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Day In Bangkok
Bangkok update. Another cool cabby, keeps calling me misses. Btw, airport has english speaking public cab lines giving you a ticket & fixed price. So is 400=$12. Tried to explain luggage to cabby + shopping & new bag, lol, classic. Bought couple of small things duty free after last check-in, (Dubai soft camels, my aka mum & baby. Couldn't resist, too cute & cheap, lol.) + have clothes. I'm sure even without that stuff would have had to buy another carry bag anyway. Boarding @ 7pm so will need to be back by 5pm. Takes approx 35mins to markets, for $12! Possibly quicker by train, without traffic, but...get to see local stuff. Chatted to cabbie, said is going to point out sky train to airport for me when we get there, said, "Easy misses to get back to airport. Quicker misses, half the time, almost". Way to funny... Then, "I show you round market misses, no problems misses, I like you misses, you from australia misses, good heart misses, no probs extra money misses, I like you misses", pmsl. Gave me drive/tour around then dropped near station to airport, right near markets. Paid, then he shook my hand, said, "you very nice misses, I like you very much misses, you come back again misses". Oh, he also told me, "get feet tired, take toot toot!" Did markets, 1st stop was supposed to be for bag, but purshased (put note in phone, with cost as no receipts, so I would remember what was what) 3 x fake branded tops. Asked how much for 1, bartered that down, then for 2, again got price down, then how much for 3, soooo cheap ; ) 3 x dress tops, then 2 x dressier tops, all as per prior. Was crouching down to unlock back pack (getting money out to pay for 2 tops, plus had other stuff just bought in plastic bags & no bench/seat) & the breeze from the fan, outside markets, blew the side of my dress up. Wore light weight wrap dress. The look of their faces, (older ladies, as I didn't bother moving) for the first second was priceless, until I told them, & they saw, I had my little shorts on underneath (hence I didn't care). They then lol'd & gave me an impressed/approving look. Knew I'd be walking outdoors today in humidity, no where near as bad as Dubai thankfully. Then found my cotton/beach bag, machine washable, THB 200 ($6), I said 150, she said 170. Didn't have the heart to try & get her any lower. Is white & black with brown effalants. Bought some other things, including a pressie for the Nonna dowstairs as a thankyou for collecting my mail. I also gave her a key, even though I turned the power off from the mains, just in case (another dump & burn etc). Oh & a really pretty long sleeve top with matching pants, great for weather when I get home in about 12hrs! Yes, guys/men, I can hear your yawns, lol ; )Had some guy following me from stall to stall for about 10mins. I made it clear, without being obvious (turned full circle casually & slowly as if I was looking around) so he would see the lock on my backpack & that it was securely on my left shoulder, with my arm/elbow over the side zip part, could then see combo lock @ bottom. Also to show other bag, obv, no valuables! He disappeared after that. Now either I'm still "little miss observant" when tired, or he was obvious. Took pic of sign warning pick pockets & thefts predominant! Took, toot toot @ 2:30pm, as sun shower (only lasted couple of mins) + over markets/shopping. Only saw about 1/8th! Toot, toot driver also crack up. 100 for 1hr. I said "only want 30mins", he said "cost 70". Huh? I said, "how can that be, has to be 50 but make it 40 & ok?" He laughed & called me a kangaroo. Asked what time I needed to be @ airport (I had heaps more time, but told him earlier) he said, "ok kangaroo, I'll do 1hr for 50, will take you to jewelry direct wholesale. If you buy, I get free fuel. I help you, by taking you there, get good price. You help me free fuel, ok?" (total hoon too. Tried to take pics, nup, did quick video. He stopped & took a pic of me though.) Gorgeous jewels which they set there, by design also if you want. Saw setters, couldn't take pics. Had private seller showing me around. Sooo pretty, all jewelry stunning! Found jade stone bracelet (about 1/2 way mark), cheapest thing, BIG time by far, different colours for THB 200, very pretty, sooo cheap! Thought that would do, so I could help him for free fuel, lol. Umm.....ooohhh...nooo...I then found a 9ct gold, a diamond & citrine (Thai stone) ring, perfect fit (was meant for me, well that's my logic). They said "very lucky madam, otherwise would have to make/set for you". After barter, reduced from 15,400 down to 10,710 with personal card verification/certificate. Has my name, date purchased, all info about ring quality (with pic of ring to left), size of diamonds=one on each side (.19ct), citrine stone=in middle (.92ct), gold weight (1.82g) etc, with approvals by heaps on back also stating Gem Production...sell under supervision by Thailand Govt...on back. All of the checks re diamonds & stone + weight was done & verified in front of me. Have Certificate of Guarantee card in little envelope with receipt. Would hate to think what that would cost me back in Aust! (Lana, will go perfect with the diamond/champagne congac earings passed down/given to me by Aunty Mara!) They asked me about my magnetic thumb ring (they told me Citrine stone is good for the stomach, I showed them ring) as they had only ever seen bracelets & necklaces. I told them as had I. They said is good for blood (which I knew, plus arthritis) as well as energy. Well there you go! Have the ring to be thankful for. Didn't know about energy, purchased on 2nd day from Pompei Ruins. Toot toot driver waited outside, not sure how long I was in there for. Everything so shiny ; ) & again couldn't take photos of anything. He asked, "how many THB". When I told him, he was very happy. Free fuel must be based on purchase price. Dropped me @ station approx 3:55pm, paid only the THB 50, that's only $1.50! Took train back, only THB 45. Back @ airport @ 4:25pm. Heaps of time to change back into jeans, confirm carry-on weight is under 7kg (Came in @ 4.4kg. Guy tagged) & look @ duty free. 2hrs til boarding. Next destination, Sydney!, lol @ 8am. Not sure how long customs will take. But, have all purchases in new bags (apart from ring, that's combo locked in bp) with all receipts. Can bring $900 back, excluding clothes & shoes. So, will only need to declare, I presume, food=truffle jams etc & coffee (from famous coffee shop in Rome=vaccume sealed. Bag smells sooo good!). Will also be doing last lot of duty free shopping. On plane, woo hoo, have window seat with 2 spare seats beside me, make shift bed after dinner! Enough room to sit/lye sideways to watch movie, until then. Will finish watching "We Bought a Zoo". Watched "The Decedants" & "I Don't know How She Does it" on the way over, 22hrs! & part WBZ. Continued whilst eating dinner yesterday, will finish tonight. They also have "This Means War", histerical, saw it @ movies! New releases, but no American Pie... Menu for dinner has smoked duck as starter, think I'll go poached snapper for main (not a fan of green thai curry, too hot for me) & raspberry gateau for desert, as well as usual cheese & bisc, chocs, drinks. Mmmm....now craving, for when I get home, Lonestar steak (& ribs), about 10mins drive up the street from me, lol... Who knows what I'll feel like Sunday night ; )
Posted by LisaNujin 17:20 Comments (0)


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CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. - What a long strange trip it must have been for one lost dog from Clinton Township, if only she could talk to tell the tale of her adventure.
Peggy Leason's beloved 3-year-old Doberman Pinscher vanished from the family home on May 30th.
"We started calling for her and searched through the whole house and outside," said Leason.
The family searched for days for Gigi; putting up fliers around town. As the days went by the family started to lose hope of ever seeing Gigi again.
"We would go out and I would just walk, I walked everywhere around here and just took different directions every day," said Leason.
Exactly a week after the dog disappeared, Leason got a call from her husband she will never forget, "They found her in Florida," Leason said.
Gigi had been found wondering by herself in Palm Coast 1,100 miles away. The dog was dropped off at the Flagler Humane Society in Florida.
Gigi's microchip identified her, and her Michigan owners.
The Leason family knew it was their dog and they immediately jumped in the car and headed south. More than 20 hours later Gigi was back with her family.
Copyright 2013 by ClickOnDetroit.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

subset: commoncrawl


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Retail Group Gives Cheese Shop 'Most Creative' Award
Peter Lovis, longtime proprietor of The Cheese Shop of Concord in Concord, Mass., received the Retailers Association of Massachusetts (RAM) award for Most Creative Concept.
Lovis received the award for his cheese shop's annual Crucolo Day Parade heralds the arrival of a 400-pound wheel of Italian cheese with a red carpet, a proclamation, dancing, singing and cheese eating. The 2012 Crucolo Day Parade is Dec. 6 at 3:30 p.m.
Since 2010, this all-ages event – which encourages the population of Concord to get up close and personal with a gigantic cheese from a tiny Italian village – has grown in terms of anticipation, turnout and media coverage.A Youtube video was posted of the 2011 event.
For 15 years, RAM, a 3,000-member trade group, has sought out those among them who excel at general and specific areas of the retail business. It then honors a select few with a crystal plaque that attests to their exceptional skill in a tough business.
For this coveted award, the RAM award committee began its deliberations back in July. Lovis was given the nod for "creative concepts" after a site visit to The Cheese Shop of Concord and interview. The committee said that the shop's annual treatment of the giant cheese "made the mundane memorable … they are experts in their field and masters of likeability and fun. They are the essence of successful retailing today."
Lovis will begin plans for the 2013 parade just days after the last chunk of crucolo is sold.


