text:
Monday, August 11, 2014
The Berkeley Stags cheerleading program has a new coach.
Longtime assistant Melissa Norvell took over the reins of the varsity cheerleading program over the summer.
Norvell had been an assistant coach in charge of the Stags B team, as well as head secretary and bookkeeper at Berkeley Middle School for seven years.
A 1995 Berkeley High graduate, Norvell is proud to take over a program for which she cheered as a high school student.
Im honored to be a part of a program that has meant so much to me, she said. I cheered for BHS all four years of high school.
As summer winds down Norvell and her staff are ready for school to start and the whistles to blow.
I am excited about football season starting and showing off all of the hard work the girls have put in so far. I am going to put forth as much effort and time needed to get the cheerleading program built back up and prove to everyone that cheerleading is as much of a sport as any other.
Norvell said that while her cheerleaders wont pursue competitive cheerleading at the moment, that could change.
These girls work hard at what they do and deserve recognition for what they do, she said.
Norvell said working in her hometown makes her job that much more special.
I was born and raised in Moncks Corner and love being part of the town and programs that I grew up around.
The cheerleaders decided to stay at home this summer for their camp, taking part in former Berkeley and Clemson cheerleader Catrina Morrisons UCA cheerleading camp at BMS.
Norvell said the girls had a blast.
This is the first cheerleading camp that most of the cheerleaders have ever attended. They had a great time learning from the UCA instructors. During the camp they learned many new cheers, dances, chants, and above all team bonding.
The camp culminated in a last night lock-in at the school, a celebration of a great week.
It was a tremendous bonding experience between all three squads, Norvell said.The girls had a blast and ended up with three very tired coaches. We plan to make this an annual tradition.
Assisting Norvell are Brittany tuozzolo and Samanth Paschall. Tuozzolo coaches the JV squad. In her first year Tuozzolo teaches sixth grade math at Berkeley Middle School.
Paschall, the B Team Coach, is also in her first year with the Stags and teaches sixth grade math at BMS.
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text:
Sources: Geology [abstract], VoteSmart, Opensecrets [campaign funding info], OCC [PDF]
quote: Thanks for the reply and headline adjustment Jason. However, your story still leads with this:"National study suggests that 5.7-magnitude quake was caused by fracking"
quote: We do not dispute the fact that wastewater injection has been linked to seismic activity.
quote: Bill Ellsworth, lead geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey: "We find no evidence that fracking is related to the occurrence of earthquakes that people are feeling." http://www.npr.org/2012/04/11/150440356/quakes-cau...Ellsworth, again: "We don't see any connection between fracking and earthquakes of any concern to society." http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2012/04/23/3 (subs. req'd)National Research Council: "The process of hydraulic fracturing a well as presently implemented for shale gas recovery does not pose a high risk for inducing felt seismic events."http://dels.nas.edu/Report/Induced-Seismicity-Pote...Thanks so much for your time and willingness to discuss this, Jason. Really appreciate it.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Ross Gelbspan | April 17, 2008
By Ross Gelbspan • Thursday, April 17, 2008 - 09:18
PARIS (Reuters) - The world needs tougher action to combat global warming than a plan by President George W. Bush to halt a rise in U.S. greenhouse gas emissions only by 2025, delegates at a climate conference in Paris said on Thursday.
South Africa, one of 17 nations at the two-day global warming talks that started on Thursday, called Bush's proposals "disappointing" and unambitious when many other industrialized economies are already cutting.
Keith Farnish replied on Permalink
Guaranteed death then!
What a complete twat!
"The growth in emissions will slow over the next decade, stop by 2025, and begin to reverse thereafter, so long as technology continues to advance."
Apart from the conditional nature of this comment, continued growth in emissions until 2025 at the current rate will *GUARANTEE* death to all but a few hardy species on Earth.
The more politicians speak about technology the more virulently anti-technology I get. No solution is effective unless it delivers: technology since the industrial revolution has delivered us to the brink of catastrophe.
rob replied on Permalink
Luddites, Arise!
"The more politicians speak about technology the more virulently anti-technology I get. No solution is effective unless it delivers: technology since the industrial revolution has delivered us to the brink of catastrophe."
… typed Keith Farnish, on his Internet connected laptop, while sitting in his warm, centrally-heated loft-style highrise condo, as the tears of despair dribbled down his cheek, causing his pancake makeup to run.
Carl S replied on Permalink
And what if he lives in a
And what if he lives in a 100 year old 1 room apartment downtown typing this post on a 12 year old computer. I didnt realize you have divine power.
Keith Farnish replied on Permalink
Prepared to be a luddite
Actually I'm on a 5 year old computer powered by renewables. But that aside, technology has a very minor part to play in my life, and I have no faith in it as a solution.
The wood burner arrives in 4 weeks (seriously).
Keith www.theearthblog.org
rob replied on Permalink
"You gotta tell 'em: Soylent Green is PEOPLE!"
Nice blog, Keith. I see you are a practising member of The End-Times Cult:
"Those That Survive
In another home – a little place in the west of Scotland, in southern Nigeria, or perhaps in the south of France – a family is sitting around their wood burner, talking about the news that they picked up in the local bakery. Power cuts in the cities, darkness along the roads, civil unrest and a government that wants to crack down on dissent. Time to bring the chickens in, perhaps; the wolves could be coming to the door. There is still some oil in the lamps and stocks of candles, but at this time of the year bed time is soon after tea: as the body clock of each family member takes its cue from the darkness outside, they pump some water for teeth and a wash, then snuggle into bed, leaving the embers glowing."
Yowza! Now I'm a-scared.
I hate to break it to you, but Planet Of The Apes was a science fiction movie – not a documentary. Not that I want to discourage your borderline psychotic fantasies.
"But that aside, technology has a very minor part to play in my life, and I have no faith in it as a solution."
No, you reject evil technology. But from your blog's author profile, we get:
"Keith Farnish is an environmental writer and activist who, in a former life, was a business continuity and IT security manager. He lives in Essex, UK with his wife and two children."
Right, so if you hadn't been an "IT security manager", you could just have easily provided for your family as a subsistence farmer, living in a mud hut? Unfortunately, that wouldn't leave you much discretionary income to spend on a cache of automatic weapons and freeze-dried rations for your underground bunker, for when The End Times come. Hurray for technology!
"The wood burner arrives in 4 weeks (seriously)."
And you (seriously) believe that burning wood is less polluting than heating with electricity or natural gas? You're pretty far gone, bro.
What dismays me about all of our technological wonders is that we have never developed the insight or wisdom to anticipate the long-term implications of these great inventions. Case in point: this morning's headline that bisphenol A is going to be designated a dangerous substance. We have always just barged ahead without thoroughly assessing the risks. In some cases, it isn't even risk, it's just considering what we have to do to counterbalance the impact of something, such as educating people about birth control while eradicating childhood diseases. What's led us to the brink of catastrophe is our own hubris, and unwillingness to look at all sides of "progress".
Fern Mackenzie
rob replied on Permalink
My God ... the HORROR!
"What dismays me about all of our technological wonders is that we have never developed the insight or wisdom to anticipate the long-term implications of these great inventions."
Those darn wireless music boxes are the work of the devil, I agree! And just look at the mayhem caused by this new-fangled "steam engine".
What dismays me, however, is that although people like you are acutely aware of our consistent inability to predict the future – incredibly, you have not the slightest hesitation or doubt in embracing the predictions of Gore and the Global Warming Cult.
So it would seem that, as long as the predictions are B-A-D, you accept them, though you don't let history's endless stream of failed apocalyptic visions slow you down one bit. Pretty inconsistent, don't you think? Yet it does a lot to illustrate the psychology of End-Time cults, in general.
"Case in point: this morning's headline that bisphenol A is going to be designated a dangerous substance."
The bar for what is deemed "dangerous" just keeps getting lowered. If you think that's bad, just wait until you find out the deadly truth about dihydrogen monoxide.
"We have always just barged ahead without thoroughly assessing the risks."
Yup. I guess that explains why the world's population has been decimated. Those few who do survive (after being exposed to horrific dangers like, uh, bisphenol A), are lucky if they live to their 25th birthday.
Back here, on planet Earth, on the other hand, the situation doesn't seem so dire.
"What's led us to the brink of catastrophe is our own hubris, and unwillingness to look at all sides of "progress"."
Funny how we're always described as being on the brink of catastrophe. Apparently we've been on this "brink" since the world began. Promises, promises, but you never deliver.
I was thinking more about the kind of approach that allowed thalidomide to get onto the market without adequate testing. Or using lead as a gasoline additive. But never mind. I don't think this is likely to turn into a productive conversation, so I am going out to work in my garden.
Funny, I don't recall ever being able to plant my peas this early before …
Fern Mackenzie
rob replied on Permalink
Now That Gasoline is Finally Safe to Drink ...
"Funny, I don't recall ever being able to plant my peas this early before …"
Funny, I don't recall there being a -25 degree windchill this late in April, like today, and yesterday, and …
Nobody's planting peas around here, unless they use dynamite.
Pretty warm in Windsor
The last 3 days have been 24C or better.
I didn't think it was that warm today, but a Detroit TV station said it was 75F at 5pm.
rob replied on Permalink
Oh, Tom ...
When will you learn that climate and weather are two completely unrelated things, or that Ontario does not equal Canada?
Like your -25 degree windchill doesn't mean squat, gasoline breath?
Get thee to the garden, Tom
and let Rob rot. Looks as though you've got another fine day up there in Windsor – get out & enjoy it, and don't waste any time on the trolls' blethering.
Maybe all of the environmental lead (from gasoline exhaust fumes, Rob) did something to damage his nervous system when he was little – perhaps he can't help being a bit slow on the uptake.
Fern Mackenzie
Meanwhile, winter has
Meanwhile, winter has returned to Calgary and all the people who put away their snow plows have had to dig them out again. But it's not global cooling - it's just Alberta weather.
rob replied on Permalink
Even VJ understands the rules of AGW:
When it's warm outside – that's climate, and conclusive proof of the Global Warming hypothesis.
When it's cold outside – that's mere weather, and can safely be ignored.
Rotting of Brain, you're a
Rotting of Brain, you're a liar.
rob replied on Permalink
Oh yes ...
A big, poopy-head liar.
There, there, VJ. Have a lollipop and run along.
I'm waiting
to find out what the global data has to say, actually. I keep hearing that this was the coldest winter we've had for ages, but here the ground didn't even freeze! Record snowfall has been held up as proof, but as anyone who has spent a winter in Alberta knows , the colder it is the less snow you get (I was there for three winters, and I know all about walking to work at -45C + windchill, with 0% humidity!). Anomalies all over the place (including being able to plant peas in April) don't mean anything until all of the data is in.
Fern Mackenzie
I believe La Nina may still
I believe La Nina may still be around. We've had a lot of snow this weekend in Calgary, but it's not that cold, -11C low at night, -5C high during the day. It just feels cold because it was warm enough for shorts just the other day.
La Nina...
She is still there, but getting weaker. There's been quite a change in the last few weeks. http://tinyurl.com/39sgrx
Ian Forrester replied on Permalink
The disinformation activists were active in this
Fern, scientists have known that BPA has negative health effects since the 1930's. It was shown to be relatively non-toxic but interference with estrogens was found at that time.
The reason that these effects never became widely appreciated was because of the interference by fraudulent "research" companies who would provided any results the client wanted on demand, for a price of course.
BPA was "studied" by the Weinberg Group (among others no doubt) who gave it a clean bill of health. See:
for information on this company.
They are currently under a congressional investigation spearheaded by Representatives John Dingell (D-MI) and Bart Stupak (D-MI).
'Representatives John Dingell (D-MI) and Bart Stupak (D-MI) announced that their ongoing investigation into the Environmental Protection Agency's handling of toxic chemicals will include the role of the Weinberg Group, a consulting firm hired by numerous chemical producers. Last week the Energy and Commerce investigations subcommittee asked the firm for documents related to its involvement in the scientific debate over bisphenol A (BPA) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a chemical component of Teflon. The letter cited a 2006 publication by a Weinberg consultant in Environmental Health Perspectives that discounted the link between BPA and disease, and a 2003 letter in which the Weinberg Group promises PFOA manufacturer DuPont de Nemours and Co.that it will "harness, focus, and involve the scientific and intellectual capital of our company with one goal in mind—creating the outcome our client desires." The company also promised to reshape the debate "by identifying health benefits of PFOA," and "constructing a study to establish…that PFOA is safe." This "raise(s) serious questions about whether science is for sale at these consulting groups, and the effect this faulty science might have on the public health," wrote Rep. Dingell'.
From: http://cspinet.org/integrity/watch/200802111.html#5
This is just the tip of the iceberg of how the regulatory and approval system works in the US (and elsewhere).
It is hardly surprising that the average citizen is unaware of the problems with so many of our new technological products and processes. They are being fed a stack of fraudulent rubbish by the PR companies, the actual producers and political appointees in the government agencies.
It is no different to what is going on with the denial of AGW, lies, lies and even more lies.
No doubt people like Paul S/G will arrive on the scene to support this corrupt and incestuous relationship.
Ian Forrester


