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BSU Catalog Home | Social Work Program | All-University Courses and Descriptions
Check with department for semester when these courses are offered. Read each course description for prerequisites.
2110 INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION (3 credits) Designed to enable students to develop awareness, knowledge and skills for sensitive and effective intercultural communication on the international scene as well as with core-cultures in America. The course is particularly useful for students who are preparing to work with cultures other than their own, including: the human services field, business, marketing, languages, pre-professional programs and others. Liberal Education Goal Areas 7 & 8
2120 INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL WELFARE (3 credits) Introduces students to American social welfare institutions, the social problems with which these institutions deal, and the profession of social work. Considerable attention is paid to the historical and philosophical bases of various types of social welfare services. Other topics emphasized include the intervention methods used by social workers and the special needs of oppressed groups in the society. The final section of the course deals with the career paths in social work.
2130 INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS (2 credits) Designed for sophomore students, especially those who intend to become social work majors, the course is intended to assess and develop basic interpersonal skills necessary to use self effectively as a practitioner. Teaches students to understand, assess, apply, and evaluate the basic skills of a helping relationship. Social Work majors must take this course before SOWK 3552.
2140 FIELD EXPERIENCE IN SOCIAL WORK (3 credits) Provides students with their first practical experience in the field of social work and introduces them to basic theoretical models used in social work practice, including generalist approach, ecosystems, cultural competence, and human diversity. Prerequisite: Admission to the Social Work program.
2160 HUMAN BEHAVIOR IN THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT I (3 credits) Designed to enable students to explain and assess individual, family, and group system behavior as generalist social work practitioners, utilizing the cultural competence continuum and a strengths perspective within an ecosystems approach across the following dimensions: biological, spiritual, psychological, cognitive, socioeconomic, cultural, aesthetic, and gender. Examines traditional and alternate theories of development across the life span of individual, family, and group systems. Attention is given to the influence of paradigms on shaping human behavior. This is the first course in a two-course combination in HBSE, providing the foundation for HBSE II. Prerequisites: BIOL 1110, PSY 1100, and admission to the Social Work program.
2260 Changed to 3260.
2310 THE AMERICAN INDIAN: SOCIAL WELFARE PERSPECTIVE (3 credits) This course surveys the various socio-economic and political problems faced by the American Indian, as well as the cultural conflicts and legal aspects of efforts to deal with those problems in a social welfare and social policy context.
3030 FAMILY VIOLENCE (3 credits) A study of current theory and research related to the problem of family violence and responses to this problem including: premarital violence, spousal violence, and violence in parent-child relationships including sexual abuse and violence against the vulnerable adult. This course should be of particular value to those preparing for a career in human services.
3110 PARENT-CHILD RELATIONS IN CONTEMPORARY FAMILY FORMS (3 credits) Designed to enable the student to understand, organize, and apply knowledge of parent-child relations in contemporary family forms including emphasis on a) a systems and cultural perspective, b) changing family configurations, c) dynamics of parent-child relations, d) special parent-child problems such as the abused child, etc., and e) work with professionals and other concerned individuals. (This is a service course for education majors.)
3160 HUMAN BEHAVIOR IN THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT II (3 credits) Designed to enable students to explain and assess group, organization, and community behavior/life span from an eco-systems perspective using a generalist social work practice approach. Students integrate the cultural competence continuum and the strengths perspective across the diversity dimensions of large human systems: group, organization, community, and society. Students also critically consider and examine models of large system development – group, organization, and community – as well as the relationships and interconnections between and among micro and macro systems. Prerequisites: POL 1200 and SOWK 2160.
3201 FAMILY: DYNAMICS AND INTERVENTION (3 credits) Introduction to knowledge, skills, and values related to working with families as small groups. Students learn and apply tools integral to assessment and intervention strategies of generalist social work practice with families, including the strengths perspective, human diversity framework, family systems, cultural competence, and the ecosystems approach. Students critically examine family systems, elements of family well being, level of need and intervention models, ethics, and practice implications particularly related to contemporary social welfare issues. Prerequisite: SOWK 2160 for majors, PSY 1100 for nonmajors.
3260 SOCIAL WELFARE POLICY (3 credits) Students develop an understanding of the history and role of public policy as related to social work practice, societal values, and issues central to the development of public policy in the United States. Students critically examine contemporary and controversial social welfare issues, assess U.S. policy development and evaluation practices, understand the global interconnectedness of U.S. policy, and develop social justice advocacy skills for vulnerable populations. Prerequisite: Admission to the Social Work program, and POL 1200.
3310 AMERICAN INDIANS AND CHEMICAL DEPENDENCY (3 credits) Provides an American Indian perspective and information on work being done with American Indians and chemical dependency. Addresses a broad range of issues, beginning with a fresh look at the impact of alcohol and drugs on American Indian people. Uses historical experience along with a comparison of Western scientific thought to its counterpart in American Indian cultures: the wisdom of the traditional elders. Also provides other relevant cultural information, such as traditional family roles and their relevance in the treatment setting, and an overview of Native American spirituality and its application to the recovery process. Also offers a hands-on clinical application for working with chemically dependent American Indian people from assessment considerations to treatment planning, and looks at the elements of a culturally specific treatment program for American Indians.
3320 CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND CHEMICAL DEPENDENCY (2 credits) Examines the unique impact of and response to substance abuse on various diverse groups, including the dis/abled, ethnic communities, communities of color, women and men, youth, GLBT, elderly, and the hearing impaired. Prerequisite: SOWK 2030 or consent of instructor. (Might not be offered every year)
3330 CHEMICAL DEPENDENCY: PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION (3 credits) Addresses the continuum of care in chemical dependency: prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery. Attention given to the twelve core functions in relationship to the treatment planning process, case management, and intervention strategies. Covers ethical and legal considerations, such as involuntary commitment, patient rights, and professional licensures, as well as issues related to practice sensitivity and responsiveness to culture, gender, and age. Prerequisite: PSY 1100 and SOWK 2030, or consent of instructor.
3551 GENERALIST PRACTICE 1 (3 credits) Introduces and applies models for establishing and engaging in the professional helping relationship with individuals. Students learn, practice, and critically examine knowledge, skills, and values related to generalist social work practice with individuals: assessment, engagement, crisis intervention, counseling, evaluation, and ethical practice. Emphasis is on cultural competence in social work practice. Prerequisite: Admission to the Social Work program.
3552 GENERALIST PRACTICE 2 (3 credits) Introduces and applies models for establishing and engaging in the professional helping relationship with support and treatment groups. Students learn, practice, and critically examine knowledge, skills, and values related to group processes: planning, assessment, facilitation, leadership, evaluation, role development, and ethical practice. Emphasis is on cultural competence in social work practice with groups. Prerequisite: SOWK 2130 and SOWK 3551.
3553 GENERALIST PRACTICE 3 (3 credits) Introduces and applies models for establishing and engaging in the professional helping relationship with task groups, organizations, and communities focusing on systems change: assessment and engagement, intervention, advocacy, leadership, community organizing and strategic planning to create change. Students learn and practice cause advocacy and grantwriting skills. Emphasis is on cultural competence and the application of ethical group practice in task groups, community organizing, and cause advocacy. Prerequisite: SOWK 3552.
3760 MENTAL HEALTH SOCIAL WORK (2 credits) Designed to enable the student to develop a knowledge base for beginning social work practice in the field of mental health. Students are introduced to theories of mental health and concepts of: mental health-illness, determination of needs, service systems, scope and variety of interventive methods, role of interdisciplinary team, evaluation, supervision, and impact of discrimination. Prerequisite: SOWK 2120 or consent of instructor. (Might not be offered every year)
3780 FAMILY AND CHILD WELFARE (3 credits) Overview of historical and contemporary child welfare practice primarily in the public sector, including supportive, supplemental, and substitute services. Emphasis is on issues such as family-centered practice, family preservation, kinship care, permanency planning, and cultural competence related to the assessment of and intervention with vulnerable families and children. Prerequisite: SOWK 2120 or consent of instructor. (Might not be offered every year)
3790 SOCIAL WORK IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM (2 credits) Designed to enable the student to understand and apply social work practice in the public school setting including a systems view of public education, the impact of diversity/oppression, and various services to pupils, families, school personnel and community. Prerequisite: SOWK 2120 or consent of instructor.
3830 GERONTOLOGY: SOCIAL WORK PERSPECTIVES (2 credits) Enables students to understand adult development and aging and to apply this knowledge to social work practice. Theories of aging are examined and applied to practice assessment and intervention strategies. Focuses on areas of particular relevance to practice with older persons in terms of expected life transitions and accompanying challenges (retirement, family relationships, etc.) and life crises and problems (loss and dependency, addictions, abuse and neglect, Alzheimer's). Impact of ageism, diversity, and physical, psychological, and social issues and changes in the aging process. Accompanying health, social, and family needs; the relationship of public policy to meeting these needs; and the development and delivery of services. Prerequisite: For Social Work majors, SOWK 2120 or consent of instructor. (Might not be offered every year)
4310 GRANT WRITING (2 credits) An application course designed to teach the mechanics of successful grant writing. It addresses the full continuum of the grant writing process from defining the grant idea, identifying grant sources, writing and submitting the grant application, and managing the grant award. Addresses similarities and differences between public and private funding. Emphasizes skill development in the areas of writing and submitting a grant application, public speaking skills, and ethical issues. (Might not be offered every year)
4450 SOCIAL WORK RESEARCH SEMINAR (3 credits) This course is a capstone, integrative research seminar for social work majors focused on selecting a research topic reflective of their practice interests and subsequently developing a research proposal. This process includes students critically examining their personal standpoint and its impact on professional practice and research, selecting an area of practice for their research topic, conducting an extensive literature search and review on the topic, developing a qualitative research design that reflects multiple methods, examining the role of subject/participant in the research process, critically considering their proposal in relationship to social work ethics, and selecting a part of the proposal for implementation in their internship. Prerequisite: SOC 3002.
4880 INTERNSHIP ORIENTATION (1 credit) Prepares social work students for the internship experience. Provides students with the information needed for appropriate internship placement. This course should be taken during the semester immediately preceding the registration in SOWK 4970.
4970 INTERNSHIP: SOCIAL WORK (12 credits) When taken for Social Work, the following description applies. A one-semester block (480 clock hours) placement in a public or private social service organization, this internship is a senior capstone course focused on integrating practice experience with theory. Students are expected to demonstrate their social work knowledge, values, and skills through hands-on experience. Students also participate in a seminar to discuss their internship experiences at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels of practice. Prerequisite: Completion of all courses in the major with a 2.50 GPA in the major. Graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory only.
4970 INTERNSHIP: CHEMICAL DEPENDENCY (12 credits) When taken for Chemical Dependency, the following description applies. This two-semester, 880-hour internship prepares students to complete the chemical dependency certificate in preparation for applying for licensure in Minnesota. Students are placed in chemical dependency agencies and are evaluated in terms of their knowledge and skills in the 12 core functions. Prerequisite: Completion of all courses in the certificate with a 2.50 GPA in the certificate.


