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Shortly before the birth of my second child, I was discussing maternity leave with a coworker when another coworker told me he wished he could just take several weeks of "vacation."
I was stunned into silence.
Caring for a newborn is a "vacation?" With the insinuation that taking a few weeks to properly care for a new life is somehow a privilege instead of a basic right?
It was a comment so asinine it hardly merited a response.
Being married to a man with a decidedly "modern" view of fatherhood – fully participating in the rearing of our children – I chalked it up as an outdated gaffe.
I have been lucky to have an employer who grants me the maternity leave I need, and that my husband has been able to take a few weeks off for the birth of each of our kids.
I wish I didn't have to explain what a big deal that is.
But then there's people like Mike Francesa.
This week the sports radio talk show host made controversial comments about Mets second-baseman Daniel Murphy, who took three days off work at the birth of his son.
Here's a sampling of the best (i.e., worst) ones from Francesa, which he made on the air:
"One day, I understand. And in the old days, they didn't do that," Francesca said, as reported by USA Today. "You're a Major League Baseball player. You can hire a nurse to take care of the baby if your wife needs help."
There's this gem, as reported by the New York Daily News:
"For a baseball player. You take a day, all right. Back in the lineup the next day! What are you doing?" he said. "I guarantee you are not sitting there holding your wife's hand. . . . I had three kids. . . I was at the birth and was back to work the next day. I didn't see any reason not to be working. Harrison (Francesa's son) was born at nine in the morning. I worked that day. What was I gonna do, sit with my wife in the hospital?"
Uh, yeah. That's exactly what you do.
Murphy missed the Mets' season opener and the next game because he took three days of paternity leave, which is the maximum allowed by Major League Baseball, to be there for the birth of his first child. His wife Victorica had the baby via cesarean, which is major surgery.
Many people have said Murphy taking paternity leave is an issue that should be between him and his employer, which I mostly agree with, although I'd like to point out that major league baseball is a highly visible sport that turns its players into public figures.
And Francesa, he of the laughably obtuse and outdated comments, made his opinion a public matter when he uttered that tripe on air.
As much as I want to ream Francesa for having such warped priorities that he places greater importance on a baseball game than on the birth of his child and supporting his wife, the whole thing highlights a bigger problem.
American attitudes toward maternity and paternity leave – particularly the paid kind – are hopelessly behind most other developed countries (and many underdeveloped countries).
We're the only industrialized country that does not mandate some form of paid leave for mothers (or fathers) of newborns.
The Family Medical Leave Act guarantees your job for 12 weeks after the birth, although exemptions apply for smaller companies and no companies are actually required to pay you during that time.
We blame bad parenting for a host of societal ills – and rightly so, in most cases. Yet we're not willing to invest a little bit at the beginning of a child's life to give her parents the chance to learn to be parents.
It's hard to be a parent, and even harder to be a good one. Those first few weeks after a child's birth are chaotic, often confusing and always stressful. Caring for a newborn around the clock is rewarding, but it isn't anything close to a "vacation."
The mother is healing physically, and may be dealing with emotional issues (including serious ones like postpartum depression) thanks to fluctuating hormones over which she has no control. Fathers are dealing with emotional strain from an upheaval in their normally orderly lives, trying to support their partners and getting little sleep.
Adding to that the worry of how you're going to make ends meet isn't helping new parents become better ones.
As detailed by this chart, the United Kingdom offers parents 280 days of parental leave at 90 percent pay. Australia offers 126 days of paid leave. The Netherlands offers 112 days. I could go on.
Heck, even Russia and Saudi Arabia offer paid maternity leave (140 days for Russia, 70 for Saudi Arabia).
Longer, paid parental leave for both mothers and fathers would go a long way toward nurturing happier, more loyal employees.
And it would go a long, long way toward improving the parenting skills of those caring for our next generation.
That's worth a little extra "vacation" time, isn't it?


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LEEDS, Alabama -- Not just any Santa Claus could join Kathye Drake's collection.
At flea markets and thrift stores, she would examine rows and rows of the jolly old elf, her eyes finally meeting the motionless eyes of one special figure.
"I have to look at their faces," she said during a tour of her home in Leeds. "I look into their eyes and they speak to me. If I pick him up and kiss him, he's coming with me."
Through countless repetitions of that ritual, and many Santa gifts, the St. Nicks have come to fill almost every room of her house.
Once, several years and countless new Santas ago, Drake tried counting them all. Reaching 700, and with a daunting number left to go, she gave up.
Drake began arranging the carefully packaged Santas for this year's display in October. She finished the weekend of the Iron Bowl.
This is the first time she has displayed the Santas since 2010, the final Christmas she spent with her husband of 26 years, State Rep. Owen Drake, who died of cancer in June 2011 at the age of 75.
"I think she has 700. No, wait a minute, that was a few years ago," Owen Drake said of his wife in a 2010 interview. "I think she's got about a thousand now."
The first Christmas after his death, Kathye Drake said she couldn't bear the thought of putting them out without Owen. "It was just too hard," she said.
Facing health problems of her own -- she suffered a concussion during one of two falls while decorating this year -- Kathye Drake said she decided she wanted to bring them out one last time and is inviting the public to come to her house to see them.
A local church group and a group of senior citizens from Irondale are planning to visit, she said.
"I knew this would be the last year I would be able to do it, so I thought I better do it," she said. "Owen would be thrilled. First of all, he wouldn't believe I could do it by myself."
'Santa comes in many guises'
The collection began with long, slender 'pencil Santas' but grew in size and variety over the decades.
In the kitchen, Santas wearing chef hats make cookies and others in aprons man grills. In her bedroom, many of the Santas are dressed to visit Kathye Drake's favorite place -- the beach. In the bathroom, Santas frolic in a box of shells and sand patients at a clinic where she worked brought her from beaches around the world.
She carefully lifts a Hawaiian shirt-wearing Santa who is filling a bucket with seashells. She looks into his face and describes his mood.
"He's feeling the joy of listening to the ocean," she said. "He's like me -- there's nothing better than being at the beach. That's where you feel the power of God."
When she goes to sleep at night, she slides rows of Santas, including a snoring Santa whose stomach rises and falls, to the side of the bed.
Throughout the house, along with other variations on the traditional Claus, patriotic Santas wear red, white and blue, a "rapping biker" Santa is clad in black leather and "Victorian Santas" wear pink coats with wreaths of flowers.
There are Santas that play accordions and others look down at broken bathroom scales. One Santa is a decades-old, empty bubble bath bottle. They ride bicycles and fire engines. Motion sensors cue some to belt out horrible renditions of holiday tunes.
"Santa comes in many guises," she said. "Not every Santa speaks to me. I don't know what it is about the ones that do."
A friend who used to help her decorate got irritated as Drake spoke to each one she pulled out.
"I'd say, 'Oh you sweet little thing, I haven't seen you in so long' and she'd say, 'Don't you know how crazy you sound?'"
Friends also cringed as she bought new ones, telling her she had no place left to store them all. The boxes, she said, fill her closets and take up attic space.
"I don't have clothes. I have Santas," she said. "They all have their own personalities. They're all so sweet."
'This is hard work'
The three-year hiatus since she last displayed the Santas wasn't the first time she took years off from putting them out.
When her husband's sister, Brenda Lee, died from pancreatic cancer in 2007, she chose not to display them again until 2010.
"She loved the Santas," Kathye Drake said. "She sent people over to see them, sometimes people I didn't even know."
Drake points to a tall, slender Santa in a white coat perched on a mantle-place. Brenda Lee gave her that one in 2006, she said.
"She ran in here all excited. 'I know you don't have one like that,'" Drake recalled she said. "It hurt us so bad (when she died) because she loved them so much."
Drake brought the Santas back in 2010 in time for the Annual Christmas Tour of Homes hosted by the Leeds Arts Council. That year's display, she said at the time, was a tribute to Brenda Lee.
This year's display, she said, is a tribute to the husband who helped her amass the collection. Many were bought when they went on vacations.
"Owen, even though he was a guy, he loved them," she said. "We got into it together. He was sort of odd for a guy. He'd be thrilled to death I put them up."
Owen's favorite, she said, was a Santa that sits on a sofa, with a pipe in his hand and a Santa-hat wearing pooch at his side. "I think I'll sit and relax before this year's flight," that Santa says when a button is pressed.
Kathye can't bring herself to pick a favorite.
This was the first year Kathye Drake put them out by herself which was a challenge because Owen, she said, knew all the secrets to arranging the lighting.
"He made sure all the batteries were working, all the lights. I just had to wing it. I finally gave up on trying to do it the way he did," she said. "This is hard work."
It also took $100 worth of batteries to get all of the electronic Santas singing and dancing, she said.
Her son came to help her assemble one of the larger Santas but couldn't find the directions.
"I guess Owen didn't think he was going to die. I didn't realize how much he did."
'I get so happy when I see them.'
The city of Leeds this week issued a proclamation inviting the public to come and see the final display.
"People should see them and feel good," she said. "I get so happy when I see them."
She no longer buys Santas ("I don't have any room," she explains) but she said she'll probably buy the ones who 'speak to her' to give to friends as gifts.
When she dies, Drake said, she plans to leave them to the son who says she's crazy for accumulating so many Kris Kringles.
Church friends, she said, once saw a national news report about another Santa collector. "You have more than him," she said they told her. "They call me the Santa Claus lady."
One person suggested Drake give the Santas away to the people who come see them.
"I can't do that. They're my children," she replied.
And, although she said she has no favorite, when she examined her collection, she paused as she looked at an ice-skating Santa and Mrs. Claus holding hands as they prepared to make their battery-powered way around the ice.
"This is me and my husband," she said. "They dance."
If you are interested in seeing the collection, call Kathye Drake at 699-6655.

