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After the Jefferson Parish public school system placed seven elementary and middle schools on a targeted 'turnaround' list, the schools showed varied progress in the latest school performance scores released earlier in the week. While the entire school district, one of the state's largest, registered overall improvement, four of the turnaround schools gained modest increases and one declined. Schools...
After the Jefferson Parish public school system placed seven elementary and middle schools on a targeted 'turnaround' list, the schools showed varied progress in the latest school performance scores released earlier in the week. While the entire school district, one of the state's largest, registered overall improvement, four of the turnaround schools gained modest increases and one declined.
Schools Superintendent James Meza cautioned that there is still work to be done. "Some of the schools are still at a point where they have not showed significant gains in achievement, and they will receive more intensity this year," Meza said.
The seven schools selected for turnaround last year were Miller Wall Elementary, McDonogh No. 26 Elementary, Shirley T. Johnson/Gretna Park Elementary, Woodmere Elementary, Washington Montessori Elementary, Harry S. Truman Middle School and Stella Worley Middle School.
The most positive changes came from McDonogh No. 26 in Harvey, Woodmere Elementary in Harvey and Washington Montessori in Kenner, all of which exceeded their goals. Washington Montessori showed the biggest improvement, with its score jumping from 72.9 to 88.3, followed by McDonogh 26, which increased from 71.3 to 80.9, and Woodmere, which improved from 64.5 to 74.3.
"In some schools, I'm very pleased," said turnaround network leader Karen Bucher, who has been working with the schools' principals and teachers to ensure the district's strategy is implemented.
Funded by an $8.6 million federal grant, the turnaround program has focused its efforts on teacher and student accountability, more individualized student help through data analysis of tests, and increased principal autonomy. At the beginning of the turnaround period, a new principal was assigned to each school with the authority to replace at least half of the current staff.
All of the turnaround schools follow the same model of instruction and planning, using frequent testing to determine students' learning gaps, then addressing the problems with individualized teacher-student meetings. The schools have learning specialists who deal specifically with students who are learning English as a second language, as well as special education students. Part of the turnaround plan includes putting parent aides into the classroom and creating a Parent Teacher Organization. Teachers keep progress reports on each student, and conferences with teachers and specialists are held when a student's grades start to fall.
Demetria Hamilton, principal of McDonogh No. 26, said she felt the independence she was given as a principal has played an important role in the elementary school's growth. "Having that autonomy has been crucial to the success of this school," Hamilton said. "I had to find people who believe in our students and who believed in building a culture of high expectations."
This year, because of the merging of McDonogh No. 26 and Homedale Elementary, which was closed in June, Hamilton said she is working with a student population that almost doubled, from 260 students to 400. Yet, Hamilton said, the school was still poised to see more improvement.
"I know we're gaining more students and I want to maintain that culture of high performance. It has not been difficult though, it's coming along," she said.
Of the turnaround schools that showed stagnant growth or a decrease in their scores from this year to last, Harry S. Truman in Marrero saw the largest drop, from a score of 72.3 to 69.5. Meza said the district has been following the progress of Truman since April, and in June a new principal and staff were put in place.
One factor that may have boosted progress in the improving schools is that they all participate in a program that increases teacher accountability and offers incentives for improvement. Teachers are graded on how much their students improve, which is connected to pay incentives. The Teacher Advancement Program (TAP) was optional last year, but now, Bucher said, it will be mandatory.
Gary Barras, the new principal of Harry S. Truman, who earlier ran a similar turnaround program for four Jefferson public high schools, said while he wouldn't comment on the previous administration, he did believe that the school had the potential to show gains within the next two years. The school was not participating in the Teacher Advancement Program last year, but it is this year, and Barras said his administration is doing as much as it can to individualize help for students and to re-establish a "culture of respect."
"We're looking forward to a positive year with positive growth," Barras said.
Earlier this year, Meza added two more schools to the turnaround list, Lucille Cherbonnier/Norbert Rillieux Elementary in Waggaman and John Clancy/Joseph S. Maggiore Sr. Elementary in Kenner. Though those two schools will not receive the school improvement grant that the original seven did, they will be guided by the same turnaround plan.
After this week's release of school performance scores and grades, Bucher said that despite individual school struggles, the program has been successful so far. She is confident that all schools are on track to earn at least a "C" by the end of the three-year grant.
"This year we've gotten a lot tougher on implementing turnaround standards," Bucher said. "Turnaround is hard work."


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Straight Lady Poses as Grindr Hunk, Learns Lesson About Men
How do you cope with a tough breakup? Well, if you're Natalia Provatas, you pretend to switch genders and bulk up with muscle, then lie to a bunch of gay men.
Natalia had just ended a five-year relationship and was feeling a little anxious, so she started posing as a hunky man on Grindr. Why? Well, that's a little unclear. In an essay about the experience, she mentions that her gay friend Andrew was complaining about how hard it is to date with Grindr, and she says she wanted to prove him wrong. Later on, she confesses that she was using the imaginary profile as a way to avoid intimacy with the new man in her life. So, that's awesome.
Natalia learned some important lessons:
- Men on Grindr are eager to talk about/engage in sex acts
That's actually pretty much the only lesson. Make note, everyone, in case you were not already aware of this fact.
Eventually, she figures out that it's more rewarding to actually interact in real life, and grows bored of Grindr, just like everyone else. She also discovers that making yourself vulnerable to another person is a little scary. Okay.
Mostly, the takeaway here is that if you are flirting with a really hot guy on Grindr and he sends a couple of mismatched photos and then refuses to meet up, he's probably a navel-gazing woman using you to work through her own emotional baggage. So, beware.
"Do people notice that these days guys in bars rarely interact with others outside their cliques of friends …" It's been that way since time began. I have a few friends who are fearless and have no trouble meeting guys; one is just average looking but he's so friendly out-going he's dated guys who were "way out of (his) league" according to him. The rest stand around and complain that guys never interact outside of the cliques of friends.
Really darling, if you post a false picture of a model a lot of men are going to want to have sex with that model. Jeez, what a dumbass broad.
@tada-no, @Gigi Gee, there is truth to both of your statements. People don't go out to meet new people as much because of these apps. And yes, if you are very outgoing you are going to have an easier time, but how many of us are fortunate enough to be really outgoing?
This is just more passive man-hate by feminists using gay men like they always do….
The premise of her essay seems false. She never had any intention of meeting anybody off the app, so in some ways says that interacting with people in person has more rewards. But she seems to miss the part that most of the people she was talking to WERE looking to meet. She just couldn't because she was not who she was claiming to be.
I can't believe this essay got any attention.
@balehead: Yup. Like that lesbian that was collecting dick pics and putting them up for display. Hope they sued her ass.
What a dumb bitch.
If this qualifies as a story worth publishing, where do I apply for a job? This "story" wrote itself and I am pretty sure I could write one about bubblebutts (1 word or 2, I've always wondered) and the Silver underwear campaign. Oh yeah, I almost forgot! That ground breaking story revealing that gay men are more likely to have BB sex with a good-looking guy as opposed to an "average" guy. Shocking! That's at least 1/2 of your home page that I could have created while riding the subway to work. Which I guess would give me more time to give the underwear models a kneepad interview after I got there. Yup, I'm in! sign me up! Just let me when I can start to work at your sweatshop.
@viveutvivas: Being really outgoing is not something that comes easily to most people. It is something that you have to force yourself to do. Get involved in an activity that puts you in front of people, and force yourself to make a contribution. It does get easier with time.
@drivendervish: Two words with a hyphen, surely?
She's awful…Could you imagine the outrage if a male reporter had done this on a female or lesbian site??…
She basically wrote an anti-gay article…..she should be fired….
Natalia needs to tell her friend Andrew to stop looking for a boyfriend on Grindr. Jeez.. No one is looking for a serious relationship there. Try other websites, seriously!
The quest for immediate dick really hit its zenith with Grindr. I wonder what the next evolution in shortening the journey from strangers to physicality will be.
I feel for her gay friend Andrew trying to date in the age of Grindr, but he can't be the only one looking for more than a hook-up.
@balehead: How is the article anti-gay? It may not be flattering, but it's hardly anti-gay.
@balehead: How many misogynists post here? Or is there just one who posts under various names?
@balehead, @Dixie Rect: anti-gay? she's awful? she should be fired? dumb bitch? Seriously?! Did what she write or the fact that she went on Grindr and pretended to be someone she wasn't affect your life in some way? I'm guessing no…I'm also guessing a lot of people on dating sites straight and gay pretend to be people they are not, all the time. So come down off your soapbox.
ps: @ balehead: As a gay woman, feel free to troll our dating sites disguised as a lesbian.
@balehead, @Dixie Rect: anti-gay? she's awful? she should be fired? dumb bitch? Seriously?! Did what she write or the fact that she went on Grindr and pretended to be someone she wasn't affect your life in some way? I'm guessing no…I'm also guessing a lot of people on dating sites straight and gay pretend to be people they are not, all the time. So come down off your soapbox.
ps: @ balehead: And as a gay woman, feel free to troll our dating sites disguised as a lesbian.

