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by Christopher Freeburn | September 12, 2013 10:10 am
[1]Shares of online radio company Pandora (P[2]) jumped more than 8% in Thursday morning trading after the company announced that it has selected a new CEO[3].
Brian McAndrews, a former media executive and venture capitalist, has been appointed Pandora's new CEO, president and chairman, taking the reins of the Internet company at once. He replaces Joe Kennedy, who led the company for a decade, USA TODAY notes.
Pandora is facing increasing competition in the Internet radio business from competitors like Spotify and Rdio. In recent months, tech giants Google (GOOG[4]) and Apple (AAPL[5]) have announced similar services of their own, with Apple's iTunes Radio expected to launch some time this fall[6].
McAndrews steered aQuantive from a tiny digital ad agency into an Internet ad powerhouse, which was acquired by Microsoft (MSFT[7]) for $6 billion about seven years ago[8]. He worked for Microsoft until 2009, when he departed to become partner at Madrona Venture Group. Andrews is expected to help Pandora increase its online advertising revenue.
Kennedy announced that he was stepping down[9] as Pandora CEO in March.
Source URL: https://investorplace.com/2013/09/pandora-names-online-ad-guru-as-new-ceo/
Short URL: http://invstplc.com/1fpln5f
Copyright ©2017 InvestorPlace Media, LLC. All rights reserved. 700 Indian Springs Drive, Lancaster, PA 17601.


text: A common mistake (and a confusing bit about typeclasses) is that whether or not the constraints on an instance apply are irrelevant. Specifically, the code "instance (Applicative f, Eq a) => AppEq f a" means that, given any types f and a, I can tell you how to make them an instance of AppEq. But I also ask you to please add the constraints "Applicative f" and "Eq a". That is to say, only the stuff on the right of the => apply when determining whether an instance applies. If you take out the overlapping specific instance for Interval, the compiler will give you a different error: "No instance for Applicative Interval". You can see what happened here: the compiler wants an instance for AppEq Interval Integer. It sees the instance "AppEq f a" and adds the constraints "Ord Integer" and "Applicative Interval". Ord Integer is already fulfilled, but it can't discharge the constraint on Applicative, so the compile fails. Similarily, in your case, the compiler can't decide whether to apply the "Ord a => AppEq Interval a" instance, or the "Applicative f, Eq a => AppEq f a" instance; the right hand sides of the instance declarations both match (and add different constraints to the left hand side). You can use -XOverlappingInstances, but beware, dragons lie in that direction. I think this is a fundamental weakness of the typeclass system, but I haven't seen a design that avoids it for code as complicated as this. On Wed, Nov 26, 2008 at 12:05 PM, Paul Johnson <paul at cogito.org.uk> wrote: > Hi, > > I'm trying to set up some operators for applicative versions of prelude > types. For instance: > > -- | Applicative Equality. > class (Eq a) => AppEq f a where > (.==.), (./=.) :: f a -> f a -> f Bool > > instance (Applicative f, Eq a) => AppEq f a where > (.==.) = liftA2 (==) > (./=.) = liftA2 (/=) > > > Hopefully the intention is fairly straightforward: if "f" is an instance of > Applicative then the lifted implementation of the underlying type. > Otherwise I can just give my own instance, which is useful for things that > "wrap" prelude types but where "fmap" doesn't work. For instance: > > data (Ord a) => Interval a = Interval a a > > instance (Ord a) => AppEq Interval a where > i1@(Interval _ u1) .==. i2@(Interval _ u2) > | isSingleton i1 && isSingleton i2 && u1 == u2 = Interval True True > | has i1 u2 || has i2 u1 = Interval False True > | otherwise = Interval False False > i1 ./=. i2 = let Interval b1 b2 = (i1 .==. i2) in Interval (not b2) (not > b1) > > isSingleton :: (Ord a) => Interval a -> Bool > isSingleton (Interval lower upper) = lower == upper > > has :: (Ord a) => Interval a -> a -> Bool > has (Interval lower upper) v = v >= lower && v <= upper > > > You can't (easily) define fmap for Interval because the function given as an > argument might not be monotonic. So instead you have to write custom > implementations for each lifted function, as shown here for (.==.) and > (./=.) . The same principle works for AppOrd, AppNum etc, but I'm trying to > solve the problem for just AppEq for now. > > This compiles, but when I try to use it I get this in ghci: > > *Interval> let i1 = Interval 4 5 > *Interval> let i2 = Interval 4 6 > *Interval> i1 .==. i2 > > <interactive>:1:0: > Overlapping instances for AppEq Interval Integer > arising from a use of `.==.' at <interactive>:1:0-9 > Matching instances: > instance (Ord a) => AppEq Interval a > -- Defined at Interval.hs:(22,0)-(27,78) > instance (Control.Applicative.Applicative f, Eq a) => AppEq f a > -- Defined at AppPrelude.hs:(32,0)-(34,23) > In the expression: i1 .==. i2 > In the definition of `it': it = i1 .==. i2 > > I'm puzzled, because Interval is not an instance of Applicative, so the > second instance doesn't apply. Can anyone help me out? > > I'm using ghc 6.8.3, so its possible that this was a bug fixed in 6.10. > > Paul. > _______________________________________________ > Haskell-Cafe mailing list > Haskell-Cafe at haskell.org > http://www.haskell.org/mailman/listinfo/haskell-cafe >

