text:
Darryl Williams Sr. had been looking for his first-born son for decades. He last saw Darryl Jr. when "Little D" was just 5 years old.
The boy's mother left no contact information when she moved away and took Darryl Jr. with her.
After years of searching, it was the week before Thanksgiving that Darryl Sr. came across a man who shared his name on Facebook.
U.S. & World
The man lived in Ventura, a place where Darryl Sr. knew his son's mother had lived. So he sent a friend request and the response was almost immediate.
"I got an instant chat that said, 'Mr. Williams, you're my dad,'" said Darryl Sr. through tears. "Everybody just fell apart."
Two hours later, Darryl Jr. was on his father's doorstep in Koreatown.
"That was the first time I could hug him in 25-years. And it was beautiful," said the father who also found out he was a grandfather.
Darryl Jr. was equally excited to learn he had brothers and his son had uncles.
"That's been my shining grace," said Darryl Jr. "I'd be like 'one day I'll find my dad. One day my dad [and family] will find me, and they will have been looking for me.'"
This year the entire family will spend Thanksgiving together -- for the first time.
Follow NBCLA for the latest LA news, events and entertainment: Twitter: @NBCLA // Facebook: NBCLA


text:
Google Translate is the first important machine translation service that supports Latin. Google says that thousands of books that are available in Google Book Search include Latin passages and the machine translation service has been trained using texts that are already translated.
The results aren't great and it will be difficult to improve them, but it's still an interesting experiment. Here's an example of translation:
"Translating by machine from Latin is difficult and our grasp of grammar not without error. The Latin is unmatched because most of them Latin books have already been written and only a few of the new shall be hereafter. Many have been translated into other languages and these translations we use to train our translation system. Since this system translates books well similar to those from whom he learned, our ability to translate famous books (such as The Gallic War Caesar 's) is already good."

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Steve Foley (born June 21, 1953 in Clacton, Essex) is a professional football coach, formerly an employee of Norwich City before the termination of his contract on May 4, 2006. This prompted a move to rivals Ipswich Town.
Foley first joined Norwich City in 1996, appointed by then manager Mike Walker as reserve team coach. The two had worked together at Colchester, where Foley played professionally, scoring 54 goals in 283 league appearances. However, a knee injury brought his playing career to an end and signalled the start of his coaching career.
In a surprising move by Norwich chairman Roger Munby, Foley's coaching contract was terminated with immediate effect on May 4, 2006. Fans of the club were surprised, believing that Foley had been made a scapegoat for the team's poor performance during the 2005–06 season. Munby reasoned that, although Foley's input had been "invaluable", it was time to "freshen up the coaching set-up" at the club. After leaving the club, Foley joined the coaching staff at Norwich City's rival club Ipswich Town.


text:
So long, debt.
There are a lot of reasons we go into debt.
Maybe we want to buy a house. Or attend college. Or maybe we run up credit card bills.
Debt can be helpful. But too much debt can weigh you down and get in the way of your financial well-being.
To ditch debt, you can start today with these simple tips.
- List out your debt.
It's easier to see what kind of debt you have and what you are paying when you list out your debt. Some people like to list their debt starting from the highest interest rates to the lowest. Others like to list their debt starting from highest balances to the lowest. There's no right way, just do whatever feels right for you.
- Set up an emergency fund.
Prioritize setting up an emergency fund before you go full throttle on paying off your debt. An emergency fund is critical to help buffer unexpected, costly events - like getting laid off, or that flat tire that came out of nowhere. The idea here is that with an emergency fund in place you won't have to put that surprise expense back on a credit card and erase your hard payoff work. The money will be there. And you won't have to do the "two steps forward, one step back" dance.
- Baby steps to saving more.
Oh boy, is it easier to set up a budget than to live by one. Trying to cut back on spending too much too soon can be frustrating. Saving money is all about taking small steps, one-step-at-a-time. To get started today, try this simple trick: "Cash only night out." It's easy. Just take only the cash you need to pay for that street fest, or night on the town - and dodge the surprise impulse purchases. Leave the credit cards behind.
Now that you've learned how to ditch some debt, check out "I'm terrible at saving" for some really simple tips on getting some cash in the bank for the stuff that always seems to pop up.


text: VISITVisitor InformationDirectionsThronson CaféMuseum StorePublic ToursGroup ToursSchool VisitsNearby AttractionsEXHIBITIONSCurrent ExhibitionsUpcoming ExhibitionsPast ExhibitionsOutlooks Exhibition SeriesArt Is EverywhereCOLLECTIONSBritish Pre-RaphaelitesHoward PyleAmerican IllustrationJohn SloanAmerican Art, 19th Century – PresentCopeland Sculpture GardenThe Helen Farr Sloan Library and ArchivesNew AcquisitionsCurator CornerSearch The CollectionPROGRAMS & EVENTSCalendarAdult ProgramsTalks & ToursFamily and YouthArt CampConcerts on KentmereCalls for ArtisansConnected SeriesHoliday House TourEDUCATIONStudio Art ClassesSchool & Teacher ProgramsOutreach: Art ExcursionsHomeschool ProgramsDocentsKids' CornerRed Apple FundMEMBERSHIPWhy Membership MattersMembership LevelsDirectors CircleRossetti CircleArt Is CardReciprocal MuseumsSUPPORTAnnual GivingLegacy Giving1912 Loyalty SocietyDonor PortraitsCorporate SupportFinancial Documents2014 Annual ReportABOUTCentennial HistoryBuilding DesignGoing GreenDelArt BlogE-NewsMuseum RentalPress RoomOpportunitiesVolunteerContact UsStaff ListBoard Of TrusteesMuseum CouncilFirstPrevious12..227228229NextLastIstván SzonyiDate: Hungarian painter, printmaker, 1894–1960Biography: Hungarian painter and printmaker. He was admitted to the Academy of Fine Arts in the autumn of 1913. His first master was Károly Ferenczy, who in the summer of 1914 took his students – among them István Szőnyi- to the Artists' Colony of Nagybánya. As a soldier on leave, Szőnyi also spent the summers of 1917 and 1918 there. Szőnyi became one of the most gifted members of the Nagybánya group. After being discharged in 1918, he returned to the Academy, this time as István Réti's pupil. In 1921, Szőnyi had his first one-man show at Ernst Museum. During trips to Europe (Vienna and Berlin) he became acquainted with the great classical masters. As a significant member of the "etching generation", he contributed to the development of Hungarian graphic art at the beginning of the 1920s.Szőnyi was appointed to a professor of the Academy of Fine Arts in 1937. He taught for more than two decades. Though he was the leading professor of the mural department he got but a few monumental commissions. During his last years he was often ill. He spent almost all his time in Zebegény. The Szonyi Istvan Memorial Museum in Zebegeny, Bartoky was established in 1967.Related worksMerry-go-roundBrowse All


text:
Arlington Heights police received a report about 4:00 PM Saturday of theft at Salvation Army, 250 W. Rand Road. Police received a report that an unknown offender or offenders removed a bronze colored purse from a shopping cart while the owner was in the bathroom. The purse contained a Boost mobile smart phone valued at $175, a driver's license and approximately $1,000 cash.
Police also received a report that an unknown offender or offender also removed a wallet from a purse left in a shopping cart. The wallet was found under some clothes left in an aisle. A debit card and $5 in cash was missing from the wallet.
Both crimes are reported to have occurred on Saturday, December 22, 2012 between 3:45 p.m.-4:00 p.m.
Anyone having information about this or any other serious crime in Arlington Heights should submit an anonymous text tip by texting the keyword 847AHPD and your message to 847411(tip411) or call Arlington Heights Crime Stoppers at (847) 590-STOP. Callers are guaranteed anonymity and may qualify for a cash reward of up to $1,000.
Get updates from The Cardinal CRIME BLOG 'Plus' on Facebook. Just 'LIKE' the 'Arlington Cardinal Crime & Forensics' Page (become a fan of our page). The updates cover all posts in the 24/7 Crime Alerts! and sub-categories. See all of The Cardinal Facebook fan pages at Arlingtoncardinal.com/about/facebook …
IMPORTANT NOTE: All persons referred to as subjects, defendants, offenders or suspects, etc. are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
SEARCH BOX PRODUCES RESULTS FOR The Cardinal -- Arlingtoncardinal.com ...
Where background Wikipedia info/photos are used, original work is modified and released under CC-BY-SA.
::: Health, wellness and fitness gifts! CoolFitnessGifts.com ::: Cubs, Sox caps at ChicagoFanfare.com :::
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS BREAKING NEWS --The Cardinal -- Arlingtoncardinal.com is a breaking news blog with Arlington Heights & Chicagoland emphasis. Early breaking reports may prove to be inaccurate after follow-up investigation, which may or may not be updated in The Cardinal -- Arlingtoncardinal.com. For in-depth coverage, please also check the following links for network television, cable news networks and Chicago local media coverage ...
Daily Herald | Daily Herald -- Arlington Heights | YouTube.com/DailyHeraldClips
Today's headline videos: FOXNews Video | YouTube.com/FoxNews | Associated Press | The Cardinal
|RSS Help ...
All Headlines
crimeblog | fireblog
|« EARLIER | SEARCH ARTICLES BY DATE -- Arlingtoncardinal.com/searchdate | LATER »


text:
When the your team is faced with adversity does it stand strong and act boldly or does it crumble under pressure? Based on his work with over 1000 teams, Keith Yamashita shares his insights about great collaborative environments including: have an awareness beyond your day-to-day, respect the unique talents of your team members, and actively cultivate meaningful one-on-one relationships.
For the past two decades, Keith Yamashita has worked alongside CEOs and their leadership teams to define — and then attain — greatness for their institutions. He has worked with leaders at Apple, IBM, General Electric, Johnson & Johnson, eBay, Nike, and Gap, among others.Keith founded SYPartners — a firm steeped in the belief that transformation of individuals, teams, and institutions requires equal parts empathy, aspiration, and a bravery to act. The firm fuses systems thinking and creativity to help organizations in times of seismic change: the formulation of a new business strategy, a merger or acquisition, the rise of a new CEO, the return-to-greatness journeys after an industry shock.


