text:
Opinion: Both Parties Take Blame For Shutdown Mess
Mary Kissel discusses the budget battle over ObamaCare and a potential government shutdown with WSJ editorial page editor Paul Gigot and Declarations columnist Peggy Noonan. Photo: AP
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... I ... the ... the key to the tothe lately reject Obamacare they understand it's not working ... the only people who who was listening to the argument ... are the career politicians in Washington is Harry Reid who wants to use brute political force ... and the great thing about the Constitution ... is that it creates a system of checks and balances in each branch has the ability to check another present Obama sadly ... in implementing Obamacare is over and over again disregarded the law ... welcome to Opinion Journal why Mary Kissel there's a lot of he said she said ... as we come to the final hours before a possible government shutdown ... to clarify what's really at stake is editorial page editor ... Paul to go all ... that I like it clarifies ... the youth ... what's what's target in just talk about first what the Senate has in front of it ... in terms of Obamacare ... and in terms of spending ... its a bill to fund the government ... and I think the level is nine hundred s TV CSC's six billion ... over the next year I which is a nineteen billion increase over the sequester levels and that includes a couple of Obamacare provisions one is eliminating the medical device tax which is a two point three percent tax on revenue of its ... revenue is not just profits revenues of device companies ... and including your delay ... in the beginning of Obamacare why is there such a pushback from Democrats ... let's start with Obamacare and delay the president's office are easily the businessman day while and Democrats want compromise ... on the individuals ... well into the doughnut political program which is what said it's not just individually and so as not being ... that that the house is putting up that's the way the whole ... program ... and I think the president figures of the few delaying it ... I can put it in some in jeopardy because you get to the end of his term particularly ... if in twenty fourteen Republicans gain Senate seats ... begin the Senate and House seats buying up a campaign against Obamacare even harder ... to start up again ... if the house came back and said fine we we wanted to find the whole thing let's define the individual ... or the delay in favor of the fund is off the table set this in the waning and is on the table but the Senate Democrats will reject that so what the Republicans than half to do ... is decide if they wanna send another bill back to the Senate later today or tomorrow ... and if they do what to put it ... in one thing they're talking about isn't the way be just the individual mandate portion ... I love making the point you made which is ... to delay the businessman's or why not just a lady and I made it to me and the answer for that did the response with Democrats would be ... they don't like to say this ... but ... they're afraid that if you don't require people to buy insurance not enough people will enroll in the exchanges ... and therefore you get ... those not working ... so ... even if the house decided to again make another compromise is only the individual mandate what are you the option to the Senate ... you're not chair the summit with except that ... I'm not sure that they what I think the president ... my own view is I think he wants a shot ... why because I think he thinks the politics is as good for him ... I've that he can blame it on the Republicans still suffering the polls for a while I think they believe that he can ... is to blame this on the Republican stigmatized the house and this may be that ... the only way he can change the dynamic ... so far in his second term ... to give him a chance to put Nancy Pelosi back in this bigger ships and you agree with that assessment you think the shutdown is better for the present I don't know all I mean I think ... they will see how it plays out ... see how unreasonable some of the Republicans seem see how reasonable the president ... it seems ... it in the short row want help either of them ... but I I worry a little bit that this could hurt the Republicans more BM we need the ... House Republicans ... as a check on this president for the last two years ... so will see high and I it it did the that that the politics of this or trekkers an unpredictable actress and unpredictable editorial page editor Paul to go thanks for being on show ... welcome back to Opinion Journal I'm Mary Kissel were going to continue our discussion of the shutdown showdowns with declarations columnist Peggy Noonan now ... I in the EU observed many presents over the years ... what does this presidents past behavior ... tell you ... about how he's likely to handle this crisis is is a guy who comes to the negotiating table ... easily ... no I don't think so I mean I I think the cliche that the president doesn't work well with others on Capitol Hill is simply ... not true ... sometimes I don't fully understand exactly why he thinks that works for him but I guess he thinks that happens put sellers is if he's talking over Congress ... to the American people that he's trying to ... keep this piece is on more popular the you are so ... if I talk to you all always that ... yes I think actually they're both unpopular in some ... time to get stock here's the thing I think the president ... at least in the early years of his presidency had this sense that if the ... top street to the American people ... he would be doing a read and or Nixon both of them use to go to the American people with their interest and to call Congress ... and the American people would listen ... and lean towards them and call Congress and they would win the day like this lately ... this president has often tried to do that ... but it doesn't work it sauces and ... brings their stock ... there's no rush to support the president he has his place ... the Republicans have their base its stance this ... this is my son was a vessel it stay since then ... is the way that the president could compromise that would put Republicans on the back foot here ... or is his choice really just to get into what the GOP is is demanding you know what I think would be it really wise thing I can imagine this would happen but ... I think ... the president would serve him self well politically and heightened his stature and also doomed going policy ... if the soreness that face the Republicans look to them and said ... look you know how many waivers we've had to do you know there's problems with implementation you know there's a certain amount of public confusion on this Obama campaign on the ACEA ... altar you're not going to do I'm going to do it because it's free causing ... I am going to hold this up for exactly eleven months ... and the time I'm going to talk to the American people about the principle behind health care for all the money in its new guise Republicans and Democrats ... I in a few stories on this machine ... more quickly and make this thing work then are ... not backing down saying this spring is coming ... we can send you wanna help me so much I will allow you to control I tell you a better way to test the GOP I craggy on the M4 East and the answer is very good surprising and powerful college ... we had a really incredible month on the Syrian find the presents and I ... when Marshall Congress for a strike ... any back down from that non the Iranian fronts ... I didn't see he was snubbed by the president last week of Iran in the U N V Phani came back with a phone call ... what does the world think about all of this what your sources telling you that's extraordinary month informed comments and ... I was the new land AG General ... Assembly convened in the past ten day is and and so I don't live in New York and I was here a lot speaking ... on to those in foreign policy diplomatic Sam foreign leaders ... and the big takeaway I can miss that so many of these leaders ... are a little can cost still about what they see as ... America's ... latest short position in the past few years they are not just as clear on American leadership ... an American capability actually ... at the same time I think I correctly observed ... a game in you shouldn't in our current president stature ... people are not saying what is the president going the way they use it ... out one of the people I spoke to had head and ... spent considerable time in a meeting with the new president of Erlam ... and I spoke to my friend afterwards and said so when the same battle Obama Nissan ... it is contended that Suntech didn't even come now ... it's like that's not that into it when we talk about helmet ... on thing ... ever seen it's it's it's it's it's disturbing ... I was start with ... your column it's almost like the incredible shrinking President ... you ... when we talk about so leaders perceptions of American presidents we often think of our ... great allies are European allies ... are Creek flows say ... on ... the day maybe that's China Russia ... but don't forget the Middle East aam and that's the region ... it's really a flame right now ... I did the sense of how our Middle Eastern allies arguing ... outside of Israel talking Saudi Arabia in these kinds of countries ... are viewing these overtures to Iran I think ... but the overtures to Iran I suppose and there are mixed news ... I in them a nice but not up I'll tell you it can be ... the ... Syria fell off a few whales ... the sense that the president was onshore through the in the Syria crisis and he was like this it first demand like this at first but like Tom was doing ... and then was engulfed with the opinion of the American people as Congress wants to ... everybody was surprised by that ... um by the calls and emails that were nineteen oh one and we don't want this right now ... of the text of the left yet the left things sort of ... startled what's the right people were little but back on their feet still over that was only a few weeks ago when the U and started coming together about a week ago so ... you can sorta feel that in the air as ... generally understood to be an embarrassment ... that ye ... may eat and relatively happily who knows there's a lot of mystery around ... well ... let's open ends happily one sided with up to me by airlines and the optimism by now it is my day with the optimistic declarations columnist Peggy Noonan thank you so much thank you ... welcome back to Opinion Journal I'm Mary Kissel ... John Ziegler an advisor to the UN human rights Council was recently re elected to that ... position ... for years this guy denied he was awarded a Ghadafi prize ... last week ... we got this statement and I quote ... on this specific point The Gadhafi prizes to whether or not I received it ... immediately return it within forty eight hours ... UN high Commissioner for human rights Sergio de Mello came in my office saying ... the Street Surprise immediately ... which I did ... you and watch executive director to fill out a new era joins me now to allow ... what's the significance of this complete switch around ... well the John Ziegler is the human rights in impostor and in many ways he represents the distinct political culture ... the duties values of the UN human rights Council Ina was eleven years ago ... this week ... we're zones either for dissipated in the literary conference in Tripoli Libya ... extolling the literary style while Mark and I think I'm falling back ... conference he then ... I'll attended the ceremony and twenty nine September two thousand to ... twenty one the Ghadafi prize in the same year ... as a convicted French Holocaust entire won the prize of course ... this is a price that allows either announced in the world in nineteen eighty nine he in fact is the co creator ... of this ... year as prizes and Myra for the most pristine dictators in the world privacy get re elected to an advisory body for all things to you and human rights Council well you know ... it's interesting thing where we began to slash my garden ization mark twenty years that our anniversary and Roseville times for Eleanor Roosevelt and her husband of the army is ... and you know Eleanor Roosevelt was the founding chair of the human rights Commission one of the great humanitarian Xabi age ... and if we look at what's happened from Eleanor Roosevelt small market off the Ghadafi was elected ... chair of human rights Council his regime in two thousand three ... and ten years later the ghost of Ghadafi still hovers ... over the council ... that the reality the council is of a forty seven states the majority ... are third world regimes ... Angela seen their embodies this ... unholy alliance between the radical left ... he's an anti capitalist anti American anti globalization ... the marriage between the anti Western left ... and the anti Western dictatorships of the Greek on a lot ... and so he was easily elected the setting is in Switzerland ... nominated him ... and worse than the fact that dictatorships Dominique UN that we know ... that the fact is that outside the UN ... there are radical left human rights groups that ... would bring into their podium and seem to know him as a mother Philly it's a shame because it really denigrates what could be could work out of the UN human rights Council ... lesson thirty seconds left about its fleet from U N Ambassador are Investors Samantha Power ... where she says ... is either should not be effectively ... um he's on the ... heater continued service I did the US to anything else other than sweets to stop this guy getting reelected get lesson thirty seconds yes they did there was a procedural issue there actually were term limits ... and this was ignored and U S pushed on an issue ... and maybe the statement that the that the council is firing determined to the good stuff I'd I think they could've done more but the good stuff from increasing Diablo condenses Samantha Power Diane shame on the UN ... UN watch a second director hello higher thanks much for being ...


