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John Long: The Real Deal
The tao of Paul gleason, Stonemaster Emeritus.
This article appeared in Rock and Ice issue 140 (March 2005).
An aerial photo of Upland, California, from 40 years ago shows a gigantic orange grove, like a borderless green quilt, spreading gently off the San Antonio Mountains into the Pomona Valley flatlands, 40 miles east of LA. Dennis the Menace might have grown up here; General George S. Patton, Mark McGwire and Tom Waits actually did. So did Richard Harrison, Ricky Accomazzo and I. Back in 1970, we were 16, and most local rock climbing—which wasn't much—flowed through the Sierra Club and several Boy Scout Explorer troops. The Riverside Search and Rescue Team, allied with the Sheriff's Department, formed a menacing third party. In that bygone age of leisure suits, Charles Manson and Watergate, if you didn't hitch on with one of the official outfits, you were nothing.
The groups were insular, and disapproved of outsiders winging it in their sport; you either played by their rules or slipped someone $20 to school you on the side. I paid the $20 to Jack Schnurr, a SAR member who taught me basic rockcraft in one afternoon, and another $20 to Bob Dominic, a former Eagle Scout who guided me for a day at Tahquitz. Since it took ages to raise 40 bucks (fencing rum nicked from a neighbor's cabana bar), I declared myself fully "taught" after these two sessions. I passed on my training to Ricky and Richard, and we collectively bought a rope and a skeleton rack.
Dominic had first told me about Mount Roubidoux, a popular bouldering area near Riverside. In mid-summer, Roubidoux is a parched and smoggy wasteland choked with tumbleweeds. But in early winter, clover and wildflowers shroud the mountainside, and the air is cool and clear. Motoring up the single-lane road en route to the 100-foot summit crucifix, you pass hundreds of boulders, from 10 to 50 feet high, rearing off the angled terrain. A Monument for Peace sits near the apex, with a rock-and-mortar bridge and minaret bearing a fading brass plaque of 100 nations, erected 80 years ago by a forgotten local dreamer. Something hangs in the atmosphere—a vague but pacific feeling. From the crown of the minaret, when the Santa Ana winds blow, you can see for 100 miles.
From the first afternoon at Roubidoux, we were snubbed by anyone with a rope because we clearly were neither Boy Scouts (the cigarettes betrayed us) nor from the Sierra Club. With little gear and less experience, we needed help. But whenever a group of "proper" climbers visited Roubidoux, they'd strip our topropes and elbow us into the weeds. In the daffy dynamics of official 1970s climbing, such handling was actually an initiation ceremony, and junior group members instructed us to seize the opportunity, suck up to the leaders and plead to join. But we no more belonged in one of those groups than Tikis belong on Mars. So we stumbled down our own path. Group elders, annoyed that we'd passed on their "offer" for membership, kept horning us off popular toprope venues and boxing our car in with their Jeeps and vans.
The whole silly farce dissolved one Saturday morning when three Roubidoux "guides" dogged me around the mountainside calling me "pantywaist" and "bumbler," and laughing when I'd pitch. Normally, I would have swung from the heels—fighting had gotten me booted from just about everything. But I didn't want to get booted from the climbing world, mistaken as I was that these morons comprised that world. As "dipshit" and "weasel" rang out, I paused and took stock. The guy doing most of the yakking was 50 percent jelly belly, and one sidekick wore a knock-off Bavarian fedora with a feather in the hatband. I started laughing.
Until then, I'd glamorized anyone with a swami belt as a soulmate of Hermann Buhl. Finally recognizing this hazing as a naked sham performed by whippersnappers like myself, I said, "Beat it, you're bugging me," and shagged off to the next problem. After that, the games stopped, and we were aggressively ignored.
We were now on our own—not an insuperable problem, but even a malcontent such as myself looks to learn the ropes in supportive circumstances. Truth is, I'd screwed up most everything, especially relationships, because I'd never learned how to blend or comply. But up on the steep, I felt solid and connected, and life took on a little ease. Still, visits to Roubidoux remained thorny, and seeing any of those company guys felt like bumping into an ex after a messy divorce. Ricky, Richard and I forged on because we'd found something to love. The future, which can haunt a teenage mind, began to take the form of great granite walls on the horizon.
We had almost no money and limited access to a car, so after school we'd often hitchhike out to Roubidoux and boulder till we couldn't make a fist. We'd been climbing for six months when Paul Gleason picked up Richard and me hitching home and drove us 20 miles to our doorsteps in his rust-pocked VW bug. I don't remember how it all got started, but we began meeting Paul out at Roubidoux at the oddest hours. With his lumberjack frame, shoulder-length red hair and a Van Dyke moustache/goatee combo, Paul resembled Buffalo Bill Cody with 20 pounds of gristle packed on. Paul was entirely free of guff and posturing, which had a calming effect on a tightly wound kid like myself.
I started copying everything Paul did, even down to the way he walked—a sort of Cro-Magnon shuffle with firm, collected purpose. Paul wore white Navy pants—longtime livery of the Valley hardmen—and in a week we all had them as well. Paul smoked a corncob pipe ("Missouri Meerschaum"), cycling between Flying Dutchman and ragweed, a sacrament Richard and I adopted straightaway. The challenge was trying to match Paul move for move on the boulders, a nearly impossible task because he was one of the best.
From roughly 1958 to about 1972, Stoney Point, in the San Fernando Valley, and Roubidoux were the bouldering hot spots for aspiring California climbers. Joshua Tree soon usurped both venues, but one need only visit Roubidoux on a cool winter day to appreciate the area's biting diorite and extreme bouldering.
As early as 1968, two shadowy figures—the phenomenal Phil Haney and the crimp wunderkind Ben Borson—established a stack of Roubidoux problems upward of V8. Lunging, jumping, crimping, and open-handing absolutely nothing, Haney tamed overhanging rock 15 years before sport climbers made it their native turf. Nevertheless, the sage and gatekeeper of Roubidoux was Paul Gleason.
Around 1970, when most Southern California climbers were driving angles into Tahquitz granite, Paul made annual tours to Colorado to bone up on John Gill's infamous Dakota sandstone problems, returning to So Cal with revolutionary strategies like the use of chalk and hatefully tight "varape" boots. More important, Paul, one of the first to repeat Gill's Mental Block and Eliminator dynos, near Fort Collins, understood that a fit climber could yard up most anything with holds. Without the direct mentoring of its original members by Paul Gleason, a sort of geological Mr. Chips, those of us who later became the Stonemasters would never have realized that, in the early 1970s, the field of free climbing stretched before us with all the sparkle of the open seas.
Once we enjoyed Paul's laconic tutelage out at Roubidoux, our learning curve so steepened that we could barely hang on. Like many effective coaches, Paul inspired by virtue of who he was, not through what he said, which was never much. His praise and suggestions were laid on with a feather, which made us listen that much closer.
We'd watch Paul send the Wall of Glass, with its V7 dynamic start and 25-foot 5.11 slab finish. Then, rather than sing his own song, he'd return to the base and say, "I figure one of you boys should get that today." We'd pull ourselves silly and scare ourselves crazy, taking jumbo skidding falls into the shrubs trying to make good on Paul's prediction. A "Nicely done," or "You're starting to move real nice," was the most we'd hear. When we all finally climbed the Wall of Glass (minus the V7 start), Paul quickly ferreted out the corncob. We huffed and hacked and howled. For the first time in my life, I felt like I'd joined the human race.
Paul modeled a different rendering of a human being, one based on potential, quiet enthusiasm and awe for living. In a word, love. Not the quixotic, emotional article, but some divine and nameless spark that ignited my inherent appreciation for being alive and for expressing that stoke on the boulders, which Paul readily admitted were only minerals. I'd always been paralyzed by judgements—from family, coaches and everyone else who couldn't contain me. I'd taken it personally, and a rebel the size of Godzilla had been marching point in my life.
I started rock climbing to show the world who was wrong or die trying. After a few months around Paul, I no longer pushed so hard off everyone. Paul played it easy with us for those first few months, but as we rounded into shape, the curriculum grew increasingly grueling. Paul had a concentrated focus when it came to bagging new boulder problems—he'd chart moves out on graph paper and file the edges of his PAs with an emery board. For Paul, sending a hard new problem was not a physical triumph but something to cherish by howling at the sky, dancing in place and, of course, stoking the old corncob. From then on, we knew that Paul would lead us over to that ghastly problem till we'd all succeeded. Paul did not like to smoke the corncob by himself.
Sometimes, we'd sit atop a boulder and stare into space. I can still envision Paul on top of the 40-foot Joe Brown Boulder, gazing into the vastness. "Whatcha looking at?" I'd ask, squinting. He'd reply, "Nothing in particular." When I'd probe a bit deeper, he'd say, "Pretty amazing we can see at all, wouldn't you say?" Such comments threw me, as I generally wolfed down reality in large chunks, often resulting in heartburn. "How does anyone stand on such a small hold?" he might say in the middle of a problem, and I'd tumble off wondering what he meant. Once I started pondering things I'd long taken for granted—walking, thinking, remembering, forgetting—I awoke to a nuanced world.
Often, I'd swing by Highland Outfitters, where Paul worked, and we'd sneak off to boulder. Or I'd pedal my bike to his house, in Claremont, and we'd motor out to Roubidoux. Paul was no saint and struggled with his share of problems—trouble with his wife, too little money, an equivocal future. He'd drop into a mood. I'd dig, and he would run down some difficulty. Then, I'd say, "That sucks," to which he'd reply, "No, it's just part of the deal."
We slowly caught up with Paul, and I distinctly remember the afternoon out at Roubidoux when he looked me in the eye and, in his unassuming manner, said, "John, you're going to be an outstanding climber. You're strong and your technique is starting to get good. You'll go as far as you want to."
I had no way to know how good I was or could become because I didn't know myself and couldn't see 10 minutes into the future. But Paul could, and over the next year he made us understand that while he might have the talent, it was not in the cards for him, or anyone else he knew in the So Cal climbing community, to really go after it on the big stones. That fell to Richard, Ricky, me and several other young So Cal climbers who'd adopted the ridiculous name of the Stonemasters. Paul knew we'd realize the unrequited dreams of many So Cal climbers and had a plan to get us started.
"There's this crack out at Tahquitz," he said. "I nailed it last weekend and was thinking how you boys might free the thing if you could muster a good effort." Paul described a soaring, 150-foot offset, first climbed by Royal Robbins, which went from wide hands to fingers. It sounded fantastic. "I figure it's worth a look," Paul concluded. Two days later, we freed the Bat Crack (5.10d), the first chapter in a saga that picked up again in Yosemite that summer.
When I returned to attend college after 90 days in the Valley, Paul wanted to hear all about our exploits. I talked his ear off for weeks about hooking up with the heroes of American climbing (all 12 of them) and venturing onto Middle Cathedral, Half Dome, etc. Nobody could have been more excited for us than Paul, but when I swore up and down that he could—and should have—climbed all those routes with all those people, I was unprepared for his answer.
"Why?" he asked. I instantly gave him 50 reasons. "Those are your reasons, John. And they're good reasons," he said, "because it's your path. But it's not mine."
"It could be," I insisted.
"Maybe," he said, and then paused for a long beat. "Anyone could see where you were going because you had to go there," he said. "But I don't, because it doesn't fit me." He talked quietly about family, his low-key life, the bouldering he still loved, and other things since forgotten. The rewards he got from living his life according to his own inner compass were no greater, and certainly no less than, my own, he told me.
Paul's path was that of a mentor, instilling in his unofficial students a sense of value and gratitude that would outlive our tendons and the atomic energy of youth. In fact, Paul's perspective furnished a gentle segue from brute effort into subtler realms where value and gratitude are currencies that will outlive us all. His true influence came into its own when Roubidoux, Yosemite and all the rest were largely behind me. Instead of living off the past till I eventually just dried up and blew away, I'd still see life aglow with the promise of the days when the corncob burned hot and El Cap was king.
Last year, when Paul was slowly expiring from colon cancer, Phil Gleason (Paul's younger brother and an early Valley partner of mine) got hold of me and gave me Paul's phone number. Making that call was excruciating.
Paul sounded composed, even content with the inevitable; I found myself on sketchy ground listening to his muted voice. All I could do was thank Paul for having faith in us long before we did. Most of all, I thanked him for being himself. Paul gave us permission to find our own way, and, in a sense, we did it all for Paul. I told him so.
"I really appreciate hearing that," he said. "It was a pleasure knowing you. I was always proud of you guys." I can't say why—who knows how these things work—but despite the deep sting of the moment, I also felt optimistic. "I'll see you on the other side," I said.
"I'll be waiting," he said, chuckling. A few weeks later, Paul Gleason was gone.
Several months ago, I visited Roubidoux after a four-year absence. The crisscrossing footpaths, the pepper trees and every hold on every boulder were draped in memories. So was the small dirt grotto below the Borson Wall, where Paul, Ricky, Richard and I would yank ourselves stupid on the bulging, saber-edged face and where we passed the corncob pipe like Comanche warriors.
As the sun dove into the west, I trudged to the top of the Joe Brown Boulder and gazed over an expanse I'd literally grown up with. Here, I had come of age, had gone off and conquered part of myself, and now I'd come full circle. I felt hollow knowing Paul would never again lumber around the corner. I gazed out past the rim of the world at a lone star shimmering in the gloom, trying to appreciate the awesome fact that I was there at all, seeing, remembering, suffering and struggling to live up to Paul's words that "It's all part of the deal."
Longtime Rock and Ice contributor John Long, one of the original Stonemasters, is perhaps best known for his first free ascent of Astroman and first one day ascent of the Nose of El Capitan. He is the author or editor of over 30 books and the recipient of the American Alpine Club Literary Award.
Also read John Long: A Confederacy of Dunces