subset: commoncrawl


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A hearings officer for the Department of Labor and Industry (MDLI) Hearings Bureau issued an eight-page order on November 30, 2011 ordering the Human Rights Bureau to disclose the complaints and amended complaints filed by Deputy County Attorney Geoffrey Mahar against County Attorney Bill Fulbright and Ravalli County. The complaints were withdrawn as part of a settlement agreement reached through a Human Rights Bureau "fast track mediation procedure" on August 24, 2011, prior to the issuance of a final investigative report.
The Bitterroot Star, RC Watchdog, and the Bitterroot Human Rights Alliance have filed a case in District Court challenging the legality of that settlement agreement, alleging insufficient public notice, and, in particular, public notice involving a significant financial expenditure. The cost of the settlement agreement has been variously estimated at $180,000 to $250,000. It is a complex agreement involving continued employment and employment benefits up through March 2013.
Simultaneously, the same three organizations and the Ravalli Republic requested that the Human Rights Bureau disclose the complaints that were involved in the settlement agreement. Those requests were refused based on objections by Mahar that it would violate his rights to privacy. Neither the County nor the County Attorney objected to the release. The Bitterroot Star, RC Watchdog and the Bitterroot Human Rights Alliance appealed that decision by the Human Rights Bureau to MDLI Hearings Bureau. The Ravalli Republic did not.
The order refers to the complaints, which were viewed in camera by the hearings officer, as "political discrimination" complaints.
Mahar was removed from the position of Chief Deputy County Attorney and transferred to civil from prosecutorial duties not long after Fulbright took office. Mahar had been a strong supporter of former county attorney George Corn in the election.
As part of the hearing process Mahar filed a document making his arguments that the complaints should not be released. In that document he argued that the fast track mediation process promised confidentiality in that process and that release of the information would stifle the willingness of others to participate in the process in the future.
"This is especially true where (as is occurring in this case) an employee who withdraws a complaint is then subject to several months of ongoing phone messages, newspaper articles, and incessant questioning from parties who want political fodder or who choose to gossip about Ravalli County employees," wrote Mahar.
Mahar also claimed to have a reasonable expectation of privacy because it is information about his employment.
"Critically important is the fact that I am not an elected official, but an employee," he wrote.
Mahar also objected based on the fact that his complaint information refers to two other third parties, not part of the complaint, and would violate their rights to privacy. He also argues that his current status as an active employee requires duties of confidentiality to his employer and that relationship would be adversely impacted by release of the information in the complaints.
Attorney for the requesting organizations, Dustin Gahagan, in his response to Mahar's objections notes that no memorandums or confidential settlement materials were being requested. Only the complaints that were filed with the Human Rights Bureau and thus are public documents were being requested. Gahagan argues that Mahar had no expectation of privacy after filing the complaints with a public agency. He goes on to note that the courts have extended the reasoning about elected officials not having such reasonable expectations of privacy to public employees who "occupy positions of great public trust," such as a Deputy County Attorney.
The state Hearings Bureau officer noted in his order that Mahar had specifically acknowledged in his complaint his "understanding that once [the] complaint was filed, it may be accessible to the public."
The order states that in the case of conflicting constitutional rights, one guaranteeing the public's right to know and the other guaranteeing rights of privacy to individuals, the courts have ruled that a determination must be made as to whether those privacy interests being claimed clearly outweigh the public's right to know. The two-part test for determining this is first determining whether the individual has a "subjective or actual expectation of privacy," the second is to determine if society would find that expectation "reasonable."
The hearings officer determined that Mahar had no expectation of privacy, in part because the information was not part of his personnel file or his performance evaluations, but was instead information contained in a document that would certainly have become public had the matter proceeded through the hearing process.
The hearings officer reasoned that since Mahar, the county, as a public agency, and the county attorney, as an elected official, have no privacy interest, the final consideration pertained to the "third party individuals" who are named in the complaint.
"Third parties have a reasonable expectation of privacy in their private information. However, the public's right to know in this case is strong. The underlying matter is related to charges of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation associated with Mahar's political beliefs involving the county and county attorney. Redaction of the names of the two persons is adequate to protect any privacy rights they may have and does not impact the gist of the complaints," states the order.
The Human Rights Bureau is ordered to disclose the complaint and amended complaint with the names of the two non-parties redacted, to the requesters on December 15, 2011. Disclosure will occur on that date unless a party obtains a stay from an appropriate higher authority or from the tribunal before that date.


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Dukes Lose at La Salle, 10-9
April 11, 2014
Duquesne's lacrosse team dropped its first contest since Feb. 25 with a 10-9 loss at La Salle Friday evening in Philadelphia. The Dukes fell to 11-2 overall and 2-1 in Atlantic 10 play.
Clare Hurley, Haley Marafioti and Caitlin Prince each had two goals as the Dukes outshot the Explorers, 33-16.
Amanda Kidder led the Red and Blue with four ground balls, five draw controls and three caused turnovers. Kristen Gregory made three saves in goal.
The Dukes return to action on Sunday, April 12 as they face Saint Joseph's at 1:00 pm.


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Product Information
Oxylife Oxygen with Colloidal Silver Orange-Pineapple - 16 fl oz
Oxylife Oxygen with Colloidal Silver Orange-Pineapple Description: Nutritional Supplements Anti-Microbial Immune System Booster No Chlorine Oxygen with Colloidal Silver in Orange Pineapple Flavor offers a detoxifying solution with the great tropical flavor of Orange Pineapple. Get a blast of liquid oxygen safely and quickly into your bloodstream and help eliminate toxins, poisons and fungi from your body. This delicious OxyLife product can improve your oxygen intake while giving you an energy boost. Perfect for working out, Oxygen with Colloidal Silver has also been known to help you recover up to fifty percent faster from strenuous exercise and does not require you to add water in order to use. You will breathe better and keep your system's defenses against toxins and viruses high when you use Oxygen with Colloidal Silver. Free Of Puified water, aloe vera, 35% food grade hydrogen peroxide, colloidal silver (8PPM), naturak berry flavor and stevia. Disclaimer These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.Product Features: Oxylife Oxygen with Colloidal Silver Orange-Pineapple Directions Stabilized OXYGEN with COLLOIDAL SILVER should always be taken on an empty stomach, one-half hour before or two hours after a meal. One tablespoon in the morning and one tablespoon at bedtime is suggested or as recommended dosage by your health care professional. Supplement Facts Serving Size: 1 oz Servings Per Container: 16 Amt Per Serving% Daily Value Calories0.2 Protein (Grams)0.1 Carbohydrates0.1 Fats (Grams)0.1 Ingredients: Stabilized Oxygen, Colloidal Silver, Aloe Vera(Note: This Product Description Is Informational Only. Always Check The Actual Product Label In Your Possession For The Most Accurate Ingredient Information Before Use. For Any Health Or Dietary Related Matter Always Consult Your Doctor Before Use.)UPC: 697983015819 S
SHOP.COM ReviewsWrite a Review
This product has not yet been reviewed. Be the first to write a review.


text:
On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 20:32:25 -0600, High Plains Thumper wrote:
> http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/library/l-hw1/
> [quote]
> Linux hardware stability guide, Part 1
Try posting it in the Ubuntu forums where they have 65+ pages and counting
of people with Linux freezing and locking up and no solution in site.
Moshe Goldfarb
Collector of soaps from around the globe.
Please visit The Hall of Linux Idiots:


text:
iHerb Customer Reviews
Savings of: $5.50 (29% off)
Posted by Reviewer1655398 on Mar 11, 2011
i have had sleeping problems for many many years, but now i actually sleep at 11 every night. and i sleep the entire night without waking up. it is just fantastic. and the taste is so nice too. love from norway
very nice
Posted by Reviewer1801594 on Nov 04, 2010
I didn't believe the hype but had to try it. I was on it for about a month and didn't really notice the difference until I missed a few days. All my aches and pains came back after missing a few days. Back on it and feeling better. Plus it tastes good.
Way Too Sweet - I am Not Sure This is Really Tart Cherries!
Posted by Reviewer3128077 on Jan 25, 2011
I have had other tart cherries juices, and although when concentrated, even tart cherries taste a bit sweet, they retain a tartness to them. Tart cherries provide nutrients that are not in other sweet cherries, but this product tastes like they used sweet cherries instead of tart cherries. This would mean the health benefits would not be the same. The company claims they are tart cherries, just with a very high brix, but I don't think high brix would do away with the tart taste!
Thick sirup without sugar that tastes lovely (cherry-almondy),
Posted by Reviewer2778088 on Sep 24, 2010
and dissolves easily in water for a drink, would be lovely sauce for desserts too, non-expencive, and if it stores well too it will be a great juice to have on hand in the fridge for making a refreshing & healthy drink (you don´t need much) or smashing together a dessert.
My favorite item at iherb.
Posted by Reviewer2583260 on Jun 21, 2011
Sadly the price keeps creeping up. Does wonders for my spinal osteoarthritis, good for your heart and also has natural melatonin for insomnia. Taste great, tart and sweet.
Posted by Reviewer1751810 on Aug 04, 2011
Really love the taste! Makes a wonderful, refreshing and healthy soda when mixed with sparkling water. Another great use is mixing it in greek or any other unflavored yoghurt!
Great Emergency Relief for Gout
Posted by 4650908169971461831 on Dec 05, 2012
I have used this supplement for several months now, in helping to relieve my gout symptoms,which I have dealt with for almost 30 years. It is taken in conjunction with other supplements and the combination has helped keep my gout in check for serveral months now and I have noticed that even when I do have a flare up now, it is minor in comparison to before taking this supplement. Adding Tart Cherry Juice to my daily intake has made a significant improvement in my being able to maintain my gout and not have all the pain, swelling and stiffness normally associated with the disease. As well, when I feel the first signs of a flare up, if I drink a large glass of the Cherry Juice mixed with Pineapple juice, the symptoms go away almost immediately, within an hour or so. This is a great product to keep on hand for emergencies, and I always keep a bottle or two in backstock just in case.
Posted by Reviewer2619724 on Jul 16, 2011
I always buy from this company when available. This is your ultimate cherry pie fix without so many calories. I think it would be great added to a real cherry pie for a knockout taste. I plan to try that one day. Now I add it to my daily pom drink for it's benefit to the joints.
Posted by Reviewer1367436 on Jul 23, 2012
My first tart cherry consentrate and i love it! Use it in my yoghurt (greek, turkey or natural) with some wholegrains before bed and it tastes soooooo good and helps me sleep. I don't wake up during the night with this, not even whith the light nights here in Norway, that normaly f's up my sleep in the summertime. Can actualy feel a difference when i skip this before bed.
Love It
Posted by BigNanc on Aug 03, 2012
I love this tart cherry juice. I mix with pomegranate juice and water or club soda for a kick.


