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Institutional categories at work: a consideration of how labelling can slow down rates of learning in a rural primary school.
Schools as classifying institutions
Can the organisation within an institution affect rates of learning and poor student performance in a rural primary school? Our approach to this question is to see institutions as exerting a strong, but under-analysed, influence over the cognition of their members. According to Mary Douglas (1986), institutions 'do much of our thinking for us' as they hold the ready-made classifications needed to communicate. Simply stated, communication is a substantial element of teaching and learning.
Teachers and students are, to a degree, free to choose how they will communicate, but to do so they must use sets of pre-established classifications. A group or an institution, for example, holds and carries forward previously conceived forms of thought and labels for things, duties, responsibilities, a division of labour and rituals that inform present, everyday interactions.
A child makes meaning from the classifications used in a family, just as teachers take their cues from a school's classification schema that also predates them. A second, not always acted on, aspect of face-to-face interaction and communication is that situated meaning and ecological validity are derived from factors both internal and external to the situation and the interaction itself (Barker, 1968; Bourdieu, 1993; Cicourel, 1964; Goffman, 1961). A mother emphasising good manners to a child is also enacting social expectations of a social category of 'good parenting'. As teachers point out rules and criteria for acceptable schoolwork, they too activate pre-established categories from an education department and professional standards.
Social control over the cognition of members of institutions comes from the inside and from the outside. 'Control' does not rule out conflict, resistance, compliance, rebellion or fights, which are ongoing facts of institutional life. Control occurs through classification schema that permeate everyday common sense, as categories in use shape thinking and judgments made about oneself and others. Institutions make labels and the labels construct different kinds of people according to the categories in use (Douglas, 1986, p. 112).
While institutions control the classification schema, there is still no certainty as to how categories will be received and acted on. Douglas (1986, p. 98) suggests Durkheim shows there can be a 'good fit' and a 'bad fit between public and private classifications'; individuals can reject the judgments of others, or feel incapable of meeting public expectations, or not act on classifications at all when the classifications are incoherent or do not make sense to them. Institutional control and strategy for working within institutions is played out within these limits. The object of these opening paragraphs has been to outline the theoretical parameters of our study based in a rural town, but can be applied to schools in general.
We wish to apply an institutional view to the study of education and schooling. In purely functional terms, teachers should, through their professional training, have the proficiency to guide students academically towards the 'right' thing to do and away from inappropriate alternatives. Ensuring students become more competent learners as they meet expectations is a required educational service. Not all students, parents or teachers do, however, share a school's definition of an educational situation. Schools, as institutions, are thus organised so that teachers are not cut off as isolated individuals. Set curricula, report cards, behaviour policies, and so on act as a shared schema to classify daily activities (usually in dichotomies; right/wrong, tolerated/not tolerated). As they do, and must, apply these classifications, teachers come to perceive students and form opinions on the merits of their performance of school work; and develop strategies for working with them in class and in their general planning ('a pleasure to have in my class', 'needs more work on word attack skills', 'daydreams', 'parent should read more to them at home'). These perceptions underpin relationships through which teachers come to understand how students respond to their teaching, drift away from it, or are difficult to make progress with.
We argue, from a preliminary analysis of 33 student files, that there are tendencies for a school to equate good academic performance with classroom compliance, and to overlook learning potential as off-task behaviour increases. Such locked-in definitions of the situation (Thomas, 1923) can be, in all probability are, accepted as an inevitable consequence of teaching in rural schools. But beyond this, an alternative question is to what degree can unquestioned schemes for classifying students play hidden and unexamined parts in reproducing poor academic performances in rural and urban schools? Finally, what alternatives can the profession, and the groups who supply the current words in use, offer in conditions where professional categories have the opposite of their desired effect; where learning and development are slowed down rather than enhanced?
Our argument is developed across three sections. The aims of the study, the background and methods are outlined in section one. Processes used to locate and represent a classificatory schema are outlined in section two. We then discuss the preliminary findings and assess the future viability of the approach and suggest methods for its refinement and further application.
Background: the town and school
Myadall (a fictitious name) is a western Queensland town (population around 3,000) that could be referred to as 'rural' and 'remote'. The town provides education for residents and for those who travel there from outside properties. There are three schools: a state high school, a Catholic primary school and a state primary school. The latter is the focus for research in this paper. State primary school enrolments fluctuate between 300 and 400 students. Most of the teachers are not local residents, and have limited or no experience with the town. There is a constant turnover in teaching staff. Myadall is a service town, separated by distance from the grazing properties that support the cattle and wool industries in the district. It provides government and privately-owned services required for the livelihood, health, education and recreation of townspeople. Thus Myadall is one of a number of towns classified as rural in policy and in the media but with economies so different that comparisons are misleading (Sher & Sher, 1994, p. 37). While the town has a different relationship to education than those of towns and cities on the coastal regions, the conclusions we draw may or may not apply in other places classified as rural and urban.
This study is an extension of a report on youth transitions in a rural town. The research took two years based on an employer survey, interviews, document and census analysis and part-time participant observation (one week per month on average) in Myadall and occasionally on properties. A large survey had also been carried out (3,500 respondents) in high schools to measure variations in cultural capital in areas from Brisbane to the southwest Queensland. Analysis showed, not surprisingly, that educational outcomes were lower the further one moved west of the Great Dividing Range and allowed for comparisons between Myadall and other towns both in terms of school results and the work and study aspirations of students and their parents. A decision to include the primary school in the report was not made until the second year of the study. The intention in this aspect of the research was to look more closely at the school as an institution and its part in student rates of performance.
If all institutions operate from a system of classifications, what then would be the benefits of taking this view on this particular rural school? First, children were reaching a low learning plateau early in primary school and not improving--some were 'going backwards'--even with the best intentions of staff. Second, the trend continued even with staff changeover, which pointed to some aspects within the institution itself. We were given access to a large range of school files that formed the basis for outlining the forms of classifications in operation within the school. This determined our method and research design.
Conceptual framework and method
Durkheim and Mauss (1903/1963) first identified that 'forms of classification' guide social organisation and provide the categories that give meaning to individuals within social institutions. Our research question is formulated within a Durkheim and Mauss framework. Through it we are trying to understand the long-term effects of categorisation as it is tied to people being labelled, (Mercer, 1973) made up (Hacking, 1986) and set into various institutional careers (Goffman, 1956). There are a number of ways to make operable what we are attempting. The research could be located within poststructuralist assumptions wherein discourses override what can be said and done (Foucault, 1972), also a view that owes much to Durkheim. Closer to our situation is Bahktin's (1986) concept of speech genres in which speakers can be isolated from the linguistic resources that would enable them to clarify their intention within discourses. This taken, however, our analysis is based in a social anthropology originating in Goffman (1961), Goodenough (1973), Frake (1980) and extending to Bourdieu (1996), the target of which is not discourse itself, but the control classifications systems hold over cognition. Smith (2005, p. 188) provides a most recent and useful rationale, in which
institutional practitioners are regulated through devices such as rules ... guidelines, officially authorised definitions ... that are standardised across ... work settings ... (and) into clearly delineated categories to organise how their practitioners perceive, discuss, and handle institutional business.
Methods are devised to isolate appropriate categories from within discourse and dialogue. In our case student files contained the central discourses. All words (adjectives and verbs) and phrases that showed how teachers described children and their behaviour were extracted. The categories remained as written in each file.
We have drawn on a seminal study of a high school by Cicourel and Kitsuse (1963). Their method and theory allowed us to see 'the differentiation of students as a consequence of the administrative organisation and decisions of personnel in the ... school' (p. 6). They provided a basis for the study of a single school that could be used for this exploratory investigation and work to iron out more refined methods for a study of a full set of student files, which is to follow on from the present research.
Our aim was to investigate possible relations between low rates of student performance in a rural school and the institutional processes schools use to classify and label students. Following Cicourel and Kitsuse (1963) we sought to:
(a) understand processes whereby students 'come to be defined, classified and recorded in the categories' found in student files (through semester reports, comments on behaviour);
(b) investigate the 'vocabulary and syntax' used by staff to identify a variety of student types recorded about day-to-day interactions (in the adjectives and dichotomies that compare students about in-class performances and behaviour);
(c) perform content analysis on the student files to assess rates at which students came to be in categories for academic performance, attitudes to classroom work and behaviour in and out of classrooms; and
(d) trial various visual forms to represent the processes of categorisation.
Our intention was to keep in view the importance Durkheim (1951) placed on shared categories as indicators of collective rather than individual thinking. As described by Cicourel and Kitsuse (1963, p. 221), 'the rates' at which social phenomena occur and how to account for them 'as characteristics, not of individuals, but of social and cultural organisations ... with which they are regularly associated'. In our case, could repeated rates of low performance in a primary school be explained in part from factors in the school's organisation? The main problem for Cicourel and Kitsuse was to investigate 'the processes by which persons come to be 'defined, classified and recorded in the categories of the agency's statistics'. Their data was the common sense 'vocabulary and syntax' of language used by school personnel to describe, interpret and record information about students. We wanted to investigate 'the day-to-day activities of high school personnel and the conceptions, definitions and criteria employed to classify, sort, and record cases in the categories of the school statistics' (p. 222). Our data sources were: Years 2, 3, 5 and 7 standardised test results; student report cards; and handwritten notes on student behaviour.