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Fiverr Reviews For Freelancers Ppt
There are two types of Fiverr users: the seller and buyer. A seller is a registered user that offers different services through Fiverr. The seller can search for gigs that match his or her expertise, and then complete them accordingly. The buyer will get money and ratings in return. In the meantime, the buyer can post his or her request to find the best seller to meet his or her needs. The two types of users are essential for the operation of the platform.
The Fiverr website features services that are referred to as Gigs. Merchants can offer different levels and prices for their services. Customers can view seller profiles and compare prices and sample work. Customers can also view the number of projects that are in their queues. Customers can then choose the best service for them by comparing the price and quality. Customers can also check whether previous projects have been completed by the seller.
A seller can advertise their services on Fiverr by creating a profile. They can post a short description of their services. The description should be compelling and appealing. Creating a compelling title and description will allow them to compete with other service providers. Listing their gigs on Fiverr will cut down on the number of back-and forth emails with potential customers. Fiverr will notify the seller once someone orders a gig. The gig will be paid for by the buyer at five dollars. They will receive 80 per cent of the total price.
Fiverr offers several payment options when it comes to payment. However, they recommend using secure payment methods to avoid unauthorized transactions. Fiverr will process your payment if you purchase a gig less than $20. For gigs over $20, Fiverr charges a 5% fee. After you've made the purchase, Fiverr sends an order to the seller. Before paying, the buyer can review the order to make sure everything is correct.
In order to get started on Fiverr, it is best to create a profile before actually selling. Fiverr allows you to sell your services by stating the industry in which you're interested in. Once you've established the type of service you're selling, you can set up sub-categories and begin listing your services. A good seller on Fiverr can quickly become popular. This website offers many benefits, so it's worth looking into before you invest your hard-earned money.
Fiverr not only provides the best freelance services but also helps you manage your money, accept freelancers and track your work. The platform provides users with a range of useful features, including easy and convenient payment options. Fiverr is a great option for those who don't want to deal complicated payment options or who are uncomfortable with working with a lack of support. It is important to ensure that you are paying the right person for your job.
If you're looking for a specific service, make sure to search by the keyword in the "industry" section of the website. You can also search the site by industry keyword such as animation, video, and music. To showcase more work related to the service that you offer, you can also link to your own website. Fiverr is built on the concept of gigs or pre-made services that freelancers offer.
Fiverr gained popularity as word of mouth spread. However, it received negative attention after a YouTube user posted a video satirical video in which he asked for his credit card number. Fiverr soon changed its policies to remove this price cap and allow vendors to set their own prices. It's no longer a perfect place to find a freelancer, and it's definitely worth considering alternative services instead.
After you have created your profile, the next step will be to create a gig. A gig is a project that specifies the price, deliverable, and delivery date. Fiverr buyers can browse through the different categories on the website and select the one that matches their needs. Then they can purchase a gig directly from the freelancer's profile. To prove that you are a real person, you can connect your social media accounts to your profile.
Having your gig listed on Fiverr is a great way to promote yourself to a global audience. You can also increase your order size. If you're a new seller, you may have to pass a proficiency test before publishing your gigs. This test usually involves writing a piece or content and can take up to 40 minutes. Before applying for Fiverr gigs, it is important to be truthful about your qualifications.