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Fibre 3 Contact Fire Staff - 150cm (5ft)
Product details
The Fibre 3 Contact Fire Staff is the 3rd generation of our ultra-strong pure fibreglass core fire staffs. The Fibre 3 range has been specifically designed to be used as contact staffs. The fiberglass core is heavy, resulting in an outstanding amount of momentum. This means that the Fibre 3s continue to rotate, and feel like they're stuck to you, even at slow speeds.
The 150cm version is a fantastic staff for single contact. The long length amplifies the weight at the ends to give it an astonishing amount of momentum - many experienced contact staffers prefer these longer lengths for that reason. However, the 150cm is starting to get a bit long for doubles, unless you're quite tall and strong.
The Fibre 3s have a number of innovative features:
- The fibreglass core is so strong that these staffs are virtually indestructible. Fibreglass also doesn't conduct heat well meaning the shaft will not get hot, even after repeated burns. The discreet flex provided by the core is firm enough to not hinder play but it can still absorb shock from the highest throws.
- Aluminium heat shields and bash guards cover 37.5cm of either end of the staff. These help to concentrate weight at the extremities adding momentum and fluidity to the staff.
- The 150cm model comes equipped with two whopping burners each made from 80cm of 100mm wide wick, considerably more than most other brands of fire staff. The large wicks guarantee long lasting and consistent burns and add further weight to the ends of the staff providing yet more momentum.
- There are two types of grip available on the Fibre 3s; silicone or cushion grip:
The silicone grip provides a huge amount of friction and is fused to the core with a heat and fuel proof silicone adhesive. The silicone grip also comes marked with a centre point and two other handy points equidistant from the centre. These two marks are usefully positioned at the areas you would hold the staff for entry into moves like the SNES or Matrix.
The cushion grip is the same padded grip we use on our aluminium staffs, only twice the length. This gives a large area of friction that will forgive those little inaccuracies. The cushion grip performs slightly better than the silicone in wet conditions and is easily re-gripped. Unfortunately the extra cost of this quality grip means the staff is slightly more expensive than its silicone counterpart.
- Most other, non-Firetoys, staffs have a limited lifespan as the wicks are secured with screws that eventually wear away the core. The bolts we use to attach the wick to the shaft go right through the entire burner and screw into each other ensuring the wicks are tightly secured and easy to replace. The biggest advantage these bolts give our staffs over others on the market is that they won't cause deterioration to the core during re-wicking as they screw into each other and not the core. This greatly increases the life of our fire staffs.
The Fibre 3 Contact Fire Staffs have been tried and tested by many awesome contact staffers who have provided feedback resulting in the work horse of a staff you see before you. The Fibre 3s are hugely popular and have become a favourite among contact staff spinners in the UK and internationally. Have a look at this contact staff performance for inspiration.
New to contact staff? Check out this instructional book on the basics.
All our own props are manufactured in our sustainably powered, 1700 square foot workshop.
|Country of Manufacture
150cm (5ft)
|Amount of Wick (per burner)
80cm x 100mm
|Staff Spinning Style
Single Spinning, Contact
Fibre 3 Contact Fire Staff - 150cm (5ft)
A staff tutorial DVD that will take you from absolute beginner to advanced contact staff spinner. Staff Manipulation is a must have for any aspiring staff spinner.£14.95 3 in stock
Firetoys Fibre Air Throwing Staff - 90cm - Silicone Grip
Probably the best juggling fire staffs in the world! Also great for double staff manipulation or as a first fire staff.£33.00 Out of stock
Out of stock
Double Staff Manipulation - DVD
Learn to spin double staffs with this great DVD from MCP.£14.95 4 in stock
First Contact: Beginner's Contact Staff Book
Build solid foundations with this contact staff book for beginners.£9.95 89 in stock
Our Delivery Promise
We don't mess about! All orders placed before 4pm on working days are despatched same day - that's our promise. Working days are Monday to Friday throughout the year excluding UK bank holidays (read more).
UK Delivery Options
We offer free UK shipping for all orders over £35 - can't say fairer than that! (Some remote and offshore postcodes are excluded.)
Standard delivery costs £3.95. This service generally takes 1 to 2 working days, however it is not a guaranteed service and we have to wait 10 working days before we can resend should the parcel get lost in the post (extremely rare).
We offer a Guaranteed Next Working Day service for £6.95 (Monday to Friday - next working day orders placed before 4pm on Fridays will be delivered on the following Monday. Orders after 4pm Fridays and over the weekend will be delivered on the following Tuesday). If the order has not arrived the following working day by 7pm (again this is very rare) your postage will be refunded in full and your goods will be delivered free of charge (read more).
Worldwide Delivery Options
We have many services available to deliver your goods around the world based on your order size and address. After you have entered address at checkout, a list of options will be presented to you from budget services to urgent FedEx deliveries. We can generally get most items to any major cities in the world within 2 days (read more).
You can return unwanted item within 60 days for a full no quibble refund (as long as the item is still in the same condition). All goods carry a 12 month manufacturers guarantee unless otherwise stated (read more).
Please note that aerial acrobatics equipment has separate Aerial Acrobatics Returns Policy


text: MISSION SEEKS TOY DONATIONS: The Warren Family Mission is in need of toys for children of all ages for the Christmas toy giveaway outreach. Signups are under way, with more than 400 families in need of toys this year. New, unwrapped toys for boys and girls of all ages can be dropped off at 361 Elm Road daily or 2671 Youngstown Road from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday.


text:
Four Seasons Hotel Beirut
Welcome to Four Seasons Hotel Beirut. Unabashedly modern, Four Seasons soars skyward above city and sea at the edge of the Mediterranean. From stylish comforts to the see-and-be-seen rooftop terrace, where guests can swim high in the sky or celebrate till sunrise, it brings the best in the world to Beirut.With its deft, friendly, genuine personal service, this much-anticipated landmark experience immerses you in Beirut's rich sophistication in a way never before possible. A hotel whose time has come in a destination striding confidently into the future.
Hotel Address:Location Summary
- Four Seasons Hotel Beirut
- 1418 Professor Wafic Sinno Avenue Fax.
- Minet El Hosn
- Beirut, 2020 4107
- Lebanon
Housed here in exceptional comfort and elegance, you are steps from the Marina, close to business downtown, and convenient to the city's historic sites from Martyrs' Square to the Roman Baths, as well as the shops of Al-Hamra or cafes and nightlife of Gemmayze.
Fine Dining on Site
Share seafood with a Mediterranean twist at The Grill Room – and enjoy views of the Marina and blue horizon, indoors or on the terrace.
Pool, Outdoor
26th-floor rooftop pool.
Spa Facility
The Spa at Four Seasons offers pampering and rejuvenation in seven treatment rooms
Guest Review Highlights
60% (429)
16% (114)
16% (114)
8% (57)
Hotel Amenities
- - Disabled Access
- - Fine Dining on Site
- - Fine Dining Nearby
- - Fitness Center
- - High Speed Internet
- - Pool, Outdoor
- - Spa Facility
Available Activities
- - Boating
- - Shopping
- - Theatre & Museums
Image of the Day: Le Gray Beirut
Image of the Day: Le Gray Beirut Read more >>
Image of the Day: InterContinental Mountain Resort and Spa Mzaar
Image of the Day: InterContinental Mountain Resort and Spa Mzaar Read more >>
Ramadan in Beirut: 3rd Night Free at the Four Seasons Hotel
The Four Seasons Hotel Beirut made a splash in the happening...Read more >>


text:
Clay Aiken is going to be a father, PEOPLE has confirmed.
"The story is true," a rep for producer David Foster, the pregnant woman's brother, told PEOPLE Wednesday, of the TMZ.com report that Aiken, 29, impregnated David's sister, music producer Jaymes Foster. "It is true Clay is the father. She was artificially inseminated by Clay. She's due in August."
The rep added of Aiken and Foster, "They have been friends ever since American Idol, when they worked together."
Foster also executive produced Aiken's album A Thousand Different Ways.
Aiken's reps have not yet commented.
Like this story? Click on the Yahoo Buzz! button below to Buzz it up!
Clay Aiken Is Going to Be a Dad
courtesy RCA Records


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The Knicks (42-26) have gotten along nicely these past four games -- thanks to Kenyon Martin's play -- but they'll happily welcome back All-Star center Tyson Chandler to the mix for tomorrow's matchup against the Boston Celtics (36-33).
Chandler, who is listed as questionable for tomorrow's game, has missed a week's worth of games, first due to an ailing knee and then later to a bulging disk in his neck. And while the 6-foot-9 power forward Martin has subbed in nicely, the Knicks could certainly use the 7-foot-1 Chandler to patrol the middle in a game against their Atlantic Division rival in a hostile environment.
New York is on a four-game winning streak, but have been doing it with key rotational players out with injuries. But with the Brooklyn Nets (41-29) and Celtics still in contention for the Atlantic Division crown, they need as many healthy bodies as possible.
Chandler will definitely make the Knicks' defense better, as he's the anchor to the league's fourth-ranked post defense. The 30-year-old also leads the league with 260 offensive rebounds and is currently tops for the third consecutive season in offensive rating (134).
Martin has had just as much defensive impact during his recent stretch, as New York is giving up 99.5 points per 100 possessions, which would rank fifth in the NBA. Conversely, when he's off the floor, they're giving up 103.3 points, which would put them 17th, so to add Chandler back to the mix just may reignite the stifling defensive intensity that the Knicks once rode to their season-opening 18-5 start.


