text:
Register now for free, or sign in with any of these services:
well said Trip. My data collection days were 40 years ago, a foundation to build upon.
Ralph and all property owners should be aware that a refusal to allow a property inspection will generate a denial of an abatement application at the local Board of assessors AND at the Appellate Tax Board (ATB) at the appeal level. The State Appeals Court has upheld this in a recent case involving a taxpayer in the town of Lynnfield; a case in which I had some involvement.
So. Deny access all you want. Just be aware of the limitations of that approach.
This article begs comments & questions.
1. Sandra - Where are the questions about the social clubs? Were the abated? Denied? Abated in part? what? these are all public records - shouldn't the new kid on the block address them?
2. Data Collectors? trained by whom? for how long? Is the ex officio member of the board of assessors (that would your self-esteemed mayor) asking the property owners & taxpayers of WS to admit raw rookies to their properties? where were these questions at the "press conference"?
One hopes that mr. Doup is not part of a mayoral scheme to dupe the property owners & taxpayers.
The Founding Fathers envisioned a government of LAWS, not of men. It appears that the current regime in West Springfield has turned that concept on its head. Hopefully, the Commonwealth will recognize this anomaly, and take steps to correct it. I'll be encouraging the State and its various departments to do exactly that.
That's what it is, pure & simple. In the 1950's, Senator Joseph McCarthy, R of WisCONsin, stood up many times, held up a piece of paper, and intoned: "I have a list of X number of Com-nists (his pronounciation) in the Y department." His bete noir was the State Department. Trouble was, the number & department would change with each assertion. It took Attorney Welch from Boston to bring the drunkard (yes, he was) to heel. " Have you no shame, Senator?"
We have witnessed an allegation, without support, that Assessors Keefe & Cooley engaged in violations of the Open Meeting Law. We are told by our modern day McCarthy, that there are are "144" such e-mails. Ole Joe would be proud of the current version. McCarthyism is alive and well in West Springfield, it appears.
Where are the 144 e-mails? On-line, for all to view and make their own judgement? Given to the local press for their review & interpretation? NO! Instead, we have a smear campaign worthy of the late Senator himself. Pathetic.
That's why this course of action is properly labeloed: "McCarthyism".
Meanwhile, the Massachusetts state law on Open Meeting Law violations is crystal clear. Has this mayor followed one (1) element of the State law? It's not a quiz, I'll give you the answer: a resounding NO!
This is simply a red herring. The four social clubs have failed to file as charitable organizations with the Charitable division of the Attorney General"s Office. Is that not a fact?
Further, the four social clubs have failed to file timely with the Board of Assessors; the law requires a filing by March 1. That is MARCH 1 OF 2011, FOR FISCAL YEAR 2012!!! Is that not a fact?
And, it is my understanding that three of the four social clubs failed to pay their tax bill by the deadline of February 1, 2012. Thus, they have jeopordized their cases (such as they are), under the relevant laws of the Commonwealth. Are these not facts?
Enough with the red herrings. Enough with the carnival barker routine. Enough with the misdirection plays. The four social clubs should now go public with the same data that the Attorney General REQUIRES of all charitable organizations. After all, the filing with the Attorney General IS a public record, is it not?
Then, the four social clubs could attempt to achieve victory in the Court of Public Opinion. What are they waiting for?
The mayor is playing a shell game: while you try to figure out which shell the pea is under, he is peeing on you.
All of this focus on the Open Meeting Law obscures the basic facts: the four social clubs have failed to complete the minimum requirements for consideration as charitable organizations. They have not proven (the burden of proof is on them, per the law) that they are entitled to avoid paying local property taxes. But they and their yahoo major domo are OK with their ongoing tax evasion.
Let's look at the Open Meeting Law, shall we. That is Mass General Laws chapter 30A, sections 18-25. If one, say a certain mayor, feels that there has been a violation of the Open meeting Law, the PROPER procedure is to file a complaint with the offending Board. Did the mayor do that?
Then, it is the responsibility of that Board to respond and/or make corrections to its procedures.
If the complainant (i.e. your self-absorbed mayor) is still aggrieved, he can take his complaint to the Attorney General. Did the mayor do that?
This has been the procedure since July 1, 2010.
Of course, the mayor failed in his duty to follow the law, again. In his lust to satisfy his campaign promises to the social clubs to which he pandered so blatantly during that campaign; he has decided to totally ignore any and all State laws and requirements regarding anything and everything having to do with his tax-evading pals.
Meanwhile, the four hogs at the public trough keep right on sucklin'.
Today's edition of the DOR's "City and Town" publication also included some verbiage regarding local property tax exemptions ans charitable organizations. Gee, do you think they got wind of the chief hog-caller and his gang of four hogs, sucklin' at the public trough? Or, a mere coincidence?
Anyway: "As a general rule, the property owned by social clubs is subject to local property taxation. In fact, the only way a social club becomes exempt from local property tax is for that club to be organized exclusively for the benefit of a charity."
And: "Trade groups, professional associations or social clubs generally do not qualify since they operate primarily for their members."
This is stunning clarity for a government publication. How can you not get it? How obtuse must Mayor McNasty be if he doesn't get it? or, how beholden....
One hopes that Nicora gets it. The question is whether he has the gonadal fortitude to stand up to the Panderer and do the right thing. He's been around long enough to know what a Form 1B-3 is. and what a State Tax Form 3ABC is. And what Form PC (Public Charities Report) is. And what Federal form 990 is. These are part of the package that charitable organizations MUST file ANNUALLY in order to recieve an exemption from local property taxes.
One can only hope - while feeling the Mayor may have found his personal sock puppet to do his dirty work. We'll see.....
Hey Keefe-bashers! Listen up
The legal Department of the DOR reported today in their publication "City and Town" (catchy name, eh?) that St. Francis church of Scituate, ma, LOST their appeal to be tax-exempt. the Appellate Tax Board (ATB) ruled that the closed church was NOT entitled to an exemption from local property taxes as a religious entity.
But more importantly, the ATB ruled (12/16/2011) that the closed church did NOT qualify for an exemption from local property taxes as a CHARITABLE organization. Sound familiar?
So. Keefe was right on St. Anne's taxable status. No doubt there will be a plethora of apologies for doubting the veracity, sagacity and perspicasity of Mr. Keefe.
Don't believe it? Go to the website and see it for yourself.
One hopes that Nicora can live up to the high standards set by Mr. Keefe, and resist the chief
hog-caller's squeals to end run the State's laws for the four hogs at the public trough.
'bout the hogs, well let's take a gander
At the works of the one who did pander
In a pitch for their votes
Did he commit to promote
Tax Evasion?, I ask in all candor
"social clubs" is a misnomer? Then why are three for the four hogs at the public trough registered with the Secretary of State as "social clubs"? at their OWN choosing!
"community-based clubs"??? where is that classification found? I guess the hogs fell that they can just make it up as they go.
and again, if you want to be classified as a charity in Massachusetts, you MUST file with the Attorney General's Office of Public charities. Where is the Form PC, which so many others file with the AG?
Where is the income & expense data? the cash reserve data? for ALL of the hogs. Don't just tell people about tough life is, make public the very data that the AG requires. Then people can make their own judgements. Open. Transparent. Try it
sure, that panderer had a different demeanor when he is trolling for votes among the hogs, no doubt. All of those ear-witnesses to Mayor McCheesie's verbal meltdown, both in the room and down the corridor are wrong. Yeah, right...
It appears that George Orwell could see the future in West Springfield those many years ago when he wrote Animal Farm: "All animals are equal; but some animals are more equal than others."
The mayor made a direct request that the assessors violate the law, MGL Chapter 40, Section 30: Penalty for false valuation.
"Any person chosen to determine the valuation of property for the purpose of taxation who, in order that the taxpayers may escape payment of their just proportion...or for any other fraudulent or corrupt purpose...causes an abatement to be be made otherwise than is provided by law, shall be punished by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars, or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or both."
A direct request to violate the law, witnessed by two people. What more do you need?
Recall this loser.
your guess is 100 % incorrect. It has been clear for months that the burden was on the pseudo-charitable organizations to support & justify their exemption. the didn't period.
it is not too late. Produce the data that the AG REQUIRES of charitable organizations, that is to say legitimate ones, and let all taxpayers decide for themselves. That data is a public record, if you are a legitimate charity. Check it out. there's the Lions, the Boys & Girls Club, etc. But: no verdi, no Elks, no Tatham, no Dante.
Is that the way you want it to be?
Just to check, I went back to the Public Charities Division of the Attorney General, online. Anyone can go there. It is a simple search fo find the Form PC that MUST be filed with the AG by ALL Public Charities. Under west springfield, you will find many. Let's take the Lion's Club. There are all fourteen (14) pages of the Form PC, for ALL to see. Income. Expenses. Assets. etc.
Then, look up the Elks - nothing. Verdi Club - nothing. Tatham Club - nothing. Dante Club - wait! there iit is! Oh, never mind. It is the Dante Club of SOMERVILLE. W. Springfield - nothing. Notice any pattern here?
Perhaps these clubs were trying to establish a new category: the PSEUDO-Charitable organization. or PCO. And your mayor pandered to these PCOs for political purposes. Doesn't that just warm the cockles of your heart as you contine to provide the Town's charity to these PCOs? If this weekends snow event had been significant, their streets would have been ploughed & sanded (or whatever) with the actual taxpayers footing the bill for effort. Damn decent of you taxpayers to support these tax evaders in the style which they have grown accustomed to. Tax evaders? - you betcha!
Now , it is easy to whine & moan about the situation. But, how about solutions? Got one! and it won't set you back $19.95 (plus shipping & handling). And, in the spirit of TV infomercials, read this now, and I will give you TWO (2) solutions for the same price. Woo-hoo!
1. The four hogs feeding at the public trough make their PC form public; the one which should have been filed with the AG. Not a problem, since it would have been a public document if properly filed in the first place. Give us your income, expenses, assets, etc.; all the stuff you are supposed to file with AG's office. Even das uberMayor should agree with openness, transparency, etc. Drop the veil of opaqueness, and the cleansing light of full disclosure shine in. Hey! if Mitt Romney can do it.....
2. Or. On Page 5 of the DOR's "Taxpayer's Guide to Local Property Tax Exemptions, Religious and Charitable Organizations", there is a paragraph headed " Direct Appeal". It states the following:
" ...your organizanzation may take a direct appeal to the ATB (Appellate Tax Board) within three months of the assessors' determination that its property is not eligible for a charitable exemption. The issuance of a tax bill on the property is considered a determination of non-eligibilty for purposes of a direct appeal." and further: "Payment of the tax is not required to take a direct appeal."
The four hogs at the public trough chose the filing of State Tax Form 128 at the local level, where the assessors (NOT the mayor) are required to follow certain rules. They still can file a 'direct appeal' to the ATB; in fact they still have about 1.5 months to do so. Then, they can have hearings before the ATB, hearings that are OPEN to the public. Hearings at which they will have to SUPPORT & JUSTIFY their tax evasion scheme.Hearings at which they will HAVE to reveal the income, expense, assets, etc.
No wonder they took the behind closed doors local option. Plus, they have an as, ah make that ace-in-the-hole, right? Political pandering yields political payback. Go local, have the mayor who is beholden to you knuckle the assessor, and voila! c'est si bon! whoda thunk that that pesky assessor would stand tall and do the right thing in the face of political pressure.
Support Neffinger and you support cronyism of the worst kind; the kind that picks winners (his sycophants) and losers (the taxpayers). Support Mr. Keefe and you are for good people doing the right thing within the laws of the Commonwealth. Your choice.
It's that simple.
Recall/ why would the taxpayers want a recall? they have a golden opportunity here, created by the Loud Neff monster (not to be confused with any swimming in that lake in Scotland). To wit:
Say you are a homeowner who tithes the Church of What's Happenin' Now the required 10 % of the household income; and says grace before meals & prayers before bedtime. Surely your house is entitled to an exemption from property taxes, as a religious organization, just as the four whiners claim to be charitable organizations, right? Call mayor Neveringear and ask him to get right on it, to advocate as vigorously for you as he does for them.
Or, say you gave generously to the Red Cross or others after the earthquake in Haiti. Well, if the four whiners can claim to be charitable organizations based on their skimpy efforts, then why can't you. Take that tax bill to Neff the ne'er-do-well, and demand that he represent your interests before the Board of Assessors. Abate them? then abate me!
See, you need to be a little creative, like the four charity cases. Why should the taxpayers of West Springfield subsidize only the four whiners, when they could subsidize you? geez, Louise, you would think that the four hogs at the trough might throw a sop to the taxpayers in the form of an occasional free beer. But NOOOOoooooooooooo! They're more like the seagulls in the movie "Finding Nemo": "Mine, Mine, Mine......"
the four claimants for treatment as public charities MUST meet established criteria and time frames, as estsblished under the massachusetts general Laws (MGL). First, they must register with the Secretary of State. Let's look at that website, where we find that all four are listed there, as "Pleasure, recreational, or SOCIAL club" (the Elks listing is slightly different). Many, many others are listed as "charitable" Why would these aspiriants to that status not list themselves as the very thing they seek? Because they aren't, of course.
Let's migrate to the Attorney General's website, to the Public Charities section. There we find....nothing on the four whiners. Whoa! Don't you think that if they were truly public charities that they would have to register as such with the AG's office? Answer: yes they would. So why didn't they?
The Department of Revenue has stated in its publication on the subject that "The organization must be organized for for charitable purposes and must operate as a public charity..." Is that would the social clubs do?
Further: "..its dominant purpose and activities must benefit the public at large, not just a limited group of people." Is that what they do?
And more: "...social groups generally do not qualify..." Get it?
But still, these organizations had months to file the proper documentation with the Board of Assessors in order to support & justify their absurd claims to be tax-exempt. They failed. They are taxable. Period.
and yet: They have two more bites at the apple, if they are paying attention to the law. Think of the contradiction! They and their mayoral malefactor want the law to be ignored; however, the social clubs can use the same laws to get TWO hearings before the Appellate Tax Board.
finally, I want all taxpayers in West Springfield to stand up and give themselves a big pat on the back. You see, the taxes that these social club miscreants are trying to weasel out from, WILL be paid by every other taxpayer in W. Springfield. That is the way the system works: their dollars do not disappear, they shift to everyone else.
And, since charity is the issue. congratulations to all of the taxpayers in W. Springfield for extending charity to these groups which claim to be 'charitable' organizations. Yes, they get police & fire protection, their streets ploughed & paved, etc., etc.; AT NO COST TO THEM!!!!! And you do this for groups with cash piles reported to be in the six (6) figures? Take a bow, taxpayers.
By the way, where is the commentary from the Rip=off, er, make that 'social' clubs in all of this?
"pledges...he will...lower the tax burden on seniors"
How will "he" do that, exactly. There are State laws regarding tax exemptions for seniors who qualify, in MGL Chapter 59, Section 5, Clause(s) 41. Will "he" petition the legislature for some new clause under Chapter 59?
There is the State Circuit Breaker tax program for eligible seniors, administered by his bete noir, the Department of Revenue. Will "he" petition the legislation for increases in the maximum refund currently permitted ($960).
or what, exactly? Will "he" file a home-rule petition in the legislature to cap property taxes at 10 % of a senior's income; as they have in Sudbury, Wayland & Hamilton?
Seniors need & want real tax relief. Vague generalities spouted in an effort to corral votes won't cut it. All seniors/taxpayers should demand that "he" lay out specific proposals for debate & discussion before they consider voting for what will turn out to be nothing under current state laws. You see, the local government has NO authority to override State laws to benefit one class of taxpayers over others. Unless, of course, you are a "Social Club", according to Neffinger.