Handwritten notes are part of the school's behaviour management policy, a document required in all state schools in Queensland. The policies are directed to protective factors, safe school environments, and protecting the right for all children to learn. Written notes range from comments on slips of paper to formal letters. They are kept in each student's file and used to make a student aware of certain behaviours and their consequences as evidence to support student suspension or exclusion. Teacher aides (and staff) are on duty before and after school and in breaks to monitor student behaviour. They hand out 'pink tickets' for breaking rules and keep detailed written records of what is said and done by whom for each incident.
Thirty-three files were analysed of students seen by staff as being on a continuum from 'doing well' to being 'behind' their expected year level. Files were checked for their amount and type of information, their comparability and to make some decisions about the number of files that could be handled within the parameters of the study (Lee, 2003). Files were sorted according to 'official' content (report cards, absences and suspensions), 'behaviour' (removal from class, an award, 'pink tickets' given) and 'anecdotal' (handwritten notes and examples of work and general comments). These forms of record keeping, their detail and filing are done to hold together views (local and departmental) of the school as a safe and productive place to send children to school.
Rates of student performance, as measured in benchmark tests
State benchmark test scores distribute all tested students into four categories across a typical/normal curve (upper and lower 25% and a mid range of 50%). Low rates of learning in literacy and numeracy were taken from standardised benchmark tests for Myadall primary school. These tests were introduced into all Australian schools in 1997. Since that time up to 70% of students at Myadall school were selected for extra tuition in reading for the six years between 1997 and 2001. Table 1 shows that around 70% were in the lowest quartile for the state in Years 3, 5 and 7 in 2001 for reading and number.
Rates of learning outcomes of this type, carried for five years of recorded testing, and perhaps from earlier years, will form relations between learning and teaching. These are likely to have effects on student and teacher interaction. This showed in reading children's files where more use was made of words such as 'refusal' in subjects involving writing (numeracy and literacy) and less often in physical subjects (music, art and physical education). Classroom unrest can spill over into misbehaviour in the school grounds, and then back into classrooms, all of which determines school organisation. The type of organisation used, allocation of students to classes, funds to direct to Reading Recovery, the numbers of teacher aides required, how many should be Indigenous, and so on, are the result of a strategy. The forms of classification used to make the best of this organisation and to show its results to a regional office, to a state department and to parents have been determined over time.
Using taxonomies to represent a classification system
Taxonomies were constructed in line with models from anthropology of the 1970s and 1980s (Frake, 1980; Goodenough, 1973). The intention then was to fashion cognitive maps (Spradley & McCurdy, 1972) from words common to cultural settings and linguistically map everyday practices. A subject in the primary curriculum was taken as a domain for the taxonomies. For 'literacy', subdomains were arranged according to four areas: listening, reading, writing and speaking. Arranged underneath we placed contrasting binary values (e.g., competent/needs support) and under these were attributes teachers had written in their comments about students. The entire taxonomy then provides a paradigm and a simple illustration of a classificatory system for a single subject and then for other subjects. All terms drawn on for the taxonomies were a part of the data analysed. When combined, taxonomies for all curriculum subjects, social development, work attitude and student misbehaviour, convey a view on the classification system used to categorise students. One condensed example can perhaps give a feel for the process. Figure 1 shows the framework for the taxonomies for the domain of literacy.
The classification system is relatively autonomous from the environment in which a school is placed in that it is made up of words from broader educational writing and government policy. The report card is a core example.
Locating categories on report cards
The report card presents an 'official' point of view of the child as a student. It performs what Cicourel calls a 'diagnostic' function, in that it shows a child's standing within more or less universal criteria. The report card thus acts as a membership categorisation device (Silverman, 2001). Contained within its format and syntax are the 'categories' and the forms of categorisation that 'lock discourses into place' (Baker, 2000, p. 99). Analysed as a membership categorisation device, the report card divides into two types of classification for each subject (achievement and effort), and each area contains four categories. For achievement the categories were: 'excellent', 'competent', 'developing', and 'needs support and guidance'. Those for effort were: 'consistently', 'usually', 'sometimes' and 'rarely' displayed. Teachers tick the categories for achievement and effort as they see fit for each child across all subject areas, as shown in Figure 2.
We have added the numbers 1 to 4 to Figure 1 to explain our analysis of report cards and teacher judgments of students. All boxes ticked by teachers were added into a total, and then averaged for a whole number and one decimal point score for each student for each subject. Report card scores of one (1) represent a high rating of 'excellent' for achievement with four (4) standing for the low rating, 'needs support and guidance'. Tables were then constructed to compare achievement and effort and to provide some leads into how teachers differentiate among students. In Figures 3 and 4 we show average scores for overall attitude to school, and achievement in Maths and Literacy for a girl in Year 7 and a boy in Year 5. It was difficult to see clear differences between students when working from a four-point scale (e.g., with the four choices teachers tick on report cards). The closest we could obtain for comparison were decimal point average scores for achievement.
The girl, Student A, has an 'excellent' average (between 1 and 1.5) for overall attitude, which contrasts with her achievements in Maths and Literacy (between 2 and 3). Semester one, in Year 7, is an exception, where achievement improves as overall attitude goes down. Overall attitude for the boy, Student B, is between 1.3 and 3.7. His achievements for Maths and Literacy are in the zone for needing help and guidance for the years reports were available. A simple process of sorting and placing the diagrams side by side brings out patterns of differentiation through which staff judged student performance.
There is a clear differentiation, for instance, between categories one, 'excellent overall attitude' and four, 'needs help and guidance'. A student in category one, having the required attitude, seems to still be within teacher definitions of the pedagogical situation; even when achievement is at the outer regions of category three, 'developing'; as is the situation of Student A. In comparison, Student B sits for three years mostly in category four, 'needing support and guidance' for both attitude and achievement, which in its wording rests outside of the existing classroom situation. Behind the official report card terms are some unspoken euphemisms that provide a realistic definition of pedagogic situations in the school. Student A is 'keen, good to have in the class, but slow' and Student B 'has an attitude problem, can't do much more with him'. Common sense would suggest good attitude as a sign of engagement, which it is, but tied more to compliance with the teacher than connectedness with the curriculum. The situation is disjunctive, creating mutually exclusive alternatives. Disengagement rises as students move away from category one for attitude and curriculum subjects, especially Maths and Literacy subjects where 'attention', being on-task, is a major factor in learning. When they follow organisational procedures for behaviour management to work on student attitude teachers end up with students in opposite ends of the category. The compliant student (Student A) can mistakenly be seen as academically secure and not needing similar pedagogic effort as another student (Student B) to reach competency. Compliancy and poor overall attitude work against improved achievement and competency, but differently. With compliance interactions and forms of pedagogy are set; they seldom disrupt classroom order, and they can move a student into less stable relations with learning. An example is shown in Figure 5.
Student C, in Figure 5, is between categories two and three for attitude, while his achievements move from near excellent to developing and back again for Maths between Year 4 and Year 7. Literacy achievement in Year 7 is nearest to developing. Relationships between attitude and achievement are not as clear here as in the comparisons made earlier between Students A and B. Students like Student C would be seen as 'capable if he puts his mind to it', as in comments about 'not working to ability level', 'working when the mood suits', 'easily distracted', and so on. From the number of cases at hand, Students A, B and C make up three 'types' active in the forms of differentiation between students exercised by teachers. Conforming or not conforming to definitions of attitude is the key indicator. Once students are in these categories, the teacher's problem is to improve performance within and across each category. This is of course a simple, uncomplicated description. More detail on individual student careers can help further explore these distinctions.
Individual student careers as related to school organisation
Individual profiles were developed for each student in tandem with taxonomy construction and analysis of report cards. Each profile consisted of a table to represent individual student careers for their time at Myadall Primary School. In converting them to diagrams we could compare and group and differentiate between individuals and groups. An example of an individual student career is shown in Figure 6.
The diagram is designed to compare competence and needs support factors for Student B discussed earlier. Years enrolled at the school are marked on a horizontal line to show Student B's career from Year 1 to Year 6. We can be see he repeats Year 1, is absent from school one day per week on average, with this rising to around two days on average. Suspensions begin in Year 3 and rise each year after that. Areas his teachers say he requires support are listed in boxes below the horizontal line of the diagram in Figure 6. At the end of his first year at school Student B cannot write his own name. His written work is now referred to as untidy and hesitant, neither neat nor logically presented, and sometimes not completed. By Year 5 he is described as capable of quality writing, but refuses to participate, is involved in off-task behaviours such as talking, and in altercations with other students in class time. During what would be Year 6 for him, Student B is taken to be 'not attending school much' and seen riding his bike around the town in school time. Local residents and service workers, when asked about his attendance, say that such patterns are not new; that he will return to school when ready, as he does some months later. We would like now to extend this situation to highlight relations between the school, as an institution, its system of categories, and the town.
Figure 6 is a model of a student's career through his first seven years of schooling. It is built from categories used to situate this student within the working space of their classrooms. The categories originate in teacher's professional discourse. The top section of this model shows entry-level requirements for classroom work related to competence (pride in work, tidiness, concentration, reading, writing, sorting, spelling). These are constants across the years. They guide teacher cognition as do the terms used to describe where he is in terms of distance from competence, or needing support. Professional categories (word recognition, participation in written tasks) mean something else to the child carrying a particular label. From a child's point of view schoolwork is on a continuum from 'easy to do' to 'I'm no good at this' or 'I can't do this'. Descriptions of his behaviour (hesitant, unwilling, confused, distracted) show some effects of Student B's not being able to do class work (unwilling, not liking assistance, refusal). Not the least are the days missed from school; from 20 to 40% for each year from the time he repeats Year 1, including an average of one day in ten on suspension from Years 3 to 5. His next step, to stay away from school, constitutes, we contend, a rupture of a relationship between a potentially competent learner and an institution unable to hold him within its system of categories for competency. That he is neither successfully coerced to attend by family nor brought back to the school by the principal or service workers would suggest such ruptures are part of a wider relationship between the institution and town residents.
