text:
Garza's rough outing leads to Rangers loss
Texas has lost eight of 10, falls further behind A's in West
ARLINGTON -- Matt Garza was acquired before the non-waiver Trade Deadline to help the Rangers' playoff push during the second half of the season. In 10 starts for Texas, his performance hasn't been what he expects to accomplish on the mound.
With 17 games left in the season, Garza tied his shortest outing this season and lost his third straight decision. He got through just four innings in Wednesday's 7-5 loss to the Pirates, who left Rangers Ballpark with a three-game sweep. It's the third time the Rangers have been swept in a home series of three games or more.
"Obviously I'm not happy, because I'm not where I want to be, but I just got to get keep going," Garza said. "There's nothing else. Just keep going, keep pushing, working and keep getting ready for that next start."
The Rangers are three games behind the A's, and could fall behind even more before the two teams start a three-game series on Friday. The Rangers have lost six of their last seven, and they're 2-8 in the September.
"I don't think luck has anything to do with it," Rangers manager Ron Washington said of the recent skid. "You make your luck. We just haven't been able to get the job done."
Garza conceded just three runs, but it took 89 pitches to finish four innings as he struggled with his fastball command. Leadoff walks in the third and fourth innings resulted in runs, two of four walks Garza issued. The last game he pitched only four innings -- on May 26 as a member of the Cubs -- was also the last time Garza walked four batters.
"I've never seen him walk that many guys," Washington said. "When he did decide to throw a pitch in the strike zone, they put it in play and found a hole."
Garza has allowed three or more runs in eight of those 10 starts with Texas and only three were quality starts. He has a 7.36 ERA in two September starts, allowing eight earned runs in 11 innings.
"That's maybe part of the problem, is maybe I'm putting too much pressure on myself," Garza said. "Maybe, but I don't think so. Just take the off-day, get my work in and be ready in five [days]."
The Rangers attempted another late rally that fell short, with all five of their runs being scored in the sixth and seventh innings. A.J. Burnett, who allowed all five, had a perfect game with one out in the fifth until A.J. Pierzynski's one-out double.
Texas scored its first two runs in the sixth on Elvis Andrus' two-RBI single with the bases loaded and no outs. With the No. 3 and 4 hitters due, Alex Rios grounded into a double play and Adrian Beltre flied out to center. Beltre has two hits in his last 25 at-bats with runners in scoring position. He's hitting 5-for-31 in his last eight games.
"I didn't expect to be hot all year," Beltre said. "You go through highs and lows, and you have to find a way how to keep the lows shorter. Right now I'm trying to stay afloat and find my swing back and stay consistent."
The Rangers managed to go 6-for-15 with runners in scoring position in a losing effort, giving them consecutive games with four or more hits in that situation for the first time since Aug. 6-9.
"How we score runs is how we're going to take it," Beltre said. "We scored five today and it wasn't enough. We had many opportunities to score more runs and we didn't. We don't care if we score with a base hit, wild pitch, hit by pitch and home run. We just to score runs to win games We don't care if we hit doubles and home runs."
The Rangers had their best chance to take their first lead of the series following a three-run seventh to trim the deficit, 6-5, but Clint Barmes recorded the only home run in the series with one out in the eighth off Tanner Scheppers. The ball bounced off the left-field foul pole and was Scheppers' first home run allowed since Aug. 16.
"It was definitely exciting to see that ball stay fair," Barmes said. "Anytime you can add to a lead is big, especially in games like this. They got a chance to come back and take it from us, at any point, especially with that lineup."
The Rangers will have their final off-day of the season on Thursday before their series against the A's.
"Whatever happened this series, we're going to wash it off and not think about it and have a nice day off and be with family and come back Friday and be ready to battle with Oakland," Beltre said. "There's no more options. We cannot fix what happened. It's in the past. We have to more forward and we have to find a way how to stay more consistent every phase of the game and have a good series against Oakland."


text:
Scenes from the Africa tripAdd to Lightbox Download
*PREMIUM EXCLUSIVE* Bill Clinton and Ghislaine Maxwell pose together for the camera as the pair prepare to board Jeffrey Epstein's notorious private jet. The former US President is seen smiling on the steps of the Lolita Express as he stands next to the pedophile financier's former girlfriend. The astonishing never-seen-before images also show the politician traveling on the infamous Boeing 727 jet while playing cards with a cigar in his mouth. Now for the first time a fellow passenger on the long distance flight to Africa has revealed extraordinary details of the trip in which Epstein and Maxwell accompanied Clinton and other celebrities. Chauntae Davies, who was then Epstein's personal 22-year-old masseuse, told how she and other assistants were instructed to wear 'pilot' shirts to look professional when welcoming the famous passengers onboard. The star-studded group – which included actors Kevin Spacey and Chris Tucker – visited the countries of Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda, Mozambique, Johannesburg and Cape Town during the five day humanitarian trip. 10 Jan 2020 Pictured: Scenes from the Africa trip. Photo credit: MEGA TheMegaAgency.com +1 888 505 6342
- Filename
- MEGA579564_025.jpg
- Copyright
- The Mega Agency RealTime Images
- Image Size
- 3000x2057 / 933.5KB
- http://TheMegaAgency.com
Jeffrey Epstein's notorious private jet former US President Bill Clinton Chauntae Davies pedophile financier's former girlfriend extraordinary details of the trip Ghislaine Maxwell pose Epstein's personal 22-year-old masseuse AIDS crisis America's former Commander President Clinton former President Jeffrey Epstein's plane steps of the Lolita Express Jane Doe Clinton Foundation new Epstein accuser good friend Bill Clinton powerful figures part of a project Clinton's foundation sexual assaults Cape Town humanitarian trip entire time
- Contained in galleries
- Archive: Bill Clinton and Ghislaine Maxwell pose together for the camera

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Online Accounting Software
Online Accounting Software
Automated Accounting Software
"SOMS" is online business management software and accounting is the last piece of the puzzle.
In "SOMS" the accounting is mostly done automatically in the background, it requires very little human intervention.
Because it is online, your accountant can access your accounting system from anywhere.
Automatic posting of accounting data
Accounting data, which is created throughout the course of the day in all areas of your business, is processed automatically by "SOMS". The system knows intuitively which Ledger Accounts to update when transactions take place.
When an invoice is generated for a customer, "SOMS" will extract all the accounting information from this invoice and post it to the relevant Ledger Accounts. The V.A.T. Account, the Accounts Receivable Account, the Revenue Account, the Cost of Sales Account, the Inventory account, etc. will all be updated automatically.
The same process and level of automation takes place with accounting data which is generated from supplier transactions.
Bank Accounts & Cash
There is a place in "SOMS" where you create all of your Bank Accounts, your Credit Cards, your Merchant Accounts, your Petty Cash Box and any other Cash Till where money is deposited during the normal course of business. All of these Accounts are active in "SOMS", they work just like your Bank Statement, updating the account balance each time a transaction is processed.
The "SOMS" Bank Account Statements are a mirror image of your actual Bank Statements.
Financial Month End
At the end of each month, "SOMS" creates month end reports and saves them automatically.
These include:
- A debtors report
- A creditors report
- A stock report
V.A.T. Categories
In "SOMS" you can set the V.A.T. Category that applies to your business so that the reports are compiled to suit your specific requirements. All reports are automated, so the setting is important.
How V.A.T. is handled by SOMS
In "SOMS", the V.A.T. calculations, the V.A.T. reports and the final determination of amounts payable or refundable are all sorted out automatically.
Whenever you generate an invoice for a customer in "SOMS", the system knows instinctively the V.A.T. rates to apply to each product or service. It also knows the type of goods or services that are invoiced (capital goods, exported goods, etc.).
V.A.T Reports
In "SOMS", your V.A.T. reports are generated automatically and updated each time you create an invoice or credit note for a customer or whenever you upload an invoice or credit note from a supplier.
There are three V.A.T. reports that are generated simultaneously in "SOMS", the V.A.T. Output report, the V.A.T. Input report and the V.A.T. Payable / Refundable report.
All invoices, slips, credit notes and refunds are automatically added to the relevant reports as they are created in your "SOMS" system.
"SOMS" separates your V.A.T. categories automatically in the reports. Your export invoices for example are listed separately to your local invoices.


text:
Muscle Mustangs & Fast FordsHow To Paint Body
Low-buck Modding With the Plasti Dip Spray
Just Plasti-Dip It - The DIY, affordable alternative to expensive paint and bodywork—and it comes in a can.
Who would have thought making significant exterior color changes could be so easy? Just a few years ago the thought of a DIY spray-on rubberized coating in a can that's easily applied and removed (but also doesn't harm most finishes) was little more than a pipedream. But now, thanks to the marvels of technology, a spray-on synthetic rubber coating, aka Plasti Dip, has forever changed the game. Now, people are using it to customize wheels, add stripes and other body accents, and you can even do you whole car.
Although this rubberized miracle coating (a similar product, Custom Shield, is also available from Armor All) has been around for years, it didn't gain popularity in the automotive world until recently. Workers in industrial applications have long used jugs of the rubbery stuff to dunk tools and various pieces into. The rubberized coating creates an airtight seal that's said to be good from -30°F to 200°F.
More recently, companies like Performix took the very same rubberized coating and developed it into a spray-on form. Along with an easy-to-use aerosol can, there are over a dozen color options, including clear and tinted, and for those wanting to expand beyond the standard satin finishes, glossy outer coatings (a clearcoat of sorts) can be applied to add a pearl, glossy, or metalflake look. In extreme situations, a special primer can be used before applying the Plasti Dip for the most durable of finishes.
For those unfamiliar with Plasti Dip, it's best described as a rubberized plastic wrap that can be applied from a spray can. The rubberized coating shrinks as it dries and adheres to almost any surface. Once the coating has cured, it leaves a protective layer of rubber that not only looks killer, but also helps prevent scratches and dings.
But perhaps the best part of Plasti Dip is the fact it's easily removed. That's right—you simply peel it off without consequence to the finish. This means you can change colors on a whim, and for those brave enough, even a full exterior color change is possible. Yup, a simple Internet search will reveal plenty of wicked Plasti Dip paint jobs that are easily removed when the new finish grows old. It's amazing stuff.
To put it to the test, we grabbed MM&FF reader Eddie Lotti and his pristine '08 Mustang GT that he's owned since new. The nearly stock, stick-equipped GT was just begging for mods, so we took the budget route in adding a can of Plasti Dip to the mix.
Instead of coating the entire car, adding racing stripes, or other bold moves, we decided to simply black out the emblems and rims. In a little over an hour, we were staring at a completely different animal. And if Lotti grows tired of the blacked-out look, he can simply peel it off and return his GT back to stock.
Since we've heard of horror stories where owners have attempted to remove the Plasti Dip only to peal off the paint below, we decided to leave the coating on the rims for several hot summer days to see if the coating would bake into the rims. Upon removal we found that the coating simply peeled away without problems. While we can't guarantee all surfaces will work, we can safely say in our application (and in most) that Plasti Dip is totally safe.
Does it look as good as paint? No, not really. It's rougher and not quite as finished, but hey, it costs under $10 and is pretty durable, so can we really complain? It's perfect protection for a track day, or to add to your lower quarters to keep the burnout rubber off the paint.
For those not wanting to make color changes, the new clear finish allows enthusiasts to make their own clear bras, protect headlights from fading and even coating their expensive rims from debris or tinting tail lights. Seriously, the possibilities are endless. If you haven't tried a can yet, do yourself a favor and give it a whirl, it's low-buck modding at its best.


