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'Get Britain Cycling' inquiry moves onto local authorities and London
The session commenced with a panel of campaign groups - as usual, each being asked to explain what, in their opinion, was needed to Get Britain Cycling.
Ralph Smyth, Senior Transport Campaigner for the Campaign to Protect Rural England, started the discussion, said that cycling needed to be seen as part of the wider transport mix for rural as well as urban areas.
He noted that, although cycle use is low in rural areas in Britain, about half of cyclists' deaths occur on rural roads. He called for lower rural speed limits – pointing out that the Dutch have a standard 60kmh limit for rural single-carriageways and that this has been more cost-effective than the urban 30kmh limit. He also called for cycling to be integrated with public transport, and for quality cycle provision alongside major roads. See also Ralph's Guardian Bike Blog article, summarising his evidence.
Make cycling look normal
John Mallows, from Cyclenation (the federation of local cycle campaign groups), called for cycling to be promoted using imagery showing it as a normal activity which anyone could do in normal clothes. He acknowledged the value of quality cycle routes, but also stressed the need for safe and attractive cycling conditions throughout the road network, e.g. through lower speed limits, or cycle-permeable road closures.
Martin Lucas-Smith, from the Cambridge Cycling Campaign, emphasised the importance of 20mph speed limits and quality cycling infrastructure on more major roads. He also called for the establishment of a body to support local authorities in delivering their cycling strategies, noting the regrettable loss of expertise previously provided by Cycling England.
Cycling will never be an answer for all travel in rural areas. But it's great for shorter journeys, such as to a village shop or school. And for longer journeys, it can fill the missing link, such as a way to get to a train station. All we need now is ambition and joined up action to put the pieces together.
Ralph Smyth
Senior Transport Campaigner, CPRE
There was also an interesting discussion about the role of cycle route signing, mapping and online journey planners as means to promote cycling. John Mallows noted the work of several local cycle campaign groups who have produced maps which grade the 'cycleability' of the whole road network, rather than simply a network of 'cycle routes'. Martin Lucas-Smith noted the quality of cycle route signing, ensuring you could easily reached your destination without needing a map. He also referred to his role in developing the CycleStreets online journey planner, as well as the Cyclescape online campaign tool, which uses online mapping to enable cyclists to highlight locations where improved provision is needed, and to identify solutions.
There was a discussion of how to promote cycling for children. While some schools are seeking to ban cycling on safety grounds, John Mallows cited the example of Kesgrave School near Ipswich as an example of a school which positively promotes cycling and has very high cycle use. Martin Lucas Smith added that it was important to the Government to sustain the funding for Bikeability cycle training.
Ralph Smyth urged that the cycling should be considered in all planning developments, reflecting not just existing cycle use but the potential for significant increases. Martin Lucas-Smith said that the Cambridge Cycling Campaign spent most of its time responding to planning applications, rather than transport proposals. Ralph also noted that the Department for Transport's press release about the role of the newly established Local Transport Bodies had neglected to mention the option to fund cycling improvements.
Leicester, Devon, Greater Manchester and Bath - a tale of 4 councils
The second panel focused on the role of local authorities. Andy Salkeld, Cycling Officer from Leicester City Council relayed cycling in in the city was growing fast - an additional 1,000 cyclists a year entering the centre since 2005. He described how the city is trying to release the 'concrete collar' effect of the ring road. The city centre was redesigned to allow cycling and pedestrian access, but heavily restricting motoring. He also suggested that half of all their LSTF money was spent on cycling, while the rest – spent on public realm improvements – was also of benefit to cycling.
Roger Symonds - Cabinet Member for Transport at Bath & North East Somerset (BANES) council - called for lower speed limits, saying that this would create a culture where cycling would be much more normal for a much wider age-range, using more functional ordinary bikes. Lester Wilmington (Head of Transport at Devon County Council) agreed on the importance of culture change. He emphasised the value of Bikeability cycle training and other "soft measures" to create a culture of cycle use. He also said that Devon had secured money from the Communities Infrastructure Fund to provide a pedestrian-cycle bridge over the M5 on the edge of Exeter.
Dave Newton, Director of Transport at Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), said that TfGM had secured £40m from the Local Sustainable Transport Fund, for a cycle commuter project, plus a further £32m from its own sources. He said this would go on a mix of cycling hubs and improved infrastructure and promotional activity. Challenged on whether enough was being done – Lord Berkeley said he found cycling in Manchester was inconvenient and frightening – Dave accepted that Manchester had a long way to go, but emphasised the cycling hubs the city is now creating, as well as facilities such as those in Salford media city. He emphasised the importance of adopting a partnership approach – both between local authorities and with NGOs such as CTC, British Cycling and Sustrans – to maximise the value of whatever funding was available.
Roger Symonds noted that, although spending on "cycle facilities" was relatively low in BANES, the authority spent significantly on road maintenance, which benefitted cycling without being funding specifically for cycling. He also acknowledged that, although authorities such as BANES had worked closely in partnership with Sustrans to develop specific cycle routes, there was a need to create good cycling conditions throughout the road network.
In his capacity as Deputy Chair of the Transport Board for the Local Government Association (LGA), Roger Symonds also echoed calls made earlier by Ralph Smyth and Martin Lucas-Smith for local authorities to be given powers to take enforcement action against drivers who infringe cycle lanes and other moving traffic offences. These have been on the statute book since the 2004 Traffic Management Act, but have yet to be brought into effect. He said that the LGA was planning a cycling summit later this year.
He also called for the introduction of continental-style rules which would assume that injured cyclists were entitled to compensation from drivers who hit them, instead of first having to prove that the driver was at fault.
Cycle-rail integration: the good and the bad
The only witness at this session was Conrad Haigh, representing the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) which runs the Cycle Rail Working Group. This brings together stakeholders to try and overcome the obstacles to implementing better cycling facilities at rail stations.
Over the last five years cycle parking at railway stations has increased from around 24,000 to over 58,000, helping to increase the numbers of people accessing stations by bike. However, Lord Berkeley pressed ATOC on why there was such a wide variation in standards of carriage on trains, with some operators far better than others.
Ben Bradshaw, the MP for Exeter, complained that although his local train company - First Great Western - had reasonable space for bikes, it was only on the old rolling stock, and newer trains were far worse. He - and other MPs - wondered why it was so difficult to reserve spaces for bikes on the internet.
Conrad Haigh explained that only East Coast allowed online cycle reservations, and allowing cycle reservations on all trains would be prohibitively expensive. He urged that the needs of commuters - which could be catered for mostly by cycle parking - was more important than cycle carriage.
Lessons from London
Witnesses from the final session included representatives from the London Cycling Campaign (LCC), Transport for London, the Borough Cycling Officers Group (BCOG) and Caroline Pidgeon, the chair of the London Assembly Transport Committee.
Tom Bogdanowicz, representing LCC spoke of their success in getting 42,000 signatures behind their Love London, Go Dutch campaign, and securing all-party support for the idea. They were now lobbying to see that commitment implemented.
Ben Plowden, Director of Better Streets and Places in Transport for London (TfL), underlined how important cycling was considered in the capital. As a mode of transport, cycling carries more trips than the Overground rail network, Croydon Tramlink and Docklands Light Railway combined. Cycling required continuing political commitment - something it had received from both of the London Mayor's to date - and, of course, continued, consistent funding levels.
Caroline Pidgeon, whose Transport Committee published a report - Gearing Up - into the state of cycling in London, had pushed for 2% of TfL's budget to go to cycling, but the attempt to alter the Mayor's budget had been voted down. The report had also called for a cycling commissioner to be appointed, and argued for substantial improvements to cycling infrastructure by reallocating roadspace from motor transport to cycling.
BCOG's representative, Nick O'Donnell, wasn't prepared to name and shame the Boroughs who weren't doing as well, but he felt that quality infrastructure, usable by all, was required, in addition to making cycling look more normal and appealing to a wider cross-section of society.
Tom Bogdanowicz felt that Barnet and Newham were two boroughs that had done little to promote cycling, while Lord Berkeley felt that Westminster and the City of London could be added to the list. Ben Plowden revealed that he had had recent discussions with Westminster, and felt that "progress was being made". TfL's ambition is for a grid of intuitive cycle routes through central London to link up the CycleSuperhighways, more of which are currently in the design phase.
Public health and cycling
A final witness in the especially extended session was Anna Soubry, the MP for Broxtowe in Nottinghamshire and Minister for Public Health. She revealed that although she had cycled a lot as a child and married a keen cyclist, she hadn't ridden much since and certainly felt that the roads of Nottingham had been too dangerous to let her children cycle. Although her husband had given her a mountainbike for Christmas, poor weather had prevented it from being used. She promised, however, to attend the APPCG's Bike Ride in June.
Ben Bradshaw MP asked why a cabinet sub-committee on public health had been disbanded - a question the Minister did not know the answer to. However, she did relate that she had worked closely with the Transport Minister, Norman Baker, with both of them signing off on an additional £20m for cycling in late 2012.
Dr Sarah Wollaston MP wondered whether there might be a backlash against local authorities spending health money on cycling when health budgets are formally transferred to councils in April 2013. The Minister gave reassurances that she thought it would be sensible to spend public health money on getting more people cycling, but gave no commitment to issuing guidance on the matter.