subset: commoncrawl


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AMC is taking advantage of our increasing attachment to our smartphones and tablets with a new web-based interactivity feature called Story Sync. Story Sync debuted last week with the season premier of Breaking Bad, so we decided to give it a whirl on last nights episode on the Nexus 7. Story Sync is not an app. It's actually a part of the AMC website that's compatible with iOS and Android. Story Sync is designed to keep your attention on Breaking Bad every step of the way. AMC doesn't want you getting distracted with things like Facebook, Twitter or other channels. In my experience, AMC completely accomplished that goal.
One of the things that kept me trained on Story Sync was the countdown timer that appeared on the top right of the page. Once that timer reached 0, AMC would present an interesting fact, poll, trivia or video recap of the event that played out on screen. The screenshot above shows one of the trivia questions that accompanied yesterday's show. It even showed details on a gun that a certain character was carrying. I always wanted to know what form the next pop-up would take.
I thought I would stray away from Story Sync once the commercials started, but I was wrong. There's a section on the page that's dedicated to a live message board. Breaking Bad fans used it to voice their reactions to scenes, clear up confusing scenes and even crack wise on occasion. It was a vibrant community, and I enjoyed lurking until the commercials were over.
The act of using a second screen while looking at television isn't going away. I'm looking forward to other second screen ideas different networks will implement in an effort to regain our fleeting attention while looking at their shows.
Site [Story Sync]


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- Description
DetailsAmlycure D. S. is a Desired Strength, comprehensive polyherbal formula, in potent concentration of different vital herbs. It exerts corrective & protective effect in order to check progression, severity of liver diorders and effectively restore liver functional parameters. Amlycure D. S. helps to restore the liver functioning by providing multidimensional approach by showing anti-viral, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, immuno-modulator, choleratic and anti-cholestatic activity. Amlycure D.S. is completely safe. Amlycure DS 1. Works as Liver corrective in following conditions: Jaundice Enlarged liver Altered lipid metabolism 2. Improves digestion and appetite 3.Strengthens assimilation and anabolism. 4.Works as Liver protective and supportive in Hepatitis B, Alcoholic or Non Alcoholic Fatty liver. Dosage: Capsules: 1-2 caps. twice or thrice a day Use under Medical supervision
- Additional Information
Additional Information
Manufacturer Aimil Pharmaceuticals India Ltd
- Reviews


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Since receiving his first scholarship offer from Ohio University at the end of January, Cincinnati (Ohio) Wyoming offensive lineman Terry Davis has been adding offers at a consistent rate. On Saturday, Davis picked up his first offer from a BCS Conference school.
"I recently picked up Indiana University," Davis reported. "That's really special for me because it's my first BCS Conference offer and it's from a big conference like the Big Ten. That really stands out to me, then the fact that they are recruiting me for defensive line also is a big plus for me."
Indiana's offer to Davis is for the offensive line, but the Hoosiers are still evaluating the 6-4, 270-pound prospect as a defensive lineman as well. He played primarily on the offensive line as a junior, seeing spot duty on defense.
Article Continues Below
"It really doesn't matter to me in college - I can play offense or defense - because I'm a big, athletic guy," Davis said.
The Hoosiers have successfully recruited Wyoming High in the recent past, grabbing defensive tackle Larry Black Jr. from the school in the class of 2008. Their coaching staff built a strong relationship with Black before extending him an offer.
"I was originally talking to Kevin Johns," Davis said, "but recently I've been talking to Coach [Deland] McCullough. He's been recruiting the Cincinnati area and I have a good relationship with him. They are real cool coaches."
Davis spent some one-on-one time with the Indiana coaches when he made an unofficial visit to Bloomington last week.
"I was actually at a spring practice there last Tuesday," Davis said. "I really liked the facilities and that really stands out to me. I liked everything about it, really."
Prior to the offer from Indiana, Davis had received offers from MAC programs Ohio University, Toledo, Bowling Green, Akron and Kent State.
"Toledo stands out to me because I know a lot about the coaching staff. I went down there for a junior day in January," Davis said. "OU does too because they were my first offer. Those two MAC schools really stand out for me."
Other BCS Conference schools that are showing interest in Davis include West Virginia, Michigan, Illinois and Georgia Tech. He has visits planned to two of those campuses in the coming weeks and is hoping for more offers to come his way during the spring evaluation period.
"I plan on going to Illinois probably next weekend and Michigan the weekend after that," Davis said. "I was going to sit back and enjoy the recruiting process, but I will probably make my decision before my senior season or just after it."


