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Howard E. Wasdin & Stephen Templin
Publisher: Macmillan
Publishing date: May 10, 2011
Quality: 5
Product Description
__When the Navy sends their elite, they send the SEALs. When the SEALs send their elite, they send SEAL Team Six__
SEAL Team Six is a secret unit tasked with counterterrorism, hostage rescue, and counterinsurgency. In this dramatic, behind-the-scenes chronicle, Howard Wasdin takes readers deep inside the world of Navy SEALS and Special Forces snipers, beginning with the grueling selection process of Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S)—the toughest and longest military training in the world.
After graduating, Wasdin faced new challenges. First there was combat in Operation Desert Storm as a member of SEAL Team Two. Then the Green Course: the selection process to join the legendary SEAL Team Six, with a curriculum that included practiced land warfare to unarmed combat. More than learning how to pick a lock, they learned how to blow the door off its hinges. Finally as a member of SEAL Team Six he graduated from the most storied and challenging sniper program in the country: The Marine's Scout Sniper School. Eventually, of the 18 snipers in SEAL Team Six, Wasdin became the best—which meant one of the best snipers on the planet.
Less than half a year after sniper school, he was fighting for his life. The mission: capture or kill Somalian warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid. From rooftops, helicopters and alleys, Wasdin hunted Aidid and killed his men whenever possible. But everything went quickly to hell when his small band of soldiers found themselves fighting for their lives, cut off from help, and desperately trying to rescue downed comrades during a routine mission. The Battle of Mogadishu, as it become known, left 18 American soldiers dead and 73 wounded. Howard Wasdin had both of his legs nearly blown off while engaging the enemy. His dramatic combat tales combined with inside details of becoming one of the world's deadliest snipers make this one of the most explosive military memoirs in years.
An Excerpt from SEAL Team Six
Chapter One
Reach Out and Touch Someone
When the U.S. Navy sends their elite, they send the SEALs. When the SEALs send their elite, they send SEAL Team Six, the navy's equivalent to the army's Delta Force—tasked with counterterrorism and counterinsurgency, occasionally working with the CIA. This is the first time a SEAL Team Six sniper's story has been exposed. My story.
Snipers avoid exposure. Although we prefer to act rather than be acted upon, some forces are beyond our control. We rely on our strengths to exploit the enemy's vulnerabilities; however, during the war in the Persian Gulf I became vulnerable as the lone person on the fantail of an enemy ship filled with a crew working for Saddam Hussein. On yet another occasion, despite being a master of cover and concealment, I lay naked on an aircraft runway in a Third World country with bullet holes in both legs, the right leg nearly blown off by an AK-47 bullet. Sometimes we must face what we try to avoid.
In the morning darkness of September 18, 1993, in Mogadishu, Somalia, Casanova and I crept over the ledge of a retaining wall and climbed to the top of a six-story tower. Even at this early hour there were already people moving around. Men, women, and children relieved themselves in the streets. I smelled the morning fires being lit, fueled by dried animal dung and whatever else people could find to burn. The fires heated any food the Somalis had managed to obtain. Warlord Aidid knew fully the power of controlling the food supply. Every time I saw a starving child, I blamed Aidid for his evil power play that facilitated this devastation of life.
The tower we were on was located in the middle of the Pakistani compound. The Pakistanis were professional and treated us with great respect. When it was teatime, the boy in charge of serving always brought us a cup. I had even developed a taste for the fresh goat milk they used in the tea. The sounds and scents of the goatherd in the compound reached my senses as Casanova and I crawled onto the outer lip at the top of the tower. There we lay prone, watching a large garage, a vehicle body shop that had no roof. Surrounding the garage was a city of despair. Somalis trudged along with their heads and shoulders lowered. Helplessness dimmed their faces, and starvation pulled the skin tight across their bones. Because this was a "better" part of town, multilevel buildings stood in fairly good repair. There were concrete block houses instead of the tin and wooden lean-to sheds that dominated most of the city and countryside. Nevertheless, the smell of human waste and death—mixed with hopelessness—filled the air. Yes, hopelessness has a smell. People use the term "developing countries," but that is bullcrap. What developed in Somalia was things such as hunger and fighting. I think "developing countries" is just a term used to make the people who coined it feel better. No matter what you call them, starvation and war are two of the worst events imaginable.
I calculated the exact distances to certain buildings. There are two primary considerations when making a sniper shot, windage and elevation. Because there was no significant wind that could throw my shot left or right, I didn't have to compensate for it. Elevation is the variable considered for range/distance to the target. Since most of my potential targets were between 200 yards (garage) and 650 yards (intersection beyond the target garage), I dialed my scope in at 500 yards. This way I could just hold my rifle higher or lower depending on range. When the shooting began, there would be no time to dial in range corrections on my scope between shots.
We started our surveillance at 0600. While we waited for our agent to give us the signal, I played different scenarios over in my mind: one enemy popping out at one location, then another popping up at another location, and so on. I would acquire, aim, and even do a simulated trigger pull, going through my rehearsed breathing and follow-through routine while picturing the actual engagement. Then I simulated reloading and getting back into my Leupold 10-power scope, continuing to scan for more booger-eaters. I had done this dry firing and actual firing thousands of times—wet, dry, muddy, snowbound, from a dug-in hole in the ground, from an urban sniper hide through a partially open window, and nearly every which way imaginable. The words they had drilled into our heads since we began SEAL training were true, "The more you sweat in peacetime, the less you bleed in war." This particular day, I was charged with making sure none of my Delta Force buddies sprang a leak as I covered their insertion into the garage. My buddies' not bleeding in war was every bit as important as my not bleeding.
Our target for this mission was Osman Ali Atto—Warlord Aidid's main financier. Although Casanova and I would've been able to recognize the target from our previous surveillance, we were required to have confirmation of his identity from the CIA asset before we gave the launch command.
The irony wasn't lost on me that we were capturing Atto instead of killing him—despite the fact that he and his boss had killed hundreds of thousands of Somalis. I felt that if we could kill Atto and Aidid, we could stop the fighting, get the food to the people quickly, and go home in one piece.
It wasn't until around 0815 that our asset finally gave the predetermined signal. He was doing this because the CIA paid him well. I had learned firsthand while working with the CIA how payoffs could sway loyalty.
When we saw the signal, Casanova and I launched the "full package." Little Bird and Black Hawk helicopters filled the sky. During this time, the Delta operators literally had their butts hanging out—the urban environment provided too much cover, too much concealment, and too many escape routes for the enemy. All a hostile had to do was shoot a few rounds at a helo or Humvee, jump back inside a building, and put his weapon down. Even if he reappeared, he was not considered hostile without a weapon. Things happened fast, and the environment was unforgiving.
Delta Force operators fast-roped down inside the garage, Rangers fast-roped around the garage, and Birds flew overhead with Delta snipers giving the assault force protection. Atto's people scattered like rats. Soon, enemy militia appeared in the neighborhood shooting up at the helicopters.
Normally, snipers operate in a spotter-sniper relationship. The spotter identifies, ranges the targets, and relays them to the sniper for execution. There would be no time for that on this op—we were engaged in urban warfare. In this environment, an enemy could appear from anywhere. Even worse, the enemy dressed the same as a civilian. We had to wait and see his intention. Even if he appeared with a gun, there was a chance he was part of a clan on our side. We had to wait until the person pointed the weapon in the direction of our guys. Then we would ensure the enemy ceased to exist.
There would be no time for makeup or second shots. Both Casanova and I wielded .300 Win Mag sniper rifles.
Through my Leupold 10-power scope, I saw a militiaman 500 yards away firing through an open window at the helos. I made a mental note to keep my heart rate down and centered the crosshairs on him as my muscle memory took over—stock firmly into the shoulder, cheek positioned behind the scope, eye focused on the center of the crosshairs rather than the enemy, and steady trigger squeezing (even though it was only a light, 2-pound pull). I felt the gratifying recoil of my rifle. The round hit him in the side of the chest, entering his left and exiting his right. He convulsed and buckled, falling backward into the building—permanently. I quickly got back into my scope and scanned. Game on now. All other thoughts departed my mind. I was at one with my Win Mag, scanning my sector. Casanova scanned his sector, too.
Another militiaman carrying an AK-47 came out a fire escape door on the side of a building 300 yards away from me and aimed his rifle at the Delta operators assaulting the garage. From his position, I'm sure he thought he was safe from the assaulters, and he probably was. He was not safe from me—300 yards wasn't even a challenge. I shot him through his left side, and the round exited his right. He slumped down onto the fire escape landing, never knowing what hit him. His AK-47 lay silent next to him. Someone tried to reach out and retrieve the weapon—one round from my Win Mag put a stop to that. Each time I made a shot, I immediately forgot about that target and scanned for another.
Chaos erupted inside and outside of the garage. People ran everywhere. Little Birds and Black Hawks filled the skies with deafening rotor blasts. I was in my own little world, though. Nothing existed outside my scope and my mission. Let the Unit guys handle their business in the garage. My business was reaching out and touching the enemy.
This wasn't the first time I'd killed for my country. It wouldn't be the last.
A few minutes passed as I continued scanning. More than 800 yards away, a guy popped up with an RPG launcher on his shoulder, preparing to fire at the helicopters. If I took him out, it would be the longest killing shot of my career. If I failed...
Copyright © 2011 by Howard E. Wasdin and Stephen Templin
Praise for SEAL Team Six:
"Mr. Wasdin's narrative is visceral and as active as a Tom Clancy novel…[it] will also leave readers with a new appreciation of the training that enabled Seal Team Six to pull off the bin Laden raid with such precision…adrenaline-laced." —_The New York Times_
"_SEAL Team Six_ pulses with the grit of a Jerry Bruckheimer production...On his journey to becoming a member of the Navy's best of the best, Wasdin proved his mettle in Operation Desert Storm and endured training that would break the back of most mortal men." --_The Washington Post_
"[_SEAL Team Six_] describes the harrowing ops he undertook as part of the elite Seal Team Six squadron, including the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu that almost killed him....reveals an intimate look at the rigorous training and perilous missions of the best of the Navy's best." --_Time_
_"SEAL Team Six is a masterful blend of one man's—Waz-Man's—_journey from hard knocks to hard corps. Even better, Waz-Man and Templin can actually write as good as they can shoot. They capture your attention at every turn—not knowing if you're about to take a bullet to the head from a SEAL sniper or get hit in the gut with a punch line." —Dalton Fury, former Delta Force Commander and _New York Times bestselling author of Kill Bin Laden
_"Great insights into the training and operations of one of America's premier counterterrorism units. Grabs you on page one and is hard to put down." —General Henry H. Shelton, USA(R), former Commander-In-Chief, U.S. Special Operations Command and 14th Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
"Wasdin is a true warrior and real hero. SEAL Team Six is a must read." —Gunnery Sgt. Jack Coughlin, USMC, and bestselling author of Shooter


