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March, 2008
This study tested the hypothesis that music training causes improvements in several diverse aspects of cognition, and that one way music training produces these effects is by improving attention. We tested this hypothesis using a "pre-post" intervention study design, in which we measured children's test scores at baseline, prior to the intervention, and again following the intervention. We enrolled a total of 88 children from Head Start preschools. All were three-to-five years old, from low socio-economic status (SES) families, right handed, monolingual English speakers, and free of neurological or behavioral disorders. The children were randomly assigned to be in either regular Head Start or in one of three smaller groups. Each small group met for instruction within the regular class time for 40 minutes per day, five days per week, over an eight-week period.
The experimental group (N=26 children) had a small class size (a 5:2 student/teacher ratio) and focused on music activities. These included listening to, moving to, and making music, as well as singing. The three control-comparison groups consisted of: 1) a large class control group (N=19), where students received regular Head Start instruction with a student/teacher ratio of 18:2; 2) a small class control group (N=20), where children were engaged in regular Head Start classroom activities, but in a smaller class, with a student/teacher ratio of 5:2; and 3) a small attention class group (N=23), in which children received training in focusing attention and becoming more aware of details.
Children in each of the four groups were tested prior to and after enrollment in the eight-week period. They were tested on six measures: language fundamentals, vocabulary, letter identification, IQ, visuospatial intelligence (or spatial cognition), and developmental numeracy (numbers used in daily living).
There were strong and significant improvements in non-verbal IQ and numeracy and spatial cognition within a group measured before and after training (i.e., within-group differences) in children who received music training and those who received attention training. The small Head Start class group also displayed large improvements in these same areas from before to after the eight-week period. These improvements were not seen in children who received regular Head Start in the large class control group.
Learning music requires focused attention, abstract, relational thinking and fluid intelligene (called "executive control"). The extent of improvements in non-verbal IQ and numeracy and spatial cognition was similar in children receiving music training, attention training, and regular Head Start instruction in small classes. These findings suggest that increased time in a small group with intense adult attention may be the underlying element in improving children's skills in these cognitive areas, and that music and attention training in these small group classes produces similar beneficial results.
The central and powerful role of adult attention and guidance is also underscored by the results of a separate study conducted by us, in which children did not receive any intervention. Their parents, however, received training that improved parenting practices, which in turn improved children's conduct and produced large and significant improvements in each of the measures reported here (Fanning et al. 2007). These changes were highly significant within the group from before to after training and also when compared to changes made in the large control group (i.e. between-group differences).
Taken together, these findings suggest that attention from adults, including attention focused through providing music training, produces improvements in young children's cognitive abilities in non-verbal IQ, and in numeracy and spatial cognition, with the latter two being important in math abilities.
There is universal agreement that learning to make music and experiencing meaningful musical events are inherently and uniquely valuable. Recently, motivated in part by cuts to school budgets for education in arts and music, a burgeoning literature has sought to provide evidence of the potential benefits of music instruction on cognitive and academic development in children.
The vast majority of these studies has assessed cognitive functions in trained musicians compared to people with no musical training. Several studies have reported that musicians have higher scores than non-musicians on tests of verbal, visual-spatial, and "numeracy" skills (those measuring competence in math skills needed for everyday living and for understanding graphs and charts); and that musicians scored higher on IQ tests compared to non-musicians. (These studies are summarized in Schellenberg 2006 and Norton et al. 2005.)
While many such reports interpret these correlations as showing that music causes improvements in cognition, it is equally likely that people with strong cognitive skills are more likely to make the considerable cognitive effort to learn music. Learning music requires focused attention, abstract, relational thinking and fluid intelligence (called "executive control"). It is highly likely, therefore, that a major factor producing the positive correlations between music and cognition is that people with better cognitive skills choose to learn music.
Nonetheless, it is also likely that learning music trains and builds cognitive resources. To test this hypothesis, it is necessary to randomly assign individuals to three groups, receiving: 1) music training; 2) training in some other comparable area; and 3) no special training. Very few studies have taken this approach. Moreover, the few studies that have used this approach typically measured a limited number of cognitive abilities. For example, Rauscher reports that individual piano lessons result in improvements on spatial and spatial- temporal skills in young children (Rauscher et al. 1997, 2002). Gardiner et al. (1996) report that six-year olds who receive music and visual arts training display a larger improvement on standardized tests of reading and arithmetic than children receiving the standard curriculum. Schellenberg (2004) reported that six-year-old children who received music lessons (voice or keyboard) in a small group displayed larger improvements in all verbal and non-verbal subtests of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale than children receiving drama lessons or no lessons.
If these results are upheld in further well-controlled studies, they would suggest that music training causes improvements in cognition. Additionally, they would raise the question of how music training might produce such effects.
The finding suggests that, if given strong attentional cues, children as young as three years old can selectively attend to auditory information
The effects reported in the studies described above are not specific to one type of cognitive skill. Rather, they appear across a diverse array of cognitive abilities. These results suggest that music training may result in improvements of cognitive processes that operate to strengthen skills in several areas. One such cognitive process is attention.
In our research, we tested the hypothesis that music training causes improvements in several diverse aspects of cognition and that one way music training produces these effects is by improving attention.
It is important in interpreting our findings to understand what is known about the architecture, development, plasticity, vulnerability, and training of attention. Before describing our results, therefore, we briefly review these issues.
Over the last several decades, research in the cognitive and neurocognitive sciences has converged on an understanding of the different components of attention (Driver et al. 2001, Raz and Buhle 2006, Shipp 2004). Different research groups, and their models, differ somewhat in the way they subdivide and term components of attention. However, they all recognize the importance of: 1) a basic level of arousal and alerting; and 2) a selective focus on specific stimuli and signals, to further process these signals either transiently or in a sustained manner. Such "attentional" selection involves brain processes that are engaged in increasing the strength of selected signals (called signal enhancement). It also involves suppression of signals that are irrelevant information or distractions. Suppression of distractions is a part of early attentional selection. The brain's suppression of distractions is also considered to be part of its "executive," or inhibitory, control functions, which include self-regulation. The brain's executive control functions are important in suppressing predominant responses generally, and also in switching attention between different sets of signals and in dividing attention between different tasks.
Several studies attest to the centrality and relevance that models of attention have to child development in general, and to school readiness in particular (Blair 2002, Early Child Care Research Network 2003, Posner and Rothbart 2000). Studies exploring how the process of attention develops have documented that it matures over a prolonged period of time. This is the case even for aspects of attention that may be present in some form in infancy. Therefore, while alertness is clearly present in infancy, the ability to maintain alertness for effortful processing has a protracted developmental time course that extends into young adulthood (Gomes et al. 2000, Rueda et al. 2004).
While exogenously driven transient attentional selection may mature within the first decade of life (Rueda et al. 2004), development of endogenous (internal and covert) selection continues until at least the third decade of life (Schul et al. 2003). Our understanding of these maturational differences derives in part from studies of behavior and from "event-related potential" (ERP) studies. In ERP studies, electrodes are placed on the surface of the scalp. Following a visual or auditory stimulus presented to the infant or child, using particular recording paradigms, the electrical currents that are produced by the brain activity can be specifically related to the neural systems important for focused attention.
In a review of both behavioral and ERP studies of the development of selective attention, Ridderinkhof and van der Stelt (2000) proposed that the abilities to select among competing stimuli and to preferentially process the more relevant information are essentially available in very young children. They further proposed that the speed and efficiency of these behaviors, and the systems contributing to these abilities, improve as children develop.
We tested this hypothesis more directly. We adapted the ERP paradigm employed by Hink and Hillyard (1976) to make "dichotic" listening (where each ear hears a different sound) more interesting and engaging for three- to eight-year-old children (Coch et al. 2005; Sanders et al. 2006). As seen in the figure below, the structure of the auditory ERP brain responses to these stimuli differed markedly as a function of age.
Nonetheless, when these listeners were asked to selectively attend to one of two simultaneously presented stories that differed in location (left/right), voice (male/female), and content, children as young as three years of age showed an auditory selective attention effect (an increase of the ERPs in response to the stimuli to which they were asked to attend). Furthermore, the timing at which this selective attention effect is observed was the same for the children as for adults (100 ms after stimulus presentation), as shown in the figure.
This finding suggests that, if given strong attentional cues, children as young as three years old can selectively attend to auditory information. Moreover, the nature and timing of these effects on processing auditory information are similar to those found in adults.
Previously, we have used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in combination with behavioral and ERP studies and found that the brain displays considerable plasticity (functional reorganization) of the neural systems that are important in selective attention. For example, we have found that visual selective attention is markedly enhanced in deaf compared to hearing individuals (Bavelier et al. 2000, 2001, Neville and Lawson 1987a, 1987b, 1987c). We have reported similar enhancement of auditory selective attention in congenitally blind adults (Röder et al. 1999, 2003).
