text:
Getting Started
TRT System Web Site
The www.techreadiness.net Web site is used by county, district, and school technology personnel to enter information about the technology available for online assessments at the school-level. A user login is required to use the system. Contact your district's information technology office if you need a user account.
TRT Basic Steps
The basic steps on using the TRT is a good starting point for users who are new to the TRT.
TRT 3.0 - What's New
The changes and enhancements in the August 2013 (version 3.0) release of the TRT.
TRT January 2013 New Features
An overview of the new features in the TRT released in January 2013 including device and network readiness reports, "school complete" checkbox, and school exception reports.
TRT Fall 2012 - What's New
An overview of the changes for the fall 2012 data collection window. The fall 2012 window closes on December 14, 2012.
Frequently Asked Questions
CDE-authored TRT FAQs (Updated 12-Aug-2013)
Frequently asked questions (FAQs) authored by the California Department of Education (CDE) regarding the use of the Technology Readiness Tool.
Data Collection Specifications
TRT Import File Layouts
File import layouts, templates, and samples for devices, school readiness survey questions, and user accounts.
TRT Parameters - Fall
A list of parameters or data elements that will be collected by the tool for the fall 2012 data collection.
Training Modules
TRT Webinar Recording - September 2013
Video recording of a Webinar demonstrating the use of the Technology Readiness Tool presented on September 16, 2013.
TRT Training Video - Fall 2012
Video provides a simple demonstration of using the Technology Readiness Tool with a focus on the fall 2012 data collection window.
TRT Training Video - Spring 2012
Video provides a simple demonstration of using the Technology Readiness Tool showing the basics of using the TRT with a focus on the spring 2012 data collection window.
Pearson Tech Readiness Tool Resources
Quick Start Guides, FAQs, Training Module, and file layouts/templates created by the Pearson, the software developer of the Technology Readiness Tool.
Data Collection Summary Reports
District Summary Reports
TRT users with district-level permissions can view reports summarized at the district-level using data from the latest TRT database snapshot.
Spring 2012 Summary
A statewide summary of the information collected by the Technology Readiness Tool for the spring 2012 data collection window.
Ed-Tech Ecosystems 2013
Information from the California K-12 High Speed Network to help districts and schools make information technology investment decisions that best align with their expectations for teachers and students.
Network Capacity Worksheet
A worksheet from the California K-12 High Speed Network (K12HSN) to document the network bandwidth needed from classroom to school wing, to school site, to district office, and to K12HSN node site.
Technology Readiness Webinar Recording - November 2013
A recording of a live webinar presented by the California Department of Education on November 4, 2013 on technology readiness for the Smarter Balanced Assessment system.
Key Local Considerations
This document addresses some of the considerations and/or local decisions that district and school staff may need to include in their transition planning or in their determinations of local readiness for the online delivery of statewide or other high-stakes assessments.
Smarter Balanced Technology Readiness Calculator
This Web-based calculator is used to estimate the number of days and network bandwidth required to complete the assessments given the number of students, number of computers, and number of hours per day computers are available for testing at the school.
Smarter Balanced Network Bandwidth Checker Tool
This Web-based tool will help determine if there is sufficient network bandwidth given a specified number of concurrent test takers at the school level (i.e., the location of the computer where the tool is run). The tool can be run from any Internet connected computers using Firefox, Chrome, or Safari. Internet Explorer cannot be used to run the tool. Instructions on using the tool (PDF) provide further information.
Press Release - Smarter Balanced Releases Technology Strategy
Framework and System Requirements Specifications
The framework, developed by Navigation North on behalf of the Consortium, provides minimum hardware specifications and basic bandwidth calculations that will allow schools and districts to evaluate which of their existing devices will support the administration of next-generation assessments.
K-12 Internet Broadband Speed Test
Use this free tool provided by the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) to help determine a school's Internet connection speed.
Press Release - Smarter Balanced and PARCC to Launch New Technology Readiness Tool to Support Transition to Online Assessments


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Added May 25, 2011 5:23 PM
Officials are offering a $500 reward for information leading to an arrest after a Custer historic landmark was vandalized. The Meeker Ranch sustained approximately $12,000 in damages. (http://bit.ly/1tvPNsL)
-240 Minutes Ago
It's almost time to get back into gear and head back to school. We've made a list of supply shopping lists available on our website and mobile apps. (http://bit.ly/1nafJJK)
-138 Minutes Ago
Beautiful morning sky in Mobridge! More thunderstorms in the Black Hills area today. #sdwx #kelowx
1 Hour Ago

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Dorothy Pomerantz, Forbes Staff
I write about Hollywood and run the Celebrity 100 List.
Christmas is coming early for Lord of the Rings fans. The Hobbit, the first new movie since 2003 based on J.R.R. Tolkien's series of fantasy novels, hits theaters December 14. It's sure to be one of the biggest hits of the year, although it will be tough for it to top The Avengers, 2012′s biggest earner thus far with ticket sales of $1.5 billion worldwide.
This past summer the wise (some might say greedy) men at Warner Bros. decided to split The Hobbit into three separate movies. The move left many scratching their heads. The Hobbit is the slimmest of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings novels at only one-quarter the length of the other three books combined. Can it work as three movies?
We'll see soon enough. But if it turns out the Warner Bros. wizards were right, The Lord of the Rings could be on its way to becoming one of the most lucrative franchises of all times.
We used data from Box Office Mojo to put together a list of the highest-grossing franchises worldwide. We did not adjust for ticket price inflation.
Right now, Lord of the Rings ranks ninth on our list with $2.91 billion in global ticket sales. Compare that to our top ranking franchise, Harry Potter, which has earned $7.70 billion. Lord of the Rings doesn't have much hope of catching up with its fellow Warner Bros. franchise.
But if The Hobbit gamble works, Lord Of The Rings could easily advance to second place. According to Box Office Mojo, the Lord of the Rings films have each earned an average of $970 million apiece. If that pattern holds up, the three Hobbit films could earn another $2.91 billion, bringing the franchise total to $5.82 billion.
But even if the three-part Hobbit does as well as the previous Lord of the Rings films, there's a spoiler waiting in the wings. Star Wars currently ranks second on our franchise list with $4.5 billion at the global box office. With Disney's recent purchase of LucasFilms, the Mouse House is planning to produce new Star Wars films starting in 2015. That could quickly move Star Wars back into second place.
But there's a good chance The Hobbit can put Lord of the Rings in third place for a while. Currently the third highest-grossing franchise on our list is James Bond, thanks in large part to the performance of Skyfall. The newest Bond film has earned $873 million, $270 million more than the No. 2 earner in the franchise, Casino Royale.
Is Skyfall's performance a sign of things to come for Bond or a fluke? The average Bond film has earned $433 million at the global box office, less than half of Skyfall's gross. True, all but seven of the James Bond movies earned less that $100 million at the domestic box office (though, of course, less than $100 million was not an embarrassment for the 1960s films). But it still seems like Skyfall could be an outlier and the franchise will struggle to maintain that revenue level at the box office.
At the very least The Lord of the Rings seems poised to surpass the Twilight franchise. Twilight currently ranks 8th with $3.22 billion. The Hobbit only has to earn $310 million at the box office to surpass that franchise. That seems like a pretty safe bet.
Follow me on Twitter at DorothyatForbes.
Very interesting article, lots of good considerations!
I strongly suspect that the 3D ticket pricing and IMAX prices will raise the three "Hobbit" films to in excess of $1 billion each. So I think the entire 6-film series will end up at $6 billion or more in combined box office. However, EVERY "Hobbit" movie would need to surpass the worldwide gross of "The Avengers" in order to beat "Harry Potter," and I don't think that's going to happen.
I'm betting that in the long run, "Star Wars" and "The Avengers" are going to be the top franchises, passing "Harry Potter" sometime over the course of the next decade. Heck, if the sequels to "The Avengers" match the box office of the first one, that series could become #1 with just three films under its belt. "Star Wars" seems destined to easily top $1 billion per new film, and likely will top $1.3 billion or more per film, maybe even passing "The Avengers" and even challenging "Avatar" — which would push "Star Wars" over the $8 billion mark easily and even possibly close to $10 billion.
But what of "Avatar?" Remember that Cameron is making at least two sequels, so I'd expect #2 to challenge $3 billion and, if the second film is good enough to increase the franchise's appeal, then the third film should likewise top $3 billion. That would put the franchise close to $9 billion.
Of course, there's no telling how long it will be before all three films have been released, but once he gets started on #2 I am expected Cameron not to wait as long between films and to move on #3 within a couple of years or so, which should get us a completed trilogy within the next 8 years, plenty of time to battle it out with "Star Wars" and "Avengers" for the top spot among franchises.
After about 8 to 10 years, all of these franchises will have settled the question of which three will probably rule the top three slots for a long time to come, and then it'll just be a question of which of those dominant three will keep making sequels as they swap spots from time to time.
Hollywood is the communist center of Americas' dry rot. Whatever good film they may put out isn't worth the rest of the utopian indoctrination that you have to swim through to get it. A nation devoid of freedom is a nation devoid of joy. 97% of hollywood is the manufacture of communist drone populace. The liberals might still like it, but real Americans are passing on this caca.
Scientists have discovered the wreckage of an adult female that had 1.8 million years old and 3 feet long in Flores Island, Indonesia in 2003.Scientists are in debate about the remains of what is belonging to the human head dysplasia, or human family tree material.And this small female brain only modern adult human brain 1/3.
The real article in this article, (even though there probably is an article already out there unless Disney and the ABC corporation or owner owns forbes obvisouly,)
Is the mickey mouse house as you put it buying lucas arts and the star wars franchise?
Making new movies and new stories which werent part of the 7???
I mean not to be controversial but isnt the 7th one just all the good guys celebrating beating the bad guys? how is that even a movie?
And im gonna lean towards the mouse house ruining the already ruining (yet still extremely lucrative) star wars series.
I mean, even with all their marketing and etc and forces and media savvy, i still dont see them doing as well as they did in the past, yet the 3d world and increase for movies as stated by the fellow contributor does make a good point in sort of inflating the already larger interest higher ticket prices…
I think the one overlooked aspect of this is the twilight series. Unlike these huge blockbusters like LOTR or Star Wars or especially avatar… The new twilight (if they decided to make it) could be announced and out in theaters within a year, compared to the blockbusters which take years and years to do. Twilight they could hurry and put out immediately.
And the other side note to this is the potter series cannot truly be dead… I think when the other movies come out or really if any movie series begins to creep up to the potter realms of 7 billion… JK rowling may honestly make another book and movie just to keep her title as supreme serious…. that and shell maybe get bored of her other series or books that are decent supposedly and go back to her first love….
Just a thought
OH yea and was the first two twilights in 3-D or mainly offered in 3 D cuz that means if they werent the next possibly one could make even more! lol
and lastly, does this list include movies being re – release again (i.e. like when jurassic park is out on 3 d recently) So if the potter movies all get re released in theaters (in 3 D of course) and play out… thats sure to make a billion at least over all… would that count? or just the first run in the theaters only?


