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Collegiate teacher wins statewide award
By Patty Kruszewski, Citizen Managing Editor 04/12/12
An economics class he took in college has resulted in long-term payoffs for Rob Wedge -- and for growing numbers of students at The Collegiate School as the well.
In 1996, as a history teacher at Winchester (Massachusetts) High School, Wedge was approached by the assistant principal, who was casting around for someone to take over his part-time teaching duties.
Noticing the economics class on Wedge's college transcript, and not wanting to turn over his economics class to someone who knew nothing about the subject, the administrator asked Wedge if he'd be willing to teach part-time while working on his master's degree at Boston University.
"Being a starving college student," recalls Wedge, "I happily took the job."
Before long, his Winchester students had won a local Fed Challenge competition, which led to a job at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. For the next several years, Wedge worked with The Fed and at the Massachusetts Council on Economic Education, developing and coordinating economic education programs.
But even though he was involved in educational pursuits, and his new jobs were more lucrative than his Winchester job, Wedge began to long for the classroom again.
"I really missed my first love – teaching," he says.
Part-time to full-time
So when Wedge got a call offering him a position with the E. Angus Powell Endowment for American Enterprise at The Collegiate School in Richmond -- and was told he could teach part-time – he didn't hesitate long. Married only a few months (after meeting his wife playing softball for the Fed) he took the offer and moved to Richmond in 2004, as soon as his wife found employment with the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Within a short time, his "part-time" teaching duties mushroomed into a full schedule.
"The year before I taught AP Economics at Collegiate, there were nine students enrolled in AP Econ," says Wedge. "[After I began teaching], one section became two sections.
"Two sections became three sections . . . and three full sections became five full sections in 2009." In addition, Wedge also assisted on two textbook revisions and field-tested Ethical Foundations in Economics.
In December, citing his passion for the subject and his success with teaching, the Virginia Council on Economic Education (VCEE) named Wedge the Commonwealth of Virginia's Economic Educator of the Year.
"His enthusiasm," officials said, "has resulted not only in an increased number of his students taking AP Economics, but [in] 95 percent of his students [earning] a 'passing' grade of three or higher.
"Students say that Rob shines outside the classroom, too," officials added, "by giving them the opportunity to participate in extracurricular learning experiences such as the Fed Challenge, Econ Challenge, and Euro Challenge."
Paychecks, with deductions
Wedge attributes much of the growth in popularity of his classes to the success his students have had in the Fed Challenge and other economic competitions. Not only have students won a number of local contests; many have also gone on to compete nationally.
As for the reasons for his students' success, Wedge says, "I'm a big believer in creative ways of presenting material." Among the assignments in his class are frequent presentations – even music videos [see link below] – illustrating concepts.
What's more, Wedge employs a unique and somewhat controversial grading system. He pays his students for the work that they do in class.
"It's complicated and there is some adult resistance to it on Collegiate's campus, but it really works," he says. "Each month they receive a paycheck with Social Security, Medicare, and federal and state income taxes deducted."
Wedge also works the payment system into the 'class participation' part of the grade, providing bonuses to a student who offers a unique explanation or asks a good question, and slapping additional taxes on a student who lags in participation or doesn't meet standards.
"So," Wedge says, "my grading system and the content of the course are embedded with each other."
World to its knees
Despite having developed unique ways to keep his students engaged, Wedge says it is a constant challenge to hold their attention and "keep things fresh."
"There are so many other things out there that capture their attention. [They are] engaged in a lot of non-academic things all the time," he says, pointing out that Collegiate students are also required to participate in two sports. "The battle for spots in their minds and schedules can be tough."
Another challenge he must overcome is the misconceptions that students often bring to the classroom. One reason that Wedge designed his grading system the way he did was to dispel some of those misconceptions, especially regarding taxes and the budget deficit.
"The grading system gets them to see that a lot of what they hear about taxes is off base," he says. "As for the budget deficit and national debt, they don't realize what the sources of the debt and deficit are, so their approaches to 'fixing it' often miss the mark, too."
Although Wedge does not think that his current students are any more informed or ignorant than those he taught more than a decade ago, he does believe that due to financial innovations, students have to know more in order to succeed. Economics education is more important than ever, he emphasizes, and he is grateful that Virginia now has an economics and personal finance requirement for graduation.
In the days before Collegiate's spring break, he recalls, one student in particular underscored that importance.
As Wedge was showing his students the film "Too Big to Fail," about the financial crisis of 2008, he took frequent breaks to explain certain sequences. During one such break, a student exclaimed, "Holy Cow, this is really complicated. It almost brought the world to its knees and I've never heard of half of this stuff.
"Your class is an elective class," the student pointed out to Wedge. "So when is everyone else supposed to learn about this stuff?"
Hearing such insightful comments and questions from his students, says Wedge, is just one of the things he finds satisfying about teaching.
"That question really stuck with me," says Wedge, "and will motivate me for the rest of this school year and beyond."
Among other rewards of teaching, he says, are the relationships he has built with students over the years – especially those who get involved in the extracurricular competitions. In some cases he has taken a chance on the students he selects to compete, but they have always risen to the occasion. Parents often thank him, he says, for giving their children the opportunity to compete with the best academically, as well as athletically or socially. "And that means a lot to me."
Wedge also enjoys the emails he receives from students who have graduated, asking about articles they are reading online or about something they are studying in college.
"I get these emails two, three, four years after they're out of my class," says Wedge.
"To me, that says that I did something that had some resonance with them for the rest of their lives."
To view a video created by Wedge's students, visit http://tinyurl.com/cf9mejf.
Crime Stoppers' Crime of the Week: May 22, 2017
This week, Crime Stoppers needs your help to find the suspects vandalizing Dominion Energy equipment in Varina.
On Feb. 6 and May 3, someone shot at equipment belonging to Dominion Energy. Both incidents occurred near Kingsland Road between the hours of midnight and 3 a.m. The equipment was damaged, causing a major inconvenience to customers who lost power and posing a safety hazard to people nearby. > Read more.
On Feb. 6 and May 3, someone shot at equipment belonging to Dominion Energy. Both incidents occurred near Kingsland Road between the hours of midnight and 3 a.m. The equipment was damaged, causing a major inconvenience to customers who lost power and posing a safety hazard to people nearby. > Read more.
A place to excel
By Tom Lappas, Citizen Editor General News
It's no surprise when a business deal begins to take shape during a golf outing.
Perhaps less common is the business deal that percolates during a youth football practice. But such was the case for Varina District Supervisor Tyrone Nelson.
During a visit to former Varina High School football star Michael Robinson's football camp, Nelson was discussing with Robinson his excitement for the new Varina Library, whose opening last June was at that time forthcoming.
> Read more.
Perhaps less common is the business deal that percolates during a youth football practice. But such was the case for Varina District Supervisor Tyrone Nelson.
During a visit to former Varina High School football star Michael Robinson's football camp, Nelson was discussing with Robinson his excitement for the new Varina Library, whose opening last June was at that time forthcoming.
> Read more.
Business in brief
Citizen Staff Reports 05/22/2017 BusinessBusiness in Brief
Long & Foster Real Estate recently named Amy Enoch as the new manager of its Tuckahoe office. Enoch brings more than 15 years of real estate expertise to her new position, and she most recently led Long & Foster's Village of Midlothian office. Enoch has served in both sales and management positions during her tenure at Long & Foster. Prior to her real estate career, Enoch worked in information technology and hospitality. She is a graduate of Radford University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in economics, English and history. Enoch has also received the designation of Graduate, Realtor Institute (GRI) from the National Association of Realtors, and this showcases her expertise in the fundamentals of real estate. > Read more.
Henrico recognized as a 2017 'Playful City USA' community
Citizen Staff Reports 05/21/2017 Features
A national nonprofit organization, KaBOOM!, has selected Henrico County as a 2017 Playful City USA community. The organization encourages communities to bring fun and balanced activities to children every day.
Henrico's selection is joined by the city of Richmond, town of Ashland, as well as the counties of Charles City, Chesterfield, Goochland, Hanover, New Kent and Powhatan. All of the localities make up the first region completely recognized through Playful City USA. > Read more.
Gallagher Foundation serves more than 14,000 teens in first year
Citizen Staff Reports 05/21/2017 FeaturesNon-Profits
In its first year, The Cameron K. Gallagher Foundation reached 14,000 teens through its programs from Spring 2016 to date. The foundation is dedicated to spreading positivity and erasing stigmas by educating and creating awareness on depression, anxiety and stress among teens. CKG delivers programs at schools, community events and its West End office.
"Students are in need of the information in the workshops, whether they know it or not, and they aren't getting it anywhere else," said Beth Curry, Director of Health and Wellness at The Steward School. > Read more.
Gallagher Foundation serves more than 14,000 teens in first year
Illegal voting in Virginia? Yes. Massive? Doubtful.
Tuckahoe meeting May 24 to address opioid crisis
32 Wegman's Short Pump employees receive college tuition scholarships
Henrico's Top Teachers - 2017
- More News
Print Edition
May. 18, 2017Current edition | Archive
Center for the Arts at Henrico H.S. to present 2017 Visual Art Senior Show
Weekend Top 10
Weekend Top 10
Restaurant Watch
Weekend Top 10
- More Entertainment
Obituary – Harold Gary Beard
Obituary – Rose Marie F. Mathews
Obituaries – Doris Fern Cook
- More Obituaries
New Active RVA certification recipient to be announced May 17
Anthem LemonAid opens registration for July 14-16
READ Center to hold free tutor training
- More Community
How to grow an adult
Make 'em take the pledge: no more snuff boxes!
Thanksgiving, Part II
- More Opinions
RIR to host Smithfield PWBA Tour Championship
RIR bringing back red stripes to track walls
Austin Dillon headlines Track Takeover at RIR
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|May 2017
Place an Ad | More Classifieds
CalendarThe American Legion Post 233, 8088 Recreation Rd. in Varina, will host a free Music Jam at 5 p.m. every fourth Thursday of the month. Featuring country gospel and bluegrass music. Anyone is welcome to play or sing. Food and drinks are available for purchase. For details, call Wayne Gilbert at 572-3124. Full text


