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PBS LearningMedia Expands Robust Digital Tools for Educators with Content from Annenberg Learner
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New Content Partnership Bolsters Free Media-Rich Assets Available Nationwide
SAN DIEGO, June 25, 2012 –Today, PBS LearningMedia announced that select digital content from Annenberg Learner, part of the Annenberg Foundation, has been added to its digital media-on-demand service offered for free to all teachers, students and families nationwide. The new resources join nearly 20,000 digital assets from PBS award-winning series like NOVA, FRONTLINE, AMERICAN EXPERIENCE and SID THE SCIENCE KID as well as organizations such as NASA, the Library of Congress, and the National Archives. PBS will demo the content available in PBS LearningMedia at the 2012 International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) conference this week in San Diego at booth 2203 in the Exhibit Hall.
"The content from Annenberg Learner provides educators with rich and diverse resources in key subjects including American history, literacy, STEM and the arts," said Rob Lippincott, Senior Vice President, PBS Education. "Annenberg Learner has an established reputation of advancing education for today's learners. As the demand for high-quality, classroom-ready digital media rises, PBS and public television stations across the nation are committed to providing engaging and effective media and tools to improve learning outcomes for students."
The content from Annenberg Learner will roll out starting with 75 high-quality interactives in math, language arts, social studies, science and the arts. Additional classroom resources will become available through PBS LearningMedia.
"Annenberg Learner is excited to reach more educators and students with our solid educational video and interactives through LearningMedia," said Annenberg Learner General Manager, Pete Neal. "Teachers know the quality of our materials and will have access to in-depth resources created by leading academics and producers."
For more information on PBS LearningMedia for local schools and districts, visit www.pbslearningmedia.com.
PBS LearningMedia is © 2011 PBS & WGBH Educational Foundation - All rights reserved.
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About Annenberg Learner Annenberg Learner's (www.learner.org) mission is to advance excellent teaching in American schools through the development and distribution of multimedia resources in the core curriculum areas for teaching and learning. The organization has funded and distributed more than 120 courses since it was created in 1981. Annenberg Learner is a division of the Annenberg Foundation, which funds a wide range of programs in education, the arts and other areas.
About PBS PBS, with its nearly 360 member stations, offers all Americans — from every walk of life — the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and online content. Each month, PBS reaches 124 million people through television and 20 million people online, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature and public affairs; to hear diverse viewpoints; and to take front row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS' broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry's most coveted award competitions. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. PBS' premier children's TV programming and its website, pbskids.org, are parents' and teachers' most trusted partners in inspiring and nurturing curiosity and love of learning in children. More information about PBS is available at pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org websites on the Internet, or by following PBS on Twitter, Facebook or through our apps for mobile devices. Specific program information and updates for press are available at pbs.org/pressroom or by following PBSPressroom on Twitter.
Media Contact: Melissa Mills, PBS, 703-739-8134, firstname.lastname@example.com Mike Rush, 360 Public Relations, 617-585-5792, email@example.com
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Bravo's Emmy and James Beard Award-winning Top Chef will call Kentucky home for season 16. The state's "Unbridled Spirit" will reign supreme as a new batch of cheftestants enter the kitchen to battle it out for the coveted title across the thriving culinary scenes in Louisville, Lexington and Lake Cumberland. With Bourbon, horses and Bluegrass music setting the scene, the culinary competition series will explore this unique region of the country, rising through the ranks as a top destination for foodies and chefs.
PREMIERES: Thursday, December 6 at 9:00pm EST
Episode Count: 15
Finale: March 14 , 2019
Target Demo: A18-49
All dates and times are subject to change by their respective networks. Always consult your Cox Media Consultant for local listings.

subset: commoncrawl


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pointed out by the National Research Council (NRC)
of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, "natural oil
seeps contribute the highest amount of oil to the marine environment,
accounting for 46 per cent of the annual load to the world's
oceans. -- Although they are entirely natural, these seeps
significantly alter the nature of nearby marine environments.
For this reason, they serve as natural laboratories where
researchers can learn how marine organisms adapt over generations
of chemical exposure. Seeps illustrate how dramatically animal
and plant population levels can change with exposure to ocean
describe a natural seepage area in California: "One of
the best-known areas where this happens is Coal Oil Point
along the California Coast near Santa Barbara. An estimated
2,000 to 3,000 gallons of crude oil is released naturally
from the ocean bottom every day just a few miles offshore
from this beach".


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Dave East is one of those rappers who is always on his grind. The prolific rapper is about to release his second studio album next month, but don't forget the man has already put out 14 mixtapes—not to mention his acting gig on Wu-Tang: An American Saga, where he plays a young Method Man. Dave East may have a full plate, but he still always makes time for his family.
In our latest episode of Made From ScratchMade From Scratch, we joined the "Phone Jumpin" rapper for a special meal with his parents Janice and Dave Sr. and his adorable daughter Kairi—and clearly when it comes to this family, cooking is all about relaxation and bonding. While Dave Sr. whipped up some delicious homefries and scrambled eggs, starring his favorite spice, Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning, Janice grilled up some delicious T-bone steaks. Check out the recipe below, and try it out yourself!
3 T-bone steaks
3 large potatoes
6 eggs
Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning
3 slices American cheese
Olive oil
Potato Hash
Skin, quarter, and slice the potatoes. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of salt onto potatoes, mix well, and set aside.
Heat up a frying pan or skillet on medium heat. When hot, slowly add potatoes. Fry for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle 2½ tablespoons Creole seasoning, mix well, and cook, making sure to stir so that the potatoes don't stick to the pan. Fry for another 10 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked through.
Scrambled Eggs
Crack eggs into bowl and beat gently. Add milk and continue to beat. Add 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, and 2 tsp Creole seasoning. Break up slices of cheese and add to egg mixture. Heat up pan to medium and add 1 tablespoon oil. When pan is ready, slowly pour eggs in, gently scrambling eggs in pan as they thicken, until cooked (about 5 minutes?)
Thoroughly rub in 1 tablespoon of Creole seasoning on each steak. Heat up pan/skillet to medium - high. When hot, place steaks on pan. Cook for 6 minutes, flipping the steak every two minutes. Drizzle a tablespoon of oil per steak. Continue cooking for 2-5 minutes depending on desired doneness. (Dave East's family takes theirs medium to medium-well.)
Serve with some fresh mimosas and enjoy with your closest loved ones!


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OSLO – At an Oslo hospital where the wounded are being treated, a survivor told how mass killer Anders Behring Breivik tricked his victims into revealing themselves before gunning them down on Utoya island.
"He said 'I am the police, there is a boat at the corner of the island'," 15-year-old Jo Granli Kallset said on Wednesday as he sat in the sunshine after tending to his girlfriend, who was recovering from an operation to remove a hollow-tipped bullet from her chest.
"I replied 'Hi, we're here,' and two seconds later he fired on a rock in front of me. I jumped into the water," Kallset recalled of the ordeal that made hundreds of mainly young people targets, 68 of whom were killed.Wearing a white T-shirt, jeans and trainers outside the Ulleval hospital, Kallset was still in a state of shock — and declined to give out the name of his 17-year-old girlfriend.
"It was horrible — we were hunted down," he said in a trembling voice, recounting how he and others on the island for a Labour Party youth summer camp tried to hide on the island after the shooting began.
"It was a massacre, everyone was dying around me," he said.
Shuddering again at the memory, he was comforted by a friend placing a hand on his shoulder.
"I swam for about an hour," he went on, "and when it was nearly over, I swam towards other people who had assembled as a group and we were helped by a boat."
"My girlfriend, myself and two others survived," he muttered.
The teenager said his girlfriend was "wounded in the chest by 'Dum Dum' bullets that open right up when they hit you."
Fortunately, "she is doing well, she can walk" and "she didn't need heavy surgery to get the bullet out — now she needs time to heal."
"My head is all screwed-up," Kallset said weakly, while recognizing a "need now to move on …"
"The most important thing in the coming days is to think about those who died, to go to the funerals, and then, to pick up the pieces of our lives," he said.
"We have meetings to attend, we have to go to the bowling alley … this kind of thing. Most of us are still at school, it's important we get on with our lives," he added with a a sad smile before going back in to comfort his girlfriend.
There were some 600 youngsters on Utoya island, 40 kilometres from Oslo, when the rampage began on Friday, hours after a bomb went off outside government buildings in the capital, where another eight perished.
Behring Breivik, a 32-year-old far-right extremist, has acknowledged being the author of the twin attacks — the worst Norway has known since the Second World War.