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NHIAA Roundup: Central, Pinkerton win in field hockey
October 10. 2013 12:19AM
Mikayla Nguyen and Abby Jackson each scored two goals to lead Manchester Central to a 4-1 field hockey victory against Nashua North at Stellos Stadium Wednesday.
Nguyen was assisted by Eileen Burke on the lone first half goal off a penalty corner. Nguyen scored again two minutes into the second period on a breakaway, assisted by senior co-captain Julie Deluisa.
Kara Upton scored the only goal for North. Central is 4-6-2; North, 3-8-1.
Pinkerton 5, Bishop Guertin 4 (OT): At Derry, Kaylie DeCosmo scored twice, including the game-winner in overtime. Pinkerton improved to 11-1. BG dropped to 4-7. Mia Vecchione, Caley Prunier, Kristen Cameron, and Carly Caveny each had a goal for BG. Samantha Day, Haley Harrington and Gabby Guerard also scored for the Astros.
Londonderry 1, Bedford 1: At Londonderry, the Lancers (3-6-3) scored their goal in the 12th minute, by Jackie Curtin, assisted by Marissa Roger. Bedford got the equalizer at 35:25 from Amy Gagliardi. Victoria Cull had the assist for 5-5-2 Bedford.
Londonderry goalie Emily Downing had eight saves and Bedford keeper Paige Nowle stopped four shots.
Girls' soccer
Epping 6, Concord Christian 2: Epping was led by Deanna McCullen with three goals.
Boys' soccer
Souhegan 2, Goffstown 1: At Goffstown, the host Grizzlies (5-3-1) led 1-0 on a Jacob Gagnon goal, but Jack Facey and Mike Hayden scored in the second half to push Souhegan of Amherst (6-5-0) to the win.
Alvirne 2, Concord 1 (Monday): At Hudson, P.J. Busnach and Brett Richardson scored for the Broncos, who raised their record to 9-2-0. Jake Schofield (five saves) and Liam Regan (five saves) each shared time in the Alvirne goal. Concord fell to 8-2-1.
Bedford 3, Londonderry 0: At Londonderry, Bedford improved to 11-2 with a straight sets win by scores of 25-23, 25-21 and 26-24. Bedford was led by Hannah Koehler (13 kills, block) and Becca Foti (five kills, nine digs). LHS was led by Madison Milton (eight kills) and Taylor Collins (five blocks).
Winnisquam 3, Trinity 0 (25-16, 25-12, 25-10): Jenna Nalette of Trinity had eight service points and teammate Kayla Tremblay added five blocks. Jackie O'Connell had six digs for the Pioneers.
Merrimack 3, Keene 0 (25-15, 25-7, 25-10): Merrimack was led by Elise Jolly with seven kills. Tayla Schipilliti added three digs and Christie Roy had six kills. Jen Coffey contributed six digs and 13 kills to the win and Jo Coffey registered 29 assists.
Pinkerton 3, Bishop Guertin 1 (25-19, 25-22, 21-25, 25-9): Kelsey Cummings led Pinkerton with 18 digs and teammate Lexie Verreault added 12.
Campbell 3, Epping 1 (25-21, 27-25, 24-26, 25-14): Epping was led by Cassidy Garrow with four aces and 13 digs. Olivia Goodrich added 15 assists and six digs.
Hollis-Brookline 3, Manchester Memorial 0 (25-17, 25-10, 25-16): In Hollis. the Cavaliers (4-8) beat Memorial (2-10) behind Savannah Werne with 13 kills and three aces. Emily Cook added four kills, Kristin Johnson had four kills and Sophie Saunders contributed three kills. Selma Imamovic collected five service points for Memorial. Meaghan Six had 10 digs and Megan Esperance had two blocks. Sarah Labore added four kills.
Belmont 3, Franklin 0 (25-13, 25-13, 25-11) Belmont (10-1) was led by Megan Bailey with 24 assists.

subset: commoncrawl


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Mark Twain famously once wrote, "The report of my death was an exaggeration." The same could probably be said for desktop PCs, since everyone seems to think that they are dead, or at least dying, when nothing could be further from the truth.
Especially in the halls of government, PCs will continue to enjoy a long and productive life.
The latest round of anti-PC sentiment follows the admittedly bad sales report on PCs for the latest quarter. CNN Money recently reported that PCs experienced the worst drop in the history of PC sales tracking. Sales were down 13.9 percent, more than double what research firm IDC had predicted.
That has led to a slew of predictions that the PC is dead, that everyone will soon ditch desktops for iPads or smart phones, and we'll forever be unchained from our desks.
Sorry, but that's total hogwash. If PCs were truly dead (and this includes laptops and ultrabooks) then I probably wouldn't be typing on one right now. Looking around the office, I wouldn't see coworkers also typing on their computers (which includes a mix of Windows PCs and Mac desktops). When I visit federal agencies, I wouldn't see rows and rows of desktops, all performing valuable functions. Also, don't forget that even with the huge drop, 79 million new PCs were still sold in the first three months of the year. Those were added to an enormous installed base that isn't going away anytime soon.
In government, the PC's dominance is even more pronounced. The Defense Department is adding mobile devices, certainly, but it also just awarded a $617 million contract that will bring Windows 8 PCs to the Army, Air Force and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. When combined with a similar $700 million deal with the Navy and Marine Corps, that means that PCs running Windows 8 will more or less dominate the entire defense infrastructure for the foreseeable future.
There are reasons for the decline of new PC sales across the board, however. Certainly, some people are able to do their jobs with just a tablet or smart phone, though those folks are still a minority at the moment. Slate points out that another reason could be that PCs these days simply last longer than ever. Unless users are working on resource-intensive applications like visualization or gaming, their current PC will probably be on the desktop for years to come.
There simply is no reason to spend money on a new PC if the five-year-old one is still working perfectly fine for office tasks. And although this was unheard of a few years ago, there are PCs that are still in service 10 years after they were deployed in government.
There may be another reason people are not buying new PCs: Windows 8. Despite the fact that we really liked Windows 8 in our extensive review, and found it more than suitable for government service, it's still a radical change. Once people get used to it, they will like it, but moving from Windows 7 or even from XP to Windows 8 is a pretty big shock. Offices may resist or delay that upgrade, which will lead to slower sales.
Despite declining sales, PCs, especially in government, aren't going away. If anything, they may evolve to other things, like Dell's thin client on a key, or simply machines that are far too powerful or too specialized to be housed within a tablet or smart phone.
Are PCs in their Golden Age? Probably not. But are they dead or even dying? Also, no. They will either evolve into something different enough that their sales will increase again, or they will simply level out and continue as normal after this little dip. In any case, they will be good for government for decades to come, or even longer.
About the Author
John Breeden II is a freelance technology writer for GCN.
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I have been writing about information technology for almost 19 years and I've come across so much of this "mainframes and dead," "Microsoft displaced IBM," "PCs are dying" crap.
Looking around my office, all of my co-workers use PCs and if they have a laptop, they conect it to a desktop display on their desk. Some have iPads, which they use in the field but they still use their PC in the office.
Media thrives on sensation to attract eyeballs and nothing like sensation to attract their attention.
What's happening in reality is that tablets and smartphones are taking market share from PCs, which isn't surprising, though it's just a redistribution of market share.
In the past, if all we needed was to check our e-mail, access the Web, access Facebook, Twitter, etc., we had no choice but to do that on a PC but with tablets and smartphones, we have a choice on what to do that on.
However, when it comes to writing our articles, work on a spreadsheet, edit photos and videos or create a CAD drawing or heavy number crunching, the obvious choice would be a PC or perhaps a more powerful workstation.
Also, most of those servers which host websites, computing clouds, etc are also PCs.
So the media, analysts, marketers and other "pandits" should cut the crap about "the PC is dying."
BTW. I use Linux on my PCs, not that crap from Redmond.
I'm getting along fine with my 2-5 year old PCs, after I converted them to Linux. Goodbye, Microsoft!
I always find it funny when people mention the death of PCs. I have to wonder what kind of work they are doing. I've been using tablets since before iPad and Android but have never found them to be all that useful except as portable toys. If you're doing any real work like data analysis than you need the processing power and memory of a desktop/laptop. And virtual desktops are complete junk. I have to use them for accessing certain systems and they are slow and unresponsive. If all you do is read email all day then a tablet or VD may work but for the rest of us that crunch numbers, it's completely impractical.
We have moved our IT infrastructure - 300 PCs - to VDI. The PCs are now running NoTouch Desktop, displaying Windows 7 desktops out of the datacenter. And guess what? When these PCs will die in a few years, we will buy cheap PCs again, again as VDI terminals.
There are just so many normal people around who don't want to work on a tablet. They want a real keyboard and a corporate-managed machine on their desk.
Hey Paul, you seem to be really against Windows. Dont think that just because you dont like it that nobody else does. I use Windows 8 now and work in government, in the military side of the house. It was a little odd at first, but now I navigate it just fine. And from what my bosses say, they are happy with the security aspects of it compared with what we were running before, which admittedly, was a much older OS. I think we were on XP before.
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Samsung has confirmed the ATIV Odyssey will be launching on January 24th, and will be available both online and in stores starting tomorrow. @evleaks recently published a tweet detailing the rumoured date, which has turned out to be spot on. So what will you be looking to pay should you wish to pick up the Odyssey on Verizon?
Pricing for the Windows Phone 8 device is $49.99 after a $50 main-in rebate and two-year agreement. To recap on the specifications, we're looking at a 4" S-AMOLED display (WVGA 800x480), 1.5GHz dual-core chip, 5MP rear shooter with 1080p recording (with 1.2MP FFC), 8GB storage with MicroSD card support, and a 2100mAh battery. Not bad at all.
You can also check out our brief hands-on action with the Windows Phone at CES 2013. Samsung will have both the flagship ATIV S and now the Odyssey for consumers to choose from, should other OEM partners not be of any interest.