text:
Source: Apple
quote: At Apple, we care just as much about how our products are made as we do about how they're designed
quote: We know people have very high expectations of us.
quote: We have even higher expectations of ourselves.
quote: I mean, HP, Dell, et al, aren't doing any of the sort, so what are they? real Auschwitzes?
quote: First of all, as has been thoroughly documented for many, many years, your products have the worst designs ever foisted upon the market at large.
quote: if you gave a rat's a$$ about how your "products are made" you'd allow your partners to make a reasonable amount of money on your contracts, such that they wouldn't feel compelled to run your production facilities like mini-Auschwitzes
quote: It's getting funny... These days, we cant even have a single article about Samsung or Google, with out you coming in trying to change the subject to Apple and posting some totally unrelated link. Article: "Samsung did this"... You come in: "Ya but Apple"... Article: "Google CEO says this" You come in: "Ya but Apple"... And this is interesting "Apple Apple Apple Apple Apple Apple... Apple, Apple............... Apple. " Oh really? Well that is just as interesting as it was yesterday and the day before, and the day before, and the day before (fading out) and the day before, and the day before (faded out completely). Tony, left standing in a field, all alone: "But.... Apple"
quote: You really need to get a life man.
quote: That's right.. I am on your case. You keep on with your campaign of disinformation, I will keep on posting counter to it. I've been coming here alot longer than you and I will be here long after you give up.


text:
Closed Captioned
Create couture garments with a flawless look that lasts. Underline bodices to give them stability, structure and shape. Stabilize neck edges and shoulder seams so they never stretch. Create lovely shaping using slashed, balanced and contoured darts. Stitch crease-free princess seams and luxurious hand-finished necklines. Discover couture boning techniques for bodices that fit like a dream. Use sleeve heads and ribbon stays to sew gorgeous set-in sleeves with a touch of fullness and no wrinkles. Choose and insert impeccable linings by hand. Keep dresses from riding up or dragging with a waist stay. Harness couture dressmaking techniques to create special-occasion attire and everyday garments that eclipse high-end ready-to-wear.
Meet your instructor, Britain's premier sewing educator Alison Smith, and learn more about the couture touches you can use in your own dressmaking. The class is designed to be a reference resource - watch it all the way through or skip to the techniques you need for your project. Alison's instruction begins with altering your pattern pieces, making a muslin and cutting out fabric.
Underlining and stabilizing your fabric will prevent wrinkles and sagging in your finished garment and greatly extend its wearable life. Alison discusses types of fabric you might use for underlining and the fashion fabrics that will benefit from their support, then shows how to attach underlining fabric to your pattern pieces and transfer markings with tailor's tacks. Learn to use a herringbone stitch to secure interfacing to a neckline, and padstitch when reinforcing a zipper or shoulder seam.
A perfectly finished plain seam is the foundation of sewing. Master it and you're on your way to making beautifully finished darts, too. Alison demonstrates her techniques for the plain seam and for small and large darts that are contoured and balanced. If you haven't encountered a balanced dart before, prepare to be delighted with how easy and smooth it is.
If you find princess seams and curved necklines intimidating, Alison is here to walk you through sewing those curves with confidence. The secret is in the pinning! You'll also learn techniques for clipping and notching seam allowances, and how to understitch a collar facing by hand for a couture touch.
Add structure to a strapless garment or to one with a heavy skirt by including boning in the bodice. A tailored garment in a loosely woven fabric can also benefit from such added support. Alison discusses the different kinds of boning and shows how to attach them to a variety of bodice types.
Give your sleeves a professional finish by adding sleeve heads and ribbon stays. Alison shows how to make your own sleeve head from silk organza and attach it to your sleeve, then demonstrates how to ease the sleeve into the armhole for a perfect fit. Adding a ribbon stay in the seam allowance will stabilize the armhole and prevent your fabric from fraying.
Attaching a lining to a bodice by hand ensures a smooth edge and no chance of the lining coming loose or peeking out. Alison shows how to prepare the bodice and lining and use a flat-fell stitch to secure the two. If you're making a dress with a heavy skirt, such as a wedding gown, consider adding a waist stay to keep everything in its place.
�Cannot thank you enough! I love, love, love ... the assortment of classes, as well as the fact that I can watch the lessons at my own pace, the instructions, the ability to write myself notes, etc. I also love the fact that the classes are for life! Thank you again for such a fantastic and wonderful site for just about everything I love to do!�
Sierra Foothills, CA


text:
(based on 9 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
5 Stars
4 Stars
3 Stars
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1 Stars
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Reviewed by 9 customers
Displaying reviews 1-9
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Ultimate in a Ballpoint Pen
By Climber6
from Forth Smith, AR
Comments about Levenger True Writer Café au Lait Ballpoint:
LOVE this pen!! It is the perfect size and weight (I am a small person, so too large a pen is awkward). Writes VERY smoothly and evenly. It is elegant and makes such a sophisticated statement that I feel special using it. Bought the matching Circa Fold-over Notebook. What a combo!
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
Was this review helpful? Yes / No
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Good Value!
By LadyM
from Undisclosed
I bought this pen for myself because I had given a couple different fountain pens to my husband as gifts and wanted something for myself :). I love how the pen looks and feels - it's just what I was looking for. I ordered the ballpoint, and I would like to try the rollerball as I think that would work a little bit better for my everyday use. I've had several compliments on the pen as well. It's a great value and I would recommend it.
excellent pen
By Tommy8
from mechanicsville, Va.
Great day to day pen. Attractive, good weight , balance and feel.As a collector of pens, I will use this one a lot.
beautiful pen
By kingfisher
from Rochester, MN
I purchased this pen because I wanted a nice ball point for my purse. It's both attractive and comfortable to write with. I have always been satisfied with Levenger products and would definitely but another Levenger pen.
Gorgeous writing instrument
By Lisbeth
from New York, NY
This writing instrument is a work of art. The pen is gorgeous. People ask to borrow it and want to steal it. I have directed them to Levenger for the best writing experience.
WIfe loves pen
By RebLarry
from Weston, FL
I purchased this for my wife. She uses it every day and really likes it.
By guardianmax
from North Reading, Massachusetts
I love the cool feel of this pen and the beauty of its look.
Classy, Pure and Simple.
By WanderingStar
from Raleigh,NC
I was more than delighted with the service I received, plus the packaging is refined grace itself. I had plenty of questions concerning this purchase and the type of inks/refills used since it was a Mother's Day gift and I wanted it to be perfect. My service rep. went above and beyond to acquire the details I needed to make this the elegant statement piece that she, (my step-mother) is now in love with. I had to try it myself and the balance is such a pleasure to handle, and write with. I personally prefer a roller-ball action, and still I had a hard time giving her pen back. I must admit, I'm now lusting after her's and will have to have my own soon. Thanks for a beautifully designed product.
The Catalog Doesn't Do It Justice
By jtagee
from Indiana
When I bought my Kyoto, my medical assistant marveled at the pen. When I saw the cafe au lait in the catalog, it speced out like the Kyoto, just different appearance. I bought the cafe for my MA for Christmas. It was in stock and arrived promptly. The catalog picture failed to convey the true beauty and elegance. The gold clip and cap ring are the perfect compliment to the cream. The personalization was a bronze/gold that conveyed a victorian elegance n found in most contemporary pens. This is a perfect presentation of a high quallity pen.
© Copyright Levenger Company
2016. All Rights Reserved.


