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March 2006
by Lt. Gen. Lawrence P. Farrell, Jr., USAF (Ret)
At first glance, the fiscal year 2007 defense budget reflects the arduous challenges facing the administration in trying to balance long-term strategy and requirements against immediate priorities and fiscal pressures.
On the one hand, the $439.3 billion budget provides a healthy level of resources in key areas, such as personnel, procurement, research and development, and force readiness.
IOn the other, the spending plan leaves unanswered serious questions about how the Defense Department will fund the ambitious strategy laid out in the Quadrennial Defense Review, which the administration released as a companion document to the fiscal 2007 budget.
The Defense Department describes the QDR as a continuation of threats, strategy and capability that has been developing for the last four years; also as a "mid-course correction" — nothing radically new. But when viewed as a whole, it seems fairly demanding. In a nutshell, it says that we must maintain our predominance in traditional warfare and improve the forces to address non-traditional asymmetric challenges. To do this, we need to defeat terror networks, defend the homeland, shape choices of countries at a crossroads, and prevent hostile states and non-state actors from acquiring or using WMD.
To underwrite this, the 2007 budget will begin to increase special operations forces, develop capability to counter bioterrorism, improve conventional and non-kinetic capabilities and develop capability to combat and eliminate WMD threats. The congressionally mandated QDR, for the first time, takes into account the demands of the nation's campaign against terrorism and the prospect that the country could be engaged in a "long war."
That all seems like a lot.
Pentagon officials describe the "long war" as a combination of prolonged irregular conflict — such as the current wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and wider insurgent operations possibly in other parts of the world — such as the Philippines, the Horn of Africa and Georgia. They also cite humanitarian operations, as well as support of civil authorities at home.
The QDR is setting a challenge to not only expand mission portfolios but also to achieve these capabilities without neglecting traditional threats.
"We have been very successful in deterring the threat from large armies, navies and air forces," says Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. "Those threats haven't disappeared."
Pentagon officials say the budget proposed for fiscal year 2007 funds the capabilities needed to address those key areas outlined in the QDR.
Given all the above, it is far from clear exactly how the budget will be sufficient to do essentially what the services are doing today, plus much more. The budget, for example, funds an increase of 4,000 special operations forces (14,000 by fiscal year 2011), but assumes that the costs will be absorbed by personnel cutbacks in the conventional services.
The Pentagon wants to increase research-and-development spending by $7 billion — ostensibly to fund black programs to combat WMD proliferation. But it is offsetting that investment by a $7 billion reduction in procurement.
The $439.3 billion request is 4.8 percent larger than what Congress appropriated for 2006, but actually is nearly $4 billion less than what the administration projected a year ago for fiscal year 2007, with a procurement budget that is smaller than projected a year ago.
Also obscuring the budget picture are the supplemental funds that the Pentagon requests from Congress to cover war expenses. Since 2001, the Defense Department has received more than $320 billion in supplementals — with $120 billion expected for fiscal 2006 alone.
These supplementals make it difficult to tell what's really being funded in the budget, and they mask a lot of funding issues, primarily procurement needs, many of which are fueled by the current conflict.
According to Pentagon Comptroller Tina Jonas, a $50 billion supplemental request last year included $16 billion for equipment replenishments. She further notes that the war in Iraq alone is costing $6.8 billion per month.
It's not hard to see that we are adding more requirements into a procurement budget that, although still growing, is beginning to shrink from previous years' projections. And yet we don't see any cancellation of large programs, with the exception of ending the Air Force C-17 aircraft production by 2008.
Most major programs continue as planned. How are we going to pay for this?
A study by the non-partisan Center for Strategic and Budgetary Analysis says the Pentagon faces a significant mismatch between its long-term force structure and modernization plans, and projected funding levels for defense. "The defense budget is already high by historical standards," wrote Steven Kosiak. "Unfortunately, the latest QDR would do little to improve the affordability of the Defense Department's long-term plans."
The sizeable supplementals have helped conceal this reality. But how long can we continue to expect these mega-buck infusions?
Without these huge financial assists, long-range plans, the force structure and acquisition would have to be revised in a major way.
It also appears that the broad picture of U.S. government spending does not bode well for any future increases to defense. Given the projected growth in federal entitlement programs, we would expect to see lots of pressure on defense in coming budget drills. In fiscal 2007, the growth in military spending is accompanied by cuts to domestic programs and entitlement benefits, which likely will stir opposition from lawmakers. And the federal budget deficit is projected to grow from $318 billion in 2005 to $423 billion in 2006.
At this stage, military and civilian leaders must begin to tackle the tough questions. It's not just about cutting people or hardware, but rather about ensuring that the demanding missions outlined in the QDR are supported by adequate resources and that our forces, which are stretched thinner than ever, will be sustained to complete the job they are doing today, and be made ready for a potentially more challenging and uncertain future.
One key to understanding where this might go is to watch the supplemental appropriations process, Army and Marine Corps progress in resetting and recapitalizing their equipment, the Army's modularity efforts, and the Air Force's success with reducing its blue-suit force from 379,000 to 339,000. All this will play out over several years and will be instructive in assessing the success of QDR implementation.
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May 2, 2016
Tallahassee, Florida -- On September 29, Governor Charlie Crist announced the appointment of Angela H. Rouson to the FAMU Board of Trustees. A Senate confirmation is required for the seat.
Angela H. Rouson, 43, of St. Petersburg, marketing coordinator for Bayfront Medical Center, succeeding Belinda Shannon, appointed for a term beginning September 29, 2010, and ending January 6, 2011.
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subset: commoncrawl


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You know how it is when you're secretly glad your vacation is over and you'll be going home?
Me neither, but I think I can understand the feeling after watching the season finale of "Jersey Shore" Thursday. I don't think I could stand another minute of Ronnie and Sammi getting to gether and breaking up and getting together and breaking up. "I'm over it," they keep saying. But they never are.
At the center of their conflict is a gaping double standard, so that Ronnie can arrange a three-way kiss at a nightclub while she sleeps at the house one year, but when he finds out she kissed a guy (two years ago), she's persona non grata (though of course he doesn't use Latin).
It was The Situation who heats up the latest fight by pretending to be a pal of the guy Sammi was with. Those wondering why he would meddle so much forget that the very first romance on the show, maybe even before it became a hit, was when he was trying to hit on Sammi. That didn't last too long.
The other drama in the finale was at least a new one - Vinny trying to get with Deena's friend, who in a drunken state was not a party in a glass, but more of a pain, preventing their union. Vinny was so peeved he called her the worst name he could think of: Angelina. She was mortified.
The first season short-timer, who didn't make it to the end of season two either is now so badly remembered that even mentioning her name is the worst thing you could do. It all casts a pall on the last night party thrown by the long-suffering T-shirt owner, and in the final dinner out.
And the only other news is that J-Woww agrees to be "a thing" with Roger. Snooki screams as if they've become engaged.
Part of the psychosis of season three had to do with their being cooped up inside, away from the crowds that would surge once they were seen around town. I wonder how it's all going to work once they travel to Italy for season four. I'm thinking they won't be lording over their surroundings quite so much.


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13 October is the 286th day of the year (287th in leap years). There are 79 days remaining until the end of the year.
- 1996: After touching the opal necklace, Katie Bell is moved to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.[citation needed]
External links
- Sheila Allen, who played an unidentified Ministry witch in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, died on this day in 2011.
- 13 October on Wikipedia


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Tonight we'll see some scattered showers and thunderstorms across our area, and temperatures will drop to around the mid 70's by tomorrow morning. Thursday will be partly sunny and hot, with highs around 96 degrees. There will be a 20% chance for showers and thunderstorms tomorrow, increasing to a 50% chance tomorrow night. SE winds will be 5-10mph. Rain chances are 40% on Friday as a cold front approaches from the west.
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The Glock in Competition: A Shooter's How-To Guide is an excellent book that focuses on employing the Glock pistol in popular shooting sports like: NRA Action Pistol, IDPA, USPSA/IPSC and GSSF. Topics discussed include; trigger control, frame modifications, handloading, and weak points of the platform. Also, readers are treated to the strategies and tactics of well known Glock-shooters.
The Glock in Competition: Second Edition Book By Robin Taylor
Product #: 394047 Taylor Freelance #: Glock Competition 2nd Ed UPC #: 9780966251746
Product Information
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Product ships from MidwayUSA, separate from any other products on your order due to its size. Products that are Shipped Alone incur separate "Per Order" and "Per Pound" shipping charges.
Product is regulated by the US Department of Transportation (DOT) and cannot be shipped via USPS or air shipping methods. DOT-Regulated products must ship UPS Ground.
Product is restricted by shipping carriers and cannot be shipped to certain locations or via certain shipping methods.
Additional shipping charge for HazMat products. Carriers charge extra to ship packages with products they consider hazardous, such as reloading powder and primers.
Suggested Products
Glock Disassembly Tool


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Book: The Progressive's Guide to Raising Hell
On Sale!
Jamie Court's Five Steps For Creating Change: Expose: Exposing new information about opponents—facts that conflict with the image they put forth in public—shows how out of touch with public opinion they are. Confront: Confronting our opponents on the battleground of our values creates a debate, an unfolding drama, over popular values through which a campaign can be won. Wait for the mistake: The goal of all advocacy is to force our opponents' mistakes, which gives us the ability to shame our opponents and force them to either do what we want or lose more power. Make the mistakes the issue: If your opponent is ashamed or sorry, he will adopt your proposals or negotiate in good faith. If not, repeat steps 1–3 to force more mistakes and gain more leverage. Don't let go: Persistence often turns up the key lead, connection or exposure that tips the campaign your way: keep your teeth in their tail until they agree to your terms.