text:
NY 'Text Stops' Drive Home Safety Message
Sep 25, 2013 11:41 AM PT
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday unveiled a plan to identify existing Park-n-Ride facilities, rest stops and parking areas on the state's highways as "Texting Zones."
There's nothing now -- other than impatience -- preventing drivers from pulling off the road into those areas to read and send text messages, but with the new initiative, appropriate signs will coax them to do so.
Under the program, a total of 298 signs will be located along major highways across the state, notifying motorists of 91 Text Stops.
Issued Tix Jump 365 Percent
"New York State is continuing to use every tool at its disposal to combat texting-while-driving," said Cuomo.
"In addition to tougher penalties, new detection methods for State Police and ongoing public outreach efforts, we are now launching special Texting Zones to allow motorists to pull over and use their phones," he continued.
"With this new effort, we are sending a clear message to drivers that there is no excuse to take your hands off the wheel and eyes off the road because your text can wait until the next Texting Zone," Cuomo added.
In conjunction with the Texting Zone announcement, Cuomo released the state's latest distracted driving enforcement statistics. They showed a 365 percent increase in tickets issued -- 21,580 in the summer of 2013 from 5,208 in the summer of 2012.
During a period from July 4 to Sept. 2, the state issued 16,027 cellphone tickets and 5,553 texting tickets. Only hands-free cellphone use is allowed in New York. That compares with 4,284 cellphone write-ups and 924 texting citations during the same period in 2012.
Crackdown on Distractions
"Our top priority is keeping motorists and pedestrians safe on New York's roadways, and the new distracted driving law has helped us to do our job better," said New York State Police Superintendent Joseph A. D'Amico.
"We told motorists we would be out there looking for violators and we found far too many," he continued. "The accidents that result from the use of handheld devices are completely avoidable, which is why we will continue to target distracted drivers who engage in this dangerous activity."
Earlier this year, New York adopted tougher measures to curb distracted driving by increasing the penalty for the practice from three to five points on a driver's license and increasing the license suspension and revocation periods for young and new drivers cited for distracted driving.
2012 was the safest year ever in the 60-year history of the highway system, noted New York State Thruway Authority Executive Director Thomas J. Madison.
"We are always looking at new and better ways to make the highway even safer," Madison said, "and Gov. Cuomo's Text Stops initiative is an excellent way for drivers to stay in touch while recognizing the dangers of using mobile devices while driving."
Most Dangerous Task
New York's attempt to induce drivers to pull off the road before texting may be a first.
"To my knowledge, this is the first state that's tried to repurpose its existing rest zones and other parking areas along its freeways to reinforce with people that they should wait before sending or reading a text," Bill Windsor, associate vice president for consumer safety at Nationwide, told TechNewsWorld.
"Of all the things you can do with a cellphone, everyone agrees that texting while driving is the most dangerous," Windsor said.
There are three major distractions while driving -- taking your hands off the wheel, taking your eyes off the road, and taking your mind off your driving.
"Texting encompasses all three of those distractions," Windsor observed. "If someone is taking their hands off the wheel and eyes off the road, it increases crash risk 23 times."
Will repackaging rest areas as Texting Zones lure texters off the state's highways?
"The signage alone will be a helpful reminder to people," Marissa Shorenstein, New York State President of AT&T, told TechNewWorld. "The concept of saying to people, 'You rest for a lot of things -- to use a rest room, to take a break from driving -- this is just another reason to rest,' is a good one."


text:
You are looking at 1 - 1 of 1 items :
- Japan x
- International - Economics x
- Europe x
- South Africa x
Middle East and Central Asia Regional Economic Outlook: Rising Oil Prices Fuel Liquidity, Stoke Reserves »
Source: IMF Survey, Volume 35, Issue 09
Volume/Issue: 35/9
Series: IMF Survey
Author(s): International Monetary Fund. External Relations Dept.
Publisher: INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND
Publication Date: 17 May 2006
Keywords: international monetary fund, debt, budget, Labor market, Budget Policy and Planning, Cost-benefit Analysis, Debtor and Creditor, Economic Development. Finance, Economic History, Financial Liberalization
Funding the IMF; Middle East and Central Asia economic outlook; Is globalization a choice?; Latin American reform; Trade conference; Aid effectiveness; Long-term interest rates in G7 countries; Wage flexibility; Jo...


text:
Want to host your courses?
Use your Adobe ID to log into the new Adobe LMS
Use your Adobe ID to log into the new Adobe LMS
Adobe Captivate Prime - LMS experience redefined
Deliver engaging learning experiences in a personalized manner across devices. Align all online and offline enterprise-wide learning initiatives to skill, upskill and reskill your employees. Boost enrolment, engagement, and effectiveness with gamification elements and consistent playback across varied content types. Stay informed about employee progress and the efficacy of training programs.
Use your Adobe ID to log into Adobe Captivate Prime
Need more information? Check out our website or email us at email@example.com
Need help?
Presenter Video Express (2017 release): Tech Specs
If you experience issues, try restarting the download.


text:
Sighing softly to the river comes the breeze,
Setting nature all a quiver, rustling to the trees.
-Pirate's of Penzance by Gilbert and Sullivan
The tower was tall, the tower was strong, and that was what she needed most. Once upon a time, she had been in love. Once upon a time, that was a laugh. The start of so many fairy tales, and the end of so many dreams, the fresh bruises on her arm stood out muddled and purply-brown to this testament. If she was to tell the story of her own life, it would have started out like this. Once there was a fair lady whom was in love with a lowly stableman. Her father would not hear of it, he had richer grander things in mind for her. So first chance he got, he married her off to the first count who came along, the Count Ardentia, to become his second wife. And ever since it had been a nightmare, it was why this tower had become her asylum, the one place where no matter what he'd done to her, she could hide.
Ever since she'd come to this place, all she had heard about was Wendy, the first wife, her portrait she'd found in the attic, she'd had been beautiful, but a frail thing, and when she had died in child birth (their second child who also died shortly thereafter), the count had never forgiven her. In fact he'd taken it out on all the female's in the household, most of the servant's that were still left, those who had not run off, hid in fear when they saw him coming, and would lock themselves in their rooms at night. And she was just another servant to him.
Most night's he came to bed drunk, most day's he was drunk, it seemed that unless a church member was in the house he was drunk. And when he was drunk he took it out on her. Was that all she had been reduced to was to a "her"? It was the way she felt, once people who loved her called her Rosamund, now she was for the most bit, her.
Sure the view was lovely through the slits, or crenellations, as father had called them, but were they worth the bruises she tried her best to hide from the world. How many times had she had had a black eye and had to make excuses about how the sun was too bright for her eyes to the point that she had had to wear veils over her face, or long-sleeved dresses in the middle of summer because she was cold. At least the servants had heard her. He had probably been nice when Wendy had been alive, but that was gone now, even after his daughter had gone to live at her Uncle Matthew.


text:
Thanks for meeting me here. I'm Beth, and I've been helping people like you to slow down, breathe, relieve stress, feel stronger in their bodies, quieter in the their minds, and more present in their lives.
SIGN UP to keep in the loop with all of our offerings and to receive
my FREE Stress relieving practice & FREE inspirational tips on self care through Reiki and Yoga
Life can get really busy sometimes: time seems to go by faster and faster, and finding some personal and nourishing down-time seems like a rare gift rather than the norm. While we may not be able to change that completely, we can certainly do things to take care of ourselves so that we can face all the demands of life in the 21st century with energy, ease, and awareness. My yoga and Reiki offerings can help you take care of yourself so that you can recharge and replenish, and do what you do with more joy, clarity, and balance, and from a place of strength, rather than depletion.
Are you ready to let go of the busy-ness of life?
Are you yearning to slow down, breathe, and unwind the tension and tightness?
Are you craving to move your body, build strength and develop flexibility?
Are you in need of some down-time: time that is just for you; time to nourish yourself?
Are you curious about restoring a sense of balance to your life?
Are you ready to live more fully and freely, and with more awareness?
Click here to check out my yoga teaching schedule or here to make your appointment for private Reiki or yoga sessions.
13-Nov-2020 -
Savasana, Savasana, Savasana. Now more than ever we need rest. As we move into the darkness and cold of winter and the hustle and bustle of the holidays, it's so important to remember to rest and take care of yourself.
Enjoy this soothing, relaxing video that combines the deep rest of Savasana with the healing touch of Reiki. Experience what deep relaxation feels like!
Read More


