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Mobiquity to expand to Gainesville, create 260 jobs/
Front Street would like to welcome Mobquity to Gainesville's Innovation Square! Mobiquity is Boston-based mobile app developer that has worked with companies like CVS, Garmin and the New York Post. Gainesville continues to draw in successful innovative companies, and Innovation Square has the ideal office spaces for them. With office spaces for lease in individual buildings and in Infusion Technology Center, Innovation Square has the perfect office for your business.
By Anthony Clark at The Gainesville Sun
Mobiquity, a Boston-area mobile app developer, announced Wednesday that it has chosen Gainesville for its expansion plans and expects to create 260 jobs over the next three years.
The company plans to open an office in May in Innovation Square, the area being redeveloped by the University of Florida and private developers along Southwest Second Avenue between campus and downtown Gainesville.
The jobs will pay an average salary of $49,000, according to the company's application for tax rebates.
"The unique combination of highly educated students, graduates and professionals, and an ideal location brought us to Gainesville," Bill Seibel, founder and CEO, said in a news release. "The University of Florida provides a rich pool of engineers that will allow us to meet the demand of our clients to create quality, enterprise-class mobile solutions, while generating more jobs right here in the U.S. It is a win-win."
The announcement has been anticipated for weeks. A recruiter from the company was on campus earlier this week.
The company already has hired a few people for the Gainesville office, said Andy Norman, senior vice president of service delivery.
"Today's announcement shows that Florida's STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) workforce continues to grow rapidly," Gov. Rick Scott said in a release. "Strong support for STEM fields is enhanced by Florida's top-notch higher education institutions — like the University of Florida."
Mobiquity is the second major information technology company to announce its expansion to Gainesville in two years, drawn by UF engineering talent and the low cost of doing business.
India-based Mindtree opened its first U.S. software development center here last year and expects to create 400 jobs over four years. Mindtree currently has 75 employees with an office in the Ayers Plaza in Innovation Square.
Sears Holdings also announced in March that it would recruit 25 UF computer engineering interns to work over the summer at locations around the country before bringing them back in the fall to work at a new IT office in Gainesville.
Mobiquity was founded in 2011 by technology business veterans Seibel and Scott Snyder with headquarters in Wellesley, Mass., and has grown to 170 employees with offices in Atlanta, New York, Philadelphia, Providence, R.I., and Waltham, Mass.
Seibel said in a December interview with the Boston Business Journal that Mobiquity expected $20 million in revenue in 2012.
The company's services are targeted to the top 2,000 public companies in the world. It has worked with more than 140 companies, including CVS, Fidelity Investments, MetLife, Putnam Investments and The Boston Globe. Projects have included a barcode scanner app for Weight Watchers, a searchable manual iPhone and iPad app for Garmin GPS devices, and a tablet Android app for the New York Post.
The Council for Economic Outreach, a sister organization of the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce, began recruiting Mobiquity in December with help from UF, Santa Fe College, Innovation Square, FloridaWorks, local government and Enterprise Florida.
In January, the Gainesville and Alachua County commissions approved tax rebates of as much as 208,000 each as a match for a $2.08 million rebate based on job creation through the Qualified Target Industry program, with the state responsible for the balance.
"Keeping our world-class talent produced by our educational institutions has been a main focus in developing our innovation economy, and the recruitment of growing, innovative companies like Mobiquity and the 260 jobs that it plans on creating exemplifies that focus," said John Carlson, chairman of the council and CEO of Charles Perry Partners Inc.
Ed Poppell of Innovation Square said he is in discussions with Mobiquity about options for space and location.
"I suspect they will begin in space that will not be their final office destination given their desired growth plan and space requirements," he said.
"They will be on a fast track to get started here."
A celebration to welcome Mobiquity is scheduled for 10 a.m. May 8 in Ayers Plaza.


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Calcitriol Savings Tips
Fill a 90-Day Supply to Save
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To switch to 90-day fills, note that you'll need a new prescription from your doctor; a 30-day quantity prescription will not allow 90-day fills.
Patient Assistance Program
Many programs are available from federal and state governments, non-profits, manufacturers, and other organizations to help you get the drugs you need at a reduced cost. Eligibility is often based on income, insurance or Medicare status, and other factors. You'll need to apply through each program, either online, over the phone, or with your doctor's help. The following program is offered by the manufacturer of this drug.
|Program Name:
|Good Days Patient Assistance Program
|Good Days
|Phone Number:
|How do I apply?
|Go to the program website and find out if you are eligible. You can get more information and start the enrollment by calling or submitting an application online.
|What are the benefits?
|Contact the program to see how they can financially help you out.
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|To qualify, you must have insurance and a valid prescription. You will also need to have been diagnosed with a disease that the program covers. Call or check online to see if you are eligible.
|Keep in mind
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subset: commoncrawl


