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Editor's note (September 18, 2014): The Kindle Fire HD 8.9 reviewed here is now discontinued. Check out the replacement 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HDX tablet here.
Editor's note (September 25, 2013): The Kindle Fire HD 8.9 is still available; however, there are new Kindle Fire options including the new Kindle Fire HDX 8.9.
Editor's note (March 15, 2013): On March 13, 2013, Amazon cut the starting prices of both the Wi-Fi and 4G versions of the Kindle Fire HD 8.9. The Wi-Fi version now starts at $269 (down from $299), and the 4G version's new starting price is $399 (down from $499). Some text in our review has been changed to reflect this, but the tablet's rating remains unaltered.
If you're interested in purchasing a Kindle Fire, know that the Fire HD 8.9 is the version to get. It has a large 1,920x1,200-pixel-resolution screen that facilitates Amazon's current Kindle Fire interface better than the 7-incher. Also, its faster processor makes for a much smoother and zippier experience.
The Fire HD 8.9's unique screen size lands in between the 7.9-inch iPad Mini and the 9.7-inch iPad. While the iPad Mini carries with it the trump card advantage of Apple's ecosystem and industry-leading App Store, the Fire HD 8.9's lower pricing, superior streaming capability, and higher-resolution screen make it a better deal if you're looking for a media consumption device. Especially if you're an Amazon Prime member. The Mini does have speedier performance and as mentioned, many more app options, however.
The fourth-generation iPad is still the ultimate premium tablet. Its performance in just about everything beats all other tablets, and it's the best doorway to the most and highest-quality apps you can find on any mobile device. But, the Fire HD 8.9 has superior video-streaming prowess and is also a lot cheaper than the iPad in both Wi-Fi (starting at $269) and 4G LTE (starting at $399) models.
I should also note that Barnes & Noble offers the 9-inch Nook HD+ for $269 as well, with a slightly higher-resolution screen than the Fire HD's as well as expandable storage. The Nook ecosystem however isn't as mature, nor is its app store as well-stocked as Amazon's. There's also no 4G version of the Nook HD+.
The Fire HD 8.9's $269 entry price is a fantastic deal, as the content and services Amazon provides are well worth the price. It's not as versatile as the iPad or Nexus 10, but it's the best version of the Kindle Fire yet and the best media consumption tablet out there.
The Amazon Kindle Fire HD's (Wi-Fi: $269 for 16GB, $299 for 32GB; 4G: $399 for 32GB, $499 for 64GB) design feels more at home with an 8.9-inch screen, compared to the 7-inch version. As a larger tablet, the Fire HD 8.9 better facilitates the Kindle Fire's new operating system and its faster processor produces much smoother navigation.
|Kindle Fire HD 8.9
|Apple iPad (third generation)
|Google Nexus 10
|Weight in pounds
|Width in inches (landscape)
|Height in inches
|Depth in inches
|Side bezel width in inches (landscape)
Beveled bottoms are the new hotness -- for tablets, anyway. From the Nexus 7 to the iPad, and Microsoft's Surface tablet, beveled bottoms are to 2012 what legitimately thin form factors were to 2011. Beveled bottoms have the power to make a tablet look thinner than it actually is. The Fire HD 8.9 is actually thinner than the current iPad and matches the Nexus 10's profile length.
The tablet is dark gray and looks fairly plain, with a tablet-wide black strip on the back as the only real distinguishing aesthetic trait. In the middle of the top portion of the bezel sits a 720p Web chat camera with a nearly invisible ambient light sensor sitting to its left. The bezel itself is surrounded by an outer plastic shell for added protection.
Along the bottom edge directly in the middle are Micro-USB and a Micro-HDMI ports. On the right edge, from top to bottom, are a headphone jack, volume rocker, and the power/sleep button. Both the volume rocker and power/sleep button sit flush with the tablet's body, making them difficult to find without looking. Sitting alone on the top edge is a microphone pinhole.
The back is smooth and not nearly as grippy as the Nexus 10's rubbery back. Dual inch-long speaker grilles adorn the Fire HD 8.9's back at the far left and right sides, continuing to the tablet's right and left edges.
For some strange, ill-conceived reason, Amazon chose not to include an actual power adapter with the Kindle Fire HD 8.9 and instead supplied only a Micro-USB-to-USB cable. While the tablet will charge when connected to a plugged-in computer, it will do so very slowly and only when asleep. Thankfully, if you own the original Fire (or pretty much any Micro-USB-to-power adapter), its charger should be compatible with the Kindle Fire HD 8.9.
Software features: The refining
Since the debut of the original Kindle Fire, Amazon has completely redesigned the interface. The new interface debuted first on the Kindle Fire HD and Kindle Fire (2012) and hasn't changed at all here. It still feels streamlined and mature, eschewing the toylike quality the original interface had. On the 8.9, images and text are even sharper, thanks its 1,920x1,200-pixel resolution and high contrast. The carousel interface is still here, but scrolls faster and looks smoother, with app icons rendered in sharp, less pixely forms. Apps can be removed from the carousel at will and/or added to favorites, which appear at the bottom of the screen, negating the need to scroll through your entire catalog to find the app you want.
Newsstand, Books, Music, Videos, Docs, Apps, and Web return as top-of-the-screen content tab options and have now been joined by Shop, Games, Audiobooks, Photos, and Offers. Search returns as well and now allows you to search in Amazon's stores in addition to the Web and your own library.
Settings can be accessed with a quick swipe down from the top bezel and now feature more options for social network integration, more customization, and tighter security. Within each content tab are the very useful cloud and device denotations at the top that help identiify which pieces of content are on the Fire HD or currently in the cloud.
There are problems, though. As streamlined as the interface is, at times it serves only to illustrate how much better it could be. After entering a content tab, you can't travel directly to another and must instead tap back and choose a new selection. I would have loved to see a more elegant solution that allows carousel options to always be available onscreen.
Software features: The newening
The streamlined interface isn't Amazon's only accomplishment here; it has added several new features to further set the Fire HD 8.9 apart from other tablets.
With X-Ray for Books you can get more information about characters, terms, and historical figures mentioned in a Kindle book, and it also highlights exactly where (via page number and a graph) in the book those details are mentioned and can jump right to the appropriate page. Definitely useful, but the ability to search for specific terms should be at the top of Amazon's to-do list when the time comes to revise this feature.
X-Ray for Movies is frankly a lot less useful, as it's essentially an integrated IMDb feature that provides access to actor bios while you watch the movie. Just tap the screen while watching "The Avengers," for example, and a drop-down menu of the actors who are in the current scene appears. Select whichever actor you're interested in, and as long as that person is actually listed in IMDb, you'll have access to his or her bio. Impressively, this works in real time, adding and removing people from the list as they enter and exit scenes. It's not compatible with all movies yet, and I've yet to see it featured in any of the TV shows I've watched on the device.
Immersion reading uses the audio and Kindle versions of a single book and combines them to create an experience currently not reproducible on any other tablet. As the text is read by the original audiobook reader, each word is highlighted on the Kindle book version, allowing you to follow along bouncing-ball-style (well, sans an actual bouncing ball) with the story. It takes a bit of getting used to, but can be appealing for audiobook fans like myself who love to listen but want to retain the actual experience of reading as well.


