text:
A surprisingly quiet release by Apple Inc.
Just recently, the super tech giant, Apple Inc. has quietly launched a new low-end version of the iMac. This keeps educational institutions to save over $200 from the regular model.
Apple Inc. seems to release the newer version to avoid all fanfare of its low-end iMac. The company clarified though that this new gadget is only for educational institutions. It costs at $1,099, saving up to $200 from the price of the regular version of iMac.
It is still not confirmed though when Apple has launched the new low-end iMac for educational institution . . . → Read More: Apple Inc. releases iMac for $1,099


text:
Barbara G. has been a volunteer at the ASPCA for over 10 years, so she's seen her fair share of animals. With two ASPCA cats at home, she had no plans to adopt a third—until she met Lil Ricky. A feisty cat with a number of health issues, Ricky was having a hard time finding a home. But Barbara believed in him, and proved that with a little patience and a lot of love, Ricky could flourish. Here is the Happy Tail of how this special cat went from "hisser" to "kisser."
Most days, Barbara can be found at the ASPCA Adoption Center socializing cats and syringe-feeding kittens. While going about this work last year, she noticed Lil Ricky. At just three months old, the kitten was already suffering from a number of issues: Cerebellar Hypoplasia (a condition that leads to poor balance), Cardiomyopathy (a weak heart), and a repaired broken leg. As Barbara puts it, "He was unsteady on his feet, would need lifelong cardiac medication, and had the potential for complications from the leg fracture." He was a tough kitty that would be a challenge for even the most experienced animal adopter.
Ricky was fostered out for a while, but was eventually returned to the shelter for his ensuing aggression issues. After that, Barbara recalls, "Lil Ricky was in the 'available' area but not one potential adopter inquired about him." She couldn't bear to see him with no potential home outside the shelter, and so decided to try a four-week "foster to adopt" program with the cat. During this time, he moved into Barbara's apartment and was carefully introduced to her other pets. True to his unpredictable nature, Ricky did something that defied all expectations: He fit right in.
Barbara officially adopted Lil Ricky just short of his first birthday. Since then, she says, "He has gone from a kitten that could barely walk to an adolescent running, climbing, and playing hard with his new brother and sister. Ricky may stumble and fall on occasion, but he always gets up and keeps on going!"
Barbara and Lil Ricky's story is proof that every animal is worth saving. Transformed from a feisty wildcat into a loving companion, Ricky now greets Barbara at the door every day and sleeps snugly next to her every single night.
Do you have a Happy Tail you'd like to share? Email your story to [email protected] and we might feature it on the blog!
Want to stay up-to-date on the latest ASPCA Happy Tail?
Sign up to receive our weekly newsletter, ASPCA News Alert - you'll receive important updates on what's going on and how you can make an impact to save animals' lives!
Lil Ricky is soft and gorgeous. He looks so totally content and calm in his new, loving home. Thank you to Barbara for her many years of service to so many animals in need and for giving brave, beautiful Ricky a new and wonderful life.
What a beautiful cat! I'm so happy he got a second chance.
So incredibly happy this sweet lil boy found a home he deserves where he fits right in! I too have a kitty with Cerebellar Hypoplasia. He doesn't like to jump or really even climb, but he will do either one to get into my lap for cuddles and love. I believe special needs pets are some of the most precious. <3
Barbara, truly is an angel on this earth. I hope she knows what a great person she is. Lil Ricky is a sweet beautiful boy and so lucky he has Barbara to love him.
Lil Ricky is beautiful and so must be Barbara for taking time to recognize the "real" beauty he had inside him. I own two "special needs" cats. The oldest, Sam is 16, almost deaf, has arthritis and believes he should eat every hour. It takes a lot of patience because he is so vocal. I got him from PetSmart rescue when he was 10 months old-he had never been outside a cage. Taking him home, he showed how much he loved being free to run from room to room. He is very affectionate. My second cat, CB, was rescued with his mom from our woods. He was 3 months in the wild so it took a while to get him use to being touched and around people. His mother gave me 6 babies, which were adopted out to their own "forever homes"-two were disabled physically. The mother was extremely sick and didn't survive. Introducing the two male cats to one another took a lot of patience, but after a month, they were playing together and having fun. CB does not like to be picked up or around strangers, he's afraid of large noises, storms and loud vehicles. Considering all this, he is still very loving, playful and I work with him every day to make him feel comfortable and secure. He becomes very stressed when I have to go out. Still, with all their special requirements, I love them both very much and wouldn't trade them for any other cat. Just goes to show that one can never judge a cat by what they first see. They have much more to give if only given the chance.
So happy this beautiful, sweet cat found a forever home!!!! He could almost be a twin to my most recent rescue.
Barbara, you are truly a special person for all you do!!!!!!......

