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Saying no to Hollywood
David Fisher at NZ Herald reports:
John Key went to meet Hollywood bosses with a briefing from officials saying studio bosses were looking for easier ways to target New Zealanders who downloaded and shared films illegally.
Officials told the Prime Minister Hollywood objected to the $25 fee it had to pay each time a notice warning against copyright infringement was issued and wanted to pay less.
Yep, they hate it. They say it should be zero or at best a few cents. They think ISPs should act as their delivery agents for no charge at all, and that they should be able to send tens of thousands of infringment notices per month via ISPs at the ISPs expense.
What they also hate is that the NZ charge may set an international precedent of reasonable reimbursement of costs for ISPs.
The briefing stated the support came through the MPAA's New Zealand arm – the Federation Against Copyright Theft – which saw the regime as becoming a "gold standard" for similar schemes around the world. Despite the support, Mr Key was told the studios behind the MPAA did not use it because the $25 fee paid to internet service providers to send warning notices was too high.
Yep, they threw their toys out. I give RIANZ credit that they are at least using the system they lobbied for.
A recent review of the scheme kept the fee at $25 because lower costs would hurt ISPs, who were forced to pay up to $100 to send each notice. Mr Key was told the MPAA's involvement would lead to an increase in the number of warning notices sent to people and give a "critical mass" that would bring the cost down.
Opponents of the fee change warned cheaper costs could lead to a rise in vexatious complaints.
As reported, the Government recently decided to not give in to the demands from the MPAA and kept the fee at $25. What is also not widely known is that when the scheme was set up, the (then) MED recommended the fee be only $20 and it was in fact Cabinet that increased the fee to $25.


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Program Details
Operations management involves the study of management concerns related to the design, decision-making, and implementation of operating systems. Although manufacturing and supply-chain systems receive primary emphasis, other areas of study include operating systems to provide services or information. In recent U.S. News & World Report rankings of business schools, the production/operations area at Krannert consistently ranks in the top 5 amoung business schools.
Unique Features
- The Krannert Operations Management Program takes an analytical, operations-research, model-oriented approach.
- Operations Management Programs at the Krannert School are recognized as "Top 5" programs by US News and World Report and Business Week magazines.
- Coursework includes rigorous classes in economics, operations research & industrial engineering.
- Krannert Operations Management Ph.D. students develop teaching skills under faculty guidance. Before graduation, every student is given the opportunity to demonstrate her/his teaching ability.
- Krannert Operations Management students enjoy an affiliation with the Global Supply Chain Management Initiative and the Purdue Center for International Business and Economic Research (CIBER), whose programs provide intellectual and financial resources to support Operations Management.
Student Profile
Applicants should have a rigorous background in engineering, applied mathematics, and/or operations research. Work experience in operations management is very desirable. A strong work ethic is essential.
Program of Study
The program of study for a Ph.D. in Operations Management is designed to achieve two goals: First, to help each student develop her/himself into a first-class researcher; second, to help each student develop her/his skills in teaching and gain experience in teaching operations management. Further information on the exact requirements of the Operations area can be found by going to the Operations Area Requirements web page and to the general Management Doctoral Program Requirements web page.
Financial Aid
Every student accepted into the Krannert Operations Management Program receives a waiver of tuition and fees and a stipend for living expenses. See below.
Exceptional students may be eligible for additional aid, such as The Ford Motor Company Supply-Chain Management Supplemental Award for Doctoral Study, or The Operations Management Alumni Fund Supplemental Award for Doctoral Study, which provides a supplement of $10,000 over three years.
Application and Financial Aid
Click here to learn how to apply for Admission or for Financial Aid.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
HighLine Ballroom, New York City. Jeff Ufberg / jeffufbergphotography.net
April 18, 2008 |
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Endorsement Check
In your endorsement of Ralph Nader's presidential bid ["A Green Light for Nader," November 7], you write that "safeguarding abortion rights is not about the Supreme Court, but about maintaining feminist activism," and cite me as someone who argues that "access to reproductive services has actually declined under Clinton, because the movement that established them has waned." You must be confusing me with Barbara Ehrenreich. In my rather too many Nation columns about Nader, I argued that the many nominations and appointments made by the president not just to the Supreme Court but also the federal appeals courts, as well as to the offices of attorney general, head of the FDA, and hundreds of other positions, have had a great deal of effect on abortion rights and access. It's true that a vibrant pro-choice activism is key, but to dismiss the importance of the entire legal and governmental apparatus surrounding abortion strikes me as quite mad. I doubt very much that Ralph Nader would treat his own constitutional rights so lightly, and I said as much in my Nation column.
Katha Pollitt
Ralph The Righteous
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Re Nat Hentoff's post-election article "Ralph Nader Keeps Democracy Alive" [November 21]: Which is sadder? Nader's sanctimonious self-righteousness or the pathological inability of his supporters to admit their error? Contorted analysis can't disguise their vanity and folly. To gain a cheap rush of moral purity, they may have poisoned the wells for us all. Typically, they are unwilling to acknowledge any responsibility.
Well, we knew from the start that responsibility wasn't quite their thing. Let the rationales roll on. Greens, go down.
Bob Campbell
Maplewood, New Jersey
Pro-Choice Hentoff
Thanks to Nat Hentoff for an inspiring and well-written article defending the only true choice we had for president, Ralph Nader.
Todd Marino
Chicago, Illinois
Cheerleading For Gore
Some unnamed Voice staffers sum up their dissenting November 7 editorial cheerleading for Gore ["Nader: Unsafe on Any Issue"] by urging not only a vote for him but also a cautionary "movement to make him do what is right," tacitly acknowledging his longstanding tendency to do what is wrong.
Too bad there was no such movement to stop Gore and Clinton from ramming through NAFTA, betraying lesbians and gays in the military, destroying welfare, and choosing a running mate who backed curbs on affirmative action in California. Reagan and Bush could only dream of doing these things: Clinton and Gore accomplished many of them.
Contrary to the dissenters, the Voice got it right when it said, "Gore and the machinery he represents will never get us anywhere we ultimately want to go. The only way to achieve real equality is to build the left."
Mike Gill
Absentee Ballots
To AFL-CIO president John Sweeney and anyone else "seething" over the election ["Dark Victory," Richard Goldstein, November 21]: Instead of whining about Ralph Nader and the 2.6 million people who voted their conscience, why not focus on the 50 million voters who stayed home? They're the reason Gore lost.
Rob Wendt
Borrowed Times
Ah, the advantages of the erudite Michael Feingold's long and lovely memory! I was very pleased to see his acknowledgment of my play about Alice James, Signs of Life, in his review of Susan Sontag's play on the same subject ["Sick of Fancy," November 21].
Signs of Life, which is included in my play collection, Signs of Life: Six Comedies of Menace, published by Wesleyan University Press, has been consistently produced and taught for the last 20 years. It has as its central refrain a tea party peopled with historical figuresas, apparently, does Ms. Sontag's much later work. This, needless to say, is the kind of artistic "coincidence" that keeps writers grinding their teeth into the wee hours.
Sometime in the mid 1980s, Ms. Sontag asked to borrow a copy of the Samuel French edition of Signs of Life from me, andas a very flattered, young (well, younger) playwrightI sent it to her. I have not read or seen her play Alice in Bed (tolerance has its limits), and since the works are apparently very different in other respects, I make no representation as to her play's provenance (who can say which beat of the fork scrambles the egg?). But I do have a confession of my own to make.
I just noticed with some surprise that one of the chapter titles in my recently published biography, Truly Wilde: The Unsettling Story of Dolly Wilde, Oscar's Unusual Niece is . . . "Dolly in Bed."
Perhaps this recognition from me will inspire a similar one from Ms. Sontagor perhaps, at long last, she'll simply return my borrowed playscript.
Joan Schenkar
Preservation Hall
In response to Lara Pellegrinelli's article on Jazz at Lincoln Center ["Dig Boy Dig," November 14]: It's very hard to maintain the integrity of the music under the kind of harsh scrutiny Wynton Marsalis has received. I don't envy Marsalis at all. I've seen Jazz at Lincoln Center many times, and he has had white musicians in the band. Bassist Ben Wolfe is only one.
As a jazz musician, I think what's really in question here is the integrity of the music. Many of Marsalis's critics would like him to include fusion/smooth players in his concert series. This is totally against Marsalis's philosophy of what jazz is, based on jazz traditions. If Jazz at Lincoln Center is going to be about preserving the jazz tradition and art form, performers of fusion and instrumental pop should not be endorsed in those veins of music. Imagine, if you will, Kenny G. at Lincoln Center.
I also understand where Marsalis is coming from on the age question. In jazz you have a lot of well-established older musicians. In an economy that only rewards artistic endeavors that make big money for the recording industry, very few younger musicians are getting a chance and quite a few are losing their recording contracts because of redlining practices, which require jazz artists to sell a certain number of CDs. If jazz is going to prosper artistically, room must be made for the younger generation. If not, the form could be largely lost when older musicians die. (Also, jazz may not be able to survive based on its popularity, so it's necessary to ensure that musicians get work.)
That said, I would like to add that I think nonvisual auditions, with criteria that speak to one's ability to articulate swing and the tradition of the music, would alleviate much of the criticism of Marsalis and Jazz at Lincoln Center. I also believe that jazz in general always has been a chauvinistic culture.
Frank T. Williams IV
Bowie, Maryland
Segregated Sound
Re Lara Pellegrinelli's article "Dig Boy Dig": Wynton Marsalis and Jazz at Lincoln Center executive producer Rob Gibson defend JLC's anti-woman hiring practices with the same excuses whites have always made for discriminating against minorities. It's astounding that these intelligent men fail to recognize the folly, lack of originality, and hollowness of their justifications. Yet how beautiful it would have been if, instead of digging in their heels, they had opened up their minds and embraced the opportunity to approach the problem from a perspective not previously considered. After all, that's what jazz musicians do.
Andrea Wolper
Off The Beaten Path
Wista Jeanne Johnson ["Abuses of Power," November 14] reports that misogyny is a strong component of men's violence against women and must be targeted in prevention programs. I would like to point out that intimate-partner violence is not perpetrated solely by men against women. Since the rates of partner violence are approximately equal in heterosexual and homosexual couples (about 25 to 33 percent, as reported in the New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project report mentioned in Johnson's article), it is important not to limit the causes of domestic violence to misogyny. Focusing on misogyny as the sole social cause ignores other factors that lead people to abuse their partners, such as low self-esteem and having a history of abuse in their families.
The emphasis on misogyny may also perpetuate the silence surrounding intimate-partner violence among gays and lesbians. Gay men and lesbians, as well as transgender people, face incredible hurdles getting support from many domestic-violence shelters and agencies, as well as from friends and families who do not believe domestic violence is a problem for them. A lot of work needs to be done to prevent intimate-partner violence and to support those in abusive situations. We can start by stopping the perpetuation of the myth that misogyny is the sole cause of domestic violence.
Sarah Roberts
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Global Warming
I read with pleasure Gary Giddins's piece on Sonny Rollins [Weather Bird, November 21]. Giddins mentions "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square." He may be interested to know that Sonny always includes at least a nodding reference to this tune when he plays London. Just as there is always a bit of "La Vie en Rose" when he plays in Paris. A nice touch and his way of making people feel at home!
Gary May
Paris, France
Czech Point
As the director of the Czech Center of New York, I enjoyed Elliott Stein's article on the series of Czech films at the Brooklyn Academy of Music ["Visionary Frescoes of Youth Gone Wild," November 21]. However, I was disappointed by the lack of mention of our organization as the main partner in this endeavor.
Premysl Pela
Right Wringer
I found Donna Ladd's article about the pro-Bush rally in West Palm Beach a bit off ["Buchanan Country," November 28]. As someone who was there, I can tell you that the group was having a rather good time, not giving off the angry attitude that Ladd described. And as Ladd herself pointed out, there was only one Confederate flag flying. Yes, there was a small neo-Nazi group, but they were very isolated and did not engage with the rally. They stood on their side of the street far away from everybody. Don't taint us like we were supporting them!
Dennis Macilwain
Delray Beach, Florida
Grim And Bear It
I say good for J.J. Johnson and the Keepandbeararms.com Web site ["Puke and Shoot," Donna Ladd, November 21]. That The Village Voice allows these people to reflect their ideology, albeit colored sans context and with a liberal taint, tells me there is still hope for a nation that may remain truly diverse. They are practicing their rights to speak freely, and to keep and bear arms, and no matter how people with differing opinions may not like it, they are bound to allow them to say such things, or else play the tyrant. Thank you for printing this article. I look forward to reading more about these folks in future issues.
Craig Van Wagenen
Dobbins, California
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Results 31 to 34 of 34
Thread: EK's 10gal Betta Tank
Wow! What a journey. I'm glad I'm not the only one who's been met with challenges along the way in fishkeeping. Seems like once one problem is fixed, you're introduced to an entirely different problem. haha
At least the hobby is entertaining and I enjoy the challenge. It appears that you do, too. ;]
The tank, prior to algae breakout looks fantastic. I hope you keep with it and update us soon. It might be a trying journey, but it's rewarding when things do go well.Adventures in Aquaria - The KevinVA Story
When in doubt, ask yourself... W.W.L.S (What would Lee Say)?
Have a fish problem? Fill out and post this completed questionnaire in the General Aquarium Forum, when you start a new thread.
This tank was awesome....seriously awesome...I'm so jealous.
20 gal tall - Helios - HM Betta Male, 1 rasbora het, 2 rummy tetras, 1 glowlight tetra, 1 additional tetra, 1 zebra nerite, 10-15 cherry shrimp, Java Moss and crypto planted tank w/ Driftwood and Spider Wood
Wow i didnt realize i had followers. Sorry for the very long lack of updates guys! Now that i have my new AC30 algae hasnt dared show its face in over a month! Plants are doing amazing. The hairgrass didnt survive the algae outbreak and i am trying super hard to regrow it in my main tank in a little breeder box under the lights. The only algae i do have left i actually like, and Reaper would kill me if i removed it. It looks like the natural moss covering of Red Rock Mountian, and its his bed:
So pretty that the algae stays right there.
As you can see my cabomba is just resting everywhere. Keep working all day and dont like to plant at night because the room isnt bright and hood is too small for my tubby arm to fit thru unless i take it off, therefore removing my light from work area. The water wisteria is really coming back very good, the java moss is no longer an algae clump, and the rotala is starting to look beautiful again like when i first got it long long ago. :)
Im now adding 3 more nerite snails to this tank, bringing my total to 6. Why? Because this room is all windows, which is why i always fight algae in my little tank in the corner. I will have two little horned nerites i just bought the two tigers ive always had, the one zebra i have, and new zebra friend for him. Here are new snails that will be going in tank:
Size comparison. And the horns are more visible in this pic on the tricolor.
Patterns.10gal Betta Tank - Skye the crowntail and Squiggles the deformed albino cory
10gal Tank- Glofish
75gal- Everything
After the death of two AC30's (and an AC50 on my other tank), I gave up on Aquaclear. They used to be a wonderful brand, I don't know what happened. I now have an Aqueon Quiet Flow 30. Works great. I use a mesh bag over my intake tube to prevent plant debris and sand from getting in filter. All those filter deaths caused snails to die and others were eaten because Reaper suddenly decided that snails were tasty. The frogs were moved to an outside tank to breed, but instead of breeding they all died, same time, within 6 hours, no previous symptoms, while i was at work. I was devastated. Haven't found any more albino frogs yet, and don't plan on replacing any until i do.
I bought a new betta on an impulse buy. Named him Soulless and kept him in my 75gal. Allowed him and Reaper to play in 75 for a little (supervised). They were friendly because I am awesome at picking bettas. Couldn't catch Reaper after playtime so i left him in there and put Soulless in this tank with the cories (that's all that remained by then). Reaper continued to be lazy and fat and eat nothing but unhealthy shrimp pellets. I bought a female because my grandma begged me too. Reaper can barely swim and is nice to everything, so i figured they would definitely be fine. I was right, they even shared bloodworms in the last few weeks of his life. He died about 2 weeks ago.
I removed most of the cories from the betta tank about 3 weeks ago and added them to the 75, because i finally had my stock room for them. So now the betta tank had just Soulless and the deformed cory named Squiggles. I had to relocate the tank, so I did a very large water change scrubbed the sides to fix my horrible algae problem, pruned all my overgrown plants, reattached my java moss to my driftwood, and cleaned the removable ornaments. Squiggles seemed happy with new cleaner tank, Soulless didnt seem to care. This past Tuesday night Soulless suddenly bloated up. He was dead by Wednesday morning. Squiggles was fine. Water was fine. I don't know what happened.
Friday I bought a new betta. His name is Skye. He didnt like background. I changed it, this is where I am at now:
1006020_529927590396257_965345006_n.jpg10gal Betta Tank - Skye the crowntail and Squiggles the deformed albino cory
10gal Tank- Glofish
75gal- Everything


