text:
A is for aha. AA is for aati.
Linguists work to save Koasati, a letter at a time
Linguists will tell you that a language can begin to die in a single generation—if it is not passed down to children.
Jack Martin, an authority on the native languages of the American South, has worked three summers in a row to prevent one language from meeting that particular fate. Koasati—which is spoken by the Coushatta tribe of Louisiana—is considered endangered in that only 200 or so of the 700 Coushatta are fluent. Martin, associate professor of English at William & Mary, is part of a multidisciplinary team that includes a colleague at McNeese State University, some William & Mary students and tribal members. Their goal is to document and archive the language, so that it can stay alive for future generations.
This past summer, there were three William & Mary students on Martin's team, including linguistics major Chris Hart-Moynihan '11; Joe Kessler '10, who just started a Ph.D. program at the University of Buffalo; and Stephanie Hasselbacher-Berryhill, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Anthropology.
The team worked together—and on related individual projects—to integrate Koasati more fully into Coushatta society, especially among children. Tribal members were involved in every step of the process, Martin said, beginning with the alphabet.
First, Create an alphabet
"The first step in documenting and archiving a language is to study and understand its sounds, but there was no Koasati alphabet," Martin said. "To help the tribe develop one, we drew on the regular English alphabet, but because they didn't have any approved way to write the language, it was extremely helpful to have sister languages from the Muskogean family to draw from."
He explained that in cases in which a Koasati phoneme didn't have an exact English equivalent, the linguists would discuss with the Coushatta how the different related tribes spelled that particular sound. The Muskogean family of languages also includes Choctaw, Chickasaw, Alabama, Apalachee, Miccosukee and Creek. The language closest to Koasati linguistically is Alabama—which, ironically, is spoken in parts of Texas, Martin said.
He added that the tribal members resisted the incorporation of any characters outside A-Z into the Koasati alphabet: The Coushatta didn't want strange, non-QWERTY, letters interfering with their ability to send text messages in their native tongue.
In addition to developing an alphabet, the team constructed an online "talking" dictionary, designed a website and helped with language camps for the Coushatta children. "The idea of a talking dictionary—which is organized by semantic category—is to have a lasting recording of as many words as we can get," Martin explained.
During the first summer of the project, the students helped with the talking dictionary. The second summer was dedicated to website development and publishing books to develop literacy. On-demand self-publishing was key to the success of publishing books in an endangered language.
"Instead of submitting a manuscript to a publisher and waiting for it to be reviewed, we used a website called Lulu.com to send files to an online printer," Martin said. "The printer then provides a link, and you advertise the link to people who want to order the book. You can also easily change the spelling of a word if you need to."
Three children's books were published in 2009, including one entitled First Words in Koasati. If the title sounds elementary, consider that there are no tribal schools. Coushatta children must travel outside of their community to attend a school that teaches two languages—English and French, still a principal language in Louisiana.
"Children have to be exposed to a language to learn it," Martin points out. "But the Coushatta children are not being educated in their native language and school administrators have been very reluctant to allow Koasati in the classroom."
Recipe for language death
As a result, the Coushatta community consists of diminishing numbers of older people who are fluent, followed by their adult children who understand the language but do not speak it—a sure way for a language to die. "Without being taught, the children are and will be monolingual English speakers who neither speak nor understand Koasati. To be fluent, full immersion in elementary school is essential," Martin said.
The fact that the children are not learning their native language in school makes the language camps invaluable. Hart-Moynihan assisted with language documentation efforts and worked with Coushatta children at the language camp. He found them to be extremely social and willing participants.
"The sessions lasted an hour and a half with Koasati speakers, including tribal elders," Hart-Moynihan said. "We started out learning basic words like the different colors and animals. The kids also played games like Koasati Twister to engage them with learning, while making it fun too. That was a remarkable success and very useful to me because I'm interested in seeing how these kinds of programs—which pass a language on—actually work."
Hart-Moynihan plans to incorporate his work and research into an eventual honors thesis.
A talking dictionary
Ph.D. student Hasselbacher-Berryhill spent most of her time in Louisiana working on a Koasati dictionary.
"A fairly substantial dictionary had been published previously, but using an older writing system. I worked with fluent Koasati speakers, going through the dictionary entry by entry, updating the spellings to a newer orthography that is preferred by the Coushatta community and making corrections to the English translations if necessary," Hasselbacher-Berryhill said.
She recorded their dictionary sessions for an eventual web-based "talking dictionary" with each entry linked to a sound file of a fluent speaker giving good pronunciations of Koasati words.
"I also helped out as I could with other projects, such as producing a Koasati phrase book for language learners," she said. "I tried to learn a bit of Koasati, too."
Much has been accomplished over three summers, yet much remains to be done—from transcribing additional texts to continuing interviews with Koasati speakers. Martin says it's an ongoing project.
Hasselbacher-Berryhill will continue to be involved in the project. In September, she received support to continue her studies of Koasati and the Coushatta in the form of a $44,000 grant from the Hans Rausing Endangered Languages Project, a program of the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London, UK.
"We are training bilingual people to write down the stories in Koasati, then translate them into English and put them online. That could go on for years—documenting everything into an oral history," Martin said. "And we want to continue with language revitalization—with more language camps and classes."
Interesting linguistic issues
In addition to the language preservation efforts, there is plenty of opportunity for serious linguistic study. Martin is studying a set of phonology issues dealing with pitch contrasts in Koasati. It is fairly detailed work because changing the pitch of a word affects its meaning.
"All Koasati verbs are like that," he said. "I can say a word in one pitch and it means one thing. I can say the same word in a different pitch and it means something else."
"Right now I'm trying to figure out exactly how many patterns there are and what it is that I am hearing," he said. "I'm basically trying to limit the chaos of what's out there into certain patterns. Then I want to find a way to represent that and analyze it."
He hopes to have another student group going to Louisiana next summer to help with dialect surveys, yet as he ponders the future, Martin reflects on the changing nature of linguistic fieldwork.
"I think it's interesting to see how this type of work has changed in the last 20 years or so. When I first started out, the linguist would apply for funding and then hire native speakers to do scientific work," Martin said. "Things have really shifted—at least in the south. Several tribes have casinos and so they have financial resources. They like to decide which linguists to work with and hire them as consultants. That way, the tribe has control over the research paradigm; they control the recordings and publish them if they want to."
Martin is donating his time for the Koasati Language Project. His colleague at McNeese State University, Linda Langley, wrote the National Science Foundation (NSF) grant covering travel and other expenses.
Many Native American languages have managed to survive into the 21st century and the Coushatta are hard at work to keep Koasati alive. Indeed, a people's history is passed down through its language, so if it languishes, so too will elements of the community's identity.
"The tribe wants to keep Koasati alive and pass it on to the next generation. They do not want to just put the language in a bottle," Martin said. He went on to explain that a partial solution is preferable to the total death of the language. "We might not be able to create a new generation of fluent speakers, but we should at least be able to get kids to learn a few hundred words. And knowing just 200 words can make a huge difference to their identity because it connects the Coushatta to the community—and it means that they can talk with their grandparents."

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Easy Strategies for Boosting Immunity
Eat right, get enough sleep, stay hydrated, and exercise to maintain a strong immune system and avoid colds.
We've all heard of people who never seem to get sick while everyone else comes down with the cold or the flu. How do they do it? Follow these simple tips to boost your immunity and reduce your risk of getting sick.
Health experts recommend washing your hands — with soap and warm water for about 20 seconds or longer — periodically throughout the day. Use alcohol-based hand sanitizers when soap and water are not available. Getting a yearly flu shot, which exposes your body to dead flu viruses so it builds immunity against them, is one of the best things you can do to avoid influenza each year.
Sleep, Eat, and Drink to Prevent Colds
"The most important things in terms of improving immunity are rest and good sleep," says Dr. Ronald Stram, founder of the Center for Integrative Health and Healing in Delmar, N.Y. While individual needs vary, most experts recommend at least seven hours a night. A healthy diet is also important to good immunity. Nutritionist Lona Sandon says the best foods for supporting immunity come from Mother Nature.
For immune system health, "Research shows that a whole foods approach is best," says Sandon, an American Dietetic Association spokeswoman who recommends a diet packed with whole grains, vegetables, and fruits. That's because, for normal people without severe vitamin deficiencies, taking extra vitamins, supplements or herbs has never been shown to lower the risk of developing an infection.
Foods like oranges, kiwi, pineapple, and colorful peppers are packed with vitamin C, which helps your body produce infection-fighting antibodies, Sandon says.
Most fast food, on the other hand, offers little nutritional boost. A lack of key nutrients could mean the difference between getting and avoiding a cold. If a little vitamin C is good, then a lot is better, right? Not necessarily. With the exception of people who are subject to extreme cold or extreme physical activity, large doses of vitamin C do not appear to lower risk for the common cold or other illnesses.
Protect Your Skin and Stay Hydrated
Vitamin A helps keep skin and mucous membranes in the nose and mouth healthy, so they can act as a protective barrier against bacteria and viruses. Sources of Vitamin A include orange, red, yellow, and dark green fruits and vegetables as well as liver, says Sandon.
Other nutrients that support immunity, Sandon says, include vitamin E, found in whole grains; selenium, found in many plant and animal foods (levels vary depending on selenium levels in the soil); and zinc, contained in foods ranging from whole wheat bread to lean meats, milk, and yogurt.
Staying hydrated is key, Stram says. Most people need half an ounce of non-caffeinated fluids for each pound of body weight daily to maintain proper hydration, most, if not all, of which comes from the foods we eat. This keeps mucous membranes moist, which lowers the chance of a cold or flu taking hold in your nose or lungs. Avoid sodas and other heavily sweetened drinks; the added sugar has little nutritional value.
Avoid Stress to Avoid Colds
"Serious stresses do influence the immune system," says Frances Cohen, a psychologist at the University of California, San Francisco.
Since stress is unavoidable for most of us, Dr. Cohen suggests that people adopt coping methods or, when appropriate, find ways to exit stressful situations.
Moderate exercise (30 or more minutes a day, according to the American Heart Association) bolsters immunity and reduces stress, while hobbies and spending time with friends can improve well-being and ease worries.
To manage stress, Cohen advises viewing situations from a different point of view or taking time to enjoy beautiful scenery or art.
"I think of it as putting on a different pair of glasses," she says.


