text:
Please enter a valid mileage
Curious about the newer model? Check out the 2014 Lotus Evora
By KBB.com Editors
Like a jumbo shrimp, the Evora is the biggest vehicle from British automaker Lotus. Though large by Lotus standards, the Evora is still a diminutive car by U.S. ones. Like the even smaller Elise and Exige that preceded it, the Evora excels at nimble handling vs. brute power. Unlike those past 2-seaters, the Evora can be had with a pair of rear seats, but they are best thought of as holders for parcels, not people. Compared to past Lotus sports cars, the Evora has a quieter interior and an improved ride. At nearly $70,000 and up, the Evora's minimalism isn't cheap. It comes with style and exclusivity, but also a smaller dealer network and far less frills than a Porsche Cayman, BMW M3 or Audi S5.
If your ideal sports car is a rear-wheel-drive exotic that does more with less, the Evora is worth a look. Though big by Lotus standards, the Evora is small, lightweight, extremely agile and even fuel efficient compared to bigger and more muscular rivals.
If you need to carry grown humans in the rear seat, desire the latest technology or seek accessibility to a vast dealer network, look beyond the Lotus Evora. The less expensive Porsche Cayman offers similar performance and a better ride, while the brawny BMW M3 and Audi S5 are more spacious.
After receiving an optional automatic transmission in 2012, the low-volume Lotus Evora carries over mostly unchanged for model year 2013.
Driving Impressions For those who love the thrill of racing on a track, the Lotus Evora is supremely satisfying. With its strong V6 propelling a lightweight body, the Evora is very quick,...hitting 60 mph in five seconds or less and supercharged Evora S models reaching that speed in the mid-4-second range. But the Evora embraces its character most when tackling twisty roads. Precision is the name of the game here. The Evora has an almost telepathic ability to respond to driver input. Steering feel is splendid, and the wheel provides constant and accurate feedback. Brake and throttle reaction are equally instantaneous. Unfortunately, the Evora's 6-speed manual transmission is a bit clunky and has long throws. The optional 6-speed automatic is smoother but far from the best out there. Potential Evora owners should know that getting in and out of the low vehicle requires acts of dexterity, and that rear blind spots are pronounced.
For this larger car, Lotus went with a larger engine, straying from the 4-cylinder units used in past cars. This V6 comes from Toyota and is a relative to the one used in America's best-selling car, the Camry. That's good news when it comes to reliability.
With its striking wedge-like profile, the 2013 Lotus Evora looks like nothing else on the road. Add to that the fact that Evoras are rare to begin with, and you get a car that's an immediate attention-grabber and conversation starter. Expect a prized spot in the valet line.
Judging by its tidy proportions, it should come as no shock that the Evora's cabin could euphemistically be called "cozy." Potential owners may want to practice yoga to get used to the bending required to enter and exit, but once inside, driver and front passenger will find well-bolstered leather Recaro seats. The Evora is available as a 2+2, but the rear seats are extremely cramped. Just consider it storage area. Up front, buttons for everything from seat heat to putting the car in drive are classy but, like the rest of the cabin, rather Spartan. A tiny rear window and thick pillars hinder visibility.
At about 171 inches in length, the 2012 Evora is large for a Lotus, but still small by U.S. car standards. For comparison, it's about eight inches shorter than a Honda Civic sedan. The Evora is low and wide, similar to the race cars that inspired it. Elongated headlight housings create visual drama up front even when the Evora's bright bi-xenon headlights are off. Large side air ducts sit directly behind each door, while the Evora's rear haunches extend to lend this little car a more muscular look. A built-in spoiler beautifully arcs across the rear end, bookended by circular taillights with built-in turn indicators.
The 2013 Evora's emphasis is on tearing up twisty roads, not coddling passengers with the latest creature comforts. That said, Evora owners won't feel totally deprived while ripping up asphalt. The Evora comes with leather-trimmed Recaro sport seats in front, Alpine AM/FM/CD player with iPod connectivity, AP Racing 4-piston brake calipers, and 18-inch wheels up front and 19-inch wheels in the rear. Performance-oriented Pirelli P-Zero tires are also standard issue for this corner-carver. Evora S models feature a Harrop supercharger for additional power, black door mirrors, and the Sport Pack with cross-drilled brakes and switchable Sport mode for quicker throttle response.
Upgrades for the 2013 Lotus Evora include the 2+2 configuration that adds a pair of tiny rear seats, a 6-speed automatic transmission, larger wheels, heated front seats, rearview camera, and several sport packages with visual and performance enhancements. A Tech Pack includes a navigation system, 7-inch touch-screen display, upgraded 100-watt audio system with DVD player, Bluetooth connectivity, cruise control and parking sensors.
All 2013 Lotus Evora models use a Toyota-sourced 3.5-liter V6. The regular Evora model's engine makes 276 horsepower, while the Evora S employs a supercharger that brings the pony count to a robust 345. All Evora models have a mid-engine, rear-drive layout. Top speed for the naturally aspirated Evora is 163 mph, while supercharged models max out at 178 mph. The optional 6-speed automatic transmission with Intelligent Precision Shift (IPS) increases fuel economy but slightly lowers acceleration time and top speed.
3.5-liter V6
276 horsepower @ 6,400 rpm
258 lb-ft of torque @ 4,600 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 18/26 mpg (manual), 20/28 mpg (automatic)
3.5-liter supercharged V6
345 horsepower @ 7,000 rpm
295 lb-ft of torque @ 4,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 17/26 mpg (manual), 19/28 mpg (automatic)
To compare current market prices, check out KBB.com's car classifieds to view the new and used Lotus Evora vehicles for sale near you.
Based on 3 Ratings for the 2010 - 2014 models.Review this car
By Evora S on Friday, January 11, 2013
I own this car - My approximate mileage is 6,500overall rating 9 of 10rating details
Pros: "An extremely well balanced chassis."
Cons: "A tricky entry and exit from the cabin !"
Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 9
"The Evora has an extremely competent chassis, fantastic braking and a beautifully designed composite exterior. Handling point to point is phenomenal, and on track will happily keep up with far more expensive counterparts. The interior, with premium and tech pack is a nicely appointed cabin. On the road it always generates lots of attention."
14 people out of 26 found this review helpful
Was this review helpful to you? yes | no | report abuse
By Lotus Driver on Monday, October 22, 2012
I own this car - My approximate mileage is 25,500overall rating 9 of 10rating details
Pros: "Most fun you can have in a car"
Cons: "seems a little cheap and rough around the edges"
Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 8
"I bought this car new in 2011, and take it out on the weekends. The S model not crazy fast, but it gets the job done. The handling is amazing. It is a little rough around the edges (fit and trim). But then I expected that in a handmade car. It is a little hard to get in and out, but comfortable to drive once you get in. The back seats hold a small suitcase, but no real person could sit in them. Overall though I love the car."
13 people out of 15 found this review helpful
Was this review helpful to you? yes | no | report abuse
By justaguy on Thursday, December 22, 2011
I own this car - My approximate mileage is 16,500overall rating 4 of 10rating details
Pros: "world-leading handling, looks, exclusivity"
Cons: "fit and finish, clutch issues, poor support"
Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 2
"Based on what I paid, the power is a little lacking. At $84k, the 4.9 sec 0-60 is underwhelming. Even worse, the S upgrade only takes the 0-60 time down by .3 seconds to 4.6 seconds. Anyway, the car has not held up as well as it should in the 18 months I've owned the car. I have had it in the shop about 6 times now for various fit and finish issues, and one major issue, which involved changing out the entire clutch, which took over 4 weeks to complete. It seems Lotus is very slow at providing parts to their US dealers for repairs. Yes the handling is superb, but there is more to this car than just that. Otherwise, I could spend 1/3 the money and gotten myself an Elise for ~30k. This is a true luxury automobile with a very comfortable, quiet ride and motor. I just wished the quality lived up to the price. From a value standpoint, this is the kind of car that must steal your heart in order to steal your wallet."
30 people out of 36 found this review helpful
Was this review helpful to you? yes | no | report abuse


text:
Remember Me
The Delphos Police were dispatched to the parking lot of Chief Supermarket at 1102 Elida Ave. at 2:53 p.m. Wednesday afternoon to take a report on a parking incident.Witness Tiffany Heidenescher reported that the vehicle driven by Robert Weber, 86, of Delphos, was pulling into a parking space beside the vehicle owned by Victoria Fisher, 55, of Delphos. While turning into the parking space, Weber failed to clear the bumper of the Fisher vehicle, which was unoccupied at the time, and the impact caused functional light damage to the left back bumper area.The Weber vehicle also sustained functional light damage to the right front bumper area.Weber was unaware that he had struck the Fisher vehicle.No citations were issued due to the accident occurring on private property.
Name (required)
E-mail (required)
Notify me of follow-up comments

subset: commoncrawl


text: eBayer z75sales is still opening boxes from the Mackey-Florence collection and still recording them! Recovered from the estate of a former Hasbro/Kenner engineer, this particular box (45 out of more than 100) features loose figures, including G1 and G2 Dinobots, a G2 Seaspray that doesn't seem to have color overspray on its chrome yet, G2 Protectobots, and a test shot for Hero Optimus Prime! Keep reading to see the video!