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3:00 am
Outdoor Idaho "Idaho's Salmon" The once abundant salmon runs into the heart of Idaho disappeared. Since then efforts have concentrated on maintaining their genetic lines. OUTDOOR IDAHO explores the causes for the decline, what is being done to save the fish, and what the salmon mean to native cultures. Underwater cameras capture sockeye salmon returning to Redfish Lake.G
3:30 am
MotorWeek "Ford Fusion" Road Test: 2013 Ford Fusion. Road Test: 2012 CODA Sedan. Goss' Garage: Shocks & Struts. D
4:00 am
Sesame Street "Afraid of the Bark" Elmo and Zoe are playing a game with Zoe's pet rock, Rocco. When it's Elmo's turn to roll Rocco, he rolls him all the way to Barkley the dog, who picks him up and plays with him in his mouth. Bob gives Rocco back to Zoe and explains that Barkley just thought they were playing fetch. D
5:00 am
Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood "Daniel Gets Mad/Katerina Gets Mad" Daniel Gets Mad - Daniel Tiger and Prince Wednesday are looking forward to playing at the beach. Then it starts to rain and Mom Tiger says they can't go outside, which makes them very mad. After Mom Tiger helps the boys deal with their mad feelings and they're calm, they come up with a grr-ific plan to make a beach - indoors! Katerina Gets Mad - It's New Instrument Day at Music Man Stan's Music Shop. D
5:30 am
Martha Speaks "The Martha Show, Part 1 & 2" The Martha Show, Part 1 - Martha has been offered a chance to host a children's TV show with her friends! The gang tries to agree on the perfect kid's show (1st of two parts). Vocabulary: (E) genre(s), drama(tic)(s), educational, merchandise, style, comed(y)(ies)(ic) (I) co-star, medical, program(s), watch, script. The Martha Show, Part 2 - Having your own kid's show is more complicated than Martha expected. D
6:00 am
NOVA "Ghosts of Machu Picchu" NOVA joins a new generation of archaeologists as they probe areas of Peru's Machu Picchu that haven't been touched since the time of the Incas. They unearth burials of the people who built the site, and seek answers to origins of the city, high in the Andes and deserted by the time of the Spanish conquistadors. Recent work has uncovered new areas of the city and advanced new theories about it.G
7:00 am
Rick Steves' Europe "Munich and the Foothills of the Alps" Rick visits boisterous markets and Baroque palaces, and watches office workers surf in the Isar River. In the foothills of the Alps, Rick visits Oberammergau and tours the fairy-tale castles of "mad" King Ludwig.G
7:30 am
Smart Travels - Europe with Rudy Maxa "Athens and Delphi" Rudy climbs the Acropolis, prowls the Plaka and cheers Greece's best folk dancers. On the Peloponnesian Peninsula, he scopes out a charming port and visits epic ruins of King Agamemnon.G
8:00 am
The Desert Speaks "Passions of the Pitaya" Travel with host David Yetman and Mexican ecologist Alberto Burquez to an area southwest of Guadalajara, Mexico where locals celebrate an annual festival dedicated to tasty Pitaya cactus fruit. Once used as a source of water for natives, the Pitaya has now become a reason to celebrate. In this episode, Yetman journeys to the city of Techaluta to watch workers harvest Pitayas by lamplight, where he places a bet on a midday horserace, and participates in a Pitaya-eating contest. D
8:30 am
Chef John Besh's New Orleans Crawfish Etouffee, Citrus Pot du Creme, and Lavender Madeleines. D
9:00 am
Lidia's Italy In America "Chicago: Chicago's Italian Beef Sandwich" Join Lidia and Tanya in Chicago, where Tanya shows viewers the Piazza DiMaggio and Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame, both located on Taylor Street, a testament to Italian Chicago's great pride in its heritage. Back in New York, Lidia meets up with Pat LaFrieda of LaFrieda Meats to learn all about inexpensive and incredibly tasty cuts of meat. Lidia's grandson, Lorenzo, helps Lidia make a simple Pasta with Lentils, Italian Beef Sandwich, and Lemon Ice for a refreshing dessert. D
9:30 am
GardenSMART Find out what all the fuss is about when GardenSMART talks native plants with gardening experts. Tune in to the pros and cons of going native. D
10:00 am
The Jazzy Vegetarian "Rockin' Moroccan Stew" Host Laura Theodore prepares oven baked "Rockin' Moroccan Stew," which features a rainbow of veggies delicately infused with flavorful sweet and spice. Paired with "Quick Quinoa," it makes a hearty meal for any night of the week. Then "Fig, Kale, and Tomato Salad," brings a welcome change to everyday greens. D
10:30 am
Cook's Country from America's Test Kitchen "Super-Easy Comfort Food" Host Christopher Kimball shares the test kitchen's tips and techniques for selecting the perfect beef roast. Then, test cook Bridget Lancaster shows Chris how to make the best Chuck Roast in Foil. Next, equipment expert Adam Ried reveals his top picks for inexpensive stockpots. D
11:00 am
Austin City Limits "The Civil Wars/Punch Brothers" A program of new American acoustic music begins with The Civil Wars playing tunes from their Grammy-winning album Barton Hollow. Then Punch Brothers showcase their latest recording Who's Feeling Young Now?.G
12:00 pm
Sesame Street "Cast Iron Cooks" As Alan finishes packing Elmo's lunch, the lights go down, the music goes up, and Superchef pops up and announces that Alan has been chosen as the next challenger on Cast Iron Cooks. Alan is not even sure what that is, but Chris and Elmo are excited to be his assistants. The first challenge is to prepare a bowl of P Stew, which is made up entirely of ingredients that begin with the letter P. Elmo, Chris, and Alan race around throwing P foods like pickles, peaches, and porridge into a pot. D
1:00 pm
Dinosaur Train "Hurricane at Pteranodon Terrace/Rafting The Cretaceous" The long-awaited rains finally return to Pteranodon Terrace, but grow into a huge rainstorm that grows even bigger - into a hurricane! Dad hasn't seen it blow like this since he was a kid. They seek shelter, and Don discovers an entrance to a cave below their nest, where not only the Pteranodons, but also their other neighbors, the Lambeorsaurus family and Cindy Cimolestes, all take shelter for the night. In the morning, the storm has passed, but everyone must pitch in to rebuild their various nests. D
1:30 pm
Super Why! "Webby In Bathland" Red is practicing her soccer moves and kicking up dirt, when Grandma tells her it's time for lunch. Red gives her hands a quick rinse and gets ready to chow down, but Grandma says her hands aren't clean. The super readers zoom into the story Webby in Bathland and help a brave little penguin save his beloved town from the evil Squirmy Germies who are fighting down and dirty! Red finds out it takes more than water to wash away germs Educational Objectives: To learn about good hygiene. D
2:00 pm
Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That! "Big Cats/Fantastic Flour" Big Cats - When Sally and Nick have difficulty sneaking up on Nick's Mom to surprise her, The Cat brings them to meet some great sneaker-uppers - cats! Three big cats in particular. The kids learn to be patient from a snow leopard, speedy from a cheetah and the trick of distraction from a lion. Back in Nick's yard they sneak up on his mom and surprise her! Then Nick and Sally are surprised when the best sneaker-upper sneaks up on them - The Cat! Fantastic Flour - Nick and Sally are making their "Best Ever Yummy For Your Tummy" muffins when they realize they don't have enough flour. D
2:30 pm
Wild Kratts "Quillber's Birthday Present" It's Aviva's birthday, and Chris and Martin decide to collect shed porcupine quills to make a beautiful necklace as a gift. As they tag along with an African Crested Porcupine, they discover that animals have different ways and even some highly specialized features to defend themselves from predators. For example, porcupine quills are modified hairs, designed by nature into a deadly defense. D
3:00 pm
Sara's Weeknight Meals "Girls at the Grill with Elizabeth Karmel" Women of America, pick up your tongs, put on your aprons and man the grill! It's easy with Sara's buddy, grilling expert Elizabeth Karmel, to guide you! First is an easy Chicken Paillard with Greek Farmer's Salad and Tzatziki to get the basics down. Then, pizza! This one is a Blistered Corn and Asparagus Pesto Grilled Pizza. Finally, we'll go all out with Elizabeth's famous Texas Hill Country BBQ with a universally loved finger lickin' sauce. D
3:30 pm
Rick Steves' Europe "Copenhagen" Rick finds reminders of Viking history, strolls Europe's first great pedestrian boulevard, ogles crown jewels in the palace treasury and visits Tivoli Gardens.G
4:00 pm
Richard Bangs' Adventures With Purpose Norway: Quest for the Viking Spirit The adventurer seeks out the modern-day "Viking Spirit" in Norway's Arctic north, its mountainous sea coast and its bustling cities. He looks for answers to the violent storied past by exploring the now peaceful nation's present.G
5:00 pm
PBS NewsHour NULL
6:00 pm
Globe Trekker "Paraguay and Uruguay" Holly Morris discovers two South American countries that may share a similar name but couldn't be more different.G
7:00 pm
Outdoor Idaho "Idaho's Salmon" The once abundant salmon runs into the heart of Idaho disappeared. Since then efforts have concentrated on maintaining their genetic lines. OUTDOOR IDAHO explores the causes for the decline, what is being done to save the fish, and what the salmon mean to native cultures. Underwater cameras capture sockeye salmon returning to Redfish Lake.G
7:30 pm
Dialogue "Media, Ethics and the Election" Marcia Franklin talks with Kelly McBride, a senior faculty member of the Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Florida who specializes in ethics, reporting and writing at the school for professional journalists, news media leaders, future journalists and journalism teachers.G
8:00 pm
Billy Connolly's Route 66 The Scottish comedian and actor begins in Chicago on his journey to the Pacific Coast along the storied route. He points out distinctive aspects of the Chicago Tribune Building, meets the Route 66 "Pie Man," sees Abraham Lincoln's home, and the Chain of Rocks bridge. He paces a horse-drawn carriage with his low-rider motor-trike at an Amish community. Part 1 of 4G
9:00 pm
Basque Hotel Director Josu Venero travels from the Basque areas of Spain to New York, California, Nevada and Idaho as he documents the Basque experience in the United States. He meets writers, ranchers, academics and others, including casino owner John Ascuaga, formerly of Idaho. The writings and reflections of the Basque immigrants and their descendants accompany this journey through history.G
10:30 pm
Globe Trekker "Paraguay and Uruguay" Holly Morris discovers two South American countries that may share a similar name but couldn't be more different.G
11:30 pm
Outdoor Idaho "Idaho's Salmon" The once abundant salmon runs into the heart of Idaho disappeared. Since then efforts have concentrated on maintaining their genetic lines. OUTDOOR IDAHO explores the causes for the decline, what is being done to save the fish, and what the salmon mean to native cultures. Underwater cameras capture sockeye salmon returning to Redfish Lake.G


