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Live 5-2-1-Almost None everyday:
- Five or more fruits and vegetables
- Two hours or less of screen time
- One hour of physical activity
- Almost none of items such as soft drinks, sports drinks, and fruit drinks that are not 100% fruit juice
Nemours Health and Prevention Services (NHPS) and the Nemours Florida Prevention Initiative have a daily formula to help parents and educators teach healthy habits to children, the 5-2-1-Almost None Guide.
To find out about related events, workshops, or other ways to work in your community to promote healthy eating and physical activity, or to send your comments and suggestions, contact us at (302) 444-9100 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
Download these handouts to help teach your kids about 5-2-1-Almost None. Available in English and Spanish.
Teach your students to eat healthy and exercise daily by using the daily formula for a healthy lifestyle. Download these handouts to help teach your kids about 5-2-1-Almost None. Available in English and Spanish.
The Almost None Sugar Shock Kit provides a fun and interactive way to show how much sugar is in some popular drinks. It can be used to discuss the difference between healthy and sugary drinks, and the reasons why sugary drinks should be limited.
Design your own 5-2-1 Almost None bulletin board to display in your classroom or at home.
Match up the number with the healthy lifestyle recommendation — for example, display the number "5" next to the text saying "Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day."
Download free graphics from NHPS, or from other organizations that promote similar concepts. Use them as a starting point to add interest to your 5-2-1 Almost None bulletin board.
5-2-1-Almost None Graphics (8.5 x 11 in., PDF): English | Spanish
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On the front page of the Devils Lake Journal for Tuesday, June 18 you will find what's "Coming in print," what's only found on our website today and a whole lot more.
Coming in print: What's new at the Ramsey County Commission meeting?
Only on the web: Prairie Dog - a new video is posted on our website.
Location, ST | website.com

subset: commoncrawl


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Take a sneak peek at the new NIST.gov and let us know what you think!
(Please note: some content may not be complete on the beta site.).
SI Base Units
m - Meter - Length
The International System of Units (SI), commonly known as the metric system, is the international standard for measurement. The International Treaty of the Meter was signed in Paris on May 20, 1875 by seventeen countries, including the United States and is now celebrated around the globe as World Metrology Day. NIST provides official U.S. representation in the various international bodies established by the Meter Convention: CGPM - General Conference on Weights and Measures; CIPM - International Committee for Weights and Measures; and BIPM - The International Bureau of Weights and Measures.
The SI is made up of 7 base units that define the 22 derived units with special names and symbols. The international prototype of the kilogram is the only remaining artifact used to define a base unit of the SI (rather than definition by a fundamental constant). The kilogram is the unit of mass; it is equal to the mass of the international prototype of the kilogram. The prototype kilogram is a cylinder with a height and diameter of about 39 mm and is made of an alloy of platinum and iridium. The SI plays an essential role in international commerce and is the commonly used in scientific and technological research and development. Learn more about the SI in NIST SP 330 and SP 811.
Consumers have varying levels of awareness of measurement in daily life. Since the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) Mendenhall Order in the late 1800's, many everyday measurements have been traceable to metric units. Many are not aware that "below the surface" the SI is the foundation for all measurements or of the extent the SI is used by industry to manufacture and supply the goods and services we all use every day.
Metric transition started early after the 1975 Metric Conversion Law was enacted. One of the first industry sector transitions occurred with Distilled Spirits & Wines, where transition was initiated by U.S. industry and coordinated by the U.S. Department of Treasury. Distilled Spirits and Wines have been successfully sold exclusively and accepted by U.S. consumers in metric units since the early 1980's.
Since that time, the SI has become more prevalent in U.S. society. Use of SI measurements includes areas such as media reports (e.g., stories concerning global warming refers to metric tons of CO2 emissions, military deployments using kilometers), time (second), electric current (Ampere, Volt, Ohm & Watt), sports (track and field, cycling, Olympics), package labeling (especially beverages), healthcare (blood pressure, cholesterol levels, glucose measurements, prescription and over-the-counter medicines, and dietary supplement dosages), automotive (engines, tires, navigation systems, speedometers), and other consumer products (cameras, film, pens). U.S. consumers are becoming more familiar with grams and milligrams through information provided on mandatory nutritional labeling. Advertising, coupons, and consumer product packaging are increasingly found using metric units exclusively.


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Northport City Council OKs new planning jurisdiction
Pact with Tuscaloosa County allows city to control development a few miles outside city limits
Published: Tuesday, November 19, 2013 at 3:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Monday, November 18, 2013 at 11:48 p.m.
The Northport City Council unanimously approved its new planning jurisdiction Monday, which was previously OK'd by the Tuscaloosa County Commission.
The planning jurisdiction allows the city to control development a few miles outside the city limits. Until last year, Alabama cities had the right to oversee development up to 5 miles outside city limits. Cities could enforce subdivision regulations that covered such things as building regulations, lot sizes and quality of streets.
But in May 2012, the Legislature passed a law giving planning responsibilities to county governments.
The city of Tuscaloosa, Northport and the county, however, negotiated agreements to reinstate the local planning jurisdictions.
"The lines are actually extended a little further north and west, but there is no change to the south and east," said Northport City Administrator Scott Collins, comparing the previous planning jurisdiction lines. "Most of our growth is to the north and west anyways."
In most areas the new planning jurisdiction line is about 1.5 to 2 miles outside city limits, said County Attorney Robert Spence, but in some areas it extends 3 miles.
Northport Mayor Bobby Herndon said having a planning jurisdiction again is positive for Northport. "We are all for it. Northport is fast -
growing, and we need to control whatever (growth) we can."
Although the planning jurisdiction has been approved now by the county, Northport and the city of Tuscaloosa, it still can still be changed if agreed on by the involved governments, Spence said. "It's by agreement, so it can be changed.
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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Share Photo
Britain's Secretary of State for Defense Philip Hammond, left, speak to the media with U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta during a news conference at Lancaster House in London on Saturday, Jan. 19, 2013. Britain's defense minister says it appears the hostage situation in Algeria has come to an end and resulted in further loss of life. Philip Hammond calls the loss of life appalling and unacceptable. He says "it is the terrorists that bear the sole responsibility for it." Hammond spoke at the start of a news conference with U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)


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Bowland Bridge Holiday Cottages
Just Show Me Bowland Bridge CottagesWelcome to the Winster Valley and the picturesque hamlet of Bowland Bridge, a hidden corner of the Lake District National Park, yet just ten minutes from Kendal and also from Lake Windermere. The valley was a favourite haunt of Wordsworth and is famous for growing damsons - look out for homemade jam, damson gin and roadside stalls in autumn.
Though tiny, the village offers a well-equipped general store selling everything you might need during your Bowland Bridge cottage holiday - bread, milk, local produce, newspapers etc. It's also home to two terrific pubs, both renowned for serving real ales, fine wines and delicious food.
Get out and about and explore this gloriously rural and tranquil area - enjoy leisurely drives and cycles along quiet country lanes, or don boots and head cross-country over the grassy fells. For wonderful views of Lake Windermere, try the viewpoint over Gunner's How.
Attractions near your Bowland Bridge cottage
Travel by steam from Newby Bridge on the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway. Enjoy a lakeside picnic on the lawns of Fell Foot Park, a National Trust estate in a stunning setting, with rowing boats, café and adventure playground. For shops, restaurants and a huge range of attractions including lake cruises and the World of Beatrix Potter, pretty Bowness is a short drive away. Come evening, have fun at the local quiz night or curl up on the sofa of your Bowland Bridge Cottage.
For a quiet, relaxing retreat with amenities and attractions close by, book into Damson Country soon!


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|About Rubber Types
There are two basic rubber types. Pips in rubber is by far the most suitable for the vast majority of players. This is the modern state of the art rubber that will give the vast majority of players the best performance. It will allow you to produce a greater combination of spin and speed. Inverted rubber is a variation on the old pips out rubber. The tip of the pips are glued to a sheet of sponge rubber. When you strike the ball using a racket with inverted rubber the sponge is compressed. After the sponge is compressed it then rebounds back out. This rebound force creates added speed. This added speed will give you substantially more speed than simple pips out rubber.
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Copyright© 2012 Robbins Table Tennis Specialties, Inc.
|About Blade Types
Blade is a term that the table tennis players and manufacturers use for the wood part of a table tennis paddle. There are two basic types of construction for blades.
There are all wood blades that are typically made of a number of plies of wood. The state of the art in table tennis blades is the High Tech composite blades that have mixed in with the plies a ply of synthetic material. The synthetic material which is usually graphite or even titanium. The amount of non wood material is limited by the rules of table tennis to no more that 15% of the total width of the blade.
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Copyright© 2012 Robbins Table Tennis Specialties, Inc.
|About Handle Styles
The flare handle style is by far the best suited style for the vast majority of players. The flare style is often 20 times more popular than other shapes of the same paddle model.
The flare handle flares out at the bottom and allows the shorter fingers at the bottom of the hand to have something substantial to hold onto giving you an overall better grip and allowing you more control and power.
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Copyright© 2012 Robbins Table Tennis Specialties, Inc.
|About The Robbins Table Tennis Paddles
Making a great paddle is an art.
Just having good woods and high tech materials is not enough to make a good paddle. There is an art to knowing how a paddle should play.
You need to know how a paddle should play to design a paddle that will work for players of various playing styles.
Robbins Table Tennis was founded by Dan Robbins a former U.S. Table Tennis Title Holder. Dan has acted as a consultant and product designer to some of the top table tennis companies in the world in Japan, Germany and the United States.
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Copyright© 2012 Robbins Table Tennis Specialties, Inc.


text: We are advising the public that we have determined that it is necessary to immediately add to the Plant Protection and Quarantine Treatment Manual treatment schedules for various plant commodities. We have prepared four treatment evaluation documents that describe the new treatment schedules and explain why we have determined that they are effective at neutralizing certain target pests. We are making these treatment evaluation documents available to the public for review and comment.


