text:
Volume II
Minnesota Division of School Choice and Innovation
What's New
OII awards State Charter School Facilities grants; OII sponsors a symposium on implementing school choice; 50 private and 6 charter schools named NCLB Blue Ribbon Schools; the Education Commission of the States issues policy papers on charter schools and NCLB; Fordham Institute reports that public school teachers send their children to private schools; Broad Foundation awards the 2004 Prize for Urban Education; U.S. News publishes the Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Teacher; PBS broadcasts the performance of 20 Presidential Scholars in the Arts; and teachers provide guidance in the Boston Globe's "Ask the Teacher" column.
Innovations in the News
New report says New York City charter schools act as seeds of change, plus information on magnet schools, closing the achievement gap, supplemental educational services, and Transition to Teaching.
Minnesota Division of School Choice and Innovation Unites Promising Reforms
The American pioneer spirit means going where no one else has gone before and inventing new things with a fierce sense of independence and self-reliance. Minnesota has fostered this spirit in education, and it is embodied in the state's new Division of School Choice and Innovation.
In 1988, Minnesota was the first state to develop a state-coordinated public school choice program. This statewide program built upon the choice program started in 1985 that afforded high school juniors and seniors, in both public and nonpublic schools, to enroll in colleges and universities using elementary and secondary state funds to pay the tuition.
Minnesota was also the first state to enact a charter school law (in 1991), and the first charter school in the nation was started in Minnesota. In addition, the state passed an education tax credit and deduction law in 1997 to help parents meet the cost of sending their child to private school.
Today, nearly 30 percent of all Minnesota K-12 public school students participate in one of the state's many public school choice options. About 11 percent of K-12 students (including those in home schools) are enrolled in nonpublic education and receive assistance in shouldering costs through the state's education tax credit and deduction program. Last school year, about 575 nonpublic schools (not counting home schools) served 90,000 children.
With so many choices available, research by the Center for School Change at the University of Minnesota showed that choice efforts needed to be better coordinated across the state. Governor Tim Pawlenty and Cheri Yecke, then-Commissioner of Education, reorganized the State Department of Education in early 2003, and the Division of School Choice and Innovation was born.
Led by Morgan Brown and a staff of 20, the division aims to better leverage or utilize the state's existing innovative programs to align with the goals of The No Child Left Behind Act. To do this, the division works toward three objectives:
- to use choice to close the achievement gap;
- to establish more consistent quality across educational choices; and
- to increase access to choices, particularly for disadvantaged families.
Additionally, the division is responsible for three federal grants from the Office of Innovation and Improvement: a charter school grant, a state charter school facilities incentive grant (see "What's New"), and a voluntary public school choice grant.
The division was established to mirror, at the state level, the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Innovation and Improvement by facilitating research and development of promising innovations within the state. To do this, the division is charged with identifying successful programs and building bridges among schools to share practices that appear to help close the achievement gap. To date, the office has brought all the state's choice programs under one roof and has conducted energetic outreach for these programs. The office has also worked collaboratively with Education Evolving—a Minnesota think tank—and others to develop a resource guide for charter school sponsors. PDF (1MB)
To carry out its programs, the Division of School Choice and Innovation coordinates with other parts of the Minnesota Department of Education and community organizations to provide information and technical assistance to schools and the public about the school choice options in Minnesota. For example, multiple sample letters about choice for school districts to use to inform parents about schools in need of improvement are available on the state department of education's website. The letters are written in seven languages: English, Spanish, Hmong, Lao, Russian, Somali, and Vietnamese.
Sample letters that school districts can use to inform parents about their right to access supplemental educational services are also available online. Supplemental educational services are the free tutoring and other extra academic help available to low-income students who attend a Title I school identified as in need of improvement for two years or more . The Division of School Choice and Innovation coordinates the process of approving and maintaining a list of supplemental services providers, and oversees the monitoring of these providers. Currently, 43 providers are approved to serve the state, including several providers that can serve the Spanish, Hmong, and Somali Communities.
Much like the Office of Non-Public Education in the Office of Innovation and Improvement, the office also provides information about private education. "Nonpublic School Choice" is provided as an option on the State Department of Education's website menu. This menu item lists nonpublic school accrediting agencies and policies affecting Minnesota nonpublic schools. The website also gives the roster and meeting schedule of the Nonpublic Education Council, which is composed of leaders from nonpublic schools (including home schools) who make recommendations to Minnesota's Department of Education.
Where does Minnesota stand after almost 20 years of school choice? Although school choice does not necessarily account for all education success in Minnesota, according to the 2002 Center for School Change report on choice in the state, "Minnesota's public school choice plans have produced many benefits for participating students, as well as for the overall public education system."
The pupil-to-teacher ratio is 16 to 1—the same as the national average, but lower than California's, for example, which is about a 20 to 1 ratio. Per pupil expenditure is about $7,645, which is close to the national average, but much lower than New Jersey's, for example, which is about $11,800. On the 2003 eighth grade National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in math, 44 percent of students were at or above the proficient level, compared to the national average of 27 percent. The average 2004 ACT composite score for Minnesota students was 22.2, compared with 20.9 nationwide, and 66 percent of students took the ACT in 2004.
Research has shown that Minnesota parents are very satisfied with the state's choice program. The new office will support and build on that satisfaction. According to Morgan Brown, "By making students and their families our primary customers and by working collaboratively with charter school resource organizations on such issues as authorizing, accountability, and facilities, for example, our office and the State Department of Education as a whole have improved our assistance to the rapidly growing number of public charter schools in Minnesota. We have also extended outreach to customers about the many other choice options, as well."
- Minnesota Department of Education School Choice
- Overview of Minnesota School Choice
- Center for School Change Study of Minnesota's Public School Choice Programs PDF (283K)
- Public School Choice and Supplemental Educational Services
- Charter Schools Grant Program
- State Charter School Facilities Incentive Grant Program
- Voluntary Public School Grant Program
What's New
OII Awards State Charter School Facilities Incentives Grants
OII has awarded grants to the Minnesota Department of Education, the California School Finance Authority, the Utah State Office of Education, and DC Public Schools under the State Charter School Facilities Incentives program. The grants support payments to charter schools to finance school facilities on a per-pupil basis. (Sept. 21)
Innovations in Education Symposium
OII will sponsor a symposium for school districts to learn about the strategies and practices in the Innovations in Education books on Successful District School Choice Programs (published May 2004) and Successful Magnet School Programs (forthcoming), November 8-9. WestEd and Edvance will conduct this informational session in Phoenix, AZ. Applications are due by Oct. 6 to Nikola Filby at WestEd or fax to 415-512-2024. (Sept. 27)
2004 No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Schools
Fifty private schools and six charter schools (Ralph A. Gates, CA; Jacoby Creek, CA; Summit Middle, CO; Princeton Charter, NJ; Laboratory Charter School of Communications and Languages, PA; and Jefferson, Stevens Point, WI) are among the approximately 250 winners of the 2004 No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Schools recognition. Gates is also featured in OII's Successful Charter Schools book. The purpose of the Blue Ribbon Schools Program is to recognize schools that have made progress in closing the achievement gap or whose students achieve at high levels. (Sept. 17)
Education Commission of the States' Policy Papers on Charter Schools and NCLB
The Education Commission of the States has issued a pair of policy papers on charter schools and No Child Left Behind. The papers recommend that states increase the supply of high-quality charter schools and convert schools in need of improvement to charter status. (Sept. 21)
Report From the Thomas B. Fordham Institute
A new Thomas B. Fordham Institute report PDF (57K) says that urban public school teachers are more likely than either urban households or the general public to send their children to private schools. (Sept. 7)
2004 Broad Prize for Urban Education
The Broad Foundation has announced the winner of the 2004 Broad Prize for Urban Education: Garden Grove Unified School District (CA), which was awarded $500,000 for college scholarships. Four other finalists were awarded $125,000 each. The four finalists have also received at least one OII grant: Aldine Independent School District (TX), Arts Model; Boston Public Schools, Teaching American History; Charlotte-Mecklenburg, Magnet Schools; and Norfolk Public Schools, Technology Innovation. The Broad prizes recognize successful efforts to close achievement gaps. (Sept. 21)
Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Teacher
Ben Wildavsky and the staff of U.S. News and World Report have released the Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Teacher, which gives the nuts and bolts of entering the teaching profession for recent college graduates and others interested in pursuing teaching. It also provides information on individual education schools, and includes a chapter on alternate routes to certification. (Sept. 22) (available for sale)
PBS Broadcasts Performance of Presidential Scholars in the Arts
Twenty Presidential Scholars in the Arts appeared at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, during Arts Week. The performance of these high school seniors recently aired on PBS (Sept. 22)
Boston Globe's "Ask The Teacher Column"
Teachers provide guidance to parents in the Boston Globe's "Ask the Teacher " column, which was launched in May. Ellen Peterson, a fourth-grade teacher in Weymouth, MA offers some direction based on what she learned at the Boston Writing Project Summer Institute at the University of Massachusetts at Boston several years ago. [More-Boston.com] (Sept. 5)
Innovations in the News
Charter Schools
A new report on New York City charter schools from the Progressive Policy Institute says, "Beyond improving student learning in individual schools, New York City charter schools act as 'seeds of change' for the entire school system in a variety of ways..." [More-Boston.Com News] (Sept. 21)
New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein has announced plans to enlist a nonprofit organization, Civic Builders, to develop new homes for charter schools. A portion of the costs will come from the school system, with the remaining money coming from private donations and bank loans. [More-New York Daily News] (Sept. 23)
The Thomas B. Fordham Foundation is the first nonprofit organization in Ohio to gain approval from the Ohio Department of Education to sponsor charter schools. [More-Dayton Daily News] (Sept. 13)
Magnet Schools
Two OII magnet school grants to Longview and Victoria Independent School Districts in Texas will have an impact on students, education professionals, and the community. [More-News-Journal] (Sept. 12)
Closing the Achievement Gap
About 30 public and private boarding schools around the country specifically cater to low-income children to bolster their academic achievement. Proponents say students are thriving under the round-the- clock supervision. [More-Washington Post] (Sept. 21)
Supplemental Educational Services
Some Washington, DC area school districts will begin to compete with private tutoring companies this fall, offering supplemental educational services (after-school instruction) to low-income students with money provided by the U.S. Department of Education. [More-Washington Post] (Sept. 21)
Transition to Teaching
The University of Louisiana in Monroe recently received a $2 million grant for its "Louisiana Transition to Teaching" program, which has the goal of increasing the number of certified teachers in classrooms, particularly in hard-to-fill rural schools. [More-Advertiser] (Sept. 20)
To help relieve the state's teacher shortage, as well as to make it easier for talented individuals to enter the field, Kansas adopted the Transition to Teaching program. The program offers restricted certification, and participants have three years to complete required courses. [More-Tonganoxie Mirror] (Sept. 15)
North Carolina Central University has been awarded a $2.1 million dollar Transition to Teaching grant to attract aspiring teachers to high-need areas, particularly Vance and Warren Counties. Each year, 25 aspiring teachers will begin a two-and-a-half year "distance learning" program of face-to-face, Internet, and teleconferencing interaction with the ultimate goal of earning teaching certificates. [More-Sun Herald] (Sept. 16)
Last Modified: 01/25/2008