text: The Environmental Justice in Transportation Toolkit is a resource for both planners and community members. Here you can find a comprehensive planning guide as well as case studies from around the country that tackle issues in environmental justice such as public health, public participation, accessibility, and communication. Check out our main features above or watch our videos below.


text:
Eric Sugarman should probably know better. But hey, sometimes you just can't help yourself.
So even though the Vikings head athletic trainer spent the past five months preaching the need to keep Adrian Peterson's superhuman ambition from becoming dangerous, occasionally he likes to press a button or two.
You know, just to check if Peterson's relentless positivity can be tested.
That's why, in the corner of the Vikings training room, a few paces from the in-pool treadmill Peterson used during the early stages of his knee rehabilitation, Sugarman took the liberty of doctoring the art.
A framed painting hangs there. In unaltered form, it portrays Peterson looking up, his gaze calm and assured.
The new version? Sugarman changed the expression, cutting the running back's head from a photo taken last Christmas Eve and taping it to the canvas. That picture, snapped moments after Peterson blew out his anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments at Washington, captures the Vikings star with an agonizing grimace.
Said Sugarman: "I've told Adrian once he's fully healthy again, I'll take that down."
Peterson's take?
"Everybody's got jokes. Ha ha. It's funny. But I'm seriously getting ready to rip that picture off. When I see it, it's always a big reminder of that day. And I'm kind of tired of looking at it. I need to find me a razor blade and go to work."
Maybe this is part of the reason Peterson has attached himself so firmly to his own projected full-recovery date.
The faster Peterson heals, the sooner he can bury that painful memory from last winter.
Testing positive
So put an "X" through Dec. 24, 2011.
Peterson is locked in on another date: Sept. 9, 2012.
That's the day the Vikings open the regular season against Jacksonville. That's now 14 weeks away.
"What I envision is to be suited up and ready to roll. Full strength," Peterson said. "Anything else? I would be cheating myself."
Still, before fast-forwarding, perhaps it's appropriate to rewind first to the New Year's Eve Peterson never wanted to experience. That night is commemorated through pictures he tweeted from a hospital bed in Birmingham, Ala., just a day after Dr. James Andrews sliced into his left knee to repair his severely damaged ACL and MCL.
In those photos, Peterson wears a playful smirk and a plastic "HAPPY NEW YEAR" derby. He has a noisemaker hanging from his lips and a pint of Blue Bell vanilla ice cream in his hand.
Hey, if he was going to be confined to a hospital bed as 2011 turned into 2012, why not at least deliver a good-humored spin move?
"I was feeling a little loopy," Peterson confessed. "I wanted to have a good time too and show everyone I was in good spirits and planning to handle this the best way possible. I wasn't going to sit around and sulk."
As daunting as the rehab process seemed, Peterson immediately vowed to use positive energy as his secret weapon.
"Attitude is critical with this," said Russ Paine, the physical therapist Peterson is working closely with in Houston. "If you're not really stable with who you are, an injury like this can be a huge blow to your ego. You're the king of the hill, then all of a sudden -- uh-oh.
"But Adrian? He's been energetic since the day I met him."
That's not to say there wasn't any depression. Sugarman notes that during the two weeks after surgery, Peterson's pain was intense. Moving around in slow-motion, Peterson said, proved frustrating.
The sleep deprivation made him angry.
"You think he's Adrian Peterson. Invincible. Doesn't bleed when you cut him," Sugarman said. "But for those two weeks? He was a disaster. Every morning, coming in and laying on that [trainer's] table and he was about as miserable as a human being could be. He was calling me late at night, texting me with hate messages.
"He didn't shave. He lost weight. He hurt. And I took the brunt of it."
For two weeks and two weeks only. After that, self-pity might as well have been a slow-footed, 160-pound defensive back trying to corral Peterson in the open field.
Out of the ordinary
In Houston, Peterson's drive has been on full display.
Paine, one of Andrews' endorsed therapists, has a handful of NFL players he's helping rehab injuries this offseason. That group includes Packers cornerback Tramon Williams, Buccaneers defensive tackle Amobi Okoye and free-agent safety James Ihedigbo.
"Even they recognize Adrian's different," Paine said. "He has a different protoplasm than the rest of the world."
Peterson will tell anyone who listens that immediately after his surgery, doctors told him it would take three days to regain enough strength to lift his leg. Yet as that warning was being issued, Peterson was already elevating his leg.
Last month, while guiding Peterson through a balance session at Winter Park, Sugarman called for a water break. Ten minutes later, he couldn't find Peterson. Turns out the running back had bolted to pump out a few reps on the leg press.
That's been the biggest challenge for those overseeing Peterson's recovery: making sure his drive doesn't become self-destructive.
Paine faced a similar challenge in 2000 when, as an assistant team physician to the Houston Rockets, he was helping Charles Barkley work back from a torn quadriceps tendon. Barkley was always trying to accelerate the customary patient timeline.
"I'd tell him, 'Charles, you've got to do these things by the standard. I know you think you're special. But your quad tendon doesn't know it's in Charles Barkley's body,' " Paine said. "And he looked at me with a smile and said, 'Oh, yes it does.' "
Peterson is similarly wired. Darn proud of it, too.
"With the experts, I'm sure 90 or 95 percent of the time, they're right with their estimates," he said. "But there are some guys you can't put the traditional timetable on. Some guys are different. I just happen to feel I'm one of those guys."
One-track mind
At this stage, Peterson has done two Winter Park rehab workouts in front of the media. The most recent came Wednesday.
He shuffled while chasing a soccer ball in a sand pit.
He ran sprints with receiver Percy Harvin, sprinting up a steep hill beside the practice field each time.
Peterson also ran full speed in the end zone as Sugarman restricted his progress with a parachute apparatus, then suddenly released him to run free.
"I was having a heck of a time holding him back," Sugarman said.
That's been the challenge all along.
Plus, it's only going to get harder as Peterson continues to see Vikings teammates practicing and working toward that season opener.
For now, he remains ahead of schedule. His full range of motion has returned. He looks great and feels better.
But Paine issues a reminder of the phases Peterson has yet to clear. His left quadriceps still needs strengthening. Then there's the inescapable need to regain proprioception -- getting his knee to reach a state of equilibrium and balance with the rest of his body. That takes time.
So while Sugarman supports Peterson's urge to be ready for Week 1, he isn't crazy enough to promise it.
"In reality, he is only going to be back on the field when he is functionally safe to go on the field. Not just because he wants to say, 'Oh, I did it. I'm the greatest.' There's a lot more to it."
Which leads to the one question that seems to confound Peterson: What happens if Sept. 9 arrives and he is not ready to play?
"I don't know how to answer that question," Peterson said. "And I struggle to even entertain it. Because that's not the way my mind is tuned in. I can't let that negativity seep in. My mindset is that I will be there. I want to be playing. Forget what everyone else says."
So Sept. 9 remains the goal until it's no longer possible. Then, if need be, Peterson will readjust.
"No," Peterson asserted. "The goal is the goal. And I'm going to accomplish it."


text:
Keep it up and I'll tell MOM.
Keep it up and I'll tell MOM.

In reply to:

No kidding,I've lost 10 lbs since I retired from my office job without dieting or
cutting back.
Retired? It must be that diet cat food...
[just kidding] [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

In reply to:

I bow before your superior knowledge of the 9200.
Pfft.. And he didn't even have to tell you about the 9200 recording an HDTV OTA signal...
Just wondering what date VBull is going to give this post...
This receiver is now making its way into consumers hands. Post your experience here. Here's a short description of its capabilities:

[*]The Motorola DSR530 combines a full-featured digital receiver for Star Choice satellite service with an advanced high-definition television (HDTV) decoder and digital video recording (DVR) functionality. It delivers dazzling high-definition programming, an easy-to-use menu, and advanced interactive capabilities. In addition to the standard audio and video ports, the DSR530 includes component high-definition and digital video interfaces. The DSR530 also includes a 160 GB hard disk drive that allows users to record programs for later viewing as well as pause and resume live programming. The DSR530s enhanced viewer menu system contains an interactive program guide (IPG) that provides extensive program information to help viewers plan ahead. Future upgrades to the guide can be downloaded via satellite. The easy-to-use menu system is conveniently integrated in the remote control. It allows customers to record over 130 hours of standard definition or over 25 hours of high definition TV. Star Choice also claims that it is the only DVR in the satellite market that can record both SD and HD programming. It also has a DVI output.
[*]Supplementing the DSR530s extensive feature set is a full access front panel that allows for quick setup and installation.[*] Simple navigation - Offering viewers the ability to surf through channels or view program listings by type, the enhanced interactive guide makes it easier to search channels, times, and programs.[*]Picture-in-Guide - Viewers can scroll through channel listings to see what else is on while simultaneously watching the current program.[*]Enhanced parental controls - Parents can lock rated programming with a password, preventing children from viewing inappropriate content.[*]Upgradeable - Future improvements can be downloaded via satellite. MPEG-4 support can be upgraded in the field through a customer-installable module[/list]


text:
I tend to prefer high-magic fantasy games, where magical items can be purchased (at around the DMG prices, in D&D) in many large(ish) towns - it's common for the very well-off to have magical items. Most of these are trivial - clothes that resist tears and stains, buckets that can hold slightly more water than they should be able to, tools that stay sharper, etc.
I also extend this to magical arms and armor, sometimes in unusual ways. A villain's +3 greatsword, for example, might make a sound similar to a terrified scream when swung, or a cleric's +2 breastplate may glow with his god's holy symbol when he's struck. These effects are typically flavor, without any effect on game mechanics (though I will allow it in limited circumstances - the sword swinging may alert distant guards, or the holy symbol's appearance may grant those who see it a Knowledge(regligion) check to recognize the cleric's allegiance).
Some shopkeepers will have these applied as well, at character's request or on their own behalf (one shopkeeper actually got back at a dwarven PC for an insult in this way - he indicated that the +1 Dwarven Waraxe had a 'really useful' added property, which he upcharged for, activated by a command word...it turned it into a stepstool when you activated it).
What sort of effects would be appropriate for this type of 'enhancement'? What should I allow at no cost, and what should I up the gp value for?
How can a
clevermunchkiny player turn this against me to gain an advantage?


