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What's Really At Stake? Untangling the Big Issues Around Student Data
As student data moves online, concerns from some parents and teachers are mounting around the safety of protecting the data from getting in the hands of corporations.
At the root of the angst surrounding the use of student data is a lack of trust and familiarity with how the data is collected, stored, shared, and protected. It's a challenge to track this constantly expanding and changing landscape, as companies – each with their own set of privacy policies -- vie for their share of the $8 billion ed-tech market.
"There's an enormous tidal wave of new applications being built for schools and for the first time, schools have tons of options for each little thing," said Tyler Bosmeny, CEO of Clever, which provides software that works with students information systems.
Sponsored By
The sole purpose and function of many educational application developers is to collect and analyze student data and assessments in order to help teachers adapt curriculum to students' specific levels. But fears of what will become of that data have led to a backlash against the companies collecting, storing and analyzing student data. In turn, policymakers have responded to these mounting concerns, introducing 82 bills in 32 states this year that address student privacy, according to the Data Quality Campaign.
How is Student Data Collected and Stored?
Parents often kick off their child's electronic trail well before the first day of class. At some schools, parents register their child for school online, typing in their child's name, address, birth date, schools, medical and behavioral history. This information (or parts of it), are often stored in a virtual folder next to other student's registration in a Student Information System. Administrators can add attendance records to these files through integrated systems and teachers can upload test scores and scan in bubble sheets to complete the picture. Over the years, a child's school life could be told in data points. The goal of keeping this data is build a profile that can help educators analyze the information and tailor teaching approaches to help the child learn and grow.
To keep all this growing data in one place, states created the Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems in 2005. (Read more about SLDS here.)
But the more data is collected, the harder it is for schools to keep track. Schools often find it's cheaper and easier to have third party cloud providers like Google, Amazon and Microsoft store and maintain the student data on their servers than it is to own and operate a unique school district data center. In fact, 95 percent of schools and districts store their student information in the cloud, according a recent study on data privacy led by Professor Joel Reidenberg, director of the Center on Law and Information Policy at Fordham Law School.
It is this outsourcing of student data to third parties that puts privacy advocates on edge. In mid-April, privacy concerns grew so pronounced about inBloom – a non-profit corporation that was created to store and manage student data from a handful of states – that the group shut down as state after state pulled out of the massive project.
What Are the Fears?
Fears around how student data can be improperly used fall into a few categories: data marketers, data breaches and unshakable data trails.
In the same way that Google recommends products based on your web searches, marketers with access to student data could suggest items to children. "You don't want to see a student write four essays on baseball and then have a company try to sell him baseball tickets," says Joni Lupovitz, of Common Sense Media.
A second area of concern stems from the potential for data breaches, which have already happened. One breach in Tennessee in 2009 inadvertently left 18,000 K-12 student names, addresses, birth dates and full Social Security numbers on an unsecured web server for four months. "Every major financial institution has had their banking information compromised," Reidenberg said. "There's no reason to believe children's information will be more secure."
Finally, there is the risk that student data, like a tattoo, will be hard to erase. "If a child is wrongly branded as a trouble maker in third grade and the profile follows him like the no-fly list – that's a problem," Reidenberg said.
But other education stakeholders hold a more tempered view. "There are a lot of misconceptions about storage of student data in the cloud," said Kathleen Styles, the Chief Privacy Officer at the U.S. Dept. of Education on a forum about cloud computing. There's nothing inherently more or less secure about cloud storage compared to traditional data storage – it all depends on the specific approach and the contract terms."
How Is Student Data Protected?
Student data is protected under a variety of state and federal laws, but the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, or FERPA is the most commonly cited. Under FERPA, student data can only be used for educational purposes and using student data to sell or market products is prohibited.
But FERPA's protections get murky. For starters, FERPA allows schools to release records to other education officials without parental consent. Those education officials can be vendors, including for-profit cloud service providers that are under "direct control" of schools.
What's more, Reidenberg argues FERPA applies only to schools receiving federal funding –- not to private companies. In his study, he found that "fewer than 7 percent of agreements between schools and developers restrict the sale or marketing of student information by vendors, and many agreements allow vendors to change the terms without notice." And his study only explored cloud computing contracts, not contracts with the myriad educational software programs and learning applications in existence.
Selling Student Data Security
Some companies are conscious of the escalating concerns about privacy and are using security as a selling point. For example, Clever doesn't even store student data, but has a policy of only making agreements with developers who are FERPA compliant. Clever software enables students to log onto multiple apps like eSpark Learning, DreamBox and Wowzers with just one username and password. "We created Clever to create some sanity in managing those applications and knowing which ones are FERPA compliant," he says. "There are so many options to choose from that many schools don't know where to start."
Another company, Illuminate, which provides student information systems, data and analysis and other software goes to great lengths to build trust with schools. Illuminate reports that it encrypts every page, stores most of its data on its own servers (not the cloud), has round the clock security on staff and trains each employee in the federal law protecting student data. "To stay up on security, it takes full-time people every day to stay on top of what's out there. If you're in a school district and trying to manage that on your own, that's a very difficult task," said company's CEO Lane Rankin.
Even with all the security precautions, Rankin, whose business is dependent on student data, believes the issue of privacy has been overblown to some extent.
"Parents should be much more concerned about what's going on with their bank, about all the stuff Google's tracking every time you're on the web, about your cell phone and what Verizon knows about your location and where you took your pictures," he said. "But student data? That's in a very secure location, controlled by the local school district, there for the purposes of helping more students, classrooms and schools. Because it's very benign data, advertisers aren't going to care about this data. They care about when you're clicking around so they can sell you more stuff."
Setting Up Protocols
School administrators, the stewards of student data, must institute technical protections against the misuse of information. "It's up to the school or district to set the proper balance of physical, technological and administrative controls to prevent unauthorized access," the DOE's Styles said. This means administrators decide what information goes into the cloud or to an app, who has access to it, what password protections those with access need and how much encryption to require considering the sensitivity of the data.
Beyond the technical agreements, all stakeholders can push for specific privacy principles in the contract language between schools and vendors. Common Sense Media, which launched a School Privacy Zone Campaign, suggests contracts with software companies explicitly prohibit developers from using the data for commercial purposes and only use data for educational purposes.
Both Common Sense Media and the Electronic Privacy Information Center recommend limits to the amount of data collected and the amount of time it can be stored. EPIC recommends returning control of the data to the students.
Parents and students should feel entitled to ask administrators how they're collecting, storing and sharing data, says the DOE's Styles. "Make sure schools have self-awareness," says Styles. "I would be looking for the currency of the privacy policy, evidence that the district is aware of what kind of data the schools and district are capturing and evidence that the data is classified by sensitivity -- that more sensitive data is being protected in a more stringent fashion."
While guiding privacy principles and careful contractual language are critical, schools and parents are hard-pressed to keep pace with the technically complex and rapidly changing educational landscape. Increasingly, districts are adding a new layer of protection to their systems. They're hiring Chief Technology Officers to guide their technological engagement, so schools have a sophisticated player of their own keeping pace in the tech race.
Sponsored By


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You can peel the potatoes if you want to but I like the baby new potatoes with the skin on for more texture (and fibre!) It couldn't be easier to make the only tip I would say is combine the dressing with the potatoes while the potatoes are still warm it seems to help the potatoes to absorb the dressing instead of just coating the potatoes.
French potato salad
2lbs baby new potatoes (boiled in salted water until cooked and drained)
1 red onion (chopped finely)
2 tsp fresh chives (if liked)
1/2 bottle fat free french dressing
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl
Syn free on extra easy and green : )

subset: commoncrawl


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5 Questions To Attract The Perfect Clients
Find your perfect client.
Sometimes finding clients and a real estate agent is more about quality over quantity.
Coach Tom Ferry lays out 5 simple questions to ask yourself that will set you on a path to connect with your ideal clients.
Check out this tips at the 1:47 mark.