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Erin Manning is a professional photographer, author, and television personality living in Los Angeles, California. Television viewers know Erin best as the digital photography expert and host of HGTV-HD and DIY Network's Telly-award-winning TV series The Whole Picture. She has also appeared as the techno-lifestyle guru on Enable Your Home and is author of Portrait and Candid Photography and Make Money with Your Digital Photography, both published by Wiley. She helps people understand photography and technology by translating technical mumbo-jumbo into everyday words and by facilitating learning with a clear, friendly teaching style.
Recent Posts
Aug 1, 2011
Are your vacation photos looking a little…blah? Are people falling asleep during your slideshows? Help is on the way! I have some tips and techniques for capturing memorable family vacation photos, whether you have a DSLR, compact camera, or smartphone.


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TD Canada Trust Mortgages
If you currently hold a TD Canada Trust mortgage, Scotiabank mortgage, BMO mortgage, CIBC mortgage, Royal Bank mortgage, ING Direct mortgage,or an HSBC mortgage, it may be a good idea to get a quote on a new mortgage with us. Please don't assume that these banks offer the best 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, and 20 year open and closed mortgages. Our private mortgage lenders have lots of mortgage funds to lend and they're ready to provide you with some great mortgage products. We can introduce you to a variety of excellent lenders with great mortgage products.
TD Canada Trust mortgage rates change frequently, so it is wise to compare the latest mortgage rates and terms our private lenders might also be able to provide you. If you're banking at TD Canada Trust and have your mortgage there also, transfering your mortgage from TD Canada Trust to one of our lenders may be easy. Some private lenders may offer to pay some of transfer costs or penalties that TD Canada Trust may charge you.
Please call us and get our advice and opinion on TD Canada Trust home mortgages or open / closed variable / fixed rate mortgages offered by the other major banks, and how our lenders may be a much better fit for you.
About TD Canada Trust
TD Canada Trust is puportedly one of Canada's largest lenders. The bank recorded an improved revnue of $1.54 billion in the first three months of 2011 compared with $1.1 billion a year in 2010.
Whether it is a home or commercial mortgage, we believe we can find a superior to TD Canada Trust Mortgages, BMO mortgages, Scotiabank Mortgages, Royal Bank Mortgages, or CIBC Mortgages. If you're currently a TD Canada Trust banking customer, please don't be resigned to a less optimal home mortgage. In Internet, a better home mortgage with lower mortgage rates is just a click away. You may be happy with your TD Canada Trust mortgage rate, but we'll do all we can to find a superior product to your current mortgage offer.
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TD Canada Trust Mortgage Alternatives
If you're curious about whether there some better alternatives to TD Canada Trust CIBC mortgages, why not get a quote from us or discuss competing mortgage products with us.
Finding the Best Mortgage
A mortgage broker is trained to help homebuyers find the best mortgage for that buyers situation and needs. A bank will only sell the specific mortgage products offered by their mortgage department. With one bank, selection is limited. Further, some banks will not work with a mortgage broker which you probably know is not a good approach to business in this day and age. We source mortgages from many lenders and out of that huge pool of mortgage products, we are sure we'll find the right offer for you.
Types of Mortgage Products
Your new broker's role is determine the best mortgage product for you and then communicate the advantages and disadvantages of each. Only by understanding the strengths and limitations of each mortgage will you be able to make the right purchase decision. The variety of products available is vast. Here are the most common types of mortgage products:
- Partially amortized, blended constant payment mortgage - fixed rate
- partially amortized, blended constant payment mortgage - variable rate
- partially amortized, blended variable payment mortgage - variable rate
- Interest only mortgage
- Home Equity Line of Credit
- Interest accruing mortgage
- Reverse mortgage
- Straight line Principal reduction mortgage
- Graduated payment mortgage
TD Canada Trust Mortgage Rates (note: these are rates posted for June 13, 2011 and may not be current)
|Posted Rate
|Special Rate
|Fixed Rate
|1 year Closed
|3.6 %
|Fixed Rate
|2 year Closed
|3.95 %
|Fixed Rate
|3 year Closed
|4.25 %
|Fixed Rate
|5 year closed
|5.39 %
|Fixed Rate
|10 year closed
|6.65 %
|Variable Rate
|5 year open
|3.8 %
|Variable Rate
|5 year closed
Compare the above rates to BMO Rates, CIBC Rates, ING Direct rates, Royal Bank rates, HSBC rates, and Scotiabank rates.
Contact us for the latest TD Canada Trust rates and a quote on the best rates available.
Compare Open to Closed Mortgages
You will have to decide on whether to purchase an open or closed mortgage. An open mortgage allows you to pay off the mortgage anytime without penalty. A closed mortgage is not the same as a variable rate mortgage. And closed is not the same as a fixed rate. "Closed" refers to the fact that you can't pay off the loan early, unless your property is sold "at arms length."
We can educate you on the types and varieties of mortgage interest rate options there are. Contact us now or apply online so we can get started.
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text: Quick View save 24% The Life And Love Of Dogs by Lewis Blackwell September 23, 2014 | Hardcover $57.50 list price $43.13 online In stock online Once you have had a wonderful dog, a life without one is a life diminished. Dogs live with us in a way that no other creature does. Their contribution to our history has enabled us to be where we are today. It's a connection that can even have depths beyond those we have with our own… See Details was


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April 28, 2016
Although the final numbers aren't in, Florida retailers seem pleased with the way this year's holiday shopping season has gone.
The Florida Retail Federation had predicted going into the holiday season that sales would run above last year, but there was some concern about what impact this year's
hurricanes would have on people's financial ability to spend a lot of money on gifts.
However, the head of the Retail Federation in the state says it appears that sales will live up to projections. The association says sales could run up to six percent above last year.
And one of the biggest weeks of the season, the week after Christmas, is still to come.
Nationally, Chicago-based retail research firm ShopperTrack says sales for December are down 3.4 percent. However, the National Retail Federation is holding out hope that procrastinators and after-Christmas shoppers will help sales rebound.
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The latest traffic information for England's strategic road network. For information on other roads in England please visit your Local Authority. Trunk roads and motorways in Scotland are the responsibility of Transport Scotland; those in Wales of the Welsh Government.
A map overview of current incidents can be found on the Traffic England website.
Operation Stack: update
Manston Airfield to be temporarily used to provide additional capacity for cross-Channel freight when Operation Stack is in place.
Changes to how we present road works information
From 29 April 2015 we are trialling a further change to the publication of both planned and current road works information to improve its accuracy and reliability.
Find out more about how our road works information is changing.
- Changes to how we present roadworks information
- Highways England Post Incident Bulletin
- Scheduled roadworks and events
- Traffic Information RSS Feeds
- Traffic information widgets
- Traffic Information on Twitter
- Traffic Information by Email
- Traffic camera services
- Traffic information feedback forms
- Weather watch


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Cocktail Corner: Winter Warmers Part I
While I have remarked in the past how California never gets particularly winter-like, and this year's Indian Summer has bolstered my point, it is undeniable that the nights have begun to get a bit more nippy lately and it is the popular opinion around here that Fall has arrived. People, when thinking of Spirits to drink in the Fall and Winter, certainly turn towards the darker stuff: customers are drinking more Whisky and Cognac to warm their bellies on the chillier nights. There are, however, also a variety of distinct cocktails that won't just make you feel warmer, but are prepared hot especially for winter imbibing. I recently harvested some of the more unique yet supremely delicious witch's brews from forgotten recipe books and the dankest, darkest black magic pubs around. The following is a prime selection of hot drinks that will excite your palate and steel you against the frigid winter winds.
Good Night Tea
• ¾ oz Gran Gala Orange Liqueur ($20.99)
• ¾ oz Lazzaroni Amaretto Liqueur ($22.99)
• Mango Green Tea
• Orange wheel for garnish
While you steep your tea in a mug (or make a larger amount in a pitcher if you have guests or know you'll want seconds), pour the Gran Gala and Lazzaroni into a Brandy snifter. When your tea is hot and ready, pour it over the Liqueurs in the snifter and then place the wheel of orange inside to float on the liquid's surface. The Liqueurs and the citrus create a swirl of interesting and delicious flavors, but the tea keeps everything soothing and relaxing. Definitely one to curl up on the couch with on a cold, dark night. Try switching up your tea choice for a different twist of flavor each time you have this.
In particular, I've found that a Chamomile Citrus or Peach Oolong tea make pitch perfect versions of this drink.
Gin Toddy
• 3 oz Leopold Brothers Navy Strength American Gin 114 Proof ($46.99)
• 1 oz lemon juice
• 5 oz boiling water
• 1 tsp sugar Well, the assembly of this little number is easy enough, and familiar to most individuals.
Toddies are a classic cold-time cocktail, but this one makes use of Gin as opposed to the more traditional Rum or Whisky fair. Place the Gin, lemon juice, and sugar into a toddy glass or a mug, and then pour the hot water over it, melting the sugar and melding all the flavors together. Give it a stir and you'll instantly get hit by the full aromatics of this beverage. The citrus and juniper flavors burst from the glass and cut through the winter ice.
• 1 bottle Quinta do Infantado NV Ruby Port ($17.99)
• 1 cup water
• 2 oz sugar
• 1 ½ oz lemon juice
• 1 navel orange
• (at least) 8 whole cloves
You'll need a little bit of prep time with this one, but any guests you have over for your winter shindig will thank you for the extra time expenditure. Stab the cloves into the orange, then place it on a baking sheet and put it into an oven preheated to 350 degrees and cook until the skin is lightly toasted (approximately 60 minutes). Remove from the oven and let it cool down a little. Pour the Port and water into a large saucepan and bring to a simmer, then add the sugar and lemon juice and stir. Cut the now room-temperature orange into chunks and add the pieces and any leaking juices into the saucepan for the flavors to meld. To serve to your partygoers, ladle the Bishop into small mugs so the drink stays warm.
Winter Julep
• 1 ½ oz Larceny Bourbon ($23.99)
• Peppermint tea
• 1 tsp dark brown sugar
• Mint sprig
The classic Kentucky summer cocktail standby gets a renovation here, making it perfect for any winter night in which you happen to have a sweet tooth and a craving for mint too. This drink also picks up a distinct twist from the change to brown sugar, instead of the white or powdered sugar used to make the summer mint julep. Larceny is one of the newest wheated Bourbons out on the scene right now and it has a full flavor, but remains especially smooth so it pairs quite well with the flavors of mint and brown sugar. This is my favorite cocktail currently, which makes sense with Whiskey and mint being two of my favorite things in this fine world. The mint and Bourbon combine to a nice spiciness, and the mint keeps the drink refreshing despite it being hot and sweet.
And now it seems like I've run out of blog space before I've run out of cocktails. But I guess that's alright because the winter is a few months long, so we'll probably all need a few more drinks to help us all get through the darker days. Stay tuned for part two where we'll keep things cozy and show you some more uncommon hot cocktails.
Neal F., Beltramo's Spirits Staff