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Mechanical Engineering
Mission Statement
The Cooper Union's Department of Mechanical Engineering will produce broadly- and rigorously-educated graduates, able to practice professionally, pursue advanced studies and innovate in a wide range of fields. Together with our faculty and staff, our students will develop a commitment toward lifelong interdisciplinary learning, fulfill their potential for responsible leadership and inspire others to continuously pursue excellence by example.
The Mechanical Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org. Enrollment and graduation data are compiled at the following links:
- Fall 2014 Enrollment in the Department
- Fall 2014 Enrollment in the School of Engineering
- Class of 2014 Graduation Data
Program Educational Objectives
Within a few years of graduation, our graduates will:
- Apply their broad and rigorous education to responsible, interdisciplinary problem solving.
- Embrace leadership or collaborative roles in innovative undertakings that take on technological, sustainability, economic, or societal challenges.
- Take the initiative to expand their abilities through self-study, professional development, or the pursuit of graduate or professional degrees.
Student Outcomes
At the conclusion of the ME program, our students will have:
- an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering
- an ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data
- an ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability
- an ability to function on multidisciplinary teams
- an ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems
- an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility
- an ability to communicate effectively
- the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context
- a recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning
- a knowledge of contemporary issues
- an ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice


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Auckland City Art Gallery publications (1967–77)c. 1970
- Auckland City Art Gallery
- Hamish Keith
- Ross Ritchie
Contributed by Stephen Coles
Staff Pick
Contribute to the Collection
Fonts in Use is a collaborative project. Create an account and submit your own work or other examples of typography.
Zalenko Covers for Spin-O-Rama Records1959
- Harry and Marion Zalenko
Contributed by Stephen Coles


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BEST ENTRANCE: Upper level mall entrance near Sears
LOCATION IN MALL: Upper Level Sears Ct. next to Finish Line
(708) 460-3350 | Driving Directions | The Children's Place Website |
View Deals | Mall Map
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- Dec 11:
- 'Fruitvale Station' shut out of Screen Actors Guild Award nominations
- Jul 15:
- 'Fruitvale Station': BET to air special about the film
- Jul 12:
- 'Fruitvale Station' criticized for fictional scene, marketing tied to George Zimmerman trial
- Jul 10:
- Review: 'Fruitvale Station' a searing portrait of a life lost
- Oscar Grant's family finds meaning from movie
- Jun 18:
- 'Fruitvale Station' private screening to be held in Oakland
OAKLAND -- "Is it painful to watch?" asked Cephus Johnson, uncle of Oscar Grant III. "Yes, but it is a voice that got to people.
"It is authentic."
Four and a half years after the police shooting that rocked the Bay Area, a mix of pain and pride was on display as Grant's friends and family joined filmmakers Thursday night for a screening of the upcoming film that tells Grant's story.
The private screening of "Fruitvale Station" played to a full house Thursday as family and friends of Grant joined San Francisco Film Society members and packed the iconic theater to watch the critically acclaimed -- and very personal -- story of Grant's final hours play out before their eyes.
Grant, 22, was killed when BART police Officer Johannes Mehserle shot him in the back as he lay on the ground at the Fruitvale station in the early morning of January 1, 2009. Grant had been detained by police as officers sorted out a reported fight on a train; Mehserle said he had meant to use a stun gun on Grant, who police said was resisting arrest.
In January, "Fruitvale Station" took home the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award for U.S. dramatic film at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. The film is considered a likely contender for this year's Academy Award nominations.
For many, though, the film is not so much about the attention it's receiving as it is the spotlight it's putting on the life and death of Grant, a San Leandro resident who had a daughter who was four years old at the time of the shooting. The film shows Grant, who had served time in state prison, determined to turn his life around for his family before the shooting.
"He was very layered, a very complex young man," said actor Michael B. Jordan, who plays Grant. "I just took it as an opportunity to ... really get his story out there and get it told the right way."
Added Johnson: "Oscar was a father that loved his daughter, was a son that loved his mother, he was a brother and a community member. Those people that he touched can speak of his character.
"This movie allows us to see that young black and brown men are not demons."
First-time director Ryan Coogler shared that goal -- that the film would teach people to see more than stereotypes.
"One thing I live with every day is the thought that someone or something could take my life, and more than anything, what it sadly often boils down to is sides," he said. "As human beings we have a tendency to dehumanize each other for some reason. I hope this film on some level tries to counteract that.
"The people in this story, and many of those that watch this movie, understand what it means to lose someone you love. Everybody's life matters to someone."
Academy-Award winning actress Octavia Spencer, who plays Grant's mother, said that the film is an unflinching portrait of Grant's flaws and his promise, a family man who was trying to do the right thing.
"The movie does not idealize him, but it gives him a voice, shows who he is," Spencer said. "And it examines the community that is part of the overall story."
Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker, who produced the film, said he wanted the film to tell a story important to the people of Oakland.
"I'm hoping that the people here in Oakland will embrace (the film) as something that is authentic and honest and true to them," Whitaker said. "I thought there was an injustice that needed to be addressed.
"It's always important to me to find a way to put a human face on a story. I thought this was an opportunity to do that."
Grant's story is, sadly, not unique, said NAACP president Ben Jealous, who spoke of similar cases of civilians who died at the hands of police.
"This movie reminds us that it is wise to remember each case of men of color who suffered this," Jealous said. "It focuses on the positive aspects of his life and it reminds us that we have to never allow this to happen again."
Added Jordan: "I hope the message is that you are not stuck. That there is a way to a better life. That you can do it. You just need to keep going.
"Keep going."
Contact Katie Nelson at 925-945-4782 or follow her at Twitter.com/katienelson210.


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ROME (AP) -- Three workers at a Syrian steel plant, including an Italian, have been kidnapped, officials said Monday.
Italy's foreign ministry did not say where or when the kidnappings occurred but that their plant is located near the regime stronghold of Latakia on Syria's Mediterranean coast. The ministry statement said the two workers kidnapped with the Italian have other nationalities, but did not identify them.
Italy's news agency ANSA said the Italian captive works as an engineer and was abducted near Tartus, the Syrian port that is located about 55 miles (90 kilometers) south of Latakia and that contains the only naval base Russia has outside the former Soviet Union.
More than 40,000 people have been killed in Syria civil war since it began in March 2011, according to activists, but the kidnapping of foreigners has been rare.
Last summer, two Italian electrical engineers were abducted by militants in Syria and freed after eight days in captivity. They told reporters that were kidnapped by several masked men as they drove to a Syrian airport. The two Italians were then helped by the Syria army and returned home in July.
On Monday, Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi said he is closely monitoring the current kidnapping case but that he won't release any details that could risk the safety of the three hostages. `'In all these cases, the well-being of our fellow countrymen is our absolute priority and it is indispensable to maintain maximum reserve," he said.


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The NIAID influenza research program supports basic research to learn more about the structure and pathogenesis of influenza viruses—an understanding that is critical to the development of new vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics.
Some basic research focuses on specific questions regarding the biology of the virus, such as how it enters cells, replicates, mutates, evolves into new strains, and induces an immune response. Other projects are more broadly applicable. For example, the NIAID Influenza Genome Sequencing Project is a collaborative effort to obtain the complete genetic sequences of thousands of human and avian influenza strains. NIAID is rapidly making the sequence information publicly available, giving researchers genomic knowledge that may lead to the development of new and improved public health countermeasures. As of November 2011, more than 7,600 human and avian isolates have been completely sequenced and made publicly available.
NIAID also supports the research community by developing new animal models for the preclinical evaluation of vaccine and therapeutic candidates, and provides researchers with important biological resources, such as microarrays, clones, peptides, and reagents.
In NIAID in-house laboratories, researchers are studying the pathogenesis, immunogenicity, transmissibility, and genetic variability of influenza viruses. They are also investigating host immune responses to flu viruses in animal models and in humans and developing vaccines to prevent influenza, especially strains with pandemic potential. For more information on these studies, see Influenza Research in NIAID Labs.
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Last Updated November 17, 2011