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Austria Motel
Select your stay dates to check availability at Austria Motel
Austria Motel
About the Hotel
Property Location
Austria Motel is in the heart of Paihia, walking distance from Paihia Harbour and Paihia Wharf. This motel is within close proximity of Paihia Beach and St Paul's Church.
Make yourself at home in one of the 6 guestrooms, featuring kitchenettes. Rooms have private furnished balconies. 32-inch flat-screen televisions with satellite programming provide entertainment, while complimentary wireless Internet access keeps you connected. Conveniences include desks and microwaves, and housekeeping is provided daily.
Make use of convenient amenities, which include complimentary wireless Internet access and tour/ticket assistance.
Business, Other Amenities
Free self parking is available onsite.
Hotel Facilities
- Total number of rooms - 6
- Smoke-free property
- Free self parking
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Free WiFi
- Number of floors - 1
- Tours/ticket assistance
Room Facilities
- Shower only
- Desk
- Satellite TV service
- Free WiFi
- Iron/ironing board
- Daily housekeeping
- Furnished balcony
- Hair dryer
- Premium TV channels
- Kitchenette
- Private bathroom
- Microwave
- Flat-panel TV
Hotel Policy
National Rating
This property does not have a Qualmark® rating. For the benefit of our customers, we have provided a rating based on our rating system.
The following fees and deposits are charged by the property at time of service, check-in, or check-out.
- Onsite credit card charges are subject to a surcharge
The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.Show all hotel policy Show less hotel policy

subset: commoncrawl


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CUE 20th Birthday Celebration – Join Us!
July 5, 2014 by
Filed under Upcoming Events
Thank you to Michele Bodah for this signature table topper for our upcoming cake contest!
Can you bake, decorate and make a cake? Then we want you to join us in this public fun contest as a part of our 20th year celebration! Call for more details and request the informational packet and support "All for the Cause". Please contact the CUE Center for Missing Persons 910-232-1687 or email us at email@example.com
On the behalf of our board of directors and volunteers across the nation we request your participation in a very worth while event slated for September 20, 2014 to be held at our Grand Independence Mall in Wilmington, North Carolina. This event will recognize our non profit organization's founding date and twenty years of free service to families left behind that suffer a missing loved one. We are including detailed information in this letter about our upcoming celebration, but please feel free to call with any questions. The event will take place from 1:00 pm until 3:00 pm on September 20th on that Saturday.
All For The Cause….is a contest made up of cake designers putting their talent to work! A selected panel of media judges will aid in this fun contest; prizes and recognitions will be awarded and your design will be featured in the mall during the event, including crowd participation. The concept is simple, once the contest is over the public will join us in eating your wonderful entries. This occasion is purely to bring forth a needed awareness to the cause in general.
THEME: Incorporate any of the FIVE words from CUE Center to help in your creative idea.
Apple Annie's Bake Shop – Wilmington, NC
Sweet Dimensions – Jessica Luna of Jacksonville, NC Entry (The Search Is On!)
Rebel Baking Company – Casey Roman of Wilmington, NC
Crazy Cake Chicks – Bakery of Oak Island, NC Entry (Hope, Prayers and Peace)
Cakes by Sylvia Martin – Myrtle Beach, SC Entry (HOPE)
Click Here to download release for more info
"On The Road To Remember" Missing Persons Tour
This October 2017 we will set out on tour again to revive cold case of the missing, unsolved homicide and those who have not yet been identified. If you have a case and would like to be considered to be featured, host a rally stop or event, please contact CUE as soon as possible to assure you or your stop can be honored. States we will be traveling through are: NC, SC, GA, FL and out west states are to be determine
A rally stop is a place that is pre set by anyone who wishes to host one "see below" for suggested person(s). Once a location is secured CUE will inform the host of time and date of arrival. Each stop is one hour and a half long for whatever program the host wishes to have and feature; this is your time to bring an awareness to your community of missing persons.
Candle light or prayer vigils, clothes line display project, lantern launch
Balloon release, flower toss, butterfly release, roadside displays or demonstrations
Display Board, Banners, Signs, Marques
Guest Speakers; law enforcement, town/state dignitaries, community leaders, pastor, etc.
Tribute performances (vocal or dance)
Tables set up for displays of missing persons photos and information
Public event or safety activities
Invite the families of unsolved homicide, missing, public, family, friends and media (our team will aid in media coverage)
The most important thing is to be creative in your rally stop
Police – Sheriff or police departments
Government agencies, i.e. Mayor, town hall
Parking lots of stores that have frontage or businesses alike
Home of the families of the missing
Parks of any kind or large grassy areas
Local churches, schools, community buildings
National Tour Purpose and Inspiration
The annual tour was created to generate new interest in cold cases of missing people across our nation. The inspiration came in 2004 from the case of North Carolina college student Leah Roberts, who had gone on a cross-country trip of self-exploration. Her wrecked and abandoned vehicle was found, but Leah is still missing. Leah's case went cold and interest faded until CUE volunteers set out on a grueling 14-day trip to retrace her route and inform the media of all those who were missing in the path of the tour. In the years to follow, it only seemed right to keep hope alive after families across the country voiced the need for more help and supported the tour idea.
National Tour Objective
The national road tour, called "On the Road to Remember," is an awareness campaign that focuses on missing persons cases that have gone cold or have not received appropriate media coverage on the local level – much less the national level.. The tour, which travels through many states annually, provides that attention.
In all cases of missing people, it is vital to inform the public of the missing person's circumstancesO quickly and to disseminate that information to the media and the public. In most cases where details are released immediately to the public through an organized campaign, the public brings forth information that aids in the investigation and or the location of the victim. The media plays a significant role in getting the word out on the behalf of the missing person and should be recognized as a vital resource to any investigation.
Interest in many of the cases we have featured in previous tours has been renewed. The media has learned about local cases they were unaware of; case investigations have been renewed, and searches conducted. Information has resulted in new leads in some cases, and has even helped identify an unknown decedent and in 2008 solved a cold case of twenty eight years. And finally, each tour some of the missing featured have been found from various efforts, which is the main reason we conduct the tour despite the toll it takes on our all-volunteer staff.
It is the belief of the CUE Center for Missing Persons that all investigations, the public, volunteers and the media should work in collaboration on cases involving missing children and adults; until this happens, their will continue to be cases of the missing labeled "cold" or "inactive."
All vital stats on missing person
Agency and law enforcement contact numbers and web sites concerning missing person
Written consent for your missing person to be featured in the national tour line up
Donna Ingersoll
Missing From: Wabasha Minnesota
Missing Since: 12/16/90
White Female
Classification: Missing
Age at Disappearance:25
Date of Birth: 11/29/65
Height: 4'9
Weight: 106
Eyes: Green
Hair: Bleached Blonde
Scars, Marks, Tattoos: Tattoo of a Cross on her right arm.
Special Identifiers: Glasses and her right index finger is shorter
Details of Disappearance
On December 16, 1990 at approximately 11;45 P.M Donna Ingersoll walked away from a private residence located in Wabasha MN. Donna had been drinking and was involved in a fight with her boyfriend at the time of her disappearance. She ran out the back door and has not been heard of since. It was a very cold winter night and it is unclear if Donna had a coat with her.
Investigative Agency
Wabasha Police Department ( Minnesota )
Submit a Confidential Tip Here


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Waking up to headache-inducing buzzers and static-plagued radio stations can now be confined to your past. Alarm Clock Pro enables you to design your daily routine and perform various tasks automatically, such as starting your favorite iTunes playlist!
With the sheer amount of functionality Alarm Clock Pro offers, it can easily integrate into nearly every aspect of your life. Speak or display favorite inspirational quotes randomly throughout the day, or even send them as text messages to your cell phone! Have important reminders, or even birthday cards, e-mailed to contacts. Record laps with the Stopwatch. Track time differences for your investment portfolio. Even use it to help cook dinner by using the timer!
In addition to Alarm Clock Pro's extensive list of programmable tasks, it also offers flexibility when it comes to timing alarms. Many solutions offer the ability to set alarms based on a specific date. However, Alarm Clock Pro can also initiate alarms based on a recurring monthly, weekly, daily, hourly, or even minutely schedule! Even start a countdown timer based on a specific time interval.
Fixed crash on launch for Yosemite.
Fixed potential loss of user data.
Fixed issue with menu icon not properly showing.
Fixed numerous memory leaks.
Fixed crash when importing old settings.
Fixed issue with alarms not ringing at the right time.
Fixed issue with the main window loading the wrong UI.
Fixed issue with the alarm edit window loading the wrong UI.


