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Obama could intensify his stronghold on government
DAYTONA BEACH SHORES -- Even as the Supreme Court sits to later declare unconstitutional Obama's attempt to push socialized medicine down America's throat, our president undertook a new and even greater effort to expand his power. Barack Obama re-issued an expanded version of an executive order entitled "National Defense Resources Preparedness" which would enable him to proclaim himself dictator at his own whim.
This EO permits Obama, acting through a small cabal of Cabinet Secretaries and other appointed officials, and with no reference to Congress other than an annual report, to take absolute control of the United States and everything and everyone in it. Under the guise of maintenance of a domestic national defense capacity and/or response to undefined emergencies, or even if there is no emergency, in war or in peacetime, the EO authorizes:
• The Secretary of Agriculture to control all food and livestock, veterinary resources, and the distribution of farm equipment and fertilizer. This includes all food produced for and consumed by the American people.
• The Secretary of Energy to control all forms of energy including the electricity and gas we use to light and heat our homes and businesses and the gasoline that fuels our cars and boats.
• The Secretary of Transportation to control all forms of transport including our personal automobiles, trucks, boats and airplanes – presumably including bicycles and horses.
• The Secretary of Defense to control all water resources, including the water which comes from the faucets in our homes and even the water from our own wells.
• The Secretary of Commerce to control all other materials, services (including labor – yours and mine) and facilities including factories, which can be forced to accept Obama cabal contracts on cabal terms or to accept installation of cabal equipment to produce cabal-desired items.
Under this EO the President's cabal can make or guarantee loans to favored companies on whatever terms they deem appropriate. They can sell or otherwise transfer government owned equipment to the private sector on cabal-ordered terms (even for free to their good friends). They can also provide "appropriate incentives" to those who agree to produce what they want. The opportunities for favoritism and corruption contained within this power grab are so massive as to beggar the imagination. Can anyone say "Solyndra to the millionth power"?
Even Obama's models and mentors in Chicago, justifiably renowned for its corruption, never conceived of anything on this scale. And yet there's more. The EO permits the President's cabal to renew the draft. And they can impress and retrain civilians (that's you and me) to work as and where they see fit.
In short, under the authority proclaimed by this executive order, Obama's cabal could create forced labor battalions. Nowhere is this authority requested of Congress. There is mention of a law conferring elements of this authority passed in 1950 but presidential authority on such a totalitarian scale was not dreamed of in those days. Under this EO the cabal can do what it wants and report on it to the Congress a year later, as if either the report or the Congress would matter by then. In fact the EO further usurps the constitutionally-delegated legislative authority of the Congress. More importantly it totally sets aside the Constitution itself.
In fairness, Bill Clinton adopted a similar if somewhat less thoroughgoing executive order and George Bush retained it. But neither of these presidents exhibited the raw drive for ever more authority or the deep-seated contempt for the Constitution that Obama has.
After all, it was Obama who:
• During his campaign denigrated the Constitution as a document of negative liberties which restricts the power of government. Surely it cannot have escaped his notice that such restriction was its among its primary original purposes? • Ignored the contractual legal rights of GM's secured bond holders and gave their investments to the unions as a way of paying them off for their campaign contributions.
• Uses the EPA to evade the specific intent of Congress and impose "Cap and Trade" restrictions on energy, forcing up energy costs, to satisfy his envirochondriac supporters.
• Unconstitutionally requires Americans to purchase health insurance as part of a complex scheme to force socialized medicine on the country while seizing government control of one-sixth of our economy.
• Unconstitutionally forces religious institutions to pay for contraceptive materials in violation of their fundamental and strongly-held religious principles.
• Unconstitutionally continued authorization of FBI and NHS agents to write their own search warrants, search our homes or places of business on the basis of those illegal warrants and then jail us if we tell anyone about it.
This is only a partial listing of Obama's outrages against the Constitution and the basic rights of all Americans. If Obama is re-elected we can only expect things to get worse. But Obama, Bush, Clinton or someone else, no president should have this degree of power and control.
Certainly war or grievous national emergency would require a president to have the authority to direct the nation and its resources until the condition requiring such authority has passed. But this authority and the circumstances under which it can be used must be set forth in law by the Congress. And Congress must conduct constant oversight of actions taken by any administration under such extraordinary authority.
Finally, it must be the Congress which determines when the conditions pursuant to the adoption of these powers are in place and when the conditions and the extra-legal powers no longer exist. Anything less is putting a vampire in charge of a blood bank.
We true Americans should urge our congressional representatives and senators to act to overturn and revise this outrageous power grab. And when Republicans are again in control of both Houses one of their first acts must be the repeal of most of Obama's EO's and the passage of laws which place rational restrictions on the President's capacity to legislate via executive order, without reference to the only branch of government with the constitutional power and duty to legislate – the Congress of the United States.
About the Blogger
The Guidepost By Stanley Escudero
Stan Escudero is a retired career diplomat & businessman,
who lives in Daytona Beach Shores, FL with his wife, Jaye.
This story and its contents are © copyright of NSB News LLC, New Smyrna Beach, Florida, owner of NSBNEWS.net and VolusiaNews.net.
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The Elkins-Randolph County Chamber of Commerce is gearing up to present the 29th Mountain State Street Machine Car Show this Fourth of July weekend.
"I'm looking forward to this year's car show and the planning of this event hasbeen an exciting new experience," said Jess Arbogast, the executive director of the ERCCC. "The committee has been working hard for months and without their hard work this car show wouldn't have been possible."
Hot rods, muscle cars, trucks and pick-ups, vintage cars, low riders and others will arrive from around the country to Railroad Avenue and Third Street late Friday afternoon.
The "cruise-in" event will kickoff the weekend with hundreds of classic cars on display at 5 p.m. in downtown Elkins.
A fireworks display will be offered at 9:30 p.m. Friday, after a talent show and other entertainment provided for spectators and car show participants near the train depot.
On Saturday, the Mountain State Street Machine Car Show will open in the Elkins City Park as hundreds of antique classic cars and hot rods roll in for one of the biggest car shows in the state.
The car show will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday, featuring vendors, games and entertainment.
"From hot rods and muscle cars, games and entertainment, vendors and good company, there's a little something for everyone," Arbogast explained. "The Chamber is honored to continue this long-standing event for the 29th year."
The Martin Street Fair will also be offered in Elkins Friday and Saturday, sponsored by the Davis Health Systems Foundation. The Street Fair will be held along Martin Street, which is located in the Elkins Railyard.
The Street Fair will feature arts and crafts, food vendors, children's activities, live music and entertainment and informational exhibits. Also on tap is a
Cavalcade of Stars beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the center stage.
All the bands appearing are recording artists for Lone Wolf Studios of Elkins and will feature their best tunes - something for every member of the family.
"We're proud to be part of this new community event where we can showcase some of our best local talent," said Lone Wolf owner, musician and producer Seth Maynard.
Bringing their unique creative flavor to the Martin Street Fair Stage is the group Good Vittles and Company, a high-energy, four-piece band. Members Christi Grace (vocals/ukulele/harmonica), Moe aka Brian Lasinski (vocals/guitar), Rick Miller (vocals/bass), and Troy Hoffman (drums/percussion), collectively offer a wide variety of original music and genres ranging from old-school R&B, soul, funk, folk, modern rock and jazz.
Additional groups for the Cavalcade include Aurora Celtic, Bowyer Drive and Osmosis. The evening culminates with fireworks so residents can bring their lawn chairs and settle in for music in a family friendly environment.
The combination of events makes this a special holiday weekend, Arbogast said.
"We are expecting a good show and have some great prizes to give out throughout the weekend," she said. "The car show brings thousands of visitors to our community and makes a positive impact on the entire area."
For more information on the weekend's events, contact the Chamber office at 304-636-2717, or check out the 29th Mountain State Street Machines Auto Extravaganza Facebook event page.
Contact Chad Clem by e-mail at email@example.com.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Dauphin County coroner called the death of a 21-year-old Harrisburg man vicious, saying the victim was shot multiple times.
The coroner also said two guns were used to kill Cortney Jackson.
It is not clear whether police are looking for two killers or if one person used both guns.
The shooting happened Monday night in an alley near the 1800 block of Forrster Street.


