text:
This morning, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton arrived at the U.S. Department of State. In her remarks to Department employees, Secretary Clinton said:"I am absolutely honored and thrilled beyond words to be here with you as our nation's 67th Secretary of State. And I believe, with all of my heart, that this is a new era for America.
President Obama set the tone with his inaugural address. And the work of the Obama-Biden Administration is committed to advancing America's national security, furthering America's interests, and respecting and exemplifying America's values around the world.
There are three legs to the stool of American foreign policy: defense, diplomacy, and development. And we are responsible for two of the three legs. And we will make clear, as we go forward, that diplomacy and development are essential tools in achieving the long-term objectives of the United States. And I will do all that I can, working with you, to make it abundantly clear that robust diplomacy and effective development are the best long-term tools for securing America's future."Read Secretary Clinton's full remarks here.
SNP in Syria writes:
Secretary Clinton Said: QUOTE And the work of the Obama-Biden Administration is committed to advancing America's national security, furthering America's interests, and respecting and exemplifying America's values around the world. END QUOTE,
We heard George Bush say the same words over sixty thousand times in the past 8 years. America and the world would feel much safer if Fed Chairman or U.S. Treasury Secretary would make the above comment. Just add the world FINANCIAL after national and before interests, this will also makes consumers feel more optimistic when they know the Fed- chair is as well respecting and exemplifying... add the financial industry at end.
Thetus in North Carolina writes:
Congratulations . You are a great choice.
Rusty in Belgium writes:
Congratulations and best wishes to you Secretary Hillary Clinton. The world needs your experience, diplomacy,and strength.
God bless you.
Brian in Arizona writes:
Congratulations and best wishes, Secretary Clinton. You are in my thoughts and prayers as you assume this new post.
Emma in the United Kingdom writes:
Congratulations Secretary Hillary Clinton. I am living abroad at the moment, but come from New York and I am happy to have you representing us.
I have followed your progress over the last few years and wish you well in your new job. I am sure you will do a great job for America and for the rest of the world.
Good luck to the new administration. I am sure one day we will see you back in the White House.
Tracie in Germany writes:
Congratulations to Hillary Rodham Clinton on her appointment as Secretary of State. You are an inspiration to many.
Emmitt R. in Mississippi writes:
Congrads Hillary Clinton! I know you will represent the U.S. well.
Maria in Connecticut writes:
Welcome to the Department, Secretary Clinton! Congratulations on your appointment, and best wishes.
Carol in California writes:
Sharon in Israel writes:
Congratulations and much success to you, Secretary Hillary Clinton! Keep up the good work you started in Arkansas.
May you and your team manage to find and create "tunnels" in many countries via which to smuggle much-needed empowerment and freedom to replace gunpowder and free-for-alls.
Paul in Florida writes:
Congratulations Secretary Hillary Clinton! I am so pleased and excited that you are our Secretary of State. I know you will make this nation proud. You are by far the best choice for this job, and I wish you all the best and I will keep you in my prayers. Thank you Secretary Clinton for all you do for this country, your efforts are appreciated. We and the world are so lucky that you are Secretary of State. God Bless You!!
Timothy in Ohio writes:
Secretary Clinton,
Congratualtions on your successful nomination and confirmation as Secretary of State. As someone who I have admired since as long as I can remember (I'm only 20 years old) I know that this job is tailormade for you. Congrats Madame Secretary. I can't wait to see what great thibgs you have in store for American diplomacy.
Tim S.
Political Science major, The Ohio State University
Columbus, Ohio
Sally and Larry in Washington write:
Congratulations Hillary--we are thrilled to see a New Day at the State Department and we wish you every success and we are so glad you are there working for all Americans.
Gratefully and hopefully, Sally and Larry, Mercer Island, WA
Joe in Tennessee writes:
EK in New Hampshire writes:
Your the Best Secretary Clinton!!!
You lift our world and all its inhabitants to greatness.
We are so blessed to have our Hill!!
Actually your name may be Hill but your a Mountain of good works!!!
Many Happy Returns of the Day,
S.H. writes:
You guys at the State Department are so lucky to have Hillary as your new boss. In a way, we from Hillary's Village are bestowing her on you since she has been ours (and New York's) until now.
Be good to her. Be good for her. She will be good to and for you and all of us. We at her Village know her. She is precious. Watch her back.
Jerry in U.S.A. writes:
Satan is now begining to rear his ugly head,,"executive orders for abortion on demand in all states"..sin is not sin anymore,,,all the right leaders are in place,,God forgive us,,,,,,,,,
Philip W. in Spain writes:
Bravo, Secretary Clinton, I can only express my deepest congratulations for your new post. I see you as a key player in the Obama administration that will meet President Obama's objectives over the next four to eight years. As a USAF retiree here we can only hope that you find time to push some of the issues we have with our privileges here.
Zharkov in U.S.A. writes:
The Obama administration is wiping its feet across the U.S. Constitution in failing to disclose Mr. Obama's place of birth, and in appointing Senator Clinton as Secretary of State. Both Obama and Clinton are lawyers and know they are violating the Constitution.
The second clause of Article 1, Section 6, of the Constitution reads, "No Senator or Representative shall, during the Time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil Office under the Authority of the United States which shall have been created, or the Emoluments whereof shall have been increased during such time..."
The only act Senator Clinton is authorized to do is to immediately resign. Everything else she does is void and without constitutional authority.
At least there is one America remaining at State who is willing to take this to court. Bravo for him, and good luck.


text:
Good news seems to come out of Detroit about as often as the Lions have a winning season. But it appears as though Detroit is finally picking itself up with a do-it-yourself sentiment that's driven the launch of several local business and restaurants. And now there's another welcome addition to Motor City life: The Detroit Wine Truck.
Launched about six weeks ago by local entrepreneur Putnam Weekley, 41, the Detroit Wine Truck offers sampler packs of two to six bottles of wine, delivered free anywhere in town. Weekley posts new offers on his blog DetroitDrinks.com, and changes his selections every week or two.
The packs cost about $50, yet are competitive with regular retail prices, says Weekley. "You can put wines together in ways that add up to more than the sum of the parts," he explains. The aim is to provide great-tasting wines, but also an educational experience with different varieties and producers — just like a wine club. Weekley also puts together custom orders upon request.
The most popular wine so far, he says, is the Les Heretiques Vin de Pays ($11), and Weekley says the majority of his customers have purchased wine more than once. He only sees the business growing as he stays in tune with local tastes, which big chain stores — should they ever return to Detroit — can't manage. "There are things possible in Detroit because the competitive environment is so empty," says Weekley. "The best way to understand what people want is to live here and be on the ground." Sort of like a local wine shop that comes to you.
If you know of another cool wine service or company, tell us about it below.
Walk out the door with these quick and convenient breakfasts in hand (or cup)
Many of the products on this list are commonly used by athletes and trainers

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Multiple agencies investigate Spokane Valley shooting
SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. - A man reported that he was shot at near 8th Avenue and Dishman Mica Road in Spokane Valley on Tuesday morning.
The shooting happened just after 7 a.m. on the 300 block of South Dishman Mica Road.
According to Spokane County deputies, the man was not injured and said he knew the shooter. Deputies also said they are familiar with both the shooter and the person he shot at. The Spokane County Sheriff's Office said multiple agencies are assisting.
The SWAT team is on scene, as deputies prepare to serve a search warrant at Dishman Concrete Products. Deputies did not say if the shooter is inside the building.
Dishman Mica Road is blocked from Appleway Boulevard to 7th Avenue.


text:
Dickinson calls off Antoine grant application
By JIM ANDERSON
News Editor
IRON MOUNTAIN – Dickinson County will forego, for this year, a grant application for a new restroom/shower building at Lake Antoine Park.
The county will proceed with a separate application for playground equipment, said County Controller Kay Pascoe.
Commissioners voted 3-2 Tuesday to nix a proposed Michigan Department of Natural Resources Trust Fund project of $327,790, which would have required a minimum county match of nearly $82,000.
Although the county planned to draw funds for the match from the 2014 budget, commissioners were wary of the financial commitment, Pascoe said. The board will take a new look at the project next year, she said.
Commissioners Joe Stevens and Barbara Kramer supported filing the application, which is due April 1. Grant awards are typically announced in October or November.
Voting against the project were Chairman Henry Wender and commissioners Ann Martin and John Degenaer Jr.
The estimated cost for new restrooms and showers, including demolition of the current building, is $275,000. In addition, the proposed project included a beach mat ($1,500), concrete sidewalk ($6,000) and children's fishing pier ($10,000).
The proposed playground equipment would be funded through a DNR Recreation Passport grant. Estimated cost is nearly $36,600, with the grant covering $26,000 and the county providing a cash match of $7,500 and in-kind labor of $3,075.
Jim Anderson's email address is email@example.com.


