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After a week in Vilnius of listening and learning, of discussing and understanding I am now trying to conclude my experience of the human rights related sessions and discussions.
The week started with a successful pre-event:
Internet governance and human rights: Strategies and collaboration for empowerment.
Successful in terms of over 60 participants from a wide variety of stakeholders and successful putting freedom of expression and access to information as a universal human right and not only a part of internet governance on the top of the agenda during the IGF. Overhearing two corporates saying that human rights really is the major focus of this year's IGF proved that human rights made it to the top of the agenda (whether it was due to the pre event or not I would not be the person to
However, one of the goals of the event was to frame and phrase not only freedom of expression but all rights in a "rights language". My impression after the week is that we still have a way to go before this goal is reached. The issue of access for example is only discussed as universal right to a limited extent.
An important exception from this was to the two workshops organised by APC Women's program/GenderIT.org presenting results from the Erotics project. The findings were discussed from the perspective of gender and sexual rights as individual human rights in an Internet context and not only as a part of freedom of expression. Hopefully there will be more examples like this in the future, where issues like access, transparency privacy as well as cultural issues such as multilingualism are
approached as individual human rights in an a Internet context in addition to seeing Freedom of expression as a facilitator of these rights.
I think there is a need for a dual focus here – a focus on the individual human rights themselves, how they should be understood, assessed and enforced in an Internet context. And, in addition to this I think freedom of expression as a facilitator to the understanding, the assessment and the enforcement of these human rights should be addressed.
Another factor that was brought up that may have an impact on the rights discourse is the discussions about values, principles and cultural norms. These concepts are all needed to develop strong and widely accepted rights. Both the dynamic coalition on Internet rights and principles and the Brazil government presented well developed sets of Internet principles which hopefully can develop into real Internet Rights. It is however important that the current human rights, as expressed in the universal declaration of Human rights, are not shadowed by discussions of values and principles on the Internet. Internet rights should never be less strong, or less enforceable than the existing universal human rights. So, let us use values, principles and norms to apply human rights in an Internet context and not let them replace human rights on the Internet.


