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Town Square
Our e-discussions: Economic Development
Original post made by Hal Bailey, another community, on Apr 19, 2008
Among several messages this morning to CDSI Research from Diablo Vista region neighbors were references to George Avalos' article on Jobs in the SRV Times business section. The significant downturn in jobs are related to the overbuilt inventory of homes in Contra Costa County that cannot attract enough qualified, interested buyers at the inventory's price levels. Mr. Avalos clearly summarized the dependence of Contra Costa County economy on residential development and we should expect an impact on government revenues in our county.
Our e-exchanges this morning were looking at growth industries that have been less than welcome during the building boom years and now need new consideration. Technology development among medical device, biochemistry, solar, alternative energy, solid state data storage, and other microtechnologies have been proposed for new industrial partnership and commercialization (IPAC) centers in Richmond, Concord, Byron, Oakley, and even Alamo over the past 5-7 years. Such technology start-up generates new industries for industrial parks to surround such IPAC centers.
Unfortunately, our regional governments have opposed such centers and parks in favor of housing construction and the related tax revenues. A short-sighted viewpoint had resisted such technology and industrial development due to trade zone taxation holidays. The obvious value of high-level job creation for potential home buyers was not considered. The influence of global capital in such development of facilities and portfolio companies was considered opposition to our county's aggregated political supporters and a threat to in-place political leadership.
May we have your thoughts on economic development and how such development should fit into Contra Costa County and our local region?
Hal Bailey
Member, CDSI Research Fellowship
a resident of Walnut Creek
on Apr 20, 2008 at 11:03 am
Posted at the request of the author
George Avalos' article and CDSI summary of the issues of economic development in Contra Costa County provide important lessons for our governments. Pleasanton, San Ramon, and Walnut Creek have led the efforts to create major commercial and technological centers in their cities, but others including Richmond and Concord have focused minimal attention on such planned development.
Recent confrontation between the Richmond Mayor and Chevron illustrates the inability of governments to form commercial consensus with diverse industries that create jobs and allow balance in job opportunity. As we have seen, Contra Costa County governments have put emphasis on housing and related industries and the collapse of that industry has had dire impact on our unbalanced lack of commercial and industrial diversity.
The Concord Naval Weapons Station will be the test of our governments to illustrate a rational balance of technology, commercial, industrial, professional, high-density residential and homes in a planned community that provides affective infrastructure including transportation and employment for its residents.
Outreach to new technology development and diverse commercial/industrial operations will answer present issues of dependence on the housing and older industries that will have declining role in our east bay region. Certainly, answering commute distances and affective public transportation to regional technology centers will be positive to traffic and quality of life issues.
Let's hear from our government representatives!
Jim Weldon, HSVT, Walnut Creek
Posted from Iron Horse neighbors e-exchanges
a resident of another community
on Apr 21, 2008 at 7:27 am
Posted by request of the author
Dear neighbors,
An important condition must be considered in developing new commercial, technical and institution operations in established cities and unincorporated regions. We must designate the districts of such economic development and protect our neighborhoods from become commute corridors to such commercial facilities that would be located in our neighborhoods.
The ugly example of this reality is the SRV YMCA commercial facilities being build deep in our region's Hemme neighborhood. If business districts were established in our Diablo Vista (Alamo) region, then this commercial development would have never been approved.
Learn by example, neighbors,
Susan West
North Iron Horse neighborhoods
Diablo Vista region
Posted from Iron Horse neighbors' e-exchange
a resident of another community
on Apr 21, 2008 at 7:43 am
Posted by the CDSI membership
Dear neighbors,
Establishing commercial districts allows application of various free trade zone and enterprise zone designations for businesses within the districts. Such tax and other benefits of such zones invite global capital to establish planned campuses for technology development, engineering, commercialization and logistics. In our members' viewpoint, the airports in Concord, Byron and Livermore offer significant opportunity for such industrial partnership and commercialization (IPAC) campuses. Such campuses have laboratories, engineering centers, commercial launch facilities, and logistics operations combined with high-density residential, hotel, retail and financial services.
IPAC campuses fulfill the need for designated districts and protection of neighborhoods.
Jane Murphy, Ph.D.
Host Member, CDSI (email@example.com)
HSVT Innovation Centers Fund
a resident of Walnut Creek
on Apr 21, 2008 at 7:54 am
Posted by request of the author
Dear neighbors,
Who should replace Dennis Barry at Contra Costa County Community Development Department?
In my view, we need a broader conceptual planning effort that creates community among commercial, industrial, technical and residential districts and neighborhoods. What I have seen is large scale home contruction with malls interspersed but no expertise or relationships that would include commercial, technical and industrial campuses. We have seen in-fill include inappropriate commercial facilities such as SRV YMCA within the Hemme neighborhoods.
Let's consider a new job description for Community Development Director.
Dale Lawson
Hemme neighborhoods
Iron Horse neighbors
Posted by Iron Horse neighbors
a resident of another community
on Apr 22, 2008 at 5:14 pm
Dear neighbors,
Thank you to local developers for sending concepts for inclusion of commercial and technical facilities in their business centers planned within various housing development. Of special interest is East County cities and communities that want a high-technology base to their commercial development.
To make sure that all requests and commentary received in-depth consideration, I have forwarded messages received at firstname.lastname@example.com to strategic capital groups and their source funding alliances. These groups, as part of major technology corporations, seek the very nature of the East County offering of a professional and skilled employee component and local leadership in creation of such high-value centers.
Great response, neighbors, thank you,
Hal Bailey
Member, CDSI Research Fellowship
a resident of another community
on Apr 23, 2008 at 8:25 am
Dear neighbors,
Please read George Avalos' informative column on venture capital funding in the SRV Times business section today. The focus of such investment can be a guideline to county and city governments in economic development. With such review, as voters, we might ask our supervisor and assembly candidates to specify their support for economic development of a new economy for our region and even test their know-how in creating such development.
Housing and related industries cannot recover in the East Bay until our region is part of a new economy with centers for technology and clean industry growth.
What are your thoughts?
Hal Bailey
Member, CDSI Research Fellowship
a resident of another community
on Apr 23, 2008 at 8:38 am
Posted at request of the author
Dear neighbors,
In welcoming Alamo business district owners, corporations and investors to our discussions, we have just completed a focused discussion of expansion and renovation of the business district as commercial, retail, professional, technical (institutional funding) and high-density residential Mall. Special district boundaries have been presented and discussed and formation planning document is in process.
In e-exchange responses, we are seeing broad support for expansion, rejuvenation and broader retail and commercial offerings, but we invite Forum readers to post their concerns and comments of a new Alamo business district.
Please comment,
Kathy Bell
Iron Horse neighbors
Diablo Vista region
Posted from Iron Horse neighbors e-exchanges


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How many balls did Tom Brady's receivers drop? Funny how in regard to Aaron Rodgers, it is his receivers that let him down and that is why he played bad but in regard to Tom Brady's receivers dropping balls it is because of our "1986 Big Blue Wrecking Crew" type of defense and he played bad because he is slipping. Yeah, I got it now. I know exactly where you are coming from.
If I may make a point regarding the Super Bowls against the Patriots. I was trolling their board the day after we won Super Bowl 46 (and I loved every second of it), and one of the questions was "Why can't we beat the Giants?" Someone brought up the point that we control the time of possession by running the ball and keeping Tom Brady off the field. Obviously it's just an opinion, but I thought it was interesting: http://www.patsfans.com/new-england-...ts-simple.html
Mood: WOOF!
and it my opinion, i was merely presenting it bc a poster was trying to diminish elis performance vs gb using the very reason he so often calls an excuse by giants fans when applying his point to eli...the reg season game id say was a draw, the playoff game, eli outplayed rodgers and aint no one gonna make me think otherwise. that first half, eli was connecting on 3rd and long repeatedly...he was making difficult throws 20 yards downfield or more with more accuracy and precision than rodgers was and it wasnt even close. therefore, i feel confident saying eli outplayed rodgers head2head...reg. season rodgers overall was better than eli but i factor in reg season/postseason when evaluating a year anyways were i to compare them on their yearly output
classic edit too lmfao. u didnt understand my post at all and ur response actually got someone else to confuse something i thought was blatant with the whole "head2head" and then discussing ONLY the two games they played each other...but ok. ur original and then edited post IS what exactly starts **** with a lot of people, u misunderstood something than used ur misunderstanding to make it "the most bizarre post bc the threads getting out of hand"...
the funny thing is, the 1rst time i actually click "unhide post from ignored user" is that edited gem lmao not making that mistake twice (i prob will)
Last edited by giantsfan420; 02-18-2013 at 04:08 PM.

subset: commoncrawl


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Experts Guide
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|February 22, 2012