text:
* Diplomatic push might see unrest, but many sceptical
* Fatah leader sees protests growing, Israel prepares
* In refugee camp, no sign of preparations for demonstrations
RAMALLAH, West Bank, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Calls for Palestinian protests to back a diplomatic push for statehood at the United Nations next month have put Israel on guard; the peace process in deep crisis, some see a violent September, inspired by the Arab Spring.
Yet to many, a sustained Intifada, or uprising, appears unlikely, at least for now. To ordinary Palestinians, the significance of U.N. manoeuvres in New York is hard to fathom, their leaders in the West Bank are wary of violence with Israel and their national movement remains weakened by a deep schism.
"There might be some protests," said Zakaria al-Qaq, a Palestinian political analyst. "But not with the size that the Palestinian leadership expects because the people feel they are marginalised. There is a great lack of confidence."
Marwan al-Barghouti, a charismatic leader in the last two Intifadas and now jailed for life in Israel, was among the first to call for protests to add popular weight to President Mahmoud Abbas's bid to secure a U.N. seat for a new state of Palestine.
With memories of protests on its borders this spring still fresh, Israel is deploying extra forces in preparation for trouble. In the opinion of Avigdor Lieberman, the far-right foreign minister, the Palestinians are planning violence.
In Jalazone, a refugee camp a short drive from the centre of Ramallah, Mohammed Nakhla, 23 years old and unemployed, believes the failure of diplomacy means more confrontation is inevitable.
"There's no alternative," he said. "You need to resist."
With faith in the peace process non-existent -- Abbas himself says talks have hit a dead end -- observers have for some time warned of a vacuum that could be filled by turmoil.
Mahmoud al-Aloul, a veteran in the Fatah party led by Abbas, confidently expects widespread protests in support of the U.N. bid. "It is a declaration of a loss of hope," Aloul told Reuters. "This will lead to a continuous escalation.
"They will be peaceful protests. But will they stay peaceful? This will depend on how the Israelis act."
Yet to many Palestinian analysts, the idea of an imminent outbreak of widespread insurrection, similar to those that are reshaping the rest of the Arab world, seems fanciful.
Some question whether Abbas is even serious in calling for the protests. He has long been opposed to violence and may fear that protests will spiral out of control.
Regardless, some Palestinians will probably take to the streets in response to his call. As is always the case in the generations-old conflict, there is ample potential for confrontations with Israeli security forces.
Yet if the experience of May and June is anything to go by, the participation will not be large. Protests called to mark major anniversaries in the conflict with Israel failed to galvanise large numbers in the Palestinian territories.
More attention focused on Israel's northern frontiers, where thousands of refugees gathered. Some crossed the frontline from Syria, delighting Palestinians and giving Israel's heavily armed troops the problem of dealing with unarmed mass protests.
The head of the Israeli army, looking ahead to next month, has said he does not see "strong energy" among the Palestinians. Unlike foreign minister Lieberman, Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak says he expects events to unfold quietly.
On the ground, there are few signs of preparation. Headlines in Palestinian papers focus more on protests against the high cost of living and on the uprising in Syria than on any thoughts about Palestinians' own possible demonstrations in September.
If Abbas has plans for mass mobilisation, they have yet to reach Jalazone. Established in 1949, it is today home to 11,000 refugees and amounts to a suburb of Ramallah, distinguished from streets elsewhere in the hilly city mostly by its poverty.
At the local Fatah headquarters, Abbas loyalists forecast a large turnout for protests when Abbas asks the United Nations to recognise a Palestinian state. But they could not say what, if anything, was being done to organise that.
In the street, some expressed support for a move seen as a welcome departure from two decades of failed peace talks. Others were outright dismissive, arguing that the U.N. manoeuvres will have no tangible impact on their lives under Israeli occupation.
"It's meaningless. I talk to people and they make fun of the issue," said Bahaa al-Din Zaid, as he stacked loaves in a bakery. "We don't have the foundations of a state."
Away from the veneer of prosperity elsewhere in Ramallah, he said Palestinians had other concerns: "People are not interested in this subject -- they are interested in making ends meet."
Like many Palestinians, he remembers the uprisings of the 1980s and a decade ago as failures, neither Intifada bringing the Palestinians closer to achieving their goal of independence.
The first resulted in the Oslo interim peace accords seen by many Palestinians as a woefully bad deal. The second caused the deaths of hundreds of Israelis and thousands of Palestinians, and led to the erection of Israel's West Bank barrier.
With Israel's key U.S. ally opposed to Abbas's push for U.N. recognition -- Washington insists that should be part of a negotiated settlement with Israel -- substantive gains from a request for enhanced status at the United Nations seem unlikely.
The division between Fatah and Hamas has added to a sense of national crisis among the 4 million Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza Strip who are looking for a leadership with a clear strategy.
The schism between Abbas's Fatah in the West Bank and the Islamist Hamas which rules in Gaza, which has so weakened the Palestinians, persists despite a deal agreed in May to end it.
One Fatah organiser in the West Bank, who declined to be named, said the leadership's call for protests was not serious: "The potential for Palestinian protest is there, but it cannot be the result of government directives," he said.
"The Palestinians want mobilisation and there's accumulated frustration. But you cannot mobilise with this current policy." (Editing by Crispian Balmer and Alastair Macdonald)