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Opto Air technology allows for lighter easier-to-throw discs, making the Bolt even more bombtastic! The Bolt is a high-speed long-range driver that will stay straight or turn over for power throwers, while giving average throwers a little more distance and control than more overstable drivers. Great glide and speed, controllable stability for a wide range of throwers, and without a doubt some of the most well-engineered plastic out there!
Opto Air plastic has bubbles infused in the inner core of the plastic to bring the total weight down, while maintaining the durability and feel of Opto on the disc surface. Latitude has blown us away with this one... truly incredible engineering.

subset: commoncrawl


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Letter to Representatives Petri (R-WI), Courtney (D-CT), and Matsui (D-CA) Supporting their Troops to Teachers Enhancement Act
November 12, 2009
Dear Representatives Courtney, Matsui, and Petri:
On behalf of the 3.2 million members of the National Education Association (NEA), we would like to express our strong support for the Troops to Teachers Enhancement Act (H.R. 3949). We thank you for your leadership in introducing this legislation, which would improve opportunities for veterans to transition into second careers as educators. We believe H.R. 3949 offers a common-sense solution to restrictions inadvertently placed on the Troops to Teachers program under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).
As you know, Troops to Teachers provides retiring veterans with stipends to cover the cost of earning a teaching certification in exchange for three years service in a high-need school (defined as receiving grants under part A of Title I until recently). The program also provides a bonus to those who agree to teach for three years in a school with 50 percent of students below the poverty level. When NCLB was drafted, however, the statute inadvertently restricted the number of schools at which participants could fulfill their service by defining a high-need school as one with either 10,000 students or 20 percent of students from low-income families.
Your bill would help address this situation by ensuring that veterans participating in the program can receive a stipend for teaching three years in any school that is in a district receiving Title I assistance. As a result, the bill would increase by 49 percent the number of schools eligible for the program and would help ensure that our nation's classrooms are staffed by qualified, caring teachers with a sense of purpose. In addition, it would expand the number of veterans eligible for the program, thereby increasing the pool of potential participants in this important initiative.
We would like to encourage you to address the impact of certain Social Security offsets (the Government Pension Offset and Windfall Elimination Provision) on Troops to Teachers participants. Specifically, a veteran who moves into teaching in certain states could lose a significant portion of Social Security benefits earned during military service. It would be a shame if veterans participating in Troops to Teachers found their retirement security jeopardized as a result of entering the teaching profession.
Again, we thank you for your leadership in introducing this important legislation and look forward to continuing to work with you to ensure great public schools for every student.
Diane Shust
Director of Government Relations
Randall Moody
Manager of Federal Advocacy


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Baby Shower Gift Program
Submitted by admin on 14:07 pm - Friday, January 18, 2013
Give Life to a Baby Girl
Every day in China, the words "It's a girl!" are received with sadness and disappointment, leading many Chinese couples to engage in gendercide: the act of eliminating girls by pre-natal sex selection, infanticide, abandonment and trafficking.
Community and family pressure to have a son, paired with China's One-Child Policy, form a lethal combination. For every 6 boys born in China, only 5 girls survive. Cumulatively, this has led to an excess of 37 million men in China. Girls are twice as likely to die in their first year of life than boys.
The Baby Shower Gift is bringing life, value and dignity to baby girls in China by showing their families that girls have value. Pregnant couples who enroll in this program receive a monthly stipend to support their baby girl through the first year of her life. All Girls Allowed workers keep families accountable to ensure that the stipend is used for the baby's nutrition, clothing, and shelter.
Profile of a Mother: Rong*
*not her real name
Rong aborted her first child because she feared that she could not support the baby financially. However, soon after the abortion, Rong became pregnant again. When Rong found out her second baby was a girl, she received great pressure from her family--especially her husband and father-in-law--to abort the unborn child. After talking to our field workers, Rong decided to keep her baby. Rong perservered through her family's disapproval and ultimately gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. One of our field workers visited Rong after the birth and reported that Rong's entire family was delighted with the baby girl--especially Rong's husband and father-in-law!
Baby Shower Gift Photos from the Field
If you are viewing this site from a mobile device, you can access the above photo album by clicking here.
What changes have happened so far?
After sending workers to some of China's most impoverished villages, we have seen gender gap lessen dramatically in these villages. Families are keeping girls. Some families who enrolled in the program now say that their neighbors are jealous of them for having girls. Meanwhile, a professor who studied gendercide in Asia found that financial stipends are the best way to encourage families to keep girls. It looks like this program is on the right track!
Sounds great, but I still have some questions.
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions; if your question isn't covered, please contact us.
Isn't the Chinese government doing something to stop the gendercide of girls?
China is troubled by the ever-expanding gender imbalance, but unfortunately has not done anything effective to deal with the issue. The Chinese government has begun information campaigns to tell citizens that it is good to keep their baby girls, but these propaganda methods have not had any impact. In 1994, the government outlawed the use of ultrasound to determine the gender of the baby in the womb; however, little has been done to enforce this law as illegal makeshift ultrasound clinics have popped up around the country. The absence of a social security system in China perpetuates the preference for sons, who traditionally take care of their parents. Finally, the One-Child Policy is the primary driver for the gender imbalance, as gender ratios clearly increased following the establishment of the policy in 1980:
106:100 in 1979 (106 boys for every 100 girls)
111:100 in 1988
117:100 in 2001
120:100 today
Unfortunately, the Chinese government has not identified the One-Child Policy as the main cause of the problem and has expressed its intentions to continue the policy for decades to come.
How much of my monthly Baby Shower Gift goes to the baby girl?
100% of your donation funds our programs in China and none of your donation will be used to cover administrative expenses. For the Baby Shower Gift, a monthly gift of $20 will go to China; 100元 (approximately $15) will go directly into the hands of the mother, and the remainder covers our program expenses and Chinese field workers.
What parts of China are you working in and how do you choose them?
We work in the provinces and villages where gendercide is most entrenched, where the gender ratios at birth are most heavily skewed (as high as 140 boys born for every 100 girls). Our Baby Shower Gift Program is currently active in dozens of villages in four different provinces with the most skewed gender ratios. We have strategically chosen to work in the poorest villages because:
The financial need is greatest (468 million people in China live on under $2/day).
The preference for sons is strongest.
The at-birth gender ratios are most skewed.
How long do Baby Shower Gift recipients receive their monthly stipends?
Baby Shower Gift recipients receive their monthly stipends until the daughter turns 1. After one year, the parents and the daughter have sufficiently bonded emotionally that the risk of infanticide or abandonment is extremely low.
What happens to the girls in the Baby Shower program after their one year is finished?
Once a baby girl turns one, she is no longer eligible for the Baby Shower program and her family no longer receives monthly financial stipends. The reason that the program lasts for a year is that this amount of time is what is needed to establish bonding between the mother, father and the baby girl, ensuring that she won't be neglected or abandoned. Since we are focused on fighting gendercide, we will use our funds to save the lives of as many baby girls as possible, so it is a strategic decision to terminate the Baby Shower program after one year. However, we are exploring possibilities of partnering with other organizations to provide holistic care for these girls in the future (ie, education) or to provide employment opportunities for their mothers (ie, microloans).
Why doesn't All Girls Allowed give food, nutrients and clothing directly to mothers for the Baby Shower Gift?
We believe that it is a more empowering and attractive incentive to provide a financial stipend, as it gives the mothers of these baby girls dignity to choose how best to use the stipend. We do not presume to fully understand the different needs of each unique family, and so a financial stipend empowers our families to make the best choices to nurture their baby girl. We are following the model of other "conditional cash transfer" programs of other organizations such as Mexico's widely successful Oportunidades program, which serves around 25% of Mexico's population.
What accountability is there for how the Baby Shower Gift is used?
When a family joins the Baby Shower program, they must commit to use the financial stipend only for the benefit of their baby girl. Each month when they receive their stipend, they renew that commitment and explain to our field worker how the stipend was used. Moreover, our Director of Operations makes regular calls directly to families to ensure that they are receiving their stipend and to make sure that they are using the funds to support their baby girl. In addition, we conduct regular in-person surveys of Baby Shower Gift recipients to assess the goals and effectiveness of the program.
By supporting girls, will the Baby Shower Gift program lead to gendercide of boys instead?
Thousands of years of preference for boys will unlikely lead to the gendercide of boys as a result of a one-year program of limited financial support. We collect data to ensure that boys are not being aborted, killed, abandoned or trafficked as a result of the Baby Shower Gift. The goal of the program is to provide just enough financial incentive for couples to keep their baby girl, but not enough incentive for couples to abort their baby boy in favor of a baby girl.
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By Joanna Sabally, CFCA project specialist for the Africa region
I was a Peace Corps volunteer in a rural community in the Gambia, West Africa from 2003-2005. I had an opportunity to learn more about moringa oliefeira, also known as the ìMiracle Tree.î As part of my training, I learned about the nutritional benefits and uses of moringa, which was already widespread in the area. Moringa trees are small but mighty; they have an extremely high content of several vitamins and minerals, including calcium, iron, vitamin C. It also has high protein content.
Organizations in the region were promoting its use to combat malnutrition in pregnant women and young children. Generally, families in my community used the moringa plant to make leaf sauce, but there are many other uses to the plant as well. I promoted the more intensive use of moringa leaves as a healthy supplement to food, and encouraged women not to dump water drained from moringa sauces, but to drink it as a tea instead.
I grew the moringa tree intensively in my backyard and dried its leaves in the shade, so as not to lose nutrients. I would pound the leaves with a mortar and pestle and sifted them to make moringa powder. Although the moringa leaf has a somewhat strong smell and flavor, a few tablespoons of the powder can be blended into any sauce as a nutrition supplement without impacting the flavor too much. I ate the powder frequently myself, and worked with each family in the village to sensitize them about all the benefits of the plant. Adding about four tablespoons a day to a child or pregnant motherís daily food intake can make a dramatic difference in their health.
Moringa seeds can also be used to purify water, the seed pods can be eaten, and the bark and roots have medicinal uses, although parts of the roots are slightly poisonous. It does truly seem to be a ìmiracle tree.î


