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Omnicell Inc. Reports Operating Results (10-Q)
Posted by: gurufocus (IP Logged)
Date: May 8, 2012 04:36PM
Omnicell Inc. (OMCL) filed Quarterly Report for the period ended 2012-03-31. Omnicell Inc has a market cap of $467.9 million; its shares were traded at around $14.51 with a P/E ratio of 42.3 and P/S ratio of 1.9. Omnicell Inc had an annual average earning growth of 2.3% over the past 5 years.
Highlight of Business Operations:revenue of $48.5 million as compared with 58.6% on revenue of $47.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2011. Service gross margins also declined, to 48.2% on revenue of $15.6 million as compared to 52.2% margins on $15.7 million in revenue in the fourth quarter of 2011.
Research and Development. Research and development expenses increased by $1.7 million, or 34.2%, in the three months ended March 31, 2012 as compared to the same period in 2011. Research and development expenses represented 10.1% and 8.5% of total revenues in the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. The increase was due primarily to a $1.8 million decrease in software capitalization, as there were no expenses eligible for capitalization in the current period, and an increase of $0.5 million in consulting, offset by a decrease of $0.6 million of salary related expenses. The amount of research and development expense can fluctuate based on the amount of prototype expenses for hardware and/or the amount of capitalized software development costs in any given quarter.
expenses represented 39.9% and 45.1% of total revenues in the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. Selling, general and administrative expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2012 as compared to the same period in 2011 included increased salary and benefits of $1.4 million, primarily related to net increases in sales and marketing staff, offset by the reduction due to the non-recurrence of last year's Medacist litigation settlement accrual of $1.0 million, with related legal fees of $0.5 million.
We had cash and cash equivalents of $201.4 million at March 31, 2012, as compared to $191.8 million at December 31, 2011, plus an additional $8.1 million of short term investments at both March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011. All of our cash is in low risk short term money market funds or demand deposits. The $8.1 million of short term investments held at March 31, 2012 consisted of California revenue anticipation notes which are scheduled to mature June 26, 2012. We have no long term investments. While in the future we may need to seek additional financing to meet our working capital needs and to finance capital expenditures, as well as to fund operations or potential acquisitions, we believe our current cash and cash equivalent balances and cash flows generated by operations will be sufficient to satisfy our anticipated cash needs for working capital and capital expenditures for at least the next twelve months. Currently, we have cash, cash equivalents and short term investments of $209.5 million of which we will use $156.0 million cash, subject to adjustments, on the pending MTS acquisition as described in Note 14 "Subsequent Events".
Operating activities provided $7.3 million of cash during the three months ended March 31, 2012 as compared to $3.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2011. The main drivers for the $4.2 million increase in cash generated from operations were a $1.7 million increase in net income, a $6.9 million increase from the change in inventories primarily the result of a non-recurring increase in 2011 in anticipation of new product introductions, partially offset by a decrease of $3.2 million in cash generated through changes in accounts receivable. Other balance sheet changes impacting the change in cash generated from operating activities were a $2.4 million increase from the change in deferred gross profit and a $1.7 million increase from the change in accrued compensation, offset by a $2.5 million decrease from the change in net investment in sales-type leases, and a $2.9 million decrease from the change in accrued liabilities and accounts payable.
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Comanche Lake drainage
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Comanche Peak in the background. I'm sitting in a creekbed that flows out of Comanche Lake. Oct. 2008.
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NORTH MIAMI -- A tabloid mailroom worker exposed to anthrax is recovering in the hospital, but from what isn't exactly clear.
State health officials have said that Ernesto Blanco has been merely exposed to anthrax and does not have the full blown case of the inhaled version of the disease that killed a co-worker. They have told the family that Blanco's symptoms are from pneumonia.
But his family has been told by doctors that he has anthrax in his blood and lungs and say they are confused by the different diagnoses.
Blanco, 73, was exposed to anthrax while he was sorting and handing out mail at the Boca Raton offices of a supermarket tabloid publisher. Anthrax spores were found in Blanco's nose and he has been at a Miami hospital since Monday.
A third co-worker tested positive Wednesday for anthrax spores in her nose.
Doctors told his wife and stepdaughter that Blanco's flu-like symptoms are becoming weaker. They said he no longer has a fever or is being fed intravenously. He has been moved out of intensive care and weaned off a respirator.
"It is a major relief, but it's been a very difficult experience," Maria Orth, Blanco's stepdaughter, said Friday.
But Orth says Blanco was near death at one point and that she has received differing statements on his condition.
"One of his doctors disagrees that he ever had anthrax," Orth told The Associated Press on Friday. "They said tests are inconclusive and that it is a challenging case.
"Yet, another doctor assured me he did have it in his bloodstream and in his lungs. It's very confusing."
Tom Skinner of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta on Friday referred calls on Blanco's case to the state health department. Officials believe Blanco's symptoms are from an unrelated sickness, Florida Department of Health spokesman Tim O'Connor said Friday.
Blanco's family and hospital he is at have declined to provide the name of the doctor treating Blanco.
Blanco was tested for anthrax because health officials said he happened to be in a hospital for what co-workers said was an unrelated heart problem.
The lack of knowledge about the disease had Blanco's family members concerned.
"It's been extremely stressful," Orth said.
"We've been in a generalized state of anxiety. It was touch and go and he was extremely sick."
Only 18 cases of respiratory anthrax in the United States were documented in the 20th century, the most recent in 1976 in California. More common is a less serious form of anthrax contracted through the skin.
"As much as health officials say they know, they really don't know that much about it," Orth said.
"If he had something else, like cancer let's say, there is a lot more research in the area and we would feel much less fearful."
Robert Stevens, a photo editor with the Sun, died last week of anthrax. Stephanie Dailey, 36, was found Wednesday to have anthrax spores in her nose.
A fourth case of anthrax was confirmed Friday in New York, though it is the cutaneous, or skin, version.
The cases have sparked fears of bioterrorism, and the FBI is leading a criminal investigation.
Ernesto's wife, Elda Blanco, credits her husband's strength and will for his improving health.
"He is a strong person, but he was complaining for two or three weeks, saying 'I'm exhausted,' and he was coughing a lot," she said.
"He didn't want to go to the hospital until they had to bring him home from work with fever and cough.
Elda Blanco said she was rattled when she heard that her spouse had been exposed to anthrax.
"I'm not one who cries much, but I feel it inside," said Blanco, who tested negative for anthrax but was given the antibiotic Cipro to take as a precaution.
Several of the 300 worried employees of American Media -- which publishes six tabloids and where Blanco has worked for 12 years -- have called his home with wishes of recovery.
"To all my friends at American Media, thanks for all your prayers," Ernesto Blanco said in a prepared statement. "Every day, little by little, I'm feeling much better. I hope to be back at work soon."
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UA changes focus on moving ideas to the market
Jeff Amerine is confident that a reorganization of technology offices at the University of Arkansas will increase the speed at which research reaches the marketplace.
It was announced Monday (Nov. 26) that the University of Arkansas and University of Arkansas System's Division of Agriculture reorganized the UA technology office, which will now be known as Technology Ventures.
The changes, which were made Nov. 19, will see Amerine become the director of technology licensing for the university. Lisa Childs, associate vice provost for research and economic development, is now the manager of the intellectual property portfolio for the Division of Agriculture. Essentially, the reorganization allows each entity to better focus on their specialties.
"The technology licensing office at the University of Arkansas, which will now be known as Technology Ventures, plays a vital role in assisting campus researchers to move their discoveries in the lab to the marketplace," Sharon Gaber, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, said in the statement. "These changes will greatly enhance the office's efforts toward the commercialization of the university's intellectual property."
Amerine, who also works with Innovate Arkansas and numerous other groups to promote entrepreneurship around the state, told The City Wire that the move should streamline the process of moving ideas out of the lab and into the economy.
"The intent is to add additional focus and clarity to the fact that it's not just about managing the patent process and the intellectual property. … It's really about how to accelerate this intellectual property to the market," Amerine explained. "It's time to bring this to a world-class level. We have all the right ingredients around here."
Amerine joined the university as a technology licensing officer in 2008 after an 18-year career as an executive and builder of technology businesses. He held senior leadership positions in seven startup ventures and three Fortune 500 companies and teaches entrepreneurship in the university's Sam M. Walton College of Business.
Amerine is also an adviser to Innovate Arkansas, an initiative operated by Winrock International for the Arkansas Economic Development Commission that grows and sustains knowledge-based companies in Arkansas. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with a bachelor's degree in physical science in 1984. He also holds a master's degree in operations management from the UA, conferred in 2009.
"This plan strengthens the commercialization efforts at both the University of Arkansas and Division of Agriculture," Jim Rankin, vice provost for research and economic development at the university, said in the statement. "A serial entrepreneur, Jeff Amerine continues to implement effective strategies and methods that will lead to commercialization of the U of A's world-class research."
Amerine said the move also fits with the directive of Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe.
"The main message here is that this is a recognition of how, like the Governor (Gov. Beebe) has said, how education, innovation, entrepreneurship and economic development all go together," Amerine said.
Childs, who holds a doctoral degree in genetics from North Carolina State University and a law degree from Loyola University of Chicago, practiced law as a partner in the Chicago office of Michael Best & Friedrich before accepting a joint appointment with the university and division in October 2006.
The Division of Agriculture is the statewide entity of the University of Arkansas System that includes the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service.
University of Arkansas Technology Ventures, under the supervision of the vice provost for research and economic development, works in cooperation with the university's office of research support and sponsored programs and the University of Arkansas Technology Development Foundation.


