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In the race to develop new technologies, China stands front and center. In a recent conversation with Rebecca Smith of Managing Director, Asia Pacific, NASDAQ OMX, Terrance Philips of SVB asked for her perspective on the public markets in China.
SVB: What has NASDAQ learned from foreign exchanges? Are there specific rules that you believe U.S. exchanges should adopt from their foreign counterparts? Are there specific NASDAQ rules that foreign exchanges should adopt?
Smith: Domestic exchanges are operating in a manner that suits and serves their local market; however we have seen that they are modernizing rapidly, taking on board best practices from exchanges in other regions and in the U.S. They are also bolstering their infrastructure and market technology often using NASDAQ OMX as a partner, and are preparing for the possible introduction of competition and fragmentation. In terms of flexibility markets are also changing and the U.S. and NASDAQ has taken note. The Hong Kong SE, for example, has offered companies with a 'place down and top up' mechanism for secondary offerings for many years, which is an attractive, confidential and highly efficient mechanism for the placing of new shares. The U.S. market has refined its rules to introduce alternative mechanisms that offer a similar set up, making it easier for global companies listed in the U.S. to tap into U.S. investor reserves.
SVB: With differing ethical standards and regulatory schemes and the difficulty in conducting due diligence abroad, can investors be assured that the information provided by Asian companies listing on U.S. exchanges is complete and accurate?
Smith: Asian companies that want to go public in the U.S. are subject to the same level of legal and accounting due diligence as a company from anywhere else. In any regulatory regime and with any company, based anywhere, there is a risk that information supplied is neither complete nor accurate. However the SEC and exchange listing process does ensure that Asian companies are held accountable to the same standards for the most part as U.S.-based companies and that weaker companies by and large will not make the grade to become U.S.-listed public companies. The advent of Sarbanes-Oxley has also strengthened the U.S. system. Again, weaker companies that cannot comply with the necessary legislation will not make it to market. To date, we have not seen the type of fraud or misstatement in the U.S. that has occurred in the local markets. While the U.S. or any other system cannot be bulletproof, the established and professional regime in the U.S. coupled with the threat of litigation and criminal charges makes one careful.
SVB: Does NASDAQ regularly confer with its foreign counterparts on the development of new regulations or the evaluation of existing regulations?
Smith: Absolutely. We talk to most of the world's exchanges most of the time. We are an active member of the World Federation of Exchanges and continually look at ways to collaborate and share information and best practices. For example, there might be growing demand here in Asia for cross-border trading or at least access to trade U.S.-listed stocks. We are looking at various cross border and cross listing initiatives including technology infrastructure to offer lower latency. NASDAQ OMX pioneered the idea of 24-hour trading over a decade ago under Frank G. Zarb, perhaps we are edging closer towards that goal.
SVB: How has the competitive landscape changed for U.S. exchanges? How is NASDAQ responding to those competitive challenges?
Smith: Enormously, the U.S. exchange landscape has changed beyond recognition since Reg NMS. New outfits are coming in, competing and challenging the established markets like NASDAQ OMX. It's a price war. Participants are fighting for liquidity. There are concerns, however — among which are potential price discovery issues should markets start to segment too far into dark and lit pools. NASDAQ OMX is doing what it does best, innovating. We continue to invest in our core systems — as well as introduce new pricing mechanisms order types and initiatives to safeguard the interests of investors and participants. For example, Volatility Guard, or single stock circuit breakers, will be introduced in the third quarter this year. We work closely with Capitol Hill and the SEC regarding reform measures to safeguard our markets for all participants. Exchanges have an important role to play in ensuring our markets are robust and offer the highest level of oversight and reliability.
SVB: We are beginning to hear reports of possible flaws in the Chinese juggernaut, including increasing disparity in wealth, increasing wages, housing bubble, inflation, currency revaluation, government preference to "buy China" etc. Do you believe that fears of these issues, together with an overconcentration of outsourcing to China, is beginning to cause U.S. and other Western companies to offshore in other countries such as the Philippines or India?
Smith: I think there is a natural evolution taking place in China. There is a drive to diversify away from basic manufacturing into high technology manufacturing and services. Also, many companies prefer to pay a premium for the quality of workforce in China. The government is by and large doing a great job of managing the economy. It remains to be seen whether there will be any fail out or bubble bursting; however, as with any cycle there is usually a correction at some point. Perhaps banks are over extended in some cases and loans with property attached as collateral might pose a problem.
SVB: Despite conflicting claims from all parts of the political spectrum, how do you assess the cost/benefit ratio of SOX almost ten years after its adoption? Have the early fears that SOX would significantly impact IPOs proven to be true or merely reactionary hype?
Smith: The majority of CFOs at public companies that I've talked to here in Asia are overwhelmingly in favor of SoX and the leverage it has afforded them to create a culture of compliance at their firms. They tell me the process of implementing SoX was without doubt healthy and helpful in uncovering potential weaknesses. As practitioners have grown accustomed to the provisions, the overall cost and execution time related to SoX compliance have decreased dramatically —, and it has not been the deterrent to companies seeking to go public that many feared. In fact it has helped the U.S. market. The issue affecting IPOs today is the same as in the past: investor sentiment.
Rebecca Smith is Managing Director Asia Pacific for NASDAQ OMX Group based in Hong Kong - in charge of business development and maintaining client relationships in Australia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and Taiwan.
Rebecca has had over 12 years of experience in the Financial Services industry in the City of London. Rebecca joined NASDAQ in 2000 to form part of the team covering the EMEA region, adopting Asia sales responsibilities in October 2006.
Prior to joining Nasdaq International in May 2000, Rebecca formed part of the retail products administration team at BNP Paribas. From 1996-1997 Rebecca worked with Abbey National PLC Share Dealing Services from 1996-1997.
Rebecca read law at the University of Greenwich, London (LLB Hons) in 1996.
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With two entry-level degree options, Belmont provides excellent preparation to become a licensed professional in this dynamic field. Both programs are fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE).
Doctorate of Occupational Therapy (OTD)
The entry-level doctoral program is a full-time day program for those who have completed a bachelor's degree at a regionally accredited college or university in any major.
Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT)
The master's degree program is designed primarily for occupational therapy assistants (OTAs). A limited number of spaces in the program are also available to current PTAs who have worked with an occupational therapist. The full-time program is offered in a format that combines on-campus classes supplemented by online coursework.
About the School of Occupational Therapy
OT Resources
The School of Occupational Therapy is part of the Gordon E. Inman College of Health Sciences & Nursing at Belmont University.

