text:
Inspector General's Assessment of Management and Performance Challenges
Deputy Inspector General,
The Reports Consolidation Act of 20001 requires that the Department's Performance and Accountability Report include a statement by the Inspector General that summarizes the most serious management and performance challenges facing the Department and briefly assesses the progress in addressing them. The Office of Inspector General (OIG) considers the most serious management and performance challenges for the Department to be in the following areas:
- Protection of People and Facilities
- Contract and Procurement Management
- Information Security and Information Management
- Financial Management
- Military to Civilian-Led Transitions-Iraq and Afghanistan
- Foreign Assistance Coordination and Oversight
- Diplomacy with Fewer Resources
- Public Diplomacy
- Effective Embassy Leadership
- Consular Operations
1. Protection of People and Facilities
Protecting people, facilities, and information is a Department priority. Regional Security Officers (RSO) assigned overseas are entrusted with managing programs and individuals providing this security. The Department has recognized the need to improve RSO management skills and recently mandated leadership training for all of its supervisors and managers.2 OIG is also focusing more on management and oversight of security programs to include Deputy Chief of Mission oversight of RSOs.
Protecting people, facilities, and information in areas of armed conflict and at missions rated critical for terrorist threats is a particular challenge. At some of these missions, the host government sponsors or turns a blind eye to the harassment and intimidation of mission personnel, both American and local national.3 At one mission, the host government slowed visa issuance to security personnel to a trickle. At another, the host government interfered with incoming classified and unclassified diplomatic pouches. These actions severely hampered the mission's security operations. The Department is challenged to foster better cooperation with the host nation and effectively manage its security programs under these conditions.
The Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS) established physical security standards for the Department's domestic facilities a few years ago in response to an executive order.4 In recent domestic inspections, OIG found required upgrades have not occurred because of a lack of funding. DS, responsible for compliance with security standards, designs security features for upgrades and coordinates funding with Department bureaus that request security upgrades.5 However, resources available for domestic offices have been strained as overseas requirements increase.6
2. Contract and Procurement Management
The Department continues to face challenges managing contracts and procurements, including grants and cooperative agreements. Although Departmental contracting activities have significantly increased from $1.8 billion in 2001 to $8.8 billion in 2011,7 the Department has not met this considerable growth with a corresponding increase in contracting personnel to handle the workload.8 To meet the burgeoning demands for its services, the Department's Bureau of Administration increased its procurement staff from 109 contracting professionals in FY 2009 to 146 in FY 2011.9 However, the Department has not fully assessed whether the increased workforce is sufficient to meet workload requirements and to provide effective oversight.10 Further, the anticipated cost of the Department's multi-year plan to upgrade or build new overseas facilities is over $1.5 billion annually,11 and the Department must ensure that contractors are properly chosen, work is properly conducted and monitored, and costs are effectively contained.
In addition to increased expenditures, the Department has undertaken unprecedented responsibilities in the Middle East and has relied heavily on contractors and Department of Defense procurement support for some critical goods and services.12 In Iraq and Pakistan, OIG identified instances in which poor contract monitoring resulted in increased costs and poor performance. In Iraq, OIG determined that the contracting officer's representatives for Embassy Baghdad's operations and maintenance contract had not verified contractor invoices against appropriate supporting documentation or the contract terms and conditions, resulting in erroneous payments to the contractor.13
Proper oversight and accountability of grants, contracts, and cooperative and interagency agreements are also ongoing challenges. During inspections of the Bureau of Counterterrorism14 and the Bureau of Diplomatic Security's Office of Antiterrorism Assistance,15 which jointly manage antiterrorism assistance totaling about $200 million, OIG found that several program managers lacked program monitoring and evaluation training. In Beirut,16 the mission did not document the results of site visits to grantee locations, creating uncertainty on whether $3.9 million in grants and cooperative agreements were fulfilling intended purposes. The Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs (NEA) had difficulty determining the origin and progress of some of its grants for capacity-building because of insufficient training, pressure to award grants quickly, and turnover in the Bureau and at Embassy Baghdad.
OIG audits found a pressing need for improved management and monitoring of grantees. In Iraq, one grantee received eight grants, totaling about $130 million, to carry out local democracy-building programs. These eight grants exceeded their respective award budgets by a total of approximately $4.6 million because the Department did not adequately monitor program performance and did not detect questionable charges. For example, security costs were not competed, and, as a result, the $64.3 million in security costs exceeded the $49.5 million in direct costs to carry out the Iraqi democracy-building programs. Additionally, the grants officer did not provide prior approval to purchase vehicles valued at $700,000.17 In another audit, OIG found that a Department bureau did not always follow policy guidance on managing and monitoring over $200 million in climate change grants and interagency acquisition agreements. In one instance, the Department cannot account for $600,000 in related Economic Support Funds transferred to another Federal agency.18
3. Information Security and Information Management
The Department continues its efforts to meet the requirements of the Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 (FISMA), but the Department still faces challenges in implementing a fully effective information security management program. The internal control weaknesses identified during the FY 2011 FISMA evaluation, reported collectively by OIG, represent a significant deficiency.19 The Department's Management Control Steering Committee voted to establish a reportable condition20 under the Federal Managers Financial Integrity Act of 1982.21 During the FY 2012 FISMA audit, OIG determined that the Department had made some progress toward improving the posture of information security. However, the Department had not documented policy and procedures to identify baseline controls in support of information technology systems. Specifically, the Department had not effectively implemented the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) requirements for account management and remote access or the FISMA and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requirements for a Plan of Actions and Milestones process.
Additionally, OIG found that overall progress had been made toward the implementation of effective logical access controls for major applications but noted that challenges remained. OIG reported22 that logical access processes and procedures around major applications pertaining to account authorization, periodic account revalidation, concept of least privilege,23 separation of duties, audit log monitoring, and database vulnerability assessments were deficient.
During recent inspections, OIG also identified information systems security shortcomings that leave embassies vulnerable to cyber security attacks. Information systems staff often lack appropriate security training.24 At a number of posts, Information Systems Security Officers are not performing required duties25 primarily because of competing priorities, inadequate guidance, or a lack of planning. To strengthen security measures and facilitate security checks, OIG has recommended that domestic bureaus consolidate classified materials and processing equipment in interior, enclosed, secure offices rather than scattering classified resources in several locations.26
Information technology (IT) contingency planning is critical to ensure that Department data is protected and that the Department can quickly resume operations after unforeseen incidents, such as power outages, equipment failures, or natural disasters. In December 2011, OIG noted that in 20 of 50 (40 percent) recent inspections, IT contingency planning shortcomings were identified.27 OIG recommended that the Bureau of Information Resource Management (IRM) track bureau and post compliance with IT contingency planning requirements, incorporate contingency planning in Department-wide IT risk scoring methodology, and consider adherence to contingency planning requirements in performance appraisals of responsible systems owners and IRM personnel.
Cloud computing is a new challenge likely to continue into the future. Although cloud computing is the Department's second highest information technology goal,28 key decisions and standards related to its implementation have yet to be promulgated. For example, the Department has not yet announced whether it plans to build and maintain a "private cloud," purchase services from an external provider in the "public cloud," or adopt some combination of both. A lack of guidance on this subject has led to problems and delays in development. For example, IRM's Systems and Integration Office (SIO) sought to develop private cloud technology in a way that OIG found was inconsistent with the IRM Strategic Planning Office's strategy or with the federally-mandated Cloud First Policy. Additionally, SIO's version of the cloud does not meet standards defined by NIST.
The Department continues to struggle with systems development, as noted in the inspection of the Bureau of Consular Affairs Consular Shared Tables.29 Often domestic bureaus and offices do not follow mandated systems development life cycle requirements. In the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs,30 insufficient stakeholder involvement resulted in a system that did not meet user needs, and many offices developed separate systems to fill the gaps. The Office of Global Publishing Solutions31 similarly developed a print management system without formally studying user requirements. OIG has also found insufficient documentation supporting system changes and inadequate security and vulnerability testing. There is no Department-mandated methodology for documenting compliance with systems development life cycle requirements, the absence of which contributes to these shortcomings.32
4. Financial Management
Financial management continues to be a significant management challenge for the Department. During the audit of the FY 2011 financial statements, an independent auditor identified potentially material amounts related to after-employment benefits provided to locally employed overseas staff that had not been previously reported on the Department's financial statements, which impacted the FY 2011 and 2010 financial statements. The independent auditor also identified significant internal control deficiencies related to financial reporting, property and equipment, budgetary accounting, unliquidated obligations, accounts payable accruals, and information technology.33 In FY 2011, the Department made progress toward improving controls over financial management. For instance, the Department took actions to address certain aspects of the deficiency related to after-employment benefits. However, the Department acknowledged that the deficiencies identified in the financial statement audit report would require more attention and improvement.34
Another financial management issue identified during the year related to the Department's identification and recovery of improper payments. OIG reported35 that the Department had taken steps to comply with the Improper Payments Information Act of 2002,36 which had been amended in 2010 by the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act37 (IPERA). However, the Department's improper payments risk assessment methodology was insufficient, recapture audit activities were not performed for all types of improper payments or all payments, and some improper payment disclosures required to be included in the Agency Financial Report were omitted or were inaccurate.38 Although the Department agreed that improvements were needed, the Department indicated that it did not have any programs deemed susceptible to significant improper payments. As such, the Department stated that incorporating the efforts would be a multi-phased process and does not intend to perform a full risk assessment of programs and activities again until FY 2014. To be in compliance with IPERA during FY 2012 and 2013, the Department stated that it would determine whether any programs or activities experience a significant change in legislation or a significant funding increase and would conduct a full risk assessment for any programs or activities that meet those criteria.39 Nevertheless, because of the deficiencies OIG found in the Department's risk assessment methodology, OIG recommended the Department implement the new risk assessment methodology for FY 2012 to ensure that the results of the Department's initial risk assessment were valid.40
Currently, the Department's Border Security Program, which supports activities related to consular relations, security, information resource management, and training, relies on funding from certain consular-related fees and surcharges. During an audit of how consular fees collected by the Department were used, OIG found that the Department's Border Security Program did not have a centralized program management structure.41 For example, OIG found that program-related roles and responsibilities were not clearly defined, funding decisions were not based on prioritization factors, and overall accomplishments were not being tracked. The Department also did not have sufficient guidance on the use of the funds and did not have an adequate process in place to monitor Border Security Program expenditures. The Department revamped the budget formulation process for this program.42
5. Military to Civilian-led Transitions-Iraq and Afghanistan
