text:
This Week in the Senate March 14 – March 18
March 19, 2011 by lynwmsn
Filed under LEGISLATIVE NEWS
Comments Off
Crossover Day
The Senate and House completed the annual Crossover Day, which is the last day that bills can pass from one chamber to another. Every year, Crossover Day falls on Day 30 of the 40-day legislative session, and is traditionally one of the busiest days as lawmakers debate and vote on a long list of bills before the final deadline.
Immigration reform passes the Senate
Last month, Sen. Jack Murphy (R-Cumming) held a press conference that marked the filing of Senate Bill 40, an immigration reform bill to enhance the use of the federal E-Verify system. It allows local and state law enforcement officers to help federal authorities identify illegal immigrants in Georgia. This week, SB 40 passed the Senate after much deliberation. Sen. Murphy said the main portions of the bill is intended to help businesses and state agencies determine that people working for them are not in the country illegally. Many businesses perform drug tests or other verification procedures on their employees. E-Verify requires a simple computer check and is much less time consuming and invasive than many procedures businesses already use. The House has passed its version of immigration reform, and the two bills will now go to conference committee for negotiation before being combined into a final bill. – SB 40
Georgia Government Accountability Act
On Wednesday, the Senate passed Senate Bill 223, the "Georgia Government Accountability Act" sponsored by Sen. William Ligon (R-Brunswick). SB 223, if passed by the House of Representatives and signed into law, would create a Legislative Sunset Advisory Committee to review all state agencies and programs. If those state agencies and programs are not providing essential constitutionally-based services, they can be eliminated or privatized by the General Assembly. The author's intent is to find and eliminate government waste and to reduce the size of government. – SB 223
Sen. James champions Georgia's scholars
Sen. Donzella James (D-College Park) led the Senate to pass Senate Bill 119. This legislation will protect students' HOPE scholarships if their school system loses accreditation. Currently, a non-accredited institution, which was accredited by SACS within the last seven years and meets certain requirements, will be deemed an approved school for purposes of HOPE eligibility. Senate Bill 119 expands this provision to 11 years and stipulates that the school must be working to re-attain accreditation. – SB 119
Sunday sales receives passage
Legislation aimed at letting local governments decide on the Sunday sale of alcohol received passage from the Senate. Senate Bill 10, sponsored by Sen. John Bulloch (R-Ochlocknee), allows local communities to hold voter referendums on whether or not to allow the sale of alcohol on Sundays in retail stores starting at 12:30 p.m. – SB 10
Mental health courts passed
To address some often overlooked needs in the mental health community, Sen. Johnny Grant (R-Milledgeville) authored legislation that establishes mental health courts to improve care for those with mental health disabilities. These special courts would give Georgia's judicial system a mechanism for improving how mentally ill offenders are handled. Alternative sentences that include treatment and accountability, which these courts offer, are proven to be more effective in reducing recidivism rates. – SB 39
Martin Luther King, Jr. Advisory Council
The Senate voted in favor of Sen. Emanuel Jones' (D-Decatur) bill to create a Martin Luther King, Jr. Advisory Council to coordinate activities in observance of the MLK holiday. Senate Bill 141 aims to promote awareness and appreciation of the Civil Rights movement and Dr. King's legacy. The advisory council will be housed within the Department of Community Affairs and will be composed of nine members, including the commissioner of DCA, members of the Senate and House and six governor appointees, two of whom must be between the ages of 18 and 22 years old. – SB 141
"Women's Rights to Know Act"
The Senate passed Senate Bill 210, championed by Sen. Barry Loudermilk (R-Cassville), which protects women by allowing them to sue abortion providers if the provider does not conform to Georgia abortion law. If passed by the House of Representatives and signed by the governor, the bill would allow a woman to sue an abortion provider if an abortion was performed on a minor without her parents' consent; if it was an illegal abortion; if the abortion provider did not follow the requirements of the "Women's Right to Know Act"; or if the abortion provider violated any other existing abortion laws. Under the "Women's Right to Know Act", passed in 2007, an abortion provider must offer the woman a chance to view an ultrasound or listen to the baby's heartbeat before she has the abortion. The law says it must be offered but the woman can decline. SB 210 also allows a woman to sue for wrongful death if an abortion occurs because of a crime, negligence or defectively manufactured equipment. – SB 210
March 13, 2011 by lynwmsn
Filed under STATE NEWS
Comments Off
This is a Capitol Update from Representative Steve Davis on March 11, 2011.
State Board of Education: The State Board of Education will be meeting on Monday 3/14/11 to vote on proposed changes to the states math curriculum. I have been a vocal opponent of the integrated math system we adopted a few years ago and I am glad to see action being taken by the State Board of Education.
Over the past week we have passed several large pieces if legislation. On Tuesday we passed HB326, Governor Deal's proposal to fix two of the three educational programs funded by lottery revenue (the HOPE Scholarship, the HOPE Grant). The highlights are:
§ Pay 90% of tuition and no fees or books. The 90% will float year to year based on lottery revenue.
§ Add a new best and brightest "Zell Miller" scholarship that covers 100% of tuition. It will require 3.7 high school GPA, 1200 SAT, and keeping a 3.3 in college. If a child slips on this he can still be a regular HOPE scholar. Please note that the regular HOPE stays at 3.0. There were some bad rumors on that point.
§ Private and technical school grants will be reduced to 90% and also float year to year.
§ HOPE will have a seven year limit on a child's schooling, allow you to get back on one time only after losing it, and not pay for remedial classes.
§ No means testing – still 100% merit based
§ Limit bonuses for lottery executives and reduce the commission to retailers from 7% to 6%
The original proposed changes to the Pre-K program (adding 5000 additional slots for students and cutting the hours from 6 to 4 hours per day) had been widely debated, but the governor, house, and senate leadership came back with an updated plan. The highlights of the new proposal are:
§ The school year will be shortened from 180 to 160 days.
§ Class size will be increased to 22 students from 20. Since all Georgia Pre-K classes have a paraprofessional in the room, the student to teacher ratio will max out at 11 to 1.
§ An additional 2,000 Pre-K slots will be added, bringing Georgia Pre-K enrollment to 86,000.
§ Providers will receive 94 percent of the operating funds they currently receive.
§ Pre-K teachers will receive 90 percent of their current salaries. (The original half-day proposal included a 30 percent reduction.)
The House passed HB200, a bill that strengthens the penalties for human trafficking; especially the trafficking of minors for sexual and other purposes, expands the ability of the GBI to investigate these crimes and provides encouragement for victims to provide information to authorities. The bill also provides for training of law enforcement on how to detect and deal with human trafficking.
Last Thursday we passed HB87, the Illegal Immigration Reform and Enforcement Act of 2011 after three hours of debate. HB87 strengthens our law in dealing with illegal immigrants and helps relieve the serious financial burden placed by illegal immigrants on the state. Several highlights in the build are:
§ Authorizes citizens to force public officials and government agencies to abide by the current law that requires all public agencies to use the E-Verify system
§ Authorizes citizens to force public officials and government agencies to abide by the current law that prohibits sanctuary cities/counties.
§ Creates a new offense of aggravated identity fraud for using false identifying information for the purpose of obtaining employment.
§ Makes it a crime for a person to transport illegal aliens, 7 or fewer is a misdemeanor. 8 or more, second or subsequent offense, or committed with the intent to make a profit are all felonies.
§ Makes it a crime for a person to conceal or harbor illegal aliens. With intent to profit is a felony.
Ø In order to be guilty of these offenses, the accused must have been "committing another criminal offense" and must be "knowingly and intentionally" assisting an illegal alien further their illegal presence in the United States.
· Requires the verification of the immigration status of a foreign national confined in a county or municipal jail.
· Every business is required to use the Federal E-Verify system for all newly hired employees. The current version passed by the house mandates all companies with 5 or more employees comply.
This week the House passed HB 186 the education pathways bill I co-sponsored with Rep Randy Nix has passed the House and is in the Senate. I believe our schools need to do a better job of offering options to our students so that they can be successful in obtaining their high school diploma that is both rigorous and relevant. By giving students more input into the educational decisions and classes we will keep the better engaged and will increase our graduation rates.
Specifically this bill provides and expands options for high school students to ensure readiness for college and/or their career. The State Board of Education (SBOE), the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia and the Board of Technical and Adult Education will develop policies to ensure that a student's core curriculum will be accepted at any institution of higher education. The Department of Education and State Board shall approve models and curriculum framework for 16 specific career clusters of study no later than July 1, 2012.
Within these career, technical, or agricultural clusters there shall be embedded competency standards of academic core subject areas. These competencies and curricula shall meet postsecondary requirements of credit acceptance at the postsecondary level.
This bill also requires SBOE to embed, to the extent possible, academic standards in CTAE courses and to provide for course credit in both the academic course and the CTAE course. The Dept. of Education shall develop forms and information for students in 8th-12th grades relating to the availability of dual enrollment courses.
The State Board of Education will adopt a state wide plan implementing methods for students to earn units of high school credit based on demonstration of subject area competency, instead of in combination with completing hours of classroom instruction.
The Governor's Office of Workforce Development will establish a certification in soft skills for students. Areas which can be included are, but are not limited to, punctuality, ability to learn, and working in a team.
HB 186 passed the House 164-4 and now resides in the Senate Education Committee.
HB 78, The FY12 budget passed the House today and was sent to the Senate. It was tight but I think we did a good job protecting our priorities. While state funds represent a net 2% increase, total spending for FY 2012 decreases by over 4% from $39.2 billion to $37.6 billion due to loss of ARRA money.
In essence, we have nearly $1.6 billion less than was available in the budget we passed earlier in the week for Amended Fiscal Year 2011. Per capita, this puts us – even without inflation factored in – at less than 2001 levels even though our population has increased by 18% in this same decade. In general, we accommodated these reductions by executing an average 7% cut to agencies and departments totaling about a half BILLION dollars, reducing Lottery programs by $300 million and hobbling together savings in debt service and a variety of other payments from authorities to balance.
Under the confines of the governor's conservative Revenue Estimate, we also did not fully restore with state dollars all of the federal ARRA funds that had been used by executive branch programs during the 17‐month streak of declining collections in the past two fiscal years, and we have kept growth in programs completely in check by adding funds generated by formula‐ driven expenses to QBE only.
Within the budget, however, we were able to provide some intense and needed improvements with statewide impact beyond the governor's initial proposal:
Education: we tried to lessen the impact of the reductions by limiting direct classroom instruction programs to 1% and indirect classroom instruction to 4% reductions. The governor's proposed reductions to programs were decreased, such as Georgia Youth Science and Technology ($144,000) and Technology /Career Education ($700,000). Also on a personal note for us in Henry, the $5.4 million for the new Southern Crescent Technical College in McDonough made the budget as well as funds for 3 new school buses.
Differentiated pay for math and science teachers is included for the 2011‐2012 school year per House Bill 280 passed in 2009 ($12.6 million). The 10% reduction to school nurses has also been softened to a 4% decrease. This add‐back of $1.6 million should alleviate some of your burden.
We put in $524,000 for the innovative "Move on When Ready" initiative the General Assembly approved in 2009, something I am in full support of. HOPE Scholarships and Grants as passed by the legislature in House Bill 326 are reflected in the Georgia Student Finance Commission budget. What is noteworthy; however, is that Accel, Engineering, Georgia Military and Public Safety Memorial Grant Scholarships are maintained now with state funds and not lottery dollars.
Health: The Health care industry employs more than 141,000 people in hospitals alone and accounts for 6 percent of our state's Gross Domestic Product. To that end, we reduced the 1% cut to provider reimbursement rates to ½ of a percent. The dual benefit supports the economy in every Georgia county, as well as ensures that providers, who have not had a rate increase in 10 years stay in the Medicaid and PeachCare programs to provide access to services ($21.3 million).
Human Services: The sub‐committee felt very strongly about restoring funds to programs for the elderly Georgians who built this state, and shored up services to keep them independent and in their homes: Alzheimer's Respite ($225,000), Home and Community‐based waivers for ($1.3 million), and the full restoration of funds for the Meals on Wheels program to provide 138,000 meals for the elderly and homebound were restored to current levels of funding.
Public Safety: A major initiative of our public safety agencies was to ensure compliance with the new FCC Dispatch and Communications system for law enforcement. The GBI portion of this is funded with $2.9 million in bonds, and $1,072 for each Forestry base station in cash.
We appropriated $5 million in bonds for 200 replacement vehicles for the State Patrol and $600,000 in additional fuel money. We also found that we can save $2 to $3 for every $1 we spend in the Department of Law by adding in‐house attorneys in lieu of outsourcing work to Special Assistant Attorney Generals. The subcommittee recommended and we approved $273,000 for 3 attorneys in the Law Department as well as $104,755 for Senior Judges, who substitute for a sitting Superior Court judge in order to prevent case backlogs.
Economic Development: $250,000 additional dollars in Airport Aid draw a match of $13.6 million and will allow improvements and expansions at the 103 regional airports around the state. Road and bridge improvements were bolstered with over $8.8 million more in highway maintenance shifted from bond savings.
The House agreed with the governor's proposal for $5 million in "close‐the‐deal" REBA funds, and added $5 million for Georgia Research Alliance economic development projects.
General Government: The General Assembly imposed the same level of 7% reductions to its operating funds that are expected of all state agencies and departments. $3.8 million was added for the requisite Reapportionment activities to be completed by the legislature in response to the 2010 Census to include: per diem, travel, lodging and temporary staff.
The House also funded the Employees Retirement System, affecting the 40,581 active and 13,798 retired members, with the $8.3 million rolled forward from the FY 11 budget.
The Local Tax Officials Retirement Fund has been appropriated $5.3 million, in accordance with actuarial obligations, as well. Fully funded pensions enable our state's Triple‐A bond ratings. Also brought forward into Fiscal Year 12 from FY 11 is the $18.2 million that may be needed to fund Unemployment Insurance payments in August 2011.
Representative Steve Davis
Chairman of Information & Audits
Georgia House of Representatives
CLOB Room 601-D
Atlanta, GA 30334
February 22, 2011 by lynwmsn
Filed under STATE NEWS
Comments Off
|Contact: J.D. Easley
|Thursday, February 17, 2011
|(404) 656-0311
Rep. Steve Davis Co-Sponsors Major Education Reform
Representatives Nix and Davis Lead Charge on Ensuring Career and College Readiness
ATLANTA – State Representative Steve Davis (R-McDonough) announced House Bill 186, legislation he co-sponsored with Rep. Randy Nix (R-LaGrange). HB 186 would establish broader education options for high school students to ensure their career and college readiness by requiring a stronger coordination between high schools, colleges, and technical schools. This legislation builds on Rep. Davis' Graduating Everyone Matters (GEM) Act from the 2009-10 legislative term.
"When experiencing my own concern for my children's education and hearing the concerns of other parents, I chose to register as a substitute teacher and find out first hand what needed to be done to improve our state's education system," said Rep. Davis. "After seeing the difficulties faced by teachers and students, I began working with education and government leaders to find meaningful solutions. That work ultimately led me to write and introduce the GEM Act during last year's term."
"Working with Representative Davis and the Education Study Committee has shown us that we need to put the focus back on the student and give them options in terms of what it takes to get their diploma," said Rep. Nix. "We've must provide options that lead all Georgia students to success, whether they plan to go to college, technical school, or immediately enter the work force."
HB 186 would require the State Board of Education, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, and the Board of Technical and Adult Education to develop course standards that ensure the core curriculum of all Georgia public high schools will be accepted at any institution of higher education in the state beginning with students entering high school in the fall of 2011. This coordination will ensure the readiness of students wanting to continue their education and lessen the need for remedial classes in Georgia colleges and technical schools.
Additionally, the legislation would require students on the Career, Technical, and Agriculture Education (CTAE) pathway to take academic core subject courses and pass end-of-course assessments. These assessments would allow CTAE students to receive credit upon demonstration of proficiency, rather than attendance of a mandatory number of classes. Each student's proficiency would be graded based on a state wide plan to be developed by the State Board of Education, which will provide standard methods for recording demonstrated proficiency on high school transcripts.
Further, the Governor's Office of Workforce Development would be required to establish a certification in soft skills for students. Some of the areas included in the certification are punctuality, ability to learn, working as a team, reading for information, and applied mathematics. This soft skills certification will help students strengthen the life skills required for success in the workforce, while continuing to receive the standard education.
Educators are rallying behind this legislation.
"The Georgia Association of Educators (GAE) is lending their support for HB 186," said GAE President Calvine Rollins. "HB 186 will be in the best interest of the students of Georgia."
"PAGE is in complete support of the new pathways initiative in HB186 and we want to thank Rep. Davis and Rep. Nix for their hard work on this bill," said Margaret Ciccarelli, a representative for the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE).
HB 186 is the culmination of work resulting from the GEM Act that Rep. Davis introduced during the 2009-2010 legislative session and the work of an education study committee that met this past summer. The GEM Act would have brought back the Technical Diploma, which the state is currently phasing out, while also adding personal finance classes that would have taught students financial responsibility.
"This summer's education study committee really produced a great piece of legislation," added Rep. Davis. "HB 186 follows the spirit of GEM Act and creates multiple pathways for Georgians to gain a High School diploma. This vital step recognizes that all people are different, having different interests and different ways of learning. Rather than forcing those differences to all fit one set rigid system, HB 186 allows Georgians to specialize their public education to fit their unique talents and interests."
For more information on HB 186, please click here.
Representative Steve Davis represents the citizens of District 109, which includes portions of Henry County. He was elected into the House of Representatives in 2004, and currently serves as the Chairman of the Information & Audits Committee and as the Secretary of the State Planning & Community Affairs Committee. He also serves on the Appropriations, Insurance, State Institutions & Property, and Transportation committees.
GA House of Representative Press Release
February 22, 2011 by lynwmsn
Filed under STATE NEWS
Comments Off
|Contact: J.D. Easley
|Friday, February 4, 2011
|(404) 656-0311
Chairman Steve Davis Introduces IDEA of 2011
GOP Leadership Picks Up Where 2010 Session Left Off
ATLANTA – Representative Steve Davis (R-McDonough) announced today the introduction of House Bill 167, the Insurance Delivery Enhancement Act (IDEA) of 2011. This legislation reforms current insurance law and allows private companies to come together under a Trade Association Clause when purchasing group policies. Removing this restriction allows normally unaffiliated business to increase the size of their own private insurance pools which will lower their employees' premiums.
"This is an important market-based solution that will help bring the cost of medical care down at no cost to the tax payers," said Rep Davis. "This law will give immediate relief to the citizens of Georgia especially with the turbulent future of healthcare costs over the next couple of years."
HB 167 also includes a prompt pay provision that will require third party administrators to pay for service claims in a uniform and timely fashion the same as primary care insurance. If the third party administrators fail to do this, they would pay a penalty. This will primarily affect small practices that operate on tight finances.
"Requiring prompt payment will help bring medical cost down because doctors and physicians will be able to better anticipate when they will receive payments, enabling them to budget more appropriately," added Rep. Davis.
IDEA passed overwhelmingly in both chambers in the 2010 session but was not signed into law. Rep. Davis reintroduced the bill with five other Republican Chairman as co-sponsors, including Representatives Howard Maxwell, Carl Rogers, John Meadows, Sharon Cooper, and Bill Hembree.
For more information on HB 167, please click here.
Representative Steve Davis represents the citizens of District 109, which includes portions of Henry County. He was elected into the House of Representatives in 2004, and currently serves as the Chairman of the Information & Audits Committee and as the Secretary of the State Planning & Community Affairs Committee. He also serves on the Appropriations, Insurance, State Institutions & Property, and Transportation committees.
This Week in the Senate
February 18, 2011 by lynwmsn
Filed under STATE NEWS
Comments Off
February 14 – February 18
State of the Judiciary
The General Assembly welcomed Chief Justice Carol Hunstein to the Capitol this week for the annual State of the Judiciary Address. Chief Justice Hunstein outlined the judiciary's accomplishments of the last year and the challenges the system faces moving forward. With the fourth-largest prison system in the nation, she discussed the need for criminal justice reform in Georgia. In the last two years, the state's overall prison population has grown 4.6 percent and costs Georgia taxpayers $1 billion a year.
Emergency weather legislation passes unanimously
After the ice storm that paralyzed Metro Atlanta and much of the state in January, the Senate passed a resolution urging the Georgia Department of Transportation to prepare a list of contractors to be utilized during weather emergencies. The legislation, sponsored by Senate Transportation Chairman Jeff Mullis (R-Chickamauga), also preauthorizes local governments to clear state roads when necessary. – SR 30 & SR 31
Legislation gives juvenile offenders the opportunity for parole
Sen. Emanuel Jones (D-Decatur) has introduced legislation to give juvenile offenders the opportunity for parole. Senate Bill 105 establishes a three-person juvenile parole panel within the Department of Juvenile Justice that will have the authority to establish and maintain parole guidelines for designated felons. The law currently requires all children convicted of a designated felony to be confined to a youth development center (YDC) for 12 to 60 months, with no option for parole. This bill deletes any mandatory minimum time of confinement and allows for parole. – SB 105
Bill keeps health care premiums at same rate for surviving spouses of state employees
The Senate passed a bill authored by Sen. Johnny Grant (R-Milledgeville) that keeps health care premiums at the same rate for the spouses and dependents of a state employee who is killed in the line of duty. – HB 107
Senate votes in favor of multiyear leases
Senators approved a Constitutional Amendment authored by Sen. Buddy Carter (R-Pooler) to allow the State Properties Commission and the Board of Regents to enter into multiyear rental agreements without obligating the full amount of money due for the agreement up front. The legislation requires that any multiyear agreement must include an exit for the state if the state has insufficient funds. – SR 84
Lupus Awareness Day
Sen. Jason Carter (D-Decatur) hosted Lupus Awareness Day at the Capitol along with the Georgia Chapter of the Lupus Foundation of America to raise awareness of the chronic autoimmune disease that affects at least 1.5 million Americans, including approximately 55,000 Georgians. The Lupus Foundation of America is the nation's leading nonprofit voluntary health organization, dedicated to finding the causes and a cure for lupus while providing support and services to all people affected by lupus. – SR 142
Girl Scout Day
The Girl Scouts of America were honored by the Senate for their longstanding commitment to the youth of this state and the nation as a whole. March 12, 2011 marks the 99th Anniversary of the organization, which was founded by Juliette Gordon Low in Savannah in 1912. Throughout the organization's distinguished history, Girl Scouting has instilled millions of girls and women with the courage, confidence, and character to make the world a better place. The Girl Scouts continue to take an active role in increasing girls' awareness of the opportunities in math, science, sports, technology, and many other fields of interest that can expand their horizons. – SR 144
Widespread Panic honored
Nationally renowned for their powerful live performances, Widespread Panic has sold out venues from coast to coast in record numbers. The Senate honored the band that got its start 25 years ago in Athens, Georgia. A member of the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, Widespread Panic has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to support high school music programs across the State of Georgia with the purchase of instruments and computer music labs through their charity, Tunes for Tots, A Benefit for the Arts. They have also generously contributed time, effort, and art to charities benefitting local food banks through Panic Fans for Food, which has collected over 15 tons of food in 28 cities for the Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur, and the Make It Right Foundation of New Orleans for post-Katrina recovery efforts. – SR 145
Senator Jeffares Co-Sponsors
February 18, 2011 by lynwmsn
Filed under STATE NEWS
Comments Off
Senate Press Office
For Immediate Release:
February 8, 2011
For Information Contact:
Natalie Strong, Director
Senator Jeffares Co-Sponsors "Taxpayer Protection Act"
ATLANTA – (February 8, 2011) State Senator Rick Jeffares (R-Locust Grove) has Co-
Sponsored Senate Resolution 20 – "Taxpayer Protection Act of 2011." The proposed
Constitutional Amendment would limit how many tax dollars the state of Georgia can
spend in any given year.
"The Taxpayer Protection Act will limit the size of government down to its necessary
functions and will ensure that wasteful spending doesn't make it in the budget. It will
give taxpayers the assurance that the legislature is spending their dollars wisely and at the
same time putting aside tax dollars in a rainy day fund," said Senator Rick Jeffares.
"Senator Jeffares understands that we owe it to the taxpayers of this state to control
spending. I appreciate his leadership on this important issue. The Taxpayer Protection
Act will protect future generations of Georgians from government growing too large,"
said Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers, the sponsor of the Resolution.
Senate Resolution 20 would restrict the state from spending any money in excess of the
previous year budget adjusted for inflation and population. Any additional revenue
beyond the spending limitations would be required to go into the Rainy Day fund until it
reaches a point of 15% of the previous year spending. Once the rainy day fund is at 15%
additional revenue would be used to slowly phase-out the state income tax.
The Amendment was approved Wednesday by the Senate Finance Committee in a
unanimous bi-partisan vote.
Sen. Rick Jeffares represents the 17th Senate District which includes Newton county and
portions of Henry, Rockdale and Spalding counties.
Budget at top of the list for Sen. Ramsey
Reporter: By Alena Parker, Staff Reporter
Email Address: email@example.com
CONYERS — State Sen. Ronald Ramsey spoke with the Citizen last week about the 2011 General Assembly and his plans to propose a foreclosure registry law.
Legislators were in recess this week for budget hearings.
The Democrat attended the mayor's State of the City address Wednesday and talked with the Citizen after the event.
He said Georgia's budget shortfall will be a big issue this year, quoting an expected $1.5 billion to $2 billion deficit.
"It appears that the new governor has a clear focus on his strategy for reaching a balanced budget," Ramsey said, mentioning proposals to streamline government and reinvest in education. "I'm really pleased to hear what he said thus far and look forward to working with him in keeping those commitments."
Ramsey said "the deterioration of our communities by the blight of foreclosures" is one key concern of his and he is working on draft legislation to address the issue.
He wanted to see a foreclosure registry where cities and counties could have the authority to take over foreclosed properties after trying to work with banks and other finance companies. The governments would be able to resell the properties to make up for the fees that have accrued, according to Ramsey.
His draft legislation would also require someone to be responsible for the property.
"That agent would be the one that's accountable to the cities and the counties for keeping that property in responsible condition, and when they fail to do that, then the code enforcement agents can take that issue to court, the judge will rule, impose fines and the fines will accrue until it gets to a set amount," Ramsey said. "Then the city or the county, in my view, should have the authority to say, 'You've abandoned this property. Now, we own it and we'll keep our communities going forward and thriving.'"
Ramsey was recently selected as the Urban Affairs Committee chairman, a position he said will benefit the local community. The committee will serve as "a catch-all committee for any issue that needs to be streamlined," he said.
The transportation bill, passed in part last year, is another issue on his radar. The bill will split the state into regions to work on transportation projects and it will levy a 1 percent sales tax to fund transportation projects within newly defined special tax districts. His concerns about the bill include possible double taxation for counties and whether any of the projects funded through the tax would benefit District 43.
"So if I don't see it's going to benefit us, I can't ask our citizens to vote for it," Ramsey said.
The senator said he was pleased to represent Conyers, "an award-winning city with extraordinary leadership."
"I mean, it's just been consistent," Ramsey said of the city government. "Clearly, I think it's a model for the state and the nation."
Tracking a Bill Through The General Assembly
We all hear about bills being introduced, discussed, debated, passed and voted down under the GOLD DOME, but do you understand the process for a bill to pass or be voted down?
Below I found on the GEORGIA GENERAL ASSEMBLY website that may help you to understand. At this website you can also find the various bills in their various stages. Also, you can find how your Senator or Representative voted on any particular bill.
Click HERE to directly to the site.
Legislator sees need for a new law or changes in existing law and decides to introduce a bill.
Legislator goes to Office of Legislative Counsel. There, attorney advises legislator on legal issues and drafts bill.
Legislator files bill with the Clerk of the House or Secretary of the Senate. On legislative day after filing, bill is formally introduced. In chamber, bill's title is read during period of first readings. Immediately after first reading, presiding officer assigns bill to a standing committee.
In the House only, on next legislative day, Clerk reads bill's title (second reading) in chamber, although actual bill is now in committee. In Senate, second reading comes after bill is reported favorably from committee.
Bill considered by committee. Author and other legislators may testify. If controversial, public hearings may be held. Final Committee action reported in a written report. Committee options are:
- Recommend Bill or Resolution Do Pass;
- Recommend Do NOT Pass;
- Recommend Do Pass with changes (amendments or substitutes);
- Hold Bill.
Clerk or Secretary prepares a General Calendar of bills favorably reported from committee.
- Legislation which was second read the day before is placed on a calendar in numeric order for floor action prior to the the Rules Committee meeting to choose bills for consideration.
- After a certain point, set by rule, the Rules Committee meets and prepares a Rules Calendar for the next day's floor consideration from bills on General Calendar.
- The presiding officer calls up bills from the Rules Calendar for floor action in order as they appear on this calendar.
Once presiding officer calls bill up from Rules Calendar, Clerk or Secretary reads bill's title (third reading). Bill is now ready for floor debate, amendments, and voting. After debate, main question is called and members vote. if bill is approved by majority of total membership of that house , it is sent to the other house.
Bill is passed if:
- If second chamber passes bill, it is returned to chamber where bill was introduced.
- If first chamber rejects changes and second chamber insists, a conference committee may be appointed. Committee report is accepted by both chambers.
Bill is enrolled and sent to the Governor (if requested). Otherwise, all enrolled bills sent to Governor following adjournment sine die.
Governor may sign bill or do nothing, and bill becomes law. Governor may veto bill, which requires two-thirds of members of each house to override.
Act and other laws enacted at the session are printed in the Georgia Laws series. Also, act is incorporated into the Official Code of Georgia Annotated. Act becomes effective the following July 1, unless a different effective date is provided in act.
HB 72 – Drivers' licenses; examinations only in English language; provide
HB 72- Let me know your thoughts.
HB 72 was debated on the floor Wednesday and would require driver's license exams to be taken ONLY in English; it is currently offered in several languages.
You can look at the full text of the bill at http://www.legis.state.ga.us. This measure has been tabled for a full vote but consider the following information:
- The road sign test is already in English; if you cannot read English signs, you WILL NOT receive your driver's license.
- There is no provision in the original bill to address illiteracy, which is the heart of the problem and why there are so many accidents on Georgia roads.
- The Georgia Chamber of Commerce is opposed to this measure because of the affect it will have on attracting businesses and a labor pool to Georgia.
House of Representative voted on this bill February 9 results are as follows:
Yeas 115 Nays 050
Districts in Rockale County
Legislators to hold town hall meeting
January 6, 2011 by lynwmsn
Filed under LEGISLATIVE NEWS
Comments Off
Reporter: By Jay Jones, News Editor
Email Address: email@example.com
CONYERS — Residents will have the opportunity to meet state legislators Saturday during a town hall meeting planned before the start of the 2011 Georgia General Assembly.
The Rockdale delegation of the Georgia General Assembly will hold the town hall meeting from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday at the Rockdale Career Academy auditorium, located at 1064 Culpepper Drive in Conyers. The format for the meeting was not released, but legislators in past town hall meetings updated residents on issues facing the General Assembly this year followed by a question and answer session.
Click HERE to read entire article