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"Nuts and Bolts - Business Startup," A Global Entrepreneurship Week Event
- When:
- Location:
- Business Center
- Room:
- 143
- Description:
A Global Entrepreneurship Week Event
"Nuts and Bolts Business Startup" Brown Bag Workshop, conducted by the Small Business Technology Development Center (SBTDC).
(Bring Your Own Bag Lunch)
The Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation will be hosting this event monthly -stay tune for upcoming dates.
For additional information, contact CEI at firstname.lastname@example.com or by phone at 410.837.4892.
- Contact Name:
- Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
- Contact Email:
- firstname.lastname@example.com
- Contact Phone:
- 410.837.4892


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Join APWA now and save $200 on your Snow Conference registration! Plus the cost of your membership and registration combined will be up to $115 less than the non-member registration price. You'll be tapping into a network of thousands of public works experts, some in your neighboring communities and others halfway across the globe.
You can register as a non-member and check the box to apply $169 of your registration fee to a one-year APWA membership. You can save more by becoming a member of APWA first and then registering for the Snow Conference using your new membership id number. And if you've never been a member of APWA, you can save even more with our special $85 first-year membership deal.
If you join APWA first (and save more!), you must pay for your membership and have your membership id # before you register for the Snow Conference at the member price.
Join APWA online or call 800-848-2792 to talk with an APWA membership specialist.
Register before March 1 and save $50 on a Full Registration!
Includes entrance into the exhibit hall, all education sessions and roundtables, Sunday reception on the exhibit floor, Monday and Tuesday lunch on the exhibit floor, refreshment breaks, the Tuesday NASCAR Hall of Fame Event and the Wednesday morning technical tour program. You must have a Full Registration to participate in a Wednesday Technical Tour. Please choose a tour when you register.
APWA Member: $450 before April 1, $500 after April 1
Nonmember: $650 before April 1, $700 after April 1
Available for Sunday, Monday or Tuesday, and include entrance into the exhibit hall and all education sessions and roundtables. Sunday includes the reception on the exhibit floor. Monday and Tuesday include lunch on the exhibit floor. Tuesday does not include the NASCAR Hall of Fame Event, but you may purchase a ticket.
APWA Member: $195, Nonmember: $255
Includes entrance into the exhibit hall, but does not include lunch on the exhibit floor. $35
You must have a Full Registration or Sunday One-Day Registration to participate in the Winter Maintenance Supervisor Certificate Workshop. Please indicate whether or not you plan to attend this workshop.
APWA Member: $0, Nonmember: $50
Send 10 or more people from your agency and receive a discounted one-day registration rate of $125 per person. Pre-registration is required. One-day group discount registrations will not be accepted after March 24, 2013 or on site at the conference. Discount rates are not offered for full registrations. Registrations must be made together as a group. Your agency will designate a group contact person to register and pay for the group. Registrants must be employed by the same agency, but are not required to be members of APWA. Registrants included in the group are not required to attend on the same day. Discount is not applicable to multiple days for any one person.
One-day group discounts include education sessions and entrance to the exhibit floor, and are available Sunday, Monday and Tuesday only. The Wednesday technical tour is not included. Sunday includes the reception on the exhibit floor. Monday and Tuesday include lunch on the exhibit floor. Tuesday does not include the evening event at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, but tickets are available for purchase at $50 each. Sunday one-day registrants that wish to attend the Winter Maintenance Supervisor Certificate Workshop must pre-register for it, and non-members pay an additional $50 fee.
If you would like to register a group, contact Brenda Shaver at email@example.com or 816-595-5240.
Registrations for your spouse or a guest, someone attending only for the exhibit floor and social events, are available at a special price of $100, but this is not included on the attendee registration form or online registration. A Guest/Spouse Registration includes the Sunday reception on the exhibit floor, entrance into the exhibit hall on Monday and Tuesday and the Tuesday evening NASCAR Hall of Fame Event. If you would like to register your spouse or a guest, please contact the APWA Meetings Department at email@example.com or 816-472-6100.


text: In twenty exhibition rooms, the museum displays historical and current developments relating to children. Temporary exhibitions reveal exciting insights into children's culture. Guided tours for schools and adult groups may be arranged at any time by appointment. The Children's Museum describes itself in these words "A world for young and old... Just imagine walking into a big, old house and discovering traces of your ancestors. You see your mother's red leather schoolbag hanging up in the classroom. And the toy steam engine your grandfather used to play with and the doll's house your great-grandmother used, and so you can learn how the people lived a long time ago".


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Have you ever met someone and instantly felt a bond, like you've known each other forever? Like you are closer than family. Like maybe you are really related deep within your souls?
That's how it was when I met Ashlee. And that's how it's been ever since.
She is such an incredibly special person.
And today is her birthday!
Won't you stop by and send happy wishes her way?
Pictured: A couple of my favorite photos from our adventures!
Subscribe to my blog here
Twitter me- I'm babysteph


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Genomics Platform
For information on the Genomics Platform's Available Products and Services, please visit our Genomic Services website.
The Broad Institute's Genomics Platform brings together over 20 years of experience in the management of advanced technologies, applications development, data management, and high-throughput processes relating to sample handling, genotyping, gene expression, and genome sequencing.
This dynamic, integrated platform provides comprehensive genomic services to the scientific community and continues to push the boundaries of the genomic frontier through the application of operational excellence, advanced process design, data analysis and visualization, and technology development. The Genomics Platform explores, validates, optimizes, and implements new technologies, methods and analysis tools to make them widely available.
We service the internal and external community by providing a range of products and services through Broad Institute Genomic Services, which provides the necessary infrastructure to provide the highest quality services and data to drive genomic discovery.
Clinical Research Sequencing Platform
The Broad Clinical Research Sequencing Platform is a clinical laboratory licensed by the State of Massachusetts (License No 3306) and is registered with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to provide testing under the CLIA regulations.
CRSP is the route for physicians and physician-researchers to access high quality molecular tests such as Whole Exome Sequencing offered by the Broad Institute in a CLIA setting.
The CRSP team is working on an array of additional assays and analytical tools to be validated and released in coming months. These include Firehose analysis modules including MuTect3 and InDelocator for the analysis of tumor-normal pairs from cancer patients. Also coming soon is a Broad-designed, comprehensive cancer targeted panel.


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Optimization of planar tubular truss with eccentric joint modelling
Bzdawka, Karol; Heinisuo, Markku
Publication type: Laitosraportti - TUT Publication series
Issue date: 2012-05
Citation: Bzdawka Karol; Heinisuo, Markku 2012. Optimization of planar tubular truss with eccentric joint modelling. Tampere University of Technology. Department of Civil Engineering. Structural Engineering. Research Report 157 Tampere. 28 p.
Belongs to: Tampereen teknillinen yliopisto. Rakennustekniikan laitos. Rakennetekniikka. Tutkimusraportti - Tampere University of Technology. Department of Civil Engineering. Structural Engineering. Research Report;157
University: Tampereen teknillinen yliopisto - Tampere University of Technology
Faculty: Rakennetun ympäristön tiedekunta – Faculty of Built Environment
Department: Rakennustekniikan laitos – Department of Civil Engineering
Tubular trusses are used in construction due to their low weight and ease of manufacturing. Compared to trusses made of I-sections, they have a relatively small painting area and do not require stiffeners at connections. The size, geometry, and topology of the trusses have been studied extensively since the first optimization algorithms appeared. This study approaches the problem from a different angle. The considered truss is no longer modelled as a perfect truss but rather as a frame. The load on the top chord is distributed and not only applied as point forces at the nodes. The bending stiffness of all the elements is considered in the calculation of the structure's statics, and bending resistance is verified. The joints are modelled with all the eccentricities resulting from the fabrication process. The rigidity of the joints is calculated and taken into account when determining the buckling length of individual members. The resistance of the connections and members is verified using the most novel European standards. The whole process of creating the model, running static analysis and code verification, is programmed into Matlab. The optimization of the truss is performed using the Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm that is also programmed in Matlab. Two truss topologies were analysed: Warren truss and Warren truss with verticals. A number of trusses with different bracing system layouts were analysed for both. The locations of the nodes could vary within preset limits and were variable in the optimization process. The other variables were the member cross-sections – divided into several groups – and, in some cases, the truss height. Two steel grades were considered: S 355 and S 420. It has been found that most of the cost came from the material and assembly of the truss. Most of the truss mass is located at the compressed top chord. By providing sufficient supports for the top chord, buckling can be avoided and the cross-section can be reduced, thus significantly reducing the top chord mass. Supporting the top chord at certain intervals requires a bracing system made of diagonals and verticals or just diagonals. The former consists of fewer elements and, since the assembly cost function depends heavily on the number of elements, it is recommended to use it. The best found solution made of S 420 steel gives 27.0 % savings in truss mass and 24.6 % savings in truss cost compared to the currently used solution made of S 355 with equal joint spacing.
Copyright: This publication is copyrighted. You may download, display and print it or Your own personal use. Commercial use is prohibited.