text:
Started by JamesV, October 06, 2017, 06:55:55 AM
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
Quote from: xlibman on October 08, 2017, 10:36:58 PMGlad to see this game ported I wonder if in the future it would be easy to add color palettes based on area you're in or menu for some colors?
Quote from: tr1p1ea on October 10, 2017, 09:52:46 PMWhat bpp are you running the program in out of interest?
Quote from: JamesV on October 10, 2017, 10:24:38 PMQuote from: tr1p1ea on October 10, 2017, 09:52:46 PMWhat bpp are you running the program in out of interest?8bpp, although the palette only has 5 colours loaded (the dark red background, plus the 4 gray shades). The original grayscale buffering part of the engine is unchanged, so all the sprite routines, etc. are the same as they were on the TI-86, but there is a new routine that parses the dark & light buffers simultaneously to select the palette colour when updating vram. At the same time, it does the scaling up 2x horizontally, and finally performs ldir's to scale vertically (similar to Pirate Space Kitties).
Quote from: 123outerme on October 11, 2017, 01:38:36 AMLooks amazing! I can definitely see the Zelda influences, especially from the "enemy spawn" animation. That looks pretty familiar But that's good, of course, that your game reminds me of an NES classic that grew to a massive franchise. I'm looking forward to other releases from your planned trilogy!Speaking of that dark-red background, I love it! It looks really fitting of the whole atmosphere, at least from the screenshots in the topic. I have to ask, though, why'd you choose that red? I'm really interested to know
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text:
All News Releases By Date
EPA Submits Comments on New York State Marcellus Shale Natural Gas Drilling Environmental Impact Statement
Release Date: 12/30/2009
Contact Information: (News Media Only) Bonnie Bellow (212) 637-3660, firstname.lastname@example.com
(New York, N.Y. ) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today submitted its comments to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation on its September 2009 draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement (dSGEIS) on horizontal drilling and high-volume hydraulic fracturing in New York State. The draft environmental impact statement is required by the State Environmental Quality Review Act in order for the state to review and process permit applications for the horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing of natural gas bearing shales, including the Marcellus Shale. EPA's comments were submitted during the public comment period on the dSGEIS, which closes on December 31, 2009.
EPA's comments can be found at https://www.epa.gov/region2/spmm/r2nepa.htm#r2letters.
Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://twitter.com/eparegion2 and visit our Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/eparegion2.
Search this collection of releases | or search all news releases
View selected historical press releases from 1970 to 1998 in the EPA History website.


text:
Message Board
Linda Jean Runstein Message Board
Talk about the novels, new and used books that Runstein has written!
Author Runstein's Book Reviews
Life Switch
This is a fast-paced action thriller that will keep you guessing to the very end. A beautiful seductress, Gena Cupel, Madam of a New Orleans's bordello claims to be the renowned geneticist, Dr. Mildred Gant, who had vanished five years before. Is she the once, plain Jane, spinster scientist who had discovered the ultimate biological cure for human disease? If so, why did she mysteriously disappear at the time she was about to present her brilliant medic...
Sovereign Women
They were five young and uneducated single mothers bringing up their children on state welfare. Living in a city slum while trying desperately to survive through the endless poverty, violence, substance and sexual abuse. But, it is not until an unusual and unexpected opportunity brings them to Nebraska and an elderly farm woman, Emma Tucson, which their incredible journey from poverty to sovereignty begins. Emma, desperate to hold onto her land afte...


text:
It is Wednesday 22 April 2009. A seemingly ordinary day, but with a difference. It is starting to get colder as winter makes its approach, but, more importantly, today is the day of South Africa's fourth independent and democratic elections.
For the last several months, South Africans have been bombarded with voting paraphernalia and propaganda. Whether it has been through the radio, television, flyers, social media (such as Facebook and Twitter) or even via text messages; the message was clear – the time for choice is once again upon us.
As it happens, our voting station is less than 5 minutes from our house, near a Golf Course. My father and myself went to vote just after lunch, at about 14:30. We were not sure what to expect. I have heard some real horror stories regarding the voting procedure – wait times of over 5 hours, mugging's, deaths, births… Okay the last one I made up, although its not impossible, but I'm sure you get what I mean. So, understandably, I was quite nervous, this being my first time and all. That is correct, until today, I was a voting 'Virgin' and had yet to have my finger molested with voters ink.
I can tell you, we were actually very lucky. There was only a queue of about 20 people. The whole process took us less than 15 minutes. I turned out to be the 990th person for the day at our particular voting station. I know this because before you are allowed to vote they scan your ID, give you a 'receipt' of sorts and then they proceed to rape one of your well manicured fingernail's with ink. I have heard that one can apply clear nail polish before voting for easier removal after the 'marking'. However, that would not have worked in our case, since the person dedicated as the 'Marker' decided she'd be liberal with the ink and not only mark the white quarter moon of my thumb's nail but also whatever she thought resembled the cuticle.
All in all I was rather impressed with my voting experience. However, I now know that this was not the case for everyone. A simple glance at the 'status updates' of my Facebook friends indicated that most waited in queues for no less than an hour. Some waited for almost four hours. Ah, such are the perks of living in the East 😉
Interested in real-time voting results? Just click here.
Until the next time "Milieunairs"!


