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The Treasurer and the head of the OIC wrote this as a response to an article The Oregonian printed on May 19 that looked at the pension fund's private equity investments during the last decade.
The Treasurer is certainly correct: Private equity's historical returns have beat the S&P handily, and those returns have reduced taxpayers' annual responsibility, while increasing PERS members' pensions.
Whether that will continue to be the case remains to be seen. What the Treasurer doesn't say is that most of the private equity "returns" in the last decade are still unrealized and are based on the private equity partners' estimates of what their investments are worth. This is a very tough market for private equity, particularly for funds that made big investments in the runup to the financial crisis, which is where Oregon's current PE portfolio is concentrated
It's also an open question whether the profits from private equity are dependent on secrecy after they've made an investment, as the Treasurer suggests, or whether investors would be better served by transparency.
The guaranteed return for Tier One members is the assumed earnings rate, not 8 percent. If they change the assumed earnings rate, that new rate becomes what is guaranteed to Tier One members.
Moreover, while there is no earnings guarantee for post-96 members, there is a guaranteed, defined benefit pension. And here's the point: the state is discounting the entire liability at 8 percent, not just the Tier One liability. The question discussed in the article is whether the portfolio will realistically earn 8 percent, and therefore whether the state is putting aside enough money, even with today's inflated employer rates, to cover benefits in the future.
If they keep the rate at 8 percent, but don't earn it, the unfunded liability gets bigger, as it has over the last 1, 5 and 10 year periods. Public pension funds earnings assumptions are being debated around the country. Many states are lowering their rates because they no longer believe they will be able to hit that mark, and increasing their annual contributions to make up the shortfall.
It may make you uncomfortable, but this question is one the PERS Board looks at every two years, and something the Treasurer has asked them to look at annually.
Thanks for all the comments here. I've posted a few responses of my own below. If you have suggestions on PERS stories you'd like to see us cover, I'm open to suggestions. You can e-mail me by clicking the link below the story. Thanks again.
Mr. Zebrowski,
The numbers I used in this story are taken directly from presentations to the PERS Board and discussion with PERS actuary and staff, and various employers. Check out page 17 of this PERS document. http://www.oregon.gov/PERS/docs/general_information/pers_by_the_numbers_4_12.pdf
It shows you the forecast rates, then add the pickup, debt service and SSI costs. These are the costs coming in 2013. The numbers are not cooked, though they are cooking employers budgets for sure.
FYI: The low point of the market for PERS was in March of 2009, when the pensions fund's assets were about $41 billion. They have recovered quite a bit since then, mostly in the latter half of 2009. But we sit three years later, well into the so-called economic recovery, and the unfunded liability is still $16 billion. That's what's driving the rate increases. There may be more increases in 2015 too.
As far as the assumed earnings rate goes, the Government Accounting Standards Board is about to promulgate new rules on what rate should apply to a pension fund's unfunded liability. They are going to be more conservative than current practice, though the impact on Oregon may be limited. Either way, the debate is a real one.
The Pew study is not an apples-to-apples comparison of the states' funded ratios and shouldn't be viewed as such. Each pension has a different combination of actuarial assumptions that underlie their reported liability, and the study simply used whatever assumptions the states did, then asked, "Did you make the payment that your actuarial assumptions would dictate." Oregon did not.
As Pew states: "When reporting retirement plan data, Pew
used each state's actuarial assumptions.
These assumptions include the expected
rate of return on investments and estimates
of employee life spans, retirement
ages, salary growth, marriage rates,
retention rates, and other demographic
characteristics. States also use one of a
number of approved actuarial cost methods
and also may smooth gains and losses over
time to manage volatility."
The funded ratio that Pew reported for Oregon has deteriorated since 2010 due to poor investment returns, and it is a number that includes the side accounts established by employers when they issued pension obligation bonds to prepay their PERS contributions. While that number reflects the proceeds of those bonds, it doesn't count any liability associated with the borrowing. Nor do PERS rates reflect the underlying debt service costs, which are considerable and growing for many issuers because of the way the bonds were structured, with escalating payments. We included an estimate of those debt service costs in our graphic as a percentage of payroll.
Moreover, the higher funded ratio that Pew used is not the one used to set employer rates in Oregon. PERS' actuary uses the system's funded ratio without side accounts for that, currently 73 percent systemwide. OPERS sets its rates to amortize its unfunded liability over a 20-year period, which is actually a pretty conservative method. Yet it artificially collars rate increases to 3 percent of payroll per biennium, unless the employer's individual liability is less than 80 percent funded. Because most fall below that level -- again, it's currently 73 percent systemwide -- a double collar kicks in, and rate increases can go as high as 6 percent on a sliding scale, depending on each employer's funded status. In either case, the actual rates would be higher without the collars. So employers are not making the contributions that would be required to pay off their unfunded liabilities over 20 years. For that reason, the Pew study rated Oregon a needs improvement on its pension liability.
Bottom line, the Pew study is not a very good yardstick to make comparisons. The other study I cited tried to normalize actuarial assumptions. and while reasonable people can argue about their expected return assumptions, they point out that Oregon's pension burden is a higher percentage of gross state product because government is a bigger piece of the overall economic pie here. It's also because PERS member contributions -- whether paid by the employee or the employer, and 70 percent are paid by the employer -- no longer go to support the pension fund, but are diverted to an individual account that belongs to the employee, much like a 401k. That's a big chunk of money, and employers end up paying higher rates to make up the difference.
Finally, "we're not as bad off as they are" would seem beside the point. What matters to employers and taxpayers here is the cost here, and how that affects budgets and public services. Oregon's cost is skyrocketing, the rate increases that come in 2013 may not be the last, and the budget tradeoffs are very real. Those are the facts.
The 2.3 percent increase is on the wholesale price of gas at the Sumas hub, at the border of BC and Washington.
Much of your monthly gas bill is distribution and other overhead costs other than gas. That's why the 2.3 percent translates as 38 cents.
They assumed the average residential consumption in Oregon is 5.5 Mmbtu/month, and that the price of gas is $3/Mmbtu at Sumas.
So the monthly bill increase is = 0.023 X 5.5 X 3.00 = 38 Cents/month.
They contend this increase will take place regardless, as a termina(s)l is (are) going to be built in Oregon or BC, and the gas will be exported. What happens if multiple terminals are built on the West Coast and others on the Gulf Coast, exporting a significant percentage of the U.S. daily demand? That remains to be seen.
Ted Sickinger here, one of the reporters following this story. PERS officials says they have no contacts reporting incorrect benefit amount or name/benefit mismatches.
PGE's 2020 Boardman closure is indeed "its plan." The company didn't want to go with the other options that the DEQ laid out and came up with this compromise. It still faces lawsuits and new clean air rules that could derail that plan. The company says that at the end of the day, its agnostic about the resource, but it has to provide reliable power and try to keep rates down. It will be interesting to see the Boardman replacement plan in action. It will involve big new investments and likely leave PGE far more dependent on natural gas, the price of which can be very volatile. If the current shale gas boom doesn't last, and there's an interesting article about that in the New York Times, then customers will surely notice the rate impact. There's no silver bullet --- yet.
I'm not condemning PacifiCorp. I was simply pointing out its reliance on coal, and its potential consequences to ratepayers. The company is making the same point to Congress, and its testimony about new clean air rules was what got me going on this. It's clear that this s going to be an issue for years to come, and that the company is pursuing a different path than PGE's Boardman closure.
Portland Aristotle, I wasn't really focusing on renewables here, but did note that whatever they do with environmental controls will come on top of wind farms, transmission and natural gas plants. Regulatory mandates are driving much of this investment, not load growth, or load growth in Oregon anyway.
If you are a tier one employee - and with 20 years experience you are tier one - you are guaranteed and are getting a return equal to the system's assumed earnings rate, which is currently 8 percent. Your individual account program, which is a supplement to your pension and works like a 401k with your 6 percent (or your employers 6 percent) contribution, gets the market return.
--Ted Sickinger
Just thought I'd weigh in here. The facts are that Boardman supplies about 15 percent of the power consumed by PGE customers. The plant supplies a much smaller percentage of all the power used in Oregon.
Overall, coal-fired plants supply about 40 percent of the power in the state, about equal to hydro. PacifiCorp gets about two third of its power from coal, though all the plants are out-of-state. And all utilities, when they purchase power on the spot market, purchase some amount of coal fired power.
Boardman is at the center of this debate in Oregon because its the only coal plant in Oregon and PGE is contemplating an expensive retrofit at the plant to comply with EPA haze rules. That retrofit will do nothing to address Boardman's carbon output and the future carbon taxes that the utility will likely have to pay on its output.