text: GALLERIES Hayden Panettiere Getty Images" data-filename="hayden-panettiere/picture-36.html" > Getty Images" data-filename="hayden-panettiere/picture-37.html" > Olivia Wilde Olivia Wilde Marcia Cross Marcia Cross Maggie Grace Maggie Grace Ellen Pompeo Ellen Pompeo Coming Next OR 0 37 Back to Top ▲ Hayden Panettiere Hayden Panettiere AskMen Editors Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Shares "If I can't flaunt it at 20, c'mon! I might as well show it now," said Hayden Panettiere about her nude scene in I Love You, Beth Cooper, in which she played -- drum roll -- a cheerleader. Even though we only saw a bare back and a bit of side boobage, Panettiere revealed that she was in fact naked during the scene. Whether we got to see it or not, Panettiere nude caused a serious stir on... Continue reading Hayden Panettiere's profile. Next Page gallery Julia Roberts Ryan Reynolds Hayden Panettiere Milo Ventimiglia Ali Larter Christina Ricci Dennis Hopper Comments Load Comments More Like This Promoted Best of the Web Special Features


text:
[Spelling Progress Bulletin, Fall 1982 pp15-20]
[See J16 Palantype]
SSS Conference 3: Spelling for Electronic Communication.
"Computer transliteration of shorthand,"
by Colin P. Brooks.*Dept. of Electronics, Univ. of Southampton, U.K.
Summary.This paper reviews the development of two specialised text processing techniques for computer transliteration of shorthand. It is concerned with the problem of trying to reconstruct automatically an ideal orthographic transcript from imperfect, phonetically-based, shorthand notes. This work forms an integral part of a project to allow a simultaneous transcript of almost verbatim speech to be presented to a post-lingually deaf audience.
The Family Welfare Association estimates that between 0.8 and 1.1 million Britons suffer a hearing loss sufficiently acute to be regarded as a social handicap. [1] Whilst many of these people manage remarkably well with a conventional hearing aid, there are still a considerable number for whom attending a public meeting, or watching a television programme, is either difficult or impossible. However, since a high percentage of these people are post-lingually deaf, having become deaf in later life, one way in which it is possible to help is to provide them with a simultaneous written transcript;of speech, such us subtitles on television. At the Dept. of Electronics, Southampton Univ., we have been investigating the problems of providing the deaf with a simultaneous written transcript: of speech for a number of years.
Unfortunately, there is a fundamental problem with speech transcription concerning the maximum speed at which it is possible to enter text into a machine. Speech varies greatly in speed, but normal conversation usually lies somewhere between 120 and 220 words per minute (wpm). A good typist, on the other hand, can normally only manage between 60 and 80 wpm, and may even have difficulty sustaining this speed over a prolonged period. Modern word processors considerably reduce typing effort, put they do not significantly improve on these figures for text input. The fact remains that it's usually not possible to type fast enough on a conventional QWERTY keyboard to keep up with verbatim speech.
Neither does automatic speech recognition provide a solution. Although theoretically attractive, simultaneous recognition of unconstrained speech is, as yet, impossible and is likely to remain so for some time. [2] [3]
Fortunately, there is an alternative. Numerous shorthand notations have been devised and used over the centuries to allow the verbatim recording of speeches, debates, and court proceedings. However; it would be of very little use simply to present a deaf person with a simultaneous shorthand transcript of a TV programme, for example. Ignoring any technical problems which might arise, most deaf people would be either unwilling or unable to learn what is, after all, a complex code based on a mixture of phonetic and graphemic principles. Instead, the deaf person requires a readable transcript presented in a reasonably familiar manner. In order to be simultaneous, such a transcript needs to be produced automatically.
Figure 1.
A Palantype shorthand machine.
2. Automatic transcription of shorthand.
During the course of our research, we have built a number of prototype shorthand transcription systems, each comprising an electric Palantype keyboard, microprocessor-based transcription unit and television monitor screen. [4] These systems allow a Palantypist to provide a simultaneous written transcript of speech on a television screen for deaf people to read. Two of these systems are in daily use by deaf businessmen, who find them of great benefit. [5]
Palantype machine shorthand is particularly suitable for this purpose because, being keyboard-based, it interfaces very conveniently to a computer. However, we have maintained our interest in other shorthand systems and, as part of a wider investigation into man-machine systems, we are currently exploring the feasibility of computer transcription of Pitman's handwritten shorthand. The translation techniques described in this paper were developed as part of this research, although the findings may be applied (at least in principle) to either shorthand notation. However, before going on to discuss the development of the translation processes in detail, let us review the essential principles of both of these shorthand systems.
Palantype machine shorthand [6] is a phonetically-based system in which groups of keys, representing a complete syllable, are pressed simultaneously to form a "chord." Words are represented by a number of chords, usually dependent on the number of stressed syllables within the word. The Palantype machine itself has a keyboard of 29 keys in a rather unusual layout, symmetrical about the centre (See figure 1). The keyboard divides naturally into three groups: a left hand group of 12 keys representing the initial syllabic consonants, a central group of 5 keys representing medial vowels, and a right hand group of 12 keys representing final syllabic consonants. As there are only 29 keys in total, a certain amount of coding is required in order to represent a sufficient number of phonemes. The output from the machine is in the form of a paper band on which each chord is printed on a separate line. Unlike an ordinary typewriter, the paper only moves vertically, and each key always causes an imprint in the same position horizontally across the line.
Figure 2 illustrates an example of Palantype output with its English equivalent. (The layout of the printed characters across the Palantype roll is shown at the top of the figure. Normally, the band would be about 6cm wide.)
Figure 2.
In contrast, Pitman's shorthand [7] [8] is undoubtedly one of the most commonly used shorthand notations in the world. It is another phonetically-based system in which the consonant 'kernel' of a word is represented by a sequence of simple, single-stroke, geometric shapes, such as straight lines or shallow curves. The vowel sounds, added only if time permits, are represented by dots of dashes written alongside the consonant symbols. In addition to the basic range of 40 phonemes, there are special symbols for orthographic features such as common prefixes, suffixes, and consonant digraphs, etc. In common with Palantype, very common words and phrases are represented by highly abbreviated symbols called short forms, and these tend to reduce the phonetic quality of the script, particularly at speed. Figure 3 illustrates a short sample of good quality Pitman's 2000 shorthand.
In comparison with machine shorthand, handwritten outlines are highly abbreviated and lack many of the finer details of the original words. Pitman's shorthand in particular emphasises the importance of the consonant kernel, often at the expense of disregarding vowels and unstressed syllables altogether. However, despite the comparatively poor quality of written shorthand notes, they do have a subjective advantage over their machine counterpart. On the whole, word boundaries are preserved, and this has a number of advantages in subsequent automatic processing and in readability of the final transcript. There is one other difference between these two systems. Although Pitman's shorthand allows verbatim transcription, provisional studies indicate that a speed of about 120 wpm will probably represent the upper limit for transcription by machine. Beyond that speed, outlines become too highly mutilated (both physically and linguistically) to be transcribed automatically.
Figure 3.
3. Text processing objectives.
One possibility originally considered was that of displaying the (recognised) shorthand outlines directly in some form of phonetic alphabet. This, of course, would alleviate the need for any sophisticated linguistic processing. A number of possible alphabets were considered, including the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) and the Initial Teaching Alphabet (ITA). As might be expected, ITA would suit Pitman's shorthand quite well, but, despite this, use of a conventional alphabet was selected because of overwhelming advantages. It is not impossible to electronically display an alphabet such as ITA, but it would require non-standard equipment which is considerably more expensive. Furthermore, since most existing public data transmission services (such as Teletext and Prestel) only allow display of a standard alphabet and rudimentary graphics, use of any different alphabet would prevent compatibility with these. More importantly though, there appears to be very little, if anything, to be gained from the deaf reader's point of view in deliberatly departing from a standard alphabet and traditional orthography.
The objectives of the linguistic processing system were thus established as follows:
a. To produce an ideally orthographic target script from the pseudo-phonetic source script,
b. To suppress, or at the very least, tolerate mutilations in the source script,
c. To produce a target script which can, within reason, be traced back to the original sources phonemes in the event of error,
d. To be computationally "cheap."
Two different methods of achieving these objectives were originally considered: these were' translation by dictionary lookup & transliteration by rule. (Transliteration is the name given to the process of conversion from a source script written in one alphabet to a target script written in another.) Each technique was found to have a number of advantages and disadvantages. Generally speaking, a dictionary based system has the advantage of a very high performance, but at the cost of being intolerant of error and computationally quite "expensive" to implement. Transliteration by rule, on the other hand, offers a lower performance, but one that is considerably "cheaper" to implement and more tolerant of error. (There is no danger of a mutilated outline being transformed into something entirely different by an erroneous dictionary match.)
In the current generation of transcription computer, we have chosen a compromise solution. A small dictionary is incorporated to deal with the most common words (which are usually short forms), but all other words are processed by spelling 'rule.' It is interesting that this is an approach also adopted by a number of spelling reformers in their proposed reforms.
4. Transliteration by rule.
To reiterate then, the transliteration procedure must govern the conversion of the pseudo-phonetic source script (the shorthand notation) into an ideally orthographic target script. The spelling 'rules' mentioned above must therefore reflect how best to represent a phoneme graphemically in any given situation, taking into account numerous factors such as the position of the phoneme and the conventions of the particular shorthand notation. The rules currently being developed also take into account the relative frequency of every possible graphemic representation of each phoneme. For simplicity, only the most common of the possible range of graphemes for each phonemes are considered. Each phoneme is assigned a specific set of transliteration rules; each member of that set relates to the transliteration of that phoneme in a particular contest. Phonetic context was chosen as the best means of distinguishing possible graphemic outcomes because of the inherent simplicity in comparison with other possible techniques and because studies indicate" that this may be one of the most important factors influencing phoneme-grapheme relationships.
By way of example, consider development of the set of rules relating to transliteration of the long /A/ vowel. Table I lists the range of possible graphemes for this phoneme, which number 16 in all. (This table also serves to illustrate another complication caused by working from an imperfect phonetic code such as shorthand. In practice, the Pitman /A/ vowel is actually used to represent two distinct phonemes corresponding to the vowel sounds of "hay" and "hair".) Many of these graphemic options occur comparatively infrequently (i.e. less than 2%) and so may he disregarded without significant loss. This leaves four possible graphemes, namely <a>, <a. .e >, < ai > and <ay>. A survey was performed of the most common words in English to determine in what circumstances /A/ would be spelt <a>, and when it would be spelt <a. .e>, etc. Words belonging to each category were grouped and any suitable spelling pattern isolated manually. An automatic technique for detecting spelling patterns would have been preferable, but this was not possible in the time available. However, the use of rhyming dictionaries and reference to the work of several spelling reformers aided the collection of an adequate number of examples of each grapheme [10] [11] [12] [13] Reference to a rank list of the most common words in English was also found particularly useful in this respect. [14] The resulting spelling patterns for the /A/ phoneme are listed in table 2. A similar set of rules have been isolated for every other phoneme in the Pitman shorthand alphabet.
The transliteration rules for the /A/ phoneme would be read as follows. Consider the first rule governing the grapheme < ay >. This rule would be read:
"If the /A/ phoneme is preceded by any phonetic consonant AND followed by a word boundary, THEN the /A/ phoneme is probably best represented by the grapheme <ay>"
This rule would thus be satisfied by the words "pay", "may" and "say." Similarly, the second rule would read: "If the /A/ phoneme is followed by the phonetic consonant /n/, which in turn is followed by any inflection or word boundary, THEN the /A/ phoneme is probably best represented by the grapheme <ai>."
This rule would thus be satisfied by the words "pain," "rain" and "training," for example. The other rules in this table would be read in an exactly analogous fashion. In the event that no specific context rule was satisfied, then the grapheme shown on the bottom line (label led context "else") would be output. Naturally, this should normally be the most common graphemic representation of the phoneme, and in this case is just <a>.
In addition to the groups of rules relating to the transliteration of specific phonemes, the overall process must also be sensitive to a number of the more 'general' rules of English spelling. [11] For example, the following spelling conventions have also been incorporated:
TABLE 1.This table illustrates the phoneme-grapheme correspondences expected for the Pitman long /A/ vowel (as used in "HAY" and "HAIR"). After Hanna et al., reference [9].
|mAbel / mAry
lAtE / cArE
rAIn / fAIr
fEtE / thErE
EAch / tEAr
rAIsE / questionnAIrE
cafE / sombrEro
vEIn / thEIr
thEY / EYrie
TABLE 2.This table lists the transliteration rules for the Pitman long /A/ vowel.
|Phonetic context
|A,(word boundary)
A,N,(inflection or boundary)
A,D>2,(word boundary)
A,D<3,(word boundary)
A,(consonant; but NOT N or D),(NO vowel)
(a) The addition of a silent 'e' following a final consonant preceded by a long vowel, such as occurs in "cake" "like" and "mute."
(b) The removal of a silent 'e' before the 'ing' and 'ed' inflections, such as occurs in "taped" and "taping." (c) The doubling of a final consonant following a short vowel and preceding the 'ing' and 'ed' inflections, as in "map", "mapping" and "mapped."
The overall translation process thus operates in this manner. Working with a word at a time, the transcription computer sequentially examines each of the phonemes in the shorthand outline. For each of these phonemes, it attempts to match the context in the shorthand outline with one of the context rules listed in transliteration tables like the one in Table 2. If the context in the outline matches one of the listed context rules, then the grapheme recommended by that rule is used. If no specific rule is matched, then the phoneme is simply represented by the most common grapheme for that phoneme. Meanwhile, the computer also checks to determine whether any more general spelling rules are applicable, and if so, takes the necessary action. This process continues sequentially for each of the phonemes within the source text until the whole outline has been transliterated.
At present, over 100 context rules have been isolated for the Pitman notation. Work is currently in progress to develop a similar system for Palantype shorthand, but in this case, it is necessary to preceed the transliteration process with some means of accurately locating word boundaries. Many of the transliteration rules rely on word boundary information to determine the most appropriate grapheme for a given grapheme. The rules are still provisional, and much more work needs to be done to achieve the best compromise between overall complexity, accuracy and tolerance to error when working from real shorthand outlines.
5. Vowel marker insertion.
As already mentioned, an additional problem when working from a Pitman transcript is that the outlines are often vowel deficient; non-essential vowels are omitted in order to increase recording speed. Hence, it was also necessary to develop some means of automatic 'vowel insertion' in order to improve the readability of the final transcript.
The principle of operation of the vowel insertion scheme is quite simple. Every pair of adjacent consonants that have a low probability of occurence in everyday English are split, and a generalised vowel marker sign (currently a "+") inserted. The insertion of such a marker merely denotes that it is likely that the stenographer left out a vowel character in that position from the original outline. It is not possible to reliably insert a specific vowel, except perhaps in the case of final silent 'e'. Although experiments have not been done by the author, a number of related experiments by psychologists interested in reading" imply that this technique should improve readability by helping to restore the correct word 'shape.'
In order to achieve the best possible performance from this technique, the insertion process has been devised to reflect the different initial, medial and final vowel structures common in English words. Special attention is given to consonant digrams which occur near word boundaries, as psycho-linguists believe [16] that word boundaries play a particularly important role in reading. To this end, contextual sensitivity is achieved by having not one, but five vowel insertion lookup tables. Each table summarises exactly which consonant digrams are permitted and which must be split in a given situation. The tables are the result of analysis of the most common vowel structures in written English, and in the prototype system, are arranged to split all digrams with a probability of occurence of less than about 40% in everyday English. Figure 4 illustrates the effect of the vowel insertion process on a small passage of vowel deficient text.
Figure 4.An example of the effect of the vowel insertion process on a highly mutilated passage of English, in which all vowels in words of two or more consonants were first deleted and then automatically re-inserted.
Original Text:
This is a short demonstration to illustrate the effect of the vowel insertion process on a short passage of highly mutilated English. As can be seen, although it is normally only possible to insert a generalised vowel marker symbol, this does appear to improve readability.
Mutilated version:
Ths is a shrt dmnstrtn to Ilstrt th ffct of th vwl nsrtn prcss on a shrt pssg of hghly mtld nglsh. As cn be sn, lthgh it is nrmlly nly pssbl to nsrt a gnrlsd vwl mrkr symbl, the ds ppr to mprv rdblty.
Vowel Inserted Version:
Th+s is a sh+t d+m+nstrt+n to +ll+strt th +ff+ct of th v+wl +ns+rt+n pr+c+ss on a sh+rt p+ss+ge of h+gh+ly m+tl+t+d +ngl+sh. As c+n be s+n, l+th+gh it is n+rm+lly +nly p+ss+ble to +ns+rt a g+n+rl+s+d v+wl m+rk+r symble, th+s d+s +pp+r to+mp+rve r+d+bl+ty.
Figure 5.A. The result obtained by transliteration of a 'good' phonetic transcript of the text is shown in Figure 3. The words shown in brackets are short forms and would normally be processed by dictionary.
(This iz an) eksmple (ov) pitmns hnd ritn shrthnd. Work (iz) currently (in) progress (tue) determin whether computer transcription (ov this) skript (iz possble). Sow far (thu) main problm seams (tue be) relliable rcomnsion (of the) shorthand outlns.
B. The result obtained by transliteration and subsequent vowel insertion of the shorthand notes are shown in Figure 3 after simulated recognition. The words shown in brackets are short forms and would normally be processed by dictionary and therefore appear correctly spelt in this transcript.
(This is on) egs+mple (of) p+tm+ns h+nd r+t+n sh+rth+nd. Wrk (is) c+r+ntly (in) progrs (to) d+trm+n wh+ther computer tr+nskr+ption (of this) skr+pt (is possible). So far (the) main pr+bl+m s+ms (to be) reli+bee r+nd+sion (of the) sh+rth+nd outl+nes.
6. Performance of the transliteration procedures.
The performance of the two text processing techniques described in this paper are illustrated in Figure 5. The first paragraph, Figure 5a, was obtained by transliteration of a 'good' quality phonetic transcript of the passage shown in Figure 3. A stenographer was asked to write out this text as accurately as possible in the Pitman alphabet, as if writing full shorthand outlines. As can be seen, the resulting transcript is highly readable and compares quite well with the original, despite the fact that some vowels are still missing. A transcript approaching this quality should be possible from Palantype machine shorthand provided that word boundaries can be accurately determined by some other means.
The second paragraph, Figure 5b, was obtained by transliteration and subsequent vowel insertion of the shorthand notes written by the same stenographer, also shown in Figure 3. In order to remove any possible effects of machine error, the shorthand outlines were recognised manually. This transcript is distinctly more difficult to read, but by no means impossible. However, a number of causes of error are clearly evident. Possibly the most serious of these errors is that caused by excessive abbreviation or syncopation of the outline as in the case of "rension" for "recognition." Here, the effect of the error is emphasised because "rension" is seemingly a reasonable word. There is little that can be done about this category of error except to encourage the stenographer to be as accurate as possible; accurate transcription of the beginning of a word is particularly important. Another problem evident in Figure 5b occurs when a transliteration error also induces a vowel insertion error. In particular, vowel insertion errors about a word boundary (as in "+sk+ript" for "script") can cause serious difficulty. In the future, a single text processing technique implementing both transliteration and vowel insertion on a phonetic level may help to reduce this type of error.
Conclusion.This paper has discussed the development of two specialised text processing techniques for computer transliteration of shorthand notes. The problems encountered during this research were found to be similar to those experienced by spelling reformers searching for a logical spelling strategy for written English. In this case, however, the task was complicated by the use of an imperfect phonetic script such as shorthand. Although it was not possible to satisfy all of the original objectives, it was possible to devise a transliteration scheme which produces a readable, if not orthographic, transcript of the original shorthand. Further research is expected to improve the performance of these techniques but will never enable traditional orthography to be produced completely automatically. However, practical experience shows that, at least in some applications, an 'imperfectly' spelt transcript can be quite acceptable.
Acknowledgements.I am grateful to Mrs. Tina Hearn for her interest in this project and for her willingness to test the transcription system.
1. "Guide to Social Services, 1976", Family Welfare Association, Macdonald and Evans, London, 1976.
2. Newell, A.F., "Can speech recognition machines help the deaf?", The Teacher of the Deaf, v. 72, no. 428, Nov. 1974, pp. 367-374.
3. Underwood, M.J., "Machines that understand speech," Radio and Electronic Engineer, v. 47, nos. 8-9, Aug.-Sept. 1977, pp. 368-376.
4. Downton, A.C., "Speech transcription as a communication aid for the deaf," Child: care, health and development, v. 5, 1979, pp. 41-48.
5. Hayward, G., "Palantype in the office," Hearing, May-June, 1978, pp. 104-108.
6. The Palantype Manual, obtainable from the Palantype Organization, London.
7. Pitman Shorthand, new course, New Era Edition, Pitman Publishing Co.
8. Pitman 2000 Shorthand, First Course, Pitman Pub. 1975.
9. "Phoneme-grapheme correspondences as cues to spelling improvement," Hanna, P.R., Hanna, J.S., Hodges, R.E., Rudorf Jnr, E.H., Washington, D.C., U.S. Gov't. Printing Office, 1966.
10. Horn, R., "Phonetics and Spelling," Elementary School Journal, May, 1957, pp. 424-432.
11. Vallins, G.H., Spelling, Andre Deutsch, 1954.
12. Wijk, A., Regularized English, Almqvist and Wiksell, Stockholm, 1959.
13. Walker, J., Rhyming Dictionary of the English Language - in which the whole language is arranged according to its terminations, Geo. Rutledge & Sons, London, 1890.
14. Kucera, H., Francis, W.N., Computational Analysis of Present Day American English, Brown Univ. Press, 1967.
15. Pillsbury, W.B., "A study in apperception," American Journal of Psychology, v. 8, no. 3, Apr. 1897.
16. Brunet, J.S., O'Dowd, D., "A note on the informativeness of parts of words," Language and Speech, v. l, 1958, pp. 98-101.
17. Thorndike, E. L., Teacher's Word Book of 20,000 Words. New York: Columbia Teachers' College, 1931-2 187 pp.
Back to the top.


