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Personal story: I got back home after a week away and my TV stopped working. It just wouldn't turn on no matter how many times I hit the power button.
I inherited it — a 50-inch Samsung plasma TV — from my parents a year ago. They ditched it because it had two black lines across the lower third of the screen.
I've inherited all of the TVs in life. My parents would buy a TV, then when it was time for a new one, I'd get the old junk. TV hasn't been a huge part of my life, so I didn't care if the TVs were older.
The only TV I didn't inherit, I found on the street. It's a gigantic 42-inch HD TV. It's a tube-TV with a big, old butt. It still works, but it's so gigantic I want to get rid of it, yet no one will take it.
Anyway, now I'm an adult. (I suppose.)
So, I figured I should buy a new TV to replace that old, dead Samsung.
As a result, I had to start doing some serious research into the best TV on the market. Since this would be the first TV I've ever purchased, it was the first time I've really read TV reviews closely.
Reading over all the reviews for TVs, one thing struck me: It's weird Apple hasn't made a TV already.
Apple is rumored to be exploring the TV space. It has Apple TV which is a little hockey puck that streams some video. It's mostly a hobby, according to Apple, because it's not a huge business relative to Macs, iPhones, and iPads.
Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster says Apple will release a full-blown television this year. But, he also said it would release a full-blown television last year. And, through the first quarter of this year, all hype about potential Apple products centers on the iWatch.
So, who knows if an Apple TV is really coming.
But, it wouldn't surprise me if it was.
If you've read reviews of HD TVs, you're struck by what's important. The number one thing that matters is, duh, picture quality. The reviewers talk about which screen has the deepest blacks and the best viewing angles.
Whenever Apple releases a new iPhone, iPad, or Mac, it tends to spend time extolling the virtues of its display technology. It brags about the "Retina" display which is so sharp.
Apple's executives must want to do the same thing for televisions, and release an ultra sharp TV that blows away Panasonic, the current king of HD TVs, in terms of picture quality.
Also, TVs are so filled with things no one wants or needs, it would be refreshing for Apple to enter the market.
It's impossible to buy a new high-end TV without 3D despite the fact that 3D will never be used, and even when it is used it doesn't look that great anyway. You can bet Apple wouldn't waste its time with 3D.
Then there are apps. Currently, the choice of apps for high-end TVs is paltry and not really worth it. You're better off with a Roku or an Apple TV.
An Apple app store for TV would attract a much better, more exciting class of developers and applications.
There are, of course, plenty of good reasons Apple hasn't made a television.
Apple loves to talk about its focus. Tim Cook often brags that you can put all of Apple's products on a single table. Developing a TV would be a side project.
It's also not a very lucrative business, at least not compared to iPhones. People buy a new TV every eight years or so. They buy iPhones every two to three years.
And then, there's the question of what can Apple do to make its TV a significantly better experience than what's out there today. How can Apple simplify the TV experience when there is an intermediary like a cable company?
All of these are legitimate concerns. Yet, after spending a week obsessively investigating which TV is the best value, I can't help but think Apple should already have one on the market, even just as an experiment.
Apple just needs a great picture and a decent App Store to make one of the best TVs in the world. I'm making it sound simple, but the company has the design and engineering chops to do it, if it really wants to.
As for me, I'm probably going to try to get my TV fixed. If that doesn't work, then I'll get the only Panasonic without 3D. (It costs less.)
I probably won't need a new TV for another eight years if that happens and Apple will have missed another sales opportunity.


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A mistake is often made when people quote the Constitution of the United States of America. That historic document declares that all Americans have certain UNALIENABLE rights among which are listed life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Unfortunately, the word often used when people quote the Constitution is the word INALIENABLE, which is incorrect but seldom realized as so.
The word "unalienable" refers to rights that are inherent in man and are not rights that can be surrendered, bought, or transferred. Unalienable rights are a gift from the Creator to each individual and as such, cannot be taken away for any reason.
This point was clearly stated in a court ruling in 1892 entitled Budd vs People of the State of New York. That ruling said, " Men are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, 'life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness;' and it is to 'secure,' not grant or create these rights, for which governments are instituted."
The list in the Constitution can be expanded since it says "among which are" and then lists life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We could add such things as self-government, self defense, nature's necessities of air, food, water, clothing and shelter as well as worship. Such rights are absolutely incapable of being transferred lawfully, unlawfully, privately or by implication or operation of law.
That which is your unalienable right is a part of you in an absolute sense and could no more be removed from you than could your blood be removed and you live without it.
INALIENABLE rights, on the other hand, can be surrendered, sold, or transferred with the consent of the individual because they are NOT inherent [unalienable] and the government CAN alienate these from an individual, if a person consents, either actually or constructively, since the government may be the source of these individual rights.
Most State Constitutions refer to only inalienable rights it is true. But it is our UNALIENABLE RIGHTS to which our Constitution addresses itself and recognizes them as given to us by our Creator. It could be the loss of recognition of our Creator is what is leading to the mistaken general use of these two words in our modern day language.
People do have both but they are not the same at all. So, clearly, the words are not to be used as synonyms though often are among otherwise intelligent people.
Paul B.

subset: commoncrawl


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Minions: An IMAX 3D Experience will be released in select international IMAX 3D theatres only.
The IMAX release of Minions will be digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of An IMAX 3D Experience® with proprietary IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The crystal-clear images, coupled with IMAX's customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio, create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.


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I started a petition on Change.org for stricter laws on criminalizing emotional and psychological abuse in the US. Please click here to read the petition and sign to make a difference.
Month: November 2016
Another lost battle with emotional abuse. I am tired of losing to this. Lets change it!!
It has been a while since I have posted. My life has been an upside down mess recently. I have been extremely unhappy. I foolishly ended up in yet another psychologically abusive relationship. I am having trouble ending this one, this one has created a bigger problem on my feelings of self worth as a human being. I have lost a lot of myself, I do not know me anymore. I can not write the things I used to. I feel extremely depressed, worthless, useless, sometimes I almost just want to end it all. My OCD is coming back like a train running over me over and over. My anxiety is at record levels. I feel like I am losing my mind. Maybe I'm going crazy?
How do I keep doing this to myself? Is it me? Why do I get abused and treated subhuman in every relationship I get into? I am lucky that I have never been physically abused in a severe way, but all of the emotionally abusive men have physically abused me atleast once. Why do I care about this man who has been awful to me? Why don't I hate him? Why can't I hate him? I want him to go away and never return. He belongs in prison for his behavior. Why is this type of abuse able to happen so often and go unpunished?
I came up with a new idea tonight when I was talking to a friend about the abuse I have again endured for the past 5 months. I brought up that I would like to create some type of fundraiser/community/petition for being able to bring justice to victims of this tormenting type of emotional abuse. There are ways of proving this abuse and convicting these monsters so they can suffer for what they have done as they have made their victims suffer. Why do we have to live mentally damaged for months, years, even our whole lives because some entitled person wants to make us feel worthless and treat us like garbage? Do they think they are better than anyone? Where do they get this entitlement? They should at the very least be made to pay for therapy of the victim, lost wages, lost homes, lost opportunities, and many many more things that can be listed here.
I would love some of the readers here to add comments of ideas you have for a community and ways you think would be effective in proving emotional abuse in men and women. Ideas about the fundraiser, petition and any other useful information regarding this will also be greatly appreciated.
The UK passed a law on this recently. America needs to do it as well along with everywhere else in the world. Check out this link to read about it:


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Critical Miss: Stowaways #8
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The official webcomic of Mars.
Good one. What is the Spanish guy from?
Duke Nuken perfectly summarized...
Now the question is will the doctors be able to read what has been writen on the white board, cos if they can, your mind = Blown!
Lol; Nice reference to the beginning of Duke Nukem Forever.
I'm sure nobody could resist drawing one of those both on the whiteboard; and in the child's autograph book xD
the spanish guy is from shadows of the damned
"That's right. We got a guy from NASA to help write our dick jokes. How's that for dedication to the craft?"
This was funnier than anything else in Critical Miss since this arc started. :(
Great One.
So, here we have NASA at work... Writing dick jokes. Great, now if we can just get those people at Harvard to start writing fart jokes, we'll be golden.
Wow! Those dick jokes were...
... from out of this world.
Thank you, thank you, I'm here till Wednesday!
HA HA HA HA! good one. shadows of the damned, duke nukem and bulletstorm do talk about that stuff alot.
I mean in bulletstorm they say the word "dick" almost as many times you get fanservice in highschool of the dead and that's pretty hard to do.
I don't get it....-_-
LMAO this comic is genius. Poor Link though. :(
Link > Duke Nukem > Steve Blum from Bullet Storm > Spanish guy from Shadows of the Damned
GG kiddies. Link's been a man before those guys existed. HOORAH!!!
oh on a side note.
WTF is wrong with Skirts!?!
the spanish guy is from shadows of the damned. the gun that you use in the game is literally called "boner"
Your NASA boy should know that you don't say "bichos son graciosos". It should be "LOS bichos son graciosos".
He dicho.
It's a reference to the Dick Jokes in Duke Nukem and the fact that the enemies he fights are aliens, ergo out of this world.
There. Now it's not funny *Cries* Horatio is sad somewhere now
Wait wait wait, the "official webcomic of mars"? mars? As in, like, I dunno.... LIFE ON MARS?
Boy, I sure hope that's not the clue/unintentionally massive giveaway that I think it is.
Although if that's what's really going on, I want everyone to know that I fucking called it.
Actually I drew a bunny in both! Though I made sure to use all the colors on the chalkboard!
Actually it was because the dick jokes were written by a NASA intern.
That makes it even funnier!!!!!!! VWOOT
:) That was pretty good.
Called it back in episode 2, sorry :)
Add to that to the fact there's the Garcia from Shadows of the Damned, whose weapon is all about making dick jokes in Hell and Grayson hunt from Bulletstorm, which is all about making dick jokes on another planet... Yes, we now have multi-layered dick jokes...
*ahem* http://mirrors.rit.edu/instantCSI/ to help you along your way good sir.
Anyways back on topic...
Is it strange that when I saw the penis, my mind went in a whole nother direction from where the comic was taking it? XD
captcha: Assay Nablitio, I shall say nablitio...
I gotta get Shadows of the Damned. It looks to be everything I wanted Bulletstorm and Duke Nukem to be. Except those both let me down.
+10 internets to you, sir!
Ahh... the Bro Pack...
Also, Real men wear kilts...
The two one-hit-wonders and the has-been are just jealous.
(For the record, I own Bulletstorm, Shadows of the Damned, and DNF, but I'm still a Zelda fanboy at heart. I actually haven't even touched DNF or SotD because I've been too busy playing Ocarina of Time 3D.)
Quai Gon Gin? What the hell?!?!
that's not a skirt.
And I just wanna see where this arc goes..
I instinctively heard Jon St John's voice when I read this comic. Then I wished he had recorded this line and put it where we could hear it. Then I was sad that he didn't.
MISTER NUKEM: If you are reading this, you know what you must do.
P.S. Thanks
Dammit. I know it's a kilt, but it's not pants and is still helping my argument that you don't need to wear pants to be manly!!
See Brave Heart.....ignoring the fact that Mel Gibson's crazier now than his character was in that movie
"We just want you to be happy"
Yeah? Probably would be best to get Duke Nukems ass out of there then...
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Cross Platform Serial
The object that represents the serial port in Qt is of class QSerialPort. There are several ways to construct one, but the easiest way is to simply pass the constructor a
QSerialPortInfo object. That's handy, since the enumeration code sends you a list of those, one for each serial port on the system.
For the simple project I had in mind, I only needed to write to the serial port and it was sufficient to use the serial port in a blocking manner. However, in a GUI program, blocking for any length of time is a bad idea. It is especially bad to block on receive and have to wait for the serial device to send something before you can continue processing events.
One way around that, of course, is to do your serial I/O in a thread. However, the object does provide slots to notify you when data is available if you want to do asynchronous I/O without a separate thread.
Just to try things out, I decided to recycle the ARM project I talked about a few weeks ago. The code on the microcontroller reads an ASCII-formatted number from 0 to 100 and adjusts an RC servo to indicate the percentage. In other words, sending a 50 causes the servo to travel to its midpoint.
I extended the serial port enumeration program from last time to have a connect button. When you press it, the program connects to the selected port and changes the button to read disconnect. I added a tab named Control that contains a slider allowing you to adjust the servo position. The figures show both tabs of the application and you can download the entire project if you want to try it yourself.
Here's the code that opens the serial port:
// get selected port int sel=ui->comport->currentData().toInt(); ioport = new QSerialPort(ports[sel],this); // open for write if (ioport->open(QSerialPort::WriteOnly)) { // set parameters ioport->setBaudRate(QSerialPort::Baud57600); ioport->setFlowControl(QSerialPort::NoFlowControl); // update UI ui->connectBtn->setText(tr("Disconnect")); ui->comport->setEnabled(false); ui->horizontalSlider->setEnabled(true); // create stream iostream = new QTextStream(ioport); // fake move the slider to where it is now on_horizontalSlider_valueChanged( ui->horizontalSlider->value()); ui->tabWidget->setCurrentIndex(1); // switch tabs }
I was a bit surprised that you have to set the serial parameters after you open the port. If you get it backwards, you'll get some runtime error messages. The serial port does have read and write methods, or you can attach it to a stream like I did here.
I wanted the servo to get set to the current position of the slider, so the last part of the code simulates the slider changing value. The Qt framework will call this same function when the slider actually moves. Here's the code that handles that signal:
void MainWindow::on_horizontalSlider_valueChanged(int value) { if (iostream) *iostream<<value << "\r" << flush; }
The flush is necessary since
QTextStream buffers data. For such a simple example, directly calling write might have been just as well.
I didn't test it, but presumably this same code will work on any supported Qt platform (as long as you are using Qt 5.1 or later). It is nice, too, that the object supplies access to things you might care about as an embedded developer. For example, setting the flow control or directly reading and setting hardware flow control pins.
Despite best efforts, the serial port won't die anytime soon. The Qt library is a great cross-platform way to write code on a host computer that can communicate with your embedded systems over that ubiquitous port.


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Facials help rehabilitate clients' skin by improving wrinkles, fine lines, and uneven complexion
Customer Reviews
What You'll Get
Choose Between Two Options
- $70.64 for one vitamin C or peptide facial ($145 value)
- $207 for three vitamin C or peptide facials ($435 value)
Elastin: Putting a Spring in Your Smile
Some of the effects that anti-aging facials seek to correct are caused by the breakdown of elastin. Learn just what it does for your skin with Groupon's close-up look.
Without elastin, our lungs would have a hard time expanding and our skin would crinkle like a paper bag the first time a doting aunt pinched our cheek. Elastin is a type of protein packed into all our stretchy tissues in coiled chains—each fiber unfurling to accommodate the movement of connective tissues, then quickly snapping back into place.
A weaker protein might easily break down under the stress of all this movement, so it's no surprise that elastin is tough stuff. But because it's so durable, our bodies stop producing elastin around age 12 or 13. At that point, elastin becomes vulnerable to degradation through sun exposure, poor diet, and other environmental factors, since it can't be readily replenished.
There is no shortage of products on the market designed to reverse elastin damage; some even contain elastin itself. However, elastin molecules are large, and therefore unlikely to penetrate the skin and directly make tissues springier. But such products still may produce a plumper, smoother look by helping the surface of the skin retain moisture. You might also try a little internal medicine: in the San Francisco Chronicle, nutrition educator Paula Martina noted that eating foods rich in copper, such as dried figs or raisins, could help protect elastin reserves.
The Fine Print
Promotional value expires 90 days after purchase. Amount paid never expires. Appointment required. Merchant's standard cancellation policy applies (any fees not to exceed voucher price). Limit 1 per person, may buy 1 additional as gift. Limit 1 per visit. Valid only for option purchased. All goods or services must be used by the same person. May be repurchased every 30 days. Merchant is solely responsible to purchasers for the care and quality of the advertised goods and services.


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At this year's Festival de l'Automobile International (FAI), the contenders for the "Creativ' Experience" award showed impressive new ways to bring harmony, style and passion to the interfaces of the connected, intelligent vehicle.
In the 29th edition of the renowned FAI many of today´s automotive design leaders had their latest innovations on the catwalk – in front of the magnificent scenery of the Hôtel National des Invalides in the heart of Paris.
As every year, prestigious awards were waiting to honour outstanding design achievements in categories like the most beautiful car, the most beautiful interior or for achievements for the environment.
Dassault Systèmes, a many-year partner of this venue, last year introduced a second "Grand Prix" award for companies doing significant research optimizing the user experience of driving an intelligent car, including the user experience of connecting with its surrounding world. Industry professionals call this approach "creative experience".
It should be no surprise that most contenders presented solutions around the Human-Machine-Interface. While it looks simple to get information to the car and back to the external world, we find that many user concepts today overstrain drivers who – in contrast to a smartphone user – must not be distracted from driving at any time. In that respect, all present OEMs showed impressive achievements that make functional complexity more simple and safe to use. At the same time, the user interfaces become more intuitive, aesthetic and compelling to explore. Here are some examples we saw at the FAI:
BMW has designed an amazing digital navigation environment integrating the smartphone and cockpit interfaces that invite drivers to discover the many new benefits from electric mobility, and at the same time master the range limitation with multi-modal mobility solutions – that's cool!
NISSAN brings "lifeblood into the driving experience": NISMO, a beautifully designed arm-watch integrates body data like blood pressure with vehicle information to generate entirely new statistics about driving behaviour.
Amongst such a fabulous competition, it was not an easy win for AUDI, who took the award of the "Creativ' Experience", yet a well deserved one for sure: Their "eKurzinfo", which is a dynamic electronic user manual for the new A3 model, creates an unprecedented user experience: Augmented Reality is helping to discover vehicle functions with handheld devices. Users are provided with an instant and intuitive way to get to know their A3, simply using a marvelously designed app for mobile devices. The jury was impressed how AUDI realised such a smart and seamless digital continuity to ignite emotion and comfort in discovering vehicle functions. Audi A3 users for sure will appreciate this experience too.
Seeking perfection
These are all brilliant achievements in a moment of time. But how can designers keep up with the ever-increasing complexity and speed of innovation? How can they match with continuously changing tastes and styles, with societal and technological influences all over the globe?
Virtualisation is a key enabler to cope with these challenges. Creating innovation by means of an immersive digital model allows designers to imagine a holistic user experience. Dynamic, three-dimensional views very close to reality help them conceive the physical and emotional outcome of their designs. Moreover, they can even invite the future users to validate the experience at very early stages, and they can incorporate the feedback from these "virtual clinic" multitudes faster than in a physical design environment.
Dassault Systèmes has recently launched "My Car Experience", a digital platform for designers on which they can imagine vehicles and "virtual universes" for creating mobility innovation. Along with the 3D-environment, process and data management, this collaborative platform provides capability for "social listening and collaboration".
Seeking perfection by means of virtual universes will certainly be a key enabler for creating the future of mobility, but in my view nothing can replace some key events in the real world – like the FAI is one – when designers, their creations and the judging client meet for a unique and unrepeatable moment in life.
- What do you think about designing the future of mobility?
- How do you think virtual universes can help on this endeavour?
I am looking forward to your comments! 🙂
Neno Horvat is a member of the Transportation&Mobility Industry team.


