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Short-term thinking 'putting energy security at risk'
The Deputy Director-General of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) Katja Hall told the CBI Energy Conference on July 17th ...


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Car Forums / Ford / Ford Focus
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2012 Ford Focus
yelowfocus12 Posts: 2I have been frustrated about a few things with my 2012 Focus Hatchback. I sprung for the "sportier" Titanium trim model just before the ST came out (kicking myself for not waiting). I have had tons of issues with the sync and blue tooth system. Just wondering if I'm alone in this or not. Every few weeks it seems like the system freezes and won't pair with my phone. I have tried different phones with the same result. The other problem I've had is the turning radius which is horrible at best. My Toyota Sienna turns far better! Lastly I have concerns about the long transmission long term. It seems that the transmission is often confused about which gear to be in and at times when it shifts it almost feels like there is a shudder in the clutch.
Anyone else have any of these issues?
gogogodzilla MarylandPosts: 700Only the turning radius.
Sync and Bluetooth have been very stable since the last update (ie: not the one that just came out in August, but the one prior to that).
And for my transmission, I treat it like a manual. And it works like a charm. I really like how it'll downshift at the drop of a hat to wring out the maximum amount of power out of the engine.
nthn Posts: 1I've been looking at used 2012 Focus (fully loaded Titaniums if that makes a difference) and have found a few from dealerships that I am considering. I've never purchased a used car in the past. Aside from mileage, these cars are identical.
The first is $18,000 and has 29,000km; the second is $20,500 and has 22,000km. I live in a metro area where 20-30,000 km per year isn't an unlikely estimate so I know both of these are within a normal amount but my question is whether 7,000km makes a difference when the car is a little over a year old?
I've tried searching the forums for similar questions but came up with nothing as well. Thank you in advance for any insight into this.
Does one of 'em by chance have a stick? If so, that's the one I'd pick. Fun car IF you know how to handle the manual transmission. Otherwise, no opinion as I can only speak for what I drive and again, Ford has built one outstanding little ride with this '12 Focus in our garage IMHO.
ivan_99 Posts: 1,663Since you mention km I'm assuming it's a Canadian vehicle. 7000km (4300 mi) difference between the two isn't that significant.
It does cut into your 36/60 warranty sooner. 29K km in one year seems high to me; in 7K km your bumper to bumper warranty would expire.
If the vehicles are really "equal" I'd go with the cheaper one; a $2500 premium for 7000km can easily pay for an extended warranty with money to spare.
guido65 Posts: 17I own a 2012 SE Hatch with sport pkg, sunroof, winter pkg. I have about 18,500 miles on the vehicle. Mainly used as a commuter vehicle I average 34.1MPG per the computer. It does have the automatic with sport shift and I did have the computer re-flashed/updated at about 8,000 miles due to the transmission acting funny at times. After the re-programming I have had no other issues. Once you learn the sportshift, its a blast to drive and the car is actually pretty quick. The Focus is solid, fit/finish is solid. I only have one minor issue. When stopping for gas I have to make sure my window is rolled down before I turn off the engine!! Otherwise the windows will not roll down!??. Next spring I do plan on going to some 17" aftermarket wheels and new tires. Would I recommend? The Focus deserves a test drive.


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This is why I hope she can keep this attitude up, skate with joy and freedom and have a good showing at the Olympics. If she wins a medal, that would be amazing and I would be over the moon for her, but basically all I wish for her is to skate well there and finally have a good Olympic moment that she can be at peace with.
I still say Carolina Kostner is the only one that can go head to head with Yuna Kim, jump for jump, move for move, and that was evidenced by her latest exhibition.
Can't wait till Worlds! It will be even more impressive and prestigious if Carolina was to go to Worlds as as five-time European Champion, which would tie her with Surya Bonaly (France; 5) & Sjoukje Dijkstra (Netherlands; 5). Only Sonja Henie (Norway; 6) & Katarina Witt (Germany; 6) & Irina Slutskaya (Russia; 7) hold more European Titles.
Lol I know what you mean. To surpass Sonja. But I'm happy for her, she deserves it!
As far as the men go, Zhenya is in third place with 6 European Titles, tied with Willy Bockl (Austria), whose career spanned from 1922-1928, and who was a 4-time World Champion, 4-time Austrian Champion, and 2-time Olympic Silver Medalist. Whereas Karl Schafer (Austria) sits comfortably in 2nd place with 8 European Titles (1929-1936); 2-time Olympic Champion, 7-time World Champion, 7-time Austrian Champion, Karl Schafer Memorial named after him. And last but not least the great Ulrich Salchow (Sweden) sits in 1st place with 9 European Titles (1898-1913); 10-time World Champion, 1908 Olympic Champion, 3-time Swedish Champion, creator of the salchow jump, and President of the ISU from 1925-1937.
Sorry for going off topic, but history calls to me...
On a different note, Carolina's Facebook page has reached 60.000 likes and she posted a lovely thank you message and photo: http://www.facebook.com/carolinakostner :-)
Last edited by jiggs; 01-14-2013 at 11:12 AM.
Nobody was angry at Carolina at that time (2006 Olympics), but yes, the media hyped her so much that people were really expecting her to medal. She was talented, beautiful, young and the cousin of Isolde Kostner who was Olympic silver medalist in Salt Lake, so she was 'marketable', I guess.
You have to understand that skating is not a popular sport in Italy, only Carolina is somewhat well known, and many end up following only during the Olympics, then forget about it for four years and remember that skating exists when it's time for the next Olympics When she wins something, it's mentioned in passing during the news (and by something I mean Europeans/Worlds), maybe they'll show 15 seconds of her program, and that's it. So for many Italians, their image of Carolina as a skater is her falling in Torino. Because it's basically the only time they've seen her skate. They certainly have no idea that she is World Champion and multiple times European Champion. She's much more popular for her relationship with Alex Schwazer (and even then it's not like there was any gossip about them, but they appeared together in tv shows a few times).
"Randy [Starkman (1960-April 16, 2012)] lived by the same motto as the rest of us. The Olympics isnt every four years, its every single day. He just got it." --Canadian Olympic kayaker Adam van Koeverden
Congratulation to her 5th European Title!
Urmanov commented on her win,he said a lot of nice things about her:http://www.facebook.com/permalink.ph...13697665347647
I'm just so happy for her, and for Figure Skating.
Her skating is exactly what I like in Figure Skating.
Thank you, Carolina !
Congratulations to Carolina!
I'm not particularly fond of her LP (it's the music - Bolero just doesn't do it for me ), but putting that aside, I'm very happy how she skated. I was so much in joy when she announced that she'll stay eligible and I'm very glad that she shows real dedication to it by adding technical difficulty to her programmes (the Lutz!).
I'm also not crazy about Bolero in general, but I do think Kostner's version has been the most watchable Bolero in recent memories. It's very easy for this piece of music to appear like background music if the choreography looks like the skater is simply stroking from element to element such as MK and S&S's Bolero. Lori has done a clever job of incorporating enough arms and legs movements in between the jumps and spins to demonstrate that she understands the piece. The last 30 seconds is very exciting to watch if very risky with the 3sal as the very last element.
Kostner did a great job. I've never been a big fan before, but I have found her to be very watchable last season and this season.
^^ ITA. I am of the opinion that people should leave Bolero alone, but Carolina did skate to it and used it to construct the program. It wasn't just background.
I have always liked her skating but now she really is something very special.
When you are up to your arse in alligators it is difficult to remember you were only meant to be draining the swamp.
I've turned into a total uber for Carolina. I don't think anyone else in the world can do justice to the last 30 seconds of her FS the way she has done. It's so uqnie and grand and magnificent that it almost brings tears to me eyes.. I love how her LP just builds and builds to the end. This is a woman who skates with elegance AND an aboslutely grandiose command over the ice.
Last edited by shine; 01-27-2013 at 10:19 PM.
Congratulations to Carolina Can't wait to see her at the Worlds Championships
Congrats Carolina! Wow, what an artist ... those programs were so good and still have so much potential to be performed even better. I hope she can rock at Worlds! I love what Urmanov said about her on Russian TV. He pretty much summarized why she is my favorite skater right now.
Here is her gala performance from Europeans , this has got to be one of the best exhibitions she has had: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFmdHPw-Z0M
Also, she posted a lovely "Thank you" note on her Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...type=1&theater
And last but not least, a video of her at practice doing 3f3t and 3lz3t: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrKEB...ature=youtu.be
Is she working on a 3flip3toe or a 3toe3toe in the free skate? I think the 2axel3toe is out of the question now that the three combos she is doing this season are on the flip, toe and sal.
She is my favorite lady skater this season (and last).
I feel like a teenage girl posting on a skater fan thread! I was all ready for another dull Bolero and WOW that was so NOT dull! I feel so lucky I will get to see this live at Worlds. I will be cheering for the US ladies of course, but will be ubering Caro too!
Charlie has taught me so much about positivity and your outlook on life, and that its your choice in the way you see the world and the way you react to situations. ~Sharna Burgess
this program have to be seen live. Of course not everyone have a chance and you take what you get. It's not possible to see all the skaters live all the time. But this particular piece of art is so much building and you don't really get it on tape. I'm simply without words, ART.