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The 24-year-old event planner has been reported seeing Brett J. Barniske-Bertolami behind her fiance's back after she got back home from filming the reality TV show.
Fresh from their engagement on "The Bachelor" finale, Emily Maynard and Brad Womack have been hit with a bad rumor. The lucky girl has been accused of cheating on her fiance by seeing another man who is none other than her former boyfriend, Brett J. Barniske-Bertolami.
In Touch magazine (via Hollywood Life) reports that Emily has been seeing Brett, who owns a car dealership in Charlotte, N.C, since she went home from filming "The Bachelor" and got engaged to Brad. The West Virginia native is also said to have planned a dinner with him prior to the filming of "After the Final Rose", but she canceled it at last minute because she was sick. A source adds Emily definitely wants to see Brett again soon.
Adding fuel to the rumor, Brett was reportedly spotted at a local Charlotte bar after Emily left to film "AFTR", talking non-stop about her and showing photos of her, which led to a suspicion that they are dating. "Some of the pictures were a couple of years old. It seems like Brett knows her pretty well," the source gushes.
But Brett is adamant that he will not be the third man in a relationship, telling In Touch "I won't got out with an engaged person." Still, he has nothing but good words for the blonde beauty. "Emily is a real sweetheart and I adore her," Brett admits. "I have nothing bad to say about her. I would do anything in the world for her."
In the meantime, Emily and Brad are seemingly not affected by the cheating rumor. The couple was spotted attending SXSW music festival near Brad's home in Austin, Texas on Tuesday, March 15. Wearing a little black dress paired with thigh high boots, Emily held onto Brad's arm during their first public outing since "The Bachelor" finale.
The couple broke up for a while after the TV engagement but they reunited soon. Emily herself has admitted that she is not ready to get married because they need to figure each other out. Opening up about their relationship, Brad said in a statement on Tuesday, "Though we are madly in love, it has been a bumpy couple of months for us and our priority right now is to focus on our relationship."


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State and local action needed to address prescription drug problem
It would be difficult to find a local elected official in Kentucky who doesn't recognize prescription drug abuse as a major problem in his or her own community. The facts are staggering. According to the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy:
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text: Alumni fill leadership roles at Health Science Center Posted on Monday, December 3, 2012 (Left to right) Angelica Ramirez (BA '96 and MBA '01); Sabrina Paniagua (MBA '10); Natalie A. Gutierrez (BA '92); Gerard E. Long (PhD '12); Ginny Gomez-Leon (MBA '08); and Andrea M. Marks (MBA '08) The business office at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio boasts an executive brain trust with a remarkable post-graduate story. At the young age of 39, Andrea M. Marks rose to Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of UTHSC-SA – an institution with $1.3 billion in assets – two years after receiving her MBA from Our Lady of the Lake University in 2008. Now 41, Andrea manages the Health Science Center's $739 million annual operating budget with the help of two OLLU alumni – assistant Vice President for Budget and Financial Planning Ginny Gomez-Leon (MBA '08) and assistant Vice President for Business Affairs Jerry Long (PhD Leadership Studies '12). "You have three individuals in three key positions who are outstanding executives and they all went through the OLLU program," says Delbert Gonzalez, the institution's former Assistant VP for Budget and Financial Planning who now serves as Executive Director of Financial Services at Holy Cross High School. "The Health Science Center ranks in the top three percent of all institutions worldwide receiving federal funding. The $736 million operating budget supports eight campuses in four cities – San Antonio, Laredo, Harlingen and Edinburg. It also supports a workforce of 5,500, more than 3,300 students, 1,090 residents and is the chief catalyst for the $24.5 billion biosciences and health care industry in San Antonio. To have a CFO of this institution who is 41 is remarkable." Gonzalez is an OLLU graduate himself (MBA '95) who retired from UTHSC-SA in 2010 – but not without a legacy. Before leaving, he encouraged Marks and Gomez-Leon to pursue graduate studies at OLLU. "He really promoted the Lake's program to us," Marks says. "He encouraged us to pursue it because it was convenient, accessible, doable – something we would get a lot out of. Delbert encouraged other folks who have gone to The Lake and come back to work here." Marks, Long and Gomez-Leon are just three of many OLLU alumni who work for UTHSC. Other Lake graduates include Sabrina M. Paniagua, director of Donor Relations; Natalie Gutierrez, director of publications in the Office of Communications; Angelica M. Ramirez, Development Resource Coordinator; Anne Price, Pediatrics Programmer Analyst 1; Carolina Nava, Information Systems Operations Manager; Sofia E. Pina, Assistant Dean in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences; and Ralph Terpolilli, a clinical associate professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine. Natalie Gutierrez (BA Communication Arts '92) works on the third floor of the Academic and Administration Building at UTHSC-SA. Angelica Hernandez (BBA CIS '96, MBA '01) works on the fourth floor, as do Marks, Gomez-Leon and Paniagua (MBA '10). "We stay in touch, help each other and network," Gutierrez says. "It's like family that we're close to forever." Gomez-Leon arrived in the Internal Audit Department at UTHSC-SA 15 years ago, thinking the position would be temporary. Her accounting and leadership skills made her a mainstay. "The various projects I managed began to extend beyond the finances," she says, "and I was able to see firsthand the impact the University has on San Antonio and the South Texas region through its delivery of education, patient care, research and community outreach." Gonzalez encouraged her to pursue an advanced degree at The Lake. The flexibility of the Weekend College MBA program attracted Gomez-Leon. One semester after she enrolled, Marks followed. Around the same time, Long decided to pursue a doctorate at OLLU in Leadership Studies. Gonzalez nodded and smiled. "Once he heard that I was enrolled, he encouraged me along the way," Long says. "All six years." Marks, Long and Gomez-Leon say OLLU equipped them well for the positions they hold today. "The course of studies gave me a greater understanding of leadership and how it influences followers," Long says. The three alumni share a unique and compelling history. They grew up together at UTHSC-SA, secured advanced degrees at The Lake and rose to the top of the business office. "Jerry and Ginny are brilliant accounting professionals," Marks says. "The education they got at The Lake is the gravy on top. They've honed their skills through their employment and their advanced degrees. I could not do what I do every day without those two." Tweet


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Coase and Car Repair: Who Should Be Responsible for Emissions of Vehicles in Use?
This paper examines the current assignment of liability for in-use vehicle emissions and suggests some alternative policies that may reduce the cost and increase the effectiveness. The authors first discuss the cost, performance and incentives under current Inspection and Maintenance (I/M) programs, using the recently implemented Arizona "Enhanced I/M" program as an example. These programs were designed to identify and repair vehicles with malfunctioning emission control systems. Since their inception, however, I/M programs have been plagued by transaction costs that have drastically raised the cost of I/M as well as limited its effectiveness. These transaction costs fall into three categories: emission monitoring, repair avoidance, and non-transferability of emission reductions. The authors argue that most of these transaction costs can be attributed to the current assignment of liability for I/M to motorists, and they examine the potential for other liability assignments to reduce transaction costs and improve program efficiency. Among the alternative institutional arrangements discussed are greater imposition of liability on manufacturers, emission repair subsidies, repair liability auctions, and vehicle leasing.
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- James Boyd, 1997. "'Green money' in the bank: firm responses to environmental financial responsibility rules," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 18(6), pages 491-506.
- Thomas N. Hubbard, 1997. "Using Inspection And Maintenance Programs To Regulate Vehicle Emissions," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 15(2), pages 52-62, 04.
- Thomas N. Hubbard, 1998. "An Empirical Examination of Moral Hazard in the Vehicle Inspection Market," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 29(2), pages 406-426, Summer.
- Harrington, Winston, 1997. "Fuel Economy and Motor Vehicle Emissions," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 33(3), pages 240-252, July.
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Brown Environmental Fellows Ariana Spawn, Barbara Santisteban and Eric Van Arsdale authored opinion pieces related to their independent research projects. Congratulations, Ari, Barbara and Eric!
- To read Ariana Spawn's op ed on climate change impacts in Massachusetts, click here.
- To read a synthesis of Barbara's work on integrating fishermen's knowledge into management plans, click here or see the recent issue of Commercial Fisheries News.
- To read Eric's piece on salt marsh die off on Cape Cod, click here.
- To read Eric's op ed from the Brown Daily Herald on the importance of science communication, click here.


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When we rolled out of bed this morning the outdoor thermometer told us that it was -1 degrees. Minus 1. Having lived in Connecticut for a while, I'm always a little shocked when it actually gets cold in January. We've had some warm spells and it was looking like we might have another mild winter. But apparently it was not meant to be. I am slightly comforted by the snowman recently built by my six year old.
Today was not a day to serve up the usual crudities after school. Today we are having soup for dinner while sitting as close to the wood stove as possible. Anything other than a warm snack was not an option. So I decided to put some leftover baked potatoes to use.
I've posted a potato skins recipe before. But I've since been educated by the likes of America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook and Simply Recipes. These are better. They could be made in advance too and the glorious melting of the cheese could be saved for the last minute.
Potato Skins Recipe
This healthy (ha!) baked potato skin recipe is as good as its restaurant counterpart because of the crispy cheese. While your sprinkling the cheese on the potatoes to bake, don't be sad if a big clump misses a potato. That's the best part.
4 medium leftover baked potatoes
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/2 cups grated cheese such as mozzarella, cheddar, and/or parmesan
Fresh chives, for garnish
Preheat oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit.
When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them in half lengthwise and scoop out the majority of the inside of the potato. Set the potato insides aside for another use. Cut the potatoes up into child-sized pieces.
Arrange the potatoes on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Use a pastry brush to douse the potatoes with the melted butter. Bake the potatoes for 10 minutes or until they have browned on the edges. Sprinkle the cheese over the potatoes and bake them for another 5 – 10 minutes or until the cheese is properly melted.
Yield: serves 3-4 as a hearty snack
Prep-time: 10 minutes
Baking time: 20 minutes


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Some of my triathlon peeps and I went to dinner this evening and we were talking a little bit about weight loss. I got to thinking this evening and realized that I have maintained my weight loss goals for about 18 months now. I can't believe that I actually made that thing they call "A Lifestyle Change". It's been equal parts of more exercise and better eating. A lot of you that read this blog see the current Sonja as the newer thiner version of the Sonja you know, but my triathlon peeps never ever got to know the rounder Sonja. I went searching for a few pics this evening and found some. In many ways the plumper Sonja is still right there inside of me, and I really enjoyed her. In other ways, I really like the new self confidence that I have found with a fit lifestyle. I found that loving the body I was in was what gave me the permission to release the extra pounds. "You gotta love it to leave it". I'm not ashamed of these photos, I'm proud of them, proud of what I was able to part with and proud of what I hung on to. It was when I stopped talking down to myself about my weight, and started being proud of who I was that I started getting some traction with weight loss and self acceptance.
My best friend Michelle recently hit her weight loss goals and I am so super proud of her. She has also made the lifestyle change and found "the secret" that doing the right stuff for your body is easy when you do it right (eat enough, exercise enough, find the balance, accept yourself). I'm so proud.
So, without further delay, here are a few pics of the body I used to inhabit.


