text:
The latest round in the virtuous cycle of open government data reform is Congressional leaders' support for open data legislation at the Data Transparency Conference 2013, held on September 10th 2013.
Many of us in the digital government and Drupal communities have been excited to see recent progress in government transparency. Specifically, the open data policy announced by the White House on May 9th, 2013 that mandates "the default state of new and modernized Government information resources shall be open and machine readable." Access to the Federal government's growing catalog of data sets and collection of APIs gives Drupalists new options for modules, web applications, and even business models. The policy sets high expectations and requires a lot from Federal agencies. Barrett Smith's recent blog series helps government leaders understand what the new policy requires and how Drupal can help.
At the opposite end of Pennsylvania Avenue another open data storm is brewing. On September 10th, I had the opportunity to volunteer at the Data Transparency Conference 2013 (#opendata2013) put on by the Data Transparency Coalition. The Coalition is a trade association promoting an open data agenda to Congress, and currently focused on passing the DATA Act bill into law. Despite all the progress and promises government agencies have made about opening up spending data, the DATA Act is Congress' way of saying "not good enough." In the legislative keynote, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor explained the focus on spending data, "Transparency to me means accountability. It means more eyeballs on the way that government operates, on its spending patterns."
If passed into law, the Act would standardize and publish all federal financial reporting in a machine-readable format. The law would make government-wide aggregations by recipient, agency, and account possible for the first time, and open to the public. The enthusiasm White House, Congressional, and tech industry leaders displayed at the conference for this reform gives me hope that, one way or another, we'll get access to standardized spending data soon.
With a growing collection of APIs and Congressional leaders stumping to publish machine-readable spending data, Drupalists with an interest in government data have a lot to look forward to. In the coming months, remember to check in with the Coalition for progress on the DATA Act and check in with our blog to hear more about Drupal and open government.


text:
The touch screens on smart phones and tablet devices are, depending upon who you talk to, either the most awesome interface ever or a plague upon fat-fingered phone owners. Although some have trouble getting used to manipulating it, those who have mastered it can do some pretty amazing things on a touchscreen. But no matter your skill level, one thing the screen can't do is uniquely identify you with a single touch.
A capacitive touch screen, which is the one used in practically all of our devices, is a transparent conductor that coats the inside of the glass display panel. When another electrical conductor, such as a human finger, touches the outside of the glass, the screen's electrostatic field gets distorted, and the computer knows where the screen was touched.
DARPA: Dump passwords for always-on biometrics
Devices now are smart enough to respond to multiple simultaneous touch points, but reading something as fine as a fingerprint is more than a touchscreen is currently capable of doing. And for some reason most commercial tablet and smart phone manufacturers still do not include biometric fingerprint scanners.
The Wireless Information Network Laboratory (WINLAB) at Rutgers University has developed a prototype token device that will function as a workaround to this limitation. This device, which was demonstrated in the form a ring, is worn on the user's hand. It sends out electronic pulses that can be decoded as a password through your hand, so when you swipe your finger the password can be input automatically.
Or to be more dramatic, you can touch the ring directly to the screen -- magical phrase optional.
Credit: WINLAB, Rutgers University
Right now it is definitely still in the research stage. Sending the equivalent of a password as simple as a PIN took about two seconds in the demonstration. Researchers say that this process can be sped up by a factor of 10 with some firmware modifications in touchscreen devices.
Of course, the one down side to this technology is that users will have to remember to take the ring with them and to put it on when using their devices. And of course the whole scheme could be defeated by stealing the token device along with the smart phone or tablet.
But it seems a step in the right direction toward reliable automatic user identification for mobile devices, especially if it eventually leads to a way to authenticate without the ring. As government agencies make greater use of mobile devices, anything that can help shore up user authentication is worth keeping a finger on.
About the Author
Greg Crowe is a former GCN staff writer who covered mobile technology.
E-Mail this page
Printable Format
Why not create an app that allows smartphone/tablet users to use the onboard cameras on these devices to take shots of their fingerprints? It'd work much like the barcode scanner apps so prevalent today.
Advanced Search
8251 Greensboro Drive, Suite 510
McLean, VA 22102
© 2018 1105 Media, Inc.
8251 Greensboro Drive, Suite 510
McLean, VA 22102703-876-5100 © 1996-2017 1105 Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
He paid very fast for my tank! I recommend him to anyone. Thanks!
He paid very fast for my tank! I recommend him to anyone. Thanks!
Feedback - AO
Feedback - PBN
Feedback - eBay
Paypal Verified Premier Member - 60+ Transactions
Exceptionally Good Traders: FunkTheManMunky, MRAirgunRT
Ask about my 3rd party trading services/prices
i sold him a barrel, he was very patient and coopertive, i would deal with him again.
good trader. gave me my stuff. I have him mine. Worked out.
good traders list. RogueFactor, MiketheDbKing,ATVhead,DoctorStox,Kevmaster,cool123 jake, soon2bebadass and Spydarm, Jadedt, RenagadeoffunkRTPcf, to name a few.
I recently bought a chrome Intelli frame from lord1234. The item arrived exactly as promised and the shipping was very fast. Great communication, Great product, Great trader
Great buyer/trader. Sold him my Emag. Transaction was fast and fair. You can trust this guy! Thanks for a great deal!
Dayspring - "We've had Clare at Shatnerball." "I'm confident that she can take 20 guys."
"I'd trade my cocker for some steady pu**y"
Most Excellent Trader! Awesome communication. WOuldn't blink an eye about dealing with him again. A+++++
"I believe in Christianity as I believe in the sun. Not because I can see it, but because by it I can see everything else."
-C.S. Lewis
Beyond happy!! Fast transaction, fast shipment, great guy!
NYX-Matrix/Mamba IR3
-----> Click the picture, do it!
Impulse Owners Group (IOG)
very fast shipment, sent right after recieving payment. very much recommended to any one wanting to trade/buy from lord1234. great seller, and would like to see many more people like him!
i gave him the money he gave me my angel good to deal with
I am the philosopher
quick shipping, and communicates well. I would do buisness again.
"The Fine Print: Discontinue use if your eyeballs suddenly get way smaller."
Highly recommended seller!
Item was shipped quickly and arrived as described!
I would defiantly reccomend this seller! Paid him through Paypal, and he shiiped it out the following monday, and I got it on Tuesday!! Would do buisness with again!
This guy is great!!! I would deffinitly trade with him again.
Stayed in contact with me throughout the whole ordeal, and even called a couple times to make sure I got the emails.
chris geiger
I can't say anything anyone else hasn't! He really does a great job. Keeps bugging me (in a good way) and helping me out.
Had to go into work the day he was going to ship, so he shipped the gun two day air.
Definately a great guy to buy from.
Lord is a great seller, great communication, and very fast shipping. Would buy from again (i have before )
Great Trader, Negociable, Communicable (is that a word?), Easy To Deal With, No Bull****t1ng
Aim - PossessionZero----------Gmail - firstname.lastname@example.com
Traded some high dollar markers/tanks the same day.
Great trader, even UPS 2-day'd it.
EDIT: The above was true... until Leo decided to say he didn't like the feel of the marker, and told me he'd pay return shipping. Ok, I can deal with that, as I asked him the same think. Guess what? I got my marker back, and the packaging wasn't even open. Leo decided he wasn't making money, so he didn't want it. Robbed me of 30 dollars or so, and the marker.
Last edited by mark_426; 10-10-2004 at 08:40 PM. Reason: forgot to edit after trade - new reply
'04 Rollout Viking - Gloss black, loaded
Roundbody AKA Merlin - Gloss red, Race/Ace - Freeflow
AKA Merlin - Gloss black, Race - Palmer
Black/white Acid VSC Phantom
AO Feedback PBN Feedback
my gf is hot sat phones suck but leo is a good guy vewry patient and quick to ge tme my ****
Last edited by armyballer; 10-10-2004 at 07:38 PM. Reason: bad smiley
Love my mags each one love my mags lets have some fun
my feedback Click Me!
(Not linked)
bought endo, that is so cool nice fast cheap
"Ah yes, I have one of the 32*rebels that I always take to big scenario games. It keeps the truck from rolling if I have to park on a hill." - automikey


