, each 11m x 5m and 1.5m deep. Umbrellas and sun loungers are provided.
Pool open from 13 June to 19 September.
Enjoying the seemingly endless panorama of the Sibilline Mountains, Le Piane is to be found in the heart of the Monti Sibillini national park, at the end of a country road on the edge of 400 acres of centuries old woodland. This natural parkland is rich in fauna and flora, fabulous walks, stunning scenery and rippling mountain streams.
The holiday accommodations on the Le Piane estate are comfortably furnished and ideally placed for exploring the wonders of this unspoiled region. They are located in extensive grounds with stupendous views of the mountains. The houses here have been converted with careful attention to detail, retaining the authenticity and character of the original structure with beams and stonework exposed.
Every effort is made to enable visitors to make the most of their stay. The garden grounds offer plenty of space so everyone can find a quiet corner and with two swimming pools and plenty of garden furniture provided, guests can enjoy a relaxed holiday in a wonderfully pastoral setting.
July and August in Le Marche are generally very hot, perfect for lying by the pool or visiting the coast and the beautiful sandy beaches which are only 40km 25 miles away. May, June and September are generally ideal months for the more intrepid explorer who wants the ideal base from which to set off sightseeing from whilst still being able to take advantage of the warn sun, swimming pools and beaches. From the end of December to March skiing in the mountains is possible and Le Piane provides and ideal base with houses which are cosy and warm in the winter.
The Sibilline Mountains National Park is in one of the most beautiful and mysterious parts of the Apennines and visitors can explore them on foot, on the mountain bikes available for hire, or by car. Small huts have been equipped for picnics and barbecues and aerial hides have been made for serious bird watching.
The Adriatic coast, with its many excellent sandy beaches, can be reached within about 40 minutes whilst, remaining inland, various little towns and picturesque villages make for interesting daily sight-seeing excursions. The two local villages of Amandola and Sarnano are lively and interesting with shops, pharmacies, post office, banks, garages, restaurants and bars, and both with good weekly markets. For those who enjoy shopping, there are many factory outlets for the big names in Italian design, for example Armani in Matelica, Nazareno Gabrielli in Tolentino, Tod's in S. Elpidio a Mare and Prada Monte Granaro.
All apartments are accessed by private roads, and have covered parking, outdoor seating and individual central heating.
Enquire About This Property
You can check availabilty and book this property by selecting the 'Prices / Availability' tab above, alternatively, call a member of our team on 01945 430 055 if you would prefer to book this property by phone.


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Elegant wood accents balance the look of this Silver Lining Metallic color table lamp with a plain white tapered drum shade.More Details >
With exquisite styling, the Wexler Color + Plus™ table lamp is sure to beautify your home decor. Hand-crafted by experienced artisans in California, the base features a high-quality Silver Lining Metallic color tone with small metal flakes that sparkle luxuriously - like a new car in the sunlight! A graceful wood lamp neck is handsomely complemented by a coordinating finial over the lamp's plain white tapered drum shade.


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Syrian opposition urges US to supply promised weapons quickly
UNITED NATIONS – The leader of Syria's Western-backed opposition group told U.S. Secretary John Kerry on Thursday that the United States must quickly supply rebels with promised weapons to prevent a military victory by President Bashar Assad's regime.
Ahmad Al-Jarba, in a statement sent out while he was still meeting with Kerry at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, called the situation in Syria "desperate" and said the opposition urgently needs American action "to push the international community to demand a political transition."
The newly elected head of the Syrian National Coalition accused the Assad regime of using indiscriminate weapons ranging from chemical weapons to cluster bombs and said opposition fighters must have weapons to defend themselves and protect civilians.
The Obama administration decided in June to begin arming Syrian rebels groups after the United States said it had conclusive evidence that Assad's regime used chemical weapons against opposition forces. But the U.S. has yet to send any weapons amid concerns they could end up in the hands of al-Qaida-backed groups and other extremists.
Syria's rebels, however, have recently received shipments of more powerful weapons from Gulf allies, particularly anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles.
Kerry met with Al-Jarba in an effort to promote international efforts to convene a conference in Geneva to try to move forward with a transitional government based on a plan adopted in that city a year ago.
Kerry stressed earlier Thursday that "there is no military solution" to the 2 1/2-year-old civil war.
"There is only a political solution, and that will require leadership in order to bring people to the table," he said.
He stood beside U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who minutes earlier announced that the Syrian conflict has killed more than 100,000 people since 2011, up from the previous estimate of 93,000.
Kerry told reporters as he left the meeting with Al-Jarba that it was "very, very constructive."
He said the opposition agreed to work over the next few weeks to pinpoint the conditions under which a new Geneva conference can work.
They believe Geneva "is very important, and we are going to work it out," Kerry said.
Al-Jarba said he told Kerry "that the coalition fully understands American concerns about extremism and the possible diversion of military assistance."
"We absolutely condemn all terrorism and all attempts to turn Syria into what it is not, a monotheistic or totalitarian state," he said. "But we need American direct support to save democracy in Syria and to lead the world to force Assad at last to stand down."
The coalition delegation is expected to meet informally Friday with the U.N. Security Council.
While at the United Nations, Kerry tackled another of the world's intractable conflicts, urging support for an agreement to stop nearly two decades of fighting in eastern Congo.
America's chief diplomat presided over a Security Council meeting on Congo, trying to shine a spotlight on a corner of the world where horrors occur daily but are usually overshadowed by the turbulence in the Middle East.
The council met to assess progress in implementing a Feb. 24 peace accord signed by 11 African nations to end eastern Congo's conflict. Amid renewed fighting between Congolese government forces and the M23 rebels, Kerry said progress on the peace deal has been "extremely fragile."
He expressed concern about reports that key rebel groups are receiving "external support."
He did not single out any country, but State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said earlier this week that the U.S. believes there is credible evidence that Rwanda has been supporting the M23 rebel group.
The U.N. has accused both Rwanda and Uganda of aiding the M23, which captured the eastern Congo city of Goma in November 2012 before pulling out under international pressure.
Rwanda, which has a two-year seat on the Security Council, and Uganda both deny aiding the M23. Both are signatories of the February peace deal.
Mary Robinson, the U.N. special envoy for Africa's Great Lakes region, said "not a day goes by without a report of killings, rape, sexual assault and displacement of people" in eastern Congo, a nation of 70 million people that is the size of Western Europe.
"What strikes me is the lack of outrage and horror at this daily toll," she said.
The Security Council adopted a presidential statement condemning renewed rebel attacks in Congo and demanding that all armed groups immediately disband and disarm.
The council made no mention of outside support for the rebels. Diplomats said Rwanda objected to some proposed language in a draft presidential statement related to the M23 and it was softened.
The council statement also expressed concern over increased activity in eastern Congo by the FDLR, a Hutu armed group linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide, and reported attacks by the FDLR on Rwandan territory.
Congo's Foreign Minister Raymond Tshibanda strongly denied that his country was supporting the FDLR.
Despite the renewed fighting, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said prospects for durable peace in eastern Congo "remain better than they have for many years."
He cited the reinforcement of the U.N. peacekeeping force with an intervention brigade that has an unprecedented mandate to attack and disarm rebel groups, alone or with Congolese army troops.


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Not just because she is a creature. One of my best hives out of 60 overwintered here in Washington State.
I'm doing some grafting, but the hives are still slow to build for splitting into the mating nucs. Just enough of a flow they are not interested in syrup, but not enough for them to put on a lot of growth. Problem is, I want to break up my weaker or slower hives for the nucs and leave my booming hives alone.
Until they start backfilling that is, then momma gets a new spot to live
I didn't graft last year until May 19-so I am still early. I have some virgins in mating nucs already though, just not many. I am ready for the season to really get going!
Here is my new mating nuc design for 2013. These standard nucs are divided to hold five half sized deep frames on each side. Each side has it's own inner cover so you can get into just one side easily. No bending! No ants or pests.
Green duct tape has notes about each virgin installed:
Red tape means queenless-no nuc is ever overlooked:
Finisher hive with started cells..also green tape with notes..so I can tell at a glance and don't forget. Some of the hives still have their rachett strap on. This time of year they work great for making sure you have a positive closure on your hive top feeder to avoid a crack where they can get in and drown.
New incubator is working great.
Roller cages on their side have newly hatched and marked queens:
Heres a pic of that queen in the video. Interesting color.
And below is a sister to the queen above..out of the same original swarm queen.
I have no problem with marking my virgins before mating flights-have a great return %.
I did mark two newly hatched virgins with disks..just to see it affects return. If they come back OK, I'll try a few more and let you know.
I hope everyone is having success this spring! Tell us how you are doing.


