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July 24, 2013 —
Visitors to the popular river spot, Skinners Falls, will notice a change this summer. Surrounding the field near the parking lot is now a fence, and there is now a $1 fee to get inside. The field, which one can walk through to get to the path that leads to the rocks down by the falls, is private property owned by Rick and Lisa Lander of Landers River Trips.
Skinners Falls is a favorite river location for locals and visitors alike. The land surrounding the falls is owned by three different parties. The field is privately owned by the Landers, the Lothian House and surrounding area is owned by Mary Lou Lothian of Lou's Tubes, and the parking lot, launching area and beach near the top of the falls are owned by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and managed by the National Park Service (NPS). Visitors can still access the NPS launching area and beach for free.
Sean McGuinness, Superintendent of the NPS, said there are issues with trying to get all of these entities to work together. He cited problems like broken glass and garbage being left down at the rocks, which NPS rangers and interns pick up though no one is formally responsible for garbage removal. He said, "Each one isn't such a big deal, but all combined together is diminishing the experience for the visitors, guests and residents that come here to enjoy that really nice recreation site on the river."
The Landers installed the fence and had someone collecting fees beginning on the July 4th weekend. Lisa said that the fee was put in place to help cover the cost of garbage removal from the field. At the edge of the field, before the path begins, there are garbage cans. The problem is that these garbage cans quickly fill up and garbage piles up around them because visitors to the falls do not take it with them. Lisa said that last year they took the cans away in the hopes that visitors would have a "pack-it-in, pack-it-out" attitude, but instead they just left the garbage on the ground where the cans used to be. Lisa said that the amount of garbage is "tremendous" and they are the ones who have to pay to remove it. The fee is a "response to solving a problem that we have." The Landers also provide bathroom and trash facilities.
The cost is a $1 entry fee for each person, $5 for a car load, $10 for tube rentals and a $5 launching fee. Lisa said, "I feel bad about it. It is just a necessity right now. Unless we can come up with another plan, it is what it is." The fee is a point of contention within the community, and some people are angry about it.
McGuinness said that the NPS has received complaints and said, "All we're doing right now is monitoring and seeing what we can do." He added that he has brought it up to the Upper Delaware Council (UDC) and the Cochecton town board.
Some people are also saying that there's more to the story. The Landers own a river trip business that rents boats and tubes all along the Delaware River, including at Skinners Falls. Across the road from their campground and rental office is another business, Lou's Tubes. This naturally puts Landers River Trips and Lou's Tubes in competition, and some people say that the $1 fee the Landers are charging is to hurt Lou's Tubes business.
Lothian, the owner of Lou's Tubes, declined to comment. Another source who wishes to be unnamed commented, "To come after Lou, who was there selling tubes first, and shut her down like that, and then charge a dollar apiece for people to pass through when they've been doing that for 20 years, there's just so much there." Lisa said that is not the reason for the fee, and that they are doing it to cover the cost of garbage.
Lisa said, "I spend a ton of time down there [at the falls] sitting and talking to people, and people understand. Most people really understand. There are a few that are very upset." She added that many people who at first were upset, came back and commented on the noticeable absence of garbage.
Lisa ended on the note about how the conflict that this fee is stirring up needs to end. "I'm not here to make their Skinners Falls experience unhappy," she said. "I want it to be a pleasant experience. In order to ensure that, I need to make sure the field stays open and I can afford to keep it open."


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Obama Rules Out Ground Troops; What Else Can U.S. Do In Iraq?
By Tom Bowman • Jun 13, 2014
Originally published on June 13, 2014 6:23 pm
President Obama said that he will help the Iraqi military break the momentum of the militants on the march to Baghdad. The Pentagon said that one possible option could include airstrikes. But the president said that any military help must include political solutions from the Iraqi government, which has helped fuel the unrest by failing to reach out to its Sunni minority.