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Kathleen M. Loftus (1959-2013)
Kathleen M. Loftus, 53, of Harvey Cedars, N.J., and formerly of Sloatsburg, died March 18, 2013, with her family by her side.
She was born Aug. 22, 1959, in New York City to parents Denis and Kathleen (Linehan) Barry, according to Wanamaker & Carlough Funeral Home, which handled her funeral arrangements and published her obituary.
She was raised in Sloatsburg and attended Suffern High School and SUNY Geneseo. She worked for many years as an advertising executive in New York City.
She married Dr. James B. Loftus on Nov. 27, 1993. In addition to being an active member of the PTA in the local schools on Long Beach Island, she enjoyed volunteering her time fundraising for various events for her community.
Survivors include her husband, James; a daughter, Kathryn; two sons, James and John; her parents, Denis and Kathleen Barry; nine siblings, Siobhan and Robert Dineen, Denis, Maura, John, Anne Fehring and her husband, Tom, Kathy Martin and her husband, Keith, Kate Loftus and her husband, Bob, and Brigid Loftus and her husband, Bill; and many nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins.
A Mass of Christian burial was celebrated March 23 at St. Joan of Arc Church in Sloatsburg. Burial followed at St. Anthony's Cemetery in Nanuet.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in her name to Waves for Water Hurricane Sandy Relief Initiative.


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" Manufacturer: Maclaren / Umbrella / 5-Point Harness / Reclining Back (4 Positions) / Overall Weight: 13.23 lb. "
I have just bought this pram and i love it. the maclaren quest lulu guinness bed of roses is a limited edition pram and it taken me over a month to get it with all the accesories but it was well worth it. i have used it 3 times and each time i have had comments on it. its lightweight and really compact it will fit in any boot and you can unfold and fold it with one hand idel for bus uses. The pattern is really lovely and the pictures really dont do it any justice when you see it in the shop you will fall in love with it! i think the changing bag is really overpriced though £150 just for the bag the pram doesnt even cost that. When i was looking for a new pram i wanted something girly and different not just your standed pink stroller and this really lives up to the job best pushchair yet!
The Hauck Speed Sun - Hide N Seek Pooh is a Single Seat Umbrella.


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Four executives from failed mortgage CUSO Central States Mortgage were indicted on fraud and other charges. David Jungen, his wife Elaine, Jerome Poelhnelt and David Chapman were named in a federal indictment, unsealed Oct. 4 in Eastern Wisconsin's U.S. District Court.
Four former executives with a failed housing finance CUSO have been indicted on fraud and other charges in connection with the 2009 failure.
Ask corporate credit union senior executives what keeps them up at night and for many, it's whether they can grow their business.


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Lineah Davey, who is an LWV Ruth S. Shur Fellow, grew up in Nebraska where she began her career teaching English. She retired teaching high school social studies and now she supervises social studies student-teachers at Colorado College. When Lineah and her family moved to Boulder, Colorado in 1969, she joined the League, which had intrigued her since she read the LWV of Omaha Voters Guides.
After moving to Colorado Springs, Lineah became more active in League and has since held several positions on the local board, including President. Lineah is a member of the LWV of Pike Peaks Region and has served on LWVCO Board from 2005-2012 as VP of Member Services, conducting Leadership Training for local league board members, and serving as state coordinator for Membership Leadership Development. Lineah has also served as a member of LWVUS Streamlining Committee.
Lineah and her husband have two married daughters and three grandchildren. In her free time, Lineah enjoys hiking, sewing, and reading mysteries.
Like the LWV of Pike Peaks Region on Facebook and follow them on Twitter at @LWVPPR.


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Tag Archives: college coffee house
More College Students Waking Up to Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea
This fall, even more students are kick-starting their studies with our handcrafted coffee and espresso drinks! The Columbus College of Art and Design, Ohio State University Mansfield Campus, and Oberlin College are the newest campuses to offer Crimson Cup beverages. At … Read More


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Review this product!
Hockey Skates
Christmas OrnamentSKU: COMW10017
Speed skating around the rink and slamming opponents against the glass, hockey is a fast paced sport. Loud cheers can be heard throughout the stadium when the home team slap shots a puck into the goal, just beyond the goalie's reach.
Dimensions: 1 3/4" x 2 1/4"
Material: Resin
Material: Resin