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Youngster has right stuff to referee at Pier 40
By Jill Stern
During the winter soccer season at Pier 40, I saw Ben Maer, age 15 and a freshman at Bronx High School of Science, every weekend, because he was the referee at my daughters games. All the moms on the sideline at the indoor field were impressed with Ben. I recently interviewed him via e-mail about his part-time job as a soccer referee with the Downtown Soccer League. He is one of only five teenagers the league hired.
Manny DAlmeida, who is responsible for hiring the refs, when asked about why he chose Ben, said he is one of the nicest and most polite kids around. Ben is a bit introverted and shy, but strong willed enough to be assertive, hopefully not to the point of being obnoxious, said DAlmeida. He has fine easy-going qualities and his childlike personality is definitely comfortable with the kids.
I interviewed Ben by e-mail. Heres how our correspondence went:
Q: Do you play soccer yourself?
A: Yes, I do.
Q: How long have you been playing?
A: Since Im 6 years old, so nine years. Recreational soccer in fall with Downtown Soccer League in Tribeca for nine years; competitive at Chelsea Piers in winter for three years; soccer team at Lab Middle School in seventh and eighth grades; varsity soccer at Bronx High School of Science for one year so far.
Q: How did you start refereeing?
A: In fall 2003, Manny DAlmeida asked me to be the referee for the 6-9-year-olds at Downtown Soccer League, and I did. Then, this winter, he asked me to ref for the same age group at Pier 40.
Q: Were you trained and who trained you?
A: I didnt have any formal training like going to a ref school. I trained and learned the rules from my nine years of experience playing and from good coaches and refs who instructed me. And then, when I got the ref job, Manny sent me e-mails with the specific rules for each age group and that I should teach the kids while they play.
Q: Do you like your job?
A: Yes. I enjoy it.
Q: What was the best call you made?
A: Its hard to answer that question. Since I ref only little kids, nothing much happens that is too difficult to call.
Q: Have any parents or children questioned you about any of your calls?
A: The kids have never questioned me, but the parents have a few times. Once the ball hit the crossbar of the goal, and I called it not a goal. The parents complained that it was the net from the goal that kept it out. Another time, a kid side-tackled on an indoor field, which isnt allowed, and I called it a dangerous play and the other team got the ball, and some parents complained. Another time, the goalie caught the ball but his feet were just inside the net so I called it a goal. The parents of the goalies team argued with me about it. But Manny told me to just call it as I see it, and I was right each of these times, so I stuck to my guns. Also, I know from my own experience that you just dont argue with the ref. In a way, the parents argue with me less than they would with an adult coach because they are too embarrassed to argue with a kid; so I think I dont get yelled at as much as the grownup coaches might.
Q: Do you ref at school at all?
A: I am a freshman at Bronx High School of Science. I am on the varsity soccer team so, no, I dont ref at school. And Im too young and inexperienced to ref competitive games of kids my own age. You need to be older and better trained than I am to ref teenagers.
Q: What else would you like to mention about yourself and the referee job?
A: Its a great job if you love soccer.
Watching Ben inspired me to ask Manny if my kids have a future in refereeing.
At this age, it is far too early, he said. As far as personality is concerned, it would depend upon where he/she will be used. In some adult leagues, a referee needs to be stern to control the game. In recreational leagues, the personality becomes most important. The referee is required to be user-friendly, if I may use the term. Compassionate, with a warm smile, and instructional, like a good coach, would be the requirements.
Then DAlmeida added, Referees are no different than any other profession. They are all as different as their personalities. When you find a good one, get the name, contact number and hold onto it.
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German Shepherd with a sick stomach
My GSD, Hunter, started vomiting last night. This is the second time where he goes for about 18 to 24 hours vomiting regardless of what goes in him - water, or anything else.
He seems to be settling now and I will introduce some light food with some yogourt later today if he's good all day.
I read that someone mentioned "shepherd stomach" in one of the posts - can someone explain what this means? I know GSD's have sensitive digestive systems but not really sure to what extent. To fill him out some, I fed him Pedigree for 3 months, and now using Iams Probiotic large breed. I struggle to get him to eat most of the time though. We have tried mixing wet canned meat, gravy, drippings, whatever we can find and some times it doesn't even work. Has anyone found a way to keep dogs really interested in their food? Perhaps another brand of food? Suggestions are welcome!
Thanks in advance.
Hey there,
you're totally describing MY GSD, Jaida. She's got "shepherd stomach" too, whatever that is, and she's historically been a TERRIBLE eater, and it's very hard to keep weight on her. She also vomits pretty easily, and will vomit almost for sure if she goes more than half a day without food (some dogs can eat once a day, but she needs two meals or else she gets the yellow biley barfs pretty easily). I had to chuckle a bit at the "gravy drippings, canned meat etc. etc." attempts to get your guy to eat because OMG we've been there. There were days where the only way we could get her to eat ANYthing was basically to hand feed her tiny licks of food That was Jaida about, oh 8 months ago.
Now when it's meal time, she's pretty much the first to her plate, she never turns up her food, she eats every last bite with gusto, and we've been able to flesh her out a bit for the first time.
Our "miracle cure"? Raw food. We switched the dogs to an entirely raw diet (raw meat, bones, organs, with occasional bits of fruit and veg mainly as treats, but pretty much 98% meat etc.) Jaida took to it IMMEDIATELY and hasn't looked back. If you've tried everything else, I seriously recommend that you look into raw. You may find that you have to feed a fair bit of food (Jaida eats about twice as much as our other large dog in order to sustain her body weight) if your pup is a "poor keeper" like ours, but I tell you it's worth it to not have to beg her to "EAT PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF PETE EAT SOMETHING" every. single. day.
Owned by:
Solomon - black DSH - king of kitchen raids (11)
Gracie - Mutterooski X - scary smart (9)
Jaida - GSD - tripod trainwreck and gentle soul (4)
Heidi - mugsly Boston Terrier X - she is in BIG trouble!!! (3)
Audrey - torbie - sweet as pie (11 months)
Patrick - blue - a little turd (but we like him anyways) (6 months)
Boo, our Matriarch (August 1 1992 - March 29 2011)
Riley and Molly
Wow - he's finicky but not that bad I think (or hope!) He eats - eventually when he's hungry.
I think I found what caused his tummy ache this time around - my daughter left a baggy of dog treats on the coffee table - they were used for training and such for her dog and consisted of a couple of handfuls of dried liver treats and bits of doggy biscuits. I found the remnants of the bag near his doggy bed! Might have been too much for him to take --
Do you prepare the raw food yourself or how is this done? Is there a canned dog food that would work?
Right now he is fed twice a day, 2 cups each feeding of Iams large breed. I know the breeder uses King Canine for GSD's but the ingredients were pretty close and the price was less for the Iams.
Thanks for the quick reply!
First off, the raw thing is pretty easy actually. There's very little "preparation", just shopping, freezing, thawing, and handing over the food. If you look in the food section of this forum you find there's a section just for raw feeding, you can get an idea of how to start. But to give you an idea today Jaida will eat a whole chicken leg including bone, a chunk of pork shoulder, and a peice of beef liver or kidney. The type of protein really doesn't matter unless there's an allergy involved, and it's basically a ratio of 75-80% meat, 15% bone and 10% organ/offal. Meats we like are pork, chicken, beef, sometimes lamb or venison if I can get it. Butchers are great sources of cheap meat and organs if you buy large quantities.
You CAN buy packaged, prepared raw diets, which I do for my cats (although I supplement with whole chicken backs so they get the dental benefits of the bones, not just the nutritional benefits of the ground bone in the prepared foods), but the amount of food you have to feed a large breed would be extremely costly. Doing it yourself if much cheaper.
Second, if you decide to try a different type of prepared dog food instead, please please have a look at the food forum for ideas on healthy foods for your dog. Iams, Pedigree and pretty much any food you can buy in a grocery store is pretty much garbage...it's full of corn and other nutrient-poor fillers. Consider a grain-free food like Orijen instead. It's a little more pricey, but honestly it's cheaper in the long run because you'll have a healthier pet. If you're in Ottawa, try Critter Jungle on Carling at Kirkwood or Global Foods on Bank in the Glebe...they've got great selections and knowledgable staff.
Owned by:
Solomon - black DSH - king of kitchen raids (11)
Gracie - Mutterooski X - scary smart (9)
Jaida - GSD - tripod trainwreck and gentle soul (4)
Heidi - mugsly Boston Terrier X - she is in BIG trouble!!! (3)
Audrey - torbie - sweet as pie (11 months)
Patrick - blue - a little turd (but we like him anyways) (6 months)
Boo, our Matriarch (August 1 1992 - March 29 2011)
Riley and Molly
Last edited by bendyfoot; August 7th, 2009 at 11:14 AM.
Thanks -- all good advice. I will certainly head over to the food area and check things out. I thought Iams was decent since the first several ingredients were meat and not grains. There are some grains, but not that many. I'll read more and then decide!
Chicken, corn meal, ground whole grain sorghum, chicken by-product meal, ground whole grain barley, fish meal (source of fish oil), chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a source of vitamin E, and citric acid), dried beet pulp (sugar removed), dried egg product, natural chicken flavor, potassium chloride, brewers dried yeast, salt, flax meal, sodium hexametaphosphate, calcium carbonate, vitamins [vitamin E supplement, ascorbic acid, vitamin A acetate, calcium pantothenate, biotin, thiamine mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), vitamin B12 supplement, niacin, riboflavin supplement (source of vitamin B2), inositol, pyridoxine hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid], choline chloride, minerals [ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, manganous oxide, potassium iodide, cobalt carbonate], dl-methionine, l-tryptophan, glucosamine hydrochloride, rosemary extract.
Iam's Large Breed ingredients...I bolded some stuff I don't like...that's a lot of grain/filler in the first few ingredients, although some little props for chicken as first ingredient
Here's Orijen, by comparison, I bolded what I DO really like:
Fresh boneless chicken, chicken meal, turkey meal, russet potato,fresh pacific salmon (a natural source of DHA and EPA), herring meal, sweet potato, peas, fresh lake whitefish, fresh northern walleye, chicken fat (naturally preserved with vitamin E and citric acid), chicken liver, salmon meal, fresh turkey, fresh whole eggs, fresh deboned herring , sun-cured alfalfa, salmon oil, chicory root, dehydrated organic kelp, pumpkin, carrots, spinach, turnip greens, apples, cranberries, saskatoon berries, black currants, choline chloride, psyllium, licorice root, angelica root, fenugreek, marigold flowers, sweet fennel, peppermint leaf, chamomile flowers, dandelion, summer savory, rosemary, sea salt, vitamin supplements (vitamin A, vitamin D3, vitamin E, niacin, vitamin C, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12), mineral supplements (zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, selenium), dried Lactobacillus acidophilus, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product.
Notice the difference in ingredients? Potato and veg are used as the non-meat, not grains.
Owned by:
Solomon - black DSH - king of kitchen raids (11)
Gracie - Mutterooski X - scary smart (9)
Jaida - GSD - tripod trainwreck and gentle soul (4)
Heidi - mugsly Boston Terrier X - she is in BIG trouble!!! (3)
Audrey - torbie - sweet as pie (11 months)
Patrick - blue - a little turd (but we like him anyways) (6 months)
Boo, our Matriarch (August 1 1992 - March 29 2011)
Riley and Molly
Bendyfoot has given you excellent advice.
If you can't feed raw then a grain free kibble is the best and Orijen or Acana Provincial ( www.championpetfoods.com ) are the top brands imo. They are both made by the same manufacturer at their own plant which is also a plus.
As mentioned, the food forum here has lots of information as well as these two websites ....
If you've got more questions, just ask ....there's always someone here to help.
wow - read through the first few posts on dog food. Learn something new everyday.
Found a local vendor for Acana and Orijen so I will be checking them out and go from there.
You're probably right about the treats making Hunter sick. I find Kailey's tummy prefers fresh fruits and veggies for treats, as well as grain-free treats. You can get good-quality treats at any store that sells Orijen. My dogs also like apples, banana, carrots, broccoli and frozen melon balls.
If Hunter doesn't start keeping water down soon a vet visit may be in order....maybe try giving him some rice and boiled chicken? Plain yogurt and plain canned pumpkin or butternut squash baby food are also helpful.
If you switch him to a grain-free diet expect some soft poops and passing gas. Plain yougurt with each meal will help a lot with the transition. It could take as much as a month for him to adjust to the new food, so be patient.
Chase (Friendly Resident Wigglebum) - Border Collie/Lab/Shepherd X
Kailey (Misunderstood Gentle Beauty) - GSD & foster failure #1
Rupert (Gold-Medal Winner of the 3 a.m. Kitty Destruction Olympics )
Heidi - RIP my sweet baby girl
I hope your boy is feeling better..
And I agree about the food.
Hmm.. I wonder if my yorkie has shepherd stomache She's picky too, And certain treats make her puke.
Keely - Yorkie
Haley - German Shepherd
Casey - version 2.0 - Black lab
Jasper - White cat
R.I.P Casey #1.
Gone but never ever forgotten.
Well, bought Orijen all red meat grain free today. Got a small bag and was told by the vendor that if he has a real problem with it, or won't eat it, they will take back whatever is left so that's good to know!
The last time he vomited was some time over night. He was a bit lethargic this morning but by lunch time he was back to normal. By supper time he was hungry so he got some some boiled hamburger and rice with some plain yogourt. He was pretty rambunctious during our after dinner walk -- jumping up for his toy several times so that was good to see. I'll transition him to Orijen starting tomorrow I think.
The price was high but still acceptable I think. It's $80 for the large bag for the all red meat Orijen. I think the fish blend is $20 cheaper - might get a small bag of that too and see which one he likes best.
I hope he likes the Orijen.
Hopefully it was the bag of treats that he ate that caused his vomitting. If he continues to be sick please take him to your vet asap.
The reason the Orijen Red Meat is more expensive is because it's new. The chicken formula is the least expensive one they have. Champion Pet Foods also makes Acana Provincial and it is grain free as well. They have a chicken formula, a fish formula and a lamb formula and they are all a little cheaper than Orijen as the meat protein content is lower but the ingredients are just as good.
Switched Hunter to Orijen about 2 weeks ago and he's loving it. No more issues with him eating - he almost always comes to the bowl and eats it all. No more sick stomach since switching either. So far so good --
I also switched my little terrier mix to the same food and he loves it! I can definitely see a difference in his skin already! He used to have a fair bit of dry skin but that's going away.
So thanks to everyone for the advice!
Glad to hear it! We like to hear food success stories.....happy healthy dogs with happy tummies are a good thing
Chase (Friendly Resident Wigglebum) - Border Collie/Lab/Shepherd X
Kailey (Misunderstood Gentle Beauty) - GSD & foster failure #1
Rupert (Gold-Medal Winner of the 3 a.m. Kitty Destruction Olympics )
Heidi - RIP my sweet baby girl
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Internet Celebrates Small-Town Police for Squelching Free Speech
The feel-good blog item of the day is the story of when the small town of Brandon, Mississippi successfully foiled Westboro Baptist Church's plan to protest a Marine's funeral. (Here is a video of the refreshingly protester-free road as Marine Staff Sgt. Jason Rogers is returned home on April 14.) How'd they do it? They sicced the police on them and beat them up.
Here is the story that is blowing up the blogosphere, which was originally posted on an Ole Miss sports message board:
[Westboro Baptist Church] did show up, a few showed up a couple of days early.
A couple of days before, one of them ran his mouth at a Brandon gas station and got his ass waxed. Police were called and the beaten man could not give much of a description of who beat him. When they canvassed the station and spoke to the large crowd that had gathered around, no one seemed to remember anything about what had happened.
Rankin County handled this thing perfectly. There were many things that were put into place that most will never know about and at great expense to the county. Most of the morons never made it out of their hotel parking lot. It seems that certain Rankin county pickup trucks were parked directly behind any car that had Kansas plates in the hotel parking lot and the drivers mysteriously disappeared until after the funeral was over.
Police were called but their wrecker service was running behind and it was going to be a few hours before they could tow the trucks so the Kansas plated cars could get out. A few made it to the funeral but were ushered away to be questioned about a crime they might have possibly been involved in. Turns out, after a few hours of questioning, that they were not involved and they were allowed to go on about their business.
Ranking deserves a hand in how they handled this situation.
As much as we despise the Westboro Baptist Church, it seems like police illegally detaining people in order to squelch atrocious and unpopular but constitutionally-protected free speech, is not something we should encourage! Although the part about parking cars behind them was pretty good. [via Reddit ; photo via Getty Images]


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Reviewed by Abbie W. (age 8)
I like the illustrations in this story because they were cool and fancy with lots of colors. My favorite part was when Ben ran in to a mattress that had pink roses on it. I thought that was funny and cute. When I was reading this book I felt furious and happy and scared.
I recommend this book to my teacher and my classmates because I think they would like it.


