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Home > About Us > UNHCR People > Prominent Refugees
Prominent Refugees
Refugees Who Have Made a Difference
Refugees or former refugees who have achieved special status within a community due to their achievements, or because they have overcome hardship to build a new life.
This gallery features profiles of some 200 refugees who have made a difference and left a mark in the world. The list includes people, dead and living, in all walks of life. Some, like writer Chinua Achebe, composer Bela Bartok, physicist Albert Einstein and actress-singer Marlene Dietrich are world famous, others have shared their gifts locally. The UN refugee agency salutes all of them for showing the potential of refugees around the world.
For nearly 20 years, Victor Hugo, one of the greatest writers France has ever known, was banished from the Empire. But far from being forgotten, he came to symbolise the struggle of the individual for justice and freedom.
Hugo was already revered and honoured as a great poet when the future Napoleon III overthrew the Second French Republic in 1851. However, he had also become active in the political arena and was forced to leave the country. He was left with no choice, although he observed ruefully, "One does not even have the satisfaction of being oppressed by something great."
He fled to Belgium, only to be turned away. For a while he considered heading for Switzerland, but instead decided on the Channel Islands, just off the French coast. "Jersey smiles, a free land amidst sombre seas," he wrote. "I am in exile and I am happy to be here," he admitted. "I love everything that suffers for freedom, for the fatherland and for justice; and I have peace of mind, even though it is always painful to tread on foreign soil."
The first works of this period, "Napoléon le petit" (1852) and "Châtiments" (1853), reflect bitterness and anger. The French government put pressure on the British not to allow the publication of anything that would jeopardise relations between the two countries. In October 1855, one of Hugo's friends issued a strongly-worded pamphlet attacking Queen Victoria. Hugo and a number of his associates were transferred to the smaller island of Guernsey, where Hugo was to spend nearly 15 years.
The poet threw himself into the purchase and restoration of a large, supposedly haunted house known as Hauteville House, where he installed himself and his family. The local Gazette, delighted by his fondness for the region, wrote, "The poet is content in our midst, and intends to stay." From this point on, he considered himself a landowner and, according to British law, was protected from further expulsion.
Having completed "Contemplations" (1856), he turned to the first series of "La Légende des siècles", and completed and published one of his most famous works, "Les Misérables". In 1865, he wrote "Chansons des rues et des bois", and then a year later "Les Travailleurs de la mer".
On returning from his Italian campaign, Napoleon III offered an amnesty for all individuals condemned for political crimes and offences, to which the poet proudly retorted: "When freedom returns, I shall return."
Hugo made several trips through Europe, where he was acclaimed as a genius. Rebel Greeks from Crete, republicans from Sicily and condemned Fenians in Ireland all requested him to raise his voice in defence of their causes. He became a pacifist and an internationalist, proposed a United States of Europe, and noted that in England, "the British newspapers are starting to refer to me as 'the great, good man'".
With the fall of the Empire, brought about by the Franco-Prussian war, Hugo finally saw Paris again. Upon his arrival at the station he was greeted with shouts of enthusiasm. "I said to the people, 'In one hour you have repaid 20 years of exile.'" Thronging the streets of the capital the crowds sang the Marseillaise and shouted, "Long live Victor Hugo!"
Karayman Ismailov's life spans more than 100 years, and his suffering, as one of tens of thousands of Crimean Tatars deported and forced into exile by Stalin, makes him a witness to history.
Ismailov was born in 1890 in the Crimea, now part of Ukraine, and lived through the reign of the last two Russian Czars. He was 14 when the Russian-Japanese war broke out, 24 when World War I broke out and 28 when armed men appeared in the Crimea and established the rule of the Bolsheviks.
But in his village of Voron, history passed him by, and he took little interest in politics. He had to work hard as a farm labourer to feed his wife and seven children.
When the Nazis attacked the USSR in 1941, 51-year-old Ismailov was drafted in spite of his age. He was sent to a military unit defending a Ukrainian and was taken prisoner. Within 12 days he managed to escape and made his way back to his village. In 1944 when the Red Army took back the Crimean peninsula, Ismailov was mobilised again and transferred to Sevastopol.
He did not know that other units of the same army were "cleansing" the Crimea, deporting every single Crimean Tatar, from newborn babies to old men, accusing them of collaborating with the Nazis. Nearly 200,000 people - who had been given only 10 minutes to pack their belongings - were taken out of their homes at gunpoint and driven to railway stations in a massive operation which took only 60 hours. They were taken to Siberia, the Urals and to Central Asia.
When Private Ismailov learned that his family had been deported, he pleaded with his Commander: "Let me go. I am an old man and I want to find my children while I am still alive." He was given a reference confirming his participation in the battles for the country, a food ration for 12 days and an order to go to Uzbekistan, which was to be his place of exile.
He heard that his family had been sent to the Ural mountains, where they were working felling trees and extracting peat. Ismailov found his wife and children there, but was told that his baby son had died on the way and his parents had starved to death in the first months of the deportation.
Ismailov had to go back to Uzbekistan - to have remained with his family away from his registered place of exile could have meant 20 years in a concentration camp. But in 1954, with Stalin's death, the Ismailov family was allowed to reunite. By that time, his older daughter, Safiye, had become disabled, having suffered from blood poisoning caused by mosquito bites. His seven-year-old daughter did not recognise him.
In 2000, Ismailov celebrated his 110th birthday in the Crimea, the homeland he returned to only in 1988. When asked about the secret of his longevity, he replied: "Do not hurt anybody's feelings, eat a lot of garlic and bitter food."
Michaëlle Jean was born in Port au Prince, Haiti. As a young child in 1968, she and her family left her country and sought refuge in Canada.
She received a Bachelor of Arts in Italian and Hispanic languages and literature, and continued her studies towards a Master of Arts in comparative literature at the University of Montreal. From 1984 to 1986, she taught at the Faculty of Italian Studies at the same university. During the 1980s, she pursued linguistic and literary studies at the University of Perouse, the University of Florence and the Catholic University of Milan, all of which cited her for excellence. She is fluent in five languages: French, English, Italian, Spanish and Creole.
As she pursued her studies, Michaëlle Jean worked for eight years, from 1979 to 1987, with Québec shelters for battered women. She has taken in, supported and accompanied hundreds of women and children in crisis, while actively contributing to the establishment of a network of emergency shelters throughout Québec and elsewhere in Canada. She was also involved in aid organizations for immigrant women and families, and later worked at Employment and Immigration Canada and at the Conseil des Communautés culturelles du Québec.
Madame Jean's sense of social commitment and her appreciation of national and international realities led her to journalism. For 18 years, she has been a highly regarded journalist and anchor of information programmes. She joined Radio-Canada in 1988, working successively as a reporter and host on such news and public affairs programmes as Actuel, Montréal ce soir, Virages and Le Point. In 1995, she anchored a number of Réseau de l'Information à Radio-Canada (RDI) programmes such as Le Monde ce soir, l'Édition québécoise, Horizons francophones, Les Grands reportages, Le Journal RDI, and RDI à l'écoute. In 1999, she was also asked by the English network, CBC Newsworld, to host The Passionate Eye and Rough Cuts which broadcast the best in Canadian and foreign documentary films.
In 2001, Michaëlle Jean began anchoring the weekend editions of Radio-Canada's major news broadcast Le Téléjournal. In 2003, she became the anchor of Le Téléjournal's daily edition Le Midi.
In 2004, she started her own show, Michaëlle, which is broadcast on both French-language public television networks. This programme features a series of in-depth interviews with experts, enthusiasts and visionaries.
In the mid-1990s, Michaëlle Jean also participated in a number of documentary films produced by her husband, filmmaker Jean-Daniel Lafond: La manière nègre ou Aimé Césaire chemin faisant, Tropique Nord, Haïti dans tous nos rêves, and L'heure de Cuba. These thought-provoking documentaries were critically acclaimed and earned awards both in Canada and internationally.
Michaëlle Jean has won numerous honours for her professional achievements, including: the Human Rights League of Canada's 1989 Media Award for her report titled La pasionaria, on the struggle of an immigrant woman in Québec; the Prix Mireille-Lanctôt for her report titled Partir à zér, dealing with spousal violence; the Prix Anik for best information reporting in Canada for her investigation of the power of money in Haitian society; the inaugural Amnesty International Canada Journalism Award; the Galaxi Award for best information host; the 2001 Gemini Award for best interview in any category; and the Conseil de la Langue Française du Québec's Prix Raymond-Charette. Michaëlle Jean has also been named to the Ordre des Chevaliers de La Pléiade by the Assemblée internationale des parlementaires de langue française, and has been made a citizen of honour by the City of Montreal and the Ministère de l'Immigration et des relations avec les citoyens of Quebec in recognition of her accomplishments in communications.
Michaëlle Jean is married to Jean-Daniel Lafond. Their daughter, Marie-Eden, is six years old. Michaëlle Jean's family also includes Mr. Lafond's two daughters from a previous marriage and his two grandchildren.
Fazil Kawani, a Kurd born in Arbil, Iraq in 1959, has had to flee his country twice. In 1974, as fighting broke out between the Iraqi authorities and the Kurdish movement, the Kawani family escaped across the mountains, settling in a refugee camp in Iran run by the International Red Cross.
Within a year, the Kurdish movement collapsed and lost international support; most of the one million or so Kurdish refugees returned home under an "amnesty" issued by Saddam Hussein. But after one year, arrests and disappearances of Kurdish people began and Saddam started a campaign aimed at the destruction of Kurdish villages. Fazil, then a young student, was active in the human rights movement. Openly critical of the security forces, he became a target of the government's policy of eliminating opponents, and in order to survive, he had to leave everything behind and escape for a second time.
Fazil applied for asylum in the United Kingdom in July 1987, and was recognised as a refugee in November 1989. Initially helped out by friends in the UK, he went on to complete a degree in Civil Engineering. He has since worked not only as an engineer on various engineering projects, but has made a career for himself in the field of human rights.
Fazil volunteered at the Kurdish Cultural Centre as well as the Refugee Council, both based in London. In 1993, he became the co-ordinator of the Kurdish Cultural Centre, a post that was followed by a 5-month stint as the head of the Southwark Refugee project in 1999. Currently, Fazil is working as the Communications Director at the Refugee Council in London.
In 1973, when Cambodia descended into civil war, Yani Keo became a volunteer with International Aid and Assistance for Refugees. In the years that followed, she became a refugee herself.
Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge started attacking at the border, bombing small villages first, then moving toward the centre of the country. In 1975, Khmer Rouge declared "Year Zero", sealing off the country from the rest of the world. The cities were turned inside out and their inhabitants sent to the countryside for "re-education." More than two million people starved to death or were executed. Yani Keo was the educated wife of a high-ranking official. She helped organise volunteers to help refugees who fled the fighting, but soon, she and her husband themselves had to escape.
Yani Keo left Cambodia with her four children before the fall of Phnom Penh in April 1975, when the US military evacuated the region. She first went to Thailand, then to France. There, she worked as a paediatric nurse. "Before the war, I had never worked for anyone and when I went to France, I had to take care of my four children alone," she remembers. "This was a scary experience, but it made me a stronger person and pushed me to help others in need," she says.