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Restaurants can expect beef prices to keep rising | Commodities content from Nations Restaurant News
What's your plan for increasing prices? Beef prices are at an all-time high and they don't look to be coming down any time soon.
Restaurants can expect beef prices to keep rising | Commodities content from Nations Restaurant News.
Don't give your customers what you want
O'Dell Restaurant Consulting's Blog
How to make sure your products will sell
Pretty confusing main title, isn't it? I'll bet you're wondering exactly what I'm talking about.
Along with the other biggest mistakes restaurants owners make, offering customers what the owner thinks is good, instead of what the customer thinks is good, is a surefire way to lose money in the restaurant business.
Here's the scenario I've seen a dozen times.
- Young couple sells their house and moves to a new city
- New city doesn't have restaurants offering their favorite foods from previous city
- Couple decides to leverage all their assets and open a restaurant selling the fantastic food from their last city that they know everyone will love if they would just try it
- Couple doesn't realize the complexity of the restaurant business, and opens up underfunded and underexperienced
- No one comes to restaurant, and couple blames their vendors, their employees, their landlord and…
View original post 610 more words
Discouraging developments at Groupon? Shocker…
This doesn't come as a surprise to anyone who reads my blog on a regular basis, but I'm shocked (sense the sarcasm) that things aren't going well financially for Groupon. Rather than rehash an entire article, I thought I would refer you to it to give it a read if you are in the mood for a little Groupon bashing.
Discouraging developments at Groupon
Groupon a bad deal for restaurants and everyone else, including Groupon
What happens when you sell a product or service that "kills" your customers?
Just ask recently fired Groupon CEO Andrew Mason. I don't know that he has the answer, but I do.
Groupon was a bad idea from the start. They talk businesses into selling their goods or services for half the cost of their normal price. Of that half price that is collected, Groupon keeps half and the business keeps the last half, minus any charges for processing fees on both their cut and Groupon's cut, which equals about 7% of the business' portion.So let's do the math. Groupon sells a 50% off deal to your restaurant at $20. Groupon keeps $10 for every one sold. You keep $10 minus 7%, leaving you with $9.30.
With that $9.30 collected from the customer, you have to give them $40 worth of goods or services. If you are like most restaurants, just your cost of goods on $40 eats up $10-16 (25-40%), resulting in a loss of anywhere from $.70 to $6.70 for EVERY Groupon deal sold. That's before you calculate in additional paper products, cleaning supplies, extra staff, and lost revenue from seats that are taken away from full price customers, among other expenses.
All this turns Groupon into the single most expensive tool there is for marketing your restaurant. This a bad, bad business model. A company that promotes itself by claiming they can bring you new business ultimately ends up putting many of it's own customers out of business, or their customers wisen up and realize Groupon is a horribly expensive way to market and they stop using the service. Either way, Groupon is cannibalizing itself and it's customers. Groupon claims the payoff is new, regular customers for the business. The reality is that the customers are loyal to Groupon, not the business, and they follow the next deal to the next restaurant.
No business model is going to succeed long term by killing it's customers unless it has a never ending supply of new customers. For Groupon, that means it's hey day in the US is over. It has run it's course here and most businesses are too smart to fall prey to it's predatory business practices. Groupon will not rebound from it's current woes in this market. It's only hope is to expand into untapped markets where business owners are not aware of the dangerous effects of using Groupon. Groupon is the first daily deal model to fall because it was the first in the market. It will not be the last however.
Ultimately, nobody wins with Groupon, except the people who buy the Groupons. Check out the linked article from Yahoo Finance about the firing of Groupon CEO, Andrew Mason. If you own Groupon stock, I'm sorry for your loss, but cut your losses and dump it now. It's not coming back.
Brandon O'Dell is an independent restaurant consultant and owner of O'Dell Restaurant Consulting, a restaurant consulting company that offers operations and marketing consulting for independent restaurants and small chains. Learn more at their website or visit their webstore to find Excel speadsheets and Word templates to help you build a better restaurant business.
Should an Applebees server who posted a customer receipt online be fired?
A recent story from my area of the country brings up an important question that will inevitably come up many more times. What should a restaurant owner do if an employee posts a customer's receipt online? Does it make any difference that the receipt has something rude written on it?
Here is a link to the original story I'm referencing on the Consumerist. In short, the media is reporting that a church pastor stiffed a waitress because they didn't like the 18% auto-gratuity on their check, the waitress posted the receipt online and then was fired by Applebees. One media outlet, the Huffington Post, is circulating a petition to get the server her job back.
Here is the USA Today version:
There are some major mistakes in most, if not all the news stories I've seen about this situation other than the original. Since the Consumerist's original story had the facts right, it begs the question of intent of the other media outlets in misstating them. Here are the important facts being left out:
- The waitress who posted the receipt online was not the waitress who waited on the pastor. She was not the one purportedly "stiffed".
- While the pastor crossed out the auto-gratuity and added up the tab without the tip, she did leave the server a $6 cash tip on a $34.93 tab, equating to a 17% tip. The server was not "stiffed" at all.
- Applebees, where the incident took place, charged the 18% auto-gratuity to the pastor anyways, because it is their policy to charge 18% automatically on tables of 8 or more. This is standard in many full service restaurants. The waitress actually made a 35% tip on the table, though that certainly wasn't the intent of the pastor.
I'm not posting this information to defend the pastor in any way. The pastor wrote "I give God 10%, why do you get 18%?" on the check. Even if she intended it for the restaurant and not the waitress, this sort of activity by a customer is inexcusable. The restaurant should "fire" the pastor as a customer for leaving such a comment on the tab in my opinion, or at a minimum give them a warning, and the church should fire the pastor for disgracing the church as its primary representative in the public. Using God as an excuse to make a negative statement about tipping an individual person is never okay, even if she did leave the server a 17% cash tip.
The real question being raised here is, "Should the server who posted the receipt be fired?"
My opinion is that yes, the employee was rightfully fired by the Applebees where she worked. Customer receipts are private property of both the customer and the business, not the server. As such, the server has no right to post that information online, regardless of what was written on it. Had the server only shared what was written on the receipt, without posting a picture of the receipt, I might have a different opinion. It's possible there might even be some sort of criminal law broken by the server. The server's defense is that there is nothing in the employee manual forbidding her from copying and posting receipts online.
I'd like to get the input of restaurant owners and managers out there that could face the same situation in the future. What do you think is the right thing to do as a restaurant owner?
One piece of advice I do have to offer restaurant owners on this type of incident is that you should have a policy in your manual forbidding employees from posting pictures of guests, their personal property, or the property of the restaurant online. I also believe it would be good to expressly allow the posting of food and drink pictures online for the purpose of promoting the restaurant.
Brandon O'Dell with O'Dell Restaurant Consulting is an independent restaurant consultant who offers operations and concept strategy consulting for independent restaurants and small chains. You can learn more about their services at www.bodellconsulting.com.