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One very special and hard-working school custodian was chosen recently by the Vermont Agency of Education (VT-AOE) and the Vermont School Custodians & Maintenance Association (VSCMA) as Vermont's 2013 School Custodian of the Year. Lloyd Cuenin, a custodian at Warren Elementary School, was honored at the school's spring celebration.
"I have worked a lot of jobs over the years and this is the first I've had where I want to hop out of bed and come to work," said Cuenin. "It's more than a job. We are a family here in Warren, the joy of being around kids – watching them grow and learn – it's hard to put into words."
Earlier this year, school officials and administrators were invited to nominate professional school custodians for consideration for the fifth annual Vermont School Custodian of the Year award. In order to qualify, individuals had to exemplify the positive qualities of a hard-working, dedicated member of their school team and must have worked a minimum of five years (full-time service) in a Vermont school.
"It is the hard-working employees that maintain our schools, ensure safe and secure learning environments, prepare healthy food, drive buses and do 100 other jobs that ultimately play a major role in supporting the educational efforts of Vermont's schools," said Secretary of Education Armando Vilaseca. "They work tirelessly behind the scenes, but their hard work and dedication does not go unnoticed."
Nominations were received from principals, superintendents, students, coworkers, parents and others from across the state. Each nomination attests to the strong commitment and dedication of these outstanding individuals who go above and beyond every day.
Judging was completed anonymously by members of the VSCMA and employees of the VT-AOE. Each nomination was reviewed and rated based on the nominee's strengths, accomplishments and contributions to his or her school team. It was clear from the nomination letters that Cuenin takes pride in his work and is dedicated to the school's mission.
Warren Elementary School administrators, teachers, students and parents enthusiastically participated in the nomination. As faculty and administrators were quick to recognize, an outstanding custodian does much more than clean their building. Nominations echoed stories about Cuenin's friendly manner and his desire to provide a safe, clean and positive environment for students and the community.
"He makes amazing connections with children, helps them to feel good about who they are and he encourages them to see they have much to offer as a valued member of their school community," said principal Wendy Cobb.
Cuenin, 2013 Vermont School Custodian of the Year, will be recognized at the 56th annual School Custodians and Maintenance Conference on June 20, 2013, at Hartford High School in White River Junction.


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Contributing to the foundations of nanoelectronics and other nanotechnologies by fundamental research in surface science – this is our mission.
Surface science is devoted to the physical and chemical properties of surfaces of solid or liquid materials. Of course, surface properties are closely connected to the properties of the respective material, which may be a certain metal, semiconductor or insulator. But virtually all properties of bulk materials are modified in the surface region where the bulk material is truncated. Even some entirely new phenomena arise at surfaces that cannot exist in bulk materials. The same is true of interfaces between two different materials: The properties of the interface are different from those of either of the bulk materials that meet at the interface.
With the rise of nanotechnology (e.g. nanoelectronics, nanomaterials), surfaces and interfaces are becoming increasingly important, because of the following fundamental principle: The smaller an object, the larger the proportion of its atoms that are located at the surface (or interfaces) in relation to its atoms in the bulk. Accordingly, the impact of surface (or interface) phenomena on the overall properties of nanoscale objects increases with their decreasing size and may even become dominant for very small objects. A well-known example are colloidal gold particles, which -- depending on their sizes -- have different colours, because the so-called plasmon excitations that determine the particles' colour are affected by the presence of surfaces: The more surface there is, the stronger is this influence.
It is our conviction that a thorough understanding and mastering of surface properties and surface processes are absolutely essential for nanotechnology. Surface science has many methods, concepts and insights on offer that may teach us how to deal with the challenges of nanoscience and nanotechnology.
A good illustration for the role of surface science in nanoelectronics research is provided by the field of molecular electronics. The idea of embedding the functions of an electronic device in the chemical structure of a single molecule is one of the most radical visions for the future of electronics. Formidable problems must be solved to develop this idea into a viable technology, many of them related to surface science. Examples are:
- What are the properties of the contacts between a molecular device and the current leads that are used for input and output? In essence, this is a surface science problem: How do molecules and metals interact at their contact points? Insight into this question can be gained by systematic experiments on molecules that are adsorbed on single-crystalline metal surfaces.
- Can we engineer molecular switches that perform well even if they are adsorbed on a surface and connected to leads? In solution or gas phase, many molecules undergo reversible changes if excited by an external stimulus (e.g. light). Such molecules are good candidates for switches in electric circuits. However, in many cases the switching functionality is lost if the molecule is adsorbed on a surface. Here systematic surface science experiments can help to understand how the switching functionality can be preserved.
- How can molecules be assembled into hierarchical structures in two or three dimensions? It is clear that a purpose-designed structural organisation is an important prerequisite for achieving desired functionalities. Surface science offers many tools to investigate the self-assembly of molecules into hierarchical structures.
Moreover, some of the challenges to experimental methodology that are inherent in molecular electronics can be addressed by techniques which are well-established in surface science: For example, it has been demonstrated recently that scanning tunnelling microscopes allow very controlled measurements of charge transport through individual molecules. In this way the electrical properties of molecules can be studied with high precision. This has led to the development of multi-tip scanning tunnelling microscopes which are even more versatile tools in the context of nanoscale charge transport research.


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Step inside Jeff Koons Studio, as he prepares his new collaboration with the Maison Louis Vuitton, a collaboration that remixes the iconic artworks of the old masters and presents them in a way that encourages new interpretations.
Meet Jeff Koons, one of the most fascinating figures in contemporary art, renowned for his work around the great myths of art history and popular culture. In his studio, he explains the vision behind this new project:
"Both Art and Fashion excite. They are about being alive, what our potential is, and defining this moments – and at the same time they embrace the past and the future."
Jeff Koons, Studio Visit, 2017
Stay tuned to discover the collection


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Hokitika Airport is the gateway to the West Coast, operating scheduled daily services to Christchurch, as well as scenic flights.
Air New Zealand operates several flights a day between Hokitika and Christchurch. Wilderness Wings offers scenic charter flights from Hokitika, to view the Southern Alps and Milford Sound.
Rental cars and taxis are available from the airport.
For more information, visit the Hokitika Airport website.


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Your shopping bag is currently empty.
WKU License Plate
Red WKU license plate with mirroring background and silver lettering.
Price: $24.99
- Clothing may be returned with receipt and tags attached within thirty (30) business days for a full refund.
- Computers may be returned unopened and with receipt within seven (7) business days for a full refund.
- For complete details, read our Shipping and Return policies.
- Please call customer service for returns.


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Cosmic Dancer Long Sleeve Shirt
$ 88
A staple in every well-dressed guy's wardrobe, this shirt is an essential you'll love. Our long staple cotton provides lasting comfort and breathability, while our 7Diamonds design adds dimension to any outfit.
- Iron, Medium
Regular ironing, steam or dy, may be performed at medium setting (150º C or 300º F)
- Do Not Bleach
No bleach product may be used. The garment is not colorfast or structurally able to withstand any bleach
- Tumble Dry, Normal, Low
A machine dryer may be regularly used at a maximum of Low Heat setting.


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BROAD CREEK � The family of Drew Hughes received jersey No. 56 Wednesday at Broad Creek Middle School.
BROAD CREEK � The family of Drew Hughes received jersey No. 56 Wednesday at Broad Creek Middle School.
Do It for Drew Day at the school ended with a tribute to the former Broad Creek student at halftime of the Bulldogs� home football game against Newport Middle School.
Drew loved to be on the football field, where friends and family gathered to celebrate his life and show support of his family.
The Emerald Isle teen died in June at the age of 13 after he fell while skateboarding in his neighborhood and sustained a head injury.
The outpouring of support has helped the Hughes family cope with the loss.
�It has helped feeling the love and support of the community,� said Kimberly Hughes, Drew�s mother, as she hugged the students who surrounded her after the halftime celebration.
The No. 56 jersey Drew wore while he played for the Broad Creek football team was retired. A shadow box with the blue jersey was presented to the school and the white jersey and framed photographs of Drew from his middle school days was presented to the family.
Drew�s parents, David and Kimberly Hughes, were in attendance with his brothers, Brewer and Zack, and grandfather, Billy Davis.
David Hughes said the outpouring of support and hearing about the lives Drew touched in his short life has been of comfort.
�He made people happy,� David Hughes said.
Drew�s kindness and generosity are what his friends remembered.
�If this had happened to someone else, Drew would be right here so I�m glad they did this for him,� said friend Zac Greer, who attended Broad Creek with Drew and is now a freshman at Croatan High School, where Drew would have attended.
Several Broad Creek students at the football game still donned the safety helmets they wore during the school day.
Drew was not wearing a helmet when he fell and Do It for Drew Day has become a vehicle for safety.
�It�s important we wear a helmet anytime we�re riding a bike or skateboarding,� said sixth grader Haley Ipock.
She and other students who wore helmets to school Wednesday donated $1 to the school�s fundraising effort to buy helmets for youth who cannot afford their own.
Helping others is what Drew loved to do, his friends said.
�He was really funny and liked everybody,� said Bulldogs cheerleader Nova Rivera.
Contact Daily News reporter Jannette Pippin at 910-382-2557 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Visit JDNews.com to comment.