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Hezbollah is a Shiite Muslim political party and militant group that the United States and European Union consider a terrorist organization. With significant support from Iran and Syria, Hezbollah maintains an extensive security apparatus, political organization, and social services network in Lebanon, where the group is often described as a "state within the state." Hezbollah's raison d'etre, resistance to Israel and Western involvement in the Middle East, has made it an effective proxy for Iranian foreign policy while earning the group some support from beyond its Shiite base. But as it has become increasingly embroiled in the Syrian civil war, where its fighters have fought for the Assad regime, it has alienated some of its Lebanese constituents and reportedly prompted deadly reprisals in Beirut from partisans of the predominantly Sunni Muslim Syrian rebels. The U.S. government and its European allies consider Hezbollah a global terrorist threat and a menace to Mideast stability.
What are Hezbollah's origins?
Hezbollah (or "Party of God") emerged during Lebanon's fifteen-year-long civil war (1975–1990) in the aftermath of Israel's invasion in 1982 and subsequent occupation. Israel aimed to expel Palestinian militants operating in southern Lebanon, but the move galvanized a faction of disenfranchised Shiites to take up arms in support of an Iranian-style clerical regime. In its infancy, the movement obtained critical financial support and training from Iran's Revolutionary Guards. Suicide attacks on the U.S. embassy and Marine Corps barracks in Beirut in October 1983 (258 Americans killed) furthered the group's image as leaders of the Shiite resistance. Just months later, President Ronald Reagan withdrew U.S. Marines who had been deployed to Lebanon as part of a multinational peacekeeping force.
Hezbollah issued its founding manifesto in 1985, around the time that analysts believe the group coalesced into a unified organization. The platform vowed Hezbollah's loyalty to Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini; urged the establishment of an Islamic regime; and called for the expulsion of the United States, France, and Israel from Lebanese territory, as well as for the destruction of the Israeli state. The manifesto states:
"Our primary assumption in our fight against Israel states that the Zionist entity is aggressive from its inception, and built on lands wrested from their owners, at the expense of the rights of the Muslim people. Therefore our struggle will end only when this entity is obliterated. We recognize no treaty with it, no cease-fire, and no peace agreements, whether separate or consolidated."
What is Hezbollah's leadership and organizational structure?
Hezbollah's top commander, the general secretary, is chosen by a seven-member shura council, which in turn oversees five sub-councils: 1) the political assembly, 2) jihad assembly, 3) parliamentary assembly, 4) executive assembly, and 5) judicial assembly.
Hassan Nasrallah has led Hezbollah as general secretary since 1992, following Israel's targeted killing of the group's cofounder Abbas al-Musawi. Nasrallah was a member of Hezbollah's ideological predecessor, al-Dawa al-Islamiya (The Islamic Call), a militant group that followed the teachings of prominent Iraqi cleric Mohammed Baqir al-Sadr. Other ranking Hezbollah members include Naim Qassem, second-in-command, and Hussein al-Khalil, a top political adviser to Nasrallah.
For more than twenty years, Imad Fayez Mugniyah was considered Hezbollah's top planner of worldwide terrorist operations, and was on several U.S. and international most wanted lists. Experts say Mugniyah joined Hezbollah in its early days and quickly rose to a senior position in the organization. He was killed in a car bombing in Damascus in February 2008 that Hezbollah officials accused Israel of orchestrating. The Israeli government has denied involvement.
Iran bankrolls Hezbollah with up to $200 million a year, Matthew Levitt, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said at a CFR meeting in October 2013. It is a particularly substantial investment, considering the economic stress of international sanctions that Iran has been under, Levitt said.
The U.S. government and its European allies consider Hezbollah a global terrorist threat and a menace to Mideast stability.
Where is Hezbollah active?
Hezbollah's base is in Lebanon's Shiite-dominated areas, including parts of Beirut, southern Lebanon, and the Bekaa Valley, an important farming region in the east. Israel withdrew from Lebanon in 2000 after years of fighting Hezbollah guerrillas there.
Hezbollah continued to periodically shell Israeli forces in the disputed Shebaa Farms border zone. Periodic conflict between militants and Israeli forces erupted in a month-long war during the summer of 2006, in which Hezbollah launched thousands of rockets into Israeli territory. The group's use of sophisticated anti-ship and anti-armor weaponry, which Western officials suspect was supplied by Iran, surprised many Israeli commanders. Though Lebanon suffered heavy losses, the campaign bolstered Hezbollah's resistance credentials, analysts say. A UN-brokered cease-fire was formalized in August of that year, but Israel-Hezbollah tensions remain high.
"Its recent involvement in Syria has raised the question: is it a Lebanese nationalist organization, or a group more interested in protecting Shiite interests throughout the Middle East?"—Robert Danin, Council on Foreign Relations
In mid-2013, Nasrallah publicly pledged his forces to the survival of Syria's Assad regime, Hezbollah's longtime ally. "This battle is ours ... and I promise you victory," he said in a televised address. Some Western analysts say the influx of Hezbollah fighters has been critical to his survival so far.
At that time, more than a thousand Hezbollah fighters helped Syrian forces retake the strategic city of Qusayr. They have since helped government forces secure supply corridors in the Bekaa Valley, alongside the Lebanese border. Analysts estimate that Iran and Hezbollah are marshaling several thousand fighters in support of the Assad regime.
"The decision to send expeditionary forces to Syria marked a major turning point for Hezbollah, leaving southern Lebanon potentially exposed to Israel," says CFR's Robert Danin. "This move has left many Shiites in Lebanon worried that Hezbollah has overreached and forsaken its commitment to Lebanon in favor of its larger alliance with Iran and Assad's Syria."
Israel is believed to have conducted multiple air strikes in Syria to destroy shipments of advanced weaponry to Hezbollah. The United States and the European Union have accused Iran's Quds Force, an elite unit of the Revolutionary Guard Corps, of providing material support to Hezbollah and Syrian forces. Israeli officials believe Quds Force commander Qassem Suleimani has traveled to Damascus to manage operations.
Where else does Hezbollah operate?
The U.S State Department designated Hezbollah a Foreign Terrorist Organization in October 1997, and believes the group operates terrorist cells in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America. In 2010, the Obama administration described Hezbollah as "the most technically capable terrorist group in the world." With Iranian sponsorship, "Hezbollah's terrorist activity has reached a tempo unseen since the 1990s," said a 2013 State Department fact sheet. Several major terrorist operations across the globe have been attributed to Hezbollah or its affiliates, though the group disputes involvement in many. Incidents include:
- the 1983 suicide attacks on U.S. facilities in Beirut
- the 1985 hijacking of TWA flight 847
- the 1992 car bombing of the Israeli embassy and 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in Argentina (disputed)
- the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia (disputed)
- the 2005 assassination of Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri (disputed)
- the 2012 bombing of bus carrying Israeli tourists in Bulgaria (disputed)
Since 2012, alleged Hezbollah operatives have been detained in Nigeria, Thailand, and Cyprus, where a court convicted a Swedish-Lebanese man for plotting multiple attacks on Israeli targets. Hezbollah disputed these charges. In July 2013, the European Union labeled the group's armed wing a terrorist organization after considerable debate among the bloc's members. Some governments feared such a move would bruise relations with Lebanon and fuel Mideast instability.
What is Hezbollah's role in Lebanese politics?
Under Lebanon's 1943 National Pact, the prime minister must be Sunni, the president a Maronite Christian, and the speaker of parliament a Shiite—a system designed to accommodate the country's primary religious groups, whose coexistence has long required delicate balancing.
Hezbollah joined the Lebanese political process in the early 1990s following the 1989 Taif agreement—brokered by Saudi Arabia and Syria—which addressed some of Lebanon's deep-seated sectarian challenges and brought an end to its civil war. However, the agreement allowed Hezbollah to remain armed, and Syrian troops stayed to keep the peace. Israel occupied southern Lebanon until 2000, while Syria eventually withdrew its forces in 2005.
Hezbollah won eight parliamentary seats (out of 128 total) competing in national elections for the first time in 1992. Analysts note the group's political strength grew significantly in May 2008 after Hezbollah was effectively granted veto power in the cabinet via the so-called Doha agreement. The accord helped bring an end to an eighteen-month-long political crisis that culminated in Hezbollah's takeover of West Beirut.
Hezbollah won ten parliamentary seats in the 2009 national elections. Just months later, the group's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, updated Hezbollah's manifesto and expounded on the merits of democracy. "Even Hezbollah has had to accommodate its fundamentalist religious messaging to a pluralistic culture in which piety and modernity exist side-by-side. This has required a gradual shift from the group's Khomeinist roots toward a more contemporary Islamist nationalist approach," wrote the nonpartisan U.S. Congressional Research Service in a 2011 report.
Nasrallah restated Hezbollah's rejection of an Israeli state in 2009: "This stand is firm, permanent, and final, and it does not tolerate any retreat or compromise even if the entire world recognizes Israel."
In recent years, Hezbollah has continued to play a consequential role in Lebanese politics. The group brought down the government of Saad Hariri, a Saudi-backed Sunni, in 2011. And though Hezbollah helped usher in a replacement in Prime Minister Najib Mikati, it forced his departure from office and a collapse of the government in March 2013 in a dispute over the Lebanese security forces.
Hezbollah's ongoing military engagement in Syria has invited reprisals from Sunni militants fighting the Assad regime, who threatened attacks in Beirut as long as Hezbollah remains active in Syria.
In November, Hezbollah rival Future Bloc said it would only form a cabinet if "Hezbollah returns from Syria"; Nasrallah called this an "impossible condition," and as of January 2014, the government remained gridlocked while Beirut appeared to be turning into a proxy battleground for the neighboring civil war.
"Hezbollah is at a critical juncture in its political evolution. Its recent involvement in Syria has raised the question: is it a Lebanese nationalist organization, or a group more interested in protecting Shiite interests throughout the Middle East?" says CFR's Danin. "In many ways, the war in Syria and Iran's future posture in the region will determine Hezbollah's fate. It could emerge from the Syrian war empowered and emboldened and able to play a dominant role in Lebanese politics. Conversely, it could emerge weakened, tarnished, and without a solid base even amongst Lebanon's large Shiite community."
Additional Resources
This CFR backgrounder explores Iran's Revolutionary Guards.
This CFR Crisis Guide provides an in-depth, multimedia look at the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
In this 2013 policy analysis, the Washington Institute's Matthew Levitt examines how Hezbollah partners with Iran's Quds Force in a war on the West.
Bilal Saab writes in Foreign Affairs that as Hezbollah becomes increasingly entangled in Syria's civil war, it is alienating its Lebanese Shiite base—and may find itself in an existential crisis.
Dexter Filkins profiles Iran's top intelligence operative in the New Yorker.
More on this topic from CFR
Crisis Guide: The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Producers: Michael Moran, and Jeremy Sherlick, Deputy Director, Multimedia
Author: Eben Kaplan
Profile: Hassan Nasrallah
Author: Eben Kaplan
Hezbollah: The Global Footprint of Lebanon's Party of God
Speaker: Matthew Levitt, Director, Stein Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence; Senior Fellow, Washington Institute for Near East Policy; and author, Hezbollah: The Global Footprint of Lebanon's Party of God
Presider: Ed Husain, Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies, Council on Foreign Relations