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Officials aim to control Stillwater bridge lifts to avoid congestion; Passenger dog found after owner dies in semi crash; more briefs
Officials in Stillwater, Minn., hope to avoid traffic congestion in their downtown by putting new limits on the times a lift bridge to Wisconsin can go up and down to accommodate boats.
Under current rules, the Stillwater Lift Bridge can move up to 22 times on weekdays and 21 times on weekends and holidays. Officials say more of those lifts will be required as construction takes place on a new four-lane bridge between Stillwater and Hudson.
Stillwater City Council member Ted Kozlowski is leading an effort by officials and downtown business owners to allow lifts during certain times each morning and afternoon.
However, the Coast Guard says the campaign might not get far. Peter Sambor of the Coast Guard says his agency rarely changes lifting schedules for bridges, and water traffic is the top priority.
He said the Coast Guard does consider requests that appear to be justified. Public hearings are normally held before final decisions are made.
Initial construction work was recently halted on the St. Croix bridge project due to a couple of issues, but the four-lane bridge is still scheduled to open in 2016.
Passenger dog found after owner dies in semi crash
A missing dog has been found safe after riding with its owner who died in the crash of two semi-trucks during last week's snowstorm in western Wisconsin.
John Philipp, 45, of Stacy, Minn., died in the crash, which occurred on eastbound I-94 near Menomonie. His dog Molly escaped and was seen limping after the crash.
A veterinarian treated the pet, and she was taken home during the weekend by Philippi's nephew Andy Anderson.
The trucker's family told Twin Cities TV station KMSP that Philippi was driving to Illinois when he reacted to avoid something ahead. His rig tipped and was hit from behind by the other semi.
Philippi was reportedly on a cell phone with a friend. He told her to hang on because he was going to crash.
Heavy snowfall sparks flood warnings
Some of the heavy snow that fell in northwest Wisconsin last week is now flowing down the St. Croix and Mississippi rivers.
That generated flood warnings during the weekend on the Mississippi River at Wabasha, Minn., across from Buffalo County and McGregor, Iowa, near Prairie du Chien.
The Mississippi is about four inches below its flood stage at Wabasha and a foot below its banks at McGregor. Both spots are expected to go above their flood stages around mid-week, with minor floods predicted.
Mellen in Ashland County had the most snow in last week's storm - just over 21 inches in three days.
Minor floods are also taking place on the Menominee River in Marinette County near McAllister. Forecasters expect the river to return below its banks by tomorrow afternoon.
In southern Wisconsin, flood warnings continue on the Rock River in Rock and Jefferson counties and the Fox River in Kenosha County.
Most flooding is expected to disappear throughout the week with mostly dry weather in the forecast. The next chance of rain is from Wednesday through Friday.
USDA purchase helps state's cranberry farmers - but not enough, says Kind
The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to reduce an over-supply of cranberry crops by buying $5 million of concentrate for federal nutrition programs.
U.S. Rep. Ron Kind of La Crosse announced the purchase, saying it's not nearly as much as he and others on Capitol Hill had wanted. They asked Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack to buy 50 million pounds of cranberries worth $30 million.
The lawmakers said record cranberry crops the last two years have put pressure on producer prices as did a 50% jump in Canada's crop.
Kind and the other lawmakers said farm-level prices will be below the cost of production for almost half of all U.S. cranberry growers. Wisconsin made 60% of the nation's cranberry crop a year ago, harvesting a record 4.8 million barrels.
Nine Amish injured in buggy vs. car crash
All but one of the nine people injured in a weekend crash of a car and an Amish buggy in western Wisconsin are home from the hospital.
The La Crosse Tribune says David Wengerd, 37, of Osseo will need more surgery after he suffered lower leg injuries in the mishap. Wengerd, his wife Lydia and their seven children in the buggy were hurt.
The accident happened Friday night east of Whitehall of Hwy. 53. Trempealeau County sheriff's deputies said a 19-year-old car driver from Strum failed to yield for the slow-moving buggy and rear-ended the unit.
Officials said inattentive driving was a factor, and the district attorney's office will consider charges. The car driver was not hurt.
Test shows one in 10 kindergarteners not ready for reading
About one of every 10 kindergarteners in Wisconsin is not ready for reading lessons in the classroom, according to the results of the Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening test that was given for the first time last fall.
The test is part of a series of education measures passed in the last session of the Legislature. According to the Wisconsin State Journal, 89% of kindergarteners met early literacy standards like recognizing letters and sounds.
Another version of the test was being given this spring. Schools also had the option of giving mid-winter tests.
The State Journal obtained general results. It said the Department of Public Instruction was not planning to publish the results because the test is meant to be a tool for classroom teaching and it's not meant to provide a comparison of any kind.
The DPI's Patrick Gasper said the main purpose of the test is to identify those who need help with literacy fundamentals. He says teachers can use the results to fine-tune their reading instruction.