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Articles Tagged Dodgers Sale
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December 4, 2012 12:02 pm
The public face of the Dodgers now rests with Stan Kasten as their president and co-owner. On Monday we caught up with him at the Winter Meetings and asked him about his new position in LA; how the ownership group was assembled; what Magic Johnson brings to the table, and; how that massive TV deal factors into what the Dodgers do, not only now, but years to come.
Few recent club sales have altered the landscape in Major League Baseball as quickly as that of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Whether it was the unprecedented purchase price of $2.15 billion, the flurry of trades that including taking on over $163 million in contract dollars as part of the blockbuster trade with the Red Sox that included Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett and Carl Crawford, or the media rights deal that the club is on the cusp of completing that is reported to be between $6-$7 billion, the Dodgers have become a juggernaut. The public face of the Dodgers now rests with Stan Kasten as their president and co-owner. On Monday we caught up with him at the Winter Meetings and asked him about his new position in LA; how the ownership group was assembled; what Magic Johnson brings to the table, and; how that massive TV deal factors into what the Dodgers do, not only now, but years to come.
October 2, 2012 5:00 am
A look at whether the Dodgers' new regional sports network will help them avoid revenue-sharing duties.
It went under the mainstream radar, but an article by Bloomberg News this past week raised the debate about economic parity within the league. The story centers on the lucrative television rights deal that the Dodgers are nearing as part of a potential regional sports network (RSN) and a "secret agreement" that would allow them to "cap income subject to revenue-sharing." The article's thrust is that somehow the Dodgers one-upped MLB and have figured out a way to get an advantage over all the other clubs as part of the sale that brought them out of bankruptcy.
From one standing on the sidelines, you'd have to think all the signs were there. After all, Frank McCourt had been sucking funds out of the Dodgers to fuel his lifestyle and sunk the club into bankruptcy. Shortly after the $2 billion sale of the club and an associated $150 million land deal, the team took on $262.5 million contract dollars in the trade with the Red Sox that brought Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez, and Nick Punto to LA. This, of course, came on top of their other big acquisitions: Yasiel Puig, Hanley Ramirez, Randy Choate, Shane Victorino, Brandon League, and Joe Blanton.
May 1, 2012 2:15 pm
A look at the sale of the Los Angeles Dodgers
It took a day longer than expected, but shortly after 10 AM PT on May 1, the sale of the Los Angeles Dodgers from Frank McCourt to Guggenheim Baseball Management LLC ("GBM") for $2 billion took place. The Dodgers' new ownership includes Mark Walter as control person, Earvin "Magic" Johnson, and Stan Kasten as CEO of the organization.
The Los Angeles Dodgers stated, "The Dodgers emerge from the Chapter 11 reorganization process having achieved its objective of maximizing the value of the Dodgers through a successful Plan of Reorganization, under which all claims will be paid. The Dodgers move forward with confidence - in a strong financial position; as a premier Major League Baseball franchise; and as an integral part of and representative of the Los Angeles community."
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March 19, 2012 3:00 am
A look at the final contenders in the mix to buy the Dodgers and the chances of each succeeding
That which does not kill us makes us stronger. – Friedrich Nietzsche
Who knows how many fans of the Los Angeles Dodgers prescribe to Nietzsche's well-worn quote, but it's a fervent prayer for baseball and certainly for many who are watching the bankruptcy sale of the club. The Dodgers are more than just some random club; they are a cornerstone of the league's history.
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January 30, 2012 3:00 am
A look at how the sale of the Dodgers could get complicated and how it could have a multi-sport impact
I know this is "Baseball" Prospectus, but sports business is a funny thing. There are such a myriad of intersecting factors—sponsorships, television rights, stadium development, digital platforms, and such—that, in a way, it's like looking at art—you have to stand back from it to get the full picture.
So, while this piece is about baseball, it's really about something larger. And, if matters land a particular way, it can change the face of not only one market but create a synergy between two sports leagues.
March 31, 2011 9:00 am
Pegging BP's favorites in both leagues, both in the standings and for the major awards.
Today we reveal the Baseball Prospectus staff predictions for the division standings and the major player awards (MVP, Cy Young, and Rookie of the Year) in the American and National Leagues. Each staff member's division standings predictions may be found later in the article. Here, we present a wisdom-of-the-crowds summary of the results. In each table you'll find the average rank of each team in their division with first-place votes in parentheses, plus the results of our pre-season MVP, Cy Young, and Rookie of the Year voting.
For the MVP voting, we've slightly amended the traditional points system in place that has been used elsewhere, dropping fourth- and fifth-place votes to make it 10-7-5 for the MVP Award, and the regular 5-3-1 for the Cy Young and Rookie of the Year Awards (that's 5 points for a first-place vote, 3 points for a second-place vote, etc.). Next to each of these selections we've listed the total number of ballots, followed by the total number of points, and then the number of first-place votes in parentheses, if any were received.
December 8, 2010 12:00 pm
A California judge's ruling on the Dodgers owners' divorce case has significant implications for the future of the club.
Who owns the Dodgers? That question has hung like a storm cloud over the franchise for more than a year, ever since news of the separation between Frank and Jamie McCourt, respectively the Dodgers' chairman and chief executive officer, became public in mid-October 2009. On Tuesday, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Scott Gordon ruled that both of the now-divorced parties do, throwing out a 2004 post-nuptial marital property agreement (MPA) which placed the team in Frank's name and the couple's seven luxury homes in Jamie's. Far from ending what's been a surreal 14-month saga, the decision threatens to prolong the agony for the Dodgers and their fans.
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January 19, 2010 11:45 am
The Dodgers' payroll-related missteps place an even heavier burden on the current crew to stand and deliver.
"Arbitration" is a word that has caused Dodgers fans to wince this winter, for understandable reasons. Back in December, the team failed to offer it to Type-A free agents Randy Wolf and Orlando Hudson, thus forfeiting the right to compensation picks in this year's amateur draft. Amid fears about finances in the wake of divorce proceedings between owner Frank McCourt and wife Jamie, the Dodgers have eschewed the free agent market almost entirely due to the impending salary increases of eight key arbitration-eligible players. Utility infielder Jamey Carroll is their marquee signing to date; no wonder season-ticket sales are sluggish.
October 14, 2003 12:00 am
Milton Bradley was among the best CFs in the league this season, despite persistent rumors about his bad attitude. The Dodgers finally are let loose from coporate ownership. And the Mariners are just beginning their search for a new GM. All this and much more news from Cleveland, Los Angeles, and Seattle in your Tuesday edition of Prospectus Triple Play.
April 1, 1998 12:00 am
NL East | NL Central | NL West
Welcome to Baseball Prospectus' predictions for 1998. We'll go division by division and each of our staff members will tell you what they think about the races. Remember, there's a reason we don't print this stuff in the book; there is no good way we know of to predict what a team will do before the season begins. Consider these teamwide WFGs, take them with a grain of salt, and enjoy.


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Educational Theatre Collaborative announcing the Twelfth Annual Integrated Arts Conference.
Saturday, January 27
8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Silver Center for the Arts at Plymouth State University
Network with other teachers interested in integrating the arts into their curriculum.
Explore the arts in the choice of workshops with professional artists and educators.
Enjoy a keynote address and workshops on Beauty and the Beast by renowned children's literature author and speaker Betsy Hearne.
See the latest TIGER performance.
Be our guest at a fabulous luncheon with other educators and arts professionals.
Attend the award-wining Educational Theatre Collaborative's latest production of Disney's Beauty and the Beast.
Earn staff development and/or graduate credit from Plymouth State University.
- 8 a.m. Registration & Refreshments
- 8:30 a.m. Welcome: Dick Ayers, councilor, New Hampshire State Council on the Arts
Keynote Address: "Beauties and Beasts"
Betsy Hearne, professor, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, chair of the 2005 Caldecott Committee, past president
of the International Board on Books for Young People, author of Beauty and the Beast: Visions and Revisions of an Old Tale,
Beauties and Beasts and Choosing Books for Children: A Commonsense Guide
- 9:15 – 10:15 a.m. Workshop Session One
- 10:15 – 10:30 a.m. Break
- 10:30 – 11:15 a.m. TIGER Teen
An original musical performance exploring the difficult issues faced in middle school through wit and wisdom
created from the writings of New Hampshire children in grades 6-8.
- 11:15 – 11:30 a.m. Break
- 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Workshop Session Two
- 12:45 – 1:30 p.m. Luncheon
Newfound Room, Prospect Dining Hall
During lunch there will be an opportunity for participants to discuss the M.Ed. Integrated Arts Programs, the Arts,
Leadership & Learning strand of the CAGS in Educational Leadership, or Doctoral partnerships available through PSU.
- 2:00 p.m. Beauty and the Beast™
Hanaway Theatre, Silver Center for the Arts
Disney's classic Broadway production brings to life this tale as old as time for children of all ages.
The workshops will explore themes and ideas found in Beauty and the Beast™ through a variety of art
forms and experiences. Each workshop will be offered in both breakout sessions.
- Tale as Old as Time: Beauties and Beasts through the Ages
- The Bones of Story
- Putting the Kinesthetic into the Curriculum
- Enchanted Puppets
- Bringing Beauty and the Beast into Your Classroom
- Drama Connections: Beauty and the Beast
- A Change in Me: Celebrating the Arts in School
- Systemic Arts, Integration and Learning: SAIL
For more information please see Integrated Arts Conference 2007 brochure (PDF 202kb)
Staff development and graduate credit available!