text:
Ion Audio Piano Apprentice Live - Piano, Keyboard, Piano-Learning System, Center Stage Sound SystemItem#: I101-0042 | Model#: PIANO APPRENTICE
Currently Out Of Stock!
You May Consider This Alternative
Piano Apprentice Live Piano Learning System Product Details
Ion Audio Piano Apprentice Live
Learn how to play a piano with the Ion Audio Piano Apprentice Live. It hones your natural piano playing skills with its unique features. You can connect your iPhone®, iPod® or the iPad® to this piano and with the help of downloaded Piano Apprentice app, you can start learning. There are 25 touch sensitive keys and all of them lights up to make you know which key to press for the right tone. The two built-in speakers deliver precise piano sounds. Coming in a short size, it ensures easy portability of the unit. Order the Ion Audio Piano Apprentice Live right away.
What It Is And Why You Need It:
- Easy connectivity; connects to your iPhone®, iPod® or the iPad®
- 25 touch sensitive keys; for quick and easy learning
- Built-in speakers; delivers crisp and clear piano sounds
- Piano Apprentice app; very effective learning software for beginners
Manufactured by: Ion Audio
Warranty provided by: Ion Audio
Limited Warranty: 12 months parts; 12 months labor
Mfg Part No: PIANO APPRENTICE
UPC No: 812715012632
Box Size: ( Length:15, Width:11, Depth:5)
Shipping Weight: 3.1500 pound(s)
Dimensional Weight: 4pounds
What is Dimensional weight?
Click here for full warranty and support information
- Limited Warranty: A full text version of the limited warranty
may be obtained by mailing a self addressed, stamped envelope to the
address below and requesting the warranty for item number: I101-0042
Warranty Information
7795 W. Flagler St. Suite 35
Miami, FL. 33144
- Ion Audio logos are registered trademarks of Ion Audio. All others trademarks and copyrights mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Website of the day: Ice Lolly
This is the week when it all begins for parents. Most schools will be breaking up, if they haven't already, so every day this week, we're going to dedicate this slot to site that will help families get through the summer.
First things first. You need to go on holiday. If you haven't booked anything yet, don't worry, One of our favourite places for last-minute, family friendly deals is icelolly.com.
Right now you should be clicking on their school holiday deals section, because that straight away tales to stuff that's suitable for families and is available over the next few weeks.
What we like most about this site is how easy it is, both on the eye, and to use. A nice clean layout, with simple to use filters and well displayed results. Oh, and the prices are all shown with pretty much everything already included as far as extra changes go, so there should be no nasty surprises lurking at the checkout page.
Perfect for any frazzled parents who are already overwhelmed by the thought of the next six weeks.


