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Note 1: This is the first installment of a five-part series on the Steelers' 2012 salary cap challenges that will appear daily this week on Steelers Lounge. The initial article below provides a basic synopsis of the Steelers' complicated salary-cap situation for 2012. Tuesday's article will delve into specific challenges Pittsburgh's front office faces in the upcoming offseason, but will focus on explaining why it would be false to simply conclude that the Steelers are in "salary-cap hell" even if the numbers imply that is an apt description.
The third article will examine the astute and imprudent decisions that put the 2012 Steelers in what will easily be their most challenging cap position ever. Thursday's edition will make player-by-player financial projections on how the front office might make what will undoubtedly be difficult and some unpopular choices needed to field a roster under a tight salary cap that could potentially remain competitive in 2012, while also not creating even more dramatic cap problems for years down the road. The final article on Friday will be my first 2012 Steelers' mock draft, which would be fruitless at this point unless also projecting who will returns from the current roster. Accordingly, that mock will also include a corresponding hypothetical 53-man roster for the 2012 Steelers.
Note 2: I am not a salary-cap expert. In fact, the only real Steelers' salary cap expert is their chief negotiator, the brilliant 34-year-old Omar Khan, who the Steelers brought in from another organization (Saints) and has a degree in sport management. Pittsburgh is the best managed franchise in professional sports, but a valid critique of the organization is that there are too many local products who have only worked for the Steelers, naturally resulting in too much group-think at times.
Unfortunately Khan does not give public interviews on the Steelers' finances. Thus, the person who seems to best decipher all the stipulations of the salary cap and provides exact numbers for Pittsburgh fans is Ian Whetstone, who serves as the capologist for SteelCityInsider.net. My current cap totals and some of my rudimentary comprehension of how these deals work came from Ian's research and postings, although opinions expressed in this series are mine. A handy resource is this 2012 salaries table at Steelers Depot, although it has not been updated to include the 4-year extension signed by safety Troy Polamalu just before the 2011 season, or the in-season 2011 restructure and corresponding 1-year extension of defensive end Aaron Smith's contract that enabled the Steelers to bring in offensive tackle Max Starks on a 1-year contract after week No. 4 this fall. Finally, the Behind the Steel Curtain blog has published several informative articles on this topic under its "Steelers Contracts and Salary Cap" thread. Most of the info on the Web on potential NFL salary caps for 2012 is being published by Steelers' Web sites, which tells you others have looked at the team's numbers and can easily see major problems like never before even though Pittsburgh is routinely over or near the team cap limit entering each offseason.
Note 3: At this point no one knows what the NFL salary cap will be in 2012. Due to the new CBA agreed to after the lockout being very unfavorable to the players, the 2011 salary cap (excluding benefits) was set at a maximum of $120.5 million per team, which was down from $129 million per team in 2009 when overall league revenues were considerably less. Furthermore, each franchise was allowed to use three exceptions against future caps for up to $3 million total to re-sign its own veterans to 1-year contracts without bonuses. The latter figure drops to $1.5 million for 2012, with the cap likely rising gradually on an annual basis as it has historically. Current estimates have overall team caps for 2012, including the exceptions, ranging from $122-133 million. The highest figures would be largely due to a potential new TV contract for Thursday night games over the first eight weeks of the season that would likely add $5-8 million to each franchise's salary-cap ceiling if implemented before the 2012 season.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM: Pittsburgh fans should be rooting for anything that increases overall league revenue, which would then raise team caps. Per Whetstone on Steel City Insider, the Steelers have "39 players under contract for 2012, at a total cap cost (including dead money) of about $141.4 million." NFL teams must be in compliance with the new salary cap figure by the start of each new league season, which is generally on March 1st each year, and then have their collective 2012 salaries remain under the cap through the end of the season.
Every NFL team will sign players to futures contracts shortly after the 2012 Super Bowl, including most of the players who were on their practice squads the previous season. Teams can have up to 80 players on its off-season roster at all times, with the 51 highest salaries counting toward that team's projected salary cap for the upcoming season. Most of the final-roster longshots signed to futures contracts will not count toward that figure, but those who fall in a team's top 51 current projected salaries would account for a minimum of $390,000 per man, which will be the NFL league minimum salary next fall for players with no accrued NFL seasons before 2012. Further, most teams, including the Steelers, usually sign a player or two to futures contracts who have been on NFL active rosters in the past for at least a full season, and thus they will count a little more toward the cap. In other words, even when the Steelers start cutting veterans from their offseason roster and restructuring contracts of other players to free up cap space, you can assume that a minimum of $390K will be added back to their current cap total to account for the substitution for each released player.
Retaining Mike Wallace for the Long-Term Is a Necessity
The Steelers also have at least six players slated to be restricted free agents and two more who will be exclusive-rights free agents, all of whom Pittsburgh likely wants back for 2012. But the only prominent player on this list of restricted free agents is superstar receiver Mike Wallace. The Steelers obviously would ideally like to retain Wallace's services by first tendering him an offer at the highest level (an estimated salary of $3.5 million for 2012) that would result in Pittsburgh having the right to match any external salary offers presented to Wallace or receiving a first-round draft pick from any team that signs Wallace to an unmatched offer. By tendering Wallace, the Steelers would ideally work on signing him to a long-term deal in the summer that would slightly increase his cap figure for 2012 from his initial tender offer due to a pro-rated signing bonus. However, the Steelers would be able to free up more cap space to sign its draft picks and possibly increase Wallace's 2012 cap figure after June 1st when they can release veterans like guard Chris Kemoteau who are signed beyond 2012, but not have all the dead money owed to those players applied to their 2012 cap limit as it would if those players were released before June 1st. However, that ideal strategy would be risky in Wallace's case. It should be noted the new CBA no longer includes first- and third-round picks as compensation for the highest tendered restricted free agents.
Over his first two seasons, Wallace ranked No. 1 in yards per reception (20.33) among all NFL players, barely edging out the Eagles' DeSean Jackson (20.29) for that honor. Jackson has an innate ability to take short passes for long gains, whereas Wallace is best known for running past defensive backs and catching bombs from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Thus it may surprise some that Wallace caught 57.9% of passes targeted at him over 2009-10 compared to just 50.9% for Jackson. Still, despite ranking 5th in the NFL in receiving yardage (1,257) in 2010, Wallace's status as a legitimate No. 1 receiver was questioned by some because his 60 total receptions ranked just 42nd in the NFL.
This fall, though, Wallace has emerged as an all-around dominant No. 1 NFL receiver, increasing his average receptions per game from 3.75 in 2010 to 5.1 in 2011, due to his catching more slants and underneath passes. However, he still averages 20.3 yards per reception. Through seven games, Wallace is on pace to finish the 2011 regular season with 83 receptions for 1,669 yards and 11 TDs. Those are not only No. 1 receiver numbers, but all-pro-type statistics.
His ability to change games instantly due to his sprinter's speed, combined with the lessened compensation price will make Wallace an enticing restricted free agent for other franchises. What's worse is that some team with a great deal of cap space and a need for a top receiver, such as the Buccaneers if they were not so cheap, could sign Wallace to a lucrative, front-loaded contract with an expensive 2012 base salary, making it extremely difficult for the cap-challenged Steelers to match such an offer, because that would require them to immediately clear out much more space. As you will see in part four of this series, Pittsburgh will have a very difficult time just getting under the cap before spending any extra money.
Historically, the Steelers have waited until late in the summer to begin negotiating with its top restricted free agents or its marquee veterans slated to be unrestricted free agents after the upcoming season on long-term extensions. But the Steelers' front office must desperately try to extend Wallace on a long-term deal after the 2011 season. Yes, this will provide Wallace an advantage in negotiating leverage, but the franchise still has the upper-hand because as a third-round pick, Wallace will have earned a paltry $1.7 million over his entire first three seasons, making him the best bargain in the NFL over that span. Plus, there is no guarantee that another franchise will give up a first-round pick to attempt to sign Wallace to an expensive contract (although it is likely at least one would) and he is seemingly very happy in Pittsburgh, where he plays with a franchise quarterback and his childhood best friend, Keenan Lewis, is on the roster. Most important, since his success is predicated so much on raw speed, Wallace and his agent must realize that he is a torn ACL in 2012 away from never getting a huge payday without a new contract and possibly a torn Achilles away from seeing his career end.
Thus, assuming Wallace avoids major injury for the rest of this season, it would be prudent for both sides to work out an extension in February that would give Wallace a large enough signing bonus to secure his status as a multi-millionaire for the remainder of his life and allow the Steelers to lock up their No. 1 receiver at a hometown, sign-early discount that does not strain their 2011 cap, with the larger base salaries coming later in the contract.
The Steelers failed to get such a discount in inking a 6-year, $50 million extension before this season with linebacker Lawrence Timmons, who was slated to be an unrestricted free agent after 2011. Wallace has been a better and considerably more consistent player, as well as a more intricate part of his team's success over his first 2.5 seasons (2009-11) than Timmons was over his first four seasons (2007-2010). In fact, 2010 was Timmons' only great season (team-high 135 total tackles on a dominant defense) since he hardly played as a rookie, was a part-time No. 3 inside linebacker in 2008 and a mediocre (78 total tackles) first-year starter in his injury-plagued 2009 season.
However, there are several differences that should lower Wallace's price in comparison. First, as an early first-round pick, Timmons was already financially secure for life after signing a rookie contract in 2007 that was slated to pay him between $12-15 million through 2011, meaning he could have potentially risked playing through 2011 as a contract year without fear of injury ruining his financial future. Without a new contract from the Steelers or another team that includes a nice signing bonus, Wallace would justifiably have those concerns in 2012, especially during preseason workouts since his one-year contract would not be fully guaranteed.
Second, even though he is also a fast-twitch player whose game is predicated on his amazing closing speed and ability to shadow most backs and tight ends in coverage, Timmons would still have an easier time returning from a potential major lower-body injury than Wallace, whose status as a top receiver is almost entirely based on raw speed. Moreover, such an injury would not reduce the worth of a linebacker on the open market as significantly as a receiver.
Finally, the Steelers had just signed linebacker LaMarr Woodley to a $61.5 million, 6-year extension, thus likely increasing the value of Timmons' deal in the process since they were drafted together in 2007. The Steelers have a history of paying top salaries to many of their great linebackers compared to league averages (e.g., Jack Lambert, Greg Lloyd, Jason Gildon, Joey Porter, James Harrison, etc.).
But the largest contract any wideout ever received from the Steelers was Hines Ward's 4-year-deal before 2005 that was worth up to $25.8 million, including a $5 million signing bonus and roughly $10 million in guaranteed money. That was a reward for a four-year stretch where Ward averaged 95 receptions per season, had at least 1,000 receiving yards each year and established himself as easily the best blocking receiver in the NFL for what was then a predominately run-oriented office. The second largest total contract signed by a Pittsburgh receiver was the 5-year, $24.5 million extension Ward signed in early 2009, which came after he had helped Pittsburgh win its second Super Bowl in four seasons. However, even if he plays out the duration of that contract with the Steelers, Ward will not receive anywhere near the total amount from the cap-strapped Steelers, particularly since that second contract included just a $3,050,000 signing bonus, which makes Ward a prime candidate to be restructured significantly or (God forbid) released this off-season.
Even if he gives the Steelers a hometown discount, Wallace's deal should be worth near the amount of both Ward contracts above combined, with more guaranteed money. Hypothetically, the deal could be a 5-year contract for $45.2 million with a guaranteed $18 million signing bonus, the latter of which would mean $3.6 million would be applied to the Steelers' cap each season for Wallace's signing bonus assuming he plays out the duration of his contract from 2011-15, or the remaining amount would be applied to the team's cap at some point if he does not. For example, this hypothetical contract could be structured for Wallace to receive base salaries of $700,000 in 2012, $3.6 million in 2013, $4.9 million in 2014, $5.3 million for 2015 and $5.8 million in 2016. The rest of the money would come from potential (non-guaranteed) but likely-to-be earned roster bonuses of $1.2 million for 2012, $1.5 million for each the 2013, 2014 and 2015 seasons, and a $1.2 million bonus in 2016.
Other RFAs May Play Increasingly Important Roles for the 2012 Steelers
Wallace is the only consistent starter among the team's upcoming restricted free agents. However, the other five restricted free agents have all already made significant contributions to the Steelers' successes in recent years, with some of them likely being granted more important roles in 2012 due to the probable departure of other higher-priced veterans, such as nose tackle Casey Hampton. Those five (TE/FB D.J. Johnson, OG Ramon Foster, OG-C Doug Legursky, S Ryan Mundy and CB Keenan Lewis) will all likely be tendered at the lower level with right of refusal, which should be somewhere around $1.2 to $1.3 million per player for 2012.
There is a chance Lewis could be tendered at a higher salary ($1.8-$1.9 million) to guarantee the Steelers a second-round pick if he signs with another franchise. However, that is less likely, because the Steelers would still receive a third-round pick in return if they elect not to match a contract for a player who is finally showing promise, but has never been a regular starting cornerback and is slated to be an unrestricted free agent after 2012.
The Steelers may also be able to lower the 2012 cap figures for some of those restricted free agents if they are signed to manageable multi-year contracts, although a portion of the signing bonuses for those deals would still be prorated back into the player's 2012 cap hit. For example, if the Steelers sign Legursky (a nice sixth man C-G, who is serviceable as a starter) to a modest 3-year extension for say $3.3 million, his base salary for 2012 could be reduced to as low as $700K, although his cap figure would be higher (e.g., $950K) due to the prorated portion of his signing bonus ($750K?) that would be applied to 2012. The Steelers should be able to tender their two exclusive-rights free agents, RB Isaac Redman and NT Steve McLendon, at around $600K per player to retain their services for 2012, and neither can be eligible for unrestricted free agency before 2014 unless released.
However, assuming that all eight players above are tendered at some level (a strong probability) and that none sign extensions before those tenders that could lower their 2012 cap figures slightly (with the exception of Wallace), the addition of tendering contract offers to those eight players (even before they are signed) will add roughly $11 million to the Steelers' 2012 salary cap. Moreover, that figure does not include any additional money applied to the 2012 cap that might be needed to lock up Wallace long-term.
At that point, the Steelers would have 46 players under 2012 contract from their current 2011 active roster or injured-reserve list (assuming no other current team members are released or pending unrestricted free agents are extended), accounting for around $152.5, a figure which includes the little dead money on the Steelers' 2012 payroll. Add in one hypothetical player with one accrued NFL season signed to a futures contract ($465K) and four more at the league minimum and the Steelers would add slightly more than $2 million to their cap figure, which would project to be around $154.5 million for their top 51 players.
A slightly optimistic salary cap projected limit for 2012 would be an increase to $127.5 million per team, plus the three exceptions for up $1.5 million total. The Steelers would obviously use the latter to assist in re-signing some of their veterans to 1-year contracts (e.g., NT Chris Hoke, QB Byron Leftwich, P Daniel Sepulveda, QB Charlie Batch?), but that slight cap increase would not go into effect until those unrestricted free agents are re-signed, which likely would not happen until after the Steelers have cleared considerable cap space and probably not until after the draft for most of these players unless they garner and are seriously considering signing external offers in free agency. Starks, cornerback William Gay and Sepulveda are the three most likely potential unrestricted free agents who fit that description.
Through this projection, the Steelers would need to reduce their projected 2012 payroll by roughly $27 million by March 1st by releasing veterans and restructuring the contracts of other players that would lessen their salary-cap figures for the 2012 season. I will project how they could do this daunting task on a player-by-player basis in Thursday's article in this series. First, though, I will explain in tomorrow's article why the term "salary-cap hell" does not accurately describe the Steelers' situation; because they will largely be able to control who will be on their 2012 roster, which should still be a playoff-caliber team, albeit one with less proven players, especially amongst reserves. Wednesday's installment will analyze the specific transactions and strategies that put the Steelers in a salary cap quandary for 2012, pointing out the good (e.g, re-signing cornerback Ike Taylor as an unrestricted free agent at a major hometown discount of roughly $7 million per year), suspect (e.g., extending linebacker Lawrence Timmons on a $50 million contract a year before he was eligible for unrestricted free agency) or just unwise (re-signing kicker Shaun Suisham – a career journeyman who has never been consistent – to a 4-year deal worth $6.35, including a guaranteed $1.35 million signing bonus, in what was a tight salary cap for the 2011 Steelers at the time). Finally, please remember our first Steelers' 2012 seven-round mock draft will be unveiled on Friday, along with a ridiculous-early projected 53-man roster.