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Bayern Munich - Wolfsburg
MAR, 22 SEP 2015 o MIÉ, 23 SEP 2015, Allianz Arena
* The final match date and kick-off time is confirmed 5-30 days prior to the match day. If in doubt please check the official club website. Changes within the date frame are beyond our control and we ask that you are aware of this when making your travel plans!
* You will NEVER get any single seats. You will always get seats next to your friends, right in front or right behind your friends. This is our guarantee from us to you!
* You will always be seated among home supporters or in a neutral zone.
* When you have completed your booking a booking confirmation/receipt and your e-tickets will be send to your e-mail address immediately.
* All information regarding collection or delivery of your original match tickets will be clearly stated on your e-ticket.
* We highly recommend that you carefully read our terms and conditions for booking football tickets!
Below you can read more about the seating and categories available for this football match.
-Asiento Long Side (campo largo) en la zona de casa. Prohibido llevar colores del equipo visitante.
Carreras pasadas
Bayern Munich vs Wolfsburg, MAR, 22 SEP 2015 o MIÉ, 23 SEP 2015


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The Orlando University center occupies two suites of a low-rise building on a high-quality commercial development called the Quadrangle. It is conveniently located minutes from Orlando International Airport, with access to downtown and major road routes like Hwy 417. The modern building benefits from wide windows letting in plenty of natural light and overlooking pleasant mature landscaping, including a lake. As its name suggests, the center is close to the talent pool represented by the University of Central Florida and Research Park. A number of hi-tech corporations have made the Quadrangle their home, including big firms specializing in internet security, software and technology management services for government, defense and international clients. Digital media and bio-medicine are also sectors on the rise in the fast-expanding, enterprising city of Orlando – the county seat of Orange county.
Everything you need to make meetings run smoothly.
Reception team
There to greet you and your guests on arrival
Free WiFi
Secure, business-grade WiFi
Presentation tools
Flipchart, whiteboard, markers and projector if needed
Admin services
Access to support for document printing and copying
Make arrangements for tea, coffee and catering if needed
To find out more about Orlando University speak to our team on 1-855-400-3575
There are three simple steps.
Register on our site or via our app to create your free Pay-as-you-go Regus account
Find an ideal place to meet – add everything you need from lunch to videoconferencing and send instant invitations
Input your credit card details, book your space with just a few clicks, and show up!
Whatever your business, whatever your budget we'll help find the right workspace.
Whatever your business, whatever your budget we'll help find the right workspace.


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September is Fruits & Veggies Month
By Grocery Headquarters Staff
September is Fruits & Veggies—More Matters Month and Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH) is celebrating with a 'Fuel Up with Every Form' toolkit and an integrated social media program. The toolkit incorporates ad slicks, memes, social media posts, POS and price signs, and a calendar listing the fruit and vegetable PBH will be highlighting daily. These elements are the perfect tools for retailers, processors, supermarket dietitians and other health professionals to use in their consumer outreach efforts throughout Fruits & Veggies—More Matters month, say organization officials. A different form of fruit and vegetables (fresh, frozen, canned, dried and 100% juice) will be featured each week on the Fruits & Veggies—More Matters social media platforms. * Week 1 – Fresh * Week 2 – Frozen * Week 3 – Canned * Week 4 – Dried * Week 5 – 100% fruit and vegetable juice A post and collage image of the fruit and vegetable, along with a recipe, will be featured each day to encourage consumers to eat more fruit and vegetables. Each post and meme will also provide helpful selection and storage tips. Also, mark your calendar to join us on September 3 at 4:00pm for our monthly Twitter Party focused on eating more fruit and vegetables during Fruits & Veggies—More Matters month, #GetMore. "The available resources in the marketing toolkit coupled with the planned posts and tweets for September will easily enable everyone who supports PBH and Fruits & Veggies—More Maters to celebrate with us," says Elizabeth Pivonka, Ph.D., R.D., president and CEO of PBH. "The elements of the toolkit are colorful and eye-catching and can also be used at other times throughout the year. We always receive tremendous support from the fruit and vegetable industry and public sector in joining with us to celebrate Fruits & Veggies—More Matters month. We appreciate all of the support and are looking forward to another fantastic celebration!"


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As officers continue to investigate an alleged double sex attack in the subway below Newport railway station, we ask whether the underpass is too dangerous to keep open. AILSA CHALK reports.
RUNNING from Devon Place at the rear of the station to the front of the old station on Queensway, it is easy to see why some people may find this subway intimidating.
The entrances are shielded from viewby steps on Queensway and a ramp on the Devon Place side and a bend in the middle prevents a clear viewthrough the subway itself.
Although it is lit, many of the lights are broken or out and graffiti covers much of the walls.
Lisa Weaver from the Gaer, said: "I don't use it very often. It's normally well lit, but it's still scary when you are on your own. It's not very safe. It would definitely be better there was a footbridge."
Peter Griffiths, 68, of Rhiwderin said: "It doesn't bother me, but I knowit does worry some women. I think it was safer when it went all the way through to Cambrian Road."
Irene Warden, 54, from Newport, said she tries to get through the subway "as quickly as possible" whenever she uses it.
Newport council leader Cllr MatthewEvans said he has campaigned for the refurbishment of the old station's Victorian footbridge, which is currently closed, for a number of years.
He said the refurbishment was included in original plans for the newstation, but was put on the "backburner."
Mr Evans said: "It has been a hobby horse for me to ensure that a footbridge replaces the subway. It's not an ideal situation. I'm not an advocate for shutting things down when there is nothing to replace them, but I think it's in everyone's interests that it closes."
He said the height of the ceiling in the subway meant it was not high enough for CCTV and the onus was now on allocating funding for a bridge.
A Network Rail spokeswoman said responsibility for the maintenance of the subway lies with the council and discussions were still being had to allocate funding to refurbish the old footbridge.
Police are combing footage
BRITISH Transport Police were last night continuing to examine CCTV footage from the train station itself and the city centre in connection with the incident.
A spokesman confirmed a woman contacted Gwent Police at around 4.10am on Sunday to say a man attempted to sexually assault her and shortly after 5am another woman reported she had been attacked.
Anyone with information regarding the incident should contact British Transport Police on 0800 405040, Gwent Police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
EDITORIAL COMMENT: Avoid this dark subway
WE HAVE believed for a long time that the Newport subway which was the scene of two sex attacks at the weekend is a dangerous place.
We realise it is a direct link from Devon Place to the city shopping and nightlife area and vice versa.
We visited the subway yesterday.
The entrances are shielded from view by steps in Queensway and a ramp on the Devon Place side.
There is no clear view through the subway itself.
While there are lights for those using it at night, many are broken.
People we spoke to said they would never use it alone.
Some people clearly do though.
For two sex attacks to be carried out in the same place on the same night is extremely worrying.
It quite clearly shows that this is not a safe place at quiet times.
We believe now is the time to close it off at night.
It may cause some inconvenience but safety concerns outweigh that, surely?
There has been talk of the old Victorian footbridge being refurbished and reopened.
In the meantime we would urge people to simply not use the subway late at night.
It is not worth the risk.


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Bond default rates among cities and state municipalities are on the rise, but municipal bond exchange traded funds remain relatively unfazed as investors continue to search for yield producing assets.
The iShares S&P National Municipal Bond Fund (NYSEArca: MUB) is in positive territory for 2012. MUB has an expense ratio of 0.25% and a 3.11% yield.
San Bernardino, a city east of Los Angeles, is the third municipality in California to file for bankruptcy, reports Deborah Levine for MarketWatch.
While California may be on the default watch list, Nebraska has the largest muni bond default rates, with almost one-fifth of over 220 bankruptcies filed in the U.S. since 1981, reports Steven Church for Bloomberg. California has the second largest default rates, followed by Texas, Alabama and Oklahoma. The five states account for over half of all Chapter 9 bankruptcies.
With large cities in California filing for bankruptcies, more municipalities may feel more free in following suit.
"The stigma has probably been reduced when you get very sizeable cities like Stockton or San Bernardino to do it," Warren Buffett said on Bloomberg. "The very fact they do it makes it more likely."
However, Buffet noted that we are not about to witness hundreds of billions of dollars in defaults, similar to what notorious banking analyst Meredith Whitney predicted in 2010.
The Federal Reserve has reiterated its non-involvement in state and local governments in the likelihood of mass municipality defaults, as it is a Congressional matter, The Wall Street Journal reports.
"We have no expectation or intention to get involved in state and local finance," Bernanke said in testimony before the Senate Budget Committee. The states, he said later, "should not expect loans from the Fed."
Meanwhile, investors are still piling into municipal bond securities. [Muni Bond ETFs Stay the Course]
"There's still strong demand because there are more compelling reasons to jump into municipal bonds," James Barnes, senior fixed-income manager at National Penn Investors Trust Co, said in the MarketWatch article.
For the year-to-date, long California muni funds have returned 6.61%, and national long funds have gained 5.69%.
Some other muni bond ETFs include:
- SPDR Barclays Capital Municipal Bond ETF (NYSEArca: TFI): 0.23% expense ratio; 3.1% yield.
- PowerShares Insured National Municipal Bond (NYSEArca: PZA): 0.28% expense ratio; 4.29% yield.
- Market Vectors High-Yield Municipal ETF (NYSEArca: HYD): 0.35% expense ratio; 5.21% yield.
iShares S&P National Municipal Bond Fund
For more information on the munis market, visit our municipal bonds category.
Max Chen contributed to this article.
The opinions and forecasts expressed herein are solely those of Tom Lydon, and may not actually come to pass. Information on this site should not be used or construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation for any product.


