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The Alliant Family of Schools
Alliant offers students a choice of five schools leading to degrees in the professions of psychology, forensics, education, business and law. Alliant operates across seven California campuses (Fresno, Irvine, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, and two in San Francisco) and internationally in Mexico City with additional programs in Tokyo and Hong Kong.
While all the schools within the Alliant family are distinctive, Alliant's schools are united by a common commitment to "professional practice". Two key components for training students to successfully enter professional practice are:
- We prepare students for independent, knowledge-based careers of service and leadership in a variety of fields in which their future success depends upon the mastery of a specialized body of knowledge and skills. Many of our programs prepare students for formal licensure in a recognized field of professional practice.
- We emphasize the practical application of knowledge, and our approach to education incorporates both theory and practice. In most of our programs, students learn in the field as well as in the classroom.
Alliant's Schools
The Alliant School of Management (ASM) provides students with the opportunity to gain real-world management experience – both locally and internationally - through consulting assignments, internships, professional development and community service. Its graduates have gone on to become successful business leaders in over 100 countries. Located in San Diego and in Mexico City, ASM offers a truly international campus environment that promotes diversity and inclusion and prepares students for the global marketplace.
The California School of Forensic Studies (CSFS) is at the forefront of pioneering and expanding the traditional definitions of forensics
and forensic studies. CSFS specializes in training professionals to become culturally
competent practitioners who possess broad-based knowledge of how the practice of criminology
intersects with the systems linked to the field of criminal justice. At the core of
CSFS' programs is the master's in Applied Criminology. A bachelor's in Criminal Justice Systems is also offered.
The California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP) offers graduate programs in Clinical Psychology, Marital and Family Therapy, Organizational Psychology, Clinical Counseling and Clinical Psychopharmacology, with campuses throughout California and international programs in Hong Kong, Tokyo and Mexico. CSPP is a leader in emphasizing applied training in the behavioral sciences. All programs provide extensive field training that prepares students to work with diverse client groups in diverse settings.
The Hufstedler School of Education (HSOE) gives educators the skills they need to truly make a difference, preparing them to teach, lead, and counsel in one of the most diverse educational environments in the country. Named for the first United States Secretary of Education, HSOE offers a variety of degree and credential programs: TeachersCHOICE teaching programs, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and the California Teachers of English Learners' Cross-cultural Language and Academic Development (CLAD) certificate programs, programs in Educational Leadership and in Educational and School Psychology.
The San Francisco Law School (SFLS) pioneered the first evening law program in the Western United States and was among the first law schools to actively recruit women. SFLS continues to focus on students who may not have opportunities for traditional legal education. Graduates of SFLS have distinguished themselves in leadership positions in governmental/policy and legislative positions, in the judiciary, in public service as district attorneys and public defenders, and as established California attorneys in private practice.


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OWENSBORO, Ky. (AP) - With all leads exhausted, Owensboro Police are hoping the public can provide information to help in the search for a man missing since November.
Police say 56-year-old Wilbur A. "Willy" Pate was last seen leaving the Walmart in Owensboro on Nov. 14. The Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer reports his family last saw him that day and he showed up in video surveillance footage at the store.
Family members reported him missing a week later.
Pate's vehicle was found in the parking lot of the Farmer's Market on Kentucky 405 in Yelvington on Dec. 23.
Officer Michael Hathaway says the Federal Bureau of Investigation was called in to gather any forensic evidence from the vehicle because Pate lived in Indiana, but his car was found in Kentucky.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Keep your head covered and protected on the course! Rock Bottom Golf has a huge selection of the latest in golf hats and golf visors at great deals you won't find anywhere but the Cave. Look your best with new hats from Taylor Made, Puma, Callaway and MORE! -Scratch the Caveman


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As market heats up, homes sell before they're listed
Published: Friday, September 27, 2013 at 6:48 p.m.
Last Modified: Friday, September 27, 2013 at 6:48 p.m.
VENICE - In another sign of the real estate comeback, one of the largest redevelopment projects in recent years on Venice island was attracting buyers even before it officially went on the market.
Number of residential listings that sold in the Venice area in recent years:
2010: 1,786
2011: 2,107
2012: 2,654
2013 as of August: 1,952
SOURCE: Venice Multiple Listing Service
The 26 town houses in the Island Court development are to be built on the site of a former nursing home at 437 Nokomis Ave., across from Venice Regional Hospital.
Even before the town houses went on the Realtors' Multiple Listing Service on Thursday, buyers reserved five of the two-story condos — which have starting prices at $369,900.
"That's a great sign that we've got it priced right," said David Gruber, a partner with Robert Martin in Nokomis Ventures, the company that intends to build Island Court.
Almost all of Venice island is built out, meaning most of the construction involves redevelopment. Such projects were flourishing during the real estate boom, slowed to a trickle during the Great Recession, and appear to be taking off again.
But the Island Court project also reflects a new reality in the downturn's wake. The homes are being priced for less and are smaller than what was envisioned for the land by a previous developer during the real estate boom.
Whittling down
Existing home sales also are picking up: According to Trendgraphix, a firm that compiles data based on the Venice Multiple Listing Service, residential property sales in the area increased 22 percent last year compared with 2011 — with 2,564 sales compared with 2,107.
"The bottom line is that buyers have whittled down the once-bloated inventory of available properties to such an extent that there is now an insufficient supply of pre-existing homes to keep up with demand," said Tom Heatherman, corporate communications director for Michael Saunders & Co. — the real estate firm marketing Island Court. "That is why prices have risen in the last year by nearly 12 percent."
A balanced real estate market has a six- to seven-month supply of homes. At the current pace of sales in the Venice area, the supply could be exhausted in 3.8 months, said Diane Fuchs, president of the Venice Area Board of Realtors.
That is expected to lead to more new residential developments, of which Fuchs counts about 10 subdivisions in progress in the Venice area — plus opportunities for urban infill, such as Island Court.
This week, the Venice City Council approved a five-lot subdivision for 1.73 vacant acres on the north end of the island, 800 Higel Drive.
At least five homes on the island have been demolished and replaced with larger residences in the past year, city planner Roger Clark said.
Clark expects plans to be filed soon for a four-condo complex on a vacant lot in the 700 block of West Venice Avenue.
Island Court is on the site of a nursing home demolished about eight years ago, Gruber said.
Before the recession, developers intended to build a multi-family project on the site with 3,600-square-foot units priced at about $1 million.
That project never got off the ground.
After Nokomis Ventures acquired the property from a bank, the new owners decided smaller, less expensive condos would be more marketable.
Its 1,813-square-foot homes will include two bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, a two-car garage, an elevator, a courtyard and balconies.
A condo that size, at that price, "is hitting a niche that isn't being filled at the moment," said Nancy Arbuckle, project director for Michael Saunders.
Aside from the smaller units and lower prices, Island Court's potential appeal is its location, Gruber and Arbuckle said.
The 79,800-square-foot property is an easy walk from Venice Regional Medical Center, doctors' offices, shopping and Venice's library, art center and community center.
Heatherman said Island Court signals a rebound not just in the overall residential market, but also in the condominium market.
"Condominium inventories have been especially challenged as new construction essentially ground to a halt during the economic downturn," Heatherman said. "Now that demand is healthy again, efforts are well underway by developers in every price range to expedite the delivery of new multi-family housing, as the Island Court project amply demonstrates."
Fuchs expects prices to continue to rise, but she hopes those increases are at "a steady pace" to avoid the rapid escalation that caused the market to collapse several years ago.
"Real estate drives the economy," Fuchs said. "All those builders need workers and the workers need supplies."
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


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Facebook Is Teasing a Big Update to One of Its Biggest Products
Facebook certainly isn't spending any time sitting around.
After starting a rollout of its new search engine on Facebook, Graph Search, the company is now teasing an event next Thursday that looks like a big update to the News Feed.
Hard to argue that it's anything less than a design update to what is essentially Facebook's home page. "Come see a new look for News Feed," the invitation says.
News Feed ads have turned into a significant business for Facebook. On Facebook's last earnings call, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the addition of advertising had barely affected user engagement. "The numbers turned out better than we expected," he said.
So it seems only natural that Facebook would want to find a way to better monetize its users in its News Feed. What isn't clear is how much of the update will focus on the mobile news feed and how much will focus on the desktop feed. Mobile will likely be a big focus given how big it is for Facebook: Mobile revenue was about 23% of ad revenue for fourth quarter 2012.
On the last earnings call, Zuckerberg may have actually given us a hint as to what we'll see in the next generation of News Feed — namely, richer types of media. Here's what he said on the call:
One of the product design principles is, we want the organic content to be of the same basic types of format as paid contact. Historically, advertisers want really rich things and we haven't provided those. But one of the things we've provided in the last year, you see the organic News Feed posts move to richer mediums. A lot of that comes from immersive experiences like Instagram. When you have those form factors for content, that gives you the ability to offer those form factors for advertisements well.
Advertising is part of the equation, too. One new experiment Facebook is running is app install advertisements, a business that also appears to be doing very well. Since mobile App Install ads launched, 20% of the top-grossing iOS apps are using it, Zuckerberg said on the call.
Don't Miss: How to Prepare Your Facebook Profile's Privacy for Graph Search