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Monday, January 28, 2013 — Elgie Russell Smith, 90, of Oakboro, died Jan. 28, 2013. Funeral: 4 p.m. Jan. 31, 2013, Pleasant Grove Baptist Church with a 30 minute state prior to the service. Burial: Church cemetery. Visitation: After burial until 6:30 p.m. in church fellowship hall.
Friends and family are welcome to come by Hartsell Funeral Home anytime Thursday morning to pay their respects.
At other times the family will meet at the home of her son, Randy Smith and wife Debra.
Memorials may be made to Pleasant Grove Baptist Church Building Fund, Frog Pond Road, Oakboro, NC 28129.
Online condolences may be made at www.hartsellfh.com.


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Making an Appointment | Payment Policy
Making an
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The KSU Veterinary Health Center is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Appointments are preferred. Open 24 hours for emergencies.
Directions and maps to the Large Animal Hospital
Our Payment
We are dedicated to helping our clients care for their animals and realize that payment for treatment often is a concern. In general, our fees for routine patient care are similar to those of private veterinary hospitals. Specialty services require equipment and supplies that can be costly.
The State of Kansas does not provide funding specifically for the treatment of client-owned animals at the Veterinary Health Center. The major portion of the Veterinary Health Center operating budget including expenses for faculty and classified staff salaries, drugs, supplies, feed, laboratory services and operational expenses are generated from fees for client services. Consequently, it is imperative that we collect appropriate fees for service.
A deposit of approximately 60% of the estimate is required before treatment is initiated. Payment in full by cash, check, MasterCard or Visa is due upon termination of the office visit, completion of the ambulatory call or release of the patient from the hospital. The hospital business officer will be happy to discuss payment options.


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Avik Roy, Forbes Staff
Charles Fried, a prominent professor at Harvard Law School, testified today before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Fried argued that PPACA's individual mandate is constitutional. He also thinks it would be constitutional for Congress to force you to buy vegetables. Here is an exchange he had with Sen. Dick Durbin, Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, less than an hour ago:
Sen. Durbin: The point raised by Senator Lee – the "buy your vegetables, eat your vegetables" point? I'd like you ask to comment on that because that is the one I'm hearing most often. By people who are saying "Well, if the government can require me to buy health insurance, can it require me to have a membership in a gym, or eat vegetables?" We've heard from Professor Dellinger on that point, would you like to comment?
Prof. Fried: Yes. We hear that quite a lot. It was put by Judge Vinson, and I think it was put by Professor Barnett in terms of eating your vegetables, and for reasons I set out in my testimony, that would be a violation of the 5th and the 14th Amendment, to force you to eat something. But to force you to pay for something? I don't see why not. It may not be a good idea, but I don't see why it's unconstitutional.
UPDATE: TalkingPointsMemo has posted Fried's opening testimony to the Committee. In that testimony, Fried repeats his endorsement of the vegetable-and-gym mandate:
As for the veggies, I suppose such forced feeding would indeed be an invasion of personal liberty, but making you pay for them would not, just as making you pay for a gym membership which you can afford but do not use would not.
Fried also argues that inactivity is within Congress' purview, because, in Jacobson v. Commonwealth of Massachusetts (1905), the Supreme Court held unanimously that a state government could impose a fine against someone who refused to take a smallpox vaccine. It's not obvious to me how the power of a state government to administer vaccines relates to the power of Congress under the Commerce Clause, but Fried is the Harvard con law professor—I'm just a dude blogging in my flannels.
Fried goes on to say:
Even if the regulation of inactivity—if that is what it is—is a novelty, its novelty does not count against it. Many—maybe most—regulations of commerce have some aspect of novelty about them.
But, Prof. Fried, some novelties are more novel than others.
The progressive blogosphere is making hay out of the fact that Fried was Ronald Reagan's Solicitor General (though most recently, he voted for Obama). Fair enough—George H.W. Bush appointed David Souter to the Supreme Court, too. There certainly are plenty of intelligent and credentialed people with liberal jurisprudential views (and also plenty with conservative ones). At the end of the day, it will be up to Anthony Kennedy to take a side.
What clearly is not in dispute, however, is: if the individual mandate is constitutional, there simply isn't anything that Congress doesn't have the power to force you to buy. In that spirit, I'll vote for a law forcing everyone to buy subscriptions to Forbes and National Review.
UPDATE 2: I received this email from a (jurisprudentially conservative) Harvard Law alum who studied under Fried:
It is interesting that Fried is taking the mandate-is-constitutional side. I believe he was very intimately involved in the Lopez case, where the court ruled — to the shock and dismay of liberal scholars around the country — there were limits on the Commerce Clause powers after all. I always felt that Lopez was a purely symbolic victory for the idea of limited and enumerated powers. The dissenters made it clear that they would not respect Lopez as precedent, the limit on the Commerce Clause power that the court fashioned was pretty feeble, and the lower courts afterwards showed no willingness to apply the case anyway. After the Raich marijuana case, it seemed that the court had abandoned the idea of striking down Congressional acts on Commerce Clause grounds altogether.
But then came this individual mandate challenge, and it turns out that Lopez may have momentous consequences after all.
Anyway, getting back to Fried, my sense is that, while he once enjoyed being an enfant terrible, he got tired of being cast as the one outspoken HLS conservative/libertarian and decided instead to play the role of Moderate Establishment Sage.
As for my personal opinion of him, I can't say that it is favorable. He enjoys presenting himself to the world as a deeply cultured, literate man, which I suppose he is, but he never misses a chance to put it on display. He also believes very deeply in the aristocracy of lawyers. That is to say, he believes that it is altogether fitting and right that those with an extraordinary knack for distinguishing cases and connecting lines of authority — that is, highly skilled lawyers — should have the power to make the most important political decisions in this country.
UPDATE 3: Here's a video of Utah freshman Sen. Mike Lee's impressive debut during the same Judiciary Committee hearing:
Good catch, Avik. If he was basing his opinion on state law – yes states have a general police power. The federal government does not. So yes, the state could force you to eat vegetables or get a smallpox vaccine – the federal government does not have that same power. That's why the mandate in RomneyCare is constitutional and ObamaCare is likely not. "Jacobson" really shouldn't even be mentioned here. I'll have to go and check out his full testimony to figure out why he mentioned it.
Even when the state mandates insurance instead of the feds, if I don't want to buy it, then it's a violation of a my personal liberty.
Hello Mr. Roy, jrslims, and Dan,
1) The federal government does indeed have police powers, just ask the FBI, ATF, or Coast Guard. Police power are those that a government uses for the betterment of the general welfare, health, and safety of their residents.
2) The 14th Amendment prohibits states from taking any actions contrary to the US constitution. States do not have any additional authority that is contrary to the constitution, if it is unconstitutional for the federal government, it is unconstitutional for state governments.
3) The 5th Congress passed a law requiring all sailors on all ships entering US ports from foreign or domestic origins to pay part of their salary to the Federal government for Marine Hospitals which served sick and injured mariners. This was signed into law by John Adams, who signed the Declaration of Independence, was one of the principle architects of the constitution, and of course the 2nd POTUS. The 7th Congress expanded this program to apply to men working on "rafts, flats, and barges" to the Mississippi River arriving at Fort Adams. This was signed into law by Thomas Jefferson, who of course wrote the Declaration of Independence and was the 3rd POTUS. This program was in place throughout the 19th century and was eventually converted into the US Public Health Service. This law was never challenged in court despite being in place for over 100 years. So there is ample precedent for the Federal Government forcing people to pay money for health services.
Say that instead of being fined for not having insurance, you were given a tax credit for having insurance. Would you still see that as a violation of your personal liberty?
Mr. Roy,
The states and the federal government both have police powers, they differ in that they use those powers to enforce different laws. The federal government enforces federal laws and does not enforce state laws while state governments may or may not enforce particular federal laws (depending on whether they have primacy or not) but definitely enforces state laws. This is not a post new deal distinction.
Most public debate over the Healthcare mandate issue is clouded by political and social interests that have nothing to do with the underlying legal issue.
The legal issue is as follows:
Does Congress have the Power to regulate non-commerce when the nexus to interstate commerce is that the non-commerce may, at a future date, result in commerce (which in this case, has a negative impact that Congress intends to prevent). In other words, by choosing not to buy insurance, if you get sick at a future date, any care you receive will constitute commerce.
If Congress has this power, then Congress has the power to regulate ANY non-commerce which may eventually have a commercial effect. All exercises of individual liberty may eventually have a commercial effect. Therefore, if Congress has the power to regulate non-commerce in this manner, it has the power to regulate all exercises of personal liberty.
Even if the power of Congress is viewed narrowly with respect to the facts of this case, Congress will STILL have the power to regulate an individual's purchases. Congress will henceforth have the power to control what you purchase and what you are unable to purchase.
This result is abhorrant to the original intent of the founders and runs contrary to the actual text of the Constitution.
Hello samuelcbernstein,
The constitution gives congress the authority to raise an army but it does not say how it is to be done. The constitution does not give congress the power to force Americans to give up the jobs and home and join the army under threat of imprisonment and fine. Yet since 1861 congress has done this for every major war. This authority has been legally challenged in court and upheld. If congress can force men to take up arms and kill and be killed without any explicit or enumerated authority, is mandatory health insurance really that big a stretch? As I noted above, congress already did require sailors to pay part of their salary to the federal government as far back as 1789 for medical insurance.
So both in theory and in practice the PPACA is not a big constitutional leap.
Ah, should have seen this blog post first, I posted the link to the full panel's testimony (see below) on your other article.
You should have posted the link to C-SPAN with the FULL hearing. There, you can hear all of Fried's points. The video in the "update 3″ you posted from Youtube is an excerpt that Senator Demint posted to support his very politically biased points. In that video Fried doesn't even appear once. Also, out of the 4 experts, 3 basically say that there is no reason why the individual mandate should be unconstitutional. The only one making the case for unconstitutionality is another ex-reagan officer who makes a very convoluted argument.