subset: commoncrawl


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Donnie Wilson has been a persistent presence in super late model races at the Gulf Coast tracks for years, hauling his cars and equipment from Oklahoma in a devotion to the competition at Mobile International Speedway and Five Flags Speedway that's almost unmatchable, considering the distance. When the Southern Super Series came along last year, running half its races on the Gulf Coast, Wilson joined the circuit as a regular racer.
Wilson wasn't coming because he was winning all the time, either. His most recent super late model victory came in 2005 - until Saturday. That's when he captured the second Southern Super Series race of the 2014 season at Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville.
Wilson didn't take the checkered flag during the race. John Hunter Nemechek did, leading the final 106 laps. But the North Carolina teen's car was disqualified in post-race inspection because of an illegal drive shaft.
The Southern Super Series tech crew also disqualified a winner last season when Augie Grill lost a victory at Five Flags Speedway because of unauthorized fuel. The victory in that race slipped to Daniel Hemric, and the Kannapolis, N.C., driver went on to win the season championship. After his victory, Wilson is 11th in the season standings.
The top four drivers in the Southern Super Series standings are Anderson Bowen, Kyle Grissom, Casey Roderick and Casey Smith. Not the usual suspects. Those guys are fifth through ninth - Grill, Hunter Robbins, Hemric, Justin South and Bubba Pollard.
The Southern Super Series makes the first of its four Gulf Coast swings in 2014 on April 25-26. The Mountain Dew Kick Start Energy 125 presented by JRi Shocks is at Five Flags Speedway on April 25, and the Mobile Lumber 125 presented by VDL Fuel Systems is at Mobile International Speedway on April 26.
The "world's fastest short track cars" will race at Five Flags Speedway and Mobile International Speedway this weekend. The Xtreme Sprint Series of Must See Racing does most of its running in the Midwest, but it will start its 2014 season on the Gulf Coast, racing in Pensacola on Friday and Irvington on Saturday in the Southern Shootout.
The car with the big wing on top will be the fastest thing that fans will see on the local tracks this year. During last year's visit to Pensacola, Brian Gerster of Fishers, Ind., toured the half-mile oval in 13.203 seconds - the track record for any class. That's a little more than 136 mph.
Mobile International Speedway has a practice session scheduled from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday in preparation for Saturday night's racing. The bombers, sportsmen and super stocks are the local features joining the Xtreme Sprint Series.
The super stocks will be making their MIS season debut. Brannon Fowler of Molino has won both sportsmen races at the track this year. B.J. Leytham of Mobile likewise is two-for-two in bomber features at MIS in 2014.
On Saturday, practice starts at 4 p.m., local qualifying begins at 5, the sprint cars qualify at 6 and racing revs up at 7.
Admission costs $15 for adults; $12 for seniors, students and military; and $5 for children ages 6 to 11. Children 5 and younger are admitted free.
Adding to the open-wheel atmosphere of the Xtreme Sprint Series on Friday night in Pensacola will be the Southern Motorcycle Asphalt Racing Series. The motorcycles have two races scheduled - one for the novice class, one for the expert/pro class. The sportsmen and bombers also will race on Friday night at Five Flags.
The track has an open practice scheduled at 5 p.m. Thursday, with a race team meet-and-greet cookout and party at 9:15.
On Friday, the sprint cars practice at 4 and 5:20 p.m., sportsmen and bombers practice at 5 and 6, the local cars qualify at 6:30, the sprint cars qualify at 7 and racing starts at 8:15.
Admission costs $15 for adults; $12 for seniors, students and military; and $5 for children ages 6 to 11. Children 5 and younger are admitted free.
Bad weather washed out Sunny South's third night of racing on Friday. The Grand Bay oval will make up the date on July 12. Sunny South returns to action on April 18 with all classes except the Mighty Mites in action. That puts the junior 1 champ, senior pro clone, bandolero, legend, mini-stock and pro challenge divisions in the lineup. Tatum Wilson in senior pro clone and Joseph Pilato in pro challenge have gone two-for-two at SSR this season.
Cody Smith was the fastest qualifier and won the first race of the first season of the South Eastern Crate Series on Friday night at Northwest Florida Speedway in Blackmon. The South Eastern Crate Series is a dirt-track, late model circuit.
The new series ran into a rainout, though, on Saturday night, cancelling its race at Flomaton Speedway. The SECS doesn't have plans to reschedule the race at this point.
The series visits the third track in its rotation on Saturday when it races at Southern Raceway in Milton.


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5" and 8" rounds frosted in buttercream with fondant accessories painted with luster dusts: glasses, lab coat, name tag, eyeballs, contact lenses in case, eye chart & eye cover paddle.
perfect executed theme - great job, love all the details
Great job, love the lab coat!
Great idea, beautifully done!
So cute!!! Very unique and well done!
CakeCentral.com is the world's largest cake community for cake decorating professionals and enthusiasts.
(if this is a private computer)
Yes please, register now!


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Beauty Trend: Paying Big Bucks for Asian Nightingale Feces Facial
Desperate for the latest 'must-have' skin care treatment? Spas are once again seeing interest in a popular Japanese skin treatment made from Asian nightingale excrement mixed with rice bran.
For about $200, this facial commonly called a Geisha Facial, Nightingale Facial or Bird Poop Facial is again making news with more spas starting to offer it. According to fans, the once-a-month facial softens and smoothes the skin (an enzyme in the poop exfoliates skin).
A common misconception is that any old bird feces, even from pigeons, is used. Apparently this is not true and only droppings from birds of the nightingale species are used because they live on seeds, producing the natural enzyme that is the active ingredient.
If you're interested in getting your own Nightingale Facial, a growing number of spas are beginning to offer it including those in New York, New Mexico, Hawaii and California.


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Fort Drum, N.Y. — At 6 feet, 5 inches, freshman Jamal Custis is a unique target for the Syracuse offense. For the first couple weeks of training camp, he has worked primarily with the wide receivers during open portions of practice.
But on Wednesday, Custis jogged from his spot on the field-goal unit to a different positional group, the tight ends. He spent the full half-hour of open practice time working with Bobby Acosta's group.
Long continues to overthrow
Freshman quarterback AJ Long overthrew his target a few times during the open portion of practice on Wednesday.
While the majority of his throws have been on target, his misses have generally been high. The most glaring one on Wednesday came during a drill in which each quarterback threw 20 yards straightaway to a coach. One of his four attempts was a good 3 yards over the coach's outstretched hands.
For the most part, redshirt freshmen Mitch Kimble and Austin Wilson have looked sharper with their throws. Wilson and Long continued to split third-team reps on Wednesday.
Temporary number changes
There was a No. 66 and two No. 92s on the practice field Wednesday. But don't expect them to hang around past this week.
Defensive tackles Ryan Sloan and Kayton Samuels ripped their jerseys earlier in the week and were stuck with different numbers temporarily. Sloan is wearing No. 66 and Samuels is wearing No 92, also donned by punter Riley Dixon.
Contact Stephen Bailey anytime: 315-427-2168 | Email | Twitter


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The big weather story right now continues to be out West, where places like Colorado have seen their heaviest October snowfall in a dozen years. Indeed, looking on the weather maps, the winter storm now in the center of the country looks mighty impressive. But, that energy won't be making it this far east.
After a sunny Friday with an afternoon high temperature in the upper 50s close to 60, normal for the date, a weak warm front will approach us overnight into Saturday morning; look primarily for clouds, not rain.
However, the air behind the front should boost our temps on Saturday up to about 70, while warming winds out of the southwest will be noticeably brisk. Of course, that means a cold front can't be far behind, and with it rain.
Saturday night, of course, will be playing host to all manner of Halloween festivities, but the rain is expected to hold off until around midnight, and then be gone before most people are up Sunday morning (although clouds will linger longer). And we're not talking about a lot of rain from this frontal passage, but probably well under half an inch. Daytime temperatures on Sunday will drop back into the 50s for highs in the freshened air mass.
NOTE --- Don't forget to turn back your clocks this weekend. At 2 a.m. Sunday we fall back one hour.
Yesterday in this space I made mention of an asteroid that exploded over Indonesia earlier this month, to the tune of 50 kilotons of force. Experts are now saying that this space rock was likely about 30 feet in diameter, making it the biggest such object to strike our planet since 1994, when a fireball blazed over the Marshall Islands in the South Pacific. You can read more about it here.
Yesterday's extreme temperatures in the contiguous United States --- High: 93 at Lakeland, Fla.; Low: -2 at Leadville, Colo. The moon is currently waxing gibbous, 86 percent illuminated.


text: On Mon, Jun 1, 2009 at 10:18 AM, Gabor Szabo wrote: > > Roy, this does not help much. > What *is* in Matlab that is not in PDL ? > Well, just for starters, Matlab is both a language and the IDE/interactive-environment, while PDL is just a language. But of course the main difference is in the hundreds of functions Matlab has for solving mathematical equations in a large number of fields. Take a look at the function reference: http://www.mathworks.com/access/helpdesk/help/techdoc/index.html?/access/helpdesk/help/techdoc/ref/f16-6011.html Plus this is just for Matlab itself, not any of the addon toolkits and Modelsim. This is not to say PDL doesn't have some things which Matlab doesn't (open-source, Perl, free-as-in-beer :)) or that it does not have it's place. But there are many things in Matlab which do not exist in PDL. Cheers, -- Offer Kaye


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Beautiful weather and energetic kiddos make for an excellent opportunity to be outside in the crisp morning air.
Apple Hills…
Open at 9:00 daily – currently with lots of Cortland, Empire, and a few McIntosh available for the picking. In the next few weeks, there will be many more varieties to choose from. We left the orchard with a couple of bags full of shiny red goodness! Our afternoon project – have the children help me make some applesauce and apple crisp!


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Amy L.
I made these warm cozy mittens to match my scarf for the winter.
Materials List
- Cream red heart yarn
- H hook
- Yarn Needle
***SORRY, THIS AWESOME CONTENT IS FOR SITE MEMBERS ONLY! But, it's never too late to join us! Come on in and we'll show you how.***


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Members United Reports $4.6M July Loss, But No New Capital Impairments
The $8.9 billion Members United Corporate FCU reported a $4.6 million net loss for July 2010, driven by $8 million in new other-than-temporary-impairments from its latest investment review.
The red ink gives the corporate an $11 million year-to-date net loss, but the new OTTIs were absorbed by retained earnings and did not impair its remaining $14.6 million in member capital shares. Retained earnings dropped to about $4 million after accounting for the losses.
When preparing its June financial reports, Members United uncovered a one-time formula error, which overstated OTTI arising from a previous review by $1.16 million. The corporate returned capital to members July 30.
The benefits of this action were allocated equitably across the $130 million in membership capital shares that were depleted as of May 25. Affected credit union received a replenishment entry equal to 0.897% of the depletion.
In total, Members United has recorded $610 million on OTTI on its current investment portfolio. However, actual recorded OTTI losses-and the capital impaired to cover them-exceed current Clayton Holdings and Andrew Davidson & Co. loss projections by 15%, $90 million.
Previously recorded OTTI was based on Clayton reviews, however, Members United has since added AD&Co., which is projecting lower losses than Clayton. Other reasons include loan performance that exceeds previous expectations.
Unrealized losses shrank to $883 million. In July 2009, unrealized losses totaled nearly $1.7 billion.