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The researcher Allan Brown had been led on a similar trajectory, his obsession with the circles drawing him into the study of sacred geometry. At the 2003 Glastonbury Conference, Brown presented a talk that was the culmination of his years of research, proposing a solution to a central mystery: The hidden reason for the "quintuplet" patterns – four smaller circles arrayed around one large one – that had been among the earliest formations recorded, first showing up in 1978, and among the most frequent, appearing every year without fail. Over time, Brown realized that these quintuplets were related to the ancient conundrum of the squared circle. Implicit in their relationships, teased out through careful geometric analysis and the drawing of implicit tangent lines, was a series of previously unknown methods for performing this difficult intellectual feat that had obsessed the Classical mind.
"The circle is a symbol of spirit, of heaven, of the unmanifest, the immeasurable and the infinite, while the square is the symbol of the material, the Earth, the measurable and the finite," Brown said, noting that the symbolic essence of the problem was the reconciliation of seemingly opposing principles, and the resolution of dualities – "a sacred, cosmological act." Over twenty-five years, the differently proportioned quintuplets functioned as an instruction manual for the squared circle, suggesting dozens of new methods – some within 99.9999 percent accuracy – for solving this dilemma. "They were actually teaching a methodology, a complete system, through which a geometric solution to the squaring of the circle could be attempted." Brown also proposed that this quarter-century project argued against human hoaxing. "Can so many formations, over so many years, adhere to such a sublime design principle, without anyone ever, in a quarter of a century, coming forward to hint at the geometric properties they were encoding into their designs?"
Daniel Pinchbeck
Source: 2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl, Pages: 293
Contributed by: HeyOK
Copyright © 2016 Gaiam, Inc.


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North Tahoe senior Nico Monforte and South Tahoe sophomore Maia Bickert dominated Wednesday's Tahoe Basin League doubleheader at Heavenly, with each recording a pair of wins on the day.
Despite Monforte's individual victories, South Tahoe won the combined (boys and girls) in both slalom races, while North Tahoe finished runner-up and Truckee was third.
The Vikings posted a winning combined score of 413 points in each of the races. The Lakers posted 403 points in the first race and 402 in the second, and Truckee had 315 points in the first race and 300 in the second to finish third in both.
North Tahoe's girls, however, captured wins in both races ahead of South Tahoe. Led by Jessica Tidd, the Laker girls posted a winning score of 211 points to South Tahoe's 207 in the first race and a score of 208 points to the Vikings' 206 in the second.
Individually, Bickert took the win in the first girls race with a time of 54.08 to Tidd's runner-up time of 58.08. North Tahoe's Francesca English was third, also with a time of 58.08, while the Lakers' Bozhie Pokorny was fifth in 1:00 and Johanna Gur eighth in 1:06.
Chelsea Mohun led the Truckee girls with a 14th place finish (1:14).
Bickert won Race 2 in 43.64 and was followed by South Tahoe's Mikaela Clothier in 45.27 and Tidd in 45.29.
English (45.93) and Pokorny (46.91) followed in fourth and fifth, respectively, while Gur (51.84) was eighth and Truckee's Hailey Perkins (49.52) seventh.
On the boys' side, Monforte finished first in the opening race with a two-run combined time of 51.48 seconds, which was good enough to beat Incline's Ian Reeves, who posted a 54.53.
Truckee's Wes Harrington rounded out the top three in 55.94, while teammates Cedric Dagueville (1:02), Colin Gerrard (1:03) and Colter Fellow (1:03) finished ninth through 11th.
Monforte won the second race with a time of 40.51, while South Tahoe's Austin Allen was second in 43.52 and Reeves was third in 43.52.
Lucas Early of North Tahoe was fourth in 43.79, and Dagueville led Truckee with an 11th-place finish in 47.46.
South Tahoe's boys took the team win in both races. In the first race, the Vikings posted a winning score of 206 points to second-place Truckee's 195 and third-place North Tahoe's 192. The Vikings won the second race with 206 points again, while North Tahoe was second with 194 and Truckee third with 172.


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|7 in.
|7.5 lbs.
|Biscuit Sizes:
|FF, #0, #10, #20, Simplex, Duplex, and #6
|Shipping Weight:
|13.73 lbs.
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PORTER-CABLE will repair, without charge, any defects due to faulty materials or workmanship for three years from the date of purchase. This warranty does not cover part failure due to normal wear or tool abuse. For further detail of warranty coverage and warranty repair information, visit www.deltaportercable.com or call (888) 848-5175. This warranty does not apply to accessories or damage caused where repairs have been made or attempted by others. This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may have other rights which vary in certain states or provinces.
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Hagel to Divest Chevron, Other Holdings
Chuck Hagel will shed hundreds of thousands of dollars of stock inChevron and private equity firm McCarthy Group LLC if the Senate confirms him to be the next defense secretary, according to his financial disclosure.
Mr. Hagel, holds Chevron shares valued between $100,001 and $250,000, as well as $500,001 to $1 million of McCarthy shares, which he will divest from if confirmed.
The former Nebraska senator earned more than $1 million in the past year, largely from his roles advising companies and serving on their boards, the disclosure documents show. Private equity firm Corsair Capital, for example, paid him $200,000 for his work as an advisory board memberZurich Insurance Group in North America paid him another $200,000 for his work as a director. He earned a $100,000 salary from Georgetown University as well.
Mr. Hagel's assets were valued between $2.9 million and $6.1 million in total.
One conservative outside group, the American Future Fund, said that the Chevron holdings could have posed a potential conflict of interest because of the company's fuel contracts with the Pentagon. In addition to his stock holdings, Mr. Hagel earned $116,000 in director fees from Chevron and between $5,001 and $15,000 in dividends.
In addition to divesting Chevron and McCarthy holdings, Mr. Hagel said he would resign his positions with both firms and 25 other entities. Mr. Hagel will also step down from roles at the Brookings Institution think tank, polling firm Gallup and the Washington Speakers Bureau, among others.
In his disclosure, Mr. Hagel said that neither he nor his wife "will invest in any company identified as a Department of Defense contractor or any other entity that would create a conflict of interest with my Government duties."
Mr. Hagel was a millionaire before he came to Washington. In the 1980s he cashed out insurance policies to form Vanguard Cellular Systems, and launched cell phone systems in states like Maine, New York and Florida. The business helped him cover the costs of his 1996 run for the Senate.


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HONOLULU (January 5, 2013)--President Barack Obama said Saturday he is willing to consider more spending cuts and tax increases to reduce the deficit, one of the next big items on the agenda in his struggles with Congress.
In his weekly radio and Internet address, Mr. Obama also said he "will not compromise" over his insistence that Congress lift the federal debt ceiling.
The nation's credit rating was downgraded the last time lawmakers threatened inaction on the debt ceiling, in 2011.
For the Republicans, Michigan Rep. Dave Camp says it's time to "identify responsible ways to tackle Washington's wasteful spending."
He said America's credit cards are maxed-out and there's no money in the bank account so the spending must stop.


