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Civil War Poster!
Note: Thank you for your interest in our posters. We no longer have the Civil War poster in stock, but you may print a copy or visit the interactive online version.
What can a quilt, a map, some photographs, a haversack, and a receipt tell you about the past? Thanks to Teachinghistory.org's new FREE poster, "How Do You Piece Together the History of the Civil War?," these objects can teach a lot about the Civil War and about how historians piece together the past.
This 24 x 36 inch poster features an engaging collage of primary sources and related questions that get students thinking about how we know what we know about the past, especially in relation to our country's most devastating conflict, the Civil War. The question, "How can geography impact a battle?," accompanies a map of Gettysburg while a slave receipt prompts students to think about the laws, economics, and people involved in the institution of slavery.
As a special bonus for teachers, Teachinghistory.org has created an interactive version of this poster with links to teaching materials and websites related to the Civil War. Topics include children's voices during the Civil War, African American perspectives, women's roles, Civil War era music, and emancipation, as well as military history and life on the battlefield.
This poster and online resources illustrate that it takes many sources and perspectives to develop a rich understanding of the Civil War in all of its complexity.
Interested in using this for
Interested in using this for meetings and with all the celebrations connected with the 150 year anniversaries over the next 4 years.
Using this in our 8th grade
Using this in our 8th grade American History classes.
it's a nice way to show
it's a nice way to show students how historians connect artifacts together to create a story of history
I want to use this to learn
I want to use this to learn more myself.
This poster can help my 8th
This poster can help my 8th graders understand how we know what we know. To most, it seems like everything in history class is from the way distant past. By looking into primary sources such as these, we find out what happened and develop historical empathy.
using to teach 9th grade
using to teach 9th grade
Will use this in 7th grade
Will use this in 7th grade American history class.
Interested in getting my
Interested in getting my college students (yes, the problems are the same!) thinking about human history as arising from human agency and also about human history as something that human beings create, not something that is there like Gibralter.
Enjoy using visuals
Enjoy using visuals
I would use this poster in
I would use this poster in our Military Museum, as we are just beginning the search for Civil War artifacts for our new expansion.
I plan to use the posters for
I plan to use the posters for 7th grade classes.
My Boy Scout Troop is going
My Boy Scout Troop is going to Gettysburg and the boys are showing a lot of interest in the Civil War. I want to help the boys continue the exploration of the Civil War in any way that I can.
Looking forward to using this
Looking forward to using this in my SC history course.
Using this to show how our
Using this to show how our ancestors lived in that era.
I am planning on teaching
I am planning on teaching History and am trying to start up my collection of posters to put on my walls in my future classroom. This will be an excellent start.
High School students.
High School students.
Use this for our 5th grade
Use this for our 5th grade class!
I love so much of the
I love so much of the information that I receive from you on a regular and this is one more item that I can use as my 8th grade explores the many perspectives of United States history.
thank you again,
Katrina A. Spicer
My school district, Berkeley
My school district, Berkeley County, in South Carolina approaches teaching history with a strong literacy element. I have retired from the classroom but now I teach graduate classes for teachers in the district so they can increase their storehouse of knowledge and resources. I can see this poster (and others that you might have with a similar format) being used among groups of teachers as they research and discuss their findings, and prepare for using similar resources with their own students. If it is possible for me to receive several copies of this and any other posters of this type, I would be most appreciative. Anything we can do to make the teacher's job easier and the learning more authentic, is very worthwhile.
Thank you for your help in this undertaking.
the kids luv everything about
the kids luv everything about history
I am interested in using this
I am interested in using this poster in my classroom.
I am very interested in using
I am very interested in using this poster for my tutoring group and home school.
We will use this poster to
We will use this poster to show the history of the United States and New Jersey's role during the war.
I plan on implementing the
I plan on implementing the poster into my lessons on the civil war. It provides a great visual that will promote discussion as well as integrate into my writing.
In response to "My school
In response to "My school district, Berkeley County, in South Carolina approaches teaching history with a strong literacy element..."
Contact firstname.lastname@example.com with your mailing address, and we'd be happy to send you copies of this poster and our Historical Thinking poster.
- Lara Harmon
Senior Research Associate
I will use this in my 7th
I will use this in my 7th grade American History Class
I want to use this poster in
I want to use this poster in my traveling Civil War diorama. It will be great!
I am a new teacher in Rock
I am a new teacher in Rock Springs, Wyoming. We teach a unit on the Civil War and Reconstruction. I believe using primary sources in my classroom instruction will enhance my students' learning of history.
This poster would definitely
This poster would definitely help students in my eighth grade classes.i
Our eighth grade students
Our eighth grade students finish the year studying the Civil War and last year did an interdisciplinary research project with their Language Arts class. This poster would be really helpful.
This poster will augment the
This poster will augment the traveling exhibit, "Divided Loyalties: Civil War Documents from the Missouri State Archives" which Murrell Library will host from January 9 through February 24, 2012. The Library's exhibits and programs are always free and open to the public. Thank you for this timely offer!
I got the History Channel
I got the History Channel 1861 Civil War DVD set for Christmas and would love to have this free poster to go with it. I can already tell it would really help complete the unit!!! Can't wait to get this unit started :)
This poster will definitely
This poster will definitely enhance our Civil War unit
plan to give this to my
plan to give this to my daughters 5th grade teacher.
For my 8th grade classes!
For my 8th grade classes!
Great wat to visually show
Great wat to visually show the students about history.


text:
Tom Patronella
Assistant Building Engineer
Thanks for joining us today! New to St. Luke's? Click Here Please explore our entire website to learn about Sunday School and small groups and more for Adults, Student and Children by clicking the minus sign at the bottom right side, and let us know how we can pray for you Here If this is your church home, you can participate with us in worship through giving on line Here If you are with us for the first time, let this gathering be our gift to you. We'd love to hear from you! Contact us here Here

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Heifer's India Adventure
7 Jan 2013 at 03:59
Tom joined Shila Devi as she worked with one of her students in the Koirganwa village in India. Shila teaches sewing in the village.
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Dr. Kenneth Morrison
Associate Professor (RETIRED)
Contact InformationEmail: email@example.com
Phone: 519.884.0710 ext.3842
Fax: 519.883.0969
Office Location: DAWB 5-147
Office Hours: Winter Term 2015: Monday, Wednesday & Friday 10:00 11:20 am
Academic BackgroundBA (York); MA (York); PhD (York)
BiographyAcademic Interests: history of social theory, social inequality, political sociology, sociology of knowledge.
Ken Morrison joined the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Laurier in 1989. He teaches classical sociological theory and sociology of crime and deviance. His interests include history of social theory, theories of the state, sociology of knowledge and history of written literacy. His most recent publication is entitled Marx, Durkheim and Weber: Formations of Modern Social Thought, published by Sage (1995).


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Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies
While most people are thinking of healthy meals and exercising, I've been thinking of these cookies. I made these cookies a while ago and to take on a weekend trip with friends. They were a bit hit. They combine sweet and salty into every bit. The pretzel sticks in the chocolate chip cookies also give a nice little crunch.
I always use Ghirardelli bittersweet chips in my cookies because I love the size of the chips almost as much as the flavor. They're a bit bigger but flatter than the standard Nestle chocolate chips. If you see the Ghirardelli chips in your supermarket, I definitely recommend trying them!
Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yield: ~5 dozen
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, slightly softened
1 cup packed dark brown sugar - I used light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups coarsely crushed pretzel sticks
2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugars until creamy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, mixing until combined after each. Mix in vanilla. Gradually add dry ingredients into the butter mixture and beat just until incorporated. Add crushed pretzels and mix briefly to combine. Fold in chocolate chips.
Drop dough using a tablespoon cookie scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets and flatten dough balls slightly. Place into the oven and bake cookies until they are lightly golden around the edges, about 9 to 13 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cookies cool for a couple minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Recipe from Culinary in the Country
7 Responses to "Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies"
Those look amazing! Pretzels and chocolate are a delicious combo! Thanks for the recipe!
I love it! Everyone IS thinking about health and I can't stop thinking about cake! 😉
These look yummy!
mmm I bet those add a nice crunch! sounds great!
Oh man oh man oh man! I love this combo! My local frozen custard place makes a sweet n' salty combo just like it. Now I'm gonna have to make the cookies for when I can't get my custard fix.
I made these last week after reading your post; they were awesome!
I just made these, and they're So good! I posted about it at http://www.teresacooks.com
I've got my eye on the cookie dough brownies next, I like your style!
I made these tonight, they taste really good. I didn't follow your exact recipe. I only used about 1 1/4 c pretzels. I wish I had used more. My only issue is that the pretzels didn't stay crispy. I really enjoy your blog.