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Recent research challenges the idea that gender differences in math first appear during adolescence. While previous research indicated that girls fell behind boys in math skills during adolescence, some recent studies suggest that gender differences in math may be declining and that girls' achievement is now similar to boys,' except at the most advanced levels. However, researchers Elizabeth Fennema and Thomas P. Carpenter, University of Wisconsin/Madison, found that on average, the girls in their study did not develop as good an understanding of mathematics as the boys.
Interviews of elementary boys and girls during this three-year study revealed that although there were few gender differences in performance in the early years of school, there were significant differences in problem-solving strategies. No gender differences in basic math problems were found, except that third-grade boys exhibited superior performance on more advanced multi-step word problems. At every grade level, however, there were unexpected differences in strategy. Girls tended to use concrete solution strategies such as counting or modeling, while boys tended to use more abstract strategies that indicated conceptual understanding.
Elementary children's problem-solving
Fennema and Carpenter investigated gender differences and computational strategies in 44 boys and 38 girls as they progressed from the first through the third grade. Each child was individually interviewed five times during the three years. In each interview, children were asked to perform tasks involving basic number operations and their application to more complex problems.
All the students' classroom teachers were participants in a three-year professional-development program designed to help them understand their students' intuitive mathematical ideas and how these ideas could form the basis for the development of more formal ideas. The teachers instructional methods varied. No curriculum materials or specific guidelines were provided, but a variety of materials including counters and base-10 blocks were available in all classes. Students were given time to invent ways to solve problems and alternative strategies were discussed, but all students learned the standard algorithms (the rules or procedures for solving problems) by the end of third grade.
During interviews, children were asked for the answer to the number fact they were shown on a card and then asked to tell how they figured it out in their heads. The correctness of each answer was recorded and researchers categorized each strategy as either counting, derived fact or recall. Multi-digit addition and subtraction word problems and non-routine computation tasks involving multiple steps and requiring interpretation and analysis were also administered during each interview.
These tasks involved joining, separating or part-whole relationships. For most of these problems children had a choice of materials. However, in order to encourage them to use invented strategies if they could, some problems in each interview were administered without materials.
Solution strategies to these problems were described as modeling or counting, invented algorithm, or standard algorithm. There were two additional problems in the third-grade interviews that were described as extension problems — problems involving money and three-digit numbers. To encourage the use of invented algorithms no materials were available for use in solving these problems. Each of the five interviews lasted about an hour. Each problem was read as many times as the children wanted and they were given as much time as they needed to complete each task.
Difference in third grade
Researchers analyzed the data from these interviews to identify patterns of gender difference across time and problem categories. They compared the performance and strategy use of girls vs. boys for the four problem types (number facts, addition/subtraction, non-routine, and extension). During the three years, no significant differences appeared between girls and boys in the number of correct solutions to number-facts, addition/subtraction or non-routine problems. However, on the extension problems during the third grade, boys correctly solved significantly more problems than did girls.
Strategy use presented a different picture. Starting in the first grade and persisting through the third, boys and girls showed strong and consistent differences in the strategies they used. Girls tended to use more concrete strategies involving counting or modeling, while boys tended to use more abstract strategies such as derived facts or invented algorithms.
By the third grade, girls used more standard algorithms than boys. At each interview, boys used more invented algorithms. By the end of the study, 95 percent of the boys had used an invented algorithm compared to 79 percent of the girls. On subtraction tasks, 80 percent of the boys had used an invented algorithm while just 45 percent of the girls had.
The importance of strategy-use differences
To investigate the relationship between the use of invented algorithms and success on extension problems, these researchers divided the students into two groups — those who had used invented algorithms by the fall of second grade (53 students — 35 boys and 18 girls) and those who had moved directly from concrete modeling and counting strategies to standard algorithms (16 students — 2 boys and 14 girls).
These researchers believe that these two groups represent divergent patterns of learning multi-digit problems. The invented-algorithm group appeared to have first developed a conceptual understanding that was reflected in their invented algorithm.
The second group appeared to have started using the standard algorithm before they demonstrated conceptual understanding. In both the fall and the spring third-grade interviews, the invented-algorithm group outperformed the standard-algorithm group on extension problems.
However, there was no difference in the number of extension problems solved correctly by the boys and girls in the invented-algorithm group. This suggests that using invented algorithms in the early grades is related to the ability solve extension problems in the third grade, for both boys and girls.
"A Longitudinal Study of Gender Differences in Young Children's Mathematical Thinking," Educational Researcher, June-July 1998, pp. 6-11.
Published in ERN November 1998 Volume 11 Number 8


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Against a backdrop of investors shunning hedge fund investments, net profit fell almost 85 per cent in the December half, with all K2 funds underperforming their indexes.
The manager saw outflows of $20.5 million in April to bring funds under management to $873 million from $950.3 million at the end of June 2011. Despite poor general sentiment, investors continue to differentiate – the share price of rival Platinum Asset Management has been largely flat over the year. Asset managers, leveraged to the fortunes of equity markets, are watching developments in Europe and China as they await improved investor confidence and sustained recovery.
Tim Binsted
The Australian Financial Review


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Last school year, the Woodlawn Taxpayers Association promised to pay part of the cost of the electronic sign at the local public school PS19. Where is the money?? The Woodlawn Taxpayers Association utilizes PS19 space for fundraisers, they utilize our sign to publish their upcoming events, and yet they so far have reneged on a pledge to pay for the cost of that sign. The decision to purchase that sign was based upon the pledge of the Woodlawn Taxpayers Community.
Please Woodlawn Taxpayers Association - practice what you preach - support your community!! Don't leave the parents of the local school children stuck to foot this bill. What does it take to get you to pay for a purchase we made relying on your promise to pay in part for that electronic sign. Must we shame you into paying?? What is the problem?? Please answer this question in a public forum.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
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JEFFREY BROWN: Eleven days after the first of the storms that hit the Northeast, nearly 400,000 homes and businesses on the Eastern Seaboard, primarily in New York and New Jersey, are still without power, and frustration with local utility companies grows.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo captured that sentiment yesterday when he blasted their response.
GOV. ANDREW CUOMO, D-N.Y.: The longer it goes on, it's worse. And this compounds itself. And it's one thing to ask people to be inconvenienced for two or three days. It's one thing to say, well, it is a terrible storm, we weren't ready. But this is just — it is unacceptable. And it is getting worse because people's suffering is worse. That's why it's more frustrating the longer it goes on.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Across the Hudson River in New Jersey, Gov. Chris Christie pledged to have all power restored by Sunday.
Utility crews are scrambling to make that happen, as special correspondent Rick Karr reports.
RICK KARR: Amy Owens has started most evenings since the storm blasted past her home in Glen Ridge, N.J., with an old-fashioned ritual. She starts a fire. Because, when we visited, it was the only way she could heat her home.
AMY OWENS, New Jersey resident: I think we're all at the breaking point now. We know that there's widespread outages. And we know that people lost their homes. So, we're certainly trying to keep that into perspective.
But I think that what people want is just some real information.
RICK KARR: Information from her local utility company.
AMY OWENS: We don't hear anything from PSE&G. We do see crews all over, but they won't talk to you. They won't tell you. And I really haven't seen any of them doing any physical work, just sort of walking around, looking at power lines.
RICK KARR: Earlier in the day, in a blacked-out neighborhood in South Orange, an employee of the biggest electric company in New Jersey said that's all a matter of perception.
BOB LOBBREGT, Public Service Electric & Gas: the customers don't realize that the trucks are out here. They don't see them.
RICK KARR: Bob Lobbregt is a safety supervisor for the utility company.
BOB LOBBREGT: The main drags that they take, the damage may not be on. We may be on a side street or deep in the rear of the houses putting the wires back up. So, we are out there.
RICK KARR: Immediately after the storm, utility crews rushed to the transmission lines that are the backbone of the electrical network and the switching stations and substations that are its hubs. Failures in those out-of-the-way places can knock tens of thousands of homes off the grid.
CHARLES SANCRATTI, Florida Power & Light: What you do is you shoot for the largest numbers first. You send your resources into an area and you try to get most bang for the buck.
And, typically, as the numbers dwindle down to the single customer, that is usually the folks that get put on towards the tail end.
RICK KARR: Charles Sancratti is one of hundreds of Florida Power & Light employees who'd brought their expertise in post-hurricane cleanup up the East Coast as the storm approached.
He and his crew were working on one of those smaller jobs in South Orange, where a utility pole had snapped in half and plunged more than a dozen homes into darkness.
CHARLES SANCRATTI: Access to these lines quite difficult, cutting through people's backyards. You may come in one and then you have cross four other yards just to get to your job site.
RICK KARR: Workers had to start by clearing away tree growth, then driving in specialized equipment, then dragging a brand-new one-ton utility pole up from the street.
Next, they had to remove the stump of the old pole, enlarge the hole in the ground, and erect the new pole. And even then, they had hours more work left to do, transferring the tangle of wires from the broken pole to the new one.
The Florida workers were among more than 4,000 out-of-staters who'd come to help New Jersey's utility make storm repairs. Utility companies have a mutual-assistance pact, which has in the past drawn employees of the big New Jersey utility to the GulfCoast.
This is an opportunity to pay back that debt. Hundreds of utility trucks crowded the parking lots around a suburban shopping malls. They'd driven in not just from Florida, but also Michigan, Virginia, Arkansas, and 16 other states.
They brought tools, fuel, even spare utility poles.
Early every morning, the workers show up for another 16-hour day; dispatchers distribute their marching orders; and then the trucks roll out for destinations around New Jersey. It's almost like a military operation.
RALPH GRANT, Florida Power & Light: You're moving a small army of guys from, some of them from as far south of Miami or south of Miami all the way up to New Jersey. That is a logistical accomplishment in itself.
RICK KARR: Ralph Grant of Florida Power & Light came to New Jersey to supervise operations around the company's high-tech mobile command center. His company, naturally, has a lot of experience dealing with hurricanes.
But snowstorms like the one that blanketed the Northeast on Wednesday and knocked out power for an additional 20,000 New Jersey homes and businesses are brand-new to some of the company's workers.
RALPH GRANT: It wasn't quite what we expected when we came up for hurricane restoration.
RICK KARR: All of the utility workers we spoke to said it's an incredibly rewarding feeling once they have managed to restore power to customers who've been in the dark for days. The money is good, they say, but they're also in it for the challenge and the sense of accomplishment.
Florida Power's Ralph Grant says big jobs like this are also enjoyable.
RALPH GRANT: It's a challenge to do it and do it safely and do it expediently for the — for PSE&G. But it is fun.
RICK KARR: Blacked-out New Jersey utility customer Amy Owens says power outages used to be, if not fun, at least a bit romantic, that is, the first time she lost her power for more than a week.
AMY OWENS: One year ago — this is our anniversary storm. It's like the anniversary storm. We were without power on this block for eight days.
RICK KARR: Owens says she's starting to think of mega-storms, and the ensuing blackouts, as the new normal. She's a real estate agent, and she says she's encouraging her clients to make provisions for future power outages.
AMY OWENS: I think people will start putting the $10,000 to $15,000 into a generation system, so that they — they're never without power, so they don't have to depend on PSE&G or whoever their carrier is.
RICK KARR: For the first night since the storm, Amy Owens won't have to sit in the dark by a fire tonight. Her electric company, PSE&G started, restored her power this afternoon.
JEFFREY BROWN: President Obama will go to New York on Thursday to see firsthand the recovery efforts there. He visited hard-hit areas along New Jersey's coastline last week.