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The Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood-hosted CMA Awards are underway! During Paisley and Underwood's monologue, the former mentioned that, "2010 was also a big year for infidelity," before he and Underwood sang a song for Brett Favre and Tiger Woods.
- Reba McEntire's Amazing Live Beyoncé Cover at the CMA Awards
- Gwyneth Paltrow's Live Singing Debut at the CMA Awards


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Pam T. Varkuna will be among the first people in Meridian to get the smallpox vaccine. As director of nursing at Riley Hospital, she says
she couldn't ask others to take it without first doing it herself.
Varkuna is not alone. Riley officials say they think they'll have enough people who will be willing to take the vaccine when the time comes.
Every hospital in Meridian expects to participate when and if a mass but voluntary vaccination begins soon.
The plan now is to have a group of 20 health department workers from this district vaccinated first. That could happen as soon as next week.
Then those workers will vaccinate first response health care workers at local hospitals.
To be eligible, a person must have already been vaccinated and not have any of several risk factors involved in taking it.
Dr. Margaret Morrison of the Mississippi Department of Health says she doesn't know just how many people locally will be vaccinated, but she says it probably won't be as many as they originally thought.
Health officials say they hope the entire vaccination process won't last more than a couple of months.
wtok.com: Extended Web Coverage
Forms of Smallpox
Where Smallpox Originates From
Stages of Smallpox Disease
Source: www.bt.cdc.gov (Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response's Web site) contributed to this report.


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On Friday, Sept. 27, the Ralls County Sheriff's office in cooperation with Jake Moss, principal of Mark Twain Senior High School, conducted an unannounced sweep of high school property for narcotics and contraband.
At approximately 9 a.m. the school announced a code yellow lock down of all students and personnel on the school intercom. The school also notified all parents via their emergency notification system of the operation. During this time, with the assistance of K-9 law enforcement dogs from the Hannibal Police Department, Monroe City Police Department and Pike County Sheriff's Office, a search of school property was conducted. The search included all lockers, school bags and vehicles in the parking lot.
As a result of the K-9 search, no contraband or illegal narcotics were located.
Also assisting during the operation were members of the New London and Perry police departments.
Location, ST | website.com


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SANTA CLARA -- In a twisted way, the 49ers' loss Sunday was Eric Reid's gain. The rookie free safety is going to the Pro Bowl as a replacement for the Seattle Seahawks' Kam Chancellor, who's Super Bowl-bound thanks to a 23-17, NFC-title win over the 49ers.
"Would much rather be headed to New York but Hawaii isn't bad. #ProBowl!!" Reid tweeted Tuesday.
Reid, the 49ers' first-round draft pick last year, stands to be the team's only representative in Sunday's Pro Bowl in Honolulu.
Earlier Tuesday, Ahmad Brooks joined the 49ers' other seven (initial) Pro Bowl honorees in forgoing the all-star game because of an unspecified injury.
A day after Brooks spoke about plans to indeed fly out Tuesday morning for his first Pro Bowl, he was replaced on the NFC's roster by the Washington Redskins' Brian Orakpo, according to the league's Web site.
Vernon Davis will be replaced by retiring Atlanta Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez. Davis said Monday it was "too soon" to go on the Hawaiian holiday and that he had "nicks."
Other 49ers bypassing their Pro Bowl invitations are running back Frank Gore (fractured finger), guard Mike Iupati (fractured fibula), left tackle Joe Staley (dislocated right thumb), defensive tackle Justin Smith (shoulder) and linebackers NaVorro Bowman (left knee) and Patrick Willis (unspecified injury), though he dealt with a broken hand and pulled groin.


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This week marks the start of what is known as the holiday season.
It's a time of year that's often filled with parties and gatherings. It's common to meet old friends at local establishments or to gather in the house of a friend or neighbor to enjoy each others' company and share a toast, surrounded by festive holiday lights.
One set of lights you don't want to see are the flashing ones on the top of a police car after you leave that gathering.
Most people by now are aware of the dangers associated with drinking and driving, but it's a message that bears repeating, especially this time of year. According to the Ohio Department of Public Safety, there were 13 traffic deaths during the four-and-a-half-day Thanksgiving holiday in 2011. Of those deaths, four were alcohol-related.
While the last five weeks of the year see a large number of alcohol-related crashes, there are some simple steps everyone can take to keep themselves and their friends and family safe.
For starters, keep an eye on how many drinks you have had before deciding if it is safe for you to drive. If you are going with a group, choose a designated driver.
Even better, don't drink alcohol at all if you will be driving. If you are driving while you are intoxicated you put everyone in your vehicle at risk as well as innocent motorists who are sharing the road.
If you plan to host a party, keep an eye on your guests and make sure no one who plans to drive leaves drunk. Make sure you offer plenty of food and non-alcoholic beverages as well.
We hope everyone will enjoy the holiday season and will play it safe by not getting behind the wheel of a car while under the influence of alcohol.


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12 Totally Fun New Fitness Fads
Want to pliè like Natalie, "fly" like Pink or skate like Drew? Now you can with these fitness programs
What it costs: $169.99
Why it's fun: Well, if you like boot-camp-style workouts, it's fun. Plus there's no equipment to mess with, and you apparently see great results if you can stick with it through the entire 60 days (assuming the box doesn't scare you away).
SEE NEXT PAGE: Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30
Older comments
I plan on trying some of these.
by Monique3 Wednesday, April 17, 2013 at 07:56PM Report as inappropriate
totally not a fan of bootcamp-style training, but i love the dancing classes
by AstridB Tuesday, March 5, 2013 at 03:36AM Report as inappropriate
Nothing beats good, old fashioned running for the ultimate workout! Five miles in the morning, 30 minutes of free weights after, then 30 minutes of yoga before bed. Nothing faddish about it, but it works for me! That is the key - - find something that you love, then stick with it.
by queeniemeanie Tuesday, January 8, 2013 at 01:16PM Report as inappropriate
by EricaF123 Tuesday, January 1, 2013 at 06:40AM Report as inappropriate
I have Hip Hop Abs by Shaun T and he's hilarious but the workouts are so-so. I'll stick to yoga and basic circut training. Good music can help bust through a fitness plateau.
by kimihavens Wednesday, December 26, 2012 at 12:56PM Report as inappropriate
I would love to try the anti-gravity yoga.
by alictasia Wednesday, November 14, 2012 at 03:48PM Report as inappropriate
Everyone always says that working out makes you feel better, but honestly it just makes me feel dirtier... maybe one of these would help?
by schien Sunday, November 4, 2012 at 12:35PM Report as inappropriate
I've tried the p90x and its kinda grueling at times but makes me feel like im really workingout.
by danny54f Friday, October 12, 2012 at 08:22AM Report as inappropriate
i would really like to dance class especially ballet
by jaye_tyler Sunday, July 15, 2012 at 03:12PM Report as inappropriate
Need my dancers body back!
by T_rod93 Saturday, June 30, 2012 at 12:16PM Report as inappropriate
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Good rocking Llama to open up with, but kind of a weak ending. Ice was good, but not great and a little early tonight. Fee had a weird fade out on the recording, maybe some harsh digi-noise needed to be cut? The song itself was ok. Maze rocked as usual, but was pretty average. Fluff was good, no real troubles in the travels either. Paul started off a little rough, but settled into a nice dynamic jam. Stash also contained a dynamic jam and sounds like Mike is teasing Tela in there. Forbin's was sloppy and rushed, but not too bad, and had a great story with it as usual. Mockingbird was ok, a little spotty at times. Bowie has the usual antics and signals in the intro. The composed part was a little off, but the jam was a rocking end to an average first set.
Fish stops the drum part for some reason at the beginning of a rocking, but lame Axilla. It just sounded unsure and timid to me. Poor Heart was also just ok for me. Huge bust-out with Caravan and it's been so long that the band needs a minute to get it together, but the improvised solos were great. Punch was ok; it's still getting the rust brushed off of it. Tweezer rocked with a nice jam and a tease ending. Glide was pretty solid and well played. YEM was good, no real problems up front and the back end jam was nice as was the vocal jam. HYHU brings Fish out as the crowd follows the lead with an "Ahhhhh", before a short and sweet Rosie. Maybe they were short on time as the expected Tweeprise quickly wrapped up the pretty good second set.
Everyone gets shushed for a good Carolina and then a nice dedication to Trey's friend before a ripping Fire takes us home.
Good, but not great tonight overall. The only reason I upped this one to four stars is for the Caravan bust-out. Otherwise this one should stay about where it's at, three to three and a half stars.