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This Veterans Day marks the 10th Veterans day since we deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom. Today was the 9th Veterans Day celebration at home. Today in our little corner of America we stopped for an hour and celebrated Veterans Day. The Boy Scouts of our Troop posted the Colors and listened to speeches that talked of benefits and thank yous and "welcome home" to a group of Veterans that seem to perpetually get the short end of the stick, our Vietnam Veterans.
The speeches remembered the "Greatest Generation", the men that stormed the beaches of Normandy and turned the tide of fascism. They remembered those men and women that took the battle to Korea to stop the aggression of China in Korea. The Vietnam era veterans were praised for their battles in Southeast Asia as well as the home front. Then all of the "Middle East" or Southwest Asian veterans of the Gulf War, Iraqi Freedom, and Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) veterans were recognized for their continued contribution to our Nations freedom. It was all very nice.
I am not one for all of the "Thank you speeches". I appreciate the thought, but at the end of the day, I think that sometimes it gets overly dramatic and because of how our Country treated veterans in the past, it is a make up call in some cases. I hate to sound that way, but it's how some of the festivities come across.
Today's event was nice. It was a small service dedicated to veterans and that was it.
Our VFW Post handed our poppies today. I took a minute to talk to the Scouts about them and what they mean. The wearing of poppies in honor of America's war dead is traditionally done on Memorial Day, not Veterans Day. The practice of wearing of poppies takes its origin from the poem In Flanders Fields, written in 1915 by John McCrae. But today was as good a reason as any to pass them out and wear them I suppose. The poppies are meant to remember the fallen. Memorial Day is that day that we remember all of our brave men and women that answered the call and paid the ultimate price for our Country. Today is Veterans day. The day that we honor all of the men and women that at one point in their lives said that they would serve. Whether it was for 4 years, 20 years, or 180 days, these men and women said "I will go". Those Veterans make up 1% of the population of our Country. 1 percent of us say we will protect and serve the rest… that's it… One percent.
As we drove to the ceremony today we passed a man standing on the corner. He held various signs in protest of our government and what he believes to be the ills of our Nation. His last sign said something to the effect that OUR Military is a threat to Human life as we know it. I appreciate this individuals right to stand on any given street corner in America and hold those signs. 5 blocks away stood those great people who continue to give him the right to do so.
I thought it fitting that on this day to pay tribute to good Americans, here stood one man willing to stand up for what he believes, right or wrong, he stood knowing that the folks that paid his Freedom check in full were just blocks away.
I used to hate to see stuff like that. But now that I may be a bit older and a tad bit wiser, and having served my Country for 21 years to include a couple of tours in Iraq, seeing how other governments treat their people, I am glad to see it.
I don't have to agree, I just have to appreciate that because of me and my brothers that served, we live in a Country that still has rights.
As much as we like or dislike our Government or the people who run it, we are still Americans and will not give up those rights without a fight. We will fight abroad or at home, matters not. We one percent will never let our freedom be replaced by anything.
I often share a story about our flag with the Scouts of our Troop and what it means to me. It is Veterans day that I aways remember that time and place.
In the middle of Camp Kalsu 18 miles South of Baghdad was a flag pole and on that pole flew an American Flag, night and day, 24 hours a day, every day. It was a beacon for us. You see, for 10 miles or so in every direction you could see that flag. Every day when coming in from patrol, we would set our eyes to that flag. It was like being back on the play ground in elementary School, the flag was "home base" and when you touched it you yelled "Home" and you were safe.
One morning, like most mornings, the sun was rising over the desert as we were returning from a patrol in our sector. We were ambushed by a small group that instantly fled. We reacted to contact and then decided that the best thing to do was to get back to the camp. We came around a bluff and there she was.. fluttering in the wind.. "Home Base"… Safety. The sun was behind the Flag and it snapped and popped, waving for us to hurry back. We stepped on the gas and raced for camp.
When we got back to Kalsu, we assessed the damage, there was none, no one was hurt. I noticed as a group of soldiers walked over to the flag pole. They put their hands on it as if to say "I'm home". Then they went about their business of recovery from the patrol.
Once my heart stopped beating fast, I took my turn at the flag pole. I was home and safe.
Today that flag means so much more to me as do those brave men that wear the flag on the blouse of the uniform of our Country.
Today, I watched as Veterans from 5 of our Nations wars, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, The Gulf, and Iraqi and Enduring Freedom stood together and saluted that flag. I could not help but think that in our little corner of America those Veterans had the same feeling as I. We are home and safe. After the ceremony today we walked around and without a lot of words shook hands. With a knowing nod and smile, we know.
Today, my son John celebrated his first veterans day as a Veteran. My Grandfather, my father, and I all served and today and everyday have the utmost pride in the choice that now a 4th generation of our family has answered his Nations call to serve. He has joined the fraternity of the 1 percent that keep us "Home and safe".
Thank you to all that serve or have served. You know.
Have a Great Scouting Day!
Pictured in this post. Members of the 105th MP Co. from Buffalo NY. They were at Camp Kalsu with our Battalion. Note that the flag is at Half Staff. The men in the photo were honoring one of the members of the 105th that had just been killed while on patrol.