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24-hour preschool television channel Sprout, First Lady Michelle Obama and LazyTown have teamed up to promote active, healthy lifestyles for preschoolers with a series of new Let's Move! public service announcements, produced by Sprout and designed specifically for children ages 2-5 and their families. The three PSAs, filmed in the East Room of The White House, feature First Lady Michelle Obama, Chica the Chicken, host of Sprout's hit The Sunny Side Up Show, and larger-than-life action hero Sportacus from the popular LazyTown series, which can be seen every day on Sprout at 2:00 p.m. ET and every Saturday morning on the new NBC Kids block (check local listings for times).
"Kids need 60 minutes of physical activity each day to grow up healthy and strong," said First Lady Michelle Obama. "That's why it's so important that kids get an early start on being active. Sportacus, Chica, and all their friends at Sprout are helping us inspire our kids to get moving at an early age and have fun doing it, which will help them build good habits to last a lifetime."
Debuting on Sprout today during "Good Sport Week" and in celebration of the upcoming 2012 Summer Olympic Games, the Let's Move! PSAs focus on promoting physical activity, healthy eating, the importance of play, and making simple lifestyle changes that can make a big difference. The overall goal of the campaign is to create meaningful ways of empowering parents of preschoolers to partner with their kids in joining the Let's Move! movement, launched by First Lady Michelle Obama to solve the problem of childhood obesity within a generation. The PSAs will also begin airing on NBC on July 28 during NBC Kids, a new Saturday morning block programmed by Sprout and designed specifically to address the developmental needs of preschool-aged children.
"We are honored to collaborate with the First Lady on this campaign," said Sandy Wax, president of Sprout. "Our PSAs focus on the importance of play, which not only supports an active, healthy lifestyle, but also plays a critical role in early childhood development in the areas of social skills, problem solving, language and interpersonal skills. Something as simple as playing together can make a huge difference… and what better way to share this message with parents than through theLet's Move! initiative and our friends at LazyTown with these spots that will reach millions of families across the country on Sprout and NBC."
The three Let's Move! PSAs are:
· "Remember Play" – 60-second parent-directed spot that opens with a series of images showcasing adults having fun playing games that they loved as children, including riding a tricycle and hopscotch. The scene cuts to First Lady Michelle Obama in the East Room of the White House playing a game of "Duck, Duck, Chicken" with Chica the Chicken, Sportacus, preschoolers and their parents. The First Lady delivers a message about the fun and importance of families getting active for 60 minutes a day.
· "Duck, Duck, Chicken" – 30-second kid-directed spot that opens with the game of "Duck, Duck, Chicken" with First Lady Michelle Obama, Chica the Chicken, Sportacus, preschoolers and their parents. The First Lady reminds kids how important it is to play for at least an hour a day.
· "Chicken Reporter" – 30-second and 60-second versions featuring Chica the Chicken interviewing First Lady Michelle Obama about her favorite way to be active while she hula hoops with preschoolers and Sportacus.
"It was a special honor to be part of the PSAs with the First Lady," said Magnus Scheving, who founded LazyTown and appears as Sportacus in the spots. "As someone who has been working for almost twenty years to motivate children to lead healthier lifestyles, I'm of the firm belief that good eating and exercising habits need to start as early as possible. Mrs. Obama is very sincere in her mission to help kids and families become more active."
Sprout's prosocial initiative, 'Kindness Counts' – which launched last year in August 2011 – is providing the overall framework for this new initiative in conjunction withLet's Move! and LazyTown. In celebration, Sprout will focus the second year of "Kindness Counts" on being kind to your body with a special web destination onSproutOnline.com, including helpful content for parents, as well as inspirational and fun activities for families to do together. The page will link to the Let's Move!website.
About Sprout®
Available in over 50 million homes, Sprout is the first 24-hour preschool destination available on TV, on demand and online for children ages 2-5 and their parents and caregivers. The 24-hour digital channel, which launched in September 2005 along with the website (SproutOnline.com), is the only channel that follows the day of a preschooler from breakfast to bedtime with its distinctive, interactive programming and original hosted blocks. Sprout's VOD offering is the #1 on demand service for younger children with over one billion views.
Sprout is a partnership among NBCUniversal, PBS, Sesame Workshop and Apax Funds. Its program lineup of gold-standard, curriculum-based preschool shows includes: Sesame Street®, Bob the Builder™, Barney & Friends™, The Wiggles®, Caillou®, Pajanimals™, Thomas & Friends™, LazyTown™, and more.
About Let's Move!
Let's Move! is a comprehensive initiative, launched by the First Lady, dedicated to solving the challenge of childhood obesity within a generation, so that children born today will grow up healthier and able to pursue their dreams. Combining comprehensive strategies with common sense, Let's Move! is about putting children on the path to a healthy future during their earliest months and years. Giving parents helpful information and fostering environments that support healthy choices. Providing healthier foods in our schools. Ensuring that every family has access to healthy, affordable food. And, helping kids become more physically active.
About LazyTown
LazyTown is a children's entertainment brand dedicated to promoting health and wellbeing in a fun way. This is its unique selling point, and by remaining committed to this, LazyTown Entertainment has been able to develop the brand with integrity and authenticity. Today, the high-definition television series consists of 53 LazyTown episodes, and 26 LazyTown Extra episodes produced with the BBC, and is currently broadcast in 128 countries. The TV series remains the company's core asset, and it continues to be broadcast worldwide to a recurring market of pre-school children. LazyTown is on a mission to move the world to be a healthier place. When we get kids moving, we get their families moving. And when families move, we are one step closer to moving the world. Move the body, move the mind, every day. LazyTown Entertainment is a Turner Broadcasting company.

subset: commoncrawl


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Pardon the douchebag title, but I couldn't resist.
I started a new profile and decidet to test a hypothesis, namely, that unlocking content actualy makes the game significantly harder. I've decided unlock / spend money on only the moronicaly broken stuff, and so far it's been going swell.
So far I've unlocked the following, and for the following reasons:
TT and GG. I don't plan on unlocking any other god, as it's not worth it, excet Pactmaker maybe. GG is a piety farm in any hard or vicious dungeon where there are enemies with poison and you have halpmeh, and TT is the best god in the game bar none (while not being obviously broken like GG, or Drac). His piety loss after you get poison is insignificant, you can buy his piety with money (and recycle), his potions are quite nice - he's very damn usefull, and once you have poison and dodge, easy to farm up piety with and get use of all your potions once you get enlightenment. If you've also been thorugh GG's leveling boot camp, he seals the deal. Any other combination of gods doesn't come anywhere near this. I'll get all of them in Gaan'Telet and Naga City anyway, and I guess I don't need any other combo anywhere else.
The four basic ones, obviously, and I also found tinker. This is great as the Thief is broken and takes no investment, and Tinker is even better if I ever need scumming runs. The justification for the rest of the stuff is as follows:
Rogue, Assasin - for the gorgons and bandits, to ensure cheap fodder. I probably didn't need Assasin as I get TT's poison in every run (plus the 10 gold from it), and having the poison glyph around reduces my chances of finding Halpmeh, which in retrospect is akin to shooting yourself in the foot. I don't intend to actually play the rogue (I've unlocked the Monk, if anything needs completing 3-4 times I have better options), and assasin is one of those options, especially after I unlock goblins.
Berserker - got him for free, and for the locker space. It did bring Wraiths into play, but they are not really dangerous, and are ok fodder for GG. I'm not unlocking the warlord, cydstep is / was broken, but I never liked it, and having it clog up my glyph quota is not worth it. Or having goos around unless scripted.
Monk, Paladin - For Monk, see thread title, Paladin was there as a strong class, for getting Halpmeh and making Monk stupidly broken, and I thought having Dragonkin around was ok, I needed some more magic dmg enemies (as I'm not unlocking mysteria, this makes Berserker more viable when I can use him to get money from quests)
Wizard, Sorcerer - I unlocked sorcerer for the goats (more cannon fodder), and for the 2nd generation quest. Also, if I need a decent spellcaster. I don't intend on unocking Bloodmage (i allready got enough degenerate classes), but i might eventually for the fireball magnet preps.
EDIT, New Classes:
Tinker - Because it's free, and also good for scumming quest subdungeons.
Dragonkin - Because Dragon islest turned out to be only moderately challenging for Monk, Paladin and Thief without junk in the shops, with worthwhile godas, items and glyhs available.
Items - Soul Orb, Poison Ward, Gloves of Midas, Agnostics Collar, Dragonshield. I'll get the trisword if possible (can't remember which quest does what - I've accidentaly unlocked Mana Bead thinking for some reason that the quest would give me Elven Boots -.-') I've lockered The Collar, Dragonshield and Sensation Stone, every other item in the game except the trisword and fire heart pales in comparison (and I'll probably locker the heart as it breaks spellcasters, as I most probably won't need the collar).
I won't bother looking for the which, if youre not screwed over by balanced content messing up your game (in other words 80% of the stuff that I didn't unlock and probably won't), you don't need whoopaz, or any other potion messin your shops up. I'll do everything with monk first, grab all the money along the way, then mop up everything else that needs no unlocking useless (erm, balanced) stuff with thief, paladin, assasin and sorcerer, then test the fighter in vicious dungens without the need for wasting enormous amounts of time and gold scumming for all the stuff neccessary to have a shot at being competitive.
Alchemist: Lvl 1 - i never prepared transmutation, and if I have TT in the game I can ussually buy just about anything.
Bank, Blacksmith - Lvl 2 now, I'll try to get them as high as they go. Again, with TT I'm not really having any money problems.
Bazaar - I'll have to think about. Prepping quest items increses my chances of getting the worthless bead (curse you blue bead! ), and reduces my chance to get excellent early game conversion fodder (blood sigil, troll heart) as well as the fine sword. On the other hand, random dwarven gauntlets and elven boots, incresed chance for gloves of midas, agnostics collar and soul orb might be necessary for some end game stuff.
Having useless but exensive crap instead of the gloves, blood sigil, troll heart and such makes the game much harder. If you think about it, getting all 3 is almost as much CP as a conversion scroll (215?), and all that for around 30 gold, and you can pay a part of it back with gloves, AND you can get 7-11 extra HP off of troll heart.
I actually had an easiest time ever completing the Dragon Isles with the monk this way. Preps? Conversion stone and scroll, subdungeon, altar scouting, +10% badge, 35 gold. Found GG and a lvl 4 snake, had absolution at lvl 2, converted to tiki tooki before I uncovered half the map, mopped the floor with the bosses. Guys, these things ARE broken, I've unlocked only 2 gods and found one glyph, and that translated into more than 200 piety on a deity that's considered "stingy" - before I uncovered one third of the map! I whish I'd done a video of it.