text:
Matthew Holloway has never been one to shy away from taking chances or blazing a path into a new adventure.
A man in his mid-20s, Holloway lives a life so interesting some could say he's right up there with the Dos Eqis man. He manages his life like one giant bucket list and it has a checklist that's ever growing.
A 2005 NHS graduate, Holloway was a standout soccer player and a vital part of the Wildcats' 2004 district championship. Playing forward for coach Roger Sides, Holloway earned all-conference, all-district and all-region honors. He was also a standout on a traveling team known as Firestorm 86 that barnstormed throughout the area during the high school offseason.
Holloway eventually moved on and attended college at Northwest Missouri State University.
As it turns out, once Holloway's playing days were complete his adventurous side took over. Pretty soon he got bored and sought new challenges, and when he got a new idea he acted on it.
He quickly found a way to entertain himself. His talent and love of music landed him in a number of bands, where he says he's played just about every instrument under the sun. A love of sports led him to coaching an 11-12 year old girls' fastpitch softball team just for the heck of it. "That was an experience," he'd say.
On a larger scale, Holloway accomplished something not many can lay claim to when he went viral on the internet in 2008 with a video he posted on YouTube titled "my first dirtbike ride… CRASH." The video, described perfectly by its title, received over 900,000 views on the site and soon propelled the clip onto television shows such as MTV's "Ridiculousness," hosted by Rob Dyrdek and TruTV's "Dumbest Stuff On Wheels" as well as other shows.
As cool as those moments were for him, Holloway continued looking for new things to try. One day, while killing time by kicking footballs with a friend who kicked for the Bearcats at Northwest Missouri State, the player suggested Holloway should consider playing football — kicking, specifically. He found the idea so crazy that even he doubted it would ever happen and dismissed the idea.
But then a few months ago an opportunity arose. Joplin formed a semi-pro arena football team and was seeking players. Holloway decided to give it a try, though he still thought the idea to be a crazy one.
To understand the magnitude of his decision would entail knowing and understanding Holloway on a personal level. A big fan of the sport, not even he thought he'd ever suit up and play in an official game. He never played a down in high school, and wondered if he'd even have a shot.
As it turned out after a little practice, Holloway noticed the powerful right leg that helped lead those Wildcats to a district title in soccer still had some miles left. He went to a tryout with the Four States Fusion and won the kicking job. What once seemed like only a dream suddenly became reality.
"Football was something I always wanted to do in high school, but I always played soccer," Holloway said. "Soccer was my first passion."
It was a new experience in many ways. For starters, he didn't know anyone on the team.
"I was joining the team cold turkey," he said. "I didn't know anybody on the team, I didn't know the coaches — I'd maybe kicked a ball off a tee a dozen times in my life. They liked enough of what they saw to keep me."
This wasn't just any football team, however. It was arena football — or football with arena league rules, anyways — though Joplin played its home games outdoors. While similar, the quirks of the game were a bit different and confusing to Holloway at first. During his first game he asked the coach if he'd stand nearby for the duration of the game. "Why the heck would I do that," the coach barked. Holloway told him because he didn't know when he was supposed to onto the field and kick. He knew the game by NFL rules, of course, but arena rules are, again, a bit different.
Perhaps the best illustration of the transition into his new hobby came away from the field, however. The first time he ever tried putting on shoulder pads he couldn't do it. Didn't know how. His teammates had to show him how to get them on properly.
"That's a culture that I've never been exposed to before," Holloway said. "I can recall our first scrimmage and our first league game, it was the first game for me ever wearing shoulder pads. I tried putting the shoulder pads on and then the jersey, and I couldn't do it. I had guys trying to help me get dressed. It was pretty funny."
When he hit the field it didn't take long for the action to find him. Not long into his stint with the Fusion he recorded his first career tackle when he saved a touchdown by knocking a much larger return man out of bounds. It was, by all accounts, the highlight of the game and one he says he'll never forget.
"That's obviously got to be embarrassing for the return guy," he joked. "You got tackled by a 160 pound guy.
That's the thing though — I'd never been taught how to tackle anyone, I'd never done it, I'd never been taught how to hit."
After a good start, things soured quickly with the Fusion as infighting amongst other players on the team made Holloway re-evaluate his desire to continue with them. He eventually decided to step away from the team.
His hiatus wouldn't last long, however. He made contact with the head coach of one of the top teams in the league, the Southwest Missouri Voodoo, based out of Springfield, Mo., and arranged to make a video. Holloway, who resides in Joplin, went to a local elementary school and, with the help of his girlfriend behind the video camera, began booting 30, 40, 50 yard field goals on tape.
"I contacted coach Rich Nelson and told him my situation and that I wanted to continue playing, just for a different squad," Holloway said. "He wanted me to send him a video. It was raining and really nasty … I sent it to him about midnight and he got a hold of me before 8 a.m., before I got to work the next morning, and told me he wanted me to suit up for them that weekend."
Holloway was back in the game, and his first opponent on the schedule was none other than the Fusion, of course. The Voodoo easily won that game and every one after that. He'll now find himself playing for the league championship this weekend in Kansas City. The league, which consists of 12 teams, features an American and National division, is comprised of teams from Missouri, Kansas and Iowa. Unlike the Fusion, the Voodoo plays indoors at Mediacom Ice Park, next door to Hammons Field in Springfield.
"We have a really good turnout and a really good following," he said. "It's a good atmosphere and a good following up there."
Holloway admits the season has been a whirlwind. After hitting some 60-yard kicks, coaches suggested he find a kicking coach willing to work with him on refining his technique. That, they say, could allow him to step up to the next level of competition. It's a thought that continues to intrigue Holloway, and he wants to continue his career, he says.
"Do I regret not playing (in high school)? To some degree," he admitted. "I would have loved to have played both soccer and football. It may have been possible, but I think everything has played out for the best. Playing soccer not only at the high school level but also the club level, I was able to build up a lot of power with my kicking. Without that I wouldn't be able to do what I'm doing now.
"Just realizing the growth I've had as a kicker has been really neat to witness."
Aside from his desire to win a championship this weekend, Holloway admitted he also has his eyes on the upcoming All-Star game in a couple of weeks, and is hopeful to represent his team and league at the event. As far as his future, however, that's up for discussion.
"It's tough to say what's next," he said. "I've really enjoyed this season and I feel like if I get some solid individual coaching I could continue to an even higher level. I'd like to continue playing football.
"It's a very surreal experience to me, going from needing help putting my shoulder pads on before a game to having an opportunity to win a championship and get a ring. I've become a disciplined player on the sidelines and I don't have to be babied. I know what coach expects of me and I go out there and do my job."
There's no telling what kind of challenge Holloway will decide to tackle next. He says his ultimate goal is to cash in on his current schooling and land a job working for the Kansas City Royals with an office inside Kauffman Stadium. Between now and then, however, is anyone's guess.
"It could be competitive ping-pong, it's tough to say," he joked … or did he? "I always seem like I've got an iron in the fire."
Holloway's still kicking
Matthew Holloway has never been one to shy away from taking chances or blazing a path into a new adventure.


text:
Incompetents invariably make trouble for people other than themselves.
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text:
On the second anniversary of the disappearance of the three Skelton boys, about 200 people from near and far gathered Sunday to remember them and maintain awareness that the search for them continues.
A plaque showing images of the boys that was unveiled a year ago was dedicated at Wakefield Park, just down Main Street from the fire station that was the hub of the massive searches in the week after the boys were first reported missing.
Tanner, Alexander and Andrew were last seen Nov. 25, 2010, with their father, John Skelton, at his house in Morenci. When Skelton did not return them to their mother, Tanya Zuvers of Morenci, on the day after Thanksgiving, she called the police.
That started a week of extensive searches for Tanner, Alexander and Andrew — who were 5, 7 and 9, respectively, at the time — in the areas along the Ohio-Michigan state line, fanning out dozens of miles from Morenci to search roadsides, woods, fields and lakes. Hundreds of interested people joined police and firefighters in conducting the searches in the case that made national news.
Skelton and Zuvers were divorced in 2011, and he pleaded guilty to three counts of unlawful imprisonment. He is serving 10 to 15 years in prison and is incarcerated at the Alger Correctional Facility in Munising in the Upper Peninsula.
Skelton said in one of the divorce hearings that he gave the boys to an "organization," but Morenci Police Chief Larry Weeks has said his story is not credible. Weeks is treating the case as a homicide.
Weeks said last week that more than 1,300 tips have been received. A reward of up to $60,000 for information leading to the location of the boys remains available.
Zuvers and others at the ceremony said they believe the boys are alive.
"Until I have 100 percent proof that they're not alive on this Earth, there will always be hope," Zuvers said while be interviewed Sunday by television reporters.
The plaque is mounted on a large rock next to three brandywine maple trees that were planted on the west side of the tennis courts in honor of the boys.
After the dedication ceremony, Zuvers said she and her adult daughters, Brittany Crowell and Courtney Derby, picked that variety of maple because in the fall the trees' leaves will turn a deep maroon, which is one of Morenci High School's colors.
"We love fall, and a dark color like that — I love trees with dark, dark, dark leaves," Zuvers said.
During the ceremony, relatives told stories about the boys, such as waterfights with their sisters or spending time with their grandparents, Don and Bev Zuvers, after school and sledding during the winter.
"I'm thankful for the community we live in and the surrounding areas," Tanya Zuvers said during the ceremony. "We're thankful for the support — God bless you."
That support extends well beyond Morenci. At the dedication, Karen Mekus of Defiance, Ohio, said her grandson Mason is about the same age as Tanner Skelton, and looks like him, too.
"Know that you're loved many miles away," Mekus said.
Mekus, who attended the ceremony with her husband, Dave, said later that she had cut out pictures of the boys from a newspaper, but then she and her husband saw one of the magnetic posters on a truck while they were camping the following year.
Some who helped in the searches came to the ceremony. Clayton Fire Department Assistant Chief Joe Garrow and firefighter Mike Cook attended.
"It's a good thing, the awareness needs to continue," Garrow said. "Somewhere, somehow a connection can be made."
Two members of the Shiawassee County Search and Rescue Team were also there Sunday.
"We'll find them someday," said Debbi, who said the team members only give out first names. "There is too much leading to the good than the bad. We're looking for three live boys, not three dead boys."
After the ceremony at the park, the crowd moved to the fire station where tables were set up in the fire engine bays for a bake sale, a display showing age-progression photos of the boys made by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, a banner on which people could write their well-wishes to the boys and their families or any Morenci-area families that have suffered tragedies, and for people to decorate paper ornaments to be hung on the boys' trees in the park. Updated posters, fliers and magnetic signs were also available.
Later, Chinese lanterns were to be released in Bean Creek at Wakefield Park.
Zuvers said the proceeds from the bake sales and donations are used to print more posters and fliers.
Second anniversary of Skelton boys' disappearance draws well-wishes from near and far
On the second anniversary of the disappearance of the three Skelton boys, about 200 people from near and far gathered Sunday to remember them and maintain awareness that the search for them continues.


text:
Reminder to 0bama and Holder Employees
COMPUTER TRESPASS---RCW 9A.52.110---Computer trespass in the first degree.
(1) A person is guilty of computer trespass in the first degree if the person, without authorization, intentionally gains access to a computer system or electronic database of another; and (a) The access is made with the intent to commit another crime; or (b) The violation involves a computer or database maintained by a government agency.
(2) Computer trespass in the first degree is a class C felony.
You Are Never As Anonymous As You Think!
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Please Be Sure to Scroll Down to See Political Videos and Permanent Comments Located At Bottom Of This Page. Thank you.
Monday, September 14, 2009
0bama: New World Order
Posted by Auntie Coosa at 2:27 PM
Labels: Baraka Obama, Communism, Corruption, Democrat, Marxism, Obama, Politics, Racial violence, Socialism, Terrorism, Terrorists, Violence
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"We love death. The United States loves life. That is the big difference between us." – Osama bin Laden
"I have been made victorious through terror." Muhammad, founder of Muhammadism now called Islam (Submit or Die)
Obama calls it "My Muslim Faith" and This Raises More Questions
George Stephanopoulos tries to correct Obama when he says "my Muslim faith" but it wasn't a gaffe and Obama corrects Stephanopoulos. The Question is: Why say "MY Muslim faith" first? He went back to correct Stephanopoulos, but again "MY Muslim faith" was used. WHY?