subset: commoncrawl


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Activision and Bungie dropped a bombshell surprise on the video game industry early this morning when the two announced a 10-year partnership for a brand-new intellectual property (Bungie, Microsoft and Sony have all since issued statements). In this case, however, Bungie will own their next project, while Activision's signed up to publish.
Bungie is about to move into a post-Halo world.
So far, Bungie's been mum about specifics. They're willing to say it's an "action game," but that's about it. I spent some time on the phone with Bungie community and franchise director Brian Jarrard this morning to discuss the post-Halo future of Bungie, a future now tied to Activision.
Brian Jarrard: Sorry, I'm a few minutes late.
G4: It's okay. I expect you guys are a little busy today.
Jarrard: Yeah, been making calls for a while now.
G4: Well, you guys are just calling and individually giving out Halo: Reach codes.
Jarrard: I thought that's what you wanted to talk about. Here, let me read your code to you. B-Y...
G4: Give me the sense of what you're feeling right now. Is it relief? You guys said this was a nine-month deal, so where is your head at? Where's Bungie's head at?
Jarrard: Honestly, it is exciting for us to know that our future is solid now, that these crazy ambitious ideas we have for our next big game universe and sort of the next decade of what we want to do can now be a reality. That's a huge burden off our shoulders, and I know for people like Jason [Jones, co-founder of Bungie], it's going to be reinvigorating to know that we don't need to worry about that anymore. We can just fully focus on what Bungie does best and that's building out what will be our next big universe.
Just for perspective, the long-form agreement for this contract just got signed this week. We decided that we needed to get the news out there because we can't keep things like this under wraps; that never seems to work.
G4: You guys were worried about a leaky ship at some point?
Jarrard: Yeah, and, you know, we also talked a lot about this -- it's important to us that we quickly get our heads right back down and finish working on Reach and we didn't want this to turn into something that would start to overshadow our beta our become an issue at E3. As soon as the deal was 100% final and signed, it just made sense to go and get it out there, and we just wanted to get right back to business and keep making games.
G4: You talked about Jason working on the game already. Did not having a deal make the development process on that so far difficult until the ink was signed and you knew exactly where this game was going?
Jarrard: I don't know; not entirely. In this state, I think it certainly comes up [with Bungie's] leadership, in terms of just making sure that they can make the whole greater studio feel confident that when Reach is finished that we have something to move onto and everything is great and secure and that we're still marching towards world domination, so there's a portion of our leadership team that's definitely been working super hard to make that happen.
Honestly, if I had to speak for Jason, I'm sure he doesn't lose a lot of sleep over it because he assumed people would sort it out, and he's just going to keep his head down. But I do know the whole studio now collectively can just rest easy and know that when Reach is done, that we have a great relationship, a great framework and some great plans to do some really awesome work.
It's just peace of mind, I think, for the broader team now. I don't think there was any doubt that it was gonna happen, but not only do we have that stuff secure, but we were able to pretty much get the exact deal that we sought to get and retain all the things that are most important to Bungie. That alone has been super exciting and invigorating, as well.
"I don't think there are many developers out there who could demand this type of agreement and get it"
G4: Crucial to that has been the discussion of the few studios that can retain control over the IP. Would you guys have signed with anyone if you couldn't have retained that full control?
Jarrard: That was one of our most important criteria. In fact, when we divested from Microsoft back in 2007, we drafted a constitution for our studio that the whole team signed. One of our articles states that we will own what we create, and it's a core tenet of our studio, and it wasn't something that we were really willing to negotiate or budge on at all. Ultimately, that's one of the reasons why Activision ended up being the final partner that we landed with, because they were able to come to an agreement that still met the terms that are important to us. And, in return, we certainly feel that they're one of the leading publishers in the entire industry, and when it comes to taking our next big game and bringing it to market in a huge way and getting us the biggest possible audience across multiple platforms, it was hard for us to find a better partner than that.
G4: It sounds like, from everything about this, from the 10-year thing to control of the IP, you have very ambitious plans. How many publishers could really even sign up for something like this?
Jarrard: Not very many. Not really. We did talk to a lot of different people over the past year, but, yeah, ultimately, you're right. There's just not many people that are going to be in a position to want to take that kind of a leap. It's a massive -- it's a pretty landmark agreement, just in terms of the tenure and scope and ambition but also the fact that Bungie does get to retain IP ownership, and we are still independent, and we do have creative control. There's just a lot of great things in place that are pretty unprecedented in a traditional publisher-developer relationship. So, you're right; I don't think there's many publishers out there who could even be at the scale of this type of agreement, but I also don't think there's very many developers out there who could demand this type of agreement and get it.
G4: The 10-year part of the deal is one aspect people are latching onto pretty quickly. Walk me through, as much as you can: Why 10 years? Is that an arbitrary number? How did you guys arrive at a decade being part of the agreement?
Jarrard: Well, we basically spent about a decade on Halo thus far, in terms of that universe and the types of experiences and stories that we've told, and we're looking at the next decade in a similar way, in terms of building a universe and a framework that we think is gonna live for along time and is gonna spawn a lot of interesting stories and experiences for our fans. We kind of have a 10-year plan. It's not arbitrary. We already have things that are scheduled out, as crazy as it is to think about, and, like, how old my kids will be in 10 years, but we have that stuff all scheduled out, and we have a pretty good plan that we believe in, and where we're going to take fans over the course of a decade, and how they're going to experience this new universe.
G4: It sounds like you couldn't have put together a deal like this without having thought that far out, even though you haven't published the first part of this new IP and knowing things might change; rather than the process with Halo, where it was kind of figured out as it went along.
Jarrard: Yeah, you're right. I mean, Halo didn't start that way and, you know, we learned an awful, awful lot about all of this stuff. Our studio today has learned so much through the last decade working on Halo, just in terms of not owning that IP, what that's meant for our creative people and the relationship with Microsoft and how that's worked out for us. Not having that plan and having to retroactively kind of squeeze stuff in, we've learned a lot of, and we think that we can do even better if we have a really good vision going into it of how these things fit together.
And you're right, things might change, but we had to have a real plan. We have to have a real pitch and some real substance to be able to attract a deal like this with a publisher like Activision. Clearly, we get our foot in the door just because of who we are and our track record and our ability to release predictably solid games that will make money for shareholders and what not, but this is a massive investment for their company as well, and it's a big commitment to our vision, so we had to be able to demonstrate something that we felt they could believe in and get excited about, and, thankfully, we did.
G4: You mentioned the deal was just signed recently. Did the Infinity Ward situation give you any pause, or because the deal was so different from the normal structure, did it not play a role?
Jarrard: I think the only pause that it gave us was in terms of the overall timing of the announcement and just all the noise that's out there right now. It's unfortunate. Just in terms...it's not unexpected what people's immediate reaction might be, given what they've been reading out there, but in terms of the actual partnership and the deal, it didn't really give us any concern at all because, again, this has been about nine months in the making, so a lot of this goes back well before [the Infinity Ward situation].
But because we do have the deal that we wanted, and we are still independent, we're not owend by Activision, we do own this IP and we do have creative control over it, and we do have a plan that we shaped, we feel really good about the spot that we're in.
But, you know, it's just unfortunate that there's a lot of other noise out there right now, and we wanted this to be a happy time for us, but because the deal was just signed, which is not something that we felt like we could just wait and talk about also. Like I said, we didn't want this to bump into all the great Reach stuff that's going to be happening between now and launch, either.
"We just want our fans to know that we're secure [and] we've got pretty ambitious, crazy-awesome plans"
G4: Bungie has extremely loyal fans. You guys are talking about going multiplatform with this and then you have the Activision name itself carrying a lot of weight. What was your gauge on how the fans were going to react and have you had a chance to see any of it this morning? The reaction seems to be very excited but very mixed.
Jarrard: Yeah, I think you're exactly right. People are just going to react to what their own perceptions and what they're reading online. I don't know anything more about anything else that's going on [at Infinity Ward] than what I read that you're reporting on. I think, based on what people know and hear, they may immediately have a perception. Honestly, we're just not worried about it because we do, like I said, in terms of our studio and our business and our creative plans, we have a solid, solid plan and partnership that's gonna work exactly as you want it to.
But in terms of the fans, one guy pinged me this morning, and he's like "hey, congratulations, internet's melting down! I'd be concerned, but I'm not. I've been a Bungie fan for 16 years; I remember when Microsoft bought you guys and that was the end of the world as well." I think that worked out okay for everyone and, ultimately, I think it's the games that are going to make or break our fan relationship with the studio, and now we just want our fans to know that we're secure. We've got pretty ambitious, crazy-awesome plans, and now all we need to do is just worry about executing those and everything else is...we don't have to worry about it anymore. It just frees us up to do what Bungie does best.
G4: Speaking of fans, you guys aren't talking very much about specifics of the project, other than it's just an action game, but what do you consider to be the tenents of a Bungie game that you can say would carry over into this one?
Jarrard: That's a great question because I definitely don't want to get too granular about trying to start to pin down what this game will be. You're right, we are definitely saying this will be our next big, action game universe, but a lot of the core people that have defined what Bungie is today and have brought us the success that we've had are still here and they're still driving our future projects.
I think when you hear the word "action" that's definitely a core, but I think, also, clearly is you look at our commitment to online, our commitment to community and to social engagement. We're definitely really excited about how we can continue to innovate and push those experiences further, certainly in a world where we have more ways and touch-points to engage with fans. There's just new technology and new devices and a lot more opportunities now to really kind of think outside the box and try and figure out new ways to create cool, meaningful engagements for fans. I think people can expect to see all that kind of stuff carried forward to our future projects.
G4: You mentioned the importance of online. Did Blizzard play a role in your decision in ultimately choosing to go with Activision?
Jarrard: It certainly didn't hurt at all. I mean, we're huge fans of Blizzard. We were just joking that I have yet to find out when I'll get my free WoW account loaded with gold and epic armor. I don't know if that's going to happen.
G4: You guys didn't get that in the contract?
Jarrard: I'm not sure that was actually in the longform agreement. That may have been an oversight.
Realistically speaking, we are definitely excited to be able to have the opportunity to work a little closer with those guys. We have tons of respect for them and certainly in terms of Activision and Blizzard's experience running massive entertainment on an online scale -- there's just a lot of things that they're doing that we're definitely interested in I think that will positively influence and education us on where we want to go with our next universe.
G4: You have the 10-year plan with the next universe. In the past, you guys have said you wouldn't rule out eventually going back to Halo. Given that 10-year commitment and that you tend to be a single-game studio, does this change your perception of what you may or may not do with the Halo franchise 10 years down the line?
Jarrard: We don't really have plans to revisit the Halo franchise. We're definitely going to be sticking by Reach and supporting the game on Xbox Live and supporting our community as we have in the past, but we're not planning to return back to Halo down the road. We're taking everything we have and the full might of our team to get the next project out the door and to really deliver on this 10-year plan that we have.
G4: You guys aren't talking specifically about what other platforms you might support, but getting up and running from a single platform exclusive studio to multiplatform development sounds like an engineering feat. How are you guys changing your pipeline to make that possible?
Jarrard: We have some incredibly talented engineers that are on the case, but they're not hard, real problems that we've had to tackle or solve yet because at this point in the project it's really broader brush strokes and defining art style and terminology and the universe and style guides. There's all these other crazy things that are happening, but there is a lot of technological work that is taking place. I know it's exciting to think about the ability to now have this broader reach and to touch more fans and just to have a broader engagement with more people, but I also know to our guys it's a little bit terrifying because we've come to know the Xbox very well over the past 10 years, and we don't have the type of intimate expertise on other platforms, but, thankfully, that's one of the great benefits of Activision, as well. They do have a lot of internal resources and expertise that will definitely be valuable and helpful us to help us make the right choices and hit the right platforms that best align with our game.
"I wouldn't expect to hear anything else about this game this year"
G4: Everyone, of course, wants to know more about the game. Given the 10-year deal, one of the first things that I got back from readers was, "well, does this mean we're not going to see this game for five, six years? Is this going to be on the next generation of hardware?"
Jarrard: That's a little ways out for sure. We haven't really been even -- like I said, we're kind of just in the beginnings of pre-production, technically speaking, right now. The goal would certainly be that once Reach is complete, the majority of our team would roll right into this new project in a meaningful way, and then when we start doing all the things that Bungie does well. I definitely don't want to pencil in a timeframe, but it's going to be a while for sure. I would even go so far as to say I wouldn't expect to hear anything else about this game this year because we really want to keep our focus and our priorities set on Reach right now.
G4: So definitely nothing at E3.
Jarrard: No, we will not be focusing on this at E3.
Have something to share? Sitting on a news tip? E-mail me. You can also follow me on Twitter.