subset: commoncrawl


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Difference between revisions of "Ohio Livestock Care Standards, Issue 2 (2009)"
(→Constitutional changes: updated language)
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Ted StricklandIssue 2, .Ohio Farm Bureau, who that the measure an outline that would enable safety procedures to effectively ensure the care of livestock animals.
According to the Farm Bureau, if the measure
According to the Farm Bureau, if the measure enacted, the board could consult with animal behaviorists, scientists and veterinarians while scheming their plan to develop standards. The group standards would help prevent disease and other food issues.
lobbyist Keith Stimpert "We're going to assemble a panel of knowledgeable people. It's important to take a very thoughtful approach to the issue."
Dave and Troy Ernest, owners of County Line Pork, Inc., the measure due to fears that animal rights groups would hurt their industry if they gained control. The Ernests to California'segg industry as evidence industry will be eliminated after animal rights groups campaigned for [[California Proposition 2 (2008)|Proposition 2]] . Dave , "They have a lot of money and a lot of power. If we don't do something, we will see these groups...come in.<ref > [http://www.adaherald.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=5&ArticleID=102604 ''The Ada Herald'', "Correction about Issue Two", October 9, 2009]</ref>
Revision as of 12:03, 19 February 2010
|Ohio Constitution
|I • II • III • IV • V • VI • VII • VIII • IX • X • XI • XII • XIII • XIV • XV • XVI • XVII • XVIII • Schedule
- 1 Election results
- 2 Aftermath
- 3 Ballot summary
- 4 Constitutional changes
- 5 Support
- 6 Opposition
- 7 Media editorial positions
- 8 See also
- 9 External links
- 10 Additional reading
- 11 References
Election results
Ohio Issue 3 was approved by voters on the night of November 3, 2009. Below are election results according to the Ohio Secretary of State's office.[[3]
|Issue 2
|Total votes
|Voter turnout
- See also: Ohio Livestock Care Initiative (2010)
On January 27, 2010 the Ohio Livestock Care Initiative (2010), a initiated constitutional amendment, was filed with the Ohio Attorney General for the November 2, 2010 ballot in Ohio. According to the filed petition the proposed initiative, a countermeasure to Issue 2, requires that the Livestock Care Standards Board adopt certain minimum standards.[4] The measure is supported by the Humane Society of the United States.
Ballot summary
According to the final ballot language, Issue 2:[5]
- Required the state to create the Livestock Care Standards Board to prescribe standards for animal care and well-being that endeavor to maintain food safety, encourage locally grown and raised food, and protect Ohio farms and families.
- Authorized this bipartisan board of thirteen members to consider factors that include, but are not limited to, agricultural best management practices for such care and well-being, biosecurity, disease prevention, animal morbidity and mortality data, food safety practices, and the protection of local, affordable food supplies for consumers when establishing and implementing standards.
- Provided that the board shall be comprised of thirteen Ohio residents including representatives of Ohio family farms, farming organizations, food safety experts, veterinarians, consumers, the dean of the agriculture department at an Ohio college or university and a county humane society representative.
- Authorized the Ohio department that regulates agriculture to administer and enforce the standards established by the board, subject to the authority of the General Assembly.
A "yes" vote approved the amendment, while a "no" vote is a rejected the amendment. A majority vote was required before the amendment was adopted.
Constitutional changes
- See also: Amending the Ohio Constitution
According to the text of the proposed amendment, Issue 2 added Section 1 to Article 14 of the Ohio Constitution:[6]
| Text of Section 1:
SupportGov. Ted Strickland supported Issue 2, as did the the Ohio Farm Bureau, who argued that the measure offered an outline that would enable safety procedures to effectively ensure the care of livestock animals.[7]
- According to the Farm Bureau, if the measure was enacted, the board could consult with animal behaviorists, scientists and veterinarians while scheming their plan to develop standards. The group said they believed the standards would help prevent disease and other food issues.[7]
- Ohio Farm Bureau lobbyist Keith Stimpert said,"We're going to assemble a panel of knowledgeable people. It's important to take a very thoughtful approach to the issue."[7]
- Dave and Troy Ernest, owners of County Line Pork, Inc., said they supported the measure due to fears that animal rights groups would hurt their industry if they gained control. The Ernests pointed to California's egg industry as evidence of an industry they said they believe will be eliminated after animal rights groups campaigned for Proposition 2 in 2008. Dave Earnest said, "They have a lot of money and a lot of power. If we don't do something, we will see these groups...come in."[7]
On September 9, 2009, Ohio Livestock Care, a political action committee who supports the measure, released a compiled list of 20 reasons to vote for ballot Issue 2.
Among the 20 reasons were:
- Ohio farmers strongly support the proposal to create the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board because it will ensure animal care is top of mind for all farmers and keep regulatory control of Ohio's farms where it belongs--in the state
- It allows the people of Ohio to vote for an Ohio solution to animal care issues -- one that puts the decision making for livestock care and local food production in the hands of Ohio consumers and Ohio experts in farming, animal well-being and food safety.
- It is important that changes suggested for the entire agriculture community be carefully considered by Ohio experts and supported by science, fact and data.
- Through Issue 2 farmers are taking an unprecedented lead in the nation. Being responsive to the consumers they serve, Ohio farmers are taking a proactive stance to provide for informed, responsible decisions about food and animal care issues in the state through creation of the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board.[8]
Click here to view all 20 reasons listed by Ohio Livestock Care.
According to the final reports by Ohioans for Livestock Care, the group raised more than $5 million and spent approximately $4.7 million.[9]
Other contributors are as follows:
|Cooper Farms
|Ohio Fresh Eggs
|The American Farm Bureau Federation (Washington, D.C.)
|New Day Farms (Wisconsin)
|Cargill Inc. (South Dakota)
|Monsanto Co. (Iowa)
Paul Jacob of Citizens in Charge discusses opposition of animal rights groups to Issue 2
Ohio Against Constitutional Takeover Coalition, stated their opposition to Issue 2 in a debate during a monthly meeting of the Women's Democratic Caucus:
- Their opposition is based on their belief that the a constitutional amendment should not allow big agribusiness to control or influence the Ohio Constitution.
- Natalie Kee, spokeswoman for the group during the debate, stated that group was put together by the request of Food and Water Watch, based out of Washington D.C., and is supported by Ohio Farmer's Union and the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association and the Ohio Sierra Club.
- According to Kee: "Yes, there is an animal welfare component to the issue that's a big part of the debate but there's also another component. There are already boards in existence that are not in the Constitution that regulate farmers — the Ohio Department of Agriculture and executive orders from the Governor — there are a lot of other ways to do it."[10]
Ohio Supreme Court Justice Maureen O'Connor displayed her disagreement with the measure in a speech given to the Hancock County Republican Party on October 15, 2009 at a dinner held at the University of Findlay. In her address, O'Connor stated:
- The amendment is an "inappropriate use" of a constitutional amendment.
- Issues such as animal rights should be decided by state lawmakers.
- According to O'Connor: "Policy needs to evolve as our society changes." Approximately 75 people attended the dinner, including many county leaders.[11]
Animal rights groups believe that the statewide issue does not protect livestock as much as the language states, citing that the industry would house animals in cramped and unsafe cages and barns. Also among concerns is that the industry, by placing this measure on the ballot in hopes of enactment, is attempting to stop animal rights groups from getting their own measure on the ballot, therefore preventing a more animal-protective initiative.
State Representative Michael J. Skindell has stated that agribusiness interests are blocking regulations that would require more room in cages for chickens and in barns for cows.[12]
Skindell also stated that The Humane Society of the United States posted their beliefs on their website on August 28 2009 by stating:
"Why is The Humane Society of the United States opposing Issue 2? While designed to give the appearance of helping farm animals, Issue 2 is little more than a power grab by Ohio's agribusiness lobby. The industry-dominated "animal care" council proposed by Issue 2 is really intended to thwart meaningful improvements in how the millions of farm animals in Ohio are treated on large factory farms."[13]
On October 27, 2009, opponents of Issue 2 held a news conference, stating they were the "little guys" in a debate that places them against the government and factory megafarms. According to Warren Taylor, owner of Snowville Creamery in Pomeroy in Meigs County stated that creation of a Livestock Standards Board if Issue 2 is passed is "government intervention" that is unwelcomed among small family farms. Taylor stated: "We, as the little guys, are constantly under pressure. We are concerned about our very survival. Issue 2 could regulate me out of business." The coalition Ohio Against Constitutional Takeover held the news conference that featured director of ProgressOhio, Brian Rothenburg, who commented on "government takeover" and the group's arguments against it:"It will be the fox guarding the henhouse. It is wrong for Ohioans."[14]
Media editorial positions
- Main article: Endorsements of Ohio ballot measures, 2009
Editorial boards in support
- The Mansfield News Journal is in support of Issue 2. The board argues that the measure should be approved in order to reduce problems with Ohio farmers. "Proponents of the issue are trying to get in front of planned ballot initiatives by animal rights groups to strictly control or ban cages and crates used to house livestock and chickens. Farmers fear these misguided measures could financially kill small livestock or egg operations. Although the passage of State Issue 2 would not prevent future ballot measures from outside interests, it would create an in-state regulatory body that understands farming and livestock care. Voters should not hesitate to pass this measure as a means of maintaining control over the food supply," said the board.[15]
Editorial boards opposed
- The Toledo Free Press does not support Issue 2. "The idea of trying to protect farm animals and to protect us as consumers on face value is a good thing. While the intentions of Issue 2 may be to do that, it's the lack of clear guidelines in how Issue 2 would make that happen that has given us pause," writes Editor in Chief Michael Miller. [16]
- The Plain Dealer is opposed to Issue 2. The board said,"What's not needed is radical change, written into the state Constitution either by the farm lobby or by animal-rights groups unconcerned whether they end up driving farmers out of business. Ohioans who vote 'no' on Issue 2 on Nov. 3 should be prepared to vote 'no' again, should the Humane Society seek its own ballot measure in a future election."[17]
See also
External links
Additional reading
- Capital Press,"Ohio leader describes how to beat HSUS at ballot," December 17, 2009
- Visalia Times-Delta,"Don Curlee: Buckeye state blocks intrusion," November 23, 2009
- The Plain Dealer,"Get last-minute info on issues and polling places for Election Day Tuesday," November 2, 2009
- Toledo Blade,"Ballot question calls for board to regulate livestock operations," November 1, 2009
- The Community Common,"Three Issues Face Ohio Voters In Upcoming Election," October 30, 2009
- Akron Beacon Journal,"WILLARD: State Issue 2 creates odd alliances," October 24, 2009
- The Plain Dealer,"Ohio Issue 2: Big Ag takes on the Humane Society of the U.S. over farm-animal treatment," October 23, 2009
- The Madison Press,"Issue 2: Is it right for Ohio?," October 20, 2009
- The Madison Press,"Analysis of Issue 2," October 19, 2009
- The Crescent-News,"Issue 2 touted as a high stakes, pre-emptive strike," October 18, 2009
- ↑ Farm & Dairy, "Senate, House pass livestock care ballot initiative", June 25, 2009
- ↑ The Columbus Dispatch,"Casinos aren't only ballot issue," November 1, 2009
- ↑ Secretary of State, "Live Unofficial Election Results"
- ↑ The Columbus Dispatch,"Issue 2 countermeasure in works," February 2, 2010
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State,"2 Proposed Constitutional Amendment," retrieved October 19, 2009
- ↑ 128th General Assembly, "Text of Issue"
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 The Ada Herald, "Correction about Issue Two", October 9, 2009
- ↑ Ohio's Country Journal, "TWENTY REASONS TO VOTE YES FOR STATE ISSUE 2", September 9, 2009
- ↑ The Columbus Dispatch,"Casino backers put $47 million into campaign," December 12, 2009
- ↑ Mansfield News Journal, "Issue 2 debate featured at Democratic Caucus", October 13, 2009
- ↑ The Courier, "Justice O'Connor critical of Issue 2", October 16, 2009
- ↑ Cincinnati.com, "Animal rights fight heads to voters", September 20, 2009
- ↑ Humane Society of the United States, "November 3, 2009: Vote NO on Ohio's Issue 2", August 28, 2009
- ↑ The Columbus Dispatch, "Amendment favors agribusiness forces, would be bad for small farmers, they say", October 28, 2009
- ↑ Mansfield News Journal,"Editorial: Vote no on state issue 1; vote yes on issue 2," October 17, 2009
- ↑ Toledo Free Press "Election endorsements: issues and offices", October 30th, 2009
- ↑ The Plain Dealer,"Vote no on Issue 2: Farm animal care is a matter for statutory law, not the Ohio Constitution: An editorial," October 15, 2009


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DURHAM, N.H.--The University of New Hampshire, in cooperation with New Hampshire Public Television, the New Hampshire Department of Public Safety and Triveni Digital has implemented a statewide datacasting service for disseminating public safety information. The system allows the Department of Public Safety to deliver text messaging and rich media content to police vehicles and base stations throughout the state.
Enter the code shown above:
(Note: If you cannot read the numbers in the above
image, reload the page to generate a new one.)


