text:
private odors My boyfriend and I have been together since we started high school and we started having sex five months ago. I enjoy the sex a lot but I can't climax. We've tried everything and it's very annoying. My best friend suggested we try oral sex, but my boyfriend has a weak stomach and the natural smell of my vagina bothers him. I've tried everything to try to make it better (changing my diet, washing, even douching), but nothing seems to work. Any advice would be great.
Hi Sarah,
Provided that there's no infection at the source of the smell, there are a number of steps you can take to minimize vaginal odor. Oftentimes, the problem is simply an excessive buildup of natural bacteria, and the remedies are equally simple. Regular cleaning with gentle soaps and the wearing of breathable undergarments can both do wonders for smells south of the border, and the application of cornstarch can also help minimize moisture and the odors that come with it.
Donald Zimmer
recyclingWhile exchanging fantasies, my girlfriend said she wants me to try and pee while inside her. I've never done anything like that before, and wonder if it is even possible. If so, could it leave an infection?
This is not a joke. Thanks for your help.
As the function of the urinary process is to eliminate wastes from the body, a good rule of thumb is to not attempt to put them back in. While the risk of your girlfriend contracting something from your urine is relatively slim, it's still a risk that she likely doesn't want to court — potential infections could be painful ones.
Donald Zimmer
Have a question? Get it answered by AskMen's guyQ.


text:
1 of 32
Posted by Glen Barber on 05/03/2013 11:08am PDT tags: photo
CHALDOVAR, Kyrgyzstan (AP) — A U.S. military tanker refueling plane crashed Friday in the rugged mountains of Kyrgyzstan, the Central Asian nation where the U.S. operates a military base key to the war in Afghanistan. There was no immediate word on casualties. The search for survivors was complicated by the harsh terrain of soaring mountains and deep valleys. The plane, a KC-135, was assigned to the Transit Center at Manas, the base said in a statement. It did not say how many crew were on board or give other details.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Olympic-sized cock-up for NBC
US broadcaster's coverage won't win any medals, says Kate Bulkley.
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text: A sophisticated modern ensemble with a chic, artfully coordinated flair, the Preston collection by Sherry Kline bedding has a casual elegance and charming cosmopolitan sensibility that makes it a welcome addition to any bedroom. Featuring a monochromatic floral and vine design in black on a stylish off white base with accenting stripes, Sherry Kline Preston bedding adds a trendy contemporary touch to any decor. The Preston collection has everything you need to bring this beautiful look to your bedroom decor, with 7 piece bed in bag sets available in Queen and King sizes. Preston 7 piece bed in


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Do you want to track SMS messages but you really have no clue how to start doing this?
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text:
Four Year Plan: Ethics and Public Policy Emphasis
Freshman Year
Fall Semester
Spring Semester
PHIL 100 or 150
PHIL 150 or 220
Sophomore Year
Fall Semester
Spring Semester
PHIL 310 or PHIL Elective
PHIL 220 or 310
Junior Year
Fall Semester
Spring Semester
PHIL 350 or 355
PHIL 310 or Elective
Senior Year
Fall Semester
Spring Semester
PHIL 350 or 355
PHIL 310 or Elective
Elective or PHIL 495
Elective or PHIL 495
All this is just a recommendation. The important facts are these:
- PHIL 220 is offered every year in the spring and should be completed early—preferably in the second year of the student's studies.
- PHIL 260 and 261 constitute a year-long sequence in the history of philosophy. This sequence should also be completed early. PHIL 260 is offered every fall and PHIL 261 is offered every spring. Either of these courses may be taken first (neither is a prerequisite for the other).
- PHIL 150 (Ethics in Theory and Practice) is offered every semester, and PHIL 350 (Ethics) is offered every fall. It's best to take PHIL 150 first.
- PHIL 310 (Topics in Ethics and Public PolicE) is a variable content course usually offered each semester.
- PHIL 355 (Social and Political Philosophy) is offered every other year, usually in the fall.
- PHIL 495 (Advanced Seminar) is offered at least once a year. This is best taken late—it can serve as a sort of capstone course—but note that its content constantly varies and that it may be taken more than once.
Other facts worth noting:
- Prior to 2006-2007, PHIL 150 (Ethics in Theory and Practice) was numbered PHIL 305. Despite the apparent change in level, the new PHIL 150 and the old PHIL 305 are the same course.
- For students declaring the emphasis prior to 2005-2006, a minor is also required unless philosophy is a part of a double major. Choice of a minor should be discussed with the major adviser. In principle, any minor is acceptable. Starting in 2005-2006, no minor will any longer be required of anyone majoring in philosophy.
- Career options are virtually unlimited. Undergraduate work in philosophy provides an excellent foundation for careers in law, medicine, and business and in a number of other pursuits. The question is not "What can one do with philosophy?" but "What doesn't philosophy help one do better still?"
Since not many people encounter philosophy before they get to college, most of our students declare the major as sophomores or juniors—usually after having had a course or two in philosophy. Because only 33 hours of course work are required for the major (only 36 prior to 2002-2003)—not counting the hours required for a minor—this is quite feasible. All the same, students should avoid declaring the major so late that they have to take more than three philosophy courses in any given semester. Philosophy courses are typically very demanding, and few people find that they can manage as many as four or five of them at once.
Again, the fact that only 33 hours of course work are required in the major (only 36 prior to 2002-2003) helps make it possible to take philosophy as a part of a double major. Some students find this option attractive because while they find themselves drawn to philosophy, they want the security of having a more "practical" major too. Still, as the American Philosophical Association itself has said (in Philosophy: A Brief Guide for Undergraduates, prepared by the American Philosophical Association's Committee on the Status and Future of the Profession; Robert Audi, principal author, published by the American Philosophical Association, 1982):
[T]he...value of a field of study must not be viewed mainly in terms of its contribution to obtaining one's first job after graduation. Students are understandably preoccupied with getting their first job, but even from a narrow vocational point of view it would be short-sighted to concentrate on that at the expense of developing potential for success and advancement once hired. What gets graduates initially hired may not yield promotions or carry them beyond their first position, particularly given how fast the needs of many employers alter with changes in social and economic patterns. It is therefore crucial to see beyond what a job description specifically calls for. Philosophy need not be mentioned among a job's requirements in order for the benefits derivable from philosophical study to be appreciated by the employer, and those benefits need not even be explicitly appreciated in order to be effective in helping one advance....
[E]mployers want, and reward, many of the capacities which the study of philosophy develops: for instance, the ability to solve problems, to communicate, to organize ideas and issues, to assess pros and cons, and to boil down complex data. These capacities represent transferable skills. They are transferable not only from philosophy to non-philosophical areas, but from one non-philosophical field to another. For that reason, people trained in philosophy are not only prepared to do many kinds of tasks; they can also cope with change, or even move into new careers, more readily than many others.
Regarding current trends in business, a writer in the New York Times reported that "businessmen are coming to appreciate an education that at its best produces graduates who can write and think clearly and solve problems" (June 23, 1981). A recent long-term study by the Bell Telephone Company, moreover, determined that majors in liberal arts fields, in which philosophy is a central discipline, "continue to make a strong showing in managerial skills and have experienced considerable business success" (Career Patterns, by Robert E. Beck). The study concluded that "there is no need for liberal arts majors to lack confidence in approaching business careers...."
As all this suggests, there are people trained in philosophy in just about every field. They have gone not only into such professions as teaching (at all levels), medicine, and law, but into computer science, management, publishing, sales, criminal justice, public relations, and other fields.


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Pope Benedict XVI with
a Bent Cross
(Click image
to enlarge)
The pope uses several designs of cross, including the standard Latin Cross, fabulous jewelled crosses, and this odd looking crucifix with a bent cross-beam, which seems to be one of his favourites.
This is a relatively recent design, created by the Italian artist Lello Scorzelli for Pope Paul VI in the mid-1960s. The curves have no heraldic or theological meaning, although the agrestic image reminds us of the virtue of humility and that Jesus was crucified on a rough wooden structure (see The Old Rugged Cross). This rustic cross is in stark contrast to the pope's conventional splendor.
Dr. Roman points out that some Georgian priests wear this as a pectoral cross. The style is based on the 4th century St. Nino's Cross, much older than the 1966 papal version described above. The original is enshrined in Sioni Cathedral, Tbilisi, Georgia, and is a prized national and miracle-working relic.
St. Nino is credited with bringing Christianity to Georgia, performed many miracles, and consequently is one of the most venerated saints of the Georgian Orthodox Church.
The arms of her cross, bent with moisture over time, is made from the wood of grape-vine, tied together with strands of her own hair (some say the hair of the Mother of Jesus).
Crosses menu