text: Origami Wall Shelf Free Shipping $21.25 each reg. $25.00 each We tried making a shelf shaped like a paper crane. But it was too hard to fold pine wood and iron, so we went with this simple zigzag shape instead. Plus, it's pretty hard to store things on a crane.Details, details Nod exclusive Mix and match multiple shelves to create your own wall shelf display Great way to add a pop of color to any room in the house Each shelf holds up to 50 lbs. Hanging hardware and instructions included Assembly requiredShow 'em what you're made of Painted pine wood with iron hardware view full details


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Bellville Times
Kirby Luhn, 77, of Victoria, passed away on Saturday, September 9, 2006. He was born January 3, 1929 in Kenney to the late Leslie Will and Erna Bell Jurgens Luhn. He was affiliated with the oil field for over 60 years. He enjoyed being outdoors, from ranching to attending his grandchildren's sporting events. Mr. Luhn also liked to play cards and dominoes with family and friends. He never met a stranger and would help anyone. Kirby was dearly loved by his family and friends and will be greatly missed. Kirby is survived by Doris Williams Luhn, his wife of 52 years. He is also survived by his son -- Curtis and wife Kristie Luhn; daughter -- Darla and husband Alvin Zella, of Victoria; sisters -- Betty Ann Janak of Hallettsville, Cornell Whitfield of Bloomington; brothers: Aldus "Tiny" and Leslie P. Luhn, of Victoria; grandchildren -- Chad Luhn of Dallas, Chelsie Luhn of Austin, Chase Luhn of San Antonio and Jennifer and Brett Zella of Victoria; and one great-grandchild, Kamryn Michaelis. He was preceded in death by his parents and one sister, Waldine Pawitzky. Visitation was conducted September 12, 2006 at Grace Funeral Home Chapel and services were held Wednesday, September 13, 2006 at Martin Luther Lutheran Church in Coletoville. Memorial may be made to Martin Luther Lutheran Church.
Posted by Joy Neely


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My little love has this entire week off from school so we've been bonding over grocery shopping duties, walks in the park and making yummy food. Zoey loves to help out whenever possible, especially in the kitchen. Yesterday, we made the most delicious and healthy… Read More
All posts tagged "breakfast"
Waffle Two Ways
If you haven't eaten, I'm so sorry (#sorrynotsorry)! Today, it's all about waffle dress-up. There's a salty version and then a sweet one which means you can either have two individual servings (for you and a friend) or enjoy both all by yourself. The… Read More
Cherry Banana Smoothie Bowl
This morning felt different. It was refreshing and so cozy. Snuggling under the blanket with the kiddos was ideal. At sixty something degrees, it was a nice change from the exhausting heat. With a refreshing morning, there has to be a matching refreshing breakfast. My… Read More
Blueberry Almond Bagel
Sometimes the weather can be very insensitive and unkind. It doesn't care that we already made plans. What was supposed to be a fun filled day at Martha's Vineyard (biking around the island) this coming Memorial weekend might not happen. The almost perfect weather forecast… Read More
Breakfast On The Balcony
While in Marco Island, my sister made the most perfect breakfast one morning. She went to the market early and grabbed a few ingredients. Next thing I know, breakfast (for two) was served on the balcony…with a beach view! Our magnificent view! Before heading to… Read More
An Untypical Saturday
Yes, we were forewarned that a blizzard was coming our way. However, that still didn't prepare me for what I witnessed this morning. Opened our front door and basically screamed "What the F (freak)!!" Our car was almost completely engulfed in snow and the street… Read More
Morning Indulgence
Mornings that are gloomy and wet call for nothing else but a yummy morning indulgence of coffee cake & an extra frothy cup of cappuccino. LOVE me a cup a cap. Decaf, of course! No, I don't actually finish the entire cake in one bite!… Read More
Espresso Friday
Happy Friday! Have you gotten your coffee fix yet for the day? I LOVE the smell and taste of coffee but can't stand the rapid palpitations that come along with it. So my solution has always been decaf coffee. The weather here has been sort… Read More
Flour Bakery & Cafe
Hello! How was everyone's Sat. morning? Ours started super early, up at 6am! Bright and early. We wanted to start the day off going to a place that we haven't gone to in a very very long time. Flour Bakery + Cafe located in Fort… Read More
Matcha Soy Milk
What is everyone having for breakfast? For me, since it's nearly 20 degrees outside, a hot cup of Matcha soy milk, please! Oh, did I also mention w/ biscotti? Dipped in gourmet bittersweet chocolate, delishhhh. Topped w/ slivers of almonds. And b/c I am froth… Read More