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Posts tagged 'Day Trading'
The End of Wall Street As They Knew It
Bonuses are down, regulation is up. Its seems that Wall Street has finally killed the Golden Goose and the battered retail investor has left the room. I love this quote:
(click on title for article)
Risk and Return in Momentum Strategies (paper)
An interesting paper on the classic Momentum strategy but with a few new twists to factor in tail risk (click on title):
Bayesian Adaptive Trading with a Daily Cycle (paper)
Combining Mean Reversion and Momentum Trading Strategies in FX Markets (paper)
Interesting paper on Forex RTM / MOM strategies (click on title for paper):
strategy performs better in foreign exchange markets than in equity markets. Also, it outperforms traditional foreign exchange trading strategies, such as carry trades and moving average rules."
Prosecuting Wall Street (60 Minutes)
Two high-ranking financial whistle blowers say they tried to warn their superiors about defective and even fraudulent mortgages. So why haven't the companies or their executives been prosecuted? Steve Kroft reports.
Quote of the Day
Alan Farley
"Experienced traders control risk, inexperienced traders chase gains"
Beware Black Swans Sporting Fat Tails
After surviving the August 2011 meltdown, it occurred to me that the market is experiencing six sigma events (crashes) these days with increasing frequency. To wit: In just the past 3 years we've had the 2008 Mortgage Meltdown, the Flash Crash, the Japanese Tsunami, and the Debt Ceiling Crisis. That averages out to around one market crash per year.
I was curious to see how fat these "fat tails" actually get, so I ran some quick tests. Here's a histogram of the daily returns for SPY (the S&P 500 index ETF) over the past 12 years (click to zoom):


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Numbness is a very common and significant symptom of a cervical disorder. However, it is a poorly understood and difficult to describe symptom. Numbness is usually caused by what is commonly called a "pinched nerve." A nerve can get "pinched" or blocked by a number of cervical disorders. This blocking of the nerve causes the flow of nutrients to the nerve's membrane to slow down. This slow down can eventually cause the membrane to lose its ability to transmit tiny electrical charges and the nerve fiber may eventually die. When enough nerves stop working, the skin may feel numbness or a muscle supplied by the nerve may not be able to function normally.
A common cause for numbness in the arms or legs, associated with back or neck pain, is a herniated disc that "pinches" a nerve where it exits the spinal column. When the outer lining (annulus) of a disc "tears," its center (the nucleus) may rupture and press a spinal nerve(s) against the bony surface of a vertebra. Another cause of numbness is degenerative disc disease. DDD can cause bone spurs to form around the nerve roots. This usually occurs inside the foramen - the opening in the cervical spine where the nerve root leaves the spine to travel into the arm. If these bone spurs get large enough, they may begin to rub on the nerve root causing irritation. This causes the same symptoms as a herniated disc. The irritation causes: pain to run down the arm, numbness to occur in the areas to which the nerve provides sensation, and weakness in the muscles that the nerve supplies.
Spinal stenosis, or the narrowing of the spinal canal is another disorder that can cause the symptom of numbness. In the late stages of spinal degeneration, bone spurs and arthritic changes can make the space available for the spinal cord, within the spinal canal, much smaller. The bone spurs may begin to press on the spinal cord or the nerve roots, and that pressure on the nerves in the spinal cord can cause numbness.


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Rockford won with 135.9, Sturgis finished second (129.8) and Freeland-Saginaw Swan Valley was third (128.925).
Madi Myers led Rockford, winning all-around (35.7), vault (9.15) and uneven bars (8.975), with second-place finish on balance beam (8.9). Morgan Korf finished second all-around (34.125) and won beam (8.95).
Sturgis' Alea Penner tied for third all-around with Karry Modolo of Swan Valley (33.575) and took second on vault (9.1).
Freeland-Swan Valley swept floor with senior captains Modolo and Jazmyne Jezowski of Freeland in first (9.1) and second (9) and Melanie Padgett third (8.825). Modolo also took third on bars (8.4), and Jezowski was third on beam (8.1).
"Our floor scores were a lot higher than they were at the last meet," Freeland-Swan Valley coach Suzy Weldon said. "The fact that we had two (scores nine or higher) shows that we're getting stronger in that event. The floor has been our strength over the last few years."
Freeland-Swan Valley competes at the Rockford Invitational on January 5th.
"Our girls were upset that we were third, since we're usually about seven points higher, but under the circumstances it was a good meet," Weldon said. "We're missing two of my key players. Overall they did the best they could with two members missing from the team."


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NEW YORK — The president had Cash for Clunkers. Call this one the Cash for Clean Cargo program.
Commissioners for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey today authorized nearly $9 million for a pair of initiatives to improve air quality around its ports.
Under one, the Port Authority will reimburse ocean vessel operators up to 50 percent of the cost differential between high-sulfur and low-sulfur fuel. The vessels, which can be half the size of a football field, also must participate in a speed reduction program. The ocean-going vessel program will cost $6.36 million.
Under the second program, port tenants replacing cargo-handling equipment with new equipment that meets federal on-road air emission standards will be reimbursed for 20 percent of the cost. About 125 pieces are expected to be replaced through the $2.24 million cargo equipment upgrade program.
Port Authority chairman Anthony Coscia said they are the first clean air initiatives of their kind among ports on the East Coast.
As the operator of some of the busiest transportation links in the region, including Newark Liberty International Airport and the Lincoln and Holland tunnels, the Port Authority is associated with negative contributions to air quality.
Because commuters own the cars that travel through the tunnels, airlines own the planes that fly into the airports and ship companies own the vessels that sail to the port, "you could easily absolve yourself of responsibility," Coscia said.
"But we think that's sort of an easy way out of a complicated problem," he said.
So the Port Authority will give financial incentives to ship companies that use low-sulfur fuel on the way into the port.
"That creates a substantial difference in the amount of pollutants they emit into the air as they approach the port," Coscia said.
"You have to sort of buy into the notion that you are going to put your money where your mouth is."
The Port Authority will work with the Coast Guard to ensure that ships are complying with the clean air requirements.
The port handles more than $100 billion in cargo a year. Total container traffic last year was more than 5 million units.
The cleaner air also will benefit port workers and residents living nearby, Coscia said.
"We have gotten a lot of buy-in from people who are employed at the ports who are happy about what we are doing now," he said.
The Port Authority, which has a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050, previously replaced more than 600 of its oldest and most polluting trucks with cleaner new models.
In addition, the authority announced this week that two major components of its $600 million ExpressRail project were completed, allowing 1.3 million cargo containers to be shipped by rail and taking about 3 million trucks off the road.
A second lead track to the ExpressRail Elizabeth facility will allow trains to arrive and depart simultaneously. In addition, a rail support facility can handle four 10,000-foot trains daily.
Coscia hopes to one day see the clean air initiatives expanded to the airports.


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Tweets about .NET tools
TagsConferences Decompiler dotCover dotMemory dotmemory 4 dotMemory Unit dotPeek dotTrace dotTrace 4.0 Performance dotTrace 4.5 Performance dotTrace 5 Performance dotTrace 6 dotTrace Performance eap events extensions JavaScript JetBrains JetBrains Community Night plugins ReSharper ReSharper 5 ReSharper 5.1 ReSharper 6 ReSharper 6.1 ReSharper 7 ReSharper 8 ReSharper 8.1 ReSharper 8.2 ReSharper 9 ReSharper 9.1 ReSharper 9.2 ReSharper 10 ReSharper 2016.1 ReSharper 2016.2 ReSharper C++ ReSharper Ultimate screencasts TeamCity templates TypeScript unit testing Visual Studio webinar youtrack
JetBrains Blogs
Author Archives: Maarten Balliauw
Remote Profiling using dotTrace
We've already had a series of blog posts on remote profiling with dotTrace. We're now accompanying it with a short video that demonstrates how to attach the dotTrace profiler to a remote server (in this case hosted on Azure), which … Continue reading
Posted in dotTrace Tips&Tricks, How-To's Tagged dotTrace, dotTrace Memory, dotTrace Performance 8 Comments
Remote profiling Windows Azure Cloud Services with dotTrace
With dotTrace Performance, we can profile applications running on our local computer as well as on remote machines. The latter can be very useful when some performance problems only occur on the staging server (or even worse: only in production). … Continue reading
Posted in dotTrace Tips&Tricks, How-To's Tagged dotTrace, dotTrace Performance, profiling, remote, Windows Azure 9 Comments
TeamCity plugin for Visual Studio
When working with TeamCity and Visual Studio, we can do a lot of things right from within our IDE. We can trigger a remote run, fetch dotCover code coverage information from the server, view changes and builds from a tool … Continue reading
Posted in How-To's Tagged Build, dotCover, ReSharper, TeamCity, unit testing, Visual Studio 15 Comments
Line-by-line profiling with dotTrace Performance
dotTrace Performance allows us to profile an application in several ways. We can choose between sample profiling, tracing profiling and line-by-line profiling. Generally sampling profiling is used first to acquire a high-level overview of call performance in an application, after … Continue reading
Posted in dotTrace Tips&Tricks Tagged dotTrace, dotTrace 5 Performance, dotTrace Performance Leave a comment
ReSharper and custom ASP.NET MVC view location
Since ReSharper 5, we've had splendid support for ASP.NET MVC. One of the features included for ASP.NET MVC is Navigate to View and Create View. When working in an ASP.NET MVC action method, these methods allows us to either navigate … Continue reading
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Performance tracing a Windows Store application with dotTrace
More and more developers are jumping on the opportunity to create applications for the Windows Store. Since most of these apps are very visual and need to be very responsive, it's really important to know if and where there's room … Continue reading
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Using NuGet to simplify remote profiling with dotTrace
IMPORTANT: The information in this post is relevant only for dotTrace 5.2 and 5.3. For the later dotTrace versions, SDK is available only as a zip archive with SDK assemblies. We've all been there, someone calls you about the fact that … Continue reading
Posted in dotTrace Tips&Tricks, How-To's Tagged dotTrace, dotTrace 5 Performance, dotTrace Performance, NuGet 2 Comments