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WVU-P Board of Governors discusses budget for 2013-14
Board to raise tuition 9 percent to offset reduction in state aid
June 13, 2013
PARKERSBURG — West Virginia University at Parkersburg Board of Governors approved its budget for the 2013-14 year Wednesday evening while also giving a salary adjustment to longtime employees....
I see you are the type thinks everybody else makes way to munch money and you don't make enough. Still you might just want try to better yourself with education opportunities at hand. Often a better education will lead to a better pay check. Try to put your energy towards bettering yourself instead of complaining about things you can't change.
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aparently collegeknowledge doesnt have to live paycheck to paycheck, several people at college have the insurance, and it costs way to much, and co-pays are way to high, all i am asking for is enough to cover cost of living .12 cents is not enough, social security tax was raised this year from 4% to 6%, and aparently your neighbor makes enough money, and if i am asking for money for nothing then they shouldnt give anyone any money right ? right?, and take away from those who are making way to much for doing nothing right? right? yes i am thank you
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At Randy169 I have a neighbor down the road who works at WVU-P. She has excellent health insurance, vacation/sick days and she and her kids get to take classes for free. Did you know how much the job paid before you applied? If so don't complain about the money. More money is what you want you should take advantage of the free classes and better yourself and your pay check through a good college education. I have shared your post with some of the folks in my office we are all in agreement that you want money for nothing.
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wonderful that long time employees are getting a little something, we employees that have been have not been working that many years cannot afford to live last year the highest raise i heard of was .12 cents, and the president recieved around $5000.00, this is very unfair they did a poverty simulation, we live it every week , buy food or pay doctor bills, or other bills, get us up to a reasonable wage so we can live .
1 Agrees | 1 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
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About Daron Worldwide TradingDaron Worldwide Trading is the largest source of aviation collectibles. Their products range from jets to propellor planes commercial use to law enforcement and more. With licensing agreements with most major airlines as well as the police and fire departments of New York Daron offers the largest variety of authentic and accurate collectible model airplanes available.. Price: $26.99
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Metal Tablecloth Weights
Sleeping Cherub Statue
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Hydro Rug™ is like a loofah for your feet! Soft mats gently clean from your heels to your toes while providing sure footing with each step. Place over the drain in your tub or shower—water runs right through it. The fast-drying design is mildew and stain resistant. They're designed to stay in place and secure with eight attached suction cups. Machine wash, hang dry. PVC. Tub Mat is 29"W x 17"D. Shower Mat is 20"-Square.
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Solar Power World
A map highlighting the Solar Energy Industries Association's top solar states by capacity seems to forget the middle of the country. But it's true: The Midwest trails other parts of the country largely because the region didn't keep moving forward with solar policy. Instead, policy became stagnant or even regressive. There is a bright spot, however: Minnesota is lighting the path for solar in the Midwest.


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John and Judy Reimer, Galva, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on Saturday, Sept. 21. Their children, Scott of Moundridge and Leslee Reimer Bray and her husband, Ted, of Colorado Springs, will host a reception from 2 to 4 p.m. Sept. 21 at the First United Methodist Church, 1200 E Kansas Ave. in McPherson. Friends and acquaintances are invited to stop by.
The Reimers were married on Sept. 21, 1963, at the Diamond Lake Methodist Church in Mundelein, Ill. They have four grandchildren: David, McCaffrey, and Amiee of Colorado Springs, and Victoria of Moundridge
Location, ST | website.com


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Debra Wood, RN
You have a unique medical history. Therefore, it is essential to talk with your doctor about your personal risk factors and/or experience with lung cancer. By talking openly and regularly with your doctor, you can take an active role in your care.
Here are some tips that will make it easier for you to talk to your doctor:
Genotyping and smart drugs: FAQs. Massachusetts General Hospital, Cancer Center website. Available at:
http://www.massgeneral.org/cancer/news/faq.aspx. Accessed September 28, 2012.
How is non-small cell lung cancer treated? American Cancer Society website. Available at:
http://www.cancer.org/cancer/lungcancer-non-smallcell/overviewguide/lung-cancer-non-small-cell-overview-treating-general-info. Updated February 23, 2012. Accessed September 28, 2012.
Non-small cell lung cancer treatment (PDQ). National Cancer Institute website. Available at:
http://www.cancer.gov/types/lung/patient/non-small-cell-lung-treatment-pdq. Accessed September 28, 2012.
Last reviewed September 2015 by Mohei Abouzied, MD
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Copyright © EBSCO Publishing. All rights reserved.


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Hello all. I'm a newbie runner. I just started about 6 months ago, and I've completed two 5ks, and 8k and I'm running my first 10k in a few weeks. I've completed all of these races, but my pace is rather slow, about 11:30/mi. My question is when is a good time to transition from working on endurance to working on my pace?
It really depends on your personal training schedule and priorities. Sounds like you are doing wonderfully and participating in a lot of events, which is always a great motivating factor to improve for the next level of reaching specific goals.
There are several specific plans that are designed to slowly build endurance and increase the overall mileage with a particular training distance, but many of those are "cookie cutter" recommendations that do not allow for individual circumstances or situations.
So, the short answer is to focus on your existing strenghts and adapt your own training schedule as you continue to evolve as a runner. Specifically to your question, your pace will naturally increase with greater endurance. However, including some tempo runs, hill repeats, sprints and intervals would be of benefit. It is not really a question of transition, but moreso a sequence of consistent training (and how you balance/split up the overall miles during the week and so on).
I hope this makes sense, but basically it will all come together with a regular schedule, and you will surprise yourself with the performance, so you are already doing the best thing by entering all those races.
Wishing you all the best and many happy miles.
I agree it depends a lot on your goals as a runner. I would recommend having a base of 20 - 25 miles per week for 6 to 8 weeks before adding serious speed work, such as intervals or tempo runs. As Jasko123 said, you will see some improvement as you increase endurance. If you want to try some less formal "speed work", try hill repeats or strides (aka striders, stride-outs and a few other names).
Don't do either of these more than once a week.
Hill repeats: warm up for a mile, arriving at the bottom of a short hill (200 - 400 meters). Run up at a moderately hard pace, more for a shorter hill, less for a longer hill. Turn around and go down very slowly for recovery. Repeat as needed. Start with a couple and add one each time you do the workout. Your legs will let you know when you've had enough.
Strides: usually done at the end of a routine run. Accelerate over a few strides to a fast, controlled pace, but not an all-out sprint. Maintain for 50 to 100 steps. Turn around and go at an easy pace (walking is OK) back to the start. Repeat. Again, start with a couple and increase over time. Work on stride and turnover.
I can add some perspective to this as someone who started running only 3-4 years ago at 52 y-o, ... I also started out woefully slow. I agree with Lenzlaw and Jasko123 that it takes a "base" of miles - I found that once my legs figured out how to carry me forward for a period of time that I could begin working on other things. Hill repeats and speed intervals are definite gotta-do's. They really help. I'm still not "fast", but I'm slowly moving up the pack... (you can tell from my events below that I'm not taking home any medals... but I'm having fun)
One of the biggest things I've learned from being around other runners is that each runner has their own comfortable groove where it all just works, and this groove adapts as the runner trains for different things. This also means that some runners can adopt to a faster pace easier than others simply due to their genetics.
I've also learned that my form dictates how efficiently I can run, which also translates into how much faster I can run. And I'm sure that it is different for everybody, but for me it's pretty simple:
- make sure that my hips are square and forward (i.e. not dragging behind me, no slouching);
- my head is up (makes it easier for me to breathe);
- land on my mid-foot and roll off the ball of my foot, not my toes;
- make sure that I'm leaning forward ever so slightly (which kind of make me feel like my hips are pushing me forward and I'm falling into my steps);
- keep my feet under my hips (don't want to over-stride)
- and to go faster, simply take quicker steps...
One last thing that really helps me is music - I look for music that carries a cadence that I want to run to, and I'll time the music for different points on a course. I can get into the groove of the music and just go, and if feels great.
Best of luck - let us know what you do that works for you. I'm always looking for new tricks and things to try.
6/17/2012 AnnArbor HM 2:09:01
6/3/2012 DexAA HM 2:00:31
3/11/2012 St Pat's 5K 0:25:42
11/10/2011 AnnArborTT 10K 0:52:27
10/9/2011 Chicago Marathon 4:49:55 (cramps @23m, but finished upright and running!)
9/3/2011 Milford 30K DNF (cramped out at 14m)
6/25/2011 Solstice 10M 1:27:15
6/5/2011 DexAA HM 1:58:53
5/1/2011 BurnsPark10K 0:51:58
10/17/2010 Detroit HM 2:06:19
6/6/2010 Dex-AA HM 2:09:30
I would recommend no speed work for a year, or until you have a very good base. Speed work often results in overuse injuries! Keep it sinple for the 1st year, "RUN Often, at different paces, mostly easy"! How often? As often as possible you'll be a much better runner if you run 5 times a week instead of 3, 7 instead of 5. From Running times, watch adding to much to soon.
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.


