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Asiana crash deaths ID'd as 2 Chinese teens
- Ye Mengyuan and Wang Linjia%2C both 16%2C were students at Jiangshan Middle School
- Anxious parents gathered Sunday around the school gate
- Of the 291passengers on board%2C 141 were Chinese
BEIJING — The two Chinese victims of the Asiana Flight 214 crash in San Francisco were identified Sunday as teenage schoolgirls in eastern China, headed to the USA for a two-week summer camp.
Ye Mengyuan and Wang Linjia, both 16, were students at Jiangshan Middle School in Zhejiang province bordering Shanghai, reported China Central Television, citing a fax from Asiana Airlines to the Jiangshan city government. Their bodies were found outside the wreckage.
Of the 291 passengers on board, 141 were Chinese. At least 70 Chinese students and teachers were on the plane heading to summer camps, according to education authorities in China. Teacher Ye Lianjun told Chinese television that there were 34 people traveling in the Jiangshan Middle School group — five teachers and 29 students.
Earlier Sunday, Wang Linjia's father Wang Wensheng said in an interview with a Chinese TV station that he was "worried to death" about his daughter. Later, Zhejiang Online, an online news service, said its reporters witnessed the parents take a call confirming their daughter's death, then hug each other as they cried. Wang and his wife will travel to the U.S., China News Service reported.
Zhejiang Daily, a Chinese newspaper, described Wang Linjia on its micro-blog as the class monitor and representative for Chinese studies with a good academic record. Wang's mother told the paper Linjia was a close friend of Ye Mengyuan — the two were classmates — and she guessed the two girls sat side-by-side on the airplane.
Anxious parents gathered Sunday around the gate outside Jiangshan Middle School , said student Jiang Wenbin, 19.
"They are worried, and nervous, waiting for the news. They only have one kid in the family, so I understand them," Jiang said.
"One friend called me when he got off the plane, many of them are my good friends," he said before the two deaths were confirmed. "I am very worried about them, I wish them all safe."
The two victims' final postings on Chinese micro-blogging service Tencent Weibo drew interest.
On Friday, the day before the Jiangshan Middle Group departed Shanghai bound for San Francisco via Seoul, Wang Linjia wrote simply "Go", in English.
In another recent posting, she said the prospect of saying goodbye to old classmates left her overwhelmed by sadness. Wang often quoted from a modern fairy tale popular among young people for reflecting the joys and pain of growing up.
On Thursday, Ye Mengyuan, whose personal name, Mengyuan, means "dreams come true", made her final post — "444444." The number four is considered unlucky in Chinese as it sounds similar to the character for "death."
Wang Renyuan, 17, a student at Quzhou No 2 High School, also in Jiangshan city, was shocked when he heard news of the crash.
"I learned calligraphy with Wang Linjia before. I am worried about her, she's still missing," he said Sunday before the deaths were confirmed.
Jiangshan is a fairly prosperous city in one of China's most developed provinces, so the approximate cost of the U.S. trip — about 29,000 yuan, or about $4,700 — is increasingly within reach for many families.
Wang Renyuan joined a summer camp trip to the United Kingdom organized by Jiangshan High School last year.
"It was a nice journey, nothing unpleasant happened," he said. "I am not worried about taking another flight in the future."
China's state-run broadcaster led its evening newscast Sunday with a report that Chinese Communist Party chief and state President Xi Jinping is closely involved in dealing with the tragedy and has sent condolences to the families.
State media reported the Chinese consulate in San Francisco is assisting victims and people trying to contact passengers.
Contributing: Sunny Yang; The Associated Press


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Cost of emergency education bill largely offset by increased economic activity
Economic Policy Institute Report: Keeping educators on the job will cost less than half original pri
WASHINGTON - May 24, 2010 -
A recent analysis released by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) shows the economic benefits of saving jobs significantly lowers the sticker price of any federal jobs legislation. According to the report, "Keeping Teachers on the Job Costs Less Than Advertised," putting federal money for education jobs into state coffers would create an offset in tax revenue, meaning that the legislation would actually cost less than half its requested amount.
According to the EPI report, an Education Jobs Fund will generate extra taxes and reduce safety-net spending that will lower the federal budget deficit by $12.2 billion. With this offset, the net cost of the fund will be only $10.8 billion, or less than half the headline price.
"We know that previous attempts to save education jobs have met opposition because of their price tag," says NEA President Dennis Van Roekel. "EPI's report shows that any investment in saving jobs will pay off in both the short and long term. The nation's economic crisis has pushed public education to a tipping point, but there is still a chance to stave off more damage."
According to new NEA figures, passing an education jobs bill would save nearly 315,000 U.S. jobs, including more than 30,000 in California and in Texas. The creation of a $23 billion Education Jobs Fund, part of California Rep. George Miller's Local Jobs for America Act (LJAA), would extend the already successful State Fiscal Stabilization Fund under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
On May 19, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan testified before Congress that between 150,000 and 300,000 educators could lose their jobs in the upcoming school year. Without the proposed federal education funds, millions of public school children will be hurt by the fallout, which will come in the form of ballooning class sizes and a gutted academic program, plus an abrupt end to educational support services for low-performing schools.
"The numbers paint a clear picture," says Van Roekel. "This jobs fund will keep hundreds of thousands of educators doing what they've been trained to do and what they do best: educating our children. It just makes sense to pass legislation that includes an education jobs fund as soon as possible."
NEA launched a campaign this week to mobilize educators and others concerned about the budget emergency facing public education. The goal of NEA's "Speak Up for Education & Kids" is to prevent more dramatic and damaging cuts to resources and services that help kids succeed in school.
The "Speak Up for Education & Kids" campaign asks the public and concerned community members to call members of Congress and urge them to pass the education jobs fund in the emergency supplemental bill.
For more resources on education funding, please go to www.nea.org/funding
For more information on saving educators' jobs, visit www.educationvotes.nea.org/
Follow us on twitter at www.twitter.com/NEAMedia
# # #
The National Education Association is the nation's largest professional employee organization, representing 3.2 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators and students preparing to become teachers.
CONTACT: Sara Robertson (202) 822-7823, firstname.lastname@example.com

subset: commoncrawl


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After a short flight, I arrive in Montreal where my Motley Crew: Luc Cartier, Martin Beaurivage, Shelly Beaurivage, Chad Waterhouse, Alex and Mathew, are all arriving from different cities to meet in Montreal for our pilgrimage to Mont Tremblant, some local ski resort that I have never heard off…and that's never a good thing! After walking 3 miles to the custom area (you would think they are the busiest airport in the world!), i am shocked to see an ocean of people, probably thousands, all waiting in line to go through the 5, yes…five custom agents on duty for all those passengers. No worries, Mr. Kass has the "Global Entry Card" that allows you to get priority entrance and service in most international airports; you must input some information on a designated computer terminal in a private area and you're on the other side of the border in minutes. Sadly, not today! Once at the Global Entry Terminal, the damn machine won't accept my passport info and after trying 20 times, I am advised by an angry mob of waiting people, to leave the area and join the masses in the main collection area…I am livid!!!! I am in line for two and a half hours and by the time I reach the Canadian side and my friends, I literally turn into Lucifer and I'm ready for blood. My poor friends have a tough time getting me back to "Sweet Robert", but after 3 cocktail and an apple tart, I am back to normal..ish! We finally make our way to our cars and on the road to Mont Tremblant, just a few hours out of Montreal. The drive is beautiful, especially when you start climbing to higher elevations and the snow is covering the whole landscape. The boys rented a large estate in Mont Tremblant for us for our 3 day visit and once there the property doesn't disappoint. It's a beautiful day and you can see across the whole valley, past the lake to the mountain range, if you can call them mountains.
Our welcoming committee.
View of Mont Tremblant sky resort from my bedroom.
Our mountain retreat for the next 3 days.
The grand Living room.
And grand kitchen.
My bedroom, complete with fireplace and stunning views of the mountains
You know I'll be in here very soon!
Mont-Tremblant is a municipality in the Canadian province Québec, set within the Laurentian Mountains northwest of Montréal. The year-round Mont-Tremblant Ski Resort, on the shores of Lake Tremblant, features intermediate to beginners slopes that take a long time to get to top of them and then minutes to come back down. Canadians love this place so I will try to contain myself and my judgment, but this is no mountain…more like a "Bump", a very, very cold "Bump" with less than impressive skiing, with a very disturbing title of "Coldest ski resort in the world"!!! I'm a serious skier, so for me being in a place that is so cold, with such mediocre skiing, makes no sense; but I will say that the little village is very charming, if you're into that Disneyland kind of thing. Thankfully, I did my skiing back in St. Moritz a few months ago and I am really here to spend some time with my buddies. I join the boys on the first day for the afternoon and quickly realize that between the crippling 18 degrees below zero temperature and the short, icy bunny slopes, I will not be doing anymore skiing after this. I last all of 1 hour on the slopes and finally make a mad dash to the first mountain lodge I see in the village for one of the best treat one can have after skiing: Glühwein (Mulled wine). This hot, red wine and spice concoction is a favorite for mountain skiers all over Europe; it warms your body on a cold winter day…and you get super drunk too!
Mont Tremblant village
Mont Tremblant's gondolas.
Freezing my ass off on the way to the top.
At the summit at a chilly 15 degrees below zero
Striking a pose.
And another…
And another with my friend Martin Beaurivage.
After a lovely, hot bath facing the fireplace, an hour cat-nap and a few Luc Cartier "special' cocktails, we all going for dinner at La Savoie (www.restaurantlasavoie.com), a favorite in the area, specializing in Swiss specialties such as: Raclette, Cheese Fondue, Fondue Bourguignonne and Fondue Chinoise. I absolutely looooove all these dishes; I grew up with them! They are very popular throughout the mountain resorts in Switzerland, France and Austria during the winter; I just never been in a place where you can have all of them at the same time, at the same table! There are 8 of us, so you can imagine how much food arrives at this table, it's ridiculous! I gorge on so much melted cheese that after dinner I can barely wobble my fat ass through the snow and into the local bar for a nightcap.
Our living room at dusk…so beautiful!
The Motley Crew all bundled up in 28 degrees below zero temperature
Charming architecture in Mont Tremblant.
More Disneyland…
La Savoie restaurant…Let there be cheese!
Fondue Bourguignonne.
One of my favorites: Raclette.
After making fun of the locals at the bar and risking getting our ass whooped, we finally make it back to our massive chalet where we where planning to have a rip roaring party till the wee hours of the morning. Sadly, the cheese got the best of us and after a few minutes trying to whip it up…we all fall into a "Cheese Coma" and go off to bed. The next day is pretty much the same thing as today; not much happens up here in Mont Tremblant, though I will admit, it's growing on me…I think it's the cheese talking.
Matt, Alex and Luc being his usual charming self.
When in Rome…
On the last day, I wake up in the morning to find out that it snowed all night and we are totally snowed in! Not a problem, I am so very happy laying in bed in front of the fireplace, watching movies and looking out the window into a stunning, white winter wonderland…I can do this forever!!! Unfortunately, this afternoon we must pack up and drive back to Montreal for another 4 days of shenanigans. Worth mentioning, is our pit stop at the famous breakfast place in the middle of nowhere on the way back to Montreal, named Au Petit Poucet (www.aupetitpoucet.com). This super kitsch, though charming, Canadian eatery with Mousse heads and Dear heads and choo choo trains and fake snow everywhere (I know…you gotta love'em), is obviously a favorite around here and packed to the tilt with locals, nibbling away on their Canadian bacon smothered in Canadian Maple syrup. No need to twist my arm, I'm in for bacon, eggs, waffles and a gallon of maple syrup…probably the best in the world (though every time I try to bring some back in the US, they take them away at customs…those bastards!).
Enjoying being snowed-in under my fluffy comforter.
View from my bedroom.
The fabulous Au Petit Poucet on the way to Montreal
Au Petit Poucet interior
Luc Cartier being Luc Cartier…with pig in hand
All right possums, I'm driving back with Mr. Cartier and I'm on co-pilot duty, so I'll see you soon back in Montreal…"Eh?"