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When Vicki DeVore fell in love with her high school sweetheart and became pregnant, it was a given that she would put her children first and drop out of school. She dedicated her life to her two children and put her own goals on pause, holding her breath as the ghosts from her past began to creep into her feelings of self-worth and value. These ghosts led her to SAFE-T, an organization specializing in providing resources for survivors of sexual assault and family violence. Through SAFE-T, she met two women who changed her life.
A psychologist and social worker helped to guide her using success planning, encouraging her to set one small goal at a time. Vickie surprised herself as she achieved one goal after the next. Finally, on one especially difficult day for Vickie, her social worker asked, "What is the one thing you really want to do?"
Go back to school. It was the obvious answer for her, but also the most difficult as a 40-something mom of two who never graduated from high school. The more she thought about it, the more her goal took a firm shape.
She would go to the Lamar County Literacy Council (LCLC) at Paris Junior College and study to get her GED. Then, she would go on to become a psychologist, just like her mentor at SAFE-T and start giving back, helping women and children who need a strong advocate and a kind guide through troubled times, like she had found at SAFE-T.
The small steps toward success were not without pitfalls, namely the Adult Education face-to-face tutoring programs ending classes in May 2016. But, they re-opened in the fall of 2016 and Vickie returned, just as determined as ever. The dedicated staff from the PJC Adult Education department and LCLC encouraged her along the way, assuring her that she was ready to achieve great things from the moment she walked in the door on her first day.
On Tuesday, May 9th, Vickie Devore walked the stage to receive her GED diploma at Paris Junior College. She was met though by the United Way of Lamar County Board member Neta Painter, who then awarded Vickie a scholarship, not only for her hard work, but for attaining the highest GED score for the class. "GED Graduation is one of the highlights of working in the adult education field. I love seeing our students succeed, whether walking a graduation stage, walking from class to class on the PJC campus or working at a job they enjoy! Lamar County Literacy Council is proud to be a part of a student's dream to improve their life," said Susan Sanchez, Director of PJC Adult Education and Family Literacy.
Vickie now plans to return to college and continue on her path. She has also inspired her stepson and niece to pursue their own GED's.
Shay Bills of SAFE-T said in response to the goals and accomplishments of Ms. DeVore, "She is a classic example of someone taking advantage of the support available in Lamar County. Her success echoes the success of SAFE-T Crisis Center, and we couldn't be more proud of her and others like her embracing a brighter future."
At the United Way of Lamar County, we, too, would like to congratulate Vickie DeVore. We hope to stay with her along this journey of growth, education and paying kindness forward.


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As per last week's post about Felix's overall technology direction, here's a look at our near-term roadmap.
We're sharing this information because a) we think you'd like to know; b) now that it's in the public domain, this makes it concrete – we kind of have to do it; and c) deciding to make it public forces us to have the right kinds of conversations about priorities and resources.
That said, it's pretty straightforward. Here are the things we'll be doing over the next three months (or so) to cut that mustard…
Expand our UI library (AKA our 'interface engine')
What it is: we will be expanding the number of front-end UIs that we make available to customers – for both mobile and widescreen. Think of this as a 'mini App Store' for Felix UIs.
Why: to allow customers greater flexibility and choice; to enable different formats that allow for more harmony with our customers' current UIs and brands; to help customers do more radical things with their user experience, more quickly.
Deliver an ad-powered version of Felix
What it is: err…. A version of Felix that contains (good) ads. These ads will feature in graceful, non-intrusive ways
Tighter integration with 3rd party analytics services
What it is: basically, tighter integration with 3rd party (other than Google Analytics) analytics services.
Why: we already integrate seamlessly with GA – what this one is about is integrating with
Deliver the full Felix backend Admin experience
What it is: an administration interface for Felix, where users will be able to modify configurations such as… their Felix UI (for tweaking styling elements like fonts, colours, bubbles, cards, etc); content configurations (topic optimisation, etc). In addition, this new admin experience will provide access to support, how-tos, knowledge base, etc, and – of course – billing.
Watch more Boca Juniors vs River Plate on YouTube
What it is: something we do on Sundays, on the iPad, on the couch.
Why: because classic football on YouTube is the best, especially the superclasicos.
That's it for now. Quite enough to keep us busy, anyway. Let us know if you'd like to see other things on there….


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So I woke up this morning after sleeping for approx 4 hours to my roomie becky blasting the tv right in the next room after getting back from the hospital. They told her she's ok, she's pissed they didn't find anything cause she's obv sick. So I'm like. . . HOMMIIIEEEE. . . so she turns it off and goes to bed. I get back up an hour later to have to do all this work I forgot about cause of everything else that's going on. Whatever. It gets done. I piss in a cup frank gave me from Bluewater health and I head over there to check my adrenal functions. He's pleasantly surprised. Asked me how I was, I told him I feel about 15% more relaxed for sure! He checks and find out that my K-test results dropped Rom being at 43 "off the charts" to an amazing 27!! Not expected but the Exhilarin is definitely doing it's magic!!! In the mean time I've had very little heart palpitations, idunno what it is but its working. Imma keep my protocol of nutrition going and mentally trying to calm and be cool about things. I like how this is turning out. I head over and get a neck massage, feels amazing!! Free's it up real nice!! I really need to do those more often!! So I'm at work. Eating salad and baked beans. Loving it. And yet I'm dying for a coffee and some desserts!! Oh well. Small price to pay. I did get some coffee alternative today from Bluewater so we'll see how good that is compared to the real thing. For now, it's tea for me.
1500: 1x exhilarin, 2 drops d+k drop
1645: 4x probiotic
1800: baked beans, dole chipotle cheddar bag, pom juice
1815: 1x skate liver oil, 1x potassium iodine, 1x magnesium threonate
1900: shake : almond milk, pollen, banana, mct, 1 scoop whey, 2g taurine, 1 scoop chia, flax, shitake mushroom powder, scoop phytoberry
1919: 1x carnitine, 1x CoQ10, 1x ALA
2100: 30x heart drops, peppermint tea, 1x fish oil, 1x krill oil
2300: 1/2 bag white cheddar chipotle popcorn
0030: 1 raw zucchini, covered in sumac, mango spice, salt. 1/2 pom juice
1/2 bag white cheddar chipotle popcorn
0700: nerval tonic tea
0715: Epsom salt bath


