text:
• We will always provide a fast and free estimate on your Achieva PSx ventilator.
• Install of piston guides, kap seals, quad rings, set screws & Battery.
• Calibration of all settings and voltages.
• 24 hour run-in and battery run down testing.
• Here at Bemes we clean your LP-20 inside and out.
♦ Replacement of Cap Seals, Quad Rings, 4 Piston Guides & Filter.
♦ New Battery Installed and run down testing done.
♦ Full Calibration to the same specs as a new unit.
♦ Unlike others, all Achieva PSx services done according to manufactures guidelines.
♦ All our work is guaranteed.
♦ Rental are also available on this unit.
♦ This service is required every two years.


text:
As I struggle to find a place that is comfortable to lie in, my body aches for touch.
To feel the curve of someone behind me, safe in their embrace. Their breath on my neck, the length of their body curled around mine. The weight of their presence a comfort, easy, and secure. Their warmth and energy mingling with mine.
Instead I lay within a nest of pillows, strategically placed to offer some support and comfort, and the illusion of weight. No warmth, no energy exchange, a lone tree on a deserted island, surrounded by sea.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
WEST virginia legislature
2019 regular session
House Bill 2778
By Delegate Rodighiero and Pyles
[Introduced January 30,
2019; Referred
to the Committee on Education then Finance.]
A BILL to amend and reenact §18-5D-2, §18-5D-3, and §18-5D-4, of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, all relating to the West Virginia Feed to Achieve Act; and providing that school nutrition plans include take home meals for low income students or any student who requests take home meals.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
§18-5d-2. Legislative findings; intent.
(a) The Legislature finds and declares that:
(1) Every child in school needs to have nutritious meals in order to achieve his or her potential. Providing the best schools and teachers alone does not ensure a child is mentally present and able to learn. A growing body of research establishes that a hungry child is less able to process the information provided and is less likely to be attentive to the lessons being taught.
(2) President Harry S. Truman began the national school lunch program in 1946 as a measure of national security to safeguard the health and well-being of the nations' children and to encourage the domestic consumption of nutritious agricultural commodities and other food. Last year in West Virginia, 32.3 million school lunches were served to students in public schools.
(3) Research shows that healthy eating, proper nutrition and regular physical activity result in students who have: (A) Increased standardized achievement test scores; (B) improved attendance; (C) reduced tardiness; (D) improved academic, behavioral and emotional functioning; and (E) improved nutrition, and for many students, the nutritious breakfast at school is essential.
(4) Schools that provide universal breakfast programs also report: (A) Decreases in discipline and psychological problems; (B) decreases in visits to school nurses; (C) decreases in tardiness; (D) increases in student attentiveness; (E) increases in attendance; and (F) improved learning environments, and these positive attributes are furthered through comprehensive healthy schools policies that include quality nutrition, integrating physical activity during the school day, and teaching children about the importance of embracing a healthy active lifestyle.
(5) An effective school breakfast program is not an interruption of the school day; it is an integral and vital part of the school day.
(6) The participation rate for the school breakfast program varies greatly among our counties. Those counties which have made a determined effort to increase participation by offering programs to best meet student needs, such as Grab-And-Go Breakfasts, providing breakfast in the classroom or providing breakfast after first period, are feeding significantly higher percentages of their students.
(7) The West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy reports that in 2011 more than 25 percent of the children in West Virginia lived in homes with a household income below the federal poverty line, which is $23,050 for a family of four. About 50 percent of West Virginia children live in homes with a household income below twice the federal poverty level, $46,100 for a family of four, which is approximately the level of the Work Force West Virginia self-sufficiency standard.
(8) The majority of students from families below the self-sufficiency standard are currently not eating breakfast at school. On the average school day during the 2011-2012 school year, less than half of the West Virginia students eligible for a federally funded free breakfast actually received one. On that same average day, only about one third of the students eligible to receive a reduced price breakfast actually received one.
(9) In order to maximize each child's potential to learn and develop, the Legislature, schools and communities must partner to provide the most basic support for learning: nutritious meals.
(10) In order to maximize student participation in school nutrition programs and to reduce the secondary adverse impacts of poverty, it is important that schools provide nutritious meals without a risk to students of being stigmatized as poor, including take home meals for low income students or any student who requests take home meals.
(11) High rates of childhood hunger and childhood obesity occur simultaneously because children are not receiving healthy, nutritious food. According to the Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health and others, in 2008 West Virginia ranked 44 in overall prevalence of childhood obesity, with 35.5 percent of children considered either overweight or obese.
(12) According to the 2008 Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance System, which assesses weight status of children from low-income families participating in the Women, Infants and Children program, 28.3 percent of low income children age 2-5 are overweight or obese in West Virginia.
(13) The Food Research and Action Center has found that providing a balanced school breakfast may protect against childhood obesity. School breakfast participation, particularly when combined with comprehensive efforts that include regular physical activity and promote healthy eating habits, is associated with a lower body mass index, a lower probability of being overweight, and a lower probability of obesity, all of which help prevent a range of chronic diseases including Type II Diabetes, high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.
(14) Participation in federally funded meals in child care, preschool, school, or summer settings is associated with a lower body mass index among young, low income children.
(15) Private and nonprofit sectors have shown a willingness to commit significant resources to addressing hunger in America, leveraging federal programs and enlisting their employees, customers and clients to improve the availability and accessibility of affordable, healthy food for those in need of assistance.
(16) Public schools in this state and others are adopting a continuum of policies to implement low cost, effective programs that include physical activity, physical education, proper nutrition and the promotion of healthy eating habits, along with involvement by school staff, families and communities, and a variety of resources to assist schools in adopting and implementing these programs are easily accessible on the Internet and through the Office of Healthy Schools in the West Virginia Department of Education.
(b) In order to maximize the economies of scale and to access all available federal funds to support our school nutrition programs, the Feed to Achieve initiative directs schools to make available and to promote the federally approved and subsidized meals to all prekindergarten through 12th grade students, to make them readily available and to consider reducing or eliminating the cost to students if sufficient funds become available.
(c) The Legislature intends to provide a framework for the State Board of Education and the county boards of education to provide, as effectively and as efficiently as possible, a minimum of two nutritious meals each school day to all students.
(d) The Legislature intends for the state and county boards of education to enter into public-private partnerships to eventually provide free nutritious meals for all prekindergarten through 12th grade school children in West Virginia.
(e) The Legislature encourages county boards to examine the options available for comprehensive policies and programs to improve student health and promote academic achievement and to establish a comprehensive policy on healthy schools that best meets the needs of their student population.
(f) It is not the intention of the Legislature to allow or encourage parents to abdicate their parental responsibility related to providing healthy, nutritious meals for their children. However, it is the intent of the Legislature that no child be denied nutritious meals.
(g) It is the intent of the Legislature that healthy nutritious school lunches and take home meals for low income students or any student who requests take home meals be made available to all students in a manner which maximizes participation and minimizes stigma attached to participating low income students.
§18-5D-3. School nutrition programs.
(a) Each county board of
education shall establish and operate school nutrition programs under which, at
a minimum, a nutritious breakfast,
and lunch, and take home meals for
low income students or any student who requests take home meals are made
effectively available to all students enrolled in the schools of the county in
accordance with the State Board of Education standards. The standards shall include
guidelines for determining the eligibility of students for paid, free and
reduced meals. The standards shall also establish procedures and guidelines for
the Feed to Achieve initiative to allow for the provision of healthy,
nutritious meals to all elementary school students, without cost to students,
where schools find it practical to do so.
(b) The Feed to Achieve initiative will be phased in for all elementary schools as sufficient funds become available, through donations, contributions and payments made by individuals, communities, businesses, organizations, and parents or guardians on behalf of students. Nothing in this article prohibits any school from providing free meals to all of its students.
(c) Each county board of education shall:
(1) Require all schools to adopt a delivery system approved by the state Office of Child Nutrition, no later than the 2015 school year, that ensures all students are given an adequate opportunity to eat breakfast. These approved systems shall include, but are not limited to, Grab-And-Go Breakfasts, breakfast in the classroom or breakfast after first period, and no later than the 2019-20 school year these systems shall include take home meals programs; and
(2) Collaborate with the
state Office of Child Nutrition to develop strategies and methods to increase
the percentage of children participating in the school breakfast,
lunch nutrition programs, and take home meals programs.
(d) In addition to other statistics, the county boards of education, in consultation with the state Office of Child Nutrition, shall determine the number of children in each school who are participating in each meal offered by the school; the number of children who are not eating each meal offered by the school; and the total daily attendance.
(e) The state Office of Child Nutrition shall report to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance, the Select Committee on Children and Poverty and the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability on or before December 31, 2015, and each year thereafter, on the impacts of the Feed to Achieve Act and any recommendations for legislation.
(f) County boards of education may utilize the nonprofit funds or foundations established in section four of this article or other available funds to offset the costs of providing free meals, after school and summer nutrition programs to elementary students.
(g) If at any time federal financial appropriations to this state for school nutrition programs are terminated, county boards of education are hereby authorized, but not required, to continue the programs at their own expense.
(h) Classroom teachers may not be required to participate in the operation of the school breakfast program as part of their regular duties.
§18-5D-4. Creating public-private partnerships; creating nonprofit foundation or fund; audit.
(a) The Department of Education and each county board of education shall promptly establish a fund that is restricted solely for the receipt and expenditure of gifts, grants and bequests for the purposes of this article and may establish in lieu thereof a nonprofit foundation for this purpose. The purpose of the fund or nonprofit foundation is to provide supplemental or matching funds to increase participation in the nutrition programs in the Feed to Achieve initiative set forth in subsection (c) of this section. The Department of Education shall utilize its fund or nonprofit foundation to assist county boards of education in counties whose fund or foundation lacks sufficient business, industry and individual contributors to fund the Feed to Achieve nutrition programs.
(b) Financial support for the fund or foundation may come from either public or private gifts, grants, contributions, bequests and endowments.
(c) Expenditures from the state or county funds or by the foundations shall be used for provision of food to students through any of the programs or initiatives approved by the Office of Child Nutrition, including the following programs: School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program, the Summer Food Service Program, the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, the Child and Adult Care Food Program, the farm-to-school initiative and community gardens. Expenditures may also be made for initiatives developed with the Department of Health and Human Resources and public-private partnerships to provide outreach and nutritional meals when students are not in school, including take home meals programs.
(d) No administrative expenses or personnel expenses for any of the state departments implementing this act, the State Board of Education, any county board of education, school or program may be paid from the funds or by the foundations.
(e) Individuals or businesses that contribute to the funds or foundations may specify schools or nutrition programs for which the contribution is to be used.
(f) The Department of Education and county boards of education may establish public-private partnerships to enhance current or advance additional nutrition programs that provide nutritious food for children to take home for weekend meals.
(g) The Department of Education and county boards of education shall form or expand existing partnerships with the federal and state departments of agriculture, Department of Health and Human Resources, local master gardeners, county extension agents or other experts in the field of agriculture or gardening to develop community gardens, farm-to-school programs and other such programs that teach students how to grow and produce healthy food and provide healthy food to the students.
(h) The Department of Education shall collaborate with the Department of Health and Human Resources to develop effective strategies and programs such as after school nutrition outreach and programs that improve the healthy lifestyle of all students in prekindergarten through twelfth grade. The Department of Health and Human Resources may propose rules for promulgation in accordance with the provisions of §29A-3-1 et seq. of this code to effectuate any programs so developed.
(i) All moneys contributed to a fund or foundation established pursuant to this section and all expenditures made therefrom shall be audited as part of the annual independent audit of the State Board of Education and the county boards of education.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require that school nutrition plans include take home meals for low income students or any student who requests take home meals.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.