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Klobuchar looks to increase visas as part of immigration reform
WASHINGTON — The comprehensive immigration reform plan pitched by a bipartisan group of senators on Monday consisted more of guidelines than actual policy proposals, but at least one potential component of the plan has already been written, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar and others plan to introduce it sometime today.
Klobuchar's bill — written with Republicans Orrin Hatch (Utah) and Marco Rubio (Florida) and Democrat Chris Coons (Delaware) — deals with one subset of immigration reform: finding a way to attract highly skilled immigrants to the United States and retaining them once here. The bill would do this by greatly expanding the number of temporary work visas the government can distribute and opening more doors to permanent citizenship for those workers.
"We have been literally shutting our doors, training our competition's students to come over here and study," Klobuchar said, "and then we literally send them back to India to start the next Google, instead of allowing them to invent things here."
Bumping up visa numbers
Under current law, the government can issue so-called "H-1B visas" to only about 85,000 new workers a year (65,000 to highly trained workers in the private sector, another 20,000 to workers with advanced graduate degrees from American universities, and an unlimited but small number issued to workers at academic and research institutions). Most years, demand greatly outpaces supply; the government processed just fewer than 350,000 such requests last year.
In response, Klobuchar's bill would:
- Increase the cap from 65,000 to 115,000;
- Remove the cap on visas given to workers with graduate degrees;
- And use a sliding scale to adjust the total number of visas offered (up to 300,000) depending on overall demand.
The bill is likely to drop today, Jan. 29, the same day President Obama speaks about immigration reform proposals in a Las Vegas speech. A bipartisan group of eight senators laid out the principles of their immigration plan on Monday, centering on a pathway to citizenship for undocumented workers in the country now, as long as the federal government works to secure its borders. The group said legislation will come sometime in March.
Klobuchar said she expects her bill will be incorporated into a final immigration reform package.
Huge demand
The H-1B program has been around since 1990, and demand has exceeded supply every year except the first few years of the 2000s, when the cap was temporarily increased to 195,000 following the dot-com boom (and subsequent bust).
Companies request the visas on behalf of their employees. The visas last six years and are renewable annually after that if workers, supported by their company, look to continue their search for full American citizenship. (Klobuchar's bill also increases the number of "green cards" available to these workers).
Depending on the state of the economy, the program can be hugely popular. The government takes applications on a first-come, first-serve basis every April, and spots tend to fill up quickly, Metropolitan Policy Program senior analyst and associate fellow Neil Ruiz said. In 2008, visa spots filled up on the first day they were available.
Technology industries are especially keen on the program, with about 60 percent of visas going to computer or engineering workers. Twin Cities-area companies requested an average of about 4,200 H-1B visas over the last two years, according to a Brookings Foundation report. More than 2,700 of those were for computer-related jobs.
"It's really the program that's used to recruit and retain high-skill workers," Ruiz said.
Companies that employ H-1B workers have long advocated an increase in visas. Klobuchar said she talked to 3M while crafting the bill, and Microsoft (which alone accounted for 1 percent of all H-1B visas between 2010 and 2011) called for more visas and green cards for specially-trained workers last fall.
The bill incorporated part of what Microsoft was calling for, increasing the fees companies pay to get these visas by about $1,000, Klobuchar said. The measure would generate about $300 million a year, which would funnel down to state science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs meant to train a homegrown workforce.
"We have a long history in our country of getting talent from other places," Klobuchar said. "They come here, they live here, they raise their families and they start businesses and they come up with ideas and they fix things, and employ people, and that's what we need again in this country."
Devin Henry can be reached at email@example.com. Follow him on Twitter: @dhenry
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Comments (19)
Strongly disagree
Having spent a good deal of time in the corporate world I have to disagree with Senator Klobuchars position and conclusions. Our corporations have been on a long journey to lower wages in this country. There has been a constant drumbeat to bring in ever more HB1 workers since the early eighties. In the nineties and oughts there were many good technology workers on the bench while the corporations screamed for more workers from outside the country. It was not true that we did not have the numbers then and it probably isn't true now. If it is true why aren't we producing enough Americans to fill these good paying jobs when we have so many out of work or unable to find work.
Many of the workers brought in are housed in dormatory like apartments, work long hours, and most of their pay goes to the recruiter who brings them in and places them. The reason for bringing them in is because much of the work cannot be done efficiently offshore for a host of reasons language nuance being one of them. I will be letting Senator Klobuchar know loud and clear the jobs they want to fill with HB1 workers are the jobs we should be training/teaching Americans how to do although I suspect we have quite a few who can fill them. This is just one more way to transfer wealth to the top of the ladder from those who do the work.
Strongly disagree
I could not agree with you more. Klobuchar is totally off-base on this. The H1-B visa program is terrible for USA technically educated persons who are thrown out of their jobs by cheap labor and dreadful for many H1-B visa workers.
also strongly disagree with the senator - not describing reality
Ms Heffernan spells it out nicely. This phrase from the senator does not cohere with teh h1b visa holders that are normally seen...
""We have a long history in our country of getting talent from other places," Klobuchar said. "They come here, they live here, they raise their families and they start businesses and they come up with ideas and they fix things, and employ people, and that's what we need again in this country.""
the h1b visa holders are not accurately described by this quote from the senator. tHEY dont stay here, but are pimped out in giant bunches by a foreign consulting companies for temporary use at a multinational uS company and in the process, displace usa workers.
H1b Visas
I can recall back in 2004, that H1b visas were an issue. Back then there were homegrown tech people who couldn't find work because slots were filled by people in the country on H1b visas.
So, is the problem that we are not educating enough people to fill the slots? Or, is this more of an issue of what the employers are willing to pay!
Lets face the facts; if the employer can get the work done for less expense, the bottom line looks better for the company. While this is what all companies strive for to be competitive; why should the homegrown talent be left in the shadows, having to compete with lower paid workers? This is just a way to drive down wages and inflate the bottom line, increase the stock price, and in turn the bonuses at the top.
Wealth and income disparity is the greatest since the 1920's, and this legislation will do nothing but exacerbate the problem.
Negative impact of more visas on older citizens
At a time when there is a high rate of unemployment among technically trained USA citizens who are 50 and older, Klobuchar's bill is sad, sad, sad. Unfortunately, Klobuchar listens to businesses (which like cheap technical brains) and not to ordinary technically educated persons. The number of unemployed engineers, etc., with master's degrees is a reality that Klobuchar chooses not to see.
Tying to companies
It's probably overall good for the country to allow in more highly skilled and educated workers, and it doesn't make sense to educate them here and then kick them out. A problem with H1-B is the workers are tied to one employer. That's bound to depress wages, and I doubt very much many employers really just couldn't find someone in America when they bring in someone on H1-B. I'd even be open to dropping the requirement that the employer can't find an employee here, but then the foreign worker has to be free to leave the employer without violating their visa. It then becomes in their interest to maintain high wages just like a citizen.
Strongly disagree with H-1B
The last contract I did as a computer programmer was in 2009, working for the US Post Office, rewriting some very old systems. I was part of a crew of 50 workers hired to do the job. 30 of those people were H-1Bs from India. Large Indian companies like Infotech get a foothold here and then funnel in their own people as fast as they can ship them over. As the project wound down, the American were the first to go. After that I was unable to find another job in IT, partially because there are so many H-1B workers flooding the market. We need to train and hire more Americans, not import more competition for our jobs.
And here I thought
Sen. Klobuchar was signing on to another soft, how-can-I-get-in-trouble-for-this issue. If I understand the system correctly, there must be a demonstrated shortage of competent prospective employees for an employer to obtain an H-1B visa. Training is a longer term goal, one which requires that there be a base of qualified and interested students. Despite the fact that IT continues to offer one of the highest paying opporunities for recent college grads, I understand that the number of IT grads continues to fall. Why?
Potential IT students are scared off by high IT unemployment
The number of students in IT related fields has dropped dramatically since the big IT melt down after the big year 2000 projects. Since then, unemployment and age discrimination have been a major problem in IT and students are not interested in a field that is so insecure. Of course, the H1-B problem makes the situation worse for USA IT grads too. A lot of companies will not hire USA citizens when they can get H1-B visa holders for much less and work them for very long hours. Yes, Minnesota companies do this too. Disgusting but true. It's important to note that most professional organizations such as IEEE have opposed expansions of the H1-B visa program in the past and probably will this time too.
Minnpost, this is a controversial issue
I'm disappointed not to see more in-depth, multi-faceted analysis there.
I suggest your reporter read up on this issue in publications like Wired, Cnet, The San Jose Mercury News, the San Francisco Chronicle, and numerous other tech-oriented publications before writing about this again.
One thing I know for sure, as a long time tech worker: if we need more highly skilled people than we have (a controversial assertion in and of itself, by the way), we should invite them here with the prospect of a quick green card, rather than any restrictive visa. No employee should be tied to a specific employer for the privilege of remaining in the United States. We need to treat people with more dignity than that. Free to choose their employer, these workers will earn the prevailing wage and the market will be able to decide if they are really needed.
H-1B workers' fealty to sponsoring employers
I have personal knowledge of the power employers hold over employees in these circumstances. The "foreign" worker is indeed on a short leash. Should the employment ends, back they go to their country of origin - almost without delay.
With the power so shifted in favor of the employer, this not only means the employee works for less in the first place, but in my experience - though this obviously does not cover all cases - does not dare demand the fair and appropriate rate of pay for the work they are doing. I worked with a group of employees in this situation who were terrified of raising their voice. They were all underpaid.
No wonder the employers are so enthusiastic, and the demand so high !!
Senator Klobuchar - we should give more protections to the H-1B worker. It will mean more foreign students will want to stay and contribute here. Likewise, it will tend to put the American worker on a more equal footing with the H-1B worker, so it will help those at home.
Carole nails the visa issues!!
Carole Heffernan's comments are cogent and bear further attention and discourse. The Senator's stance has no bearing on Minnesota voters. Klobuchar's stance appears, on its face, can be described as anti-voter and pro-business in the extreme. I can guess at her motives; Klobuchar appears to be attempting to curry favor from "Big Business". Self enrichment and/or future considerations, perhaps? It would be great to see or hear our senior Minnesota Senator explain how Joan Q. Public would benefit from these ideas.
Senator Klobuchar shows her true allegiance is to Big Business
I have worked in IT in the Twin Cities for 14 years and agree with most of the previous comments, especially Carole's.
Employers have systematically decimated the employment opportunities of computer programmers for years by hiring H1B workers who will work for less than a competitive wage and benefits package. The philosophy at one major Twin Cities company: we don't care if it takes 3 H1B programmers to do the job of one US programmer, we're still ahead financially because we pay them so little. The scene in the elevator lobby at another major Twin Cities company: three quarters of the employees appear to be from India.
H1B visas were originally intended to allow people with extraordinary skills and talent to enter the US. The program has been corrupted by American companies who insist that they cannot find the talent they want in the US and need to bring in foreign workers to fill jobs: We can't find the experienced people we need to do our jobs…and the unsaid part is "at the price we want to pay".
All of these thousands of foreign computer programmers working in the US have depressed the wages of experienced US workers. When is it going to stop?
Senator Klobuchar is wrong on this issue. This is the second time in two months that she has supported Big Business instead of the many voters who reelected her in November. The other issue was the medical device tax. What next Senator?
senator h1 b visa wrong in this climate
susan rasmussan 's rendition of reality coheres with what I have seen as a computer pgmr displaced by h1 b visa personnel. it is insane to do this when we have an unemployment and , just as importantly underemployment problem of usa workers.
the senator is getting the wrong info from the wrong people.
Bandaid approach
The real issue that needs to be addressed here is our education system or lack there of. Why aren't we producing the population of talented people that other countries are ? SAD ! ! ! !
the senator''s bill s/ add 100k proviso
a reasonable qualification to the senator's bill wd be to add the requirement that h1b visa holders wd have to earn at least 100k; this is the type of job for which the h1b visa was originally conceived - guru like positions that is extra hard to find in america. instead, what has happened , us companies have used this visa to get soldier type of position filled at produce harvesting labor rates.
no more lost American jobs
I am the child of immigrants that were forced to flee Russia so I am not against immigration.
I absolutely want to repeat to Senator Klobuchar that more immigrant worker visas are bad for this unemployed American and many others. I don't see any advertisements indicating that rare skills are needed for US businesses. The free marketers are mostly trying to degrade American workers compensation and work conditions. If they really needed specific skills they would train existing workers or hire and train new workers. American workers can no longer afford to train at their own expense only to find no jobs and the usual catch 22 that "you have no experience" and a H1B visa get the job for less compensation.
If businesses honestly need these "skilled" workers than these visas must be tied to employing an American worker to be trained to replace the H1b foreign worker and a large fee paid to an American worker training fund. Apprentices create skilled loyal workers.
Klobuchar either naive or a corporate hire on the H1-B issue
There is no shortage of unemployed highly trained US citizen STEM graduates or workers. Businesses like Oracle, Microsoft, IBM, Facebook and others claim a shortage of appropriately and highly trained US workers and graduates. What business working to reduce wages and benefits by hiring low-wage, indentured foreigners would not make such a claim if they thought they could get away with it? away with it? The 'lack of training' in US STEM job applicants or current workers is often simply use of a program modification that would take a day or two of update or familiarization training for qualification, which companies have done in the past.
Klobuchar says that the H1-B program is needed to bring in highly trained entrepreneurial individuals with special skills not available here. BS--typically, H-1B imports are low-skill, with no oversight by DOL or any oversight agency. There is a special visa, an O visa, for such special-skill individuals, but it is not used because most imports would not qualify. Research shows US STEMs are more entrepreneurial than imports on average. Many H1-B imports in med-tech are simply nurses aids that replace higher wage US workers. Klobuchar solution to require that companies advertise before hiring will not work, because it is not working now as citizen STEMs interviewed are not hired due to wages acceptable to foreigners are much lower. Increasing the no. of tech workers via imports increases job competition, which is another device for offering low wages.
It is clear if one looks at a lot of data and testimonials from citizen STEMS (e.g., Zuckerberc PAC or Bill Snyder blog oninfoworld, among others) that Tech companies are simply on a cost (wage)-reducing campaign involving age discrimination and naïve or conscripted Congress persons are just accepting what tech companies tell them. Klobuchar just naïve?
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text: 2nd amendment Lee Joins Senators Paul and Cruz Threatening Block of Gun Control Legislation By Terry Gildea • Mar 26, 2013 Office of Senator Mike Lee. Utah Republican Senator Mike Lee has joined two other lawmakers who say they will block any legislation dealing with gun control. Utah Lawmakers Consider Possible Veto Override By Terry Gildea • Mar 22, 2013 Brian Grimmett / KUER With Governor Gary Herbert's veto of House Bill 76 Friday, lawmakers in the Utah House and Senate will have to decide whether or not to call a special session and attempt to override that veto. HB 76 would allow anyone over the age of 21 who can legally possess a firearm to carry it concealed from view without a permit as long as a round of ammunition is not loaded in the chamber of the gun. Second Amendment Rights Bill Passes Utah House By Terry Gildea • Mar 8, 2013 A bill that would make Utah gun laws superior to federal law passed the state House on Friday. Republican Representative Brian Greene of Pleasant Grove is the bill's sponsor. He says his legislation is not just about preserving gun rights but also the rights of states to stand against the federal government. "I submit to you that this is proper, that it is prudent, and that we should adopt this legislation so that we are in the best position possible if and when the time comes that we need to defend the jurisdiction of this state and the liberties of our citizens," said Greene.