text:
Going gluten-free solved my three-year mystery
After years of different diagnoses, treatments and questions, my daily headaches finally went away. What ended the head and neck pain was a diet change: I stopped eating gluten.
In the fall of 2011, my freshman year of college at Colorado State University, I started to notice I got a headache almost every day. Caffeine or no caffeine, lots of sleep or not enough sleep, drinking water or not, I always got headaches. They would start at the top of my neck at the base of my head, and depending on the severity, would move over the top of my head.
I had recently hit my head snowboarding, so I started by seeing a concussion specialist. Massages, nerve relaxing pills and following all the rules did not help. I gave up for a while after that, but tried to avoid things like staring at a computer screen for too long or florescent lights because they seemed to be triggers.
I started seeing a physical therapist in the fall of 2013 for an ankle injury and asked her to try and fix my headaches as well. The multiple visits per week didn't seem to help, and ended with getting an MRI which showed I had muscle spasms that caused my spinal cord in the neck to curve the wrong way.
Read more…


text:
Your Message, Their Way!
A complete communication solution.
Your message has the ability to make an impact to motivate, inspire and inform the people that are associated with your business.
GoSolo helps you run your business by accelerating your business growth and managing your communications. GoSolo is a complete suite of communication solutions that include a Toll-Free Number, broadcast communications, conferencing, Content Café and faxing. Through a hosted service, subscribers are provided with an easy access Toll-Free number and virtual assistant service so they can listen to, respond to, forward and manage all messages (voice, text, fax, email) from phone, smartphone, or computer and decide when and how they want to receive them. Your message, their way!
Accelerate your business growth.
- Record a video or voice message and broadcast it to your team in seconds
- Easy access Toll-Free number with a virtual assistant that will find you at any location
- Promote your events and specials with a custom message greeting
- Reach and teach in real-time with audio conferencing
- Mobile application and features make it easy for you to view your messages at a glance and respond quickly
- Send one message to multiple contacts, lists or pre-defined hierarchies in seconds
Manage your communications.
- Voice, email, text and fax messages automatically collected into one inbox of your choice
- You choose when, how and where you want to receive voice, email, text and fax messages
- Listen and respond to your messages on your computer, smartphone, or phone
- Keep your personal phone numbers private and screen your calls
- Share and store inspirational video and voice messages with your team
- Contacts always synchronized with web and smartphone application- easy to import contacts
GoSolo features today.
Always evolving for tomorrow.
At GoSolo, we are committed to our customers and are constantly bringing innovative features and technologies into our packages that benefit your business.
- Toll-Free Number
- Virtual Assistant
- Message Center (Web and Phone)
- Mobile Auto LogIn
- Caller ID
- Find Me, Call Blasting
- Privacy Call Screening/"Whisper"
- Contact Management
- Broadcast Messaging


text:
- Description
DetailsCelebrate the 25th Anniversary with one of Alan's most popular albums, Under The Influence. This "vintage" t-shirt is a a Gildan Cotton T-shirt in black, 6.1oz 100% Preshrunk Cotton. Has a seamless collar with double needle top stitched neckline hemmed short sleeves and garment bottom.
- Additional Information
Additional Information
Manufacturer No


text:
Contact us for FREE quotes on our nationwide cleaning services - 0208 1111 987
Our professional teams look after the cleaning of schools, colleges, nurseries, sixth forms and universities all over the country. For more information on the services we offer and free quotes simply drop us a message and we will be in touch.
Professional cleaning is paramount to protect the health and safety of students and staff, as well as helping to reduce sick days for all, subsequently improving staff well-being and academic success.
Schools, colleges, and universities see heavy footfall with activities taking place all the time, it's no surprise that these establishments need to be thoroughly cleaned.
Our teams carry out these types of assignments all over the country, working to various budgets and timings, to suit individual timetables, as well as your unique cleaning needs.
Cleaning schools in Acton Scott is not just about looking good but maintaining a healthy environment for students to thrive in. Sparkling floors, bright walls, and squeaky-clean facilities will inspire students and staff to work hard and is proven to nourish development and improve results.
We offer daily cleaning services for schools, keeping everything spick and span throughout the term time. We clean both in and out-of-hours for minimal disruption, and also offer on-call services should any major incidents happen during the day which requires an immediate response.
For information on our school cleaning options, contact us today.
We offer a full range of cleaning services for a range of educational establishments including:
The cleaning of schools in Acton Scott and other study facilities isn't just about keeping up appearances – it's also a matter of health and safety - and is something to be taken seriously. This is why hiring in a team of professionals to look after these jobs is essential; nothing should be left to chance.
If you are currently looking for help with your education cleaning in Acton Scott and for free quotes and more information, contact us today and one of our friendly team will talk you through the various options.
Cleaning for a primary school, secondary school, college or university is vital to keep allergens, pollutants, irritants, dirt, dust and mould at bay. This is more important in today's day and age than ever before. Being vigilant and only allowing the highest in hygiene standards is vital to safeguard the well-being of staff, students and visitors.
High levels of cleanliness are importantly able to stop the spread of coughs, colds and other contagious conditions likely to thrive and spread quickly in bustling and busy environments. With attendance paramount to academic success the importance of effective cleaning is obvious and helps to keep attendance levels high and sick days low. It's also fair to say that children, students and parents expect nothing but the best and for facilities to look great.
In light of this, our teams sanitise all facilities; after all, we all know too well how one person with a cold and virus can soon take a whole class or faculty down, affecting studies for weeks on end.
Our reliable and trustworthy school cleaner team in Acton Scott will keep on top of all your requirements providing you with complete peace of mind and an environment you can proud of for your students, parents, governors and teachers - maintaining high standards throughout. When we get your initial enquiry we will give you a call to run through your needs and various options, before doing a site visit to meet you and look at the school or college in person.
Following this initial meeting, we will draw up a bespoke school cleaning schedule to clean throughout the school, taking into account all your requirements, as well as your budget and the timings that suit you best. This greater insight and a personal meeting will allow our school cleaner team in Acton Scott to deliver high-quality results from the very first visit and then time after time following that.
Basic daily tasks are listed below:
We offer additional school clean options in Acton Scott - which cannot always be planned ahead - including the below:
Further to the daily schools cleaning options as outlined above, we also offer a 'school deep clean' service during non-term times and also on weekends. Deep cleans are beneficial to allow our cleaning staff to target areas they're unable to do so on a daily basis.
Duties carried out by top cleaning operatives include options such as:
If this is of interest to you simply drop us a message and we will be in touch.
Cleaning products are carefully selected for all our school cleans, it is a balance of achieving outstanding results whilst at the same time using products which are suitable for children. Different products can be used throughout the school and we use a range of products which are suitable for children of all ages. If would like more information on these simply drop us a message today.
Our cleaning operatives in Acton Scott have years of experience. Our knowledge in keeping standards high is second to none with regular supervisor visits cross-checking all areas and ensuring hygiene standards are met. Cleanliness throughout the school and maintaining high standards is key at all times and our experienced cleaning company can have school based cleaners on site, or can visit for one-off cleaner jobs.
All our cleaners have been trained to meet all Health and Safety regulations from polishing bannisters out of schooling hours (which can be slippery) to using wet board signs as floor spaces are mopped and disinfected. They are also fully vetted and insured.
Contact us today for more information about primary school, secondary school, college and university cleaning in Acton Scott at top prices and at times to suit you.
Our reliable teams are able to offer around the clock assistance and be responsive to all your cleaning duties.
We look forward to hearing from you and helping you maintain a learning environment which meets relevant cleaning requirements and helps to improve satisfaction, well-being and your academic success.
Topics - contract cleaning services in SY6 6, required commercial cleaning duties, school cleaner in SY6 6, cleaner cleanliness throughout, job type, throughout the school. cleaning company in SY6 6, school based cleanliness throughout, maintaining high standards. dbs. Deep cleaning services, schools cleaning services.


