text:
Webb's fight: Senator tackles prison reform in new bill
On Thursday, March 26, Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) introduced a bill that, if made law, would begin a drastic overhaul of the federal prison system. With the National Criminal Justice Act of 2009, Webb is calling for the formation of a "blue-ribbon panel" of the "best minds in America" to take up the task of fixing a system Webb calls "a national disgrace."
"Its irregularities and inequities cut against the notion that we are a society founded on fundamental fairness," says Webb in a statement. "Our failure to address this problem has caused the nation's prisons to burst their seams with massive overcrowding, even as our neighborhoods have become more dangerous."
Webb has begun his campaign to drum up support for his bill by authoring a cover story in the Sunday, March 29 edition of Parade Magazine. The Norfolk Virginian-Pilot reports that Webb has already won support for the bill from President Obama.
Much of the bill focuses on the need to re-evaluate how the corrections system treats nonviolent drug offenders and its effect on drug trafficking at large.
"Despite high incarceration rates for drug-related offenses," write Webb in the bill, "illicit drug availability remains consistent. Eighty-six percent of high school students report that it is 'very easy' or 'easy' to obtain marijuana. Forty-seven percent report the same for cocaine, 39 percent for crack, and 27 percent for heroin."
Webb suggests the panel examine the issue of whether prisons could do a better job of rehabilitating drug-addicted inmates.
"Those addicted to and abusive of illicit drugs are an estimated 10 to 20 percent of the drug-using population," writes Webb, "but account for an estimated half of all illicit drug consumption. Treating addiction will significantly decrease that demand."
Political analysts have long seen language like this as a "third rail" issue that could create liabilities for an elected official who takes on the issue.
"The danger is that you could be seen as being soft on crime," says Robert Holsworth, a former political science professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, "and there's really no political upside to it. How does supporting prisoners help you get re-elected?"
Conventional wisdom holds that's particularly true in Virginia, where, in 1994, the General Assembly passed Governor George Allen's (R) bill to abolish parole for violent criminals, which helped to fuel Allen's rise to the U.S. Senate in 2000.
Today, Allen says that it seems his one-time political opponent's goals are misguided.
"Reducing the overall incarceration rate shouldn't be the priority," says Allen. "The priority should be protecting law-abiding citizens. Criminal apologists will no doubt cheer this bill, but the idea that the overcrowding of our prisons is due to their being filled by nonviolent drug offenders is an urban myth. In Virginia, at least, these misdemeanor offenders are not kept in the same facilities as violent criminals."
Rather, Allen says law enforcement should be more aggressive about pursuing drug offenders due to its link to other, more violent crime.
"A lot of violent crime is either between those in the drug trade like you're seeing in Mexico now, or it's drug users who are robbing people to buy more drugs," says Allen. "What we ought to be doing is catching the drug dealers, and selling off their ill-gotten gains to catch more drug dealers, like cutting open a shark for bait to catch more sharks."
Still, UVA professor and political pundit Larry Sabato says that Webb's tackling of this controversial issue could ultimately pay dividends when the senator is up for re-election in 2012.
"Sometimes politicians who are willing to break a taboo are rewarded for it," says Sabato. "Virginia is very different from the way it was in 1994, and more open to more thoughtful approaches to complex issues. As long as Webb isn't for throwing open the doors for hardened criminals, and he's not because he's not stupid, this will help his re-election."
8 comments
The only thing he needs to do to fix the system is to get the congress and supreme court to rewrite the laws on "cruel and unusual" punishment so that it is defined as "anything worse than the toughest marine assignment"
Once that is done we can make these criminals get their asses back on a chain gang where they belong.
The recidivism rate woullnd't be so high if jail wasn't so easy.
It is very seldom that someone who gets bitten by the neighbors dog trespasses twice.
I would imagine the "toughest Marine assignment" would be charging a well-placed machine gun emplacement.
Music lover... I was refering to their living conditions and trainging regiment.
If our soldiers can live for months on end in freezing cold tents or 120 degree heat only getting 6 hours sleep before working a 14 hour day then inmates can certainly plant trees, pick up trash or dig ditches without it being considered cruel.
Why does the writer of this article care what George Allen thinks about this issue? Webb's ideas should be judged on their merits, not on what the man who lost to Senator Jim Webb thinks. George Allen, the loser, is clearly biased and his words should be viewed in the context of the defeat he suffered at the hands of our current Senator, Jim Webb.
billy bob, the reason that george allens opinions matter are for context. Not everyone thinks webb is the son of god.
Prisons today are not where one goes to be punished. You go there to gain experience in your trade while taking a vacation from running from the law. There is no incentive not to return once you're let out. We really need to get back to chain gangs. Prisoners should be well fed, worked hard and made to repay some of the cost of keeping them lock up.
I certainly hope this proposed panel will strongly consider the effects of any changes to current policy on the extensive drug trafficking in Columbia, Mexico and the southwestern US including the kidnapping and murders. Also, the panel should consider the effects on funding for the terrorists around the world. The problem of drug usage in the world is far more severe than being an alcoholic.


text:
Crate Engines - The Crate Advantage
Your Options Are Limited, But There Are "Legal" Ways To Make The Most Of Your Crate Engine
Like it or not, the crate engine revolution is upon us. More divisions at more tracks are going with pre-fab power. That, however, doesn't mean there is nothing you can do to make sure you're getting maximum power from your engine. Your options are more limited, but the proper care and feeding of a crate engine can provide you with a power advantage on the track.
This story is aimed at giving you several ideas to chose from and try on your own crate motor. However, the rules are so varied that no list can apply to everyone. Some racers may be allowed to pop off the valve covers to adjust the lash, while others may not. And, of course, we're not so naive as to believe that all of you reading this are boy scouts, unwilling to bend the rules slightly if necessary. (Heck, a few of us are short on merit badges.) Knowing that, we've also provided a few suggestions that might push the gray areas of the rule book. All the original parts are kept; they are just modified a little. The key, if you are poking around in the gray areas of the rule book, is to work on parts of the engine that aren't normally checked. In other words, forget about your head porting tools. But we've got a good one to try if you're running a stock water pump.
Note: Just because we mention a few ideas that might not be legal where you race, that doesn't mean Circle Track condones cheating. Of course, we don't condemn it, either. We're not your momma-you can make your own decisions.
You religiously kept up a rigorous schedule of maintenance with your previous engines, right? Well, just because there's less you can do now, that doesn't mean you should ignore the things you can do. The variables you can control are now even more important. These include things like keeping fresh plugs, plug wires, and a clean air filter in the car. Crate motors don't run forever, and they can develop problems. In fact, because they are built on an assembly line and not one at a time in an engine builder's shop, crate motors are often not built to the same standard as older race engines. If your series has a certified rebuilder, contact that operation to set up a schedule for maintenance that you aren't allowed to perform.
OK, now that we've gotten the obvious stuff out of the way, let's get on to the good stuff.
Engine timing is rarely set ideally from the factory. The manufacturers time the engines for smooth-running reliability; what we want is the most power available before the onset of detonation. According to several engine builders, you can safely get away with advancing the timing two degrees. You can potentially make more gains by taking it a little farther, but if you want to see what more timing will do, it's best to try it on an engine dyno in which you can keep a better diagnostic eye on everything.
Most series will allow simple carburetor adjustments, which is good because you probably will need to make a few. For oval track racing, crate motor setups usually run too rich at the top end. The quick fix is to pop in a set of jets a few steps smaller, but this isn't always the best idea because the engine is now lean at idle and at the lower rpm. The real culprit is a power valve that is too large and dumping in too much fuel when the revs are up. If you have this problem, try swapping it for a smaller power valve.
Modern cylinder heads have efficient combustion chambers, so indexing plugs isn't the trick that it was a decade ago. Careful plug selection can net you a small gain, depending on what the factory sent you. Here's the scenario: The flame kernel begins at the electrode and extends outward evenly until it hits an obstruction, which hinders combustion efficiency. The first obstruction is likely to be the top of the combustion chamber and the short side of the cylinder wall.
By choosing a longer plug that extends deeper into the cylinder, you move the electrode closer to the center of the combustion chamber. Now the flame front is more balanced as it extends (if only by fractions of an inch), and it can extend farther in all directions before meeting an obstruction. This causes the air/fuel charge to be burned more efficiently, which means more power.
Be aware that we are only talking about slivers of horsepower, but if you add up several improvements, you can get something significant.
If you have a choice, make sure to run racing-quality accessories on your engine. Most are already chosen for you as part of the crate engine package (fuel pump, water pump, etc. ), but one usually open for improvement is the alternator. Simply getting rid of the alternator and depending on the battery is the best option, but that's usually only possible for four-cylinder classes. For V-8s and longer races, choose the smallest alternator with the least amount of output you can get away with. This will reduce the parasitic losses involved with turning the alternator. For more information on how limited amperage is enough when it comes to alternators, call a few manufacturers. Almost all of them have done testing with every conceivable combination.
We also wondered about drivebelt configurations that rob the least power. For more information, we turned to Rob Benson, who runs the dyno testing program at Hendrick Motorsports. Benson, who has tested both V-belt and serpentine belt systems, says he has found little difference between the two. His advice to racers is simply to keep using what you've got and save your money.
The greatest restriction on the water flow through the engine is usually the water neck outlet on the engine. Most crate motors use a cast water neck, but if yours uses an AN fitting (or you can change out the cast piece), the standard size is 16. Upgrade to a size 20 AN fitting to reduce the restriction.
If you are allowed under the valve covers, adjusting the lash on solid-lifter-equipped engines is a good way to make a cam act bigger in nearly every important dimension. Closing the valve lash on a solid lifter cam causes the valves to open sooner and close later. This has the effect of extending the duration as well as the overlap period and increasing maximum lift by a few thousandths of an inch. The overall effect may be negligible-or even detrimental-at idle and low rpm, but at racing speeds, the engine's improved ability to ingest the air/fuel mixture should result in increased power.
On an engine with iron cylinder heads, you can usually get by with as little as 0.004 inch valve lash when the engine is hot. Aluminum cylinder heads are tougher because of the material's increased rates of expansion. A simple way of setting minimum valve lash with aluminum cylinder heads is to work with the engine cold. Close the lash until you can turn the pushrods with your bare hands. These guidelines should help you set the minimum lash possible without hurting your engine, but at these levels you need to show extra care to properly warm up the engine before stressing it.
Just like adjusting the valve lash, the following tip is dependent on your access to the front cover. If possible, you can advance or retard the cam- shaft to help tailor the engine's power curve to your track and driver. Advancing the cam one or two degrees typically increases bottom-end, or low-rpm, power while retarding the cam does the opposite. Again, we're only talking about small amounts, but when everything else is equal, every little bit helps.
When talking to engine builders, we were given several ideas that were good with the exception of one small problem: legality. Although we don't want to promote blatant cheating in racing, it's common knowledge that the best place to find a perfectly legal race car is in the back of the pack. With that in mind, we offer the following tips that push what we'll euphemistically call the "gray areas." We chose these because we thought they would either be particularly hard to spot, or in areas not normally checked. Still, adopt these strategies at your own risk. Remember, the tech man reads us, too.
You may need to ask an engine builder for help with the following. Excessive surface area on the main bearings can cause unnecessary drag. If your crate motor utilizes OEM bearings, they can probably stand to be narrowed by as much as 0.1 inch. Make sure you don't expose the oil holes or you will lose all oil control. Similarly, narrower, low-tension piston rings can really save on parasitic losses, but this involves getting past all of the "tamper-proof" seals that your engine probably came with.
While you have the bearings out, you might also consider a performance-enhancing coating designed to attract oil and aid lubricity. Just be careful, as some of these add a colored patina to the bearing that is easy to spot.
Pushing fluids through the engine soaks up power. Minimizing oil pressure to cut parasitic losses is old school in traditional racing engines, but that ability is typically limited in crate engines. If you can get the oil pan off, however, this adjustment is pretty easy. By simply putting a lighter spring in the oil pump, you can reduce the workload on the pump. It's unlikely that someone is going to tear you down to check your oil pump spring.
The same goes for the coolant flowing between the block and the radiator. This tip isn't useful if you are allowed to use a racing water pump, but if you are using an OEM unit, you are likely pushing too much water through the block a lot faster than necessary. OEM pumps are designed to provide adequate cooling for street cars, which spend 90 percent of their time between idle and 3,000 rpm. Oval track stock cars are high-rpm monsters, and cooling during extended rpm periods at low rpm is not a concern. If you can get your water pump apart, cutting every second vane off the impeller will reduce water flow to more manageable levels-you'll just need to make sure your ducting and overall cooling system works effectively. Also, it's probably best to cut the vanes off on a milling machine. A hack job will unbalance the impeller and lead to power-robbing cavitation.
Many crate engines currently being designed for racing are rpm limited. The limit is often below peak power levels. If you are hitting the rev limiter but the valvetrain still seems to be holding up, you can potentially free up some power by using lighter springs. Instead of changing the springs, which can be easy to spot by a tech man, lower the seat pressure by going with thinner spring shims or cutting a few thousandths of an inch out of the spring seats.
Don't do too much or you may make the springs too weak to do their jobs. This is another area where a qualified engine builder can be helpful, both in determining the minimum spring pressure you can get by with and in making the cuts on the cylinder heads.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
At the annual banquet for the San Francisco chapter of the Democratic Party, you would expect Republicans to stay as far away as possible.
But that wasn't the case last night at the Fairmont Hotel. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was already at the hotel rubbing elbows with Tiger Woods and President Bill Clinton, so he accepted an invitation to attend.
After a friendly introduction from former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, the governor could barely get a word out before he was shouted down by boos and hisses from the audience.
You can see what happened for yourself courtesy of K9 Sound by clicking on the Raw Video link. (Warning: There's offensive language in the soundtrack and subtitles.)
State Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, a sometimes standup comic, admits he helped lead the charge. And while what happened could be seen as humorous political theater, some of the shouts are now being called inappropriate.
For example someone yelled, "kiss my fa*got ass."
Brown told the Chronicle, "It was inappropriate to invite anyone in and shout at them, I don't care who it is. It could be George Bush. You don't do that. If you don't wish to be in their presence, then don't invite them."
After Schwarzenegger left, both Ammiano and State Senator Mark Leno continued to tear the man, citing everything from his unwillingness to honor national hero Harvey Milk to vetoing money meant for domestic violence shelters.
Schwarzenegger didn't seem to want to add to the fire this morning. He said in a statement, "Compared to the reaction I got in Hyannis Port when I told the Kennedys I was marrying Maria, it was fantastic."
Ammiano's response to the fact that Schwarzenegger sleeps with a Democrat was hilariously unprintable.
There were no appearances by either San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom or his likely gubernatorial primary opponent, Attorney General Jerry Brown. So both dodged a campaign bullet.
By the way, Schwarzenegger is currently threatening to veto every bill passed by the Democrat-led state assembly and senate unless they approve his plan to send more water from the northern half of the state to the southern half.
Read more about what happened at SF Gate.
Jackson West note that Bill Clinton, who crafted the noxious "don't ask, don't tell" policy, was savvy enough to stay away.