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Develop environmental scan tool to assess local MCH staff.
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Analyze and compile state and local data to inform state and local action steps.
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Identify surveillance questions relevant to childhood obesity (including PRAMS and PRAMS-2, other primary data collection).
Identify gaps in surveillance and assessment for child obesity, risks, and protective factors.
Identify opportunities to expand population-level surveillance.
Partner with state for data collection.
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The scope and impact of childhood obesity in Oregon will be better understood.
Ongoing surveillance will identify trends and emerging needs related to childhood obesity.
Identify current regulation and licensing landscape. Identify best practice policies from other states.
Compile findings to describe opportunities for policy development.
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How to Draw - Easy Lessons APK for Bluestacks
Developer: Artfonica
Category: EDUCATION
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Recent changes "How to Draw - Easy Lessons APK for Bluestacks"• Paint tools pane became more user-friendly. Now it's always on top and you don't need to tap it again to get it back. It seems that drawing became easier now. If you don't agree – please, write to us at support or leave a message in reviews. Which more paint tools would you suggest adding?
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Discussion in 'Member Garages' started by mikes77truck, Oct 19, 2012.
Not a Chevy :: 2000 Ford Crown Victoria (2012-10-19 12:11:59)
We don't hate. After all, Fords are necessary as they give us something to mock!
Hey, I'll be getting rid of my '95 Isuzu pickup for a '99 Ford F150 for a station car. Still keeping the GM trucks, but I'd rather eat beef than rice, regardless of the farm where it was raised. Nice car :great:
Separate names with a comma.


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Bayer Leverkusen star Andre Schurrle fears his dream move to Chelsea is on the verge of breaking down.
Schurrle, 22, is believed to have already agreed terms on a five-year deal but the two clubs have yet to finalise his transfer.
Leverkusen are still demanding to take Kevin De Bruyne, who has impressed while on loan from Chelsea at Werder Bremen, as part of the £20million deal.
Chelsea would prefer to loan out De Bruyne for another season but the player is starting to question whether he has a long-term future in London.
Schurrle's agent claimed last week that a deal would be concluded last weekend but now that the deadline has passed, the versatile attacking player is concerned that the transfer will be called off.
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Microsoft has been accused of censoring Bing's Chinese-language search results for people in the US, in the same way that it does for those based in China, according to activists.
The claims were made by The Guardian newspaper, which said that several activist blogs had reported seeing very different results on Bing for queries made in Chinese, as opposed to those made in English. Searching for controversial terms such as "Dalai Lama", "June 4 protests" and "Falun Gong", among others, throws up pages for organizations and groups that are allied with the Chinese government, whilst similar searches in English are very different, and much less pro-China.
The Guardian reports:
"Searches first conducted by anti-censorship campaigners at FreeWeibo, a tool that allows uncensored search of Chinese blogs, found that Bing returns radically different results in the US for English and Chinese language searches on a series of controversial terms."
"A Chinese language search for the Dalai Lama (达赖喇嘛) on Bing is lead by a link to information on a documentary compiled by CCTV, China's state-owned broadcaster. This is followed by two entries from Baidu Baike, China's heavily censored Wikipedia rival run by the search engine Baidu. The results are similar on Yahoo, whose search is powered by Bing."
The Guardian carried out a similar experiment on Google Search, and found that 'controversial' terms returned similar results in both languages.
Not surprisingly, Microsoft was quick to deny that Bing's been censoring it's search results, saying that the discrepancies were due to an "error" in its system:
"We've conducted an investigation of the claims raised by Greatfire.org.," said Stefan Weitz, Senior Director Bing, in a statement to Business Insider:
"First, Bing does not apply China's legal requirements to searches conducted outside of China. Due to an error in our system, we triggered an incorrect results removal notification for some searches noted in the report but the results themselves are and were unaltered outside of China."
"Microsoft is a signatory to the Global Network Initiative, which is an effort by a multi-stakeholder group of companies, civil society organizations (including human rights and press freedom groups), investors and academics to protect and advance freedom of expression and privacy on the Internet. As part of our commitment to GNI, Microsoft follows a strict set of internal procedures for how we respond to specific demands from governments requiring us to block access to content. We apply these principles carefully and thoughtfully to our Bing version for the People's Republic of China."
Most likely it was indeed an error – it seems unlikely that Microsoft would risk its reputation just to cozy up to China. After all, Bing is rarely used by Chinese netizens and it lags well behind Google in the global search market stakes. Even if Bing does have ambitions to become a bigger player in China by appeasing its authorities, whatever hopes it has of catching Google in the rest of the world would be dead and buried if its credibility came under scrutiny.
Even so, this is one almighty PR goof for Microsoft. Whilst Google and other tech firms have been guilty of making questionable compromises with China's authorities in the past over services within China, kow-towing to these demands outside of China is an unforgivable betrayal – even if it's all just one big misunderstanding.


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Drug cartels: Bogeymen in Arizona law - CNN.com
Jay Heiler, a top-notch political and public affairs consultant and a familiar fixture in Arizona Republican circles. Heiler served as chief of staff to former Gov. Fife Symington in the 1990s and counsels Gov. Jan Brewer today.
He's a vocal defender of the state's new immigration law, Senate Bill 1070. What I wanted to know is whether that's because he really believes in the measure or whether he's just being a good soldier for the state GOP, given that just about every prominent Republican official in the state backs the law.
It's pretty obvious that cynical politicians -- all of whom happen to be Republicans -- are exaggerating the fear factor to cover up what they recognize as some of the more unseemly motives of SB 1070 supporters.
Although Heiler doesn't deny that some of the folks who have rallied around the law are motivated by anxiety over changing demographics, he wouldn't admit that this has anything to do with race and ethnicity.