text: I was asked this question recently by a writer friend who (I believe) is not on SFFWorld. He asked me in a post on Facebook so I had some time to think about my answer before replying. Still, I told him I about my standard number of 10--20 pages, or it could be one scene or multiple but that multiple scenes in one chapter should be related in theme, location, pov, etc. I thought I had covered all the bases but, in the last few days, I have returned to the question and put it into the context of my own writing. I have a story which I have had plotted out for several months but which I cannot seem to write a word of. The chapters are all broken up into single scenes. I wrote summaries for nearly all of them about 1/2 page in length. When I look back at them I cannot help but think the entire scene has already been written in that little 1/2 page. In third person, of course, and all Telling. They are NOT actual scenes. More like: When I outline I will usually outline the highlights of the conversation about the dog and cat and, when writing the actual scene, I will expand from those highlights. I have none of these highlights in the summaries I have written. I tell myself chapters do not have to be 10 pages long, or even 5 pages. I tell myself what I told my Facebook friend. But when I look at the scene summaries all I can think is that any expansion will only make the I think this is seriously holding me back. I have written only two scenes (TWO!) on this book and, actually, I've started plotting Book 2. I even wrote the opening scene of Book 2! I feel ready to go with Book 2 but everything about it rests on Book 1. And I cannot write anything on Book 1. *Sigh* I think part of my problem may rest with the idea of what a chapter is. Does anyone else have any thoughts about chapters? ---------------- Also, I searched and saw this thread on Chapters: Questions from a newbie already and found it to be a bit...supportive. But not in a way that is offering me support in my current quandary. I saw, too, multiple threads on chapter length, multiple pov's in chapters, and moving from an outline to a fully developed chapter. I am not interested in those as I do not have what I consider to be an outline, pov questions is another thread-worthy topic entirely for me, and chapter length is all about number of pages and while I am asking that I am asking about more as well.


text:
2 kontrapunktische Skizzen, K.deest (Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus)
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Keyboard Scores
Complete Score (scan) (EU) (Preview)
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piupianissimo (2012/1/22)
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piupianissimo (2012/1/22)
Wolfgang Plath (1930–1995)
Neue Mozart-Ausgabe, Serie IX, Werkgruppe 27,
Band 2: Einzelstücke für Klavier [NMA IX/27/Band 2 (p.176)]
Kassel: Bärenreiter-Verlag, 1982. Plate BA 4584.
This "urtext" or "scholarly" (scientific) edition was published at least 25 years ago in Germany and thus is public domain in its country of origin. Such editions are also public domain in Canada because they fail to meet the minimum 'threshold of originality' to qualify for copyright as an 'adaptation'. It may not be public domain elsewhere, however. More information about this can be found here.
Please obey the copyright laws of your country. IMSLP does not assume any sort of legal responsibility or liability for the consequences of downloading files that are not in the public domain in your country.
Public Domain - Non-PD US [tag/del]
scan: score scanned at 600dpi
filter: score filtered with 2-point algorithm explained in High Quality Scanning
I provide the original scanned version and the filtered, because the filter does some changes (smoothening, sharpening borders) and some portions of the scan get lost sometimes (when they are too small e.g.) - so you can choose your favorite. You may ask me for a manually cleaned version.
General Information
|Work Title
|2 kontrapunktische Skizzen, K.deest
|Alternative Title
|Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
|Opus/Catalogue Number
|Composer Time Period
|Piece Style


text:
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Texas A&M – Corpus Christi women's tennis team was unable to match Southland Conference-leading Stephen F. Austin on the road, falling 6-1 against the Ladyjacks at the Schlief Tennis Complex on the SFA campus.
The Islanders are now 11-4 overall and 4-3 in Southland Conference matches. SFA, who is ranked No. 50 in the nation, and were as high as No. 35 three weeks ago, improved to 18-3 on the year, including a league-best 8-0 in Southland play. The Islanders were without Mia Matuszak, who was sitting out the match with an injured ankle she suffered before clinching the match against Texas State last Saturday.
In doubles, the Islanders held an early lead, but SFA came on strong with wins at No. 2 and No. 3 to earn the doubles point. Mirna Cicak and Doris Kuselj won an 8-4 final at No. 1 doubles, while Chelsea Horan and Sandra Burges lost an 8-1 match at No. 2, and Ashley Garza and Stefania Nicolae fell 8-6 at the No. 3 position. Garza and Nicolae were up 6-4, 40-15 in doubles, but the Ladyjacks rallied to take an 8-6 final and clinch the point.
"Our girls were fighting extremely hard and I felt like the match was definitely closer than the score, because we had a shot at four points today for sure," said Moore. "I thought we played great doubles, but couldn't quite close it out at end against a nationally ranked team.
"I was very impressed with the way Ashley Garza played. She stepped into a very big match for us, and she really rose up to a high level."
Nicolae would get the only victory for Texas A&M – Corpus Christi in the singles portion of the match, winning 6-2, 6-4 at the No. 4 position in the lineup against Malena Gordo.
At the No. 1 spot, Cicak suffered a loss with a bizarre final score, winning the first set before falling 1-6, 6-0, 6-1 against reigning Southland Player of the Week Elena Kordolaimi. Burges also fell in three sets, suffering a 6-3, 4-6, 10-6 setback against Tereza Bekerova in the No. 3 slot of the lineup.
"Sandra and Stefania fought incredibly hard today, and I thought our girls overall are playing with a lot of guts and courage," said Moore. "We're banged up, but we're fighting with all our hearts.
"Sometimes you don't win, but as a coach you're still proud of the character and fight your team shows. This team has great character, and I know they re going to finish this season very strong."
At No. 2 singles, Kuselj fell by a 6-3, 6-1 final against Alina Shazhko, while Horan went down by a 6-0, 6-3 final when facing Antonia Kolovou at No. 5 singles.
The final match of the day saw LeAnne Mascall downed 6-0, 6-4 at No. 6 against Julia Lorca to complete the scoring.
Next up for the Islanders will be a Saturday afternoon match against Sam Houston State in Huntsville. The teams will play at the McAdams Tennis Center with a 2 p.m. start.
For all the latest on Islanders Tennis, like the team on Facebook (Islanders Tennis) and follow them on Twitter (@IslandersTennis).
Texas A&M - Corpus Christi Tennis
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi vs Stephen F. Austin (04/05/2012)
#50 Stephen F. Austin 6, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 1
04/05/2012 at Nacogdoches, Texas
Singles competition
1. Elena Kordolaimi (SFA) def. Mirna Cicak (AMCC) 1-6, 6-0, 6-1
2. Alina Shazhko (SFA) def. Doris Kuselj (AMCC) 6-3, 6-1
3. Tereza Bekerova (SFA) def. Sandra Burgess (AMCC) 6-3, 4-6, 10-6
4. Stefania Nicolae (AMCC) def. Malena Gordo (SFA) 6-2, 6-4
5. Antonia Kolovou (SFA) def. Chelsea Horan (AMCC) 6-1, 6-3
6. Julia Lorca (SFA) def. LeAnne Mascall (AMCC) 6-0, 6-4
Doubles competition
1. Mirna Cicak/Doris Kuselj (AMCC) def. Tereza Bekerova/Malena Gordo (SFA) 8-4
2. Jithmie Jayawickrema/Alina Shazhko (SFA) def. Chelsea Horan/Sandra Burgess (AMCC) 8-1
3. Elena Kordolaimi/Laura Servise (SFA) def. Ashley Garza/Stefania Nicolae (AMCC) 8-6
Match Notes
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 11-4/4-3 SLC
Stephen F. Austin 18-3/8-0 SLC; National ranking #50; Regional ranking #10
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (2,5,1,6,3,4)