However, as we recently reported, there appears to be limits on the time- period during development when the early (100 ms) processes of auditory selective attention can be enhanced. This finding is based on studies that show that people who become blind in later years do not display these same, early enhanced selective attention effects (Fieger et al. 2006).
The finding that particular aspects of selective attention can be modified in congenitally deaf and blind individuals raises the possibility that these aspects of attention may develop relatively slowly and may be particularly vulnerable during development. Using the ERP model of selective attention that we described above, we recently observed deficits in attention in at-risk populations, including children who are "specifically-language impaired" (Stevens et al. 2006) and those from lower socio-economic families (Lauinger et al. 2006).
Cognitive rehabilitation research undertaken since the late 1980s has assessed the effects of training designed to improve aspects of attention in adults with traumatic brain injury, those treated for brain cancers, and those who have incurred strokes and other cerebral vascular accidents (including Sohlberg and Mateer 1987, 2001, 2003, Niemann et al. 1990). Many of these studies report that patients showed improvements in sustained attention and executive function (Ethier et al. 1989, Finlayson et al. 1987, Gray and Robertson 1989). However, it has been difficult to compare results across studies, since different investigators have focused on training different aspects of attention in order to tailor the training to various specific deficits of individual patients. An analysis of this literature suggests that studies need more stringent comparison of the rehabilitation groups to healthy "control" groups (Park and Ingles 2001).
According to recent studies, healthy adults show pronounced effects of training (video game playing) on virtually every aspect of attention (Green and Bavelier 2003). Additionally, a small number of studies in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who were trained in attention and working memory report significant gains following several weeks of daily or every-other-day training (Kerns et al. 1999, Klingberg et al. 2002).
... research has shown that processes of attention are central to every aspect of cognition and school performance. Recently, Posner and colleagues investigated the impact of attention training in typically developing, higher socioeconomic status (SES) preschoolers (Rueda et al. 2005). The computer-based activities were adaptive—they provided progressively increased challenges on attentional skills. The research design was based on a study that showed significant gains in attention skills by non-human primates (Rumbaugh and Washburn 1995). In the Posner study, the group that received the computer-based activity attention training (the experimental group) for only five days showed significantly greater pre-post experiment change in their executive control and non-verbal IQ scores compared to changes in the control group, which received no special training.
As reported above, the specifically-language impaired children aged six years display deficits on the ERP measures of selective attention described above (Stevens et al., 2006). We recently reported that with daily computerized training over a period of six weeks, measures of receptive language and ERP measures of attention are normalized (Stevens et al., in press).
In sum, research has shown that processes of attention are central to every aspect of cognition and school performance. Moreover, processes of attention display a high degree of neuroplasticity. That is, processes of attention display both enhancements (following sensory deprivation in people who are blind or deaf) and vulnerabilities/deficits in many at-risk populations, including those with developmental disorders and those from lower SES backgrounds. A handful of carefully designed studies suggest that attention can be significantly improved in both at-risk and neurologically intact and typically developing adults and children, following specialized training.
In view of these results, the goal of our Dana Arts and Cognition Consortium research was to determine whether music training in preschoolers would produce significant improvements in cognition and school performance that are comparable to the effects produced by attention training.
We tested the hypothesis that, following eight weeks of 40 minutes per school day of either music or attention training in small groups, Head Start preschoolers would display gains in a number of cognitive areas, including language, pre-literacy and visual-spatial skills, numeracy and nonverbal IQ; and that these gains would be larger than those observed in preschoolers who were in either large or small control groups who did not receive either of the trainings.
A total of 88 children were included in the study. The children were recruited from local Head Start preschools, which are federally funded and available to children in families with very low household income. All children were from low SES families, three to five years old, right-handed, monolingual English speakers, and free of neurological or behavioral disorders.
One of the four groups was a music intervention class, in which children received eight weeks of music training in a small group (5:2 student/teacher ratio). Music activities included listening to music, moving to music, making music, and singing. Classes ran for 40 minutes a day, four days per week, during the regular Head Start school day.
The other three groups were "control-comparison" classes to enable us to examine whether any effects observed in the music intervention group were specific to music training or whether other types of training would have similar effects.
The control-comparison groups included: 1) a large group of children receiving regular Head Start instruction, with an 18:2 student/teacher ratio; 2) a small group of children who participated in regular Head Start activities, but in a small group format, with a 5:2 student/teacher ratio; and, 3) a small group of children who received instruction in focusing attention and being aware of details.
All small control-comparison groups (except the large group control) were taught by the same teachers who taught in the music intervention group. The control-comparison classes lasted for the same amount of time as the music intervention class training.
The specificity of the effects of music training can be inferred, depending upon the extent to which students in the three control-comparison groups (including a large comparison group) show different (or fewer) gains in the outcomes measured. If students in control-comparison groups display a similar pattern of outcomes to those observed in the music group, the results would suggest brain processes whereby music training improves cognition. For instance, if learning music trains attention, the effects of these two interventions (music training and attention training) may be similar.
The effects of the interventions in all four groups were assessed employing a range of reliable and valid measures of cognition and literacy. The measures were administered by testers who were blind to the groups to which the children belonged.
Within one month prior to and following the interventions, children were administered the following tests:
Since these are preliminary results, based on a small sample size, we begin to analyze the data by looking at changes from before to after training within each group.
Music Training Group
(Experimental Group: N=26 children)
Following the music training program, children displayed significant improvements on the CELF tests of language, including receptive language (p<.01) and expressive language (p<.001). (Results of .05 or better, such as these results of .01 or .001, are considered "statistically significant.") Children also improved significantly in letter identification (p<.01) and receptive vocabulary (p<.01); and they displayed robust increases on the puzzle assembly subtest of Wechsler Intelligence Test (p<.01).
In addition, the music training group improved significantly (p<.007) on the test we developed to assess numeracy in preschoolers. The specific subtests in which they improved were verbal counting and estimating magnitudes. Finally, this group also improved on the overall Stanford Binet non-verbal IQ test (p<.03), including the fluid and quantitative reasoning subtest of the Stanford Binet IQ test (p<.03) and the "knowledge" or "critical thinking" subtest (p<.01). An example of an item on the latter subtest is to ask the child what is amiss in a picture showing two children in sunshine who cast shadows in different directions.
Large Group
(Control Group: N=19 children)
The children in the regular Head Start classrooms, which have an 18:2 student/teacher ratio, also displayed similar improvements in the CELF tests of receptive (p<.01) and expressive (p<.01) language, and of phonological awareness (p<.03). They showed no significant improvements, however, on the other tests.
Small Group
(Control Group: N=20 children)
The children who spent 40 minutes per day in a group smaller than the regular Head Start classroom, but engaging in similar activities, also displayed gains in receptive (p<.01) and expressive (p<.002) language and in phonological awareness (p<.01). In addition, they improved on the object assembly test (p<.004), and on overall non-verbal IQ (p<.001), including several subtests.
Attention Training Group
(Control Group: N=23 children)
The children who were trained in attention displayed gains of comparable magnitude, and in similar areas, as the children trained in music. They improved significantly in receptive (p<.01) and expressive (p<.004) language and phonological awareness (p<.01). They also improved in the object assembly test of visual cognition (p<.007), in numeracy (p<.001) and in the Stanford Binet subsets of fluid reasoning, quantitative reasoning, visual-spatial and working memory, and critical thinking (all p<.01).
Taken together, these results suggest that the gains in language observed in the music group (and also in the control groups) may have been due to Head Start itself, or to test-retest effects. Further controls will be necessary to determine which variables are key to language improvement in children in each of the four groups. While these results are preliminary, one interpretation of the data is that the improvements in spatial cognition (puzzle assembly) and IQ observed in children in all small groups (music, attention, and small Head Start class) but not in children in the large control group in this study may derive from the fact that music training typically involves time being individually tutored, or being in a small group, which may itself increase opportunities for training attention. Alternatively, when the numbers of children in each group are larger, it may show that there are meaningful differences between groups in the magnitude of the effects.
We are grateful to Head Start preschools and families for their participation and to the Dana Foundation for its support.
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Dateline: April 1, 2010 – The Vatican. Pope Benedict XVI issued a decree today saying that pedophilia is not a sin. According to the decree, the Roman Catholic Church no longer bears any responsibility for the ongoing child molestation scandal that has rocked the Church in the United States, Ireland, and several other countries for several decades. The decree was issued Ex Cathedra, which according to Roman Catholic Church dogma, is the result of divine intervention and protected from the possibility of error by God Himself.
Ex Cathedra decrees are rare, but this particular one may have been unique. The Pope himself is alleged to have shared the details of his conversation with God with his most trusted cardinals. A Vatican insider, speaking on the condition of anonymity explained what happened. "The Pope was in his cell praying and begging repentance for his role in the ongoing scandal for the ten thousandth time. Then he came out saying, 'God doesn't give a shit'." The Pope was reportedly shaken but overjoyed by the unusual revelation.
Vatican accountant Father Guido Cartamoneta expressed relief over the momentous pronouncement. "It's a great day for the Catholic Church. This resolves all of these issues that have been hanging over our head for so long. It's just in time for the Easter donation season!"
Former Cardinal Bernard Law of the Boston Diocese also expressed his pleasure over the announcement. "I feel vindicated for my role in moving priests between posts. Maybe now life will return to normal and can get back to the business of filling our youth with the Holy Spirt."