text:
on March 22, 2013 - 12:04 AM
, updated March 22, 2013 at 7:02 AM
The best rivalries aren't just the ones that incite passion, trash-talking and bragging rights. They're not all about the numbers, streaks and all-time records. No, the best rivalries are the ones in which the competition elevates the level of play for both teams.
Welcome to the Canisius-Niagara rivalry on ice — playoff edition.
The Western New York rivals will face off today (4 p.m., Time Warner SportsChannel) in Rochester's Blue Cross Arena in the first semifinal of the Atlantic Hockey Tournament. The second semifinal between Connecticut and Mercyhurst follows. The winners advance to Sunday's championship game, where the league's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament will be awarded.
While the Canisius-Niagara rivalry has always been heated, especially in the hockey world, it went up a notch two seasons ago when Niagara became a member of Atlantic Hockey. The teams meet three times in the regular season and this year, while the Purple Eagles won the series 2-1, the games were evenly matched, low scoring, physical and fast.
Expect more of the same tonight.
"From my perspective, I'm looking forward to it because it brings out the best in our guys," Canisius coach Dave Smith said. "Our guys have been on full-focus, high-alert. We've have awesome practices and they still had fun. ... I expect an intense, physical, high-paced affair."
"I think it's going to be a real defensive battle on both sides," Niagara coach Dave Burkholder said. "I think we're built the same way. Our M.O. is to try and outwork our opponent. They do the exact same. Both of us have good goaltending. This is the time of year where that wins games over some fancy offensive play."
Niagara (23-8-5) enters the game as the regular season champ and No. 1 seed. Ranked 14th in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll, 15th in the USCHO.com poll and 11th in the PairWise, the Purple Eagles have been angling to make a case for an at-large bid and their first trip to the NCAA tournament since 2008.
But they clinched that regular season title with two weeks to go and then sputtered a bit into the postseason. They shook off the cobwebs with two dramatic home-ice wins over RIT, one in overtime, to advance to the semifinals.
While Niagara has depth offensively, its ability to block shots and a strong, experienced defensive unit in front of junior goaltender Carsen Chubak has made all the difference.
"It takes a lot of courage and grit to block shots," Burkholder said. "It's not an easy job. It's a thankless job. You know you're not going to get your name in the paper for it, but we called our guys out. We didn't think a month or so ago that we were sacrificing enough as a team. To win a championship you have to do that."
In two games against RIT, the Purple Eagles blocked 52 shots, much of which helped neutralize a potent RIT power play that came into the series ranked second nationally.
"The defense blocked a ton of shots and our penalty kill has just done an excellent job against a very good power play," Chubak said. "If we can keep that up, I think we'll be very successful. It's a team effort for sure."
Playoff time means an emphasis on defense and while Chubak and an experienced defense anchor Niagara, Canisius has been steadied by junior goaltender Tony Capobianco all season. The Griffs have the second best penalty killing unit in the country (90.6 percent, 135 of 149) and that starts with Capobianco.
But Canisius (17-18-5) is on a six-game winning streak, the longest current streak in college hockey. And the difference in that span has been the offense.
The Griffs averaged just 2.18 goals a game in the first 34 games this season, but 4.0 in this winning streak.
"Our guys are extremely confident with the puck right now," Smith said. "All of the things that we've been doing all year are still there, but we've buried our chances. There's a confidence there and I think a lot of it comes from a consistency in our energy and our emotions. We haven't gotten too high. We haven't gotten too low. We just keep playing."
Eighteen players have points for the Griffs in that span, led by Cody Freeman (6 goals, 1 assist) and Kyle Gibbons (3 goals, 8 assists).
"We're just playing a good team game," Gibbons said. "Everyone is making the simple plays. No one is trying to make anything out of nothing.
"Guys have been making good, solid plays that have been leading to a few more chances, a few more good pucks. We're not getting guys trying to make a crafty play at the blue line, turn it over and then, boom, it's in the back of our net. We're creating chances off our own hard work and that's what I think is the biggest difference."
Canisius-Niagara: The Hockey Rivalary
All-time series: Niagara, 18-9-2
Division I era: Niagara, 14-8-2
Postseason: Tied 1-1-0
Neutral Site Games: Niagara, 3-2-0
Previous postseason meetings:
March 6, 1998, Niagara won, 4-1, in an ECAC West playoff game.
March 5, 2011, Canisius won, 6-3, in the first-round of the Atlantic Hockey Playoffs.
Atlantic Hockey Tournament
Blue Cross Arena
Tickets: $18 adults, $12 students
TV: Time Warner SportsChannel
Friday, 4 p.m.: Canisius vs. Niagara
7:30 p.m.: Mercyhurst vs. Connecticut
Saturday, 7:05 p.m.
email: firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Working together for social safety
03 July 2006
by The Japan Journal
From last December through February this year, Japan experienced its biggest snowfall In twenty-two years. In one region after another, snow reached depths exceeding three meters, and as many as 140 people lost their lives. Areas of heavy snowfall are increasingly suffering from depopulation and greying of that population which remains: 70% of the victims were elderly.
It is everything local governments can do to clear snow from the transportation networks, and they are not in a position to provide a budget for clearing snow from private homes. In areas with high percentages of elderly, it is difficult to recruit help for cooperative snow clearance work, leading to heightened concerns in such areas about homes collapsing under the weight of accumulated snow.
Hearing such news, volunteers from around the country came to the rescue and worked feverishly to clear snow from roofs and grounds. Such scenes were seen in February in Fukushima prefecture's Tadamimachi, which sees some of the nation's heaviest snowfalls.
One such volunteer is Takayama Yui (23), who in February was a senior in the Faculty of International Studies at Utsunomiya University in a neighbouring prefecture. She travelled to Tadamimachi after forsaking an overseas trip she had been planning before graduation.
It was "Heart Net Fukushima," a non-profit organization, which recruited the snow clearance volunteers. The NPO was formed in 1996, a year after the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, by volunteers who had been active in the areas stricken by the catastrophe, which claimed more than six thousand lives.
Yoshida Kimio (49) is director of the NPO. "When heavy snows come," he says, "not only those who volunteered for the earthquake but even total strangers come to help out in snow removal." Yoshida strongly feels that the ties created among people through such contacts form the most important lifeline.
For Yoshida, it was the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake which became the catalyst in jumpstarting volunteering activities in Japan. Immediately after the quake, the news media maintained minute-to-minute coverage of the state of the disaster. Helicopters in the air reported as the city of Kobe was enveloped in smoke and flames while land-based reports carried real-time images of toppled buildings and the damage to elevated expressways.
From around the country, people shocked by these images and the magnitude of the damage headed for the stricken area. That year, in which a total of 1.38 million people participated in earthquake relief work, became known as the "first year" of volunteering. Since then, each time a natural disaster or accident such as a tanker oil spill strikes, wherever it may be, people who regard their neighbour's sudden misfortune as their own hasten from around the country and donate large amounts of funds to help out, proving that the spirit of mutual aid now transcends location and human relations.
Takayama's action in cancelling her overseas trip and rallying to Tadamimachi's cause reflected a compassion that extends beyond the experience of urban dwellers. It exemplifies a distinctive trend since 1995.
It would be a mistake to assume that, before the first year of volunteering, the spirit of mutual aid was absent in the Japan of old. In fact mutual aid served a function in each village community. Organizations divided into small units within a region would commonly lend assistance for farm labour and in time of disaster. They would form local fire brigades when fire broke out and engage in crime- and fire-prevention activities at night. It was also the norm for ceremonial functions to be conducted in the same way through mutual cooperation in the local community. If everyone in such a local community knew each other by sight, it was also a community in which everyone watched out for each other. This made it possible to build and maintain a society that was safe and serene.
On the official side, local and central governments have reinforced and guarded this social safety. Fire departments are maintained. Life in ordinary times has been watched over by the neighbourhood police box. Civilians are legally prohibited from possessing guns except when hunting and under other special instances, and no latent threat of gun-related crime is felt. Parents and teachers in the home and school exercise control over children, and although the system may have been authoritarian, ethics and morals for living in the local community were taught from the top down.
These features have not altogether disappeared in modern society. Civilians still do not possess guns, and authoritative parents remain. Yet on the whole, this kind of safe Japan has gradually become something of the past. Prior to the nationwide development of television, satellite communications, and the Internet, relatively few people in a limited number of areas had access to current information.
As a result, the joys and sorrows of life were experienced for the most part in the context of the village community.
Since the period of rapid economic growth beginning in the 1960s, however, workers from agricultural hamlets without strong local industry have flowed to the urban areas, numbers of country folk declined, the percentage of elderly rose and population depletion progressed. In the cities, where the population is concentrated and fewer neighbours know each other, the sense of community cannot easily thrive. Even if a spirit of mutual aid survives, it now functions less well both in the localities or the cities for reasons attributable to each, and in some ways the safety of residents and the serenity of their lives is being shaken.
Rising urban congestion itself exacerbates latent risks from natural disasters, communicable diseases, or events such as major accidents or terrorism. And in modern urban society, where neighbours' faces are invisible, it is difficult to perceive dangers linked with crime, or to uncover evidence of trespassing. Citizens are hard pressed to communicate needed information to the police. For these reasons, anxiety can easily mount. The 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, the sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway system two months later, the increasingly violent nature of crime, and offences by young people all exemplify the increasing risks citizens must now confront. When such events occur, anxiety rises dramatically.
Even so, with the exception of 1995, the number of people dead and missing in the wake of post-war natural disasters fell somewhat between 1960 and 2004, while numbers of crimes such as murder have remained generally unchanged. Such crimes are not increasing. But in its Special Survey on Safety and Security conducted in June of last year, the Cabinet Office reported that, when respondents were asked whether they thought Japan was a safe country, some 55.9% said they did not believe it was. In the Cabinet Office's Survey on Social Consciousness of last year, 47.9% of respondents felt that public safety had deteriorated.
Associate Professor Suzuki Kuniko of the University of Tokyo, who is conducting research on safe and serene societies, notes that "the word 'safety' used to connote peace of mind, too. But today, it only means a statistical kind of safety and doesn't have anything to do with peace of mind."
In a society in which people are increasingly living solitary lives in modem cities, the kind of authoritarianism which protected order in the village community of old is now impotent. The mutual aid function of the village community has in fact waned as well. People may live in this modern society of wealth, but such disquiet remains always in the background.
With the development of modern media and the Internet, unease over foreseeable modern disasters is increasing still further. These include events like traffic network disruptions caused by earthquakes and heavy snow, dangers from the collapse of apartment buildings falsely touted as earthquake resistant, disclosure of or actual fraud relating to personal information stored in networks, juvenile crime, violent crimes targeting children and infants, border-crossing communicable diseases such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), the avian influenza, and AIDS, terrorist attacks such as the 9-11 attacks, tsunami like the Indian Ocean tsunami, and economic crimes. Since they may strike at any moment, all such events raise anxiety. They differ from the kind of foreseeable anxieties that threatened people in the past.
In his book "Weltrisikogesellschaft", the German sociologist Ulrich Beck pointed out that, owing to globalisation, modern society is losing touch with both nature and tradition. It is bound by a system which poses dangers to itself and is now exposed to unforeseeable risks, including terrorism, war, nuclear accidents, climactic disasters, and juvenile crime.
Formerly, globalisation freed people from disparities of wealth created by modernisation. But this is also a world in which previous norms, such as the shackles of social and regional status, no longer hold and in which all responsibilities and risks fall on the individual. Due to the transformation of that modernisation, it has become impossible to control risk. Japan too faces the same sorts of risks.
Amid such mounting anxieties, people are increasingly inclined to take responsibility for their own safety, and this impulse is giving rise to a trend aimed at furthering community efforts to prevent disaster and crime.