subset: commoncrawl


text:
A multi-player video game server includes a player control interface, a video interface, and a game engine. The player interface couples the game server to a network and can receive game control data over the network from multiple players. Each player has a game control device at which game control data can be input. The video interface couples the game server to a video transmission network and transmits game display video over the video transmission network. The game engine is coupled to the player interface and the video interface and includes a processor and a memory. The memory stores multi-player video game instructions that configure the processor to process game control data and render the game display video that is then provided to the video interface for transmission over a video network. A multi-player video gaming method includes receiving a number of player input data connections at a game server. Each of the game control data stream includes player input data from a different player of a multi-player video game. An output display image is generated at the game server by executing video game instructions to process the player input data connections from the multiple players as inputs to the same multi-player game. The output display image is then transmitted over a channel of a video transmission network.
1. A method of implementing a multi-player game, the method comprising:
receiving dual-tone multi-frequency player input data from an analog telephone connection with a plurality of players;
generating an output display image for the multi-player game based on the player input data, the output display image comprising a plurality of subdivisions, each of the subdivision corresponding to one player of the plurality of players;
transmitting a first subdivided output display image over a video transmission network to at least a first one of the plurality of players.
2. A method of implementing a multi-player game, the method comprising:
receiving player input data for the multi-player game from a plurality of players;
generating an output display image for the multi-player game based on the player input data, the output display image comprising a plurality of subdivisions, each of the subdivision corresponding to one player of the plurality of players;
transmitting a first subdivided output display image over a first channel of the video transmission network; and
transmitting a second subdivided output display image over a second channel of the video transmission network.
3. A method of implementing a multi-player game, the method comprising:
receiving player input data from a plurality of controllers, each controller associated with a different one of a plurality of players, wherein at least one player's controller comprises a telephone keypad;
generating an output display image for the multi-player game based on the player input data, the output display image comprising a plurality of subdivisions, each of the subdivision corresponding to one player of the plurality of players;
transmitting a first subdivided output display image over a video transmission network to at least a first one of the plurality of players.
4. The method of
5. The method of
6. The method of
7. The method of
Video game are a popular entertainment activity that players can engage in through the use of a dedicated video game console or a personal computer. Game consoles and personal computers can be used to receive input from an attached game pad, keyboard, joystick or other game controller, process video game software, and display video game images on a connected television or monitor. Video game consoles and personal computers also can be used for multi-player games. Multi-player games typically require each player to use different game controllers attached to the same game console or computer. Multi-player game systems can also be implemented using game consoles or computers that send data to each other over a network or modem connection. In these multi-player systems, each of the multiple players are required to have compatible local video game consoles and/or home computer, and local copies of particular game software to play games with each other. Multi-player video games may, however, be more conveniently provided to players by a system in which the players do not require local game consoles, home computers, or other specialized devices.
In general, in one aspect, the invention features a multi-player video game server. The video game server includes a player interface, a video interface, and a game engine. The player interface couples the game server to a network and can receive game control data over the network from multiple players. Each player has a game control device used to input game control data. The video interface couples the game server to a video transmission network and transmits game display video over the video transmission network. The game engine is coupled to the player interface and the video interface and includes a processor and a memory. The memory stores multi-player video game instructions that configure the processor to process game control data and render the game display video that is then provided to the video interface for transmission over a video network.
In general, in another aspect, the invention features a multi-player video gaming method. The method includes receiving a number of player input data connections at a game server. Each of the game control data stream includes player input data from a different player of a multi-player video game. An output display image is generated at the game server by executing video game instructions to process the player input data connections from the multiple players as inputs to the same multi-player game. The output display image is then transmitted over a channel of a video transmission network.
In general, in another aspect, the invention features a method for providing a multi-player video game. The method includes receiving player input data at a game control device and transmitting the player input data over a network to a game server. The method also includes receiving a video game image at a video terminal that was generated at the game server in response to the player input data from the game control device and player input data from another game control device.
Implementations may include one or more of the following features. The output display image (i.e., the game display video image) may be divided into different subdivisions each of which is associated with a different one of the players. The player input data may be touch-tone (i.e., dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF)) data that is input by the players using telephone keypads. The transmitted output display image may be receivable by both players and an audience of non-players. The same output display image may be sent to all players of the multi-player game, or the game engine may generate different output display images for different players; the different output display images may be transmitted over different channels of the video transmission network. The game server may support more than one multi-player game (i.e., the game server may receive player input data connections from a second group of players and send output display images to that second group that are generated based on the game control data received from those players). The video game instructions for different multi-player games may be executing at different game engines. The game engines may include commercially available (mass-market) video game hardware such as Sony Playstation®, Nintendo® or Sega® video game hardware. The game control streams may be received over a network that is different from the video transmission network. For example, the game control streams may be received over a point-to-point telephone network or a packet data network, while the video may received over a broadcast video network. The video transmission network may be a one-way video transmission network that can transmit video on multiple channels, and each channel may be receivable at multiple display terminals.
The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a video game system.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a game control data interface.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a video network interface.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a game controller network interface.
FIG. 5 is an output display having four quadrants.
FIG. 1 shows a system 100 for multi-player video games. The system lets players take part in multi-player video games using gaming equipment 111-113 that includes a game controller 117-119 and a television or other video display terminal 114-116. The controllers 111-113 and display terminals 114-116 are coupled, respectively, over a data network 150 and a video transmission 140 network to a video game server 130. The video game server processes data from the controllers ("player input data") and generates video game images that are viewed by the players.
To communicate player input data to the server 130, data connections are established through network 150 between the controllers 117-119 and the game server 130. The way in which the data connections are established will depend on the type of controller 117-119, network 150, and server 130 technology implemented in the system 100.
In a telephone handset controlled system, the controllers 117-119 can include telephone handsets that transmit touch-tone signals (i.e., dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signals) through a voice phone network 150 to a telephone network interface 132 at the game server. Players can control a game from a telephone handset by entering digits on the telephone's keypad. In some implementations, the game server also may send synthesized voice or other sounds back to the players by means of their telephone handsets. For example, interface 132 may include voice synthesis circuitry to communicate operating instructions to players. Other types of controllers (e.g., joysticks, game pads, keyboards, and mice) also can be constructed with analog telephone interface circuitry enabling them to send DTMF signals over a phone network. For example, referring to FIG. 4, a joystick, keyboard, mouse and/or other controller 410 can be coupled to analog telephone interface circuitry 400. The analog telephone interface circuitry 400 can include circuitry 401 to map controller 410 inputs onto one or more telephone keypad symbols (0-9, *, and #), circuitry 402 to generate DTMF tones, and circuitry 403 providing an electrical interface to an analog telephone network 150. Thus, different inputs from a controller 410 can activate DTMF tone generation circuitry 402 in much the say way as telephone keypad buttons close switches to activate DTMF tone generation circuitry. Implementations also can use controllers 117-119 that communicate by sending binary data over network 150. In a digital controller implementation, circuitry 401-403 can be replaced by interface 401 to the controller(s) 410, a microcontroller or other programmable processor 402 and a modem or other network interface 403. For example, a game controller may send digital data to the game server 130 using a modem 403 to communicate through a telephone network 150. Interface 403 also can be a digital subscriber line interface to connect to a packet-based network such as the Internet or another digital connections (e.g., Ethernet, token ring, IEEE 802.11, land-line or wireless telephone network signaling, data, and digital traffic channels). Circuitry 400 and controller(s) 410 can be implemented using a personal computer with a connected input device and network connection.
Player input data (i.e., data derived from player input at controllers 117-118) is sent through the network 150 to a player data interface 132 at the game server 130. Different types of data interfaces 132 can be used depending on the controller 117-119 and network 150 technology used in a game system 100. FIG. 2 shows additional details of a player data interface 132. The interface 132 includes network interface circuitry 201 that terminates communication signals from the network 150. In game systems 100 in which the network 150 is a analog phone network, the interface 201 may be a modem bank with a telephone network twisted wire pair or trunk interface (e.g., a TI trunk interface). A modem bank can include circuitry that provides for both DTMF signal detection and the demodulation of binary data from another modem. Thus, a modem bank based interface 201 may be used to detect DTMF signals from DTMF-based controllers (e.g., analog telephone handsets) and binary data from controllers 117-119 that communicate digitized data using a modem. Interface 201 also can be a digital interface to a packet-based network 150. For example, interface 201 can be a router connecting server 130 to the Internet or to a local area network 150.