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By Paul F. deLespinasse
My college textbook [Thinking About Politics: American Government in Associational Perspective, New York: D. Van Nostrand, 1981] notes that "Public discourse on taxes is uniformly unsophisticated and demagogic." Current discussions of Measure 66 suggest that things have not improved since 1981.
Measure 66 supporters claim it will only raise the Oregon income tax for about 2% of the population. Since the essence of law is that it is a general rule of action, it is somewhat unprincipled to make its lack of generality an argument in favor of proposed legislation. However a more fundamental weakness in claiming Measure 66 will increase taxes only on the rich is that it is untrue.
More precisely, the claim is true if we look only at Measure 66's consequences in the short run but false if we consider its longer run results.
After several years of higher surcharges, Measure 66 provides for a permanent tax increase to 9.9% for incomes above $125,000 (250,000 for couples). Incomes below $125,000 will remain at their current 9% rate. Thus, in the short run, most Oregonians will pay no more income tax.
In the long run, however, many more of us will be paying the 9.9% rate as inflation lifts our income (but not our purchasing power!) into the bracket above $125,000
Just since 2000 average salaries and prices have risen 25%, since 1994 they have risen 44%, and since 1989 they have risen 72%. So Oregonians should try multiplying their current income by 1.72 and this will give a hint of where their incomes will be twenty years from now, if they keep up with inflation. For a lot of us, it will be more than $125,000.
Inflation would not affect our taxes if the proposed changes were indexed, but Measure 66 specifically prohibits adjustment of the $125,000 point at which the higher rates kick in. "Bracket creep" will therefore push more and more of us into the higher rates, just as it has done with the notorious federal Alternative Minimum Tax, which originally was supposed to affect only the "rich."
Bracket creep is nature's revenge on those who think they can raise other people's taxes without raising their own. Ironically, therefore, Measure 66 may be more general in its consequences than its supporters are acknowledging, and thus be less unprincipled than I suggested at the beginning of this analysis.
The fact that Measure 66 will ultimately raise nearly everyone's taxes does not tell us how we should vote. I haven't made up my own mind yet. A permanent 10% increase in the tax rates most of us pay might be a good idea. We should avoid cutting critical state programs. But we should not create a privileged class of state employees who are exempt from the restraints on and setbacks to income suffered by private employees and retirees.
Different people will come to different conclusions, and the voters will decide. I hope they will decide better if they understand the actual consequences of their decisions.
Paul F. deLespinasse, who lives in Corvallis, is professor emeritus of political science at Adrian College in Michigan.


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A promotion to benefit Niagara Falls State Park, Yellowstone National Park and Glacier National Park is sponsored by Thompson's Water Seal.
The company know for it deck sealers will donate $1 from each sale of selected products through Sept. 7 for park preservation projects. The goal is to donate $150,000.
"The Thompson's Company has been honored to provide support for projects like staining the decks at Niagara Falls State Park, repairing platforms damaged in floods at Glacier National Park and restoring campgrounds and historic buildings at Yellowstone National Park," said Mike Kozlowski, director of marketing for the Thompson's Water Seal brand.
"The VIP Promotion is our largest initiative to date to support these three amazing places, and we're looking forward to doing a lot more for them with the help of homeowners across the country."


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This deal has ended.
Exclusively for our readers, this ESQ by Movado Women's Nova Watch, which retails for $395, drops from $169 to $109 with the code BDNOVA109 at Ashford, plus it ships free. This is the best price we could find on this watch anywhere by $40. The watch features a yellow gold plated stainless steel case and bracelet, Swiss Quartz movement, and more. There is no sales tax (except NY).No longer available


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Watch the full hour of today's show in the clips below. Click "Continue Reading" to see segments 2 through 4.{ }
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© WJLA | Portions are © Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or distributed.
WJLA is the local ABC affiliate for the greater Washington DC area. From our studios in Arlington, VA ABC7 covers national and local news, sports, weather, traffic and culture and carries entertainment and sports programming. WJLA serves Alexandria, Springfield, Annandale, Tysons, Reston, Ashburn, Centreville and Manassas, Virginia and Bethesda, Rockville, Gaithersburg, Silver Spring, Wheaton, Beltsville, Greenbelt, Bowie, College Park, Largo, Crofton, Annapolis, Hyattsville and Takoma Park, Maryland, and all the communities in between.


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A computer science professor at the University of New Orleans has won an $87,000 federal grant to train about 15 high-school teachers from Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama in cybersecurity as part of a pilot program to get more college students to major in the subject.
The two-week, all-expenses-paid program will help teachers from large high schools "introduce at least basic concepts at the high school level and increase student awareness of this important field," said Golden Richard III, a professor of computer science and director of the Greater New Orleans Center for Information Assurance.
The National Security Administration and the National Science Foundation asked for proposals to get more students studying cybersecurity because there's a shortage of professionals -- particularly ones with a strong computer science background, Richard said.
He figured that teaching teachers would boost exposure the most for the least amount of money. High school students need to know about career opportunities and what courses they would need to take to get into college cybersecurity programs, Richard said.
The program will have a website and will contact schools for applications early next year.
Cybersecurity is such a complex topic and training programs are so expensive that high school teachers need help to deal with it, Richard said.
Teachers won't need to know programming to get into the course. They'll get slide sets, handouts and lab exercises to take home with them, and will be paid $300 to report on how they've used the information and how much student interest was generated, according to the proposal approved by the agencies.
The reporting stipend was created to meet a requirement for evaluating the program. "Evaluation procedures such as exchange of contact information, follow-up emails and soliciting promises to report experiences are both commonly proposed and frequently ineffective," the proposal said.
The curriculum, exercises and activities also will be available through an NSF cybersecurity education program called RAVE, for Remote Access Virtualized Environment.
The NSA and Department of Homeland Security have recognized UNO, Louisiana Tech and Bossier Parish


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With the new Season, many people get the urge to redecorate and change things around in their house. With so many changes going on outdoors, lots of people also choose to change the inside of their houses. Remodeling can be a big task, but there are several things you can do ahead of time to simplify the process, making it fast and neat.
Once you have decided to remodel a certain portion of your home, consider these pointers to make sure you have all your bases covered.
Know what you want before you begin.
You need to have an idea of what you want before you start any construction. Drew Alexander of Castle Rock Builders suggests that you "go out and see what you like." Drew says it is a good idea to "research costs and weigh those against your desires, because there is a large price range of options available."
Find out if your city has restrictions on construction, and obtain permits.
Make sure you are approved for everything you want to do before you start doing it. This process can take some time, so start well before you plan on beginning the remodel.
Work with licensed professionals only!
Drew suggests shopping around for a general contractor that you are comfortable with, and that you trust. "Make sure that the general contractor you choose is trustworthy and has competitive prices and performance on prior jobs," he reminds. Hiring experts is the key to getting what you want!
There always seem to be small, unexpected things that you have to pay for during the remodeling process. These little things can add up! Make sure you overbudget in order to avoid having to pay out of pocket for these "little" expenses!
Plan your remodeling at a specific time.
Some remodeling projects can take several weeks, so plan your time carefully. Don't try to get a remodeling project done right before a big family event or holiday. Pick a time that will be the least disruptive to your family and neighbors. Choose a time of the year that you are the least busy, and can be the most involved in the process.
Clean out the space you want to remodel before the contractors come in.
Drew recommends taking out all of your personal belongings, and cleaning the space thoroughly. If you are staying in the house while the remodel is happening, Drew suggests hanging up a plastic sheet to shield your home from dust and debris. "It's nice when people make a space for our tools and supplies, preferably in the garage; it's also great to have an easy entry and exit path," he comments.
Although remodeling often takes a lot of planning and careful attention to detail, you can simplify the process with these steps. Remember that early planning and a larger-than-needed budget are keys to remodeling success, as well as trusting quality professionals to do the work in your home. Whether you are remodeling the bathroom, kitchen, or any other room in your home, keeps these steps in mind!
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Home Cooks > Recipes
2 cups Kikkoman Panko Bread Crumbs or Whole Wheat Panko
¾ cup sugar, divided
3 teaspoons cinnamon, divided
1 cup Kikkoman Tempura Batter Mix
2 tablespoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup Kikkoman Pearl Organic Original Soymilk
4 apples
Vegetable oil for deep frying
1 cup powdered sugar
Mix together Panko, ½ cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a medium bowl, set aside. In a large bowl, stir together the Tempura Batter Mix, cornstarch, baking powder, salt and remaining ¼ cup sugar and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon. Add Soymilk to the flour mixture with a whisk to make a smooth batter. Peel the apples and slice into 6 circles. Remove the seeds from each apple ring with a sharp knife. Add the apple rings to the batter, coating all sides. Heat a deep fryer or a large pan to 350º and add 1-1/2 to 2 inches of oil. Dredge the battered apple rings through the panko crumbs and place in the hot oil, several at a time so they don't touch. Fry until brown, then flip and brown the other side. Remove from oil and drain on a paper towel. Cook the remaining coated apple rings. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve warm.
If you like this, try...
Save 55¢
On any one (1) Kikkoman product 10 oz or larger.