The United States completed its transition from a military-led to a civilian-led presence in Iraq in December 2011 and continues to plan for a similar transition in Afghanistan in 2014. In Iraq, the Department continues to react to mission priorities and a continually evolving relationship between the United States and the Government of Iraq (GOI). In Afghanistan, the Department must leverage lessons learned throughout the Iraq transition to meet a similar mission goal in Afghanistan, which is to assist Afghanistan in efforts to become a secure, stable, and self-reliant country as efficiently and effectively as possible.
On January 1, 2012, the Department became solely responsible for the U.S. Mission-Iraq (USM-I) and the associated foreign policy goals that aim to orient the GOI and the Iraqi economy towards self-sustainability and a strengthened democracy.43 Although the United States has completed the transition from a military-led to a civilian-led presence with some measures of success, the nature and extent of the U.S. foreign policy goals and the attainment of those goals remain unclear amidst environmental and political uncertainty and lack of precedent for such a mission. The sustainment of the transition includes efforts to (1) establish a long-term diplomatic presence leading to normalizing the bilateral relationship in economics, culture, diplomacy, and security; the internal stability of Iraq; and increased stability in the region, and (2) provide the infrastructure necessary for the Department's long-term diplomatic mission including staffing, building, and supporting sites throughout Iraq.44
Embassy Baghdad, NEA, and the Bureau of the Comptroller and Global Financial Services have made substantial progress establishing consulates and other support facilities and sustaining programs and operations. For example, the Department was able to assume responsibility for a multitude of support services that were previously provided by or procured by the Department of Defense, including security, air transportation, medical care, and some construction projects. In addition, in January 2012, OIG reported that Embassy Baghdad's emergency action plan was adequately resourced and tested, which is key to the embassy's ability to respond in emergency situations.45
Despite these achievements, the Department continues to experience challenges sustaining and rightsizing the USM-I as security throughout Iraq remains volatile and the GOI commitment to the U.S. presence and its programs remains unclear. The tradeoff between security and cost considerations when rightsizing a mission is made clear in recent analyses and estimates of the portion of costs that account for the security and support of programs in Iraq. In June 2012, GAO reported that the Departments of State and Defense allocated approximately $4 billion toward the U.S. diplomatic presence in Iraq, 93 percent of which was designated solely for security and support costs.46 The Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) reported a similar analysis of the portion of support costs focused on the Police Development Program (PDP) in Iraq-a program to assist the GOI in strengthening rule of law. In July 2012, SIGIR reported that 94 percent of the PDP's projected FY 2013 budget would be dedicated to support and security activities.47 SIGIR also questioned PDP's viability due in part to limited GOI support for the program, citing that they had repeatedly reported on the importance of obtaining host country buy-in to proposed programs for the long-term success and sustainment of relief and reconstruction activities.48 The Department continues to work with GOI to define and facilitate a much smaller PDP than was originally envisioned.
In February 2012, the Department announced a formal effort to rightsize the U.S. mission in Iraq as it evaluates both the achievement of its policy goals and the political and security environment.49 A number of facility changes are planned, including transferring the Baghdad Police College Annex to the Iraqis by the end of 2012 and moving the Office of Security Cooperation-Iraq from the Embassy Military Attach?? and Security Assistance Annex onto the embassy complex by mid-2013, reducing or potentially ending its presence at another Baghdad site, Embassy Annex Prosperity. Such closures and reductions will likely have significant impacts on the staffing levels of other agencies involved in the mission and have implications on the overall mission infrastructure and security requirements. As the Department continues the effort to rightsize its operations in Iraq, it is important that mission priorities, security, and cost considerations are synchronized.
In its inspection of the NEA,50 OIG recommended that the bureau document lessons learned from Iraq about military to civilian transition and provincial reconstruction teams.51 NEA has taken steps toward, but has not yet documented, lessons learned related to provincial reconstruction teams and stabilization efforts.
The Department continues to face challenges in supporting and sustaining the civilian presence in Afghanistan as the U.S. military withdraws. Because the foreign policy goals are similar to those in Iraq, there are many opportunities for lessons learned in the planning, execution, and sustainment of Afghanistan transition efforts. U.S. officials have emphasized that Afghanistan has a much greater dependence upon foreign assistance because it has limited revenue-generating resources, more widespread energy infrastructure challenges, and a high illiteracy rate.52 These environmental and historical factors create impediments toward maintaining adequate security while developing and training the Afghan security forces, overcoming Afghan governance and development issues, executing counternarcotics programs, and implementing rule of law and anti-corruption initiatives. Accomplishing and sustaining both short- and long-term objectives in these strategic areas is critical to achieving Department, U.S., and Afghan strategic goals central to the transition.53
In September 2011 and May 2012, OIG and the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) reported on challenges the Department faced in conjunction with an increased civilian presence in Afghanistan related to the accounting, management, and reporting of costs.54 These challenges included increased costs associated with the assumption of Department of Defense security duties, costs of opening new consulates, and need for housing and office space for the increased civilian personnel. Establishment of additional facilities increases costs as the Department becomes responsible for supplies and all service provisions, including food, motor pools, vehicle repair, air traffic control at the airport, crash and rescue, medical evacuation, and hospital services, among others.
OIG and SIGAR have also reported that security remains a primary challenge in Afghanistan.55 Low literacy levels and the lack of basic vocational skills have hindered the training and development of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). The Department also continues to face significant costs and security issues related to convoy protection and movement security needs, such as recovering killed and wounded personnel, retrieving damaged vehicles and downed aircraft, and monitoring private security contractors. Most Afghanistan Infrastructure Fund projects are experiencing acquisition and funding delays and subsequent interruptions in project execution schedules. The uncertainty of the size and composition of the ANSF over the next few years could result in inefficient and costly procurements if not closely managed.56
6. Foreign Assistance Coordination and Oversight
In FY 2011, U.S. foreign assistance totaled $32 billion,57 much of which was devoted to peace and security programs in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan and global HIV/AIDS prevention and democracy promotion activities. Foreign assistance coordination among agencies and Department bureaus remains inadequate.58 OIG has found duplication among agency programs and staffing. In the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR), the Department and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) recognized the need to better coordinate programs and established a goal of empowering the Chief of Mission to better oversee all agency activities. Consistent with this goal, the Foreign Service Institute expanded coverage of development and foreign assistance management in its economic and political courses, including a new course on development and diplomacy.
Given rapidly changing relationships and events in frontline states and at other missions, the need exists to regularly evaluate programs. At Embassy Beirut,59 OIG noted that the mission had successfully increased and recalibrated assistance programs totaling $238 million to strengthen Lebanese civil society and institutions after Syrian troops withdrew in 2005. At Embassy Islamabad,60 OIG highlighted the mission's challenge in executing extensive assistance programs. Most programs were envisioned as part of a 2009 grant engagement strategy. Changes in the bilateral relationship between the United States and Pakistan coupled with pervasive corruption and a lack of absorptive capacity in many levels of government, a daunting security environment, and a shortage of secure office space and staffing had contributed to a large pipeline of unspent assistance funding. OIG recommended the Department review all staffing plans, requests, and construction projects with an eye to scaling them back. The mission completed a rightsizing review and reduced its projected 5-year staffing numbers by 200 positions, required project-based or time-specified positions to be re-evaluated in a timely manner, and identified problems that would jeopardize the viability of current and proposed construction projects if changes in the scale of foreign assistance to Pakistan occur.61
Consistent with QDDR goals, the Department recently added program evaluation guidance to the Foreign Affairs Manual62 (FAM) to strengthen the way the Department measures performance. Additionally, to improve security and justice sector assistance, the Department plans to evaluate all programs over $25 million at least once during the program's life cycle.
7. Diplomacy with Fewer Resources
In its FY 2014 budget guidance,63 OMB directed all Federal agencies to cut waste, set program priorities, and make targeted investments in critical priorities. OMB also asked agencies to reduce overall requests by 5 percent below the net discretionary total of their FY 2013 budgets. The Department's QDDR also stresses the importance of working smarter and better prioritizing objectives.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently reported that while the Department's Office of Rightsizing's reviews of overseas staffing levels were more consistent, the Department does not follow up on its recommendations included in those reviews. Often bureaus and missions do not use the reviews to determine appropriate staffing levels. Additionally, the Office of Rightsizing has difficulty estimating the correct number of programmatic positions and relies on other agencies to determine their own staffing needs. In light of these shortcomings, OIG continues to review overseas staffing numbers as well as the cost of maintaining U.S. staff overseas-some $570,000 per overseas officer position.64
In 2012, OIG recommended reducing overseas direct hire and locally employed staff positions.65 At Consulate General Hong Kong and the American Institute in Taiwan, consular officer visa workload declined significantly without commensurate staffing adjustments. OIG also found functions performed at overseas locations that could be performed more cost effectively from a lower cost mission or from domestic locations.66 In Vienna, OIG recommended that the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration move a regional facility servicing refugees from Europe and the countries in the former Soviet Union to a lower cost location. In San Jose, OIG found voucher processing costs were roughly double the costs of outsourcing the function to the Department's Post Support Unit based in Charleston, South Carolina.
OIG has also identified countries where the Department can carry out its mission with a smaller footprint. OIG has recommended that the Department consider closing or downsizing consulates.67 While the Department has downsized a number of consulates, none have been closed.
The Department has achieved limited success in eliminating redundant management platforms and services. Despite progress at many posts, redundancies remain in basic service areas, e.g. furniture and furnishings, motor transportation, administrative procurement, and locally employed staff recruiting.68 The QDDR underscores the Department's commitment to continue consolidating Department and USAID administrative platforms.69 While the Department focuses on duplicative services maintained by USAID, OIG recommends it also review other sources of redundancy, particularly at posts with Narcotics Affairs sections70 and Centers for Disease Control offices.
8. Public Diplomacy
Several public diplomacy challenges from last year remain, including planning strategically in an era of reduced budgets, managing person-to-person outreach in a tight security environment, and effectively employing social media. As noted in the most recent inspection of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the Department must improve oversight of exchange visitor programs, a new challenge of concern. The Department's Management Control Steering Committee identified the Summer Work Travel program as a "material weakness" and developed a corrective action plan to monitor reforms. The Bureau has capped the number of Summer Work Travel participants in 2012, imposed a moratorium on new sponsor designations, removed several sponsor organizations, established a pilot fee-transparency program, and expanded the number of onsite reviews it conducts as additional staff is added to the Office of Private Sector Exchange.
In a recent cable to public diplomacy officers,71 the Under Secretary of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs noted that it was not a universal practice for public affairs officers to use annual strategic planning sessions to focus on resources and improve the impact of public diplomacy, and, consequently, OIG found a lack of public diplomacy planning on several recent inspections.72
Over the past decade, many embassies moved from city centers to more secure compounds in less-accessible locations. Some posts responded by closing embassy-based information resource centers and creating alternative venues like American Corners, which are hosted and staffed by local institutions. Some American Corners sites have worked well; others have not.73 Public diplomacy officers must continue to explore innovative ways to engage critical audiences where they are, rather than relying on the audience to seek out U.S. personnel within embassy grounds.
