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Second of Four Parts
Into the Common Core: One Classroom's Journey
For nearly an hour, Dowan McNair-Lee has been walking her 8th grade English/language arts students through ways to identify the central idea of a text. She's come at it from several angles, and no light bulbs are going off.
Using an article about labor leader Cesar Chavez's grape boycott and hunger strike, these students at Stuart-Hobson Middle School are doing a "close read," a skill prized by the new Common Core State Standards being put into practice in the District of Columbia. Ms. McNair-Lee had read the article aloud, then students read it on their own. Now, the class is diving into it together, analyzing word choice, structure, and other features of the text to determine its main idea.
Recent interim test results told the veteran teacher that this is a weak zone for her students. On end-of-year exams, four months from this December morning, main idea is a key focus. Students haven't done well on citing evidence from text to support an argument, either. They're going to have to step it up.
The teacher draws their attention to the article's title, captions, subheadings, to its first and last paragraphs, for clues to the main idea. Ask your selves which ideas are discussed throughout the whole selection, she tells them. Which details are repeated, or given lots of attention? She starts dropping bread crumbs for them to follow.
"What is it about the personal experience of injustice that makes some people decide to help others, while other people help only themselves?" she asks, glancing around the room. "Injustice causes some people to act. That's an inference, right?" Silence. She asks: "What's an inference?" More silence.
As an English/language arts teacher in the common-core era, Ms. McNair-Lee is part of a huge national push to turn millions of students into strong readers and writers. In its second year of K-12 implementation in literacy, the District of Columbia is farther along than many in putting the standards into practice. But it also faces long odds as it works to help its largely disadvantaged student population master them.
Those odds show in the momentary silence in Ms. McNair-Lee's classroom. Special education teacher Christopher Purdy, who co-teaches with her for three class periods a day, jumps in: "I infer that it's chilly outside because you are wearing gloves."
Remember, Ms. McNair-Lee tells the students, you can combine the text with your own knowledge to make inferences that can shed light on the main idea. She models it for them, pointing to the last paragraph, which reports that 50,000 people attended Mr. Chavez's funeral. "So I'm gonna make an inference here," she says, writing it on the board: "He made a difference."
"I know that this way of doing things takes a lot more effort than what we're used to doing," the teacher says. "But you need to know this."
I know they can do this, Ms. McNair-Lee thinks. Her most challenged class gained 9 points on a recent interim test; this group's skills are a bit stronger.
But when they use the same approach on an article about migrant strawberry pickers, there's no traction. She had hoped students could grasp the concept in time to do a brief essay that night on the article's main idea. Glancing at the clock as the bell rings, she makes a midair correction: The essay will have to wait.
"They didn't get it," she sighs as she watches them pour out the door into a noisy passing period.
The concepts might be hard for these students, but their own distractions aren't helping. There's a dance in half an hour, and restless chatter punctuated the main-idea lesson. Many struggle with organizational skills; on sneakered feet, they glide into class with teetering stacks of dog-eared papers atop their binders.
How school districts move the Common Core State Standards from the central office into classrooms can make or break the undertaking. Education Week spent six months reporting on how the District of Columbia's vision of the common-core English/language arts standards is being put into practice in one 8th grade classroom at one school, Stuart-Hobson Middle School on Capitol Hill.
PART 1: A school district reorganizes itself to bet big on the common core
PART 2: Beginning the second-semester press toward common-core literacy skills
PART 3: Doubling down as year-end tests approach
PART 4: Analyzing the year's work
They're preoccupied with high school applications and interviews, since in the District of Columbia nearly half the 8th graders enter lotteries or apply to selective programs rather than automatically attending their neighborhood high schools.
During one recent class, these substrata anxieties bubbled to the surface. "I don't wanna leave," one girl said, plaintively, during a class discussion about high school interviews. "I don't wanna grow up," another chimed in. "Well, babies," Ms. McNair-Lee said, her voice suddenly slow and soft, her hand on one girl's shoulder, "it's inevitable."
Despite such distractions, by late January some small academic victories are accruing. Students plumbed an article about Robert Frost to see how his life influenced his writing of "Out, Out," a wrenching poem about a boy losing his hand to a woodcutting saw.
For end-of-unit projects, they wrote plays, poems, and essays, or made short films about the articles they'd read, displaying creativity and humor, as well as a grasp of the content, and they wrote papers comparing their own interpretations with the original texts.
Just getting them to the finishing line, though, took more class periods than Ms. McNair-Lee had anticipated; she had to drop the district-recommended excerpts of Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry to allow time for completion.
And still, more than a few students didn't complete the project, which counts for a goodly chunk of their grade this term. Among those students is Mikel Robinson, whose sunny personality and natural leadership haven't helped him overcome the D he's carrying in English.
"Many of my kids haven't mastered the basics of just getting a project done," Ms. McNair-Lee says one day. "It's frustrating for me because this is how I see what they know. And it worries me when I think about them in high school."
At an empty school two miles away, about 30 of the district's secondary-level instructional coaches are getting another round of training for the current English/language arts focus on complex text. Their ability to convey these ideas and practices to teachers at their assigned schools is a key conduit of the district's hopes for the common-core standards.
Stuart-Hobson's coach, Sarah Hawley, had a scheduling conflict that kept her from this training. But teachers will be hearing most of the same messages at their own training in two weeks.
At big tables in the multipurpose room, the coaches study a lengthy excerpt from a nonfiction book, Blaine Harden's Escape From Camp 14, a profile of a North Korean political-prison-camp escapee. Guided by Corinne Colgan, the district's literacy and humanities director, and Jessica Matthews-Meth, a secondary-level literacy designer, the coaches work on ways to "scaffold," or build supports into a close reading of the text.
Ms. Matthews-Meth reminds them that the common standards are "bracketed" by Standard 1, deducing literal and inferred meaning from complex text, and Standard 10, reading complex text independently and proficiently.
"That's the bear," she says. "How do we get them from one to 10?" Today's session, then, is about "how to take off the training wheels" gradually.
The coaches read the excerpt, using several annotation strategies to see what works best. They pay special attention to difficult words, deciding which ones students might understand by deducing meaning from context, and which might demand more teacher-led help. In small groups, they craft a sentence capturing the central idea—the dehumanizing effect of prison camps—and they discuss how the author refines the idea with specific details.
They write sets of questions that drive students back to the text to find information supporting the main idea. How many of your teachers already ask these kinds of questions? Ms. Matthews-Meth inquires of the coaches. Few hands go up.
The coaches know what a high bar this is. "We cannot use grade-level text," says one. "It would not work with our students."
Ms. Matthews-Meth suggests using excerpts with struggling readers to avoid reaching "frustration level."
"Good morning, scholars," comes Ms. McNair-Lee's customary greeting as her fourth-period class settles in on a frigid February morning. "Good morning, Ms. McNair-Lee," comes the semi-cheerful response. They've begun Unit 4, built around comparing works of art and literature.
It's a good thing these units are optional, because Ms. McNair-Lee wrinkled her nose when she looked this one over. "It doesn't flow. It bounces around from genre to genre," she says. She's thrown out big swaths of it, working with her new student-teacher, Michael Anderson, to devise different material.
Today, students are looking for connections between the 1982 painting "Charles the First," by the New York City artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, and the song "Most Kingz" by the rapper Jay-Z, both ruminations on the risks of accomplishment and fame. Students have been studying a variety of ekphrastic texts—writings that react to art.
"We are practicing reading art just like text," Ms. McNair-Lee tells them. "It's a lot about interpretation. There is no right or wrong. But I want to challenge you to see that you have evidence to support what you're saying. This is going to get our arguing skills up." Common core, she thinks. Citing evidence to support an argument.
Things are clicking; she beams as students clamor to answer her query about the roots of the word "ekphrastic." Several call out at once: "Greek!" They pore over a 1923 Paul Klee painting and a poem by Nina Nyhart, extracting tidbits to build an argument about connections between the two.
"You all have done some very high-level work today," their teacher says, smiling. "Give yourselves a pat." Laughing, the students reach back, patting their own shoulder blades.
A few days later, though, the mood is more somber. In a lesson about figurative language, students are analyzing how authors compare nouns. They're mulling a quote from Lois Lowry's The Giver: "It was as if a hatchet lay lodged in his leg, slicing through each nerve with a hot blade."
But they're tongue-tied when Ms. McNair-Lee asks if the quote compares two nouns. Finally, a boy from the front table, where Mikel sits quietly, ventures that it compares "hatchet" and "hot blade."
She takes them step by step through another quote, "The rain sounded like bullets." Does it use literal references? she asks. No, one student says, they're not actual bullets. Does it compare nouns? Yes. Does it use "like" or "as"? Yes. They're getting it. Could it be literal? No. Is this an example of a literary device? Yes, a half-dozen students say.
What kind of literary device is this? Ms. McNair-Lee presses. "Simile," says a small voice at the back of the room. The teacher remembers a question from the last interim assessment, asking students to identify the literary devices in the cited text passage. She anticipates something similar on the year-end test. "Simile," she says, smiling and nodding.
Moments later, a stumbling block: No one can identify the verb in a short sentence: "Life is a dream."
Ms. McNair-Lee resorts to a physical demonstration. She calls two students up front and has them stand on either side of her: the subject and the object. In the middle, she's the verb.
"The subject is the one doing the action," she reminds. "The verb is the action." Her frustration is tangible.
Later that afternoon, one of Ms. McNair-Lee's higher-skills classes breezes through the literary-device exercise. Confidently, they navigate their way through figurative language, personification, and hyperbole.
A week later, with students off school for the day, Ms. McNair-Lee and Ms. Hawley join hundreds of district teachers and coaches for a professional-development day. They undertake the same close reading that the coaches tackled two weeks before, trying a variety of strategies to build scaffolds into the difficult reading.
Ms. Matthews-Meth, who co-facilitated the coaches' training, tells them that this is about finding ways to expose students to complex text without overwhelming them. It's about balancing support with the right amount of "academic press." The teachers work together to write text-dependent questions for the reading.
Chief of Teaching and Learning
District of Columbia schools
• Oversees curriculum, instruction, assessment, and professional development
• Led the design of optional instructional units and modules, along with required interim assessments and professional development, for common standards
Read his profile, "Glimpses of Poverty Lead Administrator to Education"
Instructional Coach
Stuart-Hobson Middle School
• 13 years teaching; her first year as a coach
• One of 113 coaches who work with teachers in nearly every school
Read her profile, "Instructional Coach Jumps Into New Standards"
Assistant Principal
Stuart-Hobson Middle School
• One of two assistant principals at Stuart-Hobson; English/language arts and academic interventions are among her responsibilities
Read her profile, "Administrator Seeks Sure Footing as Instructional Leader"
8th Grade English/Language Arts Teacher
Stuart-Hobson Middle School
• 11 years teaching, including eight at Stuart-Hobson
• Her second year with this class; she taught the same students as 7th graders last year
Read her profile, "Teacher Finds Salvation in the Classroom"
8th Grade Student
Stuart-Hobson Middle School
• Deciding among several high schools for the fall
