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You need spend only a few brief minutes with John Cosgrove to understand why he's affectionately called "Mr. Fair Lawn."
The tireless borough volunteer and community advocate whose family has called Fair Lawn home for over a century seems to know everyone and have a pulse on everything going on in town.
When Cosgrove is sworn in as mayor next week, he'll become the official face of the community that always has been the center of his universe.
"I cant say I aspired to it," said Cosgrove, who currently serves as deputy mayor, "but even when I was in high school people would always joke to me, 'You should be the mayor.' It's finally coming to fruition."
Jeanne Baratta, who back in January became Fair Lawn's first Republican mayor in over a decade, said she's looking forward to nominating her council colleague to assume her role.
"Having known John for over 40 years I can think of no one better to represent Fair Lawn," said Baratta, who graduated from Fair Lawn High School a few years after Cosgrove.
With the blessing of Baratta and Deputy Mayor Ed Trawinski, who also said he'll support "Mr. Fair Lawn" for mayor, Cosgrove is assured the title, bestowed each January by the council majority.
As mayor, Cosgrove said he'd like to maintain Fair Lawn as is, while also planning for future growth.
"I don't want to close the library, I don't want to close the pool, I don't want to close the senior center or community center. I want to keep our amenities going," he said. "I think one of my major jobs as mayor next year is to continue to let people know and remind them of all the wonderful things here in Fair Lawn."
As a businessman first who entered politics last year after decades spent resisting recruitment attempts from both parties, Cosgrove feels his lack of political entrenchment affords him the ability to act as a behind-the-scenes go-between for Republicans and Democrats on council.
"I think everyone on the council knows that I grew up here, I love Fair Lawn and I'm going to try to do my best for Fair Lawn," he said. "And if that means working with everyone on the council, that's what I'm going to do."
Cosgrove's 30-plus years of volunteer service in Fair Lawn, during which he's worked in some capacity with every borough department and held leadership positions in myriad borough organizations, make him not only a familiar face for town employees and volunteers, but also someone with first-hand knowledge of their needs.
During Superstorm Sandy, he spent nearly 24 hours straight answering calls in the emergency operations center and running errands for residents in need, but refrained from attempting to micromanage the town's emergency response.
"My experience as an emergency responder helped me to know where I should be involved and where I shouldn't be involved," Cosgrove, an ex-fire chief, said. "I spent a lot of time in the command center [during Superstorm Sandy], but I realized having been fire chief that elected officials are more or less supposed to be seen and not heard."
As a result, Cosgrove said he just tried to be of help in any way possible, including bringing ice to residents who had lost power and needed to refrigerate medication.
"I wanted to be of help and let people know that government officials were watching over, and it worked," he said. "Our emergency management coordinator Ira Marks, [Deputy Coordinator] Wendy Demeraski and our volunteers, police officers and borough employees did a tremendous job."
The only real surprise Cosgrove said he's experienced in transitioning from the private to the public sector is the pace at which government operates.
"It's a lot harder to get things done," he said. "You get things done but there is a lot of bureaucracy, there are things that would be great solutions but they can't be done because of government rules and regulations."
While his private sector experience has made the plodding process of a being public official frustrating at times, he also believes his business experience has proved valuable as Fair Lawn endures tough economic times.
"Many things we have to do now in government we had to do in business five to 10 years ago," he said. "We had to make these changes in our health insurance and walk that slippery slope of trying to maintain benefits for our employees but also being able to afford it."
In spite of the tepid fiscal forecast, Cosgrove believes Fair Lawn, under the direction of respected friend and borough manager Tom Metzler, can survive by continuining to tighten its belt and increase revenue-generating opportunities.
"I think that Fair Lawn has a bright future," he said. "We just have to get to the other side of the river like every other municipality, not only in New Jersey, but in the country right now."
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GOLF for SOCCER? You bet!
Play for the kids and have an amazing day at Windsor Golf Club!
Our Nationally recognized Santa Rosa United Youth Soccer Club is hosting a golf tournament at the prestigious Windsor Golf Club.
All proceeds will be designated to our Fields Fund that will further enhance the beautiful Trione all-weather complex in Sonoma County's Schoplin Park and support our financial aid account. Many children have exceptional athletic and soccer-sense, but cannot always afford dues (uniforms, insurance, equipment/field rental). Our goal is to give support to help keep our youth active, smart and healthy by providing professional coaching and the life lessons gained in a team-oriented environment.

subset: commoncrawl


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Three South Dakotans have been arrested after Huron Police believe they were involved in stealing and breaking into several businesses.
Those businesses are in Huron, Woonsocket and Alpena.
Police tell us surveillance video from the businesses showed who was involved with the burglaries.
Police arrested Cory Bunch, 32, and Joseph Gregg, 35. They are both from Wessington Springs and face burglary charges.
Meanwhile, Emily Montoya, 27, was also arrested. She's from Huron and faces marijuana charges.
Police tell us some of the stolen items have been found but they are still investigating.


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There was no shortage of praise for retiring 83-year-old U.S. Rep. Howard Coble at the recent N.C. GOP 6th District convention. And there was also no shortage of Republican candidates there, vying to replace him.
With political goals ranging from protecting individual liberties to saving future generations from debt, 11 candidates – nine Republicans and two Democrats – are running in the state's most crowded congressional race for Coble's soon-to-be-vacant seat.
"We really have a hard choice and a great group of guys," said 6th District N.C. GOP Chairman A.J. Daoud. "I'm in love with every single one of them."
Michael Cobb, associate professor of political science at N.C. State University, said a runoff is likely.
"With that many candidates in the race and nobody being that well-known, it's just really likely that nobody will get the 40 percent threshold," Cobb said.
Most of the candidates have a background in anything but politics. Their collective resume includes banking, business, farming, teaching, finance and law. Just five of them have been previously elected to public office.
Democrat Laura Fjeld is leading in campaign funds, having raised $275,183. Republican Mark Walker comes in second at $203,843, followed by Republican Phil Berger Jr. at $177,676 and Republican Bruce VonCannon at $105,638.
Coble, whom Daoud introduced as the "last of the breed, a statesman for the state of North Carolina," said whoever fills his seat should prioritize accessibility.
"The constituents more and more are demanding accessibility, and justifiably so," Coble said.
Nick Vaughn, chairman of the N.C. Teenage Republicans, said he wants the new representative to be someone who is dedicated to the Republican Party and to running for office.
"I think what we need in this seat is someone with – like Howard before he ran – proven results and a record that we can look to," Vaughn said.
On health care
The candidates split along party lines in their opinion of the Affordable Care Act. The Democratic candidates support it; the Republican candidates are united in their desire to see it repealed, though their alternative solutions to health care coverage differ slightly.
"I just have a strong belief that the federal government should not be involved in health care," Republican Mike Causey said. "I understand the concept. They want to make sure everyone's covered, but it's not the role of the federal government to enforce that."
Fjeld acknowledged the law's logistical mistakes, but she emphasized her support for it.
"The rollout was an unmitigated disaster, and I hold the president responsible for that train wreck," she said. "I will fight any politician who wants to put the coverage back in the hands of the insurance companies."
That's exactly what her Republican opponents would like to see happen. They stressed their desire to rely on free market principles, many of them adding support for some type of supplementary program for people without insurance.
"We can't use criticizing Obamacare as a silver bullet for winning the election in November. We actually have to come up with a good plan," VonCannon said.
Causey, who has run unsuccessfully for North Carolina insurance commissioner four times, would like to see a state-level health insurance system for people who are uninsured.
Charlie Sutherland, founder of Charlie's Soap in Mayodan, said he would like to set up medical clinics for people without insurance.
Republican Kenn Kopf, principal counsel and secretary for Infosys Public Services, also suggested the creation of a high-risk insurance pool, to which every company selling health insurance must contribute.
(The state ended its high-risk health insurance pool, established by the legislature in 2007, on Dec. 31, 2013, because its enrollees would be covered under the ACA.)
On immigration
Democrat Bruce Davis is the only candidate who said he supports amnesty for immigrants who have entered the country illegally.
"If you're making a contribution to a community and certainly if you have children here, I don't think it's morally right to break up families," he said.
Other candidates said they would support plans to strengthen borders while also providing a path to legal status.
For VonCannon, that plan takes the shape of a required ID card for all immigrants. Fellow GOP candidate Jeff Phillips agreed.
"Individuals who cannot produce a green card or do not have proper identification should not be eligible for government assistance," Phillips said.
Causey advocated for a series of required steps to obtain legal status. Kopf thinks they should have to register with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, pay an affordable fine and file taxes while waiting in line behind prior applicants for citizenship.
"It's hypocritical to expect these people to pay taxes without creating some kind of opportunity for these folks to be productive members of society," Walker said.
On spending
Each of the candidates also supports steps to create jobs, cut spending and balance the budget.
"I would never vote for any increase in spending without a corresponding offset in spending somewhere else," Causey said. "That's what we have to have. We need a balanced budget amendment."
Don Webb plans to cut nonessential federal government positions and re-institute the welfare-to-work program that was established during the Clinton administration.
Berger said he supports the Penny Plan, a tea party backed plan which would cut 1 cent out of every dollar of federal spending for five years and proposes to balance the budget by 2019.
Sutherland proposed eliminating the IRS, abolishing the income tax and instituting instead a fair tax on national sales, which he says would help the economy boom.
Reilly: firstname.lastname@example.com