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MARTINEZ -- The former president of a Danville swim club was charged Friday with eight felony counts of grand theft by embezzlement for allegedly taking more than $225,000 in team funds for his own personal and business use.
Danville resident Mark Eugene Thornton, 51, pleaded not guilty to the charges Friday afternoon, just a few hours after the Sycamore Stringrays Swim Team filed a civil lawsuit against him in Contra Costa County Superior Court. That suit alleges a breach of fiduciary duty, fraud and conversion.
Thornton denies taking any money improperly. He contends he always acted in the best interests of the swim club, which he left in better financial shape than when he became board president in late 2006, said Thornton's attorney, Dirk Manoukian.
"When he came in, the swim club had their nonprofit organization status suspended for failure to properly file tax returns. They didn't have bylaws; he wrote the bylaws," Manoukian said. "The board was aware of all the money that was being used by Mr. Thornton. It was all accounted for and on the swim club's ledgers."
The Danville police and the Contra Costa District Attorney's Office began investigating Thornton in February 2010 when swim club officials reported their suspicions. The investigation took three years because of the "mountains of records" involved, said deputy district attorney Steve Moawad.
Some of the embezzlement occurred at a time when the children were raising money for a new scoreboard, said attorney Debra Bogaards, who is representing the Stringrays in the civil suit.
"For the membership, it's very important to them to see Mr. Thornton brought to justice," Bogaards said. "Many of the families felt a huge sense of betrayal of their trust.
"Not only was Mr. Thornton the president of the swim club, some of his children were on the team," Bogaards said. "As a person, he was well-liked, and he was put in a position with a lot of authority over swim club funds."
Thornton was the board president of the 230-member swim club from November 2006 until he termed out in late 2009, about the same time Thornton's children resigned from the team. He paid back all but $15,000 to $18,000 of the embezzled money by the time he left the club, according to Moawad and Bogaards.
Bogaards said some of returned money came from the proceeds of Thornton's business, Duty Free Golf, which he started while he was swim club president with the help of investors, which included swim team parents.
Thornton was released on his own recognizance by a Martinez judge on Friday. He returns to court March 15 for the setting of the date for a preliminary hearing.
"Mr. Thornton has faith in the criminal justice system and has cooperated in the three-plus-year investigation every way he could," Manoukian said. "He's looking forward to an opportunity where the facts come out."
Contact Malaika Fraley at 925-234-1684. Follow her at Twitter.com/malaikafraley.


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Ontario County Sheriff's deputies charged Kelly Lee Kelly, 32, of 2890 Conifer Drive, Canandaigua, with endangering the welfare of a child.
Deputies said Kelly was walking down Route 96 in the town of Victor about 9:34 p.m. Feb. 20, with her five-year-old child while under the influence of alcohol. Kelly will appear in Victor Town Court to answer charges at a later date.
Location, ST | website.com


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SAN FRANCISCO -- Buster Posey had the best seat in the house for the best performances in the Giants' 8-3 victory over Detroit in Game 1 of the World Series.
Posey caught both Barry Zito and Tim Lincecum on Wednesday night, the two guys a month ago nobody thought he could catch. Then he was in the on-deck circle for all three of Pablo Sandoval's home runs and was the first man to greet him each time he touched home plate.
"The third one I just looked at him and said, 'Wow,' " Posey said. "And he just smiled."
On top of all that, Posey didn't have such a bad night himself.
He chipped in two hits, made an alert tag and throw on Delmon Young's bouncer in front of the plate for a fourth-inning double play and steered the pitching staff through the Series-opening win.
But as is usually his wont, Posey preferred to talk about the heroes, primarily Sandoval and Zito.
Of Pablo's three home runs, Posey said he watched replays of them after the game and marveled that he was able to hit them at three different locations out of the zone.
"It was pretty incredible," he said. "The first one he hit was up and in, the next one was painted away and the third one was down out of the strike zone as well. I've never played with anybody who can hit bad balls like he can with the authority that he can. I don't think there's many who have ever played that can hit the ball as hard as he does when it's not a strike."
Posey said he made a point of soaking it all in as Sandoval was rounding the bases the third time.
"I looked in the dugout to try and take in everybody's reaction," he said. "When it's happening, you're not sure if it's really happening or not.
"Hitting three homers in a game at any point in the season is impressive, but to do it on this stage is really special."
Posey said Zito was nearly as good in this start as he was during his 72/3-inning gem in St. Louis.
"It was nice again, keeping them off-balance, giving them different looks, throwing the fastball and cutter in in the right situations and also throwing it away as well," he said. "He was able to throw his off-speed in any count. I think the fastball command wasn't quite as crisp as it was against St. Louis, but he still did a good enough job with the other stuff to keep them off the fastball."
And Lincecum?
"He was impressive," Posey said. "He seemed to be right in line with everything, had a good slider and changeup, and he commanded the fastball pretty well."
On another good night for the Giants' defense, Posey had one of a pivotal plays. After Prince Fielder reached base to start the top of the fourth, Young hit a bouncer right in front of the plate. Posey pounced out of his crouch to snag it, tag Young and then throw to second to nail the advancing Fielder.
"I played it and I thought I heard (home plate ump) Gerry (Davis) call him out as I tagged him," Posey said. "So just finished the play off by throwing to second."
As for his hitting, the Giants' MVP candidate believes he's starting to figure some things out after struggling throughout much of the postseason.
"I've been pitched well, but I've chased some pitches," he said. "I feel like my path was a little bit better tonight. I've been coming off some pitches and pulling off. I was happy with the last hit, staying inside that ball and hitting it the other way. Hopefully I can continue to do that. Tonight, it just felt good to contribute."


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Dutch Bros. annual Dutch Luv event, which offered drink specials in exchange for canned food donations Feb. 14, collected 205,322 pounds of food for food banks in seven states.
It's more than double 2012's total donations, according to a press release from the company. All 195 coffee stand franchises spread across 94 cities participated, with managers from several reporting their best year to date.
The coffee company is based in Grants Pass and was founded in 1992.
Location, ST | website.com


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Face paint and a little imagination will have your little one barking Blue's language.
Look for clues with Blue, weekdays on Nick Jr.
Start by painting a dark blue mushroom shape on the tip of the nose.
Next, paint light blue circles in various sizes on the face--forehead, cheeks, and chin. Just add a costume and it's Blue!
Here's a cool craft kids can display in their bedrooms
Looking for Franklin gear? Cool beans! We've got the perfect iron-on decal
Picture this... your child's potrait "painted" by Frankin's Aunt T!
Your little one will be ready to go, after potty training play with Blue and Joe
Turn printables and pipe cleaners into a hanging craft with your dino fan!
Got a dino fan at YOUR house? Decorate kids' rooms with these Triassic triangles!
Kids will eat up the idea of dinosaur eggs resting in this sweet nest
Put those dinos in their place! It's a dino-packed scrapbook journal just for kids
Let your dino designer "cook up" this terrifying Triceratops!
Dinosaurs are on the prowl! Now your kid can can scope them out just like Dino Dan
Add a dash of dinosaurs to your family photos
Just a few scissor snips, and you've made these colorful dinosaur toppers in a snap!
Deck out your Dino Dan fan with these awesome dinosaur designs--so easy even a dinosaur could make them
Let's make some BIG music with Jack's colorful Easter egg
Curtain up on the most musical clubhouse around!
A concert T-shirt for your little fan!
All hands and tentacles on board to make this under-the-ocean outfit
Hot dog! It's Blue at the door for Halloween
Add a touch of Blue to your home decor
These are a few of MY favorite things!
Let the sun shine on Blue and you!
Pop up with sweet Mother's Day wishes from Blue and Joe!
Mom's got a clue that you love her.
Blue will be your child's constant companion all through the night
Learn to tell time with Tickety Tock
This sock was made for talkin'
Peek-a-Boo! It's Blue!
Save pennies (and that tissue box!) with Blue
Smiles from ear-to-ear
Here's the "PAW"fect accessory for your at-home PAW Patrol adventures!
Here's the perfect accessory for your at-home PAW Patrol adventures!
Don't let good deeds go unnoticed! Reward you pup-loving preschooler with a token of appreciation!
Top your at-home Lookout Tower with this flag!
Here's the perfect accessory for your at-home PAW Patrol adventures!
Here's the perfect accessory for your at-home PAW Patrol adventures!
Here's the perfect accessory for your at-home PAW Patrol adventures!
Your little light sprites will love dressing up as their favorite Wally character!
Jelly beans make a sweet and fashionable treat for Dora fans!
Deck out your pups with ears of their own!
Kids can be fashion-forward with their favorite explorer, Dora!
Kids will sing your praises when you present them with this must-have tee!
You don't have to be super crafty to create this super cute Kate tee!
Your little star will shine in this Dora & Friend's tee!
Not to fear, Dora and Friends gear is here! Make this Alana shirt!
The perfect tee for your on-the-go tot!
Bobgoblin thinks this t-shirt is really, really cool!
Print this decal and create a sporty tee for your explorer-to-be!
Turn a plain tee into the PAWfect tee!
Wallykazam! Wallykame! Print this magical decal to create a cute tee!
Get kids ready for Easter egg hunts by crafting a beautiful basket!
Add some fun to their feet with these Peter Rabbit shoe charms!
If kids yelp for Halloween help with picking out their costume, print these masks!
Here's a printable purse that's fashionable & makes saving fun!
Here's a printable purse that's fashionable & makes saving pennies fun!
Here's a printable purse that's fashionable & makes saving fun!
Crown kings and queens before the celebration begins!
Outfit your preschooler with a printable helmet & shield that looks just like Mike's!
Print to get geared up for the biggest gynmastics event of the year!
Make matching tees and a card to show Dad he's umirrific!


