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Just curious, do our local schools teach entrepreneurship?
Years ago it seems they taught some common sense things like handling a checkbooks, paing bills, etc. but do the business courses also encourage being entrepreneurial?
One definition of an entrepreneur: "Someone who exercises initiative by organizing a venture to take benefit of an opportunity and, as the decision maker, decides what, how, and how much of a good or service will be produced."
We had a Junior Achievement program for a while in the 1990s, I recall, but I haven't heard anything about it lately and assume it has gone by the wayside.-- Posted by Jicarney on Wed, Mar 14, 2012, at 9:12 AM
I talked with the Junior Achievement folks in Nashville today. Nothing in Bedford County at the moment.DO you have any idea who spearheaded that John?
They have some pretty interesting programs and classes but they are primarily aimed at working through the education system and once you start adding more and more "approvals" and sponsors everything gets bogged down.
While it would be nice if the school system would find a way to work with them, I think more immediate results would be from starting a "Young Entrepreneurs" club that could meet inside Bedford County.
I toyed with starting a business that would primarily employ High School Juniors and Seniors and then college age students. Teaching them business development from the inside, then helping them start something of their own, BUT it has always just been an idea.
Alas, maybe in another life. :-)-- Posted by stevemills on Wed, Mar 14, 2012, at 8:08 PM
As a current business student at MTSU, I wish I was taught a little more about business at SCHS. I've found that many other college students were taught business courses in high school. I am hoping to go get my Masters in Business Education. Maybe I can come back to SCHS and be hired to teach a few business courses. :)-- Posted by amshaye on Thu, Mar 15, 2012, at 5:36 PM
A better voice could not be heard. Can anyone get someone from the Board of Education to comment?-- Posted by stevemills on Thu, Mar 15, 2012, at 9:33 PM
Steve, a friend of mine recently graduated with a Business education degree specifically to work in the high schools. I am not sure exactly what she teaches. But, your idea is a good one.-- Posted by Midnight Rider on Fri, Mar 16, 2012, at 1:57 AM
Is your friend going to be local?
If not, maybe she could sign-up with an alias and join our discussion? I would not want someone local getting in proverbial "hot water"-- Posted by stevemills on Fri, Mar 16, 2012, at 10:03 AM
Now that I think of it, I believe it was the late Bob Green who worked with Junior Achievement, while he was director of the Chamber of Commerce.-- Posted by Jicarney on Fri, Mar 16, 2012, at 10:05 AM
This is the type of thing that might make a great class project for some future Leadership Bedford class.-- Posted by Jicarney on Fri, Mar 16, 2012, at 10:06 AM
The Small Business Administration says that 50% of small business fail in the first five years. http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/smallbusiness/a/whybusfail.htm
Looking at the reasons, most of the issues can be overcome or avoided with education. How much better could that percentage be if we equipped our young people with tools to succeed.
It does not matter if they plan to go on to college or step out into work right from High School. Both would be better prepared for the realities of life.
What they are being taught will have much more meaning if they could see why Math would help them with their finances, estimates and budgets, Language skills for writing proposals, designing web sites, communicating with their customers, Art to give them a perspective when designing advertisements, etc., etc..
In our internet business we constantly have people who think free shipping is free. Constantly see listings that are distracting because of misspellings, misuse of words or sentence structure. Sellers who lose money because they miscalculated or forgot to take something into consideration.
The examples are endless and I am sure those of you reading this can offer many more.-- Posted by stevemills on Fri, Mar 16, 2012, at 10:38 AM
You are right John. It would be a great leadership class project and have long-lasting benefits.-- Posted by stevemills on Fri, Mar 16, 2012, at 10:40 AM
It would make a great class for Leadership Bedford. However, they need to look more into the students they choose also. I was not chosen for the group, and I know of many of the members who were chosen who have dropped out of school and not done much with their lives. It would have been a very beneficial project for me, and I would have applied it to the real-world.
Again, I sure hope Bedford County can come up with something. I know my college business classes, as well as my current job, have been great in providing me with knowledge of the business world. I just wish I could have received some of the real-world knowledge a little sooner than college.-- Posted by amshaye on Fri, Mar 16, 2012, at 12:32 PM
amshaye, do you think students from Bedford County would participate in a "club" format? No dues, nor any qualifications except a desire to discuss their ideas, learn from real-life business people, etc.
That would not require waiting on any school board or Chamber decision and I think we could get some local business folks to step up. Just promote it through the T-G, FB, Twitter, person to person (I know, that is old fashioned, but...), etc.
It would be nice if we could get some students on here, but I do not know how many read the blog.-- Posted by stevemills on Fri, Mar 16, 2012, at 7:53 PM
Steve, yes, my friend is local. I will contact her and ask if she would be willing to comment on what curriculum she follows.-- Posted by Midnight Rider on Fri, Mar 16, 2012, at 10:17 PM
Our public education system has been dumbed down and in the dumps for so long now that they are likely indoctrinating students into accepting that dependency upon government is success. (Though I really do hope exactly the opposite is true)-- Posted by Tim Lokey on Sun, Mar 18, 2012, at 12:49 PM
"Our public education system has been dumbed down and in the dumps for so long now that they are likely indoctrinating students into accepting that dependency upon government is success."
tim lokey. in the middle of a reasonable discussion you have to insert this ignorance?
just curious who you think is teaching in our schools? could it be people who grew us with us? could it be people who attend the same churches, shop at the same stores, and think much the way we do?
you need to spend a lot less time watching fox tv, listening to hate radio, and swallowing forwarded e-mails hook, line, & sinker.
it seems to be all to easy to convince gullible people that they are the target of some vast, secret conspiracy.
among the many shameful actions of an ignorant portion of our state legislature is the demonizing of our teachers.
news flash: our teachers are people just like us, who think they can make a positive contribution to society by educating the next generation. they are not mysterious invaders from outer space, they have not been replaced by pods.
you should apologize to every teacher you see.-- Posted by lazarus on Sun, Mar 18, 2012, at 5:00 PM
Steve, apparently it is taught in Economics and Finance. One of the things they do is have them do a research project on an entrepreneur about what made them successful and about their product and so forth.-- Posted by Midnight Rider on Sun, Mar 18, 2012, at 5:36 PM
@ lazurus...Just where in my post did you find the word teacher? God knows they are doing their best with the broken SYSTEM we have. It's the system that's broken, not the teachers who are mandated by law to teach the blatantly liberally biased curriculum found in todays classrooms.-- Posted by Tim Lokey on Sun, Mar 18, 2012, at 9:27 PM
and i am calling you for repeating a load of bull.
the teachers are the system. there is not some floating stone head of zardoz coming out of the sky to teach this mythical "blatantly liberally biased curriculum." you are not assailed by a legion of secret enemies.
tell me about this liberal math, or how about liberal chemistry? maybe you can set me straight on liberal geography? is there a liberal way to punctuate a sentence, or spell a word? (altho i do believe that capital letters are a communist plot)
are you concerned that kids might be taught values alongside the math and english? i think it is a shame that they need to be. but that is not the result of some ominous liberal plot. that is a failure of the parents. i've been around enough to hear what the teachers are telling our kids. things like; "make something out of yourself, treat other people decent, work with others on a team," and "learn to think for yourself."
this idea that education and liberal are a comingled threat is a media invention. and anti-intellectualism is not conservative.-- Posted by lazarus on Mon, Mar 19, 2012, at 10:47 AM
Midnight Rider, if your friend gets a little timid after reading some comments, we can start again. Don't let her get away.:-)-- Posted by stevemills on Mon, Mar 19, 2012, at 6:10 PM
lazurus, you forgot to mention the oh so important curriculum involved in teaching elementary school children how to put a condom on a banana or that homosexuality is an acceptable lifestyle. You could have also included the very liberal versions of our nations history taught in classrooms or the number of children who are given a pass because they are star atheletes. The NEA decides what curriculum teachers must teach. Most teachers do the best they can with it. They give of themselves and work long hours to make sure our children are receiving the best education possible. I applaud them. It's the SYSTEM that also allows ineffective teachers to remain in the classroom that have no business being there because of liberally favored tenure. when you can't fire bad ones, the good ones have to work harder. Teachers deserve all the praise they can get, but make no mistake, they are working with a badly broken SYSTEM. Just how high did Bedford County schools score recently? If I remember correctly it was near the bottom of the barrell. That's not so much the teacher's fault as it is a system wide problem. Values are to be taught at home...that's not a schools responsibility.-- Posted by Tim Lokey on Tue, Mar 20, 2012, at 4:32 AM
see tim, there is that forwarded e-mail thinking. do you have an example of a bedford county class (elementary or otherwise) being taught to put a condom on a banana? or anything at all about homosexuality? and i would like to know what comprises a "liberal" version of natural history? now, i cant say for sure about "star" athletes being given a pass. i can name a few who lost eligibilty in-season over their grades. i know of more than a few coaches who track their athletes' performance in the classroom... and put personal pressure on them when they start to fall off pace.
of course the gem of this whole commentary is; "the nea sets the curriculum." you really are at war with imaginary enemies.
as for how bedford county schools perform; "That's not so much the teacher's fault as it is a system wide problem." you are right, and if you want to know what the "system's" problem is, just take a look at the demographics of bedford county. when you farm rocky hillsides without much soil, you get poor crops. i can tell you with confidence that kids, who come from homes that value learning, have access to just as good an education in bedford county schools as they do anywhere else. i know because mine did, and they were able to move straight from bedford county schools to exceptional private colleges and compete in the classroom from day 1.
as for teaching values in the schools. it is a shame that is necessary, but some kids won't get them any other way. of course, if you do teach values in the home, you shouldnt be afraid for your kids to be exposed to different ideas. but i cannot think of any time that a teacher demonstrated values that i would find objectionable.-- Posted by lazarus on Tue, Mar 20, 2012, at 8:37 AM
i apologize for hijacking your topic. i am proud to be a conservative, and sick of having ignorance and misinformation labelled as conservative "thought."
on topic, i don't see that schools could really teach "entepreneurship" per se. creativity and drive are not readily taught in the classroom. i think the club idea would be more appropriate.
i would hope that the schools might teach business, or personal economics type classes that provided the tools needed to turn initiative and imagination into a business model. but i have to confess that i am not sure what is available in the way of business and personal economics classes. i am reminded, tho, of our old civics classes. i have heard those dont exist any more, but when they did almost no one came out of them with a clue about how our government works (or is supposed to).-- Posted by lazarus on Tue, Mar 20, 2012, at 8:48 AM
That is a good point about business/personal economics and the difference between entrepreneurship. Still, teaching business/personal economics would be a real poisitive class for Juniors/Seniors.