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Lights, Ceiling, Action | Young House Love. Removing fluorescent light fixture. We need to do this @Ryan McIntire is creative inspiration for us. Get more photo about home decor related with by looking at photos gallery at the bottom of this page.
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"I do believe, help my unbelief"
Homily preached at the Church of the Good Shepherd, January 30, 2011, Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
From ancient times, Christians have been visiting an area of rolling hills overlooking the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. There a church was built as early as the Fourth Century to mark the traditional site of the Sermon on the Mount. According to tradition, it was here that Jesus taught the Beatitudes, which we just heard in today's Gospel reading.
The modern church that sits on this site was built in 1938. It's a small, octagonal church with a central dome. The surroundings are expansive and vast. From a plaza beneath the church you can sit and look out over the Sea of Galilee. It is so easy to imagine listening to Jesus teach in the open air.
I've been to that spot three times, leading pilgrimages. Generally I would take the group into the Church, and we would listen to the same Gospel reading we've just heard, sitting in a circle around the altar. After a short period of reflection, we would go outside and discuss what the Beatitudes meant to us.
The last time I led a group to the Church of the Beatitudes, we stood waiting for the groups ahead of us to each complete a short time inside the tiny church. Most of the groups were led by priests. Some would have a little prayer service, some would listen to a short talk by their priest leader.
As our turn came to enter the church, a diminutive Italian nun jumped into the doorway to block our entrance. "No, no!" She insisted, pointing us to the exit. I was puzzled. Why were we not permitted to enter? I attempted to talk to her. Unfortunately she did not understand English. She only waved her finger at us and said "Protestanti!"
Because I, the leader, was not wearing a clerical collar, she assumed our group was made up of Protestants, and she did not want any Protestants in there! Imagine if she had known the real make-up of our group of pilgrims. We were not only Catholic and Protestants, but also Jews and Muslims, on an interfaith pilgrimage to the Holy Land. If she had known that perhaps her head would have exploded. This was a stark contrast to our previous experiences at Mount of the Beatitudes. Other nuns in previous years had been thrilled to welcome Jews and Muslims into the church with kindness, warmth and hospitality.
Unable to communicate with this tiny guardian, I pulled out my identification card as a deacon of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. She carefully perused it, but did not seem convinced. She finally let us walk quickly through the church but would not let us pray there.
So we went to a small amphitheater next to the church and sat there looking out over the Sea of Galilee. There we had our little prayer service.
To each of the Christian pilgrims I gave a slip of paper with one of the Beatitudes written on it, and then asked them to read them in order. "Blessed are they who mourn… Blessed are the merciful… Blessed are the peacemakers…" As each pilgrim read one of the Beatitudes, I asked, "Do you believe this?" In turn, each would pause for a moment, thinking in the bright sun on that hill, then look up and say, "Yes, I believe this." It was a powerful moment that brought tears to the eyes of many of our Jewish and Muslim pilgrims.
We were not allowed to hear the words of Jesus in the lovely little church, so our band of outcasts sat there and listened to them in the open air, just as others did 2,000 years ago.
Often we hear that the Ten Commandments describe a way of life for the Christian. That's not exactly true. The Ten Commandments prescribe the bare minimum. Following them does not make one a disciple of Jesus. Do we really want to one day stand before God to give an account of our life and say, "Well, I never killed anyone."
It is in the Beatitudes that we find one of the most sublime descriptions of what it means to live as a disciple.
And yet the world described by the Beatitudes can seem elusive.
Recently among a group of educated and committed Catholics I tried the same prayer experience I like to offer on the Mount of the Beatitudes. I distributed to each a slip of paper with one of the Beatitudes and asked them to read them in order, and after each one I asked "Do you believe this?"
Each one thought for a moment and then gave startlingly sincere answers. Some, with obvious sadness, replied, "No, I don't believe this."
Their reasoning was difficult to disagree with. The mourning are not always comforted. Those who hunger for justice are not always satisfied. Peacemakers are rarely called children of God; there are other, more vicious names people call them.
What these faithful disciples were expressing is the painful reality that our hopes and dreams often collide with reality. There is a Christmas song that also recounts this painful realization. The lyrics are a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow written on Christmas Day, 1864. It was during the Civil War, that great national tragedy where nearly one million people died:
I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men…
And in despair I bowed my head
"There is no peace on earth,'" I said,
"For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men."
It is part of the human experience that despite the glory of the Gospel and our inherent belief in the teachings of Jesus, we fail to follow him. Sometimes we even fail spectacularly.
Perhaps the Church of the Beatitudes itself is a witness to the tormented human soul and the contradictions we encounter as we walk with Jesus. That little church, completed in 1938? It was built by the ruthless Italian dictator Benito Mussolini.
Hope is a Christian virtue. In fact, it is one of the three most important virtues for every follower of Jesus. And it is perhaps only with hope that we can hear and believe the Beatitudes. And in that poem by Longfellow, after we hear the expression of pained despair, there is another verse:
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men."
We can see the struggle represented by the Beatitudes played out in every age and in every place, even on our television screens and the Internet. We see the vibrant reality of the Beatitudes and how they speak to the human heart in the streets of Cairo, in the ruins of Port au-Prince, in the slums of Kolkata, in the barrios of Los Angeles. The Beatitudes are promises. It can be a struggle to live them, but a struggle undertaken with fierce hope.
There is a story in the Gospel of Mark (Chapter 9) that may help us to reconcile the simple beauty of the Beatitudes with the complex reality of human nature.
In this story, Jesus come up to the disciples to discover them arguing with a group of scribes. Jesus seems uncomfortable with their arguing. But just as he is confronting the disciples, a man comes up to Jesus with his son, who has been tormented by convulsions his entire life. There, before Jesus, the boy falls to the ground, rolls about and foams at the mouth. The father begs Jesus to cure his son.
Jesus tells him,
"Everything is possible to one who has faith."
And the father's response is amazing. It is perhaps even something each of us has said at one point:
"I do believe, help my unbelief."
This is a struggle for all of us, and our children are not exempted.
Today we also celebrate Catholic Schools Week. Our Catholic Schools were established in order to help families raise their children as confident and faithful followers of Jesus who have the tools to face reality.
The aim of our Catholic Schools is to produce adults who can, amid the terrible reality of war, still believe in peace, as Longworth's poem describes. People who can believe that the mourning will be comforted, that peacemakers will be honored, that seekers of justice will be satisfied. That it is better to be poor in spirit than to pursue wealth single-mindedly, better to be quiet and gentle than famous, better to be merciful than to get even.
This is not to say that Catholic Schools can inoculate children against doubt. But at their best, they can help our children become empowered adults who have the tools to make sense of the world, to understand their place in society through the lens of the Gospel.
We see the horrors inflicted on so many by the world, and in the midst of suffering we envision the peaceful world envisioned by the Beatitudes.
Does this make us idealistic fools?
Paul reminds us today:
God chose the foolish of the world
to shame the wise,
and God chose the weak of the world
to shame the strong,
and God chose the lowly and despised of the world,
those who count for nothing,
to reduce to nothing those who are something..
Foolish, week, lowly, we dare to envision a different world. We roam the hills of our imagination, hearing the words of Jesus in the open air as the refreshing breezes from the Sea of Galilee blow over us.
Here a dictator who led a nation into a devastating war built a church as a monument to his ego, but he was confounded. Instead, people come hearer to hear the words "Blessed are the peacemakers." Rarely do we see more astonishing physical evidence that hope can triumph over cynicism.
Or did Mussolini build the little church for a different reason? Was there a tiny voice within him that whispered "I do believe, help my unbelief." If this was his motivation, Mussolini ultimately rejected the idea of peacemakers being blessed; he opted for the real world that blesses the warrior.
We can sit down to think and pray. Are the mournful comforted? Are the peacemakers honored? Are the seekers of justice satisfied? There we can se a world where such things happen. And if we see around us that the Beatitudes are not reflected in the real world of greed and violence and oppression, here's something we can agree on: If I begin to live this way, the Beatitudes become real—if only I believe that I can do this.
And then we can hear the Beatitudes again and say,
"I do believe, help my unbelief."


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'I was there, 44 years ago, when the Telangana agitation started'
Mahesh Vijapurkar was a student in Hyderabad when the Telangana agitation began, with Osmania University as its epicentre. With the new state finally set to become a reality, he looks back on the lost years
I was there, a fly on the wall, when the agitation for statehood for Telangana started and gathered gale force. Violence was part of the tactics, and then as now, Osmania University was where the action was. Student leaders had as much say on the course of the stir, its intensity, and even tactics as much as on the level of violence.
Initially, when leaders like G Mallikarjun, a medical student, came to our college to canvass support and participation, he was cold-shouldered, for academics were considered important. But like in all agitations, the rest who are spectators also get swept into the whirlwind. Later he became a minister for railways, winning the Medak seat on the statehood platform.
In retrospect, it can be said that if the statehood for Telangana is justified now, 44 years later, then it was certainly warranted then. The delay of decades and the agitation for separation of what is now called Seemandhra from linguistic Andhra Pradesh in 1971 played havoc with students. They lost a clear year.
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'I was there, 44 years ago, when the Telangana agitation started'
When the then most important newspaper of the city, Deccan Chronicle, went for carpet coverage, with its chief reporter Pratap Kishore becoming the coordinator of the Telangana Praja Samiti, the idea took hold among the most common people. Even if traumatic, most began to see the justification for statehood, unless they happened to be from outside the former Hyderabad State.
My batch, which joined the degree course in 1969, should have had the convocation in 1971 but it was delayed by a year. Examinations were delayed, they ate into the subsequent academic years, and a year was lost. That was a dear price paid without a gain; only those who made a political career of the issue gained.
Like Mallikarjun did. Like other eight who went to the Lok Sabha on the statehood platform, on the Telangana Praja Samiti ticket. Chenna Reddy became chief minister, and soon, he blended into the Congress ethos, and the statehood as an issue surfaced only intermittently. It gathered momentum decades later for the decisive last push with the formation of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti in 2001.
The Hyderabad of the late 1960s -- as much as rest of the region of Telangana -- was as much laid back as it was during the Nizam's rule. Being laid back was a part of the nature of being a Hyderabadi. The language was a distinct Dakkani Urdu and the Telugu was liberally peppered with it. One did not need a Telugu Professor Henry Higgins to spot a person from Telangana. Now, I am hard put to spot one.
The badge of honour for us then was possession of a mulkhi certificate, which was nothing but a domicile certificate. Though Andhra Pradesh, the first linguistic state, was formed in 1956, Urdu usage was fairly extensive and some terms remained in use with the administration. A revenue official did not survey crops for estimates of yield, he did an azmaish. Those who did not have a mulkhi (of the mulch) were different from us.
The predecessor state was the Telugu areas minus Telangana, with Kurnool as its capital. It was the coastal Andhra as well as Rayalaseema, carved out of Madras Presidency in 1952. When the larger linguistic Andhra Pradesh came to be, the capital easily shifted to Hyderabad, the largest, then relatively the most developed city; it had to be, having been the capital of the Nizams. With that came people who spoke differently, and with them came a slow trickle of investments since Seemandhra was agriculturally richer.
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Image: Supporters demanding a separate Telangana state protest in Hyderabad
Photographs: Krishnendu Halder/Reuters
'I was there, 44 years ago, when the Telangana agitation started'
The Telangana Praja Samiti merged with the Congress on small concessions like (external link) the 6-point formula of 1973, which sought to protect the interests of the locals, promote equity between regions, and made an attempt to make everyone happy. But that was illusory to the Telanaganwallahs, for even the written rule can be sabotaged. Dissatisfaction remained; backwardness outside of Hyderabad compared to other parts of the state was an enduring fact, even today.
When chatting up a classmate, he told me how even well into the start of the new millennium he had travelled into the districts outside of Hyderabad. He found, "to put it bluntly, only squalor" and lack of any significant investment. Hyderabad "is only a window-dressing for development" and the money came from the coastal and Rayalaseema regions. This surged when the Telugu Desam led by NT Rama Rao, winning an election on the 'Andhra pride' platform, after a chief minister from Telangana, T Anjaiah, was snubbed by Rajiv Gandhi.
During the first flush of the agitation, when the Osmania University tried to push through examinations despite the disruptions, unprepared students brought to it the phenomenon called mass copying. Uncertain teachers, having seen the violence on the streets carried out by students, just winked and later job advertisements put in a condition: graduates of Osmania University needn't apply. That hurt everyone.
As a person born in Hyderabad and raised in the tehzeeb of the region, where a mayor's job was only part-time, and civic affairs was not politics, the delay of four decades is unconscionable. The delay hardened positions, created new vested interests, and it now makes the investors from Seemandhra quite queasy -- which explains the opposition to the formation of the new state.
However, there is a new challenge. Would the leaders, who would take up the stewardship of the new state after having complained of neglect, backwardness et al, make sure that Adilabad, for instance, which remains much in the boondocks now as then, would catch up with Hyderabad in the next one decade? That would be the true test of the political class. If they did not bring such districts up, especially because it would be a smaller administrative unit, then the demand for Telangana has been just politics, not a hankering for development.
However, Telangana is not a deal signed and delivered today. There are processes to go through, bills to be passed, including by the Andhra Pradesh legislature which has to make a reference. There are issues of reparations to settle, debts and assets settled between the two parts of today's Andhra Pradesh. The insecurities of the Andhras as distinct from the Telanganas have to be addressed during the process, their goodwill retained.
But it is certainly in the last lap, 44 years later. Hopefully, when the new state is born, it would not be for the politicians' gain, but the people's.