text:
Salons & Spas | Booker by Mindbody
Marketing tips and industry insights for salon and spa owners
Booker business management software in action | Rock Spa
How Booker's beauty business management software helps the Hard Rock Punta Cana book and schedule.
3 Summer Marketing Ideas for Local Beauty Businesses
For local beauty business the competition can get hot and heated during the summer months. Check out these 3 summer marketing ideas to keep your business living on top!
Father's Day Ideas: 3 Marketing Tips for Local Barber Shops
Father's Day presents many male-centric, local businesses like local barber shops with the perfect opportunity to rake in the profits. Check out these 3 marketing tips to get your shop started!
An Easy Trick to Boosting Revenue this Summer
There are many hidden benefits of the upsell at your spa/salon, especially during the Summer. Learn how to both boost your revenue and promote customer loyalty with this easy trick.
Want to see Booker in action? Request a demo today!
5 Ways to Maximize Your Salon's Instagram
Check out these essential five tips for leveraging Instagram at your salon to help you grow and flourish.
How to Market to Brides at Your Spa or Salon
Are you looking to draw brides to your spa or salon? Follow these tips to help you run and grow your business.
8 Steps to Starting a Salon Business
Starting up a salon can be a rewarding experience, but a daunting one if you're new to the business niche. Here are 8 simple, clear steps on how to start your own salon business.
Client Rewards: Why and How Salons Should be Awarding Points
Looking to turn more of your one-time clients into loyal customers? Turn to client rewards. We've got the tips to make your program a good one!
Reasons Why Customers Still Love Gift Cards
You ever wonder why we love gift cards? There must be some reason that, despite such high rate of the gift cards being left unused, the 'Gift Card Business' continues to boom with such rapid growth!
Spa and Salon Client Retention: Client Loyalty Program Pointers
Client loyalty programs make securing spa and salon client retention a cinch! Read on for the best pointers for getting your client loyalty programs up and going!
Mother's Day Cheat Sheet
On holidays like Mother's Day, you won't find a better gift than gift cards or gift certificates. We've got this handy cheat sheet just in time for prepping your gift card and gift certificate sales.
Spring Into Action - Marketing Your Beauty Business
We've built this guide to help you take advantage of the season. It's the perfect time to "spring clean" your biz, including updating your online presence and improving communication with customers.
3 Steps to Email Marketing Success for Your Spa or Salon
Tocar Spa
Last Minute Valentine's Day Refresher [Infographic]
Check out our 5 steps to successfully marketing Valentine's Day at your spa or salon.
Valentine's Day Guide
Spa and Salon Valentine's Day Tips for Selling Gift Certificates
Valentine's Day is the perfect opportunity for spa and salon owners to make a killing through gift card. Find out how to get the most out of your gift certificate sales this February.
St. Patrick's Day Marketing Ideas for Spas and Salons
St. Patty's Day presents small businesses with the perfect opportunity to grab attention and drive more customers through the door. Check out these St. Patty's Day advertising ideas to get you started
Gift Certificates: Your Secret Weapon this Valentine's Day
19 Spa Marketing Ideas for 2017
One of the most challenging aspects to running any successful business is coming up with effective ways to attract new clients. We've got 19 new ideas for your spa!
Loading More...


text:
A "whites only" sign was still hanging on the precinct house water fountain in 1964 when James Booker joined the suburban College Park police force. He soon learned it wasn't the only thing off limits to Georgia's new black recruits.
Until 1976, black officers were blocked from joining a state-supported supplemental police retirement fund. Today, white officers who entered the fund before that year are taking home hundreds of dollars more every month in retirement benefits than their black counterparts.
The now-retired black officers have been lobbying hard to change that, but eight years after they began an effort to amend the state constitution and give them credit for those lost years is stalled in the Legislature. The Georgia Constitution prohibits the state from extending new benefits to public employees after they have retired.
If lawmakers don't take action in the final weeks of the legislative session, the battle will move to the courthouse this spring, said state Rep. Tyrone Brooks, an Atlanta Democrat and civil rights activist leading the officers' campaign.
"I was hoping we wouldn't have to go this route, but litigation appears to be our only option," Brooks said.
Ronald Hampton, executive director of the National Black Police Association, said he knows of no other state with a similar pension situation. "Only Georgia is shameless enough to still have this out there," Hampton said.
The Georgia House has twice passed an amendment resolution but it has gone nowhere in the state Senate. An amendment requires a vote of two-thirds of each chamber as well as approval by voters.
"We can't fix everything for everybody," said state Sen. Bill Heath, chairman of the Senate Retirement Committee.
Heath, a Republican, argued that making retroactive changes to retirement benefits "opens up a can of worms and could destroy the pension system."
The House Retirement Committee chairman, state Rep. Ben Bridges — a retired state trooper — has no such misgivings.
'We were under siege'
Georgia's first black officers, hired in the late 1940s, entered a segregated system rife with daily humiliations. They couldn't arrest white offenders without a white officer present. They couldn't change into uniforms at the station house, or wear their uniforms to work, forcing many to switch clothes in the locker room at the local black YMCA.
Some white officers ordered to partner with a black officer called in sick until they were reassigned.
"It was pure hell," said former Atlanta Patrolman Johnnie P. Jones, the only surviving member of the original class of eight black officers hired in Atlanta in 1948. "The enemy was the white police officers and the enemy was the black citizens. We were under siege."
The numbers of black officers slowly rose in the 1950s and 1960s as the civil rights struggle raged through the South. Although the federal Civil Rights Act signed in 1964 outlawed employment discrimination, change in the ranks was slow.
Officials don't dispute that participants in the police retirement plan before 1976 were almost exclusively white.
"That appears true but we weren't keeping those kinds of records," said Robert Carter, current secretary-treasurer of the Peace Officers Annuity and Benefit Fund of Georgia.
Law fails to address up to 200 officers
The fund supplements officers' municipal or county pensions. Officers make small monthly contributions and the state adds money collected from tickets and fines.
Booker, who worked in the College Park police force for more than three decades before he retired, said he would be pulling in an extra $770 more a month if he had been allowed to join the fund at the beginning of his career.
Instead, at the age of 76 he is still working part-time directing traffic to make ends meet.
Legislators did enact a partial remedy in 2006, passing a bill allowing current officers who were employed before 1976 to buy into the fund for those earlier years. Only four did, Carter said. And that law didn't address the estimated 100 to 200 black officers who had already retired.
Brooks, a veteran of the two-decade crusade to remove the Confederate battle symbol from the Georgia flag, said this legislative battle is testing even his patience. "I am not hopeful," he said.
And time is running out, as some retirees have died and others are ailing.
"You wonder sometimes are they just waiting for us to all die?" Booker said.


text:
Wearing a dress of the year 1960, Miss Futurama, Betty Crain, presents Harvey D. Gibson, chairman of the board of the New York World's Fair, with the General Motors streamlined car of 1960 in these photos from 1940.
The top photo is from the book Exit to Tomorrow: World's Fair Architecture, Design, Fashion 1933-2005. The bottom photo is from the New York Public Library.
From Leo Casey, Director of Publicity for the World's Fair of 1940 in New York:
Indiana girls, employees of General Motors, stand by as "Miss Futurama" Betty Crain, of Kokomo, Indiana, presents Harvey D. Gibson, chairman of the Fair Board of Directors with a model of a 1960 streamlined automobile during the celebration of General Motors Day at the World's Fair of 1940 in New York.
Left to Right — Evelyn Reason, of Anderson, A.J. Schamehorn, Director of the G.M. exhibit at the Fair, Miss Crain, Mr. Gibson, [unreadable] Edwards, also of Anderson, Evelyn Harger, of Muncie, Myrtle Short, of Indianapolis, and Jean Stines, of Anderson. The girls all wear dresses of glass, rubber, acetate and rayon, known as "Dresses of 1960."
Previously on Paleo-Future:
- Official Guidebook: 1939 World's Fair
- All's Fair at the Fair (1938)
- Bearded Men of the 21st Century (1939)
- Super Highway of Tomorrow (1939)
- Railroads on Parade (1939)
- Dawn of a New Day (1939)
- Real Picturephone? (1939)
- Metal Man Comes to Life (1939)


text:
I have posted this video several times and am posting it again for those who viewed the one this morning and have more interest in his thinking. I have viewed these videos many times and get more from them each time I listen. His perspective and insight is stunning and his ability to verbalize is terrific…
Anyone who understands what he is saying will understand what is happening to America and to our economy. Video was taped in the year 2003.
Thursday: Unemployment Claims, ISM Services
9 hours ago