text:
TECHNOLOGY: Ask Tom
On Rescue Analytics and PopularityBy Tom Kyte
Our technologist explains the saving power of analytics and shares popularity.
ROW_NUM is the primary key of this table, and I need to update COLA and COLB to fill up the nulls with the previous non-null values. After the update, SELECT * should give the following results:
SQL> select * from t1; ROW_NUM COLA COLB --------- ---------- -------- 1 Category 1 Mango 2 Category 1 Mango 3 Category 1 Mango 4 Category 1 Banana 5 Category 1 Banana 6 Category 1 Banana 7 Category 2 Vanilla 8 Category 2 Vanilla 9 Category 2 Strawberry 9 rows selected.
Suppose I have the following table:
SQL> select * from t1; ROW_NUM COLA COLB --------- ---------- -------- 1 Category 1 Mango 2 3 4 Banana 5 6 7 Category 2 Vanilla 8 9 Strawberry 9 rows selected.
Is this possible with one SQL statement, or do I need to write a stored procedure?
Using analytic functions, you can materialize this data easily. I'll show both approaches to carrying down the last non-null value. This is a problem people have to solve many times in a data warehouse when performing time series analysis against sparse data.
In this case, the Oracle Database 10g Release 2 query would look like this:
SQL> select 2 row_num, 3 last_value(cola ignore nulls) 4 over (order by row_num) cola, 5 last_value(colb ignore nulls) 6 over (order by row_num) colb 7 from t1 8 order by row_num 9 / ROW_NUM COLA COLB --------- ---------- -------- 1 Category 1 Mango 2 Category 1 Mango 3 Category 1 Mango 4 Category 1 Banana 5 Category 1 Banana 6 Category 1 Banana 7 Category 2 Vanilla 8 Category 2 Vanilla 9 Category 2 Strawberry 9 rows selected.
That release added the IGNORE NULLS clause for certain analytic functions, such as LAST_VALUE (which retrieves the last value of a given column in an analytic window). With IGNORE NULLS, you are able to retrieve the last non-null value of any given column in an analytic window, effectively allowing you to carry the value down and populate that column. Now, in earlier releases you did not have this capability and had to be a bit more creative in your approach; an equivalent query (assuming ROW_NUM is a 10-digit positive number) in an earlier release would have been
select row_num, substr( max( case when cola is not null then to_char(row_num,'fm0000000000') ||cola end ) over (order by row_num), 11 ) cola, substr( max( case when colb is not null then to_char(row_num,'fm0000000000') ||colb end ) over (order by row_num), 11 ) colb from t1 order by row_num /
If you are interested in understanding how that works, you can review oracle.com/technetwork/issue-archive/o24asktom-095715.html, "On Format, Negation, and Sliding," an earlier Ask Tom column in which I used a similar carry-down technique to group data.
Once I have that query, updating the original source data becomes as easy as this merge:
SQL> merge into t1 2 using ( 3 select 4 row_num, 5 last_value(cola ignore nulls) 6 over (order by row_num) cola, 7 last_value(colb ignore nulls) 8 over (order by row_num) colb 9 from t1 10 ) t2 11 on (t1.row_num = t2.row_num) 12 when matched 13 then update 14 set cola = t2.cola, 15 colb = t2.colb; 9 rows merged.
That again uses an Oracle Database 10g feature: a merge with just the UPDATE component. In earlier releases, I would have had to supply not only a WHEN MATCHED clause but also a WHEN NOT MATCHED clause. In this case, because the USING set of data is based entirely on the data I am merging into, I know that the WHEN NOT MATCHED clause will never happen (because there cannot be any ROW_NUM in T2 that is not in T1). So I can just use a dummy WHEN MATCHED that tries to insert a NULL into ROW_NUM:
merge into t1 using ( second query from above ) t2 on (t1.row_num = t2.row_num) when matched then update set cola = t2.cola, colb = t2.colb when not matched then insert (row_num) values (NULL);
And that does it.
The Most Popular Answer Ever
It was first posted more than five years ago, and it is the most-read question and answer on Ask Tom (asktom.oracle.com)—with almost a quarter of a million views as of this writing. Here it is:
I want to declare multiple cursors based on the values passed through a procedure, and only the WHERE conditions of the cursors will change. The body of the procedure is the same for all the cursors otherwise.
This sounds like a good use of ref cursors to me. Suppose you wanted to build a generic routine that would look at the inputs passed to it and build a WHERE clause for each NON-NULL parameter passed. This would result in a large number of statically defined cursors, so you would use a ref cursor instead, allowing you to do this dynamically.
I'll demonstrate below. I'll write a routine that will print out some EMP data. This routine will take up to three inputs to constrain the result set. I want to have up to eight different cursors possible here:
Additionally, because the use of bind variables is one of the most important things in Oracle programming, I'll want to make sure I use them as well. This will be tricky, because I don't know if I'll have zero, one, two, or three of them until runtime. I'll use an application context to solve that problem.
Here is a sample implementation:
SQL> create or replace 2 context MY_CTX 3 using MY_PROCEDURE 4 / Context created.
That created my application context and bound it to my yet-to-be-created procedure MY_PROCEDURE. Note that only MY_PROCEDURE will be able to set values in this context. Now for convenience I'll wrap DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE in a small routine. This is to handle strings larger than 255 characters (not necessary in Oracle Database 10g Release 2, in which the line size limit is increased to 32K).
SQL> create or replace procedure p ( p_str in varchar2 ) 2 is 3 l_str long := p_str||chr(10); 4 l_piece long; 5 n number; 6 begin 7 loop 8 exit when l_str is null; 9 n := instr( l_str, chr(10) ); 10 l_piece := substr( l_str, 1, n-1 ); 11 l_str := substr( l_str, n+1 ); 12 loop 13 exit when l_piece is null; 14 dbms_output.put_line ( substr( l_piece, 1, 250)); 15 l_piece := substr( l_piece, 251 ); 16 end loop; 17 end loop; 18 end; 19 / Procedure created.
I use this P routine later to dump the dynamically generated query so I can see what was built for each execution. It is not really relevant to the example, just part of the demonstration.
Now for the "meat" of the answer. Here's the routine that dynamically constructs a predicate for us:
create or replace procedure my_procedure ( p_ename in varchar2 default NULL, p_hiredate in date default NULL, p_sal in number default NULL) as type rc is REF CURSOR; l_cursor rc; l_query varchar2(512) default 'select * from emp where 1 = 1 '; cursor l_template is select * from emp; l_rec l_template%rowtype;
Here I use what I call "template" cursors. I like to use these with dynamically opened ref cursors. I use them to define a record to fetch into. Here, in this simple example, I could have skipped it and just defined l_rec as EMP%rowtype, but I wanted to show how this would work if I didn't issue SELECT * on a single table but on many columns from many tables. This just helps me create a nice record type for PL/SQL. The template query has only a SELECT and a FROM. I never put a WHERE clause on it (even when joining), because I never actually open it. I just use it to get the default datatypes, names, and so on for a record definition right below it. Also, note the where 1 = 1 trick. That is so I can just append zero, one, or more predicates to this query without having to figure out if I need to append the WHERE condition or the AND condition. And because I started the WHERE clause, I just add AND conditions. Note that if you are joining multiple tables, you'll already have a predicate (using the old-style join conditions) and won't need the where 1 = 1 trick.
begin if ( p_ename is NOT NULL ) then dbms_session.set_context ( 'MY_CTX', 'ENAME', '%'||upper(p_ename)||'%'); l_query := l_query || ' and ename like sys_context( ''MY_CTX'', ''ENAME'' ) '; end if;
The technique I'm using here is that for each input, I inspect it to see if it is non-null. If it is, I add it to the WHERE clause and set the value in the context. Note how in the WHERE clause, I always use the SYS_CONTEXT function. I never put the literal value into the query—that would be very bad for
To read about SQL injection, you can refer to oracle.com/technetwork/issue-archive/2005/05-jan/o15asktom-084959.html, an earlier Ask Tom column on that subject.
Also, note how I had to double the quote marks to get a single quote mark in the character string literal. In Oracle Database 10g Release 1 and later, I could use the new quoting method for string literals introduced in that release:
l_query := l_query || q'| and ename like sys_context( 'MY_CTX', 'ENAME' ) |';
To provide a response that works in all current releases of Oracle Database, I'll use Oracle9i Database and the earlier approach of using double quote marks in the remaining text. Now, continuing on, I process the HIREDATE column:
if ( p_hiredate is NOT NULL ) then dbms_session.set_context ( 'MY_CTX', 'HIREDATE', to_char(p_hiredate, 'yyyymmddhh24miss')); l_query := l_query || ' and hiredate > to_date( sys_context( ''MY_CTX'', ''HIREDATE'' ), ''yyyymmddhh24miss'') '; end if;
Note here how I am careful to preserve the date and time component (you are the only one who knows if this is necessary for your application). Also, always wrap the SYS_CONTEXT call in a TO_DATE call when you are comparing with a DATE, to avoid implicit conversions in the query at runtime. Last, I process the third column, SAL:
if ( p_sal is NOT NULL ) then dbms_session.set_context ( 'MY_CTX', 'SAL', p_sal); l_query := l_query || ' and sal > to_number( sys_context( ''MY_CTX'', ''SAL'' ) ) '; end if;
Note the explicit conversion for the NUMBER here. Use TO_NUMBER to avoid implicit conversions. Now I am ready to debug the query, using my P routine, and open the ref cursor:
p( l_query ); open l_cursor for l_query; loop fetch l_cursor into l_rec; exit when l_cursor%notfound; dbms_output.put_line ( l_rec.ename || ',' || l_rec.hiredate || ',' || l_rec.sal ); end loop; close l_cursor; end;
And that's it. I now have a routine that will open one of eight possible different cursors. Here is a small test run just to see how it works:
SQL> exec my_procedure select * from emp where 1 = 1 SMITH,17-dec-1980 00:00:00,800 . . . KING,,5 PL/SQL procedure successfully completed. SQL> exec my_procedure(p_ename=>'a') select * from emp where 1 = 1 and ename like sys_context( 'MY_CTX', 'ENAME' ) ALLEN,20-feb-1981 00:00:00,1600 . . . JAMES,03-dec-1981 00:00:00,950 PL/SQL procedure successfully completed.
And so on. Because this question and answer is the most-read, it is also one of the largest pages on Ask Tom.
Subqueries or Joins?
In terms of database performance, which one is better—joins or subqueries? Can you explain with an example? Also, what is the difference between nested loops and hash joins, and how do you determine which one to use for better performance?
Well, in general, joins and subqueries are semantically different. They may return entirely different results and are not interchangeable. What you should do to choose is
For example
select * from emp where deptno in ( select deptno from dept ); would be "better" than select emp.* from emp, dept where emp.deptno = dept.deptno;
But for purely semantic reasons, the first query is more meaningful. It says "get me every row from EMP such that EMP.DEPTNO is in the DEPT table." The second query says "join EMP to DEPT." You have to read more into the query yourself to understand its goal (the question being asked). To the optimizer, those two particular queries are identical, and the performance will be the same.
And remember, a subquery cannot simply be replaced by a join (and vice versa), because they often result in different answers . Consider:
SQL> select * 2 from dept 3 where deptno in 4 (select deptno 5 from emp) 6 / DEPTNO DNAME LOC ------ ------- ------ 10 ACCOUNTING NEW YORK 20 RESEARCH DALLAS 30 SALES CHICAGO SQL> select dept.* 2 from dept, emp 3 where dept.deptno 4 = emp.deptno 5 / DEPTNO DNAME LOC ------ ------- ------ 10 ACCOUNTING NEW YORK 10 ACCOUNTING NEW YORK 20 RESEARCH DALLAS 20 RESEARCH DALLAS 20 RESEARCH DALLAS . . . 30 SALES CHICAGO 14 rows selected.
The optimizer knows what to do—use the proper construct based on the question being asked. Subqueries and joins are not interchangeable in general; use the one that conveys the most meaning.
As for the access paths—the join types—the Performance Tuning Guide at download.oracle.com/docs/cd/B19306_01/server.102/b14211/toc.htm covers these topics:
What Language to Use
There are popular questions, and there are just plain "hot" questions. By hot I mean questions that gather lots of heated feedback. Recently, I was asked:
I have a client using PL/SQL for both back-end database code and front-end presentation. I think it's more appropriate to use 3GL languages, such as Java and .NET, for the presentation and business logic tier, and to reserve PL/SQL for the data-intensive processes. What's your opinion on this?
I found the question a bit ironic, given that the site where the person asked this particular question (Ask Tom) uses PL/SQL for both back-end database code and front-end presentation via Oracle Application Express (formally known as Oracle HTML DB).
You can probably guess the gist of my answer, which was: There is more than one language, and it can make good sense to use PL/SQL entirely, or Java, or .NET, or whatever language happens to lend itself best to the task at hand. A good back-and-forth discussion followed.
Tom Kyte is a database evangelist in Oracle's Server Technologies division and has worked for Oracle since 1993. He is the author of Expert Oracle Database Architecture (Apress, 2005, 2010) and Effective Oracle by Design (Oracle Press, 2003), among other books.