text:
Several years ago, I acquired a built-up Revell '57 Ford Ranchero . I blew it apart with the intent of rebuilding it. I also acquired one of the "chopped" Rancheros, which I was going to use with it for additional parts. However, in looking at it, the kits had too mant "foibles" for me to deal with, especially the too short doors from a 4-door, and multi-pice body construction. So when Revell issued the new, updated '57 Ford kit, which by the way is very nice, I knew what I had to do.
I found several pictures of one-to-one '57 Rancheros from various sources around the web to get an idea of what I had to do, and here's where I am so far.
I used parts from the old Revell Ranchero kits, primarily the bed, tailgate, and tonneau cover, and melded them into the "new tool" kit. I also made new panels from sheet styrene to complete the conversion.
I also did a custom "Tuck and Roll" interior trim for the doors and bench seat, which will be two-toned.
The hardest part of the conversion is the area around the rear of the bed and the tailgate.
I have to re-work the rear window mouldings, prime it, and tighten up the bodywork at this point. This build is not going to be a dead nuts "replica stock", but it is going to be a "mild custom". I am also going to leave the trim on the body. I know that this particular chrome trim was not available from the factory on the Ranchero, but I like the way it looks, and I am going to use it for the two-tone paint break.
I wanted to put some primer on it today, but it was too humid.