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Jackie Murawska, North Central College adjunct instructor of mathematics, led a workshop titled "Fractions, Frustration, Ratios, and the Condominium Community Problem" for middle school teachers at the Metropolitan Mathematics Club of Chicago (MMC) Conference of Workshops held in New Lenox, Ill., Jan. 28.
Murawska has been teaching at North Central since 2008. She earned a B.S. from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, an M.S.T. from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and she is an Ed.D. candidate at Northern Illinois University.
Posted in:05-14-2012


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My family loves s'mores too. It's actually one of our favorite treats. We eat them year round. We've been known to have them toasted on the grill, as a dip, roasted on a campfire/firepit, in the microwave, the oven….and sometimes, we have them just because. We've even made s'mores with waffles! Given our family love for s'mores (ok really, MY love) I readily agreed to share the More s'mores, more smiles promotion where entrants can win up to $500 in Walmart Gift Cards!
Visit the Walmart S'mores website to print a $1.25 coupon to save on all your S'mores ingredients! Shop for your S'mores ingredients at Walmart for everyday low prices!
What are YOUR favorite S'mores memories?
This is a sponsored post with Lunchbox. Opinions are my own.


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Writing Centre
Common Reading Program Book Discussions
Groups to discuss Indian Horse start Sept 4
Sep 4/13
Date: Sep 4/13 - Sep 20/13
Time: 16:13 - 16:15
Location: variious
Cost: free
If you've read Indian Horse, Laurier's Common reading Program book selection, come join other first-year students for a one-hour discussion about the book. Groups will be led by an upper year student. Snacks provided!
Register for a group by clicking here.
Contact: Boba Samuels
Email: email@example.com
Phone: 3869
View all WLU events


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Each week day my friend and I walk the Mattis Road. We watch in anticipation each morning as the sun happily greets us.June 22 was a day we will remember as the colors of nature treated us to a beautiful sight that no one would want to sleep through......
Mattis Road Sunrise
By: kerny37Subscribe Channel: Summer Location: New Bremen, NY
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Beautiful! :)70364227
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Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/229292
- Title
- De-marginalising tourism research: Indigenous Australians as tourists
- Author(s)
- Peters, Andrew; Higgins-Desbiolles, Freya
- Abstract
- Indigenous tourism is an increasingly significant sector that can empower, encourage and promote Indigenous peoples and cultures. Defining Indigenous tourism remains open, as some definitions focus on Indigenous cultural products and experiences while other definitions emphasise Indigenous involvement and control. What is absent, however, is any definition that includes Indigenous peoples as tourists. This article employs an inductive approach to fill this gap in knowledge and uses the techniques of an evolving Indigenist paradigm that fits within the recognised 'critical turn' in tourism, and reflects the broader postmodernist shifts in research methodologies. It is based on a research collaboration between an Indigenous researcher and a non-Indigenous researcher who offer a preliminary exposition of topics that are made visible by examining Indigenous tourism through the lens of Indigenous peoples as active touring and travelling agents, through both historical and contemporary examples.
- Publication type
- Journal article
- Research centre
- Swinburne University of Technology
- Source
- Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Vol. 19 (Jul 2012), article no. e6
- Publication year
- 2012
- FOR Code(s)
- 1504 Commercial Services; 1506 Tourism
- Keyword(s)
- Critical Indigenist studies; Indigenous Australian tourism; Indigenous Australian tourists; Indigenous Australians; Indigenous peoples; Postcolonialism; Tourism; Tourists; Whiteness
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- 1447-6770
- Publisher URL
- Copyright
- Copyright © The Authors 2012.
- Peer reviewed


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Yasmine BleethActor
Born: 14 June 1968
Birthplace: New York City, New York
Best known as: Caroline Holden on the series Baywatch
A former model and soap opera actress, Yasmine Bleeth hit the big time when she joined the cast of the beach-happy series Baywatch in 1994. Her swimsuit-clad appearances as lifeguard Caroline Holden made her a hit on TV and the Internet, and in 1995 People magazine named her one of its "50 Most Beautiful People." Known more for her brunette and buxom looks than for her acting, Bleeth made various TV appearances and had a comical part in the movie BASEketball (1998). In 2000 she co-starred in the short-lived Aaron Spelling TV series Titans. She was arrested and charged with cocaine possession in 2001, and the next year pleaded guilty and was sentenced to parole and community service.
Extra credit:
Bleeth married businessman Paul Cerrito in 2002; they met while she was undergoing drug rehab at the Promises clinic in California.
Copyright © 1998-2016 by Who2?, LLC. All rights reserved.


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For Immediate Release
March 21, 2013
2013 Financial Profile shows 100 fewer school districts ranked in highest fiscal category
ISBE analysis reflects significant economic strain facing school districts
SPRINGFIELD – A statewide financial analysis shows more than 100 school districts dropped out of the highest financial ranking in the past year and the number of districts in the lowest category doubled, reflecting the significant cuts to the state education budget and decreased local revenues of the past several years. The Illinois State Board of Education's annual Financial Profile of the state's public schools was released during its monthly board meeting Wednesday night at a time when state lawmakers are considering further funding reductions after already slashing nearly $900 million from the K-12 education budget since 2009.
"It is no surprise that our analysis shows the harmful effects of multiple cuts to education funding by the legislature. School districts have already eliminated thousands of teaching positions, increased class sizes, delayed facility repairs and so on, all in an effort to reduce expenses," said Board Chairman Gery J. Chico. "We cannot expect Illinois to remain competitive in a global economy if we continue to shirk our responsibility to children as our schools struggle to make ends meet."
The Financial Profile provides a snapshot in time that helps ISBE gauge school districts' financial condition. The profile's designation categories in descending order are:
- Financial Recognition: This designation is the highest category of financial strength. A district must receive a score of 3.54 – 4.00. Districts in this category require little or no review or involvement by ISBE unless requested by the district.
- Financial Review: Districts with a score of 3.08 - 3.53 receive this designation. Districts in this category receive a limited review by ISBE, but they will be monitored for potential downward trends. Staff will be assessing the next year's school budget for negative trends as well.
- Early Warning: Districts with a score of 2.62 - 3.07 are placed in this category. ISBE monitors these districts closely and offers proactive technical assistance (e.g., financial projections and cash flow analysis, etc.). These districts are also reviewed to determine whether they meet the criteria set forth in Article 1A-8 of the School Code to be certified in financial difficulty and possibly qualify for a Financial Oversight Panel.
- Financial Watch: If a district receives a score of 1.00 - 2.61, it is placed in this highest risk category. As with the Financial Early Warning districts, ISBE monitors these districts very closely and offers them technical assistance including, but not limited to, financial projections, cash flow analysis, budgeting, personnel inventories and enrollment projections. These districts are also reviewed to determine whether they meet criteria set forth in Article 1A-8 of the School Code to be certified in financial difficulty and qualify for a Financial Oversight Panel.
The 2013 Financial Profile scores show that the number of districts in Financial Recognition, the highest category, decreased from 670 last year to this year's 562 or 65 percent of the state's 865 districts. The number of districts listed in Financial Watch, the lowest designation, increased from 17 last year to 45 this year. Additionally, nearly 13 percent of the state's school districts are in the lowest two designation categories for 2013 compared to 6.2 percent last year.
A district is categorized based on its Annual Financial Report from Fiscal Year 2012, which ended June 30. The rating is created by using five indicators of financial performance:
- Fund Balance to Revenue Ratio
- Expenditures to Revenue Ratio
- Days Cash on Hand
- Percent of short-term borrowing available
- Percent of long-term debt remaining
The 2013 Financial Profile data shows that school districts have been forced to not only reduce expenditures but also increase cash balances by issuing debt or restructuring debt payments. Reduced state funding appropriations and delays in receiving state and local revenues have all negatively impacted districts' financial performance.
More Districts Deficit Spending
Districts' financial pictures are expected to grow even bleaker in the coming year. Information provided by school districts for Fiscal Year 2013 forecasts that the number of districts deficit-spending will increase to 573 or 66.7 percent of all districts, compared to 415 or 48.2 percent in Fiscal Year 2012.
While the Financial Profile alone cannot provide a complete picture of a district's financial health, it provides a tool for ISBE staff to use with other data and information to assess an individual district's financial status. This year is the 11th year that the Financial Profile has been used to evaluate districts.
Scores Adjusted for Delayed State Payments
For each year since 2009, the Financial Profile scores have been adjusted for delayed state-mandated categorical payments, such as pupil transportation and special education, due to the state and national recession. The school code was amended to ensure that districts are not designated as being in financial difficulty solely due to delayed state payments. As of this week, the state's current backlog of bills owed to schools totals more than $634 million.
Meanwhile, districts are also grappling with a nearly $321 million or 7-percent reduction in General State Aid, which supports general local district operations, since 2009. For the last two years, district GSA receipts have been prorated below their claim amounts.
To help ease school district's financial burden, the Board is asking for an $875 million increase in P-12 education funding for Fiscal Year 2014 over the previous year, a majority of which would go directly to districts through the GSA formula. The Board reviewed the financial profile data Wednesday during their March meeting, held in Belleville.
"The Illinois State Board of Education is simply asking for what is required by law in fully funding General State Aid," said Superintendent of Education Christopher A. Koch "While we understand that difficult decisions must be made and that there is a great deal of pressure on the state budget, we are asking the legislature to meet its constitutional commitment. This recommendation is aggressive but desperately needed to provide much-needed financial relief to districts."
The 2013 Financial Profile reflects how districts are grappling difficult economic times. From 2004 through 2009, the number of school districts in the Financial Watch category declined each year until 2010. That year was the first that the number of districts in the highest risk category increased. The number of districts in Financial Watch decreased once more in the 2011 and 2012 Financial Profiles. This year's profile, however, saw a 165-percent increase in the number of districts classified in Financial Watch with 45 total.
There are 34 new districts in this year's Watch category. Of these, five decreased from Recognition, 16 dropped from Review and 13 decreased from Early Warning. Four districts – Bellwood School District 88, East St. Louis School District 189, Maywood-Melrose Park-Broadview 89 and Webber Township High School District 204 – did not submit their Annual Financial Reports. These districts received a score of zero in all categories and were classified as Financial Watch. ISBE staff continues to work with these districts and respective auditing firms in order to receive reports.
For the 2013 Financial Profile of 865 districts, there are:
- 562 Financial Recognition school districts, based on FY12 revised data, down from 602 in 2008 and down from 670 with revised data in 2012.
- 191 Financial Review school districts, up from 182 in 2008 and up from 143 with revised data in 2012.
- 67 Financial Early Warning school districts, up from 59 in 2008 and up from 37 with revised data in 2012.
- 45 Financial Watch school districts, up from 30 districts in 2008 and up from 17 with revised data in 2012.
Results of the Financial Profile:
FY 12 Financial Profile
Based on FY 11 Revised Data
FY 13 Financial Profile
Based on FY 12 Revised Data
Financial Recognition
Financial Review
Financial Early Warning
Financial Watch
Follow us: Visit the official ISBE website at http://www.isbe.net.