text:
Feb. 21, 2014
By: Matt Burkholder
FRESNO, Calif. - Behind Jordan Brink's arm the Fresno State baseball team defeated Nevada 4-1 in its Mountain West Conference opener Friday night at Beiden Field. The junior right-handed pitcher owns a 0.78 ERA after two Friday night starts.
Brink worked 8.1 innings in his first start in front of the Red Wave. He allowed one run on four hits, with four strikeouts against two walks.
"If you play defense behind a guy who's pumping 91 down in the zone with two secondary pitches that are down in the zone, that's tough to deal with," said head coach Mike Batesole about his Friday night starter. "Unless the defense breaks down or you walk guy, its tough to score against that. That's quality Friday night pitching."
Brink allowed his first run of the season after 14 2/3 innings pitched in two starts in the bottom of the ninth. He returned for the final frame in an attempt to record his second career complete game, but after a leadoff walk, a line out and then a single to put a second runner on aboard, coach Batesole called it a day for Brink.
"We tried to let him finish it," Batesole said. "But you have to do the smart thing and take care of his arm, we have a long season ahead of us."
Jake Shull entered the game with two on board for his second save opportunity. Nevada threatened the best they could all night during the bottom of ninth. Shull retired his first at bat, but walked the next to load the bases. Trenton Brooks singled to score the first run for the Wolf Pack and the run was charged to Brink, marking the first run earned against Brink on the year. Shull struck Kyle Hunt out on the next at bat to register his second save of the season and the 'Dogs fourth win.
The Bulldogs got on the board early, scoring one run in the bottom of the first. Kevin Viers knocked home RBI No. 4 of the season with a fielder choice with loaded bases and plated Taylor Tempel. The junior left fielder, Temple, registered the games first hit with a single to center field and advanced around the bags after Jordan Luplow recorded a single and Trent Woodward walked. The Bulldogs had one run on two hits and a walk in the first inning.
Fresno State tagged on two more in the sixth and one more in the eighth to open up the game for the 4-0 lead heading into the ninth.
The 'Dogs take on Nevada for game two of the series Saturday at 2:05 p.m. and the finale is slated for 1:05 p.m. Sunday.
"Catch the Wave" - 2014 Fresno State baseball season tickets are now on sale and can be ordered online at gobulldogs.com or over the phone at 559-278-DOGS (3647). The official home of the Fresno State Bulldogs is 940 AM ESPN Radio.
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text:
Inside Higher Ed's News
Earlier News
May 25, 2016
Alfred State College of Technology of the State University of New York is starting a bachelor of science major in health sciences. Bradley University is starting a master's degree in dietetics. Fresno Pacific University is starting a master's program in leadership and transformation.
May 24, 2016
Colleges around the country are adding facilities and adopting policies designed to help transgender students.
May 24, 2016
Champlain College is proud of its pre-professional programs, and also of an unusual approach to general education that lasts for four years.
May 24, 2016
Colleges are asking if there's still a place on campus for student groups with limits on who may join.
May 24, 2016
Government undercover operation that led to indictments of 21 people sheds light on shadowy world of suspect colleges that abuse the student visa system and the agents who stand to profit.
May 24, 2016
Jeanne F. Brady, professor of educational leadership at Saint Joseph's University, in Pennsylvania, has been promoted to provost and vice president for academic affairs there.
May 23, 2016
Pomona changes criteria for evaluating teaching to include whether professors are "attentive to diversity in the student body."
May 23, 2016
Scholars consider how to revive the liberal arts and consider the importance of math and science, impact of hyperspecialization, economic inequality, public attitudes, admissions strategies and more.
May 23, 2016
State has changed its formula to impose deepest reductions on universities that receive more outside support.
May 23, 2016
Supporters of academic publishing worry about what Northern Illinois U may decide about a small press that punches above its weight in scholarship.
May 23, 2016
Employees at community colleges may be the most affected by the Obama administration's new rules for overtime pay, especially as the sector continues to see dwindling resources from their states.
May 23, 2016
At Hamilton, Pat Reynolds has mastered the art of reading names of graduates with speed and accuracy.
May 20, 2016
Scholars at conference on whether liberal arts need saving focus on evolving threats, including diminishing attention spans, mounting consumerism and a desire by administrators to quantify everything.
May 20, 2016
Red Wing, Minn., hopes to attract a four-year institution but faces stiff competition from larger, sunnier cities and a history littered with failed branch campus attractions across the country.
May 20, 2016
A spate of resignations and terminations among community college presidents provokes worries about a shortage of qualified candidates to fill these positions.
May 20, 2016
In the Middle East and North Africa, many researchers don't boast about their findings, explains one expert.
May 20, 2016
Mohamed Abdelrahman, associate vice president for research and graduate studies at Texas A&M University Kingsville, has been selected as vice president for academic affairs at Arkansas Tech University.
May 19, 2016
Author of a new book on how family matters for college women's success argues that four-year public institutions are increasingly dependent on active -- and wealthy -- parents, and that can harm students with less-involved parents.
May 19, 2016
AAUP investigation finds that -- regardless of what one thinks of Melissa Click's actions -- U of Missouri board endangered academic freedom by firing her without a faculty review.
May 19, 2016
Companies spend millions of dollars so colleges can offer their programs online. 2U says data can tell the company if the investment will be worth it.
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text:
Reducing Test AnxietyAnxiety is something that everyone experiences to some extent in any stressful situation. For students, one of the most frequent stressful or anxiety-provoking experiences is taking tests. All students may feel some effects of the anxiety associated with exams. Anxious feelings can range from a nervous feeling to forgetting and blanking out or actually becoming physically ill. Slight amounts of anxiety frequently result in improved test performance, but anxiety becomes a problem when it begins to adversely affect a person's performance on the exam.
Mental Preparation is of primary concern in dealing with test anxiety.
Before the exam, the student can do several things:
During the exam, be test-wise and have a plan for taking the exam.
Physical Preparation is a second important area to consider in reducing test anxiety.
Relaxation Techniques are a third way you can reduce anxiety. When used with mental and physical preparation, relaxation before and during an exam can aid retention and improve test performance.
Everyone has anxiety. If you think, however, that your anxiety is extreme, it may be necessary to seek help from a trained counselor. Counselors are available through the University Counseling Center, 225 Whitesitt Hall, 235-4044.
Please contact Kelsey Lueck - Student Coordinator email@example.com or J.T. Knoll at 620-235-4062 or by email at email@example.com for more information. Or stop by our temporary office - 209 2nd floor Hartman.
Karaoke Nights, 8pm- 10pm, Overman Student Center U-Club
April 21st
May 5th
Alcohol Awareness Week:
October 11 - 17
HIV-AIDS Awareness Week:
November 16 - 21
Great Gorilla Smokeout:
November 19
Free Anonymous HIV Tests – Health Center:
May 19th
Feeling Stressed? Test Anxiety? Log off in one of the five massage chairs in the Relaxation Room adjacent to the U-Club in Overman Student Center or try one of these useful Relaxation/Visualization Exercises!


