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Santa Ana College Welding Technology Department is host to the welding competition that is part of the SkillsUSA Annual State Leadership and Skill Conference slated for San Diego April 24-27. The competition pits 125 high school and college students from across the state against each other in a contest of skills, accuracy, and aesthetics in the art of welding.
Students will compete in the general welding category that includes MIG (metal inert gas), oxy-acetylene, shielded metal arc, and TIG (tungsten inert gas) welding. Teams of four welders per school will vie for awards in the fabrication division. Each must fabricate a bridge for a koi pond following specific design criteria. The finished product will be judged on quality, completion, use of materials and aesthetics. A few especially creative students will also participate in the welding sculpture competition category.
Competitions such as this increase students' enthusiasm for a high-demand job in welding. It is estimated that there is a shortage of 250,000 welders nationwide and that number is expected to grow by six percent by 2020. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the median salary nationwide is $36,300 per year while welding inspectors earn $40,000-$60,000 a year.
Santa Ana College Welding Technology Department, 1530 W. 17th St., K-101, Santa Ana, CA 92706
Saturday, April 26, 2014 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
According to Clay Mitchell, SkillsUSA State Director, this competition is an excellent example of how business and industry partner with education to boost the economy and prepare students for the workforce. Miller Electric Manufacturing Company and Lincoln Electric have donated state-of-the-art equipment and materials to make this competition possible.
Certified welders, all members of the American Welding Society, will serve as judges.
This event is presented by the Santa Ana College Welding Technology Department to help advance the welding skills and interest. The college offers an associate degree and a certificate program in welding technology, as well as City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) Welding Certification.
For more information on the SkillsUSA State Welding Competition, please contact Clay Mitchell at (916) 717-1339 or email@example.com. For information on the Santa Ana College Welding Technology program, please contact George Moreno at (714) 564- 6671 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
About Santa Ana CollegeSanta Ana College (SAC), which will turn 100 years old in 2015, serves about 18,000 students each semester at its main campus in Santa Ana. The college prepares students for transfer to four-year institutions, provides invaluable workforce training, and customized training for business and industry. In addition, another 10,000 students are served through the college's School of Continuing Education located at Centennial Education Center. Ranked as one of the nation's top two-year colleges awarding associate degrees to Latino and Asian students, the college is also recognized throughout the state for its comprehensive workforce training programs for nurses, firefighters, law enforcement and other medical personnel. SAC is one of two comprehensive colleges under the auspices of the Rancho Santiago Community College District. Visit www.sac.edu to learn more.
Judy Iannaccone
(714) 480-7503


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"the path already goes down to newark"
The line goes South of Newark Penn for about 1/2 a mile, it's about another mile or mile and a half to the Newark Airport rail link station.
It's the easiest plan to implement, the original plan dates back to the Early 1970s when the Port Authority was planning to extend the PATH to Plainfield NJ and the "new" Central Terminal area at EWR via a "ITTS" Intra Terminal train system.
It would have been a rail link station and a monorail connection, the plan was finally realized in the late 1990s.

subset: commoncrawl


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What is electrical power cable?
Electrical power cables are used for the transmission of electrical power and comprise three major components: one or more stranded or solid copper or aluminium conductors, the insulation and the outer sheath which holds everything together. Theyre available in many different shapes, sizes and materials, varying according to the installation theyre required for.
How to choose the right type cable?
There are two main factors that must be considered when selecting a power cable:
Electrical power cable sizes
American Wire Gauge (AWG) is a widely recognised measure of the cross-sectional area of a cable and denoted as a simple number for example 20 AWG.
Cross-Sectional Area (CSA) is the surface area of a conductor in mm2.
Both units of measure are can be used to describe the wire thickness and it is useful to remember that as the AWG increases, the wire becomes thinner and the CSA decreases.
What are the different types of power cable?
- Mains power cable - ideal for applications such as the wiring of household appliances and tools. Theyre available with either a PVC, Rubber or CPE outer sheath with between 1 to 5 stranded or solid copper cores.
- SWA cable - have a galvanised steel wire insulation surrounding the cores and braiding for added protection and strength. Theyre generally used for underground cabling and are suitable for indoor or outdoor installations. Sheath material is either PVC or LSZH (Low Smoke Zero Halogen).
- Conduit cable - act as a current transmitter within a structure and are housed inside a conduit enclosure. This cable is installed as a safety measure in hazardous environments where fire, smoke, chemical or gas may damage equipment or machinery.
- Multicore cable - available with 2 to 20+ cores. The screening or braiding can help to reduce external interference and maintain a high-quality signal.