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Semiconductor Parametric Test: Back to Basics Part 2
1 Hour | Webcast - recorded | Where & When
In this "Back to Basics Part 2" seminar you will learn about: High speed measurement basics; fast pulsed IV measurements and practical capacitance measurement considerations in real life environments. You will also receive information on how to obtain your very own free copy of Agilent Technologies DC Parametric measurement handbook.
Who should view this web seminar?
This web seminar is of interest to a wide audience of engineers, scientists, educators and undergraduate students working in different fields, such as semiconductor characterization and modeling, device reliability, component test, failure analysis, and nanotechnology.
Related product information
The presenter: Dr. Stewart Wilson
Dr. Wilson holds both BSc and PhD degrees in Electronics and Electrical Engineering from the University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland (UK).
Dr Wilson has worked in semiconductor and semiconductor related activities since 1979. He has worked for semiconductor device manufacturers Motorola and National Semiconductor. In addition he has worked for semiconductor equipment suppliers Eaton Corporation and Hewlett Packard/Agilent Technologies in both Europe and the United States.
Dr. Wilson is currently the European Business Manager for Agilent Technologies range Parametric Test Equipment.
Where & When
|For more information
|At your desk
|Enroll/View the recording of the live broadcast
Prices shown are list prices and are subject to change without notice.


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Video conferencing that keeps you connected and compliant
Expedite hospital staff and specialist collaboration for patient care with real-time video communications.
Utilize resources and hardware you already have and expand your capabilities and telehealth offerings.
Foster collaboration and face-to-face meetings, trainings, and recruiting with participants in any location.
Consistent high-quality video, even in low-bandwidth environments.
Achieve HIPAA (signed BAA) and PIPEDA/PHIPA compliance with complete end-to-end 256-bit AES encryption.
Save your meetings for consultation and review (local desktop recording with HIPAA BAA for clinical application, or in the cloud for non-clinical applications).
Collaborate with other doctors and specialists by annotating directly on the shared screen so that notations are visible to all attendees.
Launch a video visit directly from the Epic applications' telehealth workflows.
Examine and treat patients virtually with far-end camera control, EHR and medical device integrations, and intraoperatively in telehealth carts.
Connect physicians, patients, and specialists for regular or urgent care appointments. Easily screen share imaging and test results with all participants.
Watch this video on how Phoenix Children's hospital delivers real-time patient care with Zoom.
Reduce employee travel with cost-effective continuing education and ongoing training for healthcare professionals.
Provide progressive health education and preventative care for high-risk patient populations.
Read this white paper that discusses the trends of video communications in healthcare.
Expand behavioral and mental health programs by providing virtual behavioral and mental health in 1-1 or group sessions that patients may join from their homes.
Read this case study to learn how Florida Hospital uses Zoom in their carts and mobile clinics.
Utilize video communications to facilitate widespread, immediate coordination and real-time assessment for disaster response.
"Other applications don't allow for multiple members to join in a HIPAA-compliant setting, but Zoom does. Doctor, patient, and family members can be in the conversation." Read More
"Why did we choose Zoom? HIPAA compliance - that was number one. And the patients just get it." Read More
"Zoom increases the value of the CARE Network kiosk because care managers can effectively collect more caregiving and status information." Read More


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Dynamic, resource-based workload balancing
Delivers enterprise-class dynamic workload balancing for multiple users and applications.
Dynamic, resource-based workload balancing
Delivers enterprise-class dynamic workload balancing for multiple users and applications.
Shared environment with high availability
Includes high-availability capabilities for all critical services. Failover to another node within the grid eliminates the need for a hot standby.
Grid-enabled SAS
Processes analytics jobs faster, and provides more efficient computing resource utilization. Integrates with all SAS analytics applications by storing grid-enabled code as SAS Stored Processes.
Automated management and monitoring
Provides a web-based tool for monitoring and managing resources, users and jobs. Serves as an interface for configuring and managing high-availability services, and defining alerts when thresholds are exceeded.
Scalability for running complex analytics faster
Lets you manage a wide variety of SAS and open source jobs across grid environments for optimal resource utilization and faster processing. Divide individual SAS jobs into subtasks that are executed in parallel to accelerate processing and increase workload throughput.
SAS Grid Manager gives IT the flexibility to meet service level commitments by easily reassigning computing resources to meet peak workloads or changing business demands. A central point of control lets you easily administer policies, programs, queues and job prioritization across users and applications to achieve business goals under a given set of constraints.
Having multiple servers in a grid computing environment enables jobs to run on the best available resource. If a server fails, its jobs can be transitioned seamlessly to another server. IT staff can also perform maintenance on specific servers, as well as introduce additional computing resources, without interrupting analytics jobs or disrupting the business. And because analysts in today's increasingly diverse analytics ecosystems are using a variety of programming languages, SAS Grid Manager lets you manage all your jobs, in SAS and other languages, ensuring all your analytics run quickly.
Multiprocessing capabilities let you divide individual jobs into subtasks that run in parallel, reducing processing time. This is particularly effective for analytics programs with large data sets and long run times, as well as those with repetitive runs of independent tasks running against large data sets. You can take advantage of all available computing resources now and cost-effectively scale out as needed, adding capacity in single processing units with commodity hardware. There's no need to size today's environment for anticipated future needs.
Learn about Amgen's SAS Analytical Platform project, including business justification, requirements, design, validation and production migration. Discover how Amgen overcame challenges using SAS Grid Manager, SAS Enterprise Guide, SAS/STAT, and the combined efforts of a global project team.
Join Austria's Erste Group Bank on their journey from a monolithic SAS processing environment to a more flexible infrastructure using SAS Grid Manager software.
By implementing a SAS Grid Computing environment, you can better balance and manage workloads, use resources to their full extent, and increase productivity and overall performance. This e-book tells you how.
Learn how SAS Grid Manager with Red Hat Enterprise Linux configurations demonstrate robust performance and a scalable environment using commodity hardware and a wide variety of shared file systems.
Read this Forrester Total Economic Impact (TEI) report to learn more about the potential ROI, benefits, savings and flexibility you can gain when you invest in SAS Grid Manager.
Check out these grid-enabled SAS products, built on the powerful SAS® Platform.
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It's been a roller coaster ride of a week for Marvel movie fans. First, Iron Man 3 launched with the second largest opening in U.S. box office history - despite a mixed response from some die-hard comic book fans. Then, we got word that the contract negotiations between star Robert Downey Jr. and Marvel Studios were expected to be "challenging" - since the Disney-owned production company is known for low-balling its cast members (while at the same time raking in record-breaking revenue).
Even before the reports of the arduous contract renegotiation process, studio head Kevin Feige once again prepared fans for the possibility that Marvel will (eventually) part ways with Robert Downey Jr. - claiming that the filmmakers could simply re-cast the character (a la James Bond).
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Feige said:
"I believe there will be a fourth 'Iron Man' and a fifth, sixth and a 10th and a 20th. I see no reason why Tony Stark can't be as evergreen as James Bond, Batman, or for that matter, Spider-Man."
We've already broken down the issues facing the Marvel Studios/Robert Downey Jr. negotiations (as well as identified the likely outcomes) - so, until we hear something official, anything is still possible. Still, as evidenced by Feige's James Bond comment (along with the hope of "Iron Man 20"), Marvel fully intends to make Iron Man (as well as Thor, Captain America, etc) films for as long as they can. As a result, fans need to be ready (in the long run) to see fan-favorite actors swapped out of these iconic roles. Not only is their already a precedent for it in the Shared Universe (since Edward Norton's Incredible Hulk is a Phase One film), Feige has already, on multiple occasions, asserted that they won't hesitate to recast Tony Stark or any other character. While that might not be what fans want to hear, even if Robert Downey Jr. returns for The Avengers 2 (and 3) as well as Iron Man 4 (and 20), eventually the studio will hand the Iron Man armor (and possibly the Tony Stark character) over to someone else.
It may be awhile before we have a clear idea of how involved Downey will be in future Marvel installments but Feige also took the time to clear-up other rumors that have been causing a stir in the Screen Rant comments.
First up, in an interview with Collider, Feige outright stated that the studio has no current plans for either a standalone War Machine (aka Iron Patriot) or Falcon (seen soon in Captain America 2: The Winter Soldier). Speculation had surfaced that Marvel could be interested in tapping either character for a solo adventure - mainly because both Don Cheadle (War Machine) and Anthony Mackie (Falcon) were out promoting their latest films, Iron Man 3 as well as Pain and Gain, respectively. This doesn't mean that either character couldn't eventually get the green light for a solo film - nor does it rule out the possibility that Falcon and/or War Machine might make an appearance in The Avengers 2 or enjoy further sidekick duties in other Marvel films.
For the time being, we can put rumors of these solo films to rest - unless of course Feige is outright lying. Anyone who follows the constant back and forth of comic book news, leaks, denials, and confirmations, knows that studio heads will sometimes downplay in-development projects as nothing but unsubstantiated rumors to help keep the focus on the current batch of films that are ready for promotion (i.e. Phase Two not Three). That said, given the roster of forthcoming releases and confirmed in-development projects (like Doctor Strange), War Machine and Falcon are probably not at the forefront of Marvel's plans.
So what other film projects are Marvel Studios actually developing? In addition to Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy, The Avengers 2, Ant-Man, and Doctor Strange, we also know that Iron Fist, Black Panther, and The Runaways have at least been discussed. Now we're getting word that the studio has also toyed with a Ms. Marvel script as well as a rebooting Blade (after the rights reverted back from New Line Cinema).
Blade should be pretty familiar to comic book movie fans already after Wesley Snipes introduced the character to mainstream filmgoers in 1998 (continuing with two more films through 2004). Though, it's unclear exactly how Marvel would approach rebooting the character - specifically how they could differentiate the new installment from the prior trilogy as well as whether the character has any place in the larger shared universe. Maybe they'll use Blade to launch a MI-13 team-up? Probably not.
Ms. Marvel, while probably less familiar to casual movie fans, is a more obvious fit for tie-in with The Avengers - given that she's been a member of the team before. Rumors within the last year even suggested that the character would appear in The Avengers 2 - possibly played by Emily Blunt (Looper) or Ruth Wilson (Luther). Given that Disney interested in upping the number of female heroes in their Avengers roster, there's no reason to think they wouldn't also want to add a few female-centric solo films too.
Nevertheless, the THR report that revealed the studio has scripts for Ms. Marvel and a Blade reboot also suggests that they were the result of an internal writing program that serves as a "concept generator" - meaning that the scripts might only be thinly drawn blueprints at this point - not projects that are actively being prepared for the inevitable Marvel Phase Three.
Iron Man 3 is now playing in theaters, Thor: The Dark World on November 8, 2013, Captain America: The Winter Soldier on April 4, 2014, Guardians of the Galaxy on August 1, 2014, The Avengers 2 on May 1, 2015, Ant-Man on November 6, 2015, and Doctor Strange sometime after that.
Follow me on Twitter @benkendrick for more on Marvel Studios as well as future movie, TV, and gaming news.
Source: Entertainment Weekly [via The Playlist], Collider, and THR