text:
The COC Orchestra is the oldest opera orchestra in Canada and has received worldwide acclaim.
The COC Chorus is made up of professional singers, some of whom have worked with the company for more than 20 years.
The COC Academy includes training programs for young singers, coaches, instrumentalists and other opera professionals.


text:
WUD Art is proud to present the launch of the Art En Route project, a cutting edge exhibition through the junction of public art and public transportation in Madison, WI!
This project pairs creative writers with visual artists to create uniquely commissioned works of art. The final, collaborative works are photographed and installed on the exterior bus wraps of various Madison Metro Transit buses running throughout Madison from October 1st 2017 - January 20th, 2018. The original artwork, at the same time, are presented in an exhibition "Art En Route" at Gallery 1308 in Union South from October 7th - November 17th, 2017.
An En Route is co-curated by Yusi Liu and Alex Polach from WUD Art Committee. Participating Dane County-based literary and visual artists are Michael Hirshon, Fabu Phillis Carter, Rebecca Kautz, Gwendolyn Rice, Holly AnneBurns, Caleb Weisnicht, Yeonhee Cheong, Antonio Byrd, Beth Racette,Heath Langreck, Jj D'Onofrio, Mackenzie Berry, Johnson Vaj, Claude Clayton-Smith, Ryan Haimerl, and Brad Foster.
Art En Route is fortunate to be working with two local non-profit arts organizations for many aspects of this project: Arts + Literature Laboratory and Madison Community Discourse. Both organizations are dedicated to bettering our Madison community through open discussion and community participation.
Learn more about Art En Route:


text:
Product 4/1196
❄ Elegant, classic and timeless design, comfortable and elegant, high quality.
❄ Customer satisfaction is our highest priority. Do not hesitate to contact us if the item does not meet your expectations.
❄ Please consult HaiDean, the store is more different clothes and jewelry, welcomed in the store to browse.
❄ Due to manual measurement please allow 2-3cm difference.
❄ Note: slight differences in color may exist to accept. Thanks your understanding.


text:
I had the chance to talk with Mark Pendleton, Manager of Brookside Nursery in Menlo Park, CA. It is located very near the apartment I rent in the winter and my friend Kristy insisted that I check them out, knowing that I love orchids. When I am home in Chicagoland the Spring Orchid show at The Chicago Botanic Garden is an wonderful treat at the end of winter. Orchids are the most sold potted plants in the U.S., I learned. I discovered that Brookside is a very unusual place. While enjoying the gorgeous colors and shapes of the orchids, I was simply amazed when I saw the two huge spaces filled with orchids and learned these were all boarded.
Brookside Nursery 's plant boarding program is unique. It's two locations include Pacifica with about 25,00 square feet and Menlo Park with 30,000 square feet. Amazingly, nearly half of the space in each location is devoted to 24/7 year round care for plants that belong to 350 people. Each of these patrons board between 20 and 1000 plants. The collections that are stored are very impressive. Plants come in for "plantsitting" when the plant is dormant. The owner will bring the plant in or arrangements can be made to pick them up. When the orchids are "showy", beautiful and healthy, they are returned to their owner. Because not all orchids respond to the same conditions, caring for this vast number is challenging.
These orchids are kept in a very special environment. For some reason, I really never thought about differences in greenhouses. I noticed different sizes, shapes and materials but since I never purchased one, I didn't think too much about them.
Brookside Nursery cares for the boarded plants in a greenhouse that was recycled from Colorado and has some very modern features. It is Dutch style having walls that are 10ft high and insulated by Double Wall Polycarbonate that protect against heat and cold. They also have retractable shades and can filter light. The large air volume creates a more stable temperature and all of these features benefit the plants.
Additional greenhouse information.
Brookside Nursery is 32 years old. In the days before Smith & Hawken was associated with Target, when its individual stores were a delight, Brookside Nursery was the orchid supplier for their catalog. Then things changed. Now Brookside has a well developed wholesale market shipping all over the U.S. Enjoy their website
Retail sales are being promoted at the Nursery, at Farmer's Markets and at local Garden/Flower/Orchid Shows such as:
February 20th to 23rd--Pacific Orchid Expo "Orchids and All That Jazz"
March 14th to 16th -- Santa Barbara International Orchid Show
March 19th to 23rd -- San Francisco Garden Show
Mark Pendleton is an avid participant is the breeding program at Brookside. Growing orchids from seed allows purchasers to find plants that are not only clones but are original. Growing from seed can have advantages like preserving a particular orchid, being able to breed for the best orchid qualities, and being creative. Mark has registered more than 200 crosses.
I asked Mark for a few tips for those of us who care for orchids at home. He suggested that new orchid owners begin with the two best low light (not no light) orchids, which are the ones that look like moths, called Phalaenopsis and the Asian lady slipper orchid also known as Paphiopedilum.
Problems with orchids are probably caused by watering- overwatering, underwatering, watering too frequently and not enough humidity.
Look for the beautiful orchids from Brookside Nursery if you attend the garden shows or local Farmer's Markets. Stop in at the nursery for a treat. It will be hard to leave without an orchid. I couldn't.
Brookside Nursery
2718 Alpine Road Menlo Park, California 94028 Wholesale/Retail 650.854.3711 or Boarding/Repotting 650.854.4156 [email protected] Fax: 650.854.3764
Photos:Barbara Keer unless otherwise indicated