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Kings' future looks bright
In their quest to become one of hockey's first dynasties in the salary cap era, these Los Angeles Kings are not about to go away.
While most Stanley Cup contenders need to rebuild or retool from season to season, Los Angeles general manager Dean Lombardi finds himself in the enviable position of only requiring to tweak his roster entering the 2014-15 campaign.
When Lombardi finally gets the chance to take a deep breath and look ahead to the off-season, he'll find a team that is pretty much already signed, sealed and delivered.
Other than getting pending unrestricted free agent forward Marian Gaborik re-signed — something team management already has said it would like to pursue — the core of the Kings squad is under contract for the 14-15 campaign.
Adding to the optimism surrounding the Kings future is the number of players who are still in their 20s.
Indeed, of the Kings players who laced up the blades for Game 4 of the Stanley Cup final against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, only three forwards — Gaborik (32), Justin Williams (32), Jarret Stoll (32) — and three defencemen — pending UFA Willie Mitchell (37), Robyn Regehr (34) and Matt Greene (31) — would be 30 or older when training camp opens in September.
Meanwhile, how's this for a foundation of youth: Defencemen Drew Doughty (24), Slava Voynov (24), Jake Muzzin (25), Alec Martinez (26); forwards Tanner Pearson (22), Tyler Toffoli (22), Dwight King (25), Anze Kopitar (27), Mike Richards (29), Dustin Brown (29) and Jeff Carter (29); and goalies Jonathan Quick (28) and Martin Jones (24).
According to nhlnumbers.com, the Kings, at their current makeup, would have the 13th youngest team in the NHL next season. In other words, a team that is right in the midst of its prime.
Here is a look at the pending free agents — both restricted and unrestricted — on the rosters of both participating teams in the 2014 Stanley Cup final:
Los Angeles Kings
UFAs: F Marian Gaborik, D Matt Greene, D Willie Mitchell.
RFAs: F Dwight King.
New York Rangers
UFAs: F Benoit Pouliot, F Dominic Moore, F Brian Boyle, F Daniel Carcillo, D Anton Stralman, F Rafael Diaz.
RFAs: F Chris Kreider, F Derick Brassard, F Mats Zuccarello. D Justin Falk, D John Moore.
Nornally it wouldn't be such a rare sight to see opposing fourth-line centres face off against each other in the first period of a Stanley Cup game as was the case on Wednesday night.
Except this time it was different.
This time the combatants taking the draw: Richards versus Richards.
As in the Rangers' Brad Richards, who has a cap hit of $6.667 million US through 2019-20.
And as in the Kings' Mike Richards, who has a cap hit of $5.75 million US through 2019-20.
That's a lot of coin for guys playing that far down in the lineup.
To be fair, Brad Richards did see duty on the point on the power play. And Mike Richards, along with killing penalties, saw some time on a line with Jeff Carter.
Either way, there has been a lot of speculation during the final about the possible buyouts of both of the Richards by their respective teams.
If nothing else, it should be an, um, interesting summer for both, to say the least.
Interesting idea being kicked around concerning faceoffs of the future. During a recent phone interview with Mike Murphy, the league's senior vice-president of hockey operations said there was a concept being floated in which pucks shot by the attacking team in the offensive zone that deflected out of play off a teammate — or the net or glass — would result in the faceoff being held in the offensive zone rather than outside the blue line. Such a rule change would reward teams for attempting to create offence, Murphy said … Scene (or is that "seen?) and heard at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, at least from a celebrity point of view: Canadian actor Michael J. Fox, Californication star David Duchovny; New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin and his son-in-law, Giants guard Chris Snee; former tennis star John McEnroe, a buddy of Henrik Lundqvist; and, of course, Robert De Niro — a man who needs no introduction.
While the Kings aren't the first organization to do it, it still was a classy move by Los Angeles to hire a charter to fly about 200 friends and family of the players to New York for Game 4 at Madison Square Garden.
By doing so, it gives the players a chance to be surrounded by those they care about in the event they were able to clinch the Stanley Cup.
It's hardly an original concept. A year ago, the Blackhawks did the same thing, jetting family and friends to Boston's TD Garden for Game 6 against the Bruins.
It proved to be a good luck charm for Chicago. Down 2-1, Bryan Bickell and David Bolland scored 17 seconds apart within the final two minutes to give the Hawks a Cup-clinching 3-2 victory, much to the glee of their entourage up in the stands.
Win or lose, good on the Kings for doing it.


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Olioboard: Online Interior Design Mood Board App
We haven't taken Olioboard for a test run yet (although we can't wait to give it a try once all our posting is done for the day!), but here are a few pertinent details on the new app:
• Free to use, with registration
• Drag & drop interface which allows rotation, scaling, framing and cropping
• Includes items from IKEA, CB2, Crate & Barrel, West Elm and more
• Search for items by color, brand, category, price or upload you own items
We're sure that there must be a bunch of Apartment Therapy readers who are making digital mood boards. What's your favorite app or method? Let us know, and if you've tried Olioboard give us the scoop on that too...
MORE INFO: Olioboard
Apartment Therapy supports our readers with carefully chosen product recommendations to improve life at home. You support us through our independently chosen links, many of which earn us a commission.


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10:30 pm
Burt Wolf: What We Eat "Simple Pleasures: Mediterranean Foods in the Americas" Burt looks at the history of the foods of the Mediterranean and how they have affected people in Europe and the Americas.G
11:00 pm
Joanne Weir's Cooking Confidence "Kicking Up The Classics" Joanne and her student Lauren give comfort food a kick preparing a 30 minute lamb and black bean chili and hiding a red pepper jelly surprise inside corn muffins. Recipes: Thirty-Minute Lamb and Black Bean Chili and Spicy Red Pepper Jelly-Filled Corn Muffins. Student: Lauren Eastman, Public Relations Executive. D
11:30 pm
Rick Steves' Europe "Normandy: War-Torn Yet Full of Life" After exploring the half-timbered charm of Rouen, we reflect on Monet's lily ponds, peek in on local artisans, and set up an easel at Honfleur's harbor. We venture into composer Eric Satie's eccentric world and feast on the finest of Normandy cuisine. After pondering sacrifice and celebrating freedom on the D-Day beaches, we hike with pilgrims to the enchanted island abbey of Mont St. Michel.G


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Eddie Jordan is no longer the head coach of the 76ers.
At this point, if you follow this team, we've dissected everything that went wrong with Jordan and the Sixers this season: an ill-suited offense, bad rotations, player confusion, lack of discipline, lack of leadership.
If you followed the team, you watched the end product: a 27-55 record.
Now, that chapter of the book is closed.
Listening to President and General Manager Ed Stefanski's press conference this morning at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine was an interesting experience because of his tenuous grip on his own job.
Let's address the next step of this equation, the step before the question of exactly who will replace Jordan as Sixers head coach. The next step is: Should Stefanski be allowed to select this franchise's next head coach? Will Stefanski be allowed to? Or is he only a couple of weeks from joining Jordan?
As of this moment, according to a source close to Stefanski, he is operating in his same capacity as GM and, right now, he will begin this coaching search with the same authority he had a year ago. That could change.
This morning, Stefanski very quickly admitted Jordan's hiring was a mistake. Very early in the press conference he said the following: "Obviously what I thought would happen did not occur and the decision was not a right one and that's why I made the choice to go now in a different direction to get someone here to get us on that right path."
I think the main frustration Sixers' fans have with Jordan's hiring was that they, quite easily and early, saw the inherent flaws in the logic of hiring Jordan. You can't bring in an offensive coach to coach a team known for running and defense. You can't bring in the Princeton Offense with a group of players who rely more on one-on-one and pick-and-rolls than thinking the game. You can't bring in a coach with a losing record if you want the fans of this city to be excited about the future. Those were the complaints, from the beginning, from the first second Jordan's name surfaced as an option. And I'm certain there are thousands of fans who feel that if they could predict the problems with Jordan's hiring, then the General Manager of their team certainly should have seen these problems as well.
If he couldn't, then what's the point?
Here's what Stefanski said about the failed attempt: "Obviously it didn't work. We went through in the interview process all the personnel and what we had and the coach felt it would work. As I said earlier, we were looking, because of the last two years in the playoffs, we were looking for that balance. And I felt it was efficiency in the half court."
First, Stefanski clearly said "the coach felt it would work," which felt a little like a shifting of blame, almost as if separating himself from the disaster of his own coaching decision. It was only about 8 months ago that Stefanski was selling the Princeton Offense hardcore, explaining how Thaddeus Young and Marreese Speights would be wheeling and dealing. That was only 8 months ago.
Second, I think some Sixers fans are frustrated because Stefanski made the same mistake, twice. The Sixers were excelling by scrapping, clawing, playing tough defense, getting steals, getting early dunks, running up and down, dunking over people. And then Stefanski signed Elton Brand with the logic that all of those aforementioned qualities would somehow, magically, be unaffected by Brand's more plodding, forceful, slow, halfcourt presence. He signed Brand under the logic that Brand would only add a different dimension -- the half-court game -- but somehow wouldn't affect the other dimension -- the up in your face defense and fastbreaking. It didn't work. Very quickly, it became clear that Brand's presence was slowing the team down. There were times his scoring in the halfcourt helped, but it was always like trading one for the other, never having that magical blending of both. It was oil and water. Stefanski's next big decision (the Andre Iguodala contract is overpriced, but people around the league are willing to take that contract; he's an asset) was hiring Jordan. Again, Stefanski employed the same logic: he said his team excelled in fastbreaking and defense, so he brought in a guru of a half-court offense, Jordan, and assumed that his team would somehow continue to excel at fastbreaking and defense despite spending 75 percent of its practice time learning an intricate half-court offense. Again, the Sixers sacrificed one dimension, a dimension in which they are talented, for the sake of improving another dimension.
Same mistake. Twice. In two years.
The results are a 27-55 season and a contract to Elton Brand that's going to haunt them for some time. Twice, it seemed, Stefanski passed on an opportunity to press the gas on the Sixers' ability to run and instead saddled them with an anchor. It's not that the thought process doesn't, on paper, make sense: Sixers are weak in the half-court, get a half-court player. I think the frustration comes down to seeing it play out, in back-to-back situations.
Of course, no one is saying this stuff isn't complicated. Obviously, Stefanski is trying to make the best decisions possible and it's easy to sit here and deconstruct why it didn't work. But that's our job and his is to make the right decisions, not every time, but at least a little more than half of the time.
He's made a number of good decisions: signing Lou Williams to a reasonable contract, drafting Jrue Holiday, (the jury is still out on Marreese Speights), trading for Meeks could turn out to be a nice little addition, and please feel free to toss in any others you can think of.
But these are like ground-ball singles in the third inning compared to Brand and Jordan, which were back-to-back strikeouts with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth. (Baseball analogy!)
Holiday is very good, of course. We've been writing about him for some time, but all of a sudden it feels a little like Stefanski and Tony DiLeo are pinning a lot of their hopes on the 19-year-old. Feels like a tough situation for the kid. Stefanski said in his press conference that the team has found their "point guard of the future," and it felt like a reminder about the solid decision he made in drafting Holiday. And it was a solid decision.
But does Holiday's development justify allowing Andre Miller to sign elsewhere? To fill a locker room with a collection of non-leaders and then watch in amazement as they collapse under a lack of leadership?
This morning, Stefanski said: "I believe a head coach has to be a manager, a teacher, a motivater. Those are three qualities I would say I'd look for right away. When I got here with these players, where we're built is we're built to play on that defensive end and get out on the fast break. That's basically who we're made up to be."
So ... back to the question: Why should Sixers fans trust Stefanski to make this decision? I don't know if they do. And if some of them still do, then it's probably a case of trust and understanding more than logical thinking, which is what Stefanski needs at this point. He needs Sixers fans to have faith (believing in the unseen, right?).
Because so far, they haven't seen it.