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Leaders of the Deputy Sheriffs' Association Santa Clara County and the Santa Clara County Correctional Peace Officers' Association said they want Capt. Kevin Jensen to replace Smith, citing a number of criticisms of the incumbent, first elected in 1998.
Deputy Sheriffs' Association Sgt. Dennis Moser said July 14 that 90 percent of his members endorsed Jensen while peace officers' head Sgt. Lance Scimeca said 100 percent of his group chose Jensen, although they did not provide vote totals.
Moser said it was the first time in 35 years that the unions' members failed to support an incumbent for sheriff and described it as "a vote of no confidence" in Smith.
Scimeca said the peace officers' group gave its members a week to vote and by Sunday, every ballot cast was for Jensen.
"We're concerned about the current lack of vision, inadequate staffing, lack of training, outdated technology and the isolation of the department from other law enforcement agencies inside this county," Moser said.
The unions are impressed by Jensen's 28 years of experience with the sheriff's department, his background with "community outreach" and his willingness to ask sergeants and lieutenants for advice, Moser said.
The department is suffering from low morale, inadequate computer technology and a fear of retaliation from Smith for speaking out, Moser said.
Sheriff's deputies are also concerned that the department dropped out of the U.S. Joint Terrorism Task Force and that Smith seemed not to welcome officers from the San Jose Police Department interested in joining the sheriff's office, Moser said.
Smith also has not kept promises she's made, such as providing appropriate tactical dress uniforms for wearing in inclement weather, Moser said.
"Laurie Smith has been in office now for approximately 14 to 15 years, it would be her fifth term that she is seeking," Moser said. "The community doesn't know who the sheriff is. You can ask them, they don't know who she is. We want to change that."
Some correctional officers, who guard county jail facilities and whose jobs merged with the sheriff's office in 2010, are upset with Smith for ordering extended background checks and not awarding them sheriff's deputy badges.
Smith won reelection in June 2010 with 62 percent of the vote against two other candidates, according to the Registrar of Voters.
In response to the unions' complaints, Smith said that when she heard they were considering an endorsement, she contacted them but they never responded and did not offer her name as a candidate.
"I think they should have interviewed the candidates," Smith said. "I would have welcomed that."
Smith said she was compelled to remove some positions from the federal task force because she needed to make budget cutbacks that would bring the least disruption to the department.
She said the department will be using smart tablets and other technologies in patrol cars and that the DSA has been involved in that process.
Smith said that she is proud of how the department has dealt with the influx of inmates into its county jails due to the state-mandated
reassignment of low-level offenders from California prisons in 2011.
"I think my record is very solid," she said.
As for correction officers, after the merger, Smith said she gave officers a year to apply to be sworn deputies and undergo extensive background checks that included physical, polygraph and psychological testing that take a long time to complete.
She said the unions sued the department to stop the background checks she ordered and now wants them to continue.
"They are saying you can't do it, then they are saying do it," Smith said.
Smith said the department's personnel division focuses on hiring the most qualified people and has brought in former San Jose police officers in the past.
"We definitely hire as quickly as we can," Smith said. "We get the very best. It's just a long process from start to finish."
"I'm really, really proud of the organization and we have great people," Smith said. "I really think that the sheriff's office is one of the preeminent law enforcement agencies in the nation. I think the public recognizes that. We have provided vision. We have been recognized for the work we do."
Jensen, who was not at the unions' news conference, could not be reached for comment Monday.
Moser said that the unions would be setting up a public candidates forum "as soon as we can set something up" for both Smith and Jensen.

subset: commoncrawl


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A Japanese fisherman was able to photograph a Frill Shark (I had never seen or heard of this species before). Apparently they live in the depths of the ocean and this one may have come to shallow waters because it was sick.
On the bright side, I do not think this species has to worry about being finned - they live to deep and seem to lack dorsal fins (pectoral ones look small).


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According to an Associated Press article on Vilsack's speech in Washington D.C., Vilsack warned that rural America is "becoming less and less relevant to the politics of the country" because its assets like food, recreational areas and energy are overlooked as the population shifts from rural communities to urbanized areas.
"Why is it that we don't have a farm bill? It isn't just the differences of policy. It's the fact that rural America with a shrinking population is becoming less and less relevant to the politics of the country, and we had better recognize that and we better begin to reverse it," Vilsack said.
The Agriculture Department says 50 percent of rural counties have lost population in the last four years and poverty rates are higher there than in metropolitan areas. To ensure the voices of America's farmers and ranchers are heard, Vilsack says "we need a proactive message, not a reactive message."
"How are you going to encourage young people to want to be involved in rural America or farming if you don't have a proactive message?" Vilsack said. "You are competing against the world now."
Vilsack encourages farmers to embrace new kinds of markets, work to promote global exports, embrace diversity and replace a preservation mindset with a growth mindset.


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Achim Aretz holds the Guinness World Record for running the half marathon, backward. But now, the 27-year-old German athlete says he's tired of doing something almost no one else does and wants to head in a new direction. Reporter Caitlan Carroll caught up with him in Hannover, Germany.
Record-Setter Says He Won't Run Backward Anymore
By editor • Mar 11, 2012


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SEATTLE -- The 49ers still see themselves as a playoff-bound team, which they are. They still think they'll repeat as NFC West champions, which they can do in the regular season's final hours next Sunday.
But Sunday night, they weren't any good, losing 42-13 to a Seattle Seahawks team that showed no sign of being intimidated on their home turf, where they remain unbeaten this season.
"It was a punch in the face," 49ers cornerback Carlos Rogers said of the 49ers' most lopsided loss since 2009. "But the thing about it is we still have a chance to win the division, and we're already in the playoffs."
The 49ers (10-4-1) can claim their second straight NFC West title next Sunday by beating the Arizona Cardinals (5-10) at Candlestick Park, or by having the Seahawks (10-5) fall to the visiting St. Louis Rams (7-7-1).
"Our destiny is still in our hands, and that's what's most important," linebacker Patrick Willis added.
Both the 49ers and Seahawks are assured playoff berths. The 49ers clinched at least a wild-card spot a week ago after outlasting the New England Patriots 41-34. The Seahawks earned their playoff ticket with Sunday's prime-time win.
But the 49ers no longer own the NFC's second-best record, which would merit a first-round bye. The Green Bay Packers (11-4) now are in the No. 2 slot behind the Atlanta Falcons (13-2). The Packers can secure that seed next Sunday by either winning at the Minnesota Vikings (9-6) or having the 49ers lose to the Arizona Cardinals (5-10)
"If we don't get the No. 2 spot, we've got to go another route," running back Frank Gore said.
The 49ers defense clearly struggled without the leadership and presence of Justin Smith, a defensive-line mainstay whose serious elbow injury sidelined him for the first time in 190 games.
On the offensive side, the 49ers saw two key players vanish during their long-shot comeback attempt: tight end Vernon Davis (concussion) and wide receiver Mario Manningham (knee; X-rays were negative).
On the flip side, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll celebrated the "terrific win" by magnifying what it meant to triumph for the first time in four meetings against 49ers counterpart Jim Harbaugh, his old Pac-10 rival.
"Those guys have been winning like crazy the last couple years," Carroll said. "They have a terrific football team. ... I take a lot of pride in the fact that we played like that against this team and these coaches."
In spoiling Harbaugh's 49th birthday, the 49ers fell behind 21-0 less than a minute into the second quarter.
That third Seahawks' touchdown set the night's tone. The 49ers were settling for a 21-yard field goal attempt by David Akers, but Red Bryant blocked the kick and Richard Sherman returned it 90 yards for a game-breaking touchdown.
"The momentum changed right when they blocked the field goal," linebacker Ahmad Brooks said. "I don't want to say it sealed the deal, but it gave them confidence to think (the 49ers) are not what the world thinks (the 49ers) are."
By the time Sherman intercepted a Colin Kaepernick pass in the end zone early in the fourth quarter, the Seahawks already held a 35-6 lead. The 49ers hadn't been outscored this badly since a 45-10 home loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Oct. 11, 2009.
Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson threw four touchdown passes for the first time in his sensational rookie season, and his elusiveness in the pocket often made 49ers pass rushers look daffy.
Wilson got sacked only once, and that was for no yards by Isaac Sopoaga. Aldon Smith's season sack total held steady at 19½ for the second straight week, dropping him a sack behind league leader J.J. Watt of the Houston Texans.
Marshawn Lynch, an Oakland native and Cal product, scored touchdowns on the Seahawks' first two possessions to stake them to a 14-0 lead.
The Seahawks didn't cool off under the rainy skies. They converted 11 of 12 third-down opportunities before backup Matt Flynn knelt down on their final third-down snap as time expired.
"We didn't win third down enough and we didn't do good enough," said Harbaugh, who's offense was 3 of 11 on third-down conversions.
It was the largest deficit in Harbaugh's two-season 49ers tenure. It marked the second loss in six starts by Kaepernick, who completed a career-low 52.8 percent of his passes (19 among a career-high 36 attempts for 244 yards).
"It's not our first loss," Harbaugh added. "We'll wake up tomorrow with a half-game lead on the division. Our hand will be on the dial to take care of business next week."
Under Harbaugh's reign, the 49ers haven't lost back-to-back games. This season, they haven't won three in a row, however, and that is something they'll have to do in the playoffs if they want to win their first Super Bowl since the 1994 season.
"We're picked to go to the Super Bowl," Rogers said, "but that's not promised, like I keep telling guys."