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4:56 pm
Tue July 2, 2013
Durbin tours ICC, touts skilled-worker bill
By Alex Rusciano
"Typically its equipment that may be five or ten-thousand dollars but more of than that. It also allows faculty to get professional development, it creates opportunities for individuals to get on-the-job training," Sloan says.
The bill would authorize eight-Billion-dollars in competitive grants and set aside money for programs with high job placement rates. Durbin says there's about 600,000 job openings because of the gap in properly-trained skilled workers.

subset: commoncrawl


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Mar 15 2013
Good Morning! I Love You.
1. Good morning!
I love you. Here's a cake.
On Opposite Day.
2. I began shooting more Food Network shows here on the ranch yesterday.
We'll be finished in two weeks.
That I scheduled the shoot to begin the week of Daylight Savings Time is going to turn out to be one of the most puzzling decisions of my life.
Springing Forward is of the devil.
Springing Forward is dead to me.
Springing Forward does not bring me inner peace.
Have you been as much of a zombie as I have this week?
(The sleepy kind. Not the brain-eating kind.)
3. The crew that films the show is very nice.
They're from London, so it's an interesting mix of cultures.
And accents.
And marmalade!
They take their marmalade very seriously. I'll tell you about it later.
They sometimes organize little pools for football (soccer) games in the UK. We did it last time, too, and I think I came in dead last. I'm not familiar with the rules of football and I was guessing scores like "50" and "94" and "71" when usually, the scores don't go higher than 4 or 5.
I felt not cool.
9. Be sure to make these sandwiches this weekend. I made them after our homeschool co-op on Tuesday.
Then I posted them on The Pioneer Woman Cooks on Wednesday morning.
That's how my cooking posts work. In the history of my website, I've never had a stockpile of cooking posts ready to go. I've never had a stash. I've never had a bunch of drafts ready to publish. I cook it, then I post it, usually within twelve hours.
But I suppose that's the nature of blogging.
76. I hate Daylight Savings Time.
Sorry I said hate.
Next time I'll say "don't care for," which is what Ga-Ga always taught me to say instead of saying "hate."
I miss you, Ga-Ga.
5. On tomorrow's Food Network episode, I make a big (read: gigantic) spread for the crew.
I think you'll like the show. There's lots of footage of the cattle/calf working, and it's filmed in a little bit more of a documentary style, with Marlboro Man (and my two girls) narrating what they're doing from time to time.
When I watched it last week, I fast forwarded (fasted forward? ha) through those pesky parts of me cooking. I wanted to see the humans I gave birth to.
It's a mom thing.
A. When the British TV crew is here, I try so hard not to adopt British phrases, particularly while I'm cooking on camera. And a couple of times, in an effort to be hip and with it, I've used British words or phrases that I thought I had a grasp on, only to find out they aren't things you're supposed to say in public.
I won't go into detail, for obvious reasons.
On another note, did you know people from England refer to a stove as a "hob?"
And instead of "throw it into the pan," they say "bung it into the pan."
And the British crew isn't familiar at all with the word "mainstay." I had to explain to them what it meant.
They also don't have chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in London.
How do they live?
They do have cake in London, though. No cultural barrier there.
Cake is the language that unites us all.
19. Spring is arriving, and I'm experiencing all sorts of seasonal angst, such as do I plant a big garden this year and bet on good rains coming? Or do I apply what I've learned from the terrible drought and heat of the past two years and scale back considerably?
Marlboro Man and I have four children on four different soccer teams. How is that going to work? Can two humans be divided into four?
Whom can I write to request a refund on the hour of sleep I lost this week?
I smell punitive damages.
c. Springing Forward is stup…
Um, not my cup of tea.
14. Springing Forward is dum…
Um, not something I particularly enjoy.
8. Tell me what you guys are up to these days.
And if you could please tell me you're facing some of the same spring-related dilemmas as I am, I'd be most appreciative.
And most of all: have a wonderful weekend!
784 Comments and 42 Replies
Annette McK. On Friday, March 15 at 3:07 pm
Big Garden!!
Kim L On Friday, March 15 at 3:11 pm
Oh, how I feel your pain this week! Foggy, cloudy and I am not talking about the weather here!
That cake = amazing!
Carol37 On Friday, March 15 at 3:13 pm
I'm not too crazy about daylight savings time, either! I was GRUMPY for a full week after the time change. For the last few years I've adopted a strategy that a good friend shared with me: I start changing the clocks on Saturday afternoon, one every few hours, beginning with the clock radio in my bedroom. By the time I go to bed, all the clocks are set and my brain has had time to get used to the idea. This way the shock isn't too bad come Sunday morning.
Claire in AZ On Friday, March 15 at 3:17 pm
You need to come to Arizona. We tried daylight savings time once and dropped it pronto. I remember as a kid, all the cross parents because they couldn't get their kids to go to bed in full daylight. We need our non-daylight time when the scorching summer heat abates! And … How DO you cut that cake???
Jan in AZ On Friday, March 15 at 3:24 pm
I live in Arizona and we DON'T "spring forward"! But we have to remember that all summer, we're virtually on Pacific (Calif.) time in relation to the rest of ya'll.
Debbie On Friday, March 15 at 3:26 pm
Daylight Savings is killing me this year. I've overslept every morning, but one this week.
And I have to be up at 4:30 tomorrow to run a half marathon with a group of runners I coach. Maybe all the water I'm drinking today will just getting me up all night to pee. (Wishful thinking!?)
Wanna trade? I'll come cook and translate the Brit speak.
Lee Cockrum On Friday, March 15 at 3:26 pm
I do not care for springing forward either!! It has made me exceedingly grumpy and out of sorts this week.
brittney On Friday, March 15 at 3:30 pm
I have been sick all week…just in the morning and at night. I thought I had a cold. Now I think it's a combo of spring allergies (pollen) and the time change! Who knew one pesky hour could do that!! Sigh.
geni On Friday, March 15 at 3:31 pm
I love daylight savings time….I look forward to it and I am not a morning person….but that extra light in the evening to sit out back with the grandkids watching them shoot hoops or play football….we took the dog for a walk the other night and really enjoyed the sunset….then in for homework and bed…..peaceful….restful….and boy were they tired!!!!! right to sleep….me too
Judy J On Friday, March 15 at 3:33 pm
That cake look wonderful!! As for daylight savings time – it is way over due for them to just leave the time alone. They make these silly laws and they never seem to have the backbone to say they were wrong and make it right.
Nancy On Friday, March 15 at 3:34 pm
Do not like the first 2 weeks of Daylight Savings Time, but LOVE it when my body gets back into the groove. Love the long sunny days!
Oh my goodness! What's the name of this cake? I need the recipe to that cake. I've got to make this one.
Happy Weekend Ree!
Paula On Friday, March 15 at 3:35 pm
I know what you mean Ree. I can't decide whether to dig and ready the garden, or just cry "Uncle." We live just down the highway from you, so the heat and drought are all too familiar.
Kat74 On Friday, March 15 at 3:35 pm
Thanks for the cake. I'm 39 today, and that's a great b-day cake. I don't care for Spring Forward either. Love you too!
Melissa On Friday, March 15 at 3:44 pm
I actually like the time change. I am usually up at 4:00am regardless so now I am up at 5:00! I don't notice the change. I was thinking about your garden situation. I love my garden if for nothing else but the relaxation part of it.
ConnieS On Friday, March 15 at 3:46 pm
The day's sunlight was getting longer anyway; changing makes guys in my "familihood" hate to get out to do those morning chores. I'm with you!!
Susan Holcomb On Friday, March 15 at 3:49 pm
I am a bit confused for a couple of days but get over it by opening wine early.
I have the garden dilemma going on myself. My husband goes crazy about watering…meaning he water the first time he plants and then claims each day we WILL get rain today and not water. This year it will be a fight as I am taking over the garden and he will have to step aside as I am in menopause and will drop him in the dirt. Just kidding…well sort of.
Alice On Friday, March 15 at 3:49 pm
I HATE daylight savings time. I wish they'd just leave time alone. But if they're going to change it, why can't they do it on a Friday night instead of Saturday?????
Kristen A. On Friday, March 15 at 3:51 pm
I strongly dislike springing forward!!! I've been so grouchy with everyone (including my poor students and husband).
PS: That cake looks amazing.
PPS: Those sandwiches look even more amazing-er (?? don't think that's a real word….).
PenPen On Friday, March 15 at 3:52 pm
I'm right there with you on the sleep deprivation of Daylight Savings Time. I'm certain it's a conspiracy. Major sleep loss and taking care of 14 sick computers (at work) is not my idea of a great week. Glad you had some distraction with the crew. Cake is wonderful. Just pulled fresh banana bread from the oven which I will share with my other appraisers for Destination Imagination (problem solving contest for kids) this weekend.
Lisa On Friday, March 15 at 3:54 pm
There is something magical about chocolate cake and strawberries. Add a rich creamy frosting and it is heavenly.
Last weekend is the worst weekend of the year. Spring Ahead has really kicked my bum this week. I think we should get two fall back weekends ever year. Eventually we will get a season of the night shift without having to change our internal clocks.
Kathy On Friday, March 15 at 3:56 pm
Agree, we never say HATE!! Well not NEVER but mostly. We are doing an even bigger garden this year and herbs of course. On our way to FISH FRY at the church, it's LENT…..
Have a great weekend, we always tape your show and now LOVE watching the reruns on the weekdays. Thank you for everything you do for us!!! You are the best
Lori On Friday, March 15 at 3:57 pm
I ignored Daylight Savings Time. In a case of taking your sliver linings where you can find them, I had to change my work hours during winter because it's no longer safe for me to drive in rush hour in the dark. (Vision issues.)
So when Daylight Savings came, I just switched my work hours back! As far as my body is concerned, nothing changed.
Of course, in a couple years my daughter will start school and then it won't matter when I'm going to work, but I'm going to enjoy it for the time until them!
lenka On Friday, March 15 at 3:58 pm
Where, oh where, oh where did you find that AMAZING pink cake stand ???!!! ( can you tell I'm excited? )
I have been looking for one everywhere! It is just beautiful and fanciful and girlie. I know how very, very busy you are but if you have a minute between cooking, baking, filming, castrating bulls(?) would you please let me know where you got that cake stand?
Many thanks and blessings, Lenka.
Stacy P. On Friday, March 15 at 3:59 pm
Love You P-dubby-dub-dub! The cake is da'bomb and since my hubs travels a lot, I'm trying to figure out if I can be split into 3 pieces to get the 3 kids to the 3 different sports at 3 different places AT THE SAME TIME.
Darn you, Daylight Savings. Darn you.
Abuela On Friday, March 15 at 4:00 pm
I don't care for messing with the clock either! – Spring OR Fall!
My sympathies, Ree
Lori On Friday, March 15 at 4:07 pm
I am totally with you on how many vegetables/herbs do I try to plant this year and hope for the best. For years I had a backyard that got full sun all day long and things would totally burn up. Then I got smart and starting only buying plants that needed full sun. Which worked until my neighbor behind me planted a tree which in three years grew at Jack and the Beanstalk speeds and suddenly blocked enough sun that I didn't even get a single tomato last year. Which didn't make me very happy. So this year i'll have to get things that don't need so much sun. I have visions of nothing but lettuce …