text:
On a cold morning late last month, Karen Cornetta pushed her chair away from a large table inside a conference room at a local cafe, leaned over and pulled two 4-inch-thick, three-ring binders from a bag on the floor. "Those were much smaller when you started all this," said her father, John Harasimowicz. Katie Cornetta, Karen's daughter who is one of the main subjects of this story, sat next to her mother, mostly quiet but taking copious notes.
On a cold morning late last month, Karen Cornetta pushed her chair away from a large table inside a conference room at a local cafe, leaned over and pulled two 4-inch-thick, three-ring binders from a bag on the floor.
"Those were much smaller when you started all this," said her father, John Harasimowicz.
Katie Cornetta, Karen's daughter who is one of the main subjects of this story, sat next to her mother, mostly quiet but taking copious notes. Also seated at the table was Karen's mother, Judy Harasimowicz.
The contents of the binders included medical reports, letters written and received, emails traded with city and state officials, and details of one parent's year-long investigation that resulted in Don Lemieux, Gardner High School's well-respected swimming team coach, being suspended and not being allowed to coach the team at the state championships on Feb. 19.
Lemieux, 55, later resigned his position. He remains as superintendent of the Greenwood Pool, a job he has held for 30 years.
This is a story of a legendary, 16-time state champion coach's frustration, an angry, hurt parent who believes her concerns were not addressed, some questionable practice sessions and a school administration unable to reach any kind of a solution until two days before the state meet.
But the outcome baffled many observers, including the city's mayor, led to deeper questions and tossed innocent young athletes into a maelstrom of controversy — made to choose between school and coach.
It's a tale of secret and open surveillance that pitted swimmers vs. swimmers, parents vs. parents, and fractured a program that was a major point of pride for a community needing so much to be uplifted in these tough economic times.
Heywood Wakefield … gone. Simplex … gone. Nichols & Stone … gone. But unlike the city's proud industrial past, there was this championship swim team that trained and competed in a crumbling pool built 100 years ago.
Now that, too, appears to be gone — at least as we know it.
On the cover of one of the two white binders on the table in front of Cornetta is a photograph of Katie in a hospital bed. The picture, Cornetta said, was taken two days before last year's state meet, which Katie, a team captain, did not attend.
That's where this sad story begins.
Katie Cornetta was resting at home on Sunday, Feb. 20, 2011, while Gardner, the defending champion, was finishing fourth at the state meet. Afterward, Lemieux questioned Katie's absence in comments he made to the media. He said he knew Katie was not feeling well — but so were other team members. He said he thought she would make an effort to attend the state meet at Harvard University.
"Our captain and lead sprinter was not here, and that shocked all of us," he told the Telegram & Gazette, referring to Katie.
While his quote in the Telegram & Gazette was brief, The Gardner News quoted Lemieux more extensively. That quote was a cause of friction between Lemieux and Katie's family.
"Supposedly she wasn't feeling good," The Gardner News quoted Lemieux. "We got to the bus she wasn't there. I called her house, they never answered the phone. I was very disappointed in the captain of the team but forget that …"
Cornetta said the coach knew her daughter was ill, that her attendance should not have been expected, and Lemieux's remarks were "unfair and slanderous toward Katie."
Van Hursey, who owns Iron World Gym and trains most of Lemieux's swimmers, said he was the first chaperone to arrive at the school the morning of 2011 state meet.
"When I got there, the girls said, 'Katie's not here,' " Hursey told the T&G last week.
When Lemieux arrived a few minutes later, he phoned the Cornettas' home, but the call was not answered. A concerned parent of one of the swimmers then volunteered to "go pound on their door," Hursey said.
(As a result of that comment and others, Cornetta later took out a restraining order against that parent, according to Gardner District Court documents.)
"So I volunteered to drive to the Cornettas' home," Hursey said.
He said he was met at the front door by Karen Cornetta, who said, "She's not going," referring to her daughter.
After being denied his request to speak to Katie, Hursey said he stressed, over and over, the importance of Katie to the team.
What Cornetta said next, according to Hursey, took him by surprise.
"She said, and I'm paraphrasing, 'I've computed the stats, and if I thought we could win the state title, maybe I'd send her,' " Hursey said.
Lemieux said he never questioned if Katie was sick, but only acted surprised when asked by reporters about her absence. Lemieux said the family had asked school officials if it was OK for Katie to miss school on Friday and still compete on Sunday. The school said it was.
Hursey said Cornetta also offered him a ride to Boston. And two current team members said Katie sent text messages to teammates on Saturday asking them if they wanted coffee or hot chocolate for the long bus ride the next morning
"All indications were, she was coming," Lemieux said. "Again, I never once said she wasn't sick. I didn't know what was going on. If she couldn't make it, all she had to do was call, and I would have been fine with it."
Cornetta sought an apology from Lemieux, and after she did not receive one, Cornetta said Katie filed a 15-page bullying report against the coach with the school department. But director of pupil personnel services John Salovardos determined in a June 9 letter that the complaint "did not meet the criteria of the state law or the school policy."
The letter went on to recommend "that the building principal and athletic director address Mr. Lemieux's inappropriate actions, primarily addressing the circumstances leading to the article and interview that Mr. Lemieux gave in the local newspaper."
And that's what happened, according to an email sent to Cornetta by superintendent of schools Carol Daring on Sept. 12.
"Appropriate discussions were held and appropriate actions were taken," Daring wrote. "Since this is a personnel matter, I cannot share more than that. Please be advised that your daughter will be welcomed and will experience no retribution…"
Daring's assurances did not satisfy Cornetta. She did not want Lemieux reappointed as coach and made it known to school officials, School Committee members and others.
"How did we know it wouldn't happen again?" Cornetta told the T&G two weeks ago.
"We had no clue what appropriate punishment was," John Harasimowicz said.
So with Lemieux's contract renewed for the next school year, Cornetta's family pursued another plan. It put together a nearly three-month study of the Gardner High swim program and its relationship with Lemieux's private Greenwood Swim Club. Their seasons run simultaneously and have for nearly 20 seasons.
Even though Katie had suffered a concussion (while training outside of high school), and was not eligible to compete in meets, she still attended most of Gardner High's practices, which were held at 5:30 a.m.
Katie would often sit on the pool deck, Lemieux said, taking notes while her mother and grandparents stood nearby, also taking notes. Lemieux said they also took photographs — a charge they deny.
The Cornettas say their notes prove irregular attendance by some members of the Greenwood team and favoritism toward the Greenwood swimmers.
"It should be fair for everyone on the team," Cornetta said.
The Greenwood team, which also includes non-high school swimmers, is in the pool most days at 2:30 p.m. Katie used to swim for Greenwood, but left prior to high school.
Specifically, the Cornettas allege some Gardner High swimmers violated Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association Rule 45, which says athletes are "not allowed to miss a high school practice or game in order to compete on a non-school team. And a coach is not empowered to excuse a team member from school participation in order to participate in non-school competition."
Mayor Mark Hawke said the allegations are baseless. As far he knew, it was business as usual with the high school and club teams sharing pool time in the morning and afternoon.
"The swim team is like a small town where the fire chief is a selectman and also serves on the conservation commission," Hawke said. "It's been like that for a long time."
Lemieux said his practices have always been considered open and optional, designed to benefit the individual for the good of the team. In other words, he said, the routine — times, dates and distances — for a sprinter is not the same as that of a distance swimmer. Dryland training and lifting weights often replace pool time, he said.
In fact, Katie attended both Gardner High and Greenwood practices last year, according to Lemieux, even though she wasn't on the Greenwood team.
"I let her swim and didn't say anything. I was trying to be nice, trying to be supportive, trying to make her a better swimmer," the coach said. "So I don't understand how something that's OK for 20 years — something that was OK even for Katie last year — all of a sudden isn't OK.
"I didn't do anything wrong," Lemieux said. "I could have made every practice optional (in writing) if I wanted to. Who knew it would come to that?"
Cornetta said she presented her allegations of Gardner High swimmers skipping high school practices but attending club practices on the same day to first-year GHS principal Donna Pierce in a meeting on Dec. 14, 2011.
Not satisfied, Cornetta presented the same information to the School Committee on Jan. 4 and again on Feb. 7. Again, she said her concerns were not addressed.
But according to a letter sent by Pierce to Lemieux dated Jan. 17, they were. The letter, which includes a copy of MIAA Rule 45, alleges violations on seven dates prior to Jan. 14.
The letter also details the Cornettas' concerns point by point and states that "anyone who is not on the active GHS swim roster should not be present or practicing with the GHS swimmers." It also references a "lack of communication with changes in practice schedules or meets."
Pierce sent Cornetta a follow-up letter the next day (Jan. 18).
"All matters in which you brought up have been investigated," the letter begins.
It goes on to detail the Gardner High practice schedule and states that "all swimmers are expected at all practices unless excused by the coach or due to illness, injury or personal reasons." The letter also states: "There was no evidence to support your concern that swimmers were not present for practice the day before a meet."
In closing the letter, Pierce provided Cornetta with the names, telephone numbers and email addresses of two MIAA officials.
On Feb. 10, nine days before the state meet, Cornetta said she forwarded her information — along with a signed affidavit by Katie — to the MIAA.
The following week, according to Daring, Pierce spoke at length with MIAA officials, who said it was up to the school to determine if the allegations were factual and what, if any, action to take.
The result was that Lemieux was not allowed to coach at the state meet.
Pierce informed Lemieux of her decision in a meeting with the coach and assistant principal and acting athletic director Tim McCormick on Feb. 16, three days before the state championship, which Gardner had won 16 times.
"She told me, 'Don, (the MIAA is) not buying your story,' " Lemieux said. "I said, 'What story? I didn't do anything wrong.' In the end, I figured I'd take one for the team," he said, referring to not fighting his suspension.
He officially resigned the following week, but said he had offered to resign three weeks earlier out of frustration in dealing with the Cornettas. But he said McCormick asked him to stay on for the rest of the season.
"He asked me to stick it out," Lemieux said. "He asked me to finish out the season."
The day after the Lemieux was suspended, Daring emailed city officials the news, which was met with surprise — and anger — from some, including the mayor, who said the school lacked the evidence to issue a suspension.
"I requested all the correspondence from the MIAA, and to my surprise/concern, there was none," said Hawke, who serves as chairman of the School Committee. "This was a school decision based on what? I don't know. Having been a three-sport athlete in high school and playing sports all my life, I understand that a bond is formed between players and coaches. I have no idea what the school administration was thinking when they suspended the coach for the final meet of the year."
This week, MIAA spokesman Paul Wetzell said MIAA Rule 45 — the one Lemieux is accused by the Cornettas of breaking — does not apply to coaches, who are allowed to coach high school and club teams at the same time.
The rule, Wetzell said, only applies to athletes. However, in this case, all of the Gardner High swimmers were allowed to attend the state meet — even those accused by the Cornettas of skipping practices.
But only three of the eight competed. The others chose not to attend in a show of support for Lemieux. One member of the team, a school-choice student, transferred back to her regional high school.
Another team member transferred a month earlier, Lemieux said, but still competed for the Gardner team as part of a co-op with neighboring schools. Both cited dissension within the school as their reasons, Lemieux said.
"(The school administration) should have seen the division it caused in the team from a mile away," Hawke said. "What upsets me the most is that the people who ended up getting hurt the most are the innocent student-athletes who just wanted to swim."
The school's decision also surprised rival swim coaches.
"I know the kind of man Don is, and he is not the type that would ever take a disagreement with a parent out on their kid," one coach said. "It's a shame that the school cowered to the Cornettas and didn't stand in support of man who put Gardner on the map in the swimming world. He should have gotten the well-deserved respect he's earned, and the responsible school officials should have had the backbone to have stopped this before it ever got to that point."
So what happened between Jan. 17 — when the principal concluded her investigation — and Feb. 16 that warranted Lemieux being suspended? And why was the coach, and not the athletes, disciplined?
Emails sent by the T&G this week to Pierce and Daring seeking answers to those questions were not answered.
On the eve of the state meet, McCormick said the school could not discuss the coach's suspension because it was a "personnel issue."
At that time, Daring said, "The most important thing is that the girls will have the opportunity to swim."
So, on Feb. 19, Pierce and McCormick served as coaches for the three Gardner swimmers to compete at Harvard, where the Wildcats finished 24th out of 37 Division 1 teams.
According to a T&G reporter at the meet, Katie was on the pool deck that day. So was her mother, a violation of MIAA rules that state "no ancillary staff will be allowed on deck. … Only the individuals listed on the entry form and approved by the school's athletic director will be allowed on the pool deck."
Emails sent by the T&G this week to Pierce and Daring asking why Karen Cornetta was allowed on the pool deck also were not answered.
The following afternoon, John Harasimowicz, Katie's grandfather, sent an email to the mayor.
It read, in part: "It took personal courage for the three Gardner High School swimmers who chose to compete to do so. The City of Gardner, their schools and their parents should be very proud of them. They held their heads high and competed with dignity and should be commended for their achievements."
The email also said the three team members chose Katie to represent the team as their captain, but that is not true, according to one swimmer in attendance. She said Katie's mother asked the three swimmers to appoint her daughter captain, but they declined.
Katie was cleared by her doctor to swim in the state meet — on the same day Lemieux was suspended — but was not eligible to compete because she wasn't on the team's roster submitted to the MIAA on Tuesday. Cornetta's medical clearance and the discipline against Lemieux were a coincidence.
"We didn't find out about the coach until we read it in the (T&G)," Cornetta said.
Hawke responded to Harasimowicz's email 20 minutes after it was sent.
"What happened was a travesty and was disgusting," he wrote. "Your personal vendetta has caused irreparable harm to the young adults on the swim team. You, and your family, are so blinded by your dislike for Coach Lemieux that you cannot see this. The swimmers that did not compete did so in order to make a statement. Perhaps you should listen very closely and try to hear what that statement is saying.
"Ultimately, high school athletics is not about titles, but rather it is about teaching our young men and women the importance of teamwork, sportsmanship, winning and losing, the rewards for hard work, self-discipline, build self-confidence, and develop skills to handle competitive situations. All of this, I feel, you fail to understand."
Later that day, Harasimowicz returned the email with another of his own, referencing Lemieux's comments about Katie after missing the 2011 state meet.
"The travesty is that had the Gardner School Department acted appropriately a year ago the Gardner High School would not be facing the embarrassment they now must endure," he wrote, in part. "What is disgusting is that you think we have caused the embarrassment and not the coach."
On Feb. 25, six days after the state meet, Debbie Strachan, the mother of GHS swimmer Taylor Strachan, one of five to boycott the event, also wrote an email to the mayor.
It read, in part, "It has been an extremely long and difficult swim season due to the Cornettas and her parents. Every chance she could she made it difficult or uneasy or just plain intimidating for my daughter to enjoy her high school swim.
"Taylor is a strong young lady and wasn't easily rattled by her attempts, but still we are talking about a grown woman essentially attacking a high school student, with no backing from the school even when the principal and athletic director were informed of this.
"I have to say that my daughter and her team handled themselves with great respect for themselves, their coach and the school, even though the school clearly held the hands of the people who were causing such disturbances and sat by and basically watched."
Lemieux's suspension — and resignation — has also frustrated and confused many of his former swimmers, who hold every state high school swimming record and played key roles in capturing 15 straight state titles, from 1994 to 2008.
"When I heard, I wanted to drive right up there and talk to the principal," said Villanova University senior Lindsey Hagens, a 2008 Gardner High graduate, who swam in the Olympic Trials. "I wanted to ask her, 'What has changed?' Nothing has changed."
"It seems like the school threw the coach under the bus," said Corina Hopkins-Vacca, a 2006 GHS graduate who swam from the University of Minnesota.
Lemieux's departure was also the topic of conversation poolside at the recent Big East Championships at the University of Pittsburgh, where former Gardner High and Greenwood swimmers represented Villanova, Louisville, Seton Hall and UConn.
"We're on different teams now, but we're still very close," Hagens said, "because swimming for Coach Lemieux was like being part of a family. We'll always be family and our family has a motto: 'From the outside looking in, it's hard to explain. And from the inside looking out, it's hard to explain.' "
Hagens' father, Matt, knew little about swimming when his daughter joined Lemieux's teams. But he knows good coaching having played basketball for Hall of Famer Jack Curran, the winningest high school coach in history, at Archbishop Molloy High in Queens, N.Y.
"I would put Coach Lemieux right up there with Jack as the best high school coaches I've ever seem — in any sport — period," Matt Hagens said. "The way he's able to motivate kids and help them exceed their potential was just amazing. I've never seen a coach as dedicated. It just blew my mind.
"He could have coached anywhere, he was that good, but he stayed in Gardner," Hagens said. "I don't think the area realizes what they have in him. But like the saying goes, 'You don't know what you have until it's gone.' "
Lemieux's influence extends beyond athletics, according to his former swimmers, who say he placed equal emphasis on academics.
Erica Meissner, a 2007 GHS and 2011 Auburn University graduate, was a finalist for a Rhodes Scholarship. Hopkins-Vacca, Meissner's former teammate who graduated No. 1 in her GHS class, is now a medical student at Tufts University.
"When I was looking a colleges, Coach Lemieux didn't suggest schools just based on swimming," Hopkins-Vacca said. "It was always academics first."
Samantha Arsenault Livingstone, a 1999 GHS graduate and 2000 Olympic gold medalist, said what school officials don't understand is that Lemieux was Gardner High swimming.
"The pool is a hole in the wall, a bathhouse, really," Arsenault said. "But Coach Lemieux transformed it into a magical place. He creates such a culture of positive energy. For me, the experience was life-changing."
Two weeks ago, Cornetta addressed the MIAA board of directors about its system of school's self-reporting violations.
"What happens when winning becomes more important than following the rules is my question," she asked the board. "When does the must-win mentality replace integrity? When the ones we trust to follow the rules and make decisions based on those rules, look the other way."
Cornetta told the board she reported her allegations against Lemieux "all the way up to the top of the school system. But the school system took no action until I sent the information on to the MIAA."
In the end, Cornetta said, she was looking for one thing.
"We were looking for an apology," she said. "But that didn't happen, and here we are."
Dave Nordman can be contacted by email at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Thirst for iOS had already been out for a few months, giving us a new way to view Twitter by organizing tweets into categories so you could read them in a sort of digest. But the latest version takes this news aggregator to a whole new level, scouring the entire Web for content, then displaying it in categories that are easy to browse.
What makes Thirst a compelling alternative to other newsreaders like Flipboard is that it doesn't just give you the latest story to hit a particular RSS feed. Instead, it uses a complex algorithm to perform a search of the entire Web, and returns stories that it finds based on a category or search term. With Thirst you're getting a fresh search of all the sites rather than the headlines released by a handful of news content sites.
When you first launch the app, you can sign in using your Facebook or Twitter credentials for easy access. From there, Thirst drops you right into its Explore section, with several different news categories you can choose from. Thirst remembers the news categories you frequent, so you'll later be able to read a personalized mashup of your most read categories in the Newspaper, which lays out the stories from content you like to read most.
Thirst organizes the news you care about (pictures)See all photos