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Use hand-welding, flame-cutting, hand soldering, or brazing equipment to weld or join metal components or to fill holes, indentations, or seams of fabricated metal products.
|Median Annual Wage
|Average Job Openings Per Year
|Average Unemployment Percentage
|Percentage That Completed High School
|Employment Numbers in 2006
|Percentage That Had Some College
|Employment Numbers in 2016 (est.)
|Percentage That Went Beyond College Degree
Apprentice, Welder
Butt Welder
Dig Welder
Getter Welder
Lap Welder
Metal Welder
Oxyacetylene Torch Operator
Oxyacetylene Welder
Oxyhydrogen Welder
Underwater Welder
Unionmelt Operator
Training for welding, soldering, and brazing workers can range from a few weeks of school or on-the-job training for low-skilled positions to several years of combined school and on-the-job training for highly skilled jobs.
Education and training. Formal training is available in high schools and postsecondary institutions, such as vocational-technical institutes, community colleges, and private welding schools. The U.S. Armed Forces operate welding schools as well. Although some employers provide training, they prefer to hire workers who already have experience or formal training. Courses in blueprint reading, shop mathematics, mechanical drawing, physics, chemistry, and metallurgy are helpful. An understanding of electricity also is very helpful, and knowledge of computers is gaining importance, especially for welding, soldering, and brazing machine operators, who are becoming more responsible for the programming of robots and other computer-controlled machines. Since understanding the welding process and inspecting welds is important for both welders and welding machine operators, companies hiring machine operators prefer workers with a background in welding.
Certification and other qualifications. Some welding positions require general certifications in welding or certifications in specific skills such as inspection or robotic welding. The American Welding Society certification courses are offered at many welding schools. Some employers have developed their own internal certification tests.
Welding, soldering, and brazing workers need good eyesight, hand-eye coordination, and manual dexterity. They should be able to concentrate on detailed work for long periods and be able to bend, stoop, and work in awkward positions. In addition, welders increasingly must be willing to receive training and perform tasks in other production jobs.
Advancement. Welders can advance to more skilled welding jobs with additional training and experience. For example, they may become welding technicians, supervisors, inspectors, or instructors. Some experienced welders open their own repair shops. Other welders, especially those who obtain a bachelor's degree, become welding engineers.
Welding is the most common way of permanently joining metal parts. In this process, heat is applied to metal pieces, melting and fusing them to form a permanent bond. Because of its strength, welding is used in shipbuilding, automobile manufacturing and repair, aerospace applications, and thousands of other manufacturing activities. Welding also is used to join beams when constructing buildings, bridges, and other structures and to join pipes in pipelines, power plants, and refineries.
There are over 80 different welding processes that a welder can employ. Some are performed manually, and the work is entirely controlled by the welder. Others are semiautomatic, and the welder uses machinery, such as a wire feeder, to perform welding tasks.
One of the most common types of welding is arc welding. Standard arc welding involves two large metal alligator clips that carry a strong electrical current. One clip is attached to any part of the piece being welded. The second clip is connected to a thin welding rod. When the rod touches the piece, a powerful electrical circuit is created. The massive heat created by the electrical current causes both the piece and the steel core of the rod to melt together, cooling quickly to form a solid bond. The speed with which the welder works can affect the strength of the weld.
Two common and advanced types of arc welding are Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) and Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding. TIG welding often is used with stainless steel or aluminum. The welder holds the welding rod in one hand and an electric torch in the other hand. The torch is used to simultaneously melt the rod and the piece. MIG uses a spool of continuously fed wire instead of a rod, which allows the welder to join longer stretches of metal without stopping to replace a rod. The welder holds the wire feeder, which functions like the alligator clip in arc welding.
Like arc welders, soldering and brazing workers use molten metal to join two pieces of metal. However, the metal added during the soldering and brazing process has a melting point lower than that of the piece, so only the added metal is melted, not the piece. Soldering uses metals with a melting point below 800 degrees Fahrenheit; brazing uses metals with a higher melting point. Because soldering and brazing do not melt the piece, these processes normally do not create the distortions or weaknesses in the piece that can occur with welding. Soldering commonly is used to join electrical, electronic, and other small metal parts. Brazing produces a stronger joint than does soldering and often is used to join metals other than steel, such as brass. Brazing can also be used to apply coatings to parts to reduce wear and protect against corrosion.
Skilled welding, soldering, and brazing workers generally plan work from drawings or specifications and use their knowledge of welding processes and base metals to determine how best to join the parts. The difficulty of the weld is determined by its positionhorizontal, vertical, overhead, or 6G (circular, such as in large pipes)and by the type of metals to be fused. Highly skilled welders often are trained to work with a wide variety of materials, such as titanium, aluminum, or plastics, in addition to steel. Welders then select and set up welding equipment, execute the planned welds, and examine welds to ensure that they meet standards or specifications.
By observing problems during the welding process, welders can compensate by adjusting the speed, voltage, amperage, or feed of the rod. Some welders have more limited duties, however. They perform routine jobs that already have been planned and laid out and do not require extensive knowledge of welding techniques.
Automated welding is used in an increasing number of production processes. In these instances, a machine or robot performs the welding tasks while being monitored by a welding machine operator. Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders follow specified layouts, work orders, or blueprints. Operators must load parts correctly and constantly monitor the machine to ensure that it produces the desired bond.
The work of arc, plasma, and oxy-gas cutters is closely related to that of welders. However, instead of joining metals, cutters use the heat from an electric arc, a stream of ionized gas called plasma, or burning gases to cut and trim metal objects to specific dimensions. Cutters also dismantle large objects, such as ships, railroad cars, automobiles, buildings, or aircraft. Some operate and monitor cutting machines similar to those used by welding machine operators. Plasma cutting has been increasing in popularity because, unlike other methods, it can cut a wide variety of metals, including stainless steel, aluminum, and titanium.
Work environment. Welding, soldering, and brazing workers often are exposed to a number of hazards, including very hot materials and the intense light created by the arc. They wear safety shoes, goggles, hoods with protective lenses, and other devices designed to prevent burns and eye injuries and to protect them from falling objects. They normally work in well-ventilated areas to limit their exposure to fumes. Automated welding, soldering, and brazing machine operators are not exposed to as many dangers, and a face shield or goggles usually provide adequate protection for these workers.
Welders and cutters may work outdoors, often in inclement weather, or indoors, sometimes in a confined area designed to contain sparks and glare. Outdoors, they may work on a scaffold or platform high off the ground. In addition, they may be required to lift heavy objects and work in a variety of awkward positions, while bending, stooping, or standing to perform work overhead.
Although about 50 percent of welders, solderers, and brazers work a 40-hour week, overtime is common, and nearly 1 out of 5 welders work 50 hours per week or more. Welders also may work in shifts as long as 12 hours. Some welders, solderers, brazers, and machine operators work in factories that operate around the clock, necessitating shift work.
Median wage-and-salary earnings of welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers were $15.10 an hour in May 2006. The middle 50 percent earned between $12.30 and $18.47. The lowest 10 percent had earnings of less than $10.08, and the top 10 percent earned over $22.50. The range of earnings of welders reflects the wide range of skill levels. Median hourly wage-and-salary earnings of welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers in the industries employing the largest numbers of them were:
|Other general purpose machinery manufacturing
|Agriculture, construction, and mining machinery manufacturing
|Commercial and industrial machinery and equipment (except automotive and electronic) repair and maintenance
|Architectural and structural metals manufacturing
|Motor vehicle body and trailer manufacturing
Median wage-and-salary earnings of welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders were $14.90 an hour in May 2006. The middle 50 percent earned between $12.02 and $18.90. The lowest 10 percent had earnings of less than $9.95, and the top 10 percent earned over $25.44. Their median wage-and-salary earnings in motor vehicle parts manufacturing, the industry employing them in the largest numbers, were $17.75 an hour in May 2006.
Many welders belong to unions. Among these are the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers; the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers; the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America; the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing, Pipefitting, Sprinkler Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada; and the United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers of America.
Employment of welding, soldering, and brazing workers is expected to grow more slowly than average. They will have excellent job opportunities as some welding employers report difficulty finding trained welders.
Employment change. Employment of welding, soldering, and brazing workers is expected to grow about 5 percent over the 2006-16 decade, slower than the average for all occupations. Welding has grown significantly over the long term because of advances that have allowed it to replace other joining technologies in many applications. Thus, demand for welders is increasing in the construction, manufacturing, and utilities industries. Despite overall employment declines in the manufacturing industry, the outlook for welders in manufacturing is far stronger than for other occupations. The basic skills of welding are the same across industries, so welders can easily shift from one industry to another depending on where they are needed most. For example, welders laid off in the auto industry have been able to find work in the booming oil and gas industry, although the shift may require relocating.
Automation is less of a threat to welders and welding machine operators than to other manufacturing occupations. Welding machines must still be operated by someone who is knowledgeable about welding and can inspect the weld and make adjustments. In custom applications, much of the work is difficult or impossible to automate. This includes manufacturing small batches of items, construction work, and making repairs in factories.
Job prospects. Retirements and job growth in the oil and gas and other industries are expected to create excellent opportunities for welders. Welding schools report that graduates have little difficulty finding work, and some welding employers report difficulty finding trained welders.
Welding, soldering, and brazing workers held about 462,000 jobs in 2006. About 2 of every 3 welding jobs were found in manufacturing. Jobs were concentrated in fabricated metal product manufacturing, transportation equipment manufacturing, machinery manufacturing, architectural and structural metals manufacturing, and construction.