subset: commoncrawl


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When the season is heating up, and you're looking for new Mens Rockets Summer gear, then check out the swim and beach collection from Fanatics. Take your fandom outside with a wide variety the officially licensed Houston Rockets swimsuits, sandals, and a pair of sunglasses. There is no better way to soak up the sun than relaxing on your favorite NBA beach towel made of high-quality and absorbent material. You can use them as a beach, pool, or bath towel. You'll be prepared to have an iconic day out by the water representing your loyalty from head to toe with officially licensed Houston Rockets Summer gear from the ultimate sports store, Fanatics.com.
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At the 2001 ALA Annual Conference in San Francisco, the ALA Executive Board submitted to Council its Recommendation on Privatization of Publicly Funded Libraries (Executive Board Document EBD #5.1 - Revised (2000-2001), which was based on the memorandum distributed by Bishoff and Reed. The ALA Council adopted a policy statement concerning privatization, which was added to the ALA Policy Manual, as 52.7 Privatization of Publicly Funded Libraries:
ALA affirms that publicly funded libraries should remain directly accountable to the publics they serve. Therefore, the American Library Association opposes the shifting of policy making and management oversight of library services from the public to the private for-profit sector.
Outsourcing and Privatization in Libraries - including statements, guidelines and checklists.
Outsourcing and Privatization in Libraries - ALA Policy on Outsourcing and Privatization
Outsourcing and Privatization in Libraries - Definitions and Related ALA Policies on Outsourcing
Public Library Association's Outsourcing: A Public Library Checklist (PDF) from 2000 (currently only available via the Internet Archive)
Anderson, Rick. Buying and Contracting for Resources and Services: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians. New York: Neal-Schuman, 2004.
Ball, David, Jane Ryland, and Jill Beard. Managing Suppliers and Partners for the Academic Library. London: Facet, 2005.
Benaud, Claire-Lise, and Sever Bordeianu. Outsourcing Library Operations in Academic Libraries: An Overview of Issues and Outcomes. Libraries Unlimited, 1998.
Hirshon, Arnold, and Barbara Winters. Outsourcing Library Technical Services: A How-to-Do-It Manual for Librarians. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, 1996.
Kascus, Marie, and Dawn Hale. Outsourcing Cataloging, Authority Work, and Physical Processing: A Checklist of Considerations. Chicago: American Library Association, 1995.
Pantry, Sheila, and Peter Griffiths. Managing Outsourcing in Library and Information Services. London: Facet, 2004.
Wilson, Karen A., and Marylou Colver. Outsourcing Library Technical Services Operations: Practices in Academic, Public, and Special Libraries. Chicago: American Library Association, 1997.
Library Privatization and Outsourcing Current News Reports
Library Literature Articles
2005. "Managing Outsourcing in Library & Information Services." DESIDOC Bulletin of Information Technology 25, no. 2: 44-45.
2008. "Hounslow knows." Library & Information Update 7, no. 6: 2-2.
Ayers, Sheila. 2003. "The Outsourcing of Cataloging: The Effect on Libraries." Current Studies in Librarianship 27, no. 1/2: 17-28.
Bierman, Kenneth J., and Judith A. Carter. "Outsourcing Monograph Cataloging at the UNLV Libraries." Technical Services Quarterly 25, no. 3 (January 2008): 49-65.
Caldwell, Tracey. 2004. "Big savings for Bath Uni library in Ex Libris deal." Information World Review , no. 207: 3-3.
Caldwell, Tracey. 2005. "Getting inside outsourcing." Information World Review , no. 212: 31-31.
Cater-Steel, Aileen. 2009. "From the Special Issue Editor: Introduction to Special Issue on ICT Governance, Strategic Alignment and Service Management." Information Systems Management 26, no. 2: 96-97.
Chaudhry, Abdus Sattar, and Tan Bee Lin. 2005. "Outsourcing of Technical Services in Singapore Libraries." Singapore Journal of Library & Information Management 34: 1-30.
Dillon, Dennis. "College Libraries: the Long Goodbye." Chronicle Review of the Chronicle of Higher Education, 12/10/2004.
Ebbinghouse, Carol. 2002. "Library Outsourcing: A New Look." Searcher 10, no. 4: 63.
Hill, J. B., Cherie Madarash-Hill, and Alison Allred. 2007. "Outsourcing Digital Reference: The User Perspective." Reference Librarian 47, no. 98: 57-74.
Hinds, L. 2006. "ATG Annual Survey Report". Against the Grain. 18, no. 2: 45-47.
Kujawa, Christine. 2008. "Library Marketing that Works." Public Libraries 47, no. 3: 60-61. Issue available as a free Adobe Reader PDF.
Leibowitz, Faye R., and Michael A. Arthur. 2008. "Risky Business: Outsourcing Serials Cataloging." Serials Librarian 54, no. 3/4: 253-260.
McLaughlin, Laurianne. "Where Outsourcing Is Academic." CIO 20, no. 2 (October 15, 2006): 20.
Pantry, Sheila, and Peter Griffiths. 2005. "Making the best of outsourcing." Library & Information Update 4, no. 5: 34-36.
Petry-Eberle, Anne, and Monika Bieg. "Outsourcing information services." Library Hi Tech 27, no. 4 (November 2009): 602-609.
Pymm, Bob. 2006. "Managing Outsourcing in Library and Information Services." Collection Building 25, no. 2: 66-67.
Ramos, Marian Sabat. 2006. "Outsourcing Library Technical Services Operations in Academic and Special Libraries in Metro Manila." Managing Information 13, no. 1: 52-55.
Schmidt, Jane. 2008. "Lessons from the Man: Outsourcing in the Academic Library." Access (1204-0472) 14, no. 4: 35-35.
Severino, Fabio, and Fabrizio Minnella. 2008. "The outsourcing market in the management of documentary collections." Bollettino AIB 48, no. 2/3: 170-170.
St. James, Memory. 2005. "Small Libraries and the Outsourcing of Technical Services." PNLA Quarterly 69, no. 3: 7-9.
Thomas, Wm. Joseph. North American Serials Interest Group, Inc. (NASIG) NASIGuides -- A Beginner's Guide to Working with Vendors (PDF) (2000s)
Ti Yu. 2005. "The Key Decision Making Criteria and Current Status of Catalog Outsourcing Operations in Libraries of Institute of Technology and Technical College." Journal of Educational Media & Library Sciences 43, no. 1: 47-67.
Vinh-The Lam. 2005. "Quality Control Issues in Outsourcing Cataloging in United States and Canadian Academic Libraries." Cataloging & Classification Quarterly 40, no. 1: 101-122.
Ward, R. C. 2007. "The Outsourcing of Public Library Management: An Analysis of the Application of New Public Management Theories from the Principal-Agent Perspective". Administration and Society. 38, no. 6: 627-648.
Ward, R. C. and Michael Carpenter. 2006. Contracting Public Library management to private vendors: the new public management model. In Advances in Library Administration and Organization by Edward D. Garten, Delmus E. Williams, James M. Nyce, vol. 23, p.141-172. Emerald Publishing Group.
Williams, Pauline C., and Kathleen Barone. 2000. "Impact of Outsourcing Technical Services Operations in a Small Academic Library." College & Undergraduate Libraries 7, no. 2: 1.
Non-English Articles
Bornett, Christiane. 2008. "L'externalisation du choix des livres : Une Expérience en Allemagne. (French)." Bulletin des Bibliotheques de France , no. 2: 25-27.
Hasegawa, Akiko. 2007. "Current State of Outsourcing in Special Libraries in Japan. (Japanese)." Library & Information Science , no. 57: 1-31.
Hasegawa, Akiko. 2008. "Full-time Outsourcing in Special Libraries in Japan. (Japanese)." Library & Information Science , no. 59: 69-104.
Martin, Isabelle, Hind Mesloub, Florence Muet, and Christine Pellat. 2003. "Outsourcing library information services - preliminary results from a national survey. (French)." Documentaliste: Sciences de l'Information 40, no. 6: 370-375.
Romagnoli, Sandra E. 2006. "Outsourcing en Unidades de Informacion Juridica Corporativas. (Spanish)." Informacion, Cultura y Sociedad , no. 15: 107-114.
Touitou, Cécile. 2008. "Externalisation et privatisation : Petite Histoire Récente des Pratiques Dans Quelques Bibliothèques D'Amérique du Nord. (French)." Bulletin des Bibliotheques de France , no. 2: 20-24.
Baker, Barry B. 1998. "Resource sharing: outsourcing and technical services." Technical Services Quarterly 16, no. 2: 35-45.
Boss, Richard W., and Howard S. White. 1998. "Guide to outsourcing in libraries." Library Technology Reports 34, no. 5: 563.
Brown, Lynne Branche. 1998. "Outsourcing at LSU: An Interview with Stanley Wilder". Library Administration & Management. 12, no. 1: 4.
Crum, Janet, and Wilda W. Williams. 1998. "Outsourcing issues." Library Journal 123, no. 1: 152.
Dunkle, Clare B. 1996. "Outsourcing the catalog department: A meditation inspired by the business and library literature." Journal of Academic Librarianship 22, no. 1: 33.
Hatfield, Deborah. 1997. "Outsourcing opportunities for fee-based library services." Fee for Service 4, no. 3: 6-9.
Hill, D. W. 1998. "To Outsource or Not: University of Alabama Libraries Engage in Pilot Project with OCLC's TechPro". Cataloging & Classification Quarterly. 26, no. 1: 63-74.
Hill, Janet Swan. 1998. "Boo! outsourcing from the cataloging perspective." Bottom Line: Managing Library Finances 11, no. 3: 116-121.
Leiserson, A B, and J G Montgomery. 1997. "Outsourcing revisited: what are recent events telling us?." Trends in Law Library Management & Technology 8, no. 5: 5-8.
Macvean, Carolyn. 1996. "Outsourcing noncore library activities: A case study of a Victorian public library." APLIS 9, no. 2: 83.
Marcum, J W. 1998. "Outsourcing in libraries: tactic, strategy, or 'meta-strategy'?." Library Administration & Management 12, no. 1: 15-25.
Quint, B. 1996. "The 'O' word--issues in outsourcing: the best defense is a good offense." Trends in Law Library Management & Technology 7, no. 8: 1-5.
Smith, V T. 1997. "Outsourcing cataloging. An evaluation." Journal of Educational Media & Library Sciences 34, no. 4: 380-395.
Wilson, K A. 1995. "Outsourcing copy cataloging and physical processing. A review of Blackwell's outsourcing services for the J. Hugh Jackson Library at Stanford University." Library Resources & Technical Services 39, no. 4: 359-383.