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Sports Briefs for Oct. 9, 2012
October 9, 2012
Mike Jackson wins Pigskin Picks EAST LIVERPOOL — Mike Jackson, a resident of Wellsville, was the winner of Week 9 of The Review's Pigskin Picks. Jackson correctly picked nine out of 10 games....
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Knox Twp. man killed, another charged with murder
July 4, 2013
BELOIT — One resident of the Country Squire Mobile Home Park in Knox Township died of a gunshot wound late Tuesday, while another is in the custody and charged with murde....
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HEBRON - One year after it all went so right, too much of it went wrong.
McDonald senior Bobby Johnson pulled away from Jared Stockmaster after the first mile en route to the individual title, Jason Willman's stress fracture finally hobbled him and the talent and depth of the other teams proved too much to handle Saturday as Seneca East saw its hopes of a repeat title dashed at the Division III state cross country meet at National Trail Raceway.
"It's the cruelty of sports. It comes down to a few moments and in our race, it's about 16 minutes, 17 minutes, and you've got to get it done then, and today we just didn't do that," Seneca East coach Doug Mason said after his Tigers ended seventh.
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But they were close to a much higher spot.
McDonald outlasted fellow perennial power Maplewood 94-103 for the title, with Garaway taking third with 141 points.
Just seven points separated fourth through seventh - Summit Country Day 171, Gilmour Academy 174, Liberty Center 177 and Seneca East 178.
"Division III is just so insane. You have great programs like McDonald and Maplewood. They've had a stranglehold on these state titles," Mason said.
"Northeast Ohio, they just have a stranglehold on that state title, and I guess that's what makes it so special winning it last year; we were able to steal one from that group," he said. "This year, we faced obstacles all season long and we just couldn't put together the race we needed to put together today. It's disappointing because these kids put in so much time and effort."
The obstacles included Stockmaster having to recuperate from a broken arm suffered in the offseason, Willman missing most of the season with a stress fracture and the team having a bull's-eye on its back as the 2012 state champs.
A re-start at the beginning of this year's state race didn't do the Tigers any favors, either.
"The restart, honestly, that messed everything up," Seneca East's Wes Pipher said. "We got out good [on the first start]. Obviously, Jason didn't get out as fast, but he said that we were right there; we were going and then we heard the guns. It just threw everything off," he said. "I think we still got out there, though. Jared got out there, and me and Jason and Carson (Pipher, his twin) got out where we needed to be and kind of just went with it.
"Jason was up there early, and he had that pain and I think that slowed him down at the end of the race; still fought it," Pipher said.
Willman, one of two seniors on the team, finished his final high school race in 17:42.36 to take 87th.
He said his injury got the better of him after the first mile, and his inability to adequately prepare in the week leading up to state - he returned to a walking boot after re-aggravating the injury at the regional - also played a big role.
"I didn't run at all this week. After regionals, I think I messed it up again. But today, it was a combination of the foot and the fact that I haven't been running. I'd been training, but it's just not the same as running," he said.
"I held on for the first mile and then my conditioning started kicking in - the lack of conditioning," Willman said.
Despite the setback suffered by the Tigers and Willman, there were positives.
Stockmaster finished fifth in 16:15.99 and Wes Pipher crossed the line 20th in 16:37.85, with both juniors earning All-Ohio honors.
Stockmaster's race to a spot on the podium included him holding a lead in the first mile.
"It felt really weird because I never would have expected it to happen so fast," he said. "And it felt really good, too, but I knew that I had to keep working for it so I kept trying to get a bigger and bigger lead on (Johnson), but I could hear him coming the whole way, right on me; as I sped up, he'd speed up even more."
Johnson passed him after the first mile, and three others did over the final few hundred meters.
Mason said another year of seasoning should help counter that next year.
"Those kids have a little stronger finish than him and hopefully being a junior, next year he'll have that same physical strength and be able to go right up to the front. He just couldn't hold off that little pack that was there for second place," Mason said. "Had a great race. He's had a great season, and obviously a lot to build on for next year as one of the top Division III runners in the state."
Carson Pipher added a 50th (17:06.66) for the Tigers, Willman ended 87th and junior Bryce Watson closed out the scoring by taking 120th (18:11.17).
Junior Michael Szabo (121st, 18:14.61) and senior Robby Schaffer (134th, 18:59.41) also ran for the Tigers, who Mason said shouldn't stay down long.
"As coaches, we don't enjoy the wins enough, we dwell on our short comings. We've just got to remind ourselves we've had an excellent season, we have a great program," Mason said. "We'll bounce back and we'll learn from this event. We're always tweaking things and we'll come back and race another day."


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MARTINSBURG - Thousands of food items stood in piles before them on dozens of tables at Orchard View School Dec. 1 as local Girl Scout troop members helped to pack hundreds of "Bags of Love" for area school children.
When they were finished going "round and round" the packing areas, hundreds of food bags had been put together and ready for distribution in local schools for those on the Bags of Love need list. It was a powerful sight to see what children can do for their friends so that no child goes hungry over the weekend in our community. Participating troops included Troop numbers 40154 and 40696. Scout leader Angela Cherry simply described the sight as "awesome." She said seven girls came out to help pack food bags because they care about their fellow students. Cherry said they discovered the Bags of Love program through the excellent reports they were hearing from other scout troops involved in this feeding program now serving hundreds of area children each weekend.
Bags of Love is the first of its kind weekend feeding mission in the Eastern Panhandle. It started in 2010 with one school and now is serving many local schools in Berkeley and Jefferson counties. Area businesses like Tropical Smoothie, the Eastern Panhandle Community Development grant program, WalMart, Sissy's Restaurant, The Dining Room, Ledo's Pizza and more than a dozen other local businesses help to support this program aimed at the hunger needs of our own community children. Bags of Love also partners with 365 S.H.O.P., a local community initiative that is providing toys for nearly 400 children this month in a rather unique manner. Parents of children who pre-registered will be coming to The 365 Center located at 881 Mid-Atlantic Parkway, Martinsburg, from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. They will be able to "shop" and select gifts for their children from more than 1,000 donated toys. There is no cost to any family for these gifts. Kim Shafer and Wanda Shifflet, co-leaders of 365 S.H.O.P, have spent months securing toys from local businesses and individuals who desire to see every child with a gift on Christmas Day.
Article Photos
Submitted photo
At Orchard View School Dec. 1, thousands of food items are piled on tables as local Girl Scout troop members help to pack hundreds of 'Bags of Love' for area school children.
Local teacher Misty Francis leads the Bags of Love (BOL) effort from her home. She took over the leadership of BOL in the spring of 2012. Bags of Love, partnering with Berkeley County Backpack Program, ensures that every child needing weekend food receives it without cost. Volunteers distribute the food bags each Thursday to local schools. Guidance counselors at each school use a confidential list to provide these prepared packets of food to children they have identified as being in need. Parental permission is secured and children come back to school every Monday ready to learn simply because area residents care enough to make sure hunger is never again an issue they have to face.
The monthly cost to feed more than 500 children receiving food through these two school board-recognized programs now exceeds $10,000 monthly. Donations from businesses, churches, nonprofits and local individuals are the only source of income for feeding local children. You can help make a difference in the life of a child for just $5 a week. Write your check to One Hope Ministries International. Your $20 monthly contribution will keep a child fed this winter.
For more information, call Misty at 304-261-4007 or visit www.onehopeministriesinternational.org. Your volunteer support is just as important as your financial gifts. Together, let's make certain no child ever has to experience hunger again.


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RICHMOND, Va. - One dozen women have been selected from Virginia's four centuries of history to be memorialized with a bronze monument on Capitol Square.
They range from the obvious, such as Martha Washington, to the obscure. The latter includes Cockacoeske, a woman who is believed to be the first female chief of the Pamunkey Indian tribe, and Ann Burras Laydon of Jamestown, the first married female settler.
Perhaps the biggest omission: Pocahontas.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that the Women of Virginia Commemorative Commission made its final selections last week.
Commission members picked the 12 from a list compiled by a panel of historians and narrowed by an executive committee.
The absence of Pocahontas, who has been celebrated in film, Virginia landmarks and history books, prompted a protest by one commission member.
Mary Abel Smith took out a full-page ad in the Thanksgiving edition of the Richmond Times-Dispatch. It appealed to readers and urged them to contact board members to reconsider Pocahontas.
"Pocahontas spent her life in support of the peaceful merging of cultures," the ad states. "She deserves a prominent place in the history of accomplished women in Virginia."
Pocahontas is credited with saving the life of Jamestown settler John Smith in 1607. Her marriage to tobacco planter John Rolfe in 1614 was considered beneficial to peace between Native Americans and the settlers.
Abel Smith said she was "horrified" to learn Pocahontas would not be included.
Lisa Hicks-Thomas, Gov. Bob McDonnell's secretary of administration and chairwoman of the commission, said that "there was no way we were going to be able to come up with a list that everybody was happy about."
Famous entertainers from Virginia such as Ella Fitzgerald, Pearl Bailey and Patsy Cline were among those who will not be cast in bronze, Hicks-Thomas said. She added that many, including Pocahontas, will be memorialized on a glass panel that will ring the monument space.
The commission has selected an artist and design for the monument. Now the panel must raise money for the monument, which is expected to cost $3 million and is targeted for completion in March 2015.
In addition to Washington, Cockacoeske and Laydon, the nine others whose likenesses will be cast in bronze are:
Clementina Rind of Williamsburg, publisher of the Virginia Gazette.
Mary Draper Ingles of southwest Virginia. The frontierswoman had been abducted by Shawnee Indians but escaped and traveled 600 miles to get home.
Sally Louisa Tompkins, a Confederate hospital administrator.
Elizabeth Keckley of Dinwiddie County, a former slave, seamstress and confidante of Mary Todd Lincoln.
Sarah G. Boyd Jones of Richmond, an African-American physician who was the first woman to pass the state's medical board examinations.
Virginia Estelle Randolph of Henrico County, an educator.
Laura Lu Copenhaver of Smyth County, an entrepreneur.
Maggie L. Walker of Richmond, the first African-American woman to charter a bank in the U.S.
Adele Goodman Clark of Richmond, who fought for women's right to vote.