text:
Ethanol is even more popular now than when Americans made it to fuel themselves rather than their cars, and some of the behavior it generates is no less silly. The cornbelt, Congress and the departments of Energy and Agriculture are hawking the stuff as if it were Dr. Kickapoo's Elixir for Rheum, Ague, Blindness and Insanity. Bill Gates has invested $84 million in it. In the last five years the amount of corn poured into ethanol distilleries has tripled to 55 million tons. At this writing, projections by the Department of Agriculture have world grain use growing by 20 million tons in 2006, 6 million tons of which will be consumed by the world's rapidly proliferating and hungry human beings, 14 million tons of which will be consumed by America's proliferating and gas-guzzling cars. Eighteen percent of all the corn we grow goes into ethanol production, and goals mandated by Congress will sharply increase that percentage.
It all started in 1990 with amendments to the Clean Air Act, revolutionary in that they regulated not just how we burn gasoline but how we make it. In areas out of compliance with air-pollution standards, gasoline had to include at least two percent oxygen-containing chemicals (oxygenates), the better to combust carbon monoxide, toxic hydrocarbons, and smog-producing volatile organic compounds. There were only two choices--ethanol and the petroleum-based methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE). This was precisely what the cornbelt had fantasized about and lobbied for. Suddenly the moribund ethanol industry had a future. City air would become breathable. We'd have plenty of fuel. It was going to be a win-win-win.
But instead of cleaning up America, ethanol has added to the mess we're making out of our water and air. Now the Bush Administration has decreed that ethanol replace the far more efficient MTBE as an oxygenate. But with current refining technologies and anti-pollution paraphernalia on motor vehicles there's no need for any oxygenate, a fact the powerful agribusiness lobby doesn't want you to know. Under its withering pressure, Congress and the executive branch have committed the nation to ethanol as both oxygenate and fuel.
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 requires that US gasoline contain 7.5 billion gallons of ethanol by 2012, up from 4 billion. One hundred and one ethanol plants are online, and 44 are under construction. Eighty million US acres were planted to corn in 2006; and the ethanol boom will require 10 million more just in 2007. Ethanol, we are being told, is going to "reduce our dependence on foreign oil" and "lead us to energy independence." "Live Green, Go Yellow," effuses General Motors, one of the major roadblocks to fuel-efficiency standards. "Fill Up, Feel Good," gushes the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council, a front for agribusiness.
How will ethanol affect your fishing, apart from possibly ruining your outboard motor? (Ethanol does this in lots of ways. Just ask David Blinken, the famous Montauk fly-fishing guide, who recen-tly spent $25,000 pulling his deck, replacing his fuel lines and tank, extracting aluminum-oxide gum from his carburetors and basically rebuilding his twin 100-horse Yamahas.) First, no crop grown in the United States consumes and pollutes more water than corn. No method of agriculture uses more insecticides, more herbicides, more nitrogen fertilizer. Needed for the production of one gallon of ethanol are 1,700 gallons of water, mostly in the form of irrigation taken from streams either directly or by snatching the water table out from underneath them. And each gallon of ethanol produces 12 gallons of sewage-like effluent.
Ethanol plants are gross polluters of air and water, and because of the exorbitant price of natural gas some of the new ones will be coal-fired, adding to the already dangerous mercury content of fish. The response of the Bush administration has been a proposal to relax pollution standards for ethanol production. Under the conservation programs of the 1985 Farm Bill and its successors, some farmers are bootstrapping their way toward sustainable agriculture, but corn production still erodes topsoil about 10 times faster than it can accrete.
The toxic, oxygen-swilling stew of nitrates, chemical poisons and dirt excreted from the corn monocultures of our Midwest pollutes the Mississippi River and its tributaries, limiting fish all the way to the Gulf where it creates a bacteria-infested, algae-clogged, anaerobic "Dead Zone" lethal to fish, crustaceans, mollusks and virtually all gill breathers. In some years, depending on seasonal heat and water conditions, the Dead Zone can cover 8,000 square miles. And it's expanding.
No habitat is more important to fish and wildlife than wetlands. They filter out pesticides and sediments, and they consume phosphates and nitrates. At least 70 percent of the wetlands in the cornbelt have already been lost. But, in order to produce surplus corn for ethanol, remaining cornbelt wetlands are being drained. In some areas--Nebraska, for instance--corn has to be irrigated by pumps that suck water from the ground faster than it percolates back in. Both pumps and the ethanol plants themselves are powered by natural gas, the frenzied production of which is creating horrendous problems for fish and wildlife in the West.
Where is the land to grow all the extra corn needed for ethanol supposed to come from? Well, the Bush administration has an idea: In testimony to Congress, the USDA's chief economist, Keith Collins, has raised the possibility of using land enrolled under the Farm Bill's Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Not so coincidentally, it happens that this is precisely the idea that the corn lobby had come up with. In an op-ed in the December 6, 2006 Des Moines Register Bruce Rastetter, CEO of Hawkeye Renewables, Iowa's largest ethanol producer, writes: "First, the government should immediately release some of the 37 million acres that now sit idle in the US Department of Agriculture's Conservation Resources [sic] Program."
"We're hearing rumors every day that the [USDA's] Farm Services Agency is on the verge of announcing they're going to allow people to liquidate CRP contracts to grow more corn for ethanol," says Julie Sibbing, point person for the National Wildlife Federation's agriculture and wetlands program. "That's a huge concern. They've been studying CRP to see if there's land they can pull out to grow more corn. We're hearing from folks up in the plains that farmers are going in and breaking up virgin prairie. It's lousy land for agriculture, but they're planting it because of the high price of corn brought on by this ethanol boom. It's scary. And there are huge water requirements. People are building these ethanol plants anywhere, paying no attention to the water needs. We're worried about instream flows."
CRP--originally conceived not for the benefit of fish, wildlife or soil but simply to reduce surplus, government-subsidized corn--has restored two million acres of wetlands and adjacent buffers, produced 7.1 million acres of new native grasses, protected 170,000 miles of streams, restored 1.2 million acres of rare and declining wildlife habitat and saved 450 tons of soil (enough to fill 37.5 million dump trucks). What's more, CRP annually produces 15 million pheasants and 2.2 million ducks and sequesters 48 million tons of carbon dioxide. It is absurd to suggest we can't afford CRP. The increased soil productivity it has provided is worth $162 million a year, increased waterfowl hunting $122 million, increased wildlife viewing $629 million, and runoff reduction $392 million.
Thanks to CRP and other Farm Bill conservation programs, Iowa--the corn capital of the nation--is suddenly teeming with smallmouth bass and, in the state's northeast hill country, wild trout. Yes, wild trout. "Our trout fishery is one of the best kept secrets in the country," declares Rich Patterson, who directs the Indian Creek Nature Center in Cedar Rapids and serves on the Circle of Chiefs of the Outdoor Writers Association of America. "When I first came here 28 years ago it was all put-and-take, guys tossing corn to stupid hatchery trout. I'm catching incredible wild trout in streams that were mucky in the 1980's. And there has been a tremendous turnaround on smallmouths. They're sight feeders, and with clearing water they're increasing like crazy."
Marion Conover, chief of fisheries for the Iowa Fish and Wildlife Division, confirms Patterson's assessment. "The smallmouths are a reflection of improved clarity in our streams because of buffer strips and best management practices funded through the Farm Bill's conservation title," he says. "We manage four stream segments as catch-and-release for smallmouth--on the upper Iowa, Cedar River, Middle Raccoon, and Maquoketa. These are higher-quality streams, but we've seen smallmouths improve in places like the Mississippi River, parts of the Des Moines River, and the Missouri River in the Sioux City area of all places. It's simply a function of less dirt in the water. But there's a concern among the whole environmental community about what bodes for the future, what our landscape is going to look like next year or five years from now."
The Iowa brookies are a national treasure, genetically distinct from Yankee brook trout, Appalachian brook trout and even fish from Wisconsin and Minnesota. In 1980 only one of the state's streams had native brook trout reproduction, and only four had brown trout reproduction. Today there are at least 23 with self-sustaining browns and six with self-sustaining native brookies. The division's northeast fisheries supervisor, Bill Kalishek, expects that by the time you read this, new survey results will have significantly increased these numbers. And if Farm Bill programs remain intact, streams where there is now only sporadic reproduction will become self-sustaining. The brookies are small, but the browns are huge in relation to the little spring creeks in which they abide. Kalishek reports that 15- to 20-inchers are not unusual, and he's seen them up to 28 inches. "The unglaciated terrain here in northeast Iowa is highly erodible," he told me. "So cropland is very eligible for CRP. That program has taken a lot of the most highly erodible land out of row-crop production and reduced the amount of sediment getting washed into the streams. Not only has the water quality improved, so has the substrate quality for spawning."
But America's ethanol orgy frightens Kalishek and his colleagues. "I've seen some of the results already," he says. "The bulldozers are out there on the little corners of cornfields that used to be brushy draws or old fence lines so farmers can grow more corn. A lot of our general-signup CRP enrollments--where whole, erodible fields were taken out of production--are expiring in the next two or three years. And I'm worried that with this increase in corn production we're going to take a big step backwards in water quality and stream habitat and in our trout populations."
Well, as we so frequently tell ourselves and are told by our federal government, we all have to make sacrifices for energy self-sufficiency. But the sacrifices fish-and-wildlife advocates and taxpayers are being asked to make for ethanol do not and cannot decrease our dependency on foreign oil. In fact, they do just the opposite. This is because it takes more energy in the form of fossil fuels to make corn-based ethanol than we get from it.
Some researchers dispute this, but almost without exception they are directly or indirectly funded by or otherwise allied to agribusiness or the USDA (a wholly owned subsidiary of agribusiness). The credible stats issue from independent researchers whose studies have been published in peer-reviewed scientific journals and who have no irons in the fire. Two of the more notable ones are Dr. Tad W. Patzek, a chemical engineer from the University of California at Berkeley, and Cornell University's Dr. David Pimentel.
Pimentel, author of 24 books and nearly 600 scientific papers and selected by the Department of Energy to chair two scientific panels on ethanol production, told me this: "Ethanol is a boondoggle. Optimistically, using Department of Energy numbers, it amounts to one percent of our petroleum use. Ethanol requires almost 40 percent more energy to produce than you get out of it; we're having to import oil to make this stuff. And, of course, the environmental impacts to water, air and soil are enormous. During the fermentation process, when yeast is working on the starches and sugars, large quantities of carbon dioxide are released. In fact, some plants collect it and sell it to beverage companies. So it's a double whammy for global warming--not only burning fossil fuel but carbon dioxide production."
Pimentel reports that ethanol, which yields only two-thirds the energy of gasoline, gets 45 times more federal subsidy per gallon than gasoline. "That's what's attracting all the flies," he says. All told, you and I are spending at least $3 per gallon on ethanol subsidies for a total of $6 billion per year. Without all this gravy train, Pimentel has calculated that the cost for 1.33 gallons of ethanol (the equivalent in energy yield to a gallon of gasoline) would be $7.12.
The subsidies aren't going to family farms but to bloated, effluent-spewing agribusiness giants that get hungrier and dirtier with each feeding. According to one estimate--by financial analyst James Bovard of the Cato Institute--every dollar in profits earned by the nation's largest ethanol producer, Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), costs taxpayers $30.
In February 2006 Energy Secretary Sam Bodman showed up at ADM's Decatur, Illinois, headquarters to pose with CEO Allen Andreas and announce that the Department of Energy would offer $160 million for the construction of three biorefineries for ethanol production. "This funding will support a much-needed step in the development of biofuels and renewable energy programs," declared Bodman. "Partnerships with industry like these will lead to new innovation and discovery that will usher in an era of reduced dependence on foreign sources of oil, while strengthening our economy at home."
This is the same ADM that made it to number 10 on the University of Massachusetts' Political Economy Research Institute's "Toxic 100" list of America's worst corporate polluters, the same ADM that in 2003 was assessed $351 million in fines by the EPA for Clean Air Act violations at 52 plants in 16 states, the same ADM currently slugging it out with the state and feds in 25 judicial and administrative proceedings regarding its contamination of air, soil and water.
ADM is just one of many offenders. Another example: in June 2006 Ace Ethanol LLC of Stanley, Wisconsin, and John S. Olynick Inc. of Gilman, Wisconsin, (an excavating company) agreed to pay $61,000 after they'd been cited for filling wetlands adjacent to a tributary of the Wolf River. And Ace has been ordered by Wisconsin's attorney general to pay $300,000 in fines for Clean Air Act violations.
"I've been following this ethanol development very closely," says Iowa Fish and Wildlife's Kalishek. "And I have one hope--biomass ethanol. If we can get plants shifted over to biomass [cellulosic ethanol derived from wood chips, straw, hemp, crop stalks, etc.], we could have farmers growing something like switchgrass [one of the native prairie covers approved for CRP enrollment]. Then we wouldn't have to worry about erosion. There'd be many benefits for fish and wildlife and water quality. But it looks like the demand for corn for ethanol is going to continue to increase. Every prediction I've seen, and the most recent one came out of Iowa State University, is that demand for corn is going to outstrip Iowa's ability to produce corn. If you've ever driven across our state, you'd scratch your head and say, 'Huh? All that corn is not going to be enough to feed the ethanol plants?'"
The National Wildlife Federation shares Kalishek's hopes and fears. "We're working on a program for the next Farm Bill that would try to advance the whole next generation of technologies like switchgrass ethanol," says Sibbing. "A couple [cellulosic] plants are being built now--one in Iowa and one in Idaho. If we get to cellulosic ethanol, we can produce something like five times more per acre. It would be a lot better for land and water and a produce a lot more bang for the buck."
Switchgrass is certainly attractive to burn directly as a biomass fuel; and one day, perhaps, it will be an ethanol source. Because it is harvested in early spring or late summer or fall, declining ground-nesters such as quail and bob-o-link that fledge their broods in late spring would benefit. Switchgrass requires essentially no fertilization; and it's a perennial, which means there's no tilling, reseeding or erosion.
But, warns Cornell's Pimentel, cellulosic ethanol is far more difficult to produce than corn-based ethanol, which itself isn't practical or economical. "There are only about half as many starches and sugars in woody material and straw as in corn," he explains. "There are also extra steps. You have to use an acid or enzyme to release the cellulose from the lignin--the stuff that holds the plants up straight. If you use acid, you have to stop the acidity process with an alkali. So that's another step. You hear stories from pro-ethanol people that the lignin (about 25 percent of the wood) can be used for fuel, but that's if it's dry. It's dissolved in water, and to dry it takes a good deal of energy."
Ethanol rendered from crop stalks is no less problematical. And any major commitment to that source could be even more environmentally hurtful than corn-based ethanol by spiking already gross erosion rates.
So, until we figure out how to make ethanol cheaply and efficiently from native prairie perennials like switchgrass, where are we going to find the fuel to run our cars? Berkeley's Dr. Tad Patzek makes the point that corn is merely one way of converting solar energy to fuel. Solar cells, far more efficient, could make hydrogen fuel. That's where the subsidies need to go, he contends. But technology for practical, affordable hydrogen fuel, like technology for practical, affordable ethanol fuel, doesn't exist yet.
We do, however, possess the technology to build fuel-efficient automobiles. In the current charade designed by and for agribusiness we're allocating 18 percent of the corn we grow to ethanol, thereby cutting our petroleum consumption by one percent. But Patzek has calculated that if we doubled automobile fuel efficiency, we'd cut petroleum consumption by 33 percent or, put another way, we'd increase our petroleum supply by a third. It's a revolutionary concept that America has never tried. Fish-and-wildlife advocates are calling it conservation.