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Morning Minutes: Nov. 12
Word of the Day
Erstwhile ERST-wile (adverb) In the past; formerly - www.merriam-webster.com
Website of the Day
Picsearch uses its own technology to create a searchable index of images on the Web. Designed to be simple, fast and accurate, the results of your search are presented as thumbnail images. The filtering system makes sure everything is family-friendly.
Number to Know
242 million: The number of turkeys expected to be raised in the United States. – Census.gov
This Day in History
Nov. 12, 2001: In New York City, American Airlines Flight 587, an Airbus A300 en route to the Dominican Republic, crashes minutes after takeoff from John F. Kennedy International Airport, killing all 260 on board and five on the ground.
Today's Featured Birthday
Actress Anne Hathaway (30)
Daily Quote
"The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving." - H.U. Westermayer


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Charles Goldman is a staff scientist since 1982 in the Energy Analysis and Environmental Impacts Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, a Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratory. He works on electricity markets and policy issues for DOE's Offices of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability and Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Mr. Goldman has published ~175 articles and reports on utility integrated resource planning, energy efficiency policy, programs, and technology analysis, design and evaluation of innovative DSM and demand response programs, dynamic pricing, coordination of energy efficiency and demand response, Smart Grid implementation issues, competitive bidding for supply and demand-side resources, and energy service company (ESCO) industry and market trends. He is currently Principal Investigator supporting the DOE technical assistance effort to state regulators on energy efficiency policy, programs, utility/regulatory business models, and grid modernization implementation issues. He also is the technical team lead for Institutional Support projects in the DOE's Grid Modernization Initiative and Grid Management Lab Consortium (GMLC). He holds an M.S. degree from the University of California Berkeley, Energy and Resources Group.
From 1997-2000, Chuck served as one of eight members on the California Board for Energy Efficiency, an advisory board to the California PUC, which oversaw and provided advice on energy efficiency programs and policies, market transformation strategies, and administration for energy-efficiency programs with an annual budget of ~$275 million per year. In that capacity, he designed performance incentive mechanism for California utility program administrators. He also served as a member of the National Association of Energy Service Company's Accreditation Committee for ESCOs from 1998-2015. Chuck was the Division Director for the Energy Analysis and Environmental Impacts Division from 2011-2016 and Group Leader of the Electricity Markets and Policy Group from 1996-2011.