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Europe Falters in Bid to Rescue Greece, Pressures Papandreou
Europe faltered in its race to save Greece from default as finance chiefs said further aid hinged on embattled Prime Minister George Papandreou delivering budget cuts in the face of domestic opposition.
On the eve of a confidence vote that threatens to topple Papandreou, the euro area's top economic policy makers pushed Greece to pass laws to cut the deficit and sell state assets. They left open whether the country will get the full 12 billion euros ($17.1 billion) promised for July, running into International Monetary Fund criticism for indecisiveness.
"The Greeks have to bring to Parliament their austerity measures and their privatization package and they have to implement those measures," Luxembourg Finance Minister Luc Frieden told Bloomberg Television at a euro crisis meeting in Luxembourg today. "Only if those conditions are fulfilled, we can pay out the next tranche and at the same time look for a possible second program to support Greece."
Decisions on the next payout and a three-year follow-up package were put off until next month, prolonging Greece's fiscal agony and heightening the brinksmanship that has marked Europe's handling of the unprecedented debt crisis. The stumble negated gains made in markets last week after Germany indicated a second Greek bailout was in the works.
Greek bonds and European stocks fell. The euro slipped as much as 0.8 percent before rebounding. It was little changed at $1.4322 at 4 p.m. in Frankfurt. Finance ministers will meet again July 3 to decide on Greece's loans.
IMF Criticism
The IMF, contributor of a third of bailout money for Greece, Ireland and Portugal, scolded European leaders for failing to take a "cohesive and cooperative approach" to a crisis that risks triggering "large global spillovers."
In the two-day gathering, the finance ministers delivered on year-old pledges to boost the effective lending capacity of a temporary rescue fund to 440 billion euros by increasing each country's guarantee. Collateral rules had limited the fund to about 250 billion euros.
In a departure from earlier plans, they decided that loans to Greece, Ireland and Portugal from the future permanent fund won't enjoy preferred status over private creditors. That fund, the European Stability Mechanism, will take effect in July 2013.
Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, who chaired the meetings, called that climbdown "good news" because it will help ease the three countries back into market financing.
'Critical Crossroads'
The European deliberations coincided with a Greek parliamentary debate in Athens over a confidence vote in a new cabinet at what Papandreou called a "critical crossroads." Papandreou has 155 seats in the 300-seat parliament.
Papandreou travels to Brussels today to meet European Union President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission President Jose Barroso. The confidence vote is scheduled for late tomorrow. The struggle over Greece is set to dominate an EU summit in Brussels on June 23-24.
"The communication cacophony surrounding the policy response in our view is one of the reasons why the risk of contagion has remained and remains high," said Silvio Peruzzo, an economist at Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc in London.
Group of Seven financial officials also convened during the euro ministers meeting, holding a teleconference to discuss Greece. Two weeks ago, President Barack Obama singled out Germany as the key country responsible for preventing an "uncontrolled spiral of default" in Europe.
Merkel Reversal
Prospects for a second aid package to stave off the euro area's first default were lifted by reassurances last week from European officials that the next aid payment was on track and by the decision by German Chancellor Angela Merkel to drop calls for a mandatory bond exchange that might lead credit rating companies to declare Greece unable to pay its bills.
Merkel's June 17 concession gave a lift to stocks, bonds and the euro, spurring optimism that leaders would get ahead of the debt crisis that has exposed the weaknesses of Europe's economic management.
Greek bonds reversed course today, with the 10-year yield rising 41 basis points to 17.35 percent. Greek bonds yield 14.39 percentage points more than 10-year German bonds, Europe's benchmark. Standard & Poor's on June 13 cut Greece by three levels to CCC, the world's lowest debt grade.
Ireland and Portugal followed Greece in obtaining emergency loans in the past year. Spain's finances came under the microscope last week, with investors pushing the extra yield on 10-year Spanish bonds to 261 basis points, the highest weekly close since January.
Italian Debt
Moody's Investors Service said June 17 it may cut its Aa2 rating on Italy, whose 2010 debt amounted to 119 percent of gross domestic product, Europe's second highest after Greece.
Greece needs to cover about 4 billion euros of bills maturing between July 15 and July 22, and faces about 3 billion euros of coupon payments in the month, according to Bloomberg calculations. A bigger test comes on Aug. 20, when Greece must redeem 6.6 billion euros of maturing bonds.
Some 20 billion euros of deficit cuts deepened Greece's recession last year, leading to a 4.5 percent economic contraction. The deficit fell to 10.5 percent of gross domestic product, missing a 7.5 percent target. The EU predicts a 9.5 percent deficit in 2011.
The new Greek finance minister, Evangelos Venizelos, who was named in Papandreou's cabinet overhaul three days ago, came to Luxembourg with a "strong commitment" to the planned 78 billion euros in cuts that provoked street protests last week.
'Urgent Need'
"There is an immediate and urgent need to regain the credibility of the country," Venizelos said.
More than 47 percent of 1,208 Greeks surveyed by Kapa Research SA for To Vima newspaper oppose the wage and spending cuts and higher taxes, and want early elections. Almost 35 percent said the package should be approved.
Fallout from the opposition to the government's austerity plans washed into Greek living rooms today as workers at state-owned Public Power Corp SA hold rolling strikes to protest Papandreou's pledge to speed the sale of the utility to meet the goal of raising 50 billion euros from asset sales by 2015.
Germany, which as Europe's largest economy is the biggest guarantor of the aid packages to Greece, Ireland and Portugal, looked for evidence that Greece's leaders are united behind an ambitious economic overhaul.
"If the Greeks can't or don't want to make the necessary decisions, then we can't move forward on this track," German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble told German radio. "Greece must first fulfill the conditions, then we can approve a new program so that payment of the tranche will be possible."
The key plank of a second aid package would be a pledge by banks, insurance companies and asset managers to buy new Greek bonds to replace maturing ones, instead of European governments stepping in with taxpayers money.
In their statement, the ministers said the unlocking of fresh aid depends on working out "voluntary private sector involvement in the form of informal and voluntary rollovers of existing Greek debt at maturity."
While Germany bowed to European Central Bank and French demands not to compel investors to buy new Greek bonds as old ones expire, the lines are blurry between a "voluntary" and "compulsory" rollover that would lead rating companies to declare Greece in default.
On the table are incentives for bondholders to maintain their exposure to Greece. Crafting the bond-rollover arrangements puts policymakers on "the edge of the knife," Finnish Finance Minister Jyrki Katainen said.


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On this day: April 14
POSTED: 06:39 PM EDT Apr 08, 2014 UPDATED: 02:00 AM EDT Apr 14, 2016
John Wilkes Booth shoots Lincoln, the Titanic hits an iceberg, "The Grapes of Wrath" is published, two actresses tie at the Oscars, and the space shuttle completes its first mission, all on this day.
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New Orleans Jazz History Tour by John McCusker
As a child, Armstrong worked a series of odd jobs, from hawking newspapers and cleaning graves to picking vegetables from the trash and selling them to neighborhood restaurants. At the young age of four or five, he went to work for a local Jewish family, the Karnofskys, selling junk from the family's wagon by day and buckets of coal by night to prostitutes.
"After a day's work in the Hot Sun… that evening we would finish up—unhitch the horse and wagon… have a good Jewish meal—relax for the night Route through the Red Light District selling Stone Coal a Nickel a Water Bucket," Armstrong writes in Louis Armstrong in His Own Words.
John McCusker, a veteran Times-Picayune photojournalist and the author of Creole Trombone: Kid Ory and the Early Years of Jazz, offers history tours with stops at the Karnofsky family's tailor shop and other key sites, including the former Iroquois Theater, where Armstrong once won a talent competition in "white face," and the Eagle Saloon, a popular watering hole where Armstrong likely drank and listened to other Back O' Town artists.
*Tours can be arranged through the contact form on McCusker's Web site (www.johnmccuskermedia.com) and by phone: (504) 232-5421. $30 per person.
The recently reopened Little Gem Saloon is one of the few success stories among the small cluster of dilapidated jazz relics on the 400 block of South Rampart Street. When it opened in 1903, the Little Gem was as a hangout for early jazz legends such as Buddy Bolden and Jelly Roll Morton. And it was outside its doors, on New Year's Eve in 1912, that Armstrong celebrated by firing a pistol into the air—an event that led to his arrest and confinement in the Colored Waif's Home for Boys. Today, the Little Gem Saloon's early 1900s-inspired interior and daily live music harkens back to the club's heyday, and its Sunday jazz brunch features a historic Creole menu by Chef Robert Bruce, with dishes such as oxtail soup, pickled oysters and molasses pie.
Steamboat Natchez Dinner Jazz Cruise
At 17, Armstrong accepted a job with John Streckfus and his bandleader Fate C. Marable aboard the Sidney, a New Orleans paddle wheeler, performing along the Mississippi, Missouri and Ohio rivers. Armstrong's time on the riverboats was his first exposure to musical literacy, and the by-ear musician—who until that point would memorize his parts—was forced to sight-read. It was also the place where he fine-tuned the improvisational techniques that would become his signature. NOLA travelers can get a feel for Armstrong's time on the river on the last of the city's authentic paddle wheels, the Steamboat Natchez riverboat, which offers nightly dinner jazz tours, featuring the Grammy-nominated Dukes of Dixieland, on its 15-mile roundtrip route on the Mississippi.