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GSC: "Stalker 2 is currently in development"
A tweet from the usually rather quiet GSC Stalker Twitter account has assured us that the game is still being worked on. It's the first word we've had on the development of game since January, when we heard that they were seeking funding for the project following the studio's collapse. That they've lasted until now, and that they're speaking positively, is encouraging, but I don't doubt that it'll be a struggle to get the game out the door: the first game was a massive struggle with publisher support. I wonder if crowd-finding an AAA game the size of Stalker 2 is possible? If only Kickstarter would allow non-US funding, they could have all my money.
They point out that there's no release date, which made me giggle.
Via VG247.


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Inside this Business Group
Lead synthesis and timing closure activities of complex ASICs for Programmable solutions Group
Good understanding of RTL/IP integration concepts, constraints, UPF, Synthesis methodology, Linting, Equivalence checking. Should understand the full physical implementation flow - expertise in timing closure
Solid analytical and problem solving skills - hands on expertise in running synthesis, timing tools.
Masters degree in Engineering with minimum 15 years of relevant experience
The Programmable Solutions Group (PSG) was formed from the acquisition of Altera. As part of Intel, PSG will create market-leading programmable logic devices that deliver a wider range of capabilities than customers experience today. Combining Altera's industry-leading FPGA technology and customer support with Intel's world-class semiconductor manufacturing capabilities will enable customers to create the next generation of electronic systems with unmatched performance and power efficiency. PSG takes pride in creating an energetic and dynamic work environment that is driven by ingenuity and innovation. We believe the growth and success of our group is directly linked to the growth and satisfaction of our employees. That is why PSG is committed to a work environment that is flexible and collaborative, and allows our employees to reach their full potential.


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Midnight Brunch: Whisky and Meatballs from Around the World
Mouth of the Border
Saturday, January 26, 2013 at 11:00 PM - Sunday, January 27, 2013 at 1:30 AM (EST)
Why not eat brunch in the middle of the night? You got somewhere better to be? We know New York City never sleeps, so sit down and let us feed you and put tasty cocktails in your mouth.
Mouth of the Border is delighted to extend you an invitation to join us for Midnight Brunch, our cocktail hour & supper club event on Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013.
Midnight Brunch is a series focused on craft cocktails and comfort food inspired by New York City's ethnic neighborhoods. Read more about Midnight Brunch here.
We've been talking about doing meatballs and whiskey for over a year now. It's time to get our balls on (and break out the bourbon!).
Midnight Brunch
Whisky & Meatballs from Around the World
11 pm, January 26 - 1:30 am, January 27
~ A Sneak Peek at Midnight Brunch Craft Cocktail Menu ~
Breakfast with the Devil
Black Grouse Blended Scotch Whisky, Sherry, Fresh Orange Juice, Fernet Branca, Bittermans Hellfire Bitters
Popeye Doyle
St. George Breaking and Entering Bourbon, Bittermens Amere Sauvage, Cocchi Americano, Bokers Bitters, Grapefruit Twist
Hudson Hawk
Hudson Baby Bourbon, Averna, Fresh Lemon Juice, Cinnamon Syrup, Angostura Bitters, Ginger Beer
Me, You and Him Too
Black Velvet Caramel Whiskey, Galliano Ristretto, Milk, Dark Brown Sugar Simple Syrup, Vanilla
We'll also be serving limited straight pours of St. George Single Malt Whiskey
~ Midnight Brunch Meatball Offerings ~
Greek Meatballs (Keftedes)
Cinnamon and Mint
Swedish Meatballs
with Nutmeg and Cinnamon in Meat Gravy
Spanish Meatballs (Albondigas)
with a Mexican Twist: Chipotle Chocolate Tomato Sauce
Sicilian Meatballs
with Pine Nuts and Dried Apricots
Cocktails Created for Midnight Brunch by: Hal Wolins and Pamela Wiznitzer
Chef Emily Cavalier
To request an invitation to future editions, please sign up for updates via MidnightBrunch.com.
Mouth of the Border & Midnight Brunch connect food lovers and cool businesses to new audiences using food and cocktails as well as art and local culture via custom walking tours, pop up dining experiences and event consulting as well as via social media strategy and execution.
In order to purchase these tickets in installments, you'll need an Eventbrite account. Log in or sign up for a free account to continue.