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Highest cancer rates by state
POSTED: 09:52 AM MST Feb 04, 2014 UPDATED: 12:00 AM MDT Apr 08, 2016
Cancer is expected to become America's No. 1 killer by 2030. Find out which states have the highest cancer rates.
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Harvard Punishes Dozens of Students for Cheating
Dozens of Harvard University students have been disciplined, with many forced to temporarily withdraw, as a result of the cheating scandal that shook the Ivy League institution in late August.
Harvard on Friday released the much-awaited results of its investigation into the controversy, in which 125 undergraduates were alleged to have cheated on a take-home exam in a course titled Government 1310.
Detailing the punishments meted out by the Harvard College Administrative Board in decisions made between late September and December, the university said more than half of the students were forced to withdraw, a penalty that typically lasts from two to four semesters. Of the remaining cases, about half were put on disciplinary probation—a strong warning that becomes part of a student's official record. The rest of the students avoided a punishment.
"The large number of administrative board cases this past fall highlighted the fact that we, as a faculty, must redouble our efforts to communicate clearly and unambiguously to our undergraduates about academic integrity," Michael D. Smith, the dean of the faculty of arts and sciences, wrote in an email to the campus community on Friday.
The scandal, the largest such case at Harvard, started brewing in spring 2012, when a faculty member teaching the government class noticed that a number of students appeared to have copied one another's answers on a take-home exam. The instructor referred the case to the administrative board, which conducted a review and found that 125 exams looked fishy.
Harvard announced that an investigation was under way in late August, casting a cloud over the start of fall semester.
In his email Friday, Mr. Smith said the administrative board's process, which included interviews with the accused, provided a "teachable, if difficult, moment for students."
Representatives for some students involved disagreed. "It was not all that teachable, it was basically hell for a lot of these kids," said Robert Peabody, a lawyer with Collora LLP in Boston, said Friday.
Mr. Peabody represented two of the students accused. He said the board's deliberation process appeared to be unnecessarily long, while students "were out there twisting in the wind." One of his clients was forced to withdraw, while the other received probation, he said.
Harvard said the board's procedure is "necessarily laborious," allowing for a "full and fair review." In his email to the campus, Mr. Smith said Harvard was currently looking at several ways to strengthen academic integrity, including possibly adopting an honor code.
Write to Jennifer Levitz at email@example.com


text:
In a blur it's gone. As fast as it came upon us, Christmas is over. Whir.
I don't even know what day it is. Is it Thursday? Or is it Friday? Blink blink it's already tomorrow.
Subscribe to my blog here
Twitter me- I'm babysteph
I know, it doesn't even feel like Christmas was here...ReplyDelete
Nah. Christmas isn't over until January sixth! I'm making homemade doughnuts right now because it's Boxing Day. xoReplyDelete
Gray looks so grown up. I know, I can't believe it is over.ReplyDelete
It is a blur. A happy, beautiful blur, though!ReplyDelete
It is always a little sad to realize it is over. But if you celebrate Three Kings Day (Epiphany, Little Christmas etc)the season goes on for ten more days.ReplyDelete
I feel like I am living in the holiday bubble.
It has been a joy getting to know you through your blog. Your blog, friendship has been a blessing in my life.
I never even "caught" the Christmas feeling this year. It was a weird year for me. But, I get the "blink and it's gone". That's how I'm feeling about time off from work. I don't ever want to go back!!ReplyDelete
I don't know about you but this Christmas didn't even feel like it happened. Before I knew it Christmas was here...it didn't feel like Christmas and now it's over. I was a bit of a scrooge this year for some reason.ReplyDelete
It was a whirlwind here too but I really tried to cherish every moment and I enjoyed them all~
Hope you all did too!
blink, blink and it is tomorrow already for me too! we had yet another "handmade holiday" and i think this was the best one yet :) the kids are thrilled with the things that mama and daddy made this year. hopefully i will have a minute to blog it all this afternoon!
I second that...ReplyDelete
yes too fast some time!ReplyDelete
i thought today was sunday for awhile. whir indeed.ReplyDelete
I hear ya! Only 364 days til next one :)ReplyDelete
It isn't over here, many more to be celebrated with this person, or this part of the family. Ugh... it used to be a happy time, wasn't so much of a chore...ReplyDelete
Yes, it does seem like such a colorful, musical blur...!
I actually spent 5 hours today putting away most all of my Christmas decorations (I kept the tree, of course!)... and tonight when Barry and I came home from a movie (Benjamin Button - just excellent!), I felt so good to enter a sparking home! I LOVE Christmas... but when it's over, I find I have to move onto the New Year in a very orderly fashion!
Merry Christmas! It was quite a blur for us too.
Why not relive the fun and traditions by doing the Christmas meme I've tagged you with?! :)
Visit me to get the details.


text:
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text:
Culinary DelightsCarefully prepared dish of the day, a la carte menu, Valaisan specialities, home made pastries, During the winter season table service in the Orzival room.
SpecialitiesLarge panoramic terrase at an altitude of 2133m; easy access from the gondola at Bendolla. No smoking area.
Height: 2133 m a.s.l.
Local place name: Grimentz-Bendolla
Mountain Train/Ski Lift


text:
It takes a lot to bring out Simon Cowell's softer side.
But the normally acerbic X Factor judge choked up Wednesday night as he introduced the show's emotional tribute to the Sandy Hook shooting victims – in what he later said was an extremely difficult moment for him.
"I would say it was the hardest thing I've ever had to do on TV in my life," Cowell, 53, said after the show, in which Carly Rose Sonenclar, Tate Stevens and Fifth Harmony made their final performances of the season.
"We made the decision and decided that we were going to introduce it like we did," said Cowell. "And then it hits you what you are about to announce and what it is about."
He added: "I think anybody in my position would have been the same, and I think it was much harder for the singers. For them to have to sing that lyric … it was a miracle they did it, because it really affected them. But it was the right thing to do."
The show opened on Cowell sitting alone. "Words cannot describe what happened at Sandy Hook Elementary School last week," he said. "We're all deeply saddened by the tragedy, and our hearts right now go out to the families. You'll always be in our prayers, and you'll always be in our hearts, and this is our tribute to you."
Various contestants who'd been eliminated then gathered on the stage, all dressed in white, and sang Michael Jackson's "You Are Not Alone."
On a lighter note, Cowell addressed the issue of L.A. Reid leaving the show, and said he hasn't thought about a replacement yet.
"It would be crazy to think about it while the show is on," he said. "Take a couple of weeks off, regroup, and sometimes I'll wait for the calls to come in. I prefer that."
Asked whether Britney Spears and Demi Lovato will be back, he replied: "I've got to ask them first of all. Maybe no one wants to come back!"
The winner of The X Factor's second season will be revealed Thursday night on Fox at 8/7c.
Simon Cowell Calls Sandy Hook Tribute the Hardest Thing He's Done on TV