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George W. Bush's presidential library was dedicated Thursday, an event that brought the 43rd president back into the spotlight in a way he hasn't been since leaving office in 2009.
Bush is experiencing something of a comeback in the minds of the American people, with nearly half - 47 percent - now approving of the job he did in office.
With that in mind, we thought it was worth highlighting Bush's seven best moments as president - moments that look (for now) as though they will be remembered by historians as successes. Below that we highlight his worst moments.


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FLOWER MOUND - In the months before, it was just Tammi Vajda and several others who came to Town Council meetings.
They were outnumbered by other Flower Mound residents who favored natural gas drilling in town. They called Vajda names.
"My husband asked me why I did this," Vajda said. After one brutal meeting in late 2009 - when some mineral owners called her a Zionist and a tree-hugging liberal - he all but stopped coming to meetings with her.
That night, in January 2010, the tables were turning.
More than 600 people filled the council chambers. The overflow room was standing room only. People stood in the foyer and the hallways. Crowds of people stood in the parking lot, waiting to get inside for their chance to speak.
"It was a watershed moment," Vajda said.
Now residents were angry that the Town Council had rejected a moratorium on new drilling permits. Now Vajda sat in the employee break room with some of the same people who had called her names.
Now that they were outnumbered, she wanted to ask them how it felt. But she didn't.
Vajda and her friends took a page from the same playbook that the gas industry had used to get so many people to sign leases. In late 2009, they printed out fliers and went door to door, explaining the potential impacts of shale gas production.
They convinced some people not to sign. From others who had already leased, Vajda learned that land men had enlisted at least one neighbor to cash in the trust he had in the neighborhood to help make deals. Then he moved away, Vajda said.
Vajda and the others had tailored their message. Men wanted to talk about money. How much would leasing really bring? Would it affect their home value? Women listened to concerns about health and safety.
One woman called Vajda after finding the flier on her front door. They knew each other through their daughters' school. Vajda spent a long time listening to the woman's doubts. She couldn't believe that natural gas drilling and production would be allowed anywhere in Flower Mound. She would not be convinced that it was going on right under her nose, Vajda said.
Vajda sent her links to various pages on the town's website and blogs about gas production in Flower Mound.
"This wasn't something that was written about in the mayor's monthly message," Vajda said.
Vajda was not surprised at the news that some of the shale gas companies had promoted military-style psychological operations in communities where they worked. She and other Barnett Shale area residents have seen the tactics that blur the line between information and influence in local governance.
During a November conference for public relations professionals in the shale gas industry in Houston, some practitioners encouraged their peers to adopt counterinsurgency tactics. An employee of an environmental group registered for and attended the event, and later released her personal recordings after becoming concerned about what she heard.
Ponder, for example, wanted to fast-track its updates in early 2011, after Devon began drilling next to its largest neighborhood. Devon's representatives frequently offered their assistance during the process, including presenting the Town Council with the company's edits to the ordinance the night the council was scheduled to adopt the new rules.
Denton started work on an ordinance overhaul in 2009 amid public anger over the City Council's vote to let Range Resources drill inside the Rayzor Ranch development near homes, a city park and a hospital. Some council members said they opposed drilling at the location but feared the company would follow through on a threat to sue if they denied it.
It was Range Resources' director of corporate communications and public affairs, Matt Pitzarella, who told fellow conferees of his company's discovery that psy-ops veterans were well-suited for local community work. Pitzarella did not return a call for comment.
City leaders have treaded carefully ever since the legal threat, inviting industry-related representatives to serve alongside city staff and residents on a drilling task force to help write a new code.
Industry representatives were quick to volunteer for the panel, although not everyone who volunteered was picked, said Mark Cunningham, the city's planning director.
"They want to be there so they can evaluate what's being proposed so that it doesn't amount to overkill and to ensure we understand the processes involved in their operations," he said.
Residents involved in the push for stronger regulations said they feared the task force was tilted in the industry's favor. Council member Kevin Roden, who campaigned last year on tougher drilling regulations, helped form a separate advisory committee to seek more public input.
"I've always been interested in a very robust citizen involvement in a process like this," Roden said. "Anytime you have a town hall meeting on this, it's not like you have a ton of citizens coming out in support of more gas drilling in Denton. In fact, it's quite the opposite."
Industry representatives have sat on ordinance committees from the smallest towns, such as Bartonville, to the largest cities of the shale, including Flower Mound, Fort Worth and Dallas, as they rewrote rules.
Corinth appointed three residents as voting members of a committee that rewrote its ordinance, none with ties to the industry.
Before adopting the ordinance, the Corinth City Council asked its planning director to draw a map similar to one drawn after the city adopted an ordinance forbidding a registered sex offender from residing within 2,500 feet of certain protected uses. Although the setback for gas production from protected uses was shorter - 1,000 feet in most cases - the maps were similar. They showed the activity limited to only a few areas of the city.
In the last legislative session, Texas cities saw the defeat of House Bill 3105, which would have limited what little authority cities have to regulate the industry locally. Similar legislation to limit a city's authority has been introduced in Pennsylvania.
Wealth without work
In walking their neighborhoods around the Hilliard pad site in Flower Mound, Vajda and others convinced enough people not to lease that the operator, Titan Operating, had to ask state regulators for an exception.
Operators are supposed to make a good faith effort to secure leases from all the mineral owners where they plan to drill. In some neighborhoods, like Vajda's, some homeowners have refused to lease to try to protect their property values.
But once operators secure enough leases in an area for a unit, they can ask the Texas Railroad Commission for a Rule 37 hearing on the unleased portions. Getting an exception to the rule, ostensibly to minimize the waste of natural resources, allows the operator to drill and not pay those mineral owners who haven't leased. Statewide, between August 2008 and September 2011, the Railroad Commission has granted 6,683 exceptions under Rule 37. Some well sites have had more than one exception granted, according to commission spokeswoman Ramona Nye.
Flower Mound resident Eric Jellison told Vajda and other landowners around the Hilliard site that he would help them fight the exception by paying for an attorney to represent them at a Railroad Commission hearing in Austin. He wanted to learn the process "backwards and forwards," he said, so when a Rule 37 fight came to his neighborhood, he would know what to do.
"I didn't care why people didn't sign, the reasons why they didn't want it - whether it was health concerns or property values," Jellison said. "People don't like being bullied into it - saying, 'Sign or we'll steal it.' Fine, you may win, but you're gonna have to fight for it."
The company did win. Vajda and her husband would never see any money, but the small amount didn't matter to her, she said.
Jellison also heard the news that people like him had been labeled "insurgents" at the industry conference.
"I find it ironic," Jellison said. "They are the outsiders coming in, going against the local municipality - the established government people are living with. They don't have any permanent business here. Anyone like that is deemed, by definition, an insurgent."
It was Matt Carmichael, manager of external affairs for Anadarko Petroleum Corp., who recommended at the conference that public relations professionals download and read the Army's counterinsurgency manual. Anadarko is active in the Haynesville Shale of East Texas and the Eagle Ford Shale of South Texas.
Carmichael did not return a call for comment.
Jellison's wife, Virginia, ran for Flower Mound Town Council and lost by a narrow margin in 2008. By 2010, the political scene turned vicious, with some shale gas operators right in the thick of it, Vajda said.
Keystone Exploration wrote a letter to its royalty owners endorsing the incumbents in April 2010. The company characterized residents like Vajda and Jellison as anti-drilling activists who would do all they could to limit the industry.
"These activists will directly affect your minerals' value and our ability to produce gas," Keystone officials wrote.
Keystone President and CEO Tom Blanton did not return a call for comment.
In the Southeast Texas town of Cuero, the heart of the new Eagle Ford Shale boom, Sister Elizabeth Riebschlaeger is watching the results of the tactics in her community.
"Everybody wants the money," said Riebschlaeger, a Catholic nun and community activist.
People didn't know at first this boon was not the same as the oil rush of the 1950s. Tapping a pool of oil, you can be anywhere on top, Riebschlaeger said. Driving State Highway 183 from Gomez to Cuero after her prison ministry visits, she often sees four to five new wells in Eagle Ford, along with huge storage facilities because there aren't enough pipelines.
"Now there has to be many wells," she said. "You get engulfed."
Some friends and neighbors have figured out the public relations tactics, she said. They won't be bullied, but they also see the operators hiring local cleanup crews and gravel haulers, or buying local, including buying water from ranchers.
"They [residents] know if they complain to the Railroad Commission or the EPA, they could stop doing business with them," she said. "It's said very quietly, 'Don't expect any business,' or 'If I talk to you, I'll lose business with my company.'"
The Jellisons got direct threats, Eric Jellison said.
During a Town Council meeting, a sitting council member told them he would run them out of town for their stance on property rights.