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George H.W. Bush through the years
Published On: Dec 26 2012 08:34:25 PM CST Updated On: Jun 10 2016 05:00:00 AM CDT
With former President George H.W. Bush celebrating his 92nd birthday on Sunday, take a look back at his life and career.
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BSC Student Team Earns Top Score in International Business Simulation Competition
CreatedFriday, April 13 2012
Created byJim Nelson/Media Relations - (304) 327-4103 email@example.com
(Bluefield)—A four-student team from Bluefield State College earned a "Global Top 100" ranking in GLO-BUS, an international business strategy competition earlier this month. BSC students Lidia Larkin, Larry Lowry, Hassan Alromaih and Garcia Hanna posted a score that tied them for the best overall performance of the week, worldwide, for the second consecutive week.
GLO-BUS is a completely online exercise where teams of students run a digital camera company in head-to-head competition students. Company operations parallel those of actual digital camera companies. Just as in the "real world," companies compete in a global market arena, selling cameras in four geographic regions—Europe-Africa, North America, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America.
"Our students were co-managers, making decisions related to research & development, component usage, camera performance, product line breadth, work force compensation, outsourcing, pricing, corporate citizenship, social responsibility, and more," noted Darrel Malamisura, BSC Associate Professor of Business and Economics. "The challenge is to craft and execute a competitive strategy that results in solid brand image, maintain a viable presence in the global marketplace, and produce good financial performance."
GLO-BUS ranks teams based on four measures—overall score, earnings per share, return on equity, and stock price. The experience is designed to strengthen students' preparation for a career in business and management.


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She was born on March 22, 1940 in Woodsboro, to Albert and Madie Van Ness Sr.
She is preceded in death by both parents; two sisters Linda Joyce Maxwell and Janice Lyvonne Borden; a brother Donnie Edward Van Ness; and a granddaughter, Evan Lynae Preiss.
Survivor's include a daughter Lynn Preiss of Goliad; two sons Bradley Talbott of Fort Worth and John Talbott Jr. of Refugio; sister Maxine Williams of Refugio; brother Albert Van Ness Jr. also of Refugio, and grand daughter Stormi Preiss.
Visitation was held Saturday, Feb. 9, from 6 - 9 p.m.
Funeral service was conducted on Sunday, Feb. 10, at 2 p.m. at Moore Funeral Home in Refugio. Burial followed at La Rosa Cemetery in Woodsboro.
Pallbearers were Tommy Byerly, Ray Borden, Eulee Borden, Albert Van Ness III, Wes Williams, Aaron Schumann, David Schumann, Ronnie Williams.
Honorary pallbearers will be Steven Van Ness, Justin Van Ness, Ronnie Kelley, Bubba Cantu and Larry Holmes.


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Woman injured in rollover crashJanuary 09,2013Woman injured in rollover crash
BENNINGTON A local woman was injured in a one-vehicle rollover crash on Fairview Street near the Silk Road intersection around 11 a.m. on Tuesday, according to Lt. Lloyd Dean of the Bennington Police Department.
Karen Halvorsen, 55, of Bennington, was driving west on Fairview Street toward North Bennington when she lost control of her 1998 Nissan Altima while attempting to negotiate a curve in the road, Dean said.
The car began to fishtail and its right front corner struck an earthen embankment, causing it to flip onto its roof in the westbound lane of Fairview Street.
When police arrived, Halvorsen was out of the car and members of the Bennington Rescue Squad were providing care. Halvorsen was taken to the Southwestern Vermont Medical Center, where she was treated for minor injuries and released.
Police were also assisted by the Bennington Rural Fire Department.
The crash is still under investigation, Dean said.MORE IN This Just InMONTPELIER A new report from a commission that studied the cost, availability and quality of... Full StoryVermont fish hatchery changes focus, looks inland
BETHEL, Vt. Full StoryHONOLULU (AP) A group of Hawaii musicians and a Hawaiian Airlines flight attendant provided... Full Story
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Speaking Engagements
Speakers and Events
For additional information or to book a speaker contact a Seminars Representative.
"God pardon you and make a Paul of your Saul. I heartily forgive you."
~ Swithin Wells; Venerable, English Martyr; his last words pardoning his persecutor, Topcliffe, just before he was hanged at Gray's Inn Lane, London, opposite his own home.


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Shares Of MZZ Now Oversold
Written by: ETFChannel.com
Tickers in this article: MZZ
In trading on Friday, shares of the Proshares UltraShort MidCap400 ETF
entered into oversold territory, changing hands as low as $17.38 per share. We define oversold territory using the Relative Strength Index, or RSI, which is a technical analysis indicator used to measure momentum on a scale of zero to 100. A stock is considered to be oversold if the RSI reading falls below 30.
In the case of Proshares UltraShort MidCap400, the RSI reading has hit 29.6 — by comparison, the RSI reading for the S&P 500 is currently 72.9.
Find out what 9 other oversold stocks you need to know about »
A bullish investor could look at MZZ's 29.6 reading as a sign that the recent heavy selling is in the process of exhausting itself, and begin to look for entry point opportunities on the buy side.
Looking at a chart of one year performance (below), MZZ's low point in its 52 week range is $17.34 per share, with $36.14 as the 52 week high point — that compares with a last trade of $17.34. Proshares UltraShort MidCap400 shares are currently trading off about 1.9% on the day.