text:
There's something about the beginning history of wine in America that has always intrigued me, to the point of making a trip to the nation's capitol a few years back as a delegate of the California Association of Wine Grape Growers. While thrilled to be part of the group, there was a deep down curiosity to go to Monticello and understand more about Thomas Jefferson - who used the words: "No nation is drunken where wine is cheap, and none sober where the dearness of wine substitutes ardent spirits as the common beverage."
With trepidation, I walked the sacred grounds and slowly ventured into breathtaking Monticello to satisfy the oddity of Thomas Jefferson - the man, and his beliefs in wine. What I learned in the two days spent there, I would like to share with you. If you would like to know much more of this magnificent man and his cultivated life, let your thoughts be known.
When nominated to be the third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson listed his profession as "farmer." Although he spent most of his life in the political arena, Jefferson always considered himself a man of agriculture. His accomplishments as a founding father and politician have been well documented; however, his struggles as a vintner and his passion for quality wine have remained relatively unexplored. Over the course of his life, Jefferson's love for wine never wanted, stating simply, "Good wine is a daily necessity to me."
In the experimental garden at Monticello, Jefferson raised a number of domestic and exotic fruits and vegetables, but throughout his life, he was most enthusiastic about the cultivation of the wine grape, not only at Monticello, but also throughout the United States. Jefferson's immersion in the subject of wine enveloped him to such an extent that all but six lines of his lengthy congratulatory letter to James Monroe on his election to the presidency dealt with those wines most suitable for public entertaining.
Jefferson held the belief that wine was the most civil of drinks. Compared to strong ports and Madeira, crude ales, and hard spirits consumed by his peers, wine, in his words, remained "the true restorative cordial."
The ever-optimistic Jefferson believed that the delicacy of wine, like knowledge, could uplift man's spirit and refine his soul. He even went so far as to affirm ... "No nation is drunken where wine is cheap; and more sober where the dearness of substitutes ardent spirits as the common beverage." To this end, Jefferson endeavored to reform the taste of his new nation, using the Renaissance palate to guide America away from its rather bland English culinary and beverage heritage.
Jefferson's initial interest in wine can be partly attributed to his friendship with his mentor, prominent Virginian George Wythe. While studying in Williamsburg, Jefferson undoubtedly sampled some of the better European wines at Wythe's table. Later, as a young revolutionary, Thomas Jefferson went so far as to hire his own personal vintner to oversee the burgeoning vineyards at Monticello. Jefferson's passion for wine was inflamed during his five-year mission in France serving as United States minister to King Louis V1. While in Paris, Jefferson not only toured the lush wine country of France, but also visited Northern Italy ... where his palette was overwhelmed by the extraordinary cuisine.
Upon his return to the United States, Jefferson promptly adopted many of the culinary and agriculture traditions he had observed in Europe. Most importantly, Thomas Jefferson became a powerful advocate of European wine- making techniques. "We could in the United States make as great a variety of wines as made in Europe, not exactly of the same kind, but doubtless as good." During the latter half of his distinguished political career as secretary of state, vice president and president, Jefferson spent a weighty percentage of his salary on the importation of excellent wines from Europe.
After retiring from public service in 1809, Jefferson retreated to his mountain estate, Monticello. There he again attempted to cultivate European wine grapes, though in later years he concluded that native vines were the key to the future of American wine. Jefferson spent the next 25 years entertaining prominent guests, pursuing his varied interests, and indulging his passion for wine. Although retired, Jefferson still retained one lasting duty as a public servant - he remained wine consultant to future presidents until his death in 1826.
Thomas Jefferson fostered the winemaking efforts of others, and he experimented relentlessly on his own. A pattern of renewal and failure marked the vine-growing efforts at Monticello, and it seemed most appropriate to perceive his viticulture pursuits as experimental, his approach optimistically scientific, and his vineyard a vital part of the Monticello laboratory. Jefferson's lack of success can be attributed to his long absences from Monticello; the inevitable attacks of insects, fungus and disease; and, perhaps, simple neglect. Despite Jefferson's shortcomings as a vintner, his efforts, patronage, and passion for wine have not been matched in the United States.
Norman Gates can be reached by e-mail at: firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
on January 25, 2013 - 6:46 PM
, updated January 26, 2013 at 1:06 AM
Amanda Wart would have been content just to have her soldier boyfriend back home from Afghanistan.
But when he showed up with an engagement ring and got down on one knee to propose, it was a homecoming reunion she'll never forget.
"I was completely surprised," the 23-year-old Wart said after accepting Derek Bessey's proposal Friday.
Bessey, 25, was among approximately 68 soldiers from the New York National Guard's 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team who returned home to Western New York from demobilization at Camp Shelby, Miss. The soldiers had been deployed to various locations throughout the Middle East for a year in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Family and friends gathered at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station to welcome them back home.
"I'm just taking it all in," Bessey said after Wart said yes.
The reunion and marriage proposal made for a very emotional afternoon for everyone.
"I'm happy. My daughter's happy," cried Wart's mother, Debbie Brosig.
The couple met a couple of years ago at a local bar, and it turned out Wart's mother and his father, David, once worked together at 3M's sponge factory in the Town of Tonawanda, Wart said.
"So we actually may have met as kids at work functions," Wart said.
Bessey, a North Tonawanda resident, decided about six months ago that he wanted to ask Wart to marry him. So he got in contact with George Fritz of Mills Jewelers on Main Street in Lockport. Fritz had designed engagement rings for some of Bessey's friends in his unit, the jeweler said.
"Derek emailed me. We connected by video all the way from Afghanistan. He knew exactly what he wanted," Fritz said, adding that the ring was completed about two months ago.
"He emailed me that he was so excited he couldn't wait. We talked about how he was going to propose," said Fritz. "I don't often get to see the proposal. So this is really a very special experience for me."
The jeweler brought the ring with him to the air base reunion Friday, and from there Bessey had everything all planned out.
"It went from just a thought to an idea," said Bessey.
A couple of weeks before the big surprise, Bessey shared his plan with his mother, Jennifer Bartz, and made her promise not to tell anyone.
The night before he returned home with his unit, Bessey called Brosig to ask her for her blessing.
"I had a feeling he was going to do something like this because he texted me while I was shopping and asked if he could call me back," Brosig said.
Later the two connected by telephone.
"He said, 'I love your daughter very, very much.' I said, 'I know.' Then he said he wanted to marry her," Brosig reminisced. "And I told him that she needs somebody like him to take care of her."
When the moment finally came, Bessey's mother inconspicuously slipped him the ring as the two hugged. He then made the rounds greeting other family members and friends. But he saved Wart for last, giving her a big kiss and a hug.
When he popped the question, many of his fellow soldiers cheered for him.
"This is definitely something I was looking forward to," Bessey said.
Wart lives in the City of Tonawanda and currently works at Wegmans. She has a degree in culinary arts and is finishing up a degree in hospitality management at Buffalo State College, Bartz said. Bessey will be going to the University at Buffalo in the fall to be a nurse practitioner or to study pharmacology.
"He's become quite a man," Bartz said of her son.
email: email@example.com


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"My son is an emerging writer (5 years old) and this was a great way for us to practice writing new words and names. He could also draw a picture on the opposite side; usually it was a picture of him playing with his new toy. As a wise woman once said to me, it is never to late to send a sympathy card or a thank you card."
"I got these for my daughter to use as 'thank you' cards for her birthday this summer and I can't wait to put them to use and I think everyone e that gets them will enjoy them as well."
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text:
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cool waters. glittering beaches. this refreshing ice blue is everything you need to quench your thirst for paradise.
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Money moves for year's end
December 23, 2013
What has changed for you in 2013? Did you start a new job — or leave a job behind? Did you retire? Did you start a family? If some notable changes occurred in your personal or professional......
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Expand your Connections
Discover new ideas, explore innovative solutions, and network with
the leaders who are changing the world of communications.
From local meetings to international conferences, ComSoc offers you access to a conference community that will help you meet your professional goals. ComSoc sponsors conferences and meetings and is involved in the technical program development of events around the world.