text:
Cam McRae stood among the loud hustle and bustle of new employees training in the kitchen, contemplating the tray of biscuits before him.
"Biscuit-making is an art," McRae said.
President of Kinston-based Tands, Inc., McRae opened his first Bojangles' at 400 W. Vernon Ave. on July 25, 1980. After two years of working through what to do with the aging structure, he and other Tands executives made the call to demolish the building and put a new structure in its place.
Biscuits and fried chicken begin going out the drive thru window of the historic Vernon Avenue restaurant for the first time since July 8 at 5:30 a.m. today.
"We wrestled a long time with whether to do a major remodel on the other one, but the fact of the matter is I was pretty nostalgic about it," McRae said. "This was my first restaurant — I was the opening manager, wearing the paper hat and striped shirt and that sort of thing. (Tands Director of Expansion and Development) Gerald Forrest was my assistant manager at our first store."
Now, Tands has the Bojangles' franchisee rights for 31 counties in Eastern North Carolina and operates stores in the Richmond-Petersburg corridor in Virginia.
The new store contains memorabilia from the 1980 launch, such as a framed women's uniform and photographs of McRae and staff from that time period.
"We would come down here to paint, after closing," McRae said. "My wife and I — Sally — our kids at the time were small, and we'd put their sleeping bags on the floor while we painted the store. We did everything ourselves. Gerald and I did a lot of the landscaping."
While McRae said the core of the menu items and product consistency were retained over the years, a number of things didn't. For instance, each table used to have a pack of matches and an ashtray.
And on Day 1, there weren't any eggs or dairy to be had. The first breakfast at the West Vernon Avenue store resulted in less than $4 in sales — that would be less than $11.35 in today's dollars.
With the site's reopening, about 40 percent of its employees from before the demolition will return — they were cycled to other locations during the past three months. Tim Murray, an 18-year Bojangles' veteran who started at the biscuit table, returns as the store's director.
Monday, he oversaw a packed kitchen full of trainees ahead of today's reopening, wearing a stopwatch around his neck.
"What we do is 30 seconds until service, so we clock the employees to make sure they're reaching their customer service time," Murray said.
About eight to 15 people are on duty for any given shift, and the store represents about 60 total employees.
In the back of the kitchen, Murray pointed out the two large walk-in coolers that were installed. One's solely dedicated to housing chicken, while the other contains produce.
Bojangles' began in 1977 in Charlotte, and the Kinston location was the 14th store in operation. There are now more than 500 locations through the South and Mid-Atlantic, and two on Isla de Roatan off the coast of Honduras.
McRae said Tands expects to expand to 60 locations, up from 56, by the end of the year.
Wes Wolfe can be reached at 252-559-1075 and email@example.com. Follow him on Twitter at @WolfeReports.
Get your Bo on
The newly rebuilt Bojangles' at 400 W. Vernon Ave. reopens this morning at 5:30. The first 500 customers will receive a free gift, while there will be coupon giveaways the rest of the day.


text:
Chateau Ste. Michelle receives some of the highest accolades in the industry, including "American Winery of the Year" by Wine Enthusiast for 2004 and "2005 Winery of the Year" by Restaurant Wine. In addition, the winery's Eroica Riesling, crafted from a partnership with German winemaker Ernst Loosen, has been named to Wine Spectator's prestigious "Top 100" wines list for five consecutive years.
Chateau Ste. Michelle is one of the few premium wineries in the world with two state-of-the-art wineries, one devoted to whites and another to reds. This dedicated approach to winemaking allows winemaker Bob Bertheau to build winemaking programs to the unique specifications of red and white wines. While all of Chateau Ste. Michelle's vineyards are located on the east side of the Cascade Mountains where the climate is dry and sunny, Bob Bertheau makes the award winning white wines in Woodinville, 15 miles northeast of Seattle. The winery's expansive, 87-acre estate hosts more than 250,000 visitors annually for tours, tastings, dinners and outdoor summer concerts.
Today, Stonestreet wines are undergoing a transformation, using fruit from Alexander Mountain Estate and new winemaking techniques. Alexander Mountain Estate, with lean, well-draining soils and cooler temperature, produces fruit with smaller berries and more intense color and flavor. Stonestreet is dedicated to fulfilling the promise of Alexander Valley's exceptional and distinctive vineyards. Traditional, Old World methods of hand harvesting, small barrel lot production, native yeast fermentation and bottling each wine unfiltered brings out the best in specific grape varieties and provides the quality framework for each Stonestreet wine.
Blend: 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, 2% Cab Franc
Merryvale is committed to protecting and preserving the environment through conservation, renewable energy and sustainable farming practices at our three estate vineyards. Merryvale has received Napa Green Vineyard, Napa Green Winery and Bay Area Green Business certifications.
This refreshing, fruity Pinot Noir is wonderfully
versatile on the table and can be served with a
wide range of foods, including pork, chicken,
lamb and wild salmon.
Blend: 99% Pinot Noir and 1% Syrah
Kenwood Vineyards was established in 1970 in the former Pagani Brothers Winery, a historic cellar dating back to 1906. Thoroughly refurbished and modernized, the facility now boasts more than 125 stainless steel fermenting tanks and large oak uprights, and 20,000 small French and American oak barrels, all devoted to Kenwood Vineyards' "small lot" style of winemaking.
In addition to the 22-acre vineyard surrounding the winery, Kenwood Vineyards sources grapes from dozens of vineyards – many farmed sustainably, using natural soil amendments and pest controls whenever possible rather than chemicals - in Sonoma County's best appellations, including Russian River Valley, Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma Valley and Sonoma Mountain. Each lot from each vineyard is kept separate throughout the winemaking process, enabling the winemaker to bring it to its fullest potential. This "small lot" or "cuvee" style of winemaking also enables the winemaker to draw on an exceptionally broad "palette" to assemble wines that showcase classic character, subtle complexity and superb balance. As a result, every Kenwood Vineyards wine – whether Table Wine Series, Sonoma Series, Reserve, Jack London Vineyard or Artist Series – is consistent in quality and consistently delicious.
The soft, jammy flavors and textures allow this wine to be paired with a wide range of foods.
Blend: 92% Zinfandel, 8% Petite Sirah
Today, Dry Creek Vineyard is committed to vineyard diversity, vinifying individual lots of fruit separately, and then blending carefully for each final cuvee. Dry Creek Vineyard is also a leader in the stewardship of pre-Prohibition Zinfandel vines and vineyards, and has isolated a clone, called the "Heritage Clone," which is bottled separately from their "Old Vines" Zinfandel (containing wine only from vines no younger than 50 years old), and which has made very promising wines.
"That's some good grape dirt up there," Oklahoma native and owner Lynn Hofacket points out eyeing his property. Adds winemaker Marco Di Giulio, "A vineyard so steep, so well developed, so interesting in its planning scheme and with so much vision behind it that I could not help but be blown away. I bring my other winemaker friends out there because I like to see the awed expressions on their faces. Yeah, it's really that amazing."


text:
A pathway to upper-division universities, this degree type prepares students to further their education as juniors at four-year institutions. Graduates are guaranteed the opportunity to enroll in Florida's state universities, and can even take advantage of our articulation agreements with institutions nationwide.
This two-year degree prepares students to enter the work force in a variety of in-demand careers. While this degree type is primarily focused on employment, graduates can still continue their education at four-year institutions by meeting additional requirements, which can vary by program.
These employment-focused, short-term programs help students build their skill sets in just a matter of months. Credits earned as part of a college credit certificate can be applied to related associate degrees, making these programs a great way to explore degree choices.
For more information and assistance, please contact our Student Support Center, staffed Monday through Friday, between 8:00 AM and 4:30 PM.
Start taking online courses now!
Search statewide for distance learning courses and degree programs offered by Florida's Colleges and Universities or regionally through SREB.