text:
- Home
- News
- Is Justice Kennedy a 'cultural dinosaur'? He admits Lady Gaga confusion, but likes law prof blogs
U.S. Supreme Court
Is Justice Kennedy a 'cultural dinosaur'? He admits Lady Gaga confusion, but likes law prof blogs
Posted Oct 11, 2013 7:32 AM CDT
By Debra Cassens Weiss
Justice Anthony M. Kennedy isn't as attuned to popular culture as Justice Antonin Scalia, who recently told New York magazine he once watched an episode of Duck Dynasty and owns some Seinfeld DVDs.
During an interview on Monday at the University of California Washington Center, Kennedy said he doesn't watch television, other than an occasional film on Turner Classic Movies, the Wall Street Journal Law Blog (sub. req.) reports. "My grandchildren and my children think I'm a cultural dinosaur," he said.
Kennedy recalled being in a store over the holidays last year, when he overheard someone say, "What was Lady Gaga talking about?'' His response: "That's not a nice thing to call that lady."
Kennedy does like blogs, however, he told the Wall Street Journal interviewer in this exchange:
"Q: Chief Justice John Roberts, among others, has criticized law reviews for publishing articles on obscure subjects that offer little assistance to the bar and bench. I understand you agree—but have found a substitute.
"A: Professors are back in the act with the blogs. Orin Kerr, one of my former clerks, with criminal procedure [and] the Internet area, Mike Dorf, Jack Goldsmith. So the professors within 72 hours have a comment on the court opinion, which is helpful, and they are beginning to comment on when the certs are granted. And I like that.
"Q: So you're reading blog posts after cert grants?
"A: I have my clerks do it, especially with the ones when we've granted cert, to see how they think about what the issues are."
The interviewer also asked Kennedy whether law school should be shortened to two years. "I think the cost factor has to be addressed," Kennedy said, but "I don't think the right way to address it is to shorten the curriculum [which provides] the foundation for what I call the language of the law, the language that lawyers speak to each other."
Add a Comment
We welcome your comments, but please adhere to our comment policy. Flag comment for moderator.