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Anam Thubten grew up in Tibet and undertook Buddhist training in the Nyingma tradition at an early age. He has been teaching in the West since the 1990s and is the spiritual adviser and Dharma teacher for the Dharmata Foundation.
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I am writing this in the second-class cabin of the Wales to London express train, which is packed to the gills with holiday revelers. In the adjacent seat there is a gaggle of four young ladies dressed to the, nines sporting feathers from their hats, obviously headed for a late summer wedding. They are sharing a bottle of Cava, or cheap Spanish Champagne, and the spirited conversation is increasing in volume with each passing mile. As it is all in Welsh I can't understand a word.
Nevertheless, I shall attempt to impart to you some market insights, even in these most trying of conditions.
There is a major contradiction going on in the US economy these days. The government data releases speak of a feeble rate of business expansion that is puttering along at only 2% rate. But speak to the CEO's of major companies and they talk of growth, expansion, and increased capital investment with a guarded optimism that lines up with a more robust 4% GDP growth rate. This is going on not just into the US, but in Europe, Asia, and Australia as well.
Who's got it right, the government, or the CEO's?
One of the most valuable lessons I learned as a journalist many decades ago is that you always follow the companies. Speak to management, and they will magically reveal trends that won't show up in the public data releases for months, or even years. And capital always follows the companies, as JP Morgan head of investment, Carl Van Horne, once told me.
That is one of the many reasons you read this letter, to discover economy trends before the rest of the world does. And what is the collective wisdom of the planet's CEO's? That things are a lot better than they appear. Who has already figured this out? The stock market. This is why the S& P earnings multiple has expanded by tree points this year, from 12.5X to 15.5X, or some 25%. This is also why this has been the most hated stock market rally in history.
I have always been a strong believer in the wisdom of crowds, that markets see events and their implications well before single individuals can. A good example is the 1942 Battle of Midway, where Japan lost four aircraft carriers, thanks to a masterstroke of American intelligence. Look at your 100-year stock charts, and you will see this, to the day, marked the beginning of a bull market that lasted until the early 1970's, even though the actual outcome of the battle was kept top secret for years.
However, I think there is much more going on here than human mass psychology. When guests ask at my lectures and luncheons about the accuracy of government data coming out of China, I shoot back "What about our data?" The entire field of government statistics is greatly flawed, no matter who is issuing it.
As a former scientist, I was horrified when I first saw such large bets placed by investors on such weak information. As my college math professor used to say, "Statistics are like a bikini. What they reveal is fascinating, but what they conceal is essential."
The very nature of government information collecting guarantees that it is riddled with flaws. The US is a massive country, with reporting entities often reaching the tens of thousands. The time frame over which of these collects data can vary, leading to wonderful apple an orange comparisons. Surveys are the worst, easily falling victim to the natural human tendency to tell people what they want to hear. Often, they say the opposite of what they believe.
Then there is the GDP. The pattern that has emerged over recent years has been for a number to start out strong, and then get revised down substantially in the following quarters. Or visa versa. The monthly nonfarm payrolls are even worse.
This is why PIMCO boss, Bill Gross, says that the weekly jobless claims are the one statistical update he'd welcome if stranded on a desert island. A least the mistakes are flushed out every week, rather than monthly or quarterly. For what its worth, that number is at 330,000, a five year low, predicting further share price gains.
The Treasury's Bureau of Economic Analysis has recently tried to bring the GDP numbers closer to reality by redefining the term. It finally changed "research and investment" from an expense to an investment to be depreciated over many years, which it really is.
It also created a new category for "intellectual property". What are the reruns of "Bewitched", "Bonanza," and "Gilligan's Island" worth? Before, it was nothing. Now it is something. This has enormous implications for technology companies and content creators of every stripe, including myself. That Hedge Fund Radio interview I did with Barton Biggs four years ago is still generating mouse clicks, and therefore revenues, even though he sadly passed away last year. Barton would be proud.
All told, the changes added $560 billion to US GDP, taking the total up 3.6% to $16.6 trillion. That is the equivalent to adding another State of New Jersey to our economy out of thin air. Of course, the right cried foul, as it always does, deriding the attempt to make the country look better than it actually is. In reality, the government data is still miles away from reflecting a true picture of the economy. So what changes are coming next is anyone's guess.
I'll ask Treasury Secretary, Jack Lew, when I meet him in person on Thursday.
Well, the ladies next door are fairly plastered now, having moved up from Champagne to blueberry Vodka. One girl is clearly wearing more of her drink than she has imbibed. They have even offered the kindly, white haired old man with the beard in the next seat a glass. I will, no doubt, regale them with great wisdom on the pleasures and pitfalls of married life.
So that's it for now.


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Redwood Times
South Fork's varsity boys got their basketball season off to a good start with a 54-39 win over Mendocino on the road Friday night.
"We played good D and didn't foul a lot and were strong on the boards," said head coach Jake Mitchell, who went on to describe himself as "really happy" with his team's debut.
Junior Cristian Alatorre led the team in scoring with 24 points, including 4 3-pointers. Senior forward Damian Alatorre added 10. Senior Levi Paine, junior Jesus Lopez, and sophomore Troy Langley each had 6, junior Joey Wittlake had 2 and freshman Kevin Vandenack had a pair of free throws. Langley and Vandenack were on loan from the JVs owing to the absence of junior Andres Alatorre and senior Ismael Lopez who were at the North Coast Section Cross Country meet.
Mitchell is pleased with his small but tight group of five returners and three newcomers who he says, "have a lot of talent and play really well together." He likes this group's intensity, commenting that, "we probably went to the floor more in our first game than we did all season last year."
The Humboldt Del Norte Little Four Conference looks to be tough again this year with Hoopa probably being the Cubs' most formidable opponent according to Mitchell. But he likes his chances. "If we can avoid injuries and stay out of foul trouble, we're going to be an exciting team that can give everyone a battle."
South Fork was on the road against Laytonville last night (results unavailable at press time) and travels again to Fort Bragg today for the annual fundraiser scrimmage Foundation Game.
South Fork 13 16 13 12 54
Mendocino 5 4 14 16 39


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Keith Urban Officially Confirmed as Next 'American Idol' Judge
Country's own superstar Keith Urban has been officially confirmed as one of the judges for the upcoming 12th season of the hit Fox reality singing competition 'American Idol.'
Country's own superstar Keith Urban has been officially confirmed as one of the judges for the upcoming 12th season of the hit Fox reality singing competition 'American Idol.'
Keith Urban has accepted an offer from Fox producer's to judge 'American Idol' next season.
Keith Urban is very close to reaching an agreement to judge 'American Idol' next season. The country superstar admitted he had talked to producers about the vacant seat on the panel for 2013, but now the Hollywood Reporter is reporting he's close to signing a $3 million to $4 million contract.
Sources are indicating that 'American Idol' producers would like a country star on the revamped panel and that Urban their No. 1 choice to fill that genre-specific slot.
Toby Keith, Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood… add one more country name to the list of potential 'American Idol' judges. Rascal Flatts bassist Jay DeMarcus believes he'd be a good fit to fill Steven Tyler's empty chair when the show begins next year.
What do Brad Paisley, Toby Keith and Reba McEntire have in common? Aside from being some of country's biggest names, the threesome have each recently been questioned about taking up a spot on the 'American Idol' judge's panel. McEntire is the latest name to pop up in headlines, but she says — rather emphatically — that we won't see her on 'American Idol' this fall.
'American Idol' is revamping its judging panel, having hired Mariah Carey this week. While season one winner Kelly Clarkson feels season four winner Carrie Underwood would be a great judge, execs at Fox are also thinking country, but have a totally different superstar targeted for a spot and it's none other than Brad Paisley.
For 11 seasons, 'American Idol' has ignored country music when it comes to the judges panel. But with Steven Tyler announcing his 'Idol' departure on Thursday, it's time to make things right. Stars like Blake Shelton and Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland have proven that Nashville has artists capable of shining on a nationally-televised stage. Which country artist do you think would be the perfect fit to replace Tyler on 'American Idol?'
She stole the hearts of the voting public after being crowned 'American Idol' during the wildly popular reality show's inaugural season, and now Kelly Clarkson is taking back the title of best-selling 'Idol' single of all-time, beating out country superstar Carrie Underwood.
Carrie Underwood was the winner of 'American Idol' Season 4, but she has progressed into a full-blown, legitimate country superstar in the years since she nabbed that crown. It's pretty much a footnote of her career at this point. But that didn't stop the 'Good Girl' from returning to her former stomping grounds to perform, especially since her new album 'Blown Away' dropped earlier this week.
The Top 7 took the stage again tonight (April 18) on 'American Idol,' and this time they had to do two songs: The first, a post-millenium hit and the second an older, more soulful song. Taking on the challenge in full, country hopeful Skylar Laine bit off Lady Gaga's 'Born This Way (Country Road Version).' Spanning the gap between the country world and the pop realm, Laine brought it once again this week.
On Wednesday night, 18-year-old Skylar Laine impressed 'American Idol' judges with a version of Kellie Pickler's 'Didn't You Know How Much I Love You.' "That just goes to prove that the crows may crow but the hens deliver the goods," Steven Tyler said after praising the Mississippi-born country girl. It seems like she should be safe, but as regular viewers of the show know, no one is ever safe… until they're safe.


