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Douglas College > Programs & Courses > General Information > Educational appeals, requests for exception, and formal complaints
The College provides two formal procedures for students to seek resolutions of disagreements. They are the request for exception and complaints procedures. They differ in purpose and process.
Where possible, students should try to resolve their concerns informally prior to seeking redress through the formal process. This could include, as an example, meeting with the course instructor, department chair, or program coordinator. It is advisable for students to consult with a College Appeal Support Person (as defined in the Appeal of Educational Decisions Policy) for assistance and guidance.
Appeals concerning performance in a course or courses are dealt through Appeal of Final Grade Policy.
Visit the Educational Policies page for more information on Douglas College Educational Policies.
Requests for Exceptions are to be submitted no later than four (4) months after the end of the semester.
Appeals of Educational Decisions must be submitted within ten (10) business days of receiving the Responsible Administrator's decision.
The Grade Appeal form and any supporting documents must be submitted to the Responsible Administrator on or before the tenth (10) day of the month following the end of the term in which the grade was awarded (or the first following business day).
The Educational Policy regarding the Request for Exceptions process is designed to allow students the opportunity to resolve an issue through an informal and/or formal process. It is important to review the information below prior to submitting a Request for Exception form:
The following is the recommended Request for Exceptions procedure:
The Educational Policy Appeals Committee consists of five members. They are the Registrar (chairperson and non-voting), one student, one faculty member, one administrator (voting members) and one counsellor (non-voting)
Appeals are mechanisms by which students may seek exemption from College policies and decisions such as appealing decisions made by College employees, requesting a waiver of admission requirements, etc. Appeals and supporting documentation must be submitted in writing. Appeal of Educational Decision form and information regarding the process to submit is available by emailing: firstname.lastname@example.com.
The following is the recommended Appeal of Educational Decisions Policy procedure:
The Faculty Academic Appeals Committee consists of four members. The membership of the Committee can vary depending on the nature of the course. The Dean (chair and non-voting), a student (voting) and two faculty members (voting) will serve on the committee. A Counsellor may attend the appeal if requested by the Chair.
These Committees are set up in each faculty of the College to deal with students who are requesting a change in grade for a course that they have been enrolled in.
The following is the recommended grade appeals procedure:
The Complaint Procedure should be used in matters such as unprofessional conduct or incompetence on the part of a faculty member.
Where possible, students should attempt to resolve complaints informally first. If a reasonable effort to resolve the complaint informally is unsuccessful, the formal procedure may be followed.
Information about complaint procedures can be obtained from the Dean of the Faculty or a College Counsellor.
Douglas College is committed to fostering a fair and just community for all of its members. Behaviour of an exemplary nature is expected of everyone. For more information please consult Douglas College Policy A02.09.01 Sexual Harassment and Personal Discrimination
Sexual Harassment is defined in College Policy A02.09.01 as:
Personal Discrimination is defined in College Policy A02.09.01 as:
If you think you are being harassed consult a Harassment Advisor at 604 527 5574. While we will do what we can to keep your call confidential, there may be certain circumstances in which we are obligated by law or College policy to act on the information received.
College students, employees and users are entitled to engage in the educational process or in the provision of services free from disruptive or dangerous behavior. College policy sets guidelines for conduct of all individuals and stipulates that appropriate disciplinary actions will be taken for unacceptable conduct. Individuals are urged to consult Douglas College Policy A10.02.01 Standards of Conduct Involving College Employees and A10.02.02 Standards of Student/User Conduct.
Douglas College is committed to providing a learning and working environment that is free from violence.
Violence is the exercise, or attempted exercise, by any person or group, of physical force so as to cause injury. It includes any threatening statement or behavior which gives anyone reasonable cause to believe that they are at risk. Anyone observing, or the victim of, violence must promptly inform Campus Security.
The College will promote working and learning conditions intended to reduce or eliminate the potential for incidents of violence to occur within its operation or facilities. For more information individuals are urged to consult Douglas College Policy A10.01.05 Violence Prevention Involving College Employees and A10.01.06. Violence Prevention Involving Students/Users.


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I told you about how amazing and magical France was, but I missed out telling you about the things that happened to us in Nice that brought us crashing back into reality.
We got robbed. : |
Well, not all of us. But two from the group. We were staying at the Novotel in Monte Carlo and took a train to Nice in the morning with the intention of checking out the Cours Saleya (because I was fascinated by it and I was deciding the itinerary for Monte Carlo and Nice).
We got off at the station, walked out, and came to a tramway. We decided we'd take the tram and get off at the stop closest to Cours Saleya. It took us a while to figure out how to buy the tickets (since everything was written in french).
While some of us were busy trying to figure out the ticket thing, the rest were waiting by the side patiently and apologizing to the locals who came by for crowding their ticket booth (and I was taking pictures of course :P). The tram we finally got into was super crowded (almost like the Bombay trains, but not as bad) and that's where it happened. Apparently they were very quick and skillful and they got in and out before you could say HEY!
One of the girls lost 40 euros from her handbag and one of the guys lost his wallet that contained everything from his driving license to credit cards as well as ALL the money he had left for the trip except for a 100 euros which was in our "bank" (we keep a fund for common expenses such as eating out and museum tickets etc). He spent a fair amount of time at the police station, waiting with a bunch of other people who were also robbed. When asked if this was quite common, the cops laughed at him and said " It is the season for it! You need to be careful!"
The robbery kinda put a damper on things for a bit, but Nice is too charming a place for you to stay mad at it for too long. Besides, you live and learn don't you. No use moping about it and ruining the rest of your time there.
It was a hot, sunny day and we were quite tired out by the events of the day thus far, so we were looking for a nice cool place to have lunch at. We found a lovely little bar & restaurant at Cours Saleya (I forget the name). It had dark wood interiors and was nice and cool after the heat outside. We cooled off with a lovely cocktail of fruit and champagne that was tangy, bubbly and completely addictive (but too expensive for multiple orders).
I ordered a salad as a starter, which was lovely and so filling I couldn't even put a dent on the mains!
Of course, by the time the others were done with the mains, I was ready for dessert! Now, when you order 2 scoops of ice cream in Dubai, that's exactly what you get – two simple scoops of ice cream.
But this is France! Even their vanilla, if you think about it, is french vanilla (sooo much more delicious than regular vanilla!), so when they came with my order, my eyes almost popped!
Two massive scoops of ice-cream topped with whipped cream, in a jar! You had to dig through the cream to get to the ice-cream!
After that, we were too full to do much. The Cours Saleya is along the Promenade des Anglais, and we went to beach for a bit and swam in the ice-cold waters of the Mediterranean Sea. We headed back in the evening. I was all sticky from the seawater and smelling of the sea, but so was everyone else around me, and somehow, being together in our sea-smelliness made it okay!
On the way back, we came across a very interesting parade… but that kinda deserves a whole different post!
So until next time, au revoir!

subset: commoncrawl


text: Mona Charif is senior vice president and chief marketing officer for NTT DATA, Inc. She has more than 20 years of experience with Fortune 100 companies including Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Lucent Technologies and EDS. Mona has broad experience in complex marketing and communications strategy and flawless programme execution. With an extensive background in branding and rebranding companies, she led the marketing integration of the former Dell Services with NTT DATA, Inc.


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Who's not ready to give up on pumpkin season quite yet?
Before we transition from the pursuit of pumpkin, to the pursuit of peppermint I wanted to bring together some of the top pumpkin-based recipes I've tried this fall. Firstly, a little photo tutorial on how to make your own pumpkin puree before we get to the recipes.
Bottom line, I hate throwing out food – #nofoodwaste. I was determined to cook these guys up and attempt my own pumpkin puree. See the bottom of the post for some of the pumpkin recipes that I have been loving this season….
I find the easiest way cook hard shelled vegetables like pumpkin and squash is to throw the whole thing in the oven – no chopping, peeling or almost cutting your hand off in the process! Simply put some parchment paper on a baking tray and place your pumpkins on top. Cook for 45-60 minutes at 350-375 F. It's OK to leave them in a little longer, or even just turn the oven off after an hour and let them sit and cool in the oven.
I know they may not look too pretty at this point, but it's a lot easier to work with these guys after they've been cooked. Sometimes I've forgotten about the squash or pumpkin in the oven and I open a surprise later on Luckily these guys are pretty durable!!I know what you're thinking – WHAT A MESS!! I know it doesn't look great at this point, but believe it or not, the pumpkin flesh and seeds can be easily scooped out to play with.
If you plan on making pumpkin puree for baking, I would recommend using a pie-pumpkin or smaller pumpkin that will have more natural sugar. The larger jack-o-lantern type pumpkins can be used as well, but I find the puree doesn't taste quite as good. However, the seeds from either type of pumpkin can be used for roasting.
Blend the pumpkin until all the flesh is pureed together.
The recipes I've highlighted below are from popular and reputable food blogs that I use on a regular basis.
- Well Plated: Healthy Pumpkin Pancakes **I love the fact that these pancakes are made so quickly in the blender. The darker colour comes from buckwheat flour. If you have some whole buckwheat, feel free to make your own flour by pulsing it in the blender for 10-15 seconds.
- Minimalist Baker: Pumpkin Pie Green Smoothie **Normally I'm all about salad, but sometimes it's just easier to drink your greens rather than chew them ;). It's also a great way to use up a can of pumpkin that you only partially needed for another recipe.
- Pinch of Yum: Creamy Pumpkin Spaghetti with Garlic Kale
- Oh She Glows: Pumpkin Pie Chia Pudding
- My Name is Yeh: Soft Pumpkin Granola Bars
- Wholefully: Roasted Pumpkin Seeds – Six Ways!