The proposed state budget includes money to give the test to four-year-old kindergarteners starting next year as well as to first- and second-graders.
Fallen police officers will be added to state memorial
Five Wisconsin police officers killed in the line of duty will be added to the state's Law Enforcement Memorial.
Wauwatosa officer Jennifer Sebena, whose husband is charged with killing her last Christmas Eve, will be honored in a ceremony on Friday. It starts at noon at the memorial site on the State Capitol grounds in Madison.
The national Law Enforcement Memorial was not originally planning to include Sebena, but the group later changed its mind. She'll be honored next Monday in Washington.
Also to be honored at the state ceremony on Friday is Milwaukee County deputy Sergio Aleman. He was driving a vehicle that assists motorists on the freeways when he slammed into a flat-bed truck last July and was killed.
Three other Milwaukee County deputies will be added to the state's memorial after they died on the job almost a century ago. They are officers William Wank, Frank Heup and George Pazik.
Gov. Scott Walker will speak at Friday's ceremony, along with state Attorney General JB Van Hollen and Wauwatosa Police Chief Barry Weber.
Over 260 officers have been killed in the line of duty in Wisconsin since 1844.
Number of state's dairy farms hits new low
Wisconsin's total number of dairy farms has dropped below 11,000. The Wisconsin Ag Connection news service says it's the first time in many generations that the number of active milking herds dropped below that number.
State authorities reported there were 10,915 herds during the first week in May, 600 fewer than the same month a year ago.
But the surviving herds have more cows than ever, totaling 1.27 million animals.
Clark County has 911 herds. That's the most in Wisconsin, but it had more than 1,000 just a few years ago. Forest County has just one dairy herd, and Milwaukee County has three.
Eighty-seven percent of dairy operations are Grade-"A" certified, and 13% are licensed as Grade "B."
GOP takes up battle to help Stevens Point firm
Wisconsin Republicans have gone to bat for a Stevens Point company that says it would have to move out of state if it does not win an appeal of a state contract rejection.
Over the weekend, Portage County GOP chairman Pat Testin convinced his fellow state convention delegates to endorse more than one supplier for a new statewide database of public school students. The measure seeks to help Skyward of Stevens Point, which lost out to a Minnesota firm for the database contract.
The state's education agency last week rejected Skyward's appeal of the contract award. The firm is filing a new appeal with the Walker administration.
Last year, the governor and Legislature endorsed a single vendor for the student database. The GOP state convention passed a resolution this weekend to allow multiple vendors.
A bill from two central Wisconsin Democrats would make the change, but it's been stuck in a committee for two months. Now, Assembly Republican Don Pridemore of Hartford says he's working on a more flexible bill to allow any number of vendors in a free market set-up.
Pridemore lost in April to state Supt. Tony Evers, who supports the single-vendor system. Most schools now use either Skyward or the Minnesota firm of Infinite Campus for their local databases. Schools that use Skyward say they'd have to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to change to the Infinite Campus program.
Cambridge woman is finalist for 'Farm Mom' award
A Wisconsin woman is one of five finalists for the national "Farm Mom of the Year" award.
Tina Hinchley of Cambridge represents the Midwest in a contest sponsored by the group America's Farmers.
She told the Brownfield Ag News Service that she milks her family's 105 registered Holsteins because her husband doesn't really enjoy it. The family started doing farm tours 16 years ago, with the idea of creating extra income and keeping the farm safe and tidy.
Also, Hinchley is in her second term on the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. She said she was inspired to do something after seeing young kids in school refuse to drink their milk.
The "Farm Mom" award is being determined in an online vote. The other finalists are from California, Montana, Ohio and Virginia. People can vote by logging onto www.AmericasFarmers.com
The voting ends Saturday, and the winner will be announced on Mother's Day.
Parents of alleged murderer say they told authorities he was delusional
The parents of Jaren Kuester - the Waukesha man suspected of killing three people in Lafayette County - said they warned officials beforehand that their son was delusional.
Jim and Kathleen Kuester told the Wisconsin State Journal that the April 28 murders never would have happened had Jaren been hospitalized in a Waukesha County mental ward as they requested.
An assessment by crisis manager Robert Walker three days before the slayings showed that Kuester did not meet the criteria for being held. Peter Schuler, who heads the Waukesha County mental health agency, said he stands by the assessment - and he felt his department responded as best it could.
Authorities said Kuester killed Gary, Chloe and Dean Thoreson at their South Wayne farm house. Their bodies were found three days after Kuester caused a disturbance at a Waukesha animal shelter following the recent death of his dog, which was run over by a car.
Jim Kuester said officials could have admitted his son to a mental hospital then and didn't. Kathleen said her son was first diagnosed with depression when he was 16, and he got worse after his dog died.
Kuester is in jail under a $3 million bond. Homicide charges are pending. They're expected to be filed by his next court appearance on Friday.