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Teacher resources and professional development across the curriculum
Teacher professional development and classroom resources across the curriculum
As encounter changed to settlement, relations between Native Americans and European colonial powers became more complex. This unit charts the changing interactions between competing European powers and Native Americans, and the increasing reliance on the race-based enslavement of Africans.
Between the 1580s and the 1680s, numerous European powers competed to establish colonies in North America and define colonial relationships to Native American tribes. More
Between 1660 and 1720, the English colonies in North America implemented the system of race- based slavery, altering the status of blacks living in the colonies and prompting the increased importation of enslaved Africans. More
The later colonial period, from the 1680s through the 1760s, saw the increasing economic power of England's colonies. More
© Annenberg Foundation 2017. All rights reserved. Legal Policy


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Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and part of the Adidas Group, which consists of Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-adidas golf company, and Rockport.
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On December 15, Barnard College, along with schools across the country, released the results of its Early Decision application process.
We sent acceptance letters to 240 presumably happy young women and their families, generating a wonderful bubble of excitement in return. "Our entire family is ecstatic to learn that Isabel has been accepted to Barnard," wrote one delighted grandmother to our admissions staff. "We are all calling each other, laughing and exclaiming with joy." "We have all worked so hard to get here, so now we can breathe!" scribbled a young woman on our newly assembled Facebook page. "CONGRATS everyone! Barnard College Class of 2015, here we come!"
That same day, though, we also, inevitably, made lots of young women sad—the 311 young women to whom we denied or deferred admission. It was a year of record high applications for us, and Dean Jennifer Fondiller and her extraordinary staff in the Admissions Office were forced to turn away hundreds of wonderfully talented and enthusiastic prospective students—the acclaimed oboist who also started an animal shelter in her local community; the budding actress who rock climbs and is fluent in three languages. These are achingly hard decisions, particularly in the context of Early Decision, when Dean Fondiller and her colleagues know that the students are not merely adding Barnard to a list of schools that they might wish to attend; they are applying because they have decided—with their hearts and their minds, their parents and friends and guidance counselors—that this is where they want to be. Where they are meant to be. Or as one applicant put it: "Ever since I was 12 years old, whenever someone asked me what college I dreamed of going to, I would always respond, 'Barnard!' without hesitation. It was only recently that I discovered just how accurate a 12-year-old girl's intuition can be."
I only see a tiny fraction of the applications, but there is one that will haunt me for a long time.
Tonya comes from a poor, crime-ridden corner of Baltimore. She has several siblings and a mother who emigrated from Puerto Rico. In the blank space that asks for "Father," she simply wrote "unknown." In one of her essays, she mentioned in passing that her family has "virtually no income." Yet the joy and spirit of this girl danced through her application. Rather than focusing on her dangerous neighborhood or dismal financial circumstances, she wrote of the power she had gained from playing soccer; the confidence that was slowly growing as she sang in her school choir and participated in its community outreach programs. She wrote of the books she had read and the inspiration she took from writers like Toni Morrison.
Tonya was lucky. She had participated in a mentorship program that paired her with a wildly successful older woman, a woman who clearly cared deeply about her and had encouraged her to apply to Barnard. But her SAT scores were low and her school record sharply limited, especially in comparison to the 550 other applicants against whom she was competing. Not a lot of AP courses at her inner city school. Not many honors programs or extracurricular activities. The letters from her teachers were positive, but brief and hastily written by hand. Applicants from better-heeled schools, by contrast, often had pages of praise, carefully annotated with details of their progress and achievements.
In our system of higher education—a system still regularly hailed as the best in the world—the cards are perpetually stacked against students like Tonya. She didn't have parents who played educational videos for her or took her to piano and theatre classes. She didn't have SAT tutors or even teachers with the time and incentives to look after her as a student or a person. She was strong and brave and curious, but by the age of 17, her educational chances had already been slapped down.
Like many of our peer schools, Barnard tries desperately to find the Tonyas of the world; to attract them to campus, to admit them, and to cover the costs of their education. Once they matriculate, we offer a wide and growing range of support services and enrichment options. But it is still hard. Because often a student like Tonya simply hasn't had the kind of educational background that she needs, not only to get into our most selective colleges, but to thrive there. These students are just losing too much ground in primary and secondary school and falling farther and farther behind their already better-placed peers.
In the end, and after several rounds of heart-wrenching consideration, we decided to defer Tonya. We will try to bring her to campus in January, to interview her and get a better sense of her academic potential. I hope we will admit her in the next round of decisions. I hope that she comes to Barnard, and succeeds beyond her wildest dreams. But at a time when so many of us are caught in the frenzy of college applications, it is critical to remember that this country is still damned by the tragedy of millions of Tonyas—good kids, smart kids, whose access to education is condemned by the circumstances of their birth.
- Debora Spar


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What is the difference between stormwater and wastewater?
Stormwater is water from rain and other sources that drains into a street drainage system where it flows to streams and creeks. Stormwater drainage systems help prevent flooding and bank erosion. These systems are typically maintained by the cities in Johnson County.
Stormwater services are provided by Johnson County Public Works in unincorporated areas of the county. Individual cities within the county provided stormwater services for incorporated areas. Johnson County Wastewater does not provide stormwater services.
Wastewater is used water from homes and businesses. Johnson County Wastewater collects, transports, and treats wastewater before it is returned to streams and creeks.
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Teacher resources and professional development across the curriculum
Teacher professional development and classroom resources across the curriculum
In this section, you will watch Dr. Paratore's lecture on connecting school and home literacy practices.
Print Dr. Paratore's Connecting School and Home Lecture Posters (PDF). Use the posters to take notes on the lecture.
In this video segment, Dr. Paratore presents research related to parent involvement in children's literacy development. These findings suggest that parents play an important role in their child's literacy development and that positive home-school connections influence children's achievement in reading and writing.
An accompanying lecture transcript (PDF) is also available.
After watching the lecture, review your notes and consider these questions:
Following the lecture, the workshop participants discuss their practices and obstacles in building home-school partnerships. Use the video image below to locate where to begin viewing.
After watching the video segment, consider these questions:
© 2003 WGBH Educational Foundation. All rights reserved.
© Annenberg Foundation 2017. All rights reserved. Legal Policy


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On Monday, June 3, local, state and federal elected officials and representatives from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) joined The Rapid, Grand Valley State University (GVSU) and other invitees came together to celebrate the Laker Line, Michigan's second Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line. Congressman Bill Huizenga, GVSU President Tom Haas, Kentwood Mayor, and The Rapid Board Chair Stephen Kepley, The Rapid CEO Andrew Johnson, FTA Region 5 Administrator Kelley Brookins, and Mary Judnich of Senator Debbie Stabenow's office shared brief remarks about the BRT project.
Construction began on the Laker Line BRT line on April 1, 2019, and service is slated to begin in August 2020. The Laker Line is the second BRT line for the State of Michigan and The Rapid, which opened the Silver Line BRT in August of 2014. The Laker Line, which will replace The Rapid's current Route 50 – GVSU Campus Connector, will connect the GVSU Allendale campus to the Michigan Street Medical Mile with stops on Lake Michigan Drive. The Laker Line will serve the City of Walker, through West Fulton St., and into downtown Grand Rapids. Construction of the Laker Line is being funded through support from the FTA and the State of Michigan and creates no additional cost for taxpayers. GVSU will provide all operational funding.
Learn more about the Laker Line at Brand New Mens Black & White Nike Alpha Shark 3/4 Football Cleats, Size 9.5.