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19,007 words (≈ about 1 hour)
At the end of twentieth century, the world witnessed China's rise as a global power. Some alleged that the twenty-first century would be the Chinese Century. However, few realized that barely one hundred years ago, China suffered the lowest point in her history. In the late nineteenth century, foreign powers dominated China. The only reason that China escaped the fate of being a colony was her sheer size, and the US intervention.
By 1900, when other Western Powers… (more)
This is a great book Lin Mei, very inspiring as we love China and its people! Keep on writing!
Language: English
Written in: 2011
Published: 2011-02-13
Word count: 19,007 words (≈ about 1 hour)
Tags: last emperor, the Boxer, empire, war, Revolution, invasion, CiXi, Britain, Russia, opium, beijing, Manchuria, Qing, Dynasty


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Housing Inventory Ends Year Down 17%
The number of homes listed for sale at the end of 2012 stood at the lowest level in more than five years, a development that helps explain why home prices have rebounded so strongly over the past year.
The 1.57 million homes listed for sale at the end of December was down by 6.5% from November and by 17.3% from one year ago, according to data tracked by Realtor.com.
Inventories typically decline in December, January and February as home-shopping activity cools. But the big story of 2012 was that inventories never really picked up, despite big declines in the previous year.
"It's been a buyers' market for a while. Sellers have been reluctant to put their homes on the market," said Steve Berkowitz, chief executive of Move Inc., which operates Realtor.com.
January and February, he says, "are going to be an interesting time to watch" because they'll provide early clues about buyer traffic and sellers' expectations. Already, online search demand is up from one year ago. "The demand side is showing signs of good things to come," said Mr. Berkowitz.
Inventories were down in all of the nation's 30 largest housing markets, compared for 2012 as a whole, led by a jaw-dropping 68% decline in Sacramento, Calif. Other markets with big year-over-year declines included Seattle (45%); San Francisco (43%); Los Angeles (40%); Orange County in California and Atlanta (39%); and San Diego (38%).
Median listing prices were mostly unchanged from one year ago, with declines in just five markets: Cleveland, New York, Philadelphia, St. Louis and Charlotte. Median listing prices posted the largest annual gains in Sacramento, San Francisco, Phoenix and Atlanta.
A separate report on Tuesday from data firm CoreLogicid that U.S. home prices gained by 7.4% in November from one year earlier. It projected that home prices would end the year up 7.9% once all of December's sales data had been tallied.
The Realtor.com figures include sale listings from more than 900 multiple-listing services across the country. They don't cover all homes for sale, including those that are "for sale by owner" and newly constructed homes that aren't always listed by the services.
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Today was my first day of starting this. I'm 35, overweight, probably around 215 pounds (I cover my eyes when I get weighed) and 5'4". I never liked running. I was one of the ones in school that would be walking while everyone else was running. I always admired those that ran marathons, thinking I could never do it. Well when I saw the couch to 5k it changed my mind. I insist that i'm going to do it, and i'm going to do a 5k soon after the 9 weeks.
On to today. Wow, it was tough!!! I am out out of shape. I have no problem with walking. When I jogged, which was at a snails pace mind you...I was very out of breath. I didn't think i'd make it through the first session. I pushed through and did it though. Does it really get easier? Will I eventually feel like i'm not losing my breath?? Also I did it on in inside track because it's just too hot out here right now. Is that going to effect me in anyway when I change to running outdoors?
I can honestly say that YES it does get easier! I am on W4D2 and I am 60 lbs overweight, if I can do it anyone can.
Good Luck,
Congrats on your first run! Yes, it does get easier. I just finished W3D1 tonight. While it's not easy, it is easier. W2D2 was the big one for me - I could really tell my endurance was getting better at that point. I still don't like running, but I really think that's a throwback to my very serious wish that I could be fit and healthy while sitting on the couch. LOL As for running on a track vs. running outside - The biggest difference will be that there are hills on regular streets (even small ones). Drive the route you want to take and see where the inclines are and adjust as needed (I like tracking my mileage with my car anyway since the GPS isn't accurate around my town). I like being outside. It's been so hot that I've been subbing with an elliptical in my basement (rural area, no gyms around). I was really nervous about moving back outside, but it went ok. I like seeing the town, and contrary to my belief, no one laughed or pointed at the lady with the giant butt, huffing and puffing down the road, thinking she's going to run a 5k. I got genuine smiles and waves hello. And there was no pointing!
Jogging is jogging - big steps or little ones, fast ones or slow ones. it's still jogging. Be proud of yourself, and don't give up. If I could just give you one major hint - Don't over do it Definitely give yourself at least a day between jogs at the beginning, and definitely before jumping up a step. I did W2D3 last night, and W3D1 tonight and I'm pretty sore. Don't give up on this. It's a cheap way to get into shape, and actually pretty peaceful, And Remember - it's your program. If you need to repeat a day or a week - do it! Believe in yourself and celebrate your milestones! Get on this forum and brag about it or give encouragement to someone else.
Hi Disney, First of all - GREAT JOB! You have already done the hard part and got moving. You have already gotten some great advice. So let me just add a little that I have found out. Go slow. Don't get too excited and push things. You'll end up getting frustrated. I did many repeats of certain days. I would redo until I felt comfortable with it, then move on. Take your walk breaks and rest days. This is a building process, but you need time to recover too. Your body is going to start to argue and protest. But when you show it that you aren't going to stop, it will catch on.
I started two years ago. I've lost 105 lbs and my wife and I are currently training to run our second half marathon together. So I know you can do it! I can't wait to hear about it.
"It does not get easier... you get stronger"
"Once I decided quitting wasn't an option, the rest was easy." - Michele
Hi disneygirl125,
It will get easier!
A couple of years ago I almost completed the entire program, but than had a small lesion and let my lazyness stop me from restarting afterwards.
Just don't forget to listen to your body and do not give up...
I started again yesterday, and had to stop because I forgot to previously take my asthma medicin!
If something happens that you must stop, do stop, but restart in the next scheduled day paying attention to whatever prevented you to finish your previous workout. (tomorrow I must remember to take my medicin before going out the door)
Frederico Bruno
C25K - Starting 2012.07.18
Starting weight: 90,3 kg
Goal weight: <80kg by year end
Goal Race: 10k, October 14th - 2ª Corrida do Sporting
Yes, I am testimant to the fact that it does get easier. It really does take a long time though it seems. This time last year I was starting c25k, close to 80-100lbs overweight. I've lost close to 50lbs and am near 200 now (5'10"). In a few weeks, you'll start noticing a difference in your muscles too, like feeling a little more trim and being able to see those leaner muscles flex, I remember that having me really excited because I was in my supply room at work and was bending over to reach something, put my hand on my calf and almost yelled that I could feel my muscle lol. Although I was really pretty slow I did see eventual improvement in my endurance, and in my muscle tone.
I went on and finished a 5k walk/run in October. Also have done some other 5k's since then, and am now feeling up to training for a marathon coming up in October. I might be the heaviest one there, and most likely one of the slowest, but I will finish. And looking at last year's scores, I won't be the only one. That really helps knowing that you arn't the only one out there who isn't runninga sub-8 min mile (I think I'm still around a 13-14 min mile). There are alot of us!
Right now, as far as the running indoor issue, don't worry about it. I think at this point, getting your body used to the intervals is important, eventually you'll feel up to getting out on the road.
Great job on your first run! I can tell you that yes, it does get easier. I tried doing C25K around this time last year, but didn't finish because I was pregnant. I remember my first day- I thought I was going to die. Haha. But when I started again this time around it wasn't so bad. I think your body just has to get used to it. Right now I'm only on W1D2. We can be accountability buddies if you'd like. We can all use a little support. (:
I don't want to sound like I disagree with everyone here because I don't, but I don't think it gets easier. More like you become more able to handle it. As is ramps up throughout the program you are going to have some awesome days and you will also have some days that really kick your butt. The nice thing is that if you are trying, then you are succeeding! So, to be realistic, you ARE going to be sore and tired an aweful lot during the next 8+ weeks, but you will be getting stronger, faster and healthier and that is SO worth it! Good luck and hang in there!
C25k completed 7/27/2012
1st 5k: Alert Road Race 6/15/2013 - 34 minutes
I'm kind of on the fence here. Yes, it gets easier to run 60 seconds, but the program pushes you, so I'm with Camaro on that - the first time you run 20 minutes (and you will, trust me, you'll do that and more) is as hard as the first time you run 60 seconds.
I think that mentally it gets easier - it's a huge step to go from "I'm not a runner" to "OK, let's see if I can run for 60 seconds". Mentally, I think that's the tough one - once you've decided that you will run for 60 seconds, it's only a tiny step each time to 90 seconds, a couple of minutes, maybe five minutes, and before you know it, its 30 minutes. And (I imagine, I'm only up to 25 minutes as yet) the first 30 minutes is as hard as the first 60 seconds. But it's not any harder than that.
You can do it. You really can. I'm over 50, I'm somewhere north of 200 pounds, I started at the beginning of June, and it was so hard just to do that 60 second run the first day, gasping for breath, my legs on fire and heavy as lead. And I could not imagine ever being able to run for longer than that, but I ran for 25 minutes this morning - slowly, and with legs that just didn't want to co-operate with me, but I did it, and I know I'll do it again in a couple of days, and then again until I'm running 5k.
And this morning was a hard day. They're not all like that. The last run I did was two sets of ten minutes, and I was flying (well, felt like I was, in reality, I was plodding away as usual), relaxed, enjoying the sensation of just getting out there and doing this. You'll get hard days all the way through, but you'll get a lot of days where you just think "yes, I can do this. I want to do this. I'm a runner". And you'll be right.
TisforTiara, that was a terrific comment!! I think it is just about perfect! I've done C25K all through once before. It definitely DOES get easier, and it does also get harder. For me, some of the "mental" stuff is going to be a long term battle -- not the "am I a real runner?" thing so much as, "do I WANT to do this next mile ENOUGH?" -- I tend to have trouble KEEPING running and staying consistent. So, this time through, that's part of what I'm intent on working on.
And knowing I'm ahead of those STILL sitting on the couch, really, really matters for me, on some days!!
C25K Training begun (Treadmill) 6/1/10); restarted 7/11/12
First run OUTDOORS - Club Fun Run 1.75 mile circuit time 26:06:72 on 7/29/10
Proud C25K Grad, 8/7/10
College Park Cares 5K Sponsored by Vecna Technologies, Inc. 9/25/10 44:04.4
Fell off of the regular running routine, experienced the DC Derecho Disaster, and now aiming to get back on track!
Jug Bay Run for Wildlife 5K 11/3/12
Hello Disneygirl,
I am a 338lb man who is on week 4 day 2. On W1 D1 I felt so winded, my body was aching, and my moral was shot! I wanted give up and sit on the couch and eat my favorite pack of cookies. The next day I did w1 d1 again, it was still tough but I felt better about it. As the days go on you will see that your endurance is getting better little by little. One piece of advice I can give you is: When your mind starts to play tricks on you and it's telling you to stop running.You got to have that one reason to keep running and have to hold on to that reason while you push through. When my run is getting tough (and being over 300lbs it get tough everytime I run) I repeat that one reason over and over to myself until I finish the run.
I hope that helps!
Check out my journey to losing weight and becoming a marathon runner: www.300poundsandrunning.com
I agree with the posts on here. The program doesn't get easier, as that is the idea. But, you get physically and mentally stronger as you progress. Dont look at the big picture yet, as the later weeks can seem intimidating, take one day at a time and kick its butt. If you feel you can't handle the next week, do the same week again or as many times as you need. This is a guide and not a defintive plan. I did this straight through once before and felt amazing, but this time I am doing each week twice before moving on. You will to a point you can't wait to get to the next week to show yourself what you can do.
Just stick with it and enjoy yourself.
God created Firemen so Cops could have heroes too.
Week 1 Done, bring on Week 2.
Disneygirl, this is my second time around getting into shape, and one of the best things I learned the first time around is to think of your body as a motor. When you hit the gas, the air intake is increased immediately. I figured out that if you start to breathe a little harder the moment you speed up to a run, the less difficult it is to run. You breathe a little harder because your motor needs more oxygen to do what you're asking of it. In other words, breathing harder is natural and normal.
I did my first day this week, I am so proud of what I did I am making my husband go out with me tomorrow so I can work harder and show off! I didnt complete the full 20mins but I hope to tomorrow. It really does feel good to get out and run! I never thought I would be saying that. 28 years old 2 children 227 pounds. I put on my running clothes and I feel invincible! My first 5k is in september and I am going even if I walk it!
I'm so glad I found this forum and this thread. I'm on W3 and the first two days kicked by butt. I was ready to give up, thinking I must just not be able to run. Then I read all these comments, and realized I was not alone in my thoughts and struggles. Did W3D3 yesterday and it went GREAT! What a great and encouraging group of people you all are! Thanks
Started C25K July 14, 2012
Upcoming 5K's:
World's Largest Corn Maze - Oct 14, 2012
Run Like Hell - Oct 25th, 2012
ACTIVE is the leader in online event registrations from 5k running races and marathons to softball leagues and local events. ACTIVE also makes it easy to learn and prepare for all the things you love to do with expert resources, training plans and fitness calculators.