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June 1, 2010
The Honorable Diane DeBacker
Commissioner of Education
Kansas State Department of Education
120 SE 10th Avenue
Topeka, Kansas 66612-1182
Dear Commissioner DeBacker:
I am writing in response to Kansas's request to amend its state accountability plan under Title I of the Elementary Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA). Following discussions between the Department and your staff, you made a change to Kansas's accountability plan, which is now included in the amended plan that Kansas submitted to the Department on January 6, 2010. I am pleased to approve Kansas's amended plan, which we will post on the Department1s website. A summary of Kansas's requested amendment is enclosed with this letter. As you know, any further requests to amend Kansas's accountability plan must be submitted to the Department for review and approval as required by section 1111(f)(2) of Title I of the ESEA.
Please also be aware that approval of Kansas's accountability plan for Title I, including the amendment approved herein, does not indicate that the plan complies with Federal civil rights requirements, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
I am confident that Kansas will continue to advance its efforts to hold schools and school districts accountable for the achievement of all students. If you need any additional assistance to implement the standards, assessment, and accountability provisions of the ESEA, please do not hesitate to contact (Vicki firstname.lastname@example.com) or (email@example.com) of my staff.
Thelma Melendez de Santa Ana, Ph.D.
cc: Governor Mark Parkinson
Judi Miller
Amendment to Kansas's Accountability Plan
The following is a summary of Kansas's amendment request. Please refer to the Department's website (www.ed.gov/admins/lead/account/stateplans03/index.html)for Kansas' complete accountability plan.
Including all required student subgroups in adequate yearly progress (AYP) definition, including major racial and ethnic groups (Element 5.1
Revision: Kansas will use the following major racial and ethnic subgroups for data collection and the calculation of AYP: Hispanic/Latino, White, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, Black or African American, Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Multi-Racial. To calculate "safe harbor," if a school or district has a student group for which "safe harbor" applies and there was no such student group in the prior year, Kansas will use whatever number of students in the previous year that were i the subgroup even if it was less than 30. If, as a result with its AYP determination, it may file an appeal and provide supporting data. The type of appeal is only applicable to the 2010 AYP determinations and will be determined on a case-by-case basis.


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Blu-Ray Trailer for Madonna's 'Truth Or Dare' Released
Madonna's 1991 documentary, 'Truth Or Dare,' is being released as a Blu-Ray. Now Madge fans can rejoice in high definition!
"I'm making this movie because I'm not afraid of the truth," Madonna said. Interesting, then, that when offered the actual options of 'Truth or Dare,' she chose the latter!
It's hard to believe that Madonna's film is 21 years old. It shows vulnerable sides of Madonna: her disappointment when she doesn't have any messages, inviting her father to watch her perform. However, it obviously shows the predominantly glamorous side of Madge's life, with celeb cameos including Al Pacino, Mandy Patinkin, Lionel Richie and Sandra Bernhard.
The Blu-Ray hits shelves on April 3, hot on the heels of Madonna's latest album, 'MDNA,' which drops on March 26. It precedes her sold out world tour, which kicks off in Philadelphia this August.
"People think being a star is about being fabulous, being in the spotlight, having your picture taken all the time and having people worship and adore you. Bring rich rich rich, having it all," the Greatest Woman in Music says in a voiceover at the introduction to the clip. "And you know what? They're absolutely right."
Watch Madonna's 'Truth Or Dare' Trailer


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We have information you must know before you buy the Range Rover.
We want to send it to you, along with other pricing insights.
We will not spam you, and will never sell your email. You may unsubscribe at any time.
See used Land Rover Range Rover listings in your area.Used Listings
We have partnered with trusted dealers in your area to give you a great price on the new Land Rover Range Rover.
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I suspect many readers who begin my book think it's all about debunking the Christian myth. I often hear Bishop Spong mentioned and confess it slightly disappoints me.
But I savor the comment of the reader who said my book gave him a clear understanding of the distinction between the Jesus of history and the Christ of faith. This suggests an understanding of religious myth.
I'd like readers to see that religious myths are not lies, not deliberate deceptions. This is important. Another is the distinction between God and external deities. The mythical figures in religious mythologies are God-IMAGES, not the spiritual reality called God.
Almost all our public discourse in the West muddles this distinction. It speaks of God as an external deity, a separate entity, an individual, a humanlike figure with humanlike thoughts.
Leading-edge science suggests these words as better synonyms for "God": Force, Energy, Light, Field, Source, Consciousness, Mind. These also are words mystics have used.
Two different persons recommended a book I haven't read yet, but intend to, because it promises to treat this subject scientifically—The Field by Lynne McTaggart, which describes the zero point quantum energy field. The website is
To understand religious myth, it helps to have a relationship with the nameless Something we call God. This doesn't have to be religious at all. Many mystics have no religious affiliation.
I hope readers go back to my passages about myth in God Is Not Three Guys in the Sky and use my bibliography to continue their study. I close with a quotation emailed to me, the words of Hassidic teacher Avram Davis, taken from a book called The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman.
There is only one God, by which we mean the Oneness that subsumes all categories [the One in the first of the Ten Commandments]. We might call this Oneness the ocean of reality and everything that swims in it.To some this will seem to be nonsense; to others mystical truth.
There is only one "zot," thisness. Zot is a feminine word for "this." The word zot is itself one of the names of God—the thisness of what is.


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As somebody who had to puzzle this out on his own … you are gonna find this article so helpful.
Java Twitter Integration | Javalobby
During my development with Twitter4j, I was stuck with the authentication process. This article is an attempt at easing the use of Twitter4j so that I'll be the only one to face such problems.


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Sarah & Jason Pop Into Mid-century
(Welcome to Molly from Portland. She is one of the bloggers trying out for a place on the Apartment Therapy editorial team, covering different cities in the NW. Comments welcome!)
Name: Sarah and Jason
Location: Portland
Molly sent us a House Call post featuring photos of a super creative and hardworking space - Jason and Sarah run The Wurst Gallery out of their home. Molly writes: Sarah and Jason have put a lot of love into restoring their tri-level mid-century home. They've pulled up the carpets, renovated the bathroom and opened up the kitchen by knocking...
...down a wall. The list of upgrades goes on and on. Though they are intense collectors of art and object, they were able to stay true to their open floor plan by having floor to ceiling display shelving built in their living room!
We've had amazing response to our Apartment Therapy House Tour Submission Form. While we will work with homeowners of our favorite homes to feature full tours, we will also share the best as House Calls — short, quick tours of readers' homes. Submit your home here.


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The headlines this week on the Quincy Public Works Commissioner Daniel Raymondi illegally burning public records – in barrels – after work hours – in the DPW lot – ranged from the jaw-dropping to the absurd.
EDITORIAL – Sunshine Week could not come soon enough. The headlines this week on Quincy Public Works Commissioner Daniel Raymondi illegally burning public records – in barrels after work hours in the DPW lot – ranged from jaw-dropping to absurd. Raymondi destroyed years worth of records without first seeking approval from the Massachusetts secretary of state's office, as required by law. When our reporter couldn't reach Raymondi for comment, he spoke with Mayor Tom Koch's spokesman, who assured him the DPW did have the state's permission and that burning the documents was a less expensive alternative to shredding the them. None of that proved true. Raymondi has since apologized.
"I'll spank myself," Raymondi said with a smile. "The lesson is learned."
Is it?
Those headlines were rivaled only by the one out of West Bridgewater where neither the town nor a former police officer will release the terms of a 2011 settlement agreement between the two parties – even though such agreements can't be kept secret because they involve public employees and public funds. The case revolves around a lawsuit former police officer Thomas Richmond filed in federal court in June 2010, accusing the town of various violations.
At this point, it appears that in both instances all parties were acting out of sheer ignorance of the law. But that's little comfort.
Now in its ninth year, Sunshine Week is a national effort to draw attention to the importance of open government and freedom of information. Our goal when it comes to government at every level is transparency.
Though we continually seek information about how our government works – or doesn't – you, the public, should know you too can take advantage of these laws to learn more about the issues you care about in your communities.
One of the best tools you have for maintaining an open government is the federal Freedom of Information Act. Anyone can file a request for information under this statute. The government cannot ignore it. You may not get all the information you seek, but you won't get much of anything if you don't fight for it.
It's what we and various other media groups have used to force the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to reveal its process for awarding 20 provisional medical marijuana licenses. Without it, the public wouldn't have learned about all of the political jockeying, misrepresentations and various sundry shenanigans associated with it. As a result, Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo and others are calling for a complete do-over.
Quincy and West Bridgewater would do well to observe their own Sunshine Weeks. Quincy Mayor Tom Koch and Town Administrator David Gagne should implement workshops for all town employees, with an emphasis on department heads, to review state regulations on public documents and open meetings. Each head must ensure a mechanism for each department to follow before destroying public records and whenever there's a question about the public's right to know. In fact, we would recommend this to every municipality.
In the meantime, we want to hear from you. We want to know if you've ever had a problem with a town or city meeting, or gaining access to public documents. Email us at firstname.lastname@example.com and share your story.
Remember, government is there to work for you. And we are here to ensure it does.