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Foote, Julia A.J.
I HAVE written this little book after many prayers to ascertain the will of God -- having long had an impression to do it. I have a consciousness of obedience to the will of my dear Lord and Master.
My object has been to testify more extensively to the sufficiency of the blood of Jesus Christ to save from all sin. Many have not the means of purchasing large and expensive works on this important Bible theme.
Those who are fully in the truth cannot possess a prejudiced or sectarian spirit. As they hold fellowship with Christ, they cannot reject those whom he has received, nor receive those whom he rejects, but all are brought into a blessed harmony with God and each other.
The Christian who does not believe in salvation from all sin in this life, cannot have a constant, complete peace. The evil of the heart will rise up and give trouble. But let all such remember the words of Paul: "I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith of the Son of God. who loved me, and gave himself for me." "Ask, and ye shall receive." The blood of Jesus will not only purge your conscience from the guilt of sin, and from dead works, but it will destroy the very root of sin that is in the heart, by faith, so that you may serve the living God in the beauty of holiness.
My earnest desire is that many--especially of my own race--may be led to believe and enter into rest, "For we which have believed do enter into rest"--sweet soul rest.


text:
FRIDAY, May 25 (HealthDay News) -- Exposure to loud music at a rock concert often results in temporary hearing loss for teenagers, researchers say.
A small study by the House Research Institute revealed that 72 percent of teens reported reduced hearing after attending a three-hour show. This type of hearing loss typically disappears within 48 hours, but if it occurs repeatedly, permanent hearing loss can develop, the study authors noted.
"Teenagers need to understand a single exposure to loud noise either from a concert or personal listening device can lead to hearing loss," study lead author Dr. M. Jennifer Derebery, physician at the House Clinic, said in an institute news release. "With multiple exposures to noise over 85 decibels, the tiny hair cells may stop functioning and the hearing loss may be permanent."
For the study, researchers offered 29 teenagers free tickets to a rock concert. All of the seats were about 15 to 18 rows away from the stage.
Beforehand, the kids were told how they could protect their hearing and were encouraged to use foam ear plugs during the performance. Only three chose to use them, the study authors noted.
Using a calibrated sound pressure meter, researchers seated with the teens found that sound decibel levels (dBA) ranged from 82 to 110 dBA and averaged 98.5 dBA. The average was greater than 100 dBA for 10 of the 26 songs played.
Derebery and colleagues noted that these levels exceeded the workplace safety standards of the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which sets time limits on exposure to sound levels of 85 dB or greater.
Following the concert, most of the teens had a significant reduction in the Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions test, which checks the function of cells in the inner ear. These cells are critical to normal hearing and most vulnerable to damage from prolonged noise exposure.
Specifically, 53.6 percent of the teens said they were not hearing as well as they did before the concert, and 25 percent reported tinnitus, which is ringing in the ears.
Although these cells usually recover, the researchers cautioned that repeated exposure to loud noise could permanently damage hearing.
The authors said more research is needed to determine if teenage ears are more sensitive than adult ears. Guidelines for noise exposure among teenagers may need to be updated, they added.
"It also means we definitely need to be doing more to ensure the sound levels at concerts are not so loud as to cause hearing loss and neurological damage in teenagers, as well as adults," said Derebery. "Only three of our 29 teens chose to use ear protection, even when it was given to them and they were encouraged to do so. We have to assume this is typical behavior for most teen listeners, so we have the responsibility to get the sound levels down to safer levels."
The researchers pointed out that teenagers should take advantage of sound meter "apps" available for smartphones, which provide an estimate of surrounding noise level, and use ear protection when appropriate.
The study, recently presented at an American Otologic Society meeting, will be published in a future issue of Otology & Neurotology.
More information
The U.S. National Institute on Deafness and
Other Communication Disorders has more about noise-induced hearing loss.


text:
Police: Fla. driver hits biker, drives with him on car
POMPANO BEACH, Fla. – A bicyclist is in critical condition after he was hit by a car and driven two miles while stuck in the vehicle's cracked rear window.
Police say 27-year-old Axel Insotroza stopped at his townhome in Pompano Beach on Tuesday, removed 53-year-old Craig Camlin from the car. He dumped the injured man in a wooded area behind a trash bin, hit the damaged 2003 Mustang to keep his girlfriend from seeing it and went inside to sleep.
The Miami Herald (http://hrld.us/1bPEjYV ) reports a landscaping crew found Camlin and called 911. He was taken to a hospital with spinal injuries, a deep gash on his head and a nearly severed ear.
Investigators found Insotroza Tuesday afternoon at a body shop after workers called them after noticing damage consistent with the hit-and-run.


text:
I was very happy to receive a wonderful Christmas present from my youngest son Simon and his girlfriend Linnea. Linnea did sew a beautiful breadbasket, in very nice colors, white with print in purple and jade. Small food packages was inside it, and most of it was home made! The fudge and the apple chips were home made, very delicious!
The bread basket will be perfect to have in my kitchen. I think Simon wishes that it will be full of Ginger Rolls every time he comes home to visit. He and Linnea moved in to one apartment in Huskvarna a few months ago, only 300 meters from my office.
Besides sewing my gift, Linnea did sew small sitting cushions for all her young cousins. She designed them to fit each of their personalities and interests. Here you can see a picture of them! I like the handles too, because it does make it easy for them to bring the cushions anywhere!
Next week my daughter Johanna is having her birthday. I will sew a present to her. Check back to see what she will be getting!
Until next week, happy sewing!
Read more about Lena Kantis, the "Joy of Sewing" blogger
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A trip to Tweetsie Railroad.
One of my fondest memories as a child is visiting Tweetsie Railroad with my grandparents. I remember taking the short car ride up to Boone NC, and admiring the mountain tops and views that seemed endless. I thought I was on top of the world, and that life just couldn't get any better than this, but of course I was only 10. I remember walking in holding my grandfather's hand anticipating the day! As a child I remember visiting the petting zoo, and panning for gold, thinking "if I could just find one piece we would be rich". I also remember the cowboys and Indians, and thinking that I too would grow up to be a cowgirl. I have several pictures of me sitting atop the ceramic horses cheesing for the camera with my red Tweetsie Cowgirl hat.
It's amazing that when you grow older, how life changes in the blink of an eye, you get married, have children, and realize you probably are not going to become that cowgirl you once dreamed of. One thing that hasn't changed though is Tweetsie Railroad. I remember taking my daughter for the first time thinking… I wonder if it's going to be as I remember, and amazingly enough it was!
She was 4 at the time, and I wasn't sure if she would understand or even have a good time being so young. Immediately the magic of childhood came to life. We rode the chairlifts to the top of the mountain and chose to ride the mouse mine for her first "real" ride. It was very low key but she was extremely excited. We visited the petting zoo and fed the deer, goats, and ostriches. It was amazing to watch her interact with the animals and how her eyes lit up. After fun on top of the mountain we took as short break, and watched the dancing girls in the Tweetsie Saloon. Our last stop of the day was the train! As we started to ride, the memories of my childhood came back immediately, the voice over the loud speaker warned of flying cinders from the locomotive and to keep your arms inside the cart at all times. The cowboys walked heroically through the aisles vowing to protect us from the Indians. Once we made our stop at the fort, the Indians invaded the train; the cowboys acted courageously and defended the patrons and overtook the Indians. The people cheered at the bravery of cowboys…. I remember thinking this place is still awesome, and I cheered just as loud as everyone else. What an amazing day we had creating memories with our family. Tweetsie is truly a place for families to gather and enjoy the company of one another, and remember what life is really about. After our first trip, my daughter had such a great time we received season passes for Christmas for the following year, my grandmother and grandfather also purchased season passes for themselves. They would attend Tweetsie several times a month with my daughter. I just wonder if they were reminiscing back to when they would bring me and their other grandchildren. What a great place to be a kid! My daughter is now 9 and each summer we make our way to Tweetsie.
As a hotel General Manager, my goal is to make sure our guest have a long lasting experience while visiting Wilkesboro NC. Every chance I get I refer people to Tweetsie. People are always asking what is there to do with a small child that isn't that far away. I send them to Tweetise. We have even built a package that includes hotel accommodations and tickets to the attraction. It is a must do when visiting the High Country with Children!