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SHAMEFUL: UConn star Shabazz Napier, who led the team to a decisive victory in the NCAA men's basketball championship against the Kentucky Wildcats, Monday night, created buzz off the court when he told Fox Sports that he's so poor he can't afford food beyond what's offered by the university's cafeterias.
College athletic poverty is an open secret the NCAA and the colleges try to ignore — treating the players like modern-day slaves while they rake in millions. Still, this has always been a very polarizing subject. That's evident from the comments left on the YouTube video. The flip side of Napier's position is that UConn gave him an athletic scholarship, which accounts for a big chunk of money that his family didn't have to come up with for his education.
Shabazz Napier told Fox Sports, "We as student athletes get utilized for what we do so well. We are definitely blessed to get a scholarship to our universities, but at the end of the day, that doesn't cover everything."
He added, "We do have hungry nights that we don't have enough money to get food and sometimes money is needed." Napier also said, "When you see your jerseys getting sold, it may not have your last name on it, but when you see your jersey getting sold and things like that, you feel like you want something in return.""Like I said, there are hungry nights that I go to bed and I am starving. So something can change, something should change."
UConn spokesman Phil Cardis countered Shabazz Napier's claims saying being given food is a part of his athletic scholarship. Cardis said, "Shabazz Napier, like all our scholarship athletes, is provided the maximum meal plan that is allowable under NCAA rules. UConn does not have a cafeteria devoted specifically to student-athletes, but they have access to the same cafeterias which are available to all our students."
State Rep. Matthew Lesser weighed in, "He says he's going to bed hungry at a time when millions of dollars are being made off of him. It's obscene." He added, "This isn't a Connecticut problem. This is a NCAA problem, and I want to make sure we're putting pressure on them to treat athletes well."


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Let's face it, the topic of renaming the Plaza is a divisive one. Does anyone really call it "the Watsonville plaza?" Don't most of us refer to it as just "the plaza" or "the city plaza?" (I've even fondly called it "our little plazita" myself). I'm guessing that the feeling for most long-time, non-Latino Watsonville residents is that it's just one more voice saying "this town is not for you."
After a little more digging, I've found that the Watsonville Plaza (aka the Plaza) was added to the National Register (No. 83001244) of Historic Places in Santa Cruz County in 1983. The National Register Web page states that before any changes are made "the property owner should contact the State Historic Preservation Office" to see if there are any state or local preservation laws that they should know about. So renaming the Plaza may not be as easy as anyone thinks.
Maybe this proposed renaming effort will be seen by some as another way for certain "haters" in our community to try and eliminate yet another attachment to the White-European heritage in this town, I don't know. And whether or not I am on some type of enemy list as "a problem to be dealt with," I personally will not support a renaming effort at this time - but I will fight the fight against it just as I did last time.
With all the other problems Watsonville has, I'd rather work together to come up with ideas for our city leaders to get businesses back, as well as jobs that pay a living wage for every skill level in town. I'd rather work together to come up with ideas to help our police department get a handle on crime, gang activity and domestic violence.
To paraphrase Maria Lopez: the white guy who founded this town in the 1850's was living in a very different time. And yes, as Martin said, he was a "thieving, killing, slave-owner" but does that really matter right now? Is the most pressing issue really that our town's founder was a scumbag white guy?


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The following is a series of wedding pictures I have photographed, compiled together as a reference of ideas for both wedding photographers, brides, grooms and anyone interested in wedding pictures. Feel free to have a browse, with any luck you will get some interesting and fun ideas to help make your wedding a huge success!
Wedding Pictures
by Sydney wedding photographer Samuel Burns


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By Crystal Wylie
Register News Writer
RICHMOND — Madison County Schools' Superintendent Elmer Thomas will announce a plan to begin full-day kindergarten in the district Monday at the school board's 6 p.m. public hearing on the district's property rates.
The hearing will take place in the Madison Central High School lecture lab (gymnasium entrance).
Full-day kindergarten will be possible only if the board votes to increase taxes on real and personal property, Thomas said.
Madison County is one of eight Kentucky school districts that offers only half-day kindergarten.
The other 161 districts offer full-day classes, and five offer either option, according to the Kentucky Department of Education.
The Madison County district has been solvent for years, Thomas said, "but there is no room in the budget for full-day kindergarten."
The proposed tax increase would generate nearly $1 million in extra revenue, enough to fund extended kindergarten classes, he said.
The current rate of 58.3 cents (per $100 assessed value) on real estate would be increased to 60 cents while the personal property rate of 58.8 cents also would increase to 60 cents.
The increase would add around $18 to the tax bill of a home worth $100,000, or $1.50 a month, the superintendent pointed out.
Tax-hike opponents filled the room during the August 2012 public hearing to stand against any tax increase.
In the end, the board voted 4-0 to levy a 58.3-cent tax rate on real estate, the same as the previous year. The personal property rate was lowered to 58.8 cents, a drop from the 2011 rate of 59.4.
Thomas said he has been very clear about his position on fiscal conservatism since beginning his tenure in July. However, funneling the extra revenue "directly to students at school-level" along with "appropriate staffing allocations" also demonstrates fiscal responsibility, he said.
He and his staff "look at every dollar" to ensure the district is not overspending on programs, or even on employees, he added.
"We're not just taking a tax increase to take a tax increase," Thomas said. "All the money would be used for full-day kindergarten."
During the superintendent-selection process this summer, the board conducted a weeklong community survey that received 776 responses.
Along with collecting feedback on the district's strengths, the most important challenges the new superintendent will face and the top qualifications the next superintendent should have, respondents also could write a personal message on the survey.
Thomas began weeding through the responses during his first week at central office and he was "amazed by how many respondents wrote in all caps 'FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN,'" he said. "It is a subject that just keeps coming up."
Early on, the board charged him with the task of starting full-day kindergarten in Madison County Schools, he said.
In fact, during the November 2012 elections, board member (then candidate) Mary Renfro campaigned on the idea of implementing all-day kindergarten.
"Surrounding counties such as Garrard and Fayette already have all-day kindergarten, we should too," she told the Register in October.
The board also asked Thomas to increase college- and career-readiness, he said, which begins with early childhood education.
Thomas said he spoke with several elementary teachers who say some students are not "on target" and do not show academic gains until third grade.
With only a half-day of instruction available, some students cannot leave kindergarten prepared for first grade, he said. Primary teachers must then spend time catching up students.
The plan for full-day kindergarten would include adding 10 to 12 teaching positions with additional teaching aides and paraeducators. Thomas estimates the $1 million generated by the tax increase would cover only personnel costs.
With half-day kindergarten, there are 24 students per classroom in morning sessions and a different set of 24 students in the afternoon. One teacher could not instruct all 48 children all day, so additional staff would be required, he said.
However, the district would save on transportation because mid-day bus runs would be eliminated, he added.
The board's regularly scheduled monthly meeting is Thursday at Madison Central.
Crystal Wylie can be reached at email@example.com or 623-1669, Ext. 6696.


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Happy Thursday! Here are some of the items passing across our desks at The Chew today.
Is the Pimm's Cup the official drink of summer? Some say it is. Do you agree? Have you ever had a Pimm's Cup?
Going camping this weekend? Here are scientific tips on toasting the perfect marshmallow.
Are plastic gloves really that necessary in the kitchen? This Washington Post writer seems to think its time to "take the gloves off."
Do women care about the environment more than men? The LA Times suggests that women are greener than men – what do you think?
New studies suggest that healthy women shouldn't take Vitamin D or Calcium supplements. The details from the NY Times.
Some ideas for making your homemade cocktails taste like those prepared by professional bartenders (or "mixologists" if you prefer). Hint: Bitters!
Author Sandor Katz stops by Fresh Air to discuss "The Art of Fermentation". That means, they're talking about the time between when food goes past its expiration date but hasn't yet gone rotten. Lots of interesting info for those who hate cleaning out their fridges.
Today in Op-Eds: The NY Times on Food Stamps and the Farm Bill.
Dreams do come true: Pizza vending machine cleared for US launch.
The battle over soda in New York City continues. Today, soda – tomorrow popcorn? Will movie-going ever be the same? The Daily News explores the slippery slope.
Make sure to get plenty of rest – new studies suggest that when we're sleep-deprived we're more likely to crave junk food.
And finally, to wrap things up today, a trip inside the evil-genius minds who have taken Americans love of fried chicken and chips, and brought them together into one fabulous concoction. Details from the Wall Street Journal.
Small Bites from Around the Country: June 14
Happy Thursday! Here are some of the items passing across our desks at The Chew today.