text:
Vril Generator
this wiki
- "It looks like a long, stiff hard, golden rod."
- — Edward Richtofen
The Vril Generator, also known as the Golden Rod or V-Device is an item used in the Original Characters Trapped easter egg in Call of the Dead. Richtofen asks for it in the final step. When Richtofen receives it, Richtofen talks about controlling the world. The characters will then teleport to Shangri-La. The golden rod can be seen in the player's inventory while playing as Richtofen in Shangri-La. Richtofen later merges the Vril Generator with Focusing Stone on Moon, and then uses it to swap bodies between Samantha Maxis. It is required to completely finish Moon's Easter Egg, Richtofen's Grand Scheme. The Golden rod also appears in Der Eisendrache in Black Ops III, it is required for the final step to put down the Original "Tank" Dempsey.
- Once the player has received the Focusing Stone in Shangri-La the focusing stone and the golden rod fuse together.
- An outline of the V-Device appears on the crest at the base of the black pyramid in Moon. It serves a purpose in releasing Samantha Maxis from the Pyramid.
- The Vril Generator is very similar to the Vril staves that appear in the book "Vril", the Power of the Coming Race a 1871 science-fiction novel. In the novel, Vril is a mysterious substance which is made into large rods or staves that allow the owners access to an extraordinary force that can be used to destroy, heal and control, similar to the powers of the Vril Generator. Interestingly, the V-R11 is another reference to Vril.
- It is seen in the Moon's loading screen, being called V-Device.


text: Opening June 21st in the DeWitt Theatre is the rocking musical, All Shook Up. Inspired by and featuring the songs of Elvis Presley®, this hip-shaking musical showcases classics like "Heartbreak Hotel", "Love Me Tender", "Don't Be Cruel", "Can't Help Falling in Love", and, of course, the title tune, "All Shook Up". This fun loving tale take us to 1950's middle America, where one girl's dream and a surprise visit from a mysterious leather-jacketed, guitar-playing stranger helps a small town to discover the magic of romance and the power of rock & roll!


text:
PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. -- Divers have recovered the body of missing fisherman Danny Lee Williams, his friends told First Coast News.
Sgt. Hancel Woods with the Putnam County Sheriff's Office said the 53-year-old Palatka man was last seen fishing from a canoe early Saturday afternoon on the Rodman Reservoir.
Williams' longtime friend Danny Buchanan said divers found Williams' body Sunday afternoon about 300 yards south of where his canoe was found.
Bystanders noticed just before 1 p.m. Saturday that the small motorized vessel was capsized with the man nowhere to be found.
The reservoir is located off the St. Johns River in a very remote and rugged area of Putnam County.