Read his profile, "Eighth Grader Looks Ahead to High School and Beyond"
Later that morning, Ms. McNair-Lee and other members of the Stuart-Hobson team attend a session with the district's literacy leaders to analyze and give feedback on a new close-reading module that's been developed for Unit 4. The session reveals gaps in the district's work to convey its resources and messages to teachers.
Several ask where to find the texts listed in the district's scope-and-sequence, apparently unaware, halfway through the year, that links are available through the online educator portal. Others say many of those links don't work.
Additional questions show confusion about key district goals: Are we supposed to stop doing shared reading and just let kids attack text cold? asks one middle school teacher, noting that she has received conflicting messages on the issue at today's training.
Abby Welsheimer, Ms. Hawley's coaching supervisor, responds that it depends on what a teacher is doing. "We want kids to experience the text, ... then move on and ask questions," she says. "But if you know your kids aren't getting it, you have to be flexible."
Back at their own school for the afternoon, Stuart-Hobson's team members settle in for a plunge into the results of the Unit 3 interim test. Around a big conference table in the main office, the English/language arts team gathers with Ms. Hawley and Assistant Principal Katie Franklin.
This test took aim at eight of the common standards, and the results—appearing on laptop displays and on stacks of printouts—show red-and-green breakdowns at the student and class levels, standard by standard.
Eighth graders had to read an article on rooftop gardens and answer questions about its central idea and supporting details. Two more excerpts, from articles about living outdoors, had similar questions and a brief essay comparing the authors' attitudes about the topic.
The students read poems by William Wordsworth and Nixon Waterman and answered questions about word definitions, tone, the symbolic meaning of nouns, and how word choice illustrates a character's point of view. They wrote brief essays on how the setting in Wordsworth's poem helps develop its central idea.
And there's that literacy-device question Ms. McNair-Lee had anticipated: Which device is used in the Waterman poem—idiom, metaphor, simile, or personification? Only 48 percent of Mikel's class got that one right.
There's some great news here, though: Every one of Ms. McNair-Lee's classes hit "proficiency" level—shown in green on the results—on questions about determining the central idea in an informational text.
But students are all over the place on citing textual evidence to support an analysis of a text's meaning, with many below proficiency, marked by red squares on the printouts. "Oh, my children," Ms. McNair-Lee says, leafing through the results and shaking her head.
Mikel's class printout shows a sea of red. A few students scored better than she'd have guessed, but overall, she's disappointed with the class. "Something was missing from my teaching," she says.
Mikel's own column, too, is a swath of red, with only one green box—for determining central idea in informational text. "He didn't do well at all," his teacher says. "We gotta work."
Ms. Franklin brainstorms with Ms. McNair-Lee and Mr. Anderson, her student-teacher, about how they'll approach their classes' weaker zones as they resume teaching. They write up a plan and head back to their empty classrooms.
Walking slowly down the quiet hall, Ms. McNair-Lee feels exhausted and heavy. With 47 percent overall, Mikel did much better on this interim test than the last two, on which he answered fewer than a quarter of the questions correctly. But that's nowhere close to where he needs to be, his teacher knows.
"I don't think he's not getting it," she says. She notes that Mikel can often articulate key ideas of a lesson when she works one on one with him. But she can't often provide that kind of personal support in class.
"Should I do more tutoring after school?" she wonders aloud now, still seeing in her head that long column of red squares below his name. "I have my door open every day till 4:30, and he rarely comes. At what point am I doing enough?"
Ms. Hawley's coaching is meant to help with such struggles. In an upstairs classroom, Ms. McNair-Lee waits for a group session with half the 8th grade team about building students' content and vocabulary knowledge through a "structured struggle" with text. A 45-minute session turns into 25 minutes when, one by one, Ms. Hawley and the other teachers arrive late.
They revisit the excerpt studied in the coaches' and teachers' professional-development sessions, practicing the strategies they learned for close reading and text-dependent question writing.
Doing multiple reads of the same text risks being boring for students, says social studies teacher Sean McGrath. How do we deal with that? Ms. Hawley advises that teachers focus students on something a little different each time they read the text.
"Maybe because I don't do it right, it just seems so inauthentic," Mr. McGrath says. Ms. Hawley makes plans to co-teach a class with him to work on this issue together.
This is tough stuff, especially for teachers of subjects other than English, who are now expected, under the common core, to teach literacy skills that help students access materials in the different disciplines.
Later, after co-teaching with Mr. McGrath and observing the kinds of questions Ms. McNair-Lee poses to her own class, Ms. Hawley reflects on the nature of the work. "One of the biggest struggles with diving into the common core," she says, "is that we are all learning it together."
It's late February, and 8th graders are in the auditorium for an awards assembly. They're a jumble of nudging elbows and twirling pencils, never quite quieting down. On the stage, Mikel joins a group being recognized for improving in one or more subjects—in his case, history and prealgebra—and failing none. By the next grading period, he'd be out of the running for that award, with two F's on his report card.
"Good morning, scholars," Ms. McNair-Lee says to her fourth period on a cold early-March morning.
Mikel is subdued today; he's got a deep ache in an upper molar. He and his tablemates are supposed to be contrasting a character from Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings with a woman depicted in a 1944 painting by the American artist William H. Johnson. But Mikel spends most of the period with his head down on folded arms.
Next period, his math teacher, Kelly Landers, walks him to the nurse. "Is there anything that can be done?" she asks the front-office staff. "There's no learning going on today."
The school nurse can't give Tylenol, and Mikel can't get a ride home until school is out. He spends the rest of the day resting in the academic-intervention classroom. In the coming days, a dentist would extract the tooth.
Quietly, Ms. Franklin enters a classroom, her arm crooked around a clipboard. She moves among the students during a chaotic morning warm-up, asking them to explain what they're doing. The children are her "window" into their teacher, with whom she's been working on classroom management. Ms. Franklin notes how the teacher's loud voice and scattered style amplify the students' nervous energy.
Today's visits by the assistant principal are "informal," for feedback only, not for evaluation. In another classroom, she examines student work; this teacher needs help on his question-prompts to push kids to another level, she notes.
Making her observation rounds at Stuart-Hobson, Ms. Franklin sees plenty that's inspiring: Teachers are digging deeper, trying new strategies. But she also finds cause for concern as the school goes full bore into the common core.
Too often, for instance, teachers ramp up the difficulty of questions they ask students, but fail to guide them. Not long ago, she watched as one teacher demanded sophisticated analysis of a Langston Hughes poem but didn't show her students how to read the poem in a way that facilitated it. She later worked with the teacher on ways to do that.
But even though the school district has provided training sessions for assistant principals that include observing good common-core practice, Ms. Franklin is frustrated with her own limitations. She's grateful that she has Ms. Hawley, the coach, as well as a "master educator" to provide teacher feedback.
"I can see the room for growth; I just don't always know how to get them there," says Ms. Franklin, who observes and gives feedback to 15 teachers every two weeks, as well as coaching on the spot. "Sometimes, I feel like the blind leading the blind."
Around the corner, Ms. McNair-Lee's class is blazing through a vocabulary exercise. It's mid-March, five weeks from the year-end tests, and they're hitting on all cylinders. "Admonished," she calls out. "Warned," a few students call back. "Phalanx," she calls. "A crowd," students say.
By the end of the month, they're finishing up lessons on figurative language and moving into allusions and irony.
Ms. McNair-Lee is tired, not quite over a flu that sidelined her for two days last week. The test dates loom large in her head. "Just as soon as I get some momentum, it seems like something happens," she says during a break. "And we only have like 12 instructional days left."
Today, the class is discussing types of allusions. "If I say I want to click my heels and go home, what kind of allusion is that?" Ms. McNair-Lee asks. "Literary," a couple students call out. Most recognize that a cartoon about the dangers of dating Henry VIII is a historical allusion.
Mikel doesn't seem clear on the concept. The teacher shows another cartoon, this time of a sad little train engine begging for change near a sign that says, "I Thought I Could, I Thought I Could."
"What kind of allusion is that, Mikel?" she says. Startled, he ventures: "Pop culture?" No, she says, it's literary. But she wonders: Did anyone read this story to him as a child?
At the district's glassy headquarters, Brian Pick has been shepherding the pieces of the common-standards project. He's hunkered down with the leadership team to analyze school-to-school literacy-assessment results. He's met with leaders of the human-capital department to ease the sting of positions cut there because $5.7 million is earmarked for the common core. He's visited a couple schools a week, looking for signs of what's working and what isn't.
Today, he and Ms. Colgan, the literacy director, are gathered around a 12th-floor conference table with 10 area superintendents. Laptops open and color-blocked papers spread out, they're building the professional-development calendar for 2013-14. Common core is the focus.
"We've learned we need to go right to the teachers, ... not rely on coaches to do the turnkey," Mr. Pick tells them. "We're more successful when we train teachers directly," Ms. Colgan adds.
That is especially important next year, they tell the superintendents, as the district focuses on the writing standards. One superintendent makes an impassioned plea to revamp new teachers' PD, replacing the focus on "administrivia" such as pension benefits with strong, clear guidance on the district's approach to literacy.
"Preach, baby," Mr. Pick says with a broad grin, prompting chuckles around the table. "We agree with you," says Ms. Colgan.
Next year, Mr. Pick says after the meeting, teachers will hear a more centralized set of messages about what the district seeks in its common-core teaching.
Vol. 32, Issue 33, Pages 1, 18-21Published in Print: June 5, 2013, as One Class Takes On the Standards
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Following the advice many of you gave, I checked back in with Q about the stereotype conversation. 'Twas interesting and enlightening for sure.
Among other things, I asked him what boy stereotypes he knew of. Mainly, he talked about "boy colors." And he explained that the reason he doesn't break stereotypes is that he likes the "boy colors." He was quick to say he also likes the "girl colors," namely pink and purple. But I understood, finally, that since he doesn't only like the "girl colors," he doesn't see it as breaking stereotypes in that area. Wise, this boy is. Really wise. Clearly more so than me — he's transcending these binaries left and right.
I then asked about his hair. Again, I was enlightened. His hair, according to him, doesn't break stereotypes, because it's not yet as long as he wants it to be. When it is (which is down to the middle of his back), he'll be breaking stereotypes. Right now though, he's just in process really, in that domain. Logical? Certainly to him. But he did explain that most boys have hair about "an inch or a centimeter long," and that his was definitely much longer since, after all, "it's the longest hair in the family!"
I mentioned to Q that last year he talked a lot about being a stereotype breaker and asked if he still felt like one. "Well, maybe," was his answer. But then he explained, emphatically, that he could do or like whatever he likes, no matter what other people say. There's my boy!
I was heartened not because I want him to cut a path outside the norm all the time, but because I was able to see that he's still got a great sense of gusto for being who he is. And that's really what's most important to me — him knowing who he is, even when it's changing, but mostly him feeling good about who he is. Good and strong.
So thanks for your responses. I'd always love more. And know, next time you're wondering if you're a stereotype breaker, that the answer isn't always as easy to come by as it seems. No matter the clothes you're wearing at that very moment! (a reminder to those who forgot: Q was clad fully in "girls' clothes" yesterday when he initially proclaimed he doesn't break any boy-girl stereotypes).