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As part of ThinkAdvisor's Special Report, 21 Days of Tax Planning Advice for 2014, throughout the month of March, we are partnering with our Summit Professional Networks sister service, Tax Facts Online, to take a deeper dive into certain tax planning issues in a convenient Q&A format.
Q: How much may an individual contribute to a Roth IRA?
An eligible individual may contribute cash to a Roth IRA on his own behalf up to the lesser of the maximum annual contribution limit (equal to the "deductible amount" under IRC Section 219(b)(5)(A)) or 100% of compensation includable in his gross income for the taxable year reduced by any contributions made to traditional IRAs for the taxable year on his own behalf.
The maximum annual contribution limit is $5,000 for taxable years beginning in 2011 and 2012 and $5,500 in 2013 and 2014. The $5,000 amount is indexed for inflation. The maximum annual contribution limit is increased by $1,000 for individuals who have attained age 50 before the close of the tax year. SEPs and SIMPLE IRAs may not be designated as Roth IRAs, and contributions to a SEP or SIMPLE IRA will not affect the amount that an individual can contribute to a Roth IRA. Qualified rollover contributions do not count towards this limit. Roth IRA contributions are not deductible and can be made even after the individual turns age 70½.
An individual may contribute cash to a Roth IRA for a non-working spouse for a taxable year up to the maximum deductible limit (disregarding active participant restrictions) permitted with respect to traditional IRAs for such non-working spouse, reduced by any such contributions made to traditional IRAs for the taxable year on behalf of the non-working spouse. Thus, a married couple (both spouses under age 50) may be permitted a maximum contribution of up to $11,000 in 2013 and 2014.
The maximum contribution permitted to an individual Roth IRA or a spousal Roth IRA is reduced or eliminated for certain high-income taxpayers. The amount of the reduction is the amount that bears the same ratio to the overall limit as the taxpayer's adjusted gross income (AGI) in excess of an "applicable dollar amount" bears to $15,000 ($10,000 in the case of a joint return). Thus, the amount of the reduction is calculated as follows:
maximum contribution
AGI – "applicable dollar amount"
The "applicable dollar amount" in 2014 is (1) $114,,000 in the case of an individual for 2014, (2) $181,000 in 2014 in the case of a married couple filing a joint return, and (3) $0 in the case of a married person filing separately.
Thus, the Roth IRA contribution limit is $0 for (1) individuals with AGI of $129,000 and above in 2014, (2) married couples filing a joint return with AGI of $191,000 and above in 2014), and (3) a married individual filing separately with AGI of $10,000 and above. Except for married individuals filing separately, the "applicable dollar amount" is indexed for inflation. The amount of the reduction is rounded to the next lowest multiple of $10. Unless the individual's contribution limit is reduced to zero, the IRC permits a minimum contribution of $200.
For this purpose, AGI is calculated without regard to the exclusions for foreign earned income, qualified adoption expenses paid by the employer, and interest on qualified United States savings bonds used to pay higher education expenses. Social Security benefits includable in gross income under IRC Section 86 and losses or gains on passive investments under IRC Section 469 are taken into account. Also for this purpose, deductible contributions to a traditional IRA plan are not taken into account in determining AGI; amounts included in gross income as a result of a rollover or conversion from a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA are not taken into account for purposes of determining the maximum contribution limit for a Roth IRA.
Q: Can an individual roll over or convert a traditional IRA or other eligible retirement plan into a Roth IRA?
A "qualified rollover contribution" can be made from a traditional IRA or any eligible retirement plan to a Roth IRA. A rollover was not permitted prior to 2010 if a taxpayer had adjusted gross income ("AGI") of more than $100,000 for the taxable year of the distribution to which the rollover related or if the taxpayer was a married individual filing a separate return.
Amounts that are held in a SEP or a SIMPLE IRA that have been held in the account for two or more years also may be converted to a Roth IRA.
The taxpayer must include in income the amount of the distribution from the traditional IRA or other eligible retirement plan that would be includable if the distribution were not rolled over. Thus, if only deductible contributions were made to an eligible retirement plan, the entire amount of the distribution would be includable in income in the year rolled over or converted. (Special rules apply for conversions made in 2010). While the 10 percent early distribution penalty does not apply at the time of the conversion to a Roth IRA, it does apply to any converted amounts distributed during the five year period beginning with the year of the conversion.
When an individual retirement annuity is converted to a Roth IRA, or when an individual retirement account that holds an annuity contract as an asset is converted to a Roth IRA, the amount that is deemed distributed is the fair market value of the annuity contract on the date of the (deemed) distribution. If, in converting to a Roth IRA, an IRA annuity contract is completely surrendered for its cash value, regulations provide that the cash received will be the conversion amount.
Non-rollover contributions made to a traditional IRA for a taxable year (and any earnings allocable thereto) may be transferred to a Roth IRA on or before the due date (excluding extensions of time) for filing the federal income tax return of the contributing individual and no such amount will be includable in income, providing no deduction was allowed with respect to such contributions. Such contributions would be subject to the maximum annual contribution limits.
A "qualified rollover contribution" is any rollover contribution to a Roth IRA from a traditional IRA or other eligible retirement plan that meets the requirements of IRC Section 408(d)(3). A rollover or conversion of a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA does not count in applying the one IRA-to-IRA rollover in any twelve month period limit.
For years prior to 2010, the taxpayer's AGI was calculated without regard to the exclusions for foreign earned income, qualified adoption expenses paid by the employer, and interest on qualified United States savings bonds used to pay higher education expenses. Deductible contributions to a traditional IRA also were not taken into account in determining AGI. Amounts included in gross income as a result of a rollover or conversion from a traditional IRA or other eligible retirement plan to a Roth IRA were not taken into account. Social Security benefits includable in gross income under IRC Section 86 and losses or gains on passive investments under IRC Section 469 were taken into account. The definition of AGI excludes minimum required distributions to IRA owners aged 70½ or older, solely for purposes of determining eligibility to convert a regular IRA to a Roth IRA.
An eligible retirement plan, for this purpose, includes a qualified retirement plan, an IRC Section 403(b) tax sheltered annuity, or an eligible IRC Section 457 governmental plan. Taxpayers, including plan beneficiaries, can directly transfer (and thereby convert) money from these plans into a Roth IRA without the need for a conduit traditional IRA. (Other than by direct conversion from an eligible non-IRA retirement plan, a beneficiary may not convert to a Roth IRA.)
Planning Point: Major reasons for converting to a Roth IRA often include obtaining tax-free qualified distributions from the Roth IRA and greater stretch from the Roth IRA because distributions from a Roth IRA are not required until after the death of the owner (or the death of the IRA owner's spouse if the spouse is the sole designated beneficiary and elects to treat the IRA as the spouse's own), rather than starting at age 70½. A conversion also may make sense if it is expected that tax rates will increase (from the time of conversion to the time of distribution), but not if tax rates will decrease. Consider whether any special tax benefits, such as net unrealized appreciation, would be lost if a qualified plan is converted to a Roth IRA. Also, a qualified plan may offer better asset protection than a Roth IRA. State laws vary on this issue. If a taxpayer cannot qualify under the Roth AGI limitations, perhaps he or she can establish a traditional IRA, and then convert that into a Roth IRA. Note that this, however, has not yet been addressed by the IRS.
Q: How are amounts distributed from a Roth IRA taxed?
Where a Roth IRA contains both contributions and conversion amounts, there are ordering rules that apply in determining which amounts are withdrawn. In applying the ordering rules, traditional IRAs are not aggregated with Roth IRAs. All Roth IRAs are aggregated with each other. Regular Roth IRA contributions are deemed to be withdrawn first, then converted amounts second (in order if there has been more than one conversion). Withdrawals of converted amounts are treated first as coming from converted amounts that were includable in income. The ordering rules continue to treat earnings as being withdrawn after contributions.
"Qualified distributions" from a Roth IRA are not includable in gross income. Thus, earnings are tax-free, not tax deferred as with traditional IRAs. A "qualified distribution" is any distribution made after the five-taxable year period beginning with the first taxable year for which the individual made a contribution to a Roth IRA (or such individual's spouse made a contribution to a Roth IRA) established for such individual and such distribution meets one of the following requirements.
(1) It is made on or after the date on which the individual attains age 59½;
(2) It is made to a beneficiary (or to the estate of the individual) on or after the death of the individual;
(3) It is attributable to the individual's being disabled (within the meaning of IRC Section 72(m)(7));
(4) It is a "qualified first-time homebuyer distribution" (see below).
A "qualified first-time homebuyer distribution" is any payment or distribution that is used within 120 days after the day it was received by the individual to pay the qualified acquisition costs of a principal residence of a first-time homebuyer. The aggregate amount of payments or distributions received by an individual from all Roth and traditional IRAs that may be treated as qualified first-time homebuyer distributions is limited to a lifetime maximum of $10,000. The first-time homebuyer may be the individual, his or her spouse, any child, grandchild, or ancestor of the individual or his or her spouse. A first-time homebuyer is further defined as an individual (and, if married, such individual's spouse) who has had no present ownership interest in a principal residence during the two year period ending on the date of acquisition of the residence for which the distribution is being made. The date of acquisition is the date on which a binding contract to acquire the residence is entered into or the date construction or reconstruction of the residence begins. Qualified acquisition costs are defined as the costs of acquiring, constructing, or reconstructing a residence, including reasonable settlement, financing, or other closing costs.
In calculating the five-taxable-year period, it is important to remember that contributions to Roth IRAs, as with traditional IRAs, may be made as late as the due date for filing the individual's tax return for the year (without extensions). Thus, if a contribution is made to a Roth IRA between January 1, 2013 and April 15, 2014 for the 2013 taxable year, the five-taxable-year holding period begins to run in 2013.
For purposes of determining whether a distribution from a Roth IRA that is allocable to a "qualified rollover contribution" from a traditional IRA is a "qualified distribution," the five-taxable-year period begins with the taxable year for which the conversion applies. A subsequent conversion will not start the running of a new five-taxable-year period.
For more tax stories and Tax Facts Q&A's, check out our Special Report: 21 Days of Tax Planning Advice for 2014.