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Facebook Short Sellers 'Losing Appetite' as Lockup Looms
Here's one hopeful sign for Facebook shares: Fewer bets are being made banking on the stock falling further.
Short sellers aren't exactly pouncing on Facebook, even though shares have been falling over the last few weeks ahead of lockup expirations. The stock recently hovered around $20, down 14% since its better-than-expected earnings report in late October prompted shares to jump.
Even amid the declines, the number of shares being borrowed — a proxy for short selling — has dropped by almost 40% this month, and sits at the lowest level since June, according to SunGard Financial Systems' Astec Analytics unit, which tracks short-selling data. The cost of borrowing these shares has also more than halved since the beginning of the month, the firm says.
"Everything would seem to indicate the market is losing its appetite to short Facebook," says Karl Loomes, market analyst at SunGard's Astec Analytics.
Investors who want to short stock borrow shares and then sell them, betting that the price of the shares will fall and that they can buy them back at a lower price, pocketing the difference.
The fact that short sellers are steering clear of Facebook ahead of its largest post-IPO lockup expiration is a bit surprising. On Wednesday, about 800 million Facebook shares outstanding are free to hit the market, according to an SEC filing, adding to the social-media company's existing float of about 921 million shares. That number excludes the approximately 504 million shares held by Facebook founder and Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg that were originally to be freed with the November lockup expiration. Zuckerberg said in September he had no plans to sell any of his holdings for at least a year.
During previous lockup expirations — when restrictions preventing early investors from unloading their shares are lifted – short sellers have swarmed Facebook shares. A bigger supply of stock tends to be detrimental to the price, at least on a short-term basis.
But with Facebook shares trading around $20 – down nearly 50% from the company's$38 IPO price in May — short sellers may be thinking the stock doesn't have much more room left to fall.
Another possibility, according to Loom, is that early investors eligible to unload their stakes may not actually sell.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg will be eligible to sell 504 million of his shares during this upcoming lockup expiration. But he may decide to keep his holdings "as a sign of confidence in the company rather than cashing in," Loom says. Others could follow his lead.
"Whatever the reason, all signs suggest there are fewer bets being placed on Facebook's share price collapsing this week than we might expect," he adds.
UPDATE: This post has been updated with additional details about Facebook's share count.
For more MarketBeat and other streaming markets coverage from The Wall Street Journal, point your mobile browser to wsj.com/marketspulse.
Watch a video with MarketWatch's Dan Gallagher talking about how the lockup expiration could affect Facebook shares:


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Editor's note: Light One Candle is an annual series sponsored by the Mail Tribune that focuses on an individual, group or agency that could use a helping hand during the holiday season. Once that need is filled, donations may be distributed to others in need.
By Sanne Specht
The gifts of music, art and exercise are three things that could help a trio of teens nominated by staffers at the Transitional Living Program.
Molly was raised in a very abusive family in a home far out in the county. She was abused physically, sexually and emotionally until she was 12 years old in that isolated environment.
But one day, one of Molly's teachers called Child Protective Services, and Molly and her younger brother were removed from the home.
Molly now lives with a healthy family member. She is a high school junior, taking advanced-placement classes and receiving straight A's.
Molly enjoys exercising, listening to music and painting. She would like a decent bike to ride, art supplies and an MP3 player.
Jane and her brother were removed from their home by the Department of Human Services following their parents' arrest on drug charges. The siblings were first placed in an emergency foster home. Then they moved in with the family of one of Jane's friends. They have lived with this family for the past three years.
Jane is turning 18 and is on track to graduate high school. She plans on attending Rogue Community College.
She loves taking pictures and uses the family's digital camera. She would really like a digital camera of her own for Christmas.
Jonathon is a 17-year-old who was removed from his home six years ago because of the physical and sexual abuse he endured.
Jonathon is a high school senior on track to graduate. He has received services to help with this abuse, and his own anger issues and depression.
This young survivor has found that playing guitar is a great outlet for him when he feels triggered. He likes playing hard rock and would love a used or brand new electric guitar.
If you would like to help these teens have a happier holiday, please contact Matthew Brody at 541-779-2393, ext. 245.
Reach reporter Sanne Specht at 541-776-4497 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
Location, ST | website.com


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The Team Gear has been put on hold. Right now, we are focusing all energy and money on the Rumble.
In the 7+ years we have been in business, I feel this is the best chance we have been given to showcase the Quad City Disc Golf scene which has been so good to Us. Its not about running a big Iron Lion event, its about showing off what we have here in many forms. People will get to play our golf, check out our town and build another lasting impression of the QCs. For those of you that want the biggest events here, this is a huge step and we need your help and support. This is where my focus is, this is where our money is going ( or has gone..) and because of this, it will be another month or so until I can get to doing the Team Gear.
I understand people will be playing events soon, if not already, and I will do my best to get the gear ready asap. Most of you werent in your first season, so if your old gear isnt good enough for you to wear, dont. But if thats the case, maybe dont expect new stuff either. If you have offers from other people that you feel is a better fit for you, take advantage of them. Some people just dont seem to be working out, either because Disc Golf isnt as important or you dont feel like this is worth it to you.
I dont know of anytime my loyalty has been called into question, and I respect and appreciate the people that wear our brand and I will get you taken care of, sooner rather than later.
In other Team news...expect changes. Thanks for your patience or for your service in the past.
For some of you, remember one thing, your part of the Team for as long as you choose to be. While you may not be getting free stuff anymore, there is a reason you got what you have... and the door is always open. As always Thank You.