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TNB: Eating People and the Real Seventh Summit
"Hi Jeff, you don't know me but my name is Wade Fairley. I'm an adventure photographer and I've secured some funding to climb a peak in Irian Jaya. Just to give you an idea, we want to climb a 2,000-foot limestone wall on Ngga Pulu, a sub-summit of Carstenz Pyramid."
"Hi Jeff, you don't know me but my name is Wade Fairley. I'm an adventure photographer and I've secured some funding
to climb a peak in Irian Jaya. We're putting together a team right now. Just wondering if you'd be keen to come along? Just to give you an idea, we
want to climb a 2,000-foot limestone wall on Ngga Pulu, a sub-summit of Carstenz Pyramid. It looks a lot like the wall you just climbed in Potrero
Chico. Give me a call back if you're interested."
It was 1995 and I was more than interested. I'd never heard of Ngga Pulu, but I was well acquainted with Carstenz Pyramid (aka Puncak Jaya, 16,024 feet)
the highest mountain in Oceania. Carstenz is also the highest point between the Andes and the Himalaya, and the highest island peak in the world. It
is also arguably the hardest of the Seven Summits given its mandatory 62-mile jungle trek approach and technical rock climbing.
Carstenz Pyramid wasn't climbed until 1962 when the famous Austrian climber Heinrich Harrer joined forces with the New Zealander Phillip Temple (who pioneered
the approach) to scale the rocky north ridge to the apex.
I called Wade and he filled me in on the plan. In a laconic Australian accent he explained that Ngga Pulu (15,944 feet) had been climbed in 1936 by a Dutch
expedition. Aerial photos of the Puncak Jaya icecap taken by that expedition showed that Ngga Pulu was likely well over 16,000 feet and therefore taller
than Carstenz Pyramid at the time of the Dutch first ascent.
"The icecap is melting, mate. Don't you see? The Freeport McMoRan open-pit mine is right there on one of the Seven Summits, polluting the air and water.
When the Dani people protest they lock them in mining containers. You've got environmental terrorism, human rights abuses, and a totally bitching 2,000-foot
wall of limestone. I've read about your Mexican route, seen the images. One World magazine wants a story on an ascent of the "ghost" Seven
Summit by its most technical route as well as the bigger eco-picture. Are you in?"
Dumb question. Of course I was in.
We met later that afternoon at the boulders along Austin's Greenbelt and had a sweaty summer afternoon session. Wade was a boyish, clear-eyed fellow with
a steady gaze and a rogue grin. Over the course of that afternoon he sketched out more details. We'd be joined by an Australian anthropologist named
Roger who studied the native culture as well as bringing along a climatologist to study the icecap.
Regarding the climb Wade explained: "I know some people who tried the wall and they say it's comprised entirely of razor-sharp limestone incuts. We'll
probably have to climb in gloves and hiking boots, and use extra-thick ropes."
"What about pro?"
"Grappling hooks."
The plan sounded at once brilliant and deranged.
"The one stumbling block we have right now is the political unrest," Wade continued. "Seems like the Dani are tired of being fucked over by Freeport McMoRan.
When they get stirred up they've been known to take out their displeasure on any white foreigner."
"What do they do?"
"Have you ever heard of Long Pig?"
"Put it this way, mate: The sorcerer cuts off your Johnson and boils it to make soup then they skin you down and eat you. The cannibals say human flesh
tastes like pork, hence Long Pig."
"No worries, though. We'll have Roger along and he can talk to them. Remember, it's the mine they're angry with, not us. We're trying to help them. Hopefully
that will count for something."
As the weeks passed and our departure date approached I boned up on the ecology of the Sudirman range in the western central highlands of Papau, New Guinea
and was blown away at the biodiversity. Tree-kangaroos, wallabies, bandicoots, echidna, 700 species of birds, 30,000 species of beetles, the world's
longest lizard (Papau monitor), 16,000 species of plants, including 124 genera which are endemic—all this dependent on the water not being polluted
by the open-pit mine tailings from the Grasberg gold mine located on the flanks of Carstenz Pyramid.
Geologically, limestone walls seemed to crop up everywhere. According to Wade, a section of the hike to the mountain wound through a forest of 200-foot
rock towers, and the photo he had of the face on Ngga Pulu looked like a big wall climber's dream—a Cima Grande at 16,000 feet.
I also spent some time reading up on the tribes of the New Guinean highlands. No wonder they clashed with the miners. Their rustic world, ruled by magic,
seemed so completely at odds with the Western paradigm of scientific method and capitalism. First contacted by the Dutch explorer Hendrikus Albertus
Lorentz in 1909, the tribes practiced cannibalism and headhunting until well into the 20th century and they have a wary attitude toward foreigners
to this day.
In 1961, Michael Rockefeller, son of Vice Presidential candidate Nelson Rockefeller, was part of the Harvard-Peabody anthropological study sent to the
region. Michael disappeared and some speculated that he was killed and eaten by Asmat tribesmen. Author Paul Toohey claimed in his book Rocky Goes West that
Rockefeller's mother hired a private investigator in 1979 to go to New Guinea and investigate Michael's disappearance. According to Toohey, the investigator
traded a boat engine for the skulls of the only white men the tribe claimed to have killed. The Rockefeller family never commented on the event, if
it in fact even occurred, but an episode on the History Channel's "Vanishings" claimed that Rockefeller's mother did pay the investigator the $250,000
reward for providing final proof of Michael's death.
I began to both yearn for and dread contact with the Dani people in much the same way one might look forward to meeting a potentially hungry Martian on
Sadly, our expedition to climb Ngga Pulu was busted by a political lockdown. Just a couple of weeks before we were scheduled to depart, some militant Dani
tribesmen kidnapped a group of German tourists. I never heard whether the Germans were released or consumed, but the entire Carstenz massif was closed
to tourism for 10 years (1995 to 2005) after the incident.
I met Wade one last time. We climbed through a circuit of traverses at Sunken Gardens and eventually huddled in the shade of a collapsing buttress down
by the creek.
"Too bad it didn't work out," Wade said. "But that's cool. Perhaps it simply wasn't meant to be."
"Meant to be?"
"Well, you know, like a warning. Maybe some force was looking out for us."
Did magic still have a place in our Western world-view after all?
"You mean some 'higher force?'" I asked, chiding him.
Wade met my eyes with his unflinching gaze.
"Put it this way, mate. Maybe it's better we didn't go."
"I guess I'm just choked that we had a chance to do something fun that would have raised awareness to the eco-disaster in progress." In fact, I was young
and the romance of travel still burned in my heart like a crush. I was devastated.
"There will be other trips."
Wade was already planning the first circumnavigation of South Georgia island by kayak, a feat he would almost pull off before being forced out of the water
by ice and having to resort to a desperate portage across the Shackleton Gap in December 1996. Today, Wade is one of the industry's most sought-after
polar cameramen with lots of film credits including Planet Earth and Great Migrations.
"Yeah, I guess you're right," I consented.
"No, it's true. Listen, Jeff, back when I was just out of high school me and my best mate decided to row our sea kayaks from Australia to the Philippines."
"Yeah, man. We got it into our heads that we should do this big adventure right out of school even though the Australian state department had issued a
traveler's advisory. Long story short, we made it and set up camp on one of the many deserted islands. One night a couple of pretty rough-looking guys
walked into camp. One of them had a machete. The other guy had a rifle. We knew that piracy was rampant and these guys looked the part. They started
asking if we had gas for the lantern but we just looked at each other and stayed quiet. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the guy raise his gun, point
it at my friend and fire. I bolted for the woods and heard a second shot. It hit me in the back but I kept running as far as I could, eventually collapsing
and burrowing into some mangrove roots all benched up by a lagoon. A little later, I heard a second shot and I knew my best friend was dead.
"The pirates searched for me till late that night. I remember hearing their footsteps and watching the flashlight beam sweep the water just a few feet
away. Eventually they left but they came back the next morning and I had to hide in the roots again all day and all night. The mosquitoes bit me all
over, man, and I was too scared to get out of my hiding place and drink so I became totally dehydrated. I watched as my blood leaked into the lagoon
and I got weaker and weaker.
"On the second day, I heard a boat. At that point, I knew I was going to die if I didn't get help so I risked it and called for help. It turned out to
be some fishermen and they took me to a remote clinic—so remote that they didn't have a phone or even a radio. I stayed in that clinic for two
months before a journalist heard rumors of the Australian who had been shot. My parents thought I was dead, and my friend's parents … well …
what can you say? Sometimes it's better when a trip falls through."
Just last week I read this headline on the Global Post website: "Cannibal Cult Arrested For Making Penis Soup." It seems that the witchdoctors of West
Papau had been overcharging tribesmen ($472 plus a pig and a bag of rice) to cast out evil spirits so the locals banded together, cut off the sorcerers'
Johnsons for soup, skinned the bodies down and ate them.
Local Police Commander Anthony Wagambie admitted that investigating the case was difficult since there were no remains. "They're probably all eaten up,"
he stated.
The news prompted memories of Wade Fairley and our almost-adventure, as well as his sagacious advice to heed the subtle signs from higher powers. But despite
the bad press, that long-ago blown adventure has taken root in my imagination. Carstenz massif is open to exploration once again and I keep hoping
that Wade will call with an offer to climb the big wall on Ngga Pulu, to write the eco-story of the century and possibly meet the cannibals of Papau,
New Guinea.


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Asheville, NC
Wacky Walks Dates
Take your Partner on a Unique Date with Wacky Walks in
Looking for a unique and fun date idea for a new or established relationship? We're here to help! Wacky Walks will help you create lasting bonds with your date or partner.
Wacky Walks is a royalty themed scavenger hunt. It is similar to a board game, in which the power, or control, of the game shifts from one player to another and instead of a board, you'll be exploring the streets of your city with your smartphone to complete the game.
Wacky Walks will start out by designating who will be the first King or Queen. The Royal Highness will then direct the other players to locate items and participate in challenges throughout the kingdom (your city). You'll use our scavenger hunt app to prove you've found correct items and completed the challenges correctly.
The goal of the scavenger hunt is to find all the items and complete the challenges, & to have fun with family and friends in your city!
Wacky Walks is done completely on foot and usually takes about two hours to complete. But don't worry, you won't be alone. You'll have a remote guide that will be available in case you get stuck.
One thing is for sure - you won't forget this date!
Starting Location
Asheville Wacky Walks
Pack Square Park
121 College Street
Asheville, NC 28801
Time: About 2 hours
Distance: About 2 miles
Suggested Transportation: Walking
How to Sign Up for a Wacky Walks Date
Head to our ticket order form first to purchase your date tickets. Once you have your tickets, you can redeem them and choose a day for your game.
Perfect Occasions for Wacky Walks
Wacky Walks is great for more than just date adventures. Check out all the occasions Wacky Walks is perfect for!