text: Defamer Binge-Watching TV Will Kill You, and it Will Kill You Soon | Sploid This is the largest movable machine in the world | Regressing When Did Nazi Insults Spike On Twitter During USA-Germany? | Truck Yeah! Check Out Robby Gordon's Sweet Baja Buggy From 1990 | Kinja Popular Posts


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I made this for the Neil Gaiman swap, from the Poppet pattern Ghilie has generously shared with Craftster (thanks!). I made some minor modifications (hands and feet instead of paws, different ears). She's my first poppet. It was a lot of fun working on this project; I look forward to making another one.
Her earrings and hair detail (it's short and blonde/yellow on one side, dyed and long on the other)
Her fishnets
Fishnets tutorial, page 3
ETA: For those who don't know who Delirium is - here's a Wikipedia entry about her. I based this on how she looks in Brief Lives, though - it's somewhat similar but not identical to the picture on the Wikipedia page.


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Scherr+Klimke AG
CBP Fraunhofer Research Centre
As part of strengthening our strategic areas of competence the management board has created two new directorates.
Mexiko has become the most important automotive production location in North America GM has invested about three billion dollars in Mexiko since 2007 and owns now three plants there, while Ford and Chryler each own two. The German carmakers, above all the Volkswagen Group, are strongly represented in Mexiko and bringing in auto-parts manufacturers (if not already there).
BHTC, Behr-HellaThermocontrol GmbH, joint venture of Behr GmbH & Co. KG and Hella KGaA Hueck & Co will set up a new factory near Querétaro with planning support by Scherr+Klimke.
Start of construction for the technical complex building (manufacturing of car climate control systems) is scheduled to begin in early March 2015 and to begin production in 2016.
Markus Sailer to become additional member of the Board of Management
Dr. Wolfgang Klimke will continue to serve as Chairman of the Board of Management