text:
To Get A Password:
In order to use our internet home banking site, you will need a
password. To get your new password, Contact
Us and we will get you all set up. Once your new password is
issued, you can change it on your first visit to the secure Home
Banking site. It's that easy!


text:
If you read Robyn's post The Weight Is On yesterday, you can probably relate. As spring approaches it is just natural to want to get in shape whether you have gained excess winter weight or you're just feeling like you've been stuck inside for way too many months and are needing a ChAnGge oF sCeNeRy.
Sometimes it can be hard to get started when you see the long road ahead to reach your WeiGht-LoSs GoAl. Afterall, overcoming the inertia can be a difficult thing to do.
On Monday we had a little pep talk and we decided that we would overcome the inertia together. So we made a 2-MoNtH pAcT to exercise consistently from now to mid-May, basically, the beginning of summer. It is actually quite motivating when you look at it in the context of summer being right around the corner.
One thing that really motivated us in our new goal was this website from the National Institute Of Health that can help in your weight loss efforts. Here's the link: http://bwsimulator.niddk.nih.gov/ . It allows you to put in your weight, goal weight, and a few other items. It will then tell you how many calories you need to consume each day to reach your goal. We played around on it and found it quite addictive.
(You do need to have Java installed on your computer. You can install a free version by going to www.java.com ) Here is what the simulator looks like:
Overwhelmed by the idea of tracking your calories? No worries! Check out this quick, easy and free calorie counting website: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/ They also offer a free app for your phone!
So, if you're like us and you need to overcome inertia, GeT yOuR PoSsE – a group of friends, an exercise group, your neighbors, or family members and get your exercise groove on. After all, there's only about 60 days until summer!
Lara, Robyn, & Robynn