The academic career of Student B has provided an example for an analysis of the case of one rural school and how, in its organisation, students are differentiated into compliant and non-compliant categories. From data on his report cards Student B (Figure 3), is well within good overall attitude for the first three semesters he is at school. His attitude moves around a 'needs support' category in Year 2, moves back to excellent behaviour for a semester in Year 3, and then into the opposite range of near or into a 'needs guidance and support' category from the remainder of Year 3 until the end of Year 5. For achievement he is mostly in the category non-conforming and non-performing; one the school organisation is essentially ill equipped to deal with. Not being able to write to a point where work can be completed in a tidy, neat, logical, confident manner--all the other side of the binaries his teachers ascribe to him--make the task of merging compliance with schoolwork performance nearly impossible.
This case is a concrete example illustrating a theoretical point about the organisational structure of schools as institutions: that classification schemata and categories directed more to compliant behaviour than competency orient teacher styles of thought and cognition in this school. The theoretical issue and the practical dilemma is one of activating a more pedagogic discourse and replacing categories of control and compliance with those of learning.
An obvious organisational starting point is with definitions of the teaching situation as seen and experienced by students, such as Student B. Understanding and responding to what is being faced by Student B and students in similar conditions is not a matter for consciousness raising, but a consideration of the institution. Classification systems and categories need to be seen as formulated in wider social relations that are then played out in school organisation and classroom pedagogical interactions. The combined pool of know-how about curriculum and school organisation runs on a different plane to that of students enduring the daily frustration and isolation of not being able to write effectively. The option Student B takes to opt out of Year 6 for some months, and the tacit agreement with it by residents, give some logic to his decision. The theoretical construction and practical understanding of these points of view is central to the organisation of institutions and the categories that focus on teaching and learning.
Two points are made in conclusion. First, forms of organisational classification and use of categories are unexamined factors in rates of low performance in schools. They may or may not be altered either through interventions or experimenting with alternative styles of leadership. Some of the main generators of the system of classification in Myadall Primary School (the behaviour management plan, forms for judging, reporting and commenting on student performance) are in all probability locking in factors that lead to a misrecognition of student learning requirements. These same organisational procedures have a wide seal of approval and have opposite outcomes in other schools. As trite as it may sound, new forms of world making (Goodman, 1978) may be required, such as those through which dialogue opens up amongst staff and with students (see, for example, the case of Shoppingtown High in Teese & Polesel, 2003). The reality is that better performance may not necessarily follow (Hayes, 2005). Students in rural areas such as Myadall face structural inequality. Poor school performance, failure and lack of secure anchoring to learning are an intergenerational fact of life for Myadall students and parents. Time and funds are needed to compensate for lack of the cultural resources needed to succeed with curriculum subjects.
Second, gaps remain in the methods and research frameworks that can provide the fine-grained detail of how discourses capture institutional cognition. As Cicourel (1964, p. 21) suggests:
Social phenomena are buried in implicit common sense assumptions about the actor, concrete persons, and the observer's view about everyday life ... The researcher often begins his classifications with only broad dichotomies, which he expects his data to 'fit', and then elaborates on these categories if apparently warranted by his 'data'.
Cicourel is pointing to how, as researchers, we too can be captured in our attempts to conceptualise phenomena. We, as researchers, can ironically become victims to what we say about those whom we research; our literature, theory and categories can take over what it is we are trying to understand, and to our detriment. His comments are pertinent to a continuation of research of this kind. Our graphs and taxonomies are still exploratory, and a second attempt with the entire data set (around 180 students) requires some balance between content and more statistical analysis, combined with a more complete analysis of words and syntax. Comparisons are needed with other schools, rural and urban, particularly where a classification schema fosters good academic performance. Further analysis built on genuine comparison could help in understanding how classifications can be concretely implemented and built in teaching practice and relations between students and teaching staff. Our intention is to extend the analysis on the social and institutional effects on cognition (e.g., Douglas, 1986; Smith, 2005). We would hope that our report on this study in progress would be of some interest and benefit for researchers and students wishing to extend or critique what we have attempted for an understanding of schools as social institutions.
institutional research
institutional diversity
rural schools
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Robert Funnell
Irene Han Lee
Griffith University
Dr Robert Funnell is a Lecturer in the School of Education and Professional Studies, Griffith University, Nathan, Qld 4111. Email R. firstname.lastname@example.com
Irene Lee is an Honours student at Griffith University.
Table 1 Performance distribution: Myadall State Primary School compared to state norms in reading and number results in Years 3, 5 and 7 (2001) Range Year 3 Year 5 (State Reading Number Reading Number Norms) Upper 25% 5% 0% 0% 5% Middle 50% 35% 45% 30% 45% Lower 25% 60% 55% 70% 50% Total 100% 100% 100% 100% (38) (38) (30) (20) Range Year 7 (State Reading Number Norms) Upper 25% 4% 4% Middle 50% 25% 37% Lower 25% 71% 59% Total 100% 100% (28) (27) (State benchmark statistics, Myadall Primary School) Figure 2 Excerpt from report card showing transformation of marks Achievement Needs support & guid- Subject Excellent Competent Developing ance LITERACY E C D NS&G Displays [check] confidence and speaks clearly Participates [check] in class discussions Plans what [check] to say/ organises information in formal and informal situations 1 2 3 4 Total comments Effort Subject Consistency Usually Sometimes Really LITERACY C U S R Displays [check] confidence and speaks clearly Participates [check] in class discussions [check] Plans what to say/ organises information in formal and informal situations 1 2 3 4 total comments
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Herpes Simplex (Cold Sores and Genital Herpes)...However, it can become active again with no warning. Herpes can be active without symptoms or visible signs. Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV1) is the common cause of cold sores (oral herpes) around the mouth. HSV2 normally causes genital herpes. However, through sexual activity, HSV1 can cause infections in the genital area, and HSV2 can infect the mouth area. HSV is a very common disease. Approximately 45 million people in the US have HSV...
Ask the Experts
Worried sick of possible HIV infectionI am new to this site but have found great info. here. I have searched archives and found some answers but have a wierd possible exposure story. I am male heterosexual, 85 days ago I went to an oriental massage parlor. Female of unknown status...
Response from Robert J. Frascino, M.D.
The Robert James Frascino AIDS Foundation...while two people are having nookie? The best I can offer is that if the latex condom was used properly and didn't break, your HIV risk would be essentially nonexistent.2.Oil-based lube can denature latex, weakening it such that the risk of... Read more »
my husband of 7years took a hiv test and was negative so this means i shouldnt worryMy husband took an hiv test we have been together for over 7 years and havent ever used protection and we both have been loyal to one another his test result was negative so i should have nothing to worry about correct?
Response from Ewald Horwath, M.D.
University of Miami School of Medicine...both have been faithful and neither of you has had another sexual partner or injected drugs, then you should have nothing to worry about. Read more »
I am worried of Possible HIV infectionDear Doc,This is second time I am writing to you. I am really worried for last three weeks. I am father two 1 year kids. I have a encounter with a CSW in dubai, which protected one I have not penerated her fully I just start rubbing her vaginia for...
Response from Robert J. Frascino, M.D.
The Robert James Frascino AIDS Foundation...Hello,1.Your HIV-acquisition risk is essentially nonexistent.2.No, this is completely unrelated.If you remain concerned, get a single rapid HIV Read more »
Still need testing, worried and depressed (FALSE POSTIVE HIV PCR)Thanks you very much Dr.Bob for answering my question. Do you have any recommendation for me to see a very very very good infectious desease doctor in bay area. I will once again donate to your charity for the noble work you are carrying against...
Response from Robert J. Frascino, M.D.
The Robert James Frascino AIDS Foundation...are of course always welcome at the Frascino Medical Group in Los Altos (650-917-1357).Good luck!Dr. BobStill need testing, worried and depressed (FALSE POSTIVE HIV PCR)Aug 3, 2007 Hi Dr Bob, I tested positive with PCR with viral load being 400... Read more »
High Anxiety: AIDS Anxiety in the Worried-Wells and Worried-Sicks, Part Two... Read Part One of this blog entry, posted on Sept. 3, 2010. Panic Attack: AIDS Anxiety in HIVers -- "The Worried-Sicks" Recently I received the following post from "Apollo." It graphically demonstrates an AIDS-related panic attack as well Read more »
High Anxiety: AIDS Anxiety in the Worried-Wells and Worried-Sicks, Part One... Read Part Two of this blog entry, posted on Sept. 23, 2010. Fear of an Epidemic Resulting in an Epidemic of Fear: The Worried-Wells Imagine being so frightened of contracting an illness that you begin believing God is sending you bad omens... Read more »
What Are the Symptoms of HIV and AIDS?...obsessive-compulsiveness. The key is to realize when your fears about HIV are legitimate and when they're not. Keep in mind that, if you're worried that something you did put you at risk for HIV, no matter how "out there" you might think your... Read more »
Women and HIV/AIDS... Bacterial vaginosis Common sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), such as gonorrhea, Chlamydia, andtrichomoniasis Genital herpes Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) Although little conclusive research is available on HIV and... Read more »
Connect With Others
worried I've got HIV after oral without
Posted by anonymouslad, 6 Replies...be nothing nothing to do with a possible std infection. But this along with regularly feeling mildly sick is getting me very worried I'm one of the tiny tiny percent of people who've been unlucky enough to get HIV through unprotected. Do these... Read more »
Long-term HIV and Aids survivors' health worrying
Posted by ScotCharles...From KaiserNet January 8, 2008 Some experts and doctors recently have voiced concerns that people who were diagnosed with HIV and Aids in the early years of the epidemic are experiencing "premature[e]" or "disproportionate numbers" of ailments... Read more »
Runny nose?
Posted by Anonymous, 1 Reply...Sorry if this sounds stupid but I know ARS brings around flu like symptoms and was wondering if a runny nose was one of them? Read more »
Coryza (runny nose), cough, or nasal congestion
Posted by Anonymous...are NOT what one may typically expect with ARS. This does not say that if you have these, you definitely don't have ARS (or HIV). However, these symptoms are much more indicative of one of the numerous flu viruses and common cold viruses which... Read more »
Resource Centers
Guides for People With HIV