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Latest News
Congratulations to our winners! (2012-08-08)
Congratulations to our winners!
Congratulations to our winners of the Olympic Shooting Voting Contest. You were asked to vote for which country you thought would win the men's and women's 50m Rifle, 50m Pistol, and Women's Trap Final.
1. The Men's 50m Pistol final - Korea
2. The Men's 50m Rifle 3 Positions Finals - Italy
3. The Women's 50m Rifle 3 Positions finals - USA
4. The Women's Trap Finals - Italy
This was a tough one since these are not your usual winners! Only 3 lucky RedWolf members voted correctly. Here's what you win!
- Jeremy Anderson (USA) : Inokatsu 1911
- Mika Munanen (Finland) : Echo1 M240B
- Fabrizio Cavani (Italy) : G&P M249 Marine
We will be contacting you by email to notify you of your win! Good job!
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- Coupon code discount does not apply with this Sale of Olympic Proportion at the same time
- This Sale of Olympic Proportion does not apply to items with free shipping, on Clearance or on Pre-order


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ECRT is a web-based system utilized at UMass Amherst to facilitate the institution's effort reporting and certification process. The ECRT system is designed to help you comply with the provisions of this institution's effort reporting policies, federal policy OMB Circular A-21 section J.10., NIH Salary Limitation on Grants, and other relevant agency policies that govern the need to provide certification of an individual's effort pursuant to his/her sponsored and non-sponsored programs. As part of the process, individuals are required to certify their own effort and the effort of their researchers. Principal Investigators are required to be familiar with the federal policies regarding Effort Reporting as stated in the window below. The document can be printed or saved for your records.
ECRT (Effort Reporting)
Related Resources
Cost Policies
|UMass Amherst Cost Sharing Policy
|UMass Amherst Cost Transfer Policy
ECRT System Job Aids
|UMass Effort Guidelines
|PI ecrt Training Guide
|ECRT Status Icons
|Effort Coordinator Training FY2019
Charging Salary
How is my effort preparing my next grant proposal funded?
During the effort reporting period in which you prepare the proposal, the percentage of your effort spent on proposal preparation must be funded by University sources other than sponsored projects. However, if you are writing a progress report or a request for non-competing funding, those activities may be appropriately charged to the sponsored project.
What if there is a 100% researcher and s/he is going to apply for a new grant? How is that person to be paid for the time that will be devoted to preparing the proposal?
A portion of salary consistent with the effort needed for preparing the proposal should be paid from non-federally funded sources, including general operating funds, gifts, endowments, etc. during the period when the researcher is writing the proposal The percent should be consistent with % effort spent on proposal preparation.
What if that same person teaches or is involved in other scholarly activities and is 100% funded for research. Is that okay?
Faculty members, because of the scope of their activities associated with university effort, generally may not be 100% research. Academic staff may in some cases have their salary charged 100% to sponsored projects. However, charges to sponsored agreements may only include reasonable amounts for activities contributing to and directly related to work under the agreements, such as delivering special lectures about specific aspects of the ongoing activity, writing reports and articles, participating in appropriate seminars, consulting with colleagues and graduate students, and attending meetings and conferences. If the teaching and other activities are NOT contributing to and directly related to the work under the agreements that are paying the salary, then a portion of the individual's salary proportionate to the non-grant effort must be paid from other sources.
Can a faculty member use a non-federal sponsored funding source to cover their grant writing effort?
Generally, no. It would be very unusual for any grant or contract to allow funds to support a new grant proposal. While not all non-federal grants and contracts are subject to the same rules as federal grants and contracts, we are still bound by the cost accounting standards and the issue of consistency in how we classify costs. These costs are specifically noted in OMB Circular A-21 as indirect and we must be consistent in classifying them as such. In addition, it could be viewed as a violation of our fiduciary responsibility to expend the non-federal sponsor funds in a manner that does not directly benefit the project they are intended to support.
Is there a "policy" or "point of clarification" on the minimum appropriate % of effort needed for grant writing? I recall a meeting at which 2.5% and 5% were thrown around as possible minimums?
There is no guideline or directive from the University of Massachusetts (or the federal government) on the minimum appropriate effort for grant writing since it varies broadly by faculty member and by the specific proposal. The level of effort should be based on each faculty member's individual situation and the time that is devoted to any particular proposal.
What about vacation time when there are multiple grants? How does one insure that each grant pays their fair share of vacation time?
The university applies a consistent practice of paying vacation and other accrued leave from the funding in place at the time the leave is taken. If grant funds are not being used to support the individual at the time leave is taken, the department will cover the leave costs. This is a fairly common practice at institutions and is viewed as acceptable because we are consistent in the application and do not discriminate between funding sources.
Classification and Allocation of Effort
I am a new administrator, and am unclear about whether we want our researchers to certify their payroll or their actual effort?
They should certify their actual effort, up to the sum of their paid and unpaid commitments. They should NOT report effort that is ABOVE the sum of their paid and unpaid commitments because that effort above the committed level is voluntary uncommitted costs-sharing, and it does not have to be documented.
Example: Dr. X is paid 10% on a sponsored project and has an additional cost-sharing commitment of 5% of his effort. If Dr. X worked 15% of his time on the project, we want him to certify 15%. If he worked 20% on the project, we want Dr. X to certify 15%.
This gets back to the purpose of effort certification, which is: to provide assurance to the sponsor that the researcher has met his/her commitment. "Extra effort" is uncommitted cost sharing and is not tracked, and is not auditable.
Is effort that is related to service on review panels or other advisory activities for federal sponsors included within my total University effort?
Effort related to review panels or other advisory activities for federal sponsors, whether you are reimbursed or not by the federal agency, is not included in your total effort for effort reporting purposes.
How do I classify effort related to thesis committees, search committees, faculty senate committees or activities, compliance committees, and similar activities?
These types of activities are considered to be administrative or instructional in nature and are part of your nonsponsored activity. They cannot be charged to a sponsored project, though in a few instances the effort associated with an activity may be so small as to be considered de minimis.
I am an academic staff member and work 100% on a sponsored research grant. I am also on the Faculty Senate Committee, an activity that I spend a few hours a year on. Is that ok?
Infrequent, irregular activity that would normally be considered "so small" that it is not statistically significant is called de minimis effort. Activities can be considered de minimis in amount when, in the aggregate, they represent less than one percent of the individual's total University of Massachusetts effort.
Depending on the nature and extent of the activity, and on the amount of time it requires in an effort period relative to the individual's total University of Massachusetts effort for the period, the types of activities that may qualify as de minimis effort include service on ad hoc committees, participation in department and division meetings, and other basic activities of University life.
Grant proposal writing and well-defined, regular administrative activity cannot be considered "so small," and therefore must not be treated as de minimis activity.
What provision is made to provide money for grant application preparation for research faculty paid 100% on federal grants? What provisions are made for service on the Faculty Senate or Human Subjects IRB by 100% federally funded research faculty?
Faculty should consult with their department administrator and chair to determine the source of funding for non-grant activities. Generally, any departmental/school sources, including but not limited to general operating funds, gifts, endowments, etc., may be used to fund these activities. Departments and colleges are responsible for assuring that provisions for funding are in place. It is not a function of the effort reporting process to monitor or certify that funding is available. The effort reporting process is simply the mechanism that allows faculty and staff to provide assurance that the compensation paid from grants and contracts is reasonable in relation to the effort expended on those agreements.
What risk areas should we focus on as a school, college, or department?
The following areas are receiving significant attention nationally:
- 100% research faculty - are they involved in activities that should be funded by sources other than their grants?
- Faculty with 5 or more federal awards - are they overcommitted? Are the percentages of salary distributed to each of their projects reasonable?
- Change in Level of Effort - are faculty seeking permission to change the level of effort proposed in their grant when required (typically when the change is 25% or more)?
- Faculty with 1 or 2% of their effort on many awards - are they contributing the effort promised?
- Faculty Effort Certification - is it timely?
- Retroactive Salary Cost Transfers - are they infrequent, but timely when necessary? Of particular concern are those affecting time periods for which faculty have already certified their effort.
- Total effort commitments (paid and cost shared) to the sponsor - are they met?
- University effort reporting policy - is it being followed?
Can a faculty member be noted as contributing to a grant without committing effort?
NIH grants now have an "Other Significant Contributors" field available. This allows the PI to identify individuals who have committed to contribute to the scientific development or execution of the project but are not committing any specified measurable effort. The following is a quote from the NIH 424 (R&R) instructions: "OSCs are individuals who have committed to contribute to the scientific development or execution of the project, but are not committing any specified measurable effort (in person months) to the project. These individuals are typically presented at effort of zero person months or as needed (individuals with measurable effort cannot be listed as Other Significant Contributors). Consultants should be included if they meet this definition. This would also be an appropriate designation for mentors on Career awards."
I am currently a faculty member at University of Massachusetts. I often tend to work 50 or sometimes even more hours per week. The precise number changes from week to week and month to month... (Expand to Continue)
Q: I am currently a faculty member at University of Massachusetts. I often tend to work 50 or sometimes even more hours per week. The precise number changes from week to week and month to month and reflects the uneven nature of research, teaching, and administration. It appears to me that the admission of working extra hours can only penalize the individual. As an example, faculty members A and C receive the same amount of money from the grant ($37,500) and perform the same number of hours' work (10 per week), yet because C works longer hours, he/she is apparently receiving too much from the grant, and should in fact receive less ($25,000) for the same amount of work. It seems therefore that all faculty members should take care not to work more than their allotted hours per week. Am I correct in making this conclusion?