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Ron Estes has stepped down as Blissfield High School football coach, the school announced Monday.
Estes went 76-39 in 11 seasons at the helm, earning two Lenawee County Athletic Association championships, eight state playoff appearances and a state runner-up finish in 2007. He is the school's career leader in wins and averaged 6.9 victories per season.
In the 25 seasons before Estes took the reigns, Blissfield had a total of 66 wins.
Blissfield owned a 33-game losing streak when Estes was named coach in 2002. After a 3-6 finish in his first season, the Royals claimed their first-ever playoff berth in 2003. Blissfield owns a 9-8 all-time playoff record.
The Royals won their first 13 games in 2007, rolling to the Division 6 state final at Ford Field. Estes was named Lenawee County Co-Coach of the Year following that season.
Estes and his staff produced 18 All-County performers over the past seven years.
Blissfield football coach Estes steps down
Ron Estes has stepped down as Blissfield High School football coach, the school announced Monday.


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A college education can change the course of your life. This investment in your future has the power to open doors of opportunity to professional and personal fulfillment.
But, for most students, those opportunities come with a cost: the burden of student debt.
Yes, the cost of tuition is rising and with it debt loads. But college enrollment is growing, too, and so is the income gap between those who have degrees and those who do not.
Numbers tell this story.
Tuition costs soar
Tuitions are rising like a lost balloon on a summer day. A four-year public university now costs on average $8,000 per year, excluding room and board. That number jumps to $28,000 per year for students attending four-year private institutions.
Debt-free students unusual
Sixty-six percent of 2011 graduates began their post-school life with student-loan debt, with the average loan amount totaling more than $26,000. By comparison, in 1993, less than half of all students graduated with debt, and that debt averaged $14,500.
Right now, combined student-loan debt stacks up to $914 billion in the United States, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Unlike other debts, student loans cannot be discharged in a bankruptcy.
Millions attend college
More than 18 million people are attending college, and 10.6 million of them are enrolled at four-year schools. However, 40 percent of students at four-year schools will not earn a degree within six years. Whether a student graduates in four years, six years or not at all, student loans must be repaid.
College is a smart move
Despite the debt, a college degree can be a wise financial investment. High school graduates can expect to earn about $1.4 million in their lifetimes. Add a bachelor's degree, and lifetime earnings rise to $2.4 million.
Want to earn more? Obtain a professional degree and lifetime income soars to more than $4 million. Medicine, law, pharmacy and public accounting are each professions of this kind that offer a strong earning potential.
A new frontier
Higher education is evolving – and not all of it is getting more expensive. Free MOOCs, or massive open online classes, aim to deliver an Ivy League-quality education to anyone with access to a computer and the Internet.
In the last year, several start-ups have begun offering more than 200 free, online college classes. Companies such as Udacity, Coursera and edX promise to reinvent how we educate ourselves and meet the demands of the modern workplace and economy.
Here's what Coursera says about itself:
We are a social entrepreneurship company that partners with the top universities in the world to offer courses online for anyone to take, for free.
We envision a future where the top universities are educating not only thousands of students, but millions.
A college degree is an investment that can pay off like any other – provided you plan, budget, make adjustments when necessary and follow through.
Durango resident and personal finance coach Matt Kelly owns Momentum: Personal Finance. www.PersonalFinanceCoaching.com.


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Park Ridge Health was selected as one of the "100 Great Places to Work in Healthcare" by Becker's Hospital Review and Becker's ASC Review.
Other hospitals recognized include Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic and New York-Presbyterian Hospital.
T herecognitionisbased on a set of standards including benefits, wellness initiatives, professional development opportunities and work environments that promote employee collaboration and satisfaction, Park Ridge officials said in a news release. Jimm Bunch, president and CEO of Park Ridge Health, said the hospital is proud of its exceptional team of more than 1,200 caregivers and staff, adding, "We're thankful for this formal recognition of the world-class care we provide for our team members, who serve our community through more than 350,000 patient interactions each year."
Some benefits available to employees of Park Ridge include a health savings plan; semiyearly bonuses based on completion of quality, financial and patient satisfaction goals; a tuition reimbursement program; and a 50-percent retirement matching program for up to 4 percent of employee contributions.
Team members at Park Ridge can also earn up to $600 annually through a wellness incentive plan, made easier through access to an on-site fitness center and discounted memberships available at five other local fitness facilities.
A full list of winners of the "100 Great Places to Work in Healthcare" will be featured in the May/June issues of Becker's Hospital Review, Becker's ASC Review and Becker's Spine Review, as well as on the publications' websites.
Park Ridge Health named a great health care place to work
Park Ridge Health was selected as one of the "100 Great Places to Work in Healthcare" by Becker's Hospital Review and Becker's ASC Review.


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Charles Kennedy passed away in Cascade Locks, Ore., on Feb. 19, 2012.
Arrangements are under the direction of Anderson's Tribute Center (Funerals, Receptions, Cremations), 1401 Belmont Ave., Hood River, OR 97031; 541-386-1000. Please visit www.andersonstributecenter.com to leave a note of condolence for family.
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Difference between revisions of "Kompong Thom"
Revision as of 05:41, 11 August 2012
Kompong Thom is the capital of Kampong Thom Province in Cambodia. It's situated about half-way between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap and thus most travellers will only rush through on their transfer between these two major attractions.
Nevertheless it is a pleasant and relaxed place and a good starting point for exploring the countryside and the temples of Sambor Prei Kuk.
Get in
Buses, minibuses (~8000 Riel) and shared taxis (~12000 Riel) connect from Phnom Penh. The same selection of transport should be available from Siem Reap.
Current prices (June 2006) for Phnom Penh to Kompong Thom (due to petrol increases) about 25,000 riel for one place in a share taxi, $4 for a bus. Mekong Express buses stop at the Arunras Guest house and tickets can be bought from there.
Current Prices (August 2008)for a share taxi (7 seats) from PP to KT is $5 per seat. If you want the front seat to yourself (2 seats) you pay $10. Highly recommended.
Get around
The town is easily explored by foot. There are motorbike-taxis for hire to take you to more distant sights.
There is an interesting fruit bat roost in the grounds of the old governors residence (a nice colonial era building). This is behind the market on the first road off the river. If the gate to the old governors building is open, you may be in luck, the house itself is sometimes left unlocked. All of the original furnishings are missing, but some of the bathroom fixtures remain and the house itself gives off a haunted vibe.
The grasslands and rice-fields surrounding Kompong Thom of an extreme importance for wildlife conservation. These areas hold the largest global population of the endangered Bustard the Bengal Florican as well as occasional large waterbirds from the Tonle Sap floodplain (Adjutants, Pelican, Painted Stork). Other species include large numbers of wintering palearctic passerines (including Dusky Warbler, Yellow-breasted Bunting, Siberian Rubythroat) and the globally vulnerable Manchurian Reed Warbler. In March large numbers of Oriental Plover pass through the area making this possibly the best area in the world to see this species.
The areas also offer a glimpse of everyday life in the Cambodian countryside with many fishermen, ox-carts and small scale farmers. The best way to visit the grasslands is by en-listing the help of a moto-dop driver from in-front of the Arunras guesthouse. A number of these know the area (around Rolous village about 5km towards Phnom Penh) and speak English.
The American VIP School is a small ESL English school in KT town center owned by an American and his Khmer wife. If any native speakers wish to donate 1hr of their time to converse with eager Khmer students it would be appreciated. Normally classes are held 1 hour at night from 5:30 to 6:30pm. If interested please inquire beforehand at the American Restaurant near the Arunras Hotel.
Don't bother in Kompong Thom. There is Karaoke on the top of the Arunras Hotel, although as of mid 2011, there were a number of alarmingly young working girls present, care should be taken.
The best place to stay is the Arunras Guesthouse ($3 for a single/double room with a fan). It has cable TV (including ESPN for English football) and is clean with friendly (Khmer speaking) staff. However it's very popular, particularly with Khmer government officials, and can be full.
More up-market are the Arunras Hotel next door and the (favoured by tour groups) Stung Sen Garden Hotel. A number of cheap and dirty guesthouses also exist.
Get out
Whilst 'talked up' by the guide books Sambor Prei Kuk is a disappointment for people expecting temples that even vaguely vie with some of the other Khmer examples. At $3 for a ticket its just about worth it though most of the temples appear to resemble 19th century European brick kilns. Lots of kids hanging around latch on to any visitors (theres not that many) so the 'peaceful' temple in the jungle experience doesn't really happen. Whilst probably important in an historic context a visitor to Cambodia with little time should probably give this temple a miss (Beang Meala outside DomDek is far better).