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Home > Austria > Vienna
Visit Vienna - home to top-level league Austrian Bundesliga pro football team - FK Austria Wien! Travel to Vienna to attend premier concerts, drink excellent coffee, enjoy local nightlife, and also the setting along the Danube. The capital of Austria, Vienna straddles both sides of the Danube, and is the birthplace or former home of some of the world's finest composers, making it a mecca for lovers of classical music, opera, and ballet. Popular museums include the Sissi Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Natural History Museum. Vienna is also famed for its coffee, having been among the first to perfect the art of filtering it – you can sample it at numerous local coffee houses. Nightlife, shopping and restaurants, many of which serve Viennese wine, also abound in this magical city. The Austrian capital exudes imperial splendor, as in the day of the beloved 19th-century empress Sissi. Explore Vienna's architectural landscape. Climb to the top of St. Stephan's cathedral for a breathtaking view of the Danube. Vienna is the land of Johann Strauß, Schloß Schönbrunn and Empress Sisi. Famous coffeehouses, shady vineyards and the charm of the past make Vienna Europe's charming capital of nostalgia. Attractions include the Lipizzaner Horse Collection, Eislaufen Rathausplatz, Kohlmarkt, Wiener Strassenbahnmuseum and Heiligenstadt.


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May 26, 2004
Argentina's private retirement funds may be impacted less by the government's default than many think. That's good news for pensioners.
Incredible as it may seem, Argentina's shell-shocked private
pension funds could well survive the government's December 2001
default in relatively good shape, even though their original
holding of $15 billion in public bonds has not paid a cent in
interest and has lost 70% of its value since then.
In the months prior to the default, as confusion and panic
reigned in Buenos Aires, it seemed the funds were doomed.
Portfolio managers at Argentina's private pension funds -
among the biggest holders of government bonds - met every
day to try and make sense of the unfolding disaster. "It was
total confusion," recalls one manager. "We would get together
every day and guess what would happen next. It was almost
impossible to guess the next move. Everyone was improvising."
The default brought in its train a 70% devaluation, destruction
of the banking system and the worst collapse in Argentina's
checkered economic...
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I have Duchund and friends, I own a beagle and a spaniel.
who has nintendogs?i have chihuahua and friends.
my wii number:0943-3331-0802-7010
wii nickname:luke@wii
i have lab and friends and i have a labrador retreiver and a Pembroke Welsh Corgy (sp?)
i need a new sig!!! if you can be bothered, pm me and say that you can help me! (if you are good at making sigs lol)
Ive borrowed my friends for a few days its a good game but i cant help but think it would get boring somewhat fast.
yeah I've heared it does after a while.. it's okay for 9 year olds like (my 9 year old cousin LOVES it) but.. not for me
what do you do? and is itfun
iMac 2.4ghz Aluminum, 4GB iPhone, 12 iPods!


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Faculty Meetings:
Note - this information is accessible only to COM Faculty. You will need to enter your ETSU username and password to access this page - click here.
East Tennessee State University PO Box 70300 Johnson City, TN 37614 423-439-1000
Office of the Dean
ETSU Quillen College of Medicine
PO Box 70694
Johnson City, TN 37614


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Author(s): Hao F, Randell B, Clarke D
Abstract: Verifiable electronic voting has been extensively researched for over twenty years, but few protocols have achieved real-life deploy- ment. A key impediment, we argue, is caused by the existing protocols' universal reliance on the probity of the tallying authorities. This might seem surprising to many people as dependence on tallying authorities has been a de facto standard in the field. However, this dependence is actually a legacy inherited from traditional physical voting, one that has proved problematic in the electronic context. In this paper, we propose a rad- ically new concept called "self-enforcing electronic voting", which refers to voting systems that are free from reliance on any tallying authority. This proposal goes significantly further than all existing or proposed e- voting systems. We explain the feasibility of this new approach, with a theoretical definition of the system properties, a concrete engineering design, a practical implementation, and real-world trial experiments. We also highlight some open issues for further research.
Dr Dylan Clarke
Dr Feng Hao
Professor Brian Randell


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CONCORD, N.C. — NASCAR has pulled the eligibility of Camping World Truck Series driver Jake Crum to race on ovals larger than 1.25 miles in length after he appeared to have intentionally wrecked Ryan Ellis during the truck race last Friday at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Kerry Tharp, a NASCAR spokesman, said that Crum would only be eligible for tracks shorter than 1.25 miles in length and road courses.
"The decision to do this was made as a reaction to his unacceptable driving last weekend at Charlotte," Tharp said in an e-mail.
It is rare but not unprecedented for NASCAR to change the eligibility of a driver if a driver shows an inability to control the car on a racetrack.
Crum, 22, is a part-time racer in the series for Empire Racing.


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Top Definition
a family who's every movement is related, in some way, to something on America's Funniest Home Videos.
I think i saw the worden family on AFHV last night.
di niggggers 07 luglio 2008
Trending Now
Can you define these popular missing words?
A person known particularly for their hatred of animals, often becomes angry violent towards everyone at inopportune moments.
oh no, not worden again
di king Ali 10 aprile 2011
A last name, generally for a family of winners.
W is for winner, and it's also for Worden, so Wordens are winners.
di elblondo 21 settembre 2011
It is a great place to grow up if you dont want to smell big city smog and deal with 300 people in your class, but if you dont like the outdours you will go crazy.
most of wyoming, but worden is not gay
di cokykid 24 aprile 2011