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California girl ordered off life support; family can appeal
OAKLAND, Calif. >> A judge has ordered that a 13-year-old Northern California girl declared brain dead after suffering complications following a tonsillectomy be taken off life support.
Alameda County Superior Court Judge Evelio Grillo issued the order Tuesday but gave Jahi McMath's family until 5 p.m. Dec. 30 to file an appeal. She will stay on life support until then.
Grillo issued the order after a Stanford doctor testified that Jahi is brain dead. Dr. Paul Graham Fisher's evaluation was the second to reach that conclusion.
Children's Hospital of Oakland, where Jahi is hospitalized, has asked that the girl be taken off life support after doctors there also concluded she was brain dead. Her family wants to keep Jahi connected to a breathing machine.
The family has said it believes she is still alive and that the hospital should not remove her from the ventilator without its permission.


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NEWS- Art house: Websters open new 'groovy' indie cinema
Moviegoers in Charlottesville have it pretty good. While three multiplexes show almost every major studio release, more esoteric offerings are available at the University of Virginia, the Virginia Film Festival, and the 219-seat Vinegar Hill Theatre. Still, though, acting teacher David Webster says he sees a niche that has yet to be filled.
"People don't like going to the movies because the prices are too high, the seating arrangements are antiseptic, and the food gives you a gross feeling," he says.
That thinking led Webster and his wife, Una, to start screening independent films at their Webster Studio on East Market Street. Since opening night a month ago, Webster says, every Friday and Saturday night, he and his team have put together a completely different kind of moviegoing experience.
"We've set up a groovy atmosphere," he says. "We have a 50-seat theater with easy chairs and healthy snacks like apples and pears in addition to more traditional stuff like chocolate."
So what's all this groovy atmosphere going to cost the customer? It's a grand total of five dollars for admission, and no snack costs over three dollars. And Webster says attendees can always count on going home with a smile.
"We will always bring in films that have been well received at festivals, but are also really fun," he says.
Picking those titles is a labor of love for Webster, an Emmy-winning filmmaker who says he considered hundreds of different titles before settling on the theater's inaugural show: Air Guitar Nation, a documentary about two American faux-shredders' attempt to win the Air Guitar World Championship in Finland.
"I was hoping it would be a 7 or an 8 out of 10 when I heard about it," says Webster, "but it turns out it's around a 9.5."
While such unconventional movies and amenities might be a nice change of pace for audiences, Webster admits the scheme has yet to pan out as a business model.
"Crowds have been thin, between five and 15, usually, and I'm paying for it all myself with my acting students' tuition," he says. "But we're hoping if we keep prices low and we get the word out, we'll get more business."
Though there's already one art-house theater in town, Webster says he doesn't see his new venture in competition with Vinegar Hill.
"We love Vinegar Hill, and we hope people go to Vinegar Hill, too," he says, "but we try to focus on more consistently fun movies."
Virginia Film Festival director Richard Herskowitz says he shares Webster's belief that Charlottesville can support both the 31-year-old art-house establishment near the Mall and the new indie upstart closer to the Woolen Mills.
"What [the Websters] assume is that there's a sophisticated audience looking for more adventurous work," he says. "I think they're going to be successful in creating a community club atmosphere in getting films that are more specialized than Vinegar Hill shows."
Vinegar Hill seems to welcome the new operation. "I feel nothing but good about it," says Vinegar Hill manager Hain Laramore. "If we had two screens, we'd play more obscure stuff."


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Every class visits the library for 50 minutes each week. Library lessons are based on the Arkansas library media standards which include research skills, information literacy, digital citizenship, growth in literary knowledge and reading strategies. Students learn how to use Destiny, our online catalog, to look up books in the library collection. This catalog is web-based, and can be accessed from anywhere. In addition, gifted and talented enrichment standards are incorporated into lessons for grades K-2.
Students are encouraged to participate in our Roaring Reader program where they read books at home, and keep a reading log. Each quarter when they meet their reading goal and turn in their log, they will receive a special reward. They will also receive a reading dog tag for every 10 points they earn.
|Fourth Grade
|Second Grade
|Third Grade
|First Grade
|Puppet/Drama Clubs


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Peer-Reviewed Publications
Found 3 results[ Title]
Filters: Author is Baxt, Chiara [Clear All Filters]
A pilot randomized controlled trial assessing secondary prevention of traumatic stress integrated into pediatric trauma care." J Trauma Stress. 2011;24(3):252-9."
Assessment of pain after injury in the pediatric patient: child and parent perceptions." J. Pediatr. Surg.. 2004;39(6):979-83; discussion 979-83."
Acute traumatic stress symptoms in child occupants and their parent drivers after crash involvement." Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2005;159(11):1074-9."