text:
Street Food Profiles: The Burger Bus in Santa Barbara, California
Note: It's time for another edition of Street Food Profiles. This week we scoot to Santa Barbara where a former school bus becomes a delicious burger-mobile.
Name: The Burger Bus
Vendors: Cheryl and Michael Gardner
Twitter: @theburgerbus
Location and hours? Tuesday through Fridays, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturdays are TBA. Locations vary but are always updated online.
What's on the menu? Locally sourced cheeseburgers (including one with jelly), falafel, and sides like yam fries, fried pickle chips, and onion rings.
How long have you been street fooding? Five months.
How has Twitter affected business? Although Santa Barbara is a small city, Twitter helps remind our customers where we are and alerts them to special promotions, like wearing your Burger Bus t-shirt to get a free soda.
Why a mobile business over brick-and-mortar? Brick-and-mortar is too expensive in Santa Barbara. We own the bus, which helped control our start-up costs. Plus, as a mobile restaurant, we can serve food in six different locations in a two-week period.
Who are your typical customers? Anyone who enjoys a quality burger with delicious sides. Our customer base really covers the spectrum—from construction workers and mechanics to doctors and CEOs. Several customers come to the bus on a weekly basis, and some even twice a week! We are thankful the city of Santa Barbara and all of our customers have embraced the business.
Describe a typical day from start to finish.
- If we have to pick up meat or bread, we usually leave our house around 9 a.m. or earlier. The perk of using so many local suppliers (like Shalhoob Meat Company, Our Daily Bread, jellies from Mama's Preserves, Spring Hill Cheese, and the Santa Barbara Farmers' Market) is that we only have to travel a few blocks from home to pick up ingredients.
- Once we arrive at our commissary, we load the bus with our dishes and all the food we'll need that day. Then it's off to the daily location, where we turn on the propane, light the fryers and griddle, and get the music going. Cheryl generally cuts the bread while Michael throws the onions and bacon on the griddle. We try to give ourselves around 30 minutes to prep for the lunch crowd, then serve from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Once 2 p.m. arrives, or the last customer is gone, the clean-up process begins. Michael scrubs the griddle back to silver while Cheryl cleans the fryers and pans.
- When we return to the commissary, every dish and utensil, as well as the food, comes off the bus. All of the dishes are washed and dried and the bus is wiped and sanitized. If there's any prep or shopping that needs to be done, we do it now and return anytime between 4:30 and 7:00 p.m.
What are or were you doing before this? Cheryl was an elementary school science teacher and Michael, after running a local day spa, took time off to begin this project.
What makes your food so special? We use as many locally-sourced products as we can. Plus, we buy our meat, bread, and produce every few days to insure the final product's freshness. Our signature burger is the CB&J, a cheeseburger and jelly—as far as we know, it's not available anywhere else. We pair pepper jack cheese with a seasonal jalapeno jelly (right now it's olallieberry jalapeno) and cheddar cheese with a triple raspberry jelly. These burgers are served with grilled onions on toasted ciabatta.
How would you define "street food"? It could be as nondescript as a rolling cart in Mexico (with nothing more than a propane tank, vat of boiling oil, and churro batter squeezing out). Or it could be as beautiful as fried noodles and fresh vegetables from a hot plate at the end of an open-air market in China. Or as simple as a hot dog on a New York sidewalk. And of course, all this food should be served hot and fresh. Street food should represent the area—the availability and freshness that defines the region.
The best street food city and why. Cheryl is from New Jersey so for her, New York's diverse street food is the best around. Hot dogs, pretzels, fresh roasted nuts, and meaty kabobs, which are always hot, fresh, and affordable.
Your comfort food after a long day? Chili, mac and cheese, and thick stews are where it's at (especially for Michael). Unfortunately, we don't cook at home as often as we used to but our favorite take-out is Thai, Mexican, and pizza.
Advice for an aspiring vendor? Take every step one at time and go for it!
Bonus Video: The Burger Bus
Street Food Profiles: Nom Nom Truck in Los Angeles, California
Street Food Profile: Only Burger in Durham, North Carolina
Street Food Profiles: Nong's Khao Man Gai in Portland, Oregon
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


text:
We're a few days into the Little League World Series, which means it's time to unveil our system for evaluating the teams: DRURY, or Determination of Robustness of Undoubtedly Rambunctious Youths. It takes box score statistics from every game, converts them into a composite runs scored and allowed per game (BR/18O and BRA/18O, respectively), and then adjusts those figures for strength of schedule. The final figures are the teams' adjusted Pythagorean winning percentages; they're scaled so that the best team has a DRURY of 1. Without further ado, here's the first batch of rankings, based on games prior to today:
And here are the predictions for today's matchups, based on expected winning percentages from the above run totals.
Caribbean over Midwest, 51.5% (Actual: Caribbean 5, Midwest 0)
Asia-Pacific over Canada, 91.7% (Actual: Canada 5, Asia-Pacific 3)
Great Lakes over Southeast, 81.1%
Japan over Middle East and Africa, 91.0%
Mid-Atlantic over Southwest, 55.8%
With a sample size of only two games per team, DRURY's predictions won't be very accurate, but it will get better as the week progresses. Stay tuned for tomorrow's update.
Related: A Sabermetric Look At The Little League World Series [The Awl]