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text:
Dublb, re-read Jeanie's message. It speaks for all of us very well. You know your own limits. I value your friendship.
I am still forging ahead, but see road blocks with my eye surgery for a time I will be down, but not out. The drops before and after for a week each time will limit me on a temporary basis, and I truly hope its all temporary, and admit its scary. Risky the one and only eye is a risk; its the only choice I have.... and hoping for the best. What will be, will be.
I did finally stop that new d@!! run-away stitchin' machine. But not with the "Whoa!" It will be DH sew machine to use. Whew. I am happy about that. On crazy occasions, I might use it. I am just too set in my ways at what I am used too at my age I guess. Its my Comfort zone.


text:
I have used clickstand for my tours. I am a fan. My bike setup weighed 110 pounds without food or water. I would often set my bike up on the clickstand and lean back against it when I was taking a rest. It never broke on me.
The Click Stand – Folding Bike Stand
Updated 2013-07-16 – See bottom of post
One of the most common problems bicycle tourists face is trying to find a place to prop up their heavily loaded touring bicycle at the end of the day or at a rest stop, or simply to access gear inside your bags. What seems like an easy problem to fix leads more often than not leads into frustration..
Imagine this all too common scenario –
You need to stop riding because the sun is beating down on you and earlier in the morning you neglected to apply proper sunscreen. You've searched high and low for a somewhere to rest your bicycle up against – finally you do, but realize you can't access one side of your panniers!
Speaking from experience this one –
You've given up on finding a wall to rest it on, and opt for lying it on the ground – You remove what you need out of your panniers on the side you will be laying it on, or even take them off completely, coming back after a nice rest to find you've broken welds in your rack because it can't support such extreme top down pressure! Not a problem you say, using a hose clamp to keep things together until you can find someone with a spot welder to repair the damage, when you look down and find a puddle of oil leaking from your internally geared hub!
OK, so here's an idea –
You opt to rest your handlebars on a tree or street pole delicately balancing it so that when you walk away it doesn't fall over, only to find that when you come back, the wind has made the wheels shift, and it finally fell over after letting all of the bikes weight put pressure on your bar end shifter, thereby breaking internal components that are seemingly available in rebuild manuals, but always out of stock when you query the manufacturer direct.
So why not use a kickstand?
For many years people have relied on kickstands to prop their bicycle up. They came standard on any bicycle I rode in my earlier years, and I was more than surprised to not see them on current batches of bikes. You can purchase an aftermarket kickstand from a variety of manufacturers, but do they work well for a touring bike? It's one thing to mount a kickstand to the bottom of your frame for an unloaded bicycle, but what about one that weighs 53 pounds? Don't forget to account for food, water, bags, electronics and other necessities that you are carrying around with you each day to make your tour comfortable! My complete setup comes in at just around 120lbs fully loaded in the midst of a tour, give or take a few pounds based on recent grocery purchases – The simple mounting of a kickstand to your frame could void your warranty due to the fact that the thin walled tubing can crush the chain stay with all of the stress. Not to mention your paint getting damaged causing premature rusting. If your frame manufacturer OK's the installation of a kickstand, get ready for another surprise, weight – a well built kickstand is made of solid metal and can add extra weight to your already loaded down bike making it difficult to achieve speed, move around, and climb hills. To be fair, Tubus offers kickstands that attach to their front and rear racks, yet do not fit on any other manufacturers models.
Enter the Click-Stand
Sometime around 2006 Tom Nostrant of Aberdeen Washington set out to solve this issue, taking design cues in bicycle touring, tent poles! Made from multiple pieces Easton Expedition Quality Aluminum Tubing, a shock cord connects the pieces for fast setup and quick disassembly into back to a small compact footprint, which can then be strapped to your rack, placed in your handlebar bag, or even a pocket. A rubber coated cradle holds sits under your bicycles top tube where it connects with the bicycles cup sits on the top of the stand, intended to cradle your bicycles top tube next to your set tube. A non-slip rubber foot is on the bottom allowing the stand to work in a variety of conditions.
While this will now prop your bicycle up, it doesn't deal with the issue of your wheels rolling – so Tom came up with the idea of two elastic "Brake Bands" which are intended to stretch from your handlebar to your brake levers, keeping the bicycle stationary.
Tom offers thee different models of the Click-Stand, using different thickness of tubing to support different weights of bicycles and loads. My chosen model, the 'Click-Stand Max' has no set weight limit, and Tom lists on his website 'If you are able to pedal it down the road, it should be able to hold it up!' (this includes tandems!). The other two models (Original, and Mini) offer options to have the unit smaller in length, splitting the stand into 5 or 6 segments. The stand weighs about 75 grams, a small bit heavier than a candy bar and folds up to a length of about 9 inches.
Tom has also started offering mounts which allow you to strap in the stand beside your water bottle cage, or to unused water cage bosses on your frame. I found that one needs to cinch tight the Velcro attachment on the mount to avoid slippage. It does have a bit of bulk associated with it, so you may want to make sure your chosen location does not let your legs brush against it.
Setting it up takes less than 15 seconds stretching the bar bands over the brake levers, removing the stand from the mount, and shaking it, while all the segments automatically connect. It does take longer to pack up, as I find I still need to balance the bicycle while replacing and fussing with the mount. Once tightly in place, I remove the brake bands which rest on my handlebars for next usage and pedal away.
One of the bonuses with using the Click-Stand, is that I can use the stand on an graded surface, providing my brakes are strong enough to hold onto the bike and its contents. I'm also quite happy that I can rest the bicycle on either side. If I ever found the stand sinking into soil – Tom recently started offering the "fat foot" – a wider slip on foot which should solve those issues. I'm sure if I ever had any problems with the Click Stand, I'd be able to get replacement parts and questions answered promptly.
I'd recommend the Click-Stand to anyone who wants a lightweight and compact stand for their bicycle, yet caution to measure properly for your bicycle before ordering because each Click-Stand is custom made for the height of the bicycle and diameter of the top tube. Turnaround time is exceptionally fast using regular postal methods, and Tom is good at letting people know his availability months in advance. In 2010 he even had a notice on his website notifying potential customers well ahead that prices were to be rising, and to take advantage of the cheaper price before they did. Doesn't sound like shady marketing tactics to me, more like pure honesty.
Find out more about the Click-Stand by visiting the website at http://www.click-stand.com
2013-07-16 Update
It's been since November 2011 since I've been riding with a Click-Stand. I went through three of the units beore giving up entirely on them. While great in concept, they just cannot handle decent loads and eventually snap in two. I've resorted back to finding places to rest the bicycle against, and even thinking about purchasing a kickstand, not caring about voiding the warranty. If you have small loads and can guarantee your front wheel from moving, perhaps this is for you, but don't rely on the Click-stand as being as useful for long term bicycle tours. Sorry Clickstand!
Possibly Related..
4 comments
April 14th, 2014
avi davisJuly 17th, 2015
Hi there. I am touring Iceland on a Surly CrossCheck and met a cyclist who had your click stand. Its just what I need! She told me you can custom build it for my bike so that it fits, exactly. Is that true??? I would love to order this, so it will be available when I get back to the states. Can you give me details? My email address, in case it does not come through here is [email protected]
Avi Davis
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Home › Forums › Gear Forums › Gear (General) › Bushbuddy vs solostove
Feb 26, 2012 at 8:17 pm #1286258
Cody CroslowMember
@graelbLocale: Pacific Northwest
Has anyone played with the solo-stove? I've seen a few reviews of the bushbuddy, but none of the solo stove!
Also, for those of you WITH one of these… how well do they do in wet/snow conditions?
We made a makeshift one out of some stuff at a buddy's house, boiled 6 cups of water in a half hour, using dry, chopped wood. Thoughts?!Feb 27, 2012 at 9:20 am #1845542
The Solo stove sure looks like a cheap knock off of the Bushbuddy to me. Maybe I'm wrong, and if I am wrong somebody please speak up.
The Bushbuddy is a great design. Based on my testing, the Bushbuddy works really well and is a marvel of craftsmanship. The Solo? Looks a bit shoddy to me.
The Solo is also roughly double the weight (Bushbuddy Ultra, 5.1oz; Solo 10oz).Feb 27, 2012 at 12:51 pm #1845672
brent driggersBPL Member
@cadyakLocale: southwest georgia
They are both woodstoves and will require additional work and practice to have a good burn with wet wood. In these conditions, success with wood has more to do with finding the driest wood, having excellent tinder, lighting methods, etc.
I havent tried the solo stove but have owned a Bushbuddy. They are nice. They work just as well as any other decent woodstove with adequate aeration.
If I am hiking in rough conditions that arent improving, I will collect, snap short and stow the driest stuff I see during the entire day of walking. All it takes for a few cups of boiling water is ONE 3-4ft limb.