Some public affairs sections have done an extraordinary job employing social media.74 Others have set up Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Flickr sites without determining whether they have the time, resources, or appropriately trained staff to maintain fresh, interesting, and up-to-date content on sites. Missions must go beyond simply counting the number of online friends or "likes," and personnel must thoughtfully examine the messages conveyed and the extent to which they support policy objectives.75 Additionally, numerous missions, regional bureaus, and functional bureaus use social media to discuss the same issue or event. OIG has raised concerns about duplication, cost-effectiveness, and policy coordination that are not yet fully resolved.76
9. Effective Embassy Leadership
Ensuring that leaders and managers with appropriate skills lead our missions remains a challenge. OIG continues to find deficiencies in senior leadership at some overseas locations. While most leaders of missions abroad are performing very well, especially in areas such as advocating U.S. policies and actively engaging in public diplomacy, some are falling short in managing their missions. This has resulted in reduced productivity and effectiveness, low morale, and costly personnel curtailments.
Some leaders have demonstrated a lack of discipline in deploying personnel and financial resources. Some Chiefs of Mission have tasked their staff with numerous personally generated initiatives, which take time and resources away from work that is more central to advancing high-priority policy objectives. Some leaders fall short in developing and motivating staff, and some treat staff poorly. A very few have been insufficiently attentive to required security procedures.
All Chiefs of Mission and Deputy Chiefs of Mission, no matter how successful, could improve their performance based on feedback from their staff and their colleagues in the Department and other government agencies. For this reason, in 2010, OIG recommended that the Department institute a system to regularly assess the performance of leaders overseas and in the United States and to take remedial actions when necessary, including training, counseling, and, if necessary, reassignment.77 While the Department's QDDR process has focused attention on strengthening leadership of overseas missions, there has been little progress on this issue during the past year. OIG continues to provide advice to the Department based on its inspections.
10. Consular Operations
Consular officers are the first line of defense in border security, and technology is at the core of their operations. The Department's refocused technology platform, Consular One, is being designed to help posts efficiently maintain security and manage large consular workloads. In the meantime, existing infrastructure and software do not always keep up with demands. On several recent inspections, including those in Caracas78 and Singapore,79 OIG found that inadequate bandwidth and other systems' problems slowed down visa processing times to unacceptable levels. Reducing visa processing times is a priority of the Department and the Administration,80 given the positive impact international visitors have on our travel and tourism industries.
Physical facilities for consular operations present particular challenges, including the difficulty in projecting consular workload 10 years into the future, lengthy timelines for new construction, and mandates for secure facilities. At several missions, including Caracas81 and Port-au-Prince,82 OIG found consular section design did not meet requirements regarding space, security, privacy, and accessibility. The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations and the Bureau of Consular Affairs have been working to develop adequate designs but challenges remain.
1 Public Law No. 106-531, 114 Stat. 2537 (2000). (back to text)
2 FY 2014 Bureau Resource Request, Bureau of Diplomatic Security. (back to text)
3 Embassy Sanaa, Yemen (ISP-I-10-63A, June 2010) and ISP-S-12-28A. (back to text)
4 Standards were patterned after the security standards issued by the Interagency Security Committee, under the Department of Homeland Security, as authorized by Executive Order 12977. (back to text)
5 1 FAM 262.1-1(B), "Facilities Security Division. (back to text)
6 FY 2014 Bureau Resource Request, Bureau of Diplomatic Security. (back to text)
7 FY 2014 Bureau Resource Request, Bureau of Administration, May 31, 2012. (back to text)
8 State and DOD Should Ensure Interagency Acquisitions Are Effectively Managed and Comply with Fiscal Law (GAO-12-750, August 2012). (back to text)
9 FY 2014 Bureau Resource Request, Bureau of Administration, May 31, 2012. (back to text)
10 GAO-12-750. (back to text)
11 FY 2014 Bureau Resource Request, Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, June 19, 2012. (back to text)
12 GAO-12-750. (back to text)
13 Evaluation of Invoices and Payments for the Embassy Baghdad Operations and Maintenance Contract (AUD-MERO-12-43, August 2012). (back to text)
14 Inspection of the Bureau of Counterterrorism (ISP-I-12-32A, June 2012). (back to text)
15 Inspection of the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, Office of Antiterrorism Assistance (ISP-I-12-31, June 2012). (back to text)
16 Inspection of Embassy Beirut, Lebanon (ISP-I-12-10A, February 2012). (back to text)
17 Review of Costs Charged to Iraq Democracy-Building Grants Awarded to the International Republican Institute During FYs 2004-2010 (AUD-CG-12-35, June 2012). (back to text)
18 Audit of Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Administration and Oversight of Funds Dedicated To Address Global Climate Change (AUD-CG-12-40, July 2012). (back to text)
19 Evaluation of Department of State Information Security Program (AUD/IT-12-14, November 2011). (back to text)
20 A reportable condition is defined as a control deficiency, or combination of control deficiencies, that in management's judgment, should be communicated because it represents significant weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control that could adversely affect the organization's ability to meet its internal control objectives. A reportable condition, if not addressed, could ultimately rise to the level of a material weakness if corrective actions are not taken. Reportable conditions are not reported externally. (back to text)
21 Public Law No. 97-255, 96 Stat. 814 (1982). (back to text)
22 Audit of Department of State Access Controls for Major Applications (AUD/IT-12-44, August 2012). (back to text)
23 The concept of least privilege is the security objective of granting users only those accesses needed to perform official duties. (back to text)
24 Inspection of Embassy Algiers, Algeria (ISP-I-12-06A, January 2012); Inspection of the American Institute in Taiwan (ISP-I-12-12A, February 2012). (back to text)
25 ISP-I-12-06A. Inspection of Embassy Port-au-Prince, Haiti (ISP-I-12-24A, May 2012); Inspection of Embassy Beirut, Lebanon (ISP-I-12-10A, February 2012). (back to text)
26 Inspection of the Bureau of Consular Affairs, Directorate of Overseas Citizens Services, Office of Children's Issues, Office of Policy Review and Interagency Liaison, and the Planning, Programs, and Systems Liaison Division (ISP-I-12-21, May 2012). (back to text)
27 Memorandum Report-Improvements Needed in Information Technology Contingency Planning (ISP-I-12-04, December 15, 2011). (back to text)
28 Department of State IT Strategic Plan, Fiscal Years 2011-2013. (back to text)
29 Inspection of the Bureau of Consular Affairs, Office of Consular Systems and Technology (ISP-I-11-51, May 2011). (back to text)
30 Inspection of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ISP-I-12-15, February 2012). (back to text)
31 Inspection of the Bureau of Administration, Global Information Services, Global Publishing Solutions (ISP-I-12-07, January 2012). (back to text)
32 Inspection of the Bureau of Information Resource Management, Systems and Integration Office (ISP-I-12-30, June 2012). (back to text)
33 Independent Auditor's Report on the U.S. Department of State 2011 and 2010 Financial Statements (AUD/FM-12-05, November 2011). (back to text)
34 Ibid. (back to text)
35 Audit of Department of State Compliance With the Improper Payments Information Act (AUD/FM-12-31, March 2012). (back to text)
36 Improper Payments Information Act of 2002, Public Law No. 107-300, 116 Stat. 2350 (2002). (back to text)
37 Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act of 2010, Public Law No. 111-204, 124 Stat. 2224 (2010). (back to text)
38 AUD/FM-12-31. (back to text)
39 Comptroller Memorandum, dated April 30, 2012. (back to text)
40 OIG Memorandum, dated July 17, 2012. (back to text)
41 Audit of Department of State Use of Consular Fees Collected in Support of the Border Security Program (AUD/FM-12-39, August 2012). (back to text)
42 Ibid. (back to text)
43 These goals were laid out in two accords between the United States and the Government of Iraq: Agreement on the Withdrawal of United States Forces from Iraq and the Organization of Their Activities during Their Temporary Presence in Iraq, U.S.-Iraq, art. 24, par. 1, November 17, 2008, Temp. State Department No. 09-6; Strategic Framework Agreement for a Relationship of Friendship and Cooperation, U.S.-Iraq, sec. III, November 17, 2008, Temp. State Department No. 09-7. (back to text)
44 Staff of S. Comm. on Foreign Relations, 112th Congress, Iraq: The Transition from a Military Mission to a Civilian Led Effort (Comm. Print 2011). (back to text)
45 Evaluation of Emergency Action Plans for Embassy Baghdad and Consulates General Basrah and Erbil (AUD/MERO-12-18, January 2012). (back to text)
46 Assessment of the Transition from a Military to a Civilian-Led Mission in Iraq: Hearing Before the Subcomm. on Nat'l Sec., Homeland Def. and Foreign Operations of the H. Comm. on Oversight and Gov't Reform, 112th Congress (2012) (statement of Michael J. Courts, Acting Director, International Affairs and Trade, Government Accountability Office). (back to text)
47 Iraq Police Development Program: Lack of Iraqi Support and Security Problems Raise Questions about the Continued Viability of the Program (SIGIR 12-020, June 2012). (back to text)
48 SIGIR, Hard Lessons: The Iraq Reconstruction Experience, Government Printing Office, Washington, 2009. (back to text)
49 U.S. Embassy Baghdad, Special Briefing by Thomas Nides, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, "Rightsizing U.S. Mission Iraq," February 8, 2012. (back to text)
50 Inspection of the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs (ISP-I-11-49A, May 2011). (back to text)
51 NEA compliance correspondence (12 MDA 23430). (back to text)
52 Withdrawal from Afghanistan: Historical Lessons: Hearing Before the Subcomm. on Oversight and Investigations of the H. Comm. on Armed Services, 112th Congress (2012) (statement of Olga Oliker, Director, International and Security Policy Department, RAND Corporation). (back to text)
53 Afghan National Police Training Program: Lessons Learned During the Transition of Contract Administration (AUD/CG-11-42, August 2011); Ike Skelton National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011, Public Law No. 111-383, ?? 1235, 124 Stat. 4398 (2011). (back to text)
54 The U.S. Civilian Uplift in Afghanistan Has Cost Nearly $2 Billion, and State Should Continue to Strengthen Its Management and Oversight of the Funds Transferred to Other Agencies (AUD/SI-11-45, September 2011); Limited-Scope Audit of Department of State Management of the Afghanistan Civilian Uplift (AUD/SI-12-36, May 2012). (back to text)
55 Ibid. (back to text)
56 Joint Strategic Oversight Plan for Afghanistan Reconstruction FY 13 (July 2012). Inspectors General of the Department of State, Department of Defense, United States Agency for International Development, and Special Inspectors General for Afghanistan Reconstruction form the Joint Strategic Planning Subgroup for Oversight of Afghanistan Reconstruction. (back to text)
57 FY 2011 Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations. (back to text)
58 Inspection of Embassy Nairobi, Kenya (ISP-I-12-38A, August 2012); Inspection of Embassy Pretoria, South Africa, and Constituent Posts (ISP-I-11-42A, June 2011); Compliance Followup Review of Embassy Islamabad and Constituent Posts, Pakistan (ISP-C-12-28A, May 2012); Compliance Follow-up Review of Embassy Kabul, Afghanistan (ISP-C-11-53A, June 2011). (back to text)
59 ISP-I-12-10A. (back to text)
60 ISP-C-12-28A. (back to text)
61 Embassy Islamabad compliance correspondence (12 MDA 25018). (back to text)
62 18 FAM 300, "Program Evaluation Policy." (back to text)
63 OMB Memorandum M-12-13, "Fiscal Year 2014 Budget Guidance." (back to text)
64 Overseas Rightsizing: State Has Improved the Consistency of Its Approach, but Does Not Follow Up on Its Recommendations (GAO-12-799, July 2012). (back to text)
65 Inspection of: Embassy Vienna, Austria (ISP-I-12-16A, March 2012); Inspection of Embassy San Jos??, Costa Rica (ISP-I-12-23A, May 2012); Inspection of Embassy Nassau, The Bahamas (ISP-I-12-08A, January 2012); Inspection of the Tri-Mission Vienna Joint Management Office (ISP-I-12-19A, March 2012); Compliance Followup Review of Consulate General Hong Kong, China (ISP-C-12-29A, May 2012); and ISP-I-12-12A. (back to text)
66 ISP-I-12-10A; ISP-I-12-16A; and ISP-I-12-23A. (back to text)
67 Inspection of Embassy Berlin, Germany (ISP-I-11-65A, September 2011); Embassy Athens, Greece (ISP-I-11-15A, February 2011); and ISP-I-11-42A. (back to text)
68 ISP-I-12-24A. (back to text)
69 The Department recently established a Joint Management Board with the U.S. Agency for International Development. (back to text)
70 Compliance Follow-up Review of Embassy Bogot??, Columbia (ISP-C-09-08A, December 2008); Embassy La Paz, Bolivia (ISP-I-08-56A, September 2008). (back to text)
71 "Message from Under Secretary Tara Sonenshine to All Public Diplomacy Officers and Staff," State 84040, August 15, 2012. (back to text)
72 Inspection of Embassy Caracas, Venezuela (ISP-I-12-09A, February 2012); Inspection of the U.S. Mission to United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Paris, France (ISP-I-12-26, May 2012); and ISP-I-12-16A. (back to text)
73 Inspection of Embassy Singapore (ISP-I-12-36A, June 2012); Inspection of Embassy Bucharest, Romania (ISP-I-12-45A, August 2012); Inspection of Embassy Ljubljana, Slovenia (ISP-I-12-46A, August 2012); and Inspection of Embassy Hanoi and Consulate General Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (ISP-I-12-11A, February 2012). (back to text)
74 ISP-I-12-12A. (back to text)
75 Inspection of Embassy Lusaka, Zambia (ISP-I-12-41A, August 2012); ISP-I-12-45A; ISP-I-12-46A; ISP-I-12-11A; and ISP-I-12-38A. (back to text)
76 ISP-I-11-49A and ISP-I-11-42A. (back to text)
77 Memorandum Report-Implementation of a Process to Assess and Improve Leadership and Management of Department of State Posts and Bureaus (ISP-I-10-68, June 29, 2010). (back to text)
78 ISP-I-12-09A. (back to text)
79 ISP-I-12-36A. (back to text)
80 Executive Order No. 13597, Establishing Visa and Foreign Visitor Processing Goals and the Task Force on Travel and Competitiveness, signed January 19, 2012. (back to text)
81 ISP-I-12-09A. (back to text)
82 ISP-I-12-24A. (back to text)