text:
. . . But wish you could?
You're in luck! Microsoft is going to be delivering the content via webcasts, beginning TODAY (May 14) at 11:30 AM Eastern. Too late for today's session.
[UPDATE: Webcast recordings are being made available. Please see http://jimblizzard.wordpress.com/2012/05/21/windows-8-dev-camp-recordings/ for details and links. — bliz]
Here is the session list via Jamie. Good lunchtime feasting! (for Eastern Time Zone anyway)
And here it is, for your convenience. . .
Monday May 14th, 2012 8:30 AM PST
Introduction to the Windows 8 platform and the Windows store
Jennifer Marsman
Windows 8 is Windows re-imagined! Join this session to learn about the new platform for building Metro-style applications. Get an understanding of the platform design tenets, the programming language choices, and the integration points with the operating system and across Metro-style apps. We will also discuss the enormous opportunity for developers to make crazy money with the Windows Store. You will walk away with the resources to begin writing Metro applications for Windows 8.
Since that session is already history, here are a couple of links to information about the Windows 8 platform and store:
- The store: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/windowsstore/
- The Windows 8 platform: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-US/library/windows/apps/br211361
Wednesday, May 16th, 2012 8:30 AM PST
Designing apps with Metro style principles and the Windows personality
Chris Bernard
Metro style design has a set of five guiding principles to help you make the best choices when designing your app. These principles are the foundation for building great Metro style apps. Consider these principles as you plan your app, and always ensure your design and development choices live up to these principles.
Monday, May 21, 2012 8:30 AM PST
Building Metro style apps with XAML: What .NET developers need to know
John Wiese
If you are experienced with .NET or Silverlight and are already familiar with XAML, this session will teach you everything you need to know to create a Metro style app for Windows 8. This session will cover updates to familiar features and explore concepts that are new for Windows 8. We'll talk about building reusable Windows Runtime Components in C#, Async programming in Windows 8 and both the Visual Studio and Expression designers. This session will show you how to turn your XAML skills into money-making Metro style apps.
Wednesday May 23, 2012 8:30 AM PST
What HTML developers need to know about coding Windows 8 Metro style apps
Michael Palermo
This session is perfect for any web developer wanting to leverage his/her skillset to develop Windows 8 Metro style apps. The session begins by proving how much web developers already know about building apps for Windows 8. The focus then turns to how to write JavaScript code with WinJS. Key points for Metro style app development will be highlighted by implementing popular feature requests using HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript.
Thursday, May 31, 2012 8:30 AM PST
Win as One: How Contracts in Windows 8 Help You Build a Killer Metro App
G. Andrew Duthie
Contracts are agreements between Windows and your Metro style app that allow you to integrate Windows 8 features into your app. For example, Windows 8 lets users share content from one application to another by using the Share contract.
In this session, you'll learn how contracts work and how to implement the built-in contracts such as Search, Share, Settings, and More. With Contracts, you can help users get more out of your app, and in a way that is consistent and intuitive, and they will reward you by coming back to your app again and again.
Monday, June 4th, 2012 8:30 AM PST
Bring Your Windows 8 Metro Style Apps to Life with Tiles and Notifications
Chris Bowen
Tiles and Notifications are important ways to draw attention to your app and improve your users' experiences. Tiles can draw users back into your app when your tile comes to life on Start screen. They can also let users personalize their Start screen by creating deep links to specific places within your app. Notifications, delivered through the Windows Push Notification Service, can inform and draw your users back into your app even when it's not running.
In this session, you will learn how to effectively implement Tiles and Notifications to help your apps shine.
Wednesday, June 6th, 2012 8:30:00 AM PST
Building Windows 8 Metro style casual games using HTML 5
David Isbitski
The intent of this session is to help HTML5/JavaScript developers with writing their first Metro Style App in a fun, immersive way. We will cover the basics of HTML5 Canvas gaming and how we can easily bring it to Windows 8. We will then add additional game functionality as we introduce HTML5 Audio, CSS3 styling and web fonts, implementing a game loop with JavaScript, 3rd party frameworks, touch, camera, accelerometer, and WinJS controls.


text:
It should be a no-brainer for our city council to unanimously endorse the necessary framework for inviting this catalytic opportunity for development of the Ziock/Amerock project. How fortunate for Rockford to have someone like Gorman and Company with the vision, experience and financial/investor portfolio to recognize the potentials of this undertaking.
Being too large of a challenge for our local investors, this will be a springboard for our local entrepreneurs to pick up the smaller-scale opportunities to complement the base project. Granted some infrastructure will be needed, but it will give us the opportunity to enact some of the recommendations from our countless "traffic studies" we have on our dusty archive shelves.
It should give us the opportunity for our downtown traffic flow to finally become more visitor/user friendly. I recommend the city council give Gorman and Company a unanimous affirmative vote this Monday welcoming them to our city.
— Cal DeWeerdt, Rockford


text:
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Medical, Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia.
Informal; the sale of a losing position. This is done to avoid further losses and to free up money that may be used in a more profitable investment. While rebounds are possible, puking a security indicates the investor's acknowledgement that further losses are unacceptable and a price recovery is unlikely. Reaching this attitude is known as reaching the "puke point." Knowing whether one is correct in reaching the puke point at a certain time is the subject of much speculation and depends greatly on one's investment strategy. See also: Close a position.


text:
- Prayer and Worship
- Beliefs and Teachings
- Issues and Action
- Media
- Bible
- Catholic Giving
- About USCCB
WASHINGTON—As schools launch a new academic year, millions of children also are set to learn the ABC's of child protection. In Catholic schools and parishes nationwide,safe environment training gives children the skills necessary to protect themselves from would be-offenders. Mary Jane Doerr, associate director of the Secretariat for Child and Youth Protection of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), has listed here some of the messages children hear in safe environment programs.
Keywords: pedophilia, child protection, USCCB bishops, Mary Jane Doerr, Secretariat for Child and Youth Protection, child abuse, sexual abuse, predators
By accepting this message, you will be leaving the website of the
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. This link is provided
solely for the user's convenience. By providing this link, the United
States Conference of Catholic Bishops assumes no responsibility for,
nor does it necessarily endorse, the website, its content, or
sponsoring organizations.


text:
Hi everybody!
I'm building a desktop application using EXTJs 3.4. I have a window with border layout which is splitted into two sections: at the left there is a TreePanel, at the right a TabPanel. In the left side I need to visualize two different TreePanel objects (containing different elements) depending on different situations. I have put both tree panel as items in desktop window:
id:id,iconCls:appIco,title:'MAIN App',width:800,height:566,
where trElems and trSearchRes are the two TreePanels that I want to visualize alternatively.
Then I put SetVisible(true) or SetVisible(false) of the the trees dipending on the situation but it's not working because noone of the two trees is visualized.
How can I do this otherwise?


text:
Harrington, Susanmarie, Steve Fox, and Tere Molinder Hogue. "Power, Partnership, and Negotiations: The Limits of Collaboration." WPA: Writing Program Administration 21.2/3(Spring 1998): 52-64.
The writers, who are all part of a collaborative WPA structure at their institution, use situations at their institution to evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of collaborative administration. They maintain that collaborative administration is possible, and the diverse perspectives it invites has helped unite and strengthen their writing program. The writers do acknowledge that collaborative administration is difficult, and name four potential problems that emerge from collaborative administration:
- The tendency to focus inward instead of also collaborating with partners outside the writing program/department;
- The issues of authority and expertise created inside and outside the program because members of the collaborative administration have different titles, roles, positions, and responsibilities;
- The desire to avoid conflict in the decision-making process, which can create false consensus and silence dissenting opinions
- "Twin citizenship," or how members of the writing program administration committee are torn between obligations and identities in the program, the institution, the community, and the discipline.
Notable Notes
They explain that there are few arguments/analyses of collaborative administration that address "how such partnerships come to be created in a hierarchal university environment, how power (even the decentralized, facilitated kind) is acquired, and how collaboration works on a daily basis" (53-54).
Collaborative administration is difficult, made more difficult because administration is not always recognized work/labor/scholarship in institutions, comp/lit divides in academic departments.
Gives their local context: there is no WPA, but rather a Writing Coordinating Committee
The Writing Coordinating Committee – both TT and NTT faculty. Partly conceived as a way to get NTT/adjunct faculty involved, "decentralize decision-making," increase connection between composition research and teaching. (54)
Explanation of the composition of the Writing Coordinating Committee. 10 members. The chair (TT) rotates every two years. No release time for the chair. The NTT faculty have a 4/4 load, the TT have a 3/3 load, and some of the members of the Writing Coordinating Committee get a 1-2 course release per semester for WPA work. The NTT faculty do most of the WPA work on the committee
Uses Molly Wingate's discussion of writing center politics to look at the collaboration, Wingate's work draws on Werner Rings' description of four kinds of collaboration: neutral collaboration, unconditional collaboration, conditional collaboration, and tactical collaboration (57)
Quotable Quotes
"Living the experience of a postmodern WPA can be complicated and troubling" (52) – arguing that the theories of postmodern WPA leadership – of being situated, contextual, in networks, collaborative – might be more difficult than we're giving it credit in our scholarship.
"While the arguments for collaborative administration are clear, the political dimensions of collaboration and partnership have been undertheorized, and we use our insitituion's administrative structure as a starting point for analysis" (54).
"On a broader level – and this is where the collaborative structure makes a difference – the committee seeks to coordinate the work of writing program faculty; to represent the interests of adjunct faculty in the department and the university; and to link the writing program with other offices on campus with an interest in writing" (56).
"The mix of experience, expertise, and perspective on the committee provides much-needed diversity, and compensates for individual shortcomings…No single person dominates the overall policy-making responsibility of the committee. The writing program does not speak with a single voice, but it does, on the whole, speak from consensus" (56).
Collaborative administration creates "a web of relationships" (56)
"Much of our energy (and specific responsibilities delineated by the department) is devoted to collaborating with each other; little to collaborating with other academic units" (58).
"Composition, like math or reading if not more so, invites Monday morning quarterbacks" (59).
"Individual committee members (and likely individual members of the writing faculty as well) have sometimes chosen silence over conflict, enabling what appears to be consensus, but actually creating imposed orthodoxy. The imposition of orthodoxy is no less unfortunate if accomplished via collaboration than if directed by a single person" (60).
"A cooperative administrative structure will not automatically promote pluralism. Without an agreement to converse and a willingness to explore disagreements, shared administration can degenerate into a front, masking the will to power of some dominant person or group on the committee or in the department. Our collective leadership must be authorized by the conversation of committee members – and by the conversation of the whole writing faculty" (61).
"Writing program administration is, in many ways, an exercise in power. As long as wirting programs are staffed by teaching assistants or part-time faculty, and as long as required writing courses are a key element of university general education requirements, writing program administrators will possess a great deal of power over the curriculum, teachers, and students. This power, something we don not often acknowledge in a discipline which privileges cooperation, collaboration, and empowering others, is not necessarily evil" (62).
"The unitary WPA retains certain advantages over a shifting, collaborative, contextual writing program administration. The locus of power is clear in the unitary model, and that clarity speeds communications (especially outside the department)" (63).