The couple received two anonymous, untraceable calls; one threatened his wife's insurance business, and the other threatened to get all the oil and gas customers to pull out of his software business, he said.
"If someone has nothing better to do than sit at a phone and call those customers I've had great relationships with for all these years, then they could have at it," Jellison said.
Nothing came of it, he said.
Commerce without morality
After Chesapeake Energy began approaching property owners in Lakeside, population 1,500, on the northwest side of Lake Worth, resident Ute Mercado heard from people living elsewhere in the city that the company was difficult to deal with.
At first, she didn't find that to be true at all. The company's representatives were professional, well spoken and respectful, she said. Chesapeake's materials were well written.
However, as the time came closer for the city to approve the permits to drill this spring, communication deteriorated, she said.
"I always felt like it was pulling teeth to get answers to our questions," Mercado said. "They would barely answer our questions."
After drilling began and various problems occurred, including promises and pledges to the community that were not kept, complaints got addressed in ways that just made people angrier, she said.
Neighbors wondered whether there was any consequence to company employees who were found trespassing, but had lied by identifying themselves as working for the city.
After trucks were left idling and one trucker knocked over a stop sign, neighbors called the community relations liaison. But they were told to call the company complaint line instead.
"We asked them to keep our streets clean," Mercado said. "They sent in street sweepers that just threw everything into our yards."
The first two wells inside Lakeside have been drilled, but not yet hydraulically fractured, she said. Residents have begun to wonder if they should stop complaining, since it seems to backfire.
"We're starting to think that's what they want - they want us to put up with whatever it is that they do," Mercado said.
Michael Kehs, Chesapeake's vice president of strategic affairs and public relations, told peers at the November conference that their company was "not marauders coming to despoil the landscape."
Kehs did not return a call for comment.
The conference at the heart of the controversy, called the Media & Stakeholder Relations Hydraulic Fracturing Initiative 2011, was advertised as a way to help public relations professionals engage the public with a "positive image" of the shale gas industry. It was held Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 at a Houston hotel.
Sharon Wilson, a regional organizer for Earthworks' Oil and Gas Accountability Project, an environmental group, said she registered for and attended the event to keep an eye on the industry's strategies.
Wilson has written on her Bluedaze blog about cases in which she believes the industry used intimidation tactics against her or other critics. Still, she wasn't prepared to hear talk of counterinsurgency tactics, she said.
"It's not anything that's new to us because if you live around the gas patch you know that these things are happening, but maybe you don't have a formal word to put to it," Wilson said. "It was shocking just to hear them say it out in the open."
The statements raised ethical issues that no one at the conference addressed, she said.
"They are using very extreme measures, and if they could do this right or even well they would not have to be using such extreme measures," Wilson said. "Because most people want to be warm, and they want the lights to be on, and they want the burner to come on to warm their can of soup. They also don't want to be exposed to these chemicals, and they want clean air and clean water."
Industry speakers portrayed drilling opponents as unreasonable, but most people don't start out that way, Wilson said.
"For the most part I think that most people started out not being unreasonable and not being opposed to it," she said. "They have created this PR nightmare for themselves."
Not all public relations professionals would agree with the tactics, according to Samra Bufkins, a public relations lecturer in the Mayborn School of Journalism at the University of North Texas. She's worked for both sides in Galveston when issues have arisen between the petrochemical industry and the communities where they locate.
She's been to professional conferences when audience members didn't agree with the speaker. Many public relations professionals - who aren't required to be specially educated or licensed in any way - are members of the Public Relations Society of America, she said. The society requires its members to pledge to a code of ethics. Some members seek accreditation, which provides even more vigorous training in ethical practices.
Some employees of some shale gas producers are members of the PRSA, but not all, Bufkins found. Fewer still are certified.
Bufkins believes that it's still possible for companies to develop shale, but their community relations stance requires them to tread a thin line, she said.
In a way, public relations professionals serve as the company's conscience, she said.
"As a professional value, they must serve to protect the public interest," Bufkins said, adding that can be hard to do if the company's lawyers are reluctant to sign agreements with communities about how they will operate.
Professionals promoting heavy-handed tactics, like counterinsurgency measures, suggests that "they don't think residents can handle the bad news straight from the beginning," Bufkins said.
That's not been her experience, but "you have to do it right from the beginning," she said.
Shale development may still be possible in a new field somewhere else, she added.
Where the public perceives that one or more shale companies have a problem, the companies probably won't be able to change people's minds.
"Trust is at the root of all of this," she said. "They're probably never going to regain trust - if they ever had it."
PEGGY HEINKEL-WOLFE can be reached at 940-566-6881. Her e-mail address is email@example.com.
LOWELL BROWN can be reached at 940-566-6882. His e-mail address is email@example.com.
Community relations personnel from several major shale gas companies spoke frankly at a conference meant to deal with the public's concerns about shale gas production. Here's a sample of some of the comments, both during presentations and in response to questions from the audience of their peers:
On dealing with the community where they operate:
"I would say that I don't know that the issue is transparency, maybe the issue is level of engagement. I think that we're very transparent. It's very clear on our blogs that there's nowhere to leave a comment. But our Facebook wall is open, and we will engage on Twitter and on other forums. It's just that we decided that the climate that we're in, especially in the Barnett, it just wasn't going to be productive to have the people power to have that happen. But we really do engage offline." - Nicole Nascenzi, Williams
"We have several former psy-ops folks that, for us at Range, because they're very comfortable in dealing with localized issues and local governments, really, all they do is spend most of their time helping folks develop local ordinances and things like that. But very much having that understanding of psy-ops in the Army and the Middle East has applied very helpfully for us here in Pennsylvania." - Matt Pitzarella, Range Resources
"I recommend that everyone in this room download the U.S. Army/Marine Counterinsurgency Manual … [audience murmurs] ... because we are dealing with an insurgency. There's a lot of good lessons in there and, coming from a military background, I've found that insight in that extremely valuable. With that said, there's a course provided by Harvard and MIT [Massachusetts Institute of Technology] twice a year, it's called 'Dealing With an Angry Public.' Take that course and tie that to the manual. A lot of the officers in the military are attending this course. It gives you the media tools on how to deal with a lot of the controversy that we as an industry are dealing with. And thirdly, I have a copy of Rumsfeld's Rules. That's my Bible, by the way. That's the way I operate." - Matt Carmichael, Anadarko Petroleum Corp.
On dealing with political officials:
"We typically try to not have more than four or five outsiders on a [rig] tour per one Range person. I think we've done up to 50 people at a time, mostly whenever we take congressional staffers out. Half of them spend most of their day being hung over from whatever they did the night before, and the other half are very engaged." - Matt Pitzarella, Range Resources
On dealing with academics:
"Seek out academics, and academic studies and champion with universities because that, again, provides tremendous credibility to the overall process. We tend to be viewed very skeptically. But we've aligned with the University of Buffalo. We've done a variety of other activities where we've gotten the academics to sponsor programs and bring in people for public sessions and educate them on a variety of different topics." - Dennis Holbrook, Norse Energy
On dealing with the press:
"We would invite, in all cases - what we're looking at for Ohio and other places - is to bring reporters in early so that they get the inoculation they need from some of the things that they hear." - Michael Kehs, Chesapeake Energy
"If you don't get that warm fuzzy feeling from someone, I think it's OK to play dodge ball with them for a while. You know, everyone's working on a deadline." - Matt Pitzarella, Range Resources
What the COIN manual says
The U.S. Army and the U.S. Marine Corps' Counterinsurgency Field Manual, updated in December 2006, helps soldiers understand combat that is more than fighting between armed groups, but "a political struggle with a high level of violence." Below is an excerpt from the manual:
From Chapter 5, "Executing Counterinsurgency Operations": The following are potential targets that can link objectives with effects:
• Insurgents (leaders, combatants, political cadre, auxiliaries and the mass base)
• Insurgent internal support structure (bases of operations, finance base, lines of communications, and population)
• Insurgent external support system (sanctuaries, media, and lines of communications)
• Legitimate government and functions (essential services, promotion of governance, development of security forces, and institutions)
What the Public Relations Society of America says
Members of the Public Relations Society of America sign an ethics pledge that includes a statement of six professional values and a six-part code of conduct. Members can be expelled from the society for misconduct under the code. Here are excerpts from the society's code of conduct for "Disclosure of Information":
• Core Principle: Open communication fosters informed decision making in a democratic society.
• Intent: To build trust with the public by revealing all information needed for responsible decision making.
• Example of Improper Conduct Under this Provision: A member deceives the public by employing people to pose as volunteers to speak at public hearings and participating in "grass-roots" campaigns.