Chrystal On Friday, March 15 at 4:14 pm
I also detest "spring forward"……….I say we fall back and forget it! Leave it alone already! I like the dark! GEEZ!
I love talking with a british accent and I even have my 5 year old talking british! Precious! My little "british boy!" I bet it's super fun with them around………….you telling them what our english words or phrases mean and then them telling you theirs!
I had to laugh when I saw the chipotles in adoba sauce!……..Those are the "melt your lips off your face"……….HOT!!! (Great flavor – but TOO WARM for this little un-british girl!-ha)
That cake looks amazing!!!!!!!!!!!! Do those bloody british get to eat all the food you cook?! ha ha I bet it's hard for them to film while they smell that cooking all the time!!!!
Ok then……………good luck with the soccer teams! We have a similar problem – you just have to "farm kids out to teammates" and try to catch all the games as best as you can…..hard for us mamas not to see every game, but we're outnumbered, man!
Ritakmae On Friday, March 15 at 4:15 pm
MOVE TO PHOENIX, ARIZONA!!!! We don't have no stickin' daylight savings time. However, if you don't tell your automatic clock that you live in Arizona, it will think you like daylight savings time and wake you up at 3:30AM Monday instead of 4:30AM.
Also, that gardening thing – not a problem. I can personally guarantee that it will not rain except for one day this summer, so I would recommend Astro-turf.
Ellen Wexler On Friday, March 15 at 4:22 pm
Hmm, I wonder if that darned daylight savings time is the reason I am absolutely dragging my a*s. That's "arse" in the land of your film crew. I fink.
(I am going to h-e-double hockey sticks. Now I won't get to meet Ga-Ga)
Marcia On Friday, March 15 at 4:23 pm
1. lol, I thought you were cooking up some amazing french toast in that skillet. Guess you can tell where my head {stomach} is!
2. My handsome hubby is British and I learn new words and phrases all the time! So glad you are getting to experience that too.
3. DST is for the birds…
Lindie On Friday, March 15 at 4:27 pm
Maybe that's why I am so sleepy this week! It is a beautiful day today and that cake looks delicious!
Pamela On Friday, March 15 at 4:32 pm
We've scheduled a trip to England this summer, and I've decided that to make my language more like theirs, I'll start saying "a bit of . . .". I've noticed that they use that phrase a lot.
And yes, I'm dragging from the time change.
SaraD On Friday, March 15 at 4:33 pm
My mother always said, "Don't say 'hate'. Say 'detest' or 'despise.'"
I detest and despise Daylight Saving Time, but I live in Arizona, and we don't do DST (except for the Navajo reservation). (Did you know that only about 25% of Arizona is public land? The rest is Indian reservation, and state and federal lands [county, state and national parks or forests, and BLM grazing lands.] But I digress.) It is one of the few things that makes me glad to live in Arizona. It was 95 degrees F. here, yesterday. We really do not need an extra hour of that, thank you.
Let there be cake.
Stacey On Friday, March 15 at 4:38 pm
Daylight savings time is usually a source of frustration for me also. This year I have not noticed it so much. Want to know my secret? On Sunday, the first day of daylight savings time I had company. My parents were here. I only see my mother once a year and my father about every three years. They were here to take 4 of my children for a visit so I could have recovery time. Which leads to the rest of the week. I had to be at the hospital, a little over an hour away, by 6am. I underwent surgery followed by several days in the hospital. A blood transfusion was involved. Finally back home Thursday evening. So I really wasn't all that affected by daylight savings time change this year! I think I'll try a different way to get through it next year though.
Tina On Friday, March 15 at 4:47 pm
In the spirit of eternal optimism, I am planning a big, drought-free garden!
Debbie On Friday, March 15 at 4:49 pm
Ok, now I get why I have been so tired this week! I have lost an hour of my life. Thought I was coming down with something. LOL
Jennifer Q. On Friday, March 15 at 5:01 pm
Try living in the UK, not just having a crew for two weeks! I am a US Army wife living in England and wow, you would think we would understand each other because we speak the same language….not the case! Yes, I cook on a hob….
Linda P On Friday, March 15 at 5:05 pm
I don't like changing time either. I think you should use your position as a blogger to petition congress to eliminate it. I'll sign on and a lot of other zombies will too.
GloGlo On Friday, March 15 at 5:09 pm
My mouth is watering not only for that scrumptilicious cake but that divine roast beef sandwich…Yum… my favorite!. So much for working out and trying to get back in shape. I totally dislike with a great passion daylight savings, since now when I wake up at 6am to get the kids out the door for school it is pitch black and I just want to crawl back into my nice comfy, warm bed. Who invented daylight savings — they must PAY!! =)
Bev On Friday, March 15 at 5:19 pm
I am so laughing! I was looking forward to the it's lighter later.meaning the day seems longer, but…I seem to be having the same problem. I wish they would just leave it alone.
I wake up at the same time, the time seems skewed. It is alright, our animals all know just when it is time to eat. That cake looks scrumptious! Since ther is only two of us it looks like I need to have company so I can make it. I agree with GaGa. It is nicer to say other words besides hate.
Terry On Friday, March 15 at 5:20 pm
I have been dragging my butt all week. Two mornings I slept one more hour after my alarm went off, then I got a cup of coffee and took it back to bed. I can't wait to sleep in tomorrow!
I just devoured your book The Pioneer Woman Black Heels to Tractor Wheels. I loved it! I didn't want it to end! Any chance you will write a book from where that one left off?
I love watching your show on Saturdays!
Jennifer Randolph On Friday, March 15 at 5:27 pm
Yes, Spring Forward has made my week VERY long, I think because I have had an extra hour each day. I still have to get up at 6:00, but I can't go to bed at 10:00 so it takes me two hours to wake up each day instead of the usual one hour, which is not good when you have been called to substitute teach at the high school, something you have NEVER done, but, hey if you are half awake maybe it will be easier. Anyway, I survived this week and I do love that it is light in the evening, that we have an evening. Thanks for sharing how difficult it has been for you so that I know I am not the only one (besides the 300 students at our school who were also lacking sleep and made the week very interesting )
Wendy M On Friday, March 15 at 5:32 pm
Sorry to disagree, but I LOVE daylight savings!! I will gladly yawn for a few days and have darker mornings for a few weeks, till I adjust. It means it is lighter later in the evening, and even more important it means the warmer weather of spring and summer is right around the corner. Even though we are still in the grip of cold and snow here in Ontario, it still lifts my spirits to know that soon we will be working outside in the gardens, wearing shorts a
& flip flops and going to the beach on summer vacation!!!
P.S. I just go to bed a bit earlier the first few days and it is not as hard to handle.
Alyssa On Friday, March 15 at 5:33 pm
I like spring forward – we have two small people, under 3, so it means that until they adjust to the time chance, they've actually been sleeping in a little later. Score. Also, the weather is hot down there, but last summer up here, with the increase in temps meant we actually had a half-decent growing season. Now I can't decide if I should gamble on having an amazing summer again, or just do carrots and beets and swiss chard like always.
ann petrosky On Friday, March 15 at 5:34 pm
Don't mess with Mother nature is what I always say…. Not a fan of DST!
kate j aus On Friday, March 15 at 5:36 pm
No spring here Ree its Autumn (fall) we havent had the end of daylight savings yet but its approaching fast! it was cool and drizzly yesterday and today stinking hot and sunny dont like the weather swings! getting our last couple of bbq dinners in while we can. I made a 4 layer german chockie cake this week minus the fruit and with chockie ganache topping and irish cream in the cream … well i made 2 one for a work friends bday and one for my sons 16th. im chockie caked out!
Carolyn H On Friday, March 15 at 5:40 pm
I can totally relate Ree! It takes me a good month to turn my inner clock around every time we Spring forward or Fall back. It's miserable, and I really, really, don't care for it at all!
Sylvia Young On Friday, March 15 at 5:47 pm
I was just hanging out in the great white canada watching food network Canada. Oh is me as we don't get pioneer woman cooks wait a minute that is Ree Drummond on tv. YAY!!! Canada is finally getting your show! Fantastic I can not wait until march 24th!
Barbara stroud On Friday, March 15 at 5:47 pm
Why, oh why have daylight savings time… I am pooped! Love the pretty cake plate! Enjoy hearing your stories about the crew… Boy could I go for a piece of cake
Lauren On Friday, March 15 at 5:54 pm
Oh my goodness, that cake! How would you even slice that? Layer by layer? I think I went to a sugar induced coma looking at it. It confuses me that the sun comes up later now (like, 7:30AM CDT) but goes down later, much later, than it used to. It's thrown off my internal clock! But I will say that I love that it's getting warmer out!
Janice C-NC On Friday, March 15 at 5:58 pm
Spring- as in spring cleaning, and completely re-doing our bathroom, it's been 9 days now, the time change didn't bother us that much this year as we are up working at midnight anyway, most nights, I'm telling myself it Will be worth it. It really did need updating.
Your cake looks beautiful!
Ambur On Friday, March 15 at 6:05 pm
The past two days have been above 60, so the chlorophyll in my green thumb and veins is flowing. I work outside as a landscaper, so I LOVE my job right now. My struggle with spring is I start out overly gung-ho, then by the time June rolls around, I'm tired of all my pots and garden. The later evenings have been lovely to me, but the whole 'crack of dawn' feeling when I wake up kills me. Ask your Brits if they love Downton Abbey as much as Americans!
Kerry On Friday, March 15 at 6:08 pm
I showed the cake pic to hubs and told him that's what I want for my Mother's Day/birthday cake. He said to bookmark it and he'll be on it!! We shall see ; )
Bea Long On Friday, March 15 at 6:09 pm
I make one that is almost identical and I love these cakes and I think every cake should have a gazillion layers..lol..I love cake and pastries so much I think I have a true addiction!! HELP!!
janie m On Friday, March 15 at 6:15 pm
i agree on DST.
Carol Bee On Friday, March 15 at 6:17 pm
I love DST – I have been tired and sleepy all week, but love the extra daylight, I hate coming home from work, rolling into the garage and never seeing anyone. You don't go outside to water, clean up, see what needs to be done, just come home, cook dinner and plop in front of the boob tube. It's usually cold, so you snuggle. I like to be able to walk to the store after dinner, get some exercise.
But the change in seasons really makes me hungry, I wake up starved, it takes a while to get back to normal.
Love the cake, I make a pumpkin one drizzled with carmel that is that tall and looks as wonderful of a presentation for guests.
Nezzy (Cow Patty Surprise) On Friday, March 15 at 6:18 pm
Oh baby, just stick a fork into this Ozark Farm Chick right now 'cause I'm done for sure. That cake instantly made it to the top of my bucket list!!!! I'm slobberin' worse than Charlie here!
MMmmmmm, bite please? :o)
From the windy hills and hollers of the droolin' Missouri Ponderosa, ya'll have a marvelously blessed and beautiful weekend!!!!
See ya'll tomorrow on the Food Network!!! :o)
Kay G On Friday, March 15 at 6:18 pm
Daylight savings time is contrary to every human rhythm and should be banned as a threat to health and sanity. (I don't believe "hate" is too strong a description for my reaction to DST.) Thank goodness I am now retired and can take a nap if I feel about to pass out from lost sleep or about to pitch a "hissy fit" when my patience runs short due to exhaustion. DST is evil and should be banned.
