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Wheelock College celebrates Boston Scholar
October 15, 2013
The Fenway Patch
Wheelock College celebrates Karen Morales, a Boston local and member of the Wheelock Class of 2017, along with 16 other Passion for Action Scholars at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, on Wednesday, November 6, 2013 from 6-9 p.m. This fourth Passion for Action Leadership Award Dinner celebrates the positive social entrepreneurship of the Wheelock scholarship recipients. The Wheelock College four-year Passion for Action Scholarship is given to incoming freshmen from greater Boston who have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to community service and involvement.
At the celebration, the College honors Year Up and its founder Gerald Chertavian who will be awarded the 2013 Passion for Action Leadership Award for their work in closing the Opportunity Divide for thousands of young adults across the United States. The Leadership Award Dinner features a keynote address by Anuradha Koirala, the Founder and Executive Director of Maiti Nepal, recognized by CNN in 2010 as one of the TOP 10 Heroes of the world.
Scholarship recipient, Karen Morales graduated from Fenway High School, where she developed her commitment to supporting others and building community. Through her church, Morales has helped disadvantaged communities improve their access to food and basic health screenings. While a student at Fenway High School, Morales served as a student ambassador. With her time at Wheelock, she hopes to create a support program for young girls who have been physically, emotionally, or sexually abused.
Wheelock College created the Passion for Action Scholarship Program in 2007 for outstanding incoming Wheelock students from Greater Boston. The scholarship provides a $20,000 annual award toward Wheelock College tuition and is paired with a unique academic program which develops students' leadership and community service skills. The first Passion Scholars graduated from Wheelock in May 2012; there are currently 17 Passion Scholars enrolled. Five scholarships are awarded every year to members of the incoming class.
The proceeds from the 2013 Passion for Action Leadership Award Dinner will support this unique scholarship program.


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Supporters and opponents of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi called rival demonstrations on Friday after the Islamist leader assumed sweeping powers in what critics dubbed a "coup".
Morsi's supporters, led by the Muslim Brotherhood which backed him in his successful run for the presidency in June, were to demonstrate their support in a rally outside the presidential palace in north Cairo, a Brotherhood official told AFP.
The president's mostly liberal, secular opponents planned to march on Tahrir Square, the central Cairo protest hub where hundreds of thousands rallied for 18 straight days of demonstrations that forced veteran strongman Hosni Mubarak from power early last year.
A source in the president's office told AFP Morsi might give a speech later in the day defending his actions, but a final decision had yet to be taken.
On Thursday, Morsi, who until a new parliament has been elected already held both executive and legislative power, issued a decree that shielded his decisions from judicial review.
He also stripped judges of the right to review the legality of an Islamist-dominated constituent assembly drafting a new charter, on which they had been set to rule in December.
"Morsi is a 'temporary' dictator," read the banner headline in Friday's edition of independent daily Al-Masry Youm. - AFP

subset: commoncrawl


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Here's something I don't get to say very often: I just interviewed two silent film stars. The Artist has been a hit at festivals like Cannes and Toronto. It is a silent film in the style of classic silent comedies. Jean DuJardin plays a silent actor dealing with the rise of talking pictures. Berenice Bejo is the lovely starlet who gives him another chance. I caught them both on the L.A. leg of their press tour.
CraveOnline: Do you hope this catches on and that Hollywood makes a lot more silent movies?
Jean DuJardin: I don't think so.
Berenice Bejo: I'm the most famous silent movie actress in the world and I want to keep that for me. So I hope there's not going to be any other silent movie.
What other stars would you like to see work as silent actors?
DuJardin: Jim Carrey.
Jean, you do have one line at the end of the movie.
DuJardin: Yes, "With pleasure."
How carefully did you prepare that line?
DuJardin: Five months. With pleasure, with pleasure, with pleasure, with pleasure.
That is the only time we hear the character speak. Was it important how that would sound?
DuJardin: It's important for the energy, for the rebirth of the character. More than the sentence itself, it's that that has to come through. "With pleasure" is "Thank you. I'm alive again. Thank you all." It's a thank you to the audience.
How many takes did you do?
DuJardin: About five.
Did they keep the set quiet during takes, even though they weren't recording sound?
Bejo: It was noisy. They were quiet, but we could hear the crew sometimes working or [director] Michel [Hazanavicius] talking during the take. He'd put music on the set as a surprise to us.
DuJardin: He played music from Vertigo, Sunset Boulevard.
Was that a new distraction for you, since it's normally quiet on set?
Bejo: Yeah, I loved it. I felt there was more freedom. There was not the moment of "Silent please," and you're like, "Okay, it's going to be me. I have to say that. I have to remember everything," and then it doesn't come out of your mouth. So, this was like, okay, let's just "Action," and we were shooting actually. The music, it's very special. It gives you emotions very quickly. So, if Michel suddenly had the right song at the right moment we just let the music talk.
A lot of Americans will see you for the first time in this film. What other movies should new fans of yours go see?
Bejo: OSS 117.
DuJardin: For me OSS and maybe Little White Lies, typical French movies with typical French actors and French direction.


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403 Forbidden
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – June is the beginning of summer, and Festival of the Arts is the start of summer in Grand Rapids.
The 43 annual celebration of arts and cultural around Alexander Calder's stabile "La Grande Vitesse" opens June 1 with three days jam-packed with music to hear, art to see, crafts to make and food to taste.
Grand Rapids' biggest street party of the summer has more than 30 hours of activities includes things to do for children and adults, art for sale by regional artists, entertainment on six outdoor performance stages downtown, and a juried art show in The Grand Rapids Press building.
"Festival of the Arts," said Festival 2012 co-chair Andrea Scheckel, "is all about bringing people together."
That togetherness starts shortly before noon on Fri. June 1 with a community procession from Rosa Parks Circle to Calder Stage, led by a procession of past Festival of the Arts co-chairmen and women, carrying screen-printed flags from their year, joined by representatives of Festival food booths along the way.
Festival of the Arts 2012
When : 12 noon-10 p.m. Fri. June 1, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sat. June 2, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sun. June 3
Where: Downtown Grand Rapids from Calder Plaza to Rosa Parks Circle
More info: Festival of the Arts website
At noon, host Rick Treur of River City Improv and the band Genetics take the stage at Calder Plaza, joined by Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell and others to welcome the half a million visitors to the annual free event.
"We're totally stoked about having such as great opening to festival," Scheckel said.
Festival 2012 will be the first festival you can wear as you walk.
The original canvas painting for the 2012 Festival of the Arts poster, created by Erwin Erkfitz, Mitchell Hess and Khristiey Menardie-Yokom, has been sliced up and made into more than 100 one-of-a-kind cuff bracelets that will be sold in the Festival Art Sales Tent.
Naturally, it'll also be a festival where you can walk and eat at the same time.
Festival food booths, all operated by non-profit organizations, will serve up taste treats and ethnic cuisine from Australia to Vietnam with stops in India, Mexico and Somalia along the way.
It'll be "a United Nations of food selections," said Vance Fennell, co-chair of Festival 2012. "This year we will not disappoint with 30 food booths to tantalize the taste buds."
Three new organizations are among the schools, churches, clubs and arts organizations participating in Festival.
Newcomers include the Bosnian American Association of Women Behar serving a pita with beef and potato; Immaculate Heart of Mary School with pepperoni pizza puffs; and Renaissance Church of God in Christ offering watermelon slices.
Here's the entire list of Festival 2012 food booths.
You'll never be far from continuous entertainment over 30 hours and three days at six outdoors stages from Calder Plaza south to Rosa Parks Circle on Monroe Center. Indoor entertainment, meanwhile, will be held in the auditorium of the Grand Rapids Art Museum with softer sounds of classical ensembles and chamber music.
Here's the Festival 2012 complete schedule of entertainment.
Kid's activities at Festival include the popular Paint-In and Mad Hatter. New this year is "Go Fly a Kite" outdoors in front of the Grand Rapids Art Museum, with kite making based on animal-themed works of art in the museum's collection. Kite making begins at 3 p.m. Friday and at 12 noon on Saturday and Sunday.
Coming to the Grand Rapids Art Museum, for the first time, is the Festival Youth Art Exhibition.
More than 400 elementary, middle, and high school students will see their work on display in the non-juried show. Teachers from 30 to 50 schools selected the work for this display in the museum's Garden Room and Betz Studio.
"Seeing kids' faces when they proudly show their family their art work is really what drives the Festival Youth Art show," said Youth Art Co-Chair Betsy Salzman.
Moving from the Grand Rapids Art Museum to The Grand Rapids Press is the Festival of Arts Regional Art Exhibition. Some 354 works of painting, photography, sculpture and more by regional artists will be open during Festival of the Arts hours in the building 155 Michigan St. NW, just across the street from Festival's downtown boundaries.
The Festival Art Sales tents on Calder Plaza welcomes some 40 artists displaying and selling fine arts and crafts from jewelry made from recycled materials and fine metals to pottery, prints, paintings and other treasures including work by three past creators of Festival of the Arts' poster, Jonathan Shuff, Reb Roberts and Alynn Guerra.
Custom-made art, from caricatures to temporary tattoos, will be available at "Art on the Spot," located on Monroe Center and near the Gerald R. Ford Federal Building near the Di Suvero Swing.
Here's the participating artists in Festival 2012 Arts Sales Tent and Art on the Spot.
Plenty will be new, but much will be the same at the 43rd Festival of Arts.
"It's not always what's new," Fennell said. "It's the looks on the kids' faces then they come out with their works of art."
"Things that have stood the test of time," he said.
E-mail Jeffrey Kaczmarczyk: firstname.lastname@example.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ArtsWriter