Prior to sending player input data through the network 150, a data connection is established between a player's controller 117-119 and the interface 132. In the case of an interface 132 connected to a voice telephone network 150, a data connection may be established by dialing a telephone number assigned to the interface 132. In the case of packet-based networks 150, the data connection may be established using an network address of the interface 132 in a data frame header. After a player input data connections is established, player input data from that connection is associated with a game engine 133-134 and routed to that game engine by the interface 132. Note that, although FIG. 1 shows two game engines 133-134, implementations may use additional game engines or may use a single game engine. As further described below, each game engine 133-134 executes video game software instructions and receives player input data from the multiple participants of a particular game.
Servers 130 may offer different types of games (e.g., chess, checkers, or cards) or may offer only a single game type (e.g., a checkers-only server). If a server 130 offers multiple game types, a player may select a desired game type before that player's input data is associated with a particular game engine. To select a game type, the player may be prompted by a synthesized voice sent to a telephone handset controller 117-119 from interface 132 or by a display on a video terminal 114-116. The prompt can indicate that a numeric code should be entered or that a joystick or other controller 410 should be used to select a game type. For example, a synthesized voice may announce "Enter '1' key to play chess, '2' to play checkers, and '3' to play cards" and/or the player's video display 114-116 may indicate that a joystick should be moved up to play chess, left to play checkers and right to play cards. In the case of a single game type server 130, selection of the game type can be by default.
Once a game type has been selected (by the player or by default), the player may be assigned to a game engine 133-134 based on the available capacity of the game engines and/or on the availability of other game participants. Players may be assigned to a game engine using information in a database 203. For example, database 203 may contain records identifying players and/or their input data connections, selected game type information for each player, and assigned game engine information for players that are assigned to game engines. As each player connects to the interface 132, the processor 202 can create a player record in the database 203 that identifies the player (and/or the player's data connection) and the type of game selected by that player. Players may be identified by system 130 login information such as a numeric password, by a received telephone number (e.g., via caller-ID functionality), by a network address, and/or by another network 150 connection identifier. The processor 202 can query the database 203 to determine if a game engine 133-134 is available for the selected game type and, for multi-player games, to determine if a sufficient number of additional players are waiting to play the selected game type. If there is an available game engine and there are sufficient players to play the selected game, the processor may assign the players (i.e., route their input data) to a particular game engine 133-134. If a game engine is not available, or additional players are needed for the selected game type, the player may be given the opportunity to wait for available players and or system capacity. If a player chooses to wait, a record is stored in the database 203 to indicate that the player is waiting. If the player does not want to wait, the player may be given the opportunity to select a different game type, to terminate the player input data connection to the server 130, and or to play against an automated opponent provided by the game server.
In some implementations, players may be able to select other players to play with. Selection may be based on skill levels or other information. For example, a chess player may "select" other players by entering a desired chess skill level (novice, intermediate, advanced) using controller 117-119 and the processor 202 may then match chess partners based on skill level data in the database 203. Skill levels data may be automatically generated and stored in player records in the database 203 based on previously played games, and/or players may be prompted to enter their skill level. Players also may be able to select other players using codes associated with a player group. For example, a player may enter a predetermined group identifier and the processor 202 may search database 203 for other players who have entered the same identifier. Players with matching group identifiers may be associated with the same game engine 133-134.
After a player has been associated with a game engine, that player's player input data is routed from the network interface 201 through a game engine interfaces 204-205 to that game engine 133-134. Game engine interfaces 204-205 can include software and/or hardware that electrically and logically formats the player input data from the controllers 117-119 into a game-engine-compatible format. Formatting of the player input data will depend on the game engine implementation. In some game servers 130, each game engine may be a separate software process executing on a single multi-tasking computer system. For example, the game engines 133-134 may be software processes executing on a server 130 running a Windows NT® or UNIX operating system, and game engine interfaces 204-205 may be software-implemented application programming interfaces between the game engine processes and other operating system processes. In other implementations, game engines 133-134 may be separate hardware devices. For example, each game engine 133-134 can be a consumer video game consoles, such as a Sony Playstation®, a Nintendo 64®, or a Sega Dreamcast® video game console. In such implementations, interfaces 204-205 include hardware ports to convert player input data signals received from the network 150 into signals that are compatible with the controller input ports on the video game consoles. For example, in a system using a Sony Playstation as a game engine, DTMF tones received from network 150 can be converted into electrical signals having the same electrical and logical format as would be produced by a Sony Playstation game pad.
Each game engine 133-134 produces one or more output video display signals. In a system 100 using television receivers 114-116, the video output signals can be PAL or NTSC television signals that are provided on a video output port of a video game console-based game engine, or by different video interface cards in a multi-tasking computer-based game engine. Different areas of the generated video output display image may be associated with different players of a multi-player game. For example, referring to FIG. 5, a 640 pixel by 480 pixel output image 500 can be subdivided into four simultaneously displayed 320 by 240 pixel quadrants 501-504, and different quadrant can be associated with different players. In a card game, three of the quadrants 501-503 may be used to display cards for three different players (one quadrant per player) and a fourth one of the quadrants 504 may display cards of a computerized opponent. Game engines 133-134 also may provide different video output images for each player. For example, each game engine can be a personal computers having four video display cards; each of the video display cards may generate a different video image that is associated with a different one of up to four players.
Video images generated by game engines are provided to a video network interface 131 for transmission over a video transmission network 140. FIG. 3 shows details of an exemplary video network interface 131. The video interface 131 converts video output signals from the game engines into broadcast network 150 signals and provides the signals to the network 150. In a implementation using television receivers as displays 114-116, each one of the converted video signals can occupy a different television channel, and the different channel signals may be simultaneously transmitted over a cable TV, satellite, or terrestrial television broadcast network 140.
A television video interface 131 can include conversion circuitry 302-303 to convert base-band (BB) video signals 305-306 received from the game servers 133-134 into radio-frequency (RF) signals. Each converter 302-303 may convert its received BB signal to a unique television channel signal. Different channels from the different converters 302-303 can be combined at a signal combiner 304 and transmitted over the video transmission network 140. Players can access the video image associated with their game by selecting the appropriate channel on their television 114-116. The appropriate channel may be identified by a synthesized voice announcement that is communicated from the interface 132 to a telephone handset controller or by digital data sent from the interface 132 over network 150 to a controller, or may be predetermined. A television based system 100 also can allow audience members and/or other non-players to watch a game being played on the system 100 by selecting the appropriate game channel. Conversion of signals 305-306 by converters 302-303 also may be under control of a signal 135 received from the interface 132. For example, the interface 132 may send a channel selection signal to RF selection circuitry 301 which, in turn, controls the conversion channel used by each converter 302-303.
The invention may be implemented in digital electronic circuitry, or in computer hardware, firmware, software, or in combinations of them. Apparatus of the invention may be implemented in a computer program product tangibly embodied in a machine-readable storage device for execution by a programmable processor; and method steps of the invention may be performed by a programmable processor executing a program of instructions to perform functions of the invention by operating on input data and generating output. The invention may advantageously be implemented in one or more computer programs that are executable on a programmable system including at least one programmable processor coupled to receive data and instructions from, and to transmit data and instructions to, a data storage system, at least one input device, and at least one output device. Each computer program may be implemented in a high-level procedural or object-oriented programming language, or in assembly or machine language if desired; and in any case, the language may be a compiled or interpreted language. Suitable processors include, by way of example, both general and special purpose microprocessors. Generally, a processor will receive instructions and data from a read-only memory and/or a random access memory. Storage devices suitable for tangibly embodying computer program instructions and data include all forms of non-volatile memory, including by way of example semiconductor memory devices, such as EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory devices; magnetic disks such as internal hard disks and removable disks; magneto-optical disks; DVD-RW, DVD-ROM, CD-RW and CD-ROM disks. Any of the foregoing may be supplemented by, or incorporated in, specially-designed ASICs (application-specific integrated circuits). The term "game" may encompass video games and other forms of computer-implemented recreational application programs; the term "player" may include any human user that participates in the recreational application program. As described herein, the term analog telephone connections includes telephone connections in digital sampling is used to form a digital representation of the analog signal that is digitally transmitted between end-stations. The digital data representing the sampled analog signal may then be converted back to an analog form at the receiving end station. For example, the term "analog voice signal" includes the 64 kilobit per second pulse code modulated signals that are used in modern digital phone systems to transmit a representation of an analog signal having analog frequencies of up to 4 kilohertz. Different digital sampling rates and digital sampling combined with compression also may be used for transmission of analog and/or voice signals. The term "telephone network" includes both traditional land-line networks (also know as plain-old-telephone service or POTS networks), digital telephone networks such as ISDN networks, and wireless networks such as AMPS, GSM, CDMA, TDMA, and other cellular and wireless networks. Data and packet data networks include land-line networks, the Internet, wireless data networks, and digital traffic and signal channels used in cellular phone networks.
A number of embodiments of the present invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, when a data connection is established between the controllers 117-119 and game server 130, the game server may request additional data from the player before a game can be played. The additional data may include, among other things, authentication, billing, payment, and security data. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.
Citas de patentes
Citada por
Eventos legales
Imagen original