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Mary "Budgie" Alverson
Published: Sunday, December 9, 2012 at 3:15 a.m.
Last Modified: Monday, December 10, 2012 at 8:07 a.m.
SPARTANBURG, SC-- Mary Juanita "Budgie" Morrow Alverson, 91, of Spartanburg, died Friday, December 7, 2012, at Windsor House-Spartanburg. Born October 11, 1921, in Landrum, SC, she was the widow of Zarah Dean Alverson and daughter of the late Isom C. and Olive Ann Harrison Morrow.
Mrs. Alverson was a member of First Baptist North Spartanburg and she retired from Sears and Roebuck after 37 years of service.
Surviving are her son, Larry Alverson and his wife Emma May of Spartanburg; granddaughter, Leigh Ledford, her husband Larry, and their children, Elise, Seth, and Drew, all of Simpsonville; and sister, Dorothy M. Bokanoski of Spartanburg.
Visitation will be 3:00-5:00 PM Sunday, December 9, 2012, at Floyd's North Church Street Chapel. A graveside service will be conducted at 3:00 PM Monday, December 10, 2012, in First Baptist North Spartanburg Cemetery, by the Rev. Dr. Michael S. Hamlet and the Rev. Larry Ledford.
Memorials may be made to First Baptist North Spartanburg, 8740 Asheville Hwy., Spartanburg, SC 29316.
The family is at their respective homes.
An online guest register is available at www.floydmortuary.com.
Floyd's North Church Street Chapel
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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Fueled by mushrooming tech wealth, luxury home sales set new records in the Bay Area last year, according to a report Thursday.
While in most markets million-dollar-plus homes would be considered luxury, in the high-priced Bay Area, real estate agents say it's homes selling for at least $2 million that fit that description. The 2,604 homes that sold for more than $2 million represented a 28 percent jump from a year ago, according to the real estate information service DataQuick, and the highest level in the company's records dating to 1988.
The big-ticket sales were concentrated in the South Bay, Peninsula and San Francisco, where companies such as Google and Facebook were sending waves of newly minted millionaires out searching for their dream homes, which were in short supply. Bidding wars pushed high prices even higher.
"Once you get up to $2 million and above, it was a record year in California and the Bay Area," said DataQuick's Andrew LePage.
There were 23 sales over $10 million in Atherton, Woodside, Portola Valley, Palo Alto and Los Altos Hills, said Mary Gullixson of Alain Pinel Realtors. Atherton had what appears to be the biggest sale of the year, a $36.75 million home.
"This was a very, very good year," she said. "Some of it was tech money."
Another factor behind the increase in those communities was that some estates that had not been on the market in years finally came up for sale, she said.
In Palo Alto, the top sale according to public records was $15 million for a house in an old, exclusive neighborhood.
Buyers competed for a scant inventory of homes, sending up prices. And a million dollars doesn't go very far in some parts of the Bay Area after a year or two of feverish bidding and multiple offers.
All sales over $1 million were up 40.6 percent in the Bay Area -- the highest since 2007 -- but about three quarters of those sales were between $1 million and $2 million, DataQuick said.
"For $1 million, you're talking about a decent townhouse or a condo these days," said Arthur Sharif of Sotheby's International Realty in Menlo Park. Sharif represented sellers of two big-ticket homes last year -- a Woodside house priced at $12.5 million and one in Atherton for $8.9 million.
In Cupertino, Los Altos and Los Gatos with their good schools, "$1.5 million is entry level," said Mark Wong of Alain Pinel Realty in Saratoga. "We just sold two over-$10 million properties in our office."
Many ordinary homes in expensive areas were pulled into the million-dollar bracket by rising prices, DataQuick said.
"The $1 million to $1.5 million range was bulked up by a lot of homes in the $800,000 to $900,000 range finally popping up over the million-dollar threshold," LePage said.
Economist Stephen Levy with the Center for Continuing Study of the California Economy in Palo Alto said prices are being driven by many buyers and not enough homes for sale. "You have all of this tech growth and they're basically competing for the existing stock of single-family homes," he said.
Santa Clara County added about 30,000 jobs last year, Levy said, while the region had roughly 8,000 new building permits. "So you have rapid job growth and not nearly enough supply coming online."
With a rising share price, "Facebook really came back" in generating high-end buyers, said Ken DeLeon of DeLeon Realty in Palo Alto. "Buyers felt more confident. Google buyers also played a larger part."
In Alameda County, public records showed one sale for $4.9 million, while two other homes sold for $4.1 million and $4.091 million. All three are in Piedmont, but in some other parts of the county homes were commanding well over $1 million.
"Berkeley is one of the hottest markets around," said David Valdez of Pacific Union Real Estate in Montclair. One of his sales last year was a 4,351-square-foot home in nearby Kensington for $2.775 million.
In Contra Costa County, two of the three top sales were in Lafayette -- one for $5.585 million and one for $4.484 million. A home in Danville commanded $4.5 million.
Valerie Cook-Watkins, manager of Coldwell Banker's office in Orinda, said that on a recent real estate tour, six of eight houses just coming up for sale were priced at more than $1 million. The highest was $3.75 million and the rest were between $1.5 million and $1.85 million, Cook-Watkins said.
"In Orinda, Lafayette and Moraga, $1 million to $1.3 million is not a luxury home, she said, "but a million can buy you a very nice home."
Contact Pete Carey at 408-920-5419. Follow him on Twitter.com/petecarey.


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Yin Yang Coffee Table
Since the Noguchi Coffee Table was first introduced in 1948, it has become one of the most distinguished pieces of furniture of the last century. Named for its designer, Isamu Noguchi, the Ying Yang Coffee Table celebrates the marriage between form and function, and offers its owner a structure that is both scultpture and furniture. Noguchi once stated, "Everything is sculpture," and that, "Any material, any idea without hindrance born into space, I consider scultpure." This quality reproduction is manufactured to almost the exact same specifications as the original
- 3/4" tempered glass top
- Strong ash wood base construction
- Highly accurate reproduction
- Available in your choice of size & finish
Small: 42.75"w x 28.5"d x 15.75"h, 52 lbs
Large: 49.25"w x 35.5"d x 15.75"h, 110 lbs
Small: 42.75"w x 28.5"d x 15.75"h, 52 lbs
Large: 49.25"w x 35.5"d x 15.75"h, 110 lbs
- (1) Yin Yang Coffee Table
LTL Freight (Truck)
- Minimal Assembly Required; Instructions Included
The Yin Yang Coffee Table is manufactured by Nuevo Living.
This item may also be referenced as HGEM574, HGEM572, HGEM573, HGEM575, HGEM569, HGEM570, HGEM571, HGEM576.
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- May 15:
- TV's killing season: Which shows got canceled?
- The CW lineup: 'The Flash' paired with 'Supernatural'; new night for 'The Originals'
- May 14:
- CBS lineup: 'NCIS' and 'CSI' spin-offs added to the mix
- May 13:
- ABC lineup: 'Scandal,' 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' are on the move
- May 12:
- 'Glee' bumped from Fox fall lineup
- Fox lineup: 'Gotham' paired with 'Sleepy Hollow'
- NBC fall lineup: New night for 'The Blacklist'; final seasons for 'Parenthood,' 'Parks and Recreation'
- May 9:
- NBC cancels 'Community,' Revolution'
No longer the ratings juggernaut it was in its heyday, "American Idol" will be downsized and eat up less of the Fox schedule, according to network chairman Kevin Reilly.
In a conference call with reporters, Reilly said "Idol" will be "more streamlined" when it returns for a new season next January, and will have a different format.
"There will be less hours, around 37 hours," he said. "I think it will be a two-night format initially during the audition phase, and will quite likely end up as a two-hour show on one night for most of its run."
"Idol" regularly has been airing 50-plus hours, Reilly said.
Once an unbeatable force, "Idol" fell to series-low ratings this season, averaging 12.3 million viewers and a 3.4 rating among adults 18-49 for its Wednesday-night episodes -- including DVR playback. Host Ryan Seacrest has already signed on for another season, while current judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr. are "likely" to be back, Reilly said.
On another front, it was recently announced that San Francisco will once again be among the "American Idol" audition cities. The show will hold tryouts Sept. 29 at the Cow Palace. That's a significant downsize from AT&T Park, where "Idol" held auditions last year.
Other "Idol" audition cities include Minneapolis (June 18), New Orleans (June 25), Long Island (July 23) and Nashville (July 30).
Contact Chuck Barney at Facebook.com/BayAreaNewsGroup.ChuckBarney, or Twitter.com/chuckbarney


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NEW: For a prettier blog interface, see the Wordpress version!
|Double-check requirements for UToronto ...
|Ask mom to fill out another copy of Form C
|Send mom latest CV, ready for printing
|Tell mom where to send stuff
|Check out EmacsWiki#RecentChanges from 2005.01.23
|Finish another run-through of the slides in order to understand the first slide set
1. A weekend in Kansai
She left early the next day, so I decided to make the most of my Sunday by going to Kyoto. I went to the Kyomizudera temple, a beautiful set of cedar structures set over a cliff. I rented a PDA audio guide (how could I not patronize such excellent use of technology?) and made my way around the temple complex listening to interesting audio snippets and looking at pictures of things not on public display. Although there were many tourists, the place felt serene, sublime.
On the way to Kyomizudera and back, I ducked into lots of little curio shops. I wasn't looking for anything in particular, but I found all the different shapes and colors fascinating. There were shops with folding fans in a multitude of designs, parasols sold side-by-side with fancy yukata and slippers, pottery in every shape and style. I wandered until I felt myself no longer distinguishing new and interesting things, then I headed back to Kyoto station.
I had friends in Osaka, so I decided to go there instead of heading all the way back to Kobe. I called the night bus service to move my departure to Osaka instead, and asked them to e-mail me a map of the bus stop. I tried to get in touch with my friends, but none of them replied (that's the problem when you're such an impulsive person that you do everything on short notice), so I just wandered around looking for an Internet cafe. Yahoo! BB (broadband) had a free Internet cafe in Yodobashi Camera, and I checked my mail for the map before heading to the 8th floor of the same building for a wonderful tonkatsu dinner. Then I wandered through the shops some more. Nearly went for a facial (only 1000 yen!) but it was already too late by the time I found out about the offer. Got sucked into a toy shop and couldn't resist buying a Rubik's cube-like thing in the shape of a pyramid.
Then I headed back down to the cybercafe for a quick check. So now it's back to Tokyo, and work, and and the rest of life. Just one more month!
On Technorati: japan
2. Carelessness
I seem to also have managed to drop my phone into the bath yesterday. While it is now strawberry-scented, it no longer works. I have lived without a cellphone before and was only going to be able to use it for a month longer anyway, so that's not so much a loss as the black bonnet is. I liked the black bonnet very much.
Note to self: be more careful in the future. No more cellphones in baths, even if I really find it hard to be away from my mail. ;)
On Technorati: lost
3. Double-check requirements for UToronto
Graduate Studies Office Mechanical & Industrial Engineering University of Toronto 5 King's College Road Toronto, ON M5S 3G8 CANADA
- We require ONE copy of official transcripts from ALL former institutions attended (whether or not a degree was granted). - Each envelope must be sealed and signed by the issuing institution. - DO NOT open the envelopes. - Transcripts received in an unsealed envelope are not official. - Complete contact information for the office issuing the transcript (office name, telephone number, FAX number, e-mail, mailing address) should be provided for any overseas institutions.
- Make sure to give detailed information on any publications (journal name, volume number, page number, year) and the country in which the journal is published.
On Technorati: gradschool, application
I'd love to hear about any questions, comments, suggestions or links that you might have. Your comments will not be posted on this website immediately, but will be e-mailed to me first. You can use this form to get in touch with me, or e-mail me at [email protected] .