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Stand-Alone GMC in the Works?Posted in News on January 21, 2014 Comment (0)
You know the deal – Chevrolet has its version of a vehicle, and right there in the shadow is the GMC version of the "same" thing. It's kind of like GM has fraternal twins in Chevrolet and GMC. Some would argue they are identical twins, but since they do have visual differences, we'll stick with fraternal. In the case of these twins, Chevrolet is the older brother and GMC is the younger brother, a little better dressed but always eager to mimic and follow his older brother.
As of now, GMC does not offer a unique vehicle of its own; at the base of every GMC is a Chevrolet. However, during the recent Detroit Auto Show, when GM product development boss Mark Reuss was asked if we'd ever see a GMC that wasn't taken from a Chevy, Reuss replied, "Oh, yes, you will." Naturally, the next question is what this vehicle will be, for which Reuss wouldn't elaborate.
On the truck side, GMC has the mid-size Canyon set for its 2015 revival, the half ton Sierra that was redesigned for 2014, and the HD Sierra pickup that's redesigned for 2015. Their truck fleet seems pretty complete. GMC has a mid-size(ish) and full size crossover in the Terrain and Acadia, so it's unlikely the vehicle will resemble these. And unless GMC takes a wild turn and heads for the sedan market, a logical speculation seems to be the smaller crossover market.
2010 GMC Granite ConceptPhotosView Slideshow
This leads us to wonder what ever happened to the 2010 GMC Granite concept. This small crossover was built on a similar platform as the Chevy Spark, Chevy Sonic, and subcompact crossover utility vehicle (CUV) Buick Encore. Apparently we'll never see the Granite in production, as Automotive News pointed out. But since the Buick Encore has done pretty well in the US, could GMC be coming out with an Encore-like GMC? Or would that just leave GMC "copying" Buick instead of Chevrolet? We are left wondering how truly unique this stand-alone GMC will be. Another option would be a unique wagon-like vehicle for GMC.
What unique GMC would you most like to see GM add to its product line? Perhaps something more Hummer-like to compete with the Wrangler or the Raptor? Whatever is in the works, hopefully it's suited for customization.


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Application Requirements
In addition to completing the UIS application for graduate study, applicants to the Public Affairs Reporting program should apply directly to the program. The deadline for applications is April 1 for the following fall semester. The program requires applicants to submit an official application form — available below, or from the program at the address below, by phone or by e-mail — three reference letters, writing samples (newspaper clippings or broadcast scripts and DVDs/CDs preferred), a goals essay, and undergraduate transcripts.
Based on evaluation of these materials, finalists for acceptance into the Public Affairs Reporting program are invited to Springfield for an interview with the PAR Admissions Committee. At that time, candidates also will be tested on language skills and current events and will complete a news writing exercise.
All materials should be sent to:
Public Affairs Reporting program – PAC 326
University of Illinois Springfield
One University Plaza – MS PAC 350
Springfield, IL 62703-5407
For questions or further information:


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Re: Good news!
I suppose I have some fun in my car to much and floor it when I shouldn't so I've been busted a few times for excessive speeding. But my last ticket was 3.5 yrs ago. No drug arrests. stopped smoking weed when I was 18 so that's 13 yrs ago roughly.
It's funny cause the guy I spoke to on the phone said the same thing I heard when I signed up for the navy yrs ago from the recruiter.
"if it's not on your record don't put it down".


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We interrupt the Lincoln Chafee buzz fest to bring you this little nugget of news: there are a few Democrats who'd like to be governor, too.
Chafee, the former Republican US Senator-turned-Bush-bashing-independent, has been filling newspapers and lighting up the blogosphere in recent weeks with the all-but-official announcement that he's in the 2010 race to succeed Governor Donald Carcieri.
But for months now, three Democrats have been sending their own less-than-subtle signals about their interest in the post.
General Treasurer Frank T. Caprio, Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch, and Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Roberts are piling up the campaign cash, hiring staff, and courting potential supporters.
Of course, primary day is a full 16 months off. And there are a few other potential candidates hovering around the edges of the race — former US Representative Bob Weygand, anyone?
But the field seems close to settled at this point. And the state's political class, if a touch distracted by that pesky financial meltdown on Smith Hill, has already begun to size up the contenders.
The consensus view: it's wide open. All three candidates hold statewide office, hail from families with deep political roots, and are reasonably compelling on the stump. But the lines of demarcation are starting to take shape.
Caprio has built a sizable fundraising lead. Pundits are giving Roberts the edge with women voters. Operatives say Lynch may have the inside track on organized labor. And there is plenty of debate over which candidate would be best suited to take on Chafee and the eventual Republican gubernatorial nominee — be it state Representative Joseph A. Trillo, the only GOP figure in the mix at present, or some yet-to-emerge businessman with deep pockets.
There is, in short, plenty to chew on. So here they are, your three Democratic hopefuls: their strengths, their weaknesses, and their paths to the big prize — the governorship of a down-on-its-luck state teetering on the brink of collapse.
A former Providence state senator, the treasurer can count on a certain measure of name recognition. His father, Municipal Court Judge Frank Caprio, is the star of WLNE-TV's cult favorite Caught in Providence. And his brother, David A. Caprio, is a state representative out of Narragansett.
Operatives say the treasurer's Providence ties, South County roots, and appeal to Italian voters should amount to a solid base. And Caprio, who has an early lead in the polls, will campaign from a relatively safe perch.
"The treasurer's office is a place where you don't get in a lot of trouble," said Darrell West, a former political science professor at Brown University who now serves as vice president and director of governance studies at the Brookings Institution, a Washington, DC-based think tank.
Indeed, Caprio holds an office that gives him statewide purchase without entanglement in the most contentious State House debates. And a job with a fiscal focus could play well in tough times. "I'll stack up my financial acumen with whoever wants to talk about it," Caprio said, in a recent interview.
Of course, dealing in dollars in the midst of a major economic collapse carries political risks, too: the state's pension portfolio, which Caprio oversees, is down some 30 percent in the last year.
See all articles by:
All Slideshows


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Emily Deschanel is one naughty slut. You wouldn't guess that with her staid performance as Dr. Temperance 'Bones' Brennan on the top-rated primetime show Bones. She's all work and no play on the show, but once the cameras stop rolling, she likes to get freaky.
In the pic above, she's getting a bit of chocolate lovin' because for her, only the biggest dick can enter her tight pussy. She's got a huge smile on her face as a brotha takes her from behind. It kinda looks like she's just taken a break from filming and killing some time in her dressing room and decides to get a little fuck time to shake off the stress of having to learn lines and speak in a monotone. Here, she can squeal as loud as she wants as she gets pounded by a massive cock.
Other times, she likes it rough. As you can see, she likes it when a guy rips off her undies, pushes them aside, and fucks her. She likes it on top so she straddles the dude as he pounds her from underneath, running his tongue over her boobs. Emily's got the same big smile on her face which means she really enjoys getting fucked. Her tight pussy is stretched to it's limit as the guy's wide cock rams her deep.
Then, probably wanting to give her pussy a little break, she takes it up the ass for a change. She's a firm believer in back door action and enjoys it every once in a while. Down on all fours, a thick dick gets shoved in her poop chute and leaves her gasping for air. She does her best to keep her composure, but once again that big smile creeps it's way on her face and you can tell she's very happy.
So when it comes to fucking, it doesn't matter if she's top or bottom, pussy or ass, white, black, or brown, all Emily wants is a hard dick and staying power. As long as you can bring a smile to her face, you know you've done a good job. So, how many of you out there are up for the challenge? Well, why don't you practice on these hardcore fuck pics of Emily Deschanel first, so that when you finally meet her, you know what to do. See Emily and more hot babes in action over here.


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In Part 3 of Benefits of Membership, I mentioned that one of these was Members Corner on our website. Under this, there are two items. The second of these is "Details of the various Special Interest Groups (SIG) Details of the Regional Groups (RG)". Meetings of these groups are free to members of JGSGB but a charge will be made to non members which will be offset against any future subscription to the Society.
Starting first with the SIG's, there are four groups:
Anglo-Jewry SIG – If your interests lie in Anglo-Jewry this Special Interest Group is for you. Our very enthusiastic members meet three or four times a year, under the chairmanship of Doreen Berger, to discuss their individual researches and to both receive and impart adviAnglo-Jewry SIG ce. The meetings are friendly and informal and it is usual for one of our members to give a short presentation on the progress of their own research. You will be able to socialise with other members over tea and biscuits and the Library is opened at the end of the meeting. Beginners are particularly welcome.
German SIG – Are you researching German-speaking ancestors? Would you like to start, but don't know where to begin or have you reached a 'brick wall' or just want to share information? Novices, intermediate and experienced researchers are all welcome at the German Special Interest Group. Our coverage includes other German-speaking areas such as Austria, parts of Switzerland, Alsace, Lorraine, Bohemia and Moravia.
The Group meets quarterly, under the chairmanship of Jeanette Rosenberg, it has over 100 members with a core group of about 20 who attend meetings regularly.
Dutch & Sephardi SIG – Under the Chairmanship of Raymond Montanjes it was decided to combine the Dutch SIG with the Society's dormant Sephardi group. As there is only a small Dutch Sephardi interest within the JGS – the majority of the Dutch researchers being Dutch Ashkenazim – the Sephardim were not being catered for at all. 3-4 meetings per annum are held. The ever welcome and very helpful " 'round the table " session, follow the talks. This is where we offer our researched names, dates and stories – plus any new research tools and general genealogical know how that is of use to all. Attendees provide their names, contact addresses, and general "wants". A list is produced for each member. Cousins – some sitting in the same room – have found each other.
Eastern European SIG - Under the Chairmanship of Raymond Montanjes This has developed in a similar way to the Dutch & Sephardi group. The only difference is that it splits into 3 main groups. Polish, Lithuania/Estonian Litvak – where the South Africans are catered for – and Romanian. There is always someone from the membership in attendance, to help out with other smaller Eastern European region researches, such as the Ukraine and other Baltic regions.
Tony Benson – Blog Editor