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About the Author
Dan Arkush
Executive editor
Recent posts by Dan Arkush
Related Stories
It's not difficult to see why so many mock drafts, including the latest from PFW draft maven Nolan Nawrocki, are predicting that the Seahawks will select Boston College LB Luke Kuechly with their first pick (12th overall) this year. With David Hawthorne, the team's leading tackler each of the last three seasons, having signed with the Saints, Seattle's biggest need appears to be a new starting middle linebacker to replace him. Kuechly, considered by Nawrocki a "can't-miss" prospect who's capable of excelling either inside or outside, would appear to have everything it takes to become just as solid a middle 'backer as Lofa Tatupu and Hawthorne were during their stints in the Pacific Northwest.
"But the big question is whether (Seahawks head coach) Pete Carroll is willing to use a pick that high on a position that he doesn't really put a lot of value on," said one team insider. "I think they wouldn't hesitate to move down a few notches in the hopes of still maybe being able to get Kuechly, though."
In any event, look for the Seahawks to probably use at least two picks on linebackers this April, considering the dire need for new blood at that position. One option they could consider to replace Hawthorne in the middle of the defense is second-year pro K.J. Wright, who made former first-round pick Aaron Curry expendable on the strong side last season. Wright has shown he has the skills to play in the middle, but we hear Carroll believes Wright, whom he is planning on giving a much bigger role next season, is probably better off remaining as the starting strong-side 'backer.


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Two Paths for the Novel
From two recent novels, a story emerges about the future for the Anglophone novel. Both are the result of long journeys. Netherland, by Joseph O'Neill, took seven years to write; Remainder, by Tom McCarthy, took seven years to find a mainstream publisher. The two novels are antipodal—indeed one is the strong refusal of the other. The violence of the rejection Remainder represents to a novel like Netherland is, in part, a function of our ailing literary culture. All novels attempt to cut neural routes through the brain, to convince us that down this road the true future of the novel lies. In healthy times, we cut multiple roads, allowing for the possibility of a Jean Genet as surely as a Graham Greene.
These aren't particularly healthy times. A breed of lyrical Realism has had the freedom of the highway for some time now, with most other exits blocked. For Netherland, our receptive pathways are so solidly established that to read this novel is to feel a powerful, somewhat dispiriting sense of recognition. It seems perfectly done—in a sense that's the problem. It's so precisely the image of what we have been taught to value in fiction that it throws that image into a kind of existential crisis, as the photograph gifts a nervous breakdown to the painted portrait.
Netherland is nominally the tale of Hans van den Broek, a Dutch stock analyst, transplanted from London to downtown New York with his wife and young son. When the towers fall, the family relocates to the Chelsea Hotel; soon after, a trial separation occurs. Wife and son depart once more for London, leaving Hans stranded in a world turned immaterial, phantasmagoric: "Life itself had become disembodied. My family, the spine of my days, had crumbled. I was lost in invertebrate time." Every other weekend he visits his family, hoping "that flying high into the atmosphere, over boundless massifs of vapor or small clouds dispersed like the droppings of Pegasus on an unseen platform of air, might also lift me above my personal haze"—the first of many baroque descriptions of clouds, light, and water.
On alternate weekends, he plays cricket on Staten Island, the sole white man in a cricket club that includes Chuck Ramkissoon, a Trinidadian wiseacre, whose outsize dreams of building a cricket stadium in the city represent a Gatsbyesque commitment to the American Dream/human possibility/narrative with which Hans himself is struggling to keep faith. The stage is set, then, for a "meditation" on identities both personal and national, immigrant relations, terror, anxiety, the attack of futility on the human consciousness and the defense against same: meaning. In other words, it's the post–September 11 novel we hoped for. (Were there calls, in 1915, for the Lusitania novel? In 1985, was the Bhopal novel keenly anticipated?) It's as if, by an act of collective prayer, we have willed it into existence.
But Netherland is only superficially about September 11 or immigrants or cricket as a symbol of good citizenship. It certainly is about anxiety, but its worries are formal and revolve obsessively around the question of authenticity. Netherland sits at an anxiety crossroads where a community in recent crisis—the Anglo-American liberal middle class—meets a literary form in long-term crisis, the nineteenth-century lyrical Realism of Balzac and Flaubert.
Critiques of this form by now amount to a long tradition in and of themselves. Beginning with what Alain Robbe-Grillet called "the destitution of the old myths of 'depth,'" they blossomed out into a phenomenology skeptical of Realism's metaphysical tendencies, demanding, with Husserl, that we eschew the transcendental, the metaphorical, and go "back to the things themselves!"; they peaked in that radical deconstructive doubt which questions the capacity of language itself to describe the world with accuracy. They all of them note the (often unexamined) credos upon which Realism is built: the transcendent importance of form, the incantatory power of language to reveal truth, the essential fullness and continuity of the self.
Yet despite these theoretical assaults, the American metafiction that stood in opposition to Realism has been relegated to a safe corner of literary history, to be studied in postmodernity modules, and dismissed, by our most famous public critics, as a fascinating failure, intellectual brinkmanship that lacked heart. Barth, Barthelme, Pynchon, Gaddis, DeLillo, David Foster Wallace—all misguided ideologists, the novelist equivalents of the socialists in Francis Fukuyama's The End of History and the Last Man. In this version of our literary history, the last man standing is the Balzac-Flaubert model, on the evidence of its extraordinary persistence. But the critiques persist, too. Is it really the closest model we have to our condition? Or simply the bedtime story that comforts us most?
Netherland, unlike much lyrical Realism, has some consciousness of these arguments, and so it is an anxious novel, unusually so. It is absolutely a post-catastrophe novel but the catastrophe isn't terror, it's Realism. In its opening pages, we get the first hint of this. Hans, packing up his London office in preparation to move to New York, finds himself buttonholed by a senior vice-president "who reminisced for several minutes about his loft on Wooster Street and his outings to the 'original' Dean & DeLuca." Hans finds this nostalgia irritating: "Principally he was pitiable—like one of those Petersburgians of yesteryear whose duties have washed him up on the wrong side of the Urals." But then:
It turns out he was right, in a way. Now that I, too, have left that city, I find it hard to rid myself of the feeling that life carries a taint of aftermath. This last-mentioned word, somebody once told me, refers literally to a second mowing of grass in the same season. You might say, if you're the type prone to general observations, that New York City insists on memory's repetitive mower—on the sort of purposeful postmortem that has the effect, so one is told and forlornly hopes, of cutting the grassy past to manageable proportions. For it keeps growing back, of course.
None of this means that I wish I were back there now; and naturally I'd like to believe that my own retrospection is in some way more important than the old S.V.P's, which, when I was exposed to it, seemed to amount to not much more than a cheap longing. But there's no such thing as a cheap longing, I'm tempted to conclude these days, not even if you're sobbing over a cracked fingernail. Who knows what happened to that fellow over there? Who knows what lay behind his story about shopping for balsamic vinegar? He made it sound like an elixir, the poor bastard.
This paragraph is structured like a recognized cliché (i.e., We had come, as they say, to the end of the road). It places before us what it fears might be a tired effect: in this case, the nostalgia-fused narrative of one man's retrospection (which is to form the basis of this novel). It recognizes that effect's inauthenticity, its lack of novelty, even its possible dullness—and it employs the effect anyway. By stating its fears Netherland intends to neutralize them. It's a novel that wants you to know that it knows you know it knows. Hans invites us to sneer lightly at those who are "prone to general observations" but only as a prelude to just such an observation, presented in language frankly genteel and faintly archaic ("so one is told and forlornly hopes"). Is it cheap longing? It can't be because—and this is the founding, consoling myth of lyrical Realism—the self is a bottomless pool. What you can't find in the heavens (anymore), you'll find in the soul. Yet there remains, in Netherland, a great anxiety about the depth or otherwise of the soul in question (and thus Netherland's entire narrative project). Balsamic vinegar and Dean & DeLuca in the first two pages are no accident. All the class markers are openly displayed and it's a preemptive strike: Is the reader suggesting that white middle-class futures traders are less authentic, less interesting, less capable of interiority than anyone else?
Enter Chuck Ramkissoon. Chuck has no such anxieties. He is unselfconscious. He moves through the novel simply being, and with abandon, saying those things that the novel—given its late place in the history of the novel—daren't, for fear of seeming naive. It's Chuck who openly states the central metaphor of the novel, that cricket is "a lesson in civility. We all know this; I do not need to say more about it." It's left to Chuck to make explicit the analogy between good behavior on pitch and immigrant citizenship: "And if we step out of line, believe me, this indulgence disappears. What this means…is, we have an extra responsibility to play the game right." Through Chuck idealisms and enthusiasms can be expressed without anxiety:
"I love the national bird," Chuck clarified. "The noble bald eagle represents the spirit of freedom, living as it does in the boundless void of the sky."
I turned to see whether he was joking. He wasn't. From time to time, Chuck actually spoke like this.
And again:
"It's an impossible idea, right? But I'm convinced it will work. Totally convinced. You know what my motto is?"
"I didn't think people had mottoes anymore," I said.
"Think fantastic," Chuck said. "My motto is, Think Fantastic."
Chuck functions here as a kind of authenticity fetish, allowing Hans (and the reader) the nostalgic pleasure of returning to a narrative time when symbols and mottos were full of meaning and novels weren't neurotic, but could aim themselves simply and purely at transcendent feeling. This culminates in a reverie on the cricket pitch. Chuck instructs Hans to put his Old World fears aside and hit the ball high ("How else are you going to get runs? This is America") and Hans does this, and the movement is fluid, unexpected, formally perfect, and Hans permits himself an epiphany, expressed, like all epiphanies, in one long breathless, run-on sentence:
All of which may explain why I began to dream in all seriousness of a stadium and black and brown and even a few white faces crowded in bleachers, and Chuck and me laughing over drinks in the members' enclosure and waving to people we know, and stiff flags on the pavilion roof, and fresh white sight-screens, and the captains in blazers looking up at a quarter spinning in the air, and a stadium-wide flutter of expectancy as the two umpires walk onto the turf square and its omelette-colored batting track, whereupon, with clouds scrambling in from the west, there is a roar as the cricket stars trot down the pavilion steps onto this impossible grass field in America, and everything is suddenly clear, and I am at last naturalized.
There are those clouds again. Under them, Hans is rendered authentic, real, natural. It's the dream that Plato started, and Hans is still having it.