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Bernardo's bride-to-be 'confused and conflicted'
LONDON, Ont. — She's trapped between what she feels is love and what she should know is reality.
The woman who made plans to marry Paul Bernardo cries when she talks about her feelings for the serial rapist and killer.
"If I could go back in time and find another person … there are things that should not have happened. When you don't know certain things and you feel a certain way," she says, her voice trailing off with the arrival of tears.
Three interviews with the woman and several interviews with family and friends paint a picture of a brilliant but troubled and lonely person who has travelled so far down a dangerous path that it's unclear if she can turn back.
"I am a little bit confused and conflicted," she says, even after a week of hearing from her family about the real Paul Bernardo. "I didn't … realize the situation."
Born into a middle-class family, the woman sailed through school.
But after Grade 10, one friend says, the straight-arrow student began hanging out with a rough crowd and an abusive boyfriend who did drugs.
That began a pattern of leaving her old friends for new groups.
Late last year, a serious relationship ended. About that time, she first contacted Bernardo.
"He's a nice person," she says of Bernardo.
She deflects, time and again, direct questions about her plans to marry. Her answers could be a sign of innocence, or subterfuge, or both — equally heartbreaking.
"To plan a wedding, that's a very big deal. In order to get married you have to get a church and a wedding planner," she says. "Little girls grow up dreaming of some fairy tale wedding."


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Seems like the "Twilight" folks saved the worst for last.
"Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2," the last of five films adapting author Stephenie Meyer's best-selling tales of vampires, werewolves and teen lust, was lauded as the worst picture of 2012 at Saturday night's 33rd annual Razzie Awards.
Although the preceding four "Twilight" films had frequently been nominated for Razzies, the Golden Raspberry Award Foundation, arbiters of cinematic bad taste since 1980, had largely left the incredulously successful film series alone. That ended this year, however; not only was "Breaking Dawn Part 2" dis-honored as the worst film of the year, but it earned six additional Razzies as well, including Worst Actress for Kristen Stewart (who was also feted for her work in "Snow White and the Huntsman") and Worst Supporting Actor for thespian werewolf Taylor Lautner.
Is "Twilight" really that bad? Millions of teen girls would disagree, but Razzie founder John Wilson opined the "honor" was richly deserved.
"If you're not part of that 13-year-old teenage female demographic," he said following a press conference at the Holiday Inn Express Hollywood Walk of Fame hotel, "they are kind of ridiculous movies."
"Breaking Dawn Part 2" also earned Razzies for Worst Sreen Couple (Mackenzie Foy and Lautner), Worst Director (Bill Condon), Worst Screen Ensemble and Worst Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel. The movie entered the evening nominated for 11 Razzies in the awards' 10 categories.
Unlike last year, however, when Adam Sandler's "Jack and Jill" ran the table, winning every single Razzie that was handed out, "Breaking Dawn Part 2" had to share the evening with other paragons of bad cinema. Sandler successfully defended his title as Worst Actor, winning for "That's My Boy" (which also was handed the Worst Screenplay prize). And singer Rihanna, in her first major film role, made herself a hard act to follow, claiming Worst Supporting Actress for "Battleship."
As usual, none of the Razzie honorees showed up to accept their spray-painted statuettes, depicting a large raspberry perched atop a film can. A cardboard stand-up of Stewart, however, did show up to accept her award, and defended the actress' performance.
"Vampires are supposed to suck," it said.


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This item is so popular, it has sold out. You're in luck! It'll be back soon. Please enter your email and we'll notify you as soon as it returns.
The Adam Ottoman - contemporary rectangular ottoman or side table suitable for indoors and out. Composed of a metal base woven with vinyl cord. Coordinates well with our many vinyl cord chairs. The galvanized steel is rust resistant and the very durable yet flexible, UV protected vinyl will stay colorfast for years. This table is weatherproof, easy to clean, and available in everybody's favorite color. The Adam Ottoman is a great, modern design for commercial and residential applications. Pretty good innit (Add a tempered glass top for a more solid table surface - glass not included).
See final product image for measurements
For more ideas check out elsie de wolfe's ottomans


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Australian sculptor, Paul Kaptein creates unusual but skillful wooden sculptures that question our ability to look past missing pieces in the bigger picture. Kaptein, interested in the Buddhist term sunyata (Sanskrit word for ideas of emptiness as a way to achieve wholeness), integrates (and questions) notions of substance, emptiness, and temporality into his highly skilled pieces of wooden work.
By seamlessly incorporating empty gaps (usually long empty rectangles) into busts and entire recreations of human bodies, Kaptein imposes the viewer with questions as to why these pieces are missing. The simple fact that viewers will directly and promptly question this characteristic first, further enables Kaptein's interest in challenging the viewer's resistance, and/or apprehension to accept something that is not complete. The main idea here relies on getting the spectator to react to Kaptein's work for what it is: seamless, beautiful wooden sculptures that happen to be missing a piece or two.
It can also be said that these gaps are indicative of conceptions of time:
I'm exploring the notion of the now as a remix of past and future potentialities. This facilitates a renegotiation of perceptual truths resulting in an expression of things not quite truth, yet not quite fiction.


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The goal of Java Generation plugin is to allow Java code generation from a Java model. Such a generation will fullfill some of the requirements for Legacy refactoring & migration.
This plugin proposes Acceleo MTL modules for generating Java files conforming to Java models. Templates are contained in two modules :
- Structures modules : top level templates for generating classes/method/field declarations
- Statements modules
Java models are obtained with Java Discoverer component.
Considering a Java legacy, a minimal migration/refactoring chain will involve :
- A Java model discovery step
- A m2m transformation step
- A Java generation code step with the current component
To use the plug-in you need:
- JDK 1.5 or above
- a version of Eclipse 3.5 or above with the following set of plugins installed
- EMF 2.5.0 or higher
- Acceleo 0.8.0 or higher
- Java metamodel
Fabien Giquel (Mia-Software)
Source Repository
All of the source code is stored in a public source repository, which you can access at:
User manual
A prerequisite is a Java model. Please refer to Java Discoverer user manual.
To launch Java generation :
- Create a Accelo launch configuration pointing to Generate_JavaStructures java class, and specify the input model and target folder (require a checkout or import of the org.eclipse.gmt.modisco.java.generation into the workspace).
- Add org.eclipse.gmt.modisco.java.generation in your plugin dependencies and use the Generate_JavaStructures main method with input model and target folder as parameters.


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Friday Style Icon: Michelle Pfeiffer as Elvira Hancock in Scarface
A lot of people seem to like Al Pacino's character's character in Scarface. I mean, actually like him. Seemingly on a personal level?Editor-in-Chief Jennifer Wright has a theory and explains, "The DVD comes as two separate discs and they only make it through the first disc, so they're convinced the movie ends with him running off with Elvira and his tiger." Which brings me to Elvira, who is a "lady tiger" (per the script). She's got an endless supply of low-cut, slinky gowns fit for a night of chainsmoking and looking achingly bored at Studio 54. Sounds awesome. Let's do this.