text:
Wayne County Personal Injury Lawyers
to fill out a simple
to connect to Personal Injury Lawyers in your area.
Bilbrey & Hylla, P.C.
Edwardsville IL Personal Injury Attorneys at Law.
Bilbrey & Hylla, P.C., is dedicated to representing those who have been affected by diseases and injuries caused by corporate misconduct.
Price Law Firm
Marion, IL Personal Injury Lawyer
Personal Injury Lawyer
VanDerGinst Law, P.C.
Nationally respected Illinois personal injury law firm
Our attorneys have been selected by many organization in recognition of their accomplishments...
Fertel Law Offices
Southern Illinois Personal Injury Lawyers
Fertel Law Offices represents injured parties, not insurance companies. We offer a free intial consultation and any cases we take require no payment unless we recover on your behalf.
Goldenberg Heller Antognoli & Rowland, P.C.
Edwardsville IL Personal Injury Lawyer
Our firm handles business litigation, corporate transactions, wills and trusts, benzene, asbestos, medical malpractice, silicosis and general personal injury.
Flack Law Office, P.C.
Flack Law Office is dedicated to representing victims of serious personal injuries.
Located in historic downtown Wood River, Illinois, Flack Law Office represents victims of serious personal injuries in Madison County, Illinois, and nearby communities, including most of the St. Louis metropolitan area.
William Berry & Assoc
Collinsville IL Personal Injury Lawyer
It is the mission of William Berry and Assoicates LLC to perpetuate this legacy and continue in the tradition of expert litigation.
Berkbigler Law Office
Effingham IL Personal Injury Lawyer
Over 35 years of litigation experience, specializing in the representation of injury victims. Former Circuit Judge. Competent and dedicated service to our clients. Fees based on a percentage of recovery.
Wayne county cities
Select a city
Email This Page
Bookmark This Page
Personal Injury Lawyers
Brain Injuries
Spinal Cord Injuries
Quadriplegia and Paraplegia
Back Injuries
Ruptured & Herniated Disks
Bulging Disk
Neck Injuries
Dog Bites
Toxic Mold
Product Liability
Fire Accidents
Trucking Accidents
Boating Accidents
Car Accidents
Plane Crashes
Medical Malpractice
Motorcycle Accidents
Wrongful Death
Personal Injury Lawsuits
RSS Feeds
Attorney Registration
PI Case Laws
Personal Injury Lawyers Directory
Success Stories
Press Releases
NAPIL.Com, 23945 Calabasas Rd. Suite 106, Calabasas, CA 91302
Contact Us
Copyright © 2005. "National Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (NAPIL)". All rights reserved.
By using the system, you agree to


text:
The process of buying a new Chrysler car or truck can seem overwhelming if you don't know where to begin. Edmunds.com can get you started on the right track with a convenient directory of Chrysler car dealerships in and around Coaldale, Pennsylvania. Compare online price quotes on the new or used car, truck, SUV, minivan, or wagon of your choice to locate the best deals. Edmunds.com makes it easy to find trusted Chrysler car dealers in Coaldale, saving car buyers time and money on what will be an important purchase.
Non Display Review Name "Our company has purchased many vehicles from Bob. We have Promasters for our Maintenance Dept. We also have Caravans for our group home locations. Bob"... Read more Review by: JeffS_66B


text:
After filling out NCAA brackets and celebrating St. Patrick's Day, it's back to work with these random thoughts for a Tuesday:
After filling out NCAA brackets and celebrating St. Patrick's Day, it's back to work with these random thoughts for a Tuesday:
� SI.com came out with its list of top athletes with ties to Ireland. At No. 1 is Muhammad Ali, whose great-grandfather, Abe Grady, immigrated to the United States in the 1860s from Ennis, County Clare. Ali visited his ancestor's home in 2009.
� Congrats to the Delta women's basketball team and coach Gina Johnson for reaching the semifinals of the state tournament. The Mustangs were composed of selfless players who competed as a team.
� Congratulations also are in order for the Pacific women's basketball team for finishing third in its first season in the West Coast Conference and receiving an automatic berth in the Women's National Invitation Tournament. The Tigers open Thursday at Oregon.
� On Sunday, Weston Ranch High and UC Santa Barbara product James Nunnally signed a 10-day contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. On Monday, the 6-foot-7 forward didn't score in 8 minutes against Indiana. Nunnally played for Texas and Bakersfield in the NBA Developmental League, and averaged 13.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists.
� Last Friday, the Pacific track team spent time with students at the Walton Special Center, a school for children and young adults ages 3 to 22 with disabilities. The Tigers participated in the 10th "Day in the Dirt" 5K fun run and walk with students from Walton and Kohl Open School.
� If you visit Phoenix and take in a Diamondbacks game this summer, you might want to check out or avoid their new concession item - an 18-inch, cheese-and-bacon stuffed corn dog with a side of fries for $25, which is a drop in the bucket compared to the bill that surely will follow from your cardiologist.
� Some NFL coaches spent last weekend scouting incoming draftees. 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh spent part of last weekend doing pushups with a walrus during a visit with his family to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo. Maybe Harbaugh was scouting the walrus as a potential run stopper along the defensive line.
� The odds of filling out a perfect NCAA tournament bracket and winning the $1 billion prize offered by billionaire Warren Buffett are one in 9.2 quintillion - that's a nine followed by a two and 17 zeroes. In the words of Lloyd Christmas, played by Jim Carrey in the movie "Dumb and Dumber," "So, you're telling me there's a chance. Yeah!"
� The Raiders have more than $60 million in salary cap space to spend as they wish in the free-agent market, and they re-signed oft-injured running back Darren McFadden for one year and $1.75 million with another $2.25 million available in incentives. Short-term, low-risk move, but McFadden has been mostly a bust in his six seasons with Oakland.
� Today, Phil Jackson, whose won 11 NBA titles as as coach and two more as a player, will begin his new job as head of basketball operations with the Knicks. How full will Jackson's plate be in New York? We're talking all-you-can-eat buffet.
Contact sports editor Bob Highfill at (209) 546-8282 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
and on Twitter @bobhighfill