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Beside explaining how his upcoming film is different from the Sandra Bullock-starring movie, the 'Star Trek' actor also shared how he learned to portray a baseball coach.
Clifton Collins Jr. is currently waiting for the release of his movie "The Perfect Game" on April 16. In an exclusive interview with AceShowbiz, he has discussed his role as baseball coach in the sport drama, his possibility of returning to an untitled Star Trek sequel as well as his current project, TV series "Southland". Additionally, he also shared his future goal to direct film features.
ASB: "The Perfect Game" is based on an inspirational true story. Did you feel any burden playing in this kind of film?
Clifton: Yes, whenever I have a true to life character to portray, I generally do as much research as possible on him or her (you'd be surprised at what can be done with make up !) ;) Also, in this case I'd call it more of an honor than a burden, I hope Ceasar [his character] is happy with what I did!
ASB: In the movie, your character is a baseball coach and you had to show some pitching skills. How did you learn to do that?
Clifton: I was really nervous about this part, for although I played for the Expos Little League in '77, I was terrible. When I was at bat, I'd swing at anything remotely close to me, and when I was in the outfield, I was guaranteed to get clobbered in the head with a ball and come home with a big ass knot on my head! To remedy this, I asked Bill Dear to set me up with a real coach, this turned out to be a difficult task at first.
Both the producers and the director were like, "we're gonna get together to play some ball tomorrow", to which I was "well, that sounds great, playing and catching balls, but I don't think you're understanding me, I NEED to learn the fundamentals of actually COACHING, and this is not something that I can learn by playing ball with my pals on the film...I'm just gonna get clobbered on the head again like when I was in Little League!". Lucky for me, AND Mr. Foz, I was set up with the legendary Tony Rivera (owner of Primo's on Sunset Ave, super sweet lunch spot!). Tony has earned 7 World Series rings. Just one afternoon with him, and I was feeling grand! Thanks again Tony!!
ASB: The story picks up the issue of Mexican baseball team which was met with racism, while you are an American of half Mexican descent. Do you feel any relation to what was faced by the characters in the movie?
Clifton: I'd say no for the first 20 years of my life, and then when I decided to honor my grandfather Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez by changing my name professionally, everything changed. I was shocked, suddenly I wasn't allowed to read for Anglo roles, it was the strangest thing, there was hardly a single casting director out there that would judge me for my talent, instead they chose to judge me for my ethnic background (not my German side either, only the Mexican).
I can't say I wasn't warned, both my Anglo and my Latino actor friends said that I'd never play Anglo again, I thought, "Well, 1, I'm ONLY doing this to honor my Grampa, it's NOT a career strategy, and 2. We live in America, people in Hollywood are not that ignorant, nor shallow". It was a hard sad lesson to experience, things started to break after auditioning for "Light It Up", and also "Tigerland" where not only did I get to play a Non-Latino, it was my first Southern role, thanks to Mali Finn.
I heard so many stories of my Grandfather and Grandmother struggling with racism before he made it in '53, that was mostly what I identified with. Racism didn't stop in '53, it was just dwarfed by the beaming stars that would surround and stand up for my grandfather at that time.
Still, with the stars help or not, he would always do what he wanted, while doing a telethon in Mobile Alabama with Dane Clark, Nat King Cole, and I believe Mel Torme, if I'm not mistaken, (any chance he had, my Grandpa would do a telethon to help kids) he was told by the Anglo theater owners in Mobile, Alabama to not collect any money from the "coloreds" in the back of the theater. My Grampa said "no sir, I came here to work for the kids and I'm going to collect the money", at the same time Mr. Cole was being booed by the Whites in the front, and back stage he told everybody he still wanted to perform, so they got a bunch of police to stand in front of him on stage. It's a sad tale, sorry to run off, but it's one of many stories that has stuck with me, and I felt I really need to share that.
ASB: Because of a funding problem, the production for "The Perfect Game" was halted for several weeks. During that time, did it ever occur to you that the movie would have not made it?
Clifton: Actually there were a LOT of things that continued to happen during filming that made it almost impossible to see how this would ever even rap. It wasn't until I saw a rough cut, that the insanely talented Bill Conti had scored, that I thought the spirit of this tale cannot be contained. Even if it goes straight to DVD, it will find its audience. It's like a giant feel good magnet of a movie!
ASB: "The Perfect Game" at some key points has similarities to "The Blind Side"; both are based on true story and have sport theme. What do you think make "The Perfect Game" special or different than any other similar movies?
Clifton: Hmm, I keep hearing about this BLIND SIDE thing [smiling] Well, for starters it's a period piece, about the beginnings of a team that still didn't exist at that time, and it's got CHEECH as a Priest for crying out loud, don't none of these other sports films have Cheech. Then again we didn't have Sandy [Sandra] Bullock. :(
ASB: Lately, there have been many talks about "Star Trek" sequel. Do you think your character or your Romulan leader, Nero, will likely return to the sequel?
Clifton: Yes, absolutely 100%. Now please go and tell JJ [J.J. Abrams - "Star Trek" director] ! He actually called me at home and pitched the character to me, it was truly an incredible experience working with JJ and his entire team. So much love on set for working such long hours.
ASB: You once said that you might join "Yucatan" which could be possibly directed by Quentin Tarantino. Could you give some updates about the status of the project?
Clifton: Honestly, "Yucatan" came about while brain storming with a dear friend Lance Sloan over at Bandito Bros. Both Lance and Chad McQueen are bf's, and there is something that happens when people in the biz with lineage start talking. Before you know were reminiscing about all kinds of things. I was sharing the stories that I had heard from my Grandpa about McQueen while shooting on "Wanted Dead or Alive" and Lance was telling me some stories, next thing you know I'm looking down at this incredible treasure chest filled with McQueen's notes, story boards, and 12 binders.
Honestly I felt like I was Indiana Jones looking down at the Holy Grail. I thought if there is anybody that appreciates and understand the greatness of what was before me, it would be Quentin! I dig them guys over at BANDITO BROS, its exactly how you'd picture a Steve McQueen production house to be like, a total guys hang out, army tents, dirt bikes, couple of hotties, etc.
ASB: You're relatively new to "Southland". How do you think the second season fare so far? Will it stand a chance of a full season order?
Clifton: Yes, I believe it stands a great chance; there are so many fans of this new real style of film making. Not to mention me!! I never talk about the TV shows I work on, and I will go on the record to say now that the process on this TV show is like none other that I've ever experienced before. I have always loved film for this very reason, and now I get to experience on TV?? Truly a gift, to be able to collaborate with show runners like John Wells and Ann Beiderman; they have changed my views on television, but only for this show.
I just wrapped a show recently which reminded me of why I don't like working on TV. My being a relatively new character had more to do with my jammed schedule than anything else. They tried to get me on "Southland" earlier on, and the only way to do it was to wait til' I finished on "The Experiment", but even then I had press obligations for "The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day" that made it a lil' tricky to write me in. But best believe that we are all ready to get back to the Police Station should duty call!!
ASB: If you are to choose between feature film and TV series, which do you think is in your long-term plan?
Clifton: Long term plan is to get into more directing, I have several film projects in the works. Most recently you can go check out Jamey Johnson's double Grammy nominated song, *"The High Cost of Living", which I shot and directed with the help and love of all the Des Moines locals and Des Moines police. Without them I could not have accomplished this, so a BIG THANKS to the hospitable Des Moinians that contributed!!
ASB: So when are we going to see you on the directing seat instead of in front of the camera for a feature film?
Clifton: For other videos I've directed, please check out "Chicken Fried" (CMT BREAKOUT GROUP VIDEO OF THE YEAR), "Whatever It Is" (voted 2nd Sexiest Video of the Decade) by the incredibly talented Zac Brown Band. For fun me and some of my pals, have launched THETVFANTASTIC.COM; expect some big celebs and musicians to be making guest appearances! Id love to leak it....grrrr, but I CANT!! :(
*The "High Cost Of Living" video Clifton mentioned above can be seen on YouTube