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Visiting a galactic seat of higher learning to be awarded an honorary degree, the Doctor and Peri learn that their presence is vital to the plans of an old foe…
No surprise as to the villain in this story as the Doctor's old Gallifreyan friend-cum-foe the Rani makes her first Big Finish appearance (it's not her first audio – that distinction goes to the BBV audio The Rani Reaps the Whirlwind, which perhaps not surprisingly isn't referenced here, even if Gary Russell's Divided Loyalties is!).
Let's deal with the recasting/regeneration straightaway: Siobhan Redmond's new incarnation is clearly enough the not-quite-sane scientist that Kate O'Mara so memorably created, but she's just that little bit sharper, slightly less camp and less prone to melodrama (although, to be fair to Ms O'Mara, that could also be because the script is by Justin Richards rather than the Bakers). I'll be very interested to see how things pan out in a story written from the start for this incarnation, rather than adapted from a script intended for the original.
Richards wisely keeps the Rani on the same track that she's been on in all her TV appearances, and maintains the difference between her and the Master that The Mark of the Rani made so clear. There's a certain irony in light of the end of Peter Capaldi's first season that a cliffhanger is based on Peri deducing her identity because she's the only female Time Lord that the young botany student has met! It's perhaps a little unfortunate that the whole story is based around possession – as Nicola Bryant points out in the CD extras, this has been a hallmark of Peri's time, not just on TV, where people wanted to possess her, but also on audio. Let's perhaps not have this again for Peri? Ever? There's also a little bit of foreshadowing dropped casually into a scene between the Doctor and the Rani that isn't picked up on by the end of the story, that suggests a darker tone may be coming to the next set of these adventures…
It's always good to have some new voices appear in a Big Finish story, and director Ken Bentley has cast this story very well – there are strong performances across the board, and you are never in any doubt when changes have occurred in the characterisation (something which also applies to Nicola Bryant, whose episode three performance is very nicely judged).
Verdict: A strong welcome back for the Rani, and an enjoyable conclusion to this trilogy of adventures. 8/10
Paul Simpson
Click here to order The Rani Elite from Big Finish


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Does Cheating Explain a Decline in Applications for Disability Benefits?
The Washington Examiner recently published an article with the headline, "Hurrah, There are fewer disabled and fewer cheats." It offered an explanation for the sustained drop in applicants for Social Security disability and SSI benefits and a decline in the total number of people receiving disability benefits (www.nytimes.com/2018/06/19/business/economy/social-security-applications.html). According to the author, this welcome news reflects a "moral problem," that many applicants and beneficiaries are frauds. The reasoning goes that the reduction in applicants and beneficiaries is largely due to a strengthening economy. And since there should be no connection between the strength of the economy and how many people are disabled, it can be deduced that "the system is rife with abuse by people who can work but would rather defraud the system than get off the sofa." I submit that the conclusion is too simplistic.


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Over the years, we at SIRM have become aware of, involved with, and enormously impressed by, the commitment of many wonderful individuals who, through organizing themselves into consumer-driven advocacy groups have provided a voice and a forum for millions who struggle with reproductive issues. These organizations, our trusted partners, along with other groups or individuals that promote similar agendas, deserve gratitude, admiration, involvement and support.
Metropolitan Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine, LLC
Michael Bennett, M.S., L.Ac. is the licensed acupuncturist and the founder of Metropolitan Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine, conveniently located on the same block and around the corner from the Sher Institute-NY. He specializes in acupuncture for fertility and works closely with all of the physicians from SIRM New York. Michael offers fertility acupuncture treatment to SIRM patients several weeks before an IVF or egg freezing cycle begins to maximize fertility outcome as well as provide IVF acupuncture treatment on the day of the transfer. Check out his website for more information.
260 Madison Ave., Suite 204
(Between 38th & 39th Streets)
New York, NY 10016
Phone: (347) 565-4255
Web: www.metropolitanacupuncture.com
The InterNational Council on Infertility Information Dissemination (INCIID)
Offers need-based IVF treatment at low/no cost through participating IVF clinics. Apply on the INCIID website.
P.O Box 2206
Arlington, VA 22206
Phone: (703) 379-9178
Web: www.inciid.org
RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association
8405 Greensboro Drive, Suite 800
McLean, VA 22102-5120
Phone: (703) 556-7172
Web: www.resolve.org
Fertile Hope (An initiative of the Livestrong Foundation)
(Support and education for cancer patients and survivors whose treatments present the risk of infertility)
65 Broadway, Suite 603
New York, NY 10006
Phone: (888) 994-HOPE
Web: www.fertilehope.org
Infertility and Adoption Support (IAS) – St. Louis
IAS is a non-profit organization serving the greater St. Louis area. The mission of IAS is to provide support and information to people experiencing infertility and adoption. Our goal is to encourage people to make informed decisions regarding their family building options. Check out our website for more information on the multiple support groups we provide!
Web: www.infertilityandadoption.org