text: There are two kinds of dreams. There are dreams that we have while asleep and dreams that we have while we are awake. What is the connection between the two types? Both kinds of dreams are about the yearnings that are held deep inside us. Some of these desires are so secret that we dare not share them even with our closest friends. Those of us that dare to put our dreams down on paper are showing the courage and faith that they will come true.


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The moment 11 million undocumented immigrants have been waiting for may finally be here. Or, more accurately, near.
This weekend, a key group of Senate Democrats and Republicans was promising immigration reform in the very near future. As in this afternoon.
And it's looking more and more like the plan will include an eventual pathway to citizenship for some or all of those currently living in the U.S. without legal documents.
Yesterday's run of Sunday talk shows featured senators participating in bipartisan working group for immigration reform. The team of six senators has been meeting for months, and their final plan will be revealed at a Washington press conference this afternoon.
President Obama will give his reaction and lay out his own immigration reform timetable in a speech in Las Vegas tomorrow.
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. and Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., appearing on ABC's "This Week", said Republicans and Democrats are finally coming together on the previously polarizing issue.
"What has changed, honestly, is that there is a new appreciation on both sides of the aisle – including, maybe more importantly on the Republican side of the aisle – that we have to enact a comprehensive immigration reform bill." McCain said.
The plan is expected to include both a path to citizenship and increased border security. On Fox News Sunday Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said the plan would satisfy key players in both parties.
"We are committed to finding a comprehensive approach to immigration we can live with," Durbin said.
On NBC's "Meet The Press", former GOP vice president nominee Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis. said he supports the plan from Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., but is cautiously optimistic. He said that both parties will be paying close attention to the anticipated unveiling of immigration reform by President Obama in Las Vegas. It is expected to kick off the long awaited path to citizenship, and for the millions living in the shadows, it cannot come soon enough.
"We can't go forever with 11 million people living in the shadows in an illegal status," McCain said, "We cannot forever have children who were born here — who were brought here by their parents when they were small children to live in the shadows, as well."


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Patricia Mallon '63, a natural resources major, believes strongly that women's colleges should continue not only to survive, but also thrive. "I really, really believe that single-sex education should be available," she says. "It dismays me that several of the other [Seven Sister] schools have gone over to the other side. I thought if I could help, I want to do it." Throughout the years, Mallon had supported Barnard. Then, her late husband discovered charitable gift annuities. After learning how they work, Mallon made a gift to Barnard in 2000, and followed it with additional gifts in 2006 and 2012. A retired librarian consultant, Mallon makes it clear she isn't wealthy. She simply finds that gift annuities make good economic sense and allow her to provide for herself while also supporting a women's college for future generations.
The way a charitable gift annuity works is that the donor makes a gift to the College of $10,000 or more and receives an immediate charitable tax deduction. The donor chooses the annuity beneficiary, often the donor herself, and Barnard then pays that person a fixed annual income for life at a rate based on his or her age at the time of the gift. It is possible to name up to two lifetime beneficiaries. An older beneficiary typically receives a higher rate of return, but any donor can establish a higher rate by deferring the annuity payouts to a future date. As an example, Mallon deferred payments on her first gift annuity until she's 73, at which point she'll receive payouts at a double-digit rate. She started receiving quarterly payments, though the terms of the payouts may vary, from her 2006 gift right away, and will begin receiving quarterly payments from her 2012 gift at the end of this year. The annuity payouts have the added benefit of being partially tax free. Upon the lifetime beneficiary's death, any funds remaining in the gift annuity go to Barnard.
Barbara Kelman Ravage '67, an English literature major, is a freelance writer whose income varies greatly from year to year. After a particularly profitable 2009, her accountant advised her to make a major donation to offset her tax bill. She was about to turn 65, and retirement was on her mind. Ravage, who had only intermittently contributed to the College over the years, then decided it was the right time to make a gift to Barnard to set up an annuity. Another profitable period a couple of years later resulted in a second charitable gift annuity to Barnard. "At some point I realized that I have now given Barnard close to 10 times as much as my father paid for a year's tuition back in the 1960s," she says. "He is no longer alive and college tuition has increased more than tenfold, but I feel that in some way I am thanking him for making my Barnard education possible."
Gloria Grubman Sandford '44 believes that her Barnard education enabled her to meet some of the intense challenges she's faced in her life. A self-described "nerd," she was only 15 when she started college, but she relished Barnard's intellectual atmosphere. "I couldn't have found a more perfect environment," Sandford says. "I was determined to become a successful woman and stand on my own two feet." Her father always told her she might have to take care of herself someday; she wanted to be prepared to support herself and "be somebody," as she puts it.
Following graduation, Sandford headed to California for graduate school, having earned a full scholarship. She returned to New York two years later with a master's degree in political science/Latin American political affairs. Bilingual in English and Spanish, she became the official interpreter for the Venezuelan consulate. In time, she married and became the mother of three daughters. Then tragedy struck: Her husband of 18 years died of a heart attack, leaving her to raise their children—ages 3 to 12—on her own. Believing they needed her more than ever, she sought a solution that kept her at home but also provided the family with sufficient income. She went back to school and studied finance. "I took to that like a bird takes to flying," she says proudly. A successful investor, she provided for her daughters, put them through college, and helped them buy their first homes.
Sandford had supported Barnard over the years, but her charitable gift annuity in 2007 was her first major gift, and she's currently working out details for another. "Without the education that I got I never would have had the drive or the confidence to figure out what I had to do in my life alone with my girls," she says. Mallon echoes a similar sentiment. "I was relatively shy and scared," she notes, and describes her freshman year at Barnard as the best of her life. "My Barnard education…gave me self-confidence."
For Ellen O'Brien Saunders '63, a medieval-history major, coming to Barnard from a Midwestern public high school was initially a shock, but she learned what excellence is. When she ultimately took on the assignment of co-chair of the planned-giving subcommittee for her class reunion, she learned about the advantages of charitable gift annuities—resulting in her establishment of one in 2012. Saunders feels a lot of women are allergic to learning about money and financial planning; she encourages her friends and alumnae to read about annuities on Barnard's website, barnard.edu/development/planned-gifts/, ask questions, and gather information. She thought carefully about her decision, finding it satisfying from both financial and emotional perspectives. "It helps me to think I'm making a contribution when I'm no longer around to make annual gifts," Saunders says. "I'm giving the College some stability in its planning and its future."
Somewhat intimidated by the accomplishments of some of her classmates (who include Erica Mann Jong and Martha Kostyra Stewart), Mallon avoided reunions until her 20th in 1983. At the final luncheon of Reunion weekend she looked around and saw a table for the class of 1933. "I thought, "Those women are 50 years out of college and they…look good," spurring her to attend her 40- and 45-year reunions. "Now I'm here," she adds. Thanks to her and others like her, the chances are good that many Barnard women will also reach that milestone.
Additional reporting by Stephanie Shestakow '98