Happy HikingFeb 27, 2012 at 2:19 pm #1845723
Cody CroslowMember
@graelbLocale: Pacific Northwest
We made a prototype one based on a 1Quart paint can, and a pineapple can inside… but it takes a good 10 minutes to boil 2 cups of water! Granted… the fuel is free… but I might be missing something to the techniqueFeb 27, 2012 at 4:26 pm #1845803
brent driggersBPL Member
@cadyakLocale: southwest georgia
Checked out the Solostove. It is a little heavy but is a very nice looking stove. It is made of 304SS which must be much more heavy duty than the the stuff the bushbuddy is made of.
10 minutes is not a terrible time. Every burn is different. Just keep practicing and carry some good tinder that will burn a l-o-ng time. My personal preference is beeswax cotton swabs.Feb 27, 2012 at 8:26 pm #1845943
Tony WongBPL Member
@valsharLocale: San Francisco Bay Area
I know that the solostove is a lot cheaper than the Bushbuddy, but it would have been nice if the makers of the solostove did not blattenly rip-off/copy the design of the Bushbuddy.
Sucks that because Fritz, maker of the Bushbuddy, is a cottage manufacture and does not have the money to patent his design that he is open to this sort of theft.
That said, I have a Bushbuddy and love it….no reason that the Solostove should not perform as well, it looks like an exact, heavier copy.
Here is a link to an interview with Fritz that talks about how he developed the Bushbuddy…he is definitely one of the most unique UL cottage manufactures. Fun read if you are into learning about the orgins of the products that you use. Gave me a greater appreciation and enjoyment of owning one.
Interview: Fritz Handel from Bushbuddy by Hendrik Morkel
Edited to insert hyperlink to interview.
-TonyFeb 27, 2012 at 8:30 pm #1845948
Ken T.BPL Member
Looks uncomfortably familiar.Feb 27, 2012 at 10:07 pm #1845990
Ted EBPL Member
@mtn_nutLocale: Morrison, CO
wow, that is pretty much a blatant rip off of the bushbuddy. they even have a link on the main website comparing the two, and he even says that they are identical in design.Feb 27, 2012 at 10:08 pm #1845991
Looks uncomfortably familiar.
When people do it with money, they call it counterfeiting.Feb 28, 2012 at 10:51 am #1846155
peter vaccoMember
@fluffinreach-comLocale: no. california
here's the whois info on the sorry puke that stole fritz's work.
if every time you see the pos solostoves, you step on it, they will go away.
is best if in a store.
is very simple. just do it.
don't apologize.
peter v.
and, unfortunately, there's nothing for fritz to patent. it is a garlington gasifier concept,w which was given to the world by garlington.Feb 28, 2012 at 11:24 am #1846168
"Crush them"
Tempting, tempting.
I definitely wouldn't buy one just because I'd like to see cottage gear manufacturers succeed in bringing new products to market. If people buy the rip off version, then cottage gear guys will never succeed — and anyone considering introducing new gear won't. Why go through all the blood, sweat, and tears — and the financial risk — of introducing good gear when someone will come along behind and make a cheap rip off copy that sells for half the price and take away your business.
"Crush them"
Well, maybe not literally, but I do have a certain blog. Maybe it's time I put the power of the written word to good use.Feb 28, 2012 at 11:27 am #1846171
Cayenne RedmonkBPL Member
@redmonkLocale: Greater California Ecosystem
it is a completely different way to make the same thing.
The craftsmanship oo the seams are part of the bushbuddy's charm.Feb 28, 2012 at 1:54 pm #1846294
Jacob DBPL Member
@jacobdLocale: North Bay
"The craftsmanship oo the seams are part of the bushbuddy's charm."
+1 to that.Mar 16, 2012 at 9:19 am #1854701
Tyler JacquesMember
It happens…
If something works well, especially if it hasn't been patented, there will be similar products created. Look at something like tennis rackets or baseball bats, they are all pretty much the same but are made by lots of different companies.
I may be wrong but couldn't Bushbuddy could still get a patent and shut out Solostove? His best bet if he doesn't have the money to spend is to offer better service than his competitor and his customers will likely stay loyal.
In the end hopefully we will see an improved product / service out of one of these companies.Mar 25, 2012 at 3:46 pm #1859228
Bruce TolleyBPL Member
@btolleyLocale: San Francisco Bay Area
Since the SoloStove is not pretending to be a BushBuddy, it is not an issue of counterfeiting. But it is a case of copying, and if there is intellectual property and or invention(s) in the BB design, the only defense is patent law. There might be aspects of the design that are patentable, even if there is prior art. It does take some research, and some $.
One or more of these features from the original BBL posting on BushBuddy might be patentable.
-Two-part nesting construction provides compact storage.
-Custom sized to integrate with FireLite 1L Titanium Cookware, available Spring 2007.
-Double wall firebox provides clean, efficient burning.
-Updraft chimney design capitalizes on double-wall firebox for preheating intake air, no batteries required!
By marketing on Facebook and directly comparing the SoloStove with the BushBuddy, perhaps this product will expand the market for BushBuddies. :-)Mar 25, 2012 at 5:59 pm #1859267
j lanMember
@justaddfuelLocale: MN
Mr Jeff Jan is using "bushbuddy" and "bush buddy" as alt tags in his homepage in attempt to steal traffic away from Fritz. He has also used BPL, NWHikers, Hamockforums and Backpacker logos on his homepage to look like endorsement.
Total fraud.Mar 25, 2012 at 8:19 pm #1859311
Yeah, I noticed that too that he's using a BPL logo (among others) to try to add credibility to his site. And he does have "Bushbuddy" and "Bush Buddy" embedded in his site for search engines to find.
Sleazy if you ask me.Mar 25, 2012 at 8:40 pm #1859322
Dan YeruskiBPL Member
@zelphLocale: www.bplite.com
Jim, buy one and do a few test burns and report back. It's in your blood. You need another stove.
Gee, did someone notice the Backcountry Boiler was similar in design to the kelly kettle? Both made outside USA
I suspect the Solo stove performs as well as the Bushbuddy. Save money, buy Solo and invest in the USA.Mar 25, 2012 at 8:45 pm #1859325
Bob GrossMember
@b-g-2-2Locale: Silicon Valley
"knit pickers have at it"
Dan, I think you meant nit pickers, not knit pickers.
–B.G.–Mar 26, 2012 at 6:18 am #1859391
Chris RothwellMember
@heelixLocale: Midwest
The interview with Fritz was an interesting read. Some back of the napkin calculations show 860 units shipped @ ~$120 is gross ~100k, with 2 hours labor per batch of 24 ~71 hours. Granted he did a good bit of fiddling optimizing the design before going into the large scale manufacturing… but this is reasonable enough for scope. I think he made the right call. I suspect it would have taken too much of his net profit to attempt to patent and enforce it internationally. Good for him, great for the community.
From the interview…
John Hall let his patent protection expire. It turns out you have to keep giving money to the patent office to maintain patent protection. He might have kept up his patent protection, but I think that he generously chose to let the idea go into the public domain. I am pleased to use the Bushbuddy name, John played a big part in my own success and I hope he takes some satisfaction that the Bushbuddy concept lives on.
How easy, or difficult, is it to compete versus the mass market manufacturers, like Trangia, MSR and Primus? Have they maybe already tried to approach you and buy the company/ product/ patents?
Because I am only one worker in a small home business, I do not need to sell a large number of stoves to make a living. Last year was the first year that I sold so many stoves. I think there will always be a niche for the worker at home who can provide unique products that the large manufacturers are not interested in making because they need a very large market. By selling direct, I can make a better wage without making the selling price too high than I could by selling through a retailer. Every extra mouth along the way needs to be fed, so it is more efficient to feed lower on the food chain. The internet has really created a revolution that is only beginning to be felt. Today it is much easier to sell directly to the customer than it used to be, and there is an opportunity for many more people to create a cottage industry. Working at home could become much more common.
I expect that there will be other companies making similar stoves, but that is a good thing, maybe some day I will be able to go camping again.
No companies have approached me about buying my company. I have no patents, so there is really nothing to buy, anyone can just as well just start building similar stoves.
Mar 26, 2012 at 10:23 am #1859497
That's interesting that Fritz is so sanguine about others ripping him off.
I still think that it's sleazy that the Solo Stove guy is using the words "Bush Buddy" on his site in a hidden fashion and that he's including logos from prominent backpacking type websites.
I've seen Fritz's product, and it's a good one. I hope the cheap knock offs don't force him out of business.Mar 26, 2012 at 10:25 am #1859500
Ha! Interestingly the Solo Stove website is no longer displaying logos from various backpacking sites. Either someone told him to back off or he monitors this forum and figured out what was good for him. Quite likely that he follows this forum since BPL was one of the logos on his site.Mar 26, 2012 at 10:58 am #1859521
Dan YeruskiBPL Member
@zelphLocale: www.bplite.com
"The Bushbuddy is a great design. Based on my testing, the Bushbuddy works really well and is a marvel of craftsmanship. The Solo? Looks a bit shoddy to me".
Right, how can you tell from the photo………..after all, you thought the White Box Stove was made from a pop can.
Thanks Bob for the nit pick :-)Mar 26, 2012 at 12:14 pm #1859554
Bob GrossMember
@b-g-2-2Locale: Silicon Valley
"Thanks Bob for the nit pick"
We do have some knitters here, and I didn't want them to get their panties in a bunch.
–B.G.–Mar 26, 2012 at 12:57 pm #1859568
Bailey GinSpectator
@pugslieLocale: SLO County
The Bushbuddy has been copied in Europe for over 3 years now…called the Bushcooker. A couple of Youtude videos:
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