text:
1) That these particular blocks were used sometimes to print, from the first two blocks only, 48-card ordinary (non-trionfi) decks for sale.
2) From this, he concludes that probably 48 cards was the size of non-trionfi decks in general in XV century Italy. Pratesi himself partially withdraws from this conclusion in 2014, based on the 1424 sermons against cards by San Bernardino of Siena. The saint denounced four face cards including the Queen, by name.
3) That we can tell something about the decks that players played with, because a deck that would be highly inconvenient for printers to print, would probably not be made.
When a sheet is also printed from the third block, which has all 21 trumps, plus three queens, we get close to a tarocchi deck, but not quite. As Pratesi says: "With respect to a standard tarot of 78 cards, with all three sheets with their 72 cards we are still lacking 6 cards: the four 10s, the Queen of Batons, and the Matto." Pratesi imagines a fourth sheet printed with just these six cards, and that indeed seems ridiculous. Think of a printer wasting so much paper!
2. The paper:
Pratesi says about the paper:
Leinfelden is the location name one of two extant copies printed from the third block, the other sheet 3 ( https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-obje ... 41321.html ) is located in Washington D.C. That sheet has stated dimensions of 291x435 mm. Sheet 1 ( https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-obje ... 41319.html ) in Washington is 291x436 mm, and sheet 2 ( https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-obje ... 41320.html ) is 300x441 mm. The larger sizes are due to margins; the Leinfelden sheet either has them trimmed off, or the size quoted is for the printing, not the paper. The Washington image of sheet 3 shows not much margin, exactly, but a strangely heavy black line around the whole sheet. I do not understand this black line. I gather we have no image of Leinfelden.The sheet shape, to begin with, is 280x435 mm (Leinfelden), which corresponds to a rather common kind at the time.
Fat black line on Washington sheet 3.
This fat black line goes all around Washington Rosenwald sheet 3, like a frame; It would not help, but rather be a problem for, the card-making process. Could it be hand-drawn? Sheet 2 has a thinner black line frame, and sheet one has none at all.
Here is the upper corner of sheet 2 showing the thinner (and uneven) black frame. You can see here a brown area like a coffee stain, but on the card in the corner, which should be the female Page of Coins, you can see that where the stain stops, the image does too. But on the other hand the card frame lines continue beyond the brown stain. A little bit of the other images, such as the page's sword, and the tops of two heads, also continues beyond the brown stain. But the tie ribbon of the Page of Sword's sleeve, stops at the stain edge. It seems that the everything beyond the brown was lost, and was filled in by hand in ink at some point. But I don't understand this, unless the brown part is old paper mounted on a newer backing sheet.
I suppose these facts about the Rosenwald sheets must be well known.
I do know enough about handmade paper to know that no one ever made 290x440 mm paper. The dimensions of these sheets are half a sheet of the size called "medium" (444.5 x 571.5 mm) in old English paper sizes: the overwhelmingly most common size. The size match is nearly perfect: half of English medium would be 286x444 mm. Paper sizes are based on the arm length of the paper maker. If there were ever any 280x435 mm sheets of paper sold, they were made in a size like English medium size and then cut in half. It does not make sense to cut paper in half before printing if you can help it. Even if the blocks you have are half the size of the paper you have, it is easy enough to bolt two blocks together.
Pratesi says this was a common size at the time: I would like to know what sheets of that size were used for. A full sheet cut in half is fine for hand-writing a document. Whether bambagina paper was made in half or regular sizes could be found out by a visit to the factory in Amalfi (it's still running), or no doubt from some source, but the Wikipedia article does not say.
My claim about paper size and printing is certainly true of movable type printing. If a book is size 8vo, it is always printed on full sheets and folded in eight, never on half sheets (as these are) folded in four. But the woodcut printing process is different, so I don't know for sure that woodcut printers would never print on cut sheets of paper. Also, although I'm pretty sure no one would make half-size sheets of paper, card stock may be different. The tray of slurry which the paper maker has to lift, would be heavier for thicker paper. Cards were pasted to backs (and a middle layer too, maybe) so I don't know whether the printed layer was card-stock thickness. Are the Rosenwald sheets bambagina paper? A microscope can tell.
Washington sheet 1, has a bottom margin which is rather skinny: Sheet 2 has a rather skinny top margin. A printer's devil who put paper on the blocks as lopsided as this, would get sent to bed without his supper. I think the paper was a standard size and shape, very close to English medium (paper was an internationally traded commodity); it is more likely the blocks for sheets 1 and 2 were bolted together, than that the paper was cut in half before printing. When a sheet was printed on the bolted blocks, the result was three upper rows and three lower rows, with a channel between them: the channel is because you wouldn't want the ink-taking raised areas of the blocks to run to the very edge of the wood. Our sheets result from cutting a size medium sheet along that channel, after printing. I expect that in normal production of cards, printed sheets were pasted to backs first, then cut. To cut an unpasted sheet in half along the central channel would not therefore be a step in manufacturing, but you would likely do it to keep a record of the output of these blocks.
If the brown stain does indeed mean the surviving paper is pasted to a backing, then my conclusions drawn from the margins of the backing sheet are not very strong.
Pratesi says: "With respect to a standard tarot of 78 cards, with all three sheets with their 72 cards we are still lacking 6 cards: the four 10s, the Queen of Batons, and the Matto." Printing a 4th block with only six cards seems strange, but without them, the three blocks don't make a tarocchi that makes any sense. A game without tens is possible, and a game without a fool is possible, but how could anyone ever sell a game with queens for only three of the four suits? No tens, no fool, and three of the four queens, is three unlikelies multiplied together, and the third one is just silly. This can't be the truth. If we had a story that worked, we could say: here are blocks, and the first two were used to print regular decks, and all three to print tarocchi decks. If we had that story, we could say: and therefore the regular deck was 48 cards. But we don't have that story, or any story, yet. Therefore the three sheets we have are no evidence at all that a 48 card deck was ever printed and sold from these blocks. If you wanted to claim that the first two blocks were used to print a 48 card game, then what was the third block used for? To print a "tarocchi" game that would get the shopkeeper a sock in the nose from the customer who finds there's a Queen missing?
Perhaps, there was indeed a fourth block with only six cards on it. Later, we shall look for a solution to this mystery, one that doesn't require throwing away most of the fourth sheet. But meanwhile, we shall take a detour to a world of slightly skinnier cards.
Printing 9 cards across the width of the paper.
If what we want to know is, what would be a good system for printing some regular and some tarocchi decks, we can answer that. First, use a 3x9 layout rather than a 3x8 one, which is an 11% reduction in the card width. The size of the paper is pretty much a given, and while fitting 9 cards across may be OK, that is already cutting it close. So 10 across would probably be just too skinny. With a 3x9 layout, each block at can print 27 cards, and that number is pretty much a fixed maximum given the card size and the paper technology of the day. You need three blocks: call them the Pips block, the Faces block, and the Trumps block. (The Faces block has some pips cards on it). The blocks are bolted together two at a time, and you print using size medium (445x571 mm) paper, not half-sheets of it. So the printer who needs R regular and T tarocchi decks, does this:
* He prints X sheets using the Pips and Faces blocks bolted together.
* He prints Y sheets using the Pips and Trumps blocks bolted together.
* He prints Y sheets using the Trumps and Faces blocks bolted together.
What X and Y are, will be revealed shortly. So from that printing, he has made:
* X+Y printings of the Pips block,
* X+Y printings of the Faces block, and
* Y+Y printings of the Trumps block.
He needs T tarocchi and R regular decks. Then here are the formulas for Y and X:
* Y = T/2, or in other words, T = Y+Y
* X = R+Y, or in other words, R = X-Y
The T tarocchi decks will need T Pips, T Faces, and T Trumps printings, and the R regular decks will need R Pips and R Faces printings. So for R regular and T tarocchi decks he needs:
* R+T printings of the Pips block, which is (X-Y) + (Y+Y) printings, which is X+Y printings, which is just what he has.
* R+T printings of the Faces block, which is (X-Y) + (Y+Y) printings, which is X+Y printings, which is just what he has.
* T printings of Trumps block, which is Y+Y printings, which is just what he has.
Thus, however many regular and tarocchi decks he needs, he can strike the right number of printings off the bolted blocks, to make those decks, with none left over. The only restriction is he must make an even number of tarocchi decks.
Each block has 27 slots. If the regular deck is 52 cards, then Pips and Faces block each have 26 cards on them, leaving one space on each block which could perhaps be used for printing a religious picture, or something. Even if those 2 out of 54 spaces were just wasted, that is only 3.7% of the paper wasted. As for Trumps block, it has 27 spaces. If one is left blank, like the other two blocks, and then four are used for the fourth face card (which tarocchi needs but the 52-card regular deck does not have), and then one space is used for the Fool card, there are 21 spaces for the trump cards. 21 is an interesting number. However, you could put one more trump in the empty space in Trumps block, and for that matter, two further trumps in the empty spaces in the Pips and Faces blocks. Thus the printing process constraints don't lead to 21 trumps for certain, they would allow up to 24 trumps.
So that's the story if you allow 9 cards across the c. 440mm side of the paper. If I'm wrong about woodcut printers using full sheets, rather than half sheets, of paper, then the printer does not need to bolt his blocks together, nor do so much algebra. He just prints R+T of Pips and Faces block, plus T of Trumps block, to make R regular and T tarocchi decks.
4. Printing 8 cards across the width of the paper, as the Rosenwald sheets do
Can we do something clever if the cards must be wider, so only 8 cards can fit across the sheets, not 9? With only 8 cards across, each full sheet of paper has room for 6x8 cards, that is 48 cards. Half sheets have room for 24. As Pratesi found, the Pips and Faces blocks can print a 48 card deck, but the Rosenwald Pips, Faces, and Trumps blocks together don't print anything that makes sense. Six more cards are needed to make the 78 card standard tarocchi. So we need a fourth block, and it must have:
* The fourth queen, the Queen of Batons,
* The Fool card, and
* Four Tens cards.
Perhaps it also needs two more boy Page cards, if tarocchi, which has four queens, had four boy Pages rather than two of each sex. What clever thing can we do with the 18 blank spaces? I suggest the fourth block should contain,
* The fourth queen, the Queen of Batons,
* The Fool card, and
* Twenty Tens cards, 5 sets of one of each suit,
* and perhaps two boy pages ; total 24.
Then every time a tarocchi deck is printed, a sheet with sixteen tens cards on it is left over, and the sheet is put on a pile. Every time regular decks are wanted, that is 52-card decks, one sheet is taken from the pile for each four regular decks. Unless you want fewer than one tarocchi deck for each four regular decks you want, you will always have plenty of tens in the pile, so a printing of the Pips and Faces blocks (which is one sheet of paper) will be enough for a 52 card regular deck. This is an explanation of a workable business plan that could have produced the three existing Rosenwald sheets. This explanation does not imply a 48-card regular deck; it is fine with a 52-card deck.
If my proposal of a fourth block with twenty tens cards on it seems too bizarre, the other options are:
* These Rosenwald sheets were printed on blocks which were never used for commercial production and sale,
* OR, only 48-card regular decks were ever made, and the third sheet was struck off a block with trumps on it that was never used commercially,
* OR, someone tried to make a living selling tarocchi decks with three but not four queens,
* OR, a fourth sheet was printed with only 6 out of 24 spaces filled, and most of that sheet of bambagina paper was used to start the morning fire.
5. The 1477 contract in Bologna.
A Pratesi article about this contract is translated here: viewtopic.php?f=11&t=1128
The section of the contract which was transcribed, translated, and posted reads:
I think it unlikely that Master Pietro could arrive with 125,000 decks of cards and walk away with 18,000 soldi. I rather assume the idea is 125 decks per month, or if not per month then per some other set period, already established by custom. This is the normal sort of arrangement that a dealer makes with a manufacturer.Item that the aforesaid Mr. Roberto is obligated to give and pay to the aforesaid Master Pietro or his son in his name eighteen soldi of money for each 125 packs of cards, or true triumphs sufficiently less than for 125 packs, in so far as the number of the cards is more of Triumphs than of cards.
The 1908 report of the contract said:
Pratesi says the original of the contract makes no mention of the numbers 40 and 60; they are only in the 1908 description of the contract. In 1908 I believe, ordinary decks of playing cards had 52 cards, and tarocchi or tarot decks had 78, and 52/78 = 40/60. I think the mention of 40 and 60 in 1908, is the ratio between the number of cards in the regular decks and the number of cards in the tarocchi decks, which ratio was 40 to 60 in 1908. Why did he say 40 to 60 rather than 2 to 3? No idea. Perhaps he thought it sounded more scientific, like the people who say 50% when they mean one-half.* 1) both cards and triumphs were used for playing [giocare];
* 2) cards were only 40, triumphs 60;
* 3a) production occurred in groups of 125 decks of cards, or in the case of a smaller number of groups also including packs of triumphs, in an "equivalent" manner, ie, with a same total number of cards.
* 3b) each card, whether belonging to cards or triumphs, required roughly the same commitment to work and the same raw materials, so that differences in price thus did not exist (a rasone de carta per carta debba essere pagato come de le carte e non più [because card for card should be paid as cards and no more].)
This contract will work smoothly provided the ratio in 1477 between the deck sizes was a ratio of small integers. For example if the regular deck was 52 cards and the tarocchi deck was 79 cards rather than 78, then since 52 and 79 are not connected as a ratio of small integers, there are only two ways to fulfill this contract:
* either Master Pietro provides 125 regular decks and no tarocchi decks,
* or he provides 46 regular and 52 tarocchi decks.
So if Mr. Roberto wants more than zero tarocchi decks, his only option is to take 52 of them! That is obviously impractical. No one would sign such a contract. So the deck sizes in 1477, in Bologna, must have been linked by a ratio of small integers. We must therefore propose a regular deck size, and a tarocchi deck size, such that each is at least a little bit plausible, and the two are linked by a small-integer ratio. There aren't too many cases to check. For example if the smaller deck is 52 cards, then the only ratios to check are1:2, 2:3, 4:5, and 4:7. All other ratios give non-integer sizes for the larger deck. These four ratios imply deck sizes for the larger deck of 104, 78, 65, and 91. Tarocchi decks of 91 or 104 have never been proposed. 65 might work for the game of 8 Emperors, but that game had not been heard of for a long time before 1477.
In fact, 52 and 78 is the only pair of sizes I found, linked by a small integer ratio, with both of them plausible. 40 and 60, suggested to me by mikeh, is barely plausible, since Bologna in particular is known for playing with truncated decks, such as decks without 8s, 9s, and 10s. But while there may have been one game played with a 40 card deck, it is hard to believe that only that one game was ever played in Bologna, or that every game they played used a deck truncated in the same way. That would have to be true if you could say "deck of cards" and in Bologna it always meant 40 cards with no ambiguity. If even legal contracts could say "deck of cards" and have it mean 40 cards, that would imply that no one in Bologna ever played or even thought of playing any game but that one game. (Of course, if the 1477 Bologna contract mentions 40 and 60 card decks after all, all bets are off). So when Master Pietro signed a contract to supply 125 decks of cards, he didn't think he needed to specify that they were 40-card decks: it was a given, in Bologna, that a deck of cards was 40 cards. That seems to me unlikely. Even more unlikely is that "trionfi deck" meant 60 cards with no ambiguity, since that assumes a tarocchi game with the truncated base deck, plus no fourth face card, plus 19 trumps, a number for which there is no independent support. That both 40 and 60 are true, seems very unlikely.
Anyway, the only point I need to make here is that a small-integer ratio, between the regular and the trionfi deck, is a convenience for commerce. If it is 2:3, a shop keeper can remember that the price of three regular decks is the price of two trionfi decks.
6. An explanation of 21 trumps.
It is not at all clear that the regular deck had 52 cards when the first trionfi decks came into existence. If the regular decks had already lost one of the four face cards before trionfi started, it's not clear why trionfi would have four. But if the regular decks had 52 cards, then there were reasons, not strong ones, but still some reasons, to make the new larger game have just one and a half times as many cards, that is, 78 cards. This was for the printer's convenience, and for the distributor and shopkeeper's convenience, as well. Given 26 new slots to fill in the larger decks, the designer has the luxury to put back in the queens that the regular deck had dropped. (If we can take Rosenwald sheets as a guide to which face card the regular decks did not have.) The new game will have a Fool (Matto). So if the new deck is to have 78 cards, and have the four queens back, and have a Fool, that leaves just 21 spaces to fill with trumps. That 21 is one and a half times the number of cards in each of the new deck's regular suits, is just coincidence.
As I said, the technical advantages (to the printer) and the business advantages to the mercer, of a 2:3 ratio are not huge, but still, they are reasons. I can see no reason at all why you would want the number of trumps to be in a 2:3 ratio to the number of cards in each trionfi suit. There may be a certain elegance to doing it that way, but it is technical and business reasons that make things happen in the world. So the 2:3 ratio to 52, seems to me the best explanation I've seen for 78 cards, and therefore, the best for 21 trumps.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Washington was 8.5 percent short of the agricultural labor it needed in September, according a monthly survey by the state Department of Employment Security.
That corresponds with an 8.8 percent shortage the prior September and an 8.6 percent shortage two years ago. It's up from 7 percent in August of 2013, 6 percent in July and down from 8.8 percent in June.
Most of the shortage is in seasonal tree fruit work, but the 8.5 percent is within the norm of such surveys of the last two years, said John Wines, a department economic analyst who authored the report.
There were 42,460 apple harvest workers in September, Wines said. H-2A visa foreign guest workers and higher piece rate payments helped meet growers' needs, Wines said.
The average piece rate for apple pickers increased 15.9 percent from $19.65 per bin in November 2010 to $22.77 in November 2011, he noted.
The monthly labor shortage estimates are based on agricultural operators' responses to questions of whether they failed to complete some work due to lack of available seasonal labor and how many more employees they could have used.
The August number came from a return of 671 surveys out of 2,000 sent to agricultural operators. The response ratio is usually in that range.
Statewide seasonal agricultural employment increased 9 percent over the three years from September 2011 through September 2013, the report says. More people are working in tree fruit but it's not enough to meet the demand of increased acreage production, Kirk Mayer, manager of the Washington Growers Clearing House Association in Wenatchee, has said.
Total statewide agricultural employment increased an estimated 14.3 percent from September 2012 to September 2013, according to the report.
Statewide seasonal ag employment dropped 2 percent from September 2012 through September 2013. That's mainly due to a smaller apple crop than a year ago, Wines said.
The report showed a September-to-September decrease of 4,880 workers in apples, 1,450 in miscellaneous vegetables, 1,030 in blueberries, 500 in grapes, 170 in wheat and grains and 20 in cucumbers.
It showed a September-to-September increase of 1,970 workers in hops, 1,660 in pears, 930 in potatoes, 540 in other tree fruit, 520 in raspberries, 500 in other seasonal, 210 in nursery, 140 in onion, 120 in cherries and 30 in bulbs.
The average inflation-adjusted seasonal wage rate was up 5.3 percent from two years earlier. The inflation-adjusted state minimum wage rose 3.5 percent during the same three years.
The state's seasonal agricultural employment was estimated at 70,410 in September, down from 71,870 in September 2012. Total agricultural employment was estimated at 128,640 versus 112,510 a year earlier.