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About Jeff Masters
Cat 6 lead authors: WU cofounder Dr. Jeff Masters (right), who flew w/NOAA Hurricane Hunters 1986-1990, & WU meteorologist Bob Henson, @bhensonweather
By: Dr. Jeff Masters , 2:11 PM GMT on March 10, 2011
The deadliest heat wave in human history--the 2010 Russian heat wave, which killed approximately 56,000 people last summer--was due to a natural atmospheric phenomenon often associated with weather extremes, according to a new NOAA study. The study, titled "Was There a Basis for Anticipating the 2010 Russian Heat Wave?" was accepted for publication in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, and used observations and computer climate models to evaluate the possible roles of natural and human-caused climate influences on the severity of the heat wave.
Figure 1. Daily Moscow temperature record from November 1 2009 to October 31 2010. Red and blue shaded areas represent departures from the long-term average (smooth curve) in Moscow. Temperatures significantly above the long-term average scorched Moscow for much of July and August. Image credit: NOAA.
Here's the body of the NOAA Press Release on the study:
"Knowledge of prior regional climate trends and current levels of greenhouse gas concentrations would not have helped us anticipate the 2010 summer heat wave in Russia," said lead author Randall Dole, deputy director of research at NOAA's Earth System Research Laboratory, Physical Science Division and a fellow of the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES). "Nor did ocean temperatures or sea ice status in early summer of 2010 suggest what was to come in Russia."
Temperatures in the upper 90s to above 100°F scorched western Russia and surrounding areas from July through mid-August, 2010. In Moscow, the long-term daily average temperatures for July range from 65-67°F; in 2010, daily average July temperatures soared up to 87°. Daily average temperatures include the night. The exceptional heat over such a long duration, combined with poor air quality from wildfires increased deaths by at least 56,000 in Moscow and other parts of western Russia, according to Munich Reinsurance, and led to massive crop failures in the region.
While a contribution to the heat wave from climate change could not be entirely ruled out, if it was present, it played a much smaller role than naturally occurring meteorological processes in explaining this heat wave's intensity.
The researchers cautioned that this extreme event provides a glimpse into the region's future as greenhouse gases continue to increase, and the signal of a warming climate, even at this regional scale, begins to emerge more clearly from natural variability in coming decades. Climate models evaluated for the new study show a rapidly increasing risk of such heat waves in western Russia, from less than one percent in 2010, to 10 percent or more by the end of this century.
"It appears that parts of Russia are on the cusp of a period in which the risk of extreme heat events will increase rapidly," said co-author Martin Hoerling, a research meteorologist, also from ESRL.
Dole called the intensity of this heat wave a "climate surprise," expected to occur only very rarely in Russia's current climate. With the possibility of more such events in the future, studying the Russian event better prepares scientists to understand climate phenomena that will affect the U.S. and other parts of the globe.
The team--led by Dole, Hoerling, and Judith Perlwitz from the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences at the University of Colorado in Boulder--sifted through long-term observations and results from 22 global climate models, looking for trends that might help explain the extraordinarily high temperatures in western Russia during the 2010 summer. They also ran atmospheric models that used observed global sea surface temperatures, Arctic sea ice conditions and atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations in 2010 to assess whether such factors might have contributed to the heat wave.
The heat wave was due primarily to a natural phenomenon called an atmospheric "blocking pattern," in which a strong high pressure system developed and remained stationary over western Russian, keeping summer storms and cool air from sweeping through the region and leading to the extreme hot and dry conditions. While the blocking pattern associated with the 2010 event was unusually intense and persistent, its major features were similar to atmospheric patterns associated with prior extreme heat wave events in the region since 1880, the researchers found.
They also found that western Russia has not experienced significant climate warming during the summer season over the 130 years from 1880-2009, despite significant warming of globally averaged temperatures during that time. Such a "warming hole" is not unique to that region and is not entirely unexpected, as the Earth is not uniformly warming and experiences distinct geographic areas that may be warmer or cooler than the average trend.
"We know that climate change is not taking place at the same rate everywhere on the globe," said Hoerling. "Western Russia is one of the parts of the world that has not seen a significant increase in summertime temperatures. The U.S. Midwest is another."
Dole compared his team's findings to trying to hear a quiet conversation underneath the roar of a noisy fan: a summertime signal due to climate change over western Russia was drowned out by the much larger climate "noise," or variability, resulting from natural processes.
Authors of the new paper, Was There a Basis for Anticipating the 2010 Russian Heat Wave? are Randall Dole1, Martin Hoerling1, Judith Perlwitz2, Jon Eischeid2, Philip Pegion2, Tao Zhang2, Xiao-Wei Quan2, Taiyi Xu2, and Donald Murray2. The team is part of a NOAA effort to better understand the underlying causes of high-impact weather and climate events, with the ultimate goal of better anticipating them.
NOAA Climate Attribution: http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/csi/
Figure 2. Smoke from fires in Russia on August 4, 2010 covered an area over 3,000 km (1860 miles) across. If the smoke were in the United States, it would have extended from San Francisco to Chicago. Visibility in Moscow dropped to 20 meters (0.01 miles) on August 4, and health officials warned that everyone, including healthy people, needed to take preventative measures such as staying indoors or wearing a mask outdoors. Image credit: NASA.
Climate change has fundamentally altered Earth's atmosphere in significant ways; the additional heat and moisture in the atmosphere alters global sea surface temperature and atmospheric circulation patterns, making it difficult to disentangle to what degree an extreme weather event may be natural. The new NOAA attribution study on the Russian Heat Wave of 2010 is a reminder that the atmosphere is capable of generating extreme events on its own, without the aid of climate change. Attribution studies are difficult and take many months or years to complete. When an extreme weather event such as a great flood or deadly heat wave occurs, all we can say at the time is that climate change is loading the dice in favor of such extreme events. At the time of the Russian heat wave, I suspected that human-caused climate change was likely a significant factor, since a study of the world's previous deadliest heat wave, the 2003 European heat wave (Stott et al., 2004), found that human-caused climate change had increased the odds of that event occurring by a factor of four.
An important question to ask is if this type of natural atmospheric blocking event--where the jet stream gets "stuck" in particular contorted shape that contributes to extreme weather events--will increase or decrease in a future warmer climate. I asked climate modeling expert Dr. Ricky Rood, who writes our Climate Change blog, what the models say. His view was, "the physical basis, process, and cause and effect of blocking events are poorly understood in theory and observations and less well understood in models. It is very difficult problem, where the state-of-the-art understanding is low." So, we don't really know what will happen to blocking events in the future climate. Barnes and Hartman (2010) found that the computer models used in the 2007 [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report generally showed a decrease in the frequency of blocking events in a future climate. This occurs because the jet stream moves poleward in a future warming climate, and the jet stream is less prone to getting "stuck" in a blocking event when it is closer to the pole. The paper summarizes previous studies on the subject thusly: "Previous studies have found evidence for blocking frequency to decrease with global warming, although they disagree on whether the duration of extreme blocking events will increase or decrease [Sillmann and Croci-Maspoli, 2009; Matsueda et al., 2009]." So, the models give us reason to hope that blocking events leading to extreme weather will decrease in the future, though the uncertainty in this prediction is high. However, the climate models used in 2010 Russian heat wave study showed a rapidly increasing risk of heat waves in western Russia, from less than one percent in 2010, to 10 percent or more by the end of this century. The authors conclude that warming attributable to increasing greenhouse gas concentrations "is very likely to produce more frequent and extreme heat waves later this century," a central finding of the 2007 IPCC report.
Barnes, E.A., and D.L., Hartmann, 2010, "Influence of eddy-driven jet latitude on North Atlantic jet persistence and
blocking frequency in CMIP3 integrations", GRL 37, L23802, doi:10.1029/2010GL045700, 2010
Stott, P.A. , D.A. Stone, and M.R. Allen, 2004: Human Contribution to the European heat wave of 2003. Nature, 432(7017), 610-614
I'll have a new post on Saturday at the latest.
Jeff Masters
The views of the author are his/her own and do not necessarily represent the position of The Weather Company or its parent, IBM.
Cat 6 lead authors: WU cofounder Dr. Jeff Masters (right), who flew w/NOAA Hurricane Hunters 1986-1990, & WU meteorologist Bob Henson, @bhensonweather