A: The university does not specify the number of hours per week a faculty member must work. There is an expectation that members of the faculty will work the hours necessary to carry out the professional responsibilities of their position. There is also the realization that the number of hours required for any activity will change over time. That's one of the reasons effort reporting is based on a percentage of effort rather than a number of hours.
Faculty appointments generally specify an annual salary amount that is negotiated between the department/college and the individual faculty member. That rate of pay covers all the activities you perform for your department - research, teaching, outreach, public service. Sponsors expect that the salary charged to their project for the effort performed will be at the same rate as the salary charged to other activities performed by the faculty member.
Effort on grants is to be based on your total university effort. The principle is that sponsors are not to be charged at a higher rate per unit of effort than the institution pays an employee for effort directed towards other university activity. The percent of salary allocated to your grant should be commensurate with the percent of your total university work effort, directed towards the goals of the grant. This principle demonstrates that regardless of the activity engaged in for the university the compensation for that effort is at a consistent rate.
Managing Effort
Is it sufficient for a faculty member to simply tell his/her Program Officer about a change of effort greater than 25% of current effort?
While it is important that the researcher maintains a good relationship with the Program Officer, this is not sufficient. Any decrease in effort greater than 25% by key personnel (as listed in the Notice of Grant Award) must be approved prior to the change and in writing by the sponsor's Grants Officer. The request must be processed through the UMass Amherst Office of Grant and Contract Administration in advance of the change.
An increase in effort greater than 25% for key personnel should also be reviewed to assess whether there has been a change in the scope of work and the impact, if any, on other sponsored agreements. If there is a change in the scope of work, it must be approved prior to the change and in writing by the sponsor's Grants Officer. The request must be processed through the Office of Grant and Contract Administration in advance of the change.
What are the effort requirements of a PI for a no-cost extension under Expanded Authorities? Does the original effort commitment extend to the no-cost extension period? (Expand to continue)
Q: What are the effort requirements of a PI for a no-cost extension under Expanded Authorities? Does the original effort commitment extend to the no-cost extension period? Does the PI need to request permission to reduce his effort or does the institution have the authority to approve the reduction of effort when approving the no-cost extension?
A: Sponsors expect that the original award terms and conditions extend throughout the project period, including a no-cost extension (NCE) period. This would include commitments of effort for the Principal Investigator. That position has been voiced by federal grants officials in various settings and in response to specific questions about no-cost extensions. In addition, the January 2001 clarification to OMB Circular A-21 states that some effort should be provided by PIs on research awards; there is no exception for awards that are in no-cost extension periods.
However, there is also the realization by federal agencies that PI effort may be reduced during no-cost extensions as the project is winding down, or additional time is needed for data analysis. While this is not considered a change in scope, it is in the best interests of the institution and the PI to notify the sponsor of this decrease in effort to avoid discrepancies with current and pending support statements, effort certification or issues of research overlap.
K awards present a particular case as they generally carry the requirement for a 75% commitment of total professional effort. A reduction below 50% for a no-cost extension requires sponsor approval. The PI may, however, request that the sponsor approve eliminating or reducing the cost share during the no-cost extension process. While the University may approve the no-cost extension, the reduction of effort must be granted by the sponsor.
When there is a reduction in effort for an individual with both cost shared and directly charged salary, to which component does the reduction apply?
Unless the cost sharing is a mandatory requirement of the grant, the reduction can be taken from either the paid effort or the cost-shared effort.
Nine Month Appointments and Summer Salary
I am still not clear as to how summer salary or other salary relates to your effort during the academic year and how to report this.
The effort certification process is conducted on a annual schedule for all faculty, including those on 9-month appointments. The certification period is from July to June. The rate of pay one can receive from a grant for work during the summer is based on the 9- month academic year salary rate. While summer salary is considered part of institutional base salary, it is generally a unique line or designation in the grant proposal.
For example, assume the 9 month salary is $3,000 per month for a full-time appointment and you commit 50% effort for two months during the summer. The rate of pay for those two summer months would be $1,500 per month for 50% effort per month.
How much summer add comp may be paid from grants?
Subject to the sponsor's rules, up to 33% of the AY salary for faculty on 9-month contracts.
Other Effort Reporting Questions
I am the Director of a large Center, but the PI of record is the Dean of our college. The Dean has no day-to-day involvement in the Center. Who should certify the effort for the classified staff and graduate students that work at the Center?
In some situations the named Principal Investigator is not the person with the most suitable means of verification of effort for staff on the project. One example might be the PI of a large Center grant who has delegated the day-to-day operations of the Center to a Director or Manager. For that project, certification of staff effort is most appropriately handled by the Director or Manager, not the PI.
A faculty member in our department performed more effort than what was proposed on one of his budgets. Does he need to declare this as cost sharing?
No. This is called voluntary uncommitted cost sharing and is a contribution of non-sponsored effort. It is not auditable and does not need to be reported.
What should happen when a faculty member maintains the committed level of effort but shifts how this effort is funded?
The committed effort not funded by the grant becomes a cost sharing commitment.
For example, a faculty member notes 20% effort on a proposal with requested funding for the full 20%. After the proposal is awarded, the PI discovers a need to reduce his/her compensation from the award (gets paid at 15% from the award) but does not reduce his/her effort committed to the award (still at 20% effort). This creates a 5% cost sharing situation which should be documented on the effort statement and in the cost sharing system.
UMass Amherst Effort Policy
Why are we updating our effort policy and practices?
Our current paper effort reporting system was built 30 years ago, and it met the federal standards of the day. However, as the federal government has revised its regulations, the system has not been readily adaptable to change. The University recognizes its responsibilities for stewardship of sponsored funds and has made the investment in new policies, guidelines, and an electronic system. In addition, the number of effort statements generated by our current system has grown to over 1000 a year. The management of 1,000 paper effort reports circulating across campus is a serious challenge for faculty as well as staff in departmental and dean's offices.
I work on a non-federally funded project and have not needed to certify my effort in the past. Will I now need to do so?
Anyone who works on a federal or non-federal sponsored project must certify their effort or have it certified by the PI or PI Designee. This includes faculty, academic staff, classified staff, graduate students, and postdoctoral trainees. The University applies the same standards for fiscal accountability to both federal and non-federal sponsored projects.
I am an emeritus faculty member and am contributing my time to my sponsored research project. Will I still need to certify, even though I am not receiving salary support?
If you are named as a Key Person on the project and you have committed some level of effort in the proposal, you will need to participate in the effort certification process. However, because data in the ECRT system is initially loaded from payroll, you may need to use a manual process for certifying.
I am a classified worker on a sponsored project. Will I need to certify?
Unless you are the PI, you will not need to do your own certification. The PI, or someone else with suitable means of verification, will certify for you.
What does the effort coordinator do? Does she certify the effort, too?
The Effort Coordinator is a key resource to the faculty and the department in the effort reporting process. Effort certification in ECRT is a two-step process: 1) the faculty or staff member certifies the statement, and 2) it must then be reviewed and processed by an Effort Coordinator. Until the Effort Coordinator has reviewed the certification and submitted it, the certification is not complete.
I hold joint appointments in two different colleges. Each is a half-time appointment. Who is my effort coordinator?
For each individual in the ECRT system, a primary department has been assigned. The effort coordinator in your primary department will process your statement. It is possible that s/he will need to confer with the effort coordinator in your secondary department should any cost transfers, etc., be required.
What types of activities can I charge to my grant?
These types of activities can be charged to a sponsored project:
- Directing or participating in any aspect of the research related to the specific project
- Writing a progress report for the project, sometimes called a continuation proposal
- Holding a meeting with lab staff to discuss the specific research project
- Activities contributing and intimately related to work under the agreement, including:
- Participating in appropriate seminars
- Consulting with colleagues about specific aspects of the project
- Delivering special lectures about specific aspects of the ongoing activity
- Attending a scientific conference held by an outside professional society to present research results
- Reading scientific journals to keep up to date with the latest developments in one's field
- Mentoring graduate students on the specific research project
- Making an invention disclosure, and some other activities related to pursuing intellectual property
What activities cannot be allocated to my sponsored project?
The following cannot be charged to a sponsored project:
- Proposal-writing, except for non-competing continuations (progress reports); this includes:
- Developing necessary data to support the proposal
- Writing, editing, and submitting the proposal
- Administration, including service as a department chair or dean
- Instruction, office hours, counseling for students, and mentoring graduate students on something other than a specific research project
- Service on an IRB, IACUC, selection committee, or other similar group
- Course or curriculum development not specific to the faculty member's research project
- Writing textbook chapters
- Fundraising
- Lobbying
- Work that falls outside of the definition of total UMass effort (see the complete definition in the Effort Glossary), such as:
- Service as the primary editor of a journal
- Peer review of manuscripts, regardless of whether compensation is received
- Advisory activities for sponsors, including service on an NIH study section or NSF review panel, regardless of whether compensation is received