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ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan football head coach Brady Hoke announced today (Wednesday, May 8) the hiring of Nolan Jones as director of football operations for the Wolverines football program, while Bob Lopez has been promoted to associate athletic director for football. Lopez, who served the previous two seasons as U-M's director of football operations, will now oversee the administration and operation of the football program with Hoke.
Bob Lopez Promoted to Associate AD; Nolan Jones New Director of Ops
From MGoBlue.com
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Pennsylvania schools see threefold jump in sports fees
A new survey has found Pennsylvania public school districts are nearly three times more likely than three years ago to charge students to participate in sports.
The Pennsylvania School Boards Association said Wednesday its survey found that 38 percent charge sports participation fees, up from 13 percent in 2010.
"Many districts are considering this option over program cuts to offset funding decreases and budgeting deficits," said Todd Hosterman, senior research associate with PSBA and author of the study. "However, the rising cost to athletes and their families is concerning. Looking at the maximum reported $200 per student, per activity, fee would require a three-sport athlete to pay $600 a year."
The survey found the average fee now stands at $80, while 11 percent of districts have cut sports, most commonly basketball, soccer or golf.
Schools have been under increasing financial pressure in recent years. Many districts increased real estate taxes, cut staff and programs, or both.
The survey also found that about one in five districts currently charges fees for other activities, such as band or chorus.
Copyright 2013 WFMZ. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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MPA NEWS Vol. 2, No. 8 March 2001
Creating Self-Financing Mechanisms for MPAs: Three Cases
IUCN Offers Financing Guidebook for Managers
Citing Benefits of No-Take Areas, Scientists Call for New Networks of Marine Reserves
MPA Perspective: Genetics, Marine Dispersal Distances, and the Design of Marine Reserve Networks
Marine protected area practitioners regularly face the challenge of meeting their conservation goals with a budget that is less than needed. Short on funding, MPA managers must limit their conservation programs and visitor services.
This situation is what attracts many practitioners to the concept of finding additional resources besides those budgeted. By harnessing the economic potential of an MPA -- as by charging fees on visitors -- they can use that revenue to support the costs of resource protection.
Around the world, MPA practitioners have instituted self-financing programs, and in many cases these programs have played an important role in supporting protected areas. Nonetheless, the art of self-financing an MPA is still very much evolving. This month, MPA News examines the different strategies that three sites -- a national marine park, a private MPA, and a set of community-managed no-take areas -- have taken in pursuing self-financing as a key part of their funding.
Bonaire: Implementing a revenue generation plan
With a reputation as a scuba diving paradise, Bonaire National Marine Park (BNMP) in the Netherlands Antilles has since 1992 covered the cost of basic park operations through a fee charged to divers. Revenue from the US $10 fee covers such expenses as management salaries, boats and vehicles, mooring maintenance, outreach materials, and law enforcement. Routinely, this has amounted to 80%-90% of BNMP's total budget; the remaining expenses -- including boat purchases, research, and monitoring -- have generally been covered through grants. BNMP receives no government funding.
In recent years, however, BNMP managers have felt a financial pinch, due to rising expenses and a diving fee that has remained flat. In 1998, BNMP management described the park's financial situation as "poor" and in need of changes.
Kalli De Meyer, BNMP manager for nine years before leaving late last year, says BNMP's financial challenges stem from the fact that the $10 fee, which comfortably covered the marine park's running costs in 1992, is now too small. "Back then, the marine park consisted of a manager and two rangers, one boat, and two vehicles," she said. "Since 1992, costs have skyrocketed; we had inflation running at 7%-10% for several years. Additionally, the marine park has grown into its task and now employs a manager, four full-time rangers and four part-time members of staff. The amount of work and the ambitious projects undertaken by the park have likewise snowballed."
De Meyer points out that the number of divers since 1992 has also increased -- from 19,500 in 1992 to around 28,000 now -- but the net result has still been a deficit for the park.
In response, BNMP staff crafted a program in 1998 to expand revenue generation. The program proposed the following measures, among others:
Fundraising can be a frustrating and time-consuming aspect of MPA management. At the time De Meyer left BNMP, she was spending up to 15% of her time on finance-related issues. "But there was no other way," she said. "The alternative was to run the park at a basic maintenance level only, and I could not do that." She recommends that other managers be as creative as possible with their financing strategies and avoid placing all their "eggs in one basket."
"We should all be looking for longer term solutions to our financing woes in order to ensure a future for our marine parks," she said. "Trust funds, corporate sponsorship, who knows?"
Chumbe Island: Riding the tourism wave
Chumbe Island Coral Park Ltd. (CHICOP) is a privately run reef- and forest-conservation project covering tiny Chumbe Island and its western fringing reef, eight miles (13 km) southwest of Zanzibar, Tanzania. The park was established in 1992 to create and manage the Chumbe Reef Sanctuary. Its reef is among the healthiest in the region, with 370 species of fish and over 200 species of sleractinian corals, 90% of all recorded in the region.
CHICOP, a small, private not-for-profit company, aims to create a model of sustainable conservation area management where ecotourism supports conservation and education. Profits from the tourism operations are to be reinvested in conservation area management and free island excursions for local schoolchildren.
Along this line, CHICOP has constructed a visitors center and seven "eco-bungalows" for visitors, in addition to establishing a ranger program and a sanctuary for an endangered species of antelope. About two-thirds of the US $1 million start-up cost was financed privately by a benefactor, while the rest was covered through grants from various international NGOs and foreign donor organizations. Now, CHICOP receives no additional donor support and depends entirely on income from ecotourism. The CHICOP website - http://www.chumbeisland.com -- plays a central role in attracting tourists from all over the world.
CHICOP's annual budget is roughly US $120,000, and the park is "coming closer every year" to meeting that through tourism revenue, said Sibylle Riedmiller, CHICOP project director. When asked in early January of this year what factors could potentially threaten the park's tourism revenue stream, Riedmiller said the only one about which she was seriously concerned was political violence in the country. "Political violence can reduce tourist arrivals from a boom to a trickle within weeks," she said.
Her words were prophetic. On January 27, Zanzibari police clubbed and opened fire on unarmed supporters of the Civic United Front, the opposition party on the semi-autonomous island. The civilians had been planning demonstrations to demand new elections. More than 40 people were killed, and sporadic violence continued well into the month of February.
With foreign governments and newspapers warning against travel to Zanzibar ("Brits Trapped in Death Riots" was one paper's headline), tourism to the area plummeted. "After making news on BBC for a couple of days, this situation resulted in immediate cancellations of bookings far into the year 2001," said Riedmiller. "For the time being, we have resumed operations on Chumbe Island, but cancellations have now reached approximately US $32,000 worth of business lost. New bookings are very few, and will probably remain low, as long as the image of Zanzibar as a safe destination remains dented in the international tourism market."
How can MPA managers prepare for such events so that they do not threaten an MPA's long-term financial stability? Riedmiller said the first and foremost precautionary measure is to keep overhead costs down. CHICOP does this in a number of ways, including encouraging help from volunteers, keeping some staff on seasonal schedules, and outsourcing some monitoring to university students. CHICOP also markets Chumbe Island primarily on the Web, rather than through more costly "traditional" channels (e.g., magazine advertisements, tourism fairs), and has negotiated with government for reduced rates or exemptions on fees and taxes.
Ideally, said Riedmiller, she would like to see international conservation organizations set up an insurance scheme to provide parks with a financial cushion against the risk of revenues suddenly drying up. Such insurance could be provided to parks that have proven their environmental sustainability.
As for the future of Chumbe Island, it remains uncertain. "The political situation in Zanzibar has calmed down a bit over the last couple of weeks," said Riedmiller, "but the underlying problems have not been solved, nor been acknowledged by the government."
Fiji: Bioprospecting as long-range funding source
There are other methods besides tourism that MPAs can use to generate revenue. In Fiji, one project is using bioprospecting as a way to generate cash for area communities while raising awareness of the value of local biodiversity.
Bioprospecting involves the collection and testing of biological resources for the purpose of developing new products, often medicines. In the past, some community activists and scholars have criticized bioprospecting as an inappropriate venture for local communities. Its potential downsides include the fact that short-term financial benefits from sampling fees are not sustained for very long, and that there is typically little investment in the community in terms of infrastructure. In addition, calculating the magnitude and distribution of eventual profits can be difficult.
In 1995, the University of the South Pacific (USP -- Suva, Fiji) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) sought a way to create a conservation-based enterprise that carried little financial risk for local communities. They settled on bioprospecting, and focused their work on the coastal community of Verata, which suffered from overfishing.
The USP/WWF team contracted with a UK-based pharmaceutical research firm. A key feature of the contract has been that a small amount of sample is licensed through the pharmaceutical company for a limited period, usually one year. This sample remains the property of the community and, if not under a licensing agreement, can be reclaimed by the community. Collection and processing fees come to about US $200 per sample. Royalty fees from development of products based on the samples will be passed on to Verata.
Bill Aalbersberg, a project leader from USP, said the proceeds from the contract have totaled about US $30,000 to date. "This will increase to about $50,000 from the initial contract," he said. "Once the exclusivity period ends, the samples can be licensed elsewhere."
Verata has received no royalties yet. "The period to develop a medicine is at least 15 years, so it has not been long enough," said Aalbersberg. Bioprospecting requires financial patience on the part of all involved.
The conservation benefits of the project have been more immediate in coming. Involved in the project's local-level planning and sample collection, fishers have been encouraged to monitor their marine resources while generating data to assess the overall health of the nearshore marine system and fishery populations. Early on, one village established a trial tabu (no-take) area for comparative study with fished areas. When the tabu area's clam population increased 1000%, other villages followed suit. There are now nine tabu areas in Verata, covering multiple habitat types and indicator species.
"The community has the choice of whether these areas are opened up again or not," said Aalbersberg. "We provide information but the choice is theirs. We suspect for species-specific tabu areas such as the Halimeda beds for the clams that the community may decide -- once their monitoring shows the increases have leveled out -- to open it up and close another area."
The Verata community has set up a trust fund with the money it has received through the contract. It has invested half the money and used the rest for conservation and education purposes.
In a project paper available online (http://www.bcnet.org/results/insearchof.htm), the USP/WWF team points out that if bioprospecting is carried out respectfully and judiciously, the benefits can be solid and the risks minimal. "Linked to community resource management and tied into other enterprise options," say the authors, "community bioprospecting can provide an important catalyst for sustainable rural development."
For more information:
Kalli De Meyer, Coral Parks Programme, The Coral Reef Alliance, Kaya Madrid 3a, Sabana, Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean. Tel: 599 7173465; E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com.
Catriona Glendinning (Bonaire National Marine Park Manager), PO Box 368, Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean. Tel: +599 7178444; E-mail: email@example.com; Web: www.bmp.org
Sibylle Riedmiller, CHICOP, P.O. Box 3203, Zanzibar, Tanzania. Tel: +255 24 2231040; E-mail: email@example.com; Web:www.chumbeisland.com.
Bill Aalbersberg, University of the South Pacific, Institute of Natural
Resources, P.O. Box 1168, Suva, Fiji. Tel: +679 212 416; E-mail: email@example.com.
|BOX: Making Italy's MPAs Self-Financing
Nick Marchesi of Pescares Italia Srl, an Italian consulting firm, envisions a future in which all of Italy's protected areas will benefit from tourism-based revenue. In essence, he says, he'd like to see his country's protected areas managed not as "state entities" but as "nature enterprises".
"Thanks to tourism, the environmental resources available in and around protected areas become, potentially, an extremely valuable economic asset," said Marchesi. "Nevertheless, we keep managing them as inexhaustible common goods to which everybody has to be granted free and unconditioned access. Although ethically sound, this management approach is in fact undermining the enormous value of these resources, preventing us from managing them effectively."
Marchesi is proposing a pilot project to the European Union in which self-financing mechanisms would be developed and applied to two marine protected areas along the Tyrrenian coast of Italy. Among other things, the project would involve analysis of each MPA's socioeconomic and environmental conditions, as well as economic valuation of the sites' cultural and natural assets. Marchesi's ultimate intent is to transfer the lessons learned from this pilot project to the rest of Italy and the European Union.
"First we need to show decisionmakers that self-financing works before we [apply] it nation-wide," said Marchesi. He said that Italy is still working toward the strong pro-conservation mindset that characterizes northern European countries, and has a very limited fundraising tradition for protected areas.
For more information:
Nick Marchesi, Pescares Italia Srl, Via Borgogna 7, 20122 Milano, Italy. Tel: +39 2 76394923; E-mail: email@example.com
The World Conservation Union (IUCN) has published a guidebook to assist protected area managers in identifying and securing appropriate and sustainable finance. Financing Protected Areas: Guidelines for Protected Area Managers provides a step-by-step process for creating business and financial plans, and discusses mechanisms for generating revenue flows.
Released in October 2000, the 58-page book is based on inputs from a range of sources, including IUCN's Economics Unit and the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA). It guides readers through the range of funding sources and mechanisms available at international, national and local levels.
Lee Thomas, deputy chair of the WCPA and convenor of its task force on financing of protected areas, said that access to funds is becoming increasingly important for effective management. Learning how to access those funds is key. "The most common pitfalls for protected area managers in pursuing finance are a lack of a business plan and lack of a strategy for securing sustainable financial flows," said Thomas. "Hence our book recommends that park managers adopt both of these measures."
Linked to website
The book is intended to serve as a living document through the associated IUCN website of http://biodiversityeconomics.org/finance/topics-38-00.htm. The full text of the book is downloadable for free from that site; IUCN will update the book on the site as new material becomes available. In addition, the website offers material not found in the book, including a list of donor organizations by global region, along with links to those donors' websites.
In terms of achieving sustainable financing, said Thomas, the approach advocated in the book is universal to both terrestrial and marine protected areas. The book, therefore, is intended for both types. "There are differences, however, when it comes to individual users," said Thomas. "In some respects, it is more difficult to collect user fees individually from users in a marine park without entry stations, compared to a terrestrial park with designated entry points.