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Cities, Startup Culture and the Neglected Role of Our Public Schools
Plenty of would-be entrepreneurs are sitting in our K-12 classrooms. They're not getting the help they need to become the innovators who could boost our economies.
Can a local startup culture reduce or even deter crime? Can a business incubator motivate, mentor and inspire innovative youth in a positive direction that benefits local economies?
The technology-focused startup culture that is emerging in cities and regions across the United States and around the world is a tale of two separate and unequal landscapes, each with risk-taking entrepreneurs and an investor community fueling it with resources. While ignoring the landscape of illicit entrepreneurial activity, more cities are investing heavily in developing these high-activity startup zones.
Want more education news and commentary? Click here.
It's no secret why these investments are happening, of course. "Entrepreneurship is America's secret sauce," says Karen Mills, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration. "It's what built the greatest economy in the world and the strongest middle class." And as a report by Startup Genome and Telefonica Digital puts it, technology startups "look to be the primary growth engine of the new information economy."
Cities that embrace the startup culture -- with its incubators, accelerators, demo days, pitch competitions, startup weekends, hackathons, meetups and private-equity venture capitalists and angels hovering as they await a deal flow to emerge -- will likely become coveted regions where people want to live, work, play and send their kids to school.
Public schools with a reputation for innovation and high achievement provide communities with a competitive advantage in attracting companies to their regions and retaining talent. That's why those schools in underserved communities should be good ones that offer the hope of business ownership to disadvantaged youth. High dropout rates feed a pipeline of ill-prepared and unequipped youth who nonetheless are seeking economic opportunity. Millions of high-school dropouts intuitively assess the landscape of economic options and choose the wrong kind of entrepreneurship.
While the sale of illegal products and services carries a high risk of significant consequences, alternative resources and pathways leading to positive entrepreneurial opportunities are in short supply. The startup culture's landscape of mentoring, peer-to-peer guidance and collaboration among innovators, critical thinkers and problem-solvers is wholly missing in thousands of K-12 schools, in particular those that serve communities of low-income families. Yet, this innovation ecosystem is intuitive for many students.
Much needs to be done to incorporate new approaches in failing public schools. What is the strategy to develop curricula with a focus on teaching Common Core standards wrapped around a nucleus of experiential, project-based entrepreneurial instruction? How is the K-12 supply pipeline responding to the demand for more resilient, creative, critical-thinking STEM-educated innovators?
Would-be innovators are sitting in the classrooms of our K-12 public schools, wondering how they might transform their skills, talents and passions into wealth. Shouldn't our schools, which are part and parcel of every local economic ecosystem, be investing in entrepreneurs who seek to solve problems rather than create them? Could our public schools become knowledge incubators that foster and nurture the next generation of innovative entrepreneurs equipped to address problems not only in their own communities and but also in the larger society?


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John Krasinski
Burt Farlander
Synopsis: Verona De Tessant (Maya Rudolph) and Burt Farlander (John Krasinski) moved to Colorado to be close to Burt's Parents. Now Verona and Burt expecting their first child and are shocked to hear that his parents are moving to Belgium, leaving them in a place they hate living without a support structure in a place. They set off on a whirlwind tour of of disparate locations (Tucson, Montreal, Miami) where they have friends or relatives, sampling not only different cities and climates but also different families. Along the way they realize that the journey is less about discovering where they want to live and more about figuring out what type of parents they want to be.
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Loints of Holland's own way of making: The Turbo group is made of unlined European cow leather. The rounded TR rubber outsole and leather midsole form a unit. The shoe is flexible and durable, fits like a glove on your foot. Gives you the feeling of walking barefoot. Lightweight with a natural settlement.
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>V-Guard Industries Ltd.: Launched induction cooktops and domestic switchgears in Kerala
Management re-iterates 25% growth in revenues during FY13
V-Guard management has re-iterated guidance of 25% growth in revenues in FY13. Growth will come from across product categories. Management has indicated Non-South markets will grow at a higher pace as compared to the South markets in FY13. During Apr-May, 2012 it has witnessed descent growth which has further given it confidence to achieve its yearly guidance.
OPM to be maintained at ~10% for FY13
The management has maintained its guidance of ~10% OPM for FY13. It had taken price hikes in March, 2012 (~3%) which will ensure margin maintenance. Also, as the company derives only ~6% of its revenues from imported products, it will not get significantly impacted due to the rupee depreciation and thus maintain its margins.
Non-South India to contribute ~40% of revenues over next 4-5 years
V-Guard's is looking to derive ~40% of its revenues from Non-South India markets over the next 4-5 years. It believes this can be achieved by increasing its dealer network and launching complete range of products in these geographies. Also, it is enhancing its team strength in these geographies which will enable it to further penetrate these markets
New product launched in FY12 to do meaningful contribution only in next 4-5 years
V-Guard has launched induction cooktops and domestic switchgears in Kerala during FY12. The company plans to do a pan South India launch over the next 18-24 months. It also plans to introduce mixer-grinders by CY12. The management believes it will be able to leverage its brand and service capabilities to be able to enter the kitchen appliance market. It targets revenues of Rs 1bn from these businesses over the next 4-5 years. Manufacturing of all these products will be outsourced.
Production: Outsourcing mix to remain similar
V-Guard manufactures its requirement of cables, LT cables and solar water heaters (SWH) in-house. It also manufactures ~10% of its pumps, fans and electric water heaters requirement. The other products such as stabilizers, UPS, DUPS are completely outsourced. On a blended basis, it manufactures ~40% of its sales. Management believes this ratio of manufacturing to outsourcing will continue to remain similar going ahead too.
Working Capital cycle to reduce further
V-Guard is trying to reduce its working capital days by ~15-20 days in FY13. It will do so by engaging in supplier financing (similar to its peers such as Bajaj Electricals and Havells India). By engaging in supplier financing it will reduce its working capital requirement and thus generate free cash flows. Going ahead, the management expects to get ~60-70% of its supplier under this scheme.
Outlook and valuation
V-Guard has been delivering robust growth over many years and now with increased focus on improving working capital; we believe its growth will be qualitative too. V-Guard is currently trading at a PER and EV/EBIDTA of 9.7x and 6.5x FY14E which is attractive given an earning CAGR of 19% during FY12-14. We continue to remain positive on the growth prospects of the company and the space in which it operates. Maintain BUY and price target of Rs266 (11x FY14E).
To read report in detail: V-Guard


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By Postbus to Castellinaria
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Going abroad independently
Instead of going on exchange, you could choose to go abroad independently. This is an option if you want to go to a destination that doesn't have an exchange agreement with Leiden University, or if you missed out on an exchange place.
Corona measures
The corona measures may affect your travel plans. Read more on the Studying in times of corona website.
Students who go abroad independently are known as 'free movers'. As a free mover you will need to make a lot of arrangements yourself. Important considerations are:
- Safe destination
You may not go on exchange in a country for which negative travel advice has been issued. Visit the Health and safety page for more information.
- Double tuition fees
As a free mover, you will have to pay tuition fees to your host university, whilst also remaining registered and paying tuition fees at Leiden University.
- Arrange your own application
As a free mover you must arrange your own application to the university abroad. Leiden University is unable to assist you with your application.
If you want to study abroad independently you can become a so-called 'free mover'.
Free movers do not go through a selection process at Leiden University, because they apply directly to the host university and are not studying under an established partnership between the host university and Leiden University.
What do you need to do?
Students are only allowed go to regions designated with Green (No safety risks) and Yellow (Beware! Safety risks). Students cannot go to areas designated Orange (Only necessary travels) or Red (No travel).
1. Submit an online application to the Humanities International Office for pre-approval of your proposed destination.
The purpose of this application is to inform the Faculty Of Humanities of your plans and to submit your proposed destination for approval based on the travel advisory provided by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Contact the Humanities International Office to inform the study abroad coordinators of your plans as well. Email: email@example.com Free movers should go through all application, visa and scholarship procedures themselves, however the Humanities International Office can help you on your way.
2. Register your travel itinerary with the Humanities International Office prior to departure. (This step is also necessary if you apply for a humanities scholarship.)
3. Register your in-country contact information after arrival at your destination.