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Pain & Itachi Uchiha:
Akatsuki | Rain | Rogue Ninja | Jonin | Satoosa | Male | Name: Yahiko | Rinnegan | Sharingan Eye | MASTERY | SQUAD[THE EYES OF PAIN AND PRIDE]
You can Squad this Ninja with just 1 of its listed Ninjas. At the start of the turn, if your Turn Marker is odd, draw 1 card. If your Turn Marker is even, move your opponent's Turn Marker down by 1.
""Know pain."
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The following policies were recommended by the president's office following a study of department chairs conducted by University and campus faculty and administrators. They were approved by the Board of Regents on December 20, 1984, and apply to all department chairs in colleges and schools using the departmental structure.
A. Roles and Responsibilities of the Chair
The Board of Regents and the administration endorse the following statement of roles and responsibilities of chairs developed by the Boulder Faculty Assembly and recommend its use by colleges, schools, and campuses, as appropriate and in conjunction with article 4, Laws of the Regents, 1990, as a vehicle for articulating the roles and responsibilities of the chair.
The Laws of the Regents delegate the development of the working structure of a department to that department in consultation with the appropriate dean. Many departmental administrative structures thus exist, with the chair playing differing roles in each. In some, the chair may have broad authority for independent action; in others, many functions are delegated (to differing extents) to standing or ad hoc committees, which may be appointed or elected. In the case where department rules delegate such responsibility to such committees, the chair has the ultimate responsibility of ensuring that the committees carry out their functions in an equitable, efficient, and timely manner. It is understood in what follows that the duties and responsibilities described are thus to be interpreted in terms of the working rules of the individual departments.
1. Leader of the Department
a. The chair has the responsibility for providing leadership toward the achievement of the highest possible level of excellence in the teaching, research, and service activities of the department. The chair is expected to articulate the goals of the department, both within and without the department, to articulate the department's actions or requests in pursuit of these aims, and to maintain a climate that is hospitable to creativity and innovation. The chair has the responsibility to inform the department of the stances and actions of the dean and other administrators that might affect the department.
b. In the larger framework of the college, the chair, as a faculty member, has a special responsibility in representing the department in areas of formulation of educational policy and academic ethics, as provided in article 4, Laws of the Regents, 1990.
c. The chair is ultimately responsible for the recruitment, selection, and evaluation of both the academic and the staff personnel of the department. In consultation with colleagues, and in consonance with the appropriate departmental procedures, the chair recommends appointments, promotion, merit increases, and terminations. The chair has the explicit responsibility to ensure that faculty members are aware of the departmental, college, and campus criteria prescribed for appointment, reappointment, promotion, and tenure, and to make appraisals and recommendations in accordance with the procedures and principles stated in the Laws of the Regents. In the course of recruitment of new appointees or in relation to salary increases or advancement of incumbents, the department chair shall make no formal commitment as to rank and salary until such action has received final approval of the appropriate administrative office. The chair has the responsibility to be familiar with the state personnel system, and to ensure that staff are aware of departmental expectations and of state personnel system criteria for appointment, reappointment, job classification, and promotion.
d. The chair should be receptive to questions, complaints, grievances, and suggestions from members of the department, both academic and staff personnel, and from students. The chair has the responsibility to take appropriate action as required.
2. Administrator of the Department
As administrator of the department, the chair has duties which include the following, although special assignments may be added from time to time, and the dean or chancellor may specify additional duties. The chair is responsible for:
a. Assignment of teaching and other duties within the department consistent with appropriate FTE levels, and consistent with the concept that the appropriate mix of teaching, research or creative work, scholarship, and service may differ from person to person, and from time to time in the career of an individual.
b. Preparation of the schedule of courses and of times and places for class meetings.
c. Arrangement and assignment of duty for counseling of students, and for training and supervision of teaching assistants and other student teachers and teacher aides.
d. Preparation of the budget and administration of the financial affairs of the department, in strict accordance with dollar and FTE allocations and in accord with University rules and procedures.
e. Recommendation of sabbatical leaves and other leaves of absence to the dean, and for ensuring that their scheduling is consistent with departmental needs.
f. Promptly reporting the resignation or death of any member of the department.
g. Custody and authorized use of University property charged to the department, and assignment of departmental space and facilities to authorized activities in accordance with University policy and campus rules and regulations.
h. Departmental observance of proper health and safety regulations, in coordination with the campus environmental health and safety officer.
i. Maintenance of records and of faculty and staff personnel files, and preparation of reports in accordance with the University and college procedures.
j. Enforcement of the "one-sixth" rule regarding outside compensation for consulting in accordance with regent and campus regulations.
k. Reporting to the dean, or appropriate administrators - whenever the problem cannot be expeditiously resolved at the departmental level - any failure of an academic or staff member of the department to carry out responsibilities, and recommendation of appropriate remedial and/or disciplinary action.
In the performance of the duties listed above, the chair is expected to seek the advice of departmental faculty colleagues in a systematic way, to provide for the conduct of department affairs in an orderly manner through department meetings and the appointment of appropriate committees, and to keep department members informed of his or her actions in a timely manner. The chair is also expected to seek student advice on matters of concern to students enrolled in the department's programs. In large departments, the chair may be assisted by a vice chair or other colleagues in the tasks involved in carrying out his or her responsibilities and, when desired, by an executive committee chosen in an appropriate manner.
B. Appointment
1. Criteria
The appointment of department chairs should be based on the following criteria:
a. Ability to provide intellectual leadership in the development of departmental faculty and programs;
b. Ability to provide administrative leadership in the effective functioning of the department; and
c. Personal skills to deal effectively with faculty, administrators, and support staff within the college and campus structure.
2. Procedures: Boulder, Denver, and Colorado Springs Campuses and School of Nursing
a. Prior to initiating search and nomination procedures for a department chair, the faculty of the department should meet with the dean of the school or college to discuss the needs and expectations of the department as they relate to the appointment of a new chair, the role of the chair, and the type of search (i.e., internal or external) that will most likely assure that an appropriate candidate is recommended, and to discuss any budgetary considerations related to the search and appointment of a new chair.
b. A search and nominating process will be carried out by the faculty of the department in accordance with department procedures. The faculty will subsequently submit its recommendation to the dean.
c. If the dean does not concur with the department faculty's recommendation, the dean will meet with the department faculty to discuss his/her reasons for disagreement.
d. The campus chancellor will approve appointments of department chairs.
e. It will be the responsibility of the deans and the chancellors to assure that recruitment and appointment procedures for department chairs reflect the University's commitment to equal opportunity and affirmative action. In order to achieve this objective, efforts should be made to provide experience for females and minorities that will prepare them for these positions.
3.1 Procedures: School of Medicine, School of Dentistry, and School of Pharmacy
a. Prior to establishing a search committee for a department chair, the dean will meet with the faculty of the concerned department to discuss the needs and expectations of the department as they relate to the appointment of a new chair, the role of the chair, and the type of search (i.e., internal or external) that will most likely assure that an appropriate candidate is recommended, and to discuss any budgetary considerations related to the search and appointment of a new chair.
b. A search committee will be appointed by the dean. The search committee will include departmental representation.
c. The search committee will recommend a candidate for the chair to the dean in accordance with school procedures. The dean will discuss the candidate with the faculty in the department concerned.
d. The campus chancellor will approve appointments of department chairs.
e. It will be the responsibility of the deans and the chancellors to assure that recruitment and appointment procedures for department chairs reflect the University's commitment to equal opportunity and affirmative action. In order to achieve this objective, efforts should be made to provide experience for females and minorities that will prepare them for these positions.
4. Term of Appointment
a. Consistent with article 4, Laws of the Regents, 1990, department chairs will normally serve for four year terms. Appointments may be made occasionally for shorter periods for specific reasons, and certain appointments in the schools of medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy may be indeterminate in length.
b. Reappointment of a department chair to an additional term will be dependent on the outcome of a performance evaluation and the positive recommendation of the department and dean.
c. Department chairs may be appointed on the basis of either academic year (9-month) or fiscal year (12-month) appointments as appropriate, depending on the needs of the department.
5. Termination for Cause
Termination for just cause of an appointment of a department chair prior to the expiration of a term of appointment may be recommended by either the department faculty or the dean. Reasons for termination for cause will be the same as those specified for faculty in section 5.C.1, Laws of the Regents, 1990. Department recommendations for termination must comply with written procedures developed by the department. Prior to making such a recommendation, the dean will consult with the department faculty and the chancellor. In case of disagreement between the faculty members in the department and the dean, there will be an administrative hearing conducted by the chancellor's office, which will include adequate faculty representation. All such terminations are subject to approval by the chancellor, the president, and the Board of Regents.
C. Evaluation
1. All department chairs will be subject to a comprehensive performance evaluation at least once every four years. The evaluation will be conducted by the dean of the college/school and the department faculty in accordance with procedures developed by the department in consultation with the dean.
2. Formal input from other department constituencies (i.e., staff and students and other departments) will be obtained as part of the evaluation process.
3. Prior to recommending the reappointment of a department chair to another term, a comprehensive performance evaluation will be conducted.
D. Orientation
1. Each dean will develop an orientation program for all new department chairs within his/her unit. The orientation program should provide information that will enable the department chair to function more effectively and efficiently. Areas which should be addressed in the orientation program include University personnel procedures for faculty and classified staff, the budget and planning processes, development of new degree programs, faculty governance relationships, relationships with other offices such as contracts and grants and with the administrative hierarchy, and other areas that are relevant to the department. In consultation with the departments and the vice chancellor for academic affairs, each dean may consider developing other types of programs and vehicles that will enhance the ability of the department chair to provide strong leadership.
2. Each campus chancellor, with the support and participation of the president's office, will be responsible for assuring that appropriate orientation programs are developed on the campus. The orientation programs may be presented on a campuswide basis or by college or school. Each campus chancellor also will be responsible for developing formal mechanisms on the campus to assure that the program and management information necessary for the department chair to function effectively is provided to the department chair in a timely manner.
E. Compensation
1. Within budget limitations, the administration will make a commitment to provide a level of support to department chairs (including compensation and other forms of support) which makes the job of department chair more attractive and recognizes the value of strong leadership.
2. A special stipend or other form of compensation will be provided to department chairs to recognize the important leadership role they play. The size of the stipend should be determined in the context of the size of the department, the functions of the chair, and other types of support which will be provided to the chair.
1 B.3. and B.4.a. amended 10/20/94 (added School of Pharmacy to reflect change from divisions to departments approved 12/16/93).
2 B.2.d and B.3.d. amended 08/03/00