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Touch -a -Truck is July 13
Attention all kids and adults who are really kids at heart: The Pequot Lakes Early Childhood Parent Advisory Council is sponsoring a special vehicle-based event for children from babies through early elementary school age. Join the fun on Saturday, July 13, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Trailside Park next to the Pequot Lakes Chamber of Commerce building. Climb into trucks, a boat, a school bus, an RV and other vehicles. Sit down behind the wheel of the biggest truck of your dreams. This family friendly event gives children the opportunity to check out a favorite vehicle. Bring a camera to record the smiles.
The Touch – a - Truck event is a fund raiser for the Pequot Lakes School Readiness program. All proceeds from this event go to fund scholarships for children to attend the School Readiness program. Admission to the event is $3 per child. Adults attend free.
There are several child and family friendly activities planned for the 2013 event such a hourly door prize drawings, games and storytelling. There will be a selection of food and beverages to purchase, too. Come for the entire Truck Touch event or spend an hour.
For more information on Touch-a- Truck call Pequot Lakes ECFE at 218-562-7520 or Pequot Lakes Community Education at 218-568-9200. This is the 4th year of the Truck Touch event. Support the youngest children in the community with a boost to their educational success by participating in Truck Touch 2013.


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Before the U.S. House of Representatives, Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations, Ralph Regula, Chairman
April 24, 2001
Mr. Chairman and members of the Committee:
It is my pleasure to appear before you on behalf of the Special Institutions for Persons with Disabilities, which include the American Printing House for the Blind (APH), the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID), and Gallaudet University.
These special institutions provide specialized programs and services to students with disabilities. The Department helps ensure that each institution provides services and programs in compliance with the requirements of its respective authorizing legislation and that these activities meet the needs of the students for whom they are intended.
I am pleased to present the Department's testimony on behalf of the President's fiscal year 2002 budget for these institutions. I would like to take a few minutes to summarize the budget request and to comment on several key issues. Then representatives of each of the Institutions will provide specific testimony in support of the budget request for their respective programs.
Budget Request
The total budget request for the Special Institutions is $154 million. This includes a request of $12 million for the American Printing House for the Blind; $52.57 million for the National Technical Institute for the Deaf; and $89.4 million for Gallaudet University. The Department is pleased to be able to provide support for these important programs and for the children and adults with disabilities who will benefit from their services.
Operations and Initiatives
The Administration's request of $12 million for the American Printing House for the Blind would maintain this program at the fiscal year 2001 appropriation level. This request provides $8.8 million for educational materials; $1.7 million for advisory services; and $1.5 million for educational and technical research. Over the past four years, funding for the Printing House has increased by $5.32 million or just under 80 percent. Advisory Services and Educational and Technical Research utilize approximately 28 percent of the APH appropriation and approximately 30 percent of the funds available for special projects in these areas becomes available for new projects each year. Our request for fiscal year 2002 would retain these funds for use in expanding ongoing projects and to fund a variety of new initiatives. For example, at the request level, APH would use $250,000 in freed-up funds for an initiative to develop a Test and Assessment Collaboration Team (INTACT). This initiative would increase the Printing House's ability to respond to requests from States for APH to provide standardized tests in alternative formats, including braille, large print, recorded, and electronic media. The number of requests to put State and national standardized tests into accessible formats has greatly increased in recent years. The Department agrees that this is a high priority for the American Printing House.
Our request of $52.57 million for the National Technical Institute for the Deaf maintains the fiscal year 2001 level for NTID operations at $48 million. The fiscal year 2001 appropriation included $2.5 million more for operations, or 5.5 percent, than the fiscal year 2000 level. These funds are retained in our fiscal year 2002 request. Within this level, the Institute would have the flexibility to allocate funds to its highest priorities. The request also includes $4.6 million for the final year of the NTID dormitory construction project.
For Gallaudet University, our requested level of $89.4 million is the same as the fiscal year 2001 appropriation. This request provides funding for University level programs, the Model Secondary School for the Deaf (MSSD), and the Kendall Demonstration Elementary School (KDES). The fiscal year 2001 appropriation included $5.92 million more for Gallaudet operations, or 7.1 percent, than the fiscal year 2000 level. These funds are retained in our fiscal year 2002 request and include $2.5 million that the previous Administration requested in 2001 as a permanent addition to Gallaudet's base for deferred maintenance activities. The University would have the flexibility to establish priorities for the use of appropriated funds.
Endowment Funds
As in previous years, the Administration's request would provide NTID and Gallaudet the flexibility to use current-year program funds for their endowment grant programs. Each Institution would have the discretion to determine whether and how much of the appropriation to use for matching purposes. Our request, however, continues to include $586,000 for NTID and $1 million for Gallaudet University, amounts that were incorporated into each of the Institution's operations budgets from prior years for endowment purposes. In fiscal year 2000, NTID matched $590,000 from private fund raising, and the University matched $2 million, twice the amount usually used for this purpose. The Administration believes that the endowment grant program helps promote the financial independence of the Institutions and provides a permanent and increasing source of funds for special projects.
Construction Funds
The Administration is requesting $4.57 million for fiscal year 2002 for the final phase of a major project to renovate the NTID dormitories. As a result of a number of expansions and construction cost overruns, the total cost of the dormitory project has risen from $12.4 million to $14.972 million. Over the last several years, Congress has provided a total of $9.595 million toward the cost of this project. In this final phase of the project, we believe that it is reasonable to ask NTID to bear some responsibility for raising funds to cover a minimal portion of the total cost of this project, including the projected expansions and overruns associated with the project. Therefore, our request requires NTID to match a minimal $806,000. This represents less than 5.4 percent of the total cost of the project. NTID has proven its ability to fund raise, and we believe that it is capable of raising less than $1 million toward a $14.972 million project.
Major Activities
The Department has worked closely with the Special Institutions to monitor and update their Annual Program Performance Plans and Reports to comply with the requirements of the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA). The integrated performance plans and reports that have been submitted to Congress for the Institutions include the key performance measures the Department believes are appropriate for inclusion in the GPRA plans. In addition, there are more extensive plans that we refer to as "master plans" for each institution. These plans contain other measures not included in the annual performance plans submitted to Congress that will be used by the institutions to oversee internal operations, and by the Department for monitoring purposes.
We are pleased with the efforts the institutions have made in working with the Department to develop, track and report on these measures, which we believe are vitally important to the missions of their respective programs.
In fiscal year 2002, the Department plans to continue to work closely with the Special Institutions for Persons with Disabilities to ensure that Federal funds are being used efficiently and effectively to expand educational opportunities for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing and individuals who are blind.
My colleagues and I will be happy to respond to any questions you may have.


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Nassau Hotel Guide
A great option for both families and individuals looking to enjoy one of the Nassau resorts is to stay at one of the all inclusive hotels found here. Going this route for hotels in Nassau, Bahamas guarantees that you can get a cheap deal that fits your budget.
Couples love staying at one of the luxury hotels to be found in Nassau. There are a number of 5 star hotels that cater to those on their honeymoon. You can also find boutique hotels offering a distinctly romantic and relaxing experience for guests. Hotels near the airport are another option for visitors looking to be close to the city center.
Your Nassau vacations can easily be planned just by using Expedia.com. Expedia offers a number of deals on flights to Nassau, as well as allowing you to book your car rentals online so you'll easily be able to drive to hot spots like the Ardastra Gardens, Zoo and Conservation Center while on trip.


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IBM Certified Associate - Security QRadar V7.0 MR4
Note: This certification will retire on April 30, 2016 (and will expire from PartnerWorld on September 30, 2016).
Job Role Description / Target Audience
An IBM Certified Associate - Security QRadar V7.0 MR4 is an individual with entry level knowledge and experience with IBM Security QRadar V7.0 MR4 . This individual is knowledgeable about the fundamental concepts of IBM Security QRadar V7.0 MR4 through hands on experience. The associate should have an in-depth knowledge of the basic to intermediate tasks required in day-to-day use of IBM Security QRadar V7.0 MR4 . The individual should be able to complete these tasks with little to not assistance from documentation, peers or support.
Recommended Prerequisite Skills
Key Areas of Competency
- Understanding of the Security Information and Event Management market.
- Use the user interface within the IBM Security QRadar V7.0 MR4 environment
Required Prerequisites:
- Working end user knowledge of IBM Security QRadar V7.0 MR4
- Working knowledge of regular expressions
- Basic knowledge of IS027001/2
- Basic knowledge of IBM Security Framework
- Working knowledge of building and managing IBM Security QRadar V7.0 MR4 rules, reports and offenses
This certification requires 1 test(s).
Test(s) required:
Click on the link(s) below to see test details, test objectives, suggested training and sample tests.
Member Site
Not sure what the Member site is? Find out the benefits of being a certified professional.
Premium Wallet Card
Receive a premium wallet when you order your Premium Certificate.


text: Found this Nirve Fifty-Three on Craig's yesterday, picked it up today. A few scratches but near new condition. Still has the plastic cover on the headbadge. Best $150 I've spent in a long time. I'm thinking about a set of Electra 24" Straight 8 wheels (3 spd, black checkerboard rear with red spokes fr & rr)) and some black fat rubber if it will fit in the springer. The springer looks pretty narrow. Have to do some checking. Has anybody tried this with a similar Nirve. If it works I'll scrap the fenders and chainguard.