text:
Duane G. Davis Sr. was arrested in 2011 when he brought his toilet to a Baltimore County courthouse. The "statement," as he described it, triggered a bomb scare.
On the two-year anniversary of his infamous political statement, Davis returned to Towson to file new evidence in a civil suit against his son and his former landlord. And, he said, "Just to piss them [officials] off."
"They took my property while I was locked up in jail," Davis told a group of like-minded activists who attended the demonstrated in Patriot Plaza, outside of the Baltimore County Circuit Court.
A settlement conference has been scheduled for June 27.
Davis tried to enter an old television set—designed similarly to the infamous toilet—as well as a bound set of papers outlining his catering businesses as well as his "self help" program "Shorty's."
Neither item was accepted into evidence. But on Tuesday afternoon, Davis had what he considered the last laugh against a system that he said he has been rebelling for seven years. Watch the video above to see why.
Davis, who also goes by the nickname "Shorty," was acquitted of all charges related to the Sept. 2011 bomb scare, where a toilet decorated with stickers, a an apparent petition and electronics was reported as suspicious and led to police calling bomb technicians to downtown Towson.
Related Content:
- Accused 'Toilet Bomber' to Stand Trial Tuesday
- Bail Hearing Set for Man in Toilet Bomb Scare Case
- Man in Toilet Bomb Scare Case to Ask for Postponement
- Toilet Politics Returning to Towson
- Man Accused in Bomb Scare Dismisses Attorney
- Jury Acquits Accused 'Toilet Bomber'
- Judge Sets Bail for Man Accused in Feb. Bomb Scare
- Police Arrest Baltimore Man in Towson Toilet Bomb Scare


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Welcome to the University of New Haven! We are looking forward to your arrival on August 22, 2013.
Many of you participated in SOAR this summer which was part one of the two part orientation program at UNH. Part two, Welcome Week, is fast approaching and we hope that you are as excited as we are about the beginning of the fall semester. Your participation is mandatory from August 22 to August 25.
Click here to access the Opening Day Map (PDF), which details which campus entrance you should use, available parking lots, and check-in areas.
Commuter Student Check-in: Check-in for commuter students will take place between 2:00pm – 2:30pm on Thursday, August 22nd on the Beckerman Recreation Center Patio.
In order to avoid any problems or delays at check-in, your student account in the Bursar's Office should be paid in full prior to your arrival on campus. Should you have questions regarding the status of your account, please contact the Bursar's Office at 1-800-DIAL-UNH, X7217.
The following information pertains to all new students:
- Banking Information: Wells Fargo Bank, which has an ATM on campus, will have representatives in the Beckerman Recreation Center from 9:00am - 2:00pm on Thursday, August 22nd to assist with opening new student accounts.
- Address Changes: If your address or phone number has changed, please notify the Registrar's Office at 203-932-7301 so that the University has your most current information.
- Health Service Forms: Please mail your Health Service forms (four page physical and immunizations) directly to the Health Services Office by Friday, August 9 at the latest as this will facilitate your check-in. However, if you are unable to meet this deadline, please contact Health Services directly to discuss alternative arrangements. Health Services will be open from 8:30am - 4:30pm. We strongly suggest that you make two copies of the forms: one to keep on file at home and a second copy to bring with you on check-in day, Thursday, August 22. We also strongly suggest you make a copy of your immunization records and also bring one with you on check-in day, Thursday, August 22. Please contact Health Services directly at 203-932-7079 if you have any questions.
- Bookstore Hours: The Bookstore will be open on Thursday, August 22nd from 8:30am - 7:00pm. You may pre-order books orrent them directly from the Bookstore website at www.efollett.com. Simply set up a user account, choose the books according to your schedule and provide a method of payment. Your books may be shipped to you or held at the store until you arrive on campus. The Bookstore accepts MC, VISA, AMEX and Discover as well as the UNH Campus Card as forms of payment. Please contact the Bookstore at 1-800-DIAL-UNH x7030 if you have questions.
Schedule is subject to change. Please check back for updates!
Parking Regulations for 2013-2014
|University Offices Open
|Bookstore Open
New Student Resource Fair: Beckerman Recreation Center
Commuter Student Check-in: Beckerman Recreation Center Patio
New Student & Family Welcome: Bixler/Botwinik Quad
|Family Members Say Goodbye
|Time with your Orientation Leader
|Class of 2017 Photograph
Charger Fun Time & Dinner: Kayo Field/Bartels Campus Center
Commuter Student Meeting: Henry C. Lee Building Room 301
Ice Cream Social & Music: Bixler/Botwinik Quad