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Oil and Gas Downstream
Oil and Gas Upstream and Pipeline
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- High suction pressure designs for gas-to-liquids processes
- Fully lined API slurry pumps


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SAN JOSE -- Most of the candles had burned out and turned to clumps of wax by noon Sunday, but Malanie Agulto spotted two that still twinkled in memory of her older brother, the city's 40th homicide victim of the year.
"Look, two of them are still on," she said in the parking lot of the Arbor Apartments, a government-subsidized complex in southwest San Jose. "He was only 22, getting his life together, working two jobs, taking care of his family ... Everybody knew him as the quiet one."
Robert Agulto's slaying by gunfire early Saturday morning ties a grisly 16-year high of city homicides -- with most of two months to go. A dozen or so of his relatives and friends held a tearful candlelight vigil in his memory that night on the spot where he fell. On Sunday morning, they were making plans for his funeral and for putting on a carwash to help pay for it.
By the family's account, Agulto's death was not the result of gang warfare. They say it was an incidental consequence of a personal argument that got out of control between two other men. Adding to the tragedy, all three of the young men had known one another since childhood.
"That's what's so sad," Malanie Agulto said. "We all grew up around here. Our families know each other."
Ongoing investigation
According to 16-year-old Jose Agulto, Robert was relaxing in the patio of their apartment when he saw a car pull alongside his best friend, who was approaching the Agulto house and was about 50 yards away. Jose said Robert could see that an argument had erupted between the driver, a reputed gang member, and Robert's best friend, whom the family and police declined to identify.
"My brother went over to see what was going on and opened the door of the car," Jose said. "Then the guy shot him."
City police said they were not prepared to talk about a motive or any other details pending their investigation and a medical examiner's report. However, family members said the shooter did not have anything against their brother. If the shooter had an intended target, they said, it was Robert's best friend, but they did not think the difference between them was gang-related.
According to family members, Agulto suffered gunshots to the face, head and chest. As the shooter sped away, Agulto's best friend rushed him the hospital. Malanie Agulto, 20, said she had spoken with the friend Sunday morning and that he was shaken and extremely upset about what happened.
"He told me he's alive because of my brother," she said.
Her husband, Johny Dominguez, added about Robert, "He is a hero in his best friend's eyes and in our eyes, too."
Overcome by sadness
The oldest of five children, Robert Agulto attended Lietz Elementary and Dartmouth Middle schools in southwest San Jose before moving to Riverside in Southern California. He became a father there at age 18 before moving back to San Jose with his girlfriend.
He worked two jobs at crafts and party stores nearby, relatives said, and spent most of his free time with his three kids. He also spent leisure time following professional football, especially the Oakland Raiders. He never belonged to or wanted to join a street gang, they said, adding that Robert and his girlfriend were going to enroll in college in January.
Ironically, Malanie Agulto said, everybody involved in the tragedy lived or was closely connected to residents of the large apartment complex. She said their mother, Evelyn Agulto, and Robert's girlfriend were too overwhelmed by the tragedy to speak about it. Malanie said both families will have to deal with the consequences. Her family loses a loved one. The shooter's family will have to deal with his imprisonment and the shame he has brought upon them, she said.
"It's hard for us and hard for them," Malanie said about both families. "They lost someone due to the act of violence, and we lost somebody, too. This hurts our whole community."
Contact Joe Rodriguez at 408-920-5767. Follow him on Twitter.com/JoeRodMercury.


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Stayokay Soest (bei Utrecht)
Hostel Stayokay Soest
Part of the Stayokay hostelchain in the Netherlands
Stayokay Soest is situated in the middle of the Netherlands and rich in untouched and diverse natural beauty. It is a place surrounded bij forest, fields and sanddunes. Within walking distance you will find the 'Soester Dunes' and woods, a unique nature reserve of 500 hectares. In this dune area are various walking and cycling routes of different distances.
Soest is situated 20 km from Utrecht, 7 km from Amersfoort, 10 km from Hilversum and 40 km from Amsterdam. These are popular towns for museums, culture, shopping and buzzing nightlife. These places are easy to reach by public and private transport- the bus and train station Soest-Zuid is only 5 minutes walk from the hostel. Ask our staff for tips on activities during your stay.
Stayokay, part of Hostelling International
Stayokay has several hostels throughout the Netherlands and is part of the Hostelling International network. You'll find our hostels in the cities Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Den Haag, but also at the beach, in the woods and along the water. Stayokay hostels are housed in different unique buildings, ranging from modern facilities to castles or country houses. No matter where, you will find a relaxed atmosphere, giving you an opportunity to meet fellow travelers.
City Tax is not included, pay upon arrival, €0,75 per person per night.
Availability & RatesTo view availability and prices please select dates and click 'Update Dates'
Hostel Facilities & Policies
- 24 Hour Security
- Adaptors
- Bar
- Bicycle hire
- Bicycle parking
- Board Games
- Book Exchange
- Free Breakfast
- Café
- Child Friendly
- Common Room
- Credit Cards Accepted
- Currency Exchange
- Elevator
- Telephone/Fax Facilities
- Free Internet Access
- Free Parking
- Free WiFi
- Foosball
- Games Room
- Hot Showers
- House Keeping
- Internet Access
- Key Card Access
- Linen Included
- Luggage Storage
- Meals Available
- Meeting Rooms
- Non Smoking
- Outdoor Terrace
- Parking
- Postal Service
- Reading Light
- Restaurant
- Tours/Travel Desk
- Towels For Hire
- Towels Included
- Vending Machines
- Wheelchair Friendly
Cancellation PolicyThis property has a 1 day cancellation policy. Failure to cancel within this time will result in a cancellation charge equal to the first night of your stay.
Must-Read Hostel InfoThis property has specific Terms & Conditions.
City Tax is not included, pay upon arrival, €0,75 per person per night.
PLEASE NOTE-Cancellations:
If a reservation is made for one or more individuals, the following applies with respect to the cancellation of said reservation:
-If the cancellation is made before 3pm on the day before arrival, the guest is not obliged to pay anything to Stayokay.
-For cancellation after 3pm on the day before arrival, the guest will be required to pay Stayokay 100% of the reservation price.
Stayokay and Hostelling International members do not receive member discount on this booking.
DirectionsShow MapHide Map
Public transport
Take the train to Soest-Zuid station. Cross the main road and over the tracks and walk down the path, that is the beginning of the Bosstraat. Walk 500m and you will find the hostel on your right hand side.
Located Near
Stayokay Soest is nearby the the Soesterduinen nature reserve, where you can cycle or walk along sand drifts. The hostel hires bicycles and special giant scooters for navigating this type of terrain. The surroundings include woods, sand drifts and grass lands. Bicycle routes take you to palaces, estates and museums. Other local fun includes indoor skiing or roller blading. The Amersfoort Zoo is just 5 km away. SoestÂs central location means Utrecht and Amsterdam can be reached within 30 minutes.