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Sep 14, 2016
Catch a screening of The Path: Evolution! Tickets are available now!
Dome Healing Center in Fernandina Beach, Florida, Friday September 16, 2016
Austin, Texas, Tuesday October 18, 2016, Hosted by INACS, Venue TBA
Los Angeles, California, Friday October 28th, 2016
CGCC, Hudson, New York, Thursday November 17th, 2016
About Path 11 Productions:
You can find DVDs of our films on our website at thepathseries.com or by streaming on vimeo.com, gaia.com & itunes find us on facebook and follow us on twitter, @thepathseries


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Turn the Heat Up on Dust Mites.
Good Thinking Leads to Good Cleaning.
How to Fix Those Irritating Dents.
Fixing Those Irritating Dents. Pure Carpet Care of North Brunswick, NJ.
When you think of a dent, you might reflect on that small golf-ball sized one on the fender of your car, or the front or side of an appliance that got squashed when moving it in.
But dents can happen to floors as well. You might be thinking of certain hard floors that can be damaged by falling objects. But it happens to carpet most often.
"What? How can a carpet get dented?" you ask.
Just move a heavy piece of furniture, and look where the legs were. That is a carpet dent, or indentation, and you might try to fluff up or pull up those carpet yarns that have lost their resiliency. They are stubborn, are squashed down into the backing of the carpet, even crushed into the carpet padding, and with fight off the most valiant efforts you put forth to resurrect them.
Dent removal tips
So you got ambitious last week, and moved your furniture around, and now you can see a few dents that just have to go.
One of your options is to simply wait. In time, most carpet dents (and the squashed padding underneath them) will work their way back up. But this could take months, even a year, depending on the carpet fibers, as some are more resilient and can bounce back faster.
One popular way to remove a carpet dent is to add moisture to the area, but slowly. Putting an ice cube in the dent can do the trick, but you have to help it along. Get a screwdriver, kitchen fork, or other sharp object and, as the ice melts and the fibers absorb some of the moisture, start working the carpet yarns back out and up and give them a gentle grooming. This should help remove most of the dent.
When the carpet is dry, put your vacuum cleaner to work, using just the suction hose. Vigorously work the hose cuff over the dent and use the vacuum's force to finish the job.
Dent still there? Do the ice trick again; it might take a few attempts.
If you still have carpet dent challenges, and can't live with the issue, don't despair. A thorough steam cleaning by your favorite carpet cleaner should finish the job. Give them a call and explain the issue. Their specialized equipment partnered with their expertise and years of experience have the power you don't. After all, it pays to call a pro!
A Clean Kitchen the Easy Way.
A Clean Kitchen the Easy Way. Pure Carpet Care of North Brunswick, NJ.
Here's an easy quiz for you: What's the most popular room in your home?
If you guessed "the bathroom" you wouldn't be totally wrong, as it might be the most frequented room in the home.
But hands-down, the kitchen is the most welcoming, most enticing room in your home, because of what happens there. Delicious food preparation, nice conversations, a general gathering place for family and friends.
With that comes much usage and the need for cleaning. To make the unwanted task of cleaning a little easier, here are some simple maintenance tips that will save you time.
Above the floor
The sink, countertops, stove, cabinets and other areas above the floor get heavy use, and the residue can be sticky and challenging to remove.
The most aggressive cleaning is probably in the sink, where grime can build up that isn't always that apparent. Use cleanser and a sponge or cloth, apply the product and clean multiple times, rinsing often. It should actually squeak when you run your fingers over it.
The other areas should be cleaned with an all-purpose, milder cleanser, misting it on and wiping it off with soft cloths. A final wiping with a cloth with warm water will remove any cleaning residues. You do this every day or so, and you will never notice a buildup of grime or dirt.
The floor
Sweep and mop on a schedule before it looks like it needs it. A dust mop might be OK, but a regular broom with soft bristles often picks up more debris. Hot water and a detergent for the type of flooring you have is recommended, but don't overdo the concentration as it can leave streaks.
Odds and ends
Something often neglected are the drawers, especially those that hold small items like cooking utensils. Take a look at the drawer that holds your silverware, pull out some forks or spoons, and you will see bits of all kinds of food and debris hiding underneath. Every week, plan on cleaning just one drawer and they will all stay nice and neat.
But when you need a complete, thorough cleaning and don't want to tackle it yourself, call your professional cleaning company. After all, it pays to call a pro!
Tile and Grout Floor Care.
Tile and Grout Floor Care. Pure Carpet Care of North Brunswick, NJ.
Tile floors are everywhere, and where there's tile, there's also grout to separate it all, keeping everything nice and even, with straight lines.
But a straight line may not always be so… clean. Dirt and grime and other contaminants build up over time and make what was once a beautiful floor look downright ugly. The grout is especially susceptible to soiling and staining.
Just as you would clean any surface, tile and grout floors need special attention. If you keep them clean, following a maintenance schedule, you won't have to deal with the tough issue of restorative cleaning.
Here are a few simple tips for you to follow in order to keep your tile and grout floors in tip-top shape.
Sweep it
The first step is keep the floor swept. Sweep it daily, which will remove dust and debris and other contaminants that can eventually cause tough-to-remove soiling.
Mop it
Tile floors are very easy to clean and maintain. Use a clean mop and an approved detergent to clean the floor. Some prefer the newer flat floor cleaners. Doesn't matter the tool, it is how you use it and the products you choose.
Some recommend the use of chlorine bleach, which acts as a disinfectant. The challenge here is remaining residues can create issues, such as being tracked off onto carpet, causing color loss. Be careful with the use of any type of bleach.
Grout issues
The toughest part of a tile and grout floor cleaning job is… the grout. It's porous, even if sealed, and becomes an eyesore quickly. Purchase a heavy-duty grout cleaner and follow the directions. You will most likely be on your hands and knees, and it takes time to do this right. Apply the product to the grout, allow some reasonable contact time, and scrub - scrub - scrub! Repeat as necessary. Work carefully until the grout looks great again.
When everything is cleaned up, be sure to rinse with a neutral detergent, or just water, and let air dry and inspect. You will find areas need more attention. When you do… get back to work!
Tile and grout cleaning is no easy task, especially when it becomes really soiled. When you find yourself up against an impossible task, do the smart thing. Call your professional cleaning company. After all, it pays to call a pro!
The Germs Living in Your Carpet.
Cleaning Up Pet 'Accidents'.
Cleaning Up 'Accidents'. Pure Carpet Care of North Brunswick, NJ.
Our pets. We love them. No matter what.
No matter if they hack up hairballs. No matter if they barf up their breakfast. No matter if they mistake the corner of the living room for the litter box or the grass patch outside.
Dogs, cats, gerbils, hamsters, birds… the list goes on as to the types of pets that people have in their homes and subsequently treat like family. Or even better than family.
With owning a pet comes responsibilities. Some obligatory, such as taking them to the vet for annual checkups. Others more of a necessity, such as cleaning up after they make a mess, from turning over the food dish to the previously mentioned hacking or barfing — or other issues that create a smelly, visible mess that must be dealt with.
Pet accidents. They happen to every pet owner. And are they really "accidents" — as if the pet didn't really mean to do it? That's another story entirely.
Here are a few basic steps to consider when cleaning up "accidents".
Scrape or wipe it up — all of it
No matter the mess, whether tossed up tidbits from the food bowl to a hacked-up hairball to urine or feces in the carpet, the first order of business is to clean up excess residue. There's no point to applying cleaning product or deodorizer to substance that you can remove with a few paper towels.
Blot and blot… and blot some more
Now is the time to get as much moisture (gross!) out of the carpet or off the flooring material, or even off furniture. Using white, absorbent paper or cloth towels, push down on the affected area. Do not scrub. The idea is to absorb as much contamination as you can.
Apply product — and clean!
The final step is to clean up all remaining residues from the surface. Always pretest colors and fabrics before adding cleaning products, although most surfaces are fairly durable and can handle mild cleaning agents. Get some ideas for the best products from your local carpet cleaning company. Control the amount applied with a flip-top bottle or adding the product to a white, absorbent paper or cloth towel. Work into the area and clean away the contamination. If you remove it when fresh, there should be no residual issues.
Sounds easy, right? It's not always this easy. When you have difficult cleaning challenges, do the right thing. Call your professional cleaning company. After all, it pays to call a pro!
Eco Friendly Cleaning Supplies.
Cleaning the Air Conditioner.
Cleaning the Air Conditioner. Pure Carpet Care of North Brunswick, NJ.
It's summertime. And if it isn't that hot yet, it will be really soon. If hot weather isn't in the forecast right now, give it time… it will warm up.