Peggy On Friday, March 15 at 6:19 pm
It bites! Both times! Can't we just stay in one time zone?
The cake looks wonderful! When is opposite day?
Carrie On Friday, March 15 at 6:23 pm
Yes! It seems like this is the first year DST has really kicked me in the pants. I'm still in a daze… and for some reason waking up an hour earlier now. Shouldn't I be waking up later?
Paula in Colorado On Friday, March 15 at 6:24 pm
I can't stand "fall back," either. . . they both kick my butt and I'm worthless for a solid week. . . I'm not looking forward to coming out of my fog on Monday to discover all the things I messed up during the adjustment period. . . ugh!
Bea Long On Friday, March 15 at 6:32 pm
I think I now have my anti-virus control off, it was messing up and I could not leave a post..anyway, as I was saying I make a cake almost identical to this one and I think every cake should have a gazillion layers..lol..I am totally adicted to cake and pastries…HELP!!!!!!!!!! As for DST I "DETEST" it with a passion I am am a basket case until it ffffffffaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllllllllllssss back again. I just cannot seem to get that time bacxk!!
SuzyQ On Friday, March 15 at 6:41 pm
I agree with you and I too hate daylight savings time. I will say hate! Why are people fooled into thinking they have longer days. The days are the same length, they just start earlier. Not a good thing. It takes me months to get back to where my body is in sync with the clock. Stop messing with the natural rhythm of life.
barbara L On Friday, March 15 at 6:44 pm
What's the point, that's what I say. It messes with my sleep, medicine, it has to affect babies and animals too. It's time to strike LOL.
Beth B On Friday, March 15 at 6:48 pm
I hate it, too! I wish they choose one time or another and stop changing!
Melissa in Texas On Friday, March 15 at 6:50 pm
Oh that cake is beautiful! I'm making the sandwiches tomorrow night! Can't wait! Cheez Whiz has been calling my name ever since I read the post the other day. As for the time change, I hate, don't care for it either, but on the bright side I'm loving it staying light longer. When it gets warmer it'll be perfect timing! Will be watching in the morning.
glenda On Friday, March 15 at 6:54 pm
I love the "spring forward I get so much more done, but I do wish they would pick a time and leave it for all time
Bea Long On Friday, March 15 at 6:55 pm
waiting on my funny and witty post I left here 45 minutes ago. Should I just give up???
Bea Long On Friday, March 15 at 6:58 pm
hmmmmmm, now how do you suppose that happened? I guess I will just say this time about the DST is " hollow points " any one????LOL…I am so tired now that I am just going to have a cup of hot chocolate and forget aboout it!
Sheryl Anne On Friday, March 15 at 6:56 pm
Gardening- planning to overdue again this year as usual. My hubbie says that way if half of the 30 some tomato plants we usually put in don't make it, we will still have more than we need again, like last year….if they all survive I will be giving them away as fast as I can pick them! (And peppers, squash, turnips, etc.)
Nicki Rhodes On Friday, March 15 at 7:14 pm
I have a really good friend who is a professional musician. We had a performance and he was REALLY late. Turns out, he set his alarm for 1 hour before the performance, not realizing it was daylight savings time and almost missed the show!!!!
Debbie On Friday, March 15 at 7:14 pm
Whitehouse.gov has a petition to stop daylight savings time. If it gets a certain number of signers the White House is required to respond.
Kristen @ Joyfullythriving On Friday, March 15 at 7:14 pm
Oh my. I wasn't allowed to say hate – or dumb or stupid – either. I'm only 30, and those are my "bad words" that slip on occasion.
Les DuLunch On Friday, March 15 at 7:22 pm
We also were taught to say "don't care for" instead of "hate" or even "don't like." At the table, we were threatened with double helpings of anything we said we didn't like (though seldom was that threat carried out).
In light of that, I'd like to say that I don't care for Daylight Saving Time with a capital H!
Diana On Friday, March 15 at 7:24 pm
The DST spring forward is hard the first couple of days…but I do love that it is light when I drive home from work now!
I want to hear about the crew and their marmalade…my husband and I love marmalade. We have driven to Vancouver BC (from Seattle) just to get the tastier brands – yum!
Treva inTN On Friday, March 15 at 7:26 pm
I love the daylight lingering in the evening. Sitting outside listening to the frogs in the pond……The cake looks absolutely divine, also.
Kathie Kise On Friday, March 15 at 7:26 pm
Thank you for always making my day! You make me laugh so hard, I have to share your posts with my hubby…..he hates it while he's watching basketball! But I make him listen, most of the time he cracks up laughing too! Thanks again!
Debbie in Up State NY On Friday, March 15 at 7:34 pm
Love the cake….but how do you serve it? dinner plates? my kind of desert!
Painting this weekend….no not the fun creative painting….the bedroom wall and ceiling kind of paint.
Marguerite Ahl On Friday, March 15 at 7:37 pm
Move to AZ. We refuse to recognize Daylight Savings Time, and this is a good thing.
CindyG On Friday, March 15 at 7:38 pm
You're bloody well right to demand your hour back! Also that cake looks gorgeous!
mamajenny On Friday, March 15 at 7:39 pm
I LOVE DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME!!! Sorry, but it's true! I love, love love longer days. I was sooo excited last weekend. We still have tons of snow, but daylight savings time is the first sign of spring for me!
I am trying to figure out how much to plant this year, too. I want to grow lots, but not sure I have the time to put it all away. We haven't had a drought in a while, so trying not to think about that.
Kate On Friday, March 15 at 7:46 pm
Both my husband and I are in the last third of the semester with 7:45 am classes M-F. So awful. Hate DLST.
Bea On Friday, March 15 at 7:51 pm
Spring forward is eeeevillll. I'm convinced Daylight Savings Time was invented as a means to torture parents of small children… and possibly cattle ranching families with tv shows to make. In theory the kids sleeping in sounds great. In reality it means we're either rushing like maniacs to get out the door in the morning or we're cooped up at home all day.
Donna On Friday, March 15 at 7:51 pm
Here in Arizona, we don't spring forward. (Not spoken in a na-nee-na-nee voice at all)
collette On Friday, March 15 at 7:55 pm
I'm ready to sign the petition to get rid of Daylight savings time, I love the fall back time since I get an extra hour of sleep but don't like it getting dark so early. I really DISLIKE losing an hour of sleep, but I love having more daylight…. if we just left everything alone I think nature would balance everything out better for us anyways!! I haven't been able to wake up on time all week!!
BJM On Friday, March 15 at 8:01 pm
I hateses their precioussss daylight sssavingsesss time. It's tricksy and makeses me clumsy.
Thus far I have four bandaids on my hands, three cuts and one burn. Jees.
Holly A On Friday, March 15 at 8:02 pm
I will gladly send you rain! My backyard ha been a swamp since December, which means my golden retriever hasn't been so golden, and my floors stay dirty. If I could collect it and run a pipe that way, I would (living in SE Virginia). And it is crazy stressful time! I just signed my 3 year old up for soccer, too
Rhonda On Friday, March 15 at 8:08 pm
I'm sorry my dear, but I live for "Spring Forward"! I have the opposite problem, I stay all screwed up on "Fall Back"! I should have been a bear because I really want to hibernate during those dreary months. I love the renewals and births of Spring. The singing birds, babies being born, and the satisfaction of seeing your garden change ever so slightly on a daily basis. You love it too deep down. Make your iced coffee a little stronger and get your booty out of bed and breathe in the newness of the season!!! Hugs my dear!
Cindy in GA On Friday, March 15 at 8:08 pm
1. Baseball, baseball, and more baseball. JV & varsity homeschool teams: have ball, will travel.
2. Gymnastics: 4 days/week
3. Dance: 2 days/week
4. Keeping up with our sweet 3 year-old: every day.
5. Gardening, just a little so far.
6. Laundry.
7. Cooking, day after day after day.
8. Homeschooling in between it all.
And 9. I just gotta say it: Enjoying the heck out of daylight savings time! I so love that we have more light in the evenings!!
Kathy On Friday, March 15 at 8:09 pm
Sorry Ga-Ga, but I hate Daylight savings time. I need that morning daylight. I don't need light at night when I am tired and want to go to bed, or zone out watching "The Big Bang Theory."
I love your Ga-Ga's name as that is what I called my aunt when I was little.
Believe it or not, we called my grandmother, Krankie.
Andrea G. On Friday, March 15 at 8:09 pm
I agree 100 MILLION percent…daylight savings time is stu…du…. All of the above. I wish is was "Fall Back" every time!!! Who cares if that makes no sense. This week KILLS me (us) everyone!!!
Amy Carney On Friday, March 15 at 8:09 pm
I was so tired driving my kids this week I wanted to instagram that I was driving under the influence of daylight savings time but I was to tired to even take the picture. And my poor kiddos, even the 4yr old reported she would be sleeping in. We have to be out the door by 7:30 to get to school on time and getting up when it's dark out is not the norm around here I'm hoping by Monday we will all be more adjusted. Springing forward really cramped my style this week! Thanks for sharing!
Erin On Friday, March 15 at 8:12 pm
Spring forward…when you have a toddler…is a cruel joke.
New Mom On Friday, March 15 at 8:12 pm
My baby has not yet gotten the memo about the time change. He is perfectly smiley and happy when his parents want to go to bed! And he just smiles MORE when we plead with him to go to sleep for the night!
p. claire pertalion On Friday, March 15 at 8:13 pm
i love daylight savings time. it means that it will be getting warmer sooner. the days last longer, yippeee. it gets dark too soon in the winter and that depresses me. it means evening surf sessions are coming soon.
Cherry On Friday, March 15 at 8:15 pm
I don't care for Spring Forward at all. It is NOTHING like it's dear, sweet, lovable cousin Fall Back…(the dear!)…
I am battling WHOOPING COUGH…(yep, at fifty!) of course, when you're a grownup, it's not whooping cough, it's pertussis but either way, your friends, family and coworkers act like you're carrying the bubonic plague and run screaming from you…which does terrible things to your ego…
but on the BRIGHT side, I am also looking for my FIRST home! I am very excited and spending my convalesence (sp) taking virtual tours of the houses in my price range! (wish me LUCK everyone!)
coff coff coff…
Ruth On Friday, March 15 at 8:16 pm
I would like to second your motion on items related to springing forward. I am not sure which I would like to go through the computer screen for more the cake or the sandwich (I will have to go look for that recipe now). My spring is going to consist of cleaning out the flower beds and writing papers for my history class.
Tracy in Ohio On Friday, March 15 at 8:22 pm
Draggin' a……well let's just say "a little fatigued" this week. I too, have strong ill will towards daylight savings time…..Back home in Arizona, we don't change time. So I have never been able to do so without a great deal of frustration and confusion. Even after all these years here in Ohio. I am impressed with the cake, and gotta wonder if you used skewers to keep it upright.
Heather Marie Last - Whipple On Friday, March 15 at 8:26 pm
Can you please post the recipe for the cake you have pictured it looks really good, Please
KJ On Friday, March 15 at 8:28 pm
Dear Miss Ree: What is spring? Is that what comes when the snow is melted? I live in Wisconsin where we have 2 feet of snow on the ground, it's currently snowing right now, and there is a snowstorm of up to a foot predicted for Monday. I can't see around the piles of snow to get out of my driveway.
My spring angst is buried in the snow.
Robin in New Jersey On Friday, March 15 at 8:29 pm
We just need to stop with this spring forward thing. It's ridiculous in my opinion.
I have always told my kids to say, I don't care for that, and save the word hate for rare occasions. Ga Ga was a very wise lady!