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Andrew and I are working on plans for a family vacation in March, we're taking the kids to Florida because Lillian wants princesses, David wants alligators, Spencer wants water parks, Grace wants roller coasters and Andrew and I want sun. Florida fits the bill.
If I think back to my favorite memories from childhood they're always connected to family vacations: beaches, camp grounds, fishing holes, theme parks, it really doesn't matter where we went if we were together we were having fun and those are the times that stand out.
I've met people who, for whatever reason, don't believe in taking vacations but I'm here to tell you they're crucial for a happy, close family and here's why:
1. Vacations make you healthy. While goals, hard work and ambition are important without periods of rest and relaxation we are less capable of appreciating the benefits of all our work. We're not machines and we need a break now and then to be most productive.
2. Vacations promote humor and play. This may be obvious but when we're relaxed we tend to joke and play more. Families need a bit of goofiness and laughter, it's like the grease that keeps the wheels turning. Dignity and formality have their place but when we can sit back years later and laugh about how funny it was when Luke ate all the sand at the beach or when Danny sat on the ski lift with Phil Meyer it binds us together with the shared experiences.
3. Vacations deepen relationships. If I didn't have family vacations how else would I ever know that Mom detests scary rides or that Andrew lives for roller coasters? How would I know that Andrew wants to someday plan a canoe trip where we portage our canoes through the river systems of Alaska? I'd never know that my father can burp the "Stars and Stripes Forever." I know exactly what my children are like when they come home from school, I know what Andrew is like when he's getting ready to leave for work but vacations add another layer to our relationships and if we didn't play together I'd miss critical parts of their personalities.
Now, having said all this here's a few tips for planning a vacation:
* Vacations don't need to be expensive. My family did a lot of camping and I remember my Dad coming home from work Friday evening and all of us piling into the wood-paneled station wagon to head to the Kenai for an overnighter or maybe just to be together until 1 or 2 am when it finally got too dark to fish. There are lots of websites that specialize in ways to cut costs for vacations but however inexpensive you go it should be something you plan for in your budget--it's really more important than a new car, bigger home, fancier clothes or more lessons for the kids because it's something that will promote family unity and love. Cars don't do that and won't mean a thing when your child is grown--there are studies that show that experiences, not possessions, have a much greater influence on happiness anyway.
* Vacations shouldn't be thick with expectations. If you plan a trip with a checklist of things that must happen to make it successful you're doomed to be disappointed. While vacations can bring out the best there is a natural amount of stress and trauma and if you hang your hopes on creating the perfect experience you'll fail. Be flexible, be realistic and be relaxed. Don't demand things from family members, don't require that they like certain activities and be prepared to change things around if they're not working. Most of the best parts of vacations are the happy coincidences.
* Family vacations shouldn't be individual experiences. Andrew and I took a cruise a year ago--just the two of us--and we loved it. We've thought about taking the kids on a cruise, but I have a natural aversion to taking my children because of one thing: family cruises run the risk of being nothing more than expensive daycare. The big selling point of the Disney cruises, for example, is that there are activities for each family member so everyone can do what they like. What kind of a family vacation is that? You end up spending the trip in separate activities, without any increased time together, without doing anything that you might not like. There is inherent value in just being together and a cruise, with it's multiplicity of activities, negates that unless you're very wary.
When we sat down to plan our Florida trip we held a family council where we researched what was available, made a list of everything we wanted to do, then each person got to vote for two things they wanted to do--that was our activity list and we went from there. Lillian may not have Kennedy Space Center at the top of her list but it's good for her to see something that she may not have thought she'd like and while Spencer may not have been dreaming about Sleeping Beauty's castle it's good for him to participate in something that's important to his sister.
* Vacations shouldn't be confused with obligations. Because Alaska is so far away from the Lower 48 and many people who live here have family Outside, when they go to take a family vacation they feel the need to spend their time and money visiting relatives. This is a fine thing to do of course but it means that family vacations get eaten up with family obligations. Take, for example, going to a wedding. This doesn't give much together time, there are usually stressful situations and expectations placed on children that don't make it fun at all. If you haven't seen Uncle Lucius and Aunt Portia (how do you like my made up relatives?) for years then you'll feel obligated to spend time reconnecting with them rather than reconnecting with the people you live with and see every day--though they are the people who are your first priority in life. If you need time to reconnect with extended family do it, that's great, but it's not really a family vacation and shouldn't be confused with one.
So! Got all that? Good, because I can't wait until we leave for Florida--it's going to be wonderful and every dollar and minute will be worth it. There will be pictures, oh yes. There will be pictures.
Technorati tags: parenting, motherhood, vacations, holidays, cruises
Monday, January 14, 2008
Why Family Vacations Are Important
Andrew and I are working on plans for a family vacation in March, we're taking the kids to Florida because Lillian wants princesses, David wants alligators, Spencer wants water parks, Grace wants roller coasters and Andrew and I want sun. Florida fits the bill.
Email this post Labels: parenting
42 comments:
- Tamara said...
I agree! Family vacations a so important. I remember so many of the vacations I took with my family when I was a growing up. We just returned from a trip to Florida a few weeks ago. It was planned to see my husbands family but I also wanted to have a vacation as well. We have not had a family vacation in a long time and really needed one. So, we took two weeks. One week was spend having fun in Disney World and the other with his family. It was perfect. We had time together as a family to make memories and time to see extended family. Plus, we got a lot of Florida sunshine to tide us over for the rest of the long Alaska winter. :) Hopefully we will not wait as long for the next family trip.
- Erica Douglas said...
Great reminder, we've been focused on moving from an apartment to a house recently spending all our cash, energy and time to meet that goal. I think it's time to add an account for holidays to our budget :)
- Robin said...
I love this post. Family vacations are VERY important to us, for all of the reasons you mentioned. As a family with ALL of our relatives living a 12 hour international plane trip away, we too face the problem of trying to balance our need to see and reconnect with family with our need for a vacation. One of the ways we've found to do this is to take joint vacations - we go away together, usually meeting up somewhere in the middle. That way, we're ALL on vacation, no one is bogged down with obligations and we're all free - timewise and emotionally - to just relax and have fun. If you rent a large villa somewhere fun (preferably with a pool), this can even be a fairly cost-effective way to take a vacation.
- Lori said...
I love the vacation vs. obligation sentence. Last year we went back to my husband's home town to introduce our new daughter to his extended family. It wasn't a relaxing vacation. It was a duty trip. This year I hope we can get out and start our own family vacation memories.
- deborah said...
You are so right. This year, we WILL go to our condo we will we will we will. we haven't been in two years and the kids keep asking if we sold it....ugh. but, this year, I will be healthy enough to travel, and if not, I'm going anyway!!! We deserve our family vacation. My husband deserves, my kids deserve it, oh heck - I deserve it.
You enjoy yourselves. In the big magic kingdom.
- Edi said...
I agree! We love to take family vacations - and it's great for many reasons.
One thing I could add - things don't have to go as planned, even the "bad" things that happen now, will be the interesting/funny things you talk about later.
My almost 2 yr old (at the time) getting out of the hotel and into the elevator without us knowing she had left the room..until we realized she was gone and then frantically went searching...
Even my memories from childhood out at the lake...I KNOW there were times us girls HATED it (our friends were all back home and there was NO TV) - but I just have buckets of warm, happy memories of it all now. And I want my kids to have those kind of memories too.
My family lives 18 hrs away - we drive it and spend about a week away in total. This is NOT - I repeat NOT considered a family vacation. We do do some fun things there - but it is not an overall fun/exciting/new place for us to be. Especially when the kids were younger it was WORK going out there and taking care of them and trying to fulfill the visiting obligations.
- Jacki said...
Ah yes, family vacations. My parents always took us on yearly vacations and the one I will always remember is the cross-country trip we took. We were moving from Hawaii to Florida, so they made a two-week trip out of it. Waited for our car in LA for a couple of days, then drive from California to Ohio, then down to Florida. It was so much fun.
And now that I have my own family, we love planning our vacations.
But yes, I know people that brag about never taking a vacation and I am thinking: "You are stupid."
- jennwa said...
That is all great advise. My kids love our vacation, no matter what it is. They get just as excited whether they go camping or go to the beach.
I personally do not like mixing family obligations with family vacations, but that is just because of our family.
- gretchen from lifenut.com/blog said...
Some of my happiest childhood memories involve our vacations. I completely agree with you!
I was never into camping and was kind of a brat when my parents announced mountain trips (I was ten and wanted Paris even from that age), but some of my favorite memories are from....camping. Eating burned hot dogs off a stick, peeing in the woods, etc. Good times. Really.
Now my mind is spinning on all the places I want to take the kiddos this spring and summer.
- Melissa Markham said...
Great post! The Kennedy Space Center is awesome:) Have a wonderful time!
- oh amanda said...
What a perfect post! I think vacations are mandatory for forming strong families. I want my kids to have FUN with us. I never understood people who brought their friends on vacation. Vacations are for forming bonds with your family!
- MommyTime said...
I couldn't agree more. We alternate a bigger trip every few years with very budget-conscious things like borrowing a cabin from a dear friend for a week. That way we take a trip somewhere every summer...and we have enough time between the bigger trips to rack up some frequent flier miles to help with the airfare.
Another good thing to do is take advantage of conferences for work. My husband, for example, had one in Orlando, FL. His plane ticket and 3 nights of (nice!) hotel paid for by company. So for the price of two more tickets (cheap in June) and two nights in the hotel, we had a great 5-day family trip. The hotel gave us the conference rate for the extended days, and Husband took an extra day off work, so we could have a long weekend of family time. Even Disney can't break the bank if you're creative...
- Lisa said...
I just booked our family vacation last night. We are cruising Alaska!!
We took our kids on a cruise over the new year holiday 2007. My kids absolutely loved it and there was no babysitting at all. I think it depends on the kids. We 4 stuck together the entire time. It was a blast and my kids are so excited to go again, they can hardly stand it. The activities are available, but just not necessary for us. :)
We did cool shore excursions together and then on the days at sea we played miniature golf, swam, played scrabble, watched the ice skating show (that's weird to think about on a cruise ship), ice skated, climbed the rock wall, checked out the helipad at the front of the ship, played shuffle board etc. I love cruising with them!!
My kids were 13 & 9 at the time.
Family vacations are the best!!
I love Florida, too! You will have a lot of fun--and stay very busy!! There is tons to do.
- Lisa Milton said...
Thank you, thank you. For years, our trips have all been visiting family. I'm sure that's fine, but we need a family vacation, pronto.
I might forward this to my hubby.
- Kacie said...
Here, here! Vacations are essential for my sanity.
You've outlined some excellent reasons, and I'm going to save them away for future reference.
Have a fabulous time in Florida!
Sounds like you're heading to the Orlando area. Superfun.
I'm sure you're already aware of these ideas, but check out deals you can get via a AAA membership (especially if you're considering Disney), maybe look into an Entertainment Book for the area, and shop around for your attraction tickets.
- Laura said...
Thank you for putting my feelings about obligations not being vacations into words. We just spent Christmas with family and while it was enjoyable and relaxing, I spent very little time with my kids. We had discussed driving to AZ (a 24-hour drive--one way) this summer (to visit more family), but it will eat up most of my husband's vacation leave. hmmm... I'm sensing a change of plans in the air.
- My Ice Cream Diary said...
When I was a kid we did Disney Land from a camping tent with PB&J's. We whined about buying the Mickey Mouse shaped ice cream bars but we had a blast!
I've often made the mistake of using vacation time as family visiting time and regretted it. Now we take vacation trips and family reunion trips and it makes both more enjoyable.
Have a great time in Florida.
- Katherine said...
We visit the grandparents almost every summer and while its important to see them and have the kids know their grandparents, we realize that visiting them out in the middle of nowhere isn't a vacation for the kids. So, every year we find a fun vacation thing to do somewhere nearby or along the way - sometimes its only 1 extra day, sometimes almost a week. As the kids have gotten older, they get more input into what/where we go - thus our last trip included Niagara Falls and a science museum.
The picking important things helped us a LOT on our trip to Disney last year. We handed the kids the guide books and had them pick out their top 2 things to do (DH and I and my mom all did this too). We made sure those things got done, anything else was an extra.
- chelle said...
I really enjoyed reading this. We have been working so hard to get settled that we have not had a lot of family vacations. I hope this year will be different. Camping is one of our favourites :)
- Anonymous said...
A great post. I especially enjoyed the bit about not confusing family cisits with family vacations. I've seen this blur oohhh so many times. This should be read by the offended relatives too. ;)
- DermDoc said...
Some of my best memories were going to Disney in Florida with my family as a kid.
Someday, one of your kids might leave this same comment on a blog ...
- April ~ Living the Sweet Life said...
I just happened across your blog today. I love it. I have added you to my list of Sweet Blogs at www.sweetlifeinthevalley.com I have a lot of catching up to with your posts. I was scrolling through and can't wait to read more. In fact you sold me on reading Fountain Head. It is one of those book to hear about and I have never picked up to read.
- An Ordinary Mom said...
We, too, had a wood paneled station wagon. We called it the Sherman Tank.
Growing up we had NO money, absolutely none. Consequently we didn't take family vacations, but we did always find time to do short day trips and create memories together. That is what it really is all about.
I am jealous of your sun trip in March :) !!
- Heffalump said...
We had not done much in the way of a family vacation for a few years. It seemed like any time D had time off we were using it for some project or another, but this last August we just took a few days and went yurting around the Mt. St. Helens area. Its only a couple of hours from home, but it was wonderful family time, and we are looking forward to doing more things like that as a family in the future.
As much as projects are needed, I am certain that it was better for our family to spend some quality time together.
- kawaii crafter said...
Great article, I actually sat and read the whole thing.
Thanks for stopping by my blog. I've actually visited your a blog several times. When I first started blogging I remember seeing you on the Martha Stewart message boards. You posted about the place mat purses.
- Funky Finds said...
Thank you for reading Funky Finds...your sweet comment made my day! I love your products in your Etsy shop, too. You are a funky find to be! :) Jessica
- Healthy Moms said...
You are right that family vacations are important. I like to go on vacation with my family just to destress and spend more quality time with my family. We have gone to Florida as well. That is a great place for a family vacation. I like to sit on the beach and work on a tan and a good book. My husband likes to go fishing with my dad and brothers and the kids just like to play on the beach. I took the kids to Disney World once too. But that place can be too crazy and expensive!
- luvmy4sons said...
Love vacations in Florida. You will have a great time! I so agree with your post!
- Leslie said...
We haven't had a big family vacation since we became a family, but we're big on the short day trips. I guess that works best with a toddler and one on the way, anyway. Family vacations are definitely important. We rarely took them when I was a child and the few we did take were priceless. Great post!
- Totallyscrappy said...
Boy, you said it about what I call a "relative vacation"! Going to visit relatives isn't really a vacation. Not that I don't enjoy myself, but it isn't a trip of relaxation and rest!
I hope your trip to Florida is wonderful!
- Anonymous said...
What a wonderful post!! I agree with you 100%.
Have a grand time in Florida. Give Mickey and Minnie my best. :-)
God bless~ Pearl
- Irene said...
I completely agree. We have been doing the BIG family vacation for quite a few years now.
We go on vacation with my sister and her crew and our parents. It is nice. We have been getting a big house at the beach and just relax and enjoy. The kids really love it. They will have so many wonderful memories of those times.
- Amber said...
We take them every month. Of course, I work it locally and can score freebies in exchange for a write-up. It's a wonderful life.
- Amber said...
LOVED this post...what a timely reminder. We're planning a trip "home" this summer. Hope we can do lunch.
On another note, I tried to use my birthday Borders gift card to buy "The Sea Hawk" and "Atlus Shrugged" this weekend. They were out of both. I'm seriously considering picketing. Seriously.
- Roy Sencio said...
Family vacations are indeed very important, and are lots of fun... it just takes a good deal of searching for really great value cruise offers. Speaking of which, here are some cheap family cruises on sale, until the end of the month.
- Jen at Semantically driven said...
I'm sure you'll enjoy your holiday. I too want to take my son away somewhere this year, probably up north which is for us, somewhere warmer. We'll see. I must start planning it now though.
- Anonymous said...
I completely agree with you. However, we haven't had a couple trip in so long that we are starting to fantasize about a week in someplace as exciting as Barstow -- which is not known as a major vacation destination.
PC's 40th birthday trip is being postphoned til after I wean the little one. And then we are outta here!!
And a family trip this summer will round out our travel plans ;)
- Mary@notbefore7 said...
GREAT list. Being TOGETHER is so important on vacation. We watch so many friends do the expensive daycare thing because they have preschoolers. It makes me sad for them. They are missing out on making great memories for strong family bonding!
- Ter said...
My husband and I haven't had a vacation together, ever. With exception of a 4 day camping trip as our honeymoon, and a weekend vacation on our 1st anniversary before life got turned upside down.
For the most part, the reason for this is because we do not have the same time off. We don't even have the same weekends. Right now his weekends are Sunday/Monday and mine are the standard Sat/Sun. For a while his were Friday/Sat, and once it was even Monday and Wednesday with work on tuesday. ack.
But I sure would like to go on a vacation, even a mini vacation... someday...
- chile vacations said...
Family vacations are the best way to show the bond between each other. I Love it personally..
- Brian said...
I totally agree about family vacations and how fun/valuable they are. We usually take vacations similar to you either going camping or staying in resorts. One website that we found that is great for getting deals on lake resorts or for finding good camping sites is www.showmelakes.com
- Elizabeth said...
I couldn't agree more.
My family is pretty huge. I have four siblings, 17 aunts and uncles and more than 60 first cousins. Thanks to my parents' willingness to drive anywhere and everywhere, we are the only family that knows at least one cousin from every aunt/uncle household. My brother and I may be the only ones who have met every single cousin. We've driven from Michigan to California, Georgia, Lousiana, Floriday, South Carolina, New York, Zacatecas, Coahuila, Jalisco and Colima. And my siblings and I get along better than any other family I know, because we learned to love each other and tolerate each other through the tough times (the three days crammed in a car) in order to experience the awesome times (three months with my grandparents in Mexico, and various other excursions).