When hot weather strikes, most people work hard to be comfortable, and that means turning down the air in the home, using their trusty air conditioning system. For some, that means 80 degrees Fahrenheit. For others, 70. Others… like it even colder. It's all about personal preference.
But when your air conditioner doesn't perform adequately, or even worse, stops completely, panic strikes as the heat and humidity increases.
How can you avoid a sluggish or broken air conditioner? A few preventative maintenance steps can help tremendously.
Keep it simple — and clean!
Any part of your air conditioning unit, whether it is a portable window variety, mini-split, or central air, it's important to keep all working parts, filters, everything clean of dust and debris.
All this means is a regular inspection, perhaps twice a month, and taking steps to clean dirty areas. If your air conditioner is portable and has a water collection tank, empty it regularly.
What comes in handy for removing dust and debris, especially from filters you can't remove and aren't washable, is a can of compressed air, such as you might use for your computer. But remember that when you blow dust off one surface, it will land on another.
And, if you aren't sure about filter location or any aspect of your AC unit, ask a professional and take notes so you can refer to them in the future.
Call the pros
As with any electronic and complex piece of equipment, there are limits to what you can do yourself. Consider calling a professional heating, ventilation, and air conditioning company come in annually and perform an inspection. These are usually very inexpensive and, if you ever need repair service, they will respond faster if you are a regular customer (usually).
Once in a while, an air conditioning unit malfunctions or spills over, making a big mess. If that ever happens, it's time to call your favorite cleaning company to take care of the issue. After all, it pays to call a pro!
Most Carpet Dirt is Tracked In.
How to Care for Your Commode.
Caring for the Commode. Pure Carpet Care of North Brunswick, NJ.
It's no fun. It's un-delightful. But someone must do it.
Cleaning the commode — aka "the toilet" — is a task that must be done on a regular basis, because if you don't do it… well, you know.
Over time, grime can build up but also very-difficult-to-remove hard water, lime, and calcium deposits. Rust stains can also accumulate.
And there is no "one way" to take care of each situation. Frequency of usage, the quality of your water, and other factors can dictate more frequent or less frequent cleaning.
The first rule of thumb is clean based on appearance. Don't wait until you notice the commode needs cleaned. Schedule it and clean it even when it doesn't look like it needs it. This may be weekly or bi-weekly. But put it on your calendar to-do list.
The first item you need is a good quality toilet cleaning brush. If your water quality is considered "hard", purchase one that can provide some mild abrasion, such as a wire brush. This will help with the difficult task of removing mineral deposits. But don't overdo it; you can scratch the surface of the commode, inside the bowl.
Now you need a quality cleaning product. This is where you really need to consider your best options.
A commercial-grade cleaning product is obviously the best choice, as it will handle most residential cleaning challenges with ease. There are no doubt some supply houses in your area that have these types of products, and most big-box stores also carry similar brands. If you neglect cleaning for a period of time, you will need one of these stronger products, usually a potent acid-based cleaner. If you keep your commode clean on a schedule, a milder household product should suffice.
Choose a cleaning product that has a spout you can use inside the bowl, applying the product up high under the rim of the bowl. Grime and mineral deposits like to hide there. Apply your cleaning solution thoroughly, using your brush to agitate the surface inside the toilet, and allow a few minutes of contact time for the product to work. Then agitate again and flush. Inspect, re-clean if needed… and you should be happy with the results.
As always, using cleaning products is partnered authomatically with a few warnings. Don't allow it to contact your skin, so use gloves. And don't forget the eye protection glasses or goggles. Safety first!
Never forget, however, that the absolute best cleaning of your home, whether in the bathroom or the living room, from hard floors to carpet, and more, let your favorite cleaning company do the work. After all, it pays to call a pro!
Best Reason to Clean Your Carpet.
Clean Car Catharsis.
Clean Car Catharsis. Pure Carpet Care of North Brunswick, NJ.
There are so many things to clean up after a long, messy winter, and bringing your vehicle back to life is probably at the top of the list.
Running it through a car wash occasionally helps keep the grime from building up on the exterior of your vehicle, but you want to give some attention to the entire car, inside and out. A clean car makes you feel really good. Until you encounter the next mud puddle, of course.
So as you stand there looking at your really dirty car, the question that might be on your mind is, "Where do I start?"
It makes sense to washing the exterior completely, using a sudsing detergent and water. Mix up your solution in a bucket, using warm or hot water if possible, and apply the sudsy mix to the exterior and allow it a few minutes to soak. Then scrub with a soft sponge or cloth, and rinse. If your water is hard, you will need to hand dry after washing.
The toughest part of cleaning the exterior of often the front of the vehicle, such as the bumper. Bugs, road tar, and other debris can build up and be really challenging to remove. Use your cloth vigorously, along with some dry solvent solution for the tar, but be very careful not to rub too hard or use too strong a solvent as that can damage paint. When the car is clean, consider a wax treatment, following manufacturer directions.
The tires will need some special attention. A dishwashing sponge with a handle is a good tool to use to get in the tight areas in wheel hubcaps and other sections of the tire. Following cleaning, you can use a tire shine product to really make your car look sharp.
This is where cleaning gets rough. All those details in the car need cleaned. That's why they call it "automobile detailing" after all.
Start off with a thorough vacuuming of everything. The seats, carpet, nooks and crannies, under seats, between seats. You get the picture. A lot of stuff will be in there, and a vacuum with a crevice tool is the best way to reach debris.
Lay out your car mats and vacuuming them with an upright vacuum, as that will break free and remove more dust.
Mix up a sudsing detergent solution in a bucket, and using soft cloths, begin to clean all hard surfaces. You will need dry cloths as well, as you work through the vehicle. Some cotton swabs will work for reaching in smaller areas, such as air vents.
After all that is done, it's time to do the windows. Use lint-free cloths and window cleaner, and inspect with a flashlight to see if there are any streaks remaining.
There's more you can do, obviously, such as shampooing the fabric and cleaning any leather you may have. But these basic steps will get you started on your pathway to clean car catharsis.
And remember, your favorite cleaning company knows all about how to clean any surface, including your car. Call them today. After all, if pays to call a pro!
How to Remove Water Stains.
How to Remove Hard Water Stains. Pure Carpet Care of North Brunswick, NJ.
Spots and stains, no matter where they land, are unsightly and ugly, and you work hard to remove them.
A spot is easy to remove, as it is a deposit of substance that sits on top of a surface. Examples include chocolate, milk, or ketchup. A stain is a different challenge altogether, as it means the substance has penetrated or is strongly attached to a surface. Examples include mustard, curry, or Kool-Aid.
Hard water stains are common occurrences, yet often challenging to remove. And if you don't get to them quickly, they can become even tougher to tackle.
What are they?
Hard water stains, often called lime deposits, are basically limestone, calcium and magnesium, among other mineral substances. They all come from ground content. The more minerals in the ground, the harder the water.
Certain areas of the country have more mineral content than others, and without a water softening system in a home or business, the result is a buildup of hard water stains anywhere water stands and dries, such as around sinks, underneath water fountains, and on bathroom floors.
They can also be a problem in toilets and other receptacles that hold water. Mineral deposits can also affect appliances, such as coffee pots.
If you have ever washed dishes, your car, or other shiny surfaces, and the water is hard, you can easily see the issue. White "scales" of minerals are a problem.
How to remove them
Obviously, the best way is prevention. Wiping up water from surfaces before it dries keeps water stains at bay.
But when they do occur, you need to consider which type of cleaning product will react with the mineral stains.
The most common mineral stain cleaning product is white vinegar, which is acidic. Since mineral stains are alkaline, like rust, an acid-based cleaning product is required. White vinegar is safe, easy-to-use, and effective for most mineral deposit issues. Use it as you would any cleaning product. Apply, allow a minute or two of contact time, and wipe away.
But if the mineral deposit is heavy, and white vinegar doesn't do the trick, then a formulated product from your department or hardware store is your next choice. These are stronger acid products and you must follow directions when using them. Applying them to certain surfaces can damage those surfaces so be sure to read the fine print.
Always wear protective gloves and glasses, as skin and eye contact with any cleaning product can be hazardous.
And, as you know, when you have cleaning questions or need professional cleaning services in your home, do the smart thing. Call your favorite cleaning company. After all, it pays to call a pro!
4 Reasons to Open Your Windows.
4 Reasons to Open Your Windows.
Pure Carpet Care