text:
Topic: Should Ramon Calderon Leave Madrid?
Ramon Calderon have not actually been a success as Real Madrid president.
Should he leave the club?
Ramon Calderon has made a lot of lies, false promises, excuses, lofty hopes and insane quotes during his time at the club.
Is it time for him to pay for his promises?
Should they bring back Florient Perez?
Have your say!


text: TAMPA, Fla. (97.3 THE SKY) - If you've been to Tampa recently and visited Busch Gardens you probably noticed the park's newest thrill ride is close to opening. When it opens it is expected to be North America's tallest freestanding drop tower and the only one in the world that pivots riders 90 degrees for a facedown dive. Photo credit Busch Gardens® Tampa


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By Staff Sgt. Shannon Collins, USAFSpecial to American Forces Press Service
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey, Dec. 10, 2002 The thrill of jockeying a high-performance fighter jet took on a new meaning recently for one F-16CJ pilot as she flew her first combat patrol in Operation Northern Watch.
"I saw airbursts explode just about 4,000 to 6,000 feet away from my jet -- that was definitely an eye opener," an excited and anxious Capt. Christina "Shaq" Szasz said of her first trip up. "It's so much more real being here and flying over Iraq. When I went out there for the first time, I was really on edge, looking outside all the time.
"The realization came over me that these people down there want to kill me. These people down there are aiming at me," she said. "It really puts you in the game to stay focused on what you're doing, stay focused on the mission and to stay on top of the details."
Szasz volunteered about a month ago to deploy to Operation Northern Watch with her unit's advance team to ensure easier inprocessing for fellow crew members who would follow. Her commander, Lt. Col. C.Q. "Swamp Thang" Brown said this was very helpful.
"She has been a tremendous asset. Her efforts ensured we were ready to go Day 1 on station. Just like all the pilots in my squadron, she is fully combat-ready and executes the ONW mission extremely well," he said.
The mission of Szasz and the other F-16CJ pilots from the 78th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., known as the "Bushmasters," is suppression of enemy air defenses.
"We do the 'Wild Weasel' mission, where we're the first in and last out. We try to attract the attention of SAM (surface-to-air missile) operators, so that they're looking at us. As soon as they open their radars, if they're looking at us or the other aircraft, once they start radiating, we'll pick that up, and we can shoot our HARM (high-speed, anti-radiation missile) at them," she said.
Szasz didn't shoot any HARMs on her patrols, but she said the pilot training she received with EURO NATO at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, and with the 78th EFS helped her with her mission here.
Szasz said joining the Air Force came naturally.
"I have a very military family. My dad is retired Navy, my two sisters joined the Navy, my older brother's in the Army, my little brother's in the Air Force, and my cousin flies KC-10s for the Air Force," she said, sitting back in her chair.
Though her brothers and sisters, cousin and father are all in the military, she said her real inspiration came from her grandfather, a freedom fighter in the Hungarian Uprising of 1956. She did a documentary on him while she was in college.
"I loved listening to his stories and just how patriotic he was. He believed very strongly in fighting for freedom, and he always used to instill that into us, as to how it's your job and your duty to do whatever you can to help that cause. Just seeing him and my father serve, it just came naturally," she said.
Szasz's grandfather was imprisoned for eight years for his part in the failed revolt. When her father saw him eight years later, she said, he was scared to death and didn't recognize him. Though her grandfather passed away a few years ago, she said he was very proud of her for joining the military.
"When I was doing the documentary on him, he said, 'You don't know how happy it makes me to know that I was able to be a soldier, my son was able to be a soldier and my granddaughter is able to be a soldier.' That was really nice," Szasz said, her face lighting up.
Though she could have served in any number of career fields, she chose to become a fighter pilot. "I want to be at the tip of the spear. I want to be out there doing something that's going to directly affect saving someone's life or affecting the mission," she said.
Szasz and the other Northern Watch pilots here spent shifts of 12 hours or longer with briefings, pre- and post-flight checks of the jets, flying the sortie, and planning for the next day's mission. While the Iraqis targeted them regularly, she said it was worth it.
"If there's anything I can do to keep America the way America is, then I'd like to do that," she said. "Growing up, I heard stories from my dad and my grandfather about what they had to go through.
"My father said when he was little he was afraid because you never knew when soldiers would come into your house, walk over it and you, and take what they pleased. We're really lucky to be Americans and to have the lifestyle that we do and the freedoms that we do," she said.
Szasz recently rotated home to Shaw as other squadron members arrived for their turns in Operation Northern Watch.
(Air Force Staff Sgt. Shannon Collins is attached to the Operation Northern Watch Public Affairs shop at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey. Her home station is Barksdale Air Force Base, La.)


text:
Nu Chi Omega celebrates Founders' Day
Apr. 14, 2014 @ 01:41 PM
The Nu Chi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority recently celebrated its Founders' Day at the Central Children's Home in Oxford.
Dianne Evans, chapter president, presided at the event.
The theme was "A Sister's Love."
Lillie A. Moss was the keynote speaker.
Phyllis Williams read the history of the sorority, and Dianne Evans led the litany.
Long stem pink roses were presented to the chapter's gold and silver members.
Dianne Williams conducted a rededication ceremony.


text:
There are so many good things coming your way this weekend that you should make sure you have no obligations that might hold you back. If you do then get rid of them right away. You've got to be free.
or email email@example.com
April 27, 2013 | 4:00am
We've sent an email with instructions to create a new password. Your existing password has not been changed.


text:
Whole Wheat Penne with Meat Sauce
Penne Integrale al Ragu
Serves six.
2 tablespoons Filippo Berio olive oil
1 small onion, minced
1/2 pound ground chuck
1 zucchini, grated
2 cups whole cherry tomatoes, washed
1 cup Provolone cheese, cubed
1 cup Pecorino cheese, grated
1 - 1/2 cup fresh Mozzarella cheese, cubed
1 tablespoon dried oregano
Salt to taste
Grinding black pepper to taste
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup minced fresh basil
1/2 pound whole wheat penne, cooked al dente
2/3 cup additional grated Pecorino cheese
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Heat the olive oil in a 10 x 2-inch casserole dish with cover, such as Le Creuset or similar stovetop/ovenproof pan. Cook the onions over medium heat until they wilt; stir in the ground chuck and brown well. Stir in the zucchini and cook stirring well for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook covered for 5 minutes over medium heat.
Uncover the pan, lower the heat and stir in the cream. Stir in the basil and penne and combine well with the sauce. Stir in the cheeses. Sprinkle the top with the extra grated pecorino.
Cover the dish and bake for 35-40 minutes.Serve hot.
Tip: An alternate to using fresh cherry tomatoes is canned pomodorini (cherry tomatoes) such as Famoso, available in Italian grocery stores.
Featured on show 1902- Fantastic Pasta Casseroles.
This recipe is from CiaoItalia Slow and Easy by Mary Ann Esposito, published by St. Martin's Press in 2007.
Want More Recipes? See My Latest Book:
Ciao Italia Family Classics
Mary Ann returns to her family's humble beginnings to bring us a treasure trove of more than 200 time-honored recipes.
Buy it now from Amazon for just $24.00
A Testimonial From Mario Batali:
This collection epitomizes the tradition and love that goes into all of Mary Ann Esposito's cooking. Like her award-winning TV series, this book will live on for years with all of those who cook her delicious recipes. My kids love everything Mary Ann cooks!"


