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Tree House Weather Kids is a site from University of Illinois Extension that is designed to help kids 5th through 8th grades get a better understanding of weather. The site's videos and interactive learning activities are meant to support the learning of weather topics in the classroom.
Edheads Weather
Edheads weather section is a place where students can learn to predict and report the weather. Each activity is divided into three levels with the difficulty increasing as the student progresses. Teachers should do a test run on the devices that the students will use to make sure it runs correctly.
Weather Watch
Scholastic has two very cool weather websites. The first, called Weather Watch, has multiple interactive experiences that helps students observe, analyze, investigate and gather data on weather information.
Their second website is the Interactive Weather Maker allows you to control the weather by changing humidity and two different global temperatures. This simple site show how these factors can influence weather in their region.
Discovery Kids Weather
Discovery Kids Weather has information on basic weather phenomenon such as seasons, rain, fog and rainbows. There is a separate section on extreme weather such as tornadoes and hurricanes. This site is primarily an information site for reports or projects.
Weather from Science Kids
Weather from Science Kids has a nice selection of resources to help make learning about weather more fun. There are lessons, weather experiments, games, quizzes, videos, images, and project ideas.
NOAA Weather for Kids
NOAA - Weather for Kids contains a collection of links to weather related activities. There are games, information, and educational resources to help students better understand the science of weather.
Web Weather for Kids
Web Weather for Kids is another great site with various learning activities including games and interesting weather stories. The site also has real world weather experiments that can be performed from home or in the classroom.


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UPGRADED TO LEATHER! Black Leather slim Case with Pocket for Credit Card on 1 Side & Metal Money Clip on the Other.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
5th November 2018
There is an old saying, that "What gets measured, gets done". Well in marketing and communication terms, one could adapt that and say "What gets measured, gets budget". And that is at the heart of why measurement is so important to in-house marketing and communication teams, fighting for budget when we are all expected to do more with less, and for agency folk who want to show that our bold thinking can actually deliver.
At Grayling, measurement is something we take seriously. That's why we are active members of AMEC, the international Association for the Measurement and Evaluation of Communication, where I am a board member. Our own approach to evaluation is based on the best practice laid down by AMEC, and we are helping to shape how that evolves, as new technologies like AI come into play.
November is AMEC Measurement Month, a time for all of those involved in the communications industry to focus on this most important of areas. In support of this initiative, Grayling is publishing a series of free white papers, each authored by leaders of our agency, and each one focusing on different aspect of measurement and evaluation.
The first, available here, I have co-authored with our US chief client officer, Danica Ross, whose extensive client-side experience gives her a particular perspective, and insights to which many agency people may not otherwise have access.
Please download the paper, and engage in the debate on Twitter, using #AMECmm. It's an important conversation.
Jon Meakin is Grayling's Global Head of Strategic Services.
Grayling Team
15th November 2016
Will Kunkel, Executive Vice President for Creative and Content in Grayling New York, on the final of our #7for17 trends, Live and Uncut'Timing is everything' has been a favorite line to many but...Read More
8th November 2016
Danica Ross, Grayling San Francisco US Executive Vice President, on how brands can guide themselves through the 'the new space race' – part of our #7for17 trends series.In an era where brands...Read More
3rd November 2016
Russell Patten, Chair of Grayling's European Public Affairs practice, looks at one of the major political trends as part of our #7for17 series. It's been a turbulent year in politics, with the...Read More


text:
Excalibur is a Mac spelling checker for plain text documents. It will spell check documents created by any text editor such as BBEdit, Alpha, Emacs or MPW. It will also spell check the clipboard, making it a useful spelling checker for mail programs such as Eudora and news readers such as NewsWatcher. It is also a very good LaTeX spelling checker. LaTeX is a collection of typesetting macros. If you're not a LaTeX user, you should turn off the option that makes Excalibur aware of LaTeX. See LaTeX Options for more information. It is a stand-alone spelling checker that you can use with many other applications. If you want to use it for
What's New in Excalibur
Version 4.0.7:
for more information.
- Fixes a bug that could cause Excalibur to hang when there was a syntax error at the end of a file.
Requirements for ExcaliburMac OS X 10.2 or later
Similar Software
Suggest other similar software


text:
On August 31, 1886, a devastating earthquake, perhaps as powerful as 7.3 on the Richter Scale rocked Charleston, South Carolina, resulting in over one hundred deaths and wide-spread destruction throughout the city, with some 2000 buildings being either damaged or destroyed.
There are also many primary accounts or records located here at The Historical Society of Pennsylvania describing the total destruction of Port Royal, Jamaica by an earthquake, on June 7, 1692. Isaac Norris I (1671-1735), a prominent Philadelphian and later Mayor of the city, lost his father Thomas and other members of his family, along with much of their property during that catastrophe in the West Indies.
Earthquake tremors were felt on a number of occasions in Philadelphia throughout the 18th-century, namely in 1727, 1758, 1763, 1772, and 1783. Benjamin Marshall, the son of the famed diarist, Christopher Marshall, recorded in a Letter-Book, {I leave the antiquated spelling as this appears in the original and any further quotes from primary sources}, for November 10, 1763, how in Philadelphia,
"...The 30 of last month...about 4 O'Clock in the afternoon we were surprized with a smart Shock of an Earth Quake, which much frightned many people, in their different places of Worship, and broke them all up, it happily concluded without doing any mischief..." (see, PMHB, or the Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, Vol.XX: 1896, pp's. 204-205).
Yet perhaps the quake most remembered and written about transpired on Wednesday, December 7, 1737. Quaker merchant Samuel Coates of Philadelphia wrote his friend Joseph Scott of New York on December 8, 1737, describing the event, and his beliefs as to its origin:
"Last night about 11 o'clock we had a Violent Shock of an Earth quake which lasted About 2 Minutes. The People Afrighted thought their Houses would fall upon them; it was Atended with a Noise like a Coach Driver over a Rough Pavement but Lowder; through Mercy there is no More Damage Done that we hear of but frightning the People and Breaking some Chimney Ware.Benjamin Franklin would also comment on the above quake, in his famed newspaper, the Pennsylvania Gazette, for the week of December 8 - 15, 1737, remarking how, "the Shake" had also been "nearly as violent" (at what is now New Castle, Delaware), as it was in Philadelphia. He added that as far away as Conestoga, some 100 miles West of the city, "some clouds at the same time were seen to waver, dance, disappear and appear again in an uncommon and surprizing manner...Three of four Evenings successively after the Earthquake, an unusual Redness appeared in the Western Sky and southwards..."
Dear Friend though those things are by most Men ascribed to Chance or to Natural Causes, they can't be without the will or permission of the Allmighty Creator and Ruler of the Universe and may Warn us to be prepared for Death let it come when it will."
Franklin was so intrigued by the quake that he would publish within the Pennsylvania Gazette, two succesive articles on the "Causes of Earthquakes," from December 8 - 22 of 1737. (see also, PMHB, Vol. LV: 1931, pp's. 24-31).
Interestingly, social historian, folklorist, and early antiquarian of Philadelphia, John Fanning Watson, in his famed Annals of Philadelphia, recorded how, "When John Penn first arrived, {which was on October 30, 1763} on a Sunday, a strong earthquake was felt as he stepped ashore at High-street wharf. It raised some superstition...long remembered; and besides that, when he went home, a dreadful thunderstorm arose; and, finally, when he next time returned here as proprietary, a fierce hurricane came!" (Vol.1: 1900 edition, p.413).
Regrettably, one does often associate earthquakes with fatalities, but normally not with murder. The largest earthquake recorded in United States history, was that of the 'New Madrid Earthquake' of 1812, which reversed the course of the Mississippi River for a time, created lakes in Tennessee, and resulted in the deaths of a number of settlers in Missouri when their town literally sank deep into the earth, permanently burying them and their community.
Prior to the above event, in December 1811, two nephews of Thomas Jefferson, George and Lillburn Lewis, while living in Kentucky, literally murdered one of their slaves with an axe, while forcing the other enslaved persons to watch the dismemberment, as a discouragement to any future rebellion. Interred within the chimney of their residence, the hiding place of the corpse was soon discovered as a result of the violent shocks of the 'New Madrid Quake' in January and February of 1812. The skull and bones of the murdered slave fell from their place of concealment, causing the arrest of the Lewis brothers, whose history has been aptly portrayed in such works by author Boynton Merrill, Jr., Jefferson's Nephews: A Frontier Trajedy (1976, 2004 revised edition).
One never knows what primary or secondary sources exist on any given subject until certain events transpire, such as an earthquake. However, the above events are just a few of the many types of subjects and records available here at The Historical Society of Pennsylvania, for the reader's investigation, research, or enjoyment.