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Saturday saw a fine but very chilly day in my beloved Bridport. Ah yes, Bridport is worth braving the miserable West Country weather which I thought I'd left behind when I left home eighteen years ago (gulp, I'm really getting very old now). The upside was that it was rather quiet around town and parking easy (any of you who have been to Bridport will know it's usually challenging to say the least). On the street market, I made an interesting find...
Something drew me to this box with it's removable little top shelf and sturdy iron handle. I think part of it was that old label just about hanging onto the front. I think it's very fitting for our house which might once have had a few servants to keep all the fireplaces swept and lit, beating all the rugs and watering all the aspidistras! I see it though, filled with contrasting pretty things, maybe in my Den, quite likely on my stall filled with dinky things I've made. We'll see but it did have to come home.
Something else which finally found room in the car was this...
This pinky Lloyd Loom style chair we found in a skip outside the auctioneers last Summer and so back to the cottage it duly went (amazing what you find in auctioneers' skips!) I pulled off all the old horsehair and hessian seat covering as it was wet and horrid and now I am going to effect a little transformation.
Did any of you spot anything else of interest in the photos? Something a bit like this?
Indeed like this!
This is my latest quilt to come into being, started about two weeks ago. The design is taken from Kim Diehl's book "Simple Comforts". It's not perhaps my usual style but it is certainly a beautiful book which lives up to its name, everything looks deliciously cosy and comforting. The "High Cotton" quilt graces the front cover and caught my eye straight away. Kim's is made in possibly brighter fabrics but I had been looking for a project to use up some of the Civil War stash left over from the sludge quilt and when I saw this, I knew this was it!
With today's breeze, it is certainly living up to its name!
It was quite a simple design to execute but very effective, think.
I have backed the quilt with cosy red flannel and the suggested black ditsy flowered cotton for binding. Oooh, I can't wait to get cosy with it!
Charlie Boy beat me to it though!
Hmm, now I am a woman in need of a new project...


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Search Finding Aids
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Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]
Mathews, Harry, 1930-
Extent: 19 linear feet (48 boxes)
Harry Mathews (1930-2017) is an experimental poet and prose writer. Mathews is well known for authoring several highly acclaimed novels; co-founding and co-editing the literary magazine, Locus Solus; and for his membership in the French avant-garde literary society, Olipo. The collection documents Mathews' professional life, and to a lesser extent, his personal life and includes drafts, typescripts, and corrected typescripts of Mathews' prose and poetry; publicity and promotion resulting from his literary work; research files probably used for writing his books; teaching and workshop records; writings by others; extensive correspondence which is restricted from use unless permission is granted by Mathews; and a small amount of audio visual material as well as several computer files.


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I know there's a rip of this on the network already, but it's ogm. Would anybody be interested in an avi? Here are the specs of the old rip:
Source: Digital Versatile Disc
Format: Ogg Media Stream
Video: XviD (set to DivX FourCC), 576x432, 23.97 fps
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audio: Ogg Vorbis, 44,100 Hz, Stereo
Language(s): English, Historian's Commentary
Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
File Size: 698MB
Running Time: 1:20:11


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A series of gross errors made by Olympic officials in Tuesday's biathlon have left some attacking the integrity of the event and threaten to leave it with a black eye.
First, three critical timing errors were made in the women's biathlon 10 km pursuit, including one which has medal implications. Then, in the men's 12.5-kilometer biathlon which followed, two outrageous mistakes were made at the starting gate. One of them torpedoed the chances of Canadian medal hopeful Jean-Philippe Le Guellec.
The biathlon pursuit is a "chase race." Athletes start in staggered intervals based on their times from the sprint event. Le Guellec was set to start sixth but a starting official yelled "Go!" early. He took off in the fourth spot before he was mentally or physically prepared to leave the gate.
Then he was told on the course he would get a time penalty,
"They should have stopped the race," said Canadian biathlon coach Geret Coyne. "It's stunning. It really changes the whole tactics and the whole outlook of the race. Sending JP out early plays in his mind too. He was wondering 'Are they going to stop the race?' His thoughts were all messed up. This is really unfortunate.
"This is messy."
It was International Biathlon Union referees in charge of starting. They are considered experienced in understanding how the starts work.
"I am shocked and really disappointed they let this happen," Coyne said.
The IBU, which ran this event not VANOC, apologized for its disastrous mistakes. It said mistakes like this had never before happened in an Olympics.
"These are big mistakes and they shouldn't have been made," said the IBU's Norbert Baier, the event's technical delegate. "We apologize to everyone."
The apology was cold comfort for the Canadian biathlon team which, in Le Guellec, had a legitimate shot at the country's first-ever medal in men's biathlon. Le Guellec had put himself in contention with a tremendous sixth-place performance in the sprint. It was a best-ever for Canada.
"It's wrong," Canada's assistant coach Tom Zidek said. "If you have a starting fiasco like this, you stop the race and restart it. It's a whole different race.
"They have stopped races at other World Cups. So why not do it here?"
Chief of competition Paul Collard said: "It's so difficult. Once it starts, it's almost impossible to stop it."
Coyne said Le Guellec, who ended up 11th, managed to run an "excellent" race.
"What could have happened? You never know," Coyne said.
Within a few strides, Le Guellec realized something was horribly wrong. He realized he left the gate too soon. He worried he was going to be disqualified.
"I was breathing in deeply, relaxing before the race," Le Guellec said. "My eyes were closed. I was just getting ready and the guy beside me said 'go.'
"My reflex was to go. I quickly realized No. 5 hadn't gone. At that point, I thought the worst thing that could happen was a DQ. I thought maybe I was partly to blame. So, I just decided to race and have fun anyway."
Despite trying to shoulder blame, it was not Le Guellec's fault, the IBU confirmed.
"He's awesome and he's a great sportsman," Zidek said. "But he can't take any blame. If someone there tells you to go, you go. Then, what do you do? Go back and say, 'uh, I wasn't supposed to go?'"
Later, in a race won by Bjorn Ferry of Sweden, Team USA's Jeremy Teela was sent out in the eighth spot.
He was supposed to leave ninth.
"In this race you race against the competitors not the clock," Teela said. "It changes your whole strategy. The organizers have to figure this out and make these races fair.
"This never happens. It's a real big bummer."
It marred a day which was already submerged in controversy. Sweden issued a protest after the women's race. Anna Carin Olofsson-Zidek started 14 seconds late in a race she finished fifth. After realizing the error, the IBU subtracted 14 seconds from her time. That gave her a fourth place finish.
"That's the hurt for her. If she had been racing fourth and seen bronze there it could have changed things," said Zidek, who is married to Olofsson-Zidek. "That's bronze right there. It puts a whole other dimension on the fight."
Germany's Simone Hauswald and Ukraine's Valj Semerenko also started late and had time subtracting from their final scores. Sweden withdrew its protest after the 14 seconds were subtracted.
Coyne said he didn't think there was any recourse for Canada.
"Do you redo the race?" Coyne said. "It's hard. It's not like other sports where there is two minutes of effort. It's maximum effort and they have three more races. To redo it isn't fair either.
"We're complaining through the media."


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'The Wolverine' wobbles in U.S. but rips up foreign box office
"The Wolverine" dominated the U.S. box office over the weekend, but the estimated $55 million haul for the Hugh Jackman superhero movie was less than distributor Fox had hoped for.
It didn't come close to matching the $85 million three-day debut 2009's "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," and could wind up being the lowest domestic opening in the six-film "X-Men" franchise. "X-Men: First Class" debuted to $55.1 million in 2011 and the original "X-Men" opened to $54.4 million back in 2000.
But the Marvel comics-inspired "Wolverine" was a force overseas this weekend. It opened in 126 countries - every major market except Japan and China -- and brought in $86 million, the best foreign opening for an X-Men movie ever. And Its $141 million in first-weekend global grosses surpasses its $115 million production budget.
The significance of the international number in today's market can't be underestimated; Hollywood's biggest films typically take in roughly 70 percent of their grosses from overseas these days. "The Wolverine" finds Jackman's mutant loner in Japan where he takes on the Yakuza and grapples with the loss of his healing powers.
With its Tokyo setting and cast that includes Japanese stars Tao Okamoto, Rila Fukushima and Hiroyuki Sanada, "The Wolverine" should have strong appeal throughout Asia. It doesn't yet have a date in China, but will debut on Sept. 13 in Japan, where much of it was filmed. Production was delayed by 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami off the coast.
Since it was the only wide opener in the U.S. and in a market-high 3,924 theaters, 3,063 of which offered 3D, Fox had hoped for a three-day total in the $65 million range.
"The Wolverine" hit its demographic targets, with an audience that was 58 percent male and 42 percent under 25. The "A-" CinemaScore from first-night audiences and the foreign numbers took away any sting from the soft domestic figure for Fox's president of distribution Chris Aronson.
"Hugh (Jackman) and (director) James Mangold delivered a terrific movie and the way it was received globally was really spectacular. We're looking forward to the next couple of weeks because we know it's going to play well," he said.
The multiplexes were busy - up by more than 25 percent over the same weekend last year - but many moviegoers did some catching up on films already in release, and five holdover films dropped off less than 50 percent.
Last week's No. 1 movie "The Conjuring" was second with $22 million, followed by family films "Despicable Me 2" at $16 million and "Turbo" with $13.5 million, "Grown Ups 2" at $11.5 million and "Red 2" with $9.4 million.
While underwhelming, the opening by "The Wolverine" is the best live-action opening since "The Man of Steel" debuted to $116 million back in June, and breaks a four-week run in which big-budget movies "White House Down," "The Lone Ranger," "Pacific Rim" and "R.I.P.D." all belly-flopped at the box office.
The 47 percent second-week fall-off for "The Conjuring" is exceptional for a horror film; they typically take a tumble once genre fans have seen them.
But Summit's scream-fest, produced for roughly $20 million, has been very well-reviewed and word-of-mouth is strong, and it is now up to $84 million domestically after two weeks.
"Despicable Me 2" keeps rolling up the box office dough. The animated kids film crossed the $300 million mark domestically in its fourth week and is now the second-highest grossing movie of the year, behind only "Iron Man 3." And it has brought in more than $660 million worldwide for Universal and Illumination Entertainment.
DreamWorks Animation's family film "Turbo" couldn't catch the minions despite dropping just 36 percent from its first week, and the snail tale has now taken in $56 million in two weeks of domestic release for distributor Fox.
Sony's Adam Sandler comedy "Grown Ups 2" crossed the $100 million mark in its third week, and beat out Lionsgate's action comedy "Red 2' for fourth.