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|Non-MLM Local Registered Companies Business Opportunities offered by local Registered ROC & ROB companies. Some of them require you to deposit money, so please be aware as this kind of partnership is illegal unless they have some kind of permit to do so.
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May 2, 2009
SPRINGFIELD, MA-The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth's outdoor track and field teams performed well on the second and final day of the Division III New England Championships at Blake Track Saturday.
For the men, graduate student Eric Holmes (Abington, MA/Abington HS) finished third in the 3000 meter steeplechase in 9:37.22. He was leading halfway through the race, tumbled after clipping a barrier, but recovered to finish well. Sophomore Kevin Markie (North Attleboro, MA/North Attleboro HS/Nichols) was sixth in the triple jump with a personal best mark of 45 feet, one inch, which ranked as the fourth best triple jump in Corsair history. Freshman Robert Yarbrough (Fall River, MA/Durfee HS) finished ninth in the shot put with a toss of 44 feet, half an inch.
On the women's side, sophomore Jermai Harrison (Brockton, MA/Brockton HS) finished sixth in the shot put at 38 feet, 8 ¼ inches, sophomore Linee Mello-Frost (New Bedford, MA/New Bedford HS) was eighth in the 100 meter hurdles in 16.24 seconds, and freshman Kristina Lundquist (Yarmouthport, MA/ Dennis-Yarmouth HS) scored 2810 points in the heptathlon and was 13th in a field of 15 in her first collegiate heptathlon.
"Eric came back after he clipped one of the barriers with his trail leg, and stayed with the leaders for about a lap," said UMass Dartmouth Head Coach Steve Gardiner. "He did a good job staying with them for as long as he did, and he might have won the race otherwise. I was pleased with the way we performed, Basically, we had mostly freshmen and sophomores competing, and they got some good experience, which is something we'll be able to build on for the future."
The Corsairs will return to action at the Open New England Championships at the University of Massachusetts next weekend.


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Paris St Germain boss Carlo Ancelotti has admitted he's been handed the opportunity to sign Chelsea striker Fernando Torres this month.
The two-time European Cup winner signed Torres for £50 million last January, but having netted just five goals since his arrival from Liverpool, The Blues are yet to the best from the Spanish international.
Rumours had circulated last month the 27-year-old could make a sensational return to Anfield, but while those claims were later refuted, Ancelotti has revealed the west Londoners are looking to offload the big money purchase.
"There is a lot of choice for this January market," Ancelotti said.
"Do you want the names? Ok, now I tell you the players the agents are offering on the market, officially or not: Tevez, Torres, Berbatov, [Roman] Pavlyuchenko, [Edinson] Cavani, [Fernando] Llorente."
Following Qatar Investment Authority's summer takeover, PSG have wasted little time investing in their squad, with €39.8 million having been shelled out on Javier Pastore, while the club have since been linked with a move for David Beckham.
Despite taking PSG to the top of Ligue 1 at Christmas, manager Antoine Kombouaré was sacked at the end of the year, to be replaced by Ancelotti, who left Chelsea in the summer after failing to win a trophy last season.


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Sony has just announced the availability of their new Vegas Pro 11 software, after the software was initially announced on September 9 during IBC 2011. The Sony Vegas Pro 10 NLE video editor was one of the first major professional packages to get support for full stereoscopic 3D workflow and Sony is continuing to improve it with every new update, as the case with the new version 11. Sony Vegas Pro offers a complete integrated stereo 3D video editing workflow without the need of use of external plugins and the new version 11 comes with extra tools to enhance and improve this 3D workflow. Here are the most interesting new things regarding the use of the software for editing stereoscopic 3D video:
2D and 3D Text Tools – Quickly create dynamic and visually stunning text animations and effects within Vegas Pro 11. Add 3D titles with the new Titler Pro from NewBlueFX, a great addition to the stereoscopic 3D workflow. Users can manipulate text down to the character level and on the X, Y, and Z axes. Stylized 2D motion can be applied to text events using the Titles and Text tool or with the improved ProType titler.
Improved NVIDIA 3D Vision Support – Users can now edit on single-display 3D computers including VAIO F Series 3D laptops and VAIO L Series All-in-One 3D desktop systems.
Vegas Pro 11 improves on its ground-breaking "no transcode, no re-wrap" heritage by adding native format support for stereoscopic 3D MVC and MPO files from Sony camcorders and DSLRs.
Vegas Pro 11 should now available for purchase wit Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $699 USD, with upgrades from previous versions of Vegas Pro available for $199 USD.
– For more information about the new Sony Vegas Pro 11 video editor software…


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Apr 11
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Nov 05, 2009
The Bobcats (10-5-5, 5-1-4 PBC) battle the Montevallo Falcons (7-8-3, 3-5-2 PBC) in PBC semifinal action. The two teams met Oct. 31 and finished in a 1-1 tie.
Should the Bobcats win, Georgia College could face AASU or Lander in the PBC Finals. The Bobcats lost 2-0 to the Pirates earlier in the season but held Kristen Burton to no goals. The 'Cats tied Lander 0-0 Sept. 30.
>>>Full Notes


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by Don McNay
"He that is good at making excuses is seldom good at making anything else."
– Benjamin Franklin
I have a young friend who has been looking hard for a job for several months. As time has gone on, he started looking at jobs far beneath his education and experience.
He is back for a second interview at a fast food restaurant. I didn't realize the economy has reached a point where fast food restaurants had gotten selective. I'm sure my friend will make it as he keeps trying and trying.
I have another young friend who is supposedly looking for work. His career path is currently based on mooching off his mother.
Unless someone knocks on his door and makes an offer, he is not going to get off the couch and find one.
Unemployment for young people is running about twice of the national average. The bad economy impacts people with lack of experience and there are some professions where supply far outweighs demand.
I wonder if young people understand how to deal with adversity.
I was unemployed 30 years ago. The economy was nearly as bad as it is now. I left graduate school at Vanderbilt to work for a candidate for Congress. He unexpectedly lost. Instead of a comfy job on Capitol Hill, I was thrown out on the streets.
I found a job on the cleanup crew at the Kentucky Horse Park.
It was the defining moment of my life.
When you are cleaning up after horses, it makes you consider different career options.
I realized that I never wanted to depend on someone else to hand me a job or control my future.
Thus I wound up in the financial business. I worked 90 hours a week, mastered a distinctive niche and celebrate my 30th anniversary next month.
It took me years to realize I have a unique ability: Tenacity. Whenever someone does a personality profile of me, the "Energizer Bunny" analogy comes up frequently.
I just keep going and going.
Knowing I will never give up gives me comfort and confidence. My relentless focus gets me through hard times.
It can drive people crazy. Especially if you are the one attempting to say no to me.
I can't turn my tenacity on and off. Sometimes that means I use time inefficiently.
I recently wasted five hours trying to get Time Warner Cable to do what they promised to do.
The local manager "Chris" was supposed to come to my house and solve the problem. Within the hour.
It's been two weeks. He's not coming. I should have immediately done what he truly wants me to do. Cancel the service and leave him alone. It would have given me five hours to do something else.
Overall, I consider my tenacity to be a core strength.
It has taken me decades to figure out that few have the driving ambition that I have.
For a long time, I thought that "can't find a job" meant they weren't really looking, not looking in the right places or not willing to take a job below their life expectations.
I look at youth unemployment and start to wonder if that holds true.
The fast food and service industries have normally been the "jobs of first resort." Twelve percent of all Americans have worked at McDonalds at some point in their lives. 1.4 million people work at Wal-Mart.
That those jobs are getting harder to come by tells me that this "recession," caused by the Wall Street collapse, bailouts and the inability of government to say no to special interests, is far from over.
I'm also wondering if you can teach young people to have tenacity, think "outside the box" and create opportunities for themselves.
If young people have been sheltered from overcoming failure, they may not understand that adversity ultimately leads to opportunity.
When I started in business, it was like the Bob Dylan song: "When you ain't got nothing, you got nothing to lose." I had plenty of time and needed little money.
I spent a lot of time doing volunteer work, which helped the community and allowed me to develop some great relationships.
If you are sitting at home watching reality shows, you aren't learning new skills, developing new relationships or putting yourself in a position to ultimately succeed.
I don't know if they teach determination and tenacity in school. I don't know if you can develop it if you don't have it.
If we are going to reduce unemployment among young people, somehow they are going to have to acquire the skill of working hard, never giving up and getting back up when you get knocked down.
I'm waiting for someone, running for anything, to start taking that issue on.
*Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.