Can someone from BCBE comment? Is it being done?
As far as the Entrepreneur club, I suppose that could be open to any and all. We just need to find a way to encourage our youth to participate.
I know many of us "more seasoned folk" could use the enthusiasm and can do spirit of youth. :-)-- Posted by stevemills on Thu, Mar 22, 2012, at 7:06 AM
I imagine that what is needed is a local sponsor to organize and promote the idea. I doubt the curriculum is very pliable. It is, for the most part, imposed from the top down and due to cost saving "borrowing" by local systems--and obligatory requirements--almost exclusively from very limited sources.
I am sorry that a teacher, or someone from the BOE, has not yet commented. It sounds like a great idea. I am also sorry that the side discussion has stopped. I believe it is a conversation worth having, even if it gets a little messy. To that end, I will add the following:
The public school system is working exactly as it was intended. It was created to regiment the populace into a unified collective, by acting as a sieve to stratify society and instill a united morality of obedience and deference to those who manage it. Teachers and administrators are the willing--but typically unwitting--facilitators of that objective (irrespective of their own internal motivations).
I realize that is a harsh assessment, but as far as I can tell, it is an accurate representation.-- Posted by memyselfi on Sun, Mar 25, 2012, at 5:57 AM
Mr. Mills, I know that this does not belong here. I started typing it and by the time I had finished, I realized that it was way too long and boring to post on the other blog, and likely pointless anyway. That being understood, I hated to delete it without posting, so I decided to put it here.
Disclaimer: This very brief overview of public education cannot begin to fully appreciate the nuances of the people and factions described. People are seldom a perfect mold of any specific ideology, and typically contend with multiple personally motivating forces, which shape their perceptions and actions while evolving over time. For example, Dewey--while acknowledging the need for social conformity--also hoped to eventually abolish the need of a fully engineered society through education. Unfortunately, the most nefarious of his initiatives were adopted, and the most democratizing have been systematically discarded. Likewise, the interests of factions are given to change over time. For example, the effects of protectionist policies may prove beneficial to a faction during times of a weak economy and manufacturing, but detrimental during times of strong production and stable economies--when free-trade then benefits the same faction. There are many filters that can be applied to history, and this comment only superficially examines the result of one of them.....
After the Revolutionary War, when President Washington and his cabinet went about the business of establishing a nation, there emerged discord instead of the anticipated unity. This division took the form of a split between what were generically labeled federalists and anti-Federalists. The Federalists (Hamilton, Adams, and Jay) advocated a strong federal government and centralized bank. The strong federal government that they envisioned was based upon British pre-capitalistic (mercantilist) economic policies (i.e. East India Company) that were favorable to a small, but elite, segment of society, such as those engaged in finance, business, and industry. Their opponents, fearing the potential effects of the nation's wealth being manipulated by international traders and financers, advocated greater diffusion of power, with a more agrarian and egalitarian system of governance that promoted democracy.
The formal existence of the Federalists was short lived, with only one sitting president (Adams). An enlightened and literate population (long before the advent of public education) refused to embrace policies that were set firmly against its interests. The considerable influence of its members, however, survived for much longer. Through Adams' appointment of Marshall, the Supreme Court set the president for Federalist policies in the U.S. for decades, during which time, much of the ideology of the Federalists eventually transformed itself (loosely) into the Whig Party. The anti-federalists evolved (again loosely) into Jeffersonian, and then Jacksonian Democrats.
Although a minority, the factions who eventually became the Whigs continued their guidance of US policy throughout the period of an apparent Jeffersonian Democracy consensus. By the middle of the 1830's though, everything was changing. The seat left vacant by Marshall's death was filled with a Jackonian Democrat. The Second Bank of the United States (The Central Bank) was losing its charter. It appeared to some that the considerations afforded those who favored an elite class would soon disappear entirely.
It was within this environment of panic that the governor of Massachusetts (a Whig stronghold) created the nation's first Board of Education without elaboration or fanfare. It was not created to administer the existing tuition/ecclesiastical schools, but to lobby for, and organize, a new system of universal compulsory education. Edward Everett (the governor) appointed Horace Mann to lead the newly created Board. Mann (like most Whigs) was primarily interested in the German (actually Prussian--names change, but locations abide) model of education. Mann favored this model for its proven suitability to advance the needs of the elite.
Prussia had a long history of education and militarism, but when routed by Napoleon's upstart army, was compelled to re-evaluate the fitness of the models that it was using. It implemented important reforms in the way its society was administered. Among other things, the educational system was overhauled to ensure obedience, conformity, and nationalism. The reforms worked, and soon Prussia was again a leader in Europe and contender for the spoils associated with that distinction. The advancement was not without its consequences though. The restructuring also concentrated more wealth and power into the class of Junkers (elite aristocracy) than ever before. The common people were left with relatively little, and the formation of the first loosely planned welfare state emerged. Although Prussia faced many wars and political evolutions, it remained the center of German power well into the 20th century, and only truly fell with the defeat of the Nazi's (whose power originated in what was, for all intents and purposes, Prussia).
It was this model that was chosen for the state of Massachusetts, and although it faced opposition, its establishment was not extremely difficult--given the political make-up of the state. Other states emulated the model for various reasons, but the issues which demanded the most attention at the time were related to slavery and the ensuing war (Civil). After the disorder of the war, reconstruction, and the now firmly established structure of state versus federal power, the effects of the educational and political seeds began to take root. Like clockwork, the Gilded Age (the concentration of wealth into fewer and fewer hands) began almost as soon as the war ended. It was predictably followed by the progressive era (a rise of the welfare state).
It was toward the end of the progressive era that schools were once again evaluated and targeted for modernization. The needs of those whose interests were served were quickly changing as large-scale industrialization really took off and spread across the nation, the central banking system re-emerged as a dominate force, and the US assumed its role as an empire on the world stage. The beneficiaries of the gilded age (Carnegie and Rockefeller most notably, but by degrees, most elites) sought to reform schools to ever more narrow objectives. The psychologizing influence of the schools mirrored, to a close proximity, that of the media in general as they evolved. It became clear that what the children (and by extension, adults) actually knew was nowhere near as important as how they thought, and how they thought was a growing concern of many who sought to control it. This concern led to the rise of the public relations, propaganda, and thought manipulation models that we witness today. It was in this time that thinkers such as Edward Bernays, Walter Lippman, and John Dewey realized the potential for influencing public opinion and made public schools a cornerstone of that objective.
Children across the country (even those in traditionally agrarian locations) needed to be conditioned to submit to arbitrary external authority, as opposed to only state authority. This took the form of imposing the structure that extracts the most of human capital (i.e. regulated restroom breaks, the deference to a bell to signify the changing of activities, and the dependence upon estimating one's self-worth through comparisons with other equally conditioned peers, as opposed to independent evaluations). The most important aspect of this education, though, was the near elimination of the critical thinking skills required to understand the world around us, in a way other than the model that was presented.
Our curriculum lends itself almost entirely to rote memorization and disconnected facts that are difficult to blend into an overarching amalgamation of understanding. It is only with a reservoir of usable information, tied to the ability to apply that information to daily events, that the benefits of knowledge can be achieved.
Instead, we provide a very narrow spectrum of reality that transforms every individual into a paradigm of black and white extremes (with the vast majority ending up one, or another, shade of gray). The media continues this illusion as the divisions created within our schools act themselves out in the realm of adult politics, and define the way in which we all view ourselves and others.
Our current system of education is leaning toward a model that relegates the high schools to trade schools, with smaller gymnasiums (prep schools) housed either within the main schools, or as stand-alone magnet type schools. The majority of the important psychological conditioning occurs before the eighth grade and it is believed, by some, that no further academic instruction is necessary, provided technical training is available. This has been the objective since the 1930's. It has been fought, but is now being imposed through the use of NCLB as a catalyst for generating popular support. Already, there are collectives of educators and parents who are demanding lower standards and easier to achieve outcomes. This voice will only continue to grow, as the screws of NCLB are tightened.
What is at stake is no less than the ability of our children (and our society) to govern itself, assuming that it is not too late already. Teachers, parents, and students need to understand the nature and purpose of public education in order to mitigate its pernicious effects, while embracing what little education is offered and demanding more, not less, from public school's responsibility to educate.
The three R's should be replaced with the two C's (classical education and critical thinking) not trade schools.-- Posted by memyselfi on Sun, Apr 1, 2012, at 1:04 PM
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The readings in this collection explore the nature of identity, belonging, tolerance, and difference in our increasingly global society.
The readings in this collection explore the nature of identity, belonging, tolerance, and difference in our increasingly global society.
Spark meaningful conversations about religious freedom, the nature of democracy, and civic participation with this timeless multimedia collection.
Use the documentary film Reporter to explore the changing landscape of journalism and challenge students to consider their roles as creators and consumers of news.
Explore two pivotal moments in the Latinx rights movement in California: the East LA school walkouts and the first year of the Delano grape strike.
Address today's global challenges with lesson plans focused on current events including the refugee crisis and contemporary antisemitism.
The new Choices in Little Rock Unit Outline provides an instructional pathway for teaching the original Choices in Little Rock resource.
Learn how to incorporate civic education, ethical reflection and historical context into a literary exploration of Harper Lee's novel, To Kill A Mockingbird.
Explore judgment, justice, and the International Criminal Court with these resources centered on the documentary film The Reckoning.
Use this rich archive of lessons, videos, and primary sources to teach about one of the most tumultuous periods in US history and its legacy today.
Examine the moral dilemmas faced by five diplomats who, at great personal risk, assisted Jews fleeing Nazi persecution during the Holocaust.
Discover the debates and the dilemmas that surrounded the creation of the UDHR. Consider the legacies of the declaration, one of the most celebrated milestones in the history of human rights.
Use clips from the film BULLY, along with additional classroom resources, to address issues of ostracism, bullying, and encourage upstander behavior in your school and classroom.