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Retro Text
Retro Text and Video Layers Retro text like this looks great but isn't easy to create in Photoshop alone so here we use a mix of Photoshop and Illustrator, raster and vector to create some unique text. The second part of this tutorial explains video layers, something which is relatively new to most people. The final result will be an animated image that could be used for a web header.


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Jump to navigation
The Asia-Pacific Development Journal (APDJ) is published twice a year by the Macroeconomic Policy and Development Division of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).
The primary objective of the APDJ is to provide a platform for the exchange of knowledge, experience, ideas, information and data on all aspects of economic and social development issues and concerns facing the region and to stimulate policy debate and assist in the formulation of policy.
By Tham Siew Yean and Andrew Kam Jia Yi
In the Third Industrial Master Plan, several service sub-sectors were identified as new sources of growth for the country, including education services. Apart from this sector's contribution towards growth, private higher education institutions (PHEIs) can also contribute towards increasing access to education and equity. Malaysia aims to be a global education hub by 2010. In view of the above, this study
By Chandra Bhadra
By Tulus Tambunnan
The impact of international trade and investment policy reforms on the Indonesian economy, focusing on economic growth and development of domestic manufacturing industry has been studied extensively enough. However, the implication of these trade and investment policy reforms on the growth of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Indonesia remains an under-researched area of
By Biswajit Nag, Saikat Banerjee and Rittwik Chatterjee
By Salahuddin Ahmad and Dilli Raj Khanal
This study assesses the strengths and weaknesses of reforms in the banking and insurance industries. Banking sector performance is analysed using various indicators as well as Principle Component Analysis techniques. A comparative case study of three banks with different ownership structures is presented. The study concludes with important conclusions and policy implications for future reforms based on the findings.
By Dilli Raj Khanal
By Muthi Samudram
This study reviews the development of the banking and insurance sectors in Malaysia since the 1980s, with a particular attention to the effects and sequencing of the various reforms as well as the impact of services trade liberalization and related commitments.
By Bishwanath Goldar and Rashmi Banga
The United Nations Building
Rajadamnern Nok Avenue
Bangkok 10200
(66-2) 288-1234
(66-2) 288-1000


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A memorial service for Mary Agnes Goulding Williams Dolan, 88, of Clarksville, will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday, July 17, 2013, at Newcomer Funeral Home, New Albany, with burial to follow at St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery, New Albany. She died Friday, July 12, 2013.
Mary was born on Oct. 30, 1924, in Louisville, to the late James Irvin Goulding and Genevieve Lechner Goulding Collins. She worked for many years at Precision Automation, where she later retired. Mary was a member of St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Clarksville and a former member of the Sweet Adeline Chorus in Louisville.
Mary is survived by her children, Pamela Troutman and Cary Williams and his wife, Ann; a stepson, William "Bill" Dolan and his wife, Mary Sue; grandchildren, Dawn, Jamie, Theresa, Marissa and Sean; and eight great-grandchildren.
In addition to her parents, she is also preceded in death by her first husband, J. Roy Williams; her second husband, John R. Dolan; and a sister, Mona Rita Howard.
A memorial visitation will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, at the funeral home.
To leave a special message for the family, please visit www.newcomerindiana.com.