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From DocWiki
What exactly is Cisco AVC?
Cisco Application Visibility and Control (AVC) is a solution which uses multiple technologies of the Cisco ASR 1000 Series Aggregation Services Routers (ASR 1000) and Cisco Integrated Service Routers Generation 2 (ISR G2), and network management tools which, together provide powerful and pervasive integrated solution for discovering and controlling applications. Network administrators gain visibility into applications running in their network and their performance, as well as being able to apply application policy control to improve application performance and control network resource usage.
How does Cisco AVC work?
AVC works by enabling the software features within the Cisco ASR 1000 and Cisco ISR G2, in conjunction with network management tools, to perform the following functions:
- Application recognition– use Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) to recognize and identify applications regardless of port number
- Performance monitoring- utilize embedded monitoring capabilities within the routers to extract and collect application usage, performance metrics, aggregate and export this information using open export format such as Netflow Version 9 and IPFIX to network management
- Network Management – enable Cisco and 3rd party network management to present visualization to the end users, as well as to provide feedback and implement policy to network devices to fine tune performance
- Control - control per-application bandwidth usage and intelligently select path to deliver application based on real time performance
Which technologies are used in Cisco AVC?
Cisco®AVC consists of the following technologies:
- Next-generation DPI technology called NBAR2, which can identify more than 1000 applications and support application categorization, with the ability to perform in-service update of application signatures.
- Flexible NetFlow (FNF) infrastructure and data export to select and export data of interest, allowing easy consumption of AVC information by Cisco and third-party applications.
- Performance collection engine to collect Application Response Time (ART) for TCP applications, and Media Monitoring (MMON) to collect voice and video performance such as jitter and loss. All the information is exported through Flexible Netflow infrastructure.
- Reporting and management tools, such as Cisco Prime™Infrastructure with Assurance module, an enterprise-grade infrastructure management and service monitoring tool for reporting of application and network performance, and a number of AVC Cisco Developer Network (CDN) partners such as ActionPacked, InfoVista, LivingObjects, and Plixer.
- QoS to facilitate optimization and control of application performance.
- Performance Routing (PfR) to provide per-application intelligent path selection based on real time performance data
Ordering, Licensing, Platform
What platforms support AVC?
For WAN platforms, AVC is currently supported on the Cisco ASR 1000 and Cisco ISR G2 routers. In addition, CIsco Wirelss LAN Controller (WLC) also supports AVC.
Which software release is required for AVC?
AVC is supported on the Cisco ASR 1000 starting IOS XE 3.4S and Cisco ISR G2 starting IOS 15.2(4)M2.
What licenses do I need licenses to run AVC?
AVC support is provided by Right-To-Use (RTU) license on both Cisco ASR 1000 and Cisco ISR G2
|Required license
|ISR G2 (880 and 890)
|Advanced IP license (advipservices)
|AX license
|Advanced IP Services (AIS) or Advanced Enterprise Services (AES) license, and in addition, AVC license (FLASR1-AVC-RTU)
Can I run AVC if I have FPI license (FLASR1-FPI-RTU)?
No, starting IOS XE 3.4S, FPI license (FLASR1-FPI-RTU) is obsoleted by AVC license (FLASR1-AVC-RTU). There is an upgrade license (FLASR1-AVC-UPG) to upgrade your FPI license to AVC.
Is there a demo license for AVC?
The AVC license on the router is a right-to-use (RTU) license. In other words, this is a trust-based license and is available on the ASR1000 and ISR G2. Customers can enable the license for demo and evaluation purpose up to 60 days.
Do I need AVC license if I want to use NBAR2 and QoS?
Yes, both NBAR2 and QoS are components of AVC to provide per-application bandwidth control
Features and Functionalities
Where can I find AVC performance information?
The AVC performance depends on a number of factors, such as platform, memory, ESP (in case of ASR 1000), traffic profile, and features.
Will IPFIX export be support with AVC?
IPFIX is supported as of XE 3.7S and 15.2(4)M2.
How easy is it for a customer use AVC to control P2P traffic?
AVC identifies more than 1000 applications, several among these being P2P applications. In addition, AVC has a special category for P2P applications, which customers can use in their QoS policies to filter or rate limit P2P traffic. The following example shows how to identify and limit P2P applications.
class-map match-any p2p-app match protocol dht match protocol attribute sub-category p2p-file-transfer policy-map control-policy class p2p-app police 8000 conform-action transmit exceed-action drop
Can we drop traffic based on application id?
Yes, AVC integration with QoS allows you to create a policy to police or drop traffic based on NBAR2 application or NBAR2 application attributes such as category.
Is AVC IPv6 aware?
Yes, AVC supports identifying, monitoring, and controlling bandwidth for applications running over IPv6.
Does AVC work with ISG or PPP?
AVC is not yet supported with ISG subscriber side interface. Configuring AVC on the uplink interface is supported. NBAR2 and QoS are supported on the PPP virtual-template interface. We have tested up to 4000 PPP virtual-access interfaces.
Does AVC support VRF?
On Cisco ASR 1000, AVC can also collect and export information per VRF.
How many match protocol http url can an ASR support?
Currently, 20 match protocol http url is allowed. An error will be generated if more than 20 is attempted.
Where do I get a list of applications currently supported by NBAR2?
- Product Bulletin, please go to http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/iosswrel/ps6537/ps6558/ps6616/product_bulletin_c25-627831.html
- Protocol Pack page, please go to http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/ios-xml/ios/qos_nbar/prot_lib/config_library/nbar-prot-pack-library.html
Where is the multi-stage classification introduced in IOS XE 3.7S?
For applications such as flash-video, it requires a few packets to determine the application. Before this feature, NBAR identifies the application as unknown before the final classification. This feature allows NBAR2 to store the interim classification information as unknown -> HTTP - > flash-video. The interim classification information can be used by features such as ip nbar protocol-discovery to reduce the number of packets being classified as unknown because NBAR2 cannot yet identify the final application.
Do I need to upgrade my router software to get the latest NBAR2 signatures?
No, since AVC utilizes NBAR2, which supports application signature update through NBAR2 Protocol Pack, new application signatures can be loaded into the routers while the routers are in-service. Minimum software release which supports loading NBAR2 Protocol Pack are IOS XE 3.7S and IOS 15.2(4)M2.
What is the process of installing protocol pack to the router and what is the impact?
The protocol pack will be provided as a file which needs to be put on router flash. Then apply configuration ip nbar protocol-pack <path_to_protocol_pack> to load the new protocol pack. It will deactivate the built-in protocol pack which comes with the IOS release, and start using the new protocol pack. During this process, the active traffic may be mis-classified which may last for 15-60 seconds depending on your router CPU load. In 15.2(4)M2 and XE 3.8S, NBAR2 supports URL-based custom applications, how many custom applications can be supported? URL based custom applications allow user-defined custom application based on HTTP hostname or URI or both. NBAR2 supports up to 121 custom applications. Out of 121 custom applications, NBAR2 supports up to 65 URL-based custom applications.
How many stateful signatures does NBAR2 support?
NBAR2 supports 256 stateful signatures. These are the signatures identified in show ip nbar protocol-id as type L7 STANDARD. In 15.2(4)M2 and 3.7S, there are 189 stateful signatures. This 256 stateful signatures limit will be increased in the next IOS and IOS XE release.
How does NBAR2 identify SSL application without decrypted it?
For SSL application, i.e. webex, office 365, NBAR2 uses the information during certificate exchange to identify such application. This avoids the need to decrypt traffic which is very expensive operation for the router to do.
Can I configure FNF to export data out of ASR1K management interface?
No, exporting FNF from ASR1K management interface is not supported. FNF supports exporting the data out of interface inside VRF.
I see sampler in the example for ASR1K AVC config, do I need it?
Sampler is a way for ASR1K to sampling only selected number of connections to reduce the load on the ASR1K for Internet Edge deployment. Currently, sampler is required for ASR1K to send a flow record which is used by Insight to discover the ASR1K device. It is mandatory for ASR1K AVC solution.
Management Tool
What are the management tools that we can use with AVC?
AVC exports information using open export format such as Netflow Version 9 and IPFIX. This allows Cisco and 3rd party network management products to support Cisco AVC. Cisco Prime™Infrastructure with Assurance module supports Cisco AVC. In addition, there are already AVC Cisco Developer Network (CDN) partners such as ActionPacked, InfoVista, LivingObjects, and Plixer. If the network management tools you are interested is not in this list, please contact ask-avc-pm.
Which 3rd party tools support AVC solution today and what do they support?
A number of AVC Cisco Developer Network (CDN) partners such as ActionPacked, InfoVista, LivingObjects, Plixer, CA and Compuware. Check this list of partners
Will AVC be integrated with Cisco Prime?
Cisco Prime Infrastructure 1.2 supports AVC on ISR G2. Cisco Prime Infrastructure 2.0 (to be available Q2CY13) will support AVC on ASR 1000.
Is there a multi-tenant capable management tool available with AVC?
- LivingObjects is a highly scalable solution for AVC and supports multi-tenant. This is the solution used at SFR for their AVC Service. See press release.
- InfoVista SDM supports AVC on ISR G2 and supports multi-tenant.
Can Cisco Prime Infrastructure associate IP address to username for AVC report?
Cisco Prime Infrastructure 1.2 supports per-user application usage. Cisco Prime Infrastructure 2.0 adds additional report based on users such as Top N users per application. The pulling of user information is done by having Cisco Prime Infrastructure manging the access switches and WLC, and 802.1x is enabled.
Performance Monitor
What is IOS Performance Agent, and how does it fit into Cisco AVC?
IOS Performance Agent (PA) is one of the software features used by Cisco AVC. It collects and exports Application Response Time (ART) such as Network Delay, Response Time, and Transaction Time for TCP applications. Network administrators can use this information to better understand application performance and bottlenecks in the network.
What is Unified Monitoring
The Unified Monitoring Agent provides filtering of monitoring traffic, correlation of multiple and different metric providers into the same record and aggregation of metrics. It also support the functions of history and alerts which requires sending the records to the RP before export them. This is supported on the ASR1k platform, starting from IOS-XE 3.8S.