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Classroom Discussion Strategies
Classroom Discussions play an important role in student learning. It engages students, allows them to practice important life skills and is also a form of assessment. I rely on these interactions to help me gauge student understanding of topics we are studying. The following are a few of my favorite, and more unique, discussion strategies. Many of these ideas have been borrowed and modified for my own classroom.
First Things First –
Establish classroom guidelines for discussions. Ask students for input; they always have great ideas. Limit guidelines to 5 or fewer and use accessible language for all students. Here are my guidelines, along with brief explanations:
1. No Hands – when discussing, students must negotiate their own time and not speak over each other. They are speaking to EVERYONE in the classroom, not just to me.
2. Stay on Topic – although I love when discussions grow organically, if Ophelia's death quickly turns to school gossip I step in and refocus the group if a student hasn't already.
3. Disagree with the Comment, DO NOT attack the person – Differing opinions makes life interesting and classroom discussions fruitful.. One of the most difficult things for students to understand is another student's TRUTH is just as right and as strong as their own TRUTH.
4. No yelling, swearing, throwing chairs, etc. – I teach AP Literature. Our discussions often lead to religion, politics, gender, etc. and can get heated. These rules are necessary for the safety and climate of the classroom.
5. Ends at the Bell – nothing excites me more than when students are still talking about the class as they walk out the door, toppling into lunchroom conversations or is brought up at home with parents; but, students are not to use anything that was said in the discussion in a negative way, wether in a different class or on the athletic field. We all agree to disagree.
1. Fishbowl Tap-out
*4 chairs placed in the middle of the room, while all students form an outside circle around the center group, thus forming a "fishbowl" effect.
*The 4 students sitting in the middle are the only ones allowed to speak. They are having a discussion with each other about topics at hand or what they read.
*If an outside circle student wishes to speak they must "tap-out" (on the shoulder) one of the 4 people. That person must stand and move to the outside circle. There is no refusing to leave once tapped-out.
*Students on the outside can be listening, backchanneling on a TodaysMeet, or taking notes on paper.
TIPS – Students should try to be in the "hot seat" at least once during the discussion, allow students 2 min. minimum before being tapped out, teacher may have to ask a question if discussion is stalling (otherwise they are a silent observer as well)
2. Body Voting
*Provide students with a list of statements. Have them silently go through each one marking if they "Agree" or "Disagree".
*Designate opposite areas in the classroom as "Agree" and "Disagree" zones
*Teacher reads the statement and students move to the area that represents their response.
*Discussion can ensue in a team-like fashion.
TIPS – This strategy takes up a lot of time, have students mark on their paper the top 3 or 4 statements they would like to discuss. Give students one minute to organize thoughts and points as a group before starting discussion. Make students choose a side, there is no neutral.
3. SSC (Small Silent Collaboration)
*Divide students into small groups – no more than 4 per group works best.
*Have one student create a gdoc or typewithme and share with the group members AND the teacher.
*Students silently type important topics from their reading, questions they had, surprises from the passage, etc.
*Teacher monitors all group writing noting important discussion topics found in each.
*After a designated time, students discuss as a large group. The teacher has all the student- driven discussion topics in hand.
TIPS – Typewithme allows students to join under any name, be careful in large groups. This strategy allows every student to have a "voice" which is unique for the teacher to see.
These strategies are a few of the more "unique" ones I use in my classroom. They are also the most effective in engaging students and encouraging participation!
Our "Edventure" into Standard Based Grading
Last year a couple teachers at BCLUW decided to implement Standard Based Grading (or a version of it) in their classrooms. Over the past year and throughout the summer, a small group of staff members, including myself, continued the learning. During one of the early PD days this year, a meeting was held for all those interested in Standard Based Grading. The following is a glimpse into the information gained at the meeting in the form a of an email sent to all staff…
"Last Friday a group of us met in the library to discuss Standard Based Grading. Many of us are at different levels of implementation, some are implementing in multiple classes while others are considering a unit to try it out on. What we all agreed upon was that Standard Based Grading made sense to us as teachers and as parents. I am sure we will form some sort of weekly or biweekly meeting in the near future, but in the meantime, we wanted to share some information that we agreed upon.
1 2 3 4
BCLUW Behavior Expectations
Student will:
Arrive to class on time
Come to class prepared
Complete work by due date
Consistently show effort
Use class time efficiently
Work well with others
Show respect to others and the school environment
3. Let us know if you have any questions. We will send out an email about our next meeting. Working together will help make these growing pains manageable. Plus, Standard Based Grading fits beautifully with PLCs, as it gives specific areas to address! "
I will update this blog with our progress. I would also like to mention, along with a dedicated staff and supporting administration, Matt Townsley and Russ Goerrend have been tremendous supports throughout this learning!
4 Conditions to Improve Success of 1:1 Initiatives
I have been asked many times what one should consider to aid in a successful 1:1 Initiative. The following is a list of the top 4 conditions, I believe, helps to ensure this success:
1. Sustained and High -Quality Professional Development – Provide PD that is research-proven, as well as data-driven by student needs. Allow time for sharing and collaboration throughout the year. While PD may contain apps and tools, focus should remain on pedagogy and curriculum. Apps and tools should never be pushed upon staff or mandated that ALL teachers use them in their teaching. Allow teachers to grow at their own rate, some may be more skilled/comfortable than others at tech integration in their curriculum.
2. Climate of the Building – The climate and culture of the building should support risk-taking without punishment and places trust in students and teachers. Administration should be fully aware that some things will not always work exactly as planned, but teachers who think outside of the norm or want to try something new in the classroom should not live in fear of being punished for a lesson that fails. Finally, beware of over-blocking and denying access to teachers and students. Trust in students and staff to utilize what works best for their curricular areas.
3. Infrastructure – If the technology doesn't work in all areas of learning (in a building) it loses it's potential and causes frustration. Also, when the comfort level with technology use grows, you will see multiple devices being used in learning. Students and staff will bring and want to use phones, ipods, and other personal devices along with their laptops. Is your building ready to support all of these devices?
4. Focus – Finally, technology will continue to advance, apps will become obsolete as others take their place; remember to make curriculum and pedagogy the main focuses. Utilizing technology in the classroom should not be a separate event, technology should be infused naturally because it is the best option available. Make sure the tech is relevant to learning and their lives, easily replicable for student use and applicable to other areas of curriculum and life.
15 Teacher Tips to Help Students Finish the Year Strong
Last week I was contacted by Laura McMullen, a reporter for the U.S. News and World Report , who wanted to interview me the following day about tips I had for teachers to finish the year strong. She explained that she had searched for "high school teachers" on Twitter and my account popped up. She checked out my tweets and blog (a teachable moments for my students) and decided I would be perfect for the article she was writing.
On Monday, the article came out – "Three Tips for Teachers to Help Students Finish the Year Strong" – which combines a few of the tips and examples that I gave to her. During the time I initially received the first email I was collaborating with my friend Tim Hadley, a Social Studies teacher at Pekin High School. He agreed to act as my sounding board as I created a list of tips. Tim also graciously added a few of his own tips to the document. I thought I would share the complete list with all readers…
1. Make a list of goals/objectives you wish to have students meet before the end of the year, prioritize them, and post in the classroom.
2. Chunk larger assignments into smaller sections; each section having due dates. This helps with procrastination and students waiting until the last minute to finish work.
3. End of the year is a great time to invite in speakers relevant to content studying into your classroom, either physically or virtually.
4. Give students choice. How do they want to demonstrate their learning?
5. Take advantage of the nice weather – reading, writing, geocaching, science experiments. Can your classroom be mobile and outdoors?
6. Provide an audience for your students projects, writing, etc. other than yourself.
7. Remain consistent with the routines and rules established at the beginning of the year.
8. Collaborate – get your class connected with students who are studying the same thing.
9. Reflect on the year and invite students to do the same; collecting responses to what they have learned, skills they have gained, least favorite and most favorite activities.
10. Spiral review- Connect prior learning from throughout the year with what you are doing currently and have students predict what they will learn about to the end of the year.
11. Don't fight distractions, feed them. Tie lesson plans into summer plans. Have a student taking a trip? Talk about the places they will go or have them plan the ultimate summer vacation.
12. Get students active. Plan a service project for your community in which students can give back to their community.
13. Talk about the future. Have students give input about the year and the course of study they have been engaged in. Ask them for advice about what and how should be taught to incoming students.
14. Create a classroom survival guide. When students are reflecting on the course, have them create a short survival guide for next year's students on what they can expect from the course.
15. With the ending of a school year comes new beginnings. Have students create goals and aspirations for what is next in their lives
Please add your list of tips below!
Minecraft, for Educational Purposes
Lately there has been a buzz in education about gaming as an aid to learning. While many educators are unsure of applicable roles in curriculum areas, students have definite ideas of how they can use gaming, more specifically Minecraft, to demonstrate their learning. Working in a 1:1 environment has given students opportunities to create remarkable multimedia projects, and being a seasoned 1:1 school, students at BCLUW tailor their learning and projects to fit their areas of interests and passions.
Meet Jarrett – a sophomore at BCLUW. As a freshmen he would amaze me with his stop-animation videos. He has a love of video games, like the normal 15 year old, and a passion to create. I knew Jarrett has used Minecraft in a few of his classes, History and English. Likewise, students at BCLUW have used Minecraft in many other curricular areas.
So what is Minecraft? Simply put, Minecraft is a virtual world where people build, explore, engage in battle. This survivor game is one where players use the environment to sustain life. Although that is the main focus of the game, gamers have been finding several new uses for Minecraft: architecture, computer programming, a hobby, and of course for EDUCATION.
Here is an example of Jarrett's work. It is a virtual tour of Egypt that he researched, designed, built, and PRESENTED. This project was one he proposed to his history teacher in place of the other assignment.
Jarrett's ideas for Minecraft Projects:
Science – Virtual demonstration of atom combining
Math – Electric Wiring
English – Virtual demonstration of grammar reviews
History – Reconstructing buildings
Spanish – Language selector in Minecraft to aid in learning
Art- Pixel art
Music – Create your own music, (there are instruments you can use in Minecraft)
Here are additional examples educators have been sharing with me. Please add your ideas in the comment section or tweet me!
Considerations for Designing an English Curriculum in a 1:1 Setting
Yesterday I completed (and passed) the oral exam needed to obtain my M.A. in English from UNI (now all I have left is the research paper!). My focus was on the confluence of our school implementing a 1:1 Laptop Program and my studies in graduate school which caused me to redesign current curriculum. During the conversation I verbalized important components of an English classroom in a digital age. This list helps to frame my curriculum:
1. Focus on the solid foundations and theory not the tool or application.
2. Students need to be critical thinkers, understanding content/messages in all literacies .
3. Reader is at the center of the text – only when meaning from text can be applied to self does it become important and relevant.
4. Students work within the cannon of the English language not outside of it.
5. Literacy is the heart of education.
6. Reading and writing are dichotic not separate entities.
7. Writing as a form of learning and reflection.
8. Communicate effectively in written, verbal, or multimedia forms for pleasure, education, and professional reasons.
9. Not all writing is complete or publishable, most is not
10. The art of response, how to respond effectively.
11. Understanding communication in multiple literacies and how to use different mediums to share their voice is essential part of being a productive citizen.
12. How to use technology to access information, connect, collaborate, create, and publish.
When focus is shifted to curriculum design with the aid of technology instead of a focus on tools and applications, student learning is framed within the essential skills of a curricular area not a set of tools that becomes outdated quickly.
References – Rosenblatt, Elbow, Atwell, NWP, Cope and Kalantzis
BCLUW High School Named Apple Distinguished School
Mid February, staff and students received a surprise in the form of an assembly during the last period of the day. When everyone had taken their seats, it was announced that BCLUW High School was named an Apple Distinguished School. BCLUW is one out of 56 schools across the nation to receive this award.
Tony Gunter, an Apple Executive, presented the award citing all of the evidence that makes BCLUW a worthy choice.
The following is a brief description of the award and qualifications needed to be named:Schools nominated by Apple for designation as an Apple Distinguished School must demonstrate Apple's highest vision of a successful 21st century learning environment, a strong relationship with Apple, and a willingness to do outreach activities. The specific manifestations of these qualities include:
- School demonstrates "best practice" qualities of 21st century learning environment;
- Visionary leadership;
- An infrastructure (IT) that supports a blended learning environment;
- Engaging teaching and learning methods that capitalize on the qualities of today's students who are mobile, collaborative and creative;
- One-to-one access to portable computers and/or mobile access devices (iPod or iPad) for all teachers and students;
- Evidence of ongoing professional development;
- A systematic approach and ongoing process for evaluation and assessment of results for education improvement and sustainability.


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John Garvey, the president of Catholic University, has written an op-ed piece in which he explains why his institution is joining scores of other Catholic groups in filing a lawsuit against the contraceptive & abortifacient mandate in Obamacare. In the course of his essay (in which he mentions also the Hossana-Tabor case involving the LCMS school), Garvey discusses the "wall of separation of church and state," finding the metaphor's origins not in Thomas Jefferson (who wanted to protect the state from the church) but, earlier, in Roger Williams (who wanted to protect the church from the state):
When the Supreme Court first considered the issue of aid to parochial schools in the 1947 case Everson v. Board of Education , it invoked separation as a limiting principle. The court quoted Thomas Jefferson's 1802 letter to the Baptists of Danbury, Conn.: "I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' thus building a wall of separation between church and state."
Jefferson was a child of the Enlightenment, suspicious of organized religion. He believed that efforts to establish an official religion led to persecution and civil war.
The metaphor was not original to Jefferson, though. Roger Williams, who founded the colony of Rhode Island on principles of religious tolerance, used it in 1644. History has shown, he observed, that when churches "have opened a gap in the hedge or wall of separation between the garden of the church and the wilderness of the world, God hath ever broke down the wall . . . and made his garden a wilderness."Williams had different reasons than Jefferson for preaching separation. Jefferson thought that religion was bad for government. Williams thought that mixing church and state was bad for the church.
These two perspectives often give us the same results. They both warn against tax support for churches and against prayers composed by public school boards. But Williams's theological metaphor may have been more influential than Jefferson's political one in the adoption of the First Amendment.
via For the government, what counts as Catholic? – The Washington Post.
Not just a "wall" of separation but a "hedge" of separation. The church is a garden. The world is a wilderness. Making a hole in the hedge is punished by God who turns the garden into a wilderness. Powerful metaphors. Apply them to current issues.
And yet, is Rogers' formulation adequate? He was a Baptist, so we see here elements of the doctrine of separation from the world. Is the secular arena more than just a wilderness?


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1. Re: Changing line chart color via Calculated SignalSteve Martin Jul 27, 2016 7:11 AM (in response to Matt Wheeler)
Hi Matt,
Try changing your Signals calc from Float([Wait Time]) to Sum(Float([Wait Time])), therefore the total of the wait time will be included in the If statement.
2. Re: Changing line chart color via Calculated SignalMichael Hesser Jul 27, 2016 7:16 AM (in response to Matt Wheeler)
Hi Matt--
I think you're getting the second axis because you're looking at AVERAGES, and some of your results that make your daily average are reasonable, and some are not.
If you change this in your expression:
if avg(float([Wait Time])) >= 20 then "Wait GTE 20 min"
else "Reasonable Wait"
You may get what you're looking for.