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Coastal Maine
Michelle Alton 9/20/2012 4:30:28 AMPerfect treatment for this great composition, Shelly. Reminds me of shots I've seen of Nova Scotia. No wonder, I guess! #1487369
Mike Clime 9/20/2012 11:43:49 AMBeautiful capture and reflection, Shelly! #10330656
Emile Abbott 9/20/2012 12:08:05 PMStunning Shelly. If it were not so cold I could live there. #10330678
David M. Montero 9/21/2012 8:19:30 AMI agree with you Shelly. Maine is one of the most beautiful states in the country, especially in the Fall. This is beautiful Shelly! Do you remember what town this is? #10331705
Shelly A. Van Camp 9/21/2012 11:21:45 AMThank you all so much....Not sure. I rode around several places after my moms service.....photography consoles me. It may have been down towards Winter Harbor. #10331869
Nina Shields 9/21/2012 4:28:38 PMShelly, like you I find photography to be very therapeutic; wonderful image, love the lighting and color; gorgeous! #10332210
Shelly A. Van Camp 10/3/2012 5:41:42 PMThanks Nina! #10353946
Gina M. Savage 10/12/2012 8:05:53 PMLove the reflection, detail and colors. The mood is incredible here. Thinking of you sweet one. Hugs. #10367241
This is one of the many little fishing/lobster villages of Maine. I love colors and reflections. I really miss, Maine.
Uploaded on 9/19/2012 7:53:16 PM
Camera: Nikon D80 Digital SLR Camera
Copyright for this gallery photo belongs solely to Shelly A. Van Camp. Images may not be copied, downloaded, or used in any way without the expressed, written permission of the photographer.
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Norton WiFi Privacy
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Intel's Sway Drives Up Server-Chip Prices
Big Computer Users Like Google and Facebook Consider Competing Technologies
Intel Corp., the kingpin of chips for personal computers, has suffered as that market has contracted. But the Silicon Valley company has built an even stronger position in computer rooms, leading to unusual power over pricing.
The average price of chips that Intel sells for server systems rose to $629 in the first quarter from $429 in the same period of 2007, a 47% increase, according to Mercury Research.


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| Our fearless leader
Dr. Larry Gilbert
My introduction to the tropics was in the summer of 1983, when I lucked into accompanying Dr. Larry Gilbert (UT Zoology) and his students on a field course to Corcovado National Park in Costa Rica. Not being a student at the time (I'd gotten a BA in linguistics a couple years before but was working as a secretary on the UT campus), but having some proficiency in Spanish, I was hired by Dr. Gilbert as his assistant and translator since his regular teaching assistant was off making a film in New Guinea.
After several weeks in Patterson Hall on the UT campus, translating documents and readying equipment, we left for Costa Rica, flying into the capitol, San Jose. Here our party (5 graduate students plus Dr. Gilbert – Larry to his students – and myself) spent a couple of days at the "Costa Rica Inn" – a rambling one-story labyrinth of a hotel near the downtown area. San Jose is a typical Central American city, with lots of traffic and pollution, no interesting architecture to speak of…but great ice cream and plenty of activity – and in those days, very safe at all hours. We visited the Natural History Museum and the local university, picked up some supplies (foam mattresses and rum are what I remember!), and made our flight arrangements. We were flying in to the park in two 5-seater Cessnas; there was no other access to the remote field site location.
|View of the Corcovado canopy from the plane.
Photo by Dr. Larry Gilbert.
The day arrived and we boarded the tiny planes. I was quite nervous as I had never flown in such a small plane before, and the pilot warned us that it might be a bumpy ride due to rising air currents as we crossed the mountains. And Larry joked about the two wrecked planes that decorated the end of the airstrip in the park…
The flight took about an hour, and it was indeed turbulent. Finally we flew out over the Osa Peninsula and saw nothing but forest below us, and then the Pacific Ocean beyond. We suddenly turned at right angles to the coastline to land at a tiny airstrip cleared in the rainforest, ending at the beach…and there, indeed, were the two wrecks. Welcome to Sirena Station of Corcovado National Park!
We pitched tents in the clearing/horse pasture behind the rustic park station building; this would be our home for the next six weeks. The students included Darlyne, studying heliconius butterflies; Kirk, studying the fish communities in freshwater streams; Jamie, studying howler monkeys, and Peggy and John, new students who had not yet decided on projects. Two senior students, Peng Chai and Sue Boinski, were already in the park. Peng was studying bird predation on butterflies. "Bo" as she was called, was the equivalent of a mountain man, in my somewhat awed view. She had spent the past several years following troupes of squirrel monkeys to learn about their behavior and mating habits, sometimes staying in the park for over a year at a stretch. In the course of her wanderings she had dodged fer-de-lance and bushmaster snakes, and had some (very shaky) video footage of a pair of jaguars lazily playing together, oblivious of their nervous human watcher.
|Fruits of the
Corcovado rainforest.
Photo by Dr. Larry Gilbert.
The Sirena station was a bustling place. Since in those days (before the gold miner crisis of 1985) it served as the park headquarters, it was the central point in Corcovado for communications and supplies, which were all brought in by plane. The park director was stationed here, along with about 5-6 park guards. Other park guards travelling by horseback from the outlying stations came in to pick up their allotment of supplies, or to rotate out for a week's holiday. The radio crackled all day long: "Sierra Papa Norte Dos a Sierra Papa Norte" (National Park Service station 2 to headquarters). I learned all sorts of things in radio lingo – "Cambio" meant over, "Dos" meant good, "Dos y medio" was so-so, "Tres" meant bad, "un 22" was a telephone call, "10" was crazy, etc.
|Buttress of a tropical giant.
Photo by Dr. Larry Gilbert.
The first few days Larry led his students and me on long, sometimes wild walks through the forest – up over the steep knife-edged ridges, crashing down through stream beds, slogging along the beach or sweltering through open areas. What an amazing place! I was in love with the forest from the moment I saw it. So many plants – so many insects, birds, monkeys, frogs, snakes, etc. But especially plants. It was like being in the most amazing botanical garden. Here things I'd only seen as houseplants grew rampantly everywhere. Ferns were not just ferns but trees. And trees, with their huge buttresses as big around as a house, towered into the canopy.
|Squirrel Monkies are common
near Sirena
After a week or so of our introductory walks, the students settled down to their research projects. Since I wasn't a student and didn't have my own project, I helped some of the others where I could. I soon was spending most of my time with Kirk, helping him census the fish in the many small streams that cut across the peninsula – streams so clear and clean that we drank out of them. I learned a lot about fish that summer! At night, we all sat in the little screened porch behind the radio room, burning candles and mosquito coils while we read or wrote up our field notes, or listened to one of the students give a status report on his or her project. Larry often regaled us with funny stories of his past students…considerably embellished over the years, I am sure!
|Tropical leaf-footed bug
All too soon the summer came to an end, and we had to leave the park and head back to Texas to begin the new semester. We packed the tents and our supplies into coolers to keep out the mildew. Said our goodbyes to the park guards and to Maria. Cleaned up the area we had taken over as our evening "lab." While we waited for the planes to arrive I took a last walk up the Claro trail to a ridge where, sitting on the buttress root of a huge strangler fig, I could see over the forest and out to sea. What an adventure it had been! What a lot of amazing biology I had learned! Nostalgia for the place swept over me – but I heard the drone of the plane and had to rush back to camp. We boarded the Cessna, and as it rumbled down the bumpy airstrip and began to lift into the air, I thought – if the plane crashes on the way back, I will die happy. I have just spent the most amazing summer of my life.
I ended up becoming one of Larry's students and spending several more summers in the park and elsewhere in the tropics. However, that first experience stays with me as one of the real highlights of my existence on this earth.
|Ornate flower of a tropical passionvine
|Red-eyed treefrogs.


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Tom DeLonge has shared a glimpse into the new Angels & Airwaves EP with this teaser of a new song. Listen below and be sure to leave us a comment with your thoughts.
Read more: Tom DeLonge gives interesting response to Blink-182 question at Comic-Con
The band's upcoming effort will accompany DeLonge's new book, Poet Anderson …Of Nightmares, which is due out October 6 through New York publishing company Simon & Schuster. (Pre-orders are on sale now.)
This news tip was found at AltPress.com.
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LIVE CHAT RECAP: NHL Trade Deadline Day
Join Sun Media hockey expert Mike Zeisberger and QMI national hockey columnist Chris Stevenson at noon EST. to talk about today's NHL trade deadline day.
Fresh off his Olympic excursion to Sochi, Stevenson will offer his analysis concerning deals that have already happened, and some that are yet to come.
Zeisberger will be here to answer your questions and provide updates should any deals break.
Start sending in your questions now before Zize and Stevenson stop through this afternoon.