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On clicking 'Online recharge' in the top menu of Teletalk website user will be redirected to a new page where a pop-up will automatically appear as follows.
After providing necessary information like the recharge number, amount etc user will have to click the 'Pay Now' button.
User will now get a available payment option page from where he can select his preferred payment method.
After selection he will be redirected to corresponding payment method's page where he will get necessary information like card number etc. After providing all information correctly he will see the successful message and get the recharge instantly.
A: Payment is authorized at the time you place the order. Unless otherwise changed, you may use only the following payment methods:
A: You may topup anytime. There is a transaction limit on Top-up amount- for mobile prepaid connection, it's 50 Tk to 1000 Tk and for mobile postpaid connection, it's 50 Tk to 2500 Tk. Consecutive Top-Up transactions to the same Mobile Number will be allowed after 15 minutes of previous successful Top-up.
A: Any Top-Up and/or Internet Recharge purchased using is not returnable. Your payment is only refundable in the condition that the payment was successfully debited by your bank or payment processor but service has not been provided. If payment is debited and service is provided, there is no refund.
A: If you are not able to pay with your card, please contact with your respective bank to find out whether your card is enabled for online e-commerce transaction. You can request your bank to enable it for transaction by contacting the following numbers.


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How do you create a better world?
You ENVISION It! THE VISION ALIGNMENT PROJECT
After 20 years of working with Intentions and Conscious Manifestation we have learned that one of the most powerful things we can do is to envision the end result from the beginning and align our visions with others. With this in mind, we've created The Vision Alignment Project.
The Vision Alignment Project is free. You will receive a short email every other day with a Vision or Intention that you can align with by hitting a "Yes! I align with this Vision." Button. We have been keeping track of the number of people who have aligned with our Visions and we reached our original goal of 1,000,000 Alignments even faster than we expected! Now, we're celebrating!! We've recently reached 3,000,000 Alignments!, and as a result we are thinking even bigger and intending that we hit the 4,000,000 and 5,000,000 Alignments marks in the days ahead. We know that each time you align with a positive ideal, you are consciously contributing to the creation of it, and that each person aligning with these Visions moves us all one step closer to bringing them to life.
Sign Up NowIt's FREE!
When you sign up for The Vision Alignment Project, you will:
IMPORTANT! We are making this Project available to the world at a time when it is needed most; at a time when it will have its greatest impact. These Visions and Intentions are something that anyone can easily align themselves with. By hitting the "YES! I Align with this Vision." Button after reading each Vision, you bring us all that much closer to reaching the critical mass so many of us long for. By the same token, you can contribute even more by telling your friends about The Vision Alignment Project. It helps greatly when you forward your favorite Visions to your list of friends through your email program.
~ Here's what a few people had to say about our recent Visions ~
"Dear Tony Burroughs and Richard Blackstone.
Thank you for the Vision Alignment Project. You are Beautiful, Innocent Beings of Light and, I think you are making one of the most powerful differences - if not the most powerful difference on the planet, today."
Marianne FriendUnited Kingdom
To Tony and all at this site:
"This Vision Alignment Project is magnificent. It is what I have believed in and intended since I began to use the Internet.
I don't have to create the site. It's already done! I intend for 1,000,000 people to join NOW!"
Bright Blessings from Will Magnus(TwoHawk Speaking for White Eagle)
"I just wanted to say THANK YOU for the Vision Alignment Project!!!! I know about envisioning things the way we want them on the earth and that it's good to do but......I just couldn't discipline myself to do it as often as I would like. Getting the Vision Projects in my email has it made it so much easier, and also knowing that I'm not the only one envisioning certain things lets me know it's going to happen. I feel finally, that I can make a difference. Thanks so much!!!"
Rita Montague
"I just Loved your fun video of visions from down home. You Rock!"
Lisa Lambert
"I just want to say thank you very much for your emails, they are changing my life and mindset for the better. They are in synchronicity with whats going on in my life and being currently, It's truly a miracle!Thanks, you are God sent! Blessings to you always!."
Gcinani Mtoba
"Thank you for the current newsletter. I read it June 8. This issue was especially on point and beautifully touched on so many things I've been facing the last few weeks. It is nice to know I'm in sync with the universal/human flow. God Bless you all, who make this happen. Thank you so much. "
Lisa Hotchkiss
"I'm so excited! For weeks, to everyone in earshot, I've been raving about The Intenders Bridge online series and even more recently about the Intenders books I've been reading."
Jane SibbettLos Angeles, CA
"I have noticed that you are doing a vision for the Gulf of Mexico. I live in Israel and as you must well know....things are heating up pretty well around here and honestly, I am wondering if I could ask you if we could do a request for a vision to find a way for peace in this region and between the people in Palestine and Israelis.......is that something you would consider . . . gathering all those with positive intention to do something as global as we can? An intention that could change history?
Thank you so much for all you offer, I have and keep benefitting enormously from it!
Shalom and Love to you all"
Avivit DimorGivataim, Israel
THE QUICKER THEY WILL BECOME A REALITY FOR ALL OF US"The Vision Alignment Project is one of the most rewarding thingsI have ever had the honor to be a part of."
~ Tony Burroughs
co-founder, The Intenders of the Highest Good