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Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Blue, Blue Baby
20 comments:
- Lauren said...
I love it! Beautiful silhouette!
- July 13, 2010 at 4:14 PM
- Carys said...
Another beautiful dress, if I could raid anyone's wardrobe it would be yours!! I must ask for a Nudeedudee dress for my birthday, yours is amazing, blue really suits you!
From Carys of La Ville Inconnue
- July 13, 2010 at 4:23 PM
- Betty Lou said...
Kim is the best! I'm waiting on a playsuit, seen pics and it looks awesome!
- July 13, 2010 at 4:26 PM
- Debi said...
BEAUTIFUL! I love the fabric and button choices!
- July 13, 2010 at 4:47 PM
whatta dress doll!!
Like you stepped right outta the 30's!!
- July 13, 2010 at 4:55 PM
- Miss Matilda said...
amazing, I adore it :-) And you!
- July 13, 2010 at 5:32 PM
- Miss Tami Lee said...
I LOOOOVVEEEE the fabric you chose! What an excellent dress
- July 13, 2010 at 7:30 PM
- nudeedudee said...
omg I'm the luckiest girl in the world, I get to make the cutest things for the sweetest ladies! It was worth the wait for all the pieces to fall into place, it turned out beautifully.
- July 13, 2010 at 8:33 PM
- BaronessVonVintage said...
Thank you thank you thank you, gals...I'm SO happy!
Big thanks again, Kim!
- July 13, 2010 at 9:51 PM
- BombshellShocked said...
Love it! The style, the fabric, the buttons and especially the way it looks on you!
- July 13, 2010 at 10:14 PM
- Pixie Drive-In said...
So pretty! The fabric is amazing!
- July 13, 2010 at 10:47 PM
- Jitterbugdoll said...
I love it--it looks amazing on you!
- July 14, 2010 at 12:18 AM
- Andi B. Goode said...
Wow. Another stunning creation. Looks divine.
-Andi x
- July 14, 2010 at 6:16 AM
- garofit said...
love the fabric and the buttons, lucky birthday girl!
- July 14, 2010 at 2:11 PM
- Emily said...
Just fabulous!!
- July 14, 2010 at 6:25 PM
You. plain. rule.
- July 14, 2010 at 6:29 PM
Sorry to shout, but I LOVE THAT FABRIC! It suits you so well. Lovely, lovely.
- July 14, 2010 at 7:36 PM
- caramia1500 said...
I agree, Kim is a creative GODDESS. You should see the amazing dresses she has created for me lateley a la Marilyn Monroe. Love your new jumper, just stunning on you. I wonder if she kept the pattern....
- July 14, 2010 at 8:17 PM
- nudeedudee said...
ha ha...I actually frankensteined together some concepts from the 30s, 40s, and 50s to make that one! Bodice from one pattern, skirt from another, and cuffs out of the blue! The sleeve cuffs join with false button loops at the top of the shoulder with teensy square MOP buttons, they're so cool (tho a little biased here). :.) Glad everyone likes it, I'm touched!
- July 19, 2010 at 3:56 PM
- Charlotte said...
That fabric is crazy fabulous! Love the style, you look great.
Tuppence Ha'penny
- July 22, 2010 at 6:17 AM


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Drink before, eat after. Take it from a 32-year-old veteran of a couple thousand concerts. Why? First, alcohol is more effective on an empty stomach. Second, a large meal often leaves one groggy. Third, it's always nice to sober up before making your way home.
MusicfestNW, Portland's largest weekend of music, is upon us. That means you're likely to find yourself in an unfamiliar corner of the city, in need of booze and grub.
Downtown: Backspace, Star Theater, Roseland, Dante's, Crystal Ballroom
Drink before: If you're seeing Surfer Blood, the Bronx or Bleeding Rainbow, this probably isn't your first late and soggy night in Old Town. So just consider these reminders about places you know you like. Select fine suds from the digital board at Bailey's Taproom (213 SW Broadway, 295-1004, baileystaproom.com) or get one of Portland's best cocktails at Teardrop Lounge (1015 NW Everett St., 445-8109, teardroplounge.com) or grab a shot, a beer and something spicy at Shanghai Tunnel (211 SW Ankeny St., 220-4001).
Eat after: Chances are you'll easily stumble across a downtown food cart that's open after your show, but if you want to sit for a bit, grab a slice at the westside Sizzle Pie (926 W Burnside St., 234-7437, sizzlepie.com) or a massive burrito at Santeria (703 SW Ankeny St., 956-7624).
Inner East Side: Doug Fir, Branx, Bunk Bar, Holocene, White Owl Social Club
Drink before: Like a pair of thrift-store jeans surrounded by similarly styled designer jeans, B-Side Tavern (632 E Burnside St., 233-3113) is an actual rock bar surrounded by rock-styled bars. Tall boys run a buck or two, the music is loud and the patio is a haze of cigarette smoke.
Eat after: If you can help it, always end your night on the inner east side. Robo Taco (607 SE Morrison St., 232-3707) makes great tacos; the eastside Sizzle Pie (624 E Burnside St., 234-7437, sizzlepie.com) has cheap slices; and you can find a little of everything the drunken mind desires, from wonderfully glop-topped french fries to charred pepperoni pizzas and banana crepes, at the Cartopia pod (Southeast 12th Avenue and Hawthorne Boulevard). If it's raining, or if you need more booze, hit up Montage (301 SE Morrison St., 338-4419, montageportland.com) or My Father's Place (523 SE Grand Ave., 235-5494).
Aladdin Theater
Drink before: If you go to this homey Southeast venue on Wednesday, when Justin Townes Earle plays, or on Thursday, when Mt. Eerie and Bonnie Prince Billy play, you'll love Bushwhacker Cider (1212-D SE Powell Blvd., 445-0577, bushwhackercider.com). Located around the corner from the Aladdin, it has about 200 fermented fruit drinks in bottles, cans and on tap. Those attending Saturday's Helio Sequence show are more likely to enjoy Apex (1216 SE Division St., 273-9227, apexbar.com). (Bring cash for that one.)
Eat after: Portland's best 24-hour eatery, Hotcake House (1002 SE Powell Blvd., 236-7402), is a block west of the Aladdin. If you'd rather just have a cup of coffee, head for the 24-hour Southeast Grind (1223 SE Powell Blvd., 473-8703, portlandgrind.com).
The Old Church
Drink before: If you're headed to see local bands Typhoon or Horse Feathers, you probably know your way around. Rather than the obvious (Rogue Hall, McMenamins' Market Street Pub), why not check out Gnarly Grey (1235 SW Jefferson St., 271-7407, gnarlygrey.com), a year-old pub operated by a pair of Portland State grads.
Eat after: Let's make tonight special. When's the last time you went to Higgins? (1239 SW Broadway, 222-9070, higginsportland.com). It's just a few blocks from the Old Church. The stalwart Portland restaurant's tavern is open until midnight, has a great burger for $14 and a huge selection of beer and wine.
Hawthorne Theatre
Drink before: There's no shortage of bars on this stretch of Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard, but the place to start your evening is Gold Dust Meridian (3267 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 239-1143, golddustmeridian.com), where happy hour runs until 8 pm. It'll save you only 50 cents per drink, but you won't complain about hanging in this richly adorned and dimly lit room.
Eat after: You're right next door to Portland's best Szechuan restaurant, Lucky Strike (3862 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 206-8292, luckystrikepdx.com). It closes at 11 pm, at which time you've got good ol' Nick's Famous Coney Island (3746 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 235-3008, nicksfamousconeys.com) a block away.
Pioneer Courthouse Square
Drink before: If you're headed downtown for Young the Giant or Neko Case, you'll probably like The Jack London Bar (529 SW 4th Ave., 228-7605). It's hidden under the Rialto Pool Room and is known for its history talks and reading series.
Eat after: Most Pioneer Courthouse Square shows are over early enough for dinner anywhere, but Luc Lac Vietnamese Kitchen (835 SW 2nd Ave., 222-0047, luclackitchen.com) will still make you pho at 3:45 am on Friday or Saturday.
Wonder Ballroom
Drink before: Try to start your night at Sloan's (36 N Russell St., 287-2262), which keeps the oddest tavern hours in town, closing at 11 pm on Friday and all day Saturday. Or head to Billy Ray's Tavern (2216 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., 287-7254), which is cash-only but has a nice patio and pingpong.
Eat after: This is a dead zone for late-night food. So just head downstairs for some tacos at Trigger (128 NE Russell St., 327-8234, triggerpdx.com).
Mississippi Studios
Drink before: You could arrive early for a drink at one of Portland's great bars, Bar Bar (3939 N Mississippi Ave., 228-3895, mississippistudios.com/menu), barring a lack of seats at the bar, which is always crowded. Crow Bar (3954 N Mississippi Ave., 280-7099, crowbarpdx.com), across the street, is less crowded and has pool.
Eat after: Mississippi Pizza Pub (3552 N Mississippi Ave., 288-3231, mississippipizza.com) is open until at least midnight and makes the sort of puffy-dough pies you want to soak up a sixer of PBR.
MFNW show previews: Tuesday-Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday-Sunday
MFNW profiles: Joey Bada$$, Baroness, Shuggie Otis, Animal Collective, Neko Case, Ian Rubbish, Brian Posehn
MFNW features: MFNW Survival Guide, Where to Eat and Drink Near Venues
Tickets and official site: musicfestnw.com


text:
"Hi, I'm Courtney! I am new to SLC as of April 2019! I have been on UrbanSitter for the past 3 years in Seattle, Portland, Bend, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago! I have met wonderful familie..." Sign Up to See Full Profile
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text:
Jim Robb (Front Row Left) and Cathy
Gregorio (Front Row Centre), founders
of FRW, and others at an FRW retreat.
Background and Formation
Friends of the Rouge Watershed (FRW) was formed in 1991 by Cathy Gregorio and other volunteers to continue the community awareness and involvement work which led to the March 26, 1990, announcement of the Rouge Park.
Between 1990 and 1993, FRW contributed regularly to the development of the Rouge Park Management Plan with input from people such as Kevin O'Connor, Rosita Pollock, Neera Shukla, Linda Beckett, Cathy Gregorio, Jim Robb, Chris Evans, Marg Shanks, Gay Cowbourne, Rob Saftich, Dianne Ross and many others.
The founding members of FRW were originally involved with Rouge issues through Lois James and Save the Rouge Valley System (SRVS). These long-time Rouge volunteers contributed to:
Between 1993 and 1996, FRW organized a number of community tree plantings and Rouge awareness events with the Rouge Park, Youth Assisting Youth, Councilor Raymond Cho, the Toronto Zoo, the City of Scarborough, the Town of Markham, and the Rouge Conservation Centre.
In 1997, FRW received grants from the Rouge Park and the federal government, enabling the group to hire staff for the first time. With full-time staff, FRW has been able to expand our volunteer coordination and community conservation work. Between 1997 and 2003, FRW has:
FRW has also been able to provide research, expertise and local knowledge to influence a number of strategic planning initiatives, including:
Over the next 10 years, FRW hopes to further employ our passion, dedication and expertise to assist communities and governments with the protection, expansion and management of the Rouge Park and surrounding natural areas.