text: Had intended to have an early dinner/late lunch at Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner place near Knott's Berry Farm, but it ended up as really just dinner. Menu for me? Country fried steak, mashed potatoes & gravy, corn, salad, chicken noodle soup, too many biscuits, water. Took the leftovers and dessert home.


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The perfect gift for any art enthusiast:Memberships start at just $85.
NARRATOR: Stuart Davis once described this lively picture from 1951 by saying "Owh! in San Pao has the general character of a still life, seen in a blasting international mood. Instead of a utensil, we see an event." The utensil in question was a coffee percolator; the centerpiece of a picture Davis had painted nearly 25 years before. For the painting you see here, he totally rehashed the composition of the earlier work, transforming it with jazzy, high-voltage colors. He also added various words and calligraphic elements—a process he described in his daily calendar entries as being similar to driving a fast car. He wrote: "Put the shift in reverse on Motel"—this painting's first title—"watch the gravel flee." Many entries later he noted, "Finished color-shape content of Motel at export level. Name changed to Owh! In San Pao." Before the name change, the work had been chosen to be included in the Sao Paulo Biennial, but then it wasn't shown. It seems likely that Davis changed the name of the work as a reaction to this rejection. Davis's use of contemporary subject matter and signage suggestive of advertising helps us to see him now as a forerunner of Pop. He is one of the most admired artists of his generation, and is particularly appreciated by other artists.


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text: Following a trip to the Calder Cup Finals in 2012, which saw the Marlies opponent lift the Calder Cup, members of the Toronto team revisit last season's journey as they prepare to do it all again this year. Unfinished Business, a Leafs TV special, tells the story of the Toronto Marlies from the moment Norfolk hoisted the cup on June 9th to the final game of the 2012/13 season as told by Korbinian Holzer, Jerry D'Amigo, Morgan Rielly, Dave Poulin and Jon Abbott. Enjoy!


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Madame Wang Ling, University of International Business and
Economics (Beijing, China), and UTSA President Ricardo Romo
UTSA, UIBE sign exchange program agreement
By Christi Fish
Public Affairs Specialist
(Feb. 18, 2009)--Building upon relationships fostered by the College of Business at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), UTSA and The University of International Business and Economics (UIBE) in Beijing, China have executed an agreement of cooperation to establish a program of exchange and collaboration in academic areas beneficial to both institutions.
Today's headlines
- La Prensa Foundation is newest member of UTSA Lone Star Society
- UTSA alumna Jordan Kaufmann wins $50K for new stent-graft start-up
- UTSA begins new way-finding sign installation this summer at Main Campus
- USA Today: UTSA long jumper Tyler Williamson rescues three-year-old boy
Article tools
The agreement, signed Feb. 4 in San Antonio by UTSA President Ricardo Romo and Madame Wang Ling, chair of the UIBE University Council, calls for both institutions to promote interest in the teaching activities of the respective institutions and to deepen the understanding of the economic, cultural and social issues environment of the respective institutions. To achieve these goals, UIBE and UTSA will work to establish a Confucius Institute at UTSA.
Founded in 1951 as the Beijing Institute of Foreign Trade, UIBE enrolls more than 11,000 students and specializes in economics, finance and business. One of the first Chinese universities to establish global programs of cooperation, UIBE maintains more than 100 exchange programs in Asia, North America, Europe and Australia.
Learn more at the University of International Business and Economics Web site.


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The rapid adoption of mobile devices is creating new opportunities, and even business models, for the companies prepared to innovate and embrace change. Find out more in selected insights from across PwC.
Mobile technology has come of age. Thanks to a perfect technology storm that's seen mobile collide and combine with social media, cloud computing and online analytics, today's business landscape is poised for the sort of change not witnessed since the first Industrial Revolution.
That's exciting because of the opportunities mobile offers for growth and new business models. According to our 17th Annual Global CEO Survey, 81% of CEOs believe technological advances, such as mobile, will transform business and society in the next five years.
Yet mobile technology also creates great uncertainty for business. This new technological journey is increasingly being shaped by the demands of the customer. The digital revolution has produced a new generation of consumers who have come to expect accessible, portable, flexible, instant and customised products and services. As our Emerging Technology blog explains, companies now have to be 'always on' and ready to adapt both business models and communication to the way customers are using mobile technology.
There's no putting this mobile genie back in the bottle. Not only have mobile devices put more power in the hands of consumers, they're also being embraced at a rapid pace. While the telephone took 76 years to reach half of all US households, the smartphone took less than a decade. In our Mobile Innovations Forecast series, we explore the future of mobile and the implications for business.
Ultimately, those companies that harness this rapid mobile innovation will be able to cement existing business models and also create value in different ways. Already mobile is moving into new areas of growth like wearable technology and The Internet of Things. So how exactly can CEOs increase their chances for success as technology rewrites the rules for business? We explore nine trends to pay attention to in The New Digital Ecosystem Reality.


text: Well, Adobe are still not speaking to me: I've had no information about updates to address the recent Acrobat vulnerability/exploits to either of the addresses I subscribed to its Security Notification Service. (See PPPS below.) However, something positive is happening out there in the old clay homestead: updates have arrived for a machine on which


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As Rex Ryan and Channing Crowder continue to sling insults at each other in a battle that started here -- and with Bart Scott now predictably joining in -- let's try to look at this from another angle.
It is clear that the Dolphins respect their coach, and his style. You will never hear Tony Sparano slamming an opponent the way that Ryan has, and it is unlikely you will ever hear him boast about his team the way that Ryan has. (Praise, yes. Boast, no).
But it is also clear that the Jets respect their new coach's attitude as well. Many were quoted in the New York newspapers today. Saturday, I got the same sort of answers while attending David Clowney's football camp in Delray.
"I love it," Clowney said of Ryan's brashness.
Wallace Wright, another receiver, said whenever you have a coach who speaks his mind, and doesnt sugarcoat things, I think its better for everyone. Because he encourages us to speak our minds. Its a different type of mentality now. Were going to line up and hit you in the mouth, and can you stop it?
Offensive tackle DBrickashaw Ferguson said weve got a swagger approach. Thats the type of attitude you have to have, especially with all the talented guys we have in our division.