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UTSA observes Cybersecurity Awareness Month
By Alex Morones
Technical Writer and Editor, Office of Information Technology
(Oct. 17, 2008)--The UTSA Office of Information Technology's Information Security Office once again will host activities in support of Cybersecurity Awareness Month.
Observed in October, the event was created by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the National Cyber Security Alliance to increase awareness of information security issues. This is the second year that UTSA will participate.
Today's headlines
- La Prensa Foundation is newest member of UTSA Lone Star Society
- UTSA alumna Jordan Kaufmann wins $50K for new stent-graft start-up
- UTSA begins new way-finding sign installation this summer at Main Campus
- USA Today: UTSA long jumper Tyler Williamson rescues three-year-old boy
Article tools
"Realistically, we should always be concerned about information security, but this gives us a chance to reinforce good practices," said Homero Torres, UTSA assistant director of information security. "This is a great time for us to evaluate and improve our information security practices."
This year, the program focus is on four information security issues: phishing, MySpace/Facebook, password creation and PC safety. UTSA events will include a series of lectures by information security professionals, a specialized Web site and informational posters and bookmarks.
UTSA Cybersecurity Awareness Month lecture series
View the full activities schedule and information security tips at the UTSA Cybersecurity Web site.
Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2-3:15 p.m.
University Center Bexar Room (1.102), 1604 Campus
FBI Special Agent Christopher Lamb
"The History of Hacking and Present Cybersecurity Threats"
Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2-3 p.m.
Business Building University Room (2.06.04), 1604 Campus
Homero Torres, UTSA Information Security Office
"Phish of the Day: Hacker's Delight"
Thursday, Oct. 23, 3:30-4:45 p.m.
Business Building University Room (2.06.04), 1604 Campus
Nicole Beebe, Assistant Professor of Information Systems, UTSA College of Business
"Discovering the Digital Footprints You Leave Behind
Friday, Oct. 24, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
University Center Bexar Room (1.102)
Jesse Hernandez, Infrastructure Assurance Student Association
"Online @ UTSA: How Safe Are You?"
Tuesday Oct. 28, 2:30-3:30 p.m.
Frio Street Building Room 2.520, Downtown Campus
Homero Torres, UTSA Information Security Office
"Phish of the Day: Hacker's Delight"


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Sewage systems are important fοr reducіng the dangers оf waterborne diseases and avoiding the floоding of tоwns аnd cіtiеѕ. Within thesе systems, a reliable examination tool that coυld effeсtively hаndle the cleaning procedure to ѕatisfy real-timе requіrеments wοuld be helpful.
A new system cοnsists οf an ultrasonic asseѕsment υnit that deteсtѕ the leνel of air pollution and damage, and uses this information tо adjust cleaning through algorithms. The recοrded data additiоnallу prοvіdeѕ a depеndable cleaning review trail.
At first, research on ultrasonіc sensors and ultrasοniс modulеs had beеn сarrіed out, resulting in the choice of an inertial sensοr ѕystem. The senѕor had to bе able tо send informatiοn to а ѕeparatе control unit included thе usagе of vidеo сameras аnd a lеngth meter. The aim had bеen tο reаd the senѕor's information, gather them while making thеm аvailable in real time to the control computer.
The test syѕtem was plaсed into a pipe and was in a position to sυccessfully gather the neеded informаtion. Аs such, the task attаined its goal οf crеаting a multipurposе, аll-in-onе system for cleaning and inspecting ѕеwage pіpes. А savіng of 35 % may be accomplishеd іn cleaning сosts because of to reduced fresh water use.
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Job Opportunities in Welding
Currently the demand for beginning welders in the central Arkansas region, across the state and throughout the country is high. Starting pay in this area is $8-12 per hour. By the second year of employment, one can expect to earn $10-15 per hour. Within five years, most welders top out at about $28.50 per hour.
Job openings locally are plentiful in the building trades, maintenance, power plan construction, steel fabrication services, manufacturing, the horse trailer industry and through the boilermaker and ironworker unions."This is a good trade to be in for this area. It offers a stable, steady work environment and is one of the higher paying positions in the industry with staring pay in our company at $8 to $11 per hour depending on experience."
Wayne Elliot,
Manager of Human Resources
AFCO Steel, North Little Rock
Pulaski Technical College


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I want everyone to know my experiences with Kingfisher Apiaries. I ordered two nucs from them in February for late spring delivery. I received them on time and the nucs looked good with 3 frames of brood each. The bees have been doing great expanding even in 100+ F heat. The bees temperament is good; I rarely get stung working them without gloves. Mike is very knowledgeable and is more than happy to answer questions. I live close to him and he has been a great help to me and has taught me most of what I know. I plan on buying more nucs and some of his gentle queens.
I would recommend Kingfisher Apiaries to anyone!


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Junk Bond Daily Yield Snapshot: 5.289% (Yes, Another Record)
As I pointed out last week, it's barely worth mentioning these days when the junk-bond market sets a new record-low average yield and record-high dollar price, because it's just going to do it again a day later. So without undue verbiage I present the latest statistical snapshot:
Average junk-bond yield 5.289%; average price 106.17 cents on the dollar (per a Bank of America Merrill Lynch index)
Yes, they're both new all-time records. Check back tomorrow for their inevitable replacements.


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Thanksgiving has arrived. And you know what that means: dinner with your boorish uncle, the disturbing quiver of canned cranberry sauce, and the Phoenix's second annual list of Rhode Island turkeys — people and institutions who committed crimes against the state in the past year.
Some of those crimes were, quite literally, crimes. This is Rhode Island, after all. But there were other infractions, too: attacks on the local economy, affronts to free speech; the long arm of Rhody Ridiculousness even reached the White House at the height of campaign season.
Yes, the flock of turkeys was unusually large this year. So grab a fork and dig in — with so many to choose from, we've got some particularly choice birds.
Frank Caprio, ertswhile Democratic candidate for governor, is no bird brain.
But he sure looked like one when he went on talk radio and told President Obama — who had declined to back the would-be-gubnah — that he could take his endorsement and "shove it."
Yes, with just two inglorious words, Caprio managed to:
a) squander whatever chance he still had to win,
b) embarrass a state with a pretty high threshold for embarrassment, and
c) give hecklers and wiseass columnists fodder for a lifetime.
"Shoveitgate" began with an interview on talk-radio host John DePetro's show. But it wasn't the only controversy the morning-drive squawker would court this fall.
WJAR-TV reported a couple of weeks ago that documents in a divorce proceeding suggest DePetro had an affair with a married woman — and threatened her family via text message when the jig was up.
Now, extramarital activity is not, in and of itself, grounds for turkeydom — though DePetro's fondness for exploiting others' domestic disquietude on-air makes his own infidelity borderline birdy.
But DePetro does get a turkey for this text message, which he allegedly sent to his paramour: "ri monthly has a story coming out where i am listed as one of the top 10 most powerful in ri. If they" — his lover's family, apparently — "try to f*** me I will kill them."
Oh, John, there is so much wrong with that message. Not the least of which is this pleasing little factoid: you didn't actually make the Rhode Island Monthly list.
For months, Rhode Island politicians have been kicking the stuffing out of the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation for approving a $75 million loan guarantee for former Red Sox pitcher and insufferable blowhard Curt Schilling's 38 Studios video game company.
And rightly so. The deal represents a big bet on a single company, operating in a highly competitive sector, with no track record.
It is, in other words, a perfect symbol for something much larger and more worrisome, something that goes beyond the EDC: Rhode Island's haphazard, pin-the-tale-on-the-turkey, is-this-really-the-best-we-can-do? approach to economic development.
Gobble, gobble!
Lincoln Chafee, our turkey-elect, was not the gaffe-a-minute candidate we were all hoping for. But he had one doozy.
See all articles by:
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|San Diego, Calif.
|High School:
|Mt. Carmel
As a Freshman: Appeared in 48 games (all starts) at the second base position for the Bobcats, the most of any freshman on the roster…She finished with the sixth-best batting average on the team at .285 (37-for-130) which was good for 40th in the NEC…Also chipped in the fourth-most runs scored (17), third-most doubles (six), third-most home runs (two), fourth-most runs batted in (14), second-most walks (15), third-most steals (six) and fourth-highest on-base percentage (.367)…Also shined defensively for Quinnipiac with a .957 fielding percentage, committing just seven errors from her second base position…Burst onto the scene with a season-high three hits against St. Peter's on Feb. 25 with a run scored and one RBI…Scored a run in five straight games to start the season including a .417 batting average (5-for-12) with one double and two RBI in the five-game stretch…Finished 2-for-4 with a run scored against CSU Bakersfield on March 16…Highlighted her season with a two home run performance against Sacred Heart on April 1 that started another five game hitting streak where Barba tore the cover off the ball with a .500 batting average (9-for-18), five runs scored, three doubles, and five RBI…Posted three straight games with two hits within the five game hitting streak from April 4 – 6…Finished a doubleheader against Wagner on April 14 going 3-for-8 with two runs scored, one double, and two RBI…Finished 2-for-4 against Bryant on April 29 with one RBI…Finished the season as the Bobcat's hottest hitter riding a six game hitting streak into next season with a .444 batting average (8-for-18) including two runs scored and one RBI.
Before Quinnipiac: Attended Mt. Carmel High School where she won three varsity letters in softball…Also, played varsity field hockey for one year…Won three CIF Championships in softball…Received the Coaches' Award in 2009…Also, suited up for the SD Renegades, where she won a Western National Championship in 2007.
Personal: A native of San Diego, Calif…Daughter of Arthur and Arlene…Has an older brother, Geoffrey…An occupational therapy major.