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In a bid to tap into the British love of curry, this week McDonald's Corp. is launching its "Spice of Life" range of Indian food, which will be available in 1,000 restaurants for the next six weeks.
The curry that Indian restaurants serve here are native to England and not the subcontinent. A TV campaign by Leo Burnett Co. celebrates the Britishness of curries. The ads feature real people, not actors, singing traditional British songs throughout the U.K. -- London, Newcastle and Liverpool. A radio campaign mirrors the TV ads.
The campaign showcases the new menu items: Chicken Tikka Masala, Tandoori Chicken, Lamb Rogan Josh, Vegetables Samosas, Onion Bhajis and a Banana and Mango Cooler. -- Bill Britt
Copyright April 2001, Crain Communications Inc.


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Ajaccio Airport Access
The Ajaccio Airport, unlike many other low cost airports is close to the city for which it is named – Ajaccio. The Ajaccio Airport is located about 2.5 miles/5 kilometres from Ajaccio. But the centre of Ajaccio is a little farther as Ajaccio is positioned between the Mediterranean Sea and mountains so the city is long and thin. Also it's good to know that if you are driving into or out of the centre of Ajaccio when a ferry has arrived go can get stuck in traffic, increasing your driving time greatly.
The official name of the airport is Napoléon Bonaparte and most signs to the airport use this name. But there are a few signs marked Campo dell'Oro. The road to the airport is next to a beach.
The airport is about 15 minutes by car from Ajaccio. To get to Ajaccio when you leave the airport follow the signs 'Toutes Directions' drive along a road with the beach/sea to your left. You will come to a roundabout. Ajaccio, along with Bastia, Bonifacio and Calvi will be posted. Note that all signs in Corsica list communities in French and Corsican, with the French above Corsican. Communities where the French and Corsican name is the same, of course don't. It's not uncommon to see French names spray painted over.
The airport is in the Corse du Sud (2A*) department of France on the Island of Corsica.
There is regular bus service between the city of Ajaccio and the airport. The stop at the airport is to the right when you exit the terminal. Buses run everyday and leave about one per hour, depending on the time of day. The trip to Ajaccio takes about 20 minutes with a cost of 4.50 €. Bus stops include the bus station (Gare Routiere), and the train station (Gare SNCF). The stop at the train station going to the airport is across from the station. The stop coming from the airport in front of the station.
There is a taxi rank to the right when you exit the terminal airport. The cost to Ajaccio is about 10 €. The price can change depending on when (at night, Sundays and bank holidays are the most expensive) you travel and the number of passengers and luggage. The 2010 taxi price per kilometre at the airport was €1.84 and €2.76 at night, Sundays and bank holidays.
* The department number of the Corse du Sud is 2A but 20 is used as the first two digits in postcodes....


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GREENWOOD TWP. - Over 50 residents showed up Tuesday night for an emergency meeting of the Moon Lake Property Association in the wake of an ugly case of vandalism that included racist overtones. Racial epithets, references to Osama bin Laden and profanity were spray-painted throughout the home located at 5386 Woodridge, which was broken into and ransacked.
The home is located east of County Road 489, off Williams Road and north of Garland Resort.
"I was surprised by how many people showed up at such short no-tice," said Jack Lytle, owner of Creative Services Security and the man who discovered the scene on Dec. 4.
Lytle said he sensed a lot of anger and fear among residents who attended the meeting. The purpose of the meeting was to help allay those fears and to inform residents of the progress of the Oscoda County Sheriff's Dept's (OCSD) efforts to identify the perpetrators.


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Black Swan
V for Vendetta
Knight of Cups
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Jane Got a Gun
Thor: The Dark World
Your Highness
The Other Woman
No Strings Attached
With an Oscar before the age of 30, repeated comparisons to [[Performer~P31869~Audrey Hepburn~audreyhepburn]], and the drool of a thousand critics at her feet, Natalie Portman has emerged as one of the most promising actresses of her generation. Born in Jerusalem on June 9, 1981, to an artist mother and doctor father, Portman moved to New York when she was three. Raised on Long Island, she was discovered by a modeling agent who signed her on the spot. Her modeling stint led to an audition for [[Performer~P81731~Luc Besson~lucbesson]]'s [[Feature~V133866~Leon~theprofessional]] (or [[Feature~V133866~The Professional~theprofessional]], as it was called in the United States). Due to her age (she was 12 when the film was cast), Portman was initially turned down for the lead role of Mathilda, a girl who asks a hit man ([[Performer~P59644~Jean Reno~jeanreno]]) to train her as an assassin to avenge her brother's death and falls innocently in love with him in the process. However, she ultimately won the part and her 1994 film debut earned a number of positive notices. In interviews, Portman allowed that making her first film in the toughest sections of Spanish Harlem was frightening, but not quite so frightening, she claimed, as going back to school once shooting wrapped.Portman then took on the role of [[Performer~P54596~Al Pacino~alpacino]]'s step-daughter in another demanding film, [[Performer~P101066~Michael Mann~michaelmann]]'s [[Feature~V135459~Heat~heat]] (1995). She followed this up with lighter fare, like [[Feature~V136613~Mars Attacks!~marsattacks]] (1996), [[Feature~V136611~Everyone Says I Love You~everyonesaysiloveyou]], and [[Feature~V135850~Beautiful Girls~beautifulgirls]]. After turning down title roles in both [[Feature~V137204~Lolita~lolita]] and [[Feature~V136681~William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet~williamshakespearesromeo+juliet]], Portman took on another title role with her 1997 Broadway debut in The Diary of Anne Frank. She stayed with the show until May 1998, during which time she received positive notices for her performance. After lending her voice to [[Feature~V174226~The Prince of Egypt~theprinceofegypt]] (1998), Portman took on her most talked-about role to date, that of Queen Amidala in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999). Despite very mixed reviews, the film went into box-office hyperdrive, further propelling Portman toward her status as a rapidly emerging talent for the new millennium. She would end the 20th century with projects like [[Performer~P115928~Wayne Wang~waynewang]]'s [[Feature~V180770~Anywhere But Here~anywherebuthere]] and [[Feature~V184675~Where the Heart Is~wheretheheartis]]. Offscreen, Portman also did some growing up, enrolling for her college education at Harvard University. A psychology major, she made it clear upon her enrollment that, aside from her role as Queen Amidala in the Star Wars films, she would not accept any film roles for the duration of her education. Perhaps to the disappointment of fans, she stuck to her word, remaining absent from the screen (save Star Wars, Episode II: Attack of the Clones) until she received her degree in 2003. Luckily, upon her return to acting, it was immediately evident that it had been worth the wait.Portman's first foray following graduation was the 2003 Civil War ensemble drama Cold Mountain, alongside Renee Zellweger and Nicole Kidman. But in 2004, Portman was at the forefront of both Garden State, a moody dramedy that endeared her to fans, and Closer, a taught, intimate drama that earned her massive critical accolades, as well as her first Oscar nomination. In 2005, as the curtain finally closed on the Star Wars franchise with the release of Star Wars, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Portman could be seen with a now iconic pixie haircut after shaving her head for a role in the graphic-novel adaptation V for Vendetta. The dystopic action thriller received mixed reviews, but Portman's performance, as usual, earned accolades. Per her usual M.O. as an actress, she would complete a number of independent, arthouse, or otherwise challenging projects for every blockbuster under her belt, like the 2006 Milos Forman directed period drama Goya's Ghosts, and the Wes Anderson 2007 road (or rather, train) movie The Darjeeling Limited. After appearing opposite Scarlett Johansson and Eric Bana as Anne Boleyn, the famously beheaded wife of King Henry VII in the 2008 period drama The Other Boleyn Girl, Portman turned her high-brow image on its ear the very next year, playing a small town cheerleader turned army wife in the Iraq War drama Brothers. Portman had even more impressive turns awaiting her, however, as 2010 brought the lead role in the hallucinatory Darren Aronofsky film The Black Swan, about an obsessively diligent ballerina who, in order to play both the innocent and dark sides of femininity with the leading role in Swan Lake, must battle her own conflicting inner demons as a woman. Portman trained in ballet rigorously for six months to perform the role, and her efforts paid dividends. Her performance received massive adoration from critics and audiences alike, and she emerged with an Academy Award for Best Actress - which Portman accepted while five months pregnant with a baby she was expecting with fiancé Benjamin Millepied, her choreographer whom she met while filming.Professionally, Portman had a mind to keep a balance with her choice of roles. In a change of pace from the gritty material in The Black Swan, she appeared in the stoner comedy Your Highness, the rom-com No Strings Attached, and the comic-book action thriller Thor.Portman had her first child with husband Benjamin Millepied in June of 2011. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, Rovi
Movies.com, the ultimate source for everything movies, is your destination for new movie trailers, reviews, photos, times, tickets + more! Stay in the know with the latest movie news and cast interviews at Movies.com.
Copyright © 2018 FANDANGO MOVIES.