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Ouidad stylist Alina teaches us an easy updo for curly hair. Beat the frizz and stay cool with these simple tips!
Fragrance expert and Atelier Cologne co-founder Sylvie Ganter explains perfume do's and don'ts.
The best thing to ever happen to mascara: tubing.
Birchbox Co-founder Katia Beauchamp shares her favorite technique for applying foundation: the Press & Wiggle, aka stippling.
Media Queen Sklar chats with us about the rise of women in technology, her in-transit beauty routine, and why being low-maintenance is a great thing.
When you are low on sleep, your eyes are the first place to show it. Counteract bags, puffiness, and circles with these simple tips.
Innovative advancements that prove our favorite companies are more than just pretty faces
This injectable does more than just cure wrinkles, it can help you say goodbye to deodorant, too.
Stila's Pro Makeup Artist Sarah Lucero shows us an edgy twist on the cat eye that she created for the Rebecca Minkoff Fall 2011 runway show.
Next up in our Skincare Matchmaker series, serums!
Our favorite VJ reimagines the flea market and introduces us to new obsessions
Since buying foundation is easier said than done, we've created a guide to common problems and how to fix them.
Berry-stained lips, bold liner, and flawless skin are an unbeatable combination
Whether your ends are splitsville or your hair is totally fried, here's how to fix distressed strands
Our favorite innovative products, and why they're so routine-changing