text:
Commission makes timid first steps towards controlling ship emissions
The European Commission has published today a proposal to monitor, report and verify (MRV) on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from shipping. This measure will apply to all ships calling at EU ports and could to set the baseline for an eventual measure to actually require emissions reductions. Shipping is responsible for over 3% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and these will double by 2020 if nothing is done to curb them.


text:
We highly recommend ANNAMAET Dog Foods.
Annamaet is all natural. It's made with human grade chicken and brown rice.
For over 20 years we have chosen to feed Annamaet to our top winning show and field hounds at GEBEBA.
For more infomation about annamaet dog foods, go to
We stock ENCORE, EXTRA, ADULT & ULTRA in 8, 20 & 40# bags. Othr products available by special order.
For the immediate removal of fleas from your pet, we recommend CAPSTAR
Sold in single dose packaging.
For monthly control of fleas and ticks on dogs and cats, we recommend FRONTLINE PLUS
Sold in 3 and 6 packs.


text:
Sir Alex Ferguson risked the wrath of The FA after criticising referee's assistant Darren Cann's performance during Manchester United's 3-3 draw with Chelsea on Sunday, with the Scot claiming his side were cheated out of an extra two penalties.
United completed a stunning comeback from 3-0 down at Stamford Bridge thanks to two Wayne Rooney penalties and a late effort from substitute Javier Hernandez after a first-half Jonny Evans own goal, and quick-fire efforts from Juan Mata and David Luiz had given the hosts the lead.
Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas was left incensed after Howard Webb awarded United a penalty after Daniel Sturridge brought down Patrice Evra in the box, while his sense of injustice was heightened further when Branislav Ivanovic's tackle on Danny Welbeck ended in the same outcome.
However, Ferguson remains adamant that both challenges warranted a penalty being awarded, and said his side could have gone on to win the game if Cann had seen Jose Bosingwa's pull on Ashley Young's shirt amongst other incidents.
"The two penalties in the second half were justified. I think we could have had four in the game," he told Sky Sports.
"The linesman has given two penalties against us at Old Trafford in the last two years, one against Arsenal and one against Liverpool. 45 yards away and he gave them. I don't blame Howard Webb, I blame the assistant.
"There was a pull on Ashley Young, inside the box, in front of the linesman and he doesn't give it. Yet he gives them at Old Trafford. There was a pull on Ashley's shirt so he's not diving, obviously. I can't understand it, where do they get them from?"
The draw at Stamford Bridge meant that United lost ground in the title race to rivals Manchester City, with Tottenham able to apply pressure on Ferguson's side from third when they take on Liverpool on Monday evening.
Despite the heroic nature of United's comeback Ferguson still feels it was a case of two points dropped rather than one gained, while the Scot also lamented his side's 'terrible' start to the game.
"It's two points dropped," he said. "We played so well, apart from the 10 minutes straight after halftime where we got off to a terrible start and lost two goals in five minutes.
"But, it's not easy to come back from two goals down. That is a massive effort from our players. I thought we were the far better team.
"For Chelsea's second goal we didn't close the cross down. It was a fantastic finish by Mata, a marvellous finish but their first and third were own goals so that's a bit of bad luck.
"But it didn't affect the players that much. Once we got over those 10 minutes I thought we played very well. It was a massive effort from the team, and a great game. For a neutral watching that game it was fantastic."


text:
Only can be bought as COMPLETE PACK (10 Euros - 255 loops)
Sound library designed by Rebe Komplot music producer, recommended styles and Minimal Techno.
Sounds dark and forceful.
All loops include information of tempo and have been categorized for easier handling.
The library contains 255 loops.
- 90 Mixed Loops.
- 60 Drum Loops.
- 85 Synth Loops.
- 20 Atmospheres.
The sounds can be mixed, expanding the posibilities to use this library in many musical genres.
Download Free Demo Pack:
Techno Minimal Loops Pack 2 DEMO
- 900 Mb Complete Pack Content.
- 24 bits / 44.1khz
- PC/MAC Compatible (Logic, Cubase, Live, Reason, SonyAcid, Fruity loops, GarageBand, etc...)
- Acid Wav
- AppleLoops Aiff
*Note: Formats Acid and Appleloops, automatically loop sync to the tempo (bpm) project.
All of the content is 100% royalty-free. Once purchased, you can use these audio loops in your music releases, both commercial and underground, with no restrictions. Download include license agreement.
How to Order:
Simply click "Add to Cart" BUY COMPLETE. When you finish your order, click "checkout". If you are a new costumer you need create an account, if you are a returning costumer only fill up the form. Your Download Link will be sent in you account in Loophunter immediately after your payment has been received.
For any problem send a email firstname.lastname@example.com
*Note: The previews are low resolution MP3s. The quality of the files you will receive will of course be much higher, uncompressed WAV-AIFF, stereo, 44k, 16-24 bit.
Producer: Rebe Komplot


text:
Keep your beverage cold all day with Takeya Thermoflask™. Double-wall vacuum insulated stainless steel prevents outside temperature from affecting the inside. Features an easy-to-drink lid, wide opening for ice cubes, and a universal lid that fits all Thermoflask bottle sizes. BPA free. Leak proof. Sweat free.
Approximate Dimensions:
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Warranty Information:
Fill out the form below to request Better Price for this product.
Enter your zip code for a more accurate delivery estimate.


text:
- There is now a clearly arranged overview map showing lands and levels. The player can switch between the voxel map and the overview map.
- I've added screens for character selection, world selection, character creation and world generation
- Each class has access to three different types of weapons
* Warrior: Great weapons, dual-wielded one-handed weapons, shield + one-handed weapons
* Rogue: Daggers, fist weapons, longswords
* Spirit Mage: Staffs, wands, bracelets
* Ranger: Bows, crossbows, boomerangs
- There are now groups of NPC adventurers wandering through the landscapes and fighting monsters, just like the player. Some of them are bad and will attack the player.
- Cities have now different districts and there are class trainers
This is the character selection screen. The number of character slots is not limited.
Here is the character creation screen. The background is different with each new game.
This is the world selection screen. Each character can enter each world.
Here is my character in-game. It's a ranger, specialized at sniper. In the final game, specializations won't be available from the beginning. Also abilities will be unlocked one after another which each level.
As a sniper I can lay down and become stealthy. The view gets zoomed in, too. With this ability I can perform powerful stealth attacks, similar to a rogue. However the effect ends when I move.
This is the world overview map, showing the different lands. The blue lands are oceans, green lands are of my level, and red lands are higher level. Lower level lands would be gray.
Here's a group of nice NPC wizards.
Hey, there's Pixxie. :D
Let's go to that castle.
We must be careful not to pull all enemy groups at once.
I just found a crafting formula. I can learn it and craft that amulet whenever I have the right materials.
Here we nearly wiped because we got attacked by multiple groups at once.
This is the boss. 3.. 2.. 1..
See that Pixxie clone in the background? The boss has summoned it. Each boss has random special abilities like this.
Even enemies can drink. :)
Yes, we made it!
We have leveled up, so let's travel to one of those LVL 2 lands.
Let's defeat that cyclops before.
Cyclopses fight with hands and feet now, and have new special abilites like this charge attack. He can also do a cyclone attack. Trolls still use big maces and have an earthquake attack.
We've reached the frontier to the LVL 2 land. It's a snow land!
Let's see if the vendors have better equipment.
Some mountains can cet really high.
Here's a desert land.
This is the ranger master. Here I can learn new abilies and practice them with aims.
Some exploration pictures...
Here's a group of evil Lizardmen.
The frontier between two lands.
A group of Orc adventurers.
A rare ogre. Rare creatures drop a spirit when you defeat them.
These orcs are camping over there. Fortunately they can't see me.
I just got a boomerang!
The boomerang follows the movement of the crosshair.
It hits enemies multiple times. It's my favorite ranger weapon. I'm planning to add throwable metal disks, too.


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Sunny (of Aer) – We 'Bout Love (Rihanna Remix)
posted by: D Prep New Music Daily
Sunny (of Aer) – We 'Bout Love (Rihanna Remix) || Download
More solo Aer for us to enjoy on this fine Thursday evening? Ah, what a damn treat.
This one's a remix of Rihanna, which I guess is normal considering Reeves remixed Soulja Boy? Whatever. They do it.
This one's more fit for a party than a bonfire, and it's not the first time the boys from Aer have tackled a house beat–they went over Avicii for "Shot Clock."
Not necessarily a potent or meaningful track, but a fun one nonetheless. Enjoy.
Dream Big


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Day care worker gets 26-plus years for sexually assaulting 8 children
A judge said the man violated the "most defenseless in our society"
A judge said the man violated the "most defenseless in our society"
A district judge has sentenced former Omaha child care worker Mark Mays to 26 to 60 years in prison for sexually assaulting eight children, and for possession of child pornography.
"You violated (the) most defenseless in our society," Judge Gary Randall said. "The ones who can't talk about it and the ones who can't understand it. I would only hope that maybe they won't remember but we don't know and we won't know."
Randall also said people sexually assaulted as children are the most broken in our society.
Mays, 25, was sentenced on four counts, two counts of first-degree sexual assault, which can be between 10 and 20 years each; and two counts of visual depiction of sexual assault, which can be three to 10 years each.
Investigators found explicit images of children on Mays' phone following his arrest in February 2016. Five of the images were taken inside Omaha child care centers.
Mays worked at Little Hands at Work and Play near 144 and Blondo streets and La Petite Academy near 108th Street and West Maple Road.
Mays was fired from Little Hands at Work and Play in January 2016.
All of the victims were either two- or three-years-old.
In addition to the photos, investigators found children's diapers and underwear in desk drawers at May's home.
In a court hearing last year, Mays' public defender said his client had an intellectual impairment.