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The wide-cabin, ultra-long-range Gulfstream G650 received full FAA type certification today, just days after the Savannah-based aircraft manufacturer obtained final FAA and Israeli approval for its super-midsize G280. Gulfstream Aerospace expects to deliver the first outfitted G650s to customers before year-end; it delivered 12 green G650s late last year after receiving provisional FAA certification in November.
"The G650 is a superlative aircraft with the most technologically advanced flight deck in business aviation and the largest, most comfortable cabin in its class. In short, the G650 speaks to all that is good about business aviation: safety, security, flexibility, comfort and capability," said Gulfstream president Larry Flynn. "We designed the G650 with significant input from our advanced technology customer advisory team, and we're extremely proud of what our entire organization has accomplished with this aircraft."
Notably, the G650 has a cabin measuring 102 inches wide and 77 inches high, which is three inches taller and 14 inches wider than that on the G550, Gulfstream's previous flagship. It also has a low cabin altitude of 4,850 feet at FL510 and 3,300 feet at FL410, which the company says reduces fatigue, increases mental alertness and enhances productivity. The G650's 16 sideways oval cabin windows are the largest in the industry, and are some 16 percent larger than those on the G550.
In the cockpit are PlaneView II avionics, based on the Honeywell Primus Epic system, including four 14-inch LCD screens. Its next-generation avionics feature automatic descent mode; Waas-LPV; future air navigation system (Fans) 1/A; and controller-pilot datalink communications (CPDLC). In addition, the G650 comes standard with the Gulfstream enhanced vision system (EVS II), synthetic vision-primary flight display (SV-PFD) and a head-up display.
Powered by a pair of 16,100-pound-thrust Rolls-Royce BR725 engines, the G650 has a balanced field length of 6,000 feet at mtow and a 3,000-foot landing distance at mlw. Other performance specs include 7,000-nm range at Mach 0.85 and 5,000 nm at Mach 0.90. Its top speed is Mach 0.925.
Notably, the G650 is Gulfstream's first fly-by-wire (FBW) business jet. The twinjet's three-axis FBW system offers flight-envelope protection, increased redundancy and reduced maintenance. It has a separate and dedicated backup flight-control computer that provides an additional level of safety, according to Gulfstream.
Gulfstream announced the G650 in March 2008 and flew the airplane for the first time in November 2009. Since then, seven flight-test aircraft were involved in the flight-test program, accumulating more than 3,889 hours over the course of 1,181 flights. One of those test aircraft, S/N 6002, was destroyed in a fatal accident during flight-testing in Roswell, N.M., on April 2, 2011; the NTSB has not yet determined the probable cause of this crash.
To date, the company has received orders for more than 200 G650s. Jay Johnson, chairman and CEO of Gulfstream parent General Dynamics, says the $65 million aircraft is popular because it "sets the new world standard for business-jet performance, range, speed and comfort…[it] is already the envy of the global market and is sure to become a milestone aircraft in aviation history."
Tor K'Feingla (not verified)
September 10, 2012 - 3:31pm
Who really needs an aircraft like this?
Blake (not verified)
September 11, 2012 - 4:40pm
Who needs a G550? Same reason. Clearly there is a market for them, look at Bombardier Global 7000 and 8000. Netjets just purchased 20 Global 7000 and 8000s.
John (not verified)
September 10, 2012 - 4:20pm
Who wants it?
Kent (not verified)
September 10, 2012 - 6:12pm
Who wouldn't want an airplane this beautiful if they could afford it? Flying with no TSA pat-downs on your own schedule? Priceless...................
Pranav (not verified)
September 11, 2012 - 5:25am
This is a lovely aircraft! Lot of extraordinary features!
Manasseh Kamau (not verified)
September 11, 2012 - 6:59am
The envy of all.... at 65 a pop you have got to be a baron of some sort or a dictator. Love it.
WJR (not verified)
September 12, 2012 - 7:36am
As a point of reference, 2 of the early A380's delivered were to private owners. They were in the Orient and Middle East as I recall.
Jason Nathan (not verified)
October 5, 2012 - 4:18am
Gulfstream g650 is the best large cabin long distance business jet in the world, though not as fast as the citation TEN it is still awesome. Ok mere mortals like us will never be able to afford one but they do have buyers. Compare the G650 with similar business jets with prices ..you would know how popular the Gulfstream g650 is.


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text: One of the neatest things I've ever done. Sitting at the edge of an open door on a plane at 13,000 feet and then just falling out into the vast expanse below was very surreal. A one minute free fall of 10,000 feet and then 5 minutes with the 'chute open for the last 3,000. Very, very cool. Anyone else ever been?


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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - The trial of the man dubbed the "Romeo Rapist" continued in a Fort Lauderdale courtroom Wednesday.
Andre Beadle, 36, of Tamarac, is accused of raping two women at his home on July 24 and July 27, 2011. He was arrested in Oct. 2011. A third victim later came forward and said he also raped her.
Beadle lured two women to his apartment for dates and then raped them there, according to prosecutors.
During testimony Wednesday, one of the alleged victims said she was afraid to call police because she felt Beadle may become violent.
"He described it - how he would kill me if he could, so I thought oh my God, he's going to come back. He's going to try to kill me. He knows I'm with my mom, he'll try to hurt my mom. He knows I have a daughter, he'll try to hurt her, and I was just terrified," said the alleged victim.
Defense attorney Lee Friedland said the woman still allowed Beadle to drive her home after the alleged attack.
"You did have your feet, right?" said Friedland.
"Yes," answered the victim.
"And there was the possibility that if you needed to you could have walked somewhere, instead of getting into the car with somebody who had threatened you, who had choked you, and who had injured you in some way," said Friedland. "Right? There's the possibility you could have walked."
The mother of one of the alleged victims also testified.
"We had always talked about going out with somebody for the first time, they should go to a public place and she said, 'Well, he had to change his clothes,'" said the woman.
Two other alleged victims are expected to testify.
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text: Report: Cuts to childcare makes program 'cost-prohibitive' By Paul J. Nyden November 10, 2012 Story Share CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A new report on childcare assistance said West Virginia officials may have made the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program "cost prohibitive" when they raised parents' co-payments for the program in August.In West Virginia, TANF provided needed financial assistance to more than 24,000 young children in 2011 whose parents had jobs or were attending school. Daycare is one major service provided by TANF.In July, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin ended an enrollment freeze to get children into the program, but did not reverse recent financial cuts initiated by the state Department of Health and Human Resources.The West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy just released a new study -- "Reducing Child Care Assistance: The Impact of West Virginia's Low-Income Working Families" - that details benefits the TANF program provides to some of the state's poorest families, especially single mothers.Ted Boettner, author of the report and executive director of the Center on Budget and Policy, said, "Child care assistance is crucial to keeping low-income parents in the workforce and their children safe."Instead of cutting child care assistance, we should follow the lead of other states that have invested additional resources into the program."On August 1, West Virginia significantly raised parents' co-payments into the program.A single mother earning $15,130 a year -- which is 100 percent of the poverty level as defined by the federal government -- found her co-payments increase from $29 a month to $115 a month, according to the Center's report. That mother's childcare costs increased from 2.3 percent of her monthly income at the beginning of 2012 to 9.1 percent today."If costs become too prohibitive," the report continues, "some parents will likely have to stop working in order to stay home and care for their children."In some cases, parents might leave their children home alone, if they cannot afford to pay for childcare.Today, parents whose income is below 150 percent of the poverty level can enroll children up to 12 years old for TANF benefits. West Virginia's income eligibility level is lower than 34 other states. Parents can enroll children with serious physical disabilities or psychological problems up to the age of 18.Today, the average cost for full-time care for an infant in a West Virginia childcare center is $6,932. For that single mother earning $15,130 a year, that would come to nearly 46 percent of her annual income.On January 1, families whose incomes range between 150 percent and 185 percent of the poverty level will be removed from eligibility for child care benefits. West Virginia already has the nation's 16th lowest income eligibility level. That cut is projected to save the state $4.5 million a year.Like most states, West Virginia is already probably "serving only a fraction of families that could potentially be eligible for assistance," according to the Center's report.Last year, childcare services in West Virginia provided jobs to 5,957 workers, according to Workforce West Virginia. Additional jobs are created in other businesses that supply goods and services to child care facilities, such as food vendors. The Center's new report urges the state government to find new sources of income to continue financing child care facilities, including using money from the Rainy Day Fund or creating other funds, such as by raising taxes on tobacco products.This year, West Virginia has nearly $898 million in its Rainy Day Fund, making it the second largest in the country.The state could also create a new childcare tax credit to cut down the costs for the poorest West Virginians, the report states. "State budget cuts to child care assistance," Boettner said, "create a difficult situation for low-income parents, child care workers, and business owners whose clients are largely recipients of child care financial assistance."Fortunately, the state has many options to ensure that low-income parents are not forced out of work because they cannot afford child care."The full report is available at: www.wvpolicy.org.Reach Paul J. Nyden at email@example.com or 304-348-5164. Story Share Story Share Trending Now 1 Facebook founder visits Cabin Creek Health Systems 2 Safety shutoff disabled prior to June coal-mining death, report says 3 Huggins, WVU tap South Florida hoops talent 4 Teen pleads guilty to voluntary manslaughter in Oakes Field shooting 5 WVU hopes to get injured defenders back for TCU Study: West Virginia schools prepared for disaster Previous Story Vatican digs in after gay marriage advances Next Story