text:
MENDOTA, Calif. (AP) — On an October day in the midst of harvest season, two farmworkers sat idly in their home in a Central California town that touts itself as "the cantaloupe center of the world."
Instead of picking the melons and supervising a work crew, Dora and David Elias of Mendota were unemployed — laid off along with hundreds of others as the cantaloupe listeria outbreak traced to Colorado rippled across the nation.
The pangs were particularly felt here in the top cantaloupe-producing state. Sales of California cantaloupes plummeted, even though their fruit was perfectly safe to eat. Farmers abandoned fields. Farmworkers lost jobs.
"We can't sell the fruit," said Rodney Van Bebber, sales manager for Mendota-based Pappas Produce Company. "Retail stores are taking cantaloupes off the shelves, and growers are disking in their fruit because people are afraid to eat them."
Federal officials quickly isolated the contamination to Jensen Farms in the Colorado town of Holly, which recalled its cantaloupes in mid-September. The tainted cantaloupes should be out of stores now because their shelf life is about two weeks.
But the number of deaths has continued to grow because symptoms of listeria can take up to two months to appear. As of Wednesday, the outbreak was linked to 23 deaths and 116 sicknesses, making it the deadliest known outbreak of foodborne illness in the U.S. in more than 25 years.
The Food and Drug Administration is still investigating its cause. Officials have said they were looking at the farm's water supply and possible animal intrusions among other things.
But farmers said the outbreak's source mattered little. In recent weeks, Van Bebber fielded more than 300 phone calls from customers asking whether his cantaloupes were contaminated. This despite the fact that the company has put California stickers on every piece of fruit; that the California Cantaloupe Advisory Board sent letters to customers informing them that California's crop is safe; and that supermarkets have put up signs explaining that California cantaloupes were not part of the recall.
Growers are making similar efforts in Arizona, the second-biggest cantaloupe-producing state, where the season has just begun.
Cindi Pearson of Santa Rosa Produce in Maricopa, Ariz., who started harvesting 3,000 acres of cantaloupes last week, is labeling fruit with Arizona-grown stickers. She has placed laminated placards on the backs of her trucks to convince customers her fruit is safe.
"Consumers don't understand that the Colorado melons are gone and it's the start of a different season," Pearson said. "Right now, cantaloupes should be the safest product to eat. But all people see is the deaths and sicknesses, and that image is getting reinforced in their minds. It's devastating to us."
Pearson said she'll have to walk away from half of her crop. In California, where the season is nearly over, many growers are thinking about abandoning their fields, Van Bebber said. His company, which ships cantaloupes all over the United States and Canada, saw sales plunge 80 percent.
"I say we should just quit," Van Bebber said. "There is no reason for us to keep picking."
At Westside Produce in Firebaugh, a few miles from Mendota, company president Stephen Patricio laid off 150 of his 400 workers — including the Eliases — three weeks before the end of the season.
"If it was because of an actual outbreak in California and there was a real risk, I could accept it," Patricio said. "But economic damage is being done to those who didn't create the problem. I have walked away from millions of dollars-worth of product. And my workers, there is no more work for them."
California-grown cantaloupes have never been linked to any foodborne illness outbreak, Patricio said. In fact, growers here funded research that helped refine their food safety practices. California and Arizona growers — who share a similar desert climate — have limited the use of water when growing cantaloupes by minimizing irrigation (it's turned off several weeks before packing), field packing the fruit and no longer dunking cantaloupes in water to cool or sanitize the fruit.
But even those safety measures have not saved California and Arizona cantaloupes. Experts say it may now take industries longer to recover from outbreaks because of a consumer focus on food safety and more attention from both traditional and social media.
"I think there is so much background noise about food-borne illnesses and food safety that consumers are nervous," said Hank Giclas, senior vice president of science and technology for Western Growers, an industry group that represents California and Arizona growers. "It's a new thing; we see a whole lot more coverage of recalls even if no illnesses are reported, and consumers are more interested in the process their food goes through."
Spinach sales, Giclas said, have still not fully recovered from the 2006 E. coli outbreak — despite heightened protections put in place by the industry. Before the outbreak, spinach brought in more than $188 million in gross revenue into Monterey County, which grows nearly half of California's spinach. In 2010, spinach was worth about $128 million, according to the Monterey County Crop Report.
Efforts to restore consumer confidence with new requirements for food safety known as the Leafy Green Marketing Agreement have been only partially successful.
That doesn't bode well for farmworkers in Mendota, many of whom had lost jobs in previous years due to the drought that swept through California and fallowed fields around Mendota.
"Before, there was no water, and now this outbreak. It's always something," Dora Elias said. "We're just here waiting, hoping to get a phone call about a job."


text:
Since 15. of July BrightStat is completely for free again. Every account has a maximum of 20 file slots on the server and has access to all features of BrightStat.com
Academic licences for teachers and students have been canceled.
Brown Forsythe Test for homogeneity of variances has been added
The test is available in 'Compare Variances', the 'MANOVA', 'ANOVA' and 'one-way ANOVA' procedures
Occasionally variables can not be selected in variable lists in BrightStat's web application. In such a case try another web-browser. Generally I recommend Chrome, Edge or Safari for BrightStat.com web application.
You can upload your data in Microsoft Excel™ format. If this does not work, you can always export your data as a tab-delimited text file from within Microsoft Excel™ and upload the text file. This should work properly. Read more about how to prepare your data for BrightStat
By default brightstat rounds the results to five and p-values to three decimal places. If you need more presicion, just click on the the result cell in the output table.
BrightStat lets you recode categorical variables, often coded as strings, into ascending numbers automatically. Just select 'Automatic Recode' in the 'Data Menu' and indicate the variables to be recoded. The old values will be stored as value labels for the new numeric variable.
In the 'Data Menu' there is 'Load Sample Datafile' in the first column 'Data File'. There you'll find a list of sample files (including files for all examples on BrightStat's website). So you can start discovering BrightStat right away.
BrightStat has a built in calculator which allows you to compute new variables with existing ones. If you have measured the weight (in kg) and height (in meters) of n subjects you can easily compute the body mass index (BMI) for all subjects. If your variables are named 'weight' and 'height' the formula would be: _weight/_height^2.
The sample file 'BodyFat' contains the variables 'Weight' (pounds) and 'Height' (inches), so the formula for calculating the BMI needs some adjustment in that case: (_Weight*0.45359237)/(_Height*2.54/100)^2.
Note: In the formula a variable name is always preceded by an underscore '_'.
BrightStat is not intended to be a data editor. Small changes can be done without problems but be aware that editing your data in Brighstat's data window may be very time consuming, especially with larger data files.
It is strongly recommended to prepare your data for BrightStat before uploading it into the database. A period '.' will be treated as a missing value.
How to prepare your data for BrightStat
You can define a filter variable for your data. Analysis and graphs are then performed for selected cases only. Select 'Filter Data' from the menu and indicate which values of which variables should be included in the analysis.
You can split your datafile using a categorical variable. All tests and/or graphs are then performed for the individual categories of the split variable. Select 'Split Data' from the menu and indicate one or more split variables.
Stricker, D. (2008). BrightStat.com: Free statistics online. Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine, 92, 135-143.
2017-05-05 v1.3.1
2017-03-20 v1.2.20
2017-03-08 v1.2.19
2017-03-03 v1.2.18
2017-02-18 v1.2.17
2017-01-18 v1.2.16
2016-12-06 v1.2.15
2016-10-28 v1.2.14
2016-09-08 v1.2.13
2016-08-25 v1.2.12
IOTA Address:


text:
May 2011 Boston College International and Comparative Law Review and
provides additional support for the Romeike family's political asylum case. The
law review article, entitled "Germany Homeschoolers as 'Particular Social
Group': Evaluation Under Current U.S. Asylum Jurisprudence," provides an
interesting and comprehensive analysis of this controversial and unsettled
aspect of U.S. asylum law. Many groups have attempted to seek asylum under the
status of a "particular social group," including abused women, individual
families, taxi drivers, and gang recruits.
In January 2010, U.S. Immigration Judge Lawrence O. Burman granted the German
Romeike family political asylum in large part because of their membership in
the particular social group of "homeschoolers in Germany." In a case that is
the first of its kind, Burman stated that "homeschoolers are a particular
social group that the German government is trying to suppress. This family has
a well-founded fear of persecution … therefore, they are eligible for asylum …
and the court will grant asylum." The Romeike family fled Germany with their
children and were represented by HSLDA in their political asylum case.
The Romeikes' case was immediately appealed by the Obama administration to
the federal Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), who have had the case since
July 2010 but have yet to make a final decision. In their appeal, the U.S.
Government Agency for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) called
homeschoolers too "amorphous" to be a "particular social group" and that "United
States law has recognized the broad power of the state to compel school
attendance and regulate curriculum and teacher certification" as well as the
"authority to prohibit or regulate homeschooling."
Germany officially states that homeschooling is illegal, although more than
500 children are currently homeschooled in Germany. Virtually all operate
underground or face some type of court proceeding.
In her article, Matrician discusses in detail the definition and criteria of
"membership in a particular social group." In light of the evidence, she argues,
the BIA should find that all German homeschoolers comprise a particular social
group, regardless of whether the Romeike family successfully established a
claim of well-founded fear of persecution. "Homeschoolers in Germany … are
perceived as a recognizable group by their alleged persecutor, as well as by
society at large—in Germany and abroad," she concludes. "[The BIA] should
strive … to provide a safe haven for those in dire straits."
HSLDA Director of International Relations Michael Donnelly notes the
article's importance:
"We have submitted the law review article as new evidence in the
Romeikes' ground-breaking case. There is a strong argument in favor of
upholding Judge Burman's decision to grant asylum to the Romeike family. We are
hopeful that this new evidence will further demonstrate to the BIA that
homeschoolers in Germany are members of a particular social group and that
Germany's treatment of them is persecution and therefore that they qualify for
protection under U.S. asylum law."