text:
MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) - A man who says he was just trying to do a good deed is now recovering from an accident he can't remember.
That man offered to give drive the someone he just met to Walmart Friday morning from a gas station parking lot on Third Avenue South.
About half way to their destination, the passenger presented a knife and tried to rob the victim, who struggled with him for the knife until the car crashed near the intersection of Pine Island Road and Robert Grissom Parkway.
The incident report from Myrtle Beach Police says the driver was woken up by police and sirens in his wrecked vehicle, but the suspect was nowhere to be found. The man could not remember if anything had been taken from him, but the report notes he had a deep laceration on his chin and a swollen lip.
The suspect was described as a slim black male with lots of facial hair, between 30 and 40 years old. Anyone with information about this crime is asked to call Myrtle Beach Police as soon as possible.
Copyright 2013 WMBF News. All rights reserved.
Click for more mugshots See "Horry County's Most Wanted" More>>
918 Frontage Road East
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
(843) 839-9623
FCC Public File
EEO Report
Closed Captioning


text:
Post by Eorl @ 11:10am 02/01/13 | 5 Comments
For those of you looking at trying out the online portion of the previous sports titles in the '11 series, EA has revealed (via GameInformer) that the servers will be shutting down on January 11th, leaving nine titles without multiplayer aspects.
EA has also announced that not just the sports titles will be getting their online cut, but popular title The Sims 2 will have its online service turned off on January 14th. January 19th will also see iOS title Trenches 2 get switched to off mode as well.
EA has assured those still playing the titles (or looking to purchase a copy) affected that the offline portion will still be accessible.
Posted 11:12am 02/1/13
Posted 11:15am 02/1/13
Posted 11:27am 02/1/13
Posted 06:27pm 02/1/13
Posted 06:44pm 02/1/13
5 Comments


text:
What's better on a hot summer day than a banana split? How about a banana split cupcake? These cupcakes are loaded with all of the flavors you know and love from the ice cream treat – bananas (of course) plus chocolate, strawberry, pineapple, and nuts. They're piled high with whipped cream and topped with chocolate sauce, chopped nuts, sliced bananas, and a cherry. Like the ice cream treat, these cupcakes can easily be shared and are best eaten with a spoon.
Banana Split Cupcakes
Yield: 18 cupcakes
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
½ cup strawberry yogurt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup mashed bananas (about 2 bananas)
½ cup macerated strawberries
½ cup dried pineapple, loosely chopped
½ cup chocolate chips
½ cup walnuts, loosely chopped
Preheat oven to 350º F.
Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl.
Mix in eggs, yogurt, flour, and baking soda.
Stir in bananas, strawberries, pineapple, chocolate chips, and walnuts.
Fill cupcake liners ¾ full.
Bake for twenty-five minutes or until the tops bounce back when lightly touched.
Banana Whipped Cream Frosting
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 over-ripe banana, mashed*
Chocolate syrup, to taste
½ cup walnuts, loosely chopped
½ cup bananas, thinly sliced
18 cherries, pitted
*A non-ripened banana can be used by microwaving it for 45 seconds (or until it is soft but not liquid), then letting it return to room temperature.
Whip heavy whipping cream and sugar until light and fluffy.
Mix in bananas until just combined.
Frost cupcakes.
Drizzle with chocolate syrup.
Top with walnuts, banana slices, and a cherry.
Stefani Pollack is the author of the popular cupcake blog, Cupcake Project. While she loves simple chocolate cupcakes, Stefani prefers creative cupcakes inspired by her favorite flavor combinations. She encourages her readers to branch out and experiment in the kitchen. Why cupcakes? They bring out the kid in us! Visit Stefani at www.cupcakeproject.com.
its good
By Anonymous on May 31, 2012
Made these today-most amazing cupcakes I've ever done. The frosting alone was incredible and I ate it by the spoonfull! Loved that you could taste each ingredient in the cupcake and none were overpowering, all went together perfectly. Incredible!!!
By Emily on June 25, 2011
omg!!! i think this is going on my recipe pages i didnt taste it yet but i will i comment after i do it!!! i know its gonna rock my tastebuds! lol
By christine on June 01, 2011
I love your recipes Paula. There are so many can't decide which is my favorite. I made these Babnana Split Cupcakes for Mothers Day. They were so rich and so dellicious. I never thought of mashing bananas into the heavy cream. The icing was flavorful, and totally different from the average frosting. Not as sweet as the buttercream- a perfect topping. Thanks for another great recipe.
By jamie at creative-cupcake-recipes.net on May 14, 2011
I could not get the icing to thicken up at all. I don't know what I did wrong :( I haven't tasted them yet because I got on here to see if anybody else had problems with the icing. Im gonna have to just go buy some icing real quick so I can finish them.
By Jessi on April 23, 2011
These were good but not great. They were more like a banana nut muffin than a cupcake. They were dense like a muffin is and not light like a cupcake would be. The whipped topping with banana was wonderful. Most likely will not make again but we will eat the "muffins" that were made.
By Amie Sullivan on September 30, 2010
This is such a beautiful cupcake. Excellent image!
By Mei Teng on July 18, 2010
These aren't Paula's… they're Stefani Pollack's from "The Cupcake Prjoect." I ADORE her work, check out her blog: www.cupcakeproject.com
(you all really should read the Byline…)
By Katii on July 17, 2010
Looks great!
By kathy kneedler on July 13, 2010
I made these this past weekend and they were a hit. I have been trying out different recipies for an upcoming birthday party and I think that these will be the perfect addition/ centerpiece for that occasion. The taste was magnificient! And the whipped topping was the perfect icing on the cake I have ever made. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
By Melissa on July 12, 2010
thank you for providing this wonderful receipe of Paula Deens- Banana Split cupcakes…they sound so delicious and cant wait to make….hopefully for a picnic coming up….thanks again wendy hope
By wendy hope on July 11, 2010
You are my HERO Paula…As a southern cook myself I admire you and your love for " REAL butter" only the southern cooks really get what that sweet taste of butter does for a dish! I'm so glad I found your website! I didn't honestly know you had one..
Much love—robin from SC
By RobinDSC on July 09, 2010
Oh my gosh, my teeth hurts just looking at the pictures, but oh I bet it is so good though, might try to make some for my little girls birthday party in a few weeks, she will be 5, and I havent known a 5 year old that didnt love cupcakes or anything sweet,, Love your show,,,
By Angela Hambric on July 08, 2010
I thought this was a buttercream frosting at first. I've been looking for that real creamy buttercream recipe. Does anyone have it?
Thanks much!!!
By Betty on July 08, 2010
My husband, Harold,? Could,if I let him, ha.ha.eat a Banana Split every night! I think he will love these. Thank You for all the GREAT food recipes you provide for the world! I love your personality also! If I am down/blue.? YOU make my day…Thanks.
By Lori Gebert on July 08, 2010
Can not wait to try these cupakes! I love your show.
By jewell littleton on July 08, 2010
I am so gonna make these this weekend. We make a banana split cake that is unbelievable. So we have to try this one. Thanks Paula.
By Jamie M Shaffer on July 08, 2010
WOW! This is perfect. I'm having a luncheon this Saturday with a group of ladies and I think this would be a perfect dessert! Thank you so much for all of your great ideas Paula!
By Connie on July 08, 2010
Over the 4th I made the Savannah Strawberry Tall Cake but,I changed the filling,I cooked 2 cups of pineapple juice,2 eggs,1/4 cup of flour and 1 cup of sugar until thick like pudding and left cool then I whipped up a box of dream whip and folded the pineapple mixture to the dream whip . The pineapple topping and strawberries were a wonderful combo everyone loved it.
By Glenna Rudy on July 08, 2010
Paula,they sound so good I will try them for my great grand kids i think they will love them.I love watching you on TV.
By Joyce Girdner on July 08, 2010
Love your recipes Paula you are awesome keep them coming
By Joanne Cassell on July 08, 2010
My Recipe Box | Log in to view
Join the Deen Family for a Book Signing at The Lady & Sons from 10 am to 12 pm.
The event is free; 350 wristbands to be distributed starting at 9 am.
Come see Paula's live show at the Alabama Theatre in Birmingham, AL and get a heaping helping of Paula's recipes, and some good old-fashioned fun and laughter!
Tickets available from Ticketmaster here!
Sponsored by Springer Mountain Farms.
Come see Paula's live show at the Times Union Center for Performing Arts in Jacksonville, FL and get a heaping helping of Paula's recipes, and some good old-fashioned fun and laughter!
Tickets available from Ticketmaster here!
Sponsored by Springer Mountain Farms.