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Bank failures: 13 in 2009Now the FDIC has a snowball that's growing larger and larger on their hands. Anybody else see where this is heading?
Closures in Nebraska, Florida, Illinois and Oregon bring the number of bank failures to 13 this year as the financial crisis continues to roll.
By Kenneth Musante, CNNMoney.com staff writer
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Four banks folded Friday, bringing the total number of banks to fail this year to 13.
Deposits at Sherman County Bank, based in Loup City, Neb., the first bank in the state to fail since 1990, will be taken over by Heritage Bank, based in Wood River, Neb., according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
Meanwhile, accounts held by Riverside Bank of the Gulf Coast based in Cape Coral, Fla., will be assumed by TIB Bank based in Naples, Fla., the FDIC said. It is the second bank to fail in Florida this year and the fourth to go under in that state since the economic crisis unfurled.
Corn Belt Bank and Trust Company, based in Pittsfield, Ill., the third bank to fail in the state since January 2008, was also shuttered by state regulators, and its deposits were turned over to The Carlinville National Bank out of Carlinville, Ill.
Pinnacle Bank, Beaverton, Oregon, was closed by the Oregon Division of Finance and Corporate Securities. The FDIC entered into an agreement with Washington Trust Bank, Spokane, Washington, to assume all of the deposits of Pinnacle Bank.
Customers who banked with Sherman County Bank, Riverside, Corn Belt Bank, or Pinnacle Bank will automatically become customers of the new owners, and will retain their account protection under the FDIC, which insures single accounts up to $250,000, and joint accounts up to $500,000, the government agency said.
Due to the Presidents Day holiday on Monday, Sherman County Bank's four branches, Riverside's nine branches, and Corn Belt Bank's two, will reopen on Tuesday as branches of the new deposit holders, the agency said.
Over the three-day weekend, those customers will be able to use checks, ATMs and debit cards as normal. Customers who have taken out loans from a failed bank should continue to make regular payments, the FDIC said.
Sherman County Bank held assets worth about $129.8 million, and held deposits worth about $85.1 million, as of Feb. 12, the FDIC said. Heritage Bank has agreed to purchase about $21.8 million of Sherman County Bank's assets.
Riverside Bank held assets worth about $539 million, and held deposits worth about $424 million, as of December last year, the FDIC said. TIB Bank will not assume $142.6 million worth of brokered deposits held by Riverside Bank, but agreed to buy $125 million of Riverside's assets.
Corn Belt Bank carried assets worth about $271.8 million, with deposits of $234.4 million, according to the agency. Carlinville National will not take on $92 million of Corn Belt's brokered deposits, but would buy $60.7 million of Corn Belt's assets, the FDIC said.
Pinnacle Bank had total assets of approximately $73 million and total deposits of $64 million. In addition to assuming all of the deposits of the failed bank, including those from brokers, Washington Trust Bank agreed to purchase approximately $72 million in assets at a discount of $7.6 million, the FDIC announced late Friday.
Altogether, the bank failures announced Friday will cost the FDIC about $341.6 million.
The unfolding financial crisis continues to take a toll on banks. If banks continue to fail at a rate of at least one per week, on average, then 2009 could see twice as many failures as in 2008. Last year, 25 banks were closed nationwide, which was the highest annual total since 1993, when 42 banks went under.
Economists expect the number of failed banks to continue rising this year, as the financial crisis plays out and the economic outlook remains dark.
Disposing of Assets of Failed Banks Tests F.D.I.C.Perhaps a moment of silence is fitting for the fallen? Or should we just place "naked" bets on the number of bank failures there will be this year?
By ERIC LIPTON
Published: February 13, 2009
WASHINGTON — When regulators took over the First National Bank of Nevada last year, they faced a showdown with the Terrible Herbst, the mustachioed cowboy who boasts of being the "best bad man in the West."
This was no real gunslinger, but the name and logo of a chain of gas stations and convenience stores in Nevada that feature slot machines next to candy and beer.
The family-owned Herbst chain, auditors at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation concluded, did not generate enough sales at its Reno-area gas stations to support the repayment of a loan, leaving auditors with three bad choices: Move to take over those stations and put the government in the gambling business. Cut off any flow of additional loan money. Or sell the loan at a steep loss.
The F.D.I.C. faces tough choices like this every day as it struggles to manage $15 billion worth of loans and property left from failed banks. If still-to-be-sold assets from IndyMac Bancorp of California, whose demise last year was the fourth-largest bank failure, are included, the number jumps to $40 billion.
The F.D.I.C. inherited the collection of loans and property after the failure of 25 banks in 2008, compared to just three in 2007. Thirteen more have failed this year, including four on Friday night, and no one doubts that more are on the way.
The F.D.I.C., which insures bank deposits and ultimately has responsibility for liquidating failed banks, is selling hundreds of millions of dollars worth of loans through eBay-like auction sites.
DebtX of Boston and First Financial Network of Oklahoma City, for instance, sell loans at auction to investors who typically pay 5 cents to 85 cents for each dollar of outstanding principal, according to Bliss A, Morris, First Financial's president. It is unloading hundreds of houses across the country at bargain basement prices.
In November, Lula Smith, 86, of Kansas City, Mo., bought a two-bedroom house across the street from her home for $4,000, one-tenth of its value two years ago.
"I am real satisfied with that price, yes sir," she said, adding that after about $1,000 in additional costs to repair the house, and some new carpet, her son and daughter-in-law will move in. "It was a nice little deal, indeed."
And — in the most closely watched tactic — the F.D.I.C. is negotiating a series of billion-dollar deals with private equity partners who will take over huge batches of loans in exchange for a chunk of the sale proceeds.
Even as the solutions to the financial crisis are debated in Congress and among economists, the F.D.I.C., one of the agencies that deals most closely with the nation's banks, has already been transformed.
The rising tide of foreclosed real estate is so overwhelming that the agency, which had shrunk to a relatively tiny 4,800 employees from as many as 15,000 in the last period of bank meltdowns in the 1990s, is in the midst of a military-scale buildup as it undertakes one of the greatest fire sales of all time.
The agency is frantically calling in retirees and holding job fairs, looking to hire as many as 1,500 people. It has rented a high-rise office building in Irvine, Calif., the new headquarters for a West Coast branch of 450 employees who are wrestling with a real estate crisis in one of the hardest-hit regions. It is also budgeted to pay hundreds of millions of dollars for a small army of contractors to augment its staff. "We are trying to be ready for the inevitable," said Mitchell L. Glassman, director of the F.D.I.C.'s division of resolutions and receiverships.
Well, we got tired of "Another one Bites the Dust" and last week we had "Dust in the Wind," perhaps it's time for these banks and their fiat money to "Ride Across the River to the Other Side?"
Dire Straits – Ride Across the River:


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Starting from curiosity, she tried. Unfortunately, it was delicious taste that people say. These are powerful recognition Popular models that are ready to make your heart beat faster.
Among her friends, she is known as queen sexy clothes. Almost every day-tight clothes attached to a minimum is always blend perfectly accented by the seductive curves of her body. But, do not try to seduce a way to touch a woman named Silvia Vee is complete. If this happens, he's ready to confront a ferocious face. "Although often look sexy, I do not like to be treated most insolent. If it's just flirting is fine, but if you've played dab, I direct face him with a sadistic view'll be afraid, "said the friendly woman who was seriously called Vee.
Vee confess, though fond of dress sexy, she still did not want to sound cheap. "I like to dress sexy for my body a little. If you wear big clothes, my body could 'sink'. I purposely put faces to the guy who mupeng fierce, so he reluctantly as I am. Hence most of the guys around me really appreciate it and just admire it with my sexy body, without much purpose, "she warned.
With physical teasing and captivating face, actually has a chance Vee big for success in the entertainment world. Moreover, she felt had the talent and interest in this field. Unfortunately, his parents forbade him jump as entertainers. In the limit of old-fashioned, her parents only wanted him to work as an office.
"I was frustrated with the restrictions my parents. But what may make, I also do not want to disappoint them. So, I followed this session photos secretly. According to them appearing on television only considered to have sold well, let alone like this? "She half whispered naughty little snickered, showing rows of clean white teeth.
In addition to playing 'cat and mouse' with parents, such a restriction restrictions should be placed firmly making Vee modeling as a hobby not a profession. "I'm just fun-fun course. Actually, I got surprised when asked Popular for bikini because I have never being photographed like this. But yes, never mind just having fun, please just, "she offered with no load. Nih Quicklist never sexy photos? "Yes, if it's just a personal collection I have. For example while on holiday to Bali with friends. In essence, yes just fun, not because they want to publish. "Feeling lucky? Yes, We Are!
Sex Experience
There's a first for something. Vee, too. That is, in the affairs of the bed, this beautiful eyed woman claimed to have tasted it. In fact he had just done it a few months ago. In a way, she had taken off her virginity to a lover who is now the ex. Strangely, all that is not based on the passionate desire, but my curiosity is always terrorizing her mind.
So, curious story? "Yeah, because my friends have never done it and said it was very delicious. So I'm curious want to try, "explained a woman who also sang this hobby. So how does it feel? "Not bad. Sick! "She said.
According to Vee, even his friends admitted sex addiction, not so with him. After that first experience, she has been repeated several times, though not often. Unfortunately, until this moment did not yet feel pleasure as heralded her friends. "I do not know what because I'm less excited about sex?" She asked in return.