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Parenting: 4 & 5-Year-Olds Community
Your preschooler or kindergartener is now off to school and presenting all ... more
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My Communities
My Discussions
My Email Digests
1. What grade is DC in?
2. How often does DC have homework?
3. How long does it take DC to do homework?
4. How much do you have to help with homework?
5. At what age do you think DC is responsible for completing homework without your help?
Oh, and I just wanted to add how much I detest homework!!!
2. Emily -- Every night read 15 minutes (which I don't really consider homework), 20 spelling words, 10 vocabulary words, and then usually 1 sheet of math.
Elizabeth -- 3 nights a week she has 1 to 2 sheets.
3. Emily -- 15 to 20 minutes plus 15 minutes of reading before bed.
Elizabeth -- around 5 minutes.
4. Emily -- I've noticed a difference this year. We still help with spelling and vocabulary, but have started to let her do the math on her own. We just review it to make sure she has done it right.
Elizabeth -- help with all of it.
5. I'm thinking in 3rd grade, Emily will be responsible for all of her homework, and we will just have to check it. I'm not sure when teachers want us to stop checking it, though, and let her get things wrong.....
2. How often does DC have homework? Henry every night and Tre's teacher doesn't really like giving homework. Henry spelling on the weekend
3. How long does it take DC to do homework? Tre is 15 mins when he has it. Henry is 30 minutes
4. How much do you have to help with homework? I really do not help. Just have them read aloud and with math we use some internet programs , print off sheets ect.
5. At what age do you think DC is responsible for completing homework without your help? Not sure it depends on what it is ect. I am trying the be responsible ect. They are very good about doing it right after school. Of course both of them love to read so it is really not like homework.
Now spelling with Henry is a whole other story. He absolutely hates spelling and it takes him a rant of 30 mins before he sits down to do it I try to make it more fun but hey spelling isn't all that exciting! I detest Sunday night spelling along with him !
2. spelling test once per week, plus suggestions to practice sight words, reading and math skills daily but no assignments
3. We make it an ongoing thing
4. We help with spelling practice but there really isn;t much assignment-wise yet
5. THis is an interesting question. I haven't had to think about it much yet lol...
Sandra, I bought a small blackboard (it is adhesive in the shape of a flower, like a stick-on) and put it up in the kitchen. Every week I write DD's spelling words on it and then we quiz her whenever we feel like it, word by word, throughout the week.. That way she gets a little practice throughout the week instead of making it one painful evening lol. And I sometimes wonder if just seeing it all the time doesn't help. Also, if she complains of being bored or is hanging around the kitchen bugging me then I tell her to copy her spelling words one time.
2. How often does DC have homework? We try to get most of it done over the weekend but if not then we do a little everynight.
3. How long does it take DC to do homework?FOREVER!
4. How much do you have to help with homework?It's been less and less lately. He's reading really well so he doesn't need me to read the instuctions to him anymore.
5. At what age do you think DC is responsible for completing homework without your help?Depends on what it is. I think when he gets into harder math and science we'll still be helping.
2. How often does DC have homework? Monday through Thursday
3. How long does it take DC to do homework?FOREVER! He gets a math sheet (front and back), a reading/writing sheet (usually front and back), sees a reading teacher and has to read 1-2 of their books a night and usually complete an activity that pertains to one.
4. How much do you have to help with homework? To keep it moving, I usually have to sit there the entire time.
5. At what age do you think DC is responsible for completing homework without your help?Depends on what it is. I think when he gets into harder math and science we'll still be helping. (Agreed!)
2. How often does DC have homework? He is expected to read 20 minutes a day (including weekends) and since the New Year they have word study homework Monday - Thursday with a word study test on Friday. He also gets occasional math homework.
3. How long does it take DC to do homework? Reading - 20 minutes, he often does this while riding the bus to school with DH. Word study varies: Monday, they are to sort the words (20 to 25) into vowel sound groups (this week it is short a CVC, long ay CVVC, long a CVCe, long ai CVVC and oddball a): Tuesday, they are to look for additional words that fit the vowel groups in the books that they are reading; Wednesday, do a Wacky Word study excerise; Thursday, do a written word sort. We also do oral and written test practices each day during breakfast and dinner. All in all his word study homework ranges from 15 to 20 minutes, including the extra quizzing we do. His occasional math, he knocks out in less than 5.
4. How much do you have to help with homework? I assess what needs to be done and make sure he gets it done. With specific homework: Word Study, I help with the quizzing and double check the other work. Math, I just double check. Reading he does on his own. I will ask what is happening in the book he is reading and check for comprehension.
5. At what age do you think DC is responsible for completing homework without your help? By 3rd grade he should be old enough to be sure to get the work done and to seek assistance when necessary.
I don't mind homework. It gives us an opportunity to see what he is doing in school. We have made it very clear that homework is his job and he is expected to do it well. If he is sloppy, we make him do it over again. He has learned that there is nothing gained from giving us flack or trying to rush the work.
DS- 2nd grade.
2) DD1 has a math page every night (10-15 minutes max), a Language Arts writing assignment every week (20-30 minutes), a PE writing assignmnet every month (30-45 minutes) and the occasional Science or Social Stiudies reading/writing assignment (10-15 minutes).
DS has a math page every night (5-10 minutes max).
3) Most nights DD1 is done in less than 30 minutes with whatever combination of things she needs to do but also reads for 20-60 minutes before bed each night. DS is usually done in 5 and then reads for 15-20 minutes before bed.
4) Normally, I don't do much to help. They both know what to do in math and usually don't even need me to check it. M will often ask to read her written assignments aloud to me but I try to only listen and not edit too much. I do help more with bigger reports and projects (CA Mission project, Family Heritage project, etc.) but there is only one of those for 2nd grade and two during 4th grade.
5) I think both of them are capable of independent work and need to be held responsible for getting it done correctly with minimal assistance. I still remind the 2nd grader to do his nightly math work and have both of them check their assignment day planners (which are provided by the school and filled out by the kids each afternoon) but that's about it.
2. Jacob--Monday through Thursday a page of math and then read at least 20 minutes a night. New spelling words come home Friday night. Cristopher--We just started homework with him again. He does 1 page of math and phonics a night as well as he reads 3 books that they send home a night. He also, has a weekly spelling test and a high frequency word list (they have to be able to read).
3. Jacob--10 minutes at the most. Cristopher--about an hour. The last few nights though it has been in about 15 minutes. The rule at our school is no more than 5 minutes per grade.
4. Jacob -- We don't. He may have a question but generally he does it himself. Cristopher--I have to help through the whole thing.
5. We start in the 2nd grade. They have to have a parent sign their homework until the 6th grade but it is their responsibility to do it. I will remind them twice. They have an agenda (provided by the school) that they have to have their parent sign as well this starts in the 3rd grade. Cristopher will probably always need help with his homework.
I don't mind homework as long as the child is capable of doing the work. I won't have a yelling/screaming match with my child to get it completed.
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A 28-year-old Racine man is accused of creating numerous child pornography videos and images with two young children while babysitting them during the past year.
Alexander R. Richter was charged in Racine County Circuit Court Monday with two counts of repeated sexual assault of a child, 12 counts of sexual exploitation of a child and 12 counts of possession of child pornography. If convicted, he faces up to 560 years in prison and $2.4 million in fines.
According to the criminal complaint, on Nov. 3, Racine police officers were called to a woman's home after she learned her 7-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter had been sexually assaulted by Richter for the past year. The assaults came to light after the boy began acting out sexually and was involved in an incident where he inappropriately touched a friend on Oct. 27. When the boy was questioned, he told adults about the assaults.
The woman told officers she met Richter at Gateway Technical College and he baby sat the children between October 2011 and Oct. 5.
Both victims told investigators Richter forced the female victim to have oral sex with him, that he always had a camera filming the events and he would also film the kids taking a bath. They also said that Richter would force the male victim to use sex toys. They told police that Richter warned them not tell their mom about the abuse.
Officer's say they went to Richter's apartment in the 2700 block of Jacato Drive with a search warrant. He met them at the door and said, "I'll save you a lot of time; the things you are looking for are under the coffee table."
Inside Richter's apartment, officers reported they found a camera and tripod and multiple DVDs of child pornography, including a disc with the two victim's names on it containing shots of Richter having sex with the children. Another DVD was titled "Slide Show 2 DVD," which contained 55 explicit photos of the victims. Investigators noted Richter had placed a soundtrack on the DVD.
During the investigation, the officers say they found images of other children being assaulted and they are now working to identify those victims.
Richter is currently being held in Racine County Jail on $500,000 bail while awaiting trial. He will next be in court on Nov. 21 for a preliminary hearing before Court Commissioner Alice A. Rudebusch.
The Racine Police Department is investigating the possiblity of additional victims. If anyone has information about this case, they are urged to call Racine police investigators at (262) 635-7756.


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Springfield, Mass. – September 9, 2009 – The Springfield College women's soccer team netted two goals in a 1:22 span in the first half en route to a 4-1 win over cross-town rival Western New England on Wednesday evening at Brock-Affleck Field.
Springfield, which entered the match ranked 18th in the country in the latest NSCAA National Poll, improves to 3-0 on the season while the Golden Bears drop to 1-2.
WNEC netted the first goal of the game at the 13:47 mark on a well placed shot by Heather Mortell. Mortell gathered the ball just outside the 18 yard box and cracked a high shot into the upper left corner of the net, just over the outstretched hands of Springfield keeper Katie Delude.
Springfield tied the game with just over 15 minutes left in the opening stanza on a goal from Katie Mantie. Dribbling down the right side of the field, Mantie blasted a shot with nearly no angle at the net and found the back left post for Springfield's first tally of the game.
The Pride wasted no time grabbing its first lead of the game when Brittany Collins netted her first goal of the season 1:22 later. After just checking into the game, Collins collected a bouncing, loose ball in the six yard box and fired a shot into the right side of the net to put Springfield on top, 2-1.
Springfield tacked on its third goal of game 11 minutes into the second half after a well executed set piece. Collins took a free kick from 25 yards out and sent a curling ball towards the far post. Jen Jahoda snuck behind the WNEC back line and hammered a shot on the doorstep into the back of the net to give the hosts a two-goal advantage.
Mantie scored her second goal of the game with 3:30 remaining in regulation to give Springfield a 4-1 lead. Courtney Price sent in free kick from 40 yards out into the middle of the box and Mantie rose up above her defender and flicked on a header for the Pride's fourth tally.
For the game, Springfield held a 22-9 advantage in shots and a 7-4 edge in corner kicks.
Delude finished the game with five saves, while WNEC's Jess Covino recorded eight saves for the visitors.
The Pride complete its four-game homestand to open up the season on Saturday afternoon when it hosts Brandeis. First whistle is slated for 12:00 pm.