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Come tour a 10-acre forest garden and see forest garden plants and techniques for the DC region. Then help build a "lasagna garden" bed—prepare a fertile and weed-free growing environment with no digging involved.
Tweets by @DCPoliceDept
Download forms, file online or check your refund status at the Taxpayer Service Center.


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Diagnosis ... he person's medical history, a physical examination, laboratory tests and scans. Several tests will determine the cause of ... » Read on
Complications ... medicines can be used to prevent further liver infection. Liver tests are recommended every three months in order to monitor the ... » Read on


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Arizona Diamondbacks
D-backs' Trevor Cahill able to hold game-long lead in win over Marlins: By The Numbers
Trevor Cahill's time in the minors is now paying dividends.
Of course, on Friday in Miami, the Arizona Diamondbacks starter had a three-run cushion by the time he took the mound against the Marlins, thanks to Cliff Pennington and Aaron Hill going yard off of Brad Hand.
Like Cahill's season, the beginning didn't look that great. The right-hander surrendered two runs straight away, almost losing the lead.
But that would be the extent of the scoring for both teams Friday, as they combined for just six hits in the remaining eight frames of the game.
Here's a look back at the win by the numbers:
David Peralta is mired in a 1-for-23 slump over his last five games, with his lone hit being RBI triple, which came Thursday on his birthday. The D-backs outfielder has seen his season batting average drop from .313 to .293 in that span, striking out 10 times over the stretch and failing to earn a walk. He was 0-for-3 with a sacrifice bunt Friday.
Pennington had a game-high two hits Friday, going 2-for-4, scoring a run and driving one in. No one else on either roster had more than one hit.
Cahill has turned in four consecutive quality starts now, going 2-1 with a 2.70 ERA against the Cincinnati Reds, Pittsburgh Pirates, Colorado Rockies and Marlins.
Cahill coerced 12 groundballs Friday while allowing just five flyballs.
Another D-backs player celebrated his birthday in Miami, as relief pitcher Oliver Perez turned 33 Friday. He pitched two-thirds of an inning, walking one and throwing 10 pitches while seeing his ERA drop to 2.11 on the season.
Pennington's home run in the first inning was the infielder's first in 459 days. He last homered on May 13, 2013.
Most Popular
- Bickley BlastThe Arizona Diamondbacks won't have an easy route to success.
- Tony La Russa, D-backs Chief Baseball OfficerWhat decisions still need to be made before the D-backs regular season begins?
- Chip Hale, D-backs managerChip Hale discusses his conversation with Don Mattingly about ended the D-backs-Dodgers feud.
- Derrick Hall, D-backs President & CEOHow are the D-backs progressing this spring? What did he think of the Dodgers game?
- Tony La Russa, D-backs Chief Baseball OfficerTony shares his thoughts on what happened between the Diamondbacks and the Dodgers.


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The mission of the Multicultural and International Student Programs Office is to provide an educational program that prepares Berry College students to contribute to and succeed in a multicultural and global society. The Multicultural and International Students Programs Office serves all Berry College students, but focuses on support services for international students. The staff, under the leadership of the director, is responsible for maintaining a welcoming, respectable environment and connections to the campus resources for students of diverse populations. In addition, they construct programs and initiatives to cultivate awareness, appreciation, and knowledge of self and others; infuse diversity education in curricular/co-curricular programs available to students; provide training, education, resources, and programming to address discrimination, bias, misconceptions, and stereotypes; and promote dialogue among students, faculty/staff, and alumni about ways to facilitate a culture that values more inclusion and civility.
From Place to Place Film Screening
March 26
7:00 PM to 10:00 PM - Krannert Center 217 Meeting Room Presenter: Dr. Susan ConradsenThis film follows the lives of three children who are growing up in America's Foster Care System. Discussion led by Dr. Conradsen will follow.
Muslims & Christians: Enemies, Brothers, or Friends
March 27
7:30 PM to 8:30 PM - Evans Hall 140 Auditorium A lecture by Dr. Duane Miller (Nazareth Evangelical Seminary; St Mary's University-San Antonio), presenting a new approach to Muslim-Christian engagement.
Bonner Series - College Access: The Struggles of Reaching a Higher Education
March 30
7:00 PM to 8:30 PM - Evans Hall 140 Auditorium Presenters: Eric Turner, Noemi Sarrion, Gayland Cooper, Dr. Edwards, Sarah Allred, Dr. ConradsenThis event will be a panel discussion on the issues that students today may encounter when trying to obtain a higher education. Panelists will comprise of Educators in the Berry and Rome & Floyd County Community, as well as other experts on this issue. Come and learn about the opportunity/achievement gap affecting high school students today and how we as a whole can help alleviate this issue.
Faculty Artists Recital: Lauren Denney Wright, clarinet, and Kris Carlisle, piano
April 7
7:30 PM to 9:00 PM - Ford Building Ford Auditorium Faculty Artists Recital: Lauren Denney Wright, clarinet, and Kris Carlisle,piano7:30 p.m., Ford AuditoriumJoin us for an evening of clarinet and piano chamber music featuring Lauren DenneyWright on clarinet and Kris Carlisle on piano.