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Differentiating an M1A Rifle from an M14 Rifle
June 10, 2009 by M1A Scout
Filed under M1A Rifles
The first thing that you might notice about these two rifles is the striking similarity in appearance. It should be similar because they are essentially the same in almost every feature except that one rifle is used by the army and the other one can be purchased at any reputed gun store.
Like the saying goes, the differences are only skin deep. For beginners, the receivers of the M14 are manufactured using what is known as the drop-forge technique. M1A on the other hand uses an investment cast receiver and may be comprised of a mixture of genuine United States GI military specification parts along with case replica parts, or simply all United States GI parts or even mostly investment cast parts along with smaller military specification parts. The sound created by the two receivers is different and any rifle audiophile can immediately differentiate the two by simply listening to their sound upon discharge.
The selector switch of M1As manufactured post 1990 are different from the ones on the M14. The M14 uses a walnut stock similar to the M21 that is height adjustable. Additionally, the 7.62mm caliber design was also dropped after the 1990 model of the M1A. M1As work only off 7.62x50mm NATO ammunition and not on anything else.
The bayonet lug has been removed from the newer M1A models. This was following the Assaults Weapons Ban of 1994 that prohibited the use of bayonet lugs on civilian weaponry. However, there is a workaround that allows owners to attached a bayonet lug to their M1As since the flash suppressor on the M1As are all identical.
When it comes to disassembly as well, there are minor differences between the two. With the M14, you can simply remove the connector and the operating rod slides out whereas the M1A uses a technique commonly known as "twist and pray" to remove the operating rod.
The M1A is strictly a semi automatic rifle. There is no way that it can be made to operate in a full automatic mode. The M14, on the other hand, is a selective fire military weapon. This translates into it being able to operate in selective automatic fire mode. The military initially hadthe selector switch to operate the M14 in full auto but eventually had it removed to a functionless knob since most of the soldiers were habitually leaving the selector to auto under all conditions. The M14 was infamous for not being very controllable in the auto mode and hence it was decided to drop the switch after a while. Thus, this is the reason why almost 90% of the M14s out there are forcibly semi auto with no option to switch.
The other big difference between the two weapons is the inflated price tag. The M14 is at least $14,000 dearer than the M1A. The high cost is attributed to the costlier fabrication process and the use of costlier military grade materials while making it. Hence, you need to be cautious and use discretion while handling the M14, especially if it is in the auto mode.
Why You Should Have Harris Bipods On Your M1A Rifle
March 22, 2009 by m1arifles
Filed under M1A Rifles
Do you know the number one reason of actually getting a bipod for your rifle? Shooters use bipods if they require fast setup speed and even better stability when it comes to shooting on unlevel ground. Achieving an accuracy below 1/2 moa with bipods requires a lot of care and consistency.
There are a number of reasons to why you would need a Harris Bipods on your M1A Rifle. For one, the bipods clamp securely and quickly to the M1A sling. It clamps to the gas block effectively since there isn't a better mounting point on an M1A. Harris Bipods are also equipped with strong recoil springs to prevent damage to the stock and maintain point of impact. Another thing to note on these Harris Bipods is the fact that their legs are adjustable for height.
The bipods come manufactured with heat treated steel and hard alloys and finished with a black anodized coat. Some of the models of under the Harris Bipods series are Model BR (Bench Rest) Lowest of the Bipods which is most useful for shooting off the bench. The bipods can be adjustable to a height from 6″ to 9″. Then there's the Model L (Light). This model is the world's largest selling bipod as it is compact and light. It has an adjustable height from 9″ to 13″ and weighs 11 oz. Model H: (High) is for prone or sitting position shooting and it's the best for varmint shooting. The height is adjustable from 13 1/2″ to 23″. In the Model 25C, it is the tallest of the Bipods with the three piece leg construction being adjustable from 13 1/2″ to 27″
There are several styles to choose from the Harris Bipods series. Series "M" is a new version of the original Leg Notch Bipod. This version is where the legs eject by spring action and its height is can be adjusted at a rate of 1″ increments. The Series "S" features a rotating bipod that rotates to either side for instant leveling on uneven ground. Hinged base has tension adjustment and buffer springs to eliminate tremor or looseness. This model is similar to the non-rotating Series and is available for ALL models except the "H" model.
[phpbay]harris bipod, 9, "", ""[/phpbay]


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Extreme Couponing is a term that defines coupon users who take their savings to an extreme.
Rather than saving $10 or $15 on cart of groceries, (which would seem great to many of us) extreme couponers want to challenge how close to free they can get with the most amount of groceries.
Here are 30 things you should know that the extreme couponers already know.
1. It takes a lot of homework to get to the point of extreme couponing. Learn how to coupon and work your way up.
2. Be grateful when you save a little bit of money- it's better than paying full price.
3. When you pay less than you save in one transaction, that is considered to be a huge score.
4. TV isn't always what is real. Remember, things can be staged and there are advertisements where you least expect them to be.
5. The shopping hauls that you may see on TV are usually 'one of a kind' and the couponing expert scoring the haul will usually be the first to say so.
6. Coupon greats know that there are several easy places to find coupons: the Sunday paper, online, and from the manufacturer.
7. Other places to get coupons include the store's website, facebook and possibly the best, online databases.
8. Couponers will often use online coupon clipping sites to get additional coupons. The cost of doing this may be worth the time saved in the long run.
9. Beware of auction sites who sell coupons, according to the experts.
10. It is very rare to find a coupon for a FREE item. Most stores will not accept them as "FREE" usually is a red flag for counterfeit.
11. Counterfeit coupons is big business. Make sure you aren't using any.
12. Coupon fraud is a big deal. Use your coupons exactly as they state they must be used. Why go to jail over a coupon?
13. Before you head out to a store, find out their current coupon policy. If you cannot find it online, call the store manager and ask.
14. Many stores have an additional way to save by using your phone to load coupons on to. On the downside, many of these are not stackable.
15. Learn the coupon lingo.
16. Being able to score $1200 worth of groceries for $100, like you may have seen on TV or elsewhere, isn't always possible in all locations. If you notice, these people are shopping at certain stores, which have more liberal coupon policies such as doubling and tripling coupons. Not everyone has this in their location.
17. If you are planning to purchase A LOT of items, call ahead first. Not only is it the courteous thing to do, it can make your shopping experience more efficient if they are able to prepare your items for you.
18. Be organized with your coupons. Have an organized location to store them.
19. Be organized with your shopping- plan ahead by going through the ads and matching the coupons with the ad prices. This is part of homework and can be easily done online thanks to sites like this one.
20. The secret to extreme couponing is to match your coupons to sale items. This is why couponers will have a lot of coupons and they study the ads.
21. Don't forget to factor in the money you may also get back in the form of 'bucks', and 'bates' with your receipt. This is where the 'oop' out of pocket spending scores can come from.
22. The person who rings you up at the store is your friend. They have the power to make your transaction more or less successful. Be nice to this person.
23. Stockpiling items is the secret to many couponers. This means buying sale items with coupons in bulk and storing them away.
24. Most coupons and deals regenerate every 3-6 months. Many stockpilers will use this a basis for how big their stockpiles are.
25. Know the difference between stockpiling and hoarding. If you are faced with a 10 year supply of an item you will never use and it is taking up valuable space, consider donating the items to an organization who can use them. It can be a deduction worth something in the end.
26. Bond with other coupon users and share tips. It can become a fun hobby.
27. After a period of time, successful couponers learn when their favorite products go on sale and when the coupons for them are available.
28. Your stockpile area should be well organized and be in a cool dry place. You wouldn't want your treasures ruined by water.
29. Couponing can save you a lot of money on items you usually buy. They can also introduce you to new items. Buy what you need and learn how to lose that brand loyalty on occassion.
30. Have a goal to keep you going. Some people coupon to get out of debt or to purchase something big with their savings.
Related Posts Just for You


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Exclusive GRAMMY.com Interview With Building 429's Jason Roy
Frontman/principal songwriter Jason Roy of Christian pop/rock band Building 429 recently visited the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville to participate in an exclusive GRAMMY.com interview. Roy discussed his songwriting process, the message he hopes to communicate to his audience, Building 429's upcoming album, We Won't Be Shaken, and future goals, among other topics.
"I really want to write songs that empower people to stand up and [I want to] tell them, 'You can.'" said Roy. "If you really feel like you can do something, don't listen to somebody tell you no and shut you down. … You have two options in this life: you can believe what everybody tells you or you can believe what you believe about yourself internally, and then you can make that happen."
Comprising Roy (vocals), Michael Anderson (drums), Aaron Branch (bass), and Jesse Garcia (guitar), Building 429's name is taken from a biblical passage in Ephesians 4:29: "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up." The quartet broke through with the release of their debut EP, Glory Defined, in 2004. The title track was named BMI's Christian Song of the Year in 2005, and that same year Building 429 was recognized as New Artist of the Year at the Gospel Music Association's Dove Awards.
Following the release of their debut studio album, 2004's Space In Between Us, Building 429 released Rise in 2006, with the album peaking at No. 3 on Billboard's Christian Albums chart. The band followed with 2007's Iris To Iris, 2008's Building 429 and 2011's Listen To The Sound. The latter album reached No. 2 on the Christian Albums chart and featured the single "Where I Belong," which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Christian Songs chart and was named Billboard's Christian Song of the Year and Christian AC Song of the Year in 2012.
Scheduled for release June 4, We Won't Be Shaken was produced by GRAMMY nominee Jason Ingram (Chris Tomlin, Sanctus Real) and Rob Hawkins (Fireflight, Anthem Lights). The debut single, "We Won't Be Shaken," offers listeners a preview of the album's expressive vocals, skilled musicianship and insightful songwriting.
Building 429 are currently in the midst of a U.S. tour, with dates scheduled through December.


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simple bash scripting help
Back in the good old days, before *nix allowed file or directory names with spaces as part of the name I could create a script for example, called "lm" , put it in my bin directory, and execute it as such :-
ll T* W*
and the output would be exactly the same as if I had typed in:-
ls -al T* W* | more
Maybe I'm getting too old or too lazy, but after reading the "Bash Scripting Guide" pdf from tldp.org, I still can't for the life of me work out how to do this. Can any of you young whipper snappers out there show me the way please?
I'm guessing that the "ll" should be "lm". Otherwise I can't make
sense of your post.
The lm script just needs this:
ls -al "$@" | more
And who are you calling old????
|All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:27 AM.


