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Backed by decades in the custom designed jewelry and retail business, members of Tello have teamed up to provide Florida shoppers with a unique experience when shopping for jewelry. Tello Jewelers opened its Florida location in 2011, becoming the newest addition of fine jewelry in the prestigious Bell Tower Shops in sunny Fort Myers. At Tello you will find professionals with backgrounds in hands on jewelry designing, as well as GIA graduate gemologists with the knowledge to assess your jewelry needs correctly and answer any questions or concerns you may have in a thorough and elaborate manner. Tello Jewelers provides shoppers with the perfect combination of knowledge and experience along with the latest in trends and technology from the ever growing jewelry world. At Tello they take pride and prioritize their one on one personalized customer service. When visiting Tello you will be reminded of how refreshing good customer service can be, especially when delivered with the honesty Tello has adapted into their business culture. Unlike your traditional Jewelry stores customers are able to interact freely with designers and goldsmiths and are even assigned their own team of jewelry professionals on all custom made orders. The process includes a carefully thought out step by step procedure that consists of detailed sketches and waxes to allow your full input. This will greatly minimize the risk factor of mistakes that could otherwise be made. Their expertise and guaranteed craftsmanship will allow you the freedom to be your creative self and exert your imagination to its fullest. As part of the custom design process Tello offers plenty of ways to stay in contact, including video conferencing using various platforms so no matter if you are travelling or don't live in town, you can be proactively involved throughout the entire process as your dream piece of jewelry is being created. Tello encourages your approvals through specific steps(viewings) as they always lead to the best results
Tello Jewelers has been in the industry for 45 years, having operated in different parts of the world including Canada, several different countries in South America and overseas. All of Tello's ventures have been proudly successful and contribute to make Tello a renowned name in the industry on an international level. Throughout the years Tello Jewelers have won many awards in the business earning for many the reputation as the jewelers to the stars. Having created many pieces for such customers; examples include a breath taking diamond set gold boot pin for Nancy Sinatra to commemorate her 1966 hit song "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'." As well as a colorful Goofy custom designed pendant set with white diamonds, rubies and blue sapphires designed for Disney to mark the 50th anniversary of their world famous character and personality. One of their favorite designs was a life-size solid gold shoe, to adorn the 1989 Golden Slipper Stakes trophy for the famous Australian horse race. Tello has also received plenty of honorable mentions throughout the years, including first places for three consecutive years at the De Beers Group Diamond Jewelry Design Competition. Tello Jewelers takes pride in understanding the wonderful world of jewelry on an international level. Fueling the passion for their art are the challenges that walk through the door each day but aside from being master goldsmiths and designers they are also a GIA Certified Gemologist. Tello exclusively offers on site GIA appraisals which can be used for either insurance purposes or simply for authenticity purposes. Whatever the reason may be rest assured that your appraisal will be done by a GIA Professional and accepted insurance companies worldwide. At Tello they are always looking for designs that will challenge their skills and assure that every new project is exciting because you never know the piece that will take you to the next level. "The challenge to design a one of kind piece with an idea that we haven't touched on before always expands our horizons and leads us to beautiful results," they assure at Tello Jewelers. Adding to the fact they love their craft is that there are not too many projects or ideas that are turned down. They are confident when stating that they can make almost any idea a reality. In fact, they welcome all projects that you may have gotten turned down in the past because no job is too big or too small at Tello Jewelers. Most of their work is exquisitely handcrafted but they are also equipped with computer software technology used for smaller more detailed pieces to get the best results possible. Customers place their faith and trust in their jeweler and at Tello Jewelers they've embraced the fact they earned this trust, one piece at a time. The Tellos proudly showcase their patented motion jewelry line in their Fort Myers store as well. These consist of mainly rings that boast spinning tops and can be custom made with any logo or idea, a perfect fit for those seeking to add fun and originality to their personal collection. These are just some of the many unique and in most cases limited edition designs that can be found only at Tello Jewelers.
Tello is definitely a one-stop shop for all jewelry lovers and adding to their exclusive service is instant jewelry and watch repairs. In other words "while you wait" service for those special pieces you just cannot be without. Sit back and observe as their master goldsmiths go to work with their open concept in store workshop. At Tello Jewelers, new customer's concerns are taken into consideration and your jewelry does not have to leave your site at any time. Tello understands that all relationships begin by building trust, which is why they offer such service for these jobs either by appointment or by simply visiting them on location. Tello is sure to guarantee that a master goldsmith is always on premises to take care of all your jewelry needs. While you're there, feel free to ask for a complimentary cleaning and inspection of any jewelry you may have on or want to bring in as part of Tello's complimentary service.
Tello Jewelers would like to invite Southwest Florida to experience the difference. Their strategically themed store was created to optimize customer experience and make shopping for jewelry as easy and delightful as possible. Safely shop online or visit Tello Jewelers today and experience first hand the difference Southwest Florida is talking about!
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The human eye has a blind spot – a small portion of the visual field, about the size of a pencil eraser – where the optic disk is located. We aren't normally aware of this blind spot, but with one eye closed, any object passing through this small area will disappear momentarily. Our visual field appears seamless because of an optical illusion: Our mind conspires to fill in the blank area with the colors of what surrounds it. We have other blind spots too – a whole series of what psychologist Daniel Kahneman calls "cognitive illusions" – that our minds and our culture work to obscure.
In Thinking, Fast and Slow, Kahneman, a Nobel laureate for his work in behavioral economics, uncovers several mental blind spots. There is, for example, the "focusing illusion": When we focus on a single factor like how much money we make, we inevitably overestimate its importance to our overall well-being. This explains why surveys consistently report that people think they would be happier if they were wealthier while also proving on the contrary that rich people are no more happy than the less wealthy. The same distortion of reality happens when we focus on any single factor, from whether we live in California to whether we own the latest gadget.
Some cognitive illusions are more pernicious than others. Kahneman has identified one cognitive illusion in particular that overturns the core assumptions of capitalism. He calls it the "endowment effect": we exaggerate the value of objects that we possess. In one experiment, Kahneman collected a random group of students. Half the students were given a coffee mug and the other half were asked to buy those very same mugs from their classmates with their own money. Typical economic theory would say that the two sides would haggle and eventually come to a mutually agreeable price – that the market would self-regulate. In a review of Thinking, Fast and Slow, Freeman Dyson explains what actually happened: "The average prices offered in a typical experiment were: sellers $7.12, buyers $2.87. Because the price gap was so large few mugs actually sold." Sellers ground the market to a halt, overvaluing their mug simply because they possessed it. "The experiment convincingly demolished the central dogma of classical economics," Dyson writes.
Kahneman's "illusion of validity" describes the tendency of experts to trust their own judgment. Dyson refers to the example of the "Apgar score" (a statistical formula that uses heart rate, breathing, reflexes, muscle tone and color to judge the health of newborn babies) to illustrate this illusion. Turns out that the Apgar score "does better than the average doctor in deciding whether the baby needs immediate help." In other words, a basic formula anyone can do consistently outperforms the opinion of a trained medical professional.
Applying the illusion of validity undermines experts across all disciplines, including economics. After studying the "investment outcomes of some twenty-five anonymous wealth advisers" over the course of eight consecutive years, Kahneman discovered that they performed just about as well as random chance. Their management of financial flows, Kahneman concluded, is a "dice-rolling contest, not a game of skill." And yet, Kahneman also found that these same experts will persist in believing their intuitive judgments are correct, forcing them on us all, even in the face of tremendous counter-evidence. As Dyson puts it, "the illusion of validity does not disappear just because facts prove it to be false." Breaking through this barrier is the essential crux and challenge of cultural jammers.
We live in a world where a constellation of cognitive illusions – that infinite growth can be sustained on a finite planet, that consumerism can make us happy, that corporations are persons – are dragging us into an ecological apocalypse. These cognitive illusions won't disappear because they've been proven false – they must be overcome at a deeper level. We need something other than rationality, statistics, scientific thought … we need something more, even, than what has passed for activism thus far. We must spark an epiphany, a worldwide flash of insight that renders our blind spots visible once and for all. This collective awakening begins the moment we look inward and ask ourselves: Am I caught inside a grand cognitive illusion?
Micah White is an activist consultant, the American creator of the Occupy Wall Street meme and former editor of Adbusters magazine. He is recognized internationally as one of North America's most innovative social activists. Micah is writing a book about the future of protest.

subset: commoncrawl


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Fortitude Valley
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Fortitude Valley Car Hire Queensland
Cover the most scenic spots around Queensland in a car or campervan. Watch as the landscapes change from city to rainforest in Australia's second largest state. Go off-road and venture into Outback Queensland in a 4WD. You can enjoy each location at your own pace with your own means of transport.
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We want everyone who visit the beautiful Sunshine State to explore and then return home safely, however the unexpected could happen. Medical emergencies can get expensive and the unique Australian landscape may be different to what most people are used to, so the risk of accident may slightly increase. Knowing that someone has your back allows you to have the peace of mind to fully enjoy your QLD Holiday. So don't delay and get some great value travel insurance in Queensland! Protect your family and get a quote now.


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Indovillas have specialized in Bali villa rentals, villa sales and management since 1998. Our villas on Bali include some of the most luxurious properties on the island.
We are a family owned property business that places strong emphasis on personal service and customer satisfaction. If you are happy then so are we!
Let us help you to find the ideal Bali villas and properties that will make your stay complete. We have many villas and property listings to choose from, making it easy to find your perfect holiday villa on the tropical paradise of Bali.
Indovillas manage many of the properties we market and our standards are high. Explore our villa listings and discover some of the most beautiful privately owned villas on the island. The rental rates are as varied as the villas themselves and mostly work out cheaper than staying in a hotel.
We have tried to include a comprehensive selection of villa rentals to cover a broad range of tastes and budgets. If however you do not find the villas or property you are looking for then simply contact us and we will do our best to offer suggestions so you can enjoy the holiday of a lifetime on Bali – the Island of the Gods.
Indovillas are your trusted resource for quality villas on Bali. Please enter our website and browse our beautiful villas. We will help you discover your perfect luxury villa accommodation in Bali. Guaranteed!
Indovillas have been the subject of many favorable articles over the years in both local & international media and are the only local property agency recommended by Fodor's guide to Bali & Lombok & Bali Best Bets Guide for 4 years running. Indovillas are also included in Singapore's Expat Living Travel Guides. We have been a trusted name for Bali villa rentals & sales since 1998. So book a villa with Indovillas and let us show you why.
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Hiking at Biltmore
Experience the grounds at your own pace with nearly 22 miles of hiking trails. Enjoy a walk along the French Broad River, through lush green forests, or the open meadows of Deer Park. Take a stroll on the 2.5 miles of paths in our manicured gardens. Stop by the Bike Barn or Outdoor Adventure Center in Antler Hill Village for a detailed trail map and orientation. Call us for more details.
Cost: Free with estate admission
Open daily until dusk
Behind-the-Scenes Guided Tours
Includes Upstairs – Downstairs Tour, Rooftop Tour, Legacy of the Land, Sustainability Tour, Guided House Tour, and Premium House Tour**
Specialty Wine Experiences
Includes Red Wine & Chocolate, Biltmore Bubbles, and Vine to Wine Tours***
Outdoor Activities
Includes Fly-Fishing School, Land Rover Experience Driving School, Sporting Clays School, Biking, Carriage Rides, Guided Horseback Trail Rides, Segway Tours, Outrider USA Adventure, Falconry, and River Float Trips*
Call the Passholder Priority Line at 800-413-9787 for reservations and more details.
*Discounts apply to one Passholder and one accompanying guest. Advance reservations are required for guided tours, wine experiences, and outdoor activities as space is limited. Valid Annual Pass must be presented at the time of your tour. Biltmore reserves the right to cancel any tour or activity if certain requirements are not met or due to inclement weather. Discounts are not valid on Saturdays and Christmas Day through New Year's Day. Biltmore Annual Passes are nontransferable and nonrefundable.
**Audio Guide to Biltmore House not included in discount.
***Guests are required to be at least 21 years old to participate in wine experiences.


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Inside the state: the bracero program, immigration, and the I.N.S.
Routledge, Aug 14, 1992 - Business & Economics - 243 pages
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Inside the State: The Bracero Program, Immigration, and the I. N. S.
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1st Session 83rd Congress 84th Congress Accession administrative agreement apprehensions Arizona Border Patrol Bracero Program bureaucratic California Commissioner Swing Committee on Agriculture Committee on Appropriations commuters contract labor system contradictions Department of Labor dilemmas District Director domestic workers effect employment enforcement farmers Farrell federal Galarza growers and ranchers Hearing House Committee I-100 card system Ibid illegal aliens illegal immigration illegal workers immi immigration agency Immigration and Naturalization Immigration Commissioner immigration officials Immigration Service important increase interests Irvin Shrode Judiciary Labor Department labor supply legislation Letter members of Congress Memo ment Mexican farm workers Mexican officials Mexican workers Mexico Mexico City MSAR National Archives Naturalization Service negotiations number of braceros Operation Wetback policymaking political President's Commission Record Group 174 Regional Commissioner Secretary of Labor Southwest Region Special Program Subcommittee on Immigration Texas tion U.S. Congress U.S. Department U.S. Immigration undocumented workers United visas Yuma


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The Harriman Blue Devils will one day put an end to Kingston's winning streak in football, but that day will have to wait at least one more year as the Yellow Jackets travelled to Harriman Friday night and defeated the Blue Devils, 33-15, in a packed house at Wallace Black Field.
"I thought we played really well," Kingston head coach Vic King said following the Jackets 18th straight victory over the Blue Devils. "I'm proud of our kids. They've fought hard. We've had some issues with the heat and we've had some injuries so it's been hard to get a rhythm in practice, but we did pretty good tonight. We've still got a lot of work ahead of us."
Kingston came out aggressive on both sides of the ball Friday night.
Defensively, Kingston's defense opened the game with a pair of three-and-outs.
Offensively, the thought coming in was the Jackets might play it close to the vest with Darren Mossing making his first career start at quarterback, but Coach King showed right away that he has a lot of trust in his senior signal caller as the Jackets first play from scrimmage was a 42-yard strike from Mossing to Robbie Szozda.
"It gives me a lot of confidence to know that Coach King has that much trust in me," Mossing said of throwing deep to open the game.
King said there wasn't a bit worried about Mossing possibly having first game jitters.
"He can throw it and we've got guys that can go catch it," King said when asked about the play call. "He's one of the leaders of this football team and definitely the leader on offense. He has good touch on the ball."
Kingston took the lead five plays later when Demarcus Foster capped the 6-play, 69-yard drive with a one yard run. Andy Spellman added the PAT to give Kingston a 7-0 lead with 6:63 left in the first quarter.
Harriman's first two drives of the night might have gone nowhere, but the Blue Devils third drive was a different story.
Starting from their own 35, Brandon Williams gained 38 yards on two carries as the Blue Devils were suddenly knocking on the door. Harriman knocked the door down seven plays later when Cole McAbee scored from six yards out.
Harriman rolled the dice and went for two on the conversion and the gamble worked as Lucas Lunsford found the end zone to give the Blue Devils an 8-7 lead with 10:37 left in the first half.
Harriman's lead, however, didn't last long as Kingston's next drive lasted only three plays and covered 63 yards with Mossing finding a wide open Jordan Jones for a 46-yard touchdown with 8:57 left in the first half.
Kingston went for two but the attempt failed, leaving the score 13-8.
Harriman seemed poised to answer and possibly take the lead by halftime. Sparked by a defensive pass interference penalty and a 19-yard pass from Mark Chesser to Dimitrique Inman, the Devils marched all the way to the Kingston 14 before a holding penalty helped stall the drive.
The drive ended two plays after the penalty as Chesser was sacked. He fumbled on the play and the loose ball was recovered by Kingston's Aaron Fielden.
Kingston led by just five points at halftime, but the Jackets had a lot of confidence heading into the third quarter and that confidence came in the form of senior FB Coty Groves. Groves missed the first half of Friday's game because of an off-the-field incident, but like Mossing in the first half, Groves got the call early in the second half.
Groves opened the third period with a 22-yard run and he broke free for a 37-yard run on the next snap. After a defensive penalty, Groves scored from two yards out to cap a 3-play, 63-yard drive.
Spellman's PAT made the score 20-8 with 10:37 left in the third quarter.
"I was happy to get out there," Groves said. "Our students really got me going. You have to give a lot of credit to our offensive line. They did a great job."
"We felt like we could just run over them," Mossing added. "We didn't really have to throw it once we got going on the ground."
The momentum swung fully in Kingston's corner on Harriman's next possession as junior CB Preston King picked off a pass and gave the Jackets the ball again at their own 26.
Kingston marched the ball quickly down to the Harriman 28 and would have had it inside the 10, but like Harriman in the first half, a holding penalty helped kill the drive. Then Kingston shot themselves in the foot on the ensuing punt as the snap went over Zach Brummitt's head for a 28-yard loss.
Harriman took over at the Kingston 25 after the bad snap and scored eight plays later on a one yard run from McAbee. Tyler Dishman added the PAT to cut Kingston's lead to 20-15 with 1:11 left in the third quarter.
"I thought we had a chance to put them away until that holding penalty and that bad snap on the punt," King said. "But you've got to give them credit. They kept fighting back."
But just like the first half, Kingston answered Harriman's score with a score of their own as the Jackets marched 60 yards in eight plays before Foster scored from three yards out.
Spellman added his third PAT of the night to make the score 27-15 with 9:35 left to play.
Harriman's next possession ended on downs at the Kingston 43 then the Jackets put the game away on their next possession.
Staring from their own 43, Kingston covered 57 yards in seven plays with Groves scoring from two yards out. Groves was a workhorse on the drive as he carried five straight times for 35 yards.
The PAT was no good, leaving the score 33-15 with 4:12 left to play.
Kingston ended the evening with 377 yards of total offense and the Jackets would have had more than 400 yards if not for the bad snap on the punt.
The Jackets ran the ball 35 times on the night with Groves leading the way with 139 yards and two TDs on 14 carries.
Mossing completed 8 of 15 passes for 141 yards and one score on the night.
Harriman finished the evening with 119 yards rushing on 42 attempts while Chesser completed 2 of 4 passes for 51 yards. Williams was Harriman's leading rusher with 65 yards on nine carries.
For Harriman, Friday's loss was just another in a long line of defeats to the Jackets. Last year the Devils bounced back nicely as they advanced all the way to the TSSAA Class A quarterfinals and Blue Devil head coach Travis Tapp knows his team must forget about Friday's game quickly if they want to get things turned around.
"There's nothing we can do about this one now," Tapp said. "We've got to put it behind us and move on. This is the time we'll see what kind of character we have. We've got to bounce back quickly and get ready for Midway."
Harriman faces Midway Friday night at 7:30 p.m. in the District 3-A opener.
Kingston also opens district play Friday when the Jackets host Scott in a District 4-AA contest. Kickoff is also set for 7:30 p.m.
Kingston Statistics
Rushing- Foster 6-25 with 2 TDs, Litton 2-2, Fielden 8-57, Sams 4-41, Groves 14-139 with 2 TDs, Team 1-(-28).
Passing- Mossing- 8-15 for 141 yards with 1 TD.
Receiving- Jones 1-46 with 1 TD, Fielden 3-26, Szozda 1-42, Foster 1-7, Kennedy 1-6, Sams 1-14.
Harriman Statistics
Rushing- Inman 12-36, Lunsford 7-26, Williams 9-65, McAbee 5-23 with 2 TDs, Chesser 5-(-20), Stubbs 1-8, Stockton 1-(-6), Gilmore 1-(-4), Team 1-(-9).
Passing- Chesser 2-4 for 51 yards with 1 INT.
Receiving- Inman 2-51.
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GOP's message to Mitt: Step it up
Mitt Romney's poor performance Tuesday is prompting congressional Republicans to go public with a bracing message to the front-runner: time to step it up, Mitt.
A day after Romney was convincingly defeated by Rick Santorum in non-binding contests in Minnesota, Colorado and Missouri, high-profile Republicans voiced long-simmering worries that the would-be standard-bearer lacks a compelling message for conservatives — and must be bolder to capture the party's nomination.
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The admonition came from outspoken conservatives and members of Congress who typically stay out of party spats.
"There is not exactly Romney-mania right now," Senate GOP Whip Jon Kyl told POLITICO, adding that the former Massachusetts governor "absolutely" must shore up the weaknesses with the GOP base that were on such vivid display Tuesday.
"Playing it safe, which Romney tends to do, is not going to get it for him," said Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), a 2008 Romney supporter and a leading voice of his party's conservative bloc, who called the results this week "a signal."
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.), who rode a tea party wave to defeat veteran Sen. Russ Feingold two years ago, said conservatives believe "we're losing this country" and want "a strong messenger carrying a strong message."
"Gov. Romney should probably be a little concerned," Johnson said. Asked if the front-runner has work to do with the party base, the freshman conservative said: "Last night's results definitely confirmed that."
What bothered Republicans who think Romney will be the eventual nominee is that the results demonstrated the continued grassroots resistance to his candidacy and the lack of organic support he enjoys among core Republicans. Sure, they acknowledge, he didn't go all-out in any of the three states in the same fashion as he did in Florida – but shouldn't the prohibitive favorite still fare better?
The Romney campaign's response to their losses has been two-fold. First, before the votes even came in, they noted that there were no pledged delegates being allocated in the two caucuses (Minnesota and Colorado) and one "beauty contest" primary (Missouri). Subsequently, Romney and his aides reacted to Santorum in the same fashion that they did to Newt Gingrich following South Carolina: by sharpening their attacks and attempting to raise doubts among conservatives about their GOP opponent.
"During Senator Santorum's time in Washington, the government grew by 80 percent and he voted to raise the debt ceiling five times," Mr. Romney said Wednesday at an Atlanta rally. "If we're going to see change in Washington, we're going to have to see some new faces."
But top congressional Republicans and some veteran conservatives say that won't cut it.
Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Romney's chief congressional liaison, made clear he was unhappy with the spin from Boston that the over 250,000 votes cast by Republicans in his home state were irrelevant.
"Whether they count or not, I frankly think it's not helpful to say elections don't matter," Blunt said.
More broadly, the Romney camp's decision to respond to Tuesday's rebuke simply by raising the volume on their attacks on Santorum is causing Republicans to fret that he still hasn't gotten the message from core conservatives. Particularly among senators, there is lingering frustration not only with Romney's repeated gaffes but also with how he's responded to them.
Romney infuriated Republican senators when, in trying last week to clean up his comment about poor people, he said he wanted to change minimum wage laws.
Kyl, who like DeMint has not endorsed in the 2012 race, launched into a sharp critique Wednesday on the matter, saying Romney's support for indexing the minimum wage to inflation is something that "every conservative knows [is] a bad idea."
And that's the crux of the concern over Romney – that he's simply not conservative by instinct and therefore has inherent difficulties with the right.


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Word of public-school students pretending to be Muslims, wearing robes, simulating jihads and memorizing verses from the Koran in a seventh-grade California classroom touched off a firestorm of debate, but WorldNetDaily has learned these classroom exercises are neither isolated to one school district nor are they anything new.
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Parents of seventh-graders across the state report similar experiences, and one tells WND she battled with her school district over the Islam teachings in 1994.
As WorldNetDaily reported last week, an article by Assist News Service described student activities at Excelsior School in Byron, Calif., where "students are to pretend that they are Muslims, wear Muslim clothing to school, stage their own jihad via a dice game and pick out a Muslim name (to replace their own) from a list of 30."
ANS quoted an "outraged" teacher at Excelsior and parent of a seventh-grader: "We can't even mention the name of Jesus in the public schools, but … they teach Islam as the true religion, and students are taught about Islam and how to pray to Allah."
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The story sparked outrage and prompted a flood of 500 calls, WorldNetDaily was told, to the Byron Union School District the following morning. Principal Nancie Castro also reports receiving about 200 hate e-mails. The story quickly became grist for talk shows from 560 KSFO radio to the Fox News Channel's "Hannity & Colmes" program. And in response to the story posted on WorldNetDaily, the international public-interest law firm The American Center for Law and Justice is demanding Excelsior School permit students to opt out of the course, contending it "is a violation of the First Amendment free speech and free exercise rights of students and violates the right of parents to direct the education and upbringing of their children."
In its letter to the Byron Union School District, ACLJ states, "We want to make sure this district knows that it crossed the line. We also want to make sure that other school districts don't fall into the same trap and require students to attend courses that violate their own religious beliefs."
Dealing with 'hysteria'
The raging controversy has parents blaming schools, schools blaming the state, and one lawsuit blaming the course textbook adopted by the state. Castro also blames the media. In a letter sent to parents, she claims the school has been "victimized by a classic case of misinformation that has led to hysteria among people outside of our community." Included in the "misinformation" in the ANS report, according to Castro, is that it was not mandatory for students to take names of Arabs of the Middle Ages or to wear Muslim clothing, and they did not wear the robes to school but only during the class "simulation."
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As for the simulated jihad Castro explained, "There was a dice game where, depending on the role, they had to do various things like answer a quiz bowl question or read a trivia fact. One roll had them roll for the highest number and called it a jihad." In a response to a query from Prophezine News, Castro explained, "Dressing up in costume, role-playing and simulation games are all used to stimulate class discussion and are common teaching practices used in other subjects as well."
When asked whether students were to memorize Islamic terms, phrases, proverbs and the Five Pillars of Faith of the Islam religion, as reported by ANS, Castro replied, "There are vocabulary words to be learned as in every unit. They did not have to memorize proverbs or prayers. They learned some phrases such as peace be with you, but nothing religious or praying to Allah."
As for lessons from the Koran, Castro said, "There are some verses in the text that are read, just like there are Bible verses in the text in the section on Christianity." WorldNetDaily has learned, however, that students were offered extra credit if they memorized verses from the Koran. Sources also report that no Bible verses were learned, and Christianity overall was "barely touched on."
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It is this perceived slighting of Christianity and Judaism contrasted with the virtual promotion of Islam in public schools that parents are taking issue with all across the state, from Byron in Northern California south to San Diego. But WND has discovered that the issue is not new.
Valerie Moore says her daughter "was indoctrinated in the Islamic religion for over four months while in the seventh grade" in 1994. Moore expressed shock in arriving at Joseph Kerr Junior High School in Elk Grove, Calif., one day and being greeted by a "huge banner on the front grounds of the school that read 'There is one God, Allah, and Mohammed is his prophet.'" Moore also recounts witnessing "children dressed in Muslim attire, chanting from the Koran and praying while marching around the cabala." Moore recalls the banner being up all day.
"What if we put up a sign that says 'Jesus is Lord' for 30 minutes? Oh, no. You can't do that – separation of church and state," Moore laments. "They aren't just teaching them about Islam; they have them practicing it. They have them kneeling down and praying to Allah. I have a problem with that. That's more like inculcation." Moore says when she complained to the school officials she was ridiculed and yelled at.
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In her letter to parents, Castro maintained, "At no point do we teach or endorse religion; we teach about religions' impact from a historical context. … students learn about Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism and other major religions as they apply to the understanding of history and the development of major Western and non-Western civilizations. This is the state-approved curriculum, using state-adopted textbooks and has been part of the instructional program in California for over a decade."
California standards
Content standards adopted in 1998 by the California State Board of Education explicitly state the content students need to acquire at each grade level from kindergarten to grade 12. The standards lay out the following for seventh grade World History and Geography:
7.2 Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the civilizations of Islam in the Middle Ages.
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- Identify the physical features and describe the climate of the Arabian peninsula, its relationship to surrounding bodies of land and water, and nomadic and sedentary ways of life.
- Trace the origins of Islam and the life and teachings of Mohammad, including Islamic teachings on the connection with Judaism and Christianity.
- Explain the significance of the Koran and the Sunnah as the primary sources of Islamic beliefs, practice, and law, and their influence in Muslims' daily life.
- Discuss the expansion of Muslim rule through military conquests and treaties, emphasizing the cultural blending within Muslim civilization and the spread and acceptance of Islam and the Arabic language.
- Describe the growth of cities and the establishment of trade routes among Asia, Africa, and Europe, the products and inventions that traveled along these routes (e.g., spices, textiles, paper, steel, new crops), and the role of merchants in Arab society.
- Understand the intellectual exchanges among Muslim scholars of Eurasia and Africa and the contributions Muslim scholars made to later civilizations in the areas of science, geography, mathematics, philosophy, medicine, art, and literature.
"The state guidelines call for the approach to religion to be academic, not devotional," stressed Tom Adams, the adminstrator for curriculum framework.
"I can't confirm what went on at Byron but I don't believe they were following the framework," he added.
The Curriculum Frameworks and Instructional Resources (the framework), first adopted in 1988 and updated in 2000 incorporate the content standards and serve as the basis for statewide assessment. The framework for history-social science for grade seven provides for an examination of "the rise of Islam as a religion and as a civilization. … The religious ideas of Mohammed, the founder of Islam, should be discussed both for their ethical teachings and as a way of life. Mohammed should be seen as a major historical figure who helped establish the Islamic way of life, its code of ethics and justice, and its rule of law."
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While the framework encourages "simulations, role playing and dramatizations," Appendix C specifies that "the school may sponsor study about religion, but may not sponsor the practice of religion."
When asked about the scant coverage of Christianity and Judaism versus Islam set forth in the content standards and framework for grade seven, Adams points to the curriculum for sixth-graders. That framework instructs:
"6. Note the origins of Christianity in the Jewish-Messianic Prophecies, the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as described in the New Testament, and the contribution of St. Paul the Apostle to the definition and spread of Christian beliefs (e.g., belief in the Trinity, resurrection, salvation)."
Adams also stresses the state guidelines and standards "are not mandatory," and the state recognizes the need for local control within school districts. Asked whether Byron would exercise local control and opt out of the Islam studies, Castro replied, "The state tests our students and ranks are performance on this curriculum. If we didn't teach parts of it, students would not succeed in achieving the standards."
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Pitfalls of discretion
Parent Valerie Moore believes part of the problem lies in the discretion exercised by the teachers.
"The teacher spent four months on Islam and then ran out of time to teach about the Reformation and all that," she said.
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Field surveys conducted in 1994 by state educators substantiate Moore's claim, revealing "gaps in student learning." Appendix D of the framework states, "For example, in some sixth-grade classrooms students never reached the study of ancient Rome because of the extended time they spent on the study of Mesopotamia and Egypt earlier in the year. Some seventh-graders never studied about Europe during the Renaissance, the Reformation, and the Scientific Revolution" – lessons which follow the unit on Islam.
'Pro Islamic, anti-Chrisitan textbook'
Moore and other parents find the course textbook, "Across the Centuries," to be skewed.
"I started reading my daughter's textbook and was astonished that nothing in the book resembled the history that I had been taught. It had all been distorted and rewritten," says Moore, "No longer could the founding of America be traced through Judeo/Christian beginnings. … The history had been altered to now show that America had been given birth through an Islamic heritage. Everything sprang up through Islam."
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The Pacific Justice Institute, a non-profit legal defense organization, has mounted a challenge to the textbook on behalf of a concerned parent from San Luis Obispo. Jen Schroeder noticed her son's textbook "had a distinct bias toward Islam over Christianity" and proceeded to scour the book, writing a 10-page content analysis of it over the winter break. (See .pdf version of Schroeder's report.)
"I was shocked," Schroeder told WorldNetDaily.
"Across the Centuries," she says, "instructs our children to 'imagine you are a Muslim soldier' and write about it; 'imagine you are on a Mecca pilgrimage' and write about it; to research what a mosque looks like and then to build a replica of one. Another assignment is to write why other nations are attracted to Islam. … I found 20 Islamic beliefs stated as fact."
While presenting a "white-washed version of Islam," Schroeder asserts the textbook goes out of its way to depict Christianity in a negative light.
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"In the textbook, there is a large three-column block titled 'Understanding Religious Persecution,' which blames Christians exclusively for persecuting others and forcing beliefs, when in fact there have been more Christian martyrs than any other religion."
"The Bible says 'Take heed that you do not inquire how other nations serve their gods,'" continues Schroeder, "For my son to obey the school, he must disobey what the Bible tells him."
Schroeder tried to opt Eric out of the class but says the principal told her "no" because the state assessments require the knowledge presented in the class.
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"It seems everyone has rights except the Christians, and I have no choice but to file a lawsuit."
Pacific Justice Institute had scholars comb through both the textbook and the teacher's version to substantiate Schroeder's content analysis prior to filing the administrative complaint.
"The average parent would be outraged to see this kind of bias and distortion of world history," said Brad Dacus, the group's chief counsel.
California adopted the textbook in 1991. When asked why ten years have passed without a major challenge, Dacus replied, "Parents overlooked it, thinking Islam is far away. They never saw it as having a threat to their children. [The terror attacks of Sept. 11 have] changed that and [have] created more scrutiny."
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When seventh-grader Eric, was asked how he felt about the instruction, he responded, "It hurts my stomach."
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Islam studies required in California district


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Year in Review: Meteorite makes an impact
Space rock fires a warning shot
Courtesy of Science/AAAS
When a known asteroid passed within 28,000 kilometers of Earth on February 15, astronomers hoped it would serve as a wake-up call about the danger of meteorite impacts. As it turned out, astronomers got more than they had bargained for. On that same day, a 19-meter-wide space rock plowed through the atmosphere and exploded over southwestern Russia near Chelyabinsk, shattering windows and causing more than 1,600 injuries. The largest recorded meteor since 1908 spurred scientists and government officials to reevaluate impact risks and increase monitoring and preparation for future events.
In November, researchers led by planetary scientist Peter Brown of Canada's University of Western


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Graduated from the St Petersburg State Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatoire (opera and symphony conducting, class of Professor Musin and M. G. Kukushkin).
Artistic Director and Conductor of the Baltika youth chamber orchestra since 1999. Composer, author of two string quartets, a piano concerto, a piano sonata, a flute and piano sonata and romances among other works.
With the Mariinsky Theatre since 2000; over five seasons he has conducted such productions as Eugene Onegin, The Nutcracker, The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevronia, Boris Godunov, The Demon, The Enchantress, The Nose and The Gamblers.


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Home >> Course Descriptions >> College of Business Administration
Business Statistics I
Three semester hours. (FL/SP/SS)
An introductory study of statistical methods as applied to business and economic problems. Topical coverage includes descriptive statistics, set theory, probability theory, random variables, probability distributions, the normal distribution, sampling methods, sampling distributions, statistical estimation, hypothesis testing, and simple linear regression and correlation analysis. Prerequisite: MATH 1325 with a grade of "C" or better.
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- Beskrivning
The Eclipse Gravel Backpack is renowned for its huge storage capacity. The side pockets can be used to house your Marker's Air Tank or a water bottle secured by adjustable straps so it wont bail on you! 2 adjustable straps can be used to harness your Pack or Goggles to the outside of the bag, ideal for going down to the site and hitting up a few games.
The Backpacks main compartment zips all the way open so it can be packed easily and effectively. The padded internal pocket is perfect either for your Marker or your Laptop. The padded back support makes those long hauls more comfortable and the front compartment has two mesh zip pockets which are great for tools or electronic devices.
+ Large Storage Capacity
+ Padded Laptop/Marker Pocket
+ Music Player Pocket & Earphone Port
+ Snap-secure Bottle Pockets
+ Padded Mesh Lumbar Support
+ Ideal For 1 Day Training
Dimensions300 x 500 x 260mm
Pixel Grey, Pixel Orange, Pixel Red
- Mer information
Mer information
Tillverkare Planet Eclipse Artikelnummer 4306 Produkt Video Nej
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Ironing tips
Laurastar has developped some ironing tips to help you get the full benefit out of your product. Furthermore, free ironing courses and product demonstrations are also organised by Laurastar's experts.
To keep your clothes looking beautiful for longer, your Laurastar requires appropriate and regular servicing.
Laurastar's service advisers are always available to answer all your questions, whether you speak English, French, German, Dutch, Italian or Spanish. Thorough, efficient and reliable, they provide tailored service and offer you personalised advice. Different free telephone numbers are available in Switzerland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom and Austria.
Laurastar also has a team of around forty technicians and engineers who are trained to deal with your technical problems when you need repair or maintenance. Thanks to their unique expertise, they will provide your appliance with the care and skills it deserves.
> Submit an online repair request (logging in to your account or creating an account is necessary)
To ensure the longevity of your Laurastar appliance, it is important to look after it by carrying out regular maintenance. Here is some advice from our experts.
Firstly, you should know that Laurastar ironing systems and steam generators are designed to work only with tap water. To keep them in good condition, you should never add water containing chemical products or water collected from the dryer as this will affect their operation. It is also highly recommended to use Laurastar anti-scale granules and cartridges, as well as tap water, to help prevent limescale build-up and, therefore, allow you to get the full benefit of your Laurastar for longer. Anti-scale granules or cartridges must be replaced regularly.
The boiler must also be rinsed the first time you use your Laurastar. This step must be repeated every month or after every 10 hours of ironing. To do this, the appliance must be cool, off and unplugged. Warning: never use scaling or other chemical products to rinse the boiler. Laurastar appliances must only be rinsed with water!
Finally, Laurastar commits to carrying out maintenance on its products for 10 years. This service is free during the guarantee period. Once this period has passed, the service is charged. It gives the owner the right to an additional year's guarantee.
Laurastar commits to repairing its products for 10 years. During the guarantee period (2 years), Laurastar Consumer Service offers free repairs on your ironing system or steam generator.
After that, the maintenance service is charged. It gives the owner the right to an additional year's guarantee.
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RUSA Guidelines for Nominations and Elections
A Nominating Committee is appointed by the president-elect of the division (chair-elect of each section) to recruit a slate of candidates for each elective position that has or will become vacant. Vacancies are normally created through expiration of a term, but may also occur through resignation or death or committee members. The RUSA office will notify the chairs of each nominating committee, the number of candidates to be nominated for each position and the length of each term. The Nominating Committee must submit the complete slate of nominees to the RUSA office by September 15th. Candidates have until December 1st to submit their biographical information.
Suggestions for the nominating committee
Nominating committees should explore all suggestions for nominees in the search for the most able candidates, including
- When appropriate, successive candidates for an office should come from different parts of the country.
- Representatives of a variety of types of libraries should be considered for each committee.
- Candidates should represent a variety of ethnic backgrounds, genders, ages, and lengths of service to RUSA and membership in ALA.
- Candidates for the office of vice-president/ president-elect and section vice-chair/chair-elect should have demonstrated interest in the division by serving on its committees, sections, or discussion groups.
- Members of the division or section should be considered first. However, if a desirable candidate is a personal member of ALA but not a member of the division, he or she may be asked to join. The candidate must join for the year in which she or he is nominated, and must be a personal member the year of the election and for subsequent years until the end of the term of office.
Written consent, biographical information
All candidates must provide written consent to appear on the ballot. When the Nominating Committee chair sends the slate to the RUSA office, letters of consent from each candidate must be included. The slate should also indicate the order for listing the candidates' names on the ballot. Order is determined by random drawing of all candidates for each position. The slate is due September 15th.
Biographical Information
Biographical information for all candidates is due December 1st. Candidates must self-submit information via the ALA online form. The Nominating Committee is responsible for instructing candidates on how and when to submit this information. Candidates who fail to submit biographical information will be listed by name only on the ballot.
Nominating calendar
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Annual Conference
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September 15
Chair submits slate the complete slate to the RUSA office, including candidate names, the order in which they should appear on the ballot, and the candidates' written consent form.
December 1
Candidates submit their biographical information via the ALA online form.
Ballots mailed for election.
Candidates notified of election results.


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HAVELOCK � It took less than an hour for New Bern's volleyball team to continue its unblemished early start.
HAVELOCK � It took less than an hour for New Bern's volleyball team to continue its unblemished early start.
The Bears (2-0) made light work of Craven County rival Havelock in three sets on Wednesday at Havelock High � 25-6, 25-13, 25-7.
�I'm not complaining too much,� said New Bern coach Tori Bennett. �In a way, a game is practice. It's nice to be able to get a game over with, but at the same time, they love playing.�
After dominating the first two sets, Olivia Mitchell had 15-straight service points to give New Bern a 23-5 advantage in the final set.
�I bet her shoulder is sore,� Bennett said. �I was impressed that she could keep it up with that consistency.�
Following a Havelock point, Bears' Emma Melton and Bailey Jordan each had kills to push them to their second win in two days.
Brittany McKeon had three service aces in a row to secure the first set. Olivia Stewart's kill ended the second set, putting the Bears in control.
�I tell them to practice their plays that we practice, the new plays,� Bennett said. �I tell them these (non-conference) games don't really matter, so it's their time to try new things.�
Stewart, New Bern's senior setter, distributed seven assists to go along with eight kills.
�She is one of our captains,� Bennett said. �She is a great communicator and really great at controlling a play, which is important for a setter. I trust her to make calls.�
Mitchell led New Bern with 25 service points. Caitlin Solter had six kills, Melton had four and Sydney Gilgo and Jordan each had three.
Everyone on New Bern's varsity roster got in the match.
�The way I do rotations, especially for varsity, everyone gets to play in the first three (sets),� Bennett said. �If we are having to go into fourth or fifth sets, that's where the rotation gets picked more.
�Everyone gets to play right off the bat.�
Havelock got within 4-3 in the first set and 10-7 in the second set.
Sha'Nice Frazier had three kills for the Rams and MaKayla Brown had four service points.
New Bern travels to West Craven on Thursday for its third match of the week. Havelock (0-1) travels to Pamlico on Thursday.
Adam Thompson can be contacted at 252-635-5669 or at email@example.com. Follow Adam on Twitter @Adam_matic.


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I saw a design of a mocked up start screen on Deviant Art that I liked more than the one in Windows 8. It had gradients, shadows, 3D depth definitely went against some of the design goals of metro.
Below is what the current Windows 8 "start screen" looks like :
Below is the mocked up deviant art "start screen" design :
What I liked about this is the use of gradients, shadows, depth to each tile ,… Pretty much all of those features are forbidden in current win8 metro design.
So I wanted to reproduce something similar using my favourite technologies XAML/C#/DirectX(SharpDx) ..
Design Analysis
Analysing the deviant art "tile" we see the following..
1. Depth to each tile, almost a 3D like effect, achieved using some form of "Drop Shadow" effect
2. Inner radial gradient for each tile that gives an inner glow like effect surrounding the icons in each tile
It's a very artsy/pastel like overall effect .. I like it a lot
So the question is how do we achieve this in WinRT XAML/C# ?
My proposed XAML/C# solution
When i see this design i immediately think Direct2D and Effect Graphs. The only way to get these shadow/Glow effects is using DirectX.
So my proposed solution would be to render it using SharpDx on a Direct2D surface utilizing effects. Further rendering this D2D surface in a XAML SurfaceImageSource (SIS) or SwapChainBackgroundPanel (SCBP).
Taking each of these parts lets create a tree of the UI proposed elements
Each tile will consist of the following visual elements that are rendered from bottom to top. This is the proposed "visual tree" of each tile.
Let's Build it
As mentioned above I need to generate shadow/glow effects as well as a radial gradient so the only option for me is to use SharpDx.
There are numerous posts and examples of how to setup a SharpDx pipeline to render Dx content in XAML so I won't be covering that here …
Step 1: Immediate Mode rendering requires me to maintain my own "visual tree"
In the XAML world, retained mode world, we are spoilt because a visual tree is maintained for us by the framework.
In the DirectX world, immediate mode world, we have to manage the rendering of each of the UI elements ourselves, including all the state between each frame!
I wrap all this logic in the Renderer classes…
I have a list that will hold the items for rendering "_renderTree"
Step 2: Preparing my assets
The assets for my tiles consists of
a) Background Images for the tiles
b) Icons for the tiles
All these assets will need to be loaded as textures and cached so that we don't need to keep doing File IO reads.
To load a media element i have a method that wraps all that up in the BaseRenderer class. Its called "LoadAssetAsync", and as the name suggests it loads it asynchronously. It uses the storage API's to read the asset and then WIC to work with the bytes.
Once the asset is loaded from the file system i cache it for reuse later in case we need to re-render the entire _renderTree.
Loading assets and caching them for use as textures on a Direct surface is a very very difficult skill to learn, the only way to fully grasp this idea is to just throw yourself into the deep end and make many MANY mistakes
Step 3: Drawing the Tiles
We have our assets, we have a way to create a render tree next step is to load that tree with our UI elements that use these cached assets!
I have a method that wraps up the creation of the Tiles
The actual logic to create a tile is wrapped up in another method called "_createTile"
This is where things get interesting as now i need to work with Effect Graphs
Step 4: Drawing a Tile
Fist step is to create a "BitmapSource" effect, this will be the bottom most image, the background image.
This BitmapSource effect will be used as input into an effect graph.
Note that i use a variable passed in to define the "Background Image" to use, if you step thru the code you'll notice it goes through "step 2" above to cache the asset so if we reuse this effect, or re render this UI element it will use the cached version.
As you can see below if we render just the BitmapSource effect it is the FULL image, it does not look like a tile at all. And it doesn't honour the width/height of the proposed tile dimensions (in this example a tile is 200px by 200px)
If you noticed from Step 2 above each of the backgrounds are oddly shaped and not the classic "tile" shape of a square, or rectangle (2 squares). We need to somehow scale the background to fit into the tile shape we want..
I used a direct2d "Scale" effect, and this scale effect acts on the "bitmap source" effect from above. Notice the * above. This is an effect graph
Rendering this Scale effect, below is the result.
Now that the background image is scaled to fit the desired tile size we need to crop out the bits that fall outside. For this I use the "Crop" effect.
The input to the "Crop" effect is the previous "Scale" effect ( * above ). I should point out that the "Order" property above is used to order the layers for rendering, its like the z-index in web programming.
Rendering this "Crop" effect we get the 200px by 200px tile
So we used an effect graph to draw the background of a tile.
Step 5: Rendering the inner glow
The inner glow is a rectangle with a radial gradient applied to it. Its pretty simple, and i've used this in previous demos
It uses the RectangleGeometry in the SharpDx library
And the radial gradient applied
And rendered it looks like this:
Step 6: Rendering the outer shadow
The outer shadow is achieved using the "Shadow" effect. And the input to the shadow effect i'll use the "Crop" effect from step 4 above. I could of used the scale or bitmapsource effect, as all i wanted was the outline of the tile.
The shadow effect rendered looks like this :
Step 7: icon & label
The Icon is rendered using a BitmapSource effect and to make it stand out I put a shadow effect around it . The reason i put a shadow around it is that if the background image blends too much into the icon it will be hard to see the icon.
This is the icon + shadow rendered:
The label is rendered using DirectWrite, ive wrapped the call into a method that does all the magic
Step 8: putting all the layers together
So rendering all the layers from step 4 to step 7 we get a tile
Zoomed in :
Step 9: other useful tips
I used a "staging" texture to render the tiles so that when the user pans and zooms it uses this "staged" texture to render rather than re-rendering the entire renderTree.
When rendering the tiles i swap in my "staging" bitmap. Then the tiles are drawn in this staged target
After the tiles are finished drawing on the staged bitmap i swap back in the original render target
Now I have all my rendered tiles in a nice staged bitmap that i can manipulate when panning/zooming.
So the actual rendering to D2D uses this "Staged" bitmap ..
As you can see from above i also render "Debugging" info and a nice "Designer Surface Region" that represents the screens dimension.
Final Result (part 1)
Running the WinRT-XAML-C# demo after the initial load the frame rate settles to around 55-60 frames per second (fps) which is what I expected.
A zoomed in view of a tile we see the outer shadow, inner radial gradient etc. Exactly the effects i was going for
Here's a quick video of the demo running , its got a low fps due to screen recording and running simultaneously.
Sample Code
All my code can be found in my demo GIT project that i plan on using to also build my applications with.
Git Hub url : http://github.com/LiquidBoy/ModernApps
Part 1's goal was to create tiles that have gradients, shadows and depth using an D2D effect graph. I pretty much achieved that
The next step, part 2, will be to add the animations to the tiles and wire up some interaction between XAML and the D2D surface.
D2D Effect Graphs mixed with XAML is a very cool combination that i hope to master over time, i will admit thou it is a hard concept and skill to grasp. Patience and lots of reading is required, plus lots of reverse engineering samples!
I haven't had this much fun in ages , SharpDx gives us FULL access to DirectX / DirectWrite / WIC pretty much everything we need to create awesomeness from within XAML/C# ..
The fun continues with "part 2" where i try to animate all these tiles!


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Curd cheese
Cuajada is a product obtained from sheep's milk and natural curd.
It was traditionally a product made by the local shepherds, who heated the milk and added lamb curd. The curd has a characteristic smooth, creamy, and delicate texture, as well as an unmistakable dairy taste that is pleasant on the palate. Honey or sugar are normally added for consumption. It is presented in small earthenware or ceramic dishes. It is a very popular product and industrial production surpasses traditional handcrafted production.
More information
Product information
- Type of product: Others
- Season: It may be consumed year-round.
- Origin: The production area for Cuajada includes the mountainous region of Navarre, which covers the entire northern part of the province.
- To drink with it: Dessert wines.
- Where to buy: Cuajada is available in most supermarkets on the peninsula. Its industrial production has brought it to all consumers.
- Recipes: Baztán curd cheese
Nutritional information
- Energy: Average
- Cholesterol: Average
- Comments: Rich in calcium and high in calories.


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What's Holding Back Hiring?
Stop worrying about the "jobless recovery." Start worrying about the recovery-less recovery.
Nearly four years after the recession officially ended, the unemployment rate remains elevated, at 7.5%. The share of the population that's working or looking for work is at a 30-year low. More than 2.5 million fewer Americans are working today than when the recession began.
Such grim statistics have led many economists to ask whether there might be deep, "structural" factors holding back hiring. Various papers have attributed the slow pace of job growth to the weak housing market, the downturn in specific industries and the long-run decline in the share of the population that's working.
Others, however, have argued that there is little evidence for structural problems, and have said weak hiring is due to something much simpler: the slow pace of overall economic growth. In one recent paper, economists Laurence Ball, Daniel Leigh and Prakash Loungani said the improvement in the job market during the recovery has been consistent with a long-documented relationship between unemployment and economic growth known as Okun's Law.
In a new paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research, University of Wisconsin economist (and blogger) Menzie Chinn and French economists Laurent Ferrara and Valerie Mignon also look at the relationship between economic growth and the job market. But rather than focus on unemployment, they focus on employment -- an approach that allows them to avoid the nettlesome question of who should count as unemployed.
Mr. Chinn and his colleagues find that slow growth accounts for the majority of the continued jobs gap -- but not all of it. The U.S. has about 1.2 million fewer jobs than it should based on long-run trends. The authors are careful not to say the entire gap is due to structural factors -- some of it may be due to short-term issues, or to flaws in their economic model -- but their findings do suggest the weak recovery alone doesn't explain the weak job market.
But critically, the entire gap is due to the unexpectedly large decline in employment during the recession -- not due to weak hiring during the recovery. Indeed, the pace of hiring during the recovery has been more or less what the authors would expect based on the pace of economic growth.
"The recovery in some sense is about right," Mr. Chinn said in an interview. "In some ways it doesn't match up with the narrative that's out there that it's slow employment growth."
A separate paper released Monday also calls into question one of the most oft-cited structural issues holding back hiring: extended unemployment benefits. (We discussed an earlier version of the paper recently.)
Economists have long worried that while unemployment benefits provide crucial assistance to job losers, they could also discourage people from looking for work or from accepting jobs that don't pay as well as their old ones.
To test that theory, Princeton University economist Henry Farber and Robert Valletta of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco looked at whether people stayed unemployed longer in states that provided more generous benefits. They found that workers did indeed spend slightly longer looking for work due to extended benefits -- about 7% longer, or the equivalent of about a third of a month during the worst of the unemployment crisis.
But the longer spells of unemployment weren't because workers were turning down jobs. The actual "job-finding rate" -- the amount of time it took job-seekers to find jobs -- wasn't significantly different when benefits lasted longer. Rather, the increased duration of unemployment was due primarily to the fact that extended benefits made job-seekers less likely to give up looking for work -- meaning they continued to count as "unemployed" in official statistics.
In other words, both new papers suggest, it isn't unemployment benefits or other specific factors that are holding back hiring. It's the economy, stupid.


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Top 10 Hurricane Myths Debunked
Even with the amount of attention hurricanes have received in recent years, there are still a number of misconceptions surrounding them.
Read on to find out about the top 10 myths about hurricanes, and the truth behind them!
Hurricane Myth #10: Only coastal areas are at risk from hurricanes.
While the drama of a hurricane crashing into a coastal area makes compelling front page news, the effects are felt far inland. In fact, strong winds, heavy rain, tornadoes, and inland flooding can spread hundreds of miles from the coast, leaving extensive damage and death in their wake.
Estimates by the National Hurricane Center of the effects of Tropical Storm Allison on the city of Houston, far removed from where the storm made landfall, is estimated at $4.8 billion.
Hurricane Myth #9: A storm surge is the deadliest part of a hurricane.
A storm surge is a wall of water pushed ashore as the center of a hurricane moves on land. While a storm surge can be deadly, more people die from inland flooding and flash floods of rivers and streams because they underestimate the power of moving water.
Hurricane Myth #8: The upper floors of an apartment or condominium are a safe place to ride out a storm.
This is called "vertical evacuation," and it's a bad idea. Wind speed increases the higher you go, which can blow out windows and rip off siding. Plus, rising water could cause structural damage to the lower levels. If that's not enough, high winds and rising water make rescue nearly impossible.
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CommentsPlease Leave a Comment
17 Comments on "Top 10 Hurricane Myths Debunked"
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Mal Wilson Says:
February 11th, 2018 at 9:27 pm
Myth 3 is not really a myth in a hurricane. Opening windows on the leeward side of a house will reduce the internal pressure and may be the difference between losing your roof or rear wall and keeping it. You may need to change which windows you open if you are near the eye of the hurricane. If you are shuttered up none of this is an option but shutters are better on than off
In a tornado you get into a basement or alternatively you should put your your head between you knees… and kiss your ass goodbye!
Myles Says:
November 9th, 2017 at 10:12 pm
We live in a single story concrete block house in Central Florida built in the 1980's, and took a direct hit from the N/E eyewall of Hurricane Irma. Our house had no damage at all, did not even shake during the hurricane. I thought our back door was going to blow in, but it didn't.
No windows broke which surprised me, because they're original. We did hear much crashing during the hurricane which turned out to be numerous trees knocked over. One went into a house across the street.
One thing I did notice was the houses in the middle of the tract (like ours) did much better than houses on the edge. Some of them lost sections of their roofs.
John Says:
September 9th, 2017 at 10:43 am
Buy or live in a concrete house for safety against both hurricanes and earthquakes (built within the last 10 years at least). To live in a wooden house and in a state or area that is prone to hurricanes you have to be prepared to lose everything. Buildings and most concrete/brick built homes are now built using rubber as well which helps absorb earthquake shocks/make them more safe. Also, our house has 3 lower layers of foundation concrete, two layers of brick wall, insulator and plaster board; if that can't survive then nothing will. Note: we have wild weather all year round
Nadu Says:
September 8th, 2017 at 9:25 am
Great post. Hurricane Irma is about to hit us. And this did nothing to calm my nerves!!
Warren Daniels Says:
September 8th, 2017 at 1:22 am
Me and my family live in a concrete, block and steel house in Palm beach county Fl and plan on staying home during the hurricane . What is the most wind could a home built in the early 1990s withstand?
Sarah Says:
September 7th, 2017 at 12:00 am
Ayyyyyeeee how did your concrete buildings hold up for Irma @Bermuda??? I'm in central Florida, haven't been hit yet but I'm p sure my house is made from concrete.
Madlov? Says:
January 4th, 2017 at 4:30 pm
Um I think you should be talking about the subject hurricanes not earthquakes that will get people confused ?
PCL Says:
October 10th, 2015 at 2:21 am
Most places with hurricane codes in the U.S. apply them equally to wood-framed, masonry and concrete buildings. So, if you can expect a code-built concrete-block house to stand up to 120 MPH winds, so will a wooden one built recently in that area (thanks to hurricane straps, joist hangers, overlapping sheathing, sill bolts, etc.). But concrete block has inherent protection against flying debris, protection that might not be required on a wood structure, thought brick-veneer or stucco can, if thick enough, add any protection one might want. Built to non-hurricane standards, a masonry structure has only a minor advantage over wood; it has lots of compression strength but almost no tensile strength (it's little more than a pile of stones), so it's mainly weight holding it together. A non-reinforced wood structure will peel apart earlier, but slightly stronger winds will shatter a non-reinforced masonry structure. The strength of concrete is also heavily dependent on how much reinforcement it has.
Nkuleko/Nkuli Says:
September 3rd, 2015 at 4:00 am
I live in South Africa and we never experience any hurricanes but we do experience earthquakes. I did some research on why a concrete house is safer than a wooden house during hurricane. Research says that concrete houses are safer because they don't get blown away during a hurricane and are much cheaper to repair. Research says that there was a hurricane in the 1940's and it killed about 57 people and destroyed 484 wooden houses and damaged a market and a high school that was built with concrete. The cost to repair the houses was estimated to $50 million and the cost to repair the market and school was less than $200.
WSJ Says:
September 6th, 2013 at 12:26 pm
You cannot compare Bermuda to the States. First of all, it is a tiny island and therefore barely gets a direct hit. The worst one in the last 60 years was Fabian, and that only had winds of 120 MPH.
To the person in Mexico, a Category 1 hurricane is not exactly noteworthy in South Florida but it could definitely do lots of damage to other parts of the US depending on their building codes. I am sure there are places in Mexico that a Cat 1 could wipe out depending on economics and building codes.
To anyone in the states, do not crack your windows. In addition, do not waste time taping your windows. It is dumb, an old wive's tale and not only Andrew but countless hurricanes in the 2000's proved that it does not work. Shutters, plywood or impact-resistant are the way to go if you can.
Kelly Says:
October 29th, 2012 at 10:54 am
America, at least on the West Coast, we have used wood because we need our buildings to be flexible because of earthquakes. Concrete buildings break with the strain of a quake, while wooden structures sway and remain intact.
Joe Says:
June 5th, 2012 at 4:03 pm
Oh yeah strong concrete. I see a lot of cracked concrete sidewalks. Real strong stuff there.
C.Rod Says:
September 1st, 2011 at 1:21 pm
I agree w/Anne and mike. I live in Mexico and we get hit by 1 strong hurricane at least once a year. Homes here don't get blown away like they do in the US. We build our houses of concrete block. It probably takes a little more to build but these houses are definitely solid rock. We might get flooded, of course, but houses stand firm.
I have never understood why the US builds wood (or whatever material they use) houses… and speaking of fires too, conrete block stands it all!
Anne Says:
August 27th, 2011 at 12:52 pm
Reading Mike's comments, I wanted to add that the reason our homes hold in Bermuda up is that they are built of concrete. We have strict building codes in Bermuda because of hurricanes with one being that our houses are built of concrete block and we have strict rules as far as foundations are concerned (like have deep they have to be). Our buildings here hold up really well if they are built properly. The most that usually happens is that we lose slate off roofs…nobody's house will blow down, that's for sure.
I look at damage in the aftermath of hurricanes in the U.S. and other places and see whole homes fallen down. That just doesn't happen here. Concrete is a product that gets stronger over time-not weaker-so if I lived in the U.S in a hurricane zone I most definitely would make sure my home was built of concrete block instead of that stucco or whatever else they use. If it's made of concrete, the structure should hold up.
Anne Says:
August 27th, 2011 at 12:41 pm
Sorry but I disagree with no. 3 about cracking windows during a hurricane. I live in Bermuda and have been through countless hurricanes. No-one EVER dies in a hurricane in their home in Bermuda and we have very little property damage. Our homes are built differently and are very strong but one thing we have done for generations is crack our windows. People who have failed to do this, have had their roofs blown clean off.
I have been home in many a hurricane and if we've only cracked a couple of winsdows, felt the air pressure build up. When that has happened, we have cracked a few more windows and felt the air pressure subside. I don't know how scientists can discount this-it all has to do with aerodynamics. As I said, we've always done it and we've always been fine. Our weather experts here who have had TONS of experience with hurricanes still advise us to do this and I trust their advice.
As for the tip about taping windows, that contains incorrect information as well. The point of taping windows is not to prevent them from breaking! It is so that when they do break, the glass doesn't shatter all over the place and hurt someone. Instead it breaks in large pieces and holds together allowing you to take it down gently. Covering windows with plywood is best, but if you can't it's good advice to tape them rather than do nothing! So what if the tape sticks-spray some Windex and the gooey residue comes right off-nobody has to scrape anything, for goodness sake!
Willi Says:
August 25th, 2011 at 7:18 am
I understand that tape won't keep a window from breaking, but I was told it WILL keep large shards from falling and hurting people. That was my understanding of why we tape windows. Is that true?
mike Says:
May 6th, 2009 at 5:45 pm
In a couple of years, I will be moving to Florida for independent living. The list of myths and facts is very interesting, especially since my parents actually believe the myth that "a big hurricane will wipe out your house no matter what." Therefore, they love trying to convince me to "buy a flimsy mobile home" and I allready decided that mobile homes are a total no-no for me; I choose to live in a more substantial structure, preferrably made of concrete block. But they still love to tell me that "even concrete will never, ever stand a chance in a hurricane", which I know is blatantly false. For example, the Turkey Point Nuclear power plant just east of Homestead, Fl took a direct hit by Hurricane Andrew and survived with none more than a couple of damaged/cracked smoke stacks. But many times, I imagine my parents doing a research paper on Hurricane Andrew and saying in their paper that "the Turkey Point nuclear power plant, despite it's solid iron, steel, and reinforced concrete construction, was shattered and violently hurled from the ground by Andrew's winds, and the plant's remains now lie scattered throughout an approximately 150,000 square mile area of the Gulf of Mexico." The truth is, while I did read that there were a few concrete block homes severely damaged/destroyed by Hurricane Andrew, I also happen to know that there were many numerous concrete block homes that stood strong in Hurricane Andrew that were even directly in the path of Andrew's worst winds.
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FORT MEADE, Maryland (Reuters) - U.S. Army intelligence analyst Bradley Manning, accused of the largest leak of classified documents in U.S. history, deferred a plea in a military court arraignment on Thursday, marking the first step in a court-martial that could land him in prison for life.
In Thursday's procedure, Manning, 24, was formally charged with 22 counts including aiding the enemy, wrongfully causing intelligence to be published on the Internet and theft of public property. Military prosecutors say Manning downloaded more than 700,000 classified or confidential documents and transferred thousands to WikiLeaks, which promotes leaking government and corporate information.
Manning's plea deferral allows his defense team time to strategize and see the outcome of several motions to be heard before the trial begins, which could be as late as August.
"It basically leaves their options open," said a legal expert with the Military District of Washington, the Army command unit for the capital region, who was present at the arraignment. The expert could not be named under rules imposed on media covering the proceedings.
When asked if he understood his rights to counsel, Manning, in a dark green military dress uniform and black-rimmed military glasses, spoke quickly but forcefully. "Yes, your honor," he said.
Manning's attorney, David Coombs, announced that Manning would defer his plea as well as a decision on whether to face trial by a military judge or a panel of military members, made up of senior officers or enlisted members of rank no lower than Manning's.
At the beginning of the arraignment, Manning entered from a back door and walked briskly to the front of the room. During the proceedings, he leaned forward on to a desk, occasionally conferring in whispers with Coombs.
Military prosecutors say Manning, trained on various intelligence systems, was a trusted analyst who knowingly and methodically downloaded thousands of files from the military's Secret Internet Protocol Router Network, or SIPRNet, while serving in Iraq.
They sought to link Manning to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, introducing logs of web chats that an investigator said appeared to show conversations in which the two discuss sending government documents.
Manning's lawyers have cast him as an emotionally troubled young man whose behavioral problems should have prompted superiors to revoke his access to classified information.
Manning has gained a following of supporters who see him as a whistleblower who acted on behalf of his country. At the end of the arraignment one Manning supporter, a protester with the anti-war group Code Pink, stood up and yelled out, "Judge, isn't a soldier required to report a war crime?"
Editing by Cynthia Osterman


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Cal confirmed Wednesday morning that offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Jim Michalczik has been let go, meaning that all five holdover assistant coaches are out as new head football coach Sonny Dykes begins assembling his staff.
Michalczik, Ron Gould, Ashley Ambrose, Wes Chandler and Marcus Arroyo initially were retained for the transition period after head coach Jeff Tedford was fired Nov. 20.
Dykes, hired last week, already has brought on two offensive aides from his staff at Louisiana Tech — offensive coordinator Tony Franklin and assistant head coach/wide receivers assistant Rob Likens.
Alabama: Quarterback AJ McCarron, who has led the Crimson Tide to its second straight national title game, said he will return for his senior season instead of entering the NFL draft.
McCarron leads the nation in passing efficiency headed into the BCS championship game against Notre Dame on Jan. 7 in Miami, and he was MVP of the BCS championship game against LSU last season. He is 24-2 as a starter.
South Carolina: Injured running back Marcus Lattimore announced he was giving up his final season at South Carolina to enter the NFL draft. He was considered a first-round talent after his first two seasons. But a horrifying right knee injury in October has dropped his draft stock, and it is unclear when Lattimore might return to action.
Texas Tech: Texas Tech hired one of its own, bringing back former Red Raiders quarterback Kliff Kingsbury to become the head coach. Kingsbury coached Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel this year as offensive coordinator at Texas A&M.
He has never been a head coach and at 33, he'll be one of the youngest in major college football. Kingsbury succeeds Tommy Tuberville, who left unexpectedly last week to take the Cincinnati job.
Washington State: An internal investigation into allegations by a former player of abuse by coaches on the Washington State football team did not turn up any evidence of such abuse in the program headed by coach Mike Leach.
Athletic director Bill Moos says a dozen players were interviewed by two members of his staff, and all reported they were having a positive experience at Washington State.
Star receiver Marquess Wilson quit the team late in the season and contended that players were suffering physical and mental abuse at the hands of coaches.
Washington State President Elson Floyd asked for the internal review of those allegations and also asked the Pac-12 to do its own review. The conference review still is being conducted.
Arkansas: Running back Knile Davis will skip his senior season to enter the NFL draft. He missed the 2011 season while recovering from a broken ankle. Davis returned this past season but ran for only 377 yards.
Mississippi State: Running back Nick Griffin will miss the Gator Bowl after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. The 6-foot, 225-pound sophomore rushed for 223 yards and a touchdown this season while averaging 7 yards per carry.
Arkansas State: Former Texas co-offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin has been hired as Arkansas State's new coach.
Tennessee Tech: Wide receiver Da'Rick Rogers will bypass his senior season to enter the NFL draft.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.


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SANTA ANA – A pair of mothers led a small demonstration on Tuesday demanding a resolution to the Orange County District Attorney's Office's ongoing investigations into two separate police-involved shootings that led to the deaths of their sons last summer.
The women said they want District Attorney Tony Rackauckas to file charges against the Anaheim police officers who fatally shot 25-year-old Manuel Diaz on July 21 and Joel Acevedo, 21, a day later. The deaths sparked civil unrest that lasted four days in downtown Anaheim, resulting in several injuries and damaged buildings.
"Everyone already knows the D.A. will justify this shooting somehow," Donna Acevedo said as a dozen protesters waved signs in front of the courthouse in Santa Ana.
"I know there's going to be a lot of angry people, but as angry as I am, I want to be peaceful," Acevedo said. "I just want to know the truth about my son."
Anaheim police have said Diaz was a known gang member who ran along a residential alleyway when he was approached by officers. His mother, Genevieve Huizar, said her son was shot in the back.
Police have said he ignored their orders to stop and appeared to reach for his waistband.
Acevedo, also a gang member, reportedly opened fire on Anaheim police officers during a foot chase, authorities said.
"Anybody can make mistakes in their life, but no one deserves to be shot execution-style in the back of the head," Huizar said, wiping tears from her eyes. "We are not calling for violence. We are not calling for a riot. We are calling for justice."
Huizar has a lawsuit pending in federal court against the city of Anaheim.
Separate investigations into both deaths are ongoing and authorities have not yet determined when a final report will be released, said Susan Kang Schroeder, chief of staff to the district attorney.
"These investigations are necessarily lengthy due to the voluminous evidence to be examined, witnesses to be interviewed and legal analysis to be conducted," Kang Schroeder said. "The OCDA understands the importance of transparency in these cases, and the facts will come out for all to see upon the completion of our investigations."
Contact the writer: 714-704-3769 or firstname.lastname@example.com


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More than 500 expected at COT Open House
Thursday, October 17, 2013 2:00 AM
Pittsburg, KS
The halls of the Pittsburg State Kansas Technology Center will be busier than usual on Friday.
More than 500 high school students from across the four-state region will visit the KTC on Oct. 18 for the annual College of Technology Open House event. Students will tour the KTC and get a first-hand look at what the COT has to offer.
"This is a very exciting day for Pittsburg State University and the College of Technology," said Bruce Dallman, dean of the COT. "The open house event allows us to show prospective students our state-of-the-art facility and the excellent programs we offer. It also gives students the opportunity to ask us any questions they may have about our college."
Along with touring the KTC, students will also get to participate in lab demonstrations in the various programs, which include Automotive Technology, Construction Management, Engineering Technology, Graphics and Imaging Technologies, and Technology and Workforce Learning.
Tours of the KTC will take place from 9 a.m. and noon. Lab demonstrations will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.


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quote:Originally posted by CarolinaBillCertain things you can always count on with a Pittsburgh dining experience:1. Fries on salad (usually steak salad)2. Parmesan ANYTHING (Veal Parm, Chicken Parm, Shrimp Parm, Fish Parm, you name it)3. When picking your "potato" with your meal, you will always have a spaghetti choice offered as well.4. Friday means fried fish, slaw, and sometimes mac and cheese. And there is NO PLACE that makes better fish sandwiches than Pittsburgh (preferably Wholey's, Benkovitz, or any good tavern restaurant)
quote:Originally posted by wanderingjewThis is very much a Pittsburgh thing. Steak Salad is very popular there and the salad is generously loaded with French Fries and Provolone. It's not actually a "Pennsylvania Thing" If you ordered the same thing in Philly they would think you are "on drugs"
quote:Originally posted by GNeedles59Why don't I just put ice cream on my salad.
quote:Originally posted by ChicagoIrishIt kinda sounds like they are too lazy to be bothered with an extra dish or two, so just toss all the pieces of a steak dinner in a bowl and be done with it. Plus since it's a "salad" it must be good for you.
quote:Originally posted by jellybearThats the reason for so many Fat Bottoms up there.
wanderingjew Probably one of the few places I lived where there were more women than men.