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Privacy Policy
Updated: June 15, 2015
What This Privacy Policy Covers
This privacy policy applies to all of the mobile and online products, services, and Web sites (the "Services") offered by Tributes, Inc. ("Tributes"). Tributes wants to let you know how we treat personal information that we collect and receive from users of the Services. Personal information is information about you that is personally identifiable including, but not limited to, your name, address, email address, or phone number.
This Privacy Policy covers the following:
- The information we collect and use, including how we generally use that information
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Tributes' Privacy Policy applies only to Services owned and operated by Tributes, Inc. While other Web sites may be displayed as search results or links from within Tributes, those sites are owned and operated by others, and they may have different privacy policies. When linking from the Services to other Web sites, if you have privacy concerns, we urge you to review the privacy policies of those sites.
It's also important to note that this Privacy Policy does not apply to information that you post, yourself, in public areas of the Tributes Web site. For example, if you choose to let other people see your name and your answers to profile questions, or if you post information or comments on a discussion board, that information will be made public. Your messages and other information you make available in public areas of the Services will be seen by people and organizations not related to or controlled by Tributes, and may be used by others to contact you.
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Effective Date: June 15, 2015


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$ 2,599 .00or $73/month for 36 months
Having a variety of microphone preamps in your recording studio is like a painter having multiple colors on his pallet. Each microphone preamp has a different characteristic, and the same preamp might not work for every song you are working on. One day, your BAE 1073 might sound amazing on the vocal, where the next day it's not quite fitting the vibe of the track. Switching to a tube style preamp such as the UA 610 might be just what you are looking for.
Having a variety of mic preamps is the best way to be prepared for any style of music that may come to your studio. With so many options available today, you aren't limited to the built in preamps of your console, you can mix and match tube and solid state preamps until your heart's content.
Mic preamps usually consist solely of the preamp circuit from a channel strip, ranging from one channel, four channels, and beyond. To keep the prices down, they often don't offer any sort of EQ or compression, just the natural sound of the preamp. In most cases, this is absolutely fine, you don't always need to EQ or compress something, if the source sounds good, it sounds good. Trying different mic pres on the same source is almost a way of trying different EQ settings, since they all have their own special characteristics, they will all have a slightly different vibe when blended into the mix.
Get with your Vintage King sales engineer to find what right type of mic preamps are the best fit for your studio.


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Flu vaccine is reformulated for latest strain
WASHINGTON (AP) — Time to get your flu vaccine — and a new report shows babies and toddlers seem to be getting protected better than the rest of us.
Last year's flu shot won't shield you this year: Two new strains of influenza have begun circling the globe, and the updated vaccine appears to work well against them, government officials said last week.
Just because last year was the mildest flu season on record doesn't mean the virus might not bounce back to its usual ferocity this winter.
"People cannot become complacent this year," said Howard Koh, assistant secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
A yearly vaccination now is recommended for nearly everybody, but new figures released Thursday show that last year 52 percent of children and just 39 percent of adults were immunized.
Best protected: Three-quarters of tots ages 6 months to 23 months were vaccinated. That's a significant jump from the previous year, when 68 percent of those youngsters were immunized.
But even though seniors are at especially high risk of severe illness or death if they catch the flu, just 66 percent of them were immunized, a number that has been slowly dropping for several years.
Older adults got a little lost in the recent public health push to explain that flu vaccine benefits all ages — and it's time to target them again, said Daniel Jernigan, a flu specialist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In contrast, child deaths from flu have made headlines in recent years — the United States counted 34 pediatric deaths last year — raising parents' awareness of the risk, he said.
The only ones who shouldn't get vaccinated: babies younger than 6 months and people with severe allergies to the eggs used to make the vaccine.
Flu specialists can't say how bad this winter's flu season might be. Influenza strains constantly evolve, and some cause more illness than others. But strains from the H3N2 family tend to be harsher than some other flu types, and a new H3N2 strain is included in this year's vaccine because it is circulating in parts of the world.
Because of that strain, "I am pretty confident that this year will be a more traditional flu season" than last year, CDC's Jernigan told The Associated Press. "People won't have had any real exposure to that."
Only one ingredient in this year's flu vaccine was retained from last year's, protection against the H1N1 strain that caused the 2009 swine flu pandemic and has been the main kind of influenza circulating since. Also new in this year's shot is protection against a different Type B strain.
Other trends the CDC spotted last year:
Roughly a third of teenagers got a flu vaccine.
So did 45 percent of high-risk young and middle-aged adults, those who are particularly vulnerable to flu because they also have asthma, diabetes or any of a list of other health conditions.
About 47 percent of pregnant women were vaccinated. Women have five times the risk of severe illness if they catch the flu when they're pregnant, and they can require hospitalization and suffer preterm labor as a result. Vaccination not only protects them, but recent research shows it also provides some protection to their newborns as well.
Vaccination rates vary widely among states, too. Nevada vaccinates a third of people who are eligible, and South Dakota reaches 51 percent. In Iowa, 76 percent of seniors get their flu shot, compared to half in Alaska. In Rhode Island, 74 percent of children are vaccinated, compared to 39 percent in Alaska.
Manufacturers are expected to make about 135 million doses of flu vaccine this year, and there are four forms to choose from:
The traditional flu shot is for all ages and people with high-risk health conditions.
FluMist, the squirt-up-the-nose version, is for healthy people ages 2 to 49 who aren't pregnant.
A high-dose shot is available for people 65 and older.
And the intradermal shot — a skin-deep prick instead of the usual inch-long needle — is available for 18- to 64-year-olds.
The vaccine is covered by insurance, and Medicare and some plans don't require a copay; drugstore vaccination programs tend to charge about $30.
People can be vaccinated anytime, but Jernigan cautioned that it takes about two weeks for protection to kick in. Flu typically starts to appear in October or November, and peaks in January or February.
Also this year, public health groups are urging workers in doctors' offices, hospitals and particularly nursing homes, where patients are especially vulnerable, to do a better job getting vaccinated.