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Mar. 30, 1999
After Work
Poem: "After Work," by Jane Hirshfield, from Of Gravity and Angels (Wesleyan University Press).
It was on this day in 1981 that John Hinkley, Jr. attempted to ASSASSINATE PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN as he left the Washington Hilton, only 69 days after Reagan had been sworn in as president.
It's the birthday in 1914 of blues musician SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON, born John Lee Williamson in Jackson, Tennessee, one of the first blues harmonica virtuosos in the 1930s and 40s.
It's the birthday, 1891, of the designer of the jeep, ARTHUR HERRINGTON, born in East Suffolk, England. During World War I he started to work on a new design for military trucks for rough terrain, the smallest of which was the quarter-ton jeep with four-wheel drive that became the prototype for various models built in the 1930s and 40s.
It's the birthday, 1888, of the psychologist MELANIE KLEIN, born in Vienna, known for her studies of child psychology.
It was 4:00 am on this day in 1867 that the American Secretary of State William H. Seward signed a treaty for the PURCHASE OF ALASKA from Russia for the total price of 7.2 million dollars.
It's the birthday today of painter VINCENT VAN GOGH, born 1853 in the Dutch town of Zundert.
It's the birthday in 1820 in Norfolk, England, of the novelist ANNA SEWELL, author of the children's classic Black Beauty, first published in 1877.
Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.®


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His defeat in Humberside came on the back of record-low turnouts across England and Wales but Prime Minister David Cameron insisted the elections have been worthwhile.
In total, the Conservatives won 16 commissioner posts, Labour 13 and independents 12.
Lord Prescott led after the first round of votes but when second preference votes were totted up in Bridlington the 74-year-old was overtaken by Tory local businessman and councillor Matthew Grove.
In his victory speech, Mr Grove said: "I would like to pay tribute to the other candidates, but particularly to Lord Prescott, who I have found to be an utter gentleman and a very worthy opponent."
Lord Prescott replied: "Don't let it take away from the fact that I have reduced a 30,000 Tory majority in this area to 2,000.
"I wish you all the best, you have been selected as Humberside commissioner."
Lord Prescott said he did not think he would be standing for election again.
Nationwide, turnout in the police commissioner elections was at an all-time low, with as few as 10% of the electorate voting in some areas.
Despite £75m being spent on the campaign for the roles, the turnout is a new record low in a national poll carried out in peacetime - beating the 23% who voted in European elections in 1999.
One polling station, in the Newport area, was completely unused and the Electoral Reform Society branded the elections a "comedy of errors".
Mr Cameron sought to play down the reverse as a "classic mid-term result" made worse by the decision of MP Louise Mensch to quit to be with her family in the US.
He insisted the PCCs did have a mandate despite the dismal turnout and predicted public interest would rise once the commissioners began work.
Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said spending on the largely-ignored elections had been "bad for policing, bad for democracy and bad for taxpayers".
And Liberal Democrat president Tim Farron warned that commissioners - who will have powers to set force priorities and budgets as well as to hire and fire chief constables - would struggle to claim a mandate.
Complaints have centred on the Government's alleged failure to give the public enough information about the new role and the candidates - coupled with the poll being held in November's dark and cold conditions.
Electoral Commission chair Jenny Watson said the turnout was "a concern for everyone who cares about democracy" and said a "thorough review" would report its findings to Parliament early next year.
"These were new elections taking place at an unfamiliar time of year, which is why we have made clear at every stage that it would be important to engage effectively with voters," she said.
"The Government took a number of decisions about how to run these elections that we did not agree with.
"But what is important now is that the right lessons are learnt: we will talk to voters, candidates and returning officers to understand what worked and what didn't."


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Government vs. Soup Kitchen
At Thanksgiving, the poor pay for dumb regulation.
This Thursday, in a parish hall not far from the New Jersey town green where George Washington once made his winter headquarters, as many as 300 people will gather for their Thanksgiving meal. Some will be homeless, some will be mentally ill, some will be old, and some will be folks and families who have just hit a hard patch. For all of them, Morristown's Community Soup Kitchen and Outreach Center is one of the few blessings they can count on.
In many ways, this soup kitchen illustrates Tocqueville's point about the...


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Over the summer, a few ScienceBloggers were pondering the question of why students disappear from science courses, never to return.
James Hrynshyn wrote that we're teaching youngsters the wrong thing. Zuska boldy pointed out the things that many of us think but don't say out loud. Chad Orzel noted that science is hard and shared his thoughts about why students leave. Stein Sigurdsson, on the other other hand, proposed that students leave because science is not hard enough.
Just this week, ScienceBlogger Mike Dunford provided part of the answer to the disappearing student question, when he asked, "Where should the bar be set?"
As Abel Pharmboy described in his post about Bruce Alberts:
It's the teaching.
On a more kindly note, I think there are multiple factors at play. Perhaps the blame lies with a system that hires professors primarily as researchers (teaching is a punishment!). Perhaps we have been irresponsible in not addressing the lack of training and ignorant attitudes on the part of graduate students who earn their keep by working as instructors. (I for one, have found that it's unrealistic to expect undergraduates to come equipped with the same motivation and learning skills as a PhD candidate, but maybe that's just me.)
Here's Mike's story:
Mike is teaching Zoology 101 for non-science majors. They did an activity in lab putting little worms in watery or salty solutions and seeing how the worms responded (shriveled up and died or swelled up and popped. Ewww!)
"At that time, several of the students asked me to define "diffusion," "osmosis," "hypertonic," and "hypotonic." I didn't define it for them. Instead, I told them that they should look up those definitions and get in touch with me during the week if they were having problems understanding them. I also told them that they might be asked to define some of those words on a quiz that they might have next week."
Naturally, on the quiz, Mike asked his student to define the terms: osmosis, diffusion, hypertonic, and hypotonic.
"There were two versions of the quiz (I'm teaching two sections) and each version asked for definitions for two of those terms. So far, about 25% of the class has managed to define one correctly, and about 10% of the class defined both.
Mike asks:
"Was I unreasonable to make them look up the definitions for themselves? I thought doing it that way, particularly after being told there might be a quiz, would increase their chances of remembering the definitions. Or was it just unreasonable to expect that they would actually do the homework?"
My answer:
You have data. The test scores say you need another approach.
If a large number of students were capable of looking up the definitions and understanding them, would there be any point in hiring an instructor? Do you see your role as an instructor and guide, or as a judge?
Here are the problems that I see with the approach that you took:
1. The definitions that the students find might not be correct.
My oldest daughter is taking AP biology in high school and studying those exact same concepts. She brought home some photocopies of written information that came from a laboratory kit supplied by Wards. After reading through the information, on her own, and looking for the definitions of water potential, osmosis, hypertonic, hypotonic, etc. she came to me, completely puzzled. I read through the materials and found that they contained two definitions for water potential that conflicted with each other.
How are students supposed to understand concepts if they find conflicting definitions in a reading assignment? I could help my daughter because I know these concepts and I've taught them. Who was there to help your students realize if a definition was right or wrong?
2. The terms hypertonic, isotonic, and hypotonic, are tricky for students because you need to be really clear about which side of a membrane you're discussing.
If you have a membrane that's separating liquids with two different concentrations of solutes, until the equilibrium is reached, one side is hypertonic (relative to the other) and the other side is hypotonic (relative to the other). Students have to know which side is tied to which term or they get very confused.
3. Even though it may appear to you that the definitions the students find are straightforward and correct, it turns out that students don't always interpret the words (or understand) the words in the same way that you do. Maybe the students did read the definitions but their interpretation of the definitions was wrong.
You mentioned that they could come by and get in touch with you if they were having problems understanding the definitions. It's been my experience that the students often don't know when they're having problems understanding a definition until after they get the test back.
I was taken by surprise once to learn that one of my students was systematically making mistakes because he didn't understand the word "prior." I only found this out after several months, and even then, it was completely by accident.
Of course he should have looked up the definition on his own. But he didn't. He was a nineteen year-old student and not an experienced learner.
4. You also may have written the test in such way that the students didn't understand the question.
Did you validate the test? That is, did you give the test to anyone else in your lab and have them take it?
My teaching philosophy is that instructors are hired both to help students learn and to help students learn how to learn. When a large number of students have problems, as you saw in your test results, we need to diagnose where and why the problems occured and determine how to solve them.
I would have worked with the students to help them come up with definitions of the terms and used some kind of in-class assessment to determine if the student-derived definitions were, in fact, correct. And I would have used that moment to correct any misconceptions.
If college professors were hired with teaching as their primary mission, rather than a secondary activity, I think we would see a difference in our ability to retain students and maintain their interest in science. As long as we continue to assume that anyone who can get into graduate school instinctively knows how to teach, we will continue to see students drain from the pipeline.


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NAACP President Benjamin Todd Jealous says the black community must mobilize to fight restrictive voting laws that have surged since the election of Barack Obama to the White House.
In a speech Monday to the annual convention of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Jealous likened legislation in 47 states to Jim Crow laws that sought to disenfranchise blacks prior to the 1960s.
Jealous also says rescuing black men from high rates of incarceration and unemployment is a priority issue.
Jealous promises to fight to save black families by working to defeat unfair sentencing laws and improving urban education.
The NAACP's 102nd annual convention is taking place in downtown Los Angeles until Thursday.


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This is still a safer way for him to get a high than taking drugs.
lol . . . :D)
if the parting of he ways ges too wide he'll never get old anyway
And you know you'll never get old if you're crazy enough to do things like this!
Looks like this guy has put a lot of planning into his thrill or whatever.
lol . . . I've just spent the last few minutes going back to look for it . . . and found it. I've sometimes noticed images being posted more than once but I don't recall seeing it on the same day . . . thank you for pointing it out . . . :D)
Synchronicity...this picture was jigged earlier today. :DDD


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Community Invited to Experience Remodeled Club on Saturday, July 7
SAN RAMON, Calif. - May 26, 2012
24 Hour Fitness is pleased to announce the grand re-opening of its expanded Pearland Shaq Super Sport club, located at 10011 Broadway Street in Pearland, Texas, on Saturday, July 7 at 6 a.m. To celebrate, 24 Hour Fitness® team members invite the local community to experience the remodeled club on re-opening day with complimentary VIP tours.
The 24 Hour Fitness Pearland Super-Sport club, which began renovations in May, now spans approximately 40,000 square feet and features an array of new upgrades and amenities. Some of the enhancements that members and guests can enjoy include:
- Basketball court
- Indoor pool
- Whirlpool, steam room and sauna
- Larger functional training area
- TRX® Suspension Training
- Personal viewing screens on select cardio equipment
- Dedicated Cycle room
- Towel service
- Approx. 15,000 square feet of additional workout space
"24 Hour Fitness is proud to provide Pearland, one of the fastest growing cities in Texas, with an expanded club to further support the fitness goals of our members and guests," said Jim McPhail, chief development and merchandising officer, 24 Hour Fitness. "We've been part of Pearland for six years, and look forward to many more years of helping improve lives through fitness in our community."
The club is managed by Theresa Shmerling, and is staffed by more than 100 team members. In addition to the recent upgrades, the club will still offer popular amenities that members have enjoyed for years:
- State-of-the-art cardio, strength and functional training equipment
- Full schedule of Group X® classes
- Personal training services
- Retail shop
- Kids' Club babysitting service where children six months up to 12 years can enjoy activities while their parents work out
To try 24 Hour Fitness and experience the remodeled 24 Hour Fitness Pearland Super-Sport club, download a free pass at 24hourfitness.com.