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Despite reassignment, McDade on Indians' radar
MARYVALE, Ariz. -- Mike McDade was not going to make the Indians' Opening Day roster, but he certainly put himself on the team's radar.
On Friday, Cleveland made a pair of roster reductions, optioning McDade to Triple-A Columbus and reassigning non-roster invitee infielder Nate Spears to Minor League camp. McDade, who was claimed off waivers from the Blue Jays in November, made a good impression on manager Terry Francona.
"I think he's got a bright future," Francona said.
When Cleveland acquired the 23-year-old McDade -- a switch-hitting first baseman -- Francona said the scouting reports were "all over the map." McDade's large frame (6-foot-1, 250 pounds) was considered a potential issue by some evaluators, but Francona did not see any issues along those lines this spring.
In 16 Cactus League games with the Indians, McDade hit .400 (12-for-30) with one home run, two doubles and 10 RBIs. He also handled himself well at first base.
"Seeing him in person," Francona said, "he can hit, and he can hit from both sides. And he can actually play first. ... And I think he has a chance to hit good pitching. It looked to me like he could hit velocity. You see in Spring Training sometimes younger kids maybe come up and get a few hits, but maybe it's off an 86 [mph pitch]. Every time we've faced good pitching, he's had really good at-bats."
Last year, McDade hit .285 with a .360 on-base percentage and a .445 slugging percentage between stops with Double-A New Hampshire and Triple-A Las Vegas in Toronto's farm system. He compiled 17 home runs, 19 doubles and 67 RBIs in 118 Minor League games in 2012. McDade then hit .286 in 24 games with Este in the Dominican Winter League.
Francona did note that he reminded McDade to keep his weight in check throughout the season.
"We actually talked about that a little bit," Francona said. "I think that's probably dogged him most of his career -- people keep hammering on him about it. I didn't want to do that to him. I just said, 'Hey, look man your future is important.' He has to keep an eye on it, and I told him, 'I hope you do, because I think you have a chance to play in the Major Leagues.'"
Jordan Bastian is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Major League Bastian, and follow him on Twitter @MLBastian This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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HAMPSHIRE schoolchildren were given the chance to get creative last week and display their work at a real art exhibition.
On Wednesday (June 11) Four Marks C of E Primary School hosted an exhibition of the children's art work, which had been professionally framed and displayed by the Images School Art Exhibition Company.
Parents and family members were invited to view and purchase their child's work, with all funds raised going towards improving the infants outside play area.
Sonya Fullick, admin officer at the school, said: "We would like to thank Gill and Graham from Images, The Friends of Four Marks School, Lisa Jones, art coordinator, and all the parents for their amazing support."


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Mattel, Hallmark, Huffy, and Ridemakerz Join In The Disney Fun...
The D23 Expo just finished its third run in the park this past weekend and there's no bigger collector of collectibles than Disney fans. There were not one, not two, but THREE official Disney merchandise locations at the Expo that all contained their own exclusive content.
The Dream Store was where you could get more theme park style merchandise including Vinylmation (vinyl collectibles shaped like Mickey Mouse), artwork, apparel, and games. The Disney Store had some exclusive content more focused on Disney animated properties like dolls, and plush supporting Planes and Frozen. And lastly, Mickey's of Glendale was the official store of Walt Disney Imagineering, merchandise that is usually off limits to the casual Disney fan.
There was also a Collector's Forum, an area where exhibitors from all over could sell their own collections of authentic Disney memorabilia. The Silent Auction was also available for the more wealthy to own a piece of Disney property, such as a Matterhorn Bobsled ride vehicle.
But that's not all, several other vendors had some exclusives available only at the D23 Expo 2013:
Mattel had two exclusives this year and they were both great. The first was the Disney-Pixar CARS exclusive, The Convoy Brothers. This four pack of die-cast RVs are "The King's" biggest fans. Each RV is a unique sculpt and comes in a great display box and outer box with the Dinoco Motor Oil design on the outside. This item ran $100 and sold out FAST.
The second Mattel exclusive was made in larger quantities and much more reasonable: The Toy Story Small Fry Buzz Lightyear figure. Featured in the Toy Story short, Small Fry, this "Happy Meal" sized figure was tired of waiting in the display of Poultry Palace and took the place of Buzz Lightyear. Priced at $25, the figure comes in a great display complete with paper food and a kid's meal box design. The writer and director Angus Maclane also made himself available to autograph the figures.
There aren't a lot of Ridemakerz locations but having one in Downtown Disney Anaheim makes it easier to have some presence. This shop that features customizable remote control cars offered guests a limited edition D23 Lightning McQueen for $75 and limited to only 500 pieces.
The company famous for greeting cards has long been an essential destination for collectible ornaments. This year, they're offering two exclusive ornaments to the D23 Expo audience: Cinderella's Castle ($35) and a Sorcerer Mickey Itty Bitty ($10).
Huffy Bicycles, long recognized for its bicycle innovations, launched a special run of limited edition Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse cruisers at Disney's D23 Expo. Huffy produced only 1,000 of each Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse design, and D23 Expo attendees had the opportunity to purchase a cruiser and receive a frame badge engraved with the individual production number.
Both cruisers have aluminum frames and combine vintage Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse styling with custom features. Solid craftsmanship was used to create features ranging from the intricate sprocket design to the retro styled front bicycle headlight on the Mickey Mouse cruiser and the fabric lined wicker basket on the Minnie Mouse cruiser. The Mickey Mouse face and ears icon is sculpted into several components, including the chrome grip end caps, the fender caps and – everyone's favorite – the valve stems. The fenders feature movie graphics from Disney's classic cartoon short "Steamboat Willie," and each cruiser features collector packaging, complete with a numbered certificate of authenticity.
In addition to the limited edition models available at D23 Expo, Huffy is developing a special edition version of the Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse cruisers which will available in spring 2014. The special edition cruisers will feature timeless Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse designs plus exciting new features, and will be sold at nationwide retailers. Visit HERE and enter your email address to receive updates about the special edition Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse cruisers.
The next D23 Expo will return in 2015.
Story and Photography by David Yeh
To insure your action figure collection, get in touch with Collectibles Insurance, the official insurance company of the Figures.com network. Say "Figures.com" to get 5% off your first term premiums.
To buy action figures, take a look at BigBadToyStore.com, AlterEgoComics.com, Toynk.com, BriansToys.com, ToyWiz.com, and MonkeyDepot.com.


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News Release
Media Contact: TPWD News, email@example.com, 512-389-8030
Aug. 20, 2004
TPWD Adopts Waterfowl Seasons
AUSTIN, Texas — Texas waterfowlers in the South Zone will have additional opportunities this fall for blue-winged teal and chances to hunt other early migrants like black-bellied whistling ducks.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department approved today a migratory bird hunting season framework that includes for the first time an early opening split in the South Zone on Sept. 27-Oct. 3. The South Zone will reopen Nov. 13 and close Jan. 18, 2005. Pintail and canvasback may be taken from Dec. 11-Jan. 18 and the youth-only season is set for Oct. 30-31.
The decision to create an early split that follows immediately after the conclusion of the Sept 18-26 teal season was made based on recommendations by the department's Game Bird Advisory Board, whose members are appointed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's Commission Chairman.
"Department waterfowl program staff had identified this as a potential option and proposed it for the purpose of looking at ways to better include the growing population of black-bellied whistling ducks in the hunting season. Whistling ducks tend to migrate into Mexico before the November season opens, and are currently not legal during the normal teal season, said Vernon Bevill, Program Director."
The North Zone duck season opening split is set for Nov. 6-28 and will reopen Dec.11-Jan. 30. The youth-only season will run Oct. 30-31 and pintail and canvasback season will run Dec. 23-Jan. 30. In the High Plains Mallard Management Unit, the season will include an Oct. 23-24 for the youth-only season and the regular season will run Sept. 27-Oct. 4 and Oct. 30-Jan. 25. The pintail and canvasback season will run Dec. 18-Jan. 25.
The daily bag limit for all ducks is six and may include no more than five mallards (two hens), two redheads, three scaup, two wood ducks, and one mottled duck. One pintail, and one canvasback would be allowed during the 39-day season set in each zone.
As for geese, TPWD officials have simplified the season structure this year by eliminating the north and south segments in the East Zone and overlapping with the duck season as much as possible. The Eastern Goose Zone will run Nov. 6-Jan. 30 with a daily bag limit of 3 Canada, 2 white-fronted and 20 light geese.
The Western Goose Zone will run Oct. 30-Feb. 1 with a daily bag limit of 3 Canada, 1 white-fronted and 20 light geese.
The Light Goose Conservation Order would start at the close of the regular goose seasons and run through March 27.
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(5.4.16 i)