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Gussie Moran, the former US Open semifinalist who died aged 89 at her Los Angeles home two weeks ago, will be remembered not just for her accomplishments on the court but also her role as a fashion trailblazer.
Gertrude Agusta Moran was born in Santa Monica, California on September 8, 1923, and started playing tennis at the local high school. Upon leaving school, she went to work for the Douglas Aircraft Company, helping to assemble aircraft for the war effort.
However, her passion for tennis remained and having triumphed at several amateur tournaments, in early 1949 she won the triple crown - singles, doubles and mixed - at the US Indoor Championships, earning her a national ranking of No.4.
These performances booked her a place at Wimbledon that summer where she raised eyebrows - and pulses - with her tennis and daring choice of attire.
Originally refused permission by Wimbledon officials to wear a colored outfit, "Gorgeous Gussie", as she was soon to be known, gained revenge by commissioning the British tennis player turned fashion designer Teddy Tinling to come up with an outfit that conformed to the strict all-white rules but would still make a splash.
Her shorter-than-usual skirt caused uproar at the usually-staid All-England Club, and saw Moran emerge as an unlikely global fashion icon.
Yet, Moran's tennis, and in particular her forehand, was just as striking as her style; despite making an early exit in the singles, she went on to reach the final of the doubles at Wimbledon that year and in 1950 reached the semifinals of the US Open in singles. Moran left the amateur ranks to turn professional in 1951, playing on Bobby Riggs and Jack Kramer's pan-American tour alongside players such as Pauline Betz and Sarah Palfrey Cooke.
After retiring, Moran dabbled in a number of fields, including stints as a radio and television sports commentator in Los Angeles and New York. Having had a brother killed in the Second World War, she was also eager to help out with the United Service Organizations in Vietnam, and was injured when riding in a helicopter that was shot down.
Her final years were spent in Hollywood, Los Angeles. According to her close circle of friends, right up until her death, she remained as sharp-witted and provocative as ever, and also retained a close interest in the modern tennis circuit.


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Two 31-year-old twin sisters were killed early Sunday when a fight between the two spilled out onto the streets of Leimert Park and they were struck by a vehicle, police said.
The fight and fatal crash occurred around 3 a.m. in the 4200 block of Leimert Boulevard, said Officer Norma Eisenman of the Los Angeles Police Department.
"The altercation they were having ended up out on the street somehow," Eisenman said. "They were both struck by a vehicle."
Eisenman said both women were pronounced dead at the scene.
"It was not a hit and run," Eisenman said.
An investigation was underway to determine the circumstances of the fight and whether there was any foul play.


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A presidential assault on the media
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Upcoming games: March 27- April 2
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General News of Monday, 26 November 2012
Source: myjoyonline
The John Mahama campaign has dissociated itself from activities of a group calling itself Volunteers for Mahama who is raising funds from government agencies.
The group was reported to have taken monies from the Ghana Investment Promotion (GIPC) ostensibly to help garner support for the ruling party.
A Daily Guide report on Monday, November 26, 2012 published a signed cheque from the Council to the group.
Head of the council, George Aboagye would not confirm or deny the payment except to say investigations have begun.
But President John Mahama has described the action by the group as "unethical and unacceptable."
A statement signed by Hanna Tetteh, Communications Director of the John Mahama Campaign said the action by the group violates the tenets of the Political Parties Act.
"We therefore wish to request the Group to refund any money's that they may have received from the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre at once, and certainly within 24 hours."
It urged such organisation to desist from such acts.
The following is the full statement.
The John Mahama 2012 Campaign wishes to disassociate itself from the recent actions of a group of campaigners referred to as Volunteers for Mahama who have been canvassing for support for the John Mahama 2012 Campaign. While we do appreciate the support given by groups such as Volunteers for Mahama, we do not subscribe to their request for funding support from Government Agencies. We therefore wish to request the Group to refund any money's that they may have received from the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre at once, and certainly within 24 hours.
We further would like to bring to the attention of all sympathizers, campaigners and affiliates of the NDC that soliciting funds from State Organizations is unacceptable, unethical and we believe not to be in line with the tenets of the Political Parties Act (Act 574). In the circumstances we are instructing all our sympathisers and affiliate organizatons not to solicit funds from any state agencies or entities that do not conform to the provisions on party financing in this Act. We take a very serious view of this conduct and consider it to be unacceptable and we advise all those who are working for the success of our campaign in the 2012 election to take note of this directive.
We encourage all our sympathizers and loyalists to work hard for the success of the party in the 2012 election, in order that the Party achieves resounding success in the upcoming elections which are not much more than a week away. Let us continue to demonstrate to the People of Ghana our commitment to be working for them.
Hanna S. Tetteh
Communications Director
John Mahama 2012 Campaign
26th November 2012.


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LAS VEGAS — Denny Hamlin made news this week as NASCAR fined him $25,000 for critical statements about the 2013 Sprint Cup cars.
Somewhat lost amid all the censorship talk and all the questions on whether what he said was all that bad is a simple question:
Was he right?
Is the new car, with body features that more resemble the manufacturers' passenger cars and with rear suspension and camber rules designed to give them more rear downforce, better than the cars used a year ago?
Well, that depends. It obviously looks better. But as far as racing, most drivers will tell you the car is better at the time of its debut than the brick-on-wheels they started with five years ago.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. said last week that car, called the "Car of Tomorrow," was "a hunk of junk" when it started but eventually teams worked on it to run well.
— Junior treads lightly on new car | Drivers surprised by Hamlin fine | Perception nightmare
According to NASCAR statistics, there were six green-flag passes for the lead at Phoenix last week. Last year, the March race at Phoenix had 26 green-flag passes for the lead; the November race had eight.
"When we all built these new cars, not one of them came with an instruction manual," three-time Cup champion Tony Stewart said. "That is the easiest way to describe it. You literally have to figure it out as you go.
"It's impossible to give you an answer, an accurate answer. It is literally a work in progress. I thought last week for a new car I thought last week was a really good debut for it (at a non-restrictor-plate track). I personally think it's off to a great start and it's got a lot of potential."
— Sprint Cup at Vegas: Field set | Race preview | Carl vs. Jimmie | Driver rankings
The potential won't be seen in the first few weeks. Brad Keselowski, the defending Cup champion, said in January that realistically it should take 18 months before he could determine whether the car can race well.
"There's a lot of questions to be answered about the car," Keselowski said at Vegas. "And there's a lot of opportunity to work on it. We've only had one race on it.
"Vegas will be a big test for the short term for the new car, but that's just it. It's just the short term."
But the public isn't going to wait long to make its opinion, and drivers are going to get asked every week about the new car as they trek from track to track.
"I'm not so sure that it's so much about the Gen-6 or the Gen-5 or the Gen-2," veteran driver Jeff Burton said. "It's there are so many teams that are really good. … The key to passing is to be faster than them.
"If you are going to run a half-tenth faster than somebody at Vegas, at Martinsville, at Phoenix, you're not going to (be good enough to) pass them. How can you? We all miss that."
NASCAR officials hoped the new car gave teams more ways to make their cars better. They made the cars 160 pounds lighter, removed the rear sway bar and allowed teams to get more aggressive with the angles of their tires, known as camber. With each manufacturer having slightly different body styles, there could be less parity from track to track.
"We're so early into it, you're making a mistake if you comment on the worst or the greatest racing ever," NASCAR vice president of competition Robin Pemberton said.
"The first part of the season we run in so many different racetracks and we're so busy. … When they get to that Easter break (there is no race March 31), they'll get a chance to settle in and to look at the information they have at hand, then they'll start to make those improvements on the car."
Hamlin noted last week that he didn't pass all that many cars on the track to get from where he started, in the rear of the field, to third at the time of the finish. He believes he passed most of the cars thanks to pit strategy.
Burton said he was able to go from 20th to ninth at Phoenix over a 69-lap green-flag run.
"Here's the great paradox: If we want great competition and we take 25 cars and we make them all run the same speed, isn't it going to be difficult to pass?" Burton said.
"But if we take 25 cars and we make the first guy two-tenths faster than the second guy (and so on), we get two cars on the lead lap like we had in the '80s."
One key to passing could be tires. Last week's tires did not wear out and few teams took four tires on any one stop during the race. They more often opted for two.
Drivers didn't have to worry about tire wear — when a tire wears, it loses grip and that often can mean different cars handle better throughout a run, which wound increase passing.
What drivers did have to worry about was excessive brake heat melting the beads that are part of the tire construction. It wasn't just limited to Cup cars — Kevin Harvick had a melted bead in the Nationwide race and then Stewart-Haas Racing teammates Danica Patrick and Ryan Newman in the Cup race.
Patrick crew chief Tony Gibson said he thinks Patrick's issue might have been a puncture instead of a melted bead.
"It's kind of hard sometimes when it happens because with the wreck that happens after that can sometimes take away the evidence of what actually caused it," said Stewart, co-owner of the Patrick and Newman cars, not sounding convinced all the problems were heat related.
NASCAR officials are preaching patience despite a heavy marketing push about how great the car would look.
"We blame it on the car, we blame it on tires — we've never had this many cars running this close," Burton said. "That's my humble opinion.
"It won't be popular among many drivers. I'm not an engineer, but it seems like common sense to me."


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For the last two years, Bob's Red Mill has released a desk calendar. We send it out to some of our friends and business partners as part of our holiday greeting in December. We don't print very many and it's likely you've never seen one. The last two years we featured great artwork and photography of our products and facility. This year we are doing something totally different and a bit more fun, if you ask me. We're featuring our employees doing what they love. This is includes all sorts of things, after all, we're a pretty eclectic group. You'll see folks doing what makes them passionate, everything from playing a round of golf to swing dancing!
We all know that Bob is passionate about stone milling, but he's also very passionate about his other loves- his beautiful wife Charlee and his two Model-A Fords (Gertie and Clara). Here are some shots from his photo shoot last week.