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Fresh Veggies Keeping Fresh in Londonderry this Week
Tomatoes, eggplant, corn and more are still available at the farms across town, due to high humidity and unusual high temperatures this month. These conditions have extended the lives of many a vegetable here in Londonderry! Also ready are pick-your-own apples and pumpkins!
Mack's is expecting to open this weekend with more variety of apples in the U-Pick orchards. Currently, McIntosh and Jonamac are ripe for picking, but Mack's expects Cortland, Honeycrisp, and Gala will be ready this weekend. Their farm stand also has many already picked varieties of apples, as well as tomatoes, corn, peppers, and even pears! Stop by the farm stand anytime between 9 AM and 6 PM, or hit the orchards anytime between 10 AM and 5 PM.
Sunnycrest Farm also has pick-your-own apples like McIntosh, Red Gala and Cortland. Raspberries are still on the vine, so stop in and pick a bucket this weekend! Their farm stand is also alive with fresh fruits and veggies, as well as their famous cider donuts and other baked goodies. The fields and orchards are open for picking from 9 AM to 5 PM daily, and the farm stand is open from 9 AM to 6 PM.
Elwood Orchards offers a variety of u-pick apples, as well as shell beans and tomatoes. The farm stand sells fresh fruits and veggies. Elwood also boasts the area's largest corn maze. Open now during the day, and nights starting in next week, the corn maze is a great way to spend a few hours with friends and family. This year's maze is about eight acres! The farm is open from 8 AM until 6 PM.
Merrill Farm, located in north Londonderry on Mammoth Road, also offers a variety of apples, from mollies and ginger gold to paulared and graus. Fresh tree-ripened peaches, plums, corn and eggs are also found at this hidden farm stand. The farm is open Monday through Friday from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM, generally in a self-serve manner, and on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 AM to 4 PM.
Be sure to come stop by any one of these great farms and pick up a peck of fresh produce this weekend! For more information about these four farms, including directions and maps, click here!


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Nickolai's noel : The Brothers of Beauford Bend Series, Book 2. / Alicia Hunter Pace.
Electronic resources
Series InformationThe Brothers of Beauford Bend.
View other formats and editions
Record details
- ISBN: 9781440585623 (electronic bk)
- Physical Description: 1 online resource.
- Publisher: Iola : Crimson Romance, 2014.
Content descriptions
|General Note:
Title from eBook information screen..
|Summary, etc.:
Born an orphan in Russia, Nashville Sound center Nickolai Glazov never knew the warmth of a big family. Luckily, at age six, his talent for hockey was discovered. Now, with a multitude of championship titles, a berth on the 2014 Russian Olympic team, and plenty of puck bunnies to warm his bed on cold nights, he's not wasting his energy crying over his lack of roots. Even if he wouldn't mind a special someone to come home to . . .Artisan quilt maker Noel Verden, on the other hand, has so many roots they're threatening to strangle her. Her family depends on Noel for everything, from talking them through using the television remote to deciphering the telephone bill-all from 200 miles away. She loves them, but wishes they were more self-sufficient and would stop trying to force her to close her quilt shop in Beauford, Tennessee, to move back home to Kentucky. If only she had the strength and power to stand up to her family . . .A chance meeting and a snowy ice...
|System Details Note:
Requires Adobe Digital Editions (file size: 20292 KB).
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|Electronic books.


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Great product - I've been using Xampp for years but recently run into a problem I can't solve..
I've installed Apache 2.2.2 from xampp-win32-1.5.3a-installer.exe on a new Windows 2003 Server (5.2 Build 3790 Platform 2 Service Pack 2) but if pages of the PHP website it is running are requested too fast (by clicking on the href links fast) the Apache server sometimes crashes (about 3 times a day).
Windows gives dll windows pop error (msvcr71.dll or ntdll.dll or rarely php5ts.dll) report the problem to m$ error a few times.
This is a new quad core machine - one of the cores hits 100% CPU usage before Apache crashes.
Does apache not come with flood protection?
Is there an NT optimised exe? Any ideas how to stop these crashes?


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When Sam Allardyce settles into his seat in the manager's seat at the West Ham training ground, he may want to put a ring round the date of September 27. That could well be his D-day.
The Irons are scheduled to play Manchester United that afternoon, the last of an opening six fixtures that are exacting to say the least.
Tottenham are at home first up followed by Crystal Palace away. Southampton are next at Upton Park followed by a tricky away game at Hull and then Liverpool at home and Manchester United away. So that is three of last season's top seven as well as an outfit in Palace who were arguably the form team of the last two months of last season as they escaped relegation.
And that cluster of matches come after three extraordinary months at Upton Park when Allardyce's position has been somewhat under-mined. In fact, under-mined big time.
With Allardyce, you know what you are getting. He is organised, statistic-obsessed and plays percentages. And you have to admit he has been highly-successful with that strategy. If you are looking for Brazil-1970, look elsewhere. If survival is your target, Allardyce is your man. His track record proves that.
And survive West Ham did last season. In the end with a deal of comfort.
Yet the club hierarchy paid heed to a vociferous element among the West Ham fans who were less than impressed with a lack of fluency and adventure in the team. That dreadful cliche "the West Ham way" was given plenty of air-time.
The board listened and after a summit meeting with Allardyce, declared that more expansive football will be on the agenda for this season. Allardyce's power was diluted in an instant.
Then came the Ravel Morrison issue. Farmed out on loan by Allardyce to Queens Park Rangers in the second half of last season, he is clearly not in favour. Not by the manager, maybe - but co-chairman David Sullivan went public with his desire to not only keep the hugely-gifted but occasionally wayward Morrison. He wants to offer the England Under-21 a new contract.
Harmony is not a word that springs to mind among the management strata. Allardyce is driven by clean sheets. West Ham fans, traditionally, prefer to score one more than the opposition. To Allardyce, staying in the Premier League was his brief and he achieved that. To many West Ham fans, a cup run is the one chance of glory and that was sacrificed inside between January 5 and January 8 last season with a 5-0 FA Cup defeat at Nottingham Forest and a 6-0 Capital One Cup semi-final defeat at Manchester City.
Clean sheets aplenty, Premier League survival and three wins over Tottenham do not a season make. And in the build-up to this season's campaign, the vibes are not good. When those in power at a club and the manager are not at one, it is often a recipe for uncertainty that spreads from the boardroom to the dressing room and frequently to the pitch.
Come September 27, around 5pm, we will know a lot more.