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Charles Sharpe bypasses lite gripes in favour of full bitters.
I hate drivers with mobiles glued to one ear. I tried it once - total brain cleave. Impossible to control a car responsibly and have a meaningful conversation. Particularly if you drive a manual. Who's steering while you change gear? To follow one such culprit is to know them instantly: variable speed and direction, and zero awareness of automotive activity around them. Despite all, the conversation comes first. Display your annoyance via copious use of the horn and you score the famous third digit. Easy and visible pickings though these drivers are, the cops appear oblivious. Then again, there are many reports of the police committing the same offence.
I hate waiters who constantly refill wine glasses. To the brim. Despite the should-be-known fact that wine of any colour needs room to breathe in the glass (let alone the fact that chilled white wine warms in the glass faster than in the cooler), the ploy is oh-so-obvious. Cop the raised-eyebrow query when, surprise, the bottle has been wrung dry in minutes: "Another bottle, sir?" Yeah, right.
I hate people who, in a busy store with few checkouts, proudly tender a credit card with which to settle an $11.80 purchase. Good grief! The time it takes for this paltry transaction to be effected should be deducted from these people's lifespan. If you don't have 12-odd bucks in your wallet, you shouldn't be in a shop to start with.
I hate very small dogs. And, by extension, their owners. The dogs create noise grossly disproportionate to their size, and at such a high frequency that glass is threatened along with my teeth. The owners are no better. Clearly short-changed emotionally, they lavish every possible comfort on their motorised powder puff. So these quivering bundles of fur and bones eat off tables in public restaurants, clothed in ridiculous outfits, and are offered every personal convenience that the owners would so clearly love for themselves.
I hate tradesmen who, at the unfortunate but admittedly legal time of 7am, park in my street and install themselves at the work site of the moment. They crash, bump, shout and generally let you know they've arrived, then disappear into the property they're working on. At that point, one of them returns to the truck, collects a missed implement, then opens both truck doors and turns on the radio. Full blast. Brilliant. They are so far away, and making quite enough noise all by themselves, that there's Buckley's of them hearing the radio as well. But guess who can? Every-bloody-body else in the street.
I hate shrink-wrapping. Containers of something you want to use right now, but the moment passes as you scrabble at the alleged "Open here" corner of the recalcitrant little bastard of a package, the contents smiling cheerfully at you from their plastic prison. The buggers don't even split open when you hurl them against the wall, bleeding through the ears with frustration.
There. Thank you. It was good for me.
Readers are invited to apply wit to anything that makes the blood boil. Send 550 words, with contact details, to firstname.lastname@example.com. Submissions may be edited and published on the internet.
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With regards to construction companies using the ''Percentage of Completion method'' and ''change in contracts in progress'' on the cash flow statement - is it the customer rather than the contractor who ultimately pays for the costs in CIP by the time the project is completed?
And any swings in ''change in contracts in progress'' are just temporary?? ie, if the contractor ends up paying more than the customer for these costs in a certain period of the contract, then an entry under assets will be made, similar to accounts receivables, which is like an IOU to the contractor from the customer. But if the customer mostly pays during a year, then the liability account increases, increasing free cash flow. But by the completion of the contract the customer pays for all of these costs?
(I'm looking at this from a valuation DCF perspective, but need to understand the ''change in contracts in progress'' to try and determine what a companies underlying free cash flow is)
Thanks for any help.


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The more things change, the more they stay the same. Right? Not quite.
The 2014 edition of Super Rugby looks set to dish up far more surprises than previously thought, with teams who've previously struggled to make an impact looking more threatening than before. And, some of the teams of which much was expected are struggling somewhat in the early rounds of the competition.
What we have in front of us then is a Super Rugby season that looks set to be more closely contested than in previous years. Every match and every point earned will prove crucial with the eventual top six – who feature in the play-offs – anyone's guess at this early stage.
Sure, the three conference leaders – the Waratahs, Sharks and Chiefs – have won both their games up to now and appear to be the favourites from Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, but the strong performances of some of the also-rans of the past, teams like the Lions, Highlanders and Rebels, suggest this could be a much tighter competition than before.
And teams who've generally done well in Super Rugby in the recent past – outfits like the Crusaders, Stormers, Reds and Bulls – are battling a little at the moment.
Furthermore, the likes of the Brumbies, who went all the way to the final last year, and the Cheetahs, who played in the "quarter-finals" for the first time in 2013, have had very up-and-down starts to the new season.
While this year's competition is still in its infancy, indications are that if the Stormers, Bulls and Cheetahs don't find their form quickly, South Africa's hope for another title will rest solely with Jake White's Sharks. It is indeed true the Stormers and Bulls picked up their first wins of the competition at the weekend – against the Hurricanes and Lions respectively – but both sides were some way off their best and far from convincing. And the Cheetahs, despite downing the Bulls in week two, slumped to a defeat against the Rebels in a performance coach Naka Drotske will want to forget very quickly.
And such is the competitiveness of Super Rugby this year of the above-mentioned local teams could lose this weekend. The Bulls face the Blues, a very dangerous team and big winners over the Crusaders this last weekend, the Stormers are in Christchurch against a desperate Crusaders, who've lost two out of two, while the Cheetahs face an equally desperate Reds in Brisbane after taking a pounding from the Waratahs.
And in Durban on Saturday, the Lions – who suffered their first defeat in three matches at a wet Loftus Versfeld at the weekend – are up against the Sharks, who had a bye at the weekend and a side who look to be one of the main title contenders. How the Lions respond after their first loss will tell a lot about their mental strength and whether they are indeed able to sustain the form and hunger shown in the first two rounds.
Yes, the Bulls and Stormers won at the weekend – which will ease the pressure to an extent – but just like the Lions, they now need to show they're back on track. As for the Cheetahs, well, they need to find the spirit that drove them so strongly last year.
Bulls 25, Lions 17; Western Force 14, Brumbies 27; Waratahs 32, Reds 5; Chiefs 21, Highlanders 19; Stormers 19, Hurricanes 18; Rebels 35, Cheetahs 14; Blues 35, Crusaders 24
Friday: Hurricanes v Brumbies; Reds v Cheetahs
Saturday: Crusaders v Stormers; Force v Rebels; Bulls v Blues; Sharks v Lions - The Star


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allowing commands to continue after parent shell exitAlternatively, you can put "&" after the command before closing the shell, which daemonizes the child process. If the child process is already running, you can temporarily suspend it by hitting Ctrl-Z, then typing in "bg" (which "continues" the process daemonized). To bring the process back to the foreground, run "fg".
$ sleep 100 # this is the process we'll daemonize ^Z # Ctrl-Z is immediate, Ctrl-Y suspends the process when it tries to read input [1]+ Stopped sleep 100 $ bg # short for "background"...only works on suspended processes [1]+ sleep 100 & <~~~ same as if you'd run "sleep 100 &" from the start $ time sleep 5 # a different "sleep" process real 0m5.003s user 0m0.004s sys 0m0.000s $ fg # bring the "old" sleep process that we daemonized back to the foreground sleep 100 ^C $ sleep 200 & # daemonize the process from the start [1] 2117 $ ps aux | grep sleep # look at the daemonized process user 2117 0.0 0.0 3232 616 pts/1 S 22:33 0:00 sleep 200 $ fg # bring the daemonized process back to the foreground sleep 200 ^C $
Posted 11-08-2011 at 10:35 PM by rocket357
Updated 11-08-2011 at 10:42 PM by rocket357
allowing commands to continue after parent shell exitGNU screen is also useful if you want to exit and resume later, e.g. over ssh.
Posted 11-05-2011 at 09:49 AM by ewqdsacxz
playing video on the desktop backgroundThat;'s interesting, I'll try that soon
Posted 06-01-2011 at 11:12 PM by TheIndependentAquarius
checking 3D acceleration of graphicsGood point. One has to check whether the 3D rendering is being done by software or hardware.
Posted 05-31-2011 at 05:55 PM by neonsignal
checking 3D acceleration of graphicsThat's not always the case:
$ glxinfo | grep direct
direct rendering: Yes
$ glxgears
1733 frames in 5.0 seconds = 346.452 FPS
1733 frames in 5.0 seconds = 346.516 FPS
1733 frames in 5.0 seconds = 346.525 FPS
$ glxinfo | grep render
direct rendering: Yes
OpenGL renderer string: Software Rasterizer
GL_NV_conditional_render, GL_NV_depth_clamp, GL_NV_fragment_program,
~350 fps is entirely too slow for this to be true hardware acceleration, especially for an ATI HD 3450.
Posted 05-31-2011 at 04:26 PM by rocket357
Posted 05-24-2011 at 01:06 PM by peonuser
remote shell accessI'm a big fan of installing fail2ban when sshd is running...
Posted 05-08-2011 at 02:04 PM by rich_c


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It was a dark and stormy night... The band of infiltrators crept into the deserted building. After checking to make sure that the authorities weren't present, they crept up to the sixth floor. At this point, they were committed, there was no going back. Their leader laid out the plans. At 2300 hours they were to launch the projectiles at their target. Tension built as the time approached. Their plans had been set, the shields were in place to ensure maximum coverage. Wearing a helmet and shield, their leader fearlessly stood anticipating the onslaught. At the appointed time, the balls were released and they cascaded down the staircase, bouncedy, bouncedy, bouncdey.
Ok, it wasn't stormy (the stars were out), and it wasn't particularly dark (especially with the building exterior lighting), mostly we showed up in our cars and badged ourselves into the building, and the cleaning crew was wandering the halls, there was copious beer and sandwiches for everyone, and Dave had made t-shirts for everyone, but who's counting... It also wasn't particularly a "prank", but was more of a "stunt", since we cleaned up after ourselves 🙂
Last night, (as mentioned in this video) a bunch of miscreants found their way to the top of the building 41 main staircase, and proceeded to toss 20,000 bouncy balls down the stairwell. As I mentioned, Dave decided to stand right in front of us watching as the balls were thrown off, after we started pelting him a bit, he decided that he needed some head protection, so he grabbed a spare bucket (that's where we put the bouncy balls), cut an eye hole in it, and stood there while we dumped thousands and thousands of bouncy balls down on him.
It was awesome.
Later on, we dumped a thousand or so balls we'd reserved directly over the side, I was near the bottom of the stairwell when that happened, it was pretty trippy watching the balls come on down.
Being good little boys, we then spent the next hour or so cleaning up the mess we'd made, I had broom duty, so I was pushing hundreds of bouncy balls down the stair landings (there was a crew with a shopvac behind me picking up the stuff I missed). It was great watching the balls gracefully cascade down the stairs.
PS: Now you know why I'm not planning on leaving my day job. I can't write prose.
PPS: Yes, I know about the Sony Braviaa ad, and it was just like being in the middle of the ad. But Dave had the idea long before the ad ran.


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A process to deal with examining the Eighth Amendment should be completed in the next government, Tánaiste Joan Burton has said.
Ms Burton and Taoiseach Enda Kenny were speaking at the annual review of the Programme for Government.
The Tánaiste also said the process to deal with the issue should be completed in a year to a year-and-a-half in the next government, before a referendum would take place on repealing the amendment.
Mr Kenny said: "I loathe to put a date on a referendum because these things need to be teased out properly, but obviously it will happen in the course of the next few years in the life of the next government.
And I say that against a presumption, without being presumptuous, that the people will return the present Government".
A Government spokesperson tonight said that the Taoiseach was referring to the timeline around the process of addressing the issue and not committing to holding a referendum in that timeline.
Last week, Mr Kenny indicated that if the Fine Gael-Labour coalition was re-elected, cabinet ministers would be allowed a free vote in the event of a referendum on the repeal of the Eighth Amendment.
However, a Government spokesperson said that the Taoiseach's remarks related solely to voting.
The spokesperson added that it was "too premature" to be discussing the issue of how ministers should campaign on the issue.


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Related quotes
"You got to be brave and put up a fight, while you are going through the tough times! For your very own life and those you love depend on this. Fight the good fight, for that is the only way to make it through this maze! Only the brave ones will stand at the end!..."
"A great photograph is one that fully expresses what one feels, in the deepest sense, about what is being photographed."
"I try to photograph people's spirits and thoughts. As to the soul-taking by the photographer, I don't feel I take away, but rather that the sitter and I give to each other. It becomes an act of mutual participation."


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- 52 total posts
- 1 review
- 51 comments
Reviews & Stories
Discreet TT: BB concerns 2+ wks post-op
I'm 50 yrs old, 5'6", 170 lbs, married. I have never had children. I am in the midst of menopause and am having an increasingly difficult time shedding the pounds I've gained over the past year. I have always had a belly pooch, even in my more slender days of running, weight training, and bicycle adventuring. It is a genetic trait evident on my mom and sisters. The... READ MORE
Recent comments from GreenGalVT
- Glad to hear all is going well! I appreciate your thoughts about the hindsight of pre-op energy. No regrets. READ COMMENT
It's been a while since I've posted--here or on my profile. I'm 11 wks PO (July 26) and am doing OK, but continue to deal with much tightness, swelling, and now various darts of pain in my middle area. My dr. told me that the middle... READ COMMENT
31 days with a drain?! Wow. I cannot even imagine it. The longer mine were in the more painful they became, I think from being tugged on and jostled. I also showered every day after day 3, but don't think that is related to the... READ COMMENT
Glad to hear it! Sounds similar to my experience. Happy healing. READ COMMENT
Thanks, Dmags. I posted updated info & pics today. I wouldn't say an umbilical hernia repair is a lie: your umbilicus will definitely be repaired as part of the whole thing. I did not use the hernia option in part because I am under... READ COMMENT


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Cellular Epigenetics Assays
A challenge in studying epigenetic enzymes and their corresponding modifications is their existence in multiple protein complexes and the complexes' impact on their activity. Therefore, the ability to study these enzymes and to identify compounds that translate into useful drugs in vivo is greatly facilitated by the ability to incorporate cell-based assays using therapeutically relevant cell backgrounds.
Our BacMam Histone H3 Cellular Assay Kits allow you to choose the modification that corresponds to your enzyme of interest in your chosen cell background or multiple cell backgrounds.
Request Assay Information Use Assay Maker
Click on the tabs below to learn more.
Assay Principle
The BacMam reagent is used to transduce your cells and drives expression of GFP-Histone H3 fusion protein in your cell background of interest. The GFP-Histone H3 is now a substrate for a variety of epigenetic enzymes such as methyltransferases. In the presence of a terbium (Tb)-labeled modification-specific antibody (such as anti histone H3K4me2), the binding of the antibody to the Histone H3 substrate results in time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer (TR-FRET) between the GFP and the Tb.
Monitoring the TR-FRET readout in the presence of cells treated with compounds enables the identification of inhibitors of epigenetic enzymes for that particular modification.
Figure 1. Assay overview. Cells are mixed with BacMam Reagent encoding GFP-tagged Histone H3 protein and plated onto a 384-well assay plate. Cells are left untreated or treated with compound for 20 to 24 hours. Cells are lysed in the presence of a terbium (Tb)-labeled modification-specific antibody and TR-FRET is detected using a fluorescence microplate reader with standard TR-FRET settings.
Assay Benefits
The BacMam Histone H3 Cellular Assays combine the portability of BacMam with LanthaScreen® technology for detection of epigenetic modifications of Histone H3 within the native cellular environment.
|Key Benefits for Epigenetics Researchers:
Learn more about:
- BacMam-enabled Cellular Assays
- The LanthaScreen™ Cellular Assay Technology
H3K27me3 Detection in Various Cell Types
Figure 1. Detecting Histone H3 Lysine 27 trimethylation in various cell backgrounds. BacMam enables portability of the assays to relevant cell backgrounds. Here, BacMam Histone H3 Reagent was added to a panel of different cell types to achieve the indicated virus concentration (v/v). Subsequent addition of the LanthaScreen® Tb-anti-Histone H3K27me3 Antibody enabled detection of TR-FRET signals showing a range of assay windows depending on the cell background. The differences in assay window can be attributed to such factors as variations in the methylation status of histone H3 and/or the transduction efficiency of the cell background.
EZH2 RNAi Decreases H3K27me3 Levels
Figure 1. siRNA knockdown analysis shows EZH2 RNAi decreases H3K27me3 levels in HeLa cells. Stealth RNAi oligos were used to analyze the contribution of four different methyltransferase to histone H3 trimethylation of lysine 27 in HeLa cells. Using 15% BacMam Histone H3 Reagent, RNAi knockdown of H3K27me3 was most significant for EZH2 as expected.
|Histone methyltransferase
|Histone H3 lysine modifications
|H3K4me2 and H3K4me3
|EHMT2 (G9a)
|H3K9me1 and H3K9me2
H3K27me1, K27me2, K27me3
For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.


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|Sport, 2 pitches
|YDS: 5.12a French: 7a+ Ewbanks: 25 UIAA: VIII+ ZA: 25 British: E5 6a [details]
|Hunt, McImerney, Medara 1991
|Page Views:
|Submitted By:
|David Shiembob on Aug 20, 2007
|Comments on Shelter from the Storm
|Add Comment
|Show which comments —
By Nubbins80
From: Salt Lake City, Utah
Aug 11, 2008
|I got worked on the crux at the second bolt; does anyone have beta for that move?
By Boissal
From: Small Lake, UT
Jul 9, 2013
Take a couple of .5s or a .5 and a .75 is you're a wuss. Or even a large nut if you still use those. I thought the .4 would look like a hot dog in a hallway so I skipped. There's an optional #2 placement somewhere higher that will reassure the meek during the trip between bolts.
The lower two cruxes are stout and technical, the upper section is reminiscent of Medusa with big moves between good holds and steeeeeeeeep climbing. There are tons of sucker holds that will explode your forearms if you don't nail the sequence.
Probably my new favorite line at Tower One.
By Landon McBrayer
From: Salt Lake City, UT
Aug 15, 2013
|Oddly, i guess, I found the technical crux to be right at the first bolt - the moves getting established in the crack. Easy gear there. The second bolt "crux" seemed pretty straightforward, and the tough climbing ends quickly. The rest of the route is super juggy and steep, but with lots of rests interspersed between well-spaced bolts. The finish is wild! One of the best routes at the towers, for sure.
By John Steiger
Jul 30, 2015
|Gotta say the first pitch is one of the best 5.11s in upper LCC (Medussa comes close, but this is better). The pitch is almost entirely in the dark stuff, which seems to be the best rock Hellgate has to offer. The higher of the two anchors needs a chain (18 inches should do it, plus a quick link) and a third bolt would be welcome. Like everyone else it seems, we did only the first pitch -- the second is in the poorer quality white rock, and even more intimidating than the first.


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The folk behind S.E.H Kelly recently took a trip to Donegal, Ireland to get up close with the makers responsible for some of the fine cloths used across their outerwear range as well as the milliners who put together their new line in headwear. In fact, in the case of these smart hats, a few miles apart you'll find the yarn spinners, the tweed mill and cap maker who put together the final piece. A locally made product from start to finish. Paul Vincent of the label briefly talks us through some of the beautiful shots taken on their journey, all of which can be found in our gallery.
"County Donegal in north-west Ireland is a remote place, and dotted all over its landscape, here and there, are some really good makers. We began working with a father-and-son mill in January — we made some blazers with their cloth, and last month, caps and peacoats. Their cloth is a little different to the stuff for which the area is famous: their patterns are more contemporary and palette muted.
What's great about this part of the world, for a brand like us, is how these makers are all tied together. They all go back together a long way and so local word of mouth helps us discover more makers. It was via the father-son mill, in fact, that we found the cap-maker nearby and then, beyond that, hand-knitters and yarn-spinners, all of whom we hope to work with next year."
Words:Paul Vincent


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Detail Information
- What is your diagnosis? Perifemoral mass in a cowTricia M Bisby
Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
Vet Clin Pathol 38:343-7. 2009..While cytologic findings may suggest rhabdomyosarcoma, cytologic features can be highly variable, and a definitive diagnosis usually requires cytochemical and immunohistochemical staining...
- Sarcocystis sp. encephalomyelitis in a catTricia M Bisby
Department of Comparative Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
Vet Clin Pathol 39:105-12. 2010..associated encephalomyelitis. Clinicians and cytopathologists should include Sarcocystis sp. as a differential for feline inflammatory central nervous system disease characterized by neutrophilic pleocytosis...


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Two big games in five days. Against two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. Both of whom are ahead of United in the table.
After a 1-0 win over the Chicago Fire on Saturday, United looks toward big game number two this evening against the second place Revolution. Last week, the guys topped a Revolution team made up almost entirely of reserves 3-1 in the U.S. Open Cup semifinal. They can likely look forward to a full strength side this evening, as both teams battle for important points.
Game time is set for 7:30 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast locally on Comcast SportsNet and can be heard on the radio - in English on 1050 AM and in Spanish on 1540 AM.
Let's take a look at what's floating around the interwebs this morning:
- Paul Tenorio at the Washington Post writes about Louis Crayton's history and decision to come to United.
- John Haydon also takes at look at United's newest signing in the Washington Times.
- In the Washington Examiner, Craig Stouffer writes about the crowded Eastern Conference standings.
- Charles H. Boehm writes about the different Revs United will see tonight (oodles of game notes here).
- In the Boston Globe, Monique Walker says Doug Warren will be in goal for the Revs.
- John Connolly in the Boston Herald also writes that Matt Reis will be out tonight.
Now, that you've got all of the newest news, how about making a prediction for tonight's match? Here's how it work: You predict the score (DCU 32 - New England 0) and if you guess correctly, you might very well win two tickets to an upcoming United game. All it takes is a minute of your time. Congrats, by the way, to 'jonk' who won two tickets after correctly predicting United would top the Revs last week 3-1 (yes, he was one of a few, but he was the one randomly selected, so you settle down).


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Your Shopping Spot for Fine Things
About Mimi's Fine Things
Our Service PledgeWe respond to all orders within 24 hours, we guarantee the authenticity of all our items, we make every attempt to identify any imperfections in the piece in the item description and stand by the quality of our product.
About UsOur Family Shop on Ruby Lane was started with antique dolls lovingly collected by our 'Mimi' and Dad during the 1950's and 60's. She purchased hundreds of dolls during this period of time. She kept this collection together until 1993, when it was passed to me and my husband. The nudies, bathing beauties and naughties and Bye-Lo's were collected by Dad and at his death at the age of 94 yrs, in 2004, they came to us. The authenticity of this collection can be verified by the documentation that she made when she purchased these beautiful dolls, no reproductions.
The books in Shop were collected by my husband during the 70's and 80's. H
collected many, many children's, history, children's series books and probably a book for every interest. Please look at all pictures of items of interest as I believe the picture will tell more than words. Please e-mail or call for additional pictures or information regarding my items.
I have been collecting and selling Antiques for more than 30 years.
Since opening our Ruby Lane shop in 2008 we have sent dolls and books to Austria, Australia, Cyprus, Germany, England, Japan, Greece, Italy, Russia, the Netherlands, Canada, Switzerland, New Zealand, France, and Vietnam, as well as all over the USA.
Carolyn HarrisEmail Shop
My mailing address will be provided at checkout or when using a money order for your purchase
Troy, OH 45373
Troy, OH 45373
(937) 552-9889View Location


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With loop mania sweeping the globe, BOSS proudly announces the most powerful Loop Station ever brought to the market-the RC-300. The new flagship looper features three synchronized stereo tracks with ... Click To Read More About This Product
With loop mania sweeping the globe, BOSS proudly announces the most powerful Loop Station ever brought to the market-the RC-300. The new flagship looper features three synchronized stereo tracks with dedicated volume knobs and transport-control footswitches for each track. It's also equipped with pro effects, a master Expression pedal, and a deluxe, ultra-wide control panel for the ultimate in live-performance manipulation. Plug in your guitar, bass, keyboard, or instrument of choice and create amazing loops in real time. An XLR input is also provided, complete with phantom power, so singers, percussionists, violinists, beatboxers, or anyone with a mic'd instrument can get in on the act, too. The RC-300 lets you record for up to three hours directly to its internal memory, adding effects as you go. The USB port lets you save your loops externally, as well as import/export WAV files. Step into the most powerful and inspiring Loop Station in BOSS history.
Triple Stereo Loops
Create, stack, and manipulate multi-layered loops with the RC-300's three stereo tracks-each track being independently controllable. The "Auto Recording" feature starts recording the moment you begin playing your instrument, or as soon as you start a connected audio player. Count-In mode gives you one-bar of rhythm before recording starts. You can Undo/Redo as you go. The sky's the limit with three hours of recording time!
Expanded pedal board
The RC-300's ultra-wide pedal board is equipped with an Expression pedal (which can be assigned to a variety of parameters) and enlarged footswitches for controlling REC/PLAY and STOP for each track. There's also a master ALL START/STOP footswitch onboard. Additionally, three independent faders provide immediate control of each track's output volume. And if that's not enough control under your hands and feet, you can also connect external Expression pedals and footswitches (sold separately).
Onboard FX
Process your tracks and external-input signals with the RC-300's expressive onboard effects, including Transpose, Flanger, Phaser, Modulator, vocal effects, and more. A dedicated LOOP FX footswitch is provided for instant activation of the onboard effects. Control the effects parameters in real time with the Expression pedal for hands-free creativity onstage. You can apply the effects to any single track as well as to the entire mix, expanding your creativity and musical expression.
Rhythm Guide and Preloaded Audio
To keep your loops tight and in time, you can play along with one of the cool rhythm patterns in the RC-300's onboard library as you record; the Loop Quantize feature helps you having your recordings looped in time. Dozens of rhythm types are onboard, including rock, pop, shuffle, Latin, and more. A dedicated knob lets you adjust the volume of the rhythm, and you can set the tempo incrementally or via tap tempo. You can also specify the time signature. When you save a phrase, the rhythm type and time signature will also be saved. To get you up and running right away, the RC-300 comes preloaded with audio backing tracks (including bass tracks, piano tracks, etc.) for instant play-along performance and fun.
USB Connectivity
Connect the RC-300 to your computer via a standard USB cable, and back up your phrases externally for safekeeping. You can import and export WAV files between your computer and the RC-300; 16-bit/44.1kHz WAV files of up to 1.7GB in size can be imported.
AUX Input
In addition to recording your instrument performances and turning them into playable loops, you can record other external stereo audio sources via the AUX IN. Sounds from a digital-audio player or other device connected to the AUX input can easily be recorded and added to your loop performance.
Pro Coverage gives you added warranty protection for your gear. Stepping in where the manufacturer's "normal wear and tear" coverage ends, our Pro Coverage program offers you upgraded coverage if your product ever fails Click To Read More About This Product.
Reviewed by 9 customers
Comments about Boss RC-300 Loop Station:
I just upgraded from a boss 20xl because I wanted a multiple track looper. It's surely an improvement, but came with disappointments. Pros: None of the below were features of my Boss 20-xl Lots of recording time (3 hours!) tons of banks you can record to (perfect for tons of song ideas, variations of those ideas, etc..) 3 separate tracks that can be turned on /off individually during performance (what I was looking for, but not enough) you can set/change an accurate BPM (great) stereo in /out (awesome) cd quality sound (much better than 20xl) Cons: Only 3 tracks (I'm one short for every song, it's really annoying. I don't use the built in rhythms because they're good for sketching out ideas, but I don't find them useable for a live show). So that means I'm making my own beats which take up one track, i'm left with only 2. Ideally I could change the beat throughout the song as well so I'm not stuck with the same beat the whole time through, but that would take up 2 tracks and I'd be left with only 1 to work with. I'm constantly compromising. If only it had another track or 2.) Major bummer for me. Works as a midi master but not slave. Major bummer. This means I can't free up one of the tracks by having a drum machine running separately that's hooked up to midi and setting the tempo for the looper. it has to be the other way around which is cumbersome to set up and counter-intuitive for live shows. The built in beats are decent for reference/ songwriting, but not cool enough for a live show. I miss the simple but heavy metronome sounds on my 20xl. The built in effects are kinda fun to have but not that useful. You can't hear them as you're recording, just once you play back the loop, as far as I see so far. Also for live impromptu stuff, you're not going to want to go through that menu to do what you want to do. I'm sticking with my external pedals, so that expression pedal is just taking up space I'd prefer to be used for a 4th track. With the 20xl you could kinda get a few more tracks by using the different banks to play pre-recorded parts and switch back and forth to make verses/choruses that way. not ideal but handy. with the rc-300 there is a few seconds of pause/silence when you turn the knob to access another bank, and that renders this technique useless. That was a bummer too. Overall I'm happy, and it's improved my set for sure. but because it only houses 3 tracks, and for the price I'd like at least 4, and because it's limiting now that i'm learning midi, I'm considering the electro harmonic 2880 (and dealing with it's only con--little storage space if you're not switching out cards between songs live- but it has 4 tracks and midi slave as well as master, along with same cd quality sound, stereo, and more outputs than the boss). Or just learning ableton. I'd recommend, but be aware of the features you may be expecting but aren't' going to get with the boss RC-300. Only 3 tracks, can't slave it to the clock of another midi-device, silence switching from bank to bank. You'll enjoy all the storage space, the couple of extra tracks, and the stereo sound option.
Comments about Boss RC-300 Loop Station:
This version of the Boss LoopStation is by far the best looper on the market. I play music as a one-man band, and I can safely say with confidence that if you're debating buying this unit, just buy it. It's a bit expensive, but you will not be disappointed. PROS - Stereo outs for mains and subs, assignable to individual channels (Guitar to guitar amp, bass to bass amp, for example.). The effects are pretty good, (except for the guitar into bass setting and the pitch change), and are completely assignable to tracks, outs, or wherever you need...the effects do not record to the loops themselves,which allows you to go from clean to chorus even after looping. This pedal is also expandable...you can add expression pedals, and assignable Roland foot switches, as well as the ability to re-program the on-board switches. All tracks have volume sliders for adjustment on the fly. This pedal is also SUPER accurate...the RC20XL that I upgraded from suffered from a tiny bit of lag. This is not an issue with the RC-300. There are 99 customizable patches which are useful for changing pedal setups (one-shot loops, different effect/output configs). The RC-300 has a MIDI slave/master for connecting multiple units, or sending/receiving timecode. Finally, this pedal is built like a TANK. It's almost 10 lbs. of solid steel....you won't break this easily. CONS - A very few minor beefs...a few of the effects are useless. If you mess up and double-tap the stop button while live-looping, it will change your measure length and mess your loop up, so you have to be careful when stopping a channel and only press the stop button once. Also, there is no instant undo...you hold the stop button down on the channel you want to clear for 2 seconds for undo/redo. Finally, there is no dedicated 'clear all' function. You either have to turn the knob and change the preset or use an external foot switch to change patches to clear all the tracks at once. Overall, however, this is an excellent purchase,and I am more than satisfied with it. It has way more cool features than I can list here. Do yourself a favor and buy it, especially if upgrading from the RC-3, 20, or other smaller loop pedals. Take time and not only read and re-read the manual, but go in and explore all the options...there is a lot under the hood you can tweak.
Comments about Boss RC-300 Loop Station:
I bought the EHX-45000 Looper. I am sorry to say that I found it a bit on the cheep side. I felt it might break at any moment. I also found it hard to deal with. They tell you at the start to be careful of the drums on the stick that comes with it. You can erase them. This was $600.00 with the pedal. I took it back. I then bought the Boss Roland RC.-300 looper station. This is just so much better. As a woman I felt it looked better. It feels better. It is made so much better. I also found it easer to use for me. I love the rhythm that comes installed. This was $550.00. Still a great deal of money but a bit less. I am happy. This thing is built like a tank. I love EHX. I have bought there pedals many times and I will again in the future but with this looper they just do not have it right yet. Buy the RC-300 You will not be unhappy. There is a wealth of information about this looper on the net. The book that comes with it is great. Still I love You-tube. I had it working in 10 minutes. I would recommend this over anything on the market at this time.
Best Uses
Comments about Boss RC-300 Loop Station:
I'm new to looping so I know that so far I haven't scratched the surface of what the RC-300 can do. It's been great for making loops of rythem guitar parts and playing lead over them live or while working out lead parts That's probably how I see myself using this professionally to make my live performance more entertaining and impressive!
Comments about Boss RC-300 Loop Station:
I recently ordered from GuitarCenter.com the BOSS RC-300, and I must say I am enjoying it immensely. The drum beats are a real plus for me, and a compositional too as well. I love the fact that I am not limited to only a few seconds or even a few minutes of loop time, but a great and vast three hours!!! Plus there is sound on sound triple track recording, which allows one to layer sounds on either just one track and have two other track with which to have other song sections, i.e. Verse, Chorus, Bridge song/instrumental, or to have the layers come in on different tracks. Plus the different effects allow for quite a few different things, such as transposing up or down, modulation effects, lo-fi, delay, reverb, etc. I am new to multi-track looping, but have been looping for several years now, first with the BOSS GT-10, and now with the Line 6 POD HD 500. I much prefer the RC-300, which will allow me to do elaborate sound schemes only dreamed of with lesser loopers. Admittedly, I have yet to begin with unit's expression pedal and more advanced triggering functions via aftermarket footswitches, but if these are anything like what I have been experiencing so far, I am convinced that the product will keep me well pleased.
Comments about Boss RC-300 Loop Station:
This Looping Station is AMAZING and is just as good as it says it is too! I mean you have 3 looping stations that are all sychronized (which is awesome!), an on-board drum machine, effects, 99 phrase memory channels, ect....the list goes on. I've had it for a week already and I'm LOVING it. If you're serious about your music and wanna get into some serious looping just buy this pedal and you won't EVER look back!
Comments about Boss RC-300 Loop Station:
Really great tool for bringing out your creativity. Plug in a Mic, guitar and whatever else all at the same time and go to town. Hours of fun. I got this thing home and hadn't seen my wife in 3 days. Simple to use, much like the RC-3, but with so many other features. Each "Patch" has 3 loopers(if you will) each looper can be configured individually to fade or end of loop stop, sync up with others, volume & rhythm control, auto start on record and more stuff I've only read about. In addition, the selection of effects(reverb, chorus, flanger...etc.) for inputs are not only very good but are assignable. Boss has outdone themselves. The only way to make this thing better or fun is by adding a beer tap. About that Mic input, I'm not a singer but sometimes I get carried away, after laughing at myself just press the pedal for 2 sec and its gone. Neighbor doesn't know it yet but he's been replaced by a this gadget that doesn't argue with me. A sacrifice on the wallet, but well worth it, watch for the discount coupons.
Comments about Boss RC-300 Loop Station:
I was asked to start looping in a live scenario. This is perfect for the impromptu loop jam, and I love the vocal processing effects I can use. It makes life so EASY. I can set the effects for a track or an input, and the Tempo adjusting is fluid. The best part about this, is clearly whoever designs this loops themselves. There are multiple ways to do almost everything just using the stomp boxes. It's pretty plug and play if you've ever used a BOSS looper before. I'm excited to use it for the first time LIVE this weekend! And, I can say that I am CONFIDENT in what I'm going to do Live, because the looper makes it so. It can even make up for my ever so slight mistakes!
Best Uses
Comments about Boss RC-300 Loop Station:
Great looper if you want to improve only.
My unit refuses to load wav files. Spent 8 hrs on line over 100 attempts. Downloaded meta data strippers, iTunes resizing, attempted loops, bounces nothing loads. Tried different cells etc...I am extremely frustrated.
Boss Website us useless on the matter.
Our product catalog varies by country due to manufacturer restrictions. If you change the Ship-To country, some or all of the items in your cart may not ship to the new destination.


text: Since some of us had some trouble last week with all of the perfect dogs on Chaz who can do no wrong p) I decided to make this week's theme a little more wide open. The dog's don't have to be doing anything in particular, but they can still be super creative! So let's see some black and white dogs!! (and for those of you with Border Collie's, the whole picture has to be in black and white, not just the dog! :lol-sign This week's challenge will end on Friday, January 14th!! Happy Shooting!!


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High-flying fiber artist to land, with peers, in Gateway
Renowned fiber artist Katie Pasquini Masopust leads the life of an international jet-setter.
With her contemporary quilting expertise so much in demand, she already has flown this year to teaching venues in Spain, Canada and the Hudson Valley of New York. Flights to Scotland and Holland are booked on her spring itinerary.
"I am so blessed to teach and travel for a living," Masopust writes in her online newsletter. "I love teaching and seeing the world."
In the midst of this heady schedule, Masopust plans to touch down in April at Gateway Canyons Resort here in Mesa County to host her annual Alegre Retreat for fiber artists at the resort's Palisade Events Center.
At an April 8 luncheon lecture, she'll share her travel and quilting adventures.
Joining Masopust, whose home is in Santa Fe, N.M., to teach at a week full of workshops will be four other quilting experts: Nancy Crow of the Crow Timber Frame Barn art retreats in Baltimore, Ohio; Jan Myers Newbury of Pittsburgh; Joan Schulze of Sunnyvale, Calif.; and Laura Wasilowski of Elgin, Ill.
This is the fifth year for Alegre at Gateway, where Masopust's friends and resort founders John and Maureen Hendricks promote fiber arts education in a scenic and luxurious setting.
In addition to intensive workshop sessions, the retreat offers daylong lunch and dinner lectures April 8 and 10.
A tour of the Gateway Colorado Auto Museum and spa discounts, as well as exhibits of the instructors' quilts, are included in the $75 fee.
Schulze will lecture after dinner April 8 on "Time and the Elusive Fragment."
On April 10, Newbury will speak after lunch on "Fields of Color: Embedded Images," and the evening lecture is by Crow.
An opening reception is scheduled April 7, with workshops in seven-, five- and two-day formats through April 14.
The workshops are:
■ "Lines, Curves, Circles and Figure/Ground," seven days with instructor Nancy Crow.
Fabrics will be cut without rulers and pieced by machine. A broad palette of hand-dyed or commercial solids is needed. Emphasis will be on geometric shapes and lines. Participants should be open to experimentation and working quickly.
■ "From Painting to Quilt," five days with Katie Pasquini Masopust.
Abstract watercolor paintings will be created using 10 different techniques. No painting experience necessary.
■ "Painted, Stitched Canvas," two days with Masopust. Acrylic paint on thin canvas.
■ "Shibori for Quiltmaking," five days with Jan Myers Newbury.
Basics of pattern making by binding, clamping, stitching and pole-wrapping fabric in a dyeing process.
■ "Illuminated Design: textures, text and images," five days with Joan Schulze.
Investigation of nonprinting, pigments, dye stick and crayon uses, photocopy processes, direct printing on fabric, layering of images and glue transfer method.
■ "Fanning Creativity; The Fan — An Approach to Design," two days with Schulze.
Possibilities are endless for fan shape or theme in art making, with some 3-D construction.
■ "Couching Thread, Hidden Needle," two days with Laura Wasilowski.
Add color, pattern, definition and texture to quilts with embroidery stitches both basic and complex.
For workshop details and pricing, go to www. alegreretreat.com or call the resort at 970-931-2458.
When you consider the frequent-flier miles this gathering of quilt luminaries is racking up, a short 45-mile drive through the canyon from Grand Junction to Gateway quickly pales in the face of such star power.
Will you be among those to take advantage of that world-class knowledge?


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February 14 – New home sales in Shenzhen totaled 32,700m2 at an average price of ¥16,345/m2 in the week through February 12, 2012, up 120.1% and down 15% respectively from the previous week, according to the local land resource authority.
February 13 – Mortgage loans taken out by home buyers in Shanghai totaled ¥2.08 billion in January, down ¥4.14 billion from a year earlier, central bank figures show.
February 10 – The average rent of Shanghai's prime-location office buildings jumped 19.2% year on year to ¥11.3/m2/day in Q4 2011, according to DTZ.
February 10 – China's 10 regional centers had 59 million m2 in residential space available for sale as of the end of January 2012, up 40.5% from a year ago, according to figures from E-House China Holdings Ltd (NYSE: EJ).
February 10 – Wuhu, Zhejiang province is offering residents subsidies and tax waivers for home purchases as counter measures against the central government's tightening policy. The local government is subsidizing ¥150/m2 for new homes smaller than 70m2 and ¥50/m2 for new homes between 70m2 and 90m2.
February 9 – Property sales in Zhejiang province dropped 20.5% to 38.27 million m2 in 2011, according to the local statistics bureau.
February 8 – China's 300 largest cities collected ¥89.59 billion from land auctions in January, down 67% from a year ago, statistics show. The proceeds from land taken for residential development plummeted 4% year on year to ¥53.24 billion last month.
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We've had a lovely Summer with Children and Families Staffordshire attending a variety of sessions including our Messy Play sessions and gym sessions.They're next at the gym on Thursday,5th October 12.30 - 2.30pmThese sessions give family members the opportunity to take a break whilst their special little people get to have lots of fun in the capable hands of their carers.The team at Balance & Beam facilitates these group activity sessions and gives help and advice to their carers as to what their young charges are able to do and tips on how to help them with the gym equipment.It is such a great place for them to let off steam, build new skills, learn to interact & socialise with their peers all in a safe, bright and colourful environment as well as building their confidence and self esteemAfter their session in the gym they can relax in the lobby area with snacks & juice Why do some families need Children and Families Staffordshire … several young children, twins or more very young/inexperienced parents themselves child/parent with disability child's behaviour difficulties ill heath, mental or physical relationship difficulties death of a family member post natal depression inadequate housing financial difficulties budgeting problems loneliness/isolation lone single parent depression violence and abuse asylum seekers For more information about Homestart please visit their website or contact them direct on 01782 683810http://www.cafstaffordshire.org.uk
Babies can enjoy dedicated exercise classes just as much as their older peers at Balance and Beam. Designed to stimulate and promote core physical activity from an early age, your baby will develop a dynamic awareness of their surroundings. Guided by music and rhythm designed to kindle their little senses and advance motor-skill development.Classes are available for babies from just 4 months old and are completely instructor led. Programmes run weekly on Fridays and we offer a free taster session so you get to see what happens in one of our classes.Although all classes are designed for children, Balance and Beam help to grow a great social environment for new mums and dads to learn more about their little bundles of fun as they actively participate in classes – sometimes they have more fun than the children!Special introductory offer for only £130 for a 10-week course includes £35 annual family membership.Call us now for more information and to secure your baby's place on 01782 214452.Terms and Conditions: Rolling Term start NOWA full programme is for 10 classesAnnual family membership is included in this offerFree trial session available
Book in for our Messy Play Days here at Balance & BeamOur 'Let's Get Messy' craft sessions are held at Balance & Beam in our party roomOne hour creative craft sessions for our under 4s are on every other Monday & Friday in our Party room from 11 - 12 noonParent/child activity with everything supplied by us. Different weekly activities with all the messy stuff here & not in your own home!!Free juice & biccys provided afterwardsBlock bookings of 10 sessions for £50 or individual sessions @ £5.50Free to Balance & Beam VIP / Goldcard holdersFor more information please contact us on 01782 214452 or by email email@example.com to book in & for more informationThe dates will be as follows:Monday, 11th SeptemberFriday, 22nd SeptemberMonday, 25th SeptemberFriday, 6th OctoberMonday, 9th OctoberFriday, 20th October
We're into our new Autumn term already which started 4th September 2017 and runs through to 18th February 2018 - Lots of classes are filling up with some already full but please do send us an enquiry as we still have spaces, especially in our parent/child & pre-school classes; this is because our little people keep growing and moving to the next age group!!Price options for the term following a free taster session from w/c 25th September are as follows:£251.10 for 18 Classes in full saving 10% discountor choose our instalment plan£90 Deposit + Balance payable at the end of September of £161.10or£90 Deposit and then 3 further monthly standing order payments of £63.00Annual family membership of £35 applies - which covers you for insurance in the gym and gives you the ability to swap & change classes should you have to cancel through illness or holidays plus other member discounts & benefitsTo book your free trial class or for further information please call us on 01782 214452 or fill in the Contact Form https://www.balanceandbeam.co.uk/contactFollow the link through to see our class timetables for all ages https://www.balanceandbeam.co.uk/baby-toddler-gymn...https://www.balanceandbeam.co.uk/pre-school-gym-cl...https://www.balanceandbeam.co.uk/gymnastics-age-6-12baby-toddler-gymnasticsClick through to our youtube channel to listen / see some of our testimonials www.youtube.com/balanceandbeam Check out our facebook page to see what we get up to in class & read our testimonials. www.facebook.com/balanceandbeam Please contact us on 01782 214452 or by email firstname.lastname@example.com to book your free trial or for more information
Our OFSTED registered camps are great for children as they are on the go all day meaning that when you collect them they will be worn out and you will have the satisfaction of knowing they are getting plenty of exercise whilst you're having to work or catching up with other things Don't forget we accept a variety of Childcare vouchers! Camps will be running Monday - Friday all through the summer holidays in August Prices start from £18.00 for members and £20.00 non members per half day A Half Day Camp is either: 9.30 - 12.30 or 1.30 - 4.30pm A Full day is 9.30 - 4.30pm and includes supervision over lunch break (parents provide lunch box) or we can order a Subway Kidspak for them for an extra £3.00 Early drop off from 8.45am and late pick up until 5.00pm available at £3.00 per child per session You can now book & pay online via the website Book Online Or Call 01782 214452 For more information you can also email us Full payment is required at time of booking Camps are non-refundable
Parent/Child Activity - Suitable for under 4 years.Our next Read & Rumble will be held on Thursday, 12th October from 11.30am - 12.45pmWe'll have some stories and rhymes first, followed by lots of fun and physical activity in the gym. From there we'll return to our party room for refreshments for all and colouring for the little peoplePrice includes Tea/Coffee for parents & juice/water & biscuits for the children. Story books supplied by Stoke Library Come and join in the fun. - Maybe you know someone else who would like to come along too?? This event is a paid event unless you are a Balance & Beam Gold Card holderIt's £4.00 for Members and £6.00 Non Members (additional siblings @ £3.00). If you're a VIP/Gold Card member all under 4s events are free. As usual, we anticipate it being busy so you will need to book in advance as spaces are limited. You will also now be able to pay using a visa/debit card to secure your place in advanceTo Book Call 01782 214452 or email: firstname.lastname@example.com www.facebook.com/balanceandbeam
Mums in Business, come and join us...Our next event will be held Tuesday, 7th November at 12.30 - 2.00pm We realise that mums can struggle to get to meetings early mornings and in the evenings so we host ours at a lunchtime so that it doesn't interfere with childcare arrangements. This Ladies Only meeting is £5.00 to attend (payable on the day) and will include a light buffet lunch and is a great opportunity to get together with other like-minded ladies in order to support each other in business. If you are able to attend please email so that we can expect you; if you can't, but you know other mums in business who could benefit from a networking event, then please get them to make contact with usIf you would like to tell us more about your business then come and join us - we'd love to see youIf you've not been to us before, Balance and Beam is located next door to Waterworld where there is a pay and display car park. For further information please do not hesitate to give Yvonne or Pam a call on 01782 214452.
Are you an energetic, self-motivated, conscientious individual seeking a fun and challenging opportunity working with children by teaching motor skill development through gymnastics based classes? If so, you may be just the person we're looking for! (We are not a soft play centre) The position would suit a University student looking for evening & weekend workDetails of the PostWe are always on the look out for hard working, dependable individuals to help our business grow! Instructors will be responsible for teaching non-competitive gymnastics classes to Pre-School and Primary School age children, as well as assisting in our bespoke children's birthday parties.You will be working with a dynamic team of individuals who are committed to providing outstanding customer service and a membership experience for children and parents that is second to none. Saturdays & Sundays are required. Full training will be provided and there are excellent opportunities for career growth and advancement.Typical responsibilities include (but are not limited to) the following:• Delivering the high standards of our gymnastics based developmental programme.• Know and understand our philosophy and programme• Communicate information correctly and professionally to parents• Conduct high quality classes whilst ensuring they are high energy and fun• Providing excellent customer service and building student enrolment• Assisting with our Gymnastics Birthday parties on SundaysA background in child development, physical education, sports, gymnastics or drama is certainly a plus as is customer service experience.About Balance & BeamBalance & Beam Gymnastics has been trading since 2006 & are setting the standard for progressive motor-skill development, by providing children with a foundation of confidence through non-competitive, gymnastics-based programmes. Our Parent/Child, Pre-School and Primary School classes are all taught in a fun, safe and nurturing environment, which encourages children to develop at their own pace building confidence & self-esteem.If this sounds like the position you have been looking for, please forward *details of your experience*in a covering email together with your contact information and CV to:Yvonne Shuttleworth Gym Director Balance & Beam Gymnastics Festival Way Stoke on Trent ST1 5PUwww.balanceandbeam.co.ukJob Type: Part-timeSalary: upon applicationRequired experience:Experience in gymnastics / coaching: 3 yearsLevel One Qualification in Artisitic Gymnastics (or similar) required
We've been voted No#2 Party Venue for North Staffordshire and we've already got parties booked for most of August now with just a few spaces left. September's looking really busy now with just 2 party slots left. Most of October is booked up too so please don't leave it too late to find out about our fabulous, bespoke birthday parties here - we are experts in catering to the age of your children. Parties are held on Saturdays in August and Sundays from 11am from September.Member Price is £200 for 12 guests - if you have more coming then it's an extra £9/head up to around 28Extend your party by 30 minutes to include the Tumble Track for an extra £50If you are a Balance & Beam VIP/Goldcard holder you will get £50 off your party(Non Member Party Price is £230 for 12 guests) Include catering at £5.00 per headPlease visit the Parties page of the website for more specific details about the parties. (If you have less than 12 guests please speak to a member of staff to see if we can negotiate on price) Hi Balance and BeamWe just wanted to say a huge thank you for giving Dylan such a fantastic 3rd birthday party. He had an awesome time and his friends thoroughly enjoyed themselves too. Ellie and Aleysha were absolutely brilliant and the two hours went so fast. All the children enjoyed themselves from the oldest (13) to the youngest (2). There was so much fun and laughter, we could just sit back and watch all the children have a wonderful time.Thank you so much for a fantastic, brilliant, amazing, memorable, relaxing, tremendous, totally epic birthday party. Dylan often talks about all the fun and all his friends had at his party.It brought back many happy memories from when Grace had her 5th birthday party with you all those years ago!! It is still just as brilliant.Thank you again.Best wishes Jack xxxx
New term classes With parents placing a real emphasis on the health and development of their children, our classes combine gymnastics, motor skill abilities and above all, fun.Children from the age of 4 months to 12 years can develop motor skill ability, gain confidence through the development of social and emotional skills and boost physical fitness and strength.To register your interest in our new classes, please call us on 01782 214452 or email via our contact page by clicking here and we'll be in touch very shortly.Oh and remember to let us know if you would like a free trial class for your child - be quick!To view current class timetable please click here.
"I've been coming to camps for 5 years and love spending time in the gym. My little sister Phoebe comes with me now so we have even more fun together"
"For me balance and beam is now one of four core elements of care / socialisation for a toddler in their early stages. Exercise, strength and learning things in a class environment & out school clubs all obvious extra bonuses."
"Just wanted to say a huge thank you for the best ever party. I didn't have to do anything at all, it was so stress free and the girls in the gym were amazing. We'll certainly be back next year"
"Would like to say a HUGE thank you for Macy's birthday party on Sunday, Mel and Ellie are a credit to Balance & Beam, so welcoming and organised, and generally lovely girls, really kept the children engaged, all the children had a lovely time and were asking their parents if they could come again, all the parents were impressed how lovely the gym was and just how fab the instructors were. Macy loved every minute, best party ever, so thank you again, especially to your lovely girls Mel and Ellie xx"
"What a wonderful 1st birthday party we had today, thank you so much for making it a very special day for our little boy. All the parents & children had a great interactive session and we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Lucie & Mike, mummy & daddy to Dexter"
"Thanks so much for making our birthday party so much fun yet again. This was Mollie's 4th Birthday party here and again all the staff were wonderful. Thanks so much to Yvonne & the team!!"
"This was one of the most relaxing parties I've had. From a parent's viewpoint, it's such a simple party to organise....and from the party girl's viewpoint.....'epic party again Mum, even better than last year's!"
"What a fantastic party for Rebecca! The free play sessions, games and parachute were ace and so well led. It was all organised beautifully and Rebecca felt like a star. Thank you to all the staff for making her 9th birthday so special. Vicky xxx"
"My daughter Freya regularly attends camps in the school holidays. She really enjoys the wide range of activities. The camps feature time in the gym as well as some fun crafty time. As a parent I know that I am leaving Freya in a safe, supportive and engaging learning environment and when she is picked up she is already looking forward to her next camp"
"Thank you to you and your team at Balance & Beam for a fabulous birthday party! Gillie and all his friends had a great time and the staff were amazing; totally stress free, they had everything covered and all with a huge smile, as usual - Wouldn't hesitate to recommend!"
"To all you amazing people at Balance & Beam. Thank you so much for making Angel's 1st Birthday party so special. We've had a fab time. 2nd Birthday party at Balance & Beam"
Did you know that you can book online? Do you want to do this now?


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The Philadelphia School Partnership's role in a controversial Council briefing on universal enrollment last month highlights the organization's role in lobbying for controversial education policies and initiatives – even as it promotes itself as a philanthropy.
Last week, I wrote about PSP's plan to create a private entity that would "outsource the enrollment and placement" of students into District, charter, and parochial schools. "PhillySchoolApp," as the entity is being dubbed, would take the concept of "common enrollment" beyond what any other city has done. First, it would include parochial schools and coordinate the availability of tax-subsidized scholarships in the matching process. And second, it would take the crucial function of student placement out of the hands of the School District.
I have reservations about universal enrollment programs, especially with regard to who has the upper hand around issues of choice. At the same time, I do believe we should address inequities in the current student-placement system by streamlining complicated application processes and reducing barriers to entry to many charter schools. But PSP is exploiting the need to improve a flawed process by turning it into a vehicle for privatizing a key District responsibility and integrating into it a scholarship program that some regard as "backdoor vouchers."
The week before PSP briefed Council on its far-reaching plan, its executive director, Mark Gleason, formally registered the Philadelphia School Partnership as a "principal" under the City lobbying laws. A "principal" is an agent that may hire lobbyists or lobby on its own behalf. In a Sept. 12 filing, Gleason stated that PSP began its city-based lobbying as of Aug. 1 of this year.
A month earlier, in July 2013, PSP admitted to hiring a powerful Harrisburg lobbying firm to push its case for major labor concessions as a precondition for releasing a $45 million state appropriation for the District. The PSP-funded lobbying group PennCAN paid for a secret poll encouraging Gov. Corbett to bolster his faltering re-election chances by attacking the Philadelphia teachers' union. PSP also paid for robocalls in the final days of the budget cycle urging Philadelphia residents to support the governor's response to the District's request for more funding, which included very little new state money.
As the school year opened, PSP continued to press its case for the state to withhold funds to the District even as hundreds of complaints filed by parents, students and school staff detailed the destructive consequences of inadequate resources.
While PSP's political lobbying has only recently been formally acknowledged, public scrutiny should turn toward its unprecedented access to SRC members, District officials, and the city's Chief Education Officer Lori Shorr through the Gates-funded Great Schools Compact. The Great Schools Compact brings together the School Reform Commission, the mayor's office, two charter school coalitions, the Pennsylvania Department of Education, and the Philadelphia Archdiocese. PSP is the only paid staff of the Compact and it is the fiscal agent for the Gates Foundation grant.
Compact meetings are not announced in advance and not open to the public. Partial, edited notes of the meetings are published often months after the meetings occur. There are no parent, student, or teacher representatives on the Compact.
PSP's communications manager, Kristen Forbriger, in a defense posted last week, stated that PSP has formed an advisory committee consisting of school operators, District representatives, and education nonprofits. What she failed to mention is that the members of the working group, as a condition of joining, signed confidentiality agreements.
For more than a year, PSP has been using the Compact vehicle to question whether universal enrollment should remain a core District function and to strengthen its own role. In the September 2012 edited meeting notes, PSP's Mark Gleason raised questions about "where, in which organization, the common enrollment system management would be housed." There was a decision to contract with the Institute for Innovation in Public School Choice, which would design a school match algorithm, and PSP offered to fundraise for those costs and "other consultants as needed."
PhillySchoolApp won't be cheap. According to PSP's PowerPoint presentation, PhillySchoolApp will have a $1.5 million budget and operate a central office and four satellite offices to "provide customer service to schools and families." Private philanthropy will cover the effort for the first three years, after which PhillySchoolApp would charge a per-pupil fee for participating schools. When asked about the potential cost by a Council aide, Gleason said it could be in the range of $10 per student.
PSP's switch from an advisory role on universal enrollment to actually controlling and managing the program was the subject of more than a few questions at the Council briefing, according to attendees who were present.
"[One staff person] was making it very clear that what they were doing is lobbying for the creation of a procurement opportunity that they themselves would fulfill," " said one attendee.
"They were interrogated at length on that. They aren't advocates. They are just trying to grab their piece of the taxpayer pie."
Benefiting from vouchers
PSP's involvement also raises concerns about the motives behind the troubling expansion of the universal enrollment process to non-public religious institutions. Under the proposed PSP plan, students would be matched to just one school among those they put on their list, either District, charter, or Catholic. Students would be matched to a Catholic school if scholarship assistance were made available.
Whether that is a promise or threat depends largely on your position on school vouchers. The archdiocese -- a member of the Great Schools Compact -- has been relentless in saying that vouchers are crucial to the financial stability of the city's Catholic schools. Last year, the archdiocese hosted "Voucher Sundays" in parishes across the city, and Archbishop Charles Chaput posted this bluntly titled op-ed in the Philadelphia Inquirer in June 2012 in the days leading up to the signing of the budget bill: "Pass voucher bill now – or else."
Instead of a direct voucher program, Pennsylvania has two taxpayer-subsidized tuition tax credit programs -- the Educational Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) -- that are increasingly the most common source of scholarship assistance for students attending non-public schools in Philadelphia. PSP's board includes prominent voucher and non-public school advocates, such as Janine Yass, who also sits on the board of the pro-voucher group Center for Education Reform. Of greater note, PSP board members also represent scholarship organizations that are the direct recipients of EITC and OSTC funds.
According to state guidelines, scholarship organizations are required to distribute only 80 percent of their scholarship funds to students and can keep up to 20 percent for their own administrative fees. In that regard, it is the most generous such program in the country.
PSP board members include:
- Chris Bravacos, a prominent Republican lobbyist and president of REACH Alliance, which describes itself as "Pennsylvania's grassroots coalition for school choice." Bravacos is on the board of the Bravo Foundation, an EITC scholarship organization that was specifically flagged in this New York Times article highly critical of the Pennsylvania program.
- Evelyn McNiff, president of the Children's Scholarship Fund Philadelphia, which is the state's largest recipient of OSTC funds and is also a designated EITC scholarship organization.
- PSP board chair Michael O'Neill, a businessman and member of a prominent real estate development family who is on the board of Business Leadership Organized for Catholic Schools (BLOCS), an organization providing EITC and OSTC scholarships for Catholic school students in the Philadelphia area.
A District in need of boundaries
So far, District officials have distanced themselves from PSP's universal enrollment plans. Nevertheless, the pressure around privatizing the school enrollment function raises fundamental concerns about a school district's mission. School enrollment is a core, essential, public function of a district. Decisions about whether to create a universal enrollment system, what it should look like, what failures and lessons can be learned from other cities, and who it actually serves are all issues that should be led by the School District in deep consultation and review with parents and stakeholders as well as the broader public.
It remains deeply troubling that conversations like these are driven by an organization that has registered as a lobbyist and is pushing the agenda of its donors.
The unprecedented inclusion of private, religious schools in the matching process is also alarming, especially because many members of PSP's board are affiliated with these schools and with foundations that stand to benefit.
Although there are potential advantages and drawbacks to a universal enrollment system, these crucial decisions are being made because a private organization wants them, not after a thorough and public airing of the alternatives in which Philadelphians determine they are a proven reform.
PSP has unprecedented access to high-level decision makers to make their case repeatedly and consistently.
For parents, the risks are high and the stakes are enormous.
Helen Gym is a founder of Parents United for Public Education and a Notebook blogger.
The opinions expressed are solely those of the author.


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NEW DETAILS: SANDRA BULLOCK files for divorce and has adopted a baby boy. PLUS: SEE THE DIVORCE PAPERS HERE!
In an interview with Oscar winner, People magazine reports that she has filed for divorce from serial cheater Jesse James and is adopting a 3 1/2 month old baby from New Orleans, Louis Bardo Bullock.
Sandy said she began the adoption process four years ago and Louis has been living with her since January.
"It's like he's always been a part of our lives," Sandra divulged.
The plans had been kept top secret with only close family members including James' three children in the loop.
The announcement was be made in March but that all changed in the wake of her Oscar win and the "Bombshell" heard around the world.
Sandy plans to raise Louis as a single mom now, haing filed for divorce April 23 in Travis County Court in Austin, Texas. She was able to keep the news secret by filing under her and Jesse's initials spelled backwards.
Later, soon-to-be-ex Jesse James said, " The decision to let my wife end our marriage, and continue the adoption of Louis on her own, has been the hardest."