text:
Cold shoulder: Sears fridge heads south
"While I don't want to appear to be a whiner or complainer," Bob Garland began his email, "I feel compelled to relate an unbelievably bad customer service experience with the Charlottesville Sears store." Garland hoped that I'd be able to offer advice on how he could have handled the debacle more successfully– but, sadly, I don't see any way a consumer could have prevailed against the bureaucracy Garland was facing.
Garland bought an electric range and refrigerator from Sears on October 8 and claims he was promised delivery on the morning of Tuesday, October 18. "After waiting most of the day," he states, he got a call around 3pm and was told the appliances would be delivered "in 30 minutes to one hour." Garland removed the food from his old refrigerator and continued to wait. Around 6pm, the range arrived– but the refrigerator didn't.
"The driver stated that the refrigerator was not on the truck, but that he would bring it 'first thing in the morning.'" After agreeing on a 7:30am delivery time, Garland returned his food to the refrigerator and went out for the evening.
The next day, when nothing had happened by 10am, Garland says he called the delivery service– which is based in Lynchburg– and was told that "they still needed to make several stops before returning to the store to pick up the refrigerator." A new delivery time– between 1 and 2pm– was set, and, as the hour approached, Garland once again removed his food from the refrigerator.
At 2:15, he claims, the delivery service called "and stated that the store did not have the refrigerator." Garland says he then called the local store and tried to speak with someone in management, but, despite "several calls and waiting on hold for lengthy periods," he could never get through to anyone. Frustrated, he called Sears' national customer service line and spoke with an employee, who "patiently listened" and then called the local store on his behalf.
The manager on duty in Charlottesville, James, called Garland about 3pm to say that he had spoken with the person who had loaded the refrigerator on the truck and that it would be arriving in a matter of minutes. But it didn't. Garland claims he made "numerous attempts" to call the local store "without getting anyone to answer the phone." He appealed to the national customer service center again, but says that the representative also had trouble rousing anyone locally.
Finally, the employee got through and reported that "the refrigerator was 'definitely' on the truck, but they could no longer tell me what time it would be delivered." At that point– 9pm Wednesday– Garland emailed me. "My food has been out of the refrigerator for over 10 hours," he wrote, "and the only thing cold is the treatment I have received from Sears."
The next day, Garland learned what had happened to his refrigerator: It had indeed been "on the truck"– but the truck, alas, had been headed to Lynchburg. On Thursday morning, at long last, it arrived. Garland emailed me the news and said that his wife was "loading food (for the third time)" as he wrote.
I related Garland's saga to Larry Costello, director of public relations and communications for Sears, on Friday. On Monday Garland got a "call of apology" from Robert Cox, who manages the local store. "He addressed my complaints to my satisfaction," Garland wrote in his final email, "and I will consider doing business with them in the future."
So Garland has his refrigerator– and Sears, we can only hope, has resolved to upgrade how it delivers its products to customers.
Do you have a consumer problem or question? Email the Fearless Consumer or write her at Box 4553, Charlottesville 22905.


text:
Kurt Nimmo
February 26, 2013
Democrats sitting on the Senate Judiciary Committee have signaled they are ready to start voting on Obama and Feinstein's anti-Second Amendment legislation.
Vermont Democrat senator Patrick Leahy, an ardent anti-gun advocate, in his role as committee chairman, said his panel will consider the following:
-Feinstein's bill outlawing so-called assault weapons and ammunition magazines holding more than ten rounds.
-Leahey's proposal to stiffen penalties for illegal trafficking in firearms and an increase in prison sentences to 30 years for individuals who sell guns they know will be used in crimes.
-Democrat senator Barbara Boxer's measure to redouble federal funding for an increase in the number of surveillance cameras in schools.
In addition to the above measures, Leahey's committee will look at legislation to expand background checks for all gun purchases, including private gun sales between individuals. If enacted, Leahey's legislation will all but shut down gun shows. It will also be used to keep track of all guns in the United States. The proposal currently sits at the top of Obama's to-do list.
"This so-called background check is aimed at one thing — registering your guns," the NRA's Wayne LaPierre said over the weekend. "When another tragic opportunity presents itself, that registry will be used to confiscate your guns … Imagine right now your name on a massive government list."
Democrats, however, will have a difficult time enacting a new round of anti-Second Amendment legislation. Senator Chuck Schumer of New York is attempting to reach a compromise with Republican senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma on the proposed legislation.
On Sunday Coburn said any attempt to keep records on "legitimate, law-abiding gun owners… will kill this bill."
Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa, who is the panel's top Republican, has announced he will seek to postpone legislative work for a week, a practice that is followed routinely. "It's just a process of making sure we have plenty of time to study" legislation, Grassley said.
Both Republicans and moderate Democrats oppose Feinstein's bill and it is given low odds of passage. The California Democrat Feinstein will chair a Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday that will include testimony from victims of the Sandy Hook School massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, last December.
"Feinstein has said the public needs to know how gruesome assault weapons wounds can be," the Associated Press reported on Monday.
The Reopen America Back to School Special is now live! Save up to 60% on our most popular items!


text:
Geocaching adventures in the Great Lakes. I can't think of a more glorious way to spend a day then to put on my red Wellies and my yellow rain slicker, toss my pack on my back, slip a camera in my pocket, and head off to parts unknown. Unless, of course, you add some family and friends to the mix! That's even better.
Sign my (b)log!


text:
The Energy Department's Idaho National Laboratory has moved 5,000 users to the Google Apps for Government e-mail and collaboration platform, according to INL officials.
Officials expect the new tools to improve collaboration among lab employees, helping them to share IT infrastructure, resources and applications. The solution gives employees secure access to e-mail and data while reducing costs, allowing INL personnel to perform vital work more efficiently with improved system uptime and availability, according to an announcement from the lab.
"The Google Apps for Government solution provided an opportunity to enhance the lab's capabilities in messaging and really pave the way to the types of collaboration our employees really want," INL CIO Denise Stephens said.
"The move to cloud computing also allows the lab to invest in the right capability, which allows our workers to better focus on the most vital elements of our mission while cutting costs related to operating and maintaining our IT infrastructure," Stephens said.
The transition was performed under a contract awarded to Unisys in August 2011 by the Battelle Energy Alliance LLC, DOE's management and operations contractor at the Idaho lab. INL is one of the 10 multi-program national laboratories within the Energy Department.
Earlier this year, Unisys helped complete a similar transition to Google Apps for Government for 25,000 users at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Unisys also worked with the General Services Administration to successfully transition all of its users to the Google Apps platform.
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text:
This listing is for one pair of Silver Plated stud earrings. These earrings are perfect for treating yourself and also make lovely gifts, party favours or stocking fillers.
Each pair of earrings comes packaged on a cardboard back, popped in a re-sealable bag & is posted out in a cardboard postal box. Items are sent by Royal Mail First Class within the UK and by International Standard to everywhere else.


text:
Former Knick Jamal Crawford hurts old team with 27 points
Fans at the Garden saw a dominant performance from a leading Sixth Man of the Year candidate on Sunday. It was the former Knick, though, not the current Knick.
While Sixth Man candidate J.R. Smith and the other Knicks reserves struggled, Jamal Crawford scored 27 points to lead the Clippers to a 102-88 win. Crawford made 12 of 22 shots and Smith, who had six points, shot 1-for-9.
"Jamal just hit shot after shot, and that's the Jamal Crawford that we love to see," said Chris Paul, who scored 25 points in his second game back since missing nine straight with a bruised knee. "With me and Chauncey Billups in, he can go back to his natural position and do what he does best, which is score, score the ball."
Crawford is the centerpiece of a Clippers bench -- one of the strongest in the league -- that outscored the Knicks' reserves 48-15.
The Clippers' Eric Bledsoe also had a big day, scoring 13 points and making all six of his shots. Amar'e Stoudemire, who had nine points, was the only other Knicks non-starter besides Smith to score.
It was an important win for the Clippers, who have been plagued by injuries but now have a full team healthy. The Clippers believe they can be a contender for an NBA title this season. Though Paul clearly is the biggest reason, the bench also is one of their biggest assets, something that can push them past a lot of other teams as players begin to feel the wear and tear of the season.
"If you look at our second unit, they could be starters in a lot of places," Billups said. "This is a deep team. A lot of times, our scrimmages are better than our games. I think we just wear teams down. The deeper we go, the better they get."
Crawford, who won the Sixth Man award two seasons ago with Atlanta, clearly was pumped up for the game. Crawford said the Garden is his favorite arena.
"I played here for a long time, and I felt like I grew from a boy to a man," said Crawford, who played with the Knicks from 2004-08. "I'm trying to come out and do the same thing every night. But it's always special to be coming back to the Garden."
One man who wasn't surprised to see Crawford play the way he did was Mike Woodson, who coached him for two seasons in Atlanta. "I love everything about Jamal Crawford," he said. "I really do. My short time with him was a beautiful ride to watch him play and develop into the best sixth man that year."
And maybe this year, too.


text: IHEP works collaboratively with many organizations in and outside of the higher education community that are committed to improving college access and success for underserved students. Through shared interests and contributions, these networks and coalitions work to raise public awareness, support innovative research, and promote evidence-based policies and practices across the K-12, higher education, and workforce sectors. Their work informs and supports IHEP's policy priorities.