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More than half the UK's regions are now 'blackspots' for mortgage wannabes. Mark King looks at the knock-on effects for the entire market
Prospective homeowners continue to be forced out of the housing market, with "first-time buyer blackspots" covering seven out of 11 regions in the UK and half of all UK tenants expecting rents to rise in the next year.
According to property website Rightmove, only 23% of people who intend to purchase a property in the next 12 months are first-time buyers, when 40% is considered normal for a healthy housing market. This drops to 17.6% in the south-west and Wales and is below 20% in five other regions across England and Wales: Scotland, the south-east, East Anglia, East Midlands, Yorkshire and Humberside.
The website said the three top reasons were difficulties in raising a deposit (exacerbated by steep rental price increases); concerns over financial security (one in five first-time buyers said they were worried about meeting mortgage payments); and over-priced property values – a worrying seven out of 10 prospective first-time buyers told Rightmove they feel property is over-priced in their area.
The emergence of these blackspots, along with stalling wage growth, redundancies and stagnant mortgage approvals are pushing would-be buyers into the rental sector.
But in a report, to be published on Monday 29 August, Rightmove found more than half of people now renting expect their rent to be higher in 12 months' time, with one in six of those believing it will rise by more than 10%. This comes on the back of a 4.2% rise in rents, according to LSL Property Services, over the year to the end of July, taking the monthly average to £705 (7.1% to £1,009 in London).
Despite rising rents, there is now more than twice as much rental demand for 12% fewer properties compared with April 2009, helping inflate the rental bubble.
Miles Shipside, director of Rightmove, said conditions for tenants continues to deteriorate, with inflation running at 4.4% and wage growth of 2.2%. He said: "Tenants' pain is a landlord's gain with a shortage of rental accommodation and continuing high demand further boosting landlords' returns. The rental ceiling of what some tenants can afford appears to have some headroom left, despite disposable incomes being squeezed. While competition will help improve landlords' rental returns, there are consequences to an over-inflated rental bubble."
First-time buyers perform an essential function in the housing ladder by starting chains that help others to move. Shipside says this is now under threat: "The emergence of so many first-time buyer blackspots has serious implications not just for those who are unable to buy for the first time, but also housing markets in each of those regions. It is particularly bad news for first-time sellers, for example."
Owner occupation rates peaked in 2003 at 70.9% after an 80-year period of growth, and have since declined to a level of to 67.4% in 2009-10 (the latest figures available). The growth in home ownership rates have now stalled, which is less an inevitable flattening out of a market that is close to its natural capacity and more a generational story that is not being told.
Matt Griffiths of first-time buyer website PricedOut said there is now a definite split in the age groups of those who own their own home. Between 1991 and 2009-10, owner occupation levels in the 16-24 age group fell 61% (36% to 14%), while owner occupation in the 25-34 group fell by 30% (67% to 47%). Home ownership in the 35-44 group also fell, by 14% (78% to 67%). But levels of owner occupation continued to rise in older groups. Between 1991 and 2009-10 the 65-74 group saw a 14% increase in home ownership (62% to 79%), while those aged over 75 saw home ownership rise by 38% (53% to 73%).
The percentage of young people getting a foothold on the housing ladder today is are clearly falling behind the number who managed it 20 years ago. Griffiths argues this decline is exacerbated by the growth of the private rented sector, with the rise of the buy-to-let market enabling those with existing housing wealth to "out-bid" potential first-time buyers for property.
The growth of the private rented sector is projected to continue to increase to 20% of households in 2020, according to the National Landlords Association, from 14% of households in 2008.
Griffiths says: "Unfortunately the unenviable position of generation rent is reinforced by the political dynamics of home ownership – older homeowners are a larger group, vote more and are much more vocal in defending their interests. Politicians therefore have been very reluctant to challenge the generational inequalities in the housing market and tiptoe round the problem."
The statistics all indicate that government initiatives are desperately needed to help buyers get a foothold, but the FirstBuy scheme has been roundly criticised for assisting only a small number of first-time buyers.
"The government's flagship first-time buyer scheme – FirstBuy – is a classic example of how to do close to nothing with maximum publicity," Griffiths says. "It will only benefit 10,000 young people and will have no impact on the drivers creating generation rent. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the response to the credit crunch – where stopping house prices falling has been a major concern of government and the Bank of England. The pain of market readjustment is therefore now being felt primarily in the rental market – with younger people shouldering higher costs. Given this group was the major loser from the boom, this seems a bit unfair.
"Over the longer term, there appears to be a seriousness from some in the coalition to deal with lack of new homes via planning reform – and they will face stiff opposition from the grey vote even here. But the government seems to have implicitly accepted that, for the time being, there will be a lost generation of young homebuyers."


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I study European history, so why did I post about Sand Creek earlier today? And why excerpt seemingly gratuitous violence? I have no expertise in U.S. history, but I am interested in the history of violence per se, which can reveal a lot about peoples and cultures at a given point in history. Further, the U.S. Civil War has some important structural similarities to the Franco-Prussian War, and perhaps to other European wars in the mid nineteenth century.1 Given the causal relationship between the U.S. Civil War and the expansion of violence against Native Americans out west, there might be a case, for example, to include France's nineteenth-century colonial conflicts in such a comparison. However, my main interest relates to cultural taboos—or lack thereof—about specific kinds of violence against specific categories of people, assuming those people have not been perceived to violate any important taboos themselves. Read more
Blogging and Myth-Busting
Kevin Levin of Civil War Memory has posted good material to his academic blog under the category, myth of black Confederates. Several recent posts include criticism of efforts by modern-day Confederate patriots and would-be historians who want to appropriate Weary Clyburn, a slave, as a defender of Southern liberty. In one he points out that writing good books to debunk myths is all well and good, but on the subject of black Confederates "the real fight must take place on the web."
In the same post he points to an earlier one he made in late March: "Should Civil War Historians Blog (academic that is)?" In it he observes how vast the public discourse about the American Civil War is, while the discourse in which professional historians participate is relatively narrow. Historians need to continue their current research and publishing mission, but they also have "a responsibility to engage a wider audience and contribute to the public discourse." Since much of the public turns to the internet for ready answers, historians need to offer these answers in an accessible format, especially for highly sensitive questions that shape American identity.
I agree with Kevin about the need for Civil War historians to blog. I have also observed a similar need with respect to Holocaust denial, since I have found that Google can get it wrong. Until now I have used this blog mainly to reflect on what I do and to communicate with other historians, but as Kevin points out, Google brings him search engine traffic for important topics such as black Confederates, so his blog posts reach a wider audience. I have written a few of my posts with that awareness, but his arguments make me think I could do much more. So could other historians.
This piece originally appeared on this day on my old history blog, Clio and Me. The links have been updated.
I was looking through Friedrich Dürrenmatt's The Physicists, a play I have used a few times in a survey course on modern Europe. In the back of the English translation by James Kirkup are "21 Points to The Physicists," one of which reads, "The more human beings proceed by plan the more effectively they may be hit by accident." This quote sums up my recently completed dissertation on three levels that I would like to consider: the content of my research from the point of view of its historical subjects, the path my research takes from my point of view, and the shape of the narrative that eventually emerges. I plan to look at these paradoxes in future posts at irregular intervals. For now I will mention a different one that is not as difficult to resolve. Read more