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Series 3870
Application area
Transporting and accumulating unit handling, such as cardboards or containers. Also suitable for implementing buffer sections.
Two-sided friction coupling
It is a double friction roller whose two-side friction couplings are connected with each other by an internal tube. Positioning materials of different widths to the friction side are not required in this case.
Robust construction
The drive heads are pressed together with the internal tube which secures them against dropping out.
Numerous drive variants
A toothed belt drive head and sprockets with different number of teeth are available so that wrapping and tangential chain drive can be implemented.
Note: Please read the additional important information about the use of the friction roller in the planning section, Friction rollers.


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Something Old/Something New
This story appears in the April 1997 issue of . Subscribe »
At first, Tyco's Tickle Me Elmo seemed like an ordinary toy. But shortly after its release, the giggling plush Muppet from Sesame Street became immensely popular, selling out at toy stores faster than Bert could get annoyed with Ernie. When Christmas-season laws of supply and demand caused prices to skyrocket into the hundreds of dollars for each toy, those who had Tickle Me Elmo dolls to sell considered themselves lucky. Those who didn't, wished they had.
Few things skyrocket in price like the Tickle Me Elmo dolls. But interest in antiques and collectibles is high. If you've caught collecting fever, whether for primitive furniture, decorative items, jewelry or even modern fast-food kids' meal toys, selling collectibles or antiques just may be your ticket to business ownership.
Although there are numerous ways to sell antiques and collectibles, one of the most popular is through an antique mall or co-op.
Johanna S. Billings is a freelance writer and avid glass collector who specializes in covering the antiques and collectibles trade.
How an Antique Mall Works
Selling through an antique mall or co-op is a type of consignment. You place your items in the mall, which sells the items, paying you only after a customer buys something.
With most consignment deals, the store owner takes from 25 to 50 percent of the selling price. With an antique mall, however, you rent a booth or case and pay a commission (usually between three and 10 percent of your gross sales). The cost of case and booth rentals vary by mall, with most malls charging between $50 and $200 per month. Some will require a lease, though many allow you to rent from month to month.
By selling this way, independent antique dealers reap the benefits of their knowledge and experience without taking big risks. Your cash outlay is relatively small, at least in comparison to the costs of opening your own private shop.
Malls also provide a full-time staff to run the shop, leaving you free to hunt for more merchandise or keep your regular job. Another type of mall, the co-op, requires each participating dealer to work several days per month in addition to paying rent. If you are employed, be sure time slots are available to suit your schedule.
Choosing a Mall
Cost and staffing are but two things to consider when deciding where to sell your items. You must also consider hours of operation, location and the type of items that will sell at a particular store.
Since interest in antiques has grown over the past 20 years, many malls are now open seven days a week. But hours still vary, and it's not uncommon for a mall to be open only on weekends. One mall may rent spaces more cheaply than another, but if the mall is open every day, the extra cost might be worthwhile.
The location of the mall will also affect your cost. Dealer Terri Mowrer of Columbia, Pennsylvania, pays $75 to rent a glass case at the nearby Antique Center of York, which is open seven days a week. But in Adamstown, which is also near her home, case rentals for similar malls start at about $150. "Adamstown is a whole different ballgame," says Mowrer. That's because Adamstown has a national reputation as "Antiques Capital USA." People come from all over the country, and even the world, to shop in Adamstown, where about two dozen large malls and co-ops are located within a two-mile stretch of highway.
An antique mall must also be easily accessible in order to do well. Antique lovers frequently travel hundreds of miles to shop, always hoping to discover that elusive treasure. If someone new in town can't easily find your mall, you'll lose potential sales.
Equally important is the type of merchandise other dealers sell at the mall you choose. If you have mostly Victorian items, for instance, you probably won't do as well at a mall which specializes in late twentieth-century collectibles, such as Barbie and Batman memorabilia.
Regardless, you also should find out how well the malls under your consideration are doing. Before making a decision, watch customers in the malls that you are considering to see how many are buying, and ask other dealers who sell there how well they're doing, says AntiqueWeek eastern editor Connie Swaim, who for the past eight years has sold pottery and other decorative items at an antique mall near her home in Carthage, Indiana.
Finding and Pricing Merchandise
Antiques and collectibles can be purchased for resale from a variety of sources, including auctions, yard sales, estate sales, Internet sites, private collections and even other antique malls.
Although the variety of places selling antiques and collectibles is fairly large, you must remember that you cannot simply call a supplier when you run low on merchandise. Keeping items in stock requires continuous legwork. And there are no guarantees. Some sales might be better than advertised, while some might not be nearly as good as they sounded. "I've sat through some auction sales that were real duds just to get a few things," says Mowrer. But, to those who enjoy collecting, the "treasure hunt" aspect of the business is one of its major draws.
It's best to specialize in buying and reselling items you like and know something about. "I've been sticking primarily to opalescent glass and Carnival glass, and two types of ceramics known as flow blue and majolica--anything I might know a little bit about," says Mowrer. This makes the entire process easier because she knows where to find things, how to recognize good pieces, and generally how to price them.
Even the most knowledgeable dealers run into a few snags now and then. "You have to do a lot of research," says Swaim. "I can spend hours just trying to figure out what to price one thing."
Where to Learn What You Need to Know
In order to make it as an independent antiques dealer, you must spend time and money building up your knowledge and reference library. Every dealer should have one or more general price guides, like Schroeder's Antiques Price Guide (Schroeder Publishing, $12.95, 800-626-5420), Kovel's Antiques & Collectibles Price List, 29th Edition (Crown, $14.95, 800-726-0600) or Warman's Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide (Krause Publications, $16.95, 800-258-0929). Other, more specialized price guides, like The Collector's Encyclopedia of Depression Glass by Gene Florence or The Collector's Guide to Antique Radios by Marty and Sue Bunis (both from Collector Books, $19.95 and $18.95 respectively, 502-898-6211), will nicely supplement the main guides, offering more detailed and complete information on specific categories of merchandise.
Although price guides are useful, dealers should realize they are not gospel. Prices vary, according to the condition of the piece and the location in which you are selling. The price for a piece of collectible glassware in California or Washington, where quality glass is relatively scarce, might be double what the same piece goes for in Pennsylvania or New Jersey, where glass is more plentiful.
Finding out the value of a piece is but one step toward successful sales. Collectors like to know a little about the origin and history of their treasures, and will shop repeatedly where dealers accurately label their merchandise with information about the manufacturer, age and pattern name, if any.
You can get more detailed information on specific pieces through reference books. These books can sometimes be even more valuable than simple price guides because they frequently contain valuable information, such as how to spot fakes and reproductions.
"I'm surprised at how much I've learned just by looking through books," says Mowrer. "The Carnival glass people really know their patterns." By knowing the pattern names of the pieces she sells, she earns the respect of collectors. Talking to other dealers and attending auctions can also be educational. "Even if I spend a whole night at a sale without buying, but I learn something, it's worth it."
Of course, the process of pricing your merchandise begins before you actually buy items for resale. Mowrer brings her price guides to auctions; before bidding, she'll look up the pieces' values and decide how much she can spend and still expect to make a decent profit. "I decide my price and then I stick to it," she says. "But there are some people who go right up to book price."
"There are different kinds of dealers," says Annetta Vitez, who manages Merchant's Square Mall Antique & Specialty Shops in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where she is also a seller. "Some feel they have to double or even triple their money. Others are satisfied with a $5 profit margin. But the second kind don't last too long."
Mowrer strives to at least double her money on everything she sells, a policy which has earned her, at times, between $100 and $200 a week.
Swaim also tries to double her money, but adds that selling antiques is merely a hobby for her. Experts agree that professional dealers should try to triple their money to compensate themselves for their time and expenses.
Legal Questions
Antique-mall staff will collect state sales tax from customers, but will turn that money over to you, the independent dealer, for payment to the state. You will need a sales tax number, available at no charge from the state in which you do business.
Swaim also suggests looking into business insurance, since sellers may not always be covered under the mall's policy. Sellers can be held liable for selling reproductions, and are also potentially liable if they sell something unsafe, such as an old toaster which starts a fire in the buyer's home.
Pitfalls to Avoid
As interest in antiques and collectibles grows, reproductions proliferate. At first glance, many look like the real thing. But dealers who repeatedly make mistakes will quickly earn a bad name with knowledgeable collectors.
In addition, knowing what will sell can sometimes be guesswork. Mowrer put some Blue Ridge dinnerware--which is neither as old nor as well-known as other ceramics in which she specializes--on the bottom shelf of her showcase, just to make it look full. Surprisingly, the dinnerware has been selling faster than anything else. "What you think is going to go usually doesn't," she laughs.
Novice dealers should be wary of jumping on immediate trends. Cabbage Patch dolls, which were all the rage 10 years ago, now sit in antique shops priced at less than $30. If you want to make money on fads such as these, you have to move quickly before prices plummet.
Whatever you display in your booth or case, try to move your wares around about once a week. "Keep it looking different," Mowrer says, "even if it's the same stuff."
Any business has the best chance of success when the entrepreneur in charge enjoys it. Nowhere is that more true than in the antiques and collectibles field.
"You've got to love it. That's basically the whole thing in a nutshell," says Mowrer, who has a full-time job as a janitor and devotes evenings and weekends to her antiques business. If the work were drudgery, she would not be willing to spend the time necessary for success. "The hunt is the thrill. I'll be happy if I can just pay for my addiction to antiques," she laughs.
"A lot of people go into this business because they think it's easy," says Swaim. Many beginning dealers who inherited quality items from a family member, or who decide to sell things from their personal collections, are surprised to find the business can be quite challenging down the road. "They don't realize that once the good stuff is gone, they have to go out and replace it."
Selling antiques and collectibles may not make you rich. But you can reap financial rewards if you go into the business armed with knowledge, persistence and a true love of the business and the merchandise you sell.
Reader Resource
The Antiques & Collectibles Dealer Association offers liability and property insurance, merchant services such as credit-card processing and check guarantees, and educational programs and seminars. Membership is $35 per year. For more information, call (800) 287-7127, or write to P.O. Box 2782, Huntersville, NC 28070.
AntiqueWeek is a national trade publication offering readers weekly features on antiques and collectibles, plus regular columns offering advice on everything from running an antiques business to refinishing wood. A one-year subscription is $25.45 and includes the annual Antique Shop Guide. For more information, call (800) 876-5133, write to P.O. Box 90, Knightstown, IN 46148, or contact them online (http://www.antiqueweek.com).
Literally hundreds of books and price guides exist. The five main publishers are:
- Antique Publications, P.O. Box 553, Marietta, OH, 45750-9963; (800) 533-3433.
- Antique Trader Publications, P.O. Box 1050, Dubuque, IA, 52004; (319) 588-2073.
- Collector Books, P.O. Box 3009, Paducah, KY 42002-3009; (502) 898-6211.
- Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 4880 Lower Valley Rd., Atglen, PA 19310; (610) 593-1777.
- Krause Publications, 700 E. State St., Iola, WI 54990; (715) 445-2214.
The Institute for the Study of Antiques and Collectibles, run by collectibles expert Harry Rinker, hosts seminars and classes on antiques and collectibles. Topics include authenticating pieces, buying and selling, and expanding your horizons as a dealer. For more information, write the institute at 5093 Vera Cruz Rd., Emmaus, PA 18049, or call (610) 965-1122.
"Antique & Collectors Reproduction News" is a monthly newsletter covering reproductions, copies and look-alikes, with both text and detailed photos showing old and new pieces side by side. Annual subscriptions are $32, and back issues are available. For more information, call (800) 227-5531, or write to P.O. Box 12130, Des Moines, IA 50312.
Contact Sources
Merchant's Square Mall Antique & Specialty Shops, 1901 S. 12th St., Allentown, PA 18103, (610) 797-7743.
Terri Mowrer, 735 Chestnut St., Columbia, PA 17512.