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Together, we can shape an extraordinary future. Learn More about Our Goals & Institutional Outcomes.
Form a foundation for an array of learning, develop a broad understanding of the world and gain the ability to think critically and communicate effectively.


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School Discipline Guidance
Promise Zones
Focus: Higher Education
Parent Leadership
School Visits
Odds and Ends
Quote to Note
Upcoming Events
School Discipline Guidance
On January 8, the Departments of Education and Justice released a school discipline guidance package that will assist states, school districts, and schools in developing strategies to enhance school climate and ensure discipline policies and practices comply with federal law and are effective. Although incidents of school violence have decreased overall, many schools are struggling to create positive, safe environments. Every year, significant numbers of students miss class due to suspensions and expulsionseven for minor infractions of school rulesand both students of color and students with disabilities are disproportionately impacted. Schools can improve safety by making sure climates are welcoming and that responses to misbehavior are fair, non-discriminatory, and effective. The package provides resources for creating positive, safe environments, which are essential for boosting student academic success and closing achievement gaps.
The package consists of four components:
- A Dear Colleague letter, describing how schools can meet their legal obligation under federal law to administer student discipline without discriminating against students on the basis of race, color, or national origin.
- A Guiding Principles document, describing three key principles and related action steps that can help guide state and local efforts to improve school climate and school discipline.
- A Directory of Federal School Climate and Discipline Resources, indexing technical assistance and other resources related to school climate and discipline.
- A Compendium of School Discipline Laws and Regulations, cataloguing the laws and regulations related to school discipline in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Among additional resources are:
- Remarks by Secretary Duncan and Attorney General Eric Holder at the release of the package.
- A Frequently Asked Questions document, including what the package means for policymakers, district and school leaders, teachers, students, families, and community members.
- A Post Card, providing a brief overview of the contents of the package and how they can be used.
- A blog entry, "Ensuring Discipline that is Fair and Effective," by Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine Lhamon.
Promise Zones
Also last week, reflecting on the 50th anniversary of the War on Poverty, President Obama announced the first "Promise Zones," where the federal government will partner with local communities and businesses as they work to create jobs, increase economic security, expand educational opportunities, increase quality, affordable housing, and improve public safety. These first five zonesLos Angeles, Philadelphia, San Antonio, southeastern Kentucky, and the Choctaw Nation of Oklahomaput forward plans that demonstrated a strong local commitmentan evidence-based strategy for revitalization and high need. In three of the zones, the Department's Promise Neighborhoods will play an important role in the revitalization efforts. For example, in Los Angeles, the Promise Neighborhoods initiative will be instrumental in expanding a full-service community model from seven school to all 45 Promise Zone schools by 2019. The other Promise Neighborhoods are in San Antonio and southeastern Kentucky. (Note: Over the next three years, the President will announce 15 more Promise Zones.)
Focus: Higher Education
This week, a series of events promoted higher education access, affordability, and completion. First, on January 13, Secretary Duncan moderated a one-hour #StuVoice Twitter chat to obtain feedback from students on keeping college affordable and how the Administration's proposed college rating system can be useful for students and families. Just a few of the great responses are posted here. Next, on January 15, the White House, the Departments of Education and the Treasury, and the General Services Administration hosted an "Education Datapalooza" to highlight the role that private sector apps, tools, and services can play in helping students get into and complete college. More than 500 of America's entrepreneurs, software developers, and education experts explored products for choosing and applying for college, online teaching and learning, and new pathways for acquiring 21st century skills (see fact sheet and blog post). Then, on January 16, the President and First Lady Michelle Obama convened a summit with more than 100 college and university presidents, as well as over 40 organizational leaders, on expanding postsecondary opportunity. Those attending the summit made voluntary pledges to do more to help low-income students enroll in and complete college (see fact sheet, remarks, and White House report).
Also, on January 1, the 2014-15 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) became available. For those who need financial aid to help pay for college, it is important to complete the FAFSA. Anyone can fill out the FAFSAfor freeon the official government web site at www.fafsa.gov. Today's FAFSA is simpler than ever! On average, it takes less than 30 minutes to complete.
To speed up the process, the Department's Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) has penned a number of blog posts:
- "7 Things You Need Before You Fill Out the FAFSA"
- "6 Steps for Filling Out the FAFSA"
- "5 Reasons You Should Complete the FAFSA"
- "7 Myths About the FAFSA and Applying for Financial Aid"
- "7 Common FAFSA Mistakes"
- "Parents: Tips to Help Your Child Complete the FAFSA"
Parent Leadership
The National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB) hosted an Education Summit for Parent Leaders on January 13, presenting on the urgent need to improve student achievement and close persistent achievement gaps. "Parents have the power to challenge educational complacency here at home," Secretary Duncan said in his keynote address. "Parents have the power to ask more of their leadersand to ask more of their kids and themselves. And all of those will be vital in a time when we are losing ground [on national and international assessments]." The summit's web site offers a variety of materials, such as speaker slidedecks and videos, videos of students discussing pressing issues in education, and an extensive resources page.
School Visits
In December 2013, Secretary Duncan traveled to his 49th state (Utah), and he looks forward to traveling to his 50th state (Hawaii) soon. On most trips, he visits schools. While each classroom left him with meaningful and memorable lessons, he reflects on five particular schools that made a lasting impression in a new "Looking Back at 5 Memorable School Visits of 2013" blog entry. First on the list is Columbus Elementary School in New Mexico, situated just a few miles from the Mexico border. Of the approximately 700 kindergarten-through-fifth-grade students, some 400 wake up, before the sun rises, to cross the border for school each day.
Odds and Ends
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2014, approved yesterday by Congress and awaiting the President's signature, provides critical funding for investments in education (in particular, early learning), infrastructure, and innovation.
On January 6, the Department announced an additional $1.9 million Project School Emergency Response to Violence (SERV) grant to the Newtown Public School District in Connecticut to help with ongoing recovery efforts following the tragic shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012.
On January 13, both the Department and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) marked the successful completion of a pilot program designed to engage more students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The attendees at the half-day event, including senior officials from the agencies and invited guests, reviewed the pilot activity and associated evaluation approach, identified best practices, and discussed potential follow-up efforts. The highlight of the event was the presentation of successful student entries from the design competition.
Between May and December 2013 the Department's Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) conducted monitoring for the 35 states approved in the first two rounds of Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) flexibility. The agency is now providing monitoring reports to states. Final monitoring reports are also being posted on the ESEA flexibility web site.
A "First Look" report by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) of 2002 high school sophomores 10 years later examines students' educational attainment, financial aid received and subsequent debt, income and financial indicators, workforce experiences, and civic engagement.
Quote to Note
"For 40 years, George Miller has served his constituents in California and the American people through his dedication to improving America's education system. His passionate work on behalf of our nation's children has been unwavering in its commitment to excellence for all students. As Education Secretary, I have valued his counsel, wisdom, and friendship, and it has been an absolute privilege to work with him. Though his leadership will be sorely missed, I know that the influence of his work will be felt for generations. I congratulate George on a lifetime of public service, and I look forward to working with him during his remaining time in Congress."
|Secretary Arne Duncan (1/13/14), in a statement on Congressman George Miller's retirement
Upcoming Events
The President is scheduled to deliver his State of the Union address on January 28.
The Corporation for National and Community Service is asking Americans to appropriately honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s legacy on January 20 by making the holiday a day ONversus a day off. King Day became a national day of service in 1994, when Congress passed legislation to give the holiday even greater significance. A dedicated web site enables organizers to register projects nationwide.
Digital Learning Day (February 5) is a national celebration of teachers, shining a spotlight on successful instructional practice and effective use of technology in classrooms.
Roughly 15 free sessions are already scheduled for the Department's Green Strides Webinar Series.
Credits, Subscribe & Unsubscribe
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This newsletter contains hypertext links to information created and maintained by other public and private organizations. These links are provided for the user's convenience. The U.S. Department of Education does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of this outside information. Furthermore, the inclusion of links is not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse any views expressed, or products or services offered, on these sites, or the organizations sponsoring the sites.


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See scheduled meetings, agendas, and meeting minutes of the Philadelphia City Planning Commission (PCPC) and find other, Commission-related activities. Join the PCPC mailing list.
Check the requirements for plan and design reviews involving PCPC, including new construction, subdivision, floodplains, master plans, overlay districts, facades, Civic Design Review, and more.
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The guinea was the major coin of the eighteenth century, but during the long war with France the banks began to issue notes in place of coins.
The issuing of bank notes helped Britain to pay for its long war, but it caused inflation and national insecurity and a spate of forgeries took hold. You can view many of the old records of cases brought at the time on The Old Bailey website.
Following the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815 the decision was taken to undertake a 'great reform of the coinage'. Gold was adopted as the 'sole Standard Measure of Value' and bank notes were taken out of use.