subset: commoncrawl


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Without massages, shoulders would stiffen into immobility and fall victim to freeloading parrots and the burden of carrying Earth's heavyset brother, Girth. Pamper your perches with this Groupon.
Choose Between Two Options
- $39 for one 60-minute reflexology treatment (a $100 value)
- $75 for two 60-minute reflexology treatments (a $200 value)
Sangita's Beauty Spa
Since starting in 2003 with a focus on providing top-notch eyebrow-threading services, Sangita's Beauty Spa has evolved into a place that patrons frequent for a variety of spa treatments. The spa's threading artists and internationally trained aesthetician carefully work to keep skin smooth and clear with hair-plucking cotton threads and skin-rejuvenating treatments. Guests may also stop in for a relaxing 30- to 90-minute massage or to have their social-security number temporarily emblazoned onto their body with henna ink.


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Love, admiration and affection are the inconsequential drives of our internal selves, be it only realized on the coldest, darkest and loneliest of nights when all other distractions of your conscious fade away and you're left with no one but yourself and a deep urge to be needed in the same sense that they need you.
You may feel lost, doomed to be alone forever, but bare it, and what you are looking for will make itself known, seek peace within yourself and let the cards fall where they may.
South Park


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Jake Mintz is a relief pitcher for Washington University in St. Louis and is one half of the duo behind Cespedes Family Barbecue. Follow him on Twitter @CespedesBBQ.
May 28, 2014 by Jake Mintz
Should the eephus pitch be thrown more frequently?
March 21, 2014 by Jake Mintz
Baseball in Australia has a long history, but it's changed drastically in just the past few years.


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Posted by anonymous
My husband and I were made guardians of my Mother and her estate. Kathy Walter work with me and my husband for over 4 years.
Although at first, it seemed overwhelming with required annual accountings, reviews, court approvals and finally, the estate closing, Kathy helped with every step. She made it go smoothly and successfully.
Kathy is extremely bright, quick, professional and compassionate. She gave us both a great sense of comfort, confidence and relief knowing she was always there for us. She is a wonderful lawyer and a wonderful person.


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The U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID) U.S. Global Development Lab has announced $6.2 million in new grants to 12 organizations from around the world. The awards are funded through the Development Innovation Ventures (DIV) program, an open innovation fund that sources, tests, and scales breakthrough ideas that address global development challenges.
Today, on International Day of the Girl Child, we celebrate girls' unique contributions to our societies and reflect on the challenges they continue to face around the world. This year's theme - Girls' Progress = Goals' Progress: A Global Girl Data Movement - reminds us that gathering gender-sensitive data is critical to achieving gender equality. That means it's critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, too.
As countries throughout the Caribbean and humanitarian agencies on the ground begin to assess casualties and damage caused by Hurricane Matthew, USAID joins millions of Americans and people around the world in expressing our deepest condolences to those who have lost loved ones. The United States is committed to supporting our neighbors in the aftermath of this disaster, and we are working around the clock to save lives and meet urgent needs.
The U.S. Agency for International Development has requested the unique capabilities of the U.S. Department of Defense to help support USAID-led efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to communities cut off by the storm, especially in the hard-hit southwestern peninsula. As a result, the U.S. military stood up a Joint Task Force from U.S. Southern Command to support USAID's disaster relief efforts by providing logistics and airlift capacity to deliver critical supplies and humanitarian personnel.
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) today announced an additional $1 million in humanitarian assistance for communities in Haiti affected by Hurricane Matthew. This brings total USAID humanitarian assistance for regional hurricane relief efforts to $1.5 million.
Ajans Amerikèn pou Devlopman Entènasyonal (USAID) anonse l'ap bay 1 milyon dola ameriken anplis pou èd imanitè pou Ayiti pou pote sekou bay kominote sa yo ki sinistre nan siklòn Matthew. Sa fè èd imanitè pou sekou nan katastròf USAID bay pou karayib la monte 1 milyon 500 mil dola ameriken.
L'Agence Américaine pour le Développement International (USAID) a annoncé aujourd'hui l'allocation d'un montant supplémentaire de US$ 1 million en aide humanitaire pour les communautés en Haïti affectées par l'ouragan Matthew. Cela porte le montant total d'aide humanitaire de l'USAID à US$ 1,5 million pour les efforts régionaux de secours suite aux ouragans.
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has deployed a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to the central Caribbean as Hurricane Matthew brings life-threatening rains, winds and storm surges throughout the region. USAID has pre-positioned relief supplies and is preparing to ship in additional needed supplies. USAID is also providing $400,000 in initial assistance for humanitarian partners to rapidly provide critical relief to those impacted by the storm.
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has deployed a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to the central Caribbean as Hurricane Matthew brings life-threatening rains, winds and storm surges throughout the region. USAID has pre-positioned relief supplies and is preparing to ship in additional needed supplies. USAID is also providing $400,000 in initial assistance for humanitarian partners to rapidly provide critical relief to those impacted by the storm.
Ajans Amerikèn pou Devlopman Entènasyonal (USAID) aktive ekip entèvansyon sekou li a (ki rele DART pou Disaster Assistance Response Team) nan zòn karayib la pandan siklòn Matthew ap menen lapli, van ak gwo vag ki menase lavi moun sou tout zòn la. USAID te deja mete materyèl sekou nan zòn la e l'ap pare kòl li pou voye lòl kagezon materyèl anplis. USAID a bay 400 000 dola ameriken anplis pou patnè li yo nan òganizasyon imanitè yo kapab ede viktim siklòn la rapi rapid.
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Senior Coordinator for Gender Equality & Women's Empowerment Susan Markham will travel to Thailand and Laos October 2-7. Her visit will focus on USAID's development assistance, specifically examining Laos' programs to support the education and empowerment of women and girls.
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Gayle Smith will travel to Brussels, Belgium October 4-5 to participate in the historic Brussels Conference on Afghanistan, co-hosted by the European Union and the Government of Afghanistan. The Brussels Conference serves as an opportunity for the Afghan Government and over 70 donor countries to highlight progress on key reforms andlay out their strategy for continued development for the next four years.
As Hurricane Matthew continues to track northwest through the central Caribbean, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is carefully monitoring the situation and preparing to assist governments and communities in the region.
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) today announced new partnerships to help countries eliminate and control neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Over the next five years new and expanded partnerships will provide 1.3 billion treatments, leverage $6 billion in donated drugs, and prevent more than 585 million people from needing treatment for NTDs.
Yesterday USAID announced the issuance of a $1 billion loan guarantee from the United States to the Government of Ukraine to support the implementation of key economic and governance reforms necessary for Ukraine's democratic transition and sustainable economic recovery.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - On Friday, September 30, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will hold an event commemorating 10 years of success fighting Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) at the Newseum at 6:30 PM in Washington. Through innovative private sector partnerships, this effort has delivered more than 1.6 billion treatments to prevent and treat seven of the most prevalent NTDs, reaching more than 743 million people in 25 countries. To date, every $1 invested by USAID in NTDs leverages $26 in pharmaceutical donations for mass treatment campaigns.
Today U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Gayle Smith hosted Shared Progress, USAID's signature event for the 71st United Nations General Assembly, in New York City. Administrator Smith also signed a renewed partnership with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and announced new United States Government support for South Sudanese refugees.
At the U.S. - Africa Business Forum, the U.S. Government and its Power Africa partners announced several new milestones across dozens of energy projects and transactions. These commitments -- totaling more than $1 billion worth of debt and finance-- will advance deals that aim to provide access to electricity across sub-Saharan Africa.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Agency for International Development announced new partnerships and expanded U.S. support for sustainable economic growth and infrastructure investment in Africa. The new announcements -- made in conjunction with the 71st United Nations General Assembly and the U.S.-Africa Business Forum in New York City -- include increased Power Africa commitments, a new partnership with the National Association of Securities Professionals, and enhanced cooperation with partner governments and civil society.
Today the U.S. Agency for International Development announced funding to help educate children impacted by humanitarian crises in Africa and called on innovators to develop solutions to global hunger. The two announcements, which coincided with the 71st UN General Assembly and President Obama's Leaders' Summit on Refugees, demonstrate USAID's ongoing commitment to improving livelihoods and creating opportunities for people around the world.
Last updated: July 28, 2017