subset: commoncrawl


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Assuming you're not working for a media corporation with huge graphics and statistics departments at your disposal, you may want to create some infographics for your own articles. With today's flood of information, infographics allow readers to quickly digest and understand complex data. A good infographic will not only inform readers, but will also create interest and convince people to read your article similar to how good headlines and photos attract readers. In contrast, both boring and overly complex graphics will quickly convince readers to ignore your article.
Here are 10 tips for designing better infographics (click the image examples to go to their original sites):
1) Be Concise: Design your infographic to convey one idea really well. You're not writing a scientific research paper, so don't expect your reader to dig into a lot of detail. This doesn't mean you should only visualize one number, but your entire graphic should support one of the major points from the article. You can include additional facts or information to make the infographic stand on its own, but don't lose sight of the point you want to get across.
This example is an infographic poster I created about the caffeine content in drinks. At this size, you can easily tell which drinks have more or less caffeine, and if you decide to view the higher-resolution image you can dig deeper into the details and additional information that's included in the poster.
2) Be Visual: Design your infographic with your final for viewing size in mind. A number of articles online require the viewers to click on a text link to view the graphics that accompany an article, and I believe this is a huge mistake. Design your graphics to be viewed in-line with your article. There's nothing wrong with allowing viewers to click the image to see a high-resolution version, but they should be able to understand the image when viewed with the article. A side benefit is that a viewable image also allows for readers to share the image by itself on social media sites easily.
3) Be Smarter: Build your data and explanation right into the infographic, and don't make your readers have to work hard to understand what they're seeing. Your infographic shouldn't need a legend to be understandable, and there's no reason to ask your readers to keep moving their eyes back and forth between the chart and the legend to understand the graphic. Treat your readers as intelligent and make your graphic look professional by including the relevant descriptions and numbers in the infographic.
4) Be Transparent: Infographics can be used to lead readers to the wrong conclusions. Always cite your data sources and allow readers to dig deeper into the data if they have the desire. Some of the best articles include easy access to the source data with links to a spreadsheet for readers to view on their own.
See the visual. Explore the data.
5) Be Different: If you can avoid it, don't use a bar chart, a line chart or a pie chart. This infographic of visualization styles is a great resource to help determine a good visual to use for your data. The different styles are grouped together by the type do data they are trying to communicate and in the interactive version, an example is shown as you mouse over each style.
6) Be Accurate: Remember your geometry and visualize differences using area. When trying to convey the scale of your data, many graphics use different sized shapes or images to show amounts relative to each other. The reader's eye sees the total area of the image as indicative of scale, not just the height of the image.
For example, if you're using circles to show one number is 3 times larger than another, the area of the circle must be in proportion to the values being represented. If you make the mistake of making the diameter of the circle 3 times larger, the area is actually 9 times larger.
The infographic below breaks down the number of FedEx trucks using the area of the circles in a mind map style image. This could have been a simple bar chart, but it's much more visually appealing as a bubble mind map.
NOTE: One common exception to this is a standard bar chart. No matter how wide the bars are, the height is the only dimension that conveys meaning.
7) Be Attractive: Include visuals: Illustrations and photos included in the infographic make a big difference. Even though this example is a bar chart, the inclusion of the company logos make it quicker and easier for the reader to understand.
8) Be Varied: Find a good visual style that's right for the data you're trying to share. If your data is about countries, plot it on a world map not a bar chart that lists countries. Also, don't be afraid to mix visualization styles together in one infographic.
This example infographic by Emily Schwartzman about the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti won a design contest from GOOD Magazine, and mixes map data with a stacked bar and colored boxes for percentages. This is also a great example of viewing size. You can see and understand the visuals, but the actual numbers are available if you view the high-resolution version.
9) Be Gracious: Work on the assumption that your infographic may be viewed or shared without the article you originally designed it for. Make sure that the final graphic includes the following pieces:
• Copyright, to be explicit about any rights and terms of use
• Source data, so anyone can check your facts
• Designer's name, always give credit to the artist/illustrator/programmer/designer
• Original image/article address, so anyone who sees the image can find your original article
10) Be Creative: Use whatever tools you have available to create your infographic. Of course, the tools you use will depend on what you are trying to visualize. Many infographics can be created using simple applications like a vector drawing program (like OmniGraffle or Microsoft Visio), a charting program (like Microsoft Office or Apple iWork) or an image editing program (like Adobe Photoshop).
Here are some visual tools available on the Internet:
• Tableau Public
• Many Eyes
• Swivel
• Google Public Data Explorer
• Gapminder
• Wordle
• WorldMapper
• GunnMap
• StatPlanet Map Maker