text:
Department of Surgery faculty members, both physicians and scientists, are world-renown in their subspecialties. Faculty members are passionate in their clinical care and research practices, as well as being mentors for medical students and trainees. The department also invests significant funds to provide protected time and lab space for junior faculty to perform research.
Crystal Nicole Marconett
STOP Cancer: Howard and Andree Shore Seed Grant, 2017-2018
American Journal of Respiratory Cell Biology: Featured Researcher 2017, 2017-2017
American Cancer Society: ACS/Canary Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow, 2010-2013
California Breast Cancer Research Program: CBCRP Dissertation Fellowship, 2007-2009
UC Berkeley: Chancellors Predoctoral Award, 2005-2007
TENET 20: Identification of key transcriptional regulators and enhancers in lung adenocarcinoma. PLoS Genet. 2020 Sep; 16(9):e1009023. . View in PubMed
Tuberculosis infection and lung adenocarcinoma: Mendelian randomization and pathway analysis of genome-wide association study data from never-smoking Asian women Genomics. 2020 03; 112(2):1223-1232. . View in PubMed
Genome-wide integration of microRNA and transcriptomic profiles of differentiating human alveolar epithelial cells . 2020 07 01; 319(1):L173-L184. . View in PubMed
LINC00261 Is an Epigenetically Regulated Tumor Suppressor Essential for Activation of the DNA Damage Response Cancer Res. 2019 Jun 15; 79(12):3050-3062. . View in PubMed
Positional integration of lung adenocarcinoma susceptibility loci with primary human alveolar epithelial cell epigenomes Epigenomics. 2018 09; 10(9):1167-1187. . View in PubMed
CLDN181 attenuates malignancy and related signaling pathways of lung adenocarcinoma in vivo and in vitro. Int J Cancer. 2018 12 15; 143(12):3169-3180. . View in PubMed
Claudin-18-mediated YAP activity regulates lung stem and progenitor cell homeostasis and tumorigenesis J Clin Invest. 2018 03 01; 128(3):970-984. . View in PubMed
Intersecting transcriptomic profiling technologies and long non-coding RNA function in lung adenocarcinoma: discovery, mechanisms, and therapeutic applications Oncotarget. 2017 Oct 06; 8(46):81538-81557. . View in PubMed
Cross-Species Transcriptome Profiling Identifies New Alveolar Epithelial Type I Cell-Specific Genes Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2017 03; 56(3):310-321. . View in PubMed
Association between GWAS-identified lung adenocarcinoma susceptibility loci and EGFR mutations in never-smoking Asian women, and comparison with findings from Western populations Hum Mol Genet. 2017 01 15; 26(2):454-465. . View in PubMed
Epigenome-wide analysis of DNA methylation in lung tissue shows concordance with blood studies and identifies tobacco smoke-inducible enhancers Hum Mol Genet. 2017 08 01; 26(15):3014-3027. . View in PubMed
Somatic Genomics and Clinical Features of Lung Adenocarcinoma: A Retrospective Study PLoS Med. 2016 Dec; 13(12):e1002162. . View in PubMed
Combinations of differentiation markers distinguish subpopulations of alveolar epithelial cells in adult lung . 2016 Jan 15; 310(2):L114-20. . View in PubMed
Pleiotropic Analysis of Lung Cancer and Blood Triglycerides J Natl Cancer Inst. 2016 12; 108(12). . View in PubMed
The 78-kD Glucose-Regulated Protein Regulates Endoplasmic Reticulum Homeostasis and Distal Epithelial Cell Survival during Lung Development Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2016 07; 55(1):135-49. . View in PubMed
The importance of detailed epigenomic profiling of different cell types within organs Epigenomics. 2016 06; 8(6):817-29. . View in PubMed
Transcriptomic Profiling of Primary Alveolar Epithelial Cell Differentiation in Human and Rat Genom Data. 2014 Dec 01; 2:105-109. . View in PubMed
Claudin 4 knockout mice: normal physiological phenotype with increased susceptibility to lung injury . 2014 Oct 01; 307(7):L524-36. . View in PubMed
Knockout mice reveal key roles for claudin 18 in alveolar barrier properties and fluid homeostasis Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2014 Aug; 51(2):210-22. . View in PubMed
Characterizing the genetic basis of methylome diversity in histologically normal human lung tissue Nat Commun. 2014 Feb 27; 5:3365. . View in PubMed
CDKN2A/p16 inactivation mechanisms and their relationship to smoke exposure and molecular features in non-small-cell lung cancer J Thorac Oncol. 2013 Nov; 8(11):1378-88. . View in PubMed
Integrated transcriptomic and epigenomic analysis of primary human lung epithelial cell differentiation PLoS Genet. 2013 Jun; 9(6):e1003513. . View in PubMed
Indole-3-carbinol disrupts estrogen receptor-alpha dependent expression of insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor and insulin receptor substrate-1 and proliferation of human breast cancer cells Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2012 Nov 05; 363(1-2):74-84. . View in PubMed
Indole-3-carbinol downregulation of telomerase gene expression requires the inhibition of estrogen receptor-alpha and Sp1 transcription factor interactions within the hTERT promoter and mediates the G1 cell cycle arrest of human breast cancer cells Carcinogenesis. 2011 Sep; 32(9):1315-23. . View in PubMed
BZL101, a phytochemical extract from the Scutellaria barbata plant, disrupts proliferation of human breast and prostate cancer cells through distinct mechanisms dependent on the cancer cell phenotype . 2010 Aug 15; 10(4):397-405. . View in PubMed
1-Benzyl-indole-3-carbinol is a novel indole-3-carbinol derivative with significantly enhanced potency of anti-proliferative and anti-estrogenic properties in human breast cancer cells Chem Biol Interact. 2010 Aug 05; 186(3):255-66. . View in PubMed
Indole-3-carbinol triggers aryl hydrocarbon receptor-dependent estrogen receptor (ER)alpha protein degradation in breast cancer cells disrupting an ERalpha-GATA3 transcriptional cross-regulatory loop Mol Biol Cell. 2010 Apr 01; 21(7):1166-77. . View in PubMed
Artemisinin selectively decreases functional levels of estrogen receptor-alpha and ablates estrogen-induced proliferation in human breast cancer cells Carcinogenesis. 2008 Dec; 29(12):2252-8. . View in PubMed


text:
Information about registered domain: whois, seo, historySite tetote-market.jp is hosted on servers uns01.lolipop.jp, uns02.lolipop.jp. Site has 1 ip:
More information about www.tetote-market.jp
This product includes GeoLite2 data created by MaxMind, available from http://www.maxmind.com.
Stats DOM is website about sites optimization and performance information. If you have any questions or complaints, please contact us.
All rigths reserved. 2016


text: I've been reading through the forums here trying to get info on whether installing a second meter or changing to the time-of-day plan with So Cal Edison would be better. I called and tried to get their EV Power Plan but the rep I spoke with was not very helpful. I have solar on my house, so that is why I am considering TOD. I posted my SCE usage and solar production for a typical day without EV charging. What does everyone think? Drop $1400+ for the second meter or just switch to the Home and EV plan? Thanks!!


text:
Monday is expected to be a very busy day for travel agencies across the state as thousands of Hawkeye and Cyclone football fans will learn this weekend where their beloved teams bowl game destinations will be. Sue Johnson, manager of Pella Travel, says she expects lots of phone calls from people with various requests, and says tickets to the game itself are often readily available.
"We'll be getting lots of phone calls. Some people have already started calling us," says Johnson. "We have people that want just tickets only, we have people that want hotel and tickets; we want hotel, tickets and transfers; we want pre-game party information… So we can tell them what we can give them at that moment. Generally we can't get just tickets only, but tickets have always been readily available."
Teresa Williams is owner of Jacobsen Travel Agency in Knoxville. She says they already have a list of clients who wish to be contacted about the final bowl destination, and although package pricing may be slightly higher than pervious years, she expects a great deal of interest from the community in ways to travel to the game. Ultimately, a handful of games Saturday will likely dictate where Iowa and Iowa State will be traveling during the holidays. Many of the bowl game pairings are then expected to be arranged Sunday.


text:
IT Directors Go Retro in Virginia
Technology workers in two Virginia agencies are using an old-school organizational method to improve workflow and efficiency.
As IT budgets get squeezed in many government agencies, decision-makers are faced with completing tasks with less people on staff. Projects can take longer and frustration may rise between IT personnel and agency customers.
But IT teams in two Virginia state departments have found a decidedly retro project management tool to streamline operations known as Kanban. Developed by Toyota Motor Corporation in the late 1940s, the product delivery system relies on a detailed whiteboard flow chart called a "Kanban Board" that arranges a department's work processes like an assembly line.
Kanban has led to workflow efficiency improvements for both the Virginia Department of Corrections Technology Services Agency and the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Information Services agency.
This column appears in our free, twice monthly Technology e-newsletter. Click to subscribe.
IT staff at the corrections agency started using Kanban earlier this year and quickly found success. The group lowered the time it takes to generate custom reports for the department from 45 to 19 days. The DMV's IT agency jumped on the Kanban bandwagon this past spring, and although it hasn't compiled any metrics yet, there has seen an increase on the amount of projects that get finished ahead of schedule when applying the method to its document management and imaging system.
Virginia isn't the only state looking at ways to improve workflow and complete complex tasks with fewer workers. According to a survey by the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO), strategies that can mitigate IT budget cuts are one of top 10 priorities for state CIOs in 2013.
How It Works
Instead of taking on multiple aspects of projects at once, workers using Kanban complete specific pieces of a task before taking on another one. Each workflow category established within Kanban gets a limit on how many items can be placed in it, so workers aren't overwhelmed. Once a person completes an item, they pull another from the queue and continue the process.
The Kanban board illustrates what everyone on the team is working on at one particular time using sticky notes and colored markers. By clearly defining the process and making it viewable to everyone, team members and agency customers have a better understanding of where a particular project is in the pipeline and more importantly, why.
Kanban users meet at the board on a daily or weekly basis to review where a project is, and make adjustments to the workflow as necessary.
Rick Davis, chief technology officer for the Virginia Department of Corrections, said prior to adopting Kanban, a lot of angst existed between his team and department personnel that were requesting custom reports. From user complaints that report creation took too long, to technology developers juggling conflicting deadlines and priorities, tension was high.
But after meeting with Impact Makers, a consulting group based in Richmond, Va., and hearing a presentation about Kanban, Davis decided to invest $15,000 to train more than a dozen people on how to use the system.
Given budgetary challenges, the amount may seem to some as a significant expense for training a dozen employees, but Davis felt it was well worth it, given the results.
"What I love about Kanban is I feel like we have communication where we didn't have communication before," Davis said. "We're all on the same page and all working as a team, understanding where the challenges are, where we have blocks and what we have to do to overcome those blocks."
Both agencies found the visual aspect of Kanban to be a key component of the management tool. Dave Burhop, CIO and deputy commissioner of the Virginia DMV, said the first and immediate benefit of Kanban was getting projects on the board for all to see. By illustrating who was working on particular items and what factors were impeding project delivery, it quickly cleared up confusion among both IT team members and business users.
In addition, the system also put the onus on the business users to address project conflicts head-on, and hammer out priorities, instead of leaving the IT team members in the position of having to figure it out themselves. Burhop added that his team is less stressed and somewhat more empowered because roles are clearly defined, building unity among colleagues.
Davis agreed. He recalled that prior to Kanban he would be the one that would have to sort out priorities. With the new organizational system in place, he has the business users take a look at the Kanban board so they are clear about what projects and task sit in front of their requests. Then those users can see the backlog and decide what gets worked on and in what order.
"This aspect sometimes puts the light directly on the business user in terms of responsibility and involvement, so there you have your resistance a little bit," Burhop said. "It used to be IT calling the shots on everything and we kind of liked that because you have 100 percent responsibility whether it failed or it was a success. [Kanban] actually spreads the responsibility out more."
If installing a new organization and work flow process into an agency sounds intimidating or not realistic, think again. Davis and Burhop said Kanban is designed to work with your existing processes without having to do any sort of reengineering.
According to Burhop, the major concern workers had was that Kanban would add more work responsibilities. It took a little convincing that some extra attention to detail now would lead to a more streamlined workflow going forward. He explained that the idea was to implement the system incrementally so that everyone could see the change for themselves.
Kanban allows users to visualize a project's workflow rather than just theorizing about it and how the change will work. Burhop added that the Kanban board makes it easier for employees to see an issue develop, pull back, make some changes, and keep going.
Right now, both agencies are each using Kanban for one specific project type. But Davis said he's looking to expand the program in the future. "We want to sharpen our skills with this one in particular and really understand what we are doing and how we need to streamline and improve it," Davis explained. "And then we'll move Kanban on to other things."
We invite you to discuss and comment on this article using social media.