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Login Procedure
Please use the email address associated to your DC Tri Club account to login. The username login will be phased out over the next few months, at this time you can use either to login.
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I am going to Philadelphia for the Danskin Tri on August 2nd. I am looking for someone to drive with. I can take one person and one bike.Call me at 215-859-1666 if you are interested or email at email@example.com
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President Barack Obama will not release post-mortem pictures of terror mastermind Osama bin Laden because it might incite violence by extremists and look as though the United States was displaying a trophy, the president's spokesman said.
During a press briefing this afternoon, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said the president made the call not to release images taken of bin Laden's body.
Obama defended his decision in an interview with "60 Minutes," which will air tonight on CBS. Carney read a transcript of a portion of the interview to the press.
Obama said he personally viewed the images, but was concerned releasing the very graphic photos could incite violence among extremists.
"Keep in mind, we were absolutely certain it was him," Obama said. "There was no doubt that we killed Osama bin Laden."
While releasing the photos may have silenced some doubters, Obama was concerned it could be viewed otherwise, and didn't want it to appear he was displaying them "as trophies."
"We don't need to spike the football," Obama said.
Carney said the White House will keep all visual evidence of bin Laden's death classified.
The announcement came after days of intense debates over whether the bin Laden death photos -- and possible videos of his body being wrapped in a shroud and deposited into the North Arabian Sea -- would be released.
CIA Director Leon Panetta said Tuesday that at least one photo is likely to be released. The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., was pushing for the photos to remain classified.
"Conspiracy theorists are going to see the pictures and find 10 reasons why they think it's someone else," Rogers said on ABC's "Good Morning America."
Bloomberg News contributed to this report.
Related coverage:
• U.S. officials prepare to release photographic evidence of Osama bin Laden's death
• Skeptics question Osama bin Laden's death
• The raid on Osama bin Laden's hideout: How it happened


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An era ended in the history of Hudson County government with the passing of former Hudson County Executive Edward F. Clark Jr. on Dec. 3, 2011. Mr. Clark served as the first county executive, from 1978 to 1988, upon the vote of the people to enact the County Executive Form of Government in 1978. He retired after serving with integrity and honesty in 1988.
Mr. Clark served the people of the county in various elected capacities from the 1960s as a freeholder, freeholder director, and took over the reins of government after the difficulties encountered by the "Hudson Eight" and others in the early 1970s.
This writer had the distinct honor and pleasure of serving under County Executive Clark both on a governmental and political basis working on his political campaigns. It is to be noted that Ed Clark always put the people first and ensured that all county services were rendered, and he did so with a distinct regard of the burden of the taxpayers.
The County of Hudson was certainly left in better condition than when Ed Clark found it upon taking office. Our prayers to his fine family and may he rest in peace.


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Italian-American Faculty & Staff Advisory Council
The John D. Calandra Italian American Institute of The City University of New York began as the Italian American Institute to Foster Higher Education. In 1978, New York State Senator John D. Calandra, then chairperson of the Italian Legislative Caucus, called for the creation of an Italian-American institute to address historical, sociological, political, and cultural issues. The New York conference of Italian-American State Legislators initially funded the Institution in 1979 to address the educational needs and concerns expressed by Italian-American students, faculty and staff at CUNY. Eight years later, the Institute was renamed in honor of the late Senator John D. Calandra. In 1995, the CUNY Board of Trustees officially designated the Institute as a university-wide research institute devoted to documenting and preserving the Italian-American experience, under the aegis of Queens College.
The Italian American Faculty and Staff Advisory Council has its origin with Chancellor Kibbee's directive appointing chairpersons of Italian American advisory committees at each CUNY college. The Council objectives are to advise the college presidents and Chancellor through the work of the Institute and its Dean on concerns affecting the University's Italian American community and to safeguard accountability for Italian American personnel within the University. Additionally, campus delegates articulate the needs of students, faculty and staff at the individual campuses and deliberate ways in which the Institute can address them.
To learn more about the Council, or to express your interest in becoming a campus delegate, contact Dr. Donna Chirico, Chair of the Italian American Faculty Staff Advisory Council, by telephone at 718-262-2687 or by email at email@example.com.
Executive Committee
Chair: Donna Chirico, York College
1st Vice Chair: Diane Forte, Queens College
2nd Vice Chair: John Rose, Hunter College
Treasurer: Janice Zummo, Medgar Evers
Recording Secretary: Kristina Varade. BMCC
Campus Delegates*
Michael Lovaglio
Alternate needed
Kristina Varade
Tom Means, Alternate
Bronx Community
Giulia Guarnieri
Elena Borelli
Diane Forte
Pieranna Pieroni
Devid Paolini
Corinna Messina - Kociuba
College of Staten Island
Christina Tortora
Paola Ureni
CUNY Grad Center
Delegate needed
Vera Senese
Laura Gambino - Alternate
Susan Miceli
Ernest Ialongo - Alternate
John Rose
Carmen Morano, Alternate
John Jay
Janet Rubel
Alternate needed
Angela Toscano
Alternate needed
Jerry G. Ianni
Alternate needed
Law School
Florence Kerner
Alternate needed
Joe Tirella
Larry Santoro - Alternate
Medgar Evers
Janice Zummo
Alternate needed
New York City Tech
Concetta Mennella
Morris Hounion
David D'Amato
Alexandra DeLuise
Gina Capozzoli
Stephen di Dio
Donna Chirico
Samuel Ghelli
Calandra Institute
Dean Anthony Tamburri, ex officio
*Not all campuses currently have representation.


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We took a trip to TJ's last week and ended up throwing out almost all of the food. The quality was terrible even for the price.
The local co-op here has good prices on some things, just have to become familiar with the store to catch them. Joining a CSA or cow-share will save you more money. I'm ok going to the high-end grocery here to get some things, since they pay attention to quality. Asian groceries can have some good stuff too.
Really it comes down to what you cook and knowing the stores well.


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The offseason can mean a number of things for highly ranked college basketball teams.
Typically these top-notch programs improve through training at world-class facilities and impressive recruiting, but every once in a while bad news comes down the chute (looking at you Tar Heels).
While the start of the season can't come soon enough, we did learn some things about some of the best college hoops teams (top 20 per Sporting News) this summer. Read on to see what.


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(October 12, 2010)
CHARLOTTE, N.C.—What's more impressive, results on the racetrack or accomplishments behind the scenes? The number of championships won or the number of career wins? Helping to keep a dream alive or taking that dream to an entirely new level?
Those are just a few of the many questions the members of the voting panel likely will be asked to weigh Wednesday when the selection process for the 2011 NASCAR Hall of Fame class begins in Charlotte.
The list of 25 nominees, announced earlier this year, covers all aspects of the sport. From drivers who won multiple championships to the driver who won the first NASCAR title; car owners who are still fielding winning entries today as well as those who funded the first successful teams; and drivers who dominated on other levels of the sport as well as those people who worked outside the spotlight.
The 52-member voting panel will hear presentations for each of the nominees beginning Wednesday morning. After discussions and a brief break for lunch, the voting is scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. ET. A news conference to announce the 2011 class will be held at the Hall of Fame beginning at 4 p.m. The announcement will be televised live on Speed.
"I guess I'd have to say, and I don't know if I'm being honest about it or not, but I guess I'd have to say that if I could just be a part of it at some time, that would be satisfying," three-time Cup champion Darrell Waltrip said earlier this year. "But sooner than later would be nice."
Waltrip is on a short list of drivers considered by many to be among the favorites for going into the Hall of Fame this time around.
Topping that list is David Pearson, also a three-time champion and with 105 career wins, the series' second most successful driver.
Bobby Allison, like Waltrip a winner of 84 Cup races, is also on the short list as is three-time champion Cale Yarborough.
"It's really special (to be nominated)," Allison said. "I hope it happens. But I know crazy things can come and go. I really hope it does happen."
Bill France, Bill France Jr., Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt and Junior Johnson comprised the first class of inductees. They were enshrined in May when the Hall opened.
Voting for 2011 NASCAR Hall of Fame Class to take place Wednesday
(October 12, 2010)


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(I'm sure lots of Stoolies won't get this picture, but it may be my finest work)
TMZ - Justin Bieber's BFF Lil Za has just been arrested for COCAINE POSSESSION at the singer's home — during the early morning raid stemming from the Bieber egg attack on his neighbor. A rep for the L.A. County Sheriff's Dept. confirmed the arrest for FELONY drug possession … and said the cocaine was "in plain view" during the raid. Officials say Bieber was "not connected" to the cocaine. Za is a rapper who once lived at Bieber's Calabasas home … and he's been tight with JB for years. Eleven L.A. County Sheriff's patrol cars descended on Bieber's house this morning and they are executing a search warrant in connection with the egg-throwing incident … law enforcement sources tell TMZ. We're told this is a FELONY search warrant — meaning Justin is under a microscope for a crime that could land him in prison.
Bieber is clean you PIGS! You got nothing on him! Big fucking swing and a miss from the LA PD. This is more embarrassing than that whole Rodney King fiasco. 11 cops busting into Bieb's house looking for eggshells and found nothing. So what do they do? They save face by arresting poor Lil Za for having a little coke on the table. Total bullshit arrest. They just didn't want to get goosed. But you think Biebs gives a fuck about that dude? Hells no. He'll go buy himself a new Lil Za best friend in a heartbeat. Fuck the police!
PS – I totally picture Bieber and Selena to be like that scene in Blow with Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz rolling around in drugs and money and having crazy sex except Biebs is never gonna get caught.
Double PS – Do I have to make "Free Lil Za" tshirts?