text:
Wolf corrects statement on missing soldiers from Korean War
"At least 8,000 American servicemen are still listed as POW/MIA on North Korean soil," Wolf said in a November 1 news release. The Defense Department's estimates a similar number of missing soldiers from the Korean War, but believes almost one-third of them are not in North Korea.
By Sean Gorman :: Published on Tuesday, November 29th, 2011 at 01:41 p.m.
We want to hear your suggestions and comments. For tips or comments on our campaign promise database, please e-mail the Obameter. If you are commenting on a specific promise, please include the promise number. For comments about our Truth-O-Meter or Flip-O-Meter items, please e-mail the Truth-O-Meter. We're especially interested in seeing any chain e-mails you receive that you would like us to check out. If you send us a comment, we'll assume you don't mind us publishing it unless you tell us otherwise.
Keep up to date with Politifact National:
- Sign up for our e-mail (about once a week)
- Put a free PolitiFact widget on your blog or Web page
- Subscribe to our RSS feeds
- Follow us on Twitter
- Fan us on Facebook


text:
Il Fornaio - Corte Madera
- Address:
223 Corte Madera Town Center
Corte Madera, CA 94925Neighborhood:
Corte Madera
- Cuisine:
ItalianPrice: $31 to $50
Il Fornaio - Corte Madera
- Dining Style: Casual Dining
- Website: http://www.ilfornaio.com/
- Phone: 4159274400x
- Hours of Operation:
Monday - Thursday: 11:30am - 10:00pm; Friday: 11:30am - 11:00pm; Saturday: 9:00am - 11:00pm; Sunday: 9:00am - 10:00pm
- Payment Options: AMEX,Diners Club,Discover,MasterCard,Visa
- Cuisine: Italian, Mediterranean, Pizzeria
- Executive Chef: CJ Snyder
- Dress Code: Smart Casual
- Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
- Additional Details: Banquet/Private Rooms, Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Counter Seating, Fireplace, Full Bar, Gluten-free Menu, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking Restaurant, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Personal wines welcome (corkage fee applies), Private Room, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
A word from Il Fornaio - Corte Madera
Il Fornaio means "the Baker" in Italian. This award-winning restaurant offers an authentic and unique Italian dining experience. Specialties include wood-fired rotisserie and grilled meats, poultry and game; housemade pastas; pizzas from an oak wood burning oven; fresh salads and housemade soups; a wide variety of desserts; and fresh baked bread made daily from scratch. Winner of the annual Wine Spectator Award of Excellence since 2002.Continued
Foodspotting photosSee all photos
Awards voted by OpenTable diners
- Diners' Choice WinnerItalian
- Diners' Choice WinnerGreat for Brunch
- Diners' Choice WinnerGreat for Lunch
Il Fornaio - Corte Madera - Best Restaurants in Corte Madera ›
Il Fornaio - Corte Madera reviews from OpenTable diners
163 reviews since May 6, 2014
- Food4.1Service4.3
- Ambiance4.1Noise LevelModerate
great for lunch (75)neighborhood gem (72)special occasion (68)good for groups (61)great for brunch (53)fit for foodies (53)romantic (31)kid-friendly (31)great for outdoor dining (25)notable wine list (25)vibrant bar scene (22)hot spot (9)late-night find (9)scenic view (2)Show More
- Love this restaurantchrisDined on 8/30/2014I love eating here! Delicious food, lots of great choices, wonderful special seasonal regional Italian menus, great service, really nice people working here, lovely atmosphere. This restaurant is Solid. I have chosen to eat here hundreds of times through the years for brunch, lunch or dinner. In all those visits, very rarely was service or food not totally up to par... less than a handful of times. The only thing I miss is that during the recession they discontinued serving their awesome homemade breadsticks in the yummy bread basket. I wish they would bring the breadsticks back! They were the best I ever had.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- GfanVIPDined on 8/29/2014Very good and attentive service, food is very good and priced right, reasonably priced and varied wine listSpecial Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Always a good choice for LunchPJfrmSoCalVIPDined on 8/21/2014Very Good Lunch! Very Nice Atmosphere! Great Service! I will go back there when I am in Marin County on business.Special Features:
- DisappointedOpenTable Diner Since 2009Dined on 8/17/2014Went for a Sunday brunch. The restaurant was not at all crowded, but service was slow and food was not hot enough when it arrived. We had to ask three times to get a simple hot tea.
- very averageFoodieInTrainingDined on 8/16/2014In such a foodie city, there were very average standards for a high price. For example, the omlette that I order (smoked salmon and goat cheese) was about the smallest omlett I have ever seen. I would say 1.5 eggs (maybe were used). The "exotic fruit tray" which is ten bucks, has only melons, two strawberries, and two small pieces of not ripe mange. We were very disappointment. To top it off our waiter knew almost nothing about the bar. I asked what the well vodka was and not only did he not know, but he put the order in, when that wasn't my question. Then I recieved a 10 dollar drink in a small 3 ounce glass with no straw.. come on Il Fornaio! for corporate headquarters being in the same mall, this should NOT happen. Get it together!
- PleasanthikerDined on 8/14/2014We enjoyed a pleasant evening at this restaurant. The service was somewhat slow and inattentive but as it was very busy, I'm sure the waiter was doing his best to keep up! The food was good and the ambience bustling.Special Features:
- Il Fornaio Corte MaderahungrybertDined on 8/14/2014Lived in town when Il Fornaio opened and it became my favorite in Marin. I live in Sonoma county now, so when I do get back to Il Fornaio it is like seeing an old friend. On this dinner I had the best lamp chops I have had. Cooked to perfection with just enough seasoning so to let the taste of the lamb come through. The server was attentive and knowledgeable. We sat outside on the enclosed patio. The noise level was very low which added to the ambiance. I highly recommend Il Fornaio to anyone who values great food and service.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Dr. Roberto HarocereberalDined on 8/14/2014The ambience and location for Il Fornaio in Corte Madera is excellent. Service is friendly and efficient, and servers very helpful. The food is always very well prepared and served with great attention to detail and appeal.Special Features:
- TheBestDined on 8/4/2014Il Fornaio is a consistently excellent dining experience. Definitely the go-to-place for lunch or dinner, starting at 11:30am and serving straight through until night closing. You will not be disappointed.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Used to be better!MimiDined on 8/3/2014My husband and I ordered to split the ravioli and then the duck. Both the pasta and duck were brought at the same time - an unfortunate lack of sequence because one or the other got cold. The same was true for our guests who also split plates. The duck was difficult to eat, especially without a sharp knife, and the texture was tough and not savory. We sat outside which was very pleasant, but an indoor party was very demanding of, and even shouting at our good-intentioned waiter which made it very difficult for him. The spinach salad and asparagus salads were very good, but on the whole it was not the finest dining experience.
- OpenTable Diner Since 2013Dined on 8/2/2014I enjoy Il Fornaio restaurants but the service at this location is terrible. I always enjoy our lunch but don't expect much in the way of service.Special Features:
- Warm and DeliciousRegularPlaceVIPDined on 7/30/2014Three of us went for a special occasion. The food was warm and flavorful. I had a delicious grilled fish with fabulous couscous. It was so satisfying! We will return.Special Features:
- OpenTable Diner Since 2010Dined on 7/27/2014as usual the staff makes the restaurant. and all in this establishment were outstanding. Management should take care not to lose anyone. A delightful and great evening. We will be back.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Birthday dinnerBigAlVIPDined on 7/26/2014Went here to celebrate a birthday. In my opinion, this is the best Italian restaurant in Marin County. Great service and the food was outstanding.Special Features:
- nightingaleDined on 7/19/2014Service was slow; however, we were in no hurry. The soup had to be sent back as it was "cold". The rest of the meal was okay. Had to ask for additional water, bread, etc. But, we still enjoyed ourselves.Special Features:
- SlippingMikeVIPDined on 7/19/2014Have eaten here for over a decade and feels like the food is slipping. Our waiter was good but the bus boy was not. The hostess informed my daughter she was putting a tampon in while in the restroom with her. Not very appropriate and informed my wife sooner or later she will hear about it after she commented, my daughter is 6. Net/net management has work to do here and won't be coming backSpecial Features:
- again outstandingRagsVIPDined on 7/18/2014The specialty menu from venezia was tasty and interesting. we liked the heirloom tomato salad specialty delicious w tasty but not over the top marinade. Petrale excellent as was the pasta Bigoli.Special Features:
- OpenTable Diner Since 2005VIPDined on 7/18/2014always a nice lunch with great service. Owner is terrific.....warm and friendly. Food very goodSpecial Features:
- continued Feste enjoymentbobnbobDined on 7/17/2014This was our latest outing with the Feste Regionale experience and it was the best yet, esp. the petrale sole. Splendid menu and splendid preparation.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Great evening.bebeDined on 7/17/2014Enjoyed the additional menu choices for that night. Service was great, and we all enjoyed our food choices. Looking forward to trying the new monthly menu nights.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Love the ambiencePATRICIADined on 7/13/2014This is our favorite restaurant for the salmon entree. It is the best prepared salmon we have ever had, and we love sitting in a booth by the bar to people watch! The staff , and management are always friendly , kind , helpful and respectful!:-)Special Features:
- We love this restaurant !PATRICIADined on 7/11/2014We like to sit in a booth in the front to people watch while enjoying our favorite grilled salmon!Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- S ZaslavKukanaVIPDined on 7/11/2014My business go-to restaurant. Easy access and food is always good.Special Features:
- Blue MoonBobbinumber1VIPDined on 7/10/2014The food and service was terrific, as usual. Noise level a little higher due to more children than usual, but a very enjoyable experience, once again.Special Features:
- arkangelDined on 7/5/2014Food terrific and cooked perfectly. Service very good, as usual. It has a very elegant feeling to the room by the patio.Special Features:
- ThunderDined on 7/2/2014Good food, good service what else should you expectSpecial Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- KathleenVIPDined on 6/26/2014There were seven of us and I believe that most of us liked the food. Unfortunately, my seafood dish, Griliata Pesce Misto was over cooked. It was unfortunate, because the dish could have been spectacular. The waiter was gone most of the time and took a very long time showing up to the table. We ordered wine and it took forever to get it. The service had a lot to be desired. I was disappointed but my friends were a delight to dine with.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- OpenTable Diner Since 2010Dined on 6/26/2014Good food and good service...great for birthday celebrations.Special Features:
- A favoriteChapeauVIPDined on 6/24/2014Great location, easy parking, consistently good, excellent options (dining room booths or tables, eat in bar at tables or at bar, on indoor terrace or outside tables...or my favorite, at counter watching food being prepared. Great place to meet for a drink.Special Features:
- OpenTable Diner Since 2009Dined on 6/21/2014At Il Fornio we always get great service, food is always really tasty with a nice spin making it not the usual Italian fare. The wine selection by the glass has much verity to choose from, the by the bottle list is quite extensive and we have enjoyed many really nice glasses and bottles of wine there. Great for lunch as well as dinner. A solid dependable place to bring family, friends and clients.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Happy CustomersMinimoeDined on 6/15/2014Always a favorite for special occasions, like Mother's Day, this was a Father's Day gathering of 5 plus a toddler. A quiet glass of wine at the bar before the party arrived, proved that the house Chianti was delicious and we stuck with that for the entire meal. Most of us choose the special Sicilian menu, as it was the last day on the menu. No one was disappointed. It was delicious. Moist fish, tender lamb, a soup to die for! Our waiter did his part to make the meal flow seamlessly. The noise level rose as the diners multiplied but doesn't it always? During the week, when we've dined as just a couple, it was quiet and romantic. I hope the Sicilian menu comes back soon but we won't wait for it. Il Fornaio is a gem.Special Features:
- Good Father's Day BrunchLoveToBrunchDined on 6/15/2014We wanted to celebrate Father's Day near San Rafael and lucked out with this restaurant. We ordered from the Brunch menu and the food was very good. If we had gone there later in the day, the main menu looked great too. The menus have a large selection and the food had a unique taste to it. I got the poached eggs with crab cakes and spinach. If we had gone for dinner, maybe the grilled salmon would be my selection. Anyway, the food was a bit rich, but great for Father's Day. We are glad they had tables available with only a few days notice. We got lost on the way there because there are two streets with almost the same name in Corte Madera. It is on the street in the large shopping center very close to the freeway.Special Features:
- BTBT4UDined on 6/14/2014One of the best in Marin. The menu was very complete and interesting. The food was fabulous. And best of all the service was great. Our food server was very knowledgeable friendly and funny. We had a great time.Special Features:
- Special Menu continues to pleaseRagsVIPDined on 6/14/2014Special menu featuring Sicily included a 1/2 lobster, mussels and shrimp on a bed of pasta. outstanding and reasonably priced. the spumoni dessert was also great.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Food fell down.....antiqmeisterVIPDined on 6/14/2014The last of the six different dinners on their 'Passaporto' tasting trip was not up to the others in quality. The first course calamari was wonderful; the second course pasta was dry and short on sauce; the two main courses were only half eaten, as one was very dry and overcooked with no sauce, and the other was fish that was smothered in a pile of chopped, runny tomatoes, etc., so that one couldn't taste the delicate fish. We were disappointed, but we enjoyed the other 5 Passaporto dinners there.
- great regional cuisinebobnbobDined on 6/14/2014Have done six of the Feste Regionale and they were all good at the Corte Madera Il Fornaio. Splendid and diverse cuisine, well-made.Special Features:
- DinerVIPDined on 6/12/2014Love the food and service here. Noise level is extremely high. Was hard to carry on a conversationSpecial Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Always awesome!LaurieCDined on 6/11/2014You can't beat Il Fornaio. The food is always great & everybody always wants to go.Special Features:
- Going beyondSusanDined on 6/11/2014This review is for the evening of June 3. We were at Il Fornaio - Corte Madera to meet a couple with whom we had spoken on the phone and shared common interests (long-distance hiking), but had never met. We hit it off and conversation flowed easily. We had met at 8:00 p.m.; time slipped by and the crowd began to thin. At 11 PM, we noticed that the other tables had emptied. As we prepared to leave, we noticed that the kitchen was empty and only one employee was still in the restaurant--quietly reading his newspaper until he could finish the closing process. I later checked and read that the restaurant closes at 10 PM; we were allowed an hour's grace period--now that is what I call service. And BTW the Ravoli with vodka sauce was outstandingSpecial Features:
- MaryDined on 6/10/2014Love the garden room. Enjoyed our meal and service great.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.