text:
Around the World's Markets: Frankfurt
Wednesday 21 October 1998
However, dealers warned there could be profit-taking in the morning. The market was led by the banks as rumours regarding a possible Deutsche Bank purchase of Bankers Trust gathered pace during the day.
- 1 Russell Brand accuses FOX News anchor Sean Hannity of terrorism after aggressive Israel-Gaza debate
- 2 Pope Francis issues top 10 tips for happiness – including don't try to convert other people
- 3 Arturo Vidal to Manchester United: Midfielder set to force through move to Louis van Gaal's Red Devils - reports
- 4 Disney heiress Abigail disowns her share of family profits in West Bank company
- 5 Israel's propaganda machine is finally starting to misfire
The secret report that helps Israel hide facts
Land for gas: Merkel and Putin discussed secret deal could end Ukraine crisis
Woman and two children killed by mob in riots over 'blasphemous' Facebook post in Pakistan
Richard Dawkins tweets: 'Date rape is bad, stranger rape is worse'
Putin is 'thuggish, dishonest and reckless', says British ambassador to US
Boozy, ignorant, intolerant, but very polite – Britain as others see us
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text:
Game details
- Game:
- DuckTales Remastered
- Genre:
- Action
- Sub Genre:
- 2D Platformer
- Release Date (US):
- August 13th, 2013
- Release Date (UK):
- August 14th, 2013
- Players:
- 1
- Online Players:
- Developers:
- WayForward Technologies
- Publisher:
- Capcom
- Rating:
- E [Everyone]
- PSU Rank:
- 0 of 1166 Games
- PSU Rank on PSN:
- 0 of 0 Games
- Additional Information:
- Also available on Xbox LIVE, Steam and Wii.
About DuckTales Remastered
A high-definition remake of the beloved NES sidescroller DuckTales, based on Disney's legendary cartoon series.
- PSU Review Score
- 8.5
- Avg. user review score:
- 7.0
You must be logged in to rate a game
DuckTales remastered is old-school platforming at its best, doing justice to the original while adding gorgeous visuals and extra content into the mix for good measure.
We like
- Gorgeous visuals
- Brilliant music
- Challenging gameplay with plenty of extra content to unlock
We dislike
- Too short
- Occasional trial-and-error can be frustrating
- Repetitive enemies
See PSU's review on Metacritic & GameRankings
For many, Capcom's DuckTales on the NES is the quintessential example of platforming perfection during the late '80s and early '90s. Next to Mario and Sonic, you'd be hard pressed to find something as rewarding as Scrooge McDuck's treasure-hunting adventure. As well as being a solid title in its own right, the game was one of the first to subvert the now-common notion that licensed titles are doomed to failur...
- Posted Aug 12th 2013
- Read full review
DuckTales Remastered News
Sony Europe unveils new PSN January sale
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) has lifted the lid on a slew of new January PlayStation Network discounts. Among the games featured in the sale include DuckTales Remastered and the truly excellent Far Cry 3. Check out the full line-up below, courtesy of the EU PS Blog. - - - - - ...
- Posted Jan 8th 2014
- Read more
DuckTales gets 'Duckumentary' on art
DuckTales Remasterd has received a suitably-dubbed 'Duckumentary' focusing on the art of the upcoming Disney platform title. The team at WayForward discuss the evolution of Scrooge McDuck and co. from classic NES sprites into the modern high-definition era, where the team have given t...
- Posted Jul 26th 2013
- Read more
DuckTales Remastered video sees Scrooge visiting the Himalayas
Capcom has released a new DuckTales Remastered video for you to feast your eyes on, this time giving us a peak at the Himalayas stage. Seen below, the footage shows off various gameplay including a tussle with a boss fight who looks rather like the abominable snowman. If that wasn't enough ...
- Posted Jul 18th 2013
- Read more
DuckTales Remastered due in August
Retro-tastic platformer DuckTales Remastered will be released in August, publisher Capcom has revealed. Scrooge McDuck's treasure-hunting adventure will be released on August 13 in the U.S. on PlayStation Network, priced $14.99. The game arrives in Europe on August 15 and will set you back ...
- Posted Jul 11th 2013
- Read more
DuckTales Remastered E3 trailer takes Scrooge back to Transylvania
Capcom has released the official E3 trailer for upcoming retro-tastic platformer DuckTales Remastered. Check it out below. DuckTales Remastered is based on the classic NES platform title and offers several new features including fresh stages and boss patterns. Unlike the original game, this H...
- Posted Jun 7th 2013
- Read more
Capcom has a 'big surprise' in store for E3 as it reveals full line-up
Capcom has unveiled its line-up for E3 next week, confirming the likes of Lost Planet 3 and DuckTales Remastered will be among the games on display. While there's not many surprises in the line-up, it seems the Resident Evil developer does have something up its sleeves that it's not r...
- Posted Jun 6th 2013
- Read more
DuckTales Remastered to feature expanded plot
The developer behind DuckTales Remastered has confirmed that the cartoon platform title will feature an expanded plot. Originally released on the NES in 1989, DuckTales was pretty barebones in terms of a story, as you can probably imagine. One such example includes the Moon stage, where Scrooge M...
- Posted Apr 2nd 2013
- Read more
Don't be an old Scrooge, check out these DuckTales Remastered images
Capcom has released a dazzling batch of DuckTales Remastered screenshots for your viewing pleasure. Check out a quick shot below and then flap over to our DuckTales gallery to view the full bunch. The platform title, a remake of the NES classic, is being developed by WayForward Technologies ...
- Posted Mar 25th 2013
- Read more
Scrooge voice actor and cast return for DuckTales Remastered
Capcom has confirmed that Alan Young, the 94-year-old voice actor behind Scrooge McDuck, will return for the upcoming DuckTales Remastered. Young will be joined by the rest of the core cast from the classic Disney cartoon series to lend their voices to the upcoming remake of the NES platform tit...
- Posted Mar 25th 2013
- Read more
DuckTales Remastered will revisit NES classic, coming to PSN this summer
Capcom and development studio WayForward Technologies will bring DuckTales Remastered, an HD remake of the classic NES sidescroller, to PlayStation Network this summer. The news broke at PAX East 2013 earlier today, where Capcom announced that DuckTales Remastered will be a love letter to fans of t...
- Posted Mar 22nd 2013
- Read more


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The one appliance that kicks off luxury kitchen remodels
Why a range that packs a punch is likely to be the centerpiece of your customer's kitchen.
By Jeffrey Lee
Staff Writer
Whether they're building a whole new kitchen or upgrading to a luxury kitchen, says kitchen designer Rebekah Zaveloff, homeowners tend to start their research in one place: top-of-the-line appliances.
"If they're not ready to do their project or they're saving money for their project, it's something that I think people start with right away," says Zaveloff, principal of Chicago-based interiors firm KitchenLab. "They can research appliances online, and without having to commit to a salesperson."
And when it comes to appliances, cooking is the sexiest of them all. "The cooking appliance is like the fun toy out of everything that you're picking," Zaveloff says.
Today's luxury consumer is looking for a range that packs a punch, both visually and in cooking power. With kitchens becoming the heart and the gathering place of the home, owners want an appliance that makes a statement and helps re-create the restaurant experience at home. Many homeowners are choosing professional-grade gas ranges to serve as the centerpiece of their dream kitchens.
"People in this space are looking for a rugged, very professional-looking appliance," says Eliza Woolston Sheffield, vice president of marketing for BlueStar, a manufacturer of high-performance residential ranges. BlueStar makes its ranges customizable, from the configuration of the stove to the knob colors, trim, and even the choice of hundreds of color and finish combinations for the body of the range.
Those particulars are important for homeowners who are already taking the extra step with kitchen details like refrigerator paneling and inset cabinetry, Zaveloff says. "People are taking more risks and personalizing more, which is pretty exciting for designers, because you get to have more fun." She's seeing clients take a chance with bold pops of color like mint green in their custom ranges.
Professional power
While a range's custom colors may turn heads in the kitchen, it's culinary power that appeals to the foodie consumer. With celebrity chefs and cooking shows taking over TV, cooking is cool again, Zaveloff says.
"I think we've come back to realizing that cooking's a way to bring people together," she says. "The slow food movement, farm to table I think it's part of a bigger trend. I think it's a part of a cultural shift in food consumption and a passion and interest in it, rather than looking at what's convenient."
For homeowners seeking to re-create a restaurant-quality kitchen at home, there's little doubt that gas cooking is the preferred choice, Sheffield says. "Gas really offers the most precise temperature control," she explains. "It really gives you the ability to get a really high high, and also a really low low."
"We had one client on geothermal [heating], and we brought in propane just for their stove."
BlueStar's new Platinum Series, for instance, will offer two burners with up to 25,000 Btu of cooking power. "So you're able to really crank it up to approximate that professional-grade searing and woking that people are looking to to re-create those restaurant-quality dishes," Sheffield says. "On the other end of the spectrum, getting down to that really precise low simmer allows you to do things like melt chocolate."
Flexible fuel
For serious home chefs, lack of access to the natural gas main is no deterrent to purchasing a gas stove. Propane is an ideal fuel source for those homes.
For instance, when Zaveloff and her husband purchased an isolated farm house in southwest Michigan with no gas source, they gutted the house, including piping in propane to fuel their stove and replacing the baseboard electric heat. "We would have lived with electric baseboards and still added propane for cooking if we couldn't have afforded to change everything over," she says. "I've done a couple projects out here where we've brought propane in for cooking. We had one client on geothermal [heating], and we brought in propane just for their stove."
If your clients are expecting a top-rate cooking experience in their kitchen, the range of their dreams is likely to be fueled by gas. Propane provides the flexibility to meet your customers' expectations no matter where their home is located.
To learn more about cooking with propane, check out these additional resources:


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Buzz slavered over this sign at Fontana's, a little Italian takeout or dine-in place off Clinton Street in Buffalo.
The sign was prudently placed in front of the First Aid For Choking.
Love the Corn Beef. Can we get Whip Cream with our coffee?
Piously, we opted for a steak sandwich with spinach. It has spinach in it, right? So it is good for you.
But we will be back. We love this place.
It is so Buffalo!
taggedFood and Drink


text:
Just after one this morning police and paramedics responded to the eastbound lanes of I-80 just before the 24th Street exit in Council Bluffs.
Police have released very little information but did say the car drove straight into the concrete median and that the driver was the only occupant in the vehicle.
An investigation is ongoing.


text:
No. 1: Volkswagen Passat TDI
The Volkswagen Passat TDI Sedan is definitely a vehicle to take a "pass at."
Introduced to the U.S. in 1973, Passat is German for "trade wind." With a 2.0L and clean diesel engine, the Passat gets a remarkable 43 mpg highway and 31 mpg city with manual transmission. The automatic transmission gets 40 mpg highway and 30 mpg city.
It also has a high pressure steel that holds well when a crash occurs, front wheel drive and ABS to control steering for a quicker response, according to Volkswagen.
The Passat also comes in a 2.5L, 5-cylinder engine and a 3.6L V6 engine model. The sedan also features Bluetooth, a navigation touchscreen and an adapter to plug in an iPod. Starting at $25,995, it was chosen as a 2011 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Pick.
Das smart!
Distributed by Internet Broadcasting. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
How can we do research differently?
Join us for a day as we ask some talented people how we can do research in new ways. As we move into an age where work in the humanities is increasingly conducted using digital tools - how can we develop new skill sets and work collaboratively in order to achieve a scale much greater than before? Join us on the 30th and help us discover the future direction of digital research.
Featuring analysis by Theo van Leeuwen (Dean, UTS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences), Jim Macnamara (Deputy Dean, UTS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences), Steven Hayes (Sydney University Archaelogical Computing Laboratory), Luc Small (Intersect NSW), Andrew Francois (UTS), Chris Caines (UTS), Daniel Stone (UTS).
- Date:
- 30 November 2011
- Time:
- 09:30 - 15:00
Lunch provided
- Location:
- City - Broadway CB10 Level 7, 235 Jones St, Broadway
Aerial Function Centre (map)
- Audience:
- All Welcome
- Register now
- eResearch Collaboratory
Back to list of UTS: Arts and social sciences research past news and events


text:
If it is a mobile projector you want, then you better check out the NEC NP200 DLP Projector. This portable projector is easy on both your eyes and wallet.
It has a set of impressive features that will surely make your viewing and presentation pleasurable. And since it is equipped with the technology of Digital Light Processing (DLP), you'll be staring at its smooth and jitter-free display for a long time.