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forum: Food & Drink
Pages: 1 | Home » Food & Drink » Iron rations meals
#1 Wed 21 Nov 12 7:08pm
Iron rations meals
What do you cook when you've run out of proper ingredients and either there's no money left for that week or you can't get to a shop?
I generally opt for something like pasta or "cheesy rice" - rice with whatever frozen veg I have, a stock cube and/or soy sauce, an egg cracked in at the end and grated cheese on top. But I also make tortillas with plain flour - brilliant when you've run out of bread, and anything tastes good in a home-made tortilla. If there's nothing else, they're fab with just butter.
I find it's amazing how many meals you can get out of stuff that's just lying in the cupboard. But then, I am a hoarder.
#2 Sun 25 Nov 12 4:24pm
- Forum super champ Occupation avoiding housework
- From The land of song.
- Member since Tue 04 Oct 05
Re: Iron rations meals
I might make something like a chick pea curry , cheese and potato pie , pasta with tomato bases sauces , savory rice , vegetable curries , Dahl and flatbreads , soups , lentil soup is a great 'standby ' soup to make from store cupboard ingredients.
I am pretty good at looking in the fridge , pantry and freezer and knocking up a meal out of a selection of bits and pieces.
We make all our own bread and so its rare we run out, but another good bread to make if you run out of bread is Irish Soda Bread , this can be made very quickly and although quite a few recipes say to use buttemilk its simple to make without it.
Warm Irish Soda bread is delicious and a taste that takes me back to Sundays as a child when we would call by the bakers after going to church ( they were open for a very short time ) we used to always hope that they had been baking soda bread and that noone else had been in to buy it before us !
#3 Sun 25 Nov 12 8:38pm
- Forum champ Occupation Musician
- From NYC
- Member since Fri 12 Dec 08
Re: Iron rations meals
We are at that point of the month right now, have overextended our funds during the holiday and riding through the end of the month on raiding the freezer and pantry.
Last night I made grilled lamb chops with roasted taters and buttered peas. Everything except for the potatoes were in the freezer. There's plenty of stuff in there to lasts us months if necessary lol.
#4 Mon 26 Nov 12 9:40am
Re: Iron rations meals
It is amazing what you can make out of almost nothing. It's almost like this cooking lark is actually a practical skill, rather than an untidy sort of hobby.
#5 Mon 26 Nov 12 2:55pm
- Forum super champ Occupation avoiding housework
- From The land of song.
- Member since Tue 04 Oct 05
Re: Iron rations meals
Last night I cooked a large potato rosti for my darling and on top of it I put the remainsof the pulled pork that was in the fridge .
To make the rosti , just grate washed potatoes, unless the skins as tough I do not peel them , I also grate onion ( or fine chop) and I melt some butter.
Combine all this then just scatter into a non-stick frying pan with a little oil in it and cook without disterbing untill the edges start to brown . then turn it , I turn it sliding it onto a board then by fliping it back into the pan.
the starch in the potato will stick the rosti together and as the grated pieces are scattered without being pressed down the water in the potato eveporates so there is no need to do all that squeezingt o remove the fluid.that you sometimes see chefs on the TV do .I was told how to make these from a chef in a restaurant in Geneva.
Rosti's are a great treat for when funds are short , they take a little time to cook but can be topped or served with simple things like a a fried egg or some cooked mushrooms or realy anything.
#6 Mon 26 Nov 12 3:16pm
- Forum super champ Occupation Just being me
- Member since Fri 28 Mar 08
Re: Iron rations meals
quiche, baked pasta or rice with blended bits of cheese - if you have eggs and milk, there are so many ways to use a few pantry items.
#7 Mon 26 Nov 12 3:36pm
Re: Iron rations meals
I made couscous fritters today with leftover couscous from yesterday - mixed in some chopped ham and sweetcorn, some crushed garlic, paprika and parsley, then an egg and just enough flour to bind together. Fried them in a little oil. Very tasty. If not using ham, you would need to add salt.
Pages: 1 | Home » Food & Drink » Iron rations meals


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Buffy It Real Good
Our Buffy Body Butter was inspired by LUSH co-founder and inventor Rowena's trip to Brazil. She already loved all things scrubby, and then she heard about the women in Brazil who rub a mixture of sand and sunscreen into their backsides. The result of massaging this mixture into their skin is supremely soft, smooth and moisturized bottoms and thighs!
Back to the labs it was, where the worldwide, best-selling cocoa butter and ground almond bar was born.
Now, maybe we can't be as tan as the Brazilians, but at least we can have smooth backsides; thanks Ro!
Related Stories


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Thursday, May 4, 2017
The Texas House tentatively approved a measure Tuesday that would reduce the fee of a license to carry by $100.
Read the complete article: San Antonio Express-News
Legal & Legislation
Second Amendment
Friday, May 19, 2017
The Supreme Court of North Dakota confirmed this week that simply possessing a handgun while on one's own private property cannot support a finding of "disorderly conduct" under the state's disorderly conduct restraining order law. ...
Tuesday, May 16, 2017
The House Judiciary Committee passed Senate Bill 1657 by a 7-6 vote.
Monday, May 22, 2017
Last week, attorneys on behalf of the NRA filed an amicus brief in Kitsap County v. Kitsap Rifle and Revolver Club (Kitsap II), the case which challenges Kitsap County's firearm discharge ban and range licensing scheme. Kitsap Rifle and ...
Thursday, May 4, 2017
Today, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan signed House Bill 1427 into law.
Today, May 22, Governor Brian Sandoval signed important pro-gun legislation, Assembly Bill 118, into law. AB 118, sponsored by Assemblyman Skip Daly, will allow members of the military and those who have received an honorable ...
Tuesday, May 23, 2017
Friday, May 26th is the deadline for the fiscal committees to pass bills to the floor from the chamber of origin. On Thursday, May 25, the Senate AppropriationsCommittee is scheduled to consider Senate Bill 464 and Senate Bill 497. ...
Last week, the Senate Committee of the Whole referred an amended version of House Bill 2278 back to the Senate Ways and Means Committee.
Thursday, May 25, 2017
The National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) today applauded Texas Gov. Greg Abbott for signing into law NRA-backed legislation that will make license to carry fees in Texas among the lowest in the ...
Wednesday, May 24, 2017
Tomorrow, Thursday, May 25, at 12:00 pm (PT), NRA's legal team will be hosting a free webinar to discuss the recently submitted "assault weapon" regulations.
Tuesday, May 2, 2017
The Illinois House of Representatives may consider Senate Bill 1657, legislation that could put your local gun dealer out of business, at any time! It is imperative that you contact your state Representative IMMEDIATELY and ...
California: Pro-Hunting Legislation Passed Appropriations Committee
Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Receive important and timely information in defense of your second amendment rights.
© 2017 National Rifle Association of America, Institute for Legislative Action. This may be reproduced. This may not be reproduced for commercial purposes. 11250 Waples Mill Rd. Fairfax, VA 22030 1-800-392-8683(VOTE)


text: When you do this, does it always feel like you pretty much don't know how to skate at ALL? For the past 12ish years, I've always took at least an entire month off... and every time I got back on, even a crossover felt completely AWKWARD and I felt like I was going to biff it on every stroke. But I got back on yesterday after about 6 weeks off (longer than normal) and for the first time it didn't feel like I had been off. It was SO weird! I did all the doubles, even double axel which I usually don't ever attempt first day back.


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"Our Worth as Women"
"Our Worth as Women"
More From Dena
Dena 's Biography
Source of Strength: Her mother
Philosophy on Life: Practice kindness everywhere you can.
Biggest Fear: Being powerless.
A Lesson in Sharing: She grew up in a one bedroom apartment in the Bronx that she shared with her mother and two sisters.
Dena Simmons is an activist, an educator, and also a student. Born to a resilient mother who escaped Antigua to come to the US, Simmons was raised in the Bronx and hopes to stay there. After graduating with honors from Middlebury College, Simmons returned to the Bronx through Teach for America as a middle school teacher. While she may teach in a classroom, she often learns outside of one. In 2007 she traveled to Antigua as a health volunteer for the Directorate of Gender Affairs to provide better health services for Dominican sex workers. She received a Fulbright grant to study the collaboration between schools and health agencies to prevent teen pregnancy in the Dominican Republic. She is also a 2004 Harry S. Truman Scholar and 2010 Paul and Daisy Soros Fellow. She is currently studying for her Doctorate of Education at Columbia University, Teachers College. Her research is focused on teacher preparedness as it relates to bullying in the school setting.