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HONG KONG — Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited (Hactl) – the major air cargo handler at the world's largest cargo hub – has once again staged its annual International Forklift and Pallet Building Competition on 13 January 2013. This year's overall champion was Air Canada Cargo.
The event – now in its seventh year – hosted teams from international airlines and ground handlers, as well as the usual team from Hactl.
Some 150 spectators attended the event including VIP guests: Secretary for Transport and Housing Anthony Cheung Bing-leung, Assistant Commissioner (Occupational Safety) of Labour Department Li Chi-leung, as well as Occupational Safety and Health Council Executive Director Tang Wah-shing.
The forklift element of the competition focused on safety awareness and technical handling of cargo. The forklift driver from each team was required to collect items of cargo from purpose-built racking, manoeuvring within a congested competition course.
The pallet-building element required teams to build a contoured lower-deck winged pallet in accordance with the competition's strict rules. Scores were based on build time, build quality and load distribution. The teams with the lowest number of penalties were the winners.
Judging the event were representatives of the Carrier Liaison Group(CLG), Hongkong Association of Freight Forwarding and Logistics (HAFFA), NordiskAviation Products and The Occupational Safety and Health Council.


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Ma Hong (a pseudonym) spent at least 10 hours every day over the last five years playing the same old MMORPG. She put a lot of care and effort into each of her characters, so much so that they were considered well equipped by many of the top gamers in the game. Late last week, when the 38-year-old Ma attempted to continue her five-year long tradition of online gaming, she was greeted by a notice telling her that her account has been banned.
Ma's tale of a banned account is one that is shared by many in China. Recently, many online game companies across the country have started to crack down on players with multiple accounts. The reason behind the crackdown... stopping gold farmers and equipment farmers.
Not only was Ma's game account banned, it appears that all her accounts were banned. In China, online games require the use of a government issued identification number. It's plausible to say that Ma created multiple accounts using her one ID, which is against the rules — but take into account that she started five years ago.
Claiming to be an average gamer who just really enjoyed the game, Ma was heartbroken. "My characters are very simple characters," said Ma. "Some of them have equipment purchased with real world money."
Unable to access her accounts and confused by the notice, Ma called customer service. The answer she received from the customer service rep confused her even further. "He said I was seeking improper interests and that following the terms of service agreement my account was banned."
Ma, who hasn't worked in the last five years, says her characters combined have a worth of about $US2400 and that she probably spent at least $US4800 playing this game all together. Now all of that has gone to waste.
Ma isn't alone. According to North Eastern Daily, another 200 players from the same game Ma was playing were also banned for "seeking improper interests". On top of that, thousands of gamers across China have been experiencing similar issues.These "improper interests" from having multiple accounts seem to stem from China's age old problem of gold farming and the exchange of real world cash for in-game items.
According to a manager from the game company that produced Ma's game, the company sees players who play multiple accounts as players who are interested in making real world cash, and that the games are for entertainment purposes and not ways for players to make money. The manager says that he feels bad for players who got banned because of the sudden enforcement of the TOS agreement, but the only thing they can do is file a complaint with customer service.
女子游戏账号遭"封杀" 万元"装备"打水漂 [North Eastern Web via People's Daily]


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My Mad Fat Diary
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My Mad Fat Diary is a British television series that debuted on E4 on 14 January 2013. It is based on "My Fat, Mad Teenage Diary" written by Rae Earl, and follows the story of 16 year old Rae, who has just been discharged from a psychiatric hospital and is adjusting to everyday life.
Series 1[edit]
It's a Wonderful Rae Part 2 [1.06][edit]
- Rae: I've been to a place this dark once before. Nearly made the biggest mistake. But what was the mistake? Ever cutting myself in the first place, or not cutting deep enough?
- Rae: No, this isn't how it's meant to be.
- Tix: What, did you think you could just slip out of the world with nothing happening because of it? Do you think anyone can do that?
- Rae: I nearly did something stupid.
- Kester: How stupid are we talking?
- Rae: The stupidest.
- Kester: What made you want to do something like that?
- Rae: I just can't see a way out. I can't see any way out.
- Kester: Of what?
- Rae: Being me.
- Kester: So why don't you tell me how you're feeling.
- Rae: Same old. I just wish I could make Tix better.
- Kester: Well, it's a really good sign that she made it through the night.
- Rae: So I don't get where I am. I tried to so something stupid. So, do you think I need to come back into hospital?
- Kester: No.
- Rae: So you do think I'm better?
- Kester: No.
- Rae: So, what?
- Kester: I think you're ready to start therapy.
Cast and characters[edit]
Main cast[edit]
- Sharon Rooney - Rachel 'Rae' Earl
- Ian Hart - Kester
- Claire Rushbrook - Rae's mum
- Jodie Comer - Chloe
- Nico Mirallegro - Finn
- Dan Cohen - Archie
- Jordan Murphy - Chop
- Ciara Baxendale - Izzy
Recurring cast[edit]
- Bamshad Abedi-Amin - Karim
- Sophie Wright - Tix
- Shazad Latif - Dr. Nick Kassar
- Darren Evans - Danny Two Hats
- Eliot Otis Brown Walters - Big G