text:
Home List of Titles Abundance and ecophysiology of Defluviicoccus spp., glycogen-accumulating organisms in full-scale wastewater treatment processes
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/232594
- Title
- Abundance and ecophysiology of Defluviicoccus spp., glycogen-accumulating organisms in full-scale wastewater treatment processes
- Author(s)
- Burow, Luke C.; Kong, Yunhong; Nielsen, Jeppe L.; Blackall, Linda L.; Nielsen, Per H.
- Abstract
- The activity of glycogen-accumulating organisms (GAOs) in enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) wastewater treatment plants has been proposed as one cause of deterioration of EBPR. Putative GAOs from the Alphaproteobacteria, Defluviicoccus spp. (including D, vanus), were studied in full-scale EBPR plants to determine their distribution, abundance and ecophysiology. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) demonstrated that Defluviicoccus spp. were generally low in abundance; however, in one plant surveyed, Cluster 2 Defluviicoccus constituted 9 percent of all Bacteria. FISH combined with microautoradiography revealed that both Cluster 1 and Cluster 2 Defluviicoccus were capable of taking up a narrow range of substrates including acetate, propionate, pyruvate and glucose under anaerobic and aerobic conditions. Formate, butyrate, ethanol and several other substrates were not taken up. Cluster 2 Defluviicoccus demonstrated a phenotype consistent with the current metabolic model for GAOs - anaerobic assimilation of acetate and reduction to polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) using the glycolytic pathway, and aerobic consumption of PHA. Polyphosphate-accumulating organisms (PAOs, 'Candidatus Accumulibacter phosphatis') and other putative GAOs ('Candidatus Competibacter phosphatis') co-existed in two plants with Cluster 2 Defluviicoccus, but in both plants, the latter organisms were more abundart. Thus Cluster 2 Defluviicoccus can be relatively abundant and could be carbon competitors of PAOs and other GAOs in EBPR plants.
- Publication type
- Journal article
- Source
- Microbiology, Vol. 153, no. 1 (Jan 2007), pp. 178-185
- Publication year
- 2007
- Keyword(s)
- Acetates; Alphaproteobacteria; Biodegradation; Butyric acid; Defluviicoccus; EBPR; Ecophysiology; Enhanced biological phosphorus removal; Fluorescence in situ hybridisation; Glucose; Glycogen accumulating organisms; Phosphorus; Polyhydroxyalkanoic acid; Polyphosphates; Propionic acid; Pyruvic acid; Sewage; Substrate specificity
- Publisher
- Society for General Microbiology
- 1350-0872
- Publisher URL
- Copyright
- Copyright © 2007 SGM.
- Peer reviewed

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Editor's note: This is the second in a series of article on Pluggable Authentication Modules. In part one, Jennifer introduced PAM and showed how to get started. In this article, she walks us through some of the more useful modules.
Traditional user authentication is programmed directly into applications. Using PAM (Pluggable Authentication Modules), applications can be developed with a PAM interface, and the system administrator can choose any number of PAM modules to do authentication and other tasks.
PAM was designed for authentication, and it remains the most common function of PAM modules. Programmers being programmers, there are now PAM modules to do much more than authentication. A variety of security tasks can be done through modules, and there are utilities for session management.
pam_cracklib.so should be used in most systems that are connected to a network.
pam_env.so is an easily underestimated module that allows the system administrator to adjust the user environment.
pam_cracklib.so checks passwords for strength and security.
pam_cracklib.so in the
password section of a PAM configuration file. The module uses the
libcrack code to test whether the password is easily cracked, then runs additional tests against the old password and against system administrator determined parameters.
pam_cracklib.so relies on
/usr/lib/cracklib_dict, and has only a
password component.
As well as the
libcrack tests,
pam_cracklib.so checks whether the new password is the old password with a change of case, whether it is a palindrome of the old password, whether it satisfies the
difok argument, whether it passes the minimum length check, whether it's been recently used, and whether it's a simple rotation of the old password.
difok = N
minlen = N
md5 passwords, a longer password is recommended.
lcredit and
# /etc/pam.d/example
password required pam_cracklib.so minlen=15 ocredit=2
password required pam_unix.so use_authtok md5
pam_env.so allows you to set or unset environment variables using strings, existing variables, or PAM items.
The settings for this module are in
/etc/security/pam_env.conf (though the argument
conffile can override this). Syntax for this file is:
VARIABLE DEFAULT=value OVERRIDE=value
What is your favorite thing about Pluggable Authentication Modules?
Previously in this series:
Introduction to PAM -- Pluggable Authentication Modules provide a solution to the difficulties of user authentication. Jennifer Vesperman introduces PAM and helps you get started.
The default settings are used if the override settings are not available. Environment variables can be referred to using
${variable}, and PAM items using
Valid PAM items for use with
/etc/security/pam_env.conf are:
PAM_RUSER, and
PAM_RHOST. If
pam_env.so is used on login, the
${USER} environment variable is not yet set. Use
@{PAM_USER} instead.
readenv argument toggles whether
pam_env.so reads the environment file,
/etc/environment, by default. The
envfile argument allows you to use a different environment file. This file uses
KEY=VALUE syntax to set the values of environment variables.
pam_env.so module has only an
auth component.
One use of
pam_env.so is setting per-user environment variables. Setting
$TMP and
$TMPDIR variables for each user can provide security -- well-behaved programs will use the per-user temporary directories, which you can lock away from other users. (
$TMP and
$TMPDIR both refer to the temporary directories, the name of the variable was standardized late.)
# /etc/pam.d/login
# (This is a fairly minimal 'login' configuration)
auth requisite pam_securetty.so
auth requisite pam_nologin.so
auth required pam_env.so
auth required pam_unix.so nullok
account required pam_unix.so
session required pam_unix.so
password required pam_cracklib.so retry=3 minlen=6
password required pam_unix.so use_authtok nullok obscure
# /etc/security/pam_env.conf
# Set temp directories.
TMP DEFAULT=/tmp OVERRIDE=/tmp/@{PAM_USER}
TMPDIR DEFAULT=/tmp OVERRIDE=/tmp/@{PAM_USER}
# /etc/profile
# Create the temp directories if they don't exist.
# NOTE: this code doesn't test that they belong
# to the user!
test -d $TMP || mkdir $TMP
test -d $TMPDIR || mkdir $TMPDIR
The most common modules provide some form of user authentication, or modify user authentication in some way.
This module enables FTP-style anonymous login. If the user name is "ftp" or "anonymous", it allows automatic access and parses the password as an email address for logging. It only has an
auth component.
Parameters include users, which provides additional login names for anonymous login, and ignore, which ignores the email address/password.
pam_krb4.so interfaces with Kerberos authentication. It has
session, and
password components. It relies on Kerberos include files, and on
libcom_err, and
auth component requests a ticket-granting ticket from the Kerberos server, uses it to attempt to retrieve a local host key, and verifies it with the local key file (if the file exists). It provides a ticket file for later use, and deletes that on logout.
password component uses the old password to request a session key for the Kerberos password changer, and uses the key to send the new password.
session component deletes the Kerberos ticket on logout. (This is redundant with the
auth component.)
This module does standard Unix password authentication and session management, performing the same functions as the
pam_unix.so module described in Introduction to PAM.
pam_pwdb.so uses the password database library --
libpwdb -- instead of the traditional Unix password libraries.
libpwdb library implements configurable authentication, using
/etc/shadow, and network authentication tools like NIS and RADIUS.
pam_pwdb.so has all four components, and the same arguments as
pam_radius.so connects PAM to Radius authentication/accounting servers for accounting (but not authentication) purposes. It only has a
session component.
pam_radius.so should be used as the last
required session module for the application it authenticates. This module requires
/etc/raddb/server and
/etc/raddb/dictionary, and expects
The modules in this section limit, control or adjust access to the calling applications.
This module controls access by user name, host name, domain names, IP addresses, and terminal lines. It is configured in
/etc/security/access.conf. This module only has an
account component. It is recommended for use on NIS machines and other servers where accounts need to exist, but do not have login capability.
This module enables root to be locked out of any
tty but the one in
/etc/securetty -- usually console. The application using this module must correctly set the PAM item
PAM_TTY. This module only has an
auth component, and should be one of the
required modules, before any
sufficient modules.
pam_time.so allows access restrictions by time. Restriction options include day of the week, time of day, user, service, and
tty. Configure this module in
/etc/security/time.conf. It only has an
account component.
This module is intended for use with the
su program. It restricts access to the superuser account to the
wheel group, or to group ID "0" (if there is no
wheel group). It only has an
auth component. Wheel is the traditional name for the group authorized to
su to root.
PAM_SUCCESS, which allows
su without passwords, instead of
PAM_IGNORE. This has obvious security implications.
uid of a program, rather than of the user.
These are modules that don't affect security, but which make life easier or better for the user or the system administrator.
This module allows the administrator to set resource limits on users. It relies on
libpwdb, and on kernel support for resource limits. It should be used as a
required session module.
pam_limits.so is configured in
/etc/security/limits.conf. The first entry which matches the user is the one which will apply to that user. The syntax is:
domain type item value
Term expansion:
* -- all
- -- both
fsize -- filesize
memlock -- max locked memory address space
nofile -- open files
rss -- resident set size
nproc -- number of processes
as -- address space
pam_mail.so provides the "you have new mail" service to the user. It has both
session and
auth components, and should be treated as an
optional module. Arguments include
dir=[directory] (for the mail directory), and
quiet (only report if there is new mail, don't report the absence of mail or old mail).
This module creates home directories on the fly for authenticated users, and is particularly useful for batch addition of users.
pam_mkhomedir.so requires the arguments '
skel=[directory]', for a skeleton home directory, and '
umask=[octal mask]'.
Linux Network Administrator's Guide, 2nd Edition
PAM modules provide flexibility in authentication and session management. See the further reading section, or the PAM manuals on your system, for more information on the modules.
PAM is built into many Linux distributions, including Caldera 1.3, 2.2 and later; Debian 2.2 and later; Turbo Linux 3.6 and later; Red Hat 5.0 and later; and SuSE 6.2 (partial support). FreeBSD supports PAM from version 3.1.
If your system is one of the ones which has built in PAM, you are probably already using many PAM modules. Examine
/etc/pam.d or
/etc/pam.conf for details of what your system is already doing with PAM.
Jennifer Vesperman is the author of Essential CVS. She writes for the O'Reilly Network, the Linux Documentation Project, and occasionally Linux.Com.
Return to the Linux DevCenter.
Copyright © 2009 O'Reilly Media, Inc.