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Can a church be too big?
Faith and Family: Megachurches
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A megachurch is defined as having 2,000 members or more, and is becoming one of the fastest growing movements in contemporary Christianity.
Every week, thousands flock to non-denominational Calvary Chapel in Fort Lauderdale.
The church sits on 80 acres and ever week, more than 20,000 worshippers fill the sanctuary.
Most come hungry to hear a word of inspiration from Pastor Bob Coy.
"Most of the time, it's how can we find more seats and parking spaces, which is a good problem," said Coy.
At Calvary Chapel, there's even an overflow area with television monitors set up, live streaming video the service. It takes 800 employees to make sure the church machine runs correctly.
Compare this place of worship to Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas.
It is the largest church in the United States with more than 50,000 members. Instead of a traditional church building, worshipers gather at a former basketball arena: the Compaq Center.
The man who leads this gigantic congregation is Pastor Joel Osteen.
"The message is very positive and hopeful. There are a lot of things pushing people down and we try to lift their spirits. Everybody needs that," said Osteen, who recently announced an event his church is holding at Marlins Park next year.
Part of Osteen's popularity has been fueled by his books, best sellers bringing millions of dollars to his ministry.
Osteen was recently in South Florida for a book signing. Along with his message of hope, Osteen said television and computers have changed the game of outreach.
But many critics say these mega churches are run more like Starbucks than a place of worship.
"I do not see it as a business. They may, but my thing is how can we help more people use our funds effective," said Osteen. "I do use it to grow membership but to grow what we have."
Coy agrees, saying for him, it's not about the numbers -- it's all about providing people with a hope for their future.
"When it comes to goals at our church we have always played catch up with where god has been leading and adding," said Coy.
Copyright 2012 by Post Newsweek. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Windward Community College newspaper wins national honorWindward Community College
Language Arts Department
KANEʻOHE— Windward Community College's student newspaper, Ka ʻOhana, has received its 12th first-place national award from the American Scholastic Press Association (ASPA)— this time with a "special merit."
The "special merit" designation means the paper excelled in several categories, including content, page design, creativity and overall plan. Ka ʻOhana received 960 out of 1,000 points and was described as "an outstanding overall example of a scholastic publication in format, content and presentation," according to the ASPA.
The association serves 2,000 schools and colleges nationwide, with rankings for high school, community college and four-year college and university student publications.
WCC advisor and journalism professor Libby Young said the newspaper is produced by the students in JOURN 285V, a variable credit lab that can be taken with JOURN 205, basic news writing.
The JOURN 205 course covers a wide range of skills related to the mass media, including print, broadcast, advertising and public relations. The JOURN 285 course provides training in everything from reporting, editing and photography to desktop publishing, graphic design and preparing material for web sites.
"We've been able to attract some very talented students who have gone on to successful careers in print journalism, broadcast news, advertising and public relations," said Young. "We give them lots of practical experience in a short amount of time, which has led them to win internships and gain other opportunities."
Ka ʻOhana student editor in chief Mark Brislin added, "We've been fortunate to have a very solid staff the last several years. They work hard to produce a quality paper while also having fun. It's great that everyone's time and dedication has been rewarded with this honor."
This fall the college hopes to launch a Ka ʻOhana Web site with postings of current issues, a photo gallery and video clips of campus events as well as an archive of back issues.
For details, call advisor Libby Young at 235-7396 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.
About Windward Community College
Founded in 1972, Windward Community College is primarily a liberal arts transfer institution and is the youngest community college in the University of Hawaii system. Windward offers the associate in arts degree and certificate programs in art, business, agricultural technology, biotechnology, Hawaiian studies, psycho-social development and marine options. In addition, Windward has partnered with Chaminade University to offer a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice, and is host to the only art atelier in the state and one of few in the U.S. The college is also home to the state's Employment Training Center, where students develop the academic and technical skills necessary for entry-level employment. Creative programs at the Hawaiʻi Music Institute, Paliku Theatre, Hokulani Imaginarium and Gallery ʻIolani attract thousands of spectators to the campus every year. For more information, visit www.windward.hawaii.edu.


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Address: Bynäset, 83293 Orrviken
At beautiful Bynäset on the Island Frösön, you can hike around a distance of about 7 km.
On Frösön at Bynäset you will find nice beaches that are located both on the north and south side of Bynäset. In popular terms it is called the "Östersund Riviera". The north side offers a long black sandy beach and open grass areas for play and picnics - Västbyviken.
At beautiful Bynäset you can hike around a distance of about 7 km, run, bike and swim. Take your backpack and walk around the scenic spot. In the summer days when you feel warm you can walk to the beach and take a dip in the lake.
The area is protected by a shallow bay where the water is heated early. The view is something extraordinary with Åreskutan and Oviksfjällen


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Data Entry and Manipulation
- How to enter data into a panel workfile
- Panel or Pool? - a description on how panels and pools work, and the differences between them.
- Frequency Conversion
- Importing hourly data from a file with hour numbers
- Dummy variables
- ARMA estimation and Forecast - how EViews estimates and forecasts simple ARMA models, with an Excel example.
- Multivariate GARCH-M (and other non-built in types)
- Threshold AR Models
- Dummy variables
- Constrained estimation