text:
Women's adidas adiPURE 360 Slide Sandals
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This summer go for a sandal that will keep you comfortable. Not your average flip flop, the adidas Adipure 360 have that comfort that will last, as they were inspired by the Adipure 360 Trainers for durably, flexibility, and of course, comfort.
The flexibility of these sporty sandals really is 360-degrees all around: in the outsole, in the elastic upper, and within the quick-drying, odor-controlling SUPERCLOUD footbed. Plan on a soft, spongy step every time. Also within the construction of the outsole are deep flex grooves, allowing for a light weight and natural movement, while also providing durability so they'll last summer after summer.
Go get those beach-thirsty toes wet at the beach, the quick-dry bandage lining will quickly adapt from wet pool excursions to dry land walking. No more feeling like your walking in a puddle after a day at the pool or the beach.
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text:
Shelton State women claim second straight ACCC championship
Published: Thursday, March 7, 2013 at 3:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, March 7, 2013 at 12:06 a.m.
HANCEVILLE | Madonna Thompson coached fourth-ranked Shelton State Community College to its second straight Alabama Community College Conference championship and her ninth in 15 seasons Wednesday. The Lady Buccaneers defeated tournament host Wallace State-Hanceville 78-54 for the championship.
The Lady Bucs will advance to the National Junior College Athletic Association national championship tournament in Salina, Kan.
Shelton State's Sharin Rivers, who scored 16 points, made 11 assists and five steals in the championship game, was voted tournament MVP. The University of Alabama commitment scored 54 points in the three tournament games. Joining her in representing the Lady Bucs on the all-tournament team were Troy University commitment Brianna Lancaster, University of South Alabama commitment Brittany Agee and Juliser Harper.
Shelton State led 42-35 at halftime and held Wallace-Hanceville to 19
second-half points. Lancaster had 16 points and seven rebounds. Agee scored 12 points, and Porshia Blue had seven rebounds.
The win ran Shelton State's record to 32-0. The Lady Bucs now wait for Monday's announcement of the
NJCAA tournament field. The national tournament will be March 18-23.
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.


text:
- Product Description
Glass Taster Pipe - Amethyst Glass with Silver Fume
This silver-fumed amethyst glass taster pipe is just big enough for a couple of tokes and small enough to fit in your pocket! The wide bowl holds a good amount, and the flattened mouthpiece gives you an easy grip.
Because each pipe is individually handblown by glass artists in an Oregon collective, the pipe you receive will be one-of-a-kind. The pattern may vary from what you see in the photo, but the overall design will be the same. Fumed glass changes color over time with heat and buildup, so your pipe's look will evolve as you use it. Thorough cleaning will return it to its original hues, so you can watch it slowly change all over again! This photo was taken after some use so you can see how the colors on your pipe might develop.


text:
Happy & having fun
- +
- We've had so much fun using this swing!
- −
- The "seat" is kinda small
|Product features
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|Overall Rating
Published on: August 18 2016
Estimated shipping is based on standard shipping rate inside contiguous United States. Your order total including shipping & taxes (NC) will be displayed later in checkout before submitting your order.
Unavailable in
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text:
In Maricopa County between 1998 and 2002, 109 children under the age of 15 drowned, and 36 children nearly drowned. Because many Arizonans have swimming pools, Arizona has one of the highest child drowning rates in the nation.
Children are also at risk around bathtubs, canals, large buckets of water, lakes, etc. Drowning is a quick and silent killer and can happen in a matter of seconds. These tragedies typically occur when a child is left unattended or during a brief lapse in supervision.
Drowning is the leading cause of accidental injury-related death among children ages 1 to 4. It is preventable, and therefore extremely important to take steps to layer your child's protection around water. Generally, half of drownings among infants occur in bathtubs, half of drownings among children ages 1 to 4 are pool-related, and children ages 5 to 14 most often drown at open-water sites such as rivers, lakes and oceans.
Never leave children alone near water.
Install fencing that is at least 5 feet high and completely surrounds the pool, equipped with self-closing and self-latching gates.
Keep rescue equipment, a telephone, and emergency numbers by the pool.
Children should learn to swim. Enroll them in swimming lessons taught by qualified instructors when they are ready, usually after age 4.
Keep toilet lids down and use toilet locks.
Pool alarms and pool covers can offer an extra layer of protection, but do not rely on them to keep your kids safe. They should be used in conjunction with fencing and constant supervision.
Empty all buckets, containers, and wading pools immediately after use and store them upside-down and out of children's reach.
Children should always wear U.S. Coast Guard approved life jackets when out on boats. Water winds are not life jackets.
Learn how to swim.
Always swim with a buddy.
Never run, push, or jump on others around water.
Always wear a U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket when you are in or near an open body of water, a boat, or participating in water sports.
Know how to use rescue equipment and where emergency phone numbers are located.
Contact Us
Safe Kids Coalition of Maricopa County
Street Address:
4041 N. Central Ave.
Phoenix, AZ 85012
Maricopa County Department of Public Health || Phoenix, AZ || Contact Us