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Police Report: Oct. 3 - 4, 2012
Published: Friday, October 5, 2012 at 10:04 a.m.
Last Modified: Friday, October 5, 2012 at 10:04 a.m.
Oct. 3, 2012
Portions of the following information are based on facts provided by the arrested individuals. Those individuals have been booked with, not convicted of, the offenses shown. All accused should be presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Terrebonne Sheriff's Office
Jonathan Jorell Johnson, 27, 103 First St., Napoleonville, failure to appear.
Terry Anthony Braud, 55, 2115 Bayou Black Drive, Houma, two counts failure to appear.
Lagrace Adrian Lee, 27, 218 Hummingbird Drive, Houma, failure to appear, two counts failure to pay fines and costs, three counts theft of goods more than $500, two counts theft of goods less than $500.
Timothy James Tucker, 33, 1939 Grand Caillou Road, Houma, failure to appear.
Houma City Police
Brandy Lucille Hebert, 32, 8053 Park Ave., Houma, no driver's license, possession schedule II drug, open alcohol container in vehicle.
Terrebonne Narcotics Task Force
Debari Desmond Vincent, 24, 106 Smith Lane, Chauvin, distribution schedule II drug.
District and City Courts
The individuals whose names follow were incarcerated on the order of a court or processed following a judicial determination.
Thomas Joseph Johnson Sr., 46, 2641 Daniel Turner Court, Houma, harassing telephone calls.
Rene Paul Boudreaux Jr., 21, 201 Columbus St., Houma, nine counts simple criminal damage to property less than $500.
Keith Ross, 50, 225 Brooklyn St., Houma, simple battery, entry after being forbidden, disturbing the peace by intoxication.
Thibodaux Police Department
Gilbert Brown, 37, 1291 St. Charles St., Thibodaux, aggravated assault, simple battery.
Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office
Jerry Cleveland, 17, 223 Williams St., Raceland, 2 counts simple assault.
Oct. 4, 2012
Thibodaux Police Department
Monique Hebert, 30, 103 Singleton St., Thibodaux, DWI, simple battery.
Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office
Larry Jack III, 21, 506 Deadwood Rd., Gibson, contempt.
Martha Lee, 40, 508 Barrilleaux St., Lockport, two counts contempt.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


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A Pitch-Perfect Passion For Pinot
Post by Chuck Hayward | January 8th, 2013
While tasting rooms and wine bars have traditionally been the best way to experience new wines, today's oenophiles have a variety of tasting opportunities. Massive tastings have become commonplace, and are often presented in large spaces, hosted by organizations designed to promote a variety or region. While fun and often educational, the central purpose of these events is to encourage greater consumer interest in the labels being poured.
Not all tastings, however, are based on naked commerce. A number of wine events really are born from the sheer gusto of an individual – someone in the business who wants to share their passion with a wider audience. Just like tastings hosted by larger entities, the efforts of an individual wine enthusiast to convey his message can be showcased anywhere – from a big conference room to a small parlor. But such individualized tastings create a unique platform where one can experience an array of personally selected wines, each of which provides an insight into the mind of the host. A good example can be found in New York, where Paul Grieco saw his "Summer of Riesling" tastings (at his intimate Terroir Wine Bar) transform into an international phenomenon. Fortunately for us west-coasters at JJ Buckley, the Bay Area has its own similarly ardent oenophile. (more…)


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Weekend Ride by David GersteinAn intricate work of shape and color "Weekend Ride" by David Gerstein artfully captures father and child cycling peacefully on the weekend. A beautifully hand painted cutout steel free standing sculpture approximately 14.4x11.4" in size. Each side is painted with a different color theme. David Gerstein is a painter and sculptor working with hand painted, serigraph, silk screen printing and cutout steel. Gerstein creates a brilliantly colorful multi layered universe inspired by Graffiti art, Pop art and other types of modern artwork. He is based in Israel. If you are looking for a specific limited edition David Gerstein piece, one of the artists hand painted, autographed, or larger David Gerstein objects - Please contact us. Learn More$199.00


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Pike stocking plan by Vt. and NH for Connecticut River reservoir upsets some
ST. JOHNSBURY, Vermont — Some anglers are upset at plans by the states of Vermont and New Hampshire to stock walleyed pike into the Moore Reservoir between the two states because they fear the fish will prey on other species such as trout and salmon.
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Two women have filed claims against the Moraga School District and three former administrators alleging the employees could have prevented the pair's sexual abuse at the hands of a teacher. Jane Doe #1 and #2 allege the district officials failed to report earlier abuse notifications against the teacher.
Moraga School District Claim 2 -


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Frances Gloria Knapp, 96
Published: Monday, November 19, 2012 at 8:01 a.m.
Last Modified: Monday, November 19, 2012 at 8:01 a.m.
Frances Cwynar Knapp was born October 9, 1916, in New Castle, PA, the second of four girls, to Joseph and Karolina Cwynar. She passed away on November 5, 2012, in the comfort of her bedroom at her niece's house in Salt Lake City, Utah. She attended public schools in New Castle before going to work at Shenango China Co. where she served as a Supervisor and Laboratory Technician. While working there, she met and fell in love with Thomas E. Knapp, and they were married on August 6, 1949. After her marriage to Tom, she left the labor force to become a full-time housewife and caregiver of her widowed mother.
As Tom's career advanced, she had ample opportunity to hone her housekeeping and entertaining skills as she followed him to Tustin, CA, Reynoldsville, PA, Clarksburg, WV, Joliette, Quebec and Syracuse, NY. In all of this sojourning, she bought and decorated houses while developing an active social life and making lasting friends in all of these locations. She was active as a board member of Jameson Hospital in New Castle, a longtime member of the Corinthian Club in Syracuse, a golfing member of the DuBois Country Club in Pennsylvania and Beaver Meadow Country Club in Syracuse. She also was involved in garden clubs wherever she resided.
She loved history and eagerly explored the local history everywhere she moved. She loved cooking and baking and was still baking breakfast goodies at age 95.
In 1983, Tom retired from Syracuse China and they moved to Etowah, NC, then to The Oaks Condominiums and finally to Heritage Hills in Hendersonville, NC.
After Tom's passing in January of 2012, Frances relocated to Salt Lake City, UT, to reside with Tom's niece and husband, Jean and Jeff Brown.
She was preceded in death by Tom, her loving husband of 62 years, and her sisters Mary Pawlak and Helen Scholts. Helen passed a week before Frances on Monday, October 30. She is survived by her sister Jane Zvanya, and numerous nieces and nephews.
As per her wishes, Frances will be cremated, and her ashes will be buried in the Polish National Catholic Cemetery in New Castle, PA between her beloved husband Tom and mother Karolina. Cremation services provided by SereniCare Funeral Home of Draper, UT. Burial arrangements provided by Noga Funeral Home of New Castle, PA.
Uncle Tom and Aunt Frances: it's been a heck of a ride — I am glad that you are now together with Bubcha, Mary, Helen, Orren and Helen and everyone else that has gone before you. Looking forward to parties in the hereafter!
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