text:
This week I decided to do something different.
Instead of telling you a story, or giving you some kind of Top Ten, I will answer three seemingly simple questions I get asked a lot.
I'll start off with some career advice, then I'll talk about gear, and I will finish with my most embarrassing moment in this business.
Why not save the best for last?
As a voice-over coach, I work with experienced people and absolute beginners. This is what many want to know:
How do I become a top-earning voice talent?
This is actually easy to answer:
By not becoming a full-time voice actor.
Just look at the evidence. I'm sure you've seen a few lists of the best paid voice-overs. Trey Parker and Matt Stone are usually on those lists. They are the creators of South Park, and they wrote The Book of Mormon musical. Matt and Trey are screenwriters, producers. directors…. and they do voices for the cartoons they created.
Seth MacFarlane, Harry Shearer, and Hank Azaria are also on that list. All three are multi-talented multimillionaires. Hank is a stage actor, director and comedian. Seth created Family Guy and co-created American Dad. He's a writer, a producer, actor, and singer. Shearer hosts his own weekly radio show, and stars in many movies.
On July 10th, 2015, Minions hit American movie theaters. The voices of these cute yellow fellows don't come from a professional voice actor, but from French animator Pierre-Louis Padang Coffi. In the Despicable Me movies, fellow director Chris Renaud voiced a few minions too.
So, if your goal is to make a ton of money doing voice-overs, the sure-fire road to success does not lead to the VO studio, but to a film set, a Broadway stage, or to a comedy club. There are exceptions, but the people for whom voice acting is just something they do on the side (among many other things), tend to be the highest earners.
My advice: Get famous doing something else first, and before you know it, the voice-over offers will start pouring in!
What Equipment do you recommend for the voice-over studio?
First off, even the best gear sounds crappy in a bad environment. I strongly urge you to spend most of your money on creating a semi-soundproof and acoustically treated recording space before you blow it all on a Neumann mic.
When it comes to selecting equipment, I find that a lot of people go for familiar brand names without looking any further, and they spend way too much money.
When in 2012 I introduced the voice-over community to one of my favorite microphones, many colleagues said: "Conneaut Audio Devices, what kind of brand name is that?" Yet, I still believe that their E100S model is one of the best values for money. Click here to find out why.
It is probably time for me to change the headline of this review, because the CAD E100S (retailing for about $350) has earned quite a reputation. Whenever someone asks for microphone advice, you'll always find a happy CAD convert chiming in on social media, and for very good reasons.
Now, it takes a good preamp to make a microphone shine. Audient might not be the first brand you think of when it comes to voice-over gear. Yet, this British company is known throughout the recording industry for their pristine preamps. If you're looking for a pre with top-of-the-line AD/DA converters, a monitor controller, and lots of connectivity, the iD22 ($599) is an excellent choice. I use it in my voice-over studio, and you can click here to read my review.
A few months ago, the iD22 got a little brother: the iD14. It's a compact, robust, portable plug and play solution. At $299, this stylish all-metal powerhouse is hard to beat in the studio and on the road.
What was the most embarrassing moment of your voice-over career?
Let me preframe my answer by saying that I firmly believe that people make decisions based on the information that is available at the deciding moment. This information is always insufficient, and it is colored by many factors such as our emotions. Looking back, some of the decisions you and I have made may seem silly or stupid now, but had we known better, we would have made better choices.
Here's one decision I later came to regret.
Back in 2009 I was launching my voice-over career in the United States, and I signed up for voices.com. That turned out to be a pretty good move, because straight away I started booking a handful of lucrative jobs.
A few months later, Voices held a contest called "The Ultimate Success Story," asking their members to write a few words about how well they did using the online voice casting service. The grand prize was a $500 gift certificate to pro audio retailer Sweetwater.
I think you can guess what happened next: my glowing testimonial turned out to be the top pick. Last time I checked, it is still used for promotional purposes.
Why was winning the grand prize so embarrassing?
Well, right after claiming my reward, my luck on Voices ran out, and after a few years I started to dislike the whole Pay-to-Play model. As I wrote in my book Making Money In Your PJs:
"In 2013 I had a five-star rating, 5445 listens on voices.com (more than any other Dutch talent), and I landed a total of… (are you ready?) TEN jobs, earning me a whopping $2,740.89. God only knows how many auditions I have had to submit before being selected.
This can only mean one of two things. Either, I stink at playing the Pay-to-Play game, or I'm a talentless, misguided soul who should be doing something useful with his life."
That year I left voices.com, and I never looked back. I no longer believe that a site like Voices benefits my career or my community. As I wrote in my article Leaving Voices.com:
"Today, I'd rather work for agents who have an incentive to send me quality leads with decent rates. There are no upfront fees. When I get paid, they get paid. When they negotiate a better deal, they make more money too. That's only fair. I only pay when I actually get to play."
Every now and then I still run into people who have read my prize-winning endorsement. They also know of my overall disenchantment with online casting mills. And when they bring up my old testimonial, I get very uncomfortable.
It is the unfortunate price I pay for my Sweetwater shopping spree!
But don't feel sorry for me.
I may not make as much as Trey, Matt, Hank or Harry, but I'm doing quite alright.
Paul Strikwerda ©nethervoice
PS Be Sweet. Please retweet.
photo credit: Happy Meal Minion Toys via photopin (license)


text:
This week, we introduced a prototype utility iron on Tour for the major at Hoylake. Seriously, how good does this thing look?
It was an immediate hit with our staff, as Phil Mickelson, Branden Grace, Ryo Ishikawa, Kristoffer Broberg and Thomas Bjorn were among those who tested them on the course at Royal Liverpool. Don't worry, we'll have more details for you in the coming weeks.
Speaking of clubs that our Tour players will rely on this week, the new Mack Daddy 2 Tour Grind Wedges are in stores on Friday (7/18)! To learn more about these new wedges, take a look at our Tour Grind wedgeducation page.


text:
Multifetal Pregnancy ReductionSkip to the navigation
Topic Overview
Multifetal pregnancy reduction (MFPR) is a procedure used to reduce the number of fetuses in a multiple pregnancy, usually to two. When a pregnancy involves three or more fetuses (high-order pregnancy), the risks of miscarriage, stillbirth, and lifelong disability increase with each additional fetus.
Assisted reproductive technology (ART) and fertility drugs have greatly increased the number of multiple pregnancies.
The goal of MFPR is to increase the chance of a successful, healthy pregnancy. Multifetal pregnancy reduction:
- Is usually done early in a pregnancy, between the 9th and 12th weeks.
- Is most often done when there are four or more fetuses present.
- Can be used to reduce triplets to twins.
- Is known as "selective termination" when it involves a fetus with severe defects or one that is expected to die later in the pregnancy, which would threaten the life of the surviving fetus or fetuses.
The most common method of fetal reduction is transabdominal (through the belly) MFPR. For this procedure, the doctor uses ultrasound as a guide and inserts a needle through the woman's abdomen and into the uterus to the selected fetus. The doctor injects the fetus with a potassium chloride solution, which stops the fetal heart.
Because it is very small during the first trimester, the dead fetus is usually absorbed by the mother's body. This may include some vaginal bleeding. This absorption process is the same process that happens in the vanishing twin syndrome .
When there are three or more fetuses in the uterus, their risks of disability or death are higher with each additional fetus. A successful MFPR increases the chances of healthy survival for the remaining fetuses and reduces risks to you. But MFPR sometimes leads to miscarriage of the remaining fetuses, preterm labor, or infection.
What to think about
The decision to have a multifetal pregnancy reduction is difficult and traumatic. If you are faced with this decision, talk to your doctor about your personal risks from trying to carry multiple fetuses to term compared to the risks of choosing MFPR. Also consider discussing your decision with a counselor or spiritual adviser.
The American Society for Reproductive Medicine and the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists strongly recommend careful use of infertility treatment in the effort to avoid the risks of a triplet-or-more pregnancy and of MFPR. When embryos are transferred to the uterus, this means limiting the number of embryos that are transferred for each treatment cycle.
Health Tools
Health Tools help you make wise health decisions or take action to improve your health.
Related Information
ByHealthwise Staff
Primary Medical Reviewer Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine
Specialist Medical Reviewer William Gilbert, MD - Maternal and Fetal Medicine
Current as ofMarch 16, 2017
- Top of Page
Next Section:Health Tools
Previous Section:Topic Overview
- Top of Page
Next Section:Related Information
Previous Section:Health Tools
- Top of Page
Next Section:Credits
Previous Section:Related Information
- Top of Page
Current as of: March 16, 2017
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review: Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine & William Gilbert, MD - Maternal and Fetal Medicine


text:
Your shopping cart is empty!
Black, brown and white kitten are on a spree to catch a rat. Read to find out where the spree takes them. Simple text and striking visuals makes this a delightful read. Also available in big book format, which is ideal for read aloud in the classroom.


text: From Andy Dehart, Director of Biological Programs at the National Aquarium, DC Shark Week 2009 kicks off this Sunday at 9:00 EST on Discovery Channel! I am wrapping up a frenzied media tour that has enabled me to talk to television networks, radio stations, and newspapers around the country about how important sharks are to our oceans and the threats they face, as well as the Shark Conservation Act of 2009. Tonight we will be talking with Larry King live in Los Angeles to dispel many of the myths surrounding sharks and shark attacks. Throughout the next week I will be on the CBS Early show which will be covering Shark Week every day. One of the questions I am often asked throughout these interviews is, what is my favorite experience with sharks. In all honesty, every encounter I have had with sharks has been incredibly special to me. I have had the good fortune to be able to dive with over 40 species of sharks in my career and each experience has been unique. My hope is that all of these species will be around for future generations to enjoy as I have. As you've been reading, I am a co-host for one of this year's Shark Week premiers, "Shark After Dark", which airs Thursday August 6 at 9pm. I have to say many of the dives for this show were indeed some of my favorite. We filmed in five locations around the world and got to experience what sharks do when the sun goes down. A particular highlight for me was getting to dive with six gill sharks in Seattle. The bluntnose six gill shark is a deep water shark species that can grow to a length of 18 feet. These animals spend the day in deep waters ranging from 600 feet to 6,000 feet and most encounters with this animal have been from a submarine. For Shark After Dark, however, we were able to dive with these beautiful sharks in only 60 feet of water in the Puget Sound right in downtown Seattle. We were even lucky enough to have a 2' long baby swim through the cage affirming that this area is indeed a pupping ground for this species. Due to the depth that they live, we know very little about this species, but there is concern that these sharks are heavily contaminated with various pollutants that run off into the Sound. This reinforces our need to not only save shark species, but also protect the fragile ecosystems and watersheds that they live and breed in. Tune in this Thursday to hear more about the lives of sharks, after dark! Tags: discovery-channel, shark-after-dark, shark-conservation, shark-week Categories: Animals, Behind-The-Scenes, News Previous Post Next Post