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Classic Rock Q107 Remembers Newspaper Columnist "Dear Abby" [VIDEO]
If you were thinking about writing to "Dear Abby" this weekend because your fourth cousin's brother divorced from his third wife after only six months of matrimony, fa-get-about-it.
For more than six decades, Abigail Van Buren (her Pen name) responded to the lovelorn, the despondent, the happy campers, the lonely…yes, even yours truly here, wrote to "Dear Abby" back in the day of record players and 8 tracks.
An inspiration to many that couldn't afford a "psychic reading" on a 900 number, she came to the rescue of nine million people – daily! At her pinnacle of writing accomplishments, "Abby" was published in over 1,200 newspapers.
She passed down her skills 11 years ago to her daughter Jeannie, but there can only be one original "Dear Abby", who now falls silent for all eternity.
Pauline Phillips (her Real name) was 94 years old.


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Some teachers on an annual contract could be receiving pink slips Friday as Alachua County Public Schools principals issue notices that their contracts haven't been renewed because of budgetary concerns.
Some teachers on an annual contract could be receiving pink slips today as Alachua County Public Schools principals issue notices that their contracts haven't been renewed because of budgetary concerns.
Deputy Superintendent Sandy Hollinger said each school gets a projected enrollment for the upcoming school year and then must use a state-mandated formula to determine staffing levels.
The district's proposed staffing calls for a reduction of nearly 41 full-time equivalent instructional staff members, including 17 at the high school level. By the school year's end, though, that number could change, district officials explained.
Added into the mix is expiring stimulus and grant money. For example, a grant that covered the salaries of 20 exceptional student education instructors has expired.
After teachers with professional services contracts are placed, those teachers who received notices would be placed back in the classroom, Hollinger said.
"We can't bring them back if we don't have the position," she said. "And we won't know if we have the position without the governor's budget."
Through a combination of attrition and enrollment figures, many teachers receiving notices Friday could find themselves with a school assignment by the close of the year, Hollinger said.
"Before school's out, we will have the ducks in a row," she said.
In other districts, superintendents are predicting dire outcomes if education spending cuts are passed by the state Legislature, which is scheduled to wrap up its regular session May 6. Marion County Superintendent Jim Yancey outlined a tentative plan that would eliminate all substitute teachers, vacant positions and middle and high school resource officers. Yancey proffered four-day school weeks as a last resort option.
Hollinger said Alachua County takes a different tack: watchful waiting.
"We don't go crazy here," she said. "We just fix it as we go."
Hollinger said that if there is a budget gap to be resolved, support staff would be considered for cuts over teachers.
"You have to have a teacher in every one of those classrooms," she said.
Contact Jackie Alexander at email@example.com or 338-3166.


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Top Items:
Jonathan Karl / ABCNEWS:
Republican Doomsday Plan: Cave on Taxes, Vote 'Present' — Republicans are seriously considering a Doomsday Plan if fiscal cliff talks collapse entirely. It's quite simple: House Republicans would allow a vote on extending the Bush middle class tax cuts (the bill passed in August by the Senate) …
Discussion: ABCNEWS, Hot Air, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, "The Lid" and Talking Points Memo
Shushannah Walshe / ABCNEWS: Will Mortgage Deduction Survive Fiscal Cliff?
William A. Jacobson / Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion: If we're doing Doomsday, let's really do Doomsday
Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
White House willing to go over fiscal cliff if absolutely necessary — David Corn has a piece up this morning arguing that John Boehner is hampered in the fiscal cliff talks by his right flank — the House Tea Partyers who oppose compromise with the White House at any cost, just as they did during the 2011 showdowns.
Discussion: Connecting.the.Dots, Daily Kos and Hullabaloo
Robert Stein / Connecting.the.Dots: Beginning of Boehner's Long Goodbye
Peter Baker / New York Times:
Criticized as Weak in Past Talks, Obama Takes Harder Line — WASHINGTON — Amid demands from Republicans that President Obama propose detailed new spending cuts to avert the year-end fiscal crisis, his answer boils down to this: you first. — Mr. Obama, scarred by failed negotiations …
Discussion: Weasel Zippers, Washington Post, The Hill, Mediaite, The Week, AMERICAblog, Daily Kos, Washington Examiner, Taylor Marsh, Wall Street Journal, msnbc.com and ABCNEWS
Zachary A. Goldfarb / Washington Post: 'Fiscal cliff' talks at a stalemate over tax hikes
The Hardball / msnbc.com: Let Me Start: Obama's New Strategy
George Stephanopoulos / ABCNEWS: Rep. Tom Cole: Republicans Don't Need to Present a Plan Yet
David Dayen / Firedoglake:
Republican "Doomsday Plan" Allows Tax Increase, Uses Debt Limit For Future Leverage
Republican "Doomsday Plan" Allows Tax Increase, Uses Debt Limit For Future Leverage
Discussion: ABCNEWS
Michael Falcone / ABCNEWS: 'Doomsday' For The Fiscal Cliff? (The Note)
Keith Hennessey / Wall Street Journal: Time to Call the President's Budget Bluff
Peter H. Stone / The Huffington Post:
Sheldon Adelson Spent Far More On Campaign Than Previously Known … REACT: — FOLLOW: — Elections 2012, John Boehner, Mitt Romney, Campaign Finance, Elections 2012, Newt Gingrich, Video, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, Las Vegas Sands, Sheldon Adelson, Fcpa, Mitt Romney 2012, Sands Casino …
Discussion: msnbc.com, Mother Jones, Post Politics, Washington Monthly, The Raw Story and Balloon Juice
Ned Resnikoff / msnbc.com: Adelson spent nearly $150 million on the election. Did he waste his money?
Andy Kroll / Mother Jones: 2016 Presidential Hopefuls Are Already Schmoozing Sheldon Adelson And Other Bankrollers
Rachel Weiner / Post Politics: Sheldon Adelson already being courted for 2016
Ed Kilgore / Washington Monthly: Whatever Sheldon Wants
David Edwards / The Raw Story: Report: Adelson lost $50 million more on election than previously thought
Kenneth P. Vogel / Politico:
2016 contenders court mega-donors — A week after Election Day, three Republican governors mentioned as 2016 presidential candidates — Bobby Jindal, John Kasich and Bob McDonnell — each stopped by the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino to meet privately with its owner Sheldon Adelson …
Discussion: CNN, Roland Martin Reports and GOP 12
Kevin Liptak / CNN: TRENDING: Romney re-joins Marriott's corporate board
Roland Martin Reports: $150 Million Bust: Sheldon Adelson Spent Far More On Campaign Than Previously Known
Christian Heinze / GOP 12: Will Jan Brewer run in 2016?
Paul Krugman / New York Times:
The Big Budget Mumble — In the ongoing battle of the budget, President Obama has done something very cruel. Declaring that this time he won't negotiate with himself, he has refused to lay out a proposal reflecting what he thinks Republicans want. Instead, he has demanded that Republicans themselves say, explicitly, what they want.
Robert J. Samuelson / Washington Post: Who's not bargaining in good faith?
Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine: McConnell Makes Obama a Very Strange Offer
Michael Froomkin / Discourse.net: Shopper Boehner's Mistake
Meteor Blades / Daily Kos: Abbreviated pundit round-up: Backed into a corner of their own making, Republicans whine
Jed Babbin / American Spectator: No Ifs, Thens, or Buts
Kyle Balluck / The Hill:
Republicans ready to forget Romney and embrace Rep. Ryan on Medicare
Republicans ready to forget Romney and embrace Rep. Ryan on Medicare
Discussion: Washington Monthly, Hit & Run and Daily Kos
Peter Suderman / Hit & Run: Republicans Likely to Stick With Medicare Cuts Romney Criticized
Russell Berman / The Hill:
House GOP makes a $2.2 trillion debt counteroffer to Obama on cliff — House Republican leaders have made a counteroffer to President Obama in the fiscal cliff negotiations, proposing to cut $2.2 trillion with a combination of spending cuts, entitlement reforms and $800 billion in new tax revenue.
Discussion: Washington Examiner
Joel Gehrke / Washington Examiner: McConnell to Obama: 'Lead'
John W. Schoen / Economy Watch:
Facing the fiscal cliff: American taxpayers have had it easy for decades
Facing the fiscal cliff: American taxpayers have had it easy for decades
Discussion: msnbc.com and The Agonist
E.J. Dionne Jr / Washington Post:
Why sane bargaining looks strange
Why sane bargaining looks strange
Discussion: New York Times, msnbc.com, The Daily Dish, The Week and The Fix
Jackie Calmes / New York Times: Geithner and Boehner Defend Their Stands on Fiscal Crisis
Drew Katchen / msnbc.com: Must-Read Op-Eds for Dec. 3, 2012
Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish: Cliff Notes, Ctd
Andrew Malcolm / Investor's Business Daily:
As Americans face a fiscal cliff, the Obamas make do with 54 Christmas trees — Jewel Samad / AFP / Getty Images (2011) — Amazing how a reelection can reshape an incumbent's thinking about many things. Now safely ensconced in the White House for 49 more months, the Obamas have decorated …
Discussion: Ed Driscoll, The Daily Caller, Wonkette, No More Mister Nice Blog, Weasel Zippers, Patterico's Pontifications and Althouse
Rebecca Schoenkopf / Wonkette: Michelle Obama Bogarting All The Christmas Trees
Steve M. / No More Mister Nice Blog: NEW WINGNUT COMPLAINT: THE OBAMAS ARE BEING TOO CHRISTIAN AT CHRISTMASTIME
ZIP / Weasel Zippers: As Americans Struggle Though Brutal Economy, Mooch Brags: "We Have 54 Christmas Trees!"...
Jeremy Herb / The Hill:
Petition: Obama should build Death Star
Petition: Obama should build Death Star
Discussion: Politico and The PJ Tatler
Rick Moran / The PJ Tatler: Build the Death Star Now
Justin Sink / The Hill:
Obama offers congrats to Kate, William — President Obama has congratulated Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge Katherine over the news that they are having a baby. — White House press secretary Jay Carney said the president and first lady Michelle Obama were extending …
Discussion: Associated Press and CNN
Caitlin McDevitt / Associated Press: Obamas congratulate Will and Kate
Frank Newport / Gallup:
Congress Retains Low Honesty Rating — Nurses have highest honesty rating; car salespeople, lowest — PRINCETON, NJ — As Congress remains involved in protracted negotiations over the pending "fiscal cliff" that could disrupt the nation's economy if not addressed by Jan. 1 …
Kevin Robillard / Politico: Poll: Congress gets low honesty rating
Elizabeth Hartfield / ABCNEWS: Congress, Car Salespeople Rated Least Honest
Meenal Vamburkar / Mediaite: Poll: Congress Ranks Second Lowest In 'Honesty Rating,' Beating Only Car Salespeople
Morgan Whitaker / msnbc.com: Congress more trustworthy than car salesmen, barely
Jeff Sonderman / Poynter: 24% of the public gives journalists 'high' ethics rating
Natalie Jennings / Post Politics: Congress considered about as honest as car salesmen
Christine Haughney / Media Decoder:
New York Times Seeks Buyouts From 30 in Newsroom — Aiming to cut costs in an increasingly troubled advertising environment, The New York Times announced on Monday morning that it would offer buyout packages to newsroom employees. While the primary goal of the buyout program is to trim managers …
Discussion: The Week, JIMROMENESKO.COM, Business Insider, driftglass, Capital New York, Poynter, Roger Ailes and New York Magazine, more at Mediagazer »
Henry Blodget / Business Insider: These Numbers Show Why The New York Times Is Firing More Journalists
Joe Pompeo / Capital New York: Under cover of big News Corp. news, 'New York Times' announces 30 more buyouts
Lyle Denniston / SCOTUSblog:
Again, no gay marriage orders (FINAL UPDATE) — The Supreme Court on Monday released additional orders from its Friday Conference, but the list did not show any action on the ten cases dealing with the same-sex marriage issue. UPDATED: The Court later Monday morning posted on its electronic docket …
Discussion: Advocate and Outside the Beltway
Julie Bolcer / Advocate: Supreme Court Stays Quiet on Marriage Cases
Doug Mataconis / Outside the Beltway: No Action From SCOTUS On Same-Sex Marriage
New York Times:
Homeless Man Is Grateful for Officer's Gift of Boots. But He Again Is Barefoot. — After Officer Lawrence DePrimo knelt beside a barefoot man on a bitterly cold November night in Times Square, giving him a pair of boots, a photo of his random act of good will quickly took on a life of its own …
Discussion: ABCNEWS, msnbc.com, BuzzFeed, Outside the Beltway, Runnin' Scared, New York Magazine, Gawker and iOwnTheWorld.com
Erin Delmore / msnbc.com: Jansing & Co. Morning Memo: Monday, Dec. 3, 2012
James Joyner / Outside the Beltway: Bootless Homeless Guy Bootless Again
Neetzan Zimmerman / Gawker: Homeless Man Says Boots He Got from NYPD Cop Are Too Expensive to Wear
Allison Samuels / The Daily Beast:
Michelle Obama's Next Move — What's next for our incredibly popular first lady? Samuel L. Jackson and other super-fans weigh in. — Chatting with a group backstage on the set of Jimmy Kimmel Live! in October, Michelle Obama made it clear that she wasn't thinking about what she might do in the future.
Discussion: Weekly Standard, Mediaite, Weasel Zippers, The Daily Caller and National Review
Daniel Halper / Weekly Standard: Samuel L. Jackson: 'Michelle Is Superwoman ... She Can Be the President'
Noah Rothman / Mediaite: Samuel L. Jackson: Michelle Obama Is 'Superwoman' Who 'Can Be The President'
Caroline May / The Daily Caller: Clyburn: Michelle Obama should run for office
Nathaniel Botwinick / National Review: Michelle Obama for President or Supreme Court Justice
Matt Welch / Hit & Run:
Now That the Election's Safely Over, Liberal Journalists Promise to Maybe Ask Obama a Sternly Worded Question or Two — You didn't really want to keep that Egg McMuffin down, did you? Good! Go read this Politico story about media-progressives and their dearly re-elected leader:
Discussion: Mediaite
Glenn Greenwald / Guardian:
Progressive media claims they'll be 'tougher' on Obama now
Progressive media claims they'll be 'tougher' on Obama now
Discussion: The Week, The Agonist and Politico
Steve Hynd / The Agonist: I See No Flame. — Glenn Greenwald, natch: … Word.
Dylan Byers / Politico: Left media has 'issues' with Obama
Fox Sports:
In KC, it's no time for a game — KANSAS CITY, MO. — Football is embarrassingly tone deaf. — Jovan Belcher, a starting linebacker for the Chiefs, murdered the mother of his child shortly before 8 a.m. Saturday. He hopped in his car, drove to the Kansas City Chiefs practice facility …
Discussion: Twitchy, Politico, emptywheel, Althouse, Mediaite, This Just In, Alan Colmes'Alan Colmes', msnbc.com, The PJ Tatler, Crooks and Liars, Ed Driscoll, Pirate's Cove, Poynter, The Raw Story, The Week, Associated Press, Truthdig, CNN, protein wisdom, BuzzFeed, WTVR-TV, NewsBusters.org and Sports Illustrated
Thisistwitchy / Twitchy: Bob Costas hijacks Sunday Night Football to give anti-gun lecture
Tommy Christopher / Mediaite: Bob Costas Decries Gun Culture During Sunday Night Football Halftime, Pro-Gun Twitter Backlash Ensues
Aliyah Frumin / msnbc.com: Bob Costas' monologue on guns sparks ire on right
Bryan Preston / The PJ Tatler: Bob Costas, NBC Exploit Kansas City Chiefs Tragedy to Attack Americans' Constitutional Right of Self-Defense
Jeff Sonderman / Poynter: The longtime NBC sportscaster delivered a straight-to-camera …
Amanda Marcotte / The Raw Story: Thoughts on the Murder of Kassandra Perkins
Kevin Powell / CNN: Manhood, football and suicide
Jeff G. / protein wisdom: NBC Sports hits a new low
Jack Moore / BuzzFeed: Bob Costas: If Javon Belcher Didn't Have A Gun, He And His Girlfriend Would Still Be Alive
Scott Wise / WTVR-TV: Bob Costas talks gun control during NFL halftime show
Noel Sheppard / NewsBusters.org: NBC's Bob Costas Blames NFL Murder-Suicide On Guns
Justin Sink / The Hill:
Santorum launches column for 'birther' website — Former Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum has taken a job as a columnist for World Net Daily, a conservative website best known for articles advancing "birther" conspiracy theories about President Obama.
Discussion: Alan Colmes'Alan Colmes', Post Politics, The Agonist, The Raw Story and Mother Jones
Natalie Jennings / Post Politics: Rick Santorum writing column for World Net Daily
Steve Hynd / The Agonist: Santorum's Final Fail
David Edwards / The Raw Story: Santorum begins employment at WND by suggesting UN conspiracy to kill his daughter
How Bobby Jindal Got His Mojo Back In 2012 — The Louisiana governor is back as a contender for the presidency four years from now. His secret weapon: Rick Perry. — Image by Brendan Hoffman / Getty Images — The last year has been a bad one for many Republicans, but 2012 was exceptionally kind to Bobby Jindal.
Discussion: Washington Monthly and No More Mister Nice Blog