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Special event items are produced by manufacturers only after the outcome of a game or event. These are advanced sale items and will ship immediately after they are received in our warehouse.
Manufacturer direct items are shipped directly from the manufacturer. These items are not available for international or expedited shipping.
Customized items can be personalized with options such as your name, your favorite number, and/or designs. Some options may be limited by league rules.


text:
Town Square
Atherton library supporters outspend foes
Original post made on Nov 12, 2012
Read the full story here Web Link posted Wednesday, November 7, 2012, 12:00 AM
Comments (2)
a resident of Atherton: Lindenwood
on Nov 12, 2012 at 3:50 pm
It's all about subterranean baby! Keep the parking/traffic/pollution/noise/cars underground at HBP park. Keep the serenity/calm/peace of the park.
a resident of Atherton: other
on Nov 12, 2012 at 5:39 pm
Posted by follow the money, a resident of the Atherton: other neighborhood, on Nov 2, 2012 at 11:17 am
Where is the Friends money coming from? Is it some of that "no cost to taxpayer" free money? It must be coming from outside Atherton but who or whom? The whole world wants to know.
Report Objectionable Content
Posted by Yes on F Donors, a resident of the Atherton: other neighborhood, on Nov 2, 2012 at 11:37 am
Donors to Yes on F prior to September 30, 2012 are:
Kathy McKeithen $500.00
Denise Kupperman $1000.00
Walter Sleeth $800.00
Joan Sanders $500.00
Sandy Crittenden $1000.00
Report Objectionable Content
Posted by Yes on F Donors , a resident of the Atherton: other neighborhood, on Nov 2, 2012 at 11:57 am
To: Follow the Money,
Possible donors could be builers of the library-- maybe San Mateo County employees?
Who gives that much credit to a political campaign?
Report Objectionable Content
Posted by Ranch Gal, a resident of the Atherton: West Atherton neighborhood, on Nov 2, 2012 at 1:39 pm
Who needs this library anyway? Ridiculous waste of private funds to build a monstrosity in our park where only 10% at best, of the population, has ever set foot in the old library.
Libraries sadly will be a thing of the past soon since digital books, Google, and the Internet information highway is upon us! At 60 I have an iPad with books on it and suspect that many of my generation do too! I see many older folks reading on their Kindles too.
Tearing down the Main House for a "library" is IMHO... ridiculous!
Report Objectionable Content
Posted by Bernie Madoff, a resident of another community, on Nov 2, 2012 at 8:22 pm
Finally, something for the FBI to investigate in Atherton!
Report Objectionable Content
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Fu Lam Mum shutters temporarily in Mountain View
By Elena Kadvany | 5 comments | 3,005 views
How Does Silicon Valley's Culture Affect Your Marriage?
By Chandrama Anderson | 0 comments | 565 views
2017 guide to summer camps
Looking for something for the kids to do this summer, learn something new and have fun? The 2017 Summer Camp Guide features local camps for all ages and interests.


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text: How much was this actual certificate Christmas of '77? The envelope that contained the cardboard display, stickers, and the coupon for hte four Star Wars figures. I've been trying to track down its original retail cost, but I can't seem to locate it. Couldn't have been much. . . five bucks? Anyone know?


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Been listening to Tenacious D the last few days.
Been listening to Tenacious D the last few days.
[FONT=Book Antiqua]He passes to Moses - He shoots, he scores![/FONT]
Mummy of the raincoat is a gigantic trollop.
Heard that on the radio recently. Saw the video on Comcast On Demand yesterday. It's freakin' insane, except for the explicit version which I just heard a clip of on iTunes (it's f*ckin' insane instead).
"Woke up at 9.55am. Soon as I woke up, I looked at Suzanne and she looked at me. I said, 'Did I tell you about the immune system?' Suzanne starting laughing, I said, 'it's amazing.' She said, 'Not now.'"
Yeah, it's been awhile. I think it came out in 2001.
Anyone know if they socnsidering the soundtrack to "The Pick of Destiny" as a new album? On Amazon, the track listing appears to be all by the D.
[FONT=Book Antiqua]He passes to Moses - He shoots, he scores![/FONT]
Mummy of the raincoat is a gigantic trollop.
Right now, I've got an MP3 CD of all the Beatles' studio albums (plus the two "new" tracks from Anthology) on shuffle.
It is quite surreal to hear the following tracks in the following order:
I Want to Hold Your Hand
Please Mister Postman
I'm Happy Just to Dance With You
Love Me Do
Helter Skelter
That's my jacket!
I've been on a Beatles kick of late as well. There are some random songs next to each other but it makes things interesting.
Up, up, and OKAAAAY!!!
I think I am the Fool on the Hill. Or the Nowhere Man. Or someone in Eleanor Rigby.
Oh, did I mention that I'm Canadian? I'm obliged to plug Neil Young whenever someone even barely mentions him in passing.
On a different note, years ago I happened to be listening to the House of Blues program on the radio. They played a few old blues songs that would later be done by Led Zeppelin in one form or another. I think I even saw an album that collected a bunch of these tunes in the store once, but passed on buying it at the time. Now I see an album called Zeppelin Classics on allmusic.com, but it was released in 1992 and seems hard to find. Instead, I have tried to find as many of the songs as I can on iTunes. During the process, I also came across a Zeppelin tribute album on iTunes (the only type of Led Zeppelin you'll find there) called Pickin' On Zeppelin. It seems to be entirely instrumental bluegrass versions of Zeppelin tunes. I actually like the sound of it. Kind of a nice, relaxing and fresh way to enjoy some classic tunes. I'm actually considering buying it.


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Alicia Weber completed 100 chin-ups and 100 push-ups in five minutes, 0.45 seconds.
Alicia Weber performed a halfway chin-up isometric L-hold for one minute, 23.60 seconds while holding an egg on a spoon in her mouth.
Alicia Weber set three new chin-up timed event records in one bout: 76 reps for three minutes, 445 reps for 30 minutes en route to 760 reps for 60 minutes.
Aaron K. completed 11 chin-ups while hula hooping.
Alicia Weber completed 10 consecutive chin-ups with 40% of her body weight held between her feet.
Alicia Weber completed 20 consecutive L-sit false grip chin-ups.
Andre G. performed 14 consecutive one-armed, assisted L-sit chin-ups.
Alicia Weber completed 605 reps of the arm-leg endurance challenge.
Rules and Order for Challenge as follows:
1.Begin with 30 minutes of strict form chin-ups; starting in dead hang full extension with chin clearing bar for a rep. Must only use supinated (under handed palm-away grip) entire time. Must only use steel straight bar and no leg movements allowed.
2.Next, complete three minutes of deep squats where arms are held out entire time and legs break 90 degrees on all reps and return to full extension for a rep.
3.Finally, complete one minute of Swiss ball squats on fully inflated Swiss ball set on hard surface. Must remain balanced on Swiss ball entire time without any support and hands are free bringing legs to 90 degrees and return to full extension for a rep.
4.All three exercises must be completed in three hours or less.
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The mission of the Videogame Writers Caucus (VWC) is to promote the professional and artistic interests of interactive writers in the multibillion dollar videogame industry. The VWC seeks to raise the writers' status and influence within this industry, build a community of professional videogame writers within the WGAW, and expand the coverage of videogame writing under WGA contracts.
Primary Goals
Benefits of Caucus Membership
VWC members receive WGAW mailings and communications, are eligible to serve on WGAW committees, use the WGAW Script Registration Service at a reduced rate and attend Guild screenings. VWC members may also become members of the Musicians' Interguild Credit Union (subject to their discretion).
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants for membership in the Caucus must meet at least one of the following criteria:
DOWNLOAD THE VIDEOGAME WRITERS CAUCUS APPLICATION (.pdf)
Interactive Program Contract
The WGAW offers a simple, one-page Interactive Program Contract (IPC) that covers writing for videogames. This contract ensures that writers receive employer-paid contributions to the Producer-Writers Guild of America Pension Plan and the Writers Guild-Industry Health Fund, the industrywide pension and heath funds in which television and screenwriters participate.
Signing a Guild Agreement
Simple Contract
The Interactive Program Contract (IPC) is a simplified collective bargaining agreement that allows a company to negotiate the terms of employment for writers on a project-by-project basis. The IPC is extremely flexible. Other than the negotiated writer compensation, the only mandatory employment terms are Pension & Health Fund contributions, Guild Shop (requiring WGA membership), and dispute resolution through binding arbitration.
Why Sign?
WGA writers are recognized as highly skilled professionals at the top of the entertainment industry. By using the IPC, your company will be able to hire WGA writers and take advantage of this extraordinary labor pool. The ability to compete for the best talent will help your company achieve its goal of creating the best content possible.
How Does Signing Benefit My Company?
By signing the IPC, your company will be entitled to participate in WGA Pension & Health Fund. These Funds, which are among the best in the industry, allow writers to qualify for portable medical and retirement benefits that follow them from job to job. The ability to offer such a benefit gives your company a significant competitive advantage in attracting top talent.
Each year, Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) present a Videogame Writing Award at their simultaneous awards ceremonies in Los Angeles and New York.
The WGA Videogame Writing Award was established by the Guilds' Videogame Writers Caucus to encourage storytelling excellence in videogames, improve the status of videogame writers, and promote uniform standards within the videogame industry. It recognizes the creative contributions videogame writers have made to a host of globally popular videogame titles and to the burgeoning videogame industry as a whole.
To submit an entry for the Videogame Writing Award, go to our Awards section.
Previous WGA Videogame Writing Award winners include:
Contact Videogames in the Organizing Department or call (323) 782-4511.