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NetWellness is a global, community service providing quality, unbiased health information from our partner university faculty. NetWellness is commercial-free and does not accept advertising.
Monday, September 25, 2017
Gum Diseases
White spot on upper gums
I was bleaching my teeth using trays when I felt a stinging sensation above my upper left front tooth. I quickly took the trays off and rinsed my mouth out. I saw that there was a white spot. It was like the bleaching activated a color change and it is now a tiny bit sensitive. Do I have some sort of gum disease? Should I see a dentist? What could this be? Thank you. :)
From what you have stated this appears to be a normal reaction when the tissue has been exposed to the whitening material. It is a chemical burn similar to a blister. If it is minor, it will heal quickly in a few days and typically does not leave any marks. If you are concerned or have more sensitivity, a dentist could verify this and check it.
In the future to prevent this, use much less material and wipe off any that creeps up onto the gingiva. Another good indication of using too much is if you taste the material.
Wendy J Moore, RDH, EFDA, BS, MS
Clinical Associate Professor of Dental Hygiene
College of Dentistry
The Ohio State University


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2 ct. t.w. Round-Cut Diamond Tennis Bracelet (G-H, SI2-I1)
Item #: 497998 | Model #: AJ-5301 |
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About this item14K white gold tennis bracelet set with sixty-two .023 ct. white round brilliant-cut diamonds.
This 2 ct. t.w. tennis bracelet is set with sixty-two .023 ct. white round brilliant-cut diamonds, G-H in color and SI2-I1 in clarity. The mounting is 14K white gold. The diamonds are set in 4-prong settings and the mounting is a square base design. This bracelet has a double safety catch and a high polish finish.
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ACT Presents Open Captioned Performance of A CHRISTMAS CAROL 11/16
American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) will offer an open captioned performance of A Christmas Carol, the Bay Area's favorite holiday tradition, on Sunday, December 16, at 5:30 p.m., at A.C.T.'s Geary Theater (415 Geary Street, San Francisco). Special seats have been reserved for hearing-impaired audience members who would like an optimal view of the digital screen. These tickets (located in the Orchestra section) are $30 per person and available by visiting www.act-sf.org/carol and entering the code CAPTION10 or by calling A.C.T. at 415.749.2228.
The use of open captions in theater has gained worldwide attention and support for its ease of integration and program enhancement and has introduced a wave of new audiences to the theater. Open captioning displays text alongside live speech, dialogue, and singing. It does not require patrons to use special equipment for viewing the text. Open captioning services for A.C.T. are provided by Turner Reporting and Captioning Services.
Featuring a lively cast of dozens, delightful music, gorgeous costumes, and spooky ghosts, A Christmas Carol is a cornerstone of the A.C.T. repertory and has become a holiday tradition for families all around the San Francisco Bay Area. Since it began performances at A.C.T. 36 years ago (and continuing in its second adaptation, which premiered in 2005), A Christmas Carol has been performed more than 1,000 times to date to a collective audience of more than 800,000, A Christmas Carol has employed nearly 1,000 actors and 600 backstage staff members. This version of A Christmas Carol, adapted by Paul Walsh and Carey Perloff, stays true to the heart of Dickens' timeless story of redemption and brings a playful sensibility to his rich language.
A Christmas Carol runs November 30–December 24, 2012. Tickets for all performances are on sale now and may be purchased at act-sf.org or by calling 415.749.2228.


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Tinsley to Nuggets? Possibly Monday
Pacers would get guard Adkins, center Hunter in the purported trade
By Mike Wells
Embattled point guard Jamaal Tinsley remained an Indiana Pacer on Friday, but there is a "strong possibility" he could be traded to the Denver Nuggets as early as Monday, a person familiar with the situation said.
A second person confirmed trade discussions were ongoing and said the Pacers will look for another partner if it falls through.
Both teams denied a report Friday morning that the deal already was done, pending Tinsley passing a physical. Nuggets coach George Karl told Denver reporters he laughed at the possibility.
"I don't think there's anything to it," Karl said.
"It's erroneous," Nuggets vice president of basketball operations Mark Warkentien told ESPN.com. "Did Dewey beat Truman?"
Pacers president Larry Bird issued a statement through a team spokesman saying they're "not going to comment on trade rumors" involving their players.
The proposed deal would send point guard Chucky Atkins and center Steven Hunter to the Pacers. Both would have backup roles with the Pacers.
Atkins will make $3.2 million this season and $3.5 million next season, with $760,000 of it guaranteed. He is expected to be out until at least next month following right knee surgery last month. The 7-foot Hunter will make $3.9 million this season and $3.7 million next season. Tinsley will make $21.5 million over the next three seasons. The trade would benefit both teams. The Nuggets need a point guard, and the Pacers would save money, get two players with shorter contracts and, more important, end their relationship with Tinsley.
The trade, however, also would give the Pacers 17 players under contract, two more than the NBA allows. They would have to release or trade two players by the Oct. 27 deadline. They would have to release or trade another if Austin Croshere makes the team.
Tinsley's past three seasons have been marked by injuries limiting his availability and several off-court issues that negatively impacted the franchise. Coach Jim O'Brien lost confidence in Tinsley after last season, and the Pacers told him to stay away from the team while they pursued a trade.
"Unfortunately for Jamaal, some things happened off the court that basically led to this situation," said center Jeff Foster, who has been Tinsley's teammate since 2001. "I think it's best for both parties to go their separate ways, and I think he probably feels the same way. He's probably anxious for something to happen and start new somewhere."


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UNDY V COUNTY (Tonight KO 6.30)
NEWPORT County boss Justin Edinburgh has waved goodbye to three members of last season's squad as he continues to reshape for the coming campaign.
The Exiles boss is ready for County's first season at Rodney Parade and has already presided over a huge overhaul of the playing personnel ahead of tonight's first pre-season game.
Elliott Buchanan, Lee Baker, Glyn Thompson and Darryl Knights have been released while skipper Gary Warren and midfielder Sam Foley have joined Inverness and Yeovil respectively.
There were only two members of last season's ranks whose future was undecided in Jake Reid and Romone Rose and the Argus can reveal neither will be at Newport next season.
Rose is poised to sign an agreement with an unnamed club and Reid will be allowed to find another employer.
County are also close to coming to terms on the release of winger Felino Jardim.
The Dutch winger penned a two-year deal last summer under previous manager Anthony Hudson but found it hard to establish himself in the side.
He was infrequently picked by Hudson and completely discarded by Edinburgh.
It is understood Jardim will formally leave the club next week.
Winger Rose, signed on non-contract terms after an unsuccessful spell in Thailand and a graduate of the QPR academy, was highly rated by boss Edinburgh on arrival.
It had been expected that he would stay on this season having been selected frequently last term, including in the FA Trophy final at Wembley where he missed a vital chance in the opening exchanges.
Reid played a key role in the league run-in, but hasn't persuaded Edinburgh to offer him further terms.
Of the other departed players, the Argus has learned that Knights may well remain in the Conference and under the tutelage of a former Spurs player.
He has been training with AFC Telford, managed by former Tottenham and Sheffield Wednesday winger Andy Sinton.
Meanwhile, Blue Square Bet Conference North outfit Worcester are considering signing both Thompson and Baker.
County will field several trialists in tonight's clash at Undy including ex-Neath players Kerry Morgan and Chris Jones.
The Exiles hope to make several signings before the Conference kicks off on August 11 but nothing is imminent.
Two players won't feature tonight due to minor injuries, strikers Jake Harris and Jefferson Louis.