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PARKERSBURG - Wood County Sheriff Ken Merritt, along with other sheriffs around the country, reportedly has signed a petition stating he would not enforce a federal assault weapons ban if one is passed.
President Barack Obama has proposed a number of executive actions, including a federal ban on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition and a universal background check requirement for all new gun purchases. If the ban becomes law, a number of sheriffs have gone on record saying they wouldn't enforce it, calling it a violation of the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
"I am a firm believer in the Second Amendment and would not enforce laws contrary to the Second Amendment, I feel that is unconstitutional," said Shawn Graham, chief law enforcement deputy.
Wood County Sheriff Ken Merritt could not be reached for comment Thursday, but a petition created by the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association lists Roane County Sheriff Mike Harper and Merritt as signers of a petition that states it is a "line in the sand" against the federal government.
"The county sheriff is the one who can say to the feds, 'Beyond these bounds you shall not pass.' This is not only within the scope of the sheriff's authority; it's the sheriff's sworn duty," according to the petition's statement. The group is headed by former Arizona sheriff and Gun Owners of America lobbyist Richard Mack and has been designated an anti-government group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
According to Associated Press reports, Merritt said he signed the petition last month because some of his family members have died at war to protect the Constitution.
Obama "can make statements on a podium, but to me it's saying, 'You don't have the Constitution anymore and we didn't give it to you as a right in the first place,'" Merritt was quoted as saying.
Merritt said he didn't want to be labeled a radical and hasn't decided exactly how he would defy the assault weapons ban.
Merritt was quoted as saying he supports the president's proposal to ramp up law enforcement protection at schools. Several public schools in Wood County already have armed officers and he's meeting with a private school this week to place an officer there, he said. The grant-funded officers have weapons, Wood County Sheriff's Department officials said Thursday.
Contacted Thursday by The News and Sentinel, Wood County Prosecutor Jason Wharton said he has not seen the petition.
Asked if the sheriff had the authority not to enforce the ban if it becomes law and what the ramifications would be if he chose to do so, Wharton said, "Generally speaking it is the duty of the sheriff to uphold the laws. The sheriff's oath indicates that he will 'support the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution of the State of West Virginia, and that (he) will faithfully and impartially discharge the duties of the office of Wood County sheriff in and for Wood County, West Virginia, to the best of (his) skill and judgment.' A law that is declared unconstitutional cannot be enforced because once it is declared unconstitutional it is void. In the event that a law were to be passed that appeared on its face to be unconstitutional, the sheriff would have to exercise his judgment as indicated in his oath to uphold the Constitution in determining whether to enforce the same until its constitutionality could be tested by the courts. It would ultimately be up to the courts to determine the constitutionality of any particular law," Wharton said.
According to a press release issued by the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association in Fredericksburg, Texas, "Retired Sheriff Richard Mack is leading a coalition of county sheriffs from all over the United States to stand against President Obama's gun control measures."
Mack is known for winning a previous gun control battle by fighting the Clinton administration and getting the Brady Act overturned by the Supreme Court. The association advocates for sheriff's keeping their oath to uphold and defend the Constitution, including the sheriff's duties to protect the Second Amendment rights of their constituents.
The West Virginia Sheriffs' Association has not yet taken a formal stand on any current federal proposals. So far five West Virginia sheriffs have individually said they won't enforce any federal ban on assault weapons.
The executive director of the state association said she is still researching what would happen if sheriffs defy federal laws.
The assault weapons ban proposed by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., would make owning such weapons a federal crime. U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin declined Wednesday to comment on the proposed ban and what it would mean for sheriffs who defy it.
The White House issued a written plan with four goals: Keeping guns out of the wrong hands, getting "weapons of war" off the streets, upgrading school safety and improving mental health services.
(The Associated Press contributed to this article.)


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Tottenham Hotspur Message Board
EPL 25 Man Squad - 2012-13
From http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/news/news/premier-league-squad-lists-201213.html
Gomes, Heurelho Da Silva
Cudicini, Carlo
Friedel, Bradley Howard
Lloris, Hugo
Kaboul, Younes
Gallas, William
Adebayor, Emmanuel
Vertonghen, Jan
Assou-Ekotto, Benoit
Cordiero, Sandro Raniere Guimarae
Falque, Yago
Sigurdsson, Gylfi Thor
Dempsey, Clinton Drew
Lennon, Aaron
Walker, Kyle Andrew
Naughton, Kyle
Dawson, Michael Richard
Dembele, Moussa
Huddlestone, Thomas Andrew
Parker, Scott Matthew
Livermore, Jake Cyril
Jenas, Jermaine Anthony
Bale, Gareth Frank
Defoe, Jermain Colin
Bentley, David Michael
So from what I can see, based on the squad list published at this time last year, we have gained/lost:
Lost Alnwick - gained Lloris
Lost King,Bassong - gained Vertonghen
Lost Corluka - gained Walker, Naughton
Lost Modric, Krancjar, Two Saints, VdV, Pienaar - gained Dembele, Dempsey, Sigurdsson, Bentley, Jenas, Falque
Lost Pav
Obviously Walker played last season but would have been U21 then.
To me the squad looks weaker overall. The gain at keeper is positive. We gain Naughton and lose Corluka at FB. King and Bassong for Vertonghen? As for midfield - take your pick. If it wasn't for Bentley/Jenas and Falque now being given squad numbers, we'd be considerably down. Pav went, and Saha subsequently came and went.
So to me the squad looks:
Keeper - stronger
FB - weaker
CB - weaker
MF - weaker (although I think there are more goals in the additions) although we have now got Thor in our ranks
Striker - weakerSort: Newest | Oldest | Most Replied Expand all replies
Bentley gone on loan and rumours that Jenas will go on loan to the Championship. No great loss in terms of them being potential regulars in the first team. Maybe AVB thinks MF is now adequately covered by the new arrivals. I hope the winter 'injury season' is kind to us.
- 1 Reply to Jlock
So Bentley has gone to Rostov til January, I have mildly more respect for him, at least he wants to play football, fingers crossed it will become a permanent deal.
Jena's being liked with a move back to Shottin'ham Forest! That would be a great move all round.
Bentley may have something to offer, but he needs games to prove it, so this deal should work well for him. I just hope he's packed his thermals, he'll need them. I almost pity Jenas, he's not awful, he's just.... so very average, maybe a spell in the Championship will help boost his confidence, I'm surprised QPR didn't go for him- he'd have fitted well there.
Surely we have enough cover for them both to leave? neither is good enough IMO.
I'm sure Gylfi, Falque and Townsend can offer more than Bentley and all our central midfield options are much better than Jenas IMO. So barring a serious injury list, I think we'll cope just fine without them.
Congrats to Caulker, scoring for the U21's!
Average Joe X
john, my negativity is rubbing off on u!
i pretty much agree. the huge blow is losing modric & having no replacement. moutinho was crucial.
i disagree about being weaker at CB. i thought bassong was poor. & i love king but he was injured for large parts.
vertonghen is a good signing. he is a big imprvement on bassong. not as good as king but he was injured most of the time.
also, dempsey can play in the striker role. he is an improvement on pav & saha.
basically we are missing 1 of the most important positions which is that CM playmaker role.
- 1 Reply to Layla
No SB, it's not your negativity, just me looking at the squad.
I'm not judging 1st team or the bench - just the overall 25('ish).
Dempsey may be able to play a 'striker', but this time last year we had 3 strikers, now we have 2. We actually used 4 different strikers last year.
Ditto CB, although you can compare Vertonghen to Bassong, with all due respect that isn't the point in comparing the squads. I think we used King, Daws, Kaboul, Gallas, Nelsen and Bassong last year. So although, Caulker has come through, we're lighter in that area (you could see King/Bassong/Nelsen gone and Vertonghen/Caulker in).
As for MF, then I personally see Dempsey as the same as VdV (the role anyway) - so I think that the whole midfield has lost both a level of skill and depth. Maybe we're slightly better of with a 'VdV' type replacement in Dembele/Dempsey/Sigurdsson - but overall with losing Pienaar, Krancjar and Two Saints and getting back Bentley and Jenas, Hopefully Falque will shine.
Away from the overall squad, I assume Dempsey OR Sigurdsson will play the VdV role with Dembele the Modric role - I'm still not sure how AVB will work those three into the starting 11 at the same time, along with either Daffy or Ade (or both) - that's assuming always that one of Sandro/Parker/Livermore/T'Hudd will start with Bale and Lennon.


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No one will remember a single word from Sen. Marco Rubio's response to the State of the Union last night, lost as they were inside his desert mouth cave. When we think back on Rubio's words, we will hear instead the collective sound of a big group of people smiling at once, or someone eating a banana inside your ear.
[H/T Joe Mande.]