text:
Sun Enters Pisces 2013: Forecast for the Year Ahead
This post was written by Anna
on February 19, 2013 | Comments (0)
Pisces, The Fish
February 19 to March 20
Modality: Mutable
Element: Water
Ruler: Neptune
Keywords: Creative, romantic, sensitive, self-indulgent, lazy, intuitive, dreamy, artistic, sympathetic
As a Pisces you are flexible and adapting to just about any situation (though this can be both a positive and a negative). Sensitive and compassionate, you take pains to ensure the welfare of others, though sometimes to the detriment to your own welfare. You have great creativity, which can manifest itself in any number of ways, from art to ideas. You inspire others. You are idealistic and trusting, looking for the best in everyone; just be careful not to be taken advantage of.
The home life of a Pisces is often chaotic, filled with unexpected visitors and friends when you wanted peace and quiet, but this is due to the fact that your home is a center of communication. As a parent you may be a tad over-protective, and may need to learn how to step back and let children have their own experiences, however imperfect. Pisces individuals dislike being alone and seek out lasting romantic relationships, though for this reason you may hang on to a relationship longer than necessary. You could do well with a Virgo (your opposite sign) or with one of the other earth signs, Taurus and Capricorn. Fellow water signs Cancer and Scorpio could also make good matches, but life with a Gemini or a Sagittarius could upset the stability you crave. Instead of a large circle of acquaintances, you prefer an intimate circle of close friends, who will stand by you throughout the years.
When it comes to careers, Pisceans aren't likely to be happy sitting behind a desk, unless you have the opportunity learn and travel. You may need to come to terms with the fact that there is no "perfect" career, and that constantly searching out new opportunities is not the answer. You can have a positive impact on may people in your day to day work, bringing out the best in yourself and your coworkers. As a manager, you may be too trusting, however. You have excellent earning potential, but also a tendency to splurge. Lean to conserve and budget, as these skills will serve you well. You could benefit from an inheritance or other major gift from friends or relatives.
Your creative outlets and artistic pursuits keep you centered, and a hobby could always turn into a career.
For the year ahead:
Affirmation: My goal is financial security
- Jupiter began the year in Gemini, your fourth house, where it will be until June 25. During this time you may notice a full social calendar and can anticipate many memorable get-togethers with friends. Once Jupiter enters Cancer at the end of June, the focus will shift to your family and your home.
- Uranus continues its seven-transit of Aries, your second house, where it will be until 2018. This means that there will be a lot of attention paid to your personal finances and your spending habits. Uranus, planet of the unexpected, could trigger both expenses and windfalls when you least expect them.
- Saturn spends most of 2013 in Scorpio, your ninth house. This brings attention to travel, learning, and possible career changes and advancement. This is a good time to take a class or learn about a new culture.
- Neptune, your planetary ruler, began its long transit of Pisces (through 2025) at the beginning of February. This will be a period of regenerating your faith and self-esteem, though you do need to be careful so that you are not taken advantage of.
- Pluto spends the entire year in Capricorn, where it will transit until 2024. This emphasis on your eleventh house will make your friends a prominent part of your life during these years. This planetary influence is also positive for creating change.