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FOOTBALL: No. 4 Xavier comes from behind to stun Hillhouse (video, photos)
NEW HAVEN -- The Xavier football team responded to its coaches' challenge at halftime to play more aggressively and as a cohesive unit.
It just wasn't until early in the fourth quarter, and the Falcons facing an almost insurmountable deficit, that the message finally resonated.
Once it did Xavier, ranked fourth in the Register Top 10 Poll, rallied for a dramatic 50-49 Southern Connecticut Conference interdivision victory over host Hillhouse Friday afternoon at Bowen Field.
Senior DeAngelo Berry scored on a 1-yard run, and then ran in the successful two-point conversion with 51 seconds remaining, to provide the winning score for the Falcons (6-1).
Xavier scored 29 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to erase a 49-21 deficit. Xavier also trailed by 21 points on three separate occasions in the contest.
PHOTOS: Xavier rallies to beat Hillhouse
"There was never any doubt in our minds," said Berry, who carried 17 times for 90 yards and three TDs. "Every time we come down here it's always a hard environment; no fans, and they have all their fans. But the coaches let us know that it's never over until it's over. We knew we could do it."
Senior quarterback Tim Boyle connected with junior Joe Carbone on a 41-yard touchdown pass for the Falcons with 6:12 left to cut the Academics' lead to 49-42.
On the ensuing Hillhouse (5-2) drive, sophomore defensive lineman Chidi Broderick recovered a fumble to give the Falcons the ball at the Academics' 27-yard line 3:45 left that helped set up the winning score.
"I've watched games, I've been to games, I've played in games that have been crazy, but 29 unanswered points in the fourth quarter is something crazy," Boyle said. "I'm proud of my guys."
Hillhouse started strong and led 21-0 with 4:51 left in the first quarter. Harold Cooper scored on a 31-yard touchdown run, William Barnes recovered a blocked punt in the end zone for a touchdown and Darryn Horner caught a 34-yard touchdown pass from Je'Vaughn Moore in the quarter. Moore added a 16-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.
Boyle and Andrew Meoli scored on rushing touchdowns for Xavier in the first half but the Academics took a 28-14 lead into the intermission.
Hillhouse extended its lead to 42-21 at the end of the third quarter, then a 13-yard touchdown run by Andre Anderson gave the Academics a 49-21 lead on the first play of the fourth quarter.
But the Academics were hampered by several ailments, mainly cramping, during the rest of the final quarter.
"It's happened to us repeated times, no matter how much we talk about hydrating and things like that," Hillhouse coach Tom Dyer said. "They (Xavier) obviously work very hard in the offseason. Credit to them. They won the game when the game was on the line."
Cooper rushed 20 times for 198 yards and two touchdowns. In the process, Cooper surpassed 4,000 rushing yards in his career. James Moore also scored on the ground for the Academics.
Boyle gained 39 yards on six carries and scored twice, while Meoli carried nine times for 106 yards and one score for Xavier.
"We've been talking about coming together all year as a team and not being individuals," Boyle said. "This was a good example of how a team can come together. It was an emotional win."
Follow Mike on Twitter @MikePucciNHR. To receive breaking news first, simply text the word nhsports to 22700. *Msg & Data Rates May Apply. Text HELP for help. Text STOP to cancel.


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The organization aims to place the students in families with children of similar ages to better facilitate immersion in both culture and language and encourage the formation of lasting bonds.
Thirteen teenage students hailing from various cities in Northern Italy are forming their initial impressions of American culture in Hingham this summer. Thanks to The Center for Cultural Interchange, a non-profit organization for international educational exchange out of Chicago, the students were afforded the opportunity to spend three weeks learning English and experiencing American culture in Hingham.


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Wanted to revive a thread for the best game ever, and my fave hero: Cloud Strife!!!
So please, talk about the original game, its movie Advent Children and the two new spin-off games Crisis Core and Dirge of Cerberus.
Oh, and if any of you have ANY NEWS WHATSOEVER on a release date for "Advent Children Complete" for the European market please tell me IMMEDIATELY!!!! I loved AC (it had shortcomings, yes, but hey, it's Cloud!! On a movie screen!!! ) so I'm very eager to see it in its 20 minute longer and more violent incarnation.
As a European all I know of it so far is the trailer in youtube. And that looks awesome!
Also I heard a rumour that Square Enix might revamp FFVII with modern graphics. Same game, just kick-*** optics! How cool would that be?!?!?!


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Groton school construction to address racial imbalance
Groton — Superintendent of Schools Michael Graner said Monday he would submit a future school construction plan to the state as a way to address the needs of the town's aging schools and solve the racial imbalance at Claude Chester Elementary School.
Graner said he spoke on Monday to Laura Anastasio, the lawyer who handles racial imbalance cases for the state Department of Education, and he explained that the town is working to create a project that would likely take a couple of years to finish.
"She said that was completely appropriate and whatever that plan was could be submitted," Graner told the school board.
The district was cited in a May 12 letter for a racial imbalance at Claude Chester Elementary, less than 10 months after moving 16 percent of its elementary school students to correct a racial imbalance at another school, Catherine Kolnaski Magnet School. Groton must submit a plan to address the problem by Sept. 12 and the State Board of Education must approve it.
The state considers a school out of balance if the percentage of minority students there is greater or less than 25 percent of the district average. Groton has an average of 43 percent minority students at the elementary level. The average at Claude Chester is 68.2 percent. A difference of 0.2 percent is equal to about one student, Graner said.
"I just find this really frustrating, and I'm sure everyone on the board is feeling the same way," said school board member Elizabeth Gianacoplos, adding, "Our plan didn't even make it through one year."
Graner outlined a potential future school construction plan Monday. The plan came from a workshop of school board members, principals and community members that met May 9 and 10.
The workshop group recommended building one new middle school, for grades 6 to 8, adjacent to Fitch High School; converting Cutler and West Side middle schools into elementary schools for students in grades pre-kindergarten to 5; and closing Pleasant Valley, S.B. Butler and Claude Chester elementary schools. The three elementary schools were built more than 70 years ago.
Graner said the town might qualify for a state diversity grant to obtain 80 percent reimbursement for construction, because it has a current racial imbalance and redistricting failed.
The potential building plan also generated enthusiasm at the workshop, he said.
"There was a lot of excitement around a campus," Graner said of the plan. The middle school would be built potentially on the Merritt property, and the district would expand the International Baccalaureate program, which has been underenrolled at Robert E. Fitch High School, to draw in middle school students.
Graner said people liked that the building was "program driven," or aimed at providing more educational opportunity; eighth-grade students could potentially take advanced Latin and French at the high school using a campus setting.
The school board is expected to vote on a plan June 23.
Three board members said they want to proceed.
"Let's get this done," board member Joey Schick said.
The workshop also discussed a second option for building, though it wasn't preferred. That plan would leave the middle schools alone and instead build two or three elementary schools to replace Groton's older elementary schools.
After the board makes a decision, the plan would go to the School Facilities Task Force to decide whether it's feasible to build a middle school on the Merritt property and what it would cost to renovate Cutler and West Side as elementary schools. The plan would also need approval of the town council, Representative Town Meeting and voters at referendum.
Kevin Trejo, a member of the facilities task force, said he believes voters would support school construction if they understood how it would improve education.
"We can get it passed as long as we don't try to shove it down the throats of the public," he said.
"And I think they will buy into the educational needs of the kids."
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From left, Ho Tu lays down to collect mussels as he works with daughter Mai Tu, 10, and Whung Nguyen, all of East Hartford, on Sunday at the Cini Memorial Park boat launch in East Lyme.
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New London County reported another 76 cases of COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, according to data released by Gov. Ned Lamont on Sunday afternoon.
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UPDATED: Three hurt in crash involving two motorcycles in Groton
Millstone's positive COVID-19 cases include control room operators