text:
Release Date: 2009 |
Album Rating: 4.0A banana ate my sprocket
An explosion. In your ears.
Album Rating: 4.0
In addition, anyone who is not a fan of grind will not have their mind changed by this album.
I see, you have taken pre-emptive measures against my comment cliches...
Album Rating: 4.0Not that you are one, but writing pre-emptive measures against trolls right into your reviews is always a good idea.
Charles... hmmm... I'd say probably not, but if you're curious or like Pig Destroyer, go for it.
Album Rating: 4.0You can't win against them, but you can not lose to them.
Album Rating: 4.0album rules.
Good review, haven't heard this. What's this like compared to Pig Destroyer or Insect Warfare, because I'm looking for some more grind.
Pig Destroyer > Insect Warfare > Agoraphobic Nosebleed
Album Rating: 4.0Haven't heard IW, which I will fix shortly. Pig Destroyer is definitely best, but this band is definitely worth your time if to you like grind, and especially all three of the recs.
The only thing I hate about grind is 1 minute songs, other than that, its alright.
Album Rating: 4.0Then this band is not for you.
Neither is insect warfare, however Pig Destroyer I can handle.
Album Rating: 4.0affair, but as soon as the second half of the album kicks in, the band slow things down a bit.
Best part of this album!!
Pretty much, most of the album is your standard grind affair but it's still fucking sweet to these ears. Review was of most excellence minus the butter.
Not sure if I'd like this, but it sounds like it'd be good. Nice review!
Album Rating: 4.0yeah you would like this chan, a lot of the second half of the album has a phantom limb sound to it (obviously because of Scott Hull, but still)
Pig Destroyer > Insect Warfare > Agoraphobic Nosebleed
both slay but i prefer the pig to the insect
Album Rating: 4.0Yeah Pig Destroyer are one of the premier grind bands of today I'd reckon.
Pig Destroyer has swine flu
Bands: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


text:
Hawaii became the 15th state to legalize same-sex marriage on Wednesday as Gov. Neil Ambercrombie signed the bill that passed the legislature earlier this week after a long special session.
Hawaii became the 15th state to legalize same-sex marriage on Wednesday as Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed the bill that passed the legislature earlier this week after a long special session. Many predicted the bill would pass, but no one anticipated the public hearing in the House would take up four days as lawmakers accommodated more than 4,600 people who had something to say about the contentious and emotional issue. Another surprise was the no vote by Rep. Jo Jordan, a Democrat and lesbian. In an exclusive interview with Honolulu Magazine, the lifelong resident said she took her personal life out of her decision and voted against a bill that she didn't think represented the best interests of the state. "We don't need a lot of Mainlanders coming and telling us what we gotta do. And you'll hear that going on," she said about the lobbying last session and which continued into the special session. "I said, 'You know what, I'm here with my legislative hat, not my personal hat. You guys move forward with whatever you're doing, and I don't want to be a participant in that.' I stepped out of it." First Things reported that Jordan cited religious liberty as her concern with the bill. But according to the Honolulu interview, Jordan never mentions religious liberty specifically, though she does say that the religious exemptions in the bill were not adequate for Hawaii. "I'm not here to protect the big churches or the little churches. I'm saying we can't erode what's currently out there," she told the magazine. "We don't want to scratch at the religious protections at all, because if we don't create a measure that's bulletproof, or as close to bulletproof as possible, then the measure will go to the courts." The Associated Press reported that Rep. Bob McDermott, a Republican who filed a lawsuit to derail the special session, promised a new challenge after Abercrombie signed the bill. A judge has said he will take up the case. It was a lawsuit more than 20 years ago by two women seeking a marriage license in Hawaii that ignited the gay marriage movement across the country. A state Supreme Court ruling in 1993 found the women's equal protection rights were violated and precipitated Congress passing the Defense of Marriage Act. The U.S. Supreme Court struck down DOMA in June, which prompted Abercrombie to call the special session. Some of the state's largest religious denominations came out against the bill, seeking instead to put the issue on the ballot to let the general public decide. Roman Catholic Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco, chairman of the U.S. bishops' Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage, expressed disappointment in Hawaii legalizing gay marriage. "Changing the meaning of marriage in the law does not promote the common good or protect authentic rights," Archbishop Cordileone said. He said marriage promotes the right of children to have a mother and a father. "The question we need to ask ourselves is this: How can we honestly justify a law that in principle denies children this right?"%3Cimg%20src%3D%22http%3A//beacon.deseretconnect.com/beacon.gif%3Fcid%3D124353%26pid%3D46%22%20/%3E


text:
DEBT COLLECTION AGENCY – [php snippet=1] Oregon
AcctCorp International is a locally owned and operated Collection Agency with 21 years in the business.
Our staff has a personal and professional approach designed to provide the best service in [php snippet=1], Oregon at reasonable rates with no up-front cost to you. We specialize in Health Care Collections, Dental Collections, Consumer Collections, Judgement Collections and Bad Check Collections.
No matter how big or small, we can help!
When Is The Right Time To Hire A Collection Agency in [php snippet=1], Oregon?
What does a collection agency do?
We've all been there at one point or another in our lives: you forget to make a payment on a bill and subsequently get a "past due" notice. For most of us, it stops there as we then curse our bad memories and quickly get the payment sent to avoid any further repercussions.
But what if the notices didn't stop at the first, second or third offense? What if you're on the giving end, rather than the receiving, waiting for the consumer to to pay you for your hard work? How long do you wait? How many chances are given? You have bills to pay too and if you're not getting compensated for your services, you too could start falling behind on your financial obligations. When is the right time to hire a collection agency?
The unfortunate truth is that there are inevitably always going to be customers who don't pay their bills, invoices that don't get paid and calls that don't get answered. At some point, a third party needs to be brought in to help resolve the issue so hard working individuals can get the compensation they deserve.
Collection agencies utilize various forms of communication and persuasion techniques to reach delinquent customers to resolve overdue debts – phone calls, letters, emails and, if necessary, the legal system. AcctCorp International understands which strategies are most effective and have the means and technologies required to make sure you get paid.
When to hire a collection agency
The more time that passes, the lower your chances of recovering your unpaid debts become. Most companies in [php snippet=1], Oregon will seek our aid when an account is between 90 to 120 days past due. In general, you should give AcctCorp International a call if:
- New customers do not respond to your first debt collection attempt. Without a transaction history to look at it, it is possible that if a new customer ignores a collection attempt he/she never intended to pay at all.
- The customer claims he/she isn't responsible for the debt. In these scenarios, the debt is rarely recovered without outside help.
- The customer makes unreasonable complaints about products and/or services. It is very likely, in these circumstances, that the customer is using excuses to absolve his/her responsibility to pay.
- The customer doesn't follow through on a payment plan. If a customer still won't pay even after a mutually agreed upon payment plan, it's likely they won't without further prodding.
- The customer is going through or has recently gone through a divorce. It is not uncommon for one spouse to blame the other for the debt and/or refuse obligations to it. AcctCorp International can get to the bottom of the issue and find the responsible party.
- The customer has a long history of financial irresponsibility.
Once it becomes clear that you will not receive the compensation due you, give AcctCorp International a call and we will fight in your corner to recover the money you deserve.


text:
ALL ASHORE: Perry Ellis ditched the beach for its spring ad campaign. Long known for imagery that includes sun, surf and sand, the men's wear label's Very Perry campaign has chosen instead to use black-and-white portraiture with pops of color. The ads, which were created by Yard, are designed to evoke wit and levity, the company said. Three male models, Gabriel Chytry, Rainer Andreesen and Vladimir Ivanov, as well as female model, Lindsay Lullman, are featured in the ads. Interestingly, actor Victor Garber came out earlier this week and introduced Andreesen as his boyfriend, giving the campaign a boost before it has even gone public.
"Perry, and the brand he created, had such an optimistic approach to life," said Matt Cronin, vice president of marketing for Perry Ellis. "He felt fashion should be fun, witty and inspiring. Though the clothes change season to season, Perry Ellis' essence is very much something we want to honor and portray to our consumer."
The campaign will launch in March fashion magazines including GQ, Esquire, Men's Health, and OUT. Key markets such as New York, Los Angeles, Dallas and Toronto will also have outdoor marketing.


text:
BEIJING, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- China's rising influence, particularly its robust economic growth in the past three decades, has created a view among some that it is no longer a developing country.
Recently, this argument has been made more popular with the news China has become the world's "No. 2 economy," a headline story for mainstream media in the West.
A deputy governor of China's central bank said recently China had replaced Japan to be the second largest economy of the world.
"China is actually now already the world's second largest economy," Yi Gang, who is also head of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, said in late July.
The news triggered widespread reports and further analysis by Western media, but almost all of them ignored the fact that China is the most populous country in the world with a population of 1.3 billion, roughly one-fifth of the world's population.
The question of whether China is a developing or developed nation is easy to answer if its vast population is taken into account.
China has a massive economy, but it is not yet an economic power in terms of per capita GDP.
According to the World Bank, China's per capita GDP in 2009 stood at 3,687 U.S. dollars a year, ranking 103 worldwide, far less than the per capita GDP of the United States, which is 46,436 dollars.
China's per capita GDP is also much lower than the world's average, which was about 8,600 dollars in 2009.
In the World Economic Outlook Update issued in July, the International Monetary Fund also classified China among the emerging and developing economies.
Analysts forecast it will not be until 2050 that China's per capita GDP reaches the 2009 level of developed countries.
"China is still a developing country, and we should be wise enough to know ourselves," Yi has said.
The various challenges China is facing during the ongoing process of economic and social development also indicate the country is not a developed nation at all.
A People's Daily report said Wednesday, although the majority of the Chinese population is now enjoying a well-off life, China has some 150 million people living under the UN poverty line of one dollar a day.
The figure is approximately equal to the total population of Germany and France, the two most populous countries in the European Union.
According to the Human Development Report 2009 issued by the UN Development Program, China ranks 92nd worldwide in the human development index, just a medium development level.
Although China's economy as a whole had witnessed rapid growth, the development levels of urban and rural areas and different regions remained unbalanced, the People's Daily report said.
There still existed some crucial problems in the economic and social development of China, it said.
China's foreign policy also reflects the nature of a developing country.
China and developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin American share common concerns on safeguarding national sovereignty and security, common interests on achieving state development and improving people's livelihoods, and common targets on promoting a just and fair new international political and economic order, the report said.
In fact, some Western media have also advised against exaggerating China's strength and influence.
In a recent Newsweek story titled "The China Dream," the author Ioannis Gatsiounis admitted the rise of China was "the definite economic and political story of our time."
However, he pointed out the unbalanced coverage on China, saying "the coverage of China's global inroads has been profoundly short on context, particularly when it comes to how China is -- and is not -- surpassing the U.S. as a global power."
"There are plenty of stories of a Chinese-sponsored infrastructure project or a Chinese company cutting a deal to feed its 'insatiable thirst' for raw materials, while Western involvement of similar or greater magnitude is lucky to make a headline at all," Gatsiounis said.
Gatsiounis said China's influence was "mixed," considering the country's key economic metrics and cultural influence.
"While China is indeed one of the great powers in the world now, its influence is mixed, and often undercut by America's," he explained, citing dominant U.S. soft power and military buildups.
In fact, analysts said the implication of labeling China as a developed state and exaggerating China's strength was to demand the country take responsibility beyond her capability, or to publicize indirectly the ill-disposed "China threat" theory.
It was obvious to all that China, as a developing country, has actively engaged in shouldering proper international duties in accordance with her capability for the world's peace, stability and prosperity, concluded the People's Daily.