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With the M Series, we came up with machines that would please those customers with large fleets who demand efficiency. The Z950M features a long list of available options, including Mulch On Demand decks, dump-from-seat Material Collection System capability, 3-way adjustable suspension seats and easy-to-use diagnostics.7-Iron™ PRO and Mulch On Demand™ Mower DecksEach Z950M mower can be paired with one of our 7-Iron PRO mower decks - available in 60 or 72-inch (152, 183-cm) widths, or a time-saving 60-inch Mulch On Demand deck. These decks are stamped from a single piece of 7-gauge steel, which means there are no welds or corners on the underside for clippings to collect and clump.
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ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has confirmed that he gave the orders to shut down Twitter in Turkey.
At a campaign event in Istanbul Sunday ahead of March 30 municipal elections, Erdogan said he had given the order because Twitter was not obeying Turkey's laws. Previously, the Turkish government said that the telecommunications authority had blocked Twitter on court orders. However, the move came shortly after Erdogan threatened to "rip out the roots" of the website.
Erdogan said Twitter was applying double standards, shutting down accounts when the U.S. or the U.K demand it, but defending freedom when Turkey, Ukraine or Egypt have concerns.
He said: "This isn't a banana republic!"
Despite the blockage, many in Turkey are finding ways to continue to tweet.


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Hello, congratulations on the new marketing idea (buy one, give one). It's good, and I hope proves to be very effective.
I was familiar with this project back when it was in the brainstorming stage, and one of the biggest selling points was the hand crank for regions with no power. I had understood that this was to be built into the laptop originally, but now it appears that it is a supplemental part that needs to be ordered? Can someone clarify this?


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Driver dies after stopped car rear-ended on I-85 in Archdale
Driver dies after stopped car rear-ended on I-85 in Archdale
A man died Monday after a pickup truck collided with his car that was stopped in a travel lane of Interstate 85.
The crash happened around 3:10 p.m. on I-85 north just north of the U.S. 311 bridge.
A Ford Escort was stopped in the far right travel lane when a Ford F-150 rear-ended it, Archdale police said. The male driver was standing outside the car when the collision occurred, police said.
The driver of the Escort died as a result of the crash. His name hasn't been released pending notification of family.
The investigation is continuing. It's not yet clear why the car was stopped in the roadway and why the driver was outside the car, police said.


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by Mike Masnick
Wed, Dec 17th 2008 6:40pm
Filed Under:
cable companies, confusion, digital tv
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- PayPal Sues Pandora Over Yawn-Inducing Logos And Tweets About People Opening The Wrong App
- Soundcloud Tells Guy It Needs To Kill His Account Of 8 Years Because Someone Else Trademarked His Name
- Wawa Versus Dawa: Trademark Dispute Blamed On A Need To Police That Doesn't Exist
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Reader Comments
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Anonymous Coward, 17 Dec 2008 @ 7:38pmfrom the "makes-sense dept?" I already went out and bought a TV last summer, because there was hype then that everyone would lose their TV signal if they didn't switch. How about the "it's a little late for that dept?"
Anonymous Jerk, 17 Dec 2008 @ 8:13pm
Re:how about from the "you shouldve done your research dept". it's YOUR fault you went and bought a new TV. Research before you buy. Don't trust everything the best-buy kid says. most of the time they have no idea what they are talking about.
Anonymous Coward, 17 Dec 2008 @ 8:16pm
Re:Look if you are too stupid to get the details before going and buying a TV.... I have no pity for you
Anonymous Coward, 18 Dec 2008 @ 11:51am
Re: Re:People make mistakes. If they are being fed misleading information, it is easier to make a mistake. Too bad the folks generating the falsehoods get the benefit and the consumer who is being confused gets the bill.
As for stupid, I bet the mistakes you made and never realized have cost you a bundle.
AC, 18 Dec 2008 @ 8:53am
Re:How about all of the info has been very clearly stated for several years now and if you can get to this website you should have easily figured this out
DS, 18 Dec 2008 @ 10:04am
Re:OP's "it's a little late for that dept" should have been started up many, many, many, years ago.
Six Channel Ryan, 17 Dec 2008 @ 7:50pmIn my experience, the "digital tv transition" is often referred to as the DTV transition. To the average consumer, DTV sounds awfully similar to HDTV, so I'm not surprised they are confused. The average person isn't concerned with how they "get" their television signal, they only care that they can watch their shows. To further complicate things, cable companies are taking advantage, the GeekSquad and their high school diplomas only know how to up-sell, and dtv.gov should get an award for the worst website of 2008.
nipsey russell, 17 Dec 2008 @ 8:02pm
true datcomcast told someone in our neighborhood (philadelphia) that they had to upgrade to digital because of the digital transition. and this was about a year ago. liars.
Tim, 17 Dec 2008 @ 10:21pm
Re: true datNot liars, stupid. The people who are selling the product rarly have any idea WHAT there are actually selling. And some people DO need to get digital, with the move from analog to digital, alot of cable companies are moving analog to the digital format to make room for bandwidth, which means alot of old people calling up and asking "Where did TCM go?" And instead of saying "well mam were changing the QAm modulation on our networks to increase HD capability and looking to digital simucast only the lowest costing channels" guess what they say.
David Jones, 17 Dec 2008 @ 8:14pm
GreatNow when are they going to get the SDV adapters out to Tivo owners so that they can once again see the channels that the cable companies took away from them?
eskayp, 17 Dec 2008 @ 8:24pm
CableOne and digital transitionCableOne has been showing ads for over a month now telling all customers that they have to do nothing but keep on watching TV like they always have done.
Customers with older sets will notice no difference, nor will they have to change or add anything to their sets.
How long that will continue remains to be seen.
Nick, 17 Dec 2008 @ 8:47pm
CableOneThe only trouble is that now CableOne has scrambled what few HDTV channels they did provide unencrypted over-the-wire! Goodbye TNT-HD, TBS-HD, Universal HD, Discovery HD Theater, National Geographic HD, A&E HD, ESPN, and ESPN2!
Now I've got a shiny Windows Vista Media Center box with four tuners in it... for my locals? Fail. I complained to the FCC.
In my opinion they should be required to provide the HD version of any channel in their standard unencrypted lineup over-the-wire unscrambled.
Tim, 17 Dec 2008 @ 10:24pm
Re: CableOneYou complained to the FCC that your no longer being provided a service you do not pay for.(Non encrypted HD is a side effect of how they are broadcast over the coax) How did that go? Bahh, serves you right for buying anything Vista too. Hah
Nick, 17 Dec 2008 @ 8:49pm
Back on topic...That last post was a bit off topic. As far as the DTV transition goes, while DTV doesn't technically have anything to do with HDTV, it provides the impetus for the broadcasters to adopt HDTV as their new standard format. If you already have to have 90% of the equipment, why not just go the rest of the way? You already made the majority of the investment. All of our locals DTV stations are doing the news in HD, and any syndicated content available in HD they broadcast as such.
Nick, 17 Dec 2008 @ 8:53pm
and another thing....I sure wish the cable companies would get off the "you have to use our box" crap. It would be nice if cable went back to being cable, and I could just plug the wire in to any device I wanted - like straight in to my TV, or into my Windows Media Center box. They're so paranoid about people ripping off their content, that they're making it almost impossible for legitimate consumers like me to actually consume the product :(
Tim, 17 Dec 2008 @ 10:29pm
Re: and another thing....Paranoid? Do you have any idea how many people use cable service they are not paying for? Notice I don't use the word steal, because many times its by fault of the company. And besides that, how you going to get a guide without a reciever? Not to mention the legacy support they would have to put in place each time we do a update.
Anonymous Coward, 18 Dec 2008 @ 5:10am
Re: Re: and another thing....You get the guide from the TV GUIDE channel. ;)
I get "free" basic cable as a side effect of having broadband service through them.
Gome, 17 Dec 2008 @ 8:53pmComcast has been running ads saying that its customers don't have to do anything. Maybe the technicians or customer service reps try to sway people to get Digital cable service?
Brian, 17 Dec 2008 @ 9:03pm
Re: comcastListen closely to Comcast's commercials though - there's some deception there as well. Their commercial state something to the effect of, "If you have over the air television, you have some decisions to make...but with Comcast, you don't have to buy a new TV or new equipment - you're set," implying ever so slightly that over the air customers will need a new TV. It's subtle, but they're definitely "clarifying" things in their favor.
Tim, 17 Dec 2008 @ 10:33pm
Re: Re: comcastAnd even with that, there is probably going to be millions of people who call up on the date of the cross over claiming that they were told since they have cable in their house, their 27 year old TV in the den with the ears should work. When pass judgment on a cable company, try to few every commercial through the eyes of your most technologically ignorant family member.
Re: Re: comcastTime-Warner has been running a deceptive add that implies that you need to get cable to keep your TV working. They never mention that you could buy a converter box!!!
While, I agree that companies have a right to advertise and can present their product advantageously. However, in this case, failing to mention the alternative of buying a converter box is going over-the-edge.
Now, I wonder if Mike will get a copyright take down notice for "stealing" Time-Warner's by-line "There's tremendous confusion out there about February's required switch for broadcast TV from analog to digital." Time-Warner of course has not actually helped the consumer understand this supposed "confusion". Just buy from us, don't think.
Really?, 18 Dec 2008 @ 8:43am
Re: Re: Re: comcastYou really think advertisers should be forced to mention alternatives - e.g. competitors?
I can just see the ad now. Drink Coke - or Pepsi or the store brand, but Drink Coke!
Eat at McDonalds, or BurgerKing or Wendys, but Please go to McD's.
The issue is that the ads are lies, not that they're "unfair." The fact is YOU DON'T need digital cable to get digital TV, or even HDTV, but they say you you have to have cable to get TV.
It's one thing to say "The DTV transition is a great time to subscribe" versus "You risk losing your TV channels if you don't switch to cable."
Bottom line - be an educated consumer.
Re: Re: Re: Re: comcastThere is a distinction. It is a government mandate that the analog signal expire. Companies do run "public service" announcements, the cable companies can demonstrate that they are being good citizens by informing their customers of all options. Wouldn't you feel better about your service provider if they actually respected the customer.
Using FUD to scare your customers is an absurdity. Haven't we had enough of companies greedily screwing their customers and investors so self serving managers can extract exorbitant pay. Lets restore a semblance of ethics in corporate America.
Anonymous, 18 Dec 2008 @ 8:48am
Re: Re: comcastYou need either a new TV with a digital tuner OR you need new equipment, e.g. a digital converter box for an analog TV to work. If you have cable - you don't need anything else.
Of course they're clarifying things in their favor. It's an advertisement, not a PSA.
Matt C., 18 Dec 2008 @ 6:00am
Comcast's Deceptive Practices
Recently, Comcast has removed several channels from the standard package (in the Baltimore area). Initially when I called to inquire about the missing channels, Comcast informed me it was because of the "over-the-air conversion" and that a digital box was needed.
After explaining to the representative that the "over-the-air conversion" does not affect any cable customers, the representative informed me that I had to upgrade to a digital package because of their "digital conversion".
Comcast is also running a commercial, locally, about their "digital conversion" which many people, without listening closely and understanding the content, will mistake it as the "over-the-conversion" and unnecessarily upgrade to a more expensive service.
Overall, these are very deceptive practices and it's a shame that there isn't more customer protection from these predatory companies.
Re: Comcast's Deceptive PracticesThe real shame is that corporate managers appear to view their customers as revenue units to be squeezed without mercy. We are in an financial meltdown in this country because of the greed of the corporate executives.
While I agree that we need more customer protection, the real shame is that there are few calls for corporations to improve their ethical behavior.
Anonymous Coward, 18 Dec 2008 @ 6:16amDeceptive advertising is redundant.
Similar to creative accounting
Anonymous Coward, 18 Dec 2008 @ 9:36ami got rid of my tv, there is nothing on worth watching anyways.
Anonymous Coward, 18 Dec 2008 @ 9:53amhmmm, now I'm really confused. There's a story up here in Seattle about Comcast cable. If you have the bottom tier cable you currently get channels 2-80 with no converter box needed at all, just the cable from the wall to your TV.
Now Comcast itself is reporting that after the transition, you will no longer be able to get the same channels. People will still be able to get channels 2-30 with no box, but anything over 30 will require a converter box. Supposedly comcast will offer customers up to 3 boxes free if they are in this situation, but this already adds to a confusing situation.
Read this article, which makes it about as clear as mud:
Walter Neary, 18 Dec 2008 @ 8:30pm
Re:Hi Anon, I work at Comcast, and I know the timing is confusing and am sorry about that. What you read about in the Seattle P-I won't be happening for a period of time, and certainly not before Feb. 17. We'll be communicating directly with customers at least a couple months in advance before they need the equipment for the channels you were talking about. We're moving those particular analog channels to digital to make more room for popular things like HD and higher Internet speeds and who-knows-what the telecom future will bring. Customers will get a lot of notice as it's obviously in Comcast's best interest to get the equipment to people so they continue to enjoy both the existing channels and the new services.
From the middle of nowhere, 18 Dec 2008 @ 10:37am
lots of misinformationI live in a rural area that is serviced with low power translators with signals from large metro areas hundreds of miles away. The farmers and ranchers here are inundated with the conversion ads on network TV and the Dish company sales people are stopping by and telling them that they "won't get no TV" if they don't drop their $$ now. BS!! ... The digital conversion does not affect low power stations or translators. Their 1978 console RCA will work just as it did before ---- even after Valentines day.
The FCC doesn't know when they are going to force the conversion on the thousands of low power translators across the states.
You can say "Caveat emptor" (cave canem?)but these people are focused on other things and rely on the "experts" to be honest. Yet again our rural population are not served as the balance of the population.
Ian Lamont, 18 Dec 2008 @ 12:14pm
A tale of two HDTV households
Thanks to the ubiquity of cable and satellite TV, I think a lot of people overlook the many benefits of the DTV broadcast transition.
I helped my parents get an HDTV a few months ago, which we hooked up to their existing Comcast cable box. Great picture, but it's not HD, and many HD channels are blocked. They can upgrade the box, for a fee, of course.
We bought an HDTV last week. We've never had cable, so I just plugged in the old rabbit ears into the back of the Samsung, and voila! -- HD on PBS and the network affiliates, plus multicasting on many of the UHF stations. We had 9 channels with our analog TV, but now receive 16. You can read about it here:
Over-the-air digital TV brings more channels, but beware the "cliff effect"
another mike, 18 Dec 2008 @ 12:45pmI indexed all my favorite shows and found them all online. So I ditched my cable tv subscription and put the money to the next higher tier of high-speed internet service. Linux (MythTV) DVR/media browser, Netflix, Hulu or the networks' own sites, BitTorrent. All the shows and movies I had before, but better!
I had actually planned to ditch cable for satellite, but I save over $50 a month ditching them both.
Now if I could just get the internet without my ISP...
steve, 12 Jan 2009 @ 8:48pm
Comcast and moving analog channelsWalter,
spoke to a Comcast rep today, and what you aren't mentioning is after Comcast moves the channels if your are an expanded basic subscriber, you will no longer get an HD channels without paying an additional fee. I currently get local HD feeds on my digital TV. Isn't part of this "move" a way to require additional equipment, including decoders or WHATEVER you want to call them, in order to charge a fee to get ANY HD?
jeremyromero, 30 Jan 2009 @ 10:56pm
need new channel linup,keeep my channels,get rid of jazz and tvtvCAN I HAVE MORE CHANNELS IF I HAVE BOTH THE CABLE BOX AND DIGITAL TRANSITION,WOULD I HAVE MORE CHANNELS,I MOSS HOCKEY SEASON,BUT I MISS FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN,IS COMING BACK OR IS WRESTLING DEAD,IN NAMPA WE GET ECW AND RAW.BUT I SVARED IT WILL DISAPPEAR,OH BY THE WAY CABLE ONE GOT RID OF BBC-BRITISH NEWS AND G4TV,WHY? I GOT A IDEA GET RID OF JAZZ CHANNEL-BETTV,YA IT SUCKS!!!!!!we the people are not happy cable one fix this,i got shotime,cinemax,hbo,i love it,but i wish new movies,need new owners,i love sports,media,when im not working!!!i keep my espn,movies,videogame channels,etc,but jazz channel sucks,fix this i want all the best channels,wgm too,maybe so i can watch living color0i miss that!!!! get rid of tvtv channel too,who watch that!!!
jeremyromero, 3 Mar 2009 @ 7:37pm
bet-tv suck,we want hockey channel!!!!!i got better idea how about either cwe cant have a unlock channels so we can see it,or tell fcv to back off,but i for one want my bbc,hockey channel,et-get rid of jazz channel,is it really that great,okay g4tv,have videogame,cinema tech,cheat incase you don't have a computer,too bad the cut screesaver program moring,but i like,cpos,man show,x-play,get rid of rest clean up channel,!!!i want all my channels,but jazz-bet-tv,come it sucks,i want a new cable one lin-up,i being truthful,now for funny can we get our channel back that were changed by them and get them back addding new digital trantion box,yeah i heard a delay on ditital thing!!!!!!!!!!