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Ponydance all in good fun
A dance/theatre company with a name like Ponydance sounds as if it wouldn't take itself too seriously.
"We're half comedy, half dance," confirms Ponydance artistic director Leonie McDonagh. The Irish company with the whimsical name will be playing the Fringe World Festival.
A glance through YouTube teasers on Ponydance's website suggests that McDonagh's 50-50 assessment is pretty accurate. Performing in a myriad settings — including shops, footpaths, small bars and even smaller theatres — Ponydance's moves are drawn from contemporary dance, jazz, street styles and disco, with a generous dollop of comic theatricality. Clad in tracksuits, 80s-style lycra, sporty underwear or dressed up for a night on the tiles, the overwhelming impression is that Ponydance know how to have fun.
Although McDonagh established Ponydance in 2005, its origins go back to her days as a student at the London Contemporary Dance School. "During the summer holidays I'd come home to Belfast and I kept making pieces with the same people, Paula O'Reilly and Duane Watters." recalls McDonagh. "They became the founding members of Ponydance."
From little things, big things grew. "We did one show to 20 people in the town hall and then the next year we did three shows to maybe 25 people. We just kept growing each year, getting more and more work, until this year we're literally touring the world."
It sounds easy but McDonagh has had her share of challenges. "When I was in second year at LCDS I got pregnant," she says. "I finished second year with a big bump."
With what I come to recognise as her customary positive outlook, McDonagh says there were upsides to full-time dance training while pregnant. "I found ballet almost impossible because my centre of gravity was so different," she admits. "But then I did release technique and I loved that when I was pregnant because it's all about weight into the floor ... it was lovely. The first few months I got morning sickness which lasted all day and that was a challenge, but after that it was better — people are super nice to you when you're walking around with a bump."
The financial reality of running a small, independent company has been another hurdle.
"Lack of money and time are the biggest challenges for Ponydance," she says. "We've gotten really good at making quality work in a short amount of time, and good at eating beans and oven chips. The focus is always on making good work — when you stick with that money will follow. That's been our motto."
As McDonagh observes, it's working for them. They are now associate artists of the Metropolitan Arts Centre in Belfast.
"It's paying out now," she says. "We're getting paid gigs, funding support."
As winners of the best dance award at the 2012 Adelaide Fringe, Ponydance are arriving back in Australia with a reputation to uphold. So what can punters expect from Anybody Waitin'?
"It's all the funny parts of a night out," McDonagh says. "People will be entertained, they'll probably cringe a bit and they'll relate to it. They'll have moments of thinking 'Oh yeah, I did something like that' or 'Oh, hahaha I've seen my friend do that'."
Ponydance perform at The West Australian Idolize Spiegeltent on February 12 and 13 as part of Fringe World 2013. Tickets are available from www.fringeworld.com.au
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Glossary: What are some terms I should know for Splash's Guest List? Follow
Here are some terms that'll come in handy as you're navigating Splash's guest list feature.
Contact: Someone who has been added to your Contacts Manager or is a guest of one of your events.
Guest: Contact who has been added, invited, RSVP'd, or checked into an event
Attendee: Confirmed guest who has RSVP'd yes or purchased a ticket to your event.
Status: A guest's attending status for your event; this could be awaiting reply, attending, not attending, waitlisted, checked in, or no status.
- Awaiting Reply: The guest has been sent an email through the Splash Email Sender for this event but has yet to RSVP through the event page.
- Attending: The guest has RSVP'd Yes through the RSVP form on the event page.
- Not Attending: The guest has RSVP'd No through the RSVP form on the event page.
- Waitlisted: The guest has RSVP'd Yes to be on the waitlist for this event.
- Checked In: The guest has been checked in through the Splash Host app.
- Checked Out: The guest has been checked out through the Splash Host app.
- No Status: The guest has been added to the guest list for the event but has not been sent an email or RSVP'd to the event.
Filter: A way of narrowing your guest list to only show a certain group. You can filter by event status, email campaign, or by guest information.
Columns: Categories of information that appear in your guest list.
Pro tip: All attending guests who show up and are checked into the event will then have the status "Checked In." After your event, all guests who are still marked as Attending are those who RSVP'd Yes but did not come to the event.
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The Star Trek Effect
Dr. Edward Graves had always been an outcast, mostly because he was very, very shy. When he was forty, he saw an episode of Star Trek where this genus had built himself a female companion. Ignoring, the unhappy ending, he figured that that was probably a good idea, considering that, he too, was a genus, and that human females intimidated him. If he were to build one, he would know that there would be nothing to be afraid of. He was wrong. Obviously, there had been some problems in the small town where he had sent India to live (to see if she would fit in). She had been an outcast too. It also seemed as if she were in serious physical danger. Now, she was on the phone doing something she had never done before. She was crying. She was very confused; the plastic in her nose was broken; she missed him. He had told her that she would have to be shut down if she became violent. But that was before she left. Now she sounded so helpless. The bus driver had tripped her, and she had been humiliated. She was real, at least to him. Could he really kill her?
I apologize for the break. Here is the next installment of "One Day On a Bus". Please enjoy and feel free to share.
Thanks for reading!


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Explore the timeless principles of fairness, integrity, honesty, and human dignity.
A Framework for Success for Leaders Everywhere. Learn about our newest solution.
Your first-level leaders are the "Difference-Makers" in your business.
This organization-wide transformation teaches the behaviors necessary to execute the most Wildly Important Goals.Learn More
Coming Soon. We are updating our entire site. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Coming Soon- we are updating the site and apologize for any inconvenience.
The 6 Most important Decisions You'll Ever Make workshop helps students work through the following important and life changing questions:
The Decision Is Yours Activity Guide For Teens helps students reflect on their everyday lives and develop skills to deal with life's most important decisions.
" My teacher gave me this book to work on in class; but I loved it so much, I asked if I could take it home! It really makes me think, but it's fun too." - Anita, 16 Birmingham, MS
Throughout the program, 45 five-minute student activities are based on powerful concepts behind The 6 Most important Decisions You'll Ever Make. Students can complete the activities independently, or with teacher instruction, making the most of instructional time and providing students with tools to deal with life changes choices.
The activity guide follows a well-researched instructional-design cycle and is simple enough to be completed by students in a self-directed manner. Teachers and administrators have indicated the activity guide is ideal for use in a variety of ways:
This edition further distills the key concepts and offers optional classroom discussion and activity extensions based on the student activity guide. Also included is a Pre-Test/Post-Test and Learning Checklist for student evaluation
" Even though I'm assigning it as homework, my kids return telling me the 6 Decisions is accessible and interesting. 'Relevant to kids like me,' is what they say. The conversations that come out of this book are crucial and, unfortunately, they're not happening enough. This workbook helps get the discussion going." - Brad, TeacherNoble School, Chicago IL
The colorful poster set can be used to create a positive learning environment that encourages personal leadership in your students! They provide strong visual support for the concepts behind The 6 Most Important Decisions You'll Ever Make. Each 2' x 3' poster focuses on a decision, poses a question for the student to reflect upon, and presents a learning model.
The 6 Most important Decisions You'll Ever Make workshop helps students work through and accomplish the following:
Make decisions about their education.
Choose positive friends and influences and become a good friend.
Learn ways to better get along with your parents.
Develop healthy dating relationships.
Choose to say no to smoking, drinking, drugs and other addictive stuff.


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The Wasabi is a sharp slim-lined sunglasses suited for a small to medium face. Made using our unique RAW finish and had made using cellulose Acetate, it's a classy sunglass for all occasions.
RAW, premium acetate left unrefined to give every piece a unique organic look and feel.
CR-39 – an optically correct, superior lens made of hardened resin. Half the weight of glass with superior scratch and impact resistance. Available with Filtrate acetate frames.
Our BLACKOUT style has a Polarized Lens
Polarized – High Definition Polarized lens designed to reduce intense glare off the water, snow and other flat surfaces. Polarized lenses block 100% of UV light and eliminate 99% of glare to enhance visibility by improving color contrast.