text:
TORONTO (October 2, 2013)—Catalyst today announced the 15 women corporate director candidates selected this year to join Women On Board®, a Catalyst initiative that combines the power of mentorship and sponsorship to promote the appointment of women to corporate boards.
Since 2007, Women On Board® has been a leading force advancing women to corporate boards in Canada. With 34% of program alumnae appointed to corporate boards to date, it provides solutions to both the lagging representation of women on FP500 boards and the increasing demand for greater diversity in the boardroom.
"The Women On Board® initiative takes a practical approach to getting more women appointed to boards," says Alex Johnston, Executive Director of Catalyst Canada and member of the federal government's Advisory Council on women on boards. "These 15 women are already strong candidates for corporate boards. Women On Board® gives them what they need most—a sponsor—someone who will provide strategic advice, help them build their board networks and champion their candidacy."
Each of the 15 women is paired with an experienced corporate board member who will mentor and sponsor her as they work toward attaining a corporate board appointment.
"I am very honoured to be selected to be part of Women On Board®," says Sherry Cooper, Special Advisor to the Board of MDC Partners and former Chief Economist of BMO Financial Group and BMO Nesbitt Burns. "My board sponsor, Thomas O'Neill, is a very well-respected director on numerous boards including Bell Canada, Bank of Nova Scotia and Loblaw Companies. I am very grateful for the opportunity Women On Board® has provided to work with Tom and to have his support."
Advancing women to corporate boardrooms is a critical focus for Catalyst in Canada and globally. Additional Catalyst board-related initiatives and resources include:
- Women On Board® Source, an online listing of Women On Board® corporate director candidates.
- Catalyst Research Center for Equity in Business Leadership, an endowed research center.
- Catalyst Accord, a call to action for FP500 companies to commit to representational targets for women on their boards.
- Catalyst Corporate Board Resource, an opportunity for Catalyst member companies to connect CEO-sponsored women to board opportunities.
Founded in 1962, Catalyst is the leading nonprofit organization expanding opportunities for women and business. With offices in the United States, Canada, Europe, India, and Australia, and more than 600 members, Catalyst is the trusted resource for research, information, and advice about women at work. Catalyst annually honors exemplary organizational initiatives that promote women's advancement with the Catalyst Award.
Women On Board® is a Catalyst initiative that promotes the appointment of women to corporate boards by selecting and pairing women corporate director candidates with mentors and champions and by promoting their candidacy for corporate boards in an online listing, Women On Board® Source. It provides solutions to both the lagging representation of women on FP500 boards and the increasing demand for diversity in Canada's corporate boardrooms.


text:
Antarctica: The Farthest Place Close to Home
Take your students to the world's most extreme environment with this curriculum. As they investigate this polar continent and its value to scientists worldwide, they will also learn about world climate, day and night cycles, ocean circulation, animal adaptation, and scientists working "in the field."
Tailor your study to the amount of time you have, or take a few weeks to cover one or more ready-to-teach units. Either way, your students will make real-world connections to biology, geology, physical science, and technology. They'll also master many important science skills, including skills in research (on and off the Web), observation, description, and analysis.
Educator Materials
The Coldest, Driest, Windiest, Highest Continent
These resources introduce Antarctica's extreme environments, describes the conditions under which researchers live and work, and explain how Antarctica is important to the Earth as a whole.
Educator Materials
Day and Night Cycles
Investigate what causes Antarctica's six-month summers and winters by studying day and cycles across the globe.
Educator Materials
Extreme Temperatures
These resources help students to analyze the factors that underline Antarctica's extreme cold conditions.
Educator Materials
Extreme Winds
It's not just Antarctica's temperatures that are so extreme. Winds speeds on the continent often exceed 100 mph each winter. Learn the causes of these ferocious katabatic winds.
Educator Materials
Types of Maps
Mercator, polar, azimuthal, and conic—do you get lost just hearing about the different types of map projections? Get back on track with a hands-on look at how each is created and what each displays.
Educator Materials
How has our ability to map Antarctica changed in the past 100 years? Do a little exploring of your own, and see what we've learned since Roald Amundsen raced to reach the South Pole first.
Educator Materials
Navigation & GPS
Before satellite imagery, scientists navigated by matching up geologic formations with those shown in aerial photographs—a tough task in Antarctica, where there aren't many visible features.
What does it take to survive in Antarctica? For emperor penguins, the answer is teamwork—they huddle together by the thousands to keep incubating eggs warm. Learn how other organisms have adapted.
Educator Materials
Hazards to Humans
Imagine sleeping with a snow shovel in your tent so you can dig out in the morning. Or having to stop your supply vehicle from falling into a crevasse. Just another demanding workday in Antarctica.
More About This Resource...
TopicEarth Science


text:
Refine Your Results
- Specific Site
TIP: Find an exact phrase or exclude certain words from your search.
TIP: Narrow your results to a specific USPS site.
TIP: Pick categories that are related to your search and avoid unnecessary results.
TIP: Pick the media and file formats you'd like to appear in your results.