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Church Camps
See also: Cragmont Assembly; Montreat.
Many churches of a variety of denominations maintain facilities throughout North Carolina used for recreational camping, meetings, retreats, and other events. Mountain areas have been attractive to such groups because of their cool evenings and beautiful scenery, while seaside camps have provided church members with good swimming, sandy beaches, and some privacy for their programs. The United Methodist Church maintains one of the shining lights of church camping facilities in North Carolina-the Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center in Haywood County. The site includes youth facilities, an open-air auditorium, hotels, and hundreds of private dwellings. Drawing patrons from Methodist churches throughout the Southeast, a town has grown up around the lake, which is the reservoir formed by a dam built in the early part of the twentieth century.
There is no accurate census of mountain church camps, but it is believed that more than 15 established denominational camps exist in the Blue Ridge Mountain area. Montreat, a sprawling facility near Black Mountain (Buncombe County), has been a significant part of the worship and ecclesiastical life of southern Presbyterians since its purchase by the church in 1906. The Black Mountain area is also home to church camps run by Free Will Baptists and Disciples of Christ. Nearby is Ridgecrest, a Southern Baptist Camp serving North Carolina churches. The Episcopal Church maintains Kanuga in the mountains (a retreat center for all ages in the Brown Summit area), Vade Mecum for youth, and Camp Leach in the east.
The most prominent seaside camp is at a former military installation called Fort Caswell, in Brunswick County, where the Southern Baptists have developed a thriving camp that is used by youth, families, and individual churches. The Neuse River has provided sailing as well as water sports for camps like Don Lee (a United Methodist camp) and Camp Caroline (a Disciples of Christ camp). Lakes have been the site of several camps, such as the Rockfish Camp near Fayetteville and Camp Chestnut Ridge near Eno. Several church camps have been established at Lake Norman and other lakes near Charlotte. The Roman Catholic Church is particularly interested in retreat centers and has expanded its program and facilities throughout North Carolina.
In addition to Christian groups, Buddhists have established Zen centers both in the mountains and in the Chapel Hill area, and Muslims have begun to enter the religious camp trend in the state.
Image Credit:
Campers at Camp Leach. Image courtesy of The Daily Reflector Image Collection, East Carolina University Libraries. Available from http://digital.lib.ecu.edu/reflector/4883 (accessed June 7, 2012).
1 January 2006 | Purcell, Gene
camp centrikid is located on
camp centrikid is located on black mouintain. it is the best!!
Camp Leach near Bath, and
Camp Leach near Bath, and Camp Oceanside at Ocean Beach closed in 1985 as the expansion of Trinity Retreat was completed on Emerald Isle NC by the Episopal Diocease of East Carolina (now known as Trinity Center). See http://www.trinityctr.com/campt/ & http://oceancitync.com/Archives.html Trinity Center hosts Camp Trinity each summer. My brothers and I attended Camp Leach during the summers of the 1960s, and these are amoung my fondest memories of growing up in East Carolina. More pics of Camp Leach can be found at http://digital.lib.ecu.edu/reflector/search.aspx?index=dcsubjects&q=Camp... Carolina--Beaufort County
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Santana open to adding third base to his repertoire
CLEVELAND -- The idea is still in a conceptual stage, but it is nonetheless intriguing. The Indians will have versatile catcher Carlos Santana play some third base in winter ball in the Dominican Republic this offseason, possibly adding another position to his repertoire.
Speaking while on his way to a golf outing in California this week, Indians manager Terry Francona warned against putting the proverbial cart ahead of the horse. Consider this an experiment for Santana, even if it is one that could help reshape Cleveland's lineup, or even the team's offseason strategy.
CLEVELAND -- The idea is still in a conceptual stage, but it is nonetheless intriguing. The Indians will have versatile catcher Carlos Santana play some third base in winter ball in the Dominican Republic this offseason, possibly adding another position to his repertoire.
Speaking while on his way to a golf outing in California this week, Indians manager Terry Francona warned against putting the proverbial cart ahead of the horse. Consider this an experiment for Santana, even if it is one that could help reshape Cleveland's lineup, or even the team's offseason strategy.
"We're getting a little ahead here," Francona said. "He's going to go over there and play a little third, just to see. He came up as a third baseman, but I think he's about eight years removed. It can't hurt anything. He wanted to get some at-bats anyway. If he wants to go over there and do that, all that can really happen is positive."
The idea of giving Santana a test run at third base was born from a handful of factors.
Cleveland's regular catcher over the past few years, Santana saw his time behind the plate decrease as Yan Gomes emerged as the better defensive option last season. In order to keep the switch-hitting Santana in the lineup, he was used more as a designated hitter and first baseman in the second half, filling in as the backup catcher as well.
Santana has doubled as a part-time first baseman for the past few seasons, but that position now belongs primarily to Nick Swisher. That forced Santana to work as the Tribe's main DH during the team's second-half push to the playoffs. While he accepted the role to help the Indians' postseason quest, Santana expressed in September that he did not like being a DH.
"This is a little hard for me," Santana said at the time. "For me, I want to win. The manager put Yan behind the plate and he's done a good job, so we're better hitting and catching, too. It's hard for me, but I'm not thinking about that. I'm confident in the manager about the lineup he puts out every day."
Francona kept an open line of communication with Santana in the second half, and they discussed the situation again after the season ended. The manager made it clear to Santana that the Indians do see him as more than just a designated hitter. Cleveland sees Santana as an offensive weapon that can be utilized at a handful of positions.
"We don't want him to be a full-time DH," Francona said. "It's actually kind of a unique situation. His ability to move around impacts everybody else. His bat, we want it right in the middle of our batting order. And his ability to play first and catch, that's kind of a unique skillset. The more positions he can play, it just allows us to get more bats into the lineup. He's open to it, so we're willing to be open also."
Santana last played third base regularly in 2006, when he manned the hot corner in 38 games between three Class A levels in the Dodgers' farm system. That was a long time ago, but Indians general manager Chris Antonetti said it was Santana who brought up the idea of trying his hand at third base once again.
"We're focused on trying to find a way for Carlos to have the biggest impact on our team," Antonetti said. "A way to do that is for him to be able to do things beyond DH. We obviously know he can catch. He's shown he can play first base. Carlos, to his credit said, 'Hey, I've played third base in the past. I'm happy to go to winter ball and get some more experience at third and see how it goes.'"
Francona said Indians third-base coach Mike Sarbaugh, who doubles as the Tribe's infield instructor, plans on heading to the Dominican to work with Santana at third base. If things go well in winter ball, it is likely that Cleveland will give Santana some innings at third base in Spring Training, too.
What is clear is that -- even though Gomes has taken over the starting catching role -- the Indians want Santana in the lineup. Last year, Santana hit .268 with an .832 OPS, piling up 20 homers, 60 extra-base hits, 75 runs and 94 walks along the way. Santana's 281 walks over the past three seasons rank second to only Cincinnati's Joey Votto (339) in the Major Leagues.
If Santana proves to be a viable option for third base, Cleveland might view it as a way to maximize the offense from a position that produced a .218 average (last in the American League) and .274 on-base percentage (last in AL) in 2013. The left-handed-hitting Lonnie Chisenhall has hit .244 (.694 OPS) in parts of three seasons as the Tribe's third baseman, posting a .194 career mark againt lefties.
The Indians might give the 25-year-old Chisenhall another chance this season, or the club might tell him he needs to earn his way on the big league roster.
Francona reiterated that it is far too early in the offseason to make such decisions.
"We don't know what that conversation is going to be yet," said the manager. "We've got to wait to see how the winter plays out."
Santana has hit .285 (.855 OPS) in his career against left-handed pitching, making him a possible part-time replacement for Chisenhall at third base, if this experiment pays off. Among the utility men, the Indians prefer Mike Aviles' defense over Ryan Raburn at third base, but Aviles hit .269 (.605 OPS) against lefties last year and Raburn is viewed more as a backup for right field.
The Indians could also target an alternative for third base this winter.
"Some of it will depend upon how things go with Carlos in winter ball," Antonetti said, "and what other options are out there. It's not a position of great depth on the market, though."
That is why the Indians are considering every possibility, including giving Santana a try at third.
"And, if he was able to handle it, then we'd have to probably rethink it," Francona said. "It adds versatility. It's just such an early stage. I just don't want to get too far ahead with anything."
Jordan Bastian is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Major League Bastian, and follow him on Twitter @MLBastian.