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VANCOUVER -- Hollywood dazzler George Clooney has stunned fans in recent days by popping up at bars and restaurants throughout downtown Vancouver.
The actor jetted into YVR from Hong Kong on Wednesday, and is rumoured to be staying at a hotel in the city's core.
Susan (@Hamhuishipcheck) was floored when she walked into Joey's at Robson and Burrard Friday night to see Hollywood's most eligible bachelor perched at the bar.
"OMG GEORGE CLOONEY IS AT MY BAR HOLY SHIT LOL" she tweeted.
The next morning, the star struck fan continued: "Funniest thing from last night. I was like Lord give me a hot guy to look at in this bar next thing George f---ng CLOONEY walks in! NO LIES."
Kyle Kourer and his sister ran into Clooney at Joey's also - Enjoying the company of george clooney at Joeys!!! :) and in another tweet Kourer wrote - My sister and George Clooney!!! :)
Clooney also took time to pose with grinning girls on Saturday night outside Minami Restaurant in Yaletown (see the photos attached, or if using a handheld device, click on the image above this story and swipe).
He's here filming Tomorrowland with Hugh Laurie. They'll be bouncing around B.C. until Jan. 15, so keep those cameras at reach.
Country superstar Tim McGraw is also expected to join the the Tomorrowland cast next week.
Also, a reader spotted Eric Winter and Roselyn Sanchez with their little baby at Granville Island today (Sunday).
Other famous faces to look out for in the coming weeks include Seth Rogen and James Franco, who'll be here filming The Interview from Oct. 8 to Dec. 18.
And... (hold on to your, um, seats, girls)... Charlie Hunnam and Dakota Johnson will be here from Nov. 5 to Jan. 28 filming Fifty Shades of Grey under the secret code word, The Adventures of Max & Banks.
Michael J Fox is also in town right now.
Other feature films in the works include Step Up 5 (starting this week), and rumours of the World of Warcraft coming in January 2014.
Have you seen a celebrity? Tweet @katyavansun or email email@example.com


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PEACHTREE ESTATE SALES is in DECATUR for 2 DAYS!!!
estate sale•3 day sale •sale is over
Oct 6
10am to 3pm
Oct 7
10am to 3pm
Oct 8
9am to 4pm
CASH/ Debit-Credit only -- 3% added to all cards.
Come prepared to take your items home with you.
Peachtree Estate Sales does charge sales tax
We have multiple sales going on this weekend! Check us out at PeachtreeEstateSales.com you won't want to miss us, so drive on over!!
This sale has some fabulous finds! Art, china figurines, beutiful furniture, armoirs, tables lamps and so much more!!!
Thurs, Fri, Sat
10-3 Thurs Oct 6
10-3 Fri Oct 7
9-4 Sat Oct 8
1106 Moorestown Circle
Decatur, GA 30033
You know the drill.
Please READ BELOW:
***ALL SALES ARE FINAL!*** It's up to YOU to plug something in, try it out, etc. This is not kindergarten friends. (Although I really did love kindergarten. Just sayin')
NO PRESALES over the PHONE unless OTHERWISE STATED:
Peachtree Estate Sales DOES charge sales tax –ALL SALES ARE FINAL! – 3% charge on all cc/debit cards in addition to the sales charge.
*Keep our sales orderly! Do not 'dump' items out of things, if you move something put it back!
BE RESPECTFUL to one another — it's just 'stuff'. No need to be ugly or rude to another customer. If we feel you continue to have aggressive behavior or don't use your 'MANNERS' we will ask you to leave.
All LARGE items are priced, and smaller ones of significant monetary value. All smaller items are priced in a 'group' pricing. Make a stack of all items at checkout and we will give you a price on your group of items. Happy Treasure Hunting! Woot! Woot!
**Parking — Can only park on ONE side of the street ONLY! Park on the side of the street that house is located on. Do not block driveways or mailboxes, please. Thanks!
NO CHECKS ACCEPTED – CASH OR CREDIT/DEBIT ONLY (3% added for all cards)
*Because of the many people who attend our sales, questions re: individual items are very hard to answer —- just come to the sale!
We accept CASH/CREDIT – Debit run as credit (add 3% on all cards)
Come prepared to take your items home SAME DAY.
For insurance purposes, staff members cannot carry heavy/large items for you.
You must arrange for your own people to carry/load/deliver your items.
We price 'to sell' the first day and throughout the length of the sale.
We have the 'right' to go through any bags you bring into the sale.
Peachtree Estate Sales is not responsible for accidents nor is the homeowner.
**Children must remain with parents at ALL times.
Bring bags/totes/boxes/newspapers for wrapping — to help with your items. We do not provide these.
If we SELL OUT of items before the end of sale time, we will close the sale down early.
We APPRECIATE our customers – and thank you for coming to our estate sales!
Please note – owners may remove items were originally to be part of the sale for whatever reason. We apologize if this happens. We know you come for certain items. We try our best to make sure we are as accurate as possible with our photos and advertising.
Thank you for using EstateSales.NET. You're the best!


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Kalani went to see his daughter sing in the Kamehameha Schools Annual Songcontest. Her Sophomore class won the co-ed division. Looking at the photos brought back so many memories. The collective voices of the future rising up harmoniously in unison. A beautiful gift of spirit. For the soul...
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Posted by Ka`iana at 6:28 PM
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- Sort by Default Order
- Display 15 Products per page
We do natural is just what we do. We have researched all type of products looking for the back to products that we can find, and now we are sharing what we have found with the public. We have put all this together for your one stop shopping for natural products.


text: This picture is a chest x-ray of a person with a lung mass. This is a front view, where the lungs are the two dark areas and the heart and other structures are visible in the middle of the chest. The x-ray shows a mass in the right upper lung, indicated with the arrow (seen on the left side of the picture).


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You have no items in your shopping cart.
Power Ionics Products:You've probably seen over recent years the huge number of sportsmen and celebrities wearing bracelets that they say helps their performance and improve their well being. At POWER IONICS we set about making the best, most practical product of its type and our range is a result of that hard work. So confident are we in our product we offer a full 30 day money back guarantee.


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Even Metal Gods have to hang it up eventually, and for Judas Priest, 2011 seems as good a time as any. The legendary heavy metal band has announced that next summer's Epitaph world tour will be their last.
In a press release, the band stated that "the mighty Priest will certainly be going out strong as they rock the planet. Hitting all the major cities throughout the world, they will be playing the songs that helped make the name Judas Priest synonymous with heavy metal! With all guns blazing and amps cranked to eleven, the band will be giving all their fans one last chance to witness the ultimate metal experience that is Judas Priest!"
Starting 9 June, Priest are scheduled to play eight festivals in Europe, including a headlining spot for London's prestigious High Voltage Festival on 23 July. Below are all the tour dates that have been announced so far. Additional dates are said to be forthcoming.
9 June - Sweden Rock Festival - Sweden
11 June - Sauna Festival - Finland
17 June - Copenhell Festival - Copenhagen
19 June - Hellfest - Nantes, France
22 June - Gods of Metal Festival - Milan
25 June - Graspop Festival - Belgium
23 July - High Voltage Festival - London
5 August - Wacken Festival - Wacken, Germany