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I went and saw Inception on Friday night. I like any movie that includes mid-air hand-to-hand combat and Marion Cotillard's cleavage. But it's clear this movie is about to supplant "Lost" for annoying fanboy overanalysis.
(Warning: Spoilery spoilers ahead. Don't read if you haven't seen the movie.)
I never get out to movies. This happens to you when you have kids. You become old and lame and not with it INSTANTLY. It blows. So the fact that I was able to escape and go see an actual, adult movie that didn't have fucking talking toys and explicit undertones of death was welcome for me.
I really enjoyed watching Inception, but my opinion is clouded by the fact that I was seeing a movie for the first time in ages, and it was premiere night at the theater (seeing a movie in a jam-packed theater usually makes it better than it really is). Also, I was absolutely geeked for the movie, so I was damned if all the time I spent getting excited to see the movie was going to result in me fucking hating it. No way. My brain will always force me to like something I may not have liked, provided I invested enough time in it. This is why people say they love their children.
(I also liked watching the movie, and then going to sleep afterwards. I slept like a fucking ROCK that night. Totally had one of those dreams that seemed to last ages. Tits may have been involved. Thanks, Mr. Nolan!)
So my opinion of Inception ("That was fucking cool!") is 100% unreliable, as most every opinion of the movie seems to be. My folks asked me if they should see the movie. I said I liked it. They went and saw it, then left me an angry voicemail afterwards telling me I was an asshole for recommending it to them. My dad said it was a total waste of time. Well, it's not MY fault you're old and easily confused, man.
I'm no film critic, but I do know this. I read a bunch of shit about this movie after seeing it, and it's becoming clear that the movie has spawned a cottage industry of theoretical bullshit. Read this and you'll see what I mean:
The architecture is Ariadne's (Ellen Page's) design, but it's my dream. Then we drop down a level and go to the bar, to the hotel. I think we're in Arthur's (Joseph Gorden-Levitt's) dream at that point. Then - this is where it gets mind-bending - we drop down into Fischer's (Cillian Murphy's) dream, even though he thinks they're going to Browning's (Tom Berenger's) dream.
Confused? I am. I didn't think of any of this while watching Inception, and I liked it that way. Sci-fi movies usually work when they set up their rules up front and then play by those rules for the next two hours. "Inception" more or less does this, even if some of those rules are fucking stupid. But I didn't care about that, because OH SHIT! GIANT TRAIN SMASHING CARS! TOM HARDY SHOOTING BIG GUN! LOUD MUSIC! BOOSH! Also, the end of the movie is open-ended, which meant the whole thing could have been a dream and Nolan never had to follow any of the rules he set up anyway, because it's a dream and inherently chock full of illogical shit.
You could dissect this movie to death for ages if you like, and plenty of people already have begun doing this. It's basically supplanted "Lost" for all your theorizing needs. And now I'm reading all these ideas and theories about the flick and it's making me question what I saw and rethink whether or not I had a good time watching it and it's driving me up the fucking wall. Did I like that? I seemed to when I left the theater. Was that a genuine reaction, OR WAS THAT A DREAM OF SOME KIND?!
If you saw Inception and liked it, just do yourself a favor and never read about it. Ever. Because, like "Lost" or the finale of "The Sopranos", you'll be just be drawn into this long and annoying debate full of questions that don't have any answer because the person writing the movie or show purposefully didn't want to supply them. The movie rocks. The bullshit factory it's generating? Not so much.


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Risks to Bone Health in Treating Chronic Disease in Younger Patients
Secondary osteoporosis is a risk with celiac disease, cancer, reflux medicines and after bariatric surgery
Osteoporosis, a loss of bone strength that raises the risk of fractures, is one of the most common and crippling ailments associated with aging in women. Increasingly, it is striking younger patients who have a host of other medical problems.
Researchers call it secondary osteoporosis. They are identifying a growing list of factors that contribute to bone deterioration, including chronic diseases and some of the powerful drugs used to treat them. Alone or in combination, disease and medication can interfere with the way the...


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Chanel's Fall Makeup Collection is heading to counters in just a few short weeks and based on the collection images we received, it's going to be amazing! Here's what you can expect to see with Chanel Fall:
Coco Chanel's iconic style was a study in contrasts. She boldly mixed black and white, masculine and feminine, classic and modern. Paying tribute to her unique vision, Peter Philips, Global Creative Director of CHANEL Makeup, has created a makeup collection for Fall 2010 that brings bold emphasis to the eyes, and keeps lips soft and delicate.
Joues Contraste Powder Blush ($42)
- Pink Explosion – luminous pink
- Plum Attraction – bold glistening plum
- Rose Temptation – shimmering rosewood
Rouge Coco Hydrating Creme Lip Colour ($30)
- Rose Dentelle – tender pink
- Chalys – delicate coral
- Chintz – soft peach
Levres Scintillantes Glossimer ($27)
- Petite Pêche – pale peach
- Coral Love – bright coral shimmer
- Rose Dilemma – soft pink
- Teaser – vivid pink
Les 4 Ombres Quadra Eye Shadow ($56)
- Enigma – bold new colour harmony featuring a shimmering peach, deep plum and two iterations of deep smoky grey
Ombre Essentielle Soft Touch Eyeshadow ($28.50)
- Taupe Grisé – chocolate grey
- Vert Khaki -cool khaki green
Stylo Yeux Waterproof Long-Lasting Eyeliner ($28)
- Cassis – pitch-dark plum
Le Crayon Khol Intense Eye Pencil ($27)
- Clair – beige
Le Vernis Nail Colour ($23)
- Paradoxal – dark grey-violet
Chanel Fall will be on sale in July, but we suspect you might start seeing it sooner. Do you see any items worth splurging on? We're very excited for this one. In fact, I don't think we can narrow down the wishlist just yet – it all looks divine!


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Country music is a very popular music genre that originated in the United States in the Atlanta, Georgia region in the 1920s. This is in the Southern United States and that's where the genre has got its roots from music that originated in this area of the United States. American folk music and Western music are actually the real roots for the Country music genre. Country music has a few instruments that are most common and these are banjos, harmonicas, fiddles and electric and acoustic guitars. Country music often consists of ballads and dance tunes and they contain the instruments previously mentioned earlier. In the 1940s the term country music gained popularity and there were still a lot of people calling the genre hillbilly music. In current time Country music is one of the most popular music genres in the United States and they have a lot Country radio stations throughout the United States with thousands of listeners every day. Country music is a very popular music genre and is most popular in the United States. During the past years, the genre is much more popular in different countries all over the world and even big continents like Europe are liking the genre. Recent big performers are the band Lady Antebellum, Taylor Swift and Blake Shelton, who all have major hits in different countries. The music is very interesting and nice to listen to. The music is mostly loved by white, hardworking Americans and one of the first things you think about when you think about Texas. Country music has been around for a while and has had a lot of different styles and evolved over the years. The instruments with strings and harmonica makes it a genre that uses old instruments for new types of songs. Cowboys used to listen to Western and Country has a lot of this in its genre.
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The Texas Democratic Party put out the following release after reading a GOP lawmaker's twitter:
"Today, after the State House blew up over a conservative lawsuit reform group's distribution of a negative flyer with an image of a mother breastfeeding an infant, Rep. Jose Aliseda commented on Twitter, "Well the liberal media now has its sound bites–82nd Leg. most racist and sexist Leg. in history! This whole thing is disgusting!"
"He then responded to a request for clarification, "I agree the flyer was distasteful and uncalled for. I do not agree that this Leg. has disrespected women in any way."
"I have to wonder how Aliseda's many Hispanic constituents feel about him calling this legislature the 'most racist' in history," said Texas Democratic Party Deputy Executive Director Anthony Gutierrez. "Aliseda voted to cut off access to public and higher education for Latinos. Then he failed to stand up to extremists like Leo Berman and Debbie Riddle when they put forth discriminatory immigration bills. I agree with Aliseda that what his Republican super majority did to Texas this session truly is disgusting."
"If Rep. Aliseda seriously believes this legislature has not disrespected women, I'm going to assume he missed the whole 'mandatory sonogram' thing," said Texas Democratic Party Spokeswoman Kirsten Gray. "The truth is, the GOP budget cuts are incredibly hostile to the well-being of women and our families, from eviscerating school funding to slashing Medicaid dollars and family planning funds."


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Hundreds of Bay Bridge workers celebrate at bash
It was a party that would have delighted engineers everywhere.
Monday's Bay Bridge opening celebration - held in an old Key System repair warehouse by the toll plaza - was punctual and organized, with decorations of wire cable, bridge models and hard hats, along with lanyards for everyone.
For hundreds of designers, secretaries, workers and other unsung heroes of the Bay Bridge construction marathon, it might as well have been Mardi Gras.
"Finally, after all our hard work, we can celebrate. It's a great sense of accomplishment," said Nana Yaw, a civil engineer from American Canyon who has been on the bridge team the past seven years. "Now it's time for the public to enjoy this thing we've all been working so hard on."
The celebration was a private affair for those who worked on the bridge, which over the past 24 years amounted to a small army. The event included souvenir Bay Bridge chocolate bars, a photo booth, a portion of the old bridge catwalk and other attractions.
And, of course, many speeches. Politicians talked for more than two hours, praising contractors and each other for their roles in the bridge rebirth, which began in 1989 when the old bridge was damaged in the Loma Prieta quake and lasted through countless delays, political wranglings and other setbacks, ultimately costing $6.4 billion.
Part of history
But Monday, the overwhelming feelings were of relief, pride and nostalgia, attendees said as they hugged each other and showed off the new bridge to their children and spouses. Many said they felt like their roles, however minor, made them part of history.
"The discipline and skill and time that so many workers have put in to this over the years, overcoming so many challenges, that's the real magic today," said Oakland developer Phil Tagami, who is working on an overhaul of the adjacent Oakland Army Base. "Somehow, they got it done."
Construction workers in yellow safety vests mingled with engineers in white dress shirts, while kids ran in circles around the educational displays. A giant TV screen projected the speeches and videos to the overflow crowd outside the warehouse, in the shadow of the Port of Oakland's iconic monster cranes.
One notable absence, however: Champagne. Instead, guests imbibed from a "water bar," perhaps to prevent them from becoming the new bridge's first DUIs.
Also absent was Gov. Jerry Brown, although a slew of state senators and Assembly members made the scene. The mayors of Oakland and San Francisco both spoke, as did Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Among the highlights was a reading by California's poet laureate, Juan Felipe Herrera, who extolled the steel, wind, sky and light suggested by the bridge's sleek design, and how the gleaming white structure will protect us in future earthquakes.
Rev. J. Alfred Smith Jr., of Oakland's Allen Temple Baptist Church, also had poetic words about the new span. "May this awe-inspiring bridge inspire us, in turn, to reach for our full potential," he said. "May we, too, be bridges between each other and bridges for the common good."
Perhaps no one at the celebration was happier than Maram Bata, who moved to the Bay Area from Southern California when her husband was hired as a chief engineer on the project. She thought the job would last a few years, tops.
"When we came here my son was starting kindergarten. Now he's in college," she said. "But at this point, the Bay Area is home. We love it here. ... This is such a happy day, to finally be finished. We're all so proud."
'Once in a lifetime'
Doug Remedios, an administrative assistant for the California Transportation Commission, drove from Sacramento with his seventh-grade son, Harrison. In hopes they'd be able to drive across the new span, he cleaned his Ford Explorer inside and out.
"This is once in a lifetime," he said. "I wasn't directly involved with building the bridge, but I set up a lot of meetings. So many meetings I can't even count. For years."
For some, the day was bittersweet. They had worked on the Bay Bridge for so long, the completion felt anticlimactic.
Dorene Giacopini, a non-voting member of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, had been involved since the earthquake, when she was a 25-year-old staffer for former San Jose Rep. Norm Mineta.
"That's almost half my life. Did I think we would ever finish it? Yes. But did I feel it? Ummm, I don't know," she said with a laugh. "So what's next? Now we move on to the fourth bore of the Caldecott Tunnel. That's the next party."
For more photos go to sfgate.com.
Carolyn Jones is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com