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|Become a Member!
What Do You Think??
Yes, a Night version of this scene would be interesting, with the sky full of stars and/or the moonlight reflecting off the clouds and the structures. This is such a cool scene, Ryan!
Dear Ryan,
There is something about a sunset in a futuristic setting that grabs me here. This image is one of my top 3. This and Conjunction are among my favorite styles that you create. I love the ultra modern (borderline sci-fi) atmosphere, and especially when the colors are this vibrant and alluring. I could stare at this wallpaper all day long. Please my friend make more like this!
Hello Ryan, I just wanted to let you know that I love this picture. It is by far my favorite piece of work from you. The lighting, clouds, mist, all adds to this picture. Thank you for this great piece.
|Nimesh P.
I really like the use of the forest enviroments inside of the dome along with the complex being in the sky, I can spend alot of time just looking at this wallpaper for how nice it is.
I would really love to see a biodome night version, with the the night scenery, such as a dark sky, the stars, maybe a moon? I think the biodome would truly look amazing in a night scene
|Owen Clark
Lots of people still ask me about my backrounds when they see them but this one has definatly caused the most comments. Superb!
I really liked the cloud work in the daylight one, but I think the lower light really brings out the detail in the dome. Looks great.
I think the blue lines on the tower should be out of focus, a depth of field type thing. For weeks I've been wondering what was wrong with it and I think that's it.
Amazing picture otherwise.
There are several aspects about Biodome Sunset that I like. The soft, life-giving feeling I get from the sun's illumination and reflections contrast with the stark, man-made image that the blues lights and towers suggest. I see a dichotomy in the manufactured growth of the dome versus the natural vegetation on the planet surface, nice effect to use the same subject material to illustrate the two very environments. Thanks.
I really love how this is done. This and the day version are some of your very best work ever. I'm really thinking after this that I should get a lifetime subscription becasue your wallpapers are totally awsome. Right now I have my desktop switch between this and the night version depending on the time of day. I really love how they go togeters so well. Also thank you for the triple screen. It's really nice to have a fluid desktop
Is the dome actually the Arboretum from the outside? :-)
I've always loved your work and i have been following it for some times now and i have to say that this picture plus Hidden Falls are the most amazing artwork i have seen yet, continue in that direction.
PS. What's your secret? :)
I've always loved your work and i have been following it for some times now and i have to say that this picture plus Hidden Falls are the most amazing artwork i have seen yet, continue in that direction.
PS. What's your secret? :)
|cajmoh ( simon )
I love this image at sunset. Very spectacular. The day image is definately my favourite of the two.
Ladies and gentlemen, I have been reading a few reviews regarding DB's image output. I personally think I would rather Ryan do 15 good images a year, as appose to 50 average ones. I judge a picture of Ryans by how long it says as wallpaper on my Computer. I usually change them over daily ( I have a lot ). His recent work has been staying on my wallpaper for a good week, because it looks so Good. Output isn't the issue, quality is, and you will struggle to find anything that compares to Ryans work. Love your work Ryan, keep it up.
|cajmoh ( simon )
I love this image at sunset. Very spectacular. The day image is definately my favourite of the two.
Ladies and gentlemen, I have been reading a few reviews regarding DB's image output. I personally think I would rather Ryan do 15 good images a year, as appose to 50 average ones. I judge a picture of Ryans by how long it satys as wallpaper on my Computer. I usually change them over daily ( I have a lot ). His recent work has been staying on my wallpaper for a good week, because it looks so Good. Output isn't the issue, quality is, and you will struggle to find anything that compares to Ryans work. Love your work Ryan, keep it up.
"Perhaps the last couple of posters who're complaining about Ryans output being too slow would like to prove they can do better.... If, as I suspect, they can't, then may I respectfully suggest they shut up?"
Respectfully,you should mind your own business.This is a PAID subcription and that entitles me and other paid subscribers something for our money,beside pictures of Ryans latest vacation! I too provide a service as a living and if I disregarded my customers,I would be out of business.This is art,yes.This is also a business.
Another terrific wallpaper. Reading the comments, I stopped when two different people noted that the sun looked stretched. You people don't watch sunsets very much do you? As objects outside of earth's atmosphere travel to the lower edges of the atmosphere before they dissappear they will look distorted; the atmosphere is thicker when light needs to pass through more of the atmosphere as you view objects. It's also why the moon looks larger when it is rising. It may not necessarily look stretched (the moon I mean) because the air has usually cooled by moonrise but it will look larger. And especially in these times of pollution there is more particulates floating around that add to the red orange color of sunsets and it all contributes to a less clear image. If you live in a large metro area it's even worse. Enough, I am thankful for my relatively clear evening and early morning light. Thank you Ryan.
|Jo C
Perhaps the last couple of posters who're complaining about Ryans output being too slow would like to prove they can do better.... If, as I suspect, they can't, then may I respectfully suggest they shut up?
Anyway, love this image, best for a while and it is now my desktop background. It always gets comments when people see it :)
I appreciate Ryans work and to give him credit for it.However,his output is NOWHERE where it should be.I've seen months pass with 1 new wallpaper or an update to an older one.Insult to injury are pictures of his latest vacation to exotic locales! I'm glad he can afford this,but it is his subscription base that make these frequent vacations possible.The bang for the buck on DB is not what it was!
im very disappointed on how long it takes for you to make new images
there only been like 15 or less images this year, compared to the other years it very slow,
I like this one very much.
Great Job!
|John Justice
Wonderful Work Ryan,
I had downloaded the day version, but this one really topped it for me. One of the many reasons I pay for an annual subscription to your site.
For the Star Wars fans (like myself) it really brings up memories of Bespin (Cloud City).
Keep it up.
Beautiful!! This is my current desktop wallpaper :) I really love your scenery wallpapers best. I'm not too much of a fan of the sort of abstract art pics, even though yours ARE always interesting or colorful. I'm always really pleased when I see your newest wallpaper is another scenery.
I love this one. I can just sit at work and stare at my desktop to keep myself entertained. :) Keep it up man, it's wallpapers like this that make me realize why I subscribe.
hey Ryan,
great work again, it looks impressive and for the most part i like it. i thought the original (or 1st) Biodome was also spectacular (except for maybe all the white :D) and it honestly looks like it could be the opening movie sequence to a CGI movie.
Anyway, with the sunset version, although i like it, there are some things i don't like.
With the 1st Biodome artpiece, the setting looks very "futuristic", but in the sunset version the setting sun makes everything seem very bronzed and gives the impression that the actual dome itself is black (or darker in colour) and not white as it was with the 1st version.
The only other thing i dont really like is the horizontal blue lines on the towers, to me, they just seem out of place.
If it comes across that im taking a dig, then that is not my intention, i know that you value constructive criticism and i look forward to your next masterpiece.
Hey Ryan,
I've just spent a week down in Cornwall over here in the UK, its the closest we have to be being abroad and is ace for surfing, except this week when the sea was flat.
Anyhow we visited the Eden Project if your aware of it. Its basically a set of domes very similar to yours built in an abandoned quarry. In which they have basically built a rainforest. Your work reminds me a lot of that place.
Love it.
Wow! This one is even better than the day one, and I really like the original! Very futuristic and well done night scene! Keep it up!
|Dan Grenfell
Wow, what a stunning piece of work! :)
I like both versions of Biodome, but feel that this sunset image is more desktop-background friendly. I love the blue lights piercing through the low-lying mist, very atmospheric.
The only thing that jars is perhaps the neon on the towers which looks just a tad too uniform, like they were added post-render with a line tool in a paint package ;)
Overall - fantabulous. The geodesic dome has reminded me of the Eden Project which I will definitely be visiting now, during my holiday in Cornwall in a couple of weeks!
We are just about to build a geodesic dome for our new home.... just getting plans out of council...... this is fantastic! Thanks you.
We are just about to build a geodesic dome for our new home.... just getting plans out of council...... this is fantastic! Thanks you.
|Bill D
Great wallpaper. Love the night version. The atmosphere, lighting and overall mood is perfect. Thank you!
I usually do not comment on the "sequels" - the Dual and Triple versions, but this time I want to say they look excellent!
Very very majestic and futuristic-yet-possible.
I think the night view far outshines the day version. LOVE IT! Keep up the creativity!
Absolutely Amazing!!!
Love it!!
Thank you Ryan!!
Wpw, If only it were real. It looks real enough. Antoher Screen Saver I'll get all kinds of comments on. I've recommened your site to several people.
|Kyle C
Ryan you never cease to amaze me. Your work just gets better and better; the amount of people that see my screen and say 'where did you take that' (granted for the more realistic images) just gets greater. The night version is fantastic - I think I prefer it over the day version (it just seems a little too light) but both are very good...
Keep it up - I look forward to it :)
THIS WALLPAPER is why I joined the members' section. This'll be on my desktop for quite a while!
|Phillip Deck
Looks great, due to the lighting I think it was too bright on the previous image (daylight version) this one is a perfect as far as this atmospheric setting goes....
|Bill in NV
Absolutely perfect Ryan. Need I say more?
Thanks for the hard work.
Reminds me of the old movie Silent Running
another fabulous wallpaper, time to triple screen it!!!!!
What do you get when you cross Bespin and Endor? I dunno, but it sure makes an incredible picture! (I think I see some ewoks in the undergrowth on Pad 3.) ;-)
Absolutely beautiful. Someone mentioned a twilight night scene. I would just love to see that one. :)
Just beautiful!
This is one of the best ones Ryan has done yet! however my only critisism is the fact that the dome already looked distorted with the triangles, it looked as if it was bending in. and now, with the light there in the background it kind of adds to the distorted look to it, as well as the fact that the sun is streched
This is one of the best ones Ryan has done yet! however my only critisism is the fact that the dome already looked distorted with the triangles, it looked as if it was bending in. and now, with the light there in the background it kind of adds to the distorted look to it, as well as the fact that the sun is streched
Beautiful. My only (very slight) criticism would be that the sun isn't round. It looks a little stretched.
The day version gets a 9, the night version a 10. Really nice stuff, my friend -- keep up the good work!
|Liz V.
Hi Ryan,
These two images have been completely worth the wait. You have truly mastered atmosphere techniques of wispy clouds, and lighting.... just so beautiful!!
Thanks for making a subscription a complete treat to have! I love having something fun to gaze at during my l-o-n-g work day ;)
10 of course!!
P.S. There are seriously people who never give out 10's? That seems bizarre to me since this is a website for pretty backgrounds, not American Desk Top Designer ;)
|John A
Evil genius dude...
Extraordinary Ryan. Simply gorgeous.
I would live there if I could.
This is one of my favorite scenes yet. You do some of the greatest works around bro...keep up the great work!
I always love it when you do day/night renders of the same image, the atmosphere this evokes is really special. Thanks again, Ryan.
Ik almost never give a 10, because I think there's always some improvement possible.
But now I rest my case...
Stunning!!!! Light, shadows, contrast, colors, it's all in perfect balance. Although science fiction (which I like!), realism has never been só high.
This must be an award-winning piece of art!
Ray Bradbury, Issac Asimov, Robert Heinlein and their contemporaries would be pleased that the kinds of things they verbalized you brought to visual life. Thanks again Ryan.
|Michelle P.
I was looking forward to a night version of Biodome, I couldn't imagine that the night version would look as spectacular as what you managed to conjure up, Ryan! This is definitely one of my favorites. I'm so proud to be a lifetime member. :)
No need to explain, this image takes my breath away...
I wanna be in this world standing in the trees...
Aside from the scale, I'd think this was the outside of the arborium (arbo and arbonight) that you did a while back. The night version is one of my favorites. I'm not sure if you even noticed the connection between the two pieces, but take a look at arbo, and then at this. We go from inside the dome to looking down from the outside, complete with the warm sunset light. I love it, even if it wasn't intentional.
Thank you!
|Paul Bolstridge
Now that's more like it!
What can I say - absolutely fantastic. I think this is now my all time favourite image (and a new member of favourites which is an elite little club!). This is also my first 10/10 - well done.
|Mark Devlin
This picture is just amzing. Im glad you added the snset version.
Is there anyway a night version could be done? With the moon and stars etc.
I think it would look awesome. Keep up the good work!!!
The aliasing is worse than usual on this one. It's as if clouds are made of giant golf balls...
Is anti-aliasing not an option during the render?
Night and sunset scenes are always my favorite. Excellent job on this one!!!
Yes, this is indeed a superb image that will be on my desktop for a while. Thank you for generating it for us. Cool job on the low level clouds.
Now that we can see inside the biodome, I am reminded of a couple of your images from 2001 called "Arboretum" and "Arboretum Night".
Can't wait for the next image.
Keep up the great work.
|Sean W
Wonderful Ryan, just wonderful. I put these on my screen at work, and I work the late shift, so these sunset pieces always accentuate my evening work shift.
Thanks for livening my screen during the dullest part of my day! :)
|Joss Terrell
Yeah, I had the same kind of thoughts; the day time was good, but now...this sunset version!
I'm blown away by it, truly amazing.
I particularly like the clouds and the different colours in them.
This is definitely set to be a desktop for a while, any chance of a tri-screen?
As many others have said, the daytime version was good, but this just takes my breath away. Most excellent work... will be on my desktop for quite a while.
Nice job with the clouds and blue lights!
|Pete A
I have enjoyed your work for years and quite frankly I think this is one of the best you've done. 10/10.
This is so awesome. I thought the first biodome was cool but then when I saw this one I had to set it as my wallpaper. I really like how it is just above the cloud line and has those two towers out in the distance and then the sun hitting off of the clouds. It's all very nice.
Wow, this is one of the most amazing creations to date. I'm very impressed, keep up the good work!
I'm not sure if either the daytime or sunset one is my 'favourite'. Both are beautifully composed, and give me that "want to explore" feeling that I so adore in well done realistic scenes.
|Silver Bullet
Liking the night one alot better :) Can't wait for dual monitor version!
I'm not too big on daytime screens, however... the original, daytime biodome was fantastic -- seeing it in shades I love just caused my jaw to drop and, well... :)
It's never a wonder why I subscribe!
I much prefer this to the daytime version. 9/10 for being a work of art, though a little too busy for my desktop.
I, too, like darker images better than lighter ones, generally, for my desktop, and this one is incredible. I do like the lighter version and had it on my desk top, but this one jumps out at me. You hit it dead center, imho, and I give it a 10/10.
|Mark Burgess
Maybe it's just me, but I prefer the darker versions over the lighter ones. I don't like having a bright desktop background. I also appreciate dark images that don't have too bright spots (e.g. planets, stars, etc.) in them... I'm afraid they'll burn my monitor. Silly but true. Thanks, keep up the great work!
Speaking of the double and triple screen versions, this kind of wallpaper seems like exactly the kind of wallpaper that could get severely "stretched out", like Cosmos did. I don't know if it's avoidable, but it definitely seems like something to look out for.
First of all, wow dude, you've really outdone yourself this time. These two backgrounds have quickly become my all-time favorites, and I can't wait for double and triple screens. The only thing I noticed however is that the 1280x1024 version of this picture doesn't show up when I click on it. I hope you can fix that, that's my resolution!
10/10, keep it up.
|Mike Barber
My first reaction when I saw the picture was "wow".
I think this might be your best one yet. I can't wait for the dual screen render!
It has such a Cloud City feel to it. You're going to have to do something pretty amazing to knock this one off the desktop.
However, I have no doubt you'll pull it off. :-)
I am a huge fan of all of your night and sunset work, and this is absolutely one of the best!
Trust me, I love your day version wholeheartedly...so take it as an extreme compliment when I say this one outranks.
One of your most interesting concept pieces, please bring us more!
content © 1997-2015 Ryan Bliss, all rights reserved privacy policy
"we are the music-makers and we are the dreamers of dreams" -- O'Shaughnessy