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We've Seen the Pilot Episode of MTV's SKINS
Ever since we heard MTV was taking our favorite British show of all time and watering it down for America, we've had our reservations. Despite being heckled by their Twitter, we were invited to MTV HQ to screen two episodes.
[The US SKINS Cast. Chris (Jesse Carere), Tea (Sofia Black D'elia), Abbud (Ron Mustafaa), Tony (James Milo Newman), Michelle (Rachel Thevenard), Daisy (Camille Crescencia-Mills), Stanley (Daniel Flaherty), Cadie (Britne Oldford) and Eura (Eleanor Zichy)]
Kristina: I don't think it's a secret that I've been skeptical from day one. And while I do appreciate Bryan Elsley's introduction before the screeners started, it served as more of a warning the first episode was a carbon copy of the original version of the show. That didn't help to curb my skepticism at all. I was really hoping to be proved wrong, but sadly I was not.
Zach: Neither was I. I know that you and I were both highly skeptical going into this, and I have to say I was cringing for the majority of those first 40 minutes. It was like watching your high school put on a crappy production of your favorite play. You know the intentions are good and that the talent is there, somewhere, but the execution just feels hollow.
Kristina: Exactly. It felt like the characters were the more malformed conjoined twins of the originals or something.
Zach: Or, like their Canadian cousins.
Kristina: It's true! Most of the actors are Canadian, eh? And the show is no longer set in Baltimore. Bryan Elsley mentioned that too. They're going for a more "generic northeast coastal town" than pigeonholing it to a specific city.
Zach: Really?!
Kristina: Yeah! And, frankly, I think that was the right move. Way more teenagers can identify with a generic suburb than they can with a place like Baltimore. Especially since there's no way SKINS could compete with what Baltimore is known for in post-millennium pop culture. The Wire.
Zach: Well, that definitely explains a lot... I guess that's why I really feel like the show has lost something en route from the UK. Bristol is an integral part of who the kids are, and watering down the setting to look like Oakville, Ontario may speak to teens (somehow?) but it removes a dimension from the original show. But we're American Anglophiles, so who knows if we ever would've been happy with the location swap.
Kristina: Location aside, I wasn't able to stomach anything about the swap, really. Everything seemed so forced. They couldn't even be bothered to change inherently British phrases like 'reckon'. When was the last time you heard an northeast American say 'reckon' instead of 'think'? That's just lazy. And with all the emphasis the producers have put on making the whole thing seem authentic, with their "teen advisory board" and what not, I can't imagine that authentic regional language was something they weren't concerned with. But whatever. I guess I should give them some credit for re-naming Mad Twatter Mao Tse Dong. That was pretty good. I guess you can't say twat on basic cable.
Zach: I think one of the hardest things for me to stomach was the god awful acting from the adult actors on the show. Tony's father goes beyond the cartoonish buffoon role and catapults into some lame, screamy type.
Kristina: You beat me to it. The adults were awful. And how about their teacher?! The one that Chris has a crush on?
Zachary: Oh my God, the histrionic breakdown she has when trying to read that poem [about a break up]? That was the height of my misery. Here's the thing: The UK SKINS had me with that opening shot. Yeah, I know, they removed the nudity, but not liking this show was never going to be about not being able to see skin. It was a total Hitchcock vs. Vince Vaughn Psycho shot-for-shot battle that went down. You knew it couldn't end well.
Kristina: That's the perfect analogy for it. From the first thirty seconds, you knew it was going to be a disaster. The thing that sucks about the pilot being so awful, though, is that we got a chance to see episode 5, that centers around Tony's best friend, Stanley. And it wasn't that bad!
Zach: No, it really wasn't!
Kristina: But I think so many people will be turned off by the terrible pilot that the producers will be lucky if anyone makes it that far.
Zach: You only get so many chances to impress teens these days, you know. What is it you think the dedicated fans of the UK series are going to be most upset about?
Kristina: Probably how watered down it is. And a lack of accents. If I wanted to hear Canadian teenage problems, I'd watch Degrassi.
Zach: Personally, I was impressed with the soundtrack selection. Kids should be listening to more Animal Collective and Bears In Heaven today. I'm glad to see the same show that featured a Crystal Castles live set is carrying something over in that arena.
Kristina: I'm going to trust you on that one, because music is not my thing. I listen to the same three bands over and over again. And most of my new music comes from Apple commercials.
Zach: This isn't to say the UK series is perfect. I think some of the young actors, namely Tony (Nicholas Hoult) and Anwar (Dev Patel), were weak in their acting efforts at best. I worry most about giving Chris' character the level of depth he had in the UK.
Kristina: Funny, because Dev Patel is the only one who ended up in an Oscar award winning film. Although I think we can all agree that Slumdog Millionaire was the worst Best Picture winner...ever. Anyway, in respect to the teenage actors, I thought Chris was one of the best in the original (Joe Dempsie), and one of the best here (Jesse Carere). And I don't know if that's a testament to the character or the actors playing him. But there's just something about him, in both series, that's so sympathetic and likable.
Zach: I agree with you. But Chris is one of the most entertaining and empathetic characters on the show, and I realize that they're sticking with the original premise of focusing each episode around a different character so we may have missed the building of his depth [since we only saw episodes 1 and 5]. Also, did his voice seem weird to you? Like he had spent the entire night before yelling at the top of his lungs at some Tragically Hip concert? (That's what they do in Canada for fun: go to Tragically Hip shows). And the episode in the UK series where is mother leaves him is one of the best. There's a fine line between coming off as tragic and coming off as pathetic. I hope he doesn't fall into the latter.
Kristina: Yeah, I know they plan on deviating from the original plot in future episodes, but Chris' is one they can't improve upon. It was just perfect. And duh, he would be the one with a tired voice. He's the ultra druggie of the group. As opposed to Tony who spends his time singing in all female choirs to piss off his girlfriend for shits and giggles.
Zach: Oh man. Can you believe that they actually carried that part over? I know you're the ultimate theater nerd, but don't you think that's a little ridiculous?
Kristina: ABSOLUTELY! It was absurd, mainly because that's not a thing over here as far as I know. Prep schools in the UK are nothing like prep schools in the US. And I'm fairly sure it's not customary to have just one male singing in a concert of all girls. But what do I know, I'm not a chorus teacher at an all girls prep school.
Zach: The blonde girl, (Abigail in the UK series) makes me want to punch a wall, both in the UK and in the US versions. She could not possibly exist in the real world.
Kristina: Oh but she does. I am sure she does.
Zach: I'm not saying inexperienced, slightly stupid, over-privileged types don't exist, because they definitely do... I mean, I grew up in New England.
Kristina: They exist in New Jersey. Trust me. But I don't think Abigail is supposed to be relatable. Her character functions as the antithesis of the rest of the gang.
Zach: OK, first answer that comes to your head: which character will flat the hardest?
Kristina: I'm going to say Stanley. Or Cadie.
Zach: And I would absolutely have to agree with you. I think Stanley will have the hardest time living up to Sid (the UK version of his character) because even in the episode we saw that centered around him, he had turned in a lot of that sweet down-on-his-luck-early-in-the-game likability into a kind of a pathetic stoner vibe. You don't understand his reasoning for making bad decisions, and you don't feel as good for him when he breaks the rules.
Kristina: Exactly. He's not nearly as empathetic as Sid. And, honestly, I think it has a lot to do with the actor playing him. Talking to Daniel Flaherty was like talking to Stanley, which isn't a bad thing if you're going for the carefree stoner vibe.
Zach: We know these kids aren't trained actors. And I am all for that desperate stab at realism in order to relate better with teenagers. The girl who plays Tea seems like the "future in acting" type. I have to say, she was actually one of biggest surprises for me in the series.
Kristina: Agreed. I'm not totally on board with turning Maxxie's character into a girl, but she grew on me. And it'll bring a cat-fight aspect to the Tea/Maxxie-Michelle-Tony love triangle.
Zach: Tea and Tony end up hooking up?
Kristina: Don't quote me on it, but I think so. They hinted to it in the trailers, and in Stanley's episode as well. If they don't they definitely should, that would make for some great TV drama.
Zach: Right. I guess that's a play on the whole Tony trying to seduce men because he gets off on the power subplot.
Kristina: So, how do you think it'll fare? Despite the fact that we're being so nitpicky.
Zach: I'm going to use the rare opportunity to make a sports reference on this site and pull a Dennis Green: "They are what we thought they were." This show is so well intentioned, as is everyone that tries to copy something that's great. And in all honesty, I don't think the results are as bad as they could be. But I think what we're looking at is Degrassi on steroids, and I don't mean that in just a bad way, or even in a watered down generic Canadian way.
Kristina: That's true. What about for people who haven't seen the original? I mean, we live on the internet, so it's rare that something seems new to us, but for a lot of people this is going to be their first introduction to the SKINS universe.
Zach: I think for people who haven't seen the original, the show will be intriguing. There is no denying that the plotlines are risky and cover territory well outside any other American teen shows. This is competing with shitty shows like Greek and Gossip Girl [Ed note: Kristina does not think Greek or Gossip Girl are shitty shows. In fact, they are awesome.] which completely bypass the actual teenager experience: the uncertainty, the self-doubting, the awkward self-discovery... I think if I had seen the Americanized version of SKINS as a 16 year old, I would've found a lot of things I liked. Aside from a completely badass soundtrack.
Kristina: I think so too. Actually, I'm sure I would have latched on to something like this like a leech at 16.
Zach: I think you would've too, Luca. I don't think anything has ever made the US/Anglo crossover without criticism and purists claiming that it would never work. The show will probably limp through its first season because of contemporary MTV's complete inability to market a show. Remember when they were good at that?
Kristina: They were good at that?
Zach: A show like this is a step in the right direction for MTV as a network. I'm secretly hoping it does well, so then everyone will start streaming the original series on Netflix.
Kristina: Also, MTV has pretty much cornered itself into being a primarily reality based network, so their demo might be surprised by something that, in a lot of ways, is more real than say... Jersey Shore.
Zach: It's MTV. The good stuff always does badly (Clone High, Human Giant, The State) and the bad stuff always does so, so well (Newlyweds, Teen Mom, The Hills).
Kristina: So this is going to do great, then!
Zach: Scripted series are fighting an uphill battle on that network. They have their work cut out for them, but I'm hoping the show can do well.
Kristina: I do too, if only for the actors' sake. They were a great bunch. Before I got a chance to meet them, I wanted it to fail. But they really believe in it, and believe in it standing out as its own show. Not just a cheap imitation of the UK one.
Zach: Do you think this show will fare well?
Kristina: I think it will. For every person like me, who is a fan of the original and will probably not watch it (at least not so that it gets any ratings) there are about 15 more angsty and confused kids who will eat it up. Though, the TV-MA rating may hurt it.
Zach: Honestly? Do you pay attention to tv ratings ever? I mean, Bridalplasty is rated TV- MA too.
Kristina: No, because a) I'm an adult, and b) even when I wasn't an adult, my parents were never that concerned with "bad things" on TV and in film, as long as they knew what I was up to. But a lot of parents probably won't let their kids watch this. My uncle didn't let my two cousins watch Power Rangers when we were kids because it was "too violent."
Zach: My parents also didn't want me to see R rated movies when I was 13, but that didn't stop me from sneaking into the theater.
Kristina: Ron Mustafaa, who plays Abbud, even told a story about how his mom didn't quite get it.
[There was a video here]
Zach: It's true. This is a very "modern" take on teenage experiences that embraces some pretty heavy drug and alcohol abuse as relatively regular activity.
Kristina: And I think its some stuff that parents don't want to admit exists as a reality for their kids. But regardless, you're right. Those who want to watch will find a way to watch, even if it is only allowed to air after 10 pm.
Feel free to take or leave our not-so-humble opinions about the show. But we suggest you give it a chance when it airs on MTV on January 17th at 10 pm to see for yourself.