text:
Selected performance:
Wednesday 19th March - Thursday 20th March
The term 'legend' can be bandied about rather too often in jazz circles, but there is no danger of over-estimating the status of Oscar Peterson. Regarded by the jazz community as one of the most important, influential and revered pianists of all time, his death in December 2007 was a huge blow to music as a whole, not just to the genre.
His technical dexterity and searching melodies can be heard on over two hundred recordings and earned him seven Grammy awards, but more than this he was admired by jazz lovers the world over throughout a career that lasted over sixty years. Peterson played Ronnie Scott's many times in his day, and for this tribute night the club will keep the music and memory of him alive by bringing together a selection of highly respected contemporary pianists to celebrate his life and works. In these shows there will be two grand pianos set in the traditional way, facing each other. Amongst the performers will be pianists James Pearson and Dave Newton who will be hosting the night with friends and special guests.
Tonight's performance will feature some of Oscar's classic trio composition 'The Canadiana Suite'.
7:15pm: support act
8.30pm: Remembering Oscar Peterson


text:
Cute Straight Across Bangs With Blonde Highlights
This is a cute hairstyle as this young teenager has her hair long and straight. The hair is parted in the middle with long bangs styled thick onto the forehead.For this style, the hair is cut long.The hair colour is a dark brown with lighter brown highlights added to the sides.
Salon: Citrus Salon & Day Spa, Ble Bell, PA Hairstyle: Saturno Prosseda Haircolor: Saturno Prosseda Makeup: Stephanie Burdick Photography: Tom Carson


text:
Former smoker Tina Moyer shares her journey
Tina Moyer, 47, hasn�t touched a cigarette in almost three years. But at one point, the longtime smoker from Middleburg, Pa., consumed about three packs a day and didn�t think twice about her destructive habit. In 2009, however, a frightening episode took the wind out of her�literally. �At night, trying to sleep, I would start to feel really short of breath,� Moyer says. �I realized, �OK, I need to do something about this.�� After nearly 30 years of lighting up, Moyer was determined to quit once and for all. She and her son, Rob, also a heavy smoker, both stopped cold turkey on Oct. 9, 2009. �It was a blessing to have someone else go through this journey with me,� Moyer says. �If I was ever tempted to go and get a cigarette, Rob was right behind me, coaching me and motivating me. It�s a mind game. You have to keep pushing.� Though she successfully kicked the habit, Moyer still felt breathless. She also experienced swelling in her feet and ankles�a telltale sign of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Even so, Moyer�s physician dismissed her symptoms as a normal part of aging. In 2010, another doctor diagnosed Moyer with emphysema, one of several diseases collectively known as COPD. Symptoms include shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing and frequent respiratory infections. Moyer says COPD often makes it difficult for her to engage in her favorite outdoor activities such as birdwatching and gardening. �It�s frustrating,� she says. �There are times when I just start to cry because it�s so hard to breathe.� To make matters worse, Moyer works in a sewing factory where she is exposed to dust, chemicals and other respiratory irritants, which worsen her emphysema. �I�ve noticed I get so many more head colds and sinus infections than ever before,� she says. �But this is my livelihood, and I have to keep going.� Moyer has found ways to manage her COPD. In addition to using a prescription inhaler daily, she has adopted an exercise regimen that includes riding a recumbent bicycle for 20 minutes a day and performing light weightlifting exercises. Doctors say regular exercise can diminish COPD symptoms by strengthening the heart and lungs. �After my diagnosis, I went through pulmonary rehab, which was incredibly helpful,� she explains. �It taught me how to cope with the shortness of breath through pursed-lip breathing. It also showed me how to properly take my [inhaled] medication.� Life was beginning to look up again, but two knee surgeries sidelined Moyer, causing her emphysema to progress from mild to moderate. Still, Moyer is keeping up the fight against COPD. Her knee now is stronger, and she�s begun exercising again. �It�s really hard, but the important thing is to never give up,� she says. �It�s like getting back on a hobby-horse and trying all over again.� Hoping to foster a supportive community for fellow COPD sufferers, Moyer launched the COPD Aware Facebook page, where she posts encouraging words and information about the disease. �I think the more support you give to people, the more you get in return,� Moyer says. �A lot of people don�t know about this condition, and I�m passionate about being an advocate for it.� Brought to you by: Spry - Healthy Living and Wellness for Women