text:
Compare free quotes from Lighting Installation professionals now
Lighting Installation professionals in Fairford
Find Lighting Installation professionals in Fairford, Gloucestershire and get free Lighting Installation quotes fast. Whatever your requirement Bark will find and contact the best local professionals for you. Chose Bark: Fast. Easy. Free.
Lighting Installation professionals in Fairford ready to help
KZ PCSCertificate of Excellence 2015
KZ PCS is a professional company and our clients can be assured of an efficient, integrated and professional service at every stage of the project - from inception and planning through to completion. All work and materials are fully guaranteed. On any stage of the project you have one KZPCS Team instead of many uncontrollable subcontractors. On a daily basis our client receives updates of the project's progress. With years of experience we are committed to deliver a top quality product and service, carrying out a wide variety of work from small domestic projects to larger commercial undertakings. Our team of friendly hard working builders take the job seriously and handle with care. We aim to give you the best possible product with our promise that every project goes as smoothly and stress-free as possible, no matter the size. We are happy to provide you with a free quote and professional advice. Call us today.
Andy Evans
lighting design, installation, programing, AV and build for Retail, Theatre , Corporate , Entertainment and Architectural environments
CK Kitchens
CK Kitchens have extensive experience providing bespoke kitchens to private and commercial clients nationwide. We provide cost effective, durable kitchens in a vast range of contemporary and traditional designs from the most respected manufacturers in the country, which we make effortlessly available to you and your clients via our head office in Cheltenham. We provide:- A made to measure service, so that we fit with the specific requirements of your developments and projects, Free design services Free surveying service (within 30-40 mile radius of Cheltenham) Business promise to beat costs you've received for any kitchen range, like for like – we are typically up to 40% cheaper than other showrooms/suppliers. We use only 18mm thick solid carcasses on the kitchen units supplied, including the back board, for greater strength and durability. Furthermore, all kitchens provided have Blum soft close door and drawer fittings as standard and genuine doors from the most well known manufacturers to ensure exceptional quality. We provide you CAD designs, including 3D views of the proposed projects for approval, and quotes for your designed kitchen all Free Of Charge. Our portfolio includes private and commercial customers, including schools, Developers and individual SME's, who have received excellent consultancy, exceptionally high quality kitchens and discounts from working with us, and all of our customers benefit from our exemplary after sale service. We ensure value for money, high quality components & installation, attention to detail and customer service which is benchmarked against cohort companies. Please have a look at our website to get a flavour of the ranges we can supply:- http://www.ckkitchens.com/ We are always happy to meet with customers to demonstrate our full range of services and discuss project opportunities for which we can offer our services.
RMS Audio Visual
Lighting and Visual specialists in the South West with experience in Corporate Events, Festivals & Venue Refurbishment
Eco Assist
"Bark quickly finds the best professionals for any job - consider it done."
Nick HewerBBC's 'The Apprentice'
How Bark works
Within hours, we'll introduce you to several interested and available Lighting Installation professionals in your area. You'll be able to compare quotes, messages, reviews and profiles. Then when you're ready, hire the right professional.
We have 201 Lighting Installation professionals actively using Bark.com.
We'll reach out to them as well as others, based on your requirements.
Within hours, sometimes minutes, they'll contact you on Bark.
Professionals value their reputation on Bark and strive to do a great job for customers they find on our platform.


text:
News Group Homepage
You need the latest version of the Adobe Flash plugin to view this site.
You need the latest version of the Adobe Flash plugin to view this site.
Salience Insight, the global media evaluation specialist, is acquiring the US operations of CARMA International, the first company to commercialise media content analysis in the United States.
The acquisition brings together two of the recognised leaders in the global media evaluation industry, which sources estimate is worth in excess of US$100 million.
FIBEP, the largest, international association for media intelligence and communications insights has held the FIBEP World Media Intelligence Congress 13-14th March 2014.
The FIBEP World Media Intelligence congress brought together one of the largest gatherings of monitoring, analysis, measurement and PR executives to discuss Integration: Is integration a reality and if so how is this taking shape?
Media Watch "A News Group International Company" has launched a new public website. Media Watch monitors and analyses news, broadcast channels, online and social networks in over 15 languages across the Middle East and North Africa to give clients the data they need, when they need it.
Dubai-based SocialEyez has won a prestigious global award for its social media analysis work for Saudi telecom firm Mobily.Dubai-based SocialEyez has won a prestigious global award for its social media analysis work for Saudi telecom firm Mobily.
The Grand Prix Platinum Award was one of five accolades won by SocialEyez, a global leader in social media analytics and marketing services, at the annual International Communications Effectiveness Awards organized by the Association for Measurement and Effective Communication (AMEC).
Media Watch "A News Group International Company" has launched a modern new website
Salience Insight the global media evaluation specialist (part of News Group International), is acquiring the US operations of CARMA International
The growth in the analysis of social media has been driven by the sheer volume of data it generates
Media evaluation providers should feature more prominently in PR consultancies? social media campaign strategies to help set measurable business objectives
There were fireworks and fanfares in Zagreb when Croatia became the 28th member state of the European Union (EU) on 1 July. The economic and cultural issues surrounding the accession are nuanced
Salience Insight CEO Giselle Bodie predicts that the global market for media evaluation ? approaching US$100m in 2013 according to AMEC* - is facing tough challenges from the massive increase in social media usage.
With more than 500 satellite channels beamed across the Arab world, television stations face an increasingly tough battle for the attention of fickle audiences.
After the "Arab Spring" surprised the world with the power of technology to revolutionize political dissent.
"They are doing everything they can to expand in the region," says Mazen Nahawi, a media executive based in Dubai.
With its focus on the world?s emerging markets, SocialEyez™ has last week launched its operations in Latin America.
Public relations is already big business in the region, worth an estimated $1 billion.
The civil demonstrations being experienced in countries across the region has resulted in a clear increase in demand for media monitoring, Mazen Nahawi.
The Arab world's television advertising industry could be worth US$1 billion a year but the key is how to reach viewers in such a disparate market spread across five time zones.
President Mazen Nahawi of News Group International participates at the Round table for the Barcelona Declaration of Measurement Principles.
Salience Insight CEO Giselle Bodie explains the rationale for the company's acquisition of one of the USA's oldest media evaluation providers...
The measurement of PR activity is becoming less of a mystery due to AMEC's approach and the possibilities of digital data.
"The Dublin Summit has been another triumph for 'amec' and for the industry."
"Social media is a key driver, was game changer in Egypt primarily."
Mazen Nahawi, CEO, SocialEyez™ is interviewed by Diego Dillenberger, host of Argentine TV show.
Social Media use in the region and the services Social Eyez provide to clients worldwide.
Mazen Nahawi, the CEO of News Group, a premier integrated media monitoring company in the Middle East.
CNN Spain interviewed Mr. Mazen Nahawi to understand how social media is touching millions of lives in the Arab world.
The good things are people want to continue that march towards more freedom. They want more accountability.
i - Tech on Alhurra TV discussing the social media in the Middle East and North Africa.
Why the social web is forcing Middle East organisations to listen to their publics.
The Middle East PR Association (MEPRA), held its inaugural event in Doha serving as a foundation for the formation of a local Chapter in Qatar.
MEPRA is moving forward to expand its existence in the Middle East as it welcomed the joining of its first member from the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
FIBEP, the largest, international association for media intelligence and communications insights has held the FIBEP World Media Intelligence Congress 13-14th March 2014
Mazen Nahawi, News Group president was elected president of FIBEP - the world's largest media intelligence organization, during the association's bi-annual congress that was help in Thessaloniki in Greece.
FIBEP, the world's largest media intelligence association, has released its first State of the Industry Survey.
In an important reminder that broadcast remains the pre-eminent medium of communications, FIBEP help a broadcast monitoring and measurement workshop in Brussels.
In the first of a series of workshops, FIBEP held a social media workshop in Brussels. The event was attended by more than 50 people representing a broad segment of FIBEP's membership.
SocialEyez receives top prize at AMEC?s International Communications Effectiveness Awards
"The Dublin Summit has been another triumph for 'amec' and for the industry."
The European Summit has been organised by the International Association for Measurement and Evaluation of Communication (AMEC) in Dublin from 13 - 15th June, 2012.
AMEC today announced the finalists in the 2010 AMEC Communication Effectiveness Awards.
The Global Communication Project is an international project run by 11 universities of 11 countries in 5 continents. The PR students will be in the 2nd or 3rd year of their university studies.
The following report sheds light on GlobCom Symposium for public relations, which was held at Zayed University in Abu Dhabi.
Egypt, Tunisia, Bahrain, Libya, Yemen. The list goes on as unrest spreads in the Arab world. Now, as never before social media is a part of the equation.
?It is the first systematic and objective review of media from the region, and does not include anecdotal information which has been a staple of past reports.?
This special event, featuring media analysts from the Middle East as well as prominent U.S. diplomatic figures and journalists.
Public Relations and communications professionals have agreed to promote the use of PR measurement tools.
Two of the event sponsors were winners in both the categories that were honoured at the third PR Measurement Summit that concluded yesterday in Dubai.
Discussions at the PR Measurement Summit that kicked off yesterday focused on how clients saw public relations and communications at large as a strategic asset.
The PR Measurement Summit will be concluded, organized by News Group International.
Public relations companies in the country will face a litmus test today with the start of PR Measurement Summit in Dubai.
Public affairs professionals and communicators received personal training on measurement best practice, dashboard technology.
The summit, now in its third year, attracts leading public relations and communications experts from around the world.
The effectiveness of Middle East government public relations (PR) and communications programmes will be debated.
Government public relations are not only gaining momentum in the UAE, but have also become an integral part of government communication strategies.