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The advertising gurus behind the controversial "Labour Isn't Working" adverts have been recruited to construct a campaign to help keep Scotland in the union.
Please wait while this video loads. If it doesn't load after a few seconds you may need to have Adobe Flash installed.
M&C Saatchi are expected to unveil a number of new marketing approaches for the no campaign on Monday, one includes the slogan "No thanks".
Despite maintaining a lead in the polls, the Better Together group has been under pressure to change the tone of its campaigning as the yes vote has grown in recent months.
'Independence isn't working?'
The ad-agency was founded by brothers Maurice, a Conservative peer, and Charles Saatchi after they were ousted from Saatchi & Saatchi in the early eighties.
Their then little known ad-agency changed the landscape of political advertising with their epoch-making ad which depicted a dole queue with the slogan "Labour Isn't Working".
M&C Saatchi were employed by the Conservatives in the 2010 election where they adopted a similar style, portraying Gordon Brown as weak on crime. The former prime minister has recently taken on a more prominent role in the Better Together campaign making speeches on fiscal matters.
'Wealth of experience'
Rob Shorthouse, director of communications for Better Together, said: "We are delighted to have the team at M&C Saatchi join the campaign. They bring with them a wealth of experience of working on campaigns for political parties of many hues.
"Throughout the pitch process they demonstrated incredible creativity, but also a passion about, and commitment to, our cause. Like the majority of people in Scotland, they don't want to see the United Kingdom broken up."
A Yes Scotland spokesman said: "The fact that the no campaign has hired Margaret Thatcher's favourite PR people, who helped usher in 18 years of Tory government that the people of Scotland rejected, shows just how out of touch they have become with the values and priorities of Scotland.
"Saatchis are forever associated with the Westminster political establishment - and the truth is that Westminster isn't working for Scotland."
In response, Rob Shorthouse said:
"The campaign is such that we want the best people working on it, and now we've got them.
"The response is absolutely indicative of the Yes campaign - they're stuck in the past and all they care about is grievance politics."
How did Saatchi & Saatchi 'sell' Mrs Thatcher? - video09 April 2013
Saatchi & Saatchi: 40 years in advertising10 September 2010
Stay or go? Countdown begins on Scottish referendum - video17 September 2013
Recommended Reading
- 'Labour isn't working' poster Campaign Magazine
- Pro-UK ad pulled after complaints Herald Scotland
- UK cinema chains ban ads on Scottish independence referendum The Guardian


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By Jueseppi B.
Win a free trip to San Diego to meet President Obama!
Contribution Rules
- I am a United States citizen or a permanent resident alien.
- This contribution is made from my own funds, and funds are not being provided to me by another person or entity for the purpose of making this contribution.
- I am making this contribution with my own personal credit card and not with a corporate or business credit card or a card issued to another person.
- I am at least eighteen years old.
- I am not a foreign national, federal contractor, national bank, or corporation chartered by an act of Congress
- I understand that contributions or gifts to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee are not tax deductible
Categories: Politics


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Omnisistem LED PAR36 LightProduct #485778 Omnisistem 485778 YGF Par Cans https://www.esnapw.com/rses/ESnapServlet?MerchantNumberSent=63655
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OmniSistem's LED PAR36 has 61 - 5mm LEDs that will make a big impact on your stage or floor lighting rig without making a big impact on your budget in the short run or long run. LED lighting gives you long life, but consumes very little power while producing bright colors. This PAR36 light features RGB color mixing to give your stage or dance floor up to 16.7 million colors, so you can always find a way to work it into your whatever your scheme is. The OmniSistem LED light connects via a 3-pon XLR connector and gives you 3 control options—DMX-512 (6 Channels), stand alone (sound active, auto), and manual.
- LED Count: 61 LED lights (21 red, 19 green, 21 blue)
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Use the money-saving power of LED lights to brighten your stage or floor. Order the LED PAR36 today!
LED PAR36 Light Specifications:
- Power: 117V/60Hz
- Power Consumption: 10W
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The biggest problem with bitcoin right now is not everyone has it. Why would Amazon or Facebook take bitcoins as payment when nearly 0% of the population has bitcoin? Help increase the utility and value of bitcoin by giving it to friends and family.
Bitcoin is a great Christmas gift. Instead of giving loved ones a present that might sit and grow dusty before being donated or trashed - give them bitcoin and open their mind to an exciting new world of possibility and wealth.
One of the best gifts WAS US savings bonds. Well it used to be a great gift. Much better than savings bonds bitcoin have returned 400% per year! Like Gold Bitcoin is a hedge against inflation.
Bitcoin is great for kids. Tired of kids asking to use your credit card for online purchases? Bitcoin empowers them as consumers. Tired of investments with low returns? One gentleman spent $27 on Bitcoin. Four few years later it had grown to over $500,000 worth.


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Local schools are holding their kindergarten roundups starting this month (in Portland, the schedule is posted at http://www.pps.k12.or.us/files/kindergarten-prek/KRoundUp_flyer101210rev%281%29.pdf). If your child is entering kindergarten in the 2011-12 school year, the roundups offer great opportunities to learn about kindergarten curriculum, meet a principal or teacher, introduce your child to the school building, register your child -- and figure out your options if you need before- and/or afterschool childcare.
Nancy Hauth, kindergarten/pre-K support and childcare program manager for Portland Public Schools, says figuring out childcare is "not really the thing you do in the summer ... it's really the thing you do the pre-K year." Fortunately, school childcare providers often attend kindergarten roundups to answer questions about their programs.
The first question parents should ask is about space availability and application deadlines. "If you find that they say, 'You know, there are often wait lists for new families' ... then that's your opportunity to start Plan B and to go ahead and get that paperwork in earlier," Hauth said. Some childcare providers take only a few dozen kids per school because of space limitations -- so if you can't afford to be shut out, it's important to register as soon as possible.
Timelines vary. Some providers begin enrolling at kindergarten roundup; others open registration in the spring; at least one waits until August. So it definitely pays to find out.
Also, not all schools have on-site childcare. In the Portland district, "we do have maybe five or six schools that transport (kids) to another school because of space," Hauth said. If your school doesn't have on-site childcare and you won't be able to take your kid to childcare, Multnomah County's childcare resource and referral office (503-548-4400) can help you find another provider near the school.
"We work very closely," Hauth said of the county office. "They have done an amazing job with our families -- parents call me back and say how helpful that's been."
You can also check the Oregon Child Care Resource and Referral Network's database for options.
"I find that to be very helpful," Hauth said of the database. "It's an excellent place to start. Sometimes, though, if you've got specific needs" -- like needing transportation for your child -- "that's when you need to call Multnomah County." For example, she said, Peninsula School, a K-8 in North Portland, no longer has a childcare program, but several nearby private home-based providers have vans and will pick up and drop off kids.
By the way, parents should know that many childcare programs are operated by contractors. In the entire Portland district, for example, Hauth said, "we have one school that relies entirely on a school-based program," Capitol Hill Elementary in Southwest Portland. Each contractor often provides programs at several schools -- for instance, Portland Jewish Academy handles childcare at Glencoe, Skyline and Forest Park, while Peninsula Children's Center handles Sabin and Boise-Eliot.
(For a full list of PPS childcare contractors: http://www.pps.k12.or.us/departments/kindergarten/1578.htm)
Hauth said she holds monthly meetings with the childcare directors, and the district offers positive behavior support training to start the school year.
"There's a lot of really good positive connections between the group of contracted providers and the district, so that we're on the same page about behavior and helping them work out building space issues ... we have a great partnership," Hauth said.
She added, "Childcare providers take the safety and supervision of the children very seriously ... to help them out, parents need to be aware that if their child is not going to be at school in the afternoon, they need to let the childcare provider know that as soon as possible. I do hear that there are always those situations where parents forget and the providers has to spend 10, 15 minutes tracking down the child."
The district also recently sought parent feedback about its childcare contractors through an online survey.
If you still have childcare questions, you can reach Nancy Hauth at 503-916-3230 or email@example.com.
Have you used a before- or afterschool childcare provider? What was your experience and what's your advice for other parents?


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The Gibson County Sheriff's Office is warning about counterfeit money. Deputies were called to the Denny's Restaurant at the Flying J Truck Stop early Friday morning after the assistant manager there uncovered a counterfeit bill had been used for a transaction. Deputies advised the fake bill was a 20 - and ask that if anyone has information about, or locates any suspicious currency - they should contact the Gibson County Sheriff's Office.
Up to the minute weather from our partners at Eyewitness News.
There is an active Amber Alert when this graphic is flashing


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EAST LANSING, MI -- So, do you know the story of "Peter Pan"?
Of course you do.
But do you know how Peter Pan became the boy who never grew up?
In "Peter and the Starcatcher," a new Broadway play that runs Jan. 22-26, 2014 at the Wharton Center in East Lansing, fans will see the characters come to life in this touring show.
The play is a prequel to the story we know of "Peter Pan," and it was written as a novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. It played on Broadway, and is now on a national tour.
On Jan. 17, 2014, I interviewed actor John Sanders, who plays Black Stache in "Peter and The Starcatcher" on my "Going Gonzo Show."
He talked about how the show is "not a musical," and how the show is more of a comedy. (Audio podcast: Full interview below.)
"It's an epic, comedic fantasy," he said.
"We do have some music in it -- in fact the music was Tony nominated," he added. "But this isn't a musical; it's a play. It's a comedy. And it moves really quickly in the beginning."
Although the show is recommended for those 10 and older -- and the kids will love it, he said -- the show is really aimed at adults. He said the first act moves quickly. "Don't worry if you don't get everything."
"What's being revealed to you in the beginning are the characters, and the ideas, and the method of storytelling."
There is a big pay off at the end, he said.
"By the end, it's a rollicking good time. The ideas that we all know and love from Peter Pan really start to coalesce in Act 2, and we really get to see by the end, "oh, these are the people I know, and this is the story I know,'" he said.
Along the way "hopefully we have shown you something new and given you a lot of laughs."
An actor who has been on Broadway (Sam of "Mamma Mia!") and for 12 years in Chicago (Goodman Theatre and
Chicago Shakespeare), Sanders said this is a great show that relies on imagination rather than a big production.
"This is not like the 'Lion King' or 'Phantom' where everyone knows what to expect.....this is something really new."
I had a great time talking to the former University of Oregon student and California native. You can listen to the podcast here.
John Gonzalez is a statewide entertainment writer for MLive. Email him at firstname.lastname@example.com or follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Google+.