text:
[Resolved] Rename 'Avatar' to 'Photo' throughout site
Hi there,
This has been killing me for days. I'm trying to rename the word 'Avatar' across my BP site but I can't do it. I've used a new language file (buddypress-en_US.po & .mo edited and created with Poedit, placed in WP languages folder) but that doesn't work. It's like that info is being pulled from elsewhere.
I know the language file is worked as under 'Profile' it changed the 'Change Avatar' tab (next to 'Edit') to 'Change Profile Photo' but all the info under that tab isn't changed (see below):
Change Avatar
Your avatar will be used on your profile and throughout the site. If there is a Gravatar associated with your account email we will use that, or you can upload an image from your computer.
Click below to select a JPG, GIF or PNG format photo from your computer and then click 'Upload Image' to proceed
Please help!
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.


text:
Judging only from the program, one would have expected the most conventional part of Lara St. John's violin recital to be the opening work, César Franck's well-known Sonata for Violin and Piano.
But her take on the piece was so bizarre that it set the stage for a highly unusual concert Sunday at the University of Miami's Gusman Hall.
Read the review at SouthFloridaClassicalReview.com.


text:
Welcome to the New TLC!Admin
Ah. That's more like it, isn't it? Welcome to The Leaky Cauldron v. 4.0. We've had a bit of a renovation, so pull up a barstool and relax. Be careful as you poke around; there may be some snags in the carpet or paint splotches on the walls. Let us know if you trip across a broken link or outdated page, and we'll try and fix it.
We have 19-year-old designer John Noe to thank for our snazzy new look; back in October he started tooling with Natalie McKeever's excellent design and sent us a screen grab of what he came up with in November. Editor Megan and I were working on Get A Clue 2 when we got the email, and both of our mouths dropped - it took us about six seconds to demand an HTML mock-up from poor John, whom we've put through the ringer ever since.
John and Natalie will now be working together as Leaky's design team. Here's some more info about John:
John Noe is a 19 year old college student and proud to be the newest member of the team. He is a self-employed, self-taught Web and graphic designer, and has been constructing and revamping Web sites for local schools and businesses since he was 15 years old. After discovering Harry Potter (with the help of his HP-fanatic sisters Allison and Anna), he wanted to design a related site, but time had never allowed it until recently. John is very excited to share TLC's new look with all the loyal Leaky readers.
Welcome, John, and welcome everyone to the new TLC!


text:
Major news came out of Memorial University Medical Center Wednesday; they are partnering with Novant Health to establish its first freestanding children's hospital.
The new children's hospital, which will be named Children's Hospital of Savannah, will be housed in Memorial's Rehabilitation Institute building. The institute will move into the hospital's main building.
"This is great news," said Memorial's CEO Maggie Gill. "What has come together is the right partner with Novant Health and the right location, and a great home for our rehabilitation institute. All this coming together at this time has made this dream finally come true."
The Children's Hospital of Savannah will house all pediatric inpatient units, a pediatric intensive care unit, a two room surgical suite, a 24-hour emergency department dedicated just for children and a family support space.
The news of the new hospital has a lot of parents, like Marion Harkleroad, praising Memorial.
"Just to know they're going to have a bigger and better facility with more equipment and more room for equipment to save more babies' lives is extremely exciting to us," said Harkleroad.
His son, Marion Gray Harkleroad III spent about three weeks in the Children's Hospital when he was first born in 2011.
"He wasn't fully developed properly," said Harkleroad. "He had growth restrictions while he was in the womb. He was only at two pounds at 32 weeks."
He almost died, but thanks to the doctors and staff at Memorial, he didn't.
Huckleroad said, during the time that his son was in the hospital he noticed that the current space at the Children's Hospital needed to be expanded to treat more children.
"There's a huge need for this bigger building," said Huckleroad.
The staff at the Children's Hospital couldn't agree more.
"We do great work here at the children's hospital, but to be able to have a building where the community can actually see the children's hospital really allows us to show off the great work that we do here," said Heath Newsome, the clinical director at the Children's Hospital.
"Since we're the only
children's hospital in this part of Georgia, we know the need is there and we've
seen it grow year to year and we want to continue to meet the regional
need," said Gill.
The project will cost $28 million. Novant will pay half and Memorial will take care of the rest. The hospital is planning a capital campaign to raise money. Gill says they will announce what that campaign is in mid February.
The new hospital is scheduled to open in about three years, according to Gill.
Copyright 2013 WTOC. All rights reserved.
PO Box 8086
Savannah, GA 31412
FCC Public File
EEO Public File
Closed Captioning


text:
Expired Property Listing
This property is disabled.
Absolute St Armands Best in Lido Key
- bedrooms 4
- baths 3
- sleeps 8
- pool yes
- hot tub yes
- pets allowed yes
- type House
- community St Armands Key
rates (USD)
/ week
$ 4,500 - $ 7,000 / month
vacation rental description
Neat, clean, HUGE, spacious, private walled estate, over ½ acre on beautiful, historic St Armands Key right in the center of it all! The main 3 bedroom, 2 bath home provides more than adequate space for entertaining indoors or outdoors by the enclosed heated pool area.
The detached 1 bedroom, 1 bath guest house (complete with efficiency style kitchenette) makes the perfect escape for additional family or friends. Two car garage parking with a whole lot more provides plenty of space for large gatherings.
Local and long distance phone service with wireless internet and cable
TV make for all the comforts of home while you relax and unwind. Plan your family reunion, beach side wedding, private get-away or just some quality time together at a location where you can walk to everything! Special rates and discounts apply to extended visits. Please don't hesitate to call.
We are very pet friendly as long as you have friendly pets!
(*Additional charges do apply*)
house rental amenities
Heated / caged pool-hot tub
Local & long distance (US & Canada only) telephone service included
Wireless internet service included
Cable TV included
activities and attractions in Lido Key Gulf Coast Central
Perfectly located and close to:
Beautiful Lido Beach / Gulf of Mexico
World class dinning and shopping at Historic St Armands Circle
John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art
Asolo Theatre
Downtown Sarasota with music / arts / culture and events
Mote Marine Labratory and Aquarium
Nature parks, and trails
vacation rental rates
Off season (May to November) $1,500/week, $4,500/month
Pre-season (November to January) $1,650/week, $5,500/month
Season (January thru April) $2,000/week, $7,000/month
NOTE: Cleaning fee and tax added to all agreements, refundable damage deposit required. Additional pet fee for 4 legged guests.