text:
News » Early Music Concerts 2011-2012
(US) Salon Sanctuary Concert: The Musical World of Ben Franklin (20 may 2012)
Location: The Fraunces Tavern Museum, 54 Pearl Street, New York NY, US
"Please join us for our Season Finale concert and post-concert celebration! Ben Franklin attended concerts and operas, promoted emerging American musicians, and invented a musical instrument that became the rage of Europe. "National Artistic Treasure" Julianne Baird brings his musical world to life in this program of music and readings.
This event is co-presented by The Fraunces Tavern® Museum. The performance will take place in the Museum's Flag Gallery. …
Julianne Baird, soprano
Allen Whear, cello
John Bailey, harpsichord
Ed Mauger, narrator
(FR) Académie Bach Presents: "Selon Jean" (19, 20, 22, 23 may 2012)
Eglise d'Arques-la-Bataille, Haute Normadie FR (19 may 2012)
Collégiale Notre-Dame, Eu, FR (20 may 2012)
Le Cadran, Evreux FR (22 may 2012)
Opéra de Rouen Haute-Normandie (23 may 2012)
Selon Jean is a concert of original format, constructed from parts of "St. John's Passion" by Bach, and, by the translation of the Gospel in French by Isaac Lemaistre de Sacy at the end of the XVIIth century. For Bach, like all creators of the baroque period, the Word, incarnate in the human voice, was the focus of expression. By substituting the spoken recitatives of the Evangelist composed by Bach, of course we take the liberty of not adhering strictly to the original work. But this apparent betrayal also brings us back closer to the essential: the dramatic and expressive power of the Gospel text, magnified by the music of Bach. …"
(US) Canticum Novum Singers Concert: J.S. Bach mass in B Minor (19 may 2012)
Location: St. Jean Baptiste Church, 76th St. and Lexington Avenue in Manhattan, New York NY, US
The Canticum Novum Singers, Harold Rosenbaum, Conductor and Artistic Director will present J.S. Bach's Mass in B Minor on Saturday, May 19 - 8:00 PM at St. Jean Baptiste Church, 76th St. and Lexington Avenue in Manhattan. Guest performers will be Tiffany Rosenquist de la Torre, soprano, Meg Bragle, mezzo-soprano, Steven Caldicott Wilson, tenor, Jesse Blumberg, baritone and the Artemis Chamber Ensemble.
(US) Opera Lafayette Benefit Celebration (5 jun 2012)
Location: The Embassy of France, La Maison Française, Washington, DC, US
"Let us transport you... to Delhi and Samarkand.
Opera Lafayette invites you to a benefit celebrating a season of musical jewels.
- Selections from our 2012-2013 season by Opera Lafayette musicians and members of Kalanidhi Dance
- Silent Auction
- Seated Dinner
(FR) Ensemble Céladon May 2012 Concert Listings
(From the latest Ensemble Céladon newsletter 08 may 2012)
News from Ensemble Céladon of its busy May 2012 schedule and also a reminder to visit its "Discography" web page where you can hear excerpts of their latest release "Deo Gratias Anglia" released on the 20th March 2012 as well as other releases.
(US) Parthenia, a Consort of Viols Concert: Night Visions (Part of Queens New Music Festival) (13 may 2012)
Location: The Secret Theatre, 44-02 23rd Street, Long Island City NY, US
Parthenia, New York's premiere viol consort, will present Night Visions - a program of new music on Sunday, May 13 – 5:30 PM at The Secret Theatre, 44-02 23rd Street in Long Island City. This performance will be part of the Queens New Music Festival.
Parthenia's program will include Richard Einhorn's Variations on La Follia for treble, tenor and 2 bass violas da gamba, composed for them in 2011. The ground bass theme known as "La Follia" has captured the imagination of composers since Renaissance times. …
(CA) Nota Bene Baroque Concert: Bach Meets Frederick The Great (13 may 2012)
Location: The Registry Theatre, 122 Frederick Street, Kitchener ON, CA N2H 2L9
"The 1747 meeting between Frederick the Great and J. S. Bach inspired the creation of Bach's "Musical Offering". Our concert features music by Bach, Frederick and Frederick's court composers, combined with readings that explore the titanic aesthetic and cultural shifts taking place at the same time. Featuring guest artists Emma Elkinson on Baroque flute and Colin Fox as narrator. …"
(US) Bach Society Houston Concert: "Bach Vespers" (6 may 2012)
Location: Christ the King Lutheran Church, 2353 Rice Boulevard at Greenbriar, Houston TX, US
"The Bach Society presents Bach Vespers this Sunday, the final event of its 30th Anniverary Season, featuring the Bach Choir and Mercury Baroque under the direction of Artistic Director Albert LeDoux. The centerpiece of the program is the cantata O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort, BWV 20. This opening work of Bach's first complete annual cycle of cantatas for Leipzig is particularly colorful and dramatic. Also on the program are motets by Johann Ludwig Krebs, one of Bach's students, and Thomas Stoltzer. The season ends as it began, with the Geistliche Chormusik of Heinrich Schütz, whose sublime motet So fahr ich hin zu Jesus Christ is the perfect response to Bach's fiery cantata. Soloists are Rebecca Henderson, alto; Patrick Perez, tenor; and Carlton Ford, bass. The guest organist is Hyun Jyung Seoh. …
(CA) Early Music Fredericton Concert: "The Couperin Dynasty" (6 may 2012)
(UK) Dunedin Consort & Players Concerts: Brandenburg - Cantata Series (4,6 may 2012)
(From the latest Dunedin Consort & Players newsletter)
Concert Hall, Perth UK (04 may 2012)
Queen's Hall, Edinburgh UK (06 may 2012)
Dunedin's final season concerts complete the Brandenburgs set with the impossibly virtuosic Brandenburg concerto number 2 for Trumpet, Violin, Oboe and Recorder. Bach's Cantata BWV 174 is one of those gems that show how Bach re-invented his own music, in this occasion his Brandenburg concerto no 3.
(US) Parthenia, a Consort of Viols Concert: Musica Universalis (5 may 2012)
Location: Picture Ray Studios, 245 West 18th Street (between 7th and 8th Avenues) Manhattan, New York NY, US
Parthenia, New York's premiere viol consort, will present Musica Universalis - Musical Invention in the Age of Discovery, on Saturday, May 5 at 8:00 PM at Picture Ray Studio, 245 West 18th Street (between 7th and 8th Avenues) in Manhattan. Special guest will be renowned viol virtuoso Sarah Cunningham.
Repertoire will be selections from the late 15th and 16th centuries by Thomas Stolzter, Heinrich Isaac, Vincenzo Ruffo, William Cornish, Christopher Tye, Robert Parsons and William Byrd.
(IT) Accordone Newsletter (19 apr 2012)
(From the latest Accordone newsletter, the concert listings for the month of May and June 2012)
Background notes of Accordone: "Guido Morini and Marco Beasley founded Accordone in 1984, motivated by a great passion for the music before Bach, for original instruments and for a new musicological approach to problems of interpretation. At the heart of their work is Italian music for voice and basso continuo from the 16th and 17th centuries. The voice of Marco Beasley, immediately recognizable for its beautiful timbre, in perfect stylistic balance with the instruments which accompany him, is the ideal companion for the profound knowledge of instrumental, improvisational and compositional questions cultivated by Guido Morini, and make Accordone a unique ensemble on the European scene."
The following are the next May, June 2012 concerts: …
(FR) Les Passions Orchestra at Montauban Concert(s): Te Deum et Messe en ré de Jean Gilles (1668-1705)" (1-2 may, 26 aug 2012)
Temple des Carmes - Montauban (82) (1 may 2012)
Cathédrale St Etienne - Toulouse (31) (2 may 2012)
Abbatiale Saint Robert de La Chaise-Dieu (43) (26 aug 2012)
Les Passions - Chœur de chambre Les éléments
Solistes: Anne Magouët, Vincent Lièvre-Picard, Jean-François Novelli et Alain Buet
Direction Jean-Marc Andrieu
"Continuing the exploration and restitution of works of the choirmaster of the Cathedral of Toulouse – Jean Gilles, Les Passions offer the third and final part of this great enterprise of critical acclaim.
(US) Tudor Choir Concert: Vivaldi Gloria with Seattle Baroque Orchestra (28 apr 2012)
(US) Gotham Early Music Scene (GEMS) Newsletter (19 apr 2012)
From the latest newsletter from Gotham Early Music Scene (GEMS)
"GEMS has been working with Juilliard's Historical Performance Program since its inception to help broaden its reach by connecting in valuable ways with New York's professional early music community. Among our projects are listing the graduation recitals offered by students about to leave the program and join our community as working musicians, and extending invitations to working professionals to attend special events at Juilliard, including their master classes, at no charge. …
(US) Salon Sanctuary Concert: German and Bohemian Masterworks (28 apr 2012)
Location: The Abigail Adams Smith Auditorium, 417 East 61st St., New York NY, US
A quartet of virtuosi performs German and Bohemian masterworks in the intimate mirrored hall of The Abigail Adams Smith Auditorium.
Robert Mealy, violin
Gonzalo Ruiz, oboe
Dominic Teresi, bassoon
Kenneth Weiss, harpsichord
GF Handel, Trio Sonata in B-flat major Op. 2, No. 3
CPE Bach, Sonata for Oboe and Basso Continuo in G minor, Wq 135
JS Bach, Prelude and Fugue in G-sharp minor, BWV 863
Zelenka, Trio Sonata in B-flat major, ZWV 181/3
Teleman, Trio Sonata in G minor, from Essercizii Musici
JS Bach, Sonata for violin and harpsichord, BWV 1015
(FR) Festival de Froville Pre-Festival Concerts (27, 28 apr 2012)
The Festival de Froville opens on the 19th of may with Concerto Köln and Vivaldi's Stabat Mater followed by thirteen concerts in Froville and Lunéville. Before this date, so anticipated, the festival proposes two exceptional concerts.
The musicians of the film"Intouchables" visit Lunéville on April 27th, in the Festival Hall of Cirey sur Vezouze, and, April 28th at the Lunéville Castle Chapel. "Le Cariccio Français" directed by Philippe Le Fèvre, with Hélène Dufour, harpsichord; Yann Rolland, countertenor; Estelle Béréau, soprano, perform:
Antonio VIVALDI's most appreciated airs
Some works of XVIIIth century Venice
Motets and opera excerpts for soprano or countertenor (solo or duo)
(CA) The Toronto Consort Concert: The Original Carmina Burana (27, 28 apr 2012)
Location: Trinity St. Paul's Centre, 427 Bloor St. W., Toronto ON, CA
"For its 2011-12 season finale, The Toronto Consort presents The Original Carmina Burana — not to be confused with the work by the 20th century composer Carl Orff. The original, rarely performed medieval music and poetry inspired Orff and many other composers over the centuries. …
(UK) Cambridge Early Music Concerts: Jakob Lindberg Plays Jacobean Lute Music (22 apr 2012)
Location: Howard Theatre, Downing College, St Andrew's Street, Cambridge
One of the world's greatest lutenists plays in Cambridge! Jakob Lindberg's programme of Jacobean music for solo lute includes works by Dowland, Cuthbert Hely, Robert Johnson and Daniel Bacheler, as well as anonymous Scottish folk tunes.
"...there are certain musicians who maintain an almost inhuman track record of unblemished excellence in their fields. One such is the Swedish lutenist Jakob Lindberg. His seriousness of purpose is matched by a keen appreciation of wit and charm that's supported by absolute security of technique and the intelligence of a master. In Tune"
(US) The Rose Ensemble Concert: Spain in the New World (20-22 apr 2012)
Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Church, St. Paul, MN (20 apr 2012)
The Basilica of Saint Mary, Minneapolis, MN (21 apr 2012)
Mitchell Auditorium, College of St. Scholastica, Duluth, MN (22 apr 2012)
The Rose Ensemble with special guests: Piffaro, The Renaissance Band, Nell Snaidas (soprano), Danny Mallon (percussion), Charles Weaver (Baroque guitar)
"Join us in exploring the creation of new music that flourished in both urban centers and rustic villages of the New World. Old world Iberian musical culture, dominated by the Catholic Church, met burgeoning indigenous practice within the new territories, giving rise to both cross-cultural struggles and collaborative musical expression.
(US) The Four Nations Ensemble Concert: Lamentations and Uluations (22, 25 apr 2012)
The 44th Ulster Chamber Music Series, Church of the Holy Cross, 30 Pine Grove Avenue, Kingston NY, US (22 apr 2012)
The New Church, 114 East 35 Street. New York N, US (25 apr 2012)
The Four Nations Ensemble
Andrew Fouts and Tanya Chulochnikova, violin
Therese Salomon, viola
Loretta O'Sullivan, cello
Andrew Appel, harpsichord and director
Guest artist: Sherezade Panthaki, soprano
(FR) Le Poème Harmonique Concert Listings (May 2012)
(CA) Boyd McDonald and Paul Pulford "Classics at the Registry" Concert (22 apr 2012)
Location: The Registry Theatre, 122 Frederick Street, Kitchener ON Canada (22 apr 2012)
Handel - Sonata in C major
Beethoven - Sonata in D, Op. 102, No. 2
Brahms - Sonata in E minor, Op. 38
de Falla - Suite Populaire
Performed in the style of their composers, the performances will include a rare J.B Streicher fortepiano (1851) and a Sebastien-Philippe Bernardel violoncello (1849). A masterclass will follow the April 22nd performance.
(FR) Ensemble Céladon Concert: Deo Gratias Anglia (13-14 apr 2012)
Anne Delafosse, soprano
Clara Coutouly, soprano
Paulin Bündgen, countertenor
(CA) I FURIOSI Concert: "I FURIOSI's Family Jewels" (13 apr 2012)
Location: Eastminster United Church, 310 Danforth Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
"Families. You can't live with them, you can't legally have them all sent to an island in the middle of the ocean. The Baroque era saw many families of composers and musicians who tolerated each other - or didn't. Jed Wentz and Olivier Fortin come for the I FURIOSI dysfunctional family reunion.
Works by the Bach family, the Purcell family, the Couperin family and more."