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Manchester man accused of robbery at knifepointStaff Report
April 23. 2014 8:50PM
MANCHESTER — Keon Boyer, 34, of 369 Hevey St., asked Circuit Court-Manchester District Division Judge William Lyons for a lower bail than the $10,000 cash/surety requested by police prosecutors.
Boyer was arraigned Wednesday on a felony charge of armed robbery and a misdemeanor of simple assault. He's accused of robbing an acquaintance on Canal Street at knifepoint shortly after midnight Tuesday, demanding money and cigarettes. The victim told police Boyer greeted him and his neighbor in a friendly manner, but as his friend walked on ahead, Boyer produced a knife and robbed him. Boyer is accused of then punching the neighbor in the throat as he fled.
Police said officers spotted Boyer on the Granite Street Bridge and arrested him without incident. Police said Boyer had a folding knife in his possession.
In seeking the $10,000 cash/surety bail, a police prosecutor said there is a 72-hour probation hold on Boyer in connection with 10 convictions for felonious sexual assault in 2010. His criminal record, which dates to 1997, includes multiple convictions for assault and disorderly conduct.
The judge set bail at the requested $10,000 cash/surety with conditions that include no contact with the two alleged victims. A probable cause hearing on the felony was set for May 7, and trial on the misdemeanor will be May 22.
Donation jar theft alleged
Police prosecutor Sgt. Stephen Reardon requested $5,000 cash/surety bail Wednesday in Circuit Court-Manchester District Division for Rose Rosales, 37, of 414 Merrimack St., on a felony charge of theft by unauthorized taking.
Rosales is accused of taking a donation jar from the 61 Best Market at 61 Maple St. on April 2. She is accused of taking the donation jar for blind children and concealing it under her shirt.
The theft was reported April 7, and Rosales was identified after video surveillance showing a woman taking the jar was posted on Facebook and viewed by police.
Rosales was also arraigned Wednesday on a felony theft charge of taking cash from the purse of a woman shopping at Market Basket on Elm Street on April 5. She was free on $2,000 cash/surety bail on that charge when arrested on the earlier theft charge. No bail revocation was sought.
Reardon, noting Rosales has 10 prior theft convictions, said she "obviously has an issue with thefts." Judge William Lyons set bail on the donation jar charge at $5,000 cash/surety. Probable cause hearings on both felonies were set for May 7.
Extradition hearing set
A court-appointed attorney who represented Keon Mercer, 40, on felony charges of receiving stolen property in Circuit Court-Manchester District Division on Tuesday, was in Circuit Court Wednesday to request personal recognizance bail for Mercer on a felony fugitive charge.
Mercer is sought by Massachusetts. He had been living at 69 Massabesic St. when his sister told police he assaulted her April 7 after they argued about warrants for a number of New Hampshire charges, including felonies, misdemeanors and violations, some dating back to 2010.
Attorney William Schultz told Judge William Lyons that Mercer was released on personal recognizance bail Tuesday on the felony charges on condition that within 30 days he has a drug and alcohol evaluation and gets treatment.
"Our goal here is to get him enrolled in this program quickly," said Schultz.
He said Mercer has a place to live and a job with a Candia landscaper and is seeking custody of his child, now in the custody of Massachusetts child welfare authorities because the mother is in a drug program.
Police prosecutor Sgt. Stephen Reardon sought $5,000 cash/surety bail for Mercer, saying he was living in Springfield, Mass., has a lengthy criminal record in Massachusetts and Ohio, with the most recent Massachusetts conviction in 2008 for armed robbery.
Lyons set $10,000 personal recognizance bail on the warrant.
A hearing on the fugitive warrant was set for May 8, when Mercer will be tried on the misdemeanors and violations on which he was arraigned earlier this month.
Heroin possession charged
A Nashua man was charged with felony possession of a controlled drug following a traffic stop Tuesday night by members of the Manchester Police Street Crime Unit.
Police said officers stopped a motor vehicle at Lake Avenue and Maple Street on a traffic violation after observing the occupants engaged in suspected drug activity.
After further investigation, the driver, Jonathan Cote, 32, of 37 Harvard St., was found in possession of a small amount of suspected heroin and was arrested, police said.
Contempt charged
Tucker Lapoint, 22, of 17 Woodmere Drive, Hanover, was arraigned Wednesday in Circuit Court-Manchester District Division on a contempt charge, which had been filed after he was arrested in Lebanon while he was out on bail on Manchester motor vehicle charges for which he was arraigned Tuesday.
Lapoint asked for personal recognizance bail.
Judge William Lyons set bail at $500 cash/surety.
Trial was set for June 24, the same date as his other Manchester charges.


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How to Find a Good Patio Contractor
Have you decided you want a flagstone, limestone or concrete patio for your CALIFORNIA home. Wondering how to get it done and who you should use? Well, I'm going to tell you how. I'm going to give you a step by step process stating the 3 red flags that signal a bad or uneducated [tag] contractor. These 3 things will ensure you get it done the right way, by the right american concrete company contractor in CALIFORNIA .
Steps To Finding The Right Concrete Contractor in CALIFORNIA
First step, first things first. Every Stone Installation Needs A Concrete Footing which might also be called a concrete foundation . This is not opinion but fact. If you want it done right and want it to withstand the test of time, this is the way it's done, no exceptions. A red flag should go up when any contractor is offering bypassing a concrete foundation as a cost saving option. Unfortunately 85% of the american concrete company contractors out there will tell you they can lay the stone right on top of compacted granite or base material. This type of contractor is exactly who you want to avoid. While what they are recommending to you gives the appearance of a patio, it won't withstand the climate, erosion and soil movement beneath the patio in CALIFORNIA .
You might get a few crackless years at best, until it begins to fall apart. This method is the most recommended scam or shortcut of trying to lower pricing and still get the job. Notice the price came down because the concrete footing was removed from the job cost. This option of " no concrete necessary" is most often offered to those with strict financial limitations. The contractors offering this solution don't care about your patio or home, they just want your money.With no concrete foundation you get a type of patio, but it's really just a veneer laid on the ground.
How much concrete do i need?
A concrete patio or sidewalk slab or footing should be a minimum of 4 inches thick. This is sometimes reduced to around 3 1/2 inches due to preexisting structural limitations for american concrete company in CALIFORNIA . If you encounter space limitations, you really do need a good masonry contractor to resolve the issues with other options. this leads us to our next step.
The 2nd step is hire a knowledgeable masonry contractor in CALIFORNIA . Do a little research before you start getting pricing. Most good masonry contractors will be able to talk concrete chemistry and technology with you. Yes, I said technology. In the last 10 years there have been some really cool advances in concrete additives and mixes. These advances have provided solutions for the problems and limitations of old. A true patio or masonry professional will be able to talk shop with you, it's his livelihood. A contractor who can't do this or doesn't seem comfortable is more than likely a novice at best. This should be the other red flag that goes up. Basically, Concrete slabs and mortar are like a cake mix. Correctly mixing the ingredients and correctly letting the slab or masonry product cure, are the factors that determine a good solid installation. Again, Talk with your contractor and Make sure he's knowledgeable about the chemistry, additives and curing process of concrete & masonry. If he is this will ensure the likelihood of a great patio. 3rd step and last but definitely not least, Check references, check reviews and ask to see work they've done. Really check this stuff out and try to look at at least 1 job they have done. Ask point blank if the previous client is related to the contractor. Any resistance or confusion in this process would be red flag number
3.So, in order from 1 to 3. All masonry installations need a concrete footing. Make sure your patio contractor is knowledgeable about masonry chemistry, additives and enhancing solutions. Check references, reviews and stay away from the dirt cheap deals of a lifetime from any concrete contractor in CALIFORNIA .If you get even 1 red flag, get another contractor. There are enough guys out there that do know what they're doing.
Concrete Construction Projects Covered Within Contracting Companies
A concrete contractor is a specifically trained and experienced individual or team that is able to manage concrete in its various stages from an unmixed combination to the hard finished product that is produced. A qualified Concrete Contractor can design intricate plans with expert industry knowledge and experience, allowing homeowners to create their own perfect custom products for renovations in their own homes today.
The contractor will oversee delivery and ensure the concrete is poured correctly. The product will then need to be worked with by an expert to produce a leveled and smooth surface that will be able to cure properly. Ensuring this process is completed accurately is one of the key procedures that need to be handled carefully and diligently by the professional involved.
All great contractors can custom design features for their clients using their knowledge, skill and different techniques to ensure the best possible results with excellent customer satisfaction. Uniquely designed plans will be functional and structurally sound with patterns or color added to suit a customer's project idea.
Delivering the best options, quality and pricing to suit everyone's needs; a professionally trained Concrete Contractor will be able to provide the highest quality completed projects with top structural standards and ongoing customer support during and after the work is finished. A concrete contractor will ensure the expectations of a client are met at all times throughout the process of any construction with the most effective, reliable and reputable service available in the market today.
Don't Hire a Concrete Contractor Before You Read This!
The following is a list of trades in construction.


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Whether you're a gun-rights advocate or not, there's little room for debating Second Amendment rights. In fact, one could argue that any restriction on a citizen's right to keep and bear arms is unconstitutional.
Simply put, firearms are neither good or bad — they're a tool in the hands of an operator. They are not responsible for good intentions or bad intentions. They are not to blame for motives and madness.
Firearms are designed as a tool for protection, security and warfare. We expect our police and military to be armed and we would never ask them to fight crime and wars without weapons.
So, why are politicians calling for the ban of approximately 120 firearms that the American public uses for personal protection?
Some would argue that guns are responsible for murdering people, but with that kind of logic we could say the same thing about cars under the control of a drunk driver.
Politicians use armed security (not law enforcement) for their personal and family protection, so it's only natural that us common folk would want that same protection. Unfortunately, most of us can't afford armed escorts, but we can afford the sidearms they carry.
In all fairness, it is necessary for government to establish reasonable gun restrictions to ensure public safety, such as keeping firearms out of the hands of felons and the mentally ill, etc.
It should also be noted that within the Second Amendment there's an obscure phrase that describes the security of a free country being supported by a "well-regulated militia."
This does not mean, by any stretch of the imagination, that the government should control a militia like it does the military. What it does mean is that a well-regulated militia should support smart gun laws that protect the innocent.
Having a militia is not an outdated concept, just like owning and possessing a firearm is not an outdated right.
A militia is important to the security of a free society, not to mention the national benefit of having millions of armed citizens in a time of war.
Therefore, gun-rights advocates shouldn't become too defensive just because political opponents call for unreasonable gun regulation after a horrific shooting. This is normal behavior from those who have little understanding of the need for firearms.
We must also remember that courtrooms across America have reaffirmed our Second Amendment rights time and again, and if any unreasonable legislation is passed, it will most likely be struck down later in a court of law.
Before we propose new legislation on firearms, we must recognize a couple of things:
- Banning assault weapons will do little to protect the innocent from mass shootings, not to mention the debate that would ensue over the fate of the millions of assault rifles already in public circulation.
- Making things illegal in this country has never been an effective deterrent in making things more difficult to get (think illegal drugs).
- Reducing magazine capacities to a maximum of 10 rounds is not going to prevent criminals from obtaining high-capacity magazines from the millions (and I mean millions) already in circulation.
In fact, as long as the entertainment industry continues to relentlessly pump out ultra-violent films, video games and TV shows, it will become more of a necessity for law-abiding citizens to effectively arm themselves against people who cannot control their violent tendencies.
Implementing legislation that focuses on tightening up and even enhancing background checks, is an example of smart legislation that supports the establishment of a well-regulated militia.
Requiring gun owners to register their firearms is an example of knee-jerk legislation that will do little to curb violence. On the flip side, what's the harm in registering your firearm if you're a law-abiding citizen?
Introducing legislation that would require gun owners to attend periodic firearms training would not only open doors for added revenue to the firearms industry, but would also reduce firearm accidents and support the establishment of a well-trained, well-regulated militia.
More importantly, legislation must be introduced that will focus attention on what kinds of entertainment the mentally ill are authorized to have in their possession, such as porn, violent video games and movies, etc.
The courts put stipulations on the types of entertainment sex offenders can have in their possession in order to curb their temptation to carry out their fantasies. Why have we not created similar stipulations on the mentally ill?
This year's Congress will provide an opportunity for gun-rights advocates to come to the table with reasonable ideas for new legislation that will enhance the protection of the innocent and further the establishment of a well-regulated militia.
Sam King is a reserve police officer in Coos County and an undergraduate student at American Military University majoring in security management. He received a commendation from the FBI in 2011 for the apprehension of Bradley William Monical, who later escaped from the Jackson County Jail on Nov. 19, 2012.