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Our friends at Jezebel pointed us to this post on BuzzFeed: "The Hottest Guys In The NHL." It's a standard BuzzFeed numbered list of large photos, with a sentence or two apiece, perfectly designed to be shared around Facebook and Pinterest by a very specific subset of the internet. But the top text is slightly off the usual brief intro. It specifically mentions the times and channels of the night's playoff games. And the author is "NHL Stanley Cup, BuzzFeed Partner."
It's an advertisement, or more strictly, a sponsored post. BuzzFeed has an entire Stanley Cup playoffs page, with BuzzFeedy posts like "The Best Celebrity Moments With The Stanley Cup" and "16 Awesome Hockey Fan Signs."
Sponsored posts—"engaging, sharable content," as BuzzFeed CEO and founder Jonah Peretti puts it—seem like the wave of the future for online advertising. It's an update of the old magazine advertorial, and yes, it even happens on this site every once in a while. With direction (and money) from the NHL, BuzzFeed's copywriters craft something that looks for all the world like a regular post.
Branded content is much more likely to be clicked on than typical ads, which readers have long conditioned themselves to tune out. How much more likely? Peretti won't share the metrics on the NHL's campaign, but says BuzzFeed's sponsored posts "have click through rates 5X to 10X that of standard banner ads."
More than ineffective, standard advertising can be alienating. Devoted hockey fans like being in on a secret club, not "consumers" to be "targeted" by a "corporation's" "strategic promotional alliance." They like transparent catering to casuals even less. Witness the backlash over Nickelback, one of the most popular bands in the world, being used to pimp an offseason awards show. What other sport requires regular warnings to diehards not to resent or chase off the newbies? A traditional ad, especially on one of the hubs of viral populism, runs of the risk of angering the core, and being ignored by the targets.
The trick is marketing without seeming like you're marketing. The league has always been gung-ho about trying things the other leagues won't touch. As Steve McArdle, NHL senior VP of business development and strategic planning, told Mashable last week:
"This year is a lot more comprehensive with more platforms and points of contact that we haven't been a part of in the past. It's a combination of new technologies and corporate partners who want to become more aggressive in the social space. The concept of understanding fan needs and behaviors has really evolved."
BuzzFeed, the "most shared site on the internet," certainly fits that plan. Peretti says that their sponsored posts "get an average lift from sharing of 1.6X, which means for every 10 people who see the content another six discover it because of sharing." Hockey fandom, always something of a shibboleth among a small but diehard group, doesn't like to see the game pimped to a nationwide audience of heathens. But they'll happily do word of mouth.
The NHL, through a spokesperson, declined comment beyond this: "We are using a variety of platforms to get the word out that as part of our new NBC media agreement, every Stanley Cup Playoffs game is available on national TV in the U.S. for the first time."
An understated acknowledgement, considering this is a chain of events that led to the existence of "The Best Hair In Hockey." That's BuzzFeed at its BuzzFeediest, and there's no way that isn't getting passed around. It's manufactured organicness, a way to make the tribe feel tribal while unwittingly admitting their not-so-hip Facebook and Twitter friends. The NHL might be the only sports league that truly gets the internet.


text: There's another (possibly apocryphal) historical reference here: centuries ago, rich merchants' wives were afraid to travel through the countryside while wearing their piles of jewelry, because gypsies would come along and snatch stones right from their settings. A smart lady asked her jeweler to set her diamond deep down in the ring, with no prongs, so it was flush with the metal and therefore thief-proof. Voila! The "gypsy setting" was invented.


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Online advising provides PCC students or prospective students with a resource to ask general questions that pertain to reaching their educational and personal goals at Piedmont Community College. Keep in mind that not all questions can be answered in full by this service. Some questions may require an appointment with an advisor or counselor on campus. Please be aware that because of the nature of the Internet and e-mail technology, there can be no assurance of confidentiality when using this online service.
All online messages will be reviewed and transmitted to a qualified staff member ready to best answer your questions. Responses will be handled in a timely manner based on staff availability.
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Crimson Red – LUXE Basic Silk Satin Square
Every SCARF UP scarf purchase comes beautifully wrapped in its own hard casing box ,so they would be great as gifts too!
Measurements for product laid flat:
Length – 110cm
Width – 110cm
* Kindly be informed that colours may differ slightly due to computer settings / camera flash
Categories: LUXE Basic, LUXE Silk Satin Square
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This new batch of clips from The Smurfs movie have us very confused. Do the characters know that this movie is horrific? Because Hank Azaria and Neil Patrick Harris are lighting the Smurfs up in these movie clips.
Thank goodness NPH is here to point out some of the weird things about these creatures. Like, Papa Smurf has 99 sons and 1 daughter — nothing weird about that indeed!
The scariest part, I laughed a lot at some of these videos. Until I saw that hideous melted cat face laugh. NO. NO THANK YOU.
The Smurfs will be in theaters on July 29th.


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Our wines THEBENER are a natural product, without the addition of chemical stabilizers (except for sulfur dioxide). Since they are mostly sweet, it may cause secondary fermentation, especially in the case of improper or longer storage.
To prevent this, our wines have a high percentage of natural alcohol derived from the fermentation of wine - about 14.0 to 14.5%.
Wines are also stabilized by sulfur dioxide (max. 50% of the allowed dose), which should also facilitate protection against spoilage.
In order not to add chemistry to our wines and to let you to enjoy truly natural product, we provide our customers with full guarantee.
If you bring (or send) even open and unfinished bottle of wine THEBENER with which you are not satisfied for any reason, you get the same new bottle and a free gift extra. You need not to explain the cause of your dissatisfaction, but your reasons and the sample of the rest of the wine can help us to avoid any similar or potential problems in the future.
Otherwise, the haze of the bottle there is no problem - currant wine contains quite a high proportion of solids, natural cells - marrow.
Also, a bottle that "snaps" after its opening is mostly still safe and natural - essentially, it's a sparkling wine, in which carbon dioxide ( "bubbles") originated in a natural way as for the most expensive champagne.
But it is always essential whether you like your glass of wine and its taste and whether you are generally happy with it - if you're not, no comments and the bottle will be replaced.


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This website has been designed for individuals who are beginning outreach programs in astronomy to Native American children. Since these outreach providers may have little background in teaching in general, and because there are many misconceptions about Native Americans, this site offers links to organizations and information that may help the outreach provider get started.
The beginning outreach provider should first be aware that there are over 500 federally recognized Native American tribes in the United States, each with their own unique culture and history. When asked, many Native Americans will request that they be referred to by their tribal affiliation. With this in mind, a web site discussing each of them is impractical. (Over 50 tribes have web sites). This site offers some general links and resources for those wishing to offer science and astronomy outreach programs to Native American groups. It includes a specific focus on the Tohono O'odham nation, located in SW Arizona.


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One motor car changed the course of automotive history. Today, the legend is re-told as Rolls-Royce Motor Cars proudly announces the creation of a collection of 35 model year 2018 Rolls-Royce Ghosts, created in homage to the original Silver Ghost's achievement.
In 1904, a pioneering motorist, a brilliant entrepreneur and an intrepid engineer were united by a desire to succeed. Three years later, this success was recognised by the world's media. An unfathomable challenge unprecedented of its time and legendary to this day, was completed by The Hon. Charles Rolls and Claude Johnson in Sir Henry Royce's 'Silver Ghost'. The car achieved a non-stop long distance endurance record of 14,371 miles. This challenge was to shape automotive and luxury history, creating a world-renowned benchmark for excellence in the process.
It was the twelfth 40/50hp chassis, completed with a Barker & Co 4/5 seater touring body, commissioned by Claude Johnson, then Managing Director of Rolls-Royce Limited that was quickly recognised for its ability to demonstrate the marque's prowess. The ethereally quiet running of this extraordinary automobile and the silver paint with silver fittings, led Johnson to select this very car for high-profile competitive trials, bestowing the name, 'Silver Ghost' upon it.
In celebration of this extraordinary feat of engineering excellence, a special collection of model year 2018 Bespoke Ghosts will be created at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, West Sussex. Thirty-five patrons of the marque will delight in a contemporary masterpiece of automotive history, as the Bespoke Collective of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars envisions the 'Silver Ghost Collection'.
Speaking from the Home of Rolls-Royce, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, commented, "The extraordinary accomplishments of our marque's founding fathers are honoured by the creation of this elegant 'Silver Ghost Collection'. The Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective masterfully weave the rich narrative of the original 'Silver Ghost' into just 35 motor cars, creating a contemporary homage to the original motor car. Today, our craftspeople and master artisans continue this legacy of excellence, creating unique motor cars that define luxury."


text: Home > Locations > UAE > Dubai - Media City - Virtual office light Virtual office Want the benefits of a city centre office, at a fraction of the cost? With a Virtual Office Light service in the heart of Dubai, we'll give you a prime business address, mail handling and automated call answering. So you can have a presence in a modern office in a prime location – without the overheads or red tape. What is included A prime business address for a great business image Automated call answering and mail handling leaving you free to focus on your business A fraction of the cost of a physical office Personalised telephone answering Access to business centre See all 5 photos


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38 Female Atheletes Share Inspiration For Everyone
The Sisterhood of Diabetes tells 38 true-life stories of women with diabetes-the challenges they faced and the adventures they took. These accomplished women of all ages and from around the world, are athletes, scholars, and champions in many ways who will motivate and inspire others, whether diabetic or not, in redefining abilities and venturing beyond self-imposed limits. While many books offer the "do's and don'ts" of diabetes care, this book bypasses the humdrum and the confusing fuselage of medical terminology and treatment to bring the reader face to face with the real struggles and joys of living with diabetes. Judith Ambrosini has lived under the influence of Type 1 diabetes for over 50 years. She knows the importance of exercise, sports and leading an active life as a major component of excellent diabetes care. This understanding influenced her to run and walk marathons, to cycle, dance, and to practice and teach tai chi, which she continues to do today. This health challenge has also guided her to be of service in the global diabetes community.
The women she has interviewed for this book are strong and confident in their sports and in their lives. This book sheds bright light on what can sometimes be a devastating prognosis, by telling true and encouraging stories of successful individuals. The vast primary audience for this book is the diabetes population, but it will be an effective tool for clinicians and health professionals for their own education, and as recommended motivational reading for their patients. Libraries, universities, hospitals, and community resource centers will benefit from the information presented here. The book is also of great appeal to the general reading population for the stories it tells of how people cope and succeed despite obstacles.
Cover Price: $21.95, 259 pages, 8.9" x 6", 2014
The Sisterhood of Diabetes
- Product Code: 9781935826347
- Availability: In Stock
- $21.95
Tags: diabetes, sisterhood, motivation, challenges, inspiration