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Not directly in line with what you were going on this, but you mentioned the Federation ships used by the rebels, in the book Death Star, the rebels launch an attack on the nearly completed Death Star by loading a couple dozen squadrons of X-Wings on a old Trade Federation ship and then launching them all at the Death Star. The huge number of Tie Fighters take out the X-Wings and the Superlaser destroys the Federation ship.Some of the Rebellion era comic books use Federation, or atleast Federation looking ships as the capital ships of the Rebellion.I don't know if the movies should be edited to include those ships, but I would certainly think atleast some Federation ships survived. Take Mon Mothma's line about the Empire's fleet being spread across the galaxy in a vain attempt to engage the rebellion. I take that as a sign that the Rebellion wasn't throwing every single last ship at the Death Star.
Yes, then he CGI half the Rebels in to Gungans ("Eeesa cold, lookie a wampa-ahhhhhggg".) And give Wedge some more lines ("I'm already on my way out, yippeee!").
But there are some I wish they'd un-do. ... the obnoxious scream Luke lets out when he falls out the window in ESB...
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Feng Yu Heng's Flaw
With Feng Yu Heng's order, Wang Chuan very quickly brought the soldiers back. This time, they rushed straight into the hall and very impolitely arrested Feng Jin Yuan.
Feng Jin Yuan was about to collapse, loudly shouting: "I am your father! I am the head of the Feng family! If I die, what benefit is there to you?"
Feng Yu Heng shook her head: "There's no benefit, but if you die, we can continue living. But if we allow you to continue living, we will all die with you."
Her words were a bit of a tongue twister, but people were still able to understand. In this world, there were no walls that did not leak. If Feng Jin Yuan truly brought Xiao Jing into the manor, it would be exposed sooner or later. At that time, the Feng family would truly be unable to speak for itself.
In this family, things had already developed to this point. In truth, there was already nobody that would stand at Feng Jin Yuan's side. However, there was still Fen Dai. Although she could not accept this matter, and she was still feeling outraged for her concubine mother, if Feng Jin Yuan was truly taken away, the first thing that she thought of was her marriage. She feared that the engagement that had been agreed upon with great difficult would become void, and she feared even more that she would not have the Feng family to rely on. Even if the fifth prince married her, she would have no ability to stand on her own.
Upon thinking of this, Fen Dai quickly stepped forward and loudly said: "No! You can't take my father away."
Feng Jin Yuan was so moved that he nearly cried. He had never favored nor doted on this fourth daughter. He never even looked at her much when she was growing up, but only Fen Dai was willing to stand up for him at this critical moment.
Fen Dai's face was covered in tears, the majority of which were a result of being scared. She turned and begged Feng Yu Heng: "Second sister, in any case, he is our father. Can you let him go?" Before waiting for Feng Yu Heng to replying, she added: "If second sister will not let him go, I will go and find his Highness the fifth prince." As she said this, her voice became sharp, and some anger appeared in her eyes. Fen Dai reached out and, like Feng Jin Yuan, pointed at Feng Yu Heng. Using the same words, she asked her: "With father being taken away, what benefits are there?"
Once these words were said, not to mention Feng Yu Heng, even the others could not bear to continue listening. Anshi spoke up: "Fourth young miss, second young miss is saving us."
Xiang Rong also added: "It's not second sister that told them to take him away. It's father that committed a crime. It's the government that wants to take him away."
Fen Dai loudly screamed: "I am going to look for his Highness the fifth prince. I will have his Highness ask for father's forgiveness!" Saying this, she moved to go out; however, she heard Feng Yu Heng giggling behind her. The sound caused her scalp to feel numb.
"You can go look for him." Feng Yu Heng said: "This imperial daughter wants to see if his Highness the fifth prince will dare to do anything about this matter. Even if he does, will the governor dare to listen." After saying this, she turned her cold gaze over to Fen Dai, "Listen up, if that woman is allowed to enter the manor, the entire Feng family will be executed, sooner or later. But if this shameless father is gone, from this day forward, you will be my, imperial daughter Ji An's younger sisters. When you get married, your status will be much nobler than just the daughter of a fifth-ranked official."
Perhaps Fen Dai did not take the first part to heart, but the last words were too tempting to her. The person that had been moving to call for help immediately stopped. A light appeared in her eyes, as they carried a bit of expectation.
Feng Jin Yuan noticed that the atmosphere seemed off and quickly confused Fen Dai: "Even if father does not die, you will still be her younger sister."
Fen Dai thought about this and figured that Feng Jin Yuan was correct. For a while, she was a little hesitant. After thinking a little more, she frankly negotiated with Feng Yu Heng: "How about we save father then take care of the woman outside?"
Normally speaking, this would be the best method; however, once Fen Dai's words came out, Feng Jin Yuan immediately let out a yelp, "No! Nobody is allowed to touch her! If anyone dares to touch her, I… I…"
He repeated the word "I" for a while and was unable to make anything of it. Instead, it was Feng Yu Heng that said: "You will not forgive us even if you become a ghost." She shrugged and suddenly felt extremely tired. When the matriarch had passed away, she had thought about the body's original owner's grandmother and father. As long as they were not too excessive, she would allow them to live until they died of old age. That would also fulfill the filial piety of this body. But the matriarch had passed away from a slight misstep. When she now looked at this father, she was unable to find even a shred of sympathy. The exhaustion that she felt was mental, and it caused her to feel an urge to kill this person, bringing all troubles to an end. In the future, she would feel more at ease.
But there were so many eyes watching. She closed her eyes slightly and suppressed the feelings in her heart. She waved her hand, not wanting to say anything. She just said to the officers: "Quickly take him away. This imperial daughter never wants to see him again."
The officers were all Xu Jing Yuan's people. In other words, they were Feng Yu Heng's people. Hearing her speak, they took Feng Jin Yuan away without another word. Feng Jin Yuan continued to shout and struggle; however, he was still dragged out of the manor.
Cheng Jun Man had a cold expression and took the initiative to say: "I will naturally find someone to take care of the woman in the other courtyard. You should all be a little more careful. This matter absolutely must not get out. Otherwise, even if I go beg aunty for forgiveness, it would not be enough to protect our lives."
The members of the Feng family knew that anything related to Qian Zhou would be considered treason, thus they all nodded. Fen Dai even said: "We absolutely must do things well. It would be best to burn the corpse. We cannot leave a single trace behind."
Cheng Jun Man glanced at her and slightly frowned. A child of merely eleven years had such a fierce heart. How exactly did the Feng family raise its daughters?
Feng Yu Heng did not remain too much longer in the Feng manor. Bringing Zi Rui, Wang Chuan and Huang Quan, she returned to the imperial daughter's manor. Xiang Rong remained to accompany An shi for a while.
The Feng family had been busy for an entire morning. The sounds were loud and could be heard from the imperial daughter's manor. When Feng Yu Heng returned to the manor, she saw Yao shi sitting under a date tree in the front yard. A maidservant had washed some fruit and placed it on the table beside her; however, she did not even look at it. Yao shi's hands were occupied with prayer beads that she had obtained at some unknown time. They were made of white jade. In the past, Yao shi did not have the habit of praying with prayer beads. She had simply taken them because she felt that they were beautiful. Currently, however, Yao shi had a gloomy expression and continued to fiddle with the beads. This caused the servants in the yard to also become gloomy.
Feng Yu Heng felt helpless. Sighing quietly, she walked over to Yao shi and quietly called her: "Mother."
Yao shi finally recovered from her daze and turned her gaze over. She then looked at Feng Yu Heng and said after a while: "You've returned?"
Feng Yu Heng nodded and sat down on the stone chair opposite Yao shi. She casually picked up a fruit from the plate and handed it over: "Mother, eat some more fruit. If there is anything that you want to eat, tell the servants. We can have it made."
In regards to Yao shi, Feng Yu Heng understood clearly that she only lost when it came to her face. Yao shi had a similar appearance as her mother in her previous life. This caused Feng Yu Heng to always feel a little flustered. It caused her to feel that there would be a channel for her to remember her previous life. This was very good. Even if Yao shi was ingrained with the teachings for women of this era, even if she was not intimate, as long as she could quietly observe, it was a kind of comfort.
She extended the pear in her hand forward a little more, "Mother, eat a little."
Yao shi looked at the pear in her daughter's hand and suddenly felt a little saddened. Her eyes became moist, and she could not control it. She averted her gaze and raised a sleeve to wipe her eyes. Just as Feng Yu Heng felt that Yao shi must be feeling that this sort of scene was very heartwarming, she heard Yao shi say: "I never eat pears. In the past, when we were in the Feng manor, I did not eat them. Later on, when we were in the Northwest, I did not eat them. Even if I was starving, and my daughter brought some pears from the mountains, I would not touch them because I was nearly poisoned by a pear when I was pregnant with our A-Heng. From that moment forward, I never ate them again."
When she said this, she calmly looked at Feng Yu heng. It was as though she was telling a story that was unrelated to her. But these words caused Feng Yu Heng's heart to go "thunk." She felt flustered, and her hand trembled, causing the pear to drop to the ground. It was then picked up by Zi Rui.
In her mind, she scoured the memories of the body's original owner. She finally realized where her flaws were. It was not her sudden change in personality, nor was it the learning of martial arts and medicine from a Persian teacher. rather, it was in the small details. A pear had caused Yao shi to suspect for a long time.
She had made a mistake on this part. After searching through the memories of the body's original owner, she did indeed find something relating to Yao shi not eating pears. It was just too trivial that she had completely ignored it, and this pear…
In her previous life, her mom loved eating pears the most. After passing away, her dad would always place three pears that had been washed in front of her mom's picture. She never thought that Yao shi would not eat pears; however, she was stubborn in believing that Yao shi would definitely like eating the things that her mother from her previous life enjoyed. Even if she did not favor them, pears were indeed delicious fruits. Sending her some more was always a good thing.
Unfortunately, her kind intentions were mistaken. This single mistake caused her to not know how to provide an explanation.
Yao shi's gaze did not shift from her, and Feng Yu Heng did not avoid it. Just like this, the two looked at each other; however, traces of grief and unfamiliarity appeared in Yao shi's eyes. There was even a trace of resentment. She recalled how Yao shi had just said "my daughter" and "our A-Heng." These words were making it clear that she did not accept her identity. It was just that she did not fully say it.
This was the first time that Feng Yu Heng had lost in a stare down, and she had lost quite badly. She quickly averted her gaze, but she did not know where she should look.
At this time, she saw Zi Rui wipe the pear on his shirt and place it in front of Yao shi once more. Just as Yao shi was looking puzzled, he said: "Elder sister is elder sister. Mother, why would you become like this? Elder sister treats us very well. Why do you not know how to be satisfied? If it was not for elder sister, we would still be in the Feng manor's Willow courtyard. It's also possible that we would have been killed by someone. Mother, think about when we just returned to the manor. The medicine that the head madam sent to me at that time. Think about how many assassins we ran into on the way back from the Northwest. Think about this. What is there to not be satisfied with."
Zi Rui's words caused Yao shi to feel a little moved. She pulled the child into her embrace and said without an ounce of control: "She is not your elder sister!"


