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Ideas for Your Freedom Year — Trips of a Lifetime
Dear Bored at Work Seeking Adventure –
Now, why wait to see these amazing places until your 65 with a gold watch and arthritis ?Get to planning your Freedom Year adventure now!
Yours truly
Editor, FreedomYear.com
Trips of a Lifetime
(Original Article from Frommers)
Angkor Wat, Cambodia
In 1861, it was just a mysterious hulk of laterite and sandstone blocks, shrouded in roots and vines, in the Cambodian jungle. Today, the ancient city of Angkor — capital of the Khmer kingdom from the 9th to the 15th century — is Cambodia's chief tourism attraction, a breathtaking sprawl of temples and shrines that covers 400 sq. km (154 sq. miles).
Part of the complex is Angkor Thom — or great city in Khmer — dotted with many temples. The centerpiece is a fantastical Buddhist temple called Bayon, with four huge enigmatic stone faces, each cosmologically aligned with a compass point, as are each of its 51 small towers.
Angkor's primary attraction, however, is the main temple, Angkor Wat, whose four-spired profile has virtually become the symbol of Cambodia. Dating from the 12th century, it stands 213m (700 ft.) high from its base to the tip of its highest lotus-shaped tower, the largest religious monument ever built. Scholars believe its symmetry mirrors the timeline of the Hindu ages, like a map or calendar of the universe. Approaching from the main road over a baray, or reservoir, you climb up three steep levels to the inner sanctum, where you'll be high up for an awe-inspiring view.
Photo Caption: A tree overgrowing the ruins of Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia
Photo by Frommers.com Community
Bora Bora, French Polynesia
Nothing says "ultimate honeymoon" like Bora Bora. Lush mountains slope down to a lagoon striped with bands of clear water ranging from deep blue-green to neon-turquoise. Around the lagoon, palm-fringed atolls and coral reefs trace a wispy pentagon, and everywhere, suspended boardwalks lead like tentacles to overwater bungalows for newlyweds and other romantics. Too perfect a tropical getaway to be a secret, Bora Bora is nevertheless remote and expensive enough that the island's luxurious mystique has remained intact.
Less touristy and even more stunning is Moorea — inspiration for the mythical island of Bali Ha'i in James Michener's Tales of the South Pacific, made popular by the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical. Once you behold its beauty in person, you may find it hard to believe the scenery isn't computer-generated: Jagged mountain contours are so dramatically faceted as to seem man-made, and the dense vegetation blanketing every surface of the island has the soft, rich look of green velvet. If the landscape isn't dreamy enough, visitors can learn the art of growing black pearls or traditional tattooing at Moorea's Tiki Theatre Village, a reconstructed Polynesian village. Or visit a vanilla plantation in cliff-bounded Opunohu Valley. Or simply make friends with local residents, who still have time to stop and chat with inquisitive visitors.
Photo Caption: Overwater bungalows in Bora Bora, French Polynesia
Photo by Frommers.com Community
Cappadocia, Turkey
Three volcanoes created the hauntingly beautiful landscape of Cappadocia, in central Turkey, 515km (320 miles) southeast of Istanbul. The first eruption spread delicate tufa, which wind and water sculpted into ever-evolving domes, hollows, clefts, and cones. Later eruptions scattered harder lava. Now, as the soft underbelly erodes, huge boulders teeter upon slender tufa towers known as "fairy chimneys." Locals still burrow homes into the soft rock, as they have since the Paleolithic era. Some have opened these singular dwellings as guest houses, extending genuine hospitality to travelers about to venture to the region's top sights.
South of Nevsehir are Derinkuyu and Kaymakli — two of the most impressive underground cities dug by invaders as early as 2000 B.C. as they traversed this crucial crossroads between the East and the West. From the Christian era, the Goreme Open Air Museum encompasses 30 painted churches from the 2nd century A.D. near Goreme. More recent additions to the landscape are the medieval caravansaries, such as the Agzikarahan (now a carpet market), where traveling merchants lodged as they traveled the Silk Road in the 13th century. Now a carpet market, Agzikarahan draws today's weary travelers for a glass of tea, some haggling, and a glimpse of Ottoman architecture at its height.
Photo Caption: Hot-air ballooning in Cappadocia, Turkey
Photo by Frommers.com Community
The terrain of Iceland, among the world's most dynamic and otherworldly, is still in the process of being created before your eyes. The earth steams and bubbles. Volcanoes rise like islands in a sea of sand. Lava cracks and cools into thousands of never-before-seen shapes. Waterfalls drop from heath-covered mountains with spiked ridges and snowcapped peaks. Cows, sheep, and ponies graze on velvety green pastures. Daylight never ends in summer, with alternating periods of rain and sunshine, marble skies, and heavy mists made for romantics who know that only on a misty day can you see forever.
And then there are the Icelanders: 100% literate, with Europe's lowest infant mortality rate and the highest rate of births outside marriage; and the vibrant nightlife in Reykjavik. The force of life in the people of Iceland — as in the landscape — is incomparable.
Photo Caption: Hverir thermal field near Reykjahlíð, Iceland
Photo by Frommers.com Community
The captivating kingdom of Bhutan, rooted in the traditions and beliefs of a fast-disappearing Buddhist universe, opened its doors warily to the outside world only little more than a quarter-century ago. Those who trickled in found a place like no other. Its mountain landscapes, with holy peaks unclimbed to avoid disturbing the gods, are as pristine as its primeval forests, a naturalist's dream. Roads are few and precipitous, but at almost every turn there is something to see: traditional half-timbered farmhouses in sheltered valleys, arresting fortress monasteries on hilltops, rare animals and birds, and groves of blooming trees and earthbound flowers.
Valleys are colorful (sometimes raucous) places, suffused with the scent of butter lamps and enlivened by flocks of unruly novices, disputatious monks, and altars piled high with offerings from the rural poor, who come to spin prayer wheels, finger beads, or seek advice.
Never colonized by Western powers, Bhutan remains deeply independent, the last Tibetan Buddhist monarchy not swallowed up by China, to the north, or India, to the south. Despite the arrival of the country's first luxury spa resorts, one visits Bhutan on Bhutanese terms, in limited numbers, for immersion in an encompassing Buddhism that touches everything.
Photo Caption: The Tiger's Nest Monastery near Paro, Bhutan
Photo by Frommers.com Community
Machu Picchu, Peru
The Inca Trail footpath is an ancient Andean passage from Cusco, capital of the Incan empire, through the Sacred Valley, to the 15th-century ruins of the civilization's crown jewel, Machu Picchu. Cleared from centuries of thick forest growth since historian Hiram Bingham introduced it to the world in 1911, this fabled lost city of the Incas defiantly guards its mystique.
Did it serve as a citadel? An astronomical observatory? A ceremonial city or sacred retreat for the emperor? Why did the Incas construct, inhabit, and then deliberately abandon it in less than a century? How did the Spanish conquistadors miss it? Whatever its intended purpose, Machu Picchu remains the world's greatest example of landscape art, sitting gracefully like a proud saddle between two enormous Andean peaks.
Visitors come to run their hands over the massive, smoothly cut stone, which fit together seamlessly without mortar. Other travelers make it a point to experience daybreak, when the light creeps over Machu Picchu's jagged silhouette and slowly, with great drama, illuminates the ruins row by row, building by building. Most spectacular is the winter solstice sunrise, when sunrays stream through the Temple of the Sun window, setting the stone at the center of the temple ablaze.
Photo Caption: View of Machu Picchu in Peru's Sacred Valley.
Photo by Sarah Haden
Namib-Naukluft Park, Namibia
"Surreal" is the word most often used to describe the textured landscapes of Namib-Naukluft Park in Namibia. Its purple gravel plains are carpeted in soft green grass after the rains. Golden dunes rise up from the sea. The iconic Sossusvlei dunes, a series of burnt-red and deep-orange pyramids, tower some 300m (984 ft.) above the white clay pan into which the Tsauchab River has its annual petit mort (little death).
A little larger than Switzerland, the planet's oldest desert and fourth-largest conservation land is best experienced by car, with the windows open and the hot wind in your hair. It's not a wildlife destination per se, but step away from the gravel roads and you'll encounter some of nature's more interesting species, cleverly adapted to these hyper-arid conditions.
Head south from Windhoek, the capital, and spend the night at one of the fabulous safari camps in Namib Rand, the private reserve adjacent to the park, just an hour from Sossusvlei. Then head east to the lesser-known but equally captivating Naukluft Mountains, source of the Tsauchab's waters, where crystal streams fill jade-green rock pools. Finally return via the black boulders of the Juiseb Canyon to Swakopmund, where you can follow the dunes south to Sandwich Harbor for the refreshing sight of water teeming with flamingos and pelicans.
Photo Caption: Climbing one of the tallest dunes at sunrise in the Namib-Naukluft National Park in Namibia
Okavango Delta & Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana
Botswana's Okavango Delta and Moremi Game Reserve is a world where edible beasts — zebras, giraffe, warthogs, antelopes — are forever on alert, as lions, leopards, or packs of wild dogs lie in wait to take them down for dinner. This spectacular environment is arguably the best place on the planet for an intimate view of wildlife in action.
A fan-shaped oasis in a country that is 80% desert, the delta draws hordes of animals for a drink of its life-giving waters. After the summer rains, the delta is ravaged by water from Angola in the north, transforming it into another world, soaked with life and charged with the beauty of abundance. Visitors get to watch the flood plains of the world's largest inland delta miraculously fill up. Waterways dotted with islands and clogged by reed beds provide a network of navigable channels where visitors are poled around in dugout canoes. While basking in luxurious lodges and top-end safari drives, visitors await that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to watch predators take down their prey.
Photo Caption: Lions resting on the Okavango Delta in Botswana
Photo by Frommers.com Community
Xian, China
A train crossing of China's Silk Road takes you through a cultural journey from the Far East to the Mideast, from modern Chinese megacities through an ancient arid desert plateau to stunning mountains. For an ideal 10-day trip, you can follow the ancient trade route used from the 1st century B.C. to the 10th century A.D. starting in Xian, home of the Terra Cotta Warriors. Along the way, travelers can make stops at the official end of the Great Wall at Jiayu Guan, the Mogao Buddhist caves near Dunhuang, the aforementioned desert basin of Turpan, and the provincial capital Urumqi — an ideal base for a day trip to Heavenly Lake.
Time your travels so you hit Kashgar — the end of the line — on a Sunday, when its bustling market comes to life. Or, opt for a five-hour drive to the even more impressive Sunday market in Khotan, the largest in Central Asia.
Photo caption: Terra Cotta Warriors in Xian, China.
Photo by Jodi Bratch
Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, Chile
Torres del Paine is the crown jewel of Chile's national park system. Lakes of milky greens and blues ("paine" is the Tehuelche word for "blue"), gentle valleys, and frigid hanging glaciers captivate hikers who come to walk the park's circuit of well-maintained trails — but nothing has more power to impress and compel than the Paine Massif — a series of jagged peaks thrown up from the earth 3 million years ago.
This being Patagonia, weather conditions are also impressive and instantly changeable, from warm sunny pauses to screaming winds that can prevent anyone from walking exactly upright. The best time of year for hiking is late December through February, when weather conditions are at their most mild and daylight is longest, but intrepid travelers visit year-round.
Photo caption: The French Valley of Torres del Paine National Park in Chile
Easter Island
Whether you call it Rapa Nui (as do its Polynesian inhabitants) or Isla de Pascua (as do Chileans), Easter Island is synonymous with those giant carved heads known as moai. We know how they were made. We know where they were made and how they were transported across the island. We just don't know why — and that's the great mystery. Theories abound, but possibly the most well-reasoned one is that the 12 Rapanui tribes carved ever-bigger versions of the original smaller moai to boast of their virility, strength, and power in a low-tech arms race that led to the eventual deforestation of the island and the decimation of its ecosystem. The population is estimated to have peaked at 15,000. By the time Dutch explorers first saw the island on Easter Sunday in 1722 (thus the Westernized name), the population had dwindled to just under 3,000 people, all facing starvation.
Fast forward to today, and you'll discover an island and a people who have proudly recaptured their heritage. Since it's the most remote inhabited island in the world (it's in the South Pacific more than a five-hour flight from Santiago), we recommend spending a week here, giving you time to explore the island at a leisurely pace and to recharge in its balmy climes. Be sure to visit Rano Raraku, the volcanic peak that served as the quarry (aka the "Nursery") for the famed statues, where you'll find moai complete or in process scattered about the slope.
Photo caption: A large stone moai statue on Rapa Nui, aka Easter Island
Photo by Frommers.com Community
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Australia
Why travel so far to look at a large red rock? Because it will send a shiver up your spine. Because it may move you to tears. Up close, Uluru is more magnificent than you can imagine. Immense and overwhelming, this area has what's described as a "spirit of place" here.
In photos (which never do it justice), "The Rock" looks smooth and even, but the reality is much more interesting — dappled with holes and overhangs, with curtains of stone draping its sides, creating little coves hiding water holes and Aboriginal rock art. Depending on the angle and intensity of the sun, the color changes from pink to a deep wine red. And if you are lucky enough to be visiting when it rains, you will see a sight like no other. Here, rain brings everyone outside to see the spectacle of waterfalls created off the massive rock.
But don't think a visit to Uluru is just about snapping a few photos. You can walk around the Rock, climb it (although we say don't; even the local Anangu people consider it too dangerous), fly over it, ride a camel to it, circle it on a Harley-Davidson, trek through the nearby Olgas, and dine under the stars while you learn about them. Of the many ways to explore it, one of the best is to join Aboriginal people on guided walks. Just do yourself one favor: Plan to spend at least two days here, if not three. — Lee Mylne
Photo Caption: In 1985, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park was returned to its Aboriginal owners, known as the Anangu, who manage the property jointly with the Australian government.
Photo by Frommers.com Community
Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Most vacations aren't exactly life-altering, but a surprising number of people who trek the Camino de Santiago come away from the experience feeling fundamentally changed. While it is physically a long and arduous walk over a 500-mile course, most of the labor is more … metaphysical. It's a spiritual journey that emulates the path walked in the year 950 by a French monk to visit the remains of the Apostle St. James in remote Santiago de Compostela. He described his journey in what is considered to be the first travel guide, the Codex Calixtinus.
One thousand years later, pilgrims are still tracing his footsteps, starting in Navarre and ending in Galicia, usually after a solid month of walking, for the full effect. But it's also possible to undertake only sections of the journey, depending on your time allowances. You choose your own path.
Photo Caption: The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Photo by Markel Redondo
North Vietnam
The Vietnamese capital Hanoi is the home base for exploring northern Vietnam. Book an overnight train to the high mountains and rice terraces of Sapa, an old French colonial hill station that you can use as a base for easy hikes of nearby villages. The diverse ethnic hill tribes gather in town under the gaze of the old Mission Church to trade goods (to other Vietnamese) and souvenirs (to tourists). Or head 62 miles out to Bac Ha on Sundays for another bustling market. If you miss that one, hire a guide to take you to Coc Ly, which holds a colorful market on Tuesdays — you get the picture.