text:
BELVIDERE — The Big Thunder Grange Toy Show and Sale will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 17 at Community Grange Hall on the Boone County Fairgrounds, 8791 Illinois Route 76.
Vendors from all over the Midwest will be in attendance with toys to show and sell. Lunch will also be available.
Cost: $2. For information: 815-547-8380.
Location, ST | website.com


text:
Presentation: Introducing SQL Server 2012 AlwaysOn Failover Clustering
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Created in this Craftsy class
Mastering Foundation Paper Piecing taught by Carol Doak
Paper-piecing expert Carol Doak teaches you how to get sharp points and precise seams as she takes you step by step through four foundation-based quilt projects.
Other projects made as part of this class:
QuiltingAlice , who dreamed it?
QuiltingPaper Foundation Piecing Pillow
Offer some kudos...
Join the conversation...
Ask a question...
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You are on your way.
01/10/2014 Flag
This looks like a ship with the most beautiful sails! Just lovely!
03/25/2015 Flag


text:
Published May 5, 2014
Since its formation more than 50 years ago, the University at Buffalo Foundation (UBF) has helped support and advance the mission of UB through efforts to manage gifts and grants on behalf of the university, among other benefits.
In an effort to provide greater transparency and clarification on how UBF works with the university, Laura Hubbard, UB's vice president for finance and administration, and UBF Executive Director Ed Schneider met with the UB Faculty Senate Executive Committee on Wednesday.
Hubbard and Schneider spent nearly two hours talking about
UBF's history, governance structure and finances, in addition
to answering questions from the executive committee. Click
here to see the PowerPoint slides featured in the
"I know transparency is of interest to all of us," Hubbard said, noting that "90 percent" of the material used in her presentation came directly from the UBF website. She pointed out that there is "more transparency around the financials of UBF" than at many state and public agencies.
Public university foundations date back to the late 19th century. UBF began in 1962 when the private University of Buffalo merged with SUNY and became the public University at Buffalo. The vast majority of public colleges and universities today rely on the assistance of private foundations to support their missions, Hubbard noted.
UBF serves a variety of important functions, including:
As a private entity, UBF also allows UB to be more flexible and nimble with certain transactions while still following UB and SUNY guidelines. The university's acquisition of land for the new School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in downtown Buffalo, which is the largest construction project in that area in decades, would have taken significantly longer if UB had to proceed with the property acquisition through New York State instead of through UBF, Hubbard said.
UBF is governed by a 20-member board of trustees — all identified on the UBF website — who can serve up to two consecutive three-year terms. There are five ex-officio positions held by UB administrators, four of which are non-voting. The president has voting authority on the board. In addition, a 13-member board of directors advises the trustees. All of these are nonpaid volunteer positions.
Most UBF activities are managed by six smaller corporate entities designed to manage risk: UBF Activities, UBF Services, UBF Corp., FNUB, UBF Incubator and UBF Faculty-Student Housing. "Isolating risk is the reason we have multiple corporations," said Schneider, the UBF executive director.
UBF operates in a manner consistent with the policies of the SUNY trustees and UB, but its trustees and directors are independent of SUNY in their fiduciary responsibilities.
UBF also manages three types of gifts to UB:
Donor privacy remains one of the most important reasons to keep some of UBF's records private, Hubbard said. "Our ability to fundraise would be hampered if we did not have that mechanism."
As noted in the consolidated financial statement posted to the foundation website for the fiscal year that ended June 2013, UBF controls nearly a billion dollars in assets that help support the mission of UB.
Hubbard emphasized the importance of properly using UB Foundation funds. "We should never be trying to do things through UBF that we really should be doing on the university side. We work collaboratively with UBF to make sure that the things we're doing and processing on the university side are appropriate for (a public university) and we're not doing things on the UBF side that really should be coming out of the university."
In response to a faculty member's question about what polices ensure that a gift is being used how its donor intended, Schneider said, "Every endowment has a deed of gift or some sort of evidence of what the donor's restrictions were. We've got that stored electronically and available for the administrator of each endowment available to the unit. It should be the role of UBF to make sure expenditures are consistent with the deed of gift."
Some executive committee members noted that states such as California and Iowa have passed legislation requiring that the records of foundations that support public entities be made public.
Hubbard noted that these states excluded many records from public disclosure — including donor records and various types of trade secrets — and pointed out the downside of such an approach without these protections in New York and with UBF, which in 2012 was found to be a "private entity" in a ruling by the State Supreme Court.
"Once you decide to start making some records available, then anybody can make the argument that everything you have, you've now made available and what you don't have in these other states that we're talking about — they excluded a lot of things," Hubbard said. "You don't have that legal protection."
Ernest Sternberg, who chairs the Faculty Senate's Academic Freedom and Responsibility Committee, said the issue of transparency merits further discussion. "There's a great advantage to transparency. I should also say there are dangers to transparency from a personal privacy and freedom point of view," he said.
Your report on the UBF meeting is not merely anodyne. It is, in fact, a tissue of obfuscation:
"Some executive committee members noted that states such as California and Iowa have passed legislation requiring that the records of foundations that support public entities be made public. Hubbard noted that these states excluded many records from public disclosure, including donor records and various types of trade secrets, and pointed out the downside of such an approach without these protections in New York and with UBF, which in 2012 was found to be a 'private entity' in a ruling by the State Supreme Court."
"Once you decide to start making some records available, then anybody can make the argument that everything you have, you've now made available and what you don't have in these other states that we're talking about, they excluded a lot of things," Hubbard said. "You don't have that legal protection."
As was pointed out to VP Hubbard, the NYS FOIL law precisely does exclude "trade secrets" and some information about donors (like addresses or contact numbers), and members of the Budget Priorities Committee at the meeting said, quite specifically, that they would be happy to carve out a donor-name exception for all those donors who wished to remain anonymous. Under these conditions, it's difficult to understand what VP Hubbard (and the Provost, who echoed her comments) might have meant by "once you decide to start making some records available, then anybody can make the argument that everything you have, you've now made available...."
The fact is that the university just doesn't want the faculty and the general public to know on what UBF is spending the university's monies. Why?
Kenneth Dauber


text:
HOLLIDAYSBURG - It's only January, but it looks like the District 6 Class AAAA girls basketball tournament should be a dandy.
Although Hollidaysburg has stamped itself as the early favorite, anyone of four teams could be in the hunt for the district's only representative in the PIAA's statewide big school tourney.
Hollidaysburg stayed unbeaten Saturday by turning back State College, 53-45, in an afternoon tussle at the HAHS gym.
"State College. Altoona. Mifflin County. District 6 is very strong this year," Lady Tiger coach Deanna Jubeck said following her team's ninth straight win. "Between the four of us, all of the games that are going to be played are going to be close games like this."
It certainly looks that way.
Hollidaysburg (9-0), which beat Altoona, 57-56, in December, visits Mifflin County (7-3) on Monday. State College, now 9-2, hosts Altoona on Wednesday. Altoona fell to 5-4 with a 68-64 loss to Central Dauphin East on Saturday, and has lost all four games by seven points or less. CD East also beat State College earlier.
Much like its win over Altoona, Hollidaysburg jumped on State College early, and then survived the Lady Little Lions' fourth-quarter run.
Courteney Storm got the Lady Tigers rolling, scoring 11 points [3 treys] as the hosts opened an 18-10 lead in the first quarter. Storm also hit a big 3 midway through the fourth quarter and finished with a team-high 19 points.
"Courteney Storm had a great week of practice for us," Jubeck said. "Her shot was falling, and I think she was feeling comfortable. She continued to shoot the ball well, and that little spark was what we needed from her."
"I'm mostly a post player," Storm said when asked about her 3-point shooting. "but, if it's [3-point shot] open, I take it, and hope they go in."
Storm said the Tigers respected SC.
"We were going out there like they were better than us," Storm said. "That made us play harder, and we were expecting a close game."
Freshman Kyla Irwin, the daughter of SC coach Bethany Irwin, scored 12 of her game-high 20 points on the low block in the fourth quarter, but it was too little, too late for the Lions.
Hannah Mercer converted 6-of-8 free throws down the stretch, and Lexi Servello added a pair to seal it for Hollidaysburg.
"We shot more free throws this week than we have all season," Jubeck said. "We've been struggling from the free throw line and we made it one of our priorities.
"If games are close down the stretch, it's going to come down to layups and free throws," Jubeck noted, "so we had to make sure we knocked them down. I think we shot 73 percent."
The Tigers actually made 17-of-23 from the stripe, and that was the difference - plus a 6-to-1 spread in 3-point shooting - as SC made two more [17-to-15] field goals.
"We knew we were going to have our hands full," said SC coach Bethany Irwin, noting the Little Lions played without starting point guard Carrie Mahon.
"This game is a great opportunity for us to learn what [Tigers] do," Irwin said, "because we're going to see them in districts.
"We had our chances, but we didn't shoot well the first half," she said. "In the second half, we played man-to-man, which we rarely do, and the girls responded well.
"We were trying to cut down their 3s - number 11 [Storm] had a nice game - and we wanted to put their lowest-percentage foul shooters on the line at the end, but they made them," Irwin added, "and our shots didn't fall for us tonight."
Irwin said every game builds toward the district playoffs.
"Our schedule, the Central Penn League and games with Altoona and Hollidaysburg, demands you to get better, and we'll use this as a learning experience so we're better later."
STATE COLLEGE (45): Stevenson 1 0-0 2, Altomare 3 4-8 10, Irwin 8 4-4 20, King 4 0-0 8, Allison 1 2-2 5, Treglia 0 0-0 0, Karstetter 0 0-0 0, Kaluza 0 0-0 0. Totals - 17 10-14 45.
HOLLIDAYSBURG (53): Griffith 4 4-5 12, Storm 6 3-3 19, Servello 0 3-5 3, Ellis 5 0-0 12, Mercer 0 7-10 7, Muir 0 0-0 0, Jennings 0 0-0 0. Totals - 15 17-23 53.
State College10 10 8 17 - 45
Hollidaysburg18 13 9 13 - 53
3-point goals: State College 1 (Allison); Hollidaysburg 6 (Storm 4, Ellis 2).
Records: State College (9-2); Hollidaysburg (9-0).
JV: Hollidaysburg, 39-35. High scorer-Kiki Davis, H, 14.