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Records Management Unit
Upcoming Recordkeeping Workshops
Did you know?
- Anything that provides evidence of the University's business activities is a record.
- It is against the law to destroy or delete University records without authorisation.
- You are responsible for all records you create or receive in the course of your work.
- You could be fined up to $5000 for breaching your recordkeeping responsibilities.
Are you confused about your recordkeeping responsibilities? Not sure which documents you need to keep and which you can get rid of? Want to know how long you need to keep records? Worried about the upcoming AUQA audit? Can't figure out what to do with all those old boxes of records?
The Records Management Unit is running workshops covering these common dilemmas in late March and early April. The workshops are open to all UTAS staff and attendance is free.
Introduction to Recordkeeping
Hobart: Thu, 31st of March, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm (UniCentre, Flexible Learning Space 103)
Launceston: Tue, 5th of April, 2:00 am - 3:00 pm (Sir Raymond Ferrall Centre, Room 113)
This workshop is intended to give staff an understanding of the basics of recordkeeping and what they are required to do as employees of the University. As all staff are responsible for the records they create or receive in the course of their work, this workshop would be useful for all UTAS employees, but it is especially applicable to knowledge workers who frequently create documents.
This one hour workshop covers:
- Understanding your responsibilities under the Archives Act
- What is a record and what isn't?
- What needs to be kept and what doesn't need to be kept?
- Where should you keep records?
- Where can you go for help?
Records Disposal Procedures
Hobart: Thu, 31st of March, 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm (Centenary Building, Room 473)
Launceston: Tue, 5th of April, 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm (Sir Raymond Ferrall Centre, Room 113)
This workshop focuses on the practical steps involved in appraising and disposing of University records, whether through destruction or transfer to the State Archives. It is primarily intended for administrative staff who are tasked with the responsibility of clearing out storage areas and boxes of inactive records, but would be useful for any staff member who would like to know how to determine how long they need to keep records and how to dispose of those that are no longer needed.
This one hour workshop covers:
- How long do you need to keep records?
- How do you use disposal schedules?
- How can you get rid of records you no longer need?
- What can you do with records that don't fit into a disposal class?
Prior completion of the "Introduction to Recordkeeping" workshop is strongly recommended, but not required.
More information
If you are interested in signing up for a workshop or would like more information, please contact our Training and Disposal Officer at email@example.com or on 6226 1894.
Although there are no workshops currently scheduled for Burnie, if you are based in Burnie and wish to receive training, please contact the Training and Disposal Officer and, depending on the level of interest, we can either schedule an additional workshop or arrange for one-on-one training.


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2nd grade Haunted Housed
4th Grade Script Name Skeleton
4th Grade Script Name Skeleton
3rd Grade Dancing Skeleton
K & 1 Paper Bag Pumpkins
Above are some of the projects for the next two weeks. Today I did the paper bag pumpkins with K and 1st. They were a HUGE success. I changed the lesson after the first class. The first class got done to quickly so I added some steps. Instead of drawing the face the cut it out of paper. After they made the face out of cut paper they drew lines lines on the pumpkin to show the texture.
The Second grade haunted houses are a one week project. Together we will brainstorm about things they can decorate their houses with. They will be given various colors of construction paper to create the house.
Third grades will be making the dancing skeletons. They will simply cut the paper into thin strips and glue down the paper to make skeletons.
Fourth graders will be writing their names in Large script letters on a pc of 12 x 18 paper folded in 12. Then they will cut it our so it makes a mirror image. This will become the ribs of the skeleton. We will make this into a mural. They will be glued onto a LG pc of black bulletin board paper.


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This was the first of its kind; Sewing Machine Museum, installed in the USA, and we have been told, was the first in the world ; Even though it is closed now, the fact remains that it was shown over a peroid of 25 Yrs.
from, 1975 to 2000, in 4 different cities, Fort Worth, Tx. ,as an official USA Bi-Centenial Project, 4 years; Hot Springs, Arkansas National Park-2 years; Grand Prairie, Texas,- 5years;
Arlington, Texas; it's last home; -14 years; The collection has been in storage since and Mr. Smith will not break it up; Will be sold, all contents; Old Machines, from 1853 to 1960, app. 160 total, and all Wall
Display & Framed items & pictures; and special Displays; all of the hundreds of Parts, Needles, Bobbins, Shuttles, Bookletts, Instruction Manuals, Patterns, Old Magazine Articals, etc. etc. etc., too much to mention
Frank M. Smith, began as a young man, selling Sewing Machines; ( New Home ) Brand, in Dallas Texas, in 1963., and continued selling and also being a franchised Dealer for New Home, from 1966 until 1979;
In 1975 he began, on his own promoting and showing to the public , his Antique Sewing Machine Museum, years & Locations shown above; In the beginning, his collection had only app. 65 old machines, but at the
end of the 25 years of public showings, he had amassed over 160 Old Machines, 13 of which were made during and before the Civil War; His oldest machine is a c-1853 SINGER, a #1 Model of Singer Co.
beginning Models. Owning one of those , is sorta like owning a first T-Model Car of Henry Fords beginning, but remember that his #1 Singer was made app. 50 years before Henry Fords first T-Model Car;
Also keep in mind that, this item, was of the runs of the worlds, 1st Manufactured Item done with Interchangable Parts, and Mass production of Assembly Line Employment; Think Of It; Of all the millions of
manufactured items , mass assenbled and sold through-out the world, for the last app. 150 years; This Machine is of the first Item, before all others;
There are many people & orginizations now , that have even much better collections than Frank Smiths, but his was started before all the others in the world, as far as shown to the public for Public enjoyment;
As far back as in 1975, Franks collection was being shown to millions of people in the USA, on Television Shows and News Specials, as well as featured in National & Reginal Magazines, as well as many News Papers,
Trade Magazines, etc. , Frank was a true Pioneer of Sewing Machine Collecting; and help put the idea into many minds to began doing so themselves; He was the first to ever be shown on Television for collecting ,
( Of All Things, Old Sewing Machines ) UN-COOL He would laugh and say to his family; ( Why Not ) Old Machines? People collect all other old things, and there is no older appliance, than the Sewing Machine;
Besides, most of the public has never seen a Sewing Machine, made during the Civil War, period; Most people only see Grand Mama's, made in 1920's etc; when they were very plentiful, and still are;
He was proud, but as time went on , He found out how ALONE he was in doing this; Years later , The International Sewing Machine Ass. Collectors Sociaty , was formed and they found out about Frank, running this
Sewing Machine Museum, i America, so they wrote Frank, and ask if they could publish an artical about him, starting the First of It's Kind, in their news-letter, going out to over a hundred collectors, scattered throgh-
out the world; It was done, and later on the, President and Vice-President of the Siociaty, flew over to Texas, to visit and view the little Museum, and at that time, told Frank, as well as 2 Fort Worth Star Telegram
news reporters, that , In Fact, Frank Smith, was not just the FIRST in the USA, but was the first in the world, to go to the expense and trouble, to install a SEWING MACHINE MUSEUM,; With LUCK, that day, a Video
Camera was rolling, capturing the historical event, and you can here , Graham Forsythe, of London, England, saying this to, Bruce Maxwell, of the Star Telegram, and Frank himself.
It might also be noted, that of the research done by the National Show, ( Jeopardy ), could only Find Franks, Museum as the only one listed anywhere in the world, as a Museum of Sewing Machines; They had been
wanting to produce a show, using Unusual Museums as a catigory for the Shows Questions; So they called Frank to get his approval, for using his SewingMachine Museum, for in this catigory, and Of Course , Frank
was honored & excited of this, and a rep. of the show was kind enough to call Frank and told him to get his VCR ready, cause tomorrow, his Museun in Arlington, would be in the show;
Also, besides many, Magazines, the Museun was featured in, Frand did receive a small feature and One nice Photo from inside the Museum, was shown, in TIME Magazine; He has been listed in WHO'S WHO, as
well in a couple books, one called ( a History of Popular Culture ) by; Raymond F. Betts; Raymond F. Betts, a professor of History at the University of Kentucky. This book, was published in 2004, by Routledge;
Taylor & Francis Group; New York and London. Franks Sewing Machine Museum, is listed on page 120, under Chapter; ( The Museum opens it's doors wider )


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The merger that brought AOL and Time Inc. together under the same roof 13 years ago is widely regarded as the single worst deal in corporate history. If he had the means, AOL CEO Tim Armstrong would love to recreate it — in part.
During an appearance at the Paley Center for Media Thursday morning, Armstrong was asked whether he'd consider making an offer for Time Warner's magazine unit, which it's planning to spin off on its own, a quasi-sale to Meredith Corp. having gone off the rails.
Realistically, Armstrong said, that's not an option.
"It's probably going to be more valuable than AOL," he said. "For us to do a transaction with that size of business would probably be challenging."
(Actually, a deal would likely value Time Inc. at something less than $2.5 billion, while AOL has a current market cap of $2.86 billion. But that doesn't really change his underlying point.)
But, continued, "if I had my private druthers, probably, yes," he'd buy them. "I think there's a way to make those brands more digital."
"I'm a massive believer in brands," he added. "Silicon Valley has tried to reprogram everybody to think brands aren't valuable. Or theirs are, but yours aren't."
If AOL were to buy Time Inc., the person whose job it would be to make its brands more digital would be Susan Lyne, whom AOL just hired to oversee all its content brands except for the Huffington Post Media Group.
Armstrong said Lyne's background (at ABC Television, Martha Stewart Omnimedia and, most recently, Gilt Groupe) made her the ideal candidate. Almost too ideal, in fact.
"I don't think we could've gotten her if she weren't already on our board," he said. "We lulled her into a false sense of security. We shuffled her into an office and shut the door. Hopefully she doesn't realize it's not a board meeting."