text:
Prevas has experience within FPGA design. We can offer our customers both targeted recruitment to solve short- or long-term needs, and consulting engineers with specific domain expertise. As a FPGA design consultant specialist we can for example cover areas as implementation, system architecture, testing, specification and documentation — depending on customer needs.
Hardware design not only requires technical competence but also the ability to execute development projects in a short period of time and at high quality. Prevas has high experience in advanced electronic design from many successful projects.
Besides FPGA design development, our electronic consultants cover for example:
Signal Processing: FPGA, Matlab, filtre. Electronics Development: PCB layout, high-speed digital design, RF, HF.
Modern electronic design also requires knowledge of regulatory requirements regarding EMC, RoHS and safety. Prevas has its own labs and design tools, so we can develop products from specification to finished product.
Prevas offers specialists, among others, in the following areas:
With leading expertise in embedded systems and industrial IT, Prevas contributes by providing innovative solutions that create growth.
Latest news
Customer support


text:
Taree Photographic Club
Primary Menu
Skip to content
Joining the Club
Prospective New Members
Membership Application Form PDF
Set Subjects
Calendar 2020
Northern Zone
Northern zone constituon
Northern Zone 2020
Taree Award List 2019 Northern Zone
Winning Images from 2019 Northern Zone
2019 Northern Zone Results
2018 Northern NSW Zone Results
APS Web Site
APS Definition of Nature
Printers & Framers
Inky Joes – Fine Art Printer
Forster Photos and Framing
Notice Board
Search for:
Links to Club Members Web Sites
Frank Moulds
About us
Club Committee 2020
Renew Club Membership
Printed Renewal Of Club Membership
On Line Renewal Of Membership
Club History
Life Members
MyPhotoclub Registration & Upload Instructions
Members Picture Gallery
Submission Form
Club Competition Results
Competition Results 2020
Competition Results : 2019
Competition Results : 2018
Competion Results :2017
Subject Definitions (FCC)
Competition Rules
MyPhotoclub Registration & Upload Instructions
Nature Photography
Resizing Digital Images For Competition
Sending Images For Web Page
Images in Digital Competition
Image of the Year Archive
Club Members External Awards
Club Images
Image of the Month Archive
Members Images
Archived Images from old web site – Click on an image for an enlargement of the image
Ian Cran's Tutorials
Ian Cran's Photoshop Tutorials
Post production – Ian Cran
Ian Cran Sharp Selections
A Collection of Club Tutorials
Where should the horizon be in the picture?
How to
How to avoid blurry photographs
Macro/Micro Photography
Elements of a Good Picture
Recovery of deleted images from memory cards
Landscape Photography
Notes on Landscape Photography : Rod Trenchard
Entering National and International Competitions
Using Your Light Meter
Selective Focus In Photoshop
What to do with all those photos !
Miscellaneous Useful Information
Links to on line photographic training movies
Archived Images
Archived Images from old web site – Click on an image for an enlargement of the image
Image of the Month Archive
Award Of the Image Of The Year – Archive
Legal Material
Your Rights as a Photographer
Model Release Form
Street Photographers Rites
Photographic Techniques
Astro Photography
Focus Stacking
Layer Masks
Extreme Macro Photography
Process Film!
How to shoot into the sun
Print Resolition
Image Resizing
Advanced Composition
Cambridge in Colour


text:
PRICE PROMISE - Find another tailored seat cover with the same features for less and we will refund the difference.
Our RECARO seat covers are made from 600 denier cotton backed polyester; each one has been specifically tailored to reflect the contours of the RECARO seat.
The 'ST' logo has been expertly embroidered onto the seat cover giving it an ultra smart look.
2 x single tailored seat covers
Please click here to download the instruction PDF.


text:
"The Worst Hard Time is an epic story of blind hope and endurance almost beyond belief; it is also, as Tim Egan has told it, a riveting tale of bumptious charlatans, conmen, and tricksters, environmental arrogance and hubris, political chicanery, and a ruinous ignorance of nature's ways. Egan has reached across the generations and brought us the people who played out the drama in this devastated land, and uses their voices to tell the story as well as it could ever be told." — Marq de Villiers, author of Water: The Fate of Our Most Precious Resource
The dust storms that terrorized America's High Plains in the darkest years of the Depression were like nothing ever seen before or since, and the stories of the people that held on have never been fully told. Pulitzer Prize–winning New York Times journalist and author Timothy Egan follows a half-dozen families and their communities through the rise and fall of the region, going from sod homes to new framed houses to huddling in basements with the windows sealed by damp sheets in a futile effort to keep the dust out. He follows their desperate attempts to carry on through blinding black blizzards, crop failure, and the deaths of loved ones. Drawing on the voices of those who stayed and survived—those who, now in their eighties and nineties, will soon carry their memories to the grave—Egan tells a story of endurance and heroism against the backdrop of the Great Depression.
As only great history can, Egan's book captures the very voice of the times: its grit, pathos, and abiding courage. Combining the human drama of Isaac's Storm with the sweep of The American People in the Great Depression, The Worst Hard Time is a lasting and important work of American history.
Timothy Egan is a national enterprise reporter for the New York Times. He is the author of four books and the recipient of several awards, including the Pulitzer Prize. He lives in Seattle, Washington.
"As one who, as a young reporter, survived and reported on the great Dust Bowl disaster, I recommend this book as a dramatic, exciting, and accurate account of that incredible and deadly phenomenon. This is can't-put-it-down history." —Walter Cronkite
"The Worst Hard Time is wonderful: ribbed like surf, and battering us with a national epic that ranks second only to the Revolution and the Civil War. Egan knows this and convincingly claims recognition for his subject—as we as a country finally accomplished, first with Lewis and Clark, and then for 'the greatest generation,' many of whose members of course were also survivors of the hardships of the Great Depression. This is a banner, heartfelt but informative book, full of energy, research, and compassion." —Edward Hoagland, author of Compass Points: How I Lived
"Here's a terrific true story—who could put it down? Egan humanizes Dust Bowl history by telling the vivid stories of the families who stayed behind. One loves the people and admires Egan's vigor and sympathy." —Annie Dillard, author of Pilgrim at Tinker Creek
"The American West got lucky when Tim Egan focused his acute powers of observation on its past and present. Egan's remarkable combination of clear analysis and warm empathy anchors his portrait of the women and men who held on to their places—and held on to their souls—through the nearly unimaginable miseries of the Dust Bowl. This book provides the finest mental exercise for people wanting to deepen, broaden, and strengthen their thinking about the relationship of human beings to this earth." —Patricia N. Limerick, author of The Legacy of Conquest: The Unbroken Past of the American West


text:
Is U.S. Budget Deficit Shrinking Too Fast?
With all the high-profile haggling over tax increases and spending cuts to avert the fiscal cliff, is it possible the federal budget deficit is shrinking too fast? David Wessel explores that jarring question on The News Hub.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... I ... this is just too big ... given the tools that we have available ... and the limitations are ... on our policy ... tool kit at this point ... welcome back to the test a new sub I'm coming back in hell as a tenant and a ninety speaking out an about the fiscal cliff just twenty days to Gaia ... still ninety on of the coal sixteen trillion dollars ... the federal budget deficit is brushing part of the ties to the debt ceiling set by Congress that ... the fasting comes down the bottom right well not necessarily ... going to the state level Economics Editor David Wessel he joins us from the WSJ's D C gay now ... David and joining us ... a great the the outside playing friendlies ... said this diesel is shrinking back says uplands Addis a co come right now if if in tomorrow's paper ... no I mean they can they really be a bad thing if the deficit is shrinking and the son of right ... well ... it does seem kind of jarring at straws he said the federal debt which is the humiliation of all the past deficits is sixteen trillion dollars brushing up against illegal ceiling ... measures ensure the economy the deficit the last couple of years ... has been bigger than anything we've seen since the end of World War two ... and and it and by ... the fact is that that two things one is the deficit is coming down ... during the worst of the recession was about ten percent of the gross domestic product ... last year was seven percent of the gross domestic product ... that's because ... as the economy gets better some of the automatic stabilizer is ... the day unemployment benefits and start to receive ... but secondly ... caught a lot of the stuff that Obama got all this attention for early all this fiscal stimulus in all this ... recovery acts that ... it's worn off so when you look at the numbers that deficit is shrinking ... fairly rapidly and that is beginning to cause some concern among economists or were looking at this insane like that the economy is so we ... do we really wanna go cold turkey right now ... Levanon is six percent of GDP abundance of predicting ... will be the second fiscal twenty thirteen depending on the outcome of its budget towards what impact will the next few weeks have ... on the deficit and the rate at which extends to think ... well this really import of the key to separate its hard to do the short term for the long term ... our deficit problem is the long term problem ... the United States government is not having any trouble borrowing now even though its borrowing huge sums of money ... so if we're lucky these deficit talks ... will produce some substantial change in policy ... taxes and spending policy health care policy ... that will reduce future deficits over the next decade ... I'm ... what they do in the talks will have an impact in this year's deficit ... critically what they do when taxes if taxes go up a lot and Jenny refers ... to the deficit will be smaller cars will be paying more taxes ... if they decide to waive those and put and ... worry more about the long-term that the deficit will be come in as we predicted as the experts predict about six percent ... at this time ... but there's also this they were present Obama wasn't a tool that extra spending ... right away in order to help a weak economy and that's kind of jarring extended goes against the ... AI debt reduction overall last month for the week here at the moment ... Davydenko by a wonderful phrase in your story this up and the mistake of calm and I'm in ... at talking about what to keep net vomit on the top book as on hand but taking an Obama ... we have ... to see Chris and shaking and it ... looks wet weather anyone with a brutal in that ... the weather for doing that in an ... aircraft in the column is that ... economists had this calculation what with the deficit be ... if the economy were at full employment ... if the unemployment rate were around five and a half percent which is gonna happen anytime soon ... and things were normal ... and they look and they see how big with that that's to be at that point ... and it did in budget key nirvana ... to full employment the deficit would be basically no ... zero we'd be basically a balanced budget ... and when they run the calculation now there's still a substantial debt is it even if we weren't full employment ... and that's the work that day ... the president Congress are trying to do want to be trying to do now ... is to do things that mean that when the economy is normal again ... which Ben Bernanke Cheetos will be Intel twenty fifteen or later ... that we will have a more balanced fiscal policy ... well we can but dream David Wessel and Eesti going to have the onthe side as always Athey some the shrinking deficit is up on the beest dot com ... and will be in for my escape ...