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The coastal region of Liguria, in north-western Italy, is an area of astounding natural beauty, overlooking the Ligurian Sea and scattered with rolling hills and impressive mountains ready for you to explore…
The coastal region of Liguria, in north-western Italy, is an area of astounding natural beauty, overlooking the Ligurian Sea and scattered with rolling hills and impressive mountains ready for you to explore…Read more
Other areas (184): Ageno Alassio Albenga Albisola Superiore ...
Holiday Villas & Apartments in Albisola Superiore, Liguria, Italy
Holiday villas in Liguria
More on Liguria
This wonderful Italian region, which borders with France, is made up of the provinces Genoa, Imperia, La Spezia and Savona. From its gorgeous, sandy beaches to its spectacular, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, this beautiful region, a slender strip of land at the top of Italy's boot, is a popular tourist destination throughout the year. Find the perfect Liguria holiday villa or apartment for you and your travel party across the Travelopo portfolio today!
Liguria boasts its natural beauties through its array of natural parks and reserves, with mountains rising above 2,000 metres (the highest point is the summit of Monte Saccarello, at 2,201 metres). The region is a fantastic area for scuba-diving, with its clear waters and busy seabeds. There are even opportunities to spot wild whales and dolphins from the coast! And of course, Liguria is famed for its striking Mediterranean coastline; the hugely desirable Italian Riviera. Inevitably, there's plenty to keep the whole family busy on a Liguria escape!
The region's capital and historic port city of Genoa is a great part of the region to explore, offering an array of attractions including museums, a striking cityscape, historic buildings, a popular aquarium (visited by more than 1.2 million visitors each year!) and quaint old town. As one of Europe's largest cities on the Mediterranean Sea, you're sure to fill your holiday itinerary here, from its spectacular palaces to its idyllic parks. View our holiday villas and apartments in and around Genoa today!
Away from the hustle and bustle, the pretty fishing village of Portofino is another fantastic destination here, a small but charming village offering pleasant walks under the Italian rays. The village can be easily reached on a day trip from capital Genoa, offering quiet spots for lunch by its yacht-filled harbour and an array of designer shops. The perfect balance of adventure and blissful relaxation can be found across the Liguria region – ideal for romantic retreats! Browse the Travelopo catalogue of Liguria holiday rentals in and around Portofino today…
Or head to the pretty port city of La Spezia on your Liguria holiday; a bustling gateway to the Cinque Terre, which is reachable by boat or train. La Spezia, sitting in the middle of the crescent of the Gulf of Poets, is a wonderful area to explore, with its dominant hilltop fortress, well-preserved Roman bronzes and great museums.
Food-lovers are in for a treat here too – with authentic Italian dishes on offer on every corner. Pesto sauce actually originated in the region's capital city in the 16th century! Despite being one of Italy's smallest regions, Liguria is a fantastic destination for holiday-foodies…
Crescent-shaped Liguria enjoys a mild climate all-year round with little rain – boasting 300 sunny days a year! Spring is the most popular season to visit the region, where warm days can see temperatures reach 18*C between March and May. The warmer months in the summer can see temperatures rise to around 29*C – with busier beaches and the likelihood of most tourist crowds at the hotspot landmarks and attractions.
In the winter, the temperature here is typically a reasonable 12*C with four hours of sunshine each day. With snow falling on the higher areas in the mountains, the region becomes a popular winter sports destination throughout the colder season.
Dreaming of an epic Italian escape? Browse the Travelopo portfolio of Liguria holiday villas and apartments today!
Where to? Your holiday in Liguria with Travelopo
As the #1 holiday website on the planet, you're sure to find your dream holiday villa or apartment in Liguria across the Travelopo portfolio.
With a dedicated team of advisors, we are perfectly positioned to help you book your high-quality villa/apartment holiday in Liguria, at the best possible price. You can also arrange your flights, transfers, airport parking, car hire and travel insurance safely and securely through our online booking service! From traditional holiday homes to modern, luxury villas, you'll find the perfect base for your break through our plethora of professionally maintained holiday rentals in Liguria.
Book your holiday in Liguria with Travelopo today!
Ultra-secure booking with Travelopo
As a globally recognized holiday rentals specialist, we aim to make your Liguria holiday booking as smooth and secure as possible!
To make an enquiry on our mobile-friendly website, simply click on the 'Enquire Now' button on any property and fill out the enquiry form. One of our dedicated specialists will then be in touch within 24 hours. If the property is "Instant Book" you can book online now.
Book your holiday in Liguria through the Travelopo website or on a smart device or tablet today – it couldn't be easier!


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United Way, IceHogs team up Jan. 10
ROCKFORD - The United Way of Rock River Valley and the Rockford IceHogs will hold LIVE UNITED IceHogs Night at 7:05 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10 at the BMO Harris Bank Center, 300 Elm St.
Tickets can be purchased through the United Way for $10. Proceeds will benefit programs at the United Way and its agency partners. One ticket holder will win a 2013 Rockford IceHogs team autographed jersey, featuring autographs of several members of the 2013 Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks.
For tickets: unitedwayrrv.org/icehogs. To purchase packages or suites: 815-986-4839.


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Near perfect quality Pro-shot broadcast recording of Simple Minds, recorded live at the Bio Parque, in Curitiba, Brazil, on October 12th, 2013 . DVD has a total running time of 52 minutes. Quality is about 9/10, and setlist is as follows:
Broken Glass Park
Mandela Day
Let the Day Begin
This Fear of Gods
See the Lights
Someone Somewhere in Summertime
Promised You a Miracle
Don't You (Forget About Me)
Sanctify Yourself
Alive and Kicking
Ghost Dancing
This region-free DVD-R is in NTSC format and will play on most Gaming consoles and DVD Players made since 2000, and comes in a FULL SIZE DVD case (US orders only), with cover art and track listing.
US First class shipping is FREE! US Priority shipping on this item is $5.00. International shipping is now FREE for just the COVER INSERT AND DISK. NO hard case is shipped for international orders. This is due to drastic increases in postage costs for anything that requires a customs form. Disk and cover can be shipped as a letter and should be delivered without customs inspection delays.
Credit card payment or Money order ships in the next shipment within 2-3 days. Currently shipping orders 3 times a week.


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Some of us Jalops have busy lives and a fan base that is not only extensive, but always demanding of attention. As such, sometimes the coverage of a major hot rod show like Detroit's Autorama may be posted a bit late. Hey, you'd post late too if you had to beat off all those fans with a bent tie rod. Anyway, in the next couple of days, expect tardy posts. You know, my norm.
So here we go, let's start out with a doozy, a Monte Carlo SS wagon. Interested? I was too. How about a Monte Carlo SS wagon with eight TV's, a 2,500-watt sound system, and Autozone (or Murray's if you please) halo headlights? Conductor, this is my stop, I'm not frontin' on the body work, it's really nice considering it's based on the owner's imagination. Still, yowza. Check out the interior after the jump...
Yes, that's a set of TV screens in the IP, and one in front of the console, and one below that, and one in the glove box area, and if you look closely, there's one in the corner of the open suicide scissor door. I don't make it up, I just report it.
Autorama-Lama-Ding-Dong: Dodge Challenger Super Stock Is Back...In Black! [internal]


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(4.17.2015) Girls ~ John Jay Cross River H.S. vs. Yorktown H.S.
The images on this website are not to be used in any manner without permission from the photographer. This includes other websites. Please contact us with any questions. Watermarking is used to protect the images from copyright infringement and will not be on purchased prints.


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This has not been not been a good year for Teen Mom star Amber Portwood! The troubled mom has gone through a suicide attempt, rehab, and numerous break-ups with Gary Shirley and is now admitting to being diagnosed Bipolar.
In the latest incident RadarOnline is reporting that Amber was caught instigating a fight and scrapping with a woman at an Indiana IHOP last month. All class, no trash there! "She was drunk, and there was another girl in the restaurant who had been drinking too and apparently said something about Amber to her friend," a source revealed to Star magazine.
"Amber instigated the fight," the source adds. "She told the girl, 'You don't know anything about me! I'm gonna whup your ass!' They just attacked each other." In the video, Amber is seen wearing a white t-shirt and flailing her arms in the air before she straight up charges the woman. A photo of an irate Amber during the incident is below.
"There were a couple punches thrown and hair pulling, then they were separated," the witness reports. No word if charges were filed or not, but I imagine they were asked to leave the restaurant…
Amber has announced that her often erratic behavior can partially be explained by bipolar disorder, which she was diagnosed with three years ago.
Speaking to E! News, Amber opened up about her diagnosis and how it affects her life. "I struggle with it. I hate it. I grieve over it," she shares. "When I went to rehab for two months, they diagnosed me with dissociative disorder too, which makes me black out. People don't understand what it's like."
Despite the struggles, Amber reveals things are looking up for her in life (really? see above?) as she now has a new boyfriend, Mike who she adores. "He's a gorgeous man. We haven't spent a day apart since we met," she says.
"I always knew I wouldn't be with [baby daddy] Gary for the long term," Amber confesses. "But with Mike, I know he's the one. We never fight. He balances me out." The couple has been seeing each other for about a month.
And speaking about the Nov 18 dispute at IHOP, Amber insists she did not start the fight! "Yes, we did go have a couple of drinks," she admitted, saying she was with her new boyfriend Mike. "But I was not drunk. We were sitting by ourselves, laughing and talking and my legs were up on his, just having a good time. Suddenly, I hear this couple make these racist comments."
"I looked over and said, 'Excuse me, but why are you starting drama? Please do everyone a favor and keep your comments to yourself,'" adding that the comments persisted. "So that's when I got up and told her to shut her f–king mouth."
Amber explains she hates being approached in public because she is often made fun of based on what audiences see on TV.
"I'm sick and tired of people bashing me every time I leave my house," she snapped. "When I go out, I mind my own business, but people try to fight me and get me going because I guess they think I'm most famous for fighting Gary," Amber laments.
"I get picked on every time I go out in public. I just want to be a normal 21-year-old. I do my duties, I take care of my child. Yes, I did hit Gary, and what people saw was an angry Amber who reacted to the father of her child telling her he had cheated on her."
"People pick on me just to see if I'll fight them. They think I'm this hard person, but I'm not! I'm a good person. I love my friends. I love people… I just want people to know that people change. I'm doing really well. I'm happy. Yes, I am on an MTV show, but I deserve a normal life, too. People need to realize that the show, Teen Mom, is on TV just to help others not make the same mistakes. That's it."