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About AQ
About Aquinas
About Grand Rapids
Adult Undergraduate
Financial Aid
A-Z Dept. Listing
Course Catalog
Service Learning
International Programs
Campus Life
Residence Life
The Moose
We, BRAVO!, seek an enriching partnership with the college and the community through the following endeavors: assisting with and helping to develop the theatre program in various capacities, community outreach and fundraising to provide opportunities for individuals to experience theatre, and group enrichment through theatrical endeavors. By these actions we hope to serve our community while seeking to better ourselves as theatre artisans and community members.
We therefore undertake to coordinate, in conjunction with the Aquinas College Career and Counseling Center, the "Freshman Monologues," and to support the AQ Improv troupe, "In Case of Emergency ," with funding and advertising, and in other capacities as needed.
As our charity of choice and the recipient of a portion of all funds raised by BRAVO! events, we have selected the local organization HIV/AIDS Services, Inc.
"Eloise & Ray"
by Stephanie Fleischmann.
Sept. 27-30, 2007 in the Doublewide Theatre. Directed
and performed by seniors Nadia Andrus, Lauren Greer,
Nick Milbratz. Photos by Jeremy Andrus and Mike Sell


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We apologize but we are unable to process online orders at this time as we are building a better PetSupermarket.com. To purchase any of our products, please visit one of our retail locations or visit our Amazon store here. You can find your nearest Pet Supermarket by using our Store Locator
Keet Clear Ring Toy by JW Pet
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The Keet Clear Ring Activitoy is a bright hanging ring in which parakeets can sit. On either side of the ring are plastic waves to spin and manipulate. Attached to the bottom is a bell with chains and beads. A toy and a perch rolled into one!


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CHURUBUSCO — A new ordinance was introduced at Churubusco's Town Council meeting Wednesday night.
After the town tried to pass a new policy on garage sales this summer, residents created a stir over the proposed permit fee and the limitations placed on the number of sales allowed during a calendar year.
Because the debate was thick, town leaders agreed to scrap the proposal and go back to the drawing board.
Wednesday's meeting offered signs that the town may be on the right track.
In the proposed garage sale ordinance, residents would be required to register with the clerk's office. However, there would be no permit fee for a garage sale.
To read the rest of this story, see the Oct. 17 issue of The Post and Mail. Don't have a subscription? Call (260) 244-5153 or subscribe to our e-edition [2]. For breaking news, sports updates and additional coverage, bookmark the homepage [2] and find us on facebook [2] and twitter [3].
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Find a Christmas tree in New York City - If live in NYC and have been putting off getting a Christmas tree, this Google Map will give you no more excuses. Self-created at Wayfaring.com, this Google Map maps locations of places to get a Christmas tree this December in the Big Apple.
Community Christmas light displays - The Register-Guard newspaper in Eugene Oregon has integrated a Google Map into their website which shows locations for Christmas light displays in the community. User-submitted or staff photos would make this even cooler, or even a reader-rank of the best home light display. This is another innovative use of the Google Maps API in journalism!
Do you know of more Holiday/Christmas-related mashups? If so, please post comment or contact us!
Technorati Tags: [Christmas], [NYC], [New York City], [Eugene], [Google Local], [Google Maps], [GoogleMapsMania]


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GRAFTON, Mass. — A Blanchard Road family escaped from their home Monday night when a two-alarm fire that started in the garage quickly spread to the attic.
Bharat and Varsha Desai, of 48 Blanchard Road, were in their four-bedroom home when the fire broke out. The family escaped before firefighters arrived, according to Fire Chief Michael "Mickey" Gauthier. No injuries were reported.
The blaze started just after 10 p.m. When the fire department arrived, the garage was fully engulfed and had spread to the attic above the second floor. Two cars in ...
Read More


text: Home > Computer Peripherals > Storage This article was posted on 10/24/2008 Solid-state drive comes in small blade packageThe SiliconDrive II USB Blade (SSD-04GU-4120) 4-Gbyte solid-state disk drive comes in a small-form-factor package and targets embedded systems. It features a USB interface, with optional SD, MMC, and SATA connection.The 20.8 x 24.3-mm device has an MTBF of 4,000,000 hours and reads and writes at 10 Mbytes/s. The drive takes 110 mA max at 5 V while active and 500 µA max in standby. ($90 ea/OEM qty — available now.)SiliconSystems, Aliso Viejo, email@example.com://www.siliconsystems.com Learn more about SiliconSystems Related Articles Software turns USB drive into kill switch that shuts down computer Secure USB 3.0 flash drive is FIPS certified Low power hard disk drive holds 6 Tbytes Are traditional data centers on the way out? Add Comment Text Only 2000 character limit Please login to comment on the article


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The Rugby Grille will be open on Christmas Eve serving our full menu until 12:00a.m. We will also be open on Christmas Day serving brunch 7:00a.m.-3:00p.m. and dinner 3:00p.m.- 12:00a.m. Reservations are highly suggested.
Category: Dining
Ring in 2014 in style at the Rugby Grille. Chef Drew Sayes has created a fabulous five course degustation menu highlighting the freshest products of the seasons. Reservations are limited. Please call 248-642-5999 for reservations or OpenTable. New Year's Eve Menu
Thanksgiving at Rugby Grille
Hand the reins over to the Rugby Grille and its talented Culinary Masters this Thanksgiving. NOTE: Seatings are based upon availability and party size. Restaurant seating times are filling up. New reservations will be hosted in the Regency Room. Special Prix Fixe Menu available from 12:00noon until 9:00pm. 2013 Thanksgiving Menu 2013 Thanksgiving Children's Menu
Snow Princess Tea
On Saturday, November 30th from 12:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m.the Townsend Hotel will be hosting a Snow Princess Tea. Sing, dance and play in a very royal way! The event is $25 per person inclusive of tax and gratuity. Reservations are required by calling The Townsend's Tea Director, Laura Klein at 248.647.2196.


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When the School of Continuing Studies and Academic Outreach at East Tennessee State University began in 1988, there were less than a dozen students enrolled in this degree-completion initiative.
Now, 25 years later, there are around 2,500 alumni from the school and the possibility to earn multiple bachelor's- and master's-level degrees there. Soon scholarships may be available for students who wish to finish their degrees, said Rick Osborn, dean of the school.
With tuition getting expensive, Osborn said a scholarship was recently proposed. This initiative coincided with the school's 25th anniversary.
"Not only is it a good thing to celebrate, it's also a good time to celebrate our alumni ... and raise funds for scholarships," Osborn said.
Osborn is in the process of contacting alumni and instructors who work through the School of Continuing Studies regarding the establishment of an endowment that would fund scholarships of some sort.
Osborn said even a $500 textbook scholarship would mean a lot to a student.
"If we could give that to several students, I think that would be good," he said.
The school was established to broaden the range of educational services for older and non-traditional age students, or students over the age of 23. There are a little more than 500 students enrolled in the School of Continuing Studies and their average age is in the mid-30s.
Many of the students have young children to care for and full-time jobs to attend in addition to studies.
"And so we try to serve those students who can't come to campus, who have a job responsibility or life responsibility to make it easier for them to finish a degree and come to ETSU," Osborn said.
Students usually come to the School of Continuing Studies after having completed between 75 and 80 hours of coursework, Osborn said. A typical degree at ETSU consists of 120 credit hours.
"It's very, very rare for us to have a student who comes in with less than 50 hours, so we have been very active in trying to boost the college graduation rate," Osborn said.
Many students in the school have started college, dropped out for whatever reason and decided to return and finish that bachelor's degree. Most students are employed and find they need a degree to advance.
Many students who enroll in the School of Continuing Studies have been to numerous colleges prior to finding their place with Osborn's group.
"It's not unusual for one of our students to have attended three or four colleges," Osborn said. "When you've gone to seven colleges and you're finally able to put things together, it means a lot to them and us. It's rewarding."
The school started by offering a bachelor of general studies. Now there is the bachelor of applied science degree, a bachelor of science in professional studies and a bachelor of science in interdisciplinary studies.
Those last two degrees can be obtained totally online.
But the school offers master's-level degrees, too.
The master of art in liberal studies and archival studies is an interdisciplinary program, meaning it draws from various programs on campus. Students can craft these degrees, with approval, to their specific likings. Appalachian studies and women's studies are two common areas for this degree.
"Sometimes students just have a varied interest," Osborn said. "No two programs are the same. They reflect student interest. We get some really interesting projects like that."
Examples of prior programs resulted in an analysis of candy making in Bristol, museum exhibits and a project involving the Burning Man Festival.
The master of professional studies is an online program.
ETSU's office of professional development operates under the School of Continuing Studies and provides people with the option to obtain certification in a particular field.
For example, polysomnography certification is offered for people who want to work in a sleep clinic. Paralegal and phlebotomy certifications are also available.
For more information on the School of Continuing Studies and for contact information, visit etsu.edu/academicaffairs/scs.


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Larry the Answer Guy: Seeking your help in finding the most famous person from Abilene
Who is the most famous person from Abilene?— AbileneI think that depends on who you ask, so I'm going to ask you. Help me out with this one. Who is the most famous person from Abilene?
Should we count someone such as singer Jessica Simpson? She certainly is famous, but her only connection to Abilene was being born in a hospital here when her parents lived in Cross Plains. And they didn't live there long.
What about Slingin' Sammy Baugh? He coached at Hardin-Simmons after his professional football career was over. But he has always been associated with Sweetwater, where he grew up, and Rotan, where he ranched for many years.
What about a sports star such as Red Sox pitcher John Lackey or golfers Charles Coody or Bob Estes? However, I don't think we include athletes such as Olympic track star Bobby Morrow, whose only link to Abilene was attending Abilene Christian. But that also rules out people such as author/preacher Max Lucado, who also went to ACU.
And if it's true that fame is fleeting, does that rule out historical figures from Abilene's past? People like perhaps historian Rupert Richardson, Pulitzer Prize nominee Frank Grimes or Mildred Paxton Moody, the wife of Gov. Dan Moody.
So, let me know what you think. The contact information is below. Email me, write or even call and leave a message with who you think is the most famous person from Abilene and why. I'll get some folks together and using information you send, we'll find an answer to this question next month.
Send your thoughts on this question (and any easier questions you want answered) to firstname.lastname@example.com or P.O. Box 30, Abilene TX 79604 or leave a message at 325-676-6757.
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View your full shopping cart for taxes and shipping.
The Targus CityGear Mini is designed to protect the iPad, most tablets and 10.2" netbooks and offers the perfect solution to transport a device and all of its accessories together in one case. The zip-down workstation includes a business card holder, pen/pencil loops, a key clip, zippered mesh compartment and plenty of space to store an iPod, power adapter and other gadgets that need to travel with you. A back slip pocket provides storage for documents and the trolley sleeve allows for easy transport on rolling luggage. The handle and padded shoulder strap are convenient to stow, making it easy and comfortable for travel. The CityGear Mini is ideal for students or travelers looking for a compact yet functional case with a number of zippered compartments for storage.
No one has rated this yet. Why don't you be the first?