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This is one of a series of articles for the month of March 2013, 20 Days of Tax Planning Advice for 2013, the third year in which AdvisorOne has focused its content during tax season for advisors and their clients. As part of our month-long focus, advisor Mike Patton in his series of posts traces the development of our current tax system.
In my last post, we discussed taxation in the U.S. from inception to the late 1700s. Here, we'll focus on the period from 1800 to the modern tax code which began with the 16th amendment in 1913.
The First Default
During the Revolutionary War, what was the federal government at that time had no taxation powers. Therefore, to pay for our freedom from Britain, the Continental Congress in 1775 issued the first of what were essentially bonds, with additional issuances that year and in 1776. These "Continental dollars" funded the war, but by 1779, when the first issue came due, it was evident that the U.S. did not have the resources to redeem these dollars. So the Continental Congress in 1779 announced a devaluation of 38.5 to 1 on the approximate $241 million outstanding (roughly equivalent to $20.9 billion today) of debt. This was the first of five defaults in our country's history. The Constitution, ratified in 1787, gave the United States to power to levy taxes, though that power itself became hotly debated by the Founding Fathers. Alexander Hamilton was in favor of giving the central government the power to tax individual citizens, but wrote in the Federalist Papers that "It is evident from the state of the country, from the habits of the people, from the experience we have had . . . that it is impractical to raise very considerable funds by direct taxation."
19th Century: War & Taxes
After the U.S. broke free of Britain's grip there were still many unresolved issues between the two countries. Due to a variety of reasons, the U.S. declared war on Britain and the War of 1812 began. It was during the war that the first direct taxes were imposed on Americans; until that time, the government's revenue came from borrowing and trade tariffs.
War is costly, not only in lives, but also in dollars. In 1862, the second year of the Civil War, of the $52 billion federal budget, $49 billion came from taxes on imports. During the war, President Lincoln enacted the most sweeping revenue act in our history up to that time, approving a 3% tax on annual incomes between $600 and $10,000 and a 5% tax on incomes above that level. For the sake of perspective, $600 in 1862 is roughly equivalent to $52,000 today, and $10,000 back then is equal to $868,000 today. Less than 1% of the U.S. population paid income tax during the Civil War. The revenue act also included an inheritance tax, but was repealed in 1872.
Tax: A Heated Debate
During the 1890s, the U.S. once again became embroiled in a debate over the government's right to levy an income tax. Proponents of it included farmers, labor and small business groups led by Democrats and Populists. The opposition included business interests led by Republicans who filed lawsuits challenging its constitutionality. A 2% income tax law was passed, but was rejected by the Supreme Court in 1895 as unconstitutional.
After the turn of the century, progressive Republican senators broke ranks and joined the pro-tax group. In 1908 (his last year in office), Republican President Theodore Roosevelt called for an income tax and an inheritance tax. The following year, newly elected Republican President Taft (although opposed to it) agreed to a constitutional amendment permitting an income tax. Conservatives hoped it would never be ratified by the 36 states needed and thus would fail. However, it was their strategy that failed and less than four years later, the 36th vote for ratification was cast. Hence, the 16th Amendment was added and the federal government was granted the power to tax incomes.
The road to our current tax system has been long and contentious. Today, with record debt and deficits, we find ourselves in the middle of perhaps the most hotly contested tax debate in our history. The reach of the federal government was significantly augmented during the Great Depression and income tax rates reached a peak of 94% in 1945 on annual income exceeding $200,000 (roughly $17.3 million today).
Next week, we'll look at some of the ways the federal government uses tax policy to influence behavior.
View our 20 Days of Tax Planning Advice for 2013 home page.


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Ports-to-plains corridor is on a roll
Any farmer from a rural western town knows a thing or two about self-reliance and hope. The endless sweeping vistas are a simple reminder that it's a long way to a market.
A general lack of opportunity forces many to search for sunshine on their shoulders in other parts of the U.S., but that is starting to change. The wild west is getting restless again on the coat tails of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the energy boom and a consensus in Washington that we need to address our nation's aging infrastructure.
The ports-to-plains trade corridor (PPTC), a boots-and-18-wheeler version of Asia's Silk Road, comprises three major two- and four-lane expressways running north and south. Hooked together, they form a 2,333-mile trade route from Laredo, Texas, to Canada at the Port of Raymond in Montana.
Where transportation leads, investments and prosperity soon follow, says Joe Kiely, vice president of operations for the Ports-to-Plains Alliance, a bipartisan nonprofit organization that promotes policy, trade and investment priorities in the PPTC.
"When we looked at the economics and what moves along that corridor, we saw that energy and agriculture were the major products," says Kiely, who oversees the Heartland Expressway, which runs from Limon and Denver, Colo., to Rapid City, S.D.
The $105 billion transportation bill signed into law in July, an extension of the bill passed in 2005, provides two years of funding for corridor projects. This should benefit PPTC roadways from Texas to Montana by widening highways and adding passing and entry lanes in congested traffic areas such as North Dakota's oil fields.
Kiely says the goal is to have four lanes running the full length of the corridor: one safe and smooth expressway to carry petroleum, gas and agricultural products from Mexico to Canada.
It was NAFTA's promise of open enterprise, free of regulations, and the success of a trade corridor segment of I-35 that runs from Laredo to Oklahoma City that created the impetus for a north-south trade route, according to Michael Reeves, president of the Ports-to-Plains Alliance. NAFTA's north-south trade orientation created a catch-up situation. "Most of the interstate [highway] system was built east-west, so there was a lack of north-south corridors, especially in the western part of the continent."
NAFTA imports and exports for Canada, the U.S. and Mexico have steadily climbed. In 18 years, the U.S, has more than tripled exports to its trade partners. That means a lot more trucks on the roads and railcars on the tracks.
"NAFTA has been a large benefit for Texas producers," says Steelee Fischbacher of Texas Wheat Producers. "We export half of the wheat we grow in Texas, and building that export demand provides a boost in farm prices."
Steve Mercer of U.S. Wheat Associates agrees. "Mexico is consistently one of our bigger customers. The U.S. exports an awful lot of wheat into Mexico via rail, which is a very efficient way to move wheat from one NAFTA country to another." Average sales to Mexico run 2.8 million metric tons per year, he adds.
Energy boom. Reeves gushes about Texas energy sources such as the oil wells now pumping overtime in the Permian Basin. With the advent of hydraulic fracking, he says, there is more exploration into new areas.
"Further south, we're seeing a ton of Eagle Ford Shale development, which is having a huge impact on the region," he says. As in North Dakota, road upgrades and an expanded work force are needed.
This expertise in extracting oil and gas from reserves and the manufacture of pumps, pipes and other equipment has created a market in Canada. "The amount of oil and gas trade between Alberta and Texas is amazing. Alberta's economy is so hot that there's a labor shortage. They have to ship pumps and steel in from Texas," Reeves says. "About 170 Texas companies supply equipment, parts and services."
Another natural resource that the PPTC is taking advantage of is wind. Reeves says the wind power industry is developing within the PPTC region, though it has slowed with the recession and the expiration of tax credits.
He says there is a wind turbine manufacturing opportunity because of the size of turbine parts and the expense of shipping them. "The parts are so large that you have an advantage manufacturing near the final destination." Texas has its own power grid through the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, but the wind doesn't blow where the grid resides. The state of Texas recently committed money to build transmission lines to carry wind-generated electricity.
Heartland Expressway. In Kiely's territory, the economic activity is all about supporting traffic between the Canadian and Mexican markets with a truck-stop steak dinner and a fill-up.
"We're certainly seeing more trucks. Lincoln County [Limon, Colo.] has the second highest per capita retail sales in the state of Colorado," Kiely says. That comes from all the services associated with trucking, such as gas, restaurants, motels and quick-stop shops.
The excitement hasn't bypassed Colorado. "It's just booming," Kiely says. "We're seeing a significant number of wells being drilled in Lincoln County, and there hasn't been oil activity here in 20-plus years."
Road rage. The Theodore Roosevelt Expressway is a heavily traveled, mostly two-lane road that stretches from Rapid City, S.D., to the Montana-Canada border. The mix of tourist and agriculture-related traffic, with ever-increasing truckloads from the oil fields, is creating a dangerous situation, says Cal Klewin, executive director of government relations for Bowman, N.D., and project coordinator for this portion of the PPTC.
The issuing of overweight-overwidth permits has increased by a third in the last year, according to state transportation records. Klewin says it's not uncommon to see fed-up drivers improvise a third lane on the two-lane stretches.
With all the growing pains, Klewin sees a silver lining: "Our agricultural trade has more than doubled to both Canada and Mexico. We can't sit here and eat each other's hamburger—it has to be shipped somewhere."
While many states face budget deficits, rural towns in the Dakotas and Montana are prospering. It's not only the luck of having oil and gas fields in their backyard, but the commitment of chambers of commerce, rural banks and other civic cheerleaders to go after federal money and outside investment.
Washington-based United Grain Corporation is constructing an $18 million elevator and shuttle train facility in southwest North Dakota, says Ashley Alderson, executive director of the Bowman County Development Corporation. This should help the grain basis for local farmers (but also a competitive wage problem between the oil and agriculture industries).
"For years, we were worried about migration of the young," Alderson says. "Now everyone is proud of what's happening and excited about what it means for rural communities."
To learn more about the importance and challenges of maintaining America's infrastructure and how that impacts agriculture, go to www.FarmJournal.com/from_field_to_port