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Conservation and Environment in Peru: Monthly Updates
Monthly Update - September 2004
I am very excited that September has been such a highly productive time at the Taricaya Research Centre and morale is high at the lodge. It is hard to know where to begin so I shall start with updates relating to last months efforts.
Firstly, I shall update you on the mahogany project. In August we successfully germinated over 75% of our seeds and this unexpectedly high percentage meant that we had a lot of work ahead to complete the second phase where the young saplings are moved to specially prepared beds protected from the fierce tropical sun. At the pilot farm we prepared the earth for the plants, using picks and shovels to removed large clods and weeds that could compete with the saplings. Then, netting was strung over the beds to allow rain to pass but protecting the plants from direct sunlight. Each plant was then removed by hand from the germination beds and re-planted in the new nursery beds.
The work was hard and the heat was often over 40 degrees in the sun as the seasonal rains have yet to arrive but we successfully relocated over 5,000 plants and they are thriving well. So many plants had in fact germinated in August that I bought 3,000 plant bags in Cusco and we have given plants to many people and organisations so they can see for themselves that there is potential in cultivating mahogany. We have given plants to the local university, the Es'eja community of Palma Real and members of the community San Pablo across the river from us.
The ideal result will be that their plants flourish and next year they will be asking us to help them produce nurseries of their own.
The saplings will stay in the nursery beds for a further 3 or 4 months before their final relocation to the open areas where I hope they will prosper and justify the huge investment of time and hard work that the project has demanded of volunteers and staff alike.
In September we received an unusual addition to the animal release program. We were given a male adult coati that had lost its sight in captivity.
Normally adult coatis are aggressive and coupled with powerful jaws, large teeth and long claws are not to be underestimated (hence the coatis we have previously received were released before reaching full maturity). However his disability has made him very docile and we are encouraging him to walk on a leash with as chest harness so he can become familiar with the area. He will never go back to the wild but his standard of living with us will be much better and we are giving him doses of vitamin A with a remote hope that some of his vision will return.
Other work completed in September includes the final preparations of the turtle pool as October will see our first young "Taricayas" hatch from the eggs in our artificial beach and a personal boost for me is that finally the dam on which we have been working so hard finally appears to be coming to a successful conclusion.
The wheel and pump where placed in the water channel for testing and, whilst we shall not have time to install all the necessary tubing before the heavy rains arrive and the water level rises, the wheel was easily moved by the force of the water in the channel and next year we shall not need to use the generator during the dry season as I am convinced that not only will we have water 24 hours a day but that the force of the torrent will allow us to connect a dynamo and provide 24hr electricity also.
October will see the exciting progress of the turtle project, continual monitoring of the mahogany plants, the start of the heavy rains and I have heard that our application for the private reserve has finally passed through all the relevant authorities and that it will be signed and approved very soon.
Stuart Timson
Conservation Manager
Taricaya Research Centre
10th September 2004