text:
Allegedly official HTC One renders leak hours before announcement
0. phoneArena 19 Feb 2013, 03:06 posted on
We've seen the fronts of both the black and white HTC One before, but the back remained somewhat of a mystery, and now we have a leak of the reportedly official renders mere hours before HTC announces the flagship at the NYC event today...
This is a discussion for a news. To read the whole news, click here
1. emadshiny (Posts: 1144; Member since: 05 Dec 2012)
interesting and the UI is like windows phones which is not interesting.
26. Sentient6 (Posts: 16; Member since: 02 Dec 2012)
Those are just widgets on the home screen. You can change them. If you don't even like HTC's launcher you can change it too. You can also change the gallery app.
40. PhenomFaz (Posts: 1236; Member since: 26 Sep 2012)
you can almost change anything...best part about android :)
and that phone just looks too cool....i dunno how its gonna fare against Sammy, Sony or LG but in looks this takes the cake....at least from what I've seen so far
50. fly2click (Posts: 41; Member since: 19 Oct 2012)
this phone looks far better than any Sammy and LG Phones. May be you should compare this with Sony Z.
51. valapsp (Posts: 557; Member since: 12 Aug 2011)
Off topic, TOO COOL is grammatically wrong. :)
67. g2a5b0e (Posts: 3724; Member since: 08 Jun 2012)
Nothing worse than when someone tries to correct your grammar, but they have no idea what they're talking about. Are you gonna tell me that "they're" is wrong, too?
58. Sentient6 (Posts: 16; Member since: 02 Dec 2012)
I do know that. That's why I'm using android and nothing else. Loving the Cyanogenmod 10.1! ;)
28. soshi (Posts: 154; Member since: 08 Mar 2012)
It looks like play store front page more than wp. Wp only mono color tile
30. Wiki_jaan (Posts: 704; Member since: 24 Jun 2012)
it smell like mixture of z10 n ip5
41. vincelongman (Posts: 4425; Member since: 10 Feb 2013)
The Droid X had a very similar design to the Z10. The Driod X also rectangle with rounded corners. Also the HTC One X+ had a speaker grill at the top, but the design is different. And I don't think they could of copied the Z10 since it was released a month ago.
I think the back is similar to the iPhone 5's aluminum and glass back but the front is completely different.
Personally I really like this design, I think its so much better than HTC's other designs. Just to make it smaller they could of put the buttons in the middle of the bottom speaker grill. Also the side bezels could be smaller.
48. DerryAhmad (Posts: 278; Member since: 05 May 2012)
The front looks like the Z10 while the back looks like iPhone5.
I like the design though. As long as it's metal - to differentiate from the two mentioned.
Can't wait to see the novelty it'll bring. Especially those Ultrapixel claim.
34. cheetah2k (Posts: 1576; Member since: 16 Jan 2011)
Looks like the new blackberry!
46. muhsen (Posts: 281; Member since: 07 Jun 2012)
whats really interesting, its the windows phone 8x and 8s not the butterfly or the one x+ that stopped the bleeding of this company
whats more interesting is htc making its android UI more wp like to continue to stop its bleeding
62. jroc74 (Posts: 6005; Member since: 30 Dec 2010)
When did WP have all Live Tiles be pictures and videos? And technically....thats not the entire UI....thats just widgets. One pic is the Gallery, you can tell by the icons at the bottom of the screen...
And on WP...the UI is more than just Live Tiles...
2. bayhuy (Posts: 320; Member since: 23 Jun 2011)
I like it. Beautiful.
24. SamsungFan (Posts: 201; Member since: 16 Apr 2012)
True. I hope that UI will also be beautiful
33. MrJerry (Posts: 403; Member since: 05 Oct 2012)
It looks nice but
to be honest, isn't that bezel too thick?
37. Feanor (Posts: 703; Member since: 20 Jun 2012)
Beautiful but too much of a Z10 and iPhone copy. And now that we can see the rear, I recognise also the little connecting line starting from the lens just like the Xperia P. Good looking but highly unoriginal handset.
39. MrJerry (Posts: 403; Member since: 05 Oct 2012)
You forgot they had an agreement
3. tiara6918 (Posts: 2036; Member since: 26 Apr 2012)
I guess this is the one, judging from what peter chou was holding at that party but I wonder what the htc button will do since there's already a home button
27. Sentient6 (Posts: 16; Member since: 02 Dec 2012)
I suppose it's the recent apps button.
4. husfus (Posts: 62; Member since: 21 Oct 2012)
the best HTC design ever. kudos HTC
6. husfus (Posts: 62; Member since: 21 Oct 2012)
though it slightly looks like z10 but i like the design & the UI too
5. jove39 (Posts: 1858; Member since: 18 Oct 2011)
Any word on battery?
22. RaKithAPeiRiZ (Posts: 1488; Member since: 29 Dec 2011)
2300 mAh
7. cGmC11 (Posts: 139; Member since: 02 Apr 2012)
Wooooowwwwww Beautiful!!!
Take this Samsung GSIV
36. zuckerboy (banned) (Posts: 898; Member since: 22 Dec 2011)
you take it when sIV unleashed :D
44. cGmC11 (Posts: 139; Member since: 02 Apr 2012)
Will be another piece of cheap plastic again! ;-)
59. Cyan3boN (Posts: 444; Member since: 23 Feb 2012)
With a boring design
8. baldilocks (Posts: 743; Member since: 14 Dec 2008)
Not digging the location of the HTC logo.
9. darac (Posts: 2156; Member since: 17 Oct 2011)
WP fans: but but android is ugly static rows of icons, what is this?!?
31. GJanee (Posts: 214; Member since: 29 Jun 2011)
this is how the metro ui inspires others.
57. darac (Posts: 2156; Member since: 17 Oct 2011)
And others make it infinitely more beautiful and functional.
10. Technobri (Posts: 84; Member since: 10 Dec 2012)
Looks beautiful .. the back looks sexy..i might just say goodbye to my galaxy s2
11. REYNER (Posts: 187; Member since: 10 Feb 2012)
HTC One vs Sony xperia Z wew!!
12. darkskoliro (Posts: 1076; Member since: 07 May 2012)
oh wow the back is sexy
13. _Bone_ (Posts: 2154; Member since: 29 Oct 2012)
Looking good! The only complaint is the average phone-screen ratio; with all the HW components that's the smallest the phone can physically be, but at that size the screen could've gone a bit bigger IMO, quite a bezel on the sides and top/bottom.
BTW, does the HTC logo serve as a button?
14. darac (Posts: 2156; Member since: 17 Oct 2011)
Anyway, this phone looks like the best HTC since the Desire.
Looking forward reading amazed reviews
15. KiranPAUSER (Posts: 73; Member since: 15 Feb 2013)
Don't say goodbye to s4 because galaxy s4 will break every record this htc one will set.
16. N-fanboy (Posts: 543; Member since: 12 Jan 2013)
Very beautiful!! But looks alot like the BBZ10 to me, and the homescreen kinda... Looks like Windows phone's. Correct me if i'm wrong.
63. jroc74 (Posts: 6005; Member since: 30 Dec 2010)
And what does the Z10 look like....? A mash up of the Droid X and an iPhone.
For it to have 2 front speakers...its gonna have to be designed like that for the most part. It is what it is.
That homescreen has widgets on it. And its probably one of 5-7 home screens. There is no current Android phone that has a permanent home screen setup. It can either be left as is out the box, or changed.
17. KiranPAUSER (Posts: 73; Member since: 15 Feb 2013)
This phone will just be the copy cat of nokia 808 pureview. No surprise.
18. N-fanboy (Posts: 543; Member since: 12 Jan 2013)
Very beautiful!! But looks alot like the BBZ10 to me, and the homescreen kinda... Looks like Windows phone's. Correct me if i'm wrong.
19. Taters (banned) (Posts: 6474; Member since: 28 Jan 2013)
Xperia ION clone. Great job HTC! Lol
23. RaKithAPeiRiZ (Posts: 1488; Member since: 29 Dec 2011)
last time i checked ..the ion looks completely different....better get your iSight checkedhttp://www.geeky-gadgets.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/sony-xperia-ion.jpg
68. Taters (banned) (Posts: 6474; Member since: 28 Jan 2013)
Look at the back tard
20. kozza3 (Posts: 697; Member since: 17 Oct 2012)
haters gonna hate
21. affandi (Posts: 85; Member since: 25 Jan 2013)
I have to admit, the dark version have kind of grown into me, it looks pretty sleek and sexy. On the other hand, that silver version is the most hideous creature i've ever rested my beloved eyes on! God it's awful!
25. Technobri (Posts: 84; Member since: 10 Dec 2012)
it looks like the z10 iphone 5 and G2 all mixed into something beautiful lol
29. KiranPAUSER (Posts: 73; Member since: 15 Feb 2013)
People will forget it soon after the galaxy s4 and lumia pureview are launched.
32. Plesman (Posts: 11; Member since: 19 Feb 2013)
2008 called... they want there bezel back!
35. ankitp (Posts: 138; Member since: 19 Feb 2013)
this will be the best phone of 2013
38. chupoltorero (Posts: 20; Member since: 22 Jan 2013)
i just hope its sound is loud with those huge dual speares in front...still i just hope its a 5incher but that why they have DNA but i like this desgin vs DNA
42. AshishRomea (Posts: 145; Member since: 09 Aug 2012)
Looks like big iPHONE 5 & BB Z10 :/ further Interface looks like Windows :/
already disappointed , why does htc copy these days :/
will watch the vent though
43. amiroo (Posts: 269; Member since: 03 Sep 2012)
most beautifull design As long as i see...
bravo HTC
45. rizevnarastek (Posts: 347; Member since: 06 Sep 2012)
To all of you complaining about the size of the bezel... It's there so you can hold the phone properly in your hand and it's there to protect the screen in you drop it (like it's hot).
I would prefer for them to make a 5 inch screen with software buttons (and no logo on the front) Seems only Apple is "brave" enough to do that...
52. affandi (Posts: 85; Member since: 25 Jan 2013)
Only apple is brave enough to do that? No sir.... Seems that you forgot about the LG nexus 4 = no logo on the front and software buttons
47. pyradark (Posts: 855; Member since: 10 Jun 2012)
is this the BB Z20??
49. AhmoZ (Posts: 7; Member since: 07 Feb 2013)
In one of the peaks behind the count down in official HTC site, there's something interesting that might justify the dual front facing stereo speakers. The back of the device shows what seems to be a kickstand. It would be incredible if it's actually there.