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Parents asked to weigh in on school changes
Early middle school and four-day school week under consideration
Parents, teachers and even students will be given the opportunity to let the board of education know their opinions on big changes proposed by school administrators. The board will hear public opinion on a proposal to move next school year's class of sixth graders to the current Gilson Jr. High during its upcoming budget hearings and the date is set for the meeting regarding the proposal to switch all students to a four-day school week.
The board of education will hold the special meeting regarding the four-day school week proposal on April 30.
"It's going to be an open forum," said Flynn Stuparich, district administrative assistant. "So people can talk about it" with the board.
It will be held at the cafeteria of Valdez High School from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Parents and educators hoping to weigh in on the proposal to move the incoming sixth grade class from Hermon Hutchens to Gilson Jr. High in the 2012/13 school year should attend the board's next budget hearing. That meeting is set for Saturday, March 31, at the district office. The hours are from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.
The matter was brought before the board of education during its regular meeting Monday night.
District superintendent Jacob Jenson first broached the topic to move the sixth graders to the junior high a few weeks back as a budget boosting measure which will save the district $116,000 in the next school year.
"By moving the kids to Gilson we get a little extra money," Jensen said Monday night.
Supporters of the move point to the fact that the district is already moving towards a middle school concept with the future building of a new middle school that will replace the current building housing seventh and eighth graders.
"I believe the middle school concept is what we need to do for students," Gilson principal Rod Morrison told the board at Monday night's meeting.
The proposal was on the board agenda Monday night. However, the matter was tabled until the March 31 budget hearing by a vote of 3-4.
"It hasn't been out there for the community to discuss," board member Anita Fannin said before the vote. "I think people need to be very well aware this might happen."
The matter was first made public by school administrators March 5 when a $570,000 budget deficit was projected in the $14.7 million-plus budget for next year.
Gislon Jr. High has a current enrollment of 98 seventh and eighth grade students. Projections say adding sixth graders to next year's enrollment will put the school's population at 140 students.
"I think there will be some pluses," Morrison said, "There will be some minuses."
The proposal comes with the full support of Christopher Bennett, principal of Hermon Hutchens Elementary School.
"If you know people who have questions, please send them in," Morrison said.