text:
Here are some suggestions for staging your home for the holidays.
Invite buyers in by having a warm and inviting home. If you have a fireplace now is the time to light it during showings or open houses. The key is to keep your home toasty and warm. You want buyers to visualize living there. A warm home invites them in. This is especially important if the property is empty. When a home is cold the buyers rush through it and they are not comfortable. The same is true is the summer months keep your home cool.
Lighting is key. Invest in timers if you need to. A dark home is not welcoming.
Keep decorations simple but not overpowering.
As Barb Schwarz says " If you cannot see it, then you cannot sell it." Keep your yard clean by removing snow, branches and leaves. Prepare the outside as well as the inside.
Staging is key. These are important when selling your home.
Have a great holiday!


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TRAVERSE CITY — Ogemaw Heights made a statement.
That statement was that the Big North Conference better look out for the so-called little guys.
The Falcons ran roughshod on Traverse City West's defense, rolling up 538 yards of offense and scoring on eight of 10 drives in an impressive 56-39 victory over the Titans that prevented West from clinching a playoff spot.
"We've had a lot of people tell us we can't compete," Ogemaw coach Andrew Pratley said. "We've only got 750 kids and we're in Division 4 and we can't compete with these guys. It sure feels nice tonight."
The win improves the playoff hopes for Ogemaw Heights (5-3, 3-2), while it stalls the Titans' (5-3, 4-2) for a Division 1 spot at least a week.
"We couldn't get a stop," West coach Tim Wooer said. "It was an embarrassment. I love all the kids in our program and I feel bad for them, but we've all got to look at each other and say that was embarrassing. If we don't change next week, there won't be any playoffs. If we play like that, we're 5-4 and our season is over."
Talking to his team right after the game's conclusion, Pratley said, "We're not done yet. Next week we can meet our playoff goal and get second place in this league we can't play in."
Ogemaw scored all five times it touched the ball in the second half — aside from kneeling on the ball for the final 35 seconds — as the teams combined for nearly 1,000 yards of total offense.
"I told our kids it was disappointing, obviously," Wooer said. "Very humbling. A lot of credit goes to Ogemaw Heights. They really executed on offense. Obviously we didn't play very well on defense when we give up 56 points, but they were crisp."
Led by Brandon Benac's three touchdowns, Ogemaw racked up 538 yards of total offense to West's 431.
A bright spot for West was the passing of Donny Cizek, who completed 12 of 21 attempts for 277 yards. Griffin Forrester accounted for 169 yards of total offense — including 110 through the air — and scored three touchdowns.
West's first drive was impressive, as the Titans went 58 yards in four plays for a 46-yard pass from Cizek to Forrester down the right sideline. That tied it up at 7-7, matching Ogemaw's 11-play scoring drive to open up the game.
Benac's 30-yard run up the left sideline put Ogemaw up 14-7 with 9:28 left in the second quarter, and the Falcons would never trail again.
Forrest Eagle's 1-yard plunge cut Ogemaw Heights' lead to 21-14 with 1:06 remaining before halftime, and the Titans had a long field goal blocked just before the homecoming intermission.
The Falcons' first-half drives went 11, 11, eight and eight plays before a three-and-out in which quarterback Ben Hartley inexplicably spiked the ball on third down.
West's opening drive of the second half covered 77 yards over nine plays, but Hartley's big hit jarred the ball loose on a pass to Octavian Waugh in the end zone that would have knotted up the game. Instead, West settled for a 23-yard Zach Gloshen field goal and four-point deficit, 21-17.
"Our defense played well — kept us in the game and allowed our offense to get back on the field," Pratley said. "Holding them to that field goal to start the second half was huge. But our offense really clicked on all cylinders tonight."
Five plays later, the Falcons were back in the end zone on a spectacular Benac 18-yard run in which West had the senior bottled on a sweep left, but he reversed field and cut up the middle for a 28-17 lead.
Ogemaw — which runs a veer offense variation that frequently has two quarterbacks in the backfield, both acting as if they'll receive the snap — added an 85-yard pass from Hartley to Devin Griffus over the middle to go up 35-17 before West answered with a 62-yard pass from Cizek to Waugh.
The Falcons' Tommy Dematio came right back with a 10-yard TD run for a 42-24 lead with 8:52 left in the game.
Cizek hit Forrester for a 20-yard screen pass to cut it to 42-32 with 6:42 left, but once again Ogemaw's offense couldn't be stopped and the Falcons were in the end zone five plays later on a Benac 40-yard run on fourth-and-2.
After an interception — the only turnover of the game — Ogemaw broke the 50-point mark on a Josh Awrey 18-yard touchdown run up the middle to lead 56-32. West added a 16-yard TD run by Forrester with 35 seconds remaining or the final score.
"Last year, we did not play well — certainly not against West," Pratley said. "We came back with a mission this year to make a statement. We didn't play well against Petoskey early and I thought we really gave Central a battle but we had turnovers at the end. Our kids came out and played four quarters of our brand of football."
"We've got two talented quarterbacks and some talented kids on the outside," Pratley said. "We've got a lot of young kids and we keep getting better each week."
West's Derrick Diver had 16 tackles, Collin Bush 12, Chris Doherty nine and Dustin Tucker and Tyler Johnson eight each.
The Titans now have to win next Friday against 3-5 Adrian in order to qualify for the playoffs.
"It's a one-game season now," Wooer said. "We've got to beat Adrian to get into the playoffs. Realistically, I told the kids that there's probably not much difference between a three and a four seed in the playoffs, but it's all about pride to me. We lost and still have a chance to get into the playoffs, but it was an embarrassment. I feel bad for our West family and our student section. It was homecoming and they've been very supportive — and we didn't hold up our end of the bargain."


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OLYMPIA, Wash. -- A man killed in a shootout with law enforcement officers at his home in Littlerock this week has been identified by the Thurston County coroner's office as 70-year-old David W. Mack.
Neighbors told The Olympian he was a retired corrections officer from the Cedar Creek Corrections Center who had been behaving erratically since the recent death of his wife from cancer.
Officers responded to a report of a man with a rifle shooting randomly at cars Wednesday.
Sheriff's Lt. Greg Elwin said Mack refused to drop his weapon, went home and fired at
officers with a pistol from his back porch. He was shot by an officer and died at the scene..