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Not too long from today, a new, highly contagious virus makes its way across the globe. Most who get sick experience nothing worse than flu, fever, and headaches. But for the unlucky one percent - and nearly five million souls in the United States alone - the disease causes "Lock In": Victims fully awake and aware, but unable to move or respond to stimulus. The disease affects young, old, rich, poor, people of every color and creed. The world changes to meet the challenge.
In The Witch with No Name, Kim Harrison brings back her wildly popular heroine for one final, epic battle. Rachel Morgan's come a long way from the klutzy runner fleeing a bad job. She's faced vampires and werewolves, banshees, witches, and soul-eating demons. She's crossed worlds, channeled gods, and accepted her place as a day-walking demon. She's lost friends and lovers and family, and an old enemy has become something much more.
Jack Reacher was alone, the way he liked it, soaking up the hot, electric New York City night, watching a man cross the street to a parked Mercedes and drive it away. The car contained one million dollars in ransom money. And Edward Lane, the man who paid it, will pay even more to get his family back. Lane runs a highly illegal soldiers-for-hire operation. He will use any amount of money and any tool to find his beautiful wife and child. And then he'll turn Jack Reacher loose with a vengeance - because Reacher is the best man hunter in the world.
Enter the unique world of Terry Goodkind. A world of high adventure, brilliant storytelling, and people you will never forget. A sweeping new novel of Richard Rahl, Kahlan Amnell, and their world.
American artist Joseph Hannigan and his alluring sister, Sophie, have arrived in enchanting nineteenth-century Venice with a single-minded goal. The twins, who have fled scandal in New York, are determined to break into Venice's expatriate set and find a wealthy patron to support Joseph's work. Joseph's talent soon attracts the attention of the magnificent Odilé Leon, a celebrated courtesan and muse who has inspired many artists to greatness. But her inspiration comes with a devastatingly steep price.
The Great Recession of 2008 left many young professionals out of work. Promising careers were suddenly ended as banks, hedge funds, and law firms engaged in mass lay-offs and brutal belt tightening. Samantha Kofer was a third year associate at Scully & Pershing, New York City's largest law firm. Two weeks after Lehman Brothers collapsed, she lost her job, her security, and her future. A week later she was working as an unpaid intern in a legal aid clinic deep in small town Appalachia.
Lady Georgiana Rannoch, 35th in line for the British throne, knows how to play the part of an almost royal - but now she's off to Hollywood, where she must reprise her role as sleuth or risk starring in an all-too-convincing death scene...
Six shots. Five dead. One heartland city thrown into a state of terror. But within hours the cops have it solved: a slam-dunk case. Except for one thing. The accused man says: You got the wrong guy. Then he says: Get Reacher for me. And sure enough, from the world he lives in - no phone, no address, no commitments - ex–military investigator Jack Reacher is coming. In Lee Child's astonishing new thriller, Reacher's arrival will change everything.
Quentin Coldwater has been cast out of Fillory, the secret magical land of his childhood dreams. With nothing left to lose he returns to where his story began, the Brakebills Preparatory College of Magic. But he can't hide from his past, and it's not long before it comes looking for him. Along with Plum, a brilliant young undergraduate with a dark secret of her own, Quentin sets out on a crooked path through a magical demimonde of grey magic and desperate characters.
What do the $350 million Ford Motor Company disaster known as the Edsel, the fast and incredible rise of Xerox, and the unbelievable scandals at General Electric and Texas Gulf Sulphur have in common? Each is an example of how an iconic company was defined by a particular moment of fame or notoriety; these notable and fascinating accounts are as relevant today to understanding the intricacies of corporate life as they were when the events happened.
General George S. Patton, Jr., died under mysterious circumstances in the months following the end of World War II. For almost 70 years, there has been suspicion that his death was not an accident - and may very well have been an act of assassination. Killing Patton will take listeners inside the final year of the war and recount the events surrounding Patton's tragic demise, naming names of the many powerful individuals who wanted him silenced.
Gideon Crew, brilliant scientist, master thief, is living on borrowed time. When his mysterious employer, Eli Glinn, gives him an eyebrow-raising mission, he has no reason to refuse. Gideon's task: steal a page from the priceless Book of Kells, now on display in New York City and protected by unbreakable security. Accomplishing the impossible, Gideon steals the parchment - only to learn that hidden beneath the gorgeously illuminated image is a treasure map dating back to the time of the ancient Greeks.
Throughout these books, Follett has followed the fortunes of five intertwined families - American, German, Russian, English, and Welsh - as they make their way through the twentieth century. Now they come to one of the most tumultuous eras of all: the enormous social, political, and economic turmoil of the 1960s through the 1980s, from civil rights, assassinations, mass political movements and Vietnam to the Berlin Wall, the Cuban Missile Crisis, presidential impeachment, revolution - and rock and roll.
The 10th book in the number one New York Times best-selling Chief Inspector Gamache series. Louise Penny's highly acclaimed mystery series has won the New Blood Dagger as well as multiple Agatha, Anthony, Dilys, Arthur Ellis, and other prestigious awards.
A remote military research station sends out a frantic distress call, ending with a chilling final command: Kill us all! Personnel from the neighboring base rush in to discover everyone already dead - and not just the scientists, but every living thing for 50 square miles is annihilated: every animal, plant, and insect, even bacteria. The land is entirely sterile - and the blight is spreading. To halt the inevitable, Commander Gray Pierce and Sigma must unravel a threat that rises out of the distant past, to a time when Antarctica was green and all life on Earth balanced upon the blade of a knife.
As a boy, Thronos, prince of Skye Hall, loved Lanthe, a mischievous Sorceri girl who made him question everything about his Vrekener clan. But when the two got caught in the middle of their families' war, tragedy struck, leaving Thronos and Lanthe bitter enemies. Though centuries have passed, nothing can cool his seething need for the beautiful enchantress who scarred his body - and left an even deeper impression on his soul.
"You can leave the army, but the army doesn't leave you. Not always. Not completely," notes Jack Reacher - and sure enough, the retired military cop is soon pulled back into service. This time, for the State Department and the CIA. Someone has taken a shot at the president of France in the City of Light. The bullet was American. The distance between the gunman and the target was exceptional. How many snipers can shoot from three-quarters of a mile with total confidence? Very few, but John Kott - an American marksman gone bad - is one of them...
With human civilization annihilated by a biological zombie plague, a rag-tag fleet of yachts and freighters known as Wolf Squadron scours the Atlantic, searching for survivors. Within every abandoned liner and carrier lurks a potential horde, safety can never be taken for granted, and death and turning into one of the enemy is only a moment away. Yet every ship and town holds the flickering hope of survivors. One and two from lifeboats, a dozen from a fishing village, a few hundred wrenched by fury and fire from a ship that once housed thousands....
Dr. Emory Charbonneau, a pediatrician and marathon runner, disappears on a mountain road in North Carolina. By the time her husband Jeff, miffed over a recent argument, reports her missing, the trail has grown cold. Literally. Fog and ice encapsulate the mountainous wilderness and paralyze the search for her. While police suspect Jeff of "instant divorce," Emory, suffering from an unexplained head injury, regains consciousness and finds herself the captive of a man whose violent past is so dark that he won't even tell her his name.


text: I have the Eclipse SW8200 and it sounds awesome. I can't say for sure how it sounds compared to the SR, though, because I haven't heard the SR in my car with my amp. I do love how low my Eclipse hits. Only problem is it's not available in DVC versions.