text:
I wrote my longest TechSource post of last summer while sitting in
a very warm home office in Palo Alto,
sweating in my skivvies. Now in late summer 2007 I find myself in a day-job where the A/C is
so efficient I drape a my "office blanky" around my shoulders in the afternoon
(I'm essentially a snake, so I'm cold wherever I go in the well-refrigerated
South). Things change, don't they? Read More »
By Liz LawleyPresented July 24, 2007 Read More »
By Eli NeiburgerPresented July 23, 2007 Read More »
By Lisa Janicke HinchliffePresented July 23, 2007 Lisa Janicke Hinchliffe stepped in at the last minute to give this presentation about the multitude of gaming services the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Libraries are offering and planning. More info....
Listen to an MP3 audio file of this session (37MB, 40:52) Read More »
By Chris HarrisPresented July 23, 2007 "This session would be a perfect fit for anyone who wants to bring gaming to
school libraries or forge a game-based partnership with a school. Interactive
fiction, also know as text-based adventure gaming, combines the mental
stimulation of gaming, the challenge of game creation, and English Language Arts
standards. Using the free tools shared at this session, your gaming group will
be ready to begin creating a new world with a primary focus on content instead
of a complicated graphical engine." More info....
Read More »
Moderated by Stephen AbramJuly 23, 2007Monday evening at the Symposium, we were lucky enough to enjoy the company of 11 teens who answered questions posed by Stephen Abram.Listen to an MP3 audio file of this session (87MB, 1:34:38)
tags: glls2007, gaming in libraries
By Amy Harris, Scott RicePresented July 24, 2007 Read More »
By Matt Gullett, Kelly Czarnecki, Craig DavisPresented July 23, 2007 Read More »
By Beth GallawayPresented July 24, 2007"Circulating video games and software is one way to serve gamers, but without community and staff storage, buy in, theft, damage, and storage can be major hurdles. Discover alternatives such as downloadable games and subscription-based game services from a variety of vendors, and hear about libraries that are implementing digital and mail order game services! We will also examine the potential of mail order gaming services from vendors such as Red Octane and GameFly, and show other digital services with appeal to gamers for libraries to consider." More info....
Listen to an MP3 audio file of this session (34MB, 37:23) Read More »
By Stephanie Publicker, Lyn AllenPresented July 23, 2007 ToxMystery: Using a Game to Make Learning about Chmicals Fun for Kids: "ToxMystery (http://toxmystery.nlm.nih.gov) is the National Library of
Medicine's interactive learning site for 8-11 year old children. It provides a
fun, game-like experience while introducing potential environmental health
hazards sometimes found in the home. Read More »
By Dwight McInvaillPresented July 24, 2007 Read More »
By Bee Gallegos and Tammy AllgoodPresented July 24, 2007 "Quarantined: Axl Wise and the Information Outbreak is a fully interactive
single-player game environment that simulates the complex processes of
selecting, using, evaluating and synthesizing multiple sources of information
within a research environment. A variety of information sources such as
databases, the online catalog, the web, librarians, professors and peers are
employed to solve the mystery in this game. Read More »
By Annie Downey and Kristin BoyettPresented July 24, 2007 "The University of North Texas Libraries is planning a unique, online educational
game to develop information literacy among its students. This presentation will
include information on the entire development process of this single player
online role-playing game. Read More »
By Martin House and Mark EngelbrechtPresented July 24, 2007 Read More »
By Beth GallawayPresented July 24, 2007 "Circulating video games and software is one way to serve gamers. Discover how to
make the case to include this exciting new format in your collections. Learn how
to evaluate, select, purchase, store, and market PC and console games at your
library. A hands-on exercise acclimates libraries to gaming magazines and game
reviews, and a showcase of best practices presents models to follow." More info....
Read More »
By Kathrine FallowPresented July 23, 2007 "Video games are under scrutiny around the country as some parents and special
interest groups raise concerns about the topics and themes contained in some
games. Some groups call for laws regulating access to games based on their
content; others advocate for an outright ban on violent games. Several states
have passed laws restricting minors' access to 'violent' video games, but every
such law has been invalidated by the courts under the First
Amendment. Read More »
By Kit Ward-CrixellPresented July 23, 2007 "If you turned LiveJournal upside down and shook it, Harry Potter role-playing
games [RPGs] would fall out. An LJer myself, I was intrigued when I read this
characterization of LJ and went on a cursory search of LiveJournal communities.
Not only did I find hundreds of RPGs based on the fictional world of JK Rowling,
I found a myriad of RPGs based on other books, or RPGs in which characters from
different authors' works interact. LiveJournal, a blogging website and online
community, is also a hotspot of book-based role-playing. Read More »
By Kelly CzarneckiPresented July 23, 2007 Read More »
By Lisa Janicke HinchliffePresented July 23, 2007 Read More »
By Natalie GickPresented July 23, 2007 "In support of games courses, faculty research and students interested in careers
in gaming, the SFU Surrey Library has a Games Room with PCs, games consoles and
a games collection. Hear how the games room came to be, the computing
requirements and ongoing maintenance needed, and about policies and collection
development." More info....
Listen to an MP3 audio file of this session (33MB, 35:56) Read More »
By Tom Peters, Lori Bell, John KirriemuirPresented July 23, 2007 Libraries Get a Second Life: "First lives are often busy enough but a second one can allow you to be anyone
you want! Alliance Library System started the Second Life Library in April 2006.
We have found that people in virtual worlds do want libraries, and even books.
We have offered some traditional and some new services. This program will cover
how we got started, what works and what does not work. Tom Peters and Lori Bell
will discuss the project. " More info.... Read More »
By Barbara GalikPresented July 23, 2007 Read More »
By Amy Alessio, Joe Torres, Kelly Laszczak, Eric Currie, Alex TylePresented July 23, 2007 Growing a Gaming Group: "Create a Gaming Advisory Board at your school or public library. Presenters will
demonstrate equipment used on a variety of platforms, and outline activities
used with a monthly gaming group. Work with a Gaming Group to revolutionize your
digital collections, online presence, programming for younger gamers and more." More info.... Read More »
By Julie ScordatoPresented July 23, 2007 "How do you get a library from 'Surely you can't mean video games at my library?'
to, "When am I getting video games at my library!"In December 2006, the
Columbus Metropolitan Library Board of Trustees approved a budget of $25,000 to
bring gaming equipment to each of its 21 locations as a major teen services
programming initiative. This presentation will look at how we went from sending
two librarians to the Chicago MLS gaming symposium in December 2005 to unrolling
gaming system wide for Teen Tech Week 2007. Read More »
By H. David "Giz" Womack, Lynn S. Sutton, and Lori O. CritzPresented July 23, 2007 Read More »
By Donald DennisPresented July 23, 2007 "Game environments for traditional and modern board games, card games, RPGs, or
even electronic games are not the traditional domain of libraries. Games are, by
and large, an interactive activity. Formal and informal communities have
developed around board games, card games, RPGs (role playing games), or even
electronic games.
Read More »
By Jami SchwarzwalderPresented July 23, 2007 "In Second Life, Schwarzwalder has taught classes on how to create items for
interactive display. Here she will show the audience how to make a prim book
using the same instructions she gives for in world." More info....Listen to an MP3 audio file of this session (35MB, 38:09) Read More »
Game designer Gregory Trefry opened the last day of the Symposium by waking everyone up to the incredible opportunities that "big games" can provide for libraries. Titled Big Fun, Big Learning: Transforming the World through Play, this session expanded a lot of peoples' minds about how we define gaming and libraries.Listen to an MP3 audio file of this session* (51MB, 56:13) Read More »
On July 22, 2007, Eli Neiburger closed the first day of presentations by sharing the emotional and social impact the Ann Arbor District Library's gaming tournaments have had on teens, parents, families, and even 78-year old military veterans. The Payoff, Up Close and Personal, included some powerful video of the participants themselves, and then Eli thrilled the crowd by announcing the GT System.Listen to an MP3 audio file of the session (67MB, 1:11:58) Read More »
On Sunday, July 22, 2007, Scott Nicholson from the Information Institute of Syracuse helped open the Symposium by presenting a session titled Who Else Is Playing? The Current State of Gaming in Libraries. His findings constitute the first real research our profession has regarding the reach of gaming in libraries today. Plus, Scott got to give everyone in the audience a free game of Wits & Wagers, so there was a lot of fun mixed in with the statistics. Read More »
Noted scholar James Paul Gee opened the second day of the 2007 TechSource Gaming, Learning, and Libraries Symposium with a fascinating discussion about Libraries, Gaming, and the New Equity Crisis and where librarians fit into the solution.Listen to an MP3 of the session (58MB, 1:01:39) or view a PDF of Dr. Gee's slides. Read More »
The dog days of August 2007 may be remembered as that magic moment when librarianship as practiced in Second Life finally received permission to dine at the adults' table.
On August 3rd the Library of Congress announced a new initiative -- Preserving Creative America. They made eight grant awards totally $2.15 million "...to address the long-term preservation of creative content in digital form." The creative content being targeted includes the usual suspects, such as digitally created motion pictures, digital music, and digital photographs, but it also includes comic strips (Doonesbury) and editorial cartoons (Pat Oliphant) -- which I assume were not born digital, but perhaps I'm just revealing my quaint, old-fashioned notions of how cartoons are drawn these days. Read More »
The first of the audio files from the 2007 TechSource Gaming, Learning, and Libraries Symposium is now available! Give a listen to Henry Jenkins' opening keynote (MP3, 61MB, 1:05:33) given on July 22, 2007. You can manually synch up a PDF of his slides that are available on the GLLS2007 site or watch a video of Dr. Jenkins speaking. Read More »
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text:
25 March, 2013 2:17PM ACST
David Bowie, The Next Day
Call him the Thin White Duke, Ziggy Stardust or plain old David Bowie - the original glam-rocker is back with his new album The Next Day.
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Teaming up with long-time producer Tony Visconti, who's worked with Bowie on Space Oddity in 1969 and again in the early 2000s for Heathen and Reality, The Next Day recording sessions were done in secret, over a period of two years.
Surprising his fans, and the world, with the track Where Are we Now?, unveiled unceremoniously on his 66th birthday, Bowie's joined on the record by guitarist Earl Slick, and rhythm section of Gail Ann Dorsey and Sterling Campbell.
David Bowie's The Next Day is our Album of the Week on ABC Local Radio across the Territory.
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text:
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Makeup Bar - Vixen party
I wanted to show you some pics of a Makeup Bar I did a few weeks ago. I enlisted fellow blogger Joy from RockStarMuA to come out and assist. It was a lot of fun but tiring too! This makeup bar had a vixen theme...the girls took a lot of picture in lingerie as gifts to their boos for Valentines Day. I couldn't show too many of the pics out of respect to their privacy, he he.
Check out the setup:
Before the madness
After - this is what happens when you're trying to hurry and do multiple ladies at once!
Check out the tat I did. I cropped the picture to give some deceny to the shot. What you can't see is that I did two of these tats...one on each booby! The stencil is an ink transfer filled in with Temptu Dura Color. Looks real huh?
Here I am filling in the tattoo.
Here's one of the ladies I did. She informed me from the beginning that she doesn't like makeup, lol. I knew that was going to be a challenge. I convinced her to go with a smokey look using grays instead of black to tone it down. One thing she told me which I thought was funny was "Did you notice that there are two dark lines on my nose?" He he, I told her "Yup, it's to contour your nose." Fun times.
Here I am touching her up after a costume change. She was wayyyy taller than me so I made her stoop down and balance on my shoulders lol.
I only have one of the shots to show you cuz a lot of the poses were lingerie shots...trying to keep this blog PG!
Here's another before and after. I had worked on this client before at another makeup bar. She wanted some fun color this time. My fav! I really worked on her skin to give her a new canvas.
What you couldn't see were her shoes...tres mignon!
This is a shot of me and joy after the job...tired! lol
Till next time, Ciao Bellas!
Atlanta Makeup Artist
19 comments:
- Makeup by ReRe said...
I had been thinking about doing something like this here in Orlando. How did you get people involved?
Visit Tigress Or Tame? Beauty for Wild & Mild Kitties for makeup giveaways, contests, reviews, freebies, and more!
- March 4, 2009 at 9:20 AM
- Askmewhats said...
awww I love to seeing what's happening behind! :) wonderful before and after shots :) I am so proud of you!!!
- March 4, 2009 at 9:28 AM
- 梅子 said...
this is some hawwwwtness.
i am inlove with your makeup bar! even withthe mess!!! hahaha so much awe i wish i had that problem hahahaha omg.
- March 4, 2009 at 9:41 AM
- Product Junkie Diva said...
AAAAAAAAmazing. I love your before and after pics.
- March 4, 2009 at 10:26 AM
- Wes said...
You did an excellent job on that last woman- I think you made her look about 10 years younger! BTW- I think you could fool a veteran tatt artist w/ your replicated version.. HOT!
- March 4, 2009 at 11:10 AM
- Sharon Rose said...
Hi there-fabulous job well done my dear and I do love the tattoo!!
- March 4, 2009 at 11:56 AM
- GiGi said...
Hey Ren,
I was wondering if you could do a tutorial on lighting. I just can't get it right. Is there a certain vanity mirror you use?
Thanx you are just beautiful.
- March 4, 2009 at 12:05 PM
- Girl with Curl said...
Great job with the makeovers. They all look great. You contour so well.
- March 4, 2009 at 1:19 PM
- JENSMAKEUPBAG said...
dang girl! you're so good with makeovers. love your new concealer video too...it's helping a lot! that makeup bar sounds like so much fun though. great job. love makeover #1, i wish i had a crease like hers =(
- March 4, 2009 at 4:24 PM
- rockSTARbeauty said...
aww man. boy do i look a mess in that pic lmao
- March 4, 2009 at 5:25 PM
- Eclecticldy said...
The tattoo and makeup looks really great...and the pic of you and Joy is hilarious :)
- March 4, 2009 at 7:54 PM
- avicdens said...
awesome job!
- March 4, 2009 at 8:15 PM
- Jaime Dollaga said...
amazing! i wish i could get you to do my makeup for a shoot. let me know if you are ever in sf. :)
- March 4, 2009 at 9:34 PM
- Le Midget said...
I like the pictures where you're all tired lol
- March 4, 2009 at 9:52 PM
- Petrina said...
OMG! You are so talanted! What blush did you use on the girl with the tattoo?? Im about her skin tone and i have been looking for a great blush!
- March 5, 2009 at 11:06 AM
- M said...
ahhh! i love the tatoo you did on her!
- March 6, 2009 at 12:36 AM
- Mina said...
This is awesome Ren! You shoulda taken some sessy pics too ;-)
I can't believe that the wedding is next week. Are you excited?! I'm looking forward to having you be a part of my day(s) ;-)!
- March 7, 2009 at 4:53 AM
- Jo said...
hi renren, i'm just a lurker. hope you don't mind. just wanna say you do such outstanding work. the lady's nose looks so different and so defined wow!
- March 8, 2009 at 10:40 AM
- Russian Fortune Cookie said...
That tattoo IS quite impressive - it's even got that slight blue undertone that all real, slightly faded tattoos get :)
Minor, minor nitpick though: it's upside down. It's the Chinese character "Xu", which is a fairly common last name...
- March 9, 2009 at 1:47 PM