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Prolonging the life of your vehicle in the cold of fall and winter comes down to one word: ANTIFREEZE. Antifreeze serves a few purposes. The most important is keeping the water in your radiator and engine from freezing in cold temperatures. Finally, antifreeze (or coolant) provides important lubrication as it lubricates the moving parts it comes in contact with, such as your car's ever-important water pump.
Kevin McCrudden, longtime owner, chief technician and operator of McCrudden's Radiator Repair in Warwick, recommends that your car's antifreeze be flushed every couple of years. He has seen the catastrophic damage that results when that antifreeze breaks down and thus fails to protect your car's engine. At this time of year, as the days continue to get colder and colder, Kevin encourages car owners to come in to the radiator experts and get their antifreeze changed. The team at McCrudden's Radiator Repair will give you complete confidence that your engine will survive the freezing temperatures that can otherwise wreak havoc on your vehicle.
Along with the proper levels of antifreeze to help your car endure the winter, come in to McCrudden's and have your heating system checked. Make sure your heater is working properly so you can not only heat your car, but also defrost your chilled windows in a timely and efficient manner.
McCrudden's Radiator Repair, a family business for over 50 years, is a full service repair shop. Along with flushing and changing your vehicle's essential fluids, maintaining and repairing your radiator, the technicians here also do work on:
• Heaters
·• Brakes
• Exhaust systems
• C.V. Axles
• Struts
• Tune-ups
McCrudden's ensures the overall health and dependability of your vehicle. Don't take chances with New England's temperamental weather; bring your vehicle in for a thorough maintenance check, including the repair of troublesome leaks, cracked, corroded or rusted radiator hoses or heater hoses. This full-service shop considers the safety and road worthiness of your vehicle to be of paramount importance.
Call McCrudden's today for an appointment today at 738-2550 or visit their shop on 835 West Shore Road in the Conimicut section of Warwick. Hours are 9 am to 5:30 pm Monday through Friday, and 8 am to noon on Saturday.
Did you know that Kevin McCrudden is also a talented artist who makes and sells custom copper weather vanes, unique iron works, and one-of-a-kind chainsaw carvings (check out the MOOSE in the yard!). Stop by McCrudden's Radiator Repair to view his work.