"The challenge for the manager," he said, "is to recognize the charging opportunities available, whether for a marine or terrestrial park, and to put in place cost-effective and acceptable arrangements for their implementation."
For more information:
Lee Thomas, Area Management and Planning, Department of Environment and Heritage, Environment Australia - Parks, PO Box 787, 2601 Canberra, ACT, Australia. Tel: +61 2 6274 2201; E-mail: email@example.com.
The WCPA website -- http://wcpa.iucn.org
-- provides additional information on the work of the WCPA Finance Task
|BOX: Book available for free on the web
Financing Protected Areas: Guidelines for Protected Area Managers is downloadable for free on the web:
There is now compelling scientific evidence that no-take areas -- or marine reserves -- conserve both biodiversity and fisheries, and could help replenish depleted fish stocks, according to a consensus statement signed by 160 marine-science academics from around the world. Released February 17 at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the statement is the culmination of a three-year, international effort to advance scientific understanding of marine reserves.
"All around the world there are different experiences, but the basic message is the same: marine reserves work, and they work fast," said Jane Lubchenco (Oregon State University, USA), a past president of AAAS and a leader of the three-year effort. "It is no longer a question of whether to set aside fully protected areas in the ocean, but where to establish them."
The consensus statement recommends that marine resource managers use reserves as a "central management tool" for achieving long-term fishery and conservation benefits. It concludes that networks of reserves, rather than isolated single reserves, will be necessary to buffer against environmental variability and catastrophes.
Increases in population density, biomass
The academic effort to develop a better scientific understanding of marine reserves grew out of the 1997 AAAS meeting, where scientists reviewed the state of the oceans and identified research priorities. Following that meeting, several researchers formed a team, based at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (University of California, Santa Barbara), to examine the effects of reserves on fish populations.
The team's study of more than 100 reserves from around the world indicated that after one to two years of protection, these reserves averaged a 91% increase in population density, 192% increase in biomass, and 23% increase in species diversity as compared to reference sites. The consensus statement also noted that in the few studies that have examined the effects of reserves on fish populations in adjacent waters, the size and abundance of exploited species has increased.
"The results are startling and consistent," said Robert Warner of the University of California, Santa Barbara, a leader of the academic effort.
The consensus statement follows the release last November of another document from scientists in support of marine reserves. A committee of the US National Research Council (NRC) released a 150-page report urging marine resource managers to increase their use of marine reserves as a supplement to conventional management tools (MPA News 2:5). The report, Marine Protected Areas: Tools for Sustaining Ocean Ecosystems, assessed the scientific basis of techniques for locating, designing, and implementing reserves.
Megan Dethier (University of Washington, US), who assisted with the first draft of the consensus statement, said the statement's brevity -- three pages -- reflected its intended purpose. "We wanted to make a [statement] that was short and direct enough to be readily usable by the press, NGOs, etc., to help 'spread the word', rather than a complex scientific document that would not be 'picked up' in the way that this one clearly has been," said Dethier.
For more information:
Jane Lubchenco, Department of Zoology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA. Tel: +1 541 737 5337; E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com.
Robert Warner, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology,
University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA. Tel: +1 805 893
2941; E-mail:
|BOX: Consensus statement is online
An electronic version of the consensus statement on marine reserves is available online at the following websites:
|BOX: Conclusions of the Consensus Statement
By Stephen Palumbi, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University
[Editor's note: Steve Palumbi, author of the following piece, has studied the genetics, evolution, population biology, and systematics of a diverse array of marine and terrestrial organisms. His current work is on the genetics of marine populations in the context of the design and implementation of MPAs. Palumbi has been co-leader of a three-year effort to examine the effects of marine reserves on fish populations, based at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (see previous story).]The seas are increasingly in serious trouble. Coral bleaching, blankets of hypoxic or anoxic water, radical changes in species composition, toxic algal blooms, marine epidemic diseases, mass mortalities, and fisheries collapses are all symptoms of complex but fundamental alterations in the health of marine ecosystems. As both the value and vulnerability of marine ecosystems become broadly recognized, there is an increasing search for effective mechanisms to prevent or reverse widespread declines, and to sustain or restore ocean ecosystems.
Fully protected marine reserves are a powerful tool for marine conservation and management. Defined as areas in which no extractive activities are allowed, "fully protected marine reserves" are a special category of "marine protected areas" (MPAs), which are sites in which some activities are constrained.
These reserves are different than terrestrial parks because marine species are fundamentally different in how they use habitat. Because many larvae or spores of marine species disperse through the water column, populations from one generation to the next live in different places, and may move outside the boundaries of a single reserve. A confluence of recent empirical and theoretical results indicates that these species will benefit most from a network of reserves, and that such protective necklaces can accomplish both conservation and fisheries goals and provide enhanced ecosystem impact.
How should networks be designed to enhance their function, protect species and provide the most value? Although the morphology of a network of marine protected areas can be complex, there are a few key features shared by all networks that play fundamental roles in their functioning. The minimum set of network features that captures the most important functional attributes consists of:
Other researchers (Warner 2001, Botsford 2001) have shown the critical importance of larval dispersal distance on functioning of individual reserves. Network span also requires knowledge of likely dispersal distances of larvae, juveniles, or adults. To preserve most community components, the span of a network must encompass the dispersal range of species with the greatest potential for movement. To reduce edge effects, and keep loss of individuals from the system of reserves below 10%-20%, the span of a reserve network should be 5-10 times greater than the maximum dispersal range for species to be protected by the network.
Because virtually all marine communities have a significant fraction of species with pelagic periods of 30-60 days, most marine reserve networks should be large enough to encompass the dispersal distances associated with this larval duration. As a result, determining the span of a marine reserve network should be informed by an estimate of average larval dispersal ranges for the variety of species within the communities to be protected. There are few concrete data on this topic, but useful inferences can be made from a number of studies that focus on 1) range expansion of invading species, 2) correlations of population size along a coastline, and 3) the scale of genetic differentiation in broadly distributed populations.
For example, we have recently shown (Barber et al. 2000) that populations of common Indonesian mantis shrimp species show extremely abrupt genetic boundaries in unexpected places. Despite very strong current flow patterns that should transport larvae long distances, genes from populations as close as 200 km show radically different sequences, indicating nearly complete lack of population exchange. Such data are in complete agreement with recent reports of high larval retention of fish larvae around coral islands (Warner 2001), and suggest strong ocean currents are not always enough to waft planktonic larvae far away.
A summary of available data on dispersal potential shows a striking surprise: average movement of successful larvae may be 10 times lower than expected, on the order of 50-100 km for species with high potential for dispersal. Nonetheless, these figures suggest two important points. First, the waters set aside to effectively sustain these species must span 500-1000 km. Second, few single reserves will be large enough to sustain these species -- they must rely on functioning networks for survival. Thus, network design will often cross political boundaries and require cooperation in areas defined not by map borders but by the ecosystems themselves.
Warner, Robert R. 2001. "Using Past Marine Reserve Performance as a Guide for Effective Design," presented at AAAS Session: The Scientific Theory of Marine Reserves, 17 February 2001, San Francisco, California. Abstract available online at http://www.compassonline.org/frame.html.
Botsford, Louis W. 2001. "Marine Reserves for Sustainable Populations in Fisheries and Conservation," presented at AAAS Session: The Scientific Theory of Marine Reserves, 17 February 2001, San Francisco, California. Abstract available online at http://www.compassonline.org/frame.html.
Barber, Paul H., Stephen R. Palumbi, Mark V. Erdmann, M. Kasim Moosa. 2000. "Biogeography: A Marine Wallace's Line?", Nature, Volume 406(6797), 17 August 2000, pp 692-693.
For more information:
Stephen Palumbi, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 16 Divinity Ave., Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. Tel: +1 617 496 8633; E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com; Web: www.oeb.harvard.edu/palumbi
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Publisher: Bradford Powers, J.D., LL.M.
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Chair: David Fluharty, Ph.D.
School of Marine Affairs
University of Washington
Patrick Christie, Ph.D.
School of Marine Affairs
University of Washington
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Advisory Council Coordinator
Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary
Direct correspondence to: MPA News, School of Marine Affairs, University of Washington, 3707 Brooklyn Ave. NE, Seattle, WA 98105, USA. Tel: +1 206 685 1582; Fax: +1 206 543 1417; E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com. MPA News is produced monthly as an independent study initiative at the School of Marine Affairs, University of Washington. The MPA News staff is solely responsible for content.
This publication was funded in part by Washington Sea Grant Program, University of Washington, pursuant to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Award No. NA76RG0119. The views expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of NOAA or any of its sub-agencies.
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Bethany Koby and Daniel Hirshmann of Technology Will Save Us explain how their DIY technology kits and workshops help people "understand what goes into the stuff in our lives" in the penultimate movie filmed at our Designed in Hackney Day. More »
Tag: Designed in Hackney
"We're a haberdashery for technology and
"A soft side to architecture is coming
to the fore" – We Made That
Holly Lewis and Oliver Goodall of Hackney studio We Made That have been exploring architecture's "soft side" by planting flowers in the Olympic Park, as they explain in this talk filmed at our Designed in Hackney Day last year. More »
"High streets are places of collision
and conflict" – Jay Gort
Jay Gort from Hackney studio Gort Scott Architects argues that the beleaguered British high street is actually a thriving location of "collision and conflict" in this talk filmed by Dezeen at our Designed in Hackney Day last year. More »
"There is no nature anymore" – Liam Young
of Tomorrow's Thoughts Today
Seed-dispersing robots and file-sharing drones are among proposals to fuse technology and the natural world by Liam Young of Tomorrow's Thoughts Today, presented at our Designed in Hackney Day last summer (+ movie). More »
"We use software programming controls
as well as physical design" - Troika
Troika founding partner Eva Rucki explains the studio's large-scale immersive light installations in this movie filmed by Dezeen at our Designed in Hackney Day. More »
"A lot of what we do is about testing public
space"– Suzanne O'Connell of The Decorators
Suzanne O'Connell of Hackney studio The Decorators introduces a temporary restaurant in a local market and a community event on top of a multi-storey car park in this movie filmed by Dezeen at our Designed in Hackney Day. More »
"The architect-midwife should be brilliant
at listening" - Gurmeet Sian
In the next movie we filmed at our Designed in Hackney Day, Gurmeet Sian of Office Sian explains how an emphasis on building relationships with his clients makes him more like a midwife than an architect. More »
"In the future, design thinking is going to be
called emotionalism" – Roger Arquer
Designer Roger Arquer explains why emotion is the guiding force behind his practice, which includes lampshades that work with condensation and experimental fish tanks, in this next movie filmed at our Designed in Hackney Day. More »
"The pieces wouldn't be anything without the
people who interact with them" – Jason Bruges
A wall of digital animals that distract children on their way to surgery is one of the interactive installations presented by designer Jason Bruges in this movie we filmed at our Designed in Hackney Day. More »
"We got into a geeky zone trying to understand urban agriculture" – Something & Son
In this movie we filmed at our Designed in Hackney Day, design duo Something & Son talk about keeping chickens in east London buildings and making tea with heat from compost heaps. More »
"It's not what you'd expect a particle accelerator
to look like" - Chris Hatherill of Super/Collider
In this movie filmed at our Designed in Hackney Day, Chris Hatherill from Hackney company Super/Collider speaks about how his team handcrafted a particle accelerator from hand-blown glass. More »
Pheasant Light by Ed Carpenter
for Theo
Product news: Hackney designer Ed Carpenter has created a countryside version of his London design classic, the Pigeon Light, this time shaped like a pheasant. More »
"It was nice to hear the sounds of east
London on Tokyo radio" - Dominic Wilcox
In the latest movie from our Designed in Hackney Day, designer Dominic Wilcox speaks about Sounds of Making in East London, a vinyl recording of atmospheric urban noises. More »
Pop-up housing in garages
by Levitt Bernstein
Hackney studio Levitt Bernstein has won a housing design competition with a proposal to turn disused parking garages into tiny pop-up homes. More »
Tower Wharf Cafe by
Tony Fretton Architects
This timber-clad cafe by architect Tony Fretton was designed as an upside-down interpretation of the neighbouring Tower of London (+ slideshow). More »
Isle of Man House
by Gort Scott
Hackney studio Gort Scott used locally quarried stone for the rugged grey walls of this house on the Isle of Man, UK (+ slideshow). More »
"You don't have to be an expert to do
amazing things" - Sugru founder
In this movie we filmed at our Designed in Hackney Day, Sugru founder Jane ní Dhulchaointigh shares her journey through inventing and launching a "space-age rubber" that lets people customise their belongings and endorses the idea that "you don't have to be an expert to do amazing things". More »
"Customers grow old with our shoes,
not bored with them" - Tracey Neuls
Footwear designer Tracey Neuls explains why she shies away from "disposable fashion" and reveals that many customers consider her shoes "their best kept secret" in this movie Dezeen filmed at the Designed in Hackney Day PechaKucha, part of a series of talks and discussions we hosted in August. More »
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text:
Why you Should Care about Bitcoin – Even if you don´t Believe in it
Ignacio Mas
Tufts University
April 10, 2014
Bitcoin is likely doomed as an alternative to national currencies, but its key engineering elements offer us the possibility of imagining a radically different approach for architecting electronic payment systems. The technologies embedded within bitcoin have the potential for supporting the development of more open, contestable and interconnected ecosystems for the delivery of payment and financial services, much like the internet did for the delivery of communication and content services. By lowering costs and encouraging innovation, the adoption of bitcoin-like protocols could radically expand access and relevance of financial services globally, especially across borders and in developing countries.
Number of Pages in PDF File: 29
Keywords: savings, access to finance, financial inclusion
Date posted: February 28, 2011 ; Last revised: April 24, 2014
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Josh Wolford wrote an article over at WebPro News the question, "Should Sex Offenders Be Allowed on Facebook"
Josh wrote, "People convicted of sex crimes + a giant network of hundreds of millions of teens as young as 13 (officially) = obvious disaster. Any parent or even non-parent can see how the anonymity and broad reach of social networking form a dangerous playground for kids."
Read the full article here.
Contributed by David A. West Join me on Google+
7th June, 2012 0