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SuicideGirl of the Day — Ackley [PICS]
Meet Ackley, a SuicideGirl who loves online flirting, can't live without Chapstick and is really into NPR.
Name: Ackley
Age: 26
Location: California
Occupation: Employed.
Heroes: Pete Wentz.
Favorite position: Center stage.
Sign: Libra.
I lost my virginity: Pleading the fifth.
Cigarettes: Nope.
My diet: Vegan.
Alcohol: Nope.
I'm looking for: Whoever comes along.
Pot: I'm a total stoner.
I want: Friendship and online flirting.
Into: Skateboards, bass, animal rights, grassroots activism, the 1st, 2nd, and 4th amendment and NPR.
Not into: Gun control, animal abuse, child labor, parking enforcement, taxes! "The one thing I never could stomach about Santa Clara…. All the damn vampires."
Makes me happy: Good live music, 'slapin' the Bass,' being with friends and adventure.
Makes me sad: Animal abuse, broken dreams and saying goodbye.
Hobbies: Spin the bottle.
5 things I can't live without: Chapstick, skateboard, Vans, Mac Book and bass.
Vices: A good salesman.
I spend most of my free time: Not doing what I'm supposed to be doing.
SuicideGirls is a community that celebrates alternative beauty and alternative culture from all over the world. Since 2001, tens of thousands of models have submitted millions of photos to their website hoping to become SuicideGirls.


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Public participation is going to be key to making changes in Sneads Ferry.
Public participation is going to be key to making changes in Sneads Ferry.
Onslow County is in early stages of work with the Metropolitan Planning Organization to create a community, or small area, plan for Sneads Ferry. The plan would examine area conditions and provide detailed recommendations to improve it.
For this study, the goal is to observe and improve land-use and traffic for residents, according to county Director of Planning and Development Ben Warren.
�These types of plans are influenced and driven by the citizens,� he said.
The area is among the county�s fastest growing, Warren said, and in recent years its roads have become congested.
According to information presented to the Onslow County Board of Commissioners recently, N.C. DOT has done a feasibility study on N.C. 210 and N.C. 172 and offered a few solutions to improve the roadways. Possibilities for N.C. 210 include making it a four-lane, divided highway, which would impact one residence; or create an interchange at U.S. 17 and a flyover at N.C. 172, which would impact two residences and 11 businesses.
N.C. 172 suggestions included making it a four-lane divided highway, putting a new bridge over the New River or putting two new bridges over the New River, with each suggestion impacting seven homes and nine businesses.
Part of the goal for the community plan is to create alternatives for N.C. DOT to consider when the time comes, Warren said.
While there are not any dates set yet, public meetings will be held and participation opportunities will be advertised, Warren said.
Once the $119,000 contract with Kimley Horne and Associates, which will be the consulting form for the study, is signed, a steering committee will be created within about 60 days, he said. Warren said the contract is expected to be signed within 30 days.
Once underway, all public feedback will be gathered and then narrowed, creating options and alternatives, he said.
�From start to finish, the key to success of the plan is going to be citizens,� Warren said.
Amanda Hickey is the government reporter at The Daily News. She can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
- Browse bikes
- Top bikes
- Tools
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- Forums
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TM Racing EN 530 F e.s. 2007
2007 TM Racing EN 530 F e.s. specifications, pictures, reviews and rating
2007 TM Racing EN 530 F e.s.. Picture credits - TM racing. Submit more pictures.
|General information
|TM Racing EN 530 F e.s.
|Enduro / offroad
|Do you know this bike?
Click here to rate it. We miss 2 votes to show the rating.
|Engine and transmission
|527.7 ccm (32.20 cubic inches)
|Engine type:
|Single cylinder, four-stroke
|Bore x stroke:
|98.0 x 70.0 mm (3.9 x 2.8 inches)
|Fuel system:
|Carburettor. Mikuni TDMR 40 mm.
|Fuel control:
|Double Overhead Cams/Twin Cam (DOHC)
|Kokusan CDI Electronic with variable advance
|Lubrication system:
|Dry sump with double rotor pump
|Cooling system:
|Multiuple-disk in oil-bath with hydaulic control
|Chassis, suspension, brakes and wheels
|Frame type:
|Cr-Mo steel Perimetral oval section
|Front tyre:
|Rear tyre:
|Front brakes:
|Single disc
|270 mm (10.6 inches)
|Rear brakes:
|Single disc
|245 mm (9.6 inches)
|Physical measures and capacities
|Fuel capacity:
|8.00 litres (2.11 gallons)
|Other specifications
|Electric & kick
|Further information
|Insurance costs
|Compare US insurance quotes from the nation's top providers.
|Finance options
|Compare US motorcycle loan quotes from the nation's top providers.
|Parts finder
|Chaparral provides online schematics & OEM parts for the US. Revzilla offers up to 50% off motorcycle accessories. Ships to most countries. Also check out our overview of motorcycle webshops at Bikez.info.
|Dirt-bike parts
|Dirt-bike parts and gear available from Mega Motor Madness. Ships to most countries.
|Ask questions
|Join the 07 TM Racing EN 530 F e.s. discussion group or the general TM Racing discussion group.
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|List related bikes for comparison of specs.
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text:
Welcome to Orlando.
This is a link to our Page on Obsidianportal.com
We moved to the orlando area recently (My best friend and I) and are looking for people to play D&D with in this area.
Message us on here me or Sethwy or email me at firstname.lastname@example.com or himm at email@example.com. We really want to get a regular group going to play weekly if possible. We do have a DM, but we are always looking for other DMs and Players.
Welcome to Orlando.