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H.R.4811 - Recreational Marine Employment Act of 2002107th Congress (2001-2002)
BillHide Overview
|Rep. Keller, Ric [R-FL-8] (Introduced 05/22/2002)
|House - Education and the Workforce
|Latest Action:
|House - 10/03/2002 Referred to the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections. (All Actions)
This bill has the status Introduced
Here are the steps for Status of Legislation:
- Introduced
Subject — Policy Area:
- Labor and Employment
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Summary: H.R.4811 — 107th Congress (2001-2002)All Information (Except Text)
There is one summary for H.R.4811. Bill summaries are authored by CRS.
Shown Here:
Recreational Marine Employment Act of 2002 - Amends the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act with respect to employer liability for death and disability compensation payable to longshore, harbor workers, and other specified marine employees not otherwise covered by State workers compensation laws. Excludes from the definition of employee any individuals employed by or at, or engaged in the construction or maintenance of, a recreational marine facility or structure. Expands the range of individuals whose work is concerned with recreational vessels who do not qualify as employees, including people who principally buy and sell such vessels.
Introduced in House (05/22/2002)
Makes such exclusions contingent on the employer's being in compliance with a State workers' compensation law. (Presently they are contingent on workers' being covered under such a law).
Modifies requirements for third part actions against vessels for negligence to apply them only to injuries to maritime workers who do not qualify as seamen under specified Federal law. (Presently they apply to injuries to all persons covered under the Act).


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ADASS Publications
1. A journal for the astronomical computing community?
2. The Future of ADASS Proceedings
Gray, Norman and Lewis, Jim
This Birds of a Feather session covers two closely related topics which will be presented in two parts.
Part 1: A journal for the astronomical computing community? (Norman Gray)
The ADASS conferences provide a regular focus for those engaged in astronomical computing. ADASS proceedings provide a very valuable record of each conference, but imperfectly record the activities of the ADASS community, for a number of reasons: (i) appearing after a year, they often present out-of-date snapshots of rapidly-developing projects; (ii) being unrefereed, there is no quality threshold, nor are authors pushed to justify and elaborate where needed to provide the best account of their material; (iii) being tied to the annual conference cycle, projects are reported upon when the opportunity arises, not when they have reached appropriate milestones; and (iv) having restricted page lengths, topics receive only brief coverage.
This matters for at least two reasons. Firstly, material from most ADASS conference papers will be published nowhere else, so valuable technical lessons risk being lost. Secondly, as more people pursue a career in astronomical computing, it becomes more important that they have a means of recording their attainment and a track record of refereed journal papers, with associated citation statistics, is what potential employers will most readily understand.
Open source publishing systems make the establishment of a community-driven astronomical computing journal possible, but is it necessary? Would mainstream astronomy journals publish more technical papers if they were submitted? Are there computing journals that would welcome these papers? What are the benefits of refereeing to this community and would it devote the time needed to referee? Does the lack of refereed publications hinder the career progress of its members?
This BoF will address these and related questions. Most time will be devoted to contributions from the floor, rather than prepared talks. A few contributions will be sought to initiate and shape debate, and those interested in making one are invited to contact the organisers.
Part 2: The Future of ADASS Proceedings (Jim Lewis)
One of the principal aims of any conference is to provide a snapshot of progress on a topic at a given time. This is usually accomplished through publication of proceedings which, although they are unrefereed, are meant to be an accurate representation of what was actually discussed. The traditional format for this is in the form of a book (published, in the case of ADASS, by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific Conference Series). Proceedings published in this way have always had to have page limits for each contribution and restrictions to the type of graphics that can be used and this is in order to conform to what the format of a book can accomodate. The amount of time required for editors to gather together all the contributions and ensure they comply with these restrictions can be considerable and it's often the case that the proceedings for ADASS take about a year to reach the public. Although these are perrenial irritations for both authors and editors, this is a model that has served astronomy well for many years.
The ADASS conference is now twenty years old and in that time there have been tremendous changes in the way that information is disseminated. The advent of the Internet, very inexpensive (or even free) software tools, fast search engines (e.g. Google) and electronic readers (e.g. Kindle) have revolutionised publishing and information exchange. People all over the world are choosing to get their information electronically rather than from printed books and journals and this is not just restricted to astronomy.
With that in mind it is time that we took a long hard look at how we publish the proceedings for ADASS. Last year the Program Organising Committee set up a subcommittee to look into the question of whether we need to change our publication procedure and if so then by how much. Some of the options explored included:
- the status quo, that is continue publishing a book with ASPCS
- retain the book as our primary means of publication, but change to publishers who may be a bit cheaper and faster
- retain the book, but also try to negociate a deal with the publishers to provide open access to electronic versions of the proceedings
- get rid of the book format altogether and attempt to find a publisher who will host an electronic version of the proceedings
- get rid of the book format altogether and host the publication of the electronic proceedings ourselves.
All of these options have their strengths and weaknesses and in this part of the BoF we'll give brief presentations on the arguments for and against each. We are hoping a lively discussion from the audience will ensue and that all possible options can be reviewed openly. An audience vote will be taken on Wednesday during first morning plenary session which we hope will reflect consensus within the ADASS community.
Return to Birds of a Feather list


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How Does Understanding God's Grace Give Us Fresh Perspective?
God Is Not Capricious from Randy Alcorn - EPM on Vimeo.
Randy Alcorn talks about the God of the Bible and how He is long-suffering and sacrificial, not capricious. This video clip was excerpted from Randy's Eternity 101 DVD class.
Randy Alcorn (@randyalcorn) is the author of over fifty books and the founder and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries.


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(The logo of the Democratic Party)
There are two political parties in the USA - the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. They both suck.
The Republicans are, basically, evil. They support big business and do not care about providing any social services to people who might need them. They don't care about the poor at all and issues of equality are not important to them.
The Democrats are, basically, corrupt (dishonest). Lots of democratic politicians get thrown in jail for various reasons and they provide lots and lots and lots of social services when they have power, and this is how they get votes. They do not do anything to eliminate poverty, they use the poor to stay in office. The poor have to keep voting for them because they desperately need the services the Democrats are giving them. Free housing, free food, free medical care etc.
New York State has a governor (leader) who loves, loves, loves, loves using NY State and US tax dollars to give away free stuff to poor folks.
As you can see from the article below, he is giving away 400,000 daily free meals to poor children this summer. He has no plans to help the parents of these children get jobs, go to school or make money.
What is even more ridiculous is that he was offering 400,000 free meals a day and only 30% of the poor children eligible for the meals ate them. So the program wasn't even really necessary - 70% of the people thought to need the service did not even accept the service. The food and money was just wasted. It should have been a much smaller program, but it's not Mr. Cuomo's money so who cares. NY State has the highest tax rate in the country in large part because Mr. Cuomo does STUPID stuff like this. He wants to be president some day.
400,000 children who don't have parents who can buy them food is a CRISIS (a terrible situation that has to be taken care of). We should be looking for the underlying causes of this crisis and trying to end poverty. But this would not help Governor Cuomo to potentially become president of the United States. So he will not be tackling (addressing/trying to solve the problem of) poverty any time soon.
Here is a message from the Governor:
Vocabulary to help you read this message:
to remind - to repeat something so that it will be fresh in a person's mind
drawing to a close - coming to an end
to be or remain eligible for s/t - to be qualified for something, to be able to be a part of something
nutritious - food which is good for one's health
fills a gap - meets a need that isn't being met
a proclamation - a formal announcement
to highlight an issue - to call attention to an issue
vital - essential, necessary for life
federally funded - so Cuomo got this money from the US government
only an estimated 3 out of 10 eligible students are being fed - this means that most students who can use the program are not using the program because they don't need it. So the program isn't even necessary, but Cuomo wants to run it anyway to make himself seem more popular.
disseminating information - giving out or spreading information
a food pantry or soup kitchen - a food pantry is a place in a city where people can come and pick up free food. A soup kitchen is where people can come and get a free hot meal (it is called a soup kitchen but soup is usually not served).
migrant programs - I am guessing these are programs that travel around