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What will happen? we'll probably get Francis and suck even more.
What should happen? Martin, Miles and Watson (defensive-minded, just what we need) would result in some improvement.
It's just a matter of time a move is made. We have so many topics talking about the different trade scenarios. This one is made to talk about the one that will happen tomorrow or Thursday. What will it be?
Steven Francis? Kenyon Martin? Earl Watson? Theo Ratliff? Darius Miles?
You'll hear it and discuss it here, when it happens. Hold on to your seats, this could be a busy day guys!
#15...So good it had to be retired twice
What will happen? we'll probably get Francis and suck even more.
What should happen? Martin, Miles and Watson (defensive-minded, just what we need) would result in some improvement.
desde la cuna del chango
a backcourt of "franchise" and "starbury". that thought makes me sick to my stomach
Isiah met with Otis Smith friday and the talks have been good. Francis is very happy about the idea of playin in New York and has told close friends "Ill be a Knick by Thursday". Not an experiment I'm fond of at all BUT with only 3 years left and losing JC's 5-6 year deal and getting some roster space I'm not too against it anymore...
Portland, Denver could also be involved to make a 4 way trade...I'll keep you updated. I'm going to use this forum to make announcements. So stay tuned
#15...So good it had to be retired twice
a back court of francis and marbury is nasty!
isn't darius miles still hurt?
Just get Francis, Martin, Miles & Ratliff, send out Lee, Ariza, Penny & Crawford...
I'm really sad about Jamal though!!
I'm the greatest Starbury fan of my country & am pround of it!!!
it seems we will trade Maurice Taylor & Jamal Crawford to the Orlando Magic for Steve Francis. It's almost done. and we keep Penny to use for another trade...this somewhat makes me happy..
#15...So good it had to be retired twice
Jamal Crawford sucks, people dont trade young players like him who can score so many points unless there is something seriously wrong. This will be the second time he is traded. The guy plays NO defense, he is a turnover machine, he cannot breakdown an offense, he is mentally retarted, he needs to put on weight, he takes the WORST shots imagineable, and he has not work ethic. Just because he won a few games for us (toronto seattle and chicago) people go and suck him off. He has lost so many games for us with his careless play and garbage shots. He has been in the league for quite some time now and still has not learned a thing. He has not improved one bit from the time he entered the league. I would love nothing more then to get rid of this bum, however i do not want steve francis either. I say dump crawford for anything, if it is cap relief then fine. It seems like the magic have an obsession for him. Isiah learn from other GM's and take advantage of another GM's ignorance. Do what other GM's have done to you so many times and make another team take your garbage out for you.
Darius Miles played his first game last week.
Maybe after getting Francis, Isiah will move Marbury and Penny for Watson and Martin.
desde la cuna del chango
ok so its Francis for Crawford and Mo T
Penny and 1st pick for Miles and Ratliff...
the 1st deal i can live with...
the 2nd.....i think its a waste of a $13 mil expiring and a draft pick
F**king Brown better be right about Ratliff
As for Miles - its been 2 weeks since his surgery - let's hope all went well with no issues and pray that he can cut down on his turnovers and shoot better from the line....
Where there is hope, there can be faith
Where there is faith, miracles can occur
guys im gonna report it here, but dont shoot me if it doesnt come around...the knicks will secure not only that deal for francis but will send Channing Frye & Penny Hardaway to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Kevin Garnett...stay tuned. but this could very well happen by tomorrow!!!!
if that trade doesnt happen expect penny to go to denver for martin. martin is not truly sitting for sore knees tonight. its a ploy in case he is traded. makes denver look good. no worries
#15...So good it had to be retired twice
lol im posting on my psp
neway where is this info coming from?
THis is one of the stupidest posts!!Originally Posted by 20 is a CROOK
I'm the greatest Starbury fan of my country & am pround of it!!!