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From Edward to George & Mary*
THE EDWARDIANS—V. Sackville-West— Doubleday, Doran ($2.50).
A great English country house, one of the many built to be the glory of the aristocracy but becoming its grievous burden, is the dominating personality of this novel. The figures of the story are drawn from the unreal, tightly woven society of the reign of King Edward VII. Characters and house together present the argument: that there is no living under the weight of aristocratic tradition, but only a formalized existence of satisfying present...
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The Farm Report: April 9
Written by Norm, Posted in General
Triple A – Albuquerque 6, Iowa 10
The Iowa Cubs slugged their way to win number two, led by Anthony Rizzo's two home runs. Rizzo would tally three hits on the night, bringing his average up to .474 in the early going. The I-Cubs exploded for six runs in the third inning including Rizzo's first homer of the night, coming with #3 hitter Luis Valbuena (#3 hitter?) on base. After Welington Castillo struck out, the Cubs went double, double, single, home run; this one by the pitcher, Travis Wood. Rizzo's second homer was a solo shot in the sixth. Adrian Cardenas and Josh Vitters each contributed two hits and Vitters had a throwing error from third base. Travis Wood had an OK start; going six innings and allowing three earned runs with one walk and six K's while picking up the win.
Double A – Tennessee 3, Chattanooga 2
Elliott Soto lined a triple in the top of the ninth inning to knock in pinch runner James Adduci to give the Smokies a 3-2 lead. Frank Batista would lock down the win and his third save of the season while striking out two in the bottom of the inning. Brooks Raley got the start and went 6.1 innings and the bullpen didn't give up a hit. The offense was led by center fielder Jae-Hoon Ha and left fielder Rebel Ridling who each had two hits. Ridling added a walk in the ninth which led to Adduci's game winning run.
High A – Dunedin 8, Daytona 7
While Anthony Rizzo is tearing it up early in AAA, the other young player the Cubs received from the Padres had a rough beginning to his Cub career. Zach Cates got the nod and was unable to get an out in the second inning, although he was able to give up six earned runs off of seven hits and four walks. The defense committed five (5!) errors including three by third baseman Greg Rohan. The offense made a valiant effort but came up a run short. Rohan had four RBI with a home run and shortstop Arismendy Alcantara chipped in a single and a double. Matt Szczur led off and went 1-3 with a walk and two runs scored.
Low A – Quad Cities 8, Peoria 3
Quad Cities and Peoria went to the ninth inning ties up at three, but Wabash, IL native Bryce Shafer enters the game. The following ensues:
Hit by pitch
Wild pitch
Hit by pitch
Sac Fly
Pop out
Wild pitch
Five runs score, Quad Cities wins 8-3.
Is Peoria already out of pitchers so that they can't save the guy? Yikes. The hitter of the night for the Peoria Cubs was catcher Rafael Lopez. He went 3-4 with a double. Interesting players, but most are off to a slow start to the season. Kyler Burke continues his transformation from outfielder to pitcher and threw four good innings in relief of starter Ben Wells.
Prospect Snapshot
Anthony Rizzo (1B): 3-3, 2HR, 3RBI, 1BB, 0K
Brett Jackson (CF): 1-5, 0BB, 2K
Josh Vitters (3B): 2-4, 2RBI, 0BB, 1K, throwing error
Logan Watkins (2B): 1-4, CS
Jae-Hoon Ha (CF): 2-4, outfield assist
Matt Szczur (CF): 1-3, 2R, 1BB, 0K, SB
Ronald Torreyes (PH): 1-1
Zeke DeVoss (2B): 1-5, 1R, 0BB, 1K, CS
Marco Hernandez (SS): 1-5, 1R, 0BB, 1K
Reggie Golden (LF): 1-4, 1R, 0BB, 1K
Travis Wood : 6IP, 4H, 3ER, 1BB, 6K
Ben Wells: 4IP, 7H, 1ER, 0BB, 3K