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Register now for free, or sign in with any of these services:
Posted for DKM:
Thanks, Dick, for the multimedia reminder of what really counts in our lives. Like you, so many of those loved ones are long gone from this physical place, but they remain forever in our thoughts. Only my sister and a cousin remain from those WWII Christmastimes, but I always have this chance to revisit my parents, aunts and uncles and the other cousins who were always so much a part of my life and all seasons. Your expressions today are a prefect preamble to what is for so many a time of great joy in the flow of memories.
This comment by DKM got hung up inexplicably in the machinery.
This expected $ 2.5 million retrofit cost is peanuts when compared to how much today's lost confidence in the voting process is costing Americans. Isn't the vulnerability of these systems to undetectable
manipulation of recording and reporting voter choices too high a price to pay?
The opportunities for fraud are greater with any computer-based equipment, particularly the touch screen versions. The former Secretary of State and Cuyahoga Board of Elections selected touch screen machines without the benefit of reliable, indisputable or independent research.
Today's machines are built with such vulnerabilities to hacking, lack of suitable paper-based audit and resistance to publicly observed recounting that there is increasing concern nationwide about the integrity of these systems altogether.
Florida and Virginia are abandoning touch screens. New Mexico switched to optical scanners last year. Maryland is looking to switch away from touch screens. Fifty-six percent of the nation's counties have optical scan systems.
How do you put a price on the integrity and transparency of our votes to do a cost-benefit study? To the new Secretary of State, I say, "Where is the proof of the integrity of voting results using these machines?" There is no time to delay corrective action with a "stay the course" mentality.
The paper ballot method, with well-observed optical scan counting technology - which has been around for 50 years, is the only secure and certain method.
Generations before us have safeguarded our voting and we owe the future no less than what we have been given.
If you witnessed one of the events overnight or have specifics you'd like to share personally, we'd like to hear from you as we continue covering the holiday killings and pull the story together for the Plain Dealer print edition in the morning.
You can e-mail Deputy Metro Editor Karl Turner at firstname.lastname@example.com
or, in the evening, Assistant Metro Editor John Kuehner at
and they'll see your suggestion gets to the right reporter.


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Eagle Bay Hotel is set right across from Taman Lagenda Dalam
Langkawi, making it really easy to spot this hotel awarded a three
star rating. There is a total of 128 guestrooms, with five room
classes, each fully furnished with a selection of either a king
bed, queen bed or two twin beds. Perks in each guestroom include
air con, a colour television set with Astro cable feed, a mini
fridge, IDD telephone, a kettle and coffee and tea sachets
supplies, plus a toilet with shower room, long bathtub and shampoo,
bath gel and soap toiletries is also on hand.
If you are hungry, Eagle Bay Hotels Meranti Restaurant (in operation from 07:00am to 23:00pm) serves an all-day menu of Malay, Chinese and western food and even caters for functions of up to 300 pax at the hotels seven meeting rooms (spread over two floors). ... [+] More


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-[DISCUSSION] 0.8.0 release
What do folks think about
A source release + binary server only? I think I can do this today
https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/KAFKA-1131 and call a new VOTE like
Or wait ~ a week and do a source release + binary server + maven push?
https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/KAFKA-1133 I can research it some
later tonight but no clue off the top of my head how to push more different
files into META-INF as we need to-do
http://www.apache.org/dev/release.htmlif someone already knows please
throw a patch up on it and I will take a
look and commit it looks good... I probably won't get to it until the
weekend but feasible for Monday... so we can try a VOTE next Monday and
wait and have things up to Maven Central for 0.8.0?
Joe Stein
Founder, Principal Consultant
Big Data Open Source Security LLC
Twitter: @allthingshadoop <http://www.twitter.com/allthingshadoop>


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The official specs and full technical details on the F10 M5 have now been released. Our official F10 M5 information thread has now been updated with all technical specs, data, and media.
Today marks the public release of the all new BMW Concept M5 ahead of its formal debut in Shanghai.
Now as you may have quickly noticed, the word 'concept' sits between BMW and M5, meaning this car is not yet the full production vehicle. In typical BMW M fashion, first a "concept" version of the car is rolled out to the public, in order to showcase what the car will look like, painted in stunning Chrome Shadow. After this car has been shown to the world, … CONTINUED


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Quality assurance managers are responsible for ensuring that products or services meet established standards. As these products and services vary greatly from industry to industry, so do the specifications of particular quality standards. Generally, quality assurance managers are concerned with maintaining minimum requirements for accessibility, reliability, and performance.Read More...
Regardless of their specific area of employment, these managers are primarily concerned with maintaining the efficiency and profitability of their organizations by reducing waste; they must inspect and maintain their products using documented processes and prepare quality data and records to a recognized standard. In many cases, companies are interested in receiving accreditation for officially meeting certain quality standards, and these managers may also help ensure this by developing training staff for audits.
As managers, those in this position also supervise others; they typically oversee teams of inspectors who perform assessments throughout a product's many stages of development. They may also be responsible for hiring and training new team-members.
These managers generally work during traditional business hours in indoor settings. Their work is nonphysical and focuses primarily on data collection, computer usage, and verbal and written communication. They also work regularly with other team-members. Many employers prefer candidates who have a bachelor's degree, and those who also have certifications related to quality assurance may have better prospects. As in-depth knowledge of industry standards is necessary, extensive work experience is highly beneficial for candidates, as well.
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Quality Assurance Managers who advance into the role of a VP of Quality are fairly uncommon. VPs of Quality on average earn $149K per year. However, it's more common for Quality Assurance Managers to move into roles as Quality Assurance Directors or Quality Managers.
Quality Assurance Managers report using a large range of skills on the job. Most notably, skills in Lean Manufacturing, Project Management, Total Quality Management, and Leadership are correlated to pay that is above average, with boosts between 5 percent and 13 percent. Skills that pay less than market rate include Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Office. Most people familiar with Quality Assurance / Quality Control also know Leadership and Auditing.
Median of all compensation (including tips, bonus, and overtime) by years of experience.
More years of relevant experience do not necessarily translate to higher paychecks. Those in the early stages of their career can expect to make around $55K; however, individuals with five to 10 years of experience bring in $70K on average — a distinctly larger sum. Quality Assurance Managers see a median salary of $82K after reaching one to two decades on the job. People who have worked for more than 20 years report a median income no higher than the median for folks with 10 to 20 years of experience.
San Francisco is home to an above-average pay rate for Quality Assurance Managers, 39 percent higher than the national average. Quality Assurance Managers will also find cushy salaries in Boston (+33 percent), New York (+32 percent), Atlanta (+13 percent), and Austin (+11 percent). The lowest-paying market is Salt Lake City, which sits 7 percent below the national average. Workers in Dallas and Cincinnati earn less than others in this profession; their salaries fall short of the national average by 4 percent.
|Extremely satisfied
Rated 5 out of 5
based on 717 votes.
41 %
59 %
|Medical: 87%
|Dental: 77%
|Vision: 62%
|None: 11%


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Pray that your sponsored child would attack their school work with eagerness, as doing it for the Lord. Pray that in all their endeavors, they would devote them to the Lord and do it in His strength.
"Teach my children, Lord, to value work and to work at it with all their heart, as working for the Lord and not for men."
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men." –Colossians 3:23, NIV
Prayer prompts copyright Bob Hostetler. Used with permission by the author.
Read other ways to pray for your sponsored child.


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July 31, 2015
AUSTIN – At their recent Annual Conference and Business Meeting, the Texas Land Title Association (TLTA), one of the state's oldest trade associations, elected Celia Goode-Haddock, Chairman of the Board/CEO of University Title Company in College Station as TLTA's Agent Section Vice Chair.
"Celia's industry expertise and leadership skills are a real asset to the organization and we appreciate her willingness to serve in this role," said Leslie Midgley, TLTA Executive Vice President & CEO.
Goode-Haddock has been in the title industry for over 40 years. She has served on the TLTA Board of Directors and several committees in the past, and currently serves on TLTA's Legislative Committee and Finance Committee. She is also a member of
the TLTAPAC Board of Trustees.
About TLTA Founded in 1908 and serving more than 11,000 professionals, the Texas Land Title
Association (TLTA) is a statewide trade association representing the land title industry in Texas. TLTA members provide certainty, efficiency and security to real estate transactions by conducting title searches, examinations, closings and issuing title insurance to protect real property owners and mortgage lenders against losses from defects in titles.
For more information about TLTA visit www.tlta.com
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KCNCS's Titanium cables are a no hassle lightweight alternative to standard steel cables at less than half the weight. Being titanium they can be treated the same as steel cables, no need for special clamping methods and you can clamp and re clamp. The KCNC Titanium cables are also Teflon coated using a nano technology that resists clumping and wear that most Teflon coated cables see.
Each set comes with two gold Nano Teflon coated titanium cables.
KCNC's Titanium Brake cables are compatable with either road or mountain brakes. The cable itself has a sphere on one end which fits into either a mountain or road style alloy adapter. When installing place a small amount of grease either on the sphere or in the adaptor to prevent any creaking during braking.
The derailleur cable set installation is the same as a standard steel cable set.


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Hunter safety certification class pre-registration under way
Jul. 05, 2013 @ 09:45 AM
Pre-registration is now open for a free 4-H and N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission Hunter Safety Certification class. It is scheduled to run from July 16-18, from 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. daily.
Participants will learn orienteering, trapping, pistols and more. Males and females, ages 12-18 may take part in this class.
This course is required for all first-time hunting license buyers in North Carolina, and will be accepted in all of North America.
Visit the Vance County Office Building, 305 Young St., Henderson; or call (252) 438-8188 for more information. A minimum number of participants are required for the class to take place.