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Edward Robert Weichel, born and died on March 28, 2014.
He is the son of Jon and Holly (Mittower) Weichel. He is also survived by his grandparents, Mary Lou Mittower of Republic and Robert and Mary Weichel of Huron; and great-grandparents, Dolores Weichel of Sandusky and Alton Lonsway of Tiffin.
He is preceded in death by his grandfather, Edward Mittower.
Private family services will be observed. Foos and Foos Funeral Service, 151 Yorkshire Place, Bellevue, is in care of arrangements.
320 Nelson Street , Tiffin, OH 44883 | 419-448-3200
© 2016. All rights reserved.| Terms of Service and Privacy Policy


text:
BATTLE CREEK, MI -- A stretch of Riverside Drive in Battle Creek scheduled to be closed starting this week because of construction will remain open for another two weeks, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation.
The project is now expected to start on Monday, July 23. The anticipated completion date still is Friday, Sept. 28, according to an MDOT press release.
The state is planning to replace the sanitary sewer under the drive and repave the road where it goes under I-94 in Battle Creek, MDOT says.


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No reason not to think with the first part of "The Walking Dead" being free the the other parts should be a total of 1200 points if they are "on-sale" correct? Would be a good use of one of those 1600 points cards I got for $10.00 on Black Friday at Target. That way I can return the $30.00 copy of the disc version back to Gamestop.
Sounds like a good plan.


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I have been using my adaptec 39160 without problems. I have an Overland
Storage xpress autoloader.
When we first purchased this autoloader, BE had problems recognizing the
tape drive -- the resolution was to change the SCSI IDs so that the
autoloader had a lower ID than the tape drive (example: my autoloader is
SCSI ID 3 and the tape drive is SCSI ID 4).
Hope this helps,
wrote in message news:3ff9a67f@ROSASTDMZ05....
> Does anyone know of any problems with this card and an HP 418 auoloader?
> does not recognize the the autoloader but it does find the drive. I've
> both BE 8.5 and 9.0. I've updated the drivers for the scsi card and made
> sure that the scsi ID's match for the scsi card and the autoloader.
> I would appreciate any help.
> Scott


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As of right now, J.R. Smith's elbow ranks as a low-level playoff blunder. He's not yet in the same boat with Nets guard C.J. Watson, who blew an uncontested dunk and a chance to go up 16 points on the Chicago Bulls with just over three minutes left in regulation on Saturday (the Nets lost in triple overtime and now trail, 3-1).
But if the Celtics were to complete the unthinkable 3-0 comeback in this first-round series, Smith's Game 4 suspension for elbowing Jason Terry at the end of Game 3 would be immortalized as one of biggest mistakes in postseason history.
For Newsday's Neil Best, the incident serves as reminder of what Smith has provided the Knicks this season:
One seemingly intentional elbow to Jason Terry's chops should not erase all of the good will he built up on and off the floor en route to being named the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year. He has earned that.
But the Knicks cannot afford anything other than spotless behavior from him moving forward, because without him, they are extremely vulnerable on offense, especially when Anthony is not on his game.
Best makes a good point. Carmelo Anthony missed some critical shots on Sunday, and should theoretically be just as culpable as Smith.
"I was trying to win the basketball game," Anthony said after the overtime loss, as quoted by Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. "It would have been a great feeling to close it out in Boston."
Celtics coach Doc Rivers remembers another epic mistake by a Knicks guard.
Fred Kerber of the New York Post:
Celtics coach Doc Rivers witnessed two of the flat out dumbest moves in Knicks playoff history — J.R. Smith's suspension-arning elbow Friday and John Starks' infamous 1993 head-butt on Reggie Miller — from both sides and 20 years apart.
Rivers was Starks' teammate against Indiana in 1993 when after complaining about some elbows from Miller, Starks unloaded his head-butt. Rivers, as Celtics coach, saw Smith fling his elbow at Jason Terry, resulting in his suspension for yesterday's 97-90 overtime loss. Both occurred in Game 3 of a first-round series and resulted in ejections. Starks was fined $5,000. Smith drew the harsher penalty with a one-game suspension.
Again, the full fallout of Smith's blunder has yet to be felt, but according to our readers, the Knicks sixth man deserves some of the blame, if not all, for Sunday's loss.


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Back to game info
SimCity (2013) Download for PCOn: PC
The defining city simulation is back! Create the city you desire and make the choices that shape your city and power the Sims within it. Every decision, big or small, has real consequences.
Download courtesy of:
Download: SimCity (2013): Inside SimCity Part Two: GlassBox Game Engine
Category: HD Video
Scenario 1: Economic Loop
Download File
File Size: 48.52 MB


text:
Help Carol feed the zombies in her restaurant!
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Categories: Others
Developer/Publisher: slabgames
Played: 4 times.
Copyright © Ace Online Games 2016. All rights reserved


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SAN DIEGO -- Basically, it comes down to this -- Greg Knapp or Darren McFadden.
The Raiders have to make a choice between a beleaguered offensive coordinator whose version of the West Coast Offense and zone-blocking scheme all-but neutered what had been one of the game's more explosive running attacks and an explosive running back who has a propensity to get injured and yet to play a full 16-game season. Reports have Knapp and other staff members on their way out this week, though coach Dennis Allen would not comment on them Sunday.
Following the Raiders' season-ending 24-21 to the San Diego Chargers, I asked McFadden just how frustrating this season was, exactly. McFadden, usually quick with a smile and a cliche answer, was a bit snippy.
"I don't want to speak on it anymore," he said. "It is what it is. The season is over now. I am just looking forward to next year."
But will it be with the Raiders, after rushing for 707 yards on 206 carries, a career-low 3.3 yards per carry with just two rushing touchdowns? Should it be, because might McFadden garner the Raiders a draft pick or two in trade as he enters the final year of his contract? As it stands now, the Raiders are already without a second-round and fifth-round pick due to the Carson Palmer and Aaron Curry trades, but do have a late-round pick (believed to be a seventh-rounder) for Louis Murphy.
A high ankle sprain caused McFadden to miss four games this season, a year after he missed the final nine games with a Lis Franc sprain to his right foot when he was running like a league MVP candidate.
It was obvious McFadden was struggling early and often with the return of the ZBS, a system for which not only Mike Goodson but undrafted rookie Jeremy Stewart seemed more fitted and comfortable. In fact, owner Mark Davis told McFadden midseason to speak to Knapp about instituting some of the plays he was more comfortable running.
Knapp, meanwhile, has been accused by Raiders fans of everything from wrecking McFadden to stealing the Lindbergh baby. His hire was not a popular choice. And while Knapp himself compared the job in camp to a business start-up, which should have signaled the siren, he was hired to do this -- scrap the old system and replace it with his. The Raiders finished with the No. 28-ranked rushing offense (88.8 rushing yards per game) in the 32-team NFL a year after finishing No. 7 (131.9).
No, this is not an endorsement of Knapp, nor is it an advocacy piece on retaining McFadden, who is scheduled to make $5,826,250 million in base salary and have a cap number of $9,685,084 million in 2013. But here it is -- if the Raiders can Knapp and keep McFadden, it would be the third different offensive system in as many years for a rebuilding franchise intent on a paradigm shift built upon consistency. And how consistent would that be?