text:
Mark your calendar for the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce's "Luck of the Irish" Casino & Game Show Night, to be held on Saturday, March 16 at Ehrhardt's Waterfront Resort in Tafton.
The event will be filled with lots of fun, prizes and much more. Featured entertainment will be Tonylou Productions with their Tricks & Trivia Competition, along with special guest, singing sensation Dani-Elle – the girl next door with a country flair.
You don't want to miss this sell-out event, so please reserve your tickets early for this fun-filled evening.
For sponsorship information and to order tickets, contact the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce at 32 Commercial Street, Honesdale, PA. You may call (570) 253-1960 or email email@example.com.
Location, ST | website.com


text:
ingredient information
Butter Ghee
Butter is a dairy product made by churning fresh or fermented cream or milk. Butter is used as a spread and a condiment, as well as in cooking applications such as baking, sauce making, and frying. As a result, butter is consumed daily in many parts of the world. Butter consists of butterfat surrounding minuscule droplets consisting mostly of water and milk proteins. The most common form of butter is made from cows' milk, but can also be made from the milk of other mammals, including sheep, goats, buffalo, and yaks. Salt, flavorings, or preservatives are sometimes added to butter. Rendering butter produces clarified butter or ghee, which is almost entirely butterfat.Butter is the most complex food with 150 chemical comounds of fats, protien, sugars,etc. When refrigerated, butter remains a solid, but softens to a spreadable consistency at room temperature, and melts to a thin liquid consistency at 32–35 °C (90–95 °F). Butter generally has a pale yellow color, but varies from deep yellow to nearly white. The color of the butter depends on the animal's feed and is sometimes manipulated with food colorings, most commonly annatto or carotene. The term "butter" is used in the names of products made from puréed nuts or peanuts, such as peanut butter. It is also used in the names of fruit products, such as apple butter. Other fats solid at room temperature are also known as "butters"; examples include cocoa butter and shea butter. In general use, the term "butter", unqualified, almost always refers to the dairy product. The word butter, in the English language, derives (via Germanic languages) from the Latin butyrum, borrowed from the Greek boutyron. This may have been a construction meaning "cow-cheese" (bous "ox, cow" + tyros "cheese"), or the word may have been borrowed from another language, possibly Scythian.[1] The root word persists in the name butyric acid, a compound found in rancid butter and dairy products.


text: I figured it was time to revamp the Science Fiction recommendation thread to follow a similar method used in the Fantasy Recommendation thread. Here I'll list some popular topics where you can find a wealth of reading suggestions, likely more than you'll ever need. Ground rules: This thread will be open for discussion If you have a question about an author or book, you can ask it here If you recommend a book, please give the author's full name and the full titleSome of the popular few threads dedicated to them, so I've listed a few towards the end of this post. Failing that, plunk their name in the SEARCH function to see what others have said about these popular authors. Some of our Moderators are also "Official" book reviewers for the site, so check out SFFWorld's Official Reviews Page, updated at least once a week with a new review Two of the more popular sub-genres of Science Fiction are Military Science Fiction and Space Opera. As such, we have many threads discussing the authors, books and what make up these subsets: SPACE OPERA Epic SF and Space Opera: Here's my giant list, what's missing? I'm running out of space operas! Space Opera recommendations? Best Space Opera Recommendations for political space opera? MILITARY SCIENCE FICTION Military Science Fiction (Merge of 3 threads) Militaristic SF with 1 POV of a powerful character? Need more military sci-fi series' Some of the popular authors David Weber Weber, Bujold, Moon, Cherryh - Comparable? John Ringo io9 article: Is Bujold "hard sci-fi"? The Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold What do people think of Miles and Honor? (Miles Vorkisgan is a Bujold creation and Honor Harrington is a David Weber creation) Peter F. Hamilton...where to start? Alastair Reynolds (1) Alastair Reynolds (2) What series to choose from: (Alastair Reynolds, John Scalzi, Richard Morgan) The Uplift Saga by David Brin Some other helpful threads Free SF ebooks What Can You Tell Me About...SF Remix Underrated sci-fi books Science Fiction Virgin! Who are the hottest authors in SF right now? I Just Bought... SF Remix Volume 3 The World After the Post-Apocalypse Post-apocalypse books Hard Science Fiction About Space Exploration Top Ten Science Fiction Books of All Time 2012 Upcoming Releases-Science Fiction The advantages of secondhand bookshops The old SF Recommendation Thread: Recommendations Again, this is an OPEN thread, so come here to find and provide recommendations! Also, please don't hesitate to start up new threads on particular subjects or authors in the Fantasy/Horror forum or just add to existing threads you find interesting. We want this thread to be active, lively, and un-daunting. Recommendations became. We'll keep this initial post relatively brief and continually update as we see fit. Always check into the Reading in… threads where members post daily what they're reading


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PARKERSBURG - Purple was the color of the day on Saturday during the 2012 Crowns for Memories Pageant at Blennerhassett Middle School for the Alzheimer's Association.
"This year we have 25 contestants from the ages of zero to adults," said Julie Warden with the event. "We are hoping it grows in the future."
Tara Casto, of Charleston, brought her daughter Carsyn, 2, to the event in hopes of her being Toddler Miss Alzheimer's Association.
Article Photos
Carsyn Casto, 15 months, of Charleston, is made pageant-ready by her mother, Tara Casto, left, and aunt Kim Newhouse before the 2012 Crowns for Memories Pageant at Blennerhassett Middle School on Saturday for the Alzheimer's Association. (Photo by Jolene Craig)
Alisha Carmichael, of Belpre, plays with her daughter Leah, 3, before the 2012 Crowns for Memories Pageant at Blennerhassett Middle School on Saturday for the Alzheimer's Association. (Photo by Jolene Craig)
Julie Warden, with the 2012 Crowns for Memories Pageant for the Alzheimer's Association, and Wendy Hamilton, with the Alzheimer's Association West Virginia Chapter in Parkersburg, speak before the pageant. (Photo by Jolene Craig)
"We only do the pageants that are tied to really good causes and the Alzheimer's Association is a great one," Casto said.
Alisha Carmichael, of Belpre, brought her daughter Leah, 3, to the event in memory of her mother.
"My mom passed away of Alzheimer's and this is for her," Carmichael said. "I also have a team that participates in the walk and this is just an extension of that."
There were five children's age divisions from babies to 13-year-olds: Baby Miss Alzheimer's Association, Toddler Miss Alzheimer's Association, Tiny Miss Alzheimer's Association, Little Miss Alzheimer's Association and Pre-Teen Miss Alzheimer's Association.
All of the children were encouraged to dress in their favorite "Go Purple for Alzheimer's" attire.
The older pageant contestants include Teen, Miss, Ms. and Mrs. categories that ranged from 14-years-old to adults.
"We wanted everyone who wanted to participate to join us," Warden said.
The winners of this year's pageant will have the opportunity to attend Alzheimer's Association events in both West Virginia and Ohio to represent the organization.
Wendy Hamilton with the Alzheimer's Association West Virginia Chapter in Parkersburg, said the event was to help the chapter reach this year's $47,000 goal.
"We were about $1,000 short of our goal after September's walk and we wanted to do something different," she said. "I think with this pageant we really thought outside of the box."
More than 48,000 West Virginians live with Alzheimer's disease and this number is set to triple by 2050 as Baby Boomers age, Hamilton said.
Statistics also state that every 68 seconds, someone in the United States develops the disease, which is listed as the sixth leading cause of death in the country and the fifth leading cause of death in people 65-years and older.
"It is a frightening disease for those with it and their families to go through because they become lost," Hamilton said.
The funds raised through the pageant, walk and by other organizations on behalf of the Alzheimer's Association go to help the local chapter continue its programs to assist the families of those with the devastating disease.