text:
Because Knetbooks knows college students. Our rental program is designed to save you time and money. Whether you need a textbook for a semester, quarter or even a summer session, we have an option for you. Simply select a rental period, enter your information and your book will be on its way!
For use in the Office Applications course or readers that need to get started with Microsoft Office 2013.
Skills for Success is the Microsoft Office 2013 textbook that recognizes how readers learn today!
The Office Skills text that was designed with today's students–and the way today's readers use an Office textbook–in mind.
With Skills for Success , Microsoft Office 2013 is at your fingertips!
Teaching and Learning Experience
This program will provide a better teaching and learning experience—for you and your students. Here's how:
MyITLab is not a self-paced technology and should only be purchased when required by an instructor.


text:
Taking Retirement Withdrawals From a Fund Portfolio
by Charles Rotblut, CFA
Retirees are commonly told they can safely withdraw 4% of their savings, adjusted for inflation, without running out of money.
Often this advice is presented with return data based on stock and bond market indexes. What is sometimes lacking, however, is an example of implementing the withdrawal strategy with a real-world portfolio.
Since I created a hypothetical portfolio for analyzing the effect of rebalancing (discussed in the article "Portfolio Rebalancing: Observations from 25 Years of Data," April 2013 AAII Journal), I have the data to walk through the process and show where potential pitfalls may lie. The portfolios use actual funds that were available to investors over the time period studied, so the results presented should be close to what an investor could have actually realized on a pretax basis during the past 25 years. In other words, rather than relying on theory, these portfolios provide close to a real-world example.
Though I used mutual funds for my analysis, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) could be directly substituted without any significant changes. Investors holding individual stocks and bonds should group their holdings by asset class to follow the examples provided.
In this article
- The Mechanics of Adjusting Withdrawal Rates
- Portfolio Withdrawal Options
- The Funds
- Incorporating Periodic Rebalancing
- The Results
- What About Withdrawing More Than 4%?
Share this article
One change I made from the example shown in my April article was to incorporate an accelerating withdrawal rate. Each year, I increased the percentage withdrawn by the reported Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the year as an inflation adjustment. Factoring in inflation raised the annual withdrawal rate from 4.00% of the portfolio's value at the end of 1988 to 7.65% of the portfolio's value at the end of 2012. The inflation escalator was included since retirees will need to increase the amount of their portfolio withdrawals to cover rising expenses.
The good news is that a person who retired at age 65 in 1988 and turned 90 in 2012 would not have incurred longevity risk—the risk of outliving one's savings—by adhering to the 4% withdrawal rate over that time period. This was the case even though AAII's moderate portfolio allocation model, which uses a 70% allocation to stocks, was followed. The bad news is that the dollar size of the annual withdrawals did not increase every year and, if rebalancing is not employed, the allocation shifts to nearly 90% domestic stocks after 25 years.
The Mechanics of Adjusting Withdrawal Rates
The 4% rule recommends investors base their retirement withdrawal rates on the value of their portfolio at the start of retirement. In the analysis used for this article, the starting portfolio value is $100,000. I chose this number for its ease of calculation and analysis. It can easily be scaled upward or downward. Plus, any cumulative dollar changes can be quickly estimated through simple multiplication. (A $1 million portfolio would have had dollar amounts that were 10 times larger than the amounts shown in this article.)
To read more, please become an AAII Registered User or CLICK HERE.
Tony Mack from MA posted over 3 years ago:
Unless you are very wealthy, living on a 4% withdrawal plus $30K SS is not possible for a couple. With $1MM portfolio, that gives you $70,000 to live on prior to taxes. In this environment, a middle class couple needs $80,000 after taxes, or at least $100,000 prior to taxes. With a $1MM portfolio, that means a 7% to 8% withdrawal rate Sure,you can take 4% and live like you did when you were 22 and poor, but strong and an optimist. Not so when you are 70.
John from Florida posted over 3 years ago:
I would really like to see the results if a retirement of 1999 is assumed with a portfolio of $100,000. Am I still alive? Barely?
hmarrett from ny posted over 3 years ago:
It is clear that stock prices increase to adjust for inflation. If so, as it must be, just keep the 4% withdrawal rate without the CPI adjustment. On good years you eat steak on bad years canned tuna. You will not run out of money.
BRM from Loading...Wisconsin posted over 3 years ago:
Are the calculations in the article correct?
I thought the rule-of-thumb was that the amount (not the rate) of the first year withdrawal should be adjusted for inflation so that the withdrawal is always a fixed value in real terms (4000 current year dollars every year into the future).
Also 4.0% is quite sporty if you plan 40 years of withdrawals which is not unreasonable for a healthy 65 year old couple and future medical capabilities. Closer to 3.0% would be safer as would adjusting the amount of withdrawal on a yearly basis as a function of market performance.
Ed from WA posted over 3 years ago:
My understanding of the 4% rule is the same as BRM's. The amount of the initial withdrawl is increased each year for the rate of inflation. A retiree would therfore have an expectation that his standard of living would not decrease. The variation of the 4% rule presented in this article is not appropriate for most retirees. The variation in the amount withdrawn from year to year is too great.
Charles Rotblut from IL posted over 3 years ago:
I can rerun the numbers assuming the initial withdrawal amount is increased for inflation, instead of withdrawal rate, if there is interest. It may take a couple of weeks before I get to it, however.
Dave Gilmer from WA posted over 3 years ago:
Why not go to a 3 fund portfolio in 1993 by using VTSMX?
Would this be about the same allocation?
JDB from CT posted over 3 years ago:
Charles…I'd be interested to see this same calculation run using a dollar amount rather than a percentage .
John from Florida posted over 3 years ago:
Using the raw data from Table 2 total portfolio value if I retire in 2000 with $100000 by 2012 my portfolio value is $87025 and I'm eating tuna. My concern is that this exercise started in 1988 which was the start of a great bull market. If the numbers are run starting in 2000 which was the start of a bear market the end result is quite different. I don't have Charles spreadsheet so I can't see exactly where he rebalanced his portfolio but I don't think this approach is viable in a bear market but I would like to see further discussion.
Roundup from WA posted over 3 years ago:
This is a great practical article and a good follow up to the reallocation article. However, I too understand the 4% rule of thumb to call for increasing the initial withdrawal $ amount by the rate of inflation, not the %. It makes a big difference. The total withdrawal in Table 2 is $300,699. Increasing the initial $4,000 by a hypothetical 2% rate of inflation each year gives a total withdrawal of around $128,121. I would appreciate seeing a rerun of the numbers as Charles indicated.
AB from MA posted over 3 years ago:
Your article doesn't mention the MRD dictated by the IRS. It makes limiting a yearly distribution impossible without a large penalty. Using the IRS tables in Publication 590, which vary according to your circumstances, you quickly exceed a 4% MRD and the percent MRD withdrawal rates keep climbing from there.
Harry from OH posted over 3 years ago:
The best strategy for drawing down varies dramatically with the individual's situation. I've spent some time with a retirement planning tool and found that none of the suggested rules of thumb actually matches my retirement situation, and I will need to go by an indexed after-tax expenditure.
What I have found really important is to manage my essential expenses. In my case I have ben able to get the projected expenses within my projected lifetime income, leaving the portfolio to cover good times, in the form of discretionary expenses, and catastrophes.
rdv from Florida posted over 3 years ago:
Too Charles:
Please do rerun the numbers with the withdrawal rate adjusted for inflation only, rather than pegged to portfolio value.
Optimistically, that would show that the good years contribute sufficiently to sustain a steady withdrawal rate through drastic market declines. Giving up a third of the yearly withdrawal, as in 2008 (and still not fully recovered, per Tables 2 & 3) is more than most retirees can absorb.
It would also be good to see how more conservative portfolios would fare: a 50/50 and, if possible, a reversed 30% stocks/70% bonds. It would suffice to run these as pro-rata/rebalanced versions only.
rdv from Florida posted over 3 years ago:
PS to Charles,
In hope of improving the chance of seeing it done, I'll simplify my conservative portfolio request to a single 40/60 stock/bond allocation.
It should provide valuable perspective alongside the more aggressive allocation. Funds could be limited to Vanguard Total Stock Market (30%), Total International Stock (10%), and Total Bond (60%) or similar combination.
Thanks. Appreciate the article and the work.
dch from Colorado posted over 3 years ago:
As noted by the second post above from MA, it's all in the start date chosen. Since you picked Jan 1,1988, just about any reasonable combination of withdrawal rate and inflation adjustment you select will show world-class results. Fewer than 10 weeks earlier the market lost 22% in one day to a level not seen since, and the Fed opened the money firehose forcing Treasury bond prices up so fast that the futures market was lock-limit for about a week. Berkshire Hathaway A shares, for example, traded at $3500 back then.
I'd love to see the analysis rerun beginning from a market peak, say in the late 1960s or early 2000s.
David Levine from NC posted over 3 years ago:
Just my two cents. I agree that the percent is applied to the withdrawal not to the porfolio; the start year is critical, try 1965.
My observation has been that my retired friends all got out of the market in 2002 and 2008 after suffering thirty to fifty percent drops in their porfolios only to return to the market after it recovered. As far as MRD is concerned, this is only a problem with folks who have most of their ivestable income in IRAs. I myself live quite happily on a three percent withdrawal rate which will support me in perpetuity, though my body will not last quite that long. Folks need to remember a million dollars or even a few million is not what it once was. Enjoy your life.
sky from wy posted over 3 years ago:
dch, I think you would find that most of us working folks rely on our 401k or IRA to be our retirement income other than Social Security. The pension plans were taken away long ago for most of us and the expenses of raising a family took care of any extra non IRA/401k funds we might have had. If you are in the upper income level then it if fine to think about other income....but for most i believe that is not the case.
Also the example really needs to focus on the higher of either the 4% or RMD under an IRA. The latter is what most of us are facing and trying to plan for.
Jas from In posted over 3 years ago:
Recently I have read an article about the withdrawal rate. The article suggest that first five years of the retirement withdraw 6% rate. After 70 reduce witdrawal rate to 4% of the portfolio value.
I have calculated total dollar amount of withdrawal using this metod against the 4% rule and discovered that total dollar value spent during 25 years(age 90) were insignificant considering the age.
Their assumption is that during the early years of retirement cost of travelling or any activity will be higher than when you are unable to spend money when you are in mid 80's. According to 4% rule in mid 80's the witdrawal rate is siginficantly higher while sending decreases. I assume in both of these methods unusal health cost is not included.
I find this reasearch article very interesting which also sugeest witdrawal rate during bad market. Try your own individual situation and may give you new perspective.
Jamal Karerat from India posted over 3 years ago:
Great study, and it will be useful as a starting point for implementing a practical withdrawal strategy after RMD implications are factored in. However, like others have pointed out, to be consistent with the classic 4% rule, the results need to be updated by appying inflation increment on the withdrawal amount.
Hope to see a revised version soon.
Edward Curtis from FL posted over 3 years ago:
Whatever the 4% rule is, the calculations should be made by adjusting requirements from year to year, both up and down. Certain elements of requirements, such as medical costs need to be adjusted by inflation plus a couple of points or even more. Others, like food and clothing should track inflation directly. Some expenses, such as mortgage payments may be flat and go to zero at payoff and still others, like travel and entertainment will undoubtedly go down. I have a rolling spreadsheet that forcasts individual future expenses based on current year actual data with an eye to historical trends and onetime expenditures. The individual components are automatically escalated as described above. Forecasting future market performance and inflation rates are a judgement call so I use a number of patterns based on history to produce an "envelope" of results within which I can expect to live.
I would very much like to see this methodology applied retroactively to a variety of 20 year actual patterns of security performance and corresponding inflation rates to create an evelope of results. This could be displayed as a collection of graphical patterns of portfolio value over time.
This is a great series of articles you have initiated and I urge that you continue.
Best regards from Ed in Maine and Florida.
Dave Gilmer from WA posted over 3 years ago:
I think you need to read a Morningstar article by Christine on "Clearing up confusion on the 4% Rule."
Clearly there are people who use the 4% rule on your portfolio value every year, as you indicate in this article, but this is not the classic definition, because it does NOT adjust your withdrawal DOLLARS for inflation. It is of course almost impossible to run out of money even taking 10% of your portfolio every year because you never actually run out of money - unless of course your balance gets below a nickel.
The rule starts by finding a dollar amount the first year and then adjusting the dollar amount up without regard to how much money you have left. Following the rule correctly of course means you can more easily run out of money!
Dave Gilmer from WA posted over 3 years ago:
As a matter of fact I ran a quick excel spreadsheet on a 10% withdrawal each year from a portfolio starting at $100,000 with a zero rate of return on the portfolio (just simple math.) After 100 years I still had $3 left, but it sure wasn't much to live off of for the last 85 years of so of the simulation.
This is why the article is not really very valuable as written and should be re-done with the proper formula, if it is to be useful.
johninreno from Nevada posted over 3 years ago:
I agree with HLM, "just keep the 4% withdrawal rate without the CPI adjustment".
It makes no sense to base your retirement on an arbitrary calculation(4%) and then compound the arbitrariness by annual adjustments using a politically-driven calculation(CPI).
The 4% rate has worked well for me since 2000 in spite of the 30% decline in 2008. When investment returns are greater than 4%, then the next years $amount goes up accordingly. In bad years, the $amount goes down. I don't know anyone who has reached retirement age without a major disruption to their income. We can deal with it.
Keep in mind that the withdrawal should be considered after tax or "take home pay". There is no correlation between the amount you withdraw and your income for tax purposes.