text:
Optometrist Office
inside Wal-Mart
Vision Center on Cobb Parkway in Marietta, GA.
Our resident optometrist: Kim Raharja, OD
Dr. Liana Lynskey, OD (Tues, Thu)
address to our office is
Eye Center, LLC
Atten: Marietta Wal-Mart Vision Center
1785 Cobb Parkway South
Marietta, GA 30060
*** Please Note - This is not the Wal-Mart by the Big Chicken. This is the Wal-Mart between Delk Rd and Windy Hill Rd on the corner of Terrell Mill and Cobb Parkway.
Main Store Line: (770) 955-0626
Vision Center & Doctor Line:(770) 955-5019 (Se Habla Español)
Driving Directions
are taking walk ins and scheduled eye exams now. You can also call (770) 955-5019
to make an appointment or find the best time to walk in. Appointments are always best due to limited availability of slots. Make An Online Appointment Here.
Education Center I
Contacts I
Download Forms
Doctor copyright © 2003-2006


text:
Kurniawan, Tri Basuki and Khalid, Noor Khafifah and Ibrahim, Zuwairie and Khalid, Marzuki and Middendorf, Martin (2008) An ant colony system for DNA sequence design based on thermodynamics. In: The 4th IASTEAD International Conference on Advances in Computer Science and Technology (ACST 2008), 2008, Langkawi.
Full text not available from this repository.
Hybridization between a DNA sequence and its base- pairing complement is crucial to retrieve the information stored in DNA sequences and operate a computation operation in DNA computing. Therefore, much works have focused on designing the DNA sequences to archive a reliable molecular computation and many algorithms have been proposed to obtain a set of good DNA sequences. In this paper, Ant Colony System (ACS) is proposed to solve the DNA sequence design problem. ACS as a derivate from Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) is an improvement from Ant System (AS) that used some agents to get their solutions based on the pheromone in their colony. A model is prepared which consists of four nodes representing four DNA bases using nearest- neighbor thermodynamic parameter's Watson-Crick base pair ?Go37 as the distance between nodes. The results of the proposed approach are compared with the other methods such as genetic algorithm and evolutionary algorithm.
|Item Type:
|Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
|Uncontrolled Keywords:
|DNA sequence design, ant colony system (ACS), thermodynamic
|T Technology > TK Electrical engineering. Electronics Nuclear engineering
|Electrical Engineering
|ID Code:
|Deposited By:
|Mrs Liza Porijo
|Deposited On:
|29 Nov 2011 08:52
|Last Modified:
|07 Feb 2017 07:46
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You won't be able to dismiss this by usual means (escape or click button), but you can close it programatically based on user choices or actions.
"Was torn between getting the magnet or postcard. Went with this postcard because I loved the option of writing a note to those who received our Save the Dates!! The designer helped with fixing what I wanted and it came out absolutely PERFECT!"
"The "swirled in style" save the date postcard was a great option for our wedding - simple, clean and direct. The customer service designer was awesome to work with and made the card exactly what I envisioned. I just wish that the card was printed on a thicker card stock, but it doesn't impact the card quality."
"This design fit our picture perfectly ! The customization was super easy and it turned out beautiful. We received tons of compliments :)"
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"My fiancé and I ordered save the dates from a different website and when we got them, they were horrible. When it came time to order invitations, I looked at matching or similar save the dates to the invitations we picked out and bit the bullet and ordered new ones and we couldn't be any happier! They came out perfect with exceptional quality!!"


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Justin Bieber Shows 'American Idol' Contestants How to Be Awesome (VIDEO)
The good news: Justin Bieber showed up on American Idol last night to wow the nation and the remaining Idol contestants.
The bad news: We're sure that those contestants are having a hard time living with themselves today, knowing that they will never, in any way, measure up to the spectacle they witnessed.
The My World singer blew though an incendiary medley of "U Smile" and "Baby" during the televised singing competition, And just to make sure that everybody realized what a multi-talented musical force he is, Biebs sat down behind the drums to give the skins a good whacking toward the end of the performance. Way to rub it in, Justin!
It was, with one notable exception, possibly the greatest Justin Bieber-related moment ever.
Check out the video below. And after you've recovered, make sure to crack open The Holy Bieble for all things Bieber.


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Monterey Park, CA
We are located at 508 1/2 S. Atlantic Blvd. Monterey Park, CA 91754. We've been in the flower business more than 30 years. We do funeral flower, wedding, special occasions, Hong Kong-style wrap flower, and of course, graduation also. We can delivery to most areas in Los Angeles.
We will try our best to match what you need and make you satisfied. Call our toll-free number 24/7, or go to our website to get some ideas on what we can do. Hope to hear from you soon.


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As it became official that Rockies 1B Todd Helton would be returning for the 2013 season, thoughts arose on what he can contribute to the team.
Offense – Offensive production is a question mark for the former Tennessee quarterback. Helton will turn 40 in August and is far removed from his 30 plus home run days. He has hit over .300 in all but two seasons as a starter. An ideal fit for the six hole, Helton needs to have more walks than strikeouts, a feat he hasn't achieved since 2009.
Defense – The closest thing to a guarantee for the 2013 Rockies is that Helton will be rock solid at first base. The three time gold glove winner continues to be impressive as he enters his 17th season. In 2011, Helton had the second best fielding percentage (.997) in the majors in 2011.
Leadership – The no-nonsense, lead by example attitude will be a blessing for the young Rockies. Helton has played with Colorado his entire career and has Hall of Fame potential numbers. New Rockies manager Walt Weiss was one of the factors that led to Helton returning for likely his last year. Weiss said Helton is one of those unique guys, adding,
"He is one of those unique guys, he's a great, great pro," said Weiss.
Health – Before 2007, Helton was the model for durability. Playing in at least 144 games since becoming an everyday starter in 1998. Last year and 2008 were injury hampered, causing him to play fewer than 100 games.
He would not have played if he knew he couldn't contribute on a regular basis so I expect more than 100 games and a .280 average from Helton.Tags: Baseball, Colorado, Colorado Rockies, MLB, Todd Helton, Walt Weiss


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Verizon Fios TV's TV Service is Recommended by CableTV.com
It shouldn't be
hard to find the best TV service provider in your neighborhood. Luckily,
you can evaluate cable companies and television
services available in your area with information from consumer surveys that will help you find
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North Tonawanda, NY, Verizon Fios TV has come out on top.
Typically, you can access major networks regardless of where you live. However, the availability of smaller channels can differ from city to city, meaning TV packages in North Tonawanda may be slightly different from similar packages in other areas. Finding a comprehensive TV package that offers a variety of channels will ensure you never miss your favorite shows or the and New York Giants games that are important to you. With the best cable company in North Tonawanda, NY, you should be able to get all the channels you want at a price you can afford. We offer side-by-side comparisons of the highest rated providers in North Tonawanda, making it easy to check everything from the number of channels available to any additional features offered.
The content of your TV package is important. But so is customer service. Savvy consumers like you want a reliable TV provider with positive consumer feedback. Use CableTV.com's ratings to determine which cable company in North Tonawanda, NY has the highest consumer ratings. Our recommendations can help reduce the odds that you'll get stuck with a TV provider that offers poor customer service.