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Main: 800-433-1334
Civil Air Patrol/Schools: 800-221-1264
Virginia wing patch the cap patches are procured from manufacturers which use color-fast material and thread. This color-fast process is tested and certified by the manufacturer; however, neither the manufacturers nor capmart can be responsible for the fading or bleeding of pat.
Main: 1-800-433-1334
Civil Air Patrol: 1-800-221-1264


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Introduction: Scott Phillips is a genealogical historian and owner of Onward To Our Past® genealogy services. In this guest blog post, Scott lets his imagination loose and dreams up five fantastical genealogy gifts he'd like to receive this Christmas.
As lovers of genealogy and our families' history there are two things we can all take for granted: the first is that we are always on Santa's "Nice List," and the second is that there are always a multitude of new gadgets, books, and gizmos that we put on our list for Santa when this festive time of year rolls around. One of my very favorite Christmas gifts was from my wife, and was a "one-a-day" genealogy calendar with this quote on January 1st: "I used to have a life and then I started doing genealogy!"
Recently, while I was searching through GenealogyBank's Historical Newspaper Archives, I got into the Christmas spirit—and I spent some time thinking about what my Genealogy Dream List for Santa would be if I ever got on the Jolly Old Elf's special list: the one titled "These genealogists were SO nice they get whatever they want—money is no object!"
These are my five dream genealogy gifts, inspired by newspaper articles I read:
Ground-Penetrating Radar Unit
- My own Ground-Penetrating Radar Unit for those cemeteries I visit that are not very well marked or not marked at all. Cost: around $40,000—but I am only asking for one! You see I was reading an article in a 2005 Vermont newspaper that told the story of some local folks using ground-penetrating radar to try and locate Native American remains.
Google Street View Car
- How about a Google Street View Vehicle with a camera for viewing any place on earth when I want to see where my ancestors used to live? Cost: Google headquarters did not return my call asking for their pricing for one of these vehicles—but I am sure, dear Santa, you have all the clout you need, even with Google, to make this happen. After reading an article in a 2008 Illinois newspaper, I decided to add this vehicle to my list. By the way Santa, I hope you are up-to-date on this technology, since I have learned that Google now has their Street View cameras mounted not only on cars, but also on snowmobiles, trolleys, bikes, and even backpacks.
Genealogy Tip: There is an app that will overlay Google Street View with historical images called HistoryPin. It is free to use.
NASA Spy Satellite
- I also "need" my own NASA Spy Satellite, so that I can get truly awesome aerial views of anywhere on earth my ancestors might have lived (and I bet a few terrific sunrise and sunset photos in my free time). Cost: $500 million in 1988 dollars. Just so you know Santa, I got this price tag from an article in a 1988 South Dakota newspaper that referred to a "Lacrosse" model satellite. I realize the price may be a bit higher now than in 1988, but I like the comment in this article that a Lacrosse satellite would provide "extremely sharp" images. So please, Santa, if you have to modernize this request, keep the "extremely sharp" images requirement in mind.
Genealogy Tip: Google Earth may be the next best thing for aerial views. It is free to download and use.
Top-of-the-Line Magnifying Glass
- A really top-grade Magnifying Glass is also on my list. I got the basic idea for this from a fascinating article about the use of magnifying glasses in ancient times, from an 1893 South Carolina newspaper. I'm not interested in just any magnifying glass, however—I have discovered that there is a Swarovski Crystals magnifying glass encrusted in jewels. This would look just lovely on my desk! Even though the advertisement I read didn't list the price, I am sure you can swing getting me one, Santa…or maybe a matching pair so that my wife doesn't feel slighted!
"Wayback" Machine
- I have just one more gift request if you would, Santa. If the spirit moves you to assign some of your elves to working on a new, sure-to-be-popular gift, how about this idea? My inspiration came from a 1981 California newspaper article titled "All-Time Top 40 TV's Best? Try These." I noticed the inclusion of one of my favorite shows as a youngster, Rocky and His Friends, which triggered my imagination. I recalled that my favorite segment on the show was "Peabody's Improbable History" and his instruction to his assistant, Sherman, to "Set the Wayback Machine." The more I think about it, the more I am sure every genealogist in the world would stand in any line necessary to get their own Wayback Machine. It's a surefire winner—and my last Christmas gift request.
So tell me…what would you have on your Ultimate Genealogy Christmas List for Santa?
GenealogyBank Gift Memberships
All kidding aside, there is one practical gift you can give yourself or the genealogist on your Christmas shopping list: GenealogyBank is now offering Gift Memberships!
It's quick and easy to give a GenealogyBank Gift Membership: just click here to get started.
Vital records give you the names and dates to fill in your family tree—but newspapers give you the stories to get to know your ancestors: the lives they led and the times they lived in. Our Gift Membership lets you give an annual ALL-ACCESS pass to more than 6,500 online newspapers, with over 220 million obituaries and more than 1 billion articles and records!
And there's more: our genealogy website's expansive online archives also contain rare books, personal writings, military records, official government documents and more rich material for in-depth ancestry research.
With a gift membership to our website, your loved one can trace their family tree back in time over three centuries, with historical records that are exclusively available in GenealogyBank's ever-growing digital archive collections.
Questions about our genealogy Gift Memberships? We're here to help. Call a member of our friendly support staff toll free at 1-866-641-3297 Mon-Fri 10am-7pm U.S. EST or email us anytime at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Jeffrey Heller
GAZA/JERUSALEM, Nov 21 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday pursued a Gaza truce, with Israel and Hamas still at odds over key terms, as Israeli air strikes shook the enclave and a bomb exploded on a Tel Aviv bus.
After talks in Ramallah with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Clinton held a second meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before travelling to Egypt for discussions with President Mohamed Mursi, whose country is the main broker in efforts to end eight days of fighting.
In Tel Aviv, targeted by rockets from Gaza that either did not hit the city or were shot down by Israel's Iron Dome interceptor system, 15 people were wounded when a commuter bus was blown up near the Defence Ministry and military headquarters.
Israel and the United States branded it a terrorist attack, and a White House statement reaffirmed Washington's "unshakeable commitment to Israel's security".
The explosion, which police said was caused by a bomb placed on the vehicle, touched off celebratory gunfire from militants in Gaza and threatened to complicate truce efforts.
Israel's best-selling Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said an emerging outline of a ceasefire agreement called for Egypt to announce a 72-hour ceasefire followed by further talks on long-term understandings.
Under the proposed document, which the newspaper said neither party would be required to sign, Israel would hold its fire, end attacks against top militants and promise to examine ways to ease its blockade of Gaza, controlled by Hamas Islamists who do not recognise the Jewish state's right to exist.
Hamas, the report said, would pledge not to strike any Israeli target and ensure other Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip also stop their attacks.
An Israeli political source said differences holding up a deal centred on a Hamas demand to lift the Gaza blockade completely and the kind of activity that would be allowed along the frontier, where Israeli troops often fire into the enclave to keep Palestinians away from an area near a border fence.
Hamas official Ezzat al-Rishq said the main stumbling block was "the temporary timeframe for a ceasefire that the Israelis want us to agree to".
While diplomatic efforts continued, Israel struck more than 100 targets in Gaza, including a cluster of Hamas government buildings, in attacks that medical officials said killed 10 people, among them a 2-year-old boy.
Palestinians militants fired more than 30 rockets at Israel, causing no casualties, and the Iron Dome interceptor system shot down 14 of them, police said.
Israel has carried out more than 1,500 strikes since the offensive began with the killing of a top Hamas commander and with declared aim of deterring Hamas from launching rocket attacks that have long disrupted life in its southern towns.
Medical officials in Gaza said 144 Palestinians, more than half of them civilians, including 36 children, have been killed in Israel's offensive. Nearly 1,400 rockets have been fired into Israel, killing four civilians and a soldier, the military said.
The London-based Al Hayat newspaper, citing sources in Hamas and Islamic Jihad, said Israel wanted a 90-day period to determine "good intentions" before discussing Palestinian demands, a position the report said the groups have rejected.
Rishq said a short-term truce, whose proposed duration he did not disclose, "would only buy (Israel) time" until a general election in January and "we would have accomplished nothing in the way of a long-term truce".
Hamas sources said the group was also demanding control over Gaza's Rafah borders with Egypt, so that Palestinians could cross easily, and Israeli guarantees to stop assassinating Hamas leaders.
Israel, one of the Hamas sources said, wanted a commitment from the group to stop smuggling through tunnels that run into Gaza under the Egyptian border. The tunnel network is a conduit for weapons and commercial goods.
News of the Tel Aviv bus bombing, the first serious blast in Israel's commercial capital since 2006, caused oil prices to rise by more than $1 per barrel on concerns the Gaza crisis could lead to wider regional conflict that would disrupt oil flows.
Clinton, who flew to the region from an Asian summit, said after Tuesday's meeting with Netanyahu that it was "essential to de-escalate the situation".
"The rocket attacks from terrorist organisations inside Gaza on Israeli cities and towns must end and a broader calm restored," she said.
Clinton earlier assured Netanyahu of "rock-solid" U.S. support for Israel's security, and praised Mursi's "personal leadership and Egypt's efforts thus far" to end the Gaza conflict and promote regional stability.
"As a regional leader and neighbour, Egypt has the opportunity and responsibility to continue playing a crucial and constructive role in this process. I will carry this message to Cairo tomorrow (Wednesday)," she said, pledging to work for a truce "in the days ahead".
Netanyahu told Clinton he wanted a "long-term" solution. Failing that, Netanyahu made clear, that he stood ready to step up the military campaign to silence Hamas' rockets.
"A band-aid solution will only cause another round of violence," said Ofir Gendelman, a Netanyahu spokesman.
Along the Gaza border, Israeli tanks, artillery and infantry remained poised for a possible ground offensive in the densely populated enclave of 1.7 million Palestinians.
But an invasion, likely to entail heavy casualties, would be a major political risk for Netanyahu, who is currently favoured to win the upcoming Israeli election. More than 1,400 Palestinians were killed in Israel's three-week war in the Gaza Strip in 2008-9, prompting international criticism of Israel.
In the West Bank city of Ramallah, Clinton held talks with Palestinian President Abbas, reiterating U.S. opposition to his bid to upgrade the Palestinians' status at the United Nations. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Washington believed "the best way to achieve statehood is through direct bilateral negotiations". Those talks collapsed in 2010 in a dispute over Israeli settlement building in the West Bank.
"Secretary Clinton informed the president that the U.S administration is exerting every possible effort to reach an immediate ceasefire and the president expressed his full support for this endeavour," said Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat.
"Once the Israelis accept to stop their bombardments, their assassinations, there will be a comprehensive ceasefire sustained from all parties," Erekat said.
A Palestinian official with knowledge of Cairo's mediation told Reuters that Egyptian intelligence officials would hold further discussions on Wednesday with leaders of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad group.