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Council of Ministers: Membership
The Council of Ministers was established by King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al-Saud in 1953. It consists of the King who is the Prime Minister, the Crown Prince who is Deputy Prime Minister, and Cabinet ministers. Under the bylaws announced by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud in September 1993, the Council is responsible for drafting and overseeing the implementation of the internal, external, financial, economic, educational and defense policies, and general affairs of the state. The Council meets weekly and is presided over by the King or one of his deputies.
On April 30, 2003, King Fahd issued Royal Decrees renaming a number of ministries, and dissolving two of them, effective May 3, 2003, to give a cabinet of 21 ministers with portfolio and 5 ministers of state in addition to himself as Prime Minister and Crown Prince Abdullah as Deputy Prime Minister. On December 23, 2003 he decreed a sixth minister of state with special responsibilities for the affairs of the Consultative Council (Majlis Al-Shura). On March 22, 2004, the Ministry of Labor and Social Services was divided into two, so that there are now 22 ministers with portfolio. On July 24, 2005, a new minister of state was appointed, with special responsibilities for foreign affairs. On March 25, 2011, King Abdullah issued a Royal Decree establishing the Ministry of Housing. There are now 23 ministries and 7 ministers of state, two of them with portfolio.
Previous changes are:
On July 16, 2001, the Council of Ministers resolved to divide the Ministry of Agriculture and Water, and create a 23rd ministry; the new Minister was named on September 16, 2002, and the Ministry of Water came into effect on that date.
On June 16, 1999, royal decrees made changes in the cabinet, and created a 22nd ministry, the Ministry of Civil Service.
On August 2, 1995, King Fahd issued a Royal Decree dissolving the Council of Ministers and announcing the names of Ministers in the new Cabinet under his chairmanship.
Prime Minister:
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques,
King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud
King Salman assumed the leadership of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on 3 Rabi' al Thani 1436H (January 23, 2015), on the death of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz. He was Crown Prince to King Abdullah from June 18, 2012 to January 23, 2015.
King Salman was born in Riyadh in 1935 and received formal education at the Princes's School. He served as Acting Mayor of Riyadh, 1954; Mayor of Riyadh 1955-60; Governor of Riyadh Province, 1963-2011. In 2011, King Abdullah appointed him Minister of Defense in 2011 and Crown Prince in 2012. Extended biography
Deputy Prime Minister
Minister of the Interior:
Crown Prince Mohammad bin Naif bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud
Born: August 30, 1959 in Jeddah
Education: BA in political science, USA, 1981
Positions Held: Assistant Minister of Interior for Security Affairs (1999-2012); Minister of Interior since November 5, 2012. Deputy Crown Prince and Second Deputy Prime Minister, January 23, 2015-April 29, 2015. King Salman named him Crown Prince and Deputy Prime Minister on April 29, 2015. Extended biography
Second Deputy Prime Minister
Minister of Defense:
Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud
Born: August 31, 1985
Education: BA in law, King Saud University
Positions Held: Secretary General of the Riyadh Competitiveness Center; special adviser to the chairman of King Abdulaziz Foundation; adviser at the Experts' Commission of the Council of Ministers; special advisor to the governor of Riyadh Province; President of the Crown Prince's Court and Special Advisor to the Crown Prince, since 2013; Minister of State and member of the Cabinet, 2014-2015. Chief of Royal Protocol, January 23-APril 29, 2015; special advisor to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and Minister of Defense since January 23, 2015. Named Deputy Crown Prince and Second Deputy Prime Minister on April 29, 2015.
Minister of the National Guard
Prince Miteb bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud
Born: March 26, 1952 in Riyadh
Education: Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, United Kingdom, 1974; M.A. Military Science, Command and Staff College, Riyadh.
Positions Held: Member of the faculty of the National Guards military schools; chaired the committee charged with developing the curricula of the newly formed King Khalid Military College, 1982; appointed Commandant of the King Khalid Military College, 1983; Deputy Head National Guard military unit,1990-2000; Deputy Assistant Chief of National Guard for Military Affairs, 2000-2010; Deputy Chief of National Guard for Executive Affairs, June 11, 2010- October 20, 2010; Appointed Minister of State and member of the Council of Ministers and head of the National Guard, October 20, 2010. Minister of the National Guard since May 27, 2013.
Minister of Education:
Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Ahmed Al-Isa
Position: Named Minister of Education on December 11, 2015.
Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs:
Abdullatif bin Abdulmalik bin Omar Al-AsShaikh
Positions Held: Named Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs on January 29, 2015.
Minister of Foreign Affairs:
Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir
Born: February 1, 1962 in Majma'ah
Education: BA summa cum laude in political science and economics, University of North Texas, 1982; MA in international relations, Georgetown University, 1984; Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from the University of North Texas, 2006.
Positions Held: Joined the foreign service in 1987. Served at the Saudi embassy in Washington, DC, 1987-2000; Foreign Affairs Advisor in the Crown Prince's Court, 2000-2005; Advisor at the Royal Court, 2005-2007; ambassador to the United States, January 29, 2007-April 29, 2015. Named Minister of Foreign Affairs on April 29, 2015.
Minister of Agriculture
Abdulrahman bin Abdulmohsen Al-Fadhli
Positions Held: Named Minister of Agriculture on January 29, 2015.
Minister of Water and Electricity:
Abdullah bin Abdulrahman Al-Husein
Education: MS in computer science, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, 1976; BS in electrical engineering and BS in mathematics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, 1973.
Positions held: Lecturer, King Saud University, 1974-1977; director, Computer Department, Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) 1977-1980; director, Operation and Maintenance Department, SWCC, 1980-1985; deputy governor, Operation and Maintenance Department, SWCC, 1985-2011; governor, Saline Water Conversion Corporation, 2001-2003; deputy chairman and chairman of the board of Water and Electricity, 2003-2004. Minister of Water and Electricity since April 13, 2004.
Minister of Civil Service:
Khalid bin Abdullah Al-Araj
Positions held: Named Minister of Civil Service on January 29, 2015.
Minister of Finance:
Dr. Ibrahim bin Abdulaziz Al-Assaf
Born: 1949
Education: PhD in Economics, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA; MA in Economics, Denver University, Colorado; BA in Economics and Political Science, King Saud University, Riyadh.
Positions Held: Lecturer in principles of economics 1971-1982, then associate professor of economics and head of the Department of Administrative Sciences 1982-1986 at King Abdul Aziz Military College in Riyadh; guest lecturer 1982-1983 at the College of Command and Staff; part-time advisor to the Saudi Development Fund 1982-1986; alternate Saudi executive director at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) 1986-1989; Saudi executive director on the executive board of the World Bank Group 1989-1995; vice-governor of the Saudi Monetary Agency June to October 1995; Minister of State and Member of the Council of Ministers October 1995 to January 1996; Minister of Finance and National Economy 1996-2003; Minister of Finance since May 2003.
Minister of Health:
Khaled bin Abdulaziz Al-Falih
Education:BS in mechanical engineering, Texas A&M University, 1982; MBA, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM), 1991.
Positions: President and chief executive officer of the Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco), January 1, 2009-April 29, 2015, Executive Vice President of Operations, 2007-2008. Named Minister of Health on April 29, 2015, in addition to his position as chief executive officer of Saudi Aramco.
Minister of Commerce and Industry:
Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah
Education: PhD in Computer Science, University of Pittsburgh; MS in Computer Science and MS in Information Science, King Saudi University; BA in Financial Management and Mathematics, King Saud University.
Positions Held: Assistant Professor at King Saud University, 1999-2002; Director General Saudi Industrial Property Authority (MODON) since 2007; Acting Deputy Minister, Ministry of Commerce & Industry (2010-2012; Supervisor for the National Industrial Strategy (2010-2012); Director General of the Information and Communications Technology sector at the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA); Faculty member at King Saud University; teaching fellow at the University of Pittsburgh. Minister of Commerce and Industry since April 30, 2003.
Minister of Culture and Information:
Dr. Adel bin Zaid Al-Turaifi
Born: 1979
Education: PhD in international relations, London School of Economics and Political Science, 2012; MA in international conflict, University of Kingston, London, 2008.
Positions Held: Journalist and columnist, Al-Riyadh newspaper; editor-in-chief , The Majalla magaznie, 2010-2012; deputy editor-in-chief, Asharq AlAwsat, 2013-2014; general manager, Alarabiya News Channel, November 2014 - January 2015. Names Minister of Culture and Information on January 29, 2015.
Minister of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance:
Sheikh Saleh Bin Abdulaziz Al-AsShaikh
Positions Held: Named Minister of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance on January 29, 2015.
Minister of Justice:
Dr. Walid bin Mohammad bin Saleh Al-Samaani
Positions Held: Named Minister of Justice on January 29, 2015.
Minister of Labor:
Dr. Mufrej bin Saad Al-Haqbani
Positions Held: Named Minister of Labor on April 29, 2015.
Minister of Social Affairs:
Dr. Majed bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi
Education: PhD in engineering management, University of Missouri, 1985; MA in engineering management, University of Missouri, 1983; MA in civil engineering, University of California, Berkeley, 1982; BA in civil engineering, University of Portland, Oregon, 1981.
Positions Held: Assistant professor of industrial engineering, King Abdulaziz University, 1987-1998; Secretary General, Jeddah Chamber of Commerce & Industry, 1998-2002; director-general of the Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud Foundation, 2002-2013; Adviser at the Crown Princes' Court, 2010-2011; President of the Special Affairs for the Crown Prince, 2011-2014; Advisor at the Crown Prince's Court, 2010-2014; Chief of Private Affairs for the Crown Prince, 2014-2015; president, Jeddah Economic Forum. Served as member of the boards of the Council of Prince Salman Center for Disability Research Management, Association Majed bin Abdulaziz for Development and Social Service, Saudi Society for Alzheimer's Disease, Saudi Society to Preserve the Heritage, Council of the Saudi Ports Authority Management, High Commission for the Development of Hail, the Centennial Fund, and Supreme Economic Council. Named Minister of Social Affairs on January 29, 2015.
Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources:
Ali bin Ibrahim Al-Naimi
Born: 1935
Education: MSc Geology, Stanford University, USA; BSc, Geology, LeHigh University.
Positions Held: Joined ARAMCO in 1947; Supervisor, Production Department, Abqaiq, 1969; Assistant Director, then Director of Production, Northern Province, 1972-75; Vice-President, Production Affairs, 1975; Vice-President, Petroleum Affairs, 1978; Member, Board of Directors, 1980; Executive Vice-President, Oil and Gas Affairs, 1981; President, Saudi Aramco, 1983; Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources since 1995.
Minister of Hajj:
Dr. Bandar bin Mohammed Al-Hajjar
Born: 1953 in Madinah
Education: PhD in economics, Loughborough University, United Kingdom, 1989; MA in economics, Indiana University, USA, 1980; BA in political science and economics, King Saud University, 1976.Positions
Held: Deputy director of the Islamic Economics Research Center, King Abdulaziz University; deputy dean of College of Economy and Administration, King Abdulaziz University, 1995-1998; deputy chairman of the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR), 2004-2005; chairman NSHR, 2005-2008; Consultative Council (Majlis Al-Shura), 1998-2008; deputy speaker of the Consultative Council (Majlis Al-Shura), 2008-2011. Minister of Hajj on December 13, 2011.
Minister of National Economy and Planning:
Adel bin Mohammed Fakeih
Born: 1379 H (1959), in Makkah
Education: BA in Industrial Engineering
Positions Held: Minister of Labor, August 18, 2010.-April 29, 2015; Mayor of Jeddah Municipality, 2005-2010; Chairman of The Savola Group; Chief of Development of Services and Facilities at the Council of Makkah Region; Member of the Municipal Council of Jeddah Municipality; Member of the Supreme Body for Developing Makkah Region; President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Jeddah; Chairman of Al-Jazirah Bank; Member of the Supreme Commission for Tourism; Member of the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu; Minister of National Economy and Planning since April 29, 2015.
Minister of Communications and Information Technology:
Dr. Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al-Suwaiyel
Born: December 25, 1950 in Al-Mahadon
Education: PhD in Computer Science (Algorithms), University of Southern California, 1979; MSc. in Computer Science (Algorithms), University of Southern California, 1975; BS in General Engineering (Systems), King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, 1972.
Positions Held: Chairman, Systems Engineering Department, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals; dean, Computer Science and Engineering College, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals; Vice President, Research Institutes, KACST, 1991-2003; member, board of directors, Saudi Aramco, since 2001; Governor, Communications and Information Technology Commission, 2003-2007; President, King Abdulaziz City for Science & Technology (KACST), 2007-2015. Named Minister of Communications and Information Technology on January 29, 2015.
Minister of Transport:
Abdullah bin Abdulrahman Al-Muqbel
Positions Held: Mayor of Riyadh; Deputy Minister of Transport; Assistant Deputy Minister of Communications; Director General of the Department for Studies and Designing, Ministry of Communications. Named Minister of Transport on December 8, 2014
Minister of Housing:
Majed bin Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Hogail
Education: MBA, University of Illinois; BA in accounting, King Saud University.
Positions Held: Deputy Finance Director, Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) (1990-1998). Named Minister of Housing on July 13, 2015.
HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz
Dr. Muttlab bin Abdullah Al-Nafissa
Dr. Dr. Mosaad Mohammed Al-Aiban
Mr. Mohammed bin Faisal bin Jaber Abusaq (for Shura Affairs)
Dr. Nizar Obeid Madani (for Foreign Affairs)
Mr. Mohammed bin Abdul Malik bin Abdullah Al-AshSheikh