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Welcome to the Compton Community College District. Student success is central to our mission of supporting the educational needs of our community. Originally established in 1927, the District now serves five Trustee Areas encompassing 12 cities.
On this website, you will find a variety of information covering the District's business and operations, including:
- Annual budget information
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- District Map and boundaries
- District policies and procedures
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- Foundation
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- News releases
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In addition, the website provides information on the El Camino College Compton Center Accreditation process.
The District is governed by a state-appointed Special Trustee. Board meetings are held the third Tuesday of each month and are open to the public.
The District's No. 1 goal is to ensure that the residents of our communities have access to a quality higher education.
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"This is the Way to Do Computer Audio." - Sam Tellig, Stereophile
Making CDs Sound Better Than You Ever Thought Possible
The Parasound CD 1 is the result of a collaboration between Parasound and Holm Acoustics in Denmark. The CD 1 demonstrates that CDs can sound significantly better than anyone has imagined possible. The potential of the 16-bit CD format is fully realized for the first time in the CD 1.
"It is for those who want to give their CDs proper respect, and who don't care what the 'industry' or editors want us to think," reports Sam Tellig in his July 2013 column for Stereophile magazine. "This is the way to do computer audio."
"My vote: Class A," notes Sam's colleague John Marks in Stereophile for June 2013. "Parasound has fulfilled its design goals for the Halo CD 1. If you're prepared to keep playing your CDs and don't care about futureproofing, this is a fantastic player, for reasonable money, given the high quality of its engineering and parts."
The Parasound CD 1 demonstrates a new method for playing Compact Discs. To begin with, it employs a CD ROM drive instead of a conventional CD drive. The CD ROM drive is connected to a passively cooled Intel ITX computer. It uses the Linux operating system kernel and Holm's proprietary software that improves the reading of CD disc data. The CD ROM drive is set to run at four times the speed of a conventional CD player drive in order to accumulate a vast amount of data quickly. Because the CD spins at four times the normal speed, the CD 1 has the advantage of being able to read sections of a disc as many times as needed to significantly reduce read errors.
Advanced Technique for CD Data Analysis
The CD 1 reads a CD multiple times before committing data to an enormous memory buffer stored in RAM. Every data sector is initially read twice and the two reads are compared. When the two reads match, it is because no bit errors were detected and that is accumulated in the buffer memory. When the two reads do not match it is because an error has been detected. That sector is then read repeatedly until good data is obtained.
This sophisticated process almost always results in error-free data. When interpolation techniques are needed they are confined to the single small bad fragment, thereby minimizing their negative sonic side effects.
The bit-perfect, jitter-free information goes next to an asynchronous USB interface. The flow of this information is controlled directly by a separate ultra-high-precision clock that is totally independent from the CD ROM drive clock and whose frequency is absolutely stable.
Analog Devices AD1853 DAC IC
The CD 1 uses a single AD1853 DAC in stereo mode, rather than a separate DAC for each channel. The choice of a single DAC was not budgetary, but rather because a single DAC is inherently free of any inter-DAC delays. The delay between multiple DACs working in parallel can measure up to 10 nanoseconds (10,000 picoseconds), introducing minute amounts of delay into the signal chain. But the jitter on the CD 1's Master Clock to the DAC chip is below 10 picoseconds RMS. To achieve this outstanding DAC clocking performance, even the smallest part-to-part timing discrepancy must be avoided.
Onboard the AD1853 the CD's 44.1 kHz data is converted to 352.8 kHz by 8x upsampling. The upsampling process minimizes the staircase step size of the output current from the audio DAC to achieve the smoothest possible DAC raw output without any related aliasing. This is particularly important because large current source changes that exceed the slew rate of the analog op-amps that are downstream will cause them to generate distortion that impairs audible performance.
Advanced Analog Technology
The quality of the CD 1 analog section is as important as its digital section. Designing an extremely accurate, stable, and linear digital section is a pointless exercise if the analog section does not have the very lowest possible noise to avoid degrading the purity of the decoded signal. It is for this reason that the CD 1 utilizes National Semiconductor LME49990 op amps exclusively in its analog section. The LME49990 is designed specifically for ultra-high end audio applications.
Premium Analog Output Stage
The conditioned analog signal is buffered with yet another pair of LME49990 op amps for the XLR balanced output connectors. The positive leg of each XLR also drives the same channel's analog RCA output jack, so the RCA and XLR outputs cannot be used at the same time. The CD 1 uses Neutrik XLR connectors for the balanced outputs and gold-plated Vampire RCA jacks for the unbalanced outputs. These parts were selected for the high purity of their base metals, sonic superiority and quality of construction. Parasound uses these same connectors in its Halo JC 1, JC 2, and JC 3.
Discrete Analog Option
The Discrete-Op amp button on the CD 1's front panel gives you the option of listening to the analog outputs directly from the LME49990 op amps or via discrete transistor output stages. The discrete output stage is a modernized version of the discrete output stage used in the vintage Parasound DAC-2000 that UltraAnalog designed for Parasound. It uses discrete transistors in a Darlington configuration that operates in the feedback loops of the LME49990s so that the specs for THD and noise are as low as the op amps alone. The discrete circuit subtly changes the sonic character of the CD 1, and fortunately there is no 'wrong' choice.
Multi-Stage Power Supplies and Voltage Regulators
The Parasound CD 1 uses one high current switch mode power supply for its CD ROM drive and Intel computer and a second standby switch mode standby power supply which consumes a mere 0.5w in standby. A separate linear power supply is provided for the analog section, because its characteristics are superior for analog reproduction and appropriate for the CD 1's analog circuit.
The CD 1 has 12 separate point-of-load power supply voltage regulators. Each regulator is assigned to convert voltage downward and maintain it precisely for its assigned analog or digital subsection. 10 voltage regulators are used in the DAC-analog output section alone, and one regulator is used for the S/PDIF digital links. The USB power is filtered by a dedicated regulator for the clock's crystal oscillator. Each power rail is carried on its own isolated power plane. Low voltage DC currents from the analog section's power supply are further noise-shaped by multiple levels of power regulation.
Heavy Shielding Isolates Every Function
The interior of the CD 1 has a network of massive aluminum partitions that isolate each function and circuit from other functions. The analog power supply and its R-core power transformer are each shielded in separate compartments to isolate and shield them from high frequency electromagnetic emissions from the switch mode power supplies, the Intel computer's processor and clock, and the CD ROM drive. Every effort has been made to supply pristine B+ and B- rails so the analog section can achieve its full sonic potential.
The digital input stage and DAC-Analog output stage are also enclosed behind thick aluminum shield partitions so that emissions from the power supplies, Intel computer and CD ROM drive cannot detract from their performance. These shield partitions also add mass and rigidity to the CD 1 chassis, making it virtually immune to the effects of external vibrations.
Outputs, But No DAC Inputs for External Sources
The CD 1 has unbalanced RCA and balanced XLR analog outputs, plus optical, coaxial, and BNC digital outputs. There are no digital inputs, however. The CD 1 design and construction is optimized for near-perfect reproduction of the 44.1 kHz data in Red Book CDs. Adding DAC inputs to accommodate other digital sources would involve far more than simply adding digital input connectors and a selector switch. For the CD 1 to provide comparable levels of performance for CDs and external digital sources would have greatly increased its complexity and selling price.
"The CD 1 is for those who love their Compact Discs as much as Artie and Mikey love their LPs and turntables and Kal craves his surround sound. It is for those who want to give their CDs proper respect, and who don't care what the 'industry' or editors want us to think. No dongles, no dingles, no USB cables, no screen, no seup, no menus, no network.
"This is the way to do computer audio."
- Sam Tellig, Stereophile, July 2013
"Parasound has fulfilled its design goals for the Halo CD 1. If you're prepared to keep playing your CDs and don't care about futureproofing, this is a fantastic player, for reasonable money, given the high quality of its engineering and parts. A quickly rebadged Oppo the CD 1 is not. My vote: Class A."
- John Marks, Stereophile, June 2013