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EDMONTON — Nikolai Khabibulin's blood-alcohol level exceeded the legal limit to the point where the Edmonton Oilers goaltender is also facing charges of extreme DUI.
If he is found guilty, he faces a minimum 30-day jail stay.
In Arizona, where he was arrested on Feb. 8, the driving under the influence charge is elevated to extreme when the blood alcohol level exceeds .15 per cent.
It is still considered a misdemeanour, not a felony, and according to the website dui.com/arizona, the court could suspend 20 of the 30 days if the offender agrees to undergo testing and submit to treatment. The maximum jail sentence is six months.
Khabibulin's pre-trial conference is scheduled for March 16.
According to court documents, the extreme DUI is one of four charges he faces. The 37-year-old, arrested near his Paradise Valley home, has been charged with: a) DUI; b) DUI with a blood-alcohol level of .08 or more; c) exceeding the speed limit by 40-70 km/h; and d) extreme DUI, the latter of which also stipulates that the offender's driver's licence be revoked. In addition, an ignition interlock device is required.
This is not the first time Khabibulin has faced charges for a traffic violation. In 2006, according to the Arizona Judicial Branch, he was charged for failing to produce evidence of a financial responsibility requirement in 2006. In Arizona, all drivers must carry a minimum amount of liability insurance and they must produce such documents when registering a vehicle, or at the request of an officer at an accident or traffic stop.
There were also two cases registered in 2004, but both complaints were dismissed by the Scottsdale Municipal Court.
Allan Watt, the Oilers vice-president of communications and broadcast, said on Saturday that the club would not comment until the court process was completed.
The Oilers signed the goaltender to a four-year, $15-million U.S. contract in the off-season, but after playing just 18 games Khabibulin underwent season-ending back surgery. He is scheduled to report to the club's medical staff in Edmonton by Monday, as is defenceman Sheldon Souray, who recently had surgery to repair a broken bone in his right hand.


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A new FINRA rule on suitability of recommendations by brokerages and brokers to customers—and to prospective customers—took effect on July 9, and with it come a number of issues of which firms and advisors alike need to be aware.
Brian Rubin, partner at the law firm Sutherland, said in an interview that one issue is that of the "potential" investor. "In the past when we've dealt with suitability," said Rubin, "it has always been addressing actual customers or clients." This time, however, guidance that he said many characterize as "bizarre" was issued in May that "talks about potential investors, even if that person doesn't have an account at the firm."
Firms that are already concerned about the recommendations made to clients based on their existing portfolios now have this new wrinkle: the prospective customer. While it's usual for a firm to try to win customers by looking at existing holdings and suggesting possible additional investments and strategies, now that will have to be done in a way more like the way existing customers are treated—which will likely mean considerably more attention to how prospects are approached.
And that doesn't even touch on those casual conversations that take place over drinks at the club or at parties and other social events. Said Rubin, "I think firms are going to need to address that issue and train reps on the issue, and reps are going to have to be careful when they're at cocktail parties or swim clubs talking to people about what they do."
There are two other aspects of the rule, said Rubin, "that are significantly different from the way the suitability and know-your-customer rules have been previously interpreted and applied." The first of those is "recent guidance that says that brokers' recommendations have to be in the customer's 'best interests.'"
In the past, Rubin explained, the phrase "best interests" denoted the fiduciary standard, "which doesn't apply to the normal customer/registered rep experience." It's unclear, he added, why FINRA used this wording, although he theorized that "it may be that they're trying to back-door a fiduciary standard."
The second aspect that differs from previous history is the use in the regulatory notice of the wording "risk-based approach." While Rubin said that this applies more to firms than to reps, in one instance the notice mentioned a risk-based approach in documenting compliance with supervisory staff, and in another the phrase was used regarding the supervising of recommendations and investment strategies.
"In the past, FINRA has not used that [wording]," said Rubin. "Reasonableness has applied. So I think firms are going to have to adjust and figure out what risk-based means."
Last but not least is the application of the standard to hold recommendations. This, said Rubin, "is a very controversial issue, because normally when people talk about recommendations [in the context of suitability], they are to buy or sell, not to hold; so firms are dealing with that issue as well."
Given the obvious room for interpretation in the absence of more specific guidance on some of these new approaches to suitability, while Rubin said that he didn't think FINRA would "use a 'gotcha' standard and bring enforcement cases within the first year if firms don't get it exactly right," he added, "I think firms have to read through the rules and regulatory notices and come up with a reasonable interpretation of what FINRA is doing."
If they do that, he said, "it may not be exactly what FINRA is looking for, but I think if FINRA thinks the firms have been working on it, I don't think we'll see enforcement on these issues in the first year."
On the other hand, he concluded, "if firms just ignore, for example, the 'potential' investor or the hold recommendation entirely, they will likely be facing enforcement actions."


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While much of the attention for March's "Strikeforce: Feijao vs. Henderson" has rightfully been placed on the evening's main-event competitors, lightweights Billy Evangelista (11-0 MMA, 7-0 SF) and Jorge Masvidal (20-6 MMA, 2-0 SF) are ready to steal the spotlight.
And while both sluggers are expecting to have their hand raised at the end of the night, both have different expectations of what a victory should bring.
With an incredible seven consecutive wins under the Strikeforce banner, Evangelista believes his time for a title shot may finally come. Meanwhile, Masvidal is just looking to get paid, and he'll fight in two divisions to do it.
"I've been competing with [Strikeforce] for a while, and I just want a shot at the title one day," Evangelista said in a recent media call promoting the event. "That would be great if I could be considered a No. 1 contender."
Evangelista can certainly make a compelling argument. Undefeated in the first 11 bouts of his professional career, the speedy striker counts key wins over Jorge Gurgel, Nam Phan and Waachiim Spiritwolf, among others. However, he lacks a true signature win.
The veteran Masvidal could certainly provide that, though Evangelista admits he's not too familiar with exactly what his opponent brings to the table.
"I don't really know what type of fighter Jorge is," Evangelista said. "I know he's very long and has a reach advantage. I'm just going to see how the fight goes along and see whichever way I need to take it."
Meanwhile, Masvidal fights for the first time since a September 2010 loss to Paul Daley under the Shark Fights banner. While Masvidal actually struggled to make the welterweight limit for that fight, he insists he feels comfortable now at 155 pounds.
And while many MMA observers believe Masvidal may have been wronged in the decision loss to Daley, "Gamebred" insists he's put the bout behind.
"I had trouble in my last fight just in my weight-cutting and other circumstances," Masvidal said. "But that fight didn't give me any confidence or take any away. I feel the same as I always have."
Masvidal hasn't fought under the Strikeforce banner since 2008, and he knows his name value alone won't be enough to earn him instant contender status in either the lightweight or welterweight division. Instead, the 26-year-old brawler just wants to stay busy as he works up the ladder of both weightclasses.
"I plan on staying at 155 (pounds), but I'll fight at 170 as well," Masvidal said. "Wherever the money is at is where I'll go. As long as they pay me, I'll go there and fight the bigger guys. It doesn't matter to me."
For the latest on "Strikeforce: Feijao vs. Henderson," stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.
(Pictured: Jorge Masvidal)


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Living with Disability After Stroke Brochure
Published by: The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association
Product Code: 50-1675
National Health Information – Silver Award Winner
Enhanced with relevant information from Stroke Connection Magazine, this booklet helps stroke survivors and caregivers with activities of daily living such as personal care, bathing, eating, dressing, and toileting. Also includes home and transfer safety information and suggestions on keeping active and physical rehabilitation.
Have you, or has someone you love, had a stroke?
Visit our information request page and select the "Physical Changes After Stroke" packet to receive this brochure along with other helpful information.
For Healthcare Professionals
If you are interested in placing an order for multiple copies of brochures, receiving print samples or viewing online e-samples, visit our distributor, Krames. Registration is required to request samples and order online. Bulk Orders


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BBC Radio 4 is shortly to broadcast a programme featuring abc and its impact on the world of traditional music.
Entitled "From Dots to Downloads", the programme documents the use of abc music notation in the rediscovery of old manuscript tune-books from the 18th and 19th centuries.
The programme goes out on 21st July at 1.30pm and will be available to listen again for 7 days after the broadcast.
It features interviews with Chris Walshaw, inventor of abc, and John Adams of the Village Music Project and is presented by singer and musician, Tim van Eyken.
Listen to programme (between July 21st - 31st)