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The Family of Museums
Read more about our Family
NHM has amassed one of the world's most extensive and valuable collections of natural and cultural history - more than 35 million objects, some as old as 4.5 billion years.
Located in the heart of metropolitan Los Angeles, the world famous Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits represents the only active urban paleontological excavation site in the world.
Silent film star William S. Hart purchased ranch property in Newhall, north of Los Angeles, in 1921. He built a 22-room mansion and filled it with Western art, Native American artifacts, and early Hollywood memorabilia.
If you need assistance booking the SEM lab, please email firstname.lastname@example.com.
Interested users should contact email@example.com for scheduling. In your email, be sure to include the following information:
Please wait while we process your request.
We are grateful to our Institutional Partner


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For After-Sale issues such as defective / missing products, product operation issues, tracking a parcel or checking order status, you could submit a request for help.
Live chat customer services team-Available for Pre-Sale questions. Start online chat
Sorry,we can't find anything about your keywords, we suggest you:
1. Check your spelling;
2. Adjust the keywords;
Can't find what you want?
Exclusive Coupon Package For New APP User.


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Putin, Cameron still hopeful on Syria peace talks
LONDON (AP) — The leaders of Britain and Russia said Sunday they're hopeful that Syria's warring factions can hammer out their differences at upcoming peace talks tentatively planned for next month in Geneva.
Speaking at British Prime Minister's David Cameron's Downing Street office, Russian President Vladimir Putin said both nations are still pressing for talks between representatives of Syrian ruler Bashar Assad and the disparate rebel movement that seeks to drive him from power.
Asked whether the proposed introduction of a "no fly zone" over parts of Syria or moves by Western powers to funnel weapons to Syria's rebels had sabotaged the peace talks, Putin said no.
"I don't think that the idea of the conference is buried for good," he said. "This is one of the most reasonable and acceptable ways of solving this problem. Only by joint efforts is it possible to definitively settle the problem and persuade the warring sides to sit down for talks."
Last week, the White House announced the Obama administration has agreed, after months of hesitation, to start supplying the rebels with upgraded military aid. Russia and European powers, including Britain and France, are at loggerheads over the issue of supplying arms to the different sides of the Syrian conflict, with Russia sending weapons to Assad's military, while reacting angrily to any move on the part of Western nations to do the same to his opponents.
Putin defended the distinction Sunday, saying that Russia was providing arms "to the legitimate government of Syria in full conformity with the norms of international law."
Cameron acknowledged that Russia and Britain are in opposition but told journalists there is still common ground.
"It is no secret that President Putin and I have had our disagreements on some of these issues, but what I take from our conversation today is that we can overcome these differences if we recognize that we share some fundamental aims: to end this conflict; to stop Syria breaking apart; to let the Syrian choose who governs them; and to take the fight to the extremists and defeat them."
Although Britain was one of the leaders in the push to lift the European arms embargo on Syrian rebel forces, Cameron's government faces a considerable amount of opposition should it move to arm the revolutionaries.
Lawmakers from across the political spectrum have expressed unease with the idea of sending weapons to Syria, with many warning they could end up in the hands of Muslim extremists loyal to al-Qaida.
Julian Lewis, from Cameron's Conservative Party, said earlier Sunday that sending weapons to the rebels would be "suicidal."
"In the past we have gone to war because we feared that weapons of mass destruction might fall into the hands of al-Qaida, and it would be absolutely crazy to assist al-Qaida to get their hands on the very sorts of weapons we must keep away from them at all costs," he told BBC radio.
Putin was in London ahead of the G8 summit of world leaders in Northern Ireland, which begins next week. The topic of Syria — and what to do end the conflict there — is not on the official agenda but is expected to be discussed.


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Translate this passage. It is from a Yale entry test ca 1900. Episcopus, your participation is mandatory.
Before Caesar set out from Rome the Helvetians decided to burn all their villages and abandon their country because they were being hard pressed by the Germans. But as soon as Caesar was informed of this design, he hastened from the city, and after gathering as large an army as possible, pitched his camp near Geneva, in order to prevent the Helvetians from crossing the Rhone into the Roman province. Then the Helvetians sent envoys to Caesar and said, "We desire to journey through the province without causing any injury, and we ask that we may be allowed to do this with your good will."
Heluetii, -orum
Rhodanus, -i
Germani, -orum
Genaua, -ae


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Fair Expo Center
Home of The Miami-Dade County Fair
...and the perfect place for your event!
The Fair Expo Center® is at the heart of Southwest Miami-Dade County at Coral Way and 112th Avenue and is adjacent to Florida International University and Tamiami Park. Lushly landscaped and immaculately maintained, the 86-acre site is available for rent and hosts a large variety of indoor and outdoor events from car and pet shows to cultural festivals, receptions, trade shows, outdoor concerts and much more. To take a look at our current calendar of events, click here now. To take a virtual tour, click here now.
A professional, bilingual staff proficient in planning, operation, maintenance and security will assist you in making any event, whether it is a seminar for 50 people or a festival for 50,000 visitors, a success.
For more information or questions about bringing your event to the Fair Expo Center contact: Sira Camilo, Director of Sales & Business Development (se habla en español) at (786) 315-5266 or email@example.com.
We kindly ask that Styrofoam® containers marked with a be kept at home or in your vehicle since they are not allowed on the fairgrounds. Thank you for your attention.


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The city of Lakeland set aside Saturday to honor Polk County's champions as the city set out to pay tribute to the trio of Ray Lewis, Albert McClellan and Jah Reid.
LAKELAND | The city of Lakeland set aside Saturday to honor Polk County's champions as the city set out to pay tribute to the trio of Ray Lewis, Albert McClellan and Jah Reid, who were members of the Super Bowl-winning Baltimore Ravens football team.
What the day turned into was the county's biggest sports star, Lewis, paying his own tribute, not only to the people who helped shape his career when he was at Kathleen High, but to the city itself.
Marching bands, high school color guards, choirs, dance teams and step teams all performed in honor of the three players who attended high school in Polk County. Lewis and McClellan attended Kathleen, while Reid attended Haines City.
In the crowd of about 300 on a blustery and chilly Saturday morning along the promenade at Lake Mirror, people mostly wearing the purple colors of the Ravens gathered for close to 90 minutes to pay tribute to the sons of Polk County.
McClellan and Reid could not attend but those representing them gave stories of two men who were never given anything but earned their accolades through hard work.
McClellan, who was represented by his grandmother and his former high school coach, Richard Tate, is recovering from shoulder surgery he had Tuesday. He sent his gratitude in a letter.
Reid was on a cruise and could not attend. His former high school coach, Bill Buldini, weaved a story of Reid being a leader in high school and how things did not come easy for Reid, who had no college scholarships in his senior year but through dedication earned one to the University of Central Florida.
Lakeland Mayor Gow Fields declared Saturday as Albert McClellan Day and declared the month of March as Ray Lewis Month. Both Kathleen alums had artist's renderings of themselves, and Lewis also received an honor from his social fraternity, Omega Psi Phi.
Finally, the crowd got what it wanted — to hear Lewis speak. The newly retired 17-year NFL vet captivated the crowd for nearly 25 minutes with messages that were part sermon but all gratitude for the people and the county that affected his life.
"If I had a gift to repay you, it would be my effort," Lewis said.
"There has been a lot of peaks and valleys in my life. But every time I did not want to get up, I got up. That's what our city always represented. That's who we are. Every day may not be a good day but we find a way to make it a great day. That's just who we are.
The city taught me effort," he said. "It taught me to never quit in life for nothing."
Lewis said that lesson hit home when he tore his triceps earlier this year and the doctor told him his season was over. But through his faith, he was determined to make it back for what he called "his last ride."
"Sometimes when God gets ready to take you to the highest of highs, mom can't go with you," he said to the audience. "Your pastor can't go with you. Sometimes when God gets ready to turn you around and do a real 360 in your life and show you what your visions really are, you've got to go by yourself."
When Lewis was younger, he said he always liked to run to stay in shape. It also allowed him to think.
Sometimes people would run with him, but often he was alone and people didn't understand why he ran so much.
Lewis said the reason was simple.
"Nobody ever knew why I went on those long runs and kept running and running and running," he explained.
"They didn't know what I was running for. I was running to put my city on the map because we produce champions. We produce people who really work hard and believe in something.
"Thank you, Lakeland," he ended.
"I can never repay you guys. I can only reward you by telling you I gave everything I had, and you guys were the major reason why."