text: Meta Rate My Team PokéBase - Pokémon Q&A Login Register All Activity Questions Unanswered Tags Users Ask a Question Rules Chat Thunder or Blizzard for Starmie and Jolteons last move? 0 votes 884 views Well, on my team I have a starmie & jolteon and i'm wondering what will be a better move for starmie: thunder or blizzard. also, I want to take away thunder-wave off jolteon and replace it with another move, but i'm not sure what, any suggestions? Thanks in advance. jolteon thunder blizzard moves asked May 22, 2013 by Zorua0 Please log in or register to add a comment. Please log in or register to answer this question. 2 Answers 1 vote Best answer Neither; Blizzard has a 70% accuracy without Hail, and unless you're making a Rain Team, Thunder isn't worth it without its weather. Even with wide lens, accuracy is only boosted by 10%. Starmie and Jolteon are both frail and will get KO'd if they miss. There are better moves for coverage, and considering the already high special attack of these two sweepers, the extra power isn't needed. Starmie @ Life Orb Ability: Natural Cure EVs: 252 Sp. Atk, 252 Speed, 4 HP Nature: Timid - Psyshock - Recover - Surf - Ice Beam Ice Beam for coverage instead of Blizzard, and Life Orb instead of Wide Lens (since Starmie has no moves that miss). Also Timid nature over Modest; you need to outspeed Gengar. You have Jolteon on your team already, so no need for an electric move (it doesn't cover any of Starmie's weaknesses either). Your team also has two Stealth Rock weaknesses, so Starmie could probably serve your team better by being a Rapid Spinner. Starmie @ Leftovers Ability: Natural Cure EVs: 244 HP, 16 Sp. Atk, 252 Speed Nature: Timid - Psyshock/ Psychic - Rapid Spin - Recover - Scald Jolteon @ Choice Specs/ Scarf Ability: Volt Absorb EVs: 252 Sp. Atk, 252 Speed, 4 HP Nature: Modest - Thunderbolt - Signal Beam - HP Ice - Shadow Ball/ Volt Switch You might think that Scarf is not needed on a fast Pokemon like Jolteon, but I find it's basically a fail safe in case there's something like a scarfed Keldeo. Volt Switch to scout & escape. I would Choice Jolteon rather than give it a Life Orb; I tried both Orb & Choice items on my Jolteon, and since it has no method of recovery, its longevity is limited by the HP recoil from Life Orb. answered May 22, 2013 by fondant selected May 23, 2013 by Zorua0 Actually having Thunder as a move wouldn't be too bad as there is a rise in rain teams. It would work nicely as a counter/abuse for the team. That being said you actually spent the time to look at his team and do all of the evaluating so :P commented May 22, 2013 by MrKijani I get that, but I don't like taking too many risks; Sun & Sand teams are common too, and if you face one of them you'd essentially be wasting a move slot. & exactly; there's Jolteon so who cares about Thunder on Starmie. 8) commented May 22, 2013 by fondant Thanks, I'm gonna do these movesets, and items. commented May 23, 2013 by Zorua0 Please log in or register to add a comment. 0 votes I would go with Blizzard on Starmie-- you already have Jolteon to use Electric moves. As for Jolteon go with HP Ice for coverage and to counter ground types. answered May 22, 2013 by Champion Ben Another Starmie set I would consider is this: Starmie @ Life Orb / Leftovers Natural Cure Timid Nature EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe ~ Hydro Pump / Surf ~ Thunderbolt / Psyshock ~ Ice Beam ~ Rapid Spin commented May 22, 2013 by Champion Ben Please log in or register to add a comment. Related questions Thunder, Focus Blast, and Blizzard...PPs? In the rain, is Thunder incapable of missing or is it just given 100% accuracy? Is Wide Lens really worth it? My Piloswine has not learned Blizzard, and he's level 48? Thunder or Thunderbolt for Raichu? where do I find the TM for blizzard and/or ice beam in heart gold? Ice Beam or Blizzard for Lapras? Hyper Voice, or Blizzard for Kyurem? Useful Meta Posts How to change your username How to add a user avatar Why was my post hidden? The points system Question etiquette Flags vs Downvotes Anime FAQ


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LAWRENCE (AP) – State campaign finance officials have subpoenaed billing records from several Lawrence-area restaurants as part of an investigation into the fund raising of Mayor William Lantigua.
The Office of Campaign and Political Finance would not confirm that they have opened an investigation beyond a routine audit of Lantigua and five rivals who ran for mayor in 2009, but several restaurant owners confirmed to The Boston Globe that they have received subpoenas for records.
The Globe reported that Lantigua has held at least 15 campaign events at restaurants and clubs in the past three years for which he reported no expenses for food, music, or the hall.
State campaign finance law requires candidates to detail all donations, either cash or services.
Lantigua did not respond to the newspaper's request for comment.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)


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Joseph Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) was an English author and poet born in Bombay, India. Educated in Britain, he later returned to Lahore, India, to work as a journalist. Kipling travelled widely and also lived in Vermont, having married Carrie Balestier, an American.
Throughout his life, Kipling never stopped writing. He was greatly revered during his lifetime and received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature. Kidnapped examines Kipling's attitudes towards race, and inter-racial marriage in particular, with the amused observations of societal quirks characteristic of his writing.
Public Domain (P)2013 Canongate Books Ltd
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Tiger Cub Beat
My first days as principal of Morris Area Elementary School have been GREAT! Students, staff, and community have been very welcoming and the building is a flurry of activity.
With the start of a new school year I would like to share our 2012-2013 MAES goals. They are:
All students will meet or exceed projected growth targets in the areas of reading and math. Concentrating on growth demonstrates a commitment to seeing ALL students learn - regardless of ability. Actions to support this goal include a focus on data analysis, increased staff collaboration, and ongoing reflection regarding effective instructional strategies.
All students and staff will strive for a safe and secure school climate, showing respect for each other and the environment. Actions supporting this goal include ongoing implementation of the MOSAIC program, the Olweus initiative, student leadership support, and consistent staff follow through.
Please remember to check the school website often. My own page is titled PRINCIPAL and can be found as a link on the district website (first go to the elementary page). Several staff members also have web pages, which can be accessed by clicking on the staff link. One link on my page that may be of interest to you is a feature called, "Student Author of the Month." Each month we will be publishing the work of two student authors each from grades 3-6. Writing is a key skill in developing high level reasoning skills and one that I want all children to view as important.
Let me again invite you to stop in and visit Morris Area Elementary. We take great pride in our mission to educate and prepare all students for a successful tomorrow - and your support is critical in that process.
Don't forget Coffee with Ken held from 7 to 7:30 a.m. in the school cafeteria the first Friday of each month. This is a time for fellowship, asking questions, and getting to know your school a little bit better!
You may have heard that Morris Area Schools now has a Parent Support Group. I have met with the leadership team of this organization a couple of times and they are going to be a great group of people and a tremendous asset for our students and staff. If you have any questions or are interested in joining this organization, please contact Naomi Fynboh at 320-589-7155.
Data collection is a key part of the educational process. We are constantly monitoring student achievement in an ongoing effort to determine if we are adequately meeting student needs. We want all children to be successful and show growth - so when you hear terms such as AIMSweb, NWEA, IGDI, and MCA - know that they are some of the tools we use to ensure every child is making progress. If you would like more details on any of these assessments, do not hesitate to contact me.
MAES was named a Celebration Eligible school by the Minnesota Department of Education. Celebration Eligible Schools are in the 60th to 85th percentile of top performing schools based on their Multiple Measurement Rating or MMR. Congratulations!
A HUGE thanks for all your support when shopping at Target stores! The elementary recently received a check for $2,175.69.
Morris Area Schools will be having an evacuation and relocation drill taking place on Monday, Oct. 15, at approximately 1:30 p.m. This will be a structured opportunity for our students to practice evacuating off campus and to experience what would happen in the event we were not able to return to school immediately. All students will be walking to the RFC and staff will provide supervision. It is anticipated the drill will last 45-60 minutes. The drill is part of our normal safety planning and helps us sift through potential problem areas in the event of a true emergency. If you would take time to discuss safety planning with your children, it would be greatly appreciated. Any questions or concerns should be directed to me at Morris Area Schools - (320) 589-1250.
The Morris Area School District purchased a new language arts curriculum. As a result we have an older set of student and teacher texts that are no longer needed. If you are aware of a school or agency that could use these materials, please contact me at your earliest convenience.
Attention motorists: Never pass a school bus with flashing lights or an extended stop arm, whether meeting or following the bus! The flashing yellow lights tell you the bus is preparing to stop. When the red lights are flashing and the stop arm is extended you must stop 20 feet from the bus in any direction. Do not move your vehicle until the driver shuts off the red lights and the stop arm. School bus drivers must report all violations to the police department. Fifteen violations were reported in 2011-2012.
Upcoming Events
Sept. 17, 12:30 p.m. - Early Dismissal
Sept. 17, 5 to 6:30 p.m. - Elem. Parent Night; 6 to 7:30 p.m. - H.S. Parent Night
Sept. 18 - Fall NWEA testing begins
Sept. 27 - Fifth grade Conservation Day at SWELL
Oct. 1-5 - Homecoming Week
Oct. 10 - Two-hour late start
Oct. 10 - Picture Retakes
Oct. 18-19 - Fall Break


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I Dream of Jeannie
Full Show Summary
Captain Tony Nelson is an astronaut. While on a mission, he discovered a mysterious bottle. Opening it, he released Jeannie (a Genie) who was so overjoyed at her release she promised to serve Captain Nelson. Nelson is unsure what to make of Jeannie, especially given that his work is highly secret and his superiors tend to keep a close eye on him.
Last Episode, 26 May 1970: Season 5, Episode 26: My Master, the Chili KingWhen Tony gets a sweet smelling letter from Fowler's Corners, Ohio, Jeannie smells trouble. His former high school sweetheart, Bonnie Crenshaw, not realizing he's married, writes "Bunky" (Tony's teenage nickname) that she's coming.
- Episode Guide
- Cast
Similar TV Shows


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This product is no longer available.
You can try these similar gifts instead.
Peanuts: A Treasury of Happiness Book
Charles M. Schulz
This collection of Charles M. Schulz's Peanuts Cartoon mini-books is a fun read for children as well as adults who have loved the classic cartoon from youth. The hardcover book includes 580 pages made up of 8 original books.