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I am sewing a large number of 10 inch long by 1 inch wide 2 and 3 strip sets. The background strip is a regular cotton and the other strips are Hoffman batiks. When I sew 2 strips together, they come out of the sewing machine slightly bowed. The center spot is bowed down (so it looks like a smile when placed on the cutting board the same side up and was sewn) by 1/8 of an inch. I am wonder if there is something I should be doing or changing that would prevent that.
I am using a new sharp 70/10 needle that was recommended to me for use with my batiks.
I am using Connecting Threads thread which is 50 weight.
Is there something that will stop this from happening or do you just need to correct it by straightening out the piece gently when you set it to press?


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Brandi Glanville felt right at home on The Howard Stern Show on Sirius XM Radio Tuesday, Feb. 19. The outspoken Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star didn't hold back when rehashing ex-husband Eddie Cibrian's affair with now-wife LeAnn Rimes or what she really thinks of her Bravo reality show costars.
Glanville, 40, told Howard Stern that when Cibrian left her for Rimes, who she considered to be less attractive than her, it was not a good feeling. "I don't think she's unattractive," she clarified, "[But] she's way thinner than I am. It's not a hot look."
"Why do you think he went with her? Do you think it was money?" Stern asked.
"No. Now I think he stays with her because of the money, but he told me he was cheating the entire marriage, she said. "I think it's just like extra p—-. He just likes it." (Cibrian, 39, was caught having an affair with his Northern Lights costar Rimes, 30, in early 2009. Vanderpump Rules star Scheana Marie, 27, came forward shortly after confessing she too had a relationship with Cibrian while he was still married to Glanville.)
Glanville assumed that Cibrian, who married Rimes in April 2011, "must be" living off her money, because "he's not working right now" and "they just bought a really fancy mansion. But Glanville, who shares custody of their sons Mason, 9, and Jake, 5, added that she hopes the actor gets a job again. She explained, "If he makes more money, I get more child support."
Glanville also sounded off on her fellow Real Housewives of Beverly Hills costars Lisa Vanderpump, Kim Richards, Kyle Richards, Adrienne Maloof, Yolanda Hadid, Taylor Armstrong and Camille Grammer.
The former model argues that she has to be outspoken on the show in order to defend herself against the veteran housewives. "Those women were horrible. They are just horrible," she said, using the "C word" to describe her costars, without sharing specific names.
And, she claims, her frenemies also get paid more than she does. Glanville said she was paid $18,000 for her first season on Housewives, but "they upgraded me to a full-time Housewife so then I got $136,000 this year."
Still, she said the other girls are making $250,000 a year. "I want what they're getting," Glanville complained. "I feel like I work hard."
Nevertheless, the Drinking and Tweeting: And Other Brandi Blunders author is grateful for being a part of the show. "It gives you a platform to do a book, and you're getting wine deals and you're getting appearance fees," Glanville explained. "People are just throwing money at you. They're going, 'Do you wanna go here for ten grand?'"
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Forget Secret Escapes. Forget Late Rooms. The best deals are when you book direct.
We would love to provide the lake district accommodation for your holiday or short break.
With 20 years experience of providing Lake District Log Cabins and Lake District Hotel bargain breaks, we know what makes our customers happy. Great value and good service.
So if you are seeking Lake District b&b or dinner bed and breakfast, or luxury lake district log cabins, or lake district golfing breaks, or lake district pet friendly short breaks, near Windermere and Kendal, and within the Lake district National Park then look no further. The Woodlands Hotel and Pine Lodges in Grange over Sands is the best choice you can make. Our many returning guests will vouch for the special offers available when booking direct with us.
The Woodlands Hotel and Pine Lodges is superbly situated in three acres of woodlands that provide cover for roe deer and other wildlife. Close proximity by car to Lake Windermere makes this the ideal base for exploring the magnificent English Lake District. Nearby Grange over Sands has remained little changed over the years and the mile-long promenade looks much as it did in the 1800's. This charming seaside town also boasts a number of well maintained gardens and parks, along with a selection of little shops and cafes where visitors can browse and relax.
So if you plan to visit Cumbria come to the Woodlands.


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Chara, Bruins beat Flames to continue home streakby Matt Kalman
BOSTON -- One of the best all-round defensemen in the League for the better part of the past decade continues to be a dangerous power-play forward for the Boston Bruins.
Zdeno Chara scored two goals, both from his position up front in a man-advantage alignment the Bruins started using this season, and Tuukka Rask made 21 saves for his third shutout in Boston's 2-0 victory against the Calgary Flames at TD Garden on Tuesday night.
The Bruins (23-9-2) have won five of their past six games overall and are 11-0-2 in their past 13 at home.
Chara has nine goals on the season, six on the power play. The Bruins had struggled on the power play for several seasons, and this year decided to move the 6-foot-9 defenseman to a position down low. The Bruins' power play is clicking at 19.6 percent, a significant improvement.
"I think you saw tonight; he's a huge man but he's also got a huge reach. He finds those pucks," Bruins coach Claude Julien said of his 6-foot-9 captain. "But he's also been pretty good at reading off the guys who have the puck, and sometimes it's not about being the screen. Sometimes it's about being the outlet. So he's reading off guys pretty well. So it's been an adjustment for him going from the back end to the front end, but he seems to be more and more comfortable."
If Chara, the 2009 Norris Trophy winner, was a little reluctant about making such a radical change in his role on the man advantage, he's embracing it now.
"I'm just trying to work hard and be there for loose pucks," he said. "You know, creating traffic and, you know, finding some openings. So really the main thing is just to work extremely hard."
At 4:13 of the second period, Chara was hit with a high stick by Calgary center Matt Stajan in front of Boston's net, but there was no penalty. Chara left the ice but returned soon enough to make sure the Bruins didn't waste a power play when Kevan Miller was hit with Lance Bouma's high stick at 5:23.
Chara scored his eighth goal of the season at 7:38 on a one-timer from just outside the right faceoff dot after a cross-ice slap pass from David Krejci. Jarome Iginla picked up the second assist, but the goal was possible only because Milan Lucic made a nifty play to stall Calgary's attempted breakout at the blue line just before the Bruins moved the puck around the Flames' zone.
The Bruins' penalty kill was also effective in the second period, going 2-for-2. For the period, the Bruins outshot Calgary 15-4.
It was déjà vu in the third period, when the Bruins doubled their lead with Bouma again in the box for high sticking Miller. Chara scored his second power-play goal of the game at 3:19 on a snap shot for a 2-0 lead. Iginla's shot from the left dot deflected off two Flames before it landed on Chara's stick.
"I think offensively he's a threat, because he's a big shot and he can play in front," Flames defenseman Mark Giordano said of Chara. "You saw with that last goal, I was right there, but it's tough to get inside on him once he gets that puck, and he just sort of pushes it into the empty net. I didn't think we had a terrible game; I thought our special teams let us down tonight."
The Bruins outshot the Flames 10-9 in the first period, but neither team could find the back of the net. Flames forward Brian McGrattan had the best scoring opportunity when he was open for a one-timer near the right post with Rask out of position but slapped the puck wide.
Playing the first game at home following a four-game road trip, the Bruins found their groove after the first 20 minutes.
"We were aware of that. And for whatever reason, you wonder why that is," Iginla said about teams typically starting slow in their first home games after road trips. "But it is. And I thought the first period, it wasn't a great first period. It was pretty average as far as legs and energy. But our second, [Rask] played great, and you know it gave us at that point going to the second being 0-0, having that chance to get going, and I thought from the second on we played a lot better."
Reto Berra stopped 29 shots for Calgary (13-16-5), which has not won in Boston since Dec. 18, 2003, a streak of four straight losses. The Flames have been shut out in Boston 189 minutes and 36 seconds dating back to 2006.
"We played pretty good, especially in the first period," Berra said. "We had our chances and everything. Their goalie played really good. Yeah, it's tough. I think they scored both goals on the power play, and so we have to find a way to score some goals."
The Bruins are next in action Thursday on the road against the Buffalo Sabres for the start of a home-and-home set. The Flames continue their four-game trip against the Detroit Red Wings, on Thursday.


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Dela did the drawing and I did the color.
posted by Nikki Lukas Longfish at 10:25 PM 3 comments
posted by Nikki Lukas Longfish at 10:50 PM 0 comments
Currently living in Los Angeles. Follow me on instagram, tumblr and twitter as drawingnikki!! I was previously working as a UI/UX artist at Glu Mobile, Spark Unlimited, EA and Bigpoint. I was also a a 3d Environment artist for 4 years at Visual Concepts in Novato, CA. I graduated from San Jose State University with a BFA in Illustration/Animation. SHM!