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In addition to the following questions about PIRLS, more FAQs about international assessments are available at: http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/international/faqs.asp.
The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) is an international assessment and research project designed to measure trends in reading achievement at the fourth-grade level as well as school and teacher practices related to instruction. Since 2001, PIRLS has been administered every 5 years. PIRLS 2016, the fourth study in the series, involves students from 61 education systems, including the United States (however, the U.S. only reports findings for 58 countries because 3 education systems tested students in grades higher than fourth grade). For the first time, PIRLS is also administering an innovative assessment of online reading called ePIRLS.
ePIRLS is an innovative assessment of online reading which makes it possible for countries to understand how successful they are in preparing fourth grade students to read, comprehend, and interpret online information. The first administration of ePIRLS was in 2016; it was administered in 16 education systems. More information on ePIRLS can be found in the IEA ePIRLS brochure, by trying out the ePIRLS assessment at Take the ePIRLS Assessment, and by watching videos available at http://pirls2016.org.
PIRLS is a carefully constructed reading assessment, consisting of a test of reading
literacy and questionnaires to collect information about 4th-grade students' literacy
PIRLS can help educators and policymakers by answering questions such as:
PIRLS focuses on three aspects of reading literacy:
The first two form the basis of the written test of reading comprehension. The student background questionnaire addresses the third aspect.
In PIRLS, purposes of reading refers to the two types of reading that account for most of the reading done by young students, both in and out of school: (1) reading for literary experience, and (2) reading to acquire and use information. In the assessment, narrative fiction is used to assess students' ability to read for literary experience, while a variety of informational texts are used to assess students' ability to acquire and use information while reading. The PIRLS assessment contains about an equal proportion devoted to each of these two purposes.
Processes of comprehension refer to ways in which readers construct meaning from the text. Readers focus on and retrieve explicitly stated information; make straightforward inferences; interpret and integrate ideas and information; and evaluate and critique content, language, and textual elements.
For more information on the purposes for reading and processes of comprehension, see the PIRLS 2016 Assessment Framework.
The assessment instruments include 4th-grade-level stories and informational texts collected from several different countries. Students are asked to engage in a full repertoire of reading skills and strategies, including retrieving and focusing on specific ideas, making simple and more complex inferences, and examining and evaluating text features. The passages are followed by open-ended and multiple-choice format questions about the text.
The 2016 assessment consists of 15 booklets and 1 reader (presented in a magazine-type format with the questions in a separate booklet). The assessment is given in two 40-minute parts with a 5- to 10-minute break in between. Each of the booklets contains two parts—one block of literary experience items and one block of informational items—and each block occurs twice across the 15 total booklets. As the entire assessment consists of 12 blocks of passages and items, using different booklets allows PIRLS to report results from more assessment items than can fit in one booklet, without making the assessment longer. To provide good coverage of each skill domain, the test items developed require about 8 hours of testing time. However, testing time is limited to 80 minutes per student by clustering items in blocks and randomly rotating the blocks of items throughout the student test booklets. As a consequence, no student receives all items (there were a total of 175 items on the 2016 assessment), but each item is answered by a representative sample of students.
A total of 12 reading passages—two from PIRLS 2001, 2006 and 2011, two from 2006 and 2011, two from PIRLS 2011 only, and six new passages—are included in the 2016 assessment booklets used in all participating education systems. The use of common passages from the 2001 through the 2016 assessments allows for the analysis of change in reading literacy over the 15-year period between administrations for countries that participated in these cycles. The passages, as well as all other study materials, were translated into the primary language or languages of instruction in each education system.
Background questionnaires are administered to collect information about students' home and school experiences in learning to read. A student questionnaire addresses students' attitudes towards reading and their reading habits. The student questionnaire is administered after the assessment portion, taking about 30 minutes to complete. In all, PIRLS takes 1½ to 2 hours of each student's time, including the assessment and background questionnaire.
In addition, questionnaires are given to students' teachers and school principals to gather information about students' school experiences in developing reading literacy. The teacher and school questionnaires are administered either online from a secure website or via a hardcopy form. Teacher questionnaires take about 40 minutes to complete and ask teachers questions about their education and experience, available resources, and instructional practices. School questionnaires take about 40 minutes to complete and ask about school practices and resources.
In many countries (but not the United States), a parent questionnaire is also administered.
Similar to PIRLS, the ePIRLS assessment consists of five tasks, but students are asked to complete only two of the five 40-minute tasks. Completion of the tasks takes place on a computer. Each task contains school-based online reading tasks, each of which involves two to three different websites totaling five to ten web pages, for which students are then asked to complete a series of comprehension questions based on the task. Students also complete a brief survey about their online access, knowledge, and use. ePIRLS takes about 2 hours of the student's time, including the assessment and questionnaire.
In both hemispheres, PIRLS is conducted near the end of the school year. Thus, for PIRLS 2016, countries in the Southern Hemisphere conducted the study between October and December, 2015. Countries in the Northern Hemisphere conducted the study between March and June, 2016.
ePIRLS was typically completed in the school one day after the PIRLS session.
Each participating country agrees to select a sample that is representative of the target population as a whole. In 2001, the target population was the upper of the two adjacent grades with the most 9-year-olds. For PIRLS 2006, 2011, and 2016, the definition of the target population was refined to represent students in the grade that corresponds to the fourth year of schooling, counting from the first year of International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) Level 14th grade in most countries, including the United States. This population represents an important stage in the development of reading. At this point, generally children have learned to read and are using reading to learn. IEA's Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) has also chosen to assess this target population of students.
In each administration of PIRLS, schools are randomly selected first (with a probability proportional to the estimated number of students enrolled in the target grade) and then one or two classrooms are randomly selected within each school. In 2001, a nationally representative sample of 3,763 U.S. 4th-grade students was selected from a sample of 174 schools. In 2006, a nationally representative sample of 5,190 U.S. 4th-grade students was selected from a sample of 183 schools. In 2011, a nationally representative sample of 12,726 U.S. 4th-grade students was selected from a sample of 370 schools.
The reason for a larger sample size in 2011 than in previous administrations of PIRLS was that in 2011 both TIMSS and PIRLS happened to coincide in the same year. The decision was made to draw a larger sample of schools and to request that both studies be administered in the same schools (where feasible), albeit to separate classroom samples of students. Thus, TIMSS (grade 4) and PIRLS in the United States were administered in the same schools but to separately sampled classrooms of students.
In the spring of 2016, 4,425 students from 158 schools nationwide participated in the PIRLS Main Study. Within each school, 4th-grade classrooms were randomly selected to represent the nation's 4th-graders. All students from selected classrooms were invited to participate in the PIRLS main study. These same students participated in ePIRLS, typically on the day following the PIRLS administration. Of the 158 schools participating in PIRLS, 153 schools and 4,090 students participated in ePIRLS.
The table below lists the total number of education systems that have participated in each of the four administrations of PIRLS at grade 4. This number includes both countries and subnational entities, such as Canadian provinces, U.S. states, England, and Hong Kong. For more information on participating education systems, including a complete list of education systems participating in ePIRLS, visit the PIRLS Country Page.
Education systems participating
in PIRLS at grade 4*
*Education systems with off-grade
participants not included.
PIRLS and ePIRLS are a cooperative effort involving representatives from every education system participating in the study. Prior to each administration of PIRLS, the framework is reviewed and updated to reflect changes in the curriculum and instruction of participating education systems, while maintaining the ability to measure change over time. Extensive input is received from experts in reading education, assessment, and curriculum, as well as representatives from national education centers around the world.
In order for educators, policymakers, and other stakeholders to better understand the results from PIRLS, many assessment items are released for public use after each administration. To replace these items, countries submit items for review by subject-matter specialists, and additional items are written by a committee in consultation with item-writing specialists in various countries to ensure that the content, as explicated in the frameworks, is covered adequately. Items are reviewed by a committee and field-tested in most of the participating education systems. Results from the field test are used to evaluate item difficulty, how well items discriminate between high- and low-performing students, evidence of bias toward or against individual countries or in favor of boys or girls, etc. In 2016, 95 new items were selected for inclusion in the international assessment and added to 80 existing items. PIRLS is administered as a pencil-and-paper assessment and includes both multiple choice and constructed response items. The item pool contains a selection of literary passages drawn from children's storybooks and informational texts. Literary passages include realistic stories and traditional tales, while informational texts include chronological and nonchronological articles, biographical articles, and informational leaflets.
ePIRLS is designed to be an extension of PIRLS. Because the 2016 data collection marked the first administration of ePIRLS, all items were newly developed. Two of the tasks will be released for public use and the rest will be retained to measure trends across future ePIRLS cycles. Students complete the ePIRLS tasks on a computer where they read information on 2-3 simulated websites and answer a series of comprehension questions.
Three studies have compared PIRLS and NAEP in terms of their measurement frameworks and the reading passages and questions included in the assessments. The most recent study compared NAEP with PIRLS 2011 (see Highlights from PIRLS 2011, appendix C). Prior studies compared NAEP with PIRLS 2001 (A Comparison of the NAEP and PIRLS Fourth-Grade Reading Assessments ) and compared NAEP with PIRLS 2006 (Comparing PIRLS and PISA with NAEP in Reading, Mathematics, and Science)—compared NAEP with PIRLS 2006. The studies found the following similarities and differences:Similarities
The PIRLS U.S. Reports are all available for download from the NCES website. Links are provided below.
|Reading Achievement of U.S. Fourth-Grade Students in an International Context: First Look at the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study
|Highlights From PIRLS 2011: Reading Achievement of U.S. Fourth-Grade Students in an International Context
|The Reading Literacy of U.S. Fourth-Grade Students in an International Context: Results from the 2001 and 2006 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS)
|International Comparisons in Fourth-Grade Reading Literacy: Finding from the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) of 2001
Find additional PIRLS publications under Publications & Products.
The most recent PIRLS administration was in 2016 with the release of PIRLS results in December 2017. The next administration is scheduled for 2021.
Schools of varying demographics and locations are randomly selected so that the overall U.S. sample is representative of the overall U.S. school population. The random selection process is important for ensuring that a country's sample accurately reflects its schools and, therefore, can be compared fairly with samples of schools from other countries.
In schools with only one or two fourth-grade classrooms, all students are asked to participate. In schools with more than two fourth-grade classrooms, only students in two randomly selected classrooms are asked to participate. Some classrooms selected to participate in PIRLS are also asked to take part in ePIRLS. In classrooms that are also asked to participate in ePIRLS, PIRLS is administered on day one and ePIRLS on a second day. In addition, some students with special needs or limited English proficiency may be excused from the assessment.