Head due east from Hanoi to catch the light playing on the arching rock formations of Halong Bay — it's never the same, painting rich colors on a stunning landscape, and the bay attracts many artists and photographers.
Photo Caption: Rice paddies in Sapa, Vietnam
Photo by Frommers.com Community
7 Work Ideas for Your Freedom Year
7 Legitimate Work-at-Home Jobs for 20-Somethings
By John Pacenti | Bankrate.com — Mon July 16, 2012
(Original Article on Yahoo.com here)
Work at home in your PJs?
One ad reads, "I will juggle three fire clubs with a firework on my head for $5." Another offers a 45-minute Spanish lesson on Skype or professional advice on buying real estate. All are on Fiver.com where anybody can sell a service for $5, many through the Internet.
The website is indicative of how the work-at-home job scene has evolved in just the last few years.
"We are now seeing younger and younger people working from home," says Michael Haaren, co-founder of RatRaceRebellion.com, which has tracked 17,000 telecommuting jobs since 2007.
"Three years ago, the person who typically worked at home was a mom who wanted to be there for her children. Now it's skewing younger — and the young people, they are multitasking."
Many young people have turned to telecommuting due to the lack of entry-level jobs in a struggling economy, Haaren says. These jobs can vary wildly and do not always pay well, but for the intrepid they can be pieced together to pay the bills.
[Related: High-Paying, Low-Stress Jobs]
From more lucrative positions to the usual telecommuting stalwarts, Bankrate took a look at seven industries where a computer in a spare bedroom could mean lots of spare change.
From old-school to new-school
Job: Teacher/Tutor
Pay: $10 to $14 per hour
Hiring for online instructors is robust, as for-profit universities, such as Kaplan and the University of Phoenix, grow, Haaren says.
And colleges aren't the only schools looking for teachers. All the teachers at the Florida Virtual School, which enrolls children from grades 6 to 12, work from home.
Jennifer Kohn, spokeswoman for Tutor.com, says the company has about 2,500 teachers on contract and a waiting list of thousands. She says tutors teach students of all ages and levels. Recent graduates, and even those still in college, are a good tutoring fit as long as they pass the application process. It also offers those who are retired a great way to supplement their retirement income while giving those taking a break from the real classroom a way to still have income.
"The people who can really do calculus and chemistry get paid more," she says.
One reason online tutoring is growing is that the students like the anonymity of the service. "It takes away any sort of biases," Kohn says. "It's just about the work."
As for the tutors: "People like the flexibility," Kohn says. "They can set their own schedule. They can change their hours weekly as they see fit. You can tutor at 9 o'clock at night if you want."
Shop 'til you drop
Job: Mystery shopper
Pay: $5 and up per assignment
One of the more unusual trends for those working from home is employment as a mystery shopper. More than just liking a store and buying a sweater there, the motive behind it is to help a company's workforce development, says Dan Denston, executive director of the Mystery Shopping Providers Association, or MSPA.
The workings behind a job are relatively simple, albeit detail-oriented. A mystery shopper works as an independent contractor reporting back to a company on various areas and experiences in the store. Depending on how difficult and time-consuming the job is, payment ranges from $5 to $160, Denston says. And with some assignments, shoppers don't even need to leave home, making phone calls to businesses to examine their customer service.
While they won't get rich, mystery shopping gives new graduates still looking for a traditional 9-to-5 job an opportunity to help pay the rent, Haaren says.
As the mystery-shopping industry grows — 7 percent from 2010 to 2011 — it's important to be on the lookout for scams. It's extremely important to use credible sites to find companies looking for undercover consumers. Denston says his company, MSPA, backs all the secret shopping companies they have as members because they know they are legitimate. "You should never have to pay for a list of mystery shopping jobs," he says. "It's a tell-tale sign of a scam."
[Related: Flummoxed by Failure—or Focused?]
Peddle your goods online
Job: Crafter
Pay: Varies
Selling homemade goods online is a modern turn on old-fashioned small business. Leslie Truex, who runs WorkAtHomeSuccess.com, says these are true cottage industries.
Some of these businesses are even bringing assistants into their homes to help them produce their products, which can be clothing, jewelry or any number of assorted knickknacks. The crafters then advertise their products on popular websites like Etsy, Artfire and Craftsu.
Selling goods or crafts can be a good way for a student or recent graduate to make a few extra bucks if it's something they enjoy doing, but they need to think about the time involved in their work and whether it will pay off.
"Most people will fail, but a few will be successful," Truex says. "The key is the ability to market themselves." You need to be able to know your market, and know where your potential clients can be found, she says.
James Dillehay, author of "How to Price Crafts and Things You Make to Sell," lives near Santa Fe, N.M., and says it's important to build up a customer base.
"Because there is so much competition, don't put all your hopes and resources into developing an Etsy store while ignoring face-to-face markets," he says.
Etsy reported $62.8 million in goods sold in March — or more than 3 million items sold. The site charges 20 cents to list an item and 3.5 percent of sales. But don't think you must stick to just Etsy. Other craft sites out there are free, and some just charge a flat fee.
Take your business idea to the Web
Job: Internet entrepreneur
Pay: Potentially millions of dollars
The idea of the struggling artist has given way to that of the ambitious entrepreneur.
Marissa Feinberg says she sees a number of these dreamers at her business, Green Spaces, which provides them with an office setting when needed.
"Everyone is trying to be the next Facebook, the next Mark Zuckerberg, the next Instagram," she says. "They are getting new funding and circulating their ideas."
Haaren describes the Internet entrepreneur movement as a "tanker full of gasoline."
He pointed to the website Kickstarter.com and Crowdfunding.com, where creators of innovative projects can seek money.
Haaren also says new legislation supported by President Barack Obama will allow entrepreneurs to hold "mini IPOs" to get their businesses off the ground. One startup, he says, raised $3 million to fund its idea of synching electronic devices to a watch-like gadget.
Success stories such as Omgpop are fueling the fire. The one-time struggling startup hit it big with the Pictionary-styled smartphone game "Draw Something." The popularity of the game drew the attention of media game company Zynga, which purchased Omgpop earlier this year for almost $200 million.
The customer is always right
Job: Customer service agents
Pay: $8 to $15 per hour
The backbone of the work-at-home sector is customer service. And it's attractive to the younger set still looking to enter the job market because all one needs is a telephone and time.
Haaren says the service can vary widely. "Generally it's for inbound calls," he says. "It could be 'I need help ordering a pizza' (or) helping people with their credit cards." U-Haul, American Express, Apple and AAA are increasingly using home-based customer service agents, he says. Amazon is also looking to wade into the waters.
"That's a big deal," Haaren says. "Amazon is like the 500,000-pound gorilla."
Allstayathome.com says customer service jobs are very plentiful, but unlike other jobs done from the residence, many companies require a set work schedule. The upside, though, is they may hire customer service agents as permanent employees rather than contractors. This means regular paychecks and benefits.
The downside to being a customer service agent is that companies often require a background check, for which that applicant may have to pay. And, of course, dealing with unhappy customers comes with the territory, so a high threshold for abuse is often a necessity.
'How may I assist you?'
Job: "Virtual" assistants
Pay: Up to $44,000 per year
Young adults are flocking to virtual assistant jobs, Haaren says. Ads for this line of work vary. Some call for someone who can assist bank customers, others ask for a computer-savvy employee who knows Microsoft Word. Haaren says Internet research jobs such as these are some of the most abundant home-based jobs at the moment.
Another area for virtual assistants to explore is the integration of social media into businesses to get out their message on Facebook, Twitter and other bulletin board sites. "It's a lot of work, and a lot of people would just rather pay someone to do it," Truex says.
Indeed.com, a leading online job search site, says virtual assistants can earn as much as $44,000 per year, but there are young people offering their services as virtual assistants on the Internet for as little as $3 per hour.
Exercise your writes
Job: Writer/editor
Pay: 10 cents to $2 per word
Jobs for writers and editors are out there in abundance. Blogging for newspapers that have gone online is one job that's expanding. If you are more of an editor, that kind of work-at-home job is needed for manuscripts of all types, including textbooks. Recent college graduates and even those still in college can use these blogging and editing experiences to build up their resumes while bringing in some much-needed cash. For those more-experienced journalists and writers out there, this type of freelancing from home could be a profitable endeavor.
Susannah Nesmith, who worked at The Miami Herald for six years, got caught in the crunch of newspaper downsizing but has found freelancing to be highly lucrative. She writes stories for national magazines and newspapers.
While some publications want her skills at a discount, Nesmith won't work for less than 50 cents a word, and some magazines offer a basic rate between $1 and $2 a word.
The best part about working from home now is the extra freedom she has. "One of the things I like about freelancing is I can fire my bosses. And I have," Nesmith says.
(Original Article on Yahoo.com here)
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SmartyPig creates online savings plan to reach a goal
By Adam Belz, Special for USA TODAY
(Original Article HERE)
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa – A 2008 start-up called SmartyPig has combined social networking and banking to offer a new way to save, and in four years has helped people reach almost $3 billion in savings goals.
- Photos by Maxine Park,, USA TODAY
Think pig: Social Money President Scott McCormack promotes social-banking system SmartyPig.
The business was created by Des Moines natives Michael Ferrari and Jon Gaskell in 2008 as a high-tech way to encourage people to save for specific goals. Ferrari came up with the idea when his first son was born and he needed to save money for his son's college education.
He wanted to save for other goals in a program similar to the college 529 plan, and SmartyPig was born.
The program creates an online savings account for goal-directed purchases that can range from travel to consumer goods to a down payment on a house. Money can be transferred automatically from account holders' savings or checking account at their regular banks. Account holders can then use Facebook, Twitter and other social media to allow friends and family members to contribute to the goal. The deposits are FDIC insured.
Once the goal is reached, the saver can choose from a selection of merchant-provided discounts when making the purchase.
The idea caught on. By the end of 2009, it carried deposits of $212 million.
"They actually sort of jump-started the whole goal-based savings account thing," said Stessa Cohen, a financial services analyst for Gartner in Philadelphia. "A lot of banks in the U.S. and Canada are looking at providing that."
Social Money, the company behind SmartyPig, thinks banks are far enough behind, and eager enough to connect with customers on social media, that they'll pay someone else to do it for them.
Every Monday for six weeks, USA TODAY will look at how fast-growing companies rely on innovation to thrive.
The company is now starting to sell the SmartyPig concept to banks, with the idea of letting them brand it themselves. That product was rolled out this spring. More than 115 financial institutions have approached Social Money about its GoalSaver program, Gaskell said, and the bank has already signed on ICICI, the second-largest bank in India by assets.
Social Money expects to announce new bank customers throughout the year, Gaskell said.
"We've basically taken the heart and soul of what we've learned at SmartyPig and pointed it at the scale," said Gaskell.
Gaskell won't say what Social Money makes each year, but he said the company has been operating on its own revenue for three years. In April, Social Money announced it would hire 35 new employees, bringing its total workforce to 50.
SmartyPig was part of a shift toward savings and personal financial management during the recession, Cohen said. People were ready to save money, when they may not have been three years earlier.
Like Kiva, the online microfinance organization launched a couple of years earlier, SmartyPig also tracks your progress for all to see.
"You can see how far along you are," said Nathan Robertson, 26, who's saving for a three-month trip to South America later this year. "It's a little bit more fun than just a regular bank account."
Robertson said it's easier to save with SmartyPig because he doesn't see the money. It's automatically deducted, and unlike with a separate savings account at a bank, he doesn't see it all the time and isn't tempted to pull a couple of hundred dollars out. He also shares his progress with friends occasionally, though he doesn't expect anyone to contribute.
"I'll throw it on my Twitter page every now and then," he said. "The idea is to share that with your family and friends, and keep up the social pressure to reach your goals."
Banks might want their own version of it, Cohen said, because it gets them into social media, a world that's been difficult for financial institutions.
Instead of just tweeting about their earnings or their latest charitable giving using Social Money, banks can get connected to consumers via Twitter and Facebook.
"They're collecting a lot of information that I give voluntarily," Cohen said. "I give a lot of information to Social Money about what I'm doing."
Banks can track their customers better and offer financial products to them when it makes sense for the customer. They can also make deals with merchants based on what consumers are saving for, and tailor advertising to them.
"This attracts non-banks who want to partner with Social Money, who say 'We want to know what people are saving for,' " Cohen said.
"Don't fear failure. — Not failure, but low aim, is the crime. In great attempts it is glorious even to fail." ― Bruce Lee (1940 — 1973: actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, founder of Jeet Kune Do)
Bruce Lee (born Lee Jun-fan; 27 November 1940 – 20 July 1973) was a Chinese American[3] Hong Kong actor,[4] martial arts instructor,[5] philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, founder of Jeet Kune Do, and the son of Cantonese opera actor Lee Hoi-Chuen. He is widely considered by many commentators, critics, media and other martial artists to be the greatest and most influential martial artist of all time,[6] and pop culture icon of the 20th Century.[7][8][9]He is often credited with changing the way Asians were presented in American films.[7]
Lee was born in San Francisco's Chinatown on 27 November 1940 to parents from Hong Kong and was raised in Kowloonwith his family until his late teens. Lee returned to San Francisco at the age of 18 to claim his U.S. citizenship and receive his higher education.[10] It was during this time that he began teaching martial arts, which soon led to film and television roles.
His Hong Kong and Hollywood-produced films elevated the traditional Hong Kong martial arts film to a new level of popularity and acclaim, and sparked a major surge of interest in Chinese martial arts in the West in the 1970s. The direction and tone of his films changed and influenced martial arts and martial arts films in Hong Kong and the rest of the world.[11] He is noted for his roles in five feature-length films: Lo Wei's The Big Boss (1971) and Fist of Fury (1972); Way of the Dragon (1972), directed and written by Lee; Warner Brothers' Enter the Dragon (1973) and The Game of Death(1978), both directed by Robert Clouse.[12]
Lee became an iconic figure known throughout the world, particularly among the Chinese, as he portrayed Chinese nationalism in his films.[13] He initially trained in Wing Chun, but later rejected well-defined martial art styles, favouring instead the use of techniques from various sources, in the spirit of his personal martial arts philosophy, which he dubbedJeet Kune Do (The Way of the Intercepting Fist).
Lee died in Kowloon Tong on 20 July 1973.