After seven months in Paris, she was reunited with her husband, who was in Houston, Texas. She began working with refugees again, finding them housing, jobs, enrolling them in school and trying to help them overcome culture shock. In the early 1980s, she found a cluster of 15 unoccupied homes in the north-eastern end of town and managed to place 15 families in them. "A little Cambodian village," she called it. In 1985, Yani Keo and a refugee from Ethiopia set up their own non-profit agency, The Refugee Service Alliance. Now called the Alliance for Multicultural Community Service, it employs 48 people to assist both refugees and immigrants.
In all the years Yani Keo has cared for others, she had no news of the family she left behind in Cambodia - her mother, three brothers, a sister, nieces and nephews. Some years later, she discovered they had all been killed. Yet she seems to be too busy for anger. "You only have one life to live," she says, '"Why do you need to hate each other?"
Art kept Akbar Khurasani sane through the long years of war in Afghanistan and he now makes a living as a professional artist in Ukraine.
Born in a small village, high in the mountains of Uruzgan province, Khurasani attended school but also had to help out at home. He moved to the Afghan capital, Kabul, at the age of 15 and was drafted into the army, where he became a senior lieutenant. During his military service, Khurasani started attending art classes in the local Soviet House of Science and Culture. His first tutor was an artist from Moscow, and painting became Khurasani's first and greatest passion.
Both Khurasani's teachers and military commanders understood that he had a gift. He was given the opportunity to go to the USSR to study at the Ukrainian Academy of Arts. After postgraduate studies with leading artists, he turned professional, specialising in portraits and still life. The Ukrainian government granted him refugee status.
"Art saved me from insanity, which has overtaken many of my compatriots during the endless and absurd civil war," he says. "The place where I came from is beautiful but probably there is nothing left there, everything is ruined after so many years of the murderous war".
When in March 1999, UNHCR and the Adventist Agency for Assistance and Development opened a social centre for refugees in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, Khurasani helped teach art to local and refugee children.
His paintings can be found in private collections all over the world. In June 2000, with the help of UNHCR, Khurasani, along with artists from other countries, presented his paintings at an International Art Festival in Kiev.
Aung Ko, star of John Boorman's film "Beyond Rangoon", was born in Burma, educated in a Buddhist monastery and had a promising career with the government until he made the mistake of marrying a Frenchwoman at a time when it was politically unacceptable.
He was born in a small village near Pegu on the banks of the Sittang river. His father, a wood trader, was killed during a revolt, and his mother died when Ko was nine years old.
In 1962, Burmese Prime Minister General Ne Win led a coup d'état and established a socialist regime in Rangoon. Ko, who was a teacher at the time, was recruited to study political science for the ruling party. He already spoke some French, having attended classes at the Alliance Française, and he was sent to Paris to study at the Sorbonne and conduct research into economics for the party.
While in Paris, Ko married a Frenchwoman. They had a child, and went back to Myanmar in 1973. Though he found a job as a translator to General Ne Win, his compatriots felt he had broken a taboo by marrying a Westerner. Ill-at-ease with the hostile political climate and desperate for a way out, Ko and his family hid in a monastery for six months.
"I was disgusted by the corrupt socialists. Had I stayed in Burma, I would have been tortured and imprisoned," he says. With the assistance of the French embassy, Ko fled his country for France with his wife and child in 1975. After a couple of years in a legal limbo, he was granted refugee status by the French authorities. Ko became representative of the National Council of the Union of Burma and, in this way, helped refugees in the late 1980s and supporters of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
While working on a French documentary on Burma (now known as Myanmar), Ko was approached by director Boorman, who was struck by his uncanny resemblance to the lead character. It turned out that he also had a natural feel for acting.
Now a grandfather, Ko says he feels at home in France. His exile was not all negative - as he recognises, it brought him "an opportunity which I would never have dreamt of had I stayed in Burma" - acting in a film with Patricia Arquette while defending the cause of freedom in his native land.
Ko is the honorary president of Info-Birmanie, which seeks to publicise the plight of the Burmese. He currently works as a translator for French television.
Although he was not Jewish, painter Oscar Kokoschka, a leading exponent of Expressionism in the 1930s, was a fierce critic of Nazi anti-Semitism and of the victimisation of intellectuals and artists.
Born in Pochlarn, Austria, Kokoschka enrolled in 1904 in the Vienna School of Arts and Crafts, but was expelled from the college because his work was considered too controversial. He also wrote plays that caused public outcry at the time.
During World War I, he served in the Austrian cavalry, then settled in Dresden, where he taught at the art academy. From 1924 to 1930, he travelled across Europe and produced his famous landscapes. As early as 1933, he resigned from his teaching post at the Prussian Academy of Art to protest the expulsion of Jewish artists.
Kokoschka moved to Prague in 1934. Three years later, the German government began its campaign against what it called "degenerate art" and eight of Kokoschka's paintings featured in a travelling exhibition of the same name in 1937. The Nazis proceeded to confiscate thousands of works of art, including 417 of Kokoschka's pieces. In response, he painted "Self-Portrait as a Degenerate Artist" (1937).
When Czechoslovakia came under threat from Hitler, Kokoschka fled to England with his wife Olda Palkovsky. In London, he was active in anti-Nazi cultural organisations such as the newly-founded Free German League of Culture, of which he became President in 1941.
While German exiles were interned in British camps, Kokoschka's Czech citizenship spared him detention, allowing him to assume a public role as a spokesperson for exiles. In 1947, he became a British citizen. He returned briefly to Vienna after the war, but refused to live there. He settled in Switzerland but ran a summer school called School for Seeing, in Salzburg, Austria from 1953-63. Kokoschka died February 22, 1980 in Villeneuve, Switzerland.
Champion of Hungarian freedom and independence, Lajos Kossuth fought against Austrian imperial rule as a fiery orator, a journalist and a statesman.
Descending from an impoverished aristocratic family, and as a Protestant in a Catholic country, Kossuth could not aspire to high office. He nonetheless rose to become a judge and in 1825, he became a member of the Hungarian parliament. In 1837, his liberal publications, written in the form of letters to avoid censorship, angered the Austrian Hapsburg monarchy and he was jailed for treason.
Amnestied and released in 1840 under popular pressure, he found himself famous. In a bi-weekly journal, the Pesti-Hirlap, he campaigned for political reform and an independent legislature for Hungary. In 1847, he was re-elected to the Diet. Finally, his campaigns and demands earned Hungary its own separate constitution from Austria. In 1848, after the new government was formed, Kossuth was named the Minister of Finance.
In the same year, revolution broke out in Paris and Louis-Philippe was overthrown. A few days later, riots broke out in Vienna, and throughout the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Serbs, Croats, Slovaks, Czechs, Romanians and Italians staged independent nationalist rebellions.
On September 28, 1848, after five months of serving as the Minister of Finance, Kossuth assumed full control of the revolution in Hungary. Not satisfied with the autonomous constitution, he demanded independence from Austria. In 1849, he was named Governor and became the virtual dictator of the newly-declared Hungarian Republic. He did nothing, however, to recognise the claims of the many minorities. Moreover, the regime refused to help the Austrian monarch who implored for their alliance against the Italians. As a result, the Russian imperial forces, allied with the Austrians, declared war on the Hungarian Republic. Independent Hungary was crushed.
After his defeat, Kossuth, aged 47, fled to Turkey, where he was joined later by his wife and sons. Supporters left behind were condemned to death and 40 were executed. Kossuth continued his quest for Hungarian democracy by travelling and giving speeches in the west, where he sought alliances with western countries. He travelled to the United States, where he was honoured and welcomed for his dedication to his country. He spent many years in England, then settled in Turin, Italy.
From exile, he continued to correspond with his partisans, and to receive delegations from Hungary. His plans for uniting Hungary, Serbia and Romania in a Danube federation met with little response.
A law was passed in Budapest compelling Hungarians abroad to renew their oath of allegiance to the Emperor every 10 years. Kossuth refused to obey and in 1890, was deprived of his nationality. The renewed publicity that this humiliation attracted was equalled only by the tokens of affection showered upon him by millions of his compatriots four years later at his funeral, which was held in Budapest.
While others tried desperately to escape the Nazi Holocaust, Jan Karski set out to smuggle himself into the Warsaw ghetto and even into a Polish concentration camp to become a witness to genocide. Yet, tragically, his invaluable testimony fell on deaf ears.
Karski was born Jan Kozielewski to a Roman Catholic family in Lodz, Poland. A gifted student, he was recruited into the Polish diplomatic service. When the Nazis invaded Poland, he went underground, taking the name of Karski. As an officer of the Polish resistance, he was sent on a number of dangerous missions to the West. In June 1940, he was captured by the Gestapo in Paris. He was beaten and tortured repeatedly, but resisted interrogation and escaped with the help of the Polish resistance.
In 1942, Karski secretly met with two Jewish underground leaders outside the Warsaw ghetto, one of whom told him: "It will strengthen our report if you will be able to say 'I saw it myself,'" adding, "I know the Western world."
Karski agreed to be smuggled into the ghetto to gain first-hand experience of its conditions. Together with Jewish community leader Leon Feiner, he crawled through a tunnel to gain access. Karski recalls his shock and disbelief. "It was not a world. There was not humanity, I couldn't take it anymore. I was sick." Pointing to the dying bodies and corpses, Feiner entreated him over and over again: "Remember this, tell them over there. You saw it. Don't forget. They are dying." The next day, Karski made the trip again to better record his impressions.
Next he travelled to a transit camp at Izbica Lubelska in eastern Poland, where Jews were loaded onto cattle cars heading for Belzec extermination camp. He disguised himself as a Ukrainian guard to gain access to the depot. After gathering evidence, he left Poland for the last time and made his way to London via Berlin, Vichy France, and Spain. Before the journey, Karski had a dentist pull out several of his teeth in the hope that his swollen mouth would deter potential interrogators.
In February 1943, Karski became one of the very first witnesses to tell the world about the Holocaust. Having arrived safely in London, he met British foreign minister Anthony Eden. But Eden declined to intervene, saying Britain had already taken in 100,000 Jewish refugees. Some months later, Karski had a secret meeting with President Roosevelt, but his calls for intervention went unheeded. Even Roosevelt's Supreme Court Justice, Felix Frankfurter, himself a Jew, expressed scepticism about Karski's reports.
Karski's testimony was kept secret by governments and officially denied. By this time, the Nazis had uncovered his identity and the Polish resistance advised him to remain in the United States.
With the end of the war, Karski's reports were finally vindicated and he could have returned home to a hero's welcome. But with Poland under Communist rule, he refused to go back. He became a US citizen in 1954 and married Pola Nirenska, a Jewish dancer and choreographer from Poland who survived the genocide.
Only recently have governments begun to acknowledge Karski's role during World War II. President Lech Walesa awarded him Poland's highest honour. And in 1994, Israel bestowed honorary citizenship upon him. Karski described himself as a Catholic Jew. The same year, he co-authored a book titled "How One Man Tried to Stop the Holocaust". Karski died at the age of 86 on July 13, 2000.