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1977-04-15 Char-Koosta News
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3^;^^^^EWSP/CPERPFJ^E^ALISH,JPEND D'ORIELLES a VOLUME 6 NUMBER 24 NEW MOON OF THE YELLOW BELLS APRIL 15, 1977 " DAM STUDIES " SUBJECT OF PUBLIC MEETINGS The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has received a go ahead by the Tribal Council to do a million dollar detailed dam feasibility study. It includes five potential dam sites along the Flathead River on the reservation. The study was authorized by Congress in 1964. It would also include a dam on the Clark Fork, off the reservation. Since the five Flathead dams would overlap each other, not all could be built. Those sites and the national need for them were discussed March 29 at a hearing in Poison. The Corps also explained that there would be two more local public meetings on the matter. One this Spring or Summer would discuss the most feasible alternatives. The meeting scheduled for this Fall would discuss the actual proposed plan for dams. Current preliminary plans are considering five earth fill dams here with concrete spillways and powerhouses. A Buffalo Rapids 2 dam, 12 miles below Kerr would back water to the dam. It would be an unregulated, run of the river dam. A Sloans Bridge dam would also back water to the dam. It would be a fluctuating storage unit. Buffalo Rapids 4, 36 miles below Kerr, could back water to the dam as a storage unit, or it could be built as an unregulated dam which would back water up to Buffalo Rapids 2. A high dam at Buffalo Rapids 4 would require a re-regulating dam at Moeise, 43 miles below Kerr. A 265 foot high Knowles dam at the reservation boundary would back water to Kerr Dam and flood out Dixon. This dam has been defeated through intense tribal and local opposition in the past. At the Poison meeting, Helen Stephens, of Paradise, received confirmation by the Corps that artesian water had been struck along the river in their test. She questioned the possibility of a Teton Dam type disaster. Douglas Beatty, a Dixon farmer, protested that a Knowles dam would flood irrigated land. Dave Harriman, a fish hatchery owner near St. Ignatius, noted that run of the river dams could raise water temperatures and thus eliminate an excellent trout fishery. The Corps conceded this may be a possible problem. Many people at the meeting questioned the need far a study, but Col. Poteat of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers later told the Missoulian he had no authority to stop the study and would follow his "marching orders." Those questioning the need for a dam noted that there were already about 200 dams in the Columbia River Basin. They claimed that one dam would only meet six months growth in energy needs. Col. Poteat admitted that the projected peak for all hydroelectric power development in the U.S. would only supply 4.8% of the nation's energy needs. Commenting on the matter, Tribal Councilman and Vice-Chairman, Vic Stinger said, "I don't see why" people are opposed to the study. He remarked that this was the only way to get any hard information on the matter. Councilman E.W. Morigeau felt that the main matter of concern was proper payment to the Tribes. The way is still open for negotiation by the Tribes as to who builds the dams. Col. Poteat told tribal member Louis Dupuis at the Poison meeting that the Corps does not have exclusive jurisdiction on the matter yet. When asked about Tribal ownership of the river and water at the Poison meeting, Col. Poteat said that this was a complex question with a long history. He said the matter would have to be researched. The Flathead Indian Girl's Basketball team from St. Ignatius, is shown here with Coach Rusty Cordier, displaying the tropheys given at the recent basketball tournament held in St. Ignatius. Teams from all over the Northwest competed for three days . Winning team was the Confederated Colville Tribes, 2nd place was the sponsoring team, Flathead Indian Girls, 3rd place went to the Lapwai Hopperettes, and 4th place tropheys awarded to the Yakima Nation team.
Object Description
|1977-04-15 Char-Koosta News
|Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation.
|Salish Indians --Newspapers.; Kutenai Indians --Newspapers.; Pablo (Montana) --Newspapers.; Kootenai Indians
|"Dam studies" subject on public meetings; A new beginning for the tribe and MOD?; HUD to build 75 new homes; Reservation forests - future logging sales; Alcoholism: Are you an alcoholic? Do you know someone who is?; Do we have a child abuse and neglect problem on the reservation?; Myths and truths of child abuse and neglect; 4th of July is just around the corner; Indian studies produces a first for St. Ignatius; Tribal water codes; Pedestrian path Okay'd.
|Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Indian Nation
|Date Original
|Date Digital
|Resource Identifier
|Rights Management
|Copyright (c) Salish and Kootenai Federated Tribes, all rights reserved.
|Contributing Institution
|Salish Kootenai College
|D'Arcy McNickle Library
|Vol. 6; No. 24
|Digitization Specifications
|Digitized at the University of Montana Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library; Scanned as master TIFF using Bookeye 3 scanner at 400 ppi, 8 bit grayscale; Optical Character Recognition with Abbyy FineReader Corporate Edition; Derivatives created using Photoshop CS
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text:
Quote: Sleep: What has a tiny penis and hangs down? a bat
Now what has a huge penis and hangs up?...(dial tone)
I think that joke is made for the phone.
diane wrote: sleep is usu so smiley. he looks decidedly less smiley in that picture juxtaposed with uber smiley sage one.
can't wait to hear the new album!


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Boal becomes CBO
16.01.2013 - OBN, the trade association building the community for UK Bioscience companies, has named David Boal as Director of Business Development.
Boal joins OBN with an admirable sales record having worked with many of the major bioscience players and his own very successful consultancy. He graduated from the University of Ulster with a degree in Biomedical Sciences obtained whilst working at the MS research laboratories of Queens University in Belfast. Over the past 25 years David has achieved significant success in a number of sales, marketing and business development roles all within the Bio-pharmaceutical arena for companies such as, GD Searle (now Pfizer where he held a number of Sales & Marketing positions, Scotia, PolyMasc (Valentis), Laxdale and Amarin Neuroscience. Finally in the last 3 years, Boal has been running and managing his own business development consulting company (Diligent Consulting Ltd).http://www.european-biotechnology-news.com/people/bio-people/2013-01/david-boal.html


text:
It was an historic trip around the world, put on hold by a terrible accident in Southern Colorado.
English adventurer Jason Lewis is the first person to circumnavigate the entire globe by using only human power. He traveled through 37 countries and across three oceans. He endured many hardships along the way, like being hit by a car and a crocodile attack. A big part of his story took place in Pueblo, where he hopes to inspire others.
We all wish to see the world, but one man decided to do it: take a trip around the entire globe.
"Hey I've got this amazing idea...I'm bored at my job, which we can all relate to in some degree, and I've got this amazing idea that hasn't been done before," said Lewis.
Lewis trekked 46,000 miles using only human power, from biking in Thailand to pedal boating across the Atlantic.
"I had to swim some of the rivers in southeast Asia, like the Mekong River, because there was no bridge."
But his plan to rollerblade across the Untied States was cut short when he was hit by a car in Pueblo.
"I was on Highway 50 up by the university and the first thing I knew was this incredible sense of force hitting me from behind."
The crash broke both of his legs, and during the nine months of recovery, Lewis debated giving up. But he didn't, instead using his time off talking to local students about his journey.
"I went to schools in my wheelchair, and I got to see how talking about the adventure suddenly would light up in the eyes of third, fourth and fifth graders."
After completing his 13-year journey, Lewis hopes his message will continue to inspire others.
"If you have a dream or aspiration like I had, then you should go for it...I guess that's been my message throughout the circumnavigation."
Lewis has just finished writing about his adventure in a book called "The Expedition."
For more information visit www.expedition360.com.


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(WOMENSENEWS)--An article chronicling a white woman's discomfort and revelations after "a young, fairly heavy black woman" came to her yoga class and "put her mat down directly behind mine" has sparked outrage on various blogs and websites, particularly among women of color.
Published earlier this week in XO Jane, with a headline that could have been pulled from The Onion, starting with "It Happened To Me: There Are No Black People In My Yoga Classes…," Jen Caron details how this black woman appeared to never have set foot in a yoga studio before and the woman's difficulty with the poses. She describes how it impacted her own practice:
"I was completely unable to focus on my practice, instead feeling hyper-aware of my high-waisted bike shorts, my tastefully tacky sports bra, my well-versedness in these poses that I have been in hundreds of times. My skinny white girl body. Surely this woman was noticing all of these things and judging me for them, stereotyping me, resenting me--or so I imagined."
Caron then shares her realization about how few black students attend her yoga class, speculating on what it must feel like:
"I thought about how that must feel: to be a heavyset black woman entering for the first time a system that by all accounts seems unable to accommodate her body. What could I do to help her? If I were her, I thought, I would want as little attention to be drawn to my despair as possible--I would not want anyone to look at me or notice me. And so I tried to very deliberately avoid looking in her direction each time I was in downward dog, but I could feel her hostility just the same."
Besides ridicule, Caron's revelations have prompted a strong negative response, with almost 2,500 comments on her article at last check, which range from calling the essay offensive and patronizing to black women to recommendations for body-positive yoga classes. She has even been said to have changed her real name on the article, following the backlash.
'Black Folks Practice Yoga'
On the website Clutch, Britni Danielle says the essay screams white privilege by assuming that the "skinny white girl body" is being coveted by a heavyset black woman. She goes on to point out:
"In the midst of her navel glazing, Caron failed to realize or even acknowledge that Black women--like many other types of women--practice yoga as well. While they may not be sweating it out in her studio, which she admits is overrun with male hipsters, many of us are yogis and yoga devotees, even if we happen to be 'fairly heavy.' Just because Caron's never taken a moment to notice--or even speak to–a Black student in her class doesn't negate the fact that many Black folks practice yoga."
Around 20 million people practice yoga in the U.S., 82 percent of which are women, mostly for its health and stress relieving benefits, according to the 2012 Yoga in America study. The study didn't include figures on race, but a 2008 study concludes that "yoga users are more likely to be white, female, young and college educated."
In her essay, Caron does wonder what she or the instructor could have done to help the black woman and raises questions about how yoga spaces in general can be made more accessible to all people and body types.
But Pia Glenn, in a response piece on XO Jane, describes how Caron "may not even be aware of the level to which you dehumanized the Unnamed Black Woman behind you."
"If you really believe that yoga is for everyone, why would you describe the woman on the mat behind you in such alien terms? And your little soupçon of self-awareness does not mitigate your dehumanization. Without full understanding of your privilege, you can never be a true ally.
Black women are continually treated like animals in a zoo, our bodies on display for you to marvel at or pity, but ultimately walk away from, none the wiser and having affected no positive change for all of your tears and hand-wringing."
Exclusion of Larger Women
Sesali Bowen, on Feministing, adds that you can't forget that "this entire situation was prompted by the fact that the new girl in class was a fat woman." She says:
"There are plenty of my fellow fat girls who shudder when they recall going to the gym or a yoga class only to find that our titties pose a suffocation risk in downward dog, and that our oversized t-shirts seem to be a welcome invitation for other people at the gym to vocalize their support of our (assumed) new lifestyle. Being fat in spaces that are creating to bring attention to the body can seem like breeding grounds for microaggressions and hurt feelings."
Erika Nicole Kendall, a practicing yogi who says she was about 300 pounds when she first started, agrees. In a piece for A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss she says she knows what it's like to be on the other end of this story and provides a 10-point breakdown of why she finds Caron's essay to be offensive.
These concerns aren't anything new unfortunately. In a 2012 article on the site Decolonizing Yoga, Rochelle Robinson touched on many these issues of exclusion:
"When I talk to other black women or women of color, I hear pretty much the same: they don't think that yoga is accessible to them because white folk who usually own and operate these studios don't consider our needs…The majority, if not all of the studios around 'the town' also lack sensitivity to the well endowed female bodies. Neither does the images you see reflect women who are larger than a size 2. So, this group of women is usually excluded because yoga has become a mainstream practice for the super thin and super fit, two qualities usually not attributed to the fuller-figured sistas."