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Another NFL weekend behind us, another week of ridiculous outcomes. The Saints went marching out of St. Louis demoralized and defeated. The Cowboys laid a Wade in Philly. And the Bills pitched a shutout in a place Dave Stieb and Jimmy Key used to throw a few.
Think You Can Do Better?
Disagree with Elliot Harrison's power rankings? Head to NFL.com/fanrankings to make your own, Nos. 1-32, in whatever order you choose.
» Expert rankings | Consensus rankings
With all of the unpredictable outcomes, the rankings become increasingly difficult, but fun. Speaking of, aren't the Bengals cool to watch, despite the awful unis? Mike Zimmer has that defense playing ball, keeping them in games so that rookie Red Dalton doesn't shoulder too much of the load. That's a big reason they've slowly climbed the charts -- especially this week.
While I'm pretty sure almost no one watched the fourth quarter of that Cincy-Seattle game, Monday night's Chargers-Chiefs slugfest was a combination of good defense, awful offense, turnover porn, and old-school divisional football. It also jumbled the rankings in the middle.
Meanwhile, we have a new-old challenger to the top-ranked Packers at the two spot. Shouldn't be a huge surprise. Let's get to it.
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Bye week in the great state of Wisconsin. I thought I had never been there before, but my Mom says we were up there when I was two. So I'm qualified to write that sentence. On Thursday, I'll be writing an article on the most plausible way to stop Aaron Rodgers and the offense. That is, if I find one before then.
Huge win for Steelers fandom, who've had to sit through Tom Brady breaking their hearts on their own field several times, most recently in last season's 39-26 shellacking, a game that wasn't as close as it sounds. Coming in, Brady was 4-1 as starter at Heinz Field with a 97.8 passer rating. But Dick LeBeau's defense pressed receivers, and the pass rush got to the Patriots quarterback three times, including the last gasp play from scrimmage. Pittsburgh hasn't gotten much love this year, mostly because of the Week 1 debacle in Baltimore. But this club is 6-2, and the top seed in the AFC currently.
The 49ers don't give teams anything on the ground. They aren't turning the ball over, either. Their six turnovers are tied for second fewest in the NFL, and the run defense is best in the league. That's how you start 6-1.
I really don't want to write anything congratulatory about the Bills, so as not to jinx this great franchise ... one of the AFL's original eight. Twelve years is too long to go without a playoff berth.
Three very encouraging things happened for the Lions, outside of Matthew Stafford and Megatron, who command most of the attention: a) the club played its best first half of football all season, b) the running game showed some signs of life, and c) the front four consistently made life hell for Tebowmania. The latter is still this team's playoff bread and butter.
While New England has matched its 2010 loss total, there's no reason to blow that statistic out of proportion. Both defeats have come on the road, and by a grand total of 11 points. Amazingly, every team in the AFC already has at least two losses. What is of major concern to the organization is the completely shoddy play of the secondary. Releasing Leigh Bodden made no difference; Ben Roethlisberger torched them for 365 yards. The Patriots have now allowed 39 pass plays of 20-plus yards, easily the most in the league.
Yes, Baltimore came back Sunday, but it still drops two spots. Any honest Ravens fan has to admit this team has not played well the past couple of weeks. Joe Flacco is up and down. While he and Anquan Boldin had some nice hookups, he has to feel that pass rush that led to his fumble and ultimately the Cardinals' first touchdown. On another note, great individual performance by Terrell Suggs, who was in on a lot of plays Sunday: 13 tackles and a sack.
Nice rally, although one wonders how tough the Giants are to let a team with Matt Moore running the offense, and Reggie Bush as the lead runner, jump out to a 14-3 lead. Perry Fewell's defense has slipped some with the injuries, dropping from seventh last season to 16th overall.
What a comedown. Winning by 55 points one week only to lose to an A.J. Feeley-led team the next is like going from Charlize Theron to Kathy Bates on consecutive blind dates. Steven Jackson ran through, around, and all over the Saints. Big props to Rams defensive coordinator Ken Flajole, who must've been embarrassed after his unit gave up almost 300 yards rushing to the Cowboys in Week 7. Oh, wait. This is the Saints blurb. New Orleans hosts the Bucs, travels to Atlanta, then hosts the Giants and Lions, before travelling to Tennessee. All of those teams have a winning record.
Mea culpa. Even with a relatively easy schedule, I didn't think Cincy would start 5-2. Although I felt the defense would be decent, this looked to be a 6-10 team prior to the season. But you have to hand it to Marvin Lewis, who expressed appreciation at being given an opportunity to start over at the same place. Rare, indeed. Back to the defense. Much credit has to be given to Zim, whose unit is currently ranked No. 3 in points allowed. Heady stuff for one of the league's most underrated assistant coaches.
Two areas that were being addressed during the bye week: Darren McFadden getting healthy and Carson Palmer continuing his crash course in Hue Jackson's offense. Oakland hosts Denver this week, which features a quarterback who likes to hold the ball in the pocket for 37 seconds. That's a soft pillow to land on for a front four that just lost Matt Shaughnessy for the season.
A lot of people around the country don't pay attention to the Texans, but that was a big win over Jacksonville. Had the Texans faltered, the spunky Jaguars would suddenly be only 1.5 games out of first. Instead, Gary Kubiak's squad is a half game up on Tennessee and put Jacksonville further in the rear view. Also of note: One of the best players in football, Andre Johnson, got another week of rest.
Yet another bye. Don't look now, but Mark Sanchez has thrown six touchdowns with only one pick while compiling a 95.3 passer rating over the last three games. Yes, that Mark Sanchez. Still, the offense isn't getting enough vertical plays to merit much appreciation for Sanchez's low completion percentage (55.8.)
This organization is taking some heat for the Matt Forte non-renegotiation, or whatever you want to call it, and deservedly so. Forte's worst game of 2011: 82 yards from scrimmage. That's better than all but one of Chris Johnson's seven games of 2011. CJ2K makes roughly $9 million per year. Forte? $600,000 this year. Great if you're like most of us working stiffs. Not so much if you're one of the best backs in pro football with a limited career life span.
When Patrick Crayton is your best weapon on offense and special teams, you've got problems. But give the resilient Crayton and his team a lot of credit for hanging in on the road amidst injuries, penalties, and a crowd rabid for their Chiefs. Norv Turner has got to find a way to get his offense in sync, and a way to de-injury prone Ryan Mathews.
At what point do we stop talking about early season head-to-head losses as a determining factor between similar teams? Exhibit A: Philly's loss in Atlanta with Mike Kafka trying to pull an Elway. The 2011 season looked like it was slipping away a couple of weeks ago. The fat lady had Doritos in her mouth and just needed to finish chewing before singing. What a game plan by offensive coordinator Marty Morhinweg and performance by the offensive line. Complete domination of the Cowboys. Position coach Howard Mudd looks like the lovechild of Ernest Hemingway and Father Time under that Eagles beanie.
Bye week blues in Tampa, especially coming off a frustrating loss across the pond. So what's next? Our Jason LaCanfora said on "NFL Fantasy Live" on Sunday that he expects LeGarrette Blount to be a big part of the offense down the stretch. If he can be a workhorse that averages five yards per carry like he did down the back half of 2010, then this could still be a playoff team, especially with the Saints crapping the bed in St. Louis. Tampa is one of those teams that needs to win with the old-school formula: Run game and defense.
For all of you brave souls who enjoy reading more than bullet points, give yourself a pat on the back, because this is the sixth bye week blurb you've had to digest. If you're a Falcons fans, then Sunday's result in St. Louis must have had you happier than Christina Hendricks' husband. Saints are coming to town in two weeks.
It wasn't pretty Sunday, but it was a win. The mystery that is Chris Johnson's play has to be hard to watch for all the great Titans fans (and employees) who think this team has a shot to win the AFC South.
Running the football, good defense, and playing clockball -- i.e. Bill Parcells football -- is great. But boy that win Monday night was ugly. Kansas City's lack of offense and poor clock management alleviated a lot of pressure on the struggling Chargers. For instance, the clock-burning at the end of the first half, when K.C. should've been pushing the ball down the field, was particularly frustrating. Still, with Miami and Tebowmania coming to town the next two weeks, this team could be 6-3 after being outscored 89-10 the first two weeks.
Dallas got hammered for the first time since Wade Phillips' swan song in November of last year. Ironically, Jason Garrett made the Wade-face several times Sunday night. In related news, it's time for the team to cut bait with Martellus Bennett. His athletic attempt to catch a sideline route in the first half -- as in, Eli Manningesque athleticism -- led to a key first-half interception in a 14-0 game. Time to roll with Jason Witten and John Phillips at tight end.
For a team that expected to be able to run the football coming into this season, 23 carries for 66 yards isn't going to cut it. Not to belabor the point, but let me belabor the point. Cleveland has had 100 yards rushing as a team only twice this season, and those games were against the Colts and Seahawks -- not exactly the Steel Curtain and 2000 Ravens. Even in those games, Cleveland had to rack up tons of attempts to get there, averaging exactly 3.1 yards per carry in both games.
This club doesn't deserve a five-spot leap, but what to do with the Seahawks, Broncos, and Redskins, who all suffered from general sucking in Week 8? Hard to say this about a superstar, but is it fair to qualify Adrian Peterson's season as being under the radar? The guy had 162 yards from scrimmage Sunday in Carolina. Let's see, in eight games A.D. has 923 yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns. That's pretty darn good for a guy on a 2-6 squad.
On paper, the home game vs. the Vikings looked like a win coming in. The Panthers even had the advantage at quarterback for the second week in a row. But Vikings rookie Christian Ponder was steady, if not spectacular, while Cam Newton continues to play amazingly well for a first-year QB. Newton's startling play aside, coach Ron Rivera must be pulling his hair out over all these close losses. Carolina is 2-6, but has only been outscored by 20 points total this season.
Defensive coordinator Mel Tucker's unit continues to get put behind the eight-ball by an offense that can't stay on the field. Sunday in Houston, it was 174 yards of football greatness. Blaine Gabbert and Luke McCown combined to go 10 of 32 for 97 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. We all have to remember that Gabbert's rookie struggles are the norm, while Newton and Andy Dalton are the exceptions, historically. Rookies aren't supposed to play as good as those dudes.
The non-CFL game in Toronto might have been better if the Blue Bombers played the Bills. The terrible Geico Caveman- Brian Orakpo commercials are more exciting than the Redskins' offense. Here are some numbers to take home, or rather, that hit home: 178 total yards, 36 rushing yards, 3.6 yards per pass play and nine sacks allowed. John Beck threw two picks, but the running game made up for it by averaging 2.2 yards per carry. You know it's bad when Donte' Stallworth gets a carry.
Tim Tebow was pretty bad vs. the Lions. The offensive line got charged with seven sacks, but several of those could have been avoided if Tebow gets the ball out of his hands in a reasonable amount of time. If he's going to be a running quarterback, then he should tuck his head and run after all his reads are covered. Instead, he's holding the ball after his reads aren't there (or after he misses them) and creating opportunities for the defense. Oh, and by the way, Tebowmania had nothing to do with the poor play from the secondary.
At 24-3, the Cardinals looked like they were destined to pull off the upset of the weekend in Baltimore. Then the secondary responded by mutating back to its ugly self, while Kevin Kolb gave the team nothing. For the game, Kolb went 10 of 21 with a touchdown and a pick. The Cardinals just aren't good enough -- defensively, or in the running game -- too overcome mediocre-to-poor performances by their quarterback.
Where the hell did that come from? We need to see a few strong performances to move this team more than three spots. Speaking of a strong performance: So the baseball Cardinals get lucky against the Rangers in the World Series and all of a sudden A.J. Feeley has a better arm than Chris Carpenter? Steven Jackson was awesome Sunday with 191 yards and two touchdowns, and it was nice to see. What a career. Since 2006, Jackson has 8,922 yards from scrimmage, tops in the league over that span.
What a cruel day Sunday turned out to be. It would have almost been easier on Dolphins fans if Matt Moore threw six picks, Reggie Bush gave them nothing, and the team lost 36-0. But to lose in a game they were up 14-3, and 17-10 in the fourth quarter, hurt because it was there for the taking. The issues for Tony Sparano are the same: Creating a passing attack and stopping one. As long as the 'Fins make every opposing passer look like Roger Staubach, Joe Montana, and Kurt Warner rolled into one, this team is headed to 3-13, at best.
First the Passion of the 'Hurst accomplished nada. Then Tarvaris Jackson played like Tarvaris Jackson. Charlie Whitehurst came back out and made a cruddy throw on fourth down in the fourth quarter. Then T-Jax was back in, just in time to throw a pick-six. Seattle fans deserve a Lucky break.
Another loss, another Curtis Painter masterpiece: Five yards per attempt, two picks, and no touchdowns. Unlike last Monday night in New Orleans, the defense at least kind of showed up. How many Colts fans are rooting for them to drop every game and get the first overall pick? I know one. He's become a honker for the Dolphins all of a sudden, only because he thinks they're crappier than Indy and is worried they'll get the top pick. And to think some people believe there's no passion in sports anymore.


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This section of our CIPA Web site is intended as a history of the Act, containing information pertaining to its inception and subsequent challenges. It is divided into the following sections:
- The beginnings of the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA).
- The full text of the Children's Internet Protection Act (Title XVII of H.R. 4577) from the Congressional Record (PDF; 17 pages).
- The court cases against CIPA.
- Remarks from ALA officials on CIPA.