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Kentucky two-way star AJ Reed and Florida softball standout Hannah Rogers have been named 2013-14 Roy F. Kramer Southeastern Conference Male and Female Athletes of the Year, in a voting by the league's athletics directors, SEC Commissioner Mike Slive announced on Tuesday.
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AJ Reed Named SEC Male Athlete of the Year
Started by UKat, Jul 01 2014 09:03 AM
Posted 01 July 2014 - 09:03 AM
Posted 01 July 2014 - 10:09 AM
I know nothing about baseball but why the hell didn't he play against Louisville?
Posted 01 July 2014 - 04:34 PM
Nice, congrats to the UK faithful.
Posted 01 July 2014 - 06:44 PM
Awesome award. AJ gets SEC and National POTY honors! C-A-T-S!!
"At Kentucky, we don't just play college basketball. We ARE college basketball." - Coach John Calipari
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Ironically, many of the products on the market that are designed for household cleaning actually add chemical contaminants to the air around you, the water outside, and potentially your own body—if you inhale them or absorb them through your skin.
Luckily, this doesn't mean you can't clean your house. But it does mean you should clean smart: Read labels and do the research before you buy cleaning products; learn which products and ingredients to avoid; and stock up on safe alternatives. In many cases, being smart about cleaning translates to being smart about your pocketbook as well, as some inexpensive items you may already have on hand, such as vinegar and baking soda, are great substitutes for more costly and potentially toxic cleansers.
What Are the Risks?
Environmental: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports that the average home may have as much as 100 pounds of environmentally harmful chemicals in the basement, garage, and other storage areas. Those products can contaminate your septic tank or pollute the groundwater if they're poured down drains or toilets.
Health: The toxic ingredients in cleaning products can be dangerous to children and pets. A September 2010 study published in Pediatrics found that 267,269 children were treated in emergency rooms between 1990 and 2006 for injuries related to exposure to household cleansers. Most of the harm came from ingesting toxic liquids packaged in spray bottles; the product most commonly associated with injuries was bleach.
Adults who use household cleansers, or are regularly exposed "second-hand" to airborne cleaning products, are at risk too. Research indicates that people who use chemical sprays—particularly for cleaning glass, polishing furniture, or freshening the air—face an increased risk of developing asthma.
Which Products Are Safe?
With a slew of new cleansers that label themselves "green," "eco-friendly," "natural," and the like competing for space in supermarkets with the commercial products we remember from childhood, it's hard to know what the best options are for ourselves and the environment. And reading the fine print on the ingredients list can be confusing, if, like most of us, you're not a chemical engineer. Here are a few guidelines to help you decide which cleaners to put into your shopping cart:
- Full disclosure:
Seek out products from companies that name every ingredient on the package or on their website – you'll easily be able to discover whether they are safe. Such cleansers can be hard to find, though, as manufacturers are not require by law to list specific ingredients on their labels. If you can't find any with detailed ingredient listings, select products that tell you what's not inside—for example "No ammonia," "No chlorine," "No petrochemicals," and "No sodium lauryl or laureth sulfate."
- Endorsement by a respected agency or organization:
Independent groups such as Green Seal, Cradle to Cradle, the Leaping Bunny, and the Environmental Protection Agency's Design for the Environment program analyze products and certify that their ingredients do not pose a risk to health or the environment.
- Avoid products making vague or unsubstantiated claims:
Words like "natural," "eco-friendly," and "non-toxic" aren't backed up by any federal or industry regulations, so they can mean almost anything – or nothing. Similarly, "biodegradable" sounds earth-friendly, but in truth, every substance will break down in time, under the right conditions.
- Don't buy cleansers containing surfactants:
Such as alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs), DEA, and TEA; nerve-damaging butyl cellosolve; chlorine; ammonia; fragrances containing phthalates; the antibacterial triclosan; and petroleum-based ingredients. (Green Guide #2) Stay away from 1,4 dicholorobenzene (a volatile organic compound also known as 1,4 DCB): It's what puts the odor into mothballs and can also be found in air fresheners and insecticides – and it can trigger asthma.
What Are the Alternatives?
What worked for your grandmother will also work for you. You can create your own safe cleaning products, in some cases, by simply reaching into the cupboard. Try these ideas for safe (and economical!) cleaning:
- Windows: DIY goddess Martha Stewart suggests mixing equal parts white vinegar and hot water, and applying with a good quality squeegee.
- Kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry: You put it in your homemade cookies and you probably have an open box absorbing odors in your refrigerator too. Green living expert Annie B. Bond suggests some other uses for baking soda: Sprinkle it on a damp sponge or cloth, and it can be used as a gentle, nonabrasive cleanser for countertops, sinks, bathtubs, ovens, and on fiberglass. Add a cup to your washerload, and it will neutralize odors. (Use it as an air freshener and carpet deodorizer too!)
- Carpets and rugs: If you're dealing with a season's worth of dirt, sand, or salt on rugs that aren't fastened to the floor, take the rug outside and beat it with a broom. To attack stains before they've set, try dousing the soiled area with club soda, then blot with a rag. If you're dealing with a big spill, cover it with cornmeal (hint: in terms of amount, think "dump" rather than "sprinkle"), wait 5 to 15 minutes, and vacuum. To make spot cleaner, put one-quarter cup liquid soap and one-third cup water into a blender and mix until foamy. Spray the mixture on the spot, then rinse with vinegar. To deodorize: sprinkle baking soda or cornstarch on the carpet (use about a cup per medium-size room), wait 30 minutes, then vacuum.
- All-purpose cleaning: Here's a quick and easy recipe that may replace your conventional all-purpose cleanser. Mix one-half cup of borax with one gallon of hot water. Make sure the borax dissolves completely. Apply, then wipe clean with a rag. (For one spray-bottle's worth, use one-eighth cup of borax and a quart of hot water.)
- Furniture: Dust and polish your wood furniture with a mixture of one-half cup white vinegar and one teaspoon olive oil.
- Metal: To polish copper and brass, add white vinegar to 2 tablespoons of salt to make a paste (adding flour will reduce the abrasiveness, if desired). Apply with a rag and rub clean. To polish stainless steel, apply baking soda with a damp cloth. Scrub stubborn spots with white vinegar.
When it comes to cleaning, it's easy being green! And it's safer for you, your household, and the world.
Both the National Geographic Green Guide and the EPA's Design for the Environment program offer online lists of safer cleaning products. Consumer Reports' Greener Choices website provides an online eco-labels center where you can find out what the listings on products really mean.


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An online journal about visual art, the urban landscape and design. Mary Louise Schumacher, the Journal Sentinel's art and architecture critic, leads the discussion and a community of writers contribute to the dialogue.
The Chipstone Foundation sells an icon for $3 million
The Chipstone Foundation, known for its important holdings of early American furniture, British ceramics and historical prints, as well as its scholarship around issues related to craft past and present, is parting with an iconic object in order to expand its interest in contemporary craft.
The small Newport cabinet (below, left) sold this morning at Christie's in New York for $3 million. The funds from the deaccessioning of the piece will be available to acquire contemporary works, said Jonathan Prown, executive director and chief curator of Chipstone.
While many museums and arts institutions have wish lists for future acquisitions, Chipstone is more reactive and hopes to be in a position to act quickly when unique opportunities arise, Prown said.
In the past, the Chipstone Foundation has followed up such sales by "going nuts" and acquiring great works, Prown said. To put this buying power in some context, the Milwaukee Art Museum recently made the most expensive acquisition in its history, purchasing a portrait by John Singleton Copley for about $3.5 million, according to museum sources. And in some instances great contemporary art can be purchased for less than older art, especially when curators make astute decisions and acquire works by artists whose star is still on the rise.
In general, Chipstone hopes to build on the critical and popular success of projects such as "Green Furniture Design" and "To Speculate Darkly: Theaster Gates and Dave The Potter," collaborative projects and contemporary exhibits, by expanding its collecting mission to include more contemporary work.
Deaccessioning is an ongoing, strategic process, Prown said. Chipstone has deep holdings in Newport objects, so parting with one piece seemed appropriate, he said. The cabinet was estimated to sell for between $1.5 million and $3.5 million. Acquiring contemporary objects is also an important way for Chipstone to cotextualize and enliven its collection of older objects which, in turn, should strengthen its scholarship and educational programming, Prown said.
Chipstone has had an important partnership with the Milwaukee Art Museum since 2000, underwriting and implementing decorative arts programming within the museum. Chipstone has staged some of the most successful contemporary exhibits at the museum in recent years and is a leader in developing critical dialogue locally as well as collaborations with local artists and thinkers.
"We look forward to continuing to build the Foundation's collection and expanding the education vision established by Stanley and Polly Stone," said Peter Kenny, a Chipstone board member and curator of American decorative arts at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in a statement. "The result will be an even better resource for the greater Milwaukee community and for scholars from around the world."
"The Tool at Hand" is the Chipstone exhibit currently on view at MAM. For the project, Chipstone asked 16 artists from around the world to create objects using only one tool. Chipstone is collaborating with Sweet Water Organics and inviting area artists to take up this challenge for a show at Sweet Water in March. Interested artists should contact Chipstone by emailing firstname.lastname@example.com as soon as possible.
Wiscosin is home to a number of individuals and arts organizations known nationally and internationally for emphasizing contemporary craft. In addition to the Chipstone Foundation, these include the John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, the Racine Art Museum and filmmaker, artist and writer Faythe Levine.
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Note today's (Feb. 14) article in the Wall St. Journal about the pressure that wealthy universities are under to substantially increase voluntary payments in lieu of taxes to local governments. It's a trend that Chipstone and the like should note.