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Multiracial persons are the fastest growing demographic group in the country, but still gaining recognition. Now mixed race people can see themselves in books and be proud of who they are.
Curriculum & Resources
Who is America? This bundle of lesson plans and activities will help your students understand the basics of the every-decade census and why they should care about what's at stake.
With this YES! lesson plan, try to truly understand an image, its message, and why it's interesting (or not). In this case it's all about happiness.
Poetry: yes, by Charles John Pace, with Note to Educators.
With this YES! lesson plan, try to truly understand an image, its message, and why it's interesting (or not). In this case it's all about a different image of Iran.
By the midcentury, people of color will make up the majority in the U.S. These resouces will help students understand race and the experiences of multiracial people.
How can teachers effectively teach diverse students when they struggle with their own understandings of race?
No Impact Man, Colin Beavan, and his family have inspired a nation to swap their old consumer habits for new environmentally-friendly ones. The recently launched No Impact Curriculum brings the lessons learned from this year-long journey to your classroom.
Lesson plans, hands-on activities, and award-winning projects on green building and economies will demonstrate to your students that there's a better, sustainable, and just future that they can help build, shape, and design.
With this YES! lesson plan, you and your students can luxuriate—and pause—to truly understand an image, its message, and why it's interesting (or not). In this case it's all about bikes.
Quote from The Lorax by Dr. Seuss and images from Chris Jordan's stunning series on America's obsession with consumption, Intolerable Beauty, with a note to educators.
Use this photo to ask your students what they notice and are wondering. Then share the facts behind the image to connect to greater understanding and discovery.
Robert Shetterly's remarkable collection of portraits reminds us of the dignity, courage and importance of America's truth tellers. Here we offer curriculum tools to support the series.
These curricula are bursting with impressive lessons, experiments, and visual tools to guide your students in their exploration of climate change and the influence of common plants on human kind.
Earth Institute's Brower Awards annually recognize young people who create a project or campaign with positive environmental and social impact. Meet this year's outstanding recipients.


text: Bill, that really is one of the most well thought out and presented articles I've ever read on gun control or the banning of assault weapons. It truly shocks me that it comes from a gun loving Liberal, that has a great understanding of both the Left and Right's predisposed characteristics. Thanks for posting that.


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I have the model 36 which is almost identical to the 637. These new airweights are nice and light but you feel all of the recoil. Otherwise, they are nice guns, and easy to conceal.
You should check out the model 60, same frame size but you can also shoot .357 out of it for defense and .38 at the range to save money on ammo.


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A great day for caving
Trip Start Jun 01, 2011
60Trip End Jul 31, 2011
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Where I stayed
White's City Cavern Inn Whites City
Read my review - 4/5 stars
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What I did
King's Palace Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Read my review - 4/5 stars
Read my review - 4/5 stars
We made it back to the top via the elevator before anyone else. We did this so we could beat the lunch line at the cafeteria in the visitors center, which we did. Pooh had a veggie burger and I had some New Mexico style pork BBQ. The food was OK but the portion was small. Still hungry, Pooh went to the truck to eat some more snacks. I went back to fetch a water before we went on our 2nd tour of the day.
Our next tour was the Natural Entrance. This is where Carlsbad Caverns was discovered and where most people entered the cave before the elevator was built. This is where the bats come out a sunset so they close this several hours beforehand. There is a zig-zag pathway several hundred feet down. It is only one mile from here to the elevators but you go down over 700 feet. Better to walk down and take the elevator up
This was the Big Room tour which was another self guided. For this mile and a half it was stick full of cave eye candy with everything you want in a cave and nothing boring. Hard to describe here so just check out the photos and videos. Today was just some of the best caving experiences I have ever had. Total all the caves I have been too and they don't equal what I have seen today. After this awesome last tour we went back up the elevator and drove back home. However, this time we took the back road which is called the Walnut Canyon Desert Drive. It is a 9 mile gravel road halfway down the mountain. Some places you could only go 5 mph so as not to send you flying in the air. Nothing different about the landscape compared to the regular road. It was just that this was a narrow one lane twisty gravel road.
Back at White's City RV Quique was glad we came home and the AC kept the RV at 80 all day. 80 degrees in this dry weather is not too bad. Plus I don't want the AC to freeze up. Pooh cooked some Indian eggplant for dinner. At dusk I went back up the hill to watch the bat program. This is our last night here so I hope it is good. Hearing the exact same ranger talk was not all exciting but this bat show did not disappoint. Thousands of bats came out tonight versus a few hundred on the previous nights. Once it got too dark to see the bats it was time to head back down the hill and call it a night.
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Suspect shot by Bannock County sheriff's deputy
Wednesday night, a high-speed chase ended with a suspect being shot by a Bannock County sheriff's deputy
FORT HALL- Idaho - A man who led southeastern Idaho law enforcement officers on a high-speed chase after a hit-and-run was shot and injured by a Bannock County deputy, late Wednesday night.
The sheriff's office says the deputy who was able to stop the Fort Hall man, Kevin Dean Toane, 33, shot him in defense after Toane tried ramming his car at the end of the chase. The suspect was taken to the Portneuf Medical Center and then later "Life- Flighted" to the University of Utah Medical center where he was listed in critical condition. Family members are reporting he is now listed to be in serious condition.
Bannock County Sheriff Lorin Nielsen says the chase began at about 11:30 p.m. Wednesday when a deputy spotted the vehicle suspected in the hit-and-run. Other deputies and Fort Hall police joined the pursuit. The vehicle slowed to a stop on a dirt road after it ran over spike strips set out by law enforcement.
Officers said as they approached the vehicle, the suspect tried to ram them and their vehicles.
The sheriff's deputy is on administrative leave, due to standard protocol until the investigation is completed.
Since the incident occurred on Fort Hall property, the investigation will fall under FBI jurisdiction. FBI officials from Pocatello will bring in an investigative team from Salt Lake City to help out. The Bonneville County Sheriff's Office will also help lead the investigation.
Other law enforcement officials involved in helping the sheriff's office in Wednesday night's case are: the Pocatello Police Dept., Fort Hall police, Idaho State Police, and the Bonneville County Sheriff's Office.