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Baseball America Downgrades Angels
Baseball America's presumption that draft picks mirror organizational depth ignores international amateurs such as 20-year old Luis Jimenez, who led the Pioneer League in homers last year with 15.
Once upon a time, in the last year of the Bill Bavasi/Terry Collins regime, Baseball America ranked the Angels as having the worst farm system in baseball.
From the March 29, 1999 issue:
30. Anaheim Angels
1998 Rank: 26. Strengths: Identifying singular big league talents. Weaknesses: Depth, high-ceiling pitching prospects.
The Angels get their due for identifying premium players and plugging them into their lineup, with Troy Glaus as their latest example. They've drafted more players (45) who played in the big leagues in 1998 than anyone. Their inability to bring in pitching or develop depth, however, has created an organization on a fine and expensive line. There are no surefire big league starters left in the system.
At year's end, Bavasi and Collins left, along with farm director Jeff Parker, scouting director Bob Fontaine, and several longtime members of the scouting staff.
Three years later, the Angels won the World Series, led in part by youngsters John Lackey and Francisco Rodriguez — both signed by the Bavasi regime.
Slowly, and perhaps begrudgingly, BA raised the Angels' organizational talent ranking given each March. The rankings through 2008:
- 1999: 30
- 2000: 29
- 2001: 25
- 2002: 17
- 2003: 5
- 2004: 3
- 2005: 1
- 2006: 4
- 2007: 4
- 2008: 10
Interesting how the Angels jumped from #17 to #5 after winning the World Series, perhaps a belated acknowledgement that BA underrated the quality of the farm system.
Now BA has made that mistake again.
In their latest issue (April 6), BA ranks the Angels #25.
No real reason is given for ranking the Angels so low, other than this one sentence: "The current farm system has suffered from picks lost to free-agent signings and several unsigned single-digit picks."
Oh, really?!
Let's test the assertion that the system "suffered" last year.
If you count Rancho Cucamonga — which lost a sudden-death playoff game to determine which California League South Division team qualified for the post-season — all seven Angels minor league operations were in the playoffs. So far as I know, they're the only organization in baseball that can make that claim.
Double-A Arkansas, Rookie-A Orem and Rookie-A Tempe all went to the championship round in their leagues. Arkansas won the Texas League pennant.
Back on March 27, I published an article about the best teams in Angels minor league history, based on winning percentage.
Over that 48-year span, out of 253 teams, the 2008 Tempe Angels rank #4 with a .696 winning percentage. The 2008 Orem Owlz rank #5 at .693.
(The Dominican academy teams are not included in the 253.)
The two Rookie-A teams reflect young talent largely from the 2007 and 2008 drafts, as well as players not subject to the draft who are from countries outside of North America.
Tempe had young pitchers such as Manaurys Correa from the Dominican Republic and Alexander Torres from Venezuela. Correa reported to Orem for the playoffs, and Torres quickly moved up to help out Rancho Cucamonga in the second-half stretch drive, striking out 62 in 53 innings while posting a 3.91 ERA.
At Orem, Venezuelan third baseman Luis Jimenez led the Pioneer League in homers with 15, and Dominican teammate Angel Castillo was tied for second with 14.
Although we really shouldn't read much into Dominican Summer League teams, I'll note that the DSL Angels were 47-22.
So where are the Angels "suffering"?
Certainly not at the Triple-A level. Salt Lake began 2008 with a 21-1 streak, finishing 84-60 overall, and probably would have done better if they hadn't lost key players to the big league club for extended periods to cover for injuries.
Although final cuts have yet to be announced, it appears that Brandon Wood, Matt Brown, Sean Rodriguez, and Reggie Willits will be heading for Salt Lake in a few days. All of them would make the major league roster on most clubs. Nick Adenhart would be Salt Lake bound too, if not for the current injuries in the starting rotation.
Are they "suffering" at Double-A? Doesn't seem likely either. Top prospects Hank Conger, Mark Trumbo, Ryan Mount, Jordan Walden and Sean O'Sullivan should all see significant playing time this year at Arkansas.
So BA, where's the "suffering"?
BA also cites the failure to sign "single-digit picks."
Well, first off, BA needs to revisit its May 26, 2003 article that reviewed the 1990-1997 drafts. Looking at each of the first ten rounds, it identified percentages for how many players in each round made it to the majors, and ranked them in six categories, from flops-coffee-fringe to regular-good-star.
Over those eight years, here are the percentages of drafted players in each round who ranked "regular" or higher:
- 1st round 26.6%
- 2nd round 9.4%
- 3rd round 6.2%
- 4th round 3.9%
- 5th round 5.4%
- 6th round 5.0%
- 7th round 4.0%
- 8th round 4.6%
- 9th round 2.1%
- 10th round 3.2%
With such slim odds after the first round, are we really supposed to wring our hands over not signing some fourth or fifth round draft pick?!
The poster child, I suppose, is Matt Harvey, who was selected by the Angels in the third round of the June 2007 draft. Harvey was considered first-round material coming out of high school but other organizations passed because his bonus demands were so high. (Yes, his "advisor" was Scott Boras.) The Angels took a risk by selecting him in the third round, but reportedly he wouldn't sign for $1.5 million, which is mid-first round bonus money.
BA fails to give the Angels credit for being creative when it comes to selecting "high-risk, high-reward" players in lower rounds.
Harvey might be the example of when high-risk, high-reward went wrong. But the example of when it went right is Nick Adenhart.
Nick was ranked the top high school pitching prospect in the nation until he blew out his elbow just before the June 2004 draft. Other teams passed on the risk. But the Angels selected him in the 14th round, offered him $750,000 (which is a lot more than any other 14th rounder would get), and signed him. The Angels supervised his rehab, were patient and now have one of the best young pitching prospects in the minors.
The Angels selected Mark Trumbo in the 18th round of the same draft. Trumbo was already committed to USC, but the Angels gave him first-round bonus money to sign. Mark hit 32 homers in 2008 between Rancho and Arkansas.
In 2005, the Angels drafted outfielder Peter Bourjos in the 10th round. Pete appears on most Top 10 Angels prospect lists.
In 2006, the Angels selected pitcher Jordan Walden in the 12th round, another example of "high risk, high reward." Selected as a "draft-and-follow" out of Grayson Community College, Walden signed in May 2007. Either Walden or Adenhart rank as the Angels' top pitching prospect on most lists.
An Angels scout found left-hander Trevor Reckling at a small prep school in Newark, New Jersey. The Angels selected him in the eighth round of the June 2007 draft. Reckling ranks near the top of most Angels prospects lists.
And as I wrote in last November's annual Top 10 Prospects report, I think a lot of people are seriously underestimating the bounty from the Angels' 2008 draft. The Angels selected Ryan Chaffee in the third round, even though he was pitching injured all year with a broken foot. Chaffee underwent surgery last fall and should be ready to go in 2009. Will Smith, selected in the seventh round, had an insanely successful debut in 2008, posting a 76:6 (that's no typo) strikeout-to-walk ratio in 73 innings to go along with his 3.08 ERA in a hitter-friendly league.
If you need further evidence that draft round isn't all that important, look at the parent club's roster. Mike Napoli was selected in the 17th round of the June 2000 draft; no one (including me) saw him as more than an organizational player, but he worked hard and overcame a labrum injury to become a power-hitting major league catcher. Tom Kotchman found Howie Kendrick in a small Florida junior college; the Angels selected him in the 10th round of the June 2002 draft. Kotchman also found Scot Shields at tiny Lincoln Memorial University in Tennessee; selected in the 38th round of the June 1997 draft, Scot has become one of the best setup relievers in the game.
Ervin Santana, Kendry Morales and Erick Aybar, all of whom should play key roles in 2009, were foreign undrafted free agents.
It seems to me that BA has once again slighted the Angels when it comes to ranking their organizational talent. But then, the last time that happened, the Angels won the World Series, so maybe it's a good thing.
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A teeming world of insects
under the trademark blue-and-yellow Big Top
Who would have thought that relocating a cast of butterflies, crickets, spiders, ants, scarab beetles, fireflies, fleas, a ladybug and a blue fly would take a military-style international operation worthy of a Mission Impossible script?
But these are no ordinary insects. They are the stunning cast of the critically-acclaimed family-fun packed OVO by Cirque du Soleil, set to have its Australian premiere in Brisbane on July 14 under the blue-and-yellow Big Top before moving on to seasons in Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth.
OVO finishes playing in Portland, Oregon, USA on May 20, this Sunday. Before the 12-month Australian tour can commence, the cast, crew, big top and its surrounding village must be transported all the way from Portland to Brisbane.
"The Australian tour is the first time OVO has traveled outside North America, and it's a mammoth logistical operation, one which is planned and managed internationally by Cirque du Soleil's Tour Logistics Department," said OVO Production Operation Manager Derrin Brown.
The complex operational plan will ensure that the big top, sets and costumes – some 1200 tons of equipment - are pulled down, packed up and shipped to Australia in time for the first performance in Brisbane on Saturday 14 July.
"Transport of the equipment takes place over a two month period, which began in early May. Making co-ordination even more complicated is the fact that equipment for the Australian tour is originating from different countries – Canada, the UK and Germany, with the main portion coming from Portland in the United States. The Portland equipment will sail to Australia out of the Port of Seattle," said Brown.
"Approximately 78 containers will be transported, with all equipment travelling by boat.
"To ensure Australian Quarantine and Inspection Services requirements are fully met, all the equipment – down to the 'nails' that hold the tents down - must be washed before being placed in the containers.
"It's a huge operation, but all equipment should be safe and sound in Brisbane by early July."
Then there's the cast and crew. Over 60 bicycles and 410 suitcases will be transported to help make Australia their home for the next year.
The cast of OVO features 54 performing artists from 16 countries specializing in many acrobatic acts. One highlight of the show is the stunning Flying Act in which a group of scarab beetles soar high above the stage, from both edges to the middle landing on a platform. This breathtaking act combines many circus disciplines: banquine, Russian swing and swinging chair.
Since its world premiere in 2009, OVO has visited more than 15 cities in Canada, United States and Mexico, delighting over 2 million spectators.
OVO, meaning "egg" in Portuguese, is a headlong rush into a colorful ecosystem teeming with life, where insects work, eat, crawl, flutter, play, fight and look for love in a non-stop riot of energy and movement.
Tickets for OVO are on sale now at cirquedusoleil.com/ovo.
Cirque du Soleil gratefully acknowledges the official sponsors of the OVO 2012-2013 Australian tour: Infiniti and American Express ®.
Cirque du Soleil
From a group of 20 street performers at its beginnings in 1984, Cirque du Soleil is a major Québec-based organization providing high-quality artistic entertainment. The company has 5,000 employees, including more than 1,300 artists from more than 50 different countries. Cirque du Soleil has brought wonder and delight to more than 100 million spectators in more than 300 cities in over forty countries on six continents. Cirque du Soleil International Headquarters are in Montreal, Canada.
Brisbane - From July 14 2012, Northshore Hamilton
Sydney- From September 13 2012, Showring at The Entertainment Quarter, Moore ParkAdelaide - From December 6 2012, Location to be advised.
Melbourne - From January 17 2013 Docklands Melbourne
Perth - From April 14 2013, Langley Park
For more information and images of OVO and Cirque du Soleil please visit our online press room at cirquedusoleil.com/press
Media Contact
Mollison Communications: Clea Woods
Phone: 03 9694 5226 / 0417 392 622 Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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Mr. Guerrero was born Aug. 24, 1954, in Beeville to Carlos and Isabel De La Rosa Guerrero. He worked in the construction industry for several years.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Survivors include one daughter, Samantha I. (Andrew Levine) Guerrero of Corpus Christi; three step-children, Robert Lee (Tammy) Arratia of Beeville, and JoAnn Arratia and John David Arratia, both of Corpus Christi; three grandchildren, Isabel, Andrew Levine V and Haleigh Levine; four brothers, Rudy (Caida) Guerrero of Pharr, Danny (Jannie) Guerrero of Snyder and Ricardo Guerrero and Ruben (Becky) Guerrero, both of Beeville; and several cousins, aunts and uncles.
Visitation was Friday, May 9, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Oak Park Memorial Funeral Chapel. A prayer service was held there at 6 p.m. with Eliazar Guerrero officiating.
Oak Park Memorial Funeral Chapel


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Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/218237
- Title
- East Timor and the politics of bodily pain: a problematic complicity
- Author(s)
- McCosker, Anthony
- Abstract
- The central concern in this paper is the imagery of suffering that emerged from East Timor in the years of Indonesian military occupation prior to the 1999 vote for independence. These images included the widely televised footage of the massacre in the East Timorese capital, Dili, in 1991, and the circulation of a variety of photographs appearing to represent the torture, rape and execution of East Timorese men and women. Taking onboard issues of the representation and reception of violent events, this paper aims to explore the modes of address and reception that have either helped to reveal instances of suffering amongst the people of East Timor, or have obscured them to the point of disappearance. In this context the paper explores the issues of proximity and intimacy implied in Williams' notion of complicity, but also the relationship between obscenity and pain, as a way of thinking about media authenticity and affect. As a contribution to understanding both the political context of the media coverage of East Timor, and the spectatorial issues raised above, this paper asks: what role does the obscenity of bodily pain play in the representational politics of modern geopolitical conflicts such as East Timor?
- Publication type
- Journal article
- Source
- Continuum: Journal of Media and Cultural Studies, Vol. 18, no. 1 (Mar 2004), pp. 63-79
- Publication year
- 2004
- FOR Code(s)
- 1902 Film, Television and Digital Media; 2001 Communication and Media Studies; 2002 Cultural Studies
- Keyword(s)
- East Timor; Indonesia; Media coverage; Military occupation; Obsenity; Pain; Representation
- Publisher
- Routledge
- 1030-4312
- Publisher URL
- Copyright
- Copyright © 2004 Taylor & Francis Ltd
- Peer reviewed