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Steve Ballmer has recently sent a memo to every Microsoft employee. Ballmer's memo leaked really quickly (I wonder if he expected it). After swallowing the corporate-madness part (but that's allowed: he's a "mad" corporate leader after all), one particular passage really grabbed my attention. Taking about Internet applications being popular, he wrote: "But we also need to make sure developers have the .NET skills to write unique Windows applications using Windows Presentation Foundation". Which begs the question: does anybody still develop Microsoft Windows applications? Really?
A step back
Before the internet changed the world, around 1995, writing software implied that you'd focus on a specific platform. You could write software for Unix (including GNU/Linux), for Dos, for Mac, or (most likely) for Windows. There were a few attempts to create multi-platform libraries (and one of them was the one created by StarDivision, which eventually made StarOffice, which then became OpenOffice; but that's a different story). However, those multi-platform libraries were often immensely complex, expensive, and... they never really exploited the specific neatness of the platforms they worked on: instead, they had to work with everybody's "common ground". For example if a platform allowed a very cool selector widget, and the others didn't have it, a lot of hard work was required in order to provide that widget. And then, there were the philosophical differences, in terms of UI, between different systems: the user interface of a Mac program would be different to the interface of a Windows application. Most programmers or companies basically didn't bother, and picked a specific platform. (Please note that I concentrated on the Interface side of things, but everything also applies to the differences between the underlying layers while programming. Creating a Windows program will imply calling Windows-specific functions in several cases, which will be different to Unix ones.)
Then, the internet changed everything.
A brief history of Java
The first attempt to change the programming world came with Java. At the time, around 1996, Java was often thought as the only "way out" of Microsoft's monopoly in the desktop market. Keep in mind that this monopoly was really recent! A few years back, there was still a war raging between OS/2 and Windows -- does anybody remember? Java, created by Sun Microsystems, provided a way of creating applications knowing that they would run anywhere. More importantly, those applications would run seamlessly within an internet browser. At the time, everybody thought that every web site would become entrenched with Java "applets" which turned boring pages into something interactive and "alive". Being multi-platform, and having a separation layer between the online application and the computer, was considered absolutely necessary; even though most people browsed the internet using Microsoft Windows, the global wisdom was that allowing native execution of arbitrary code downloaded from a web site would have been an act of insanity -- well, an act which was attempted by Microsoft with their ActiveX "technology", which was basically laughed at and never had the slimmest chance to take off. Java was great because it was basically a computer within the browser: un-hackable (if that's a word), safe, and easy.
And slow. Immensely slow.
Java never made it. When it was clear that nobody wanted to include Java applets/monsters into their web pages (and kill their customers' browsers in the meantime), java morphed itself into a platform to create desktop applications. And, once again, it failed. (The only widespread application everybody knows and mentions seems to be Eclipse.) Java eventually managed to find its niche markets:
in the server space, Java Server Pages and all those hard-core server-side technologies (apparently used by hard-to-get enterprise server developers)
in the client space, the mobile market (Sun managed to get a Java Virtual Machine in a lot of phones)
But it took more than 10 years -- and amazingly enough, never managed to get away from the performance and compatibility problems it has always had (ask any Java mobile application developer). For example Android, the mobile platform used by Google, uses Java to write programs; however, it doesn't use the Java Virtual Machine but the speedy Dalvik virtual machine (the Java source code is compiled into Java bytecode, and then translated into Dalvik bytecode to run on Android).
The unpredictable winner: AJAX Javascript (!)
It's an immense irony, that the company that made AJAX possible is the same company which now fears it the most: Microsoft. In 2002, Microsoft added the Javascript function
XMLHttpRequest() to their Internet Explorer -- with Mozilla and Safari following shortly afterwards.
The release of Google Maps in 2005, Google basically made the world aware of the potential of using Javascript and
XMLHttpRequest() together. Google Maps really looked like magic, with its ability to endlessly drag with the mouse a neverending map. Since then, the AJAX "technology" has evolved immensely, and countless companies today are developing using AJAX.
Programming has fully shifted online
So, here we are. It's 2008. You decide to start a company that writes software. What are you going to write?
I wouldn't want to be the person in charge of turning the development of stand alone, mono-platform applications exciting. Would you?
A brief history of Flash
Macromedia, a company which created a development tool to create CDROMs, saw the rise of the Internet (and the decline of the CDROM market) and did something amazingly smart: created a "Flash player" which could be embedded into internet browsers. (Note: this is a simplification. Macromedia actually bought a company that made the player. But that's again a different story). Flash was somehow comparable to Java: its player was a program able to execute bytecode. There was a major difference: it was immensely easier to create Flash applications, compared to Java. Java was hardcore programming, whereas creating a Flash program was more like creating a movie. While Java-rich web sites (thankfully) never really happened, web designers started creating entire sites which required the Flash plugin in order to do anything. Amazingly enough today, in 2008, there are still some (highly criticised) sites which are basically Flash applications. However, luckily Flash's penetration remained very shallow. Adobe eventually bought Macromedia, and tried to capitalise on the sheer number of people who had Flash installed in their browsers. They tried to "open" the Flash format, (very) theoretically allowing anybody to develop a Flash plugin, and released Flex. I was there in Boston, at Adobe's headquarters, when they presented Flex to the press. One thing was clear: their goal was to penetrate the market of desktop applications. They really, really wanted people to write desktop applications in Flex. The advantage was that the same apps could then run on any platform with a Flash player (they were quick to point out that GNU/Linux was one of them), as well as within the browser. Flex also had amazing internet features and articles.
Three years after Flex's release, in 2008, their market share never reached high levels. I have never seen a Flex desktop application in my life (although sometimes I wish I had, for example when I tried to run, unsuccessfully, a guitar course which Wine refused to run properly). Today, Flash is mainly used as a container for Video playback (think of Youtube), as well as some specialised web sites (see: gambling, stock exchanges, and so on).
I believe one of the reasons Flash/Flex never made it was because the computer world wasn't willing to create "another Microsoft". Flash and Flex were (and are) basically proprietary technologies which tie the developers to Adobe. A strong market share would certainly lead to disasters. It has happened once, and we all know that it might happen again, given the chance.
As a passing mention, I will point out that Microsoft's Silverlight is basically an attempt to replace Flash in people's browsers. It won't replace Flash and Flex: some people might end up having both Flash and Silverlight -- and will still use Flash 99.8% of the time (assuming that that 0.2% is when people browse Microsoft-related sites). Besides, even if Silverlight manages to replace Flash completely, we are still talking about a tiny market.
You should also consider GWT (Google Web Toolkit) which allows you to code in Java, but then compiles it to Javascript.
Barely trustworthy
Hi, do you really believe in what you stated?
"Programming has fully shifted online" - Gee are you serious?? There's no online application that I'm using, Gimp, OpenOffice, NetBeans, Video/Audio players to listen/watch media, games, other stuff. Nothing of it is online, nothing.
If you said like "programming is getting some traction online" I would give you some credit there.
I think you should come down to earth and realize that "online applications" are used less than 1%. Google docs? How many % use it? Like 1% maybe less, in all companies I've been and all friends I know they're all using either MS Office or OpenOffice.
I think your bias is worse than Ballmer's one.
What _serious_ work have you done with JavaScript/Ajax? Can I have a look? I bet you haven't.
Let's see
First of all, the article isn't wondering whether there *are* stand-alone programs. Reading the title, you will realise that I question something a little different. Of course the market right now is dominated by stand-alone applications. However, where is the development effort going *today*?
However, reading your post, I realise that we must live in two different worlds - and that's fine too.
I live in a world where most programming jobs are for online systems (PHP/ASP/whatever and Ajax/Flash/whatever). Have a look at online recruitment agencies.
Luckily, in my world very few sites use Flash -- the only real importance is for video playback, a nice niche that Flash has taken over. However, in your world Flash website are "beautiful" -- never mind accessibility, search engine indexing, and non-functional annoying ("beautiful"?) interfaces. In my world, Flash sites are an eye sore. A lot of people agree with me. Plus, you can only create them with proprietary programs.
Yay. Way to go.
Applications that have already been developed (OpenOffice, etc.) will probably stay, because "they are there" and because some applications are the computer's domain (like video/music players etc.).
But the great stuff is happening online. And... yes, I do know Javascript/Ajax. Do you? Have you heard of the vast improvements in terms of speed, in Firefox and Safari? Have you heard of YUI, and full widget libraries which are simply staggering?
Who knows. Maybe in 5 years the world will have tons of beautiful Flash web sites and applications, and AJAX will disappear. And big monolithic applications will kill all the amazing AJAX-based advancements.
But no, I don't think so. Not in my world.
I thought the same thing
I mean... I didn't think of all the things you wrote about... but I did ask myself "What the hell is he talking about? Who (that's not a M$ partner or interested party) is going to develop something for a single (proprietary) [b]desktop[/b] architecture these days?" Absolutely nuts. I guess we have many more years of Steve's wackiness to come (thankfully).
Great article, Tony! Keep it up!
Somewhat Overstated
Thank you for a good article, but there are some points I'd like to quibble. Firstly, desktop development is continuing fine as far as I know, admittedly Java was slow to start with but it is in use for some desktop development and tools such as Qt (particularly with Python) do allow fairly easy cross-platform development, we're using exactly that base for one of our projects at the moment.
As for web-based-computing what does it hold for the free software world? As the code is no longer running on my machine do I have a right to change it? I don't think I've seen a website yet that's based upon an open codebase that anyone can change (perhaps Mugshot is?). I've seen sites that offer the code for download, but then one has to run the code on one's own machine, which is hardly useful if it's designed to allow interaction with other users!
Despite the vast number of benefits offered by these developments, there are also other considerations, and I'd be surprised if we ever reached a point in which the desktop were entirely replaced, I may be wrong.
Anyway, thanks,
Thank you for the great comment. I agree, Desktop development is continuing fine, and will continue fine for many years. However, I don't think it will be *as* relevant over time (heck, people still program in COBOL :-D ).
Also, SOME things will always belong to the "desktop computing" part of the deal.
Your comment on the implication to free software are really quite important. I am writing an article exactly on this subject. In a way, it looks to me like software a a whole is losing relevance, and "data" -- the cloud -- is becoming king. Which is sad, if you ask me -- especially since the "cloud" doesn't yet use real open standard (for example, try opening a Google Document file from your Zoho office suite...).
Thank you!


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This is a weekly editorial by WXII President and GM Hank Price:
The New Year is officially here, and with it comes a new governor for North Carolina. Pat McCrory will be sworn in Saturday during a ceremony in Raleigh. He replaces Democrat Bev Perdue, who served only one term.
The Republican, and former Charlotte mayor, will have plenty on his plate. High on the agenda is tax reform, a subject all sides agree is overdue and must be dealt with in 2013.
Indeed, Governor McCrory lists tax reform as not only important, but a key way to build North Carolina's economy. He also says bureaucratic reform, infrastructure and a more efficient education system are all top priorities.
These are huge issues. Solving any of them will be a great achievement.
McCrory's party has the majority in the House and Senate, but that doesn't mean he will get his way. Vested interests abound. Success will only come if he works with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to make the best decisions for state residents. These are tough economic times and the honeymoon will be short.
The General Assembly session will start Jan. 9, and we'll be watching it closely on WXII 12 and WXII12.com.