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Look, not every superhero deserves his own movie. Sorry, Moon Knight, but it's true.
Although, given their track record, Marvel could almost be justified in planning solo outings for everyone from Tigra to Quasar, but it appears they may go another route: Short films.
According to Film School Rejects, Marvel has already shot two short mini-films starring Clark Gregg as S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Coulson ("Son of Coul"). As you know, the straight-arrow Coulson is the human liason to the Marvel Universe, popping up in "Iron Man" and "Thor" as well as the upcoming "Avengers."
U.S. & World
Marvel apparently plans to include these shorts in the upcoming "Thor" and "Captain America" DVDs, and word is that they will include characters not seen on screen before, but not (probably) worthy of their own movies.
It's basically "Agent Coulson And the Uncanny Cameos."
Will Coulson be trading fashion tips with Iron Fist? Hunting Werewolf by Night? Sipping cognac with Dr. Strange and his manservant? We'll just have to wait and see...


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Less than 24 hours after the release of the murder defendants known as The West Memphis Three, two films chronicling the time the trio spent behind bars are in the works, reported Deadline.
On Friday, Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley--aka The West Memphis 3--were released from prison after serving 18 years for the 1993 murders of three young boys, allegedly as part of a Satanic ritual. Their fate became something of a cause celebre when, in 2007, new forensic evidence revealed that no DNA from any of the men was at the crime scene. An unusual deal allowed the men to plead "no contest," thereby acknowledging the evidence against them, while allowing them to maintain their innocence.
In addition to the third installment in the HBO documentary series following the case, called Paradise Lost, a feature film has already been treated and attached to a director. The film, known as Devil's Knot after the Mara Leveritt book of the same name, has director Atom Egoyan ("The Sweet Hereafter", "Chloe") on board. The package includes the life rights deals to a number of characters in the plot, including a private investigator who's been working since 1993 to have the verdict overturned. Paradise Lost: Purgatory will also be recut to include the "happy ending" of the three's release.
It was only a matter of time before Hollywood latched on to the release of Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley, given the number of celebrities who championed their cause. The likes of Johnny Depp and Peter Jackson were among the crusaders of the West Memphis Three's freedom.


text:
How to Live Frugally
66 Tried-and-Tested Tips For a Frugal Life
66 Tried-and-Tested Tips For a Frugal Life
It's easy to say that you want to save more money. It's harder to actually implement that. Living a frugal life calls for a lifestyle change and a conscious awareness of how you're spending and saving. It also requires a certain know-how. Learn these tried-and-tested frugal tips from fellow scrimpers cited in Reddit's subsection for frugal people.


text:
Bill Gates: My Plan to Fix The World's Biggest Problems
From the fight against polio to fixing education, what's missing is often good measurement and a commitment to follow the data. We can do better. We have the tools at hand.
We can learn a lot about improving the 21st-century world from an icon of the industrial era: the steam engine.
Harnessing steam power required many innovations, as William Rosen chronicles in the book "The Most Powerful Idea in the World." Among the most important were a new way to measure the energy output of engines and a micrometer dubbed the "Lord Chancellor" that could gauge tiny distances.
Such measuring tools, Mr. Rosen writes, allowed inventors to see if their incremental design changes led to the improvements—such as higher power and less coal consumption—needed to build better engines. There's a larger lesson here: Without feedback from precise measurement, Mr. Rosen writes, invention is "doomed to be rare and erratic." With it, invention becomes "commonplace."


text:
Volunteers Join Rugby World Cup Celebrations in South Africa
Ian Birbeck, Head of our UK recruitment team recently visited South Africa, he tells us:
'I asked our South African Desk Officer, Alyssa Myers, for a report on how things were in Cape Town following the South African victory in the Rugby World Cup. Alyssa is American so seems to have been supporting South Africa whilst in our UK office we were keen to see another upset.
Alyssa says "I would gladly write up the incredible victory that South Africa is still relishing! Too bad for the English, we have a couple of down-and-out English folk out here sulking a bit! We watched the final in a small town outside of Cape Town, at a steak and chips charity dinner under a huge tent with big screens to watch the game, where there were 600 South Africans downing Brandy and Coke, and our British volunteer, Tom stood on his chair and sang 'God Save the Queen' at the top of his lungs!"
I don't know whether our pre-departure advice mentions to English volunteers that standing on a chair in a room full of South Africans and singing 'God Save the Queen' before a big rugby match as possibly not the safest thing to do, but Tom apparently survived the experience.
Alyssa goes onto say "South African volunteers witnessed a great accomplishment on Saturday night as the Springboks took the 15-6 victory over England for the Rugby World Cup! The atmosphere was intense while an entire nation watched as their team battled against the defending champions to take the win. South Africa has claimed the cup now twice, the last World Cup was won in 1995, one year after the first democratic election, awarded by Nobel Peace prize winner, Nelson Mandela. It was an emotional and celebratory night in South Africa, from the cities of Johannesburg and Cape Town to the sleepy farming communities of Robertson and Montague, all Springbok fans loyally stood behind their nation as they held the shiny cup high!"
Well done to South Africa from all our offices around the world even the one here in England!'


text:
Early blooms herald Floriade expo
The sun is shining, trees are budding, and flowers are unfurling their brilliant petals a bit earlier than planned, thanks to an early Dutch spring and the hundreds of gardeners putting finishing touches on Floriade, the once-a-decade world horticultural exposition.
Organisers are reluctant to repeat the expo's historic billing as "the greatest flower show on earth", because, they say, horticulture encompasses the artistic, scientific and economic aspects of plant care rather than just gardening and looking at flowers.
Still, the flowers are bound to be a major draw, and there are a heck of a lot of them to see.
In all, 1.8 million bulbs have been planted across the exposition's 44-hectare grounds. That's complementing 190,000 perennial flowering plants, 18,000 shrubs, 15,000 hedge plants and 3000 trees.
One typically Dutch garden already in bloom flaunts two adjacent vistas: one patch of royal purple tulips, mixed with grape and cornflower blue hyacinths. Adjoining it is an eye-popping combination of red and yellow tulips with red, white and blue "baby breath" hyacinths, also known as grape hyacinths. Folding chairs that look like tulips when they snap shut offer a place to sit down and take it all in.
More than 100 participants, often countries or regions, are setting up displays showing off some of their best-known foliage. Some, like China, have built whole pavilions devoted to the latest national trends in plant care and display.
It's "a different experience than a theme park or a zoo", says spokesman Mark Wijman. "It's a very relaxing place, just to walk around and see beautiful things."
Don't worry about missing the plants or flowers in bloom, Wijman assures a group of reporters previewing the grounds in late March, even as hundreds of workmen struggle to complete structures that will house the plants that are still arriving by the truckload: When one field of bulbs has begun to fade, gardening SWAT teams will toil through the night to uproot and replace them.
In addition, whole gardens of perennials have been planted in such a way that new blooms will unfold in different patterns and rippling colours as the (northern) spring makes way for summer and autumn.
Floriade runs through to October 7 and is counting on upward of two million visitors from the Netherlands and Germany alone, plus gardening aficionados, flower fans, and businesspeople in smaller numbers from every corner of the world.
Arriving visitors can get an overview of the massive scale of the grounds by taking a gondola ride over the treetops, looking down on the splashes of colour and eccentric buildings far below.
While trying to get a handle on all there is to see at Floriade is daunting, there are five broad divisions.
To the right of the entrance is the "Green Engine", which includes "Villa Flora", the indoor part of the exhibition, showcasing "classic, modern, trendy and extreme" tastes.
Straight ahead of the entrance is "Environment", which, among other things includes a competition on office gardens and some of the expo's more commercial exhibits. One is a rather practical idea: Admire a particular garden layout and think it might look good in your own backyard? Nearby shops are selling combination packages of bulbs or seeds to help you try to replicate it.
To the left of the entrance is the "World Show Stage" which contains many of the national displays, as well as live performances in the late afternoon, and into the night on weekends. It's also one end of the aerial gondola.
On the other end of the gondola, far right of the entrance, is the "Relax and Heal" zone, where the structures are white, the tea is mint and the cuisine is mostly Asian.
And farthest opposite the entrance is "Education and Innovation", which has greenhouse displays including tropical plants from Asia and other equatorial regions, as well as the expo's largest displays for children.
Individual contributors fund their own displays, often with the help of local businesses eager to show off their country's best.
Germany's neighbouring province of North Rhine-Westphalia province has funded a wooden structure of sloping angles, reminiscent of recent Scandinavian architectural designs, placed right near the expo's entrance. Its highly crafted display conceals miniature manicured gardens, unexpected vistas, and beanbags for visitors to relax on.
Perhaps with a nod to Europe's economic crisis, a Greek garden is simplicity itself: a grove of gnarled olive trees planted in rocky soil.
If you've heard of the Netherlands' 17th-century tulip bulb mania, you may enjoy seeing firsthand what all the excitement was about: Some of the strains have been kept alive and pure by aficionados, and are on display.
In "World Show" there's a stage for live performances near the end of the day, and some countries' displays - for instance Italy's - are located on a promenade along a man-made lake where kiosks sell snacks and offer spots to relax in the sun or shade.
There's a children's program in which youngsters lead their parents on a hunt through the grounds, giving adults a chance to take in the displays as the kids seek information to win a prize.
There are also playgrounds and buildings for children, notably the "House of Flavor", where kids can play interactive games. One display involves a Jack-and-the-Beanstalk plant with a tube of water stretching high up in the sky: Kids can operate a pump, sending a bubble of air floating upward.
Elsewhere kids can help fry vegetables with the help of staff cooks; another room lets them sit in the driver seat of a tractor as footage of fields being ploughed rolls by.
One of the Innovation restaurants serves food featuring produce grown on the premises, including strawberries in at least a dozen varieties. White asparagus, a regional specialty, is grown in a crypt-like structure with a wonderfully creepy text above the door (so far only in German and Dutch):
"Here lies buried the white queen, yet she should not at all be mourned, for such is her life's desire and end."
FLORIADE: Through to October 7 in Venlo, the Netherlands, www.floriade.com . Adults, (30 euros ($A38.33)) and children 4-12, (15 euros). Discounts for groups and grounds-only tickets without the gondola ride. Open daily 10am-7pm. From mid-June to the end of August, open until midnight, with cinema and light shows at night. A tour of the expo's highlights takes about seven hours. Wheelchair-accessible.
GETTING THERE: Venlo is a small city on the Netherlands' eastern border with Germany. Venlo is 140km from Amsterdam and about the same distance from Brussels, a two-hour trip by car or train assuming no delays. It's slightly closer to The Hague or Rotterdam, and closer still to the Dutch cities of Maastricht and Eindhoven or Germany's Dusseldorf and Cologne. Shuttle buses run from Venlo's central train station to the fair grounds.
ACCOMMODATION: http://www.floriade.com/accommodation-and-environment/overnachten
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text:
sponsored by
Russian police kill four Islamist
militants in North Caucasus
Send a link to a friend
[February 10, 2014]
MOSCOW (Reuters) — Russian police
killed four suspected militants, law enforcement officials said on
Monday, in a shootout at a house in the North Caucasus, highlighting
regional security concerns near the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi.
The gun fight broke out on Saturday after police surrounded a
private house used by militants in the province of Dagestan, which
lies some 600 kilometers (380 miles) from Sochi on the other end of
the Caucasus Mountain chain.
There was no indication the shooting was connected with the Games.
President Vladimir Putin, who has invested personal and political
prestige to ensure the Games' success, ordered security forces on
high alert after a suicide bomber killed at least 37 in the southern
Russian city of Volgograd in December.
Militants wage violence to establish an Islamist state in the
predominantly Muslim North Caucasus. Militant leader Doku Umarov,
Russia's most wanted man, threatened to disrupt the Olympic Games in
a video posted online last year.
Russian newspaper Kommersant said among those killed was an ethnic
Russian convert to the insurgency.
Security experts say the use of ethnic Russians in the insurgency
shows the militants' increasing reach and a strategy that could help
them avoid detection in heavily policed areas like Sochi.
Russia says the Games are as safe from militant attacks as anywhere
in the West and Russian security services are working with
colleagues form Europe and North America.
[to top of second column]
Russia's Islamist insurgency in the North Caucasus, which stretches
from Dagestan on the Caspian Sea to near Sochi's coast on the Black
Sea, is rooted in two wars between Russian forces and Chechen
separatists in 1994-96 and 1999-2000.
Dagestan has become the focal point of the violence.
(Reporting by Thomas Grove; editing by Ralph Boulton)
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Medical, Legal, Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
Related to Wallpaper: live wallpaper
A security with no monetary value.
A security that has become worthless due to a bankruptcy or for some other reason. For example, when General Motors went into bankruptcy in 2009, its stock continued to be traded over-the-counter. However, because there was very little value to the company, it was treated as wallpaper. That is, the owners of GM stock might as well use the certificates as wallpaper in their houses because the stock was worth nothing.