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Link Up Foodie creates new model for food trucks
A brand new food truck concept hopes to offer opportunities for entrepreneurial food lovers to test out their unique food ideas.
Link Up Foodie was founded by Michelle Burt, a woman whose background is more corporate than culinary, but whose passion for delicious food began as a young girl when she spent time baking in the kitchen with her mother.
"I married young and had three children," Burt says. "Two of them grew up with juvenile diabetes. So, eating on time, eating often, and providing meals that were hearty – it was not only a challenge, but a mission. As a result, diet became very important. So, I honed my culinary skills at home. I still cook at least six or seven times a week."
Burt received her degree in management from Cardinal Stritch University and launched her corporate career in IT. After many years functioning as liaison between technology and end-users, she transitioned into IT consulting before starting her own business doing background checks for Fortune 500 companies.
"I merged that business in May 2013 and decided to pursue my passion in food," Burt says. "So much of what we have to do in business is removed from the passion. So, I want to take the skills that I've learned, my business acumen, and help others to realize their dreams."
In a nutshell, Burt says, Link Up Foodie about making connections between the community, foodies and farmers.
"We want to leverage our passion into a successful business," she says. "Foodies have such a passion with what they do, and a lot of the time when they want to market their products, they have a lack of resources – or a lack of knowledge around the marketing. So, we want to provide a platform for that."
Burt has invested in a food truck, equipped with two burners, a 24-inch grill and a cold salad bar area and refrigeration, which she plans to offer up to at least four prospective food businesses who are interested in serving up healthful, unique food items.
"We provide the infrastructure and platform for them to test market their product before they move into brick and mortar businesses," she says. "We're offering a certification process that ensures the business lines up with our mission. It includes submission of menu items to a tasting focus group to determine if the food is transferable to the food truck model."
Once entrepreneurs establish certification, they'll be given access to commercial kitchen space at MKE Kitchen, a community kitchen at 531 E. Keefe Ave.
Each handler will operate with a unique name and will have access to the truck on a regular schedule so that they can serve their food to various audiences in Milwaukee.
And, unlike starting a food truck business from scratch, Link Up Foodie hopes to provide a means to offer aspiring businesses a mechanism to support one another, learn from one another and leverage collective buying power to give businesses an economic advantage, even when first starting out.
"The interesting thing about this model is that I'm not looking to be a big conglomerate in a franchise food business, but I'm looking to help others share in the profitability," says Burt. "And fit is a big part of the picture. I don't care what business I've been in. Finding the right people to work for you and with you is absolutely key to the success. It's about getting the right combination, the right match."
Burt has established her own brand, called Retired Foodies, which will debut its menu at Catalano Square during the Street Eats Mobile Food Fest on Friday, May 16, from 4 to 8 p.m. in the Third Ward.
"We're starting off with lobster rolls, from which we've cut out a lot of the fat and mayo by using a cucumber yogurt based sauce. We've got a red wine coleslaw with that," she says. "We also have frogmore stew, chicken wings and a Greek chicken wrap."
Burt says that, in launching her business, she hopes to attract a variety of like-minded individuals to assist her in making Link Up Foodie a success.
"I've helped to build companies, to make them successful," Burt says. "I've owned my own company, and I've seen success with that. Now I'd like to pass that along to others."
To access a calendar which shows where Link Up Foodie can be found, as well as menus from each of the truck's handlers, visit linkupfoodie.com.
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Released: November 6, 2014
"I can't believe we didn't get caught," Anaya admitted to us. "We let ourselves into our neighbors' house because we thought they were on vacation. I was feeling so naughty. My blood was pumping and the fact that it's illegal made me really horny. I just had to get myself off right then and there." "I had so much fun shooting these pictures with my girlfriend," Anaya told us. Wait, girlfriend? Anaya's not a lesbian, is she? "Hell no, I'm not a lesbian! I meant girlfriend in the sense that we're really good friends and we're girls.


text:
|Web-based delivery for 2530:243 Medical Coding & 2530:244 Medical Insurance Billing
|Submitting Dean
|Dr. John P. Kristofco
|Submitting College
|Wayne College -- Rick Yoder x8946
|Departments Generating the Proposal
|Objection Deadline
|February 09, 2004
|Proposal Status
|Final Approval Granted
|Proposal Last Updated
|March 16, 2004 by PR Nancy Stokes
|Effective Date
|Spring 2004
|Brief Summary of Proposal
|This is a proposal for delivery of 2530:243 Medical Coding and 2530:244 Medical Insurance Billing in an on-line, web-based format. Our students have numerous concerns in their lives: work responsibilities, family obligations, social commitments, and community involvement. We know from experience that many have had difficulty in scheduling classes, or may not be able to take a specific course during the desired semester. Web-based courses can accommodate many of the issues that may restrict students from otherwise attending a traditional classroom and advancing their studies. Web-based instruction also presents an opportunity to serve a new market segment of students in the health care office management field. Individuals not currently able to attend traditional classes due to the demands of the employment may very well start their associate degree program via the Web with these proposed courses. There is no difference between the academic content of the traditional version of the courses and the proposed web-based versions. Expected learning outcomes are the same for both web and classroom-based courses. Various web technologies will be utilized. These include e-mail, discussion lists, threaded discussions, and automated testing procedures.
|Type of Proposal
|Course changes only
|Graduate School Endorsement Status
|Not required
|Graduate School Endorsement Updated
|January 22, 2004 by GS Heather Blake
|Institutional Research Status
|IR Status Updated
|December 29, 2003 by IR Dolores Bezilla
|Library Status
|Not required
|Library Status Updated
|September 25, 2003 by WC asst to dean Rick Yoder
|Distance Learning Review Committee Status
|Approved with comment
|DLRC Comment
|Good course description. Since this is just a delivery mode change it can be approved for spring.
|DLRC Status Updated
|November 26, 2003 by IS John Hirschbuhl
|Resource Requirements
|No additional resources
|Resource Requirements Updated
CPS Menu


text:
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Title: how does chromatography separate colors
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text:
|Monday's start of school carries reminder: Watch out for kids
|Kerry Craig | News-Telegram Assistant Editor
Aug. 11, 2006 -- With schools set to open for business Monday morning, Sulphur Springs police were busy Friday checking all the school zones to make sure warning lights are working and that all the school crossings are marked.
Police Capt. Norman Colyer said most of the school zones are the same as last year and reminded drivers to be alert for youngsters headed to school Monday.
"It's that time of year, and it comes around every year, so it is not a surprise," Colyer said. "You need to watch out, especially around the elementary schools."
Because of construction on Hillcrest Drive, Capt. Colyer said additional officers will be assigned to Early Childhood Learning Center.
"The school has asked for a couple of officers out there," he said. "We will have them there, morning and evening, for the next couple of weeks, and then we will go from there."
Although ECLC is situated some distance from the highway, Colyer said drivers should be cautious in the area because of traffic going into and out of the school.
Parents who attended registration at ECLC Thursday night were also told that the traffic patterns during drop-off and pick-up of students will be different during construction of additional classrooms.
Vehicles entering the school must come from the north, and when exiting will only be able to turn south on Hillcrest.
Parents who are taking their children to Douglas Intermediate School for the first time this year also need to remember that streets around that school are one-way.
Another area of concern as school gets started are school buses and the laws requiring drivers to stop when a school bus is loading or unloading children.
"These kids are going to be excited about school and may or may not be watching, but it is up to us to watch out for them," he said.
When red lights on a bus are flashing, all traffic should stop, but yellow lights are a warning the bus will be making a stop.
"You will see the yellow lights come on as they are starting to stop," Colyer explained. "If you start [to go] around that bus while the yellow lights are flashing and they turn red and we happen to see it, that is passing a school bus while they are loading or unloading."
The law applies to traffic in any direction around the bus, including side streets. Traffic must stop all the way around the bus.
Bus drivers will not turn their red lights off until all the children reach the safety of the sidewalk.
"People know school is starting and we do this every year, so there should be no surprise Monday morning if somebody is running 35 miles per hour and they get pulled over by an officer," Colyer said. "They need to slow down around these schools."
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Looking for News-Telegram Sports and News Archives for January 2004 - November 2008


text:
Did someone say 2011 would be the year of the tablet? That's right, everyone did. And today HP added its voice to the chant with the TouchPad – a webOS tablet that knocks the prototype Windows-based HP Slate of a couple of years ago into a cocked hat.
Although HP has decided to ditch the Palm name, the TouchPad is made not by its specs – although packing a dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon chip, Beats by Dr Dre stereo sound, 1GB of RAM, 16-32GB of storage and the usual cluster of sensors into a 13mm slab shouldn't be sniffed at – but by the OS displayed on the 1024x768 9.7in screen. It is, of course, Palm's webOS, and it looks like an adulthood on tablets could suit the marriage of form and function very nicely.
All the old tricks of webOS – notably, Cards and Stacks – are present and correct, but the retuned operating system has added tablet-optimised notifications and some deft UI adjustments to make the TouchPad's screen as alluring to eyes and fingers as the iPad, if not more.
Nice touches include a resizable keyboard (why didn't we think of that?), wireless charging (via the Touchstone dock) and the by-now-requisite case/stand/keyboard add-ons to make sure your netbook never sees the light of day again.
HP has played to its strengths, too, and added wireless printing, backwards compatible with its recent printers. There's video calling via a 1.3MP webcam, full-fat web browsing with Flash and touch-to-share, a physical bump sync to get your HP Pre 3 and/or Veer on the same page. Literally.
A Wi-Fi version will be heading to the US later this year, with 3G (and 4G) versions to follow. No word on an Autralian release yet, but it's unlikely to be before that.
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text:
Crenelated 3 Sheet Bracelet
Original Submitter
Edit Dates
Date Uploaded
June 29, 2011, 1:37 pm
Last Edited
February 22, 2016, 8:46 pm
DescriptionStainless steel Crenelated 3 Sheet bracelet with crab claw clasp. 18swg with 3/8" id. 20swg with 5/32" and 1/8" id's. 370 rings and 1.913 oz.
Weave(s) Used (Click to View Weave)Borealis, Crenelated-3 Sheet
Images Tags (Click to Search Gallery)Tag(s): Bracelet, Jewellery, Stainless Steel
Weave(s): Borealis, Crenelated-3 Sheet