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Find answers to common SIMPLE Mobile questions below.
No, SIMPLE Mobile provides free domestic long distance. If a customer would like to place international calls they can purchase an ILD PIN that will allow for international dialing.
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With her back turned, the little girl doesn't notice a young man entering the room. He is holding a tool, one of which the full power and potential is still unknown to most. Even though he has witnessed its abilities before, what happens next still takes even him by surprise.
Not knowing what to say, he says nothing at all. He lifts his instrument and strikes the first chord. The girl stops. He continues to play. The girl turns and slides to the floor. The young man sinks to his knees, the same level as the girl. Strumming his ukulele the young man begins to sing. The little girl begins to scoot herself across the floor, 20 feet to where the young man kneels, closer and closer until her knees touch his.
There are gasps coming from the doorway, as a handful of hospital staff and nurses witness to an amazing transformation. In a flip of a switch, the little girl went from utter anxiety to calm and happy, soothed by the sound of music. As the young man finishes his song, the little girl smiles, reaches out her hand to touch his, then falls back, smiling and laughing.
This is the story of Melodic Caring Project Founder, Levi Ware, on his most recent visit to provide live music to pediatric patients at Swedish First Hill.
"I've been playing music for a long time and I've seen a lot of amazing things happen when music is introduced into certain situations. What happened on the Pediatric Unit at Swedish was one of the most wonderful, beautiful and undeniably powerful music experiences I've had. ...