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You don't pay
for tutoring unless
you find a good fit!
You don't pay for tutoringunless you find a good fit!
Hello!I just recently completely my Master of Arts in Political Science at Lehigh University. I completed my undergraduate studies with a double major degree in history and global studies. I served as a resident assistant for 4 years, and I served two of those years as a head RA. I have also been a writing tutor at Lehigh University and have three years of experience working with students for a semester to improve their writing skills. I have experience with a wide variety of topics, including writing, history, English, reading, GRE and SAT Prep, international relations and statistics. One area of personal expertise that is not listed among the WyzAnt subjects is ancient history, from ancient Rome to early civilizations in the Middle East and Asia. I am happy to work with students of any level or age and guarantee improvement in the subject of interest.-Shara
Email Shara
I have acquired a solid skill set in general computer use, both for PCs and Macs. These have mostly come from personal use over the years and are largely limited to software skills. More particular skills include: Google docs, Microsoft Office (including Excel, Word, PowePpoint and Publisher), cleaning up hard-drives, setting up and installing new programs, backing-up data, general organization, advanced research methods, and bookmarking tools such as Diigo. I would be happy to help...
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I have a lot of experience with cooking both for myself and for large groups of people. In my work as a Resident Assistant I have hosted numerous dinners and meals, and on top of this I cook for myself all of the time. I am great with inventing new dishes, from vegetarian and vegan to baking to barbecue. While I have received no formal education in cooking, my Mom firmly believed in teaching me everything she knew. I would be happy to share my love of cooking with you!
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Recommend fro GRE tutoring. —
I had Shara tutor me for the revised version of the GRE's. She is very knowledgeable in this area and I would recommend her to anyone looking for more help on the matter. I am very weak in math, and she was able to walk me through problems step by step and will go at your own pace. She is extremely smart when it comes to the verbal section and can properly revise essays. She will assign homework ...
Phyllis from Northampton, PA on 8/3/11
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Showplace Cinemas to convert portion of theater into 'The Royal Suite' | POLL
Published 5/27/2014 at 5:14 p.m. 17 comments
Moviegoers in Evansville soon will be able to enjoy what has become a trendy way to watch movies in larger cities, a special dine-in suite, complete with luxury recliners and servers taking orders and delivering food, cocktails and other alcoholic ...
Showplace Cinemas South will remain a discount movie theater
Updated 5/16/2013 at 6:44 p.m. 48 comments
Moviegoers will be able to continue viewing movies at Showplace Cinemas South on Evansville's East Side, the discount, or second-run, movie house owned by Paul Stieler whose company has theaters in Southern Indiana and Henderson, Ky.
EDITORIAL: Cheers, Jeers and Tears
Published 2/23/2013 at 12:01 a.m. 0 comments
Cheers for the many good years of inexpensive entertainment brought to Evansville by Paul Stieler's Showplace Cinemas South, located off Hebron and Powell avenues. The owner announced plans this past week to close the theater, although it will continue to ...
Evansville's Showplace South to be razed
Published 2/18/2013 at 4:29 p.m. 39 comments
The life expectancy of Paul Stieler's Showplace Cinemas South, located off the Hebron and Powell avenues, is low.
Evansville's Showplace East theater to show tonight's UK game; other college games
Published 11/13/2012 at 4:25 a.m. 11 comments
Paul Stieler understands that one reason fans flock to sports bars is for the big-screen TVs. So, the founder and chief executive officer of Showplace Cinemas figures, bigger can only be better.
Former bakery owner misses bread business
Published 11/17/2011 at 8:19 a.m. 0 comments
After owning and operating the Great Harvest Bread bakery for nearly the past 10 years, Mark Stieler said it feels strange bumping into his former customers and associates on visits there.
Stieler opening third seafood restaurant
Published 8/26/2011 at 3:17 p.m. 9 comments
A third Harbor Bay fish and seafood restaurant owned by cinema-theaters developer Paul Stieler is nearing completion in the Tri-State.
Relax: Cinema doing just fine
Published 7/9/2011 at 11:24 p.m. 0 comments
One of the questions most asked of your business editor is how the new Showplace Cinemas in Henderson is doing. It's almost as if people are afraid that the $5-million-plus theater is going to be packed into a suitcase and ...
Dollar store's future unclear
Updated 4/16/2011 at 11:52 p.m. 0 comments
A proposal for constructing a Dollar General store at Sixth and Green streets cleared a bureaucratic hurdle recently, but what remains unclear is whether a new store there would mean the closing of the 40-year-old Dollar General downtown on Second ...
Seafood eatery remains stalled
Updated 1/15/2011 at 4:00 p.m. 0 comments
A stubborn obstacle to a plan by the owners of Showplace Cinemas to build a seafood restaurant next to their new theater here might be fading, but another issue has parked itself in the way of the project.
Office Depot relents on restaurant
Updated 11/11/2010 at 10:25 p.m. 6 comments
Under pressure from quarters ranging from the Henderson Chamber of Commerce to Facebook enthusiasts, Office Depot has decided to allow a seafood restaurant to be built on the other side of Audubon Village shopping center from its store here.
Princeton is getting its movie theater
Updated 11/9/2010 at 11:07 a.m. 24 comments
This Gibson County town of 8,000 will be getting a Showplace Cinemas by next spring, Evansville theater chain owner Paul Stieler announced this morning.
Paul Stieler continues to grow family's Showplace Cinemas
Published 11/1/2010 at 1:00 a.m. 0 comments
It came as no surprise to Paul Stieler or to hardly anyone who knew him that he joined the movie theater industry.
Published 11/1/2010 at 1:00 a.m. 0 comments
Though the central plot of the fast-paced Western films offered the same simple, classic goal of maintaining law and order on the American frontier, Paul Stieler, as a child, never tired of watching the gunslinging battles.
Seafood eatery stuck at depot
Updated 10/23/2010 at 10:33 p.m. 7 comments
When Showplace Cinemas committed this summer to building an eight-screen multiplex, excitement here was two-fold:
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ALTOONA — State Colleges Jason Costa strolled confidently to the plate in the eighth inning with Darian Herncane on first base and the District 6 Class AAAA baseball title game tied at 2-2.
The seniors mind raced, furiously calculating what Central Mountains devilishly good hurler Von Walker would cook up on the mound.
Well I know he doesnt want to fall behind me, Costa said. I also know he has Darian on first, so if I hit a drive in the gap hes probably going to score.
And I also know that hes started me off with off speed stuff in my other at bats. All odds were fastball, first pitch and I got it.
Costa drilled the pitch to left, scoring Herncane from first and giving State College the win and the district crown with a 3-2 win over Central Mountain at Peoples Natural Gas Field in Altoona.
This is my first district title in my State High career and it was just pure joy, Costa said emotionally. I cant even I just wanted to scream and I did scream. I was just so happy. Just pure joy.
Costa went 2-for-4, and drove in all three State College runs.
The Little Lions (16-6) have spent much of this season teetering on the line between brilliance and breakdown but have found ways to win.
The district title game was no different.
State College made some critical miscues and even gave away a golden opportunity late before ultimately spoiling Walkers brilliance behind its own stellar mound work from left-hander Nick Raquet.
Thats the way these guys seem to like to play, said State College head coach Bill Tussey. The pressure just seems to get them a little bit more focused.
Dan Fry ignited the State College offense in the fourth with a lead off triple hit down the right field line. After Herncane walked next, Costa singled home both to give the Little Lions a 2-0 lead.
Central Mountain would respond with two runs in the fifth courtesy of two walks by Raquet and a lapse in focus on a throwing error by Ed Goodall at first.
Focus is what Walker had in spades on the mound although Raquet struck him out three times at the plate (0-for-4, RBI).
The senior, usually heavy-handed hurler, used finesse instead to masterfully keep State College off balance.
Von was smart today, Tussey said. He changed his attack against us. Very few fastballs. He was throwing breaking stuff and our guys were out in front. He pitched a heck of a ball game. And Nick did too. Two guys that basically werent going to give in.
Each pitcher surrendered just six hits. Only two hits Costas double and a triple by Dan Fry (2-for-4, run scored) were hit hard by either side.
Walker (4-2) struck out 12 and allowed three runs on six hits and three walks.
He also authored an incredible Houdini act in the seventh when he stranded Calvin Sichler at third after the State College shortstop led off the inning with a triple.
Conventional wisdom may have been to walk the bases loaded to force an out at any base, however Central Mountains head coach Michael Kramer had supreme confidence in his ace.
Thats truly what I felt, Kramer said. At that point we felt that he was handling that part of the order and I thought if he got on top he would be able to work his stuff and get the put outs.
Walker struck out the next two Little Lions and induced a pop up from Caleb Walls (1-for-4) to end the inning.
State Colleges missed opportunity seemed to energize the Wildcats as they sprinted jubilantly off the field.
Raquet noticed. The junior also knew he needed to step up.
Raquet (5-2) pitched all eight innings and allowed just two runs on six scattered hits, five walks and eight strikeouts.
I always say you have to have a shutdown inning, Raquet said. You need to take the momentum back its a momentum game, so you have to have it to win.
He made short work of the Wildcats in the eighth and paved the way for Costas clutch hit in the bottom half.
Thats been the Little Lions in a nutshell. A resilient team that digs itself holes but manages to navigate out usually in dramatic fashion.
State College will face District 3s third place team on Monday at a time and place to be determined.
Whenever and wherever they play, it seems Raquet at least has one goal in sight.
State title, Raquet said. I want that state title really bad. I know these guys want it and I want to do it for our seniors. Theyve worked hard all season. Weve had a great season and I think we should cap it off with a state title. We have the guys to do it.