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The Boys and Girls Club of Central Illinois is back and moving forward, says Douglas King, the organization's new full-time executive director and the first since Jill Schurtz left the organization in February 2010.
King became executive director of the organization, known for its youth development programs, in January. He retired in 2009 from a 22-year career in state government and the Illinois State Lottery.
This time last year the club was all but dead, as the nonprofit had essentially pulled out of its 300 S. 15th Street location from August 2010 until February 2011, leaving the Springfield Urban League in charge of the building.
Without a full-time director from February 2010 until King's arrival, the club last year skipped its annual fundraising gala, closed its satellite Springfield facility, the ABC Boys and Girls Club south of Bunn Park, and got a late start on many of its after-school programs.
The organization decided not to renew after-school grant programs in Cass and Scott counties, leaving a Boys and Girls Club of Central Illinois presence only in Sangamon, Morgan and Greene counties. "I think we realized that while we were doing well three years ago, our tentacles might have been out there too far. We had purposely pulled back and our emphasis is here in Springfield. We love those programs in Jacksonville and Roodhouse, and they need those programs there, so that's primarily why we're still there. But our emphasis is here in Springfield," King says.
The group also closed a Jacksonville facility (its remaining programs are in the schools) and has over time seen its budget diminish from about $3 million to about $1.2 million, King says.
"I think a lot of nonprofits went through, and continue to go through, struggles to try and raise money. I don't think the Boys and Girls Club was alone," says Peter "Cass" Casper, the president of the club's board of directors. "We've gotten our house back in order."
King says the organization's struggle to remain viable in recent years was largely due to too much reliance on government funds. "If you're looking for support, from the state of Illinois for example, either you see programs cut back or payments are slow." He blames program cuts as well as a movement toward more reimbursement-based grants for some of the club's past financial problems. "My greatest need right now is cash-flow. The way our major grants come in, we have to expend the money first and then be reimbursed by our funders."
King says that at least 95 percent of the club's funding comes from government sources at this point. That's too high a percentage and the organization needs to better tap into private donors, both individuals and businesses, King says.
"We need to be at a point where if the program's good enough and successful enough to initiate and implement, then it ought to be good enough to continue even when that other funding stops. One of my tasks is to build sustainability plans," King says.
To that end, this year the gala is back, scheduled for Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. at the Hilton Springfield, and the organization is working on being more organized and capitalizing more on smaller-scale fundraisers, such as a Nov. 15 fundraiser at Texas Roadhouse that will send 10 percent of dinner bills to the Boys and Girls Club. King says the club is also going to work to better market itself. "We still have people who say 'I didn't know you guys were open.' So that's part of my responsibility," King says.
Contact Rachel Wells at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Britney Amber
Posted on December 16, 2015
Sexy professor Britney Amber has her hands full with yet another clueless film student. Xander has a lot to learn when it comes to making erotic films, so she shows him exactly how to work the camera while she strips down to her bra and panties. Xander can't believe he's getting such a hands-on education and does exactly what his teacher tells him to do. The camera loves Professor Amber and her big tits almost as much as she loves getting fucked on film.