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Narrow your search
Are you a fan of the Food Network show "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives"? This iOS app will help you discover venues featured on the show.
In the fight for premium video streaming, Amazon picks up hundreds of episodes of popular Scripps shows like "House Hunters" and "Iron Chef America."
It's no Lamborghini Gallardo, but it'll get the job done. Guy Fieri's newest ride is a 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible SS, fresh off the assembly line.

subset: commoncrawl


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Nairobi — Lake Ol-bolossat, the only one in Central Province, will dry up if action is not taken to save it.
Cows graze on the shores of Lake Ol-bolossat in Nyandarua District. Pic by Stephen Njogo
Located in Nyandarua District, the lake, whose catchment area is 4800 square km, serves residents of
Nyandarua, Laikipia, Samburu, Isiolo, Wajir and parts of Garrissa District.
The world famous Thompson Falls in Nyahururu draws its water from Ewaso Nyiro River, which originates from the lake.
The Lake Ol-bolossat Integrated Management Plan, indicates that the lake is a tourist attraction. It is home to hippos, several bird species and a beautiful scenic view.
"Stoma Escarpment makes the lake have a natural beauty, bearing in mind the location of Thompson Falls and the Aberdare mountains," says the 2003-2008 plan.
The plan, prepared by Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) in conjunction with the University of Nairobi and Netherlands, addresses existing and impending threats facing the lake.
It says the lake may become extinct due to degradation of Aberdare Forest, siltation, overgrazing, conflicting government interests, fires, allocation of riparian land reserves, pollution from agrochemical and abstraction.
According to the report, wanton destruction of the Aberdare Forest through illegal logging, charcoal burning and frequent fires has adversely affected the water catchment area, reducing the water volume in the lake.
Another problem facing the lake is siltation of the wetland due to soil erosion. Farmers use poor cultivation methods leading to siltation in the lake.
The report says the farmers do not care about environmental conservation. They graze their animals on the same pasture instead of practicing rotational farming. The pastures are in use for 24 hours. While cows, goats, sheep and donkeys graze during the day, the hippos come out at night, the report adds.
Studies at the lake show that the livestock take more grass biomass than the hippos.
The animals also trample on eggs and the chicks of the nesting birds on the ground. The Government, according to the report, has also contributed towards the lake's bleak future.
It has drained 510 acres of swampy land for farming. A further 3,500 acres have been earmarked for drainage.
The Land Department has allocated land to at least 3,000 families. The beneficiaries tap water from streams for irrigation. Discharges from the farms pollute the lake due to the presence of fertilizers and other chemicals. This leads to a reduction of oxygen levels in the lake.
The future of the lake may be bleak, but it is popular for duck shooting. The game is co-ordinated by the Lake Bird-Shooting Club managed by the locals.
Tourists who visit the lake pay money to take part in the exercise. Between 1994 and 1997 the club donated Sh514,000 to four schools, two dispensaries, three dams and a youth football club.
The plan signed by former KWS director J M Kioko, proposes that the lake be run privately.
This will ensure that the stakeholders take charge of the lake. It will also encourage sustainable land use. The locals will also give their recommendations.
The plan proposes a water management committee to supervise the use of the lake's water for domestic purposes and for irrigation.
It recommends that farmers be trained on soil conservation.
Some of the methods aimed at checking soil erosion are use of terraces, growing napier grass strips, afforestation, cut-off drains and infiltration ditches.
The plan was compiled by among others Nyandarua District Departmental heads, KWS officials, University of Nairobi lecturers and representatives of the Netherlands Wetland Programme.
The experts recommend that the Government set up a committee comprising of 25 members to manage the lake.
Mrs Anne Mwangi, a farmer, supports the decision to include farmers in the committee.
"This will ensure that the needs of the farmers are considered. The team has prepared a Sh100 million budget for the management o the lake.