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A gathering of the tribes was held this past weekend at Elijah Clark State Park.
Nearly 100 pagans arrived to celebrate...and some Christians protested the event.
You hear the word "witchcraft" and you think of a Hollywood film. Well, aside from nature and gods and goddesses, some pagans really do believe in and practice witchcraft...and that's not sitting well with some locals.
"Paganism incorporates a lot of different paths including witchcraft, druidery, you know, the Celtic paths," says Laura Wandrie, president of Pagans United.
Wandrie is concerned with the amount of discrimination her group has undergone since setting up camp in Lincolnton.
Local church groups have even lined the entrance with prayer messages.
"They're going to hell...it's just that simple," says local Parrish Allen.
It's statements like this that led Pagans United to request extra security outside their site. Two officers stood guard, checking identification.
"The idea is they have requested privacy, and they as customers, we want to support them," says park manager Nelson Noble.
"This weekend is a first as far as any questions being asked about who we are," says pagan David Payne.
So just who are these nearly one hundred out-of-towners?
They say they're a group of family and friends practicing a federally recognized religion.
We checked it out and found no cauldrons...just crafts, music and conversation.
"I mean people are programmed. They're programmed from childhood to think that if it's not this way, it's wrong," Payne says.
"We have people fighting now," says Wandrie. "And they fight to give us the rights that we have. And we should be allowed to enjoy 'em."
Elijah Clark State Park was not the group's first choice, although it has worked out well for them. Their previous location cancelled on them because of several neighbor complaints.
On the group's website it states they're hoping 2006 will be the beginning of a new era for pagan festivals.


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hi PMS developers,
Because FF with transcoding doesn't works flawlessly with my philips TV,
I like the feature "#--TRANSCODE--# folder chapter support".
Unfortunately the most used "Chapters" option is not located on top in the #--TRANSCODE--# map.
Jou have to search in the list for the desired engine/audio/subtitle combination,
where below the "Chapters" option is located.
Since it's possible to set the "default engine" and the "audio/subtitle language priority",
the first title that is listed in the list, has the desired engine/audio/subtitle combination.
I guess it would be great if the "Chapters" option is located below this first title, for fast and easy use.


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Vermont State Police say a mobile home in Colchester has been destroyed by fire.
Police say the fire was reported by a neighbor who saw smoke coming from the Breezy Acres home Tuesday morning.
No one was home at the time.
Police say the fire department was able to put out the fire quickly and keep it from damaging other mobile homes nearby.
The exact cause of the fire has been determined. Police say the fire was not suspicious.
The damage is estimated to be more than $55,000.


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IT IS strange how a national disgrace is also a comedy. Our shortage of water attracts every fallacy of economics. It also attracts barmy solutions. I particularly enjoy docking Arctic icebergs off Essex. I chortled that Yorkshire Waters possible new corporate logo could be a cactus. May I suggest the natural water engineer the beaver would be the perfect mascot of competence for any water company?
When anything is scarce any economist will tell you it must be priced. A precious moment there unanimity among economists. Water use is not priced. If we had no electricity bills or gas bills I promise you we would have power shortages. We would be exhorted not to make toast or to take baths with our best friends or perhaps enjoy cold showers alone. Putting a price on an item transforms our appreciation of it.
I saw this vividly from my own younger son. When we lived in Virginia in the US we had a water meter at the front of our home. One of my sons domestic duties was to water the plants. He diligently turned the tap off after filling each can. After we moved back to Britain I noticed he no longer turned the tap off. When I questioned him he said as there was no meter, it didnt matter anymore. As he was only five at the time I was impressed he had grasped a truth that eludes our older policymakers.
I have other memories of the cultural difference when pricing is present. My American neighbours washed their cars with buckets. Brits use hosepipes. In one sense pricing is such an obvious response I feel slightly ashamed of the banality of the idea. How much more exciting to offer all sorts of poetically beautiful but economically daft ecological water solutions.
What would the great Victorian engineers who gave every city huge volumes of water make of our feeble but comical stories of sustained drought? They do not seem to have even recognised the problem. If a town prospered it was obvious erect reservoirs. Some fine valleys in Wales were dammed and great tunnels watered Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool.
These were not the first water management triumphs.
The 18th century canal engineers did not complain of water shortages. They built supplies. Where I was brought up in Cheshire, nearby Rudyard Lake was my playground a feeder reservoir for the canal network that nourished the Industrial Revolution.
I do not doubt that the water companies have a sort of excuse in that the weather has not brought the rains they might have expected but with water meters they could raise the price and human nature would correct the shortages. Markets have a cybernetic quality.
Naturally privatisation is blamed by many commentators. Vicious profit-seeking water companies are uncaring as well as incompetent. Yet it seems to me the evident underinvestment is a badge of the decades of public ownership rather than capitalist squalor. The uniform tales of ancient pipes leaking more water than they deliver to customers is part of our shared appreciation of the water companies. Yet why are our water pipes not renewed? We would be ferocious if electricity or gas were stuttering through old pipes. Britain has been rewired for our digital services. What is the difference?
Are water company staff self-selected or filtered to be inept? Phones and every other domestic utility are priced they are information rich. They have feedback.
Why can the water companies not meter their precious resource? Can you not guess? Here be politicians. Water meters frighten local and national politicos. Even during the privatisation process which should have been all about commercial freedom to act water pricing was barred. Even the regulators felt circumscribed.
In one sense human beings may never learn. When the Roman emperors proffered free bread for the proletariat they seemed amazed when the granaries were emptied. Of course they blamed the venal speculators and the sly Carthaginians. British politicians thoroughly enjoyed war austerities, and preserved and even extended rationing long after the Nazis had gone and the liberated German economy was surging. It seems fair to observe our free National Health Service is merely a reworking of the imperial delusion of price-less bread baskets.
Those of us who are not water engineers can only offer some ideas that seem to elude the professionals.
The Home Counties may be parched but Britain is not. Why can more water not flow from the rain-sodden parts of the kingdom? Our canals have not dried up. Do they hold a simple secret? Could it be enough reservoirs? The largest manmade lake in Europe, Kielder Water, keeps all of Geordieland watered. It would be downhill from those hills to the taps of Greater London.
It would be wrong not to concede the water companies find us changing our habits. Are we so difficult to predict? Our average home usage has risen from 124 litres per day to 201 litres in 10 years and, more dramatically perhaps, the average home does not have six people but 1.2 individuals. London will have a million extra people by 2015 all wanting more water to wash and flush and launder.
There is a near certain law of economics I term it Blundells Law that whatever politicians do achieves the opposite of their declared policy intentions. Banning hosepipes, telling us to leave our flower beds as well as our cars, insisting we contain our improvident behaviour will all only add to our exasperation. This shortage is entirely contrived. It is bogus. It is achieved by our leaders being frightened to price something that is valuable and semi-finite.
If demand is increasing it seems natural to recommend enhanced supplies. Land may be at a premium in the arc of the Southeast of England but there is no shortage of sites for further reservoirs. I think Rutland Water in Leicestershire is a delight for wildlife but it serves millions of taps. Water UK, the public voice of the water companies, explains British demand for water has risen 1% a year for the past 50 years. Yet only an artificially constricted industry would regard this as a headache. UK GDP has been growing at more than twice that rate. A lively commercial competitive water market would not regard ever more thirsty customers as a threat. To the capitalist it is a splendid opportunity if they can charge.
The Water Act of 2003 makes it a legal duty on the water companies to announce counter-drought measures in 2007. It will be a statutory (that is to say politician-driven) obligation. Is there any surprise they are testing these powers today? I wonder if we are seeing a subtle power play by the normally docile water industry? All these counter-measures may trigger the adoption of water-pricing meters in plain language. Just imagine if Tony Blair were urging the gas and electricity suppliers to deliver costless fuel to every home. Everyone would see the absurdity. Yet say it of water and you are regarded as wise and green and sustainable. There is a residual streak in our minds that thinks denial is vaguely virtuous.
So, forgive the prosaic quality of my prescriptions more reservoirs, newer pipes but above all pricing. There, and I avoided any jokes about the power of cricket as a God-teasing rain dance ritual.
John Blundell is director general of the Institute of Economic Affairs.


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20 December 2005
A Number of Things
5 comments:
Thanks for posting these writing books. I justReplyDelete
discovered Delany and About Writing is on
my wishlist.
I'm looking forward to reading all three
of the books you've referenced, but I wonder
at what point does reading a writing book
become a thinly disguised excuse not to write enough...
Because in the program they're using an adapted version of my post about the script. I just saw the finished copy, and the design and layout of the piece is beautiful, with an evocative, mysterious, and sexy illustration that would be perfect alongside a lot of things I've written.ReplyDelete
Heh. Congratulations! Is there any chance you will be able to post said illustration, for those of us who can't get to Toronto for the show?
Your wish is my command. Here's a link to the photographer's website.ReplyDelete
Thanks for the good words! Hope you liked the ending, too.ReplyDelete
Indeed, great ending. I was fairly certain I knew how it had to end, but I had no idea how that end could be reached, because everything kept getting worse for our embattled heroes, but it all worked out quite cleverly in the end, and even left room for, perhaps, a sequel. It was great fun, and gave me lots of joy.ReplyDelete