text:
5 colors
Bony Levy 'Stackable' Straight Diamond Band Ring (Nordstrom Exclusive)
Women's ALOR X Crossover Diamond Ring
Form beautifully meets function in a stunning artisan-crafted ring featuring slender bands of crisscrossing stainless-steel cables and luminous 18-karat white gold metalwork accented with radiant pavé diamonds. 5/8" x 1" setting. Total diamond weight: 0.16ct. 18k white gold/stainless steel with black or yellow PVD/diamond. By ALOR; imported. Diamond Guide Learn More
Women's Lana Jewelry 'Elite - Electric Flawless' Diamond
Glittering pavé diamonds appear to float along your finger as they line the curved edge of a super-modern, geo-inspired open ring cast in luminous 14-karat gold. 1/4" band width; 5/8" x 1" setting. Total diamond weight: 0.35ct. Color: G-H. Clarity: VS-SI1. 14k gold/diamond. By Lana Jewelry; imported. Learn More
Women's LAGOS 'Newport' Diamond Knot Ring
Diamonds and luminous 18-karat gold are beautifully woven into the sinuous knot motif of an artisan-crafted ring. Designed with wedding band-worthy elegance and the versatility to celebrate any landmark occasion, this stunning piece will beautifully shine atop any finger. Total diamond weight: 0.24ct. Color: G-H. Clarity: SI. Sterling silver/18k gold/diamond. ... Learn More
Women's LAGOS Diamond Caviar Square Ring
A circular motif of richly textured caviar-like metalwork gracefully pairs with a radiant rectangular pavé setting for this regal ring. The statement-making piece is perfect for the bride looking for elegance with a twist, or anyone celebrating a landmark occasion. Total diamond weight: 0.42ct. Color: G-H. Clarity: SI. Sterling silver/18k gold/diamond. By ... Learn More
Women's ALOR Diamond & Steel Ring
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Women's LAGOS Diamond Channel Stacking Ring
Designed with wedding band-worthy elegance and the versatility to celebrate any important occasion, this band ring features sparkling channel-set diamonds, two-finely wrought stations and a stunning mix of metalwork. Total diamond weight: 0.38ct. Color: G-H. Clarity: SI. Sterling silver/18k gold/diamond. By LAGOS; imported. Diamond Guide Learn More
Women's LAGOS 'Cushion' Small Diamond Ring
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Women's WWAKE 'Counting Collection - Two-Step' Opal &
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NDIANAPOLIS – The Colorado State University-Pueblo ThunderWolves earned their highest ever seed for the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championship and will play St. Mary's (Texas) in their first tournament game, according to the championship brackets announced on the NCAA.com Selection Show, Sunday evening.
The Pack, who are 22-8 thus far, are the fourth seed in the South Central Region and will play the fifth-seeded Rattlers in a first-round game to be played in Canyon, Texas at West Texas A&M University's First United Bank Center. St. Mary's is 19-9 after falling in the Heartland Conference Championship game on Saturday in Laredo, Texas.
The tip-off time has not yet been announced but will be posted on GoThunderWolves.com.
Ticket information will also be posted as soon as it is available.
The selection is CSU-Pueblo's sixth overall and the fifth in the last seven years. This marks the second time that the ThunderWolves were selected "at-large". In their first four trips, the ThunderWolves went in to the NCAA Tournament automatically after winning Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Shootout titles.
The Pack were the No. 5 seed in 2012, their last NCAA Tournament appearance.
The winner of Friday's match-up will play the winner of the West Texas A&M/St. Edward's (Texas) regional quarterfinal in one semifinal on Saturday (Mar. 15). West Texas A&M is the top seed and will host the regional after winning the Lone Star Conference's regular season and championship titles. St. Edward's, not in last week's regional top-10 rankings, won the Heartland Conference title over St. Mary's to earn that league's automatic spot and the No. 8 seed.
On the other half of the bracket, No. 2 seed Colorado Mesa will play No. 7 Midwestern State (Texas) while No. 3 Tarleton State (Texas) will meet No. 6 Texas A&M-International.
The regional championship game will be played Monday, Mar. 17.
The champion of each of the eight regions from around the country will advance to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight to be played Mar. 25, 26 and 28 in Erie, Pa.
CSU-Pueblo, which is 1-5 in its' previous appearances, has never played the Rattlers, who will be making their eighth NCAA Tournament appearance. St. Mary's, which hails from San Antonio, is 1-7 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
The ThunderWolves have already matched their school-record for wins in a season and can set a new record with a win on Friday. The 2008-09 team went 22-9.
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text:
Last chance to etch a name in bricks
Clarke County Farm Bureau is offering one more opportunity for Clarke County residents to get a personalized brick into the 'walk of honor' at Clarke County Fairgrounds. The cost of each brick is $75, and the deadline to get an order in is June 30 so the bricks can be completed and laid before the 2013 fair begins in July.
[x] Close Window


text:
Monday, May 13, 2013
WAYNESBORO, Ga. (WRDW) -- The driver of a pickup truck is dead after an accident involving an 18-wheeler on Highway 23.
The accident happened near Spring Branch Church Road around 2:15 p.m. Monday.
Investigators say the driver of a burgundy Chevy, 58-year-old Ronald Wayne Holley, veered head on into the path of the 18-wheeler.
Burke County Coroner Susan Salemi says Holley died at the Georgia Regents Medical Center.
The 18-wheeler rolled onto its side during the accident, but the driver is said to be OK.
Have information or an opinion about this story? Click here to contact the newsroom.
Copyright WRDW-TV News 12. All rights reserved. This material may not be republished without express written permission.