text:
Starting Early! Jennifer Aniston's First Boyfriend Opens Up About How They 'Made Out' At 12-Years-Old
She's one of the most lusted after women in the world. And now Jennifer Aniston's first boyfriend has spoken out about his fleeting high school relationship with the Hollywood star.
She might have dated a string of the world's most desirable men, including Brad Pitt and John Mayer, but musician Adonis Tsilimparis was the first man to pucker up with the A-list actress.
It might have been over 30 years ago, but the seventh grade romance between the 12-year-olds is still fresh in his memory, and he even has a Valentine's Day card to prove it.
'Dear Adonis,' Jennifer had written. 'Love & Friendship Always. Jennifer A.'
Now working as an author of musical scores for TV and film, the New Yorker told the New York Daily News that the two youngsters used to sneak behind a school staircase to 'make-out.'
'She was very open, very, very sweet. She was very, very loving, and she had a very big heart,' Adonis told the paper
He went on to claim that, although he had tried, he hadn't got any further than kissing with the now superstar:
'I tried. But she didn't let me…We used to go to the back stairs at school at lunchtime and make out,' he admitted.
Even though the 43-year-old is now happily engaged to actor Justin Theroux, her first boyfriend still remembers her fondly.
'She was just goofballs…But that's why I loved her. Total clown, very lovable and that's why everybody liked her,' Adonis said of the actress.
While he went on to say that he didn't remember how the young couple split, classmate Tom Friedner, who also had a brief romance with the star, said that Adonis ended it.
Ashton Tyler | Elite.
Photo Credit: Theo Wargo/Getty Images


text:
- Product Information
Product Description
Our 5'' ORANGE glow cocktail stirrer sticks are a great way to light your drinks for your night time events. Perfect for specialty drinks and nightclub promotions. Packed in tubes of 50 pieces per color. Please order by the individual tube (50 pieces).
- Questions & Answers
- Reviews
Customer Reviews
- Just the right glow! Review by Phylz
This product, including the other colors we ordered,worked great. The colors were vibrant enough and lasted all night. We used them for the Lourdes Ball, the biggest fundraiser in Binghamton,NY. We raised over $100,000 and presented the Lourdes Foundation with a check for that amount. We used the swizzle sticks in our martini glasses that held our butlered signature drink. Our guest love it!
(Posted on 3/8/12)
Write Your Own Review
How to Host a Summer Movie Night in Your Backyard
Do something different for your weekly movie night by watching it in your backyard on a big screen, and inviting friends and family to join in on the fun! Follow these party ideas to assist you in putting together a successful summer movie night.
Minnie Mouse Birthday Party Ideas
Her birthday party will be a huge hit with a Minnie Mouse theme! Use these decorating ideas to help your put together the most adorable Minnie Mouse party.
1950s Sock Hop Party Ideas
Invite friends over for a rockin' good time when you throw a fifties theme party! Use these party tips to assist you in putting together the best sock hop anyone's ever seen.
- Custom Imprint
Artwork Specifications for Imprinting
We can accept artwork in P.C. or Mac formats. Digital Format Requirements: All art should be sent as Vector files with all type Converted to outlines or curves. Four spot colors MAX. Send digital files, either by email or cd. Custom ink colors may incur a $15.00 ink mixing fee.
In order to expedite an order, if possible when sending art files please list a contact name and purchase order number. Compress files as .zip, .rar, .sit or .sea whenever possible. Files created in the following software programs are accepted: Adobe Illustrator (.ai, .eps, .pdf) and Corel Draw (.cdr).
USABLE PROGRAMS : Adobe Illustrator (CC) Creative Cloud or Corel Draw X6 or Lower.
*For More Information about our Imprinting Options please call Customer Service at 1-800-442-9722.


text:
Boat Show Preview – The Best Way to Buy
NBOA @ December 13, 2011 # Comments Off
As we enter the holiday season and the winter chill grips most of the country, buying a new boat may be far from your mind. However, you could be closer to buying your dream boat than you think. Experts agree the best time to buy a boat is during
the off-season, which corresponds with the winter boat show season. Plus, boat shows provide a great opportunity for boaters to get special deals and incentives on new boats, as well as the opportunity to meet a variety of dealers and manufacturers. Any person seriously considering buying a boat should begin with attending a boat show, but first use these boat show tips to make the best of your experience.


text:
FanBlog: Soccer
Blogging soccer with Dwain Capodice
Monthly Archive for May, 2011
Dynamo – FC Dallas Highlight Busy Soccer Weekend
Before jumping into the ridiculously busy weekend in the world of soccer, today is Memorial Day. A special thanks to all current or former members of the armed services and their families for the sacrifices they make for all of us. As for soccer, where do we start? Two MLS coaches have been fired, FIFA […] [Read More]
Dynamo Attack MIA against Galaxy
After getting amped up for a mid-week Dynamo match and the midnight showing of Hangover 2, things are dragging today. I am trying to decide whether I was more disappointed in Hangover 2 or Houston's performance in attack against the Galaxy? Spoiler Alert: Do not watch The Hangover before seeing Hangover 2. Bigger cash grab: Hangover 2 or Lothar Matthäus […] [Read More]
Bradley Announces 2011 Gold Cup Squad, Davis Excluded
Bob Bradley Makes Some Controversial Gold Cup Selections Including the Exclusion of Dynamo Midfielder Brad Davis [Read More]
Hello Chron.com Readers!
Introductions from the new soccer fan blogger. [Read More]


text:
Bernard Madison
A shorter version of this article appeared in the February/March 2011 edition of MAA FOCUS.
A new research-based Calculus Concepts Readiness (CCR) examination highlights the expanded offerings of the MAA/Maplesoft Placement Test Suite (PTS) developed over the past two years. Other enhancements include multiple versions and parallel forms of eight additional tests and documentation on use and effectiveness of the tests as placement instruments. Current efforts focus on creating parallel forms of CCR, writing free-response test items, expanding availability of sample items, providing information resources for PTS users, and developing two additional research-based tests.
Currently the PTS offers more than 400 fundamentally different test items sorted into the following tests: Arithmetic and Skills (A-S), Basic Algebra (BA), Algebra (A), Advanced Algebra (AA), Trigonometry and Elementary Functions (T), Calculus Readiness (CR), Calculus Concept Readiness (CCR), High School Elementary Test (HS-E), High School Intermediate (HS-I), and Graphing-Calculator-Based High School Advanced Test (HS-A).
Multiple static parallel forms are available for each of the tests except CCR and calculator versions of A-S, BA, A, CR, and the high school tests are available. Algorithmic forms of the first six tests are available, thereby creating the capability of generating thousands of forms that are highly similar, essentially parallel. Counting the calculator versions, there are 22 tests of 25 to 32 items. Parallel forms of CCR are currently being developed. The Maplesoft delivery system, Maple T. A., allows for custom composition of a test from all the items available as well as for adding items written locally.
Over the past few months, the MAA's User's Guide (sixth ed., 1998) was revised and updated into a new 29-page seventh edition. This is now available on maa.org/ptp/ and on maplesoft.com/products/placement/. In addition to offering the User's Guide, Maplesoft has a guide for using Maple T. A., the Maplesoft system that delivers the tests.
Reviving past practices of MAA committees, members of the PTS project team conducted minicourses on placement testing at both MathFest 2009 in Portland and MathFest 2010 in Pittsburgh. Both minicourses attracted a full contingent of participants, indicating that departments continue to struggle with the difficult issue of effective mathematics placement.
The long-term development plans for the PTS include additional research-based tests analogous to the CCR at the levels of beginning algebra and college algebra and item types other than multiple choice. Work on the first will require external funding, and proposals are in process. Modifying existing items into free-response items will be the first phase in achieving different item types that can be machine scored.
Over the past 10 years, there have been no new user surveys and limited publishing of case studies of mathematics placement testing programs. Participants in the MathFest minicourses indicated that they need such information to guide work at their institutions. Providing information to users and prospective users of PTS as well as documentation of the effectiveness of PTS tests is ongoing work of the PTS project team and ad hoc task forces.
One of the hurdles departments and institutions face is the cost of more extensive and remotely delivered placement testing. The PTS pricing system is based on a cost per student, not the more common cost per test. The cost per student varies according to numbers and other arrangements; and it covers the use of any of the PTS tests and the testing of the student multiple times. Representatives at Maplesoft (contact firstname.lastname@example.com) will provide details and an in-depth demonstration of the system to prospective users. A portion of the fees paid to Maplesoft are passed on to the MAA and are used to support the development of the PTS.
|Background for PTS
In 1977, in response to growing diversity in mathematical backgrounds of entering college freshmen and increasing numbers of possible entry courses in college mathematics, MAA instituted the Placement Testing Program (PTP). From 1977 until about 1990, PTP was shepherded by the Committee on Placement Examinations (COPE) Then COPE was reconstituted as the Committee on Testing (COT).
From 1977 to 2000, various task forces of MAA members developed multiple forms of six college mathematics placement tests in Arithmetic and Skills (A-S), Basic Algebra (BA), Algebra (A), Advanced Algebra (AA), Trigonometry and Elementary Functions (T) and Calculus Readiness (CR). In addition, three tests—High School Elementary (HS-E), High School Intermediate (HS-I), and High School Advanced (HS-A)—were developed for use in high schools by colleges and universities for prognostic placement testing. Over this time, approximately 400 colleges and universities subscribed to PTP and used PTP tests for placement decisions.
In addition to providing tests, COPE and COT produced the PTP Newsletter, which reported on PTP developments and contained results of surveys of PTP users and articles on placement testing programs at PTP user institutions. COPE and COT also conducted minicourses at MAA meetings on placement testing. In 2000, faced with the difficulty of competing in an increasingly crowded commercial testing arena, MAA discontinued PTP but allowed the approximately 180 current PTP subscribers to continue using existing PTP tests for placement decisions of their entering students.
In 2005, MAA entered into a partnership contract with Maplesoft to market and deliver by way of Maplesoft's computer testing systems the current MAA placement tests and tests that would be developed. Basically, MAA provides expertise in developing products, and Maplesoft markets and delivers these products, now called the Placement Test Suite (PTS), online.