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Oracle WebCenter Suite - Giving Users a Modern Experience: Webcast Q&A
By Kellsey Ruppel-Oracle on Jan 27, 2011
Following up on our live webcast last week Oracle WebCenter Suite - Giving Users a Modern Experience, we wanted to summarize the great Q&A session that was held.
Q: Do you recommend Oracle WebCenter Suite to existing customers as well as new customers?
A: Absolutely, Oracle WebCenter Suite is the most complete suite of social computing services along with high performance portal infrastructure to deliver multichannel portals, web sites, composite applications and social communities. Leveraging our industry leading enterprise content management platform, WebCenter Suite provides everything customers need to change the way people work together individually, within groups, inside their organizations and across organizations.
Q: Will you please explain the relationship between Oracle Business Intelligence and Oracle WebCenter? How do they work together?
A: Oracle Business Intelligence has a set of pre-built task flows and dashboards that are certified to work directly with the Oracle Business Dictionary that WebCenter uses for all users to add items to their portal pages. In addition, any custom components or custom dashboards are immediately available to WebCenter users that have permissions to see and access them. The two products share the same development environment, JDeveloper, to build out custom business intelligence applications and components. Finally, they both leverage common Fusion Middleware components for identity management, enterprise management, and more.
Q: Does the new release of Oracle WebCenter Suite include a new version of Oracle WebCenter Interaction?
A: No. A new release of WebCenter Interaction will be available later this year, but customers should consider and evaluate the new features in WebCenter Suite, as they can be used directly with their existing WCI deployments and will be certified to work with the new release when it's available later this year.
Q: Are the prebuilt services, Task Flows and Portlets that are included in Oracle WebCenter Suite open source such that they can be modified as needed by developers?
A: Technically, they are not "open source". However, all the task flows and portlets inside of WebCenter Suite leverage Oracle Metadata Services (MDS) that is used to manage all customizations of objects inside of Fusion Middleware and Fusion Applications. Oracle MDS manages any changes made to the task flows as deltas on top of the original components. In this way, changes are preserved across upgrades and patches that might come from Oracle. Therefore, developers and business users can alter any of the task flows to meet their requirements directly without needing the source code.
Q: Where does Oracle Portal and the existing pieces of the Oracle Fusion Middleware architecture fit within the context of Oracle WebCenter Suite? Are there standardized adapters to Oracle Applications, Oracle Fusion Applications and others?
A: All Oracle Portal Pages & Portlets are certified and can be used directly inside of WebCenter. All WebCenter components are certified and can be used directly inside of Oracle Portal. WebCenter Suite's architecture directly leverages core components of the Fusion Middleware stack from WebLogic Server, through JDevelopr, Identity Management, and Enterprise Management. Oracle WebCenter does not create it's own content repository as all other portal products on the market -- it directly leverages Oracle's industry leading Enterprise Content Management platform. And with WebCenter's direct certification and integration with Oracle Applications, customers get a certified approach that goes well beyond just certifying portlets. All of WebCenter's Business Mashup Tools are used to assemble new UIs from all of Oracle's Enterprise Applications along with any custom applications. And Oracle WebCenter is the foundation for the modern user experience found in Oracle Fusion Applications.
Q: You mentioned that in the new release of Oracle WebCenter Suite that with the Oracle Application Development Framework (ADF) there was a 30% improvement over .NET. What criteria/measures were used to determine this?
A: We developed a large set of general portal and site building tests, then we leveraged Oracle's world class Usability Labs team to test each of these development use cases. We enlisted experts and novices alike on both technology stacks to come up with the average improvement.
Q: Will Oracle WebCenter Spaces be engineered as a mature portal solution to be migrated to or will portals mostly have to be written or developed using the Oracle WebCenter framework?
A: Whether using Oracle WebCenter's Portal Framework to build a site or one chooses to use WebCenter Spaces, the page engine, the core services, the core management, the content system, and the portal resources are all the same. The real conversation should be around the team's skillset that will be delivering the portal as all the resources and capabilities are exactly the same independent of which way a customer wants to deploy. So if a customer has a majority of Java Developers and wants a highly tailored and optimized solution, then they should use the Portal Framework to deliver their site. If the majority of the team members are technical business analysts, then it would be better to start in the browser and deliver their site/service. Independent of the skills of the majority of the team members, the portal resources they build can be moved back and forth between the teams of users to deliver exactly the solution they require.
Q: For the release of Oracle WebCenter Suite 11g PS3 - what does the "PS" stand for?
A: PS = Patchset
Q: There is functionality called campaign management in Oracle WebLogic Portal. Does Oracle WebCenter Suite provide the campaign management kind of functionality?
A: The new release of WebCenter delivers a new server component called the WebCenter Personalization Server. This builds on the core functionality that was in the WebLogic Portal Personalization engine that was at the heart of the campaign management functionality. With the new tools used to model scenarios around delivering a personalized experience, all the components are provided in the new WebCenter to provide core campaign management.
Q: Does ADF replace the ALUI .Net Application Accelerator for .NET portlets?
A: Not exactly. The Application Accelerator for .NET has been renamed to WSRP Producer. This component has been upgraded to support the latest standards, plugs in to Visual Studio, and allows developers to expose .NET and SharePoint Web Parts directly into WebCenter. It does this using the modern portlet standards and continues to be the best solution for .NET developers.
Q: How do I go about migrating to Oracle WebCenter Suite?
A: The best results require starting with a plan covering everything from architecture and infrastructure to staffing the migration effort and training. Oracle Consulting can work with you to complete a pre migration assessment to start that process.
Q: I know you said that there won't be any forced migrations, but can you give us some idea as to when customers should consider upgrading to Oracle WebCenter Suite?
A: As we mentioned, there are new releases of the existing portal products and Oracle has committed to extended support through 2017. This will give customers plenty of time to consider the most cost effective and productive path forward. We continue to enhance the existing products with new customer enhancements all the time. While they apply these new releases to their existing deployments, they should take advantage of some of the new WebCenter features directly. Customers can add community and team collaboration support directly into their existing portals and sites. They can add rich new Business Activity Stream support into their portal sites without going through an upgrade first. And they can add more modern user experience features leveraging the REST interfaces today, without having to wait for any new release from Oracle. The important consideration for customers is to determine where they need to add value into their business and let this drive the decision on whether to enhance their current deployment with new WebCenter Services or to provide a foundation for their future growth and move to the new WebCenter release. Customers will need to evaluate what content and applications to migrate, what new features in WebCenter can be leveraged by their business teams, how to incorporate the much richer and capable Oracle Fusion Middleware in their enterprise architecture, and how to train and enable their technical teams. Customers that set up initial learning and development environments now will be able to facilitate learning about the platform, testing their existing code and portlets in the new environment, and providing feedback for planning the migration. Ultimately, it's the customer's choice and not driven by a forced migration at all.
Q: Are there any other programs from Oracle Consulting or Partners that can help customers speed their modernization plans?
A: Oracle Consulting has been offering an Oracle Application Server Portal migration offering for quite some time. They provide a three tiered offering to help customers:
- Assess their move from Oracle Portal to WebCenter and determine the best new capabilities to deliver more ROI out of their existing deployment
- Migration delivery of the assets and components that they built in Oracle Portal and moving them all over to Oracle WebCenter
- A Site performance package to make their existing and new sites run at peak performance.
We've also held a set of boot camps worldwide to educate our partners on the concepts and utilities that we've provided. Many of our key partners like Keste, Idahsoft, Accenture, Deloitte, Wipro, and many others are already helping customers make the best choice for their businesses to move forward. The key point is that customers have many options and many avenues to take advantage of the new modern user experience platform. And there are plans to offer other migration tools for customers of the other portal products as well.
Q: Are there any documentation or guidelines available for the migration paths from any of the existing Oracle portal offerings to Oracle WebCenter Suite?
A: Yes, there are plans to release a set of migration concept documents on Oracle Technology Network over the coming weeks. For each of the portal products there will be a specific guide that discusses the core terminology and approaches moving forward.
Q: Do Oracle WebCenter Interaction (ALUI) portlets need to be rewritten in Oracle WebCenter Suite?
A: In general, the approach will allow the ALUI portlets to continue to run. However, depending on how the portlets were written, it will dictate if they will continue to run. For example, if the portlet calls a set of internal ALUI APIs, these portlets would require an existing ALUI instance to be available in order to keep working. This set of portlets would need to leverage the Pagelet Producer (formerly Ensemble) to keep working. On the other hand, if the portlets don't use internal ALUI APIs, then the portlets will work directly moving forward.
Q: For customers who have a portal running on an existing product, can you describe the best approach for them to take advantage of the new advances in the latest release of WebCenter Suite?
A: We've recently released new versions of each of the existing portal product offerings from Oracle. The key point is that customers have a choice. They can upgrade to the latest version of their existing product which will provide them with a coexistence strategy while they determine the best capabilities to add new life into their existing deployments. This will also provide them with the fastest path to taking advantage of all the capabilities in the new WebCenter release. Alternatively, customers can start to read through white papers we've released around mapping the concepts of their existing products to the new WebCenter release. This will also give them a solid understanding of the core components of Oracle's modern user experience platform for the enterprise. And then the customers can leverage a set of utilities that Oracle has been releasing to speed their transition and get as much reuse of their existing assets like portlets, pages, content, and sites over to the new WebCenter release.
If you want to learn more about the new release of Oracle WebCenter Suite, check out the following resources:


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First, a bit of background:
Microsoft brags about how the new Windows 8 Storage Spaces support any interface (including USB) for attaching drives to add to a Storage Pool:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-hk/windows-8/storage-spaces-pools under "What do I need to create a storage space?"
Western Digital proudly announced that their drives "fully support the [...] feature":
4th paragraph of http://www.wdc.com/en/company/pressroom/releases/?release=4fa7905e-6e32-4073-8f58-6db901f3c533
Yet, my 4 new 2TB WD My Passport USB drives are not recognized by the Storage Spaces manager, even though they show up and work flawlessly in the usual Disk Management. A quick call to WD support confirms: These drives will not work with Storage Spaces. So, I will just have to return them.
Now my question:
I'm trying to find out which external USB drives do work with Storage Spaces, but I can't for the life of me find anything on Google. Have any of you had any success with any particular brand or drive? Or can anyone rule out any drives or brand (WD support told me that only their internal drives are supported)?
Addition: The WD-disks WORK if I install Windows 8 inside VMware Player?!?!? WHY?


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Saint Louis University Military FAQs
- Where can I apply for VA benefits?
- Veterans can apply for benefits at the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
- What do I need to access VA benefits at Saint Louis University?
- All veterans and dependents must provide documentation of eligibility. Veterans need to prove their Certificate of Eligibility and DD-214 Dependents need to provide their Certificate of Eligibility and the Department of Defense authorization for transferred benefits.
Note: If a veteran has submitted an application for benefits to the VA but has not yet received a Certificate of Eligibility, a copy of the application would be accepted until the Certificate of Eligibility is received.
- Where can I find out if I'm eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Program?
- Information on eligibility for the Yellow Ribbon program can be found here: Department of veterans affairs.
- Where can I apply for the Yellow Ribbon Program?
- When Saint Louis University is accepting applicants for the Yellow Ribbon Program, the online application can be found here: Fill out the Saint Louis Univeristy Yellow Ribbon Application Now.
- How do I transfer my benefits to my dependent?
- Information on transferring benefits to your dependent(s), and the application forms, can be found here: Transfer your GI-Bill benefits.
- Where can I find counseling?
- A counselor at Student Counseling Services is on call 24 hours a day and can be reached at 314-977-2323. More information can be found here: Saint Louis University Student Counseling Services.
- Where can I find healthcare?
- The office of Student Heath Care services is located here:
3518 Laclede Ave.
Marchetti Tower East
St. Louis. MO 63103-3398
Appointments can be made by calling 314-977-2323.
- What other resources for veterans are available in St. Louis?
- The Saint Louis University campus is conveniently located near two great resources for veterans: the St. Louis Vets Center and the VA hospital. The St. Louis Vets Center is just down the street from SLU at 2901 Olive. More information on that center can be found here: Saint Louis Veterans Center.
The John Cochran division of the VA St. Louis Healthcare System is located at 915 North Grand Boulevard. More information on the VA St. Louis Healthcare System can be found here: VA Saint Louis Healthcare System.
- Where can I find out more about military and veterans at Saint Louis University?
- Saint Louis University named No. 20 among national universities on a list of "Best Colleges for Veterans."
- How do I order my Joint Services Transcript?
- Visit the following site to order your Joint Services Transcript: Joint Services Transcript Request Website.
Request More Information About SLU
|Follow SLU Military Student Resources on Facebook


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Posted on 05/30/2013 6:10 pm
Mayor Dennis P. Williams accepted the resignation of Alfonso Ballard, Commissioner of Public Works, effective immediately. He anticipates naming a replacement in the near future.
Move forward with Mayor Williams. Visit his weekly schedule.
City of Wilmington, Delaware
800 North French Street
Wilmington, Delaware 19801


text:
Monday, 28 Jul 2014 07:45 PM
National Security Adviser Susan Rice and the Israeli ambassador to the U.S. sought to defuse criticism in Israel of Secretary of State John Kerry for his handling of cease-fire talks for the Gaza Strip.
Rice and Ambassador Ron Dermer both used a gathering in Washington today of hundreds of American Jewish supporters of Israel to defend the top U.S. diplomat. Kerry drew scorn in Israeli media for offering peace plans that were interpreted as favoring the militant group Hamas at the expense of Israel's security.
"We've been dismayed by some press reports in Israel mis- characterizing his efforts last week to achieve a cease-fire," Rice told an overflow crowd of leaders of major U.S. Jewish organizations at the National Press Club.
"The reality is that John Kerry, on behalf of the United States, has been working every step of the way with Israel in support of our shared interests," Rice said. "We'll continue to set the record straight when anyone distorts the facts."
Kerry, who failed to secure a cease-fire after a week-long round of shuttle diplomacy, was attacked in Israeli newspapers after Israeli officials leaked what they said was draft language of a cease-fire plan.
"This was a betrayal," David Horovitz, founding editor of the Times of Israel, wrote of Kerry in an op-ed column yesterday. "Jerusalem now regards him as duplicitous and dangerous."
Barak Ravid, diplomatic correspondent for the Israeli daily Haaretz, said the reported draft language "was everything Hamas could have hoped for."
Netanyahu's View
The draft was said to have called for lifting the economic blockade of Gaza without explicitly calling for the destruction of tunnels that Israel says Hamas uses to hide weapons and conduct cross-border raids.
Dermer, the American-born Israeli ambassador who took office last year, said criticism of Kerry for his "good-faith efforts" to secure a cease-fire was "unwarranted." The former top aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Netanyahu shared that view.
Kerry dismissed the critical portrayal while he was in Cairo last week, calling it "a fiction of diplomacy and of politics at the same time."
Kerry said he never presented a formal proposal to Israel for a vote. "There's always mischief from people who oppose certain things, and I consider that one of those mischievous interpretations and leaks which is inappropriate to the circumstances of what we've been doing and are engaged in," he said.
Disarming Hamas
In remarks today at the State Department that may have been aimed at reassuring Israelis and their American supporters, Kerry said, "Any process to resolve the crisis in Gaza in a lasting and meaningful way must lead to the disarmament of Hamas and all terrorist groups."
The full-throated defense of Kerry from top officials in both countries reflected unease among some Jewish leaders that President Barack Obama's administration is working to assuage.
"I'm troubled by what I've seen in the last week, and I hope that it's just a momentary blip in what has been very strong support for Israel," Steve Sacks, chairman of the Union for Reform Judaism, which claims about 1.3 million Jewish members, said in an interview at the event today. "The Kerry peace proposal was ill-advised, and I hope they get to the right place."
Senior members of Congress from both political parties also spoke at the event to express unwavering support for Israel.
Boehner's Comments
While House Speaker John Boehner made no mention of Kerry or the Obama administration, the Republican leader said the U.S. can't act "just as a broker or observer" on Israel's behalf.
"What does that mean? Well, it doesn't mean using vague, on-the-one-hand, on-the-other-hand statements," Boehner of Ohio said. "No, it means backing up our words, and showing our solidarity with our friend."
The Gaza conflict has claimed the lives of more than 1,050 Palestinians and 50 Israelis.
A poll commissioned by Israel's Channel 10 television showed 87 percent support among Israelis for the military offensive and 69 percent saying it should continue until Hamas is toppled. Only 7 percent favored a cease-fire. The size of the polling sample and margin of error weren't reported.
"Make no mistake," Kerry said today at the Center for American Progress, a Washington policy group. "When the people of Israel are rushing to bomb shelters, when innocent Israeli and Palestinian teenagers are abducted and murdered, when hundreds of innocent civilians have lost their lives, I will -- and we will -- make no apologies for our engagement."
© Copyright 2016 Bloomberg News. All rights reserved.
Newsmax, Moneynews, Newsmax Health, and Independent. American. are registered trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc. Newsmax TV, and Newsmax World are trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc.