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- A Continental Drive resident reported at 9:18 p.m. Thursday that he hadn't received a package that reportedly had been delivered to his home.
- Officers responded to a Buckeye Circle home at 4:35 a.m. Friday where the resident said she was awakened by a suspicious noise outside. The officers searched the home's exterior but found nothing suspicious.
- Officers responded to a domestic dispute at a Fair Avenue home at 5:01 a.m. Friday in which the husband reportedly took the wife's bottle of prescription pills and wouldn't give them back. He claimed that she hit him, but no injuries were observed, just a ripped shirt and jeans pocket. The wife left for the night.
- An East Fourth Street resident reported at 9:28 a.m. Friday that his roommate had slapped him in the ear with an open palm the previous night for offending the roommate's woman friend with a comment about a woman in a music video. The resident said the woman also slapped him, leaving scratch marks. The resident said he left for night and when he woke up that morning, found he had an ear plug and ringing in the ear that wouldn't stop. He said he was seeking medical treatment. The matter was forwarded to the prosecutor's office for possible charges.
- An officer responded to a Bricker Farms Lane home at 10:17 a.m. Friday in reference to an open door and found nothing that appeared to be missing except possibly an air conditioning unit seen in the home when an officer responded there to close a door a few months ago. There were no prints in the snow.
- An Ohio Avenue resident reported at 12:40 p.m. Friday that his upstairs tenant had left the window open over night after being given an eviction notice. He said he was concerned that the pipes would freeze and his heating bill would increase. An officer told him that he could shut the window, but not shut off water supply to the apartment.
-Andy P. Hagan, 35, 1701 Homeworth Road, Alliance, was cited for assured clear distance ahead following a two-vehicle crash in Beloit at 2:43 p.m. Wednesday in which he was southbound on Main Street and allegedly failed to stop for traffic at the railroad crossing, striking the rear of a vehicle driven by Elaine M. Schroeder, 65, Alliance. No injuries were reported.
- Charles M. Butler, 40, Youngstown, was cited for driving under suspension following a traffic stop for failure to dim his high beams at 1:59 a.m. Friday.
- David E. Hilliard, 32, was westbound in a police cruiser with lights and sirens on East Lincoln Way at 2:47 p.m. Wednesday through a red light at the Jackson Street intersection and was struck by Jennifer L. Faloon, 29, Owens Road, Wellsville, who did not see the cruiser due to other vehicles in traffic. No citations were issued.
- Zack Sabol, address not listed, reported at 1:15 p.m. Wednesday he was in a verbal argument with a woman at the Home Savings parking lot and she started screaming at him. He said he told the woman to stay away from his child and girlfriend because she was a bad influence when his girlfriend took the child to her house. Police told him to speak with his girlfriend about not taking the child to the woman's house.
- Police went to an East Chestnut Street home at 8:29 p.m. Wednesday for a report of a domestic. Robert Gregg told police he got mad because his wife wouldn't let him sleep so he punched the wall. His wife Brandy said she was trying to wake him up so he could help with the kids. The couple agreed no physical violence took place and Robert went to a relative's house for the night.
- Brenda Austin, Highland Avenue, Salem, was backing out of a parking spot at the courthouse at 12:13 p.m. Thursday and struck an unoccupied vehicle owned by Martha Oliver, West Washington Street. No citations were issued.
- St. Clair Police requested at 1:52 p.m. Jan. 5 police check the area of East Chestnut Street near Smith Oil for a vehicle involved in a theft in the township. Police checked but did not see the vehicle.
- Cristopher Clark, driving for Maalt Transportation of Columbiana, struck a pay phone located in the Valley View II gas station on North Market Street at 10 a.m. Jan. 19. No citations were issued.
- Police went to a Pritchard Avenue home at 3:19 p.m. Tuesday for an unruly 15-year-old girl. The girl was warned that if police were called to the home again for a report that she had caused harm to someone she would be taken to the Tobin Center.
- Alexander Sage reported at 4:36 p.m. Thursday he filed a police report with the Youngstown department regarding a stolen iPad that he tracked to a home on South Main Street. Police went to the home and searched but did not find the iPad.
- A man reported at 5:24 p.m. Thursday there was a red car hauler westbound on state Route 14 near state Route 7 that was driving very fast and erratically. Police determined the driver was fine but was looking for the Columbiana Buick and Oldsmobile dealership.
- Tim Souder reported at 10:14 p.m. Thursday a group of kids were acting suspicious in the baseball field on Lakeview Drive.
- Beaver Township police requested assistance at 11 p.m. Thursday on a domestic dispute call on Eureka Road.
- A business owner from the 700 block of Benton Road reported having a civil issue with their landlord and wanted to speak with an officer regarding the issue at 8:12 a.m. Thursday. They were advised to speak with legal counsel regarding the issue.
- A patrolling officer at 12:39 a.m. Friday observed a walk-in door open on an outbuilding at the township garage on Depot Road. The officer checked the building and found nothing amiss before securing the door. A note was left for the road crew foreman advising him of what the officer found.


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By Janet Chu, Sensient Technologies When talking with college students at local section meetings, I'm often asked about my responsibilities within AIChE with a simple question: "So, what do you do?" The answer, however, is not so simple. As a leader in the Chicago Local Section, Chicago Young Professionals Committee (YPC), national YPC, and President's Blue Ribbon Task Force on Local Sections, I could answer this question in several ways.
Building a professional network
I supplement my professional development through networking. One of my first jobs out of college involved solving calculations and preparing reports. Although I was interested in learning about other areas of chemical engineering, I had limited opportunities to do so in my position and company.?I used AIChE to build a professional network by joining the Chicago YPC within the Chicago Local Section. Communicating with other chemical engineers, especially other young professionals, helped me learn more about varied aspects of chemical engineering and other possible career paths. It also helped me keep my technical skills up to speed. After starting a position at a new company, Sensient Technologies, I reached out to my AIChE contacts to inquire about resources I could use to learn the intricacies of the technologies I would be using at my new job, such as spray drying equipment. There are many advantages to using AIChE as a professional development resource. Julie Gruhn, CDP Group Lead at UOP, credits finding and landing her job to her involvement and contacts in AIChE. "My connections through AIChE informed me about the job opening, and my leadership and experience in AIChE helped differentiate me from other candidates," said Julie. Additionally, AIChE helped open a new career avenue for Julie, which she may not have discovered otherwise. "This job is not the traditional chemical engineering role, and I love it," she said. Jon Haughton, an associate product specialist at Ingredion, enjoys the networking opportunities AIChE provides. "Being involved in AIChE committees, I get to network with people I would never have the opportunity to meet otherwise. It astounds me that I have met with executives of large companies and other high caliber professionals," said Jon.
Gaining leadership experience
I build my leadership skills -- and my resume. AIChE helped me develop leadership skills at a time when leadership positions were not available to me in the workplace. When I started my career, there were very few opportunities for me to develop leadership skills at work, as leadership positions were typically given to those with the most seniority. However, I learned that AIChE offers a variety of leadership positions -- within its divisions, committees, and local sections, as well as within YPC at both the national and local levels. I became a member of the Programming Committee of the Chicago YPC and helped brainstorm and plan monthly events. In this role, three years ago, I arranged a brewery tour and social to celebrate the graduation of chemical engineering students and welcome them into the ranks of young professionals. Although it was a small event, the committee liked it so much that it has become an annual tradition. I have also organized K-12 outreach events and technical tours.
Local and national exposure
At the local level, I volunteered as the public relations director of the Chicago Local Section. I began in this role by creating an AIChE Chicago Facebook page and LinkedIn group. As public relations director, I am a member of the Chicago Local Section's Board of Directors, where the more experienced members (the self-proclaimed "gray hairs") periodically ask for my contribution as a young professional. YPC gives its members unique leadership opportunities that help bridge the gap between younger and experienced professionals; the perspective this offers is a great confidence booster and resume builder. I volunteer to help others and contribute to my field. My local section involvement encouraged me to pursue a larger leadership opportunity within the national YPC. In 2012, I applied for and accepted the New Young Professional Group Representative position on the Local Section and Executive Student Subcommittee. This level of leadership gave me the opportunity to meet and learn from other local section young professionals. As part of my responsibilities in this role, I provided support to several local sections that were interested in starting their own local section YPC. Not only did my contributions directly help others to become involved in AIChE, they also furthered my own professional network. On the national level, I also volunteered for the President's Blue Ribbon Task Force on Local Sections, a special committee formed in Sept. 2013 to help determine and meet local section needs. Suggestions for strengthening the local sections will be presented to the AIChE Board of Directors at the 2014 Spring Meeting. As a YP representative on this committee, I am able to provide perspectives and information on current YP programming and initiatives. I have a unique perspective on the merits of volunteering because I chose to pursue a variety of leadership roles?at different levels within AIChE. I encourage others to take advantage of the diverse leadership opportunities that AIChE offers at both the local and national levels, and at the young-professional and non-young-professional levels. This article appeared in the February issue of CEP magazine, which members can view in its entirety here.