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If you drive while your license is revoked, suspended, denied or canceled, your vehicle may be impounded. To obtain information on how to get your vehicle back, please call 343-4575.
When you lose your privilege to drive in Alaska for driving while your license is revoked, suspended, denied or canceled, the state revokes your license or privilege to drive. Your driving record will show that the state has taken some kind of action against your license. When you take the steps needed to get your license back, you are reinstating your driver's license or privilege to drive.
To get your license back following the loss of your driving privileges, you need to apply for a new license at a Division of Motor Vehicles office and meet the following requirements.
1. Pass the written and vision tests. You may need a road test as well.
2. Pay the reinstatement and license fees.
3. Present proof of birth and identity. See license requirements for acceptable documents.
notarized Parent
Consent form if you are under 18.
(Required when your parent or guardian will not be accompanying you to the DMV)
5. Sometimes, you need to take care of other problems before you are able to get your license back. When there are other problems with your license, a Division of Motor Vehicles employee will tell you what you need to do so that you can get your license back.If you have additional questions you can call, write, e-mail or visit a DMV office.
State of Alaska
Division of Motor Vehicles
PO Box 110221
Juneau AK 99811-0221
(907) 465-4361
E-mail: email@example.com


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San Francisco Natural Areas Overview
Welcome to SF Natural Areas!! This site is for, by, and about the volunteers who work to preserve and protect the remnant habitats within San Francisco.
Unlike most other major urban areas, San Francisco's steep topography has prevented the sort of torched-earth development that completely obliterated all traces of original landscapes elsewhere. In fact, 1100 acres (that's 27%) of the San Francisco parks system are officially designated Significant Natural Resource Areas because they still contain irreplaceable biological communities. Other mostly-pristine remnant areas are owned by other public entities including the Public Utilities Commission and the Presidio Trust.
These public lands are under constant threat, however, from invasive weeds and over-use — and this is where volunteers come in. Volunteers with the Natural Areas Program of the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department (RPD) contribute tens of thousands of hours each year pulling weeds, maintaining trails, and propagating and planting native plants.
In fact, Natural Areas Program volunteers constitute over 25% of all RPD volunteer hours even though the Natural Areas Program has only 2% of RPD staff and receives only 1% of the RPD budget. The Natural Areas Program is underfunded and understaffed by a factor of ten. Volunteers are what prevent these priceless biological assets in San Francisco from collapsing into weedy ruin.
Anyway, other natural areas managers besides the SFRPD include the Presidio Trust which runs its own volunteer program; the National Park Service, which runs the Golden Gate National Recreation Area; the SF Public Utilities Commission which owns important remnant areas near Laguna Honda; and UCSF, which owns and manages Mt Sutro. Plus, there are other important groups which play crucial roles in San Francisco's preservation of its biological heritage.
However, what has been missing is a site where volunteers can post their photos and tell their stories about working in these remarkable areas. That need is what this site attempts to fill. This site also, over time, may become an integrated botanical guide to San Francisco's native plants, though this be an over-ambitious goal.
Browse the Events, Photos, and Blogs to see what's happening at all the various Natural Areas. To track quickly and easily the most recent contributions, check the general blog section and the general photo section. These combine all content from all the natural areas we cover in reverse chronological order, so the newest stuff is always the first you'll see.
Additional Information
General Blog Posts
These posts concern general SF Natural Areas themes. For posts regarding an individual site, go to that site's main page. For all blog posts from all sites in chronological order, go here.
RPD's Non-enforcement of Leash Law Endangers Mt D Volunteers
05 April 2014 - 14:11, Tinman said:
An illegal off-leash dog bit me today while I walked up a trail on Mt Davidson for the monthly Natural Areas Program habitat restoration work party. I'd passed all three of the dogs that were running down the trail well ahead of their owner, when one of them turned, raced up behind me, and bit me on the back of the leg. The bite tore my pants and caused a minor wound that fortunately didn't need medical attention; I was lucky that it was a small dog. But that's not the big problem.
Frankly I'm surprised that this hadn't happened long before, since the vast majority of the many dogs running on Mt D every day are off-leash and potential threats. But that's not the big problem.
The dog owner quickly tossed out five $20 bills and hurried away. I didn't get his name, address, or even a photo of him or his dogs; he was long gone. But that also is not the big problem.
I called 311, waited on hold for five minutes for an operator who then connected me to a Park Ranger dispatcher, who sent a ranger to my house a half hour later, since I'd returned there by then. The ranger took a report and advised me to file with the SFPD, since his report was merely "internal" and wouldn't really amount to anything he said. He apologized for the fact that there are at most only two rangers for the entire park system in the City — except when there is only one.
And THAT is the big problem.
The Recreation and Parks Department specifically — and the City of San Francisco generally — has intentionally made enforcement of leash laws in the city parks — and thus the safety of park visitors — such a low priority that the laws have no real effect at all. They have made a careful calculation based on what demographic makes the most noise and gets nastiest in any public deliberation, and have decided to side with the dog people. This isn't surprising, given the numbers, in a locale where people can be murdered by dogs in their own apartment buildings.
So what are the implications of the unwillingness of the City of San Francisco to protect its citizens by enforcing leash laws in city parks? I think there are several:
- The Mt Davidson work party can no longer be recommended to any volunteer. It is simply too dangerous for volunteers to walk through Mt D's narrow trails to the work parties given the high density of off-leash dogs there on any given morning. We will no longer list these work parties on this web site.
- If you are attacked by an off-leash dog, try to get the owner's information. If you are bitten, the owner is legally obligated to provide this information, and if they refuse, that is a felony. The ranger claims that such a refusal will result in a "prompt" intervention by SFPD if you call them. It's 911 time.
- If you are equipped, try to get photos of the perp owner and the dog(s), though this can be tricky since you never can tell what kind of individual you're dealing with. If they're happy violating leash laws, you have to assume that they're unlikely to think other laws apply to them either. It's completely legal for you to photograph him, but you can't assume that he's going to be happy letting you do so.
- Park rangers say you should not follow the perp owner back to his house or car if they refuse to provide information, for the above reasons. Granted, that will probably mean that they're long gone before rangers or SFPD show up, but you want to end up with only one wound from the dog, not a second one from the owner.
The Natural Areas Program has barely enough staff and budget to deal with the weeds they're responsible for. They couldn't possibly police the thirty-two Significant Natural Resource Areas, even if that was their remit. But if they were sufficiently empowered, maybe this could be fixed.
It's regrettable that the only "resolution" of this situation at this time is simply to stay out of the parks, but unless something drastic happens with how the City of San Francisco runs things via the RPD — which has zero chance of happening — that's about all there is. The off-leash dog people have won the parks.
2014-10-08 11:09:07 -0700, MaryK said:
Thanks for setting up this website, and making it easy to participate in keeping natural areas in the City healthy and beautiful!
Send the Sharp Park Golf Course into GGNRA Receivership
29 April 2009 - 13:27, Tinman said:
This Thursday, April 30, at 1pm in Room 263 at City Hall, you'll have your opportunity to tell the Board of Supervisors to stop wasting our tax dollars operating the money-losing Sharp Park golf course. The Government Audit and Oversight Committee will consider legislation "to develop a plan, schedule and budget for restoring Sharp Park habitat for the California red-legged frog and the San Francisco garter snake in conformance with the requirements of the Endangered Species Act, and transferring Sharp Park to, or developing a joint management agreement with, the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and making environmental findings".
The reasons that the Sharp Park golf course is an expense that San Francisco can no longer maintain have been well exercised here. Check out this great perspective by Pacifica resident Ian Butler for another view.
Of all the potential fates of this golf course to be considered, incorporating it into the GGNRA makes by far the most sense — ecologically and financially. San Francisco residents and taxpayers need to come to tomorrow's BOS meeting and push to make this happen!
2009-05-12 22:31:54 -0700, Golf Slut said:
You must be kidding. I understand that the environment must be protected and preserved to sustain a natural and healthy ecosystem, but to close this golf course in pursuit of that goal, absurd. I have had the opportunity to grow up in Pacifica and was fortunate enough to have had my first job, which I held through high school, at Sharp Park Golf Course. The lessons I have learned and relationships I have built at Sharps are invaluable. I would not be in the position I am in in my current career and life for that matter, have I hadn't taken up the game of golf. Please do not proceed with this action, you are making a huge mistake.
2009-05-13 07:12:04 -0700, Tinman said:
Oh, no one is kidding here. The Board of Supervisors approved the legislation unanimously. Change is coming to Sharp Park.
2009-05-13 20:09:45 -0700, Golf Slut said:
It's a crying shame. We sit back and complain of our children and future generations because they are inside playing video games, or chatting online, or texting. They need to be outside engaging with others, playing hide and seek beneath the street lights, kickball, golf. We're going to find otherwise a future full of socially inept individuals attempting to lead communities, state governments and a nation. We are missing the point here my brothers and sisters, the importance of preserving and protecting this wonderful resource for outdoor activity and social interaction, face to face goes beyond a frog and a snake. "This land is your land, this land is my land…"
2009-05-13 21:32:03 -0700, Tinman said:
There are lots of places to golf on the peninsula where the courses don't have all the "washing out to sea", "flooding every winter", and "killing endangered species" problems that the Sharp Park course does. The course is a toxic asset on the books of whoever has to pay for it, and it appears that finally San Francisco decision makers are figuring this out.
2015-03-22 12:14:26 -0700, MJang said:
SF taxpayer subsidized Sharp Park is a poor comparison to the equally low priced SF municipal course Harding: challenging golf, nicer amenities – a fun game in a better environment, it offers a much better experience for a similar fee. Sharp Park is taking habitat of endangered species: it make better public sense to transfer Sharp Park to the park system, and golf at Harding!