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Dogs and cats come in all shapes and sizes, but the same general criteria determine whether your pet is under- or overweight. Using the guidelines here, a quick evaluation of your dog's or cat's shape can tell you whether they're at a healthy weight.
If you have any concerns, have your veterinarian develop a proper diet plan for your pet.


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Peach Cake II139 Reviews 5 Pics
"This is a recipe that my mother gave me several years ago, and we enjoy it often. I use canned peaches, but fresh would be nice."
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Adjust Servings
Original recipe yields 1 - 9x13 inch pan
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
- In a large bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, oil, flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, peaches and pecans. Mix thoroughly by hand.
- Pour into prepared 9x13 inch pan and bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 50 minutes or until done.
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Reviews (139)Rate This Recipe
This was a very easy recipe. It was ready to go into the oven in seconds. I did however, make a simple glaze (icing sugar and peach juice) and drizzled it over the slightly warm cake before serving! It was delicious. I will certainly be making this again.
This is one of our new favorite cake recipes! We are big peach lovers, but since fresh good peaches are hard to find, I did use the canned sliced peaches (the large can), drained and cut the peach slices in two so the peaches would be in every bite (next time I will probably add another small can of peaches). I took advise from others and made a sauce to pour over the cake after a few minutes of cooling: 1 stk. butter, 1 cup white sugar, 1/2 can evaporated milk and I also added a little vanilla flavoring and topped cake with a few pecan halves, which added a nice buttery moist flavor. My cake was done in 45 minutes. I always put a shallow cake pan with water in the lower shelf of the oven while the cake is baking. It adds alot of moisture to the cake and was absolutely delicious. My husband and I finished the cake off in two days!!!
I used 5 med. ripe peeled and sliced peaches for this wonderful recipe. I let it cool for 10 min. before I spooned a special butter sauce over the top. It was 1 stick of butter, 1/2 cup of canned milk, one cup of white sugar boiled for 3min. It sank down into the warm peach cake and was just out of this world good!!! This is an absolute keeper of a recipe...
Similar Recipes
GA Peach Pound Cake
Peach Coffee Cake II
Peach Upside Down Cake I
Peach Upside-Down Cake III
Peach Upside Down Cake II
Peach Amaretto Upside-Down Cake
Amount Per Serving (24 total)
- Calories
- 203 cal
- 10%
- Fat
- 11.5 g
- 18%
- Carbs
- 23.6 g
- 8%
- Protein
- 2.1 g
- 4%
- Cholesterol
- 26 mg
- 9%
- Sodium
- 159 mg
- 6%
Based on a 2,000 calorie diet
previous recipe:
GA Peach Pound Cake
next recipe:
Peach Upside Down Cake I


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Is Elisabeth Hasselbeck leaving "The View"? Maybe one day, but not today, according to Barbara Walters, who addressed rumors that said Hasselbeck was being fired from the long-running daytime talk show.
On Monday, Walters wasted no time in addressing the story, which broke on Friday, that Hasselbeck's contract would not be renewed.


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The financial crisis hit the Caribbean hard, with the region only recently starting to recover. Now that the worst is over, the president of the Caribbean Development Bank is looking to build a more sustainable future, encouraging projects that minimise the effects of natural disasters and develop the region's renewable energy potential.
Top banking stories
Libya's banks face an uphill battle
Awash with hydrocarbons and boasting a highly liquid banking sector, Libya's potential is vast. However, continued political and social unrest, combined with the dominant position of state-owned banks, mean that the country's private sector banks have numerous obstacles preventing them from realising this potential.
What now for Russian capital markets?
Political tensions continue to dog Russia's capital markets. Following a difficult few months, the shoots of a recovery seemed to be appearing until the US imposed another round of sanctions on the country and a deadly attack on a commercial airliner flying over a disputed region of Ukraine sparked fresh hostilities, jeopardising the market's fragile rebound.
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Where to Eat
Dining in Sedona
There are dozens of wonderful Sedona dining choices, and several Sedona restaurants have earned national acclaim for their exceptional food and atmosphere. For visitors on-the-go there are also fast-food franchises and other Sedona eateries, such as sandwich shops, pizza parlors, delis and coffee shops. Casual attire is welcomed - even in fine dining establishments.
Top Arizona Restaurants in Sedona
Many of the best Arizona restaurants are in Sedona. For a town its size, Sedona has a surprising variety of food options. Sedona Arizona restaurants cover the food gamut - from bakeries and bistros to many styles of fine dining, southwestern cuisine and catering. Sedona restaurants offer an exceptional variety of menu choices. You'll find American food (including steakhouses); South-of-the Border Mexican food and international fine-dining specialties, including Italian, French, Indian, Chinese, Korean, Thai and Japanese food. Many Sedona Arizona restaurants change their menus seasonally.
Where to Eat in Sedona
Every part of the area features a Sedona restaurant. When it comes to deciding where to eat breakfast, lunch or dinner, Sedona restaurant choices abound. Multiple Sedona restaurants can be found in Hillside, Tlaquepaque, Oak Creek Canyon, Uptown, the Village of Oak Creek and West Sedona. Sedona restaurants are renowned for their outstanding lunch and dinner menus and wine lists. Often a Sedona restaurant will feature locally produce, wines and beers to enhance a special lunch or dinner. To find where to eat in Sedona, browse Sedona restaurants in the official Experience Sedona Guide.
Beautiful Red Rock Views
Thanks to Sedona's mild climate, many Sedona restaurants offer outdoor dining three seasons a year, and some restaurants feature red rock views from their dining rooms all year long. Even a casual coffee shop can have a spectacular red rock view! So don't be shy. When you go out to eat, it's perfectly fine to gawk at the astonishing red rock views and to linger over dessert and coffee.
A Venerable Tradition of Winemaking
Since the turn of the millennium, bucolic Verde Valley has been home to several vineyards and wineries. These wineries are producing handcrafted, limited production wines in both white and red varietals as well as library wines and multi-grape bottlings. Several have been applauded by wine critics and have won national wine awards. The public can give the wines a try in the vineyards' tasting rooms during visiting hours, during occasional winemaker dinners and by picking up a bottle in area restaurants and in Sedona's fine food emporiums and liquor stores.


text: Harley Davidson Softail Springer Classic: Take a look at this front end. We'd tell you it's beautiful but Harley-Davidson has never been in the business of making understatements. Besides, the Springer® leading-link front suspension speaks for itself. It's the perfect balance of engineering and style, as fully functional on the road as it is on the eyes. But there's more to this story than the front fork. The low-rise handlebar and Badlander® seat are totally new. Check out the new Profile Laced wheel option shown here. You also get a classic bobtail fender and enough chrome to keep you smiling for days on end.View All Harley Softail Springer Classic Motorcycles For Sale


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Springfield/Transylvania Box Score
Kissimmee, Fla. - March 13, 2012 - The Springfield College softball team prevailed in a pair of one-run victories on Tuesday. Springfield shut down Rutgers Camden, 1-0, in its first contest before rallying with an inside the park grand slam in the seventh to down Transylvania, 5-4.
The two victories lifts Springfield's record to 4-1 this season.
In the first game, Jen Joseph was the story as she hurled a two-hitter to shut down Rutgers Camden. Joseph totaled five strikeouts and needed just one run of support to pick up the win. The lone rune of the contest game in the second inning as Kasey Kelly pounded an RBI double to plate Tess Gagliano, who got on base after earning a walk.
The second game proved to be a thrilling comeback for Springfield as it scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh to scratch out a 5-4 win.
Eight different players recorded one hit in the game, while Ashley Marino tossed the final two innings in relief, giving up one hit with five strikeouts to earn the win.
The game ended in dramatic fashion after Kelly Blake drove in four runs thanks to an inside the park grand slam with one out on the seventh.