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Best new adventure trips of 2009
-- Exploration of new and little-known places is one of the hallmarks of adventure, which is what makes these 10 new trips stand out from the rest. Read on to find out how you can visit emerging destinations with veteran explorers and experience some classic destinations in new ways.
The Wilds of Assynt, ScotlandProvider: Wilderness Scotland Length: Seven days Price: $1,091
Not very many places in Western Europe can still be accurately called "wild," but Assynt in northwest Scotland, a region of finger-shaped lochs, table-top mountains, and empty beaches, promises a remoteness hard to find on the mainland of the Continent. Assynt is part of the North West Highlands UNESCO Geopark, which was designated to protect the area's geological features, including three-billion-year-old rocks.
"Assynt is among the least populated regions in all of Europe," says Stevie Christie, director of the award-winning Wilderness Scotland. "In Assynt, you will enjoy true wilderness and everything that comes with that including prolific wildlife such as golden eagles and red deer stags; all day hikes where you won't see another person; and a freedom and freshness that you don't find elsewhere."
After scouting the region for more than 10 years, Christie has designed a hiking tour that takes visitors to some of Assynt's most beautiful and untouched places. Hiking an average of seven hours a day at a moderate pace, you'll climb hills like the small but visually impressive Stac Pollaidh, and Suliven, a pillar-shaped peak known as Scotland's "Sugar Loaf." Along the coast, you'll walk past sea stacks (vertical rock columns) and along sandy beaches and have the option to go sea kayaking. One trip highlight comes early on: a boat tour of the Summer Isles, a mostly uninhabited archipelago where you can often spot dolphins and whales. "[This] is a fantastic addition to a regular hiking trip as you get to explore the islands, as well as enjoy unusual vantage points of the mountains you will hike up during the trip," says Christie.
Trip planning: Departures are scheduled for June 13, August 8, and September 26. Rates include accommodations, daily breakfast and lunch plus dinner on the first and last night of the trip, ground transportation, the boat trip, and a guide and driver. Most dinners, alcohol, and airfare are extra. Round-trip late September airfare from Newark to Edinburgh, starts at $846, including taxes, through Hotwire. From Edinburgh, you can take a Megabus coach to the trip start point in Inverness for as little as £1.
Snorkeling and Kayaking the Philippines' Isles of PalawanProvider: Wilderness Travel Length: 13 days Price: $4,495
While on his quest to circumnavigate the world, Ferdinand Magellan and some of his men were killed in a battle on a Pacific island. His remaining comrades fled on ship and nearly starved until they landed on Palawan, a remote tropical island rich with banana and coconut trees, yams, and other crops tended by friendly islanders. The voyage's chronicler, Antonio Pigafetta, called Palawan "the Land of Promise," and indeed, after replenishing themselves on the island, the explorers were able to successfully complete their circling of the globe.
Today, the island and the other 1,760 islets that make up the Philippines' Palawan archipelago are seen as a promised land for naturalists. All are part of the Coral Triangle, the most biologically diverse marine habitat on earth. Next spring, adventure outfitter Wilderness Travel will run two-week kayaking and snorkeling tours of islands, putting travelers in close contact with many of region's most exciting marine animals. Marine biologist Lee Goldman leads the trips, providing tour goers with scientific insight into the ecosystems they visit.
In the Bay of Donsol, you'll spend two days tracking and swimming with whale sharks, the world's largest fish. "The coastal fishing village of Donsol is known to have the largest numbers of recorded sightings of whale sharks in the world. Our departures are timed to coincide with the highest concentrations that occur in spring," says Molly Casey of Wilderness Travel. Later you'll kayak among the towering karst-limestone islands of the El Nido Marine Reserve, snorkel inside caves, explore coral reefs home to more than 800 species of fish, and paddle along white sand beaches lined coconut palms. The wildlife experience culminates with a snorkeling trip around Dimakya Island, where you have the chance to swim with dugongs (sea cows), a marine mammal similar to a manatee that spends its days grazing on sea grass.
Trip planning: 2009 departures include March 14, April 4, and May 4. The package price includes accommodations, airport transfers, all land and sea transportation, entrance fees, kayaking equipment, all meals plus beer and wine at campsites, and guides. Accommodations range from eco-resorts, including the award-winning Lagen Island Resort, to deluxe beach camping. You must bring your own snorkeling equipment. Airfare is also extra. Round-trip March airfare from Los Angeles to Manila, starts at $933, including taxes, on Asiana Airlines. Internal flights within the Philippines can be purchased through Wilderness Travel for $495.
Discover ColombiaProvider: Big Five Tours & Expeditions Length: Six days Price: $1,880
Colombia has long had a reputation as one of the world's most dangerous destinations, and has been avoided by most travelers for decades. In the past five years, however, the country has quietly been getting its act together, putting in place stronger security measures and creating tourism programs to help it emerge onto the world travel scene. A few foreign tour companies are beginning to run trips to Colombia for intrepid travelers eager to be among the first wave to experience what the country has to offer: beautiful colonial cities, a vibrant culture, undeveloped Pacific and Caribbean beaches, and green hills where some of the world's best coffee grows.
Next year, the custom luxury adventure company Big Five Tours & Expeditions, based in Stuart, Florida, will begin offering a six-day program in Colombia with a special emphasis on culture and coffee. The journey starts in Bogota with a guided tour of the city's historic heart. Here you'll see historic sites like the Casa de Narino, the president's palace; the richly adorned Iglesia De San Ignacio, which was constructed in 1635; and the Plaza de Bolivar, Old Bogota's central square. You'll also take the cable car up Mount Monserrate, which offers expansive views of the city.
Later you'll venture into the "Coffee Zone," a land of verdant hills and valleys in the Central Andes. "Much of the country's lifestyles and traditions are centered around coffee, so this part of the journey helps our guests really connect with Colombians," says Deborah Kilcollins of Big Five Tours. Based out of the luxurious Sazagua boutique hotel in Pereira, you'll learn about coffee traditions through visiting coffee plantations, touring the towns that developed around coffee growing, and possibly even attending the national coffee pageant in the city of Armenia. You'll also have time for hiking in Corcora Valley, where 160-foot wax palm trees tower like skyscrapers over the coffee bushes.
Trip planning: This trip can be arranged at any time. Prices are per person based on double occupancy and include accommodations, ground transportation, daily breakfast and one lunch, guides, and entrance fees. Dinners, most lunches, and airfare are extra. Round-trip May airfare from Los Angeles to Bogota, starts at $568, including taxes, through Delta.
Kayak in God's Pocket, British ColumbiaProvider: Sea Kayak Adventures Length: Six days Price: $1,895
Sea Kayak Adventures has a great itinerary for veteran sea kayakers seeking for a new destination to explore or beginners who want to try a multi-day excursion without having to rough it: A six-day trip in British Columbia's God's Pocket Marine Provincial Park based out of an island resort in the middle of the park. Not only will you get to experience a spectacular region seldom visited by other kayakers—at the end of a good paddle you can unwind with a yoga session and a hot shower followed by a made-from-scratch meal in the comfy God's Pocket Resort to which the company has exclusive access.
"The lodge is a jewel and it is the only structure allowed in God's Pocket Provincial Park," says Nancy Mertz, co-owner of Sea Kayak Adventures. "This virtually uninhabited island chain provides sheltered kayaking next to nutrient-laden currents where salmon gather in huge numbers. The salmon are eagerly sought after by the northern resident subspecies of orca, bald eagles, and seals. Not a trip goes by that we don't see humpback and minke whales, dall's porpoises, and sea otters. As we kayak along our emerald isles and rocky points, we can look across the Queen Charlotte Strait to the snow-capped peaks of the BC Coastal Range—just spectacular. So we have incredible scenery right in the heart of spectacular wildlife and yet are close to shelter from the elements if need be."
During the trip, you'll kayak for about four hours each day with a break for lunch in between. In the afternoon you'll have time for hiking on the island and a yoga class before a happy hour on the resort's sun deck and then dinner. If you want a break from paddling for a day you can hang out at the resort or, if you're scuba certified, go diving with the lodge's host, who is also a dive master. "Jacques Cousteau named this area the world's best cold water scuba dive site," says Mertz.
Trip planning: This trip departs June 29. Other God's Pocket trips not including yoga begin every Monday between July 6 and August 3. Prices include transfers to God's Pocket Resort, lodging, meals, kayaking equipment and instruction, yoga, and guides. Transportation to the trip start location in Point Hardy, British Columbia, is extra. Round-trip June airfare from Los Angeles to Vancouver, starts at $451, including taxes, on US Airways. From Vancouver, it's an eight-hour drive to Port Hardy.
West Africa's Voodoo TrailProvider: G.A.P Adventures Length: 16 days Price: $2,399
In West Africa's Gulf of Guinea Coast, the spirits of the dead inhabit the living, true love can be made from ingredients purchased at the market, and battles are fought with riddles. Here, voodoo isn't a black art practiced in back alleys—it's a way of life for millions of people. On a unique cultural tour run by G.A.P Adventures in Benin, Togo, and Burkina Faso, you'll immerse yourself in the animistic beliefs and practices of Western Africa for a travel experience unlike any other.
On G.A.P's two-week "Voodoo Trail," you'll experience things few Westerners get the chance to, including divination ceremonies, visits with tribal royalty, and animal sacrifices. Starting in Togo's capital of Lome, tour a voodoo market and watch merchants selling ingredients to make love potions and other elixirs. In Ganvie, a Beninese village built on stilts in the middle of a lake, the local soothsayer demonstrates how he prophesizes the future. While in the Yoruba kingdom of Ketou, meet His Majesty the Oba (king) and his royal court, and witness the Dancing Masks of Egun, a ceremony in which cult members believe themselves to transform into their dead ancestors. At the fetish of Dankoli in the north of Benin, watch pilgrims pray and make sacrifices of goats and chickens to their god.
In the country of Burkina Faso, attend a storytelling competition in a Gurunsi village and watch elders test the young with riddles. Later, meet the shy Lobi people, whose men still carry bows and arrows and women wear lip disks. The trip ends in the rural capital of Ouagadougou, where locals perform a kind of street theater involving wooden masks and mythic themes.
Trip planning: In 2009, this trip departs September 26, November 14, and December 26. Prices include accommodations, some meals, activities, ground transportation, and guides. Some meals and airfare are extra. Late-September airfare from New York to Lome, Togo, and Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, back to New York starts at $1,491, including taxes, through Orbitz.
Laos Multi Sport Provider: BikeHike Adventures Length: 13 days Price: $2,299