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Vocab activities for your classroom
Taking the Long View: Exploring Words Across Literature
Words can be thought of as historical artifacts; they carry with them a stamp of time and place, and sometimes it's important to take the long view and think about words outside their immediate context and use a broader perspective. One form that this type of exploration may take is looking at a word's use across different works of literature. This analysis can tell you a lot about the words, but it can also illuminate the books as a whole in interesting ways, providing brief sketches of the common concerns of two authors across decades.
Let's explore what the word lists associated with some thematically similar books can tell us. Has the way we express concepts changed radically, or do certain words capture emotions and outlooks so well that they endure? The Awakening (1899) by Kate Chopin and Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937) by Zora Neale Hurston are both about realization, about fighting against a label of inferiority. This brief vocabulary list of words they share brings this out in startling ways:
This list reads like an austere poem about subjugation and belittling treatment at the hands of a dominant force. It represents how those who are kept down are classified (delirium, treacherous, trifle) and is also a prescription for how they should be treated (pacified, snubbed). An author's creation of mood, and their establishment of style, starts with word choice, so the fact that these eight words on a page can stir so many associations perhaps shouldn't be a surprise. It is truly remarkable, though, when so little can call to mind so much about the complex works of fiction in which they are found.
Take for example the use in both novels of the word snub. Snub is usually an active, aggressive word, something done in retaliation to a perceived wrong either to oneself or one's friends. It is significant that in both The Awakening and Their Eyes Were Watching God, snubbing is something the characters want to do but cannot:
"I tell you what it is Edna; you can't afford to snub Mrs. Belthrop" — Mr. Pontellier, in The Awakening
"She [Mrs. Turner] felt honored by Janie's acquaintance and she quickly forgave and forgot snubs in order to keep it" – Their Eyes Were Watching God
Considerations of social standing and decorum, and in Mrs. Turner's case, Janie's "Caucasian characteristics" prevent Edna and Mrs. Turner from doing what they would otherwise want to do, slowly chipping away at their agency as human beings as they move through the world. Examining the use of a single word has given us a glimpse into the stifling, frustrating universes of these novels. Opposed to what these characters cannot do for themselves are the things they must do for others:
"He [Etienne] had been unwilling to go to bed and had made a scene; whereupon she [Madame Ratignole] had taken charge of him and pacified him as well as she could" — The Awakening
"And now you got tuh die tuh find out dat you got tuh pacify somebody besides yo'self if you wants any love and any sympathy in dis world" – Janie, in Their Eyes Were Watching God
Whether this last quote is true on a cosmic level or not, it seems true in the world of these novels, be it a simple act of comfort or a statement about the celestial grand design. It is significant also that both attempts to pacify do not seem completely successful. In The Awakening, there is only partial success, and in Their Eyes Were Watching God, it seems to be the central part of a realization that has come too late. Pacify has slightly different meanings in the two sentences above but in both instances, pacifying involves reaching out and interacting with other people, emphasizing a community spirit perhaps unexpected from the word pacify in more common contexts.
As we have seen, this method of analysis treats words as simultaneously unbound from their immediate context and as proxies for the works they come from as a whole. In a sense, this is the duality that occurs when you learn vocabulary from literature. Upon learning the word it is now yours to use everywhere, but it is often the case that you always associate the word with the original context you learned it in. Authors' preoccupations, the themes they explore, and the webs of words they weave transcend the original contexts they are found in and resonate with other works of art. It is this ongoing conversation that helps form a literary tradition, both within a country and around the world.


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Week 7: Bills Hang On For 19-14 Win
Defense comes up big and avoids another last second loss.
by Steve Saslow
This game against the Ravens had all the makings of another gut wrenching loss for the Bills. They lost two home games in the final second and after Trent Edwards threw an interception deep in Buffalo territory in the fourth quarter it looked like they gave the Ravens a chance at pulling out the win. The defense gave up a touchdown there but held on the next two series as the Bills defeated the Ravens 19-14 to go to 2-4 on the season.
The game was about the return of Willis McGahee to Buffalo and he was ready for this game but so was the Bills defense. McGahee finished with a season high 114 yards including a 46 yard touchdown run on the opening possession of the third quarter that got the Ravens to within two points at 9-7. McGahee had some moments but for the most part the new look Bills defense kept him and the Ravens offense at bay.
On offense, Trent Edwards moved the team at times but couldn't find the end zone as Rian Lindell hit four big field goals in the game including three in the first half that gave the Bills a 9-0 halftime lead. Edwards drove the Bills 75 yards in 12 plays on their second possession to the first points of the game. That started a streak of three straight field goal drives. The second field goal was setup by a 34 yard pass interference penalty on Samari Rolle. The third field goal was setup by a forced fumble by Angelo Crowell that was recovered by John DiGiorgio.
The Bills were never able to put this game away as they struggled to find the end zone. After McGahee's long touchdown run the Bills would respond with another Lindell field goal on a nice 51 yard drive. The Bills would add to the lead with a 71 yard drive in five plays to a 1 yard Marshawn Lynch touchdown run to give the Bills a 19-7 lead going in to the fourth quarter. That drive got started off quickly with a 54 yard hookup from Edwards to Lee Evans.
Bills fans always seem to be waiting for the other shoe to drop and it appeared it did when Edwards through an interception that was returned for a touchdown. Replay overturned the touchdown but the Ravens would score anyway. On a 4th and 11 play, Kyle Boller hit Derrick Mason for a 15 yard touchdown pass to put the Ravens in striking distance but the Bills defense would prevail from there and hold on for the win.
It was a big win for a team that has been bothered by outside distractions from a quarterback controversy to all the Toronto talk and the last second loss to Dallas. They overcame all those things and beat a pretty good Baltimore team. It shows that Marv Levy did build a team of character as they showed it once again like they did against Dallas only this time it was in victory instead of a defeat.
Here are our exclusive gameballs and goats from the Bills game against the Ravens:


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Latest winter storm plasters big swath of USA
A winter storm is expected to move northeastward into the mid-Atlantic, dumping 6-12 inches of snow across a swath from the Northeast to the South. VPC
The winter that just won't end is at it again.
A winter storm over the southern Plains and lower Mississippi Valley is expected to move northeastward to the mid-Atlantic by Sunday evening, eventually dumping 6-12 inches of snow across a swath that includes Washington, D.C., according to the National Weather Service.
The federal government says its offices in the Washington area will be closed Monday due to the storm. The closure will keep tens of thousands of commuters off the roads.
"We expect some significant snow and ice accumulations throughout the region," said Bruce Sullivan, senior forecaster at the Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Md. "It's going to cause some serious travel disruptions. It'll hit at the start of the workweek. In the mid-Atlantic region, that's going to be an issue."
The storm could bring power outages to some areas where relatively high ice accumulations are expected, Accuweather meteorologist Dan DePodwin said Sunday. "The areas we are most concerned about would be northeast Arkansas, western Tennessee into southwest Kentucky and far southeastern Missouri," he said. "That includes Cape Girardeau, Mo., and Memphis, Tenn. Some places could pick up one-half inch of ice, which could cause power outages.
"And obviously, driving is not advised in all of those areas," he said. "We also expect numerous flight delays."
An area including Philadelphia, southern New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Northern Virginia, West Virginia, eastern Ohio and northeastern Kentucky will bear the brunt of the snow. Freezing rain and snow are expected in southern Indiana, southern Illinois, Kentucky and Missouri.
The latest round of weather misery was expected to start as rain late Sunday afternoon and evening and change to freezing rain overnight. "That will transition over to snow sometime after midnight in the mid-Atlantic region," Sullivan said.
Because of unusually cold temperatures, a quick melt is not expected. "We don't expect any melting during the day because temperatures will plummet during the day Monday," Sullivan said.
New York could see 2-4 inches of snow and none is expected for New England.
Freezing rain is expected in Arkansas, Tennessee and northern Mississippi.
The storm was already hitting the central section of the USA, causing treacherous driving conditions and impacting air travel. A pileup involving more than 100 vehicles Saturday on Interstate 25 in Denver left one person dead and 30 injured.
TODAY IN THE SKY: Airlines pre-emptively cancel 1,100 Monday flights
The Indiana Department of Transportation was monitoring the storm, expecting more than 6 inches of snow in northern Indiana and a combination of rain, ice and snow in the south. INDOT "strongly encouraged" drivers to avoid optional travel so they don't hamper state highway crews working to keep the roads clear.
As of Sunday afternoon, nearly 1,600 flights in the U.S. were canceled and 1,515 more were delayed, according to flight tracking site FlightAware.com. Most of the affected flights were in Dallas, Chicago and Newark, N.J.
Amtrak was trimming schedules for its Acela Express and Northeast Regional trains. Amtrak said passengers should also expect fewer runs than normal on its Keystone Service, from Harrisburg through Philadelphia to New York City. Amtrak says other trains north of New York City, and those south and east of Washington, D.C., will operate normally.
Contributing: Associated Press