text:
Chris Kamara
Football Expert & Columnist @chris_kammy
Bask in the glory!
Forget the future, let Manchester City savour their miraculous title triumph, says Chris Kamara.
Last Updated: 14/05/12 5:46pm
In the end Manchester City's title triumph was pure Hollywood. Except even in Hollywood you could not write a script like that.
If you went to watch a movie and it ended like that you would think, 'yeah, but it would never happen in real life'. But it did. Even as a neutral my heart was racing and pumping at the end, it was amazing.
We had Goals on Sunday beforehand so I watched all the action unfold with Ben Shephard and our producer with United on one screen and City on the other. You just could not believe what was unfolding in front of your eyes.
The final whistle went at Sunderland and it was Manchester United's title and you just thought there was no way back. I thought maybe City would get an equaliser in time-added-on but to score two was just beyond belief.
The only thing that comes close to it for last-day drama is when Mickey Thomas scored for Arsenal to win the title for George Graham's team at Anfield.
That was amazing but it was clash of the titans with one winning it and one losing it. In this situation Manchester United's game had finished, they had won it and City were out of it. But then we got that finale to cap what is probably the greatest Premier League season ever.
Let them enjoy this before thinking about next season and whether they can repeat their success or what players they are going to bring in. Let those players enjoy what happened yesterday because all those people who were there will always remember that final day and how it unfolded.
For United it must have hurt so much. Who would have thought at the beginning of the season that Manchester United would finish without a trophy? It's incredible.
I feel for Sir Alex Ferguson. He is such a great manager and when City were 2-1 down he must have thought, 'right this is it'.
But Ferguson was so gracious afterwards which was brilliant. He did not come out and say United had thrown it away or they won it by default or they spent more money than anybody else or paid more wages than anybody else - none of that.
He said they were worthy champions over the course of the season which shows the class of the man.
The rest of the weekend's talking points
Jon Walters' opening goal against Bolton was a disgrace
Bolton were furious with Jon Walters' opening goal for Stoke - in a defeat that saw the Trotters relegated to the Championship - and rightly so. It was an absolute disgrace. Who knows what would have happened if it was still 0-0 but the goal should never have been allowed.
The referee obviously saw it because he gave it but the assistant should have been flagging. If you were Owen Coyle, knowing your team needed to win, and all of a sudden you are a goal down for something that in any other football match would not be allowed, you would be furious. I would not have minded if Walters had headed the ball but he headed the arms of Adam Bogdan!
The one thing you would have hoped is that this season the refereeing standard would improve but if anything it has got worse. The big decisions that they have made have been terrible.
You can't change what has happened and Bolton are in the Championship next season. You hope they do well there but you don't know, you really don't know.
Joey Barton's dismissal didn't cost QPR - but it may cost him
There are things that we have witnessed this season that we have never seen on the football pitch before - and Joey Barton's reaction to his sending off at the Etihad Stadium is one of them. The original foul on Carlos Tevez was bad enough, but for him to react the way he did is just unacceptable, going to knee Aguero before lunging at Vincent Kompany.
Ultimately it didn't cost QPR but it was a sour note for Mark Hughes' team. The problem for Barton now is that he is going to get a ban so won't be able to play for anyone for at least half a dozen games - you would have thought.
Arsenal were given a helping hand to third place
Well done to Arsene Wenger and Arsenal because people were saying that they would not even finish in the top four this season but what was goalkeeper Fulop doing in that game? He had an absolute shocker among shockers. But these things happen and credit to Arsenal for holding their nerve and snatching third place.
It was tough luck for Toon
It's a real pity for Newcastle to miss out on a top-four finish and possible place in the Champions League but it's been a wonderful season for them. Alan Pardew was quite rightly named manager of the season by Barclays. He may make it a double with the League Managers' Association award - but he has some tough competition from Brendan Rodgers and Paul Lambert, and now of course Roberto Mancini.


text:
Social Justice Night
Each fall since the year 2000, the Center has celebrated the Jesuit mission for social justice with an annual Social Justice Night, a free event for students, faculty, staff and the general public. The evening generally begins with gathering and networking opportunities, highlighting related student groups and local peace and justice organizations that attend with information about their work. The program features a keynote speaker or panel addressing a current social justice issue. The theme changes from year to year. The following sampling of past events indicates the breadth of topics. ______________________________________________________________________________________
Social Justice Night 2009
Following the Martyrs on the Road to Peace and Justice. More than 250 people attended this signature event of Saint Louis University's week-long Teach-In commemorating the twentieth anniversary of the murders of six Jesuits, their housekeeper and her daughter at the University of Central America by the Salvadoran military in 1989. Keynote speaker, Fr. John Dear, SJ, shared his reflections on the time he spent with the Salvadoran martyrs and how each one of us can become prophets of peace and justice in contemporary times. Two local peace and justice activists, Dr. Jim Allen and Sr. Mary Ann McGivern, also shared their personal stories in struggles for social justice. ______________________________________________________________________________________ Social Justice Night 2008
Global Challenges - Local Actions. Keynote speaker Sarah Anderson, Director of the Global Economy Project at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, DC., spoke about her vision of a just and sustainable world. She then engaged the audience in a lively question and answer session. This was followed by break-out workshops featuring local initiatives involving advocacy for immigrants, combating human trafficking, and promoting community based food sourcing.
Social Justice Night 2007
Femicide at Our U.S. Border:To Be a Woman in Juarez is a Death Sentence. The keynote Speaker was Barbara Martinez Jitner, a Latina Film Maker who works with Amnesty International to advocate for justice for victims of the more than 400 murders and disappearances of women factory workers in the border town of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Her address was followed by Joan Suarez of the Missouri Immigrant and Refugee Advocates presenting on "Bringing the Case Home." The program included seventeen exhibitors representing local organizations involved in human rights and social justice activities.
Social Justice Night 2003
Social Justice Work: Seeking Peace, Healing, and Reconciliation at Home and Abroad. Five panelists presented on their work with refugees and immigrants in the U.S. and abroad. Panelists included three School of Social Work alums, one of whom worked with refugees in a Pakistani refugee camp, another with Haitian immigrants in Florida and one who conducted research on reconciliation in Rwanda after the 1994 genocide. More than twenty exhibitors represented community agencies and Saint Louis University human rights organizations.