text:
invitation to the Fusion Middleware PARTNER COMMUNITY FORUM
By Michaela Seika-Oracle on Jan 07, 2013
invitation to the Fusion Middleware PARTNER COMMUNITY FORUM
Do you want to learn about Oracle Fusion Middleware?
We would like to invite you to become updated and trained at our SOA & BPM & WebLogic & ADF Partner Community Forum on February 19th and 20th Hilton Vilamoura As Cascatas Golf Resort & Spa, Algarve Portugal.
Keynotes: Ed Zou and Alistair Hopkins.
The Partner Community Forum is a wonderful opportunity to:
- learn how to sell the value of Fusion Middleware by combining SOA & BPM & WebLogic & ADF solutions
- meet with the Oracle SOA & BPM & WebLogic & ADF product management
- exchange knowledge and have access to competitive intelligence
- learn from successful SOA & BPM & WebLogic & ADF implementations
- network within the SOA Partner Community and the WebLogic Partner Community
During this highly informative event you can learn about partner success stories, participate in an array of break-out sessions and exchange information with other partners.
Additionally to the Community Forum, you can participate in technical hands on workshops on February 21st and 22nd. The goal of these workshops is to prepare you for customer implementations.
Places are limited, so don't delay and register now by clicking here. Registration takes a few minutes and is free of charge, except in case of cancellation or no show (cancellation fee € 150).
More information visit at our registration website. We look forward to meeting you in Portugal!


text:
Egg nog. Fruitcake. Mistletoe. Some holiday traditions are worth clinging to, no matter what. In a world of chaos and change, these rituals give us a sense of continuity, of permanence in uncertain times.
That's why this theater critic cherishes the tradition of the year-end best-of list. While it's impossible to mark every notable play that happened this year, it's certainly a gratifying exercise to celebrate the shows that were memorable even to the most voracious culture vulture (read: me). Sometimes it's the text that makes a production unforgettable. Other times a play etches itself into the mind's eye because of a single luminous performance or a director framing a narrative with exquisite care.
Indeed, it was such a good year that many estimable productions did not make the cut. Honorable mentions go to Katori Hall's "The Mountaintop" at TheatreWorks and Dan Le Franc's "Troublemaker, or The Freakin Kick-A Adventures of Bradley Boatright" in its world premiere at Berkeley Rep.
Here is my countdown of the Top 10 in theater for 2013.
1. "No Man's Land": Stage and screen legends Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart, two virtuosos of the theater, played a rich symphony in the enigmatic comedy of Pinter in this memorable journey to the void. Sean Mathias' wonderfully tart revival made its world premiere at Berkeley Rep before heading to Broadway. McKellen and Stewart are the ideal interpreters for Pinter because they tap into the juicy black humor that laces the dread in this 1974 thriller.
2. "Terminus": Three forsaken souls known only as A, B and C plunge into the Dublin underworld in this haunting drama from Mark O'Rowe, hailed for "Howie the Rookie." A play in verse that unfolds in a maze of interlocking monologues, this unforgettable drama was marked by the poetry of the Irish accent and the stunning versatility of actors Marissa Keltie, Stacy Ross and Carl Lumbly locked in a dance of danger and regret. The ingenious Jon Tracy directed this thrilling American premiere at San Francisco's Magic Theatre.
3. "4000 miles: Amy Herzog has a gift for understated characters facing everyday hurdles with equal parts pluck and self-destructiveness. The understated gem unfolds as a series of perfectly captured moments between eccentric people we instantly recognize and won't soon forget. The playwright ("Belleville," "The Great God Pan") based the character of Vera on her own grandmother, and you can sense her empathy for the indignities of aging. Mark Rucker directed this delicate gem in its West Coast premiere at American Conservatory Theater.
4. "Buried Child:" Loretta Greco's blistering revival of Sam Shepard's American Gothic icon, which made its world premiere at the Magic back in 1978, proved that this once lustrous troupe has made a full comeback. Framed by intense performances by Rod Gnapp, Patrick Alparone and Elaina Garrity, this white-hot production of the Pulitzer-winning family drama celebrated the theater's rich legacy as a fearless champion of bold new voices.
5. "Black Watch": Part lamentation for the fallen, part documentary theater, this critically acclaimed National Theatre of Scotland production both paid homage to and deconstructed the iconography of warfare within an explosive theatrical ritual that shook the walls of San Francisco's historic Drill Court. Director John Tiffany ("Once") and choreographer Steven Hoggett ("Once" and "Peter and the Starcatcher") brought the history of the legendary Scottish battalion to life.
6. "Strangers, Babies": Twenty years ago three little children, one of them a girl named May, romped into a park and changed their lives forever. Now May is all grown up, and she lives next to another such park but can never shake the terror of what happened that day. Scottish playwright Linda McClean ("Any Given Day") once again startled us with the enigma of the psyche, the way horror and pity can coexist in a single exhaled breath. This 90-minute odyssey, beautifully directed by Jon Tracy, made its regional premiere at Berkeley's Shotgun Players.
7. "This Is How It Goes": Neil LaBute, the bard of the bad boys, goes for the laughs and the jugular in this satire of race, love and gender in small-town America. Piercing performances by Carrie Paff, Gabriel Marin and Aldo Billingslea turned this Aurora production into an evening of gasp-worthy reversals of fortune. As in "Fat Pig" and "reasons to be pretty," the key to LaBute is making the brutality seem funny as well as true, a trick director Tom Ross has nailed.
8. "Beautiful": A blissful Brill Building score and a star turn by Jessie Mueller as songbird Carole King gave this jukebox tuner its sheen in its pre-Broadway tryout as part of the SHN series. If the boomer-magnet musical never quite makes the earth move under our feet, it does give a backstage pass to the sound of a legend being born.
9. "reasons to be pretty": Arias of howling rage were the stars of this Neil LaBute anti-rom-com. Juicy leading performances by Lauren English and Craig Marker made this savage deconstruction of gender, beauty myths and relationships cut close to the bone at San Francisco Playhouse. The redoubtable Susi Damilano directed this dark comedy hit.
10. "Peter and the Starcatcher": An inventive prequel to the "Peter Pan" fable, this Tony-winning charmer soars on its embrace of low-tech magic. A cast of 12 weaves a magic spell of fairies, pirates and shipwrecks from little more than a bit of rope, a stuffed cat and a kitchen timer. A witty antidote to the age of the FX-dominated Broadway musical. Clap if you believe in the power of imagination.
Contact Karen D'Souza at 408-271-3772. Read her at www.mercurynews.com/karen-dsouza and follow her at Twitter.com/karendsouza4.
Our picks for best films, best TV shows and best video games will appear in Friday's entertainment section.
Online: Or go to
www.mercurynews.com to find all our critics' picks, plus a slideshow and other extras.