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NFU calls on retailers to support British lamb
The National Farmers' Union (NFU) has urged all major retailers to strengthen their commitments to sourcing peak-season British lamb.
Following up on a letter sent earlier this month to Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, Marks & Spencer, Waitrose, The Co-operative, Aldi, Brakes, Sodexo, Whitbread, Lidl and Compass, NFU livestock board chairman Charles Sercombe praised those who had made progress and urged others to follow suit.
He said: "The real win is in the foodservice industry, with leaders at Brakes who should be praised for their efforts in being clear about their sourcing commitments. I'm also delighted that The Co-operative has listened to our concerns about this year's early production and brought forward the season for its 'Truly Irresistible' British lamb supply by two weeks.
"Waitrose has told us that it's working very closely with its farmer suppliers to develop a product that customers want. It's also extremely positive that Sainsbury's is now working with a larger lamb supply group.
"However, other retailers and foodservice companies really need to up their game. The NFU would like to see the supply chain working with producers to be clear about their season where possible, as well as developing longer-term relationships with suppliers that support our farmer members. It is also crucial that retailers and foodservice companies are clear about when they wish to source British and to what specification – producers need clear market signals in advance to make the right business decisions. We will, of course, continue to work with retailers and other parts of the supply chain to develop lamb sourcing policies which will ensure greater collaboration through the supply chain."
The four areas raised by the NFU were: transparency and a commitment to deliver on British lamb sourcing – specifically clarity on when retailers' seasons start and finish; closer work with producers – direct contracts and improved communication, offering stability and confidence to producers and the potential to work towards buying British all year round; product development – outlining plans to develop new products to entice consumers to buy British lamb and enable lamb carcases to be balanced more easily; and clear labelling on British lamb and prominent use of the Red Tractor logo.
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Coast Guard swimmer Christopher Austin dropped into a cold Pacific Northwest bay where a fisherman floated, prone in the violent surf.
In Afghanistan, Marine Lucas Chaffins took his sniper rifle to a rooftop and calmly hunkered down.
Elsewhere on the battlefield, sailor Chad Regelin kept a swift hand and cool head when a booby-trapped compound came under sudden attack.
The USO honored one young hero from each armed service this month at its Washington, D.C., gala. This year, three of the five recipients have San Diego County ties.
Austin grew up in San Diego. The Marine and the sailor of the year are assigned to local military bases.
The honors go to a junior enlisted person for a specific act of bravery in the prior calendar year.
Coast Guard: Petty Officer 3rd Class Christopher Austin
Austin, a 23-year-old Coast Guard rescue swimmer stationed in Astoria, Ore., is a child of Pacific Beach. Growing up, he surfed and watched orange-and-white Coast Guard helicopters chug across the horizon.
After Mission Bay High School, he might have gone a lot of directions — football, acting — but to his mother's surprise he drove down to the Coast Guard recruiter.
Fast forward to last December. It was 50 degrees with dense fog along the rugged Pacific Northwest coast. It was also Austin's first flight as a qualified rescue swimmer.
His helicopter crew was called to blustery Willapa Bay, where two commercial fishermen had flipped over with their boat. One was already gone. The other waved at the four-man Coast Guard crew, disappeared in the swells, then bobbed up, face down.
Austin, in his mask, goggles and fins, hooked into a cable and dropped the 30 or 40 feet to the water.
"As soon as I got to him and turned him around, another wave came. I held on to him, because otherwise he would have been gone. I got hit pretty good by that one," said Austin, a sturdy guy at 6-foot-1-inch and 215 pounds.
Another helicopter crewman said later that it felt and looked like two big fish thrashing on the end of a fisherman's line. But Austin persevered.
"I was able to put the rescue device around him," he said. "Probably took six to eight waves or so, then we were out of there."
The USO citation credits the rescue swimmer's "exceptional strength and stamina" for saving the fisherman's life.
In the helicopter, Austin performed first aid and got the man breathing again. The lucky fisherman survived, escaped brain damage, and later visited the Coast Guard station to thank the crew.
Austin said he joined the Coast Guard for days just like that.
"I felt like it had been a lot about me, growing up," he said. "I realized I'd never done a whole lot for somebody else. So I wanted the opportunity to do that."
Marine Corps: Sgt. Lucas Chaffins
Marine Sgt. Lucas Chaffins had only one deployment to Afghanistan. But apparently he made the most of it.
A Camp Pendleton-based machine-gunner with the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, he was one of eight Marines in a fierce three-hour firefight with 20 or 30 enemies last August.
Chaffins and a buddy went up on a roof, where they proceeded to pick off the enemy with rifles.
"It was intense. There was some serious machine-gun fire going on. Like, they were hitting really, really close to us. It was one of their better ambushes," said Chaffins, 23, who hails from Manhattan, Mont., a town of 1,100.
His buddy took bullets to the shoulder and jumped off the roof. So Chaffins jumped off after him to give first aid. After patching him up, the sniper returned to his rooftop vantage.
"We ended up getting some good sniping in, I guess," he said, remembering the scene in Afghanistan's Upper Sangin River Valley. "After that day, they pretty much left us alone for a long time. They started taking the long way around."
Chaffins was awarded the Bronze Star, with V for valor in combat, for the day's work. His Marine superiors, who nominated him for the USO honor, noted that "his calm demeanor under stressful situations was unmatched."
With his enlistment only days away from being over, the young sniper has returned to his hometown in Montana — his wife is also from there; they met as children — and hopes to start a career in law enforcement. He is angling for the SWAT team.
After the extremes of Afghanistan, the USO gala took Chaffins to another place he'd never been — Washington, D.C.
"I'm not used to doing the whole dress-up thing," the low-key Montanan said. "I'll probably never go back to D.C. again, but it was nice to see it for one time."
Navy: Petty Officer 1st Class Chad Regelin
The sailor of the year, 24-year-old Chad Regelin, couldn't make it to the USO party.
He is again serving in Afghanistan as a bomb disposal technician, taking the place of someone who was injured. His parents received his award on his behalf in Washington, D.C.
The sailor was recognized for his work during a prior tour, from August 2010 until this March. During that stretch, Regelin personally found and destroyed 24 roadside explosives, trained 13 other people in bomb detection and took part in 20 firefights.
During a two-day stretch of intense fighting, the sailor stayed calm as the enemy attacked while he was in the process of disarming a 60-pound bomb. His cool head helped save the 10-person unit that he was leading.
The Navy has nominated Regelin, stationed at San Diego Naval Base, for the Bronze Star with V for the incident.
"His outstanding situational awareness and keen attention to detail in a combat environment undoubtedly saved the lives of his teammates," said Cmdr. Charles Andrews, unit commander, in the USO nomination. "His leadership and performance under fire far exceeded his pay grade."
In an email from Afghanistan, Regelin said he chose bomb disposal — a skill in high demand during the past decade — because he enjoys working with explosives and the "top-notch" people in the field.
The sailor, who enlisted in 2006, is from Anderson, a town of 10,000 people in Northern California. He plans to make the Navy his career.