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By LINDON DODD
Local columnist
"Making bad decisions is a part of life. Blaming others for your bad decisions is immature." — Nishan Panwar
This is not the column you were supposed to read this week. I had planned to do a profile on a fascinating gentleman and had an interview all planned for early Thursday evening. The interview was at 5:30 in Borden.
At 5, Kim looked out the window and gasped loudly. In the past, I have noticed a trend with Kim — she is not usually an out-loud gasping type. Usually, such a sound emanating from her is not a good thing.
My hunch was right. It was not a positive gasp. I looked out to see our car — which we had previously parked at the top of the driveway — was now halfway down a hill in our side yard, which still has about a half a foot of frozen snow and ice. It had apparently slid sideways from a dead stopped park job down the hill into the side yard.
By the time I got warmly dressed to join her she had already tried to back the 4-wheel-drive vehicle up the hill. I won't go into detail and point fingers, but we had a discussion previous to parking the car where I wanted to park on the flatter side of the drive. There was something about her shoes and snow, I don't recall the exact words, but I know I had not wanted to park on the side where the car was parked. I even remember mumbling something about being halfway afraid to leave the car parked there.
Of course, she always accuses me of mumbling.
Anybody that has tried to back a car up a hill with a half foot of ice and snow in a side yard already knows how well that attempt was going. Two of the wheels already were buried into the frozen ground beneath the ice and snow. This car was not going anywhere backward and uphill.
I suddenly realized that my phone contact had told me they would not be able to be at the interview. Two other parties I could not contact by phone were going to expect me in about 10 minutes. I was not going to be there.
I was in a situation that might require a loud gasp. I am not a loud gasping type. I am more of the verbally profane type. I had to fight the urge to be profane. I was semi-successful in that; I only used some rather controlled light profane words. And I tried to utter them more to myself. At least I didn't think I was loud enough for Kim to hear me from inside the car.
So there I was going to be late for a meeting with two people whom I had no way to contact and my car was buried in ice and snow halfway down my sloping side yard. And it was about 18 degrees and just before dark.
I had to call one friend to get the number of another friend who had to call and get word that I would not be able to make it to the interview. In 19 years, I have never been a no-show for an interview. It was a helpless feeling.
I called a friend who owns a towing business and he was going out of town and couldn't make it until the next morning. Then I had one of those brilliant ideas. Since I could not back it up the hill onto the pavement, why not drive it all the way down the hill and try to get back onto the driveway.
This is where Kim and I had a difference of opinion. She only saw me losing control sliding down the hill and destroying our pole-barn garage and the car. She can be such a negative Nellie sometimes.
Possibly, she was basing her worry on some pretty brilliant ideas I had in the past which had resulted in some sort of destruction of personal property and/or some physical injury of one kind or another.
On the other hand, I knew that if I moved part of a woodpile and steered precisely between the corner of the garage and the large tree at the corner of driveway at the bottom of the hill I had at least three to five feet of clearance while maintaining almost zero mph net speed, which would allow me to maintain complete control of my car on the half foot of ice and frozen snow.
You see, I am what we like to call an optimist. I guess if I was successful, it would be an optimist, but if the whole plan went to hell in a handbasket, Kim would have had another terminology to describe me and my plan. The whole thing, if it turned out wrong, would have been one of those kinds of insurance claim narratives that would have probably gone viral on the Internet.
This was one of those lonely-at-the-top, decision-making times in life. I was confident in my plan. I saw a look in Kim's eyes that told me she knew I had made up my mind. I know in one way she wanted me to be successful, but suspected in another way she would have had a great story to tell everyone for years if I would have destroyed our house and garage to save a $65 towing bill. For me, it was a matter of principle. And I am not anything if not a man of principle.
I will be honest with you. I wasn't sure if I could make it or not.
However, as I am writing this column I report that I have successfully maneuvered the car back onto the driveway and it is safely tucked into the garage parking spot. Kim will have to swallow her pride and tell of how my brilliant plan and skillful driving saved the day and $65. And next week, hopefully I can reschedule the interview and have a column about a fascinating man who has lived a long and wonderful life.
A friend of mine who heard this story asked me why I would park at the top of a hill when I had a semicircle, pull-through driveway. I resisted the temptation to hand my wife the phone.
— Lindon Dodd is a freelance writer who can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com


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Thursday, January 24, 2013
Blueberry Banana Bread Recipe
2 1/2 cups of flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
In another bowl beat well:
1 cup shortening
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups mashed banana's
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup fresh blueberries
Optional: before baking add a mixture of cinnamon and sugar to the top ....
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mix till well blended, fold in the blueberries. Pour into two well greased loaf pans or make muffins. Bake ar 350 for 30 to 35 minutes or until brown and middle is dry when tested with a toothpick.
Another great way to use this batter is to pour this mixture into individual cupcake tins, sprinkle the top with cinnamon and sugar... this batter makes great muffins!
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News and notes on the restaurant scene from dining critic Carol Deptolla
Vietnamese Noodles opens in Mequon
The North Shore has a new Vietnamese restaurant: Vietnamese Noodles opened late last week in a contemporary space at 1380 W. Mequon Road in Mequon, in the Concord Court plaza.
It serves pho, the beef noodle soup with additions such as thin slices of flank and brisket, tendon, tripe and meatballs (mostly $7.99, or $8.99 for a larger bowl). A chicken version also is on the menu.
Vietnamese Noodles also serves other noodle dishes that are pan fried or stir fried ($10.99 and $11.99), as well as bun, the vermicelli dishes usually served with grilled meats ($7.99 to $9.99).
The menu has com, rice dishes served with meat ($8.99 to $10.99), as well as a rice hot pot ($12.99), rice cooked with chicken, beef, shrimp and squid in a clay pot, or a vegetarian version ($12.99).
It also ventures into Korean barbecue, serving short ribs ($10.99 and $11.99).
The restaurant, owned by Thanh Phan, has applied for a license to sell beer and wine. It can seat up to 60, and parties of up to 20 can reserve a portion of the restaurant for events.
Vietnamese Noodles' hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.
To contact: (262) 241-1999. The restaurant takes reservations and offers carryout; the full menu is online.
Tags: Mequon : Asian : Vietnamese Noodles
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The Labor Day weekend marks the official end of summer break for students, but for Cherokee citizens, it's a time of celebration and homecoming.
The 60th annual Cherokee National Holiday will take place Friday through Sunday, Aug. 31 through Sept. 2, and is expected to draw tens of thousands of citizens and visitors.
This year's theme is "From One Fire to a Proud Future," and emphasizes the kinship and unity of all Cherokees. The festival celebrates the tribe's signing of its 1839 constitution and an act of union that formally joined factions of the tribe into one nation.
During his state of the nation address at Monday evening's Tribal Council meeting, Principal Chief Bill John Baker said he's looking forward to this year's celebration.
"This is the 60th year of the Holiday, and I like it when that number also coincides with my birthdate," said Baker, who turned 60 in February. "The volunteers have been working really hard to make this Holiday the biggest and best ever, and I truly appreciate all of their efforts."
The Holiday kicks off with the Holiday art show, in which artists compete for $12,000 in prize money in 12 categories: traditional, contemporary pottery, paintings, drawings and graphics, photography, sculpture, contemporary basketry, textiles and weaving, diverse arts, youth ages 1-8, youth ages 9-13, and youth ages 14-18.
"We have expanded the youth category this year, and broken the ages down a little more, offering more prize money for the youth, who are our future," said Marie Smith.
The show will be displayed at the Tahlequah Armory Municipal Center, 100 N. Water Ave., and opens at 1 p.m., Friday, Aug. 31. Winners will be announced on opening night. The show continues Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The arts and crafts vendors will have two locations this year. Beginning at 10 a.m., Friday, Aug. 31, vendors will present their wares on the grounds at the Cherokee Heritage Center, at 21192 S. Keeler Drive in Park Hill. More than 80 Native American vendors featuring original paintings, prints, jewelry, basketry, beadwork, traditional clothing, flutes, pottery and quilts.
Vendors will also be available downtown at the historic Cherokee Courthouse Square beginning at 9 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 1, as visitors gather for the Holiday parade and state of the nation address.
Over 100 parade entries are expected for this year's Holiday parade, which is set to begin at 9:30 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 1, on Muskogee Avenue in downtown Tahlequah. Entry categories include floats; vehicles; marching bands; businesses, churches and non-profits; and Cherokee Nation employee groups. Trophies will be awarded in each category and in best overall presentation. Applications for entry are due by Friday, Aug. 24. For more parade information, contact Debra Lack at (918) 453-5310.
The Holiday powwow is a perennial favorite among citizens and visitors, and this year, coordinators expect more dancers from more tribes, including the well-known Northern and Southern host drum groups. This year, the powwow has increased its total prize money, with $35,000 being offered.
The event is slated for 7 p.m., Friday, Aug. 31, and Saturday, Sept. 1, at the Cherokee National Cultural Grounds, West 810 Road, just south of the Cherokee Nation W.W. Keeler Complex.
"We're doing a lot of different things [this year]," said powwow Chairman Rob Daugherty.
"We are offering more of a celebration and more opportunities for different styles of dance from different tribes and different nations of powwow people. We want people to come, have a good experience and some fun."
Those with a competitive spirit and a desire to learn more about Cherokee culture won't want to miss out on traditional games like marbles, the cornstalk shoot, a blowgun competition and stickball games. The cornstalk shoot will be at 7:30 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 1, west of the CN complex, followed by the blowgun competition at 1 p.m., at the Cherokee Heritage Center. The marbles tournament finals will take place at 4 p.m. at the Cherokee Heritage Center. Stickball games will be held at 5:30 p.m., Friday, Aug. 31, at the Markoma Center, off of Fourth Street near Go Ye Village, and at 9 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 1, at the Sequoyah High School football field.
In addition being the site for arts and crafts and traditional Cherokee Games, the Heritage Center will provide free admission to its attractions during the three-day Holiday.
"The Cherokee National Holiday provides us with a unique time to open our doors and provide free admission to the public, so that everyone can tour the attractions and enjoy the grounds," said Karen Cooper, executive director of the Cherokee Heritage Center."This is a special weekend at [the center]. With thousands of guests visiting, we have the chance to share Cherokee culture through art, music and a variety of performances."
Free admission includes entry to the Tsa La Gi Ancient Village, Adams Corner Rural Village and the Trail of Tears exhibit. Free guided tours of the Ancient Village will be offered every 30 minutes, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., each day.
Cherokee Nation Cultural Tourism is also offering visitors free admission to its three museums over the weekend, including the Cherokee National Prison Museum, the Supreme Court Museum, and the John Ross Museum. Each presents a unique perspective on Cherokee history and culture.
The Supreme Court Museum, at 122 E. Keetoowah St., is Oklahoma's oldest government building, built in 1844. The museum features three historic aspects of the Cherokee Nation judicial system and language, including the Cherokee Advocate and the Cherokee Phoenix newspapers.
To see the complete version of this article, subscribe to the Daily Press e-edition by following the link below.
Click here to get the entire Tahlequah Daily Press delivered every day to your home or office.
Click here to get a free trial or to subscribe to the Tahlequah Daily Press electronic edition. It's the ENTIRE newspaper (without the paper) for your computer, iPad or e-reader.