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Nod's Ring May Be Smart but Not Precious
Apr 29, 2014 6:58 PM PT
Nod Labs on Tuesday jumped into the wearable tech market with a ring device that's designed to serve as a universal controller.
Featuring Broadcom Bluetooth Smart and Nexus-Trellis software, Nod's namesake wearable input device is designed to offer touchless interaction with set-top boxes and other connected home devices without the need for remotes or cameras. The device detects spatial motion with more than 0.1mm accuracy and can personalize content based on a user's proximity and identity, the company said.
Phones, tablets, Google Glass, watches, home appliances, TVs and computers are among the devices with which Nod can interact, as are Bluetooth/WiFi enabled bulbs, Nest thermostats and more.
"Nod's technology aims to eliminate the archaic ways we interact with our home technology," said Anush Elangovan, CEO of Nod Labs. "By integrating with Broadcom's Bluetooth SoC and Trellis application framework, we are able to offer an intuitive new way for consumers to control their favorite TV and video content via a set-top box, as well as other connected home devices including smoke alarms, light bulbs and more."
No Microphone on Board
Featuring a battery life that currently spans one day of active use, the US$149 Nod device now available for preorder is waterproof to 5 atmospheres, or about 169 feet. Shipping is expected to take place this fall.
The device, which allows wearers to wiggle their finger rather than operate a traditional remote control, is currently available in matte black only within the United States. No microphone is included, but an app discovery portal offers a gestural glide keyboard and a remote camera shutter for selfies. A developer API also is available.
When multiple people wear Nod devices and make gestures toward a smart TV at the same time, their names will appear on-screen as an indication of who's currently controlling the search, selection or channel change. Business users giving presentations, meanwhile, can swipe among slides, search for new shows, play with photos or even type notes without having to touch the devices they're operating, Nod said.
'Is It Really Necessary?'
"This is rather interesting," Jim McGregor, founder and principal analyst with Tirias Research, told TechNewsWorld. "It is taking a technology typically associated with one type of sensor -- image sensors -- and enabling it with other types of sensors, such as gyros and accelerometers."
The concept is particularly interesting because it could enable gesture control on devices that do not have image sensors, McGregor pointed out.
On the other hand, "is it really necessary?" he mused. "Despite the potential for gesture recognition on many computing platforms ranging from smartphones to PCs to TVs, it's really only the larger screens and applications that typically have a greater distance between the device and the consumer that appear to have appeal to the market."
'This Will Not Replace Existing UIs'
Moreover, "despite the ability to remotely turn on and off lights for 30 years, the predominant interface is still the manual light switch," McGregor added. "In addition, the solution is rather bulky and personally intrusive."
Bottom line: "Like most new user interfaces, this will not replace existing UIs -- it will just add another potential UI for consumers to use, and like most new products, the first is usually not an optimal form factor," he concluded.
In fact, "I think integrating this into a more practical form factor -- like some of the wearables available today -- such as smartwatches, fitness bands or security jewelry such as Cuff IO -- will make more sense," McGregor said. "Note that these devices are already sensor-centric devices and may have the potential for this functionality already."
'That's Going to Be a Difficult Task'
Nod is not the only ring-based control device the market has seen so far, Ross Rubin, a principal analyst with Reticle Research, told TechNewsWorld.
One of its biggest challenges, however, will be support, Rubin added.
"It can emulate a pointing device like a mouse," he explained, "but the most benefit would come from having interfaces optimized for it, and that's going to be a difficult task given the newness of the device," he said.
Meanwhile, "one thing about this class of device in general is that there are a number of companies looking toward smartwatches, smart bands, etc., and now here we have startups trying to go with something smaller," Rubin suggested. "Many of the challenges of developing wristwear -- battery life, etc. -- will become even more pronounced."


text: Just in case you want to make movie viewing better! Complete device protection back to front with durable polyurethane and polycarbonate materials Top cover maintains all-screen smooth touch input Smart design uses easy-pull stand for better movie watching on desks and tables Elegant, light, and comfortable to hold in one hand Custom openings for ports and buttons and enhanced dust resistance Shop Modal header Expand your MeMo mobility and multimedia with a simple but clever design that stands the device on any flat surface for better viewing. Made of damage-stopping materials, the case protects your MeMo against drops, bumps, even dust. It offers a stylish look and can be easily held in one hand. You can quickly change positioning and flip it to suit your needs, plus it keeps the touchscreen clear so usage stays totally intuitive.


text:
Wonder Woman
T2: Trainspotting
Exodus: Gods and Kings
Jack the Giant Slayer
Perfect Sense
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger
Hallam Foe
Fool's Gold
Death at a Funeral
Match Point
Movies.com, the ultimate source for everything movies, is your destination for new movie trailers, reviews, photos, times, tickets + more! Stay in the know with the latest movie news and cast interviews at Movies.com.
Copyright © 2020 FANDANGO MOVIES.


text:
Free Entry
Maori Wrasse Bommie off Lady Elliot Island is named after the family of Maori wrasse that call the area home. The site is located 14 to 18 metres beneath the surface and is ideal for intermediate divers looking to explore – reef sharks can often be spotted patrolling the reef wall and arches near the bommie, and just north of the wall is Spiders Ledge, named for the number of shells that decorate the outcrop. If you're a keen-eyed diver, you may be lucky enough to spot the shy barramundi cod and the brightly coloured clown triggerfish darting among the coral.


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The City of Barcelona is using Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V to consolidate its existing virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), based on VMware and Citrix Server, and give employees a better user experience.
According to Edwin Yuen, director for virtualisation and cloud strategy at Microsoft, the City of Barcelona first decided to adopt Windows Server in order to accelerate its upgrade to Windows 7. In the end, however, the organisation decided to skip Windows 7 and go straight to Windows 8.
Using Windows Server 2012, the City of Barcelona claims it will be able to save six months of deployment time as it initially upgrades 2,500 users to Windows 8, equating to roughly €100,000 (£80,325) in savings.
The organisation is beginning with a VDI pilot involving 200 users, and expects to expand this to 1,000 users in the next few months. Migrating the final 7,000 users to VDI and upgrading them to Windows 8 is expected to be completed over four years.
All the Windows Server 2012 productivity services (including Microsoft Lync, Sharepoint and Exchange) will be implemented using Hyper-V, and Windows Server 2012 will also enable employees to use graphic-intensive applications that were previously difficult to access.
"Even on local desktops, without the horsepower and the large graphics card, operations (involving) manipulation (of) graphics could take a long time," said Yuen. "With the new RemoteFX and RDP technologies that are available within Windows Server 2012, they can actually get better application performance when using a VDI system."
Yuen said that Windows Server 2012 also provides the City of Barcelona with a more secure environment within VDI than it had previously.
"They have the ability to segment out the data access and server shares, and they can also give contract programmers access to servers behind the firewall. So there are some flexibility options in terms of maintaining their environment and providing access to it," he said.
The organisation is also looking into using some BitLocker enhancements on Windows Server 2012, to improve data protection, he said.
"Traditionally we've had Bitlocker on a client, but now we're looking at Bitlocker on the servers, because there's still issues with data theft and data loss, so protecting a lot of sensitive data that is being stored in the data centre is also something they can do within Windows Server 2012."
Eduard Martin, chief of technology innovation in the City of Barcelona's IT department said that the migration will enable more employees to work from home and give them more flexibility.
"We are profiting because we can build more virtual desktops on the same hardware," he said. "We calculate that we can save 15-20% on the cost of our platform."
Commenting on the news, TechMarketView analyst Angela Eager said that the virtualisation focus of Windows Server 2012 has the potential to disrupt VMware's march on the market.
"Its virtualisation capabilities allow workloads to shift between private data centres and those of service providers, creating a more flexible environment," she said.
"Businesses will be able to build and manage their own private clouds and suppliers will have the scope to exploit opportunities such as peak demand fulfilment to open up new areas of business."
Yuen added that Microsoft customers have reacted positively to virtualisation features in Windows Server 2012 because of the scale and the performance that it has demonstrated.
"The City of Barcelona work is one example of why people would use Windows Server 2012, but we're looking at this holistically – this is a new way of using operating systems as Cloud OS," he said.
"Rather than focusing on specific features or subsets of configurations of the hardware, it's about how you deploy the applications that the end users will eventually see."
This story, "City of Barcelona consolidates VDI with Windows Server 2012" was originally published by Techworld.com.