text:
2019 Estimates Professional and 2024 Projections
If you need more data than the basic current year estimates and 5-year projections provides, then you need the Estimates Professional. This product includes all the variables on the standard Estimates and Projections product, and also expands on them to look at complete break-outs of sex by age by race, household types and household size, median income by race, and more, in both the current year estimates and the 5-year projections. We have now created an Expanded Estimates with data expanding out to 10 and 15 years. The same variables, the same geographies � just extending out further into the future.
This data set now has all new education variables. These new variables include school enrollment in public vs. private schools by the level of education and by sex in the population 3+, as well as educational attainment for population 25+ broken out by sex.
In addition, the Estimates Professional data set has consumer expenditures and demographic profiles. The consumer expenditures segment has current year and 5-year projections of household expenditures based on the Consumer Expenditure Survey (CEX). With consumer expenditures, you can look at household spending patterns across zip codes, tracts, or block groups. The consumer expenditures includes categories of household spending such as food, beverages, housing, transportation, health insurance, and much more. The Demographic Profiles segment pulls together multiple variables and compares residents of an area based on an index of nation averages. The demographic profiles allow you to target the areas that meet your desired customer or client profile. The Consumer Expenditures are also included on our Expanded Estimates with data projected out 5, 10 and 15 years into the future.
The Estimates Professional is available in 5 geographies: states, counties, tracts, block groups, and zip codes. You can also run a radius around a latitude/longitude point.
We offer an academic discount on this particular product, please call 1-800-577-6717 for information. Also if you already own the Estimates Professional and want to upgrade to the Expanded Estimates Professional you can do that by calling as well.
To see a complete list of variables click here
To read the methodology article click here
To order the product click here
To test drive the online version of the product click here


text:
10 Best Jobs You Can Get Without a College Degree
A bachelor's degree is often thought to be the key to financial success. After all, while the median salary of high school graduates 25 years and older is $29,766 a year, the typical college grad with a BA makes $50,281. Unfortunately, many young people have to dig themselves deep into debt for a shot at those future returns. Among the 70% of 2012 college grads who took out student loans, the average amount borrowed was $29,400.
See Also: 10 of the Worst Jobs for the Future
Here are 10 thriving careers you can pursue without a college education. The occupations we identified promise generous salaries and long-term job security, based on 10-year employment projections. None of the jobs require a college degree, though some call for a post-secondary nondegree award, typically earned from a trade school or vocational training program. As a bonus, many of the jobs boast below-average stress levels.
Take a look at the 10 best jobs you can get without a college degree.
10. Dental Assistant
Total number of U.S. workers: 309,540
Projected 10-year growth rate: 24.5% (All occupations: 10.8%)
Annual salary range: $28,820 to $41,980 (All occupations: $22,670 to $56,860)
Stress score: 49.0 (All occupations: 53.1)
Typical education requirement: Post-secondary nondegree award
Smiles all around for jobs in dentistry. With studies showing the close relationship between oral health and general health, people are taking better care of their pearly whites and providing more business for those working in the industry. Aging boomers are also adding to the high demand for professional dental care. To meet those growing needs, the number of dentists, dental hygienists (among our best jobs for the future) and dental assistants is expected to increase rapidly--making the field a good bet in terms of job security.
The quickest way into the specialty is to become an assistant, which doesn't require a professional degree (required to be a dentist) or an associate's degree (required for hygienists). Some states require dental assistants, who perform routine tasks such as updating patient records and sterilizing equipment, to pass an exam and get certified, which can take a year through programs offered by community colleges; otherwise, you can get to work straight out of high school. (Check your state's requirements at www.danb.org.) Even if it's not necessary, you might consider going for that certification. According to the Dental Assisting National Board, dental assistants who are certified earn about $2 more per hour than those who are not.
More from Kiplinger: 10 States with the Fastest Job Growth in 2014
9. Health Information Technician
Total number of U.S. workers: 180,760
Projected 10-year growth rate: 22.1%
Annual salary range: $27,520 to $45,260
Stress score: 42.9
Typical education requirement: Post-secondary nondegree award
Thanks in large part to the aging population, health care is America's fastest-growing industry--and all those medical charts aren't going to track themselves. Health information technicians manage medical records, including patients' symptoms, diagnoses and insurance claims, ensuring their accuracy, completeness and security. As the shift from print to electronic recordkeeping increases, the demand for people with these specialized organizational skills grows, too.
Most employers would prefer to hire a technician with a professional certification, which you can obtain through several programs. For example, you can be certified as a Registered Health Information Administrator through the American Health Information Management Association and a Certified Medical Coding Specialist with the Professional Association of Healthcare Coding Specialists. Throughout your career, you'll need to regularly renew your certifications. If you later want to advance in this field and go for a bachelor's degree, you can become a health services manager--a job with an annual salary range of $70,960 to $117,740.
8. Elevator Installer
Total number of U.S. workers: 21,270
Projected 10-year growth rate: 24.6%
Annual salary range: $62,060 to $91,240
Stress score: 59.0
Typical education requirement: High school diploma or equivalent
Going up? Job prospects for elevator installers and repairers certainly are. Construction of new office buildings, stores and other nonresidential projects has gradually risen as the economy has improved and lifted demand for elevators and the people who work on them. The aging population may also add to the need for stair lifts and elevators in both homes and nonresidential buildings.
Despite the rapid growth, the total number of workers remains small--the lowest on this list. People may be deterred by the job's level of danger and physical demands, as well as its high-stress nature. But the happy few who brave this work enjoy the highest median pay on this list: $78,640 a year. If you want to join their ranks, you can start learning the trade right after high school through a five-year paid apprenticeship, offered by unions and individual contractors. You may also need to be licensed, depending on your state.
7. Massage Therapist
Total number of U.S. workers: 79,040
Projected 10-year growth rate: 22.6%
Annual salary range: $24,380 to $51,820
Stress score: 37.8
Typical education requirement: Post-secondary nondegree award
Massage therapists can relax knowing that they are in high demand. Baby boomers coping with more aches and pains as they age will increasingly need their services. Plus, with massage-clinic chains proliferating and making the practice more affordable, even younger folks will be able to indulge themselves for greater relaxation.
An added perk: Massage therapists, of course, know how to keep calm. They boast the lowest stress score of all the jobs on this list, well below the 53.1 average for all workers. Part of their chill existence--besides the constant exposure to incense and soothing sounds--may be due to being boss-free, with a whopping 46% reporting as self-employed. To become a massage therapist, you'll likely need to complete a postsecondary education program requiring at least 500 hours of classroom study and hands-on practice. You may also need a license or certification, depending on your state's regulations.
See Also: 10 Great Work-at-Home Jobs
6. Carpenter
Total number of U.S. workers: 580,570
Projected 10-year growth rate: 24.2%
Annual salary range: $31,550 to $55,340
Stress score: 52.1
Typical education requirement: High school diploma or equivalent
A whole lot of people have already figured out that they can build a solid career, without a college degree, in carpentry. This field sports the highest number of workers on this list and--due in large part to the country's population growth and the need for new-home construction--expects another 218,000 people to be needed over the next several years. In particular, entrepreneurial types tend to flock to this occupation; 36.1% of carpenters are self-employed, compared with just 6.5% of all U.S. workers.
Most carpenters get their starts in three- or four-year paid apprenticeships, which you can find through unions and contractor associations, such as the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and the Home Builders Institute. The same groups may offer special programs for veterans, as well as additional training opportunities that may help you advance in the field.
5. Electrician
Total number of U.S. workers: 542,680
Projected 10-year growth rate: 19.7%
Annual salary range: $38,020 to $66,360
Stress score: 55.0
Typical education requirement: High school diploma or equivalent
No shock here; electricians are looking at a bright future. Again, an increasing number of construction projects is driving demand for these professionals. The already large job pool, with the second-highest number of workers on this list, is expected to expand by about 115,000 people in the next few years.
You might attend technical school to study circuitry, safety practices and other basic electrical information. But most electricians get started with a four- to five-year paid apprenticeship program, sponsored by a union or contractor association. To qualify, you must be 18 years old, have had one year of algebra and be able to pass an aptitude test, as well as a drug screening. Also, most states require electricians to get a license and pass a test on electrical codes.
See Also: The Best College Majors for a Lucrative Career
4. Computer User Support Specialist
Total number of U.S. workers: 541,250
Projected 10-year growth rate: 20.2%
Annual salary range: $35,990 to $60,860
Stress score: 52.6
Typical education requirement: Some college, no degree
Millennials with not-so-tech-savvy parents have been training for this job their whole lives. Computer user support specialists help coworkers and clients troubleshoot their PC and Mac problems from setup to shutdown. And with increasingly complex computer equipment and software, their assistance will be sought after more and more. In health care, for example, their services will be necessary to assist many hospitals, doctors' offices and medical labs in implementing new software to digitize health records.
Knowledge of computers is an obvious prerequisite for this role. Taking some computer-related courses might help you prove your skills, but completing a degree is not usually necessary. If you'd like to become a network support specialist, however, and boost your potential pay to between $45,230 and $78,360 a year, you may need to get at least an associate's degree. With a bachelor's in the tech field, you can earn even more, between $72,290 and $116,630, as an app developer.
More from Kiplinger: 8 Jobs That Pay Women More Than Men
3. Plumber
Total number of U.S. workers: 351,380
Projected 10-year growth rate: 21.3%
Annual salary range: $37,530 to $67,150
Stress score: 52.5
Typical education requirement: High school diploma or equivalent
New buildings come with plenty of new pipes, and all those drains lead to an ocean of opportunities for plumbers. Pipefitters and steamfitters, who are lumped in with plumbers, specialize in systems that carry acids, chemicals and gases. The already-large pool of workers is expected to add more than 82,000 new positions over the next several years. Regular maintenance needs and remodeling projects, including those necessary to meet stricter water-efficiency standards, also give plumbers a steady flow of business.
You can dive into the work straight out of high school with a four- or five-year paid apprenticeship, in which you'll typically earn 30% to 50% of what fully trained plumbers make. As your vocational training advances, your wages will grow, too. Once your apprenticeship is complete, you'll be considered a journey worker and be able to do some tasks on your own. After you gain more experience, you can become a master plumber and work independently, which requires a license in most states.
2. Construction Supervisor
Total number of U.S. workers: 467,130
Projected 10-year growth rate: 23.5%
Annual salary range: $46,970 to $76,700
Stress score: 59.4
Typical education requirement: High school diploma or equivalent
Those new construction projects--and all the plumbers, electricians and carpenters working on them--need somebody to take charge. In fact, by 2022 they're expected to need more than 128,000 new sets of eyes to supervise all the building. The high demand lends itself to competitive pay; construction foremen earn the second-highest median incomes of all the jobs on this list at $60,380 a year. Be warned though: The salary comes with high stress (the highest score on this list) and high risk, with workers prone to injury.
See Also: 10 Risky Jobs That Pay Big Bucks
You'll need to put in five years or more of fieldwork before you can hop into a foreman's shoes. But you can start working in construction, and toward the supervisor position, straight out of high school as a helper or laborer. Advancement will mainly depend on your work experience and on-the-job training. You can also earn certifications to perform specialized tasks, such as scaffold building, welding and concrete finishing.
1. Brickmason
Total number of U.S. workers: 58,730
Projected 10-year growth rate: 35.5%
Annual salary range: $35,860 to $62,810
Stress score: 46.2
Typical education requirement: High school diploma or equivalent
Dear Big Bad Wolf, don't waste your time. All that huffing and puffing is no match for the sturdy brick, block and stone constructions being assembled as quickly as the population grows. Along with all the new schools, hospitals and other buildings being built, Kiplinger expects construction to begin on 1.01 million new homes in 2014, up 8.6% from 2013. That means plenty of job opportunities for brickmasons--also known as blockmasons or stonemasons, depending on the material they specialize in--which helped make it one of our Best Jobs for the Future.
No degree or work experience is required to get started, but masons often begin with a paid apprenticeship lasting three to four years. That might include a one- or two-year masonry program, offered by many technical schools, which may also be taken independently. Once you've laid your career foundation, you may be able to build a business of your own: 19.7% of masons are self-employed, compared with just 6.5% of all workers.
More from Kiplinger: 10 Worst College Majors for Your Career