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A neat, clean appearance.
• No visible tattoos or piercing.
• Non-smoking workplace.
• Must have great people skills.
• Apply in person/ e-mail resume to appropriate
When: Monday thru Friday, 9am to 4pm
Where: Reston Zoo Gift Shop
The Reston Zoo is seeking a motivated individual that can be the first point of contact for our guests. The ideal candidate must be friendly and inviting, while working in a fast-paced environment. Must be able to lift at least 50lbs. Will be required to work weekends and holidays.
- Operating a cash register in the gift shop or at a small concession outdoors (could include ice cream cart, paddleboats, carousel or train rides)
- Assisting in set up of birthday parties, field trips, and for other events and groups
- Cleaning duties
- Answering phones
- Assisting visitors with questions or concerns
Past experience in customer service and/or retail a plus. This is a seasonal position, full-time and part-time positions available. This is a non-smoking facility. No visible tattoos or facial piercings are permitted.
Pay to be determined based on experience.
Retirees are encouraged to apply
Michelle Elliott, firstname.lastname@example.com
Reston Zoo
is looking for a Groundskeeper to join our staff. We are a family
friendly zoological park located on 30 acres in the middle of Fairfax County,
Virginia. The collection includes small mammals, birds, primates, reptiles,
domestic and exotic hoof stock.
Reston Zoo
is seeking a motivated individual that can provide assistance to our Operations
Manager in grounds keeping and maintenance projects. Will be required to work
weekends and holidays.
landscaping of the zoo (mowing, weed eating, leaf blowing)
of the zoo (trash, bathrooms, parking lot)
painting and maintenance work
tasks as assigned by Operations Manager
This is a seasonal position,
full-time. This is a non-smoking facility. No visible tattoos or facial
piercings are permitted.
negotiable based on experience


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Be a part of a unique online community that connects post production professionals and film academics worldwide.
You'll have access to personalize your news feed, access to Live Post Talks and much more. Contribute to the community by posting interesting post production content.
March 9, 2015, 10:11 am
Hopefully this is the web's most comprehensive round up of the articles, tutorials, tips, book reviews and videos on the FCPX centric workflow used on the Hollywood studio feature film - Focus
March 1, 2015, 9:01 am
A quick round up of some of the best free FCPX plugins, effects, titles, animated templates and generators on the web
December 12, 2014, 4:25 pm
Get hold of hours of free FCPX training, insight and expertise in this round up of the best of the web when it comes to free FCPX tips, tricks and tutorials.
November 18, 2014, 3:49 am
I am the head editor of a daily sports (comedy) news show. I decided to record the screen of one of my edits for today. I recorded myself editing for over 5 hours and sped it up to 3388% to show the world what it is I do everyday. Enjoy!
August 11, 2014, 2:04 pm
Episode 71 of Chris Fenwick's FCPX Grill podcast features an interview with Philip Hodgetts of Intelligent Assistance, an LA-based software company who make software for assistant editors and editors who have to do assistant editors' tasks. After listening to this episode about logging, I thought it was well worth logging: [5:20] Video literacy vs. traditional forms of literacy. Even if post production isn't your primary focus, you make need to make videos. Apple selling a million cop...
August 1, 2014, 3:02 pm
Here's a new video from Gyro (tweeted by @sundsvein) featuring an edit on a Mac Pro using 64 layers of video - each of which was at least HD resolution. One 14 second sequence had 2,400+ 1080p clips. The reason we went for Final Cut Pro X as our main (and only) software is because it was bar far the only software that could handle 64+ layers with relative ease, and the way it works with the hardware is crazy Shows that Final Cut Pro X in combination with a Mac Pro can do real-time ...
August 1, 2014, 2:34 pm
Learn the fundamentals of audio track management, EQ and roles, in this Final Cut Pro X tutorial.
July 23, 2014, 9:35 am
A new course designed exclusively for you Date: Saturday, July 26, 2014 Location: Video Symphony, 266 E. Magnolia Blvd, Burbank Length: 1 Day, 9am-6pm (lunch is included) Price: $99 Since the ancient days of cave drawings depicting tales of man against beast, we've communicated through imagery. Discover for yourself how to take your storytelling to the next level with this one day intensive class in editing and storytelling.
July 16, 2014, 12:46 pm
It will be The Craft Of Weddings and Event Films at the next Los Angeles Creative Pro User Group event, July 23
May 19, 2014, 11:06 am
A new course designed exclusively for people who like to tell stories Taught by Larry Jordan Date: Saturday, June 7, 2014 Location: Video Symphony, 266 E. Magnolia Blvd, Burbank Length: 1 Day, 9am-6pm (lunch is included) Price: $99 www.videosymphony.com
In this post Kylee talks about gender issues in post production. Kylee Wall is an editor currently based out of Atlanta, GA. ...
Middleton, Wisconsin, March 25, 2015/PRNewsire/ – Sony Creative Software is debuting its newest media production packag ...
I've been to NAB for the last 4 years. I wouldn't consider myself a seasoned veteran just yet, but I've def ...
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|Advice, Suggestions and General Help
|New Topic
|Printer Friendly Version
Enough failed attempts
Posted by: smitgyver on Jul-08-13 7:20 PM (EST)
After many failed attempts at trying to find these bearings locally, I talked to Seattle Sports, they requested an email with pictures, now I have sent that off, I'm just sitting back waiting. Will let everyone know the outcome!!!
Kong Cable
Dry Tops
Portage Carts/Carriers
Paddling Accessories
|Table of Contents


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Preparing meals to freeze
I make a lot of meals and freeze them. My daughter is a full time college student as well as works on the weekends. She is on the go constantly and I have days when I am not well enough to get out of bed so I like to make up a lot of meals and freeze them. At my local pound shop I buy oven foils, they are basically single portion disposable foil pans with lids. I make up individual lasagnas, baked zitis, beef stews, chicken Kormas etc and freeze them. I also make up beef dsand bean burritos, chicken fajitas, breakfast burritos, biscuits with ham or bacon and bag them individually and freeze them so my daughter can grab one and throw it in the microwave before running off to college or work and if I am unwell she will come in and throw a meal into the oven and have a nice dinner at the end of a long day. I also recently found plastic reusable carry out containers like the ones you get from a Chinese restaurant. I like these better because they can go into the microwave and cooked from frozen in a fraction of the time. I found reusable plastic bowl and lids perfect for a bowl of soup or chilli. Yep another pound shop find. 12 bowls with lids for a pound and 10 plastic reusable containers with lids for a pound. The foil containers are great for not just a meal. I also make peach cobbler, pineapple upside down cake, brownies, apple crisp and par bake them then put the lid on and pop them in the freezer. When I want a dessert I take one out, pop it in the oven and finish cooking it. The soup bowls I also use when I make a recipe of cookie dough. I make a couple cookies to eat and pop the remainder of the dough in the bowls and freeze the dough. Or I break the dough up into so many portions and bag it and freeze it. I would be lost if I could not make meals up ahead. What a time saver.
These containers are food grade containers. They seal securely. I also have a kitchen thermometer. It works great and I could not change back to cooking daily. There has been a lot of shows on the telly about the foods in shops. We have had the horse meat scandal as well as other documentaries of having food tested and finding horrible things in fast food, prepared meals in shops and processed foods is terrifying. But making up fast foods like burritos, fajitas etc...I know what we are eating. I refuse to eat processed foods and will not feed them to my kids. My children are all grown up now but I still want them to eat healthy and know what they are eating and hopefully they will take this on and continue in their homes.
Thanks for the reply. I appreciate all views as it does give me things to think over.


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Bayern travels to Hannover in Bundesliga - 0 Comments
FRANKFURT, Germany — Mario Gomez is back in the spotlight, after a season of playing second fiddle to Mario Mandzukic.
Gomez was injured at the start of the season and Bayern Munich's new acquisition Mandzukic used the opportunity to establish himself at the center of Bayern's attack.
Now, Bayern is looking at Gomez again as it builds up to its Champions League seminal against Barcelona.