text:
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Customer Q&A ARINCDirect login ARINCDirect Flight Manager login
Copyright © 2016 Rockwell Collins. All rights reserved.


text:
SALEM - The brand new Stadium GM Superstore is home to the most state-of-the-art auto dealership in the United States, company officials said.
The new 34,000-square-foot building at 214 W. State St. opened Thursday and is the only place in the area to have all the GM lines under one roof; Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC are available for purchase and service at one location.
With the increased size and selection, Stadium GM plans to hire more sales people, service technicians and office staff.
Owner Shorty Navarro said, "The growth in our employees will be the most satisfying part of this whole new building experience. It's great for the area.
"More people working here at Stadium GM means more money spent at other local businesses by our employees which in turn will help those businesses to hire more.
"I love to see our area continue to grow. That's what makes me the happiest."
General Manager Michael Hudock said, "We certainly have taken our time in completing this project. But we wanted to make sure that our customers would have the absolute finest car dealership anywhere.
"Customers will be able make their car and truck purchases using the most advanced technology available and we can assure them that their buying experience will be the most satisfying that they have ever had.
"We're proud of this new store and invite everyone to come down for a visit and tour. We built this store for our customers. They are our family and this store is now their car store home."
Customers can step onto the massive new lot that nearly doubles the inventory to assure them of finding the right color and options while browsing the largest selection of Cadillac's, Chevrolets, Buicks and GMC trucks at one location.
Each car line will have more selection and the Stadium GM Superstore's new tagline is "We've Got Just What You're Looking For!"
The used car department is also doubling in size according to Used Car Manager Dan Chaffee. In the last few months, he has been selecting more premium, pre-owned vehicles.
"Just like our new car selection, we want the customer to know that our used car and truck selection will have just what they want," Chaffee said.
"We want to focus on making sure that our customers can be assured that we will have the perfect vehicle for them at the right price and payment."
To accomplish that, Stadium GM plans to maintain "the absolute most diverse selection in the area" with a strong emphasis on GM Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles.
A bigger selection means more sales which also means a bigger finance department.
"We not only want to make sure that our customers get exactly the right vehicle they want, but we also want to make sure they will get the absolute best finance rates and service anywhere," Hudock said.
"We also have increased the size of our special finance department to help our customers that have had credit problems in the past.
"We have made arrangements with local banks to make sure that people that have had past bankruptcies, medical bills or divorce situations can also be able to get the vehicle they need at the best rates available."
The huge, new service department has doubled its capacity to feature the latest, state-of-the-art equipment while new technicians are being added to handle the workload as quickly and safely as possible. The result is more customers can be serviced quicker.
There is also a bigger and better parts counter capable of stocking more parts while cutting service time down for customers.
The award-winning body shop remains under Paul Shuster's management, still transforming damaged vehicles and giving them new vehicle look.
Whether it's a nasty scratch, irritating dent or total collision work, the Stadium GM body shop provides superb, experienced work, a quick turn-around time at a great price.
Stadium GM expects to hold "a large grand opening" soon so the public can get a closer look at new store.


text:
(In predicted order of finish)
Coach: Ray Bielskis (7th year)
Last season: 21-10 (8-4)
Returning starters: Jack Fleeger (Sr. C); Dan Lowe (...
(In predicted order of finish)
Coach: Ray Bielskis (7th year)
Last season: 21-10 (8-4)
Returning starters: Jack Fleeger (Sr. C); Dan Lowe (Sr. 1B/P); Tyler Nunez (Sr. SS); Ben Reibel (Sr. 3B/DH); Nate Peterson (Sr. P/OF); Austin Carlson (Sr. CF); Base Byers (Sr. OF); Dylan Garbutt (Sr. OF).
Other key players: Austin Van Lankvelt (Sr. 2B); Dennis Reedy (Jr. 2B/P); Riley Lorden (Jr. 3B/P); Jeff Lillard (Sr. P/1B/3B)
Outlook: Byron returns eight senior starters who have been on varsity since they were sophomores, including Garbutt, who was injured last year. Four of their five first-team All-BNC West players return, making them the favorites over a Rock Falls team that also returns a large number of starters and has won the BNC West both years it has been in the conference.
Rock Falls
Coach: Donnie Chappell (15th year)
Last season: 20-9 (10-2)
Returning starters: Austin Donoho Sr. (P/Inf/OF); Trace Happen (Sr. P/Inf); Dustin Hyucke (Sr. P/OF); Dallas Jones (Sr. Inf); Jacob Mammosser (Jr. C/Inf); Clay Velazquez (Soph. P/OF); Quinton Matznick (Soph. P/Inf); Noah Junis (Soph. P/Inf).
Other key players: Logan Pillars (Fresh. C/Inf); Cooper Kilberg (Soph. C/Inf); Cayden Erickson (Jr. P/OF); Dylan Abrams (LF).
Outlook: Rock Falls is the area's preeminent baseball power, with 10 regional and five sectional titles since 2000 and a dozen 20-win seasons in the last 13 years. The best Rockets start young — three sophomores are returning starters and freshman Logan Pillars should play a key role this year — so they always seem to have a veteran team. "We return seven starters and six of those are pitchers, which should be our strength," coach Donnie Chappell said. "A good mixture of youth to go along with a good group of seniors should allow us to compete for the BNC title."
Coach: Adam Albrecht (3rd year)
Last year: 15-15 (5-7)
Returning starters: Joey Rowe (Sr. C); Adam Bettner (Sr. SS/P); Matt Murray (Sr. P/OF); Tyler Blume (Sr. 1B/2B); Sawyer Reynolds (Sr. P/3B).
Other key players: Skylar Short (Jr. OF); Mason Smith (Jr. P/OF/3B); Taylor Brubaker (Jr. P); Luke Ziegler (Sr. 1B/DH).
Outlook: Star pitcher Alex Cain is gone to Eastern Illinois, but the Hawks return the bulk of their Cinderella team that won the school's first sectional title last year and came within two runs of state, losing 7-6 to Eureka at supersectionals. And that's with Cain not being able to pitch after regionals because of a sore shoulder. "We played in a lot of competitive and close games last year and can expect more of the same this year," coach Adam Albrecht said. " We do not have a power pitcher, which is going to make defense behind our pitchers extremely important. Also, we will need to focus on timely hitting and situational offense in order to manufacture runs."
Stillman Valley
Coach: Scott Wilhite (15th year)
Last year: 14-9 (7-4)
Returning starters: Frank Baley (Sr. OF/P); Connor McNames (Sr. SS/P); Steig Theden (Sr. 2B/P); Micah Robert (Sr. OF); Logan Byers (Jr. SS/P).
Other key players: Parker Madeen (Jr. C/P); Zac Hare (Sr. IF); Jacob Hildebrand (Jr. OF); Sam Wubbena (Jr. OF/P); Kolton Myrvold (Jr. 1B/P).
Outlook: Baley (.373, 6 HRs), Byers (.368) and McNames (.305) give the Cardinals three returning .300 hitters and McNames (2.10 ERA), Byers (2.89) and Theden (3 wins and 2 saves) were the team's top three pitchers last year. Stillman should be a solid team, but not a favorite, to win the BNC West. "We have a lot of pitching depth and our lineup has a chance to be deep with a good junior class complementing our seniors," coach Scott Wilhite said.
Coach: Aaron Sester (3rd year)
Last season: 8-20 (3-9)
Returning starters: Jaron Robinson (Jr. SS/P); Riley Schuhler (Sr. 2B/C); Evan Shultz (Jr. CF); Shane Kruze (Jr. 1B/P0; Garet Zinke (Soph. 3B/P/LF); Evan Weber (Soph. SS/P).
Other key players: Juan Gonzalez (Sr. C); Spencer Evans (P); Matt Dornink (P).
Outlook: Mendota has a strong baseball tradition and could be good even with up to seven underclassmen in the starting lineup. "We are a young group, but those kids have all had multiple games of varsity experience under their belt," coach Aaron Sester said.
Coach: Neal Bertram (29th year)
Last season: 6-17 (2-10)
Returning starters: Trevor Tunison (Sr. C/P/Inf); Giorgi Arbisi (Sr. P/OF); Joe Wild (Sr. Inf/P); Justin Woolbright (Soph. P/1B); Johnny Sánchez (Soph. P/Inf); Brady West (Soph. C/Inf).
Other key players: Joey Caravello (Jr. OF); Parker Johnson (Jr. P/OF); Matt Kerestes (Jr. P/Inf); Jailen Horton (Jr. P/OF); Justin Mercer (So. P/OF); Jake Milani(Sr. OF/1B).
Outlook: Bertram returns after taking a year off for health reasons and the Crusaders could return to their traditional place among the top two or three teams in the BNC West. "We're striving to battle for the conference title with improved defense, consistent pitching and offense," Bertram said.
Coach: Ron Adams (4th year)
Last season: 10-8 (5-6)
Returning starters: Josh Finley (Sr. OF/Inf/P); Darren Heslop (Sr. Inf/P); Tony Bores (Sr. OF/Inf/P); Nolan Kinnamon (Sr. OF); Jeremy Morehead (Jr. OF); Sammy Adams (Jr. Inf/P).
Other key players: Evan Mack (Jr. OF/Inf/P); Jared Benson (OF/Inf/P); Colton West (Jr. OF/Inf/C/P); Chas Lingel (Jr. Inf).
Outlook: Winnebago slipped back after going 47-16 with back-to-back regional titles the previous years and is now rebuilding with only four seniors. "We're very young, but we have a number of young and talented pitchers looking to prove themselves game ready," coach Ron Adams said. "
Burlington Central
Coach: Kyle Nelson (9th year)
Last year: 16-13 (10-2)
Returning starters: Bryan Cynova (Sr. C/IF); Danny Gerke (Sr. P/1B); Jake Schlutta (Sr. P/Inf); Cody Schuver (Sr. 3B); Mike Lee (Sr. OF); Drew Wiss (Jr. Inf); Reed Hunnicutt (Sr. OF).
Other key players: Brandan Bushy (Jr. P/1B); Tanner Smith (Jr. Inf); John Murphy (Soph. 3B/C); Kevin Jerger (Jr P).
Outlook: With seven returning starters, the defending champs are the clear favorites to repeat, led by the pitching of Gerke (6-4, 1.19 ERA) and Schlutta (5-0, 1.01).
Coach: Mike Giese (9th year)
Last season: 16-14 (8-4)
Returning starters: Mike Kaska (Sr. P/IF); Brian Wells (Sr. P/IF); Jake Tiso (Sr. OF); Kory Klicker (Sr. C).
Other key players: Josh Williams (Sr. P/IF); Drake Talles (Sr. IF); Kellen Leschke (Sr. P/OF).
Outlook: The Rockets are perhaps the main challenger for defending champion Burlington Central. Kaska (4-3, 3.16 ERA) and Wells (3-1, 2.33) were the Rockets' No. 2 and 3 pitchers last year. "I expect our defense and pitching to keep us in games, but our hitting must improve if we want to contend for the conference and regional titles," coach Mike Giese said.
Coach: Josh Maas (3rd year)
Last season: 13-9 (8-4)
Returning Starters: Erik Kurczewski (Sr. C); Justin Vogel (Sr. 1B/P); Koty Kissack (Jr. SS/P); Noah Klick (Sr. OF/P); Ethan Walsweer (Jr. OF/P).
Other key players: Mike Villarreal (Soph. C/3B); Josh Sheahan (Soph. P); Max Kunde (Sr. IF/OF/P); Brent Maney (Sr. IF/P); Hayden Simonson (Sr. OF/P).
Outlook: Marengo will depend on defense and the pitching of Kissack, Walsweer and Sheahan. "We've taken some steps the last couple of years and our goal is to compete for the conference and regional titles," said coach Josh Maas.
Rockford Christian
Coach: Mike McClellan (4th year)
Last season: 17-13 (6-6)
Returning starters: Cal McClellan (Sr. SS/P); Nolan Gazouski (So. Inf/P); Cam Santolino (Jr. Inf); Jake Kellerman (Jr. 1B/DH); Satchel Daleo (Jr. Inf/OF); Brandon Williams (Jr. P/Inf); Jake McClellan (Soph. C); Jacob Gugle (Soph. P/OF)
Other key players: David Prisby (Fresh. P/OF); Alec Powell (Soph. P/OF); Nick Frahm (Jr. Inf).
Outlook: The Royal Lions return virtually the same team that lost to Byron in the regional final and could be poised for their best season in a decade with Gazouski (.421), Santolino (.385); McClellan (.365) and Kellerman (.333) leading the way. "We are deep but relatively inexperienced on the mound," coach Mike McClellan said.
North Boone
Coach: Dean Dinsmore (5th year)
Last season: 9-16 (3-7)
Returning starters: Brad Giss (Sr. CF); Vic Catella (Sr. SS); Marrick Protz (Sr. 2B/P); Jason Fidder (Sr. 1B/P); Zac Skwarek (Sr. Inf/P); Josh Herrmann (Sr. OF); Rodney Taylor (Sr. 1B); David Luna (Sr. P).
Other key players: Marcus Protz (Fresh. C); Jacob Gardner (Jr. OF/P); Griffin Schuester (Soph. Inf); Brad Buchner (Soph. Inf/OF); Drew Laduke (Jr. C/P).
Outlook: Returning all-conference picks Giss and Catella lead a veteran team that should get to .500. "This is the deepest and most-talented team at North Boone in some time," coach Dean Dinsmore said. "It's tough to contend in our league with Burlington Central and Richmond Burton, but this is the first year that I think we are in some sort of the conversation."
Coach: Donnie Nolen (3rd year)
Last season: 7-19 (3-9)
Returning starters: Justin Nolen (Sr. SS); Tate Miller (Sr. 1B); Matt Piechocki (Sr. P/OF); Peyton Schneider (P 2B); Logan Streit (Soph. P/OF); Reiss Bielski (Soph. P/2B); James Musgrove (Sr. P/OF).
Other key players: Joe Quinn (Jr. P/OF); Johnny Peterson (Soph. P/3B).
Outlook: The Hornets should be slightly improved and maybe have a chance to reach .500. "We have a nice core of returning players with varsity game experience," coach Donnie Nolen said. "Our pitching and defense will be the key."
Genoa Kingston
Coach: Anson Ellis (2nd year)
Last season: 5-20 (3-9)
Returning starters: Jake Langford (Sr. C); Will Crozier (Sr. OF/P); Brady Huffman (Soph. Inf/P); Mike Kuhn (Sr. Inf).
Other key players: Joe Murray (Jr. OF); Mikey Semmens (Jr. Inf/C); Matt Cieslica (Jr. OF).
Outlook: The Cogs will need strong defense and pitching to move up. "With many pitchers returning, we're looking to them to keep us in games," coach Anson Ellis said. "Our offense is looking to put the ball in play more and rely on speed more than in the past."
BYRON — "This," Byron coach Ray Bielskis said, "is the team we have been waiting for."
Byron has a been a Big Northern baseball power as long as there has been a Big Northern, winning 20 games 14 of the last 20 years, including the last five in a row.
So when the Tigers say they've been waiting for this team, it could be a special group of Tigers, indeed.
Byron returns seven starters, plus a 2012 starter who was injured last year, from a team that came within one pitch of winning a Class 2A sectional title. The Tigers were upset by a Cinderella Oregon team that used a two-run, two-strike double with two outs in the seventh inning to force extra innings and beat Byron 5-4 to win its first sectional title, then lost by only one run in supersectionals despite having a losing record during the regular season and losing star pitcher Alex Cain to a sore arm.
"We bring up that Oregon game often," Bielskis said. "It wasn't a fluke. I give them credit. But I don't think they scored a run off us in the regular season. We're not going to let something like that happen again this year."
The Tigers think about that Oregon game even when coaches don't bring it up.
"We try to move on from it, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't think about it at least once every day," shortstop Tyler Nunez said. "It hurts. It's definitely motivation. It's in the back of your mind every day at practice."
"We should have been at state last year," centerfielder Austin Carlson said. "We all know that."
But now the Tigers get another chance with a well-rounded team that is especially deep in pitching. Nate Peterson (9-3, 2.00 RA, 73 strikeouts) was the Big Northern West pitcher of the year as a junior, while basketball star Dan Lowe (3-4, 3.62, 45Ks) is a strong second returner. Lowe might even drop to No. 3 this year because Ben Reibel, limited to DH duties (where he hit .385 with 5 HRs and 31 RBIs) because of injury last year, is back on the mound.
"Dan Lowe and Ben Riebel would probably be the ace on any other team," Bielskis said.
"Nathan will dominate for sure," Carlson said, "and Daniel will dominate, and once Ben is in the saddle again, he'll dominate."
"It's a nice feeling knowing they are on the mound," Nunez said. "We also want them to have confidence in us making plays behind them. We know they are going to put us in great position to win."
Page 2 of 2 - Even a potentially great Byron team is no sure thing in the Big Northern West. "Our conference is always decent, if not loaded," Carlson said.
Especially since Rock Falls joined. The Rockets, a Class 3A team, have won at least 20 games 12 of the last 13 years and the BNC West both years they've been in the league. They also return eight starters.
"I still want to peg them as the team to beat," Bieskis said. "It's hard to go against them."
Rock Falls may be a virtual co-favorite with Byron in the conference, the Class 2A Tigers have the best postseason chances. Maybe the best they'll have in a long time.
"We need to do it right now," Bielskis said. "This is our opportunity. You never know when you are going to get anotehr chance.
"Last year would have been nice to go to state, but that would have been a bonus. This is the year that's been pegged. They have been told they are going to be good. Now is the time to do something about it."
Matt Trowbridge: 815-987-1383; firstname.lastname@example.com; @matttrowbridge
Location, ST | website.com


