text:
Last week we learned what a TIA is... Joel had a minor stroke and we never suspected he was at risk. This makes you focus on priorities in a big way! I'm still in the studio most mornings but the rest of the day I think about our future and our options. The military taught us to plan ahead... literally... when the B-52's left periodically for SE Asia, wives were instructed to know who to call and what your next steps would be should you be told that your husband would not be returning. And that's what we've always done, always considering our future options. My mother said I had a "delayed reaction" to bad news, I'm good in a crisis but fall apart or go into a depression after the fact. She was right and I hope I can always count on this trait.
So this week we've dealt with a number of things... most irritating is a monitor Joel wears for a month which only malfunctions after hours when the help number is not available. Beeping incessantly and causing stressed cursing... twice it's been put in the garage for 'time out' so we could get some sleep! It helps to have somewhere to direct our anger and frustration. I haven't thrown the damn monitor against the wall yet but have come close. (Have since learned of an 'off' button... who knew?)
Focusing... have been decluttering files, drawers, closets... was doing this in a casual manner way before the TIA incident since it's really about downsizing. The plan has long been to sell the main house and move back to the lake house (only an hour away) once the local g-chicks are driving and we aren't needed for carpool, etc. So that would give us three or so years to get this house ready to sell and the smaller house ready to receive us. I'm feeling a bit more urgent about at least streamlining possessions and paperwork that have taken years/decades to accumulate. Also looking forward to major renovations at the older, smaller lake house to make it more 'home' and less 'cabin'. My new hobby is measuring furniture and collecting kitchen ideas suitable for someone who prefers to stay out of it.
Reality checks continue... what about my career? Well, must admit, in spite of some great sales and positive show results this past year, the overall picture is not encouraging. If ten years younger I would have jumped on the self promotion wagon and would be sending out e-newsletters and brag packs to new galleries with gusto... but after awhile, new beginnings aren't so exciting, I just want to paint without the pressure. Creative exploration rather than simply producing more work. My mind spins with new ideas... some I get around to and some I don't.
Joel is, thankfully, doing just fine... the small stroke was a warning and we are heeding it. He has returned to a regular weight routine at the Y and when the electrodes come off his chest, he'll be back in the water swimming laps. I have a strong suspicion that when he stopped his regular swimming routine (he had a few distracting years with accidents, etc) his body didn't know quite what to do about it... so now we know... got to keep the blood flowing with exercise! Good advice for all of us!


text:
- Price$22,000
- Acres0.23
1751 E Geronimo Street, 810 - Pahrump
This Land located at 1751 E Geronimo Street is currently for sale and has been listed for 680 days. 1751 E Geronimo Street. The property has a lot size of 0.23 acres . 1751 E Geronimo Street is in Pahrump, NV.
Essential Information
- Price$22,000
- StatusActive-Exclusive Right
- Bathrooms0.00
- Acres0.23
- TypeLand
Additional Information
- Date ListedSeptember 27th, 2018
- Days on Market680
- ZoningMulti-Family
Community Information
- Address1751 E Geronimo Street
- CityPahrump
- StateNV
- Zip Code89048
- Area810 - Pahrump
- SubdivisionCALVADA VALLEY U.6
Listing Details
- Listing AgentVeronica L Regan
- Listing OfficeExp Realty
The data relating to real estate for sale on this web site comes from the INTERNET DATA EXCHANGE Program of the Greater Las Vegas Association of REALTORS® MLS. Real estate listings held by brokerage firms other than this site owner are marked with the IDX logo.
The information being provided is for the consumers' personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing.
Copyright 2020 of the Greater Las Vegas Association of REALTORS® MLS. All rights reserved.
GLVAR deems information reliable but not guaranteed.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
|*May 13 - 19
of the
Holy Spirit
Read for This Week's Study:
|Isa. 53:3, John 3:16, 15:13, Rom. 5:5, 1 Corinthians 13, Eph. 2:8, Phil. 4:11-13, 1 John 3:16, 4:8.
Memory Text:
| "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is
no law"
5:22, 23).
We are saved only through what Jesus Christ accomplished for us on the cross two thousand years ago. As Peter expressed it: "But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they" (Acts 15:11). Or Paul: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast" (Eph. 2:8, 9). Or Ellen White: "There is not a point that needs to be dwelt upon more earnestly, repeated more frequently, or established more firmly in the minds of all than the impossibility of fallen man meriting anything by his own best good works. Salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ alone."Ellen G. White, Faith and Works, p. 19.
Yet, no Christian who enjoys the promise of salvation through Jesus can live without bearing the fruit of the Spirit (Matt. 12:33), the day-by-day manifestation in our lives of what Christ has done for us. We can profess all the sacred truths in heaven and earth, but the best evidence that we are in Christ is the fruit we bear.
This week we'll take a look at what this fruit is and what it should mean for our lives.
*Study this week's lesson to prepare for Sabbath, May 20.
|May 14
"And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us" (Rom. 5:5).
Why do you think Paul listed love as the first of the "fruit of the Spirit" in Galatians 5:22? See 1 Corinthians 13.
A certain type of tree in the temperate zone inevitably and spontaneously produces leaves in the spring as the sap begins to rise in the trunk and reaches out into every branch and twig. In the same way, a Christian filled with the Spirit will produce the fruit of the Spirit love.
Jesus is God. As there is no life apart from God, so there is no love or virtue apart from God. If a human is going to possess and manifest divine love, he or she must receive it from God. There is no other source. Where else would it come from if not from above? Can beingswho are only protein, carbon, water, or even only atoms and moleculesexpress love? How can these elements, no matter how finely tuned, ever be able to love? No matter how good a painter is, no matter how perfect his or her paints and canvas, no flower that person paints will ever live or do photosynthesis or grow a seed. Carbon, water, and protein, in and of themselves, can't even live, much less love. Love has to come from a source that in and of itself knows love and can impart it. And that source, of course, is God (see 1 John 4:8).
A crucial question, though, needs to be answered: What do we mean by "love"? The word itself has been so broadened and, hence, cheapened until it covers a multitude of acts and emotions that hardly do justice to the term. Scripture, however, gives verses that help us understand the biblical concept of love as a fruit of the Spirit.
Read John 3:16, 15:13, and 1 John 3:16. What's the crucial factor here that helps us understand the nature of love, as depicted in the Scriptures? How, too, does this idea help us understand why "the love of God ... shed abroad in our hearts" (Rom. 5:5) comes from the Holy Spirit?
|May 15
Joy and Peace
The idea of joy and peace as fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22, 23) is susceptible to misinterpretation. Our world is a sinful world; we are sinful beings, each one of us suffering the effects of sin: sickness, loss, separation, fear, worry, uncertainty . . . the list goes on. No one, even a Christian, is immune to the painful struggles that afflict us in a fallen world. Jesus suffered; we are going to, as well.
And yet, as Christians, there should be a difference. Unlike many people who attribute pain and suffering to the mindless and purposeless forces of nature or to pure chance or to anger of evil spirits, we should, day by day, live with the constant knowledge that we serve not only a living God but a loving God and that this God not only knows our troubles but loves and cares about us and our woes. After all, as a human, He has known plenty of woe Himself (Isa. 53:3, Mark 15:15, John 11:35, Heb. 4:15, 1 Pet. 4:1). Thus, we can know that whatever happens, if we stay faithful, whatever our mistakes, whatever our shortcomings, God loves us and promises to see us through it all. God also promises us an eternity in bliss. This realization should give us joy and peace that will enable us to better endure whatever difficult circumstances we find ourselves in now.
We must remember, too, that as fruit of the Spirit, joy and peace aren't the same as always feeling happy; instead, joy and peace are what comes from knowingeven though we aren't feeling happy or if circumstances aren't goodthat God is close and promises to get us through whatever happens.
How do the following texts help us understand why we should have, if not always happiness, joy and peace in our lives as Christians, regardless of our tight circumstances? Matt. 6:31, 32; Rom. 8:28; Phil. 4:11-13; 1 John 4:8; Rev. 21:4.
|Dwell on the above texts (and any other relevant ones you can think of). If you know anyone who is struggling right now, share these texts with that person.
|May 16
Another one of the "fruit of the Spirit" in Galatians 5 is "longsuffering." It comes from a Greek word that means, basically, "patience," "endurance," "constancy," "steadfastness," and "slowness in avenging wrongs."
In what ways is the practice of long-suffering a reflection of the character of God? Exod. 34:6, Rom. 2:4.
How do the following examples reveal to us the long-suffering of God?
"Long-suffering bears something, yea, many things, without seeking to be avenged by word or act.
" `Long-suffering' is patience with offence; long endurance. If you are long-suffering, you will not impart to others your supposed knowledge of your brother's mistakes and errors. You will seek to help and save him because he has been purchased with the blood of Christ... . To be long-suffering is not to be gloomy and sad, sour and hardhearted; it is to be exactly the opposite."Ellen G. White, My Life Today, p. 52.
Our patience and long-suffering with others should stem, at least partly, from our realization of God's patience and long-suffering with us. Imagine if God treated each of us as we often treat one another! Fortunately He doesn't, and the fact that He is exceedingly patient with us and our faults means we should be patient with others and their faults. As we look in the mirror and see ourselves for what we are and know that God loves and endures with us despite what we see in the mirror, we will be better able to truly manifest this fruit of long-suffering. In and of ourselves, we can't do it; only as we surrender our will to God and keep before us the Cross and what it represents about God's long-suffering toward us will we bear the same fruit in our own lives.
|How long-suffering have you been with someone who has recently frustrated you, someone who is "hard to love"? What changes do you need to make in order to treat him or her as Christ treats you? What's the only way to be able to do it?
|May 17
Gentleness and Goodness
Write out your definition of what you understand as "gentleness and goodness." What is a person like who reflects these two fruit of the Spirit?
It's interesting, too (if you haven't already noticed), how the fruit of the Spirit all reflect aspects of the character of Jesus. Go back over what we've looked at so far regarding the fruit of the Spirit: In each case, these attributes are all found in Jesus. Thus, when we look at Christ, we can see the greatest revelation possible of goodness and gentleness, because as God, Jesus reflected these traits perfectly. Thus, as we can see, the more we manifest the fruit of the Spirit, the more we will be like Jesus.
Go back through the Gospels and pick out one example of where you see Jesus exhibiting specifically "goodness" and an example of where He was exhibiting specifically "gentleness." What can you learn from each of your examples?
If, for instance, you took the story of Jesus' fast in the wilderness (Matt. 4:1-11), you would see an aspect of goodness in His denial of self for the good of others. Or if you took the example of Jesus with the woman at the well (John 4:5-42) or with the woman taken in adultery (John 8:3-11), you saw an example of gentleness consisting of treating people, even those who have done wrong, with courtesy and respect.
|Go back over the examples you chose. What can you learn from them about changes you need to make in your own life?
|May 18
2:8. What does it tell us about where faith comes from?
In English, faith and belief or believe are translated from the same original Greek root. And that makes sense because you have to believe in something first before you can have faith in it. You might get rich from a job you hate, or you might be healed by a doctor you don't trustbut you'll never have faith in a God you don't believe in. Belief is inseparable from faith.
Yet, faith and belief are not the same thing. Faith might mean "belief," but belief doesn't automatically mean "faith." Scripture warns about confusing the two.
2:19. How does this verse help us to understand the difference between
belief and biblical faith?
In many ways the key to understanding what James meant in 2:19 is what is found in verse 20. Biblical faith and works are related to each other as human life is to breath: One automatically means the other. An alleged faith that does not lead to surrender to God's will is not genuine but Satan's counterfeit. No living or saving faith is merely theoretical. Rather, it is always experimental and leads to action. Or, as James bluntly put it: "Faith without works is dead" (vs. 20), just as a body without breath is dead, as well.
Faith is a gift, a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22), but it isn't something that is just supernaturally bestowed upon us and we go on our merry way. A daily cultivation of that faith, based on your love for God and what He has done for you, is crucial to keeping that faith. If faith is not cherished, if it's not nurtured, protected, and strengthened, it will degenerate into mere belief and, maybe eventually, into unbelief. The world is filled with people who, once fervent in faith, don't even believe anymore. "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God" (Heb. 3:12).
What things do you do that tend to strengthen your faith, and what weakens it? Dwell on the implications of your answer.
|May 19
Further Study:
Corinthians 13; Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, "God's Love for
Man," pp. 9-15; The Desire of
Ages, pp. 302-306, 347, 425-431;
Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2,
pp. 134, 135; Education,
pp. 253-255; Thoughts From
the Mount of Blessing, "The Beatitudes,"
pp. 13-18.
Two other fruit of the Spirit are meekness and temperance: "Moses was the greatest man who ever stood as leader of the people of God. He was greatly honored by God, not for the experience which he had gained in the Egyptian court, but because he was the meekest of men. God talked with him face to face, as a man talks with a friend. If men desire to be honored by God, let them be humble. Those who carry forward God's work should be distinguished from all others by their humility. Of the man who is noted for his meekness, Christ says, He can be trusted."Ellen G. White Comments, The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 1, p. 1113.
"Discipline and control the mental faculties. Self-control is a power that all may possess. It is gained by placing the will wholly on the side of God, taking the will of God for your will."Ellen G. White, Our High Calling, p. 219.
Discussion Questions:
| As a class, talk about the meaning of love. You'll probably
notice that it's hard to define. Nevertheless, what points do your definitions
have in common? What can you learn from these points?
Is there someone from your church who is no longer attending, who is struggling with faith? If so, as a class, why not, plan on visiting that person or inviting him or her for a dinner or some activity? What things can you do to help him or her regain the faith that has slipped away?
Let each person in the class talk about someone, not from the Bible, who exhibited the traits of goodness and gentleness. Do the same with meekness, as well. What can you learn from these examples about the meaning of these terms and how these characteristics should be manifested in our lives?
|I N S I D E Story
|Never Too Old
Toshiko Kinjo
Toshiko Kinjo, 69, recently received a bachelor's degree in theology from the Adventist seminary in Japan.
Born in southern Japan, she joined a Protestant church while in high school and was sent abroad to study theology. She returned to Okinawa and worked for a Christian mission until it disbanded. She then worked in a church-sponsored kindergarten. She retired in 1996 and opened a day care for kindergarten-age children. Ever the evangelist, she taught the children songs and stories about Jesus. In her first year she led six mothers to Christ through her day care.
Toshiko needed surgery, and her doctor recommended the Adventist hospital in Okinawa. Toshiko had heard that Adventists are heretics, and she refused to read the magazines the staff left in her room. Then she found a book about a murderer who had become an Adventist Christian after reading some literature. His life changed so much that the authorities released him from prison. He enrolled in the Adventist seminary in Japan and became a pastor.
As Toshiko read his story, her careful guard against Adventists was let down. Then she learned that the pastor whose story she had read was scheduled to speak in the hospital chapel. She had to go! Surely if this man had become an Adventist pastor, this church could not be that bad.
Then Toshiko learned of a young man who had committed suicide. Her heart went out to the family, and she asked the Adventist chaplain to allow her to go with him to comfort the family. By association with Adventist Christians, Toshiko's prejudices broke down further. She joined a small group Bible study and discovered many Bible truths she had not known. In addition, she learned many secrets to healthful living. She told her family what she had discovered, and at least one family member has decided to become an Adventist.
Toshiko wanted to share the new truths she loves with others, but felt she needed further study. She learned about a lay workers theology course at the Adventist seminary, and she applied. The school encouraged her to study the full theological curriculum. She graduated in 2004 and now works for her neighbors in Okinawa. She does not want a title; she just wants to work for God any way He wants to use her.
Toshiko Kinjo lives in Okinawa, Japan.
|Produced by the General Conference Office
of Mission Awareness
website: www.adventistmission.org
Join the SSNET moderated email discussion group. You are also warmly invited to join a group discussion of this lesson Sabbath morning with your local Seventh-day Adventist congregation.
Editorial Office: 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver
Spring, MD 20904.
Principal Contributor: Based on previously published Material
by Arnold V. Wallenkampf
Editor: Clifford R. Goldstein
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Copyright © 2006 General Conference of Seventh-day Adventist. All Rights Reserved.
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Prepared for the Internet by the SSNET Web
Last updated March 31, 2006.