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$1,050 2 bed Rocklin CA
Rocklin CA, Rocklin , 95677
$1,050 2 bed2 bath990 sq ft
Commute to Downtown Rocklin
Park Village is a 23 minute walk from the Auburn/Oakland Coliseum, the Oakland Jack London/Auburn and the San Jose/Auburn at the Rocklin stop.
This apartment is in Rocklin. Nearby parks include Antelope Creek Park, Vista Grande Park and Johnson-Springview Park.
Park Village has a Walk Score of 32 out of 100. This location is a Car-Dependent neighborhood so most errands require a car.
Nearby schools include Maria Montessori Charter Academy, Antelope Creek Elementary School and Western Sierra Collegiate Academy.
The closest grocery stores are European Market & Deli "Beryozka", Costco and Sprouts Farmers Market.
Nearby coffee shops include Dutch Bros. Coffee, La Bou and Panchito's El Tepeyac Cafe. Nearby restaurants include K T Noodle, Mountain Mike's Pizza and Star Acquisitions Inc.
Park Village is near Night Ridge Park, Twin Oaks Community Park and William Jessup University.
2BR / 2Ba, 990ft2, apartment washer/dryer in unit, carport, no smoking, cats are OK - . Spacious two bedroom, 1. 5 bath units 965 sqft and two bedroom 2 bath units 990 sqft overlooking park-like area away from. Washer/Dryer in units, A/E kitchen, air conditioning. Pool in complex, and parking. Units are carpeted, with fireplace and small deck off living room and 2nd bedroom. Light and airy location in a quiet neighborhood, in back of complex.
Nicole Arredondo
Aug 06, 2014
Everything has been good so far, I rented this 3 bedroom town home about three months ago, They are friendly and fast at fixing any issues, also very helpful. The ONLY problem , or if you want to call it a problem is the pricing is a little high , three bedrooms are 1599-1700 per month. I found houses in the area for 1325 per month. That is the only thing I don't agree with here, I moved from another state and this was the only place we could find at the time. It is located really close to an elementary school which is a huge plus for me. Other than that, this place is a really great place to live.
Stefanie Zolina
Jun 19, 2014
I LOVE these guys!!! We were in a 3 bedroom townhome, we just finished moving out today. We were there for 14 months. The only reason we moved out is because we are expecting our 3rd child & need a 4th bedroom. (They only go up to 3 bedrooms or else we would have stayed!) Sure they are a little pricey BUT the management team is SO amazing!! They are some of the nicest people I have ever met! (Especially Lordess, she is SUCH a sweetheart!!) The maintenance guys are awesome!! They are very prompt & when things need to be fixed they do it right the first time!! They are super personable too! I'm always laughing when they stop by, whether it was the couple times we needed something fixed, or every time we see them driving around the property we always seem to have a laugh! Also one of the best things about living there is that the individual townhomes are very well sound proofed!!! In our 14 months there, I think I heard the first neighbors play music once & I could tell it was really loud on their end for me to be hearing it, but I still barely heard it! And then we had new neighbors move in & they hung some pictures, so I could hear the hammer & nails a few times, but that's IT!! I will recommend this place to everyone I know who's criteria it fits!
Aliksandria DeMartin
Feb 06, 2014
I have lived at Woodstream for almost a year now and I have to say that it is a very quiet and safe community. We rented a three bedroom, renovated townhome while our house is being remodeled and so far we have enjoyed our time here. Moving from a huge house to a townhome was an adjustment due to the space but the townhome set up definitely feels more like a house than apartment, especially with the two car garage. Our neighbors have been great and we all look out for each other. The maintenance and office staff are always helpful and get our repairs done very fast. I have also recommended Woodstream Townhomes to my sister-in-law who is moving in next week.
A Google User
Sep 19, 2011
First of all the maintenance guy is an absolute idiot!!! Has no clue what he is doing. Second it is a nice place to live, but make sure you document "everything" because they will blame you for it all and you will get no deposit back!! The management sucks big time!!
A Google User
Feb 01, 2012
I've lived here for 4 years and will not leave until my child is done with school. The school district is awesome and this place feels like home. It's not on a busy street like the other apartments I lived in. I've been spoiled with a garage and won't move until I buy a house.
Owner/manager tools | Report bad listing | From ApartmentHunterz.com
Rocklin, California, 95677
Most errands require a car.
Score Details
Explore how far you can travel by car, bus, bike and foot from Park Village.
Rail lines:
Oakland Jack London/Auburn
1.0 mi
San Jose/Auburn
1.0 mi
Auburn/Oakland Coliseum
1.0 mi
Bus lines:
0.8 mi
1.2 mi
1.2 mi
1.3 mi
SCR Sierra College Evening Shuttle
1.3 mi
1.3 mi
1.3 mi
1.3 mi
1.3 mi
Park Village is in the city of Rocklin, CA. Rocklin has an average Walk Score of 31 and has 56,974 residents.Learn More About Rocklin


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OP Senior Member
Thanks Meter: 154
410 posts
Join Date:Joined: Mar 2011
Requirements: Android v2.1
Overview: This free addictive-but-simple game meshes music, dance and making new friends to create something simply funky and totally fun! Players will have to prove theyve got rhythm to whisk their on-screen dancer through nine levels of increasingly tough dance moves, getting down to six genres of music from spicy Salsa to banging Electro, fist-pumping Rock and Metal to funky Disco and Hip-Hop, to become the greatest dancer of summer!
The Neverending Dance of Happiness also features an awesome Bump technology feature that allows players to unlock bonus moves when connecting with other users because after all, dancing with friends is that much more fun!
Coca-Colas Neverending Dance of Happiness game features:
Six fantastic music styles with 9 exciting levels of gameplay each!
Special unlockable moves by Bumping with friends!
Download Instructions:
Mirror :


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Emilio Leti
From BoxRec
Name: Emilio Leti
Born: 1963-11-23
Birthplace: Samoa
Boxing Record: click
Amateur Highlight
- 1986 won the Oceanian Championships as a Heavyweight in Apia, Western Samoa.
- 1992 competed at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Result was:
- Lost to Arnold Vanderlyde (Netherlands) PTS (0-14)
- 1992 2nd place at the Oceanian Championships in Apia, Western Samoa. Lost the final to David Tua.
- 1993 won the Oceanian Championships as a Super Heavyweight in Apia, Western Samoa.
- 1994 won the Oceanian Championships in Port Vila, Vanuatu.
- 1994 competed at the Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Australia. Result was:
- Lost to Duncan Dokiwari (Nigeria) TKO 1


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Knights Inn Augusta Ga
Situated in Augusta, Knights Inn Augusta Ga is close to Augusta National Golf Club and Augusta State University. Additional area attractions include Ezekiel Harris House and Augusta Mall.
Hotel Features.
A complimentary breakfast is available. In addition to laundry facilities and complimentary newspapers in the lobby, Knights Inn Augusta Ga features RV/bus/truck parking. Wireless Internet access is complimentary in public areas.
Accommodations at Knights Inn Augusta Ga feature complimentary newspapers. Televisions are equipped with cable channels.
Not a fancy hotel, but should not expect one at this price. It was clean and the…
I wasn't impressed, had no internet service the whole time I was there and was told by…
Enter dates to check prices
Hotel Info: 866-539-8117from $45
- Double Room, Smoking
- Double Room, 2 Double Beds, Accessible, Smoking
- Double Room, 2 Double Beds
- Standard Room, Accessible
- Standard Room, 1 King Bed, Smoking
- Double Room, 2 Double Beds, Smoking
- Large Room with One Double Bed
- Standard Room, 1 King Bed
Recommended hotels
At a glance
Key facts
Hotel size
- This hotel is arranged over 1 floor
- 24-hour check-in
- Check-out time is 11 AM
Required at check in
- Credit card or cash deposit required
- Government-issued photo ID required
Travelling with others
- Pets not allowed
- Free WiFi in public areas
- RV/bus/truck parking
In the hotel
- Free continental breakfast
- Laundry facilities
- Free newspapers in lobby
- Number of buildings/towers - 4
In the room
- Cable TV channels
- Free newspaper
- Free local calls


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-The hotel is perfectly situated: right in the centre at 100m from the cathedral.
-The staff is very friendly and helpful.
- The room is very clean and has a beautiful modern touch. It is very small though (we took the standard room) and i suppose the luxury room will be bigger.
- The price-quality is excellent. It is ideal for young professionals (you see mostly young people in the hotel). - Anonymous
Id stayed here quite some month ago and the hotel was full of teething problems as only been open a few days. I then stayed again but was to soon to review it.
The hotel is spotlessly clean, the decor is of a very high standard and all staff are more than helpfull.
The location is excellent and when ever i visit Valencia in future i would try and stay here. - Anonymous
Wonderful helpful, friendly staff whom we spent a lot of time just chatting with! Small, intimate hostel (max 28 ppl at one time) so it is really easy to socialize with your fellow travellers. As two 20-something girls we stayed in the private bedroom with 2 single beds and it was perfect! Looked just like the pictures and felt like a boutique hotel (design, details, helpful staff) at a fraction of the cost. Great location and easy to navigate to all the main sights, nightlife, etc. - Anonymous
Firstly, I travel a lot all over the world for business and this hotel stands out above almost all others, regardless of price. Notable for the amazing staff, great location and wonderfully newly refurbished building and room. I would recommend this hotel to anyone. Exceptional service: probably the nicest and most helpful I have encountered at any hotel, the management, reception and cleaning staff really stood out - amazing! Located right in the heart of the old town with good access to metr - Anonymous
Staff was very friendly. By request, they gave us a kettle to boil water for tea in the room. The room was clean and well-equipped, with balcony. Location is good, in walking distance (20 min) from the train station and 30 min from the City of Sciences and Arts. We only used transportation to get to the airport. The Bombay fast-food downstairs is okay. - Anonymous
The hotel is only a few steps away from the Central market and the Lonja
de Seda and at the entrance of the old town, which are 3 of the most
interesting sights in Valencia.
In the main entrance of the building, walls and floors are covered with natural materials such as wood and marble.
The staff (a big team) was very polite, helpful, sincerely concerned about our comfort and experience in their city, and with a "can do" attitude.
They offered us to keep our rented bike in the main sitting ro - Anonymous
The location was superb, as well as the appliances in the room: an Apple computer, 3 dimensional TV, a luxury shower, very modern design. - Anonymous
- Location is excellent. Hostal Moratin is located in a smaller street
(Moratin street) right next to Valencian main city hall square. All
turist sights in the old town are in walking distance.
- Room we had (double bed with shower) was very spacious with a small balcony. Beds were comfortable. There was even a small TV inside. There was also a big closet for clothes.
- There was breakfast (toast with butter and jam, coffee and tea) included in a price.
- The owner of a Hostal Moratin is a - Anonymous
Perfectly - very central - in the heart of the city - (100 M. near thestation - directly with the U-bahn to/from the airport) .... 5 min. Walkto the cathedral and many objects of interest and near many tapasrestaurant......price achievement = absolutely in order..........friendly and helpful people at the reception ....... - Horst
The hotel is excellent, fabulous interior, the best place in Vanlencia for sure with great location. - Anonymous