text:
Disco Corp. (Disco) is a manufacturer of precision cutting, grinding and polishing machines, based in Japan. The company manufactures and sells precision cutting, diamond abrasive tools, grinding and polishing machines. Its products portfolio include dicing and cutting saws, laser saws, grinders, polishers and dry etchers, wafer mounter, die separator, surface planer, waterjet saw, products for new processes; precision processing tools such as dicing blades, grinding wheels, dry polishing wheels, and other products include accessory equipment and related products. The company provides services such as maintenance of precision cutting, grinding and polishing machines, disassembly and recycling of precision cutting and grinding and polishing machines. Disco is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.
This comprehensive SWOT profile of Disco Corp. provides you an in-depth strategic
Author:Bill Thompsone-mailWeb: www.fastmr.comPhone: 18008448156


text:
Its everyone's fault but his. The ghost the dirt sheets.....
Type: Posts; User: Flyyisha
Its everyone's fault but his. The ghost the dirt sheets.....
Don't care boiut the draft. Wwe does not use talemt correctly so the point of the draft is..... Get me all excited thinking I will see my fav star get pushed on a new show to get put on da back burner
Kaitlyn is about as useful as a bucket of rocks. She needs to be released ASAP. She's as useful as a dead non rechargeable battery
amen amen amen amen i don't like the sob either. He's annoying as hell!!! I'm with u. I get tired of people saying he's a heel job well done. I don't like him and i don't understand why why why
Wrestlemania looks weak... I only wanna see hhh vs taker.... The rest whatever...i kno during sheamus bella vs daniel bryant and gail kim i'll take my shit break
My favorite is a pro!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Chea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Vickie looked STUNNING last night.. I loved her shirt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
jtg doesn't botch.... he has actual TALENT... bunch of freakin haters
I'm sorry but I'm SICK and TIRED of JTG being a jobber. WWE has failed to use his talent and ability. Same goes for Chris Masters and Ted DiBiase Jr. It's a shame guys like Santino, Kozlov, and...
-_________- WWE has talent they DO not use.......
I hope we know soon cuz its lame
wwe doesnt even know who it is
I dunno wheather to laugh or cry!!! My poor eyes.
So my lil cuzin asked me to make her a cd full of wwe themes So far I have
1. John Cena
2. Voices
3. Burn in the light
4. Batista
5. Maryse
7. Vince McMahon
I love them all honeslty... from 93-present
It's a possibility
FIRST of all IF she got them BEFORE her WWE debut she would have paid for them herselg. 2nd of all I'm not a retart if they are implants they are indeed fake HOWEVER you must not ever heard the...
-______________- Kelly they are REAL cuz you PAID for them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GOD I can't stand that trick
THANKS!!!! I've been here just not posting like I normally would!!!!!
@thebrownone THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BEsides Vickie I got Ezekiel Jackson, JTG, and Shad beast and Maxine
ExcuseMeWWE Vickie Guerrero:
@alisha225 happy birthday
I can't wait to see this match.. there are ENDLESS possibilities
I wish they would hurry up!!!!!!!!
Kelly kelly is garbage!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If she wins the title i will never ever watch wwe until the heffa whore drops it!!fuck her and eve
That JTG has a job
ummm errrrrrrrrrrrrr


text:
MADISON, Ala. (WHNT) – Thursday night, July 31st, is "Patriot Night" at Bob Jones High School in Madison. It's a chance for students, staff and parents to roam the halls, meet teachers, see friends and check out all the unusual things going on at the school.
As the new school year begins on August 5th, there are big projects in the works, new things added, old things missing, and changes among the administrators.
Principal Robby Parker insists the crutches he's using, following a biking accident, are like the construction chaos at his school — temporary.
"I think I've probably got another three or four weeks on them," said Parker. "About the time I'm really getting good on them, they're going to take me off of them."
Parker swears his crutches won't hold him back, and the ongoing construction won't hold students back as they start their new school year.
"We want instruction to begin on Tuesday morning at 8:15 and I can assure you that's going to happen," Parker insisted.
Workers are finishing up phase one of a $20 million renovation project and then will keep on moving into phase two, sharing the school with the students through 2015.
Some changes students will notice include no lockers. Workers took them out and gave them to Liberty Elementary School, since the high schoolers don't really use them much. Classrooms at BJHS have new technology for teaching and there are even new bathrooms in the bottom floor of the school.
There will also be new faces helping Parker. This year, he has four new assistant principals.
"Three of them came from within our system and moved up to us," Parker explained. "One I hired from Huntsville city and he's doing a tremendous job."
Parker expects those four will eventually be promoted away just like their predecessors. But just like using crutches, Parker is taking it all in stride and embracing the challenges.
"I went on the football field and ran two 60-yard sprints on my crutches with the kids just to get in shape," he laughed.
He admits the central office will not be finished by the first day of class, but staff can easily work around it.
Enrollment is at 1,715 students attending BJHS this year in grades nine through 12.


text:
Q4 2012 Rajar Results
We are pleased to announce that the latest RAJAR results show that Kiss and Magic lead strong performances for Bauer's national and local stations. The total Bauer Radio audience of 13.3m listeners is up in hours and share year-on-year and Magic 105.4 remains the no.1 commercial station in London for reach, share and hours, leading a strong local Place Portfolio performance. Nationally, Kiss increases reach, hours and share whilst heat radio reports record reach figures.
Bauer Place Portfolio focuses on relevant and local programming in the premier towns and cities across the UK.
• Strong quarterly Place Portfolio performance sees reach increase to 8.7 million adults each week, and each listener tunes in for 8.3 hours a week on average
• The portfolio is commercial number one for reach & share in 21 of our 21 markets, led by
• Magic 105.4 is no.1 commercial station in London for reach, hours and share - the only commercial station reaching over 2m listeners a week
• Magic 105.4 has a 5.9% market share (up 3.5% yoy) and a 2.4% yoy increase in hours
• Positive Place Portfolio figures led by strong performances from:
Clyde1 (Glasgow) reached 624,000 listeners (up 12% yoy and a nine-year high), with an increase in hours (up 5.7% yoy) and share (up 9.7% yoy) making it the number one commercial radio station in Scotland
Metro Radio (Newcastle) is the biggest commercial station by reach in the North East,with 400,000 listeners for the first time in 4 years (reach up 6.5% yoy). Hours (up 13.6%) and share (up 16.1% )
Key 103 (Manchester) is up in reach with 512,000 listeners, hours up (2.6% yoy) and share up (6.3% yoy). It is the number one commercial station in Manchester by reach and with its highest share in two years
• The Passion Portfolio performed well reaching 6.5m adults each week (up 1.9% yoy)
• Passion Portfolio has a market share of 3.6% and each listener tunes in for 5.9 hours a week on average
• Nationally Kiss reach is up 2.1% yoy to 4.3m, hours up 2.2% yoy to 22.7m, with share up 4.8% yoy
• heat radio, helped by investment in new live programming strands and celebrity content, recorded its highest ever reach of 767,000 (up 18.4% yoy) and a fantastic 46% improvement in hours yoy. As a brand heat now reaches 3m consumers across its multiple platforms – radio, magazine, TV, online, mobile
• Smash Hits is the #1 digital commercial radio station by reach across the UK, hours up 15% yoy
• The Hits is the #2 digital commercial radio station by reach, hours up 9.3% yoy
• Nationally, Rickie, Melvin and Charlie's Kiss breakfast show reaches 1.6m listeners across the UK each morning, up 4% qoq and up 5% yoy
Bauer Social
Bauer Radio's continued focus and investment in its engaging multi-platform offering for listeners, as well as advertisers, is reflected in its online and social media figures with over 6m connections through its App, Facebook, website and Twitter touchpoints. Twitter followers for Bauer brands have increased exponentially year-on-year (Kiss up 371%, Magic up 233% and The Hits up 756%).
Dee Ford, Group Managing Director Radio, Bauer Media Group, said:
"We're delighted to see another strong RAJAR performance for the Bauer Media Group. Our continued investment in radio and commitment to national as well as local audiences has paid off through strong performances from our Passion and Place Portfolios, led by great results from Kiss and heat nationally, and by Magic maintaining its position as the number one commercial station in London."
Yesterday Magic 105.4 hosted Europe's highest ever breakfast show with Neil Fox exclusively from The Shard. To celebrate being No.1 in London we'd like to treat you to experience the fantastic views London's newest and most eagerly awaited attraction has to offer. To be entered into the draw visit our Bauer Radio Facebook and tell us one great Rajar fact from this page. Alternatively you can enter by emailing email@example.com with the subject header Q4 Rajar. The competition closes on Wednesday 6th February. A winner will be chosen at random from all entries received. Good luck.
Terms and Conditions
The prize is 4 tickets on the View From the Shard. The View is open every day from 9.00 to 22.00 daily, so you can enjoy the different cityscapes day or night. The last ticket slot available is 20.30, with last entry at 21.00. Transport to and from the venue is not included in this prize. The prize is non-transferable and only open to Bauer Media contacts who receive our Rajar news update.