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The crime scene cleaners
07/10/2013 , 10:40 AM by Jonathan Morrell | Comments (0)
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Brian Freeman is a former special forces soldier and Kokoda track record breaker. He had a theory that walking the track could have a special benefit for wounded servicemen and the families of those killed in Afghanistan.
Last year he put his theory to the test and organised two treks that produced some extraordinary results. The experience has been documented in his book and he's been talking to Jonathan Morrell about the experience.Read more
13/08/2013 , 9:46 AM by Jonathan Morrell | Comments (0)
If you're an early riser, you might have heard our new book. Called "The Children's House of Belsen", it tells the story of Hetty Velrome. Born in 1930, her family moved to Amsterdam in the Netherlands a year later. In 1943 she and her family were sent to the Nazi concentration camps. Hetty and her brothers were sent to the Children's House, within Belsen concentration camp. As one of the eldest, Hetty became the "Little Mother", helping to care for not only her siblings, but the other children as well. In the book Hetty recalls one of the remarkable, largely untold stories of the Holocaust - the extraordinary struggle and survival of this group of children through those terrible years. After surviving the war, she emigrated to Australia in 1954. She worked in many jobs, from waitress to bus conductress, from door-to-door retailing to selling real estate. She eventually established herself as a successful shopping centre developer. Hetty now lives in Perth where she visits schools and community groups to tell her story. She's been talking to me about why she decided to write the book.
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01/08/2013 , 10:46 AM by Jonathan Morrell | Comments (0)
We hear plenty about Perth's growing population and how people are living many kilometres away from where they're working. The challenge is and will be in the future, how do we get from home to work without getting caught in traffic delays?
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09/07/2013 , 9:16 AM by Jonathan Morrell | Comments (0)
If you remember the 80s, you'll know the name Alison Moyet. She was the powerful voice in the duo Yazoo. Their big hit, which still gets a fair amount of radioplay, was "Only You". Solo hits followed such as "Weak in the presence of beauty","Invisible" and "All cried out".
After the very commercial sound of these songs, Alison decided to explore some different avenues with the album "Voice" covering English folk songs to jazz standards.
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One of the most popular features on the Dawn Patrol is our daily book reading. We have featured many authors over the years but our latest novel has provoked an incredible reaction from you. It's written by Andrew Dunkley who works for the ABC's Local Radio station in Dubbo in New South Wales. It's set in the terrible conditions of the trenches during World War 1 and follows the experiences of Stanley Dunkley who was Andrew's grandfather. Andrew tells me he spent many hours researching the book and recalling what his grandfather had told him about leaving Australia to fight in the conflict. It's hoped the book will be published as an e book and audio CD by the end of the year. Negotiations are continuing about a release as a paper/hardback edition.
Here's our chat with Andrew Dunkley about the book and his grandfather.Read more
12/03/2013 , 11:40 AM by Jonathan Morrell | Comments (0)
If you're up and about early enough, you'll hear Corin who brings us a poem every Tuesday morning at about 4.30am. Sometimes he writes about horses (a big passion of his) or perhaps a memory of his time working in the north of the state. This week though he's talking about a pest which has spread from Queensland through the Northern Territory and into the north of WA - we are talking about cane toads. I was surprised to read that the pests have even been turned into a purse! Have a listen to Corin's thoughts about the creature in this poem.
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06/11/2012 , 11:50 AM by Jonathan Morrell | Comments (0)
So it's Melbourne Cup Day which will see many of us taking a few hours off work or even the whole day to enjoy the event with friends. I'm sure you know that Corin, our bush poet, is a big racing fan. It came as no surprise that he decided to use his regular Tuesday segment on the Dawn Patrol show to write and read a poem about Melbourne Cup Day. As you'll hear, he's not too interested in the fashion side of the event but he's passionate about the race itself!
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24/10/2012 , 1:52 PM by Sharon Kennedy | Comments (0)
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On the Dawn Patrol this morning our Bard of the Bush, Corin Linch, offered us a hilarious antedote to all the Christmas cheer about the place. Called 'Bah Humbug, it's nearly Christmas', check it out by clicking below:
08/12/2011 , 2:57 PM by Glynn Greensmith | Comments (1)
It's all down to the listeners on Theme Music Thursday on the Dawn Patrol. After sifting through a stack of requests for favourite Christmas songs this morning, i was asked to put the selected playlist online. Here's what we had:
Feliz Navidad - Jose Feliciano
Merry Christmas Baby - Bruce Springstein
Driving Home for Christmas - Chris Rea
Santa Baby - Eartha Kitt
6 White Boomers - Rolf Harris
Christmas in the Caribbean - Jimmy Buffet
Sleigh Ride - The Ronettes
Rocking Around the Christmas Tree - She and Him
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Silent Night (Oiche Chiu'n) - Enya
A Christmas Song - Jethro Tull
The Christmas Countdown - Frank Kelly
When a child is born - Johnny Mathis
Adeste Fidelis - Andrea Bocelli
It's Christmas in Heaven - Monty Python
Do They Know It's Christmas - Band Aid
Fairytale of New York - The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl
White Christmas - Bing Crosby
Merry Christmas y'all, see you in 2012! Glynn
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30/11/2011 , 8:42 AM by Glynn Greensmith | Comments (0)
Corin Linch began 2 things in 1991: riding his horse in the inaugural Quilty Cup in Coolum; and writing a verse of poetry about it. In 2011 he was back again, and the poem is now 20 verses long!
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18/11/2011 , 1:27 PM by Glynn Greensmith | Comments (0)
Tattoos used to be forever, but now that technology has caught up, would you be willing to go through the time, the pain and the expense of getting it removed? If tattoos are going through a boom, is laser removal surgery? We posed the question on the Dawn Patrol this morning and spoke to a laser surgery expert and a tattooist about the inky boom. Have a listen by clicking below:
(Photo by fluffy_steve, source: Flickr.com)