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You are bidding on one Love Knot Hinged Bangle Bracelet. This 14K White Gold bracelet features a famous "love-knot" design that represents eternal love and friendship. There is a hidden box clasp with a "figure-8" lock for added security. Stamped "14K" and "BoG" designer/maker's mark.
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Posts Tagged 'Spring'
Transeasonal Dressing
Dressing appropriately for the seasons has never been one of my strong points. I get too impatient waiting for the temperature to tip the eighties and inevitably bare my legs too early, leaving me shivering in the March winds.
Transeasonal pieces should ease you into the new season gently. They should be practical and easily integrated into the rest of your wardrobe. Chino's are a great alternative to a jean when the weather starts to warm and these Acne beauties are the perfect colour. I'll be wearing mine with a classic polo, some pumps or tan brogues and a slick of matt red lippy to inject a bit of much needed colour.
For outerwear, you can go a little lighter than your big wool coat now, so a quilted or wax jacket is perfect for the job. I'm lusting after a Barbour but these offers by Asos are a great budget substitute.


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Save interesting products in this list and find them quickly at any time.
Simply click on the watch list symbol
The extremely flat shower trays in Villeroy & Boch's Squaro Super Flat collection impress with a contemporary, minimalist design and an attractive appearance. With a very low rim of just 18 mm, the Squaro Super Flat shower trays are a particularly good choice for modern open-plan bathrooms and provide outstanding comfort.
A new interpretation of the traditional square shower: the rectangular shower tray. Installed flush against the bathroom wall or in a corner, a rectangular shower tray is an ideal choice even for narrow bathrooms. Rectangular shower trays provide lots of room lengthwise and appear more spacious than their square counterparts - perfect for relaxing spa moments in your own bathroom.
Flush-fitted shower trays are installed level with the bathroom floor, creating a harmonious, modern and spacious effect even in small bathrooms. Besides being a design highlight, a floor-level shower also offers practical benefits: it allows easier entry, while larger shower tray models provide improved accessibility, making them suitable for all life situations.
Surface-mounted shower trays have a rim of 2-4 cm and can be installed easily even in bathrooms with low floor depths. The low rim ensures no distraction from the open feeling in the room, while clearly differentiating the shower area from the rest of the bathroom. The shower tray is not quite flush-fitting, but its very flat design allows safer and more comfortable entry.
Shower trays on a pedestal or plinth are suitable for any bathroom and are available in a very wide range of models. Pedestal shower trays are ideal for bathrooms with a low floor depth as the water outlet can be located directly in the base of the shower tray. The pedestal blends harmoniously with the overall effect of the bathroom and opens up options for individual design - find your favourite model.
Quaryl® is an innovative material from Villeroy & Boch, consisting of quartz and acrylic, that opens up almost limitless design scope - whether creative shapes or linear effects. Our Quaryl® whirlpool tubs, shower trays and baths are completely stable and resistant to impacts and scratches. The non-porous, easy-clean, anti-slip surface also feels gentle against the skin - a perfect choice for your spa bathroom.
White is a classic colour for bathroom sanitary fittings. However, for all those in search of a different look or very harmonious bathroom design, Villeroy & Boch offers a variety of colour shower trays. Depending on the model, these shower trays are available in a selection of matt or gloss colours and patterns - perfect for creating highlights and adding and a stylish individual note to the bathroom!
Certain technical rules and building requirements need to be observed in relation to shower tray seals. To provide you with everything you need for professional sealing of your flush-fitted or corner shower, Villeroy & Boch has partnered with the company MEPA to develop two MEPA Aquaproof shower seal sets that meet all relevant standards.
|900 mm
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Super Flat. Super Flat. Technical information: Drainage capacity: 50 l/min, Installation height only 10 cm including siphon.. Shower tray with integrated waste and waste cover, Supplied with the product are: flexible drain connection and polystyrene support set incl. sealant tape or completely integrated installation, Including special adhesive, Installation set with adjustable feet, Drain already included in price! No need to order separately.. Diameter: 90 mm


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As the Corona Virus (Covid 19) situation progress, Palo Pinto Appraisal District (PPAD) is committed to serving the public. Therefore, we have opened our lobby to the public. We are asking everyone to keep the limit of no more than four (4) people in our lobby at one time.
Due to the Covid-19 uncertainty at the time our 2020 Notices were mailed, these notices did not have the option of 'in person' Appraisal Review Board hearings. However, we are now preparing for in person, face to face ARB hearings. If you wish to appear at your hearing, please feel free to do so.


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The NBFAA, CSAA, SIA, et al, should get behind the Treasury's effort to freeze mortgage rates, in an attempt to staunch the record levels of foreclosures. With the builder market already in the tank, residential alarm companies need to both find ways to increase new business and stem attrition. I'm fairly certain people don't pay alarm bills when they're being evicted. On a personal level, however, I can't say I'm totally in favor of my government bailing everyone out from their terrible decisions. This, right here, might be my favorite paragraph from a nationally syndicated news story all year: "We are working aggressively and quickly, utilizing available tools and creating new ones, to help financially responsible but struggling homeowners," Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said in a speech to a national housing conference sponsored by the Office of Thrift Supervision. Now, I'm sure there are some homeowners who are defaulting on their loans because they've lost their jobs in what is an increasingly struggling economy, but those aren't the ones in need of a mortgage rate freeze, are they? Nope. The ones who need the freeze are the ones who bought too much house because they got suckered by a too-good-to-be-true deal where they could afford the first couple of years worth of mortgage payments, and either hoped they'd get a big raise when the adjustable rate started adjusting, or just ignorantly assumed they've be able to flip the house before the new rates kicked in. That doesn't meet any definition of financially responsible I can think of. And, seriously, the federal government has an Office of Thrift Supervision? The same federal government that's spent more than a billion dollars on the effort to freeze mortgage rates? That thrifty government?
Labels: Housing market, thriftiness


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Jay Ague named to Henry Barnard Davis endowed post
Jay Ague, recently appointed as the Henry Barnard Davis Memorial Professor of Geology and Geophysics, is interested in fluid flow, chemical reactions, mass transfer, and heat transfer in Earth's crust and upper mantle.
Ague joined the Yale faculty in 1988. He is chair of the Department of Geology and Geophysics and serves as the curator-in-charge of mineralogy at the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, where he organizes museum exhibitions, mineralogical research, and public outreach and education programs. Ague was acting director of the Peabody Museum in 2008.
The Yale scientist focuses his research on the metamorphic and igneous rocks comprising the deep roots of mountain belts, and his research group incorporates fieldwork as well as chemical and isotropic analyses of rocks and minerals. Ague has led or participated in geological research expeditions to numerous locations around the world, including British Columbia, California, Greece, Papua New Guinea, and Scotland.
Ague, who was the senior editor of the American Journal of Science from 1998 to 2008, currently serves on the editorial boards of Chemical Geology and the Journal of Metamorphic Geology, and is an associate editor of the American Journal of Science.


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The Board of Trustees of Touro College and Touro University today announced the appointment of Alan Kadish, M.D. as president and chief executive officer, and Rabbi Doniel Lander, son of Touro founder Rabbi Dr. Bernard Lander, to the position of chancellor. Plans for formal convocation ceremonies will be announced soon.
In succeeding Dr. Lander, Dr. Kadish becomes only the second president in Touro's history. Dr. Lander founded Touro 40 years ago and led the institution through tremendous growth until his recent passing.
As chancellor, Rabbi Lander's role will be to perpetuate and preserve the legacy of his father. Presently, Rabbi Lander is dean of the Institute for Advanced Talmudic Studies at Yeshivas Ohr Hachaim, in Queens, a position he will continue to hold.
"We are proud to name Dr. Alan Kadish to succeed Dr. Lander as president and CEO of Touro College, and Rabbi Lander to the post of chancellor," said Dr. Mark Hasten, chairman of the Board of Trustees, in making the announcement. "In the spirit of our beloved and respected founder, Rabbi Dr. Bernard Lander, we wish to ensure the continuity and well-being of future generations at Touro. They will provide strong leadership as Touro College moves forward into this new phase of our development with confidence and vigor."
Touro is the largest Jewish-sponsored educational institution in the United States. Founded in 1970 as a small men's college, Touro has expanded broadly since its inception and today educates approximately 17,500 students at 29 schools and colleges in several states and overseas. A pioneer in Jewish education, The Touro system is engaged locally, nationally and worldwide in promoting academic excellence, egalitarian values, tolerance and the well-being of others through quality educational programs and community engagement.
As president and CEO, Dr. Kadish has overall administrative responsibility for the Touro system, which includes numerous colleges in New York, Florida, California and campuses abroad - as well as Touro University California and Touro University Nevada.
"Since he joined Touro last year as senior provost and COO, I have been fortunate to have worked closely with Dr. Kadish, and I have the utmost confidence in his leadership abilities, which are extraordinary," said Rabbi Lander. "I am deeply grateful that he has embraced the opportunity to apply his energy and enthusiasm to help lead Touro into the next century."
Said Dr. Kadish: "I am honored to be appointed president and CEO of Touro College by the Board of Trustees, and to have the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of a great leader. I look forward to pursuing Touro's important mission, and to continuing our tradition of providing quality education to secular and Jewish students across the globe."
Dr. Kadish stressed the importance of working to help ensure that all students enter the workforce prepared to meet the challenges of an increasingly competitive economic climate armed with the skills and resources provided by a Touro education. He also noted that Touro has become an important school for the study of health sciences and said he looks forward to moving Touro's geographically distinct medical programs into leadership roles in American medicine.
Currently, Touro operates two colleges of pharmacy, three colleges of osteopathic medicine, and graduate schools and colleges in health sciences in several states, including California, Nevada and New York. In December, Touro entered into an agreement to affiliate with New York Medical College, a 150-year-old allopathic medical school in upstate New York. In addition to its health sciences programs, Touro operates numerous other graduate schools in a variety of fields including business, education, psychology, social work, Jewish Studies, and the Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center.
Dr. Kadish joined Touro from Northwestern University in September 2009, as senior provost and chief operating officer. At Northwestern University, he was a prominent cardiologist on the national stage, and served on the faculty and as an administrator for the previous 19 years. He has worked as a teacher, research scholar and scientist, and clinician. He held numerous senior-level administrative positions at Northwestern, and also at the University of Michigan, where he had various appointments prior to joining Northwestern. A prolific researcher and writer, he has written extensively in his field, authoring over 300 peer-reviewed papers and contributing to several textbooks.
He received his M.D. degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University and his postdoctoral medical training at the Brigham and Women's Hospital, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, and at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a fellow in cardiology. He is board certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease and cardiac electrophysiology.