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I'm glad to hear you got moved out ok overe the weekend. Wish we could have been there to help, or at least I could've shipped Marco and Gino over to help with the big stuff. I bet poor Vonnie had a real work-out. Hope the pets are adjusting ok in the RV. I know it's home away from home for you guys, so should be fine for awhile anyway. :)
Found a tenant!
Trip Start Jun 05, 2010
69Trip End Aug 13, 2010
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We put our house on Craigslist last week and had quite a bit of interest. We were showing the house everyday last week. I had several applications to go through on Friday and make a decision. We were going back and forth with 3 different parties but finally chose one. So, last night, our new tenant stopped by to sign the lease agreement and drop off the deposit. He is a real nice guy and seems like a good match for our house. He is a R & D engineer at a large company here in Santa Rosa. He just moved out here from Boise. His wife and new-born baby will be joining him in June. They own an early 1900's built home back in Boise that is being rented out. They are familiar with old houses and should be real comfortable in ours.
Next goal....? Get moved the hell out of our house by May 1st. We'll get started moving stuff out to storage this Thursday. I'll have to rent a truck this weekend to move the big stuff. We could be sleeping in our new residents, "the trailer", as soon as Monday. Scary....

subset: commoncrawl


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New Report Finds 3.7 Million U.S. Residents at Risk from Rising Sea Levels
Posted By Charley Cameron On March 14, 2012 @ 12:00 pm In Environment,environmental destruction,global warming,News,social responsibility,Water Issues | 1 Comment
A new report from Climate Central [2] presents troubling data to suggest that rising sea levels [3], a result of global warning, could cause significant areas of the U.S. coastline to be flooded by the end of the century. The report, "Surging Seas: Sea level rise, storms & global warming: a threat to the US Coast" highlights risks posed to Florida and Louisiana, and found that California, New York and New Jersey are also particularly vulnerable to rising tides. Noting that "Global warming has raised sea level about 8 inches since 1880," the report's authors found that scientists expect the seas to rise another 20-80 inches by 2100, dependent on the rate that climate change [4] progresses.
Climate Central [6], a non-profit founded in 2008, based their extensive report on two recent peer-reviewed studies, with information compiled from the 2010 census [7], the National Elevation Dataset [8] and tidal information from the National Oceanic and Atmorpheric Administration [9]. As such, it is the first major national analysis of sea level rises in 20 years [10]. The authors note that the report is the first of its kind to include estimates of land, population and housing at risk from coastal inundation, as well as evaluations of every low-lying coastal town, city, country and state in the contiguous US.
The report looks at century levels at 55 sites in the U.S., flood levels they define as "so high that they would historically be expected just once per century," and found that in three-quarters of the sites analyzed, the century levels are "higher than four feet above the high tide line." Yet almost 5 million people live in homes at less than four feet above high tide, and 3.7 reside at less than one meter (3.3 feet) above high tide.
As homeowners in these areas rely on an ever-beleaguered government support from FEMA [11] and its National Flood Insurance Program, there are often suggestions that the populations of low lying areas ought to relocate. The report is careful to note that it is not solely independent residents that live in these areas, but that flooding to four feet could cover 3 million acres including "military bases, agricultural lands and toxic waste dumps." Century flooding poses a sizable risk to national infrastructure and industry.
Furthermore, as the storm surges from Hurricane Irene [12] this past summer showed, it's not just low lying Southern States which are at risk from residing below century flood levels. While New Orleans [13] ranks first in cities with the "largest total populations living on land less than four feet above local high tide," New York City [14] ranks second. Likewise, the study suggest that Chesapeake Bay faces the same theoretical projected sea level rise as Louisiana Barrier Island of Grand Isle [15]. So before we pack up and move to Wyoming, it may be worth exploring possibilities to slow global warming and stem the rising sea levels.
Benjamin Strauss, one of the report's authors described to the New York Times [3], "Sea level rise is like an invisible tsunami, building force while we do almost nothing… We have a closing window of time to prevent the worst by preparing for higher seas." Climate change deniers [16] may protest that rising sea levels are simply the Earth's natural sway, but the report supports strong evidence that global warming is the major driving force, and as such, it is within our power to not only defend against rising tides, but also reduce the rate at which they rise.
Climate Central describes that "Warming has acted in two main ways: by heating up and thus expanding the global ocean; and by attacking glaciers and polar ice sheets, pouring meltwater and icebergs into the sea. The planet has heated by more than one degree Fahrenheit over the last century, rising faster as we have burned coal [17], oil and gas faster, and so sent ever more heat-trapping gases into the air. Scientists overwhelmingly agree that these building gases are responsible for most of the warming observed thus far."
But if we can make "deep and immediate cuts to pollution," then we might avoid a rise in sea levels so great as to "drown many major coastal metropolises," and that's something we might all work towards.
To see the flood levels in your areas, visit the Surging Seas website [18].
Via The New York TImes [3]
All Images © flickr user DVIDSHUB [19],
Article printed from Inhabitat – Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building: http://inhabitat.com
URL to article: http://inhabitat.com/new-report-finds-3-7-million-u-s-residents-at-risk-from-rising-sea-levels/
URLs in this post:
[1] Image: http://inhabitat.com/new-report-finds-3-7-million-u-s-residents-at-risk-from-rising-sea-levels/climate-central-report-global-warming-threat-rising-tides-2/
[2] Climate Central: http://www.climatecentral.org/
[3] rising sea levels: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/14/science/earth/study-rising-sea-levels-a-risk-to-coastal-states.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1
[4] climate change: http://inhabitat.com/kiribati-considers-moving-entire-population-to-a-2-billion-man-made-island/
[5] Image: http://inhabitat.com/new-report-finds-3-7-million-u-s-residents-at-risk-from-rising-sea-levels/climate-central-report-global-warming-threat-rising-tides-1/
[6] Climate Central: http://www.climatecentral.org
[7] 2010 census: http://2010.census.gov/2010census/
[8] National Elevation Dataset: http://ned.usgs.gov/Ned/about.asp
[9] National Oceanic and Atmorpheric Administration: http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/
[10] 20 years: http://sealevel.climatecentral.org/news/press-release/
[11] FEMA: http://www.pennlive.com/editorials/index.ssf/2011/09/fema_is_flooded_disaster-relie.html
[12] Hurricane Irene: http://inhabitat.com/hurricane-irene-expected-to-hit-nyc-as-category-1-storm-with-90mph-winds-on-sunday/
[13] New Orleans: http://inhabitat.com/brad-pitt-unveils-floating-house-for-make-it-right-foundation/
[14] New York City: http://inhabitat.com/the-high-water-line-public-art-in-nyc/
[15] Grand Isle: http://inhabitat.com/mired-in-the-bayou-reveals-the-human-face-of-the-bp-oil-spill/
[16] deniers: http://http://inhabitat.com/republican-politicians-ignore-their-partys-climatologists-on-the-issue-of-climate-change/
[17] coal: http://inhabitat.com/coal-and-natural-gas-industries-stand-off-over-new-epa-mercury-regulations/
[18] website: http://sealevel.climatecentral.org/surgingseas/
[19] DVIDSHUB: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dvids/5610089423/sizes/l/in/photostream/
Click here to print.
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search the archive
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bibliography and history of the book
cultural studies and historical approaches
ecocriticism and environmental studies
ethnicity and national identity
humanities computing and the internet
journals and collections of essays
First Call for Abstracts: International Indigenous Development Research Conference 2012, deadline 1st December 2011
full name / name of organization:
Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga
contact email:
The 6th Biennial Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga conference will highlight indigeneity and the multidisciplinary approach used for indigenous development. Presentations and papers will address all aspects of the following themes central to the realisation of indigenous development:
All presentations will be 20 mins, plus 5 mins for questions, and are expected to address one or more of the following outcomes:
• Indigenous Knowledge Creation – the development of indigenous approaches to and methodologies of knowledge creation, exploring indigenous worldviews and understanding the contribution of these approaches to world knowledge. Exploring indigenous worldviews and epistemologies and the relationship between indigenous knowledge and other knowledge (such as science).
Important Dates
Please submit your Abstract (max 200 words) by completing the Abstract Submission Form. All information and documents can be found on the conference website: www.indigenousdevelopment2012.ac.nz.
All Abstracts will be assessed by the Conference Abstract Committee, guided by the Conference Advisory Panel. There is potential for a limited number of panel presentations, please contact us as soon as possible if you are interested in convening a panel. There will be a published, reviewed conference proceedings and all accepted authors will be invited to submit their full paper to the conference proceedings.
Conference Advisory Panel
Chair: Professor Charles Royal
Keynote Speakers and special events are currently being finalised. The latest information can be found on our conference website: www.indigenousdevelopment2012.ac.nz
Contact for abstract, panel and paper queries: email@example.com
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Education: Middle/High School, FT Employee
Archdiocese of Philadelphia (Philadelphia, PA)
To help recruit high-quality educators for Secondary Education, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia will host a Teacher Career Fair for High School Teachers on the following dates:
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Archbishop Ryan High School*
11201 Academy Road
Philadelphia, Pa. 19154
10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Thursday, July 17, 2014
Archbishop Carroll High School
211 Matson Ford Road
Radnor, Pa. 19087
10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Applications will be accepted for English, Fine Arts, Health P/E, Math, Science, Social Studies and World Language in a majority of our 17 high schools. A list of our high schools can be found on: http://archphila.org/home.php.
Candidates should possess a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. A list of Academic Criteria for Competencies in the various subject areas can be found on: www.catholicschools-phl.org. Pennsylvania Certification is desired. Candidates must be practicing Catholics as verified by the pastor of the parish in which the applicant is registered. All job offers are contingent upon successful completion of the reference checks, degree verification, criminal background-check processes, child abuse clearances, driving record and FBI check.
Candidates interested in joining the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for Secondary Education must bring a completed application www.catholicschools-phl.org and an updated resume in order to be admitted to the Teacher Career Fair. If you are interested in attending, please call James J. Molnar, HR Manager, at 215-587-3976 or email James at [email protected] and let him know whether you will be attending the Career Fair at Archbishop Ryan or Archbishop Carroll and what subjects you can teach.
We look forward to seeing you at the Teacher Career Fair.
*Archbishop Ryan – Please park in the back of the school, North Side. Candidates will enter through the North cafeteria doors. Please follow signs for the job fair.
** Archbishop Carroll – Please park in the student parking area and follow the job fair signs. (0)
Incoming search terms:
- jmolnar archdiocese