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Garza shuts out Reds to end Brewers' skid
Ramirez drives in Milwaukee's only run, but that's all Crew would need
CINCINNATI -- With runs at a premium on a sunny summer Saturday, Matt Garza needed to be nearly perfect.
Fortunately for the Brewers, he was just that.
Delivering exactly the sort of start that prompted the Brewers to open their pocketbook in January, Garza retired the first 12 Reds he faced and allowed only two hits over all nine innings of the Brewers' 1-0 win at Great American Ball Park.
When Joey Votto fanned at a 95-mph fastball to end the game, Garza had his ninth strikeout of the afternoon and his first shutout since throwing a no-hitter for the Rays against the Tigers in 2010. By avoiding what would have been their first five-game losing streak this season, the Brewers boosted their lead in the National League Central back to five games over the second-place Cardinals, 5 1/2-games over the third-place Pirates and seven games over the fourth-place Reds.
"We were talking earlier today that we needed one of our pitchers to have a big game," said Brewers manager Ron Roenicke. "That was a big game."
It was also a rare one.
• Garza became only the seventh opponent to pitch a shutout in 12 years at high-scoring Great American Ball Park, and the first in more than three years. The last was the Pirates' Charlie Morton, who won a 5-0 game on May 18, 2011.
• It was the Reds' 930th regular-season game in this ballpark, but only the 15th 1-0 game. Four have come this season, three of which were won by the visitors.
• It was the 24th shutout with two or fewer hits in Brewers history, but only the third such performance in the past five seasons and the sixth since 1991. No Brewers pitcher had struck out as many batters and allowed as few hits in a shutout since CC Sabathia's contested one-hitter at PNC Park in August 2008.
"I just kept attacking," Garza said. "I had a plan and just stuck with it. Me and 'Luc' [catcher Jonathan Lucroy], like we talk before every game, and the plan just worked. We went after these guys and we challenged them."
Garza was perfect through four innings on only 36 pitches, 22 of them strikes. Brandon Phillips erased hopes of a perfect game with a sharp single leading off the fifth inning, and Jay Bruce followed by becoming the first Reds batter to reach a three-ball count.
When Bruce smacked a line drive right at Brewers first baseman Mark Reynolds, who stepped on the base to complete a double play, Garza began a second phase of his outing, one in which he threw nearly twice as many pitches over his second four innings of work (66) as he had through the first four. But Garza worked around a one-out double in the sixth inning, a two-out walk in the seventh and a one-out walk in the eighth. He was at 102 pitches entering the ninth inning with the top of the Reds order coming up, and asked Roenicke for a shot at a shutout.
The manager obliged, and Garza rewarded him with a 1-2-3 ninth inning, featuring a pair of long fly-outs and Votto's game-ending strikeout. It finished Garza's 10th career complete game and fourth shutout.
"He was right today. He has it in him," Lucroy said. "That's what he's capable of doing. If he can continue doing that right there, we're going to be in pretty good shape, I think. That's pretty impressive."
"This is probably his fourth, fifth game in a row that he's thrown the ball well," Roenicke said. "I'm hoping, this being the best of them, that this will get him back in that groove where he reels off a couple of months of great ballgames."
Brewers hitters tried to aid Garza's efforts, but after Lucroy scored in the first inning on Aramis Ramirez's RBI single, found themselves stymied by Reds starter Homer Bailey and the Cincinnati defense. In the sixth inning and again in the seventh, the Brewers challenged the arm of Reds right fielder Bruce by sending a runner home with two outs, only to see the runner thrown out on relays started by Bruce.
"You have to do it," Roenicke said of sending the runners both times. "It's going to be tough to score runs, going to be tough to put together a lot of hits in a row off of Bailey, and I think when you get the opportunity, you make them have to make a great play. And they did."
Garza won anyway.
"We needed a break and we needed to win, and we came through today," Garza said. "Bailey threw the ball well, too. Shoot, he had that one hiccup in the first and then it was just a straight street fight between the two teams today. It was a good game."
Adam McCalvy is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Brew Beat, and follow him on Twitter at @AdamMcCalvy. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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DEL REY, Calif. (AP) â?? Small farms throughout the U.S. are looking for creative ways to set themselves apart from the massive agribusinesses that dominate the nation's produce aisles.
As family operations find that survival requires more than just selling crops, they're cashing in where the corporate giants can't by giving a the public a chance to share the experience and flavor of small farm life.
Across the nation, small farms are selling products such as jam, olive oil and lemonade. And they're writing books, hosting dinners and renting rooms.
Statistics show such practices are growing. According to the most recent data, small farms generated $10 billion in 2007 from activities other than crop or livestock wholesale â?? an increase of nearly 80 percent from 2002.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Barrington Broadcasting is a member of the AP Network.


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|210 lbs of Power Rod Resistance Standard
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Gym-style vertical workout position. Reinforced "X"-shaped base for maximum stability.
5-Way Hand-Grip/Ankle Cuffs
Our unique handgrip is designed to add flexibility and performance to any workout. Functions include a Regular Grip, Non-Grip Cuff, Ankle Cuff, Foot Cuff and a Shoulder Cuff.
Multiple cable/pulley positions
Designed to change your angle of resistance - increases the effectiveness of many exercises.
Owner's Manual/Fitness Guide
Complete with detailed instructions for each exercises.
Product Features


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Faculty at UT Arlington, UT El Paso Win Innovations in Education Awards
AUSTIN – One faculty member used a computerized mannequin to simulate real-world emergency room scenarios in her nursing program; the other enlisted the aid of more than 100 community partners in El Paso to make service learning a part of the student experience.
And for their creative teaching approaches, Judy LeFlore of UT Arlington and Kathleen Staudt of UT El Paso were named this year's winners of the University of Texas System's Innovations in Education Awards.
The awards are presented annually to UT System faculty who produce cutting-edge teaching methods that have proven to be effective in classrooms and laboratories. Each award comes with a $5,000 prize.
"These professors highlight the innovative strategies that many of our faculty members demonstrate at each of our institutions throughout the System," said Dr. Kenneth I. Shine, UT System chancellor ad interim. "We congratulate them for their efforts and hope that these creative approaches, which already have produced impressive results, serve as shining examples for future curricula across Texas and the country."
The awards, funded by the UT System Chancellor's Council, were presented at the group's annual meeting in Austin on May 2.
"We are delighted to offer these awards to very deserving individuals who are the embodiment of fine teaching. We believe that there are many, many fine examples of extraordinary effort in the faculty ranks across our system and the Chancellor's Council is pleased to recognize these achievements," said Julius Glickman of Houston, chairman of the Chancellor's Council Executive Committee.
Faculty winners and their recognized programs are:
Judy LeFlore, Ph.D., director of the Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner program at UT Arlington: LeFlore applied simulation technology to recreate a "real-world" operating room or intensive care unit to train individuals and teams to deal with high-risk, low-volume medical emergencies. In some cases, LeFlore used a computerized mannequin or human patient simulator (HPS), to simulate emergency situations and in others she incorporated scripted actors to portray actual patients. These simulated clinical environments encourage students to become active participants, think critically and become part of the educational experience.
Kathleen Staudt, Ph.D., professor, Department of Political Science/director of the Center for Civic Engagement, UT El Paso: Through collaboration with more than 100 community partners in the El Paso region, Staudt has helped transform UTEP faculty members' teaching strategies and reshape students' learning experiences. In the past 10 years, the Center of Civic Engagement has contributed close to 300,000 hours of community service, giving students the opportunities to earn partial credit in programs such as tutoring adults in English as a Second Language courses and making presentations to middle- and high school students on voting, pathways to college and financial literacy.
About the Chancellor's Council:
Founded in 1965 by the UT System Board of Regents and campus development leaders, the Chancellor's Council encourages continuous public and private support of Texas higher education and advances the mission and goals of the UT System and its institutions. Besides the Innovations in Education Awards, the council also funds the Health Fellows program, which aims to enhance faculty collaborations and achievements, and various communications projects.
About the University of Texas System
The UT System is one of the nation's largest higher education systems, with nine academic campuses and six health institutions. The UT System has an annual operating budget of $10.7 billion (FY 2008) including $2.3 billion in research funded by federal, state, local and private sources. Student enrollment exceeded 194,000 in the 2007 academic year. The UT System confers more than one-third of the state's undergraduate degrees and educates nearly three-fourths of the state's health care professionals annually. With more than 81,000 employees, the UT System is one of the largest employers in the state.


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A plantation shutter helps you control airflow in your room and your own privacy. These blinds are also good if you are looking for insulation against noise and light. You can care for them at a very low maintenance cost. In addition to being easy to use these are also allergy free. We offer complete range of window coverings including plantation shutters and:
Here are some other reasons why you should choose us when looking for plantation shutters:
With My Home Blinds and Curtains Eltham North, you can get plantation shutters or any other kind of blind almost for any industry. Some of these are:


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Medical marijuana bill: 'They get a quality of life back'
ROSEBURG, Ore. -- Some people in Roseburg are rejoicing, after Governor Kitzhaber signed a medical marijuana dispensaries bill.
For the first time, medical marijuana dispensaries are legal in Oregon.
Joyce Strop, co-owner of the Absolute Caring Cannabis Clinic, says she couldn't be happier. "Oh, it's wonderful," she said.
The bill gives the Oregon Health Authority the power to regulate dispensaries.
KPIC News spoke with the owner of a medical marijuana dispensary in Roseburg, although she declined to go on camera and identified herself only as "J."
The dispensary is located on Hooker Road across from Costco. It's called The Green House, and 'J' says she's gotten some criticism from people who do not like medical marijuana at all.
To those against it, she says medical marijuana can help people in a way pills never could.
The owners of the Cannabis Clinic agree. "They get a quality of life back," said co-owner Doyline Sousa.
"They're not just lethargic from taking so many pain pills," said Strop. "They're able to do stuff."


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2013 F.A.N.tastic Fridays November Spotlight
Friday, November 22 – 7:30 – 8 p.m.
David R. Pinn Community Center – 10225 Zion Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030
This free drop-in program is for individuals on the autism spectrum ages 2 – 22 years old and their families. The November Spotlight activity is "Fall into Art" for everyone to enjoy. We will be focusing primarily on creativity more than ability. Enjoy a variety of fun sensory activities before and after the Art Class. Other leisure activities are also available.
For more information call 703-250-9181, TTY 711 or e-mail email@example.com
Fairfax County is committed to nondiscrimination on the basis of disability in all county programs, services and activities. Reasonable accommodations will be provided upon request. For more information, call 703-324-4600, TTY 711.