text:
24-Hour Emergency Garage Door Repair Service
Call today and ask about our free estimates, lifetime warranties and the deals and discounts we offer.
Custom Garage Doors in Mesa, AZ
A1 Garage Door Service knows the importance of crafting a beautifully designed custom garage door to complement the beauty and character of your home. As such, we offer only the best personal service — from the conceptualization, planning, installation and up to the maintenance — of your custom made door. What's more, our service will ensure that you only get the best value for your money. Simply contact us at 480-616-2230 and receive only our A1 level of service.
Custom Wood Garage Doors
We know how you value the importance of having your own wood designer door. As such, we will provide you only the best personal service from the conceptualization of your garage door to our after-sales relationship.
Note that when we craft your custom wood garage door, we take stock of the project from the macro perspective, looking at how the final product will harmonize with and reflect the character and personality of your home. We don't want your garage door to be an eyesore and distract from the architecture of your dream home. As such, we will be working closely with you to develop a design that will have an impact and will enhance the natural beauty of your home.
Custom Faux Wood Garage Doors
Since 2006, we have been providing our customers with only the best in garage door installation, maintenance and service at the highest quality. Our custom made garage doors are unmatched in terms of craftsmanship and attention to detail. This is because we are after your happiness and satisfaction.
We even have an emergency service open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to take your calls and prioritize your needs. We are the industry leader in garage door service because we always GUARANTEE your satisfaction. Our happy customers have consistently awarded us A+ ratings on BBB, 5 Star Yelp reviews and the Angie's List Super Service Award for our timely, courteous,
professional service.
Custom Steel Garage Doors
A1 Garage Door Service is always after the performance and durability of your garage door. For this, a custom made steel garage door is the perfect choice.
We carry all the best brands and array of choices for steel garage doors. If you are looking for a beautiful, unique and low maintenance steel door, then look no further because we have different options with your needs in mind.
Whatever your style — vintage or modern, subtle or bold, simple lines or not — we have them for you. Plus, we will customize it to complement the beauty of your home.
Custom Aluminum Garage Doors
A1 Garage Door Service has been in the business for nearly two decades. We have specialized knowledge in the installation of all types of customized garage doors geared not just for your needs and budget but also following all types of technical specifications such as weather conditions, size of your entryway, appropriate mechanisms etc. We are prepared to handle any garage door issue, whatever the make or brand.
As such, if you need to have a customized aluminum garage door installed, never hesitate to contact us. Our team of expert technicians will provide you with swift and quality services, all the while ensuring that your safety is never compromised.
Copper Garage Doors
If you are choosing what type of garage door to install, the important considerations should always be functionality and durability. Of course, affordability is also important as well as aesthetics. In order to be very sure about your choice, consult an expert.
A1 Garage Door Service in Mesa will provide you with advice on the best type of garage door that will suit your needs, budget and style. And you can get this for absolutely FREE if you book us to install your dream garage door.
Aside from installation, you can also trust us for your periodic maintenance, repair and replacement of parts of your garage door. When you do this, we will give you additional services and products at special discounted rates.
Glass Garage Doors
A1 Garage Door Service provides you with all possible solutions for your garage door needs. Whether you want wood, aluminum, copper, steel or the modern glass door, we have it and we can install and customize it for you. Because we live to serve all your garage door needs.
Our clients have given us consistent 5-Star Rating on Yelp, A+ on BBB and the Super Service Award from Angie's List because of our high quality products and strong customer service orientation. So join our legion of satisfied customers now, book A1 Garage Door Service in Okla-homa City to install your dream glass garage door.
What people are saying about us
See Our Current Specials:
No job is too big or too small for us
Service Call
+ Free Safety Inspection
$49.99 Value
With/ Purchase of Repair
Coupon must be presented when order is placed. not valid with other offers. Limited time offer.
$79.99 Value
$79.96 Value
Coupon must be presented when order is placed. not valid with other offers. Limited time offer.
Garage Door
Save $75
Spring Prices Vary
Coupon must be presented when order is placed. not valid with other offers. Limited time offer.
New Garage
Save $200
Door Prices Vary
Coupon must be presented when order is placed. not valid with other offers. Limited time offer.
Give us a call for your Free Estimate
We are ready to assist you and get your garage door back on track!


text:
You are viewing the public part of the archive. Login or request access to view more content.
Displaying 1-1 of 1 results
Annual HIV research conference arranged by IHV. Dr Robert Gallo holds a lecture on the history of medical research on human retroviruses. He also talks about the early discoveries of t-cell leukemia in Japanese patients, which led to the discovery of HTLV-1.


text:
Nighthawk Pro Gaming XR500 Router
Compete in FPS games and make sure that your Twitch stream has the highest quality with stability.Buy Now Learn More >
We have worked tirelessly with gamers to engineer features that deliver best-in-class performance, customization and ease-of-use for the ultimate network environment for gameplay. There should not be anything on your network that prevents you from having the ultimate game experience. With Nighthawk Pro Gaming, you will now have the power to win.
Built to transform your gaming experience and give you the power to win.
Nighthawk Pro Gaming XR500 Router
Compete in FPS games and make sure that your Twitch stream has the highest quality with stability.Buy Now Learn More >
Nighthawk Pro Gaming SX10 Switch
The ultimate gaming experience just got better. Unleash your gaming potential with faster speeds, higher performance, and more control of your game.Buy Now Learn More
Established in 2013, Avant Garde is one of Australia's and New Zealand's leading eSports organisations.
The Seoul Dynasty are a Korean professional Overwatch esports team based in Seoul, South Korea that currently competes in the inaugural season of the Overwatch League (OWL). The Seoul Dynasty is one of twelve founding members of the OWL and was the sixth franchise to have their branding officially revealed by Activision Blizzard. Prior to the Overwatch League, the team had won two titles in the Overwatch APEX series of tournaments.
Interested in partnering with us? Are you a professional team or gamer? Get in touch with us to learn more.


text:
Kim Schoen's work in photography, video installation, and text engages with the rhetoric of display. The blank repetition of consumer culture often collides with literary influences, exploring the malleability of speech, its translation into texts and images and back again.
Current and recent exhibitions include Hawaii (Moskowitz Bayse, Los Angeles (solo)) Ours Is A City of Writers (Barnsdall Art Park, Los Angeles), Fontane Gurgulear (Los Angeles Museum of Art), Have You Never Let Someone Else Be Strong, (MMoCA, (solo), duh? Art & Stupidity (Focal Point Gallery, UK), Komma (Kunstverein Springhornhof, DE), Objective Considerations of Contemporary Phenomena (MOT International, London), and Stupidious (South London Gallery, London).
Her work is included in private and public collections, has been written about in the Los Angeles Times, ArtForum, Mousse, and Art in America, and her own writing on repetition and photography ('The Serial Attitude Redux', 'The Expansion of the Instant: Photography, Anxiety, Infinity') can be found in X-TRA Contemporary Art Quarterly. Kim is also the co-founder, publisher and editor of MATERIAL, a journal of writing by artists.
She lives and works in Berlin and Los Angeles.
Kim Schoen
Moskowitz Bayse, Los Angeles
March 11 – April 22, 2017
LAMAG, Barnsdall Art Park, Los Angeles
February 5 – March 26, 2017
The Hysteric's Discourse
September 2017
Young Projects, Los Angeles
January 2018
DXIX, Venice, California
Have You Never Let Anyone Else Be Strong?
Kim Schoen
April 29- June 5, 2015
MMoCA, Madison, WI
Imitation Game
Faycal Baghriche / Nick Ferguson / Tatiana Echeverria Fernandez / Sonja Gerdes / Ludovica Gioscia / Hans Rosenstrom / Kim Schoen
November 11, 2015
Maraya Art Centre
Sharjah, UAE
Ding Dong
Kim Schoen
August 8, 2015
Kleine Humboldt Galerie
Tieranatomisches Theatre, Berlin
In An Absolut World True Taste Comes Naturally
April 29- June 5, 2015
Camberwell Space, London
Brian Bress / Marcel Broodthaers / Pavel Büchler / Ami Clarke / Tyler Coburn / Anita diBianco / Tim Etchells / Sonja Gerdes / Vlatka Horvat / Ann Lislegaard / Ken Lum / Masood Kamandy / Larry Sultan & Mike Mandel / Mark Manders / Josh Mannis / Poetic Research Bureau / Kim Schoen / Carol Szymanski / Stephanie Taylor
Remembering Forward
Conversations on photography
March 8 & 22, 2015
Los Angeles, California
Rhea Anastas, Becky Beasley, Phil Chang, Zoe Crosher, Shannon Ebner, Victoria Fu, John Houck, Jibade-Khalil Huffman, Farrah Karapetian, Ryan Linkof, James Nisbet, Gina Osterloh, Matthew Poole, Olivier Richon, Kim Schoen, Chris Sharp, A.L. Steiner, John Stezaker, Joanna Szupinska-Myers, and John Tain.
Objective Considerations of Contemporary Phenomena
Nicole Bachmann, Kenneth Goldsmith, Patrick Goddard, Lawrence Abu Hamdan and Kim Schoen with contributions from Nina Power, Jean-Marie Straub and Danièle Huillet
Curated by John Bloomfield and Cicely Farrer
MOTInternational, London
November 2014 — January 2015
Unsparing Quality
Curated by Farrah Karapetian
Diane Rosenstein Fine Art, Los Angeles
February 1 – March 22, 2014
Mel Brimfield, Cecelia Condit, Erik van Lieshout, Clunie Reid, Kim Schoen, Ryan Trecartin, Rosemarie Trockel
South London Gallery, London
February 8, 2014
Hawaii 160: Book launch and reading
Kim Schoen, Jan Tumlir, Rebecca Morse, Sarah Lehrer-Graiwer
Moskowitz Bayse, Los Angeles
April 2, 2017
Awarded CEC Back Apartment Residency
Researching experimental absurdist writings of OBERIU and making new work on nonsense
St. Petersburg, Russia
December 2017