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What you're drinking: Bushmills Irish Whiskey and green beer. Harp Lager with just a dash of food coloring serves as an ideal green beer, explains Sean Kelly's bartender Darci Matovich. "It's like a Bud Light, if you will, but way better," she says, before adding that bartenders are flexible. "Pretty much, we'll make any beer green."
Who you're drinking with: All kinds of people show up to Missoula's Irish pub on the festive Irish holiday. Sean Kelly's staffer Chelsi Rife says if there's any one distinction with the crowd, it's St. Patrick's Day attire. "It's just like a sea of green," she says.
What you're eating: On Sat. March 15, two days before the official holiday, Sean Kelly's is rolling out a special menu featuring traditional Irish fare, including pork stew, pasties and corned beef and cabbage. On the holiday itself, March 17, the public house offers a $15 all-you-can-eat buffet featuring similar items well suited to soaking up the green beer.
- photo by Cathrine L. Walters
What you're doing: On March 15, dancing to live music from Shakewell, Cootehill and Ted Ness & the Rusty Nails. On March 17, the Circle of Friends and The Hasslers take to the stage. The Celtic Irish Pipe Band will also perform.
St. Patrick's Day specials: Pints of Guinness and Harp Lager run $4, whether they're green or not. (They usually cost $5.25). A shot of Bushmills will be $3, rather than the traditional $4.
How to find it: Sean Kelly's is located at 130 West Pine Street.
Happiest Hour celebrates western Montana watering holes. To recommend a bar, bartender or beverage for Happiest Hour, email firstname.lastname@example.com


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A Shirt and High Heels Photographer
NayocheModel Female New York, New York, US
My Website: http://nayoche.tumblr.com/
Mayhem # 2605141
About MeI always knew I loved taking photos, but it wasn't until last year that I really got into it and started seriously looking into modeling.
***I only do paid shoots UNLESS the subject matter of the project is something I am very intrigued by!
I have tattoos (6 in total) and I'm planning to get more.
I always try to fully understand what the photographer wants and try to exceed their expectations.
To check out more of me, go here:
Instagram: @nayoche_oftroy
For bookings and inquiries contact helentroymodeling.com
Have you worked with Nayoche? Add Credits for Nayoche! >>
Credit NotesPhotography:
Marjorie Jones Photography
Lafiya Watson
F_Stop (Mayhem #2773812)
Jose A Contreras (Mayhem #1656357)
Obscure Alternatives (Mayhem #1985309)
Music Videos:
Ronald Reid (Mayhem #2620576)- "Bad Newz" J. Mello ft. Shwyze
Itchy House Films- "We don't rock with that" Kazzie & Waka Flocka
Itchy House Films- David Rush music video
A Shirt and High Heels Photographer
DAF Photographer
Studio347NYC Photographer
Franco Napoli Photographer
LTY Media Photographer
KristiA Monahan Makeup Artist
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text: Posted November 27, 2012 We still suck - sorry to bring you guys down but dont delude yourselves with how much better we or Cam is playing. We were damn lucky to eek out a win. 3 people like this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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To join Fuzzy's Fans and receive updates on contests, appearances, special events and more, please sign up to the left. You will receive occasional email updates from Fuzzy's Ultra Premium Vodka with information about upcoming events and special offers.
For all questions or comments regarding Fuzzy's Ultra Premium Vodka, please email firstname.lastname@example.com.


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|Students to present Thesis/Master's Paper in colloquium (See AS-10-084); NOTE: Fixes 3470:692 bulletin description
|Submitting Dean
|Chand Midha
|Submitting College
|Arts & Sciences -- Dr Richard W Stratton x7440
|Departments Generating the Proposal
|Objection Deadline
|April 26, 2010
|Proposal Status
|Final Approval Granted
|Proposal Last Updated
|June 01, 2010 by Karen Greene
|Effective Date
|Fall 2010
|Brief Summary of Proposal
|Currently, a student's Thesis or Statistics Master's Paper requires only approval of their Advisor and Reader. This change will require students to present their approved Thesis or Statistics Master's Paper in a colloquium to faculty and students. Additionally, in a 2004 change, a line was left out of the bulletin description for 3470:692 Statistics Master's Paper limiting the number of credits that apply toward the degree. This adds it back into the bulletin description.
|Type of Proposal
|Program changes
|Graduate School Endorsement Status
|Graduate School Endorsement Updated
|April 12, 2010 by GS Heather Blake
|Institutional Research Status
|IR Status Updated
|April 02, 2010 by IR Anu Mahapatra
|Library Status
|Library Status Updated
|April 01, 2010 by UL Christopher Laursen
|Distance Learning Review Committee Status
|Not required
|DLRC Status Updated
|General Education Advisory Committee Status
|Not required
|GEAC Status Updated
|April 01, 2010 by Karen Greene
|Resource Requirements
|No additional resources
|Resource Requirements Updated
|April 06, 2010 by AS dean's ofc Cathy Moore
CPS Menu


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Miyazaki's "Ponyo" Is One Fly Fishy
A new heroine, Ponyo, will be making her debut on American screens on August 14. The film made a whopping $165 million in Japan, where it was originally produced, and won the Japanese Academy's award for best animation film and best score. So what makes this animated film so fabulous? The irresistible Ponyo, of course! She's a goldfish who dreams of becoming a real girl (sound familiar?), but she's a bit less stereotypical than the average Disney princess, who usually flaunts an itty-bitty waist, curvaceous hips, and ginormous, lashy eyes. (Then again, since Ponyo is a toddler, it's hard to compare her to the more "developed" Disney females). Either way, Ponyo is a heroine to watch. There has been lots of hype about her characteristics; like the other female protagonists filmmaker Miyazaki has created, Ponyo is "endowed with the characteristics of the conventional masculine hero: [she is] active, assertive, adventurous and courageous," said Japanese film critic Freya Freiberg.
When asked about his unusually courageous female characters, Miyazaki said:
"When we compare a man in action and a girl in action, I feel girls are more gallant. If a boy is walking with a long stride, I don't think anything particular, but if a girl is walking gallantly, I feel 'that's cool.'"
We think it's cool too, which is why we're super excited to see this film, even if it's geared toward child audiences. Check out the clip above! [Disney via Jezebel]


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- 4 total posts
- 3 comments
- 1 question
Questions from Godiva00
What Laser is Best for Skin Tightening, for Long Term Use?
My 1st laser treatment was when I was 36 and I loved it for my skin was much tighter. Had the same procedure at 37.5, and the results were ok. At 39 I saw no improvement at all... READ MORE
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I had one SkinTyte treatment and it lasted two hours. After that my saggy jawline loosened up again. Considering canceling my next appointment. READ COMMENT
Does SkinTyte loose effectiveness over time? I had one treatment and looked great for about two hours. I am considering canceling my next appointment because it wasn't much of an improvement and I'm only 40. Can you recommend a laser... READ COMMENT
I heard that these lasers lose effectiveness over time. I am 40, had it done 3 times, and the last time, I saw no improvement in my skin tightness at all. I have been looking for a laser that would not lose effectiveness over time. Do... READ COMMENT


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SPD West: Unsung Heroes 4 "Making Art About Art"
We've got a little tease for you of what to expect from Lawrence after the jump, as well as a chance to snag some of the remaining tickets. You don't want to miss the cocktails, the networking, or the inspriation you'll get from us Thursday night....
(ABOVE: John Van Hamersveld's iconic imagery for The Endless Summer; Lawrence Azerrad's cover identity for Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot)
See more of John Van Hamersveld's work here.
See more of Lawrence Azerrad's work here.
Unsung Heroes 4: "It's An Art Form to Actually Be Able to Do This." (Frank W Ockenfels 3)
Unsung Heroes 4: "The Journey Is a Medium In Itself" (Rebeca Mendez)
Unsung Heroes 4: Top California creatives talk work, creativity, assignments, and more.
Presented by Charlie Hess, Lisa Thackaberry and Carol LeFlufy.
This is our fourth big bash at Smashbox; check out all the great work from our first night here, from our second night here and from our third night (illustration!) here.
Cocktails and hors d'oeuvres at 6:30.
Presentations about 7:30pm. (We'll see how the cocktails go... you know us.)
Advance RSVP saves you $$, and guarantees you a spot in the audience, some great food, and a cool drink in hand. (It was standing-room-only the last time, so... jump on it!) What better way to start your Thursday night, right?
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Smashbox Studios West Hollywood
1011 North Fuller Ave, LA, CA
6:30 - 9:00 PM, doors open for cocktails at 6:30
Plenty of street parking available.
SPD Members & Students, ONLY $5 with advance reserve
($15 at the door, CASH ONLY, if tickets remain after pre-sale ends)
General Admission, $10 with advance reserve
($15 at the door, CASH ONLY, if tickets remain after pre-sale ends)
RSVP early! All tickets, cocktails, and seating are first come, first served.


text: A friend of mine was is 40, was a teenager during the 70s, and was really into the cultural revival of the 1950s ("Happy Days," "Grease" etc.) He stuck with it, and today still sports the (mild) ducktail haircut and the 501s and white tshirt thing. I wonder, given the 80s craze of the past year or two: I was born in 1980, and I have enjoyed VH1's 80s shows. I kind of like the revival of 80s style. Though I'm aware it's kind of absurd, and a fleeting trend, I like the new wave look. My point. My friend enjoys his personal style, though it's not really his (he was never really a greaser). In casual settings, I like looking a little 80s. If I wear a Harrington jacket and Lacoste when I'm 40, will it be parallel? Am I just bored and thinking too much?Should I get back to looking for a better job? Pardon my ramble.