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This custom logo apron is a one-of-a-kind. Cuz I made only one. Being a longtime marketer, sometimes there are opportunities when I really want to "wear" my blog identification. It only takes three things:
- Apron
- Ink jet color printer (not laser)
- Avery Iron-On Transfer labels
Here are tricks to help not waste a few labels before getting the hang of it.
- Wash and iron your apron first.
- Place it on a flat, heat-resistant surface that is more solid than an ironing board. Using scratch paper, cut out a stand-in size logo to decide what size works best.
- Open your logo art in a program like Microsoft Publisher to play with it. Create a border if it doesn't have one (see my banner at the very top of this page, no border? See apron = border). Without a border to cut around, you see the hazy transparent background and it doesn't look as good.
- The background of my logo is transparent. See how you can see the stripes thru my logo? I was OK with that.
- Once you have your artwork the correct size and layout, print out a scratch paper copy, cut it out and place in the right spot on your apron. Draw a few pencil dots to help you align the real one.
- Here is the important point – now on the computer, REVERSE your logo artwork, flip it so it is backwards. Print the backwards logo onto the transparency sheet, cut it out, and then you will see that when you iron it on, it is face-up.
- If you are nervous about the perfect outcome, do a test run on the back of your apron behind the pocket, it will be invisible.


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Spinach & squash salad with coconut dressing
Nutrition and extra info
- Healthy
Nutrition: per serving
- kcal114
- fat5g
- saturates2g
- carbs12g
- sugars7g
- fibre4g
- protein2g
- salt0.4g
- 1 large butternut squash or pumpkin, deseeded but skin left on
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Olive oilol-iv oyl
Probably the most widely-used oil in cooking, olive oil is pressed from fresh olives. It's…
- 1 large red onion, sliced into thin rings
- 2 limes, zest of 1, juice of both
The same shape, but smaller than…
- ½ x 160ml can coconut cream
- 2 tsp fish sauce
Fish sauce
A seasoning often used in Vietnamese and Thai cooking. In Vietnam it is usually made from shrimp…
- 1 tsp golden caster sugar
- 2 x 100g bags baby leaf spinach
Used in almost every cuisine across the world, spinach is an enormously popular green vegetable…
Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Cut the squash into bite-sized pieces, toss with the oil and seasoning, then roast for 30-40 mins until golden and tender. Leave to cool.
Toss the onion rings with the juice of 1 lime and set aside while the squash roasts.
Make the dressing. Whisk together the remaining lime juice, the zest, coconut cream, fish sauce and sugar. Cover and leave to infuse in the fridge for 10-15 mins, or until ready to serve. When ready to eat, toss together the squash, spinach and onions, and serve with a generous drizzle of the dressing.


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Keep up on new articles, projects, columns and more
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|Porn Club


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I'm now working on a fully DIY synthesizer project, I started it about 3 months ago.
It will be:
- An expander, in a slanted box ( http://www.hammondmfg.com/1595eBI.jpg ).
- 6 voice polyphonic with separate outs, 4 part multitimbral.
- Hybrid , two 12bit DACs per voice (wavetable oscillators for now), one SSM2044 filter, and 1/4 of SSM2164 VCA.
- Using a 20x4 characters LCD / 16 keys keypad / 10 potentiometers user interface.
- Using relatively simple hardware, strongly based on the KISS principle :)
- Having a strong character, each stage will allow some overdrive (filter, VCAs, ...)
I learned a lot while working on the Prophet 600, and I thought it could help me design a slightly different synth from the usual analog ones, more or less inspired by the PPG Wave.
Nothing groundbreaking, Mutable Instruments have done this for a while, but I had an unused set of SSM2044/SSM2164, and I wanted to see how far I could go in simplifying a polyphonic hybrid synthesizer.


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Quite possibly the next best recognized building in Barcelona after the Sagrada Família is the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia (Catedral de la Santa Creu i Santa Eulalia), the seat of the Archbishop of Barcelona and a dedication to Santa Eulàlia, co-patron saint of the city. The present-day cathedral was shaped between the 13th and 15th centuries; although its signature Neo-Gothic façade was finished only in the early 190th century.
Already during the Roman reign a religious temple stood on the same site. It was later replaced by Christian basilica – the latter however was destroyed by the Moors in 985. Decades later, the count of Barcelona, Ramón Berenguer I, ordered a cathedral to be built in place of the ruined church. A Romanesque cathedral was finished somewhere between 1046 and 1058, and two centuries later, Capella de Santa Llucia, was annexed to the main building.
The first stone of the current cathedral was laid in 1298, under the reign of King Jaume II. He never saw the final result – civil wars, outbursts of plague hindered the construction; and it was not until 1448, when the completion of the cloister marked the end of a 150-years long work.
Before entering the Cathedral, it is worth paying attention to numerous statues adorning the building – mythological creatures, animals, and dominating the scene are grim gargoyles. The interior is profoundly illuminated with natural light – due to extensive stained glass windows. Side churches, ten of which are centered on the high altar; magnificent pulpit and even more beautiful crypt with the remains of Santa Eulàlia – are worth the admiration, however, the highlight is the 14th century cloister. Lined with Gothic portico and with a pictorial courtyard, the cloister is also home to the legend of the 13 Geese. Each of the birds represent one year of Santa Eulàlia's life – according to belief, she was that young, when the Romans tortured her to death for her religion.
It is possible to access the rooftop gangway to enjoy the view on the Gothic Quarter, and if you have time, visit Museu Diocesà (Av. de la Catedral, 4), housed inside the 4th century roman tower. The collection counts with almost 3.000 items, including ancient artifacts, ceramics, works of art and sculptures, gold and silverware, from the Visigoth and Roman era and to the 21st century.
Metro: Jaume I (line 4)
Bus lines: 17, 45, 120 and V17


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How To Pick The Best Soap For Sensitive Skin
Instead of feeling clean and refreshed after a shower, does your skin feel irritated, dry and/or itchy? If so, your soap may be to blame. Sensitive skin can become dry, itchy and red if it comes into contact with some of the chemicals that soap contains, so if you know you have sensitive skin or have experienced an adverse reaction to soap in the past, it's time to find the best soap for sensitive skin.
The soap aisle is divided by two products: bar soap and body wash. But which one is better for sensitive skin? Here are the pros and cons for both:
- Body wash On the positive side, body wash is moisturizing, which is essential for dry skin. On the negative side, body wash tends to be more colorful and fragrance-filled than bar soap, and that's a problem for skin that's sensitive to fragrances and dyes.
- Bar soap To some people, bar soap may seem old and antiquated. It's terrible tough to hold on to and some people believe that it breeds bacteria, although that's a myth. But when it comes to sensitive skin, bar soap has its benefits. It's generally more mild than body wash and it does not contain the fragrances or dyes that body wash does. On the other hand, bar soap has a higher pH, which means that it's more drying to the skin.
So which is the clear winner? When it comes to sensitive skin, the answer is bar soap. You may be surprised, or a little upset if you're an avid user of body wash, but bar soap is much more beneficial than body wash. It has less of a chance of irritating your skin and it's much easier to find bar soap made for sensitive skin rather than body wash. For an in-depth analysis, read Body Wash Or Bar Soap: Which Is Better?
Find The Best Bar Soap For Sensitive Skin
Now that you've cut out half of the soap aisle, it's time to narrow down the choices. You know to look for bar soap, but which kind? The best place to start is the ingredient list. The best rule of thumb for any ingredient list is: If you can't pronounce the ingredients, it's probably something you want to reconsider. That same rule applies here. If you have trouble reading through the list or aren't familiar with the ingredients, don't buy that soap. Instead, look for a bar soap made with natural ingredients such as oatmeal, almond oil or olive oil. Here are some other tips for choosing a bar soap:
- Look for bar soap with moisturizers Since bar soap tends to dry out skin, look for one that contains moisturizers. Cetaphil is recommended by many dermatologists because it moisturizes the skin with petrolatum, which is also known as Vaseline. Other soothing moisturizers include aloe vera, vitamin E and sweet almond oil.
- Try an exfoliating soap If you have excessively dry skin, poor circulation or skin that feels rough and scaly, you may want to try a soap that exfoliates. Choose a natural soap made with oatmeal or orange seed to scrub those dead skin cells away.
- Choose a soap with glycerin If you have acne, eczema or another kind of dermatological problem, look for a bar soap that contains glycerin. It will cleanse your skin without aggravating your condition.
- Make sure the soap is labeled "fragrance-free" The word "fragrance" is a blanket term for more than 3,000 chemicals, any of which you may be allergic to (see: Fragrance Allergies). To avoid irritating your skin, make sure the ingredient list does not contain the word "fragrance" or that the soap itself is labeled as "fragrance-free." If you just can't stay away from fruit-scented or sweet-smelling soaps, look for ones that contain essential oils like lavender oil, citronella or juniper berry.
Be sure to avoid other ingredients, such as dyes, detergents and preservatives, which can be harsh on sensitive skin.
Final Tips
If you have sensitive skin, you also want to be gentle in the way that you wash it. For instance, avoid using hot water in your shower or bath as it can dry out your skin and cause irritation. When exfoliating or washing your face, use a washcloth. Loofah sponges and sometimes pumice stones can feel too harsh when rubbed against sensitive skin. Always massage the soap into your skin in a gentle, circular motion to work up a lather and cleanse the skin. After your shower or bath, be sure to moisturize your skin with a gentle lotion or cream.
Now that you know what to look for, you should have no trouble finding a soap that works best for your sensitive skin. Once you see a difference in how your skin feels, you may want to consider looking for makeup, lotion and other products that are designed for sensitive skin.


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asked Oct 28 '15 at 00:42 by Ton-ish (683)
edited Oct 28 '15 at 00:45
I just found out that you can drag and drop multiple fxp presets in Bitwig's arrangement widow. It will create a track with the instrument and the name of each preset. This is saving me a lot of time to convert my VST presets to Bitwig format :) I still have to save them one by one and choose a category but without the pain of renaming them. Do you know a better/quicker way to do that?
Actually there is no need to choose a category for each preset, you can edit multiple files metadata afterwards. If you right click on the list of selected presets! This is great!
answered Oct 28 '15 at 10:00 by Ton-ish (683)
edited Dec 31 '16 at 15:25
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Asked: Oct 28 '15 at 00:42
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Last updated: Dec 31 '16 at 15:25


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Have you ever dreamed about seeing yourself on television or in a print advertisement? Lemika Johnson of Newark, Delaware says she can make your dream come true! I met Lemika and her daughter Vivica who have both appeared in several television spots.
Vivica is 12 years old and says acting and singing has always been in her blood. Lemika is often taking Vivica to auditions and when she's not focused on her daughter she's helping other get placed in everything from print ads to movies. She is the founder of Dreams And Konnections Talent LLC and it's located right here in Delaware. She got her brother a role in Silver Linings Playbook and one of her big claims to fame is helping Rege Lewis of Boardwalk Empire get several roles.
Dreams And Konnections officially launches February 8 at Film Brothers Productions in Wilmington, Delaware.