text:
Carlisle PA, 16 April 2014
Installatron announces the release of Installatron Server software version 4.1.
Installatron is pleased to announce the immediate availability of Installatron Server software version 4.1. The Installatron Server software is an API and optional GUI that enables the Installatron web application automation platform to be incorporated into existing web hosting infrastructure, empowering web hosting service providers and their customers with point-and-click access to blogs, photo galleries, forums, shops, and other top web applications.
Version 4.1 is a minor feature update that adds new functionality based on feedback received. Included are great new features including the ability to create and manage pre-configured application templates, restore backups to different locations, manage WordPress more effortlessly with Single Sign On (SSO) integration, and general enhancements throughout the website owner, administrator/reseller and API interfaces.
Installatron thanks the members of the Installatron beta program for providing their feedback on and testing of this version over the past two months. Servers with automatic update set to the RELEASE channel will automatically update to this version within the next 24 hours, and turning automatic updates off or switching a server to the STABLE release channel will avoid the update (see Installatron Admin > Settings).
About Installatron LLC
Founded in 2004, Installatron LLC is a leading innovator and provider of web application automation software for the web hosting industry. Installatron's software provides web hosting service providers and their customers with point-and-click access to blogs, photo galleries, forums, shops, and other top web applications. With Installatron, service providers and their customers can replace traditional application management tasks with a fully automated web-based workflow.
For more information about Installatron Plugin 9.1, please visit: http://www.installatron.com/plugin/whatsnew90
For more information about Installatron Plugin's Free 45-day Trial, please visit:http://www.installatron.com/plugin/trial
For more information about Installatron Plugin Live Demo, please visit:http://www.installatron.com/plugin
For more information about Installatron, please visit: http://www.installatron.com