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Brain Damage - Experimental Animation Video
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Quality Hotel Hampstead
5 Frognal
London, EN NW3 6AL
Phone: (44) 20 77940101
Fax: (44) 20 77940100
Beauty & Spas
»Rock Men's Salon
Rock Men's Salon has made its reputation on the basis of providing men with great cutting and coloring services at reasonable rates. At this salon, located next to The Gallery Pub, men can look forward to good cuts starting from GBP22. Between Tuesday and Friday, there is a ten percent discount on cutting services prior to 3.30p.
»Gary Ingham Lifestyle Salon & Spa
An Aveda Concept salon and spa, Gary Ingham Lifestyle offers a range of hair and spa services that leave you looking and feeling refreshed. The salon offers haircut and styling services for men, women and children, as also special services like Glossing Treatment and Botanical Hair & Scalp Treatment. At the spa, you can treat yourself to body wraps, back treatment, facials, massages and more. You can book one of their Day Retreats, which combine many of their best treatments into one package.
»Swiss Cottage Leisure Centre
Swiss Cottage Leisure Centre is a well-established fitness center offering a wide range of activities. It has even been recognized as 2007's 'Best Leisure Centre in London' by Time Out. The many facilities you can make use of include swimming pools, a gym, spa, group exercise classes, sports hall and creche, among others. After a strenuous session of workouts, you can relax at the cafe on site. You can also book the center for private events.
»Springhealth Hampstead
This is a privately owned club and offers real sophistication and a relaxing environment. Highlights include three gyms, two dance studios and a refurbished swimming pool. Also check out the whirlpool spa, steam room, sauna and Clarins beauty salon. There is a creche for the kids.
»New York Pilates
New York Pilates was the first studio in London to teach Classical Pilates, as created by Joseph Pilate. There are many classes, including pre-and-post natal, as well as Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis. Workshops, where you can learn from pilates masters, are also organized.
»Dappa Hair Boutique
Dappa Hair Boutique is a complete hair treatment provider salon located at Camden. The salon is managed by London's well-known hairdresser, Stephen. Having 15 years of experience behind him, Stephen has established Dappa as a hair boutique with unique ideas and novel concepts. The salon offers services like hair styling, highlighting, coloring, straightening, blow dry, etc.
»HOB Salons
HOB is a chain of 23 salons spread across UK, from London to Leeds. Started in 1983, HOB Salons are one of the best players in the industry. They offer a benefit of guaranteed satisfaction to their customers whether whatever hair service they might come looking for. The chain also has an Academy that undergoes continuous professional training from the industry hair experts.
»Yvonne Martin Beauty Clinic
Yvonne Martin Beauty Clinic, located in Pimlico, offers a number of skin care services ranging from facial, manicure, pedicure to special massages. Yvonne Martin is a well-known skin expert and has selected a team of professionals to work under her. The team uses the finest products while giving you quality treatments. Call to book an appointment.
»Flaxon Ptootch
Just as interesting as its name is the description of Flaxon Ptootch; it is a unique blend of a hair salon and an art gallery. Walk in for a haircut during the day, and come back for the art exhibitions at night featuring some fantastic contemporary artworks. The second Thursday of the month is reserved for art shows, live music and cocktails. If you're in the vicinity of Kentish Town, you must give this rare mixture a try.
»Soho Gyms-Camden
Soho Gyms are located in many different areas of the city, but are united by the fact they are all passionate about fitness. The Camden location is no different, and offers the very best equipment and experienced instructors. There are also many classes like yoga, Zumba and martial arts that you can join.
Tusk is a little bit raucous, a little bit trendy, and a whole lot of fun. If you are seeking a hairstyle with a similar attitude, then this is your place. Specializing in Afros, this salon is a great place to get a completely new style.
»Skin Like Silk
If you've ever dreamt of your skin to look and feel like silk, then a skin treatment at Skin Like Silk is a must. Skin Like Silk is an aesthetic medicine clinic, which was started in the 1973 and currently operates across three branches - Camden, Harley Street and Chelsea. The branch in Camden is manned by a professional staff, and offers various skin treatments ranging from IPL laser hair removal, to skin rejuvenation, skin tightening, slimming, and other beauty treatments.


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The former megachurch pastor exchanged his evangelical bona fides for the blessing of Oprah.
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Hashtags cut both ways, as they can easily be hijacked or lampooned by detractors.
Why Mars Hill's Breakup Is a Warning for Megastar Pastors
Pastors with megabrands are raising new issues for fast-growing churches.