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Theme Blvd
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text: Owen GoodProfileFollowUnfollow Owen GoodFiled to: Rumor Grand Theft Auto Grand theft auto v Gtav Kotakucore 12/19/12 8:54amEditDelete Invite manuallyPromoteXDismissXUndismissBlock for kotakuHideShare to KinjaShare to FacebookShare to PinterestShare to TwitterGo to permalinkIs Shawn Fonteno the voice actor for Franklin in GTAV? This GTAForums thread makes a decent case. Judge for yourself. 7Reply 7Discuss


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Series Preview: Mets End Homestand With Three Against Atlanta
The Mets begin a three-game series with the Atlanta Braves tonight at 7:10.
The Braves come into this series red-hot and look like they are going to challenge the Nationals for the NL East crown. Atlanta has won seven of their last ten, and 12 of their last 15 games. They currently sit only four and a half back of Washington.
The Braves, as of late, have looked more like a team that could play well into October as opposed to a team that could barely get into the playoffs. They have gotten solid production from expected (and unexpected) places in their lineup that have really helped them stay alive.
Balance is one word that perfectly describes the Braves. Their offense and their pitching staff are both very solid. They rank in the middle of the pack in most major offensive categories and the same is true for the pitching staff as well. That, combined with new acquisitions and a dominant bullpen, make the Braves very dangerous, and very tough to beat.
How They Compare
Pitching Matchups
Game 1- Tonight 7:10
Matt Harvey RHP (16.1 IP, 100 ERA+, 1.34 WHIP, 3.29 K/BB)
Paul Maholm (L) (127.1 IP, 107 ERA+, 1.23 WHIP, 2.47 K/BB)
Game 2- Saturday 7:10
Johan Santana (L) (110.2 IP, 95 ERA+, 1.26 WHIP, 2.76 K/BB)
Kris Medlen (R) (64.2 IP, 171 ERA+, 1.09 WHIP, 2.81 K/BB)
Game 3- Sunday 8:10
Jonathon Niese (L) (136.2 IP, 99 ERA+, 1.18 WHIP, 3.22 K/BB)
Ben Sheets (R) (32 IP, 289 ERA+, 1.18 WHIP, 3.29 K/BB)
Biggest Threats
- Chipper Jones (S) - .316/.395/.508, 10 HR, 11.5 BB%, 10.5 K%
- Jason Heyward (L) - .269/.344/.477, 18 HR, 9.9 BB%, 25.1 K%
- Michael Bourn (L) - .289/.347/.424, 9 HR, 8.2 BB%, 21.4 K%
- Chipper Jones has been red-hot lately. Jones has hit .354 since the beginning of July with four home runs. Jones is having quite a season for someone his age, a season that he claims will be his last.
- While Jones has picked up the production, Michael Bourn's has dropped. He is hitting .248 with a .329 OBP since July 1.
- Ben Sheets may have had his best outing as a Brave yet in his last start. Sheets went 7.1 innings, allowing one run on seven hits. In four of Sheets' five starts, he has allowed one run or fewer.
- Jair Jurrjens was recently sent back down to the minors after being given another chance with the Braves last month. In July, Jurrjens struggled again, allowing 17 earned runs (20 total) in 18.2 innings. Jurrjens' struggles may be due to arm wear. He has lost a few miles per hour on his fastball, which we saw when he faced the Mets in April.
- Craig Kimbrel is having another outstanding season for Atlanta. Kimbrel has a 1.26 ERA in 43 innings this season, and has a 0.75 ERA since June 1.
- Let's go Mets!


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MEBANE – Steve Buntin was a homeless man who lived in his aged blue Chevrolet van.
Many people around Mebane recognized Buntin by sight, but few knew his first name, much less his last. Buntin was in a traffic accident on N.C. 119 in December and suffered a fractured pelvis.
He was treated at Alamance Regional Medical Center and later transferred to a rehabilitation center in Greensboro. He died there Jan. 1.
At 2 p.m. Saturday, members of Hawfields Presbyterian and others from throughout the community will hold a memorial service in Buntin's honor at the church. Those who knew Buntin will have an opportunity to share their memories of him. A blessing for him and his rest will be shared.
Participants will top it off with punch and cookies in the church fellowship hall.
"We just felt compelled to do something," said the Rev. David Ealy, the pastor at Hawfields Presbyterian. "Since news of Steve's death has spread, I can't tell you the number of people who've said, 'Really? That's sad.' "
Ealy said he knew as much about Buntin as anyone, and he admits he didn't know a lot. Buntin was a private man who spent many days in his van parked in the church parking lot. He also drove to Walmart and other stores throughout the community.
He wasn't a bother, those who knew him said, just kept mostly to himself.
"He was a real nice man," said Cletus Kincaid, an employee of Arrowhead BP on Mebane Oaks Road.
Kincaid said Buntin visited the store often – stopping for gas and occasionally to have his van repaired. He'd carry on a conversation, Kincaid said, if he was in the mood.
"He knew what he was talking about," Kincaid said.
Ealy said Buntin was a diabetic who walked slowly with the aid of a cane. Ealy estimated Buntin's age as his late 60s, though he admitted it was difficult to say. Buntin usually sported a stubble of whiskers several days in the making. He wore a long-sleeved shirt, khaki pants and black-rimmed glasses that looked almost to be military issue.
Ealy said in what little Buntin shared with him, he made reference to having served in the military.
"I gathered it was Vietnam, but I never knew for sure," Ealy said.
He said church members and others would often bring Buntin food. Sometimes he'd accept and other times he wouldn't, telling the good Samaritans he was full and didn't need any food.
"He could be gruff, that made it difficult to reach out to him," Ealy said.
A few worked to find Buntin a more permanent place to reside.
"I'm not sure he'd have taken it even if it'd been offered," Ealy said.
Exactly how long Buntin had been parking in the church parking lot, that's difficult to say. Ealy has served as pastor at Hawfields for more than two years and said Buntin was a regular long before he arrived. Longtime members of the congregation said Buntin had been parking there at least five years.
Why'd he choose Hawfields?
"We just didn't say no," Ealy said.
Buntin spent most nights at other locales – often forced to move from one place to another by those not so abiding of his ways.
"Sometimes he was allowed to stay and sometimes he wasn't," is how Ealy put it.
He said he spoke about Buntin in at least one sermon to his congregation. There were some who didn't appreciate the homeless man parking at the church at the intersection of N.C. 119 and Trollingwood-Hawfields Road.
"What if you learned he was a vet?" Ealy asked his congregation. "What if you learned that van was all he had left after an accident?"
Ealy said Buntin was, in fact, very intelligent – well-versed in both politics and religion. He often listened to NPR while sitting in his van.
"One of the last times I spoke to him he was complaining about Obama," Ealy said, chuckling at the memory.
He said sometime last fall he saw an ambulance in the church parking lot, the EMTs assisting Buntin. Ealy said Buntin had called 911 himself after having trouble getting back in his van.
Ealy said it wasn't until that day he knew Buntin's last name. He said he told the homeless man he needed to know his name in the event something more serious happened to him.
Ealy said he was glad he knew the name after Buntin's traffic accident. He visited him during his stay at Alamance Regional.
But Ealy said he had a hard time finding where Buntin was transferred after leaving the hospital. Ealy wasn't his next of kin and hospital personnel were reluctant to tell even a minister where Buntin had gone.
Ealy said he learned after much effort that Buntin had been transferred to Guilford Healthcare Center in Greensboro. When Ealy contacted the facility on Jan. 8, he was told Buntin had died a week earlier.
Ealy said he was initially saddened that Buntin was gone and had died in a strange place. But he said he later comforted himself with the thought that Buntin was at least warm and well fed, and surrounded by those looking to help him.
Ealy said church members have tried with no success to get in touch with Buntin's family. There were rumors, he said, that Buntin came from Durham and may still have family there. If so, Ealy said, they'd love to have them attend Saturday's service. The church's phone number is 336-578-2811.
"We're planning an about 50 people," Ealy said of anticipated turnout for the service. "Given everyone who knew him, we may have a hundred. If there's less, that's OK, too."


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Amy Caroline Justice MD, MSCE, PhD
Professor of Medicine (General Medicine) and of Public Health (Health Policy); Section Chief of General Internal Medicine VA Connecticut Healthcare System
Biographical Info
Dr. Justice has conducted research focusing on outcomes in chronic HIV infection for over 25 years. Her goal is to use living with HIV infection as a model for understanding and improving outcomes in chronic disease. She is the Principal Investigator on the Veterans Aging Cohort Study (VACS) (www.vacohort.org). Her research considers the complex roles of aging, symptoms, medical treatment, adherence, patient-provider relationships, disease severity, and medical and psychiatric comorbid illness in determining survival and quality of life for people with HIV infection. VACS has received 15 years of funding from NIAAA and was recently funded as a consortium by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism at NIH. The consortium will consider the complex roles of HIV, aging, substance use (in particular multisubstance use-- alcohol, tobacco, and opioids), and comorbid illness in determining morbidity and mortality for people with HIV infection using observational data, operations research modeling, and randomized controlled intervention trials. Dr. Justice has studied predictors of survival and quality of life and is expert in the development, validation, and evaluation of multivariable prognostic models. She has published over 200 papers and served on thirty expert panels addressing issues of understanding and improving clinical outcomes in HIV infection. She is an authority on issues surrounding HIV and aging and has presented on this topic at the White House Office of National AIDS Policy, chaired NIH special emphasis grant reviews, helped draft the first set of treatment recommendations jointly sponsored by American Academy of HIV Medicine and the American Geriatrics Society, and is a member of the Working Group on HIV and Aging for the Office of AIDS Research, National Institutes of Health.
Education & Training
- Harvard University (1982)
- Yale University School of Medicine (1988)
- M.Sc.
- University of Pennsylvania Medical School (1994)
- Ph.D.
- Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania (1996)