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>>>boxscore game one
>>>boxscore game two
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - Battling snowy conditions as well as their second ranked opponent of the season, Georgia College & State University softball (6-10) lost twice at No. 24 Carson-Newman College (7-1) Thursday. The Bobcats dropped game one 8-0, and fell 12-9 to a walk-off home run in game two.
Georgia College was three-hit in the game one shutout, putting runners in scoring position on four occasions, but never quite getting the key hit to break the scoring column. The Eagles tallied runs in five of the six innings, including a three-run fifth.
Sophomore Haley Burnett (Columbus, Ga.) took the loss in 4 2/3 innings of work, allowing six earned runs among her seven and fanning four. Amber Palmer tossed all six for the Eagles, improving to 4-0. Eagle catcher Bri Shoemake was 4-for-4 with two runs and two RBI.
Game two was a barnburner, as CNC's Amber Palmer hit a three-run home run to left in the bottom of the seventh to give the Eagles the sweep.
The Bobcats put up eight big runs in the top of the fifth to take over the lead 8-7. The 'Cats batted around in the inning, getting a three-run double from senior Kayla Smith (Lexington, S.C.), a two-run triple from Belourse Jean-Francis (Naples, Fla.) and RBI singles from Kelsea Martin (Dacula, Ga.), Jessica Solomon (Douglasville, Ga.), and Lauren Potts (Gray, Ga.).
After the Eagles tied the game in the bottom half of the sixth, Georgia College answered right back, plating a go-ahead run in the seventh. Senior Allison Schwimer (Cumming, Ga.) doubled home pinch runner Lisa Williams (Perry, Ga.) who was in for Burnett, who reached on a one-out single.
Heading to the bottom half down 9-8, the Eagles got a two-out RBI double from Shoemake to tie it, then after a single, pitcher Amber Palmer hit her third home run of the season to end the game.
Burnett suffered the loss in game two, dropping to 4-5 with 1 1/3 innings. Palmer was the winner in relief, improving to 5-0 with three innings of work.
The Bobcats are back in action Friday, Feb. 26 at 2 p.m., traveling to Lincoln Memorial University.
The GCSU Department of Athletics, winners of the 2008-09 PBC Commissioner's Cup, sponsors 10 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. As a Division II program, GCSU prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by the Bobcats' multiple appearances in post-season competition as well as documented academic success and community-service involvement. Sign up at Twitter.com username GCSUSID for up-to-the-minute reports, and visit www.GCSUBobcats.com to nominate your favorite former Bobcats and Colonials to the GCSU Athletics Hall of Fame.


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Wusthof Gourmet 6 Piece In-Drawer Set and Sharpener $149.95
Wusthof Cutlery, makers of premium-quality knives, are now offering a new 6-piece in-drawer set! Perfect for anyone from culinary professionals to home cooking enthusiasts, this knife set is a great way to get Wusthof quality at a great price!
Wusthof Gourmet knives offer full-tang blades (on all knives longer than 12cm) manufactured from a single piece of steel for a very sharp, easy-to-maintain edge. The synthetic handles are riveted for a seamless, hygienic fit. This set includes an 8″ cook's knife, 8″ bread knife, 5″ tomato knife, 4.5″ utility knife, and a 3″ paring knife.
Also included are a 2-stage pull-through knife sharpener and a wooden in-drawer knife tray (perfect for maximizing counter space in a small kitchen). This set makes an awesome gift-take a look today at www.knifecenter.com!
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text: Pinch to zoom I'm in! Glitter Rude Cactus Happy Birthday Card by Tache £2.50$4.69€2.87$3.27 1 customer review(1) Favourite Favourite Ask Seller View your favourites quantity personalise PRODUCT DETAILS made in britain exclusive can be personalised This cheeky cactus is the perfect birthday card for someone who would love a light-hearted card! Each and every card in the Mashup range from Tache comes with a sprinkle of glitter, embossed elements throughout and a matching coloured neon envelope. made from: All of our cards are designed using our own original illustrations (©) and are hand made in Britain using the highest quality UK sourced materials. dimensions: 13.5cm x 13.5cm product code: 786543 see more see less CUSTOMER REVIEWS 1 customer review read about our product rating system trusted independent customer feedback forum DELIVERY This product is dispatched to you by Tache. RETURNS You have 28 days, from receipt of cancellable goods, to notify the seller if you wish to cancel your order or exchange an item. Please note: goods that are personalised, bespoke or made-to-order to your specific requirements, perishable products and personal items sold with a hygiene seal (cosmetics, underwear) in instances where the seal is broken are non-refundable, unless faulty. Read more about our returns policy.Should you choose to return or exchange your order you will need to deliver the item(s) to the UK, where this seller is based.


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Only hotels in 07826 zip code are listed below. Search for cheap and discount hotel rates in Branchville, NJ for your upcoming leisure or conference / group travel. We list the best 07826 hotels and motels so you can review the Branchville hotel list below to find the perfect lodging. Hotels in Sussex county and area code 973 are also listed.
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Latest News
Coal is king on the rails now, but maybe not forever
WASHINGTON — A big part of what saved the freight rail industry from disaster lies not far beneath the rolling grasslands of eastern Wyoming.
Larry Kaufman, a transportation expert and author who worked in public affairs at BNSF predecessor Burlington Northern when it first tapped the vast coalfields of Wyoming's Powder River Basin in the 1970s, said coal is a great business for railroads. They've been hauling it for more than a century, and they invested billions of dollars on track and locomotives to move it.
Coal still generates half the country's electricity, and BNSF chief executive Matt Rose makes no apologies for it. BNSF runs dozens of mile-and-a-half-long coal trains every day from mines in Wyoming to power plants as distant as Georgia and Texas, and it's looking to expand its export coal business to serve growing demand overseas.
"We could eliminate all of our coal assets in this country, and it would be a disaster," Rose said in a recent interview. "We're going to need coal for a long time."
While freight railroads have aggressively pitched their environmental friendliness, many environmentalists don't like the fact that railroads haul half a billion tons of the fossil fuel a year, and that an increasing amount of it is fueling the growth of U.S. competitors such as China.
"We're supporters of rail as a mode of transport, but we do believe that what's being shipped is important," said Ross Macfarlane, a senior adviser at Climate Solutions, a Seattle-based environmental group. "Coal is a dirty and polluting commodity."
Some residents and environmentalists in Bellingham, Wash., oppose a proposed export terminal that could handle 24 million tons of coal a year from the Powder River Basin, brought there by BNSF trains to load onto Asia-bound ships.
"We believe as developing countries develop, they are going to need enormous amounts of energy," Rose said. "People are building coal plants all over the world."
But environmental concerns might not be what sends coal trains into the history books along with the steam locomotive or the telegraph operator. Railroads can make money hauling other goods, too, and they aren't spending hundreds of millions of dollars on new facilities to run more coal trains.
For one thing, they're hauling turbines for wind farms. They're also moving the heavy equipment used in unconventional natural gas drilling. As natural gas becomes more abundant and less expensive, it could displace coal at power plants nationwide.
But the big bet is intermodal service, picking up containers that also travel aboard ships and truck trailers. Rose's railroad recently spent $85 million to eliminate a major bottleneck in New Mexico on its busy Chicago-Los Angeles corridor. This improvement was meant to speed up dozens of daily trains of containers and trailers.
BNSF also is building a $250 million intermodal terminal in Edgerton, Kan., about 40 miles southwest of Kansas City, and a $500 million terminal is planned for Southern California, the primary gateway for manufactured goods from overseas to consumer markets throughout the U.S.
While the coal business now accounts for a quarter of railroad revenues, Kaufman said that coal's future boils down to simple economics, and industry leaders know it.
"They understand what's happening to coal, and they understand they're not able to change it," Kaufman said.
Battle for coal for China highlights global economic change
Amtrak rolls on 40 years later, destination still uncertain
Warren Buffett makes big economic bet in railroad deal
Railroads, too, seek stimulus funding for congestion relief


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MIAMI — Coast Guard officials and social workers are seeing many more Cubans risk their lives on homemade rafts to reach the U.S. this year.
Nearly 3,000 have been picked up at sea or on shore, on track to double last year's total.
The surge comes 20 years after Fidel Castro launched a humanitarian crisis on the high seas, encouraging more than 35,000 Cubans to flee.
President Bill Clinton helped resolve that crisis by announcing a "wet-foot, dry-foot" policy: Anyone caught at sea will be brought back to the island, but almost all Cubans who reach U.S. soil can stay.
Coast Guard records show that another 26,000 Cubans have tried the 90-mile journey since then.
Scholars say at least one of every four rafters doesn't survive.