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This is a minimalist modern logo featuring a dollar symbol inside a stylized target. The main color version is green and grey but it is extremely easy to change all colors according to your needs. It would be a perfect match for a money making or financial advisor, blog, app, game.
CMYK. Fully editable EPS and Ai, easy to change text and color. Flat color versions included
Font used: Sinkin Sans – http://www.fontsquirrel.com/fonts/sinkin-sans


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CHARLESTON ELEMENTARY A HONOR ROLL• THIRD GRADE — Asher Cross, Grayson Evans, Miyah Kesley, Raleigh Cassada, Alyssa Gibson and Bella Purser.• FOURTH GRADE — Savannah Betancourt, Drake …
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The Chill East Wind
Day 24/366: Bubblewrap Jellyfish Whipping Around in the Wind
Originally uploaded by Rozanne.
There were tons of great photo opps today, but it was murder having to take off my gloves and handle that metal camera in the wind. I suffer for my art. Yeah, right.
It's been interesting to see what each day will yield. Some days I'm not really thrilled with any of the photos I take; other days I end up with several that I quite like. Then I have trouble making a decision about which one is going to be the official photo of the day.
Today, was one of those days. I couldn't decide between the bubblewrap jellyfish lanterns and this rusted Medusa with her beer can boobs. I finally went with the jellyfish since they were being buffeted around by the chill east wind just like I was today. Plus, will they look as compelling the next time I'm out if the wind isn't blowing and the sky isn't so vividly blue? Will they even still be there in a few weeks or will the elements have shredded them or will neighborhood toughs have stolen them?
Yes, I know I am taking this project just a smidge too seriously.
Labels: Project 365


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More refinements
Showing 1 - 3 of 3 total results
Realestate.com.au is Australia's #1 home for rental property, listing real estate for rent in Townson, and other rental property listings by real estate agents in Townson. If you're looking to rent a property in Townson, we have house prices in Townson. Realestate.com.au can help you find rentals open for inspection in Townson, and houses to share in Townson. If you're searching for Townson property for sale or sold property in Townson, we can help you with your real estate search.


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Here's another Faux Bone (c) ring - designed to intentionally look like you are wearing a band-aid.
From Faux Bone
It worked - my son asked solicitously if I had cut my finger! It is actually quite comfortable to wear. My DH hate it, my daughter think's it is "strangely appealing" - and she hates the sight of blood.
Simply made, it uses Faux Bone's properties of strength and ability to shape when hot. NOTE: Faux Bone by Robert Dancik is available exclusively at fauxbone.com.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
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: Toboggan: Sling Sled
Sep 26, 2005 —
I actually borrowed this gag from another comic strip I did a long time ago for another comic. In it two funny alien creatures were trying to escape a prison. The smarter one had assembled a huge scary catapult to launch them over the prison wall. He told the dumber of them that he could go first. I guess it goes along with that whole letting a little brother or sister test something first to see how dangerous it is. Poor little guys.


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Stop Being So "Creative": LinkedIn Releases 2012 List of Overused Buzzwords
No doubt, if you're building a career, you've got a profile on LinkedIn that you include on your resume and in your email signature. What is your profile saying about you? Apparently, in the US, a lot of us are saying we're "creative."
The professional social network has just released this year's list of overused buzzwords from around the world; words that pop up in far too many profiles found on the site. And the number one buzzword in the US and around the world is "creative." Again.
"If you want opportunity to come knocking, you've got to make your LinkedIn Profile stand out from the pack," Nicole Williams, LinkedIn's career expert said in a press statement about the latest buzzwords. "Millions of professionals say they're 'creative,' so set yourself apart by describing and linking to projects you've worked on that truly were different, unique, and compelling."
This is the third year that LinkedIn has published this ranking and the second year that "creative" has topped the list. In the first year, the phrase "extensive experience" was number one in the US. Other words appearing on the overused list for the US this year are "organizational," "effective," and "motivated." "Extensive experience" is number five. Many of these words are also commonly used in profiles from around the world.
The site suggests three things to help improve your profile: take a look around the network to determine what you like and don't like about other profiles; make sure you fill in the skills portion so people can endorse you; and re-think your professional headline to make sure it grabs eyeballs.
Still, we wondered why so many people keep coming back to that word "creative."
"Being creative doesn't necessarily mean that you have to be artistically inclined or an inventor of new gadgets," Williams told us in an email. "It is the ability to see things differently and come up with new solutions. My personal thought on the matter is that when creative is looked at from that lens, it is a trait that is valued in almost any field, hence the reason so many people use the word to describe themselves as a professional." But people tend to use the word rather than explaining what exactly makes them creative. In journalism, we say you should show, not tell. The same idea applies here.
"It may take a bit more work, but describing specific projects that you've worked on where you moved the needle will help you stand out from the millions of 'creative' professionals on LinkedIn," Williams added. For more on the overused words list, check out the LinkedIn blog.


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Not all SpyHunter Malware removal is immediately permanent due to mutating malware trojans, which are difficult to remove on first attempt. To combat mutating malware, SpyHunter uses the SpyWare Help Desk to create custom fixes for malware that is not immediately and permanently removable.
SpyWare Help Desk sends a diagnostic report to SpyHunter, allowing company technicians to analyze and ultimately correct the malware issue. Users are also advised to send a customer support ticket, detailing the problems caused by the mutating malware.
SpyHunter also features online troubleshooting at EnigmaSoftware.com for common problems after malware removal, such as the inability to change Internet Explorer pages and virus alert messages.


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Lifetime Homes
Lifetime Homes
People's differences — such as their levels of income, culture, ethnicity, age, and mobility, and whether they have responsibilities for children or other dependants — create different priorities for them. This indicates that a choice of types of accommodation should be available. This chapter analyses existing housing standards and definitions of housing, which allow differing levels of accessibility and liveability. It considers the position of some major players in housing development: The Housing Corporation, Scottish Homes, and local authorities. The continuing problems of access to and within homes, the gradual erosion of space standards over the years, and the adverse effect that this has had on the usability of different dwellings, have contributed to the fourteen criteria developed by the Lifetime Homes Group. This chapter profiles Lifetime Homes criteria and describes the benefits that could be derived from their wider implementation to the general housing stock.
Keywords: accommodation, housing standards, housing, Housing Corporation, Scottish Homes, Lifetime Homes
Policy Press Scholarship Online requires a subscription or purchase to access the full text of books within the service. Public users can however freely search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter.
Please, subscribe or login to access full text content.
If you think you should have access to this title, please contact your librarian.
To troubleshoot, please check our FAQs, and if you can't find the answer there, please contact us.


text: I transplanted the guts of my rooted Droid 2 into the body of my old Droid 1 (long story). Everything is working perfectly except for the first three soft keys. The keys are in a different order on the D1. I want to remap the D2 soft keys to reflect those of the D1. Which system files do I need to edit? I would prefer to do it manually rather than going the app route. Thanks. <Nevermind, I replaced the D1 digitizer with one from D2>