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Watch Michelle Obama's Speech at Democratic National Convention!
Michelle Obama commands the stage as she speaks at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday (September 4) in Charlotte, N.C.
The 48-year-old First Lady of the United States was all smiles as she took the stage at Time Warner Cable Arena and addressed the crowd.
PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Michelle Obama
"Barack knows the American Dream because he's lived it," Michelle told the Democratic National Convention in part of her speech. "Today, after so many struggles and triumphs and moments that have tested my husband in ways I never could have imagined, I have seen firsthand that being president doesn't change who you are – it reveals who you are."
Watch Michelle's speech below.
Michelle Obama's Speech at Democratic National Convention
10+ pictures inside of Michelle Obama giving her speech…


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Austin Culton never thought about the number of times he was handed the ball each Friday night.
The Sycamore senior, who routinely had 25 to 30 rushing attempts a game in the second half of the season, didn't much care what the number was. But more often than not, when Culton's number was called, he delivered.
"To be honest, I didn't really think about it much," Culton said. "I would just be out there playing."
The 5-foot-7, 160-pound running back recorded a staggering 237 carries over 11 games in 2012, more than double the total of any other tailback in the area. He ran for 1,412 yards and scored 18 touchdowns, including five scores in Sycamore's two playoff games against Chicago King and Montini.
For Culton's individual accomplishments and Sycamore's team success, he is the Daily Chronicle's Football Player of the Year. Kaneland junior running back Jesse Balluff also was considered for the award.
"His ankle wasn't good from Geneseo (Week 4) on," Sycamore coach Joe Ryan said. "I'd like to see how he would've done if his ankles were good the whole season. That was another thing that showed how tough he was."
With a new quarterback and a relatively young offensive line, the Spartans depended on Culton to provide consistency in the offense. Culton started at running back as a junior in 2011, and Ryan noted that he was a more patient runner in 2012.
As the offensive line became better later in the year, Culton's carries started to increase. He had 31 carries for 188 yards and two touchdowns in a 26-14 win against Rochelle and scored four touchdowns in the first round of the IHSA Class 5A playoffs against King.
In his final game, against Montini in the second round of the postseason, Culton had a season-high 32 carries for 138 yards and a touchdown.
"It took [the offensive line] a while to realize if you can work together this is what we can be and what we can accomplish," Culton said. "I give a lot of credit to my line the past two years."
Culton's football career ended against Montini, and the last carry of his career, a successful two-point conversion, put Sycamore up, 22-21, before Montini's last-minute comeback.
"That sums up his career and how he ran for us all in one play," Ryan said. "There wasn't a lot of room and he fought his way into the end zone. I know he's the toughest kid I've ever coached."
Culton, who also was the 2012 Daily Chronicle Wrestler of the Year, recently signed his letter of intent to wrestle at Northern Illinois. He was the 2012 IHSA wrestling state champion at 152 pounds.
But he says he'll miss putting on the pads each fall.
"Even though I'm signing to wrestle at Northern Illinois, football has always been my favorite sport," Culton said. "It always will be my favorite sport."
Drew David
Kaneland, QB, junior
David's individual statistics weren't as impressive as 2011 when he was named the Daily Chronicle Player of the Year as a sophomore. Yet the veteran QB managed to lead Kaneland to another undefeated regular season, throwing 23 touchdowns despite dealing with a late-season wrist injury.
Austin Culton
Sycamore, RB, senior
The Daily Chronicle Player of the Year carried the ball 237 times for 1,412 yards and 18 touchdowns, leading the area in all three categories. He was Sycamore's most consistent weapon and was vital in pass protection for the Spartans, who ended the year with a 7-4 record.
Jesse Balluff
Kaneland, RB/S, junior
A two-way starter for the Knights, Balluff was a versatile offensive player out of the backfield. He had more than 1,000 combined yards rushing and receiving and, later on in the year, was used in Kaneland's wildcat formation. With QB Drew David injured in Week 8, Balluff ran for 183 yards and two touchdowns against Sycamore in a 30-7 win.
Ben Niemann
Sycamore, WR/S, junior
Niemann was Sycamore's big-play threat and developed into QB Devin Mottet's go-to receiver. The recent Northern Illinois commit stretched defenses vertically and led the area with 876 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. He also returned punts and started at safety for a stingy defense that yielded few big plays.
Zack Martinelli
Kaneland, WR, senior
Martinelli developed into the No. 1
receiver for Kaneland. Despite playing in an offense with numerous weapons, Martinelli was the area's second-leading receiver, hauling in 41 catches for 701 yards, including 11 touchdowns.
Kaneland's offense was held to fewer than 25 points only once in 11 games and averaged more than 40 points a game.
Brett Weaver
Sycamore, LB, sophomore
Although only a sophomore, Weaver developed into one of the leaders on a young Sycamore defense that got better as the season went on. Weaver consistently was around the ball and was a major reason Sycamore allowed fewer than 17 points a contest.
Gary Koehring
Kaneland, LB, junior
Koehrig played in the middle of Kaneland's 3-5 defense, a much-improved unit from 2011. Kaneland yielded only 14 points a game and pitched four shutouts in 11 contests.
Lincoln-Way West coach Dave Ernst said Koehrig was the top linebacker they had seen all season through the second round of the playoffs.
Jake Davis
Sycamore, DL, senior
Davis was one of the few senior leaders for Sycamore. His play along the defensive front allowed space for Brett Weaver and the Spartans linebackers to make plays.
Davis' impact was seen toward the end of the season as he recorded three tackles for loss against King in the first round of the playoffs.
Dre Brown
DeKalb, RB, sophomore
Brown was DeKalb's main offensive threat, with the ability to break off a long run on any carry. The sophomore had 108 carries for 759 yards and nine touchdowns.
Brown played only three games during his freshman campaign in 2011, but already has shown enough promise to attract scholarship offers from Illinois and Northern Illinois.
Zach Theis
Kaneland, OL, senior
Theis was part of a dominant Kaneland offensive line that excelled in both pass protection and run blocking. He was one of two local area players named to the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Class 5A All-State team.
Ben Rabe
Genoa-Kingston, OL/DL, senior
Rabe was a unanimous All-Big Northern East Conference selection on the offensive line. He played three years on the varsity level and all three OL positions.
The G-K senior also was the Cogs' middle linebacker and played on special teams, rarely leaving the field.
"Ben was a smart, physical and vocal leader for G-K," Cogs coach Travis Frederick said.
Derek Ross, sr., WR, Hiawatha
Devin Mottet, jr., QB, Sycamore
Mike Mercado, jr., QB, Hiawatha
Dakotah Quimby, sr., RB / LB, Hiawatha
Daniel Coovert, so., C, Sycamore
Jack Sauter, jr., QB, DeKalb
Jack Dargis, jr., LB, Sycamore
Gabe Williams, sr., WR / DB, Genoa-Kingston
Alex Snyder, jr., OL, Kaneland
Jake Carpenter, sr., WR, DeKalb
Jaumaureo Phillips, jr., DL / OL, Kaneland
Martin Malone, sr., OL, Sycamore
John Beaudoin, sr., OT, Sycamore
Logan Bankson, sr., OT / LB, Genoa-Kingston
Kevin McINtyre, jr., OG / DT, Genoa-Kingston
Dylan Hottsmith, jr., RB / K / DB, DeKalb
Dylan Nauert, jr, WR / LB, Kaneland
Allen Letterer, so., TE, Hiawatha
Connor Bankson, jr., C / DT, Genoa-Kingston
Matt Rodriguez, jr., K, Kaneland
Sal Lopez, jr., RB, Genoa-Kingston
Nick Doolittle, so., RB / DB, Hiawatha
- Ross Jacobson, firstname.lastname@example.com


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Which Jersey Shore Star Is Going Broke to Impress an Actress?
This Jersey Shore guido is spending all his cash trying to get in good with this has-been actress that he's always had a crush on. Meanwhile, this actor has a second career as a loan shark. These two might have business together soon.
1. "What Jersey Shore star has been spending every penny he makes trying to impress one of his actress crushes from back in the day. She is now a C with A list name recognition, but the guy thinks she is at her back in the day prime (did she really have a prime?) Anyway, he coughs up dough and follows her around and she keeps demanding more. He has upped his fee for appearances just so he can keep up with her financial demands. He does say the sex is good." [CDaN]
2. "This actor has developed an interesting side business. When someone within the entertainment industry runs into trouble and can't pay off an expense through their regular accounts, this rich and powerful actor discreetly lends them the money at a very high interest rate. Need to pay off your pregnant jump off? Need to keep your house out of foreclosure? Need to square things up with your bookie? This is your go to guy. Some might consider the interest rates on the loans usurious. But for those who are able to keep their names out of the tabloids, their butts out of court, their creditors off their back, and their spouses in the dark, his services are priceless." [Blind Gossip]