With only 10% the population of Thailand and Vietnam and far fewer visitors, the little-known Southeast Asian country of Laos remains both wilder and far less touristy than its more popular neighbors. The landlocked nation has no beaches or worldly metropolises—a downfall for a certain segment of travelers—but that means it's easier for those who do come to enjoy what Laos does offer: some of Asia's most authentic cultural and natural experiences.
"Laos is still relatively untouched compared to Thailand and Vietnam, which is more appealing to many adventure travelers," says Trish Sare, director of BikeHike Adventures, which launches its first itinerary in Laos next year. "The people are still innocent [to mass tourism], so travelers get authentic experiences with the ethnic communities."
BikeHike's trip takes travelers to Laos' north, where you'll explore its remote hills and villages by foot, bike, and kayak. Around the UNESCO World Heritage city of Luang Prabang, you'll ride elephants and mountain bike to some of the area's many waterfalls and villages. "The local people are thrilled to see us, especially because we are on bicycles, and they ride up beside us all of the time," says Sare. "We often get invited into local homes to taste local delicacies."
Heading further north, you'll kayak down the Nam Ou River. "The Nam Ou River winds through the mountains and is covered in thick, lush forest," says Sare. "Life on the river is abundant with fishermen in small wooden boats, women washing clothes, and happy children playing in the river. There are many great opportunities along the river for interaction with the local people." On several treks to visit hill tribes like the Hmong and Khamu minorities, you'll stay in homes with locals and learn about their farming practices, religious beliefs, and family life.
Trip planning: Departures include January 18, February 15, March 29, April 19, May 17, September 6, October 11, and November 22. Rates cover accommodations, most meals, ground transportation, activities and equipment, and guides. Airfare is extra. Round-trip April airfare from Los Angeles to Bangkok, Thailand starts at $1,066, including taxes, on Asiana Airlines. From Bangkok, you can fly to Luang Prabang for about $360 plus taxes on Bangkok Airways.
Family Desert Adventure in Copper Canyon, MexicoProvider: REI Adventures Length: Nine days Price: $1,999 ($1,699 for kids)
With its deep canyons, red and gold painted deserts, and fascinating Native American and Western culture, the American Southwest has long been a popular destination. However, few Americans realize that this landscape and a similar culture extends across the border and deep into Mexico, where it gets even more interesting. Even fewer people actually visit. If you go to the heart of Mexico's wild northwest, Copper Canyon, you'll discover a sprawling canyon system four times larger than the Grand Canyon, a Native Mexican culture still practicing ancient traditions which were long abandoned by Native Americans, and few trappings of mass tourism.
REI Adventures' new Copper Canyon trip, which was designed specifically with families in mind, showcases many of the region's highlights through a variety of activities. The journey begins with a train trip into the canyon on the famous Chihuahua al Pacifico line. "'El Chepe' is an awe-inspiring rail journey over bridges, through tunnels, and incredible canyon scenery," says Maureen Seeley of REI Adventures. "In less than 180 miles we gain nearly 8,000 feet while passing through coastal shrub, pine forest, and high desert."
Inside the canyon area—which is composed of not one but six separate gorges—you'll ride on horseback to a waterfall, hike along the rim of Urique Canyon (which is more than a mile deep), and go mountain biking through white rock pinnacles known as the Valley of the Monks. You'll also have the chance to interact with the native people. "The cultural experience is that of the indigenous Tarahumara tribe who still practice a traditional lifestyle, inhabiting natural shelters such as caves or cliff overhangs, as well as small cabins of wood or stone," says Seeley. "We take the opportunity to visit a local boarding school for a brief look into the lives of modern day Tarahumaran kids."
Trip planning: Departures include June 27, July 18, and August 1. The trip price is $1,999 ($1,699 for children ages eight to 17) for REI members; nonmembers pay $2,249. If you're not already a member it's worthwhile to get a lifetime membership as it only costs $20. Prices include accommodations, meals, activities, ground transportation, and guides. Airfare is extra. Late-June airfare from Los Angeles to Los Mochis, and Chihuahua, back to Los Angeles starts at $706, including taxes, through Orbitz.
Stay at the Only Lodge in Kenai Fjords National Park Provider: Alaska Wildland Adventures Length: Four days Price: $1,275
With its massive tidewater glaciers that tumble into the sea and mile-deep fjords cruised by porpoises and whales, Kenai Fjords National Park is one of Alaska's most popular wilderness areas. However, most people only spend a few hours in the park—often visiting by boat and never even setting foot on land. The main reason: the majority of visitors have to stay a boat ride away in Seward, as park accommodations have been limited to four rustic cabins maintained by the park service.
That will change this spring when veteran Alaska outfitter Alaska Wildland Adventures opens Kenai Fjords Glacier Lodge, the first and only lodge in Kenai Fjords National Park. Together with the Native people that own the land on which the lodge was built, Alaska Wildland Adventures overcame the challenges of building comfortable, eco-friendly accommodations in a spruce forest on a remote boat-access-only lagoon. Thanks to their efforts, guests will be able to easily explore this remote locale without compromising comfort.
"The seacoast offers miles of pristine pebble beachfront for strolling, framed against the spectacular backdrop of Pedersen Glacier," says Marketing Director Heather Dudick. "Otters and seals are often visible amid the sparkling glacial ice of the lagoon, while black bears are often seen—from a safe distance—lounging around in grassy meadows. The Kenai Mountains, rising up from the sea, are home to nimble Dall sheep and mountain goats."
A trip to the lodge begins with a marine wildlife and glacier cruise from Seward that brings you upclose to the park's fjords and tidewater glaciers. While at the lodge, you'll work with guides to plan daily activities suitable to your abilities, like guided hiking, sea kayaking, and coastal explorations by motorized skiff. You might go on a full-day trek one day and then take a relaxing wildlife boat cruise to see whales and sea birds the next. In the evenings, listen to local experts give interpretive presentations or peruse the lodge's natural history library. Stay in a private heated cabin and enjoy hearty gourmet meals in the lodge dining room.
Trip planning: This trip can be arranged most dates between May 31 and September 10. Prices include accommodations, water taxi transfers from Seward, all meals, activities, and guides. Some optional activities, alcohol, and airfare are extra. Round-trip July airfare from Seattle to Anchorage, starts at $503, including taxes, through Continental. From Anchorage you can rent a car and drive three hours to Seward, where you'll depart via small boat cruise to the lodge.
India Wildlife Safari: Leopards, Tigers, and BearsProvider: Wild Planet Adventures Length: 19 days Price: $7,598
Anyone who's ever read Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book can tell you that Africa isn't the only place in world where you can go on safari to see big game animals. Home to rare species such as Bengal tigers, Indian rhinos, red pandas, and clouded leopards, India is a top destination for wildlife lovers. And now, seeing these sometimes elusive species just got a whole lot easier thanks to a new India itinerary launched by Wild Planet Adventures (WPA), a wildlife specialist known for going to extraordinary lengths to give its clients the best and most unique wildlife viewing experiences possible.
"[In India] we don't just visit one or even two national parks, but rather five separate parks and wildlife areas," says Company Director Josh Cohen. "We've chosen these areas because they are either the single best place in India to see certain animals or, when put together, they allow the traveler to be exposed to a wider variety of ecosystems than other tours, and therefore a wider variety of wildlife."
The first stop on this cross-country adventure is Siana in northwest India, where you'll ride in jeeps and on camel back to spot leopards, striped hyenas, and other predators. In the desert oasis of Bharatpur near Delhi, you can see 400 bird species and mammals like golden jackals, jungle cats, and wild boars. Heading south to Kanha National Park, the setting for The Jungle Book, elephants will carry you through forest and grasslands to catch a glimpse of Bengal tigers, sloth bears, and, if you're lucky, the chausingha, an elusive four-horned antelope. To get to the last two parks you'll fly east to the remote state of Assam. Here WPA is the only tour company to offer a raft safari in Nameri National Park, which provides great views of animals that gather at the water's edge to drink, including black bears, elephants, and Indian bison. The trip is capped off with a rhino safari in Kaziranga National Park, where you can watch water buffalo, Gangetic dolphins, and, of course, rhinos.
Trip planning: Departure dates include December 20, 2008, and January 19, February 16, March 16, April 6, November 2, and December 21, 2009. Rates cover all accommodations, meals, activities, guides, and domestic flights and ground transportation. Airfare is extra. Round-trip April airfare from Los Angeles to Delhi starts at $1,372, including taxes, on American.
Explore the Ancient Balkans in AlbaniaProvider: Mountain Travel Sobek Length: 12 days Price: $3,595
One of the best ways to feel like an explorer on vacation is to tag along with a real one. In celebration of its 40th anniversary, longtime pioneer of new adventure destinations Mountain Travel Sobek asked its top guides to create new trips exploring destinations they found intriguing. For his trip, company cofounder and trip leader John Yost chose the newly emerging Balkan destination of Albania."Tourism in this remote corner of the Mediterranean is in its infancy," says Yost. "It will inevitably grow and transform this raw gemstone into a finely polished jewel. I want to be there before that happens, to be on the cutting edge of adventure travel …."
Those willing to join Yost will discover little-known ancient ruins, ornate mosques and Orthodox churches, villages where day-to-day life has remained almost unchanged for centuries, and isolated mountains ripe for adventure.
After arriving in Saranda, Albania, via a ferry from the Greek island of Corfu, you'll explore Butrint National Park, which protects an ancient city that dates back to the 4th century B.C. You'll visit excavations on site which show the remains of Greek, Roman, and Byzantine societies. In the city of Gjirokastra, which is perched 1,000 feet above sea level between the Gjere Mountains and Drinos River, you'll see an Ottoman fortress and a 17th-century Sufi monastery still in operation, among other sites. Then, you'll spend five days walking in the Albanian countryside, following a footpath hiked by the English poet Lord Byron for part of the way. You'll pass through Fausta Antigonese (where a battle between King Philip of Macedonia and the Romans took place), tour Byzantine churches, witness life in rural villages, and even stop for a dip in natural hot springs along the way.
Trip planning: Departures are scheduled for June 8 and September 20. Prices include accommodations, all meals, ground and boat transportation, sightseeing and activities, guides, and basic travel medical insurance. Airfare is extra. Round-trip June airfare from New York to the trip start point in Corfu, Greece, starts at $1,454, including taxes, on Olympic Airlines.
SmarterTravel.com features expert travel advice and unbiased coverage of travel deals.