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While even the greenest cars on the market today emit clouds of carbon dixoide, General Motors engineers are out to prove that making cars doesn't have to be a dirty business.
American auto giant aims to convert half of its 181 facilities worldwide into "zero waste" operations by 2010. That means not a scrap of metal from those GM sites, or even a juice box from a worker's lunch pail, would end up in a landfill.
Sound impossibly ambitious? Consider that last month the company announced its ninth and 10th landfill-free plants. Several more have also reached the goal, say GM officials, but those announcements haven't been made yet.
The effort puts GM alongside a small but growing number of organizations to adopt a zero-waste agenda. Wal-Mart and even 70 percent of New Zealand's municipalities are working to eliminate all trash. Unlike environmental efforts that drag big business along kicking and screaming, the cost savings associated with zero-waste programs have given companies incentive to be at the forefront of the movement.
"Businesses are the ones that are leading the way and showing that it's ... not a crazy idea," says Gary Liss, a zero-waste consultant based in Loomis, Calif.
That's because adopting the zero-waste model offers many businesses quick returns on their investments – unlike switching to some other earth-friendly initiatives, such as solar power. Indeed, more than any initial financial cost, businesses need to invest "the time and effort to get over the hurdles to figure out what needs to be changed," says Mr. Liss.
As for GM, waste disposal was cheap for most of the firm's 100-year history.
"The focus in the past had been that the waste is part of the business," says Raymond Tessier, group director of environmental services for GM's worldwide facilities group.
But about 10 years ago, tighter restrictions on waste disposal – and the subsequent rising costs – began to challenge that mentality. "We started to look at it as, 'No, this is a resource, and if we can't use that resource in our manufacturing process then that's costing us money,' " says Mr. Tessier.
Since then, GM has sought ways to redesign its systems to cut waste – and it has the savings to show for it. Between 2002 and 2006, GM North America reported, it reduced total waste by 25 percent and saved 39 percent on waste-management expenses.
Moreover, factory conversions have cost GM little. It costs $20,000, an insignificant amount for the auto giant, to attain landfill-free status for a factory that has already slashed waste by 90 percent, which is 1 out 3 of GM plants worldwide, says Tessier. In some cases, the savings cover the costs of attaining zero-waste status, in effect costing GM nothing.
In the city of San Francisco, which has committed to being landfill-free by 2020, "we discuss waste as a design flaw," says Jared Blumenfeld of the city's Department of the Environment. "Ultimately, if something is designed correctly, whatever it is, there shouldn't be any waste." Residents and businesses there currently recycle or reuse 69 percent of all garbage.
"There's no CEO in the nation who would ... say, 'Oh, we think that waste is a good thing.' Waste is just eating into their profit margin and reducing their efficiency," says Mr. Blumenfeld. "So getting to zero waste, from a corporate perspective, makes a lot of sense."
Take GM's Tool and Die Plant in Flint, Mich., the latest facility GM has declared to be landfill-free. It makes polystyrene, or Styrofoam, patterns that are used to create cast-iron dies that stamp out body parts for new vehicles. Consequently, the plant generated huge amounts of polystyrene waste.
"We had a semi going back and forth all day long taking scrap to the landfill," recounts John Lanser, a senior worker at the plant. "We knew that the expense of the landfill had to be sky-high and … that it won't take long before we're going to need another landfill because this stuff doesn't break down at all."
The drive to recycle came from workers, with no prompting from headquarters. Mr. Lanser's supervisor found a way to return the scrap to the supplier for reuse, and this year the Flint plant will recycle enough polystyrene to make 42 million coffee cups. The cost of landfilling all the material had been so great that recycling it actually cut plant operating costs.
It will take time, however, for all GM plants to be landfill-free. So far, most plants doing away with trash have been nonassembly plants. Facilities that produce cars create the most difficult waste to recycle or reuse: paint sludge.
"When you paint a vehicle, not all the paint actually adheres itself to the car.... The extra paint is captured in a water system and there's a sludge that's generated," says Michael Schafran, senior environmental engineer at GM's Orion Assembly Plant in Lake Orion, Mich. "We have not yet found a home for [the paint sludge] on the recycling side."
GM is looking into ways to use the sludge in a waste-to-energy program that would burn it to make electricity.
The US Environmental Protection Agency does not certify or advocate zero-waste programs. However, it has "found that many of our stakeholders are finding that ... the basic concepts ... of zero waste work for them," says Thea McManus of EPA's municipal and industrial solid waste division.


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Texas lawmakers take aim at federal gun-control efforts
AUSTIN - A wave of anger at Washington's efforts to tighten the nation's gun laws washed through the Texas Capitol on Wednesday, as lawmakers considered proposals that would allow the state to ignore - and in some cases criminalize - enforcement of any new national gun control measures.
Bills that would exempt locally made firearms from any new restrictions and jail Texas policemen attempting to enforce federal gun laws debuted before the GOP-dominated state House Committee on Federalism and Fiscal Responsibility.
And while constitutional scholars agree that few of the measures discussed Wednesday stand much of a chance of surviving a court challenge if passed into law, gun enthusiasts embraced the largely symbolic proposals as an opportunity to push back against what they described as an increasingly overreaching federal government.
"The intent is to assert the sovereignty of Texas where constitutionally appropriate," said Committee Chairman Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe.
Wednesday's hearing comes amid a renewed national debate on gun control in the wake of last year's school shootings in Connecticut. Since then, President Barack Obama has cited restricting access to assault weapons and high-capacity magazines as a top priority of his second term.
For nearly four hours Wednesday, witnesses representing groups with names like Pastors for the Second Amendment and the Texas Motorcycle Rights Association inveighed against the efforts of his administration.
"God has given us a basic right to bear arms," said Aubrey Vaughan, pastor of the Beulah Land Baptist Church outside Conroe. "It's not just a constitutional right."
Tom Glass, vice chair of the Texas Libertarian Party, argued the bills, already described as extreme by Democrats on the committee, didn't go far enough. The state should reject any attempts by federal courts to overturn its laws, he said.
Jailing troopers?
"Our country is dying because the federal government has gone beyond the bounds of the Constitution," said Glass.
Few, if any, spoke out against the measures.
Even the usually outspoken Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw remained circumspect, when asked to share his opinion on a proposal that would send his own state troopers to jail for up to six months if they confiscated any firearms or ammunition under new national gun control measures.
"At the end of the day, it's the will of the Legislature," he finally offered under pressure from committee members. "What you pass, we enforce."
Another proposal aired Wednesday would block federal attempts to restrict sales of weapons manufactured and sold solely within the state. Because the U.S. Constitution grants federal authorities power to regulate commerce between states, Texas can set its own rules within its borders, said bill sponsor Rep. Matt Krause, R-Fort Worth.
Both bills represent a shift in strategy for gun rights advocates, who have typically pressed their case under the Second Amendment protection to the right to bear arms.
But as Washington has grown more vocal in its support for gun control, opponents have increasingly seized upon the 10th Amendment for support. That provision grants any powers not specifically given to the federal government in the U.S. Constitution to the states.
So far, lawmakers in at least 15 other states have introduced bills similar to those debated Wednesday with mixed results. Some have died slow deaths in hesitant statehouses, while others have already been challenged in court.
Creighton, the Conroe Republican and committee chairman, seemed to acknowledge Wednesday that the proposed Texas gun measures may face long odds, even with ardent support from local backers.
"Considering these bills doesn't necessarily mean they'll pass," he said. "But giving a voice to Texans to be heard on these issues - that is important."


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Aidan started Grade 6 and transitioned into Middle School fabulously. He is even taking the CITY BUS to school now. Seems like he is growing up way too quickly...from wanting to be on Facebook to texting, to the start of school dances....*sigh* Well we made an agreement on the first day of Grade 5 that I would not take his photo in the front of his school once he moved to Middle School...so Mom still got a few photos in front of our house before he left. He will be thankful one day.....haha...remember our parents saying that?? I love this big kid and the fact that he still likes to cuddle and that we have a "secret thumb shake."
Addison started Pre-school this year at Noah's Ark (same school Aidan went to when he was 4 years old- and the same teachers are still there and remember Aidan 7 years later!!) He loves going to school and showed Mommy no sign of attachment syndrome...he was off and running as soon as the school doors were open waving "bye." I slowed him down by taking his photos :) I am loving this social butterfly and his age of 4! He is learning and growing all the time!


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Disclaimer: This information about Amanda Plummer is derived from astrological interpretation of Amanda Plummer's date, time, and place of birth.


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Home › Classroom Resources › Calendar Activities
Calendar Activities See All Calendar Activities
Not your everyday calendar, here you can find important events in literary history, authors' birthdays, and a variety of holidays, all with related activities and resources that make them more relevant to students. View by day, by week, or by month.
August 10, 2020
The Smithsonian Institution was founded in 1846.
After exploring an exhibit online, students use the information they learned to write "A Day in the Life" narratives that tell about a person, animal, or object they saw in the exhibit.
Grades 1 – 8
Types of Calendar Activities
Authors & Texts
Birthdays, publication dates, and more
Historical Figures & Events
Notable people and happenings in history
Holidays & School Celebrations
Special days and how to observe them
Literacy-Related Events
Celebrations that promote and encourage literacy