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Read this: Landlady hails TV football victory - News Comment, Football - The Independent
Summary: Mrs Murphy took up her battle against the league after being told she could not use a cheap foreign provider to show games at her pub, The Red White and Blue, in Portsmouth. The landlady said she paid an annual fee of 800 for the foreign service but would have to pay 700 a month for Sky. The case against the landlords has now been settled but the League is continuing action against the suppliers of decoders. - independent.co.ukRead full article: Landlady hails TV football victory - N…
Lots more recommendations to read at Trends - ukfree.tv.
Summaries are done by Clipped-Your articles and documents summarized.
CommentsYour comment please


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Detecting obstructive sleep apnea may become more simplified and cost-efficient thanks to a clinical pathway evaluation and use of common in-hospital vital readings.
Sunil Sharma, MD, of Thomas Jefferson University, and colleagues implemented a clinical pathway evaluation in a study of 754 patients between February 2013 and February 2014. Upon admission, obese patients (BMI ≥ 30) were screened for sleep apnea with the snoring, tiredness during daytime, observed apnea, high blood pressure (STOP) questionnaire. If positive for sleep apnea, healthcare professionals were advices to perform follow-up evaluations, including polysomnography.
In all, 636 patients were classified as high risk for sleep apnea and 118 as low risk. Following discharge, 149 patients underwent polysomnography, after which 87% were determined to have sleep apnea. The researchers concluded that an optimal sleep apnea screening cutoff point was an oxygen desaturation index level of ≥ 10/h [Matthews correlation coefficient = 0.36, 95% confidence interval = 0.24–0.47]. Significantly more patients were identified to have sleep apnea and underwent polysomnography following the introduction of the clinical pathway evaluation than previous years.
The researchers stressed that overnight pulse oximetry to determine oxygen desaturation index may be a cost-effective method for screening for sleep apnea in admitted patients.
Fair use from:


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Lindsey Wright claims New Zealand Women's Open. February 19 2012
Aussie Lindsey Wright has returned from the golfing wilderness to win the New Zealand Women's Open today. Lindsey was once No 12 in the world before taking time out of the game with a loss of form. She nailed a 4m birdie putt on the final hole to claim victory at Pegasus Golf and Sports Club near Christchurch today. A final round four-under 68 to finish on 10-under par and a total of 206 was enough to beat Jessica Speechley and Alison Walshe by one shot for the title. She and her caddy were amazed at her turn around in form; "It's unbelievable. It's still sinking in. I putted really well all day and the last six holes I was really nervous. I haven't been in this position for a while and I thought to myself , I can win this. I looked at the leaderboard and saw Alison Walshe up there and Speechley at nine-under and thought, no I can make this putt. Just keep your head down, just hit a great putt. My caddy was more shocked that I was I think." DEAN KOZANIC/Fairfax NZ Leading New Zealander was 17 year old Cecilia Cho, the World No. 3 ranked amateur, who shot a three-under 69 to finish on five-under, edging her good friend and rival Lydia Ko by one shot,to bring the curtain down on her outstanding amateur career as she now returns to Korea to turn professional. "I have watched Lydia play and she was good this week. It is good being out of the spotlight but I am fine being in the spotlight as well. It's good to get some momentum before I turn professional . It would have been nice to score lower but it's been a good tournament. I am going to miss so much about New Zealand. I am going to miss travelling with teams but turning pro is a new challenge and I am excited about that." Lydia Ko acknowledged the performance of her good friend Cecilia Cho; "Her playing good improved my game and hopefully me playing good improved her game. I played good today but my putts didn't roll in today like the other two days. I am happy but kind of disappointed to. I won the NSW Open and Australian Amateur so not winning here is not going to make me depressed or too disappointed."


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Durham Regional Police are asking the public to help identify two suspects wanted in connection with a series of fires in vacant houses on the federal airport lands in north Pickering.
A total of seven vacant houses have been destroyed by fire since 2006. As part of an ongoing police investigation, a security camera was installed in one of the houses and two suspects were captured on video.
Suspect #1 is described as a male, about 6' tall, wearing a light winter jacket with hood up and dark pants.
Suspect #2 is described as a male, about 5'10" tall, wearing a light winter jacket with hood up, light-coloured pants, wearing a dark backpack.
Anyone with any information that might assist investigators is asked to contact the DRPS at 1-888-579-1520. The lead investigator is D/Cst. Wilson of the West Division Criminal Investigations Bureau at ext. 2527.
Anonymous tips can be made to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or on the website at www.durhamregionalcrimestoppers.ca and tipsters are eligible for a cash reward of up to $2,000.
fire thumb (JPG file, 26.5K bytes)
Suspect Video (WMV file, 1,568.0K bytes)


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Who says the East Coast doesn't get big waves? Hurricane season is coming
to a close and there are not even any tropical depressions to be found in
the Atlantic. But, some sort of strange wind pattern off the coast made
some sizeable waves for the mid-Atlantic.
(Part of) Erik and I paddling out saturday. Erik managed to make it out
through the crashing waves, but I spent the day on the inside mush. I
was probably better of for it, though. After Erik paddled out he got
caught in a huge wave that broke his leash. I watched as his board surfed
by without him. It was the longest ride of the day.
I felt like I was paddling forward, but Mike later told me that I was
actually moving backward most of the time.
The shorebreak was rough at times.
Erik and Nancy heading out.
So tempting, but so difficult to paddle out.
I took my new shortboard out. I was hoping for some medium-sized waves to
try it out and get the feel of it, but I had to settle for riding the
A brief ride.
There were a couple guys who made it out. They caught some really
impressive waves out there.
Ghost rider.
A seagull passing by.
Sunday was better. The waves were about the same size, but instead of
coming one after another with no break they came in sets with brief lulls
in between. Peter and I managed to make it out past the breakers just
before low tide. The quality wasn't that great, but the size was
impressive, especially for the East Coast. It got cold and Peter paddled
in, but I stayed and waited for a good wave. After about 2 hour it came.
I got a brief ride and then paddled in.
When I came out I found out Nancy's adventure. She got pushed onto the
rocks by the strong waves. They must have shifted direction, because Peter
and I paddled out by the rocks and there was no current at the time. In
the confusion of climbing back onto the rocks she unleashed herself from
her board. The current was so strong in the inlet that the board promptly
went out to sea, never to be seen again. Not too long after that not one
but *two* guys broke their boards in half in the big waves. Quite a day.
Later in the day the quality improved as the wind died down. Peter tried
to paddle out, but just drifted toward the rocks of the inlet. I decided
not to even bother. "Big Wave Dave" came by and caught a couple nice ones
on his long board.
Here's Dave again.
More Pictures


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Welcome to Lapis Beach Unique Hand Knit Wearable Art!
In my shop you will orignal pieces of jewelry that utilize semi precious stones and czech glass. I offer a variety of different styles and widths of bracelets, rings, pendants...and have over 15 different color mixes to choose from. Every single item knits up differently every time. All are truly unique and original!
I am in the process of listings items and hope to have a bunch up really soon. If you would like to see more examples of my work you can also find me here


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Hotels in Postomino, Poland
Search & Compare Postomino Hotels
Save more with Secret Prices
Get instant savings with Secret Prices
Best hotels in Postomino
Postomino overviewIf you're looking for a new favorite getaway, look no further than Postomino. Postomino might not have many well-known attractions, but you don't need to travel far to find places worth a visit like Pomerania Folk Culture Museum and Bateria Bluchera. You can take some time to discover the surrounding area and sights like Muzeum Ziemi Usteckiej and Muzeum Chleba.
Where to stay in PostominoA welcoming city for all, Postomino has a variety of hotels to choose from. There are Postomino accommodations with discounts of up to 20%. We have room prices as low as 27 USD per night and here's a breakdown of hotels by star rating in Postomino as well as in the surrounding area:
- • 10 4-star hotels from 34 USD per night
- • 12 3-star hotels from 31 USD per night
What to see around PostominoHere are some recommended places to see in the surrounding area:
- • Pomerania Folk Culture Museum (4.9 mi/7.9 km from the city center)
- • Bateria Bluchera (8.9 mi/14.3 km from the city center)
- • Muzeum Ziemi Usteckiej (8.9 mi/14.3 km from the city center)
- • Muzeum Chleba (8.9 mi/14.4 km from the city center)
- • Baltic Gallery of Contemporary Art (9 mi/14.6 km from the city center)
When to visit PostominoWondering what time of year to travel or what should be on your packing list? Here are some seasonal norms so you'll know what to expect for your trip:
Seasonal temperature averages
- • January-March: 46°F day, 23°F night
- • April-June: 70°F day, 33°F night
- • July-September: 73°F day, 43°F night
- • October-December: 57°F day, 27°F night
- • January-March: 3.90 inches
- • April-June: 5.75 inches
- • July-September: 7.36 inches
- • October-December: 4.88 inches