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Nuclear devastation worse than Hiroshima nearly happened in Goldsboro, N.C., in 1961, when an Air Force bomber broke in half, letting two nuclear bombs drop. Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara said in a newly declassified government report, "By the slightest margin of chance, literally the...
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On March 3, 1913, a march down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington D.C. was organized by Alice Paul for the National American Woman Suffrage Association. The official program stated "the march and the attention it attracted were important in advancing woman's suffrage in the United States."
The Occoquan Workhouse played a significant role in the cause of women suffragists seeking the right to vote. In 1917, more than 70 suffragists were jailed in the Occoquan Workhouse, then part of the Lorton Prison Complex. As punishment for picketing the White House and inciting unlawful assembly and traffic obstruction, the suffragists received sentences of up to 6 months which included inhumane conditions with force feedings, beatings, lack of nourishment, and being chained to the cell walls.
Nellie Bly, a famous journalist of that era, with uncanny foresight, said that despite the pageantry of 1913 it would take at least seven more years before the 19th Amendment to the Constitution which gave women full rights to vote, would pass both houses of Congress and be ratified by the required 36 states. Nellie Bly was right!
The Golden Goose of Occoquan and The Workhouse Prison Museum at Lorton have collaborated in the introduction of the first of an anticipated series of three Byers' Choice Carolers commemorating the 100th Anniversary of these valiant women who fought for and achieved The Woman's Right to Vote.
The first Caroler is now available at the Golden Goose and the Occoquan Workhouse Museum. To contact the Golden Goose, call 703-494-4964. To contact the Occoquan Workhouse Museum, call 703-584-2900.


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We got back to work Monday morning with sex & ice cream! Aphrodisiac Ice Cream owners Jacqueline & Justin joined us to talk about how they came up with this genius idea. Jacqueline, who just happens to be a Playboy Girl of Golf, was the brains behind the idea when she had a craving for ice cream at 4am & thought how great it would be if there were HOT girls serving ice cream to those stumbling out of night clubs. She mentioned it to her boyfriend Justin and he ran with it! These two erotic ice cream lovers are sexing up America one scoop at a time and hopefully will soon serve booze induced ice cream drinks. We approve! Right now, the Aphrodisiac Ice Cream Truck is cruising on the streets of Miami with HOT women and we hope they travel to the Mini Mansion soon. Did we mention that this Adult Friendly Ice Cream Truck that has stripper poles on it? Well it does! And we couldn't more jealous of Miami.
Gorgeous Playboy Playmate Miss July 2008 Laura Croft chatted with us this Tuesday morning about her new sexy passion … Night School 4 Girls! Laura is the perfect face for this amazing new attraction, since she not only lives Vegas but is always partying. Bachelorette's listen up! This is a NO BOYS ALLOWED school that allows you to get down & dirty while learning the art of stripping, burlesque & pole dancing. These naughty classes encourage stiff cocktails & makes for a great excuse to get crazy sexy! Don't worry ladies, Kevin's idea of a two-way mirror "guys spy" package is not something that will happen.
We had another great morning in the Mini Mansion Wednesday! Playboy Playmate of the Year 2002 Dalene Kurtis called in this morning while wearing a little, tight, pink, nipple showing tank top & booty shorts! She's a Tan-bassador for Hollywood Tans and wants to encourage you to keep your body & mind sexy. Nothing is hotter than naked women getting sprayed tanned and knowing that gorgeous girls use their tanning bed time for a personal game of "Beat the Bulbs." We think we gave our PMOY Dalene a great idea to run with when she gets naked for her next tanning session.
We also welcomed sexy, big breasted beauty Erica DuFour into the Mini Mansion Wednesday & man, were we AMAZED by her fantastic 34E boobies! She is one horny hottie, so horny that she once started having sex in a BMW and ended up finishing in the back of a Range Rover! We couldn't be more proud. Erica was put to the horny test this morning, as we challenged our listeners to come up with things that wouldn't normally turn a girl on to see if she in some way can turn it into something that would get her going. Let's just say, there wasn't anything that didn't turn her on but that might have been because Erica & Andrea kept exchanging lustful looks at each other. We didn't mind either way!
Things got really hot & heavy Thursday! It started getting steamy in the Mini Mansion the moment Playboy's Cyber Girl of the Week Sarah Jane returned to the show. We first met her a few years back when we played Strip Guitar Hero & now she's aCyber Girl! It's so great to see our girls grow into the Playboy Family. Sarah not only loves being naked but she can save your life at the same time. Seriously, her fulltime job is being a lifeguard and a swim instructor. In fact, she saved the lives of two "18-year-old" girls, who in our minds were only wearing bikinis while she was on vacation for Spring Break. Keeping with the theme of doing great things on Spring Break, we found out that she lost her virginity during her time off school.
After we got all worked up with Cyber Girl Sarah Jane, singer/actor Tyrese joined us in studio to really get the girls going. Just his voice got the girls turned on. His new CD "Open Invitation" (uhmm…in stores now) is all about sexing up the woman in your life. He played Andrea a few songs of his new album "Make Love," "Stay" and "Best of Me." Andrea had to remove her jacket because she was getting all hot & bothered, but then again all the girls on the show were. Tyrese shared with us that he's made a few women cry when they orgasm & has made ladies legs quiver making them weak in the knees. Literally, one fan collapsed and crawled to Tyrese's feet at a CD signing event. Guys, definitely get this album if you want to get it on! It's an instant turn on!
It was a crazy sexy Veteran's Day 11/11/11 party Friday morning in the Mini Mansion! From the "Big Island" of Hawaii IRATION came in studio to talk about their success on the "Main Land." They are currently finishing up their 'Lei'd Back Fall Tour' before they head back home to Hawaii. They treated us to an acoustic performance of "No Time" & "Turn Around" all we can say is AMAZING!
Cooper Hefner also stopped by to visit us this morning. It's been awhile since the last time we had him in the Mini Mansion playing Chicktionary that today felt like a mini family reunion. We know, he missed us! Cooper talked about what's going on behind the scenes of Playboy, by that we mean, he responded with "exciting things are happening." He also told us that he's played a lot of pranks on Playboy Mansion Security newbie's and has officially recruited Kevin to help in his next prank.
We continued our Veteran's Day 11/11/11 celebration with more IRATION in studio and HOT Playboy Models! Kristin Ways & Karly May joined us for a fun round of Know It or Show It: Military Edition. In honor of our men and women who have served and who serve, clothing was removed from our gorgeous gals just for you!
Connect with The Playboy Morning Show …
Blog… www.pbmorningshow.com
Twitter… @PBMorningShow
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Telluride Tourism Board Predicting Brighter Spring and Summer
Mar 25th @ 4:46 pm in News by Scott Staley
TELLURIDE - Though numbers dipped slightly in December, January and February, average lodging occupancy for the past six months in Telluride rose 3.9 percent from the year before . The Daily Planet says the Tourism Board's predictions, overall occupancy between November and April this year will be up about 7.3 percent above the same period last year. So far their predictions have come true, March is proving to be a successful month, with occupancy rates 16 percent ahead of March of 2010, and average daily rates up as well.
Source: Daily Planet