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As major economies across the Middle East begin to progress back to their original state with further improvements, the need for personal loans and credit cards has risen.
Personal loans exist to help people finance a personal project, be it a car license or purchasing a car, a small business transaction or investment, a down payment for rent or a mortgage. Credit cards on the other hand have been found extremely helpful when it comes to the subject of shopping.
While people in the Middle Eastern economies have also experienced the stigma of the global economic crisis, by losing their jobs or suffering from financial stress of the global roller coaster, they remain hesitant from acquiring credit cards due to the fear of accumulated debt.
However, choosing either a Citibank's personal loans or credit cards opens the gateway to a wonderful experience or exciting promotions, offers and attractions.
What does Citibank have to offer?
Personal Loan: You are working hard towards a goal, you are saving a percentage of every month's salary; but you feel that it will be years before you can accumulate enough money to put your child through a decent education, or pay for your child's wedding or renovate the home you live in. With Citibank Personal loans, you can get one step closer to achieving those goals or finance any of those projects through easy and flexible monthly payments.
At Citibank, the top reasons cited for you to choose a Personal Loan include a) Quick and efficient approval in 1 day1, b) No necessary salary transfer to a Citibank account, c)Credit insurance, d)Convenient payment options and finally e) personal loan amount of up to AED 120,000.
Visit www.citibank.ae and you can calculate the monthly instalment plus interest payable depending on the amount that you wish to borrow.
For a limited period, when you successfully avail a Citibank Personal Loan, you will be entitled to receive a reward from Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai.
Credit Cards: Search no further! With Citibank you can get a card that suits your purchasing needs, habits and personality. Citibank offers three main credit cards: Emirates-Citibank, PremierMiles, and Citi Life2.
Emirates-Citibank Credit Cards bring your world closer. With this card, you can benefit from unique privileges and services including earning Skywards Miles for flight and upgrade rewards on Emirates and its partner airlines. It is perfectly suited for travellers and explorers, and Emirates frequent flyers.
Please www.citibank.ae to learn more about Emirates-Citibank Credit Card and its features.
PremierMiles Credit Cards fly you into a world of freedom. Earn the most miles and enjoy unmatched redemption choices across more than 300 airlines and hotels around the world.
Wherever you go, enjoy exclusive access, unique rewards and fabulous discounts. It is a highly suitable card for those who love travelling across the globe and are constantly looking for great deals.
Please visit www.citibank.ae to learn more about PremierMiles Credit Card and its features.
CitiLife Credit Cards: Love shopping? Crazy about movies? Always looking forward to your next getaway? Live your passion with the Citi Life Credit Card! A great card for those who enjoy shopping, deals and rewards. Please visit www.citibank.ae to learn more about Citi Life credit card and its features.
1. Approval in 1 day is done on a best effort basis. Loan funding is subject to successful verification and receipt of complete documentation in original.
2. All credit cards are approved at the sole discretion of Citibank, N.A.
Citibank Terms and Conditions apply and are subject to change without prior notice. They are available upon request and on our website. All offers are made available on a best-effort basis and at the sole discretion of Citibank, N.A. Citibank, N.A. makes no warranties and assumes no liability with respect to the products and services provided by partner(s)/other entity(ies). By inquiring about our services, offers or products, you will be authorizing our representatives to approach you on your details including your telephone/mobile number.
Via SyndiGate.info
Newzglobe.com. Copyright © 2020. All rights reserved.


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Recently sold 135 Property in Derby 21% above the asking price.
0% Commission
Vendors in pay no fees and keep the full selling price.
Speed – The entire process, from instruction to exchange of contracts, can be achieved within as little as six to eight weeks.
Transparency – A property auction sale is totally transparent and provides the seller with the assurance that the best possible price has been achieved in open competition.
Certainty of sale – Selling a house at auction offers an exceptional degree of certainty that a sale will be achieved on auction day. A binding legal contract is formed on the fall of the hammer. The buyer is committed and no further negotiation can take place.
Best price – If prepared properly a property auction should generate a number of bidders for each property. The atmosphere created can be extremely exciting and the process of competitive bidding will help to achieve best price on the day.
People may be surprised by just how effective and rewarding modern property auctions are, so the best option is to speak to one of our auctions experts to find out how you could take advantage of this selling method.
You can set a reserve price so they know the minimum they will receive for a home should it be purchased, while they also benefit from the security of a guaranteed sale that only auctions can provide.
Auctions work extremely well for people who need a quick sale and executors looking to settle an estate, but there is no reason why even more people cannot benefit from this type of sale.
What to do after you register ?
- Instruct your solicitor to prepare the legal pack and special conditions of sale.
- Instruct your solicitor to look at the auction page.
- Act on your behalf in the auction, including signing the Memorandum of Sale.


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Sweet potato & chicken curry
Nutrition and extra info
Nutrition: per serving
- kcal281
- fat8g
- saturates2g
- carbs32g
- sugars12g
- fibre5g
- protein22g
- salt0.75g
- 500g sweet potato, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
Sweet potatosweet po-tate-toe
Sweet potatoes have a creamy texture and a sweet-spicy flavour that makes them ideal for savoury…
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Olive oilol-iv oyl
Probably the most widely-used oil in cooking, olive oil is pressed from fresh olives. It's…
- 4 skinless chicken thigh fillets, each cut into large chunks
- 1 large red onion, cut into wedges
- 2 tbsp rogan josh curry paste
- 2 large tomatoes, roughly chopped
A member of the nightshade family (along with aubergines, peppers and chillies), tomatoes are in…
- 125g spinach
Used in almost every cuisine across the world, spinach is an enormously popular green vegetable…
Cook the sweet potatoes in boiling, salted water for 5-7 mins until just tender. Drain well, then set aside. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan, then add the chicken and onion. Cook for 5-6 mins until the chicken is browned and cooked through. Stir in the curry paste, cook for 1 min, add the tomatoes, then cook for another min.
Pour in 100ml boiling water and mix well. Simmer for 5 mins, add the spinach, then cook for 2 mins until wilted. Fold in the potatoes and heat through. Serve with rice and naan breads.
Recipe Tip
Make it ThaiReplace the rogan josh curry paste with Thai green curry paste and add ½ a 400ml can coconut milk instead of the water.


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WhatsApp for iPhone requires iOS 6 or later. For the best experience, we recommend you use the latest version of iOS available for your phone. Please read this Apple Support article to learn how to update your iPhone's software.
Note: iPod and iPad devices are not supported at this time.
We do not explicitly restrict the use of jailbroken or unlocked devices, but because these modifications may affect the functionality of your device, we cannot provide support for devices using modified versions of the iPhone's operating system.
WhatsApp runs on many different types of phones. You can find out which devices are supported on: Android | Windows Phone | Nokia S40 | BlackBerry | Nokia S60 | BlackBerry 10
WhatsApp Support Team


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Each year residence hall students choose to participate in paint projects in the hallways of the residence halls. High-quality paint projects add character, identity and life to residence hall communities and make those areas more attractive and comfortable for those who live in them.
The paint projects consist of several submissions and checkpoints with the resident director. For more information about how to start a paint project contact your resident adviser or resident director.
See more residence hall paint projects.