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Veil Nebula
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Star Wars Battlefront 2
Mygeeto: Outpost
This map, Mygeeto: Outpost, is the first map created by this author. It's a fairly simple map, the sides are all default and the CPs are in their default positions. The battle takes place on a large
Show All
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Mygeeto platform suspended in the sky. Conquest is the only gamemode, available in both Clone Wars and Galactic Civil War. Each team starts with one Command Post, and there are two neautrals, from where a vigilant attack team can gain a reinforcement drain right at the start. There's a large Mygeeto tower in the center of the battlefield, so you can't walk straight to your enemy's starting spawn point. Some other Mygeeto structures are scattered across some areas of the battlefield. I felt that there wasn't enough cover; the map could use more objects. Threre's a large number of things that could be addressed in this map. There appeared to be little or no planning whatsoever. The AI need barriers so they won't get stuck on objects. Custom units would also be a good thing to look into. After you've played Battlefront II for more than two years like I have, the standard set-up can get pretty boring. Visual effects are another major aspect of attracting downloads; if your map looks too much like maps that came before, or just looks boring, people won't even bother. Change to a different sky (or make one yourself), add some fog underneath the platform so you can't see the ground below, and add some lighting effects. There's not much more to say here. If this map sounds interesting to you, give it a try. Make sure you leave feedback for the author if you download. -Xavious Note to the author - Try to put a bit more detail into your readme. Include your name, contact information (if you want to), a better description of the map, and installation instructions. And make sure to submit screenshots as well next time.
- File Name:
- mg3.zip
- File Size:
- Date Added:
- 02-26-2008
- Download Last 2 Week:
- 4
- Downloads All Time:
- 324
- Popularity:
- 0.06%


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Miami Dolphins, Marlins put money, muscle into school projects
This has been the week of giving back by the Miami Dolphins and Marlins in separate community projects.
On Tuesday, all 53 Dolphins players and coach Joe Philbin took part in a project at Barbara Hawkins Elementary School in Miami Gardens.
The Marlins' Day of Service and Philanthropy was Thursday at Miami Edison Middle School, with the team's office staff teaming with Sharon Robinson, daughter of Jackie Robinson, on a school makeover.
The Dolphins put muscle and sweat behind their project, planting flowers, laying stones, mulch and painting in the school's butterfly garden. They also decorated the teachers' lounge in an effort to create an improved educational environment for the school.
"Whenever I rode the school bus I came right through this area," said defensive end Olivier Vernon, who grew up in Miami and played for the University of Miami. "It's a great opportunity to put a smile on these kids' faces considering I remember being their age and looking up to the Dolphins.
"It's kind of surreal and it hits you because I'm wearing the uniform now and they're running up to me asking me for autographs and asking me about Reggie Bush and my other teammates. That's what I was doing at their age and now I can tell them to follow their dream and stay in the books and study hard."
Players also split into groups to visit each of the 18 classrooms at the school. They handed out books to every student at the school and read and spoke to 329 children as part of the Miami Dolphins Foundation Most Valuable Reader Program.
"You can't put a price tag on things like this. It's a good experience for everybody," said Philbin. "When I interviewed for the job I told Mr. Ross that we wanted to build a team that had great success on the field and wins championships, but just as important was we wanted to have men that were unselfish and willing to give back to the community and make a difference in people's lives."
Thursday, the Marlins donated $80,000 toward a total makeover of Miami Edison Middle. Robinson, along with about 200 members of the Marlins' staff joined with representatives of Miami Dade County Public Schools, City Year Miami and Teach for America in donating books and reading to students during the event.
The Marlins have donated more than $1.2 million and more than 5,000 community service hours in philanthropic initiatives this year.
Photo: Miami Dolphins players at work on the garden at Barbara Hawkins Elementary School. (courtesy Miami Dolphins)


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Bob Dunn: Western Swing Chronicles, Vol. 5: Master of the Electric Steel Guitar 1935-1950 [Digipak]
2 CD / Origin / 2011-01-18Tracks: Taking Off; I Love You; Wabash Blues; Who's Sorry Now; You're Tired of Me; House At the End of the Lane, The; Somebody Stole My Gal; "Ida!" Sweet As Apple Cider; Beale Street Mama; Old Water Mill By ...
Artists: Bob Dunn
Liner Note Authors: David Sager; Kevin Coffey; Jeremy Wakefield; Cary Ginell.
Recording information: ACA Studio, Houston, TX (01/27/1935); Brunswick Warehouse, Dallas, TX (01/27/1935); Furnitur...continue...
read more Login or Create an Account to write a review


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Career & Learning Connections provides technology-based instruction that offers workforce training, education and life skill development for adults. MPBN offers GED Connections and Workplace Essential Skills accessible through statewide broadcasts, videos, the Internet and print materials.
A wealth of information for businesses, job seekers, training providers and the workforce community.
Encourages lifelong learning by providing educational opportunities for adults.
Founded by the University of Maine System and Colby, Bates and Bowdoin Colleges.


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Just when we were starting to think 'WTF?,' the toys finally make an appearance in Free Gifts area of the game. So now we can start gifting each other with wild abandon -- not to mention ask our friends for Toys via the Toy Factory menu. So that means double the supply of toys coming in. In other words, you'll be well above Scrooge status in no time (and that much closer to wrangling in your own Winter Mare, which you can get in exchange for 500 toys). Now, go forth and spread the love by giving virtual toys to all the girls and boys.
Check out the rest of our Holiday 2010 coverage right here.
Do you like the ability to both send and request Toys? What other streamlining would you like to see done for FrontierVille's events and quests? Or perhaps you're not a fan of it at all--either way speak up in the comments. Add Comment.