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Letter | Realtors® urge 'yes' vote on MISD bond measure
Seattle KingCounty Realtors® (SKCR) have endorsed a bond proposition to modernize and expand facilities in the Mercer Island School District. The measure seeks $196 million to fund several rebuilding and renovation projects over the next five to eight years.
The funding request will appear on a vote-by-mail ballot for the April 17 special election. It requires a supermajority (60 percent plus 1) to pass. Realtor Wolf Puls, president of the Seattle KingCounty Realtors, said there was very strong support among the association's members.
"Good schools are the first thing homebuyers ask us about," noted Puls, who has worked in the profession since 1984. "We are very proud to be associated with real estate industry leaders who stand firmly committed to a healthy community and to the success of the children whose families our REALTORS® serve," he remarked.
Puls, whose wife is a teacher, also spoke of his personal support: "Being married to a public school educator, I am keenly aware of the need to adequately fund our schools to prepare the best future members of our communities," he remarked. Members of SKCR's Governmental & Public Affairs committee considered several factors before recommending endorsement, according to Puls.
The proposition also drew strong backing from Linus Toy, managing broker at Windermere's Mercer Island office.
"We're asking our schools to prepare our children for the 21st century. It is really unfair to saddle them with 20th century facilities," he remarked.
Toy, a parent of two children at Islander Middle School, spoke of his own experiences while volunteering with the schools. "As a parent helping out in the classroom while they were at Island Park Elementary School, I saw the limits the building imposed on the education process — para-professional staff or parents working with students in hallways (with associated distractions), limited classroom spaces needing constant re-arranging to meet different situations, and storage closets/lockers turned into offices or teaching spaces, to name just a few examples."
Along with the need to ease overcrowding and update obsolete facilities, the Realtors cited other reasons for supporting the bond proposition. They included the district's financial rating, its recognition on various "best schools" lists, and numerous achievements by teachers and students.
In mid-December, Moody's Investors Service announced the district maintained its AAA rating, one of only five districts in the state to earn the highest rating outlook. Puls said Realtors were also impressed by the district's high rankings among America's 25 best school districts for the housing dollar, and on Forbes magazine's list of "Best Schools for Your Real Estate Buck." He also commended the district for its national recognition for excellence in math and science education, and for its track record of success on proficiency exams.
David Crowell, SKCR's director of governmental and public affairs, also emphasized the importance of good schools. In a letter to Superintendent Plano announcing the Realtor support, Crowell stated, "Good schools are essential for preserving the value of family homes. They are critical for economic vitality and job creation. Schools unify and define communities. But, most important, quality schools are crucial to the futures of the students in the Mercer Island School District."
Crowell said Realtors in the district will be urged to support the measure, not only with their own "yes" vote, but also by encouraging other Mercer Island voters to cast a vote of approval.
The bond proposition package includes provisions for rebuilding Islander Middle School, replacing three elementary schools with new facilities, adding labs and classrooms at Mercer Island High school, making repairs and renovation to the Mary Wayte Pool and high school stadium, purchasing property for future growth, and funding development of a 50-year master plan.
Proponents of the measure, organized as Mercer Island Schools Bond "Yes — Keep Mercer Island Schools Rock Solid," said the district's financial analysts estimate the owner of a home with an assessed value of $750,000 would pay about $525 per year in additional property taxes if the measure passes.
The Seattle KingCounty Realtors®, with more than 5,000 members, is a local board of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR). Its members adhere to a strict code of ethics and participate in matters at all levels of government that affect private property rights, housing supplies, affordability and homeownership opportunities. Membership is voluntary, and only members may use the term REALTOR®, which is a licensed collective trademark.
Seattle KingCounty Realtors®
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By the way, please be sure to sign your name on Talk and vote pages using four tildes (~~~~) to automatically produce your name and the current date. By the way, I hope you'll register an account with us - it's fast, free, easy, and will block the ads on article pages. Before attempting any major article rewrites please read the layout guide. If you have any questions, check out the policy and help pages (see here for editing help), add a question to the Community portal, view the forum or ask me on my talk page. Again, welcome!
— -- Cubs Fan2007 (Talk) 02:58, November 28, 2012
House elf articles
Hi, I've seen your edits on the house elf articles where you call them slaves. That we don't do here because of the Harry Potter Wiki:Neutral point of view. They are servants and the other term should not be used. But nonetheless thank you for helping this wiki. Harry granger Talk contribs 22:41, January 26, 2013 (UTC)
- Harry Potter Wiki.
- Continuing to edit in a particular manner after you have been asked to stop and informed of our policies is a form of vandalism. ProfessorTofty (talk) 02:13, January 28, 2013 (UTC)
- You have been blocked for a period of one month for continuing to make edits like those described above. The wiki is not a place to promote a personal agenda. ProfessorTofty (talk) 02:21, January 28, 2013 (UTC)
Listin Harry Granger. Call the House-elfs what you want but if they can not leave with out being set free or if there being forced to work then they are slaves. I would know because I am the descendant of American slaves. So I have to disagre with you on that one. And just to be clear thats what you dont do. And I am just a kid so back off. Also I am not happy about you deleting my page about Free elfs. So after this month I will do it again and please just leave it alone!
Hi. First, I figured I'd say that when you're blocked it isn't exactly smart to edit when you're not. And also, as sorry as I feel for you or your family, here on the wiki we have a neutral point of view policy, which you were given a link to in Harry granger's message. If you read that then you will know that changing "servant" to "slave", no matter how appropriate it seems in your mind, is against the wiki's rules. Thanks for reading all of that. --Hunnie Bunn (Owl me!) 22:42, January 30, 2013 (UTC)
Listin Harry Granger. Call the House-elfs what you want but if they can not leave with out being set free or if there being forced to work then they are slaves. I would know because I am the descendant of American slaves. So I have to disagre with you on that one. And just to be clear thats what you dont do. And I am just a kid so back off. Also I am not happy about you deleting my page about Free elfs. So after this month I will do it again and please just leave it alone! And other people of the site. Are you going to let this person push you around? I sure aint. Thats right. I dont care if I'm banished from the site. I will fight for our freedom! Take that Harry Granger!
Are you incharged?
Can you go away Hunnie Bun?
Can you go away Hunnie Bun? Because this is none of your beeswax
- No, I am not in charge. Also, I can indeed go away, but I will not because, despite what you claim, this is my "beeswax". As a regular contributor here the state of the wiki is my business and it is in my best interest whilst visiting or editing the site to maintain purity and that includes issuing warnings and informing users of the rules and regulations. --Hunnie Bunn (Owl me!) 23:10, January 30, 2013 (UTC)
Well I dont mean to be rude but I was not talking to you.
- Ah, my apologies for my misunderstanding. Could I be forgiven? (PS: If you are this IP that has been blocked it is unwise to edit whilst blocked as that can result in more trouble, just figured I'd let you know to avoid trouble). --Hunnie Bunn (Owl me!) 23:18, January 30, 2013 (UTC)
HunnyBunny - My apologies also for what has happened. Please disregard my minor son's posts. He is passionate about slavery. He meant no disrespect or harm. Once I realized what he was doing, I terminated the discussion. I will do my best to be sure he comments no further. Again, my apologies. Thank you for understanding.
- I understand that he meant neither disrespect or harm, and am glad this could be resolved peacefully. I understand, though, his perspective - despite not knowing anyone who was involved in the American slave trade myself, I hate the thought that such a thing would happen and don't blame him for his comments. If you permit him, once his block is up he will always be welcome here, as will you and everyone you know. Thank you for taking the time to read this and for enforcing his temporary block from here. --Hunnie Bunn (Owl me!) 23:49, January 30, 2013 (UTC)
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KALAMAZOO, MI -- A section of Pitcher Street in downtown Kalamazoo will be closed starting today to allow Amtrak to perform railroad crossing maintenance.
The work is scheduled to wrap up on Monday, May 13, according to a city of Kalamazoo media release. Drivers are encouraged to find alternate routes.


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MOBILE, Alabama -- As he joyfully plucks socks from his mother's drawer until every sock she owns is on the floor, Finn Putman is one of the happiest babies imaginable. He only cries, his mother says, when he needs a diaper changed or when he's tired. "He's just perfect," she said.
Today, for the first time, she will be a mother on Mother's Day.
It's hard to believe that a little over a year ago, this happy, healthy, grinning fellow was left by his birth mother at the University of South Alabama Children's and Women's Hospital. Born at just 27 weeks' gestation, he was considered a "micro-preemie."
His birth mother never even gave him a name. She didn't visit him in the neonatal intensive care unit, where a social worker named him.
And then, when he was 5 weeks old, his foster parents met him for the first time.
"I held him the first day," said Susan Putman. The simple act of holding him was "a group effort," she said. "With all the tubes and wires, he was so fragile."
But at that moment, she bonded with the baby who would become her son. "I pray a lot," she said. "And I just felt it in my heart" that he was the one.
"No one had been there who loved him, ever," she said. "The nurses were amazing, but there was no one who loved him. It just broke my heart."
Over the next three months, she and her husband, John, visited the baby every day, sometimes twice a day. They named him Finn.
'Best Mother's Day ever'
Married since 2006, John and Susan Putman had been trying to have a baby of their own for years. After several miscarriages, they began to look into adoption. Private adoptions were too expensive and too risky, Susan said, so they signed up to become foster parents in hopes that they would eventually adopt a child by that route.
After taking an 11-week class through the Mobile County Department of Human Resources, the couple welcomed three sets of foster children into their home over the past couple years.
Though it's rare that a baby enters the foster system to be adopted, Susan said, early last year she received a call from DHR that there was a premature baby who needed foster parents.
"I was very nervous at first," she admitted. "I didn't know anything about preemies and didn't know what to expect."
When Finn came home with them, he still weighed less than two pounds, was on a monitor for the first three months, and had to have monthly shots to prevent respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). He would have "a very delicate immune system for the first year of his life," she said. "He required a lot of care."
For that reason, she said, "Walking away might have been the kindest thing (his birth mother) could have done. She knew she couldn't take care of him."
Over the course of the past year, Finn's birth mother had two opportunities to claim him at hearings to terminate her parental rights and she didn't show up, Susan said.
So last week, at last, Finn's adoption was finalized. The Putmans were surrounded by friends and family members at the adoption hearing. "He is ours forever now," Susan said.
After so many years of wanting a baby but not being able to have one, Mother's Day has always been a difficult day for her, she said. Last year on Mother's Day, Finn was still in the hospital.
"This will be the best Mother's Day ever for me," said Susan. "I'm still walking on air. I have not stopped smiling."
She said that the three of them plan to go to brunch on Sunday. After that, "I wouldn't care if we stayed home and did nothing," she said. "I'm so over the moon."
'He is our miracle'
Although the Putmans were worried about Finn's development, since he was born so prematurely, Susan said he has not had any problems. He took his first steps on Easter Sunday. On Thursday (May 8), he held his own spoon for the first time as he ate mashed potatoes.
"We are so blessed," she said. "He is our miracle. We adore him."
He even looks like her husband, she added, with the same almond-shaped eyes. "People always comment about how much they look alike," she said. "We laugh when they say, 'There's no denying who his daddy is.'"
Susan, an elementary school teacher, is taking time off from work right now to bond with Finn. John, a pharmacist, has a son, Daniel, from a previous marriage. He was home from Auburn University on the day the Putmans first met Finn. Susan's mother was there, too.
From the start, Finn's nurses at the hospital treated Susan and John like they were his parents, she said—as if it were meant to be.
"We prayed a lot about becoming parents, and for a while we got so discouraged," Susan said. "I look back at how hard we prayed, and all that led to this. I can't imagine a child who could fit with us better."
She said that Finn loves the family's dogs and cats, and he is learning how to pet them gently. One of the cats, Blanche, was rescued from the side of the road as a newborn kitten. She had a broken leg and tail, and had to go through surgery and rehabilitation.
Blanche follows Finn around, Susan said, and lies down with him when he takes a nap. The cat likes to be in the room when he's put to bed at night.
"Maybe it's because she had a rough start in life, too," she said.