text:
Hello all !
I am a new mommy to a 3 almost 4 mth old son. I exclusively bf him and getting ready to almost feeding him his first solid ... We are super excited... But i am confused on how much to mix in the rice cereal with bf ...the doc rushed me out before i had an time to think of what to ask about it .like how much , how many feedings should i switch out should i mix the rice cereal w/ bm ? any help or advice will be welcomed and appreciated!


text:
In today's economy, finding a job is difficult. Many people are settling for entry-level positions even though they have years of experience. In the spirit of making money and being efficient, Taskhire has brought you a list of ways to make your career search successful.
1) Take Advantage of Social Networking Tools
Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, WordPress – are all great ways to expand your network. If you aren't on one or more of these networks, then get moving!
LinkedIn – keep an updated profile, join groups, read postings & comment on them! Check to see who's looking at your profile and take note of the types of people you attract, this will enable you to tweak your profile accordingly.
Twitter – follow people from your area in your industry. Start conversations with them. Remember, it's perfectly normal to butt-in to conversations and to throw out random questions to people with a ton of followers.You might be ignored, but don't let it discourage you – Twitter users like to communicate, share, and interact. The more you tweet, the more you'll find people responding to you – even some of the twitter giants. It helps if you @ them with a relevant question that many of their followers may want to know.
WordPress – starting a blog is one of the best ways to get yourself heard – providing that you create relevant content and get the right people to read it. How do you do this? Well, first of all it's important to establish your niche: what do people in your industry want to read about? By now you have presumably established who the major players are in your field/area – try to connect with them through Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or any other social media. Comment on their blogs, @ them with questions. Also, make sure there is a link to your blog on all of your media sites. If a person likes what you are tweeting, or finds your LinkedIn profile intriguing chances are, they'll click on your blog to find out more about you. One they we wouldn't recommend is tweeting at targeted people with the line, "Please read my new blog post" or something similar. Some people may be sympathetic and check it out, but chances are the majority will be annoyed and ignore or unfollow you.
Your main goal online in relation to your online job search should be to form or become part of a community of professionals from your industry. Arrange meet-and-greets and connect with those who can point you in the right direction for some great job opportunities. The beauty of online networking is that A) you have a very wide – endless, almost – arena to connect through B) you have the opportunity to tailor exactly how people will perceive you, and C) you have nothing to lose by trying to connect with notable people online. After all, how will they respond if you don't make the first move?
2) Get Involved in the Community
You may be thinking, "I need to be looking for a job. I don't have time for anything else." But the truth is, the more involved you become in your community, the more likely you'll meet that right someone who can recommend you to another right someone who has a job available in the field you're looking for. Try volunteering for a local program or library. Join a sports league, a book club, a worship center – anything that will help you meet people.
Putting yourself out there and attempts to make friends with strangers may be a little bit intimidating, but you never know when that person may lead you to a job or internship that will send your career in the right direction. Learn to be friendly. If this doesn't come naturally to you, check out a book like The Art of Mingling by Jeanne Martinet to give you some tips. When you meet someone new, keep your job goals in mind and see if you can steer your conversation in that direction, but don't make it all about you. Try and bring something to the table too. Get in the habit of helping people you meet connect with people you know that could help them – even if they can't help you. Ideally, if you help them out, they will keep you in mind for any opportunities they come across that might interest you in the future.
One other thing to explore is your family's networks. You never know when Dad's best friend's boss has an opening in the field in which you're looking. Most people are interested in helping someone to whom they are connected – however vaguely. If you discover a helpful connection, send them a kind email inquiring about their work. Again, the worst that can happen is that they don't respond or say there's nothing available. You'll never know unless you try.
3) Keep an updated CV
This one is a no-brainer. One of the last things an employer wants to see is a big gap on your CV. You will almost definitely get a "what happened here?" during the interview. Even if you weren't employed for a little while, you were certainly doing something, and most employers are looking for a well-rounded employee. So perhaps that volunteer position you held for a little while could add to your credentials. Remember, you want to stand out from the crowd. A CV is not just about work experience.
Keep your CV clear and to the point. Only have relevant information included to the job for which you are applying and not more than two pages. Try to use interesting verbs to describe your past work experience – make every point an accomplishment. For instance, if you worked as a Barista, instead of simply listing your duties: "Made coffee drinks, worked register, restocked shelves" etc, show your potential employer how you applied your unique skills to the job: "Operated XYZ Coffee and Espresso Machine, Interacted with customers and Managed ABC Cafe Register System during daily rush-hour line-ups in popular cafe."
See the difference? The second option is much more interesting, points to specifics, and it's only half a line longer. Not to mention your potential boss will likely appreciate your attention to detail.
4) Reply Promptly
There is absolutely nothing more important than replying to a job ad as soon as possible. The number of people looking for jobs strongly out-weighs the number of available jobs. Stay alert for new job postings, it is to your advantage to apply within 24 hours of the posting time. Because of the recent economic downturn and subsequent mass lay-offs, many people are applying for jobs for which they are way over-qualified. Because of the number of over-qualified applicants, it is very likely that the employer will find a match for the position quickly – in probably not more than a week or so. So if your name is at the bottom of the interview list, chances are the job will be filled before the employer gets to you.
What can you do about this? If you're looking for a job, you should be spending almost as much time on that job search as you would have spent at work. So if that means 40hrs/week, then do it. Be diligent. Troll job sites, and respond to ads you're interested in immediately after you find them. Waiting until you "have time to write an amazing cover letter" may actually hurt you in the long run. Learn to prioritize which potential jobs are most important to you. Focus your writing skills on those jobs, and send more form-like covers to the others.
5) Find an Internship
If you have enough money to sustain yourself for a few months, taking an internship is a great way to break into a new field or a new place. And believe it or not, some internships can be quite competitive to get, even the unpaid ones. But think of it this way: you can spend 6 months trying to find a job through traditional methods (sending your CV, making cold calls, responding to job ads) and still end up with a less-than-ideal job, OR you can spend 3 months working and training for free in an environment that will A) Help you make connections in your industry and B) Possibly lead to a job offer. Just make sure that the internship is relevant to the field in which you plan to work.
Oftentimes, start-up companies will have short-term positions or internships to offer. These positions are a great way to get your foot in the door in a particular industry or to get a feel for building a company from the ground up. Next Montreal has upcoming events that are filled with tech startup entrepreneurs.
6) Show Your Personality and Individuality
In order to get the job you really want, sometimes you have to go in with a "take it or leave it" attitude. Give your application 110% – express your creativity and uniqueness. If you do/say something creative in your cover letter, chances are you'll get noticed. Sometimes allowing your personality to shine through will help you stand out from the rest, and chances are high that you'll get at least a few positive reactions. So use your judgment and find ways to stand out from the crowd.
A word to the wise – avoid making jokes – it's difficult to sense sarcasm or humor through text without clues from your body language and tone of voice. Also, remember that you must be more formal when applying for some jobs over others, for example: a job as a paralegal vs a job as a barista.
A note on cover letters: Try creating a few different cover letters and stay away from cookie cutter templates. Keep them short and sweet. Personalize – avoid to whom it may concern, and remember that using "Dear" is appropriate. In cases where the name is not available, dear hiring manager is acceptable. Invite the reader to want to know what your CV is all about. Outline your expertise and qualifications relevant to the job and/or industry. Include the position you are applying for and avoid repeating info included in your CV.
Got any other great job search tips? Leave a note in the comments!