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Old-school Distilleries Take a Page from the Microdistiller Playbook
Weekly insight into the world of drinks with Paul Clarke from the Cocktail Chronicles and Imbibe magazine.
I've previously mentioned how distillers of bourbon and rye, those iconic American whiskies, have for many years had mostly a grudging relationship with change and innovation. I've also noted how this is starting to change, with the growing practice of cask-finishing bourbons and the creation of experimental whiskies using different recipes and techniques. Now, as more small-scale craft distillers are starting to get into the whiskey business, the American whiskey part of the liquor store is becoming a much more dynamic place. As Malt Advocate publisher John Hansell noted last week on his blog, the boundaries between old-school, large-scale distillers and brand-new, small-scale startups are becoming increasingly blurred.
The latest example? The TryBox Series of New Make whiskies from Heaven Hill Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky. Heaven Hill is one of the giants in American whiskey, a family-owned operation founded just after the repeal of Prohibition, that produces major brands including Evan Williams and Elijah Craig bourbons, and Rittenhouse rye whiskey (the company also produces a bunch of other non-whiskey booze, including Christian Brothers Brandy and the value-label Burnett's gin, vodka and rum). With the popularity of their bourbons and rye, it's a safe guess that Heaven Hill isn't hurting for whiskey business; nevertheless, the debut of the TryBox Series is a case of a big-name distillery taking a page from the microdistiller playbook, and introducing unaged "white dog" whiskey to a market of largely younger consumers that's showing a great deal of curiosity about every aspect of their whiskey.
"White dog"—the name for whiskey fresh off the still, before it's gained color and a depth and roundness of flavor from aging in charred-oak casks—has been enjoying more than its fair share of the spotlight in recent years. Part of this is due to the practice of large distillers such as Buffalo Trace, which sold its unaged whiskey in its gift shop as an example to visitors of what its eponymous bourbon tastes like before it goes into the barrel for aging. Demand for the white whiskey grew so large that last year Buffalo Trace made it available on a wider basis.
But while Buffalo Trace began selling its white dog largely as a curiosity and an educational tool, other, much smaller and newer distillers have seen dollar signs in this raw spirit. Whiskies such as bourbon and rye take years of barrel aging to gain their characteristic flavor; while it's legal to sell younger whiskey with provisions on how it may be labeled, most straight bourbons and ryes are four years old or older.
For startup distillers, that's a long time to wait for the sales receipts to start coming in, so producers such as Woodinville Whiskey in Washington, Copper Fox in Virginia and Death's Door in Wisconsin have been selling their unaged whiskey in an effort to not only bring in a little cash while the rest of the whiskey ages, but to build a word-of-mouth (or mouth-of-bottle) reputation so the aged product will have a ready audience upon its release (Copper Fox already sells aged whiskey along with its younger relative).
Elijah Craig bourbon and Rittenhouse rye already have prestigious reputations, but Heaven Hill's TryBox Series presents unaged, cask-strength versions of these whiskies for bartenders and drinkers who want to compare the fresh-off-the-still spirit with the more familiar aged whiskies.
As John Hansell writes in his blog post, major distillers such as Heaven Hill don't have anything to fear from startup distillers just yet. But as these new whiskies begin to reach maturity and become increasingly common in liquor stores and bars, large distillers of American whiskey may find themselves in a somewhat unfamiliar arena, contending with a growing number of new competitors in an increasingly crowded market. As Hansell notes, some major players may let their wallets help sort out the situation, as liquor giant William Grant did last year with the purchase of New York-based Hudson whiskies from Tuthilltown Distillery; other small-distillery pioneers such as Colorado-based Stranahan's and San Francisco's Anchor Distilling have likewise been purchased by bigger companies. Still others will follow the model of distillers like Buffalo Trace, perhaps the most experimental and innovative of bourbon distilleries, or like Heaven Hill, which is showing some wisdom in getting out in front with the white-dog ball and keeping its whiskies relevant for a growing customer base that's fickle in its brand loyalty.
Long averse to change, American whiskey has become one of the more innovative and intriguing classes of spirits in recent years, and with more distillers coming online, that level of change is bound to continue. If you're a whiskey drinker, where do you see these changes going? Are these shifts and experiments good for whiskey consumers, or do you see any drawbacks along the way?
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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Kellogg's Announces First New Rice Krispies Flavor in 10 Years
If your New Year's resolution is to eat more cereal, you'll soon have three brand-new flavors to choose from at the grocery store. Kellogg's is bringing three never-before-seen cereals to store shelves in 2019, and one is a strawberry-flavored Rice Krispies. This is the first new variety in more than 10 years from the the cereal that goes snap, crackle, pop.
Things You Didn't Know About the 16 Most Popular Breakfast Cereals
This coming January, customers can also dip their spoons into a bowl of limited-edition Banana Creme Frosted Flakes. It's made with the same crunchy flakes you know and love, but they're flavored with ripe banana, cream and vanilla.
Furthermore, the breakfast brand will launch Honey Nut Frosted Flakes, which probably taste a lot like Honey Nut Cheerios except crunchier. They're made with real honey and have a nutty flavor with brown butter notes.
Looks like the most important meal of the day is getting more exciting! People looking to pucker up in the morning can also look forward to the rainbow-colored Sour Patch Kids cereal coming exclusively to Walmart in December. Will fans embrace the new product as much as the coveted candy? Or will it join the ranks of these 13 bizarre cereals you won't believe ever existed?


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We welcome all Tablecloth Company customers to our family and will provide you with the same excellent customer service and linens!
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This product has been designed specifically for Party Rentals, Wedding planners and Banquet halls. Consisting of one napkin of each Organza Color that's 19 in total. You will receive a package of 19 napkins one in each color of the Organza Selection of colors. In addition you will get a Organza color swatch card with all 19 colors of our best selling fabric line.
If color and or feel is important to your clients, we highly recommend you ordering swatch card and napkin samples of the different fabrics you may be interested in. By doing so, you can see the true colors and compare the fabrics as well. Not only are colors displayed differently on different monitors and you will be able to see the true colors but also see the superior quality and workmanship of our linens and compare the different fabrics for the ones that will suit your needs and desire the best.
It is a good idea to order several fabrics line swatch/sample to compare fabrics, view colors and then purchase the linens. We ship the swatch cards with sample fabric immediately.


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Melbourne, VIC – The Australian mattress company, Eva Mattress, has made a charitable pledge to donate one mattress to homeless shelters throughout the continent for every ten mattresses that are sold. Recognising the abundance of homeless individuals across the nation that do not have access to adequate sleeping conditions, Eva Mattress has made their pledge through what they call their One For Ten: Eva's Pledge program in order to do their part in contributing to efforts to help those in need.
Many individuals struggle to find mattresses that they can comfortably sleep on. Whether the mattress they purchase from a dime-a-dozen manufacturer lacks the essential comfort needed, or is made up of low-quality material, at the end of the day a bad mattress is a bad mattress. Sound sleep is essential for individuals to perform their daily tasks and goals to the best of their abilities, and many people tend to identify a high-quality mattress as a significant contributor to the quality of rest they achieve.
The company, Eva Mattress, endeavours not only to give back with their product sales, but to provide high-quality, satisfactory mattresses for their customers as well. The memory foam mattress produced by the company – and delivered with free shipping – focuses on the essentials of a satisfactory mattress: comfort, durability, and environmentally-friendly materials as officially certified by Certipur-US®.
The setup process through the purchase of an Eva Mattress is simple: by vacuum-packing the mattress in a box, the mattress can be easily transported, after which it can be taken out of its box, positioned on the sleeping foundation of the customer's choice, set up by Eva – and voilà, customers can watch their innovative mattress expand into one of comfort. Furthermore, by purchasing a mattress by the company, customers can sleep soundly knowing they have contributed to a charitable cause.
"Our mission with this pledge program is to improve the circumstances for homeless Australians that don't have access to proper beds," the company spokesperson comments. "Our one-for-ten mattress donation is our way of giving back."
Through their One for Ten pledge, Eva Mattress is striving to set a solid example for companies as a quality mattress company doing their part to secure better sleep for the homeless population of Australia. By donating one mattress for every ten that are purchased by customers, those buying a mattress can sleep soundly through both the comfort of the mattress and the knowledge that they have contributed to something beneficial for those in need.
Media Contact
Company Name: Eva Mattress
Contact Person: Kenneth Lau
Email: email@example.com
Phone: 1800960477
City: Melbourne
State: VIC 3051
Country: Australia
Website: www.evamattress.com.au/


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How to display a QR code in ASP.NET and WPF
I've half-jokingly said that there's never a good reason to use a QR Code. However, I'm working on an MVP (minimally viable product) for a small startup with Greg Shackles and we actually have a good reason to use one. We have a mobile device, a Web Site, and a Windows Application, and a QR Code is a pretty quick way to move data between the mobile device and the other applications without the mess of Bluetooth pairing.
As I mentioned, we display the QR code on an ASP.NET website, as well as within a Windows app that happens to be written in WPF. The iPhone app uses C# and Xamarin.
There's a great QR Code library called "ZXing" (Zebra Crossing) with ports in Java and also in C#. The C#/.NET one, ZXing.NET is a really fantastically well put together project with assemblies available for everything from .NET 2 to 4.5, Windows RT, Unity3D, Portable libraries and more. The site is filled with demo clients as well, although we didn't find one for ASP.NET or WPF. No matter, it's all just generating and showing PNGs.
I pulled in ZXing.NET from the NuGet package here, just install-package ZXing.Net.
How to display a QR code in ASP.NET
If you're generating a QR code with ASP.NET MVC, you'll have the page that the code lives on, but then you'll need to decide if you want to make an HTTP Handler that generates the graphic, like:

or, you could take a different approach like we did, and embed the code in the HTML page itself.
Greg used an HTML Helper to output the entire image tag, including the inlined image, as in:

Images in HTML directly as Data URIs are super fun and I think, often forgotten. If you show one to the average web dev they'll say "oh, ya...I knew about those, but never really used it." In fact, Data URIs have been around for a LONG time. Learn more about them at DataUrl.net.
Here's generating a QR Code within ASP.NET MVC from an HTML Helper:
public static class HtmlHelperExtensions
public static IHtmlString GenerateRelayQrCode(this HtmlHelper html, string groupName, int height = 250, int width = 250, int margin = 0)
var qrValue = "whatever data you want to put in here";
var barcodeWriter = new BarcodeWriter
Format = BarcodeFormat.QR_CODE,
Options = new EncodingOptions
Height = height,
Width = width,
Margin = margin
using (var bitmap = barcodeWriter.Write(qrValue))
using (var stream = new MemoryStream())
bitmap.Save(stream, ImageFormat.Gif);
var img = new TagBuilder("img");
img.MergeAttribute("alt", "your alt tag");
img.Attributes.Add("src", String.Format("data:image/gif;base64,{0}",
return MvcHtmlString.Create(img.ToString(TagRenderMode.SelfClosing));
Nice and simple. The BarcodeWriter class within ZXing.NET does the hard work. We don't need to save our QR Code to disk, and because we're doing it inline from our HTML page via this helper, there's no need for a separate call to get the image. Also, the caching policy that we decide to use for the page applies to the image within, simplifying things vs. two calls.
How to display a QR code in WPF
Note: This code here may be wrong. I'm happy to hear your suggestion, Dear Reader, because I'm either missing something completely or there is no clear and clean way to get from a System.Drawing.Bitmap to a System.Windows.Media.imaging.BitmapImage. The little dance here with the saving to a MemoryStream, then moving into a BitmapImage (with the unintuitive but totally required setting of CacheOption as well) just sets off my Spideysense. It can't be right, although it works.
I'll update the post when/if a cleaner way is found.
See below for update!
First, the exact same BarcodeWriter usage from the ZXing.NET library.
var qrcode = new QRCodeWriter();
var qrValue = "your magic here";
var barcodeWriter = new BarcodeWriter
Format = BarcodeFormat.QR_CODE,
Options = new EncodingOptions
Height = 300,
Width = 300,
Margin = 1
using (var bitmap = barcodeWriter.Write(qrValue))
using (var stream = new MemoryStream())
bitmap.Save(stream, ImageFormat.Png);
BitmapImage bi = new BitmapImage();
stream.Seek(0, SeekOrigin.Begin);
bi.StreamSource = stream;
bi.CacheOption = BitmapCacheOption.OnLoad;
QRCode.Source = bi; //A WPF Image control
Later, writing the Bitmap to a MemoryStream for manipulation, except in this case, we're putting the QR Code into the Source property of a WPF Image Control.
UPDATE: Thomas Levesque in the comments below suggests an extension within System.Windows.Interop (which explains me not finding it) called CreateBitmapSourceFromHBitmap. This still feels gross as it appears to requires a call to the native DeleteObject, but regardless, that's the price you pay I guess. It looks like this:
using (var bitmap = barcodeWriter.Write(qrValue))
var hbmp = bitmap.GetHbitmap();
var source = Imaging.CreateBitmapSourceFromHBitmap(hbmp, IntPtr.Zero, Int32Rect.Empty, System.Windows.Media.Imaging.BitmapSizeOptions.FromEmptyOptions());
QRCode.Source = source;
It works well!
Sponsor: Big thanks to combit for sponsoring the blog feed this week! Enjoy feature-rich report designing: Discover the reporting tool of choice for thousands of developers. List & Label is an award-winning component with a royalty-free report designer. Free trial!
About Scott
Scott Hanselman is a former professor, former Chief Architect in finance, now speaker, consultant, father, diabetic, and Microsoft employee. He is a failed stand-up comic, a cornrower, and a book author.
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Hollywood, Here We Come!
Affordable hotel with pool and large vehicle parking near Universal Studios
Nestled in the heart of the San Fernando Valley, join the fun at our Howard Johnson Inn & Suites Reseda hotel. Our hotel's location offers easy access to I-405, I-5, and I-210, which puts renowned southern California sites and sounds within easy reach, including Universal Studios and Hollywood. Northridge Hospital Medical Center and California State University, Northridge are both nearby for those visiting loved ones.


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Upload a photo of your space
For best results we recommend marking 10 inches on your wall with tape to get a sense of scale. Make sure to have the floor visible in the photo.
About the Work
About the Work"Les Maitres De L'Affiche" (The Masters of the Poster) is a phrase that refers to one of the most prestigious and influential art publications in history. The 256 color plates that make up the suite represent a wide-ranging selection of outstanding original posters from the turn of the twentieth century when this popular art form first reached its peak.
Early printed posters were very text-heavy, with relatively few illustrations. After all, they were created to advertise products, and adding an illustration to an advertisement in the mid-1800s was not commonplace. However, during the second half of the nineteenth century, when all types of commercial products were aesthetically upgraded, serious artists began to see the new possibilities in the poster medium. By linking their imagery to modern commerce, the thinking was that each would be enhanced by the value of the other.
This was especially true for Jules Cheret (1836-1932) whose unique combination of artistic, technical, and entrepreneurial talents paved the way for an actual poster industry. Cheret opened his own print shop in Paris in 1866 – Imprimerie Chaix – and his work then began to inspire numerous emulators throughout Europe and America.
By the 1890s the streets of every great city were enlivened by large, colorful posters. The posters had not only caught the fancy of the public, but its best examples were already being regarded as true works of art (specifically, as fine prints) to be exhibited, reviewed in journals, and collected and reproduced in a more manageable form. In the last five years of the century, the ebullient spirit of the "Belle Epoque," gave birth to a new artistic movement. It was during those years that Imprimerie Chaix was to play a significant part in codifying, hallowing, and perpetuating Cheret's vision through printmaking. The print shop published smaller chromolithographic versions (in authentic colors) of over 200 highly regarded posters from the time. These posters were created by more than 90 great artists, each bringing this fabulous period to life for us today.
The renowned set of 256 posters were created by Imprimerie Chaix, forever to be known as a set as "Les Maitres de La'Affiche." Each poster was rendered as a separate sheet measuring 11 ¼ x 15 – inches. The set was compiled uniquely. Every month for 60 months – from December 1895 through November 1900 – subscribers received a wrapped parcel containing four consecutively numbered poster reproductions. Each parcel consisted of 16 occasions (each of the five Decembers, the Junes, as well as the March and September months from the final three years of publishing). The monthly wrapper also contained a bonus plate, not a poster reproduction, of a specially created lithograph. The compilations of this set of original posters make up the complete suite known as "Les Maitres De L'affiche."
"Czechoslav Exhibition (Plate 56)" was created by Voytech Hynais who was a Czech painter, designer, and graphic artist. He designed curtain of the Prague Nationale Theatre, decorated some buildings in Prague and Vienna. "Czechoslav Exhibition (Plate 56)" is an original lithograph in colors. The antique lithograph was created by Voytech Hynais in 1894 and released in January 1897. The image size: 9.75 x 10.25 inches Paper size is 15.75 x 11.25 –inches.


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Here's something that should appeal to fans of Gōjin Ishihara's profoundly weird children's art. In 1969. a Japanese magazine published these exceedingly intense depictions of life at the center of our planet. Taking cues from Journey to the Center of the Earth and The Lost World, these drawings and diagrams are the strange remnants of some plesiosaur-filled fever dream. I love the heck out of them all.
G/O Media may get a commission
[Walt 74's Flickr via Nerdcore]


text: Hello, Sir Toby Tufty-Toes! What a pleasure to meet you today -- you are beautiful! I like your full, fluffy coat, your sweet face and pink nose - your lovely green eyes, and your wonderful tufty toes! I like that you escort your people everywhere they need to go! I have a kitty who does that for me sometimes. I bet it's fun to see you get the sillies and play with your favorite wand! Then it is time to smile, to purr and be with your people. I would love to have a cuddle with you, so perhaps your dear Daddy, your best snuggle-buddy would give you an extra cuddle for me I'm glad you took your medication, and now you are a happy and healthy kitty guy! Great big hugs, kisses, lovies and snuggles to you today, precious Toby Tufty-Toes!


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The battle of Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenocerous is over – and we all lost.
"Flight of the Conchords," as fans sadly know by now, has been grounded by stars Jemaine Clements and Bret McKenzie's unfortunate decision to end the show after two seasons on HBO.
It's hard to begrudge the duo – and show co-creator James Bobin – the break. In less than two years, the New Zealand team turned out 22 episodes of the New York-set show, each with at least one song and music video, as well as deadpan dialogue woven into delightfully absurd plots (who knew the purchase of one coffee mug could lead to havoc?).
But for a moment, let's channel Mel, their only fan and faithful stalker, and selfishly consider what we'll be missing.
No more visits from Brian, the blustery prime minister of New Zealand. No more nocturnal appearances by various incarnations of David Bowie. No more songs about "Sugar Lumps."
No more friendship graphs from Murray, their hapless attendance-happy manager. No more benefit concerts for canine epilepsy. No more addiction to hair gel.
The quirky program chronicling the exploits of two hopelessly naïve New Zealand musicians making a mess of trying to make it big in New York proved a hit on HBO, building an audience of three million, and leading to concerts and albums. It's almost fitting, in a Conchordian way, that the show about two losers is ending at the height of its success.
On what proved to be the final episode, Jemaine and Bret got evicted (it was discovered they'd been paying rent in New Zealand dollars), deported (immigration officials caught up with them after seeing Murray's dreadful musical about their lives) and were last seen in New Zealand, tending sheep and playing music in the fields.
"We like the way the show ended," the duo said on their website." While the characters Bret and Jemaine will no longer be around, the real Bret and Jemaine will continue to exist."
Still, there's a tad of hope the characters Bret and Jemaine will return. McKenzie told NME, the UK music publication, it's possible "we'd do a film or something like that."
Perhaps we'll see a rematch of Hiphopopotamus and Rhymenocerous yet…
U.S. & World
Hester is founding director of the award-winning, multi-media NYCity News Service at the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism. He is the former City Editor of the New York Daily News, where he started as a reporter in 1992. Follow him on Twitter.