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Well, Ms. Ravitch, thank you for sharing your take on the entire Common Core issue and please know that I agree with much of what you said. The last decade in education has been a dismal time and the current landscape of public education continues to be a negative one.
With that being said, I do think the piece was a missed opportunity. I think it perpetuates the deficit mindset that plagues education. Yes, Ms. Ravich framed the problem for us but the fact of the matter is that those of us who currently work in schools and send children to schools have been discussing the problem for years and we can list the unending problems that exist...
1) The ridiculous high stakes tests;
2) The ridiculous amount of money spent on new Common Core aligned materials;
3) The misinterpretation of the standards, which caused flawed implementation;
4) And the list goes on and on.
The real issue we are still struggling with is the lack of a solution - how do we make things better for our kids today? So, while I applaud Ms. Ravitch for openly admitting she was wrong for supporting this initiative at its inception, I do wish she would have used her platform to focus on some of the potential positives of a national standards and some of the ways we could improve things moving forward. The bottom line is that our kids deserve better and it is our responsibility to help improve education and change the narrative.
Although I am not necessarily a fan of the Common Core Standards (I know they are flawed in parts), I would like to offer my take on how we can make things better and how we could possibly make national standards work to the advantage of our kids...
1) The Common Core Standards should be a living document so that they can be revised and improved. Aren't we always working towards a better iteration of ourselves? The standards should be doing the same. Educators, students, families should be able to reflect on the standards and how they are working and possibly tweak them when necessary so that they are developmentally appropriate and are supporting our students. The tweaks can happen every three years so we can assess how the previous tweaks impacted learning and teaching.
2) Instead of spending billions of dollars on materials that are "Common Core Aligned" we should be spending the money on professional development for our teachers so that our practices and techniques are "Common Core Aligned." You see, while I agree with Ms. Ravitch that our teachers should be given autonomy to do what is best for their own students, I don't think all educators are equipped with the skills to actually do what is best for kids. I don't think all educators have a sense of "best practices" and research based instructional techniques that are proven to be effective. We cannot go from one extreme (scripted curriculum) to the other (complete autonomy) and expect different results - we know that doesn't work. If we all agree that our children deserve the best instruction then we should fight to ensure that our educators have the best too - the best on-going professional development that will empower them with the basic skills they need to tailor instruction to best meet the readiness levels of each of their students. The next step in this process is professionally developing the educational leaders in this country so they, too, are aware of best practices and can best support the efforts of teachers.
3) National standards, if implemented correctly, could help lead to vertical alignment within buildings and horizontal alignment across the country in terms of the learning and teaching within our schools. I worked in schools before the Common Core Standards and in many instances, the instructional practices were fragmented across grade levels and children were learning the same things over and over again yet not at a depth where the learning experiences actually resonated with the learners. These are problems that national standards could address with the proper support and appropriate implementation.
4) The Common Core Standards should not be about standardizing HOW we teach and what resources we use to teach. I would argue that we don't need a scripted curriculum because of the Common Core Standards. The standards offer us the "floor" for what all kids should know and what skills they should be working towards mastering; the standards do not offer a "ceiling" so how they unfold in our schools and classrooms and impact our children is up to us. We should give teachers, in conjunction with the above mentioned PD, the opportunity to make the standards come to life in their classrooms in a way that is most meaningful for their students. The standards do not have to equate to standardization.
5) If we want to address the opportunity gap, which in my opinion is the real issue in our society and not the superficial achievement gap, then we must be willing to acknowledge and accept that racism is a systemic issue plaguing our schools today. Standards won't fix that problem; high stakes testing won't fix that problem; and "Common Core Aligned" materials won't fix that problem. Racism exists in education today and we must deal with that first if we want to make things better for all of our students.
Thank you Ms. Ravitch for spotlighting some of the issues that exist with the Common Core Standards and their implementation over the years. This conversation is one we must continue having because we need solutions. Let's dedicate our energies to finding solutions and contributing positively to education so we could change the narrative of public education and make our schools better for kids, our country, and our future.


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456 Windmill Rd., Dartmouth, NS, Canada, B3A 1J7
Phone: (902) 463-9900 Fax:
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"Supports Green Initiatives" designates a hotel's participation in an optional environmental program that includes the use of energy-efficient lighting, guestroom towel/linen re-use, and on-premise recycling. "Supports Green Initiatives" does not represent an official certification of any kind.
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This Comfort Inn® hotel is close to the major attractions of both Dartmouth and Halifax, including the Dartmouth Sportsplex, Dartmouth Heritage Museum, Mic Mac Mall, Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History and the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic.
The historic downtown Halifax area is a quick drive or short ferry ride from the hotel. The heart of this busy city is perfect for exploring on foot. Sidewalk cafes beckon visitors to while away a few hours amidst a backdrop of park-like waterfront and historic settings. The bustling harbour welcomes ships from every corner of the globe.
Guest rooms feature hair dryers, ironing equipment, coffee makers and cable television. Business class rooms come equipped with refrigerators, microwaves, speakerphones and large work areas. Non-smoking and handicap accessible rooms are available. Business travellers appreciate access to a business centre and optional multiple phone lines.
This pet-friendly Dartmouth hotel delivers many high-value amenities including:
Check-In Time: 13:00 Check-Out Time: 11:00 Guest Rooms: 78


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When people mention 'the lottery', it can often sound like there's only one type of lottery game out there. In fact, players can pick from a wide range of lottery titles that includes everything from scratch cards to small draws such as Lotto HotPicks. Most of the available variants fall under one of just two categories, 'instant win' and number drawing', but it can still be hard to know which option to go for.
'Number drawing' games rely on a format that is most commonly associated with the idea of 'the lottery'. Players typically buy a ticket for a fixed price and pick a set of numbers that lie within a predetermined range (the UK's National Lottery uses balls numbered up to 59, for instance). Some providers such as the Health Lottery also allow punters to participate using 'quick draw' digits that are selected by a computer.
The defining characteristic of 'number drawing' games is that players must wait to find out if they've won. Winning numbers are picked in a random selection process (a 'draw') that usually takes place at the same time every week. Not all 'number drawing' games have the same payout structure, but it's generally true that punters will win something if they've picked three or more numbers that match those revealed on the big night.
Given the huge selection of possible number combinations, there are weeks in which no player wins the jackpot; this usually results in a 'rollover', which means that all or most of the possible win money for a no-win week is added to the next prize pot.
Unlike 'number drawing' games, 'instant win' variants don't require punters to wait around. This category mainly consists of scratch cards and interactive online games, both of which base payouts on results that are pre-determined when the product in question is purchased. Prize amounts for 'instant win' games can vary greatly according to provider and format, but usually don't change with time as there's no jackpot rollover to build the pot.
'Number drawing' games are attractive because they offer gamblers the chance to win extraordinary multi-rollover sums. The pan-European lottery EuroMillions has previously featured jackpots worth over £90m, and the National Lottery alone has created more than 4,000 millionaires or multi-millionaires since 1994.
While number draws can theoretically result in punters walking away with life-changing sums, the structure of these games means that odds of actually winning can be extremely low. Players have around a 1 in 45 million chance of scooping the jackpot in the National Lottery, though it should be remembered that there's more than the just the jackpot up for grabs – gamblers have a better chance, around 1 in 93, of matching three or more balls.
'Instant win' games usually come with better odds of winning than their number drawing counterparts. The National Lottery's 'Red Game' scratch cards, for example, offer punters a 1 in 11 chance of winning a prize. While some people like the thrill of the televised build-up to large number draws, many busy players prefer pre-determined games because these products offer the thrill of a win without the need to monitor results.
On the flipside, instant online games and scratch cards generally entail a lower-value selection of prizes than number draws. Likewise, not all wins are of the same value and high value payouts are quite uncommon. 'Red game' offers a 13 to one chance of taking home a lower prize sum of £2, but those favourable odds lengthen to 1 in 4,816,172 when it comes to finding a jackpot card worth £100,000.
It is still possible to take home huge sums from 'instant win' games despite these lower jackpots, as Grace Walker from Hamilton discovered when she won £1m from a scratch card in September 2015. Another Scot, Michael Innes, also became rich in seconds when he won big on the National Lottery's MONOPOLY Millionaire game online.


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Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated and Nu Delta Omega Chapter held its 2013 Calendar Doll Pageant Dec. 8 at the Bluffton High School auditorium.
Parents, friends and supporters were entertained by seven talented, intelligent and beautiful fifth-grade students from Beaufort and Jasper counties. These young ladies displayed their talents and creativity through singing, dancing, poetry and music.
Sophia Sherman, daughter of Leon R. Sherman of Beaufort, was crowned Miss Calendar Doll 2013. Proceeds from the pageant will assist Nu Delta Omega in awarding annual scholarships to area seniors in Beaufort and Jasper counties as well as help with other community-based projects.


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A large die with a different color spot on each side is shown. A spectator is asked to place the die inside a solid box and remember which color is facing up. He is then asked to place the lid on the box. This is all done with the performers back turned. The magician then takes the box behind his back for a moment and when it brings it back in front he can immediately state the color of the die.
Do you own this product? Write a review.