text:
Happy birthday Business Matters!
This is the 52nd edition of Business Matters, which was launched Oct. 2, 2011. The business section tab replaced the broadsheet business section that had been part of the Sunday Telegram for years. For those of you unfamiliar with newspaper terms, broadsheet sections are the typical, folded-in-the-middle sections that make up most newspapers, including the T&G. Tabs are shorter, are folded along the side and open up like a magazine. As part of my job as editor I have been writing a column in this space. I've had a lot of fun with it, digging out stories from legal notices or real estate transactions, or from conversations or emails with colleagues, business people and readers.
In January I wrote my favorite column of the past 12 months. It was about Creative Packaging, a paper processing factory on James Street in Worcester that had closed down. One of my colleagues, who passed the building on his way to work every week, noticed some activity and suggested I pop in.
I wrote:
"To sum up: Creative Packaging is no more. Its only item of real value, its processing machine, is owned by someone else. Its building is staffed, minimally to be sure, by former employees who are working for the company that owns the machine. The owners of Creative Packaging are broke. The company owners' wives own the building. The building is saddled with serious debt. The machine's owners would like to get the business going again, but can't without owning the building."
I found out later that the two wives had no idea that their names were tied to the ownership — and the huge debt — of the defunct company. One former Creative employee told me one of the wives found out she actually owned the factory when her hairdresser handed her a copy of my column.
In October of last year, I toured the Wachusett Potato Chip Co. factory in Fitchburg. I had seen a real estate transaction indicating the Water Street factory was being sold to Utz Snack Food Co. of Hanover, Pa.
Then-company President Edward S. Krysiak told me a funny story during the tour. As you might imagine, the factory uses a lot of cooking oil, and it collects in a vat. The latest trend in alternative fuels was for companies to collect the used cooking oil to convert it into fuel, or as an additive to diesel fuel. Wouldn't it be better to make a little money off the used cooking oil, or at least stop paying for someone to haul it away?
But Mr. Krysiak told me he was not confident enough in the trend to fire the company that had been collecting his factory's cooking oil for years. If the trend faded, or the pickups were not regular, he would be stuck with used cooking oil. He did not want to let the trusted vendor go, just to test the waters on a shaky venture.
Mr. Krysiak retired in June. His nephew Barry Krysiak, a 24-year veteran of the family business, was promoted to director of operations at the factory.
I'm happy to report that the factory has added a second shift and is producing chips under both the Utz and Wachusett labels. The factory has added about 35 new employees to handle the extra shift.
"We're making chips from 7 a.m. to midnight," Barry Krysiak said. The factory also produces potato sticks, and may expand into corn chips and another kind of chip in the near future.
I wrote a column in March about a worldwide helium shortage, and the reasons behind it. I seriously considered sucking in a lungful of helium, recording a video of myself reading the column in a funny voice, and then posting the video on the Web. I decided against doing it, I guess out of respect for the industry analyst who spent so much time explaining the shortage to me.
I had some column missteps as well.
My biggest regret was making fun of a hard-of-hearing West Boylston businessman whose Sutton land had been foreclosed on. As one reader emailed to me, under the subject heading "Disgraceful": "Life can be cruel — and times have been hard on folks (whether well-liked or not). Aaron, you must feel very proud to be able to publicly kick a soul who is down on his luck."
Well, I wasn't proud of that one. But I've had lots more that I loved.
I'm curious to hear what you think about Business Matters. Do you have any suggestions? Anything you'd like to see added to the section? Send me an email, call me on the phone or write a letter. I'd like to know how we can make Business Matters better in its next 12 months.
Contact Aaron Nicodemus by email at firstname.lastname@example.com or at (508) 793-9245.


text:
Sweet and spicy gingerbread thumbprint cookies with cheesecake centers and a chocolate drizzle. Nothing spells C-h-r-i-s-t-m-a-s better!
I spun a plain thumbprint cookie from Martha Stewart into gingerbread sweethearts by lacing them with warm spices like ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. They're filled with tangy cream cheese and finished with a drizzle of chocolate.
The bite of the cookie has crispy edges, is tender on the inside and melts in your mouth. I love how the creamy cheesecake centers cut through the rich spices while the sweet chocolate comes along for the ride.
To make the indentations Martha directs you to remove the hot cookies from the oven and press your thumb into them. What? Burn my fingerprint off for a cookie? The lengths that woman will go to. You have to love her devotion but there is an easier way.
A way that doesn't call for scorching yourself with 350 degree heat. Thereby scarring yourself for life. The end of a wooden spoon, ice cream scoop, whisk or a measuring spoon with a rounded bottom works a lot better. Duh.
I, for one couldn't be happier that gingerbread season is here! Nothing makes a home smell more like the holidays. I hope you share the sentiment because I'm sitting on a small stack of gingerbread recipes.
I'm mildly obsessed. ← That's an understatement.
Sweet and spicy gingerbread thumbprint cookies with cheesecake centers and a chocolate drizzle.
- Make the filling: In a medium mixing bowl beat cream cheese and brown sugar on medium speed 2 minutes. Beat in sour cream on low then egg and vanilla. Refrigerate.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat together 2 sticks of the butter, sugar, salt and vanilla on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy about 2 minutes.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour with the spices then gradually add to the wet mixture beginning on low speed and increasing to medium until well combined.
- Scoop rounded teaspoonfuls of the dough and roll into balls. Place about 1-2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Bake for 8 minutes, remove from oven and use the end of a wooden spoon or the bottom of a small, rounded measuring spoon pressed into the middle of the cookie to make an indent. Fill the indent with a small spoon of the cream cheese mixture. Bake 8 more minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool.
- Once cool drizzle with chocolate. Melt the white chocolate with 1 teaspoon of the shortening using the chocolate setting on your microwave, checking it every 20 seconds and stirring until smooth.
- Add to a piping bag fitted with a small tip or a baggie with the corner cut off and drizzle over 1/2 the cookies. Repeat with the semi-sweet chocolate and drizzle over remaining cookies.
Adapted from Martha Stewart's Cookies
Have you visited my guest post on girlichef.com? See you there!