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Exploiting Demand Response in Web-Based Energy-Aware Smart Homes
Energy conservation is a global issue with tremendous environmental implications. By 2030, the global energy demand will double. High demands and environmental concerns, force the transformation of electricity grids into smart grids, towards more rational utilization of energy. Residential smart metering transforms homes into energy-aware environments, allowing residents to make informed choices about electricity. Web-based smart homes employ Web principles to interconnect electrical appliances. The Web, as a highly ubiquitous platform, can be used to connect energy-aware smart homes to the smart grid.
Provided by: IARIA Topic: Data Centers Date Added: Jul 2011 Format: PDF


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SBD: Riot Games Fills Out NA LCS Franchise Roster SBG: PSG May Pay ManU For José Mourinho SBJ: 'Zero-hour' part of StubHub-MLB deal SBJ: NASCAR drivers feel the pinch SBD: MLB To Debut Lighter Cap For BP, Spring Training SBD: Saints, Pelicans Sign Deals With SeatGeek SBD: Jones Calls Out NFL Compensation Committee SBD: Fanatics Continues Success As Online Sports Retailer SBD: Owners Deny Jerry Jones' Meeting Request SBD: Rays May Cover Less Than 20% Of Ballpark Cost
Developing Sales Talent, Part 1: How To Find It And How To Make It Fit
April 29, 2013 08:55 AM
Developing Sales Talent
Travis Apple, Pittsburgh Pirates
Leigh Castergine, New York Mets
Charlie Chislaghi, Kansas City Royals
Bryant Pfeiffer, Major League Soccer
Jamie Spencer, Tampa Bay Lightning
Janet Duch, San Diego Padres
Moderator: Bill Sutton, Bill Sutton & Associates and University of South Florida
Today, we feature Part 1 of the discussion. Check back every day this week for more from this engaging and informative session.
SUTTON: Each of you talk about how you find talent, and once you have talent, how you start developing that talent to fit your system.
|The Sales Development Panel: (from left) Bill Sutton, Charlie Chislaghi, Travis Apple, Leigh Casterine, Jamie Spencer, Jeremy Walls, Bryant Pfeiffer
CASTERGINE: I can't teach personality, and I can't teach work ethic. I can teach you sales. I can teach you how to sell a ticket, I can bring people in like Charlie to help the strategy and to build the process. But really it starts with someone that has energy, someone that's smiling in the interview, and someone that we clearly look at that's going to run through a wall for us. We need passion, we need energy. Those are the real base points that we look for in our department. After that, one of our strategies has been that consultative selling approach. Adding people that are not just going to repeat information that we put in front of them, that can think on their own, that are going to ask us questions, that are going to engage their management team to make them better. That's probably one of the biggest things that we look for. Kids coming out of college these days are told what to do their entire lives. They're told by their parents, they've been told by their professors, and they get into the workforce and they expect us to tell them every single little solitary detail of what they are supposed to do. They are very cautious and curious in the beginning, so we really encourage them to ask us questions and engage with us. As for where we've transitioned to on the training side, it really is about getting them to use their own personalities, using their own strengths. So we spend a lot of time personalizing their own sales approach. While we give them the basics, we bring in Charlie to go through the approach, Charlie also does a really good job of working with each rep independently to find out how to best utilize their own personalities, their own skill sets, their own comforts. Whether it's more face-to-face appointments, whether they're more comfortable with the smiling and dialing, it really is about having that customized approach for each sales rep, for each student. Our sales reps are students. We are responsible for teaching them and coaching them, for getting them to the next level. Ironically, it's been an interesting transition in Boston for us. My experience coming from Boston, Kate Mahon, our director of ticket sales is from Boston, our inside sales manager was with the Celtics. So we've tended to hire a couple of Boston natives, which with everything that's gone on recently, it's no surprise that our most recent promotions are both kids from Boston. That city really has embodied that work ethic that we've talked about. Not to say that we don't love our New Yorkers, but it's been an interesting couple of months for us down in New York.
|Jeremy Walls says he looks for employees who are engaged and positive.
APPLE: With the Pirates, to have a good culture it all starts with people. It starts with the bottom up with the recruiting end. I look at recruiting as a numbers game, just like I look at sales. The more phone calls you make, the more appointments you set, the more sales you make. Same thing with recruiting. You go into sports sales combines, to career fairs, workshops, and just pound through the phone calls of potential applicants. We have a very in-depth interview process that we will interview 100-200 people on the phone, narrow it down to 30 or 40, and bring them in and spend all day with them. We'll have a Saturday interview session, starting at about 9 a.m. They'll spend the entire day through about 10 o'clock that night after the game. We get to train them, so the training starts at the interview process, to spending personal time with them, quality time, because to get the right people and the right culture you need the right people that buy into you as the training process continues. I always tell our inside sales manager they have the most important job in our company. To getting the right people in place. That eventually — you know, those are our minor leagues — will get to the senior level, the major league system.
SPENCER: I'm a former college and pro player, so I played hockey, grew up in a locker room. Everything I've ever done is team, so the very first ingredient that we look for is building a team. I look at my job like the head coach. You've got to assess talent, and it's not once in a while, it's every day. Are the lines working? Is this guy a first-line forward? … to use some hockey commonalities… The very first thing I look for is, have you won something? I don't care if it's pee-wee, little league, have you ever held a trophy above your head? Because if you haven't, you don't know what it's like to be a part of something that's bigger than you. I also like to see adversity, tell me something in your life that you've overcome. Is it a bad homework assignment, a family member dying, something that is significant that tells me that person isn't going to fold when there are tough days. Because we all know there are tough days in our business. To the point about rebuilding, the very first thing you do is you look at the talent, you assess it, you go with your gut instincts. It's pretty easy nowadays to get to a dismissal if it happens. Sales is pretty easy, there's phone calls, you're attracted by revenue, there's aspects of the job that you can keep them accountable to. As long as you're clear with your goals and objectives, it makes termination a pretty easy conversation, frankly. We tell people from the beginning, here's what you're signing up for, here's the mission, here's your individual goals and objectives. And if you can't reach them at any point, we warn them, we bring them in and talk to them. And by the time they get to that dismissal point, it's understood. In fact, most of the time the relief is seen in their eyes, because they know they can't do the job. I realized that when I got to the Lightning, that the culture, from getting to the office on time, to the way that we dressed, to the office space, to the salaries that were out of whack, to the comp structure. I remember making a mental checklist of things to do, I reached 140 in week one and said I've got to stop. That's no disrespect to the prior ownership, there was different philosophies, different culture in place. We built what I call the sales war room. Again, I grew up in a locker room. We meet in the locker room every morning. We have white boards with all the metrics, from group sales, inside sales, retention touch points. We give hockey pucks, just like they do when you score a game winning goal. Above the wall, just like the Notre Dame Fighting Irish when they go out to the field, our tap on the way out is "No Alibis, No Regrets." We keep it very consistent, clear. It's a daily grind, but you got to have fun. We launched an "Apprentice" contest during the work stoppage. Dark days, we'd have a two-week contest, and people were fired. We learned a lot about our staff, and it was an interesting time. You've gotta also bring that fun, keep your door open, walk the sales floor, make yourself accessible and it's amazing the type of things that start to happen. But the No. 1 thing above all is purpose, you've got to create purpose for every person because we all need it and we all want it. For millennials, by the way, praise and constant recognition, give them things that are tangible. And build a bottom and the top gets stronger. We've finally got to that point, where can recruit and train. We're having people not meet with five teams, but just with the Lightning.
Check back tomorrow for second installment of the Developing Sales Talent discussion.


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Following a 1-0 victory over Houston Dynamo this past weekend, 19-year old 'Caps midfielder Gershon Koffie continues to gain high praise throughout MLS circles. Luke Wileman writes, "On Saturday, Koffie put on a typically tenacious and athletic display. The ball-winning midfielder was able to break up the play and hold his own against the much more experienced Houston duo of Adam Moffat and Geoff Cameron" (Luke Wileman – TSN).
With Vancouver Whitecaps FC now having a week off before their next match against New York Red Bulls, the 'Caps 'Twitter' habits have been made a focal point of conversation. In this humourous perspective, Russell Berrisford unveils his marks on which 'Caps players measure up in the social media stakes (Russell Berrisford – Vancouver Sun).
Alright Whitecaps FC fans, 'keeper Joe Cannon needs your help! Cannon was nominated for 'Save of the Week' and you can vote right now to help him win! Check out all five saves during 'Week 24' action and remember that voting closes on Thursday at 11:59pm PT (MLSsoccer.com).
Just because summer is coming to a close, doesn't mean Vancouver Whitecaps FC camps are finished. "The Whitecaps are bringing back their camp to Beban Park's Gyro Youth Sports Fields on Sept. 10-11" (Greg Sakaki – Nanaimo News Bulletin).
Make sure you listen to 'Whitecaps FC Daily' with Peter Schaad on TEAM 1410 sports radio throughout the week as he connects with his partner in crime Paul Dolan to discuss a variety of topics this week. You can listen right now on teamradio.ca or find the podcast you are looking for right HERE.
The show is on every Monday to Friday at 3:00 p.m. PT on AM 1410.
Need even more soccer updates, information, and soccer perspective? Listen live to 'Full-Time: Vancouver's Soccer Show' with Tyler Green and Mike Martignago' which can be heard every Sunday from 9:00 – 11:00p.m. PT.
Coming off an impressive clean sheet performance, Vancouver Whitecaps FC defenders Jay DeMerit and Alain Rochat looked strong in-front of 'keeper Joe Cannon. Head coach Tom Soehn highlights, "They complement each other. One's a ball winner, and one's a really technical guy. The two of them together have worlds of experience and that's what this team craves" (Martin MacMahon – MLSsoccer.com).
With the completion of the 2011 Homeless World Cup in Paris, France, the Canadian men's and women's team experienced a journey of a lifetime while playing a sport they loved. Check out their results, stories, and a complete recap of all the action as the 'red and white' represented Canada proudly (Jamieson Brooks - whitecapsfc.com).
Are your kids dreading going back to school? Maybe the 'Caps can help! Check out Vancouver Whitecaps FC gear that will allow the kids to look great and show off their favourite soccer club! From t-shirts, hoodies, hats, jerseys, and other awesome attire, back to school shopping has never been easier(whitecapsfc.com).
With Vancouver Whitecaps FC only having one match left at Empire Field on September 24 against Seattle Sounders FC, check out the progress that is being made on BC Place as the 'Caps prepare to move into their new home starting on October 2 (bcplacestadium.com).
Also, don't forget Vancouver Whitecaps FC is on Facebook and Twitter@ 'WhitecapsFC' and 'WhitecapsMatch' to get all the updates, information, latest stories, and live match updates.
With the Canadian men's 2014 CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers starting this Friday at BMO Field in Toronto, Ontario, Canada needs to win their group in order to advance to the next round. Get all the info you need to help follow and cheer the 'red and white' into Brazil 2014 (Canada Soccer).