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With Pretty Little Liars episodes having offered us an initial glimpse of the things we can expect next, viewers expectations from this show are already skyrocketing. A combo of gripping teen drama and mind-boggling mystery is managing to sustain audience interest. Now with Pretty Little Liars episode 9 also coming up, a question immediately transpires in our mind. Will the Pretty Little Liars episode 9 manage to weave same magic on us, which earlier aired episodes did?
To go for mere wild guesses in this regard, will not be a smart approach. To predict the level of entertainment that the upcoming episode has in store for us, we will have to peek at an overview of its plotline. Let us try to do just that.
The plot of forthcoming Pretty Little Liars episode 9 sounds something like this. A strongly bustling storm will keep the girls confined to their school. In that very building, the circumstances will not allow them to breathe easy. They will have to encounter a spree of troubles one after the other. In the meantime, disarrayed Bryon will show full faith in Ashley while seeking some advice, as he is having a hard time with Ella. What can you predict after going through the above plot? It surely appears more then intriguing. The notion of girls getting trapped inside a building due to bad weather and than facing unavoidable troubles, certainly sounds thrilling. Moreover, it also appears that episode will end on an emotional note with stressed Bryon showing dependence on Ashley to bail him out. So, all in all we can say that Pretty Little Liars episode 9 might prove to be an all in one entertainer.
The plotline of this very episode can be given a five star rating. Now the onus lies on the stars involved to portray this story in an impressive manner, so that life gets instilled into the words of a breathtaking plotline. Many times we have seen superb plots losing their sheen due to lackluster performances by the actors. We must hope that same does not happen with Pretty Little Liars episode 9. With coming of episodes like this one, the show's future seems pretty bright. So, we the viewers can hope for many more seasons of this mystery packed teen drama show pretty little liars. Moreover, it is great to note that websites are also adding joy to our kitty by offering easy opportunities to watch Pretty Little Liars online. So, get ready to watch one more spellbinding episode based on overturned lives of bubbly teenagers.


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One of the great advantages of a blog is the immediacy it offers both the reader and the writer. Unlike a traditional article published in the hard-copy version of a publication, the blog format allows for rapid feedback from readers, in the form of comments and e-mails.
In my case, I can tell you with absolutely no shame that I am a writer with just enough of an ego to enjoy the comments and e-mails that Politics for Pilots elicits. From my perspective, there is benefit in that feedback, on both ends of the communications stream.
I recently received an e-mail from a reader who asked a very reasonable question. To paraphrase, he asked: What do you personally do to enhance and encourage the use of your local airport? It's a fair question. And one that I should probably address more directly at times. So let me take a whack at answering that question in public, hopefully for the benefit of all concerned.
To be perfectly honest, I take my own advice. When I write a piece suggesting an approach to making progress on behalf of the airport, it is almost always a third person generic report on something I have personally done in the past. But let me provide a specific example of how that works for me. [Read more…]


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Common Sense
Surprising new research shows that crowds are often smarter than individuals
In 2002 I served as the "phone a friend" for the popular television series Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. When my acquaintance was stumped by a question, however, he elected to "poll the audience" instead. His choice was wise not only because I did not know the answer but because the data show that the audience is right 91 percent of the time, compared with only 65 percent for "experts."
Although this difference may in part be because the audience is usually queried for easier questions, something deeper is at work here. For solving a surprisingly large and varied number of problems, crowds are smarter than individuals. This is contrary to what the 19th-century Scottish journalist Charles Mackay concluded in his 1841 book, Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds, a staple of skeptical literature: "Men, it has been well said, think in herds. It will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one." This has been the dogma ever since, supported by sociologists such as Gustave Le Bon, in his classic work The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind: "In crowds it is stupidity and not mother wit that is accumulated." (continue reading…)


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"Miracles happen every day. Not just in remote country villages or at holy sites halfway across the globe, but here, in our own lives."
I wonder what Abe Lincoln would think about all the fuss with Steven Spielberg's epic movie, "Lincoln."
Just about 80 years ago the 21st amendment to our United States Constitution was ratified, repealing the 18th amendment adopted 14 years earlier.
Last March I had some problems with one of my eyes and young Doc Cecconi had to refer me on to another eye doctor down in E-town.
State Auditor Adam Edelen's recently released report on special taxing districts in Kentucky described public libraries as models of transparency and accountability.
Earlier this summer a Public Pensions Task Force began meeting to discuss possible solutions to the unfunded liability in the Kentucky retirement system.
Children of Washington County, I need your help!
I've done a lot of crazy things in my lifetime, but probably the wildest was substituting for Santa Claus for one night about 23 years ago.
We believe that shopping locally this holiday season (and year-round) is imperative to maintaining and growing the local economic landscape.
It's not always a good thing to be at the top of a list.
Copyright © 2017
The Springfield Sun is your source for local news, sports, events and information in Springfield, KY, and the surrounding area.


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Tips Completing Scholarship Applications
General Advice
- Plan ahead. Keep a calendar of deadlines for scholarships.
- Read all of the application instructions and the entire scholarship application before you complete it.
- Read the eligibility requirements carefully.
- Know your audience. Make sure the goals you express in your application match the goals of the scholarship program.
- Show your strengths and explain your weaknesses. Highlight extracurricular and community activities as well as academic achievement. Explain any issues that may portray you in an unfavorable light.
- Be clear and concise. It's best to write your application in word and then cut and paste it into the electronic application once you are satisfied with it.
- All scholarship applications also require a current resume which will be reviewed as carefully as your application. Your resume may include relevant experience and also may include any record of community service.
- Proofread your application; then ask a friend to proofread it.
- Request letters of recommendation from people who know you reasonably well. Don't wait until the last minute to ask.
- Make sure to submit your application by the published deadline.
- Don't be reluctant to reapply.
- Be prepared to write a thank you letter if you are the recipient of the scholarship.
Writing a Statement of Financial Need
This should be a short (1–2 paragraph) piece that explains why you would benefit from being awarded a scholarship. It also gives you an opportunity to explain any extenuating circumstances you may have.
Here are some points that you should consider including:
- How are you currently financing your education? What are your sources of financial aid? Do you get help from family? Are you taking out student loans or private loans? Do you currently work while attending college?
- What difficulties have you faced in paying for your education? Are there extra costs this year? Has there been a change in your family or personal situation that is making it harder for you to pay for college?
- What would you gain from this scholarship? Would it help you to be able to work less so that you can focus on your studies? Do you need support so that you can take an unpaid internship or complete community service learning project?
Resume Tips
The Basics
- Your resume needs to speak to your relevance to the employer, not just how wonderful you are. Put yourself in the employer's shoes: if you had only a couple of seconds to read your resume, would you pick yourself for that job?
- Resumes should always be clean, concise and consistent!
- Translate you and your experience into their language: use the exact same words found in the job description.
- One page in length (with specific exceptions).
- Use one single readable font such as Times New Roman, Arial, or Cambria ; font size 10-12 pt.
- Apply consistent formatting within sections.
- Make sure your paper resume is photocopy/scanner ready:
- light neutral paper color
- no ( ), underlines, italics, columns, lines or funky design bullets
Name and Education
- Your name is clearly visible and probably two points bigger than the rest of the text.
- E-mail is not hyperlinked if handing or mailing in; e-mail address is grandma approved.
- Write out the full name of the university rather than the nickname. E.g University of Massachusetts Amherst instead of UMass.
- Include GPA if 3.0 or higher on the scale of 4.0 and 4.0 or higher of the scale of 5.0.
- Possible section headings include: Relevant Experience, Related Coursework, Additional Background, Technical Skills, Teaching and Tutoring Experience, Research Experience, Community Service, etc.
- Think of including coursework, lab techniques, class projects and large research papers as ways to demonstrate your relevant skills. Focus on courses relevant to employer (do not use basic courses or course numbers).
- Dates are:
- in reverse chronological order
- consistent (i.e. if you said Summer 2007 do not say June-August 2006 in another job)
- Major titles are capitalized (i.e. lifeguard = Lifeguard)
- Use descriptive titles (i.e. Intern = Software Design Intern)
- Describe your accomplishments and skills as they relate to the desired position; don't just list "job duties"
- No articles, pronouns or helping verbs (i.e. a, an, I, them, their, etc.)
- Start descriptions with action verbs
- Use as many numbers as possible (Supervised group of 13 children, Managed budget of $15,000)
- Well known abbreviations only (i.e. CPR not ASB)
- "References Available Upon Request" unnecessary
- Name dropping within resume unhelpful unless employer knows person
Writing the Scholarship Essay
The scholarship essay is a variation on the Five Paragraph Essay that you learned in fifth grade. It has a basic structure with a little bit of a difference: you need to write with the application specifications in mind.
Some things to consider:
- Tell your story. But remember to tell that story in the context of the application. For example, if the scholarship is for "leaders," highlight experiences in which you've shown leadership qualities, like ability to work with groups and motivate people toward a common goal; good judgment and organization; putting principles and the greater good above one's self. You may have done this in your volunteer activities, in your dorm, or in your personal life. Give examples. Be honest.
- Remember your audience. The committee members reading this essay are looking for candidates who best meet the spirit of the donors' intent. That's why it's important to read the application carefully, and write to the application. You might also research the donor. His or her background may give you some insights into their motivation for funding the scholarship, and you may be able to speak to that in your essay.
- Be authentic. Try to write it like you'd say it. Be respectful, but not overly formal. Be yourself, but not overly casual. Strike the right tone. Read this essay out loud several times to some different people—including older people, and get feedback.
- Do several revisions. Let the essay sit for 48 hours and come back to it and revise.
The Basic Outline
First Paragraph: Introduce yourself and tell in brief, why you feel qualified for the scholarship. Mention hometown and major.
Second paragraph: Begin to tell your story in the context of the scholarship. How do your qualities fit the application requirements? Be specific.
Third paragraph: A little deeper background. How have you gotten to this point? Have you overcome any obstacles, physical, financial, personal? Don't go too deeply into a hard luck story, but if you have succeeded against some kind of tough odds, you should mention this. This is also the place to put anything unusual or interesting in your background that might stand out. Here you might also talk about your long-term plans and why, as well as how you came to those goals.
Fourth paragraph: How would this scholarship affect your studies? What would it help you do and how would it help you reach your goals?
This scholarship tips is credited to University of Massachusetts Amherst