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Information for your Seniors' Yearbook
To Senior Families: It's Time!
All the information you need for your student's final Yearbook.
ATTENTION!! All Yearbooks are $50.00 until December 1st. After Dec 1st, the price raises to $60.00. Order your Yearbook now and SAVE.
These days, it's important you get the most value for every dollar you spend. When you buy your student a yearbook, you are buying a product that will be treasured today and for years to come.
Please click on the specific links on the right for detailed information about Senior Portraits and Senior Grad Ads
Need Help? Contact our staff at email@example.com
This invaluable keepsake of the SWHS Yearbook is only $50.00. The price raises to $60.00 after Dec 1st. We have worked hard to keep the price as low as possible. But the number of books are limited. We have tried to make purchasing a book as easy as possible. Adding the online feature, allows you to customize your book and order other items as well. Time payment option allows you pay a small amount over the next few months. Order your book now to ensure your copy.
It's easy to order! We offer 2 options
Option 1 – The Easiest
Option 2 – Order Form
o Please note, there are no returns. If full payment is not received by April 15th, you risk losing your payments and not receiving a Yearbook.
Order now, so your student won't miss out when
the yearbook is distributed around May 15th.
Senior Pictures
Senior Wills/Quotes


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L'Oréal Professionnel Portfolio
L'Oréal Professionnel Portfolio
Established in 1990, L'Oréal Professionnel Portfolio is exclusive group of top British hairdressers who have been recognised for their creativity and expertise in professional hairdressing. Renowned for outstanding technical skills, as well as their artistic flair, these eminent hairdressers share a common goal. To consistently raise the profile of the British hairdressing industry.
As keen competitors in national and international events, the cutting, colouring and styling skills of these acknowledged experts inspire hairdressers worldwide. Their stage work is complemented with style shots and profiles in magazines
and they are journalist's contact when searching for advice on new products or hair care. Finally, recognised by the industry, members also appear on radio and television in a variety of shows. Especially those relating to fashion, beauty and the salon industry. Furthermore, many of them are active on social media.
L'Oréal and Fashion
L'Oréal Professionnel works closely with the fashion industry to keep hair colour and styling inspirational and at the forefront of emerging beauty trends. L'Oréal Professionnel Portfolio teams work backstage with designers at London Fashion Week. Other fashion events include On|Off, Fashion in Motion at the V&A Museum. Similarly graduate shows Central Saint Martin's MA & BA Graduate Shows and Graduate Fashion Week.
Established Portfolio members also play a key role in passing on knowledge to the next generation both in the UK and around the world. Many teach specialised classes at the L'Oréal Academies. These are regarded as centres of excellence for hairdressing education and at numerous regional venues around the country.
In 1998, L'Oréal Professionnel introduced the first ever Colour Specialist, an advanced technical qualification in professional hair colouring. The course teaches advanced colourists all they need to know to create perfect colour every time and also the skills for colour correction work. L'Oréal Professionnel Portfolio salons all have a Colour Specialist graduate managing their colour teams.
Customer satisfaction
Customer care is a top priority and a visit to a L'Oréal Professionnel Portfolio salon is always a pampering and enjoyable experience. Full client consultations and follow-up care should be key to each salon's philosophy. Every staff member is expected to adhere to the highest standards of hairdressing and customer service.
Combining visionary artistry with constantly evolving technical skills and an exceptional service, L'Oréal Professionnel Portfolio members represent excellence in hairdressing. You can view our Creative Session photos here.


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We know that before ending up on this website, you might've checked other sellers and you're wondering why our sex doll prices are lower. We're here to help you understand what you need to take into consideration when purchasing a sex doll.
Sex Dolls For Sale In The UK | Discreet Fast Shipping Love Doll
FiltersShowing all 16 results
What You Need To Know Before Buying A Sex Doll
Where Are Our Sex Dolls From?
Based in Oxford, our warehouse is the "home" of over 100 sex dolls, which means that we can process your order straight away and get it dispatched the same working day (for the orders placed before 3 pm), so you can receive your new doll the next working day.
Sex Dolls Inspection Process
Check the entire process of inspecting the sex dolls - handled in our UK warehouse. Keep in mind that every sex doll is checked prior to dispatching.
Our sex dolls are being dispatched via DPD - a service that allows you to receive the items the next working day after placing the order. Learn more about the benefits of using DPD as our main delivery service provider.


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This traffic webcam shows Madison Avenue at 34th Street. The Madison Avenue connects the Madison Square with Madison Avenue Bridge and was named after the fourth President of the United States , James Madison.
Webcam source: nyctmc.org
Categories: Garment District, Manhattan, Murray Hill, New York, traffic.
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This content has been marked as final. Show 4 replies
Re: Need VC Fund for Facebook applicationJasonTees Oct 18, 2009 9:33 AM (in response to imblogger)Two Words: Business Plan. If you want to convince someone to part with their cash, at very least you'll need to write a garden variety business plan.
If I were asked to invest in you, I'd start with the following questions:
what exactly will the money be used for?
how much money do you need, and how did you come up with that dollar amount?
how will this facebook application make money?
when will i be repaid?
what are you offering in return for my investment?
do you have a track record of success with an idea like this?
Sorry to pepper you with questions, but my point here is that if you want people to give you money, they need to be confident that they will get paid back. That means explaining in great detail how you plan to spend their money.
Re: Need VC Fund for Facebook applicationMongoose Apr 12, 2010 7:25 AM (in response to imblogger)There's something called the Founder's Fund, which is funds provided by Facebook. You should apply.
Re: Need VC Fund for Facebook applicationphanio Apr 13, 2010 12:38 PM (in response to imblogger)Best way - create a solid business plan geared for investment - then seek out local angels who invest in that space.
Business Money Today
Re: Need VC Fund for Facebook applicationMongoose Apr 17, 2010 7:28 AM (in response to imblogger)Unlike most business ideas, Facebook apps are generally so easy to build that you might as well hack it out in an afternoon, get some traction and THEN ask for money.
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Reply to original post
What is the best place to get finance for my facebook application?
What is the best place to get finance for my facebook application?


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Dying Days Aglow with Haunts
The final week of the haunt season is always an exciting and exhausting period of time as the opportunity to visit haunted attractions is never more abundant. A multitude of haunts will be open every night through Halloween and because October 31st will fall on a Thursday this year many of those will actually welcome customers until Saturday, November 2nd.
What a great calendar 2013 delivered for haunters, with a Friday the 13th in September and Halloween falling late in the week the haunt season will be stretched to the absolute limit! Generally our final outing of the season will come the weekend prior to All Hallow's Eve or if we're lucky we'll cobble together one last haunted adventure on Devil's Night or Halloween itself. An extra weekend to explore haunted houses is a luxury; indeed a real treat.
So how will we spend our final outings? Well, there really is no other way to spend the final week of October except to embark upon a veritable haunt marathon! On Devil's Night we'll experience a trifecta of terror when we visit the Wyandotte Jaycees' Bloodbath on Biddle, the relocated Scream Machine, and Westland's newest haunted house, Hush.
On Halloween I'll be participating in a home haunt with my in-laws and their neighbors in Lincoln Park, an event I'll detail further in a separate post. As of now I don't have any plans to visit haunted attractions that night but one can never be sure what might transpire once trick 'r treating is complete.
Friday will likely serve as our final outing of the season and it has the potential to be a doozy. We'll travel over two hours to tour St. Charles Village of the Living Dead, then back track to Exit 13 in Mt. Morris, and if time permits we'll come to rest at House of Fear in Hazel Park.
We don't currently have any plans to venture out on Saturday, but there's definitely a chance that a trip may manifest. We haven't yet made a trip to Ohio this season and it would be a shame if our current streak were to end — five consecutive years we've traveled to the Buckeye State for haunted attractions. Already I feel the lure of Terror Town in Maumee and Haunted Hydro in Fremont.


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View our best buys on Dry Bags
We offer waterproof bags, cases & backpacks for all your outdoor adventures. Our 10-liter dry bag is your perfect travelling companion – ideal for keeping your personal belongings safe from harm on your adventures. The 10-liter bag is fantastic for travelling, water sports, kayaking, canoeing, boating, white water rafting, skiing, snowboarding and a lifetime of rugged adventures.
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Our new 10-liter waterproof bags now come with a waterproof cell phone case, compatible with all modern smartphones. This is the perfect combination for any adventurer wanting the peace of mind that their gear is safe and completely dry. This convenient bag and case combo is all made from premium materials and will remain functional and durable throughout your travels, proving to be a convenient and functional that will protect your gear without being a burden to carry.