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2014-15 (Senior)• IRA Team National Champion• IRA Varsity Eight National Champion• Pocock Lightweight All America• Coxswain of the varsity eight• Guided the team to an undefeated spring season in 11 races• Crossed the finish line in 6:32.236 to take the IRA national title• Won the PCRC open eight and collegiate 4+ events• Set a lightweight course record in a Big Row win over the Cal 3V8• Posted two wins on Lake Natoma to win the WIRA Championship• Won the Lightweight Invite title in Boston with victories over No. 2 Harvard, No. 4 Boston University, No. 5 Wisconsin and No. 9 MIT• Defeated No. 4 Boston University in a dual on the Charles River• Led the varsity eight to a championship at the San Diego Crew Classic, winning the collegiate lightweight race for a medal
2013-14 (Junior)• Coxswain for the varsity eight• Placed second in the Grand Final after winning the heat at the IRA National Championships • Captured the gold in the 1V8 open event at the WIRA Championships • Guided the boat to a first place finish and the Women's Collegiate Lightweight Trophy at the San Diego Crew Classic• Finished first in the Women's Open 8+ and fourth with the Stanford C four at the Pacific Coast Rowing Championships • Posted a win over No. 2 Cal's 3V8 in the Big Row • Took second at the Lightweight Invitational with five of the top seven teams in Boston and won against No. 4 Boston University and No. 5 Wisconsin in a three-team race • Earned a dual victory over Saint Mary's at the Pac-12 Challenge • Missed the fall season while studying abroad in Paris, France
2012-13 (Sophomore)• Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association All-America selection • Competed with the Varsity I Eight in all of the team's races for the season • Captured the school's fourth straight IRA National Championship• Silver at the WIRA Championships • Posted a first place finish in the Women's Open Eight and Women's Open Four at the Pacific Coast Rowing Championships • First place finish at the San Diego Crew Classic
2011-12 (Freshman)• Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association All-America selection • Raced in the Varsity I Eight in every race of the seaosn • Member of the IRA National Champion Varsity Eight that claimed its third straight national title • Won the Varsity Eight and the open weight four at the Pacific Coast Rowing Championships • Defeated Wisconsin in head-to-head action • Also earned head-to-head wins versus Harvard and MIT • Second place at the Head of the Charles
High School• A 2011 graduate of Lowell High School • Played in the Pacific Rowing Club from 2007-2011 • Two-time captain of the varsity women's team in 2010 and 2011 • Received the 2011 Coach's Award • Her lightweight 4+ team finished fifth in the 2011 Youth National Championship • Received the gold medal at the 2008 Southwest Junior Regional Association championships in the Freshmen 4+
Personal• Born in San Francisco, Calif. • Daughter of Lawrence Smith and Michelle Duval • Has two older sisters, Hayley and Emily • Grandfather, Denis Duval, rowed in the stroke seat for the University of Cape Town (South Africa) Eight • Major is communication• Enjoys exploring the San Francisco culinary scene, baking, cooking, and cars


text:
Leading global cooler manufacturer Igloo was acquired by Washington, D.C.-based private equity firm ACON Investments from Connecticut-based private equity firm J.H. Whitney.
Igloo Products Corp., named Terri Brooks VP strategic accounts as part of a larger sales reorganization and said she would be based in Bentonville.
Sue Miller Payton has been named director of marketing at Igloo Product Corp.


text:
Time was that the Dolphins had a bit of a home field advantage in September and October. Heat undoubtedly played a part in that. Sure every team opens camp during the summer, but the heat and humidity in south Florida is really something. Practicing in those conditions helped the team to prepare for it in the first few weeks of the season (and sometimes later).
But, we're seeing a levelling happening here. Players are overall in better condition that they used to be, even early in the season. And there are measures in place to counter the heat. At the Orange Bowl, and in the early days of Joe Robbie Stadium, fans were the only relief players had, and having the visitors on the north side of the stadium placed them in more direct sunlight.
Now, they have these relatively low-tech (by today's standards) cooling systems that players can wear under their uniforms, which basically hook up to a portable air conditioner, to lower the player's temperature. And I couldn't help but notice that the Jets had a couple of people assigned to the task of holding an "awning" (really, a long strip of UV protection screen material) over the players bench, which provided shade, and probably lowered the temperature at the bench by 20 degrees.
Its no wonder the Jets had no trouble with the heat. And its unlikely any other team will, either.


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Tempe is withholding at least $2.7 million, and is poised to withhold hundreds of thousands of dollars more, from a fund that was created in 1988 to ensure that each year a small portion of the city's budget is reserved for public art.
This week, the Tempe City Council chose not to fully fund the arts account, which has been used to pay for art installations at the Tempe Transit Center, an annual ballet performance and other arts programs and projects.
The council has maintained contributions to the Municipal Arts Fund from the city's water fund, but suspended contributions from the general and transit funds. A similar move this fiscal year removed nearly a half-million dollars intended for public art.
Council members pointed to the fund's reserve of $1.5 million and cited overall budget constraints as its motivation, though records show the city's sales-tax collections have returned to near pre-recession amounts.
Exactly how much money has been withheld since the arts fund was established is unclear because of incomplete financial records. The city's financial system only includes arts-fund contributions dating back to fiscal year 1999-2000, though the city created the fund in 1988, Tempe Finance and Technology Director Ken Jones told The Arizona Republic.
If the account had been fully funded for fiscal year 2013-14 alone, the contributions would have amounted to $499,000, according to Jones.
Tempe has long promoted its reputation for supporting public art. The arts fund was established by a 1988 council resolution, which was amended in 1995 when elected officials wanted to boost the city's commitment to the arts.
"An amount equal to 1 percent of the total capital-improvements budget for each fiscal year shall be appropriated into this (municipal arts) account on an annual basis," according to the 1995 resolution, which increased the contribution from .5 percent.
The Tempe City Council did not amend the resolution when it suspended contributions to the fund.
Tempe City Attorney Judi Baumann told The Republic that the council is within its right because the contributions were not required by state law, the state Constitution or the city charter.
"The Charter does not expressly require a formal legal action by Council to suspend the appropriation of funds," Baumann wrote in an e-mail.
Public-interest attorney Tim Hogan said the council might have had the authority to suspend the contribution, but added that altering the funding model without a formal vote on the change may have violated the public's trust.
"As a matter of accountability, it seems to me that when you have an ordinance on the books and you're not going to follow it, some kind of public notice should be provided," he said. "That surely would have been more transparent."
The axed contributions came to light at an Oct. 24 study session at which Jones provided the council with a financial forecast, which included a council memo with information on the arts fund, in advance of drafting a proposed budget for next fiscal year. Jones seemed to share Hogan's concerns about the council's informal suspension of the funding.
"I don't have an official document that says how long that should have been suspended," he said. "So, I feel like I have to make that contribution unless you tell me to continue suspending that contribution."
Public records provided to The Republic show that the city has suspended the contributions several other times over the past 15 fiscal years.
Councilwoman Onnie Shekerjian proposed that the council cut in half contributions made from the one city account that still supports the arts fund.
"They have over $1.5 million sitting in the fund that they (the commission) haven't even used currently for any projects, so does it make sense for us to contribute any more until such time as they decide to do something?" she asked.
Mayor Mark Mitchell and Councilwoman Shana Ellis, worried that the Municipal Arts Commission had not received Jones' financial update, asked that the city consult with commission members before the council decided on the funding.
Since the October meeting, members of Tempe's public-arts commission have balked at Jones' report, calling it a misrepresentation of the commission's power to control the fund, which they said is actually managed by city staff.
Hotchy Kiene, chairman of the commission, and arts commissioner David Kephart told The Republic they were aware that the fund had a $1.5 million savings, but they said the city, not the commission, controls the fund's budget.
Commissioner David Lucier was surprised to learn of the unused money.
"I certainly was not aware we have a million dollars in the (account)," he said. "It is something that we ought to address in a public ... way."