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Mike Stoller noticed two things about Jerry Leiber when the latter knocked at Stoller's door in Los Angeles one afternoon in 1950. The first was Leiber's eyes – one was blue, one was brown. Stoller stared in amazement at Leiber's eyes until Stoller's mother finally asked, "Aren't you going to invite him in?"
The other thing Stoller, then seventeen, noticed about his future partner, also seventeen, was the notebook in Leiber's hand. "He had lyrics written in it," says Stoller, a classically schooled pianist and serious blues and jazz buff who had been less than keen when Leiber first phoned him about writing songs together. "I looked at it, and I said, 'These aren't songs, these are blues.' Because he would have a line of lyric and ditto marks, then a rhyming line. These were twelve-bar blues progressions. I said, 'I like blues.' And we started writing."
Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller (who both turn fifty-seven this year) started writing that very afternoon – and never stopped. Their partnership has outlasted most marriages and survived innumerable revolutions in the music they helped create, rock & roll. So have the fruits of that partnership. As hit songwriters and hitmaking record producers, the Baltimore-born Leiber and Long Island native Stoller had few peers and no equals during rock & roll's first golden era. The list of smash sides they wrote or co-wrote for their all-star clients throughout the Fifties and early Sixties reads like a history of the music itself: "Love Me," "Jailhouse Rock" and "Loving You" for Elvis Presley; "There Goes My Baby" and "On Broadway" for the Drifters; Ben E. King's solo hits "Spanish Harlem" and "Stand by Me"; "Yakety Yak," "Sear-chin'," "Poison Ivy" and "Charlie Brown" for those great rock & roll clowns the Coasters; seminal R&B ravers like "Kansas City," "Riot in Cell Block No. 9" and "Hound Dog," a hit for both Elvis and, in its original risque rendition, Big Mama Thornton.
But it is living history. More than any other top writing and production team in the Fifties, Leiber (words) and Stoller (music) initiated mainstream white America into the sensual and spiritual intimacies of urban black culture that fueled the birth of rock & roll. Their songwriting captured the essence and nuances of black music and language with a melodic invention, narrative ingenuity and cool hilarity that were true to the source while transcending it – heavy-duty R&B with a pop sensibility and lyric universality.
"We felt, in some cases, very successful if people thought that what we wrote was traditional," says Stoller, who studied with the great stride pianist James P. Johnson. "We wanted people to hear that we were a part of the tradition, rather than imitating something that wasn't ours."
In 1966, after selling their share of Red Bird Records, where they oversaw the rise of top girl groups like the Dixie Cups and the Shangri-Las, Leiber and Stoller headed for more experimental pastures. They wrote the Brecht-Weill-style hit "Is That All There Is?" for Peggy Lee, produced early-Seventies records for Procol Harum and Stealers Wheel ("Stuck in the Middle With You") and worked extensively in movies and theater. In the late Eighties their work included an animated movie feature, Hound Dog, which includes some of their classic songs, and a film of their life story, aptly titled Yakety Yak.
There has, the two admit, been some flak amid the yak in their forty years together, although nothing worth splitting up over. "We started fighting the moment we met," Stoller says, laughing. "We fought about words, we fought about music. We fought about everything."
"One thing we never fought about was chicks," Leiber adds with a mischievous grin. "Because I got the good-lookin' ones."
At the 1987 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction dinner, you said in your acceptance speech, "We were just making R&B records." Were you ever aware of also making rock & roll history?
Stoller: That may be the case, but that certainly wasn't the intent. What we wanted to do was try and be as good as we could at writing blues, for blues singers. Which meant exclusively black performers, writing in the black vernacular.
Leiber: Our songs did not transcend being R&B hits. They were R&B hits that white kids were attracted to. And if people bought it, it became rock & roll. That's marketing. Why couldn't it still be R&B? The bass pattern didn't change. The song didn't change. It was still "Yakety Yak" and "Searchin'." It was just an R&B record that white people bought and loved.
These days, that's called crossing over.
Leiber: When you talk crossover, you talk about marketing. It's like jingle writing. You're trying to psyche out the public and sell 'em something, rather than something out of your own bones, your own heart, your own soul and insight.
Stoller: Honestly, when Jerry and I started to write, we were writing to amuse ourselves. It was done out of the love of doing it. And we got very lucky in the sense that at some point what we wrote also amused a lot of other people.
What were your earliest songwriting sessions like?
Leiber: We used to go to Mike's house, where the upright piano was. We went there every day and wrote. We worked ten, eleven, twelve hours a day.
Stoller: When we started working, we'd write five songs at a session. Then we'd go home, and we'd call each other up. "I've written six more songs!" "I've written four more." Our critical faculties, obviously, were not as developed [laughs], and we just kept on writing and writing.
Leiber: "Hound Dog" took like twelve minutes. That's not a complicated piece of work. But the rhyme scheme was difficult. Also the metric structure of the music was not easy. "Kansas City" was maybe eight minutes, if that. Writing the early blues was spontaneous. You can hear the energy in the work.
Stoller: In the early days we'd go back and forth note for note, syllable for syllable, word for word in the process of creating.
Like telepathy?
Leiber: We're a unit. The instincts are very closely aligned. I could write, "Take out the papers and the trash" ["Yakety Yak," by the Coasters], and he'll come up with "Or you don't get no spendin' cash."
Stoller: That is literally what happened. I think Jerry shouted out that first line, and I started playing that funny shuffle, oom-paka-oom-paka, on the piano. He shouted out the first line, and suddenly I shouted out the second line. And we knew we had something.
From the beginning, you were getting your songs cut by top R&B stars like Charles Brown ["Hard Times"] and Jimmy Witherspoon ["Real Ugly Woman"]. Didn't you ever know the pain of rejection, of getting songs thrown back at you?
Leiber: Almost never. Not so much because they were good or bad. They were almost always right. The language was right, the form was right. We knew what we were doing. Then there were mediocre songs that just happened to hit a certain groove and wham! It happened.
For example?
Leiber: "Kansas City" surprised me. I had a big fight with Mike about "Kansas City." I originally sang a traditional blues turn on it, like Howlin' Wolf might have sung it. Mike said, "I don't want to write just another blues. There are a thousand numbers out there like it. I got a tune for it." I told him it sounded phony. I gave him all sorts of garbage. And he won out.
When we did it with Little Willie Littlefield, I thought it was all right. It didn't kill me. Then when Wilbert Harrison came out with it, then it sounded right. But it took all that time to convince me that he was right about that melody.
Was "Hound Dog" written specifically for Big Mama Thornton?
Leiber: Absolutely, the afternoon we saw her. Johnny Otis told us to come down to his garage in the back of his house, where he used to rehearse. He wanted us to listen to his people and see if we could write some tunes for them.
We saw Big Mama and she knocked me cold. She looked like the biggest, baddest, saltiest chick you would ever see. And she was mean, a "lady bear," as they used to call 'em. She must have been 350 pounds, and she had all these scars all over her face. I had to write a song for her that basically said, "Go fuck yourself." But how to do it without actually saying it? And how to do it telling a story? I couldn't just have a song full of expletives.
Hence the hound dog.
Leiber: Right. "You ain't nothin' but a motherfucker."
Stoller: She was a wonderful blues singer, with a great moaning style. But it was as much her appearance as her blues style that influenced the writing of "Hound Dog" and the idea that we wanted her to growl it. Which she rejected at first. Her thing was "Don't you tell me how to sing no song!"
Didn't you feel intimidated by the black stars you worked with? These people lived the blues, and here come these two white teenagers telling Big Mama how to growl.
Stoller: I can remember saying to Jerry, "Tell her this," or "Tell so-and-so." Or Jerry asking me to say something to one of the acts, because he felt funny asking them himself. Because we felt such respect and awe for these people, these blues legends that we were working with and actually coaching. But after a while, the results spoke for themselves. In most instances, I felt very comfortable in a black community and a black situation.
Leiber: I felt black. I was, as far as I was concerned. And I wanted to be black for lots of reasons. They were better musicians, they were better athletes, they were not uptight about sex, and they knew how to enjoy life better than most people.
We lived a black lifestyle as young guys. We had black girlfriends for years. In the general sense, it was extreme. But not in the environment that we moved in. They were amused by us, two white kids doing the blues. They thought it was goofy, a lot of fun.
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Staff Reports
Niagara Gazette
A 14-year-old Lockport youth was flown to Children's Hospital by Mercy Flight after being hit by a car about 4:45 p.m. Monday on Robinson Road.
The Niagara County Sheriff's Office said it received several 911 calls reporting the boy being struck by a vehicle in the area of 6221 Robinson Road while riding his bike.
First responders found the boy on the side of the road with leg and head injuries. An initial investigation determined the 14-year-old was riding west along the shoulder of Robinson Road and was struck when he pulled into the path of westbound traffic.
While the youth was flown by Mercy Flight to Children's Hospital, sheriff's officials said none of the injuries appeared life-threatening.
An infant in the vehicle that struck the youth was also taken to an area hospital as a precaution.
An investigation into the accident is continuing.


text:
Updated at 10:15 a.m. June 5:
Community Relations Director Tom Hernandez released a statement from the district Tuesday morning.
"We extend our sincere condolences to the families of these three students. All of our students are part of the District 202 family, even after they've moved on to life after high school, and so we also grieve this loss," Hernandez said.
Alexis Banuelos, 18, was a 2011 graduate. Tyler Montgomery, 19, graduated from PNHS in 2010. Hernandez said Brian Herrera, 19, was also a former District 202 student.
Original article:
Three teenagers were killed when the car they were in collided with a semi truck on Route 126 near Oswego on Monday afternoon, Illinois State Police said.
The driver of the car, 19-year-old Brian Herrera of Plainfield, and a passenger, 19-year-old Tyler Montgomery of Plainfield, were pronounced dead on the scene, police said. A second passenger, 18-year-old Alexis Banuelos of Naperville, was taken to Rush-Copley Medical Center, where she was also pronounced dead, police said.
According to police, the black Ford coupe Herrera was driving pulled out in front of a semi truck heading east on Route 126 at Schlapp Road around 3:15 p.m. The truck hit the car, and flipped onto its side, pinning the car beneath it. Paramedics needed to use extrication to get the three teens out of the car, police said.
The driver of the semi truck, 45-year-old Scott Fernatt of Hodgkins, Illinois, was taken to Rush-Copley Medical Center, where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries and released, police said. Fernatt was subjected to a blood test, and no sign of alcohol was found, police said.
A stretch of Route 126 between Schlapp Road to the west and Ridge Road to the east remained closed late Monday night.
Check back with Patch for more details on this story as they are released.