subset: commoncrawl


text:
There are two groups of candidates using different methods to become the next mayor.
Democrats Sal Albanese, William Thompson and Erick Salgado, Republicans John Catsimatidis, Joseph Lhota and George McDonald, and Independent Adolfo Carrion, Jr. campaign full time on their own respective dime and time without picking the pockets of taxpayers.
Contrast them with Democrats Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, Comptroller John Liu and Speaker Christine Quinn. All three have been engaged in a nonstop series of press conferences, news releases, issuance of various reports, letters to the editor, guest columns in newspapers and publicity stunts for years.
All of this was at taxpayers' expense to raise their respective name identification with voters and grease the wheels for the 2013 Democratic Party mayoral primary.
Hard-working municipal civil servants work full time. They can't campaign part time during the day like de Blasio, Liu and Quinn. They would have to either take a leave of absence or quit their day job.
De Blasio, Liu and Quinn should avoid the appearance of any conflict of interest by resigning the current offices they occupy today. All three should be honest enough to run full time for mayor on their own time and dime.
Larry Penner
Great Neck


text:
Once the kinks are straightened out, the Georgia Department of Transportation may soon use robotic technology to automatically detect and seal highway cracks, improving worker safety and saving the state time and money.
The Georgia Tech Research Institute, which developed the prototype in conjunction with the agency, recently released a case study on the project, which began in 2003.
"Our prototype system has proved in many ways that a commercial-scale automated crack sealing system is viable," said Jonathan Holmes, the GTRI research engineer currently leading the project. "We demonstrated solutions to technical challenges — including the high-speed firing of nozzles, automated crack detection and navigation — in a real-time, limited-scale system."
Related stories:
Converted forestry app finds 'sweet spot' for highway repairs
With Boston app, potholes practically report themselves
Current crack-paving methods can be dangerous for workers, exposing them to traffic, and are slow. The new automated system requires only one operator and is faster than traditional methods, even though it only travels at three miles per hour.
It could also save highway departments money because sealing cracks maintains a road's structural integrity, extending the time between major repaving projects, which are expensive, time-consuming and disruptive to motorists.
Highway departments have been using technology to try to improve the efficiency of their road repairs. In New Brunswick, Canada, the province's transportation department converted analytics software used for forest management into a tool for taking a proactive approach to highway maintenance. Most highway departments fix roads at the end of their life cycles, a more expensive approach, said Kim Daley, New Brunswick DOT's acting assistant deputy minister of corporate services and fleet management. By implementing transportation asset management technology, the department expects to save $1.4 billion over the next 20 years, she said.
The current GTRI prototype is limited to sealing thin cracks, which only require application of a liquid sealing compound, reported Gizmag. It also operates only on a narrow strip of highway, although it can be scaled up to handle an entire lane or road.
The trailer-mounted prototype uses an assembly, two different color LED lights and a stereo camera to create images that are then analyzed using algorithms to find cracks, even those smaller than one-eighth-inch wide. Based on the images, the operator can then continuously apply sealant via nozzles.
Before full-scale rollout, some issues need to be addressed, including improving the algorithms and imaging to increase the system's accuracy in crack detection, which currently is at 83 percent, Holmes said.
"Our crack-detection algorithm was limited because we used a vision-based system, which was confounded by regions of high contrast caused by features other than pavement cracks, including dark stains in the pavement, lane stripes, raised-pavement markers, crack sealant and debris," he said. "A full-scale system may require a fusion of multiple imaging sensors, such as a 3-D laser scanning system."
The sealant dispersal system also needs to be modified, he said.
David Jared, acting chief of research & development at the Georgia DOT Office of Materials and Research, and GTRI principal research engineers Wayne Daley and Wiley Holcombe, research scientist Colin Usher, and research engineers Sergio Grullon and Steven Robertson also worked on this project. Georgia DOT's report on the project is available here.
About the Author
Kathleen Hickey is a freelance writer for GCN.
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I live in Savannah GA where there are light gray curbs and light colored roads. Baby boomers are driving on roads that do not have enough contrast for safety. What can be done to educate the DOT that contrast is the most important thing for the population, young and senior drivers? Are the malls in your jurisdiction or is that city?
Unfortunately, Georgia and its GADOT is rated as part of the nation's bottom-seven "worst" governments in the current American State Litter Scorecard--due to poor littering/debris pickups along roadways and least clean statewide public spaces. The Scorecard was presented at the Am. Society for Pub. Admin. national conference.
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Public Health Nurse Conference 2007
Indiana Epidemiology Newsletter
June 2007
Tom Duszynski, BS
Indiana's public health nurses play a vital role in protecting, aiding, and educating Hoosiers. The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) recognizes the contribution these nurses make to public health in Indiana and assists their efforts by offering continuing education opportunities, such as the annual Public Health Nurse Conference.
On June 8, more than 150 public health nurses and nursing students attended the 2007 ISDH Public Health Nurse Conference. This year's conference was the most well attended in conference history. Several years ago, the conference began as a "training day" to provide newly hired public health nurses with general education about public health responsibilities within local health departments. The conference has consistently grown over the past several years, and new ideas and different topics have emerged based on suggestions from those who have attended. Conference planners have used participants' input to restructure the program to meet the needs of public health nurses. This year's conference was no exception.
Deputy State Health Commissioner Mary Hill, an attorney and registered nurse, opened the conference by reminding public health nurses and nursing students of the important work they do every day for Hoosiers and how, since September 11, 2001, their roles and knowledge have changed and expanded to include the world of preparedness, again demonstrating the flexibility of public health nursing. Three plenary sessions followed, including updates on syndromic surveillance, cultural competency, and vaccine-preventable diseases.
Following the plenary sessions, the conference included concurrent sessions for the first time. Designed for a smaller audience, these sessions provided more in-depth information about various topics highlighted in the 2006 conference. According to participant evaluations, overall, the sessions were well received. Topics included case investigation and surveillance, tuberculosis, outbreak investigation, HIV/STD case interviewing, and viral hepatitis. Each session was offered three times during the day to give those who wanted to attend the opportunity to do so.
The conference concluded with a plenary session describing two case studies. One described a recent case of eczema vaccinatum that occurred in an Indiana child following exposure to a family member recently vaccinated for smallpox and subsequent tertiary transmission to the mother. The second case study described a large outbreak of salmonellosis during the summer of 2006 in which 199 confirmed cases were identified in 15 Indiana counties and 2 other states.
The ISDH was fortunate to have a team from the Indiana Mid-America Public Health Training Center (IMAPTHC) film the sessions; copies should be available in early August.
During the conference, we asked all attendees to complete a survey about public health nursing in Indiana. We gave separate surveys to public health nurses and nursing students. The information from these surveys will be shared with those who completed the surveys as well as with other program areas within the state of Indiana and the schools of nursing. This will provide policymakers and curriculum coordinators with a better understanding of the current public health nursing situation within Indiana. The results will be posted in an upcoming edition of the Indiana Epidemiology Newsletter.
Planning has begun for next year's conference, which is scheduled for Wednesday, June 4, 2008. The planning team is reviewing participant evaluations for suggestions and comments. The ISDH would like to thank everyone who attended this year's conference. We look forward to seeing you next year!