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|Last page of 1819 RCK Tax List
Inhabitants of Mt. Vernon
List of the Inhabitants of Mt Vernon, Rockcastle County, Kentucky
Bowman, Tillie
Colyer, John
Crawford, John
Farris, Hezekiah
Hagerty, Robert
Hamm, John
Henderson, J. S.
Kirtley, Elijah
Smith, Wm.
Terrill, James
Adams, Wm.
Buford, Wm.
Buford, Wm. Jr.
Bright, Jacob
Bryant, John
Hill, John
Newcum, Wm.
Total of 17
Rockcastle County, Kentucky was formed in 1810 from portions of Knox, Lincoln, Madison, and Pulaski counties.
The town of Mt. Vernon was established early, but was not incorporated until 1818. There is no tax list for 1818.
For more information on the town of Mt. Vernon, Kentucky read Three Springs and a Wilderness Station by Jeff Renner, published 2008.


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AICPA Code of Professional Conduct Violations
"AICPA Code of Professional Conduct Violations" Please respond to the following:
1. From the e-Activity, discuss one violation of the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct leading to a disciplinary action. Explore the risks that relationships or circumstances played in the failure of the CPA to comply with the rules of the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct leading up to the violation.
2. Examine current safeguards available to reduce the risks of the violation you identified. Discuss the specific safeguard you would recommend to reduce risks if confronted with a similar situation.**Week 8 e-activity
- Use the Internet to research at least two current cases involving violations of the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct. Be prepared to discuss.
All i need is a few distinct paragraphs for each of the 4 questions. Nothing too profound (approx. 250 words per question). Please also provide APA style references for any cited works that you useCase Study for the IBM and Google questions:
IBM and Google are two of the most successful firms in the history of business. Since
the demise of Bell Laboratories following the breakup of AT&T, IBM has had the world's
leading corporate research labs. Five IBM scientists have won Nobel Prizes in physics
(compared with 12 from Bell Labs), and every year since at least 1992 IBM employees
have been granted more patents than employees at any other firm in the world.1 More
importantly, some technology analysts consider IBM's research more fundamental,
yet more practical, and its patents more valuable, than those of most competitors.
Google was founded in 1998 by two Stanford computer science graduate students,
Larry Page and Sergey Brin, at the start of the Internet boom. Google quickly became
the world's dominant search engine and gained widespread fame for its corporate
culture. Google offered employees free healthy lunches and dinners, and snack
tables were spread throughout the firm's offices. Google buildings included space for
bicycles, pets, pool and foosball tables, volleyball courts, and gyms. The firm offered
employees free massages, meditation classes, and yoga sessions. Employees were
encouraged to spend 20% of their time at work on projects of their choice, which led
to innovative developments and motivated employees.
profitability and soon transformed IBM from primarily a computer manufacturer into a
firm that provided information technology (IT) services throughout the world. In the mid-
1990s, data processing became so complex that many large organizations outsourced
their entire IT departments. IBM was one of the few firms in the world large enough and
skilled enough to manage those projects. That work was highly profitable, but by the late
1990s IBM's service operations faced severe competition, first from large Indian IT firms
such as Infosys Technologies and Wipro Limited and then from Hewlett Packard.
For at least the past 40 years IBM has been one of the world's most respected com-
panies. However, because it faced various competitive challenges from Microsoft,
Indian IT firms, and Hewlett Packard, IBM was forced to take actions to reduce costs,
and many of those actions were widely criticized (see below). In July 2003, IBM in-
vited all 319,000 of its employees throughout the world to engage in an open "values
jam" on its global intranet. Tens of thousands of employees offered comments about
the company over a three-day period. That discussion produced IBM's current corpo-
rate value statement (Exhibit 2).5 According to that value statement, employees were
brutally honest, and some of what they wrote was painful for management to read.
Exhibit 2 states that IBM's stock price must increase by 10% before IBM's 300 most
senior executives benefit from their employee stock options. In addition, the executives
must first invest their own funds in IBM stock before they can buy stock under IBM's
executive stock option plan. The corporate values statement mentions that this require-
ment is unique in the computer industry and possibly in all of U.S. business. Although
IBM's value statement is more restrictive than most values statements for U.S. compa-
nies, IBM has received criticism for some of its actions during the past 10 years.
Pension dispute
Like most large companies founded prior to the 1990s, IBM included a defined ben-
efit pension plan for all employees as part of its compensation package.6 IBM termi-
nated its defined benefit pension plan in 1999 and transferred all employees to a cash
balance pension plan.7 Employees filed a class action lawsuit against IBM claiming
the plan discriminated against older workers. In 2003, a lower court ruled that IBM's
revised pension plan did discriminate against older employees. IBM appealed the
case, but to limit its maximum exposure it agreed to pay plaintiffs $320 million. If IBM
lost on appeal, it agreed to pay an additional $1.4 billion (i.e., plaintiffs agreed to a
$1.4 billion additional payment as a cap). In 2007, IBM won its appeal, although the
$320 million payment was not returned because of the contractual agreement.
Google's 2008 revenues increased by 31% from 2007 but, partially because of a
$1.1 billion impairment charge for Clearwire and AOL equity investments, Google's
2008 operating income exceeded 2007 operating income by only 3.2%.
Revenues for the first three quarters of 2009 were only 5.5% higher than the first three
quarters of 2008. However, because of firm-wide cost cuts, including Google's first
ever employee count reduction (by only 2.3%), Google's operating income before tax
increased by 22%. Like IBM, Google has recently been criticized for some of its actions.
Dual classes of stock
Google first issued stock to the public in August 2004. Google separated its equity
ownership into two classes of stock. The A shares, which were sold to the public, have
one vote per share; the B shares, primarily owned by cofounders Sergey Brin and
Larry Page—and CEO Eric Schmidt—have 10 votes per share. Dual class common
stock has been relatively common in the newspaper industry (The New York Times
and, prior to its acquisition by News Corp, Dow Jones/The Wall Street Journal). It has
also been used by some family-controlled firms, such as Molex Inc.
Google's founders stated that they wanted to control the firm to avoid quarterly
earnings pressure from security analysts.14 In 2006, shareholders proposed that
Google eliminate its two classes of stock, but the founders rejected that proposal.
Many Google competitors worry that this will give Google a significant advantage
in targeting its advertising. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and various
other organizations objected to the settlement because of privacy concerns. They
worry Google Books will give Google unique insight into the reading habits of those
who download books.
The U.S. Department of Justice, several European countries, and some members
of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives are concerned that this legal settle-
ment circumvents U.S. and foreign government copyright laws. The U.S. DOJ stated
that the settlement would provide benefits to the public but also raises significant
issues regarding class action, copyright, and antitrust laws.17
The agreement has been widely criticized throughout Europe, including in a
speech by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who said the German government
strongly opposed Google Books, a project so secret that Google will not allow any-
one to observe how it scans books.18
In response, Google cofounder Sergey Brin published an editorial, "A Library to
Last Forever," in The New York Times on October 8, 2009.19 Mr. Brin passionately
argued that Google Books is primarily an altruistic effort by Google to make books
available to the public that would otherwise be lost forever. He strongly defended
the settlement because it allows payment to authors who would otherwise receive
nothing for their work and because it allows any other company an equal opportunity
to scan orphan books.
On December 18, 2009, a French court ruled that Google Books violates France's
copyright laws. A French court fined Google €300,000 ($431,000), plus €10,000
($14,300) per day until it stops providing viewers with portions of the scanned books.
The lawsuit, brought by French publishing houses, accused Google of offering free
searchable portions of copyrighted books. In doing so, Google earns advertising rev-
enues without adequately compensating copyright holders.