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We've all had the experience of reading about a bloody war or shocking crime and asking, "What is the world coming to?" But we seldom ask, "How bad was the world in the past?" In this startling new book, the best-selling cognitive scientist Steven Pinker shows that the world of the past was much worse. In fact, we may be living in the most peaceable era in our species' existence.
Evidence of a bloody history has always been around us: the genocides in the Old Testament and crucifixions in the New; the gory mutilations in Shakespeare and Grimm; the British monarchs who beheaded their relatives and the American founders who dueled with their rivals; the nonchalant treatment in popular culture of wife-beating, child abuse, and the extermination of native peoples. Now the decline in these brutal practices can be quantified.
With the help of more than a hundred graphs and maps, Pinker presents some astonishing numbers. Tribal warfare was nine times as deadly as war and genocide in the 20th century. The murder rate in medieval Europe was more than thirty times what it is today. Slavery, sadistic punishments, and frivolous executions were unexceptionable features of life for millennia, then suddenly were targeted for abolition. Wars between developed countries have vanished, and even in the developing world, wars kill a fraction of the numbers they did a few decades ago. Rape, battering, hate crimes, deadly riots, child abuse, cruelty to animals — all substantially down.How could this have happened, if human nature has not changed? What led people to stop sacrificing children, stabbing each other at the dinner table, or burning cats and disemboweling criminals as forms of popular entertainment? Was it reading novels, cultivating table manners, fearing the police, or turning their energies to making money? Should the nuclear bomb get the Nobel Peace Prize for preventing World War III? Does rock and roll deserve the blame for the doubling of violence in the 1960s — and abortion deserve credit for the reversal in the 1990s?
Not exactly, Pinker argues. The key to explaining the decline of violence is to understand the inner demons that incline us toward violence (such as revenge, sadism, and tribalism) and the better angels that steer us away. Thanks to the spread of government, literacy, trade, and cosmopolitanism, we increasingly control our impulses, empathize with others, bargain rather than plunder, debunk toxic ideologies, and deploy our powers of reason to reduce the temptations of violence.
With the panache and intellectual zeal that have made his earlier books international best sellers and literary classics, Pinker will force you to rethink your deepest beliefs about progress, modernity, and human nature. This gripping book is sure to be among the most debated of the century so far.
©2011 Steven Pinker (P)2011 Brilliance Audio, Inc.
"Violence is decreasing everywhere. Who knew?"
Steven Pinker is an intellectual of the first order. Yet all of his book are readily accessible to an educated reader (well, maybe not The Stuff of Thought, which was difficult "stuff").
The premise of this book is that violence is decreasing throughout the world. That includes all kinds of violence: murder, rape, war, genocide and even terrorism! And the decrease is evident over all time scales. Over the last 10,000 years the chances of being a victim of violence has declined dramatically. This is true for the last 1000 years, last 100 years and even the last 10 years. You might think that this is absurd from reading the headlines and listening to TV news but Pinker presents exhaustive data to prove his point. He gives us FBI reports, WHO data, government studies and scholarly studies. He also tries in every case to explain the "why" of the decrease. We have become more and more civilized over time. We also have become more sensitive to the lives and feelings of others.
Pinker is a wizard of making the difficult so easy to undersand. He not only alludes to the classics, The Bible, and academic studies, but also to pop culture. He frequently uses scenes from popular movies, TV shows, books and songs to make his point.
The reading is superb. It is neither dull nor overly dramatic. Within minutes I forgot that there was a reader and my mind was focused in on Steven Pinker's mind.
I would also highly recommend Pinker's previous tour-de-force, The Blank Slate.
Nic Morgan
"I'd kill for another book this good"
Without question of the best audiobooks I've listened to, out of over 100 so far. An exploration of the decline in violence through human history, taking pains to make a coherent, substantive and well supported case for every assertion it makes. Detailed and technical without being dull, this book makes one of the best cases I can imagine for the general advancement of the species and the triumph of modernity. Exceptional.
Old & fat, but strong; American, Chinese, & Indian (sort of); Ph.D. in C.S.; strategy, economics & stability theory; trees & machining.
"My Pick for Best Book in a Few Years"
I try to pick a personal book of the year about once a year and a personal book of the decade about every 10 years. But I also have some in between category of books that are better than the book of the year, but not as good as the book of the decade. "Better Angles" is in this category.
In the last 5 or 6 years there seems to be a growing awareness that violence has declined significantly in parts of the U.S. since the '70s. This awareness may be in part due to other popular books that have pointed this out, like Freakonomics. However, this book shows that the decline in violence is global and part of a very long term trend. The details are varied, but the pattern is remarkably consistent. And the affect is not small. For example 500 years ago violence in the more civilized parts of Western Europe was 30 times higher than in the U.S. today.
The first "third" of the book contains copious detail designed to convince you that in spite of rare exceptions the trend toward less violence is significant. The middle "third" of the book reviews what science can (and can't) tell us about the causes of violence. The last "third" tries to construct a theory that explains the reason for the actual decline in violence.
So what is his conclusion? In a word "enlightenment". I found the argument compelling. But even more interestingly the result is an unexpected defense of education, learning, refinement, and bourgeoisie values. He clearly thinks enlightenment is at odds with modern leftist (or right wing) politics; and uses the phrase "classical liberalism".
Three cautions: The author is a statistical researcher or a number cruncher. The math is all almost trivial, but numeracy is the core of the argument and is the bulk of the book. The book is irreverent. I found it charmingly so. But other may find it borderline belligerent. Finally, it is a long and detailed, to the point of pushing the audible format.
"One of my top 5 favorite books"
This is one of those rare books that does more than inform or amuse: it actually has the potential to influence for a lifetime. It is even more rare in that it does this from an entirely positive angle. And though it does occasionally dip into contemporary politics, it does so in a detached and enlightened enough manner so as not to destroy its timelessness. The author does a great job of extolling the good ideas and skewering the bad ones from all ages, including our own, and instilling a sense of awe in the face of enormous human progress.
"The Greatest Thinkers of our Generation"
I have read this rather long book twice now. I think I'll read it again soon. I hope you will, too (and I hope you = everyone).
The idea that we are living in the most peaceful, least murderous time in the history of the planet is an oddly uncomfortable one for many. First, it just doesn't feel that way. We hear about and see on TV and the internet a seemingly endless stream of stories about mass killings, senseless acts of cruelty, war and even genocide. Also, if we say now is better than ever, then maybe people will stop working to make the world yet less violent.
And for those of us in our middle years, we can readily look back and say that, Yes, things were simpler then. We left our doors unlocked. Kids played outside, etc.
The thing is, it doesn't really take all that much more thinking to notice that not that long ago even in this country women and African Americans were not allowed to vote. Not long ago, we had segregation, lynchings, race riots, assassinations of our leaders, a long a protracted war in Southeast Asia, which followed not long after a protracted (Undeclared) war in Korea, which came very shortly after the nuclear bombing of Japan, which essentially ended the worst global war ever, which some historians consider to have been simply part two of the other worst global war ever. And as one goes back in time, the wars, genocides, ethnic cleansings, etc., keep piling on.
The massive tyrants responsible for the annihilation of tens, maybe hundreds of millions of people in the beginning and middle of the 20th century are long gone. There hasn't been conflict among the world's super powers since the bombs fell on Japan.
On a scale much closer to home, Pinker talks at length about the change in the moral zeitgeist such that treating wives and children as property is outlaw throughout a much greater part of the globe today than just 30 years ago. Spanking children could land you in jail. Spanking your dog can now land you in jail in some places! Foods and cosmetics are often "cruelty" free, where the idea was unheard of not long ago.
Pinker does a brilliant and thorough (800+ pages worth) job of laying out all the statistics to support his case that violence has actually declined. More importantly, he adduces a long list of forces that have contributed to that decline. It's a big book, and it's not possible to summarize it in a few paragraphs. However, it might suffice to say that the forces Pinker adduces are pretty well supported in their various academic disciplines (anthropology, sociology, psychology).
Among the most interesting forces thought to be at work civilizing the world is commerce. This is one that ruffles some feathers a bit, but the argument is essentially this. When you look at the data, what appears to be the case is that countries that trade with each other don't tend to kill each other. Pinker uses a line from writer Robert Wright, who said (paraphrasing), "The reason I don't want to kill the Japanese is that they make my minivan." The line is intended to be ironic, of course, but the point stands. When our economic lives are intertwined, we find ways to resolve disputes peaceably. How likely is it that France and Spain would go to war today over disputed territory in the Alps? Moreover, by this stage in world history, we (powerful countries) have figured out that overtaking and subjugating nations by force is more expensive than trading with them and imposing economic and policy-based restrictions. One may object to neo-liberalism, but it can hardly be more objectionable than its predecessor strategy, conquest and empire. This part of the book and argument is long and involved and fascinating.
Another strong force in the civilizing of the globe involves media and its globalizing effects. Again, we may not like what we see in our media outlets every day, but the fact that people nearly everywhere know a lot about people nearly everywhere else on earth helps reduce violence. The reason it does is that the more we know about other people, the more we can put ourselves in their shoes, the less likely we are to kill them. We can relate a little more. We don't de-humanize them as much. This isn't to say that racism, culturism, etc, has or ever will go away. We are a tribal species. But, data show that as people in general are more and more able to reason abstractly about the world, and to think about what it is like to be someone other than who they are, the less violent they are. This type of reasoning leads to more understanding and less killing. There are plenty of exceptions to this, and this isn't to say that neighboring countries or ethnic groups within countries don't still kill each other. They certainly do (but moreso when infused with lots of religious fervor). But, in general, the trend is away from killing.
A final point. PInker cites a good deal of data and some theorizing to suggest that even the 21st century terrorism plague is already fading away. The reason: it doesn't work. In the big picture, terrorists never succeed in accomplishing what they wanted to accomplish via their terrorism. Ireland is not united. Basque country is not independent. Israel is still Israel.
To continue to make things better, it is critical that we know what has worked in the past. Many strategies and natural trends have contributed to making the world a safer place today. The Better Angels lays out in detail what has been working. It is well worth knowing what they are. It is also helpful to feel just a bit better about who we are as a species today.
"A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one." - Jojen Reed. #ADanceWithDragons
"Excellent Book All Over"
I was quite pleased with this entire title. It proposes a very interesting point and attacks it head on. The way that it was brought across by the narrator was very pleasing to the ears. Overall a very nice production with some excellent points overall.
The argument that Violence has declined over time is one that I personally thought was a given if one were to think of it. Being a fan of Renaissance History it appeared to me that violence had declined. The author though uses this as well as a number of other points to brings across his point as to why this is so, using other factors such as religion, standard of living, etc. to provide insight on this fact.