text: UNLV head baseball coach Tim Chambers announced that Chuck Hazzard is the next Director of Baseball Operations with the Rebels. Hazzard spent the last two seasons with the Rebels serving as the volunteer assistant coach before accepting this position. Coach Chambers talked about the hiring saying: "We are extremely excited to have Chuck back with the Rebels. It's not easy to add a Director of Baseball Operations to your staff that has been on the All-Tournament team in the College World Series and has 4 years of Division I coaching experience. His previous knowledge of the school and conference will be a tremendous help to us."


text:
Custom Search
Counting Rhymes provide opportunities for children to practice a range of math skills including counting, numeral recognition, addition and subtraction. In addition to these benefits, research suggests that early learning of traditional rhymes and rhythmic poems, songs, and chants significantly enhances early reading skills and phonemic awareness. Our Counting Rhymes e-Book contains 34 traditional and modern rhymes ready to use in your classroom.
The rhymes in this e-Book are included in four formats:
1. Large Rhyme Page can be enlarged and used as a Shared Reading text. Focus on one rhyme per week and create a class Counting Rhymes Big Book. Alternatively, save the file to your computer and project it onto your interactive whiteboard during Shared Reading sessions.
2. Small Rhyme Page can be photocopied and cut in two for children to paste into
their individual Counting Rhymes Book
(an unlined notebook works well for this). Add a rhyme each week and have them
available to children during reading sessions.
3. Cloze Activity Pages provide practice in writing numerals while reading rhymes. Once children are familiar with the rhyme these can be either laminated and used as a Center activity with dry erase markers or used as a pencil and paper activity.
4. Sentence
pages can be:
a) laminated and cut into the marked strips for use as a Center activity. Children can put the sentences back in order to make up the whole rhyme.
b) used to make a class book, with children working in pairs to illustrate one page of the book to match their sentence strip
c) photocopied for children to cut and paste back in order in their Counting Rhymes Book.
Innovating on the text:
Some rhymes include templates for students to innovate on the structure of the
text to create original rhymes for display as wall stories or class books. Once
children are familiar with the structure of a rhyme the templates can be used
to write your own rhymes as a class or individually. Brainstorm and list
appropriate words to replace words from the rhyme that have been omitted on the
template. Children can then use these lists as a reference when making up their
own versions of the rhyme.
Download your copy now!
*The Multiple User License allows the eBook materials to be used in an unlimited number of classrooms within one school site.
For information on ordering a Multiple User or District User License with a Purchase Order see this page.


text:
Now that talks are resuming between the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority, there is more evidence of the US' lack of neutrality. Reuters reports:
"In another sign of possible momentum, Martin Indyk, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel who directs the foreign policy program at the Brookings Institution think tank in Washington, is expected to be named as the new U.S. envoy for Middle East peace, possibly as early as Monday, a source familiar with the matter said."
First, if the US wanted to be an impartial mediator it would not name the former ambassador to Israel. Imagine in the 1980's if the US had named its ambassador to the UK as the "envoy for peace between the UK and Ireland." Fortunately, it chose George Mitchell.
A more specific example of Indyk's lack of neutrality is his description of Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran as the "rejectionist bloc," which although is considered conventional wisdom, indicates an unwillingness to empathize with the Palestinians or see any reason why, for example, a guerrilla militia that developed to push out an occupying army would still harbor animosity towards the country that occupied it. This is not to excuse the violations of the laws of war by either Hezbollah or Hamas. But to refer to the elected government of the Palestinian people as a "terrorist government" as Indyk did, is not becoming of a mediating diplomat.
Lastly, and I must emphasize that this is not meant as any kind of racist or religious slur, it is not neutral to pick someone who is Jewish as a mediator between the two sides, just as it would be ludicrous to pick an Arab or even a Muslim American. Going back to someone like George Mitchell, as Obama did in his first term, would be far more appropriate.


text:
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text:
results for "14 year girl vigina photos", only photos
displaying 1-30 out of 310
Greek cult or slut?
I am still not sure if this is an accident or a well played move to get attention.
Motivational Boobs (18 photos)
I am now motivated.
That evil little girl
God look at her!!! Her look is so freaking evil for a five-year old!!
Girl captures video from YouTube
Oh girl... I just hope you have an arts major...
Hayden Panettiere, Kim Kardashian and the other Oktoberfest girls of 2011
One more reason to love beer. Like you need another one.
The kind of guys girls go after....
Just for the HarryPotterheads!


text: My good buddy Darren Heitner who is the founder of SportsAgentBlog.com continues his extensive coverage of the Andrew Oliver situation. Heitner is currently in law school and his information on the Oliver situation is always from the legal perspective. He is of the belief that Oliver should be able to play in the 2009 season based on the information that he has received which includes legal documents in the case.You can check out the full article by clicking here.


text:
Recent Posts
Recent Comments
- Barbara on Indigo Scouts
- Elaine on Indigo Scouts
- JD Carpenter on Indigo Scouts
- Kat on Indigo Scouts
- Robert on Indigo Scouts
Category Archives: 2012
Which Reality will show up on Friday the 21st?
So, will the Earth experiment end and we will be called home on Friday or will we ascend into a higher dimension or will absolutely nothing happen? As the end of a cycle approaches, there is some anxiety and fear … Read the rest of this entry
Filed in 2012, Starseed Comment Now