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Though Susan Vance spun her wheels for more than a year and a half, she was determined to achieve her goals. Vance and her team at the Butler County Department of Environmental Services (BCDES) were set on starting up an environmental management system (EMS) in 2001, and nothing was going to stop them.
"We initially formed an internal team of employees and used the National Biosolids Partnership (NBP) guidelines and tried to move the EMS process along on our own," says Vance, director of the Ohio department. "We quickly learned this was not going to work."
Much like Sisyphus—the Greek mythological character eternally doomed to roll a rock up the same hill over and over—the BCDES was not going to give up on its quest to become compliant with federal EMS guidelines.
First, they hired a consultant familiar with the International Organization for Standardization, commonly called ISO. Since the consultant had never worked with a biosolids environmental management system, that plan was scrapped.
The BCDES then decided to sign up with the NBP's program (overseen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency), and became a demonstration agency in round two of the pilot program. The commitment paid off. After three years, the agency achieved EMS certification.
But like Sisyphus, the BCDES will never be done.
"These programs are based on systems for continual improvement," says Vance. "We are audited internally and externally on an aggressive schedule, so the systems continue to grow and change as our business grows and changes."
Butler County is not unique in its quest. Much like other public works entities across the nation, the county saw the benefits in setting up a program to ensure that tasks are done the same way every time. Setting up standard operating procedures and rigorous training protocols has made the BCDES—and other organizations just like it—more proactive. EMS improves upon a department's ability to meet regulatory standards, correct problems after they've been identified, and use the documented problem—and subsequent answer—as a future training exercise.
But the process isn't cheap. "We spent about $100,000 to set up our environmental management system," says Rick Pence, general manager of solid waste in Scottsdale, Ariz. The city worked on a pilot program with the EPA starting in 1997. The three-year study paid off, and the city was recognized in 2000. It's the only municipality to be EMS-compliant in every department. The cost of keeping the plan updated is paid out of the public works department's operations and maintenance budget, so the cost is simply built in to annual expenses.
"For us, it's a corporate culture," says Pence. Scottsdale promotes innovation and public stewardship across all its departments, which trickles down to all employees directly and indirectly associated with the EMS procedures.


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Learning true cost of new health law
April 8, 2013
It may seem to some Americans that new revelations of what "Obamacare" — the national health care takeover law — will cost have become a regular feature of news reports....
"I just see a huge train wreck coming down," Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., told Obama's health care chief during a routine budget hearing that suddenly turned tense.
Baucus is the first top Democrat to publicly voice fears about the rollout of the new health care law, designed to bring coverage to some 30 million uninsured Americans through a mix of government programs and tax credits for private insurance that start next year. Polls show the public remains confused by the complexity of the law, and even many uninsured people are skeptical that they will be helped.
Seems that even Democrats are acknowledging the truth.
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RE: Suttle, Your statement that "other industrial countries can find a way to offer healthcare for their citizens" is very misguided. What countries are you speaking of? Countries such as Greece, Portugal, and other countries on the brink of bankruptcy? The UK has tried the socialized medicine experiment, it has failed incredibly, and they are now re-privatizing healthcare. Why should the US go down the same path? Our healthcare system contains many flaws, but ObamaCare solves none of them. Refusal to accept accountability for one's actions, and obsession with political correctness dooms healthcare. Until the mentality of entitlement changes, healthcare costs will not improve.
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Where did this thought that healthcare is a, "right" come from? Why are other things we may need or want at some points not "rights"? Take for example: shelter, clothing, companionship, entertainment, ability to travel, etc. For the life of me, I cannot get that society as a whole must provide everything for all. Hmmmm, thus the root word for SOCIALISM?
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I would argue that the US already provides health care to its citizens. From the numerous free and fee based clinics available to the fact that no one can be turned away from an emergency room, any American that wants care can find it.
And while I don't see how health care is a right, I do believe that it is in our best interest as a nation to care for our citizens.
I just know without a doubt that Obamacare is not the solution. First, it's not healthcare; it's a tax that is going to cost America dearly as it does NOTHING to address the rising cost of health care. It merely provides funding to at an extremely high cost.
If the President wanted to address cost, there was models like the Cleveland clinics all inclusive fee for care, options like purchasing across state lines, and plans that provide basic care and emergency care. Instead he passed a bill that was killed by Ted Kennedy 40 years ago. Personally, I like what Singapore does.
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It is funny to see so many people having an opinion about Obamacare before it is fully implemented. Those who are against Obamacare must have an alternative to replace it to be credible. If other industrial countries can find away to offer healthcare for their citizens so should we. Healthcare is a right, not a privilage for the very rich.
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You're quoting old news dennie thats part of a 10 year trend attributed to improved long term care among other things. Weve already proven you wrong on that point. Until you're willing to state emphatically that Obamacate WILL reduce the cost of healthcare AND provide a CBO estimate for that, all you're doing is regurtaiting liberal tripe.
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2/12/2013 @ 9:12AM |46,522 views New Data Suggests Obamacare Is Actually Bending The Healthcare Cost Curve
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Dennie is quoting the CBO before Obamacare is implemented. The CBO has a completely different outlook for Obamacare AFTER it is implemented.
"The CBO's new baseline estimate shows that ObamaCare subsidies offered through the insurance exchanges — which are supposed to be up and running by next January — will total more than $1 trillion through 2022, up from $814 billion over those same years in its budget forecast made a year ago. That's an increase of nearly 29%. The CBO upped the 10-year subsidy cost by $32 billion since just last August."
"The CBO has long said it expects the new federal health law will prompt some companies to drop millions of employees from health plans because workers have new options to buy insurance on their own. In August, CBO put the number at four million over 10 years. Now it's seven million.
It seems that the more we learn, the more the cost increase and no amount of denniespin can change that.
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According to the new Congressional Budget Office report, federal health care spending is expected to be 15 percent less than what was initially budgeted for 2012, which will save the government hundreds of billions of dollars. This also marks the fourth year in a row in which health care spending has hit new lows. The poor economy had been credited for most of this, but now the CBO is saying that a significant part of the savings are also the result of the structural changes PPACA mandated on how health care itself is delivered. "This addresses a major concern the health insurance industry had with health care reform" — that the law did nothing to address the real problem with the cost of health services.
Like said before just {More "wingnut" propaganda form Wheeling's, Mike Myer!}
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The news last week had said that 9 business are calling it quits because of the cost of dumbacare was hurting the overall business. Many restaurants are cutting back the hours of the workers. Just on the news that some companies are going to start charging their employees for any health issues like being over weight, high blood pressure etc When the Gov tries to control certain things the companies will retaliate.
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Try googling "The Myth of runaway health spending" dennie and you'll see that the cost of health care has been on a steady decline since 2002. The slowdowns mentioned above have more to do with generic drugs, improved long term care of chronic disease and improved with consumer choice on health care that has come about as a result of HMO's overtaking corporate and government bureaucrats in providing health care options. Dennie can credit Obamacare but once again, he's off the mark.
The author of this op-ed is correct. Our government needs to commission studies to fix one of the most flawed pieces of legislation to come out of Washington. If that is done, perhaps there's a small chance that obamacare will not become the most expensive tax hike passed in American history.
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Got anything to back up what you say there "MrAlex" besides Obama's bad bah.bah.bah?
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More "wingnut" propaganda form Wheeling's, Mike Myer!
A new Congressional Budget Office report has the healthcare world scratching its head over the possibility that Obamacare "might—in part—{be responsible} for what is being described as a significant slowdown in the growth of healthcare costs in America." "The slowdown has occurred in both government and overall health spending. From 2009 to 2011, total health spending grew at the lowest annual pace since the government started keeping records 52 years ago, a trend that seems to have continued last year. In the 2012 fiscal year, Medicare spending per beneficiary grew just 0.4 percent. The new Congressional Budget Office data said that overall Medicare outlays grew 3 percent in 2012, the slowest rate since 2000."
Google: New Data Suggests Obamacare Is Actually Bending The Healthcare Cost Curve
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MINNEAPOLIS -- At age 39, Tim Hudson is having something of a comeback year following an injury-shortened 2013 season in Atlanta. He wasn't necessarily expecting to find himself in the All-Star Game, but he's a man who enjoys defying expectations.
Hudson, who pitched his first six major league seasons with the A's, went "home" to Atlanta in 2005. The Braves were the nearest team to his home in Alabama, and the future looked pretty well set for a self-proclaimed family man. Hudson would retire as a Brave, and he and his wife, Kim, would raise their three children in the South. But a funny thing happened on the way to the retirement home — Hudson signed a two-year contract with the Giants last winter.
"A lot of people probably raised an eyebrow when I didn't go back to Atlanta and decided to not only leave Atlanta but come all the way over to the other side of the country. But it's the place where I'm supposed to be," said Hudson, whose 39th birthday was Monday. "Coming back out to the Bay Area after spending so many years in Atlanta, it's just what me and my family needed, and what my career needed. It's so different that it's turned out to be really good."
Hudson, a late addition in the NL squad to replace teammate Madison Bumgarner, said that living in San Francisco proper has given him and his family a welcome opportunity to see life from a different perspective.
"We've always been suburb people, and we lived in the East Bay when I was in Oakland," he said. "This time around we're staying in the city and my kids are getting that city life experience, which is something you don't get too much of in Alabama. It's been an awesome experience, and something that me and my family will always remember."
As for being named to the All-Star for the fourth time, but the first since 2010, Hudson said he's honored but doesn't expect to find himself on the Target Field mound on Tuesday.
"As of right now I think I'm kind of the long, extra-inning guy, which is fine with me. Hopefully we won't go extra innings and we won't need me, but if we do, it's my normal turn to pitch so I could go 100-plus pitches if we need it."