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One of former Speaker Tom Craddick's key lieutenants endorsed House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, for re-election Wednesday.
State photo
Rep. Beverly Woolley, R-Houston
Rep. Beverly Woolley, R-Houston, said Straus will "manage the House effectively" and help pass conservative legislation.
Some conservative groups have tried to mobilize opposition to Straus' re-election. Woolley's conservative credentials will soften some of that opposition.
"After a frank and open meeting with Speaker Straus, I am convinced he is committed to governing as a strong conservative during the 82nd session. As lifelong Republicans, the Speaker and I share steadfast beliefs in limited government, fiscal responsibility and low taxes; beliefs that are fundamental to the majority of my constituents," Woolley said.
Straus said he's "honored to have Beverly's support as we work together to address our state's most important challenges during the upcoming legislative session."
Woolley is long time Republican and community activist serving her eighth term in the Texas House of Representatives.


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Why You are Charged Hefty Bank Fees
No one likes bank fees. So why do banks charge them, taking the risk of alienating their customers?
Continue Reading Below
The simple answer is that banks aren't not-for-profit businesses, says Sandy McCraren, president of Highland Park Bank and Trust, a community bank in Highland Park, Ill.
"It's not because in banks there is a we-have-to-fee-everybody mentality," McCraren says. "So whereas, we would love to be able to give everything free, we can't. It costs money to deliver those products."
Costs include keeping the lights on and temperature comfortable inside the bank's buildings, providing the hardware and software that make it convenient for customers to move their money, and giving customers the information, answers and attention they need, McCraren says.
"It's as simple as (a customer saying), 'My daughter is studying abroad and lost her debit card. What are we going to do?' and we say, 'Don't worry, we will handle it.' Or it's talking to (a customer) who comes in with a will after someone has passed away and says, 'Help me,'" she says.
Regulatory burden
Institutions also charge bank fees because government regulations have curtailed their other sources of income and raised their costs of compliance, says Carol Kaplan, a spokeswoman for the American Bankers Association, a banking industry group in Washington, D.C.
Examples of recent regulations include the following.
- The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which was approved in 2010, hit financial companies with hundreds of complicated new rules and regulations, and some still must be implemented.
- The Durbin Amendment to Dodd-Frank capped the fees banks can charge retailers to process debit card purchases.
- A Federal Reserve rule allows banks to charge customers overdraft fees for debit card transactions, only if the customer opts in to that service.
"All those new regulations that resulted from the financial crisis have decreased revenue and increased costs," Kaplan says.
In some cases, increased bank fees can mean more services.
For example, Kaplan cites ATMs. The proliferation of ATMs slowed in the mid-1990s, but after fees were introduced, the number of ATMs at retailers, airports, sports arenas and other nonbank locations jumped, she says.
"The fees make ATMs profitable, so there are going to be more of them. If the banks aren't making money on them, they're going to reduce the number because it becomes an expense," she says.
Minimum balances
Kaplan also points out that most people pay little or nothing for banking services. In fact, she says, it's "perfectly reasonable to think that someone can find a bank account that's free."
Even so, some banks waive monthly account fees if the customer maintains a minimum balance or makes a minimum number of direct deposits.
Bankrate's 2012 Checking Survey found the average monthly maintenance fee for a noninterest-bearing checking account rose to a record high $5.48 in 2012, an increase of 25% over 2011. But some banks will waive that fee if account holders average a certain minimum balance, which has been rising in recent years.
According to the 2012 Bankrate survey, you have to keep an average of $723.02 in your account to avoid a monthly fee, up 23% from 2011.
Some banks are pushing required minimums much higher -- in some cases, as high as $5,000, says Eben Jose, an industry research analyst with IBISWorld.
Customers might wonder why some banks waive fees for minimum balances or direct deposits to accounts.
Nessa Feddis, ABA vice president, says minimum account balances enable banks to earn interest from lending activities while direct deposits support higher balances and suggest the customer might be inclined to utilize other banking services.
"Because an account with a higher balance earns a higher return, that account is better able to cover the costs of providing the checking account service," Feddis says. "Similarly, direct deposit means the balances will be maintained to a certain degree and the customer is more likely to use the bank as a primary bank, not just for a checking account, improving the chances that the customer will be profitable."
Banks to blame, too
Big institutions aren't without some blame for bank fees rising. They're also struggling with high costs.
Mike Moebs, CEO of Moebs Services, an economic research firm in Lake Bluff, Ill., told Consumer Reports in February last year that banks with assets of about $50 billion or more have exceeded their optimal level of efficiency. It costs a megabank $350 to $450 to maintain a checking account annually compared to $175 to $240 for community banks and credit unions.
Hidden bank fees
Susan Weinstock, director of Pew's Safe Checking in the Electronic Age Project at The Pew Charitable Trusts center in Washington, D.C., says bank fees should not only be reasonable, but also clearly and openly disclosed.
"The problem with a lot of bank fees is that they're hidden, so consumers don't know until after they've incurred them. If they rely on paper statements, they may not know about a fee they've incurred for weeks until the statement comes in the mail," Weinstock says. "We know from other research we've done that hidden fees can push people out of the banking system."
And that's potentially a loss for the consumer as well as the bank.
Copyright 2013, Bankrate Inc.