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From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Our local warehouse store stocks large single loins of pork that are between 2 to 2-1/2 feet long. I buy one or two of them whenever I shop there and break them down into meal-size portions when I get home. The loins are a tremendous bargain and they make for some great meals that are perfect for Frugal Friday. The recipe I'm featuring today is a variation of one that appeared in Eating Well magazine. The first time I prepared the chops I knew the recipe was a keeper. It is hard not to like a dish that is easy and delicious as well as cheap. I know you will enjoy the chops, but I have one huge caution to share with you. It is really easy to overcook thin-cut chops and if you do that, you'll end up with tough and dry pork. Please follow the times suggested in the recipe below. While I use light molasses to prepare the chops, a darker variety can be used if you prefer the taste. This is a nice recipe and it is perfect for those who have limited food budgets. I hope all of you will give it a try. Here's how the the chops are made.
Molasses-Glazed Pork Chops...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Eating Well
2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 thin-cut boneless pork chops, (16 ounces), trimmed of fat
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup light molasses
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1) Heat oil over medium-high heat in a medium skillet. Add pork, and cook until browned and no longer pink in middle, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
2) Add shallot, jalapeno and garlic; cook, stirring often, until slightly softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add molasses, vinegar, mustard and soy sauce and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 2 to 4 minutes.
3) Return pork and any accumulated juices to pan and turn to coat with sauce. Serve the pork with sauce. Yield: 4 servings.
If you like this post, let me know:
One Year Ago Today: Beef with Oyster Sauce
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Three years Ago Today: Tomato Herb and Blue Cheese Pizza


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Texas Fashion Collection - 2 Matching Results
Search Results
- Suit - Jacket and Skirt
- Suit (jacket and skirt) of dark brown wool consisting of: Jacket. Single breasted with notched lapel. The center front opening is slightly angled from top left to lower right and has three circular, dark brown, plastic buttons and tailored buttonholes. Long, set-in sleeves have three nonfunctional, smaller, matching buttons with tailored buttonholes at hem. Torso tapers to fitted, natural waist and flares to hips. Vertical, double welt, very shallow side pockets. Lapel, center front opening and hem of sleeves trimmed in thin, black piping. Princess seaming. Lightly padded shoulders. Lined in black silk jacquard with repeated "Jean Dessés" pattern. Skirt. Street length; slightly A-lined. Designed to appear as a wrapped skirt with diagonal opening from left hip to right side hem with five nonfunctional buttons matching jacket, and tailored buttonholes. At center front, from knee height to left side hem, is simulated opening backed by same fabric. Opening has black piping matching jacket. Left side zipper with two hook & eyes on narrow waistband. Lined in black silk, with exception of front panel.
- Fedora
- Hat of gray felt. The hat is styled as a man's fedora. The crown is of gray felt, canted backwards, with flattened top which is sunken-in. Brim slants down in front and turns up in back, and is quilted with concentric stitching. Remains of threads and holes indicate hat originally had some form of band around the base of the crown. Hat is unlined, with inner hatband of steel blue gray grosgrain ribbon inside base of crown. Affixed to inner hatband is black elasticized cord to secure hat to wearer's head. Maker's label sewn to inner hatband: "Valerie / Hat / Paris - New York", with size label sewn to edge of maker's label: "22 1/2"


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Bulldogs' Bats Tally 21 Hits in Pair of Games Against In-State Rival Hawks
WEST HAVEN, Conn. — Sophomore shortstop Cale Hanson collected five hits in six at-bats in a pair of games against the University of Hartford, leading the Yale University baseball team in an offensive show of force that resulted in a total of 13 runs on 21 hits in a 7-5 loss and an 8-5 win Friday afternoon at historic Yale Field.
Trailing 5-3 in the opening game of the doubleheader, Yale rallied with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to tie the game, but Hartford responded with a pair of runs that scored on an outfield error to secure the victory in seven innings.
Hartford (3-15) jumped out to the early lead, scoring a pair of runs in the first inning on a two-run single by Brady Sheetz with two outs.
Yale (5-12-1) rallied with three runs on three hits in the bottom of the second inning, scoring twice on a two-run single by junior third baseman Chris Piwinski and the third run on an RBI double from Hanson, to jump out to a 3-2 lead.
Hartford reclaimed the lead with three runs in the top of the fifth inning on a bases loaded double by Simon Kudernatsch that cleared the bases, giving the Hawks a 5-3 lead.
A little small ball in the bottom of the sixth led to both of Yale's runs in the game-tying rally. Piwinski led off with an infield single and went to third on a double by Hanson. Freshman left fielder David Toups drove in Piwinski with a sacrifice bunt, which pushed Hanson to third base. He then scored on a sacrifice bunt from senior catcher Ryan Brenner to tie the game at 5-5.
Yale's starting pitcher, senior Pat Ludwig (0-2), came within one out of finishing the seventh inning. He retired the first two batters he faced in the inning, but he followed that with a walk and a double that put two Hartford runners in scoring position. Brian Hunter appeared to end the inning with a fly ball to left field, but the ball eluded Toups' glove, allowing both runners to score, giving Hartford the victory and sending Yale to its fourth consecutive loss.
The Bulldogs outhit the Hawks 11-8 in the contest, but they left nine runners on base in the game, compared with only four runners left on base by the Hawks.
The hits kept coming for the Bulldogs in Game 2, and this time, they scored early and often and held on for the victory.
Yale scored three runs in the first inning, another in the second, and three more in the fourth to jump out to a 7-1 lead after four innings.
Fortunato put Yale on the board with a two-run triple with one out in the first inning. He then scored on a sacrifice bunt from senior right fielder Charlie Neil to put Yale on top 3-0.
In the top of the second inning, Hartford put a run on the scoreboard without the benefit of a hit when Brian Estevez walked with one out and moved to second on a two-out walk to Robert Meerman. Estevez then stole third base and scored on the play when the throw from Brenner ricocheted off of the hitter, Pat Knauth, and rolled to the Yale dugout, allowing Estevez to race home for the run.
The Bulldogs added a fourth run in the second inning when Piwinski drew a one-out walk, stole second and scored on Brenner's two-out double.
Freshman Green Campbell led off the fourth inning with a walk and later scored on Jacob Hunter's sacrifice fly. Fortunato followed with a two-run single with two outs in the inning to give Yale a 7-1 lead.
Hartford scored two runs in the fifth inning and single runs in the seventh and eight innings to cut Yale's lead to 7-5, but the Bulldogs tacked on an insurance run in the eighth inning when Piwinski reached on a one-out double and scored from second base on a wild pitch, giving Yale the 8-5 victory and snapping the four-game slide.
Yale's Game 2 starter, junior left hander Nolan Becker, allowed just three hits and two earned runs in five innings to earn his first victory of the season. He struck out five batters in the victory. Freshman Eric Hsieh gave up a pair of runs on just one hit in two innings of impressive relief. Senior Eric Shultz allowed just two hits in two scoreless innings of relief to earn his first save of the season.
Hanson had two doubles and three singles among his five hits to lead the Bulldogs in the two games. He also walked twice, scored three runs and drove in a run. Piwinski, Brenner and Fortunato all enjoyed three-hit days. Piwinski had a double, four runs scored, a pair of walks, and two RBIs in the two games. Brenner had two doubles, two runs scored, two RBIs and two walks, while Fortunato drove in a team-high four runs with a triple, two runs scored and three walks.
The two teams will close out the four-game series on Saturday, with a doubleheader at the University of Hartford's Fiondella Field beginning at 12 p.m.
Report filed by Jon Erickson Jr., Yale Sports Publicity


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Special K Chocolatey Delight Has More Calories Than Cocoa Puffs
Eating Special K to lose weight? Splurging on the chocolate version? You might want to read the label. Our sisters at ShopSmart (also published by Consumer Reports) took a look at a variety of "junk" health foods for the June issue and discovered that "Special K Chocolatey Delight" isn't that different from Cocoa Puffs.
From ShopSmart:
If you reach for the Special K with those little chocolatey chunks thinking it's more healthful than a kid's cereal, you may as well fill your bowl with Cocoa Puffs. The nutritional contents of both cereals are pretty similar. Cocoa Puffs are actually slightly lower in calories, fat, and sodium, though Special K wins in the protein department by 1 gram.
A better bet: Get your chocolate fix from real chocolate. Go for the heart-healthy dark type. Just be sure to limit it to 1 ounce a day.
We suppose one could argue that, on the other hand, this could mean that Cocoa Puffs are slightly better for you that we thought. However, neither of them are as delicious as actual dark chocolate, the most amazingly wonderful substance in the universe.
ShopSmart also compared sweet potato fries to plain old non-sweet ones and found that regular fries have less sugar, fat, and calories. Ouch.
Jif "reduced fat" peanut butter also lost out to the regular old normal kind.
Says ShopSmart:
"Yes, it contains less fat (12 grams per serving compared with 16 grams in regular peanut butter), but that comes at a price. The reduced-fat version has about twice the carbs (that means added sugars) and a lot more sodium, plus the ingredients list is quite a bit longer. reduced-fat food usually needs more chemical doctoring to meet taste and texture expectations."
Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.