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SNOWMASS VILLAGE - The Winter X Games will return to Buttermilk in Aspen for 2013 and 2014, event organizers said Tuesday.
The renewal of the event, which has been held in Aspen for the past 11years, comes after months of negotiating between X Games organizer ESPN and host Aspen Skiing Co.
"I'm fired up," said John Rigney, vice president of sales and events for Skico. "I think this is awesome news for our entire resort and it's a validation of everyone's efforts over the last 11 years to create an event with ESPN that is unrivaled anywhere."
Next year's X Games in Aspen are slated for Jan. 24 to 27.
The winter games also will be held March 20 to 22 in Tignes, France, as part of ESPN's efforts to globalize the X Games brand. Summer X Games are planned for Brazil, Germany, Spain and Los Angeles.


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When Mari Mineta Clapp became a mother in September 1987, her world was upended. The 26-year-old PR professional, always so accomplished at work, couldn't get out of her bathrobe. Home alone with her infant daughter, Michelle, she worried that she was doing everything wrong.
At the suggestion of her husband, Clapp joined a support group for new moms at San Jose's Good Samaritan Hospital, where she had given birth. It turned out to be a decision that would change her life. There, she met nine other women with whom she could share in the joys and anxieties of new parenthood. Almost three decades later, the 10 women kept their "playgroup" going, later adding a regular Moms' Night Out and family vacations. The friendships endured, even when four of the women and their families left the Bay Area. They also supported one another through divorces, financial hardships, the death of one of the dads and a son going to war.
The moms rendezvous for weekends in October, and the families gather for an annual Christmas party in San Jose. As for their 23 offspring, they are now 17 to 26 years old. Their group includes high school graduates and women with college degrees, Republicans, Democrats, agnostics and a Mormon who, unlike her friends, eschews coffee and wine.
In an era when people move away and friendships come and go, Clapp and her friends appreciate that they have created an enduring proverbial village, even though it never occurred to any of them to try.
"We started on a journey together because we loved our babies and wanted to be great moms, and never dreamed this 'playgroup' would develop into these lifelong friendships," Clapp said. "We celebrated together as our children took their first steps and started school, and it's amazing that we're still together at their weddings and as they start their own families."
So what made it click? A shared sense of humor and an ability to roll with people's different backgrounds and personalities, they agree, as well as the willingness to avoid judgment and competition.
"When you're with friends with babies, there is a tendency to compare your kids and how they are doing, but we were doing it in a positive way," said Janice Akridge. She was the first mother to move away with her family when her husband's job reassignment took their family to northern Virginia when her oldest son was 6. But her playgroup friends always kept her in the loop, and Akridge hosted a moms' D.C. tour in 2012.
When the playgroup began, all 10 women lived in and around San Jose, with babies born between August and December 1987. Most of the new moms were in their mid-20s to early 30s.
The hospital group was held Wednesday mornings in a basement meeting room cluttered with moms, babies and strollers. After a nurse offered newborn care tips, a core group hung around to talk.
Judy Barrier was grateful when her new friends continued their conversations over lunch. Her son Josh, born 10 weeks premature, was a sensitive infant who didn't sleep much, and she needed some company. "It was one more thing to do before going home alone with the baby," she said.
When their babies "outgrew" the hospital's support group, the women organized regular gatherings on their own. These included "restaurants with toddler misadventures," zoo trips, Easter egg hunts and joint birthday parties, said Melanie Molinaro, a mother of three who lives in Atlanta.
After some mothers returned to work, they arranged play dates to accommodate everyone's schedule. Mom-bonding gained new urgency when the women gave birth to second or third children.
The frequency of play dates decreased after the "first" generation of kids started kindergarten, often at different schools in the area. Still, the moms continued their monthly nights out, occupying large tables at restaurants where they often kept talking past closing time.
The families also started to vacation together. A popular destination was the city of San Jose's Family Camp, near Yosemite National Park. The best part of these trips was watching the kids laugh and play games together. "They were amazing together, like cousins," Barrier said.
Jackie Sanders and her family first moved to Danville when her oldest, Stephanie, was about 8, then a few years later to the Czech Republic for a two-year stint. Sanders and her family traveled from Europe one summer to go to Family Camp. "My kids didn't want to miss it," Sanders said.
When the women first became friends, they expected their families to prosper, their marriages to endure and their kids to grow up to be happy and healthy. But they soon learned the hard lesson that "no one's life is perfect," Anne Barbin said.
They reassured one another when their kids faced challenges. Barbin said the moms helped her understand "it was going to be OK" when her son, Jeff, then 9, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.
The playgroup's first divorce came in 2000. This mom, who didn't want her name publicly associated with her breakup, remembers sharing her fears about having to support herself and her kids. "Whether it was the physical arms wrapped around me or the emotional support, I felt very loved," she said.
The dot-com bust cost Renne Kruger's husband his business. In 2004, they relocated to Phoenix, and she and her son and daughter had to leave friends behind. But Kruger felt rejuvenated following visits with her friends at Christmas or to Barbin's house on the Delta. "It was so good to be around what I considered my anchors," she said.
Her "anchors" also supported her when she separated from her husband and returned to California, and her son, Kevin, joined the Army and served in Iraq.
The group reached out to Akridge in 2006 when her husband, Lee, suddenly died of a heart attack at age 52. Six years later, she introduced her friends to her new boyfriend during the moms' D.C. trip. "They were my cheerleaders."
All the women feel proud they created something of the proverbial village to raise their kids into happy, thriving teens and adults. Parents helped friends' children apply to college or edited their résumés, and Rita Becerra's husband, Steve, a real estate agent, worked with two to buy their first homes. Like his wife, he calls the "playgroup" his second family and says the kids "are like my kids."
"Now that I have a baby, I wish I had a group like that," said Ashley Bernal, Molinaro's daughter, who lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and 14-month-old son.
But as a playgroup kid, Bernal has close friends she's known since she was a baby, including Sanders' daughter Stephanie, who was the maid of honor at her wedding in Salt Lake City in 2009. And like her mother and her friends, Ashley and Stephanie might only see each other once a year, but "we just pick up where we left off."
For Clapp, the playgroup initially motivated her to get dressed every day and get out of the house -- but it also taught her the meaning of friendship: "I feel like in today's world, the word 'friends' has been redefined over and over again by Facebook or Twitter. We feel so blessed to have friends in the old-fashioned sense."
Mom's Playgroup:
By the Numbers
10 moms
23 kids, ages 17 to 26
16 college grads
1 Iraq War veteran
5 Eagle
2 missionaries
2 pilots
3 married
2 engaged
3 grandchildren
Meet the Moms and their Kids
"Although we were very close, we still had our separate lives, so we weren't totally dependent on the group. And we're all very different, and we appreciate all our differences. That's what makes our group work so well."
-- Janice Akridge, Reston, Va., Realtor; sons, Doug and Stephen
"One important way we were able to support each other was that it was a comfort to know that we were going through the same joys and challenges as our children, and families, grew and progressed through new phases and stages of development -- first smile, first words, first steps, first day of school, college graduation, first loves, first jobs, and now weddings and grandkids!"
-- Marian Gericke, San Jose, special needs teacher;
sons, Kevin, who is engaged, and A.J.
"One of the things you learn is that no one one's life is perfect. You might assume they have it easier in this arena, but what this group really taught us is to not be judgmental. Everyone has their stuff."
--Anne Barbin, San Jose, manages finances for a family business, and wine bar host; children, Jeff, Katherine and Dustin
"Sometimes people don't have families around anymore. It was just helpful to have the support of these women, with so many different ideas and opinions. We could agree to disagree."
-- Rita Becerra, San Jose; children, Nick and Rachel
"The Good Sam hospital playgroup was a major turning point for me and I was able to get up and get dressed every day after that."
--Mari Mineta Clapp, Saratoga, PR professional;
children, Michelle, Tommy and Marissa
"They've come to Georgia for the GRITS (Girls Rendezvousing In The South) "tour." I hosted and we adventured, explored, soaked in Southern charm."
--Melanie Molinaro, Atlanta; children, Ashley (Bernal),
who is married and mother of one son, and Justin and Tyler
"When we moved away, the playgroup gave us a going-away party. The kids got these pillow cases with all their friends' pictures on them and a poem about how much they'll miss them. It was potentially the last time we would have been close. My kids to this day still have those pillow cases."
--Jackie Sanders, El Dorado Hills;
children, Stephanie, Grant and Gabrielle
"It felt so good to have many friends who truly loved and enjoyed my girls. I feel the same way now. It's such a comfort and a joy when the "girls" ask about my daughters, and so fun for me to hear about their kids' adventures and accomplishments."
--Laura Lewis, Saratoga, kindergarten teacher; daughters, Alison (Caldaurulo), married August 2013, and Caitlin
"When we first started going to San Jose Family Camp, which has so many priceless memories, we decided we could get a "better" campsite if we went and stood in line all night, literally! So we did, and I will just say the last time we did it, we did get an OK spot, but it meant getting home at 6 a.m. and freezing our butts off that night. Great memory though!"
--Judy Barrier, Salinas, office manager;
son, Josh, who is engaged
"I was 31 when Kevin was born. I was working in an office, a secretary in a telecommunications company. I had friends at work, but once you have a baby you can't go out for drinks with them and do all those things anymore. And people get tired of hearing stories about your child if they don't have them. So, I wanted to meet people who were in the same boat."
--Renne Kruger, Lincoln, Calif., business owner;
daughter, Shawna, and son, Kevin, an Iraq War vet who is married and has two children