text:
Product Overview
This barrel features a match grade chamber and hand lapped bore, which makes it very easy to clean and care for. The strict manufacturing process that this barrel goes through holds tolerances to no more than plus or minus .0001" from breech to muzzle, and each barrel is digitally measured to ensure exact tolerances. Conveniently drilled and tapped to accept the Volquartsen barrel mounted scope mount, throw on an optic and you are ready to go. Barrel weight is 3 lbs 4 oz and is 18-1/2" in length.
"We cut our barrel shanks oversized by .0025" to give us a very tight fit into the factory receiver. This tight fit prevents the barrel from canting downward as the locking block is installed." - Volquartsen


text:
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — AJ Foyt Racing will test Conor Daly at Sebring International Raceway next week in Daly's first time testing an Indy car.
The test scheduled for next Thursday is two days before Daly's 21st birthday. Team director Larry Foyt said Tuesday he's not sure what opportunities it could lead to for Daly with the organization.
"Conor Daly is one of the exciting up-and-coming drivers in open wheel racing today," Foyt said. "I had spoken to Conor at the F-1 race in Austin and I was impressed. I thought this test was a perfect opportunity to see how he works with our team."
Daly is the son of Derek Daly, a former Formula One and CART driver.
Daly has spent the last two seasons competing in Formula One support series GP3. He won national titles in the Mazda and Barber series, and has been racing of late in single-seaters in Europe.
"I am honored to have the opportunity to drive an Indycar for the first time with AJ Foyt Racing," Daly said. "I've grown up at the Indy 500 and have always dreamed of getting in an IndyCar someday. I will do the best job I can to get to know the team and complete all the things they've got planned for the test. I can't thank Larry enough for organizing this and taking an interest in my future."
Daly tweeted Monday that he wanted to take the Indianapolis 500 seat Roger Penske offered to Tony Stewart should Stewart not accept the ride.


text:
Wine: good or bad?
There is research to support wine is beneficial to health, and research that says it increases the incidence of cancer. What the heck? I'm going to drink it either way, but do you guys feel it releases a multitude of stress in your life, thus making your healthier, or do you feel your body would be better without?
<------ wino
Seriously, I have no concerns regarding my moderate consumption of red wine. It helps me unwind at the end of the day.
While I don't use wine to induce sleep or relaxation, I do enjoy it with food. Not daily, but when it's a special meal I like a glass or two of wine with it.
I've heard that red wine in particular contains polyphenols etc that are good for you. But I don't really care. If you need a "reason to drink" then you shouldn't do it.
Where I live (S. Europe), wine is food and should be consumed as and with food.
If I want a tot of brandy after a meal, I will drink it. I'm an adult and take responsibility for my own decisions.
I've heard those contradicting stories too. It's just like coffee though, one year it's good for you, the next it's bad for you again! Everything in moderation I say :) Especially cuz I love my wine too! >:D
One of the main things that's supposed to be awesome in wine is resveratrol, and to have a significant amount, you'd have to drink a lot of wine. And apparently it's not clear if the research they've done on invertebrate animals applies to mammals :/
I always wonder about all these health claims of wine - what about grape juice, raisins, or fresh grapes? Does fermentation create these compounds, or is it just that these effects are advertised for only wine because of the funding/ it's "sexy"?
so funny, I was just thinking about this too!! I feel like the minimal benefits of wine - as others said - can be found in other places, and is minimal for the amount of wine you can drink before running into the downsides of toxins on your liver. So I definitely don't drink as much as I used to, and a lot of the time I have just as much fun if I have some other fun drink instead of wine. I'm really into coconut water lately, is that weird??
BUT - the social aspect is really important. coming together with friends, enjoying good conversation... unwinding after a hard day - those things are pretty valuable, although not in the scientific way of thinking. But you can see it in the Blue Zone way of thinking (the research done on some of the healthiest and longest-living cultures).
I don't know, but I figure there's no point in being healthy if you can't have a little fun, so if I feel like having a glass of wine then I go for it! I just don't overdo it ;) And sometimes I have more fun getting together with friends and not feeling hungover, so I try not to feel like I have to drink either.
I vote: "good"
Seriously, I don't drink it for the health benefits. I drink it because it's delicious. If I get some health benefit out of it, then: success!
ha ! the old wine is good for you urban myth perpetrated by (surprise surprise - wine marketing boards worldwide). if you want the health benefits of grapes eat grapes or organic not from concentrate grape juice. there are no studies (peer reviewed or in scholarly periodicals) that i have ever seen demonstrating wine as having superior or altered properties superior to the orginial. alcohol is toxic; but hey thats why we like it. wonder why all little kids like getting dizzy by spinning around or swings or merry go rounds once in a while? altered states: its a universal and existential phenomenological ethos. moderation is likely the key with any mood altering substances (alcohol, coffee, tea, chocolate, cocaine, heroin, magic mushrooms etc). well that's my 2 cents. :-)
Everything in moderation. A glass of wine - pub measurement I think - is supposed to be good for you. Wouldn't worry about it too much. As I said - moderation.
Better without it. Alcohol is the one toxic substance I can avoid and save money at the same time. Where buying organic foods costs more.


text:
Desi Arnaz, TV Innovator
By: Linnea Crowther
5 years ago
When Desi Arnaz came to the U.S., a 16-year-old boy fleeing Cuba with his family, television was just a glimmer in the public's eye. Fourteen years later, Arnaz would become one of TV's top innovators, pushing its boundaries and helping define the still-new medium. Twenty-seven years after Arnaz's death at the age of 69, we're showcasing three of the ways he helped influence television.
1. Interracial relationships. When I Love Lucy premiered in 1951, the American public wasn't accustomed to seeing much diversity on TV – and certainly not in the form of an interracial or interethnic relationship. Executives wished Lucille Ball would choose a different TV husband – one who looked a bit more like her. But Ball and Arnaz were determined to star in the show together (it was a great way for the busy showbiz couple to get to spend more time together), and they embarked on a vaudeville tour prior to the show's launch in order to get the public used to seeing the redheaded woman with the Latino man. It worked, and "Lucy and Ricky" became TV's first interethnic couple.
2. Pregnancy on TV. With shows like Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant among today's TV hits, it's hard to remember a time when pregnancy wasn't allowed on television. But in 1953, when Lucille Ball was pregnant with Desi Arnaz Jr., network heads agreed that it was inappropriate to show a pregnant woman on TV – or even to utter the word "pregnant" on the small screen. Arnaz was determined to have Ball's pregnancy written into the show's events, and he pushed for a change in standards, even going to a variety of religious leaders and gaining their agreement that a pregnancy on TV would be acceptable. He finally won the battle and Ball appeared on the show throughout her pregnancy (though execs were more rigid on the wording issue, and Arnaz used the word "expecting" instead).
3. The rerun. Not all of Arnaz's innovations had to do with the content of I Love Lucy. In fact, Arnaz can also be credited with inventing the rerun. In the early 1950s, shows like I Love Lucy were filmed and broadcast live on the east coast, then rebroadcast in the rest of the U.S. via kinescope. The kinescope provided an inferior image, and it degraded each time it was replayed, allowing for only a few ephemeral broadcasts. Arnaz had the idea to film I Love Lucy using multiple film cameras, adjacent sets, and a live audience. It was a brand-new setup at the time and network executives were, predictably, unsure about it – but not only did it work; it became the standard for filming TV shows that continues to this day. It allowed for higher-quality broadcasts in the rest of the country, and it allowed each episode to be preserved long beyond the initial airing, too. Thanks to Arnaz's innovation, we're able to enjoy I Love Lucy reruns (along with those of so many other TV shows) decades after the show aired… and we're grateful for that.