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The 1500 Ocean Drive building isn't only the first signature building that graces Miami's superb beachfront; it also bears the distinction of having been designed by illustrious architecture veteran Michael Graves. For over six years now, the sixteen story building has maintained a well deserved reputation for offering superb features and amenities as well as being a regal example of Miami's astounding architectural edifices.
Inside 1500 Ocean Drive you'll find a stylishly elegant lobby with cascading fountains and superbly refined ageless furnishings and fixtures. All of the building's grounds are beautifully landscaped and feature a Jacuzzi and heated swimming pool on a sun deck that wonderfully overlooks the dazzling ocean. A spa facility with steam and sauna rooms and a cutting edge fitness center featuring Pilates and Yoga lessons add more appeal. Also note the multi-purpose rooms and the four individual high speed elevators. A multilingual concierge service and valet round out 1500 Ocean Drive's exciting array of features and amenities.
The 112 residences at 1500 Ocean Drive feature one to four bedroom floor plans in standard units and four or five bedrooms in penthouses. Inside you'll find floor-to-ceiling tinted glass doors and windows, textured ceilings and roomy terraces with attractive deluxe railings. Kitchens feature a number of KitchenAid brand high end appliances, European cabinetry, granite countertops and a separate room for laundry needs. Bathrooms feature a variety of designer color choices, deluxe marble flooring and posh porcelain lavatories complemented by elongated water closets, designer fixtures and deluxe bidets.
Living in 1500 Ocean Drive means you won't necessarily need a vehicle to access the surfeit of museums, art galleries, restaurants, theaters and nightlife available not only in Ocean Drive, but also throughout the entire city of Miami. You can unwind in Miami Beach and soak in the unparalleled South Florida sunshine or take a stroll through Bayside in downtown. When hunger strikes, there are upscale restaurants like Gloria Estefan owned Larios or the world class restaurant at the luxurious Setai. Miami and its own South Beach remain ever-changing locations that are never the same place twice.
When youre selling your home, getting your belongings organized can seem like a low priority. Youre dealing with finding the right real estate agent, the best time to list your home on the market, and maybe even house-hunting for a new place to live.
All of that can keep you quite busy considering many of us have to do those things while we work a full-time job. Organizing your home so that you can simplify your move just doesnt seem practical.
However, there is one main reason why getting organized can not only simplify your next move but also help improve your chances of selling your home faster and for more money.
When you go through the process of getting organized, you should be eliminating items from your home which helps to clear clutter. Clearing clutter is one of the first things agents and experts who stage homes for sale will tell you to do.
When the clutter is gone, the home can be shown much easier. Potential buyers can see what makes your house so special and different from others in the neighborhood.
If youre putting off the process of getting organized because you think you should wait until you accept an offer, let me encourage you to get motivated to do it sooner. Ive seen it happen many times. The homeowner thinks theres plenty of time and then when an offer is accepted theyre thrust into high gear because the buyer wants to close escrow fast.
Of course, your agent can negotiate the closing date but sometimes a faster closing is a must. Yes, you may be able to rent back from the new owners to give you more time to prepare to move but you cant avoid the fact that youll need to move at some point.
Here are five tips that can help you jump start your organizing and simplify your next move. You will be glad you start before you get an offer to purchase your home.
1. Sort piles of belongings into groups: keep, giveaway, maybe, and trash. The "maybe" pile you box up and seal for six to 12 months. If you dont have a use for your items in the "maybe" box during the year then perhaps you can donate it.
2. Give yourself plenty of time. Be patient. This process of getting organized takes time. Know that when it comes to sorting through personal papers and memorabilia it will take you much longer than reviewing other items. Leave some extra time for the expected reminiscing that will occur.
3. Store your items in clear plastic bins. Using clear boxes helps to let you have a quick view of whats inside. If you used cardboard boxes or colored bins, then use a pen to clearly label whats inside and which room it will go in at your new home. You might want to use a large piece of paper to write the label on so that you can reuse the bin again later for another purpose.
4. Get rid of the paper. A big problem in many homes is the paper trail they have from room to room. It could be magazines, newspapers, documents, advertisements, receipts, you name it. Most homeowners keep a lot of paper which creates a lot of clutter. Go through your files and reduce the paper by shredding or recycling documents you dont need. Youll find that a lot of what youre hanging on to, you just dont need.
5. Do it now This is the most valuable tip. As soon as you finish reading this, go put a time on your calendar when you will begin to get organized. Placing it on your calendar should help you block off time to get started and prevent procrastination. If you take care of things right away, youll find that life gets simpler. The same goes for your move. So, get organized and simplify your next move
Did you know that an automatic dishwasher uses less hot water than doing dishes by hand, which equals an average of six gallons less per cycle, or more than 2,000 gallons per year? Considering that an individual American uses about 2,000 gallons of water per month, thats a pretty significant number.
The idea of "going green" has come a long way in recent decades. In the 1950s, some kinds of energy efficiency werent really a choice. From drying your clothes on a clothesline, to cutting your grass with a mechanical push mower, people often lived green without ever consciously considering their carbon footprint. These days, the story is a little different; you cant turn a corner or pick something up without seeing some kind of "save the earth" signage or packaging.
Reasons to Go Green
There are a plethora of reasons to go green, most falling into either the money-saving or the earth-saving categories. On one hand, you could seriously put some green back into your wallet with things like energy-efficient appliances, and green building tax credits and rebates. Also, simple things like carpooling, limiting eating out, and starting your own vegetable garden are great ways to save money and help the environment.
On the other hand, eco-friendliness means making your community and the planet a better place to live not only for us, but also for future generations. Examples of things you can do in your home are unplugging unused electronics to prevent "phantom" energy consumption, switching to LED light bulbs, conserving water by taking shorter showers, and using reusable items like Tupperware and canvas shopping bags rather than plastic.
Home Automation Technology
New advances in technology are taking much of the guesswork out of going green. With home automation systems like the Wink Hub and free app, you can control the settings on many of your home devices with the push of a smartphone button or even just with your voice. The Wink ecosystem interconnects all of your smart home devices either first through the Hub, or directly to the app. Winks simplicity is one of its most attractive features: according to Home Depot technology professional and Wink test user, Ramesh Chaparala, "Its very, very simple and self-explanatory," continuing, "Installing the Hub is a no-brainer; in five steps youre connected."
What Can You Control?
With the Wink home automation ecosystem, you no longer have to "set it and forget it" when it comes to your home devices. You can control many of your smart devices from your couch, bed, work, or anywhere you are in the world. Here are just a handful of devices you can install in your home that will not only bring you into the 21st century, but also make your home a smoothly running, highly efficient machine.
Smart Thermostats
Thermostats are a great way to control your homes energy consumption, and when you apply smart technology, you can control it from anywhere. One Wink App Ready device is the Honeywell Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat, which not only adjusts to your schedule, uses automatic energy-saving settings, and Smart Response technology for precise temps, but also has a full-color, customizable screen to match your decorating scheme. You can be sure your home is aesthetically pleasing and at your exact desired temperature at all times.
Custom Window Shades
Motorized window shades allow for a clean, uncluttered look, are safer for pets and children with cordless technology, and help insulate your home with the setting of a timer or the push of a button. One quality option, Bali Custom Blinds and Shades with Somfy automation controls, utilizes a single control, wall switch, remote or programmable timer to operate single or multiple window coverings. Keep the shades drawn during summer to keep your home naturally cool, or leave them open in cooler months to let the sunshine warm your space.
Remote-Access LED Lights
Huge energy and money savings start by simply swapping out incandescent and even compact fluorescent light bulbs in your home for LED bulbs. LED solutions outlast incandescent and halogen bulbs up to 35 to 1, consume 85 less energy than incandescent bulbs, and emit less heat, which altogether drastically reduces replacing costs and landfill waste. Once youve decided to install LEDs, take it to the next level by installing smart light bulbs, like the TCP Connected Smart LED Light Bulb Kit with 2 A19 LED light bulbs. With this kit, you can remotely control lighting, dimming and smart lighting features from anywhere in the world with any computer, tablet, smart phone, or connected remote control. They have an estimated yearly cost of 1.32 and a life expectancy of 22.8 years both figures based on three hours of use a day.
Home Automation Technology is an Environmental No-Brainer
When it comes to eco-friendly new gadgets, its clear that home automation takes the cake. Having nearly complete control of your energy-consuming home devices right at your fingertips is certainly a big step forward for earth-conscious homeowners. In addition to these devices, several other smart green products are energy sensors, HVAC systems, irrigation systems, and outlet controls.
Which environmentally friendly automated devices will you install in your home?
A family I know moved from California to Texas recently to take advantage of a new job opportunity. As they set out to buy a new home in their adopted North Texas city, the questions they had for their real estate agent were pretty typical:
That last one raise an eyebrow? As a white person or family, you may be able to presume that youll be accepted into a new neighborhood without question, at least on face value literally. But for a mixed family moving to Texas from liberal California, things are not necessarily so black and white.
Especially now.
My neighbor is on the news
Mixed families arent the only ones who are challenged to find a neighborhood that welcomes them. Between race and sexual orientation, trying to fit in, or at least feel somewhat at home, can be difficult.
Most of us watched what transpired in Charlottesville, VA last weekend and have seen the aftermath this week as numerous torch-carrying Nazis and Nazi sympathizers have been systematically outed. Those identified have been fired from their jobs and even ex-communicated from their families. But, what if one of those marchers turned out to be your neighbor? They have to live somewhere, right?
While the obvious choice after this discovery may be: "We need to move," the more pressing question is this: How can you avoid living next door to a torch-bearer in the first place?
Recognize one of your potential neighbors as someone who was marching down the street with a dollar store Tiki torch would be great, right? Lets just cross that home right off the list. The truth is, you may not be able to cherry-pick every one of your neighbors or even know what theyre really about. But there are steps you can take to make sure the neighborhood suits your needs and your neighbors mostly share your values.nbsp;Especially in this increasingly contentious time when political and social differences are more pronounced, more polarizing, and more obvious than theyve been in decades, its more important than ever to know who youre living next door to.
Drive around and walk around
The more time you spend in your potential neighborhood, the better the feel youll get for how it lives. Noticing a lot of pro-Trump bumper stickers when youre looking for a more progressive neighborhood - or vice versa? This might not be the place for you. Ditto if youre a Muslim family whos getting a lot of side eye and people crossing to the other side of the street as you approach. While that might not necessarily indicate a lack of acceptance, the way it makes you feel may just be enough to ditch that area and lean toward one where you were greeted with waves and a warm "Hello" instead.
Ask your REALTORreg;
Your real estate agent or >
Do an online search
While it wont tell you what everyone on the street youre considering is like, a general diversity search will yield some good info, like this list of the most diverse cities in the country on WalletHub.
Ask around
Have anyone you can talk to about certain neighborhoods? If youre brand new to the area, you might not have trusted friends or colleagues yet. Any new affiliation with a school or church or new job can yield confidantes, or, at least, recommendations. If youre a member of the LGBTQ community, the National Association of Gay amp; Lesbian Real Estate Professionals NAGLREP can help.
Check Nextdoor
Nextdoor is great for finding a lost dog, locating a babysitter, or selling your old furniture. But its also a great place to get a feel for a neighborhood or learn new things about the one you already live in. And that, says the San Jose Mercury-News, can be a double-edged sword. "The mission of Nextdoor, a 4-year-old, San Francisco-based startup - which now operates in 70,000 neighborhoods around the country and has recently been valued at 1.1 billion - is to use the power of technology to build stronger and safer communities," they said. "This all sounds very well and good - until you bring real, flawed human beings into the mix. And, then Nextdoor becomes like any social network, with all the good and bad that comes from giving people a venue to let their free expression fly from the remote isolation of their laptops and smartphones."
This particular article from Marth Ross recounts examples of racial profiling and public shaming that "is another Nextdoor trend that Ive heard friends complain about," she said. Keep in mind that you can only become part of the Nextdoor community in your particular area if have a physical address you can register, so a friend who lives there or a well-connected Realtor can be a great help here.
Check police records
The sweet old man down the street may not seem so sweet when you uncover his criminal, racially motivated past. My Local Crime allows you to enter any address and see a list of crimes reported in the area. Family Watchdog can pinpoint sex offenders in the area surrounding the homes you are considering.