text:
COVID-19 Hotline
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Mon. - Fri., 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Sat. & Sun., 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
See a complete listing of our Clinics & Locations.
Administrative Office (No services offered at this location)
111 Soledad, Suite 1000
San Antonio, TX 78205
Internship Opportunities
For internship opportunities, please visit the HR Career Center.
WIC is the non-emergency Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children. If you qualify for WIC, you can receive food benefits (redeemable at grocery stores for certain nutritious foods), nutrition education and counseling, breastfeeding support and health care referrals at no cost. WIC services are available to pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women, infants and children younger than 5 years old.
Enrolling in your local WIC Program is really simple. Here is how:
You will be asked to provide:
Client must apply in person
Food Benefits Package: English · Spanish
WIC foods are specifically selected for their high nutritional value as well as for their relatively low cost. See a summary of food packages. These foods include: milk, cereals, eggs, peanut butter, cheese, juices, beans, fruits and vegetables, whole grains (brown rice, whole wheat bread, or corn tortillas), tuna or salmon for breastfeeding women, infant formula, infant cereal, infant fruits and vegetables (baby food).
WIC foods are specifically selected for their high nutritional value as well as for their relatively low cost. Participants will receive a combination of these foods depending on their category (pregnant, breastfeeding, postpartum, child, infant).
Staff nutritionists help WIC participants understand how nutrition impacts the development of a healthy family, including nutrition counseling and education, and food preparation. You can attend classes at your WIC clinic or take WIC classes online. Once you completed the online class, print your confirmation and present at your WIC clinic.
The Electronic Benefits Transfer card (EBT) makes shopping easier, replacing the paper vouchers. Participants are able to buy WIC foods as needed, provided they have a positive balance.
There are many benefits for both mother and infant.
Mother: Helps you lose weight. Breast milk is always at the right temperature. Helps your uterus shrink quicker. Saves time and money. Makes comforting a sick baby easier.
Infant: Immunizes baby against disease. Helps brain development. Protects your baby from allergies. Promotes physical development. Reduces chance of obesity. Comfort and security. It is easier to digest.
San Antonio Lactation Support Center: 210-207-7138
The Lactation Center, Methodist Hospital: 210.575.0261
La Leche League of San Antonio: 210.341.9669
**Many hospitals have Lactation services for those who deliver at their facility.
Texas Lactation Support Hotline: 1.855.550.6667
La Leche League International: 1.800.525.3243
The National Women's Health Information Center Breastfeeding Help Line: 1.800.994.9662
WIC Nondiscrimination Statement: In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability.
Write To: USDA Director, Office of Civil Rights
Whitten Building, Room 326-W
1400 Independence Ave. SW
Washington, DC 20250-9410
Or Call : 202.720.5964 (Voice & TDD)
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. You also may call the following toll-free number for assistance: 800.942.3678. See also disclaimer for the City of San Antonio web portal.
Phone: 210.207.4650Clinic Locations


text:
Kindergarten Registration at all District 197 elementary schools for 2020-21 will start on January 23 with an open house event at each building. After January 23, families can register at the District Enrollment Center (1897 Delaware Ave. Mendota Heights, MN 55118).
At registration night parents can find answers to their registration questions and speak with teachers, the school nurse, School-Age Childcare and the principal. The events are also a great opportunity for children to become familiar with their new school.
Registrations packets were be mailed to kindergarten families at the beginning of January. They can also be picked up at any school's office. All completed paperwork should be brought to registration night on January 23, along with an official birth certificate or hospital registration of birth.
Students who would like to enroll at a school other than the one in their attendance area must first request an Intra-district Transfer. Families who have submitted a transfer request should start by registering at their attendance-area school. If the transfer is approved by the district, registration paperwork will be sent to the child's new school. More information regarding the Intra-district Transfer process is available at www.isd197.org/enroll or by contacting any school office. Should a family like to attend a school other than their neighborhood school, transportation will be available upon request.
All students entering kindergarten in a public school in Minnesota must complete an early childhood screening. More information about screening can be found on the TriDistrict Community Education website or by calling 651-403-8363.
Every child must also have a current immunization record on file before they start school in the fall.
If you have any questions about kindergarten registration please contact our enrollment coordinator Andreanna Sontoya at 651-403-7041 or email@example.com.
1436 Lone Oak Road
Eagan MN 55121
Information for: Parents | Students | Staff | New Families
Phone: 651-403-7900
Attendance: 651-403-7907
Fax: 651-403-7910
Principal: Tom Benson
School Hours: 7:45 a.m. - 2:15 p.m.
District 197 Web Master: email@example.com


text:
Scleroderma Australia Inc.,
C/- St. Vincent's Hospital,
47 Victoria Parade,
Telephone: 02 9990 5159
The purpose of our association is to:
Scleroderma Australia is managed by Executive with delegates from each State Organisation. Our mission is fulfilled through:
As a newly formed association we continue to evolve. A major goal is to augment our Executive Committee with additional persons interested in scleroderma. With our Medical and Scientific Advisory Board (MSAB) whose members are distinguished researchers and clinicians in scleroderma and related fields, we are moving forward to identify and fund research in scleroderma and related areas. Complete our Register of Interest for more information or to join Scleroderma Australia or your local state association who run support groups and other services designed to help persons with scleroderma, their families, friends and carers.
Medical and Scientific Advisory Board members come from different states in Australia and reflect a range of therapeutic areas affected in scleroderma.
The current MSAB members are:
To raise awareness about the condition, Scleroderma Australia has adopted the sunflower as the national icon. The sunflower is symbolic, which, like the sunflower which turns towards the sun for warmth, people with scleroderma are usually more comfortable in warmer weather.


text:
The rest of the world may have considered her run for the presidency to be just another prank, but Roseanne Barr managed to surprise everyone with a relatively strong performance in the general election for U.S. president.
The 60-year-old, who declared her intention to run on "The Tonight Show" in August 2011, original sought the Green Party nomination in competition with eventual winner Jill Stein. When she lost, Barr became the nominee of the California-based Peace and Freedom Party.
"I want to be part of the debates, because I want to represent the taxpayer," she told Leno in 2011. "In fact, I'm choosing the taxpayers as my vice president."
Eventually, Barr chose Cindy Sheehan, the famous anti-war activist, as her running mate. And guess what? Her ticket managed to come in fifth place with 48,000 votes — more than 15,000 votes than former Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson of the Justice party received.
While Roseanne did congratulate President Barack Obama on his re-election, she wasn't above a bit of tongue-in-cheek gloating.
"Obama, i finished number 4 behind U," she tweeted. "Feel me? i was 4rth & only on 3 ballots! It cost me less than 100k 2B 5th." According to reports, more than $4.2 billion was spent by both the Democratic and Republican parties for congressional and presidential races..
"I want to thank the volunteers who asked me for nothing — and who worked hard and did a great job," she later added. "We proved that the ballot is ours. My team was the most diverse team ever assembled in the USA. We came together 4 common purpose — jews muslims christians atheists agnostics."
Last year, Barr listed a number of changes she would like to see, such as universal health care, federal support for gay marriage, stem cell research, and more equity in the tax system. "My hope is that America can return to the brilliant middle of the road away from all of these ideologues & radical extremists on both sides!" she wrote.


text:
Billy Pidgeon
Analysts divided over Black Ops 2's chances for record
For the past few years, each Call of Duty release has established new sales records. Will Black Ops 2 do the same this November?
Billy Pidgeon headlines
Analysts: Steam to continue dominating until competitors "meet or exceed" its performance and value
With EA expanding its Origin service to include third-party titles, analysts have weighed-in on whether the service stands a chance at competing with Steam's 35 million user accounts and 1,400 strong game library.
Analysts: GTA V to launch before summer 2012, will sell 20 million+
Analysts have Grand Theft Auto V pegged for a short by PR cycle, but a long string of numbers before the word "sales".
Xbox Live Arcade still to peak, says analysts
Think Xbox Live Arcade has peaked? You're wrong, according to the analysts.
Analyst predicts Titan unveil for Blizzcon
M2 Research analyst Billy Pidgeon has predicted that Blizzard will left the wraps off its next-gen MMO Titan at Blizzcon next month, despite previous claims from the company it wouldn't be announced for another year at least.
Analysts: Nintendo "really feel the heat" from Vita
Analysts are convinced Nintendo has aggressively lowered the price of its 3DS handheld in order to best Sony's Vita when it hits the market.
Analysts predict PS3 pulling ahead in console war
Analysts have credited Sony with at least a minor victory over Microsoft when this generation is done and dusted.
Analysts disagree on outcome of US console wars
A group of analysts have offered differing assessments of the PlayStation 3 versus Xbox 360 debate, with Wedbush Morgan's notorious Michael Pachter predicting the Xbox 360 will win everything forever.
Sony goes head-to-head with Microsoft over non-gaming offerings
With today's announcement of Sony adding Walmart's VUDU movie service to PS3, M2 Reseach analyst Billy Pidgeon believes this is Sony's way of going into full-on battle mode with Xbox 360 in order to win-over non-gaming customers.
Analyst: Kinect pre-orders had to be capped by retailers
M2 Research Analyst, Billy Pidgeon, has told IG that Kinect pre-orders were so high, retailers had to cap them
A PS3 price cut would "really boost the industry," says analyst
Billy Pidgeon, an independent analyst at Game Changer Research, reckons the gaming industry in general would benefit from Sony slashing PlayStation's price. "The thing that would really boost the industry in this traditionally slow period would be a Sony price cut. That would really help right now," he said. The quote is part of a […]
Core gamers have "no clue" we're in recession, says Pachter
Speaking to the AP, Wedbush Morgan's Michael Pachter's claimed core gamers will keep on buying no matter what's going on in the global disaster that is "the economy." "They may be wealthy, they may be poor, but they have no clue we are in a recession," he said. "As long as hard-core gamers have a […]
Billy Pidgeon latest
Analysts: Steam to continue dominating until competitors "meet or exceed" its performance and value
Analysts: GTA V to launch before summer 2012, will sell 20 million+
Sony goes head-to-head with Microsoft over non-gaming offerings
A PS3 price cut would "really boost the industry," says analyst