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Adoption Advocacy Toolbox
Adoption Subsidy
Below is NACAC's position statement on adoption subsidies, along with policy articles and resources related to adoption subsidies. For more information about adoption subsidies, visit that section of this web site.
Adoption Assistance Position Statement
Federal, state, tribal, provincial, and territorial governments have a responsibility to ensure the safety and security of all children and youth who have been in the guardianship of the government through the foster care system (hereafter referred to as foster children and youth or children and youth adopted from foster care). All foster children and youth who are placed with adoptive families should be eligible for benefits through an adoption assistance program* (also known as adoption subsidy).
Adoption assistance is designed to supplement the resources of the approved adoptive family in order to meet the child's or youth's needs without creating an undue financial burden on the family. Adoption assistance programs and policies should be structured so that there is not a disincentive for a family to move a child or youth from foster care to adoption.
Policy and Practice Recommendations
NACAC seeks reforms within adoption assistance programs in the U.S. and Canada so that all foster children and youth are eligible for benefits that will enable their families to meet the children's or youth's needs. Specifically:
Specific U.S. Recommendations
*By adoption assistance, NACAC means the federal, state, provincial, and territorial programs that support children adopted from public foster care. Such support can include medical coverage, monthly payments, respite or day care, individual and family counseling, residential treatment, specialized camps, etc. (These services may also be available to other adopted children through a state's or province's post-adoption service program.)
**The Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 will, over time, address all of these areas. For more information about the law, visit http://www.nacac.org/policy/news.html.


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Leaning against a wall with a glass of French white wine, listening as television correspondents rattled off details of Vladimir Putin's overwhelming victory in Russia's presidential election yesterday, Lev Ponomarev tried to be philosophical.
All revolutions, he said, come unstuck at some point, and it was predictable that Russia's peaceful overthrow of communism 13 years ago and its hesitant embrace of democracy would itself be challenged one day.
But it hurt nonetheless yesterday to see so much hard work undone, and to see his country so easily take a half-step back to its Soviet past by re-electing a man Mr. Ponomarev views as having torpedoed democracy.
"We had a peaceful revolution, and now we have a restoration of the old," says the man who in 1990 helped form Democratic Russia, the first formal opposition to the Communist Party in the old USSR. Later that year, Mr. Ponomarev was elected to the Supreme Soviet in Mikhail Gorbachev's initial experiment with multi-party elections.
"We didn't think it could happen so fast. This may be the lowest point yet, and there's a real danger it could get worse."
As Mr. Ponomarev spoke, Alla Gerber, a Duma deputy from the early Boris Yeltsin years, walked by and squeezed his shoulders in a gentle hug. The two veteran standard-bearers for Russia's democrats exchanged a sad smile over the election results. Neither was very happy to see an ex-KGB colonel, who barely bothered to campaign and who laid out no election platform, win nearly 70 per cent of the vote.
What remains of Moscow's lonely group of liberals gathered last night in a trendy restaurant, ostensibly to applaud presidential candidate Irina Khakamada -- who campaigned on the idea that the country needed to resist its slide into dictatorship, and went down to bruising defeat with barely 4 per cent of the vote.
But as the results rolled in, the party rapidly turned into a wake for this country's experiment with Western-style democracy.
A distant second to Mr. Putin was Communist candidate Nikolai Kharitonov, who tallied a better-than-expected 15 per cent. Left-wing economist Sergei Glazyev just nudged out Ms. Khakamada for third place. (The only real surprise last night was a huge fire at Moscow's Manezh exhibition hall, immediately outside the Kremlin walls, just as polls were closing. A short circuit apparently sparked the blaze, which killed two firefighters.)
It was never in question who would win yesterday's election. Months before the campaign began, television stations Mr. Putin had gathered under Kremlin control over the previous four years were already promoting him as the only candidate fit to lead Russia.
His opponents were barely mentioned in the nightly newscasts, while the President's daily work was given fawning blanket coverage. Russia's richest man, tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, was jailed last October in what many observers saw as punishment for his funding of groups opposed to Mr. Putin's rule. Pop songs in heavy rotation on the radio sang of the need for "a man like Putin."
The heavy promotion of an already-popular President turned back the clock in the minds of many. "It's disgusting," said independent political analyst Andrei Piontkovksy, who boycotted the vote. "I'm not a young man, so I remember very well the Soviet days and this campaign was waged in a Soviet style."
Many found it hard to believe the country had so quickly exhausted the enthusiasm for democracy that existed back in August of 1991 when Mr. Yeltsin climbed on top of a tank outside the Russian White House to denounce a coup attempt by Soviet hard-liners. That act of defiance shattered the Soviet Union.
"We were so romantic back then, and believed in such good things," said Vitaly Tretyakov, a columnist at the rebelliously pro-reform Moscow News weekly newspaper in the time of perestroika. He blamed Mr. Yeltsin and those who surrounded him for turning democracy into a dirty word in Russia.
"The last 13 years were dedicated to making all possible mistakes that could have been made. 'Democracy' now means the same thing as 'corruption.' 'Liberal' means 'thief,' and 'friendly toward the West' means 'robber of the country.' "
For Mr. Ponomarev, Russia lost its course in January of 1994, when Mr. Yeltsin first ordered federal soldiers into the separatist republic of Chechnya. A decade later -- despite tens of thousands of deaths -- Mr. Putin is still trying to militarily subdue the Muslim region. Meanwhile, the country has seen a rise in nationalism, xenophobia and nostalgia for the Soviet past.
"Many young people have gone to fight in Chechnya and come back twisted," Mr. Ponomarev said. "They've lost themselves and lost their ideals. That war was Yeltsin's biggest crime."
As he spoke, a band took the stage and started playing behind him, though few of the mourners could be coaxed onto the restaurant's empty dance floor. The master-of-ceremonies stepped in and tried to lighten the mood, offering to take bets on what the exact voting breakdown would be.
"I'll put 100 rubles on Putin," someone yelled out. No one even smiled.Report Typo/Error
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EVERETT, Washington (AP) Boeing's second 787 has flown for a little more than two hours.
The jet took off from Everett's Paine Field around 9 a.m. Tuesday and landed two hours and nine minutes later at Boeing Field in Seattle.
The Seattle Times reports there was a problem with the plane's landing gear. Boeing confirms this, but says the problem was fixed in the air and that the aircraft and its two pilots were never in danger.
A week ago, about 25,000 people turned out to see the first initial flight of the 787. That plane was the first in the new aircraft series.
The 787 program has been plagued by ill-fitting parts and other problems. The first flight was supposed to be in 2007, but Boeing was forced to push that back five times.
Boeing has orders for 840 of the jets and plans to make the first delivery to Japan's All Nippon Airways late next year.
PHOTO GALLERY:First 787 test flight
VIDEO: See the 787 take off
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more.


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Area basketball teams that are still alive are getting so close to the CIF-SS Finals that they can taste it.
Quarterfinals in all of the higher divisions take place tonight for boys basketball and Saturday night for girls basketball.
The biggest San Bernardino County matchup of the weekend could also be the most surprising.
Most people had sixth-seeded Etiwanda and third-seeded Corona Centennial facing each other in a huge Division 1AA boys quarterfinal.
But someone forgot to tell 14th-seeded Silverado, which upset Centennial 77-75 on Tuesday, after losing to the Huskies 80-46 in the Inland Empire Invitational in December.
Etiwanda won that tournament, but the teams did not play each other as Silverado lost to Rancho Cucamonga in the semifinals and Centennial for third place.
The last time Silverado and Etiwanda met was in the Inland Empire Invitational in 2011, a game won by Etiwanda 75-59.
The only other San Bernardino County boys team playing tonight is third-seeded Joshua Springs, which travels to second-seeded Valencia Trinity Classical Academy in a Division 6 semifinal.
The girls basketball games on Saturday feature six area teams.
Miller, Cajon, Academy of Academic Excellence and Hesperia Christian are all at home.
Miller, seeded sixth, hosts No. 3 seed Vista Murrieta in 1A, and second-seeded and undefeated Cajon hosts No. 7 Bonita in 2AA in quarterfinal action.
Cajon and Miller finished first and second, respectively in the Citrus Belt League this season.
In semifinal games, 5A top-seeded Mesa Grande plays on the road against No. 5 AAE at the James Woody Community Center, while No. 2 seed Santa Barbara Providence Hall plays at No. 11 Hesperia Christian in Division 6 action.
Outside of Mesa Grande, the only other area team playing on the road is Etiwanda. In Division 1AA, fifth-seeded Etiwanda travels to fourth-seeded Long Beach Poly.
Etiwanda's game is a rematch from last year's quarterfinals, won by Poly 53-48. Poly also eliminated Etiwanda in the semifinals in 2010.


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Don Shiva
Global Destination: 1st Stop Asiana
Take a melodic tour of Asia with this unique journey sure to transport your mind, soul and body to the exotic locales of India and the Orient. Through progressive beats, soothing rhythms and stunning vocals, the sights and cultures of each region are offered on a sense-overloading scale. Songs include "Pastorale" by Yang Xiao-Lin, "Utopia Airlines" by Electro Mana, "Drifting Boat" by LIU Xing, "Om Namah Shivaya" by Don Shiva and more.


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Quantum Harmonic Oscillator
Schr—dinger equation is solved for a gaussian wavepacket in an harmonic oscillator potential.
The potential and the motion of the wavepacket are plotted at the same time.
Start by pressing button "Start".
With the horizontal Scroll bar you can select the wavepacket momentum.
With the vertical Scroll bar you can change the potencial strenght.
Pressing "Stop", the motion ceases.