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Research Spotlight on Single-Gender Education
NEA Reviews of the Research on Best Practices in Education
If you walked into the average public school classroom in the United States, you'd find an equal number of boys and girls. But some experts suggest it may be time for a change.
Single-gender education and the often-spirited dialogue surrounding it have raised a number of issues concerning the best manner to educate boys and girls.
In 1993, American University professors Myra Sadker and David Sadker published their research in Failing in Fairness: How America's Schools Cheat Girls, which describes striking discoveries about fairness in American schools. During a three-year study, trained observers visited more than 100 elementary school classrooms in Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Virginia, and the District of Columbia and noted student-teacher interactions, including the following:
- Boys called out eight times as often as girls did. When a boy yelled out, the teacher ignored the "raise your hand" rule and usually praised his contribution. Girls who called out got reminders to raise their hands.
- Teachers valued boys' comments more than girls' comments. Teachers responded to girls with a simple nod or an OK, but they praised, corrected, helped, and criticized boys.
- Boys were encouraged to solve problems on their own, but teachers helped girls who were stuck on problems.
Male dominance in the classroom may come as no surprise to advocates of single-gender education who suggest that boys and girls are regularly treated differently in coeducational settings and that both boys and girls could both benefit from single-gender classrooms. Studies suggest that when boys are in single-gender classrooms, they are more successful in school and more likely to pursue a wide range of interests and activities.
Girls who learn in all-girl environments are believed to be more comfortable responding to questions and sharing their opinions in class and more likely to explore more "nontraditional" subjects such as math, science, and technology. In addition, advocates believe that when children learn with single-gender peers, they are more likely to attend to their studies, speak more openly in the classroom, and feel more encouraged to pursue their interests and achieve their fullest potential.
Of course, these beliefs have been challenged as well. The American Association of University Women published Separated by Sex: A Critical Look at Single-Sex Education for Girls (1998), which notes that single-sex education is not necessarily better than coeducation. According to the report, boys and girls thrive on a good education, regardless of whether the school is single-sex or coeducational. Some findings include:
- No evidence shows that single-sex education works or is better for girls than coeducation.
- When elements of a good education are present—such as small classes and schools, equitable teaching practices, and focused academic curriculum—girls and boys succeed.
- Some kinds of single-sex programs produce positive results for some students, including a preference for math and science among girls.
Additional research on the effectiveness of single-gender classrooms is necessary, but we all can agree that we need to construct an educational environment that meets the social and intellectual needs of boys and girls.
Here are two additional studies from the current research on single-gender education:
- Is Single-Gender Schooling Viable in the Public Sector? Lessons from California's Pilot Program( PDF, 402 KB, 83pp)
This report provides a good background and review of the literature with a broad assessment of where research stands on the controversy. It covers a pilot program in California, the nation's biggest pilot project, a project that was subsequently shut down. This report presents the findings of a three-year case study of an experiment of single-gender schools with the public sector. It provides a thorough analysis of the topic and examines future directions for single gender school reform program. Amanda Datnow et al., 2001.
- The Evidence Suggests Otherwise: The Truth About Boys and Girls ( PDF, 363 KB, 21pp
"The real story is not bad news about boys doing worse; it's good news about girls doing better. In fact, with a few exceptions, American boys are scoring higher and achieving more than they ever have before. But girls have just improved their performance on some measures even faster. As a result, girls have narrowed or even closed some academic gaps that previously favored boys, while other long-standing gaps that favored girls have widened, leading to the belief that boys are falling behind. There's no doubt that some groups of boys—particularly Hispanic and black boys and boys from low-income homes—are in real trouble. But the predominant issues for them are race and class, not gender. Closing racial and economic gaps would help poor and minority boys more than closing gender gaps, and focusing on gender gaps may distract attention from the bigger problems facing these youngsters. The hysteria about boys is partly a matter of perspective. While most of society has finally embraced the idea of equality for women, the idea that women might actually surpass men in some areas (even as they remain behind in others) seems hard for many people to swallow. Thus, boys are routinely characterized as 'falling behind' even as they improve in absolute terms." Sara Mead, Education Sector (2006).


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Helen Clark: Speech on "Fulfilling the promise of the Millennium Declaration: the Millennium Development Goals Achievement Fund Experience"Sep 25, 2013
Speech by Helen Clark, Chair of the United Nations Development Group
"Fulfilling the promise of the Millennium Declaration: the Millennium Development Goals Achievement Fund Experience"
September 25th, 2013
ECOSOC Chamber, United Nations, New York
It is a great pleasure for me to speak on behalf of the United Nations Development Group about our work with the MDG Achievement Fund. I am also here representing the UN Secretary-General who could not be with us this evening, but has sent a message of appreciation to Spain for its outstanding support of the MDG Achievement Fund.
This Fund was established by agreement between Spain and UNDP in 2006 to provide dedicated funding through UN agencies to support MDG Achievement.
Spain's contribution of close to one billion dollars represents the largest ever single donor contribution to the UN development system. For that, we in the UN Development Group are deeply grateful, and have done our best to work together in the areas designated by the Fund to make progress towards the MDG targets.
The Spanish Fund, as we often call it, was launched in the seventh year of the MDG timetable – in 2007. That was roughly halfway between the launch of the MDGs and the 2015 date set for achieving their targets.
In making this significant donation, I believe that Spain recognized that the MDGs would not be progressed through business as usual – either by the UN, or by development partners, or by programme countries.
Spain was also a strong proponent of the Delivering as One way of working by UN Country Teams which was launched through eight pilots in 2007 - the same year as this MDG-Achievement Fund was launched. This approach was recommended by a High Level Panel on UN System-wide Coherence appointed by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, and aimed to make the UN development system more collaborative and effective. Dedicated funding was made available by donors for the pilots from 2007, and from the outset of the Spanish Fund there was a window for funding the One UN pilot countries. This then became the 'Expanded Delivering as One Funding Window for Achievement of MDGs' which was established in 2008 as a separate, pooled, multi-donor financing mechanism to support UN Country Teams involved with the Delivering as One approach. Spain's role as an innovator in getting this mode of funding established must be acknowledged here today.
The Spanish Fund was a very big project. It sought to promote joined-up efforts and coherence in a total of fifty countries. It made funding available in those countries through UN agencies where at least three came together with a proposal. Overall the Fund has worked with 27 agencies, under the leadership of Resident Co-ordinators.
When I came to the UN in 2009 and began to visit UN Country Teams around the world, it was not unusual to find that the only joint programming being done was that supported by the Spanish Fund.
We owe a great deal therefore to Spain for the incentives and encouragement it provided for UN agencies to work together. That has not only helped the process of UN reform, but has also made available to developing countries integrated responses to complex development challenges.
I recall 2 ½ years ago visiting Kars in eastern Turkey where a number of our agencies had come together in support of a culture and development programme. It linked the area's extraordinary history and unique crafts and culture to the development of tourism and job creation associated with that. UNESCO, UNICEF, UNDP and the World Tourism Organization had come together to support different aspects of the programme. I saw the literary heritage trails in the town of Kars – where Pushkin once resided, and where Nobel Laureate Orhan Pamuk's novel "Snow" was set, and the unique arts, crafts, and boutique food production of the area. The objective was to encourage tourism to come to this unique place.
Such stories can be told about the many initiatives supported by the Spanish Fund. Millions of people have been directly supported – of whom three-quarters have been women and girls, and a significant number of beneficiaries have been indigenous people or members of ethnic minorities. On average, five UN agencies have participated in each joint programme.
The Spanish Fund was also inspired by the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness of 2005, and the subsequent Accra Agenda for Action of 2008. An important element of the Fund's approach has been the belief that sustainable results are reliant on alignment with national priorities. The Fund has also emphasized the importance of transparency, inclusion, and accountability in its work.
There can be no doubt that the knowledge gained from programmes supported by the MDG Achievement Fund around the world is a very important contribution to work to accelerate MDG progress, especially now with the 2015 target date looming large. Global thematic evaluations of the MDG-F have been commissioned. They will shed light on good practices developed through the work of the Fund, and on how to bring the UN system together to tackle complex challenges.
In establishing the Fund, Spain wanted to do whatever it could to achieve the MDGs, improve UN coherence, and make development assistance more effective. Work on all three of those dimensions must continue. It will be as important to meeting the objectives of the post-2015 agenda as it has been to progressing the MDGs.
I would like to conclude by thanking all those who made this development initiative possible: first and foremost, the Government of Spain for its generosity and willingness to invest in innovative approaches.
I also thank the fifty partner countries and all Resident Co-ordinators and members of UN Country Teams working within those countries from across 27 agencies. I thank our subnational government and civil society partners too. Last, but not least, I thank the staff of the small and hardworking MDG-F Secretariat who have worked so hard to make this Fund a success.