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A New Profession[edit]
The days continue to pass for the next generation of Carwins. As Felix deals with his mid-life crisis, Disco and KF Fighting age up to young adulthood. After discovering their new romantic options all over Felix's bed, Disco decides that she wants a job.
From the newspaper, she uses the "Jobs and Professions..." | "Find a Profession" command. If you don't have Ambitions installed, Day Care is the only one listed. Disco has the full list to choose from, but chooses Day Care anyway, evidently thinking that her time spent raising KF Fighting as a doll qualifies her to raise kids!
The weekend passes without anything happening, but on Monday, two parents drop off two Toddlers at 9am. Unlike other jobs, being in Daycare means your home becomes your workplace, for better or worse. In this case, it's for worse, as Disco is completely unprepared. She quickly buys a couple high chairs, then sets out introducing herself to the kids.
Like all jobs and professions, there are multiple requirements for getting promoted. For the Daycare profession there are three: General Daycare, which basically means making sure the little rascals are fed and cleaned; Friendship with Kids, which means getting a high relationship score with them (but not necessarily the parents); and Handle Emergencies, which means unexpectedly accepting kids during the weekend or evenings.
Daycare is unusual that it only have five levels, rather than the ten of literally every other job, profession, and self-employment option. However, every level adds more kids for you to watch over. By the time you hit Level 5, you'll be watching six kids at once. Disco will either need to move out or do heavy reconstruction to make the house able to accommodate that many!


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The Daily Mail caption for this video is "Passenger films terrifying moment airliner dumps 20 tonnes of fuel over Saudi desert."
Yes, it's certainly terrifying. No airliner in the entire history of aviation has ever had to dump fuel before! It's kind of a miracle that the aircraft designers anticipated this once-in-a-lifetime need, and built fuel dumping equipment into the airframe. What visionaries! What unbridled heroism!


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I've found this article just recently, and many facts surprised me.
For example:
"•76 percent of samples bought at groceries had all the pollen removed, These were stores like TOP Food, Safeway, Giant Eagle, QFC, Kroger, Metro Market, Harris Teeter, A&P, Stop & Shop and King Soopers.
•100 percent of the honey sampled from drugstores like Walgreens, Rite-Aid and CVS Pharmacy had no pollen.
•77 percent of the honey sampled from big box stores like Costco, Sam's Club, Walmart, Target and H-E-B had the pollen filtered out.
•100 percent of the honey packaged in the small individual service portions from Smucker, McDonald's and KFC had the pollen removed. "
From: http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/1.../#.UQ1sbh3m1n5
Boris Romanov


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Brian Leatart
The filling: rich chunks of leftover brasato and vegetables . The topping: mashed parsnips and potatoes.
- Yield
- Makes 4 to 6 servings
- Filling
- 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
- 1 cup sliced shallots (about 4 large)
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons Madeira
- 1 1/3 cups degreased braising liquid from Red Wine Brasato with Glazed Root Vegetables
- 4 cups 3/4-inch cubes beef reserved from Red Wine Brasato with Glazed Root Vegetables
- 1 1/2 cups glazed vegetables reserved from Red Wine Brasato with Glazed Root Vegetables
- Topping
- 1 pound parsnips, peeled, quartered lengthwise, woody core cut away
- 3/4 pound russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature
- 2/3 cup coarsely shredded Gruyère cheese (about 3 ounces), divided
- For filling:
- Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots; sauté until beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Add flour; stir 1 minute. Add Madeira, then braising liquid. Whisk until mixture thickens and boils, about 3 minutes. Stir in beef and vegetables. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Cover; chill. Rewarm over medium heat.
- For topping:
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Boil parsnips and potatoes in medium saucepan of salted water until tender, 12 minutes. Drain. Return to saucepan. Cook over medium heat until dry, about 1 minute. Add butter and cream; mash until smooth. Stir in 1/3 cup cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
- Transfer filling to 8x8x2-inch baking dish. Spread topping over filling. Sprinkle remaining cheese over. Bake until bubbling and top begins to brown, about 30 minutes.
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Nutritional Info
- Calories438
- Carbohydrates38 g(13%)
- Fat19 g(29%)
- Protein29 g(58%)
- Saturated Fat11 g(53%)
- Sodium214 mg(9%)
- Polyunsaturated Fat1 g
- Fiber7 g(28%)
- Monounsaturated Fat6 g
- Cholesterol103 mg(34%)


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New Orleans – University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers have found longer-term benefit with using a stent to keep blood vessels open for patients on kidney dialysis, a lifesaving treatment to remove toxins from the blood when the kidneys are unable to do so. Results of the 12-month, national study are being presented at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 38th Annual Scientific Meeting in New Orleans.
Ziv J. Haskal, MD
"This research has shown dramatic improvement by the use of this stent device to keep open the dialysis access portal —patients had far fewer invasive procedures and less interruption of dialysis, which can mean better health and quality of life," explains lead author Ziv J. Haskal, MD, professor of diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine, and surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
According to the researchers, nearly 400,000 Americans undergo hemodialysis annually. These kidney dialysis patients often need repeated procedures, such as balloon angioplasty, to open the standard access portals, also known as grafts, which can become blocked or narrowed at the point where dialysis machines connect to the body. Over 100,000 estimated balloon angioplasties are performed each year to keep these grafts open – procedures that can be both painful and costly.
"The results of the multicenter randomized trial study exceeded our expectations and showed that these stents can keep open dialysis sites for longer than previously believed. Until this research, these grafts had been considered short-term tools for dialysis," adds Dr. Haskal, a vascular and interventional radiologist at the University of Maryland Medical Center.
The study looked at 270 dialysis patients treated for collapsed access sites at 28 centers in the United States. These kidney failure patients had synthetic grafts embedded in their arms that work like artificial blood vessels, allowing needles to be inserted repeatedly to filter the blood. The turbulence of the blood during this filtering often causes the blockages and scar tissue, which impedes treatment.
During the trial, 138 patients received stent grafts, which are small metal scaffolds inserted into the patient's arm, compared to 132 patients who had balloon angioplasty, a procedure using a balloon to push open the sides of the collapsed blood vessels.
In a follow-up one year later, researchers found that more than twice as many patients in the stent group were able to use their dialysis access grafts compared to patients treated with only balloon angioplasty.
"Access graft failure and the need for repeated procedures to open these vessels represent a significant cost to our health care system as well as a significant physical and emotional toll on patients. This study by University of Maryland School of Medicine faculty shows our commitment to finding real solutions that will benefit patients and their families" says E. Albert Reece, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., vice president for medical affairs at the University of Maryland and the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor and dean of the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
This new study builds on Dr. Haskal's previous research, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2010, that showed shorter term benefits of the stent to keep blood vessels open. That research found good results for the stent group compared to angioplasty after six months. This latest research shows that benefit extends even longer.
"This controlled study proves that we can achieve durable long-term solutions for these patients, reducing the need for invasive procedures and improving their quality of life," adds Dr. Haskal, who is editor in chief of the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology.
This study was funded by Bard Peripheral Vascular, Inc., manufacturer of the Flair Endovascular stent graft.
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About the University of Maryland School of Medicine
Established in 1807, the University of Maryland School of Medicine is the first public medical school in the United States, and the first to institute a residency training program. The School of Medicine was the founding school of the University of Maryland and today is an integral part of the 11-campus University System of Maryland. On the University of Maryland's Baltimore campus, the School of Medicine serves as the anchor for a large academic health center which aims to provide the best medical education, conduct