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At Princeton
2012-13: Won three matches after returning from previous injury, including two at the F&M Open … represented Princeton at the EIWA Championships. 2011-12: Won four matches during early-season tournaments before suffering an injury that cost him the majority of his sophomore season; withdrew from University after injury and returned in 2012-13 as a sophomore. 2010-11: Won nine matches as starter at 149 pounds before injury cost him the final month of his season … won four of his final seven matches, including two at the Southern Scuffle … opened career with three wins at the Central Jersey Open.
At Lawrenceville
Won both the USA Cadet national freestyle wrestling tournament and the FILA Cadet national freestyle championships … went 20-1 in pair of Fargo championships … two-time top-three finisher at Prep nationals … finished third at USA Junior national wrestling Ironman Tournament championships … was ranked as high as first at weight class, but missed majority of senior season with injury … graduated with High Honors.
Born Jan. 7, 1991 … son of Lawrence Rolnick and Kimbery Sorrentino … both parents are lawyers … has two older sisters, Layna and Blair, an older brother Austin and a younger brother Dillon.
|Lawrenceville, N.J.
|High School:
|Lawrenceville Prep


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Yuval Steinitz was born in Israel in 1958. He completed his IDF service in the Golani Brigade and served as a reservist in the Alexandroni Brigade. He holds a B.A. and M.A. (with honors) in Philosophy from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Tel Aviv University. He received the Alon Prize for Ph.D. Students in 1993. He is married and the father of three children.
Steinitz was a Senior Lecturer in the Philosophy Department at Haifa University. He served as President of the Association for the Public's Right to Know (1999-2004).
A Member of Knesset since 1999, Steinitz has served as member and chairman of the Foreign Affairs & Defense Committee, and as member of the Constitution, Law and Justice, and the Science and Technology Committees. He chaired the Committee for the Examination of the Intelligence Services Following the War in Iraq as well as the Parliamentary Inquiry Committee for the Events that Took Place in Amona. Since 2003 he has co-chaired the Joint Congress-Knesset Security Committee, together with Senator John Kyl (Arizona).
Yuval Steinitz was appointed Minister of Finance in March 2009, serving until March 2013, when he was appointed Minister of Strategic and Intelligence Affairs responsible for International Relations. In May 2015 he was appointed Minister of National Infrastructure, Energy, and Water.


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One of the best selling cars in America, Toyota finally redesigned their Corolla compact sedan for the 2014 model year with a focus on making it more appealing to the eye. The sales numbers don't lie, but is this car really all that? Today we find out.
To our test here, for 2014 Toyota added a more fuel efficient model to the mix of trims called ECO. It has a special version of the standard 1.8 liter four-cylinder along with other tweaks that allow to achieve up to four additional mpg.
The Valvematic 1.8 liter four-cylinder engine has eight more horsepower than the standard one at 140.
It's more fuel efficient due it its increased range of variable valve timing and it features variable lift for the intake valves.
It's rated up to 42 mpg highway which is as much as 4 mpg more than the standard Corolla. The only transmission choice in the Corolla LE ECO is a constantly variable transmission or CVT.
The Valvematic engine is much more refined and pleasant to listen to than many of the competitors high mpg models which use direct fuel-injection for their efficiency. The CVT transmission is however still a downer even with its simulated shift points, which are meant to make it feel more like a normal transmission.
The EPA fuel economy for the Corolla LE ECO is 30 mpg city, 42 mpg highway, and 35 mpg combined if you get the standard wheels. With our optional alloys, this drops to 30 mpg city, 40 mpg highway and 34 mpg combined due to the larger 205 section width tires fitted to them.
From the styling standpoint, it received a makeover from the wheels up that gives it Toyota's most recent design language which is distinct to the company's heritage. Up front are class exclusive standard LED headlamps and an angular grille treatment.
The ECO model has unique aerodynamic touches like a body color rear spoiler, and under-body panels which smooth air flow. The ECO also gets unique wheel covers over steel wheels or the optional 16" aerodynamic alloy wheels seen here on our test car.
The interior of the LE ECO is similar to the LE. Our LE Premium trim grade gave us a host of features to dress up the cabin including SofTex simulated leather seating surfaces with color keyed accent piping. The dash also received some blue pinstripe accents as well.
The seats are comfortable enough with the driver getting power adjustments and the passenger manual. The steering wheel is manually adjustable for tilt and telescope too. Our tester came with the $850 power sunroof and $1510 Driver Convenience Package.
The latter brings push button start, top end infotainment system with navigation and Entune suite of app capabilities, and remote keyless entry just to name a few. Nice set of features, but at this trim grade some competitors include these things without an optional package
Room isn't an issue front or rear, with plenty of space in both spots. The rear seats fold down 60/40 to allow increased cargo space. The trunk area is as generous as you can expect in this class with a sizable opening for larger items.
The interior however remains a bit stark and cheap in feel with a good deal of hard plastics, more so than many competitors. At the price of $23,000 and some change I was surprised I still had a hard plastic steering wheel in my hands.
In our testing we achieved 36 mpg combined which is a full 2 mpg more than the window sticker on our car promises. This is always good when you can better the promises but it's not necessarily better than some competitors.
On the road, the Corolla offers up neutral handling which means not too sporty but not too flaccid. It's right down the middle of the road when it comes to road feel and ride. Road noise isolation is better than you might expect in this class, offering a quiet highway ride.
Notable is the fact the Corolla still gives you rear drum brakes even in this fully loaded up model, a feature gaffe I think. Nearly all its competitors offer full four-wheel disc brakes even on their standard base models in this century.
Overall, the question of whether the 2014 Toyota Corolla ECO model is worth the extra money comes down to whether you compare this car to other brands or Corolla against Corolla. The additional cost is not that much more than the standard Corolla so why not. If compared against other brands, well many don't charge extra for their efficiency numbers which are sometimes equal or better.


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Byte-Code provide high quality enterprise support services to meet the requirements of public, private and social enterprise sector agencies and institutions. If we talks about enterprise development it should be seen as an investment into not only the future of your company, but also for the future of your business.
Byte-Code team can assist your business, or project regardless from locating and applying for project finance, facilitating tenders and contract opportunities, advising on company policy, carrying out performance audits, as well as business planning.
Regardless of size, whether your business is a new start-up, an existing firm, a well established business and/or a charity we can help and support your progress.
It is essential to employ enterprise development consultants to develop policies; strategies and program profiles. The Byte-Code team can provide to your company some of the best solutions architect on the market.
Understanding the environment in which you are doing your development, provides the roadmap for successful business. It is essential to have an adequate strategy in order to move forward.
Save money today. And lower costs for the future.
Understanding your company needs (strategy, policy and program profiles) is just the first step. Without well documented financial and operational implementation plans a project is doomed to failure.
Byte-Code uses professional project design and management tools to ensure that every step in your activity process is thought and planned. This ensures timeous implementation and minimal wastage.
There are many different ways to run an enterprise development program, find the right profiles ensure that our clients can select from a variety of different enterprise development vehicles.
Our solutions architect work to make sure your enterprise development program happens as per the Program Plan. This includes maintenance and compatibilities with 3rd parties software and hardware; sourcing and qualifying beneficiaries; monitoring and reporting.


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Climate Change my a*se.
One of America's largest and most sophisticated unmanned aerial surveillance vehicles, more commonly known as spy drones, is operating in the South Pacific.
Last week a Northrop Grumman Global Hawk flew from Edwards Air Force Base in California to a point north of Tahiti and back.
During the mission, which lasted almost 24 hours, the drone flew at a height of 65,000ft at a speed of almost 650km/h.
Operated by Nasa, it is being used to study climate change in a project known as the Airborne Tropical Tropopause Experiment (ATTREX).
In 2001 the Global Hawk made aviation history when it completed the first non-stop flight across the Pacific by a drone from California to South Australia, a distance of 13,840km.
The US operated them on top secret spy missions out of the Edinburgh Air Force Base near Adelaide to Afghanistan for at least six years after the September 11, 2001, terror attacks.
The drones missions were uncovered by local aviation enthusiasts and reported on ABC television's Foreign Correspondent programme.
Over the years Global Hawks have been used extensively by the US military in Iraq and Afghanistan, completing more than 4300 combat hours.
They have been used to survey large areas with pinpoint accuracy, highlighting military targets.
The big, jet-powered drones, which have a 35m wingspan, are controlled by ground-based pilots thousands of kilometres away in much the same way as flight simulation enthusiasts fly aircraft on their home computers – except this is for real.
The Global Hawk has a range of around 25,000km and can remain airborne for up to 42 hours.
So a flight from the US to New Zealand and back is well within its range.
Trying to spot one, though, will be difficult as it flies around 30,000ft higher than most commercial jet airliners.
View the Global Hawk: http://galonghaulnews.blogspot.co.nz/2013/02/odd-ball-over-south-pacific.html
A map of its flight path: http://flightaware.com/live/flight/NASA872
This article is tagged with the following keywords. Find out more about MyNBR Tags
4 Comments & Questions
New Zealand should be taking advantage of similar drones to patrol fisheries both along the coastline and in the greater EEZ. We have incredible resources that are being destroyed by criminals - many of whom are New Zealanders. An eye in the sky will end this.
It's been sent down here because of Kim Dotcom and the pending movie. Teaser now on you tube
They are expensive to procure and operate and the current NZ govt would be adverse to obtaining such capability because it would involve spending money. It is interesting that the USAF has reactivated some U2s because they are cheaper to operate and have better sensors with higher resolution than what can currently able to be operated on the Global Hawk. There are other UAVs that can offer similar capabilities. For example the RAAF operate the IAI Heron. Even if we had such capabilty what do you suggest we can do if we find law breakers in the EEZ? The RNZN has been so run down by the politicians that it may not be able to get out to sea to apprehend said law breakers and RNZAF has no fast jets to chase and intercept said law breakers if needed.
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4 New Words You Never Want to Hear: The Cancer Came Back
February 17, 2010 by Rajee
Filed under Parents Corner, Product Review
The Importance of Always Getting A Second Opinion
It's every parent's nightmare: Your child has cancer. For BreezyMama.com Co-Founder Alex Ota, it happened twice.
After it was discovered at her daughter's 9 month check-up that she had not gained a single pound since her six month well visit, red flags were raised. Her pediatrician felt around on her tiny belly and there appeared to be a mass of some sort. Blood tests confirmed something was amiss and the Ota family was told they would need to check into the hospital for three days.
Three turned into fifteen when it was discovered Emily had cancer. Without a moment to digest the news, they were told their daughter needed surgery immediately. As Alex wrote in her story on BreezyMama.com, "When it was time to take Emily to surgery, instead of her going on "transport" Dr. Lam declared, "I'm going to carry her in" and he proceeded to pick her up, grab her blankie, and off he went. I will never forget the image of Emily looking at us over Dr. Lam's shoulder as he went through the wide double doors and down the long, long hall to surgery."
The surgery was a success with only a 15% chance the Neuroblastoma would return. A mere three months later while vacationing in Canada, the news they feared arrived: the cancer had returned.
Originally, the Otas were told Emily would need four rounds of chemo. As Alex said, "And then of course, we were given a lesson in chemotherapy–what exactly that means, the side effects (all I can remember as I walked out in a daze was the potential loss of fertility and hearing), what treatment will be like, the nausea, the precautions–how this would change all of our lives. It was numbing."
Dr. Villablanca is a Oncologist specializing in Neuroblastoma–Dr. Stein was the surgeon, they discovered instead, Emily would once again only need surgery! The surgery was a success and Emily is cancer free!
Had the Otas not sought a second opinion, their daughter would have unnecessarily gone through chemo! To read more of this amazing story, visit: http://breezymama.com/2010/02/08/4-new-words-you-never-want-to-hear-the-cancer-came-back/
|- Pregnancy Magazine featured Breezy Mama's favorite bouncy seats in their March 2010 issue. Get your copy by clicking here!