text:
Lists of universities
Purdue News
- Purdue trimester plan will accelerate time-to-degree, enhance educational opportunitiesINDIANAPOLIS - Purdue University is rolling out the first initiative of its decadal funding plan with the announcement on Wednesday (Jan. 11) that it will proceed with the first steps toward a balanced trimester. The trimester is an effort designed to enhance students' academic opportunities as well as help them move more quickly toward graduation.
- New associate vice provost to focus on trimester initiativeFrank Dooley, professor of agricultural economics, has been named associate vice provost of undergraduate academic affairs effective today (Aug. 13).
The position was created this summer to further implementation of a balanced trimester system. Dooley will retain his academic appointment while acting in his new capacity.
- Senate presentations, discussion focus on trimester initiativeThe University Senate devoted its Oct. 15 meeting to a discussion of Purdue's trimester initiative and presentations on its history, financial models and implications.
This is the beginning of a literature review on university calendars and trimester systems. Please email me if you have suggestions or additions @ firstname.lastname@example.com
Trimesters - Popular Press
- You say semesters, I say trimestersDeciding which system works best for your university can be complicated, but let's not call the whole discussion off, urge two professors. 2010
- College Calendar is Changing.A trend toward adoption of the early-semester calendar, which runs from August to May with exams before Christmas vacation is discussed, along with other changes in college scheduling for curriculum development, increased efficiency, student job scheduling, student retention, and decreased paperwork. 1985.
- Trimester's Tribulations.The article discusses the implementation of the trimester system in the academic terms of universities in the U.S. It notes that the adoption of the trimester by the state of Florida was discontinued after the request of Governor Haydon Burns and a series of professorial complaints of heavier loads and pressure. The outcomes of applying the trimester system to universities such as the University of Pittsburgh, State University of New York, and University of Michigan are also reviewed. 1966.
- Pittsburgh Proves That College Needn't Take Four Years.Saturday Evening Post; 1/14/1961, Vol. 234 Issue 2, p10-10, 2/9p
Editorial. Comments on key issues pertaining to proposals for the shuffling of schedules for college students in the U.S. to make better use of teachers and the facilities. Implementation of a trimester calendar for undergraduates at the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Educational laws and legislation.
Trimesters - Reports
- Academic Calendar Systems: A Cross-Institutional Analysis. Institutional Report No. 83-21.The calendar systems used at 3,387 colleges and universities in 1982 were identified. Comparisons to the systems used in 1978 and 1981 also were made. It was found that the predominant calendar type in use has been and continues to be the semester. From 1978 to 1981, there was a 2 percent increase in the use of the semester system nationwide, with increases in areas of the Mideast, Southeast, the Great Lakes, and the Plains. The types of calendars used in 1982 and the percentage of colleges using each type were as follows: semester (57 percent), quarter system (23 percent), trimester (4 percent), 4-1-4 system (8 percent), and other (8 percent). Institutions with a semester system tended to have liberal arts, teacher preparation, or professional programs, as well as stricter admission requirements. Colleges and universities that were single sex, with larger enrollments, or in large population areas, also tended to have a semester system. (1983)
- Abstracts and Reviews of Research in Higher Education. College and University Calendars - A Second Review. Number 18.The articles reviewed in this paper are a supplement to a previous publication on college and university calendars. This new data tends to strongly reinforce the crucial point made in the previous study that indicated that college and university administrators have advocated one system, then another, without adequate empirical follow-up of the effects of various systems. The result, in some cases, has been the failure of calendars to meet the demands of their proponents. The latest data indicates that semester calendars are giving way to modified semester calendars and the 4-1-4 calendars. The articles abstracted come under the various categories of calendars in general, modular calendars, the 4-1-4 calendar, and the trimester calendar. (1972)
- Abstracts and Reviews of Research in Higher Education, College and University Calendars. Number 15.This report presents highlights of and summarizes 17 articles and papers on college calendars that were published between 1959 and 1970. The calendars discussed include the 2 semester calendar that operates on a 10-month year; the year-round calendar that adds 1 or 2 summer sessions to the 2 semester year; the interim-term calendar often designated as a 4-1-4 or 4-4-2, indicating that a short term can occur between semesters or after them; the trimester plan; and the quarter plan. In addition to reviewing the various calendars, some of the articles are concerned with the inefficiency of calendar planning. Only 1 article deals with the relationship of students' academic performance and a particular plan. (1971)
- A Comparison Of The Trimester and Four-Quarter Calendar Calendars for Year-round Operation of Public Higher Education in California.THE REPORT IS CONFINED TO THE QUESTION OF THE PREFERABLE CALENDAR FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AND CALIFORNIA STATE COLLEGES, AND IS NOT SPECIFICALLY CONCERNED WITH THE UNDERLYING REASONS FOR INSTITUTION OF YEAR-ROUND OPERATIONS, SUCH AS POSSIBLE LONG-TERM SAVINGS IN COSTS AND BENEFITS TO STUDENTS. THE FOUR-QUARTER CALENDAR IS SUGGESTED OVER THE TRIMESTER BECAUSE OF ITS GREATER FLEXIBILITY AND BETTER ARTICULATION WITH OTHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS. FOR GRADUATES OF JUNIOR COLLEGES, THE PROBLEMS OF ARTICULATION ARE ABOUT THE SAME AS FOR GRADUATES OF HIGH SCHOOLS. PRESIDENTS OF JUNIOR COLLEGES INDICATE A 4-QUARTER CALENDAR WOULD BEST ARTICULATE WITH THEIR PRESENT SYSTEM. BEST RESULTS, THOUGH, WILL BE OBTAINED IF THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM, THE STATE COLLEGES, AND THE PUBLIC JUNIOR COLLEGES HAVE THE SAME SYSTEM WIDE BASIC CALENDAR. (1968)
Trimesters - Journals
- The Changing College CalendarThe Journal of Higher Education, Vol. 43, No. 2 (Feb., 1972), pp. 142-150
- Making Peace with the Summer CalendarImproving College and University Teaching, Vol. 18, No. 2, Teaching Goals and Strategy (Spring, 1970), pp. 161-164
- Trimester: A Summary of Experiences and Some General ObservationsThe Journal of Higher Education, Vol. 38, No. 6 (Jun., 1967), pp. 330-333
- The Academic Year: Nine Months or Twelve?AAUP Bulletin, Vol. 49, No. 4 (Dec., 1963), pp. 360-363
Trimesters - Books
Student Learning
- Retention of Economics Principles by Undergraduates on Alternative Curricular StructuresThe authors investigated whether the curricular structure of an economics course (semester, trimester, or compressed block schedule) has an effect on an undergraduate's subsequent retention of course material, while controlling for other relevant differences. They tested separately for theoretical or process comprehension and for graphical construction or interpretation, while separating microeconomics from macroeconomics content as well. They used an instrument to address the no-stakes testing problem, and their Heckman two-stage estimations present some interesting results for educators and institutional policymakers alike. (2011)
- College Student Characteristics and Attitudes About University Summer School Programs.Eighty-four students at a regional southeastern university completed an anonymous 24-item questionnaire which was developed and designed to assess attitudes and general reasons that students enrolled in summer school at the university. The data showed where students learned about summer school, why they enrolled, if they would enroll in the future and other general summer school related attributes. The data also revealed student attitude about summer school. Demographic data is also included. The results could aid higher education summer school programs achieve goals in regard to enrollment and other university objectives. Implications and further study of the data are suggested. (2010)
Subject Guide
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text:
The following is an archive of a post made to our
'vox mailing list'
by one of its subscribers.
On Fri, 27 Sep 2002, Peter Jay Salzman wrote:
> > BTW: I kind of like the Hiptop, but I haven't seen a formal release, and I
> > am not sure how good it will be as an organizer. Since I think an
> > organizer is more valuable than a communicator for my needs, I am probably
> > in none of these guys' target market.
> ooooooooo...... this is the first i've heard of it. looks nice!
> hopefully...
> * it'll have a graffiti pad[1]
> * it'll use palmOS
Not hardly.
> * voice quality will be good
Pretty good, not great.
> * i can import my visor's palmOS data[1]
> nice...
> * LCD screen replaceable with screwdriver. outstanding!
Mechanical design is very well done.
Looks nice too. Very clear.
> * at $200, the price looks good
> * According to Danger, the agreement includes "all you can eat" data
> capabilities starting around $25 a month. <-- can this be true?
Well, it isn't in the market yet, so one has to wonder whether the service
companies are going to get behind that. On the other hand, if they can't
make the monthly fee competitive, they won't take the market by storm, and
they really need to do that to succeed. In their favor, their html
reformulation/compression seems to work quite nicely, so their claims
appear to be feasible.
> bad...
> * java on an arm... i have a feeling it's going to be suh-low.
Didn't seem that way. A lot of heavy lifting happens on their servers.
> if anyone gets one PLEASE post a review to vox!
Don't have one, but got to play with one for half an hour. Didn't see the
sales literature till after, so I wasn't really prepared to review it.
As I said, I wasn't as impressed with its "organizer" capabilities as with
its "communicator" capabilities. Also, it suffers from the spotty
coverage of GSM technology... so it probably works best in well-populated
areas. As a web browser and email system it was surprisingly usable.
It is interesting to consider the problem of taking notes while using it
as a cell phone... just not practical. In fact, I think the display went
into "cell phone" mode, making such notetaking impossible. However, it
could make SMS truly convenient and equivalent to email, so that may not
be such a limitation depending on your use patterns. Be assured, your
communication patterns would change if you had one of these.
> pete
> [1]: these items would be a show stopper for me.
It would replace your cell phone pretty handily. Whether it would replace
your Visor depends how you use your Visor... and in your case, it doesn't
sound like it would. It is not a development platform for
do-it-yourselfers or in-house corporate automation developers
(Zaurus/Palm)... it is more like a self-upgrading communications
appliance, and if you lose it, their servers can reconfigure a new one
exactly like your old one was. Stealing one would be pretty pointless,
unless your goal was to inconvenience its owner, who would probably be
quite distressed at their interruption in connectivity. :)
Its achilles heel is the central control of networking. I think Danger
expects to make its money in this server farm business, and it will be
interesting to see if someone can figure out how to replace that with a
multi-vendor or open-source equivalent. Unfortunately, if the cost of the
devices is subsidized too heavily against future server operations income,
the platform could be killed by such diversification if it happens too
But as a cool gadget, it gets full marks.
Jeff Newmiller The ..... ..... Go Live...
DCN:<firstname.lastname@example.com> Basics: ##.#. ##.#. Live Go...
Live: OO#.. Dead: OO#.. Playing
Research Engineer (Solar/Batteries O.O#. #.O#. with
/Software/Embedded Controllers) .OO#. .OO#. rocks...2k
vox mailing list
Hosting provided by:
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PO Box 2082, Davis, CA 95617
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and serving the Sacramento area.
"Linux" is a trademark of Linus Torvalds.


text:
Corrosion Ring
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text:
State Agencies |
Online Services
Find more...
Follow ODE's Twitter feed by clicking here.
Follow our Facebook page for Ohio teachers
Approaching deadlines or important dates mentioned in previous editions of EdConnection
8/13 Superintendents – Make sure your contact information, including email address, is made current this week in the Ohio Educational Directory System-Redesign (OEDS-R). Important mailing will be sent next week.
8/13 Licensure approvers – find out how to sign up here as an e-signer so you can quickly review license applications online. Soon, the system will be paperless.
10/28-29 Statewide Education Conference


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We have dropped our rates on auto loans and other secured loans! Our rates are now as low as 3.49% Annual Percentage Rate, based on your credit qualifications, for New and Used Vehicles, Motorcycles, ATV's, Campers, RV's, and Boats. A 20% down payment and enrollment in automated payments is required to obtain the lowest rate. Apply today!
Any Arkansas Best Federal Credit Union member in good standing has the privilege of applying for a loan. It doesn't matter if you've been a member for five minutes or five years, your credit union is here to offer low-cost loans for just about anything you need. Our loan decisions are based on your credit, financial history and ability to repay the loan. Any member may have any number of loans that they are financially able to support, limited to $100,000 per person.
Types of Loans
Auto Loans
When you're planning a new or used car or truck purchase, contact your credit union first. We'll check Chrome Carbook for you to determine the vehicle's true value and help you get your financing in place before you make your purchase. Or, if you find that dream ride over the weekend, or in the evenings, just call us anytime of day or night, and we will have someone available to take care of your loan approval. New automobiles may be financed up to 100% plus certain enhancements and sales tax. Financing is available for up to approximately 84 months, dependent upon individual member and collateral. Used automobiles may be financed up to 105% of retail value for autos up to 10 years old.
Just contact us to make easy application for your next loan.
Signature Loans and Personal Lines of Credit
Need cash for a personal reason? We offer loans for almost any need at fair and reasonable rates. Members in good standing are eligible for signature loans for up to approximately 30 months. Or, if you want a little more control over when you need your funding, open a personal Line of Credit. This account can be tapped in numerous ways, at your convenience. You can access the funds through online banking transfers, shared branching, by overdrafting from your checking account, or by requesting a check from us.
Auto Refinancing
Did you buy a new car, truck, van or sport utility vehicle but didn't get your financing at your credit union? Then you need to visit by phone or in person with one of our loan officers and check into refinancing your loan with your credit union. Often, we can help members save money by lowering their interest rate, or lowering their payment. Either way, we help you save money. Also, we may be able to give you a better deal on GAP or Mechanical Repair Coverage.
Boat and Recreational Vehicle Loans
ABFCU offers financing for both new and used boats and recreational vehicles. Whether you want to spend free time or retirement at the lake or travel the country in an RV, we can help by offering competitive financing with easy terms. New and used boats, boat trailers, and motorcycles may be financed for up to 100% of the list price or retail value. Your ABFCU loan officer will work with your to determine a good monthly payment to meet your budget.
New 4-Wheelers, snowmobiles and jet skis may be financed at 80% of list price for up to approximately 36 months.
New and used Motor Homes, Travel Trailers, and Campers may be financed at 100% of list or retail or retail value up to approximately 12 years.
Personal Property Loans
An ABFCU Personal Property Loan is perfect for new appliances, VCR's, TV's, tractors, riding lawn mowers, and home computers. These can be financed at 100% of list price up to a maximum of approximately 48 months.
Savings/Share Secured Loans
Saving/Share Secured Loans may be financed up to approximately 12 years at 2% above the current savings or certificate rate. This is a great low-cost route for financing, when you may not be quite ready to raid your savings.
Stock Loans
Stock Loans on ABC or USA stock may be made at 50% of prior day closing on stock market.
How to Apply for a Loan
No matter how long you've been a member, you are eligible to apply for a loan at Arkansas Best Federal Credit Union. Members can request a loan application in person, through the mail, STAN, internet or by telephone. We will have someone available to speak with you 24 x 7 You can even make your loan payments using payroll deduction, automated transfers, with coupons, however you choose.
Arkansas Best FCU also offers payment protection, which can give you and your family the peace of mind that your loan payments will continue in the event of your death. Disability insurance is also available to continue loan payments if you are off due to injury or illness. Please contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com with your lending questions and comments.
What if I am having trouble making my payments?
Q: Are my loan and Visa payment history reported to any credit reporting agency?
A: ABFCU reports regularly to TransUnion, Experian, Equifax, and Innovis Credit Reporting Agencies.
Q: What should I do if I can't pay my loan or Visa payment on time?
A: If you are having trouble making your payment by the due date and to protect your credit, you should contact the credit union immediately.
Q: Can I defer my loan or Visa payment?
A: Subject to approval, the credit union normally allow up to two months deferral or extension per twelve month period.
Q: Can I reduce my loan payment amount?
A: The credit union can consider extending the term of your loan to reduce your payment.
Q: Does the credit union have repossessed vehicles for sale?
A: There are times that we have repossessed vehicles for sale. Any derogatory information known about the vehicle will be disclosed to the potential buyer. We encourage prospective buyers to have the vehicle inspected by a reputable mechanic prior to submitting a bid. Repossessions are sold on an "As Is" basis.