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Los Angeles is burning, again and again https://t.co/DvYzZCeiit via @CityLab
— Climate Desk (@ClimateDesk) December 7, 2017
The Future of Solar Energy in Los Angeles via @van_alen and @CityLab https://t.co/iA8pIVq9xZ pic.twitter.com/Wpn60XfiKP
— The Atlantic (@TheAtlantic) June 28, 2016
Where Do America's Artists Live? Los Angeles has eclipsed New York City. https://t.co/2QC0ekmRJx via @CityLab
— LA Cultural Affairs (@Culture_LA) January 18, 2018
How the Long Beach Data Driven Justice Initiative is driving improvements in Long Beach, California: https://t.co/2nn6jNTRAa @leagueofcities @RobertGarciaLB @LJA_Foundation @BloombergDotOrg
— Measures for Justice (@MforJ) June 8, 2018
Shopping Options Multiply in Downtown Los Angeles https://t.co/Slrok3k7mw via @UrbanLandInst pic.twitter.com/TsplhyHKXo
— MetroQuest Software (@MetroQuest) November 7, 2017
Remaking Greater Los Angeles as a Transit-Oriented Region | @UrbanLandInst – https://t.co/gRxcVWhdso #LA #TOD #rail #SoCal
— RAIL Magazine (@RAILMag) September 18, 2017
Just 5 metros—SF, San Jose, Austin, Dallas, and Phoenix—accounted for ¼ of all recent tech growth https://t.co/r8bDZ2dmFQ pic.twitter.com/6FUTIuwimb
— Brookings (@BrookingsInst) March 11, 2017
Los Angeles wants to improve housing affordability and reduce traffic congestion. This may not be the way to do it: https://t.co/Rfld78aOxv
— Brookings (@BrookingsInst) February 25, 2018
Los Angeles increased high school graduation rates with an "all-hands-on-deck" approach, explains @DrMikeHansen https://t.co/4jhfZr9RcG pic.twitter.com/VAdrcJKHO4
— Brookings (@BrookingsInst) June 26, 2017
Los Angeles is well-positioned to consider an alternative approach to water management https://t.co/GpfkLS8iGX pic.twitter.com/jDZsHqaJeQ
— Brookings (@BrookingsInst) May 7, 2017
What racial segregation looks like in Washington, DC, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Detroit: https://t.co/6zcAW1z4ms pic.twitter.com/WcxVd26gcT
— Brookings (@BrookingsInst) December 15, 2017
The Summer Olympics should always be in Los Angeles—no other city makes economic sense, argues Andrew Zimbalist https://t.co/FuV7XGVhcp
— Brookings (@BrookingsInst) August 8, 2016
"Landlord denial rates were highest in Fort Worth (78 percent) and Los Angeles (76 percent)"
Landlords limit voucher holders' choice in where they can live: https://t.co/alLFSwLlJ9 via @urbaninstitute
— RadioJustice (@RadioJusticeLA) August 28, 2018
UCLA Researchers Map Los Angeles Gentrification Near Transit – CityLabhttps://t.co/8WaaTcVl4d#SB827 @damienISgoodmon
— Andrea Leon Grossmann ☀ (@AndreaLeon) January 23, 2018
Learn how the Los Angeles Public Library doubled its map collection in a single day. https://t.co/hQLuzZnD7P via @citylab pic.twitter.com/Iij58FKPKh
— L.A. Public Library (@LAPublicLibrary) March 9, 2017
Great read: "What Houston's New Park Can Learn From Atlanta, Los Angeles" http://t.co/ruyQw92q1F via @nextcityorg pic.twitter.com/l7FKX88fdD
— NewUrbanism (@NewUrbanism) August 27, 2015
"After months of bureaucratic red tape, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to approve the placement of portable toilets and handwashing stations in Venice Beach to primarily serve the area's homeless population." via @NextCityOrg https://t.co/6tbceTts8u
— Furman Center (@FurmanCenterNYU) June 14, 2018
This is why Los Angeles Stadium is 100% Privately Financed – No public money. http://t.co/ucc6XqFn cc @nextcityorg @schwartzonomics
— Los Angeles Stadium (@lastadium) February 7, 2013
Artist Sketches the Future Los Angeles skyline … http://t.co/YHERp5j9pz #dtla #citylab pic.twitter.com/OYhfsLWIZB
— Mark Anthony Thomas (@workandprogress) January 5, 2015
Los Angeles is building an e-highway http://t.co/mfbcGfloFR via @CityLab
— HuffPost Green (@HuffPostGreen) October 5, 2014
Two Mayors of @100ResCities cities — Los Angeles and Tulsa — talk to @CityLab about the importance of local leadership and urban resilience. Watch here: https://t.co/Lco4NXLmqs pic.twitter.com/IjAcsT4oBS
— 100 Resilient Cities (@100ResCities) December 18, 2017
Boston ,DC, San Fran, Seattle,Portland & Los Angeles top a new ranking of creative economies – @CityLab – http://t.co/K6gKX2dRAj
— Richard Florida (@Richard_Florida) May 29, 2015
Luxury housing is not to blame for San Francisco's #affordablehousing crisis: @urbaninstitute https://t.co/tTWXOYFYda #cplan #bayarea #sfo pic.twitter.com/TbYEwdfjS9
— Mark Abraham (@urbandata) June 1, 2017
Wow this @urbaninstitute chart on home sale prices in San Francisco, just a decade apart:https://t.co/JOsrlvwEZf pic.twitter.com/kN6S42zZEq
— Emily Badger (@emilymbadger) May 22, 2018
San Francisco & San Jose have the 2nd and 3rd widest income gaps between high-and low-earners among America's largest cities https://t.co/tWC9mk9ucv pic.twitter.com/ySejeDdUk5
— Brookings (@BrookingsInst) June 9, 2018
@urbaninstitute says #SF buyers need highest @FICO score to qualify for a #mortgage. #SanJose is #2, #Oakland #3. https://t.co/my7Yxe6RV2
— Capsilon (@CapsilonCorp) August 25, 2016
.@UrbanLandInst has awarded SOM's renovation of The Strand with a Global Award for Excellence: https://t.co/xdHmA0ll7K #SanFrancisco pic.twitter.com/xaiPO0cWJJ
— SOM (@SOM_Design) October 27, 2016
#DidYouKnow As of Tuesday, #sanfrancisco Is Taking Demand-Based Parking Prices Citywide? via @NextCityOrg https://t.co/fBLtmaWDw5 #transportation #raffic
— Walk San Francisco (@walksf) December 8, 2017
San Francisco Steps Up on #VisionZero With Rapid Response Team. Advocates will be watching for results. @NextCityOrg @jaredbrey https://t.co/otKukVzJlV
— Vision Zero Network (@Visionzeronet) November 30, 2017
Amazing story by @ptsarahdactyl on San Francisco's efforts on how to design a supervised injection site in @CityLab: https://t.co/9M2LPZKg54 pic.twitter.com/zGfkEk8vlr
— Philadelphia Department of Public Health (@PHLPublicHealth) September 7, 2018
.@NextCityOrg features new interactive maps by @UNC's @CommunityCap, investigating two neighborhoods over an 18-month period, one in #SanFrancisco and another in #NewOrleans, in very different circumstances. Read more: https://t.co/EY4WYlkvq4 pic.twitter.com/EPU088POCr
— CURS at UNC (@UNCCURS) June 12, 2018
Studies show Oakland officers are still far more likely to stop, search, & handcuff black people than white people during a traffic or pedestrian stop. (via @Ericnpr) https://t.co/8QKR32BAoo
— Urban Institute (@urbaninstitute) August 8, 2018
In Oakland, getting more formerly incarcerated people into public housing https://t.co/4uVYh3VtEa (via @brentinmock) pic.twitter.com/5LtITM2R0w
— Urban Institute (@urbaninstitute) June 24, 2016
Of all reports of gunfire reported in DC & Oakland, very few resulted in a 911 call: https://t.co/6appHpLwk0 pic.twitter.com/Mq90vt0GJr
— Brookings (@BrookingsInst) May 11, 2016
Three out of every 10 jobs in San Jose, CA fall within the advanced industries sector: http://t.co/m0qA48XZRi pic.twitter.com/72vinTrLJK
— Brookings (@BrookingsInst) June 12, 2015
You can read more on San Jose's #pensionreform issues in @washingtonpost: http://t.co/48jgn3txC0 pic.twitter.com/pIkZjIhaXp
— Brookings (@BrookingsInst) February 26, 2014
BTW, some of the lowest metro representations of women in tech are in the West Coast hubs like San Francisco, San Jose, and Seattle. New data for all cities from @BrookingsMetro
Data: https://t.co/GXRCE6vb0y@jshieber @claircm @mmaciag @jyarow @ScottThurm @Arielhs pic.twitter.com/YhGz8pBxWA
— Mark Muro (@MarkMuro1) January 25, 2018
Cottle Transit Village: Dense Mixed Use in San Jose http://t.co/O83e1lQNzi #ulifall pic.twitter.com/2Xo8DovDby
— Urban Land Institute (@UrbanLandInst) October 6, 2015
ULI & @leagueofcities working with Mayor Liccardo on tranforming North San José into vibrant mixed-use district https://t.co/v3cDzxoQqR pic.twitter.com/rtyTzvs1U6
— Urban Land Institute (@UrbanLandInst) February 14, 2017
Mayors of Anchorage, Grand Rapids, San Jose, and Washington, D.C., Selected as 2017 Daniel Rose Fellows: https://t.co/4HG9eyZXgr pic.twitter.com/FRIhGNgLvA
— Urban Land Institute (@UrbanLandInst) December 4, 2016
Is San Jose still the best US metro for intergenerational mobility? https://t.co/J7ogvbXeEC (via @AlanaSemuels) pic.twitter.com/EEWfarsMVf
— Urban Institute (@urbaninstitute) February 24, 2016
This new work by @urbaninstitute highlights 33 MSAS–16 where renting is cheaper than owning (SF, LA, Seattle, LA, San Jose, etc.) and 17 where homeowners pay less than renters (Miami, Detroit, Chicago, Pittsburgh, etc.) #PlaceMatters #Housing https://t.co/hN15VTN3tH
— Sheida Elmi (@sheidaelmi) December 6, 2017
Nearly 40 percent of San Jose's residents were born outside the U.S. https://t.co/XMVAN0Uw6R
— Next City (@NextCityOrg) November 22, 2016
San Jose Manufacturing Comeback Linked to Equitable Growth https://t.co/4IkufxZAE2 pic.twitter.com/3VT0OInzM3
— Next City (@NextCityOrg) September 19, 2016
The housing crisis goes beyond jurisdictional lines. Here's @CityLab 's take on possible solutions in San Jose. https://t.co/Fg3wJskOHv
— ULI San Francisco (@ULISF) August 28, 2017
Can the Labor Movement Disrupt Silicon Valley? – CityLab https://t.co/JpSC4Phie2
— San Jose Community (@SanJoseVoice) September 1, 2018
#ThisWeekinData: @CityLab on mapping Dallas's concrete jungle, @GoldsmithOnGov on San Jose's approach to cultivating data-smart leadership, and @leagueofcities announces new workshop in partnership with @Results4America https://t.co/HSMuYQWhvB
— Data-Smart Cities (@DataSmartCities) August 24, 2018
"Berkeley, California, is a small city facing some large-scale challenges." https://t.co/UVNsgdleob via @CityLab
— The Rockefeller Foundation (@RockefellerFdn) May 4, 2016
Look at San Francisco, Phoenix, and Seattle, the only major cities where bus ridership meaningfully ticked up last year. All have city-wide plans to fund & improve service. What's been missing in most cities is this type of attention @CityLab https://t.co/vB9VmXDhiD
— TransitCenter (@TransitCenter) May 7, 2018
The city of San Francisco is the latest municipality in California to declare that the #FutureIsElectric. The city has set their sights on converting 100% of their fleet by 2035. @CityLab @UpLiftCA @C40Cities https://t.co/LChVq3UKZf
— CalZEV (@Cal4ZEV) June 1, 2018
How Google can help San Jose become a model of inclusive urbanism https://t.co/hqJTKfZERD pic.twitter.com/HsATPRRuFx
— CityLab (@CityLab) November 15, 2017
CityLab readers debate San Francisco's transportation balancing act https://t.co/BW3wKZmK1k pic.twitter.com/bFI8SiQj8f
— CityLab (@CityLab) October 7, 2016
Midland, Texas; San Jose, Calif.; and Stamford, Conn., are America's most productive metros. Here's why: http://t.co/VsydETGeIw
— CityLab (@CityLab) October 5, 2013
Boston, San Francisco and San Jose are the top American cities for venture capital investment http://t.co/sRNlKCHBDj
— CityLab (@CityLab) June 18, 2013
In the past 10 years, San Jose, D.C., and Seattle have led the U.S. in rent increases https://t.co/Psxa1qvWpz pic.twitter.com/1USILd5bcF
— CityLab (@CityLab) February 19, 2016
"All the Single Ladies Should Move to San Jose or Denver" – @citylab on our map http://t.co/txWSbflGmC pic.twitter.com/4Jewl1JDmh
— Pew Research Center (@pewresearch) October 3, 2014
Why having a narcissist-in-chief could make your firm more vulnerable to lawsuits—new research by Prof. Jennifer Chatman: https://t.co/6XG9PtkrHX #narcissist #organizationalculture
— Haas School of Bus. (@BerkeleyHaas) September 4, 2018


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Ladies' MTB Clinic + Spa Day
Saturday, June 22
9:30am to 4:00pm
Enjoy a day of novice and intermediate mountain bike instruction from Kristi MacDonald, aimed at developing your cross country riding skills. A hearty lunch is provided, followed by an afternoon group riding session which includes use of our walk-on, walk-off carpet lift to carry riders to the top. Capping off the day is a luxurious and soothing soak at Sir Sam's Water Spa complete with wine and cheese service.
$99/person. Bike rentals available for an additional fee.
Book early to reserve your place. Call 705-754-2298 or email Randy Pielsticker
Kristi MacDonald,
Kristi MacDonald enjoys breaking down the skills of mountain biking into small focused courses with women of all skill levels in order to help show that we all, even the most seasoned rider, have things to learn.


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Helping you live your best life!
Altra is a federally insured financial institution providing a full range of financial services, from personal and business to lending and investments. Chartered in 1931, Altra is a not-for-profit, member-owned financial cooperative serving members in all 50 states and around the globe. We are also deeply committed to giving back to the communities we serve.
We offer exciting growth and career opportunities to those who strive to learn and are excited to take on new challenges. Job stability and a forward-thinking, innovative culture to work in are just a few of our advantages. For all of us who work here, it's the chance to share important moments and make a real difference in our members' lives.
More than just a paycheck
Our employee benefits package includes competitive salaries, incentive programs, comprehensive medical/dental/vision benefits, employer-matched 401k, award-winning training programs, professional development programs, tuition assistance, paid leave and a wellness program that includes all employees and spouses.
Altra Federal Credit Union has been recognized as a Great Place to Work™ certified organization, with 97% of employees saying Altra is a great place to work! We have a high-trust culture that fosters innovation, business agility, and sustainable performance. Employees take pride in giving back to the communities in which we serve, respect Altra's special and unique benefits, appreciate the vast opportunities to learn and grow professionally, and have a high level of credibility in the leadership team.
Altra is proud to be designated as one of America's healthiest companies!
Altra Federal Credit Union was recently honored as a Gold Level recipient by the Well Workplace Awards, which recognizes an organization's commitment to the physical health and well-being of their employees.
The award was presented by the Wellness Council of America, one of the nation's most-respected resources for building high-performing, healthy workplaces. Award winners must meet the rigid set of worksite wellness criteria known as WELCOA's Seven Benchmarks of Success. Gold Level recipients initiate a comprehensive program that produces results.
Altra's Working on Wellness program promotes a healthy lifestyle by having employees and their spouses track a variety of activities. Points are assigned to the various activities and employees are rewarded when certain benchmarks are achieved.
"Altra is proud to be designated as one of America's healthiest companies," said Kim Bauer, vice president of Human Resources and creator of Altra's WOW initiative. "We are committed to helping our employees live their best lives and they have embraced our WOW program by being active participants."


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UK Chat Rooms has a few rules that you must respect in order to use this site without getting banned. Here are the general rules that apply to most chat rooms on UK Chat Rooms. Keep in mind that each and every chat room has its own specific set of rules that can be found on that chat room's page.
1. By entering our chat rooms, you agree to be at least 13 years of age for non-adult chat rooms and at least 18 years of age for adult chat rooms.
2. We do our best to protect your experience and make our chat rooms safe with the use of moderators. However, you must enter chat rooms at UK Chat Rooms at your own risk. It's impossible for us to prevent all misbehaviours from happening. You agree that UK Chat Rooms is not responsible for the behaviors, actions or content displayed by other users of this website.
3. Our non-adult chat rooms allow no nudity of any form. Any sexual behaviors or displays of nudity will result in you getting banned from UK Chat Rooms permanently.
4. Providing personal information such as phone numbers, credit card numbers or even home addresses is not permitted within any of our chat rooms. Giving others your personal details will get you banned.
5. Children over the age of 13 are allowed to use many of our chat rooms. We take great safety measures to ensure that they are in good hands. Any suspicious activities relating to the exploitation of children will be reported to the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) as well as the FBI.
6. Keeping our chat rooms user friendly is important. Do not flood the chat rooms with messages, be disruptive or be a nuisance in the chat rooms. Doing so will get you banned.
7. Hacking or exploiting of our chat is a criminally punishable offense by law. We have logs and if you attempt to hack the site or otherwise exploit our service we will go after you to the fullest extent allowed by law!
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Do not discuss money or ways to transfer money to other users. Although there are business related categories including business opportunities; never discuss how to make money transfers on UK Chat Rooms. You are not permitted to give out PayPal details, bank account details or any other money account related details.


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By Fat Bird Games
Chess is one of the world's most popular gamesAmong all the board games, chess is the most optimal game that mixing strategy and tactics together with pure technology. For you can learn and play this fascinating game anytime anywhere, we are honoured to offer you iPhone/iPod Touch version!
Price: Free


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Ventum Professional Triathletes: Taking On The World
Mooloolaba, home of the IRONMAN Sunshine Coast 70.3, is this year's location for the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship race. With over 3,000 athletes qualifying through IRONMAN competitions world-wide, the race had pro and age-group athletes lined up within minutes of each other to tackle a course full of unique challenges.
Former Cairns resident and four-time world champion Leanda Cave — now racing back in Australia for the first time in 10 years — arrived ready for a showdown on her way to the IRONMAN World Championship. In the time leading up to the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship, Cave and fellow #VentumPro Lauren Brandon took some time to check out the course highlights.
Thank you @CompImagePhoto for capturing our pre-race @ventumracing ride. pic.twitter.com/Vb6mbjOTW8
— Lauren Brandon (@lb_brandon) September 2, 2016
Sunday morning (or Saturday afternoon on the US broadcast), triathletes all over the world tuned in to see who the new champion would be on the world stage. In the first leg of the race, Lauren Brandon comfortably led the women out of the water with 29 seconds on the chase-pack that contained Leanda Cave. Once out on the bike course, Brandon kept the pressure on with the 5th-fastest female bike split, coming into T2 in second place. Brandon had a solid finish by running her personal-best race day 13.1 miles to complete her first IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship.
One week later on yet another continent, Ventum Pros hit the start line at the Beijing International Triathlon. From short-course gold medalists to long-course world champions, the start list indicated an impressive race to come.
After a strong swim with the chase-pack, Cameron Dye kept it as no secret that he owns the first 5 miles of any bike course. Quickly, he put the hammer down on his Ventum One and jumped into the front position. Dye's race best 55:47 bike split gave him a 2-second lead heading out onto the run to eventually finish on the podium in 3rd place.
Back in California, Cody Beals put together a fine tune-up race at IRONMAN 70.3 Santa Cruz in preparation for his long-course debut at the ITU World Championship in a few short weeks. The race turned into a battle of wills as a group of 7 battled for positioning throughout the bike course. Coming into T2 just seconds apart, the men headed out onto the run for 13.1 miles of fighting for podium spots. Throughout the run, their placements ranged from 2nd to 7th in a few short miles. Ending the day in 4th place, Cody will be one to watch as he begins long-course racing.
Don't forget!
To celebrate being the official bike sponsor of the 2016 IRONMAN World Championship in Kona, Ventum is offering 20% off all apparel (including cycling kits!) from now until race day!
Use the discount code KONA2016 on apparel in the Ventum Shop to receive your discount, as well as free shipping anywhere in the United States.


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Freaky fun, that is. Look! Look! Look! My dear friend, Amie, and her amazing daughter, Bethanie, have put an awesome new twist on the Cinderella story. You're not going to want to miss out on this fantastic read. (Yes, I'm all over the adjectives.) I hope you enjoy the cover!
A quick intro to the book itself:
Cindy is just a normal 11¾-year-old girl. At least until she wakes up one night and finds out she's dead. Well, she isn't technically dead—she just doesn't have any hair . . . or a nose . . . or skin. Yep—all bones, no body.
Human by day and skeleton by night, Cindy is definitely cursed. And because her mother recently died, Cindy has no one to turn to except a father who is now scared of her and an evil stepmother who makes her do the housecleaning with a toothbrush. To make matters worse, the Spring Fling dance is approaching, and Ethan, the cutest boy in sixth grade, doesn't seem to know Cindy exists. Of course, Cindy doesn't think letting Ethan find out she's part skeleton is the best way to introduce herself.
While facing such perils as pickled pig's feet, a wacky fortune teller, and a few quick trips to the Underworld, Cindy's determined to break the curse—even for a single night.
Cinderskella is available for purchase at Barnes and Noble.
And a quick intro to Amie and Bethanie:
Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, From the Mixed-Up Files of Middle-Grade Authors and blog.
And, of course, the entry form for the contest:
a Rafflecopter giveaway


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Comaxx avait besoin d'un nouveau design de page web et a lancé un concours sur 99designs.
Un gagnant a été sélectionné de 95 designs proposés par 16 designers freelance.
MBI Garden
MBI is the largest manufacturer of concrete-based products in The Netherlands. MBI has three business lines: MBI Construction (focus on products used for construction projects), MBI Infrastructure (focus on infrastructure and pavement products) and MBI Garden (focus on pavement products around the house). MBI only sells B2B, to either wholesale suppliers, or businesses that sell directly to the consumer. MBI does not sell products directly to consumers themselves.
The focus for this design-contest is the MBI Garden website. This website serves two main purposes: it must appeal to and inspire consumers (end-users), and it will serve as an online webportal for the wholesalers and distributors (called "dealers" from here on out), where they can browse through the product catalog, and place their purchase orders for MBI. The product catalog is open for both types of visitors, but only the dealers will have the option to place orders.
First and foremost: it is important to note that the new website for MBI Garden will replace the current one (http://tuin.mbi.nl/). MBI has seperate websites for all three business units. In this project we are only updating the Garden ("Tuin" in Dutch) website. However, this new design should not deviate completely from the style of the existing website. The three large buttons ("Bouw", "Infra" and "Tuin") should remain in some form, because they allow a user to switch over to the website of another business unit. And the use of the blue, yellow and green colors is also mandatory as they are used on business cards, letterstock, and other marketing campaigns.
The style of the website should be clear, crisp and fresh. It should be a modern website that is very easy to use, as most dealers are not very Internet-savvy.
For all pages we have attached wireframe sketches. These are early sketches, showing the rough page content we would like to have. If you have better ideas, you are free to submit them.
## Homepage
The focus for the homepage should be on visuals: it should contain a large image slider. The image slider should have around 4 buttons on the side containing a title. When the slide attached to the button is shown, a few lines of extra text. It should also contain a news area, area for putting up a "banner" (for example with a download link for a new brochure). It should also allow dealers to login quickly.
## Static subpage
The static subpage should be a simplified version of the homepage. It should have room for text and photos, and preferably have a sidebar for additional links, news items, or downloads. We would like the static subpage to be designed with a Contact form in it.
## Category page
The main elements are the left sidebar, containing a product filter and quick search field. The middle contains the products contained with that category. Each product has an image, a price, a title and a short description. The right sidebar contains the shopping cart, and has a block with "Most popular products".
## Product page
The product page contains a larger photo of the product, and a number of thumbnails to switch to different photos. The currently selected photo must be clickable to open a lightbox with a high-resolution version of the photo. The page also contains some additional product information (text), and perhaps links to brochures or other downloads. Every product has certain variants (in the case of paving you can buy single stones, buy per square meter, or even per pallet. Plus every product can have different sizing options. The user must get an overview of these options, and have the option of quickly adding the product to his cart.
## Order page
The order page is opened when the customer opens the shopping cart. It shows the products already in the cart, and allows the person to change the contents. It also allows him to select a delivery date through a calendar.
We absolutely do not want any "boring" pages with a lot of text. All pages should feel fresh, and present the message clearly. In the content production we will take great care to stick to the essentials, but we need a design that caters to this as well.
We also do not want the website to become crowded with content, or have sliding photos all over the place.
The design does not have to be responsive: the target audience will mostly use desktop or laptop PC's to access the website. However, the rise of iPad usage means the website should be viewable on an iPad. We would like to have the design fit in the iPad's native resolution (1024x768).
If you have any ideas on making a scaled out version for desktops (i.e. screens that have a larger resolution than 1024x768) those are more than welcome!


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Candidate Information: Stuart B. Mathewson
Candidate for Regular Director Term
Ending in 2020
Name: Stuart B. Mathewson
Practice Area: Casualty
Employer: Retired
City, State: Sarasota, Fla.
Credentials: MAAA, FCAS, CPCU
Candidate Biographical Sketch
Stuart serves as a member of the Academy's Flood Insurance Work Group and Natural Catastrophe Subcommittee and is a member of the CAS Climate Index Working Group. He is currently on the Academy Board, elected last year to the then-remaining one year of a three-year term that will expire this fall. He is being nominated to a new full three-year term. His Academy service includes serving as chairperson of the Flood Insurance Subcommittee from 2007 to 2012 and as co-chairperson of the P/C Extreme Events Committee from 2007 to 2012.
He retired from his position as senior pricing actuary for Swiss Re America, Commercial Solutions, where he provided actuarial expertise in pricing commercial property business, primarily in the United States. Throughout his career, Stuart has specialized in property insurance pricing matters. He was involved in developing early catastrophe models, both for earthquake and hurricane perils, and has published papers and articles on catastrophe risk measurement and management.
Stuart has also worked for various types of insurance entities, including a rate advisory organization, small and large insurance companies, a reinsurance broker, an actuarial consulting firm, a managing general agent, and a reinsurance company.
He graduated from the Illinois Institute of Technology with a degree in fire protection engineering.
The Academy's mission is to serve the public and the U.S. actuarial profession. My service on the Board will allow me to further the Academy's mission of public policy and professionalism by:
helping ensure that the Academy continues to provide well-thought-out advice and counsel to the public and to decision-makers in public policy areas where actuarial analysis can help inform the debate. My background is most useful in casualty issues, such as the National Flood Insurance Program, but I recognize the critical importance of our work in other areas, such as Social Security and health insurance. I believe that the Academy has unique capabilities in these areas and I am committed to seeing that those capabilities are employed in a way that assures the Academy continues to be viewed as a go-to source of objective information for the public good. In these times of discord, I believe it is very critical that there be a voice of objectivity in the debates.
Academy Service
- Chairperson, Flood Insurance Subcommittee, 2007–12
- Co-chairperson, P/C Extreme Events Committee, 2007–12; Member, 2005–06
- Member, Flood Insurance Work Group, 2016–Present
- Member, Casualty Practice Council, 2007–12
- Member, Natural Catastrophe Subcommittee, 2006–Present
- Member, Government Insurance Task Force


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text: Plot Summary:At an exclusive university dead bodies are turning up with alarming frequency, all believed to be victims of the notorious Campus Killer. The police are stumped as to who the killer might be and, of course, nobody suspects innocent looking med student Barbara. A superficial fashion queen whose childhood dream was to growup to become the living embodiment of her favourite doll, Cindy Superstar, all Barbara needs now is to find herself a real-life equivalent of Cindys plastic partner, Glenn. But behind the mask of her perfectly applied make-up is a deadly cross between Paris Hilton and American Psychos Patrick Bateman, a female serial killer for whom ruthlessly slaughtering people isnt so much a question of why as one of why not?


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3 bills try to bolster California's family leave law
When Sheila Salas' sister developed breast cancer, Salas took more than a month off from work. She drove her to chemotherapy appointments. She administered her sister's weekly injections. When the cancer worsened, Salas took her sister into her San Rafael home and dressed and bathed her.
Almost one year ago, on Oct. 25, Salas' sister died in her arms.
If her sister had instead been her mother or daughter, she would have received up to six weeks of paid time off under California's 3-year-old paid family leave law. But because the patient was Salas' sister, her time off went unpaid.
Such limits could change soon.
State legislators have sent several bills to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger that would expand the scope of California's family leave laws to cover siblings, in-laws and grandparents. A spokesman for the Republican governor said Thursday that he has not taken a position on the bills, which would give California the most far-reaching family leave policy in the country. He has until Oct. 14 to decide whether to sign them.
Supporters say the bills are a compassionate response to the needs of today's diverse families - where most adults are working, families are often spread across the country, and caregiving responsibilities can easily fall on in-laws, grandchildren or siblings.
"These bills grew out of heart-wrenching calls to legal hot lines where people would say their brother was dying of cancer, and they were the only family member around," said Netsy Firestein, director of the Labor Project for Working Families, a Berkeley nonprofit group. "They'd ask how to apply for paid family leave, and we'd have to say, 'You can't.' "
But opponents, led by the California Manufacturers and Technology Association, say California already provides enough family leave. They say the bills would increase staffing hassles for employers.
"It has become increasingly difficult to replace these workers," said association spokesman Gino DiCaro. "California already is one of the most expensive places to do business. These bills are going to have some pretty significant impacts on human resource departments and production abilities."
The federal Family and Medical Leave Act requires businesses with 50 or more workers to allow up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for personal illness, bonding with a new child or serious illness of a parent, dependent child or spouse.
And California has two state laws to support people who need time off because of a family illness:
-- The California Family Rights Act mirrors the federal law but also provides unpaid leave to care for domestic partners.
-- California additionally gives workers up to six weeks of paid leave to bond with a new child or care for a seriously ill parent, child, spouse or domestic partner. This program, funded through employee payroll deductions to the state's disability insurance fund, pays 55 percent of the employee's wages, up to a maximum of $882 per week.
Since the paid family leave law took effect in July 2004, more than 500,000 Californians have filed claims and received $1.1 billion in paid time off, according to the state Employment Development Department.
A few Californians applied for paid leave but were turned down because their relatives weren't covered by the law. The state has denied 191 claims to care for a seriously ill sibling, 104 for a grandparent, 53 for a mother- or father-in-law and 50 for a grandchild.
Salas was among those denied.
"That hurt. It really hurt," said Salas, who worked in accounts payable for Pacific Pulmonary Services in Novato when her sister Kathleen Murphy became ill. "I was there, giving her injections, feeding her, giving her morphine. She died in my arms. I was everything for her - mother, father, son, daughter. I promised her I would not put her in a nursing home, that I'd be with her to the end, and I was. How dare the state say that I was not eligible."
Carina Barlow was another Bay Area resident who, like Salas, needed time off to care for a relative who fell outside the coverage of the laws.
Barlow was a medical records clerk for Kaiser Permanente in Vallejo two years ago when her brother had a heart attack at age 45. He was single, their other siblings lived in Texas and their mother was 80 years old and unable to drive, so Barlow ended up in charge of her brother's care.
Unlike Salas, Barlow was told she could not take any time off to visit her brother in the hospital or drive him to doctors' appointments as he recovered. Although she had some accrued vacation, she wasn't allowed to use it without two weeks' notice.
Ironically, she said, Kaiser would have given her paid bereavement leave if her brother had died, but not to help him recover.
"My supervisor said, 'You can't use your sick leave because he's a sibling, and that (family leave) only goes for parents or children,' " said Barlow, who has since left Kaiser and moved to Utah. "How sad that Kaiser would have paid me for three days off to bury my brother, but wouldn't give me time off while he is alive to help him get better. ... I never want another person to be treated the way I was by my employer, to be told who I could take care of in my family."
A Kaiser spokeswoman said individual managers have the discretion to approve or turn down leaves to care for siblings.
"Should Gov. Schwarzenegger sign the bills before him, we will of course modify our policies accordingly," spokeswoman Alix Sabin said.
The two bills designed to help caregivers like Barlow and Salas are SB727 by Sen. Sheila Kuehl, D-Santa Monica, and AB537 by Assemblyman Sandré Swanson, D-Alameda.
SB727 would extend the paid family leave program to include care for seriously ill siblings, grandparents, grandchildren and parents-in-law.
AB537 would extend the state's 12 weeks of unpaid leave to that same group.
Meanwhile, another bill on the governor's desk - SB836, also by Kuehl - would prohibit employment discrimination based on a worker's family status, including a role as a caregiver.
Business groups said the anti-discrimination bill would open the door to frivolous lawsuits.
"Since many employees have a spouse, child, parent or sibling that might need supervision or transportation, familial status can serve as a new, easy form of discrimination to allege," the California Chamber of Commerce said in a written statement.
But backers said the bill is needed to ensure that caregivers receive the same treatment as other workers.
"If everyone at a company is required to work 80 hours a week, that's not discrimination," said Joan Williams, director of the Center on WorkLife Law at UC's Hastings College of the Law. "But if they give Joe time off to go see a baseball game, they can't all of a sudden get rigid with caregivers."
Across the country, workplace experts are watching to see whether the bills are signed into law.
"If all these three bills are signed, it would reinforce California's position as having the most family-friendly policies in the nation," said Debra Ness, president of the National Partnership for Women & Families, a Washington, D.C., advocacy group.
The anti-discrimination bill would go further than any other state. Alaska and the District of Columbia have laws prohibiting workplace discrimination based on caregiving for children, but not for other relatives, Ness said.
The two bills extending leave to people with ill siblings, in-laws and grandparents would also go further than laws in any other state. However, their coverage would not be quite as broad as San Francisco's new paid sick leave law.
The San Francisco law - which took effect in February - requires all employers to provide up to 72 hours of paid sick leave each year for workers' own illnesses or to care for ill family members.
It defines family members as spouses, domestic partners, children, grandchildren, grandparents and siblings. The city's ordinance doesn't include in-laws. But it does allow workers without a spouse or domestic partner to specify an unrelated "designated person," such as a neighbor, for whom they can use their sick leave.
The California Manufacturers and Technology Association said that defeating the statewide bills is one of its top priorities for this legislative session. "There will be indirect costs (to the leave bills), such as massive absenteeism and an inability to backfill spots with skilled workers," said spokesman DiCaro.
But other business groups are not as strongly opposed. For instance, the California Chamber of Commerce didn't include any of the bills in its list of the top 30 "job killers" of the legislative session.
And while the chamber opposes the unpaid leave bill and the anti-discrimination bill, it hasn't taken a position on SB836, the bill extending California's paid sick leave program to siblings, grandparents and in-laws.
Bills on the governor's desk
Unpaid leave
AB537 would allow California workers to use their 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for seriously ill siblings, mothers- and fathers-in-law, adult nondependent children, grandparents and grandchildren.
Paid leave
SB727 would allow workers to use their six weeks of Paid Family Leave to care for seriously ill siblings, mothers- and fathers-in-law, grandparents and grandchildren.
SB836 would prohibit employment discrimination based on a worker's family status, including his or her role as caregiver for a family member.
Family leave laws in California
What the laws say
-- The California Family Rights Act says that firms with 50 or more workers must provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for serious personal illness, bonding with a new baby, or caring for a seriously ill dependent child, parent, spouse or domestic partner.
-- The state's Paid Family Leave program provides up to six weeks of partial pay for personal illness, baby bonding or caring for an ill parent, spouse, domestic partner or child of any age. The money comes from employee payroll deductions for State Disability Insurance.
-- San Francisco's paid sick leave law requires all employers to provide up to 72 hours of paid sick leave each year. This can be used for personal medical needs or to care for a sick parent, child, spouse, domestic partner, grandparent, grandchild, sibling or unrelated "designated person."
What you can do
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger must decide whether to sign these bills into law by Oct. 14. Let the governor know what you think through his Web site at gov.ca.gov/interactor by calling (916) 445-2841.
The text, history and legislative analyses of these family leave bills are available at www.leginfo.ca.gov.
You can find arguments opposing these bills on the Web site of the California Manufacturers and Technology Association at links.sfgate.com/ZBBL.
You can find arguments in favor of these bills on the Web site of the Labor Project for Working Families at www.paidfamilyleave.org.


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Welcome to Self Confidence Guide
Self Awareness And Self Confidence Article
For a permanent link to this article, or to bookmark it for further reading, click here.
Dig Down Deep In Yourself To Find Self Confidencefrom: Motivated Lifestyle - Archive material
It goes without saying that we are exactly the true people that the Almighty Creator intended us to be, and yet other people are very keen to point out our imperfections to us. Why for example are we not like others who seem to be able to make everything that they touch turn to gold, or like those people who excel at everything they do.
It does semm to be true that some people are luckier than others in this life. They do appear to easily get all the many fortunes and blessings that life can offer, but we should keep in mind the fact that all of us have different burdens and crosses that we must struggle with, and carry through ourselves.
We cannot say that we should have been born more beautiful,or more affluent, more artistic, or possibly even more famous. We all have our individual personalities, and there really is no direct comparison between any two individuals, so we should not think that we were not all created equal, because it is not true. Every event and everything in the world is perfectly made to fit each one of us, but we get ourselves into a muddle, and try and grab things that are not rightfully ours to have.
We ignore these truths though, along with many other truths that open themselves up to us, and it bothers us enormously to think that we are not placed on an equal footing with others.
We cannot remain envious of other people's good fortune or their lifestyle and possessions forever! We have our own problems and difficulties to be bothered about, and those are very much our own.
However, we have all been given many gifts of our own, as well as many talents and skills that we can develop if we are so inclined. We have been given enough resources to help us lift ourselves up from under the blanket of low self esteem and failure that we have been embracing.
Looking enviously at your neighbor will only discourage you, and this envy in the end might even lead to you hating yourself, and therefore completely forgetting what you are capable of acheiving yourself.
You might well claim that you have no confidence to be able to accomplish all those things, but the very self-confidence that you claim that you do not have has actually been given to you. It is simply the fact that you have covered it up with feelings of insecurity, and all the fears and negative thoughts that you can build into your own personality.
Self-criticism is good when it empowers your self-confidence, and it helps when it illustrates to you what is wrong with what you are doing. When it gets to the stage that you have to succumb to every aspect of it's negative impacts however, it is time to evaluate whether or not criticizing yourself severely is really helpful to you.
We all have our fears, but some people are very good at conquering their own fears. Please do not think however that they are guided better than you are, because we are all given equal guidance, enough to let us see the bright sides of each event, but that all lies in your perception of things however.
If you are inclined to always see the dark side of events, and are always prone to have negative thoughts, you are almost certain to walk the road of insecurity and low self-esteem continuously.
To become more confident in yourself, you only have to see the the brighter side of things. You are the best in doing things your own way, and you can excel if you choose to and want to.
You have your own personal road to travel, and you should not need to look enviously at someone else.