text:
"Internet Purchases Only"
"Not a Retail Store Stock Item"
This item is viewable at our retail store in LEXINGTON, KY. It may be on display and is
available for immediate purchase and pick-up.
*Please Note!! Many of our pictures are stock photos provided to us by the manufacturer and do not necessarily represent the actual item being purchased. Please verify this picture accurately reflects the product described by the title and description on this page before you place your order.
By adding this item to your Wish List, you will be notified automatically via email when this item is back in stock.
Our Sales staff cannot forecast price or availability of Wish List items. Calls or emails about this item will not receive a response.
The 1911
RCS is quite possibly the quintessential concealed carry 1911. The RCS –
which stands for 1911 Compact SAS – comes from the SIG SAUER® Customs
Shop and has been put through the SIG Anti-Snag treatment which our
gunsmiths developed to radically dehorn a pistol. Available in either a
Natural Stainless (shown) or Nitron® finish the RCS comes with low
profile night sights, checkered front strap (25-lpi), checkered
mainspring housing (20-lpi) and slim profile custom wood grips. The
grips are either gray diamondwood on the Stainless model or rosewood on
the Nitron® version. Each of these 7+1 capacity RCS model 1911 pistols
features a stainless steel slide, alloy frame, match grade barrel,
hammer/sear set and trigger. The slides and frames are machined to
exacting tolerances and hand-fitted to insure reliability and
Gun Accessories, Ammunition, Gun Safes, Handguns, Left Hand Guns, Youth Guns, Reserves, Rifles, Shotguns, Scopes / Optics, Gun Closeouts, Factory Certified Guns, Used Guns, MAP, Bud's Mobile
A A & E Leathercraft, ADCO International, Advanced Technology, Aearo Company, Aimshot, Aimtech Mount Systems, Alexander Arms, Allen Company, Aluma Sport, Beretta, Browning, CZ USA, Leupold, Remington, Ruger, Savage Arms, Smith & Wesson, Springfield, Taurus Handguns, The American Outdoorsman, ULTRADOT DISTRIBUTION,
Uncle Mike's Michaels of Orego, US FIREARMS, USA MAGAZINES, VANGUARD USA
Copyright © 2003-2016 Budsgunshop.com. All Rights Reserved. (CW1)
Register now


text:
Unemployment makes the news nearly every day, but Emily MacGruder '06 is tackling the issue in a country that doesn't make the evening news: Tonga. Assigned to the island nation in 2007 through the Peace Corps, MacGruder works with the Ministry of Training, Employment, Youth and Sports to help unemployed Tongans.
"We've found that jobseekers here often do not have a good idea of the realities of the job, nor do they know how to interview or how to interact with an employer," she says. "Many don't show up for interviews or the first day of work. So we developed skills training and we invite employers and successful job-seekers to talk to the participants."
MacGruder says that she sometimes becomes frustrated at the slow pace of the training process, but as long as she maintains a sense of humor, she receives respect.
A secondary project involves working on HIV/AIDS awareness with five other Peace Corps volunteers. "Since Tonga is such a conservative society, we've been careful to approach the topic in a culturally sensitive manner," she says. "Our group acts out through skits and discusses issues dealing with responsible decision-making and behaviors. Then we separate the male and female youth and do what we call the 'straight talk' where we discuss the risk level of certain activities and answer personal questions."
On a more festive note, a recent highlight was lunching with the King of Tonga. "Along with five other volunteers, I was invited to a lunch in honor of the new U.S. Ambassador to the region, Steven McCann," she explains. "Imagine my surprise when the King took the seat to my left!
I was able to get in a few words on topics I'm familiar with (burgers, French fries and Americans marrying Tongans) and I noticed the King often turned to me when he was making a joke. I'll treasure the experience as it may be my only chance to lunch with a king!"
Another memorable experience was traveling to Australia last summer with Tongan youth to attend World Youth Day and seeing Pope Benedict XVI.
Despite missing family holidays and friends' weddings the past 18 months, MacGruder hasn't regretted her decision. "I had a desire to use my skills to serve people who weren't fortunate enough to be born in a country like the United States," she says. "I also wanted to see if international development was something I wanted to do with my life. North Central's excellent study abroad programs and Richter grants allowed a farm girl who had never traveled to another country to visit three foreign countries in four years while a student. After I return to the States in November or December 2009, I plan to pursue a master's in international relations or development. I miss the academic atmosphere I found at NCC."
North Central NOW Spring 2009


text:
Buy for$7.96(5 items)
Written by Guest on 13.10.2011 at 16:23Very underrated. 'Nuff said.
Written by Troy Killjoy on 13.10.2011 at 22:18
Written by Guest on 13.10.2011 at 16:23Very underrated. 'Nuff said.
Not just this album, but the entire band if you ask me. Because they aren't "br00tally" brutal death metal or wanking technical death metal or grimy atmospheric death metal people don't consider them as one of the best.
I mean I don't either, but I give them credit for being a consistent death metal band that offers more to the average listener than Cannibal Corpse.
Written by AmbivalentBadger on 15.07.2014 at 17:49
A pretty decent display of technical brutality. I haven't heard any of their other albums yet, so I can't say how it compares. What does weaken the impression for me, though, is the use of "Homicidal Retribution" as the opening track. IMHO, it is by far the best track on the album, and it sets a precedent that just isn't met later. There are some other awesome bits here and there, and had they been condensed the material could have amounted to an awesome EP, but most of the material isn't strong enough to follow in the wake of "Homicidal..." without wanting.