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Boston Appliance Showroom 296 Freeport Street, Dorchester, MA
Framingham Appliance Showroom:215 Worcester Rd
Yale Appliance + Lighting Home | Lynx Appliances
Before you buy, get insider tips from the appliance professionals at Yale:
Appliance Buying Guide
Get expert appliance repair from Yale's in-house service team. Call (617) 822-5360 or click here:
Lynx Appliance Repair
Lynx grills and specialty refrigerators turn your backyard into a world-class outdoor kitchen. Yale Appliance in Boston, MA has a wide selection of freestanding and built-in Lynx grills, refrigerators and accessories for the serious backyard chef.
Lynx grills deliver the precision heating that you demand, and many offer additional features that will expand your grilling ability, such as searing burners and rotisseries. The grilling experts at Yale Appliance will help you find the Lynx grill that delivers the features you need, and professional assembly is available.
Become a Yale Insider and get inside access to sales and special events, our Lighting Newsletter and energy efficiency tips.
Copyright © 2015 Yale Appliance and Lighting. All right reserved.


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So now the industry is moving towards unbundled pricing and clean share classes, surely like-for-like cost comparisons across platforms should be easier?
As Douglas Adams was only too aware, nothing in life is every as simple as it might seem and of course transparency is no guarantee of clarity.
Although some hidden rebates of the past are behind us, platforms still have a myriad of different charges which they can apply. We identify more than 60 different ways in which platforms can levy a fee and we are still a long way away from a platform costing a client a flat, all-inclusive £ fee.
The aim of this guide is to provide financial advisers with the charging structures of all major platforms in the market today; some comparison charts which help identify suitability for given client segments; confirmation of what to look out for when comparing platforms on price and some further information and scenarios from our sponsors.
Click here to download 'Platform Pricing: An Adviser's Guide to the Pricing Galaxy'.
For further information please email Richard Bradley.


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Recent Posts
Recent Comments
Monthly Archives: July 2011
City Hall's promises of transparency ring hollow with some
PASADENA – Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. That's been Pasadena's approach to transparency in hiring top City Hall officials, according to some community leaders. "This is the Wizard of OZ," community activist Martin Gordon told the … Continue reading
Posted in Politics Tagged City Hall, Martin Gordon, Michael Beck, NAACP, Northwest Pasadena Leave a comment
Pasadena NAACP to push jobs at national convention
PASADENA – It's all about jobs at the NAACP's 102nd Annual National Convention in Los Angeles, which begins Friday. A contingency of 25 Pasadena residents, including Pasadena-branch NAACP President Joe Brown and six delegates to the convention, will press the … Continue reading
Posted in Politics Tagged City Hall, jobs, Joe Brown, Los Angeles County, NAACP, Northwest Pasadena, Rose Bowl Leave a comment
Shooting in Northwest Pasadena leaves man in critical condition
PASADENA – A Pasadena man remains in critical condition after being gunned down on the 200 block of Douglas Street in Pasadena, Pasadena Police Chief Phillip Sanchez said in a statement Wednesday. The shooting occurred at 10:30 p.m. and witnesses … Continue reading
Posted in News Tagged Northwest Pasadena, Pasadena, Phillip Sanchez, police Leave a comment
Thomas to head Altadena Town Council
ALTADENA – Long-time Altadena resident Sandra Thomas was elected to the chair of the Altadena Town Council on Tuesday, according to a statement released by Thomas. The 35-year resident of Altadena and four-term town councilwoman was a unanimous selection and … Continue reading
Posted in News Tagged Altadena, Los Angeles County, Michael Antonovich, Sandra Thomas, Town Council Leave a comment
It only looks like summer school
PASADENA — Summer enrichment camps claim to have the antidote for summer brain drain – a combination of school, work, fun and the prohibition of bureaucratic terms that find their way into the classroom during the school year. "I never … Continue reading
Posted in News Tagged Altadena, Northwest Pasadena, Pasadena Educational Foundation Leave a comment
Chihuahua chases off two robbery suspects
ALTADENA – There's a new sheriff in Altadena. He stands about 8 inches tall, weighs close to 6 pounds and trust me, his bite matches his bark. According to reports in the Star-News, a Chihuahua named Paco, chased off two … Continue reading
Posted in Culture Tagged Altadena, sheriff, Star-News Leave a comment
Star-News gets Carmageddon right
PASADENA – You don't win a Pulitzer for calling bull on predictions of a massive two-day traffic jam, even if it comes with a cool name like Carmageddon. But you do get to brag when you stand in the face … Continue reading
Posted in News Tagged Carmageddon, Pasadena, Star-News Leave a comment
Winning influence on South Hudson (PUSD)
PASADENA – With new leadership taking the reins at the Pasadena Unified School District, residents from all three communities connected to the district are asking who will have the ear of new Superintendent Jon Gundry. One local politico said Gundry … Continue reading
Posted in Education Tagged Joe Brown, Joe Hopkins, Miramontes, Pasadena, Peter Dreier, Phelps, PUSD, Renatta Cooper Leave a comment
Devil's gate dam project on hold
PASADENA – An effort to save toads will temporarily stop excavation of soil from behind the Devil's Gate Dam, according to reports by the Los Angeles Times. The report comes from Joe Piasecki, former Pasadena Weekly writer, now penning articles … Continue reading
Posted in Politics Tagged Devil's Gate Dam, Northwest Pasadena, Pasadena Star-News, Steve Madison Leave a comment
Northwest political power shifting
PASADENA – With Chris Holden announcing his plans to run for the California's 44th Assembly seat, at least one seat on the Pasadena City Council will be in play in 2013. Holden leaves his District 3 seat will be up … Continue reading


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THE Bankers Association of Zambia (BAZ) has urged bank clients to stop issuing post-dated cheques beyond December 31 2012.
This is in view of the central bank's announcement that the currency will be rebased effective January 1, 2013.
"In order to facilitate for the smooth transaction, customers are here by informed to desist from issuing post-dated cheques as those beyond December 31 will be cashed in rebased currency," the statement from BAZ said.
The statement said if the cheque was issued in the old currency but post-dated beyond December 31, 2012, the amount that would be paid out from the account could be more than the rebased amount.
"For example a cheque for K100, 000 in the old currency beyond the December 31, the amount that will be paid will be K100,000 in the rebased currency instead of K100 in the new currency," the statement stated.
The statement said in order to avoid the risks, customers should avoid issuing post-dated cheques.
BAZ has further advised customers who may have already issued cheques to contact the payees and make alternative payment arrangements to avoid loss of value.


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Incredible Opportunity on North Salem Bridle Trails - Truly a Must See!7 Structures on the Property: Indoor Riding Ring, Main Barn w/ 18 Stalls, 2 Stall Barn, 4 Stall Barn, Main House, Caretaker's Cottage & Garage
Click on any image to view larger.
Bankruptcy Sale - United States Bankruptcy Court Southern District of New York
In Re: KAY L. SPEAR - Case # 08-22842-RDD
Viewings: Mondays, April 22nd & 29th from 11:00 am - 1:00 pm. Appointments available upon request. Please call Dave Constantino at 516-349-7022 to arrange your viewing.
Sale Date: Wednesday, May 1, 2013 at 12:00 noon. Registration begins at 11:30 am.
Sale Location: The Crowne Plaza White Plains, 66 Hale Avenue, White Plains, NY 10601.
Terms & Conditions of Sale: The Trustee has accepted an offer of $975,000, subject to higher or better offers that may be tendered to the Trustee at the bankruptcy sale on May 1, 2013. The next acceptable offer will be in the minimum amount of $999,000. In order to submit a competing offer, all prospective buyers must present a certified or bank check made payable to "Marianne T. O'Toole, as Trustee" in the amount of $99,000 and execute the Competing Terms and Conditions of Sale.
Marianne T. O'Toole, Chapter 7 Trustee Richard B Maltz, Licensed Real Estate Broker Phone (516) 349-7022 Fax (516) 349-0105
This property is being sold on an "AS IS, WHERE IS" basis, and no warranty or representation, either expressed or implied, concerning the property is made by the Trustee, Attorney's for the Trustee, Maltz or any of their Agents. The information contained herein was derived from sources deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed. Most of the information provided has been obtained from third party sources and has not been independently verified. It is the responsibility of the Buyer and/or Buyer's Broker to determine the accuracy of all measurements and specifications of the property. Each potential buyer is responsible for conducting his or her own independent inspections, investigations, inquiries, and due diligence concerning the property, including without limitation, environmental and physical condition of the property. All prospective buyers are urged to conduct their own due diligence prior to submitting an offer.
Bid rigging is illegal and suspected violations will be reported to the Department of Justice for investigation and prosecution.