text:
Rate Finder
Our free MGIC MI app is the perfect tool for the LO on the go.
To expedite your rate quote, MGIC's Rate Finder prefills certain fields with frequently used loan characteristics.
- Change any fields, as necessary
- Enter credit score, loan amount and ZIP Code
- Click Get Quote
Your comprehensive quote includes applicable state premium taxes and assessments and is good for 60 days. In order for MGIC to honor your quote, you must present the Rate Finder quote PDF document to us electronically or as hard copy.
On your results page:
- Click Open PDF to open your rate quote document
- To save, print or e-mail the PDF, click the appropriate icon in the upper left-hand corner of the page
- Click Order MI to send the loan data to MGICs Loan Center
- Click New Quote to clear the form and start over
Additional notes:
- The rate quote is valid for 60 days from the date it is issued
- Premium tax quotes are subject to change.
- In order for MGIC to honor your quote, you must present the Rate Finder quote PDF document to us electronically or as hard copy
- Rate quotes are based on current premium programs
- Eligibility notes are based on current Underwriting Requirements
- Underwriting Requirements are subject to change
- Underwriting Requirements in effect at the time of application apply
Add a Rate Finder shortcut icon to your desktop
Internet Explorer users, create a desktop shortcut to set up one-click access to Rate Finder:
- Right-click here on this text
- Select Create Shortcut
This icon will appear on your desktop:


text:
Media Create has released its software sales statistics for the week of October 16-22, and Pokémon Diamond and Pearl showed no signs of slowing down. Together the two games moved another 231,979 units for the week, bringing their collective total above the 2.5 million mark. Media Create reported that some stores are still selling out of the pair as soon as new shipments arrive.
Only two new titles appeared on the list for the week. Coming in at number three was Captain Tsubasa, a soccer game based on the manga/anime of the same name. The other new title was Gekitou! Custom Robo, the latest member of Nintendo's Custom Robo franchise.
Nintendo DS games continued to dominate the top of the charts with seven of the top 10 spots, and this was mirrored by the week's hardware sales numbers. The DS Lite sold 116,941 units, while the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable sold 22,380 and 20,271, respectively. Meanwhile, the Xbox 360 added another 1,287 units to its Japanese user base.


text:
Bob Ward Homes opens model homes in Owings Mills
Bob Ward Homes has opened two new model townhouses at Southridge at Owings Mills New Town.
The townhouses -- the Montgomery and the Calvert -- are two of the four styles available. However, with the grand opening of these two, the company is offering a finished lower-level recreation room free, along with other incentives such as $3,000 toward closing or options. Prices for these models start at $115,900, or $120,900 with a garage.


text:
|Home → Deals and Discounts → Top Titles 40% Off → Little Red Wagon - DVD
|My Account | Cart Contents | Checkout
Little Red Wagon - DVD
Stock Status: In Stock
Only 5 left, order now!
Updated: 6/24/2015 3:45pm CDT
Inspired by an extraordinary true story.
Little Red Wagon is based on the inspirational true story of eight year old Zach Bonner on his quest to change the world with nothing more than a blazing spirit of philanthrophy and his beat-up red wagon. When Zach sets out to help homeless children in America in the wake of Hurricane Charley, by walking accross the country, he must overcome beaurocrats and blisters and capture the hearts of his fractured family and the entire nation.
Customer Testimonials:
" Excellent site. Easy navigation. Very fair prices. Overall great experience"
- Bruce Marion
Little Red Wagon DVD Details:
Latest Reviews for Little Red Wagon - DVD
Little Red Wagon - DVD – Pamela H, 08/16/2014
We loved this movie! It was a movie that made all of us want to get out and serve someone. All of us (ages 9-62) were pleasantly surprised by this movie that we had never heard of before -- it's a must watch!!
Little Red Wagon - DVD – Steve S, 05/17/2014
(no written review given)
Little Red Wagon - DVD – Linsey A, 04/14/2014
(no written review given)
Little Red Wagon - DVD – James R, 03/08/2014
Overall a decent true story movie with great principals about charity and giving up your time for wonderful causes! But very very slow and the acting wasn't that good. Didn't know where the movie was leading too.
Little Red Wagon - DVD – Lorenzo Z, 02/24/2014
(no written review given)
Little Red Wagon - DVD – Bonnie Y, 02/03/2014
(no written review given)
Little Red Wagon - DVD – Milton K, 10/26/2013
(no written review given)
Little Red Wagon - DVD – Marilyn L, 09/24/2013
Really great movie. I liked that this movie had a strong Christian message but not at all preachy. The acting was also really good.
Little Red Wagon - DVD – Chele W, 07/01/2013
(no written review given)
Little Red Wagon - DVD – Ian W, 03/11/2013
This movie was inspired by a real "live" hero who's name is: Zach Bonner. While watching the news one day Zach decides that he is going to do something to help all those who have been affected by Hurricane Charley. You could say it's the story about an extraordinary young boy who sees what devastation a hurricane can cause and wants to help all those who have been affected by it. You will find out that you are watching an 8 year old boy do something that will not only help the thousands of people who have lost everything but at the same time, it changes the lives of Zach, his mom and sister as well.
When you watch this movie, possibly it will touch your heart to reach out and change somebody's life and while you are doing that, it will probably change your life also. That's what it has done for me. Remember, even the little acts of kindness are a blessing to those who are on the receiving end.
One last note. There is also an underling story that will touch your heart. For some of you it could bring you to tears because either you or someone you know has gone through a similar situation. Be on alert for this story within a story. For me personally it made me think of the 23rd Psalm.
Remember to add "The Little Red Wagon" to your shopping list and when it arrives in the mail sit down and be amazed at what young Zach does. See if this movie changes your way of looking at disasters, and to what extent you can help those who are in need.
It comes with Special Features and all of them are extremely interesting.
Little Red Wagon - DVD
Already Asked: 1 Question, 4 Answers
Sort by:
ChristianCinema.com Store asked: Why did you choose this?
Catherine C: Hard to get, original site cost is $35.00 Dec 29, 2014
Debra W: I am a supporter of Christian film and this story will touch many. Mar 22, 2013
Bonnie G: need good movies Mar 22, 2013
Tina W: I love clean movies Mar 21, 2013
What customers say about ChristianCinema.com:
Popular Searches
Sneak Peek Podcast
Customer Care
My Account
About Us
Office Hours:
|©1999-2015 Christian Cinema, LLC All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions


text:
October 21, 2011
The Randolph Southern softball team wears its emotions on the sleeve Thursday night in Dublin while being presented with the Class A state runners-up trophy. (Carroll C. Gambrell/Special to The Herald)
Stories this photo appears in:
Randolph Southern softball falls short of GISA Class A title
In a bizarre rules change to the state title series format by the GISA last year, Randolph Southern's softball team is forced to replay Thomas Jefferson -- a team it beat in the Final Four just last week -- for the State Championship on Thursday, which the Lady Patriots lose in a heartbreaking third game.
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.


text:
The extremely occasional blog of Colleen Lindsay, professional nerd, cat herder, publishing optimist, and sartorial tragedy.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Kameron Hurley has some good advice on query letters.
The biggest problem that I see in query letters - and that I used to see when I was a publicist training new publicists how to write press releases and pitch letters - is that they are just too damned long and never get to the point. All the good stuff? Put it in the first paragraph. Period.
And in a query letter, I want to know the entire plot of your book by the time I finish reading that paragragh. Because if I don't, I probably won't finish reading the letter.
Remember that, essentially, a query letter is a pitch. You need to be able to get your entire plot across in about two to three sentences. You need a hook at the beginning, something that makes me want to finish reading the rest of the letter.
If you can't organize your thoughts about your book concisely enough to write a clear pitch letter, it's probably indicative of your writing style as a whole. That's a red flag to agents.
A well-respected agent I know who has been in the business for more than twenty years recently said to me "Colleen, remember this: the writer never gets any better than the writing you see in the pitch letter."
6 comments:
So what happens if a query letter pitch takes longer than a few sentences (say two paragraphs) but is still written concisely and intriguingly? Does it frustrate you so much that you jab at the DELETE key straight away?
- February 15, 2008 at 1:06 PM
Uh oh. You sound like the writers are wearing you down...
- February 15, 2008 at 1:08 PM
- La Gringa said...
No, not at all. I am enjoying this. But bad writing is bad writing, whether it's in a letter, a beer ad or a book.
A query letter can be longer than a few sentences, but that quick summation, that HOOK in the first paragraph, can't be.
- February 15, 2008 at 1:25 PM
- JeffV said...
I'm going to disagree just a tad, Colleen. I've known plenty of talented, really good writers, who can't write a query letter to save their lives. It's tough to write about yourself, sometimes. Sometimes, the better a fiction writer you are, the harder the cover letter is. Still, taking your advice should help even the worse cover letter writer do a passable job.
- February 15, 2008 at 4:24 PM
- La Gringa said...
I still love you, Evil Monkey.
::: smoooooch! :::
- February 15, 2008 at 4:58 PM
- Georgiana said...
I'm pretty sure my first paragraph was "Congratulations on your new job."
Oh noes, I am teh fail!!
- February 15, 2008 at 5:47 PM