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The $300 House: safe green housing for the world's poor
The world's poorest citizens often have to make do with shelter… and that often involves scrap or natural materials found near shantytowns. In one sense, this is green building at its simplest; on the other, such structures provide minimal protection, while often creating risks for fire, suffocation from cooking smoke, and other hazards.
Last Summer, Dartmouth business professor Vijay Govindarajan and marketing consultant Christian Sarkar tossed out an idea on the Harvard Business Review blog: the $300 house. The concept: create a safe, sustainably-built structure that provided shelter and even some utilities (solar power and water filtering) at a price that the world's poorest people might be able to afford. To keep costs and environmental impact down, the house would use prefabricated materials. People would buy the houses on a microfinance model.
The idea caught on, and now Ingersold Rand is sponsoring a design competition around the concept. A few dozen ideas have already been submitted; the entry period runs through the end of the month. The winner will receive $25,000, and a number of the top entries will participate in a prototyping workshop in June.
Want to find out more? Listen to Professor Govindarajan's interview with the BBC above, and check out the idea's web site… and let us know what you think.
via Mashable and @adamwerbach
- Is sustainability the foundation of 21st-century national security?
- Keep Summer cookouts low impact: check out our selection of eco-friendly disposable plates.


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Lost In Translation: The Need for Interpreter Certification
It's a Tower of Babel out there.
I'm not referring to the fact that more than 8% of the U.S. population has limited English reading or speaking proficiency, or that in America, residents speak languages from more than 172 countries.
What I'm referring to is that there is no uniform accreditation or certification process to guarantee the competence of language interpreters in healthcare settings. It seems that for the most part, everyone is speaking in tongues.
But that may soon change.
A large for-profit provider of interpretation solutions, Language Line Services has teamed up with the International Medical Interpreters Association to create just such a national medical certification program.
It is being run as a non-profit organization, The National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters, and 12 members of its board were named earlier this week. The effort includes employers, physicians, health advocates and regulators.
Although the nonprofit effort is just getting off the ground, the entities hope to launch a written test to determine the translator's knowledge of ethical standards, privacy laws, medical terminology, and an oral exam to measure proficiency and sensitivity.
Martin Conroy, Language Line Services senior manager, says the groups will seek the blessing from The National Commission for Certifying Agencies, an organization that certifies professional competence.
Yes, there would probably be a fee. And existing translators will probably fret about whether they will be able to pass. For a time, they will oppose any constriction on their work or any training they may have to undergo.
But qualified translators are essential to convey a non-English speaking patient's symptoms and circumstances to English speaking providers. They are needed to make sure the patient understands the process of diagnosis, and the instructions for medications and follow-up care to get better. Occasionally, a translator is required to help a provider, for whom English is not the native tongue, communicate with English-speaking patients.
They need to be people that patients and providers can trust. Because if the patients can't understand the doctors or the doctors can't understand them, much that is provided in the way of medical care will be useless, misguided, and potentially harmful. And there may be a bottom line reason for having such certification.
According to a recent report by Language Line Services President Louis F. Provenzano, Jr., "Breaking the Language Barrier," the consequences of relying on haphazard interpretation services "can be deadly—and costly" because language barriers are a major factor in misdiagnosis and instances of poor hospital treatment as well as delays in service or access to preventive care.
"Limited language proficiency hospital patients are more likely than their English-speaking counterparts to experience adverse events that result in harm, and the severity of that harm is often greater," according to a report by the Joint Commission.
Another study in Health Affairs (http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/abstract/24/2/435 ) in 2005 documented that patients who don't speak English are more likely to defer medical care, leave the hospital against medical advice, miss follow-up appointments, and experience complications from medications.


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All quotes tagged Accustom
(82 quotes found)
"It's strange for me, power-wise. It's not something I'm accustomed to. I'm not going up trying to hit home runs. I'm just trying to get good pitches to hit and they're going out of the park. It's surprising."
"They just become accustomed to that lifestyle. You can't consent to be a prostitute at age 14. That's just an impossibility."
"So many people are accustomed to written information that you really have to have a few more bells and whistles in this day and age."
"He's just a very popular player, ... He's going bring a crowd in and that's something he's going to be accustomed to all of his career."
"It was very cold. We are not accustomed to such cold weather, so we wanted to keep the pitchers warm and loose."
"That helped us stay in the game. That was what we were more accustomed to after going 4 of 14 from line against Dallas."
"There's an entire generation of hunters in North Dakota that are just accustomed to CRP being there. We're talking 21 years, and that's what they know on the landscape. I remember what the landscape looked like in the '70s, and believe me, I prefer the conservation activities on cropland remain, and also, CRP is an integral part of what is out there now."
"They were trying to make other people take shots they're not accustomed to taking. You'd never think in a million years we'd score 43 points. We held them to 50 points and I thought we did a decent job [defensively], but we struggled early and got into foul trouble."


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Car won from casino still undelivered
Woman claims she was taxed $134,000 for Aston Martin she never got
Don Bauder 3 p.m., Nov. 23
(Page 2 of 2)
Our driver was just ahead so I'm able to change it quick, and – so close to our goal yet so tired – keep pushing forward.
At 96 miles into the ride for a grand-total 610 miles, the San Francisco sign was a thing of beauty to our eyes. We head straight to a spa and jacuzzi. The grand challenge reward: an all-you-can-eat Brazilian steakhouse – our first time eating real food in five days.
The next couple days we explore San Francisco strictly by foot, before the "quick" drive back down to San Diego.
What started as a wild idea had become a success! We were left with the utmost feeling of confidence and accomplishment by pushing through, as a couple, where strong winds had made riding nearly unbearable.
Now what to do for next year's anniversary...?
~ Roger and Bessy Leszczynski
"Don't let anyone tell you that you can't – not even yourself."
Great story. Thank you. I am planning to do this same ride but in reverse next October with a buddy. I have done many marathons, an Ironman and hiked the Grand Canyon this year from rim to rim to rim under 18 hours. Our plan is to enjoy what our great state has to offer. Any tips would be appreciated or if you can suggest some good websites to view. Thanks, Bruce
Did you do the South Kaibab or the Bright Angel trail?
You biked 140 miles a day? Are you kidding me? You must be in monstrously good shape. That doesn't even seem possible.