text:
(Part 1)
I sat at my desk, quietly. Frustration was setting in as I referred back to the same paragraph again in my American History book. As if this paper were not enough, an unfinished page of math problems lay beneath it. Perhaps it's cliché of me, but I think Middle School sucks.
I suppose a good writing of not too distant events deserves a better introduction. Forgive me, this is in pen and I can't go back to correct my haste made mistake.
Perhaps I should introduce myself first. My name is Clark Morre Junip. I am now a mostly healed, middle aged man. Furthermore I am convinced I am sound of mind, and always have been. This writing is the proclamation of my sanity, and thus the full reason I am prepared for the river to my right.
Once upon a time I was a fourteen year old boy with a patriarchal father and a quiet mother. There were three younger boys then myself living in our large family and one older sister. Them the circus and she the self proclaimed monarch of our grand estate.
As I write this I feel myself looking through my fourteen year old eyes. I am in eighth grade, an "A" student, and a fair player on the all boys academy wrestling team. It is near Christmas and homework is piled higher then you could imagine; as I already began to explain. Private schooling is so rigorous. Knowing this you can now understand why I might be so frustrated, Christmas was close enough I could taste it.
So I sat at my desk, writing an essay about the early American colonies. Perhaps I'll mention, to give scope to the estate and my family, that we could trace lineage back to those said colonies.
A wonderful subject my father could never press enough.
My door was closed behind me at this late hour and the only light was the low lamp on my desk. The young ones were asleep and God knows what her highness was up to. Probably not even home, but off somewhere drinking brandy. Perhaps father saw it as culture.
I'm sorry I'm getting side tracked again. That happens when your river gets too loud. To the confession; more I say, to the truth. I'll try to stay focused.
The clock was ringing the quarter hour before midnight. Much too late to be doing homework, but necessity knows no bounds. It was my own doing and mine own to fix. I suppose sports should never trump over academics. For all of that, I'm grateful I was awake. I cannot imagine what could have been had I been sleeping at this time on this particular night.
I was wearing my pajamas, comfortably warm. Now, I tell you this because I would not have noticed the draft in my room had I not been wearing an unbuttoned shirt. I felt the light draft on the back of my neck and down my chest. It was one of those peculiar moments when you are looking for an electric light switch and you cannot find it. Similar to that feeling in the pit of your stomach that makes you run up the stairs when in the dark for fear of a chase. I always used to run up the stairs. I don't believe I was an easily frightened boy, but some things, I believed, lingered in the dark.
I slowly looked over my shoulder with my pencil in my mouth to see my door standing wide open. This did not scare or even alert me much. I knew it was possible that my door did not shut tight and it just happened to push open because of an airway or something of the sort. These things happen often in large estates.
I believed that those things just happened.
Floor boards however are not affected by airways. As I eluded, our house is old for as grand as it is . The floorboards are weak in places and a little warped in others. Some creak when you step on them. I stared at my open door curiously at the sound of a creek. A servant in the hall, or perhaps it came from the floor above my room where anyone could have stepped at this late hour.
My floorboards creaked again; my floorboard. The sound made me jump, loud as it was, but the creaking stopped as I stood up to look. It's a funny thing if you think about it. Fourteen years I have been living in this building and for all fourteen of them this room was my castle. When you live around such boards that creak, you learn which board makes which sound. I myself was like a musician with perfect pitch. I had perfect floor board pitch, and one of the strings in my ensemble had just played far out of turn.
I could hear that long groaning creak, and know where in the entrance to my castle to look. Nothing happened. I checked the clock again to see it was now half till midnight. It was very possible I had simply heard the noise in my tiredness, but I was so sure I had heard that board creak. To this day I declare, I heard that board creak! I admit at that time sixteen years ago I became frightened. Images from some frightening literature I had read weeks ago came to mind. I quite scared myself into sitting down and starting again on my homework. For the first time since I sat down I was glad to have a task to set my mind to. I tried to let the work consume me. I read the questions, twiddling my pencil, then replacing it back between my teeth. I had learned this clever pencil trick that year. The reason does not matter but I'll tell you it had to do with a girl whose name I cannot remember, nor does it any longer matter.
I sat at my desk twiddling very fast when I felt it, a breath on the back of my neck. Again in fright I stood and turned to see nothing. I was vexed over the situation when again my floor creaked. I looked down at the board that had creaked this time. It gave a short dull snap of a creak. Always sounding like a small dry twig. A percussionist in my ensemble, also very off beat.
I knew this board was next to my bed. I fought with two different ideas. One was logical, an old house makes many noises on its own accord. The second was of the old literature that had much to do with ghosts and spirits.
I stood very still, when then it then made a noise. It's hard to describe the sound it made. At best I can spell it out, "Ish". The voice that had made the noise was low and from the deepest parts of one's throat; like a dog when growling at a stranger. The sound it made was even animal in nature. It made this noise a few more times in succession. There were other oddities mixed in between, but again and again, "ish, ish, ish". I then witnessed two deep dips form on my bed sheets. Like two heavy hands leaning on a counter. The creak that followed was of weight being lifted from the board.
I watched all this now terrified. I remain terrified to this day. I could see the length of it on my bed and a sketchy estimate of its width. It was not very tall or wide. It was maybe, if such shaky estimations could be believed, just over four feet tall. I remember taking in long, silent breaths through my nose. Fourteen year old boys do not consider madness as other, older, far more sensible men later did. Fourteen year old boys believe what they see.
I thought many times of yelling for some one but I feared no one would believe me if it were to get up and disappear. To think that was my first concern! How would I ever find it to prove myself? Why would I want to? I thought next about attacking it. This thought was absurd of course. Would you attack an invisible entity lying silent on your bed? With what, in what nature does one do such a thing?
When I had ruled out flight and fight, my next strained thought was science. I began to think of experimentation. Was it possible this thing was actually human? Could it be coherent, or speak to me of wonders? There were tales of such things, though never by 'sensible' men. There was something about this thing that was so alien in nature. I kept calling it a "thing" I do not know why. I could not say he or her, or him or she. I could not at that time nor can I at this time even identify it as an animal or a human. My young strained mind began to hurt.
Ish, would do.
Ish lay motionless for quite some time. I am unsure how long, I know I stood and stared for quite a while. Now sure I was going to neither run, nor attack, I wondered; do I touch it and make sure I was not insane? Try to speak to it? My bed was longer then Ish and I had a blanket at the foot of the bed that was not inclined, indicating Ish's feet did not lay on it. With numb hands, it seemed, I fumbled the blanket off of the foot of the bed. I let it unfold down to my feet and held it up by both corners. I took a breath, held it, and with a wip of my wrist, let the light blanket cover and settle over the form on my bed.
© Copyright 2016 mkkrinler. All rights reserved.
Status: Finished
Genre: Literary Fiction
Clark's experience with Ish was certainly suspenseful and ghastly. Very realistic too, most encounters with ghosts are non-visual ones. Your description of the "ish" made me shiver a bit.
This left me with many questions, something I would have enjoyed to read more about as a longer story. Kudos! :)
Book / Thrillers
Book / Literary Fiction
Book / True Confessions
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text:
on November 2, 2012 - 3:21 PM
, updated November 3, 2012 at 1:34 AM
Taylor Devices is coming off a "really good" year and a first quarter that saw the North Tonawanda shock absorber manufacturer's profits jump by 49 percent.
But the past year has been so strong that Chief Executive Douglas P. Taylor warned shareholders Friday that the company's sales and profits aren't likely to top the record highs it set during that time.
"It's the economy," Taylor said following the company's annual shareholder's meeting in Amherst.
But Taylor was reluctant to predict just how short the company's sales will fall from last year's all-time high of $29 million, which was 38 percent more than its $21 million in revenues during the 2011 fiscal year.
"It will be somewhere between 2011 and 2012," which still would make it the second-best year in the company's history, he said.
Taylor said his outlook is based on his pessimistic outlook for the economy. "With the presidential election coming up and all the turmoil going on, it's a very uncertain economy," he told shareholders. "From the construction market's point of view, the U.S. market stinks," Taylor said. "The thing that's been saving us is that the Asian markets are great." Those Asian markets, especially in Taiwan, pushed sales of the company's construction products, which primarily are used to protect buildings and bridges from wind and earthquake damage, up by 65 percent to $22.5 million during the fiscal year that ended in May. That strength continued through most of the summer, with construction product revenues almost doubling during the first quarter, which ended in August.
"We're anticipating a solid year, but probably not as good as 2012," said Craig Winters, one of the two sales managers for the company's industrial products business.
The impending slowdown is reflected in the company's backlog of orders, which is a good indicator of future business. Taylor Devices had 148 orders in its backlog at the end of August, which was 12 percent more than a year ago, but the value of that work was down 37 percent at $13.8 million.
The growth of the construction products business, which accounted for more than three-quarters of the company's sales last year, has been fueled largely by projects to retrofit existing buildings or outfit new ones with seismic dampers to help them withstand earthquakes. Much of the growth has come from Taiwan, China and Japan, and interest in those seismic protection projects spiked following the devastating Japanese earthquake in March 2011.
The growth has prompted Taylor Devices to launch a $2.5 million expansion project that is expected to more than double its manufacturing space by the end of the year and ease a space crunch, especially for its large parts machining and assembly operations.
Taylor Devices purchased three industrial buildings, located about 1.4 miles from its current facilities on Tonawanda Island, and is converting them into production space that will house all of its machining and metalworking operations.
The company plans to keep its assembly and product testing areas at its existing plant on Tonawanda Island, but those operations will have much more space because of the area freed up by the relocated production facilities. Its engineering and corporate offices will stay at the original Tonawanda Island building.
The company, which has about 105 employees, has increased its workforce by 12 percent during the past year.
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text:
Top Definition
The act of simulating male masturbation by holding the forearm perpendicular with the earth, palm upturned, with dice in hand. Often, this gesture is unintentionally performed by an ADHD sufferer while playing games involving dice while trying to hold a conversation.
The DM told him to stop diceturbating and roll initiative.
dari yodaleedoo Sabtu, 03 Oktober 2009
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Can you define these popular missing words?