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Would an F1 or Nascar driver say "I know that last year people thought I was a bit of a ball bag and a twat," and, "...the tip of my bell-end's burnt"? Watch from 4.40 to hear the glorious Michael Dunlop, if you can understand him.
Now, for an idea of what TT racing is like round the Isle of Man watch this video and try not to shit your pants. Superbike race report here


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Teach courses pertaining to the laws of matter and energy. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of both teaching and research.
Applied Marine Physics Professor
Astronomy Professor
Astrophysics Professor
College Professor
Faculty Member, College or University
Math and Physics Instructor
Math and Sciences Department Chair
Math Instructor
Mathematics Professor
Physical Science Professor
Physical Sciences Instructor
Physics Department Chair
Physics Instructor
Physics Professor
Science Instructor
Science Professor
Teacher, Acoustics
Teacher, Aerodynamics
Teacher, Astronomy
Teacher, Astrophysics
Teacher, Atomic Physics
Teacher, Ballistics
Teacher, Hydrodynamics
Teacher, Medical Physics
Teacher, Nuclear Physics
Teacher, Physical Optics
Teacher, Theoretical Physics
Teacher, Thermodynamics


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Russell Brand appears ready to put his split with Katy Perry behind him for good.
While doing press for his upcoming FX talk show series "Strangely Uplifting," the British comedian fielded (albeit vague) questions about his current state of mind.
When faced with a seemingly innocuous "How are you doing?" the 36-year-old "Arthur" star responded:
U.S. & World
"I'm quite well, thank you. Are you asking because of recent events?" he asked. "Well, I suppose what you're doing is you're making the mistake as seeing time as linear."
He hopes his own upbeat state of mind will translate into his new series.
"All I want is for people to feel better than they do now. That's all I want," said Brand. "All I want is to make people laugh and to make people happy. And as long as I stay in alignment with that, then I'm served by great forces."
Brand also doesn't rule out the possibility of his personal life creeping into "Strangely Uplifting's" conversation topics.
"I think there will be inevitable biographical elements because you can't speak from anyone's perspective but your own," he said. "Unless I was to bizarrely adapt some sort of avatar."
Brand and the 26-year-old Perry split last December.
"Strangely Uplifting" debuts on FX this April.
Selected Reading: MSNBC, New York Daily News, Access Hollywood


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- This event has passed.
Twilight Yoga at the Light
June 17, 2019 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Event Navigation
Experience the serenity of Yoga with Mary Veal on the Lighthouse Deck at sunset every Monday. This is an all levels class and beginners are welcomed and encouraged! $10 per person. Bring a yoga mat, water bottle and a flashlight. Meet at the Museum 10 minutes prior to start time, class is weather dependent – please check website for updates and future start times.
Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse & Museum, 500 Captain Armour's Way, Jupiter, FL 33469


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Veterans make up only 8% of the US population, but they're twice as likely to own a business as their civilian counterparts.
Learn more about this growing group of small business owners in our latest infographic, "Vetpreneurs: Leading the Way"
As of 2015, America's 21.4 million veterans own 9.2% of all U.S. firms
• 20% of all veteran-owned firms have employees
• They employ 5.8 million employees
• And make $1.1 trillion in sales
They are 50% more likely than non-vets to own two or more firms.
Veterans with 20+ years of service have higher rates of self-employment, and officers have the highest propensity to become self-employed.
They tend to work in technical industries:
- Professional, scientific and technical services 16.9%
- Construction 15.5%
- Repair, maintenance and other services 9.9%
- Real estate 8.9%
- Retail 8.1%
- Administration and support 7.2%
- Transportation and warehousing 6.5%
- Finance and insurance 5.5%
Vetpreneurs generally secure funding on their own
- 69.2% use personal or family savings and assets
- 12.9% use credit cards or home equity loans
- 9.8% use business loans from financial institution
- 1.9% use business loans from family or friends
- 1.2% use government guaranteed/originated loans
- 0.3% get investments from venture capitalists
- 0.1% earn grants
Here are some helpful business resources for veterans:
- SBA Boots to Business
- Department of Veteran Affairs
- Office of Veterans Business Development
- Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC)
And don't forget SCORE! Find your mentor today.


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Tradition Meets Whimsy at Lucky's Doughnuts at 49th Parallel, Vancouver
As the story goes, the roasters at 49th Parallel in Vancouver have long liked doughnuts with their coffee. So they thought, why not make doughnuts ourselves, doing it simply and just as we desire? After two years of study and preparation, Lucky's Doughnuts was born, and 49th Parallel became a one-stop shop for doughnuts and coffee.
Sales are brisk, so doughnut availability can change quickly. With no basic old-fashioned to be found, I started with a Cinnamon Sugar ($2.75) to get a sense of Lucky's cake doughnut style. It has a good level of sweetness, and the doughnut has enough density to give it heft without being too heavy, which will please people who don't want one doughnut to feel like a meal. (Also pleasing me, knowing I had more to sample.)
Shifting to a classic yeast doughnut, I tried the Glazed ($2.50) next. This is my favorite of the group, as it's moist and almost "bready" inside, but still light and airy. With a light touch of vanilla in the glaze, this is an ideal doughnut to accompany a cup of coffee.
Staying yeasty, it was time to fill the hole and try a filled doughnut, so I selected a Lemon Bismark ($3.25). Covered with granulated sugar, this doughnut contains a generous amount of lemon curd that satisfied my desire for tanginess. Otherwise, the texture is similar to the glazed doughnut, albeit significantly more messy to eat.
With its interesting square shape, I couldn't resist a Root Beer Float ($3.50). There's root beer extract in the custard, which is piped into all four corners and oozes out with each bite. With Pop Rocks embedded in the glaze, this doughnut is a candy-like confection that had me licking my fingers like a child.
Lucky's Doughnuts (at Forty Ninth Parallel)
2198 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V6K 4SN (map) (604) 420-4901, luckysdoughnuts.com
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


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Angels easing Pujols in to Cactus League
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Albert Pujols had a normal offseason and has pronounced himself completely healthy, but Angels manager Mike Scioscia will not be playing him at first base on an everyday basis once Cactus League games start.
"He's not at that point," Scioscia said. "And we wouldn't do it anyway. If he felt great, there's no doubt about getting him in the flow in little bits. You're not going to just throw him out there and have him play 15 straight Spring Training games because he feels good, because I think by Game 16 you might be facing a problem."
Pujols, whose 2013 season ended after 99 games with a partial tear of his left plantar fascia, stayed mostly away from arduous activity Wednesday during the Angels' first full workout.
Scioscia said the goal was for Pujols to play first base "on a regular basis" when the season starts but that they would take it slow and have backup plans if the 34-year-old is not ready by Opening Day on March 31.
Veteran first baseman Carlos Pena is in camp, and his chances of making the team as a reserve could hinge largely on Pujols' health.
Raul Ibanez, the 41-year-old designated hitter who has spent the vast majority of his career in the outfield, will get plenty of reps this spring at first base -- a position he has not spent much time at since 2005.
"We'll see," Scioscia said of Ibanez playing first base. "We're not talking about on an everyday basis, but we'll see what his proficiency is, his comfort level, and hopefully we'll be able to tap into that."


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Abstract and Keywords
This entry describes best practices as these are used in social work. The term best practices originated in the organizational management literature in the context of performance measurement and quality improvement where best practices are defined as the preferred technique or approach for achieving a valued outcome. Identification of best practices requires measurement, benchmarking, and identification of processes that result in better outcomes. The identification of best practices requires that organizations put in place quality data collection systems, quality improvement processes, and methods for analyzing and benchmarking pooled provider data. Through this process, organizational learning and organizational performance can be improved.
Keywords: best practices, practice guidelines, empirically supported practices, evidence-based practice, performance measurement, outcomes measurement, quality improvement, benchmarking
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