text:
Your air conditioning will be working overtime with all of the heat that's been happening and that is to come.
Can the power company handle the extra load?
SRP spokesman Scott Harelson explains how they plan to keep everyone cool.
In addition, Harlson says to check the plan you're on because you might be able to save money.
If you qualify for a time of use plan, you can save money by off-setting your energy use during the peak hours of demand.
WHBQ-TV | Fox 13 485 S. Highland St.Memphis, TN 38111Main Station: (901) 320-1313Newsroom: (901) 320-1340


text:
Routes Sorted
L to R R to L Alpha
Climb up the initial wide crack to reach some gear perhaps 6 meters above the ground. Place something and head up the pleasant and reasonably well protected corner to a ledge, belaying from a tree on it.
Continue far right on the Military Wall, passing the beautiful flat face of Pink Feat and stop near the NE most point, nearly in view of the road. A left-facing corner system starts from the ground with a steep wide crack and becomes easier as you go.
A standard rack to 4 with some longer slings. A steep wide section is encountered prior to reaching the first piece of gear, but nobody seems to get hurt on it. I have not climbed this since the advent of 'large cams,but perhaps a very large cam would help?


text:
---- — KOKOMO — McLowell "Mack" Johnson, 70, Kokomo, passed away Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2013, at IU Health University Hospital in Indianapolis.
He was born July 3, 1943, in Warsaw, to Johnnie and Rosie (Thompson) Crawford. On June 30, 1981, he married Delores Odom Pasquale Johnson, and she survives.
He retired from GM Delco and later worked for IMMI in Westfield. He enjoyed flying RC airplanes, golfing, bowling, skeet shooting, and drag racing. He also played lead guitar in the popular weekend bands, K-Town Express and The Midnight Flyers.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by his children, Dwayne (Debbie) Johnson, William (Ana) Pasquale, Misty Johnson, Angela (Chad) Smith, and Madonna Johnson; grandchildren, Jordan Johnson, Morgan Johnson, Tawny (Scott) Wiedenhoeft, Billy Pasquale, Ethan Pasquale, Patrick Smith, Destinee Smith, and Spencer Smith; great-granddaughter, Liliana Wiedenhoeft; and sister, Fayma Nye of Virginia.
He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Wendell Johnson; and granddaughter, Christina Marie Gabbard.
The funeral service will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Sunset Memory Garden Funeral Home. Burial will follow in Sunset Memory Garden Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday at the funeral home.
Messages of condolence may be expressed online at www.sunsetmemorygarden.com.


text:
Good, wouldn't have felt good about it
Do I contradict myself?
Very well then I contradict myself,
(I am large, I contain multitudes.
Walt Whitman
Justice probably done.
Wow, great finish from the Danes.
Solid bronze for NZ.
Thank goodness those cheating poms didn't win.
What's up with the lane changing, btw?
Bollocks thought we had that but gassed in the last 100m.
Great comeback though.
That Rasmussen lad a bit of a ringer for Olaf Melberg, IMHO.
Cricket Web's 2013/14 Premier League Tipping Champion
- As featured in The Independent.
"The committee discussed the issue of illegal bowling actions, and believed that there are a number of bowlers currently employing suspect actions in international cricket, and that the ICC's reporting and testing procedures are not adequately scrutinising these bowlers."
- Even the ICC's own official press release thinks things must change
Phenomenal first half by the Czech rower here. Extraordinary.
Gutted for Emma.
This is an incredible row from Knapkova. Crow rowing brilliantly too.
Fmd I wish James Brayshaw would jump in the water and fail to surface. ****s me no end.
WWCC - Loyaulte Mi Lie
"People make me happy.. not places.. people"
"When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life." - Samuel Johnson
"Hope is the fuel of progress and fear is the prison in which you put yourself" - Tony Benn
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)


text:
Part 1 Summary
Part I
In Ten Little Indians Christie creates a masterpiece of mystery and murder. After ten strangers gather together on...
(The entire section is 814 words.)
Part 2 Summary
Part II
After they all agree to leave in the morning when Narracott comes in the boat with supplies, Marston gulps down his...
(The entire section is 619 words.)


text:
This section summarizes structure and other considerations in implementing an investment services business.
Separate Entity for Providing Investment Services
Regardless of your business model, your CPA firm should create a separate entity for providing investment advisory, financial planning or securities brokerage services to clients to avoid the CPA firm itself from being required to register as an investment adviser or broker-dealer. A separate entity will enable the CPA firm to keep the books and records relating to its investment services separate from those relating to its accounting services. A separate entity can also provide liability protection.
The SEC has permitted accounting firms to register an affiliated entity to supervise the rendering of investment advice by the accounting firm's personal financing planning and employee benefit plan consulting practices without the accounting firm itself registering under the Advisers Act. These "no action" positions were based on certain representations made by the accounting firms, including:
Investment Platform
An "investment platform" is a broker-dealer firm that provides the brokerage, custody and support services to enable a registered investment adviser or independent registered representative to trade securities on behalf of clients. Examples of broker-dealer firms providing platform services include Charles Schwab, LPL Financial, Fidelity, TDAmeritrade, TradePMR and WallStreet*E. In exploring and evaluating investment platform services, consider:
Sale of Insurance Products
To sell insurance products, you must generally be licensed as an insurance agent in each state in which you sell insurance. The types of insurance products you might sell include life insurance (term, universal, variable and whole) and annuities (individual retirement, immediate, deferred and variable). Of the broad range of products you may sell as an insurance agent, annuities in particular may present securities issues.
Fixed annuities are generally treated as purely insurance products. Variable annuities are deemed to contain both insurance and securities features. Consequently, while state insurance licensing is sufficient if you sell fixed annuities, you will be subject to SEC (for investment advisers and investment adviser representatives) or FINRA (for broker-dealers and broker-dealer representatives) regulation, in addition to state insurance regulation, if you sell variable annuities.
Indexed annuities fall somewhere between fixed and variable annuities. The SEC recently promulgated a rule which brings certain indexed annuities under securities regulations. If the amounts payable by the insurer under an annuity contract are more likely than not to exceed the amounts guaranteed under the contract, then the federal securities laws will apply. In other words, if more often than not the purchaser of an annuity receives a guaranteed return like that of a fixed annuity, then the instrument is treated as insurance. If, more often than not, the purchaser receives a rate of return based on the value of a security, then the instrument is treated like a security.
Click here for information on state insurance licensing requirements.


text:
Thread: ironic?
06-27-2004, 03:57 AM #1Pro-Bowler
- Join Date
- Dec 1969
- Posts
- 360
hmmm ... isn't it weird that about the same time last year, we were busting a gasm over our linebacking corp, especially when we still had henri, biekert, roanall smith, etc and we drafted young guys like EJ and nattiel and acquired claiborne through FA???
in fact, if i remember correctly, there was a huge discussion on whether or not we should switch to a 3-4 defense and put k-will at NT while moving hovan out to DE with mixon due to the lack of talent // depth on the line
now, almost a year later, we're struggling to pencil in our starters for the linebacker position while our defensive line looks like a very strong and deep group with udeze // scott ... hovan ... k-will ... mixon // wiley and let's not forget johnstone
well my point is that it seems like every year, the vikes have a weakness in the defense and after we solve the problem through the draft // free agency, it seems like another weakness peers its ugly head at us
any thoughts on why???
Pepp, your telling me! I still don't know why we didn't pick up on of the many FA linebackers that were on the market this year? If you look at our depth chart we do have a solid bunch of guys, but there isn't enough depth. If one of our starters were to get hurt, then we're screwed. Sometimes I wish that we made the decisions. Maybee we may have won a Super Bowl if we did.God Bless America, & the MINNESOTA VIKINGS!!!
06-27-2004, 05:20 AM #3Jersey Retired
- Join Date
- Dec 1969
- Posts
- 6,144
The more i think about it, its not to bad we are young but last year i begged for them to put them young LB's in the game, when i saw nattiel and henderson in the game i was amped. I was talking to a lions fan about claiborne and he said he is a straight freakin animal, and most of us saw that for the first 6 weeks last season, he was kickin some serious ass he had like 3 sacks and on pace to have a huge season on tackles but then was slowed by injuries if he stays healthy hes gonna be a monster. EJ i know the guy has mad skill not much experience in the pros but he has a year under his belt and hes a hell of a takcler, great instincts and quick as hell. D Thomas is very fast and athletic he doesn't make a lot of stupid mistakes and he has good instincts doesn't take false steps or bite on the play action, i'm curious to see him on the feild, hey they liked him so much they traded up for him. Now depth is a bit of concern, i like nattiel and im still curious about raonall smith he has talent but can't stay healthy, if he makes the team he will be a so so back up, he has been with the team for 2 years and should know the defense pretty well.
But hey look at it this way take your pick:
Thomas EJ Claiborne or Crockett, an aging Biekert, Claiborne
I'll take the new young breed, I feel more comfortable this year then i did last year
Similar Threads
7 congressmen experience ironic flightBy Purple Floyd in forum The ClubhouseReplies: 1Last Post: 07-24-2008, 09:11 AM


text:
Keep Georgia Beautiful's annual "Bring One for the Chipper"
When the Christmas season comes to an end, Keep Georgia Beautiful is working hard to host it's annual Bring One for the Chipper Christmas tree recycling event. With nearly 300 collection sites throughout Georgia, it is the largest Christmas tree recycling in the nation. Through a partnership with Earth-911 and the support of Home Depot, The Davey Tree Company and WXIA11-Alive, Keep Georgia Beautiful has successfully hosted Bring One for the Chipper for the past 23 years.
Since the program started in 1991, Georgia has been successful in recycling over 6 million trees with an average of about 200,000 trees each year. "It is a great way to divert [the trees] from landfills and an easy way to close the loop. A lot are used for mulch and some trees are sunk into rivers for fish and wildlife habitat," explained Kanika Greenlee, the director of programs and development for Keep Georgia Beautiful.
According to Keep Georgia Beautiful, the mulch from these trees has been used for playgrounds, local government beautification projects, and individual yards. Mulched landscapes help absorb runoff and prevent erosion during times of heavy rainfall.
This year, the Bring One for the Chipper event will take place on Saturday, January 4, 2014 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Georgia residents can visit www.KeepGeorgiaBeautiful.org for a list of drop-off centers by zip codes throughout the state.