text:
Happy Tax Day! Is This the Last Year You'll File as a Single?
It's not the most glamorous topic, but you gotta do it. Even wedding planning has to be set aside so you can file your taxes (are you finished yet?). The process of bucking up for Uncle Sam changes after you wed, though, so make sure you know the difference between filing as a single and... read more


text:
These are some men wearing outfits that I think bring something unique to the "style table," but I'd really like to draw attention to the first and last photos...
I came across the man in the first picture at MoMa, where he was rather majestically strolling through some of the exhibits in studded-heel platforms (yes, with a studded heel! I didn't catch him from the right angle, je suis désolé.) I love love love the contrast between his look and the outfit in the last photo - they are both in skirts, yes (or maybe khaki-man is in some sort of artistically-interpreted apron, could be) but they are so different! I think the first look is maybe what we would consider a "traditionally" female ensemble worn by a man, whereas the second is very sexless - his look just happens to involve a skirt (and white nails)(but also Tevas?) and it's not exactly something you could easily or immediately imagine on a woman.
I find both looks to be exceptionally fashionable and courageous and feel they represent the next wave in men's dressing, which brings me to the post title. It's a reference to one of Bill Cunningham's columns from last month in which he discusses the "frontiersmen" whose ensembles are at the forefront of menswear...turning the tides, bridging the gap between East and West, confronting expectations and saying 'non!' to conformity. The men who are making America a better place to dress!
What do we think of these outfits? Granted, it is still maybe a bit of a shock to see a man in a skirt, but this is not drag, it's not "cross-dressing." These are simply men...in skirts! We know how I feel about this (or if you don't, take a gander at Some Boys Like Me and/or Men Without Pants), but I always welcome feedback, particularly on this topic ^_^ ( <- face of encouragement!)
Special thank you to Julia at La Belle Oiselle for bringing this video and the Cunningham piece to my attention - I love to find bloggers on my wavelength!


text:
I don't really feel like thinking about snow yet – but it will come. Get ready.
Snowman refrigerator magnets creates a life-size winter friend no matter the weather. No artistic skill is required to arrange the 13-piece set of heavy-duty vinyl magnets into a frosty image on the refrigerator or any metal surface. Fun and easy for the whole family.
Link: FRIDGE SNOWMAN MAGNET


text:
Eating Out
restaurants in Greenwich, CT
I will be in Greenwich for a meeting late on Monday. Would love a good restaurant-food and the wine list are much more important than the atmosphere-don't need any hedge fund managers or power players either if there are any left there
Talk is closed, but that doesn't mean the conversations have to stop!
Check out this post for a more thorough explanation, and jump onto our Facebook page or our Twitter feed to keep the conversations going!


text:
128 Pet Burwell Road, Warrenton, NC 27589 Phone: (252) 257-6055
The Carvers opened Magnolia Manor Plantation Bed and
Breakfast in February of 2003. The house was named
by the Carvers for the magnificent magnolia tree in the
front yard. The guests experience true southern
hospitality at Magnolia Manor Plantation Bed and Breakfast
in the simple elegance and serenity of an authentic
plantation manor house. Magnolia Manor Plantation
Bed and Breakfast has quickly grown to become one of the
more significant destination wedding venues in the
Piedmont North Carolina area. At the insistence of
our children who were instrumental in the rehabilitation,
we have included a few of the before
photos for your enjoyment.


text:
Don't Expect Jobs Anytime Soon Says Doyle
Governor Scott Walker will sign Wisconsin's mining incentive bill this afternoon at two factories that could supply equipment for the proposed Gogebic Taconite iron ore mine. Don't look for immediate jobs as touted by Walker though, says democrat Steve Doyle. Like 5-10 years down the road if that.
Walker chose the two locations to emphasize his contention that a mine would provide thousands of support jobs throughout Wisconsin and not just the 700 to operate the facility in Ashland and Iron counties.


text: YNHH teams present winning abstracts at safety/quality conference Some members of the Saint Raphael Campus team (l-r) are shown at the conference: Susan Carter, RN, quality improvement coordinator, Regulatory Affairs; Thomas Balcezak, MD, senior vice president, Safety and Quality, and associate chief medical officer; Lenore Reilly, RN, patient service manager, MICU; Roger Elias, MD, medical director, MICU/CCU; Allison Dell, RN, MICU; Diane Dumigan, RN; and Carla Hannon, RN, clinical nurse specialist, MICU/CCU. Two YNHH teams submitted two of the five YNHHS winning abstracts at the recent Joseph A. Zaccagnino Patient Safety and Clinical Quality Conference. Staff from the three Yale New Haven Health System hospitals and Northeast Medical Group contributed 120 abstracts for consideration. Of those, more than 70 were submitted by YNHH teams. In its 12th year, the Joseph A. Zaccagnino Patient Safety and Clinical Quality Conference has grown annually in both attendance and submissions. With more than 650 system employees attending, this year's conference set a record. "Teams from throughout the system submitted thoughtful, intelligent and creative abstracts that went to the heart of improving patient safety and quality of care," said Alan Kliger, MD, chief quality officer, Yale New Haven Health System, and vice president, Quality Management. "Clearly, reducing bloodstream infections was on the minds of many clinical staff members who are doing excellent work on this issue throughout the system. The abstracts reflect the exceptional, interdisciplinary work that is helping us reduce this avoidable complication." A team on the Saint Raphael Campus submitted Achieving and Sustaining Low CLABSI (central line-associated blood stream infections) Rates. Before the Hospital of Saint Raphael integrated with YNHH in September, a multidisciplinary team had done such significant work creating sustainable improvements in eliminating healthcare- associated infections that the hospital had received national recognition from the Department of Health and Human Services last November. At the conference, Diane Dumigan, RN, infection preventionist, Quality Improvement Support Services, and facilitator, CLABSI Reduction Committee-SRC, presented the winning abstract. The Department of Medicine Interdisciplinary Team on the York Street Campus submitted the second YNHH winning abstract. Carrie Guttman, RN, MSN, patient safety coordinator, Medicine, Sean Boyle, RN, assistant patient service manager, Sickle Cell/ General Medicine Unit, and Will Cushing, PA, manager, Hospitalist Service, presented Spreading Best Practices for Prevention of Central Line- Associated Blood Stream Infections. "Since the conference, we've already heard about ideas staff are considering for abstract submission next year," said Dr. Kliger. "This level of enthusiasm and focus is exactly what the Zaccagnino conference was intended to excite among staff in one of the country's finest hospitals and it is how we are going to ensure better outcomes for our patients."