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Corsair Force GS 240GB SSD review -
In the SSD market things keep shifting and changing, including different types of NAND Flash storage ICs. SLC, MLC then synchronous and a-synchronous have been topic of many debates and discussion. A (relatively) new type of FLASH NAND memory is becoming quite popular for SSDs at the moment. Toggle NAND flash promises to boost peak read performance and at a very good price performance ratio.
Toggle NAND flash also offers a faster maximum random 4k write performance of 90k IOPS according to Corsair benchmarks. So the two top dog NAND Flash types to get then are Asynchronous and Toggle NAND when it comes to SSDs.
Corsair introduces the Force GS series, and they are equipped with the 2281 series SandForce controller. Paired with SanDisk Toggle Toggle NAND flash ICs that will increase read and write performance to 555MB/s and 525 MB/s respectively which makes the Force GS the fastest SSDs they have ever brought to market.
However, we stated it already, the market is fierce and competitive, the 2281 controllers have been widely adopted by many players like OCZ's Vertex and Agility 3 series, or Corsair's Force 3 series and so on really. Giving them a huge head start.
The Force Series GS SSDs will be available in a fourfold of drives capacities: 180GB, 240GB, 360GB, and 480GB. Prices (in USD) in the United States start at $189.99 for 180GB, $239.99 for 240GB, $349.99 for 340GB and $489.99 for 480GB capacities. And if you are an enthusiast performance monger, these prices paired with high-speed Toggle Mode NAND look mighty attractive at this price point for roughly a dollar per GB.
With 4K random write performance estimated at 90,000 IOPS (input/output operations per second) the product is definitely in the right performance bracket we like to see Corsair in. But have a peek, after which we'll dive into the technology behind it and obviously we'll present you a nice deep performance overview. In which today we'll also show you some performance results based on different Motherboard SATA controlelrs.
Corsair recently released a USB stick, all 3.0 compatible and it's called the Flash Voyager GTX . That surely hints towards a nice caliber. We test the 128 GB version of this model, and well it's t...
Corsair Force LX 256GB SSD review
We review the Corsair Force LX 256GB SSD. Corsair recently released this new addition to their SSD lineup. The series is to compete with Samsung and Micron mostly, in both price and performance. The e...
Corsair AX1500i PSU review
We review the Corsair Professional Series AX1500i PSU, this beast is 80plus Titanium certified. The 1500W PSU is exorbitant in performance, the one massive 125 Amp 12-volts says it all really. Superb ...
Corsair Obsidian 450D review
We review the Corsair Obsidian 450D. Let us call it mainstream version in the Obsidian chassis series. Not full, mini bit a nice mid-tower intended for mainstream to high-end class PCs.The details and...


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and the parishioners at produced the attached YouTube video to try and drum up publicity and support for the Faith Rally and Direct Action For Federal Climate Legislation that is happening at the Federal Building in downtown Los Angeles on Feb. 23.
Shore-Goss and his partner, Rev. Joseph Shore-Goss, have turned into one of the leading environmental advocacy churches in California. In late 2010, Patch was on hand as the congregation on the church's roof, making it the first church in Los Angeles to do so.
In November, MCC was honored by California Interfaith Power and Light and for its leadership on environmental issues.
Watch the video to learn more about the rally happening Feb. 23.


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MYRTLE BEACH — Horry County officials have narrowed down the candidates for fire chief to three.
The three finalists in the running to be named the next chief of Horry County Fire Rescue were released Thursday afternoon. They are: H.P. "Butch" Womack, fire chief for the city of Easley, S.C.; James Crawford, assistant fire chief for Midway Fire Rescue in Pawleys Island; and Frederick Crosby, chief of fire and EMS for Hanover County, Va.
Not among the final three was interim Chief Kenneth Bean, who had previously expressed an interest in the job.
Beans was named interim chief April 13 after former chief Garry Alderman announced his request for reassignment because of personal reasons.
As for who will be the next permanent chief, 51 applications were initially received.
Lisa Bourcier, Horry County spokeswoman, said the county hopes to announce the new chief within the next two weeks.
Contact BRAD DICKERSON at 626-0301.


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This is my 1st cast iron skillet. It was not as heavy as other cast iron skillets and was easy to clean.- MM in WA
Spirit Thermolon Non-Stick Skillet
5 stars
Really great pan..better than one I got @ William Sonoma!!- Love to shop in Glendale, CA
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Narrow your search
Apple has released Security Update 2009-001, which addresses RSS vulnerabilities in Safari, and problems with CoreText that allow unauthorized execution of code.
Software updates and upgrades have not helped mid-2013 MacBook Air systems affected by a long-standing intermittent black screen bug.
The latest troubleshooting and general utilities for Mac OS X.
Utilities Updates: Interarchy 8.5.2b4; MacDust 0.6; TubeTV 0.6.1; Virex 7 DAT 070425; more
Utilities Updates: Samba 3.0.25rc3; LANrev 4.0.4; MyPopBarrier 2.3.9; A Better Finder Attributes 4.5; more
The latest troubleshooting and general maintenance utilities for Mac OS X.
Utilities Updates: SteerMouse 3.6; IceClean 2.0.3; Radmind 1.8.0; Spanning Sync 1.0; more
Utilities Updates: SleepLess 2.3.1; ultimateTask 1.9.2; xPort 4.6; IPNetMonitorX 2.1.1; more
Utilities Updates: Apple CHUD Tools 4.4.4; Parallels Desktop 2.5 Build 3188.0; Camino 1.0.4; more
Utilities Updates: Spotless 1.2.1; Growl 0.7.6; REALbasic 2007r1; PlistChecker 1.5; more