text: For the fifth day in a row, 300,000 residents in and around the U.S. city of Charleston, West Virginia, have been left without access to clean water, after a chemical spill contaminated the Elk River. Schools and businesses remain closed as a result of the spill, which has stained the area's water blue-green and made it smell like licorice. VOA's Brian Allen has more.


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SULPHUR, OK -- From resorts and casinos to clothing boutiques and state parks, south central Oklahoma knows how to attract tourists.
And on Wednesday, country music star, Miranda Lambert, and Oklahoma Lieutenant Governor Todd Lamb, were honored with the "Friend of Tourism" award at the annual Chickasaw County Marketing Association meeting at the Artesian hotel in Sulphur.
"Lieutenant Governor Lamb has just been a champion for us in the industry," Kim Little, Executive Director of the Chickasaw Country Marketing Association, said. "A lot of issues that get brought up, we'll go to him to give us advice and counsel on and he'll go to bat for us. And then Miranda, it's just her commitment to the industry and the draw she's brought to the area.
Lamb currently serves as chairmain of the Tourism Commission and says it's important for the state economy to make sure there are plenty of attractions for Oklahomans, as well as out of state visitors, to come and enjoy.
"Tourism is the third highest grossing revenue stream for our state. It's a big deal," Lamb said. "It allows us as citizens to enjoy Oklahoma, and brings out of staters into oklahoma to spend their money, their hard earned money in Oklahoma, which is always a good thing."
Little says Lambert's local business, The Pink Pistol, already draws many out of staters since she does not have an online store.
"The philosophy at the Pink Pistol is that she wants people to drive to Tishomingo, which means if they drive they have to go through a lot of other communities to get there. They can shop in her store, but they're not allowed to order anything online so that just drives a lot people out to the region."


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Fantastic Paint Jobs by Fantastic Dads
My Dad painted my bedroom once. One wall was all bumpy with the ghost of old wallpaper, and as he was painting over what should have been sanded, a huge bubble formed. For fun: he popped it. The outline of that bubble remained above my bed for the next 5 years. We all love my Dad, but we also all know how terrible he is at painting. Thankfully, there are some amazingly skilled painter-dads out there. Here is some of their best work!
1. Basically the opposite of my old bedroom wall: this fantastic chevron wall that Super Dad Eric painted for his baby girl Ellia Marin.
2. Otto's Dad not only painted this canvas for above his crib, but made the mobile too!
3. If you didn't think Dads could re-do feminine dressers, you're wrong! Check out this beautiful dresser from Madelyn's Vintage Meets Modern Nursery. (Granted, an Aunt helped, but still!)
4. The print hanging above Elsa's change table in her Adorable Blue Nursery is a print made of a painting by creative Dad Jeff McMillan. It is Elsa's Mom's favorite thing in the room.
5. Wowzers I can't get over these Dr Seuss murals painted by Enzo's Dad for his nursery: amazing!
(Images: credited in originall posts)


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The ultimate driver journey begins here! C.A.R.S. represents the definitive racing simulation, with a Franchise Mode that allows you to carve out a personalized career starting in the Karting world and then progressing on to whichever motorsport specialization you prefer including Rally, Touring Cars, Open-Wheel, GT, Le Mans, and many more! Players can get in at every role in professional racing -- play Co-Op with a friend as Driver/Co-Driver, and create and manage a full team to compete against friends and challengers. User-generated content lets you take advantage of the advanced graphics and physics model to design your car exactly as you want.
Also known as: CARS, C.A.R.S.
Release Region: United States
Release Date: TBA
Publisher: Slightly Mad Studios
Release Region: United Kingdom
Release Date: TBA
Publisher: Slightly Mad Studios
Also available on: PlayStation 3, Wii U, Xbox 360


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Verizon Wireless today announced plans to conduct an open sale process for all of its 700 MHz A and B spectrum licenses in order to rationalize its spectrum holdings. The licenses cover dozens of major cities across the country, as well as a number of smaller and rural markets.
Verizon Wireless obtained the 700 MHz A and B licenses, as well as nationwide 700 MHz upper C licenses (with the exception of Alaska which has since been acquired), in FCC Auction 73 in 2008. Verizon Wireless is deploying its 4G LTE network, which currently covers more than 200 million people, on its nationwide 700 MHz upper C spectrum. If Verizon Wireless is successful in acquiring additional AWS (Advanced Wireless Services) spectrum licenses, it will use AWS spectrum in conjunction with its 700 MHz upper C band spectrum to deploy additional LTE capacity.
Accordingly, the sale of the A and B licenses is contingent on the close of Verizon Wireless' pending purchases of AWS licenses from SpectrumCo (an entity jointly owned by Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Bright House Networks), Cox and Leap Wireless. These transactions are at varying stages of review by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) and are expected to close by mid-summer.
The company is announcing the sale plans now and will begin the process of soliciting interest from potential buyers to ensure the process can move forward quickly once the AWS license transfers have been completed.
"Since wireless operators, large and small, have expressed concern about the availability of high-quality spectrum, we believe our 700 MHz licenses will be attractive to a wide range of buyers," said Molly Feldman, vice president of Business Development for Verizon Wireless. "Moreover, provided our acquisition of AWS spectrum is approved, our open sale process will ensure these A and B spectrum licenses are quickly and fairly made available for the benefit of other carriers and their customers."
Stephens Inc., a nationally recognized, independent financial services firm based in Little Rock, Arkansas, has been engaged to manage the offering process. Interested parties may contact Stephens Inc. at firstname.lastname@example.com or 501-377-8134. Stephens Inc. will later release information about efforts to reach out to potential bidders, including minority-owned and female-owned businesses, to participate in the process. All sales will be subject to applicable regulatory approvals.
Following is a list of the markets covered by the 700 MHz A and B licenses:
A Block Licenses (Economic Areas)
New York, Philadelphia, Washington-Baltimore, Orlando, Miami, Tampa, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Minneapolis, Oklahoma City, Dallas, Austin, Houston, San Antonio (CMA area only), Denver, Los Angeles, Fresno, San Francisco and Sacramento
B Block (Cellular Market Areas)
Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Cincinnati, Rochester, Memphis, Oklahoma City, Greensboro-Winston Salem, Charlotte, Youngstown, Raleigh-Durham, West Palm Beach, Fort Collins, Pueblo and Colorado 4 – Park; Bradenton and Florida 3- Hardee; Athens, GA; Idaho 5 – Butte; Lake Charles, Alexandria, Louisiana 1- Claiborne, Louisiana 2 – Morehouse and Louisiana 3 – De Soto; Maryland 3 – Frederick; Billings, Great Falls, Montana 8 – Beaverhead, and Montana 9 – Carbon; Nevada 3 – Storey; New Mexico 5 – Grant and New Mexico 6 – Lincoln; Rapid City and South Dakota 1 – Harding; Lubbock, Amarillo, Waco, Longview-Marshall, Tyler, Texarkana, Odessa, Laredo, Midland, Texas 2 – Hansford, Texas 6 – Jack and Texas 18 – Edwards; Utah 1 – Box Elder, Utah 4 – Beaver, Utah 5 – Daggett and Utah 6 – Piute; Virginia 10 – Frederick; Washington 2 - Okanogan; Casper and Wyoming 2 - Sheridan
About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation's largest 4G LTE network and largest, most reliable 3G network. The company serves nearly 108 million total wireless connections, including 92.2 million retail customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with nearly 82,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD). For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.