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|Peter Kilfoyle MP is among readers of The Times that have written to the paper for printing a comment by Benny Morris, 'Israel has no choice but to be tough on Hamas – and Iran', without offering a counter view from a Hamas or Palestinian writer.
Morris is lecturer in Middle East history at Ben-Gurion University, Israel, and author of 1948, A History of the First Arab-Israeli War. Among letters printed is this one from Peter Kilfoyle, MP for Liverpool Walton, which criticises the paper for printing only one side of the story:
'Through Benny Morris (Israel has no choice but to be tough on Hamas – and Iran, Special report, News, last week), you give the Israeli viewpoint of the slaughter in Gaza, plus an opportunity to sabre-rattle again against Iran.
'But where was the countervailing view on behalf of the besieged Palestinians? Where is the analysis of Israel's Dimona nuclear plant set against Iran's nuclear programme? When it comes to the Israelis and the Palestinians, most people in the Middle East, and increasing numbers here in the West, have no trust in either the media's objectivity or western governments' good faith. I certainly question both.'
Peter Kilfoyle
MP Liverpool Walton
Do send ENGAGE a copy of any response received for our readers.
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Dubai's Red Tomato Pizza introduces a one-touch refrigerator magnet that automatically orders pizza when touched.
Dubai's Burj Khalifa is impressive, until you realize there aren't sewers for it. Just guess what they do with the poop.
Two suicides do not an epidemic make. But figures released by the Indian consulate in Dubai reveal a staggering two Indian guest worker suicides a week.


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You may have reached this page due to new security upgrades that have been implemented regarding multiple user logins. For security reasons, only one user is able to be signed in to an account per session. If multiple users at a single site need online access, please contact firstname.lastname@example.com for firm access reduced pricing. If, however, you believe your login information has been compromised, please call customer service at 1-800-451-9998 to determine how to reset your password. Already a paid subscriber but not registered for online access yet? For instructions on how to get premium web access, click here.
Charlotte-area nonprofits try to do more with less: Recession leads to mergers and cuts in staff, programs
By Sam Boykin "Doing more with less" has become the grim mantra for many Charlotte industries as the city continues to struggle through the recession. But it's particularly applicable to the city's nonprofit sector. With a record-high jobless rate, a growing number of families are in need of basic assistance provided by nonprofits, while donations and contributions to charities and nonprofits have dwindled. "It's a very challenging time," said Trisha Lester, vice president of the N.C. Center for Nonprofits in Raleigh. "Many nonprofits, especially those handling basic social service needs, have seen demand go through the roof while their funding has been reduced. Many are cutting programs, laying off staff, forming mergers or shutting their doors altogether." The Charlotte Coalition for Social Justice, which offered youth programs and events promoting equality, leadership and diversity, lost much of its public and private funding and is in the process of closing, said Brian Collier, senior vice president for Foundation for the Carolinas.


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Junior Klara Vyskocilova won her lone singles match on Saturday and advanced into the quarterfinal round.
Oct. 20, 2012
NEW ORLEANS - Tulane's senior duo of Caroline Magnusson and Caroline Thornton won two doubles matches and advanced into Sunday's semifinal match, while junior Klara Vyskocilova won her singles match and moved on to the quarterfinals after two days at the 2012 Southern Regionals at the Alabama Tennis Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Magnusson and Thornton, the fourth-seeded doubles team, will battle top-seeded Alexa Guarachi and Mary Anne Macfarlane of Alabama on Sunday.
Magnusson and Thornton began the morning with an 8-3 win over LSU's Mary Jeremiah and Ebie Wilson in the round of 16 and then turned back Ole Miss' Julia Jones and Iris Verboven, 8-6, to punch their ticket into the semifinals.
Tulane's Vyskocilova and senior Emma Levy, the third-seeded tandem, were also successful in their round of 16 contest with an 8-3 victory over Auburn's Paulina Schippers and Maria Cardenas-Conti. However, the Green Wave duo saw their run come to an end in the quarterfinals with an 8-3 loss to Alexandra Perper and Naomi Tran of Mississippi State.
Senior Hila Elster and freshman Ipek Birol fell to UAB's Caroline Faught and Amy Lowther, 8-5, their round of 16 match-up.
In singles, Vyskocilova downed LSU's Ella Taylor, 7-5, 6-3, in the round of 16 and will play Alabama's Natalia Maynetto in the quarterfinal round on Sunday.
Birol suffered her first collegiate loss with a, 6-2, 7-5, setback to Ole Miss' fifth-seeded Julia Jones.
In consolation singles, Levy stayed alive with a win over ULM's Justyna Krol, 6-2, 6-1, and will play UAB's Isabel Fernandez in Sunday's quarterfinals.
Magnusson saw her singles run come to an end with a, 6-4, 6-1, loss to Auburn's Paulina Schippers.
In the Flight B singles, senior Emma Helisten fell in the semifinals after a hard fought match with Rosaura Ramirez-Vega, 7-5, 5-7, 6-4.
Freshman Jacqui Katz defeated Troy's Samya El Hsissen, 6-3, 6-7(13), 10-6, and advanced to the finals of the Flight B consolation singles.


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His Captive Lady
Carol Towend
July 2008, Medieval Romance (1060s England)
Harl Historical #239, $5.99, 281 pages, Amazon ASIN 0373305486
Reviews for average books are the hardest to write and, unfortunately, His Captive Lady is a prime example. Although it offers a unique twist on an old theme, the book failed to capture my interest and left me with mixed feelings.
Though half Saxon, Wulf Fitzpatrick is a Norman invader determined to achieve knighthood. As a bastard with few connections, he must win the position through loyal service to his lord, so when an opportunity for advancement presents itself, he seizes it regardless of the degrading nature of the mission. In this case, he is required to play the role of a Saxon rebel to discover and infiltrate a camp. However, as his tenure as a spy is about to end, Lady Erica of Whitecliffe enters the rebel camp and hes forced to rethink his strategy.
Desperate to save her people, Lady Erica proposes to end a blood feud with an enemy lord in order to join forces and wage a campaign to run the Normans out of the north of Britain. Unfortunately, her enemies arent ones for forgiveness and Wulf aids her at risk to himself. Thinking Wulf is an honorable knight of her own people, she trusts him blindly until she discovers his secret and begins to work against him at every turn. Despite their opposing loyalties and differences in station, each understands the other and a truce develops between the two.
While I felt genuine sympathy for the hero, the heroine's overly self-sacrificing qualities, the questionable decisions she makes that put her in extreme danger, and her stubbornness, all added up to behavior that was too often TSTL. Lady Erica annoyed me, which made it difficult to really get into the story. But more about Wulf, who is not your typical Medieval romance hero. Instead he is poor, common, and takes steps at the end of the story that in reality would have probably had terrible consequences. It didn't help that the book is set in the middle of winter with few comforts. I just couldnt imagine anything less comfortable or harsh something that continuously pulled me out of the story.
On the other hand, the story is unique for its setting. Though Ive read many romances set during the Norman invasion, its been awhile and it is refreshing to see an old theme revisited in a unique manner.
All in all, His Captive Lady is simply average take it or leave it. Though it is a different twist on an old plot, the characters (mainly the heroine) are uninspiring and at times the story lacked the necessary momentum to keep me interested.
-- Heather Brooks