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It's A Beautiful Day – for a new site! Welcome to the new MichaelBuble.com, updated and optimized for fans all around the world. Michael's social media is now connected to his site like it never has been before so you won't miss a beat of his appearances, photos, and activities around the globe. We hope you enjoy the new online destination built to keep you connected like never before!
-Team MB


text:
SanDisk solutions are the foundation of the flash-transformed data center.
Advanced storage solutions for managing petabytes of data, accommodating rapid unstructured data growth, and supporting software-defined storage with deployment flexibility and breakthrough economics.
Faster speeds, greater reliability, and a better TCO for your data center: these are just some of the reasons smart enterprises are turning to flash.
Lower latency and higher bandwidth than SATA SSDs, with a protocol built for flash storage.
Optimized for clients, embedded solutions and the cloud.
Open source solutions to more easily and quickly realize the benefits of flash, from the flash technology leader.
1. 1TB = 1,000,000,000,000 bytes. Actual user capacity less.
2. Results and performance may vary according to configurations and systems, including drive capacity, system architecture and applications.
3. Results from TPC-C based OLTP workload test. System under test: Dell R720. Performance numbers are tpmC scores. Complete test report available.
Whether you're a Fortune 500 or five person startup, SanDisk has solutions that will help you get the most out of your infrastructure.
Whether you'd like to ask a few initial questions or are ready to discuss a SanDisk solution tailored to your organizations's needs, the SanDisk sales team is standing by to help.
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text: I am starting to introduce a bottle to my LO, 4months old, so she can start going to daycare. I have been pumping and thawed some milk today that has been frozen since Feb 2 in a regular freezer. It smells fine but when I tasted it, it tasted off. Not rancid, just off and a little fishy. Is it ok to use? And is this normal to have a change in taste like this from freezing?


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A player-by-player breakdown of the Eagles' offensive performance against the Cowboys:
Donovan McNabb - He just looked out of sorts all game. McNabb probably should have been picked off on a bad throw intended for DeSean Jackson on the first series. Did the Eagles have protection problems? Yes. But even when McNabb had time, he was off-target. In the fourth quarter, he had Jackson wide open and threw behind him. The couple bright spots were when he bought time and made plays -- on the screen to LeSean McCoy that went for 45 yards, and on the touchdown to Brent Celek. McNabb's 61.4 QB rating was his lowest of the season.
Michael Vick - We'll keep this one short: a 2-yard carry in the first and a handoff to McCoy later in the game. If the Eagles felt Vick could help them, they would be using him more. Consider it a failed experiment until you see proof suggesting otherwise.
LeSean McCoy - There were some real bright spots for McCoy, and also a couple mistakes. He broke a tackle and had a great individual effort on a 17-yard run in the second quarter. Overall, he did a decent job as a blocker. There was one play where he was supposed to get in DeMarcus Ware's way before going out into his route, but McCoy didn't do enough, and Ware forced a McNabb incompletion. The normally sure-handed receiver also had a couple dropped passes. He did take a screen 45 yards in the third quarter for the Eagles' biggest offensive play of the game. And as I said yesterday, he missed a chance to convert in short yardage in the fourth quarter. Overall, 13 carries for 54 yards and five catches for 61.
Leonard Weaver - Solid game for Weaver. Eight carries for 33 yards, and some punishing blocks. He showed great athleticism on a 17-yard reception in the first quarter, but it was called back because of a Todd Herremans penalty.
Winston Justice - Not his greatest performance of the season, but Justice did an OK job. He was overpowered by Cowboys defesive end Stephen Bowen on a third-down McCoy carry in the second. Justice also had some problems in protection, although he did not give up a sack. He false started on a 3rd-and-7 in the fourth quarter for his second penalty of the season.
Stacy Andrews - Nightmarish game for Andrews. He gave up a sack to Jay Ratliff in the first quarter and a second on 3rd-and-9 in the second. Andrews completely missed his block on Ware during Vick's 2-yard run. And he forced McNabb to escape the pocket after getting beat by Jason Hatcher. Andrews came in during the third possession and stayed in at right guard once Jason Peters went down. I don't believe he returned though after Peters came back in. I have to double-check though. He did make one nice block on Ratliff to open up a hole for a 5-yard McCoy run in the second.
Nick Cole - He had some serious problems in pass protection, particularly with Igor Olshansky. Cole moved over to left guard when Todd Herremans slid to left tackle. He went back to right guard once Peters returned. Hatcher beat him to sack McNabb in the fourth, but holding was called on Dallas away from the line of scrimmage.
Jamaal Jackson - Jackson had some trouble with Jay Ratliff, who really impressed me as I re-watched the game. Ratliff was disruptive in the interior all game. As analyst Cris Collinsworth pointed out, Jackson should have snapped the ball on 4th-and-1 when the Eagles had the Cowboys offsides in the third.
Todd Herremans - As I mentioned, he moved to left tackle when Peters went down. It was actually an interesting scene at the Linc. King Dunlap started to come on to the field as Peters came off, but was waved away. The Eagles gave him help with Ware on most plays, but when he was left by himself, Herremans had serious problems, which was to be expected.
Jason Peters - He was probably the offense's biggest bright spot. Peters completely neutralized Ware, both early on, and then later when he re-entered the game. Peters often pushed Ware upfield, past McNabb. Really an impressive performance. The one downside was the false start on 4th-and-1 in the third.
Brent Celek - Three catches for 39 yards, including a touchdown (his fourth of the season). The Cowboys moved Ware around, and Celek found himself on the losing end of a one-on-one battle with the Pro Bowl defensive end on a run play in the first. He made a nice block on Anthony Spencer during McCoy's 17-yard run. Celek had a drop on the Eagles' final drive.
Alex Smith - The throw from McNabb in the first quarter was high, although Smith had a chance at it. His blocking was not very good. Smith got beat by Spencer in pass protection in the third, leading to a McNabb incompletion. He didn't get the job done during the Eagles' short-yardage failures in the fourth quarter. Smith had an 11-yard grab in the third, picking up a first down.
DeSean Jackson - The Cowboys were successful in shutting him down and making other players beat them. Jackson had just two catches for 29 yards. He did deliver a good effort as a downfield blocker on the 45-yard screen pass to McCoy.
Jeremy Maclin - He and McNabb were not on the same page all day. On the first offensive play of the game for the Eagles, he looked up for the ball about a full two seconds after it had sailed out of bounds. The first interception is on him. If you've watched McNabb for years, that wasn't even close to his fastball. Maclin has to make that catch. Chalk it up to rookie growing pains. It was encouraging to see McNabb still go to him in the fourth quarter. Overall, three catches for 44 yards.
Jason Avant - He made a very nice catch for 23 yards on third down in the second. Avant caught the only other ball thrown his way. On the downside, he picked up a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct, helping Celek celebrate after his TD.
Reggie Brown - Yes, Brown was on the field at times. Nothing else to really say about him though. No balls were thrown his way.


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Create interesting, interactive presentations your whole class will enjoy with Califone Diggiditto Document Camera. The detachable camera has an internal microphone for audio visual recording. Use the USB cord to connect with your computer and project lessons onto a screen, TV, electronic whiteboard or PDP screen in real time. The Diggiditto is a great tool for science experiments and other "before and after" demonstrations because the split-screen function allows side-by-side comparisons. Special built-in software allows you to make notes on an object shown on the desktop or a saved image. The Califone Diggiditto Document Camera is easy to use and comes backed by an impressive two-year warranty.
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- Includes: Camera with mic, support stand, storage case, program CD and manual
- Warranty: 2 years
- Width: 4"
- Depth: 6 1/2"
- Height: 13"