text:
Called "ghost graphics", the logos are applied with decals to the patrol car in a color that matches that of the vehicle. A police vehicle marked with ghost graphics can be right on top of someone without that person knowing what it is until it is too late.
"We're going to use them for interdiction," said Assistant Police Chief Richard Cantu.
The two Chevrolet Tahoe SUVs that carry canine units are equipped with the graphic. The vehicles also have no exterior emergency lights.
Some motorists might drive right by one of the Beeville Police Department's Tahoes and never know it is there.
But shine a light on the graphics, and they literally pop out like they were plugged into an electric outlet.
"They're reflective," said Police Chief Joe Treviño. But even at night, vehicle headlights might not reflect off the lettering until the lights get close to the patrol car.
Cantu said the idea is not new to Beeville. He drove a white Crown Victoria for a while that had ghost graphics.
The graphics have been used by larger police departments for some time. Smaller departments are beginning to mark their units the same way.
"It's more of a stealth look," Cantu said. It gives police units a chance to encounter suspicious vehicles without being identified immediately.
Cantu said he was especially interested in using the look on the department's canine units because they are the vehicles most commonly used in checking out vehicles officers suspect are carrying illegal narcotics.
When it comes time to make a traffic stop, there is no way a motorist will not recognize the vehicle as a police unit.
Emergency lights are everywhere, Cantu said. They just are not on the top of the vehicle, where someone expects them to be.
Gary Kent is a reporter at the Bee-Picayune and can be reached at 343-5220, or at firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
Palm Beach Money
Tag: Cost of non-coverage in 2014
Stuff you probably never knew about The Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare
- 5:41 pm Friday, June 29th, 2012 by Dian Vujovich
In case you've forgotten, which is really easy to do since the kerfuffle about the Affordable Care Act became law in March 2010 hasn't stopped; thousands if not millions of people have enjoyed the benefits of this health care program for the past two-plus years.
Like it or not, this Act is a law and since in effect has served– and cost– all of us money to some degree or another. Given that the bottom line of its total costs are about as easy to find as say the real amount of JPMorgan's recent trading losses initially reported as $2 billion [More]


text:
...and you'll eventually run into that crackpot, Ron Paul.
Ron Paul has not demonstrated either willingness or ability to reason outside the box of his ideological convictions. Being able to abstract general principles from a multitude of facts and apply them to new facts is the mark of an intelligent person. Being unable to see facts that contradict your abstract principles is the mark of an ideologue. Anyone who can say, "the notion of a rigid separation between church and state has no basis in either the text of the Constitution or the writings of our Founding Fathers," or call the Constitution "replete with references to God," can't see facts through the filter of his ideology. A man who doesn't care what happens to people who cannot afford education or health care as long as his Constitutional principles are kept pure is an ideologue.
If you have any doubts that Ron Paul is a brick short of a full load, then remember he is also a true libertarian advocating for the legalization of drugs, including controlled substances.


text:
Idea exchange
Now, you can take the APICS Operations Management Now discussion to your social networks on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and the APICS Supply Chain Channel. Be sure to use the hashtag #OMNow and include @Tweet_APICS in any tweets to have your words featured on the APICS homepage.
The Broken Chain
By Jonathan Thatcher, CSCP
May/June 2012, APICS magazine
From Standstill to Still in Business
By Christopher M. Wright
November/December 2009, APICS magazine
Risk and the Professional
By Dale Bayless, CPIM, CIRM, CSCP, C.P.M., and Curtis Brewer, CFPIM, CIRM, CSCP, C.P.M.
January/February 2009, APICS magazine
Supply Chain Risk Management Seminar
APICS is pleased to offer the Supply Chain Risk Management Seminar, which provides participants with a glimpse of the global supply chain risk landscape. Definitions of risk management and new techniques and tactics to mitigate risk will be discussed along with profiles of early adopters of risk management. This seminar is lead by Greg Schlegel, CPIM, Adjunct Professor, Supply Chain Risk Management, Lehigh University.
Thursday, June 21, 2012 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. CT
In partnership with the APICS Ontario Grand Valley chapter
Holiday Inn Cambridge - Hespeler Galt
200 Holiday Inn Drive
Cambridge, ON N3C 1Z4
Hello. My question. Can you share with me the old math formula for loading a production before APICS.
Thank You!
Type the code from the image


text:
ECS | CeRTS | IWAS | Teachers
| Students | Administrators
| Student Assessment
| IL Learning Standards
| Programs | Forms
| Glossary Skip
over navigation
January 17, 2002
Improving the achievement of students with disabilities is
the focus of a Continuous Improvement Plan for Special Education
approved by the State Board of Education Thursday.
The result of a state self-assessment combined with the efforts
of a 50-member State Steering Committee and input gained from
public hearings last October, the plan establishes specific,
measurable objectives for improving state and local efforts
to serve students with disabilities in special education programs.
The Improvement Plan is a required component of the U. S.
Department of Education's (USDE) Office of Special Education
Programs Continuous Improvement Monitoring Process for Illinois.
Illinois receives an annual federal grant of about $300 million
from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
that is contingent upon compliance with federal requirements
covered by the Monitoring Process.
The state self-assessment identified critical issues in special
education and was submitted to the USDE in December 2000.
A steering committee of 50 representatives of parents, teachers,
administrators and others with interests in special education
service delivery reviewed those issues and submitted a draft
improvement plan in Oct. 2001. The subsequent hearings produced
hundreds of comments on the implementation of the IDEA legislation.
The Continuous Improvement Plan for Special Education approved
by the State Board sets the following five-year goals:
Goal 1: Illinois will increase by 4.5 percentage points
per year, the percentage of youth with disabilities who exit
school with a standard diploma (reaching 90% in the year 2007)
and increase employment and/or post-secondary education opportunities.
The baseline is 63% in 1998, the most recent year available.
Goal 2: Illinois will increase by 4.5 percentage points
per year, the number of students with disabilities (3-21)
who are provided Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)
in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) in general education
classrooms (80% or more of the school day) in the school they
would attend if not disabled. The baseline is 36.4% of students
in December 2000.
Federal law (IDEA) requires that students with qualified
disabilities be educated in the Least Restrictive Environment,
which for many students can be in general education classrooms
with appropriate supports. National statistics indicate that
Illinois had among the lowest rates of students with disabilities
educated in general education classrooms. A child's placement
is determined by an Individualized Education Program developed
by a team of local school officials, with parental participation,
to meet his or her educational needs.
Goal 3: Illinois will increase by one percentage point
per year, starting in 2003, the number of fully-certified
or licensed general and special education teachers, administrators,
and related services personnel who are prepared to provide
FAPE in the Least Restrictive Environment with individualized
supplementary aids and services to students with disabilities.
The baseline is 95.5% of personnel who are fully certified
or licensed.
Goal 4: Illinois will increase the meaningful, effective
involvement of families in the educational process of children
with disabilities as measured by analyses of survey data and
progress from baselines to be established in 2002-2003.
Goal 5: Illinois will have a general supervision and
monitoring system that improves student outcomes, as measured
by a) the percentage of Local Education Agencies (LEAs) monitored
who are identified as being in the lower quartile on a goal
measure, and b) annual progress of monitored LEAs on the Critical
Indicators (e.g., as standardized test data, drop-out rates,
graduation data, etc.).
In presenting the Plan to the Board, State Board staff said
it would "increase accountability for special education
services in Illinois and compel the State Board to use data
in decision making prior to interventions and monitoring."
Expected results of implementing the plan, according to the
staff report, include
decreasing the dropout rate for students with disabilities;
increasing the percentage of students with disabilities
who participate in the state assessment system.
increasing the percentage of students with disabilities
who meet or exceed state standards on state tests; and
decreasing the percentage of students with disabilities
who are suspended or expelled.
Activities under the plan would also help districts improve
services through
increased training and support from the state;
increase the involvement of parents in determining appropriate
services for children and in program improvement;
increase the percentage of fully-certified special education
teachers as well as the percentage of general education
teachers who are prepared to instruct students in the
least restrictive environment; and
increase collaboration among other state agencies and
higher education institutions on issues addressed by the
The Plan must be submitted to the U. S. Education Department
for review and approval, and will also be submitted to the
parties in the Corey H. special education lawsuit.
Illinois State Board of Education
100 North First Street
Springfield, IL 62777


text:
Connoisseur hotel in South Tyrol
Wine, whisky, cigars - sensual flavour experiences at the connoisseur hotel in South Tyrol
You know those moments that are so exquisitely precious that you would like time to stand still and enjoy them forever and ever? Completely and utterly with all the senses. The sense of taste is one of the most precious senses that we possess. It allows us to taste life in all its diversity. During your holiday we would like you, in addition the the great food, to savour the whole range and variety of the Plantitscherhof's world of flavours.
We are very keen to share our knowledge and our passion with you and we recommend some real connoisseur moments.
Our gourmet and wine programme


text:
Regency Long Evening Dresses Adelaide Online
Do you enjoy shopping online? If so, try on Cocomelody.com! Cocomelody is a trustful retailer providing a wide selection of regency long evening dresses adelaide online. We take good care of the quality, and provide custom made and rush order services. Moreover, we deliver your goods in fast speed. Buy an amazing regency long evening dresses adelaide online from us and enjoy our efficient and caring services!
Recommended Categories
Related Tags
Customer Service
My Account
- Copyright © 2005-2016 Cocomelody. All Rights Reserved.


text:
UT man surrenders in Yakima after girlfriend's death
A Utah man has surrendered to police in Yakima, Wash., after the stabbing death of his live-in girlfriend.
Orem police say they received a call Friday from Yakima police about a man who had turned himself in and said there was a body in a trailer home in Orem.
Police say they found 44-year-old Jennifer Brackenbury dead from multiple stab wounds in the home.
Her 43-year-old boyfriend, Steven Gray, was being held in custody in Yakima pending extradition hearings.
Police say Brackenbury died between Oct. 20 and Tuesday, and Gray fled to his home state of Washington to surrender.
Investigators say the two had no history of domestic violence.
A neighbor says Brackenbury had lived in the trailer for about eight months, and Gray started living there several months ago.
© 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
Share < br />this article:
Courtney Stodden in Tight Ripped Leggings
Barbara DeFranco
| November 8, 2012 - 3:48 pm
Share < br />this article:
View Full Size
Return to Story
Courtney Stodden
Doug Hutchinson
Recommended for you
WATCH: Courtney Stodden Talks About the Pain of Her Miscarriage in PETA Video
Courtney Stodden's All-Black Number Stunned at The Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood
Tom Cruise Is Reportedly Getting 'Serious' with a New Girlfriend and More Celebrity News
Courtney Stodden Shows Off Cleavage in Teeny Tiny Orange Dress
Courtney Stodden Talks Having More Children After Her Miscarriage
Courtney Stodden Looking Like Her Old Self Leads Today's Star Sightings
Nick Cannon Jokingly Mocks Pictures of Mariah Carey Making Out with Her…
Here's the Name Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher Chose for Their Son
Kanye West and Kim Kardashian Are Not Living Together Right Now
'Gilmore Girls' Creator Explains the Meaning of Those Last Four Words
WATCH: This Is What Farrah Abraham Said That Triggered Her Fight with…
Sign Up For The Latest Celebuzz News
Thank you for signing up for our newsletter. You will receive a confirmation shortly.
Sign Up
Top Photos
All »
Justin Bieber Makes Faces at the Camera and 25 More of the Funniest Celebrity Paparazzi Pics of the Week
Please Enjoy Justin Bieber's Cover of Tracy Chapman's 'Fast Car' at Jingle Ball 2016
Mariah Carey Holds Hands with Bryan Tanaka Days After PDA-Filled Beach Pics
This Week in Kardashian Fashion: Kendall Slays the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show
Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth's Seaside Dinner Date Leads Today's Star Sightings
Maggie Q Discusses One Organization She'll Be Supporting During This Season of Giving
You'll Love
Justin Bieber Covers 'Fast Car'
Khloé Kardashian on Being Called Plus-Size
Amy Schumer to Star in New Barbie Movie


text:
Now is a great time to visit Red Butte if you haven't been in a while because the garden is constantly changing. What was blooming earlier in the summer has finished its blooming cycle and has passed the baton on to those next in line to flower.
Now is a great time to visit Red Butte if you haven't been in a while because the garden is constantly changing. What was blooming earlier in the summer has finished its blooming cycle and has passed the baton on to those next in line to flower.
Besides our formal bed displays, we like to accent our gardens with beautiful container plantings. This year we have been fortunate to be able to add a number of new large planters throughout the gardens. Pay special attention to them and you may just discover a new plant you have to add to your own collection.
Red Butte Garden tries to incorporate native plants in as many of our gardens as possible. As you're strolling through the gardens this summer, if you're curious as to which plants are native we have made it easy to tell. On the bottom right corner of our signs we include a Utah symbol which indicates that the plant is native.
What a beautiful and floriferous spring and summer it has been. This year, our Rose Garden is looking impressive. The rose bushes are maturing nicely and are currently blooming their little hearts out and filing the garden with a delightful fragrance.
The warm weather never fails to bring out the color. The wisteria is blooming and looks as amazing as it always does. Don't forget to check out the cool season display in the Fragrance Garden Meadow before it winds down. The deep magenta and Linaria flowers compliment the yellow Wall Flowers and purple Catmint nicely.
Most of you know the flowers in our formal gardens, but how many take the time to visit the natural area to see the beautiful native blooms? Right now is probably the best time to see our native flowers at their best.
It feels like summer outside and the plants are trying to catch up with the warm temperatures. The bulbs and daffodils are nearing the end of their cycle, but there are still plenty of them blooming throughout the gardens.
The crabapples are in full swing and can be found in every garden with flowers ranging in color from pure white to deep pink.
The mid and late season daffodils are still going strong if you haven't had a chance to see our amazing daffodil display yet. The best places to catch them are the Four Seasons Garden, Floral Walk and Rose Garden.
Our daffodils are in full bloom here at Red Butte, from the very small cultivars to the very tall, they are up and open in all the gardens.
Some daffodils you might see while you're walking around the Garden are posted below, but there are many many more!!
2012 seems to be a very good year for our Magnolias at Red Butte Garden. With the mild winter and a warm spring, the gorgeous flowers have been retaining their color and fragrance very well.
You can see our various Magnolias near the Courtyard, along the Floral walk and in the Fragrance Garden.
*On days when outdoor concerts are scheduled, garden hours are 9AM-5PM
Members: Free
Adults (ages 18-64): $12
Seniors (ages 65+): $10
Military w/ID: $10
Children (ages 3-17): $7
Children (under 3): Free
U of U Faculty/Staff: $10
U of U Students: Free with valid ID
Groups (12 or more) $1 off ea. person
Enjoy half-price admission December, January, and February
300 Wakara Way
Salt Lake City, UT 84108
How to Get Here


text:
In the Gospel of John 21: 1-19, Peter and the other disciples return to their normal tasks after the death of Jesus. These disciples are still to be instructed to carry the new of the resurrection all over the world. The news would become familiar to all with whom they spoke.
Pastor indicated the beautification of the church is a message to the community that things are happening at Good Shepherd and all are invited to have a place to join in the activities. But the overwhelming purpose of all things is to glorify God.
According to the Gospel, Peter denies knowing Jesus even after he has been questioned three times whether he love Him. The life of the disciples and the message they carried proved dangerous and all suffered violent deaths. Saul, for his actions of persecuting Jesus, was stricken with blindness. Ananias, though reluctant, goes to meet with Saul and restore his sight so Saul can serve as the Lord's vessel to carry the message to Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.
Jesus had other labors for the disciples, that of carrying the new of the resurrection to all the world. Life as they knew it was over - vacation was over. Jesus wanted them to reach everyone with news that would become familiar. The purpose in this was to glorify God.
The current beautification of the church is a message to the community that things are happening at Good Shepherd. This serves as another invitation and message to people that they can also find a place to serve in this church.
Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves him. Peter denies knowing him. In the mission where Jesus sent the disciples forth proved dangerous to all of them. Ananias reluctantly goes to restore sight to Saul after Jesus explains Saul is a chosen vessel who will carry the message to the Gentiles and kings and children of Isreal. For this Saul was marooned, imprisoned and killed.
The disciples did not choose what tasks God will call of them; they had to decide how they could serve Him. In life no one gets the recognition one deserves. Life as we know it would not be if people did not serve. We should always be willing to serve in whatever capacity we can.


text:
The Original and Multi-Award Winning TV Craft
Join The Club >>
Members Area >>
Add items to your basket to see applied discounts and Flexi-pay options
Flexi-pay, our interest-free scheme
Thank you for nominating us for 8 awards – we'd appreciate
your vote >>
10% DISCOUNT FOR CLUB MEMBERS - Buy Today for £12.59
Create and Craft special offers are only available for a limited time, previously recorded videos may contain pricing, exclusivity claims or promotional offers that have expired.
These universal wafer-thin CottageCutz dies make a great addition to your paper
crafting supplies. Cut amazing shapes out of paper, cardstock,
adhesive-backed paper, vinyl, vellum and much more.
Each die will work with the following machines (each sold separately):
The die is a solid steel plate with multiple cutting images and
comes with a layer of ejection foam to give clean and accurate cuts.
This charming pine tree forest die (a Made Easy design) is ideal for nature-themed projects!
Die size: 4 x 4 inches.
Your order will be despatched within 3-5 working days. Most deliveries require someone to accept and sign for the delivery to ensure the goods are received correctly. To help you we can arrange for delivery to be made elsewhere.Click here for more information.
We hope you like your purchase, however, if you are not entirely satisfied, your item* may be sent back to us for a refund, provided it is returned within 14 days (unless otherwise specified)
from the date of despatch. *Please note: Exceptions apply. Please click here for more information.
Only £13.99
Club Price £12.59


text:
For Immediate Release
June 21, 2012
State Board Approves Removal of East St. Louis School Board
State Superintendent to appoint independent authority
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) authorized State Superintendent of Education Christopher A. Koch to proceed with plans to replace local school board members in East St. Louis School District 189 with a new Independent Authority. The Illinois School Code allows the State Board to take such measures after several years of poor performance in order to implement meaningful reform and improve academic achievement.
"We are putting the students of East St. Louis first and for too long that has not been the priority in this district," said Superintendent Koch. "With the help of this new Independent Authority, we will work tirelessly to prepare the more than 7,000 students in this district for success in college and careers."
State law requires that the Board authorize the State Superintendent to direct the Regional Superintendent, in this case St. Clair County Regional Superintendent Susan Sarfaty, to remove each of the school members. The Board also directed State Superintendent Koch to appoint an Independent Authority, and name a chairperson of that Authority. The Independent Authority, made up of five members, will exercise the powers and duties necessary to operate the district, improve school performance and student achievement
"I am confident that we've made the right decision as we move forward to provide a better education for the students of East St. Louis," said State Board of Education Chairman Gery J. Chico. "We hope to move forward with meaningful reform that will eventually allow this district to stand alone again with a locally-elected school board at the helm."
The Board of Education Members for East St. Louis District 189 were informed that they were subject to possible removal when they entered an Intergovernmental Cooperative Agreement with ISBE May 24, 2011 and again in the Notice of Termination of Intergovernmental Cooperative Agreement dated April 27, 2012.
As part of the next steps following this action, State Superintendent Koch will establish and communicate performance criteria to determine measures of district progress and eventual restoration of local control.
In 2011, only 60 percent of students in East St. Louis District 189 met or exceeded standards as measured under the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law. The district's failure to meet standards for nine years under NCLB triggered the state's intervention.
Last month, the State Board named a five-member Financial Oversight Panel for at least three years to improve financial stability. On Thursday, the State Board of Education also took similar action in North Chicago Community Unit School District 187, authorizing the removal of the local school board there to be replaced with an Independent Authority.


text:
the 360training.com family is growing by leaps and bounds. With the recent addition of 1Staff, we are bigger than ever!
Bigger is definitely better in this case, because a bigger team means more hands to better serve our customers. Along with a larger nationwide footprint, we now offer a more robust training schedule for your professional development needs.
Search our robust course schedules today.
QuickStart Intelligence, a 360training.com company, is a leading provider of IT training solutions with locations throughout the Western United States. For 26 years, over 200,000 IT professionals throughout the world have come to QuickStart as their source for IT technical and developer training. One of the largest privately held Microsoft Gold Learning Partners in the United States, QuickStart Intelligence has been recognized for an unprecedented four times as Microsoft's Worldwide Partner of the Year in Learning Solutions.
360training.com is a leading eLearning marketplace providing training to individuals, learning management tools and content libraries to enterprise customers, content authoring tools to authors & teachers, and LMS packaged with storefront and content to training providers. Since 1999, our course libraries have grown to include more than 15 industries and 6,000 individual titles. Joining the list of over 3 million learners who have chosen 360training.com to meet their training needs are businesses, training providers, associations, colleges, universities, and subject matter experts.