text:
In 2006 I posted an updated version of How to Cook Spagetti Squash as a Summer Squash which has step-by-step photos. (At that time it wasn't possible to move the post forward without breaking the link.) I am removing this post to prevent it from showing up twice in search engines. Please use the link above to find the updated recipe.
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Garden Spagetti Squash
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Starstruck investors who raced after popular commodities last year discovered how mercurial these markets can be. Big price swings in 2011 left many fans badly disappointed. Even gold, normally viewed as a haven in troubled times, turned in an uneven performance. It rose about 11% if you held it for all of 2011, but that's little comfort to those who bought near its nominal all-time Nymex high of $1,923.70 in September. From that peak, prices ended 2011 down about 19%.
Gold bugs weren't the only investors feeling burned. The Dow Jones-UBS Commodity Index fell 13.37%, dragged down by natural gas (-47.1%), wheat (-34%) and cocoa (-32.4%). There were lots of reasons for the first-half rally's swan-dive, but fears about China's slowing economy as well as Europe's sovereign-debt woes were the most prominent.
So, do commodities deserve another shot? We don't think they should have a starring role in your portfolio early in the year, but they do deserve a supporting part. And investors could have a chance to buy commodity-related funds and stocks at lower prices in coming months if some of the recent global worries persist. In any event, commodities should be included in any portfolio to provide needed diversity.
Tryouts: Investors should monitor first-half 2012 performance to see if bargains emerge. Peter Fergusen for Barron's
RESEARCH DONE IN 2005 by professors K. Geert Rouwenhorst and Gary Gorton of the Yale School of Management shows that fully collateralized commodity futures historically offered the same risk-adjusted performance as equities and usually trade in a different direction from both stocks and bonds, offering a good hedge. Despite commodities' short-term volatility, market watchers say rising long-term demand for raw materials from the emerging markets' growing middle class should keep their prices on a general uptrend.
There are different ways to get commodities exposure without having to lug the physical goods home. Much depends on how active or passive an investor wants to be. The traditional way is to trade futures, and they still offer a quick and liquid means of making short-term bets. But futures are strictly for the very active, disciplined trader, says agriculture-commodities advisor Shawn Hackett, president and CEO of Hackett Financial Advisors. "You can't put a futures contract in a drawer and forget about it like you can with an ETF or a stock," he says. Hedge funds and commodity-trading advisors are another alternative, but their investment minimums can put them out of reach of most investors.
MUTUAL AND EXCHANGE-TRADED FUNDS are by far the easiest to understand and can be held for any duration without direct action on the part of the investor. These funds may deal in the futures markets, but the shareholder needn't worry about the intricacies of direct investment or approaching expiration dates.
A broad-based exposure helps reduce volatility and ensures the portfolio benefits from price movements, as commodities don't often affect one another. "Commodities are totally distinguishable," says Abraham Bailin, exchange-traded fund analyst at Morningstar, citing, for example, how Russian wildfires in the summer of 2010 lifted wheat prices, but didn't have any effect on crude oil.
Commodity ETFs offer one way to get wide exposure, though they have received some bad press because of a real issue called negative-roll yield.
The negative-roll yields result from the market's structure, which reflects both the price of current and future supplies. Prices of contracts closest to the present month are usually lower than contracts reflecting what prices could be a year from now. Prices for those longer-dated contracts are usually higher to account for expenses such as the cost of storing and insuring the commodity over time. That higher, future cost is known as carry, or contango.
ETFs based only on nearby prices lose money if a market is in contango because they have to buy the higher-priced, longer-dated contract and sell the cheaper spot month. So they are selling low and buying high. When current prices are above later-dated values, in a condition known as backwardation, the fund benefits by selling high and buying low.
A number of commodity-related ETFs and mutual funds are trying to limit the drag caused by negative-roll yields, say Bailin and Kathryn Young, Morningstar's mutual-fund analyst.
Among commodity ETFs, Bailin likes the PowerShares DB Commodity Index DBC -1.1580775911986103% PowerShares DB Commodity Index Tracking Fund U.S.: NYSE Arca 17.07 -0.2 -1.1580775911986103% /Date(1427835600135-0500)/ Volume (Delayed 15m) : 2302258 AFTER HOURS 17.07 % Volume (Delayed 15m) : 128 P/E Ratio N/A Market Cap N/A Dividend Yield N/A Rev. per Employee N/A More quote details and news » (ticker: DBC), which tracks the Dow Jones-UBS index. Using an algorithm and staying slightly further out on the commodity price curve—three to six months versus the spot price—minimizes the roll yield as prices between these months tend to be more similar.
Bailin also favors the U.S. Commodity Index USCI -0.948180815876516% United States Commodity Index Fund U.S.: NYSE Arca USD44.92 -0.43 -0.948180815876516% /Date(1427835600259-0500)/ Volume (Delayed 15m) : 62051 AFTER HOURS USD45.77 -0.019999999999996 1.892252894033838% Volume (Delayed 15m) : P/E Ratio N/A Market Cap 541632000 Dividend Yield N/A Rev. per Employee N/A More quote details and news » ETF (USCI), which is based on the research of Yale's Rouwenhorst. Each month the index selects 14 out of 27 commodity futures on the basis of the highest level of backwardation and annual price change. The idea is that higher current prices are forecasting that present supplies on hand will be insufficient to meet future demand and thus make the prospect of higher prices more likely.
Young says the Pimco Commodity Real Return (PCRDX) also follows the DJ-UBS index, but is actively managed to help minimize the effect of roll yield. It has a long, solid track record, and she likes that the fund uses some of its money to invest in several bond funds to lower risk, with much of the cash in inflation-protected securities, known as Tips. Her pure-play commodity mutual fund pick is Pimco CommoditiesPlus Strategy (PCLDX), which tracks the Credit Suisse Commodity Index.
John Person, president of National Futures.com and co-author of the Commodity Trader's Almanac, suggests that retail investors devote anywhere from 5% to 15% of their portfolio to commodities, depending on their risk tolerance. For someone who wants to earmark 15% to resources, he recommends 5% in the SPDR Gold Trust GLD -0.07912087912087912% SPDR Gold Trust U.S.: NYSE Arca 113.66 -0.09 -0.07912087912087912% /Date(1427835600176-0500)/ Volume (Delayed 15m) : 4170668 AFTER HOURS 113.58 -0.0799999999999983 -0.0703853598451522% Volume (Delayed 15m) : 212646 P/E Ratio N/A Market Cap N/A Dividend Yield N/A Rev. per Employee N/A More quote details and news » (GLD), 5% in agriculture and 5% in energy, which can be made up of commodity stocks.
Keep an Eye Out
Commodities advisors and analysts recommend that investors tread carefully in the asset class early this year. Here are some suggested funds and stocks to watch for signs of a bottom in prices.
|2011 Return
|Commodity or Index
|Pimco Commodity Real/PCRDX
|DJ-UBS Commodities Index
|Pimco Commoditiesplus /PCLDX
|Credit Suisse Commodity Index
|Bank PowerShares /DBC
|DJ-UBS Commodities Index
|US Commodity Index/USCI
|Rotating basket of 14 commods.
|SPDR Gold Trust/GLD
|Spot price of gold
|Oil Services/OIHYL
|Mkt. Vect. Oil Svs 25 Index
|US Natural Gas Fund/UNG
|Natural gas prices
|Alliance Grain Traders/
|Niche player in plant protein
|Tyson Foods/TSN
Source: Bloomberg
In agricultural stocks, he likes meat producers Smithfield (SFD) and Tyson TSN -0.5194805194805194% Tyson Foods Inc. Cl A U.S.: NYSE USD38.3 -0.2 -0.5194805194805194% /Date(1427835728411-0500)/ Volume (Delayed 15m) : 4450918 AFTER HOURS USD38.3 % Volume (Delayed 15m) : 168305 P/E Ratio 15.427374526705872 Market Cap 14421476417.3047 Dividend Yield 1.0443864229765014% Rev. per Employee 319210 More quote details and news » (TSN), noting a drought in livestock-producing areas has cut herds, which should result in higher meat prices in 2012.
To reach his proposed allocation in energy, Person favors Market Vectors Oil Services OIH -0.56047197640118% Market Vectors Oil Services ETF U.S.: NYSE Arca 33.71 -0.19 -0.56047197640118% /Date(1427835600208-0500)/ Volume (Delayed 15m) : 4107894 AFTER HOURS 33.71 % Volume (Delayed 15m) : 56161 P/E Ratio N/A Market Cap N/A Dividend Yield 2.536339365173539% Rev. per Employee N/A More quote details and news » ETF (OIH) as a way to buy the oil-services index. Because oil prices already are high, there's substantial demand for more productivity, which should bolster the group, he says. If natural-gas prices continue to fall, the U.S. Natural Gas UNG -0.22607385079125847% United States Natural Gas Fund L.P. U.S.: NYSE Arca 13.24 -0.03 -0.22607385079125847% /Date(1427835600259-0500)/ Volume (Delayed 15m) : 3880510 AFTER HOURS 13.27 0.0299999999999994 0.22658610271903323% Volume (Delayed 15m) : 17491 P/E Ratio N/A Market Cap N/A Dividend Yield N/A Rev. per Employee N/A More quote details and news » Fund ETF (UNG) could be a good value, especially if the natural-gas futures contract falls near $2.80 per million BTUs, where he would buy "aggressively." More coal-fired power plants are switching to gas because of new Environmental Protection Agency rules.
Keep in mind that buying commodity stocks isn't the same thing as owning the actual commodity. At the very least, commodity stocks are going to be more influenced by the equity market and may not reflect the short-term circumstances within the physical market, say Bailin and Person. For instance, gold mining stocks have at various times in recent years far outperformed the price of gold because their profitability improves very sharply once they reach breakeven.
Agriculture-commodities advisor Hackett says hard assets can have a place in a retail portfolio, but only if the investor understands the high risk/high volatility nature of commodities. "The job as an investor, as a user, as a producer is to know when to sell and when to buy." He dislikes commodity ETFs, suggesting instead that investors target agriculture companies with production and infrastructure capacity. He likes Cresud CRESY -0.3620564808110065% Cresud S.A.C.I.F. y A. ADS U.S.: Nasdaq USD13.76 -0.05 -0.3620564808110065% /Date(1427835600112-0500)/ Volume (Delayed 15m) : 172194 AFTER HOURS USD13.69 -0.00999999999999979 -0.5087209302325582% Volume (Delayed 15m) : P/E Ratio N/A Market Cap 933161061.742888 Dividend Yield N/A Rev. per Employee 275931 More quote details and news » (CRESY), a South American farmland trust, and Alliance Grain Traders agt.t -1.3109978150036417% AGT Food & Ingredients Inc. Canada: Toronto CAD27.1 -0.36 -1.3109978150036417% /Date(1427835600000-0500)/ Volume (Delayed 15m) : 77267 P/E Ratio 21.50793650793651 Market Cap 633502170.498658 Dividend Yield 2.2140221402214024% Rev. per Employee N/A More quote details and news » (AGT.Canada), a Canadian agriculture firm.
Cresud makes it easy for someone to own farmland without having to buy actual dirt, while he sees Alliance Grain Traders as a strong niche player in the "pulses" market—protein crops like lentils and chickpeas. It's a way to play the growing global demand for food. "These crops are too small for the big ag firms to care about, and the firm knows the buy and sell sides of the business," Hackett says.
MANY ADVISORS CAUTION against jumping into commodities in a big way until the conditions that caused the drop in late 2011, like Europe's debt problems, begin to subside. And some markets, like cotton, sugar and cocoa, are still suffering from oversupply. As Hackett puts it, "Now is a good time to get ready to buy as the trends are down."
The second half looks more promising as an entry point, since prices could come down a little further and commodities often herald an economic rebound, possibly in 2013. That would put commodities back on center stage.
DEBBIE CARLSON is a freelance journalist who writes about commodities.
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