text:
"This is the voice of the Mysterons…have you got any Lemsip ?"
Yep, I've caught Deb's cold and now sound like the alien menace from Captain Scarlet.
This provides a somewhat tenuous link to the subject at hand – namely installing Oracle Instant Client on Ubuntu.
I think I'd better explain. As you probably know, Ubuntu – being a Debian based Distro – uses the Debian packaging mechanism. Oracle, on the other hand, provides Instant Client for Linux in rpm ( RPM Package Manager) format. In order to bridge this divide, we're going to need to use the alien utility. Look, I did say it was tenuous OK.
I'm doing this on a 32-bit Ubuntu installation ( 10.04, since you ask). If you're running 64-bit, you'll need to download the appropriate equivalent files.
Getting Instant Client
First – head over to the Oracle
Instant Client Download Page and download the following
– instant client basic – oracle-instantclient11.2-basic-220.127.116.11.0.i386.rpm
– instant client sdk – oracle-instantclient11.2-devel-220.127.116.11.0.i386.rpm
– instant client sqlplus – oracle-instantclient11.2-sqlplus-188.8.131.52.0.i386.rpm
libaio1…and other aliens
Now we need to install a couple of packages. The first is libaio1, which the Oracle client is going to need :
sudo apt-get install libaio1
The next is the alien package which will allow us to install the rpm packages :
sudo apt-get install alien
Now we can use alien to install the instant client rpms …
sudo alien -i oracle-instantclient11.2-basic-22.214.171.124.0.i386.rpm sudo alien -i oracle-instantclient11.2-devel-188.8.131.52.0.i386.rpm sudo alien -i oracle-instantclient11.2-sqlplus-184.108.40.206.0.i386.rpm
We should now have the oracle software installed under /usr/lib.
Time for a quick test …
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/lib/oracle/11.2/client/lib sqlplus uid/pwd@server:port/tns service name
In the above example, replace server with the server the database is running on, port with the TNS port ( usually 1521 or 1526), and tns service name with the name of the tns service setup for the database on the target server. If you find all of this a bit confusing, you can skip this test bit until we've got the local tns lookup sorted out, in which case it all gets a lot easier.
UPDATE : A Note if you're installing the 64-bit client
There are a couple of differences between the respective installations of the client.
First of all, the Oracle Client home directory for the 64-bit version is :
Secondly, the 64-bit version insists on creating a symbolic link for sqlplus as sqlplus64.
This means that you'd have to invoke sqlplus using the command sqlplus64.
To revert to using the usual command, simply edit the symbolic link as follows :
cd /usr/bin sudo mv sqlplus64 sqlplus
Setting up the Environment Variables
At this point, I think I should point out that there's a really helpful how to on the Ubuntu site.
For the LD_LIBRARY_PATH :
cd /etc/ld.so.conf.d sudo gedit oracle.conf
In the file, the first line should be the path we've just used to set LD_LIBRARY_PATH in the test. In this case :
Save the file. Now run :
sudo ldconfig
You should now have the LD_LIBRARY_PATH environment variable set each time you start a new terminal session.
Now for the other environment variables :
cd /etc/profile.d sudo gedit oracle.sh
In this file, we'll include the export commands for the ORACLE_HOME and TNS_ADMIN environemnt variables :
export ORACLE_HOME=/usr/lib/oracle/11.2/client export TNS_ADMIN=/usr/lib/oracle/11.2/client/network/admin
Yes, I know there's no network/admin directory under the ORACLE_HOME…yet. We'll come onto that in a mo.
First, we need to make sure that anything looking for the include directory can find it.
ls /usr/lib/oracle/11.2/client
If there isn't a directory called include in the listing, you should be able to find it in the following command :
ls -d /usr/include/oracle/*/client
If so, then simply create a symbolic link in the ORACLE_HOME so we don't trip anything up that's looking for the directory in that location :
$ ln -s /usr/include/oracle/11.2/client /usr/lib/oracle/11.2/client/include
Adding TNSNAMES
Now, to make our lives considerably easier :
cd /usr/lib/oracle/11.2/client sudo mkdir network cd network sudo mkdir admin cd admin
In here, you need to add two files – sqlnet.ora and tnsnames.ora
This will enable you to connect to databases without having to remember ports and servers.
A typical sqlnet.ora looks something like this and works on any OS, so if you've got one lying around, you should be able to just copy it straight over…
The tnsnames.ora needs to hold details of any oracle database you might want to access. For example, the tnsnames for an Oracle XE database would look something like this :
XE = (DESCRIPTION = (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = mikes-laptop)(PORT = 1521)) (CONNECT_DATA = (SERVER = DEDICATED) (SERVICE_NAME = XE) ) )
Once again, if you have one on another machine / OS with Oracle client installed, you should just be able to copy it directly (assuming of course that you want to access the same database(s)).
Finally, make sure the files are writeable for everyone :
sudo chmod a+w *.ora
One final step – add the environment variables to your .bashrc
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/lib/oracle/11.2/client/lib export ORACLE_HOME=/usr/lib/oracle/11.2/client export TNS_ADMIN=/usr/lib/oracle/11.2/client/network/admin
Now, we should be ready to go.
Fire up a new terminal session and …
sqlplus hr/hr@XE
Note – in this example, I'm connecting as the hr user with a password of hr to the XE database.
If all is working as it should, you should now have a SQL prompt.
Now, back to the task of plotting the downfall of Spectrum…as soon as I can find those tissues. No wonder the Mysterons were always so grumpy !


text:
Kate - Business Cards
socialcircle Business Card Collection
socialcirclecards are fashionable business cards that share your info and piece of your personality too. These personalized business cards help you stand out from the pack- all while staying right at your side in a case that clips to your favorite bag. socialcirclecards help you make a memorable first impression.
Meet Kate's Design: Kate's design is the perfect designer business card. The mermaid inspired scales on the front match the logo on the back. This card is a perfect fit for graphic designers, bloggers, and students. Why socialcirclecards?
What's in the box?
- 2" scalloped cards, matte stock, double sided for more fun
- cards in the design above; customized with your info
- double sided: your choice of logo back or patterned back
- cards fit up to five social media contacts
- a personalized socialcircle case
- coordinating tassel & heart charm
- ready to clip and go!
Upload your own logo: Your purchase includes optional logo set up and color matching. Is your logo a different shade than this card? Our designer will custom color your cards to coordinate with your logo.
1,2,3 Customize: Upon purchase, we'll automatically email your custom design form. Simply, reply with your customizations to customize your cards. One of our Designers will email back a proof before we print them up. Unlimited changes included.
socialcirclecards are social networking cards for the 21st century. They make super chic social media cards, the best business cards, fun visiting cards and even work for bloggers as social media business cards- all while looking fashionable and being accessible at the same time.


text:
SEGA All-Stars Racing and SEGA Superstars Tennis announced for Mac
SEGA and Feral Interactive have announced Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing and SEGA Superstars Tennis will release on Mac this summer. The former will include the single-player and split-screen multiplayer modes, and use Apple's Game Center tech for use with Mountain Lion. Pricing, system requirements, and other details will be announced closer to the release […]
Sega Superstars Tennis headlines
Euro PS Store for April 15, MGO beta on April 17
SCEE just announced that the new PlayStation Store will launch in Europe on April 15.In addition, a load of new content will be made available on April 17, including the Metal Gear Online beta.From the press release:To accompany the launch, the PLAYSTATION Store will see an exciting selection of content available from 17th April, consisting […]
According to this, Sega Superstars Tennis has been moved forward from March 28 to March 20 in Europe. The game's down for release on DS, PS2, PS3, Wii and 360, and features loads of Sega characters making tennis balls fly around at funny angles. Sounds ideal.


text:
Call Now For Great Service
0428 149 923
Senden Crescent, Manly West,
Brisbane, Queensland 4179, Australia
About Us
View Locations
Contact Us
Request A Quote
Fridge Repair Technician Belmont
Add New Service
Fridge Repair Technician Belmont
When things go wrong with your
domestic or commercial refrigeration
unit the team from Ideal Refrigeration and Appliance Services will be there without delay, so you don't lose your cool. Whether it's a small
domestic fridge, freezer or wine fridge or a large commercial beverage cooler or freezer room,
our fully licensed technicians will perform a thorough diagnostics to pinpoint the fault and give you a clear appraisal of the problem.
We always carry a large stock of genuine spare parts for components, which commonly wear out and need replacing; our repairs are carried out on the spot to get your refrigerator up and running as quickly as possible. Our friendly technicians will give you helpful tips to ensure a smooth and efficient function of your refrigerator saving you money and minimizing on environmental impact. There has hardly been a situation we cannot solve or a brand of refrigerator we haven't worked on
Our confident technicians have good knowledge of refrigerator parts and mechanism which allows them to fix any problem, big or small. We understand the value of your time and money, thus try to deliver same day results whenever possible at the cost-effective price.
How you can take care of your refrigerator
It is important to maintain the condition of your refrigerator to avoid any problems. You should take proper care and we are there to help if anything still goes wrong.
Clean the door seals:
Keep cleaning the door seals at frequent intervals to improve its lifespan. Wipe any food residue using warm soapy water to avoid molds, drying and cracking. If there are cracks on your door seals, it can let the cold air escape from the refrigerator, making it harder for the fridge to work.
Keep it adequately filled up:
You need to provide thermal mass inside the fridge in order to maintain adequate temperatures. The foods and drinks you preserve in it absorb warm air coming in when the fridge is opened. If the fridge is overfilled, it will not be able to circulate cold air evenly inside the refrigerator.
Clean the coils and trays:
Clean the coils and drip tray every six months to keep it away from dust and dirt. Doing this will increase its efficiency and it continues working at optimum level.
If this seems a hassle to you, we have our technicians to serve you with the best. You are just a call away from our efficient services.
Which refrigerators we repair
Our experts can work on a variety of refrigerators of all makes and brands of ……..
Domestic Fridge/freezers
Walk-in freezers
Cold storage units
Walk in cold rooms
Beverage Fridges
Commercial Fridges
Wine Coolers
Give us a call when:
Water leaks from the refrigerator and you fail to identify the leakage source.
The refrigerator runs but does not cool efficiently
It stops working completely.
You notice hissing sounds from inside.
The power circuit trips down.
The cycles continue turning on and off after cleaning the condenser.
There are any other unusual changes in the appliance.
Be it any model or brand, we repair them all. We have all the necessary skills and expertise
to offer you the highest standard services.
Book your appointment today!
At Ideal Refrigeration & Appliance Services, our experts offer best fridge or freezer repair services in Brisbane. All of our licensed technicians are available 24x7.
We Offer A Peace Of Mind
Satisfaction Guarantee!
At Ideal Refrigeration & Appliance Services, we keep your convenience as our top most priority. For us, your comfort and satisfaction matters more than anything else. As such, we ensure you faster results based on your needs and urgency. Our technicians are always ready to serve you with honesty and reliability. Feel free to get in touch with us for any queries or services that we offer.
My refrigerator was not cooling as efficiently as it used to and I noticed some unusual noise inside. My friend referred me to contact Ideal Refrigeration and Appliance Services. On their first visit itself, the problem was diagnosed and fixed at a reasonable price. I am impressed with their dedicated service and would definitely recommend them to others.
A few days back, the compressor of my air conditioner stopped working. I got their number online and called them for help. I noticed a positive response on the first call itself. My air condition problem has been resolved and it's working again. What a blessing
It was a nice experience with the expert technicians at Ideal Refrigeration & Appliance Services. Their friendly behaviour and professional approach is a perfect blend of successful work ethics. They respond quickly to inquiries and even provide you a suitable and realistic quote over the phone. I got the desired results on the same day on their first visit to my home. I cannot thank them enough.