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Principle Solutions Architect, San Francisco, CA | 120-140k
Salary: 120-140k plus benefits, bonus and stock
Client will relocate the right candidate
Candidates must be US Citizens or green card holders residing in the USA
Job Description
·Responsible for delivering post sales and project management services to F1000.
·Provide hands on service oriented application development skills to deliver LAMP based solutions
·Provide engagement management services on multiple, concurrent engagements with SI Partners.
·Participate in the formal requirements definition phase and the correct translation of these requirements into project deliverables (in compliance with corporate project lifecycle standards).
·Responsible for project planning and tracking progress of the development team against that plan.
·Identify risks to the project plan, establish mitigation plans and work with management to implement these mitigations to ensure successful application deployments.
·Manage local and remote resources to assist in delivery project or platform requirements.
·Provide technical leadership to customer project teams. Effectively navigate complex client relationships to achieve specific engagement and overall client project objectives.
·Understand F1000 business application requirements and industry specific solutions.
·Complete all stages of the delivery process, including requirements/design, development, deployment, customization, training and knowledge transfer to client of partner.
·Identify additional opportunities for business through extension of existing work or through new work within existing accounts.
Qualifications/Necessary Skills
·10+ years enterprise technical experience, minimum of 5 years experience performing complex software deployments in a services role for a software or major consulting company.
·Hands-on experience with web-services and knowledge of web services standards.
·Understand and have experience in project development, lifecycles, methodologies, and scoping.
·Experience creating statements of work that are accurately scoped and estimated.
·Programming skills in Java and in-depth knowledge of J2EE and related specifications is required.
·Knowledge of internet protocols; HTTP, SSL, and SOAP/XML-RPC/Web Services.
·Knowledge of software architectures; J2EE, Linux, Apache, XML, identity, and security.
·Experience with enterprise applications (eg. ERP, HR, CRM, expense management, payroll, banking).
·Database/integration skills including competency in Oracle, DB2, SAP, SQL.
·Exposure to open source technologies such as PHP, Python, Perl, Ruby and MySQL.
·Ability to collaborate with team members to resolve systems and product related issues.
·Communicate regularly with sales, management, engineering and other relevant teams regarding project status, issues and product effectiveness and customer feedback.
·Strong presentation/white boarding skills; must be able to technically lead development discussions.
·Team oriented spirit and ability to leverage field and corporate resources successfully.
·Develop and share best services practices and contribute to knowledge sharing among team members.
·Exceptional verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills.
·Moderate to heavy travel as required in support of sales activities and events.
To be considered please submit resume and salary requirements to firstname.lastname@example.com
Thank you,
Beau J. Gould
Open Source Staffing
Principle Solutions Architect, San Francisco, CA | 120-140k
Forum to require and offer php jobs. Are you searching for php developers to make or complete your php script ? This place is for you.
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Jobaphiles is an interesting way to search for a job or hire talent. It´s an auction job site aiming to connecting job searchers with talent seekers. Jobaphiles is an easy way to connect with a community of students, errand runners, and freelancers to perform your job. Great idea.
Venture Slogan: Help you can afford. Jobs you can do.
Jobaphiles's own description: "…Jobaphiles is here to provide people with a means of outsourcing their work, in a way that saves them time and money; in addition, our goal is to offer college students a way to pay for the high-costs of their education…"


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Subject to exceptions (see below), Happy Hot Tubs are happy to exchange or refund your purchase within 14 days of delivery. Your refund will be credited via your original method of payment.
Unwanted goods must be returned at your own cost in a fully saleable condition and in fully intact original packaging. We reserve the right to refuse a refund if the goods are not returned in a saleable condition or are damaged.
We regret we are unable to offer an exchange or refund on custom made covers unless received damaged or faulty. This does not affect your statutory rights.
Please report any damaged or faulty goods within 14 days of receipt for a refund or replacement. Please contact us via email (firstname.lastname@example.com) or telephone (02380 812769) with your order number and details of the fault or damage.
Items can be returned in person at any of our stores (click here for store locator) or sent to Happy Hot Tubs, Unit G2, Fort Wallington Industrial Estate, Military Road, Fareham, Hampshire, PO16 8TT. All returns must be accompanied with the following information:
To assist you with providing this information you can download and print a return form here. Please complete the form and enclose with your item so we can identify your parcel.
IMPORTANT - Please note we cannot process returns received without this information.
We recommend all returns are sent via recorded delivery or tracked courier service. If the item is high value then we also recommend you opt for insurance cover. Please note we cannot be held responsible for items lost or damaged in transit.
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Maze Cartoon of peace and war mongers in the middle-east
Maze cartoon of warmongers and peace mongers in the middle east. The peacemongers are all locals, voters, and people who actually live in the middle east. The warmongers are the press, newspapers and media. Created by Yonatan Frimer
Click here for a printable, hi-res version of this maze
Click here for the maze solution of peace and warmongers
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Cartoon Maze of peace and warmongers in the middle east, by Yonatan Frimer
Posted by STOM Research at 1:51 PM
Labels: cartoon, comic, frimer, maze, maze cartoon, mazes, middle east, monkeys, peace, peace mongers, signs, warmongers, yfrimer, yonatan, yonatan frimer
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Patient Center
Contact Us
September 19, 201910:30 AM
In order to expedite your visit, please bring the following items:
New patients, in order to finalize your registration process, please arrive 30 minutes before your scheduled appointment time.
Thank you again, and we look forward to seeing you!
New patient forms can be found on our website http://tmgfamilyphysicians.com/ by selecting the Patient Forms tab on the left side of the website.
Denotes required field


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Here you will find Welding Forum members in your area, who are willing to allow you to try their Longevity Welder or Plasma Cutter. These members are not authorized sellers of Longevity Welding Equipment, but are just being helpful allowing potential customers to experience Longevity Welding.
Company | Products | Resources | Welding Calculatorsm | Where to buy | Order Status | Help & Faqs | Manuals | Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions
© 2013 longevity-inc.com Longevity Global, Inc. 23591 Foley St, Hayward CA 94545
LONGEVITY offers portable diesel generators. By maintaining the highest quality standards for plasma cutting equipment, welding equipment, welding helmets also known as auto-darkening helmets, and silent diesel generators, the Longevity Welding and Generator brands are certainly getting attention for many welding jobs and from metal workers throughout the world because how portable, affordable, and reliable each and every plasma cutter, welder, and auto-darkening welding helmet actually is. With our ForceCut and MaxArc series plasma cutters, we have dominated the metal cutting market where power and portability are necessary. LONGEVITY also offers the WeldMax series plasma cutter / Arc / STICK / TIG multi-process welders that can plasma cut and weld from one single machine. With the WeldAll series, we have enabled cutting and welding from one unit that will also weld aluminum. Check out our multi-purpose welders to see the affordable pricing. If you need just a small or portable TIG, MIG / MAG, or ARC / STICK Welder, the LONGEVITY ArcMate series is perfectly designed to enable good quality welds.
Please see what our customers are saying about our welding equipment at http://forum.longevity-inc.com and if you are interested in becoming a Longevity Dealer, please visit our dealers page.


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The launch of Defense One.
A couple of months ago, I spilled the beans about Defense One, a new digital publication we had in the works here at Atlantic Media and Government Executive Media Group. Today, that publication becomes a reality with its official launch.
As Defense One's executive editor, Kevin Baron, writes in an introduction to the publication, it is a "news site that will go deeper, featuring reporting, analysis and bold ideas about the trends that are driving the future of defense and U.S. national security." It will focus on global threats, the domestic and international politics of security, management of some of the largest institutions in the federal government and the effect of rapidly advancing technology on defense strategy.
Kevin and his cohorts, Stephanie Gaskell and Kedar Pavgi, have done amazing work in a short period of time to turn the ambitious idea for Defense One into a reality. Already, the site includes insightful pieces on Egypt's military, the Defense Department's human spying operations and what the Founding Fathers would think of today's military (plus a story by yours truly on the importance of getting the administrative things right -- like not shortchanging soldiers on their paychecks.)
Defense One will always lean forward -- both in its approach to coverage and in the technology used to deliver it. The site is optimized for viewing on desktops, tablets and smartphones. I hope you'll check it out.
NEXT STORY: The Furloughed Fess Up