text:
Has something changed on the size allowed for the pics uploaded?I have uploaded pics before and had no problem?Or did something change on my end?
Free Shipping on All Orders 1-866-764-1801Vist our Online Store
Has something changed on the size allowed for the pics uploaded?I have uploaded pics before and had no problem?Or did something change on my end?
Whenever i try to upload pics through showcase it says it uploaded pics but all you see is the big red x . If i try to attach pics through testing forum it says file is to large?
HELP!!!!!! ANYONE If it makes any difference i am using windows xp
Less colors....
Smaller in actual size...
etc etc etc
www.Vr3Mods.com ///// www.Version3Audio.com
"No, that's silly talk. Dude, you can't possibly be this audio dumb so quit the act." - Doro
how is this done ?
Has anyone tried to upload pic in the last couple of days? If the problem is on my end,why cant i upload the same pics that are already posted in showcase?I even took new pics at the lowest setting on my camera which is only a 1.0 megapixel camera?What do you have to do send a polaroid picture?
Finally figured it out :D picture of my old racecar or should i say moneypit!
Cool car......
If you haven't figured it out yet, with windows xp just email your self the picture in my pictures.
Works for me I have a Canon Digital Rebel takes a 3 meg pix file I can redo in 640x480 or 800x600 by doing this.
Carver Amazing Fronts
CS400i Center
RT800i's Rears
Sub Paradigm Servo 15
Conrad Johnson PV-5 pre-amp
Parasound Halo A23
Pioneer 84TXSi AVR
Pioneer 79Avi DVD
Sony CX400 CD changer
Panasonic 42-PX60U Plasma
WMC Win7 32bit HD DVR
Thanks for the info,found a program on my computer that i didnt know about that you can change picture size and a whole lot more.
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Due to the modified lifestyle and unhealthy diet plans in our life, critical health problems such as, blood pressure problem is quite normal these days. All medical professionals recommend various ways to maintain a normal blood pressure in your body. It is essential to regulate or lower the high blood pressure problem because the high blood pressure condition quite often results into many life threatening complications such as, heart failure, coronary heart diseases and many more.
As per the latest research, you will be astonished to know that there is one kind of brain cell or say cluster of neurons present in our brain that are newly identified and are expected to be responsible for resulting the high blood pressure state in the body. Usually, the hypertension or say high blood pressure condition affects the functioning of many important organs in the body such as, brain system and that too in a major way. However, the vice versa condition has also been reported as one of the major causes for resulting the elevated blood pressure state in the body.
Researchers identified a definite cluster of nerve cells that are present in the hypothalamus region of the brain and responsible for controlling many involuntary functions like feeling of thirst, temperature of the living body and likewise. However, this particular section of the brain also helps in regulating the blood pressure value of the body.
The first experiment was conducted in mice and these nerve cells are named as parvalbuminergic neurons and their location is hypothalamus. The presence of these nerve cells in the brains of the experimented mices is greatly responsible for causing high blood pressure condition in the body. On the other side, according to the researchers, there can be a strong link between the thyroid hormone and the presence of parvalbuminergic cells in the hypothalamus. Further, the mutated mice with imbalanced thyroid hormone are found with no adequate number of parvalbuminergic neurons in the hypothalamus. Therefore, there is indeed a lot of significance of thyroid hormone for the production such brain cells in the body. However, researchers are still continuing their studies and experiments in this section to confirm the presence of such cells in human beings as well.
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Google Research Award – Identifying Learning Benefits of Google Earth Tours in Education
6 June, 2011
It is always nice to announce good news. Back in February, together with Richard Treves at the University of Southampton, I submitted an application to the Google's Faculty Research Award program for a grant to investigate Google Earth Tours in education. We were successful in getting a grant worth $86,883 USD. The project builds on my expertise in usability studies of geospatial technologies, including the use of eye tracking and other usability engineering techniques for GIS and Richard's expertise in Google Earth tours and education, and longstanding interest in usability issues.
In this joint UCL/Southampton project, UCL will be lead partner and we will appoint a junior researcher for a year to develop run experiments that will help us in understanding of the effectiveness of Google Earth Tours in geographical learning, and we aim to come up with guidelines to their use. If you are interested, let me know.
Our main contact at Google for the project is Ed Parsons. We were also helped by Tina Ornduff and Sean Askay who acted as referees for the proposal.
The core question that we want to address is "How can Google Earth Tours be used create an effective learning experience?"
So what do we plan to do? Previous research on Google Earth Tours (GETs) has shown them to be an effective visualization technique for teaching geographical concepts, yet their use in this way is essentially passive. Active learning is a successful educational approach where student activity is combined with instruction to enhance learning. In the proposal we suggest that there is great education value in combining the advantages of the rich visualization of GETs with student activities. Evaluating the effectiveness of this combination is the purpose of the project, and we plan to do this by creating educational materials that consist of GETs and activities and testing them against other versions of the materials using student tests, eye tracking and questionnaires as data gathering techniques.
We believe that by improving the techniques by which spatial data is visualized we are improving spatial information access overall.
A nice aspect of the getting the project funded is that it works well with a project that is led by Claire Ellul and Kate Jones and funded by JISC. The G3 project, or "Bridging the Gaps between the GeoWeb and GIS" is touching on similar aspects and we surely going to share knowledge with them.
For more background on Richard Treves, see his blog (where the same post is published!)
At the beginning of May, I gave a lecture at the UCL Interaction Centre (UCLIC) seminar titled 'Interacting with Geospatial Technologies – Overview and Research Challenges'. The talk was somewhat similar to the one that I gave at the BCS Geospatial SIG. However, I was trying to answer a question that I was asked during a UCLIC seminar in 2003, when, together with Carolina Tobón, I presented the early work on usability of GIS for e-government applications. During that talk, the discussion was, as always is in UCLIC, intensive. One core question that remained with me from the discussion was: 'What makes geospatial technology special or is it just another case of a complex and demanding information system that you should expect difficulties with and spend time to master?'
Over the years, I have been trying to improve the answer beyond the 'it's special because it's about maps' or 'geospatial information comes in large volumes and requires special handling' or similar partial answers. In the book Interacting with Geospatial Technologies different chapters deal with these aspects in detail. During the talk, I tried to cover some of them. In particular, I highlighted the lag of geospatial technologies behind other computing technologies (an indication of complexity), the problems of devices such as SatNavs that require design intervention in the physical world to deal with a design fault (see image), and the range of problems in interfaces of GIS as were discovered in the snapshot study that was carried out by Antigoni Zafiri.
There was an excellent discussion after the presentation ended. Some of the very interesting questions that I think need addressing are the following:
- In the talk, I highlighted that examples of spatial representations exist in non-literate societies, and that, therefore, the situation with computers, where textual information is much more accessible than geographical information, is something that we should consider as odd. The question that was raised was about the accessibility of these representations – how long does it take people from the societies that use them to learn them? Is the knowledge about them considered privileged or held by a small group?
- For almost every aspect of geospatial technology use, there is some parallel elsewhere in the ICT landscape, but it is the combination of issues – such as the need for a base map as a background to add visualisation on top of it, or the fact that end users of geospatial analysis need the GIS operators as intermediaries (and the intermediaries are having problems with operating their tools – desktop GIS, spatial databases etc. – effectively) – that creates the unique combination that researchers who are looking at HCI issues of GIS are dealing with. If so, what can be learned from existing parallels, such as the organisations where intermediaries are used in decision making (e.g. statisticians)?
- The issue of task analysis and considerations of what the user is trying to achieve were discussed. For example, Google Maps makes the task of 'finding directions from A to B' fairly easy by using a button on the interface that allows the user to put in the information. To what extent do GIS and web mapping applications help users to deal with more complex, temporally longer and less well-defined tasks? This is a topic that was discussed early on in the HCI (Human-Computer Interaction) and GIS literature in the 1990s, and we need to continue and explore.
In my talk I used a slide about a rude group in Facebook that relates to a specific GIS package. I checked it recently and was somewhat surprised to see that it is still active. I thought that it would go away with more recent versions of the software that should have improved its usability. Clearly there is space for more work to deal with the frustration of the users. Making users happy is, after all, the goal of usability engineering…
G3 – Bridging the Gap between the GeoWeb and GIS
31 March, 2011
The G3 Project, is a new project led by Claire Ellul and Kate Jones and funded by the JISC geospatial working group. The project's aim is to create an interactive online mapping tutorial system for students in areas that are not familiar with GIS such as urban design, anthropology and environmental management.
The project can provides a template for the introduction of geographical concepts to new groups of learners. By choosing a discipline specific scenario, key geographic concepts and functions will be presented to novices in a useful and useable manner so the learning process is improved. Users will be introduced to freely available geographic data relevant to their particular discipline and know where to look for more. G3 Project will create a framework to support learners and grow their confidence without facing the difficult interfaces and complexity of desktop mapping systems that are likely to create obstacles for students, with the feeling that 'this type of analysis is not for me'.
Check the project's blog for regular updates and developments.
Maps are wonderful, but GIS are hard to use. What can we do about it?
10 November, 2010
These are the slides from the presentation that I gave to the BCS Geospatial SG.
The talk abstract is:
Here is a useful party trivia: as a form of human communication, maps pre-date text by thousands of years – some early spatial depictions are 25,000 years old, whereas writing emerged only 4000 years ago. When it comes to computing, the reverse is true: the first wide use of computing is from the early 1950s, whereas the first effort to create a GIS only started in 1966. There are good reasons for this, chief among them is the complexity of handling geographical information in digital computers. An adverse impact of this challenge is that for many years geospatial technologies developers focused on functionality and not on the interaction with end-users. The result of this focus is that while word processors and spreadsheets became popular in the early 1980s, only with the emergence of 'Web Mapping 2.0′ in 2005, GIS and geospatial technologies became more popular, albeit far from universally usable.
The talk covered interaction and user aspects of geospatial technologies, pointing to issues that permeate the usability and usefulness of geographical information itself (e.g. why ESRI shapefile is a popular format despite its drawbacks?), the programming of geospatial technology (e.g. why OGC WMS did not spark the mashup revolution, while Google Maps API did?) and the interaction of end users with desktop and web-based GIS.
And the talk happened at the same day in which the excellent Third Workshop on the Usability of Geographic Information was running at the Ordnance Survey.