text:
Western Australian Curriculum & Assessment Outline.
WACE Syllabuses, information and support materials
Letter to schools regarding Pre-primary to Year 12 Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting in 2020.
Schools can now access their 2019 student achievement data here
The 2020 Activities Schedule is now available.
Download the Activities Schedule »
The WACE Manual 2020 is now available.
The International Education Brochure outlining the Western Australian curriculum programs for offshore delivery is available at:
Part 2: Examinations is now available.
山东11选5Download Part 2 of the handbook
Part I: Information for all students.
Download Part I of the handbook
Today the Minister for Education, Hon Sue Ellery announced changes to the WACE for students commencing Year 11 in 2020.
A letter from the Authority's Board Chair, Professor Patrick Garnett has been sent to all secondary schools.
The Year 10 Information Handbook and materials are now available.
山东11选5Read the Minister's Statement
Access the Year 10 Information Handbook and materials
Key messages briefings by Allan Blagaich and executive team.
Registrations are now open.
Registrations now open.
The School Curriculum and Standards Authority (the Authority) is providing learning area specific seminars during Term 1 2020 to assist schools in meeting WACE requirements in 2020.
Registration to participate in 2020 Year 6 and Year 7 Moderation is now open.
Schools can now access their 2019 student achievement data here
Find the list of winners on the Exhibition and Awards winners page
Students can access their WACE results via the student portal.
Set your access details for the student portal and complete the permission and declaration form
Preparing to receive Year 12 results
Jenny Offer
Principal Consultant, Certification Programs and Data Examinations, Certification and Testing


text:
Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} San Jose city councilmembers get paid to represent their districts and they do this by being involved in their communities. That's why there are elections.
But when public money is funding councilmembers' tickets to community events the question becomes: What constitutes outreach versus socializing?
It's a question NBC Bay Area began asking when looking through council spending records over the last year and finding the word "ticket" popping up hundreds of times.
The Investigative Unit uncovered councilmembers spent $46,735 over the last year on admission to charity and community events -- from wine tastings to black-tie galas with ticket prices costing up to $500. And it's all permissible under current city policy. The policy also allows councilmembers to take a spouse or date paid for by the city.
Click here to read the policy.
The city calls this type of spending "constituent outreach," which is defined as communications with constituents that promote public awareness of city functions and programs. Spending ranges from postage to food for community meetings to tickets to events.
About $10,000 for constituent outreach comes from the HP Pavilion Naming Rights agreement signed in 2000. Part of the contract gives annual funds to each district to spend on educational, recreational and cultural purposes. In 2008, the city attorney approved event tickets for councilmembers as an acceptable charge for the funds.
City policy also allows event tickets to be purchased from the general fund. So if councilmembers exhaust their HP funds, they can also use their taxpayer-funded budgets to buy tickets.
Over the last year, District 3 councilmember Sam Liccardo spent the most: $9,984.36 on tickets.
That includes the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame Dinner at $175 for a ticket and the Signature Chef's Gala put on by the March of Dimes with $250 to get in the door. To both events he took his fiancé as a date and the city paid the tab for the pair of tickets.
He told NBC Bay Area in an interview he often shows up for 15 to 20 minutes to show his support for the nonprofit, then leaves.
When asked if public money was funding his public appearances, Liccardo responded: "I think it's part of our job as elected officials. People expect their councilmembers to be out in the community."
"The cost is often quite substantial, that's the nature of a fundraiser."
When asked about the funds paying for his fiancé to attend as his date, he told NBC Bay Area, they don't get to see each other very frequently.
Even though councilmembers can't spend public money on alcohol and entertainment, spending it on tickets to exclusive events that serve it, is allowed.
NBC Bay Area asked the councilmember if he could go to free events to promote community involvement, instead of ones that require purchasing expensive tickets.
"I can assure you there would be no possible way for an official to attend any of these events on my salary and still be able to pay a mortgage in the city of San Jose," Liccardo said.
District 4 Councilmember Kansen Chu spent the second most on tickets last year ($9,072).
He took his wife to most of them, including "Sampling with the Sharks," put on by the Sharks Foundation. That's $225 for a ticket to drink wine with the Sharks players.
Chu told NBC Bay Area he doesn't drink but instead, goes to support the organizations that are part of his community.
The Investigative Unit found 30 percent of the ticket sales pay to put on the event.
"Sometimes it's a little bit pricey, but I'm hoping a greater donation from my end will help give greater things for the community," Chu said.
District 6 councilmember Pierluigi Oliverio also attended "Sampling with the Sharks" last year.
He also spent the most on a single ticket: $500 to attend San Jose Museum of Arts Gala.
NBC Bay Area cameras show him in a front row seat, drinking a glass of red wine at Cabaret Night, a benefit for the Children's Musical Theater. The $150 ticket got the councilmember a three-course meal, a show and wine.
"Any of these events whether they offer food or beverages, in the end, it's a fundraiser," Oliverio said. "It's a fundraiser for the charitable organization so that they can then give money or services to the residents in the city of San Jose."
One event attended by Oliverio, Liccardo and Chu was the Hoot and Howl event put on by the Happy Hollow Foundation, which supports the San Jose Zoo.
Tickets cost $125 for the event which features a DJ, dance party (complete with glow sticks) and bar.
Heather Lerner, who runs the foundation, told NBC Bay Area the event is more about friend-raising than fundraising.
Lerner would not reveal how much money from ticket sales actually goes to the foundation or how much it cost to put it on. She did say that the foundation pays for the alcohol.
"We give you a cocktail and we say, come have fun," Lerner said.
However, former city councilmember Forrest Williams told NBC Bay Area, tangible benefits to the districts should come from attending these events if public funds are being used.
"If they say they are going to benefit there ought to be some basis to show what the benefits are. That's the key," Williams said.
Williams served on the council from 2000-2008. He told NBC Bay Area the constituent outreach HP Pavilion naming rights funds were intended for uses that would directly affect the district communities. He said he disagrees with the city paying for a spouse to attend alongside councilmembers.
"If being at the event is going to have a greater return to the community, than he should be there, but not just to fashionably be there," Williams said. "We should see a better city, a better community as a result of the expenditure of those dollars."
What do you think about this city policy? Tweet us: @jennasusko @putnamproducer
If you have a tip for the Investigative Unit, email us: firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
For weeks, you've driven around with "Wash Me" etched on your back window, boldly defying cleanliness and dirty looks alike. You've contemplated a (pricey) trip to the car wash. You even prayed for rain.
One day, the dirt finally becomes too much and you cave in. You wash your car and give it a good wax, but the next day — splat. A pigeon poops on your hood.
If this has happened to you, chances are you've wondered: "Why me? Is it karma … or just the car I drive?"
Well, according to a recent study from the UK, the color of your car could make your ride more prone to avian waste. So which colors are bird magnets?
Birds poop on red cars most
Though red cars don't cost more to insure, they do attract more bird droppings than any other car color. A study sponsored by Halfords (a car accessory chain) measured the frequency with which 1,140 cars in 5 cities around the UK got bird bombed and found that red cars were hit the most (18 percent of cars attacked were red). Green cars, on the other hand, were generally spared (only 1 percent of the cars pooped on were green).
Why this color preference among the birds? Do red cars fire their tempers? Are green cars just so pacific (and rare) that the birds want to give them amnesty? So far, only the birds know, but maybe one day they'll tweet us the answer.
Why bird droppings damage car paint
For years, we've heard that the alkaline and acidic substance of bird doo-doo corrodes car paint, eventually etching the damage into the paint itself.
But according to research from Autoglym, car-care experts based in the UK (is it me or are the Brits obsessed?), it's not the acid that's to blame — it's the heat.
Say you park your just-pooped-on car in the sun. The sun's rays will warm the paint so that it softens and expands while hardening the droppings on its surface. Once the lacquer cools, it hardens and molds to birdie's little gift, dulling the paint.
How to clean bird poop
Okay, we all know that soap and water will work wonders on wet and dry droppings alike. But is there a secret removal technique we don't know about?
Autoglym experts recommend removing the dropping ASAP with a moist cloth to gently lift the unwanted deposit from the surface. If it's dried, place a damp cloth over it for 10 minutes and then remove.
Others recommend pouring unsalted seltzer water over the dropping and wiping it with a microfiber cloth once the water has bubbled away. Check out our eco-friendly car wash tips for even more ideas, and find out how to get sparkling window panes.