text:
Britain gets shiny new science minister
Fresh from changing the climate in Defra
Ian Pearson has been named as the new minister in charge of science in the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS).
The MP for Dudley South comes to the role from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs where he was minister of state for climate change and the environment. He replaces Malcolm Wicks who oversaw science policy for the eight months after Lord Sainsbury stepped down.
As minister of state for science and innovation, Pearson will have control of a £5bn annual budget, and responsibility for the following:
- Business and science
- The research base
- The research councils
- Innovation
- The Technology Strategy Board
- British National Space Centre
- National weights and measures laboratory
- The Design Council
- The National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts, liaising with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport
- Liaison with the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
- Energy Technologies Institute
- Commission for Environmental Markets and Economic Performance
Enough to make anyone's head spin, right?
But he also faces a monumental task: to re-ignite an interest in science among students and the general public against a background of closing science departments, a lack of qualified teachers, falling numbers of students and courses to accommodate them, and what many consider to be a declining of the science syllabus.
New PM Gordon Brown has stressed the economic importance of science in the UK, and has promised to up the science budget to £6.3bn by 2010 as part of his drive to make sure Britain is not outpaced by the developing world.
According to his voting record on TheyWorkForYou, Pearson is an occasional rebel, defying his party line on critical issues such as the smoking ban. He liked the Iraq war, doesn't want an investigation into how it all started, and is very much in favour of ID cards.
Pearson himself has yet to issue a statement on his appointment. We have no doubt he is delighted, and looking forward to the challenge ahead. ®


text:
The X-files game would count, right?
I don't know if this has been mentioned, but Mac Return to Zork would be #1 for me. The MPEG version would be great too.
Well it was mentioned in the first few pages, but I thing it should get one more vote:
Infocom, Magnetic Scrolls, Level 9 and other text engines.
I know about the few interpreters that are already out there, but I don't see the field very active nowadays, especially concerning modular engine solutions (like SCUMMVM itself). Gargoyle for example has years since last real update.
Yes there are many stand alone solutions and an active community. (where I see some possible conflict - as there was some tiny conflict when SCI and such moved to SCUMMVM)
Under the wings of SCUMMVM team this would thrive I believe.
I did not read through all 22 pages of this thread to see if someone else mentioned this, but I would like to see ScummVM support Monkey Island: Special Edition and Monkey Island 2 Special Edition. I realize the games aren't that old, but the games are already experiencing compatibility issues. Due to driver issues neither game will run in Windows 10 and there is no sign of Disney putting any effort into making these games last into the future. I remember LEC repeatedly touted that the new Special Editions were created in SCUMM so theoretically they should work or shouldn't be too difficult to implement within ScummVM, but who knows what kind of modifications LEC made to the game and the engine to modernize it.
I would hate to see these two games already fall off to the sidelines. [/i]
FWIW, ScummVM does (unofficially) support running the "Ultimate Talkie Edition" fan patch of MI1&2 SE.
I've seen that, but I actually like the updated HD graphics.
'Clue' (FMV) and 'Johnny Mnemonic' (FMV), because they're 16-bit Windows games.
Start Trek, Syberia- I'd love to see another parts of this games. And old best best Grall. That's all!Last edited by ScumBak on Sat Dec 16, 2017 6:40 pm; edited 2 times in total
Wacki Kosmiczna Rozgrywka
Now that Phantasmagoria 1 & 2 are a possibility I'd like to see Harvester as well, such an amazing hidden gem and I would do anything to be able to play it on my phone, hell even on PC because it's still a pain trying to run it through DOS.
I agree with joanthedark. I also vote for Harvester. Harvester is available on Steam and GOG, but both versions use dosbox. Harvester's Steam publisher Nightdive Studios previously collaborated with ScummVM team when releasing the ScummVM port of "I have No Mouth but I must Scream". I am sure that they would be interested in getting Harvester ported to ScummVM.
I would also love to see the game Zombi (1986) on ScummVM. It has DOS, amiga, commodore 64, Atari ST and ZX Spectrum ports. Amiga version is the best and it still looks good by today's standards. I played it using an Amiga emulator a while ago and it was a lot of fun. I wrote wikipedia and youtube gameplay links below.
Dos version has lower quality graphics but the executable is only 48kb in size, so it might be a starting point to port all versions into ScummVM. I hope somebody with skills can reverse engineer it easily.
I played Zombi on Amiga back in the day. Not a bad game and I didn't realise that it was a landmark as Ubisoft's first published game.
digitall, will you be our champion and port Zombi to ScummVM?
Simple answer is no as I don't own any copies of the game (I played it on a friend's Amiga back in the day) and copies on EBay are going for at least 250 EUR or more and not on GOG, so very unlikely. It is quite a rare game and unless Ubisoft decide to freeware it as they did a 2012 remake... very doubtful.
Another great game is Veil of Darkness (1993 DOS). I hope it gets supported by ScummVM in the future.
I can't believe that it is not available on GOG or Steam.