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text: Wild Card: News News Posted 02-14-2014 Where Eagles Soar National Eagle Center offers up-close encounters, education The National Eagle Center is a 15,000-square-foot interpretive center on the banks of the Mississippi River in Wabasha, Minn. (Mike Suchan photo) By: Mike Suchan, OutdoorChannel.com WABASHA, Minn. – Anyone in the National Eagle Center knows when an eagle flies by – the residents let out a piercing shriek. Four bald eagles and a golden eagle call the center home, and Eileen Hanson, director of public relations, said their eagle eyes don't miss one of their own kind out the windows. And whether irked or friendly, the distinctive – and loud – calls ring out. "We're very fortunate we had a lot of community support to build this amazing facility right on the Mississippi River," she said. "These big walls of glass give us a great view all year round of eagles of the Mississippi River. Click the image to see photos of the National Eagle Center in Wabasha, Minn. "And the way you're going to know that, is our bald eagle ambassadors are going to know that. When they see an eagle out here, they're going to tell you." The NEC began in 1989 as EagleWatch, Inc., with an observation deck in Wabasha because of the concentration of wintering eagles. The group took to a small storefront downtown in 2000 and welcomed its first two birds, Harriet and Angel. Partnering with the city, the 15,000-square-foot interpretive center opened in 2007. Columbia, Was'aka and Donald, the golden eagle, came from far and wide to fill out the brood. Most of the birds suffered injuries in the wild, were rehabilitated and brought to the NEC. "They are unable to survive in the wild because of their injuries," Hanson said, "but they can be here and teach a lot of people about eagles, have that close encounter where people can really learn about them." The center's mission is simple, Hanson said -- educate visitors on eagles and the Mississippi River watershed and foster environmental stewardship. Several of the birds have spread the message on shows like "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and "The Colbert Report." "The habitat on which eagles depends, it connects a lot of different creatures," Hanson said. "We want to educate about all the different, interconnected life of the Mississippi watershed." The region is an eagle mecca – great habitat and high density of birds. The Chippewa River feeds in from Wisconsin, there's bottomland forest, forested bluffs and the Mississippi narrows here, keeping it flowing during winter. Hanson said they have 40 active nests within a stretch about 15 miles across. "The unique thing that we have here, is you can meet the rescued eagles this close – face to face, and while you're doing that, you can view wild eagles right over the Mississippi River," she said. The center holds special events starting in March, but everyday features – it's only closed Tuesdays during the winter – include Live Eagle Programs at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. A handler presents facts about the animal they're holding, then feeds it. "You're going to be able to learn up close live and in person," Hanson said. "Touch a replicable of bald eagle eggs, see their talons up close, be able to touch and feel a number of different artifacts so you can really get a sense about how eagles work and what's important about them." Visitors can enter an enclosed room – to muffle the sound of their calls -- where the eagles spend much of their day. "They go outside every day. That's part of their routine," Hanson said. "They spend most of their time in here, like they do in the wild, perching and watching. More than 90 percent of their day in the wild, eagles spend perched and watching. They're the ultimate hunter. You gotta be patient." One of the displays shows the immense size of eagle nests, which can be eight feet wide and 13 feet deep. Hanging from the ceiling are two eagles positioned with talons raised in attack mode for apparent battle, or is it a mating ritual? "Depends on the season," Hanson said. "The courtship displays can be in flight. They can lock talons, drop together and break apart before they hit the ground. In this area, we see that in the winter months, January, February. "This time of year (July), they're going to be defending their nesting territory. They're going to use their talons; that's their weapon. So it depends on what the circumstances are. It can look intense, but it very well could be courtship." In either case, eagles have not unlocked and crash landed. A recent occurrence at an airport in Duluth, Minn., received national headlines. Eagles have died from such encounters, but Alison Springer, who works at the NEC, said anyone who finds a dead eagle should leave it and alert wildlife officials. "Only certain American Indians may possess any part of an eagle," Springer said. "All eagle parts, every feather, every talon, all go to a National Repository." Several of the NEC's eagle ambassadors have been injured by cars. Hanson said Columbia was struck by a vehicle but it saved her life. She had lead in her system and wouldn't have gotten treatment otherwise. Lead is extremely poisonous to eagles. Hanson said ingesting one lead pellet can kill an eagle in a matter of days. She said anglers and hunters can take steps to help prevent it, liking using lead-free tackle and covering up gutpiles. "If an eagle doesn't see it, they can't eat it. So cover it up," she said. "Raccoons can eat it, but their digestive system is different. That's going to pass right through. The eagle's digestive system, which is designed to digest whole animals, is the reason it's so dangerous for them." Hanson said the other great story being told at the NEC is the recovery of the bald eagles, which dwindled to less than 400 pairs in the continental U.S. in the 1970s. "Give them the habitat protections that they need and they've come back very strong," she said. "They're removed from the Endangered Species List, but they're still definitely protected as our national symbol. But these birds came back from the brink of extinction, that's an important message." The state of Minnesota now has 10,000 nesting pairs, and if eagles can aide in stewardship efforts for the environment as a whole, Hanson is all for it. "They don't exist in a vacuum. Eagles exist as part of an ecosystem and the health of that whole ecosystem is important," she said. "We can't have eagles unless we have healthy rivers and lakes, and mussels and fish and aquatic plants. "Eagles might be the most attractive, most majestic or charismatic piece of that ecosystem, but it's all just as important. If they can help protect everything else out there just by being charismatic, that's great." The National Eagle Center is at 50 Pembroke Ave, Wabasha, MN 55981. (651) 565-4989; (877)-332-4537. Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for 62 and older, $5 for 4-17, children 3 and under free. EagleCam Like eagles? Outdoor Channel, in partnership with the National Conservation Training Center, provides a live EagleCam that streams the activities of an eagle nest located 110 feet up, in a tree on the grounds of the US FWS National Conservation Training Center. Check out EagleCam, LIVE, at http://outdoorchannel.com/eaglecam. Share This Story Next From News Kilts, Sword Makers and Heavy Metal! Related Conservation : Posted 07-08-2013 Nation's Symbol Sheds Light View Conservation : Posted 05-15-2013 Bald Eagles Recover from Sea to Shining Sea View Comments Categories News Stories Recipes Tips Gear Videos Photo Galleries Viewer Photo Galleries Features Deer Season Outdoors 365 with Lynn Burkhead Everything Deer with Jeremy Flinn Short Stories by Larry Potterfield Opening Days Live Hunts Hunting Check Out All The Photos Explore the United States. Find information about and activities within your state. Get Started


text:
Setting the tone for the semester
by Texas State SLAC
This is the first full week of school and a good time to set the tone for what lies ahead this semester. Consider this checklist to help you out:
____ I have purchased books and other materials for all my classes.
____ I have attended all classes for the first time and collected a syllabus for each one.
____ I have a daily planner and wall calendar on which to post all events, assignments and their due dates, exams/quizzes, trips and other extracurricular activities.
____ I have allocated time for reading each day during prime hours (8 a.m. to 5 p.m., M-F).
____ I have a study schedule. If I do not have one, I will get someone to help me make one. A good place to start looking for help is at SLAC.
____ I have arranged with my employer to give me the same work schedule each week if at all possible. This will allow me to set my study hours — and not be worried about having to go to work at unexpected times and days.
____ I have shared my study schedule with my roommate so we can coordinate activities around the time we have set aside for studying.
____ I promise myself that I will read to get ahead when I don't have homework; moreover, I promise myself that I will never go to class having NOT read the assigned reading.
____ I will attend all labs that my courses require.
____ I promise to give myself some time to relax and have fun — and to take care of my physical and mental health. The Student Health Center and Counseling Center are on campus to assist me.
____ I will post this contract with myself where I can see it every day.
Signed: _________________________________
Date: _________________________________


text:
Just like any well-designed database, a data warehouse contains relationships. From everything that you've read in this series over the past year, you might be tempted to think that all relationships in a data warehouse are one-to-many (1:M), from the dimension to the fact table. However, that's not true. Occasionally, a data warehouse requires a many-tomany (M:N) relationship.
You can successfully argue that the star schema is inherently a M:N relationship. So why are we having this discussion? Competition is forcing businesses to become more innovative, and this innovation can bring with it more products and services in combinations that might not have been considered before. This innovation also maps to increasingly complicated business models, and subsequently, to more complex data warehouse designs. A business intelligence (BI) analyst who knows how to evaluate customer buying behavior can extract information from the data warehouse to determine which combinations of products and services will entice a customer to make a purchase.
One technique the BI analysts use is called marketbasket analysis, which is the process of evaluating collections of items in the data warehouse to determine whether they're somehow related. Market-basket analysis is frequently (but not exclusively) used in the retail sector. Information gleaned from market-basket analysis helps retailers understand buyers' needs. Based on this analysis, retailers can better appeal to buyers by doing things such as reorganizing a store layout. For example, the idea of co-locating beer and baby diapers—so that when Dad runs to the market to pick up baby diapers, he also buys beer—was a finding that came out of early market-basket analysis efforts. Understanding the buyers' mind-set can enable retailers to develop cross-promotional marketing programs, capture new buyers, trim inventories down to the products that sell best, and design intelligent sales events. As a data warehouse designer and DBA, you need to know how to model your database to support market-basket analysis so that your BI analysts can extract the information your business needs to beat the competition.
A good example for this discussion is a build-to-order checking account—a bank account in which customers select the features they want from a menu, essentially customizing the account and deciding how much they will pay per month in bank fees. Some features are free and some are not. The free features might include a check card with reward points (choose your favorite rewards program), online banking, bill-pay service, email alerts, no minimum balance, no direct deposit required, and identity theft insurance. Premium services might include no fees for using another bank's ATM, rebates on ATM fees if you do use another bank's services, interest-earning accounts, double rewards points, money back or extra rewards points on check-card purchases, anniversary cash bonuses, and overdraft fee forgiveness. Customers choose some or all of the free features and one or two of the premium features; these features are bundled into a customized checking account. Then customers can choose as many additional premium features to add to the custom account as they want for a fee of say, $2 per feature per month.
The OLTP Database Schema
If you were designing the OLTP database schema for a build-to-order checking account, it would look similar to Figure 1. This schema stores each account configuration, with general account information stored in the Account table and the features for each account stored in the AccountFeatures fact table. What's not included in this figure are tables to capture the many types of transactions associated with an account, such as check-card purchases, purchases made with paper checks, bill-pay records, and ATM withdrawals.
Let's assume that your datasource looks similar to Figure 1, with Account and AccountDetail in a 1:M relationship. Now your company's CFO and vice president of marketing want to know which customers' accounts are using which features most often and in which combinations, if any. They want to measure the efficacy of the free features versus the premium features and determine which features sell the best, so they can better direct the bank's marketing efforts. They also want to better understand their customers' buying behavior. In other words, the CFO and vice president of marketing want to do market-basket analysis. Why does a customer pay for a purchase one time with a check, but pays for his or her next purchase with a check card? What are the circumstances surrounding these varying types of buying behavior? If the cost to process a paper check is a set fee per check, but the cost to process a check card transaction is a percentage of the total transaction amount, it might behoove the bank to figure out a way to encourage its customers— especially the big spenders—to pay with checks.
The Star Schema
To create the star schema that will help determine the answers to these questions, you'll need a Transaction fact table, a dimension for the Account, and an AccountFeatures fact table. In addition, you'll need categorical dimensions for the features, account category (e.g., free, premium), and the rewards program (e.g., airline, hotel, rental car). Complexity in the schema arises from the fact that to answer the CFO's questions, a transaction needs to link to one or more features in the AccountFeatures fact table, and each of the Account- Feature records needs to link back to its parent account. This complexity mandates a M:N relationship between the Account dimension and the Transaction fact table, as shown in Figure 2. In addition, there's a conventional 1:M relationship between the Account dimension and the Transaction fact table.
This schema is multifunctional because you can use it for different types of analyses. The Account, Location, Customer, and Time dimensions are all conformed, meaning they can participate in multiple star schemas. Taken as a unit, the Account, Customer, Location, and Time dimensions and the Transaction fact table comprise a standard star schema model, which enables BI analysts to create cubes from these tables and extract information without regard to which account feature was used to generate the transaction. The M:N relationship between the Account dimension and the Transaction fact table, which is manifested in AccountFeatures, is the structure that will enable market-basket analysis without having to create a separate star schema. By linking each transaction with the account feature that was used to generate the transaction, BI analysts can begin to find answers to the questions asked about customer buying behavior.
By not creating two separate star schemas (i.e., a Transaction star schema and an AccountFeatures star schema), you're saving disk storage. If you were to combine the Account and AccountFeatures tables into a single dimension, that dimension would swell by a factor of 15—more if additional features are added to the build-to-order checking account program. In previous articles, such as "Data Warehousing: Junk Dimensions," May 2008, I have discussed the desirability of keeping dimensions tight and concise; adding features to the Account dimension would create a large, unwieldy dimension that wouldn't function well when being cubed. Denormalizing the Transaction fact table by incorporating account feature attributes wouldn't be the best idea, either. The fact table would contain the most records of all the tables in the schema; increasing its size and adding more keys would diminish performance and cause locking and blocking conflicts when the conventional BI analyst and the market-basket BI analyst run their programs simultaneously.
Beyond Retail
Market-basket analysis is an important operation that has uses that go beyond the retail sector. For example, you can discover relationships in a medical database, such as patients who had procedure X subsequently developing condition Y within n days/weeks/months. In a law enforcement or social profiling database, you might discover that people who engage in behavior A by age n have a d percent chance of engaging in behavior B for the rest of their life.
Market-Basket Hero
Market-basket/affinity analysis is predictive: It attempts to forecast future behavior based on past actions. Business is getting more and more competitive; in response to this pressure, they are becoming more innovative, offering product and service combinations that are derived from complex analysis of customers' buying behaviors. You'll need to be able to support market-basket efforts with your data warehouse design; understanding how to do so will make you a hero.


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When one thinks of a bank, it's not likely the next thought would be artwork, but that's not the case for several local artists, whose work adorns the walls of BayCoast Bank's corporate offices, conference room, and branch lobbies.
Supporting local artists with an expansive corporate art collection was the brainchild of BayCoast Bank President and CEO Nicholas M. Christ, said Ann M. Ramos Desrosier, senior vice president, chief community banking officer.
Ramos Desrosier, who was put in charge of procuring the artwork, worked with Christina Leigh, an art consultant with East Greenwich, R.I.-based Corporate Art Group, Inc.
When the bank moved to its new corporate headquarters on Swansea Mall Drive in 2012, Ramos Desrosier said they had a lot of bare walls in the three-story building. "BayCoast is very focused on supporting the communities that we serve, so we felt it was only right to support the artists who live in those communities," she said.
With that goal in mind, the two women set upon a nearly year-long project of meeting with local artists and narrowing down the field in search of artwork focusing on local landscapes. They selected four well-known area artists: Tony Henriques, Chuck Boucher, Ron Lister and John Eddy.
"We wanted to be able to showcase the kind of artwork that you wouldn't typically find in a bank," said Ramos Desrosier.
Initially they purchased about 35 pieces from the four artists, which were installed in various places in the building including the conference room, halls, and in each of the offices.
Ramos Desrosier, who inherited a painting she "hated" in her former office, made sure that the BayCoast employees had the opportunity to select a piece of artwork for their office from the 35 or so initial pieces.
Some of the pieces are original paintings, such as the landscapes by Ron Lister in the conference room, and others are prints on canvas of original pieces, said Leigh. And rather than the unfamiliar scenes and non-descript artwork one expects to find in offices, the collection at the BayCoast Bank features scenes that are well known to those who live or work in Greater Fall River including the Braga Bridge, Mount Hope Bay, and the Swansea dam.
The value of the collection, they said, isn't in its monetary worth, but with the fact that it supports the local arts community.
Since the original pieces, they have procured even more artwork from more local artists including Sarah Desjardins, Arthur Moniz and Molly Pettengill.
"The employees definitely appreciate being able to pick out the art in their offices," said Ramos Desrosiers, "and in the areas that are open to customers, they do comment on the local artists, so it gives them some recognition, too."
(This article was originally posted at The Herald News.)


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Develop a "Brand Name" for Fantasy Game Company
Presupuesto €8-30 EUR
We need absolutely new brand name for game development company (for consecutive creating corporate identity from this new developed brand name idea...)
Game company must have meaningful and vibrant, strong marketing name to be competitive for amazing names of existing game companies such as Blizzard Entertainment, Riot, DICE, Rovio, King, Supercell, Gameloft, etc.
The name should be great audiovisualy, understandable globally, vital and fully sparkle with feeling of e.g. "superlative", energy, strong element, nature power, etc...
Game development company is focused on mobile game market as well as developing PC games - both in amazing fantasy genre, singleplayer/multiplayer, and Esports category...
By this project is planned to find very creative designer person for marketing and branding purposes job postition (long term) for game company also in future (name of campaigns, characters, locations, props, etc.)
You can suggest as many "names" as you can in a list to see your ideas full of creativity and hidden talent...
Thank you
Hope to find the right designer
Opportunity to participate in:
22 freelancers están ofertando el promedio de €44 para este trabajo
Hi, I am professional hardworking writer and make sure each and every sentence I write have real quality and unique plagiarism free [login to view URL] passed with - 1. 100% unique original text content - articles/blo Más
With more than 4 years of experience in people find the perfect names and slogans for their business, I can craft one for you. Hire me once and trust me,you will keep coming back to me for all your freelancing needs. Más
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Hi, I just checked the description you have provided regarding the project and would be a pleasure to assist you on your project. I will work with full dedication to give you the best output within the desired timef Más
Hi! I'd love to discuss your branding project with you further! As you'll note from my profile, I'm quite comfortable with creative writing and can write in nearly any style and with nearly any tone, which I believe Más
I'm a graphic designer, web designer, strategist and brand expert. I'm eager to help with your barand name & barand identity designing. I have gone thru your description and I can definitely exceed your expectations fo Más
Project Scope: Design a Logo (Brand Name) We have Completed more than 140 Logo design jobs over freelancer.com in last 10 months and this makes us one of the fast growing profile over freelancer.com in the field o Más
With decades of experience I am able to apply not only theoretical knowledge, but also technical ability and creative influence to all areas of my work. Portfolio on the following link https://www.freelancer.com/u Más
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Hi, We would like to thank you for providing us the opportunity to submit our proposal in your project. We are interested to work on your project. We understand that you need a "Brand Name" for Fantasy Game Compan Más
Being a huge video game lover who has a marketing background, I would like to create options that not only seem attractive but also directly appeal to your target audience. For e.g. One name I would like to suggest Más
I have written several slogans and taglines for different brands of cars and soft drink companies, sports apparel companies and many others. I excel mostly in slogans or new company names for upstart enterprises depend Más
As a gamer myself, I find this job interesting and, above all, challenging.I am also a writer, so I am already familiar with the matter. We would be in contant touch, about the name, so that we can make a name that wil Más


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Electronic Warfare
As technology evolves so do the challenges in detection, avoidance, electronic warfare and countermeasures. In all cases, the testing of today's systems will benefit from high-performance test equipment — analog and vector signal generators, spectrum analyzers, vector signal analyzers, vector network analyzers and more. From simulations of an arriving wavefront with multiple emitters to testing of precision components in a receiver, our solutions are ready for the complexity of radar test and EW test applications.
Keysight RF and Digital Learning Center - A commitment to learning with industry experts
See Measurement Solution Examples: Active Antenna Test, Multi-Emitter Environment Test Signals
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Product Description
Breaking Through the Barriers of Copper Cabling
With its 4K resolution, Ultra HD is craving for higher bandwidth connections, not only to feed individual monitors and video walls, but also for connecting cameras to switcher equipment in live events settings. With latest 6Gb chip technology, the SDI and HDMI video standards allow for 4K signals to be transported from one place to the other, however traditional copper cabling technology severely limits maximum cable length. For instance, even with highest quality coaxial cable 6Gb SDI can't be carried over longer distances than 60 to 70 meters without severe signal losses.
High Quality Cabling at decent price level
Video equipment for live events recording is becoming lower cost at a steady rate, and 4K cameras and switchers already have hit the market at amazingly low price levels. So here is the challenge: there is a growing demand for high quality cable connectivity that can make it all work together, with minimum delays and absolutely no signal loss – but any product that fits the bill has to be offered at comparable low price level. It's time for FieldCast.
Fieldcast Product Line
The fibre cable of the FieldCast product line can be either 2Core or 4Core on the one hand and single mode or multimode on the other hand. So one can choose for 2Core single mode fibre cabling, 2Core multimode, 4Core single mode, or 4Core multimode.
The 2Core products have two cores of fibre and are indicated by 2 rings on the connectors.
The 4Core products have four cores of fibre and are indicated by 4 rings on the connector.
The single mode products (SM) have 9/125 fibre core with yellow rings on the connector.
The multimode products (MM) have 50/125 OM3 fibre core with blue rings on the connector.
The FieldCast product line consists of different types of products to build an infrastructure with fibre connectivity. Below are the main product categories.
- Main Cables - long fibre cables to bridge long distances.
- Coupler Cables - to chain FieldCast Main Cables.
- Chassis Connectors - to connect FieldCast Main Cable to equipment with standard LC fibre connectivity.
- Adapter Cables - to connect FieldCast Main Cable to equipment with standard LC fibre connectivity over cable.
- Accessories - things you might need in the field.
For the Main Cables there is an Ultra Light version and a Heavy Duty version.
The Ultra Light cable is a high quality robust 4.8mm cable. The Heavy Duty cable is a high quality extremely robust 6.5mm tactical cable, initially meant for military purposes and very much suitable for outdoor live events cabling purposes.
- Multi Mode Ultra Light
- Length: 200M
- Ruggedized connectors fit perfectly the robust outdoor cable material
- Screw cap protects perfectly against dust and spray water
- Cap, plug and receptacle are sealed according to EN60529 IP67


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sandytcb49 on Family Tree Circles
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Journals and Posts
father of James A Oliver in Roane co., TN/ children: James R and John W
James Allen Oliver was born in Roane co. in 1806. He had a brother that we know of named John W. They both moved to Fayette co., Illinois around 1840 give or take. We are having a time finding other syblings and his parents. James married Anna Stultz in Roane Co., TN in Dec 1830 . They had several of their children in Roane Co., before moving on to Fayette co, IL. The rest of their children were born in ,Illinois. One son James R; born in Illinois, is my Great Grandfather. Thanks
Looking for Thomas and Alma Fly
My father was born in Corson Co., SD on the Standing Rock Reservation in 1931. His Mother was Echo Sherman Fly. In the book "Taming The Plains" by Rose Tomac Tidball, she interviewed Felix Fly in 1972. My father , Lawrence, was raised for the first seven years by Felix' brother, Sam. I Do not know who my Grandfather was. My Father was adopted in abt 1936 or there abouts by William E. Berry of Illinois. My father, Lawrence ,is in every reservation census up to 1936 as Sams son. I ran across a geneaology on Rootsweb that lists Alma Fly as a daughter of Snow On Her and Tatanka Iyotake (Sitting Bull). I have doubts about this. And am really not looking to relate to Sitting Bull, but I would like to know more of Alma's line and of Thomas Fly( Yuhakinyawpi) I know Thomas was a scout for the government in the 1890's. What else can anyone tell me.? I really am anxious to know if I am part Indian or not? Would my Father be listed as a son of a man not his Father? I know my Father denied that he was Indian but his Mother looks so Indian and he was on the reservation. I would be very happy and proud to be Indian. Thanks
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The second level of speed reading eye exercises. By focusing on the image as it moves around the screen, you're building up the muscular structure surrounding your eyes, which makes it much easier for you to move your eyes across the page when speed reading. Don't know how to speed read? Our website at www.free-speed-reading.com will show you how it's done…free!
Video Rating: 5 / 5


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- Premier League
Pardew: Ba leaves with our blessing
Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew says striker Demba Ba will go to Chelsea 'with our blessing', after revealing that the transfer was 'done'.
Ba, the Magpies' leading scoring this season with 13 Premier League goals, is widely expected to sign for the Blues over the next few days - after the west London club triggered the £7 million release clause in his contract.
And Pardew confirmed prior to the Wednesday evening match against Everton that the club were planning for life without the Senegalese forward, expecting the deal to be finalised shortly.
"It's done. He will go to Chelsea with our blessing," Pardew told Sky Sports. "He has done fantastic for us and it's not a bad thing, all the uncertainty is now done and we can move on.
Ba was withdrawn from the Newcastle squad to face the Toffees following Chelsea's bid, with the forward's hat-trick in the 7-3 away defeat to Arsenal seemingly his last contribution in black and white.
Pardew added: "The ball was always in Demba's court. But this club is bigger than any player for sure."
Newcastle are set to strengthen their squad immediately, with Lille full-back Mathieu Debuchy at St James' Park to watch the side face Everton ahead of an expected £5m switch.


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BEVERLY HLLS, Calif. (AP) — Bless this mess, Viola Davis says.
The much-acclaimed actress stars in the new ABC drama "How To Get Away With Murder" from hit-maker Shonda Rhimes, playing a charismatic, complex and Machiavellian law professor who holds a group of students in thrall.
"I love the fact that she's messy and mysterious and you don't know who she is," Davis told reporters Tuesday at a session of the summer TV critics gathering.
No wonder psychologists and therapists prosper, she went on, explaining, "I think as human beings we are a mess. But a lot of times the narratives we see in TV, film or even theater don't match the mess. I think that's a challenge for any writer, any artist, to match the art with the mess of what we call life. And that's the appeal of this character."
She acknowledged that she has landed many satisfying roles during a career that includes "Traffic," ''Antwone Fisher," ''Solaris" and "The Help." But there have been other roles, she added, "where I haven't been the show. It's like I've been invited to a really fabulous party only to hold up the wall. And I wanted to be the show!"
There'll be no simple holding-up-the-wall for Davis on "How To Get Away With Murder," she declared. Her show premieres Sept. 25.
Contact Frazier Moore at http://twitter.com/tvfrazier


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TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) -- Honduras coach Luis Suarez on Monday named Wigan pair Maynor Figueroa and Roger Espinoza in his squad for the World Cup qualifier against the United States on Feb. 6 in San Pedro Sula.
Espinoza became a U.S. citizen in 2008 but opted to play for Honduras at the London Olympics.
Officials of the Honduran football federation said the afternoon leading up to the match will be a national holiday, boosting attendance and interest.
The match is in the first round of a home-and-away round-robin series among six countries in the CONCACAF region. Jamaica, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica and the United States are in the hexagonal series with the top three teams qualifying automatically for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. The fourth-place team faces an intercontinental playoff against the Oceania winners to qualify.
Goalkeepers: Noel Valladares (Olimpia), Donis Escober (Olimpia), Jose Mendoza (Marathon).
Defenders: Arnold Peralta (Vida), Brayan Beckeles (Olimpia),Victor Bernardez (San Jose), Osman Chavez (Wisla), Maynor Figueroa ( Wigan), Juan Pablo Montes (Platense), Emilio Izaguirre (Celtic), Juan Carlos Garcia (Olimpia).
Midfielders: Luis Garrido (Red Star Belgrade), Jorge Claros (Hibernian), Roger Espinoza (Wigan), Alex Lopez (Olimpia), Andy Najar (D.C. United), Boniek Garcia (Dynamo), Mario Martinez (Seattle), Aldo Oviedo (Real Espana).
Forwards: Jerry Bengtson (New England), Roger Rojas (Olimpia), Carlo Costly (Veria), Georgie Welcome (Motagua)


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Derbyshire is set to roast in a mini-heatwave.
Temperatures are expected to hit nearly 30C in the county on Friday, according to the Met Office.
Public Health England has issued a heatwave alert urging residents to be prepared for the sweltering conditions.
A spokesman for the organisation said: "Heatwaves can be dangerous, especially for the very young or very old or those with chronic disease.
"Advice on how to reduce the risk either for yourself or somebody you know can be obtained from nhs.uk/summerhealth."
The rising humidity is likely to trigger stormy weather, however, with the Met Office issuing a 'be prepared' alert of rain for the weekend.
A Met Office spokesman said: "Areas of heavy, thundery showers may develop from Friday night and into Saturday.
"The development of these is uncertain but where they do form some torrential downpours are possible with frequent lightning, large hail and and strong gusts.
"The public should be aware of the risk of disruption from any of these elements."


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Don Marshall, a milliner whose creations were worn by many of society's most fashionable women, died on Saturday at his home in Manhattan. He was 79.
The cause was a brain tumor, said Alan Wilkinson of Manhattan, a business associate.
Mr. Marshall made toques for Estee Lauder, turbans for Rosalind Russell, broad brims for Joan Crawford and veiled caplets for the Duchess of Windsor. His designs were worn by Rose Kennedy, Irene Worth and Nancy Kissinger, among others.
The hat Grace Kelly wore at her wedding to Prince Rainier of Monaco was one of his designs. It is now part of the permanent collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Born William Sydenstricker in Lewisburg, W.Va., he changed his name in the early 1940's, when he began appearing in Broadway choruses. While entertaining troops returning from the battlefields of Europe, a fellow cast member said she needed a new hat, and he made his first design. He opened his first studio in New York in 1945. At his death, he had salons in Manhattan, Beverly Hills and Paris.Continue reading the main story


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NEW ALBANY, Ind. (AP) — An Indiana grand jury investigating the deaths of a woman and her two children whose naked bodies were found in a shallow creek in March says disorientation caused by hypothermia played a key role in what a prosecutor on Thursday called a "bizarre" tragedy.
Floyd County Prosecutor Keith Henderson said the grand jury met for five days and heard from 17 witnesses before determining this week that the deaths of 35-year-old Jaime Clutter, 10-year-old Brandon Clutter and 6-month-old Katelyn Clutter were accidental. Questions had swirled about whether Jaime Clutter might have killed her children, then herself, as part of a religious ritual after a passer-by found the nude bodies in a New Albany creek on March 13. Police said they found a baby harness and a Bible nearby.
"The grand jury has spoken through the findings that they do not believe Jaime Clutter killed her two children," Henderson said at a news conference in New Albany, about a mile north of Louisville, Ky. "They don't believe Jaime Clutter committed suicide."
Instead, Henderson said, evidence shows the deaths were caused by drowning, with hypothermia a contributing factor.
Henderson said Jaime Clutter was known as a deeply spiritual person who dressed conservatively but said there was no evidence to suggest she had gone to the creek and disrobed as part of any religious rite.
"This was totally contrary to her and her faith," he said.
The grand jury review also turned up no indications of a struggle involving another person, Henderson said. A man who called 911 after finding the bodies told dispatchers the woman's body appeared battered. The Kentucky medical examiner's office indicated the injuries were consistent with those caused by rocks in a creek, Henderson said.
Clutter's husband, Michael Clutter, was at work the day his family died, and Henderson said the grand jury found no wrongdoing on his part.
Henderson said an expert testified that people can become confused, disoriented and even disrobe in cases of hypothermia. The temperature was about 30 degrees with a wind chill of 18 degrees when the bodies were found, he said.
"We believe that hypothermia played the major role in the actions of Jaime Clutter on that morning with the extreme cold temperatures," he said.
Henderson said there were no signs of anything out of the ordinary with the Clutters, who moved to New Albany from Washington state in December, until Jaime Clutter abruptly took her children from their apartment the day of their deaths, leaving behind coats and her eyeglasses.
"What happened that morning, we're not certain," the prosecutor said. "At the end of this, it is a bizarre set of circumstances."