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Spring Colors
Phyllis H. Burchett 5/25/2012 7:36:34 PMCongrats on this wonderful finalist Songbird! #1465235
Songbird Cline 5/25/2012 7:38:05 PMThank you, Im very surprised and very happy! #10150781
Renee Doyle 5/26/2012 4:06:56 AMGreat colours and lines Songbird! Congratulations! #10151797
Nancyj E. Hovey 5/26/2012 6:37:10 AMC O N G R A T U L A T I O N S
Wm Nosal 5/27/2012 7:37:53 AMBeautiful Shot, Songbird!
Songbird Cline 5/27/2012 9:15:38 AMThank you so much for the encouragement!! #10155456
Kay Beausoleil 5/29/2012 1:50:41 PMCongratulations, Songbird, on your win for this colourful image! #10159607
Phyllis H. Burchett 5/29/2012 3:44:16 PMCongrats on your win Songbird! #10159883
Songbird Cline 5/29/2012 3:59:29 PMThank you, Im very surprised and very happy, and I appreciate the encouraging comments!!! #10159914
JO ANN CLEVELAND 5/29/2012 6:35:26 PMBig congratulations on this outstanding 2nd Place Winner Songbird!
jo ann c. #10160253
David M. Montero 6/8/2012 6:10:26 PMI apologize for my tardiness. Congratulations on your gold award Songbird! Wonderful colors. #10173611
This is a detail of an over the top "Spring Colored" apartment building in the Sunset District of San Francisco. I was at the Veterans Hospital last week and just happened to pass by the building in the late afternoon and thought it perfect for this months contest category.
Exif: F Number: 5.3, Exposure Bias Value: 0.00, ExposureTime: 10/4000 seconds, Flash: did not fire, auto mode, White balance: Auto white balance, FocalLength: 80.00 mm, Model: NIKON D90
Uploaded on 4/14/2012 10:16:01 AM
Camera: Minolta Dimage Z3 Digital Camera
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|5 Feb. 2015
Joint statement of the NATO-Georgia Commission at the level of Defence Ministers
|2 Dec. 2014
Joint statement of the NATO-Ukraine Commission
|2 Dec. 2014
Joint statement by the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, NATO and Resolute Support operational partners - 2 December 2014, Brussels
Today in Brussels President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah met with Foreign Ministers from NATO, operational partner nations and Afghanistan. They discussed final preparations for NATO's engagement in Afghanistan from 2015 and issued the following joint statement.
|2 Dec. 2014
Statement of Foreign Ministers on the Readiness Action Plan
|30 Sep. 2014
Agreement between the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan on the Status of NATO Forces and NATO personnel conducting mutually agreed NATO-led activities in Afghanistan
|5 Sep. 2014
Wales Summit Declaration issued by the Heads of State and Government participating in the meeting of the North Atlantic Council in Wales
|5 Sep. 2014
The Wales Declaration on the Transatlantic Bond
|5 Sep. 2014
Progress report on the implementation of the NATO/EAPC Policy and Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security - Report to the Heads of State and Government
|4 Sep. 2014
Joint Statement of the NATO-Ukraine Commission
As we meet today, Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence continue to be violated by Russia. Despite Russia's denials, Russian armed forces are engaged in direct military operations in Ukraine; Russia continues to supply weapons to militants in eastern Ukraine; and it maintains thousands of combat-ready troops on its border with Ukraine. These developments undermine the security of Ukraine and have serious implications for the stability and security of the entire Euro-Atlantic area.
|4 Sep. 2014
Wales Summit Declaration on Afghanistan : Issued by Heads of State and Government of Allies and their International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) troop contributing partners