text:
Yes and no- as long as they're familiar with the technology, there are other pluses- not having to travel, etc. Are you only teaching through Skype and at fixed times? Are they 1-to-1 or groups?online lessons can be fully enjoyed only by someone who enjoys being in front of a computer
- Home
- Members
- Testing
- Reference
- Articles
- Forums
- Resources
- For Teachers
- eBooks


text:
Town Square
School district holds special meeting at 5 p.m. tonight
Original post made on Feb 3, 2009
Read the full story here Web Link posted Tuesday, February 3, 2009, 6:03 AM
Comments (21)
on Feb 3, 2009 at 8:33 am
Los Altos school board rejects parcel tax increase
By Joshua Melvin
Bay Area News Group
Posted: 02/03/2009 07:55:21 AM PST
Facing opposition from community members, the Los Altos school board voted Monday night not to proceed with a proposed parcel tax increase.
If it had passed in a May mail-only special election, the measure would have increased the flat rate tax collected from all property owners in the district by at least $168. The district has had a parcel tax since voters approved one in 1989. Property owners currently pay $597 per piece of land they possess in the district and that money is used by the district to cover various costs including staff salaries.
"This is not the time to go to the community and ask for money," said resident Katie Matice, referring to the recession. She and other speakers said the $260,000 cost to hold the election would be wasted.
In addition to a sour economy, meeting attendees said they were worried there would not be enough time to raise the support needed to pass the measure -- they estimated at least $100,000 would be needed to run a successful campaign. The deadline to hold a May mail-only special election is this week, according to Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters rules. Ballots would have been mailed to voters on April 6.
The district had been investigating the parcel tax increase as a means to respond to anticipated state budget cuts. Randall Kenyon, assistant superintendent for business services, said the district will likely lose $2.6 million of its roughly $42 million budget over the next two
If the state cuts come to pass, the district might have to lay off staff and cut programs like art and physical education, said Board Member David Luskin. The parcel tax increase could have raised an estimated $2 million.
Board Member Mark Goines said he voted against the proposal because there is no state budget yet. He said that it will be easier to convince the community to vote for a tax increase with hard numbers and added that voters are more likely to vote for a measure if they know what programs and services are on the chopping block.
on Feb 3, 2009 at 8:48 am
I think it is important to note that this is not a regional problem. It is happening everywhere and the backlash is nearly unanimous. We need to start living responsibly, and that starts with creating budgets based on available revenues. Demanding additional taxes and borrowing from our future to cover expenses is what got us all into this mess in the first place. Make the hard decisions now.
on Feb 3, 2009 at 9:24 am
Welcome the invite and go listen. Then ask questions. Get informed. You owe it to yourself AND the community of Pleasanton AS A WHOLE.
Just remember this: Your children and/or property values are DIRECTLY affected.
on Feb 3, 2009 at 9:27 am
The bottom line is that PUSD and teachers will need to learn to live within their means like the rest of us in the eve of this depression.
You get what you get. Just make the necessary cuts to balance the budget. There are plenty of "fat" accumulated during the good years to trim. This is the time!
Ultimately, PUSD and teachers will need to decide where to make the cuts. They can trade in their step and column raises and COLA increases from the past couple of years to save some jobs, CSR, and other programs/services for the kids.
If we approve a parcel tax, the money can be used to free up millions from the general funds. PUSD can then use those "freed" general funds to support more raises instead of putting them back into the classroom.
Don't be fool by the usage restrictions set on the parcel tax. They can use the taxes to fund education programs and services while freeing up money elsewhere for raises.
on Feb 3, 2009 at 9:52 am
Not too many years ago our district spending was a fraction of its current level. Then the big Monopoly game started. With each move across the board the tax base increased exponentially. And to no ones surprise, so did our tax funded expenditures.
My point is that the kids that graduated before this whole board game started did not turn out to be idiots. In fact the test scores and success rates of our community's children has exceeded the median by a significant margin for as long as I can remember. So our local teachers AND parents must be doing something right. Although it appears that throwing more money at the business of education does not radically alter the equation in either direction.
The California Teacher's Association is one of the most powerful lobbies in the state. The airwaves are filled with pleas for more school funding before every election. And those ads are entirely funded by the teacher's union to preserve and create new teaching jobs. And I am usually ok with that but these are extraordinary times.
Most of us that are mature enough to be affected by the proposed tax realize that hasty decisions made under duress usually prove to be bad choices in the long run. And taxes, even those with "expiration dates", are generally permanent assessments. There is loads of data to support this claim.
We have a problem. We are going to be addressing many of them in the next year and beyond. I agree with those who have stated that this is a time for responsible action, and that begins with solving this crisis without further burdening the tax payer.
on Feb 3, 2009 at 11:43 am
Why should I go down there? So I could be told, in the most educated and polite way, that my opinion doesn't matter...? Has anyone ever tried to do this except me?? I hope the people show up, but please don't expect to hear anything except; "this isn't the venue", or "we have to stay on task, so that is a discussion for a later date"... , or "we will have to get back to you"= (knowing they won't)...or my favorite "we're sorry you feel that way"
Give it a shot and let me know how the metting goes...I'll hold my breath...
on Feb 3, 2009 at 11:44 am
correction: last line should read "meeting"...
on Feb 3, 2009 at 12:32 pm
well, they could institute a student parking fee. and if they made the fee just for those students driving a lexus, mercedes, infinity, bmw, land rover or any SUV, that would just about cover the district budget for a year.
on Feb 3, 2009 at 12:48 pm
This is about how taxpayer dollars have been or will be spent and the clear lack of faith the community has in the abilities of the current administration to change its practices. This community has supported its schools and its teachers in every way possible. But the comment about freeing up dollars in the general fund is a real concern. Raises (COLAs) have been given without clear sources of funding into the future to support them; frivolous lawsuits have cost millions and are going to continue with little hope of success; reserves have been squandered so there is nothing to fall back on now when it is needed most. Those in control have not figured out that "if you find yourself in the bottom of a hole, stop digging."
The parcel tax is asking homeowners to put dirt into the hole with no power to take away the shovels.
on Feb 3, 2009 at 1:10 pm
I find the lack of faith in this community disturbing...
Teachers and the administrators deserve more than just a pad on the back for their wonderful contributions to our community throughout the years.
We should thank them by offering them more COLA and raises this year, showing them that we as a community appreciate them and their contributions. Yes on a parcel tax is the least we can do. I'm thankful that you bloggers represent only a small minority in this community. Most of us are willing to give our district and our teachers all the financial support they need.
on Feb 3, 2009 at 2:01 pm
Superintendent Dr. John Casey is employed under a contract which ends June 30, 2010. His annual salary is $227,002, with a 12-month work calendar and 24 days of vacation. Medical and other health insurance may be purchased at his sole expense, and the District contributes $5,000 annually for life insurance premiums. At the completion of each year of the contract where he has worked at least 85% of the days, he receives a payment of $10,000 into a tax-sheltered annuity. He receives $1,000 per month as a transportation allowance and membership in professional organizations as appropriate and necessary. When Dr. Casey moved to Pleasanton, he received a $200,000 loan to help purchase a home in the community. This loan is interest free and must be repaid within 18 months of the termination of his employment. There is no provision or expectation that the loan would be "forgiven." The current balance of this loan is $190,000.
on Feb 3, 2009 at 4:02 pm
I strongly agree that attending this meeting is a waste of time if you expect to hear anything other than a sales pitch. I went to the last one, as well as watched the entire board meeting on TV. This is not about gathering ideas or community input. This is about figuring out how to convince the public that we should dig deeper and continue to fund the indulgence. I hope the board has the good sense not to waste their resources funding an election and marketing campaign. Just because no one wants to be shouted down by the PTA doesn't mean there is a glimmer of hope that a new tax will pass at this time.
on Feb 3, 2009 at 4:45 pm
I think that those of you that voted for "W" for prez are getting what you deserve and more!
Wars are costly. Bush and his pals got rich on the war!
on Feb 3, 2009 at 6:56 pm
We could do wonders just getting good management at Amador Valley High School. Principal Coupe and Athletics Director Lou Cesario are at not capable managers or adminstrators. If people are worried about the community or house values and their schools get rid of these guys.
on Feb 3, 2009 at 6:56 pm
We could do wonders just getting good management at Amador Valley High School. Principal Coupe and Athletics Director Lou Cesario are at not capable managers or adminstrators. If people are worried about the community or house values and their schools get rid of these guys.
on Feb 3, 2009 at 8:16 pm
Please note that the article stated in the comments above, explains that the Los Altos school baord decided not to seek an additional parcel tax. They already have one in place and have for years. We are lucky that Pleasanton has been able to put off such a tax for this long!
For our schools, I Support a Pacel tax!
on Feb 3, 2009 at 8:17 pm
Please note that the article stated in the comments above, explains that the Los Altos school baord decided not to seek an additional parcel tax. They already have one in place and have for years. We are lucky that Pleasanton has been able to put off such a tax for this long!
For our schools, I Support a Pacel tax!
on Feb 3, 2009 at 8:29 pm
We have been paying 155 million on PUSD bonds for the last 20 years!!!! They want us to keep paying the bond tax and add a salary... I mean parcel tax also.
on Feb 4, 2009 at 12:33 am
Re: Los Altos's parcel tax.
They have had many parcel tax over the years. From their website, Web Link, the current's parcel tax is $597 / parcel. Yeah, they decide not to pursue since they're already collecting $597 / parcel. What would they do if they don't have that $597 / parcel tax?
on Feb 4, 2009 at 1:34 pm
INteresting that so many of the Pro Parcel Tax Blogs have disappeared - including all of my post -- I guess Pleasanton Weekly editor has a view
on Feb 4, 2009 at 2:16 pm
I will vote yes on a parcel tax .I want to support out schools- teachers and administrators and am glad I don't live in Los Altos where $597 still isn't enough!
If you were a member and logged in you could track comments from this story.
Understanding Early Decision in College Admissions
By Elizabeth LaScala | 1 comment | 2,038 views
New heights for NIMBYs
By Tim Hunt | 29 comments | 1,330 views
When those covering the news become the news
By Gina Channell-Allen | 1 comment | 931 views
Earthquake Insurance
By Roz Rogoff | 2 comments | 746 views


text:
Inflammatory Breast Cancer
Unlike other breast cancers, inflammatory breast cancer may not cause a lump in the breast. Instead, it may cause the breast to be swollen, red, and warm. The skin of the breast may look thick and pitted, like an orange peel. The nipple may become inverted, or it may sink inward. Talk to your doctor if you notice changes in the way your breast looks or feels.
eMedicineHealth Medical Reference from Healthwise
This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
To learn more visit Healthwise.org
© 1995-2012 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.
From WebMD
Featured Centers
- Symptoms of a Severe Allergic Reaction
- Breast Cancer Treatment Options
- Is Your Body Ready for Pregnancy?