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Moscow Conceptualism
(movement, 1970-1980's)
Early 1970s -1980s. Moscow Conceptualism emancipated art from the social realist tradition which for so long had been the doxa in Russia, making art again autonomous from official society, being both a critique and still more important a possible alternative. It proposes a mode of artistic behaviour, both linked to reality and striving to transcend it through radical choices. This return to the real a microcosm, potentially a macrocosm can be seen as a return to common sense.
Artists Moscow Conceptualism:
- alb - zve
This angelic moment is till now the defining reference for contemporary art practice in Russia, its second avant-garde. It is the central strand in the history of Russian contemporary art from the sixties till the late eighties and as such continues to be a ground for artists in Russia up till today…
...As Mr. Bartelik points out, it was Ilya Kabakov (born in 1933) who 'played a crucial role in preparing the immediate ground for Soviet Conceptualism and then in its flowering,' especially thanks to his albums that blend drawing and writing. A figure of more than local consequence, Mr. Kabakov has, since the opening of contact between Soviet artists and the West in the Gorbachev era, emerged as one of the world's leading artists…


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Use AOTA's Occupational Profile template to improve your documentation.
Learn how to use the new OT CPT® Evaluation codes correctly.
Occupational therapy consistently ranks high as one of the top jobs.
Read recent news articles about occupational therapy.
Find out how occupational therapy helps people with polytraumatic injuries.
Stephanie Yamkovenko
Although October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month, occupational therapy practitioners work with this population every day of the year. One in every 733 babies born in the U.S., or 400,000 Americans, has Down syndrome, a genetic condition that alters the course of development and can cause cognitive delays (National Down Syndrome Society, 2008).
Occupational therapy practitioners work with persons with Down syndrome to help them master skills for independence through self-care like feeding and dressing, fine and gross motor skills, school performance, and play and leisure activities.
Research, education, and advocacy have led to advances in therapy, which have had a huge effect on the opportunities available to individuals with Down syndrome. The life expectancy has increased dramatically in recent decades—from 25 years old in 1983 to 60 years old today—and people with Down syndrome are graduating high school, going to college, participating in social and recreational activities in their communities, making up a vibrant part of the workforce, living independently, and advocating for their rights.
Occupational therapy practitioners guide individuals with Down syndrome and their families to help them reach their potential throughout the life span. Occupational therapy intervention should begin as soon as a diagnosis of Down syndrome is established, and should continue throughout the individual's life.
During infancy, occupational therapy practitioners can help mothers whose children are having feeding problems because of weak muscles in their cheeks, tongue, and lips. During early childhood, therapy can focus on mastering motor skills for independence, focusing on low muscle tone, loose ligaments at the joints, and visual and auditory deficits (Bruni, 2001).
"A therapist can help parents place expectations that are appropriate to the ability of the child," says Asha Asher, MA, OTR/L, chairperson of AOTA's Developmental Disabilities Special Interest Section (DDSIS). "[An occupational therapy practitioner] can suggest positioning or adaptations that might help the child become more independent."
School-aged children with Down syndrome benefit from an occupational therapy practitioner's ability to address self-care skills like zipping a jacket, and fine and gross motor skills like cutting with scissors or completing multistep classroom routines to facilitate participation in school activities.
Occupational therapy practitioners can also assist in the classroom by enhancing the child's communication skills through printing, handwriting, and keyboarding. Other issues addressed are adaptations to the classroom—such as the position of desks and chairs—for optimal performance, based on the child's physical abilities (Bruni, 2001).
Adults with Down syndrome benefit from occupational therapy in finding and retaining productive work, learning independent living skills, and participating in active recreation for health maintenance.
"People with Down syndrome, like everyone else, are people first, each with their own unique gifts to contribute," says National Down Syndrome Society President John Colman. "Down syndrome awareness month provides a forum for dispelling stereotypes, educating the general public about their many abilities, and raising awareness for people with Down syndrome."
Occupational therapy can play an important role in assisting individuals with Down syndrome from diagnosis to adulthood. "Occupational therapy helps individuals with Down syndrome by creating programs to develop and utilize skills across the lifespan," says Asher. "[This enables] them to live life to its fullest."
Stephanie Yamkovenko is AOTA's staff writer.
Bruni, M. (2001). Occupational therapy and the child with Down syndrome. Retrieved October 3, 2008, from http://www.ds-health.com/occther.htm
National Down Syndrome Society. (2008). October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month. Retrieved October 3, 2008, from http://www.ndss.org/images/stories/NDSSresources/pdfs/octoberdownsyndrome.pdf


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Since the draft is over for ABA I imagine not everyone is logging into the site daily. So I thought I'd post the evidence here and direct y'all to vote at Hoops.Sports.ws. And don't miss out on Nash's nifty pre-season voting extravaganza.
I would imagine this is satisfactory, but if more is needed I'm sure I can find it. Evidence isn't scarce...
Yahoo Sports
Reggie Williams Guard-Forward
FOX Sports
Reggie Williams Guard-Forward
Reggie Williams G-F
And if you look at the stat splits, they include As Starting G and As Starting F categories
Reggie Williams Guard / Forward
NBA Fanhouse
Undrafted and Undeterred: Long Shots Can Still Find NBA Success
"Williams and Tolliver were the biggest surprises in the bunch. Williams, a guard, averaged 15.2 points in 24 games after initially signing a 10-day deal in March, and Tolliver averaged 12.3 points and 7.3 rebounds in 44 games after first arriving on a 10-day deal in January."
Shooting guard Analysis - Five Potential Breakouts
"4. Reggie Williams - Dorell Wright is penciled in as the starting small forward for the Warriors, but we think Williams can still claim that job. Even as a sixth-man, his all-around production is worthy of fantasy rosters, but as a starter, he could be of supreme value on draft day."
Draft Express
Reggie Williams: Current - SG/SF, NBA - SG, Possible SG/SF
And then local coverage of the Warriors...
SF Gate
"In his last sentence, Smart allowed for a little intrigue. It seemed going into training camp that Charlie Bell would be the second-team point guard, with Reggie Williams, Rodney Carney, Brandan Wright and Lou Amundson playing backup 2-5, respectively." http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/...#ixzz12BkkXFOX
Matt Steinmetz, CSN Bay Area NBA Analyst
"BTW, when it comes to Stephen Curry's backup at PG, Lin isn't only one in mix. Reggie Williams is, too. That's right, Reggie Williams.
9:33 AM Sep 13th
Mercury News
"The ideal spot, in head coach Keith Smart's mind, is as an aggressive scorer off the bench. But in practice, the Warriors have used Williams some at point guard, allowing him to create opportunities and initiate the offense from the top."
"Do we have a bench? Reggie Williams and Lou Amundson are gamers. I have total faith that both will make nice contributions during limited minutes this year. After that, we have mystery wrapped in enigma. The back-up point guard spot is totally up for grabs it could be Lin, Bell, a walk-on or Ellis and Williams playing out of position."
"One of the goals of preseason is to get swingman Reggie Williams settled. Because of his versatility, Golden State has the option of using him at a few positions -- small forward, shooting guard, even some point forward."
Player Previews: The Guards - Reggie Williams...For last years injury riddled squad, Williams ran the point with surprising poise and mistake-free ease (nearly a 3:1 assist to turnover ratio in April). Hes not flashy, but he pushed the ball, found open men and kept the offense moving when Curry got a rare breather. He also showed a willingness to do the dirty work on the glass, mixing it up inside against bigger men. He was versatile enough to play 4 positions for the team last year, but on this years deeper squad his focus will likely be as a back-up 2, with some back-up 1 and 3 minutes as well."


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Our communities encompass many different hobbies and interests, but each one is built on friendly, intelligent membership.
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How to make green gooey slime
Impress your kids with this gooey green goo slime making activity. Green goo is a fun learning experience as they make their own slime with science. Kitchen science has never been this fun, so grab your ingredients and get gooing today!
Number of players:
What you need:
- 1/2 cup Elmer's school glue
- 1/2 cup cold water
- green food colouring
- 5 tbsp Borax laundry detergent (found in the cleaning aisle of supermarkets)
- 1 cup of hot water (just off the boil)
Put about 1/2 a cup of glue in a bowl, mix in half a cup of cold water.
Add some drops of green food colouring.
In a separate glass jug, dissolve a tablespoon of Borax into one cup of hot water. Add a few more teaspoons of Borax, a little at a time until no more Borax will dissolve into the water.
Add the Borax mixture to the gluey mixture and give it a stir. A blob should form in water. Pick the blob out and knead it until it takes shape as a sticky ball of goo.
Remember it is to be played with and not eaten!
You can keep your gooey green slime in a ziplock bag.
Learning benefits of play, craft and activities:
- Benefits of crafts for kids
- Craft ideas to make for babies
- Why reading is important
- Your child's development milestones
- Why play makes kids smarter
- The importance of outdoor play
- Types of play
- How craft helps unplug kids from screentime
Find more ideas for toddlers
- Eat, sleep and play ideas for toddlers
- Nursery rhyme lyrics
- Kids' songs and lullaby lyrics
- Games, crafts and activities for 2-year-olds
- How-to make your own toys videos
- 20 fun toddler activities and games
- Toddler play
- Solving toddler tantrums
- Craft ideas for 1-2 year olds
- Craft ideas for 2-3 year olds


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Man Expected To Be Charged In Assault Rifle Incident< < Back to
Athens County Sheriff Pat Kelly said charges are pending for a man whose family called 911 to report that he had fatally shot his dog and was refusing to put down an AK-47 assault rifle.
Kelly said the armed man apparently was delusional and was inside an Amesville home with an adult brother when deputies responded on Friday.
The man eventually surrendered to deputies without incident and was being evaluated by a mental health agency.
No other injuries were reported.
The sheriff said the armed man's brother told investigators he believed the man was delusional because he was going through withdrawal as he tried to give up drinking alcohol.
Authorities were not immediately releasing the man's name because he had not been charged.