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Central America Condo Rentals with Parking Included(822)
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Recent Central America Reviews
Our family of 2 adults and two kids, 10 and 14 years old stayed at Dr. Spivey's condo in Manuel Antonio for 3 nights on July 5th, 2014. The property is very clean, elegantly laid our, well equipped and very modern. The view from the living room into the bay is amazing. The owner was very organized and thoughtful in getting everything ready for guests, from local maps, to restaurants to sight seeings. The condo has a guard 24/24 so we felt very safe throughout our stay. Proximity to restaurants, groceries and sight seeings were a big plus since everything is within 5-10 minutes drive. Thanks again Dr. Spivey, we can't wait to go back to Manuel Antonio and stay at you condo again.
Pacifico Resort is a very well kept property. Our unit was clean and well maintained. At the Pacifico Beach Club food and drinks are excellent. I highly recommend this property to anyone planning to go to Costa Rica and planning to stay in this area. It is a much better choice and less expensive than staying in an all inclusive hotel. There is a supermarket (very similar to any supermarket in the US) within walking distance from the property. Villa Italia is the best restaurant by far in this town, it is on a dirt road off main street. If you are looking for a white sand beach, Coco is not the best, the sand is very dark. Flamingo beach a drive away has a beautiful beach and white sand. It is safe to drive around. The roads are not the best but it is safe. If you rent a car, get a GPS.
Staying here was just the start of a great vacation! At the last minute we decided to change our plans. We had reservations at the JW Marriott because I had points and it would be inexpensive. After researching, we realized how isolated we would be and since we were with our college aged children decided we needed someplace with a little more life. Keith was completely accommodating even at literally the last minute! The condo was beautiful and overlooked one of the pools. We spent hours reading on the balcony. They were able to arrange for our airport shuttle with Bernal at Tico Tours which was another huge find. We used him for 2 of our excursions also! The sun comes up early in the Master bedroom but we didn't mind. We sat on the balcony and were perfectly content. The 3rd sleeping area is the sofa in the living room but it wasn't a pull out sofa but an actual twin size mattress type deal which was much more comfortable than any sofa bed. They even provided a cell phone for use in Costa Rica. The Pacifico Beach Club was beautiful and shuttles are provided or you can take a cab for $2. The condo isn't connected to the Beach Club or right on the beach but it is seriously perfect. There is a bank, pharmacy, market all at the entrance of the property although we went across the street to the more local grocery store and found the prices much better. We would (hopefully will) stay here again in a heartbeat! Thanks Keith and Maggie!


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The Shorewood School Board has one official applicant for the seat vacated by Michael Mishlove's resignation, and the deadline is Friday.
The application is provided here, and applicants are encouraged to answer the questions and prepare for a meeting with board members in the next two weeks.
Also at Tuesday's School Board meeting:
- The board approved the creation of an ad hoc committee for the energy efficiency project, which would "increase both the efficiency and transparency" of the board, said President Rob Reinhoffer.
- A number of items were brought forth in the Superintendent Reports for purposes of preliminary discussion, including the opportunity to provide parking for customers who patronize businesses along Capitol Drive by opening nine spaces at Atwater School for such purposes, especially between the hours of 4:30pm and 9pm.
"The village doesn't have to pave more space if there is already parking available," said Superintendent Martin Lexmond.
- The board also discussed the matter of student fees, and to what degree fees should be reduced, if at all. Reinhoffer also suggested the board consider reducing fees for military families as well as free/reduced lunch qualifying families.
- The initial budget report was presented for Fund 10 and 27 revenues and expenses by Business Manager Mark Boehlke. So far this year the line items for Youth Options (college coursework paid for by the district for high-achieving students) and textbook costs were the only outliers. Reinhoffer congratulated the district for bringing overtime maintenance costs under control for the first fiscal reporting period in recent history.
Boiler Project Community Info Sessions
The district is hosting three community information sessions next week relating to replacement of a boiler at Atwater School:
- 11:55 a.m. Monday at the Senior Resources Center
- 7 p.m. Monday at the Shorewood High School Library/Media Center
- 7:15 p.m. Wednesday at the Shorewood Men's Club
The issue will come to a vote at the next regularly scheduled School Board meeting on December 11.


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Kelly Phillips Erb, Contributor
I cover tax: paying tax is painful but reading about it shouldn't be.
The IRS has announced that extremely high traffic is causing the "Where's My Refund?" tool to be unavailable for some taxpayers at times this season. This affects both the "Where's My Refund?" tool on IRS.gov and the refund feature on the IRS2go phone app.
Of course, this likely doesn't come as a surprise to most tax professionals: complaints about the system being down have been steady since tax season kicked off on January 30.
To help mitigate the problem, the IRS is asking taxpayers to only check on their refunds once a day. This actually makes a lot of sense since IRS systems are only updated once a day (usually overnight). Checking multiple times during the day won't give you a different answer – and it's just clogging up the system. And there's no need to shop around: you'll get the same answer on the internet as on the phone (this, according to the IRS though taxpayers are telling me different).
The IRS also advises that, to avoid technical woes, the best time to check on refunds is evening and weekends.
The timing on the announcement makes sense. Filing season opened on January 30 and most refunds for taxpayers who file electronically and use direct deposit are issued within 21 days. We are at day 15 and taxpayers are growing anxious. I suspect that systems are likely overwhelmed from the floodgates which were opened on January 30. Tax preparers encouraged taxpayers to file early even though the IRS was not accepting returns until the 30th: the result was that many returns were queued in advance, making January 30 an unusually busy day.
Volume is expected to increase as tax season goes forward so brace yourself. It looks like it's going to be a bumpy ride.
Want more taxgirl goodness? Sign up to receive posts by email, follow me on twitter (@taxgirl), hang out with me on Facebook or check out my new YouTube channel.
You can also buy my book in print at Amazon.com or as an ebook for the Kindle, the Nook from Barnes and Noble or through Hyperink.
The federal government should be most prepared to deal with this type of inquiry; and they should have tested their apps more efficiently to handle the flow of inquiries. There is no way they couldn't have predicted that people who file their returns will keep checking to see the status. People are struggling right now and some have been waiting for months, hoping for that money. Right or wrong, it seems like a fail on the part of the IRS here.
"People are struggling right now and some have been waiting for months, hoping for that money."
Waiting for months? They've been making it somehow until now and after they get the money and it's spent, they'll make it again somehow until next year. What does it really matter when the refund actually occurs?
When does the IRS actually match tax returns with employer records? Aren't they pushing a lot of money out of the coffers to fraudulent claims when refunds are issued in advance of checks against employer records?
Thanks, Kelly.
As I replied to Donna above, "They've been making it somehow until now and after they get the money and it's spent, they'll make it again somehow until next year. What does it really matter when the refund actually occurs?"
What's the rush? Most of these early refunds aren't spent on NEEDS, they're spent on WANTS and wants are as well met later as sooner. Another issue is that once a way to exploit the system is discovered, it gets eagerly shared with others and others and others.
Let's do it right. Congress made their pain go away by throwing it back on the real taxpayer who don't get back more than they paid in. If you get back more than you pay in, you're not a taxpayer – it's an investment in order to get more in return.
Oh, this is rich coming from the same folks that charge interest and penalties if we make a mistake and/or are late. They have rooms full of Super computers, employees all over and yet we the Taxpayers (who pay their salaries) are the ones that have to wait. This agency biggest problem is the ability to think outside the box and use tools to manage staff so productivity goes up. They need to hire a non government Top Director who can help them fix what is broken. They are in need of standards and processes and private sector managers. We either produce or we are gone in the private sector.
Actually this time it's not all IRS' fault. Ire should be directed at Congress, as they waited until the wee hours of 2013 to make changes they should've made months ago. This affected a great many forms and certainly myriad lines of programming code as well. However, had they not made the changes, chances are YOU would see your tax bill rise by $3000 or more, if you're an average taxpayer. I believe most people were oblivious to the disaster that awaited them from the Alternative Minimum Tax in its previous form. Otherwise, we'd have heard much more protest from the general population to get Congress to do their job. However, you are correct that they still have great many problems to fix.
The W2 you receive (or 1099Misc) is provided to both you and the Social Security Administration.
You use your copies of the document to file your taxes.
It takes between 1 to 3 years for the Social Security Administration to "match" with the IRS version from your return. That is why you are allowed to amend up to 3 years of previous tax returns. (Unless they believe fraud was involved, then the up to 3 years statue is negated)
The biggest fraud issue is Earned Income Credit (EIC). Therefore, the IRS is slowing down refunds to do more verification of returns that include EIC. (The IRS now request 21 calendar days to process, where as last year it was 8 to 15 days). To help with this process, the IRS has created additional requirements for the tax professional to complete prior to submitting these returns. Therefore, there is more information to process on the return itself, causing slower refunds.
There are ways to remove penalties from a return. No so for interest. But conversely, the IRS also pay interest to the taxpayer when warranted. However, during tax season, it is usually not warranted.
If you would like more information, please visit our website at www.easywebtaxes.com.
If the IRS is in fact doing more to close the floodgate of fraud involved in the EIC then that's wonderful news. Many people report only enough of their off the books earnings to get the maximum amount of EIC. They also need to limit the number of dependants people can claim much like they do for the Childcare Credit; there needs to be a cap.
Actually, the whole tax system is a mess from top to bottom.
I have no sympathy for the IRS or the federal government concerning refunds. It is just wrong that the government gets money that is refunded long after it's collected as an interest free loan while the IRS charges interest on money that a taxpayer owes. Delaying the refund to check against employer or other documents is fine if the IRS pays me a penalty and interest at the same rate and for the same time periods that they charge.
Simple solution – send push notifications to those that e-filed stating that there's been an update to the status of their federal return.
To bad most of the information, that is critical, is left out in this article. The IRS is causing delays in tax refunds because they are not so smart. People who file for education credits for example, didn't have their returns processed until the 14th and even then, they are still waiting. the WMR site stopped showing my information. It no longer shows ANYTHING. After you wait for 1 hr on the phone to talk with someone at the IRS, they just say you have to wait. It has now been more than 30 days since I filed electronically.
Correction!…They would allow you to FILE before Jan. 30…They would just start PROCESSING on Jan. 30!! (Aunt 25 years w/IRS)
Do away with the IRS and adopt something more efficient, like the Fair Tax.
So here's a question: I filed with H&R on 2/4/13. Because we are filing with the education credits, it couldn't be submitted until 2/15/13. I received a text that my taxes were accepted by the IRS on the 15th, then I received another text that they were accepted on the 21st. Still, nothing.
WMR used to show me that they had been accepted, but for the last week, it shows "Your tax return is still being processed. A refund date will be provided when available".
I call the IRS and just get passed around on hold, never reaching a human. Should I count on getting them at all this week, or just keep waiting and checking?
They have no problem ridding my butt for my taxes, but God forbid I get my refund on time. Frustrating!
We're curious whether you are still waiting, or have received your refund?
We filed two weeks after you on the 19th of Feb, (but without education credits). Today is March 27th – more than 5 weeks since we filed! The "Where's My Refund" site is not very helpful (our status has not changed since day 21, when we first started checking):
We have received your tax return and it is being processed…
For refund information, please continue to check here …
We're definitely going to reduce withholding in the future – loaning our money to this Brave New Uncle Sam was about as bright as loaning it to a drunk deadbeat.
Finally got our refund after 6 weeks! Never again!
Thanks. We are a small business owner so we have to file quarterly estimates. We qualify for many deductions and will reduce our estimated taxes based on the assumption that we will continue to qualify for those deductions.
I actually called the manager of the local H&R and told him the IRS was blaming them, and of course, they blamed the IRS. I asked if H&R was offering Rapid Refund for our troubles, and he sort of skirted the idea.
Within 2 days, WMR showed that I should have my refund by Monday and by that Saturday, H&R process a Rapid Refund into my bank account. So, yes, they came through in the end. If you used H&R and still haven't received your taxes, I would call or go to the local office, where you filed and ask about some sort of compensation.
We've got a tax accountant. She E-filed our paperwork while we were in her office. She has our refund set up for direct deposit to our bank account. I didn't called her for status, since the IRS acknowledged that they had our return and were processing it.
We finally received our refund this week. It took more than twice the estimated 21 days – all of which is attributable to the government: Congress and the IRS.
The fact that we are small business people and the ever changing rules of the tax code make the process way too complex.
Could you imaging the pressure on the computer programmers at the IRS? They get the rule changes on Jan 2nd and have to modify millions of lines of computer code to incorporate thousands of congressional whims by the end of the month.
… I've been following the comments …I filed Mar-14 electronically,…. guess what, no return. I have attempted to call the IRS … no luck there. It appears to be some missing links … again, I have to agree with others … if we didn't file and / or happen to owe the IRS … we are as good as done. The irony, looking at my last pay stub … they are certainly getting their share regularly, without delay.
The problem with the IRS is that the processing is so random, that people who filed early still doesn't have their acceptance. But those people who filed late are already have their refunds. Where is the essence of being early… Just a thought.