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Pittsburgh Pirates Grab 1st Playoff Berth In 21 Years
Chicago – Fans in the Steel City can breath easy. Their baseball team is headed to the post-season for the first time in a long, long time.
After a 21-year absence, the Pirates clinched at least a National League wild card Monday night when they beat the Chicago Cubs 2-1 and the Washington Nationals lost to St. Louis.
Now, they can turn their attention toward bigger goals, the kind that seemed like nothing more than a pipe dream through all those losing seasons.
"Even though I didn't lose for the last 20 years, they make you feel like you are. You feel like you lost those 20 years," Andrew McCutchen said. "That's all you hear. You hear it every single day — 'When's it going to change? You think this is the year?' You get sick and tired of hearing that. It's awesome that there won't be any questions anymore. The question is, 'Are we going to be able to go farther?'"
It will be Pittsburgh's first trip to the postseason since Barry Bonds, Jim Leyland and Co. won three straight NL East titles from 1990-92. Bonds then left for San Francisco as a free agent, and the small-budget Pirates piled up 20 consecutive losing records — the longest streak in the four major professional sports.
- Mariano Rivera Named All-Star MVP As Sandman Honored With Rare Baseball Tribute
- Major League Baseball Returns To Cuban TV After Five Decades
- Latin Players Dominate Baseball's Suspensions — Again
- Former Ace Pedro Martinez To Analyze Baseball Postseason
- Home Run Derby Bilingual Controversy Brings To Light Baseball's Evolving Culture
- Former Cuban Baseball Great Turns 102
Starling Marte hit a tiebreaking homer in the ninth inning at Wrigley Field, and the Pirates threw out a runner at the plate for the final out.
The Pirates sprayed each other with bubbly and beer and sparkling cider in the visitors' clubhouse once St. Louis' 4-3 win over the Nationals becamYork Mets 3-2 in 10 innings. The Pirates and Reds, both 90-67, trail St. Louis bye final.
Twenty-one years since we popped Champagne in a Pirates clubhouse — and we're acting like it's been a long time...The hard work, the fun. I'm just proud of each and every man in here, the fans they represent, ownership, general manager, president ... the scouts, players. This has been a group effort for a long time
The Cincinnati Reds also clinched at least a wild-card berth, when they beat the New two games in the NL Central with five to go.
Pittsburgh players sang Journey's "Don't Stop Believing." They chanted "MVP! MVP!" while dousing McCutchen. They took pictures and manager Clint Hurdle had them gather for a group photo in the middle of the cramped visitors' clubhouse.
"The people of Pittsburgh have been waiting a long time," said Neil Walker, who homered.
The Pirates snapped a 1-all tie when Marte sent a drive off Kevin Gregg (2-6) with two outs in the ninth into the left field bleachers.
In a fitting coincidence, they then preserved the victory on the final out in a play at the plate.
McCutchen, the center fielder, picked up Ryan Sweeney's bloop single after right fielder Marlon Byrd failed in trying to scoop up the ball and threw to first baseman Justin Morneau, positioned just in front of the pitcher's mound. Morneau caught the throw on one hop and made the relay to catcher Russell Martin, who applied the tag on Nate Schierholtz trying to score from first base.
Still on his knees, Martin held the ball over his head in jubilation. Then, he was embraced by closer Jason Grilli before heaving the ball toward deep left field as the Pirates celebrated near the mound. Grilli escaped with his 32nd save in 34 chances.
"Twenty-one years since we popped Champagne in a Pirates clubhouse — and we're acting like it's been a long time," Hurdle said. "The hard work, the fun. I'm just proud of each and every man in here, the fans they represent, ownership, general manager, president ... the scouts, players. This has been a group effort for a long time."
The Pirates' last trip to the playoffs ended with Atlanta's Sid Bream sliding home with the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 7 of the 1992 NL championship series.
The Cubs tied it in the eighth off Mark Melancon (3-2).
Marte's 12th homer set off loud boos for Gregg (2-6), who was almost released last week after going on a rant to reporters when he thought he had lost the closer's job to Pedro Strop.
Walker homered against Jeff Samardzija in the first to give the Pirates a 1-0 lead, and Charlie Morton pitched three-hit ball over seven scoreless innings before the Cubs tied it against Melancon.
Brian Bogusevic led off the eighth with a single, his second hit, and moved up on a groundout by Darwin Barney. Then, after a wild pitch, he scored the tying run on a single by pinch-hitter Donnie Murphy.
That spoiled a terrific start for Morton, who struck out five and walked one.
Samardzija was almost as good, allowing one run and five hits over six innings. He struck out seven and walked four after going 0-1 with a 7.11 ERA in his previous four starts.
He pitched seven solid innings against Milwaukee last week but got into a disagreement with third base coach David Bell over defensive positioning in the dugout.
Samardzija's only blemish in this one came when Walker drove a 1-1 pitch out to left-center with one out in the first.
With the long ball, Walker matched a career high of 14 set last season. He has four homers in the past five games.
Samardzija settled down after that but got little support as the Cubs lost for the 10th time in 13 games. It was also the second straight day an opponent celebrated at Wrigley Field.
Atlanta clinched the NL East on Sunday, and this time, it was the Pirates' turn to party.
"That's what we need to do," Samardzija said. "I think we're getting there, but we need to get some things ironed out."
The Pirates finally have it figured out. Now, they're playoff-bound.
Based on reporting by The Associated Press.
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text:
If you're like me you hate waiting for the butter to come to room temp to make chocolate chip cookies. You want them now, not in a few hours because by then the craving for the cookies will be gone--well, maybe for some of you.
So you turn to the melted butter version of chocolate chip cookies and turns out they always turn out to be flat: thin and crispy. Which is fine, but I don't always like thin & crispy. I lean more towards the side of thick and chewy with a nice crisp outside.
After a few experiments using a basic cookie recipe from america's test kitchen or cooks county whatever they call themselves today--I found a good one using melted butter that resulted in giant, thick, crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside chocolate chip cookies. It's really all about the right ratio of baking powder to flour to salt and butter. haha. But all that does make a difference if you break it down. Less flour less chewy, more butter more crisp/flakiness, and of course using good quality chocolate helps too as well as using the right kind of chocolate. If you used milk chocolate the cookie might be too sweet, so using a bittersweet won't overpower the chocolate thus making the dough flavor shine through. You all know this already..... just get to the cookie recipe already!
Use an ice cream scooper for all cookie doughs. Makes the cookies nice and round and even. Use any size really, just watch the baking times if you use smaller scoops.
Baking times matter! Of course this is dependent on various ovens, but keep an eye on your cookies after the 10 minute mark. They burn up fast.
quick & easy chocolate chip cookies
based on America's Test Kitchen
print recipe
2 cups plus 2 TB all-purpose flour
1/2 ts baking soda
¾ TB baking powder
¾ ts sea salt
1 and ½ sticks (12 TB) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 yolk
2 ts pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Cook notes: make sure to let the melted butter cool a bit (about 15 minutes before using). When you are ready to use the butter give it a good stir to incorporate the butter solids and fats back together.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line about 4 cookie sheets with parchment paper. I found that using milk chocolate chips were just too sweet with this dough. Using bittersweet or semi was just right. Always make sure your baking soda and baking powder are fresh; when they go stale they result in thin tasteless cookies. I love to use ice cream scoopers to make the perfect, round size cookies. I adore large cookies so I used a regular sized ice cream scoop. If you want smaller size cookies, use a smaller ice cream scoop but remember to reduce the baking time a few less minutes!
Whisk all the dry ingredients together; set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, either by hand or using a mixer (I don't have a mixer so I did this by hand) mix butter & sugars until thoroughly combined. Add in the egg and egg yolk and vanilla extract, mix well. Then add in the dry mixture, mix until just combined, do not overmix. Next FOLD in the chocolate chips (if you want to add in nuts go ahead—about 1 cup).
Using an ice cream scoop, and making sure to compact the dough in the scooper as much as possible, scoop out on baking sheets about 1 & ½ inches apart.
Bake about 11-14 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. You'll know the cookies are done by light golden brown edges and slightly puffy middles. As soon as they turn golden brown, in a matter of minutes they turn dark, so take them out, plus they do continue to bake once out of the oven. Don't try and take them off the cookie sheets, they will just break. Should make about 15-18 large, if using a smaller scoop then you'll have a few more.


text: Relational Database Support for Data Warehouses is the third course in the Data Warehousing for Business Intelligence specialization. In this course, you'll use analytical elements of SQL for answering business intelligence questions. You'll learn features of relational database management systems for managing summary data commonly used in business intelligence reporting. Because of the importance and difficulty of managing implementations of data warehouses, we'll also delve into storage architectures, scalable parallel processing, data governance, and big data impacts. In the assignments in this course, you can use either Oracle or PostgreSQL.


text:
3 – 4pm, Sunday Sketching for 7+ year olds.
Black and White
Sketching workshops take place in the Gallery on Sundays from 3pm-4pm. During these workshops we explore paintings, sculpture and some of the architectural features of Charlemont House through discussion and drawing. The classes are aimed at 7+ years, are free and materials are provided. No booking is required for Sunday Sketching although numbers may be limited. Early arrival is recommended.