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Victoria Mason has been a professional book writer since 1995. Since starting out she has written and had numerous books published on popular topics. The following is a list of her work:
• Sewing Tutorials for Beginners – Learn How to Sew On a Sewing Machine Today! You Published
• Real Estate Investing for Beginners – 'How to Invest Wisely On Your First Property WITHOUT LOSING YOUR SHIRT! You Published
• Valentine's Day Ideas - Romantic Tips for Adding That Extra Zing For That Someone Special! You Published
• The Last Cigarette? - How to Stop Smoking and Quit The Habit For Good! - An Idiots Guide to Better Health and Wellness You Published
• What to Expect When Pregnant - Week by Week! - A Week By Week Guide to the Ups, Downs, and Common Experiences of Pregnancy You Published
• The Parenting Bible - A Guide for Overcoming Challenges and Building A Healthy & Happy Family! You Published
• How to Make Him or Her Fall in Love with You! A Handbook to Winning in the Game of Dating and Relationships You Published
• Gardening with Success - Quick Tips and Ideas for Having a BEAUTIFUL Garden ALL YEAR Long! You Published
• Natural Beauty Tips and Advice - How to Be Beautiful on a Budget and Look Your Best EVERYDAY! You Published
• All about Breast Feeding - The Absolute Beginners Guide to Breastfeeding Your Baby! You Published
• The Dog Training How to Guide - Basic Facts on Dogs You Need to Know Before You Bring One Home! You Published
• The Scrapbooking How to Guide - Ideas for Scrapbooking and Turning Moments into Memories! You Published
• Christmas Ideas for the Whole Family - Ideas for Gifts, Decorating, Parties and More!