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Eco-Friendly Flooring Material: Bamboo
Following my previous posts on cork and linoleum, this week's eco-friendly flooring spotlight focuses on bamboo. Chances are you've heard of bamboo as a "green" material, but why is this? And is it always eco-friendly?
Many tout bamboo – which is used in building materials, home furnishings, and even textiles – as "green" because it grows very quickly, is naturally pest resistant, and doesn't require much water. A bamboo plantation is more rapidly renewable than a hardwood forest. Used for flooring, bamboo is also durable, water resistant, and beautiful.
Most of the bamboo we use in the US was harvested in China, however, so there is some concern about its carbon footprint as well as the effects of rapid bamboo expansion in that country (such as clear cutting, soil erosion, fertilizer use). Concern has also been expressed over the chemicals used in the manufacture of some bamboo floors.
How can you be sure that your bamboo flooring was produced responsibly? Check out this article from Building Green and seek out manufacturers and distributors that address these issues. Also look for bamboo that's free of formaldehyde, which can be dangerous to factory workers and your home.
(Images: EcoTimber)
Tags: bamboo, bamboo floors, eco-conscious flooring, eco-friendly flooring, sustainable flooring
2 Responses to "Eco-Friendly Flooring Material: Bamboo"
Ken Kowal Says:
October 20th, 2010 at 4:54 pm
Here is an article comparing bamboo and reclaimed wood that might be of interest… reclaimed wood flooring
Ken Kowal Says:
October 20th, 2010 at 4:56 pm
Sorry – added a bad url: http://knol.google.com/k/kenneth-kowal/bamboo-flooring-is-not-eco-friendly/4ilw4vkwik1x/3


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Archive for category N
Ninja Gaiden Sigma Trailer
Posted by Gary in N, PS3 software on April 21st, 2007
It's a little unusual that the one disc based title that I'm most looking forward to on the PS3 between now and September, is a remake of a 2 year old Xbox game. 😆
As bizarre as it sounds that's the current situation I find myself in. It's a good job the game in question is heralded as one of the best games in the Action Adventure genre, 2nd only to Devil May Cry of course 8) .
I hope it gets good reviews or I'm going to be one very disappointed gamer.
Nucleus PS3 Preview
Posted by Blackstaffer in N, PS3 software on April 17th, 2007
Haven't we seen this before? Blasting little micro-organisms to little bitty pieces? I'll forgive you if you're confused, because this post is not about Blast Factor. It's about another downloadable game, coming to a PS3 near you, called Nucleus. It's developed by Kuju's Surrey studio.
1UP describes the game like this:
For instance, Nucleus doesn't take place in outer space, but in "Inner Space" (no relation to the film, as far as we know). And instead of shooting aliens, you fight bacteria while swimming around blood cells and collecting proteins. Players control a "remote unit" which looks a bit like a sperm cell. It, ahem, squirts, shoots, and deploys protein bombs (once enough protein has been collected). To gain more protein, players need to shoot cells that release it.
I hope that this game is a lot better than Blast Factor was. It certainly looks prettier, and uses more of the screen. (That's a pet peeve of mine about Blast Factor.) Truth to tell, I still like the look of Super Stardust HD better. We'll have to see once these games come out…
Ninja Gaiden Demo Coming to PSN
Posted by Blackstaffer in N, PS3 software on March 29th, 2007
According to IGN, a demo of Ninja Gaiden is coming to the PSN near the end of April:
In the latest issue of Japan's Famitsu Weekly, Ninja Gaiden Sigma director Yosuke Hayashi revealed plans to make a playable demo of the game available on the PlayStation Network starting 4/27. The demo will include one specially created chapter that won't be in the final version and will allow players to use a large number of weapons from the start.
Normally I wouldn't get this kind of game, but I'll definitely check out the demo to see what all the fuss is about. I just hope that it comes to the North American PSN as well…
Ninja Gaiden Sigma Tidbits
Posted by Gary in N, PS3 software on February 12th, 2007
Who invented the word 'tidbit' to describe small bits of info? 😐 Anyway, C&VG.com had a little chat with Ninja Gaiden Sigma Director Yosuke Hayashi, and he has made the lofty claim that "Ninja Gaiden Sigma will be the number one action game." Oh, I think you'll find DMC4 has that spot reserved thank you very much. 8)
He also states that the game is at 50% and it's looking very impressive, now that the devs are more familiar with the PS3 hardware. He also says that the PS3 hard drive will be used to eliminate annoying loading screens. As for the PLAYSTATION Network, you will be able to view worldwide scores and rankings for each player if that floats your boat.
So that's some tidbits for you. Bring it on baby! There's room for both Devil May Cry 4 and Ninja Gaiden Sigma in my games collection.


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Completed in 1932 to provide a high-level crossing to the western neighbourhoods, Burrard Bridge is a triumph of civic architecture and a key gateway structure.
Architects Sharp & Thompson, conscious of the bridge's ceremonial function, embellished the utilitarian steel superstructure with imposing concrete towers, art deco sculptural details, and torch-like entrance pylons that are a silent war memorial.
Heavy concrete railings, originally topped by decorative street lamps, unify the parts.
Since the 1990s, the Engineering Department has brought forward repeated schemes despite ferocious public opposition to increase the capacity of the bridge. Over 15 years later, the pot still boils: in late 2006, the current Council voted to kill a proposed lane re-allocation trial to test an alternate solution. Instead this Council seems hell-bent on intrusive, expensive schemes favouring the single-occupancy car. Yet another consultant team is presently doing a detailed design of sidewalk expansion of this iconic Art Deco landmark.
The ill-conceived plans to widen the bridge's sidewalks require for support massive cantilevered outrigger structures that would radically alter the bridge's appearance by adding bulky appendages slicing horizontally across the bridge's architectural features. The existing railings would be demolished to make way for new railings pushed out to the edges of the new sidewalks. Without its original railings, the bridge would lose its strong edges, and its defining architectural features would be isolated in a broad expanse of pavement.
For HV, the issues remain the same: how to accommodate increased numbers of cyclists and pedestrians without compromising the heritage architecture and iconic status of the bridge. We are extremely disappointed that other, equally viable options are not being considered. We continue to urge Council to consider carefully the alternatives before rushing to implement a solution that will permanently disfigure this civic landmark.
We continue to ask: What will we show the world in 2010? A quick-fix hatchet job or a restored world-class gateway?
View the ongoing updates for the Burrard Bridge here (opens in a pop-up window).
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text: The exterior of this handbag is in gently loved condition. The leather has darkened from use, and there is a dark spot on the back of the bag. The top handles and bottom corners are also worn. The hardware is scratched as well. The interior is in gently loved condition, with multiple ink marks on the lining. It does not ship with a designer dust bag.