text:
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I cut costs 90% from switching to your conferencing service! So glad we found you!
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Conference Calling Support / FAQ
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Relieve your participants of any dialing headaches. Give them the "red carpet" treatment by bringing your conference to them. A convenient method of connecting participants is with ConferenceCalls.com' Web Dial Out service. Web Dial Out allows you to have ConferenceCalls.com call the participant (this includes you), regardless of the country they are located. Just login anywhere globally, and with a few simple clicks, you can begin conferencing with up to 50 global participants.
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For (USA Toll) Dial In Access
The cost of adding a participant through this USA toll access number is only 2.9¢ per minute! The participant will be responsible for the cost of a regular call to a USA phone number. In addition, the normal USA (toll-free) number does not accept incoming calls from outside the USA. This local USA toll access number enables participants to start or join a conference, globally, where toll-free is not available.
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- Enter your conference code.
- Enter your security code (only needed when starting a conference.)
- To allow others to join your conference, you will need to give them the access number, and your conference code.
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A: Yes indeed! That is one of the many great features of ConferenceCalls.com. It can be used by anyone, anywhere, at anytime. You have 3 options on how to connect. With Web Dial Out, all you need is an internet connection to access your account. Simply log in and enter your origination number and destination number. Our system will connect the lines together. You may also start, or join a conference, via an access number. View our list of international toll-free access numbers. If your country is not listed in the toll-free directory, participants may also call the USA local toll number, (310)765-4820.
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A: Yes. You may dial in and start a conference via the access number. View our list of international toll-free access numbers. If your country is not listed in the toll-free directory, participants may also call the USA local toll number, (310)765-4820. You may also use Web Dial Out. All you need is an internet connection to trigger the call to your room, and then connect the two lines. After that, you can disconnect from the internet and talk for as long as you want.
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A: To allow others to join your conference, you will need to give them their country access number, and your conference code.
They should do the following steps:
- Dial the access number for your location. USA, dial (800)444-2801. View full country list.
- When prompted, enter your conference code.
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A: The audio conference will start once the moderator has connected to the conference bridge via telephone. Participants can only join the conference if the moderator has been connected.
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A: Once the moderator disconnects from the audio conference, the conference call will automatically terminate.
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A: Sub-accounts are used for associating multiple conference codes under one main account. This is common where you might have multiple employees conducting conference calls simultaneously. Keeping track of everyone's activity is now easier than ever with sub-accounts.
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A: The normal USA (toll-free) number does not accept incoming calls from outside the USA. Any local USA toll access number enables participants to start or join a conference, globally, where toll-free is not available. The cost of adding a participant through this USA toll access number is only 1.9¢ per minute! The participant will be responsible for the cost of a regular call to a USA phone number. The host can now also dial out to participants anywhere in the world via Touchtone Commands or using the web dial out.
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A: Yes! You can conveniently mute all/unmute all, dial out to a participants, and even conduct side meetings with them or bring them into your conference call with a press of a button! View a list of all available commands via touch tone.
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A: Now, our you can dial up to 50 people at a time for each call. Enter their phone numbers in a list and our system will call them simultaneously! If you like, save them as a group for future calls. Just click on "Group Dialing" in the left-hand column of your conference details screen.
- Q: What is a group in the Muli-Party Dialing screen?
A: Conveniently save a list of participants as a group so you can then quickly reload that list for future conference calls. To setup a group, first enter all your participants in the multi-party dial out screen. Next, under Step 2, enter the name of the new group you would live to save, and click "save group". For future conferences, easily access your groups under "Saved Groups" in the Multi-Party dialing screen.
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A: You may easily start a recording at anytime during an audio conference simply by dialing *87 (star eight seven). To stop recording the audio conference, just dial *88 (star eight eight).
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A: Once a conference is recorded, an audio file of the conference may be downloaded for free via our website. After you login, click on your conference code, then click on the "Recent Calls" tab to view a list of all your audio conferences. If a recording exists for a conference, you will see a "Yes" under the Recording column. Click on the "Yes" link and you will see a popup of all your recordings for that particular conference. Next, click on the "download" link and you can then get an .mp3 file of your audio conference. You may then listen to it, publish it, or share it just as easily you do with any other file.
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A: ConferenceCalls.com offers the lowest rates available anywhere for international connections. Our customers have reduced costs between 70% and 90% on their international phone bills by using ConferenceCalls.com instead of local providers, hotels, cell phones, and other calling card services. View rates and see the difference.
- Q: At what increments do you bill in?
A: We bill in 1 minute increments for only connected calls.
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A: No. ConferenceCalls.com uses the "one rate" method. You save around the clock, and need not be concerned about when calls are made.
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A: Verified by Visa is the preferred payment method for ConferenceCalls.com. We also accept AMEX, VISA, MasterCard & Discover.
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A: Verified by Visa is a unique service that uses personal passwords or identity information to help protect Visa card numbers against unauthorized use. Once activated, your Visa card number cannot be used for online purchases , at shopping sites that participate, without your personal password. Verified by Visa is available for most Visa cards from participating financial institutions.
- Q: How does the Verified By Visa process work?
A: If you are a card holder then you get a unique password from Visa. Your Verified by Visa password helps ensure that only you can use your Visa card number to buy online.
The image below represents how Verified by Visa protects you while shopping online.
Once your card is activated, your card number will be recognized whenever you purchase at participating online stores. You'll enter your password in the Verified by Visa window, your identity will be verified, and the transaction will be completed. In stores that are not yet participating in Verified by Visa, your Visa card will continue to work as usual.
When the consumer clicks "buy" at checkout, software installed on the merchant server recognizes registered Visa cards and the Verified by Visa screen automatically appears in the your browser. You simply enter your password and then the password is verified with Visa. Read more about how it works from Visa
- Q: How can I get billing information if I need it for accounting purposes?
A: Just click on the Login button on the navigation bar that appears on our home page. Click on the conference code you would like to view, and the billing information is displayed for local printing or downloading.
- Q: Are there any monthly fees?
A: There are no monthly service fees or additional fees outside of your selected minutes.
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A: You will hear a message prompt letting you know how many minutes are left in your current conference call. You CAN recharge your account while your conference code is in a call. Simply log into http://www.conferencecalls.com, and recharge your account.
- Q: If I run out of money how do I recharge my account?
A: Just log in, enter the recharge amount, and we will update your balance instantly.
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A: You can cancel your account at anytime. Simply use the remaining balance on your account or email our support team.
- Q: When do I get billed for my monthly conference plan?
A: This is a prepaid monthly billing plan. You will be billed monthly 30 days from the date you signed up for conferencing service. If you deplete your minutes in the middle of the month, you have a mid month charge for purchase of additional minutes. These minutes are valid for a additional month of service.
- Q: Can I change my plan anytime?
A: Yes, you may change your plan anytime. To change your current plan, please log into the website and click on your plan name. In the left column, click on the "Edit" link next to Change Plan. If you change your plan, minutes from the previous plan are not carried over into the new plan. A new plan renewal date and terms will apply.
- Q: How do I cancel my monthly billing conferencing plan.
A: If you wish to cancel your recurring billing, please log into the website and click on the "Edit" link under the Auto-renewal column. You must turn off automatic renewal at least 5 days prior to the next bill cycle. Cancellation requests are effective at the end of the current billing cycle which appears in the ' My Account' page. Your account will remain active until the current term or minutes has expired. At that point your account will not be billed.
- Q: Am I making a long term contracts/commitment?
A: No! This is a PREPAID month-to-month billing conferencing plan. You can cancel at anytime and under no obligation for long term contracts.
- Q: Do my minutes roll over to the next month?
A: Your minutes will not roll over month to month if you have not depleted your minutes in the given month, unless you have depleted mid-month and a "safe-guard" recharge occurred. Then your minutes will roll over to the following month until the next billing cycle begins.
- Q: How do I get this service?
A: Simply complete the sign up form. Your account will be activated and user instructions will be e-mailed to you.
- Q: How long will it take to set up an account?
A: Your account will be available to use immediately upon approval. New customer approvals occur between the hours of 8:30 AM and 1:00 AM EDT. If payment method is Verified by Visa, approval is done instantly.
- Q: Are there any sign up fees?
A: There are no sign up fees.
Will my credit card be charged when I sign up?
A: Yes, ConferenceCalls.com is a prepaid service. You will be asked to select the amount that you which to add to your prepaid conferencing account. As you make calls, the charges for them will be deducted from this amount. You may recharge your account at any time, at any balance. If you make a high volume of calls, please call us directly to talk about other billing options.
- Q: How will I receive my account information?
A: You will receive all new account information and dialing instructions via e-mail immediately after we process your order.
- Q: Do I receive a plastic card?
A: No, you will not receive a plastic card. However, as soon as you receive new account information by email, you may immediately use the service.


text:
The Situation of Money and Happiness
Posted by The Situationist Staff on June 13, 2009
Fiona Anderson of the Financial Post has an interesting take on a question that has been much discussed for many years: can money buy happiness? We excerpt the piece below.
* * *
But if the best things in life are free, why is it that we always seem to be after more money? Because we think it can buy happiness.
And for those at the lower end of the income scale, it probably can, according to Michael Schmitt, a social psychologist at Simon Fraser University. "Because having some money is definitely better than having no money at all," he says.
But Mr. Schmitt words the question differently: Are people with more money generally happier than those with less?
The answer is yes, when we are talking about having enough money to cover food and shelter. But the answer is a definite maybe when you get to middle-class earners and above. "It's going to be more important if you need money to get access to those things that meet our basic needs," Mr. Schmitt says. "Beyond that, the effect of having more money seems to be weaker.
"And it seems when people do increase their income and have access to more material wealth, you don't see corresponding increases in happiness."
Happiness surveys have been carried out for years. And while income has been going up steadily for the past three or four decades, our level of happiness hasn't changed much, Mr. Schmitt says.
In the 1950s and 1960s, there were a lot of things that were problematic, he says. "So it's not like things were perfect and idyllic then. But our increases in material well-being don't seem to have translated into increases in happiness overall."
One reason may be evolving aspirations. As people achieve goals they create new ones. While that seems common for financial targets, not all goals have moving goal posts.
* * *
To read the rest of the piece, click here. For a related post, see Adam Benforado's Somthing to Smile About. To review a collection of Situationist posts exploring the causes and consequences of happiness, click here.
2 Responses to "The Situation of Money and Happiness"
August 24, 2009 at 3:53 pm
Hi Situation guys,
I believe that it's not possible to make a general statement on whether money makes people more or less happy. Money comes with a whole set of new elements that may have good or bad impact on our happiness, and depending on how susceptible we are to every one of them, the conclusion will go one way or the other (i.e. different from person to person).
I recently made an effort to provide a more comprehensive picture of what these ad- and disadvantages are. I invite you to have a look at http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/2009/08/money-how-much-should-we-strive-for-it-to-become-happy/ and tell me what you think!
Thank you,


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