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Topic: 4 years cancer free!!
I just want to share that May 24 and July 5 was 4 years for more transplants, making me cancer free and giving me the gift of life twice! Thank you God, 2 strangers and Dr. William Chapman and team for giving me the chance to say there is HOPE!!
This year on 4th of July God sent me a sign of HOPE, I met a women who was a 15 year liver cancer/transplant survivor!! The story is even more interesting because my hero Dr. Chapman was one her transplant surgeons at Vanderbilt Hospital!!!
To all our new "friends and fighters" there is HOPE!
Lots of prayers for all fighting and caring-Cathy


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Proud To Be Restored Church Mormon Mug
Product Color:
Product information
Your own personalized Mug Proud To Be Restored Church Mormon ensure that your morning coffee, or tee, or chocolate milk, tastes better. The ceramic ensure long durability and give your morning breakfast a sophisticated air, which will also keep your beverage hot longer.
No one can ruin your day after sipping from your favorite Proud To Be Restored Church Mormon mug. And if you aren't a morning person, our 11oz Restored Church Of Jesus Christ
Sku: TZ0WH0000024290909090869RE0000000


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For a long while, there was an industry in Japan called Nihonjin-ron: a
multimillion-dollar traffic in theories of the Japanese national
The Japanese of the 1960's and 70's discovered to their surprise, not only that they were prosperous, but that other people wanted to know more about them; suddenly they were aware that they didn't have any good explanations of what it meant to be Japanese, even amongst themselves. Theories of the national character became immensely popular. Everybody with a contribution to offer got a hearing: eminent sociologists, journalists, doctors, politicians. Foreigners were especially welcome to join in, and a good many of them did. The Japanese are the Japanese, we were told, because (a) they have a vertical society, (b) they were rice farmers for so many centuries, or because of (c) their dependency relations or (d) their management system or (e) their climate, or because (f ) they learn to use chopsticks in early childhood, or (g) their ancestors were nomadic horse drovers from Central Asia, or (h) all of the above, (i) none of the above, or (j) any of hundreds of other probable and improbable causes.
Curiously enough, Nihonjin-ron-ists are for the most part reluctant to talk about Japanese humor. What makes the Japanese laugh? If laughter is mentioned at all, it is only to say that the Japanese laugh when they are nervous or embarrassed: "another of those gossamer veils of reserve," writes one observer, "that partly . . . cover certain emotional reactions." The theories seem to share a common assumption that the inhabitants of these isles take themselves and the world around them too seriously to have funnybones.
Which is, of course, nonsense. You don't have to spend very much time in Japan, or with Japanese people, to notice that humor plays a substantial part in their lives. An outsider may not always be able to share the joke, but the Japanese certainly do laugh; what's more, they laugh in many different ways at a wide spectrum of things, from pie-in-the-face buffoonery and vaudeville monologues to witty political satires and bittersweet social comedies.
Understanding some Japanese humor is purely a language problem on the simplest level: there are comic characters and comic situations that, once you know roughly what's going on, are just as recognizable, just as funny to outsiders, as they are to the Japanese themselves. With other forms, you might need a much deeper understanding of the language to get the point at all; a fairly large proportion of Japanese humor is in fact verbal humor. And inevitably, there is humor that it doesn't even help to understand: you can know exactly what's being said and still not know why it's funny. This sort of humor is only accessible if you can think like a Japanese -- a very difficult requirement indeed.
As it happens, that last category is surprisingly small. For this article, we talked to a novelist and a storyteller; we sifted jokes and satiric poetry and comic books. From the outset, we decreed ourselves only one principle: nothing kills a joke deader than an explanation. We wanted material, in other words, that spoke for itself, even in translations, and we didn't have to look very far for it. For the casual visitor, there really isn't enough of that sort of translation around; so we hope we've been able to add a little to the supply.
Tall Tales and Purple Cushions
When you tell funny stories for a living in Japan, you don't stand up in front of your audience: you sit -- on a purple cushion, in formal kimono -- and ply your trade with a fan.
The trade is called rakugo; the storyteller is a rakugo-ka. Scholars trace the origins of rakugo back some 400 years, to a period when Japan was cut up into feudal baronies invading, betraying and generally making life miserable for one another. It was not wise for a warlord to sleep too early or too well, for fear of assassins; very often he had a retainer called an otogi-shu, whose job it was to keep his master up, amusing him with anecdotes and stories and bits of odd news. By the early 17th century, Japan was at peace again, under the Tokugawa Shoguns, and the first collections of these stories began to appear in print.
By the 1670's, the raconteur had emerged as a professional entertainer, with a stall on a likely street corner, drawing crowds with the stories he made up, and passing the hat. Rakugo was known then as karukuchi, or "idle chatter." Monologues crafted in this period were handed down from generation to generation; they're still in the repertoire today, getting laughs from audiences that have probably heard them 10 or 20 times already. Some 500 of these tales have survived, but only 80 or so are actually performed. A professional rakugo-ka will usually specialize in stories on one theme -- samurai stories, townsman stories, dumb son stories, mother-in-law stories -- and work regularly with 30 or 40 of these. He will also add to the repertoire with stories of his own, on the lighter side of current events, discarding them often for fresh ones.
In the 18th century, the popularity of rakugo spread from Kyoto and Osaka east to Edo (present-day Tokyo); the eastern and western styles of delivery have different, fiercely loyal partisans. In Osaka, they say that Tokyo rakugo is pretentious and over-refined; in Tokyo, they argue that Osaka storytellers sink a little too far into low comedy.
Eventually, the rakugo-ka moved indoors, to become top attractions in the yose -- Japanese vaudeville. The first theater exclusively for rakugo was built in Edo in 1687; yose theaters, with their wider variety of entertainment, began to appear about 100 years later, offering three hours or so of light comedy at admission prices virtually anyone could afford. (In 1825, there were about 130 yose theatres in Tokyo; today there are only four.) One of the early greats of yose vaudeville, Sanshotei Karaku, is credited with the invention of sandai-banashi, a rakugo tour de force in which the storyteller takes three completely unrelated items at random from his audience, and weaves them instantly into a comic improvisation -- preferably with a pun in the punch line.
Over the years, rakugo developed subspecialties of all sorts: tales of pathos, called ninjo-banashi, tales of the supernatural; satires on the events of the day. Even so, as Japan modernized, vaudeville started losing audiences to music hall reviews and movies. Really hard times came in the 1930's and 1940's, when rakugo lost about half its repertoire to official censorship. (Military governments always seem to have very high standards of propriety.) After the war, however, the picture brightened. Television gave the rakugo-ka a new and vastly larger following; comedy born and bred in the cities was now beamed into homes all over the country. A weekly rakugo program on the Asahi network, on Friday nights at midnight, currently has between 600,000 and 700,000 viewers in the Kanto (Tokyo) area alone; there are rival programs on most networks.
Rakugo audiences today are mostly middle-aged and older, but young people are listening, too; it's rare to find a university in Japan without a rakugo club and a small band of devoted amateur performers. Very few of the amateurs turn pro, however: this is not an easy business to break into.
There are currently about 500 professional rakugo-ka; the number has grown by nearly 20% in the past 10 years. Almost all of them belong to one of three organizations (two in Tokyo and one in Osaka) that serve primarily as booking agencies. The Rakugo Geijutsu Kyokai in Tokyo, for example, represents 46 performers, scheduling appearances for them at the yose theaters (which change programs every 10 days) and out of town.
One of the things audiences enjoy most about rakugo is the rich fund of wordplay it uses. The Japanese language has vast numbers of words that sound exactly the same; depending on the way they are written, for example, koko can mean "a senior high school," "a mine shaft," "filial piety" or "pickled vegetables" -- or any one of 16 other things. With opportunities like that, the rakugo-ka is expected to be -- and is -- a master of the outrageous pun, the more outrageous the better. Equally important is the storyteller's dramatic talents: a mastery of dialects and voices, a mobile face, and an ability to create whole scenes with just a fan and a handtowel for props.
Rakugo characters and their misadventures would be at home on vaudeville stages anywhere in the world. A con artist deftly swindles a street vendor; his hapless fellow townsman tries the same ploy -- and fumbles. A doctor confronts a patient who has swallowed his glass eye. A samurai forgets the important message he's been sent to deliver, and needs some unusual help to jog his memory. Rakugo delights in come-uppances, but it is a gentle delight that finds its victims on all levels of society, rumpling the foolish and thumping the would-be wise, but leaving nobody very much the worse for wear.
What Makes Japanese Laugh?
The Art of Wordplay and Storytelling
For a long while, there was an industry in Japan called Nihonjin-ron: a
multimillion-dollar traffic in theories of the Japanese national


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Anyone can participate at Access Space, whatever a person's age, background and level of education or ability.
Whether this is helping with creative projects, technical tasks or practical activities, staff aim to facilitate learning through guided support and workshops, but we don't act as teachers. By talking with other participants in the space, participants acquire skills, knowledge and inspiration and build confidence - if you are interested in participating but think you don't have any skills to offer in return, just contributing to a laid back and productive atmosphere is enough to help many people.
Access Space promotes an environment of inclusion and one in which a huge variety of people work around each other, chat, offer help and often form friendships.
Software for home, business or creative use is often expensive and owned by large corporations. However, there is an established international movement which creates and promotes software that is free allows users to do exactly the same work as proprietary software.
This software is free software. Free Software is able to be copied and distributed anywhere, which gives anyone the freedom to learn from the code and change it. People across the world with the right technical knowledge are able to view and adapt the source code and the structural foundation upon which the software is built, which is an example of global peer learning.
We challenge the idea that investment in technology means buying hardware & software and put skills, knowledge and imagination centre stage. We suggest that a community can mobilise to create a learning resource more effective than support technicians or tutors. The Free Software Foundation explain:
'Free Software is about having control over the technology we use in our homes, schools and businesses, where computers work for our individual and communal benefit, not for proprietary software companies or governments who might seek to restrict and monitor us.'
At the moment we provide around 10 workstations for our participants to use. They are locally recycled computers so they don't look shiny and new, but thanks to a massive online community of software developers and the work of our technical team, they run the very latest free software. All of our software, including website templates, 2D and 3D design, video, audio and office programs, are completely free and available to everyone.
Access Space is a workspace, a social space, a creative space. There are quieter times, and busier times!