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Although the little league baseball all-star district tournament games were taking up three fields at Jackson Park Tuesday evening, fans that chose to congregate on Field 2 were in for perhaps the most exciting game of the night.
The Henderson County 8-year-old all-stars, the East's No. 1 seed, played the full six innings and after five lead changes, defeated Transylvania 10-9 with a walkoff single RBI by Sam Elliott that scored Jake Lindsey from third.
On the next field over the HC 7-year-olds defeated Canton 15-1, and in Asheville, the HC 6-year-olds beat South Asheville 14-0.
HC started off with the 2-0 lead to close out the second inning and made it 3-0 in the bottom of the third with Luke Kachilo's home run to deep left field. Transylvania battled back in the fourth for the 3-2 score and then took the lead and opened things up by scoring six runs in the fifth. The league's five-run-per-inning rule held TC to a 7-3 score.
Henderson County lifted its few drooping heads, though, and returned with a five-run inning of its own in the bottom of the fifth. It started with Riley Parris's two-run double, followed by Elijah Franz's one-run triple down the first base line to tie things up, and then Trey Kirby finished things off with an RBI grounder down the third base line for the 8-7 Henderson County lead.
"We were down like this the last game we played and the team just has a way of fighting back; they don't quit," said John Elliott, HC 8-year-old head coach.
With one inning to go, TC's Colt Swicegood and Colton Crowe led off with back-to-back doubles and then with two outs and two strikes down, Isaiah Phillips smashed a two-run RBI double to center to take back the lead at 9-8.
Nicky Mack scored Nolan Edge and Lindsey on a double to left to tie the game with no outs in the bottom of the sixth before Sam Elliott's walkoff RBI to close out the game.
"Anytime you can be tested in a game it's great because you see how the kids respond and what they're made up of," said John Elliott, whose all-star team has only been practicing and playing together for two weeks. "They're really a good bunch of kids."
All three Henderson County teams will continue their trek to claim the district title in the next few days at Jackson Park, starting tonight at 6:15 p.m. as the HC 8-year-olds go up against West Asheville on Field 2.
Both the 7s and 6s are off today as both advance to the district finals as No. 1 seeds with the dates and times to be announced. The HC 9-year-olds will also play tonight at 6 p.m., in Franklin.
For more information, and to see the full brackets, visit hcyb.org.
Hend. County little league teams close in on district titles
Although the little league baseball all-star district tournament games were taking up three fields at Jackson Park Tuesday evening, fans that chose to congregate on Field 2 were in for perhaps the most exciting game of the night.


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St. Pats rallies to top P-W, pull into tie atop CMAC
Senior Tori Goodrich hit a long jump shot with 9 seconds left on the clock Thursday night to lift the Portland St. Patrick girls basketball team to a 32-31 win over rival Pewamo-Westphalia.
The victory pulls the Shamrocks into a first-place tie with the Pirates in the Central Michigan Athletic Conference standings with four league games left on the schedule.
"I was hoping it was going in and when it did I almost started crying," Goodrich said about her game-winning shot. "This win is huge. We haven't won the CMAC in forever, and to be able to take it from P-W makes it even bigger.
"That definitely was the biggest shot of my life."
St. Pats took an 8-4 lead in the first quarter before P-W senior forward Jenna Wellman made baskets on back-to-back possessions that sparked a 16-2 run to give The Pirates a 16-8 advantage. The Shamrocks were held to only two field-goal makes in the second quarter, including a buzzer beater by senior Elle Lehman. At the half, P-W held a 20-12 lead.
The Pirates extended their lead to 23-12 at the start of the third before St. Pats put together a 7-0 run to pull back to within four, but Pirate senior Kylee Schneider and junior Holly Simon were able to score consecutive baskets for P-W to put their team back up eight with 3:04 left in the quarter.
The Shamrocks rallied again to make it a one-possession game then kept the game close the rest of the way, outscoring the Pirates 8-4, to set up Goodrich's game winner.
"In the Second half we did a better job moving offensively and got some better looks at the basket. We got to the free throw line more, even though we didn't do much with that, but I was glad to get there, St. Pats coach Al Schrauben said. "I thought Anne Mackowiak really did a nice job of keeping the ball out of (P-W point guard) Brooke Lewis' hands. We wanted to challenge everybody else pretty hard and she did a nice job of keeping her in front of us."
Courtney Dixon led St. Pats with nine points.
Pirate coach Steve Eklund said it was hard for him to find a way to lift his players up after such a tough loss.
"The most difficult thing I have had to do as a coach was to go in the locker room after the game and tell the girls that they need to stand up and fight after this loss," he said. "This might have been the best defense a P-W team has played since I started coaching here.
"I couldn't have asked any more effort from my players tonight."
Madison Smith led P-W with 10 points and nine rebounds. Marlena Klein finished with six points.
St. Pats (14-1, 11-1 in CMAC) will be on the road Monday to take on Vestaburg.
P-W (12-3, 11-1 in CMAC) will take on Portland at home on Tuesday.


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By Jessica Monk "There is no paying life in advance for what it must do to you. It asks of […]
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Penn State vs. Maryland in the Big Ten?
On Nov. 17, I attended the Florida State-Maryland football game down in College Park. It was a beautiful day for a noon kickoff, with the Terrapins playing a conference game against the 10th-ranked team in the country.
On the wall of the south end zone, the school proudly displayed its Atlantic Coast Conference championships dating back to the 1950s. Maryland fans were few and far between, with the team having only a handful of wins after a second straight disappointing season with a new coach. So it was surprising to read, just after returning home from the game, that Maryland had been invited to and decided to join the Big Ten conference starting in 2014.
Why would the Big Ten want Maryland, and why would Maryland want to leave a league that it helped found almost 60 years ago?
The university's athletics program has been running a budget deficit for a while now and sees more money elsewhere. Projecting a budget deficit of $17 million by 2017, the athletic department cut seven teams from their rosters last year. The key factor is the Big Ten's media revenue, which is much greater than the ACC's.
The Big Ten has its own TV network and more lucrative contracts with national broadcasters. Last year, every Big Ten conference school received $24.6 million in revenue from sharing their media rights contracts. That was the most of any conference in the NCAA.
The ACC distributed $17 million to each of its schools.
This also means more exposure for the program. The Big Ten regularly has feature games of the week across several networks. Lately, except for some marquee matchups with the leading teams, the ACC has been relegated to Thursday nights on ESPN, up against NFL action on a week night. This will also allow Maryland to gain more geographic exposure, breaking out of a scattered ACC conference that runs from Boston to Miami.
Both of these factors are also very important to Maryland's key sponsors, Capital One Bank and Under Armor. And what makes the sponsors happy makes the school happy. Maryland believes that joining the Big Ten is so important that it's willing to buy its way out of its ACC relationship by paying a $50 million penalty. No one is quite sure where that money is going to come from, but the school believes it'll find a way, because it's so critical.
So what does the Big Ten get out of this?
In addition to Maryland, it also invited Rutgers, which would bring the conference from 12 to 14 schools (the conference name is completely irrelevant to the number of schools, for some reason). Last year's conference total media rights revenue of $295 million would now have to be shared with two more schools. To pay for that, it would decrease the share of Penn State and every other existing conference member by $3.5 million.
The Big Ten believes that it can grow the entire pool by asking more from sponsors, who will pick up exposure in the NYC area through Rutgers, as well as the DC-Virginia-Maryland beltway. The conference will also try to further expansion of its Big Ten Network into more TV subscriptions.
What do you think as a Penn State fan? Is it worth solidifying and expanding the conference so that you can see your team play Maryland? Do you even care about playing Maryland or Rutgers?
I'm not sure I would be. I'd probably rather see more games against traditional rivals and keep my money, instead of letting smaller programs cash in.
Bill Sayer is a financial analyst in the insurance industry and holds a degree in economics. A native of Upstate New York, Bill enjoys watching college football, the NFL, NHL and Premier League soccer from his home in Palmyra. Have a suggestion, link or question?