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May 6, 2016
Madison County, Florida - January 4, 2012 -
On December 28th, 2011 warrants were issued on Mr. Henry Lee Roberson, Jr. for D.U.I.
Manslaughter and Vehicular Homicide and on January 2nd, 2012 he was arrested on those charges after
turning himself in at the Madison County jail.
Greenville, FL 10-15-11
FHP says 37-year-old Jerry Lacadrick Miller died early Saturday morning after a traffic crash in Madison County.
At around 2:30 in the morning, he was riding in a 1995 Chevy Impala with 27-year-old Henry Lee Roberson, Jr. driving. 31-year-old Jamie O'Neal Hampton was also a passenger.
They were east on US Hwy 90 (SR-10) when the car began to leave the road.
Roberson over-corrected and went over the center line.
The vehicle rotated then struck a telephone junction box and several trees.
Roberson and Hampton were sent to TMH in serious condition.
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A Love Story... & Picture UPDATE... Anniversary Edition!
View _RAMONA's Sparkpage
View All Blog Entries from _RAMONA
Monday, September 24, 2012
13 years ago tomorrow, I married the finest, truest, most loving man I have ever known... my best friend, my champion, my rock, my soft place to land, and the joy and grace that give me the strength to be all I am called to be! Never did I dream before that day that my life could be so amazing, fulfilling, or vast... all of creation fits within the walls of our home and the sacrament of our marriage.
The focal delight of this past year together has been our MUTUAL JOURNEY to wellness and vitality. I've learned things about my husband I would have never guessed (that he always wanted a 'six pack' but never believed it was possible), and together we are achieving those things of which we had only previously dreamed.
We are stronger, fitter, healthier, happier in our own skin, more energetic and newly reinvested in the adventure that is our life together!
...So much so that I was inspired to try on my wedding dress yesterday... and it FIT... with no industrial foundation garments (like the first time), or holding my breath and sucking in (like the first time), LOL!
(and unlike the last time I tried it on HERE)
Wedding dress moment...
I had a blast dancing around the back yard in my wedding dress and bare feet... I felt many years younger than I am, and FREE! It truly felt like our wedding day... warm sun, rich colours, joy multiplied many times over.
Here I am...
September 23, 2012
September 23, 2012
September 23, 2012
September 23, 2012...
The Divine Miss O took our picture for us... I can't believe she's old enough to be so adept at so much.. she was so proud of herself, LOL! I am now the same size I was on my wedding day thirteen years ago, and my husband is actually smaller (I think he's taller, too... at least he walks like it, LOL)... something he never imagined possible... he's more confident, energetic, and HIGHLY motivated to see just how much more he can accomplish (we bought him a 'six pack' teeshirt to wear another 40 pounds or so from now), while being my own sweetest and greatest cheerleader!
...I look so TIRED today because I was up half the night due to drama on the street requiring police interevention (I should have put on some make-up, LOL), which woke up the Divine Miss O... who then happily cuddled in my arms and chatted (and entertained me) for two hours as her own adrenaline rush subsided (hard to go back to sleep when you've been frightened out of your sweet dreams by a woman screaming as though she's being dismembered... she wasn't... she was just having a temper tantrum).
The amazing thing to me is that a year ago, under similar circumstances, I would have not been able to function (not during the night, or the day after), yet this morning after I was able to hop out of bed early and face my day with good humour, no headache, and with energy for all I needed to do. I could even cuddle my girl in the middle of the night as we giggled and told stories... I could be fully in and ENJOY the moment... a gift that has continued since I last had this dress on three years ago (after which my weight continued to climb nearly fifty pounds more before consistently heading in the right direction this past year... which I tell you lest you are discouraged by your own journey... NEVER GIVE UP) and in the face of the stabilizing emotional shift that came with our dietary changes.
My journey, though slow and endlessly frustrating continues to bear the sweetest and most inspiring fruit... our lives are daily blessed by my own journey to wellness, and grace continues to carry us forward.
September 25, 1999... note: I'm using my bouquet to hide my double chin, LOL!
September 25, 1999
I won't be around much this week, if at all... my husband always takes our honeymoon week off work, and we spend the time together, doing whatever strikes our fancy, LOL!
At Mass together tomorrow morning we'll pray for ourselves and for all married people...
...that the love we witness to the world is ever an example of patience, kindness and perseverance.
...that our love for each other and the love that we share with the world is never jealous, or conceited, or proud, or easily provoked.
...that in loving each other and the world we never keep a record of wrongs, but that we rejoice and give thanks for every opportunity before us to love one another as God loves us.
...that our love seeks out and bears witness always to truth, and to the light of Christ in the world.
...that the love we share and witness to the world never gives up, or in, to despair... even in the face of trials and adversity.
... that our faith, hope and patience never fail.
...that our marriage and our love continue to be sacrament for each other, and for all who have a share in our life together.
We are incredibly blessed in our marriage and in our friends and family (most of you wouldn't know it, but you have a share in my marriage too... my journey and friendships here have made me a better wife... and as I am a better wife, better too becomes my husband... and vice versa).
THANK YOU for your continued gifts of friendship, family, faith and community. Our marriage is stronger for it, and continues to bear fruit because of it.
In gratitude and faith we pray THAT GOD ABUNDANTLY BLESS YOU, and those you love, in every way you require. May your every day be all you need it to be. May an all abiding peace fill your thoughts, rule in your dreams each night, and conquer all your fears. May God manifest himself in ways you have never before experienced. May he hold you gently in the palm of his hand in a very personal way, and may you rest in the fullness of his love, his grace, his strength, his wisdom, his rescue, his redemption, his healing, his inspiration, his restoration and his mercy as you require it! May you carry in your heart always an extra special awareness of God's great love for you, may you feel his sweet and gentle touch upon your life, and may you see his miracles all around you. May your joys be fulfilled, your dreams be closer, and your cares be lifted... may faith enter a new height in you, may your territory be enlarged, and may fulfillment be just one step closer. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen!
We had a WONDERFUL day...and the most active anniversary we've had since our honeymoon, which was spent hiking.
Today, we went to Mass after dropping the wee girl off at school. Then we went for a two hour walk along the river, poking our noses into whatever caught our attention... visited with a friendly cat, did a short tour through a small art gallery, smooched under amazing fall foiliage, raced on the straight parts of the path, played in the various playgrounds we found, and popped into the Farmer's Market to see what was available on a weekday (not much). We had a lovely lunch at 'Bliss' (isn't that a GREAT name?!), went for ice cream at our favourite place (all homemade, fifties soda counter theme/decor and danced a bit to the jukebox... we were the only customers), and then spontaneously decided we just needed to share part of the day with our girl. We rushed over to the school stole her for the rest of the day and went bike riding for two hours!
The weather right now is exactly like it was the year we got married... almost like an idealic summer with crisp, cool nights and we just felt like nothing could be more important than soaking the last bits of it up before we too soon must settle into snow and blowing wind.
I made supper while Dad supervised music practice, we giggled and laughed through supper, went to drop off a carseat for friends, visited there, and came home to warm milk and sweet dreams! The perfect day in my world!
I hope you, too, are having days blessed with love, happiness and vitality!
Have you ever wondered why the wedding ring goes on the fourth finger?
Check this out:
My prayer for all of you, and for your marriages:
Ⓒ _Ramona
Touching is the prayer of spouses. We touch in love to comfort, to heal, to give life, to celebrate, & to give glory to our God.
When we touch in love, may our touch be selfless. May we be ever mindful of each other�s needs, wishes, desires & dreams. May our love touch deeply, gently, joyfully, & respectfully.
When we touch to comfort, may our touch be a prayer in and of itself. May we be ever mindful of how God cradles us in the palm of His hand, & how He calls each of us by name. Through our touch may we seek to console, to understand, to pardon, to forgive, to inspire, & to die to our selfishness � to be for each other, as He is for us.
When we touch to heal, may our touch be a testimony to the healing power of our God � a reminder that we need only ask to receive, need only seek to find, & need only knock. The doors will be opened to all that we require. May we touch to heal not only our bodies; but to heal our hearts, minds, & spirits as well.
When we touch to give life, may it be with the full knowledge that we are His �creative� beings. May we be ever mindful that we are an integral part of His creative power. Our marital embrace is meant to create life - to give life to body, mind & soul. May we always rejoice in this, & may our lives reflect that same Spirit of creation toward each other, within our family, in our community & before our God.
When we touch in celebration, may our touch be a reflection of the joy God celebrates in each of us individually. May we be ever mindful of our individuality and through our touch, may we celebrate love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, & self-control � the fullness of the fruits of God�s Spirit in our lives.
When we touch in exaltation of our God, may it be with gratitude for all we have; with respect for our bodies as His temple; & that through our bodies, in faith, His will, not ours, be done.
Your source for GREAT marriage resources and more:
(quote by CHRISTINE MASON MILLER)
...Because YOUR JOURNEY blesses everyone you love... often so much more than you know!
'BEFORE' Pictures (May 31, 2009 - September, 2011) & Continuing PROGRESS (February 2012)! Next pictures OCTOBER 1, 2012!
(I should have known better than to have set a September 1st deadline... I don't have time for posing and snapping... too many other things need immediate attention to get our Fall off and RUNNING, LOL!)
(I'm now keeping these right under my nose... in addition to being part of every blog I post, they are printed off and taped to my bedroom mirror)
Measurements, Musings & Motivation to MOVE!
(UPDATED/rewritten: JUNE, 2012)
I've Reached My Goal Weight!!!!!!!
NOTE: My weight tracker is NOT a truthful representation of my weight. Instead, I am using it as a tool to help me visualize my goal as though it's already been achieved!
(Tom Venuto)
UNTIL. (My 'Just Do It' blog)
DONE Girl Love...
(the footsteps into which I place my own feet)
Leaving NORMAL... In Pursuit of Happiness
Why I'm STILL here... my SparkJourney Saga
Words CAN Be Enough... page 3
Paleo... Do you really know what you're talking about?
Breakfast is Served! (RECIPES)
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Ramona, I loved coming home to Spark and reading this. It always warms my heart to read your blogs. You are a beautiful lady ... Don't hide that beauty by setting props in front of your face or hiding from the camera! Your smile makes me smile! And, by the way, you look gorgeous in your wedding dress ... It's elegant! And that hubby of yours is charming too.
Really, it all boils down to this - I adore you! Congratulations on your anniversary!
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What a heartwarming blog!! Loved it, loved it, loved it!! (Feel the same way about my own DH after 33 years!!)
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So happy for the joyous you. I have know verious sides of you over the years. Loving you even more. Hoooray. Have a ball.
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God bless dear one....
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Happy anniversary week! Hope your time together was delightful. A good husband is a true blessing!
Wishing you all of God's best for the next 10 years!
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What a wonderful story! You're blessed to have such a supportive hubby. Happy Anniversary!
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Aw.... that is so so so romantic. I am so happy for you. You clearly deserve the best and all the love and adoration this world has to offer.
Here is to many more years of happiness with your beloved and the Divine Miss O. She took a great pic, btw :)
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Wow! I'm so excited for you that you fit into your wedding dress again. It will take many more months until I fit in mine, if I ever do again. After 3 kids and 22 years of marriage, that ship may have sailed. No matter, I will be content with fitting into some other things first!
Your wedding dress is beautiful - so simple yet elegant.
And it is cool that your wedding anniversary is the day before the anniversary of the day I met my dh.
Your picture that your lovely daughter took is wonderful! She did a good job, and makeup - *pshaw*. You look beautiful!
Anyway, happy anniversary. I pray God will bless you both with many many more years together.
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Happy Anniversary!!!
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What a beautiful love story! I wish you and your hubby many years of happiness!
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Awesome blog - thanks for sharing!
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Happy Anniversary! You two look very happy and I'm happy for you!
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Awwww! Sweet story. Just to let you know you share your anniversary date with my husband and I, except we've been married for 33 years. We too try and take a trip around our anniversary.
Blessings and happy day after your anniversary!
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What a beautiful story of love, happiness and inspiration!
to you and your wonderful husband. May your journey continue for many, many more years!
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I wish for both of you decades upon decades of continued togetherness and mutual progress towards all of your goals.
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That's awesome! Congrats and have a wonderful time!
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You both look great--and so happy! Many happy returns! Makes me wish I had someone in my life like that!
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You looked beautiful and so happy on your wedding day! Nothing has changed I see :)
and enjoy your week!
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You look nice in your wedding dress. Maybe that could be a goal for me--to fit into my size 16 wedding dress I wore in 1997 when about 4 months pregnant! (lol)
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You look just radiant.
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YOu look awesome and must feel great fitting into your dress. I didn't keep mine sometimes I wish I had. Oh well.
Enjoy your week and have fun with hubby!
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Tired? NO WAY! You look divine... and more beautiful than ever, Ramona! May the next 13...and 13...and 13 years be closer and closer to the perfection and peace that were promised us as you learn in more and more intimacy and depth --
...that the love we witness to the world is ever an example of patience, kindness and perseverance.
...that our love for each other and the love that we share with the world is never jealous, or conceited, or proud, or easily provoked.
...that in loving each other and the world we never keep a record of wrongs, but that we rejoice and give thanks for every opportunity before us to love one another as God loves us.
...that our love seeks out and bears witness always to truth, and to the light of Christ in the world.
...that the love we share and witness to the world never gives up, or in, to despair... even in the face of trials and adversity.
... that our faith, hope and patience never fail.
...that our marriage and our love continue to be sacrament for each other, and for all who have a share in our life together.
Thank you for all you are and all you do!
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The Madera South Stallion softball team was able to bang out nine hits, but three errors and seven walks helped the Hoover-Fresno Patriots on Wednesday in a 9-2 victory at Madera South.
Hoover banged out 14 hits and didn't commit an error in the victory.
Madera South pitcher Juana Rios threw 121 pitches in the loss. She walked seven and didn't strike out a batter. However, she didn't get help from the defense with three errors behind her.
"She works her tail off," head coach Kelly Valmonte said. "She threw a lot of pitches, way more than she needed to. This is not the team capable of showing up."...