text:
It's Sunny Somewhere
86°Roatan, HN
84°Vieques PR
79°Bora Bora, Papua
82°Grand Turk, TC
81°Rio de Janeiro, BR
Outfitted with anatomical arch support to keep you comfortable through every adventure.
Be ready for any water adventure. From the beach to the lake or just hanging out by the pool, this style can handle the splashes.
We crafted this product without PVC, which means it's better on and for the environment.
Built around three layers of innovative material: a super-soft, contoured foam deck for instant comfort, a medium-density midsole for long-lasting support and a high-density rubber outsole for traction, protection and durability.
REEF offers free ground shipping on all orders, no minimum.
Reef product is guaranteed against manufacturer's defect for up to 1 year after purchase.
The Reef Company values its strong reputation for honesty and integrity throughout the industry.


text:
'Dancing With the Stars' results: The finalists revealed
After nearly an hour of hemming and hawing, filler segments and musical performances, Tom and Samantha finally got down to business and revealed the final three couples remaining on "Dancing With the Stars" Season 9. Those left standing on the ballroom floor were somewhat surprising.
Well, Mya and Dmitry Chaplin were a no-brainer – they had the highest scores coming into Tuesday night's results, and the singer's been riding high in first class on the groove train straight to Mirrorballville for a couple weeks now. And even though Donny Osmond got tangled in a wardrobe malfunction that had him and partner Kym Johnson tied up in knots and at the bottom of the leader board, his ginormous fan base (which no doubt includes the entire state of Utah) helped pull the likable entertainer through to the final week of the competition as well. No, the slight surprise was that the Princess of Darkness, Kelly Osbourne, and partner Louis Van Amstel nabbed the third finalist position, edging out model Joanna Krupa and Derek Hough.
Maybe it was the crotch dip that turned people off. Or maybe their futuristic paso doble was too ahead of its time. But although Joanna and Derek have consistently performed better and scored higher than most of their counterparts, Joanna's previous stints in jeopardy showed that maybe she didn't have quite the fan base that Donny and Kelly have. And judging by Derek's raised eyebrows and resigned smiles on stage while awaiting their fate, it sure looked like he was expecting to be ousted, didn't it? Luckily, he and Joanna were able to go out gracefully and with their heads held high: The couple performed Monday night's waltz as their final bow, a dance that was elegant and lovely and blessedly crotch-dip free.
It's been a season filled with packed results shows, and this one was no different. Mya and Dmitry had to get their second perfect-30 routine before it was selected for an encore performance, and their sexy salsa didn't disappoint. Neither did Mya's "tutti-fruity booty." Nor did that guy in the audience who's always shown going crazy with tongue out and rock-star hands.
Then there was the recap, in which Kelly Osbourne revealed that she had improvised her whole rumba solo because she had forgotten it. Mya revealed she had a couple wardrobe malfunctions as well (really? when?). And Donny revealed that he wanted to be in the finals so much that he would just about jump in a pool filled with estrogen to get there.
We were treated to a dance performance lip-synced to "Be Italian" from Rob Marshall's upcoming movie adaptation of the musical "Nine," in which a bunch of ladies of the night skulked their way around cafe tables, and a man in black had his way with them. Clever that they ended up in a "9" formation, though.
Alicia Keys made her way down the ballroom grand staircase in black leather and blue thigh-high boots (a visual enactment of a bruised heart, perhaps?) and wailed the emotional "Try Sleeping With a Broken Heart," accompanied by her own professional dancers.
Also with her own professional dancers was Leona Lewis, who belted out her emotional show-stopper "Happy" and one-upped Keys by singing on a platform and having her dancers emerge out of a fog of smoke on the dance floor.
The Bee Gees graced the Rectagon stage, celebrating their 50th(!) anniversary and performing their age-old hit "You Should Be Dancing." Barry Gibb showed no signs of losing his falsetto, and he and Robin had the whole studio audience up and grooving (though Ozzy looked a little dazed and confused by the whole affair – maybe he doesn't remember the '70s). Grooving to the tune on the dance floor were our pros Cheryl Burke, Chelsie Hightower, Tony Dovolani and Artem Chigvintsev (still holding out hope that he'll become a pro regular someday). And then Season 8 finalist Melissa Rycroft also made an appearance, outfitted in the same sparkle disco ball dress as Chelsie and Cheryl. How fitting that her routine with Tony culminated in a "Dirty Dancing"-style lift on the dance floor. Lest you forget, nobody puts Melissa in the corner.
In the pre-taped segments, there was an amusing artsy-fartsy music video in which all four of the contestants acted out the pressures of being in the competition while lip-syncing a version of David Bowie's "Under Pressure." Between filming these segments and learning three dances, one wonders how they've had time in their lives for anything else. Donny's freak-out was the most believable, but I enjoyed seeing Mya hurl a poor, defenseless stuffed animal off some rooftop, Kelly lay waste to a disco ball and Joanna rip the seams of a sequined garment -- and I liked how the video ended with some dance shoes being burned in the foreground. "Apparently pressure doesn't improve lip-syncing skills," quipped Tom, "but there you go."
I also liked the segment where the pros talked about how hard it was to come up with their own choreography week in and week out. Sure, it's not like we learned anything new (news flash: Pros like dancing with other pros because they can really let loose!), but it was fun to see the camaraderie among the pro dancers and witness the priceless exchange between Cheryl and Maks, in which Cheryl, while in hold with Maks, confirmed, "You do stink!" and Maks simply responded, "I know."
Also stinky was the fact that formidable dancer and competitor Joanna Krupa was let go from the competition, though that's the way the Mirrorball rolls. So now we're left with the Entertainer, the Wild Child and the Dance Machine. Who do you think has what it takes to win the "luxurious" Mirrorball trophy?
— Allyssa Lee
Related:"Dancing With the Stars": Semifinal smackdown
"Dancing With the Stars" results: No more tears
Complete "Dancing With the Stars" coverage on Show Tracker
Photos, from top: Derek Hough and Joanna Krupa; Mya and Dmitry Chaplin. Credit: Adam Larkey / ABC


text:
Maholm isn't concerned with sore elbow
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Dodgers starter Paul Maholm has mild elbow tenderness that has kept him from throwing off a mound in recent days, but he downplayed the seriousness on Thursday.
"I'm just being smart and understand what's needed to prepare for the season," said Maholm, who signed at the start of Spring Training. "I only really missed one bullpen session today and I expect to throw a bullpen Saturday, and it won't set me back."
Maholm was signed as protection in case fifth starter Josh Beckett isn't sufficiently healed from thoracic outlet syndrome surgery. But Beckett actually is ahead of Maholm, and in either case, the Dodgers don't need a fifth starter until the middle of April.
"I'm not concerned with it," said Maholm, who described the current tenderness as different from discomfort he fought through last September while pitching for Atlanta. "I've learned what I can push through. I think this is from standing around and all of a sudden making a throw and there's a little soreness. I'm just being cautious."
Maholm and Brandon League (lat strain) are the only Major League pitchers at Dodgers camp who have not thrown batting practice yet.


text:
Regular price $119.99
- Temperature Rating: -60ºC/-76ºF
- Liner: Removable, Baffin multi-layer inner boot system
- Waffle-comb foot-bed
- Base: Arctic Rubber
- Double-strap Velcro fastening
- Waterproof nylon upper with snow collar
Shipping & Returns
COVID-19 Update: We are humbled to be able to provide essential gear for our community and rest assured we are following all necessary sanitation measures to comply with the World Health Organization, local health agencies and governments.
We're offering free North American shipping until further notice.
Expected Delivery Time -
Canada: Standard shipping 3-7 business days
U.S.: Standard shipping 3-10 business days
Please allow 1 business day for the shipment to process.
Items in original, unworn condition may be returned within 30 days of delivery, in the original Baffin box. Returns without the original Baffin box will be subject to a $5.00 box fee. Exchanges are not currently possible.
Canada: Free returns
U.S.: Return shipping costs within the U.S. will be the responsibility of the customer
For more information visit our Return Policy


text:
Exclude Node Author
I recently promoted a long time sandbox module of mine to a full project available through Drupal.org. The "Exclude Node Author" module prevents authored on/by information from being displayed on a per node basis. Instead of hiding author information for an entire content type, can be hidden on just a single node. Designed for sticky nodes (but can be used anywehre) providing information about a page rather than used as content. This module was originally designed for internal use for the ARISE Child and Family Services Inc staff intranet, they funded the original development of the module. The "Exclude Node Author" module was based on the excellent Exclude Node Title module, currently maintained by id.tarzanych, fizk and gabrielu.
When enabled, the module provides a checkbox (shown in the image here) on all node edit forms (all content types). If the user has appropriate permissions to edit and use Exclude Node Author, they will be allowed to check the box and prevent the authoring information from being displayed when the node is rendered. It is important to note that this module only acts on nodes rendered through the standard node rendering processes, and will not affect Author information being used in other contrib modules like metatags or views (fields).
Future enhancements to this module are planned. I intened to enhance the admin settings UI to allow for finer grain control of which content types the module is available for. Feature requests, bug reports, and patches are always welcome, see the issue queue at on the Exclude Node Author project page on Drupal.org


text:
Your Cart is Empty
Sale items purchased online will not be eligible for a refund should you change your mind. Of course, if the item is faulty, normal refund conditions apply.
$90.95 $129.95
You Save 30% ($39.00)
Use this chart to convert your foot measurement to your shoe size.
*10% off your first TOMS order
*When you sign up to our mailing list. Applies to full priced items only.