text:
Python 3 Patterns & Idioms / html / _sources / PythonDecorators.txt
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.. index::
decorator: Python decorators
@: Python decorators
.. note:: This chapter is a work in progress; it's probably better if you don't
begin making changes until I've finished the original version, which
is being posted as a series on my weblog.
This amazing feature appeared in the language almost apologetically and with
concern that it might not be that useful.
I predict that in time it will be seen as one of the more powerful features in
the language. The problem is that all the introductions to decorators that I
have seen have been rather confusing, so I will try to rectify that here.
Decorators vs. the Decorator Pattern
First, you need to understand that the word "decorator" was used with some
trepidation in Python, because there was concern that it would be completely
confused with the *Decorator* pattern from the `Design Patterns book
<http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0201633612/ref=ase_bruceeckelA/>`_. At one
point other terms were considered for the feature, but "decorator" seems to be
the one that sticks.
Indeed, you can use Python decorators to implement the *Decorator* pattern, but
that's an extremely limited use of it. Python decorators, I think, are best
equated to macros.
History of Macros
The macro has a long history, but most people will probably have had experience
with C preprocessor macros. The problems with C macros were (1) they were in a
different language (not C) and (2) the behavior was sometimes bizarre, and often
inconsistent with the behavior of the rest of C.
Both Java and C# have added *annotations*, which allow you to do some things to
elements of the language. Both of these have the problems that (1) to do what
you want, you sometimes have to jump through some enormous and untenable hoops,
which follows from (2) these annotation features have their hands tied by the
bondage-and-discipline (or as `Martin Fowler gently puts it: "Directing"
<http://martinfowler.com/bliki/SoftwareDevelopmentAttitude.html>`_) nature of
those languages.
In a slightly different vein, many C++ programmers (myself included) have noted
the generative abilities of C++ templates and have used that feature in a macro-
like fashion.
Many other languages have incorporated macros, but without knowing much about it
I will go out on a limb and say that Python decorators are similar to Lisp
macros in power and possibility.
The Goal of Macros
I think it's safe to say that the goal of macros in a language is to provide a
way to modify elements of the language. That's what decorators do in Python --
they modify functions, and in the case of *class decorators*, entire classes.
This is why they usually provide a simpler alternative to metaclasses.
The major failings of most language's self-modification approaches are that they
are too restrictive and that they require a different language (I'm going to say
that Java annotations with all the hoops you must jump through to produce an
interesting annotation comprises a "different language").
Python falls into Fowler's category of "enabling" languages, so if you want to
do modifications, why create a different or restricted language? Why not just
use Python itself? And that's what Python decorators do.
What Can You Do With Decorators?
Decorators allow you to inject or modify code in functions or classes. Sounds a
bit like *Aspect-Oriented Programming* (AOP) in Java, doesn't it? Except that
it's both much simpler and (as a result) much more powerful. For example,
suppose you'd like to do something at the entry and exit points of a function
(such as perform some kind of security, tracing, locking, etc. -- all the
standard arguments for AOP). With decorators, it looks like this::
def func1():
print("inside func1()")
def func2():
print("inside func2()")
The ``@`` indicates the application of the decorator.
Function Decorators
A function decorator is applied to a function definition by placing it on the
line before that function definition begins. For example::
def aFunction():
print("inside aFunction")
When the compiler passes over this code, ``aFunction()`` is compiled and the
resulting function object is passed to the ``myDecorator`` code, which does
something to produce a function-like object that is then substituted for the
original ``aFunction()``.
What does the ``myDecorator`` code look like? Well, most introductory examples
show this as a function, but I've found that it's easier to start understanding
decorators by using classes as decoration mechanisms instead of functions. In
addition, it's more powerful.
The only constraint upon the object returned by the decorator is that it can be
used as a function -- which basically means it must be callable. Thus, any
classes we use as decorators must implement ``__call__``.
What should the decorator do? Well, it can do anything but usually you expect
the original function code to be used at some point. This is not required,
# PythonDecorators/my_decorator.py
class my_decorator(object):
def __init__(self, f):
print("inside my_decorator.__init__()")
f() # Prove that function definition has completed
def __call__(self):
print("inside my_decorator.__call__()")
def aFunction():
print("inside aFunction()")
print("Finished decorating aFunction()")
When you run this code, you see::
inside my_decorator.__init__()
inside aFunction()
Finished decorating aFunction()
inside my_decorator.__call__()
Notice that the constructor for ``my_decorator`` is executed at the point of
decoration of the function. Since we can call ``f()`` inside ``__init__()``, it
shows that the creation of ``f()`` is complete before the decorator is called.
Note also that the decorator constructor receives the function object being
decorated. Typically, you'll capture the function object in the constructor and
later use it in the ``__call__()`` method (the fact that decoration and calling
are two clear phases when using classes is why I argue that it's easier and more
powerful this way).
When ``aFunction()`` is called after it has been decorated, we get completely
different behavior; the ``my_decorator.__call__()`` method is called instead of
the original code. That's because the act of decoration *replaces* the original
function object with the result of the decoration -- in our case, the
``my_decorator`` object replaces ``aFunction``. Indeed, before decorators were
added you had to do something much less elegant to achieve the same thing::
def foo(): pass
foo = staticmethod(foo)
With the addition of the ``@`` decoration operator, you now get the same result
by saying::
def foo(): pass
This is the reason why people argued against decorators, because the ``@`` is
just a little syntax sugar meaning "pass a function object through another
function and assign the result to the original function."
The reason I think decorators will have such a big impact is because this little
bit of syntax sugar changes the way you think about programming. Indeed, it
brings the idea of "applying code to other code" (i.e.: macros) into mainstream
thinking by formalizing it as a language construct.
Slightly More Useful
Now let's go back and implement the first example. Here, we'll do the more
typical thing and actually use the code in the decorated functions::
# PythonDecorators/entry_exit_class.py
class entry_exit(object):
def __init__(self, f):
self.f = f
def __call__(self):
print("Entering", self.f.__name__)
print("Exited", self.f.__name__)
def func1():
print("inside func1()")
def func2():
print("inside func2()")
The output is::
Entering func1
inside func1()
Exited func1
Entering func2
inside func2()
Exited func2
You can see that the decorated functions now have the "Entering" and "Exited"
trace statements around the call.
The constructor stores the argument, which is the function object. In the call,
we use the ``__name__`` attribute of the function to display that function's
name, then call the function itself.
Using Functions as Decorators
The only constraint on the result of a decorator is that it be callable, so it
can properly replace the decorated function. In the above examples, I've
replaced the original function with an object of a class that has a
``__call__()`` method. But a function object is also callable, so we can rewrite
the previous example using a function instead of a class, like this::
# PythonDecorators/entry_exit_function.py
def entry_exit(f):
def new_f():
print("Entering", f.__name__)
print("Exited", f.__name__)
return new_f
def func1():
print("inside func1()")
def func2():
print("inside func2()")
``new_f()`` is defined within the body of ``entry_exit()``, so it is created and
returned when ``entry_exit()`` is called. Note that ``new_f()`` is a *closure*,
because it captures the actual value of ``f``.
Once ``new_f()`` has been defined, it is returned from ``entry_exit()`` so that
the decorator mechanism can assign the result as the decorated function.
The output of the line ``print(func1.__name__)`` is ``new_f``, because the
``new_f`` function has been substituted for the original function during
decoration. If this is a problem you can change the name of the decorator
function before you return it::
def entry_exit(f):
def new_f():
print("Entering", f.__name__)
print("Exited", f.__name__)
new_f.__name__ = f.__name__
return new_f
The information you can dynamically get about functions, and the modifications
you can make to those functions, are quite powerful in Python.
Review: Decorators without Arguments
If we create a decorator without arguments, the function to be decorated is
passed to the constructor, and the ``__call__()`` method is called whenever the
decorated function is invoked::
# PythonDecorators/decorator_without_arguments.py
class decorator_without_arguments(object):
def __init__(self, f):
If there are no decorator arguments, the function
to be decorated is passed to the constructor.
print("Inside __init__()")
self.f = f
def __call__(self, *args):
The __call__ method is not called until the
decorated function is called.
print("Inside __call__()")
print("After self.f(*args)")
def sayHello(a1, a2, a3, a4):
print('sayHello arguments:', a1, a2, a3, a4)
print("After decoration")
print("Preparing to call sayHello()")
sayHello("say", "hello", "argument", "list")
print("After first sayHello() call")
sayHello("a", "different", "set of", "arguments")
print("After second sayHello() call")
Any arguments for the decorated function are just passed to ``__call__()``. The
output is::
Inside __init__()
After decoration
Preparing to call sayHello()
Inside __call__()
sayHello arguments: say hello argument list
After self.f(*args)
After first sayHello() call
Inside __call__()
sayHello arguments: a different set of arguments
After self.f(*args)
After second sayHello() call
Notice that ``__init__()`` is the only method called to perform decoration, and
``__call__()`` is called every time you call the decorated ``sayHello()``.
Decorators with Arguments
The decorator mechanism behaves quite differently when you pass arguments to the
Let's modify the above example to see what happens when we add arguments to the
# PythonDecorators/decorator_with_arguments.py
class decorator_with_arguments(object):
def __init__(self, arg1, arg2, arg3):
If there are decorator arguments, the function
to be decorated is not passed to the constructor!
print("Inside __init__()")
self.arg1 = arg1
self.arg2 = arg2
self.arg3 = arg3
def __call__(self, f):
If there are decorator arguments, __call__() is only called
once, as part of the decoration process! You can only give
it a single argument, which is the function object.
print("Inside __call__()")
def wrapped_f(*args):
print("Inside wrapped_f()")
print("Decorator arguments:", self.arg1, self.arg2, self.arg3)
print("After f(*args)")
return wrapped_f
@decorator_with_arguments("hello", "world", 42)
def sayHello(a1, a2, a3, a4):
print('sayHello arguments:', a1, a2, a3, a4)
print("After decoration")
print("Preparing to call sayHello()")
sayHello("say", "hello", "argument", "list")
print("after first sayHello() call")
sayHello("a", "different", "set of", "arguments")
print("after second sayHello() call")
From the output, we can see that the behavior changes quite significantly::
Inside __init__()
Inside __call__()
After decoration
Preparing to call sayHello()
Inside wrapped_f()
Decorator arguments: hello world 42
sayHello arguments: say hello argument list
After f(*args)
after first sayHello() call
Inside wrapped_f()
Decorator arguments: hello world 42
sayHello arguments: a different set of arguments
After f(*args)
after second sayHello() call
Now the process of decoration calls the constructor and then immediately invokes
``__call__()``, which can only take a single argument (the function object) and
must return the decorated function object that replaces the original. Notice
that ``__call__()`` is now only invoked once, during decoration, and after that
the decorated function that you return from ``__call__()`` is used for the
actual calls.
Although this behavior makes sense -- the constructor is now used to capture the
decorator arguments, but the object ``__call__()`` can no longer be used as the
decorated function call, so you must instead use ``__call__()`` to perform the
decoration -- it is nonetheless surprising the first time you see it because
it's acting so much differently than the no-argument case, and you must code the
decorator very differently from the no-argument case.
Decorator Functions with Decorator Arguments
Finally, let's look at the more complex decorator function implementation, where
you have to do everything all at once::
# PythonDecorators/decorator_function_with_arguments.py
def decorator_function_with_arguments(arg1, arg2, arg3):
def wrap(f):
print("Inside wrap()")
def wrapped_f(*args):
print("Inside wrapped_f()")
print("Decorator arguments:", arg1, arg2, arg3)
print("After f(*args)")
return wrapped_f
return wrap
@decorator_function_with_arguments("hello", "world", 42)
def sayHello(a1, a2, a3, a4):
print('sayHello arguments:', a1, a2, a3, a4)
print("After decoration")
print("Preparing to call sayHello()")
sayHello("say", "hello", "argument", "list")
print("after first sayHello() call")
sayHello("a", "different", "set of", "arguments")
print("after second sayHello() call")
Here's the output::
Inside wrap()
After decoration
Preparing to call sayHello()
Inside wrapped_f()
Decorator arguments: hello world 42
sayHello arguments: say hello argument list
After f(*args)
after first sayHello() call
Inside wrapped_f()
Decorator arguments: hello world 42
sayHello arguments: a different set of arguments
After f(*args)
after second sayHello() call
The return value of the decorator function must be a function used to wrap the
function to be decorated. That is, Python will take the returned function and
call it at decoration time, passing the function to be decorated. That's why we
have three levels of functions; the inner one is the actual replacement
Because of closures, ``wrapped_f()`` has access to the decorator arguments
``arg1``, ``arg2`` and ``arg3``, *without* having to explicitly store them as in
the class version. However, this is a case where I find "explicit is better than
implicit," so even though the function version is more succinct I find the class
version easier to understand and thus to modify and maintain.
Further Reading
More examples of decorators. Note the number of these examples that
use classes rather than functions as decorators.
Matt Wilson's *Decorators Are Fun*.
Another introduction to decorators.
Philip Eby introduces decorators.
Class Decorators.
Michele Simionato's decorator module wraps functions for you. The page
includes an introduction and some examples.
Kevin Djangoor's replacement for ``make``; heavy use of decorators.
Doug Hellman describes the experience of converting from make to paver.