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Remember Antilia, Indian business tycoon Mukesh Ambani's 398,000-square-foot skyscraper/house on chichi Altamont Road in Mumbai?
When construction of the aggressively opulent, bigger-than-Versailles abode wrapped up about a year ago, the project managed to raise more than a few of eyebrows and not just in Mumbai, where a huge chunk of the population resides in slums. Initially touted as a feat of green home building, the Perkins + Will-designed mega-home does indeed boast some eco-features including a four-story, Hanging Gardens of Babylon-inspired living wall that keeps the structure's interior warm in the winter and cool during the summer months. But in the end, the home's mind-boggling square footage (features include three heliports, 150-car garage, nine elevators,
and enough guest bedrooms to make Candy Spelling weak in the knees) rendered any claims of sustainability obsolete.
Now, after all the hoopla around Antilia's completion, it turns out that Ambani and his family aren't even living in the home and plans to move in on a full-time basis are uncertain. Rumors about why Ambani would build such a pricey pad — it's the first billion dollar single-family home in the world — and then choose to use it as a pied-á-terre are varied. According to a recent article in The New York Times, one popular explanation is that the design of Antilia does not fully adhere to Vastu Shastra, an Indian architectural tradition that, when not followed, is thought to bring bad luck to a building — just think of it as the Hindu counterpart to feng shui.
You'd think that something as crucial as Vastu would be taken into account during the design of such a massive (and massively expensive) project, but it looks like some elements of the same ancient design doctrine used in building Hindu temples were overlooked.
Vastu expert Basannt R. Rasiwasia explains to the NYT that the lack of windows on the building's eastern side could play a role in Ambani's purported semi-absentee homeowner-ism:
"From the outside what I see is that the eastern side is blocked while the western side is more open. This always leads to misunderstanding between team members or sometime may create issues. This also indicates more hard work to achieve moderate success. There is more negative energy coming from the western side."
Last May, a "highly placed source" told DNA, an English-language newspaper in Mumbai, that after Antilia was furnished, "a few guests were invited for a 'housewarming' of sorts but the family horoscope and Vastu Shastra are not matching, and the family, unwilling to risk it, is trying to find a remedial way out."
Whatever the case, close friends of the Ambani family, all choosing to remain anonymous, confirm that the home's master and his family have indeed set foot inside of Antilia on numerous occasions — and have thrown several lavish parties there — but only sleep there "sometimes." Instead, they reportedly pack their bags and head back across town to Sea Wind, Ambani's slightly-more-modest, Vastu-correct 14-story home. "They live in both places," a spokesperson for Ambani's company, Reliance Industries, admits.
While I respect astrology-influenced architectural traditions like Vastu, I'm thinking that if you go out of your way to build the world's most expensive home in the middle of a city that's rife with poverty, you better damned well sleep there more than once every couple of months ... even if it clashes with your horoscope. You'd think that in this day and age and with Ambani's kind of resources, a home's off-center spiritual energy, like a leaky pipe, could be fixed.
Via [NYT]
Also on MNN:
- Dennis Quaid puts Montana ranch on the market for $14 million
- 8 huge trailers and buses — and the celebrities who love them
- Val Kilmer's ranch sells for $18.5 million


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Preheat the oven to 300°. Place the shells in a tortilla warmer or a covered casserole dish. Heat until warm.
Heat the oil in a large skillet and sauté the onions and red peppers for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the rice and small red beans, and sauté another 5 minutes. Add the refried beans and thoroughly mix. Cover, reduce the flame to low. Cook until the rice and beans are hot, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
When the shells and the rice and beans are hot, place an equal amount of rice and beans on each tortilla. Top with equal amounts of salsa and lettuce. Roll up and place on individual serving plates.
Yields: 10 burritos; 2 per person
Per serving - 555 calories, 15 g fat (22% calories from fat), 23 g protein, 91 g carbohydrate, 22 g fiber, 0 mg cholesterol, 773 mg sodium