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Solution to duplication in government: a new RFP (request for partnership)
Hacking government procurement with a new RFP
Should your government consider a "request for partnership" to prevent duplication and save tax-payer dollars in IT?
If you're familiar with any type of government procurement process, it usually involves an RFP—a request for proposal. But today, with declining revenues and limited resources, the approach to partnerships and getting work done may change within government in the near future. I forsee a shift from the traditional RFP process to a request for partnership.
The new RFP in government: Request for partnership
I envision a future where city, town, and county governments will start to pool their money and resources for IT projects. Why build a new data portal, ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) platform, or any other project that is specific for just one government entity? We're wasting taxpayer dollars by duplicating these efforts because of political boundaries. And in many cases, these projects have similar requirements. It's all about control, but as citizens, we need to start recognizing this waste and encourage our government to start looking for partnerships in IT rather than duplicating the same systems over and over.
Open source offers a great solution to this duplication. If one city, town, or county deploys an open source solution, then other towns can reuse that project. Eventually, we can have open source development and support communities around these projects. Look at how the private sector develops and uses open source. Resources from a variety of companies create projects like Linux. No one company owns Linux, but there is a strong community around it. There is no reason why our government shouldn't replicate the open source process and break down the traditional political barriers that are driving up IT costs for innovative projects.
A great example of this is happening in North Carolina. A regional initiative focused on stimulating the deployment of next generation broadband networks essetially aims to create a high-speed fiber optic network. The partnership is called GIG-U/North Carolina Next Generation Network and includes organizations such as NC State, Duke, UNC, Wake Forest, Carrbaro, Cary, Chapel Hill, Durham, Raleigh, and Winson-Salem. The partners put out an RFP in February 2013 and got eight, quality responses. They are currently in the second round of reviewing proposals and are preparing for a roll-out in 2014. The partnership was recently awarded the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA) 2013 Community Broadband Project of the Year award.
A future where our government entities are looking to partner with one another would not only save taxpayer dollars, but it would help enhance the citizen experience. Cities and towns with limited IT resources could take advantage of open source solutions already deployed. Now, we just need some of our elected officials and IT departments to realize the advantage of the new RFP (request for partnership) and begin discovering the partnerships that will reshape the government IT landscape.
Do you have examples from your community where partnerships like this are being formed?
Adapted from The foundation for an open source city, © 2013 Jason Hibbets, published under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported license, available at www.theopensourcecity.com
The poll, Should your government consider a "request for partnership" to prevent duplication and save tax-payer dollars in IT?, associated with this article is the original work of Jason Hibbets and is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0). Attributions: Jason Hibbets, opensource.com
10 Comments
Interesting concept, an ecosystem around a shared project and or solution with the ability to partner up and share experience and knowledge.
Something similar has taken shape recently in the Netherlands (Europe) based at pleio.nl. Translated to English, it is called Government Square. It's a community platform based on open source Elgg. Any government organisation can start a subsite/group around a certain topic, and work with other government organisations on projects of any sort.
The site (pleio.nl) requires a login, and is in Dutch. If anyone is interested, I might be able to provide more info in English. Just drop a comment here.
Pretty interesting concept. This shift is required howerver, do politicians ready for it?
Great concept however one is dealing with huge, slow-moving, bureaucratic organizations. The process can't change overnight.
Partnerships are key to success.
I have created innovative open source-based solutions at 2-5% the cost of commercial systems. However, budgets were cut so a cut to a small, efficient project nearly kills it but a large project can sustain it.
The first consideration in all these new technology initiatives has to be a concern for privacy and civil liberties, regardless of ANY perceived benefit. When taken to its logical conclusion this would result in one large database for every government agency to access - the potential for illicit and/or illegal datamining in that scenario is huge and outweighs any benefits. We've already seen the IRS sharing data, illegally, with political operatives of elected officials. Expanding the potential for more misuse of data hardly seems like a good thing.
I think the acquisition process, especially in the federal government, is a huge part of the problem for software projects. The government has not been able to readily adopt software's nimble and agile development processes. Release cycles take months to process, and each release goes through security accreditation after it has been delivered, which means that if any security issues are identified, it has to go all the way back to development with a brand new release!
We have different structures collaborating on projects in Quebec, Canada. It is seen mainly in structures that are not competing on a given market. I am not just talking about Public agencies but also Associations and Federations. Schoolboards are being introduced to the concept and are a forge is being installed to facilitate collaboration.
Why reinventing the wheel if something similar has already been developed and paid for with public money?
In my opinion before publishing RFPs gvt agencies should :
1 - find out if something similar already exists in another agency;
2 - find out if other agencies have the same needs in which case a joint RFP could be considered.
In the UK the Government Digital Service agency has upended the IT process across several national agencies. It took a willingness to engage and to rethink the role of government. The UK national government has been transformed by these 200 staffers. If it can happen in the UK, it can happen here. We need people that can tell us how it can be done versus why it can't.