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Books, books, books. Journals, conference proceedings, technical reports, e-resources. And lots more.
You might wonder why a library wants to contribute to the Day of Archaeology and what our relevancy might be. But libraries, especially specialist libraries like the UCL Institute of Archaeology, are vital for archaeological research and have been part of archaeology since the beginning – the Society of Antiquaries Library was founded in 1751! Researchers – students, academic staff, commercial researchers and even interested members of the general public – come to libraries to find the factual information and the theoretical frameworks that drive and structure their work. It's also here that the final published results of excavations and fieldwork – site reports – end up!
So if you want to find out a little bit more about what we do and what our customers use our facilities to research, read on!
Our day…
My day starts at 8.30 a.m. I have an hour before the library opens and I usually take this time to open up, sort out the 'reshelving' (books used in the library or returned during the previous day) and have a look round for any problems, potential areas of work or to get ideas about how to improve our working space and collections. Ian, one of our shelvers, has been working on periodicals (journals) 'weeding' and created some extra space for both the periodicals and the
Edwards Egyptology Library. I work through the Egyptology collection, assessing where we need to shift the books to leave space for growth – I estimate we have space for 3-5 years' growth overall that can be distributed amongst the shelves. Most humanities and social sciences research libraries have space problems and we're no exception. Because so many of our books and journals are used for research as well as teaching, we can't send older material to Stores, as it needs to be on the shelves for researchers to consult. We're trying to make space where possible by sending journals that are also available electronically to Stores – 'weeding them'. Electronic access means that we can still provide access to key resources, but we don't have to have them physically on the shelves.
Yu-ju Lin and Paul Majewski, two of our library assistants, arrive and the library opens at 9.30 a.m. Paul starts work on the virtual exhibitions page we're building to accompany a Friends of the Petrie Museum exhibition that will be opening in the library in September.
Yu-ju goes out to look for missing books. In a library with over 70,000 books and 800 periodical sets (I've no idea how many actual individual volumes of these we have!) books can easily become mislaid. So shelf tidying and looking for books reported missing to us each week is a vital part of our work. It's a good day – she finds an important missing book needed by the Ancient History department straight away.
I look through my emails and answer any enquiries. These can be from our current students and staff about their library records and our collections, but also from other researchers asking about our archive material (which is held by UCL Special Collections), staff and students from other universities asking about using our collections or from members of the public who just want answers to archaeological questions. There aren't too many today, so I start working through our Accessions List (the list of new books that have arrived in the library that month) highlighting some for our Ancient World/Archaeology blog. Once I've done this, I continue some on-going work with free online journals. I have a long list of free electronic resources from AWOL (Ancient World Online) that I'm working through looking for digital duplicates of our paper resources. Where possible, we try to always provide digital access to resources – students and staff can get to the 24/7 and pressure on our paper copies – both in terms of use and preservation (general state of repair) – is lessened.
Ricky Estwick comes with our delivery of mail from elsewhere in UCL Library Services. Although we're a library in our own right, we're also part of UCL Library Services and our work flows and patterns fit in to the larger structure of the organisation. We don't for example, do our own cataloguing. This is done in a central cataloguing unit to ensure standardisation across UCL's library collections and so our material is in line with global information standards. Ricky brings books and periodicals that have arrived for us from different libraries, as well as materials from cataloguing, acquisitions and Stores.
Scott Stetkiewicz comes to the Issue Desk to ask about obtaining materials from Scottish excavations for his MSc dissertation on slag analysis. We have a look through the resources available in the library and online through English Heritage, the Archaeological Data Service and Heritage Gateway.
Stuart Brookes comes in to borrow books for his project 'landscapes of governance: assembly sites in England, 5th – 11th centuries'. (more…)


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Most of the people visiting Sivota (previous name: Mourtos), and they are many since Sivota is the most important touristic resort in Thesprotia, stay only near beaches. Nevertheless, the rest of the area is also equally interesting.
From the south side of the settlement starts a beautiful route which includes the abandoned Vrachona settlement (Vrachana) and Polineri village (Koutsi). Because the area is full of rural roads most of the route follows them. Hikers' effort is paid back with the beautiful view of Sivota islets and Corfu in the background.
The surprise is in Vrachona, where the deserted houses become one with the imposing rocky scenery. The few olive trees, almond trees and the big plane trees are not enough to not soften the dry outline of the plain.
After Vrachona, in one km approximately, where a wooden kiosk stands, leave the rural road behind and turn left to Polineri. The scenery changes once you reach the top. From here you can see Plataria plain and its villages built on the slopes. The old path that you follow to go down to Polineri has a big bent but very good marking.
The medieval triangular castle distinguishes on the west side of a naturally fortified location which used to be an ancient fortified settlement. In certain points the ancient polygonal walls are still preserved in great height and still impress with their perfection of their construction.
Under the castle, in an impenetrable area, lies "Lefka" cave opened in the limestone rocks of the area. The decoration of the cave is very beautiful and impressive but as no efforts have been done up to now to explore it we suggest to visit only its remarkable entrance.
In the village you can find taverns with local meat and agrotourism accommodation. If you have had enough of Sivota beaches we suggest you take the opposite route, having as a base Polineri...
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