text:
Jason Bateman has spent the past year or so inching his way toward the Botched-Transition-from TV-to Film Hall of Fame. Let's hope he doesn't drag down Melissa McCarthy with him.
Bateman will be producing, and starring opposite Melissa McCarthy in "ID Theft," reported Deadline. It's a comedy about what happens when... well, you can probably guess what it's about.
The script, by Steve Conrad ("The Pursuit of Happyness") with a re-write by Craig Mazin ("The Hangover Part II"), was originally written for Bateman and a different actor, but the producer/star was, like the rest of Earth, completely knocked out by McCarthy's work in "Bridesmaids," and had the script tweaked so the crook could be a female. It will be McCarthy's first project once her sitcom, "Mike & Molly", goes on hiatus next spring.
U.S. & World
We love Bateman--hell, we have fond memories of "It's Your Move"--and "Arrested Development" stands as one of the all-time great sitcoms, thanks in large part to his work at the show's core. But his film career has been a disaster. He's had small roles in any number of films ranging from good to great--"Juno", "Forgetting Sarah Marshall", "Up in the Air" and "Paul" come to mind--but most all of the films in which he's been a major presence have ranged from meh to wretched--"Extract", "Couples Retreat", "The Switch" and the execrable "The Change-Up." Easily the best film in which he was one of the leads is "Horrible Bosses," which we liked, but hardly stands as a testament to Bateman's talent.
So what's the problem? He has a tendency to work with people who make bad films: Jennifer Aniston, Vince Vaughn and Ryan Reynolds. At one time or another they had all made very good and/or popular movies, but by the time Bateman's hitched his wagon to their stars, they've all been well past their sell-by date.
Like Bateman, McCarthy is a TV veteran, having appeared on the hit show "Gilmore Girls" (true story: almost canceled first date with future wife in deference to the show's season premiere) and just this month earned her first Emmy nod for her work on "Mike & Molly." Her next film role is in the "Knocked-Up" spinoff "This Is 40," but "ID Theft" looks to be her first leading role and could set the tone for her film future. We'll remind you that Bateman's first leading film role was in "Teen Wolf Too"--just sayin'...
Bateman's got the looks, skills and goodwill you need to have a great film career, maybe hooking up with an X factor like McCarthy is just the thing he needs to get back to the business of making great comedy.


text:
Twitter has acquired Whisper Systems, a small mobile security start-up, for its "technology and expertise," according to the Whisper Systems blog (via The Next Web).
The company was founded last year by security hacker Moxie Marlinspike (pictured) and robotics researcher Stuart Anderson. It offered software for Android phones that secured user data, created firewalls and encrypted calls and texts.
Whisper said its products would "live on" post-acquisition but would be taken offline for the moment.


text:
CLEVELAND (AP) A bruised knee. A couple games.
That was the diagnosis and estimate of how much playing time Cavaliers center Anderson Varejao would likely miss when he first went down Dec. 18 with what appeared to be an insignificant injury.
Turns out, it's much more than that.
Varejao still has not been cleared to practice or play and will miss his 11th straight game Wednesday night when the Cavs host Atlanta. The NBA's leading rebounder, who banged his knee in a game against Toronto last month, had been expected to practice Tuesday. However, the hustling Brazilian was not on the floor and disappointed coach Byron Scott said Varejao is not ready.
Scott, who is typically upbeat, seemed for the first time to indicate Varejao's injury is more serious - and potentially season-ending.
``I'm still trying to be very optimistic that he'll be able to play, I just don't know when,'' said Scott, whose young, struggling team is 8-28. ``I hope I'm not talking like it's long-term or for the season. I'm still optimistic he'll be able to play this year until the doctors tell me something different.''
The 6-foot-11 Varejao was having an All-Star-caliber season before he got hurt. After he injured his knee, the Cavs rested him and even chose to keep him home on road trips so he could get extra treatment on his knee. The team's doctors originally thought Varejao would only miss a few games, but the injury has lingered and could be something more severe than a bruise.
``I'm not a doctor and I'm not going to speculate on what it is,'' Scott said. ``I'm just hoping he can get healthy and he can play. Right now, my thoughts are with Andy. Forget basketball, I'm just hoping he's OK.''
It's the latest medical setback for Varejao, who is averaging 14.1 points and 14.4 rebounds.
Varejao has played his entire career with a reckless abandon, but his all-out hustle has caused two serious injuries. He missed 41 games last season after breaking his wrist. Two years ago, he tore a ligament in his foot while running in practice and missed 51 games.
Without him in the lineup, the Cavs have been exposed inside and gone 3-7. Because of an assortment of injuries, Cleveland has had its full roster available for only seven games.
On Monday, guard Daniel Gibson missed his fifth game with a concussion and Luke Walton was excused from the game at Chicago to attend to a ``personal matter.'' Also, C.J. Miles sat out Tuesday's practice with back spasms.
Star point guard Kyrie Irving, who missed 11 games with a broken finger and continues to wear a protective mask over his broken jaw, said it's been tough not having Varejao as an offensive option, rebounder and defender.
``It's disappointing,'' Irving said. ``Obviously for the second season in a row for me, I don't have the big man that I started with. We miss his effort. And more or less his intelligence as a basketball player. When he's not out there, we lose a little bit of leadership, but most importantly, we lose effort. We got 14 (points), 14 (rebounds) from him every single night. We miss that right now.''