text:
[Samui hotels]
中 文
日 本
Three Tree Samui Resort (Sarocha Villa)
438/76 Moo 1, T. Maret,
Koh Samui, Suratthani 84310
Lamai Beach
Hotel category:
Traveler ratings
Summary of 31 reviews :
Room :
Facilities :
Service :
Location :
Three tree Samui Resort (Sarocha Villa) is a private, perfect place for a holiday for couples and families. It is the perfect destination for sun, sea and to enjoy the nature - for sun lovers and those looking after the complete withdrawal from the stresses and distractions of everyday life. Enjoy the private beach caressed by the sun and the gentle sea breeze, with crystal clear water under a blue sky. Sarocha The villa offers 14 bungalows set amidst lush tropical surroundings with access to the beach which is just steps away. All are tastefully furnished and have air conditioning, mini-bar, hot water, cable TV and a private balcony. The shops, restaurants and nightlife of Lamai are just a few minutes drive away.
Hotel summary
Rates & Reservation
Pictures & Facilities
Travel reviews
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Travel reviews for Three Tree Samui Resort (Sarocha Villa)
Date of stay:
Mar 30, 2017
Accommodation and facilities:
Thank you so much for this wonderful time I spent in Three tree hotel, I enjoyed everything! Very comfortable room with kitchen, beautiful view on sea side. And specially I m so great to stuff which were very helpful and supported! They even dropped me to the airport when I had no time ! I felt like at home And highly recommend this place for comfortable and cozy staying !thank you
Reservation service:
Apr 03, 2017
written by:
Elena Iushina
Date of stay:
Jan 09, 2016
Accommodation and facilities:
Very nice holiday, kind and tolerant people. Very good hotel service, facilities and location.
Reservation service:
Jan 12, 2016
written by:
Magdalena Zemanova
Date of stay:
Jan 03, 2015
Accommodation and facilities:
All very well for a quiet secluded holiday. The beach is small but beautiful. Of the minuses - not very close to the infrastructure of the city (1 km) only.
Reservation service:
Jan 06, 2015
written by:
Date of stay:
Jan 25, 2014
Accommodation and facilities:
Very nice Service, very helpful. Room was clean and good for the money. The Location is quite a bit from Lamai.
Reservation service:
Feb 18, 2014
written by:
Date of stay:
Jan 13, 2014
Accommodation and facilities:
Very beautiful place, calm and quiet. Spacious room/bathroom and terrace, clean. Good value for the money.
Reservation service:
Quick answers
Jan 16, 2014
written by:
Mona-Lisa Roennblom
Date of stay:
Apr 15, 2012
Accommodation and facilities:
excellent value for money - everything you need in a beach villa - plenty of room, air con, close to beach.
Reservation service:
friendly, easy booking service, met all my needs even when I changed my booking a few times.
Apr 18, 2012
written by:
Date of stay:
Feb 14, 2012
Accommodation and facilities:
very baeutiful & staffs is very helpful. good Location.
Reservation service:
Feb 14, 2012
written by:
nedrotti pierpaolo
Date of stay:
Jan 01, 2012
Accommodation and facilities:
After a very busy year my husband and I wished a real holiday , away from work, a place to rest , enjoy the beauty of the island, able to take walks in the safety of a private beach, close to shops and food if we desired to taste the local delicacies or go shopping, have daily massages ( which were kindly organised by Prim , owner/Manager), and just simply recharge our depleted batteries . We found all that and so much more in Sarocha Villa, Prim and her staff , in their gentle and kind way , atended to all our requests and made suggestions of places to eat out , shop or sight seeing,. The comfortable room had TV , internet, excellent air conditioning, a well daily re - stocked fridge, large windows and large glass sliding doors that gave the room a feeling of open space. The helpful and efficient staff were polite and attentive, the lovely grounds and our rooms were kept spotless, The site is quiet and secluded right in the beautiful private beach, the views are wonderful no matter where you are in the Villa. Transport is by a mini bus (song -taw) or taxi and takes around 10 minutes to the shops We thoroughly enjoyed Prim s cooking, and our conversations that greatly increased my knowledge of how the island became what it is today, thank you Prim, that invaluable knowledge can not be found in text books, it can only be passed from generations to generations. Prim provides free Kayaks and any information needed due to her great knowledge of the island. I highly recommend Sarocha Villa, excellent value for money, this has been one of the best holidays we have ever had, I m not surprise that most quests at Sarocha Villa return every year for long periods of time which says a lot about Prim and her staff that makes everyone feel so welcome. Sarocha makes you feel comfortable , safe and oh! so relaxed. We felt so at home and did not want to leave , Many thanks Prim!! This is the first time in my life I have ever made time to write a review of a hotel or resort (and I have been to so many that is hard to remember)
Reservation service:
Many thanks for your prompt answer to all our requests
Jan 23, 2012
written by:
Date of stay:
Dec 26, 2011
Accommodation and facilities:
super,eine sehr schöne kleine anlage würde ich immer wieder buchen
Reservation service:
Jan 03, 2012
written by:
adebahr michael
Date of stay:
Nov 09, 2011
Accommodation and facilities:
My second time spend to Sarocha confirm my oldest positive impressions . The beach now it s better . Nice to stay . Thank you very much Sarocha Villa .
Reservation service:
Booking service ok , problems two times to Pickup from Airport to Hotel
Nov 20, 2011
written by:
Gibellini Alessandro
Date of stay:
Feb 15, 2011
Accommodation and facilities:
very nice place, for this money i think it s the best quality and placement variant. dont even doubt about this place 10 from 10 for this money. the only minus it s the entrance in ocean its too rocky, lots of stones, but for little children very nice becouse on small water nice sand. and the best beaches lamai and chaweng are pretty close. and btw what a sunsets there ^^
Reservation service:
Feb 22, 2011
written by:
Timur Poltorykhin Yulia Yatsynova
Date of stay:
Dec 01, 2010
Accommodation and facilities:
Sarocha villa Has been wonderful for me the room was fantastic right on the beach grounds well kept clean and tidy the staff could not do enough to make stay any better, I would not hesitate in going back. Good luck to Sarocha villas
Reservation service:
Out standing no problems at all
Dec 06, 2010
written by:
frank westrip
THB ฿ Thailand
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Three Tree Samui Resort
is the perfect vacation hideaway for couples, retreats, and families and the ideal retreat for sun, sea and nature-lovers and those seeking a complete escape from the pressures and distractions of life.
"Three Tree Samui Resort" is a private and peaceful Villa, surrounded with clear seawater, white beaches and tranquility natural garden. You can enjoy the private beach, bathed in the sunshine and gentle sea breezes, crystal clear water under the blue sky.
Welcome to Paradise!
If you are looking for a place away from the madding crowd, a tranquil place where you can find peace of mind and relax in complete privacy. Then you are in place at Three Tree Samui Resort.
Our accommodation. Comprises of 14 Bungalows.
:: Standard 1 Bedroom - 8 Units ::
En-suite studios with large balcony.
Guestroom Facilities
Large Balcony
Queen Size Double Bed
Air Conditioner
Wi-Fi & Cable TV
Hot Shower
:: Superior Villa ::
Superior villa is garden view size room 24 sq.m., bed king size ,TV 32" air-con, hot shower, kettle, mini-bar (refrigerator) and terrace.
:: 1 Bedroom with Kitchen - 5 Units ::
En-suite with separate kitchen and large balcony.
Garden View
Beach Front
Guestroom Facilities
Kitchen equipment
Private Balcony
King Size Double Bed
Air Conditioner
Wi-Fi & Cable TV
Hot Shower
:: Beach Front villa with Roof Top ::
Beach Front villa with Roof top is sea view size room 24 sq.m., bed king size, TV 42" air-con, hot shower, kettle, mini bar (refrigerator) and terraces.
:: Beach Front Bungalow with Living Room - 1 Unit ::
En-suite with Living room, wide balcony and panoramic view of the ocean.
Our accommodation is set amidst a lush tropical setting and access to the beach is just a short stroll to your cottage. All are tastefully furnished to a high standard, surrounded by pretty gardens, with sea views.
Guestroom Facilities
living room
Microwave, kettle
Private Balcony
King Size Double Bed
Air Conditioner
Wi-Fi & Cable TV
Hot Shower
:: Reception Facilities ::
International call / Fax
Motorbike / jeep & car rentals
Airport transfer
Swimming pool able to use on 10 April 2016
Laundry service
Small shop
Kayak & Boat rentals
Daily tours, treks & trips
Library and comprehensive information
on the local area and event
:: What's in the area ::
Lamai shopping / bars and clubs with excellent restaurants.
Elephant Trekking /Snake Farm / Butterfly Garden.
Thai Massage / Markets / Samui Aquarium.
Sea Trip to all adjacent Islands And Much Much More.
Come And Relax In Our Tranquil And Peaceful Surroundings. We Smile You Smile. You Happy We Happy!!
:: How to get here ::
Three Tree Samui Resort is easily accessible from Koh Samui Airport.
30 mins from Koh Samui airport.
20 mins to Raja Ferry Pier.
5 mins to Grandfather - Grandmother Rocks (Hin TA-Hin Yai).
30 mins to Nathon (City Center), Seatran Ferry Pier.
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[Three Tree Samui Resort (Sarocha Villa) ]
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Things That Are Bothering You, Got You All Hibbeldy-Jibbeldy, or just downright pissed, RIGHT NOW!
Discussion in 'General Chat' started by Bergdorf Goodwill, Feb 7, 2007.
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text:
Brian Hayes
Costs and Benefits
The rise and fall of melanism in the peppered moth was
unquestionably a Darwinian event, brought about by natural selection
acting on random mutations. Inheritance of acquired characteristics
was impossible simply because there were no acquired characteristics
to inherit. A moth has no way to change its color over the course of
its lifetime, even if it could somehow figure out that making the
change would be advantageous. And if the moth cannot adjust its
color, it obviously cannot transmit any adjustments to its descendants.
But in imagination—or in the computer—we can rerun the
experiment without the constraints of insect physiology. We can
create chameleon moths that sense the color of their environment and
adjust their own color to match. I shall refer to this adjustment
process as learning, although it needn't imply any kind of
cognitive capacity; the term is meant to encompass any adaptation
within the lifetime of an organism.
Would moths that learn have an advantage over those that don't? It
seems like a sure bet—and yet if adjustable camouflage is such
an obvious asset, why don't all prey species have it? A likely
answer is the no-free-lunch theorem. Learning has a cost, which in
some cases may outweigh the benefits. At a minimum there is a
complexity cost: Sensing the state of the environment and responding
to it requires metabolic machinery that a simpler organism could do
without. Building and maintaining that machinery incurs an energy
cost; resources that might have gone into growth and reproduction
have to be diverted into learning. Thus a creature that does a lot
of learning could be expected to have a slower reproductive cycle
than one with more hard-wired traits. (H. sapiens takes 20
or 30 years to accomplish what E. coli can do in 20 or 30
minutes.) Thus adjustable camouflage might reduce mortality, but the
price would be reduced fertility.
The cost-benefit analysis for Lamarckism is similar. In a Darwinian
world, any acquired improvements cannot cross the generation gap. A
smart moth born with white wings might darken gradually to match a
sooty environment, but the moth's offspring would be white again
(barring mutations). The moth's acquired pigment is no more
heritable than a suntan. Lamarckism creates a link between learning
and genetics. A moth that adjusts its color during its lifespan will
give birth to offspring that share at least some of this adjustment.
Is this shortcut advantageous? Again it would seem so. The young
moths are hatched with protective coloration already in place. But,
as with learning, maintaining the Lamarckian mechanism imposes a
metabolic cost, so that lowering the death rate limits the birth
rate. The balance between these two effects determines whether
Lamarckian inheritance pays off. Finding the point of balance is the
aim of the computer simulation.
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Football Contest
Friendly fundraising challenge between community foundations results in sporting equipment donations
By Anton Adamek
Wednesday, January 23, 2013 3:58 AM
Members of the Preston and Spring Valley Foundations gathered in Preston on Friday evening to accept donations of sports equipment from Miken Sports. The equipment donations were a result of a community fundraising challenge between the two foundations last November for Give to the Max Day. In front, from left, are members of the Spring Valley Foundation, Mitch Lentz, Dave Foster, Stuart Gross and Sue Kolling. The members received two bats and one equipment bag for the Kingsland baseball team. In back are members of the Preston Foundation, which won the challenge and received four bats and three equipment bags. From left are Dan Christianson, Sheila Craig, Nick Ebner, Tim Penny and Dwight Luhmann from the Southern Minnesota Initiative Fund, Jacob Ristau and coach Keith Larson.
In what was a classic showdown between rival high schools Fillmore Central and Kingsland, the Jan. 18 basketball game at Fillmore Central also played host to the culminating event from last November's "Give to the Max" day.
Representatives from both the Preston and Spring Valley Area Community Foundations were on hand to receive awards based upon their respective city's fundraising efforts last Nov. 15. Since Preston had raised $11,905 through a matching donation by F&M Community Bank Chairman Dan Christianson, Fillmore Central Athletics received a donation of four baseball bats and three equipment bags from Miken Sports of Caledonia.
Receiving the award for Fillmore Central were Preston Foundation Student Advisory Board members Nick Ebner and Jake Ristau. Both students play on Fillmore Central's high school baseball team and expressed gratitude for the significant donation.
Ebner said the team was looking into buying new bats for the upcoming season before they found out they would be getting four for free.
"Those bats are expensive," noted Ristau, "and better than the ones we would have bought."
Fillmore Central's athletic director, Chris Mensink, also shared his appreciation for the equipment. "Anytime you get equipment for free, that's a good thing," he said. "These bats are very good quality and the kids are excited to use them."
Mensink thanked all the families that donated to the Preston Foundation on "Give to the Max" day and also the Foundation for their continuing support of the school.
Representatives from the Spring Valley Area Community Foundation accepted a consolation prize of two bats and an equipment bag for their fundraising efforts that totaled $5,420.
Spring Valley Board member Sue Kolling noted that even though they didn't beat Preston in the amount of money raised, there were "truly no losers in this deal."
This is because the money raised for both community foundations will go into each community's endowment fund, which will continue to be used to support community interests in education, recreation and other possible projects.
Spring Valley's community foundation endowment fund was started a couple years ago and has been growing ever since. "We're dedicated to improving the quality of life not just for Spring Valley, but extending to Ostrander and Wykoff as well," shared Kolling.
Despite their foundation being quite younger than Preston's, Kolling said Spring Valley has already been able to make an impact through the funding of Kingsland's Gateway Community, which is a program focused on science and technology education.
The rivalry with Preston on "Give to the Max" day was an idea Kolling had last fall. "When we can beat Preston, we go for it," laughed Kolling, who added that she is looking forward to challenging Preston next year in the hopes that it becomes an annual occurrence.
Preston Foundation Board member Sheila Craig commented that she thought the competition between the schools really drove the fundraising effort. "The offer from Miken Sports really enhanced the effort," said Craig, "I think that was the key thing that got peoples' interest."
Seeing an increase of the number of people who donated was one of the most positive things for the foundation, according to Craig. "Every year we see more and more people becoming aware about the foundation and what it does," shared Craig, "Through events like Give to the Max day we can show the public that the money they give comes back to benefit the community."
Just as with Spring Valley, Preston's endowment fund grows with each donation and continues to grow under the watch of an "umbrella" foundation, the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF).
SMIF lends its expertise in investment and management to 19 community foundations in a 20 county area in southern Minnesota.
"We are eager to play a supportive role in this kind of fundraising activity," stated SMIF President Tim Penny, who participated in presenting the Miken Sports equipment to both foundations. He noted the challenge aspect of the fundraising effort would be an example to other community funds throughout the region.
It was through SMIF that Miken Sports agreed to donate the equipment and Penny said that future corporate sponsorships would be used to motivate communities.
"These two communities are really setting the pace," commented Penny. "We don't have too many foundations that raise $17,000 in an entire year! We will be holding Spring Valley and Preston out as examples for other communities."
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