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Butrinti National Park, Albania
The area around the antique town of Butrinti in southern Albania is not only home to several globally threatened species, but also has a rich cultural history, justifying its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The wetland core of the area is Butrinti Lagoon, a tectonic lagoon surrounded by forested hills, mountains, freshwaters and brackish marshes. It is sometimes called Butrinti "Lake", due to its large surface and high depth (max 22 m; average 14 m). The lagoon has access to the sea through the natural channel of Vivari, which is up to 100 metres wide.
The National Park comprises a high diversity of natural, semi-natural and artificial habitats, such as freshwater marshes, reed beds, Mediterranean forests and maquis, arable lands and fruit tree terraces, as well as coastal waters with rocky and sandy coast, open halophytic lands, etc. These habitats shelter a high diversity of animals and plants, including species of global and regional concern, which make the Butrinti area one of the most important areas for biodiversity in Albania.
From a historical and cultural perspective, the antique town of Butrinti (the ancient Buthrotum), a famous archaeological site and an important coastal and port centre from the Hellenistic to Ottoman periods, is remarkable. The town was found to date back to the Neolithic period and traces of its centuries-long Roman domination still remain intact.
The Butrinti area has several statuses: the town of Butrinti was first proclaimed as a Cultural Monument in 1948; in 1999 it was registered in the World Heritage list of UNESCO; in 2003 the wetland complex, including a part of the lagoon and the coastal area of Butrinti – Stillo Cape -- was proclaimed a Ramsar Site and a National Park (Category II of the IUCN Protected Area Management Categories).
View images of the park
Size and location
The total surface of the protected area is 8591 hectares, of which 1600 hectares belong to the Butrinti Lagoon. The area from Butrinti to Stillo Cape represents the most southern coastal segment of Albania, close to the coastal border with Greece, approximately 285 kilometres from Tirana, the capital of Albania, and 20 kilometres south of Saranda, the closest Albanian city from Butrinti.
Flora and fauna
The Butrinti - Stillo Cape area shelters interesting animal species, some of them threatened or of biogeographical and economic value. About 33 animal species are of global conservation concern, 136 species are of European conservation concern and 109 species are of national conservation concern. Among the most important globally endangered species are the marginated tortoise (Testudo marginata), the Hermann's tortoise (Testudo hermanni), the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta), the white-tailed eagle (Haliaetus albicilla), the lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni), the Mediterranean horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus euryale) and the long-fingered bat (Myotis capaccinni).
Butrinti National Park is one of the most diverse sites for mammals in Albania. Globally threatened mammals like the otter (Lutra lutra), the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncates) and Bechstein's Bat (Myotis bechsteinii) have been recorded in the area.
For migrating birds, the Butrinti area is an essential flyway stepping stone between the Mediterranean/Adriatic/Ionian seas and the Sahara desert. It is nationally important for at least 9 species of wintering water birds, sheltering more than 11% of the national population.
The area is equally significant for its richness in amphibian and reptile species, hosting about 67% of amphibians and 69% of reptiles of the whole Albanian territory. Species such as the Epirote frog (Rana epirotica), marginated tortoise (Testudo marginata), the sand boa (Eryx jaculus) and the Balkan wall lizard (Podarcis taurica jonica) are found in few places elsewhere in the country.
Due to the diversity of its aquatic habitats (freshwater, brackish, hypersaline and marine waters), a high diversity of fish species has been recorded in Butrinti – Stillo Cape area. The 105 species of fish known in the area, among them mugilids (Chelon labrosus and Mugil cephalus), sparids (Sparus aurata, Sparus pagrus, Sparus caeruleostictus) and the European eel (Aguilla anguilla), represent one third of all Albanian fish species.
Benthic fauna of Butrinti lagoon is poorly known. Butrinti has long been famous and continues to be a suitable habitat for the growth of the blue mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis). Mussels have been exploited since 1968, but their commercial cultivation started in 1970, with production reaching up to 5000 tons per year in 1990.
The flora of Butrinti – Stillo Cape habitats is rich and diverse, with about 900 higher plant species. About 32 species of these are listed in the Albanian Red Data Book as having an unfavorable conservation status.
The Mediterranean forest inside the Archaeological Park is composed of more than 80 species of higher plants, with the wood layer dominated by elm (Ulmus minor), ash (Fraxinus angustifolia), common oak (Quercus robur) and white poplar (Populus alba); in some areas, laurel tree (Laurus nobilis) and holm (Quercus ilex) prevail. The brushwood layer is represented by species such as Wild blackberry (Rubus ulmifolius), Common hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) and Silk vine (Periploc graeca).
The aquatic vegetation of the lagoon is very limited, with the bottom below 6 to 8 metres of depth being anaerobic and characterized by strong sedimentation of organisms in decomposition. In marine coastal waters, especially in the Stillo Cape area, there are well developed seagrass meadows of Posidonia oceanic, and the northern part of the Butrinti lagoon features reedbeds, dominated by Phragmites communis and Typha angustifolia. Plants that are adapted to high salt concentrations are typical for the wetland area.
It is worth stressing that pollution of domestic or industrial origin in Butrinti wetland system is very limited. There is relatively mild agricultural pollution through pesticides and fertilizers.
Ksamili, a village that gets over 25,000 summer tourists yearly, is situated on the coast, about 5 km to the north of Butrinti, but it is not included in the protected area, with only minor tourism impacts on the coastal part of the protected area.
In 1959 the deviation of the main tributary of the lagoon, Bistrica River, reduced the surface of Butrinti lagoon and its wetlands, also decreasing the freshwater input and resulting in an increase of mineralization. In 1990, a part of the Bistrica's water was returned to the northern part of the lagoon. Nevertheless, the lack of freshwater intake into the lagoon results in mild eutrophication with release of hydrogen sulfide, which is further exacerbated by the continuous blockage of Vivari channel. During the hot summers, the hydrodynamic exchange reaches a minimum, decreasing the depth of the oxygenated layer (epilimnion) to sometimes no more than two meters.
Cultivation of the blue mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) does not have direct impact on the lagoon, as it is done in natural conditions, without using artificial food or other chemicals. However, the mussel harvesting activity has increased human presence and boat traffic in the lagoon.
Illegal fishing and hunting occurs sporadically in the lagoon and on the marine coast, but it has been limited in recent years, compared to the uncontrolled situation during 1992 – 2005.
In the marine coastal habitats, especially in the Stillo Cape, illegal collection of mollusks occurs sporadically, such as for the date mussel (Lithophaga lithophaga), the warty Venus (Venus verrucosa), and for limpets (Patella).
Recently, a fish farm has been established in the Stillo Cape, which potentially may incite water eutrophication in that area.


text:
Sam Tata
Canadian (born in China), 1911–2005
Evacuating Nuns, Shanghai, 1949
silver print on paper
19.5 x 25.3 cm
Collection of the Winnipeg Art Gallery; Acquired with The Photography Endowment of The Winnipeg Art Gallery Foundation Inc.
Of Indian descent, photographer Sam Tata was born in Shanghai and immigrated to Canada in 1956. In the 1930s he began taking pictures of his hometown, documenting everyday life. In the 1940s he moved to India where he met and worked with internationally acclaimed photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson, whose influence further shaped the "observant style" later associated with Tata's work. In 1949 Tata returned to Shanghai where he captured the events associated with the Chinese Civil War and the establishment of the People's Republic of China by Mao Zedong (Tse-tung) (1893–1976) in 1949. When the Chinese Communist Party came to power, foreigners were instructed to leave Shanghai immediately. This image of Catholic nuns walking up a gangplank leading to an evacuation ship comes from this period of change and unrest.
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