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When Natalie Dell returned to her native Bedford County last week, she brought with her the experience of an Olympic champion, but also the inspirational tale of the seemingly-insurmountable challenges she faced to be part of U.S. sports history.
Telling her story to all who wanted to hear it, from business leaders to school children throughout "Natalie Dell Day," the humble and kind athlete relayed a clear message: "Never give up." The more you heard of her extraordinary journey from Everett to the London Olympics, the more you had to admire her.
Most athletes who row on world class teams have the sport in their blood; inheriting a legacy of privilege, many U.S. rowers come from Ivy League backgrounds. They are blessed with scholarships, elite coaches, state-of-the-art equipment and boat houses, even the luxury of massage therapists.
Natalie started her athletic career as a traditional high school athlete, but you don't see many rowing teams working out on the Juniata River. She joined the Penn State Rowing Club in college. A non-varsity sport, the athletes paid for their own uniforms, equipment and travel, and drove 45 minutes each way to train at Bald Eagle State Park.
The first in her family to graduate with a four-year degree, she then challenged herself to see how far she could go in a sport that few had even heard of in Pennsylvania, but that featured overflowing grandstands in Europe (in fact, the rowing events were the first to sell out at the Olympics in London.)
While working full-time in Boston, training before sunrise and well into the evening, and running over her lunch break, Natalie worked for years to perfect her mechanics.
More than once she tried out for the U.S. National team and was denied a spot. When she finally caught the eye of the Team USA coaches and made it to train with more than 40 other potential Olympians, she continued to work at her job, hiding it from her coaches so they wouldn't question her commitment; but knowing she had student loans to pay.
Throughout the brutal Olympic trials, she earned the reputation of being a kind teammate, a ferocious competitor, and an athlete who did not complain about anything. She found out she would compete in London just three weeks before the games; then she captained the American team to their first-ever medal in the quad sculls, the most prestigious rowing event for women in the world.
"The Olympian in me says you don't compete for third place," she said, "but the girl from Bedford County is very proud of everything we accomplished."
She was quick to share her achievements and her medal with everyone she met during her homecoming, leaving audiences with tear-filled eyes and hearts that swelled with pride.
"What I had in that boat that no one else had was the experience of growing up with the hard-working people of Bedford County," she said, "and the support from my family and hometown that reached around the world."
Everyone loves an underdog, and Natalie Dell certainly is that: the shortest rower on the U.S. team, this small-town central Pennsylvania girl fulfilled her dreams, and does not hesitate to pass on her positive attitude and encouraging words of wisdom to young and old. She is living proof that with commitment, hard work no dream is too big and anything is possible.
Kellie Goodman Shaffer can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com. Her column appears on Tuesdays.


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One day during my prayer time I pray "Oh how my heart longs to have my family together." I have laid my heart out for our heavenly father, a few weeks ago we were together, one family unit of six in the middle of Africa. Soon we will be a unit again this time in America. I am doing my best to stay positive in my bubble bath thoughts but sometimes I just find myself having a pitty party. Dotting on the negative has done nothing for me in the past and I am trying to avoid that as much as possible. I know that nobody shows up to my pitty parties but satan and myself. I keep remembering the verse "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." I have seen this verse hundreds of time painted on a small picture in a wooden frame hanging in my in-laws home. Maybe I need to make one of these for my own home. I repeatedly pray God you know the desires of my heart.
I have known of this verse every since I was little. But the true meaning of it has only recently been made clear to me. "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." This does not mean that what I want he will get for me. I remember reading this as a little girl and thinking of physical wants. I can recall praying for things and thinking this verse meant God would give those things to me. Man did I have it wrong. The part I was missing was the "delight." I mistook delight as praying. What I now know is that to "delight yourself in the Lord" is to spend time with him in a intimate relationship. It is very difficult to explain this relationship unless you yourself have experienced it. What I have learned is that by delighting and remaining in Him the desires of my heart change. I no longer use this verse as an excuse to ask for things I don't need but it is now for me to understands what He asks of me. God fulfills this scripture in my life by radically changing the desires of my heart. I now desire to please Him, to do what he calls me to do, to obediently follow him, no matter the costs. Right now the cost is being apart from my family. When you write it all down it doesn't seem like to much to ask but upon further investigation I am so very blessed. I am just away from my son, He gave his only son to die for me.
In 2009 my family adopted a child from Russia. All of our friends wanted to know how a single income family was able to save for a debt-free adoption. We are now adopting twin girls from Uganda. This blog is how God has grown our family.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Delighting in Him
3 comments:
- AnonymousNovember 23, 2011 at 9:41 AM
We are missing our "little" girl! So proud of the woman you have become...ReplyDelete
Mom & Dad
Happy Thanksgiving! Hang in there...we'll get our kids home SOON!ReplyDelete
We actually meet in Russia when you were on your first trip, and we were on our second trip.
J.French posted this on FB so that is how I connected with your blog. We are praying that everything works out very soon. Read Jeremiah 29:11 He has plans for you.
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Owen Wilson is going to be a father again.
The Wedding Crashers star is set to welcome his second child, this time with Caroline Lindqvist, 41, his rep confirms to PEOPLE.
"They are having a child," Wilson's rep says.
"Caroline is expecting a baby with Owen," a source close to Wilson and Lindqvist tells PEOPLE. "It was not planned, but they are both excited."
Wilson, 44, who is already dad to Robert Ford, 2½, with ex-girlfriend Jade Duell, has been hands on when it comes to the pregnancy, says the source.
"They are not living together, but Owen is involved," the source tells PEOPLE. "He comes to doctor's appointments and makes sure Caroline is doing well."
While Lindqvist, Wilson's onetime personal trainer, is legally married, "she didn't cheat with Owen," says the source. "Caroline was separated before she got pregnant."
Wilson has maintained a cordial relationship with Duell, who reportedly lives near his home on the Westside of Los Angeles. On Oct. 5, Owen Wilson came to the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic, in Los Angeles with Ford and Jade to take pictures with the horses before the match.
Reporting by JULIE JORDAN
Owen Wilson 'Excited' About Becoming a Dad Again: Source
Jon Kopaloff/Filmmagic


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on November 13, 2012 - 9:31 PM
, updated November 14, 2012 at 1:42 AM
Say Yes to Education has received a $1 million gift from the Delaware North Cos. and the Jacobs family, the 10th seven-figure donation the national nonprofit has received to help pay the full cost of college for graduates of Buffalo schools, The Buffalo News has learned.
Private donors have now given $17.5 million to Say Yes Buffalo since the organization came to Buffalo last year, and officials plan to formally announce the latest gift at a news conference this morning.
Say Yes Buffalo backers say this community has embraced the organization's efforts to improve Buffalo schools, and the group is well on its way to meeting a goal of raising $30 million to support the first decade of scholarships.
"The response has been extraordinary. We are ahead of schedule in implementing the first year of Say Yes," said Clotilde Perez-Bode Dedecker, president and CEO of the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, who has been closely involved in the fundraising.
Program boosters say officials with the school district, teachers union, city, county and the region's charitable foundations are working closely to ensure the success of Say Yes Buffalo, which will begin issuing scholarships in 2013.
Say Yes guarantees that any student living in Buffalo who graduates from a district or charter high school in the city will have their college tuition paid at any two- or four-year state school. Students would first apply for financial aid, and any government aid they would receive is shaved off the amount that Say Yes pays.
Donors and volunteers say they hope this initiative will improve graduation rates in Buffalo's public and charter schools, make those schools more attractive and spur a revival of the city.
"You see an overall growth in the city, a momentum that builds on itself," said Jeremy M. Jacobs Jr., a principal with Delaware North, which joined a list of some of the region's most prominent companies and foundations in making its $1 million donation to Say Yes Buffalo.
Say Yes to Education is active in five Northeastern cities, including Syracuse, and the Buffalo partnership that launched in December is the largest.
Graduates of Buffalo public and charter school will be offered scholarships for tuition at State University of New York or City University of New York schools.
About 60 corporations, foundations and members of the public have donated to the Say Yes Buffalo scholarship fund.
"Everybody has stepped up to the table to be part of the solution," Dedecker said.
Say Yes officials until this week hadn't identified the top donors, though the Statler Foundation previously revealed its 10-year, $1 million gift. But Dedecker on Tuesday provided the names of the 10 donors who have given at least $1 million.
In addition to the Statler Foundation and Delaware North, they are: the Amgis Foundation, whose directors include Roger L. Hungerford, founder of Sigma International of Medina, maker of medical infusion pumps; the Balbach Family Foundation and Charles Balbach, a founder of Science Kit and other companies; BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York; the Louis P. Ciminelli Family Foundation; the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo; the First Niagara Bank Foundation; the Patrick P. Lee Foundation; and the John R. Oishei Foundation.
Delaware North is a global food service and hospitality company headquartered in Buffalo and privately held by the Jacobs family. The company and its principals give generously to the University at Buffalo, the United Way of Buffalo & Erie County and other institutions.
Jeremy Jacobs Jr. said company leaders have considered adopting a school, as other companies in Buffalo have done, but they came to believe the Say Yes Buffalo partnership could lead to "systemic change" in the city's educational system.
The $1 million donation is spread out over five years, and Jacobs said his family would consider making a follow-up donation if the Say Yes Buffalo initiative bears fruit. "We want to see results," Jacobs said.
While the Statler Foundation gift must be used to pay the tuition of hospitality students – as required in the will that established the foundation – other donors haven't attached strings to their gifts, Dedecker said.
When Say Yes officials announced they were coming to Buffalo, they revealed that a behind-the-scenes fundraising effort had, over the previous year, taken in $15 million toward the scholarship fund.
Since December, officials have raised just $2.5 million more.
"It is a continuing effort to raise the funds, and we feel very good about the numbers," Dedecker said.
Officials last year announced a goal of raising $100 million to cover the first 20 years of the scholarships.
Tuesday, officials said the group's goal is to raise $30 million to cover the first 10 years of scholarships, while the $100 million remains the "long-term goal," as Say Yes Buffalo Executive Director David Rust put it.
Both figures are estimates, but Dedecker said the fund would pay out more over the second decade because, if the program succeeds, more city students will be graduating.
Although the scholarship pays for tuition, students' families are responsible for fees, books and other college-related costs.
Twenty private colleges also have agreed to help pay the tuition costs of some Buffalo high school graduates, though money for this program would not come out of the Say Yes fund.
Eligibility requirements differ for the private schools. Parents seeking details should visit buffalo.sayyestoeducation.org.
In Syracuse, Say Yes awarded a total of $803,023 in scholarships to students attending two- and four-year state schools in 2011, according to the most recent data. The money was divided among 719 students.
On average, each student received $1,100 that year from Say Yes toward tuition costs.
The tuition guarantee earns the most attention, but it is only one piece of Say Yes' approach to reforming city schools.
The backbone of the Say Yes program involves providing support services to students. Children in high-poverty urban areas often need additional support, the group believes, including after-school programming, summer activities, help from social workers and help navigating the college application process.
As a condition of Say Yes agreeing to work with the Buffalo schools, leaders from the county, city, district and union had to agree to a collaborative governance model for the district. That means representatives from those groups meet every two weeks to work through problems and find ways to pool resources to best serve students.
"Everybody has been very supportive so far," Rust said.
Staff Reporter Mary B. Pasciak contributed to this report. email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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ROCKFORD — The Ken-Rock Community Center, 3218 11th St., will offer computer training classes from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays beginning Aug. 19 until Oct. 14.
Enrollment for the free beginner classes is open, according to a news release.
For information and to enroll: 815-398-8864; kenrock.org.
Location, ST | website.com