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Odds are neither the Buffalo Sabres nor coach Ron Rolston cares a whit that the NHL fined Rolston for his role in Sunday's brawl between the Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs.
That's all well and good, but it doesn't mean the fine, for an undisclosed amount of money, makes any sense. Rolston is paying for "player selection and team conduct," presumably as it relates to 6-8, 270-pound puncher John Scott.
MORE: Five stupid things about the brawl | Goalie fight
From the NHL release:
The events took place during the face-off after Buffalo forward Corey Tropp fought Toronto forward Jamie Devane. Buffalo forward John Scott initiated an altercation with Toronto forward Phil Kessel, whom he was lined up against on the face-off, resulting in several fights. In total, 211 penalty minutes, including three game misconducts, were assessed due to the various altercations.
This is not about the usefulness, or lack thereof, of John Scott. This is not about the relevance, or lack thereof, of "The Code" that theoretically governs fighting in the NHL. This is about Ron Rolston, who was fined for, uh, playing one of his players—a player who, mind you, was on the ice before Kessel. Scott had also already skated more than eight minutes in the game.
(Also—"player selection." Hoo boy. The league couldn't have just began and ended with team conduct? At least we got a new meme out of it. "Cap circumvention" was getting old.)
This isn't an attempt to justify what Scott or Rolston did, either; one-dimensional enforcers don't serve any real purpose in 2013, and teams would be better off not to have them on their roster. It's just amazing to see the lengths to which the NHL will go to have and eat its cake on this stuff.
Either you sign off on the existence of John Scott, or you don't. Either you acknowledge his purpose, or you don't. You can't fine his coach for the act of putting him on the ice after a fight, and you certainly can't pretend there's a rule against it.


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Beverley Bender, Certified Laughter Leader will show us how to laugh every day even when nothing seems funny. We'll do laughing exercises designed to put a smile on your face and a HOHOHO in your belly. Fun for the whole family!
Come to the library, check out the show, get a library card, and enjoy some books!


text: Sure, your main objective at West Texas A&M University is to earn an education, but we're not just about books and research. Along with your academics comes a whole host of organizations, activities and events to broaden your horizons. WTAMU is a hot spot for getting involved. Join an organization and gain life-long friendships, enhance the community or give back with your time and talents. Activities and events mean there's never a dull moment in the life of a WTAMU Buff! So, get involved and Discover the BUFF in You!


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LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Law enforcement officials plan to call on state lawmakers to expand Medicaid coverage to more than 300,000 Michigan residents.
The group Fight Crime: Invest in Kids and Republican Rep. Matt Lori of Constantine plan to hold an event at the Capitol Tuesday. Members of the group include Lansing Township Police Chief Kay Hoffman.
The group says Medicaid coverage for expectant mothers can help prevent children from being born with fetal alcohol syndrome or fetal alcohol effects. They will also advocate for Medicaid coverage for interventions such as substance abuse and mental and behavioral health issues as a way to cut crime.
A House budget bill passed last week also does not include $1.3 billion for Medicaid expansion. The Senate Medicaid budget remains in committee.


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Reviewed By Robert P (Santa Maria, CA) Reviewed for a 2000 Nissan Frontier —3/1/2017 7:56 AM
have not installed yet
Reviewed By Dan P (ROWLETT, TX) Reviewed for a 2015 Nissan Frontier —5/23/2015 7:42 PM
I've only had the cover installed for one week so I don't yet know anything about the product's durability, or else I might be giving it 5 stars instead of 4. The apparent quality of the materials is very good, and the feel of the leather is excellent. When the stitching is pulled properly tight the cover adds very little to the wheel grip diameter while still giving a soft feel. The estimate of about 1 hour for installation was spot-on, and instructional video is clear and helpful.


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Moderators: Timko, Fritz, Solty, Booter, Blake_T, Frank Delicious
PointDisc wrote:Plastic list from best to worst for dyeing.
CE/Z/Champ (including Millennium Q & Discmania C)/Opto - all dyes really well. Best plastic to dye.
Candy Pro - the early "Pro" champ type stuff. Dyes the same as champ, really well
Star (including Millennium & Discmania S)/ESP (including FLX)/Goldline - again, dyes really well, but will bleed faster than the above
Pro (including Millennium M & Discmania P)- the regular pro stuff. Takes dye well, but is prone to bleeding & fading after a short period of time compared to above plastics.
KC/JK/R Pro - between regular pro and baseline. Some doesn't dye as well, prone to very quick bleeding/fading.
D/DX/baseline - typically doesn't dye well, & if dyed fades REALLY fast.
Vibram - can't comment on it's ability to be dyed. I know it can be done, but as for fading/bleeding, I don't know.
Elite X - Haven't tried it. Would expect it to be similar to Innova's Pro.
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(UPDATED COVERAGE Dec. 6) The end of an eight-day strike that shut down most operations at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach left exporters still wondering when fresh produce would get loaded and shipped.
Container terminals reopened Dec. 5 at both California ports as clerical workers in International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 63 reached a tentative contract with operators and shipping lines.
Terms of the federally mediated settlement were not disclosed. The union sought limits on outsourcing. In Los Angeles about 700 striking harbor clerks were backed by thousands of longshoremen who honored their picket line.
The strike cost the local economy about $8 billion, according to Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
Joe LoBue, vice president of export marketing at Lindsay, Calif.-based LoBue Bros., estimated a loss of about $460,000 over two weeks in orders canceled or not placed. The damage isn't quite done, he said.
"We're at least a week away," he said Dec. 6. "The strike is resolved but the congestion is not. I'm sitting here Thursday morning with no customers at all yet saying they're going to take something. Usually we'll have some pre-booked. Instead they say, 'I need three loads, but I've got to wait to see if this clears up.'"
LoBue Bros. citrus was still sitting at the ports Dec. 6 waiting for ships. The cold chain was maintained, but there were concerns about arrival conditions and the possibility of a spike in orders that could challenge capacity.
Sunkist Growers had just under 100,000 cartons of citrus, mostly navels and lemons, on the docks waiting for the strike to end, said Mike Wootton, senior vice president.
"It's going to delay delivery by 10 days to two weeks," said Wootton, who expects the fruit to arrive in good shape. "This is just the advent of the export shipping season to Asia for citrus. The volume of orders was not as great as it would have been in January or February. It would have been a major disaster then."
Exporter Phil Hartman, managing director of San Luis Obispo-based Cal Ex Trading Co., was less optimistic.
"I think the impacts will be far greater than just eight days," Hartman said. "We had a 10-day strike in 2002 and it took months before they could get boats back in the right rotation."
"The biggest fear I have is that we're going to miss a shipping window for New Year in the Far East," Hartman said. "Japan especially celebrates New Year; they shut down for a week so they like to get a lot of stuff in ahead of time."
Cal Ex Trading exports both fruits and vegetables. Western Growers Association says the strike impacted broccoli, celery and other vegetable exports.
On the import side, the U.S. Department of Agriculture forecast slow movement of Central American pineapples on the West Coast as a result of the labor action.
Many inbound ships diverted to Oakland or to Ensenada, Mexico during the strike. Some could end up making stops in Los Angeles or Long Beach anyway, according to port spokesmen.