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Adelaide Life Coaching
Having trouble achieving your goals or desired outcome?
Something always seems to prevent you from achieving your goals.
Is it more to the point that your goal is vague, not specific enough and you're not sure anymore why you're still working on it?
You may even feel a little disconnected from your purpose and you're struggling with what life means for you.
"I set goals, but I never reach them. I always self sabotage"
This comment came from a client when we got into goal-setting and how she goes about it. My client hadn't self-sabotaged and it became clear that her goal was vague and not specific enough for her to commit to it wholeheartedly with a compelling reason to pursue it to completion.
If this is your situation, then I can help you get clear on your goals, purpose and mission here.
Call me Colin Slater 0419568043 for a free 20 minute chat about where you're at, what you want and how you might go about realising your vision for yourself.
In the meantime what can you do about shifting your thinking to be more supportive?
You may be wondering what the reference Journaling to Wellness is about?
Writing down you thoughts and feelings at least once a day in a quiet reflective way can bring you increasingly incredible insights into your inner world and that's where writing to wellness comes through. Try it and soon you'll notice a difference in your thoughts and actions from personal and people I work with.
If any of the above looks and sounds like you, I can help you overcome those feelings and obstacles and get them out of the way so you can reach your most cherished life and business goals . Are they connected...in most cases, I've found yes they are.
I can help you get that outcome you've been yearning for and want in your life.
Adelaide Life Coaching can help you to achieve your goals.
Call me to arrange your 30 minute Breakthrough Moments Session today covering where you are at and how you'd like it to be and how you will achieve that vision regards,
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Redditor Ihaveanotheridentity is a former Disney World employee who used to work as Goofy, as well as doing other jobs at the park. He recently held an AMA on Reddit. Redditor purplehp asked if he would smile for pictures even when in costume. His answer? "Almost every time."
Azuya asked, "If Goofy and Pluto are both dogs then how come Pluto has to live in a dog house while Goofy plays golf with Mickey?" His response was simply, "Goofy is better at golf." Mystery finally solved!
He also shared many photos from his days as an employee, like this one. Redditor aaronp613 asked how he would handle working on really hot days. He said, "Practice actually. It was absolute torture the first month (and especially the first parade) but after a few months I got used to it and after a few years I would forget I had the costume on."
When asked if workers loved or hated their jobs, he said, "It's really like any other job. I went through phases myself. At first, every time I farted Pixie Dust ® would blow out of my butt but after several years I got kind of bitter....On set I was fine and loved...I loved every single minute while on set (for the most part) and some of my co-workers will be friends for life. You get out of it what you put into it." Which is a good answer, but we're still not sure how he was able to do that with Pixie Dust.
Commanderluna asked what was the funniest thing he heard a character say while in costume because it was out of character. His response? "'I just farted' - Cinderella." Which perhaps is an even more interesting story than just losing a shoe.
WilmoreROFL asked how much he got paid. He said, "I had 25 years of seniority but only made about 15 bucks an hour." So it was a magical place to work, but he probably wishes they had used that magic to pay just a little bit more.
He said that when A Goofy Movie came out, "The first time some kid asked me to do the 'Perfect Cast' (from the movie) I had no idea what he was talking about so I faked it. The kid didn't buy it but luckily I had an (attendant) tell the kid that I already forgot it." If you're not familiar with Goofy's "Perfect Cast," you can see it here.
BertManigert asked, "Is it true that someone gets fired if two of the same characters appear in the same area of the park?" He said, "I've met my double on set by accident a few times over the years... but it was just that, an accident. The only way someone would get fired (I'm only guessing here) is if they did it on purpose." But they could always explain it away by saying it's a soap opera, and one of the Goofys is the other's long lost evil twin.
When asked if he would ever speak to customers while in costume, he said, "We are NOT ALLOWED TO EVER TALK IN COSTUME IN FRONT OF GUESTS. EVER. Backstage however, anything goes. I used to love telling dirty jokes to unsuspecting new hires." Hopefully knowing that Goofy is secretly dirty doesn't completely ruin the magic.
When asked for advice for guests visiting the park, his number one tip was, "Don't pay $3.00/bottle for water. Free cups of ice water are available at most quick service food locations." So if you have no problem with tap water, this is a huge game changer.
When asked what was the weirdest request he got from a customer, he said, "A guy once asked me to choke him for a picture (I didn't). (But) I think the worst of them is when people bring their newborn infants to the parks and ask us to hold them for a picture. I can't see s**t in Goofy...and I'm wearing giant gloves...Why would you let me hold your baby? Yeesh!"
And besides, if you were going to pick a character to hold your baby, Goofy would probably be the one to avoid the most.
He said that when it comes to how the character performers behave backstage, "Some of the break rooms are like the high school cafeteria where the 'cool' princesses (Elsa and Anna) sit on one side and make eyes at the 'old' characters (Snow and Poppins). It's really childish." If they're still acting like they're in high school, maybe they should "Let It Go."
For his worst customer service experience, he said, "It's a tie between having my life threatened at a Grad Night party one time and one time I had to tell a guest that their son was in jail for stealing from one of the stores and she did not take it very well." Which proves that having a kid wind up at Disney jail is almost as bad as having one go to real jail.
He was also asked about his best customer service experience while working at the park. He responded with, " I was working (as Goofy) at Mickey's Character Spot at Epcot. There was an older gentleman that...just sort of stood in the back...After about 20 minutes he came up to me and said 'Goofy, I had a special friend that would want you to have this'...I couldn't see him but I heard him holding back the tears. He was shaking a bit but he gave me a hug anyway. I will never forget that hug...He had given me this...pin (pictured) they give to family members or friends of POWs and MIAs. It's become one of my most prized possessions."


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Recently, at a Sharepoint conference in early March, Microsoft co-founder and chairman made the following comments regarding Google:
"In terms of Google, not to overstate it, but they really don't understand the special needs of business. Today, their economic model is based on consumer search. They have done an incredible job there and obviously we're investing in challenging them in that space …
Gates's point is that going from consumer to enterprise is non-trivial and that while Google has executed very well in the consumer search space, they have not executed very well in the enterprise space. Of course, the same could be said for Microsoft which for years has done well in enterprise but has only recently made moves into the consumer space. In fact, now that I think about it, there aren't too many tech companies that have done well in both (Apple doesn't count... they are still more into consumer than enterprise).
While I can't comment on things like Office applications or Sharepoint, this is definitely true in the email space. Hotmail's spam filter is Smartscreen and we use it in our own filtering. However, the behavior in each is quite different. Hotmail has requirements that are either too lax for us or too restrictive. Hotmail is willing to put up with a higher false positive rate than we will, but they will also add IPs to a safelist that we would never consider putting on. The transition from Consumer (Hotmail) to Enterprise (Exchange Hosted Services) is so different that I would say that we have a long way to go before we can make use of Smartscreen's full capacity. Enterprise and Consumer are just so different.