text:
Motives® for La La Mineral Lip Shine
A sheer, high-shine gloss chosen by La La that can be worn alone or layered over lip colour to add a touch of luster to lips. The vitamin-rich ...
A sheer, high-shine gloss chosen by La La that can be worn alone or layered over lip colour to add a touch of luster to lips. The vitamin-rich minerals help to condition and protect your lips. With dynamic shades ranging from bright to deep in creamy and sparkly textures, the runway-ready possibilities are endless.
- Mineral base provides intense hydration and conditioning
- Provides ultra shine to lips throughout the day and night
- Helps protect lips from dryness while providing a moisturised healthy lip line
- Brush applicator provides increased colour during application
- Paraben free
Petrolatum is widely used in personal care products as an emollient and occlusive skin conditioning agent. It acts to slow water loss from your skin and enhance the smooth, soft feel and appearance of your skin.
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Wax from honey bees provides a luxurious consistency that allows for a smooth and even application.
Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E)
Vitamin E is a powerful natural antioxidant vitamin that helps to protect and nourish your skin. Vitamin E helps to moisturise your skin while also protecting it from environmental factors, giving your skin a healthy and more youthful appearance.
Is Motives for La La Mineral Lip Shine sticky?
No, Motives for La La Mineral Lip Shine blends into your lips, leaving a thin layer of brilliant, colourful shine that isn't thick or sticky.
How should I wear Motives for La La Mineral Lip Shine?
Motives for La La Mineral Lip Shine looks great alone or when applied over a Motives Mineral Lipstick.
What other Motives products can I use with Motives for La La Mineral Lip Shine?
Motives for La La Mineral Lip Shine looks phenomenal when applied over a Motives Mineral Lipstick. With such a wide variety of colour options, you can give every shade the right shimmer and wow your friends and family.
Does Motives for La La Mineral Lip Shine have a distinct smell or taste?
No. It is not heavily scented or flavoured, so Motives for La La Mineral Lip Shine does not have a distinct smell or taste.
How do I apply Motives for La La Mineral Lip Shine?
Motives for La La Mineral Lip Shine comes with a convenient and effective lip brush applicator. Simply brush on colour beginning in the middle of your lips and work outward with your lip brush to cover the entire lip.
Customer Reviews
Displaying reviews 1 - 5 of 39
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I'm not a big fan of bold lip colours on myself so the lala lip shine in bella is ideal for me. It adds a nice hint of natural colour and shine. Sometimes, if I do wear a bright colour lipstick, I put bella on top to make the colour less bold.
by KimB
Pout those lip - looking good
What a great way to add sex appeal and youth to a makeup look. Can often be worn as a solo product or over lipstick to add depth or color impact. It has a smooth texture that feels comfortable on lips during its entire wear time and does not have a watery or syrupy finish. These luscious lip glosses comes in an attractive range of colours
by SEMERAHK
Moisturising with great colour
Whether your makeup routine takes 1 minute or 60 minutes, this is a must! There are a variety of colours to choose from to make any look work. The product itself is easy to use, non-sticky, moisturising and fits nicely in a small bag - perfect for any occasion!!!
by DanielleF
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These lip glosses are a great topper for my Motives lipsticks. They go on easily and blend well, either lightening or darkening my regular lip color depending on my mood for the day. Also I use them alone for a natural look. They are long-lasting!
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My favorite lip gloss yet and I haven't found a color that I do not like. The product last a long time and is very moisturizing. Wear it by itself or I have layered them over my favorite lipsticks for a dramatic look.