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Mary Lou MacNeil has been a longtime reader of Food Fare, cutting out many of the recipes and giving them a try over the years. Her favorite contributors are Bev Klemish of Bay City and Arlene Dempster of Rhodes.
This month, Mary Lou decided to join our little band of happy chefs by sending in an envelope of recipes from appetizers to desserts.
The Kawkawlin resident says that while many of the recipes aren't original, she has adapted or combined several recipes to suit her own taste — as we all do.
I chose a couple that are perfect for the season. Mary Lou says her Glazed Chicken Wings are always a winner, while her breakfast casserole is a good make-ahead brunch dish.
Glazed Chicken Wings
2 1⁄2-3 pounds uncooked chicken wings, thawed, washed
1⁄2 cup barbecue sauce
1⁄2 cup honey
1⁄2 cup soy sauce
Place wings in large baking dish or roaster. Combine remaining ingredients. Pour over wings.
Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees F. for 50 to 60 minutes, or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.
Breakfast Casserole
1 package Jimmy Dean fresh sausage, regular flavored, cooked, crumbled, drained
4 cups cubed day-old bread (Mary Lou uses 6-8 cups)
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
10 eggs, slightly beaten
4 cups milk
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste
1⁄2 teaspoon onion powder
1 cup chopped onion, cooked
1 1⁄2 cups cooked ham, chopped
1 cup green or red peppers, cooked, chopped
1 small can mushrooms, chopped
Places bread in well-buttered 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Combine eggs, milk, mustard, salt, pepper and onion powder. Pour evenly over bread and cheese. Sprinkle cooked sausage, onion, ham, peppers, mushrooms and any other ingredients you like over top. Cover and chill overnight.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Bake, uncovered, about an hour. Tent with foil if top begins to brown too quickly. Makes 12 servings.
Optional ingredients: Crisp, crumbled bacon or Canadian bacon, yellow peppers, green onions, chopped tomatoes or asparagus.
If you have a request, can answer a request or would like to share a recipe write to Food Fare, The Bay City Times, 311 Fifth St., Bay City, 48708, or e-mail email@example.com.


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National Tsunami Warning Center (NTWC)
The NTWC provides tsunami warning guidance for all U.S. coastal states (except Hawaii), Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the Canadian coastal provinces.
Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC)
The PTWC provides tsunami warning guidance for Hawaii and other countries in the Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Caribbean Sea.
Caribbean Tsunami Warning Program (CTWP)
The CTWP provides support and guidance for tsunami observations, including seismic and sea level systems, tsunami forecasting, communications and education and preparedness in the Caribbean region.
International Tsunami Information Center (ITIC)
Operated by the NWS on behalf of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, the ITIC supports the IOC's Tsunami Program which focuses on the coordination of tsunami warning and mitigation systems globally. The ITIC provides direct support to Member States in the Pacific by monitoring and recommending operational improvements to the Tsunami Warning System in the Pacific, and by working with countries to increase tsunami awareness and preparedness, and promote education and research.
TsunamiReady® Program
A program designed for recognition for Communities that have met certain standards of tsunami preparedness.
National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program (NTHMP)
The NTHMP is a partnership between NOAA, the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the 28 U.S. Coastal States, Territories, and Commonwealths. The NTHMP is designed to reduce the impact of tsunamis through hazard assessment, warning guidance, and mitigation.
NOAA Tsunami Program Fact Sheets
2 page | 4 page 11x17 folded | 4 page 8 1/2x11
NOAA summarizes the NOAA Tsunami Program in these fact sheets.
Tsunami Safety
NWS provides tsunami safety information.
NOAA Tsunami Site
NOAA posts additional information and numerous links to information related to tsunamis on this site.
NOAA Center for Tsunami Reseach
The NOAA Center for Tsunami Research at the Pacific Marine Environment Laboratory concentrates on developing methods and tools to reduce the tsunami hazard and protect life.
Historical Tsunami Data
NOAA posts extensive amounts of data on tsunamis throughout history.
National Data Buoy Center
NDBC provides interactive access to real-time water level data from throughout the world, including from Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis (DART) real-time tsunami monitoring systems.
Tide Data
NOS provides a user friendly interface to access real-time water level information for US coasts.


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Tell a friend about this book...
Friend's Email:
Subject: I have found a book that I think you would enjoy
Dead Reckoning - Sookie Stackhouse, Bk 11
With her knack for being in trouble's way, Sookie witnesses the firebombing of Merlotte's, the bar where she works. Since Sam Merlotte is now known to be two-natured, suspicion falls immediately on the anti-shifters in the area. Sookie suspects otherwise, but her attention is divided when she realizes that her lover Eric Northman and his... more »


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He was 14 when he rode his bike to a shop on Linglestown Road and bought his first cigarette.
Keith Kepler was hooked. He smoked for the next four decades.
That all changed late in December when Kepler, by accident, walked into a store that sold electronic cigarettes. That was the last time he had a cigarette.
"Vaping has changed my life so much for the better," Kepler said. "I smoked for 43 years, and I will never smoke another cigarette. This is a great viable and enjoyable alternative to killing yourself with cigarettes, and you still get your nicotine in a lot better flavor."
Millions of former smokers have embraced e-cigarettes as an alternative to smoking. The battery-powered devices heat up a flavored liquid to deliver nicotine without any of the tobacco and chemicals of cigarettes, emitting a vapor instead of secondhand smoke.
Since they arrived on the market in 2009, along with millions of converts, e-cigarettes have generated scrutiny and concern that they are not as benign and safe as they are made out to be. Fueled by those concerns, lawmakers and health and substance abuse experts are increasingly calling for stricter state and federal regulation of the devices.
E-cigarette converts such as Kepler, meanwhile, can't help singing the praises of a device that, he says, has had a profound impact in every aspect of his life. He is even investing money in it and opening up his own vaping shop.
"I feel so strongly about how positively it has affected my life and made it better," Kepler said. "It was given to me and has changed my life so much in a positive way, I want to share it with people. I want to say you don't have to stick those horrible things in your body."
Neither Pennsylvania nor Washington have passed legislation to regulate the sale and public use of e-cigarettes, and what ordinances there are from one jurisdiction to another, have been passed at the local level.
Kepler said most e-cigarette users abide by self-imposed and common sense decisions.
"You gotta use your head," he said. "I would not go into restaurant and vape at the table. It gives too many people that like to pick things apart ammunition. Anyone who wants to walk into a PTA meeting and start vaping ... somebody has to talk to them about their sense of judgment."
Kepler finds that most people misunderstand e-cigarettes. The majority, he said, are under the impression that what he is expelling from his lungs is secondhand smoke. It's a water vapor produced from a flavored liquid laced with nicotine.
"The air freshener you use at home is more harmful for you than what's in vaping," Kepler said.
To date no medical studies have drawn conclusive findings as to the potential risks of e-cigarettes.
Kepler won't use his vaping devices in front of his grandchildren, or in some public places, like a public bus, but he did recently turn one on at a Costco.
"Nobody said a word to me," he said. "You gotta use your head."
Kepler favors what he calls common sense legislation to regulate e-cigarettes, which currently fall under no state nor federal law.
The Food and Drug Administration, which has yet to issue regulation on e-cigarettes, is being urged by lawmakers to impose restrictions for the sale and public use of e-cigarettes.
Kepler supports a state Senate bill that would restrict the sale of e-cigarettes to people 18 and older. Senate Bill 1055, sponsored by Sen. Timothy Solaby, a Democrat from western Pennsylvania, is pending approval from the chamber before it moves on to the state House.
Solaby said he's heard from a number of manufacturers who support the bill.
"I don't think they were initially targeting kids but unfortunately kids have become mesmerized by this and have started using it," he said.
On the other hand, Kepler is opposed to legislation that would impose taxes and any restrictions that would discourage adult smokers from trying them.
"I don't want to see legislation that scares people away from it," Kepler said. "Smoking is bad. There's no two ways about it. I did it for 43 years.
"I have so much more energy. I sleep better. I'm able to do my duties better. I want to see as many people as possible have the opportunity to experience this and not get scared away because somebody uninformed about product says they are smoking in public place. No, they are not."
Kepler admits he's addicted to the mild stimulant in cigarettes and e-cigarettes. "Yes, I need nicotine, just like I need my caffeine in the morning," he said.
He has no intention of going back to smoking. Back in December, when he picked up his first e-cigarette, he gave away his pack of cigarettes.
"My wife still has a half a pack that she is going to keep as memorabilia," he said.