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LAKE IN THE HILLS – In 12 short weeks, schools will be out and summer will be here.
The Lake in the Hills Parks and Recreation Department's Funtasticamp is a full-day (pre-kindergarten through eighth grade) camp that is staffed with experienced camp counselors. Campers will enjoy one field trip per week, several afternoons per week swimming, along with fun daily activities.
The department is providing parents an opportunity to register for the summer camp and save some money. Early bird registration runs through April 30 and is $131 a week for residents, a 10 percent savings each week. Nonresident and nomad camp rates are higher.
Funtasticamp begins the week of June 3 and runs through Aug. 16. Registration is available online at www.lith.org and at the Parks and Recreation Department, 600 Harvest Gate.
For information, call 847-960-7460.


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Best Kids Parties: Pink Backyard
Name: Ruby, 1
Location: Fayetteville, AR
After years of throwing boy birthday parties (I have 3 boys and a girl), I was so excited to throw an all pink birthday party for our daughter, Ruby.For her first party we had all of our family and friends over for a backyard grill out/swim/play party. I decorated with pink, pink and more pink. We hung small christmas lights on our porch since the party was in the evening. I draped pink fabric over all of the tables. The gift table was layered with pink fabric, pink gingham fabric & a scrap fabric bunting. I served pink treats that the guests could help themselves to.
For favors, I used baby food jars, with lids spray painted ballet slipper pink and decorated with ribbon. I filled them with pink & red starbursts. I hung pink pom pom garlands and a torn fabric garland as a backdrop for her high chair. I love how that turned out! I had a journal set out for guests to write sweet messages or blessings for Ruby. I took one photo from each of her one month photo shoots and hung them by little clothespins on pink yarn over the food table. It was such a sweet night celebrating our sweet daughter.
Thanks, Sara! For tons of photos and more information, visit Sara's blog post all about the party.
(Images: It's Good to Be Queen)


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Nike Inc urged the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday to make a lawsuit by a smaller rival go away with one big swoosh.
Several justices appeared sympathetic to the sporting goods maker's argument to stop Already LLC from challenging its trademark covering a top-selling pair of sneakers, after Nike had agreed to drop its own lawsuit accusing that company of making illegal copies.
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The case may be especially significant to companies such as Nike rival Adidas SE and luxury goods makers Coach Inc and LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA , which generate substantial revenue and customer goodwill from products with recognizable trademarks and often sue to fend off imitators.
A loss for Nike could make companies more hesitant to file trademark lawsuits, given the lessened incentive for alleged infringers to drop or settle counterclaims.
In 2008, Nike registered a trademark on the stitching, eyelet panels and other design features of Air Force 1, a low-cut sneaker that the Beaverton, Oregon-based company launched in 1982 and which sells in the millions each year.
In July 2009, Nike sued Already, which makes sneakers under the Yums brand, saying its "Sugar" and "Soulja Boy" shoes had features covered by the Air Force 1 trademark. Already had been on Nike's internal "top 10" list of alleged infringers.
After Already countersued to void the trademark, Nike decided to drop its lawsuit, believing Yums sneakers posed no real commercial threat. It also promised, through a legal promise known as a covenant, not to sue Already.
But the Arlington, Texas-based company refused to abandon its counterclaim and accused Nike of dropping the original lawsuit to deprive courts of jurisdiction over the whole matter.
Last November, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York said Nike's action did just that, and the Supreme Court agreed to decide whether that ruling was correct.
At Wednesday's oral argument, James Dabney, a lawyer for Already, contended that Nike was asserting an improper, "far-reaching claim of right to exclude competition."
But some justices were troubled by Already's refusal to say that it would produce no sneakers that would bother Nike, and Dabney's inability to explain what kind of protection would satisfy the smaller company.
"Is there any covenant that exists in the world that would make you secure?" Justice Elena Kagan asked. "I suppose I'm having a little bit of difficulty with an answer that says 'no.'"
Chief Justice John Roberts suggested Already had extracted more from Nike than most in winning a covenant not to be sued.
"Nike can't go around giving these covenants left and right, because if they do, they will undermine their own trademark," he said.
Thomas Goldstein, a lawyer for Nike, called Already "the only company in the entire world that has a promise that's substantial not to be sued under this trademark," and that this "really resolved the case."
He did acknowledge that Nike's promise would not cover exact copies or "colorable imitations" of its sneakers. "Our point is not that it covers every future shoe of theirs," he said.
Goldstein urged the court to reject the federal government's recommendation that the 2nd Circuit ruling be thrown out and that the case be remanded, or returned, to a lower court to gain more clarity about Nike's covenant and Already's product plans.
Kagan appeared to agree that keeping the case going might not resolve much.
"It sounds as though we're remanding for no purpose, given what Already has said throughout the course of the litigation and, indeed, in this court today," she told Ginger Anders, a Justice Department lawyer.
Two companies with well-known trademarks, clothing maker Levi Strauss & Co and automaker Volkswagen AG , filed briefs supporting Nike.
A decision is expected by the end of June.
The case is Already LLC v. Nike Inc, U.S. Supreme Court, No. 11-982.
(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel; Additional reporting by Erin Geiger Smith in New York; Editing by Howard Goller and Lisa Von Ahn)


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I guess the title says it all. I was determined to breastfeed my son, and even though it was a rocky start (thrush & insanely sore nipples), we've had such a great breastfeeding relationship. We co-sleep, he wakes up frequently through the night to nurse and I honestly have no problem with it whatsoever. However, my husband thinks it's odd to breastfeed him much longer. He wants me to stop after 8 months. He says I should pump after 8 months, but my plan is to go until the baby self weans whenever that comes. Also, my son is not interested in eating solids. I'm partial to letting the baby tell me when he's ready, but my husband's mother thinks it's crazy that he's 7 months and hasn't eaten solids. My own mother thinks i'm crazy for co-sleeping, feeding on demand and not giving solids - so there's no support coming from that way. I feel like I have to hide. Anyone else go through anything similar?
I will not stop breastfeeding, not an option. I just want to figure out how to get my husband on board.


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A regional transportation board unanimously approved Tuesday the city's request to transfer federal money from several projects to pay for improvements to South Central Avenue and a bridge to connect it to the proposed site of the Exelon Corp. headquarters at Harbor Point.
The decision was made despite objections by members of a citizens advisory group who questioned the city's priorities and said residents in the area were not briefed properly on the $33 million project.
Jamie Kendrick, the city's deputy transportation director, told fellow members of the Baltimore Regional Transportation Board that shifting money to the Central Avenue and Harbor Point Bridge account would not come at the expense of other projects. Bids on some projects came in under estimate while others have been delayed in the planning process.
Federal law requires transportation board approval before funds can be moved, a fairly routine process.
Exelon is negotiating with Harbor East Development Group LLC, led by bakery magnate and developer John Paterakis Sr., to build a 22-story, 500,000-square-foot building as part of the $250 million first phase of the Harbor Point development. Exelon expects to use all but 100,000 square feet for its regional headquarters.
Eventually, the 27.3-acre waterfront site, formerly that of a chromium processing plant, is expected to have retail space, up to 1,000 residential units, a hotel and a park and promenade. The site, polluted from more than century of processing, has been capped at a cost of more than $100 million to protect the public and the harbor, and is being monitored.
The only access is via South Caroline Street, a bottleneck during rush hour. To create a second path to the Harbor Point peninsula, the city wants to upgrade Central Avenue and build a four-lane bridge over the canal that separates Harbor East from Harbor Point.
Repaving, new sidewalks and curb cuts and lighting the 10 blocks from Baltimore Street to Lancaster Street is estimated to cost $25 million. The bridge has a price tag of about $6 million, which would be covered by federal funds and the city's tax increment financing, which borrows against future property taxes, Kendrick said.
"There's no city cash in the project," Kendrick said.
Mary Alexander, a member of the transportation board's citizen advisory council and a Southeast Baltimore resident, criticized city officials for promoting commercial development projects while closing firehouses and recreation centers. She said officials had not reached out to residents of the Perkins Homes public housing development to explain how Harbor Point would affect them.
"If they found money to woo Exelon, I have no problem with that," Alexander said. "What are you doing for the people in my neighborhood?"
Kendrick said Harbor East Development must clear several regulatory hurdles before the project can break ground, which offer residents opportunities to express concerns. But he said the construction timetable is tight if the Exelon building is to open in fall 2014.
"The city's risk is minimal at this point," he said. "But we have to be ready to move as soon as approvals are done."