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Peter Gloor does not own a crystal ball. Nor does he read tea leaves, the lines on your hand or claim to speak to people "from the other side". Yet, the research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) claims he can predict the future.
Take the ongoing Republican nomination race. Late last year, Newt Gingrich was surging in the polls and some pundits thought he may well overtake frontrunner Mitt Romney. But Gloor predicted he would not.
It was true that chatter on Twitter seemed to be giving an edge to the former House speaker, but analysing edits to Wikipedia, Gloor predicted that Romney would beat him. Gloor ended up being right: Romney beat Gingrich by a wide margin on the night.
Of course, you could argue his prediction was just a fluke. But Gloor says his forecasts have worked time and again. In some cases, his analysis can even help predict electoral results where polls fail. For example, in 2009 Switzerland voted to bar the construction of new minarets on mosques. The polls wrongly indicated that people would reject the measure, while Gloor's analysis, based on an analysis of social media, correctly predicted it would pass. "People lied to the pollsters, because they didn't want to appear racist," says Gloor.
His research is part of a growing body of scientific work, often called predictive analytics, which involves using software and computer algorithms to mine emails, social media and other public websites to help make predictions about the future. It is a field that has caught the attention of everyone from movie moguls, who want help identifying which films will be popular, to captains of industry, who want advance information on which stocks are winners. And for those interested in politics, it is being used to forecast who will win in upcoming elections.
'Enter the Swarm'
The idea of mining publicly-available data to help predict the future is nothing new, but past efforts focused primarily on the news media. In the run-up to World War II, the US and British governments monitored world media to help predict the course of hostilities, and during the Cold War, the US government sponsored academics to come up with mathematical models that would analyse media reports to help predict the actions of the Soviet Union.
Over the past decade, however, the advent of social media sites like Facebook and Twitter has created a real-time flood of news about the world. Kalev Leetaru, a computer scientist at the University of Illinois, describes social media as something akin to "a gateway for humanity" because of the sheer abundance of data.
"There are three billion items posted to Facebook every day and 200 million tweets," he says. "One of my favourite figures is that right now, every day, there are more words posted to Twitter than were in the New York Times over the last 60 years."
The trick is in understanding what that data means, and which data is important for what topics.
For example, Gloor says that Twitter is very good for predicting behaviour that is influenced by the crowd – the general public. When it comes to seeing a new film, for example, people are heavily influenced by what the crowd seems to say: is it a good or bad movie?
It is a finding that has been put to the test by computer scientist Hsinchun Chen at the University of Arizona. Chen and his group have looked at data from hundreds of Hollywood movies and have attempted to correlate ticket sales with online data generated by social media users. The model worked "beautifully", suggests Chen.
His lab's models also correctly predicted that the 2011 Mel Gibson movie The Beaver, about a man who speaks through a hand puppet, would bomb; so too would Jim Carey's Mr. Popper's Penguins. Neither received much pickup on social media, according to Chen.
The lesson learned from looking at social media data and movies is that it does not matter who the star is, how much you spend on the movie, or even how good the movie is: what matters is what people are saying about it online. "The movie industry is buzz," Chen suggests. "It's not content."
Whilst this crowd approach works nicely for films, it starts to break down when applied to political events. Instead, researchers have to look for different types of data. This is where the "swarm" comes in, says Gloor. The swarm is a group of more neutral experts, such as those who regularly edit Wikipedia. "There are lots of Wikipedians, but just two or three thousand do most of the work," he says. "We track those, how well respected they are, who's editing what."
In the case of the Republican primaries, Gloor's analysis in December noted that even though the masses on Twitter seemed to indicate a Gingrich victory, the swarm on Wikipedia was pointing to Romney.
Future clues
While those working in predictive analytics acknowledge that the wealth of information provided by social media is important, they are circumspect about its ability to be applied to all areas. Some events cannot be predicted well using social media, namely those which people simply don't talk about online. "We probably cannot find any crimes," says Gloor. "They will not be discussed in public."
Leetaru is even more wary of overly relying on social media to make predictions, arguing that in many cases even seemingly public events, like protests, have a hidden side to them. "If you look at the UK riots [in 2011], the first thing everyone said was [look at] Facebook and Twitter. But when they checked further, they realised that actually the rioters were using encrypted peer-to-peer Blackberry messages."
While Leetaru is also involved in forecasting social and political events, his current work focuses more on culling information from traditional media, including a retroactive analysis of news reports, which he said located Osama bin Laden's hideout within a radius of 125 miles (200km).
Social media, while providing a wealth of data, does not necessarily provide first-hand information, or better information. "All the work that is coming out seems to suggest that social media is more of a sounding box," says Leetaru. "Something happens and social media reports on it."
For example, in looking at Kenyan election violence several years ago, Leetaru suggests that most of the social media messages coming out of the country were not necessarily first-hand reports about what people personally saw, but rather people retweeting or rebroadcasting news media reports. "So it wasn't that they were reporting that they saw a tank heading down the street, they were basically using it almost as a real-time bulletin board," he says.
In many of these more complex cases, researchers are combining social media with news reports and other public data to help hone their forecasts. For example, Swedish-American firm Recorded Future, now based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, trawls hundreds of thousands of pieces of data, from government filings to social media, hunting for clues to the future.
According to Christopher Ahlberg, the CEO of the firm, the company's proprietary software grew out of a decade of previous work on large datasets. He and his coworkers grew interested in looking at ways to organise data in a time-based manner, allowing people to do Google-like searches on future events.
"Media is full of these facts about the future," suggests Ahlberg. "So, what we asked ourselves is could we build a machine – we used to jokingly call it a DVR for everything spoken and written about the future – and organise that data meticulously into a dataset, and set it up as a cool user experience?"
The company did just that, and today, Recorded Future's software is being used by private customers and government clients interested in data-mining the future.
One example of how Recorded Future's technology could be used, according to Ahlberg, might be someone following pharmaceutical stocks. The user clicks on a specific date, and Recorded Future shows all of the data mined from public information about things that are supposed to take place on that date, such as a review by the US Food and Drug Administration, the release of a new drug, or the expiration of a drug patent.
All this information can hold vital clues for those in the know. And it could be a step towards predictive analytics' ultimate prize: picking winning stocks. But Ahlberg and other researchers know this is a long way off. "Sometimes I find people want magic predictions," Ahlberg says. "That doesn't reflect reality."
Information overload
Others agree this is still a tricky area. Gloor, who has used his models to try to outsmart the markets, has so far had only limited success. However, the work has thrown up at least one intriguing result: the models work best with alternative energy stocks. "There we have the tree-huggers, and tree-huggers are honest," he says. "They talk about new developments that correspond to alternative energy."
Chen also concedes that financial markets are harder to predict than movies. "It's not easy to predict a stock return: You can predict the movement, volume and volatility," he says. "The return is still the Holy Grail."
Even if such analysis cannot always make precise forecasts, its potential for forecasting trends and events has increasingly attracted interest from the US government. Recorded Future, whose technology can also mine social media to forecast political protests, such as Occupy Wall Street, or track criminal activity, such as cyber attacks, has already attracted interest from the national security community. In-Q-Tel, the venture capital firm founded by the CIA, has invested in the company.
In fact, the intelligence community's interest in predictive modelling, particularly based on social media, has been growing over the past few years, especially in light of the Arab spring protests, which were at least partly fuelled by social media. Last year, the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (Iarpa), a research and development arm of the US intelligence community, launched a project called Open Source Indicators, designed to mine information from social media and other public data and to come up with predictions.
The Pentagon has also launched a number of forecasting projects in recent years, hoping, for example, to predict insurgent behaviour. Mark Maybury, the US Air Force chief scientist, likens this sort of human-data collection – whether from social media, foreign news, or elsewhere – as something akin to the images collected by drones flying over Afghanistan. Only instead of information about bombs, it is collecting information about how people behave.
"At the strategic national level, you'd like to do things like predict state failure," said Maybury of the modelling work the Air Force is doing. "More tactically, you'd like to be able to do things like discover illicit shipping routes, human trafficking routes, and narcotics routes."
Yet one question that is only just starting to be discussed is whether the public is aware that their tweets, their Facebook posts and their Wikipedia edits are being sucked up by academics, private companies, the Pentagon, and even the CIA. In the modern world, people often do not think twice about tweeting their dinner plans, broadcasting their political opinion, or posting updates about a street protest.
Even people who avoid Twitter or Facebook may be contributing information in ways they didn't realise: a product review on Amazon, a comment on a news site or even something a simple as a search on their smart phone can all be collected and analysed.
"People have become jaded to the information overload," says Mark Abdollahian, a political scientist at Claremont Graduate University, who also works with a private company that creates political forecasting models. And it is not just social media: Abdollahian points to the latest iPhone's popular new Siri voice application, which sends data back to Apple, where it is analysed along with other user information.
All of this data, whether from social media or smart phone searches, is being analysed by someone for some purpose, whether to predict a political protest, a stock price, or even just to figure out what restaurant you're trying to find.
"Your queries go in there to make a better user experience. What do people do with the information?" Abdollahian says. "That's the question we all need to ask."
If you would like to comment on this story or anything else you have seen on Future, head over to our Facebook page or message us on Twitter.


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Worldwide Conference...
Dubai - Dubai - United Arab Emir...
Connect with your Social Network
Save the Dates and register for the International Conference on Heart & Clinical Cardiology Research 2019 conducted by Coalesce Research Group from Nov 14 – 15, 2019 at Osaka, Kansai, Japan
Medofocus is one of the largest Medical CME Conferences and Healthcare meetings website. Your one-stop resource centre for upcoming international medical & healthcare exhibition & conferences all around the world at one place.
Medofocus is a revolutionary online conference platform that connects the Physicians, Specialist, Healthcare professionals, organisers and speakers. Dedicated to extend the horizons of continued medical education and conference services beyond regional limitations and make it accessible to all under one roof.
Medical event organizers can publish their events for free with venue and ticket details. Mail us at email@example.com for more details.


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Welcome to Frank's Texas BBQ
Whether you're a big business or a family get-together, let Frank's Texas BBQ cater your next event.
We take care of it all from 25 people to 2,500 people — no party is too big for our great food and service. We provide full on-site catering, along with our customized BBQ right to your Northern California location.
Our catering menus offer a wide variety of award winning BBQ items and sauces, along with a long list of delicious side dishes. We also offer delicious trays for drop-off events for business luncheons, corporate events or family parties.
Frank and his crew have been serving up great BBQ in the Bay Area for over 25 years, give him a call and see what he can do for you too!


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Today we made the announcement that Strobe is now called Open Source Media Framework (OSMF) and is now available! OSMF will help standardize media players that use the Adobe Flash Platform for media delivery.
I'm really excited about this collaborative, industry effort to help not only make video perform better in Flash, but will enable a larger ecosystem of media services to be easily incorporated into your player development… and, just because I didn't blog about it earlier – Flash Player 10 is now at 86% adoption (7 months after release) and continues to be the number 1 platform of choice for video on the web.
Media players on the web today do much more than your television screen in your living room. Media players are responsible for rendering the video, managing playlists, integrating targeted advertising, content protection, tracking and error correction. I spoke about this last year at Streaming Media West (download here).
OSMF is a flexible architecture to help developers create custom playback experiences while leveraging a potentially huge range of services made available through a common plug-in architecture. This plug-in approach will allow multiple CDNs, Advertising, reporting and much more to be easily added to the media player. You can look at some of the inaugural partners committed to building plug-ins to help you get rolling.
Put simply, OSMF lets you focus on the business of delivering video, not the player development – but will not prevent you from adding your own spin to keep your users engaged longer. As Adobe continues to innovate new features like Dynamic Streaming or DVR you can easily update your player with the new code so you can take full advantage of all the cool stuff we have up our sleeves as soon as we ship!
The website www.OpenSourceMediaFramework.com has been setup as the source code repository and home for all the pluggable components that people will make. The source code is available under Mozilla Public License.
Akamai who founded the Open Video Player initiative is also helping by contributing to OSMF through a strong collaborative relationship with Adobe. Tim Napolean, Chief Strategist at Akamai is quoted in the release:
"Open Source Media Framework complements and solidifies Akamai's Open Video Player initiative," said Tim Napoleon, chief strategist, of digital media at Akamai. "OSMF leverages code from Akamai's Open Video Player and Adobe's expertise and resources to assist media companies and publishers in redefining the benchmarks for online video experiences that are powered by standards based workflows."
For details about the release
For the product page
For more information about Open Video Player