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This Rolling Stone piece about the election is worth reading. It contains the observations of Ruy Teixeira, Peter Hart and David Gergen. Gergen, whose comments often seem hackneyed these days, is the most insightful, I think. For example:
The Republican Party is discovering that you can reach out to lower-income working people, whose lives are in huge flux. As Peter was pointing out, those voters are looking for something beyond an economic boost. They don't have much faith in government producing for them anymore, and they're looking for security. And they find it in a wartime president, and in their cultural beliefs. They're looking for anchors. The Republicans have learned how to reach out to those people and offer them some anchors — while Democrats find it harder to talk to them in those terms than they did in the past. There are some big shifts going on. The Republicans are not picking up the majority of working people, but they're picking up significant chunks in rural America who would have voted Democratic twenty years ago. And that, for Democrats, has to be worrisome.
There is also this from Peter Hart:
Since 1912, whoever has won a plurality of states along the Mississippi has won the presidency. This year, a sense of Republicanism crept up the river. The president won Missouri — which was always a toss-up state — by more than seven percent. Iowa flipped in his direction, and in Minnesota and Wisconsin, we waited all night to find out that Kerry had just barely carried each of those states. In state legislatures, the story is even more dramatic: going from huge Democratic majorities in the Seventies to watching the GOP dominate in Missouri and Wisconsin. Only Illinois remains solidly in Democratic hands.


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The emergency services could be without a secure communications network for at least six months due to the delayed implementation of the new emergency services network (ESN), MPs have warned.
The Public Accounts Committee has issued the stark warning after receiving evidence that a vital part of the current police radio network – Airwave – is due to be switched off in March 2020, six months before the new date for its replacement's activation.
In January, Airwave's owner, Motorola, informed the committee that Vodafone will stop providing an important piece of infrastructure that Airwave relies on to function in March 2020.
This means the emergency services may not be able to communicate with one another from March until ESN is complete in September 2020.
The PAC report, published on Friday (April 21), has called for the Home Office to "urgently engage" with Motorola and Vodafone.
The committee was told in November 2016 there would be a "little slippage" in the implementation of ESN, which has now turned into a nine-month delay and will not be complete until September 2020.
As a result, the contract with Motorola must be extended, and it must be informed by the end of 2018 which regions will still require the Airwave service.
The PAC understands extra investment is needed to upgrade the infrastructure either to make Airwave work with the new system, or work without it. This cost is in addition to the £475 million annual cost of extending Airwave nationally.
Its report says: "The news that part of the existing Airwave system will be taken out of service early strikes a major, potentially catastrophic blow to the ability of our emergency services to carry out their job and keep citizens safe.
"In addition it now seems inevitable that taxpayers will also be paying substantial additional sums, with no certainty of delivery."
A Home Office spokesperson said its transition plans are expected to be completed long before the end of 2018.
"We are actively working with all relevant parties to find an alternative solution to the old legacy fixed network used to link Airwave masts and to ensure continuation of service if the roll out of ESN misses its target date," they added.
Vodafone initially emailed Motorola about withdrawing its Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) service, without which Airwave cannot run, on December 6. The Internet Protocol (IP) based service that Vodafone will replace it with after March 2020 will not be compatible with Airwave.
Motorola then contacted civil servants within the Home Office's Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme to say the two companies would work on options for maintaining Airwave beyond March 2020.
However, having explored a range of options with Vodafone, Motorola told the Home Office on January 15 that the new technology Vodafone planned to introduce might not work.
Despite this, the PAC was not informed of the issue until February.
The committee said it was "extremely disappointing" that the Home Office did not pick this up earlier, and it does not reflect well on its "risk management arrangements or the quality of relationships with its suppliers".
Its report also highlighted that there have still been no developments in providing underground communications with ESN, saying it is a "significant and imminent risk" to the programme.
Meg Hillier, Chair of the PAC, said: "The potential consequences of a six-month gap in emergency service communications are unthinkable.
"Government needs to tackle this now or the result will be quite simply a tragedy in waiting.
"Addressing this and other serious concerns about ESN raised by our Committee today and in January are significant challenges for the new management at the Home Office."
Policing and Fire Minister Brandon Lewis added: "We are clear that we won't take any risks with public safety and there will be no gap in the emergency services' communications provision. The existing Airwave system will continue until transition on to the ESN is completed.
"Keeping people safe is our priority which is why we are delivering the world-leading ESN to support our police, fire and rescue and ambulance crews who work so hard protecting the public and saving lives".
A spokesperson for Motorola said: "We are committed to a smooth transition of the emergency services from Airwave to the ESN. Airwave is not being switched off early. We identified the need to upgrade the legacy core transmission network provided by Vodafone to ensure that Airwave can continue beyond its original operational end-date of March 2020. We are working with the Home Office and Vodafone to identify viable technical options to extend the service and will be proposing our recommendation in June 2017 to the Home Office. None of this impacts our Lot 2 delivery of the ESN for which we are on track."
Katy Bourne, the Sussex police and crime commissioner and Association of Police and Crime Commissioners lead on police technology and digital, said it is essential there is no gap in services in the transition.
"Police and Crime Commissioners are monitoring the progress of the ESN project as members of the Home Office Oversight Group, and the current determination is that communications coverage will continue to be provided through Airwave until the ESN is in place."
Source www.policeprofessional.com


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PUSH BUTTON 600VAC 10A 30MM T-KShow more characteristics >
9001KR9GH5 has not been replaced. Please contact your customer care center for more information.
- Price164.00 USD
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Main range of productHarmony 9001K product or component typeMushroom head push-button device short nameK type of operatorPush-pull operator profileGreen mushroom Ø 41 mm operator additional informationScrew-on plastic mushroom Complementary bezel materialChromium plated metal mounting diameter1.18 in (30 mm) light sourceWithout light block supplyWithout supply contacts type and composition1 NO connections - terminalsScrew clamp terminals operating positionAny position [Ie] rated operational current10 A (AC-15)10 A (DC-13) contact operationStandard device presentationComplete product Environment product certificationsCENEMAUL listed file E42259 CCN NKCRCSA LR 25490 class 3211 03 NEMA degree of protectionNEMA 1/2/3/3R/4/6/12/13 Ordering and shipping details Category21426 - 9001 K (NOT KA,KM,KX) Discount ScheduleCS1 Nbr. of units in pkg.1 Package weight(Lbs)0.5 ReturnabilityN Country of originMX Offer Sustainability California proposition 65WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including: - - - - - - - Substance 1Lead and lead compounds, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. - - - - - - - More informationFor more information go to www.p65warnings.ca.gov Contractual warranty Warranty period18 months
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Your Search Results
401(K), Informix, Performance Bonus
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BCG Digital Ventures
Digital Media • Software
BCG Digital Ventures is a corporate investment and incubation firm. We invent, build, scale and invest in startups with the world's most influential companies. We share risk and invest alongside our corporate and startup partners via a range of collaborative options.
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text: EPL Acoustic System The EPL Acoustic System is designed for use in small animals such as mice and guinea pigs. It has two miniature dynamic earphones, whose outputs mix, and a miniature electret microphone coupled to a small probe tube to measure sound pressure at the tip of the nosepiece (Fig.1). This system produces high output (>90 dB SPL) from ~100 Hz to ~60kHz (Fig. 2). The microphone is used for calibrating the earphone outputs when the system is in the ear canal and is suitable for measuring otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) such as distortion product (DP)OAEs. The acoustic system is under continued development at EPL. To receive updates about improvements, register your use of the system at EPL (email@example.com). Download EPL Acoustic System Assembly Manual (PDF). Support Advancements in Research 617-573-3345


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February 18, 2004
Public Land Policy Alert: Utah : Maps of the Environmental Resources
Maps of the Habitats on the Threatened Wilderness Lands
Highlighted on the map in red are some of the environmentally sensitive features of these wilderness lands. Development could place these sensitive lands in jeopardy.
Choose a feature to zoom-in and highlight *
antelope habitats | bald eagle habitats | burrowing owl habitats | deer habitats | elk habitats | ferruginous hawk habitats | contain floodplains | golden eagle habitats | Mexican spotted owl habitats | northern goshawk habitats | peregrine falcon habitats | sage grouse habitats | contain soil erosion concerns
Source: EWG analysis of BLM Oil and Gas Lease Auction data.
* Environmental information was unavailable for 25 of the 67 parcels of land considered for these maps.