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Police say they have identified a student who intentionally set fire to a paper-towel dispenser in the boys' bathroom at Ashland Middle School Tuesday, triggering an evacuation of the school and causing significant damage to the restroom.
The juvenile is cooperating with investigators, police said. No one was hurt in the two-alarm fire, which started shortly after 11 a.m. and disrupted classes for nearly two hours.
The Ashland Police Department's Detective Division identified the student after a joint investigation with Ashland Fire & Rescue. The student will be referred to Jackson County Community Justice's Juvenile Division. Juvenile Department officials could not be reached Thursday for comment on charges the student faces.
Ashland schools Superintendent Juli Di Chiro declined to comment on disciplinary action the student may be facing, but said there will be consequences for setting the fire.
"This is a crime, so it's being treated as a crime," Di Chiro said.
The school district's policies on student conduct and discipline say students are subject to discipline, suspension or expulsion for committing criminal acts on school grounds, which includes vandalism and disruption of the school environment.
"Restitution may be sought for willful damage to district property," the policy reads.
A fire alarm sounded just after 11 a.m. Tuesday after the student set the fire. School officials and students evacuated the building and flocked to the nearby soccer fields.
Ashland Fire & Rescue and Jackson County Fire District No. 5 responded to the school with four engines after a second alarm was called. Crews arrived on scene to see smoke pouring from the roof. Firefighters knocked the blaze down in about 15 minutes.
"The interior of the bathroom is pretty damaged," said Ashland Fire Marshal Margueritte Hickman. "Everything in the bathroom has a good coat of soot on it."
Estimates of the damage, which was contained to the bathroom, are not yet available, officials said.
Students were allowed back inside the school for lunch at 12:45 p.m.
Reach Mail Tribune reporter Ryan Pfeil at 541-776-4468 or by email at email@example.com.
Location, ST | website.com


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HAYWARD -- Since 1994, when the Children's Memorial Grove opened on Fairmont Ridge near San Leandro, about 60 Hayward young people and almost 200 in Oakland have died from violence.
Former Supervisor Gail Steele, who was the force behind the Memorial Grove, wants to remember them. On Tuesday, Steele donated a statue to Hayward that will do just that. Steele plans to do the same in Oakland.
The monuments by Utah sculptor Dennis Smith depict three children. With the permission of the families, Steele chose Jenny Lin of Castro Valley, who was 14 when she was found slain in her home in 1994; Christopher Jones of Oakland, who was 17 when he was killed in 2010 outside his home; and Warren Hoffman of Oakland, who was 3 when his father stabbed him and his mother in 1992.
In Alameda County, since 1994, a total of 385 children under the age of 17 were lost to violence.
"Kids are dying all over this country all year long," Steele said. "It's an issue that is not being discussed, and I don't know why."
In Hayward, the life-size bronze statue will rest atop a black granite base from Bras and Mattos Monument Company. Engraved in those bases will be the names of the Hayward children who died.
The City Council unanimously voted Tuesday to accept the memorial.
"We're honored you made this donation, this contribution to the city," Mayor Michael Sweeney told Steele at the council meeting.
The statue will be installed near Hayward City Hall, with Steele working with city staff members and the council to decide on the exact site. The memorial will be dedicated sometime this spring.
Most of the money for the two sculptures, $90,000, was allocated from Steele's budget during her years as an Alameda County supervisor; she retired in 2011 after more than 18 years in office. The rest, $10,000, is from royalties from the sale of Children's Memorial Flags.
"This project has been in the works for years," Steele said.
Now that Hayward has accepted one of the two sculptures, the former supervisor will turn more of her attention to getting Oakland's approval for the other. She would like to see a memorial at Lake Merritt.
While she has worked to have memorials in the two cities with the highest number of violent deaths of children in Alameda County, Steele said she hopes other cities both in the county and across the nation will create similar memorials where parents can go and see their children's names.
"People don't understand a lot about grief. It never, ever goes away," she said. "When you lose a child by violence, it's almost worse than by cancer, because it didn't have to happen, and there's nothing you can do."
Contact Rebecca Parr at 510-293-2473. Follow her at Twitter.com/rdparr1.


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Meditation Goes Mainstream
February 26, 2013 4 Comments
By: Phyllis Class, RN, Executive Director, Allied Health CE at Gannett Education
Once considered a mysterious and far out Eastern phenomenon, the practice of meditation has gone mainstream. It's no wonder.
About seven years ago, while I was in the midst of a crisis and so stressed out I couldn't sleep, I discovered what many have known for centuries. I learned that quieting my mind by listening to meditation CDs enabled me to sleep and to function better the next day. It also produced a peace and calmness that left me wanting more. Needless to say, I've been hooked on this path to Nirvana ever since.
Apparently, I'm not the first nurse who has discovered that meditation produces health benefits for caregivers as well as patients. In fact, a growing body of research backs up the benefits of this ancient practice.
Several years ago, Gannett Education evaluated the effects of its Meditation Specialist™ Certification Program on nurse participants. Susan Taylor, PhD, a published pioneer in the field and the program instructor, and Robert Hess, RN, PhD, FAAN, Executive VP, Global Programming, and a published researcher in his own field of shared governance, surveyed learners before and after the 16-day program. They measured the effects of the program on mindfulness, the qualities of consciousness that affect one's degree of self-regulation and well being, and on burnout. The results suggested that taking the course enhanced mindfulness and lowered the risk for burnout.
Other studies demonstrate that meditation may enhance attention span and reduce blood pressure in patients with coronary artery disease. In addition, it may boost immunity and has proven helpful for people with affective disorders, chronic pain and fibromyalgia.
And just recently, researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital, Bender Institute of Neuroimaging in Germany, and the University of Massachusetts Medical School concluded that people who meditated 30 minutes a day for eight weeks had measurable changes in gray matter in density in parts of the brain associated with memory, empathy, sense of self and stress.
And the list goes on and on.
If you'd like to experience some of these benefits firsthand, it's easy to get started. All you need is a willingness to be present in the moment. First, shut off the outside world of cell phones, email, television and other distractions. Begin by sitting or reclining quietly for ten minutes and breathing deeply. You can increase that time as you get comfortable meditating. Be patient, it takes a while to chase away intrusive thoughts.
I'm not an expert though. If you'd like to learn more about meditation, check out these courses:
Research Reveals the Benefits of Meditation
Get informed about the science related to the practice of meditation and its clinical application.