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New Member Orientation Info
From FamiLAB Wiki
Getting Started at FamiLAB
Now that you are a member, here are some things you should do to improve your FamiLAB experience:
- Show up on Tuesday nights - the 1st Tuesday is typically the Open House, the 3rd Tuesday is typically the Monthly Member Meeting (Decision time...) but check the calendar and the Public Classes & Events Page. New members are confirmed at the Monthly Meeting.
- Microcontroller Mondays are the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month - watch the calendar and the Public Classes & Events Page. This event has RSVP requested, the link is on the Public Classes & Events Page.
- Use the calendar on the FamiLAB website to know about the major dates
- Join the mailing lists - the discuss list is the most active
- Read the blog often (and eventually provide content plz!)
- Follow @FamiLAB on twitter - this tends to be "offical announcement" type stuff for the public. Please retweet :)
- Hang out on IRC - #familab on freenode with your favorite IRC client, or you can use webchat
- Start connecting with other members on Google+ - this tends to be the real time thoughts & project updates
- "Like" us on Facebook
- Start reading the wiki from the FamiLAB home page - there is a lot here. Email Chris (Chorca) with your desired username for a wiki account so that you can add more questions (and later...answers)
- Add your Home & Work (APPROXIMATE LOCATION ONLY) to the Map of Important FamiLAB Locations
- Once confirmed, get a key (RFID card) from mack (f00bard).
- Get a locker from mack (f00bard) or Ian (digitalman2112) - locker space is a feature of the "Maker" and "Booster" Membership levels. We add lockers as we add members, so please be patient if we don't have one as soon as you join.
- Please ask questions :)
- Start coming to the lab, you can watch & learn, or make & learn, or teach & learn... at your own pace.
How do I...
- ...Get a key/access to the lab? The new space uses RFID cards for access. Once you're confirmed as a member, contact Mack (f00bard) to be issued a card.
- ...Get a wiki account? Email Chris (Chorca) or Mack (f00bard) with your desired username for a wiki account
- ...Get a wordpress account? Contact Bill (abyssknight) or Mack (f00bard)
- ...Get a locker? Lockers are for the $50 per month level and above at this time. As we've added members, we've been adding lockers, please be patient if we don't have an empty one, ask around, someone will likely share with you until we get more. Update: We may be moving away from having lockers in favor of Personal Work Carts.
- ...Know what is going on, or when people will be at the lab? It's best to join the mailing lists or hang out on our IRC channel. Many great projects at the lab have been kicked off simply by someone asking who will be there on a given night.
- ...Use the RepRap / Makerbot? See the 3D Printing page
- ...Use the laser cutter/etcher? See the following pages:
- ...Borrow books or tools from the lab? See: Borrow books from the library
- ...Donate things to the lab? If you are a member simply post to the mailing list, bring up the donation at a meeting, or discuss it with a board member. If you are not yet a member please email one of our board members to let us know what you would like to donate.
- ...Hold a class/workshop? See: [[1]]
- ...Attend a class? Our calendar is updated regularly, but each event has different RSVP requirements. We often use Eventbrite for RSVPs and to collect class fees. See also: Public Classes & Events Page
- ...Bring guests? Members can always bring a guest... After all, many of our members found out about FamiLAB from friends or coworkers! As a member, you are responsible for your guests. We have dangerous tools in the lab, and the last thing we want is for anyone to get hurt. If you are planning on bringing more than one or two guests we ask that you considerr having them come to an Open House event or scheduling an event on the calendar, so we can ensure members get priority access to space and equipment.
- Get auto-op from IRC famibot
- Know which things in the lab are ok to use for my projects?
- Volunteer to work an event


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Cinemax's excellent spy drama "Hunted" concludes its freshman season Friday with a few twists, including one that I did not see coming. At all.
"It was there," said series creator Frank Spotnitz, chuckling, as he explained that he inserted a clue early in the season.
He's right; it is there. Apparently I'm an idiot--but enough about me. Check out the Show Patrol exclusive preview for "Snow Maiden" above in which Sam (Melissa George) tells her former love Aidan (Adam Rayner) that dredging up her past is far too painful an exercise.
"It's terrifying, but it's your past, Sam," Aidan tells her. "If you can remember it, you can put it behind you. You won't have to be afraid anymore."
He's talking about Sam's childhood, when her mother was killed. But I imagine they are both thinking about their child, who was lost when a pregnant Sam was ambushed and shot a year earlier. Sam's private investigation into her past and the Hourglass mystery isn't the only loose end left in "Hunted." Sam and the Byzantium team still have to deal with Jack Turner (Patrick Malahide). Here's what Cinemax says about "Snow Maiden," airing at 9 p.m. Dec. 7.
Her cover blown, Sam is placed in terrible danger, but is unable to leave the Turner house. Meanwhile, Byzantium is forced to take evasive action against Jack Turner. Events take an unexpected turn as Jack reveals what he plans to do with the evidence and why. With time running out, Sam and the Byzantium team must defeat Jack and complete their mission.
You can see some of that "evasive action" in the second episode preview posted below. Now, back to that twist and the clue Spotznitz dropped early in the season to give it away--if you were smart enough to make the connection.
"I love hiding something in plain sight because to me as a viewer, it's so satisfying. It's like cheating," he said. "You weren't likely to pick up on it, but it was there from the beginning."
Again, he's right. The final scenes of the season are very satisfying, especially pairing that last twist with something from earlier in the finale. Bravo Mr. Spotnitz.
"Snow Maiden" was written by Spotnitz and directed by Daniel Percival. It will also be shown at 10:30 p.m. Dec. 7, 8 p.m. and 10:40 p.m. Dec. 8, 11 a.m. Dec. 9, 12:15 a.m. Dec. 10, 11:30 p.m. Dec. 11 and 7 p.m. Dec. 12.
If you haven't seen the full season, you can catch up with an all-day marathon beginning at noon Dec. 12 or watch online and at MaxGo.
Want more? Discuss this article and others on Show Patrol's Facebook page.


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As a filibuster against Obamacare, it was a flop. But as the opening salvo in a presidential campaign, Sen. Ted Cruz's 21-hour (more or less) talkathon Tuesday and Wednesday worked just fine.
And that, after all, was the point of Cruz's tilting at windmills.
After vowing to speak against Obamacare until he couldn't stand, Cruz sat on Wednesday morning. Then, the Senate voted 100-0 (yep, that means our guy Cruz too) to move ahead on a spending plan to keep the government running.
All politics may be local, but for Texas' Republican senator and tea party darling, right now all politics are theater. His body may have been in the Senate chamber Tuesday and Wednesday, but his heart and mind were in 2016 and the next presidential race.
Clearly, the Senate is too small for Cruz. He wants to be president. The Times' Jonah Goldberg said as much in his Op-Ed on Tuesday. And he's certainly got the tea party vote.
Now, as Doyle McManus acknowledged in his column Wednesday about a possible Democratic presidential bid by Hillary Rodham Clinton, it's waaaaayyyy too soon to be talking 2016. But that didn't stop Doyle; why should it stop the rest of us?
What would a 2016 GOP presidential primary field look like? There's Cruz, of course, and fellow Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Marco Rubio of Florida. Then there are the governors: Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, Chris Christie of New Jersey and Scott Walker of Wisconsin. One representative: Paul Ryan of Wisconsin. Want a dark horse? How about a Bush, in this case, Jeb, the last of the dynasty.
Put in that company, Cruz looks to be the solid conservative pick. Paul's too nutty (remember his dad?), Rubio's too liberal (remember immigration reform?), Jindal's too Indian (remember the flap over the new Miss America?), Walker's too small (it's only Wisconsin, after all), Ryan's too wonky (remember Medicare vouchers?) and Bush is, well, too late (remember George W.?).
So that leaves us with Cruz and, yep, Chris Christie. And that spells trouble for Cruz and the "tea" in the GOP. Why? Because Christie is the only Republican who could actually win in 2016.
And how do I know? I took a poll. In this case, I asked my wife. She said Christie's the only Republican she might vote for.
Which is good enough for me. If President Obama quit smoking because he's afraid of his wife, I base most of what I know or think about politics on what my wife says or thinks. As in most things, she's usually right.
Now I know what you're going to say: Conservative Republicans hate Christie; he can't win the nomination.
But there's one thing that Republicans -- conservative or just-plain-crazy conservative -- love more than Ted Cruz, and that's winning. And if they think Christie can win, they'll show Cruz the door. (After all, Christie could always throw them a bone and put him on the ticket as the veep.)
So Cruz can go on building his conservative cred. But when the dust settles and Republicans pick their next presidential nominee, my money is on the large man in charge in New Jersey.
Debt ceiling baloney from Republicans
Contraception coverage: A hobby shop is not a church
The rich can still skip Disneyland lines. Just pay Disney.
Follow Paul Whitefield on Twitter @PaulWhitefield1 and Google +


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A refreshing twist on a classic sport, RocketBowl offers a '50s style retro-futuristic vibe, out-of-this-world courses and rocket-powered bowling balls; Rocket Bowl rolls a perfect game of fun on the Xbox Live Arcade. Players will compete in tournaments, challenge their friends in multiplayer, test their bowling skills and more!
Game Features
Rocket-Powered Bowling Balls - Rocket powered balls boost, jump and turn to help players knock down the pins and earn extra points with wild shots.
10 Crazy Bowling Courses - In addition to a regular bowling alley, RocketBowl features 9 crazy courses filled with ramps, tunnels, loops, hills, curves and more to create a bowling experience like never before.
Fun and Varied Single-Player Mode – Single-player RocketBowl allows players to take on the variety of courses in Free Play mode; or challenge the course pros in Tournament and Challenge mode where they can wager and win money to upgrade their equipment.
Exciting Multiplayer Matches - Up to 4 friends can compete against each other over Xbox Live or locally on one system. Xbox Live play features Player (unranked) and Ranked matches.
Upgrade Your Equipment – Using cash earned by winning matches, players can upgrade from more than 15 unique bowling balls including Strawbally, 8-Ball, the Jupiter 5000 and the Kalamazoo Special – more powerful bowling balls feature enhanced boost and curve abilities.
Players will enjoy the robust, full game features of RocketBowl for 800 Microsoft Points. RocketBowl was developed by 21-6 Productions Inc., and is rated "E" (Everyone) by the ESRB.