text:
Disclaimer: Today I have my Human Resources hat on, as well as my ranty-pants soapbox hat. Go easy on me, won't you? I'm just a girl, standing in front of a recruiter, asking them to CONSIDER ME FOR A JOB.
When I look through Seek, religiously, every morning, filtering on Melbourne-based HR & Recruitment jobs, I can't help but think I'm thoroughly screwed.
I realise it's early in the year and the market is slow. I also understand Seek is not the only resource for job seekers – companies are using a whole raft of job advertising engines/word of mouth/social media to find the perfect recruit. LinkedIn is my new best friend and I find the quality of the jobs better there, but the story is still the same. Part-time work offerings are woeful. I did a quick statistic, only because it involved a spreadsheet and a formula and I LOVE those (don't laugh, I do. Step back). Last week in Melbourne, of all the Human Resources jobs advertised on Seek, only 3% of them on average were part-time. 3%!
When I took a package from my previous employer last year I thought the heave-ho was laced with a silver lining. I no longer wanted to work there. The culture had disintegrated to the point where it wasn't the company I'd joined 8 years ago. But they were pioneers in walking the walk in terms of flexibility. Now, the reality of securing a part-time job in my industry is not looking good. I'm an experienced (and did I mention sh*t hot?) Human Resources Consultant and THERE ARE NO JOBS FOR ME.
Now the government's 2010 Fair Work Act has gone part of the way to addressing flexibility in the workforce. It gives parents of pre-school aged kids the right to request part-time flexible working arrangements but it also gives companies the right to refuse the request on business grounds (which I think is important). Julia Gillard announced yesterday that the Labor government intends to extend this clause of the Act to parents of school-age children and also provide protection for parents from sudden changes in rostering hours. But the problem with lack of part-time positions (and other flexibility options) is not what is in government legislation, but the engendered culture at the organisational level of putting part-time or return to work parents in the too-hard basket, like a bunch of slightly out-of-date eggs.
Part-time work in particular has grown exponentially since the 1960s so one would assume that the stigma around it has decreased. And yet, in spite of this upward trend, a 2011 Regus Working Mothers study, which surveyed 214 organisations, revealed that 57% of organisations were planning to hire in the next two years, however only 41% of them were planning on recruiting working mothers amid concerns about their suitability in the workforce, compared to 55% in 2010. Furthermore, 30% of respondents held concerns about women returning to work not being flexible or committed enough to the organisation. So there appears to be a backlash against part-time parents at the recruitment level (as opposed to parents already employed within an organisation).
The flexibility clause in the Fair Work legislation applies only to employees returning to the same workplace. For parents like me who are looking for a brand new organisation to join, there is NOTHING. Oh sure, there is the Discrimination Act forbidding a company from discriminating based on caregiving or family status, but I would like to know how one proves that this is happening at the recruitment level. I don't even know how you could legislate a better deal for new recruits. And if you could legislate for it, I doubt you could "police" it.
This is not to say that there aren't organisations out there who offer flexibility as part of a sustainable business model. But the paradox here is that flexibility is a powerful retention tool, so employees currently in part-time positions are not vacating roles because they understand how good they have it. It's all just a bit of a cr*p groundhog day for an unemployed, sh*t hot HR Consultant who wants to work part-time because she wants to see her family occasionally.
I've considered full-time roles that have been advertised, and have approached the recruiter to ask whether the client would consider job-share, part-time or compressed working week, but the response has been "probably not" followed by eerie radio silence. I've been told by recruiters to forget about 3-day per week jobs and that even 4-days was stretching a friendship. Look, I appreciate the honest reflection of what is going on in the trenches but come on, how hard is it to consider a part-time arrangement if a candidate is otherwise a fit for the job? I'm not saying I'm perfect for every position but I do feel like I'm being constantly headed off at the pass because of my work-style/hours and little else.
I'm lucky. I can do other things. I take a good photo. I can pretty much do anything I put my mind to. If I can't find a job in Human Resources, I have options – photography, social media, even (god forbid) monetising my blog and/or my writing mojo. But many people don't.
I think the government is trying to change the culture of Australian organisations to embrace flexible work options which is generally a positive move. Without going too much into politics (because my head would surely spin around and snap off), on one hand businesses need to learn how to manage their own operations within a changing workforce as part-time parents aren't going away anytime soon. But on the other hand, there is a risk that the restoration of balance to the employer/employee power paradigm will swing the pendulum too far in favour of the employee without the culture of an organisation every really changing. There is certainly a trend of stymying part-time workers at recruitment. It's saccharine and sarin all mixed up in the one bag of political lip-service.
Employers should be encouraging a culture that optimises the benefits of flexibility for all stakeholders. Some companies do it and do it well. They are the good ones, the sustainable ones. If you know of any, please let me know. (I'm good at Scrabble, too).
What do you think? Is the government doing enough to encourage real change for working parents in the workplace? Is it all just lip service? Politicking?


text:
UK and Sweden users have big chance to get infected through SpotifyBy Gina on March 29, 2011 | Malware, Spotify malware, malicious advertisements, Windows Recovery, WindowsRecovery removal, remove Windows Recovery, fake computer security software, malicious Windows Recovery program, Spotify markets malicious ads
Recently, new way of spreading malware has been found. This time users may be infected via Spotify which displays malicious advertisements to their free version.
Streaming music service Spotify markets Windows Recovery fake computer security software. Displayed rogue security warnings lead computer victims to website that uses the Blackhole Exploit Kit to infect PC users with malicious Windows Recovery program.
Patrick Runald, Websense Security Labs, says: "Malvertising is nothing new, but this case is slightly different. Usually malicious ads are displayed as part of a website and viewed with the browser. In this case the malicious ad is actually displayed inside the Spotify application itself. This means that it's enough that the ad is just displayed to you in Spotify to get infected, you don't even have to click on the ad itself. So if you had Spotify open but running in the background, listening to your favorite tunes, you could still get infected."
Once fictitious advertisements are issued, they combine to uev1.co.cc where the exploit kit gains to infect users through few computer flaws or even tries vulnerability in Adobe Reader/Acrobat.
If infected you need to get rid of malware installed to your PC with reputable computer protection tool because Windows Recovery installs a rootkit which is difficult to remove or even to find.
More Malware news
Facebook Token Hijacker removalFacebook Token Hijacker is a malicious infection which uses the Facebook platform to spread various computer infections. Facebook Token virus collects personal user data such as financial details, online activities and then sends the gathered information to its developers. Once it is inside, it will get to your registry, change it up, and make sure it has full access to your computer each time you start it up. Read more.
- Rocra/Red October malware
- Don't let a "Gozi" virus take over your bank account!
- Dorkbot worm is on the run and infecting Skype users
- Be careful! "Pin Photo Zoom" app may not be a legitimate one
- Fake GTA Vice City Android game disguises as a SMS Trojan
- Rogue Android Flash Player carries Trojan within
- Zitmo targets Android and BlackBerry smartphones
- Rogue Android application harvests Olympic 2012 news
- Fake London Olympics live-streaming sites rise
- Rogue Skype version spreads on Android devices


text:
Come for the half marathon, stay for the full marathon.
Meredith Fitzmaurice celebrated her win at Sunday's Run for Heroes Marathon in Amherstburg, despite not having entered the race.
The runner from Belle River, Ont. had signed up for the 21.1-kilometre half marathon, but after a wrong turn landed her on the full marathon course, she just kept going.
"As I was looking at my watch, I was thinking something's wrong. Where's the finish line?" she said.
After realizing her mistake, the 34-year-old teacher checked with a race official to see if she would be eligible to finish.
"The guy was awesome," she said. "And once he said I was good to go, my adrenaline just kicked in."
In the end, Fitzmaurice finished her very first marathon with a time of 3:11:48. She was the first woman to cross the finish line and tenth overall.
"I didn't even realize I was the first female until people started yelling at me and high-fiving me," she said. "Once I crossed the finish line and realized the magnitude of what I had done, I started crying."
Fitzmaurice's time was good enough to qualify her for the Boston Marathon.
"I think this year is full, but knowing myself, I'll do it next year for sure," she said.