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27 – 29 April 2011 (Wed – Fri)
Wed & Thurs: 10am to 6pm; Fri: 10am to 5pm
Singapore Expo, 1 Expo Drive, #01-01 (Hall 3)
Be inspired by what the future holds for dynamic industry growth, enabled by breakthrough infrastructure innovations.
BuildTechAsia 2011 is the place to be for keeping yourself updated on the latest trends and perspectives that are reshaping the construction industry. The exhibition covers a wide spectrum of highly specialised technology fields and is slated to be one of the largest gatherings of construction technologies in Southeast Asia.
Take this opportunity to gain invaluable insights into a wide range of sophisticated technologies and construction IT platforms that improve productivity standards in infrastructure projects. Join us at BuildTechAsia 2011 to meet key decision makers, leading developers and major construction suppliers and to capitalise on what this cutting-edge industry has to offer.
Organized by: Sphere Exhibits Pte Ltd, a subsidiary of Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), a leading media group in Asia.


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The adidas Reaction Belt is a partnered agility training system that consists of a pair of adjustable waist belts both with anti-tangle fittings. The two belts are linked together with a 'rip' system that trains the wearer to develop reaction speed and evasion skills.
Please remember to add postal time (2-3 working days) to obtain a complete estimate of delivery to your door.
You will receive an email to confirm when your item has been sent.
You can also check the status of your order and individual items by accessing your account details and following the prompts.
Please allow 10 working days from dispatch of your order before notifying us of any late deliveries.
It may be advisable to check with your neighbours to see if a parcel has been left with them, check any outhouses you might have where it may be left if it cannot fit through your letterbox and contact your local sorting office to see if the item has been returned to the depot as undelivered and awaiting collection.
Please see our returns policy.
There are currently no reviews.


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Last month, I went negative pretty early on Magic Tree by Com2uS. I was told by a representative that the preview I was down on was an early look, not quite ready for press, and that I should give the game a try. I agreed to give Com2uS another shot, even though they've disappointed me in the past.
When you first boot up the game, you are prompted for your Com2uS Hub information. After logging in (or creating an account), the game selects your character's name and sex based off the provided information. I understand, as this could be a holdover from some strict Korean laws regarding gaming and the Internet. It could also be Com2uS looking to curtail men scamming other men with female avatars. That's cool with me seeing as I've no interest in creating a female character, but I'm sure a lot of people will have an issue with this.
What I had a problem with was the lack of character customization. Your avatars are very generic with few choices to choose from at creation. While you can later customize your characters with costumes, a more robust avatar creation tool would have went a long way to making me relate to my character. Say what you want, but you'll love your baby more when you see how it looks like you.
Magic Tree takes place in real time. If you've ever played other social games by Zynga or Com2uS, you already know how the game goes. You have an energy gauge and most actions you make on your land deplete that energy. Planting trees and crops or interacting with decorations do not deplete energy. Each action provides experience and many actions also provide coins.
Like every other free-to-play game, there's a secondary currency that can buy you premium items or abilities. Magic Tree's secondary currency is Star Dust. The game does reward you with three Stardusts when you level up, just like The Smurfs' Village did doled out three Smurfberries per level. Unlike Beeline's game, though, three is just a drop in the bucket. The economies of the games are very different. Energy regenerates slowly over time, and players will have to choose between waiting patiently or throwing money at the problem.
Every crop, tree, and animal can drop collection items at random. Collect all five of those items and you can exchange them for some sort of bonus. These collections also include an experience and coin reward, so they will help you progress.
Occasionally, when you perform an energy-depleting action like clearing your land, feeding your animals, or watering your plants, a wild animal will spawn and need to be fought off. At this point, it becomes painfully obvious that Com2uS is ripping off Zynga's Frontierville. I suppose that's karma and all. Still, it's hard to overlook.
The game is also buggy, which I've honestly come to expect from early builds, and will unexpectedly crash. However, what's not as forgivable is the atrocious load times. The game takes nearly a minute to load and God forbid you want to visit someone else's village. I'm willing to wait fifteen seconds tops. It makes the tedium of visiting your neighbors even more tedious.
Magic Tree does have a few elements to separate it from the pack. Trees, for instance, die off after four seasons in Magic Tree. However, they occasionally drop magic seeds that can be mixed to create the titular magic trees. Magic trees have unlimited seasons meaning you'll never need to plant them again. The downside is that getting the seeds from your trees is not guaranteed. You may need to plant and harvest the same tree over and again just to get one seed to drop. It's tedious and not at all fun. Plus, since all the trees have different harvest times, there's a good chance that one of your seasons will simply rot as you sleep.
Then you have the interactions with decorations. This, sadly, is the only step that Magic Tree takes in the right direction. Finally, there's a reason to decorate your land other than the sake of expressing yourself. That said, this could end up being a double-edged sword. People may choose not to decorate how they want simply because it would be better to have an item out that generates experience rather than the decoration you want because it looks nice.
And people will have to make that choice. The game does have many missions with coin and experience rewards to guide you along your way, but its just not enough. After a week with the game, I'm just hitting level 7. This is far from my first social game. I know what I'm doing. Magic Tree has a HUGE level grind. But, with no story and only one NPC in the entire game, I don't really see the point. I'm sure I'm not alone, either.
I wanted Com2uS to prove me wrong about Magic Tree. Honestly, I hoped they would knock one out of the park while I hung my head in shame, humbled for being so brazen. But my first impression from the poorly translated presser that Com2uS tweeted was spot on, poop trees and all.
People are obviously starving for a Harvest Moon game on iOS devices, but Magic Tree is not that game. It's not even close and anyone who tells you otherwise is an idiot. There is nothing particularly compelling about Magic Tree, even by cow-clicker standards. The game gives you little reason to keep playing beyond advancing your path to nowhere.
(Magic Tree is universal and available for free in the App Store. The game was tested using an iPhone 4. Magic Tree features GameCenter integration and features 25 achievements based off of the 25 different Magic Trees you can create.)Tweet
About the Author
|Fade to Slack is a founding member of Delta Attack, an American expatriate in South Korea, and a true believer in the legitimacy of mobile gaming.
Keep up with him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Fade2Slack so he can justify having a Twitter account.
Fade to Slack has written 330 posts on Delta Attack.


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The rival candidates in Indonesia's presidential election each claimed victory Wednesday, raising uncertainty about the political and legal landscape in a nation that made the transition from dictatorship to democracy less than two decades ago.
According to the three most reputable quick-count surveys, soft-spoken Jakarta Gov. Joko Widodo won the election in Southeast Asia's largest economy with 52 percent of the vote, but his Suharto-era opponent, Prabowo Subianto, said other data indicated he had won. Widodo is the first candidate in an Indonesian direct presidential election with no connection to former dictator Suharto's 1966-1998 regime and its excesses.
The quick counts tally a representative sample of votes cast around the country and have accurately forecast the results of every Indonesian national election since 2004, including this past April's parliamentary polls. It will be around two weeks before votes are officially tallied and the results announced in Indonesia, a country of 240 million people and the world's most populous Muslim nation.
This is "not a victory for the party, not a victory for the campaign team, but this is a victory for the people of Indonesia," Widodo, known by his nickname Jokowi, told supporters from a historical site in Jakarta where the nation's independence was declared. Hundreds of supporters later celebrated at a famous traffic circle in the capital, waving flags and setting off fireworks.
But Subianto _ a general in the Suharto regime and the late dictator's former son-in-law _ said he had different quick-count data showing he had won.
"Thank God, all the data from the quick counts show that we, Prabowo-Hatta, gained the people's trust," Subianto told a news conference, referring to his running mate, Hatta Rajasa.
"We ask all the coalition's supporters and Indonesian people to guard and escort this victory until the official count" by the election commission, Subianto said.
Later, he told supporters that his opponent went too far by giving a victory speech, saying "a true warrior does not need to show off his strength," while adding that his camp is not weak and has not given up.
Outgoing President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono urged both sides to "restrain themselves" and not allow their supporters to publicly declare victory until the election commission decides the winner. Yudhoyono, also a general in the Suharto regime, was elected president in 2004. He served two five-year terms and was prevented by the constitution from seeking re-election.
Widodo's appeal is that despite a lack of experience in national politics, he is seen as a man of the people who wants to advance democratic reforms and is untainted by the often corrupt military and business elite that has run Indonesia for decades. Subianto, meanwhile, had a dubious human rights record during his military …continued »


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Dear Editor:
The Affordable Care Act is less about healthcare and more about collecting fees, taxes, personal data and promoting a single payer system. The schemes and machinations inflicted on Congress to facilitate the passage of Obamacare have prompted many to ask if is it constitutional for the government to make any law it wishes for the sake of society, grant exemptions and exceptions to those who wrote the law and their constituents and, in the process, limit freedom and confiscate wealth?
A society that can give you everything you need is able to take everything you have. For almost 100 years, our politicians have been trying to persuade us that wealth and property is not individual but communal. The traits of charity and benefaction have been superceded by the notion that everyone, no matter their value to society, should have everything that everyone else has, simply by virtue of existing. If everyone owns everyone else's wealth collectively, political campaigns are merely never ending conflicts about who gets what. If a person does not own what he or she produces, then who does?
The contentious issues generated by Obamacare are symbolic of the basic conflict in the world today. It is between two principles: individualism and the sanctity of private property and collectivism, where man lives for the sake of the group or collective. History books are a testament to George Washington's prophetic declaration and admonition that "private property and freedom are inseparable".