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3 luxury hotels showing off their makeovers
When the owners of the Rancho Valencia resort acquired the sprawling Rancho Santa Fe property in 2010 for $15 million, they knew it was in need of an update, but weren't sure just how extensive that update would need to be.
Thirty million dollars later, the 45-acre luxury resort is ready to show off its redo, which the owners hope will catapult it into the rarefied league of premier California destination resorts the likes of Auberge du Soleil in Napa Valley and the Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur.
Spending twice the purchase price on a renovation, while hardly the norm when taking over a new hotel property, is still indicative of the lengths to which both new and existing hotel owners will go to raise the profile of their properties in the increasingly competitive lodging industry.
That's especially true for higher-end resorts that are wrangling to land discriminating travelers who have the financial wherewithal to dine in upscale restaurants and spend money on expensive spa treatments.
Rancho Valencia, which boasts a new bar, wine cave and yoga pavilion, is one of three marquis hotels in San Diego County that have changed hands in the last couple of years and have since undertaken extensive makeovers designed to not only fill rooms year-round but also pave the way for potentially higher room rates.
"What we realized when we did our due diligence was that Rancho Valencia was a highly ranked property and a No. 1 tennis resort, but that there had not been a lot of upgrades or enhancements since the late 1980s when it was built," said Jeff Jacobs, one of the Rancho Valencia owners, along with brothers Hal, Gary and Paul, and San Diego real estate developer Jeffrey Essakow and Fiji Water CEO Doug Carlson. They acquired the resort from the family of Harry Collins, who developed Rancho Valencia in 1989.
"Our hope now is that if you're a discerning traveler and you can choose any other place in California to go to, you'll choose Rancho Valencia."
Still in the midst of multimillion-dollar updates are the historic La Valencia in La Jolla and the much more contemporary Estancia, also in La Jolla. Added flourishes such as a couples treatment room with a soaking tub for two at Estancia's spa and a new oceanfront dining terrace at La Valencia are the kinds of improvements the hotels are betting will lure locals in addition to overnight patrons.
"All three of those hotels were showing signs of wear, and in order to be competitive you have to invest some money to catch up," said San Diego hotel consultant Jerry Morrison. "The longer it has been since the last renovation the more extensive the next one has to be. With Rancho Valencia, they're re-imagining the hotel so that it will be more appealing to the luxury guest."
Here's a look at the revamps already unveiled or planned for each of these luxury properties.
The costliest of the resort's improvements were renovations of all 52 of the 1,000-square-foot casitas, which command rates of $600 to $1,200 a night. Furnishings were imported from Mexico City, and the bathrooms were gutted and enlarged, with new French limestone on the floors and countertops. Flat panel TVs were also installed in the bathrooms, and hot tubs and fireplaces were added to the patios of several rooms.
The resort's signature restaurant, Veladora, was updated but still has the feel of a hacienda, accented with a color palette of cobalt blue, orange, red and brown and a 7-foot square piece of art that incorporates real butterflies into the design. The bigger change, though is the addition of a new bar called the Pony Room that Jeff Jacobs said is supposed to be an homage to his heroes, John Wayne and James Dean.
"I thought they were cool guys so we came up with this rugged, Ralph Lauren feel for a bar that attracts both the horse crowd and younger people," said Jacobs, son of Qualcomm founder Irwin Jacobs. "We didn't want to create another W-style bar but on Friday and Saturday nights we do have musicians who come in."
In a move to boost business from the surrounding local community, the owners added a 1,000-square-foot yoga pavilion to the existing fitness center, which will allow it to sell yoga retreats, Jacobs noted.
"While the outside of the resort looks very much the same, almost all the insides of each building were changed," he said. "It's more an interior design job than an architectural job."
A La Jolla mainstay for much of the last century, the Pink Lady had grown tired in recent years and while needing a major refreshing, structural repairs were required as well.
San Diego-based Pacifica Cos., which purchased the hotel for $41 million last year from its longtime owners, the Collins family, acknowledged that major work was needed to revitalize what had become a tired property.
"It's a great asset, but it needs capital," said Len Howell, who oversees acquisitions for Pacifica. "There had been very little upgrading and maintaining of the quality of the product, so we went in with our eyes open anticipating we'd be spending money. We need to continue to put money into it to attract the guests who are prepared to pay the rates that hotel is able to achieve."
The already completed first phase of the estimated $10 million redo focused on an overhaul of the original 1928 elevator, along with a new paint job and kitchen upgrades. Still ongoing is a renovation of all 112 guest rooms and villas that will be modernized while still retaining an essence of French Provincial.
More substantial changes will come early next year, when the hotel expects to demolish and rebuild the entry colonnade and redesign the long-standing Whaling Bar and adjoining Cafe La Rue, re-imagined as a more casual dining venue minus the Whaling Bar name.
Interested in capitalizing on the hotel's panoramic of the Pacific, the owner is hoping to get approval to expand the existing lobby lounge terrace to create a much larger outdoor area for oceanview dining. Still pending is a possible spa that would be located in a 1920s era bungalow home the hotel owns.
Still unclear is the fate of the 10th floor Sky Room restaurant, which will close at the end of this year for dinner business but will be used next year for catered events and winemaker dinners. At one time a sun room in the 1960s, the relatively confined space, which has just 12 tables, could potentially be converted into guest suites, said Managing Director Mark Dibella.
Purchased last year for $56 million, the hotel is in the midst of a multiphase revamp that is expected be finished by the end of next year.
The $6.3 million makeover of the 8-year-old hotel includes a refreshing of all the guest rooms, designed with a lively color combination of Navy blues, whites and bursts of orange. The pool area already has been redone, with new cabanas, firepits and a bar and grill.
The 7,000-square-foot spa also will be updated, incorporating two outdoor bungalows that will include a couples treatment room. The lobby will be redone as well, along with an expansion of the hotel's signature dining venue, Mustangs & Burros. Later next year, the Estancia's 21,600 square feet of meeting space will be modernized, and additional ballroom space is planned.
"If we did not make these changes, we would have a potential to lose business," said General Manager Terry Bucholz. "If everyone else is updating, of course we're going to lose out."


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February 23, 2015
The Sham of Willpower
>it's called willpower bro maybe you should try it
Those normies who preach "willpower" had early positive experiences both at home and among peers that heavily outweighed the negative experiences. Therefore, it's easier for them to motivate themselves due to self belief and high self-esteem that has been reinforced into them early on and has carried through into adulthood. Any "bump" in the road will be met with a shrug as they'll simply remind themselves of all the positive experiences and "get on with it". Most of us here on the other hand have dealt with overprotective parents, lack of male role models, abuse, rejection from peers, humiliation, and failure in most of our goals (resulting from the aforementioned). Naturally, we resort to distract ourselves using the internet and video games where no one will judge or berate us. This leads to further social isolation and seeing how most things that normies and society consider "meaningful" involve some sort of interaction with normies at one point or another, we inevitably fail. I feel for the wizbros who are forced into wage slavery or college, because the slightest bump/misfortune is met with crushing depression because we know it only gets worse, and it sure as fuck does.
-- Anon from WizChan.org
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For Release:
George Jackson
"At a time when we need to do everything possible to prepare students for the 21st-century knowledge economy, it is unacceptable to lay teachers off and cram students in buildings that are too small and antiquated."
WASHINGTON—Visits today to Yonkers, N.Y., and North Bergen, N.J., schools demonstrate the urgent need to pass President Obama's American Jobs Act, said American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten. Weingarten said that no one should have to learn or teach in such aging, seriously overcrowded and massively underfunded schools.
Weingarten toured Gorton High School and Martin Luther King, Jr. School in Yonkers, N.Y., and North Bergen High School in North Bergen, N.J., saying all three schools would benefit from the jobs bill, which could save more than 280,000 educator jobs, and repair and modernize 35,000 school buildings.
"Instead of stonewalling the jobs bill and just saying no, members of Congress need to see what I saw today. At a time when we need to do everything possible to prepare students for the 21st-century knowledge economy, it is unacceptable to lay teachers off and cram students in buildings that are too small and antiquated," Weingarten said. A vote to move the full bill forward failed in the U.S. Senate last week. The bill is now being divided into pieces. This week, a portion of the bill to fund jobs for teachers and first responders is expected to come up for a vote in the Senate.
The jobs bill could reverse the loss in Yonkers of 551 teachers and school staff since 2009, even as enrollment has climbed by more than 1,600, Weingarten said.
"I saw some of the most deplorable conditions I've seen in at least a decade," Weingarten said of Gorton High School, noting windowless, makeshift basement classrooms; a nonfunctioning auditorium; a leaky roof dripping into classrooms; and an antiquated HVAC system that makes proper air quality and temperature nearly impossible.
Martin Luther King, Jr. School is overcrowded, has no library, no real science labs and has seen massive cuts to programs and teacher positions. "If the jobs bill were passed, kids could once again have access to prekindergarten—which has hugely helped prepare kids in Yonkers in the past—and our schools could see the return of laid-off art, music and reading teachers," said Weingarten.
Joining Weingarten in Yonkers were Yonkers Public Schools Superintendent Bernard Pierorazio and City Council President Chuck Lesnick. U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) also sent a representative, along with a statement of support for the AFT's efforts to pass the jobs bill.
At North Bergen High School, 2,900 students attend a 50-year-old building built for 1,800 students. If the school receives funding from the jobs bill, it could build an addition that would have 15 more classrooms and a state-of-the-art media center.
In North Bergen, Weingarten was joined by AFT New Jersey President Donna Chiera, U.S. Rep. Steven Rothman (D-N.J.), state Sen. Nicholas Sacco and North Bergen Schools Superintendent Robert Dandorph.