text:
I'm pleased to announce that Cocoon Home Design's Beacon Hill project is almost finished. Earlier this month, I spent a few days in Boston stylizing and adding the final touches. After a year of total renovation, as in taking down walls to the studs, raising ceilings and replacing floors, my clients and I have been in full on decorating mode. With just the dinning room remaining to be furnished, the rest of the home has taken on an elegantly modern look with classic details that pay homage to its New England history. Take a look:
Spontaneous Swim
Nothing says "summer" like a spontaneous swim. This happened on one of our late afternoon walks along the lake. My daughter, Zoe, was the first to walk into the water. Wanting to cool off, she asked if she could get her clothes wet and I approved her whim with encouraging delight. Soon all the children were in the water. No bathing suits, towels or sunscreen. The unplanned swim brought excitement and joy to everyone, even to those who only watched. It was a good reminder to let things happen and live in the moment. Next time I'm jumping in too!!
SB it was a pleasure seeing you again and spending time with your beautiful girls!
Rosie Gin: A Summer Cocktail
Before leaving for our annual trip back East, Alex and I experimented with some cocktail concoctions, knowing full well we'd be sharing spirits with friends along our way. We wanted to create a drink that was simple to prepare, refreshing and delicious. Mixing fresh grapefruit juice, gin and a rose wine, we came up with a lightly effervescent libation that perfectly balances bitter/sweet. See below for ingredients and instructions:
Gin, grapefruit, rose wine and limes.
Measure desired amount of gin and juice of a whole grapefruit. Pour it into a cocktail mixer filled with ice and and shake well. Half fill a glass with this shaker mix and then top with the rose and a lime slice.
Sip and enjoy!
How It All Begins: Room Inspirations
Cocoon Home Design (CHD) is busier than ever. Some projects are small: their main focus is on stylizing and/or updating spaces while adding paint and few key accents. Others, however, are really big. They entail complete renovations that include new furnishings and accessories. No matter the size of a project, Room Inspirations are always created to present the clients with a "feel" for their soon to be new spaces. Coupled with coordinating pin boards that link to the rooms' foundation pieces, they provide clients easy access to vendor information, pricing, availability and delivery specifications. The combination of these two has made envisioning an interiors' vibe easier and more interactive for both my clients and myself. I really enjoy this part of the process where professional relationships are established with clear expectations. Take a look at a few Room Inspirations that I recently created for our CHD clients:
If you're looking to update or renovate your space and would like a "Room Inspiration" of your own and need more information, contact CHD at this email address: email@example.com
The Winner Of Rug Pad USA's Reader Giveaway is...
Congratulations, Shilpa, you are the winner of Rug Pad USA's Eco Cushion Rug Pad! In honor of the occasion, I'm sharing a few favorite images of area rugs. Whether they're brightly colored, multi patterned, monochromatic or even layered, rugs can transform any space. They provide the finishing touch that adds interest, warm and comfort to a home. Take a look:


text:
Pendant lights are one of the most popular illumination options. These modern style chandeliers give a room an instant air of sophistication, due to their versatility and contemporary aesthetic. Moooi, the avant-garde Dutch design firm, creates one of the most celebrated styles in this type of lighting, with their gorgeous Random pendant lamp. Well on its way to becoming a classic, Random is formed from resin drained yarn that has been coiled around an inflatable mold, creating a translucent globe of fabric. Gorgeous but pricey, the Random light by Moooi can set you back six or seven hundred dollars.
If you've ever lusted over this ingenious chandelier, but found the cost to be a bit off putting, HouseandHome.com(Episode #5) has a solution for you. Led by assistant design editor Kathryn Bala, they offer, step-by step, a simple to follow do it yourself instructional video to create your own custom "Moooi style" light. Bala demonstrates how to make the funky, "Do It Yourself" pendant light, using yarn, string or ribbon. Customize the size, shape and color to suit your space using simple, inexpensive products which you most likely already have lying around the house.
Check it out and you can create a one of kind pendant light for a fraction of the cost.


text:
Celebrities and Entertainment News
Celebrity news, rumors and gossip
Posts filtered on Tag
Representatives dismiss Ice T & Coco split story
Ice-T's representative has dismissed reports suggesting the rapper/actor and his model wife, Coco, have split. Gossip sites hinted that the "Law & Order: SVU" star had filed divorce papers, two months after photographs of her kissing rap star… [Read More]
Ice-T & Coco making baby plans
Rapper and TV star Ice-T and his wife, Coco Austin, are making plans for a baby. The couple is hoping to become parents once Austin's stint as the star of Las Vegas' burlesque revue "Peepshow" is over – she's filling in for mom-to-be Holly … [Read More]
Ice-T's wife apologizes for provocative photos with another man
Reality TV star Coco Austin has publicly apologized to her husband Ice-T on Twitter after posing provocatively for photos with a male fan in Las Vegas. Pictures of the busty blonde cozying up to rapper AP.9 emerged this week, showing Austin hugging him… [Read More]
Coco Austin turns weather reporter to record storm video
Ice-T's reality star wife Coco Austin braved the elements on Monday night to capture footage of Hurricane Sandy as the superstorm battered down on her home in New Jersey. The busty blonde model headed outside with a video camera to film the superstor… [Read More]


text:
Gov. Sean Parnell Friday issued a state disaster declaration for Galena and other communities affected by spring flooding.
It will activate at least $1 million in state disaster recovery funds.
The hardest hit is Galena, where much of the community of nearly 500 was submerged by water earlier this week. Many residents were evacuated after a 30-mile ice jam on the Yukon River caused the flooding.
The jam broke Wednesday evening and the floodwaters have since receded, leaving behind chunks of ice, mud and a huge cleanup.
State emergency management spokesman Sam Hutchinson says responders are now switching to recovery mode.
About 130 people remain in the town at the Galena Interior Learning Academy, which is on the former Air Force station, and in the New Town/Crow Creek area.
According to the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC), emergency response priorities are restoring essential services, including power, water, and sewer to the Air Force Station and Galena airport. Food, water, sanitation items, and other essential supplies that have been flown into the airport are being relocated by helicopter to residents in the New Town/Crow Creek areas, which are currently inaccessible due to flood water, ice debris, road and bridge washouts.
Meanwhile, responders met today with Galena residents who evacuated earlier this week to Fairbanks, about 270 miles to the east. They represent the state emergency management division, Alaska Housing Finance Corporation and other state agencies as well as the American Red Cross, federal Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Tanana Chief Conference .
The Tanana Chiefs Conference is coordinating local resources for residents.


text:
Step 2: Draw a design
Then cover with Duct Tape.
For the armor we selected "classic" Duct Tape.
For the shield we used red and yellow.
You've been busy, I like your colour schemes.
(it's veni vidi vici and as they are all past-tense you can't be ready to. I'm not good enough with Latin to give you any different tenses though...)


text:
Unlocking the Key to Deep Sleep
By Sarah Fenske
Making the Ferguson Commission Matter
By Danny Wicentowski
My Fake Boyfriend Became a Real-Life Crush
By Lindsay Toler
Rep. Jeffrey Pogue Bill Would Ban Unisex Bathrooms
By Danny Wicentowski
Darren Wilson Gives Speech to Nonprofit
By Danny Wicentowski
Angel Stewart and Other Victims of Violence Ask for Mercy
By Jessica Lussenhop
Obama Praises St. Louis' LaunchCode
By Lindsay Toler
By Lindsay Toler
Dr. Craig Haney, a psychologist at the University of California at Santa Cruz who has studied inmates in several supermax prisons, says even healthy psyches can be damaged by long-term solitary confinement. "I have seen people; I've examined their files; there's no apparent sign or symptom of mental disorder or disturbance before being incarcerated in these units," Haney says. "I've seen them lying on the floor babbling incoherently because they simply have not been able to stand up to long-term confinement in one of these places."
Human beings require a certain amount of interaction with other human beings, and when that interaction is taken away, the results can be traumatic. "I've interviewed guys who've smeared themselves with feces, who bang their heads against the wall, who provoke cell extractions for no apparent reason -- they hold their tray at lunchtime and won't give it back, for no reason at all," Haney says. "You ask them afterwards, "Why in the world did you do that?' Some of them don't know -- some of them will tell you, "I don't have any idea why I did it. I just couldn't control myself. I felt like I had to do it.' But others will tell you, "You know, I just don't feel like I exist in here. There's no way for me to demonstrate to myself that I exist. And I keep pushing myself to extremes. Sometimes I bang my head against the wall to feel the pain to make sure I'm still existing. Sometimes I do things just to provoke a response from the staff in order to reassure myself that I'm capable of provoking a response from another human being, because I have no other opportunity to interact.' It's almost as though these guys are fighting against what they're experiencing as a kind of psychological death."
Some inmates survive long-term isolation with no apparent damage, but these are the exception, Haney says. "Sometimes they'll tell you, "I didn't like it at first, but I figured out a way to survive it,'" he says. "You probe a little further, what you find is they've basically cut themselves off from the pain that they're experiencing by denying the emotional response, by removing themselves as much as they can from the world around them and from the needs that otherwise normal people have. They learn to discipline themselves, essentially, by becoming completely indwelling." The problems come when such inmates get out of supermax. "They come out saying they're fine," Haney says. "They're in the mainline prison system for a week or a month and they get in fights with people because they can't handle being around other human beings. They're easily irritated. Sounds that never bothered them before provoke them. They feel like people are watching them or staring at them or disrespecting them. They're just very irritable. And they're very difficult to get along with."
The courts have generally ruled that supermax prisons don't constitute cruel and unusual punishment. In a landmark 1995 ruling in California that is required reading for all Tamms staff, U.S. District Court Judge Thelton Henderson gave inmates a partial victory by ruling that Pelican Bay prison, the prototype for Tamms and other supermaxes built in the 1990s, violated the rights of mentally ill inmates. Prolonged solitary confinement for a mentally ill prisoner is "like putting an asthmatic in a place with little air to breathe," the judge wrote. "Dry words on paper cannot adequately capture the senseless suffering and sometimes wretched misery that state officials' unconstitutional policies leave in their wake. The anguish of descending into serious mental illness, the pain of physical abuse, or the torment of having serious mental needs that simply go unmet is profoundly difficult, if not impossible, to fully fathom."
But healthy inmates are a different matter, so long as they aren't physically abused. "Federal courts are not instruments for prison reform, and federal judges are not prison administrators," Henderson wrote. "Conditions ... may well hover on the edge of what is humanly tolerable for those with normal resilience, particularly when endured for extended periods of time. They do not, however, violate exacting Eighth Amendment standards, except for the specific population subgroups identified in this opinion."
In Illinois, corrections officials say they take pains to ensure that mentally ill inmates either don't go to Tamms or are sent elsewhere if persistent, serious problems develop. Before a prisoner is sent to Tamms, a mental-health professional must review his file to determine whether the inmate has mental problems that could be exacerbated by prolonged solitary confinement. Is the inmate psychotic or has he been on psychotropic medications? Has he been confined to a prison psychiatric unit or had a history of being restrained as a result of mental problems? Does he have a history of self-mutilation? Has he tried to commit suicide in the past year or had mental problems during previous stays at Tamms? Has a court found him guilty but mentally ill? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, the department's chief psychiatrist or chief of mental-health services must review the case and determine whether confinement at Tamms would worsen mental-health problems. Inmates whose conditions are likely to deteriorate at Tamms aren't supposed to go there.
Sponsor Content