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Diary of a Bad Year: A War Correspondent's Dilemma is a one-hour special produced by NPR's Kelly McEvers and Transom.org's Jay Allison.
In 2011, NPR's Kelly McEvers started to see things in slow motion. She cried unpredictably. She was a correspondent in the turbulent Middle East, at the time of the Arab uprisings. Colleagues and friends were being kidnapped. Some were getting killed. But still, she went toward the story.
The next year, 2012, was the deadliest on record for journalists worldwide. It was a huge hit to the "tribe" of foreign correspondents of which Kelly is a part.
With independent producer Jay Allison of Transom.org, Kelly chronicles that year and her personal struggles as a war correspondent in a new documentary radio hour called Diary of a Bad Year: A War Correspondent's Dilemma.
As she reported in dangerous places like Bahrain, Yemen, and Syria, Kelly braved gunfire, explosions, and tear gas, recording diaries the whole time. Kelly turns her reporting skills on her own life, seeking advice from doctors, scientists, and colleagues.
Her goal was to answer one question: "Why do otherwise intelligent people risk their lives when they don't have to?"
The program includes interviews with Anna Blundy, the daughter of a journalist killed in El Salvador; renowned war correspondent Paul Wood of the BBC; longtime conflict writer Jon Lee Anderson of The New Yorker; famed correspondent Christiane Amanpour of CNN; and Sebastian Junger, who, with the late Tim Hetherington, made the award-winning film, Restrepo, about the war in Afghanistan.
It's a gripping story, an unprecedented and intimate portrait of the sacrifices war correspondents and their families make to tell untold stories -- and the sometimes dangerous allure of the job.
Funding for this program comes from the National Endowment for the Arts.


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Election official Ven Serey Sophon has participated in six elections in Cambodia, and none more peaceful than this one. "I think it's better [this year]. The people have experience in Cambodia about elections," says Mr. Sophon.
If the day was peaceful, it was also predictable, with the ruling Cambodia People's Party (CPP) clinching 73 percent of all votes, according to electoral authorities. Some 10,000 international observers reported few irregularities, and voter turnout was high, at 75 percent.
It is an achievement that confounds some analysts: Cambodia's elections, first instituted in 1993, have grown more peaceful over the years. But they have also served to bolster the 23-year rule of Prime Minister Hun Sen, who is considered a fulcrum of economic stability but an obstacle to the full flowering of democracy, including political dissent and freedom of expression.
Critics accuse him of using harassment, payoffs, and violence as a tool to silence the opposition – accusations the ruling party denies. And yet, Cambodia has never been more stable or more prosperous.
Sunday's elections epitomize a debate grappled with across much of the developing world: After decades of war and civil strife, is stability more important than a thriving democracy?
"Democracy here in Asia – you don't care about the content of democracy. You care about economic performance first. This is different than liberal democracy in the West. If people [here] can eat first, then they think about democracy," says Sedera Kim, an independent political analyst in Phnom Penh, the capital.
Overseeing economic growth
If Cambodia has come a long way since the 1970s, when nearly 2 million people died under the oppressive rule of the Khmer Rouge, Mr. Sen is largely to thank.
Since defecting from the Khmer Rouge and taking power in 1977, he has steered a course of controlled growth and democratic reform, albeit often tightfistedly.
Still, Cambodia is best known today for its prized religious temples and unspoiled beaches, which drew a record 2 million tourists last year. The country experienced average economic growth of 10 percent a year during Sen's last five-year term, among the stablest in the country's history.
In recent days, the CPP's popularity has also soared from nationalistic pride, thanks to an escalating border dispute that erupted with Thailand two weeks ago.
Cambodia had been lobbying the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to designate Preah Vihear, an ancient temple complex, as a World Heritage Site, even though Thailand claims that the site sits on its territory. When UNESCO granted the site World Heritage status, the Thai government sent hundreds of troops to the border, prompting Cambodia's ruling CPP to do the same. The maneuver has won Sen points for standing up to its richer, more powerful neighbor.
Because the CPP is riding an economic boom and the nationalistic spike, its victory is neither a surprise nor a disappointment for analysts like Mr. Kim, who says stability is what Cambodia needs right now.
Many in Cambodia would seem to agree with him, as evidenced by a poll released in May by the US-based International Republican Institute: 77 percent of Cambodians surveyed said they thought their country was on the right course under Sen's leadership.
"If you look at the capacity of people in understanding the social contract, it's very limited. What they do see is performance," he adds, citing that the majority of Cambodia's 14 million people are poor farmers, who need better roads, wells, and other infrastructure.
A different form of democracy?
There is another camp, however, which vociferously disagrees, saying stability alone cannot be a substitute for democracy and that there cannot be one model of democracy for the developing world and another for the West.
"Democracy anywhere, in Europe, in North America, in Asia, must be the same. This is a universal principle," says Kek Galabru, president of the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights, based in Phnom Penh.
She charges that the ruling party has furnished only the mirage of economic stability, while practically unleashing political and social cleavages that endanger the state.
The CPP has systematically bought off or silenced the opposition, she says, while poor people are being evicted from their land at an alarming rate, to forcibly clear the way for development projects that ultimately benefit the ruling elite.
"[Stability] is only a facade. You have a GDP increase, but look at the gap between rich and poor. More than 40 percent live below the standard of income," Ms. Galabro says. "We have very few in the middle class."
But if there is one point on which both sides of the debate agree, it is that Cambodia has gotten much better at elections, thanks to more than a decade of voter education programs, the presence of international observers, and better media to inform people of their rights.
The payoff was evident at a polling station in Tropeang Tom, where some 700 people cast their votes. In a steady stream beginning at 7 a.m., voters came on bicycle, car, and motorbike. Some walked. All left with an ink-stained index finger, the instrument of their democratic dispensation, then traversed muddy fields to return to work. The whole exercise took each person no more than 10 minutes.
Fractures weaken opposition
At this point in the counting, most of those inked fingers look to have chosen the CPP for another five years.
The main opposition Sam Rainsy Party came in second with 21 percent of the vote, election officials reported, and three other minority parties split the rest.
The four groups rejected the outcome, and accused the CPP of manipulating voter rolls to ensure their victory. "We call on the international community not to recognize the results because there were a lot of irregularities," said Kem Sokha, leader of the Human Rights Party and a longtime critic of the government.
Many observers say the opposition has only itself to blame. Internal conflicts have rendered the opposition weak in the eyes of the public.
Instead of banding together to confront Sen, they have squabbled and missed opportunities, some analysts say. So voters have chosen the stronger party.
"Why didn't they all [work] with each other when it was important? Voters have sent a very clear message to the opposition. You are divided; you lose votes," says Sopheak Ok Serei, a political analyst in Phnom Pehn.


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Thought I would throw this out there in case anyone is interested. I'm taking Kayden out there a few hours before the full pull for a one on one "calming techniques" session with Lisa who runs the place. Kayden gets stimulated in these types of environments so she is going to show me some techniques I can use to keep him calm and focused. He tends to burn himself out before he pulls so I want to work keeping him calm and focused while pulling.
The fun pull is scheduled to start at 12. Since we will be out there we will probably stay assuming Kayden's foot pads are all healed up. I'm also considering bringing Earl out to try it as well.