Interacting with Geospatial Technologies – now available
31 March, 2010
Finally, after 2 years in the making, Interacting with Geospatial Technologies is out. It is the first textbook dedicated to usability and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) aspects of geographical information technologies. It covers desktop, Web and mobile applications and how they can be designed so they are more effective, efficient, error-free, easy to learn and enjoyable, which is one version of the 5 E's of usability.
I started thinking about the book in 2004, when I realised that the most recent academic books dedicated to HCI and GIS were published in 1993 and 1995. These are respectively David Medyckyj-Scott and Hilary Hearnshaw's Human Factors in Geographic Information Systems and the collection of papers from the NATO workshop Cognitive Aspects of Human-Computer Interaction for Geographic Information Systems, edited by Tim Nyerges, David Mark, Robert Laurini, and Max Egenhofer. While these books and the collections of papers in them are still valuable, it must be noted that in the early 1990s, Web-based GIS was just starting to appear, desktop GIS was fairly basic, mobile GIS was not even experimental and GIS trade journals argued about which UNIX workstation is the best for GIS.
Apart from these books, the proceedings of COSIT (Conference of Spatial Information Theory) are also valuable sources of academic research on spatial cognition and other principles of geographical and spatial information, and there are also many papers in academic journals about GIS.
However, not much attention was paid to everyday use of geographical information technologies, and no textbook included an introduction in a form accessible to postgraduate students and software developers. So, after complaining in various conferences that there is a clear need for such a book, I started working on it. It was an interesting process to identify suitable authors and encourage them to contribute to the book.
While offering the breadth of several authors who specialise in different aspects of the field, I think the textbook is coherent and consistent, and its style both accessible and readable. The editing process was more active and time-sensitive than is often the case in academic books, to ensure that the textbook is usefully up-to-date. On UCL's MSc in GIS, a recent course based on the textbook was well received by students.
The book covers the principles and the practical aspects of interaction with geospatial technologies. There are sections about spatial cognition, cartography, user-centred design and usability engineering – here is the table of contents.
So, now you can get your own copy – and any feedback is welcomed.
ICA Commission on Use and User Issues – GISRUK workshop
5 March, 2010
The Commission on Use and User Issues of the International Cartographic Association (ICA) is currently working on a new handbook specifically addressing the application of user research methods and techniques in the area of geographical information and its applications.
In order to share experiences and interesting case studies a workshop is organized by the Commission, in collaboration with UCL, on the day preceding GISRUK 2010, Tuesday, 13th April 2010.
The programme for the workshop is now completed and the programme and abstracts for the papers that will be discussed during the meeting are available here.
For information on the commission, visit the website of the ICA Commission on Use and User Issues and to register to the workshop follow the instructions on the GISRUK2010 website.
Second workshop on geographic information usability – March 2010
21 December, 2009
In March 2009 Ordnance Survey together with the Human Factors group at the University of Nottingham, ran a workshop on the usability of geographic information. Bringing together a new grouping of researchers from across disciplines of Human Factors, HCI, Computer Science and Geographic Information Science, the aim of the workshop was to share perspectives on research challenges for investigating usability of data products – in particular geographic information products. In so doing we wished to help build an interdisciplinary network of contacts in this field and identify priority areas for further investigation.
Findings from the workshop were presented in a paper at AGI2009, and in a report which is available on the Ordnance Survey's website. These confirmed there is indeed a clear need to focus on usability of information, as well as on interfaces used to access information. Rationale centred on the fact that current research and established methodologies in the field of product usability focus on objects such as devices, and on computer interfaces, with not so much focus on usability of data products such as digital geographic information.
The March 2010 workshop
As with the 2009 workshop, this one day workshop aims to bring together people researching usability of data/information across different disciplines, including Human Factors, HCI, Computer Science, Geographic Information Science.
The objective will be to share case studies on theory and/or application of methods for investigating usability of data or information, in particular geographic data/ information.
We hope the workshop will:
- Identify theoretical frameworks and methodologies, through a range of case studies, for applying usability evaluation to data or information.
- Help to build further an interdisciplinary network of research contacts in this field
- Form the basis for a publication
If you would like to participate…
Please send a short position paper (around 1000 words), based on a case study where you have addressed issues of usability of geographic information, to the contact details below by 29th January 2010.
A workshop agenda and venue details will be sent once we have all position papers.
Support for reasonable travel and accommodation costs may be provided – if you may need assistance please contact me (details below).
Jenny Harding, Ordnance Survey Research
firstname.lastname@example.com Phone: +44 (0)23 8079 2052
This is call for papers for a workshop on methods and research techniques that are suitable for geospatial technologies. The workshop is planned for the day before GISRUK 2010, and we are aware of the clashes with the AAG 2010 annual meeting, CHI 2010 and the Ergonomics Society Annual Conference. However, if you would like to contribute to the book that the commission is developing but can't attend the workshop, please send an abstract and inform us that you can't attend.
In the near future I'll publish information about another workshop in March 2010 about the usability and Human-Computer Interaction aspects of geographical information itself – see the report from the Ordnance Survey workshop earlier in 2009.
So here is the full call:
Workshop on Methods and Techniques of Use, User and Usability Research in Geo-information Processing and Dissemination
Tuesday 13 April 2010 at University College London
The Commission on Use and User Issues of the International Cartographic Association (ICA) is currently working on a new handbook specifically addressing the application of user research methods and techniques in the geodomain.
In order to share experiences and interesting case studies a workshop is organized by the Commission, in collaboration with UCL, on the day preceding GISRUK 2010.
While there is growing awareness within the research community on the need to develop usability engineering and use and user research methods that are suitable for geographical and spatial information and systems, to date there is a lack of organized and documented experience in this area.
We therefore invite researchers with recent experience with use, user and usability research in the broad geodomain (cartography, GIS, geovisualization, Location Based Services, geographical information, GeoWeb etc.) to present a paper specifically focusing on the research methods and techniques applied, with an aim to develop the body of knowledge for the domain.
To participate, please send an abstract of 1 page A4 at maximum containing:
- A description of the research method(s) and technique(s) applied
- A short description of the case in which they have been applied
- The overall research framework
- Contact details and affiliation of the author(s)
We are also encouraging PhD researchers to submit paper proposals and share experiences from their research. At the workshop there will be ample time for discussing the application of user research methods and techniques. Good papers may be the basis for contributions to the handbook that is planned for publication in 2011.
Abstracts should be submitted on or before 1 December 2009 to the Chairman of the Commission Corné van Elzakker ( email@example.com )
Also see:
the website of the ICA Commission on Use and User Issues and the GISRUK2010 website
Interacting with Geospatial Technologies
8 October, 2009
At the end of September, the manuscript of 'Interacting with Geospatial Technologies' was submitted to John Wiley & Sons. This is the reason for the silence on this blog since July while the final chapters were written.
The book, which is an introduction to usability and Human-Computer Interaction aspects of GIS and other geospatial technologies, was written because there is no other recent book that covers these aspects while taking into account the special characteristics of geographical information and the extensive use of maps.
There were several books in the early 1990s dedicated to human factors of GIS or to cognitive aspects of these systems. Since then, there have been many published articles, but no easy-to-access summary of the outcomes in a way that is useful for developers or people who want to understand how to design more usable systems. So, while working on a paper that called for developing 'usability engineering for GIS' in 2005, I figured out that, actually, it was time to write an introductory text in this area. In the end, this is an edited textbook written by me together with a group of excellent collaborators: Jochen Albrecht, Clare Davies, Catherine Emma Jones, Robert Laurini, Chao Li, Aaron M. Marcus, Stephanie L. Marsh, Annu-Maaria Nivala, Artemis Skarlatidou, Carolina Tobón, Jessica Wardlaw and Antigoni Zafiri.
So the book provides an introduction to user-centred design and usability engineering from a geospatial technologies perspective, theoretical aspects of human understanding of space and collaborative systems, practical aspects of cartography and map design that are useful for developers and application designers, guidance for evaluating geospatial systems and some tips for designing desktop, Web and mobile based systems. Each chapter includes case studies and examples that make the material more concrete.
The book is scheduled to be out by March 2010. A lot of work went into writing the various chapters and ensuring that the content is covering all the needed elements to create a usable GIS – I hope that it will be useful!
At several recent GIS industry and academic conferences, I was not very surprised to see GIS presentations in which the presenter started by talking about 'usability enhancements' and 'we took usability very seriously in this application' but failed to deliver. In contrast to such statements, the application itself was breaking basic usability guidelines such as not giving any feedback to the user about some activity of the system, or grouping related elements together in the interface, among other problems.
Then I came across a report from 1991, which talks about User-Centred Graphical User Interface for GIS and notes that 'It is not unusual for more than 60% of the code in a complex software system to be dedicated purely to the user interface. This stands in sharp contrast to the 35% dedicated to the user interface in early GISs'. This is still true in spirit, if not in percentage. GIS applications require sophisticated data manipulation, and most of the development effort of GIS vendors or Open Source GIS projects is focused on the information itself and its manipulation. The interface is probably seen as an add-on – the 'fun' bit of the development that you leave to the end after cracking all the engineering challenges that make the application work.
What I would argue is that, as a result, GIS as an industry doesn't have a 'usability culture'. Compare that to Apple, where usability and interaction with users has been at the centre of what they are doing since they started. Or with e-commerce which also shows a 'usability culture' because, if you fail on usability, there is a direct link to loss of sales. These are examples of organisations and sectors who know that usability is important and commit resources to ensuring that their products are usable.
In contrast, in the GIS industry there is a feeling that usability is a 'nice to have' element of the development process, so there is no practice of involving usability experts in software development projects. There are relatively few examples of user-centred design in GIS, and they are mostly in research papers, very rarely in practice.
Neogeography is changing it somewhat, since parts of it are coming from companies and developers who see the value in understanding the users. Maybe the competition between the existing developers of GIS and neogeography companies will cause the former to change and they will become more serious about usability.