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Town Square
$25 discount for AIA membership
Original post made by Community courtesy, Alamo, on Mar 20, 2009
Alamo region neighbors received an offering of a $25 discount to join the Alamo Improvement Association and many among the e-exchanges do not understand why. After reading the invitation, we can understand why our membership, as money and head count, is important to the AIA board, but our neighborhoods were offered no benefit from participation that identifies with neighbors' interest in our region's future.
Could one or more AIA board members please provide comment of neighborhoods' interests in enhanced infrastructure, transportation, economic development, and neighborhood leadership in political and planning activities in our region. Just what does $25 buy neighbors as participants in AIA actions?
**Commentary by Jennifer, Alamo region neighborhoods forum, Alamo region community of neighborhoods**
Hal, as a community courtesy
Comments (6)
a resident of another community
on Mar 21, 2009 at 9:22 am
Dear Dolores,
Thank you for allowing Jennifer's request to be posted.
Alamo region neighborhoods have their answers to Jennifer's request and will not require further response.
Best wishes,
a resident of Alamo
on Mar 23, 2009 at 5:10 pm
Be sure to let us know when that question is answered...
The one about "enhanced infrastructure, transportation, economic development, and neighborhood leadership in political and planning activities in our region."
a resident of another community
on Mar 23, 2009 at 5:31 pm
In Quincy California, many years ago, a cigar store wooden Indian asked my question for me with a sign he was holding, "How?"
Yes, neighborhoods know the answers to the question Triogenes proposed, but, Dolores, how would we provide the answer via THE Danville Weekly? Your Terms of Use do not allow privacy and neighborhoods will not surrender their privacy just to answer an individual question.
It is a dilemma for sure, right?
Hal, as Halamo
The Alamo Towne Fool
a resident of another community
on Mar 26, 2009 at 9:12 am
Dear Dolores,
Let's inform your readers that a feature article has been proposed to The Danville Weekly by Alamo region neighborhoods that would define the future charter of Alamo Improvement Association political and planning activities in our region.
Alamo region neighborhoods have discovered many answers to the future interests of the county in our region and such has been shared with the AIA and you for potential preparation of a feature story.
Neighbors look forward to such a feature,
Hal, as a community courtesy
a resident of Alamo
on Mar 28, 2009 at 7:31 am
Dear Dolores, notice circulated to Alamo region e-exchanges,
It is true that Alamo region neighborhoods, in alliance, with their wealth and counsel, are capable of protecting themselves. I would suggest that counsel is not neighbors' only resource to acknowledge and demonstrate that strength. Neighborhoods could add to their alliance by gathering the AIA Board, participants and supporters as part of the neighborhoods' plans for public voice and leadership. Using the AIA as center point for public voice, neighborhoods could progress the AIA as a regional planning authority and a public gathering of neighborhoods' functional services committees. As various regional counsel(s) actions allow additional incorporation consideration, AIA could be the public forum for majority inclusion in a new, well-defined incorporation proposal and election.
There is no need to confuse the AIA's value to our neighborhoods with the alliance of communities' actions throughout District 3 or counsel's actions to set-aside the March 3 election. The AIA's value to Alamo region community of neighborhoods is public voice and presentation within the region with all governments when a community voice is a better choice than counsel's actions.
$25 by each neighborhood RESIDENCE provides that opportunity. Better yet, let $25 demonstrate each residence's interest in a public voice that belongs to the majority and is not just another five people in a MAC, or one or another government board or council. Think of it as insurance that governments will notice a regional community with focus on a public voice and actions.
**As edited by Melissa, Alamo regional counsel committee, Alamo region community of neighborhoods**
Hal, as a community courtesy
a resident of Walnut Creek
on Mar 31, 2009 at 9:43 am
Dear Dolores,
This was received today by a neighborhood representative in the Livorna (East) neighborhoods in Walnut Creek and Alamo:
Dear neighbors,
As a resident of Walnut Creek very near Alamo and an Alamo School parent, I am taking interest in Alamo planning and politics. I have decided to join the Alamo Improvement Association (AIA) to further my interest in responsible planning in our region.
I am not sure that my Walnut Creek neighbors know they are eligible to be an AIA member and to be an active participant and potential board member. I see the AIA as more than simply a voice in 94507 and more important to our region in working with all governments and districts in solutions to land use, zoning, transportation, traffic, public use of schools, retail development and public safety.
**commentary by Janice, Livorna/Miranda neighborhoods, Alamo region community of neighborhoods**
Note: www.alamoca.org, click on by-laws and reference Membership.
Hal, as a community courtesy
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Still Waiting For Nike To Do It
Nike's Labor Practices in the
Three Years Since CEO Phil Knight's
Speech to the National Press Club
May 2001
By Tim Connor
Published by Global Exchange
Still Waiting For Nike To Do It Download the book (PDF 361 kb)
On May 12, 1998, Nike's CEO and founder Mr. Phillip Knight spoke at the National Press Club in Washington, DC and made what were, in his words, "some fairly significant announcements" regarding Nike's policies on working conditions in its supplier factories.
The announcements received favorable treatment from the press, with a New York Times editorial suggesting that Nike's new reforms "set a standard that other companies should match."
Nike's critics were more cautious, expressing concern that Knight's promises represented an attempt to sideline their demands for decent wages and rigorous factory monitoring and replace them with a significantly weaker reform agenda.
This report represents a comprehensive examination of Nike's labor performance in the three years since that speech was made. That performance is first assessed against the commitments Knight announced and is then compared with the human rights standards and independent monitoring practices labor rights organizations have demanded of the company.
Knight's May 12 Promises: What Have They Meant for Workers?
Knight made six commitments:
1st Promise: All Nike shoe factories will meet the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) standards in indoor air quality.
Nike was the subject of considerable scandal in 1997 when it was revealed that workers in one of its contract factories were being exposed to toxic fumes at up to 177 times the Vietnamese legal limit. Although Nike claims that its factories now meet OSHA standards, it gives factory managers advance notice of testing, giving them considerable scope to change chemical use to minimize emissions on the day the test is conducted. Nike is also not yet willing to regularly make the results of those tests available to the interested public. Rights groups have challenged Nike to put in place a transparent system of monitoring factory safety standards involving unannounced monitoring visits by trained industrial hygienists.
2nd Promise: The minimum age for Nike factory workers will be raised to 18 for footwear factories and 16 for apparel factories.
Nike was severely embarrassed on the child labor issue in 1996 when a major story in Life magazine featured a photograph of a very young Pakistani boy sewing a Nike soccer ball. Evidence continues to emerge of young persons under the age of 16 employed in Nike contract factories. In the absence of economic development in their communities, however, excluding children from factories may force them into even more dangerous and degrading work. Global Exchange believes that payment of a living wage to adult workers would be by far the most effective means of benefiting children in areas in which Nike's goods are made.
3rd Promise: Nike will include non-government organizations in its factory monitoring, with summaries of that monitoring released to the public.
As far as rights groups are concerned, this was the most important of Knight's promises. Three years after it was made, Nike has contracted one non-profit organization to conduct one audit of one factory and is able to list a number of other NGOs with which it has held discussions which it claims will improve its monitoring program. What the company is still unable to say is which NGOs, if any, will be allowed to regularly monitor factory conditions and when summary statements of that monitoring will be released.
4th Promise: Nike will expand its worker education program, making free high school equivalency courses available to all workers in Nike footwear factories.
The education program has expanded, but wages paid in Nike factories are so low that the great majority of workers cannot afford to give up overtime income in order to take one of the courses. Payment of a living wage would give Nike workers with an interest in achieving a high school education the time and the means to do so.
5th Promise: Nike will expand its micro-enterprise loan program to benefit four thousand families in Vietnam, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Thailand.
It is much cheaper for Nike to give micro-loans to several thousand individuals outside Nike factories than to ensure that the 530,000 workers producing the company's product are paid a wage that would allow them to live with dignity. Nike's first responsibility is to the workers in its production chain. The company should commit to a living wage before it seeks public relations kudos by funding charitable programs like this.
6th Promise: Funding university research and open forums on responsible business practices, including programs at four universities in the 1998-99 academic year.
The company has refused reputable academics access to Nike factories to conduct research, and that research it has funded seems geared to providing private information to Nike rather than stimulating academic debate and increasing knowledge. If Nike is genuinely interested in investing in credible academic research into responsible business practices, the company should establish an independent committee made up of reputable and independent academics to determine which research should be funded.
Sins of Omission: What Labor Rights Groups Wish Knight Had Promised
The demands which rights groups have made of Nike but which Nike has deliberately ignored can also be grouped into six categories:
1st Demand: Protect workers who speak honestly about factory conditions.
Nike's track record in protecting workers who blow the whistle on sweatshop conditions is very poor. The company has turned its back on individual workers who have been victimized for speaking to journalists, and has cut and run from other factories after labor abuses have been publicized. Until this changes, Nike workers will have good reason to keep silent about factory conditions for fear that speaking honestly may result in them and their fellow workers losing their jobs.
2nd Demand: Regular, Transparent, Independent and Confidential Procedures for Monitoring Factories and Investigating Worker Complaints.
Activists have repeatedly asked Nike to allow rights groups to educate workers about their rights and to ensure workers can make confidential complaints to independent monitors when those rights are infringed.
Instead, Nike has made it the responsibility of each factory to educate workers about Nike's code of conduct and to establish a complaint mechanism. This deliberately ignores the interest factory owners have in keeping workers ignorant of their rights. All independent research indicates that the overwhelming majority of Nike workers do not understand their rights under Nike's code and do not believe factory owners can be trusted to resolve worker grievances.
Rights groups have also called for a factory monitoring program which is independent and rigorous. In response Nike has set up an elaborate array of different schemes for monitoring and factory assessment. While this variety of programs looks impressive in a public relations sense, Nike has deliberately set up each of these programs so that they fail two or more of the key tests of effective monitoring: independence, transparency, regularity and a relationship of trust with workers.
The quarterly program of S.A.F.E. (Safety, Health, Attitude, People, Environment) assessments, conducted by Nike staff, is obviously the least independent. There is no evidence that Nike staff actually interview workers as part of these assessments let alone attempts to establish a relationship of trust with them.
Nike's program of annual factory monitoring by PricewaterhouseCoopers also lacks independence. PwC was selected by Nike, reports to Nike and conducts a monitoring program designed by Nike. To the extent that independent observation of PwC's monitoring practice has been allowed, it indicates that PwC auditors fail to establish a relationship of trust with workers and that the quality of their monitoring can be extremely poor. Dara O'Rourke (an assistant professor at MIT) recently observed several PwC factory audits first hand and concluded that they had "significant and seemingly systematic biases" in favor of factory owners and against the interests of workers (O'Rourke 2000).
While there are elements of the Fair Labor Association's (FLA) proposed monitoring program that represent important improvements on Nike's current very poor system, the Association's ability to ensure that workers' rights are respected will be significantly undermined both by the questionable independence of its external monitors and by the long delays between factory monitoring visits--which will on average occur in each factory only once every ten years. The Global Alliance for Workers and Communities is an attempt by Nike to shift focus away from the human rights agenda promoted by the company's critics. The Alliance deliberately avoids investigating key human rights issues and its research methodology does not allow time for researchers to create a relationship of trust with workers.
Nike has vigorously opposed the Workers' Rights Consortium, a factory monitoring program that is independent, transparent and makes it a priority to build relationships of trust with workers. In contrast, Nike's monitoring and factory assessment programs are not independent, lack full transparency and have so far made very little effort to win workers' trust so that they can speak honestly about factory conditions without fear of reprisal.
3rd Demand: Decent Wages
Nike has rejected demands that it ensures that Nike workers are paid a living wage--that is, a full time wage that would provide a small family with an adequate diet and housing and other basic necessities. Instead, the company has used statistics selectively and in a misleading fashion to give the false impression that wages currently paid to Nike workers are fair and adequate. Meanwhile those workers struggle to survive on wages that are barely enough to cover their individual needs, let alone those of their children.
4th Demand: Reasonable Working Hours
Independent research indicates that in many factories Nike workers are still being coerced into working up to 70 hours per week and are being humiliated in front of other workers or threatened with dismissal if they refuse. Nike workers also frequently report that it is extremely difficult to obtain sick leave and that the annual leave to which they are legally entitled is often refused, reduced or replaced with cash without the worker having any choice in the matter.
5th Demand: Safe and Healthy Workplaces
Nike has made important progress in reducing the use of toxic chemicals in sportshoe production. Unfortunately, on the few occasions in recent years that genuinely independent health and safety experts have been allowed access to Nike contract factories, they have found serious hazards including still dangerously high levels of exposure to toxic chemicals, inadequate personal protective equipment, and lack of appropriate guards to protect workers from dangerous machinery. There is also considerable evidence of workers suffering stress from spending large amounts of time in high pressure and frequently abusive work environments.
6th Demand: Respect for Workers' Right to Freedom of Association
So far Nike's promise to protect this right has been largely empty. A considerable proportion of Nike's goods are made in countries like China where independent unions are illegal. Nike has refused to call on the Chinese government to allow workers to organize and has actively opposed calls for trade pressure to be put on the Chinese government to encourage it to improve its record in this area.
Nike has abjectly failed to prevent the suppression of unions in a number of its contract factories, including the PT Nikomas Gemilang and PT ADF factories in Indonesia, the Sewon and Wei Li Textile factories in China, the Formosa factory in El Salvador, the Natural Garment factory in Cambodia, the Savina factory in Bulgaria and factories owned by the Saha Union group and the Bangkok Rubber group as well as the Nice Apparel, De-Luxe, Lian Thai and Par Garment factories in Thailand.
On those few occasions when Nike has taken any steps to advance this right in specific factories, it has done so grudgingly and after considerable public pressure. While elements of Nike's eventual response to the current dispute in the Kuk Dong factory in Mexico have been positive, Nike's actions on the issue been characterized by unnecessary delays, lack of follow through and failure to actively promote the urgent need for a free and fair union election.
Thus far Nike has treated sweatshop allegations as an issue of public relations rather than human rights. The promises made by Phillip Knight in his May 1998 speech were an attempt by the company to switch the media focus to issues it was willing to address while avoiding the key problems of subsistence wages, forced overtime and suppression of workers' right to freedom of association.
The projects Knight announced have been of little benefit to Nike workers. Some have helped only a tiny minority, or else have no relevance to Nike factories at all. The most significant promise, to allow NGOs to monitor its factories and release summary statements of that monitoring, has simply not been fulfilled.
Health and safety is the one area where some improvement has occurred. But even here the company is not willing to put in place a transparent monitoring system involving unannounced factory visits. On the few occasions when independent safety experts have been allowed to visit Nike factories, they invariably have found very serious hazards.
The inaction of the last three years shows that rights groups are justified in treating the company with suspicion and demanding that factory monitoring be both genuinely independent from Nike's control and publicly reported in full. While Nike touts itself as an "industry leader" in corporate responsibility, Nike workers are still forced to work excessive hours in high pressure work environments, are not paid enough to meet the most basic needs of their children, and are subject to harassment, dismissal and violent intimidation if they try to form unions or tell journalists about labor abuses in their factories. The time has come for the company to adopt the reforms which rights groups have advocated. It is indefensible that activists, consumers and most importantly Nike factory workers are still waiting for Nike to do it.