text:
Crews dug through a gutted Detroit medical building Tuesday, searching for two people unaccounted for after shots were fired inside and the structure was set on fire, police said.
A man believed responsible for the shooting and a woman who worked at the Park Medical Centers had not been located, said Dwane Blackmon, Detroit police homicide inspector.
"Initially, what we know is that it was an arson fire," Blackmon said. "It was started by an individual who we believe fired shots prior to the fire being started."
Investigators were unable to go deep into the one-story building, described by tenants as having also have a basement, due to fears of the structure's integrity. Blackmon was not able to confirm if there were any victims inside the building.
He also did not release the names of the missing, but the Antha Williams-Hill said police told her the woman who has yet to be accounted for is her 30-year-old daughter, Sharita Williams.
"She may still be in there. I want to know," said Williams-Hill, as heavy construction equipment tore off sections of the building's scorched roof which had not caved in from the blaze.
"I've been trying to get in touch with her since this morning," Williams-Hill continued. "I turned on the news and saw the building and said, `Oh Lord!'"
The owners of two businesses inside Park Medical Centers said they were told by staff that a fired maintenance worker went inside about 9 a.m. Tuesday and waved a gun around.
A security guard yelled out that the former maintenance worker had taken "Sharita and is shooting at other people in the building," said Dr. Stuart Kirschenbaum, a podiatrist who operated his private practice from the building for about 30 years.
"Everyone called the police and we started running," he said. "And before you knew it, we saw fire coming from (a) clinic down the hall. Then we started seeing smoke coming from the end of the building."
Dr. Kim Logan-Nowlin, a clinical psychologist, said she was driving in to a 9:10 a.m. appointment when a member of her staff called and said: "Kim, the building is on fire. They're shooting."
Logan-Nowlin told reporters that the man seen with the gun was the former maintenance worker.
Williams-Hill said her daughter had been working for the past year and a half as a medical assistant at one of the Park Medical Centers offices and that she had been in a relationship with the building's maintenance worker until recently breaking it off.
"He did a lot of stuff and she was trying to get away from him," Williams-Hill said. "She moved to Southfield to get away from him."
Southfield is one of a number of inner ring suburbs surrounding Detroit.
Police and arson investigators were interviewing people who worked in the building and relatives of Sharita Williams and Myron Williams.
Blackmon could not confirm whether the two had been in a relationship.
By 10:30 a.m. Tuesday it was clear that little if anything could be saved from the rapidly burning building.
Kirschenbaum, state boxing commissioner from 1981-1992, said a collection of Joe Louis memorabilia he kept from the sport likely was destroyed by flame, smoke and water. Boxing gloves, personal letters and photos were among the items lost, and Kirschenbaum estimated its value at about $100,000.
"It's gone," he said.
Associated Press writers Mike Householder and Jeff Karoub contributed to this report.


text:
I'm writing this post from what I personally believe is one of the nicest parts of France; "La Provence".
This geographical region in the South-West of the country, is a common name for a large area consisting of 6 different "Departements"; Vaucluse, Bouches-du-Rhône, Hautes Alpes, Alpes-De-Haute-Provence, Alpes Maritimes and Var. It extends from the left bank of the Rhône river on the West, the Italian border to the East and is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the South.
This week we are travelling by rental car, through the Vaucluse, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Var.
On our way to the Lac du Saint-Croix, we passed through this beautiful lane of trees. A great place to stop the car and make a "Pic(k) of the week"!
Image details:
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 70-200 2.8 VR2 lens
ISO500, f9, 70mm, 1/400s
RAW development in Lightroom 4.4
Nik ColorEfex for contrast adjustment
As explained in my previous blogpost, one of the reasons to come here all the way from Dubai, is a paragliding course. Unfortunately it looks like the weather will not cooperate this week and it is unlikely we will be able to complete the course...
The good news is there will be more time for landscape photography! Lets look at the positive side of things...
Remember, "Twelve significant photos in one year is a good crop" - Ansel Adams

subset: commoncrawl


text:
How do I add search Related Tags to my site? Example: Someone searches for a guitar, clicks enter or find and when the results pop up under the title are related searches to guitar. Maybe like 3 or 4 keywords.
Is this easy to do? Is there a script for it?


text:
When you do something for a long time it's because you either love it, do it well, or both. At Steidl and Steinberg, our track record has proven we not only love what we do, but we do it well.
Since 1985, we have helped tens of thousands of people get a fresh start and have a hopeful financial future. We have also expanded our services to include solving tax problems and handling your property assessment appeals.
For many of our clients, financial concerns and fears of foreclosure, repossession and judgments bring them to Steidl and Steinberg. We realize it can be an intimidating and stressful time in your life. Most of our clients have tried a variety of options in order to deal with their debt, including contacting the credit card companies to try to lower interest rates and payments, enrolling in debt settlement programs, taking loans from retirement accounts, trying to take on a second job and trying to get a consolidation loan. Unfortunately, for one reason or another, these options often do not solve the problem. No one wants to file for bankruptcy, but sometimes it is the best option. We will provide the guidance and expertise to give you a stress-relieving fresh financial start.
Our website is constructed to help you get acquainted with Steidl and Steinberg, the bankruptcy process and our tax and assessment appeal services. Please remember that nothing in our website can substitute for speaking with one of our Steidl and Steinberg's experienced attorneys. You may contact us through this website or by telephone at 412-391-8000 or 814-431-1131. If you are interested, we can set up a free consultation so that you can learn more about your options and the services that are available at bankruptcy attorney Steidl and Steinberg.


text:
Masset exits with knee injury, to undergo MRI
DENVER -- Nick Masset's struggles commanding the strike zone didn't cost the Rockies a win Saturday, but it might cost him some time after he left the game with left knee injury.
It occurred on a passed ball in the seventh inning, after Masset entered to protect an 8-2 lead. Wilin Rosario's misplay with Hanley Ramirez at the plate permitted Clint Robinson to score from third for the Dodgers' third run of the inning.
Rockies manager Walt Weiss was unclear if Masset hurt his knee planting on that pitch or running to cover home. Regardless, he was escorted off by a trainer and was sent for an MRI following the Rockies' 8-7 victory.
Masset had been one of the better pitchers in a beleaguered bullpen this season, having surrendered nine earned runs over 23 2/3 innings with 18 strikeouts. He departed Saturday's appearance without recording an out, however, and Boone Logan permitted the inherited runner to score, bumping Masset's season ERA up to 4.94 from 3.42.


text:
Matt Thompson necesitaba un nuevo diseño de página web y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 15 diseños de 3 diseñadores freelance.
We are an entertainment mediation company. Songfreedom is the first subscription based music provider to offer a legal way to use some of the most popular music for the cinematography and photography community. We secure the rights to some of the most popular music available and enable others to fuse that music with their highly creative work, legally.
Cinema and photo industry.
We will have about 30 songs in our library that will constantly change. This will require its own page. We need to be able to show a small sampling of music on the home page. We need the "about us" page broken up so we can post videos and pictures as well as text. We will need to have a "meet our customers page" that allows us to post videos and pictures from our customers. The color scheme should compliment the logo, which is attached. The format of the page should be widescreen. Most of our customers will have a 1920x1080 display and we want to take full advantage of the space. We will need a customer sign in space on the front page. We have a current page that looks horrible but has appropriate content to reference. See Songfreedom.com.


text:
I may be biased, because two of my vids are in that category and I propagate this style every way possible, but I'll try to voice my view on this. Btw, I liked Reggie's vid too, watched it completely through and it was a deserved view.MimS wrote:It can't be a great idea.
Watching a vid, you're not saying "hm, that lenght was cool", you just consider what's inside.
Or if there is "best short", there has to be "best long" and The Epic of Griffith would prolly win (reading org people ops on it) but I don't see anybody consider it as a point making the vid good. I would even say mentioning it to someone, you prolly say that there's no need to be afraid of the lenght.
There is no "bad idea" or "great idea" in this - it's just normal. It's the same as genres, any video isn't better or worse objectively, because it's action/romance/short/long/effectsy/whatever. It can be poorly executed, but that's something different, and it can be not to your liking, but that's subjective.
(Btw, the Storytelling is normal category too, because every video contains 0-1 of better or worse interpreted storytelling, but there's a problem with VERY high subjectivity in this category, which leads to conflicts ;x )
As for the "Long video" category - I would like to see something like that too. I think that people who make very short videos (where you have to have clear concept and superb execution to express your idea) or very long videos (where you have to keep viewers attention with the concept and execution as well) should be supported in any way possible, because there's always enough of 2-3 minutes long videos.
To sum it up - length of the video doesn't say that the videos is good/bad, as the genre doesn'T say that. All it is is the sorting point and there are good and bad short videos and there are good and bad long videos. The point of VCAs is for the people to tell us which short and long videos are the good ones.
Well, here I think you're wrong, length IS a point of editing. I suppose Reggie wouldn't be content if the audio was cut to half and some ideas have to be expresseed in short time to have more impact. For one example, "Kanon in Five Seconds" would be just weird if it lasted 2 minutes ;xMimS wrote:Lenght isn't a matter point in editing. In addition, if it's good and short, you will regret this lenght like "Need moar, why is it so short?".
Anyway, the fact there weren't even enough vid to vote for in semi-finals seems enough to me.
There was no issue like that with "Best Storytelling" last year, nobody needed more explanation about it!
Just my op about that...
Oh, and I'd take "Need moar, why is it so short?" over "Boring, why is it so long?" anyday :> It's the intention of the author, so the viewers usually see it differently, but s/he wanted it "this" long.
As for the why there were not enough videos, it was already mentioned - the videos were not filtered, so you had to remember which videos from 4500 ones were shorter than 60 seconds - and that's not an easy thing to remember. Maybe, if this category survives, doki can make us some filter for that :>


text:
Mozy has built iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch and Android apps so UK users can access their backed up data stored in the Mozy cloud.
Using the apps on these handheld devices, or logging on securely to www.mozy.co.uk from any internet-connected device, users can access their MozyHome/MozyPro backed up data from anywhere with a mobile phone, Wi-Fi or wired internet connection.
Mozy said it can do this because of a major upgrade to its European platform. The mobile device apps have support for photo previewing, file download and file sharing. There is an enhanced restore service coming, with Mozy stating: "Users will be able to access more powerful searching, one-click download, 30-day-version viewing, and consolidated file transfer, for faster restores."
The company also said it had recently launched the beta trial of its synchronisation functionality, which it expects to make available soon. According to a cached Google search page, this will be called Mozy Stash and is a Dropbox competitor. It will also compete with Apple's iCloud when that comes out.
Mozy Stash Graphic
Here's what the cached page says about it:
When you install Stash on your computer, it links a local Stash folder with your online Stash. Add a file to the local Stash folder, and almost instantly you can securely access it from the Mozy website or mobile app. If you have more than one computer, Stash keeps each of your linked computers up to date with your latest changes.
That sounds like Dropbox to a T. ®
Sponsored: Webcast: Ransomware has gone nuclear


text:
Earth Champs; The Worlds Finest "Green" Brand Name With Matching Domain Name
Now Available For Sale or Joint Venture
NEW: April 2019 Join EarthChamps On Instagram
EarthChampion.com also available
EarthChampion.com also available
A new study found that 72 percent of consumers think that business is failing to address adequately or not at all today´s environmental and social challenges. It also found that two-thirds of CEOs admitted that business is not doing enough to address sustainability issues.
Consumers clearly expect more from companies, from greater honesty and transparency to greater impact on global and local challenges and a more responsible stewardship of natural resources and the environment:
Combine these feelings with seeing now in a daily basis images across the globe and felt local impacts of severe weather like drought, fire and floods, proof that it's time for someone to rally the interests of environmental leadership. EarthChamps is the perfect banner for that cause.
Combining social networking and traditional media, Earth Champs will provide the shared sense of common purpose that is totally absent from today's social sites.
As THE community for the environmentally conscious, Earth Champs will be where companies find their best customers, and consumers find companies that share their values.
Whether rebranding a recycling/upcycling program, smart car or an Earth advocacy program, Earth Champs will significantly improve your chances of being found, known and remembered in crowded 'green" marketplace.
==> A better brand name is an asset which could increase the value of your business!
A great name is like extra octane in a brand. Your domain name is critical to the foundation of your business – affecting your business name, your home on the web, and your email address. Owning a domain that is short, easy to remember, and related directly to your business could be the best marketing investment you ever make.
==> Should you change it to EathChamps.com?
Consider sites through which other companies are already trying to promote environmental action include GE's Ecoimagination, GreenWala, Panasonic's EcoIdeas and SalesForce.com Foundation's EarthForce.
EarthChamps provides its eventual owner an advantage that all of these lack: A powerful name that in itself expresses the essential concept of what people who care for the Earth want to be, accomplish and belong to. Who can look at images of spoiled beaches and oil-soaked pelicans and not say "I want to help. I want to be an Earth Champ"?
Millions will be able to participate. But only one will be able to lead and claim this big, ownable idea as theirs.
Contact us today to schedule a presentation on how your organization can benefit by being the lead sponsor of Earth Champs.
|As a sponsor of EarthChamps.com (including its .org, .net and .us and singular variants), you'd use this prestigious web address, (and its optional collectible pin logo, corporate citizen web page badge and membership potential) as a platform on which to stand for something bigger. (see blog page sample HERE)


text:
L5R : Jade Winds
Some beautiful, traditional Japanese music to hit strangers with three foot razors by…
(Screenshot : Toshiro Mifune in Yojimbo)
Serious grognard rpg group play here, no one is under 44 years old, and all of us have been gaming since we were in college (when velociraptors were not invented, even). So some serious RPG chops combined with cranky old people means it is quite the challenge to keep them awake.
Jade Winds uses Legend of the Five Rings rules 4e. The campaign is loosely set in the L5R canonical 1170s, Toturi I is Emperor, and the Spirit War never happened (it is ridiculous so I ignored it) and no, the Spider Clan isn't, also I don't track all the CCG timeline events, either.
At the end of the last story arc, the PC's encountered the Troll Weapon, and saw it slip from their grasp into the northern skies. The survivors re-entered Rokugan and took part in the last days of North Wall City as the fanatical Dragon monks under Togashi destroyed the rearguard of the Mitanaka & Gaijin army. The main body met the Dragon Army at Mirumoto Pass, resulting in a bloody, hard fought defeat of the Gaijin. When they finally broke under the relentless counterattacks of the cream of the Mirumoto Clan's swords folk, the hills and valleys ran red with blood. The Rokugani granted no quarter to the outsiders.
The story begins again with a reunion to celebrate the wedding of a surviving Mirumoto and his newfound partner, a Shosuro Actress of notable talents and beauty. The Dragon clan is counting their dead, rebuilding a shattered province and slowly reassembling its broken legions, yet hope has bloomed at Last Light Castle, for now.
Of course, the calm will soon become rippled by events, again. Old oaths will be recalled, and duty is heavier than even the mountains themselves.
Please leave comments, by all means.


text:
Extra Extra, Read All About It !!!!
Warbird Products
VQ Warbirds is stocked full of awesome Warbird products that allows Warbird Pilots to assemble a great looking and flying Warbird that is sure to turn heads on the flight line.
Featured Photos!
Take a look at some of the photos our VQ WARBIRDS customers have sent us!
Warbird Radio
Proud Supporter of Warbird Radio!
WarbirdRadio.com is the worlds first online radio station devoted to military aviation.


text:
Solutions Personal Contract Plan* representative example for
*At the end of the agreement there are three options: i) pay the optional final payment and own the vehicle; ii) return the vehicle: subject to excess mileage and fair wear and tear, charges may apply; or iii) replace: part exchange the vehicle
With Solutions Personal Contract Plan. 18s+. Subject to status & availability. T&Cs apply. Offer available when ordered by 30 June 2020 from participating Centres. Indemnities may be required. Not available in conjunction with any other offer and may be withdrawn at any time. Accurate at time of publication April 2020. Freepost
^Recommended on-the-road price is inclusive of first registration fee at £55.00 and first year road fund licence (VED) at £1,850.00
© 2020 All rights reserved to
* Data determined in accordance with the measurement method required by law. Since 01 September 2018 all new cars are approved in accordance with the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP). You can find more information on WLTP at www.porsche.com/wltp. From 01 January 2019, all fuel consumption figures are shown as determined in accordance with WLTP. CO₂ figures will be shown as NEDC-equivalent values, as CO₂ based taxation will continue to be based on an NEDC value (derived from WLTP) until 06 April 2020. For Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) range and Equivalent All Electric Range (EAER) figures are determined with the battery fully charged, using a combination of both battery power and fuel.
Values are provided for comparison only. To the extent that fuel and energy consumption or CO₂ values are given as ranges, these do not relate to a single, individual car and do not constitute part of the offer. Optional features and accessories can change relevant vehicle parameters such as weight, rolling resistance and aerodynamics which may result in a change in fuel or energy consumption and CO₂ values. Vehicle loading, topography, weather and traffic conditions, as well as individual driving styles, can all affect the actual fuel consumption, energy consumption, electrical range, and CO₂ emissions of a car.
** Important information about the all-electric


text:
Have you ever read the novel Ben Hur?
If the answer to the question above is yes, then you could not have helped being enamored by the artistry and detail with which, its author, General Lew Wallace, captures the audiences' imagination.
Indiana, the home of General Lew Wallace, has much to offer in terms of tourism. From the vast nature trails, to exquisite museums, Indiana is a must-see for one and all.
While visiting Boone, Montgomery and Putnam Counties, one would be taken aback by the scenic beauty and majestic grandiose of the various tourist spots. Not only would this prove pleasant for the eyes, but you will walk away with some knowledge. Take the Lew Wallace Study and Museum in Montgomery County; anyone would be surprised to know that General Lew Wallace built a moat around his estate so that he could fish close to home.
Therefore, if you are a fan of history, or if you enjoy local renditions of famous plays and musicals, or if you like to go on biking or walking trails, I would suggest that you pack your bags and head on down. The best way to experience Indiana is to come to Indiana.


text:
Your memories deserve the best
Start Here
We can digitize and transfer VHS, S-VHS, VHS-C, Hi8, Digital 8, and Mini-DV formats.
Even more than photos, video tape was never meant to last. You can save several precious memories by converting your video tapes to digital formats. With the video transfer service from ScanCafe, you can move the footage from all your VHS tapes - including VHS, S-VHS and VHS-C - to a DVD or USB drive. Here's what the service includes:
To make it easy for you to try out our video to DVD transfer service, we have designed the whole process to be as pain-free as possible. All you have to do is ship your tapes to us and we will take care of the rest for you. At the end, you will have all your video memories safely transferred from your tapes to a DVD or USB drive, or available for downloading.
Let's start by showing two stills from the exact same 20-year old VHS-C tape, one digitized by ScanCafe, and one by one of the most successful competitors in the industry. Can you see the differences?
In these comparison stills, note the bottom-left tracking error, greenish color, and poor detail in the Competitor version--all corrected by ScanCafe. Video: W Lagrone, 1991
At ScanCafe, we don't do your video transfer by simply inserting your video tape into a machine and coming back when it's finished! Instead, every video tape at ScanCafe is viewed and edited by a dedicated technician, who gives your memories the attention they deserve.
In short, for our standard video conversion service (e.g. a VHS to DVD transfer), a technician will spend approximately up to 2 hours per tape addressing all of the issues below, and then some. Just as with our industry leading photo scanning service, , this handcrafted attention to your memories is the only way to ensure quality. For each video tape, we run through the following steps or fixes:
Most video tapes, particularly VHS, have inherent picture quality that was considered adequate at the time of their introduction but have long since been surpassed in picture quality, in the era of HDTV. Even Super VHS, Hi 8, Digital 8, and mini-DV, which are substantially more detailed than VHS, are still formats that are best viewed on analog television equipment. So when we say that we can produce a DVD of your footage with like-new picture quality, we mean that it can be as good as that original source allows.
We use standard definition DVDs fundamentally because they are universally playable, and their resolution is well suited to that of the sources we are transferring. Not coincidentally, it also allows us to keep the costs of the service low, and we can put up to 2 hours of video tape content onto a DVD. This does mean, however, that if you view your video tape footage on a large, HD television or computer monitor, it will not seem nearly as sharp as when viewed on a regular analog television, particularly so for VHS.
In theory, you can digitize your tapes yourself. But you have to be ready to set aside a significant chunk of time for the project. Since your video tapes have to play out in real time in order for you to record their contents, there's no way to rush the process. You also have to own or procure a VHS player that can play your old tapes and for most people, that becomes a stumbling block. So, outsourcing the job to a reliable videotape conversion service like ScanCafe makes a lot of sense - from both a time and setup perspective.
» Will my tapes look as good as the original?
Your DVD footage should look as good as, and in most cases better, than if you were to play your videotape today. In most cases, in fact, it should look as good as the original was, the first time you played the tape.
However, there are exceptions. If a tape cannot play in our reference machines, we will not be able to process it all. For tapes that have significant signal loss due to degradation, there is unfortunately no way for us to replace the lost signal. For tapes with extreme chroma keying (color halos around the edges of figures and objects in the video), we will try to address them with a number of techniques but success is not guaranteed. (Incidentally this problem can be caused by successively copying a tape over and over again--generally, it's best if you send us the a working original, as copying an analog videotape degrades it substantially).
» If my tape is longer than 2 hours, how much will that cost?
A small proportion of VHS tapes, usually those recorded on the lower-quality EP settings, may have more than 2 hours of content on them.
In those cases, we will author your tape onto separate DVDs, each containing 2 hrs of content, and charge you accordingly. For example, if you send us one VHS tape with 6 hours of content on it, we will charge you for 3 X the current one tape price.
You'll be notified by email if this situation comes up.
» Can you make a DVD that will play in PAL format?
We currently can process PAL format tapes. Our DVDs can be played on a computer or on a DVD player.
» How customized is the DVD?
We will personalize your DVD case with thumbnails from the scenes on your DVD. We will also print your name, order number, and title information on your DVD itself.
You are able to name each videotape you send us by using our DVD Titles Worksheet when you place your order. That information will appear on your DVD as navigate.
» Will there be sound on my DVD?
Generally, yes.
We will capture any sound that is already present on your videotape, for no additional charge, include that on your DVD. At the moment, we don't capture sound from film reels.
In addition, we may provide incidental music at the start of your DVD, but not music that plays while you are viewing your footage itself.
» Will my DVD be copy-protected? Can I make copies?
Your DVD contents are not copy-protected.
Copying the DVD will require you to use specialized software and/or hardware. Most will find it difficult, as modern day computers don't come with such software/hardware. So, it is best to order additional DVDs from us; either when you place the order or before final checkout by contacting customer service. Alternatively, you can also ask for editable MPEG4 files on a USB flash drive. This can be submitted as a special request when placing the order or by contacting customer service.
The binder layer in videotape gets sticky over time as it absorbs water from the air. And the magnetic particles themselves decay, causing loss of information and color saturation.
more about video tape decay »
The only real guarantee in the business. If something happens to your originals while we have them, we'll pay you up to $1,000.
read the terms »
"The attention to detail was impressive. And so were the scans... pro-caliber work…"
"Best quality and cheapest…The best scanning service."
"Bottom line? Good quality and, at $0.24 per slide and $0.27 per print, the price is hard to beat."
I was amazed. It brought to life memories we didn't even know we had. The quality was excellent...much better than I expected [from VHS]. It looked great. My wife and I were crying as we watched.
- Gary Johnson, Chicago History Museum (May 2011)
In general, I have been impressed with the professionalism of everybody at ScanCafe. They deliver what they promise. I am totally satisfied with every facet of the process, which is very clear and straightforward. I know what you guys had to deal with on that VHS tape I sent you, and I liked the crispness, the color. Whatever you guys did, it improved it!
- Frank V, Mount Laurel, NJ (May 2011)
Just one more quality product [from ScanCafe] to take advantage of. It completes the picture.
- Betty B, Wilmington, NC (May 2011)
Register here to receive the news, tips,
and promotions that we send out regularly.


text:
The White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers may be closing in on a deal to send Dodgers outfielder Manny Ramirez to the South Side in exchange for minor league prospects.
The deal appeared to be close Wednesday when reports surfaced that Ramirez was claimed by the Sox on waivers.
… The Dodgers appeared to be trying to negotiate a trade instead of allowing Ramirez to be claimed outright without compensation, with the Sox having only to pay his remaining salary.
UPDATE #1: Mark Gonzales says that according to a Dodgers source "the Dodgers are very eager to move Ramirez."
UPDATE #2: Dylan Hernandez (LA Times) tweets that he's hearing the same: that the Sox and Dodgers are talking trade. And Bob Nightengale (USA Today) tweets that Manny has let it be known, through his friends, that he'll accept a trade to the Sox.
UPDATE #3: Bruce Levine (ESPN) says a Major League source shot down the CST report, that the Sox and Dodgers are working on a deal, since all MLB teams have until Friday to claim or not Manny.


text:
Now time for another Latvian province for the Family History Through the Alphabet challenge… Livland!
Livland was not strictly a Latvian province. The territory it covered is now divided between northern Latvia and southern Estonia. This is an important thing to remember when researching ancestors from Livland – if they seem to "disappear" from Latvian records, they might just be on the other side of the modern-day border, and thus the records would be held by Estonia. The good news with that is, however, that the corresponding Estonian records are available online (click "ENG" in the top right corner if you don't know Estonian), and thus easily consulted. The style of record-keeping will also be the same, since it was all the same province. Later records, particularly those kept by local officials, will begin to vary, however, especially since these could then be in Estonian rather than German or Russian.
While I don't have precise numbers, just by looking at a map one can tell that Livland is much bigger than the other Baltic provinces, Kurland and Estland. It stretches from a northern boundary that corresponds roughly to a line drawn from the northern edge of the island of Saaremaa to the north coast of Lake Peipus, to a southern boundary of the Daugava river. Many important Baltic cities were located in Livland, including Rīga, Cēsis (Wenden), Valmiera (Wolmar), Tartu (Dorpat) and Parnu (Pernau).
According to the 1897 Census, the population of Livland consisted of approximately 43% Latvians, 40% Estonians, 8% Germans, 5% Russians, with the remaining 4% consisting of Jews, Poles, Lithuanians and others. After the First World War, when Latvia and Estonia gained independence, a substantial amount of effort was spent in delineating the border between Latvia and Estonia. Generally speaking, it was accomplished by seeing whether Latvians or Estonians were the majority in the parish. There were some points of contention, however. The city of Valka was one of these, and in the end, ended up divided between the two countries. In Estonian it is known as Valga. Ainaži was also up for debate, and a local referendum determined the town's inclusion in Latvian territory. A referendum also took place on Roņi island (Ruhnu in Estonian), an island in the bay of Rīga that was predominantly inhabited by Swedes. It voted to become a part of Estonia.
Livland has a huge number of surviving records. I can't even begin to describe them all, even though most of the research that I have done deals with what was known as Livland (both sides of the modern-day border, but predominantly on the Latvian side). If you have Livland ancestors, consider yourself lucky!
Are you interested in more historical details on Livland? Not sure if your ancestors are Latvian or Estonian? Let me know, I can help!


text:
This story appears in the January 1998 issue of . Subscribe »
For more than 13 years, Idora Silver has had secretaries, administrative assistants, bookkeepers, marketing specialists and accountants work for her--all without hiring a single employee. Since she started Idora Silver & Associates in 1985, her Reno, Nevada, professional-liability consulting firm, Silver has taken advantage of a trend now sweeping the business world.
"The start-up business is a tailor-made environment for taking advantage of temporary help," says Rolf Kleiner, senior vice president and general manager of Kelly Scientific Resources, a division of Kelly Services Inc., an international temporary-staffing service based in Troy, Michigan. "By using temporary staffing, the small-business owner can get highly competent assistance for a short period of time and a reasonable amount of money."
For Silver, being able to hire experts on a short-term basis has helped her grow her business. "Getting help from consultants, such as accountants, marketing experts and attorneys, broadens my dimensions and benefits me and my clients," she says.
Using temporary services is also a great way for small businesses to complete large projects they can't do themselves, says Debbie Neely, operations manager for East Bay Kelly Services Inc. in Pleasanton, California. "By calling a temporary agency," she says, "the small-business owner can get help for a day or several weeks."
Julie Bawden Davis is a freelance writer in Orange, California.
Outsourcing Vs. Temporary Help
There are two main ways to get short-term help for your business. Outsourcing generally means hiring an independent consultant to perform certain services, while hiring temporary help refers to acquiring a short-term employee through a personnel service.
Independent consultants' rates may be lower than agencies would charge you for the same assistance. But going through an agency saves you the time and expense of locating temporary help. When you hire through an agency, you pay the agency directly for all services and avoid other expenses and tax worries.
"Hiring temporary help through an agency frees me from doing bookkeeping, payroll and employee taxes," says Jeff Auerbach, president of Gaithersburg, Maryland-based Replicon Inc., a biotechnology company involved in DNA diagnostics, who hired a scientific researcher through Kelly Services. "Writing a single check simplifies things and frees me to concentrate on the business."
Hiring consultants, on the other hand, can be a more complicated matter. "When you hire outside consultants, you must have them fill out a W-9, which will tell you if they're corporations or unincorporated businesses," says Dave Stevens, a CPA in Santa Fe Springs, California. "If they're unincorporated, you must issue them a 1099 at the end of the year if you've paid them more than $600 for that year."
It's also important the person you hire as an independent consultant is not actually acting as an employee, which would make you liable for taxes.
"There are certain criteria outside consultants must meet in order to be considered independent contractors by the government," says Stevens. "If you're audited and challenged and you lose, and people you paid as independent contractors are actually deemed employees, you may have to pay all employment-related taxes you should have withheld and submitted to federal and state taxing agencies, plus the employer's share of any other taxes due. This amount could run as high as 40 percent of what you paid them, plus penalties and interest."
The IRS has a 19-question checklist called "Employer's Supplemental Tax Guide" to help you determine whether a person is an independent contractor or an employee. The checklist can be downloaded from the IRS' Web site (http://www.irs.ustreas.gov).
Finding Good Temporary Help
Whether you use a temporary agency or an outside consultant, there are a few things to keep in mind to find high-quality short-term help.
"Word of mouth is probably the best way to find a consultant who meets your needs," says Silver. "When you're on the phone with business consultants and friends, ask who they use for the service you're looking for."
Once you find a consultant, make sure to check the person's background thoroughly. "Ask for references, and don't choose people just because they're nice," says Silver. "Consider their work first and foremost."
To choose good temporary help, you must first find a reputable agency. Make sure the company is accredited and belongs to the National Association of Temporary and Staffing Services, says Linda Haneborg, vice president of marketing and public relations for Express Personnel Services, an international staffing firm based in Oklahoma City. "Also, ask for references from other small-business owners who have used the service."
Another thing to consider is the type of recruiting the temporary firm does, which will indicate how carefully they select people. Are their potential employees thoroughly screened, tested and interviewed? Do the firm's employees usually complete assignments? Frequent turnover could indicate poor matching of qualifications to jobs.
Also make certain the agency is paying its employees a fair wage, warns Francis Dinha, president of NewCom Technologies Inc., a software and hardware engineering company in Pleasanton, California. He started the company alone last year and has since grown to eight employees, most of whom he hired first as temporary employees.
"If the agency isn't paying the employees a fair wage, they'll probably be junior-level people who aren't qualified enough," Dinha says.
To help a temporary agency find a good match for your business needs, there is a variety of information you should provide before the search begins.
- Define your needs. "Are you looking for a receptionist to just answer the phones, or is it important that he or she also have computer skills?" says Neely. "Do you have a specific type of phone system? Will the employee need knowledge of your industry?"
- Approximately how long will you need the employee? Wanting an employee who is doing well to stay on is OK, but some workers are only interested in short-term assignments and will want to leave. State your time needs up front, when possible.
- Provide a detailed job description. What time must the person report to work and what are the hours? Will the person be dealing directly with the public, or is this a behind-the-scenes job?
- Be realistic. "Consider the input you're able to provide the employee," says Auerbach. "If you're going to be out on the road a lot and not able to give the person much guidance, tell the agency so they can find a self-starter with initiative."
What You Can Outsource
The range of assistance the small-business owner can get from temporary help or outside consultants is far-reaching. Here are some examples:
- Accounting
- Data entry
- Packaging and mailing
- Shipping and receiving
- Mass mailings
- General office support
- Marketing
- Assembly of machines
- Telemarketing
- Customer service
- Legal assistance
- Research assistance
- Proofreading and editing
- Typing, dictaphone work and transcription
- Sorting, pricing and inventory
Contact Sources
Dave Stevens, CPA, 12016 E. Telegraph Rd., #201, Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670, (562) 946-8484
East Bay Kelly Services Inc., 5990 Stoneridge Dr., #106, Pleasanton, CA 94588, (510) 463-3620
Express Personnel Services, 6300 N.W. Expwy., Oklahoma City, OK 73132, (800) 635-1608
Idora Silver & Associates, (800) 682-2929, fax: (702) 829-0606
International Data Corp., (508) 935-4550, http://www.idc.com
Kelly Scientific Resources, Kelly Services Inc., 999 W. Big Beaver Rd., Troy, MI 48084, (800) KELLY-62
National Association of Temporary andStaffing Services, 119 S. Saint Asaph St., Alexandria, VA 22314, http://www.natss.org
NewCom Technologies Inc., 5990 Stoneridge Dr., #116, Pleasanton, CA 94588, (510) 737-1530
Replicon Inc., 13109 Jasmine Hill Terrace, Rockville, MD 20850, (301) 294-0184


text:
BEIJING, November 17, 2012 — A Tibetan taxi driver has set herself on fire and died in the latest of dozens of protests against Chinese rule over the Himalayan region, overseas rights groups said.
Chagmo Kyi, a mother of two, self-immolated Saturday afternoon in a square in Tongren county in western China's Qinghai province, the eighth self-immolation in the Tongren area since November 4, the Washington-based International Campaign for Tibet said in an email.
According to the group, 75 people have self-immolated in ethnically Tibetan areas since February 2009, and most of them have died.
Tibet support groups overseas say an increase in protests the past two weeks was meant to highlight Tibetans' unhappiness with Chinese rule as the country's leaders handed over power to younger successors at a Communist Party congress in Beijing.
Tibetan delegates attending the congress told reporters they believed much of the blame for the spate of self-immolations fell on the Dalai Lama, Tibetans' spiritual leader, and his associates, whom they said were instigating the protests.
The Dalai Lama and representatives of the self-declared Tibetan government-in-exile in India say they oppose all violence.
The International Campaign for Tibet reported that hundreds of Tibetans were surrounded by troops as they attended Chagmo Kyi's cremation at a site normally used for the cremation of monks and lamas.
The group said the woman had frequently driven between Tongren and Xining, the provincial capital, and was also a farmer.
London-based Free Tibet also reported the self-immolation, and said at least 20 trucks, each carrying 20 armed police officers, were stationed at intersections in Tongren's capital, Rongwo, where people have previously self-immolated in protest. It also said there were reports of cars, each with about five government officials inside, positioned every 20 paces along most streets, monitoring the population.
Authorities in Tongren and Huangnan prefecture, which oversees the county, either refused to comment or said they hadn't heard about the self-immolation. Calls to Tongren police rang unanswered.
Independent verification of events and conditions in Tibet is nearly impossible because of restrictions on travel.


text:
#2 is the more standard form, but most speakers would consider either acceptable.
In the first, 'what' is essentially treated as a substitute for 'which', which may function either as subject or as complement, allowing us, for instance, to point at a person in a photograph and ask either
Which (one) are you?
('You' as subject and 'which' as complement)
Which (one) is you?
('which' as subject and 'you' as complement)
with no appreciable difference of meaning.
English Teacher


text:
"Veronica Mars" is kicking it on Kickstarter.
The TV show about a crime-solving California teen looks like it is destined to be made into a movie after fans contributed $1.3 million and counting on the crowd-funding site on Wednesday.
That makes the project the fastest yet to reach $1 million on Kickstarter - in 4 hours, 24 minutes - and the most-funded film or video project to date, according to a site spokesman.
The show starring Kristen Bell was cancelled after three seasons in 2007, but has since gained a cult following on Netflix. Its goal is to raise $2 million in 30 days for a summer shoot.
Show creator Rob Thomas says if the funding goal is reached, the movie will hit theaters in early 2014.


text:
< Back to Theatre
The Act
Fresh from two sellout runs at Ovalhouse, The Act now transfers to Trafalgar Studios 2 for a limited 5 week season. Sex and politics collide in an innovative cabaret -style production comprised of personal anecdotes, verbatim House of Commons speeches and song, parlayed in a captivating tour-de-force performance by Matthew Baldwin.
1967. In Westminister the men in suits are putting the finishing touches to the freedoms we take for granted. In Soho, the men in bars are putting the finishing touches to their hairdos. Caught between these worlds is Matthews, a civil servant with a big heart and a big secret.
Show Information
Saturday, 29th March 2014
Saturday, 29th March 2014
1 hour 10 minutes
Venue Information
Trafalgar Studio Two
14 Whitehall
Map | Seating Plan
(5mins) Head left on the main road Strand. Follow Trafalgar Square around onto Whitehall and the theatre's on your right.


text:
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
Ok . So I order the upre mk 11 from threw audio on 11/ 21/15 . And still no upre . Keep hearing its on its way . Now they say next week! Any one else order this box and did you have to wait this long?
Well it finally arrived . No manual to go to so I've been playing around with it. A couple questions . HP switch . Which way is on which way is off ? .
Also should the adc be off if you run anolog line in to a small deck such as m10 ! I have a canare bcj xj trs on order and a bnc to rca 75 ohm cable on its way so I can go spdif if want. Anyway it's a sweet little box . I'll give it a spin real soon
MobilePage created in 0.043 seconds with 48 queries.© 2002-2020 Taperssection.com
Powered by SMF
SMF © 2017, Simple Machines


text:
Advanced Search
Chat with us!
Art Challenge
Active Forum Topics - (view more)
- New PC, PS3 and Xbox360 Game - Knights of al-Aqsa Mosque by udkultimate
- Music download by MedicineStorm
- What additional tool do I need to add to my pixel-editing program? by Joe Strout
- I need a creative designer help. by jojohn37
- Can I use [LPC} Art in a Comercial Game..? by bluecarrot16
- Editing submissions - Upload & Remove button do nothing by AntumDeluge
- bluecarrot16's WIP LPC tilesets/collections by Evert
- [FIXED] Problem - Download Count by MedicineStorm
Search Art
Displaying 121 - 144 of 24864


text:
Bristlecone Pines
For More Bristlecone - Click Here
Go boldly, prepared, and with confidence – Go with NMBR! Whether you're a novice, seasoned professional, or have completed multiple expeditions across the globe, NMBR will provide you with an experience that suits your comfort level, background, and vehicle. The self-sufficient and educational aspect of NMBR's guided overland adventures and training seminars challenges and prepares individuals for their future 4WD based endeavors.


text:
Management: Volunteers
Eleanor L. Brilliant
Volunteer activity is linked to the concept of American democracy; it is also the source of early social work in the nineteenth century. Volunteering is action taken by personal choice and generally without expectation of pay; it takes many forms. In 2006, it represented over 8 billion hours of organization-related service in the United States. There are costs as well as benefits in volunteering. In the human services, volunteers have a variety of roles from serving on leadership Boards to providing direct service; tension may exist between professional staff and volunteers, and volunteer management is important for effective use of volunteers.
Social Enterprise
Rukshan Fernando
Social enterprise is a management practice that integrates principles of private enterprise with social sector goals and objectives. Social enterprise is a relatively new type of social work macro practice and includes a variety of sustainable economic activities designed to yield social impact for individuals, families, and communities. Despite the increased popularity of social enterprise scholarship, social work is visibly absent from it. Social enterprise is a field that promises to harness the energy and enthusiasm of commercial entrepreneurship combined with macro practice to address many long-standing social issues. Despite being a popular practice phenomenon, empirical research on social enterprise is still quite nascent, indeed: only a few empirical articles on the subject have thus far appeared in academic journals, and even fewer in social work journals. This article provides an overview of social enterprise, and the potential for synergy between social enterprise, the social work profession, and education.
Lawrence Shulman
Supervision of students and practitioners has been important to social work since its earliest evolution as a recognized profession. Central to the process is the idea of one professional with more knowledge, skill, and experience guiding the practice and development of another with less. The four content areas of supervision usually include direct practice, professional impact, job management, and continued learning. There are a number of supervision models, and most emphasize a positive supervisor–supervisee working relationship, a parallel process, and the importance of cultural competency. The emergence of Evidence-Based Practices and Trauma-Informed Practices has also influenced supervision. The contemporary context of social work supervision offers both opportunities and challenges to clinical supervision.


text:
Here's another report from the Mild West, where the Baltimore Symphony has been touring. Violinist Ivan Stefanovic offers this report from the weekend the orchestra spent in Berkeley:
Dear blog readers, greetings from a land of huge eucalyptus,
old olive, stately pine and tropical palm trees, town of many incredible farm-to-table restaurants, unsavory but entertaining characters on the sidewalks, ever-present fog and mist in the hills, and, of course, great coffee shops.
The BSO arrived in Berkeley on Thursday evening after battling rush-our traffic and crossing a bridge (not the Golden Gate) that, height-wise, makes our own Bay Bridge look like child's play.
The town is not very big, and the hotel we're staying in is near University of California at Berkeley, whose campus is adorned with the aforementioned beautiful tree specimens.
The campus paths are strangely empty and quiet this week, as most students are gone for their Spring Break.
On Friday morning, the BSO had two concerts. The matinee, "LIFE: A Journey Through Time," was tailored for school children, as it featured the incredible photographs of nature by the world-renowned National Geographic photographer Franz Lanting.
Music that accompanies the movie was written by Baltimore native minimalist composer Phillip Glass. It requires at times razor-thin precision on part of the conductor in order to match the rapid movement of photographs on the big screen that hangs above the stage.
Our Music Director Marin Alsop, who has done this score (and many other live movie scores) many times with great success, yet again managed to bring it all to life with great accuracy. The children in this concert showed almost too much enthusiasm while we were playing, but that just may be preferable to them being bored.
The evening concert started with a pairing of two fanfares, by Copland and Joan Tower, which gave our brass a chance to shine even in the less than ideal acoustical environment.
Our featured soloist was the energetic, yet so cool and composed percussionist extraordinaire, Colin Currie, who displayed his rhythmical superiority (which he still matched with great sensitivity in slow and calm sections) on many instruments, and while he darted from one part of the stage to another in order to reach different groups of instruments.
Jennifer Higdon, who wrote the Percussion Concerto, ingeniously paired the soloist in front of the stage with orchestra's own percussion section in the back, often having them play off of one another in rapid succession, and especially so in the extended and rock-like cadenza.
Our guys were a great match for Colin, proving that the great distance between them and the soloist that they had to overcome didn't matter to musicians with great ears.
Second half of the concert featured Prokofiev's great Fifth Symphony, which gave a chance to the orchestra, under Marin Alsop's leadership, to show both its expressive capability and great sense of drive.
The Berkeley audience responded accordingly, and was quickly rewarded with a short excerpt from Borodin's "Polovtsian Dances."
Keep cheering us on from afar!
-Ivan Stefanovic
(PHOTOS FROM TOP: A mission-style church across from Zellerbach Auditorium; Many choices of salsa in one of the excellent restaurants in Berkeley)


text:
Search Videos
Sort by:
LatestTop RatedMost PopularRandom
Jerry Nagel, co-founder of the Meadowlark Institute, talks about worldviews and the importance of u…
Sep 30, 2011
87 views
Simple clever game to help a team define groundrules or just as an icebreaker
Tags: organisation, teambuilding
Nov 22, 2010
213 views
Welcome toThe Art of Hosting
Sign Upor Sign In
Contribute to the Art of Hosting online presence by donating here in Euros.
Here you can do a bank transfer, donate in USD and pay with credit card.
2 members
1 member
5 members
7 members
© 2020 Created by Rowan.
Powered by
Badges |
Report an Issue |
Terms of Service
Please check your browser settings or contact your system administrator.


text:
A small blue bird flies through an open window, and moves swiftly from person to person, brushing each with its wings as it glides past. The door opens, and in steps Val, the blue sapphire on his ring - Envinyatar, the Life Ring of Eternity - glowing brightly. Having finished its tour of the party inside, the bird flies back towards Val. Landing on his shoulder, it gives a chirp and disappears as the glow fades away.
Wow, how wonderful to see so many of the guild within. I had long forgotten how to get to this place, but then it came to me whilst I was sleeping. I'm glad I returned. Lovely to see you again Enty, who recommended I come here all those years ago. And Erin, Vana, Gwen and Harvestar! Sad to see that Arwen_Sol, who bestowed this ring upon me, has stopped stopping by. I hope you are all well!


text:
June 1, 2020
A: click to change text to default font size A: click to change text to medium font size A: click to change text to large font size
Related Links
Civil ADR Program
Looking for a Civil Panelist?
Info for Civil ADR Panelists
Contact Us
San Mateo County Superior Court
400 County Center
Redwood City, CA 94063 [Directions].
Phone Number and Phone Hours:
(650) 261-5075 or (650) 261-5076 (for general information). Due to limited staffing, calls may not be returned immediately.
Email: email@example.com


text:
More at Glenn Beck.com.
Earlier today on radio, Glenn told the audience about the artist in Boston who displayed a painting of Obama crucified on a cross like Jesus. And while many have protested the art, including people in New York City, Glenn actually agreed with the artist that the first amendment should override people's hurt feelings over the image. That's why he decided to create some art of his own.
"Art is in the eye of the beholder and this guy has a right to do this. I think its offensive. I don't think its close to reality but whatever floats your boat. I support his right to do exactly that. I agree with him that people who are upset should not trump his right to be able to do it and be able to hang it wherever he wants – as long as its wanted there," Glenn said.
And while some may find it surprising that Glenn would support the right for a person to paint a picture of Obama as Christ, he said it all goes to the Constitution – the one irrefutable piece of art which gives people the freedom.
"That document says I can't stop him, and the spirit of that document is that I shouldn't try," he said.
But would people on the left agree with Glenn? In the same way that the artist pushed the buttons of conservatives and people of faith with his painting of Obama, Glenn decided to create his own piece of art with Obama.
After a day drinking a lot of water, Glenn had a mason jar filled with…his own special brew of yellow liquid on set. Glenn took a Obama figurine, and then placed it in the jar. The result? "Obama in Pee Pee" – which will soon be up for sale for $25,000.


text:
Ohio stink: Tressel abandons players in trouble
How corrupt can college sports get before someone with power and influence gets angry enough to do something about it? There must be a limit to the putrification, mustn't there? When will the stink grow so pungent that it can't be denied any longer?
Never. When it's the people with the power and influence who are corrupt, there isn't any stink at all.
What other conclusion can one draw after these past couple of weeks? Even Stanford's discontinuing its "A is for Athlete" program, the practice of providing a list of easy-A classes exclusively to student-athletes, came only after reporters asked about it. But it's really what's going on in Columbus, Ohio, that makes college sports seem like an integrity-free zone.
On March 8, Ohio State revealed that it was suspending football coach Jim Tressel for two games and fining him $250,000 for violating NCAA rules. In doing that, the school committed an unforgivable moral trespass.
Tressel's failure to notify Ohio State about several players being caught up in a federal drug-trafficking case and the sale of memorabilia isn't the issue. Neither is the response of OSU's athletic director: "Wherever we end up, Jim Tressel is our football coach. He is our coach, and we trust him implicitly."
It's that Tressel and OSU have deliberately and calculatedly sacrificed students in order to save a winning football program.
Ironically and disgustingly, Tressel learned about his suspension and paltry fine (his salary is almost $4 million a year) while on tour promoting his latest book, Life Promises for Success: Promises from God on Achieving Your Best, the follow up to his earlier work, The Winners' Manual: For the Game of Life.
At the same time Tressel was touting "the perfect daily reader for anyone looking to reach their highest goals, achieve greatness, and inspire others to do the same," quarterback Terrelle Pryor and four other OSU players were contemplating their five-game suspension (one player received a one-game suspension) for NCAA violations their coach had known about for almost a year.
Jim Tressel is a dirty phony, but not because he withheld information about a federal investigation from Ohio State for more than nine months (Tressel knew last April that some of his players had sold championship rings and jerseys). It's not even because he writes books about integrity while breaking his contract and lying to the NCAA. (In September 2010, five months after he learned of the federal investigation, Tressel signed an NCAA Certificate of Compliance Form attesting he had no knowledge of any possible NCAA violations).
It's the way he has treated his players that makes him beneath contempt.
The moment Tressel learned of the federal investigation, he should have gone to Terrelle Pryor and the other implicated players and confronted them. He should have said to them, "Boys, I know what you've been up to, and it has to stop."
If Tressel meant it when he cried last Tuesday when talking about players gone wrong and if he's someone who "take[s] my responsibility for what we do at Ohio State tremendously seriously," he would have stood with those boys every second. But he abandoned them instead.
No matter what his record, Jim Tressel is a failure as a coach. For nine months, Tressel knew his players were in trouble and never reached out to them. He never went with them to the athletic director or the dean or the police. When the players were suspended last December, they were alone; Jim Tressel let his players face the NCAA by themselves. Tressel even discussed the violations with OSU's president for three hours and let his players take the fall, never confessing his own knowledge and complicity.
At his press conference last Tuesday, Tressel said, "I don't think less of myself at this moment," and Ohio State obviously feels the same. By admitting that, what the coach and the university are really saying is they couldn't think any less of their students.
Juanita lives on a farm in Charlotte County with her husband, son, and many dogs.


text:
If you're one of the people running "American Idol," there are two benefits for having Crystal Bowersox sing last on the Tuesday episodes. The first is that it closes the show on a high note, and the second is that it guarantees that there won't be any extended interactions between her and Ryan Seacrest, because the show inevitably runs long and there's no time for awkward dialogue.
That was a good thing this week. Bowersox closed the show with what Simon Cowell would call "a moment," going onstage without her customary guitar for "People Get Ready" and setting the bar so high that she's on a different level from the rest of the seven finalists.
What's more, Bowersox broke down at the finish after catching sight of her dad in the audience, meaning there was no way we'd get the chance to see if there was any bitterness in the wake of that "betrayed by Seacrest" text message. She was too busy trying to steal the host's handkerchief to lay the smackdown.
U.S. & World
"Mama Sox — you know why they call you that? Because you schooled all the other contestants," Kara DioGuardi said. Actually, I'm pretty sure they call her that because she's a mother and "Sox" is a shortened form of her last name, but whatever.
Crystal's the clear favorite, but Lee Dewyze is starting to move away from the rest of the pack that is chasing after her. He took on Simon and Garfunkel's "The Boxer," a difficult song, but listened to guest mentor Alicia Keys and focused on the lyrics. The result was the most memorable non-Bowersox performance of the night.
Who else stood out? Nobody much. Michael Lynche gets some points for succeeding at "Hero," but loses them again for picking a Nickelback song.
Casey James opened the show with a nice "Don't Stop" by Fleetwood Mac and earned the votes of any Bill Clinton boosters who weren't watching "Dancing With the Stars" instead, but the judges dinged him for not stepping outside his comfort zone. What? Is he supposed to sing opera? He's country/bluegrass/rock ... please, please don't ask him to try anything else. My ears couldn't take it.
Siobhan Magnus again received mixed feedback, as the judges continue to nitpick. They don't really like what she's doing, and they can't really articulate why they don't, so she gets useless feedback such as, "I still don't know who you are" from Kara. I wish Siobhan had answered with, "I'm Siobhan, I'm 20 years old and I'm from Cape Cod."
She did fine singing "When You Believe," though in fairness it was hard to concentrate on her singing instead of staring at the butterflies on her outfit. The problem is that she set the bar high in the early weeks, so in the judges' eyes, she's still chasing her performances of a few weeks ago.
In hindsight, she might have been better off with the Aaron Kelly and Tim Urban approach, which is to set the bar lower. Kelly has been good every week, but never truly memorable. However, perhaps because he's a 16-year-old who looks 12, the judges treat him with unprecedented slack, giving him a pat on the head and a "you tried so hard! Great job!" even when he struggles through R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly."
And that pales in comparison to Urban. All I can guess is that the judges are all convinced his fate is entirely out of their control, so rather than spend their time ragging on a guy who never reacts to criticism with anything other than a smile, they might as well shrug, say something meaningless and move onto the next singer.
Urban sang "Better Days" by the Goo Goo Dolls and made famous, of course, as the exit song for the late great "Next Great American Band." Ellen DeGeneres compared him to the "soup of the day" for reasons that are too boring to get into, but Simon spoke for the rest when he said Urban wasn't that great but he was better than he was a few weeks ago. That's what I tell my 5-year-old after his T-ball games. Well, I tell him he WAS great, but you get the point.
The show continues with "Idol Gives Back" on Wednesday, in which Ryan spends two hours asking you for money and then cruelly sends home one of your favorites. I'm guessing it's one of the Kelly-Urban duo, with Magnus also in danger given this season's carnage among the women. For those of you who watch via a DVR, Ryan's already warning that it's likely to go long, so set those timers accordingly.
Craig Berman is a writer in Washington, D.C. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/craigberman.


text:
There are few worse traveling experiences than losing your wallet, with the accompanying process of canceling cards and replacing personal IDs. So before you head out of town this holiday season, make sure that you're prepared for the worst by creating Secure Notes in LastPass.
Tip: Be Prepared for Travel Mishaps with LastPass!
6 Comments
There are many ways to write down your password without fear of someone stealing it and knowing what to do with it.
You could transpose the first or last two digits:
or write it as a sentence, people are unlikely to even know it's a password:
"on January 1 go to New Jersey with 36 roses for Victor"
only numbers and capital letters count, thus: J1NJ36V
Encrypted connections (https) are not endangered by Firesheep or any other lurker on a public wifi network.
However, I would recommend taking a few One-Time Passwords with you and keeping them in a hidden place outside the wallet. That way you'll never have to use your master password at an internet cafe, hotel, etc.
FireSheep will not affect LastPass, but if you log into other things through LastPass or similar, then it can affect that.
beware of firesheep
Even if you are using a secure connection between your laptop and LastPass, you should always use a secure connection between your laptop and someone's free wi-fi access as well.
Great tip, thanks! :D


text:
Search for jobs in Solihull
Find new & used cars for sale
Buying, Selling or Renting?
Search our local business directory
View latest announcements online
Find 1000s of local products and services
Looking for a date in Solihull?
Find a holiday or short break
Create private and trade ads
Meriden MP Caroline became a Member of Parliament in 1997. The Dorridge resident has been one of the Conservative's most high-profile women MPs in recent years and previously served as Environment Secretary.
DIABETES is a serious illness affecting 3.65 million people in this country.
Sometimes it's good to take a calm, cool look at a difficult political decision after the furore has died down.
WE are all proud of our servicemen and women. They are the heroes who put their lives on the line for their country and they deserve special support for their housing needs.
This year we have been lucky with a mild autumn so we have a chance to get our houses in order before the cold weather returns.
Anti-Slavery Day on October 18 was established in 2010 to provide a focal point for raising awareness about people in the UK and around the world who continue to be trapped in modern slavery, and to promote the need for people across society to play a part in ending it.
In these difficult times, your country needs you. So, if you feel like volunteering and could spare the time, there is a volunteer centre right here in Solihull.
It's not for the faint hearted to turn out early on a Saturday morning with your kids for running practice but a local not-for-profit organization called 'Kids Run Free' has made it fun, at least.
RECENTLY I met up with David Carrington-Porter, a constituent who has been blind since the age of seven.
ON Saturday, May 14, 2011, millions of small producers, artisans, farmers, Fairtrade producers, traders, and consumers, will celebrate World Fair Trade Day.
OUR National Health Service (NHS) is the country's greatest asset. It is there for us when we need it most, providing care to us all, free at the point of use and based on need, not on ability to pay.
Solihull News
For the latest local news straight to your Twitter, Facebook feed or e-mail inbox.
Is there something happening in your area you would like us to report on?
At the Solihull News, we pride ourselves in journalism that is honest, accurate and fair. We do our best to correct errors or publish clarifications as soon as possible.
Our journalists adhere to the Editors Code of Practice, which sets the benchmark for high professional standards and is enforced by the Press Complaints Commission.
For full details on our complaints, corrections and clarifications policies, please click here.
Solihull's vital and leading online information provider, packed with breaking stories and in-depth local community news, which supports our print publication the Solihull News. The website offers high quality editorial focusing on local issues, sport, homes, motors, jobs, entertainment, business and events.
For information on digital advertising download the Complete Guide to Digital Advertising
Simon Foord
Tel: 0121 234 5036
Email: email@example.com
Editor, Solihull News
David first started as a trainee reporter at the Solihull News and Times in 2007, having completed his NCTJ qualification at Sutton Coldfield College. He has worked as a reporter, news editor and is presently acting editor of the title.


text:
Bontrager's Big Dipper MIPS offers the protection kids need and the comfort they demand. The well-ventilated, molded EPS shell offers full protection and durability for even the most rambunctious child. And, the MIPS Brain Protection System offers extra rotational injury protection for your kid's precious brain. This helmet is easy to adjust and easy to put on with a pinch-resistant fastening system that both kids and parents will love.
- LockDown dividers make helmet strap management clean looking and easy to adjust
- Weight: 280 grams
- One Size = 48-52cm


text:
Kos is rich with history, culture and beautiful beaches. Kos is a friendly island with interesting landscape making it ideal for exploring. The night life is something else!!!
If you are group of 9+ or travelling with infants please call us for best deals (01624 696501).
About us |
Contact us |
Accessibility |
Terms & Conditions |
Privacy Policy |
Useful Links |
Site Map |
Business Travel |
Book with Confidence. We are a Member of ABTA which means you have the benefit of ABTA's assistance and Code of Conduct. All the package and Flight-Plus holidays we sell are covered by a scheme protecting your money if the supplier fails.
Other services such as hotels or flights on their own may not be protected and you should ask us what protection is available.


text:
Going Down?
This story appears in the February 1999 issue of Entrepreneur. Subscribe »
While economists quibble about this year's economic outlook, Deborah Noland is preparing her interior design firm for the worst, while hoping for the best. The downturn that began after the stock market plunge last August recalled for Noland her experience a decade earlier: Following the 1987 crash, Noland & Associates barely managed to eke through the ensuing recession by slashing fees and targeting high-end residential clients unaffected by mundane economic disasters.
This time around, Noland's Matthews, North Carolina, firm will be ready if the economy hits the skids. "We've cut overhead, paid company debts, renegotiated long-term financing and initiated aggressive marketing efforts throughout the booming Charlotte market--not to mention launched our Web site," says Noland, 47. "Whether we're heading into a recession or it's just a momentary dip on the economic roller coaster, I'm pulling out all the stops."
Similar views have been voiced by a growing number of diverse business owners who, until now, have known nothing but a vibrant economy, which hasn't helped equip them for the potential economic downturn ahead. So just how might this downturn impact entrepreneurs and what can you do to protect your business?
"[1999] is going to feel particularly bad for businesses because we've experienced such good economic conditions for the past five years," says Mark Zandi, chief economist for Regional Financial Associates (RFA), a research and U.S. economic analysis provider in Philadelphia. "We've had double-digit growth for much of the recent past, and we'll see only marginal profit gains in 1999, so business [owners are] going to feel that the environment has changed dramatically."
Paul DeCeglie, who is personally opposed to recessions, has weathered more than a few economic storms in the quarter century he's been covering business and economic issues for the American Banker, the Journal of Commerce, Entrepreneur, Business Start-Ups and other business publications. You may contact him online at firstname.lastname@example.com.
High Expectations
Jim McCoy, a partner in PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, puts it another way: "Most companies have high expectations built on an almost maxed-out economy that has produced increasingly greater sales and revenues." McCoy, a cost-management consultant, notes that "At the same time, fixed costs have climbed; more people are in elevated positions at higher salaries; companies have moved into new buildings; and more expensive benefit programs are in place. Unlike the 1970s, it's not inflation that has escalated the cost of doing business. In fact, we have a deflationary economic environment, which makes it difficult to pass on those costs. So 1999 will be a tough economic year, particularly for companies overburdened with increased fixed costs."
To mitigate some of her expenses, management consultant Nancy Dorrier plans to transform her staff of seven paid consultants into a cadre of commissioned independent contractors. Dorrier, president of 10-year-old Dorrier Underwood in Charlotte, North Carolina, already feels the pinch: "Client dollars are being redirected away from [our] long-range corporate vision because of reduced profits and downsizing," she says.
Dorrier's $1.2 million firm is broadening its revenue sources by offering a new "mastery program," which brings together small groups of executives from various companies for week-long intensive studies in management, says Dorrier, 54. "And we're investigating avenues that might help us economize," she adds.
Dorrier is helping other businesses make the same kinds of preparations she's making at her company. "Ask your customers about their plans," she advises. "Get input from your banker and anyone else who might have a vested interest in your success or who might be at risk in a tough economy."
How tough? Economists aren't in agreement on the severity of any impending downturn in the business climate or when it will be felt. Bank of America senior economist Nancy Woodall predicts a less robust economy this year with the gross domestic product declining to a 2.2 percent growth rate from 3.6 percent in 1998. But she expects inflation (as measured by the U.S. Consumer Price Index) to climb to only 2 percent, compared with 1.6 percent in 1998. Woodall is also forecasting a rise in unemployment to 4.8 percent--from 4.5 percent--and a decline in housing starts to 1.47 million homes this year, down from 1.58 million in 1998.
Similarly, RFA founder Zandi predicts slower growth in 1999 based on his projections of a 1.7 percent increase in the gross domestic product, unemployment of 5.1 percent, a 2.3 percent rise in the Consumer Price Index, and a decline in housing starts to about 1.39 million. "I expect 1999 to be the weakest year for the economy since 1992, but still nonrecessionary," says Zandi. "On the other hand, recession risks are rising quickly. The deepening global financial and economic crisis is clearly the most significant challenge yet faced by the nearly 8-year-old economic expansion."
Get Busy
Whether it's a downturn, a recession or an economic dip, business owners need contingency planning. Zandi urges entrepreneurs to:
- Be cautious about making expansion and hiring plans.
- Do what you can to secure financing now.
- Make sure your credit lines are in place, or expand your credit lines; negotiate the best terms possible in case revenues weaken substantially.
- Set up a plan to reduce your cost structure. It may become important to reduce overhead and costs as quickly as possible.
- Diversify your revenue sources--particularly away from industries such as manufacturing, agriculture, financial services, energy and other sectors sensitive to weakening economies.
- Discuss plans with your employees--let them know if you intend to reduce bonuses or hours.
To gauge whether the U.S. economy is either in or about to slip into a recession, Zandi suggests monitoring several indicators including: consumer confidence, the job market and unemployment claims. So what's the bottom line? Zandi puts the probability of a 1999 downturn at 25 percent.
"Confidence should be supported by the economy's balance sheet: Corporate balance sheets are pristine; financial intermediaries are flush with capital; and household debt burdens are coming down due to dropping interest rates and less aggressive borrowing," Zandi says. "It would be unprecedented for confidence to fall to recession levels with these kinds of conditions."
Plan For The Worst
A recession will rear its ugly head eventually, argues Eric Flamholtz, a management professor at UCLA. Flamholtz, who is also president of Management Systems Consulting Corp. in Los Angeles, emphasizes the need for strategic planning to avoid having to make critical decisions in the midst of a crisis. "No one thinks clearly in a crisis," he says. "Plan ahead. Do more with less. Consider how you might reorganize your company as a result of potential layoffs or attrition. You may have to redefine people's roles--you can't assume that responsibilities will be automatically picked up by remaining employees. Study how you can reorganize so fewer people can still cover everything that must be done."
McCoy of PricewaterhouseCoopers recommends using part-timers and independent contractors to fill in the gaps. He stresses that in an economic downturn, "It's important to consider working capital management [accounts receivable, inventory and cash] and the potential impact on customers and suppliers."
You'll also need to consider your customers. "Ascertain if your credit terms are right, how vulnerable your customers are, and whether you have too many unprofitable [ones]," McCoy says. "Make sure you aren't dependent on too few suppliers, and determine how vulnerable your suppliers are." McCoy suggests making your company important to the success of your customers and suppliers to ensure the type of enduring relationships that are essential during hard economic times. "Enter into supply agreements with vendors," he advises, "and provide value-added services to customers."
John LaRico is doing just that. "[We're] re-emphasizing personalized customer service and re-evaluating our vendors to secure the best value," says the co-owner and vice president of Golden Grocer Natural Foods Inc. in St. Louis. LaRico has repositioned his three health-food stores to appeal to price-conscious shoppers. "We've established everyday low prices. It's been necessary to cut overhead, but it's been effective in generating sales."
Despite the expected economic downturn, LaRico, 50, sees sales increasing in 1999 beyond the $2 million level the company reached last year. "While we're reducing overhead and studying operations to find other revenue streams and budget cuts, we're also augmenting marketing efforts," he says. "We just launched a vigorous new marketing program--including TV and print ads--with financial support from our vendors. The arrangement helps cut costs and boost sales."
Cutting costs is exactly what Joan Chan plans to do--again. The 45-year-old owner of Oriental Lumberland Do it Best Inc. survived the Northeast's severe construction slowdown of the early 1990s by instituting an austerity program. At the same time, she says, "[We] shrank credit terms and restricted credit to select customers. If the economy impacts our sales, we would again control credit rigidly and reduce payroll, overtime, entertainment and promotional expenses such as community newspaper advertising." The Brooklyn, New York, lumberyard and home center, with more than $3 million in sales last year, is "on the front line of the real estate business," says Chan. "We are extremely vulnerable to economic swings." Chan is also looking at debt restructuring to take advantage of low interest rates and provide a cash flow cushion for her 13-year-old company.
Adding Value
In contrast to those business owners who are reducing expenditures or devising tighter budgets, Henry Evans is investing more money than ever to improve services for customers of Albuquerque, New Mexico-based Advantage Printing Specialists Corp. (APS). "The likelihood of an economic downturn is real," contends Evans, 31, "so we're positioning ourselves [appropriately] to meet the current and anticipated needs of our existing and future clients across the country. Advanced technology and value-added services provide the marketing edge we need in an increasingly competitive arena where virtually everyone is offering quality printing at competitive prices."
Because clients, too, will be negatively impacted by economic pressures, Evans is making APS more valuable to them. "Our new technology not only introduces Web site, online and OCR [optical character recognition] ordering capabilities, it presents clients with detailed reports on purchases," he says. "And we provide summary billing for clients with reduced accounting or administrative staffs."
The 7-year-old multimillion-dollar company, which has upgraded to be Y2K-compliant and meet government standards for electronic commerce (ANSI X-12 compliant), produces and distributes printed materials and promotional products as well as detailed accounting reporting. APS has offices in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Dallas and is scheduled to penetrate the El Paso, Texas, and Boston markets somtime this year. "This technological conversion represents a substantial and expensive investment," Evans admits, "but one that allows us to take advantage of a business downturn for our competitors. We anticipate working harder and capturing greater market share even in a poor economy"--should the economic roller coaster be headed in that direction.
Preparing For A Fall
The following list includes steps to consider before the economy falters:
- Draft contingency plans.
- Reduce expenditures.
- Use consultants, temporary or part-time workers.
- Renegotiate outstanding debts.
- Pay down credit lines.
- Build cash reserves.
- Revisit expansion plans.
- Assess impact on profits.
- Identify discretionary expenses.
- Evaluate the potential impact on your customers and suppliers.
- Diversify revenue sources.
- Review organizational structure.
- Enhance your value to customers and suppliers.
- Solicit advice from your banker, accountant, customers and suppliers.
- Ask customers about their plans.
- Provide value-added services.
Contact Sources
Advantage Printing Specialists, 2910 Girard Blvd. N.E., Bld B., Albuquerque, NM 87107, (800)461-6012.
Dorrier Underwood, 831 E. Morehead St., #255, Charlotte, NC 28202, (704)343-9092.
Golden Grocer Natural Foods Inc., (314)367-0405, fax:(314)367-7751.
Oriental Lumberland Do It Best Inc.,(718)386-8200, fax:(718)821-1031.
Regional Financial Associates, www.rfa.com.


text:
Mediastinoscopy. A mediastinoscope is inserted into the chest through an
incision above the breastbone to look for abnormal areas between the
lungs. A mediastinoscope is a thin, tube-like instrument with a light
and a lens for viewing. It may also have a cutting tool. Tissue samples
may be taken from lymph nodes on the right side of the chest and checked
under a microscope for signs of cancer. In an anterior mediastinotomy
(Chamberlain procedure), the incision is made beside the breastbone to
remove tissue samples from the lymph nodes on the left side of the


text:
When I visited Copenhagen Cyclery this weekend, I also test rode the Velorbis Mobii Trike. Yay, trike! I've been wanting to test ride a three-wheeled beast for some time now. When I wrote about the WorkCycles Bakfiets a couple of months ago, I mentioned that I could not know for sure how I felt about it without riding a trike for comparison.
The Mobii (love the name!) comes in one size and two powder-coated colors: orange and gray. Designed and handmade in Denmark, this thoroughly modern, steel-framed stunner has the power to erase whatever old-fashioned connotations the word "tricycle" has.


text:
On behalf of the Department of Pediatrics at SUNY Upstate Medical University and Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital in Syracuse, NY, AMN Healthcare (formerly MillicanSolutions, LLC), is pleased to inform you of a national search for a Pediatric Pulmonologist. Special interest in Sleep Medicine welcomed.
The Section of Pediatric Pulmonology seeks a board certified/board eligible Pediatric Pulmonologist to complement the clinical and research activities of the section. This is a full time position including attending responsibilities, participation in resident education, and pursuit of academic endeavors appropriate for promotion, and contributions to administrative responsibilities.
Other highlights:
The Department of Pediatrics/Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital has 45-residents in its ACGME 5-year accredited training program. It has pioneered a number of graduate medical education initiatives and is branching into new programs such as refugee medicine and global health.
Organized into ten sections, the Department of Pediatrics at Upstate Medical University has a long and rich history of excellence in education, clinical care, and has made highly significant contributions in research. Its physicians and staff provide clinical care to patients from a broad catchment area ranging from Pennsylvania to the Canadian border, and including over 28-counties in Upstate New York.
Syracuse is within a ½ day's drive of New York City, Boston, Toronto, and Montreal with overall quality of life best described as exceptional. The cost of living in the area is low with affordable housing and outstanding educational opportunities for children of all ages. Central New York is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts with sophisticated cultural activities and major sporting events in abundance!
Having verified a firm commitment to growth and development, we can represent this opportunity as one of the top positions available today in Pediatric Pulmonology. Please contact Jennifer Weimer via email at firstname.lastname@example.com to review in detail. All inquiries and referrals will remain confidential without your prior approval. SUNY Upstate Medical University is an EEO/AA Employer M/F/D/V.
Remember Me