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|Title: : 1 of 1
Saint Joseph and the Infant Christ, c. 1670-85
Giovanni Battista Gaulli also known as BaciccioItalian, 1639-1709
Oil on canvas
50 x 38-1/4 in. (127 x 97.2 cm)
The Norton Simon Foundation
© The Norton Simon Foundation
On view
"Saint Joseph and the Infant Christ" provides a characteristic example of Baciccio's style of easel painting, which is vigorously Baroque in design and conception. The dynamic folds of drapery which envelop the figures are profoundly influenced by the sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Baciccio's native Genoese traditions are evident in the dark background, the use of highly saturated, warm colors and the broad, painterly handling.
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|Title: : 1 of 1


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Jeanette and Karen,
Thanks so much for these ideas. I actually took a break from pumping over the weekend and just nursed exclusively which helped remind me that regardless of my pumping output my baby still prefers me!!! Thanks for that reminder of what I'm really doing which is breastfeeding my baby and continuing this very wonderful relationship.
I'm going to try the suggestion to alternate the suction and speed and will try and add more sessions.
One question on my Pump in Style, which is 5 years old - there is water in my tubes, is that harmful and do i need to get new ones? How do I know if the motor might be wearing out?


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#168490 - 05/30/07 06:08 PM animal language
Registered: 05/30/07
Posts: 13
Shirley, this must have been addressed. Would someone kindly advise me where I can find a thorough, conclusive discussion on the subject of the word "Language" -- in particular "human language" vs. "animal language." I know what people are saying -- opinions rather than formal explanations. Or does this wax too 'philosophical'? What is: (the referent for) "language," precisely, in unambiguous, nonjudgmental objective (!) terms that average people will accept?
θank you.
#168494 - 05/30/07 07:50 PM Re: animal language [Re: Nanu Nanu]
Registered: 08/27/02
Posts: 2154
Loc: British Columbia, Canada
Originally Posted By: Nanu Nanuunambiguous, nonjudgmental objective (!) terms that average people will accept?
Ain't no sech ting
PS Welcome even though someone from the ministry of truth should know better than to look for something unambiguous and objective.
or was that judgemental?
Edited by Zed (05/30/07 07:52 PM)
#168503 - 05/31/07 11:59 AM Re: animal language [Re: Zed]
Registered: 04/27/07
Posts: 120
Loc: California
Are you asking what defines language as used by humans rather than language as used by animals? Presuming there to be a difference?_________________________
tempus edax rerum
#168511 - 05/31/07 05:24 PM Re: animal language [Re: Maven]
old hand
Registered: 12/18/06
Posts: 956
Loc: Auckland, New Zealand
Wikipedia have an interesting article on language and it's subsets.
#168580 - 06/07/07 09:48 PM Re: animal language [Re: Nanu Nanu]
Registered: 05/30/07
Posts: 13
I have a grasp of what defines human language. I was looking for a treatment of the differences between that (language proper) and animal communication. Or, the best, most complete, most exact definition offered by and accepted by linguists, philologists, and language lovers.
The best I've found so far is by someone who actually "worked with" animals to determine their linguistic ability (inseparable from mental ability): The Trouble with Ape-Language Studies, by H. S. Terrace, in Psychology Today, November 1979. (He also wrote How Nim Chimpsky Changed My Mind, which I have not read.) I also found an informal discussion of the subject at http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=33598.80, which held a few noteworthy observations.
Some of the argument rests on the definition of "language." Loosely stated, language is communication. In that sense, the sun "speaks" to the earth. But there must be a technical definition also, for linguists sake, or else a different set of words such as "langue" and "parole". But that gets even more complicated. Linguists have offered definitions of human language. I cant figure out why there is still uncertainty over the distinction between human language and animal communication.
So I look at it "backwards." Instead of trying to figure what people mean by "language," Ill ask what is it that humans do when they "communicate" with one another. Then, do those activities or relationships appear also among animals when they communicate with each other? (They don't.)
"Unless one knows what one is looking for, there is nothing to find, and such knowing is not a result of objective observation." Ian Robinson.
Normal human communication consists of a set of sounds which speakers produce linearly to form syllables and morphemes (a sound signifying something meaningful) which combine to form words. Words represent concrete subjects and abstract concepts, activities, and relationships. These words are placed in various order, according to the language spoken, to form sentences.
Humans create sentences, including new ones they have never heard, to describe people, places, and things, to report on and evaluate past actions, to plan for the future, to convey thoughts, hopes, desires, to inform others of the status of relationships, to address problems and consider solutions. Humans also put words together in ways that are artistic -- intelligible songs and emotionally moving poetry. Humans also use language to make up stories and to stage plays. Humans use language to deal with cause-effect relationships. These are not what humans do independently of language; these are why language exists and how language is used.
Obviously, no animals creatively, intuitively, voluntarily combine sounds in new ways to create new words, such as eclipse or onomatopoeia or infinity. I know this the same way that I know there is no word in any human language for the core of Betelgeuse. We dont need such a word, and the animals dont need such words. The difference is, we can create such a word if (when) we wish. If communication is restricted to personal emotional and physical states, that communication is less than even a primitive language, it is no language at all. It is merely instinctive grunting (or clicking in the case of dolphins).
Nor do animals combine words to create sentences that convey new information, such as Ive never climbed a mountain before. Do you want to climb a mountain with me? or, Theres some food on your lip. Want me to lick it off for you?
If animals had language it has been argued that it would be primitive. That is an overstatement. No animal can produce the rich (yes, I said rich, knowing whereof I speak) set of sounds that the human vocal organs can and do produce. If we count animals grunts, groans, whistles, and clicks, the humans are still ahead, because we have all those mumbles, moans, breaks and stops also, plus speech sounds in addition, which are multipled by categories of voiceless, voiced, breathy, creak, nasal, tone, length, palatalization, labialization, and others, and we combine them in new ways and with new meanings.
The wikipedia article is a sin of sloppiness and confusion (June 2007). Sorry. The writers are addressing communication, not true language. Their self-contradictions increase the confusion. A redeeming statement therein is Linguists do not consider these to be language; they may better be described as animal communication, because they are fundamentally different in their underlying principles from true language, which has only been found in humans.
I am disappointed to read in Wikipedias weak article that In several publicised instances, non-human animals have been taught to understand certain features of human language. For example, chimpanzees and gorillas have been taught hand signs based on American Sign Language; however, they have never been successfully taught its grammar. In other words, that can't 'sign' a single sentence! That is because they lack language ability, do not know what true language is, have nothing significant to say, and can only mimic, which is what they have been trained to do.
One would be hard pressed to categorize hand signs as a feature of human language. Sign language is a product of human ingenuity and creativity, a paralanguage to substitute for real language, but it is not an inherent "feature" of language proper. Genuine features of language include phonology, morphology, semantics, and syntax. Animal communication lacks these features.
(With thanks to Drs. Ohala and Ohala)
#168585 - 06/08/07 12:14 AM Re: animal language [Re: Nanu Nanu]
old hand
Registered: 12/18/06
Posts: 956
Loc: Auckland, New Zealand
I must admit Mork that your piece was a more invigorating read than the wikipedia article. Thanks for the info.
#168592 - 06/08/07 09:56 AM Re: animal language [Re: olly]
Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 03/15/00
Posts: 6511
Loc: lower upstate New York
You might be interested in checking out Language Log at http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/
You'll find all kinds of article there. The only danger is getting lost and never emerging again!
#168605 - 06/08/07 03:13 PM Re: Fuzzy Animal Language [Re: Nanu Nanu]
Registered: 05/17/05
Posts: 456
Loc: SE US
As one owned by a talking feline, the immediate impression is that much of that smacks of elitism. It is doubtful Kitty would agree with it; clearly he knows what he is saying even if biped listeners do not have the requisite knowledge to interpret his language._________________________
#168634 - 06/11/07 03:51 PM Re: Fuzzy Animal Language [Re: Aramis]
Registered: 04/27/07
Posts: 120
Loc: California
I'm not sure who you're trying to convince...But you lack the supporting evidence to convince me. elitism, indeed. To imply that sign language is not a true language indicates only your own ignorance. And yes, I know from whence I speak on that particular topic.
Edited by Maven (06/11/07 06:42 PM)_________________________
tempus edax rerum
#168636 - 06/11/07 03:57 PM Re: Fuzzy Animal Language [Re: Maven]
Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 10/17/00
Posts: 5400
Loc: rego park
sign language is language.
it has grammer, and nuance.
there are more than one set of sign languages, and some are less well developed than ASL (which as i recall is based on French SL.)
one can make puns, and idiom, there is slang.. ASL has every feature of language.
some south american SL are more like pidgeons, but pidgeons are languages too!_________________________
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text:
Lieberthal is back…
But only for one day…whew! Kidding aside, Mike Lieberthal, apparently still a big Phillies fan, has decided to retire in Philadelphia. So, June 1st is the day and I think he should receive a warm welcome back. In 13 years with the Phillies, Mike put up some good numbers and had 2 All-Star appearances. The latter half of his career though was plagued with injuries and lacking in RBI production. I know whenever I attended games, the big joke was that Mike would do just fine at the plate, as long as no one was on base :o) And remember the days when he'd be in a real funk and Bowa would just refuse to move him down in the batting order so as not to offend him? Ahhhhh…the sweet frustration of it all still echoes in my brain…
Ok, well let's just remember the good times and put aside the bad… In 1999, Mike hit 31 homers and had 96 RBI's with a batting average of .300 for the year and his first All-Star appearance. The only other player before him to reach .300 and 30 homers in a season was Mike Schmidt in 1981. He had another productive season in 2000 and made the All-Star team again. So, many thanks to Lieby for a long and entertaining career! And in the spirit of entertainment, I dug through my photo archives and found this one for you…this was taken before I had a "real" camera, but it is not too bad, although I was behind the screen in the home plate section:
From September 9, 2005: Where's the ball? Where's my glove? Where's my helmet? Ugh! ….By the way, look to the far right…you will see the ball.
From September 9, 2005: Where's the ball? Where's my glove? Where's my helmet? Ugh! ….By the way, look to the far right…you will see the ball.
1 Comment
That picture is the perfect summary for Mike Lieberthal's career. Nothing seemed to go right in his years in Philly. He has become the poster child for the 1994-2006 non playoff years.