text:
The Funeral Service Education (FSE) program at Mt. Hood Community College (MHCC) will hold its 16th annual Funeral Arrangement Exercise, Feb. 21, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. in the Town and Gown room on the MHCC Gresham Campus, 26000 S.E. Stark St.
Second-year students will work with volunteers posing as bereaved family members to help them make mock funeral arrangements. Students will answer questions and discuss funeral service options, such as cremation versus burial, urn and casket selections and a range of other topics, including "green" burial.
"This event provides FSE students with an opportunity to practice working with families," says Terri Canfield, MHCC funeral service instructor. "It is also an opportunity for volunteers to experience the process of making funeral arrangements in a comfortable environment without the difficult emotions that accompany a real death." FSE students will also offer mock arrangements for pet memorialization.
Volunteers Needed
This event is free and open to the public. Contact FSE student Cindy Hosking to schedule a one-hour appointment or for more information. She may be reached firstname.lastname@example.com or 503-701-0740. She will call back if you leave a voice message.
Refreshments will be served.


text:
Mining coal in China
Sulfur emissions may have slowed temperature
A new
paper published in journal Proceedings of the National Academy
of Sciences has attracted attention after it blamed a slow-down in
rate of temperature rise over the last decade on increased sulfur
emissions from coal. Sulfur in the atmosphere has a cooling effect
as it reflects sunlight, and this may have masked the long-term
warming trend caused by greenhouse gas emissions.
Media coverage, including by the BBC,
Guardian and the
Washington Post pointed to the significant increase in coal
production in China as the likely cuplrit - while the
Mail headline overstated the paper's findings somewhat -
"Coal-burning China's rapid growth may
have HALTED global warming"
The results, which are based on a computer model, may suggest
another compelling reason to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
quickly - because as China installs technology to reduce sulfur
emission from its coal plants, the masking effect could reduce and
lead to a short-term temperature '
spike'. We covered the issue here.
Britain to give £38m in food aid to
The international development secretary, Andrew Mitchell announced
that Britain is to provide £38m in emergency food aid for 1.3
million people in Ethiopia. The UN office estimates that 10 million
people across the Horn of Africa are facing a severe food crisis
following a prolonged drought in the region.
Guardian article examined the possible connections between the
drought and climate change - which are predictably complicated. It
noted that:
"...The last intergovernment panel on climate change
report suggested that the Horn of Africa would get wetter with
climate change, while
more recent academic research has concluded that global warming
will increase drought in
the region...according to aid agencies, the weather has become more
erratic and extreme in recent years".
Predicting the regional impacts of climate change on this scale
is notoriously difficult.
Monckton in trouble down under
British climate skeptic and peer Lord Monckton has
continued his speaking tour in Australia. Monckton was
heavily criticized last week after suggesting that Australian
science advisor Professor Ross Garnaut's views on climate change
were "fascist", and subsequently issued a somewhat grudging
'unreserved' apology.
More than 50 Australian academics
signed a letter urging Notre Dame University in Perth to cancel
a speech by Monckton, arguing that Lord Monckton "stands for the
kind of ignorance and superstition that universities have a duty to
counter", but the speech went ahead anyway.
Other climate skeptic lobbyists are also heading south. Later this
month Australians can look forward to a visit from Czech President
Václav Klaus, and in November, an appearance from our former UK
chancellor Nigel Lawson.
On our blog
go to extremes to understand climate change
Researchers from the Met Office, the US National Centre for
Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and the US National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Organisation (NOAA) have joined forces in a new coalition. The
Attribution of Climate-Related Events will investigate individual
extreme weather events to determine the probability that they have
been caused or exacerbated by manmade climate change. This follows
a three-part special on the potential links between extreme weather
events and manmade climate change published last week in
Scientific American.
OECD to business: Scientific uncertainty is not a reason to ignore
climate change
The latest version of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational
Enterprises, a central text in defining the relationship between
business and government, has been revised to state that businesses
should no longer use scientific uncertainty to avoid action on
environmental issues, including climate change.
You can sign up to receive the weekly update at the top of
the page.
Published under a CC
license. You are welcome to reproduce material for
non-commercial use, credited 'Carbon Brief' with a link to the
article. Please contact us for commerical use.
Published by Climate Brief Ltd - Company No. 07222041


text:
This product is no longer available.
Click here to view similar products
Click here to continue and view the original page
Let the Camelbak Octane Scuddo 3L Hydration Pack Fuel your adventure, it is ultra-light, race-ready pack.
Let the Camelbak Octane Scuddo 3L Hydration Pack Fuel your adventure, it is ultra-light, race-ready pack.
CamelBak's mission is to continuously reinvent and forever change the way people hydrate and perform. They'll not stop pushing the limits of hydration, so you can continue to push your own.
- Fabric:
Ultra light 70D Ripstop pack body
- Cargo Capacity:
- Bladder/Size:
- Waist Strap:
1 in (25 mm) stability
- Back Panel:
Air Mesh
- Pocket 1:
Harness pocket
- Reflectivity:
Harness pocket
- Rain Cover:
Integrated rain cover
- Weight:
- Sternum Strap:
Ultra-Light 3D Mesh with gel pocket and Sliter Sternum Strap
Buying Guides
A buying guide that offers general advice on hydration packs and backpacks
Customer Reviews
|Product no longer available for purchase
We offer a range of delivery services for our UK and International customers. UK Customers can select our FREE standard delivery option on most non bike orders over £20. Or if you're in a hurry you can upgrade to our Next Day, Saturday or Sunday delivery services. You can also use our free Click & Collect service, where you can collect your purchases from a choice of over 50 Evans Cycles stores. International customers can benefit from FREE delivery on most orders and save UK VAT if we are shipping outside of the EU.
Bike build & delivery
UK bike delivery charge includes assembly by our fully trained mechanics, pre-delivery inspection and safety check, packing in our custom bike box, multi-tool and delivery from only £9.99 per bike.Click here to see how we deliver your bike
Standard, Next Day, Saturday & Sunday UK delivery
We offer a FREE standard delivery service on orders over £20, as well as Next Day, Saturday & Sunday delivery options to UK addresses. Click here for more details
Click & Collect
Using our Click & Collect service your order will be delivered to a choice of over 50 Evans Cycles stores nationwide for collection. This service is FREE of charge for all orders. To check store stock and collection times, use the "Check store stock" button above. Click here for more details
International delivery (Incl BFPO, ROI, Channel Island & Isle of Man)
We offer a FREE delivery service on most International orders. Orders delivered outside the EU are exempt from VAT. To calculate the charges for your order simply add products to your basket and proceed through the checkout process, where you will need to enter your delivery details. Our website will present you with the relevant delivery options and the charges for your basket of goods. Click here for more details.
Easy Returns
Our priority is to ensure that you are highly satisfied with your purchase. In the unlikely event that you are not, please feel free to return your goods within 90 days of the purchase date for a full exchange or refund. Returns can be made in your local store or sent back to our distribution centre.


text:
The Deal with Acupuncture for Weight Loss
By Sara Calabro
From diets and support groups to surgically implanted devices, weight-loss solutions abound—and yet consistently leave something to be desired.
For every Weight Watchers success story there's a case of backfire, in which Points counting becomes so tedious and joyless that it only increases cravings for off-the-charts foods. The same Lap-Band that improves portion control in one person may be nothing but an ineffective and unnecessary surgical procedure for another.
Different weight-loss methods produce unpredictable outcomes because we all gain weight, and struggle to lose it, for different reasons.
Acupuncture by nature is multi-pronged in its approach—it simultaneously addresses physiological and emotional imbalances—making it an especially suitable therapy for complex conditions that are difficult to isolate.
And so, The $64,000 Question: Can acupuncture really help with weight loss? Keep reading


text:
Rachel Dove-Baldwin
Staff Writer
WILLIAMSON - Do you know an individual who committed an act of kindness that stands out in your mind and that was noticed by those around you? How about someone who continuously puts the needs of their neighbors and community before their own?
If so, then you're encouraged to nominate those deserving people for the Annual King Coal Festival Humanitarian and Community Service awards, which will be presented on Saturday, Sept. 15, during a ceremony scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. on the main stage that will be set up along 1st Avenue and Logan Street in Williamson.
The Humanitarian award will go to an individual who has made a difference in the lives of those around them and the Community Service award will be presented to an individual who goes about their day-to-day life doing good for others.
All nominations must be submitted in writing before September 8th, and must contain the nominees name and a description of the basis for their nomination, meaning why you think they should receive the award. The entry must also include the person's name, address and phone number writing the nomination so they can be contacted should their recommendation be chose as the winner.
All entries are to be mailed to the Action in Mingo (AIM) group President, Mae Stallard, at 28 Oak Street, Williamson, WV. 25661. Please be sure to note at the top of your nomination which award you are submitting information for to avoid any confusion.
For additional information regarding these awards, you may contact Stallard at 304-235-5560.