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Obama's Scary Plan for Preschoolers
On May 2, 2014, Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Kathleen Sebelius gave a speech to the Committee for Economic Development. She touted "an exciting investment opportunity." She claims the investment "promises solid dividends and long-term growth" and states "its payout ratio is so solid that it's projected to return at least $7 for every dollar that's put in." To what investment does the HHS secretary refer? "Infants and toddlers in those precious early years from birth to kindergarten." (HHS.gov, 5-4-14)
Most parents don't think of their children as an investment and some may be disturbed to hear a federal official speaking about them in those terms, especially to the Committee for Economic Development. The CED describes itself as "a group of business and education leaders committed to improving the growth and productivity of the U.S. economy, a freer global trading system, and greater opportunity for all Americans." (CED.org) Parents may not approve of this plan whose aim seems to be to turn out cogs for the industrial machine rather than educated citizens.
While explaining President Obama's "Early Childhood Package," Sebelius in her May speech points out other programs that she claims are good for America: the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare; expansion of Medicaid; reauthorization and expansion of the Children's Health Insurance Program or CHIP; and the expansion of Head Start.
Obama's Early Childhood Package
What is Obama's Early Childhood Package? According to Sebelius, the plan is that all preschool children "should have an opportunity to be in a high-quality learning environment and acquire social, emotional, and educational skills at the same time." The first part of the plan is "universal preschool for every four-year-old child in America." It is unclear whether this is intended to be mandatory. Sebelius offers the following to show just how far behind she thinks America is:
In Japan, virtually every 4-year-old attends preschool. In Britain, 97% of 4-year-olds are enrolled in preschool. And by 2020, China plans to provide 80% of its three- and four-year-olds with preschool education.
But is that something that American parents want and are those countries that America wishes to emulate?
Sebelius laments Economist magazine's assertion that America ranks 26th among Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development nation members in percentage of four-year-olds in preschool and 24th for three-year-olds. But maybe some American families prefer to keep their children home during those tender years.
Referring to research by Harvard University's Center on the Developing Child, Sebelius claims that babies and toddlers "develop 700 new neurological connections every single second," a phenomenon that is "the foundation upon which all later learning, behavior, and health depend." Does it not occur to Sebelius and federal officials that many parents choose to be with their own children during this crucial time rather than entrusting them to someone else?
Head Start Grants
The next goal of Obama's package is to "grow the supply of effective early learning opportunities for our children," including new "Early Head Start-Child Care partnerships through which we award competitive grants to communities that make Early Head Start available to more families." Sebelius claims, "We know from a wide array of research that the investments we make in early childhood initiatives put those kids on a path to learn more in school, and earn more in the workplace." It is unclear to what research she is referring because actual research shows that Head Start is a failed program: any gains made by young children disappear in the early grades and, in fact, there is evidence that some children are harmed by the program. (See April, 2013 Education Reporter)
Yet, as stated at the HHS Administration for Children and Families website, Obama's plan "will maintain and build on current Head Start investments, to support a greater share of infants, toddlers, and three-year-olds in America's Head Start centers." (HHS.gov). The federal government seems intent that infants and toddlers be away from their own homes and enrolled in an institutional setting.
This is also the premise of President Obama's proposal that "encourages states to expand the availability of full-day kindergarten." Claiming that "only 6 out of 10 of America's kindergarten students have access to a full day of learning," the Obama administration wants all children to spend the "time they need in school to reach rigorous benchmarks and standards."
Critics worry that this drive to get young children out of family life and into institutions is harmful; they believe young children can learn while being with their own parents and caregivers chosen by their parents.
Voluntary Home Visitation
The final part of Obama's Early Childhood package is "voluntary home visitation." The visitations are to be conducted by "nurses, social workers, and other trained professionals." Sebelius also favorably mentions pediatricians who can "screen for … parental depression." The visitation program aims to start with low-income families. To some it sounds as if the federal government doubts the ability of low-income parents to parent their own children without federal supervision and monitoring.
Once the visitation program gets started, it is not certain that it would be limited by income levels; the intrusion could soon be manifest in all families. There is little doubt that some want these federal programs to become universal. Sebelius promotes the Health and Human Services "Watch Me Thrive!" program that creates "universal developmental and behavioral screenings, so that we can track a child's progress in areas like language, social development, and motor development." In what may seem to some to be double-speak, Sebelius claims these intrusions by the government into the family are "based on the premise that a child's best and most important teachers are a child's parents." As Ronald Reagan said, "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'"
Sebelius's speech was in part an attempt to gain financial support from the CED and its members; the other funding method she mentions is an increase in the tobacco tax.
Perhaps the most disingenuous part of Sebelius's speech is when she claims that further federal intrusion into families will result in "more of our kids realiz[ing] their fullest potential" and says it will allow us to "benefit from a new generation of innovation, entrepreneurship, poetry, discovery, art, and progress." This is said by an official of the same federal government that is pushing Common Core education standards, which spell the death knell for poetry, art, and the individual creativity that leads to discovery, innovation, and entrepreneurship because students are allowed to learn only what is tested on standardized tests.
RTT Early Learning Challenge
The Obama administration's Race To The Top Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) has awarded over $1 billion to supposedly "provide a strong start for our nation's youngest children." At the Dept. of Education website it states: "RTT-ELC supports states in their systemic efforts to align, coordinate, and improve the quality of existing early learning and development programs across multiple funding streams that support children from birth through age five." (Ed.gov)
As with Common Core Race to the Top grants, ELC-winning states had to jump through federal hoops in order to be considered winners; they will remain under federal scrutiny, having been given mandates about how awarded money will be spent. As with Common Core, the federal government is asserting control over decisions states should be making on their own and this will result in loss of local control.
HHS Sec. Sebelius will be replaced by Sylvia Burwell. After a stint in the Clinton administration, Burwell moved to Microsoft where she was a key aide to Common Core's major funder and most powerful champion, Bill Gates. Observers expect that future alliances between the Depts. of Education and Health and Human Services will remain aimed at further diminishing states' rights in favor of federal bureaucratic control of individuals, families, and education.
But Is It Good For Children?
Contrary to what Sec. Sebelius and her cronies believe, parents know what is best for their children. Swedish educator Jonas Himmelstrand, writing in the Huffington Post Canada (11-5-13), states that "the Swedish approach is that the state has taken over raising children from parents through the state run daycare system." He notes that as a result of the universal preschool/daycare system in Sweden, "education outcomes are declining, teens are anxiety-ridden and misbehaving, and the quality of parenting is suffering." Swedish parents accepted the government's offer of free preschool for children from 18-months-old through kindergarten; the result has not proven good for children, families, or education. A study by Trends in International Mathematics and Science shows that "disorder in Swedish classrooms is among the worst among comparable countries." Evidence indicates that "[Swedish] children are simply not sufficiently emotionally nourished to be teachable in school."
In response to campaigns to get children out of the family home at younger and younger ages, society in general, and parents in particular, should take Jonas Himmelstrand's advice to heart:
Child care must be a parental decision based on the needs of the child, not a state decision based on politics and the economy. The state needs to remain neutral to all forms of care — daycare, home care, nanny, granny care, and neighbor care — and not support one form of care above another.


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Heritage Body and Frame
Review for Heritage Body and Frame
Beatrice W. on 04/16/2015
Spoke with Kimberly. She said they always do good work. She likes the service there. They are fast and the repairs are done perfectly.
Category: Collision
Service Date: 04/08/2015
Review Created: 04/16/2015
This review was collected via phone interview by Customer Research Inc.


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Creston Park
- Artist: Ray Ottoboni
- Format: CD
- Release Date: 6/3/2008
|your cart is empty
This music was recorded on a broken leg, on hardwood floors, in the winter, mostly alone. Four months later, on the night it was completed, a power surge erased it. A rough mix made weeks prior was all that was left, and that became this album. The Fourth album of mine, more folksy, more rootsy than before. Acoustic-based, hand drums, banjo, shakers,etc. No drum set this time. This CD comes in a handsome 6 panel digipak, minimizing plastic content, and it is way more beautiful than your ipod screen. But i have mp3s too if that's your gig. I record and design all my albums independently on my own label, Screaming Cliffs. Purchasing independent music keeps the power in the artist's hands and we appreciate that. Thanks for your interest! Other releases by Ray Ottoboni: Collectors of Time as a Rare Disease Tragic Circle also: Wheeler Walker Ponder- In the Future (my first solo album,i play all the instruments) All these cds are available on CD Baby.
To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your version of Flash Player.


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Greene Public Library
179 Hopkins Hollow Road
Greene, Rhode Island 02827
Tuesday and Thursday: 3 – 7 pm
Wednesday, Friday and Saturday: 9 -1 pm
From Providence: Travel 95S and take US-6W Exit. Keep left at fork. Follow signs for 14W/Plainfield Street. Continue to follow RI-14W. Turn right onto RI-14W Plainfield Pike. Turn left onto RI-117E/Flat River Road. Then turn right onto Hopkins Hollow Road. Destination will be on right.
From Westerly: Travel 95N and take Exit 5B to merge onto Rt. 102N Victory Highway/W Greenwich. Turn left onto RI-117W/Flat River Road. Continue onto Hopkins Hollow Road. Destination will be on the right.
*Map is provided as an attachment below.
History of Greene Library
The Greene Library was started in 1923 by Miss Mittie Arnold. A two room building was erected in 1929. Miss Arnold, known for her herb gardens, bequeathed $100,000 to the library to be kept in a trust fund to keep the building going. The library was dedicated to her in 1973. It became a branch of the Coventry Public Library in 2010. The Greene Library Association continues to cover the building's costs and retains ownership of the building. The town provides library services at the site.


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PIEDMONT — Walking, trotting, running were 1,864 participants, the most ever, in Piedmont's 11th annual Turkey Trot held Thanksgiving Day through the city's picturesque streets.
"They were all happy to be there, all smiles," said organizer Marilyn Weber. "The race really draws in families. What a wonderful outing on Thanksgiving Day. It echoes what the holiday is all about. You are thankful for your family and your health, to come out and enjoy a fast walk or run."
The fun three-mile run and walk raises funds for the Piedmont High cross-country and track teams. Weber said estimates of how much money was raised for the effort were not yet available, as some vendor's bills had yet to be paid.
Grandpas to toddlers gave it their all in the officially timed race, burning off some calories to make room for the Thanksgiving feast to follow.
Crosby Freeman, 28, of San Francisco placed first overall with a time of 15:28. Oakland's Torrey Olson, 25, came in a fraction later with 15:41.
Linn Schulte-Sasse, 35, of Piedmont, took first for the women with 19:13, followed closely by Hadley Mickel, 34, of Orinda, who paced at 19:22. Top winners received turkeys, gift certificates to a running store and other prizes; others received blue ribbons.
School board trustee Rick Raushenbush, 53, clocked a respectable 28:17 in the men's 50-59 category. Mayor John Chiang, 63, who runs every year, came in fifth with 24:21 in the men's 60-69 group. Taking first place in that group was Len Goldman, 68, of Oakland, with 20:22.
Chris Downey, 90, of San Francisco, was the oldest runner, proving it's never too late to work those legs, logging in at 33:26. Oakland's Gaylord Burke, 70, placed first in the 70 and over age group with 27:32.
The men's and women's 40-49 age group had the most runners, with 180 and 219, respectively.
Trip Morris, 43, from Charlotte, N.C., lived up to his name as traveling the furthest; he logged in a time of 24:01. The winner in that men's 40-49 category was William Newby, 41, of Oakland, with 16:42. Steve Zirkelbach, 42, of Piedmont, followed close behind with 17:25.
John Losito, 51 of Berkeley, placed first with 19:11 in the men's 50-59 category. Justin Banks of Atascadero, 32, placed first in the men's 30-39 group with a speedy 17:04.
Karsten Kaufmann, 18, no city listed, took the first in the men's 14-19 category with 16:13, while Sam Kane, 19, of San Leandro nipped at his heels with a 16:24.
Three toddlers showed their mettle. Little 2-year-old Benny Shepherd of Berkeley ran the course in 27:38. Graham Sanger of Oakland and Tadhg Bertain of Alameda could be future track stars. The 3-year-olds were clocked at 49:40 and 52:17, respectively.
Griffin Castillo, 11, of Oakland, took first in this men's 13 and under group with 19:01.
Margaret Pillsbury, 86, of Oakland, was the oldest female runner with a time of 1:14:59. Else Schopp, 77, of Brentwood, took first in the female 70 and up group with 37:48.
Janine McAuliffe, 61 of Piedmont, won for the 60-69 age group with 27:33.
Mary Smiley, 50 of San Francisco, tied with Cynthia Long, 58 of Piedmont, in the women's 50-59 race, both with 24:15 for the three-mile course.
Sarah Lavender Smith, 43, of Piedmont, took first place in the women's 40-49 group, with 19:39. Tracy MacHie, 43, of Piedmont, came in a close second with 19:49.
Erin Hong, 11, of Piedmont, came in first with 21:51 in the 2-13 age group, followed by Skyler Liu, 13, of Piedmont, with 22:43. Three 3-year-olds — Elsa Wallway of Oakland, Leighton Mand of Piedmont and Dakota Marble of Oakland — clocked at 55:13, 1:00:57 and 1:05:18, respectively.
Shayna Stein, 18, of Dublin took first in the 14-19 age group with 21:16, while Taylor Smiley, 23, no city listed, took first in the 20-29 group with 19:27.


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In July, three-star linebacker Holmes Onwukaife pledged his services to Florida State over a number of other schools. On Saturday, the Cedar Park (TX) native was forced to deal with an erroneous te...
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