text:
Top Definition
Forming your hand into a cup and placing it on a woman's cunt.
Honey, will you cuntcup me to sleep tonight?
от tinmanz 17 март 2015
Trending Now
Can you define these popular missing words?
1. A titanium pair of panties made to keep only the most infested cunts contained.
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от niggawut08 01 февруари 2008
A hard female cup that covers the vaginal area during sports and unwanted sexual advances.
I had my Cunt Cup on all night and it itched!


text: Elder Sheila Vann & the Women of the Word cordially invites you to the Mother and Daughter Worship Service in honor of Mother's Day on Saturday, May 12, 2012 at 6am with special guest dynamic mother and daughter duo, Co-Pastor Valorie Bennett and Psalmist Stephanie Pride at the Second Ebenezer Church located at 14601 Dequindre St. Detroit, MI 48212 under the leadership of Bishop Edgar L. Vann II. Elder Vann and the Women of the Word ministry extends this invitation all women to attend this powerful, anointed and impactful worship service in hopes that Mothers & Daughters will be encouraged, enlightened and informed that Jesus is the way the truth and the light. For more information, please visit: secondebenezer.org or please call (313) 867-4700.


text:
on November 5, 2012 - 6:58 AM
This is the time of year when folks in the travel business – cruise lines, hotels, resorts and the like – could use a few more visitors. If you have the flexibility to take a trip on short notice, bargains are out there.
The trick is tracking down the deals. Experts have advice for finding and booking a getaway on short notice:
• Be flexible about where you go. Consumer Reports suggests starting your search for a vacation deal with a broad region in mind (like some major U.S. cities, or a part of Europe instead of one country there) and seeing what you find. If you're not focused on getting the cheapest possible package for a particular destination, you'll improve your odds of finding a bargain.
• Choose your travel dates wisely. It might be harder to grab deals right around Thanksgiving or Christmas, when planes and hotels tend to be full. Work around the peak times, such as around holidays or school semester breaks. And hotel rooms are routinely cheaper on weekdays, said Angela Wawrzynek, branch manager for AAA's Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda location. "Las Vegas is known for that."
The same goes for when you choose to fly. You're much more likely to get better airfares if you do not fly out on a Friday or Saturday.
This tends to be a good time of year to travel to somewhere like the Caribbean, if you have the flexibility and the vacation days remaining to pull it off. By mid- to late December, more travelers are headed that way, and you're less likely to find deals, Wawrzynek said.
• Join email lists. Go to websites of businesses connected to travel – cruise lines, airlines, hotels, rental car companies, as well as travel industry specialists – and sign up for email alerts of deals.
You'll have to wade through a deluge of messages in your inbox. But this is a good way to receive updates about what is available, without having to constantly check those sites for new deals.
• Consult a travel agent. While some consumers might prefer to go it alone through Web searches, travel agents deal with the industry all the time and can point you to bargains, maybe in locations you had not considered.
"We're looking at multiple destinations," Wawrzynek said. "These agents know what is out there."
Irene Favata, of LXR Travel in Williamsville, said the best travel deals for Buffalo-area residents tend to involve places they can drive to. Cheap, last-minute airfares are much harder to find these days, she said, due to airlines flying smaller (and fuller) planes and the Canadians who help pack flights out of Buffalo.
That's not to say there are not vacation deals out there, Favata said. "Everybody's looking to fill their hotel rooms, especially during the off season."
The same goes for cruise lines, she said. And if the cost of round-trip airfare effectively wipes out a bargain on a cruise out of Florida, consider booking a cruise out of a place like New York City or Baltimore, where you can travel to for less.
• Size up the quality of the deals. You might find a low-price package for a place like Orlando; it might very well be a great deal, but try re-creating the same package by putting together the individual pieces (airfare, rental car and hotel) yourself, to see if you can do even better.
Travelzoo.com suggests plugging in several ranges of dates for the same destination, to compare the cost of taking the same trip.
• Review your travel window. Some deals might require you to act quickly to book – perhaps within the next few days or a week – but give you a more generous timetable to take the trip, maybe within a couple of months.
And no matter where you go, don't taunt your friends that you are going on vacation when they cannot.
Remember, you might need them for a ride to and from the airport, or to check on your pet.
email: email@example.com


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Smoking Cessation
Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death in the United States and has negative health impacts on people during all stages of life. Smoking harms unborn babies, infants, children, adolescents, adults and seniors and has been associated with sudden cardiac death of all types in both men and women. Statistics show that one out of every six deaths in this country is related to smoking. Coronary artery disease and stroke - the primary types of cardiovascular disease caused by smoking - are the first and third leading causes of death in the United States.
Smoking-related coronary heart disease contributes to congestive heart failure. An estimated 4.6 million Americans have congestive heart failure and 43,000 die from it every year. Toxins found in the blood from smoking cigarettes contribute to the development of atherosclerosis, a progressive hardening of the arteries caused by the deposit of fatty plaques and the scarring and thickening of the artery wall. Inflammation of the artery wall and the development of blood clots can obstruct blood flow and cause heart attacks or strokes. In 2003, an estimated 1.1 million Americans had a new or recurrent coronary attack.
Cigarette smoking is a major cause of strokes. The incidence of stroke in the United States is estimated at 600,000 cases per year, and the one-year fatality rate is about 30 percent.
The good news is that even for long-term smokers, quitting smoking carries major and immediate health benefits. When smokers quit, their bodies start to repair immediately. For example, former smokers have the same stroke risk as nonsmokers five to 15 years after quitting. Other remarkable changes that happen within just days of quitting include:
For more risk reduction information:
How to Stop
Carol Southard, R.N., M.S., smoking cessation specialist for the Center for Integrative Medicine and Wellness, leads both group and individual smoking cessation programs to help smokers to stop smoking. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 877-926-4664 or 312-926-2069.
Kim R. Lebowitz, Ph.D., director of Cardiac Behavioral Medicine service offers both group and individual smoking cessation programs to help smokers to stop smoking. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 312-695-4965.


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January 18, 2013, 10:08 PM
I'm researching my first can for 22LR and the Silencerco Sparrow is pretty well regarded. Is there any real competition for similar price? A local dealer has a Tactical Solutions Cascade Ti. It seems like a good unit and it costs a bit less than the Sparrow.
Any advice?
Any advice?


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Tuesday, August 7, 2012
What is it with people getting stuck on sky-high carnival rides?
Last month, two people were rescued from a stalled Ferris wheel in Myrtle Beach. The riders called 9-1-1 when they were left cooling their heels on high at the Family Kingdom Amusement Park. They were rescued without injury.
On the left coast, a roller coaster stalled 150 feet above ground, stranding a dozen riders at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. The Superman Ultimate Flight roller coaster stopped at the very top of the ride. Rescuers used a bucket crane to deliver water to the riders. A park mechanic eventually restarted the ride, which went backward and lowered the riders safely to the ground.
Also in Cali, firefighters used a 100-foot aerial ladder to retrieve 10 people stranded on a double-decker Ferris wheel in Hollywood. The ride was set up for the premiere of "Toy Story 3." (Theres irony in there somewhere.) The strandees were 85 feet up in open-air seats that were rocking to and fro.
Rocking to and fro? Id have begged the other passengers to braid their hair like Rapunzel so I could shimmy down like a monkey.
Oh, who am I kidding? Id have curled up in the fetal position, covered my eyes and gibbered like an idiot.
I have adult-onset fear of heights. As a child I climbed tall pine trees without fear, and fell out of a few, too. On vacation at the Outer Banks, I trudged to the top of a lighthouse and looked out at a view that spread for miles across the ocean and barrier isles. It was exhilarating.
Today, Id black out.
I wish I knew what made the fearwhich starts in my stomach and ends when I lose the power of speechset in, but like my frog phobia, it remains a mystery.
The first time I realized something had changed was during a roller coaster ride at Busch Gardens. I hopped aboard without a qualm. But when our car reached the apex of the first hill, about six stories high, I looked down and just about died.
I was so scared I clamped my eyes shut and began drooling. Then I started screaming hysterically. When the ride ended I couldnt walk. Tres embarrassment!
Years later, at the North Carolina State Fair, my then-husband talked me into riding the Ferris wheel. Youll be fine, he said. Being an idiot, I agreed. Ten seconds after it started, I put my hands over my face and started mumbling. He said it sounded like, Hummana, hummana, hummana.
Open your eyes, he coaxed. I did. Then I shrieked and started peeling his shirt off. Maybe I wanted to put it over my eyes to block the view. Who knows? Unfortunately it was a collared pullover, so by the time the ride stopped Id almost strangled him to death.
The first time I went to Las Vegas with Widdle, he wanted to show me Hoover Dam. After a nice tour we reached the observation area where, to my horror, the only thing between us and the waters far below was a simple four-foot barrier. I shrank back against the gift shop wall and refused to move. Come closer, its a beautiful view, Widdle said, holding out his hand.
Hummana hummana hummana, I replied. Id be there still, if he hadnt gently led me down the stairs to safety.
On the subject of heights, my father used to say, I prefer terra firma. And the more firma, the less terra. Ha! Ha! Ha! He liked to incorporate Latin into his puns, which explains a lot about my sense of humor.
But now, I know exactly what he means.
Julie R. Smith, who gets woozy on a stepladder, can be reached at email@example.com.
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