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Exeter-Hampton area senior club updates and trips. Please send Exeter-Hampton area Senior News to firstname.lastname@example.com.
n EXETER ALZHEIMER'S CAFÉ: will be open from 2 to 4 p.m., the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at the Exeter Senior Center, 30 Court St., Exeter. The Alzheimer's Café is intended to be a social setting for people with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. People living with Alzheimer's disease are welcomed during the Café open time, along with their family members and caregivers, to gather in a supportive, non-clinical setting to chat, relax and socialize. No cost, no reservations. Questions: Call: 580-1595, e-mail: email@example.com, visit: www.rockinghamseniors.com and click on the Alzheimer's Café tab.
n SEABREEZE QUILT GUILD: will meet at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 12, in the Senior Center, Court Street, Exeter. After a short business meeting the Challenge quilts will be revealed and voted on. A quilt show meeting will take place at 6 p.m. — before the regular meeting — all are invited. Donations will be collected for the Food Bank. Donations of quilt-related items are being collected for the UFO auction in March. Registration forms are due before March 1 for quilt entry into the Seabreeze Quilt Show April 6.
n BRENTWOOD SENIORS: meet the fourth Wednesday of the month at the Community Center, 190 Route 125. Social hour and appetizers are at 11 a.m., business meeting at 11:30 a.m. and luncheon buffet at 11:45 a.m. Call Eugene Orcutt at 642-4597.
n ACTIVE RETIREMENT ASSOCIATION (ARA): Open to Seacoast residents 55 years and above. Annual membership $50. Continuing series include Great Decisions discussions on Monday mornings, physical fitness Tuesday and Thursday mornings, writing group Tuesday afternoons and play reading Friday afternoons. www.unh.edu/ara/ or call Carol Caldwell at 343-1004.
n EPPING SENIORS: meet every second Thursday of the month, 1 p.m. at Watson Academy Community Center.
n EXETER WOMAN'S CLUB: a member of the international General Federation of Women's Clubs, meets at 1:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday (September-May), at Langdon Place Community Room, Hampton Road, Exeter. This volunteer group continues knitting hats for chemo patients, sewing comfort pillows for cancer survivors, sewing bags and hospital gowns for Operation SMILE, gives a scholarship plus helps a variety of charities. 778-1287.
n EXETER AREA GENERAL FEDERATION OF WOMEN'S CLUBS: meets at 7 p.m., the second Thursday of each month, September to May, at the Exeter Senior Center. Call 778-7237.
n MEALS ON WHEELS: serves luncheons at noon Mondays through Thursdays, and at 11:30 a.m., Fridays, at the Exeter Senior Center, 30 Court St., Exeter. Suggested donation of $2. Reservations required. Call 778-8196.
n NARFE: (National Association of Active and Retired Federal Employees) Seacoast Chapter 1790 meets in March, April, May, September, October, November, and December, generally on the fourth Thursday of the month. Lunch is at 12:30 p.m. 926-3472.
n SENIOR CITIZENS CLUB: of Hampton meets the second Thursday at 10 a.m. in the United Methodist Church, 525 Lafayette Road. Coffee and snacks at 9:30 a.m. 929-9963.
n NEWMARKET RECREATION DEPARTMENT: 1 Terrace Drive, Newmarket, has senior trips planned. Call 659-8581 or fax 659-2761.
n NEWMARKET SENIOR CITIZENS: meets the first Wednesday of the month at 10 a.m. at the Center on Beech Street Extension. Anyone 55 and older is welcome to join.
North Hampton
n PASA: Programs for Active Senior Adults (PASA). Meetings at North Hampton Town Hall, 233 Atlantic Ave., North Hampton. Third Tuesday of every month at 11:30 a.m. Monthly group outings. New members always welcome.
n OLLI: (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Granite State College): offers a wide variety of short courses, classes and trips for New Hampshire residents age 50 and over. Annual membership is $40. For schedule and other information, call 513-1377 or e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com and visit www.olli.granite.edu.
n SOUTHEASTERN RETIRED EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION: meets in October, November, April and May. The programs feature entertainment, lunch and a short business meeting. A scholarship from the group is awarded each year to a high school graduate planning a career in education. Call Mary Ann Jenness at 679-8395.
n THE NORTHEAST PRIME TIME CLUB: is offering upcoming trips for all seniors in the Seacoast area. Call the Portsmouth office for reservations and/or information. 422-9869. Trips sell out quickly. All day trips include, tax, tips, transportation, tickets and meals.
Northeast Prime Time Club trips
n March 15: WOMEN OF IRELAND. This renowned performance showcases a great blend of songs, music and dancing that is the hallmark of the greatest Irish shows of our time. Many of the dancers are directly from the show "Riverdance." This show is at the Venus De Milo in Swansea, Mass. Dinner, bus and show $81.
n April 24: THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE at the the restored Stoneham Theater, in Stoneham, Mass. The story of a small-town girl who comes to New York to marry for money instead of love — a modern aim in 1922. This is the period when New York is full of intrigue and jazz and a time when women were entering the workforce and the rules of love and social behavior were changing. Before the show, group stops at a local restaurant for lunch. Price $83.
n May 21-23: PENN DUTCH COUNTRY & PHILADELPHIA. This 3-day/2-night trip takes group to the Sands Casino in Pennsylvania for dinner and free gaming package. The trip includes tour of Lancaster County, visit to Amish Bakery, Cannery, Kettle Shops and more before returning to see the outstanding, highly acclaimed biblical production of "Noah." The trip also includes many historic places in Philadelphia. There is a lot to this trip so call for a brochure. Taking deposits now. Price $389 pp/do.
n THE STRATHAM SENIORS (76'ers): is a local social organization open to all seniors of Stratham and surrounding communities. Meetings are held the third Tuesday of each month from September to June from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Stratham Fire Station municipal room. A pot luck lunch is provided by members followed by information speakers or programs. Fun field trips are planned by the Stratham Parks and Recreation Department. Informative fliers with telephone numbers are available at the Stratham Wiggin Library at 10 Bunker Hill Road. Call 778-7600 or 580-1230. Speaker at the Feb. 19 meeting will be Paula Wright who represents Road Scholar, the not-for-profit leader in educational travel since 1975. Road Scholar offers 6,500 educational tours in all 50 states and 150 countries. Road Scholar is part of the Elder Hostel organization.
n SEASIDE ELDERLY DAY OUT CENTER: 441 rear Lafayette Road, Hampton, provides its clients with home cooked meals, socialization, individual and group activities, crafts, projects, cards, bingo, among other activities. Business hours are Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. For details about the center, call Susan Armstrong at 929-5988 or visit its Web site www.seasideelderlydayoutcenter.com.
North Hampton
n YOGA CLASS: SolAmor Hospice offers free yoga class specifically for caregivers, family members who care for a loved one who is ill. The class takes place every Friday from 1:30 to 2:45 p.m. at the SolAmor Hospice office in the Citizens Bank Building at 65 Lafayette Road, North Hampton, third floor. Yoga instructor, Sue Ebbeson, is certified in classical yoga from Yogalife Institute located in New Hampshire. She has practiced yoga for more than 12 years. This class is suitable for all body types, ages and abilities. To register call or e-mail Loretta Mangano, MS, ATR Life Care Coordinator at SolAmor Hospice at 964-5183 or firstname.lastname@example.com. For information about SolAmor Hospice, visit www.solamorhospice.com.
n SOLAMOR HOSPICE: seeks compassionate community members who are good listeners and who can spare a few hours each week to provide companionship to patients at end-of-life. The company provides all the necessary training. For information or to request an application, contact SolAmor Hospice at 964-5183 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Space is limited. Apply soon.
n SEACOAST VNA: offers a monthly blood pressure clinic from 1 to 3 p.m. on the first Tuesday of the month at the agency office, 29 Lafayette Road, in North Hampton. This service is free of charge and no appointment is necessary.
n LAMPREY HEALTH CARE: Senior Transportation Program offers weekly shopping/errand trips and monthly day trips to senior citizens and disabled adults in Brentwood, Candia, Danville, Deerfield, Durham, East Kingston, Epping, Exeter, Fremont, Greenland, Hampton, Kingston, Lee, Newfields, Newmarket, North Hampton, Northwood, Nottingham, Raymond, Rye, Seabrook and Stratham. Call 659-2424 or (800) 582-7214.
n SERVICELINK: A New Hampshire source for information about aging, chronic illness, adult disabilities and care giving. Staff and volunteers are available to answer questions regarding: transportation, health insurance, Medicare and Medicaid, in-home care, housing, legal planning, health issues, financial matters, prescription drug assistance and more. ServiceLink also offers cell phones for seniors or disabled individuals (911 calls only). Call ServiceLink at 334-6594 (Portsmouth office) or (866) 634-9412 (toll free), visit the office at 270 West Road in Portsmouth or www.rockinghamservicelink.com.
FOOT CARE CLINIC: Seacoast VNA offers the following foot clinics: Webster at Rye Skilled Nursing Facility in Rye, 9 a.m. to noon, the first Tuesday of the month; Seacoast VNA office at 29 Layfayette Road in North Hampton, 12:30 to 3:30 p.m., second Thursday of the month and 12:30 to 3:30 p.m., fourth Tuesday of the month; Seabrook Community Center in Seabrook, 9 a.m. to noon, third Wednesday of the month. Call (978) 552-4747 to make an appointment. The suggested donation varies by location and will be discussed when the appointment is scheduled.


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From GENE LOGSDON
Time was, a farmer would feel naked without a pocketknife in his bibs. Even today, it is the handiest tool of all. There is always a bale twine to cut, a splinter in the skin to remove, a fingernail to trim, a scion to be grafted, a hoof to be cleaned, a pig testicle to be removed, a marshmallow stick to be sharpened, spark plugs to be scraped clean of carbon, an apple to peel, a hide to skin, a seed potato to cut, a lid to pry open, a beer bottle cap to pop off, string holding a sack closed to sever, a hole to be poked in fabric or rubber. It would be fun to hold a contest to see who can come up with the most uses for a pocketknife on the farm.
As boys, we used our knives mainly to play a game we called "mumblety-peg." (I have a hard time believing this, but Merriam-Webster says the first known use of that word, mumblety-peg, was in 1647, and that it first referred to what the loser in the game had to do— pull a peg out of the ground with his or her teeth.) The essence of the game was to stand the open knife vertically on arm, head, knee, whatever, and flip it so that the blade stuck in the ground. That's how I learned that any knife will fall, end over end, and stick into the ground every time if allowed to fall from the right height using only gravity without any extra push or flip. Experienced mumblety-peg players knew that and had rules about how the knife was to be flipped or not flipped. Often it had to be flipped from between two fingers, going consecutively from one pair of fingers to the next. Off an arm, the player might have to execute a double flip before the knife stuck in the ground for the maneuver to be legitimate. We also spent a lot of time throwing our knives at trees so that they would stick like in Tarzan movies. This was a good way to ruin a pocketknife in a hurry.
Any of you readers ever play mumblety-peg? I asked my grandson and he never heard of it.
Today, everyone, country or city, needs a pocketknife handy. Anyone who has to open packages (and that's everyone) encased in the latest impenetrable plastic wrap, or secured with the latest indestructible tape, soon learns to carry a pocketknife. Especially at Christmas time, when so many gifts come by way UPS etc., technology has devised inhumane wrappings that will yield only to a blowtorch, but can be slit open without too much trouble with a sharp knife.
I carry my pocketknife wherever I go except on airplanes. If you try to take your treasured possession on board, those earnest souls who protect us from idiots will take it away from you and you will never see it again unless you go through the trouble of having it sent by mail to your destination. That takes so much time you just might miss your plane.
A boy can no longer take his pocketknife to school. If caught, he could get expelled, so I am told. What in the world has the world come to?
My current knife is a small, slim, one-bladed model called, fittingly enough, the Old Timer. In earlier years I carried one that had enough blades on it do just about anything required on the farm except milk a cow.
My first pocketknife had a pearl grey handle and two blades. I won it, at age 5, in a cracker eating contest. I finished stuffing down my crackers ahead of the other contestants, but had to whistle before I could be declared the winner. I did not know how to whistle yet. The man overseeing the contest said: "Well, then, spit on the floor!" Which I did. I was so proud of that knife, but three weeks later I nearly cut the tip of my finger off with it. I can still see the scar. I keep wondering if I was better off having learned how not to use a knife or if, in today's world, my parents would not have allowed me to have a knife at that age.