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Recently, I ran across a quote from the current Biggersville basketball coach Cliff Little in a tweet from Southern Sentinel's Kedrick Storey. Coach Little in reference to his upcoming opponent, Blue Mountain, said that they were "hungry…They're like a man by a dumpster looking for a crumb." Though some may see that as a slight at Blue Mountain or maybe even a negative remark about homelessness, Coach Little's remark about Blue Mountain was the biggest compliment. Never would I want to be in an all-out brawl with someone who was that hungry.
Though I am very young, I do always love to hear a quote which resonates within me. It always seems to come from a leader. Yet it is not always a public figure or someone with a microphone in their face that easily reaches multiple forums, but usually a person willing to take a group of young men or young women and mold them with his or her words. And sometimes a reporter like Storey is blessed to hear a quote which he shares with the public and it gives a small glimpse into the coach and team dynamic. All in all, coaches will leave nuggets between the ears of young people everywhere saying the darndest things.
Many of the quotes I will remember until the day I die came from my junior high football coach. Coach Terry Smithhart was gentle like a grandfather and as hard-nosed as a five-star general. Coach Smithhart, or as we preferred to call him simply "Smithhart," always seemed to have some kind of colloquial saying from yesteryear which could always accurately characterize a situation in just a few words. Some of my favorites came during Oklahoma, a drill where a running back and linebacker lined up to test their wills and strength within a five yard gap. If someone was clobbered during the process of the drill, Smithhart would quip "you got whipped like a red-headed stepchild!" Even better was when a player would look absolutely lost during practice and Smithhart would pull the young man aside and call out "…you look like a fart in a whirlwind!" That always got a group of eighth grade boys laughing and asking "did he just say fart?"
One of the most memorable and meaningful quotes Coach Smithhart spoke occurred following a hard fought, gut and heart wrenching battle against Northwest Rankin Junior High. After escaping Flowood, Mississippi with a win, Smithhart gathered the whole team after a well-deserved overtime victory at the twenty yard-line. He talked about how much this victory meant and how formidable an opponent the Cougars were that day. Then like something that would not even make the cut of a movie, Smithhart spoke the words that made me think that hair may burst from my chest and grow like a rainforest. Smithhart said "…after this game, y'all's [expletive] just dropped…" Yep, I'll let you fill in the blank. But with that quote, Coach Smithhart reached legendary status with every single one of us on the team. Now Smithhart was far from being crude, but just wanted us to know that we were men in his eyes and that was enough to make me into a man.
As I continued to go through football, I wondered if I would ever hear another orator like Coach Smithhart. I soon found Coach Scott Brown, former head coach of Clinton High School and now head coach at Pontotoc High. Coach Brown, or as we the players preferred to refer to him as Scott, was usually very quiet and soft-spoken around the players. Scott was notorious for forgetting players' names and simply would come up with his very own names for them such as "Tex" or "Donkey Kong." But one of the more memorable moments was when Coach Brown entered into the weight room at CHS on a sultry September Friday prior to a televised kick-off against arch-rival Madison Central. Scott asked how everyone was feeling…then followed the joke from his mouth. "So who is still number four?" Well everyone looked absolutely shocked, "Is this the pep talk?," "I don't know if I'm excited anymore?," or "HUH?" Well I will give you the answer, "Ole Miss isn't number four but Brett Favre is!" in reference to the drumming the Rebels had received to the hands of South Carolina the night before. Though at the time I did not think this was the right time for jokes, looking back I feel that the joke may have been a great relaxer had everyone taking grasp of it. In a way, the joke was the perfect anecdote for the upcoming storm which we found ourselves in.
We all know in life, as well as sports, that the words we speak have a profound effect, good or bad, on those that they are directed to, or even those that overhear them. These examples from my playing career are some of the classic coaching quips that did have a positive effect on me. My hope is that all coaches, as well as all of us in everyday life, use their words for good, to achieve goals and objectives, and not for evil or hurt, even when unintended.
What these coaches say during the impressionable times of these young men and women's lives will leave deep impacts on them forever. When you are young, it does seem like a coach does say the darndest things, but with a few years further down the line, it seems to finally soak in. You never want to be "...the fart in a whirlwind..." or let work "whip you like a red-headed stepchild." Sometimes it is okay to be that man beside a dumpster, hungry, and waiting for a crumb. But most importantly, it is sometimes best to just laugh in the face of a serious coming storm.


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How do you estimate hay moisture levels in the field? Veteran hay raisers have their own tricks which may involve twisting a handful or kicking the windrow to see if it "rattles." There are more accurate methods for beginners such as moisture meters. There's also the more time consuming method that involves a microwave oven, a scale and math.
A lot of hay is wasted or lost due to being baled too wet for dry hay or too wet or too dry if you're putting it in a bag or inline tube wrappers. Hay barns are also in danger when hay is baled much above 20 percent moisture and put in a barn.
Some folks may think a good way to protect "dry" hay is to cover it completely with plastic. That's risky as the stack does need air to reduce moisture levels. Remember big rounds should be drier then small squares to reduce mold formation.
A final tip from the February letter, don't set outside stored big bales under trees! Find a location in full sun where the bales can dry out and not remain damp.
Barn fires
Storing hay in barns still makes sense, but especially with big round bales be careful of putting the hay in while it's still heating. A general recommendation is to leave the hay in the field a couple weeks until the internal temperature of the bale has stabilized or is decreasing.
The guidelines for temperatures generally say there's very little risk as long as the temperature internally stays below 120 degrees F. One reference states that if you don't have a thermometer, drive a steel rod into the bale and leave it there for 15 minutes or more. If the rod is too hot to handle when it's removed, the temperature is likely above 120 degrees.
The real concern that the hay is approaching a high risk temperature is when it exceeds 170-180 degrees. That's when you call the fire department. At that temperature it can rapidly rise to 400 degrees or more and cause a fire.
Source: Eldon Cole