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Found these incredible mugs at Barnes and Noble.
...and this iron owl at a Fall Craft Show at a local old brownstone church for $7.99
And this AWESOME Halloween candy at HomeGoods.
I'd say that this year's award for best Halloween offerings definitely goes to HomeGoods. Target wasn't even worthy of photos this year. Really disappointing.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Friday Off
Found these incredible mugs at Barnes and Noble.
16 comments:
- Minakitty said...
Target has gotten weaker by the year. I was hoping to find nice tableware for our first ever Halloween party. Not much this year.
The label on that chocolate bar from HomeGoods is so cute I'd save it. :)
- September 23, 2011 at 12:37 PM
- wicKED said...
Those mugs are great. Good find on the owl. There are a few festivals hitting my area soon. Hope I luck up like you did!
- September 23, 2011 at 12:40 PM
- Anonymous said...
Good finds! I love the owl. I was really disappointed at Target's selection this year, as well. I was so excited, they usually do pretty well. Oh well! I'm really enjoying the smaller gifty type shops this year, and garden centers.
- September 23, 2011 at 12:50 PM
- Steve Ring said...
I was disappointed with Target, too. I wondered if they'd just begun to stock the Halloween stuff when I went there but apparently they just don't give a crap anymore. Looks like Halloween might get a downgrade this year, like everything else. >:(
- September 23, 2011 at 1:43 PM
- Rot said...
I think the bad economy is forcing the giants to scale back and go as cheap as possible. I remember being able to linger in stores (even Walmart's Halloween aisle)...but now it's a quick look, and exit.
- September 23, 2011 at 1:45 PM
- wicKED said...
You got it right Rot. The Walmart near me has never had less than 8 isles of Halloween, not counting Candy. This year they have 2 isles and that IS with candy. All the things they have this year, I was buying up in November for a dollar or less... Sad but true.
- September 23, 2011 at 1:57 PM
- Countess VonRauber (Heidi) said...
The mugs are GREAT! I have one from the same line that is a creepy damask print.
The owl was a wonderful find :)
- September 23, 2011 at 2:30 PM
- SaraB! said...
Yeah, our Target is pretty disappointing too. One or two interesting things, and actually a whole lot of neat lights, but other than that a whole lotta nothing.
- September 23, 2011 at 6:04 PM
- trickortreat said...
Target has a nice new 5' glow-in-the-dark skeleton, but that's about it. I visited the store over several days, refusing to believe that was their best effort. But then I remembered this is the same store that close down their outdoor garden area- I bought many pieces of statuary and plants there- and no longer has the AMAZING outdoor Halloween decor they used to carry out there.
Goodbye, skull and bone windchimes, skull fountains, heavy tombstones, big resin vultures, big heavy gargoyles eating bones. Hello heartbreak.
- September 23, 2011 at 10:04 PM
- Mr Black said...
I did get a couple of nice candles and a skeleton from Target, but I have to agree. It was apathetic display this year. I guess they didn't want to invest in it with the economy like it is.Your mugs are very cool and the owl is adorable.
- September 24, 2011 at 3:55 AM
- crudedoodle.com said...
Hey, i received my Primitives By Kathy pumpkin hollow large traditional pumpkin! I didn't expect it to be that big and solid, man! It's pretty sweet. it officially started my decorating for Halloween. I'll snap a pic of it.
- September 24, 2011 at 8:57 AM
- Anonymous said...
A agree with your HomeGoods observation. My store featured a very healthy display with multiple old-style (or primitive) inspired pieces. I found my dining room table centerpiece there. A large, ceramic jack o' lantern with the expected triangle cut-outs for eyes and nose. An instant classic. I also like to point out that my local vegetable-stand goes all out for Halloween. Mostly outside decor featuring garden-style stuff, banners and bails of hay but very colorful never the less.
- September 24, 2011 at 9:06 AM
- Jay's Shadow said...
My HomeGoods doesn't really have that great of a Halloween selection, just a bunch of glittery crap....
- September 24, 2011 at 10:42 AM
- Sara said...
Target seems to be more interested in competing with stores like Dollar Tree and Walmart than HomeGoods. I actually had a lot more fun(and would spend a lot less money) inside of a Dollar Tree than Target. In fact, I did find some kick ass Vampire latex masks at Dollar Tree. Target is overpriced for what they offer.
And I swear. If I see any more GLITTER, I will poke my own eyes out.
Does the east coast have Dollar Tree?
- September 24, 2011 at 7:43 PM
- Rot said...
Yep. We have them here. But I haven't checked them out yet.
We did check out some other dollar store and it was way more fun than Target. Bean bought a "I WANT CANDY" shirt and I picked up a black and orange foam tombstone...very old school cheese.
- September 24, 2011 at 8:20 PM
- Karen said...
Sadly, our Target is the same way. Mainly costumes for children, and few decor items. I did finally buy a huge lit pumpkin for my porch, but other than that, very little.
I have that same mug from B & N.
I did score a mug from Pier One (black with vamp teeth) and some skulls pens with funky rubber hair that light up when you hit them. It amuses my students.
Other than that, I did score some things at Cracker Barrel, which had some unique halloween items.
I ended up getting some things online, Grandin Rd had some cool things, like the sonic ghost.
- September 28, 2011 at 6:29 AM


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Destinations Photo Contest Spotlight: See some of your best panoramic photos
Our Destinations Travel Photo Contest hosted some wonderful photos taken by travelers such as YOU! From wildlife to waterfalls, sunsets to mountains, peaceful farms to bustling big cities, we saw it all!
Take a look at just a small sampling of some of the great panoramic pictures we've gotten that are among our editors' many favorites. (Captions are written by the photographers.)
To see all of the entries, and the winners, click here!


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- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
So you're thinking about becoming a backyard beekeeper...
What considerations are involved?
Honey bee guru Eric Mussen, Extension apiculturist and member of the UC Davis Department of Entomology faculty, has just revised his Bee Brief on "Getting Started in Beekeeping," posted on the department's website.
"One of your most important considerations," Mussen says, "is the safety of family members and neighbors." Indeed, someone might be allergic to bee stings and require immediate medical attention.
"The only way to find out is to ask the neighbors, and this will allow you to find out whether or not there is serious opposition to your keeping bees in the neighborhood," Mussen says.
Among the other considerations:
1. Over how much of the year will nectar and pollens be available to the bees? Will you have to feed the bees to ensure their survival?
2. Over how much of the year will water be available to the bees? They need it every day.
3. What will the bees be flying over to get their food and water? They defecate in flight and bee feces can damage finishes on cars and leave colored spots on everything below them. Also, will they be flying across a pedestrian, bicycle or equestrian pathway? If so, they have to be encouraged to gain altitude quickly by installing fencing or solid, tall plantings near the hives.
4. Is the apiary accessible year around? Flooding at or near the apiary site is the usual problem.
5. Try to avoid low spots. They hold cold, damp air for prolonged periods.
6. Try to avoid hilltops. They tend to be windy.
Mussen goes on to talk about beekeeping equipment, costs, knowledge of diseases, beekeeping journals, and the "bible" on honey bees, the 1324-page book: The Hive and the Honey Bee.
It's a good idea to join a local beekeeping organization and get tips from the veterans.
Beginning beekeeping books? Mussen points out that Kim Flottum, editor of Bee Culture magazine, recently published a 167-page book, The Backyard Beekeeper, and that UC Davis emeritus professor Norman Gary (and bee wrangler) has written a beekeeping book, The Honey Bee Hobbyist, due out in November or December.
There's a wealth of information out there to help you get started.


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Club says police chief is banning officers from off-duty security work
If the Blush strip club wants to fight to keep hiring off-duty Pittsburgh police officers for security, the city is prepared to make a federal case out of it.
Lawyers for the club are suing the city and acting Police Chief Regina McDonald after McDonald ruled that off-duty officers can no longer work at city strip clubs. The city's law department has gotten the case moved to federal court.
Police rules prohibit "off-duty assignments that may have the tendency to bring disrepute to the department, something along those lines," Blush attorney Jonathan Kamin said. "I think she's perverting that language to go ahead and apply it to this particular situation."
Kamin showed up in Allegheny County motions court Thursday, ready to fight for the strip club's case. He paints Blush as a fourth-generation small business, irreparably hurt by the Pittsburgh Police Bureau's new ban on off-duty officers acting as bouncers or security.
"It's a family-owned business. It's a pillar of the community," said Kamin. "The Edison Hotel has been there since the '30s -- '34, I believe it opened. Adult use has been there since '64."
On busy nights, hundreds of people file into Blush. Kamin said they rely on off-duty police officers -- who the club pays for -- to keep the peace. "We get a lot of conventioneers, we get a lot of tourists and people who are in town for the weekend for sporting events," he said.
When McDonald told officers they can no longer work at Blush or the Cheerleaders strip club, Blush said that affected safety but also violated constitutional rights. "First of all, we think the action of the chief is discriminatory. She's singling out a specific type of business, which she doesn't have the right to do," he said.
Blush will ask for a court order reversing McDonald's decision, arguing that the police chief's ban violates the strip club's First Amendment, equal protection and due process rights.
City Solicitor Dan Regan said the city will argue that the police chief has the authority to ban off-duty officers from working at strip clubs.
Neither attorney has been given a date for the case to be heard in federal court. For now, the strip clubs will rely on other security guards instead of off-duty police.