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text: Girls' zigzag T-shirt Item F6024 Color: WHITE Size: 14 All sizes are US sizes. 14 Size Charts Quantity: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Prices do not include taxes. Add to Bag Wishlist Add to Bag Add To Wishlist share: size & fit Product Details From our top-secret graphics lab to their closet, a soft tee covered in a colorful zigzag print (just in case her favorite color is ROYGBIV) courtesy of the creative minds of our crewcuts designers. Cotton. Machine wash. Import. Item F6024.


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Dorchester school bus drivers approve strike
Wed, 23 Jan 2013 15:39:09 GMT —
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) -- School bus drivers in Dorchester District 2 have authorized a strike as their contract negotiations continue.
Drivers in Charleston County voted last week to authorize a strike if negotiations fail.
A private company, Durham School Services, has the contract to provide school bus drivers for both Dorchester District 2 and Charleston County. Most other school bus drivers in South Carolina are public employees and cannot strike.
L.D. Fletcher is presidents of Teamsters Local 509, which represents the drivers in Beaufort and Charleston counties, as well as Dorchester District 2. Fletcher says the two sides are not close to getting an agreement.
Durham has promised to provide an alternative plan if drivers do strike. The state Board of Education on Wednesday will consider allowing Durham to use out-of-state drivers if necessary.


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Heeding the Rail Crossing Alarms
After being bullish for more than a year on the rail car manufacturers, at the end of November, I shifted gears and became bearish on Trinity Industries (TRN), Freightcar America (RAIL), American Railcar (ARII) and The Greenbrier Companies (GBX). At the time, industry backlog levels for new railcars were improving, but there were signs that all was not well in the rail land.
During November, rail traffic data reported by the American Association of Railroads (AAR) began to weaken -- it was down 4% on a year-over-year basis in November. While intermodal demand improved in December, overall rail carloads were down 3% year over year in December and that contraction continued in January, when carloads fell 6.3%, year-over-year. To you, me and other investors, falling carloads means that rail capacity is loosening at Burlington Northern (BNI), Norfolk Southern (NSC) and Union Pacific (UNP). That does not bode well for new rail car orders and it could mean that industry pricing may soften, a not so good thing for margins. ...407 more words left in this article. To read them, just click below and try Real Money FREE for 14 days.
There's no substitute for a trading floor to get great ideas, so Jim Cramer created a better one at Real Money and blogs there exclusively. We then added legendary hedge fund manager, Doug Kass, with his exclusive Daily Diary and best investing ideas. Staffed with more than 4 dozen investing pros, money managers, journalists and analysts, Real Money Pro gives you a flood of opinions, analysis and actionable trading advice found nowhere else, and allows you to interact directly with each expert.
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Have you heard cu.cc? is it a "OK" domain for free users?
I did heard of .co.cc not .cu.cc. If you are looking for free domain to be hosted, then you might also consider dot.tk
All co.cc domains were delisted by google on mass recently, due to massive abuse by spammers and other web trash. Similar free domains that have little barrier to misuse will likely meet the same fate, so they're not worthwhile for any serious use.
Well yeah I think so also..... soon cu.cc will be banned.... and will reflect a bad reputation to google.... better befriend with google! than sorry.Thanks EastCoast.
I know freedomain.co.nr its free
i heard it is not friendly to google
It might be free but useless if you are heavily concentrated on SEO. You are better off getting a .com or .net.
If you are serious enough with your website, get a paid one. It does not cost much for a one year subscription.
Well sooner or later existing free domains will be banned by google. Thanks guys, free is not always worth it! Thanks for the replies
I think it is not suggested to used free domain because we only waste out time in it. Google did not index those free domain and it is useless if we used it...
top free domains are co.cc .tk . But cz.cc are spammy
There are a lot of free domain name. But co.cc is the best and if you register you will get for free 2 domain co.cc
Why is it the best given that Google has blacklisted it and will no linger list any pages on that domain at all?
I agree with oknedar, Google has taken to blacklisting many of the free domains, for obvious reasons. My question is this: if most hosting now comes with a free domain name, is this even an issue? Hosting usually starts at like $2 to $3 a month... Might be worth looking in to.
Those domains are not really free - the cost of the domain has been taken into account in pricing the hosting so you are paying for it.
I used a free domain and hosting service as a testing ground for my site before I launched it properly with a TLD and paid hosting. It was useful to play around with different things on a live site, confident in the knowledge that no-one else in the world would probably see it. But other than for that purpose I don't think a free domain is worthwhile having.
Just wondering how those free registrar earn money through free domain. If free domain is more likely a spam, why ICANN and IANA does not take action against them?
cu.cc is out there and apparently it is free ( I haven't tried it but it says so on their page http://www.registry.cu.cc/ Yes there is blogspot, there is also yolasite, weebly etc etc but the question was for cu.cc. Whether it is "ok" depends on what you mean by that. If you mean will you ever get any visitors or ranking then the answer is no.
Anyone using ce.ms ?