The book has A LOT of information (useful information mind you) but it is a lot of information to process and I think this plays up it having a lot of replay value.
"A Thorough Study and an Enjoyable Listen"
Arthur Morey does an excellent job with the narration. I found his voice engaging during the entirety of the almost 37 hours of this audiobook.
As one would hope for a book this lengthy, Steven Pinker doesn't waste your time. After a brief introduction, the book takes off into a systematic and thoroughgoing analysis of just about all the data one could ask for on this topic. He gives the numbers, the studies, etc. and explains them at every step of the way. He goes into quite a bit of history, biology, neuroscience, politics, law, and several other subjects relevant to the topic which were a pleasure to learn about for their own sake. I found that Pinker even anticipated nearly every question I had, usually only a few sentences after it popped into my mind. I don't think one could ask for a better book the subject.
Steven Pinker writes near the end of the book, "...and I hope that the numbers I have marshaled have lifted your assessment of the state of the world from the lugubrious conventional wisdom." I can say that this has been the effect on me.
Trying to support 1) the comparably smaller non-fiction selection and 2) the few here that are not misinformation. Got mind? Use it.
"Epic topic sure to stir up debate!"
This is truly a colossal topic to tackle, even 800+ pages leaves many areas untouched. However, there are certain themes in this book that provide some insight or at least some grounds for debate regarding the historical trend of violence and human nature.
Highly recommended to first read Pinker's "The Blank Slate", a truly excellent non-fiction that focuses more on human nature and ideologies. "How the Mind Works" is also excellent; it is more technical and more within Pinker's expertise.
This book sure did stir up some lively debates. I think it's important to first note that Pinker's book is about violence, not oppression/unfairness/"bad things", etc. So overall, I would agree that many forms of violence have been in decline, at least since the time when history was adequately-documented.
However, I would suggest that the evolution of ideas is not completely synonymous with improving the human condition. Negative ideas also evolve. Thus, while primitive forms of oppression like race and gender slavery are in decline, other forms of oppression continue to evolve and become further entrenched in our society. Example: unaccountable multinational corporations that force laws to pass without democratic scrutiny using hordes of lobbyists/less-than-transparent political systems/public's apathy, and can manipulate scientific research/marketing/media.
I've heard several dissident voices criticize the book's lack of interest in covering economic oppression. I do wish Pinker touched on this more, but I imagine he defined violence in the most strict form in order to keep the book's scope manageable. And sadly, if he did talk about economics I am sure he would open up a new can of worms, straying even further from his area of study and likely making this overall work less credible.
While I found many of Pinker's arguments to be compelling, I felt he glossed over the section on future dangers, particularly nuclear proliferation and climate change. True, no nukes have been successfully dropped on a population since the end of WWII, but it takes much more than "oh, well, it hasn't happened yet" to argue that our control over the situation is anywhere close to acceptable.
For example, John Oliver did a great commentary on USA's current nuclear weapons fiasco (search up "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Nuclear Weapons"), and the USA is supposed to be the most advanced nuclear weapons country in the world!
I can appreciate what Pinker and Matt Ridley (The Rational Optimist) are trying to get across (i.e. how much human progress has achieved and given such obvious improvements we have to continue to encourage such progress), but anytime you tackle such a large & complex scope you run the risk of over-simplifying certain topics to make it better fit your overall arguments.
"One of the Most Surprising Books I've Read"
I just loved this book. I get so tired of hearing people say how bad things have gotten, and how much more violent we are than our wonderful peaceful ancestors. Pinker puts the lie to that idea and backs up his personal observations with extensive documentation. I appreciate that Pinker is trying to make a point here and may have omitted some evidence that didn't back up his claims, so I'd like to read a detailed refutation of his central tenet. The only objection I have to this book is that it is, in my opinion, somewhat longer than it needed to be, as he makes some points over and over again.
"An emotional lift"
It is sometimes hard to have hope for the future. I hear about new and horrible websites, terrible atrocities, lives of crime, heartbreak, death and despair. It is easy for me to slip into a malaise thinking that there is nothing to keep the world from going to hell. This book gave me an emotional lift. It's strange because the author doesn't play to pathos; the arguments are detached and analytic. Nor does he suggest any mystical or supernatural intervention guiding the process. People have good reasons to be tolerant and peaceful, if not straight up kind. Instead of hoping inspite of the world, I now feel that there are good reasons to hope for and with it.
"A Magnum Opus in every sense!"
For such a long book, it never gets boring. I was fascinated from start to finish. Pinker has certainly done his research, and the book is packed with references to current research. His analysis of human violence is comprehensive, covering history, philosophy, neuropsychology, evolutionary biology, genetics, social theory, religious beliefs, child rearing practices, theories on the origins of war, demographic correlates of violence and much more on the demons and angels of our nature.
Contrary to what we might think, he argues convincingly that we are getting more humane. No more do we burn cats (or heretics) alive for entertainment. No more do we torture people to death, or subject children to cruel and unusual punishments and even though our weapons of war are deadlier than ever, every life lost - even our enemies, becomes a source of regret.
The book holds several surprises: that literature may be a cause of our greater tolerance of others, that empathy has a dark side in favouritism, that "mirror neurones" do not necessarily make us more humane, that the Flynn effect (increasing IQ) may also be contributing to our capacity for compassion, that the era of "Flower Power" bucked the downward trend with a sharp increase in crime and violence.
We will never be without violence, but for anyone who despairs at the modern world, there is much hope to be found here. It would seem that the angels of empathy, reason, self-control, prudence, fairness, ethical norms, and human rights are slowly winning out against the demons of instrumental violence, sadism, revenge, rage and ideology.
This is such a great book!
"Reasons to be happy"
Such a wonderful, positive, book. History is not just one damn thing after another; with SP as your guide you can see it as a systematic journey from us being animals to us being (more or less) civilised. Pinker is such an academic that he never gets round to throwing his hat in the air and crowing about how great it is that there are actually reasons to be optimistic and to hope (against the pounding of the 24/7 TV news) that human moral thinking is developing alongside our visible technologies. Still, he does admit that it is p o s s i b l e we are not going to hell in a hand basket, as I previously thought. Bravo Steven!
For such a big book and a complex subject it is never boring. I have both read the book and listened to it and I recommend it to anyone. Its optimistic premise basically is we are all becoming nicer, It is impossible to sumarise his arguments are cogent and very believable. I know he is right. I grew up in Dublin and i am 45 but in my short life I have seen the realization of civil rights, women,s rights, gay right, children's right and even animal rights.
This book gives a history of our journey to them. it is wonderful.
"Truly a masterpiece"
I'm a great fan of Steven Pinker, so I started with a favourable opinion. This one doesn't quite match up to The Blank Slate, but comes close. The subject matter - that the human race is getting progressive less violent - is counter-intuitive, but Pinker's case is made relentlessly, logically and empirically. I was completely convinced. It's dauntingly long and I don't think I would have got through the book, but listening to it worked really well.
"Fascinating, surprising and at times horrific."
It's definitely up there with the best. Very thought provoking, and life-affirming.
This was a non-fiction publication, and thus there were no characters.
This was a non-fiction publication, and thus there were no characters.
It gives one hope that we're actually making progress as a race.
Not for the faint hearted - some grim details, and it takes effort, but that effort is very well rewarded.
"Why we should be happy we're alive today!"
This book is an in-depth assessment of violence, and presents the evidence for the decline in violence, and despite that, makes for a really positive, uplifting read!
Although the narrator is sometimes a little 'one-note', it is due to the fact that this is an unabridged version offering every list (for example, of wars) that the book has. There are some amusing parts to the book which I think the narrator covers well.
It's annoying not being able to highlight facts or parts which I found especially interesting, but it's really good to be able to be absorbed in something so complex, challenging and satisfying without having to carry around a book which weighs more than I do.
I'm so glad we no longer set cats on fire for entertainment, relish public torture like crucifixion, or believe that children must be beaten until they bleed daily. This book has cheered me up every day to think of how far we have come!
"Exceptional analysis of Mans road to civilisation"
This is a must read for every daily mail reader that is indoctrinated into thinking that the world has progressively become a more dangerous place to exist.
The dose of rationally argued reality is wonderfully powerful.
"Deserving of the term "tour de force""
A truly remarkable affirmation of Humanist optimism. Amazing well researched and engagingly written and performed.
"fascinating book."
on scale and significance is on par with guns, germs and steel. highly recommended for all curious people
"Wow! very thought provoking"
long and heavy going at times but well worth it. a truly thought provoking book which is extremely interesting.
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SCUBA: A Shallow Dive into Enterprise's Consumer Marketing
July 19, 2010
Steve Smith, chairman of the ANA Senior Marketers Think Tank Committee, outlined principles for building a highly strategic marketing accountability and effectiveness program that drives business growth.
Members Only Content
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Jeff Ford's '68 Ranger
Jeff Ford was perusing eBay one day, looking for a classic truck that he could hand the keys off to his son Jordon when he happened upon a clean '68 Ford F-100 Ranger. On a whim, he decided to bid on it, doubtful that he would meet the reserve set by the owner. The auction ended and just as Jeff figured, the reserve was not met. The next day, however, the owner decided to lift the reserve and lo and behold, Jeff was the highest bidder. A short time later and the previous owner, Rusty, had brought the truck out from where he built it in Tucson, Arizona, to Jeff's home in Costa Mesa, California, to hand over the keys and pink slip.
Jeff's original intention with the truck was to simply go through it and try to turn it for a few bucks profit. Upon closer inspection however, he found that he had become quite smitten with the bumpside and its turbocharged 390ci FE engine. The previous owner had done a terrific job of assembling a very clean truck without sacrificing the ability to hop in and drive it, which made it even more appealing to Jeff and causing him to reconsider selling it after all.
Purchased virtually as-is, the 0.020-over 390 floated a valve shortly after Jeff purchased it, which resulted in a quick once-over on the heads, including the installation of stainless valves. An 88mm turbo feeds the FE motor through an intercooler routed through a Holley carb and Edelbrock intake resulting in plenty of power to light the tires via a Ford C6 transmission with a manual valvebody. A Ford 9-inch rearend handles the torque from the engine while four-wheel disc brakes provide ample stopping power. Eighteen-inch American Racing Hopster wheels also reside at all four corners, wrapped in Nitto rubber.
The interior of the Ford was kept relatively stock, with a custom material installed on the bench seat, floor, and dash. The door panels were restored as well as the original gauges and factory Ford air conditioning. Outside, the truck received a two-tone paint scheme using a color similar to the Boxwood Green hue offered as a factory color in 1969, before new tinted glass and restored trim was installed.
While purchased on a whim with the intention of simply giving it the once-over and turning it for a profit, Jeff says that he is having too much fun driving the wheels off the F-100 and laying rubber down at every stoplight. With the motor out at Valley Engine in Fountain Valley, California, chances are Jeff's going to have it up and running better than ever shortly and won't be selling it anytime soon. But you never know, he just might find something else on eBay that he has to have.