text:
Custody metering
High accuracy and maximum reliability with certified solutions for custody transfer applications
A variety of different functions is expected from Flow Metering Solutions for custody transfer to pipeline measuring system. They ensure the supply of raw materials in production plants or payment settlement for the end product before shipment. Therefore a high level of availability is essential and where there is exchange of ownership of the product at the loading stations highly accurate measured values must be available with a minimum of maintenance.
Decisive competitive advantages with innovative solutions
We offer you approved custody metering as well as global service and support. Our highly accurate and reliable Coriolis flowmeters require minimal maintenance and recalibration. Thanks to the large meter sizes available more ships, trucks and railcars can be handled per day, increasing your transfer capacity whilst guaranteeing accuracy and transparency during the process. Certified to ISO 9001, our standardized processes guarantee the high quality of our products and services.
Satisfy your customers and increase your profit with custody metering skids designed and certified according to API (American Petroleum Institute) or MID (Measuring Instrument Directive)
Enhanced accuracy and correct mass or volume provided through the highest of quality standards for the instrumentation used in our measuring systems
Smooth project handling thanks to our experience and close collaboration with calibration authorities
Getting your plant up and running on time and on budget due to commissioning site management
Reliable hand over of the system within the scheduled time frame thanks to Site Acceptance Test (SAT)


text:
My new company is having a quite special benefits for its staff, which they provide breakfast and lunch.
Being worked here for nearly 2 months time, I would like to post on the lunch that I had everyday here, just to keep a memory of how sweet my company is. Sorry that I'm not able to capture photo of the breakfast they provided, mostly I don't get to eat them. Why? I'm not fast enough, that's why...
OK, back to the lunch. Some of you may say it looks really delicious and tempting. Well, let me tell you honestly, its all the photo effects. It actually doesn't taste as good as it may look like. Forgive me that I'm not going to describe the taste of the food in these posts. For good or bad, I will still have to eat, and it's not my business to decide what to eat/ not to eat. Well, probably I can still decide what to take among the choices we have, or go out of office to get my own lunch somewhere else.
Anyway, let's take a look for my June week 3 lunchboxes.
- Grilled Fish
- Tomyam Chicken Soup
- Fried Chili Chicken
- Fried Fish Ball
- Pickled Vege
- Assam Fish
- Black Pepper Chicken
- Fried Toufu
- Rendang Chicken
- Sweet N Sour Fish
- Fried Long Bean
- Watermelon
- Fried Chicken Chop
- Mashed Potatoes
- Coleslaw
- Fried Rice
If you do keep your visit back in few weeks time, I bet you will find the same dishes came out every now and then...