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It doesn't get much better than this. The league-leading Vancouver Canucks, with their franchise record 117 regular season points, won their first-ever Presidents' Trophy – in doing so, they became the first team since the 1977-78 Montreal Canadiens to lead the league in points, goals for and goals against. They boast the Art Ross trophy winner for the second straight year in Daniel Sedin, and the first pair of brothers to ever accomplish back-to-back scoring championships in him and his brother Henrik. Despite a raft of injuries on the blueline – the Canucks were forced to employ 13 different defensemen through the course of the season – Corey Schneider and Roberto Luongo finished third and fourth in the league in save percentage. Did I mention the team had the best power play in the league, and just missed out on having the best penalty kill to boot?
Yes, it was a hell of a season for the Vancouver Canucks. And what did this earn them? A first round match up against the defending Stanley Cup champions in the dirty, rotten, stinkin' Chicago Blackhawks.
Okay, maybe not stinkin'. After all, Dustin Byfuglien is golfing in Georgia right about now.
Wait. Patrick Kane is still on the team, and sporting a wicked bad striped mullet. Yeah, stinkin'.
The top two lines promise a classic playoff battle. D Sedin – H Sedin – Burrows & Kesler – Samuelsson – Higgins vs Toews – Kane – Sharp & Hossa – Frolik – Stalberg. Sound like an easy win for the Canucks on this point? Don't bet on it. Jonathan Toews wasn't the Conn Smythe winner last year for letting Dustin Byfuglien do all the hard work. Toews scored two points a game against the Canucks. That said, it wasn't the top line that made the biggest difference last year. It's the bottom six and back end where the Canucks have suffered the past two post-seasons. This year, the Canucks have Mason Raymond flying down the wing and Cody Hodgson playing at third line centre where he would have been all year had it not been for the acquisition of Manny Malhotra. Hello eye injury, goodbye Manny; Cody's in and has his shot to prove his worth in the bigs. Maxim Lapierre, Tanner Glass, Jannik Hansen and Victor Oreskovich will be forechecking like mad. But where are those big pieces of the Hawks' Cup run now?
Dave Bolland (C), 16 points in 22 games: Injured (concussion)
Adam Burish (RW), agitator played 15 games & got under Daniel Sedin's skin: Dallas Stars
Dustin Byfuglien (LW), 11 goals in 22 games, and crawled into Roberto Luongo's skull: Atlanta Thrashers
Ben Eager (LW), clutch goal vs the Canucks in Game Two: San Jose Sharks
Andrew Ladd (LW), 6 points in 22 games: Atlanta Thrashers
John Madden (C), veteran presence in the locker room: Minnesota Wild
Antti Niemi (G), 2 shutouts, .920 save percentage: San Jose Sharks
Brent Sopel (D), 6 points and a +7 rating in 22 games: Montreal Canadiens
Kris Versteeg (RW), 14 points in 22 games: Philadelphia Flyers
With an injury ravaged defense in front of him, a crushing letter C on the front of his mask and defensive-minded forwards like Ryan Kesler and Alex Burrows playing hurt, last year's Roberto Luongo unraveled at home. The Canucks were outscored 17-7 in three losses in Vancouver. (To be fair, the Canucks were the only playoff team to take two games at United Center in Chicago, and outscored the Hawks 11-6 there in three games.) He had been pulled in several games down the stretch, and never looked comfortable with the expectations placed upon his shoulders.
This year's Luongo put up his best numbers ever, led the league in wins, and looks as controlled as he's ever been in the crease. With his calmer demeanour between the pipes, the Canucks have only lost back-to-back games in regulation time once since early November. And that was during mean-nothing contests against the Edmonton Oilers after the Presidents' Trophy had already been locked up – hell, peewee teams would have a hard time getting themselves up for those games.
Going into the playoffs, Vancouver has the healthiest defense corps they've seen all year. Dan Hamhuis, Keith Ballard, Christian Ehrhoff, Alex Edler, Kevin Bieksa and Sami Salo all dress for game one. There's no one standout Norris Trophy candidate in


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I've been performing a software mod on an aircraft computer for about five months. These computers were designed in the 1990s and utilized a FLASH memory chip that is now obsolete and scarce. Honeywell released new software that would allow the computer to work with newer FLASH memory chips.
Performing the mod is simple. I power up the computer and install a PCMCIA card containing the new software. It loads automatically. As standard procedure, I reload the main database and application software too.
Since December, I've had three computers fail Bank 5 after installing this software. Computer memory is divided into seven different banks, and Bank 5 would test as blank. I thought I was seeing a hardware failure - not uncommon after an upload - so I replaced the address and control circuits on both the memory board and its interface on the main board. Nothing helped.
I talked with our Honeywell rep about it. He emailed an engineer at their repair facility, and the engineer suggested a simple fix that I hadn't considered. He suggested installing the big database on a fresh PCMCIA card to try on the computers. It worked!
Now I'm trying to figure out why my other PCMCIA card would cause failures on just a few computers while loading flawlessly on others. Regardless, it's going in the trash, but I'm curious as to why it would fail. I've read a bit about wear leveling in FLASH memory, a scheme that extends the useful life of a chip by using an address map to prevent repeated read/write operations from causing failures. That's a possibility but if the engineer gets back to me with something definitive, I'll update this.
Regardless, I had three computers that had me mumbling to myself with frustration, but now they're all going away!


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Tag Archives: money
Rich as Rockefeller
Having never been a fan of big business (or big business guys, for that matter), it struck me as odd that I should want to make something that pays homage to the grandfather of corporate culture and American oil-dependence. Of course, Rockefeller also donated vast sums of money for education (he was instrumental in the founding of both the University of Chicago and Spelman College, for example) and was dedicated to the eradication of both hookworm and yellow fever.
So there you have it. Continue reading
Posted in Celebrities, Savories Tagged broke, John D. Rockefeller, money, oysters, oysters rockefeller, recipe 10 Comments


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Old, tired and completely outclassed by its competition, the 2006 Ford Ranger only deserves a look if you're content with a cheap price and passable performance.
After years of serving as a trim designation on the F-Series pickup, the Ford Ranger became a separate model when it replaced the Mazda-supplied Courier pickup with an in-house design in 1983. The Ranger quickly became the best-selling compact pickup and has dominated the segment ever since.
Today's Ford Ranger still rides on the same basic platform and structure as that 1983 original, though substantial revisions for 1989, 1993 and 1998 have kept the Ranger competitive. Demographically, buyers range widely, with Rangers serving for work, play or both. A wide range of trim levels and features makes it easy to configure the Ford truck according to your needs, unless of course you want a crew cab. The Ranger is still offered only in regular- and extended-cab (SuperCab) body styles.
After all these years, the Ford Ranger is still a decent truck for light-duty work needs, but competitors offer more spacious interiors and more refined driving dynamics. The Ranger does hold its own off-road when equipped with one of the FX4 packages. The cabin offers a user-friendly control layout, and the seats are acceptably comfortable, particularly with the optional leather upholstery. Out on the road, though, the Ranger's age becomes apparent. Acceleration is adequate on trucks equipped with the 207-horsepower, 4.0-liter V6 engine, but ride quality, handling and braking are at the bottom of the class. Given that many competitors have recently redesigned the compact trucks in their lineups, the Ranger's over 20-year-old design just doesn't cut it anymore. Unless you're a die-hard Ford truck fan, we would recommend taking a pass on the 2006 Ford Ranger.
The 2006 Ford Ranger is available in regular- or extended-cab (called SuperCab) body styles. Regular cabs can be ordered with either a 6- or a 7-foot bed. SuperCabs come only with a 6-footer and can be equipped with reverse-opening rear access doors. Trim levels include XL, STX, XLT, Sport and FX4. The XL is basic -- cloth upholstery and an AM\/FM radio are among the few amenities. The STX and XLT are the next step up, and they're your ticket to the Power Equipment Group, which offers keyless entry and power windows, locks and mirrors. The Sport has body-color bumpers, while the XLT gets a more traditional chrome finish. Both have a CD player, but the Sport version is MP3-compatible. A Tremor package gets its name from its 510-watt Pioneer stereo system. Two versions of the FX4 are available: Off-Road and Level II. The Off-Road package includes heavy-duty shocks, skid plates, tow hooks, 16-inch all-terrain tires and a limited-slip rear axle. The Level II gets a Torsen limited-slip differential, Bilstein shocks, BF Goodrich all-terrain tires and Alcoa wheels.
The 2006 Ford Ranger pickup is a decent performer when equipped with the 4.0-liter V6, but it tends to feel underpowered with the 3.0-liter V6 or the base four-cylinder, especially if you get the automatic transmission. Rangers are quite capable off-road, especially when equipped with one of the FX4 packages. Ride and handling characteristics on pavement are tolerable, but when driven back-to-back with newer offerings from Dodge, GM, Nissan and Toyota, the Ranger's age shows.
Three engine choices are available on the 2006 Ford Ranger. The base engine is a 2.3-liter inline four with 143 horsepower and 154 lb-ft of torque. Next up is a 3.0-liter V6 rated for 148 hp and 180 lb-ft of torque. At the top of the engine chart is a 4.0-liter overhead-cam V6 rated for 207 hp and 238 lb-ft of torque. Properly equipped, a 4.0-liter Ranger can tow up to 5,740 pounds. Transmission choices include a five-speed manual or a five-speed automatic, and most models offer a choice of two- or four-wheel drive.
The Ford Ranger comes standard with four-wheel antilock brakes. Side airbags are not available. Two-wheel-drive SuperCabs received four stars (out of five) in NHTSA frontal- and side-impact crash tests. Regular-cab models earned a five-star side-impact rating.
Controls are easy to find and use, and the available white-faced gauges add a little extra style. SuperCabs can be equipped with small jump seats in the rear, suitable only for children or small adults.
Multiple trim levels and options, functional interior, solid off-road capability.
Dated platform, weak engines, choppy ride, lack of modern features and amenities, no crew-cab body style or side airbags.


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Craig James brags on Gov. Rick Perry in his first U.S. Senate campaign ad, pledging to be like Perry if Texans send the former SMU football star and ESPN analyist to Washington.
Perry is not exactly the most popular politician on the scene right now so it's interesting that James is tethering himself to the longtime governor. On the other hand, Perry has remained fairly popular with the right-wing faction of the GOP base. Perhaps James is playing to that crowd?
James made news a couple of years ago during a dispute over the treatment of his son by then Texas Tech football coach Mike Leach. The squabble escalated, causing Leach to lose his job.
James is running in the April GOP primary against Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, former Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert and former state solicitor general Ted Cruz.


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Unlike other sport training weights that don't allow you to hit the ball while installed, the WinSock is completely hittable, thus making it easy to perfect timing and hitting through the sweet spot to groove your stroke. Simply use the WinSock for your warm-up before a match or training sessions.
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