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Friday, December 7, 2012
9 comments:
These turned out great!!! Love the little guy riding the dolphin. Also love your close-up shots. They really demonstrate the methods. This brings back memories of trying to wash out all the little splatters of white paint that ended up all over me (even though we splattered outside)!!!!! Thanks for the link, and I'm glad it worked out for you, too!ReplyDelete
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Add this to your meal - a warm broccoli and mushroom salad complemented with crispy bits of bacon.
Preparation Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: 12 mins
Yield: 6 x 1 cup servings
In a medium saucepan bring 1 inch of water to a boil (can add a steamer insert). Add broccoli; return water to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer covered until crisp-tender (approx 3 minutes); set aside.
In a large non-stick skillet, cook bacon over medium-high heat until nearly crisp (about 4 minutes). Add onion, stirring frequently, until the onion is crisp tender and the bacon is crisp (approx 4 minutes).
Stir in vinegar and cook until vinegar is reduced by half, about 30 seconds. Add mushrooms, salt and broccoli; toss to coat. Serve immediately while warm.


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iStock.com/Weekend Images Inc.
Some toddlers are very chatty, others are more quiet, and every kid develops at their own pace. I see this firsthand with my twins -- they don't hit their milestones at the same time. Often it's not something to worry about, but as the parent, you know your child best and your instinct will tell you if a missed or slow-to-come milestone should be mentioned to your doctor.
Speech and talking is a big one. Once our babies say their first word, it's exciting when they add more words to the mix either verbally or by sign, or both. By the time a child is 2, there are 25 words every toddler should be using say researchers from the Child Study Institute at Bryn Mawr College. Twenty-five words is considered the minimum for late talkers -- the average is 75 to 225 words with phrases. These 25 words are considered to be the building blocks of a child's vocabulary.
- all gone
- baby
- ball
- banana
- bath
- bye bye
- book
- car
- cat
- cookie
- daddy
- dog
- eye
- hat
- hello/hi
- hot
- juice
- milk
- mommy
- more
- no
- nose
- shoe
- thank you
- yes
More from CafeMom: You Failed Your Kids by Speaking Only English
Dr. Leslie Rescorla is a director at the institute who determined what the words should be. She shared that if your child doesn't say all 25 of these words, it doesn't necessarily mean you should worry -- some kids have delayed speech and catch up by age 4 or 5.


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Old Geneva school will live on in memories
Former students and teachers gathered Tuesday to reminisce about their time spent at Coultrap School at an event planned months before the Geneva school board decided to tear the building down.
"Somehow, everything kind of worked out to what is going on in the community," said Geneva History Center executive director Terry Emma, welcoming about 40 people to a lunchtime talk about the Peyton Street school that served as a high school, junior high and then elementary school. The session was video-recorded for the center's archives.
"It runs very deep in my heart," Emma said. She attended junior high there in the 1970s; her daughters attended in the 1990s and 2000s when it was an elementary school; and her mother and great-grandmother attended it as a high school.
History center educator Mary Dolan reviewed the history of Geneva high schools, noting the building was built in 1922 at a cost of $205,000. The first students graduated from it in 1924; the Class of 1927 had 49 students. Showing a picture of the study hall, she related how mischievous students used to try to toss pennies up into a large heating vent. And Glorianne Campbell said students perfected note-passing in that study hall. Today's students, who send text messages by cellphone, "are not developing the skills of ingenuity," she said.
Campbell, Class of 1959, and her husband, Colin, are organizing an effort to save items from the building, and to document it by video. The school board Monday agreed to do so, and appointed Trustee Kelly Nowak to work with them.
She recalled a cramped gymnasium, where a basketball player who followed a ball out of bounds could also end up out of doors, and relayed an anecdote from a friend who recalled locking an unpopular gym teacher in an equipment cage in the girls' locker room. The teacher climbed out, and never reported the incident.
"On behalf of my class, anything we put in the walls, we don't want you to find," said Maureen Emma Radecki, who attended junior high there from 1971 to 1974. Radecki said if she could make a time capsule of her experience, it would include the oatmeal burgers she ate every day at lunch ("I thought they were delicious"), and the yellow one-piece gym suit girls had to wear in sixth and seventh grades, which proved to be see-through when the girls stood in sunlight.
Gloria Emma, Class of 1948, recalled wanting to fit in as a freshman, coming from a Catholic grade school. That meant wearing the fashion of the day: penny loafers, bobby socks, pullover sweaters and plaid pleaded skirts, And, for reasons she can't fathom now, a homemade fringed wool babushka, she said. Her first sewing project in school was making one of those skirts.
Cathy Crispin taught in the building in the 1970s, in at least nine of its rooms. "There is hardly a space I am not familiar with," she said, speaking of attending staff meetings in the former high school chemistry lab, or teaching language arts in the former high school art room. "I was a little bit amused at the nostalgia, at the love of the building, and I was aware there was a certain consideration about tearing it down," she said. But "The building is not the school ... part of the nostalgia has to to with the sound of children laughing and playing."


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Transference: Spoon Gives Goo In A Browser
Azazel was nosing at Spoon in a professional capacity, but thought it worth mention because of its gamey-aspects. "It appears to do some virtualization jiggery-pokery which can stream apps to any Windows desktop via a browser," says he. To which I replied "MOTHERSHIPS!" and he looked at me with the disappointed gaze I've learned to suffer. If you want to get the plug-in, it's here and you can try a load of IGF-esque games. It tried it, and it's quite literally World of Goo, without installing, after a gap for streaming. I can predict a brave future with less installing in it, but with a gap for streaming. We are quite literally, living in the future.


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random December 2013 photos
Filed under Uncategorized
Filed under Uncategorized
Tagged as photos only
"Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought." ~Bl. John Paul II
This is the blog of a conservative Christian home schooling Momma. Striving and struggling. Seeking and seeking and Knocking and knocking. You are welcome here, however :) we do not apologize for who we are; and who we are striving to be (though we fail along the way). I pray God can use me in some small manner to encourage or challenge you, or simply to love you. I love comments!! I love comments!!
Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:4-7


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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas City, Kan., man who convinced thousands of people his Missouri startup company would make them all millionaires with investments as small as $100 is facing an even tougher sell in federal court, where he has ditched his appointed attorney and has received permission to defend himself.
With no formal legal training in his background, Isreal Owen Hawkins, 57, is one of five defendants standing trial simultaneously in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., on charges they conspired to commit securities fraud by selling more than $7 million in unregistered stock for Hawkins' purported oil and gold mining company, Petro America.
In opening statements Thursday, attorneys for the other four defendants — Teresa Brown, Johnny Heurung, William Miller and Martin Roper — indicated their clients are not guilty of conspiracy or myriad other charges because they relied on assurances from Hawkins that it was perfectly legal to sell stock in a company he and others claimed had $284 billion in assets.
"Johnny believed," said Heurung's attorney, Lance Sandage. "He believed in Petro America, that it was going public, and that he was going to be rich. Johnny was preyed upon by Petro officials."
Prosecutors said the stock wasn't worth the paper it was printed on.
The defendants, none of whom were registered to trade stock, sold millions of dollars in Petro America stock for two years after Missouri regulators issued a cease and desist order requiring them to stop, prosecutors said.
Hawkins did not present an opening statement. He spent much of Thursday sitting next to his federal public defender, Stephen Moss, who was little more than an observer as Hawkins repeatedly voiced objections and tested the patience of U.S. District Judge Brian Wimes. The judge overruled most of the objections while admonishing Hawkins for not following courtroom procedures.
Judges generally look after the interests of defendants who represent themselves, said University of Missouri School of Law professor Ben Trachtenberg. During one break Thursday afternoon, Wimes spent several minutes talking privately to Hawkins at the bench.
"Usually a judge tries to bend over backward and make sure the trial doesn't end in an unjust result simply because someone doesn't know proper procedure," Trachtenberg said.
Hawkins dropped Moss as his counsel two days before the start of jury selection Wednesday after requests for a new attorney were rejected at least twice. He complained the attorney's workload was too great for him to adequately focus on the Petro America case, and that Moss had "repeatedly refused to hire consultants with experience or expertise in civil or criminal securities fraud laws, nor has Mr. Moss developed a legal team that specialize in the area of securities fraud or white collar crime."
The trial is expected to last three to four weeks, with no Friday proceedings because federal public defenders are taking furloughs on those days as part of the automatic federal spending cuts.
Delays also are possible with Hawkins representing himself because of his lack of courtroom training, which Trachtenberg said is not unusual in such cases.
Although attorneys for the other four defendants appear to be blaming Hawkins for their clients' troubles, Trachtenberg said he could benefit from having lawyers in the courtroom to keep prosecutors honest.
"The risks might be lower in a multi-defendant case because lawyers for other defendants also are ready to object to the introduction of inadmissible evidence," Trachtenberg said. "It's not perfect, though at least to some extent their interests could overlap."
Still, Hawkins — who told investors his goal was to win the Nobel Prize for creating so much wealth — is facing stiff odds as he tries to convince jurors his company really didn't scam poor, elderly churchgoers out of money they couldn't afford to lose, which is how Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Nelson framed the case.
Even Willie Epps Jr., who represents Brown, acknowledged to jurors that on the surface the evidence might appear overwhelming against the defendants. He asked them to keep open minds, and noted that defense attorneys had seen jurors glaring at them as Nelson presented the government's case.
"Some of you aren't even looking at me now," Epps said.