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BP Comment Quick Links
|Strength of Schedule Report
June 10, 2013
Baseball Therapy
Does Firing the Hitting Coach Mid-Season Work?
We are now a week and a half into the (interim) reign of George Brett as Royals hitting coach. Brett took over the task of straightening out Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer when tandem hitting coaches Jack Maloof and Andre David were re-assigned within the organization. There are surely plenty of theories circulating around Kansas City as to why the Royals made the switch, but at the end of the day, they probably all boil down to "the kids aren't hitting."
It's a common script. The hitters aren't hitting as well as we thought they would at the beginning of the year, and someone must be sacrificed. Since the problem is the hitters, it must be the fault of the hitting coach. And then the spin machine goes into high gear. The new guy will have a "better connection" with the young guys. He's more hands on or hands off or hands in the air and waving them like he just doesn't care. He worked with these guys in the minors. He was a Hall of Fame hitter himself. And then the next night, the team goes out, scores seven runs (huzzah!), and someone declares "mission accomplished!" In the same way that the best quarterback on the football team is the backup quarterback, the best hitting coach in the league is the new guy in his first week.
In fact, the most common rationale for firing the hitting coach that I've heard is that it will "send a message" to the hitters to "wake up." (This is also the function of an alarm clock.) The firing of a hitting coach is a signal that can't be missed by major league hitters, and like kicking a piece of electronic equipment when it isn't working, it can only do good things.
Does firing the hitting coach actually work? Does it make the hitters on the team better? We do have evidence that a hitting coach can have a strong effect on a team. If we assume that teams have some idea of what they're doing, they should be able to spot a bad hitting coach, and if they have a better one, to slot him in there. Right? Then again, maybe the hitting coach isn't the problem. Maybe he's working hard and the hitters just aren't as good as everyone thought they were.
If firing the hitting coach works, we ought to be able to see some effects, right?
Warning! Gory Mathematical Details Ahead!
I looked at all seasons from 1998 to 2012 ('98 because it was the first instance of Retrosheet recording a hitting coach change), isolated teams where there had been a change of the hitting coach, and coded all plate appearances for that team based on whether it took place under the team's Opening Day hitting coach or his replacement. A hitter must have had 250 PA overall in the season and at least 100 under each of the hitting coaches to qualify for the analysis. He also needed to be facing a pitcher who faced more than 250 batters (of any sort) in the season in question.
I used the log-odds ratio method to investigate rates of the seven principal outcomes of a plate appearance (strikeout, walk,
I ran a series of binary logit regressions predicting whether each plate appearance would end in each of the seven principal outcomes, controlling using the above log-odds ratio, a dummy variable for platoon advantage within the plate appearance, and of course, the variable that coded for whether this was pre-firing or post-firing. If firing the hitting coach really does work as a signal to "wake up," then the pre/post variable should show some effect.
And it did. (Surprise!)
Hitters, in general, performed better than expected under a new hitting coach. They made fewer outs on balls in play and hit more singles and home runs than would have otherwise been expected. The magnitude of the difference was in the area of about one percentage point, which is equal to 10 points in OBP, plus roughly 15 points of
Curious, I checked whether firing a pitching coach had the same effect. For the most part, I did a find-and-replace command and swapped "pitching" in for "hitting" using the same basic framework. The conclusion: It doesn't work for pitching coaches.
Brushing Up My Latin
One thing that baseball is famous for is over-reacting to small sample sizes. Often teams will go through slumps that are little more than random variation, and the poor hitting coach will take the blame. His successor gets to look like a hero when the team suddenly "improves" because of regression to the mean. This is known more broadly as the "punishment" fallacy. If you have a particularly good day, I might praise you, but the next day, you regress to the mean and it looks like my praise made you worse. If you have a particularly bad day, I might yell at you, and the next day, it looks like my yelling made you better.
But let's leave regression to the mean aside for a moment. It's probably involved, and that's worth noting, but I think there's another, less talked about issue that we need to discuss. The teams that fire their hitting coaches (and the hitting coaches who get fired) are a very selective sample. There are plenty of teams who don't perform to expectations or who are just downright awful, but who don't fire their hitting coach. Maybe he's a nice guy. Maybe the team understands that he's doing the best he can with a bad hand. Maybe he has naked pictures of someone in the front office. But he sticks around for a reason.
The hitting coaches who get fired are the ones who are not only shepherding under-performing hitters, but are also perceived to be the reason for the problem and to have no hope of being part of the solution. Maybe the hitters are reporting that they really can't connect with this guy. In some way, the hitting coach is so bad that a team is willing to disrupt the usual routine and grab whatever replacement-level hitting coach happens to be out there.
It's probably not the act of firing the hitting coach that makes the difference. It's not about sending a wake-up message. It likely has more to do with the "addition by subtraction" that comes with removing a guy who was so clearly, for one reason or another, bad at his job that it was worth firing him mid-season. So, if you read this and think, "I wish my team would fire their hitting coach, if only for the 10 points of OBP," you've got the wrong idea of how this all works.
But these findings do mean something interesting. There are apparently hitting coaches that are so horrid that firing them and replacing them with some interim guy (remember, the other 29 teams already have hitting coaches) can boost performance by a good amount. Even if some of that is regression to the mean, it's still worth mentioning. If a hitting coach can be that destructive, chances are that he could be somewhat equally constructive, and those soft factors like good rapport between a coach and his players, or a good match between the learning styles of the player and the teaching style of the coach can make a noticeable difference for a team. It might be hard to measure these, but a team that could do it, upgrading either its hitting coach or the hitting coach's approach, could draw a good deal of benefit from doing so.
Russell A. Carleton is an author of Baseball Prospectus. Follow @pizzacutter4
7 comments have been left for this article.
BP Comment Quick Links
Post hoc ergo propter hoc just makes me think of The West Wing.
Jun 10, 2013 09:03 AM
Seriously, Russell? If a team fires a hitting coach, the hitters have been underperforming. If they hire Mickey Mouse as his replacement, they will do better because of regression. You mention this and then essentially dismiss it.
Jun 10, 2013 19:23 PM
Russell A. Carleton
BP staff
I do think regression to the mean is in there, and stated as much in the piece. I don't know how much of the improvement is due to regression to the mean (and I'm not immediately sure how to model that), but there may very well be more to it.
Jun 11, 2013 08:28 AM
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Birth & Midwifery in China
Resources for parents and practitioners
Connect with many more midwives and birth enthusiasts from around the world by joining IAM, the International Alliance of Midwives!
Some of the following sites may not be in English; an online translator may be useful.
Birth Situation Room Report
Midwifery Today Country Contact*
*To learn what a Country Contact is or to reach any Midwifery Today Country Contact, click here.
Mavis Chen reports that in China, midwives cannot attend a homebirth without fear of losing their licenses. She says China's c-section rate is very high, some areas already having surpassed 50%, though it is beginning to come down in some of the public hospitals.
In hopes of improving birth in China, Mavis began a business in 2004 training doulas. Her business now provides over 40 birth doulas in more than 20 hospitals and over 500 postpartum doulas who spend 30–42 days living in the home of the new mother and baby. She also offers birth classes for new moms. She hopes to bring more international conferences to China to help bring about greater awareness of natural birth. Mavis speaks Mandarin and English.
Goals for China
Great changes have taken place in China, accompanied by economic development and a rapidly improving standard of living. Looking at prospects for the next 10 years, I expect my country will change as follows:
• China's "Only One Child" policy should be changed according to our state family planning policy. China has the largest population in the world and our family planning policies have succeeded in restraining the rapid increase of our population. However, the current average of 1.8 children for women of childbearing age is lower than the world average of 2.1, which is standard for a population to sustain development.
• Investment in public health will continue to increase. Analysts say that the expense for public health will increase 2.5 times; the average growth rate is 13.5% each year. Medical markets in rural areas are growing more quickly than in urban areas. The average expense in rural areas will increase between 16% and 25.8%; medical markets for comprehensive care of serious disease will increase 15-fold in the next 10 years.
• The government will set up a system of delivery education and policy for midwife registration. Now, more and more people want to improve the policies concerning midwife education and want to set up an independent midwife registration and certification system, which was considered by our government public health administration.
• The rate of caesarean birth will be reduced to 30%. The current rate of caesarean sections in China is about 50%. China Maternal and Child Association has started an initiative to "encourage natural childbirth, and guarantee the health of mother and children."
• I hope my enterprise will be a leader in delivery education, have 100,000 members and 10,000 delivery teachers. They will supply midwife and doula services in different provinces in China. And I hope we will hold an international delivery meeting every two years to encourage international delivery education in China so that we can learn new information about delivery from all over the world.
— Mavis Chen


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No bat symbol beamed into the sky or "Spidey sense" hails Salvador Lara to a crisis in his Wilmington neighborhood, a place so crime-ridden it's nicknamed Ghost Town.
He's called to action by something much less flashy - piles of illegally dumped tires, couches, half-empty oil cans and bags of garbage.
He doesn't have a superhero costume, but he does wear an orange safety vest. And, like any self-respecting superhero, he drives a special vehicle when he's on duty - a bulky, banana-yellow pickup truck.
Lara started cleaning up alleys and otherwise forgotten back streets near his family's home five years ago. Though passers-by often mistake him for a city worker, he does it for free, and of his own accord.
This year, he made the work official by forming a nonprofit organization called Clean Wilmington, and he received his first government grant to pay for tools and lunch for volunteers on workdays.
"I like to have a clean and safe community," said Lara, who has lived in the city since moving from Mexico more than two decades ago. "They used to dump all kinds of trash here - tires, oil, couches. They steal cars, strip them, and dump them here."
Lara's day job is as a maintenance worker at a nearby oil company.
He and various groups of volunteers have gathered about 20 times so far this year on weekends and evenings to clean alleys, school yards, library properties, harbors, and areas around community facilities. Together, they've removed 59 tons of trash.
Los Angeles City Councilman Joe Buscaino, who oversees the district that includes Wilmington, called Lara "a pillar" of the city.
"As much as we want people picking up trash every day, the city just can't afford to do that," Buscaino said. "It's people like Salvador who work hand in hand with the city to improve the quality of life."
Clean streets are associated with less crime, said Buscaino, a former Los Angeles police officer.
"If you let a broken window go unnoticed, the next thing you know, the next window's broken, and then you have a drug or prostitution organization," Buscaino said.
When Lara and his wife moved to Ghost Town with their young son, Juan, about 20 years ago, they were dismayed to see piles of trash covering a brick wall that separates Drumm Avenue from an industrial area. Ghost Town's alleys, too, were so cluttered with junk that Lara couldn't see from one end to the other.
Ghost Town is bordered by Pacific Coast Highway on the south, East Sandison Street on the north, Sanford Avenue on the west and Drumm Avenue on the east. Police officers said drug dealers and gangsters took advantage of the clutter by using it to hide from cops. The layout of the neighborhood also makes it ideal for criminals. Long, narrow streets that often lead to dead-ends make it easy for drug dealers to spot police before the officers see them.
Lara began cleaning the streets when his oldest son left for college and his youngest son, Salvador, was in middle school. Though he keeps the area mostly free from clutter, he often has to return to areas just cleaned for touch-ups. But his determination has kept most of the area free from clutter, said his neighbor, Marcela Martinez.
"The city doesn't have enough funds to come out and do it the right way," Martinez said. "Salvador always does it the right way."
For years, she and her twin daughters have helped out during neighborhood cleanings.
"All that back there (along Drumm Avenue) was all dirty when we first started," she said, pointing to a trash-free street. "It was a dump site full of couches and graffiti. My daughters are always asking him when the next cleanup is."
Follow Sandy Mazza on Twitter at http://twitter.com/sandymazza
Find out more
To learn more about Salvador Lara's Clean Wilmington initiative, visit the group's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/CleanWilmingtonCA/. Also, a video of one of Lara's cleanups can be viewed at www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPsFzpzZY-I.