text:
|Episode Description
|Tuesday, Apr 9, 2013 - 8:00 PM
Tonight on Nightly Business Report, we're on the ground floor of J.C. Penney to find out what customers really think of the struggling retailer. And, Sir Richard Branson discusses everything from cheap tickets to competition in the industry. D
|More on WORLD (PT)
|No upcoming shows in database
|Previous on WORLD (PT)
|No Past shows in database


text:
- full record
- technical
Technical Information
*/d_person 1001045
Barnum, P. T.
Showman Phineas Talyor Barnum first took a version of his American Museum on the road as "P. T. Barnum's Grand Traveling Museum, Menagerie, Caravan and Circus," in 1870, known as "The Greatest Show on Earth" by 1872. Barnum's show included sideshow attractions (curiosities, freaks and oddities), circus acts (animal training, acrobatics, and other feats of skill and daring), a menagerie, and art exhibits. In fact, Barnum virtually invented the sideshow, drawing performers and human oddities from all over the world to appear in his productions, and he was also responsible for bringing many types of exotic animals to the United States for the first time. Since that time, Barnum's circus has bought, merged with, and been bought by a great number of other circuses, a selection of which are listed in the Alternate Names area of this Performing Art Group entry. As of 2005, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus is possibly the largest and longest-running circus organization in the world. SFPALM
Person > Date
*/d_person/d_person.birthdateid 1011986
Date of birth
July 5, 1810
Person > Date
*/d_person/d_person.deathdateid 1011987
Date Deceased
April 7, 1891
Person > Date
*/d_person/d_person.activedateid 1011988
Dates active
April 7, 1891
Person > Person Alternate Name
*/d_person/r_person_altname 7345
Also known as
Barnum, Phineas Taylor
Person > Country
*/d_person/r_person_country 22
United States
Person > Culture
*/d_person/r_person_cultureid 2
Person > Person Geographic Affiliation
*/d_person/r_person_geographic_affiliation 1067
Associated Region
New York (N.Y.)


text:
A homemade brown sugar barbecue sauce recipe with tender meatballs that can be made into sandwiches, eaten with buttered noodles, rice or potatoes. The barbecue sauce can also be used for chicken, steak or ribs. And even as a dipping sauce for french fries, all on it's own or with a little mayonnaise or ranch dressing mixed in.
The sauce takes on a deep burgundy color and is sweet, tangy and silky. It is made from a base of ketchup with vinegar, brown sugar, mustard, molasses, chile powder and smoked paprika. The meatballs are simply seasoned with egg, bread crumbs, parsley, onion powder and oregano.
My favorite way of eating these is on a hard roll with cole slaw piled generously on top. The cole slaw is cold, milky and crunchy while the meatballs are warm, soft and richly-flavored. A recipe for success. They make a delicious, melt-in-your mouth combo. Finger-licking good comfort food.
Barbecue Meatball Sandwiches with Onions and Coleslaw
(by Reeni except Barbecue Sauce adapted from Steven Raichlen via Serious Eats)
Brown Sugar Barbecue Sauce
2 cups Ketchup
1/3 cup White Vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
3/4 cup packed Brown Sugar + 2 tablespoons
1 tablespoon Molasses
2 tablespoons Yellow Mustard
1 tablespoon Chile Powder
1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
1 teaspoon Onion Powder
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
Also need:
1 large Onion, thinly sliced in half moons
2-3 tablespoons Vegetable oil
1 + 1/4 pound Ground Beef 80-85% lean
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup Seasoned Bread Crumbs
1/4 cup Fresh Parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon Oregano
1 teaspoon Worcestershire
1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder
1/2 teaspoon Sea or Kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon Fresh Black Pepper
Also need:
Hard rolls, hamburger rolls, sub or hoagie rolls
1. Make cole slaw first, if using.
2. Whisk all the sauce ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.
3. In a large, heavy bottomed saucepan or soup pot saute onion in oil over medium-low heat until tender. (Work on meatballs while they saute.) When tender add barbecue sauce and bring to a slow simmer.
4. Meanwhile in a medium bowl combine all the meatball ingredients with a fork and form into small meatballs, measure out 4 teaspoons of the meat mixture, make a meatball and use as a guide to size the rest.
5. Pan-fry the meatballs in a lightly greased pan over medium heat on all sides until browned. You may need to work in two batches. Add the meatballs carefully to the barbecue sauce. Continue simmering for 25 – 30 minutes.
6. Serve on rolls with or without cole slaw over top or over buttered noodles, rice, potatoes or pasta.
Cole Slaw
1/2 cup Mayonnaise (like Hellmann's)
1 tablespoon White Vinegar
2 teaspoons Honey
1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
1 teaspoon Thyme
Pinch or two of Celery Seed
1/4 teaspoon Sea or Kosher Salt
Fresh Black Pepper, a couple of cracks
4-5 cups of Cole Slaw mix (like Dole) or shredded cabbage/carrot mix
1. In a large mixing bowl whisk together everything but the cabbage.
2. Start by mixing in four cups of cabbage and adding more if needed.
3. Refrigerate until serving.
Print Barbecue Sauce Recipe
Print All Recipes
I'm sending this to Deb of Kahakai Kitchen for her Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays round-up!
foodie_views_link_url = 'BLOG_POST_URL';


text:
Acclaimed pastry chef and current Paris resident David Lebovitz tells the Picky Panda why French cooking isn't as hard as most people think.Read More
If you'd like to share it with us so you can take advantage of Facebook Login, you can update your Facebook permissions to give us access to your email. If not, you can always sign up for a Groupon account without using Facebook.
Impress at your next Francophile dinner party with fun facts about horse meat, baguettes, and Christmas traditions.