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As a kid, I read comics whenever I could get my hands on them, but I didn't start collecting comics until after my car accident. I had been in the hospital for going on 6 months and I was growing tired of Judge Judy. Unfortunately, TV was my only real companion. My arms were simply too weak to hold a book.
Then, one day sitting in a 7-Eleven, I saw a copy of Batman. It was small and light and I thought it might be a nice distraction to Mrs. Sheindlin. I took it back to my hospital, and read it. It was easy to hold and provided me the entertainment I sought. The only problem was the book wasn't one contained story–it was part of a serial. In order to find out what had happened and what was going to happen, I had to buy other comics.
I was hooked. My room slowly filled with issues of The Dark Knight, Superman, Captain America and the rest. The more I collected the more I learned about the culture. There were issues that had variant (special) covers, issues that had been so popular they had done multiple printings–which made first printings all the more valuable.
Like everything else, the more rare a comic was, the more valuable it became. This pursuit lasted years and more money that I care to admit. But as I made my trips from the hospital to the comic book shop (which sometime took everything I had–to see what I'm talking about, read here) I noticed that the comics available in stacks were passed by, while the unique ones were clamored over.
Watching this, I realized that people are a lot like comics. It's the unique ones with variant covers that people want in their lives. They're the ones people are seeking out, the stories people want to know. At the same time, it's the ordinary ones, the ones just trying to be like the rest that are a dime a dozen, and the ones that sit in stacks.
The difference is that everyone is unique and special—you just have to choose to put that on your cover. You just have to show others the real "one of a kind" you. And, for some reason, it seems like people today have a hard time doing this. Some of it's fear, some of it is insecurity, but it's rampant and everywhere. People trying to look or act like someone on TV. It's like we're back in Jr. High and trying to be the cool kid.
There's too many lemmings today—people willing to follow at any cost.
Being rare is harder than it sounds. It takes courage. There are lots of people who just don't believe that they have all that much uniqueness to give. But, there's only one you—only one person that sees things the way you do. Only one person with the gifts and talents you have. Have confidence in yourself. Find ways to let your own spirit shine.
There are only a few copies of the first Superman comic left and they are worth Millions. But, that's nothing compared to the worth of the one and only you!


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Friday, November 1, 2013
The solar eclipse taking place November 3, 2013 will appear over Charleston at sunrise and last from approximately 6:40 a.m. to 7:07 a.m. This rare hybrid eclipse will only be visible with a completely clear horizon – city skyline will obstruct view.
The eclipse is called a "hybrid" eclipse because it will be partly annular – an eclipse that shows the sun's circumference around the moon – and partly total – an eclipse during which the sun is completely blocked by the moon.
College of Charleston astronomy instructor Terry Richardson highlights the best places to see the entire eclipse – with a solar eclipse-viewing filter provided by the College (pick one up by 5 p.m. Friday at the Rita Liddy Hollings Science Center room 101, 58 Coming St.).
1. The Ravenel Bridge.
The bridge may be a little windy for comfort, but the high elevation and eastward view over the water provides an ideal vantage point for the rising eclipse.
2. The Holiday Inn Charleston – Riverview.
This round hotel sits about as close as it gets to the Ashley River. Stand outside the building facing east for the best view.
3. Isle of Palms, Folly or Sullivan's Island beaches.
The local beaches are among the eastern-most points in Charleston, and will provide an unhindered outlook to watch the eclipse.
4. On the water.
Have a boat or a friend with a boat? Get on the water Sunday morning to see the eclipse up close.
Richardson also recommends not staring at the eclipse without protective eyewear, and if you're commuting to your viewing destination, leave with plenty of time to spare. The total portion of the eclipse won't last more than a few minutes, and total eclipses are the only chance to see the "solar corona" – the heat-warped light around the sun.
Photographing the eclipse from any of these locations is as easy as photographing any sunrise or sunset, just keep your camera still and take photos in intervals of two-to-three minutes.
For more information, contact Terry Richardson at firstname.lastname@example.com.
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Butch Vig's production credits read like the roll call at a meeting of platinum record recipients. He's been the guiding force behind such albums as Green Day's 21st Century Breakdown, Foo Fighters' Wasting Light––both Grammy winners––and Nirvana's Nevermind, among many others. In 1994 he co-founded Garbage, a multiplatinum band that recently completed a European tour. Music Connection gets Vig's take on a number of production issues in this exclusive Q&A.
MC: With Green Day's 21st Century Breakdown, how did you begin to guide the band? It sounds like there were a lot of ideas and potential directions.
Vig: That was an incredible experience. And a long and daunting one. I spent about 13 months total working on the record. Easily the first six or seven months of that were pre-production, rehearsals and just talking about where the songs should go. After the success of American Idiot, the band could have done many different things. They could have gone back and made a punk rock record like they did with ¡Uno! ¡Dos! or ¡Tré! But they set the bar high with the ambitious arrangements on American Idiot and I was glad that they decided to push the bar even higher. Once we started working on the arrangement and they brought in song ideas, we spent a lot of time trying different approaches and seeing which songs spoke to each other. Billy was trying, thematically, to get his head around what he wanted to say. We tried different things every day, but we recorded the record in about 14 weeks. It went pretty fast because at that point we had a lot of the ideas and the arrangements were fairly focused. It was just a matter of executing.
MC: Did you feel pressure to match the success of American Idiot?
Vig: I did and so did the band. Especially Billy. But I'd felt that before with Nirvana and the [Smashing] Pumpkins. Even when I started with Foo Fighters, people were saying 'Butch Vig and Dave Grohl are working together. It's the first time since Nevermind.' There's a point when that pressure is good because you want to bring your A-game. I'm able to acknowledge that, but also shut it out and focus in the studio. I was able to do that with Green Day. Ultimately we sequestered ourselves. We tried to shut out outside influences and just focus on work. Green Day was very good at that. They're obsessive workaholics.
Full interview at Music Connection: HERE


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Heavy rains cause massive Baltimore street collapse
POSTED: 08:11 AM PDT May 01, 2014
Two days of rain has caused a block-long section of street to collapse in Baltimore's Charles Village neighborhood, swallowing cars and forcing the evacuation of several homes. Take a look at images of the extensive damage.
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50 States: Revised Strategic and Business Plan Guidelines
The FGDC has just released new guidelines for Geospatial Strategic and Business planning. These guidelines replace the 2006 edition. The guidelines are to help states as they move toward improved statewide geospatial coordination. These guidelines were developed to support of the FGDC Fifty States Initiative.