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Artist Collection: (334 of 413)< Previous | Next >
Tags: three sleeping aardwolves, three sleeping aardwolfs, aardwolf, aardwolves, africa, afrikaans, hyaena, hyena, proteles cristatus, yello
- + MOUSE OVER image to zoom in
- + CLICK to enlarge
three sleeping aardwolvesby serenityphotography
- Medium
- Photography
- Artist Notes
- A small, insectivorous hyena, native to Eastern and Southern Africa, the Aardwolf's diet consists almost completely of termites, other insect larvae and carrion. It can eat more than 200,000 termites in a single night, using its long, sticky tongue to collect them. See more at www.SerenityPhotography.co.uk
- Contact Artist Send Artist an Email
More about serenityphotography
- Location
- kent, england
- Artist Biography
- Born in Dover, England, I became disillusioned with the rat race and began travelling in 1997. On my first round the world trip I discovered a passion for travel, photography and scuba diving. Since then I have spent a total of five years on the road, become a diving instructor and semi-prof ...


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Your Chance to Sound Off! Now Accepting Articles from Members
SEMI is now actively soliciting articles written by SEMI members. We invite you to share your industry perspective and thoughts in an article for publication in SEMI Global Update— our monthly electronic newsletter sent to 120,000 subscribers in the industry. Member articles published in Global Update will be marked with a special "Member Insight" logo, and articles will be archived on the SEMI website.
As the global trade association serving the nano- and microelectronics manufacturing supply chains, SEMI needs YOUR input. Tell us how your company meets common industry challenges…How you are dealing with economic pressures…. What new markets your company is involved in…. If you have "Green" solutions that others could learn from…
Your article can be focused on management issues, manufacturing or supply chain issues, emerging technologies, or technical solutions. Demonstrate your leadership in the industry by helping other members see how you are leading the way in addressing market and product opportunities.
Whether your company is based in China, Europe, India, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, or North America, please contribute to SEMI Global Update.
SEMI Global Update Guidelines
Please follow these guidelines:
1. Original: Your article must be original.
2. Topic: Open, but most will address interesting developments and trends in the industry. We are looking for articles that discuss business issues, approaches and solutions to those issues, and lessons learned that can be shared with other SEMI members. Think about how the information will benefit other SEMI members. Absolutely NO product announcements.
3. Article Length: Minimum length is 350 words. Longer is fine, although most articles do not exceed 750 - 1,000 words.
4. Organized: You know a lot, but don't stray from the basic premise. On the other hand, don't summarize so much that the reader is left with an incomplete picture.
5. Simple: The simplest way to say something is usually the best, especially when dealing with technology.
6. Editing: Don't worry about grammar, spelling, and other writing mechanics. If we edit your article significantly, we will send you the edited article for review.
7. Format: To submit your article, please send it in a simple Word document with no formatting.
8. Author: Please include your brief (25 words or less) biography and a headshot.
9. Graphics: Send at least one image to accompany your article (in addition to the author photo). Images should be full-color and in .JPG, .EPS or .TIF format (resolution: at least 300 dpi). Charts or graphs should be either .TIF or .EPS files.
10. Publication: Publication of contributed articles is not guaranteed. Articles accepted for SEMI Global Update may also appear on the SEMI website, or vice versa. SEMI reserves the right to delay or cancel publication of contributed articles for any reason.
To submit an article (or if you have questions), please contact Deb Geiger, SEMI Global Communications, at firstname.lastname@example.com or 408.943.7988.
November 2012


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Decorative Storage Cube
by Seville Classics Home | Item #: 475613 | Model #: 70160 |
We're sorry, this item is not available in your selected Club. Check another Club
About this itemLarge sized decorative storage cube with cloth liner and removable lid.
Mocha colored.
This large sized decorative storage cube comes with removable lid and cloth liner. This cube is a great way to add storage space and make an attractive addition to any home or office.
- Mocha colored
- Removable lid
- Fully lined interior
Assembled Country
Assembled Size
17.75" x 17.75" x 17.75"
Component Country


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Imani Beach Lodge
Imani Beach Lodge is a 10 room unique Villa in the midst of a tropical garden on the oceans edge with palms, banana trees, fragrant flowering plants, and passion fruit, where man and nature join in harmony.
Run by a South African and a dozen friendly staff to help satisfy your every need. Experience the wonder of 1001 Nights, sip a cocktail, nibble delectable seafood, or just relax on our beach.
You look out on the Indian Ocean from your own beach and see dhows sailing by as they have for centuries. Then hear the sounds of a bush-baby calling its mate.
Paradise costs less than you think.
Availability & RatesTo view availability and prices please select dates and click 'Update Dates'
Hostel Facilities & Policies
- 24 Hour Security
- Adaptors
- Air Conditioning
- Airport Transfers
- Bar
- Bicycle parking
- Common Room
- Credit Cards Not Accepted
- Free Internet Access
- Free Parking
- Free WiFi
- Hot Showers
- House Keeping
- Internet Access
- Late check-out
- Laundry Facilities
- Linen Included
- Luggage Storage
- Meals Available
- No Curfew
- Outdoor Terrace
- Parking
- Reception (limited hours)
- Restaurant
- Taxes included
- Tours/Travel Desk
- Towels Included
- Wi-Fi
Cancellation PolicyThis property has a 1 day cancellation policy. Failure to cancel within this time will result in a cancellation charge equal to the first night of your stay.
DirectionsShow MapHide Map
Only 10 minutes north of Stone Town, we are right on the beach and near the spice plantations.
20 minutes from Airport.
Pick up available on request.
Drive or take the dala dala from Town (Dharajani Market) to Bububu, and get off just after the Bububu Police Station check-point. Proceed left (towards the Ocean) on the dirt road for 250 meters, keeping left until the road runs into the Ocean, we are on the right.
Located Near
on the west coast of Zanzibar - Bububu, directly on the beach
near the spice farm route and Masingini Forest
16 km from Zanzibar international Airport
9,2 km from Ferry Port / Stone Town


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Funding education
By SAMANTHA
OBSERVER Staff Writer
With the proposed state budget released this week, local administrators at schools are reacting to the amount of state aid received by area districts. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said state aid will increase by 4 percent statewide. Other incentives included competitive grants for lengthening the school day or year as well as grants for top educator in a district.
While the proposed budget is subject to review by legislators and may be changed, local officials are weighing in on how the executive budget will affect their respective districts.
Brocton, like most other districts, will be seeing an increase in state aid. While there is an increase, the Brocton School District is being "cautiously optimistic" about budget figures, according to Superintendent John Hertlein.
Most of the aid coming in to the district is categorical aid – BOCES, transportation and building aid. Hertlein is still looking at the numbers proposed by Cuomo and he understands these numbers are just proposed and could change by state legislators.
"I don't think it will really affect our current budget process," Hertlein said. "I don't think we're looking at increasing the budget because of this and hopefully we can stay the course with keeping our taxes as low as possible."
Hertlein said the governor did not increase foundation aid, keeping it the same as last year. The district saw an increase in transportation and building aid and did reduce the gap elimination for the district. According to Hertlein, there was some savings in the gap elimination formula.
"It's just too early for me to even speculate as to what the real dollar means," he said. "I think we're going to be better than we were last year but I don't think we'll be that much better. I think we'll be able to maintain the status quo.
"We'll continue to stay with the 2 percent like the governor asked us to do. We are sympathetic with the taxpayers in this town. We'll maintain the same programs next year and … think we'll have the same amount of kids next year," he continued.
When asked if the district will lengthen the school day or year as Cuomo proposed, Hertlein said the district cannot afford a longer school day for students but he is in support for a longer program for Pre-K students.
"I wouldn't like a longer school day for Pre-K but I would like a longer school year. I would like those kids to go to school year-round," he said.
Hertlein noted that having a longer school day would involve contract negotiations. He believes that applying for competitive grants, such as one offered for longer days, would take some time. Brocton does not employ a grant writer and Hertlein said he would be the one who would be writing the grants. Since the grants are competitive, bigger schools may have a better chance. Hertlein found it "interesting" that Cuomo would have grants for schools to increase their school day.
The Dunkirk School District will see an increase in state aid this upcoming school year. The district will have an increase of 2.68 percent in state aid. Even with the increase, according to Superintendent Gary Cerne it will not cover the increased cost of retirement the district is facing. The actual increase will be $623,038.
"I'm disappointed. We had hoped we would have gotten more (aid) than we did," Cerne said. "How do we make up ground when we can't cover the increase in that one line item?"
The district has already worked on the budget process for next year including athletics, building and grounds and transportation. These budgets have remained "flat," as Cerne described them. The district was waiting on numbers for the benefits and payroll lines, but since state aid has been released the district will now focus on these budget items that make up over half of the district's budget.
As for longer school days, the district will be looking into Cuomo's proposal. Cerne said the district will look into all available opportunities for funding.
"We're going to take advantage of any additional opportunity to get funding," he said. "Personally I believe in a longer school day and a longer year, but certainly we'll try to get our hands on any competitive money out there."
With the amount of aid received, the district is going to have a difficult budget process again for the district. The amount of aid received makes it much tougher for the district.
"We've had several tough budget years in a row and we're going to be in another difficult one. We had hoped to have more relief but the situation at the state level is just not coming," Cerne said.
He noted the next couple of months for the budget process will be busy. Cerne said the board of education will look at everything in the budget before making any decisions about making any major decisions.
"It's a tough time all the way around but we'll find a way to make it happen," he said.
The Forestville Central School District also received an increase just like other districts. The state aid has increased about 2.5 percent over last year, according to Superintendent Chuck Leichner. The aid is on point to what the district had expected.
"It's in the area that we were hoping it would be. We're cautiously optimistic at this point knowing what we see knowing that things could change," he said.
While there is an increase in state aid Leichner said since there was a state aid freeze for several years, this increase isn't really much. He said the district is "cautiously optimistic" to the numbers already but knows they could change from the legislature.
Leichner noted that the State Legislature has about $200 million to distribute to school districts but are unsure how that money will be divided.
"I'm not discouraged yet. Hopefully … we'll get a little bit more," he said. "Small incremental increases like this are almost getting us back to where we were in 2008. We're several years behind."
Leichner said the district would be interested in Cuomo's proposals for longer school days and years but he would be interested in the funding aspect.
"The question remains, how will they be funding (the programs) and how long will that funding last," he said.
Leichner recently sat in on a webinar hosted by the New York State School Boards Association which addressed opportunities and competitive grants for districts. He did note that grants can be hard to receive at a small district.
"It's very difficult for small districts to compete for those grants for the requirements. Even for filing them (it can be tough)," he said.
He said the money Cuomo has promised for some grants will probably be used for a select number of districts to implement longer days and will be used as pilot programs. All opportunities will be investigated by Forestville to see if they would be a fit for the school.
Fredonia will see an increase of $44,000 for actual amount aid received in the 2013-14 school year. The BOCES budget has also increased so the district will not be out of the "grim fiscal outlook," according to Superintendent Paul DiFonzo.
"The increase … is minimal and it won't solve the problems regarding preserving programs that students need," he said. "This budget is further proof for (Cuomo's) lack of concern for small rural districts in Upstate New York."
DiFonzo said Cuomo will say many schools have poor graduation rates as a generalization based on all state school districts. In reality, Fredonia has 80 to 90 percent graduation rates.
"Unlike New York City schools, Fredonia and other rural schools have high district graduation rates and great success on state testing," DiFonzo said. "Governor Cuomo continues to lump public education into one pile and that's not really fair … like we're all the same (as if) Fredonia would operate the same way as a large city district like New York City would operate."
DiFonzo did note that the district is trying to be fiscally responsible with its money. He noted two centralizations, a consolidation of all schools into one building, renting out space to other organizations in the Wheelock space and negotiation when it comes to contracts for teachers.
"We're running out of options. The state guaranteed a fair and equal education for all students in our state. Unfortunately we are looking at our students losing programming and opportunities if our legislators do not make the necessary changes to our governor's proposed budget. It will also allow us to not continue the programming that students need to compete for the jobs, military and college placement that is available," he said.
When asked if the district will look to extend the school day, DiFonzo said Cuomo should place money reserved for grants awarded to districts who extend the school day into the general fund to be awarded to all districts. While Fredonia does offer universal Pre-K, a full-day program and longer school days may not be possible.
"It's easy enough to say that those would be areas to improved education; but when you have to sit down with bargaining units and get an agreement that's an another story," he said.
DiFonzo said it's up to legislators to make changes in order "to meet the needs of students in our district." He and other personnel from Fredonia will be meeting with legislators to discuss their concerns regarding the proposed budget. He stated the district has lost more than $6 million in state and federal aid since 2009. Revenue also generated from the state has dropped from 55 percent 10 years ago to 41 percent currently.
"The state has shifted the burden of paying for public education onto the backs of our local taxpayers and I don't think that's fair," he said.
Comments on this article may be sent to email@example.com