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By Shirley Aubrey Anderson resident
The Herald Bulletin
---- — The Affordable Care Act was passed into law by Democratic majority in both the Senate and House and not one Republican vote was cast for it. It withstood challenges in court as Supreme Justice Roberts changed the law by calling it a tax. If the law that was presented to the Supreme Court was judged on the original wordage it would have failed passage, as the federal government has never had nor should ever have the right to force American citizens to purchase health care or anything else.
So what is the Senate doing by stalling the budgeting and protecting President Obama?
Answer: Wasting time, diverting the attention of lack of jobs, increased welfare rolls, health care exemptions for all his cronies just to mention a few. Whatever you think of the Affordable Care Act, it's the law of the land. Wrong. It can be defunded and when most people see what it will cost them in the end they too will be against it. The message Obama keeps delivering to the tea party and all Republicans is "I will not negotiate." In other words, it's my way or the highway.
Don't forget, the Affordable Care Act was written during Obama's first term, and the Republicans were told we had to pass it before finding out what was in the bill. I thought all laws had to be read before becoming law, but not in Obama's case as the majority in both House and Senate were Democrat.
The recent launch of the Health Insurance Marketplace, a key provision of the ACA, is tangled in red tape and even impossible to get online to start the process. The website has been down more than it has been up, and the Democrats have had three years to get it organized and working. Tell me how they can run this health care system when they can't figure out how to get a letter from point A to B without losing money and that doesn't involve anything critical like our doctors, medical issues, drugs and, in some cases, our lives.
The main thrust of the ACA: to provide affordable health care and health insurance to millions of Americans who have not been able to afford. However, it does not tell you that the young workers of America, who do not need insurance, will be paying dearly for the elderly and the indigent. I don't think that is too noble. It also does not point out that there will still be millions who will not receive insurance, and those that don't get it will pay a penalty.
The bottom line: The ACA is law; however, the Senate Democrats should be willing to make it for all Americans, no matter who they are. Unions, big business, themselves, friends, it should be the same law for all constituents. Above all, the Democrats should stop blaming the Republicans for America's shutdown when it was Democrats who would not negotiate on any area of the bill.
The Democrats should stop trying to raise the federal budget as our government is in debt over our heads now. All you are doing is printing more money and placing the great USA in a path of financial disaster we can't get out of. Learn to cut programs and live within your budget, which you haven't done since Obama's election. The truth hurts, but it's time our government faces facts before China calls in our debt.


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Have you ever seen a photograph of the Alberta tar sands, the Canadian oil fields that would be the source of the crude flowing through the proposed Keystone XL pipeline?
Better yet, also look at some photos of the region before oil drilling began. I am sure you would be disgusted at the destruction and begin to question the environmental morality of the pipeline.
President Obama, who is expected to announce a decision on the pipeline by year's end, is sounding like he does not know where to turn when it comes to climate change and the environment. He knows what we need to do, but he does not seem to know which roads to take to get all the way there.
The tar sands area contains an estimated 2 trillion barrels of oil. However, extracting it would turn a region the size of Florida into a wasteland. That raping of the hills and valleys of the eastern slopes of the Rockies has already begun, sending North American natives fleeing from the contaminated wildlife and water.
The proposed pipeline would take that tar-sands oil through the middle of the U.S. to refineries on the Gulf Coast. However, first, the heavy tar-sands crude must be extracted from a mixture of sand, clay and bitumen. That process requires the use of natural gas to produce heat and steam to melt the oil out of the sand.
Processing the oil at refineries also demands more time and energy. In all, the production of tar-sands oil generates three times the greenhouse gas emissions of conventionally produced oil.
The president does appear to be serious about the problem of climate change and global warming, and therefore has stated his commitment to reducing carbon emissions.
Two weeks ago, after years of Congress doing nothing because so many lawmakers consider global warming a fantasy, Obama announced actions he would take that do not require congressional approval.


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CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The U.S. attorney in Manhattan announced Tuesday that the government has sued Wells Fargo, alleging that the bank failed to follow underwriting rules on thousands of government-insured loans.
The "reckless" lending led to hundreds of millions of dollars in payouts by the Federal Housing Administration after thousands of the loans defaulted, the U.S. attorney's office said in a news release.
Wells Fargo also allegedly hired inexperienced temporary workers to boost production, and paid out bonuses to employees based strictly on the volume of FHA loans approved, without regard for their quality.
"As the complaint alleges, yet another major bank has engaged in a longstanding and reckless trifecta of deficient training, deficient underwriting and deficient disclosure, all while relying on the convenient backstop of government insurance," Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said in a statement.
Wells Fargo denies the claims and says the bank has acted responsibly and in good faith. Wells said its FHA loan delinquency rates have been half the industry average.
"The bank will present facts to vigorously defend itself against this action," Wells said in a statement. "Wells Fargo is proud of its long involvement in the FHA program, which has helped so many people obtain affordable mortgages and become homeowners."
Through the FHA program, the government agrees to insure certain loans, paying the note holder should the borrower default. The FHA does not review the loan, instead relying on the originating bank to follow specific creditworthiness standards.
Wells Fargo is the country's largest mortgage originator. It has been a part of the FHA program since 1986.
Banks taking part are also required to have a quality control program, fully review loans that quickly go into default, and report to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development any evidence of fraud.
Instead, the lawsuit alleges, Wells Fargo underwrote more than 100,000 loans it said were eligible for the government insurance between 2001 and 2005, when it knew that a "very substantial percentage" of the loans were ineligible or risky.
"Unfortunately, as alleged in the government's complaint, there was a time when Wells Fargo placed profits over people, corporate results over corporate integrity, and did not consider the effect its actions would have on the FHA program as well as the overall economy," HUD general counsel Helen Kanovsky said in a statement.
Then, from 2005 to 2011, Wells Fargo "attempted to cover up its misdeeds" by telling the government it had been reporting faulty loans, the U.S. attorney said. The suit states that Wells reported only a tiny fraction.
This is the fifth such suit the government has brought against banks. In February, the U.S. settled with Citigroup for $158.3 million and Flagstar Bank for $132.8 million. The government settled with Deutsche Bank and its subsidiary MortgageIT for $202.3 million in May. A suit against Allied Home Mortgage Corp. is ongoing.
Bank of America settled similar claims earlier this year in a side deal accompanying the $25 billion mortgage servicing settlement with state attorneys general and federal agencies. The Charlotte bank agreed to pay $500 million upfront, with the possibility of paying $500 million more if principal forgiveness benchmarks weren't met.
The Wells Fargo lawsuit was announced shortly before the New York Stock Exchange closed. The bank's stock closed down 2 percent, at $35.10.