text:
!! History Commons Alert, Exciting News
This is a scalable context timeline. It contains events related to the event September 23, 2001: EPA Finds High Benzene Levels in WTC Plume. You can narrow or broaden the context of this timeline by adjusting the zoom level. The lower the scale, the more relevant the items on average will be, while the higher the scale, the less relevant the items, on average, will be.
With the passage of the Clean Water Act of 1972, the scope of the National Contingency Plan (NCP) is extended to cover hazardous substance releases in addition to oil spills. [Environmental Protection Agency, 12/23/2004] The NCP is a component of the US government's National Response System, "a multi-layered system of individuals and teams from local, state, and federal agencies, industry, and other organizations that share expertise and resources to ensure that oil spill control and cleanup activities are timely and efficient" and that threats to human health and the environment are minimized. [Environmental Protection Agency, 4/19/2004] When in effect, the plan is administered by the EPA, which is required by law to follow specific procedures and guidelines, including designating an "On-Scene Coordinator" (OSC), who is responsible for directing response efforts and coordinating all other efforts at the scene of a discharge or release. In the event that the EPA delegates any tasks to state or local authorities, the EPA is responsible for ensuring that the response is in accordance with EPA standards. [US Code, Vol. 40, sec. 300; Jenkins, 7/4/2003 ]
Timeline Tags: Environmental Impact of 9/11
The Federal Response Plan (FRP) is developed and becomes Public Law 93-288. The FRP provides "a process and structure for the systematic, coordinated, and effective delivery of Federal assistance to address the consequences of any major disaster or emergency declared under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act." The plan can be called into action by the president of the United States in times of emergency. Once invoked, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) coordinates the efforts of any Emergency Support Functions (ESF) involved. In the event of a hazardous materials release, the EPA is charged with overseeing the federal government's response. The Federal Response Team (FRT) and Regional Response Teams (RRTs) are charged with "carry[ing] out their duties and responsibilities as put forth in the NCP [National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan] (see 1972) and agency implementing procedures." [Federal Emergency Management Agency, 8/1997]
The EPA issues a publication which states that in the event of a terrorist attack causing the release of hazardous substances, the EPA would respond under the authority of the NCP (see 1972). "The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has statutory authorities and responsibilities to prepare for and respond to emergencies involving oil and hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants, which include chemical, biological and radiological materials that could also be components of a weapon of mass destruction (WMD)…. EPA carries out its preparedness and response efforts primarily under the mandate of the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP) and the Radiological Response Program." [Environmental Protection Agency, 5/2000 ]
Entity Tags: Environmental Protection Agency
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issues its "Annual Report to Congress on Combating Terrorism" which reaffirms the EPA's responsibility to respond to any hazardous materials emergencies caused by terrorist attack and provide the affected public with all information relevant to their health and safety. The report observes that the EPA has "expertise in performing off-site monitoring, extent of contamination surveys, working with health officials to establish safe cleanup levels, conducting protective cleanup actions, and communicating technical information/data to impacted citizens…" Moreover, the OMB notes that "EPA's first responders (On-Scene Coordinators or OSCs) from all 10 regions have been actively involved with local, State, and Federal authorities in responding to threats of terrorism," and that "EPA's response to such threats is an extension of its existing hazardous materials response capability developed over more than 30 years as a leader of the National Response System (see 1972)." [Office of Management and Budget, 7/2001 ; Environmental Protection Agency National Ombudsman, 3/27/2002]
Entity Tags: US Congress
The EPA assigns the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) with the task of ensuring that Lower Manhattan homes and businesses are safe for re-occupation. The EPA is bound by the National Contingency Plan (NCP) to see that the City of New York adheres to, and enforces, all EPA standards (see 1972). [US Code, Vol. 40, sec. 300; Jenkins, 7/4/2003 ] The city, in turn, will leave the job of testing and cleanup to the building owners and residents themselves. Neither the city nor the EPA will inform them of the federal regulations that govern asbestos testing and abatement. Instead, the City's health department will provide residents, landlords, and building owners with a tip sheet consisting of instructions "for people reoccupying commercial buildings and residences" that is completely wrong (see September 16, 2001)
(see September 17, 2001). [Office of US Congressman Jerrold Nadler, 4/12/2002 ; Wall Street Journal, 5/9/2002 ]
Entity Tags: Hugh Granger
Smoke from the WTC tower collapses covers lower Manhattan on the day of 9/11, and for days afterward. [Source: ABC News/ Associated Press]The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) release a joint statement asserting that the air in downtown New York City is safe to breathe. "New samples confirm previous reports that ambient air quality meets OSHA standards and consequently is not a cause for public concern," the agencies claim. [Environmental Protection Agency, 9/16/2001] However, the government's statements are based on ambient air quality tests using outdated technologies. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 1/14/2002] Furthermore, it will later be learned that the press release was heavily edited under pressure from the White House's Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). Critical passages in the original draft were either deleted or modified to downplay public health risks posed by contaminants that were released into the air during the collapse of the World Trade Center. [Environmental Protection Agency, 8/21/2003 ; Newsday, 8/26/2003] In late October, the New York Daily News will obtain internal EPA documents containing information that had been withheld from the public. One document says that "dioxins, PCBs, benzene, lead, and chromium are among the toxic substances detected… sometimes at levels far exceeding federal levels." [New York Daily News, 10/26/2001] Later, in October, it will be reported that thousands of rescue workers and residents are experiencing respiratory problems that experts attribute to the toxic smoke flume and ultra fine dust. [CNN, 10/29/2001; New York Post, 10/29/2001; Newsday, 10/30/2001; BBC, 10/31/2001]
Entity Tags: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), World Trade Center, Council on Environmental Quality, Environmental Protection Agency
Timeline Tags: Environmental Impact of 9/11, 9/11 Timeline
EPA monitors detect elevated levels of benzene in the smoke plume from the WTC ruins that exceed OSHA's standard for an eight-hour exposure period. [Environmental Protection Agency, 9/23/2001]
An EPA press release summarizes the agency's response to the September 11 attacks under its authority pursuant the National Contingency Plan (NCP) (see 1972). [Environmental Protection Agency, 9/24/2001]
The EPA will repeatedly claim that it does not have jurisdiction or oversight over indoor tests or cleanups of residences and businesses. Critics who disagree note that: The EPA's response to the 9/11 attacks were coordinated under the authority of the National Contingency Plan (NCP) (see (8:50 a.m. EST) September 11, 2001), which requires that when the EPA delegates any tasks to state or local authorities, the agency ensures that their responses are in accordance with EPA standards (see 1972). Therefore, according to the NCP, the EPA does have jurisdiction over inside air. Shortly before the 9/11 attacks, the EPA commenced the abatement of homes in Libby, Montana where a nearby mining operation had contaminated the surrounding area (see (August 2001)). Libby asbestos remediation commenced under the authority of the National Contingency Plan (NCP). [Jenkins, 7/4/2003 ] In Libby, the highest level of asbestos found in a home was 3,658 structures per square centimeter (s/cm [Chatfield and Kominsky, 10/12/2001 ; MSNBC, 1/11/2002; Jenkins, 7/4/2003 ] In December, the EPA will "fast-track" the Libby site to a place on the National Priorities List as a Superfund site after a request from Montana's governor (see December 20, 2001). In New York, Governor Pataki will make no similar request for the areas affected by World Trade Center collapse. [Kupferman, 2003 ; Jenkins, 7/4/2003 ] The EPA is taking responsibility for the indoor environmental conditions at numerous contaminated sites across the US, including at Herculaneum, Missouri; McFarland, California; and Kellogg, Idaho. [Congressional Office of Representative Jerrold Nadler, 1/7/2002] The EPA has decontaminated more than 1400 homes and businesses in Illinois, Mississippi, and Ohio after the buildings were illegally sprayed with the pesticide methyl parathion (see January 1995)
(see April 1997)
(see November 1996).
Cate Jenkins, Ph.D., a senior chemist in the EPA's Hazardous Waste Identification Division, writes in a memo to Monona Rossol of the Arts, Crafts, and Theater Safety (ACTS) organization that the EPA is ignoring federal asbestos-abatement laws in buildings close to the World Trade Center site. The 22-year veteran of the agency says that EPA officials "effectively waived" the EPA's "strict national regulations for removal and disposal of asbestos contaminated dust" by advising residents and commercial building managers in Lower Manhattan to follow the "extremely lenient (and arguably illegal) asbestos guidelines of the New York City Department of Health." She notes that EPA testing discovered the presence of asbestos levels above the one percent "action level" in dust samples from at least 30 locations, some of which were located within five to seven blocks of Ground Zero. After the memo is reported in the New York Daily News, EPA officials will assert that Jenkins doesn't understand the law (see (November 19, 2001)). [Jenkins, 11/15/2001; New York Daily News, 11/20/2001 ]
Entity Tags: New York City Department of Health, Monona Rossol, Cate Jenkins, PhD., Environmental Protection Agency
Walter Mugdan, the EPA's regional counsel, disputes allegations (see November 15, 2001) that EPA employee Cate Jenkins recently made against the agency in a memo. Jenkins claimed that EPA officials "effectively waived" the EPA's "strict national regulations for removal and disposal of asbestos contaminated dust." Mugdan argues that Jenkins "assumes that they [the regulations] apply to the cleaning up of dust in residential or office buildings in Lower Manhattan." According to him, "When they were written, they were never intended to apply to something like a terrorist act. These regulations apply to owners and operators of a facility who are carrying out a demolition or renovation. They were never contemplated to apply to someone cleaning an apartment." [New York Daily News, 11/20/2001 ; Congressional Office of Representative Jerrold Nadler, 1/7/2002] In response to Mugdan's claim, Jenkins says, "This is not an academic or scientific argument. Our regulations are very specific. They don't allow you to do this. We've had a breakdown where the federal EPA and the city are scrambling to get everything back to normal, and they're ignoring the law." [New York Daily News, 11/20/2001 ] Mugdan's assertions are contradicted by the fact that the EPA has recently removed asbestos from private homes in Libby, Montana and has tested for, and removed, other types of hazardous materials in other regions of the US (see After November 1, 2001). [Congressional Office of Representative Jerrold Nadler, 1/7/2002] Furthermore, in May 2000 (see May 2000), the EPA affirmed that in the event of a terrorist attack, the EPA would respond under the authority of the NCP (see 1972)
—which binds the EPA to the very rules Mugdan's claims would not apply.
Entity Tags: Walter Mugdan, Environmental Protection Agency
The EPA's National Ombudsman's office publishes a report criticizing the EPA's response to the contamination that was caused by the destruction of the World Trade Center. Robert J. Martin, the EPA National Ombudsman, finds that the "EPA has neither fully used its legal authorities nor its existing hazardous materials response capabilities as a leader of the National Response System to aid the victims of the terrorist attack…." [Environmental Protection Agency National Ombudsman, 3/27/2002] Observations - The EPA "initiated the National Contingency Plan (NCP) by mobilizing EPA On-Scene Coordinators (OSCs) [from various locations in the US to work] in Lower Manhattan (see (8:50 a.m. EST) September 11, 2001) to sample indoor and outdoor air, dust and water to, among other things, determine the levels of contamination." "[T]he United States Geological Survey (USGS) testified that the plume of contaminated dust from the attacks was highly caustic with pH readings at least as high as 12.1 (see September 20, 2001)." "The Director of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, has concluded that all dust from the World Trade Center attack must be presumed to be asbestos containing material (ACM) (see January 31, 2002)." "During the last thirty years as a leader of the National Response System, EPA has used the National Contingency Plan as a framework to perform indoor air testing and remediation where there have been releases of hazardous material into homes, schools, and/or offices throughout the United States." Conclusions - "A clear reading of the definition of hazardous waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), leads to the reasonable conclusion that all of the material, released from the attack may be a hazardous waste." "[A]ny cleanup of this dust, should have been and must now be performed in Ml compliance with the OSHA regulations including but not limited to 29 CFR 1910 and 1926." "The EPA is not being honest about the presence of EPA On Scene-Coordinators in New York (see October 5, 2001)
(see October 9, 2001-October 19, 2001)
(see March 11th, 2002)." "EPA has not fully discharged its duties under PDD (Presidential Directive) 62 (see November 28, 2001), the National Contingency Plan (NCP) (see 1972), and the 2001 OMB Annual Report to Congress on Combating Terrorism (see August 2001). EPA has abandoned its responsibilities for cleaning up buildings (both inside and out) that are contaminated, or that are being re-contaminated, as a result of the uncontrolled chemical releases from the World Trade Center terrorist attack." Recommendations - "EPA Region II should, pursuant to authorities under Presidential Directive PDD 62, and the National Contingency Plan (NCF) immediately clean the ducts and upgrade the ventilation systems to install high efficiency filtration at the Stuyvesant High School during spring break." "EPA Region II should execute authorities under Presidential Directive PDB 62, the National Contingency Plan (NCP), and consistent with Administrator Whitman's statement in Libby, Montana four days before the World Trade Center terrorist attack, issue legal guarantees to all building owners, building managers, local businesses, the New York City Board of Education, and condominium and coop owners to protect them from assuming the costs of cleanup from the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center." "Consistent with Presidential Directive PDD 62, the National Contingency Plan (NCP), and Administrator Whitman's statement in Libby, Montana four days before the World Trade Center terrorist attack, EPA Region II should cleanup all impacted buildings (interiors and exteriors) in conjunction with corresponding remediation at 'ground zero.'"
Entity Tags: Environmental Protection Agency, Robert J. Martin
The EPA Office of Inspector General (OIG) releases its investigative report on the EPA's response to the environmental consequences resulting from the collapse and burning of the World Trade Center towers. [BNA Daily Environment Report, 3/20/2003; Environmental Protection Agency, 8/21/2003 ] The report, titled, "EPA's Response to the World Trade Center Disaster Collapse: Challenges, Successes, and Areas for Improvement," concludes: The agency did not have sufficient data to support its claim that air in Lower Manhattan following September 11 was "safe to breathe" (see January 5, 2006). The White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) "heavily influenced" the EPA's press releases, minimizing the risk to public health. Selected emails analyzed by OIG "indicated that CEQ dictated the content of early press releases" (see (September 12, 2001-December 31, 2001)). The EPA does not have an adequate system for reviewing and approving the content of EPA press releases. The EPA misled the public by failing to acknowledge that "health standards do not exist" for the cumulative simultaneous impact of exposure to more than one toxin and that the synergistic effects resulting from these combinations are not well-understood. The EPA Region 2 incorrectly applied AHERA and NESHAP asbestos standards as safety benchmarks when in fact these referred to the detection limits of certain testing methods (see (September 12, 2001)). The EPA failed to consider the short-term impacts of acute exposure to various toxins. The EPA lacked sufficient data on 10 of the 14 "pollutants of concern" identified by scientists as possible components of the WTC dust and debris. The EPA based its assessments on a risk standard of 1-in-10,000 for only some of carcinogenic pollutants thought to be contained in the clouds instead of the 1-in-1,000,000 acceptable-risk standard. It also ignored the agency's traditional reliance on the 1-in-100,000 level, which usually triggers corrective action. The OIG determined there is "no evidence that EPA attempted to conceal data results from the public." However, EPA scientist Cate Jenkins provides evidence the EPA and the City of New York DEP did in fact alter and in effect, conceal data results (see July 15, 2004). The OIG finds that the EPA should have implemented the National Contingency Program (see 1972), which would have given EPA jurisdiction over other government agencies and control over the issue of indoor air contamination. Critics of this report will argue that the EPA had in fact implemented the NCP immediately after the attacks (see After November 1, 2001).
Entity Tags: Council on Environmental Quality, Office of the Inspector General (EPA), Cate Jenkins, PhD.
Receive weekly email updates summarizing what contributors have added to the History Commons database
Developing and maintaining this site is very labor intensive. If you find it useful, please give us a hand and donate what you can.Donate Now
If you would like to help us with this effort, please contact us. We need help with programming (Java, JDO, mysql, and xml), design, networking, and publicity. If you want to contribute information to this site, click the register link at the top of the page, and start contributing.Contact Us
Except where otherwise noted,
the textual content of each timeline is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike