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Search Results
There are 135 item(s) tagged with the keyword "Taxes".
- Displaying: 1 - 10 of 135
- 1. Arizona K-12 School Finance Statistics: Why does Arizona Rank #49 in Per Pupil Spending?
You've heard that Arizona ranks 49 in per pupil K-12 spending. On its face, it sounds disgraceful. But that doesn't mean it's causal to education outcomes. It also doesn't mean that Arizona is stingy. There is much more to the story. The Arizona Tax Research Association (ATRA) has put together a 9-page document titled Arizona K-12 School Finance Statistics: Providing Context to a Complex Measurement, that provides factual information relating to the reasons and fallacies surrounding the commonly argued narrative that Arizona doesn't fund K-12 education adequately.
SummaryClick here to read more
- 2. Arizona K-12 School Finance Statistics: Why does Arizona Rank #48 in Per Pupil Spending?
You've heard the mantra, especially from newspaper editorials around Arizona, accusing the Legislature of "disgraceful, seemingly willful abandonment of our public schools." (See Payson Schools facing Tough Competition.) Arizona's news editors don't want you to know the "rest of the story," if it doesn't fit their Leftist world view. What are the facts?
The Arizona Tax Research Association (ATRA) has put together an 8-page document titled Arizona K-12 School Finance Statistics: Providing Context to a Complex Measurement, that provides factual information relating to the reasons and fallacies surrounding the commonly argued narrative that Arizona doesn't fund K-12 education adequately.
SummaryClick here to read more
- 3. Charity Donation Ideas - 2016
As 2016 draws to a close, you have likely received many requests for donations. There are many worthy charities and organizations, including your local church! Gilbert Watch has some favorites for your consideration.Click here to read more
- 4. The Reality of Dishonesty
by Ms. Julie Smith, a member of the Gilbert Public Schools Governing Board elected in November of 2012. Artwork by Miss Natalie Smith, an eighth grade student at Gilbert Classical Academy, a Gilbert Public School.Click here to read more
- 5. Jenn Daniels Raises Gilbert Taxes in Second Meeting as Mayor
On August 9, 2016, the Gilbert Town Council voted to increase taxes this year by $1.5 million dollars. It seems that, since former Mayor John Lewis and Council Members Eddie Cook, Jenn Daniels, and Jordan Ray earned a "Hero of Big Government" ranking from Americans for Prosperity in 2015, the trend continues. Council members are spinning and denying it's a tax increase!
According to Mayor Jenn Daniels: "In light of the incredible misinformation that is being disseminated on Facebook and other forums, I would like to set the record straight: YOUR TAXES DID NOT GO UP by our vote last night or any other vote by our current Town Council."
The Arizona Tax Research Association (ATRA) called it a tax increase, as did the Town of Gilbert website!
"In a split vote, the Town of Gilbert elected to raise its secondary property tax for FY17 from a rate of $1.0567 to $1.0609. This results in a tax levy increase of approximately $1.5 million. Surprisingly, some council members attempted to argue the tax rate and levy increase wasn't a tax increase at all. For town leaders to suggest this is not a tax increase is simple obfuscation.
"In actuality, the rate should have decreased substantially this year if they accounted for what property taxpayers have already paid. For cities and towns, the secondary property tax is used exclusively for the repayment of voter-approved bonds. The estimated debt service schedule in this year is $22.7 million. The town has previously over-collected nearly $15 million for this purpose. This money is not a rainy day fund and cannot be used for any other purpose. The town voted to use just 12% of this overpayment account ($1.7 million) to pay for debt service in FY17. It is regrettable the town elected to increase taxes while it earns interest on past over-collections which sit in the bank. Taxpayers must pay the debt-service on bonds, but they first ought to be credited for what they have already paid. At a minimum, Gilbert owes a specific plan to its taxpayers to credit them back for what they have previously overpaid. There is no financial justification to stockpile a massive sum as taxpayers are constitutionally obliged to repay the debt service on voter-approved debt each year via the property tax, making it an incredibly reliable and secure debt-instrument."
Town of Gilbert website: "Proposed New and Increased Taxes or Fees"
The tax hike passed 4-2. Here is the vote:
- 6. Times Are Changing in Gilbert, and Not for the Better
Gilbert citizen Gary Livacari has been watching the Gilbert Town Council for some time and has written a great article which was recently published in both the Arizona Coalition of Conservative Voters titled Are Times Changing in Gilbert? as well as in AZ Central's My Turn, titled Gilbert must limit government.
It seems that, since earning a "Hero of Big Government" ranking from Americans for Prosperity in 2015, Mayor John Lewis and Council Members Eddie Cook, Jenn Daniels, and Jordan Ray continue expanding government. Follows is a chart which depicts the upward budget climb since 2014. It has nearly doubled from $447 Million to $850 Million.Click here to read more
- 7. Here we Go Again! Gilbert Raising Taxes, Expanding Government: June 23 @ 7pm
A Message from Ms. Christine Accurso
Here we go again!
The Town of Gilbert is getting ready to raise our taxes and expand the size of government at the next council meeting! Our taxes were already raised considerably by the school districts override and bonds. We don't need another tax increase!
After reading through the 2,983 page agenda packet, I noticed there are 10 agenda items this Thursday, June 23, that are jam packed full of budget increases, expansion of government and a tax rate increase. What happened to our "conservative" elected officials? Join me in watching, either in person or live online, who votes for these items. (Items # 4, 9a, 14, 20, 21, 25, 26, 31, 32 & 33). Click HERE to watch the meeting live.
Here are a few items to note:Click here to read more
- 8. Rep. Bob Thorpe's Letter Regarding Transgender Bathrooms
Recently, Gilbert Watch published Arizona Joins Texas in Lawsuit to Stop Federal Overreach. Arizona joined this lawsuit following a letter from Arizona lawmaker Representative Bob Thorpe (R-LD6). Rep. Thorpe has provided the letter to Gilbert Watch, as well as the data for how the State, Local and Federal education funds break down for 2014-2015.
Dear Arizona Superintendent of Schools Diane Douglas and Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich:
Legislators have been receiving numerous complaints from constituents who are very concerned with the threatening tone of the May 13, 2016 letter from U.S. Attorney General Lynch and U.S. Department of Education Secretary King.
The letter coerces our nation's K-12 public schools and colleges to ensure that transgender students must be allowed to use the gender designated restrooms, changing rooms and locker facilities of their choosing, not necessarily that of their biological gender. It has been estimated that approximately 0.3% of U.S. individuals identify themselves as transgender.Click here to read more
- 9. Arizona Joins Texas in Lawsuit to Stop Federal Overreach
In response to a letter from Arizona lawmaker Representative Bob Thorpe (R-LD6), Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas announced that Arizona will Join Texas in a Lawsuit to Stop Federal Overreach. Co-signers of Rep. Thorpe's letter included Sen. Sylvia Allen (R-LD6), and Representatives Brenda Barton (R-LD6), Paul Boyer (R-L20), Karen Fann (R-LD1), Mark Finchem (R-LD11), Anthony Kern (R-LD20), and Vince Leach (R-LD11). (Please express your thanks to Bob Thorpe and the other legislators who signed his letter, as well as Mark Brnovich and Diane Douglas. See email addresses below.)
The COMPLAINT FOR DECLARATORY AND INJUNCTIVE RELIEF concerns the May 13, 2016 "Joint Guidance" issued by the U.S. Departments of Justice and Education relating to requiring public schools that receive federal funding to allow transgender students to use whatever restroom or locker room they wish, based on how they identify their gender.
The threat to withdraw federal funding from any school that doesn't comply is very clear in this sentence: "Under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, schools receiving federal money may not discriminate based on a student's sex, including a student's transgener status."Click here to read more
- 10. U.S. Department of Education's Major Accomplishment: Staggering Illiteracy
Zero Hedge recently published an article titled Department of Education - Our Work Here is Done. A few items from that article include:
The Department of Education was created in 1979 and now has an annual budget of $73 billion, with 5,000 government bureaucrats roaming its hallways. See U.S. Department of Education Budget Fact Sheet.
After 37 years and trillions of dollars "invested" in our children, here is a short list of some "achievements": 1) There are six million students in the California school system, and 25% of those students are unable to perform basic reading skills. 2) 50% of adults cannot read a book written at an eighth grade level. 3) 45 million adults are functionally illiterate and read below a 5th grade level. 4) 3 out of 4 people on welfare can't read. 5) 20% of Americans read below the level needed to earn a living wage. 6) School dropouts cost our nation $240 billion in social service expenditures and lost tax revenues. 7) 3 out of 5 people in American prisons can't read. 8) Approximately 50% of Americans read so poorly that they are unable to perform simple tasks such as reading prescription drug labels.Click here to read more
- Displaying: 1 - 10 of 135


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subset: commoncrawl


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October 24, 2013
City News Service
Two years ago Markel Kidd was a high school dropout. Growing up in Los Angeles' South Central neighborhood, Markel says it was all too easy to get caught up in the gangs, violence and drugs that were a way of life. When entering high school his thoughts focused on how to sell and buy drugs rather than studying for tests or joining the football team. Today, 19-year-old Markel, not only has his high school diploma but is a student at Crimson Technical College in the Aviation Technician Program receiving As and Bs and on track to graduate early next year. Thanks to Sunburst Youth Academy, an organization dedicated to helping at-risk youth attain their GED or high school diploma while also teaching life, job and leadership skills, about 800 students like Markel graduate high school every year. Sunburst Youth Academy, located just outside of Los Angeles, is one of two California academies that serve the entire state.
"I don't know where I would have ended up without this program," says Kidd. "It has helped to give me confidence so that I can continue to do great things, and I am looking forward to a future now that I can be proud of."
"The National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program gives young people – particularly at-risk teens – the chance to empower themselves through education. Our emphasis on reversing the high school dropout crisis is part of a broader effort to help adolescents reach their full potential, backed by the resources provided by ChalleNGe and additional post-graduation opportunities provided by the National Guard Youth Foundation," says Lou Cabrera, president of the National Guard Youth Foundation.
Kidd is one of the featured speakers for the second annual California ChalleNGe Champions Gala, which was held Saturday, October 19 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. The annual gathering pays tribute to the California National Guard's efforts to curb high school dropout rates through its evidence-based, cost-effective Youth ChalleNGe Program and the members of the community who support the program.
"Our at-risk youth deserve a second chance," says U.S. Rep. Grace Napolitano, D-Calif., co-chair of the Congressional Youth ChalleNGe Caucus.
"The National Guard Youth ChalleNGe programs excel in putting youngsters back on track scholastically and physically, and motivates them to succeed with valuable life skills and tools. We cannot neglect those who have fallen through the cracks through no fault of their own, and we must take responsible action to help them chart a newer, brighter path through life. I congratulate all of the Youth ChalleNGe programs and graduates across the nation and hope we can continue to expand this program that truly transforms lives."


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Galerie Edwynn Houk is pleased to announce the opening of an exhibition of new works by Sebastiaan Bremer (Dutch, b. 1970). The show begins on Saturday, 9 June and runs through Saturday, 28 July 2012. The artist will be present at the opening reception on Saturday, 9 June 2012, from 6-8pm.
"Bremer's technique is novel and utterly hybrid. Using various inks, he draws directly on slightly blurry c-print enlargements of photographs, and often adds splotches and streaks of photographic dye. Almost always, the underlying photographic images have much to do with personal and family history; a best friend from Bremer's teenage years, a shot of himself as a kid, a view of a room taken from under his grandmother's piano, his family on vacation, a former girlfriend. These are the unpretentious snapshot images, the family album images, the photographic mementoes of a life that Bremer meticulously and obsessively draws on. So meticulously, in fact, and with such fine, tiny lines that you figure he either uses a magnifying glass or is in a trance (neither is the case). In some of Bremer's works the underlying image is quite clear, while in others it's almost totally obscured, but in any event one sees it through a scrim or a veil of intense surface activity, which can be at once elaborately ornamental, psychedelic, playful (replete with suggestions of doodling), turbulent, and downright magical. Always, Bremer's found photographs become dreamlike and fantastical, and two opposite impulses are fused; documentation and hallucination. Moreover, while Bremer admits to a high level of automatism in devising his drawings, you also sense that this automatism involves a great deal of complex human feeling, ranging from harrowing fears and losses to whimsy and blissful response." (Excerpted from "The more you look, the more you see" by Gregory Volk, 2004)
Utilizing the artist's signature style of obsessively applied dots of paint onto a glossy photographic surface, Bremer renders his subjects in breathtaking detail. Ranging in theme from nudes to landscapes, still life to family, the uniting element here is the artist's capability to combine imagery from art of the Dutch Golden Age (which surrounded him during his youth in Amsterdam) with the seductive and dream-like abstractions that he lays over his appropriated photographs.
In the work illustrated here, Eye #1, 2012, Bremer began with a black & white photograph by Bill Brandt (British, b. Germany, 1904-1983) titled Max Ernst'sLeft Eye, 1963 from Brandt's series of artist's eyes. Separating the eye from the context of the face was a common motif of the Surrealists whose works were often based on experimentation, automatism, and eroticism - lending themselves to chance and resulting in changing the way we define looking at art. Bill Brandt was focusing on the eye of the artist and on the unique manner in which each artist observes the world and, in turn, filters and reinterprets it for their viewers.
Conversely, Bremer creates his unique work by altering and reinterpreting the existing image, a device more commonly used by contemporary artists and one that lends itself to highlighting the artist's individual technique over its subject matter.
Still, to experience seeing these large staring Eyes, is an invitation to interpret Bremer's subject matter. We are seduced to look into the very heart of the oculus, the place we are normally forbidden to stare into and to closely examine the geography of the eye. We are presented with the origins of sight, precisely how and what the eye sees and rewarded with images reflected in the pupil here. At the same time, we begin to explore optics, perception, the gaze, and in effect, the vocabulary of this series. Abstract and whimsical, the painted highlights of the lines and hairs around the eyes come together as works that vacillate between landscape and portraiture, psychedelic topography, op-art fantasy, and that inexplicable space between the physical body and the imagination.
Sebastiaan Bremer lives and works in New York. He studied at the Vrije Academie, The Hague, and Skowhegan School of Art and Sculpture, Maine. He has published two major catalogs: Monkey Brain (2003), and Avila (2006). His work is included in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, among several others. A major one-person exhibition and publication is planned for 2013 at the Huis Marseille/Museum for Photography in Amsterdam.


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NEW YORK, NY -- A larger number of Jewish Community Centers are opening on Saturday mornings (a time of worship for Jews), but more are closing by sundown on Fridays, which is when Shabbat (a day of worship) begins, according to a recent survey by the Florence G. Heller-JCC Association Research Center.
In 2002, 10 percent of JCCs were open on Saturday mornings but that percentage rose to 23 percent in 2006. On Friday nights, 38 percent of JCCs now close before sundown instead of a set closing time each week, an increase from the 28 percent who did so in 2002.
Sixty-six percent of JCCs are open for at least part of Saturdays, which is a slight increase from the 70 percent that were open for at least some hours on Shabbat in 2002.
Executive directors from 110 of the 188 JCCs in the United States and Canada responded to the Web-based survey and stated that within the last four years, more than 40 percent of JCCs have either lengthened or shortened their operating hours in accordance with the Shabbat and other holiday observances. Decisions about a facility's operating hours often were made by local JCCs' volunteer leadership after they conducted research, held discussions with professional staff and drafted policies, the study found.
The survey found that 75-90 percent of the JCCs that are open on Saturdays restrict regular programming, cooking, theater, food service and babysitting. About one third of the JCCs that participated in the survey kept their facilities open on Jewish holidays such as the second and final days of the festivals of Sukkoth, Simhat Torah and Passover. About 70 percent of the respondents stated that they had a written policy regarding Shabbat and 84 percent have a policy for Jewish holidays.
The location of the JCC also seemed to play a factor in its operating hours. Fifteen percent of the JCCs in the New York metropolitan area were open on Saturdays. However, in the rest of the Northeast, 72 percent were open. Eighty-three percent of JCCs in the Southwest were open on Shabbat and 70 percent in the Southeast. In the West and Canada, 60 percent were open at least part of the time on Saturday. The region with the most open JCCs on Shabbat was the Midwest with 93 percent.
To read the entire report, visit http://www.jcca.org/linkbar.lasso?link=http://www.fghjcca.org


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Suspect Pleads Guilty in Central Mo. Homicides
VERSAILLES (AP) - One of three suspects in the February killings of a central Missouri couple has pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder.
The Lake Sun Leader reports 43-year-old Derrell Spellmeyer, of Eldon, also pleaded guilty Thursday to armed criminal action. Sentencing is scheduled Jan. 16 in Morgan County Circuit Court.
Spellmeyer was accused of shooting 53-year-old Carol Wilson and stabbing 66-year-old Freddie Wilson on Feb. 4 at their home in Versailles. He was arrested by detectives responding to a call from Carol Wilson saying she had been shot.
Forty-five-year-old Garland Mitchell and 28-year-old Mandy Mitchell, both of Jefferson City, are awaiting trial on the same charges.
The Mitchells told investigators the three went to the home to obtain drugs, but that only Spellmeyer went inside.


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ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. — Thirty students from six schools in the Twin Tiers competed in the Challenge 24 Mathematics Contest last month at St. Bonaventure University.
St. Bonaventure mathematics professor Dr. Doug Cashing coordinates the annual event.
The participating schools were Cuba-Rushford Middle School, East View Elementary (Olean), Hinsdale, Olean Intermediate-Middle School, Otto-Eldred Elementary School, and Otto-Eldred Middle School.
Challenge 24 is a game in which contestants are presented with four numbers between 1 and 9. The object is to combine the numbers, using each number exactly once, to produce an answer of 24. Any of the standard arithmetic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division) may be used as needed, perhaps more than once, to get the result.
The first- through third-place winners in each grade were:
For more about St. Bonaventure's Challenge 24 Competition, please visit www.sbu.edu/challenge24.
About the University: As a leading Catholic Franciscan University, St. Bonaventure University cultivates graduates who are confident and creative communicators, collaborative leaders and team members, and innovative problem solvers who are respectful of themselves, others, and the diverse world around them. We are establishing pathways to internships, graduate schools and careers. Our students are becoming extraordinary
Application forms, procedures and additional information
There are many ways to experience
St. Bonaventure for yourself
Learn more about the programs that interest you


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This listing is for one half dozen HUGE XXX Rated Triple Dark Chocolate Brownies that are individually wrapped and packaged in a bakery box.
Every one of Cupcakes In Jars' items is made with top quality ingredients including unbleached flour, real butter and organic eggs. You can really taste the difference these ingredients make in the finished product.
Copyright © 2020 Cupcakes In Jars


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An Illinois company has bought an assisted-living center here for $3 million, yet another deal in a spate of transactions involving retirement properties.
PH Sarasota Realty, a Skokie, Ill.-based company managed by Benjamin M. Klein, bought the 50,630-square-foot Beneva Lakes center at 741 S. Beneva Road, records show.
The company financed its purchase with a $2.4 million loan from Bank Leumi USA, records show.
The seller was AL Investors Sarasota LLC, a Seattle company managed by Daniel R. Baty that had paid $6.4 million for the 32-year-old facility in December 1998.
Earlier this month, a subsidiary of New York-based Fortress Investment Group bought a 115-unit center in Sarasota County for $24.1 million.
The seller of the property at 5201 DeSoto Road was Sarasota Retirement Residence LLC, a Lake Oswego, Ore.-based company that lists Scott Shanaberger as its chief financial officer, records show.
Fortress has been spending hundreds of millions of dollars to buy dozens of retirement homes across the country.
The DeSoto Road deal was its sixth purchase in Southwest Florida since August.
Another recent deal was the Royal Palm Retirement Center, at 2500 Aaron Street in Port Charlotte, for $18.1 million.
In August, Fortress bought a 96-unit assisted living center at 1121 Jacaranda Blvd. in Venice for just under $10 million.
The company spent nearly $24 million to buy the 112-unit Bradenton Oaks complex and the 142-unit Summerfield Retirement Home, both in Bradenton, and $10 million to buy the Village Place retirement home in Port Charlotte.
One of the biggest deals in the post-recession world was in July 2012, when a large Ohio-based real estate investment trust bought the Windsor at Lakewood Ranch assisted-living center and a memory care operation for $30 million.
Sale of yet another assisted-living center
An Illinois company has bought an assisted-living center here for $3 million, yet another deal in a spate of transactions involving retirement properties.


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Classes are currently being taught online. All physical facilities are closed to the public at this time, and employees are working remotely.Please visit
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Community Employment Resources.
The Fashion Marketing Program offers local high school students the opportunity to begin taking college courses through the El Centro College
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Plasma Workspaces Wallpaper Contest
With the KDE 4.8 releases drawing near, it's time to change the look of the default desktop. Every two major releases, the main wallpaper of the Plasma Workspaces changes to maintain a fresh style.
This time, artist and Oxygen Master Nuno Pinheiro (creator of most of the previous wallpapers) is asking the KDE community for a new wallpaper by starting a contest. Submissions will be accepted until December 4th. A jury of Nuno and KDE Community Working Group members Ingo "neverendingo" Malchow and Lydia "Nightrose" Pintscher will evaluate the proposals. Up to three submissions will be selected. The judges' favorite will be used as the default wallpaper.
If you are up to the challenge and want to have your work displayed on one of the largest Free desktops, this is your chance. Send in your work!
Send your entry to [email protected] using "wallpaper2011" as subject line (mandatory) by 4 December.
Contest rules
Kan't wait for this
Kan't wait for this,..Let's design a kool Picture..
By Anonymous at Sun, 2011/11/20 - 3:23pm
By Carl Symons at Sun, 2011/11/20 - 3:37pm
Does anyone know in which versions these wallpapers were the default? As far as I know:
Air - 4.2, 4.3
By Hans Chen at Mon, 2011/11/21 - 1:11am
Was it the default wallpaper for Plasma Netbook 4.4? Before, or around the same time as Ethais?
By Carl Symons at Mon, 2011/11/21 - 3:16am
I'm pretty sure I saw it when
I'm pretty sure I saw it when running trunk (of Plasma Desktop) before Ethais, so maybe it was in a alpha/beta/minor release.
By Hans Chen at Mon, 2011/11/21 - 2:27pm
Is this different than before?
Is this contest only for the default (i.e. primary) wallpaper? I thought I recalled the contests for previous releases also looking for other wallpapers to be included as extras.
By Anonymous at Mon, 2011/11/21 - 12:16am
Up to 3 wallpapers
By Hans Chen at Mon, 2011/11/21 - 12:42am
There has been contest about those:
And the latest were http://blog.uninstall.it/2011/04/20/we-love-fresh-wallpapers/
But I never saw that contest to proceed and result to be added to 4.7.
But asking now just three with one being default one.
By Anonymous at Sun, 2011/12/04 - 11:41am
Contest already done for 4.7, where are results?
There has been contest about those:
And the latest were http://blog.uninstall.it/2011/04/20/we-love-fresh-wallpapers/
But I never saw that contest to proceed and result to be added to 4.7.
But asking now just three with one being default one.
By Anonymous at Sun, 2011/12/04 - 11:41am
No more dots, please.
Please, no more dots. I'm tired of my system having the blue measles. It's like some old cartoon: "Hey, doc, I'm seeing spots..." Did my laptop just get smacked in the back of the head?
By Anonymous at Mon, 2011/11/21 - 3:45am
penguin wallpaper
By Anonymous at Fri, 2011/11/25 - 4:49pm
Multi OS desktop environment
KDE SC is not released only for Linux operating system. Other possible operating systems what people can be using are HURD, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NT, SunOS and so on.
So having a penguin (or TUX what is mascot of Linux operating system) is not option.
And user is not using and seeing a operating system but a desktop environment. So operating system should not be promoted then.
By Anonymous at Sun, 2011/12/04 - 11:24am


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Despite the fact that $85 million in sequester budget cuts are scheduled to take effect Friday, lawmakers still have not been able to arrive at a solution. NBC's Kelly O'Donnell reports
With less than 36 hours to go until the much-discussed 'sequestration' deadline, the Senate blocked a pair of competing bills to prevent the broad, automatic cuts from taking effect.
Neither measure was expected to reach the 60-vote threshold required to move a fix forward, with Republicans and Democrats taking up the legislation largely for show the day before the cuts are slated to kick in.
The Republican sequester 'replacement' proposal -- which would have offered the administration more authority to allocate the spending cuts -- was killed with a vote of 38 to 62. The White House had threatened to veto that bill in the unlikely event that it passed.
A Democratic plan focused on closing tax loopholes and raising some taxes garnered 51 votes, short of the 60 necessary to move it forward.
The Daily Rundown's Chuck Todd talks about the lack of progress between Congress and the president to avert the sequester.
With both sides still deadlocked over how to address the deficit, congressional leaders will meet with the president at the White House tomorrow.
President Barack Obama lambasted Senate Republicans in a statement, saying that GOP opposition to the Democrats' bill stood in the way of a solution.
"Even though a majority of Senators support [the Democrats'] approach, Republicans have refused to allow it an up-or-down vote - threatening our economy with a series of arbitrary, automatic budget cuts that will cost us jobs and slow our recovery," he said.
"Instead of closing a single tax loophole that benefits the well-off and well-connected, they chose to cut vital services for children, seniors, our men and women in uniform and their families," the statement read. "They voted to let the entire burden of deficit reduction fall squarely on the middle class."
Earlier Thursday, competing press conferences, lawmakers from both parties continued to lay blame at each other's feet as they acknowledged that the across-the-board reductions to the nation's military and domestic spending programs are inevitable.
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid olds a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on the eve of the budget sequester Feb. 28, 2013 in Washington, DC.
House Speaker John Boehner argued Thursday that the budget ball remains in Democrats' court, a case he says he will make again tomorrow in the meeting with Obama.
"My message at the White House will be the same that I'm telling you today," he said. "It's time for them to do their job and to pass a bill."
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid responded that Republican calls for Democratic action "take a lot of pizzazz."
"They've done nothing," Reid said, saying that House Republicans are hiding behind the lower chamber's now-expired passage of budget measures last year while failing to allow compromise legislation to come up for a vote.
The weariness over the sequester jockeying – which promises to drag on for weeks as the fight shifts to future deadlines for greenlighting federal funding -- even spilled over into the Senate chaplain's opening prayer this morning.
Mentioning the cuts in his invocation, Senate Chaplain Rev. Barry Black prayed "Rise up, oh God, and save us from ourselves."
NBC's Mike Viqueira contributed to this report.
This story was originally published on Thu Feb 28, 2013 1:41 PM EST


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Have you ever been told you're perfect for the job, then received a rejection letter? Has an employer said he'd call and failed to do so? Have you sent out several resumes and received no acknowledgments?
These and other job search challenges can be resolved by common sense, good timing, networking, research and confidence. The following discusses common dilemmas and possible strategies for dealing with them.
1. How will I know if an inside candidate is being considered for the job?
Ask interviewers. Find out the candidate's strengths, how her background compares to yours, whether the company favors inside candidates, and if so, how likely the insider will accept an offer. This will facilitate candid communication. Interviewers' responses to questions will supply answers and enable you to develop an argument for your candidacy.
2. I was offered a position, pending budget approval and sign-off from a senior executive, and advised I would receive an offer within two weeks. Five weeks and several unanswered phone messages later, I got the employer who coolly told me they still needed budget approval and the signature.
Write a letter indicating you're open to renegotiation of the compensation package should there be a snag in budget allocation, and that you'd be happy to meet with his superior to expedite a decision. This will show you're sensitive to the employer's needs and are flexible about compensation. The employer will appreciate your patience and flexibility.
3. An interviewer said he'll make a decision within two weeks, but it's now three weeks and I haven't been contacted. I have an impending offer from another company. What should I do?
It's common for employers to procrastinate when making hiring decisions. Call your contact to determine whether a decision has been made. Advise the company that you have an impending offer from another company, but prefer this organization. This shows you believed they'd contact you as promised, and since another company is competing for you, time is critical.
4. I left my job after personality conflicts with my supervisor. How do I approach this subject in interviews?
Don't approach it. If the prospective employer asks why you left, say you need more challenge, or other. Try to maintain control over the interview. Focus on the prospective position. Anticipate and answer questions. Show why you want to work for the company. Confidently demonstrate how your accomplishments can contribute to the company's bottom line. Ask relevant questions such as challenges the prospective employee will face, and examples of situations they'd like handled. Demonstrate how you'd resolve problems.
5. Are job websites effective ways to find jobs? I've sent resumes to several employers with no success.
Sending resumes over the internet is ineffective. Few employers can respond to the thousands of people who answer ads. Research your desired jobs and companies. Know each company's products and services; become conversant with recent developments in the industry. NETWORK. Identify company contacts who can introduce you to decision makers. Get your resume to hiring managers. Follow-up contacts. If nobody responds, call or email again. Don't take rejection personally.
6. A prospective employer called to schedule a phone interview. How can I prepare?
Employers usually call to schedule interviews. Take these seriously. Prepare. Dress professional, smile. Stand or sit tall. You'll feel and speak professional. Have your resume, other documents and paper handy to take notes and jot down questions. Prepare a loose script with key words and ideas you'd like to present. Write names and titles of everybody as you're introduced. Listen attentively.
If an employer calls without a prearranged appointment, and you're not prepared, excuse yourself politely and offer to return the call at a mutually convenient time. Follow-up with a thank you note.
Final suggestion
Never accept or decline a job offer on the spot. Show enthusiasm, but don't commit. Thank the interviewer and ask for time to consider it. Don't focus solely on what's in it for you. Consider what you can contribute. Evaluate the offer thoroughly. Know how the position will use your skills and match needs and other important criteria. If a decision doesn't feel right, request a deadline extension. Negotiate desired changes. Once you and the employer have agreed on everything, get the offer confirmed in writing.
Dr. Carole Kanchier, psychologist, coach, speaker, digital/newspaper columnist and author of award-winning, Questers Dare to Change Your Job and Life, helps individuals and organizations dare to change. https://www.amazon.com/Questers-Dare-Change-Your-Life/dp/150840896.


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2013 CMS Summer Meeting
Dalhousie University, June 4 - 7, 2013
meeting home
cms home
contact us
List of Participants
Scientific Sessions
Student Poster Session
Education Session
Plenary, Prize and Public Lectures
By session
By speaker
Plenary, Prize and Public Lectures
By Session
By Day
Business Meetings
Overview (PDF)
Related Events
Information for Exhibitors
Plenary, Prize and Public Lectures
By session
By speaker
Ergodic Theory, Dynamical Systems and Applications
Pawel Gora
(Concordia) and
Shafiqul Islam
ERIK M. BOLLT, Clarkson University
Finite Time Coherent Sets with Nonhyperbolic Boundaries
Will present a new perspective on finite time coherent sets of nonautonomous. We also present a method based on a continuation principle of finite time nonhyperbolic points to develop curve segments which may be used to define boundaries of coherent sets. Theory and examples will be presented.
CHRISTOPHER J. BOSE, University of Victoria
Asymptotics for random intermittent maps
We study a class of random transformations built over finitely many intermittent maps sharing a common indifferent fixed point. A more-or-less standard treatment via Markov extensions can be used to show how the map with the fastest relaxation rate dominates the asymptotics, in particular, the rate of correlation decay. In this talk I will report on recent joint work in this direction with Wael Bahsoun and Yuejiao Duan, University of Loughborough.
ELENA BRAVERMAN, University of Calgary
On stochastic perturbations of chaotic dynamical systems: is stabilization possible?
Simple one-dimensinal maps can experience a period doubling route to chaos. However, under a stochastic perturbation with a positive mean, this process can be reversed in the sense that a map has a stable blurred 2-cycle for large enough values of the parameter. In the lecture the limit dynamics of this cycle will be described. It will be demonstrated that most well-known population dynamics models (Ricker, truncated logistic, Hassel and May, Bellows maps) have this stable blurred 2-cycle. For a general type of maps, in addition, there may be a blurred stable area near the equilibrium. This is a joint work with A. Rodkina (University of the West Indies, Jamaica).
CARL DETTMANN, University of Bristol, UK
Escape and diffusion through small holes
A dynamical system may be "opened" by allowing trajectories to leak out through one or more holes (subsets of phase space). Given a distribution of initial conditions, we study the probability of remaining within the system as a function of time and the size and position of the hole(s). A chain of systems linked by their holes can also model deterministic diffusion. Recent results for escape and diffusion in one-dimensional expanding maps will be discussed, including the first expansion for the escape rate beyond linear order in hole size, an exact additivity formula for diffusion coefficients and new relations between escape, diffusion and periodic orbits. Connections will be made with particles escaping from containers with small holes: Open billiards.
MARLENE FRIGON, Université de Montréal
Boundary value problems for systems of second order equations on times scales.
We present existence results to boundary value problems for systems of second order equations on times scales. We first consider the case where the right member of the equation does not depend on $x^{\Delta}$. Then we present a result for the more general case where the right member of the equation is $f(t,x(\sigma(t)),x^{\Delta}(t))$. Our results rely on a new notion of solution-tube of systems of second order equations on times scales.
PAWEL GORA, Concordia University
Consecutive maxima maps
$\tau$ is a continuous map on a metric compact space $X$. For a continuous function $\phi:X\to\mathbb R$ we consider a 1-dimensional map $T$ (possibly multi-valued) which sends a local $\phi$-maximum on $\tau$ trajectory to the next one: consecutive maxima map. The idea originated with famous Lorenz's paper. We prove that if $T$ has a horseshoe disjoint from fixed points, then $\tau$ is in some sense chaotic, i.e., it has a turbulent trajectory and thus a continuous invariant measure.
Optimal Dosing Strategies against Susceptible and Resistant Bacteria
Abstract: Antibiotic modelling is concerned with the problem of finding efficient and successful dosing techniques against bacterial infections. In this study, we model the problem of treating a bacterial infection where the bacteria is divided into two sub-populations: susceptible and resistant. The susceptible type may acquire the resistance gene via the process of conjugation with a resistant bacterium cell. After proposing a model for horizontal gene transfer, we find the steady state solutions under an antibiotic protocol of discrete periodic doses and analyse their stability. We also prove the result that guarantees the persistence of bacteria. In addition, efficient treatment strategies are devised that ensure bacteria elimination while minimizing the quantity of antibiotic used. Such treatments are necessary to decrease the chances of further development of resistance in bacteria and to minimize the overall treatment cost. We consider the cases of varying antibiotic costs, different initial bacterial densities and bacterial attachment to solid surfaces, and obtain the optimal strategies for all the cases. The results show that the optimal treatments ensure disinfection for a wide range of scenarios.
BRIAN INGALLS, University of Waterloo
Sensitivity Trade-offs in Systems Biology
The stabilizing effect of negative feedback is key to biological self-regulation (homeostasis). Feedback allows a system to maintain its preferred behaviour in an unpredictable environment. The prevailing wisdom is that negative feedback typically stabilizes a system (making it less sensitive to external perturbations), while positive feedback is destabilizing (i.e. it increases sensitivity). Of course, negative feedback can also generate instability, for example in producing oscillations. However, even when acting to improve a system's robustness, negative feedback typically redistributes sensitivity within a network, rather than directly reducing it. In some cases, this redistribution is governed by an explicit constraint: a conservation of sensitivity. This talk will introduce sensitivity conservation statements commonly used in control engineering and molecular systems biology, and introduce a unifying formulation.
TOMOKI INOUE, Ehime University
Invariant measures for random maps with continuous random parameters
We consider a family of transformations with a random parameter and study a random dynamical system in which one transformation is randomly selected from the family and applied on each iteration. The parameter space may be of cardinality continuum. The selection of the transformation need not be independent of the position in the state space. We study the existence of absolutely continuous invariant measures for random maps on an interval under some conditions. We also study some estimates of the stationary densities for some examples.
KAMRAN KAVEH, University of Waterloo
Population dynamics of cancer stem cell
Evolutionary modelling of biological systems - in a Darwinian sense - as a discrete or continuous time dynamical systems has been an important part of mathematical biology particularly in genetics and cancer biology. In cancer biology. an analysis of the dynamics of an invasive mutant stem cell introduced in a tissue compartment through a gain/loss-of-function mutation can be critical to determine the initiation and progression of cancer. We construct a stochastic dynamical system of two populations of stem cells (normal and mutant) and their progenitors (differentiated cells). By finding the fixed points of such a stochastic dynamical system and analyzing the stability of its fixed points, we find the conditions required for a mutant stem cell to take over the whole tissue or conversely to become extinct. An important observation of this model is the fact that for a large set of parameter values there is a chance of the two stem cell phenotypes co-existing. This is important as population co-existence is normally a feature of evolutionary game theoretical models. We discuss the extension of the above model in the presence of spatial structure and the resultant effect on the population dynamics. We also briefly discuss the similarities of stem cell dynamics to evolutionary game theoretical models.
ZHENYANG LI, Concordia University
W-shaped maps and slope condition for stability of acim
We will talk about $W-$shaped maps. It was conjectured that instability of the absolutely continuous invariant measure (acim) can result only from the existence of small invariant neighbourhoods of the fixed critical point of the limit map. We will show that the conjecture is not true by constructing a family of $W-$shaped maps, for which the standard bounded variation method cannot be applied. We then generalize this result. Motivated by the above results, we introduce the harmonic average of slopes condition, which is helpful to deal with the stability for acims of family of piecewise expanding maps.
JUNLING MA, University of Victoria
Vaccination on random contact networks
Contact network more realistically represent who contacts who in the population than commonly used homogeneous mixing epidemiological models. We show that the level of herd immunity required on a random contact network is the same as in a homogeneously mixed population if individuals are uniformly chosen for vaccination. However, it is much more efficient to vaccinate individuals with a probability proportional to the number of contacts that one has. The results are derived from a compartmental modeling framework for node removal on contact networks, but the analysis is closely tied to probability generating functions that can be studied with a PDE, and the results have a intuitive probability theory explanation.
TUFAIL MALIK, Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research
The Impact of a Vaccine and Pap Screening on the Human Papillomavirus Transmission and Cervical Cancer
The talk will address the problem of the transmission dynamics of human papillomavirus in a population. A new sex-structured model, which takes into account the associated multiple cervical intraepithelial neoplasia stages, will be used to assess the combined impact of Pap cytology screening and a vaccine on the disease dynamics and the associated dysplasia. Rigorous qualitative analysis will be presented. Simulation results, using a realistic set of parameter values, will also be discussed.
MAKOTO MORI, Nihon University
On the Spectrum of Perron-Frobenious Operators on Continuous Functions
We consider piecewise linear and Markov transformations with same slope on an interval. As is well-known, when we restrict the Perron--Frobenius operator associated with the transformation to the set of functions with bounded variation, the spectral radius equals 1 and the essential spectral radius equals the reciprocal of the slope. On the other hand, if the transformation is Markov, the dynamical zeta function is a rational function. Thus, when we consider a suitable domain, there exists possibility that the essential spectral radius may become smaller. In this article, we will study the cases when we restrict its domain to the set of piecewise continuous functions.
WAYNE NAGATA, University of British Columbia
Wave train selection behind predator invasions in a population model with nonlocal prey competition
Periodic wave trains can form behind invasion fronts in predator-prey reaction-diffusion models. Typically there exists an infinite family of such wave trains, arising through Hopf bifurcations and characterized by their wavelengths, but only one selected wave train is observed behind an invasion front in numerical simulations. We develop a criterion that predicts the wavelength of the selected wave train behind invasions, and apply it to a population model with a nonlocal term. Comparing our predictions with the results of numerical simulations, we find the wavelengths predicted are accurate for a range of parameter values. We also study the spectral stability of the wave trains.
ISRAEL NCUBE, Memorial University
Stability switching and Hopf bifurcation in a multiple-delayed neural network
We consider a network of three identical neurons incorporating distributed and discrete signal transmission delays. The model for such a network is a system of coupled nonlinear delay differential equations. Two cases of a single Hopf bifurcation may occur at the trivial equilibrium of the system, a result of the symmetry of the network. These are the simple and the double root single Hopf bifurcations. The presentation examines the simple root case, arriving at a number of stability results.
TOMASZ SZAREK, Institute of Mathematics, University of Gdansk
Stability of Random Dynamical Systems
Our talk is devoted to the problem of stability of random dynamical systems. We are aimed at presenting criteria for the existence of an invariant measure for Markov processes corresponding to function systems and stochastic differential equations. The issue of stability and the rate of convergence will be addressed also. We shall show some consequences following from the exponential rate of convergence for Markov processes under considerations, i.e., the Central Limit Theorem {\bf (CLT)} and the Law of the Iterated Logarithm {\bf (LIL)}.
GEOFF WILD, The University of Western Ontario
Evolutionary Dynamics and Helping a Neighbour
Animals often incur a cost to provide help to their neighbours, and at first glance this observation strikes many people as strange. In a "dog-eat-dog" world, why on earth would any individual be willing to decrease its own fitness to increase that of a competitor? It turns out there are good reasons why helpful behaviours might be favoured in nature, and in this talk I will explore one such reason: kinship. I will briefly outline a branching-processes model for the emergence of helping. Among other things, I will demonstrate how details of the long-term behaviour of the branching process can be understood in terms of biologically meaningful quantities like relatedness and reproductive value. I will also outline a simple ODE model for the emergence of cooperative breeding systems. Such systems occur whenever individuals help raise offspring produced by their neighbours, and they represent one of the most conspicuous instances of helping in nature.
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© Canadian Mathematical Society : http://www.cms.math.ca/


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Robin Williams Was in Early Stages of Parkinson's Disease, Says Wifeby Mandi Salerno | PopCrush
Robin Williams was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease shortly before his death, his wife Susan Schneider has revealed. A preliminary investigation conducted earlier this week determined that the 63-year-old actor died on Monday, Aug. 11 from asphyxia by hanging.
Schneider added that the Academy Award winner hadn't publicly disclosed his diagnosis before his probable suicide. He had been candid about his struggles in the past, including an uphill battle with sobriety.
In a statement released Thursday, Aug. 14, Schneider said (via NY Daily News), "Robin's sobriety was intact and he was brave as he struggled with his own battles of depression (and) anxiety as well as early stages of Parkinson's disease, which he was not yet ready to share publicly.
"His greatest legacy, besides his three children, is the joy and happiness he offered to others, particularly those fighting personal battles." She continued, "It is our hope in the wake of Robin's tragic passing that others will find the strength to seek the care and support they need to treat whatever battles they are facing so they may feel less afraid."
On Tuesday, Williams' three children, Zak, Zelda and Cody released heartfelt statements mourning the loss of their father and celebrating his life. Sadly, harassment of Zelda, 25, began on Twitter shortly after, and the actor's only daughter announced she was leaving the social media network following disturbing tweets.
I'm sorry. I should've risen above. Deleting this from my devices for a good long time, maybe forever. Time will tell. Goodbye.
— Zelda Williams (@zeldawilliams) August 13, 2014
The tweets included photoshopped photos of her father with bruises around his neck. The Washington Post reported that the two Twitter accounts behind the majority of the abuse have since been suspended.
Watch a Tribute to Robin Williams


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ENGLEWOOD — — Workout over, Broncos players trudged back into the locker room Monday. They were tired, sore and hungry for anything but a request to meet with the press. There was no cajoling DeMarcus Ware. When the media relations staff pulled him aside, he never broke stride, walking straight to the platform.
Even if you didn't know who Ware was, you knew he was somebody. He looked down on reporters, but didn't talk down to anyone. He has a gravitational pull that commands attention. And not just from those trying to block him, but his teammates.
Within hours of Ware's exit from the Dallas Cowboys, the Broncos signed the pass-rushing specialist, providing a bookend, and mentor, to Von Miller. Monday, the pair broke down film, Ware playing Siskel to Miller's Ebert.
"Some of the moves that he was doing on tape were some of the moves that I have been doing. I was critiquing him, he was critiquing me and it's just a good thing to know that there are guys out there that look up to you," Ware said. "Now I have an opportunity to shed some advice onto him. He is a great player. … And if he comes back where he needs to be, you can't double-team both of us."
Miller grew up a Cowboys fan. He patterns his game after Ware's. When Dallas cut Ware as a concession to recent injuries and a $7.4 million salary cap number, Miller encouraged the Broncos to sign the four-time all-pro selection, frothing at the prospect of adding an explosive running mate.
"I always thought I would have a chance to play with him someday, but I didn't really think it would happen this soon," Miller said. "He's been a leader, been consistent in his career. I think he has a ton of football left, especially in our defense. He might be here six or seven years."
Beyond left offensive tackles built like front-end loaders, the calender presents Ware's greatest challenge. He turns 32 on July 31. Pass rushers, like major-league catchers, are prone to precipitous declines as they age, even those with 34-inch arms and an eye-opening first-step burst such as Ware possesses.
Of the NFL's top 20 active sack leaders, 12 have played seasons at 32 and older. They have averaged 7.5 sacks per year. To the Broncos, however, Ware is an exception. There are parallels to Peyton Manning. Ware, like Manning, was an ironman in every season but his last before joining the Broncos. The 6-foot-4, 247-pounder played in 130 consecutive games before suffering injuries to his right elbow, right quadriceps and back a year ago. His production spiraled to six sacks in 13 games.
He is aware of history's unforgiving glare and has an inflexible determination to "prove naysayers wrong."
"I actually talked to Michael Strahan, and he tells me: 'You know what? You've got to make sure you're lean. Make sure you're able to run, because your body now is a totally different deal once you hit the 30s. So you've got to make sure you're able to stay out there on the field and you have the endurance,' " Ware said. "That's what I'm trying to do now."
Ware's elbow was fixed through offseason surgery, leading the Broncos to sign him to a three-year, $30 million contract with a guaranteed $20 million through the first two seasons.
He replaces the steady Shaun Phillips (10 sacks), who departed to the Tennessee Titans as a free agent. Ware has reached double-digit sacks in seven of the past eight seasons and should provide more consistent pressure than Phillips, especially if an improved secondary forces quarterbacks to hold onto the ball a tick longer.
Michael Bennett of the Seattle Seahawks, one of league's emerging defenders, refers to Ware as a genetic mutant.
In truth, Ware is the blueprint for the Broncos' rebuilt defense. He will be counted on to provide pressure, pointers and a presence.
"Being the tenured guy coming in, I need to be that solid foundation," Ware said. "They already have everything here, so I need to be that consistent guy and really show some skills that I learned over the years with the younger guys, because they have that tenacity to really want to play and get after it. Just bringing that wisdom to the game."


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1) "I bet you are deadly with your hands, aren't you?"
Now aside from that being very silly question, it makes me wonder in what way would I use my hands to actually kill you? Thinking about killing you isn't the best impression to make. The answer to that is "Yes I am, poison is how I'd kill you." ;)
2) "You're way too pretty to be shooting guns."
I actually have no words for this. I do wonder what else I'm too pretty do be doing? Maybe helping you? One thing I do know is that I'm not too pretty to stop talking you seriously.
And what kind of backhanded compliment is this, anyway?
Is Jessie Harrison to pretty to be shooting guns?
3) "What's the barrel length again? Oh, I don't know but I'm 12 inches."
WOW just wow.. just as a heads up ( pun totally NOT intended) any time you reference you penis in size or capability it's not attractive. Please stop, on behalf of every woman everywhere please stop.
4) "So you must be the range mistress around here."
As much as I enjoy my job helping providing people with their second amendment rights; Yes, I do have to command a certain level of authority because peoples safety and the shops licences are at risk. I prefer to keep my kink out of my guns.
5) "Thank you very much for your help and I wanted you to know your ass looks great in those pants."
I get that we are in a gun range, I get that I work in a dudes world,I know that I have a great butt. HOWEVER, this is inappropriate on so many levels. I'm at my place of work and my butt has nothing to do with my work.
There ya have it, the best of the worst. So please guys! the next time you see a pretty girl at the gun shop or range please remember being rude, crude and a jackass it's never attractive. Be nice, polite and gun puns are always funny. We maybe girls in YOUR world but we can still kick you ass and we'll look good doing it.
Captain Obvious says to use common sense
when talking to girls at the range


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Horticulture, Plant & Soil Science
Horticulture, Plant and Soil Sciences touches your life every day. The Horticulture, Plant and Soil Sciences profession is concerned with plants used for food, fiber, forage, oil, recreation, landscaping, enhancement of the human environment, conservation of our soil and water resources, and all related services. If you're interested in understanding how plants grow, if you enjoy the basic sciences and using advanced computer technology, if you'd like to work outdoors or own a farm or business, if you want to educate others or have the opportunity for international travel, then consider a major in Horticulture, Plant and Soil Sciences at the University of Kentucky.
The Program
Our graduates function effectively as professionals because they have the technical and scientific skills—as well as the communication, computational, leadership, and interpersonal capabilities—necessary for success.
You may select one of four areas of emphasis in the Horticulture, Plant and Soil Science program.
Areas of Emphasis
Crops and Livestock
Emphasizes the intersections between the crop and livestock industries. Graduates find their niche in agricultural extension or livestock and crop consulting, farm management, and production agriculture, or agricultural supply business.
Crop, Soil and Horticulture Science
Horticultural Enterprise Management
Emphasizes horticultural production and business skills. Careers include managing nurseries, greenhouses or fruit/vegetable enterprises; installing and maintaining ornamental plants; and managing botanical gardens.
Turfgrass Science
Emphasizes the science and business aspects of intensively managed grass plantings. Graduates are employed in golf course management, the commercial lawn care industry, and the management of turf fields for other sports.
Your Professors
The University of Kentucky is a large teaching/research/service university. Here you will have the opportunity to interact with faculty and staff who are experts in their fields. Your professors are developing the latest technology or knowledge, or using the latest technologies to seek solutions to applied problems and research questions. They also conduct statewide educational programs which communicate the latest technology to professionals in the plant and soil industries and to consumers.
At the University of Kentucky you will also have the opportunity to become involved in national and regional activities of professional associations. Your faculty advisor will provide personalized academic and career advising, and guide you through every stage of your college career. Only at a land-grant university like the University of Kentucky is it possible to obtain this high quality education in Horticulture, Plant and Soil Sciences.
The 100-acre University of Kentucky Lexington-Fayette County Arboretum is an outstanding teaching facility for plant identification classes. Extensive plantings include ornamental trees, shrubs, flowers, grasses, vegetables, and fruits. Modern, well-equipped farms, greenhouses, and laboratories provide opportunities for practical experiences and for demonstrating cultural and management techniques and use of sophisticated equipment.
After wandering around in several majors, I found my home in horticulture. Walking into classes each semester and recognizing friendly faces makes the learning experience that much more enjoyable! And the College of Agriculture faculty and staff are the most friendly, helpful, and welcoming people in the university.
—Brandellin Nickles
Turf management allows me to be around the things that I love: people, sports, and the outdoors. And the College of Agriculture allows me to be around the most friendly faculty, staff, and students in the university. Here everyone knows me by name, and I know everyone else.
—Nicholas Whobrey
I'm thrilled to have a hands-on major that incorporates my love of the outdoors. And the Agronomy Club is not only a great place to meet people, but also provides wonderful opportunities for travel and networking. When you add in caring faculty and a family atmosphere, you've got one terrific College!
—Katie Wetzel
Potential Career Pathways
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics
Student Groups Associated with this Program
Our college supports dozens of organizations to help students apply their learning outside the classroom and gain valuable work and leadership experience. To learn more about the organizations listed below, click here.
Horticulture Club
provides the means for students to gain additional knowledge, experience and friendship center around horticulture
Agronomy Club
experience agronomy as you have the opportunities to travel, compete and experience the industry together
- Environmental Science Club
join like-minded students that share a common interest in all things environmental; hiking, potlucks, service
UK Forestry Club
promotes the practice of forestry, through involvement in conclave events, fire cats, tree plantings, and service


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Count House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi as among the San Franciscans who support the city's ban on public nudity, which Comrade Knight has given us TMI about over the past few months.
But we haven't heard what Pelosi thinks of it. Not surprisingly, said the SF Democrat, getting buck does not represent San Francisco values.
"Enough with the public nudity," Pelosi told The HuffPo. "Please. We have our standards."
"But kids don't go to the park for — yuck."
Still, the Leader doesn't sound like she has a problem with ALL public fleshiness. The law exempts certain, decades-old events like the LGBT Pride Parade and the Folsom Street Fair. Said Pelosi: "Come see our gay pride parade. It's fabulous; you'll love it. It's a lot of exposure, shall we say."
Hiyoooooooooooooooo!! Ba-dump-pa. The Leader will be here all week.
What about, as the HuffPo asks, "the argument that a nudity ban signifies a shift in San Francisco's overarching character?
"Oh please," said Pelosi. "Who do you think we were?"
Of course when we hear the phrase "San Francisco values" — at least how conservative Washington defines them — we go back to when we asked Newt Gingrich to define them in his worldview. To the Shaky Hand Productions Archive and Wine Cellar:


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Floral Shop Owner
Services Industry
Industry Job Growth
What this job is about
The best part about being a retail sales associate? You get to choose exactly what you want to sell. In love with soap and lotion? Work at a body store. Into TVs and gaming? Work at an electronics store. After all, it's the perfect way to guarantee you get to discuss your favorite topic all day long. Retail sales associates are there to help customers make decisions and leave feeling happy, so good sales skills can definitely help. But knowing how to read a customer and becoming an expert in your chosen field can also turn you into a retail rock star – especially if you work at a guitar store..
Recommended Badges
Customer Service
Work Styles
What it Takes
Active Listening
Judgement and Decision Making
Social Perceptiveness
Other Paths for You
Need to Have
Nothing to see here. You're on your way.
Nice to Have
Nothing to see here. You're on your way.


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Demystify your DNA research with a fantastic fall program at the Fountaindale Public Library!
Noted genealogist and author Dave Dowell will present "Adding DNA Testing to your Genealogical Tool Kit" and sign copies of his new book Crash Course in Genealogy.
The event will be held on Thursday, November 10, 2011 at 7 p.m. in Meeting Room B of the Fountaindale Public Library. The library is located at 300 W. Briarcliff Road in Bolingbrook, IL.
Dave's DNA program will help answer questions on Which DNA tests should you take and what type of information you can glean from the results. His Crash Course in Genealogy book signing will follow the lecture portion of the program! You won't want to miss meeting this fantastic author and presenter!
Registration for this event is strongly encouraged, and will ensure that our bookseller will bring enough copies of the book to the signing. Light refreshments will be provided.
I blogged about Dave Dowell's book, Crash Course in Genealogy back in July, and I really can't tell you how much I love his book. I purchased a copy for our circulating collection, and it's constantly checked out! In the library world, there's no better praise for a book title!
You can register for this event by calling the library at (630) 685-4176 or by visiting our registration event calendar online.
Bring twenty of your friends!
See you at the library!


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Israeli government authorities are building a ramp to allow non-Muslims to reach the enormous platform atop the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The old access ramp was condemned as unsafe and torn down several years ago. The interim ramp that replaced it was designed for short-term service only. (Muslims control the Temple Mount and therefore have their own private access routes.) The new ramp is controversial. Some ramp must be built or non-Muslims will have no way to reach the Mount; but leading Israeli archaeologists say that the ramp under construction is badly placed and ought to be someplace else.
This dispute among Israelis is important but in itself would never have attracted much attention. However, by the nature of their reactions, Arab leaders have brought worldwide notoriety to the story--and made it a blood-curdling study in the power of lying in this credulous, ignorant global-media age.
Outraged Arab politicians describe the new ramp as an attack on the Al-Aqsa Mosque -- although the mosque is on the Temple platform and the ramp stands outside the platform on pylons, and won't have any effect on the mosque at all. But those are mere facts. Prominent Arab agitators disdain even to notice them. Some have called for violence against Israel because of this imaginary assault on the mosque. And we know what "violence against Israel" means to the Jew-hating anti-Zionists among Arab statesmen: restaurants, sidewalk cafés, bus stops, and Passover Seders drenched in blood and scattered with smashed body parts as dying children cry quietly.
The leader of the Islamic Movement in Israel, Raed Salah, announced in response to the ramp project that "the danger in Jerusalem has increased. It is high time for the intifada of the Islamic people." The prime minister of the Palestinian Authority, Ismail Haniyeh, called the construction project "continued Israeli aggression on Al-Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem." An Egyptian MP, Mohamed el-Katatny, announced in parliament, "That cursed Israel is trying to destroy Al-Aqsa mosque. . . . Nothing will work with Israel except for a nuclear bomb that wipes it out of existence."
The ramp can be taken down; but how can the Arab world be cured of its blood-lust against the Jews of Israel?
This hysterical Arab reaction must be understood in context. Why are Muslim religious authorities in charge of the Temple Mount anyway -- Judaism's holiest site, in the heart of Israel's capital city? And who built the Temple Mount in the first place, and what makes this site holy? When we answer these questions -- keeping in mind that the ramp story is likely to be reported nearly everywhere (outside the United States and Israel) from the Arab viewpoint -- the real question becomes not whether this ramp should be finished (probably not), but how to heal an insane planet. The ramp can be taken down; but how can the Arab world be cured of its blood-lust against the Jews of Israel?
Let's start with the situation on the ground. Prominent Israeli archaeologists object to the new ramp because several of its footings stand in an important archaeological garden outside the Mount. They agree that a new ramp is necessary, but insist that it be routed around the garden. Some Orthodox Jews are unhappy with the project on religious grounds.
The Israel Archaeology Association, which approved the project, responds that you can't please everyone, especially in Jerusalem, least of all near the Temple Mount. If the ramp is moved, other groups will object. Which is a weak-sounding response -- or perhaps no response at all, merely an excuse.
But Arab objections have nothing to do with the archaeological garden; Arab leaders are worried (they say) about the safety of the Al-Aqsa mosque. Yet the ramp poses "no risk whatsoever to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which stands about 100 meters to the east," says the eminent archaeologist Eilat Mazar of the Shalem Center and the Hebrew University. Mazar is one of the archaeologists who object to the ramp's current location and want it moved.
Is it possible that Arab leaders are more interested in attacking Israel than protecting religious and cultural monuments? How anxious are Arab statesmen to protect the treasures of the Temple Mount? Let's step back a few years and see.
The Temple Mount is ruled by the Islamic authority of Jerusalem, the Waqf. The Waqf is supposed to respect the status quo and ask Israeli approval before making changes. In 1996, the Israeli government approved a Muslim request to build a large new underground mosque on the Mount. Construction began, and a request to build an "emergency exit" for the new mosque followed, and was also approved.
Enormous excavations were carried out. Thousands of tons of soil and fill were scooped out and trucked away. Those trucks were filled with some of the most precious stuff in the world. The Temple Mount is potentially the most important, exciting place on earth for archaeological digs.
A huge platform is balanced atop the Mount, shored up by enormous earth-and-stone works. King Herod the Great of Judea built this platform in the first century B.C. as a base for an enlarged, rebuilt Temple. (The Temple was the focus of Jewish ritual and pilgrimage.) But Herod's magnificent Temple was burnt to the ground by Roman forces under Titus, later emperor of Rome, in 70 A.D. The Jews had rebelled against Roman overlordship -- Herod himself had been a Roman client; they fought hard and lost. Rome was the only superpower of the day. On Titus' arch of triumph in Rome you can still see carvings of the plunder that the Romans carted home from Jerusalem -- including the famous seven-branched Temple menorah, later destroyed accidentally by fire.
The Romans grabbed as much as they could, but left behind innumerable traces of the Temple and of life in the Second Jewish Commonwealth, in the age when Jesus preached and the Mishnah was composed. There must be other archaeological treasures up there too, fragments of Jewish, Roman, Byzantine, and Muslim life in the centuries following the Roman rampage. Infrared photographs and other survey techniques suggest the presence of vast underground halls beneath the platform's surface. Some ancient rabbinic sources assert that the Ark of the Covenant, lost since the destruction of the First Temple in 586 B.C., was buried on the Temple Mount; it might conceivably be standing in one of those underground chambers.
But the Waqf has a nice, simple policy regarding archaeological digs on the Mount. Don't bother applying; none are allowed. The world's most important archaeological site is off-limits to archaeology.
Under the circumstances, those underground excavations for the new mosque and its "emergency exit" looked like a stroke of qualified good luck. (The exit turned out to be a 2,000-square-meter pit that entailed the removal of over 6,000 tons of earth.) All that indescribably precious soil was scooped out, trucked away –
This was vandalism on a breathtaking scale, a rape of the Mount.
And trashed. Hundreds of truckloads were unloaded in municipal garbage dumps. Some drops were made late at night. This was vandalism on a breathtaking scale, and the vandals knew it. (In fact removing the soil was a crime in itself; archaeologists need to inspect soil in situ to understand the context and to know which layers were on top, what came next, and so forth.) All in all this was a sickening crime against the human spirit, a rape of the Mount. But radical Arab leaders routinely deny that a Temple ever existed in this place. They would love to annihilate every trace of Jewish history as they would love to destroy the Jews themselves. For would-be murderers, destroying truth is the next best thing to destroying life.
The precious soil was left unprotected, and garbage accumulated on top. Archaeologists managed to sift through certain portions that remained accessible. Important finds turned up. But "we are certain," Mazar said recently, "that a vast amount of important data was lost."
The Israeli government let it happen; ignored the outcry of Israelis and of archaeologists all over the world and allowed construction and dumping to continue. "The world's patrimony is being carried off in dump trucks," wrote Hershel Shanks (editor of Biblical Archaeology Review) in the Washington Post in July 2000. "All who care about the archaeological remains on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem . . . should be incensed at Israel's failure to stop the Waqf . . . from illegally destroying precious remnants of history important to Muslims as well as to Jews and Christians." An open letter to Prime Minister Ehud Barak, signed by dozens of prominent Israelis of all political colors, demanded that Barak stop "a serious act of irreparable archaeological vandalism and destruction."
But he didn't. Many believe that the Barak government refused to act lest the "peace process" be interrupted or Arab violence break out. According to this (all-too-likely) explanation, a pathetically self-deluded Israeli government, conscious of the long, venomous history of Arab and world reactions to Israel, was too anxious and weak to stop this ugly crime.
The Islamic Authority of Jerusalem is no one's idea of a competent protector of one the world's most precious sites. How did it come to be in charge of this spot in the first place?
When the United Nations voted in 1947 to create twin states in British Palestine, a Jewish and an Arab state side-by-side, the city of Jerusalem was to be internationalized and belong to neither. The Zionists accepted this plan but the Arabs rejected it -- and in May 1948, the armies of Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Egypt, and the Arab Legions of Transjordan attacked the new Jewish state. They failed to destroy it but did capture half of Jerusalem--the important half, the Old City, where the Temple Mount stands. For the next 20 years the Kingdom of Jordan refused to allow Jews into the Old City, refused them access to the Western Wall--and systematically destroyed the city's synagogues, presumably as proxies for the Jews who got away.
Egypt provoked another war with Israel in 1967 (the Six Day War) by demanding that U.N. troops be withdrawn from the Sinai buffer zone and blockading the Straits of Tiran. During the fighting, Israeli soldiers recaptured the Temple Mount. They discovered that Jordanians had torn up Jewish tombstones from the Mount of Olives and used them to pave roads and build latrines. And yet soon afterward Israel unilaterally awarded control of the Mount to the Waqf. It was the same sort of pathetic, heartrending gesture that speaks of desperate longing for friendship and no more war that Barak made 30 years later, when he allowed the Waqf to pillage and violate the Mount.
That generous Israeli gesture of the late 1960s was met by universal gratitude throughout the Arab world, especially among the Palestinians of Jerusalem.
Just kidding.
Virtually all such Israeli gestures meet with the same response: redoubled hatred. (In one of the first Israeli digs in Jerusalem after the Six Day War, archaeologists found a previously unknown Muslim palace. "The finds from the early Muslim period are thrilling," said a high ranking official in the Jordanian Antiquities Department at the time, named Rafiq Dajani, "and frankly I am surprised that Israeli scholars have made them public." A few days later he was fired.)
Muslims revere this site in consequence of the Temple that once stood here.
How did it all come to be in the first place? Perhaps it is worth pointing out the obvious: Muslims revere this site in consequence of the Temple that once stood here.
Nowadays some cosmopolitan thinkers speak of the Temple as if it were a folk story or fairy tale or an "alleged" building. But it was as real as the World Trade Center. No sane historian doubts its existence. It is attested in many contemporary sources, Jewish and otherwise.
One report asserts that Titus did not intend to burn the Temple, and said that "the loss would be for Rome. Its continued existence will be a glory of the Empire." But the fighting raged out of control, and the Temple caught fire by accident. In any case, writes Simon Goldhill, professor of Greek at Cambridge University, the Temple "was the largest and most awe-inspiring religious monument in the world." Speaking of the extraordinarily refined and sophisticated engineering that went into Herod's project, Goldhill refers to the Platform's southern retaining wall--which "gives some sense," he writes, "of the [enormous] size of the stones and the brilliance of the wall's construction. There is nothing like this anywhere else in the ancient world."
Israelis created (long ago) the platform on the Temple Mount and the Temple itself, and the religious community that gave it all meaning--a gift to mankind that is valuable beyond measure. Thousands of years later, Israel turned over the keys to the Waqf in a peace offering, an act of friendship. Roughly 30 years after that, they allowed their Arab brethren to pillage and destroy invaluable records of ancient history rather than disturb the "peace process" or the Palestinian Arabs. And so today, Arab leaders demand (in violent outrage) that the world protect the Al-Aqsa Mosque -- their precious, sacred cultural treasure -- by stopping an Israeli construction project that won't go anywhere near it.
They are showing the world a rare combination of laughable hypocrisy and terrifying evil.
This article is reprinted with permission of The Weekly Standard, where it first appeared on FEB. 26, 2007. For more information visit www.weeklystandard.com


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For the first time ever, my husband and I have a proper guest room. Even better, our new house has a designated "guest wing." That of course makes it sound fancier than it is, when in reality it is a circa-1960s cinder-block addition of a couple of rooms and one bathroom, all with low ceilings, flimsy woodwork and electric heat. On the positive side, it is quiet and private. In a perfect world where money is no object, we would have done what our architect prescribed: tear it down and rebuild. But since money is an object, my job was to transform it from a scrubby, pre-Cinderella-at-the-ball room into one that would be fit for a princess — or at least a houseguest.
See more decorating and entertaining tips from the 2013 Holiday Guide.
My quick and somewhat inexpensive fix started with a paint job (walls were covered in my favorite color, Benjamin Moore's Gray Owl, and woodwork in Benjamin Moore's Decorators White). I ripped up the old linoleum flooring and replaced it with wall-to-wall sea grass, and I had an electrician cap the overhead light fixture, so my favorite bed, Anthropologie's Italian Campaign Canopy Bed, would fit.
The wrought-iron canopy gives the room a much-needed bit of architecture. I splurged on what I think is the most comfortable mattress around (Aspire Ribbon by Aireloom) because I wanted my guests, many of whom have suffered sleepless nights on a punctured, self-deflating air mattress in our past homes, to be comfortable. On either side of the bed I placed an Affole Floor Lamp from Interieurs. These squiggly designs have always been one of my favorites. They add a whimsical touch to any room, and, like the bed, they draw attention away from the baseboard heaters around the perimeter of the room.
For the windows, I had simple Roman shades made with blackout lining, and I used a horizontal variegated blue-and-black-striped Designer's Guild fabric (Peyron in Marine from the Mazan collection) that coordinates well with John Robshaw's Lapis Quilt, which I folded at the foot of the bed should a guest get cold at night. The white sheets from Pottery Barn are all cotton, as are the two matching Restoration Hardware bathrobes that hang in the nearly empty closet. The only other items in the closet are two PureLoft hypoallergenic pillows (www.landsend.com) in case my guest is allergic to the feather ones on the bed, and some Chinese slippers (www.pearlriver.com). The drawers of an antique Swedish dresser are empty, and there are no other knickknacks in the room save a couple of Country Life back issues, a collection of humorous essays from the New Yorker, an alarm clock and a fresh bottle of water (which I replace nightly during visits) on the bedside table. There is nothing objectionable on the walls, only a collection of blue-and-white Willow Ware plates and platters that belonged to my mother that I hung in a symmetrical arrangement and an antique Dutch ebony mirror. The room is meant to be restful, uncluttered and welcoming—as close to a nice hotel room as I could make it.
The bathroom is equally well appointed with a Restoration Hardware medicine cabinet that I filled with everything a guest could possibly need: a sewing kit, toothpaste, two extra toothbrushes, dental floss, a razor, sunscreen, cotton swabs, a mini flashlight, a mini first aid kit, body lotion, Advil, a shower cap and an emery board. Inside the vanity there is a hair dryer, extra toilet paper and a box of tissues. I double-hung towel rods so that there are plenty of white terry towels available. And just like a boutique hotel, I selected my signature brand of hair products, Fekkai's Glossing shampoo and conditioner; a bottle of each tidily stands in the shower caddy.
All in all, the room can rival just about any decent hotel suite, so it has come as no surprise to me that several house guests later, a robe is missing (really!), the hair dryer is gone and one guest's late-night raid of our freezer left a permanent chocolate ice cream stain on the quilt. I guess I could look on the bright side and say that I am flattered that my guests felt our home so resembled a hotel that they forgot that they were at someone's house.
Mayhew, a "Today" show style expert and former magazine editor, is the author of
"Flip! for Decorating."