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Meet your match...
Once you have joined the online singles club, you can browse through the other members online. When you've found someone that you want to meet you can contact that member and organize to meet in person.
Then it is time for you to go dating! You can both go on a typical date or you could meet over a round of golf. This is referred to as a 'Golf Dating'.
You can organize to go on as many or as few dates as you like!
How good at golf should I be to join?
We have expert golfers and also beginners! You have the option of searching within a handicap range when you are looking for your ideal golf dating partner!
And other single friends...
Members have the option to join in on 'Singles Golf Events'! On these days you will play a round of golf with other members that are compatible with your profile.
Typically a group will consist of 4 or 8 single golfers. Many golfers have met their partners on one of these rounds! The days are typically a great success as playing a round with other single people that share your hobby or passion is a lot of fun!
These events are also a great opportunity to play a round on different golf courses!
Great benefits for members...
- Golf Tips
- Singles Golf Events
- Golf Dating
- Club Golf Vacations, for singles at different locations around the world
Join this week for free and you will go into the draw to win 6 Club Tokens!


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Welcome to NRICD
Conservation districts across the country have specialized in the reduction of non-point sources of pollution such as soil erosion, animal waste, pesticides and fertilizers, poorly operating septic systems, and household hazardous wastes since the dust bowl of the 1930's.
While the devastation of soil erosion by wind gave birth to the first Conservation Districts, agricultural impacts, increased development and urban sprawl have all challenged the Districts to take the lead in protecting natural resources through educating the public and providing technical assistance.
In Providence County, the Northern Rhode Island Conservation District works in partnership with private land owners, farmers, municipalities, state and federal agencies, as well as non-governmental agencies. NRICD is not a regulatory or enforcement agency, but rather provides assistance to those who desire to work as a team to face issues -- watershed by watershed.


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A drop in corn prices below $3. 86 a bu. would threaten farm loan repayments, according to the survey of Midwestern rural bankers conducted by Creighton University's Dr. Ernie Goss. The regular 10-state monthly survey of rural community bankers asked bankers what corn price would put farm loan repayments in jeopardy. In addition, the survey asked bankers the breakeven corn price for farmers that rent their land. On average, bankers estimated that breakeven at $4.84 per bushel.
In his comments included with the release of the monthly Rural Mainstreet Index (RMI) conducted by Goss, he notes: "The University of illinois Department of Agricultural Economics projected 2013 corn prices of $5.73 per bushel. Given this projection along with current strong balance sheets and cash flow of farmers, agriculture repayments and profitability for farmers [in 2013] should be very similar to 2012. Even so, significant changes in Federal Reserve policy or international trade disruptions could pose a threat to the Rural Mainstreet economy in 2013."
In the February update, the RMI, which ranges between 0 and 100 with 50.0 representing growth neutral, climbed to a healthy 58.2 from 55.6 in January. "The February RMI is down only slightly from the reading for February of last year. I anticipate that economic growth for the region will continue on a slow but positive pace," says.
After peaking at 83.9 in November of last year, the farmland-price index has now declined for three straight months, observes Goss. "While the index declined, it was still strong at 67.0, down from January's 71.5. This is the 37th consecutive month that the farmland-price index has been above growth neutral. The farm equipment-sales index rose to 65.8 from 63.8 in January. Based on our surveys over the past several months, 2013 is stacking up to be a good year for farm income according to bankers. This is showing up in healthy growth in farmland prices and the sales of farm equipment," states Goss.
If interested in seeing a copy of LandOwner, just drop me an email at [email protected] or call 800-772-0023.


text:
2 things:
#1) How would i go about getting my program to run on windows startup?
#2) Can i get it to delete a full directory, or do i have to list all the files?
(not writing a virus, just some protection software from my parents :-D)
Results 1 to 6 of 6
Thread: VB Help


text:
The CW Rotary is a breakfast meeting. New guests are encouraged to come and we will buy you breakfast for your first visit.
Visiting Rotarians and return guests are asked to pay $12 if they take advantage of the Orchard Hills breakfast buffet.
Members an guests typically start showing up for a meeting 15-25 minutes early to socialize and find a good place to sit.
Come join us any time, all community members and community visitors are welcome!


text:
Friday, October 25, 2013
Sports News
Pick 6: Super subs who served as 'next man up'
By AP's Howard Fendrich
Send a link to a friend
[October 25, 2013]
(AP) -- After delivering three sacks to help the Green Bay Packers overcome the absences of hurt linebackers Clay Matthews and Brad Jones, A.J. Hawk proudly declared, "It's kind of been our motto for a long time around here:
'Next man up.'"
Real original, A.J.
When Chicago Bears rookie Jonathan Bostic filled in at middle linebacker after D.J. Williams was lost for the season, coach Marc Trestman opined: "He's in the
'next man up' situation."
When New England Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo went on injured reserve, backup Dane Fletcher explained: "Our defense knows what we have to do. It's always
'next man up.'"
And when Dallas Cowboys pass-rusher extraordinaire DeMarcus Ware's consecutive-games streak was about to end at 134 because of an injury, cornerback Brandon Carr noted that missing such a key player hurts the team, "But at the same time, it's the
'next man up' mentality."
Those examples are all from the past few weeks alone. Yes, NFL coaches and players love to use a certain cliche when discussing the importance of adequately replacing sidelined players. Last weekend was filled with images of guys being driven off NFL fields on carts, and now we'll start to see how the "next man up" does replacing Rams quarterback Sam Bradford, Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, Colts receiver Reggie Wayne, Texans linebacker Brian Cushing and others.
Here's a Pick 6 of some of this season's super subs so far:
HARRY DOUGLAS, WR, FALCONS: Until now, Douglas was the unknown receiver for Atlanta, a No. 3 lost behind Julio Jones and Roddy White. But with Jones done for the season after foot surgery, and White missing a game for the first time in his career because of a hamstring problem, Douglas got his chance last week against Tampa Bay. He came through, too, catching all seven passes Matt Ryan threw his way for a career-high 149 yards, including a 37-yard TD, during Atlanta's 31-23 win.
GEORGE SELVIE, DE, COWBOYS: A fourth-year journeyman who didn't even sign with the Cowboys until injuries had cropped up four days into training camp, Selvie suddenly found himself getting significant playing time -- and even starting. With Ware out, Selvie contributed 1 1/2 sacks in last weekend's 17-3 victory at the Philadelphia Eagles that put Dallas alone atop the NFC East. He's second on the team with 4 1/2 sacks this season.
JULIAN EDELMAN, WR, PATRIOTS: Edelman already has topped career-best numbers for catches (46) and yards receiving (455), providing a rare experienced target for Tom Brady and helping make up for Danny Amendola's absences because of a groin injury and concussion. With Rob Gronkowski hurt until last week, too, and Wes Welker and Aaron Hernandez gone, Edelman's been a rare bright spot for a receiving corps filled with rookies.
[to top of second column]
THAD LEWIS, QB, BILLS: Buffalo finally had reason to be optimistic about a young quarterback when rookie EJ Manuel showed early signs of being ready to succeed -- until, that is, he sprained his right knee. So Lewis was called up from the practice squad and showed quite a bit of poise with two fourth-quarter touchdown passes in what would turn out to be an overtime loss to Cincinnati, then led Buffalo past the Miami Dolphins 23-21, ending a six-game losing streak on the road.
JOIQUE BELL, RB, LIONS: When key offseason addition Reggie Bush sat out with a knee injury in Week 3, Bell got to start, and contributed 63 yards rushing and 69 yards receiving as Detroit ended a 21-year road losing streak against the Redskins. In all this season, Bell is second on the Lions to Bush with 204 yards rushing, second to Calvin Johnson with 26 catches, and his three TDs on the ground are one more than the entire rest of the roster combined.
BRIAN HOYER, QB, BROWNS: When starter Brandon Weeden sprained his right thumb in Week 2, Hoyer jumped from No. 3 on the depth chart to No. 1. Finally getting a chance to play after five years as an NFL backup, Hoyer proceeded to lead Cleveland to two victories in a row. And then, in Hoyer's third start -- which would become yet another victory for the Browns -- he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, requiring season-ending surgery. Weeden got his job back, but was awful again, so now it's Jason Campbell's turn to show whether he can capably fill in, starting Sunday at the unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs.
AP NFL website:
Press; By HOWARD FENDRICH]
AP Pro Football Writer
Barry Wilner contributed.
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on Twitter at
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Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
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Death loomed large and came as near as it dared, at least this time around, taking admired colleagues like Something Weird's Mike Vraney, my uncle Jimmy, our little girl Snooper, and two particularly wonderful friends I already dearly miss, Michael Lennick and Mark Miller. For all that, it still could have been worse: another of my friends made a fortunately unsuccessful suicide attempt this year. This is a different sort of death, but I unfriended someone on Facebook just the other day, someone I've cared about, someone whose life I once helped to save, because he crossed a line in his self-destructive behavior that I could no longer endorse with my continued attention and implicit support. Life is just too precious now to see it wasted and ridiculed. Additionally, several friends of mine lost their parents this year, my close friend Steve Bissette losing both his mother and father within a one-month period. And then there were all the deaths of people who have been inspirational to me and you and others like us, in some cases for the whole of our lives; I remember at some point feeling that we were losing more than I thought were left after all the losses we suffered last year. The wisdom that comes down to us from all this loss should be clear: life is precious and we must make the most of it.
Donna and I published only two issues of VIDEO WATCHDOG this year, making this a bad year for personal income. Some outlets that owe us money started spreading the rumor among our readers that we'd closed up shop, perhaps so they wouldn't feel badly about not paying their bills when we might need the money most. There was also the agony of creating the VIDEO WATCHDOG Digital Archive - a task in which I and others participated, but in a small way compared with Donna, whose masterpiece it is - and this is where we begin to see and appreciate the other side of 2014. The VW Digital Archive is our second Everest, after the Bava book. It is an immense achievement that, we well know, not everybody is going to be able to appreciate right away because it's too ahead of the curve. That said, we've received some marvelous emails and accolades that Donna will be posting as part of her Digital Dog blog.
Though I was deprived for much of this year of my primary platform as a VW critic, this year was not without its professional accomplishments. The major one was the ALAIN ROBBE-GRILLET box set from the BFI, to which I contributed five audio commentaries. I also contributed an essay to Arrow Films' THE HOUSE OF USHER and a commentary to their PIT AND THE PENDULUM, marking my advent into representing the work of two of my principal heroes: Roger Corman and Vincent Price. I also paid homage to Vincent with a commentary for Arrow's DR. PHIBES RISES AGAIN and recorded an audio commentary for one of my favorite films, Georges Franju's EYES WITHOUT A FACE, which will be released in March 2015 by the BFI. In addition to some reissued Mario Bava commentaries I did - THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH, RABID DOGS - I recorded my first Bava commentary re-recording/update for THE WHIP AND THE BODY (forthcoming from Odeon Entertainment in the UK) and a brand-new commentary for the Kino/Scorpion Blu-ray of PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES. Furthermore, I got to co-produce a video interview with actress Edith Scob for the EYES WITHOUT A FACE set, and I'm credited as an Associate Producer of Elijah Drenner's documentary THAT GUY DICK MILLER. I might even be forgetting a thing or two.
Indeed I did: 56 Video WatchBlog postings! Not quite as many as in 2013 (62 postings), but it makes this blog anything but moribund.
All in all, not bad for a guy in Ohio who barely left his house.
Other highlights of the year: Finally finishing my long in-the-works novel THE ONLY CRIMINAL. Receiving a handwritten letter from Steve Ditko. Spending my birthday weekend with friends at Wonderfest, where my beautiful friend Danya made me all emotional by reading aloud to our group of friends a poem she'd written about me and our friendship. My mother-in-law's miraculous recovery from a briefly fatal heart attack. Getting Larry Blamire to become a guest columnist for VIDEO WATCHDOG. Donna's and my 40th wedding anniversary on December 23.
Next year promises still more good things.
To anyone and everyone who continues to keep tabs on this old blog and its new tricks - you have my abiding appreciation and thanks. Here's to a happy, healthy and productive 2015 for us all!


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This story appears in the April 2000 issue of Business Start-Ups magazine. Subscribe »
According to the latest statistics, about half of all working-age people with disabilities are unemployed. Recognizing this fact, the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities recently launched an initiative that will provide the disabled with resources to help them become self-employed.
Called the Small Business and Self-Employment Service, the initiative consists of a toll-free phone line people can call for consultations and a Web site where interested parties can find more information: http://janweb.icdi.wvu.edu/sbses. The site acts as clearinghouse with links to entities such as the SBA, Web sites aimed at homebased business and organizations serving the disabled. In addition to the Web site, prospective entrepreneurs can call (800) 526-7234.
Contact Source
President's Committee on Employment of People, (800) 526-7234, http://janweb.icdi.wvu.edu/sbses


text: Rock these trendy fringe boots this upcoming fall season to steal the show wherever you go! Featuring; suede, pointy toe, fringe, stitch trimming, smooth lining, knee high, side zip closure, cushioned footbed. Approximately 4 1/2 inch heel, 17 inch shaft, 16 1/2 circumference. Style: shoes-boots-ami-mu-sue-4blacksu This item is FINAL SALE and is not eligible for return or exchanges.


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With the enactment of an enhanced federal role in medical care comes the need for revenue enhancement. The age of the Obama tax hikes has officially begun. The big news for high-income folks is a new 3.8% "Medicare" tax on investment income and an additional 0.9% Medicare tax on wages, both of which are to take effect in 2013. But workers at all income levels could be squeezed by new limits on medical flexible spending accounts and medical deductions.
The 3.8% investment tax, combined with the expected (and Obama- favored) Jan. 1, 2011 expiration of the Bush tax cuts for high-income taxpayers, would produce a 2013 top federal income tax rate of 23.8% on long-term capital gains from the sale of securities, up from 15% now. The top rate on interest, rents, royalties and certain "passive income" would rise to 43.4% from 35%. (Neither 2013 rate includes the return next year of the phaseout of itemized deductions for the better off, which can add one percentage point to both rates.)
"The high-net-worth, high-income taxpayers--they are in the crosshairs. They have a target on their backs and their fronts,'' says Mitchell A. Drossman, national director of wealth planning strategies for
Play defense. Consider these strategies now.
FSAs and Medical Expenses
Beginning next year money stashed in pretax FSAs, health savings accounts and health reimbursement accounts may no longer be used for over-the-counter medications other than insulin, unless prescribed by a doctor.
Even more significantly, beginning in 2013, the amount you can shelter pretax in an FSA will be restricted to $2,500 a year, an amount that will then be indexed for inflation. (Currently there's no legal limit, and 78% of large employers set it at $5,000 or higher, according to
Note that it will also become more difficult as of 2013 to write off out-of-pocket medical costs on your 1040--taxpayers under 65 will be able to deduct such costs only to the extent they exceed 10% of adjusted gross income, up from 7.5% now. (Older taxpayers can still use the 7.5% threshold through 2016.)
Roller Coaster
The top tax rates on both capital gains and ordinary income are heading back up again.
Read Forbes Editor William Baldwin's Side Lines On This Story
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Additional Medicare Wage Tax
Beginning in 2013 there's an additional 0.9% Medicare tax on gross compensation--meaning before 401(k) or other pre-income-tax deductions--of more than $200,000 for individuals or $250,000 for couples. This tax is paid solely by the employee and is on top of the current 2.9% Medicare payroll tax, split evenly between employer and employee. The new charge, along with the expected 2011 reversion of the 33% marginal income tax rate to its pre-Bush 36% and the 35% top rate to its pre-Bush 39.6%, means high earners should think hard before deferring compensation. Similarly, if you've got nonqualified stock options that you can exercise, consider doing it this year--your gain at exercise is all taxed as compensation, subject to the ordinary income tax plus Medicare taxes, notes Drossman.
If you're well paid, don't marry another high earner. The marriage penalty was already pretty severe for upper-middle-incomers (with typical deductions, two $200,000 earners would see the second income kicked up from 28% and lower brackets to 33%). The penalty will get a lot worse, with a greater gulf between rates in the two highest brackets and rates in the brackets below.
Surtax on Investment Income
There's yet another marriage penalty here, since the new 3.8% investment surtax for 2013 hits singles with more than $200,000 in adjusted gross income and joint filers with more than $250,000. (Unlike the tax brackets, neither threshold is indexed for inflation.) The surtax will apply to interest, capital gains, annuities, rents, royalties, passive activity income and dividends. (It's unclear what the total rate on dividends will be. Obama purports to favor making permanent an expiring provision of the Bush cuts that taxes dividends at the lower long-term capital gains rate. But if Congress doesn't act, the top rate on dividends will zoom from 15% to 43.4%.)
Exempt from the surtax: retirement account distributions, capital gains from selling a principal residence and business income from a venture, such as a partnership or Subchapter S corporation you actively manage. (That means self-employed professionals can still cut their Medicare taxes by incorporating as an S corp. and treating some of their earnings as profits, not wages.)
The new 3.8% surcharge will add yet another way you must figure your tax bill: It applies to the lesser of your net investment income or your adjusted gross income in excess of the threshold amounts. So a couple with $350,000 in salaries and no taxable investment income would pay the 0.9% surtax on $100,000 of salary. A couple with $200,000 of salaries and $150,000 of investment income would pay no 0.9% surtax but would pay the 3.8% surtax on $100,000 of income (the excess of $350,000 over the $250,000 threshold).
The surtax will also apply to trust income in excess of $11,200 that isn't distributed to beneficiaries--bad news for trust fund babies as well as families accumulating money in trusts for kids with special needs.
All these changes make tax-efficient situating of assets more crucial than ever, particularly for higher-income folks. Hold corporate bonds and Treasuries in your tax-deferred accounts and buy tax-exempt municipal bonds for taxable accounts.
Keep individual stocks in taxable accounts so you can harvest losses and benefit from the lower capital gains rate when you sell. If you've still got unrealized losses from the market crash, harvest them and bank them for future use against the higher gains rate. (But when you sell, beware of the wash-sale rule, which says you can't book a tax loss if you buy the same stock or fund in the 30 days before or after selling a loser.)
If you've got big bills coming up in 2011--say, for college tuition or a home renovation--sell appreciated stock later this year to benefit from the 15% rate, says Timothy Burley, a tax partner with Weiser LLP in Edison, N.J. Drossman adds that if you're taking these gains, you may want to defer realizing losses until next year or beyond, when they can offset gains that are taxed at a higher rate than what you're paying now. Whatever you do, he adds, don't panic and let tax considerations outweigh investment sense, as some folks did in 1986 when the rate was about to go from 20% to 28%. "We're trying to avoid clients making knee-jerk reactions,'' he says.
Read Forbes Editor William Baldwin's Side Lines On This Story
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Roth IRA Conversions
Another issue to consider now: Roth conversions, which were allowed this year, for the first time, for all taxpayers. (Previously, only those with modified AGI of $100,000 or less could do them.) In a conversion you take money out of a traditional pretax individual retirement account, pay ordinary federal and state income tax on it at today's rates and deposit it in a Roth IRA, where all future growth and withdrawals in retirement (or by your heirs) are tax free.
The looming 3.8% Medicare surcharge makes Roth conversions even more attractive for some upper-income folks, says IRA expert Robert Keebler, a CPA with Baker Tilly in Green Bay, Wis. Why? Even though IRA withdrawals themselves aren't subject to the surcharge, the money you take in retirement from a regular IRA--but not (at least under current law) a Roth--counts in your AGI and can help push you over the $200,000/$250,000 threshold, which makes your other investment income subject to the 3.8% tax. Plus once you hit 70 1/2 you're forced to take distributions from a taxable IRA, meaning this isn't income you'll be able to manage or time.
Still, conversions aren't right for every (currently) high-income taxpayer, Keebler cautions. For example, if your combined federal/state marginal income tax rate will be lower in the future, a conversion seldom makes sense. Even assuming Obama's tax hikes remain undisturbed after the next election, your own marginal tax rate could fall if you move into a lower bracket or from a high-tax state, such as New York or California, to one without a state income tax, such as Florida or Nevada.
Read Forbes Editor William Baldwin's Side Lines On This Story
I cover personal finance, with a focus on retirement planning, trusts and estates strategies, and taxwise charitable giving. I've written for Forbes since 1997. Follow me…
I cover personal finance, with a focus on retirement planning, trusts and estates strategies, and taxwise charitable giving. I've written for Forbes since 1997. Follow me on Twitter: @ashleaebeling and contact me by email: ashleaebeling -- at -- gmail -- dot -- com


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In a sea of dark-framed glasses, tech-geeks, and gadget fanatics, you don't expect to see dreadlocks and a Jamaican accent.
"Greeting! This is Rohan Marley, I am a member of the House of Marley, as you can tell," said Rohan, the son of legendary Rastafarian Bob Marley .
Rohan Marley presented the House of Marley's newest collection of earbuds, headphones, docking stations, speakers and boom boxes.
The House of Marley is a tribute to Bob Marley's ideals of love for music, sustainability and charity into eco-conscious products.
"My father would not be apart of something that doesn't contribute back to the earth," Rohan Marley said. "Where doing this eco-friendly, the closest to the earth as possible."
The collection offers vibrant colored earbuds, Rastafarian-inspired headphones and a bohemian speaker bag that lets you take your music anywhere -- all of which are made from recycled aluminum and plastics.
The collection embodies Bob Marley's values of equality, unity, authenticity, sustainability and charity.
"We want something that is everlasting that can go generations upon generations," Rohan Marley said.
A portion of proceeds will benefit 1Love.org, a not-for-profit business created with the Marley family which supports charities that empower youth, protect our planet and encourage global peace.
"Our father shared his vision with our family and his fans through the gift of the messages in his music and it is our mission and responsibility to push the movement forward," said Cedella Marley, Bob Marley's daughter. "The House of Marley and the MARLEY audio products that bear our family name were created to spread our father's music and vision to a new generation."
Prices range from $29.99 to $499.99.
Jammin' at CES With Gear Inspired by Bob Marley
House of Marley goes tech featuring new eco-friendly audio equipment
In a sea of dark-framed glasses, tech-geeks, and gadget fanatics, you don't expect to see dreadlocks and a Jamaican accent.


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Anthem, Maine Health team up for new plan
Not all Maine hospitals are part of program
Anthem Insurance and Maine Health have teamed up to create a new plan.
The plan works for 32 of Maine's 38 hospitals.
Excluded from the list are all three of Central Maine Healthcare's hospitals as well as Parkview Adventist Medical Center, York and Mercy hospitals.
According to Anthem, this new narrow network complies with the Affordable Care Act and would make policies cheaper for individuals and small groups.
But for patients who currently go to the excluded hospitals who want to keep their policies, it means they have to travel farther and lose the doctors they work with now.
"I've been in the power chair for 18 years and I've been on the vent for 14," said Brenda Weeks.
Weeks suffers from multiple sclerosis.
"It's through my medical team and through the benefits that I get through Anthem that I'm sitting here today and can sit here fully and enjoy it," said Weeks.
She goes to a hospital that wouldn't be included in Anthem's new narrow network.
She said if it goes through, she would lose a team of doctors who have helped her for decades.
"I've worked for the past 20 years, since the onset of my illness, to surround myself with work, with a team of doctors who could best suit my needs, and the thought of starting over is just overwhelming," she said.
The narrow network will grandfather in certain patients like Weeks, who had their policy before March 23, 2010.
"It does not impact large group members. It does not impact senior members. It does not impact a grandfathered member," said Chris Dugan with Anthem.
But grandfathering doesn't allow patients to change their policies at all, so Weeks said if her premiums went up, she would be forced to leave because she couldn't pay them.
Central Maine Health Care said many people don't know what this means for their policies.
"There's a lot of confusion, people are saying, 'Well, wait a minute. I have a doctor I'm going to now. I'd like to stick with that doctor.' That could change under this network," said Chuck Gill with CMHC.
Health care is expensive. This is an intimate approach to help bring those prices down and that's really what's being discussed today. This plan might not be for everybody and we certainly hope they'll choose us, but it's important to note that this is an option both individuals and small groups will have in 2014," said Dugan.
The superintendent for the Bureau of Insurance is expected to make a decision in the coming weeks.


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Ladies and gentleman, I am proud to announce the release of my first ever collaboration mixtape…
12 Hot songs (plus some bonuses) from me, A.P.T., and my partner in rhyme (and beats) Kaptain Kutta!!
Track Listing:
- The Takeover
- I Don't Mean to Brag
- Wade in the Water
- No Tomorrow
- The Break Up Song
- When The Doves Cry
- Heads Will Roll
- Take a Look (So Fly)
- All Thanks to the Dope Man
- Choose One
- About to Blow (plus 2 bonus songs!)
This is my first collaboration mixtape, and it came about for one very simple reason: I wanted to put new music out but didn't feel like writing full songs.
No, really – most rap songs are 2 to 3 verses, 16 bars or more each, and it can be hard to have to come up with all those words yourself and keep the song interesting. So, I figured it would be a good idea to do a collaboration album.
Why Kaptain Kutta? Well, for those of you who don't know, this dude is a beat-making GENIUS!! Some of my biggest youtube hits (like "I'mma Let You Finish") he actually made the beats for, and he's had quite a few beats on each of my albums. He also raps and puts out a slew of mixtapes each year – way more than me, like every other month or something. He's got the work ethic and drive for this game, and figured he'd be someone that would actually finish a project with me, as well as make me want to finish a project.
We started making songs in April 2013, with him cooking up beats himself (or with Chris Wayne, his beat-making partner) and me coming up with song concepts and lyrics. It wasn't until May that I actually had the name for the album. I wanted a title that would symbolize how me and Kutta planned on using this album to take over the industry, if force by necessary. And so, I came up with the idea of calling the album (and later, our group) "Manifest Destiny: The Takeover Mixtape!" (And if you don't know what "Manifest Destiny" is, I suggest you repeat your 9th grade history class or google it.)
This is a very fun album, but it also gets deep as well. I've never been an artist that was good with just creating filler songs or party songs – at some point, it's always good to have songs with social commentary, or ones that reflect on life, etc. There's a good mix of songs on here – you have your party songs like "V.I.P." and "No Tomorrow;" songs about relationships like "The Break Up Song" and "Choose One;" songs about things like the effects of drugs on family ("All Thanks to the Dopeman") or being tempted by the wrong things ("Wade in the Water"); and some tracks that are about displaying our skills like "The Takeover" and "About to Blow!"
All in all, this album came together real well, and we really want people to hear it. That's why we're providing it as a FREE download! You download the album at the following link(s):
That's all for now – enjoy the mixtape, everybody!! (And yes, videos for songs off the mixtape are coming soon!!)


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The Chicago Board of Education approved a $363 million spending package Wednesday that will help pay for Chicago Public Schools massive restructuring plan.
CPS wants to close 54 schools—the most any school district has ever taken on in a single year. In all, the plan will affect 132 schools and each action will be voted on by the school board on May 22.
Initially, district officials said the move was necessary to address CPS's ballooning deficit. But any savings won't come for several years because the district plans to go further into debt in order to fix up the receiving schools and others that need upgrades.
CPS CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett said she wants classrooms at the remaining schools to "pop," so that students want to come to school.
But when Garvey third grader Asean Johnson stepped up to the microphone, barely able to peer over the podium, he rattled off a list of the things his elementary school already has—a "well-stocked library, an award-winning garden," an art room, a computer lab and several science labs.
"These are things you say that you want all schools to have but intentionally left these facts out of the fact sheet given to the parents in the community," Johnson said. "Why would you take Marcus Garvey away from us?"
Garvey elementary is slated to close and students will be sent to nearby Mount Vernon—a move parents, teachers, and even the Chicago Sun-Times editorial board say is questionable.
Board members became slightly more outspoken on the closings issue during Wednesday's meeting. Mahalia Hines, a former principal and current board member, pressed CPS officials on what specifically they would be doing to help students with special needs.
Hines raised concerns about the utilization formula not accounting for special education programs and told district officials they would need to review the safety plans at some of the schools. She said she took a few of the routes from closing to receiving schools and was shocked.
"That's not a route I'd send my child," she said, referring to the walk from Melody to Delano Elementary. "They are going to have to come back with some better options that that… There is no way, no way, I would send my child (on that walk). And I'm not voting for anything I wouldn't vote for for my child. OK?"
It was clear that board members have been visiting the schools on the list of closures. At one point, board president David Vitale thanked a woman from Henson Elementary for showing him around the school last week. Henson is slated to close and students will move to Langston Hughes Elementary.
'Community engagement' shorter for some
For months, parents, teachers and other community activists have been fighting to pull their schools off the chopping block. CPS is on its fourth round of community engagement and many of the same faces came out again Wednesday for a final push. Formal public hearings end next week.
But for some groups, this latest round of public forums is the first chance they've had to speak out. That's because a number of schools affected by the restructuring were not on any of the previous lists of schools eligible for closure.
Courtenay Elementary is one of them. A small school with lottery admissions on the North Side, it is slated to merge with nearby Stockton Elementary and move into the Stockton building. Courtenay parents are upset not only that the basic structure of the school will change into a large, comprehensive neighborhood school, but also because they didn't see the proposal coming.
"I strongly oppose the merger of Courtenay and Stockton," said Mila Cohen, whose daughter is in Courtenay's special education program. "The mayor says the time for negotiation is over. This is insulting because there was no negotiation. There was no notice. No dialog and certainly, no transparency. Courtenay was never on any action lists and why should it be?"
Cohen said the only reason the school is not Level 1, the highest performance rating CPS gives, is because there wasn't significant growth above the school's already high scores. "By this logic, CPS would downgrade Harvard for not improving every year too."
Dueling Protests
There is a sharp divide in the debate over school closings and improving the school system and the scene outside CPS headquarters before the meeting started Wednesday illustrated the tensions.
Outside, students, many of them juniors who were boycotting the second day of state testing, chanted "Education is our right, we won't go without a fight!" while indoors, a large group of parents from UNO, Noble and Chicago International charter schools chanted, "Padres unidos, jamas de a vencidos!" (Translation: The parents united, will never be defeated!)
The groups had starkly different messages. The students said they want CPS to stop using their standardized tests to justify shutting down schools. While, the parents argued that the performance, mostly measured by standardized tests, is reason that CPS should open more charter schools.
The charter parents, decked out in T-shirts and bright yellow stickers, are part of a new group called Charter Parents United, or CPU. A press release about the group ASGK Public Strategies, a firm founded by David Axelrod, says the group formed to "voice the concerns of one group whose views have been missing from the recent debate about fixing Chicago Public Schools."
CPU also argued that charter schools should be funded equally. But in the district's most recent budget cycle, CPS touted the fact that charter schools got equitable funding as a result of the Gates Foundation's District-Charter Compact. In all, charters got a $76 million increase in funding from CPS this year.
But parents protesting with CPU didn't agree and continued to argue that the schools were not funded fairly. Yeni Jiminez has four children, two at UNO-Carlos Fuentes, one at Noble-Golder College Prep and another in college.
When asked by a reporter what programs she felt were missing from her children's schools, Jiminez said, "I have to go right now, but I do believe that children definitely deserve equal funding."
'NO' votes
School board members rarely vote against any of the district's proposals, but yesterday, Mahalia Hines and Carlos Azcoitia voted 'no' to expanding some of the city's charter schools.
Both voted down a proposal to add seats to Chicago Virtual Charter School. The resolution ultimately passed 4 to 2. After the meeting, Hines said she's not against the school, or any school, but doesn't think it's wise to expand at a time when the district is trying to "right-size" itself.
Azcoitia also voted against adding a KIPP charter school in Englewood and the expansion of KIPP's ACT campus.
The measures ultimately passed, and next year several new schools are set to open.The board also approved a high school expansion for UNO-Rogers Park, despite a state investigation into the network's finances.
CPS plans to open about a dozen new schools next year.
Becky Vevea is an education reporter for WBEZ. Follow her @WBEZeducation.


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Pondering Warhammer stats for WPDK
Warrior Priest/Disciple of Khaine, for those who haven't read the earlier posts. Anyway… I was playing with some of the stats and effect numbers for this class. Basically, what do you pick by preference?
In this article I'm looking at one pair – Strength vs Willpower – and looking solely under one consideration: healing. Note again this has no application for the other healer pairs. Only this class has the damage=>healing mechanism.
Inevitably the answer boils down to "it depends." The question that should be asked next is, "It depends on what?" To begin, it depends on how much you plan to (or your play uses) the d=>h mechanism spells. I am going to assume the answer is "a lot", however. Both careers get one of these at level 6, one at 8, and one at 30. There's also a tactic picked up at 11+1 (11 points, plus one to purchase the tactic) on one path of mastery. Focusing solely on this path and picking up none of the other skills or talents makes this possible at level 27. More likely it's a later selection (if taken at all). The first consideration I'll use, then, is "assuming you're level 10, which is better?"
The level 6 (L6) skill heals one target for 50% of damage taken, with a base damage of 75. With no cooldown it can be cast every 1.5 seconds (GCD). The level 8 (L8) skill heals one target for 250% of damage taken and has an 8 second cooldown. This skill's base damage is a bit different as it hits 1-4 times over three seconds for 75 per hit.
In a perfect and exclusive environment (using no other heals, buffs, or attacks) the normal pattern would be to cast five 6 and one 8, alternating. Pause on this a moment as we look at what the stats add.
Strength adds damage at a DPS rate of STR/5. Willpower adds healing at an HPS rate of WP/5. So we can get a whole number for calculation, let us have 5 STR or WP. OK, let's generate some numbers.
L6 (base) = (.5 * 75)/1.5 = 25 HPS. (that is, 50% of 75 damage, divided by the applicable time to get the per second effect. This is the last time I'll explain this mechanism, though it's going to get used a lot.)
L8 (base) = (2.5 * ((75+150+225+300)/4)/3 = 156.28 HPS. (OK, one more explain. 1-4 hits of 75 each, averaged.)
Average sustained HPS = (5*25 + 156.28) / 10.5 = 26.79 HPS. Wheeeeee.
Add 5 STR (1 DPS, notionally 1.5 damage to L6 and .75 damage to L8)
L6 (str) = (.5 * 76.5)/1.5 = 25.5. L8 (str) = (2.5 * (757.50)/4)/3 = 157.8125.
Avg (str) = (5*25.5 + 157.8125)/10.5 = 27.12 HPS. 5 STR will increase our (perfect) healing by 0.33 HPS.
Let's do WillPower.
L6 (WP) = L6 Base + 1 = 26 HPS. L8 (WP) = L8 Base +1 = 157.28 HPS.
Avg (WP) = (5*26 + 157.28)/10.5 = 27.36. Our net increase is 0.57 HPS.
Yes, I fooled you a bit. The real answer is: if you intend to maximize healing ability, add Willpower.
In this game you never want to add just one thing. Focusing solely upon WP will make you a glass, er, bandage. Your healing will be quite good, but your lack of toughness and wounds, not to mention the various dodges and parries, will make you very, very vulnerable to attack. (I will point out that by going nuts in WP your disruption rate for spells will be phenomenal. The problem is when spells DO get through, you're toast.)
I have no idea, yet, what the perfect balance might be. But for healing, it's better to add + heal than + dps.
Have fun.


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Social Medias and its Influence: Adventure with IT-Security Tweeps on Twitter
March 22, 2012 5 Comments
First of all let me tell you that on the beginning when I joined Twitter I really wasn't a friend of it as I didn't see its advantages. I am an ICT Course Instructor and also an author who has written a lot of articles, blogs, tutorials and courses who were read +/- 4 million times in total:
- http://www.internetmonitor.lu (EN, FR, DE) with 2.2 million visits
- http://www.scoop.it/webwizard (EN, FR, DE) My curations…
- My knols on Google Knol (EN, FR) with +/- 1.3 million visites
- Knol-to-WordPress-Annotum Migration
- My ICT-Security courses in English (EN)
- My ICT-Security courses in French (FR)
- Twitter Dictionary (explains the terms used here about Twitter)
- What's a Tweep?
- Using Twitter to learn from others
- What's a PLN (Personal Learning Network)?
- What's Curation?
- My curation blog "What is Curation and How-To Use It"
A True Story
My tweet: Feb 09, 2012: FAQ's (FR) http://vsb.li/8BFqNe
First intervention on Wednesday June 6, 2012
The actors on Twitter from this "adventure"
- Webroot: Twitter Name @WebrootRescue ===> Follow them on Twitter, very good Tweets (love that…) <===
- As I had to make some research on old Tweets to find back the original Tweets by date, so I had time also to read their Tweets and I must say that I was impressed of the #quality!
- Me: Twitter Name Knolinfos
- Doesn't want to get mentioned 😉
- Luxembourg Portal (EN) on Google Knol
- Luxembourg (EN) my curation
- Portail Luxembourg (FR)
- …
My Google+ Profile: https://plus.google.com/u/0/102227403703855230445/about
|L'auteur Gust MEES est Formateur andragogique / pédagogique TIC, membre du "Comité Conseil" de "Luxembourg Safer Internet" (LuSI), appelé maintenant BEESECURE, partenaire officiel (consultant) du Ministère de l'éducation au Luxembourg du projet "MySecureIT", partenaire officiel du Ministère du Commerce au Luxembourg du projet "CASES" (Cyberworld Awareness and Security Enhancement Structure)....
The author Gust MEES is ICT Course Instructor, "Member of the Advisory Board" from "Luxembourg Safer Internet" (LuSI), BEESECURE, Official Partner (Consultant) from the Ministry of Education in Luxembourg, project "MySecureIT", Official Partner from the Ministry of Commerce in Luxembourg, project "CASES" (Cyberworld Awareness and Security Enhancement Structure).


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Saturday, 7 November 2009
Review of Clarins Palazzo D'Oro holiday collection Part 2
Well part two's are never as good..after having bought the two compacts I had gone back and bought the Mascara and lipstick from the holiday collection.
The mascara is a black with very faint gold shimmer (once applied its only noticeable close up) for me this mascara was so bad that I have since thrown it away. The formula was so dry, had it not been a new limited edition product I would have thought it old stock.
The lipstick when swatched in store appeared to be a really nice golden sheen. Once home and in better lighting what I actually had was a sheer wash of gold glitter, nice from a distance not so good close up. My problem with this product was that although the lipstick had a lot of slip the glitter was extremely gritty and I found it really uncomfortable to wear, this has now joined the mascara in the bin. So a bit of a wash out.
I did also pick up one of the eyeshadows from the regular collection called Chestnut Freeze and do really like the shades which is in a variation of taupe, as you can never have enough :)
Ultimately I think I need to leave alone the majority of the "normal department store" established brands (Estee Lauder, Clarins, Clinique,Lancome ) as they always seem to be a disappointment, if only they would stop having those alluring GWP events then I would be safe….
5 comments:
Such a shame you didn't get on with it... the premise of the mascara sounded really great!ReplyDelete
Looks good, but I'm not sure their make-up products really live up to expectations ever. For skin-care, yes, but not make-up.ReplyDelete
Hi Mizzworthy,ReplyDelete
Yes, I am always intriqued by sparkly mascaras. I think with this collection the compacts are the way to go. Thanks for your comment.
Hi Elise,
I do think I will give their makeup a miss in future ! Thanks for looking at my blog.
Pretty bad experience, eh? I actually have a similar mascara in blue/azure and like it very much (I only bought it for the colour, mind you, which is quite visible compared to many other coloured mascaras out there!) The lipstick does sound bad, though I have a couple of glosses and like those a lot and I think the Joli Rouge line is nice too. I agree with you, though, I think this collection is a complete miss! Forgot to say...thanks for the suggestions on my london shopping list! xxReplyDelete
Hi Anna,ReplyDelete
I don't think its the brand for me really ! Hope you have a fun shopping trip, bet your list is going to get longer and longer.. x


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Around 520 of a total 700 MEPs attended the plenary session in parliament that discussed the EU's 2050 Energy Roadmap. The majority were in favour of setting a 2030 renewables target that increased the 20% EU-wide 2020 target. However, a proposal to set that target at 45% failed by just one vote to secure majority support.
Today's parliamentary support for a new 2030 target of any kind is the first step in a lengthy bureaucratic process to enshrine the target in EU law. The next step will take place on 27 March when the European Commission publishes its Green Paper.
The European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) welcomed the MEPs support for a 2030 target.
"The parliament has once again recognised what a strong renewables industry, driven by ambitious targets, can do for Europe's economy, jobs, energy security and the climate," said Stephane Bourgeois, EWEA head of regulatory affairs.
"The European Commission must heed the parliament's support for a target when it publishes its Green Paper on 2030 energy policy in the next few weeks."
MEPs also used this morning's session to condemn the retroactive changes to renewable energy support mechanisms taking place in several EU member states as detrimental to investor confidence.


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Brough speaks on Slipper case involvement
By chief political correspondent Simon Cullen
Former Howard government minister Mal Brough says he has nothing to be ashamed of over his involvement in a failed sexual harassment case against former speaker Peter Slipper.
The Federal Court dismissed the case in December, declaring it to be an abuse of process and designed to further the political interests of Mr Brough and the Liberal National Party (LNP).
It emerged during the court proceedings that Mr Brough had requested extracts of Mr Slipper's diary from the staff member who ultimately filed the sexual harassment case, James Ashby.
Mr Brough has been preselected as the LNP's candidate for Mr Slipper's Sunshine Coast electorate of Fisher but has refused repeated requests for an interview until today.
Asked whether he thought it was wrong or illegal to obtain parts of Mr Slipper's diary, Mr Brough replied: "Mr Slipper's now about to face court next week and be charged ... on criminal offences relating to allegations of misuse of travel [entitlements].
"I think that's the right and proper place for such matters to be decided, so it would be entirely wrong of me to make any comment whatsoever about such issues."
Justice Steven Rares ruled that Mr Ashby had "acted in combination" with fellow staffer Karen Doane and Mr Brough when commencing the legal proceedings.
Mr Ashby has sought leave to appeal against the court's ruling, which is due to be heard in Sydney tomorrow morning.
Mr Brough insists the sum total of his involvement in the matter has already been fully canvassed and is on the public record.
"There is nothing more to add. There is no other meetings, connections or whatever else," he told ABC News.
"All of the discussion, the text messages - of which there is about half a dozen at most - are all there for anyone to read.
"I have nothing to be ashamed of or would change.
"A person (James Ashby) came to me for assistance. I suggested that they go and get legal advice. I suggested they go to police if they believed a crime had been committed.
"And that is the sum total of my involvement."
When pressed about the court's finding that he and Mr Ashby had worked "in combination", Mr Brough said he was not party to the court action and was not being judged.
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has expressed full confidence in Mr Brough's behaviour and said he looked forward to his former colleague re-entering the parliament.
Labor has described Justice Rares's findings as "damning" and questioned Mr Brough's suitability to be a candidate.


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Exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. It plays a key role in preventing
many medical disorders and health conditions.
You cannot control the risks for medical disorders passed on by your family — like
your risk for high blood pressure — but you can control your activities, diet and
smoking habits. Exercise is a lifestyle choice that can help improve your overall
Heart disease and stroke are leading causes of death in the U.S. Regular exercise
reduces your risk for these conditions by strengthening your heart and improving
your blood flow. This results in lowering your blood pressure and improving your
cholesterol levels.
Exercise helps to control your weight and prevent obesity. Being overweight puts
you at risk for many medical conditions, notably noninsulin-dependent diabetes and
high blood pressure. Because it increases the load on your joints, obesity can aggravate
bone and joint conditions, such as back pain and knee problems. Regular exercise
can improve the symptoms of these conditions by increasing muscle strength and flexibility,
and reducing body fat.
Exercise is well known for its mood-lifting effects. Studies have also found that
people who exercise are less likely to be depressed or feel anxious. Plus exercise
can help you manage stress, feel less agitated and improve your sleep patterns.
The physical benefits of regular exercise often create psychological benefits. Being
stronger and more flexible helps us to do all the activities we would like to. And
this results in feeling better about ourselves and our lives.


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Red faces all round in the New South Wales Education Department, as news surfaced last week that a filter supposed to block porn was actually letting it through, and blocking perfectly good educational material instead.
This unfortunate state of affairs came to light when a female school student from Greenfell, NSW, went looking for information on the "swallow" – the avian variety – and the malfunctioning filter blocked access to a documentary on swallowing toothpaste whilst allowing her to view a male site talking about "inappropriate material".
Her father, George Cochrane, duly described himself as scandalised, before adding: "The system isn't actually protecting anybody, especially isolated kids."
This appears not to have been a one-off, as reports later trickled in of other educational sites being blocked, as well as web pages for the local member of parliament and NSW Education Minister Verity Firth's own site.
Perhaps this is not quite such an oversight, as the only content currently to be found on that site is a picture of the blonde Ministress, suspiciously captioned: "Coming soon".
The education department were keen to play down the seriousness of this incident, with a spokesman confirming that the site had been blocked, and admitting that some questionable websites escaped the filter. However, he was adamant that response to concerns was swift and blocks were updated daily. He added: "On rare occasions inappropriate websites are not captured."
Acting Opposition education spokesman Andrew Stoner was less forgiving. He said: "Nathan Rees and Education Minister Verity Firth are quick to claim credit for the good news, so they should accept responsibility for this debacle and fix it as soon as possible."
Regular readers will be aware of the intense interest of the Australian government in creating an internet filter that will apply to all content on all PCs in the country. Had opponents of this measure understood that one side-product of filtering was the delivery of porn on demand in response to innocent searches, it is possible that opposition might have been slightly less fierce. ®


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Is an invisible, undetectable force tearing the universe apart? The South Pole Telescope is scanning the skies for signs of dark energy to help pinpoint the cause of cosmic expansion. The answers it provides could allow us to better explain the origin of the universe and its ultimate fate.
Earlier this week I pondered whether dark energy is just a new version of an outdated theory, but a team of astronomers in Antarctica is doing the hard work of trying to find out. The South Pole Telescope (SPT) uses 1,000 advanced optical sensors to peer at distant galaxy clusters looking for subtle variations in the cosmic background radiation. Those variations will give scientists a better idea of the structure of the universe, and whether or not dark energy is part of it.
The SPT is the largest Antarctic telescope. Despite the frigid cold of the region, the optics are further shielded from background heat by being chilled to a temperature not far from absolute zero. Photo by: The University of Chicago.
Cosmologists Probe Mystery Of Dark Energy With South Pole Telescope. [Science Daily]


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This module provides various helpful utilities for dealing with path and file names, directories, and related support.
Written by John Goerzen, firstname.lastname@example.com
|Name processing
|Splits a pathname into a tuple representing the root of the name and the extension. The extension is considered to be all characters from the last dot after the last slash to the end. Either returned string may be empty.
|Directory Processing
Obtain a recursive listing of all files/directories beneath the specified directory. The traversal is depth-first and the original item is always present in the returned list.
If the passed value is not a directory, the return value be only that value.
The "." and ".." entries are removed from the data returned.
Like recurseDir, but return the stat() (System.Posix.Files.FileStatus) information with them. This is an optimization if you will be statting files yourself later.
The items are returned lazily.
WARNING: do not change your current working directory until you have consumed all the items. Doing so could cause strange effects.
Alternatively, you may wish to pass an absolute path to this function.
|Removes a file or a directory. If a directory, also removes all its child files/directories.
|Changes the current working directory to the given path, executes the given I/O action, then changes back to the original directory, even if the I/O action raised an exception.
|Temporary Directories
Creates a temporary directory for your use.
The passed string should be a template suitable for mkstemp; that is, end with "XXXXXX".
Your string should probably start with the value returned from System.Directory.getTemporaryDirectory.
The name of the directory created will be returned.
|Creates a temporary directory for your use via mktmpdir, runs the specified action (passing in the directory name), then removes the directory and all its contents when the action completes (or raises an exception.
|Runs the given I/O action with the CWD set to the given tmp dir, removing the tmp dir and changing CWD back afterwards, even if there was an exception.
|Produced by Haddock version 2.6.0


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You are here
For Former Marine Chris Dambach, Entrepreneurship Is In His DNA
When Chris Dambach was eight years old, his father's assignment in the U.S. Army changed and the family was relocated from Syracuse, NY to Virginia. Dambach found he could make money by selling cold cans of soda at nearby construction sites. After his soda-filled summer, Dambach spent the fall catching crawfish in creeks to sell to friends as pets and to fishermen as bait. His third venture was selling candy to other kids on his bus-eventually drawing the ire of the school principal when lunch money was used to buy candy instead. Little did Dambach know that his childhood start as an entrepreneur would come full circle when his life was at a crossroads.
"I was assigned as a scout with the 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Marine Corps unit in Mattydale, NY. Our unit was activated and deployed to the Syrian border area in northern Iraq in 2009," recounts Syracuse-native Chris Dambach. "On Mother's Day, our vehicle rolled over and I suffered several injuries after being ejected that led to the end of my military career. While rehabbing back stateside at the VA, I began questioning what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. Ever since I was a kid, I had wanted to start my own business and my mind couldn't let go of the idea of being my own boss. My life was worthy of that."
Friends and family encouraged Dambach to use his GI benefits to go to college or pursue a job. Starting a business from nothing in the middle of a recession seemed impossible to everyone-except Dambach. In true Marine form, Dambach transformed the negativity into more motivation for success.
"I started a lawn care business, partly because I wanted to work outside in the elements by myself-the rain, the snow, the heat of the summer. It was a little bit of therapy, too. I used $5,000 from my Iraq savings to buy mowing equipment and placed a simple Pennysaver lawn care ad in the spring of 2010.Within 48 hours, I had 30 clients and that's where it all started," said Dambach.
After Veteran Lawn Care Service's first year of residential lawn care, Dambach added commercial clients to the mix in 2011. Dambach turned to the Onondaga Small Business Development Center for counseling advice on taking his business to the next level that same year.
"When I wasn't out working on the mowers, I was reading all day and night on how to do business with the federal government. Within two weeks of researching, I bid on my first government contract. Ironically, it was the very Reserve Center where I had been assigned with the Marines," explained Dambach. "I showed up in my civilian attire and my buddies couldn't believe I was mowing the lawn under contract."
In 2012, Dambach turned to the North Country Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) in Watertown for expertise in dealing with contracting. A multi-year contract with the Brooklyn VA Hospital was Dambach's first chance outside of Central New York and, to make it work, Dambach and his crew drove the equipment down every two weeks and slept in the equipment trailers. Federal agencies were impressed with Dambach's work ethic, accessibility and reliability as a contractor. Dambach's performance on that contract allowed him to successfully win a $3.5 million dollar landscaping contract with the Long Island National Cemetery in 2013, and the contracting successes have been snowballing ever since. Dambach leveraged the SBA Patriot Express loan program to support the payroll needed to efficiently service such a large contract. Successful performance and attaining certifications from New York State and the VA as a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business have only added to his company's appeal in the contracting world.
While managing his business, Dambach took time in 2013 to attend and graduate from the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans (EBV), a program offered by Syracuse University's Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF). A one-of-a-kind initiative, EBV offers cutting-edge, experiential training in entrepreneurship and small business management to post-9/11 veterans with service-connected disabilities. The program started at Syracuse University and is currently offered at eight prestigious universities across the nation, with partial support from the SBA and large corporate sponsors. Dambach credits the EBV program with teaching him how to strategically build and grow his business and he still benefits from the connections he made to this day.
In just four years, Veteran Lawn Care Services has grown into a million-dollar business with 15 employees, 17 subcontractors and contracts for property maintenance, waste management, janitorial work, tree removal and window washing services across the Northeast. In 2014, Dambach was ready for another challenge and launched a second business, Bacon Bandits, to tap into the Syracuse food truck scene. Its signature product, a sandwich topping called "Bacon Jam", has become a local favorite and Dambach is pursuing regional retail distribution opportunities.
Dambach's hard work and small business success has not gone unnoticed, earning him several awards including the SBA Syracuse District's Veteran-Owned Business Achievement Award in 2015. The well-deserved accolades and attention highlight Dambach's unique DNA: a blend of Marine determination and entrepreneurial core.
For Chris Dambach, the future is wide-open: "I've learned owning your own business, especially as it's starting, is always changing. I'm constantly adjusting, dealing with the current market conditions and pursuing new opportunities. Through it all, I continue to find the needs of our clients and fill those needs with ingenuity and integrity."


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Tear Drop Mouse Cupcake Topper
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Categories: Cupcake Toppers
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Glass Tear Drop Mouse cupcake topper is mounted on a 1 1/2" mirror. Highlighted in 22kt Gold. Quantity discount available. Just enter quanity in shopping cart and click on update. Need additional information? Please send in your question using the form below. We will get back to you as quickly as possible. [contact-form-7 id="15" title="Contact Us"]
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Choose safe, appropriate toys this holiday season
Checkup on Health
The holiday season is upon us, and the choices for children's toys are endless. What should you give to those youngsters on your list?
Here are some guidelines to help you pick something that is likely to be fun as well as safe.
- Pay attention to age guidelines on the toy. Guidelines may be intended for reasons of safety or developmental abilities. Think carefully about how they apply to the child you have in mind. Just as some kids are intellectually advanced and would enjoy a board game designed for older children, other kids may still be likely to pop things in their mouth at 5 years, well after the age when small parts are normally allowed.
- Be aware of hanging danger for infants. Once babies can raise themselves onto their hands and knees, avoid toys that they could hang themselves on, such as mobiles hung within reach of the crib, toys with strings, or crib gyms that are strung across a crib or playpen.
- Watch out for small parts! Generally, any toy that can fit through a toilet paper tube is too small for a child under 3 years. Some toys are obviously made for older children, and few people would mistakenly give them to an infant or tot. But other toys that seem appropriate at first glance may turn out to be potentially dangerous under closer scrutiny. Many teddy bears and dolls come with buttons on clothes or plastic eyes that could be chewed off and swallowed. Little cars may have small wheels that could be pulled off.
- Consider the needs of other children in the house. Avoid toys that may be dangerous to little brothers and sisters if they are likely to get hold of them.
- Don't buy toys that shoot. Every year, toys such as launchers, toy guns and bows and arrows cause serious eye injuries when shot at close range. Even if a toy comes with soft objects for shooting, curious children often substitute rocks or pencils, making them especially dangerous.
So what are good choices? Check out these suggestions for the age group you have in mind:
Young infants
Dr. Bullen is a pediatrician with UC Davis Medical Group in Sacramento.
Toys to look at or listen to are your best bet. Squeak toys and rattles are good, but make sure the soft ones don't squish down to that toilet paper tube opening size. Mobiles and crib gyms are great until the baby can raise onto hands and knees.
Older infants
Babies that can sit up love to play with blocks, nesting cups, stacking rings and simple pop-up toys. Cardboard or vinyl books with large, simple pictures are also popular.
Think motion for this age group! Large balls, toddler play structures, digging tools, trikes or big plastic cars are all great backyard choices. For quieter moments, choose simple art supplies, such as crayons, markers, finger paints and play-dough, as well as easy puzzles. Bath toys are also fun. And save those holiday toy catalogues. Toddlers love to look through them over and over again.
Three-to-five year-olds spend much of their day in make-believe land. Dress-up items and toy tools or kitchen utensils make big hits. Puppets, dolls, stuffed animals, and play sets with village, farm, or transportation pieces also stimulate the imagination. This is also a great age for a child's tape player and cassettes featuring children's storytellers and music.
Ages 6-9
Early elementary school-age children are ready for bigger challenges, both intellectually and physically. Bikes, scooters and sleds make great gifts, but be sure to include appropriate protective gear, such as helmets, as well as knee, wrist, and elbow guards for roller blades. Kids this age enjoy science sets, model and craft kits, and board games. Easy chapter books are also good buys.
Ages 9-12
If possible, spend time enjoying your gift with the recipient. It's the best way to ensure you'll give treasured memories along with a present.
Children this age are beginning to develop interests and skills that they may pursue the rest of their lives. Consider giving a subscription to a children's magazine, geared towards nature or literature. Strategy games such as chess or other board games are popular, as is equipment for team sports.
Perhaps the hardest age group? Not if you know the child. You really have to target interests, as presents at this age merge with items you would buy for an adult. Books, magazine subscriptions, calendars, hobby and sports equipment are good bets. If you don't want to guess, consider choosing a gift certificate to a favorite music or book store.
If possible, spend time enjoying your gift with the recipient. It's the best way to ensure you'll give treasured memories along with a present. The most important gift to any child is quality time from you!


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