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Recruitment & Admissions Office - Waterloo Campus
Laurier business graduate student receives national award for research
Lazaridis School of Business & Economics
Oct 30/13
School of Business & Economics graduate student Annika Hillebrandt is the 2013 recipient of the Best Masters Thesis award by the Human Resources Research Institute of Canada.
I'm absolutely delighted that Annikas master's research has been recognized with this award. It is a wonderful honour for Annika and for our program, said Prof. Laurie Barclay, coordinator of the Organizational Behaviour and Human Resource Management area in the School of Business & Economics. Annikas research provides significant theoretical and practical insights for our field and Im so pleased that her hard work has resulted in this terrific accomplishment!
The award recognizes research excellence in the field of Human Resource Management and aims to provide greater visibility to individuals who have completed a masters program in this field. For her thesis, entitled Angry or guilty? The effect of coworkers emotions on employees fairness perceptions, Hillebrandt will receive a prize of $2,000.
Hillebrandt completed her Master of Science in Management in Organizational Behaviour and Human Resource Management at Laurier in 2012 and is currently a PhD candidate at Laurier. She is the recipient of the prestigious Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship from the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada, which will support her doctoral research that further explores justice and emotions in the workplace.
Laurier PhD candidate, Dave Whiteside, received this award in 2011 for his thesis entitled The sounds of silence: The roles of overall fairness and perceived organizational support in predicting employee silence'.
View all Recruitment & Admissions Office - Waterloo Campus news |
View all Recruitment & Admissions news
View all Laurier news


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Intrathecal Catheter Proximal Revision Kit
for Intrathecal Baclofen Therapy
The model 8596SC revision kit is used when a revision to the pump segment of intrathecal catheter model 8731 or model 8731SC is required.
Package Contents
The kit provides replacement parts for the pump segment of the model 8731 or model 8731SC catheters.
Compatible Products
Infusion Pumps
Order Products
(888) 638-7627
For detailed ordering information about the SynchroMed II programmable infusion system model 8637 and accessories, please see the ordering information guide.
Ordering Information Guide
ITB Therapy (Intrathecal Baclofen Therapy) is indicated for use in the management of severe spasticity. Patients should first respond to a screening dose of intrathecal baclofen prior to consideration for long term infusion via an implantable pump. For spasticity of spinal cord origin, ITB Therapy via an implantable infusion system should be reserved for patients unresponsive to oral baclofen or those who experience intolerable CNS side effects at effective doses. Patients with spasticity due to traumatic brain injury should wait at least one year after the injury before consideration of long term intrathecal baclofen therapy.
Important Safety Information for ITB Therapy: Intrathecal Baclofen Withdrawal: Abrupt discontinuation of intrathecal baclofen, regardless of the cause, has resulted in sequelae that include high fever, altered mental status, exaggerated rebound spasticity, and muscle rigidity, that in rare cases has advanced to rhabdomyolysis, multiple organ-system failure, and death.
Prevention of abrupt discontinuation of intrathecal baclofen requires careful attention to programming and monitoring of the infusion system, refill scheduling and procedures, and pump alarms. Patients and caregivers should be advised of the importance of keeping scheduled refill visits and should be educated on the early symptoms of baclofen withdrawal. Special attention should be given to patients at risk (e.g., spinal cord injuries at T-6 or above, communication difficulties, history of withdrawal symptoms from oral or intrathecal baclofen). Consult the technical manual of the implantable infusion system for additional postimplant clinician and patient information.
This therapy is contraindicated in patients who are hypersensitive to baclofen. Implantation of the infusion system is contraindicated if the patient is of insufficient body size, requires a pump implant deeper than 2.5 cm, or, in the presence of spinal anomalies or active infection.
The most frequent drug adverse events vary by indication but include: hypotonia (34.7%), somnolence (20.9%), headache (10.7%), convulsion (10.0%), dizziness (8.0%), urinary retention (8.0%), nausea (7.3%), and paresthesia (6.7%). Pump system component failures leading to pump stall, or dosing/programming errors may result in clinically significant overdose or underdose. Acute massive overdose may result in coma and may be life threatening.
The most frequent and serious adverse events related to device and implant procedures are catheter dislodgement from the intrathecal space, catheter break/cut, and implant site infection including meningitis. Electromagnetic interference (EMI) and Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may cause patient injury, system damage, operational changes to the pump, and changes in flow rate.
Please refer to the full prescribing information and system information for details or call Medtronic at (800) 328-0810.
USA Rx Only Rev 0313


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State approves local districts' teacher evaluation plans
SARANAC LAKE – All three Tri-Lakes school districts got their teacher evaluation plans approved before a state-imposed deadline to do so this week.
"Our (Annual Professional Performance Review) document is officially approved," Saranac Lake Central School District Assistant Superintendent Dan Bower told the district's Board of Education Wednesday night.
The district had submitted its plan to the state Education Department in December, but it was revised and resubmitted several times before gaining final approval. The plan was the product of negotiations between the district's administration and the Saranac Lake Teachers Association.
The state has also approved teacher evaluation plans submitted by the Tupper Lake and Lake Placid school districts.
All of the state's nearly 700 districts had to submit a plan and have it approved by the state Education Department by Thursday night in order to receive an increase in state education aid for the current school year. A handful of districts missed the deadline, including New York City, Fallsburg in Sullivan County and Pine Plains in Dutchess County, according to the state Education Department website.
A law passed in New York in 2010 required districts to submit teacher evaluation plans. Twenty percent of the evaluations must be based on students' growth on state tests. Another 20 percent must be based on local measures and the remaining 60 percent must include classroom observations and can also include parent or student surveys.
"The goal is to make certain every student graduates from high school college- and career-ready," Education Commissioner John King said in a press release this week. "Effective evaluation plans that ensure every classroom is headed by a quality teacher and every school is headed by a quality principal will take us a long way toward that goal."
Contact Chris Knight at
891-2600 ext. 24 or cknight@adirondack


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At Le Pavillon gourmet restaurant in Bad Peterstal at the foot of the Black Forest, Martin Herrmann has steadily but surely established himself among Germany's chefs with two Michelin stars.
Martin Herrmann's development since training at Hotel Dollenberg almost 30 years ago is the all the more remarkable because he was not taught by any famous chefs. Instead he has worked his way up from his solid, classic, technique-oriented foundations, taking inspiration mainly from French haute cuisine and neighbouring Alsace. Herrmann's cooking is all about first-class produce, which he shows to best advantage without overly complex accompaniments. In the last two years, Herrmann has gradually reinvented himself – by concentrating on the absolutely essential ingredients and using interesting accents to complement the flavour combinations of his dishes. Now every plate at Le Pavillon is a masterpiece of contemporary, finely nuanced classic cuisine that will thrill first-timers and experienced gastronomes alike.
Herrmann's gently poached lobster with vanilla, calf's head and a little lemon jelly, spaciously arranged on the plate, elicits a delightful sweet-sour dialogue accentuated by the vanilla butter draped sparingly over the lobster, with the herb salad on the earthy calf's head adding taste and texture. Hermann generally cooks without heavy, butter-based sauces, in order to fully bring out the individual character of the ingredients. An equally innovative yet familiar dish is his saddle of venison with a hearty Jerusalem artichoke purée, sangria jelly and bread dumpling, whose only accompaniment is a very natural venison jus. Herrmann is a master of paring down for maximum flavour and adding intriguing accents.
© Prof. Dr. Ingo Scheuermann
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