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Constructed of 304 stainless steel. Studded Boat Hand Rail. Fast FREE shipping on this item!
|~ Our Shipping Policies ~
U.S. Ground Shipping Services
*Currently, the ONE and ONLY item on this site that we are unable to offer FREE shipping for is our sheets of Marine Grade Plywood. These sheets of plywood decking must ship freight from our location in Indiana to yours.*
**All other items (marine carpet, marine vinyl flooring, boat parts, boat hardware, marine glue) listed on this site will ship for FREE. You never have to qualify for FREE shipping on our sites. Every single product except for our sheets of Marine Plywood will ship for FREE no matter your purchase total.**
***For our customer's convenience we offer Fast, FREE shipping on most all of our products via UPS Ground. For these products our Fast, FREE shipping can only be offered when the item that you have purchased is shipping within the continental USA. However, we welcome international shoppers and will happily ship any of our items to destinations outside the continental USA for an additional shipping charge.***
Tracking Information:
Once your merchandise is ready to be shipped we will update your account as well as send you an email with all of the tracking information. You may then track the progress of your shipment by visiting our "Track My Stuff" page or by visiting www.ups.com and providing your tracking number into the required field.
Our rolls of Marine
Carpet will typically be ready to ship (from our manufacture) within
24-72 hours of placing your order. However, during certain busy times of
the boating season the time frame needed to get your roll of boat
carpet ready to ship may increase. This will usually be the case right
before and during major holidays. We understand that you will need your
marine carpet before you can finish putting your boat back together. We
will always do everything in our power to get you your marine carpet as
fast as we possibly can. On average, our customers have been receiving
their roll of marine carpeting in 5-10 business days from the time their
order has been placed.
Inspecting your New Boat Carpet:
Your roll of boat carpet will be packaged in a 6 mil heavy duty plastic. Please be very careful when opening the roll of marine carpeting as it cuts very easily with a razor knife. Unroll your new boat carpet and inspect it for any imperfections.
Damaged Merchandise:
Please contact us immediately if your merchandise arrives damaged.
**Please Note**
Our marine grade carpet adhesive ships separately from our rolls of marine carpeting. Orders for our boat carpet glue placed before 2pm (EST) will be shipped that same day. Orders placed after 2pm (EST) will be shipped out the following day.
Orders for our marine hardware placed before 2pm (EST) will be shipped that same day. Orders placed after 2pm (EST) will be shipped out the following day.
Our marine plywood must ship via freight to your home or business. Please feel free to contact us any time before or during the checkout process if you would like us to provide you with a freight quote before you complete your order. (866.237.0075)
Storage of Boat Carpet Adhesive:
Upon arrival of your boat glue, store your boat adhesive inside and away from freezing temperatures. Please do not let your boat glue freeze or get cold as the recommended temperature to apply your boat glue is above 60 degrees. If your boat adhesive has been applied to your boat carpet, it can not be returned for a refund. Also do not let your newly installed boat carpet set out in the rain. This will stop the curing process and you may have to re-install new boat carpet and glue.
At Boat Carpet Central we take pride in our products and we want you to
be completely satisfied with your purchase. We will gladly refund or
exchange most merchandise for any reason within 30 days from the
original purchase date. Items returned after 30 days from the original
purchase date will be charged a 10% restocking fee.
International Shoppers are Welcome:
Boat Carpet Central welcomes international shoppers. There are additional costs for shipping, duties and taxes. Please contact our customer service department by phone or email so we can determine a proper shipping quote for you. (866-237-0075)
Alaska and Hawaii Shoppers are Welcome:
Boat Carpet Central welcomes order from Alaska and Hawaii. There are additional costs for shipping. Please contact our customer service department by phone or email so we can determine a proper shipping quote for you. (866-237-0075)
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We live in a world with no shortage of tools. In fact, for every task an online marketer may face on a day-to-day basis, there's an average of 3.4 bazillion different tools at her disposal, and just about that many ways to actually use each tool.
Shiny new widgets, much-hyped upgrades, and emergent channels seem to roll out daily by the truckload in the online marketing industry, which is itself typified by constant evolution.
While there's certainly nothing wrong with watching a tutorial on Cool New Site X or getting a free trial of Wow Super New Program Y, it's important to show those tried and true tools that have served you well in the past a little TLC (until it really is time to upgrade… cough).
We've assembled a list of some of our in-shop favorites tools, ranging from streamlined image editors to dynamic databases, from unassuming to in-your-face, as well as various practical uses for each.
1. LetterCount.com
If you can get over the sketchy UI and the mustard / ketchup color scheme, you'll fall in love with the no-muss no-fuss convenience of LetterCount.com. It's always pined in my Chrome window, eliminating the need to boot up Word or Excel, and is absolutely perfect for instantaneous character counts.
Hey, Facebook Community Managers: Want to turn that Facebook Page Post into a Page Post Ad? Better keep the title to 80 characters and the editorial to 90 characters, or face the dreaded ellipses truncation. LetterCount.com is your on-the-fly character count BFF.
Awesome for:
- Warp-speed Facebook community management
- Search and contextual ad writing (when not working in ads UI)
2. IrfanView
For quick and dirty image modifications, IrfanView is a favorite among PC users in the aimClear shop. This incredibly streamlined open-source program loads in an estimated 0.024 seconds, and most handy image editing commands are mere keystrokes away. Did we mention it's free?
Killer images are essential to effective Facebook ads, so go ahead and crank up that saturation (Shift+G), turn it on its head (literally click the "R" key to turn right, "L" key to turn left), and make sure you size properly (CTRL+R)!
Awesome for:
- Wicked fast image optimizations, great for everything from Facebook Ads to blog posts
Bonus: For Mac users, we're partial to Pixlemator, a wallet-friendly (around $30) and lightweight version of Photoshop.
3. WeFollow
This user-powered directory is incredibly helpful for identifying interest-driven Twitterfolk, from authority to average Joe. Type in some keywords relevant to your target audience (they're preset categories, you don't have to reinvent the wheel), click on a user of interest, and check out the additional tags he/she self-identifies with to broaden your WeFollow hunt.
Awesome for:
- Serious social demographic research
- Identifying promising folks to follow on Twitter
4. The Archivist
Deep analytics and complex pivot tables can go a long way, but sometimes, people just want pretty graphs. Whether you're an agency reporting to a client or an in-house employee reporting to your CEO, don't underestimate the power of gorgeous data visualizations. We dig those created by The Archivist, a nifty tool for tracking and, well, archiving, tweets.
Awesome for:
- Quick data visualizations of keywords from the Twittersphere
- At-a-glance understanding of keyword / conversation frequency
- Impressive charts for your boss or client
5. Factual
Whoa, mama, we hit the mother lode! Factual is an amazing go-to source for international data on thousands of topics, updated constantly. Key verticals range from Global Places to Healthcare Providers, Restaurants to Consumer Products. Make a giant pot of coffee (or open a fine bottle of wine) and cozy up with the abundance of info, figures, and statistics Factual has to offer.
Take what you learn and create dazzling infographics for your online community, or other forms of quality content worthy of inbound links. The possibilities are as endless as the data.
Bonus! Facebook Paid Ad Units
Cutting-edge marketers agree, Facebook Paid Ad Units are the new black… or, the other white meat of the FB advertising realm. Whatever analogy you prefer. Less of a tool and more of a tactic, FB Paid Ad Units are an enticing mix of clever community management and calculating paid marketing, beneficial for any brand with a Facebook page.
Testing the effectiveness of the content you broadcast and the editorial you incorporate has never been more fun. Take what you learn from the data and implement organically. If you're not already tinkering with Facebook Page Post Ads, start.
Awesome for:
- Measuring success of various types of content and editorial posted to Facebook community
Related reading
The merged approach: How combining traditional and digital brings marketing success
Digital is vital to the success of any marketing strategy. Or is it? It's a bold statement but one that is only true if combined with traditional marketing, to really allow brands to effectively dominate the advertising space within their market place, regularly targeting and connecting with the consumer.


text:
Sheryl L. Spiller Becomes L.A. County Department of Public Social Services First African American Director
She becomes the first ever African-American to lead the department in its nearly 100-year history of providing social services
LOS ANGELES – Sheryl L. Spiller, who began her long career with the County of Los Angeles as a clerk typist over 40 years ago, was sworn-in last week to lead the 13,500- employee Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) in its efforts to provide much-needed benefits and services to low-income individuals and families in the second largest locally operated social services agency in the nation.
With her official swearing in, Spiller became the first ever African-American (male or female) to lead the department in its nearly 100-year history.
Greeted by a standing ovation, Spiller was accompanied by her daughter and three grandchildren. She reflected on the lyrics of Whitney Houston's version of One Moment in Time, of which she said personally moved her as she listened to the Emmy-Award winning song on her way to the swearing-in ceremony.
"Each day I live, I want to be, a day to give the best of me," Spiller shared with supporters in the audience. "I'm only one, but not alone. My finest day is yet unknown."
Spiller has served as DPSS Acting Director since August 2011, after the former director, Philip L. Browning, was named to head the County Department of Children and Family Services. She has built her career with a combination of front-line work, strategic savvy and a commitment to helping those around her grow on the job.
She thanked the Board of Supervisors and Chief Executive Officer for making it possible for someone at the lowest level to rise to the top.
"The County, under the leadership of the Board, has created extraordinary opportunities for professional development, making it possible for someone to begin employment at the lowest entry level and work their way up to head a major department," Spiller said.
On her long journey to becoming DPSS Director, Spiller has served in various management positions, many of which have guided critical policy decisions for the department. She is also credited with spearheading a highly successful public outreach effort that resulted in over 100,000 uninsured children being enrolled into Medi-Cal.


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I was 26 weeks into my second pregnancy with twin girls. Two weeks earlier I had an ultrasound where the doctor expressed concern that one baby had started to taper off in weight from the other.
I was 26 weeks into my second pregnancy with twin girls. Two weeks earlier I had an ultrasound where the doctor expressed concern that one baby had started to taper off in weight from the other.
I was sent to OU for a round of steroid shots and observation. I checked into the hospital at 27 weeks gestation.
At 4 a.m. that first night, the nurse came in and asked why I had not requested pain medication for my contractions. Conractions! I had no idea but I had gone into full labor over the night and was dilated to a "4."
She explained they would be giving me a medication to try to stop the contractions. I spent the next five weeks on complete bed rest. I prayed every night that God would give me the physical and mental strength to make it another day.
The problem was with the cord flow to baby B, the flow of fluid to the second baby slowed or completely cut off. At 33 weeks, the flow had become completely shut down. We were scheduled for C-section that day. By 2:50 that afternoon we were the parents of twin girls – Kaitlyn Marie who weighed 3 pounds 13 ounces and Maggie Grace weighed 2 pounds 8 ounces.
The teams of nurses and doctors were completely silent as they were delivered; there were no cries. My heart sank and I could tell by the look on my husband's face, things were not magically going to be OK. I could hear the sound of respirators and a few whispers.
Moments later I heard the first sound of life and then another. They presented Kaitlyn to us. We weren't able to hold her but we got a few minutes to look at her before they sent her to the NICU. It took much longer for us to see Maggie. We got a quick glance and she was rushed upstairs in a much more urgent manner.
When I finally was taken to the NICU, I was faced with the smallest babies I had ever seen. They each had IV's with several bags and syringes flowing into them. Maggie was one of the smallest babies they tried to feed from a bottle and she took to it like a champ.
When the girls came home, Maggie was just over 4 pounds and Kaitlyn had just reached 5. Today, four years later, they are healthy, active little girls. If not for the advance in medical science, these girls wouldn't have had a chance.
We give the glory to God for our children, but we know if not for the research and advances in medication made possible, in part, by March of Dimes, we would not have the healthy children we have today.