text:
One of the biggest names in the industry Samsung boasts some of the best image sensor technologies on the market. Over the past 30 years they have refined their production techniques, manufacturing some of the world's best-performing security cameras, digital video recorders and network control systems.
Samsung provide a comprehensive range of products and complete solutions ranging from city surveillance to the protection of streets, airports, ports, industrial facilities and military installations. Samsung's world leading imaging technology coupled with cutting edge design makes their equipment some of the most reliable and adaptable available so you can rest assured that you are safe with Samsung.
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text:
If your employer doesn't deal with carpools and the
town Web site is no help, CarpoolConnect.com
will connect you to other commuters in your area. The site works
through search functions and message boards. Plug in your starting
ZIP code and your destination ZIP code and see what you find. A
recent search found people looking for rides to the train station,
rides to work and rides home on a certain day of the week.
Go public
Check out the bus and train routes that could possibly take
you to work. The routes may be more convenient than the last time
you checked. Be sure to ask about multiple-ride discount cards,
monthly passes and any other deals for riders.
If you usually pay for parking by the hour, you'll
find that taking the bus or train will save you more. When you take
the bus or train, you can stay late for the same price.
Map out the cheapest driving
If you must drive every day, you can still investigate savings
possibilities. With tolls rising, it pays to spend some time figuring
out if the route you take is the cheapest one. Altering your path
from major, clogged highways to side roads can easily save serious
Rachel Traum of New York was stunned to discover that
a simple change in route netted her $400 in annual savings.
Check out employer incentives
You may be able to get discounted bus or train passes through
your employer. Sometimes, it's a little-advertised perk that can
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for discounts and grants from municipalities or local environmental
groups if they have a large number of employees biking to work or
car pooling, they may offer incentives to help you get started.
Ditch your commute altogether
If you don't commute at all, you may save big, telecommuters
"I took a sales job where I could work out of
my house and eliminated my commute entirely," says Tim Leffel
of Nashville, Tenn. "Once or twice a month I go see clients,
but otherwise it takes me two weeks to use up a tank of gas. One
unanticipated benefit of this is I spend less gas running errands,
as well.
"I've probably saved an average of $40 per month
on gas, plus there's less wear and tear on my car," he says.
"Since I don't have to show up at an office every day, I also
spend very little on new clothes and shoes, so figure another $50
a month there. Probably save at least $20 to $30 on food since I'm
not tempted to go out to lunch as much."
Finally, Leffel's insurance went down $240 per year.
While you may not be able to eliminate your
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text:
search the archive
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ethnicity and national identity
humanities computing and the internet
journals and collections of essays
Second Biennial Conference of the Defoe Society, 14-16 July 2011 [UPDATE]
full name / name of organization:
Dr Andreas Mueller, University of Worcester (UK)
contact email:
The University of Worcester, UK, will host the second biennial meeting of the Defoe Society on 14-16 July 2011. The society's continued ambition is to attract contributions that range across the extraordinary variety of activities and writings of Daniel Defoe and his contemporaries. The conference's aim is to encourage fresh examination of the socio-cultural and literary milieu of Grub Street and its "duncical" authors and "Scriblerian" enemies.
The Worcester meeting, which is scheduled to commence at 4:00 pm on 14 July, will be punctuated by three focal events: keynote lectures by Pat Rogers (University of South Florida) and Paula McDowell (New York University) and a President's Roundtable on the topic of 'Defoe bibliography'. Participants in the roundtable, chaired by Maximillian E. Novak (UCLA), include David A. Brewer (Ohio State University), J. Alan Downie (Goldsmiths College, University of London), Kit Kincade (Indiana State University) and Ashley Marshall (Johns Hopkins University).
We invite proposals for twenty-minute papers that address one of the panel topics listed below (abstracts for the panels may be found at www.worc.ac.uk/earlymodern), and for papers that engage with the field of Defoe Studies more generally. Paper topics do not have to adhere strictly to the conference theme or to focus on Defoe; it is anticipated that additional panels will be formed to accommodate paper proposals that do not address any of the proposed topics. The deadline is 31 January 2011.
•'The State of Wit in 1700.' (John Richetti)
Please email a paper proposal of no more than 200 words to Dr Andreas Mueller at firstname.lastname@example.com, stating, if appropriate, the panel for which the proposal is being submitted. Mail submissions should be sent to the following address: Division of English & Cultural Studies, University of Worcester, Henwick Grove, Worcester, WR2 6AJ, UK. Additional information concerning the conference, accommodation and travel may be found at www.defoesociety.org and www.worc.ac.uk/earlymodern.
cfp categories:


text:
Register with us or sign in
in Fruit & veg
Hi everyone, I need some advice. I have a row of parsnips in my raised bed which have grown really well, almost too well, I think. The foliage is at least 50cm high and as it was beginning to topple over, I chopped off a third. What I don't know is, when do I start harvesting them, do I wait until the foliage dies down first?
Thanks for your help.
I harvest them as needed - leave them in the ground to get frosted, they'll be much sweeter.
OK, will do, thanks Dove! Just hope they are not all foliage and no roots!
I wouldn't start harvesting until after the first frost - remember that the fat root is the parsnip's store of energy to get it through the winter so it can grow and flower next year. It should be reabsorbing nutrients from those leaves at this time of year.
And they increase the size of the root as the leaves die down. The leaves on ours often reach a metre in height.


text:
- $35 non-refundable fee will be billed to student account for marching
- Two marching ceremonies held in May on the Goodman campus
- Associate of Arts degree ceremony
- Associate of Applied Sciences degree and Certificate ceremony
Graduation Information
Apply for Graduation
Graduation Application – Marching
Graduation Application – Not Marching
- $15 non-refundable fee will be billed to student account for diploma cover, if selected
- No charge for diploma only
You will receive an email with the results of your application
when processed.
- For December graduates, October 31
- For May graduates, March 31
- For Summer graduates, July 15
Graduation Information
To check your progress toward graduation for an AA, AAS, or certificate, run your Degree Evaluation. If applying for an AA, refer also to the AA Degree Checklist located on the "Road to Graduation" portlet on the Academics/Career-Technical page of My Holmes.
Valedictory and Salutatory Honors
To be eligible, a student must be receiving an AA or AAS degree, must be participating in the May graduation ceremony, and must have at least a 3.0 cumulative grade point average. The student(s) with the highest GPA (excluding pre-core courses and MAT1233) will be recognized as Valedictorian, while the student(s) with the next highest GPA will be recognized as Salutatorian. To be eligible for Valedictory or Salutatory honors, a student must have completed at least two semesters at Holmes Community College on a full-time basis.
Honors and Highest Honors
Students participating in the May graduation ceremony and receiving either an AA or an AAS degree are eligible to receive special recognition based on their cumulative quality point averages. These honors will be:
- Highest Honors – for those students with GPA's of 3.7 to 4.0
- Honors – for those students with GPA's of 3.40 to 3.69


text:
Thursday Feb 14 2008
Eateries face fee hike for inspections
By: Gus Thomson, Journal Staff Writer
Burden of costs likely to trickle down to diners
Restaurants are facing higher costs for inspections as Placer County attempts to charge on a pay-as-you-go basis. Proposed fee revisions by the county's environmental health division have been met with resistance by some restaurateurs. They say the fees will create financial hardships and are too big a blow at one time. Supervisors have been hearing complaints about the proposed inspection fee increases. It's caused a firestorm in my district, Supervisor Bruce Kranz said. There are lots of issues we need to talk about. Kranz said he favors the carrot and stick approach, providing fewer inspections for restaurants that do well in health inspections. The eastern Placer County supervisor said that putting a greater financial burden on restaurants would likely mean increased costs will be passed on to customers. Roseville Supervisor Rocky Rockholm said he favors a phase-in for proposed increases, noting that his district's Denio's Farmer's Market is facing a $14,000 jump "" nearly double what it pays now. Fred Sumara, Valero gas station and minimart owner in Foresthill, said Placer County is signaling it is no longer as friendly to small business. I feel we're being picked on, over-regulated and over-charged, Sumara said. Ty Rowe, owner of Auburn's Bootleggers Old Town Tavern & Grill, said the inspection fee increases will be at hard hit to businesses already dealing with higher credit card rates, workers compensation liability and other costs. Doug Mason, owner of Drooling Dog BarBQ in Colfax, said that he understands fees have to go up. But it's how they're going up, Mason said, noting some fees are doubling. The first indications were that they were only having a small increase, that it wasn't going to be a big deal. The current inspection fee is $429 for a restaurant with fewer than 50 seats. The environmental health division estimates its billable cost per hour is $148.77. The estimated costs " and charge for the proposed fee would be $743.84 " or 73 percent more than the current fee. For a restaurant seating between 50 and 99, the fee would rise from $567 to $922. For eateries 100 seats or larger, the fee would rise 85 percent " from $580 to $1,071. New fees would be instituted for inspections in a number of areas where no costs are now charged. The new fees would be introduced at certified farmers markets ($297), private schools ($446), and licensed health care facilities ($595). Jill Pahl, director of environmental health, said that the fee revisions are moving toward a staff presentation Feb. 26 before the Board of Supervisors and a subsequent vote. Despite the criticism, the fee structure will be forwarded as initially proposed, Pahl said. I understand and empathize, Pahl said. Pahl added an additional proposal could result in introduction of an incentive program that would allow businesses with no current violations to pay at the current rate for a year. About 100 to 125 of the county's 1,800 facilities would be eligible, she said. The environmental health division has also formed a food advisory group to consider other incentives and other ideas. In a report made available to the Board of Supervisors earlier this month, Pahl said that over the past 15 years, environmental health fee increases have been based only on Consumer Price Index rates. Those benchmarks haven't kept pace with the county's growth and service delivery costs within the division, she said. The current fee structure provides 65 percent of the division's funding, Pahl said. The other 35 percent " or $2 million " comes from general fund revenues, she said. To offset the general fund contribution and reinstate extra help and overtime funding held out of the division's proposed budget for the coming year, the total cost recovery will need to increase by 40 percent to $2.3 million, Pahl said. Facilities have been fortunate in paying lower rates in recent years and not paying for the full cost of service, she said. And once the county gets to the full cost of service charges, it won't have another large jump, Pahl added. The Journal's Gus Thomson can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com or post a comment below.