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Heartland Hospice is dedicated to providing care wherever patients call home. Whether it is in the home lived in for years, a skilled nursing center or assisted living center, we tailor our caregiving... [Full Record] [Add to Personal List]
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In highly volatile trade, the BSE benchmark Sensex today erased initial losses and jumped over 434 points after Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his maiden Union Budget announced steps to strengthen investor confidence, improve fiscal situation and boost growth.
All the sectoral indices, led by realty, power and metal sectors, were trading in the green on emergence of buying driven by budgetary proposals.
After slumping over 300 points at around noon, the 30-share benchmark Sensex was trading higher by 434.23 points, or 1.71 per cent, at 25,879.04. Intra-day, the index has swung nearly 665 points as investors resorted to alternative bouts of buying and selling.
The broad-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty regained 7,700 point mark by surging 125.15 points, or 1.65 per cent to 7,710.15 point after shuttling between 7,713.45 and 7,479.05.
Atul Kumar, Head-Equity Funds ,Quantum AMC said: "Plan to reduce the fiscal deficit gradually to 3 per cent which is good for economic health. The focus of the budget has been on increasing manufacturing activity, agri growth and controlling inflation through investment in storage. There is also an intention in simplifying taxes aimed at attracting FDI..."
Experts also hailed Jaitley's announcements on tax front.
"The announcement that the government will not introduce any retro amendment and mechanism to issue clarification on grey areas will certainly go a long way to bring clarity and certainty on such issues and reduce tax litigation," said Rahul Garg, Leader Direct Tax, PwC India.
Jaitley also said income arising from transaction in securities to Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs), who have invested about USD 130 billion in India, will be treated as capital gains. This also triggered buying, traders said.
The Finance Minister proposed to set up Infrastructure Investment Trust to finance infra projects. Besides, proposed raising Foreign Direct Investment limit to 49 per cent in insurance through FIPB route. Budgetary proposals of custom duty relief to imported coal, also bolstered the sentiments, brokers said.
Post budget presentation, the markets have shown some cheer and recovered from the fluctuations.
*Sensex has recovered by 400 points at 25,681 points after a anxious free fall which led to other sectors witnessing fall. Meanwhile, nifty has also recovered and is stable above 7,700 points.
CURRENT:7,654.20, CHG:69.2/0.91%, HIGH:7,682.20, LOW:7,479.05 - Jul 10, 2014 13:27:29
— NSE_NIFTY (@NSE_NIFTY) July 10, 2014
13:30 PM IST, Thursday
*Sensex recovers, now down only 72 points to trade at 25,372.13 and Nifty trades lower by 23.55 points at 7,561.45.
*Tourism sector shows upward gains as Thomas Cook's sensex rises 119.20 and Nifty rises by 119.35%.
*Now the big thing, tax proposals: Direct Taxes- No change in tax rates. FM increased the taxable income limit to 2.5 lakh from 2 lakh.
*80 C limits increased to 1.5 lakh from Rs 1 lakh.Interest exemption on housing loan increased from Rs1.5 lakh to Rs 2 lakh.
*Nifty above 7,500 points while BSE sensex recovers 250 points by mid session.
*Basic tax exemption limit raised to Rs 2.5 lakh, and Rs 3 lakh for senior citizens.
*No changes made in corporate or other direct taxes. Limits under section 80C raised to Rs 1.5 lakh - as indicated in raising the PPF limit to Rs 1.5 lakh.
*EMI exemption for self-occupied property raised to Rs 2 lakh.
*Public Provident Fund annual limit increased from Rs. 1 lakh to Rs. 1.5 lakh. Domestic household savings to improve with this measure.
*Jaitley says bank will be provided funds for financing long-term infrastructure projects.
Sensex declines over 300 point in late morning trade
*Government announces plans for setting up airports in cities where currently there is no airport currently. This is positive for stocks like GMR Infrastructure and GVK Power and Infrastructure.
Wiping out early gains, the BSE benchmark Sensex was trading nearly 328 points lower as selling pressure emerged soon after Finance Minister Arun Jaitley began his Budget speech.
After rising to 25,613.72 points at the outset, the Sensex slipped into negative zone by falling sharply 327.81 points, or 1.28 % to 25,117.00 at 1145 hrs. All the sectoral indices led by consumer durables, power, banking and capital goods sectors led decline. The Sensex thereafter showed some recovery.
The broad-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty dipped below the 7,500 mark by plunging 102.10 points, or 1.35 %, to 7,482.90, after climbing to 7,626.85 at the outset.
Brokers said selling pressure emerged, dragging down the Sensex even as Budget proposed 49 % FDI in insurance through FIPB route, among other budgetary proposals.
Assuring investors that retrospective amendments to tax laws will be undertaken with extreme caution, Jaitley said all fresh cases arising out of the 2012 amendment of I-T Act will be looked into by a high level CBDT committee.
He also said public sector banks need Rs 2.40 lakh crore equity to conform with Basel-III norms by 2018. Bank capital is to be raised through retail sale of shares and government would continue to hold majority in PSU banks, he added.
Emergence of profit-booking in recent gainers also influenced the sentiments, brokers said.
Major losers were SBI (1.48 %), Axis Bank (2.04 %), Sesa Sterlite (3.10 %), L&T (1.54 %), Dr Reddy (0.97 %), Cipla (1.25 %), BHEL (2.42 %), RIL (0.90 %) and Bharti Airtel (2.37 %).
*Sensex is down over 250 points while Nifty falls over 90 points.
*Markets witness broad based selling. Except IT all other sectoral indices see red as Sensex and Nifty continue their free fall.
*Government to conduct open market sale of food grains, this will help reduce food inflation specifically of food grains.
12:15 PM IST, Thursday
Sectors such as electricals, banking and infrastructure saw a major fall. Bharat Electricals saw a fall of -7.17% at 1820.05. This was followed by Apollo Tyres which saw a fall of -6.37 at 171.30. Other major losers were Indian Bank and Unitech.
*SEZ's will be developed. Inland navigation will be developed too says Arun Jaitley.
*Talks about project Ganga and commercial navigational project. Will be finished in six years at Rs 6,200 crores.
* Arun Jaitley has said the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) will scrutinise all cases under 2012 law on retrospective tax cases. However, he has not scrapped the controversial low, which has been a big overhang on markets.
Highlights of the budget:
*FDI in defence, insurance raised to 49%
*5 new IITs and IIM's proposed
*Rs 4000 crore proposed for affordable housing
*NREGA- Productive asset creation
*No retrospective taxation, ends 'tax-terrorism'
12:00 PM IST, Thursday
While the markets were upbeat about budget 2014 and expected a steady rise, both Nifty and Sensex are fluctuating since morning.
*BSE Sensex falls by 200 points at 25,192 points.
*Sectrors like Power, Oil and Infrastructure are down by 5%.
*NSE Nifty experiences fall by 100 points.
11:55 AM IST, Thursday
Here's what Arun Jaitley has proposed so far in the budget 2014 at the parliament:
Allocation of Rs. 100 crore for Beti padhao, beti badhao yojana: Arun Jaitley #Budget2014
— ANI (@ANI_news) July 10, 2014
Propose to set up 5 new IIMs in HP, Punjab, Bihar, Odisha & Maharashtra: Arun Jaitley #Budget2014
— ANI (@ANI_news) July 10, 2014
I propose Crisis Management Center for women at Delhi, funds to be provided from Nirbhaya fund: Arun Jaitley #Budget2014
— ANI (@ANI_news) July 10, 2014
Propose to set up 4 more AIIMS in AP, West Bengal, Vidharba and Purvanchal, Rs. 500 crore to be set aside for this: Arun Jaitley #Budget2014
— ANI (@ANI_news) July 10, 2014
I propose to maintain allocation for NREGA, to focus on more productive asset creation under NREGA: Arun Jaitley #Budget2014
— ANI (@ANI_news) July 10, 2014
*BSE Sensex showed gains by 100 points but again fell by 60 points.
*NSE Nifty falls by 31.25 points and stands at 7,553 points.
*Rupee is trading at 58.79 against dollar as the budget session begins.
*According to reports, about 799 shares have advanced, 1422 shares declined, and 84 shares are unchanged.
11:40 AM IST, Thursday
Watch the video update below:
Below are market expectations as mentioned by Moneycontrol.com
1. Rationalisation of subsidy
2. Relief on retrospective taxation
3. Fiscal consolidation
4. Meaningful divestment target
5. Time line for GST
6. Recapitalisation of PSU banks. All eyes will be on the fiscal deficit number, FY15 Budget estimate for fiscal deficit is at 4.1 percent, however the market is expecting it around 4.4 percent. But the bigger question is will the government stick to 4.1 percent fiscal deficit target or revise it.
11:30 AM IST, Thursday
*Arun Jaitley makes proposals at the Parliament. Below are some updates:
In order to give major boost to tourism, e-visas would be introduced at 9 airports. This facilitates visas on arrival: A Jaitley #Budget2014
— ANI (@ANI_news) July 10, 2014
I propose "Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojna" for electricity supply to rural areas: Arun Jaitley #Budget2014
— ANI (@ANI_news) July 10, 2014
200 crore aid to Guj Govt for the building of Sardar Patel's "Statue of Unity": Arun Jaitley #Budget2014
— ANI (@ANI_news) July 10, 2014
I propose 7060 crores for the development of 100 smart cities: A Jaitley #Budget2014
— ANI (@ANI_news) July 10, 2014
*As the budget session begins in parliament, markets show some gains. BSE Sensex gained 100 points and stood at 25,541 points. While NSE Nifty stood at 7,611.60 by gaining 26.60 points.
As the anticipation for budget 2014 intensifies, markets are flat and falling lower. While the BSE Sensex fell -34.23 points and stood at 25,438.51 points. Nifty also fell gradually by -11.45 and stood at 7,578.45 points.
Tracking a firming global trend, the benchmark BSE Sensex today rose by nearly 75 points in early trade ahead of the Union Budget 2014-15.
The 30-share barometer gained by 74.93 points, or 0.29 %, to 25,519.74. The index had lost 655.27 points in the previous two sessions. Sectoral indices led by capital goods, power, metal auto and PSU were trading in positive zone with gains up to 0.44%.
Similarly, the wide-based National Stock Exchange Nifty index moved up by 6.25 points, or 0.08 %, to 7,591.25. Brokers said fresh positions built-up by cautious participants on expectations of some sops in the Union Budget 2014-15 to be announced later in the day buoyed the trading sentiment. Besides, a firming trend in the Asian region, taking a strong lead from Wall Street, in response to an upbeat outlook for the US economy by the Federal Reserve influenced the sentiment, they said.
Among other Asian markets, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index was up by 0.45 %, while Japan's Nikkei index gained 0.10 % in early trade today. The US Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 0.47 % higher yesterday.
Markets opened marginally higher after the sharp fall in the previous two sessions even as market participants adopted a wait-and-watch stance ahead of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's maiden Budget presentation later today.
The Sensex has opened higher by 51 points at 25,496 mark and the Nifty has gained by 6 points at 7,591 levels.
Expectations are rife that Finance Minster will announce measures in the Budget aimed at boosting economic growth.
Asian equities rose and the dollar dipped on Thursday, after the Federal Reserve indicated that it was not in a rush to end quantitative easing and begin hiking rates.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan gained 0.2%.Tokyo's Nikkei rose 0.1%, despite a sharp drop in machinery orders reported minutes before the opening bell.
Japan's core machinery orders unexpectedly fell 19.5% in May from the previous month, casting doubt over the outlook for a pickup in capital spending.
Rupee up 12 paise against dollar in early trade
Rising for the third straight day, the rupee strengthened by 12 paise to 59.63 against the dollar in early trade today at the Interbank Foreign Exchange market on sustained selling of the US currency by exporters amid a higher opening of the domestic equity market.
Forex dealers said besides selling of dollars by exporters, strength in other currencies against the American unit overseas also supported the rupee.
The domestic currency had gained three paise to close at 59.75 against the dollar yesterday. Meanwhile, the benchmark BSE Sensex rose by 74.93 points, or 0.29 %, to 25,519.74 in early trade today.
with agency inputs


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