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I am an interior decorator so when I find something that cost 10 x less than the designer names, I try it. These blinds did not disappoint. They are made of a quality wood with a durable finish. All mechanisms for pulling up the blinds and adjusting the horizontal position of the slats are sturdy. They install easily but the instructions are not great and in fact you might need a handyman if you are not that handy. I think these blinds look best mounted inside if your window depth will allow it. The kit also comes with decorative moulding to hide the top rail. This moulding is finished in a color that compliments the color you choose. If you are looking for a no fuss, clean look for your windows, I believe you will love these blinds. Be sure to follow the suggestions for ordering up to an inch less in length than your true window measurement to allow for the mounting brackets.
These arrived quickly but were missing mounting parts. The directions are impossible to understand. While they look nice, they are just too much of a hassle to recommend anyone else order.
The blinds look very nice. The Mahogany color is rich and warm. Easy to install I got what I expected and am very happy.
very nice wood blinds; just what I expected! I did the outside mount so fit/size was not an issue. has a nice frame at the top
These wood blinds are excellent quality for the price. The cherry color we chose is very red. I might go with a browner shade if I were to re-order.
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The Daily Star
---- — "Real, it's just tradition and I've always had them."
— Scott Benson, Walton, garbage
"Real trees, the fake ones kind of ruin Christmas."
— Lucas Hammond,
Walton, student.
"I hate the hassle of the real trees. I might be a Scrooge, but having to pick up pine needles from my living room until March is annoying."
— Dalton Rowe, Walton, construction.
"I prefer the real ones. I don't like the extra work, but the smell makes it more like Christmas."
— Brandon Hart, Walton, retired.
"The have to be real, it's part of Christmas having a real tree."
— Winfield Protheroe,
Walton, retired.
"Oh it's gotta be real, that's part of the fun — going to pick one out and bringing it home."
— David Washborn, Oneonta, sales.


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By Cate-291547
This Lent I would finally like to follow the pope's suggestion that we fast from our dependence on technology. I am taking a 40-day fast from a particular social networking site, which I suspect I've become slightly addicted to.
I knew I was spending a lot of time on the site, but I realized the issues went deeper than time wasting. I became uncomfortable when my friends and I would collectively trash a musician, mock some fallen celebrity or engage in negative political discourses.
In the words of one of my favorite Jesuits, Rev. James Martin, I feel I've become one of the people who forgot "Jesus' words in our digital age, when snarky blogs, terrible texting, snotty Facebook posts and mean-spirited Tweets zip around the Web and cause serious harm."
This perfectly encapsulates the discomfort I felt. I tended to think of celebrity-trashing as a victimless crime, because obviously famous people aren't reading my posts. But it's a matter of being charitable and empathic in speech, no matter who is being discussed.
My quasi-addiction to social networking also revealed another issue: It served as a painful reminder that I had time to waste because I had no spouse or children to attend to. In a sense, I felt stuck in a second adolescence, having time to hang out online with no responsibilities.
But I'd often had a distant, nagging feeling that I should be doing something more useful. Of course, that feeling usually faded the minute a friend logged on to chat or posted a video clip that interested me. And while the teenager within me was satisfied, the adult remained unproductive…and unmarried.
Knowing that the Lenten season is a threefold attempt to remind us of Christian ethics, I also plan on adding to my prayer life and to works of charity. So I'm going back to the practice of Centering Prayer.
My work schedule doesn't allow me to attend the weekly meetings – and I'm lucky to live near the parish where Centering Prayer began – but I will try praying on my own for Lent.
Finally, I plan on visiting Potter's Field, a cemetery for homeless New Yorkers. I'm going with a non-denominational charity who goes bi-monthly to pray before the unmarked graves for all the souls of the forgotten.
Reflection question: In what way have you extended adolescence?
4 Comments
Cate! What a beautiful reflection– honest, humble, penitential… all that Lent should be. I really like the idea of going to Potters Field to pray for the souls who have no one to visit their graves. So charitable, creative and spiritually adventurous. It will take you out beyond the computer, into the city, into the depth and breadth of Lent.
About the addiction of technology… you are so right that we must step away when it erodes our Christian charity and behavior toward our fellow man, whether he (or she) be physically next to us on the couch or living his (or her) life far around the world. It matters not if they are someone we hug and live with, or if we know of them because they provide some sort of entertainment. The challenge to us as followers of Christ is to be the Good Samaritan, not the bandits, the Levite or the priest.
What a great reflection! It struck me when you mentioned something about being charitable in words or speech. It's so easy to disregard that part of Jesus' teaching because we think those people will never see our posts. I'm going to start thinking twice before I post something — really see whether it's out of charity or not. Thanks for sharing this!
Potter's Field is a great place to do the chief spiritual work of mercy of praying for the dead. I love it. You will have thousands of Holy Souls for friends and you'll never be alone. What friends you will have interceding for you in heaven! God bless you.
I agree that it is a beautiful reflection, but the last part bothers me a bit. Not about the praying at the cemetery, but more about who do you go with. Here is an article about bible study with non-denominational from a catholic website that I found. Not exactly what you are doing, but I hope it helps you to understand my position. http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/2007/0701fea5.asp


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Simon Turns 21
Friday the 13th wasn't a bad day for Simon Dumont. In fact, it was probably one of the better days in his 21 years. The X Games gold medalist spent last week in Vegas celebrating his 21st birthday in true celebrity fashion.
"It was ridiculous, legendary," said Dumont of his week of partying. "It was by far the best party I've ever been to. I couldn't imagine it being any better."
Friday afternoon, 30 of Simon's closest friends and colleagues met at the Palms Casino pool, a two-acre, 3,000 capacity adult playground, to kick-off Simon's birthday weekend. Target, who signed Simon in '06, hosted everyone at one of the hotel's three poolside bungalows—a two-story, 1,000-foot retreat with two balconies and a hot tub. Skiers, friends, relatives and a steady stream of pool goers mingled over drinks and sushi before the hitting the pool or taking post on the balcony for arguably the world's best people watching.
Everyone had a few hours to chill, eat and get ready for round 2 at Moon, an outrageous nightclub on the 52nd floor of the Palm's Fantasy Tower. The gang congregated at two VIP tables, while the brave few hit the packed dance floor.
The next day it was more of the same, as the poolside party continued at Bungalow number 1. Saturday night really got started when a group of 40 circled the Venetian chanting "Simon, Simon, Simon…" and ended up "Center Stage" at Rain night club. "We had the best VIP room," says Dumont. "We were sitting up above everyone. Everyone wanted to party with us."
After giving up big thank you's for "the best birthday ever," Simon is heading back to Maine to recover before Summer X Games and a New Zealand trip.


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The Modern maintains one of the foremost collections of modern and contemporary international art in the central United States. Various movements, themes, and styles are represented, On view now on the first floor, important examples of Abstract Expressionism, Color Field painting, Pop art, and Minimalism as well as new acquistions by Sol LeWitt and Jenny Holzer.
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May 13, 2013 - Sep 20, 2014
Studio Programs
Jul 25, 2014
Ages 12-14: July 21-25
10 am-2 pm
$155; Modern members $145
Two artists lead these campers through gallery activities and studio instruction, rotating between two classrooms during the day. Lunch is provided.
Online registration begins Friday, March 28.
For questions, please call 817.840.2121 or e-mail email@example.com.