text:
April 11, 2007 12:05 PM PDT
IBM founds coalition for 'smart' power grids
- Related Stories
Can IBM help cut your energy bill?January 11, 2006
The Intelligent Utility Network Coalition will test out technologies that will give utilities serving consumers better usage information and make power distribution grids more reliable, according to executives from both companies.
Through the initiative, CenterPoint intends to invest about $750 million over the next five years to upgrade its gear, including meters, switches, and equipment at power substations, said Georgianna Nichols, president at CenterPoint Houston Electric Operations.
The utility is installing a broadband-over-powerline, or BPL, network over its Texas territory to gather and transport information such as real-time usage or overloaded distribution points.
With more detailed information on usage, consumers can potentially save money by changing their consumption patterns, executives from Centerpoint and IBM said. The digital equipment and accompanying software will also allow energy retailers to introduce more services, such as time-of-use pricing, which will allow them to better manage demand.
"A year ago we were very optimistic like other utilities about automated meter reading. This is much bigger than that. It's more of a discussion about almost revolutionizing the electric utility industry," Nichols said. "We are testing equipment. It will happen."
CenterPoint, an electricity distributor with 2 million customers, is a founding member of the Intelligent Utility Network Coalition. Other utilities from the U.S., Europe and Asia are expected to join later this year, executives from IBM and CenterPoint said.
The cost for full upgrade to digital equipment on CenterPoint's grid would be about $2.50 per customer per month, Nichols said. The utility is now talking to regulatory bodies on any potential rate change.
IBM intends to supply software for gathering information as well as analytical tools for things such as measuring usage patterns.
There are already several initiatives to promote use of so-called smart grids, but the Intelligent Utility Network Coalition will focus on deploying and testing equipment, executives said.
See more CNET content tagged:
coalition, grid, IBM Corp., equipment, utility
3 commentsJoin the conversation! Add your comment
- Manhattan BPL-Smart Grid Project: Ambient & Consolidated Edison`s undergrou
- Manhattan BPL-Smart Grid Project: Ambient & Consolidated Edison`s underground installation of 2nd generation(200Mbps) BPL equipment !!!
read: http://broadbandoverpowerlines.blogspot.com/
Ambient & Consolidated Edison Launch New R & D Efforts Underground in Manhattan
Wednesday April 11, 8:15 am ET
Network Monitoring and Communications Platform to be Further Evaluated
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ambient Corporation (OTCBB: ABTG - News), a leader in Broadband over Power Lines (BPL) solutions, announced today that it will install its second generation BPL equipment on the underground electric system of Consolidated Edison Company of New York Inc. (NYSE: ED - News).
Successful completion of the research and development demonstration would allow Con Edison to further evaluate on a larger scale Ambient's BPL System for monitoring the underground distribution system.
Ambient's BPL platform is designed to support many, if not all, of the sensoring, monitoring and control applications that Con Edison may deploy to enhance its distribution system. Some of the applications that can be supported by the Ambient BPL system include aggregation of meter reading, peak load reductions and demand side management, energy flow measurements, stray voltage detection, and partial discharge detection.
The demonstration of Ambient's partial discharge detection application, in particular, may be a key component in proactively detecting impending failures in cables or other distribution system components.
Ram Rao, Ambient's Chief Technology Officer stated, "We are pleased to be working with our long-time partner Con Edison on this R & D project. Con Edison has stated their commitment to enhance their grid, and we anticipate that the Ambient BPL system will be a key part of the solution that Con Edison is developing to achieve their planned improvements. The Ambient BPL platform has been developed to enable exactly these types of applications and solutions."
Many of the utilities in the United States that are in the process of developing plans for the next generation distribution systems have identified communications capabilities as a key requirement. Ambient's BPL system is an ideal solution to meet this requirement as it operates over the same infrastructure that the utilities own, operate, and maintain to deliver electricity.
read: Con Edison Details $1.4 Billion in Electric Delivery Investments & New Emergency Response Initiatives for Summer
read: Ambient`s BPL Case Study:
Utility Communications
read: Ambient`s BPL Case Study:
Substation Monitoring
- Like Reply Link Flag
- Con Edison will launch a pilot program of 500,000 "smart meters," !!!!
- Con Ed gets 'smart' to track blackouts
Monday, March 26th 2007, 4:00 AM
http://broadbandoverpowerlines.blogspot.com/2007/03/ny-con-edison-gets-smart-to-track.html
Con Edison officials - under pressure to avoid a repeat of last summer's devastating blackout in northwest Queens - will use new high-tech meters and a computer system to help them better track power outages. Con Ed will launch a pilot program of 500,000 "smart meters," which alert control center operators when a customer's power goes out, spokesman Michael Clendenin said yesterday.
A new computer system will map these outages as they occur, he said. The company has spent $1.4 billion on systemwide upgrades, plus $90 million on the Long Island City network, Clendenin said. The utility company is scheduled to testify before the City Council's Consumer Affairs Committee today about summer preparations.
Lisa L. Colangelo
New York Daily News
- Like Reply Link Flag
- Ambient Introduces Real-Time Current and Voltage Sensing to Electrical Grid
- Ambient Introduces Real-Time Current and Voltage Sensing to Electrical Grids Via BPL Communications Platform
BusinessWire - April 18, 2007 8:30 AM ET
http://broadbandoverpowerlines.blogspot.com/2007/04/ambient-introduces-real-time-current.html
Ambient Corporation (OTCBB: ABTG), a leader in Broadband over Power Lines (BPL) solutions, announced today that it has significantly enhanced its suite of products by integrating two intelligent grid applications into its core BPL communications platform for use in both overhead and underground systems.
The current and voltage sensing applications, enabled by Ambient's core products, are extremely valuable to utilities. Ambient's energy sensing products further validate the benefits of building out a communications network, which allows a utility to have real-time visibility into its electrical grid. Achieving this without adding additional external equipment to the BPL communications platform represents a significant breakthrough in the market. Ambient's ability for providing sensing capabilities is a non-intrusive, easily implemented, and cost-effective solution which is highly beneficial to utilities.
Pioneering the use of BPL platforms for delivering Smart Grid capabilities is key to positioning Ambient as a leading innovator. Ambient provides enabling BPL technology to utilities for improving energy and operational efficiency, especially with an aging grid infrastructure.
John J. Joyce, President and CEO of Ambient stated, "Ambient has been committed to creating and integrating intelligent grid applications and products which meet the present and, more importantly, future needs of its customers. These solutions reflect our philosophy of delivering maximum benefit and flexibility to the utilities, while minimizing the complexity and costs. In an increasingly green energy industry, deploying next-generation, Smart Grid technology will play a major role in the efficient delivery of energy. Integrating this functionality into our customers' grids represents a significant milestone for both the industry and Ambient."
Real-time current sensing enables proactive instead of reactive management of distribution circuits, thereby increasing grid efficiency and reliability. This will allow the utility to not only know the operational status of a medium voltage circuit, but also know and monitor in real-time the amount of energy flowing through at any given point on the circuit.
Voltage sensing is useful for energy management, monitoring health and efficiency of transformers, and for identifying potentially problematic transformers enabling the utility to predict and prevent possible equipment failure. The voltage levels at the secondary side of the transformer can now be measured and reported continuously in real-time.
"We believe we have the first BPL system that enables such extensive and unique integration of key utility applications," stated Ram Rao, Chief Technology Officer at Ambient. "Ambient has always believed that utility applications are critical to the success of BPL systems and thus we have focused on the development of new products and applications in this area to benefit our utility partners, and future customers."
Smart sensing applications are increasingly important in reducing the environmental impact of line loss and in reducing the economic impact of outages and power disruption estimated to cost US businesses over $50 billion a year according to EPRI.
- Like Reply Link Flag


text:
40 CFR 211.212-1 - Test request.
(a) The Administrator will request all testing under this section by means of a test request addressed to the -manufacturer.
(b) The test request will be signed by the Assistant Administrator for Enforcement or his designee. The test request will be delivered by an EPA Enforcement Officer or sent by certified mail to the plant manager or other responsible official as designated by the manufacturer.
(5) The number of protectors to be forwarded to the designated test facility and the number of those protectors which must be tested by the facility.
(d) The test request may provide for situations in which the selected category is unavailable for testing. It may include an alternative category to be selected for testing in the event that protectors of the first specified category are not available because the protectors are not being manufactured at the specified plant, at the specified time, and are not being stored at the specified plant or storage facility.
(1) Any testing conducted by the manufacturer under a test request must commence within the period specified within the test request. The Administrator may extend the time period on request by the manufacturer, if a test facility is not available to conduct the testing.
(2) The manufacturer must complete the required testing within one -week following commencement of the -testing.
(3) The manufacturer will be allowed 1 calendar week to send test hearing protectors from the assembly plant to the testing facility. The Administrator may approve more time based upon a request by the manufacturer. The request must be accompanied by a satisfactory justification.
(f) Failure to comply with any of the requirements of this section will not be considered a violation of these regulations if conditions and circumstances outside the control of the manufacturer render it impossible for him to comply. These conditions and circumstances include, but are not limited to, the temporary unavailability of equipment and personnel needed to conduct the required tests. The manufacturer bears the burden of establishing the presence of the conditions and circumstances.
(Sec. 13. Pub. L. 92-574, 86 Stat. 1244 (42 U.S.C. 4912))
[44 FR 56139, Sept. 28, 1979, as amended at 45 FR 8275, Feb. 6, 1980; 47 FR 57717, Dec. 28, 1982]
Title 40 published on 2014-07-01
no entries appear in the Federal Register after this date.


text:
Unit Managers in the United States take home an average $58K per year. This group's pay is mainly influenced by the specific employer, followed by the particular city and experience level. More than half of Unit Managers (67 percent) survey participants are women. Most workers in this position report high levels of job satisfaction. Medical benefits are awarded to a large number, and a fair number earn dental coverage. The information for this rundown comes from respondents who completed PayScale's salary questionnaire.
Add this chart to your site:
Copy and paste this HTML:
Add this chart to your site:
Copy and paste this HTML:
The unit manager is responsible for managing a specific operation in an organization. The manager usually is in charge of a group of employees within the unit the manager is overseeing. They typically are in charge of hiring employees and ensuring these employees are working properly and efficiently in their position. The fields in which a unit manager works vary widely. In nursing homes, for example, the unit manager oversees employees and nurses; in a sales position, the unit manager manages the sales employees in their division.Read More...
Unit managers often report to a supervisor, who evaluates how well these managers are running the department in the organization; the unit is typically judged on efficiency of operations and whether it meets organizational goals. The unit manager may work in a wide variety of environments, but they typically work in an indoor setting during regular business hours. However, they might need to come in at different hours to follow through on time-sensitive tasks and solve issues that come up unexpectedly.
The unit manager typically must have supervising experience and be knowledgeable about the field in which they are working; this could include formal education, as well as work experience. The manager must be an effective leader and manager, able to resolve interpersonal and logistical issues that arise in their department.
Add this chart to your site: 640px 300px
While Unit Managers do not often become Long Term Care Nursing Directors, the job pays $75K per year on average. Unit Managers most often advance into Registered Nurse and MDS Coordinator positions even though the median salaries are $4K lower and $3K lower, respectively.
The Travelers Companies, Inc. offers the largest salaries in town — $95K on average.
Pay for Unit Managers is the lowest at Acosta Sales & Marketing Company, Inc., which has a median salary of $37K. In addition, there's little room to grow there, with salaries maxing out at $44K.
Survey takers who work as Unit Managers typically report just a few professional skills. Those who have experience with Geriatrics, Operations Management, and People Management can expect to be compensated well for these skills. Skills that are correlated to lower pay, on the other hand, include People Management. Many workers who know Operations Management also know People Management.
Median of all compensation (including tips, bonus, and overtime) by years of experience.
Unit Managers with a lot of experience do not necessarily enjoy more money. The average worker who claims fewer than five years of experience earns around $55K. In contrast, however, individuals who report five to 10 years in this occupation see a much larger median of $60K. People with 10 to 20 years of experience make an average of about $63K in this role. Unit Managers with more than 20 years of experience report incomes that are only modestly higher; the median for these old hands hovers around $64K.
|Extremely satisfied
Rated 5 out of 5
based on 138 votes.
67 %
33 %
|Medical: 80%
|Dental: 72%
|Vision: 59%
|None: 17%


text:
Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
Report: Has Kyle Richards' Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Fame Really "Gone to Her Head"?
Move over Lady Gaga — a source claims Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' Kyle Richards is the real fame monster in Tinseltown! Do we believe it? We're not so sure...
A friend of the former child actress is speaking out about how the brunette bombshell has changed since becoming a reality TV star, claiming she's become media-hungry. According to Radar Online, Kyle's "not the same down-to-earth woman she used to be," says the source, adding that the fame "has all gone to her head." We're not sure what kind of "friend" talks about their BFF like that!
In addition to insisting her old friends call her assistant to make plans, the source claims Kyle spends her hours scrutinizing herself on RHoBH. "She sets DVRs on multiple TVs throughout the house and watches herself for hours — analyzing her outfits, hair, and makeup, and the camera angles she's shot from," says the friend. We have to say, if we were on TV, we'd overanalyze every move we made too!
We imagine Kyle is too busy opening stores and caring for her children to waste that much time obsessing anyway!
Source: Radar Online
Can't get enough RHoBH and RHoOC? Like us on our Facebook page, or follow us on Twitter!