text:
"You guys are great! You're the main reason why I converted. Keep up the good work."
David, San Francisco, CA
"If you should acknowledge and love Christ you would give up not only all the treasures of this life, but even the glory of your crown itself to win eternal life."


text:
Cities and Thrones by Carrie Patel
In the fantastical, gaslit underground city of Recoletta, oligarchs from foreign states and revolutionaries from the farming communes vie for power in the wake of the city's coup. The dark, forbidden knowledge of how the city came to be founded has been released into the world for all to read, and now someone must pay.
Inspector Liesl Malone is on her toes, trying to keep the peace, and Arnault's spy ring is more active than ever. Has the city's increased access to knowledge put the citizens in even more danger? Allegiances change, long-held beliefs are adjusted, and things are about to get messy.
File Under: Fantasy [ Buried Cities / Secrets & Lies / Revolutionary / Total War ]
Cover Art: John Coulthart
Book Info:
UK Print
Date: 2 July 2015
Format: Medium (B-Format) Paperback
North American Print
Date: 7 July 2015
Format: Small (Mass-Market) Paperback
Date: 2 July 2015
Format: Epub & Mobi
More Books in This Series:
1. The Buried Life (March 2015)
3. The Song of the Dead (May 2017)
Buying Info:
UK Print & Ebook
Amazon.co.uk | Book Depository | Waterstones | WHSmith
North American Print & Ebook
Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | BarnesandNoble.com | IndieBound.org
Global DRM-Free Epub Ebook
On-sale 27th January 2015 from the Robot Trading Company
Author Info:
Carrie Patel: www.electronicinkblog.com | @Carrie_Patel on Twitter
Discuss and Share:
Link to Goodreads.com to follow…
Read an Extract:
Sample Chapters to follow…
Praise and Reviews:
"What Patel is giving the characters (and the reader) in this changed portrayal is an understanding of consequences. The old Recolleta is dead, but the birth pains of the new one aren't especially pretty. Still, from a setting point of view, Patel has spun together a vivid world, one which is different enough from our own to be fascinating, and similar enough that we empathise with the characters as they struggle within it."
– Sci-Fi and Fantasy Reviews
"I read this book in one go, quite literally in one sitting. It's definitely a worthy sequel."
– Bibliophibian Inc.
"Carrie Patel has created a world that's so rich, so full, and so well-developed, that it's incredibly easy to get lost in it. There are layers to the characters and layers to the world itself. It's incredibly thought out and developed, and it's so well-done. I'd revisit this world again for sure."
– In Case of Survival
"What I really loved (and respected) about Cities and Thrones is that Patel doesn't pander to the reader, overwrite the story, or otherwise tell rather than show. Yet the wording isn't dense, frustrating, or nebulous."
– Online Eccentric Librarian
"Ms. Patel has a knack in Cities and Thrones of providing just enough information for your imagination to grab hold and provide the rest. She's also a master at nail-biting, non-stop action. Once you start reading, hold on tight because things are going to get really interesting fast. I recommend this series because it just keeps getting better."
– Popcorn Reads
"It's all fascinating and interesting, and the aftermath of the revolution in Recoletta puts me in mind of some of the events of the French Revolution. Thus, the tangle of events here reminds me strongly of the novels of Django Wexler and Brian McClellan, especially when the plots of their novels focus on intrigue and city adventure rather than the flintlock fantasy war scenes. These three authors, McClellan, Wexler and Patel, all understand and illustrate that revolution and political upheaval are never, ever, smooth and easy affairs. There are countervailing forces, revanchist forces, radical elements, and the ordinary person *still* has to muddle along and live the day-to-day life, sometimes in a very broken world."
– The Skiffy and Fanty Show
"I was on the edge of my proverbial seat during the last few chapters."
– The Qwillery
To Follow…


text:
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text:
Creating Fit Bodies and Fit Minds
Blog Categories:
For too many years we have addressed the equation of "fit body and fit minds" as requiring two separate interventions. For the mind, we've looked toward mentoring. For the body, we've turned to physical activity and health education. But our AmeriCorps investment proves that a national service member can be the catalyst to fit bodies and fit minds. Our formula has been to train our AmeriCorps members on how to use the power of coaching to build relationships with at-risk youth that inspire their healthy futures.
Up2Us launched Coach Across America through an AmeriCorps grant in 2009. It is a groundbreaking movement that challenges young adults to spend a year of service as coaches in sports-based youth development organizations in the most underserved communities in America.
Our definition of coach goes beyond just the sports aspect. Our coach is a mentor who understands that the life skills taught through sports can propel children to stay in school, exercise regularly, and set positive goals for their future.
As I've traveled the nation, I've seen the power of AmeriCorps through Coach Across America.
- A swimming coach who challenged a teenage male who was tough enough to carry a guy but too scared to jump in the deep end of the pool. She didn't give up on him where others did. Three years later, this same boy is a swimmer and making plans for college.
- A dance coach who challenges young girls that their body image should not define their self-worth. Two years later, these girls are performing their dances in public. They are more athletically fit, and no boy can mess with their self-esteem.
- A rugby coach who walks into one of the most poorly performing schools in his district. A year later, he has a team of rugby players who meet every day after school to play a sport that none of them had ever heard of and to set academic goals that none of them believed possible.
Stories like these demonstrate that a "fit body and a fit mind" are deeply dependent on one another, and recent research is providing the scientific proof. Numerous studies in the last few years show that kids who are physically active develop brain cells more rapidly than kids who are inactive. What's more, many of these studies have found that these cells develop in the parts of the brain responsible for on-task behavior, self-discipline, and cognitive reasoning.
The translation is simple—a healthy body is critical to a healthy mind.
And our intervention is simple, too. A trained workforce of AmeriCorps members coaching kids can truly lead to the ultimate outcome of this equation: Fit Body = Fit Mind = Children who can reach their fullest potential.
Happy 20th Birthday AmeriCorps! Thanks for continuing to be a catalyst of innovation.
Paul Caccamo is the Executive Director of Up2Us, a national AmeriCorps grantee. March has been designated Healthy Futures month for the AmeriCorps 20th Anniversary celebration. To learn more about the celebration, visit the AmeriCorps 20th Anniversary portal.