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Yoga and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Unlike many exercise programs, Yoga practice does not take energy away from the system; instead, it puts energy back into the system. Contrary to most exercise programs that leave you exhausted, your Yoga exercise period will leave you refreshed and renewed. When Yoga exercises are combined with breathing and meditation techniques, the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patient has a daily support system that makes a normal, productive life possible.
Here's how it works:
Physical and emotional tension and fatigue lodge in muscle tissue, making it knotted, hot, and the circulation sluggish. Yoga exercises systematically stretch and relax the major muscle groups and push fresh blood/oxygen through the tissues, which releases the tension and allows the muscles to relax and cool. The exercises are done slowly, and the breathing patterns with each exercise allow for maximum oxygen intake and for the release of toxins.
Poor circulation also means the brain and other vital organs get less blood and important nutrients. Yoga exercises improve all-over circulation by limbering the spine, by movements which improve elasticity in the blood vessels, and by selected inverted poses, which use compression to pump more oxygen throughout the body.
Breathing techniques improve concentration and awareness, and help to reduce stress reactions. Extreme reactions to stress - especially when they are triggered by a past event or a future fear, or by a situation that cannot be changed - cause energy demands to increase rapidly. Your breathing techniques put you in touch with an unlimited source of energy that lies within you. By constantly returning the mind to the present moment, you allow the body to deal with what's happening now.
Relaxation and meditation teach conservation of energy and build self-confidence. The student learns to completely relax every muscle in the body and then to forget about the body while turning attention toward the mind in meditation. In meditation you simply stop all thought momentarily, allowing the strength within you to express itself.
Courtesy of the American Yoga Association


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A New Year, A New You
This New Year reach your health and well-being goals at the Health Club and Spa, Shangri-La Hotel, Dubai.
After an indulgent festive season, guests can train in luxurious surroundings using the latest cardiovascular and muscle-toning equipment at the hotel's contemporary and spacious fitness suite and spectacular roof-top pool. Those in need of a little motivation can ask for assistance from one of the Health Club's three certified personal trainers, Adam Dackiw, Luke Fernandez and Janaka Nishantha.
An accomplished athlete and former member of the Great Britain Waterpolo Team and England 5-A-Side Goalkeeper, Adam has the vision and dedication to ensure that his clients can reach their fitness aspirations.
Luke joined the personal training team after qualifing in Australia in sports injury and rehabilitation, Luke is skilled in developing a personal training plan to suit all ages and levels of fitness. His personal training mantra of "there's no such thing as an unrealistic goal, only an unrealistic time frame" ensures that his clients ambitions are defined and achievable.
Janaka, the third member of the team, has a holistic full-body approach to personal training, citing the positive changes he witnesses in his clients' confidence and self-esteem, as well as their health and fitness.
Membership offers and personal training packages are available for singles and couples. New members enroling in January and February may purchase a course of 16 sessions and receive two additional sessions and another one for a friend.
To complement the focus at the Health Club, the Spa at Shangri-La introduces new Correcting Body Treatments for 2014. To supplement a glowing, firmed and more toned physique, guests can book a course of three treatments and receive a complimentary session.
For Health Club and Spa enquiries and reservations, please contact (04) 405 2441 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.


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MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — A week after emerging from an ordeal that began with her husband killing her son and himself and continued with her being placed in a psychiatric unit against her will, a Vermont woman said Friday that the state's mental health system needs big changes.
But Christina Schumacher — whose estranged husband, 49-year-old Ludwig Schumacher, strangled their 14-year-old son, Gunnar, and then hanged himself Dec. 18 — stopped short of saying she opposed involuntary hospitalization in all instances.
"I don't know. It's not my place to say," she said. "I'm not an expert."
The comments came a day after she testified before two state Senate committees that she went to a regular therapy appointment a day after learning of her family members' deaths and was taken from there to the psychiatric unit at Burlington's Fletcher Allen Health Care hospital.
When she arrived at her therapy appointment, Schumacher said, she was met not only by her therapist, but a second doctor, a clinic director and two guards, who took her to the locked psych unit. She was kept there for five weeks until a judge ordered her release.
"They'd all made the decision before I'd even arrived that they were going to check me in," Schumacher, 48, of Essex, told the Senate Health and Welfare and Judiciary committees.
"No one should ever have to endure what I've gone through. It has been hell," she told the lawmakers.
On Friday, she clarified her remarks by saying she was not prepared to call for an end to all involuntary hospitalizations. And both lawmakers who heard her, as well as Vermont Mental Health Commissioner Paul Dupre, said they weren't ready to go there, either.
Dupre said he couldn't comment specifically on Schumacher's case. But when someone is deemed in need of mental health treatment and won't be committed voluntarily, it is sometimes necessary to act against the person's wishes, he said.
"What are we going to do? Are we going to let somebody kill themselves, or harm themselves seriously?" Dupre asked. "Are you going to let someone harm somebody else?"
Schumacher said greater checks need to be put in place on the state's ability to involuntarily commit patients to mental health facilities.
Near the end of her stay at Fletcher Allen, Schumacher was visited by a lawyer for Disability Rights Vermont, a federally funded nonprofit that represents disabled Vermonters in their dealings with state-funded programs.
"Well guess what, I fought for my rights and I am out of there," she told lawmakers.
The committees are considering legislation that would streamline Vermont's process for involuntarily committing patients to mental health facilities and for forcing them to be medicated.
Sen. Jeanette White, D-Windham, a member of the Judiciary Committee, said she did not find Schumacher's testimony helpful. "I thought she would have been in favor of this bill, which would have given her a hearing earlier. So I don't really know what she was saying."
Sen. Richard Sears, D-Bennington and chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said he thought Schumacher's testimony, which included multiple profanities, was "totally inappropriate."
The Burlington Free Press has reported extensively about Schumacher's case after she contacted the paper Dec. 30 and asked it to do so. The newspaper reported that she was found in need of in-patient treatment on Dec. 19.
Schumacher was released Jan. 24 on the order of Judge Kevin Griffin, who wrote that he "did not find, by clear and convincing evidence, that (Schumacher) was a person in need of treatment at the time of admission or application, nor a patient in need of further treatment at the time of the hearing."


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The new Twitter is here! The new Twitter is here! Besides sowing discontent in our household by giving me access to the new user interface before my wife's account has been upgraded, the big new feature of the update to venerable old Twitter.com is a sidebar that lets you view media that's been mentioned in a tweet. Videos! Photos! Kickstarteros!
Unfortunately, for readers of this blog, I have a years-long fixation on transclusion of hypertext documents. Transclusion is technically defined as "when you put that one thing in that other thing". In its current implementation, Twitter has declared that media which is shown within the Twitter interface comes from selected partners. But actually, the technology to allow embedding of rich media from almost any site already exists, using a system called OEmbed. Geeky stuff, but it's made by nice people who are pretty smart, and it lets any site say, "Hey, if you want to put our thing in your thing, do it like this". It works. Lots of sites do it.
Nobody's getting rich off of it, but nobody's getting sued, and in between those two extremes lies most of what makes the Web great.
What Twitter Could Do
So, is Twitter using OEmbed to do its new sidebar media thing? Yep, they are!
But if Twitter did declare they were using OEmbed, that would let them say either one of two good options:
1. If your site supports OEmbed, and someone tweets a link to it, it'll Just Work! (This would be awesome, but tricky.)
2. If you have a site that supports OEmbed, and want it to Just Work in Twitter, submit your link to us in some simple way. (This would be less gee-whiz but still great.)
Even better, if Twitter adopted smart use of OEmbed in this way, and if they went one step further and published the list of services that had registered with them as offering their content up for embedding, we'd have a great registry of all the media that was ready to be transcluded onto other Websites. I am pretty sure "transcluded" is a word. I would play it in Scrabble.
That's a whole new world of remixing the Web that has been technically possible, but practically a pain in the ass, and Twitter could catalyze some really fun ways to combine content from different sites. YouTube owes some significant part of its overall dominance in video on the Web to its popularization of simple embedding of media in other sites. There have been a few efforts over the years to popularize the embedding of widgets across the Web in various ways, but except for promotion (Digg, Twitter and Facebook "Like" buttons) and ads (Google!), they haven't really caught on in terms of functionality.
There are, of course, little companies and projects doing some of this stuff on their own. Embed.ly has a whole directory of different kinds of content they'll help you embed. Widgetbox is still around, though they predate the use of the omnipresent Libyan domain name suffix. oohEmbed seems nice, though its name wins the cautionary award for why you shouldn't let coders do marketing, just as you shouldn't let marketers code.
I'm In Ur Blog & C.
But none of them has the traction, or the market influence, that Twitter does. If Twitter embraces OEmbed as the way to get into its sidebar in a seamless way, it could finally move this stuff from the esoteric fringes of Web hackers into a capability that every media publisher would want to support. Oddly, even some major Web widgets we see today, like Google AdSense, don't support OEmbed for easy incorporation onto other sites. (YouTube and Flickr do.)
For my part, I hope Twitter makes their own ecosystem more open by offering this standard way to get one's own media built into the Twitter.com experience when someone tweets a link to it. I hope Twitter also allows tweets to be sent out through OEmbed, so that it's easier to embed them (instead of using the casual Blackbird Pie tool they'd thrown together) in other sites. And most of all, I hope more people experiment with seeing how we can combine content from our sites together in new ways. Imagine if someone could just skim previews of your blog posts inline if a friend had tweeted a link to your site. It'd be cool!
To help figure out how this stuff could work, I've reinstated the ability to embed excerpts of my blog posts into other sites, and I'll be watching to see if any interesting results come of that. (I don't yet support OEmbed for my blog posts here, but if I have time next week, I'll add that.) A little more background:
Embedded Journalism: A few years ago, I added the ability to embed an excerpt of my blog post into other sites. It kicked off an interesting discussion.
Reinventing Copy & Paste: See, I really wasn't kidding about the transclusion thing. I think it's a big deal.
This article originally appeared on Anil Dash's blog and is republished here with permission.