text:
The Cave guitar pro by Mumford And Sons, added: March 10th, 2010
Profile History
WARNING: You are trying to view content from Ultimate-Guitar.com in an unauthorized application, which is prohibited. Please use an official Ultimate Guitar Tabs application for iPhone, iPad or Android to access legitimate chords, guitar, bass, and drum tabs from Ultimate-Guitar.com database. Type "ultimate guitar tabs" in Apple App Store's or Android Market's search to find the application.
Get unlimited online access to 200,000+ tabs with HQ playback
and tempo control by starting your free 3-day trial!
Right notes but the tuning is completely wrong.
Its Open D tuning with a capo on the 2nd fret. Or you can tune it to Open E. Other then that is a good effort.
It's good to find a standard tuning version. There's no way I'm changing to Open D just to play this quick riff


text:
Three conditions characterize a monopolistically competitive market. First, the market has many firms, none of which is large. Second, there is free entry and exit into the market; there are no barriers to entry or exit. Third, each firm in the market produces a differentiated product. This last condition is what distinguishes monopolistic competition from perfect competition. Examples of monopolistically competitive firms include restaurants, retail clothing stores, and gasoline service stations.
Differentiated products and monopolistic behavior. In many markets, competing firms sell products that can be differentiated from one another. A firm's product can be differentiated in a number of different ways: by its quality, its convenience, its size, its color, its look, its taste—even by its brand name! As a firm's product becomes more and more differentiated, the firm faces less and less competition and will be able to act more like a monopolist in its output and pricing decisions. Thus, in a monopolistically competitive industry, firms seek to differentiate their products as much as possible. Much of this differentiation is accomplished through advertising.
More Study Help
©2014 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy


text:
From employee health screenings and health fairs to exercise classes and the inaugural Walking Challenge, employees at Regional Medical Center began a focus on wellness in 2012 that is continuing on into the new year. The system is applying to be named a "Fit Friendly Worksite" by the American Heart Association. Fit Friendly Worksites are recognized by the American Heart Association as employers who go above and beyond when it comes to their employees' health, including providing walking paths and promoting walking programs.
More than 700 employees finished the Walking Challenge on 64 different teams. A total of 177,146,999 steps were walked by MED employees for the 5-week challenge. This is equivalent to approximately 88,574 miles, or 3 ½ times around the world, or a third of the way to the moon! The Miles High Club was the top team with more than 5.7 million steps walked. When Dr. Reginald Coopwood, President and CEO, announced the winners he encouraged the staff to keep moving.
"The walking challenge was the start of what I hope will become viral in the organization – a drive to be healthy," said Dr. Coopwood. "It is important for our well being to live and work in a fit and healthy environment."
Dr. Coopwood presented the winning team of the Walking Challenge with a trophy during the closing celebration in December. Pictured left to right: Courtney Jackson, Arzell Young, Dr. Reginald Coopwood, Roxanne Willis, Archie Stewart, Charles Franklin, Willie Weeks, Maurice Brown, Odell Brown, Rex Hibbard and Mike Adams.


text:
UTSA newsletters
» UTSA Expressions -- Student Center for Community Engagement and Inclusion
UTSA magazines
» Giving
» Discovery -- UTSA Research
» Innovations -- College of Engineering
» Ovations -- College of Liberal and Fine Arts
» Spectrum -- College of Education
UTSA increases water conservation through SAWS fixture retrofit program
(March 30, 2012) -- One of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to reduce water use is to replace outdated fixtures with those designed to conserve water. With the help of the San Antonio Water System (SAWS) commercial toilet retrofit and rebate program, more than 300 urinals will be replaced with high-efficiency units (HEUs) at the UTSA Tri-campuses.
As the second-largest water consumer in San Antonio, the conservation potential at UTSA is significant. Using the SAWS estimate of 3 million gallons saved per 100 HEUs, the installation of the water-saving fixtures will reduce water use by an estimated 8 million gallons per year. HEUs use half a gallon or less per flush compared to one gallon per flush in the older units.
In March, Facilities Operations and Maintenance teams began work with SAWS contractors in the urinal retrofit installations. Inconvenience for the university community is expected to be minimal since retrofit schedules will ensure that one restroom per building floor remains open. The project will be completed by May.
For more information, contact UTSA Facilities at 210-458-4268.


text:
Delicious food will be served!
Human Rights Law Society is putting on, for the general body, their second educational event on the basics of Human Rights Law.
Daniel M. Brinks, Associate Professor at UT and Co-Director of the Bernard and Audre Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice, will be narrowing in on a category of Human Rights, talking specifically about Economic, Social, and Cultural rights.
Professor Brinks' research focuses on the role of the law and courts in supporting or extending human rights and many of the basic rights associated with democracy, with a primary regional interest in Latin America. Professor Brinks was born and raised in Argentina and practiced law in the U.S. for nearly ten years before turning to academia. He holds a PhD from the University of Notre Dame and a JD from the University of Michigan.
If you need an accommodation to participate in this event, please contact the sponsor listed above or the UT Law Special Events Office at firstname.lastname@example.com no later than seven business days prior to the event.


text:
Forum Menu
Daily Digest
Home Page
Post Response
Re: he killed an animal I was upset he thinks Im madPosted by: Leslie Hemsing
Posted on: April 28, 2002 at 22:48:08
In Reply to: he killed an animal I was upset he thinks Im mad
: Ok I love animals and at the same time understand that there supposed to hunt small game. But I thought that he would just chase the feild mouse into the woods. Instead he picked it up shook it and killed it. I couldnt stop him he was to fast. So my question is how do I make him understand that when he does that Im not mad just upset?
There's nothing like seeing the "nature of the beast" up close and personal to open our eyes, huh? The hunting instinct is just that -- instinct -- and is an intregral part of our terriers personalities. In their minds, they didn't do anything "wrong" and cannot understand why we would be angry or upset. You don't have to like it but you do need to find a way to accept it.
Your terrier is still the same dog who curls up on your lap, makes funny noises when he's sleeping and loves to play fetch. He's also more then that... and "that" is just another part to love and accept.


text:
Rihanna charges $250 for new album deluxe edition
November 1, 2012 - 08:21 am
Decrease Increase Text size
Pop star Rihanna is known for her far-out style, and now, she is hoping to share some of her lavish bling with you in the release of her latest album, "Unapologetic."
The $250 "Diamonds Executive Platinum Box" includes a 40 page custom notebook with lyrics and notes from Rihanna, a handwritten note to fans, and a t-shirt, among other items. The album will be available on November 16.
If you can't, or choose not to shell out the $250, you can pay $75 for the "Diamonds Deluxe Edition Box," which has a t-shirt, laptop stickers, a deluxe version of the CD, the DVD, and a fan poster, among other items.
Would you like to contribute to this story? Join the discussion.


text:
A proud pragmatist.
Joined: Nov 2009
Location: Hiding off Hwy 6, B.C.
Oddometer: 4,744
Looks like your parts have been anodized. You'll have to remove that first. Good lye solution should do it. Easy Off will. Achieving the finish, shiny or not is just the right combo of compounds/sanding/lube/scrubbies in whatever combination you choose. You can even polish that with Old Dutch or Ajax or whatever. Just practice somewhere on a scrap piece.
Keeping it in good shape once done and no anodizing left you'll be cleaning poolishing a lot more, shiny or not. They don't anodize them soft alloys just for looks.Soft alloys they have to seal the pores otherwise crud/salt gets in there and you won't get rid of it easily. I am not into the shiny looks but it sure is easier to maintain, crud & salts don't get in the pores so much and it depends a lot also on the type of alloys used.
Lets say that I have polished way too much Aluminium kitchen equipment and motorcycle parts in 30+ years to care much about doing that anymore. Mostly done with stuff from under the kitchen sink or when I am at sea.....cleaning locker.
Powdercoating? I just bought the 1200 degree powder in "Brushed Aluminium" color, haven't tried it yet. Will be doing some tests this week maybe.
Have tools, will travel!
|Thread Tools
|Search this Thread
|Display Modes
Threaded Mode


text:
Philip Seymour Hoffman suffered from a chronic medical condition that required ongoing treatment. An admitted drug addict who first sought professional help more than two decades ago, Hoffmanapparently succumbed to his illness with an overdose despite a return to rehab last March.
A father of three with a thriving career, the Oscar winner died Sunday with a needle in his arm and baggies of what appeared to be heroin nearby. New York City medical examiners were conducting an autopsy onHoffman's body Monday as investigators scrutinize evidence found in his apartment, including at least four dozen plastic packets, some confirmed to have contained heroin.
His death, which came after a long period of sobriety that ended last year, "epitomizes the tragedy of drug addiction in our society," said Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
"Here you have an extraordinarily talented actor who had the resources, who had been in treatment, who obviously realized the problem of drugs and had been able to stay clean," she said, adding that Hoffman'scase shows how devastating addiction can be.
Success has no more bearing on drug addiction than it does on heart failure, doctors say: Both can be fatal without consistent care. And while rehab may be part of treatment, it's no antidote. Amy Winehouse and Cory Monteith had both been to rehab before eventually dying from overdoses.
"Addiction is a chronic, progressive illness. No one can be cured," said Dr. Akikur Reza Mohammad, a psychiatrist and addiction-medicine specialist who works as a professor at USC's Keck School of Medicine and is founding chief of Inspire Malibu Treatment Center. "If someone is suffering from addiction, they cannot relax at any time. The brain neurochemistry changes… so these people are prone to relapse."
The younger a person begins using drugs, the more likely he is to develop an addiction, Volkow said. Hoffmanwasn't specific about his poisons when he told CBS' "60 Minutes" in 2006 that he used "anything I could get my hands on" before cleaning up with rehab at age 22.
He said in interviews last year that he sought treatment for heroin addiction after 23 years of sobriety.
Addiction causes chemical changes in the brain that remain long after a person stops using the substance, said Volkow, who described the condition as "a chronic disease with a very long duration." Abstinence or substitute medication is often required to prevent the addict from losing control around his desired substance.
And just as someone who hasn't ridden a bike for 20 years will still know what to do with a bicycle, an addicted brain exposed to its drug — even after a long break — will relapse to its old levels.
Studies have replicated this in animals, Volkow said: "Give them a tiny amount and they immediately escalate to same levels of drug taking as before" — which is why addiction …continued »
Editor's Pick