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When Marty St. Louis Raised The Stanley Cup
Even though I was a Washington Capitals fan for more than 30 years, I could have been a Philadelphia Flyers fan. Where I grew up, it was almost as easy to get on I-95 North and go to Philly as it was to get on I-95 South and go to Caps game. I got mostly broadcasts that came out of York or Lancaster, PA, so I heard a lot about Flyers hockey. The reason I was a Caps fan was because their AHL affiliate used to be in Baltimore, MD. I really loved having hockey in Baltimore. I stuck with the Capitals after Baltimore lost its hockey and a lot of that had to do with Olie Kolzig. He's been my favorite athlete for a long time. It's not a just a goalie thing. There are many other reasons well. Now I have to modify my "favorite athlete" to make it plural.
There's no way I can't put Tampa Bay Lightning's Martin St. Louis up there at the top with Olie. It must be done. I actually met Marty St. Louis once while he was at the University of Vermont playing for the Catamounts. I hardly expect he'd remember. It seems like a lifetime ago now. I also have a mega-super-freak-like memory, so I still remember it pretty clearly. I used to go to Vermont a lot as kid. There were relatives up there and we'd sometimes visit when we visited my grandparents who lived in West Hartford, Connecticut. During the time that Marty was there, I visited people I knew or went on a road trips for concerts. Once, after going to show in Vermont, I spent a few days with people I didn't know well, but who went to most of the Catamounts games. We saw Marty play. At some point while I was up there, I met Marty. I am sure it was him, because aside from my insane memory, (and I hope Marty, or Vinny that matter ever read this)I had just partaken in the inhalation of a naturally grown plant and spent a little time after meeting Marty saying "St.Louis" a lot in a very over-the-top Maurice Chevalier accent. Hey, it was extremely amusing at the time, what can I say. Over the years, ever since Vinny and Marty started playing hockey together for the Lightning, I've said "A-vinny a-lecavalier and Martan SanLeweee. A Oui (we) oui (we) a lot when I watch the Bolts play. I've also referred to them together as "Varty" or "Minny" a lot as well. That one is mostly because I'm a bit "lysdexic" and those things just come out when I try to say Vinny and Marty too fast. Hey, I've never said I wasn't a bit of a silly goof-ball.
Moving on. There's no way I can explain this, but of all the NHL players out there, for some reason, I have always somehow felt a particularly deep connection with Marty St. Louis. I couldn't explain it if I tried. Don't get the idea I'm trying to run around trying to make babies with him or anything. He's married and has kids. If life could be relived and this were a different time under different circumstances, I probably wouldn't be at adverse to the idea of having babies with though. Never the less, I've always known what's been going with the Tampa Bay Lightning, even if I was a Caps fans the entire time. The only NHL team I have seen play live more than the Bolts are the Caps.
One thing I know about that Marty also knows about is being a "fun-sized" athlete. I was an athlete from childhood to at least 30. I'm 5 foot 4. Okay, okay; I'm 5 foot 3 and 3/4, but my driver's license states I'm 5 foot 4, so let's just pretend shall we. I know what it's like to always be told "you can't do this" and "you are too small" and to have people pay little attention to you no matter how good you are or how much better you play than everyone else. I know his struggle on that end without doubt. I get the added bonus of being a female along with all that, but I won't drag gender into anything or complain about. The fact of the matter is; if you are "fun-size" in most major sports (jockeys & gymnasts excluded), you will fight for every single teeny, tiny thing you get. It doesn't happen any other way. It just doesn't. I understand exactly why Marty is so freakin' great. I truly do.
During the 2003-2o04 NHL season, the Washington Capitals were having a season that wasn't at all the kind of season the Bolts were having. As a Caps fan, that season for me was an intense, grueling struggle to maintain sobriety. There were times I honestly thought the Caps were throwing the season in order to get a draft pick. It was slow torture. Luckily, at that point in my life, I had NHL Center Ice and Tivo, so I could watch almost of the Lightning and Devils games too. I needed to be sober during some part of the day, so those games were helpful in that regard.
On the night that Tampa Bay won game 6 over the Calgary Flames in the Stanly Cup Finals, I was with other hockey fans. A celebration happened. I blame the Bolts for every single one of my actions. It is totally and completely their fault that I ran about chasing after a Wild Turkey with some guy named Jack Daniels. Jim Beam had to tell me with I awoke that only "the hair of the dog" was going to help me unplaster my face from a strange bathroom floor. Shame on you Tampa Bay Lightning. For shame.
While recovering from a hangover that had to be far worse than getting every tooth pulled without Novocaine, I got a call from a former co-worker. That call lead to a road trip to Tampa Bay to see Game 7 of the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals. That road trip was filled with high-drama, because I only knew one of the five people in our group. Two of the others were a young couple who thrived on arguing with each other. One of the five had to be picked-up in another state on the way. That trip should have taken no more than 18 hours. It took 27 hours. We did make it to game though. To this day, I still have no idea how all the tickets were obtained, but I do know our group couldn't sit together. I sat alone and 2 pairs each sat together in different places.
I sat in a seat that belonged to the father of a family of four who was travelling for work. I don't think I got their last names, but the two, teenage siblings were named, Jack and Jill. After they introduced themselves, Jill pointed her thumb at Jack and said, "Don't mind my weird little brother. He goes up hills for water all the time and keeps breaking his crown." (See, concussions don't just happen to athletes).
I remember many things about that game, but I'll give you only the highlights. I remember a couple of rather large "manly men" a few rows down and diagonal to me. The amount of testosterone flowing out their pores was probably high enough in concentration, it may likely have inspired the making of a baby that night. They were big fans of foamy, adult beverages. They were professional high-fivers. I gave one of them the "goalie love" prize, because the few words he said all night were said many, many times. Those words were, "The Bulin Wall, stops it all." I enjoyed that greatly.
Another highlight involved Marty St. Louis. The Lightning won the game. They won the Stanley Cup that night. I'd never seen the Cup lifted in person before and haven't since. Naturally, pandemonium broke out and all the things that happen when a team wins the Cup were happening. I was just as excited and happy as every other person around me. Something happened that will be very difficult to put into words, but I'll give it a shot. When the NHL uses the phrase "There Are No words" in their Stanley Cup Finals commercials, they weren't kidding.
Shortly after the decibel levels hit building shaking heights and all the players were leaping around like very big kids on ice, something pulled me right to Marty St. Louis face. My ticket for that game is in a storage bin in an attic right now, so I am not sure which section I was sitting in, but I was on the lower-level, higher up. I couldn't clearly see minute details on the players faces, but for whatever reason, Marty's face got much clearer and seemed to be much closer to me. Just as that happened, I literally became deaf in every sense of the word. I did not hear a single, solitary sound. It was pure silence for what was probably barely a second, if that, but seemed to me to last much longer.
In that sliver of time, with Marty's face seemingly locked on one expression as though it were in a snap shot, in total silence and as though as he was much closer to me than he was in reality, it felt to me as though every trouble in his life, every worry, every struggle, every pain, every bad thing that ever happened in his life simply never existed. In that one expression, none of things were there. Now if you want to talk about awesome; that was the definition of awe right there. As quickly as it came, it went and all the full noise of that building returned and we all celebrated as people do when a Stanley Cup has just been won.
I am a highly empathetic person. I feel joy, pain, sorrow and many other things for other people. In all honesty, I had never before and not ever since, felt that kind of absolute joy for another person. My heart was just so happy for him, there really are no words. I was thrilled for everyone, let's not skip that part. It was an experience I wish every little hockey fan could have a chance to get in his or her lifetime. The Hockey Gods are probably wearing earplugs by now with all the my asking of them to help me get as many little kids on ice and to hockey as possible. The Hockey Gods likely hear the Charlie Brown, "wha, wa, wa, wha…" since they're hear about it all the time from me.
The next highlight happened after the game. It involved two young hockey fans. I could have my brain removed and still somehow remember this. Three of us were outside at the appointed post-game meeting spot waiting for the other two. They were very confused and took a long time getting out of the building, so we were waiting for a long time. While we waited, we heard a little kid start sobbing and screaming so painfully, we all had to take a look to make sure a child was not in danger. The kid was squeezing his mother's leg and the amount of tears and snot was accumulating by the second. He sobbed so hard his little body was getting a very healthy workout. I'd say the little guy was probably around 5 years old or so.
Someone who the parents of the little boy came over to talk to the parents. We heard the reason why that little hockey fan was so upset. He had just had his world shattered. For some reason in his little kid head, he had gotten the idea that when the Bolts won the Cup, he would be able to take it home and put it in his room. Little kids have very different views of the world than adults, so in some way, if you take the time to try to think like a little kid, it could make a little sense that he thought the Lightning were winning the Stanley Cup for him; so he could take it home and show his friends. His parents had to give him the bad news outside. I kept thinking to myself, "Poor little man, that's gotta hurt."
There were a lot of people outside still and two of them were a father and young son waiting for someone else. The little boy appeared just a little older than his fellow young hockey fan still visibly upset by the fact he wouldn't be taking Lord Stanley's Cup home with him. The older boy pulled on his dad's hand and asked, "Daddy, did that little boy really think he could take the Stanley Cup home with him?" His dad gently replied, "I think he really did." The older little guy hesitated for a bit, still watching the upset kid from a distance. His facial expressions changed several times and varied from deep thought to sadness, to finally…Eureaka!!!
He pulled on his dad's hand again. Here's the part where I have to let those with a good bit of macho in them that they are duly forewarned to warm-up the stiff upper lip. It'll get you. I know it will get you. The little boy asked his dad when his dad looked back down, "Daddy, do you think it will make that little boy feel better if I give him my bike?" And THAT my friends is exactly the reason why I will never stop pestering the adults at hockey games to control themselves so that the beauty of little hockey fans never gets spoiled. Got it!?
peace – mia – firstname.lastname@example.com and Twitter @creasesinger
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Dynafit Baltoro - Men's
Manufacturer's Description
Retailers' Descriptions
Here's what other sites are saying:
If you need a versatile, lightweight ski that can handle variable conditions and steep descents, check out the Dynafit Baltoro Touring Ski. The Baltoro's 84 mm waist is ideal for all-around mountaineering pursuits like the storied Haute Route tour in the Alps or any multi-day ski traverse. Matching Dynafit's proprietary lightweight wood core and lightly rockered tips, the Baltoro delivers a ski that manages mixed alpine snow with confidence. The Dynafit Baltoro Touring Skis serve up ski mountaineering inspired performance with mid-sized dimensions.
- Altrec Outlet
Features of the DynaFit Baltoro Ski All round Powerful Flex tip construction softens impact and ensures smooth skiing and a quick rebound Full side wall Dual radius
- Moosejaw
Versatility's the name of your game, so you and the Dynafit Baltoro Ski are a perfect one-two punch. Sitting squarely in the middle of Dynafit's freeride-to-ski-running spectrum, lighter than the Manaslu but burlier than the Nanga Parbat, the Baltoro is a pure-bred tourer, solid enough to handle your local sidecountry lines and light enough to take on fast-and-light expeditions to the Karakoram. To meet the needs of hardcore mountaineers, Dynafit constructed the Baltoro with a paulownia wood Impact core for light skinning and forgiving skiing, but reinforced it with fiberglass and carbon to give it enough backbone to handle serious skiing in tough terrain where falling would be a seriously bad idea. It's been firmed up further with a 3-piece sidewall construction, which resists torsion and stands up to rocks, ice, and the general beating that skis can take on long expeditions. Snow conditions tend to be a crapshoot when you're heading into serious alpine environments, but the Baltoro features an early-rise Scoop Rocker that's designed to glide over uneven snow but retain nearly full-length contact when laid on its side, so you don't have to sacrifice edge hold to have a versatile ski for serious ice, corn, and surprise pow stashes. It's also got a dual-radius sidecut, which makes it easy to adjust your turn shapes without feeling like you're fighting your skis, and a sintered graphite base that holds wax and stays fast, so you can cut loose when you're home free and enjoying some big, sweeping turns. There are Dynafit-skin-compatible Speedskin attachments at the tip and tail, too, saving you hassle when you're gearing up in the morning.
- Backcountry.com
The fun and forgiving Dynafit Baltoro telemark/randonee skis are suitable for everyone from beginner backcountry tourers to ambitious athletes who are climbing peaks and skiing back down.
Where to Buy
Help support this site by making your next gear purchase through one of the links above. Click a link, buy what you need, and the seller will contribute a portion of the purchase price to support Trailspace's independent gear reviews.
previously retailed for:
$299.98 - $649.95
$299.98 - $649.95
The Dynafit Men's Baltoro is not available from the stores we monitor. It was last seen September 28, 2017 at Moosejaw.