text:
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The Ezekiel Code
Gary Val Tenuta
Gary Val Tenuta
Outskirts Press, Inc., August 2007
Genre: Mystery
Zeke Banyon, a Catholic seminary dropout, runs a homeless shelter in the old waterfront district of Seattle. He and his assistant, Angela, happen to stumble upon a puzzling alphanumeric code and soon find themselves thrust into a world of secret societies, metaphysics, mystery, and murder. In the process of trying to understand the code Banyon discovers a disturbing truth about himself and the extraordinary fate that awaits him… and us. No amount of seminary schooling could ever have prepared him for this.
Excerpt From THE EZEKIEL CODE
December 15, 1999
Frank McClintock paced the floor and watched the clock as he waited for Professor Alan Kline to arrive. He's late, McClintock thought to himself. He's never late for anything. Maybe I better call him. As he reached for the phone the doorbell rang. He moved quickly across the room and opened the door. "Alan! Glad you could make it.
Come on in."
"Gees!" the professor complained, trying to shake off the chill. "You know I hate driving in the snow. Why couldn't you just tell me about whatever it is over the phone? And when the hell did you get back? I thought you were planning to stay in France for another week."
McClintock took Kline's coat and laid it over the back of the couch. "I got back yesterday. I could have told you on the phone but there's something I wanted you to see. Sit down here by the fire and make yourself comfortable. I'll get us some coffee."
"Great," Kline said. "I'll take a drop of whiskey in mine if you've got it."
McClintock laughed. "Of course. How could I forget?"
"What'd you want me to see?" Kline asked, seating himself in one of the pair of antique wingback chairs in front of the fireplace. "It's on the coffee table there in front of you!" McClintock answered from the kitchen.
The professor looked down. A document folder was lying on the small coffee table in front of him. He put on his reading glasses, opened the folder and took out the fragile sheet of parchment. It was yellowed with age and the writing was faded but legible. He was studying it when McClintock returned from the kitchen with two cups of hot coffee, each spiked with a touch of whiskey. McClintock settled into the other wingback chair facing the professor. He sipped his coffee quietly, letting the professor absorb the content of the parchment.
After a few moments Kline removed his glasses and leaned back. He looked at McClintock. "Is this what I think it is?" he asked, completely astonished.
"Yup," McClintock replied with a slight grin.
"So the story is true?"
McClintock nodded. "I believe it is".
"Where the hell did you get this? I know you told me you thought it existed but I was beginning to think the whole strange story was a crock."
"Well," McClintock started, "you remember the reason I went to France was to meet with that other researcher that I'd been corresponding with by email?"
"Yes. Jacques somebody."
"Yes! Jacques de Pereille. He claimed to be related to Raimon de Pereille but hardly anyone believed him."
"I'm sorry," Kline said, shaking his head. "You'll have to refresh my memory."
McClintock set his coffee down and leaned forward in the chair. "Raimon de Pereille," he explained, "was the lord of Montségur!"
"Montségur?" Kline asked, not yet remembering this part of the long, complex story.
For the past several months McClintock had been pursuing what he suspected to be the facts behind an old myth. It was a story so unlikely that Professor Kline doubted any of it could be true. Whenever McClintock would discover some tidbit of information about the story he would call Kline and tell him what he'd learned. But now Kline's skepticism was being seriously challenged by the evidence he was holding in his own hands.
"Montségur was a huge castle," McClintock explained. "The last refuge for the Cathars back in the Middle Ages during the so-called Holy Inquisition. They were being hunted down and slaughtered like animals."
"Oh, right. Yes," Kline said. "I remember now."
McClintock sat back in his chair. "Anyway, like I said, this guy, Jacques, claimed to be related to the Lord of Montségur."
"And you believe he is?"
McClintock shrugged. "Well, I can't say for certain but I'm damn sure about one thing."
"What's that?"
"He's the one who gave me what you're holding in your hands right now."
Kline looked surprised. "He gave you this? He just handed it over to you? Why? Why would he do that?"
"Well, it wasn't quite like that. Not exactly, anyway."
Kline looked concerned. "What do you mean?"
"Well, here's what happened. I had a conversation with Jacques at a little cafe the previous day. He confided in me that he had what he believed to be the real thing in his possession. He said he'd show it to me if I wanted to come to his home the next day. Well, I wasn't sure if I believed him or not but I wasn't going to pass it up, just in case. And then he told me he thought some kind of an agent from the Vatican had been following him around for the past week or so. Well, that struck me as a bit of a stretch and I just sort of brushed it off. I figured maybe Jacques was just getting paranoid. You know, having a little flight of fancy that was maybe getting out of hand."
"The Vatican!" Kline scoffed. "Does seem a bit extreme."
"Exactly my reaction. It was just a little too extreme. Like I said, I just brushed it off at the time. But when I got to his home the next day I found the door wide open and the place had obviously been ransacked. Furniture turned over, drawers pulled out, stuff all over the place. A real mess. I called out for Jacques but there was no answer."
"My god. So what'd you do?"
"The first thing that went through my mind was what he'd told me about someone following him around. I figured if that was true - I mean if that's what this was all about - then they were probably looking for that parchment. Fortunately Jacques told me where he'd hidden it."
"I'm amazed he would tell anyone something like that," Kline said. "Why would he do that?"
McClintock nodded. "Yes, well, I think the reason he told me was because he trusted me and figured if anything should happen to him at least maybe I could get to it before anyone else did. He'd simply hidden it inside the backing of a cheap painting that hung on the wall in his bedroom. So I rushed into the bedroom and sure enough the painting was hanging there, apparently untouched. I grabbed it from the wall and tore off the backing and there was the document just like he said. I shoved it under my coat and turned to get the hell out of there. That's when I saw Jacques on the floor. He was on the other side of the bed, laying in a pool of blood with a bullet hole in his head."
Kline sat straight up. "Dead?"
"As a doornail."
"Jesus! Could it have been a suicide?"
McClintock shook his head. "I doubt it. There was no gun anywhere to be seen."
"He was murdered?"
"That's the way it looked to me."
"Good Lord," Kline mumbled under his breath.
"Did you go to the police?"
McClintock shook his head. "No, man. I was scared. I just got the hell out of there."
Kline looked seriously concerned now. "If this is all true, you could be in real danger."
McClintock nodded. "I know."
"Who else knows you have this?" Kline asked, laying the old parchment back on the table.
"Nobody. Just you."
"You're sure?"
"Pretty sure."
"Good," Kline replied, somewhat relieved. "If I were you I'd get rid of the damn thing and just forget about it."
McClintock swirled the coffee around in his cup a few times and looked up at his friend. "I can't," he said. "I've come so far. I'm this close. I can't let it go now. You know what I mean?"
Kline shook his head. "I figured as much," he said, getting up and walking over to the couch to get his coat. "Look, I gotta go. Got an early morning class and I promised the students an energetic lecture they'd be crazy to miss. But please, call me later tomorrow, will you? We need to talk about this. Seriously."
"Alright," McClintock agreed, seeing his friend to the door. A light snow was still falling as Kline made his way across the yard toward the street. Suddenly a black van pulled out from the curb in front of the house. The driver seemed to be in a hurry as the van fishtailed down the icy street.
Kline turned to look back toward the house. McClintock was still standing in the open doorway. Kline hollered, "Who was that?" McClintock shrugged it off. "I don't know. Vatican spooks?" he joked.
Kline didn't laugh. "You call me tomorrow!"
"Don't worry!" McClintock assured him with a wave as he closed the door against the cold night.
But the professor was indeed worried. He shivered. A bullet hole in the head – even if it's someone else's head - should make a person worry. The next day he waited for McClintock's call but it never came. Ever.
Gary Val Tenuta
Gary Val Tenuta Bio
Gary Val Tenuta
is a freelance writer/illustrator whose articles and illustrations have appeared in
Fate Magazine
Beyond Magazine
, newspapers and the TV show,
Strange Universe
. He has been a guest on a number of radio programs including Dreamland, hosted by Whitley Streiber, the best-selling author of Wolfen and Communion.
View our OnceWritten.com
Gary Val Tenuta Profile
Copyright Information
The Ezekiel Code
, Gary Val Tenuta
Outskirts Press, Inc., August 2007
The preceding excerpt was taken from the book
The Ezekiel Code
with complete approval by the author Gary Val Tenuta and/or the publisher Outskirts Press, Inc.. This information may not be re-used or redistributed in any manner.
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The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation Information Table
Monday, October 21, 2013
11:30 AM to 1:30 PM
Slayter Union, 2nd Floor
The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation is expanding its Teaching Fellowship into New Jersey; we currently fund and operate programs in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. We are taking this time to promote our program, the Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship which seeks to recruit high-achieving candidates who are interested in and show promise as Science, Technology, Engineering and/or Math (STEM) teachers. The Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship is designed to provide an intensive classroom experience. The master's level program enables new, aspiring teachers to begin their careers with an important and rewarding experience, the Teaching Fellowship. Selected applicants are supported by current and former Teaching Fellows and faculty members. As we expand our program we are expanding our partnerships. We are interested in exploring ways we can work with your organization.
For more information, visit
Posted Date
October 18, 2013


text:
Stephen Elliot
New Yorkers! Do You Want See the James Franco-Starring, Porn-Centric 'About Cherry' for Free Tonight?
- By Kate Erbland
- @katerbland
- September 18, 2012
Of course you do. We've talked quite a bit about Stephen Elliot's About Cherry here on the site, and now all our lovely Gotham-based readers have the chance to actually go see the film for free tonight in the Big Apple (we know no one calls it that, but About...
Trailer for 'Cherry': A Girl Gone Wild, Plus Bonus Coked-Out James Franco
- By Kate Erbland
- @katerbland
- February 20, 2012
If this first trailer for Cherry is to be believed, stumbling into a career in pornography is shockingly easy – all it takes is one dirtbag boyfriend and one impressionable teenage girl. In Cherry, Ashley Hinshaw (who you might recognize from Chronicle) takes a few dirty pictures for some pocket...
A Coked Up James Franco Will Lead a Cast of Characters in Porn Epic 'Cherry'
- By Nathan Adams
- @templeofreviews
- May 19, 2011
James Franco has another project in the works. Somebody sound the Franco Alarm! It will be for a film where author Stephen Elliot makes his directorial debut filming a script that he co-wrote with a former porn star named Lorelei Lee. Don't pretend like you aren't familiar with her work....


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May 3, 2016
A Southern Shores couple is on a mission to find the family of a Navy sailor whose message in a hair tonic bottle was found on an Outer Banks beach. Sandy Midgett says she and her husband have tried to find family members without success. The bottle was buried in sand at Nags Head and exposed by erosion from a recent storm. The note was rolled tightly and pushed into a green "Wildroot Cream Oil" bottle. It appears the writer was aboard the Navy oiler Chipola in Norfolk, Virginia a half century ago. The message was dated June 29th, 1951 and signed by Earl G. Brenkman. It said only, "Norfolk Bay, Norfolk, Virginia, on July 21st, will be underway for Greenland, our next port of call."
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The Gender Food Gap
By admin | November 4, 2011
By: Michele Wolfson
It's been said that "Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus" and if you're a gal who has heard your man's impatient foot tapping at the bottom of the stairs while you're trying to get ready to go out for the evening- you might feel that this observation holds water. It's gotten to a point where I am toying with the idea of forcing my boyfriend to walk around in high heels just for five minutes so he can have a small glimpse of what it's like to be a woman. Since the thought of an iron meeting one of his shirts is outlandish, I'm guessing that he wouldn't last 5 seconds.
Do these kinds of differences between men and women make it acceptable for food advertisers to target genders? We've heard the phrase "real men don't eat quiche" and women are usually targeted with diet foods like Lean Cuisine or Weight Watchers, but could it be possible that these gender specific food ads are hindering the health of both sexes? Read More