text:
According to a new market report published by Transparency Market Research, "Biotechnology Market by Application (Biopharmacy, Bioservices, Bioagri, Bioindustrial), by Technology (Fermentation, Tissue Regeneration, PCR, Nanobiotechnology, DNA Sequencing & Others) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2010 - 2017," the global market for biotechnology was valued at USD 216.5 billion in 2011 and is expected to reach USD 414.5 billion in 2017, growing at a CAGR of 11.6% from 2012 to 2017.
The biotechnology market is expected to show substantial growth over the forecast period owing to the government support offered to various companies operating in the biotechnology field. In addition, the increased demand for food in developing countries has spurred growth of the bioagriculture market. Bioseeds are expected to show exponential growth as compared to conventional seeds over the forecast period.
Biopharmaceuticals dominated the global market, accounting for over 60% of the overall revenue in 2011. Bioservice applications are expected to register the fastest growth due to the operating cost benefits associated with emerging economies, particularly in terms of raw materials, labor and regulatory support.
Outsourcing of clinical trials, contract manufacturing and drug discovery has emerged as a key trend in developed countries, leading to the growth of the bioservices industry in the developing economies of India, Thailand, Malaysia and China. The developing countries provide superior research and trial facility at lower cost. The market for bioagriculture applications, including bioseeds, is expected to reach USD 27.46 billion in 2018.
North America dominated the global market, accounting for over 42% of the overall biotechnology revenue in 2011. With increasing focus on renewable chemicals, Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest growing regional market, at an estimated CAGR of 14.1% from 2012 to 2017.
Key players in the biotechnology market include Roche, Amgen, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi, Pfizer and Novartis. The detailed profile of these companies along with a global company market share analysis has been included in the report.z
The biotechnology market has been analyzed in detail and revenues generated by every application in regions such as Europe, North America, Asia Pacific and RoW have been included.


text:
"The TSA has grown into a top-heavy, unmanageable agency, evidenced by its 400% increase in workforce since its founding. The agency's flaws are not the fault of TSA employees working everyday on the front lines, but instead that of a bloated leadership structure in Washington, DC. When attempting to conduct oversight, instead of cooperation from TSA the committees have been met with obfuscation, excuses and attempts to mislead." -- House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform
If there is any absolute maxim by which the federal government seems to operate, it is that the American taxpayer always gets ripped off. Indeed, one of the greatest culprits when it comes to swindling taxpayers is the Transportation Security Administration, one of the most corrupt, ineffective and downright abusive of the government's many agencies (which is saying a lot) and a massive waste of taxpayer money.
Nowhere has the TSA's skullduggery been more evident than in its questionable deployment of and complete mismanagement of millions of dollars' worth of airport full-body, X-ray scanners -- equipment which was funded by the Obama administration's stimulus tax dollars and is now being pulled from airports and left to molder in a storage facility in Texas.
For almost two years, ever since the Underwear Bomber's Christmas 2009 attempt at blowing up a Northwest Airlines flight was thwarted, Americans have been told that the TSA's full-body, X-ray scanners--more than 700 of which have been deployed to airports across the country -- are safe, effective and necessary for preventing another terrorist attack.
Buoyed by corporate lobbyists, Congress and the courts, the TSA continued to impose these full-body scanners on travelers at a tremendous cost of $140 million to taxpayers, despite mounting concerns from scientists, physicians and civil liberties advocates that backscatter scanners pose significant threats to health and privacy, while doing little to protect against a terrorist plot. In fact, according to a 2011 investigative report by ProPublica/PBS NewsHour, anywhere from six to 100 U.S. airline passengers each year could get cancer from the backscatter machines.
Making matters worse, for those electing not to be subjected to a radiation-imbued virtual strip search by government agents, the TSA made the alternative -- an enhanced pat-down -- downright punitive, with TSA agents going so far as to touch passengers' genitals and breasts and put their hands down travelers' pants. Adding insult to injury, American taxpayers and airline passengers are actually forced to subsidize this government-sanctioned humiliation. Every airline passenger pays a September 11 Security Fee of $2.50 for every leg of his trip.
Then, in late October 2012, a few weeks before more than 3 million Americans prepared to travel by air for Thanksgiving, the TSA announced a plan to remove the high-priced, invasive scanners from major U.S. airports and ship them to smaller, less busy locations -- reportedly not because of privacy or safety concerns but rather in an effort to speed up security at busy airports. In place of the X-ray backscatter scanners, and in a move sure to cost taxpayers even more money, the TSA is going to replace them with millimeter wave scanners (millimeter scanners only take about 10 seconds to scan, versus a full minute for backscatter scanners). TSA officials have already readied 14 new machines so they would be up and running in Chicago's O'Hare airport by Thanksgiving 2012.
Then in another about-face right before Thanksgiving, it was revealed that the scanners were not going to be relocated to smaller airports, after all. Instead, they are going to be housed in a Texas warehouse full of more than $155 million in unused equipment "awaiting either disposal or redeployment." (Of course, with hundreds of these scanners still being used in airports across the country, the health and privacy risks remain a concern for those unlucky enough to be forced to go through them.)
So what's really happening here?
Relying heavily on evasive maneuvers and bureaucratic doublespeak, the TSA's fumbling explanation for why these scanners are being relegated to a graveyard for taxpayer-funded white elephants casts the blame on everything from faulty software and too-small airports to a belated concern for travelers' privacy concerns. A more plausible explanation for the phase-out of the X-ray scanners might have to do with recent reports that Rapiscan, one of the scanners' main manufacturers, "may have attempted to defraud the government" by faking test data on software intended to replace the nude images produced by the X-ray scanners with stick-figure images.
The real problem, as the House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform recognized earlier this year, is the TSA itself, which has gained a reputation for fumbling, bumbling and general incompetence.
Created in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the TSA was charged with providing effective and efficient security for passenger and freight transportation in the United States. It has since become one of the Department of Homeland Security's most visible and costly means of clamping down on Americans domestically, boasting an $8 billion annual budget and a roster of employees that includes TSOs (or airport screeners), behavior detection officers, and VIPR task forces (comprised of federal air marshals, surface transportation security inspectors, transportation security officers, behavior detection officers and explosive detection canine teams), among others.
The TSA has increasingly drawn the ire of travelers because of its security procedures, which have subjected airline travelers of all ages, most of whom clearly do not in any way fit the profile of a terrorist, to invasive virtual strip searches, excessive enhanced pat downs and unreasonable demands by government agents--what one journalist refers to as "ritualized humiliation of travelers." In December 2011, for example, TSA agents at JFK International Airport were accused of strip searching three elderly women. One of the women, 84-year-old Lenore Zimmerman, claims that she was forced to pull down her pants after she refused to enter a body scanner, fearing that it would interfere with her heart defibrillator. (Some medical devices, such as insulin pumps and glucose monitors, can be destroyed by scanners.) In another instance, a woman dying of leukemia was forced to lift her shirt at a TSA security checkpoint so that agents could inspect her bandages for possible security threats.
Even if you make it through security without being prodded, poked, and exposed, the possessions you handed over to TSA agents for screening may be gone by the time you arrive at your destination. In fact, an ABC News report reveals that many of the nation's busiest airports also suffer the highest incidence of theft by TSA employees. Former TSA employee Pythias Brown, who served three years in prison for stealing $800,000 worth of cash and goods from passengers' luggage, has come forward to explain that TSA thievery is "commonplace." The numbers don't lie: about 400 TSA agents have been fired for stealing from passengers since 2003.
Unfortunately, it's getting downright impossible to avoid the TSA, which has expanded its mission from patting down passengers at airports to all sorts of surveillance and harassment at transportation hubs around the country. VIPR task forces are now deployed to do random security sweeps of ports, railway and bus stations, airports, ferries and subways. Sweep tactics include the use of X-ray technology, pat-downs and drug-sniffing dogs, among other things.
For example, in April 2012, a VIPR task force stopped passengers at a bus depot in Houston, Texas, rifling through their belongings and asking them about what routes they take and their usual transportation behavior. As one bus rider, Derrick Broze, noted, "I don't feel that by purchasing a ticket or riding a bus, I have to forfeit my constitutional rights to my protections and be subject to search or seizure."
Unfortunately, that is exactly what the federal government is telling Americans: If you choose to travel, you are forfeiting your constitutional right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures. In an effort to push back against that mindset, travelers are being urged to peacefully protest the scanners by taking part in "National Opt-Out Week" and refusing to go through the body scanners and filming the enhanced pat-downs.
Here's the bottom line: in the so-called name of security, Americans have been subjected to all manner of treatment by the government -- especially the TSA, including being treated like suspects, and then to top it off, we've been asked to pay for the humiliations and degradations heaped on us, so that corporations can make a profit. Something has to give. To start with, it's time to say no to these flagrant abuses of our taxpayer dollars and our rights.
How to vote
Register by: Varies by state
Your vote is your voice! It is your right and your responsibility. For your voice to be heard, in most states you must register before you can vote. Visit the state elections siteRegister to Vote
Vote-by-mail ballot request deadline: Varies by state
For the Nov 3 election: States are making it easier for citizens to vote absentee by mail this year due to the coronavirus. Each state has its own rules for mail-in absentee voting. Visit your state election office website to find out if you can vote by mail.Get more informationTrack ballot status
In-person early voting dates: Varies by state
Sometimes circumstances make it hard or impossible for you to vote on Election Day. But your state may let you vote during a designated early voting period. You don't need an excuse to vote early. Visit your state election office website to find out whether they offer early voting.My Election Office
General Election: Nov 3, 2020
Polling hours on Election Day: Varies by state/localityMy Polling Place


text:
Maynila April 18 2020 Replay Full Episode in HD Online. Pinoy official Channel Maynila April 18, 2020 online on pinoy tv. Stay tuned to watch latest ABS-CBN as well as GMA Network Tv Shows on the daily basis. Maynila April 18, 2020 Today's Special Episode here on Pinoy Tv Channel.
Also there is a clash between people about who is the biggest fan of Pinoy TV replay Maynila April 18, 2020 due to different reviews according to their interest. I have not seen anybody love any Pinoy tambayan show as much as people love ABS-CBN Maynila 2020. There is one thing that is very special about Pinoy channel Maynila April 18, 2020 and that includes the background and places they choose to gain interest of the viewers of Pinoy1tv.