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Foresters, KaBOOM! & Volunteers Revitalize Bradenton Community With New Playground
BRADENTON, FL, Oct. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ - A dream is now a reality for children in Bradenton as their drawings were turned into a new playground today. In less than eight hours, the play space was built with the help of more than 200 volunteers from Foresters TM, Visible Men Academy (VMA) and non-profit KaBOOM!. The new playground will serve 22,500 children and their families in the community for years to come."Foresters believes in providing opportunities for families to spend quality time together," said Bruce Burak, Foresters National Sales Manager. "This playground will help Visible Men Academy fulfill its purpose to provide outstanding education in a nurturing environment and provide a safe, central gathering place for families throughout the neighborhood." Planning for the playground began at a Design Day event held in August when local children and community leaders met with organizers from KaBOOM! and Foresters to design their dream playground. The children's drawings were then used to create the final playground design. Since 2006, Foresters has invested over $7 million with KaBOOM! with almost 100 playgrounds built or planned across the U.S. and Canada. Over their 15 year lifespan, these playgrounds will provide more than 2.6 million children and their families with an opportunity to spend quality time together. Foresters is a KaBOOM! National Partner and a founding member of the KaBOOM! Leadership Circle - a group of organizations providing long-term guidance and support to KaBOOM! and its mission. "We are thrilled and honored to construct a playground at Visible Men Academy," said Neil Phillips, Visible Men Academy Principal. "The playground will be a wonderfully exciting safe and fun zone for our students - they have been waiting anxiously for this great play space! We are also pleased that the Pride Park community residents can benefit, as well. It is especially meaningful to us that so many members from the community have been deeply involved from the outset of this effort. We are grateful for the enthusiastic participation, dedication, and support that we've received from each VMA family member, committee member, community leader and volunteer. We are also indebted to KaBOOM! for providing us this opportunity to contribute to our community. Finally, we are enormously thankful to Foresters for their incredibly generous contribution and gift that will help to celebrate and encourage play, which always improves lives." Thanks to the work of Foresters, Visible Men Academy and KaBOOM!, children and their families now have a 2,520 square-foot playground to call home that includes features such as a Slither Slide, Solar Climber and Swings.
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The fundraising activity of Canadian venture capital firms decreased in 2013 relative to the especially strong fundraising year that was recorded in 2012.
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text:
Traveling to Campus
Directions to Campus (Garland Avenue Parking Garage)
- From the South: Take I-40 to I-49 North (Exit 12). From I-49 North, take the Wedington Dr. Exit (Exit 64). Turn right (East) on Wedington, drive east for 1.5 miles then turn right (South) on Garland Ave. Turn left (East) at Cleveland St. and the entrance to the Garland Avenue Parking Garage will be on your right.
- From the North: After Bella Vista, take I-49 South to Fayetteville. From I-49, take the Hwy 112 Exit (Exit 66). Turn right on Hwy 112 and travel South for 2 miles until you reach the northern entrance of campus. Turn left (East) on Cleveland St. and the entrance to the Garland Avenue Parking Garage will be on your right.
- From the East: Take Hwy 412 West to I-49 and then see directions from the North.
- From the West: Take Hwy 412 East via Cherokee Turnpike from Tulsa, Oklahoma to I-49 South and then see directions from the North.
A campus map will be provided to you in your Orientation Packet, but you may also view the online campus map.
Where to Park
All students, parents, and guests are encouraged to park in the Garland Avenue Parking Garage. The top two floors of the Garage have been designated by the University of Arkansas to be used for Orientation.
Once parked in the Garland Avenue Parking Garage, please exit the garage and cross the street at the crosswalk at Douglas St. Don't worry about getting lost because our helpful Orientation Mentors will direct you to where you need to go the moment you arrive on campus!
Transportation to Campus
If you are traveling to the University of Arkansas from Northwest Arkansas Airport (XNA) or the Fayetteville Bus Depot, there are several shuttle services and rental agencies you can use to get to campus:
Shuttle & Taxi Services
- Dynasty Transportation: (479) 443-5466
- AAA Car Service: (479) 644-8469
- Jim's Express Shuttle: (479) 205-0011
- Pinnacle Car Service: (479) 205-0505
- Down Under Taxi: (479) 856-2888
Rental Car Companies
- Avis: (479) 205-0227
- Budget: (479) 205-0100
- Hertz: (479) 205-0388
- Enterprise: (479) 205-0900
- National: (479) 205-1125
- Thrifty: (479) 205-1130


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Nicaragua's investment-promotion agency is downplaying concerns that the country is losing its business edge in the region.
If anything, says ProNicaragua, the opposite is true.
"The best indicator of a country's business climate is the results it obtains in promoting and attracting investments," says Javier Chamorro, executive director of ProNicaragua, noting that Nicaragua's foreign direct investment grew 91% last year. "Nicaragua has already demonstrated that it is one of the most dynamic economies in terms of attracting investment in Latin America and the Caribbean."
The group's defensive posture comes in response to the 2013 Doing Business Report, which highlights exceptional improvements to the business climates in Costa Rica, Panama and Guatemala, but no remarkable progress made by Nicaragua. The annual report, published this week by the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), evaluates the ease of doing business in each country and is considered a barometer for the world's business climates.
Overall, Nicaragua ranks 119 of 185 participating countries, representing a one-notch gain from last year. That's good enough for second-to-last place in Central America, behind Panama (63), Guatemala (93), Belize (105), Costa Rica (110) and El Salvador (113). Bringing up the rear is Honduras, which ranks 125 in the world.
The report extols the 15 Latin American countries that implemented regulatory reforms making it easier for local entrepreneurs to do business. In Central America, the report notes that Guatemala passed legislation to ease construction permits, Panama passed three reforms related to registration and permitting, and Costa Rica approved a slew of reforms related to licensing, financial transparency and tax collection.
"We are very content with the progress made by Costa Rica, where authorities showed that by concentrating efforts they can make a difference in the business climate, even in a short amount of time," said Augusto López-Claros, director of the World Bank's Department of Analysis and Global Indicators.
Nicaragua made no reforms during the last year and didn't receive any special mention in the report, despite working with World Bank representatives to improve the country's standing this year.
ProNicaragua defends economic advances
At quick glance, Nicaragua appears to have lost ground. In the 2012 Doing Business report, Nicaragua was initially ranked 118 and highlighted as one of 30 countries that that made notable improvements to its business climate—an accolade not repeated in this year's report.
The opposition daily La Prensa took the findings of the new report as an opportunity to pounce, stressing Nicaragua's apparent slide in competitiveness with the headline "Doing Business is more difficult." Several private sector leaders speculated that Sandinista politics are causing the country's business climate to cool.
ProNicaragua, however, insists the calamity howlers are wrong. Chamorro notes that the apparent backwards step is due to the change in the methodology used by the World Bank, not due to any actual loss of ground. In fact, with index adjustments made for new methodology, Nicaragua climbed a rung in the overall world ranking and showed notable progress in the categories of Trading Across Borders and Resolving Insolvency, Chamorro notes.
"This is the third consecutive year the country has improved its position within the report, which demonstrates a positive impact of the various efforts carried out to improve the country's investment climate," ProNicaragua said in a release.
The only country in Central America that lost ground this year was El Salvador, ProNicaragua notes.
Though Nicaragua is still near the back of the pack in Central America in terms of overall performance, the country outranked its neighbors in the categories of Protecting Investors, Enforcing Contracts and Resolving Insolvency.
As for the government's efforts to work with the World Bank consultants to improve the country's business climate, those fruits will be harvested next year, ProNicaragua says.
"The Government of Nicaragua has continued implementing measures this year that will have a positive effect on the country's business climate and ultimately in next year's ranking," the investment agency says.
Though Nicaragua's levels of foreign direct investment are down 20% during the first half of the year, ProNicaragua says the country is still on track to make up lost ground in the second semester and finish 2012 by meeting its $1 billion investment goal.


text:
Free Portal 2 DLC Coming Next Month
Remember that free Portal 2 DLC we've been expecting to hit this summer because that's when Valve said it would hit? Well, Doug Lombardi tells Kotaku that DLC will be coming, finally, in mid-September. "That's still technically summer," he says. That's true, Doug, but only if you get it out by September 21. Then it's not summer anymore. So y'all better hurry.