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Your analysis of your local problem should give you a better understanding of the factors contributing to it. Once you have analyzed your local problem and established a baseline for measuring effectiveness, you should consider possible responses to address the problem.
The taxi industry is often regulated by an agency within local government, by an independent commission, or by the police. These bodies set fares and limit the number of licenses permitted within particular areas, as well as control the conditions of vehicles and monitor the behavior of drivers. Often the jurisdictional boundaries between these regulatory agencies and police are not clear to everyone affected. The problem is compounded if the regulatory agency does not deploy inspectors during the late night or early evening hours. The police may be called upon to act in areas for which they have little training. They may be asked by drivers to resolve complaints that are civil, rather than criminal in naturesuch as fare evasion in some locations. Taxis may operate outside their home jurisdiction and taxis from other areas may drop passengers off in local policing areas. Coordination between police and the taxi regulators may require the appointment of a special officer.
In Boston, the taxi industry is regulated by the Boston Police Department (the Hackney Carriage Unit) while in New York City, the Taxi and Limousine Commission sets the rules for both hackney and livery services (see http://www.nyc.gov/html/tlc/html/home/home.shtml ).
The development of industry-wide responses should involve not only the police and the regulatory bodies covering a service area, but also other interested groups such as drivers, drivers associations, vehicle owners, and radio-cab booking companies. One researcher has commented that voluntary measures, even with wide support among drivers, do not have much chance of penetration into the industry without the support of owners.15 Sometimes these agencies require a single type of safety device, such as a bulletproof screen between passengers and drivers, while at other times they may allow drivers or owners to choose from several possible devices, such as safety screens, digital surveillance cameras, or automatic vehicle locators (AVLs) in combination with an alarm.16 Policies that provide some choice among safety measures may represent a compromise among competing interest groups rather than a judgment about comparative effectiveness . However, because so little is known about the effectiveness of most of these measures, it is too soon to draw conclusions about whether it is more useful to focus on a single prevention measure or to allow a variety of measures to operate within a single area.
But see Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources (2003) for an example of a regulatory impact statement on the requirement that security cameras be installed in taxicabs in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, where the costs and benefits of security cameras, driver safety shields, and emergency lights and duress alarms are each set out.
The responses recommended below are reasonably likely to have some beneficial effect in preventing robberies of taxi drivers; however, unless otherwise noted, none of these responses has been properly evaluated for effectiveness. Since so little research has been done in this area, it is too early to label measures as ineffective. This is why the last three responses are included but discussed separately as responses with limited potential for effectiveness. It is also important to note that, although installation costs are frequently cited as reasons for not implementing particular problem-solving strategies, a number of grant or loan programs have been set up, such as those in New York City17 and Washington, D.C.18
The following response strategies provide a foundation of ideas for addressing your particular problem. These strategies are drawn from a variety of research studies and police reports. Several of these strategies may apply to your communitys problem. It is critical that you tailor responses to local circumstances, and that you can justify each response based on reliable analysis. In most cases, an effective strategy will involve implementing several different responses. Law enforcement responses alone are seldom effective in reducing or solving the problem. Do not limit yourself to considering what police can do. Give careful consideration to who in your community shares responsibility for the problem and can help police better respond to it.
Mayhew (2000a) presented a comprehensive review of prevention strategies related to assaults of taxi drivers.
Physically separating drivers from their fares can help prevent driver assault and/or robbery.
A report from the Manitoba Taxicab Board (1991) presents an extensive discussion of taxi screens.
The importance of industry-wide use of safety screens in an area has been illustrated with the case of New York City livery drivers. If livery drivers owned the cab they drove, they were exempt from the mandatory shield requirement directed at hackney cabs in the 1990s. While homicide deaths among hackney drivers dropped, livery drivers continued to be victimized (Marosi, n.d.). In 2000, following a number of killings of livery drivers, all livery drivers were required to install either a shield or a digital surveillance camera (Luo, 2004; see also New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission, 2000b). Homicides have declined markedly for livery drivers since 2000. It is difficult to credit shields completely for this change, however, since a number of other prevention programs were also in effect in that period.
Although taxis in many large U.S. cities have driver safety screens, this is by no means a universal feature in all vehicles. Screens have been seen to have the following disadvantages:20
Passenger injury was seen as a major problem in New York City cabs. The Celebrity Talking Taxi Program, begun in 1997, used recordings by celebrities to remind passengers to wear their seat belts (New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission, 2002). The program was abandoned in 2003 following a study of passenger compliance (Feuer, 2003). The recordings were seen as annoying and repetitive, leading many passengers to defy the recommendation to buckle-up.
However, as one study found, drivers who have been the victims of assaults or robberies may be more likely to want screens in their cabs than those who have been the victims of less serious crimes.21 If taxi regulators require drivers to have screens in their vehicles, then they must provide drivers with information about the types of attacks that screens can protect them against, such as whether they are shatter resistant as well as being bulletproof.
Security cameras in taxis can capture robberies in progress. Credit: www.toronto-crimestoppers.com
The types of cameras available for use in taxicabs have become increasingly sophisticated in the last 10 years.22 Digital cameras, with infrared capability, can be connected to systems that hold a large number of images. Drivers must be aware whether their system writes over images or can retain a certain number of images if an alarm is triggered. If camera images are stored on equipment held in the trunk of the cab, there is a possibility that when robbery events are caught on camera, offenders may try to destroy the equipment (and cab) to eliminate the evidence. Systems that transmit the images to a central location away from the taxi should help to overcome this problem if offenders are aware of how these systems work. Industry representatives should explore technological innovations that make vehicle destruction less likely.
Not all passengers like cameras.23 Part of this may be due to uncertainty over how their images will be used. Regulators need to set up strict safeguards to protect passenger privacy. Legislation over use of the images may provide some protection, but this may also be achieved if the images are not available to the drivers. Clearly, much depends on the technology used.
This would require images to be stored and accessed only through a central computing facility, such as one run by the police department or the industrys oversight commission. These images would then only be downloaded in special circumstances, such as when a crime occurs or a complaint has been made against the driver. Protection against passenger complaints is seen by many drivers as an additional advantage of having cameras in their cabs and may encourage drivers to install them. Cameras can also be used to help prove or disprove complaints against driversif the images have been preserved.
Some cities, such as New York City, Chicago, and Sydney, Australia, permit drivers to have cameras in their taxis in lieu of driver safety shields. Police-industry partnerships need to be aware that not all prevention devices may be equally effective against robbery. Crime displacement may occur if potential robbers see one set of drivers as less protected than drivers with other devices in their cabs.
The effectiveness of cameras in taxis is a hotly debated issue (see Rathbone, n.d.).
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has advocated so-called open mikes.24 These devices block the airwaves on that channel, broadcasting whatever comes from the open mike. Accidentally switching on an open mike may be a particular problem if the open channel is also the companys dispatching channel since it is blocked when left open and the driver cannot be contacted to close it. If the driver carries a mobile phone, the dispatcher has that number, and mobile phone use by taxi drivers is not prohibited, then that problem may be overcome.
Drivers can use alarms to signal to some central location (taxi company or police station) that they are having trouble or they can be used to set off a trouble light on the vehicle itself that cannot be seen by the passengers. Alarms triggered easily through the pressing of a toggle switch at the drivers foot, on the steering wheel, or on the radio itself may also be accidentally switched on. While this may be avoided if the driver has to confirm the alarm, this puts an extra burden on the driver as an incident is unfolding.
In an area with foot or vehicle traffic, passersby may see trouble alarms and summon police. Publicity about trouble lights should increase awareness among those outside the taxi industry about the meaning of these lights and avoid confusion with ready-for-hire lights on hackney cabs.
Drivers and dispatchers need to be carefully trained by the taxi companies:
Police officers must be carefully trained in the protocols for response so that they do not increase the potential harm to the driver. Police departments must understand the problems that may arise with these systems and should review with taxi drivers and dispatching companies their response protocols.
Taxi dispatching companies are increasingly using GPS systems to determine which driver is closest to a pick-up location. Some drivers do not like them because they do not take into account driving times to locations or because they allow too much oversight of the drivers movements. Driver resistance to having an alarm system linked to GPS tracking may be overcome if the systems are independently installed (such as by the taxi-oversight commission or agency) and monitored (by the commission or the local police department).
Given that one of the reasons that taxi drivers are at risk of robbery is that they carry cash with them, a number of different strategies have been developed to limit the availability of cash in taxis.
Machines that allow taxi drivers to accept credit cards are becoming more common.
Australian research has shown that many robberies involve small amounts of moneyless than $30 (Keatsdale Pty. Ltd., 1995).
Several methods can be used to prevent passengers from seeing that drivers are carrying large amounts of money and knowing where it is kept. The first two techniques listed below may be more effective since they do not involve a possible confrontation with passengers:
Drivers may learn these practices from other driverse.g., family or friends in the businessor through driver safety education programs (see No. 28 below).
For example, the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission sets out some of this information in an easy-to-use format for passengers (and drivers) at www.nyc.gov/html/tlc/html/home/home.shtml.
New York City and Washington, D.C., have recently dealt with highprofile campaigns and lawsuits against service refusals on the ground that they amount to illegal racial profiling or residence discrimination. In New York City, the recent campaign against service refusal on racial grounds began in response to a complaint by actor Danny Glover in 1999 who highlighted the problem facing many African-Americans and Hispanics in the city (Yinger, n.d.). Mayor Giuliani reinstated sting operations by police officers that resulted in immediate suspension of the driver, along with other sanctions for repeat offending. The immediate suspension measure was later overturned by a federal judge as it did not meet the requirement for a fair hearing prior to suspension (Padberg v. McGrath- McKechnie, 2002). In Washington, D.C., there have been a number of lawsuits filed in which discriminatory service refusal has been alleged (see Kovaleski, 2003; Mitchell v. Diamond Cab Company, 2003). A report by The Equal Rights Center (2003) cited the D.C. Taxicab Commission for neglecting its responsibilities in the civil rights area for failing to investigate discrimination complaints promptly and thoroughly and for not establishing effective fines and penalties for drivers or companies (see also Kovaleski and Chan, 2003).
One of the reasons police agencies need to be concerned about taxi robbery is that robbery and fear of robbery fuel discriminatory practices if drivers perceive that they are at unreasonable risk merely by picking up certain passengers or going into certain neighborhoods. This problem is likely to be more difficult to deal with than racial profiling within policing agencies. Instead of dealing with a situation in which an officer is compelled by law to refrain from an action unless it can be justified, here, the driver is compelled by law to act unless the non-action can be justified. In effect, the law is telling one group in a risky industry (police officers) to be risk averse, while it is telling another group in another risky industry (taxi drivers) that they cannot be risk averse. However, if the robbery risks are low, then it becomes easier for drivers to comply with the law and more difficult for them to justify illegal refusals on grounds of high risk. In effect, the low actual risks allow drivers to be both risk averse and not engage in racial or residential discrimination.
One commentator has suggested that general rates of service refusals in New York City are not related to crime levels but rather to the economics of driving a cab.28, This finding points to a need for policing agencies to use a problem-solving approach to illegal service refusalslooking at the data on serious crimes against taxi drivers in an area (including type of crime, area, and characteristics of offenders), the number of taxis in service (and the fees paid for cab rental), and the enforcement mechanisms available against drivers and companies who use racial profiling or other illegal screening techniques to ensure that these are all geared to help limit the practice.
According to this research, as crime was falling in the city, service refusal complaints were rising. These complaints were highest when the demand for cabs was highest, as measured by time spent cruising for customers. This is because when there are a lot of cabs looking for passengers (either because there are more cabs or the fares are high), cabbies cannot afford to be as selective as they can be when there are fewer cabs on the road and fares are lower. In addition, this research cited passenger surveys suggesting that service refusals (both of minority and non-minority passengers) appeared to be related to the pressure to make money and the desire to work only in certain areas of the city.
The trip sheet may be required by the regulator or company to keep track of driver income, but it may also be used to document patterns of robbery if the driver is killed or seriously incapacitated during the crime.
In a study of taxi drivers in Cardiff, Wales, drivers related a number of incidents in which they tried to go to police stations for assistance late at night only to find that the stations were not open (Smith, forthcoming).
During or after a robbery incident, drivers are sometimes advised to get out of the cab if they are sure it is safe to do so. This is an area in which driver training, based on experience in an area, should guide drivers in how best to judge whether to exit a cab during or after an incident.
Drivers should carry first aid kits in their cabs even if this is not required by their local regulatory agency. These could help limit any injury they receive during a robbery or assault.
Similarly, drivers should keep an extra key in a pocket to allow them to use their cab if the robbers have taken their keys. This is particularly important if they have been abandoned in a remote location and have no radio or telephone.
There are various organizational approaches police agencies can take to address taxi robbery problems. Special units could be set up to deal with taxi driver robbery if the number of incidents appears high. These units should be used to help determine patterns in taxi robbery and then develop strategies to address what they find. For example, they may target specific areas with high numbers of robbery incidents using decoy taxis driven by police officers.
Police may also want to have a more general taxi unit that deals with a variety of taxi-related crimes, developing expertise in the area. The taxi unit should:
The constitutionality of this program was recently upheld by the New York Court of Appeals.30 TRIP differs from earlier programs that were struck down by the Court of Appeals31 and the U.S. District Court.32 The earlier programs involved too much discretion for police in how to carry out the stops. A program in Boston (TIP), similar to TRIP in New York City, has been upheld by the U.S. Circuit Court.33 The Boston Police inform drivers where they will have their check points so that drivers who feel danger or concern can drive by and turn on their cabs amber light (an alarm signal) for the officers to see (Sweeney, 2004).
See Spelman (1990) for a discussion of repeat offender programs.
Setting up rules, regulations, and practices that control the industry and reduce both actual and perceived unfair or dangerous practices by drivers may increase sympathy for drivers and limit the excuses offenders may offer for targeting taxi drivers.
Excuses refers to the ways in which offenders rationalize their behavior to themselves and others; it does not imply a legal or moral excuse for their offending.
For example, the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (2001) recently raised the flat-rate amount that drivers could charge for going from JFK Airport to anywhere in Manhattan to $35.
Taxi dispatchers at Newark Airport ask passengers in the taxi queue where they are going and write the fare on a sheet that is given to the passenger. The sheet contains taxi rules and regulations, as well as information about who to contact to complain about over-charging or other offenses by drivers.
Area experts, such as experienced police officers and former drivers, should run these sessions so that drivers see them as worthwhile. Payment for the sessions can be made by the drivers, the dispatching companies, the local government, or by grants. Details of the exact scripts or modus operandi used by offenders should not be made public to discourage imitation. Formal training has not been found to be associated with lower victimization levels among Canadian drivers. 36 Programs should inform drivers of various Internet sites that contain driver safety information or information about how taxis are regulated in their area. These include:
Companies can use Caller ID to check to see whether the call is coming from a private or public address, a telephone booth, or a mobile phone. This technology has several uses: it can be used to trace callers if they fail to show up, evade the fare, or attack or rob the driver and it allows companies to match the telephone number to blacklisted numbers (if they have such a list). Passengers calling for cabs from public telephone booths or mobile phones may be more closely scrutinized by drivers since they are less traceable than some other passengers are.
Because so little is known about taxi robberies and their prevention, the only responses included here are ones that appear to hold little promise as effective protection strategies against robberies.
Drivers can use this type of system to prevent nonpayment of fares as well as keep passengers from getting out where it is not safe. Locking passengers in when no screen is present is likely to escalate the use of violence against drivers. Locking passengers in when there are screens may lead to vehicle damage.
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