text:
By JIM PARKER
The Post and Courier
Like many car collectors, Mark Eckels of Summerville first rode as a kid in the same type of classic model he now owns, a 1953 Pontiac Chieftain.
"I remember standing on the front seat," he said, noting how seat belt laws were practically nonexistent in those days.
Eckels bought the coupe on James Island three years ago. "It was a real barn find," he said. The 60-year-old model wound up in the corn crib, and the most laborious part of restoring the two-door was extracting the cobs.
The retouched exterior resembles the hue of key-lime pie. "The color is a real eyecatcher," said Eckels, a member of Pontiac-Oakland International, Early Times chapter.
He was one of close to 200 auto enthusiasts who displayed their spiffed-up cars, trucks and cycles June 8 at the Low Country Miracle Cruise Open Auto Show.
The event, sponsored by 70-member Lowcountry Muscle Car, took place at the Sam's Club parking lot in North Charleston for the first time. Club webmaster Shane Graves said more than 145 vehicles registered for the show, while the muscle car club displayed another 50 or so autos.
William Hilburn drove up near the end of the show in a canary yellow 1940 Buick convertible street rod. "I've had it a week," said Hilburn, who traded a 1957 Ford Thunderbird to obtain the Buick, one of 3,800 built.
"There are a lot of nice rides here," he said.
A few rows away, Jonathan Morrison showed his military green 1952 Willys Jeep. "I just love Jeeps," he said, noting that his grandfather had one." It runs in the family."
Danny Shillingford, a mechanic at a local new car dealership, brought a 2006 Dodge Charger electric toy car that he souped up with extra lights and sirens for his son Shane, 6. "It was a big project; It took a long time," said Shillingford, of Goose Creek.
"We go downtown and drive around. He (Shane) has been riding that thing since he was 3."
Maybe the most unusual display, Graves said, was "nearly a dozen show quality beauties that were pieced together from a local junk yard and brought to the show by Don's Car Crushing Service, one of the show's primary sponsors."
After the show, many collectors cruised in a parade of classic hot rods and muscle cars to Sonic Drive-In on College Park Road, which has become a regular venue every second and third Saturday of the month for auto enthusiasts, Graves said.
The car fest raised money for the MUSC Children's Hospital, a member of the Children's Miracle Network. "Together with Sam's Club, Lowcountry Muscle Car was able to raise (more than) $4,800, well beyond the initial goal of $2,500," Graves said. "This was the result of many helping hands in our community."
Reach Jim Parker at 937-5542 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
Hi everybody
Despite of progressing with my internal coming out, I still seem not to be ready to come out externally. Yesterday evening, I was at a new year's eve party, it happened to me (like quite some times before with other girls) that the sister of one of my frieds obviously found me very attractive and approached me in an explicit way. Me on my side, I was completely defenseless, I could have told her that I was gay, but I just did not have the nerves to do that. At 34 I'm still in the closet, obviously I'm pretty good in suppressing my being gay. Only in the last two years I started to admit to myself and accept that I'm gay (I had suspicions starting at 16, when I lost my verginity, even though I dismissed this as a passing phase) and I met only once some gay people to whom I was open. After today's experience I felt totally miserable - my only escape was to covertly leave the party, which was totally frustrating.
Did you make similar experiences? How common is it to be still in the closet at 34? How did you feel before you made the big step and came out?
I think my family (mother and older brother, my dad died a few years ago) would be fairly accepting, despite of my mom's continuous expectation/request to become grandmother and the fairly conservative background. In addition, I'm financially totally independent, successful in my career - I'm an R&D line manager in a high tech company. On one hand I don't seem to have the nerves to make the first big step, on the other hand I start to feel like I don't give a sh... who could figure out I'm gay.
Sorry for the long post, I just had a strong need to explain my situation.
Kind regards


text:
CART (0 ITEMS, $0.00) Get Saved Cart
Call Us Toll Free!Mon-Fri, 8am - 7pm PST
Free shipping on all window treatments up to 96 inches in length. For shipping information on over sized products, click here.
No sales tax is charged unless your order ships to California. Then, the 7.75% tax will be added to your order. This will be calculated prior to checking out.
Click here to search for service providers in your area.
We work with ServiceMagic to provide a national network of qualified technicians that can measure and install your window treatments.
Your personal and credit card information is protected with the latest encryption technology from GeoTrust. In addition, WindowBlinds.com will not send you unsolicited email or give your email to any one else. Spam annoys us too.
Curved deluxe valance included
AVAILABLE: custom made and delivered in about 10 days
Order a Sample of This Color
Computer monitors may not accurately represent the true color and texture. Read our color policy and order free samples for exact color match.
I am finished ordering samples


text:
Your Turn, NH: Common Core will be a costly burden for students, taxpayersBY PENNY KITTLE
May 19. 2013 3:49PM
"Unfunded mandate." Pick two words that New Hampshire taxpayers detest, and "unfunded mandate" would be high on the list. Too often, policies are adopted, often with good intentions, but with unexpected consequences for communities. Then we pick up the check.
This is the case with the Common Core testing that needs to be in place by 2015. Like 44 other states, New Hampshire has signed on to a new set of learning standards. The state has committed local districts to a test that is being designed by a consortium called Smarter Balanced. About $330 million in federal taxpayer funds already have been committed to Smarter Balanced and the other consortium designing the tests.
But here's the catch. All of this testing will be online, beginning in third grade. It will necessitate huge local costs for providing enough computer stations and adequate bandwidth. In the Conway School District where I work, the school board delayed the appropriation of $250,000 needed to become test-ready next year, but the district will have to come up with the funds soon if it is to administer the test. Inadequate bandwidth will be an expensive obstacle for districts across the state.
If we add to these expenses, the annual $27 per-pupil cost of administering the test, that could amount to an additional $54,000 for a district with 2,000 test takers. School district leaders need to be straight with taxpayers about these costs.
The test also has serious limitations. Beginning in third grade, children will be asked to keyboard their writing into a small text window. This method of writing, and the demand to keyboard, will create a difficult situation for children who have not been regularly writing on computers. This requirement will primarily affect students from lower income families and districts that can't provide regular access. The test, therefore, will not tell us how well the students write, but rather how well they write on a computer.
Another limitation is the mind-boggling decision by both consortia to use machine scoring for almost all the writing students do. Yes, you heard it right. Humans will not read this writing (too expensive and unreliable!). Instead, computers will look for "features" in the writing that correspond to what human readers respond to. The result - almost surely - will be gaming the system. For example, students will be coached to use expressions like "for example" and "in conclusion."
This decision makes a mockery of the claim that the Common Core State Standards will help students become college ready. The major professional organization of college writing teachers has come out strongly against machine scoring, claiming that it promotes formulaic writing. Machines cannot assess the qualities of originality and creativity that schools should be promoting.
Finally, there is the question of student motivation for the test - projected to be about 8-9 hours long even for third graders. This is over twice the length of the SAT test. It will, of course, be given in parts, but with little at stake for the test-taker, what incentive will there be for students to persist, particularly those who struggle or who are alienated from school?
For all these reasons, the best course for the state is to endorse the standards, but reject this unproven and expensive test. Instead, we should be thinking of how we can create better local assessments.
If we look at the skills truly needed in the 21st century, few of them can be adequately assessed on standardized tests, particularly ones scored by machines. We need to assess collaboration, sustained effort over time, the integration of literacy and technology, and an increased emphasis on writing in all subjects. We can evaluate these without expensive, unproven tests.
It's time New Hampshire asserted its belief in local control.
Penny Kittle teaches English at Kennett High School and works as a teacher educator at the University of New Hampshire. She is the author of "Write Beside Them: Risk, Voice, and Clarity in High School Writing."


text:
Buy 10 greeting cards, get 30% off. 10 should cover your nice list, right?
Tee is good quality and print is excellent at a good price
I love the art graphics on the tees but not a fan of the classic t shirt fabric - much prefer the tri blend t shirts
Fairfield, United States


text:
Some potentially interesting developments as the trade deadline approaches at Triple A Lehigh Valley this morning.
Pitcher Carlos Carrasco was scratched from his scheduled start this morning against Columbus. There is no indication that Carrasco is hurt.
Shortstop Jason Donald and catcher Lou Marson also were not in the Ironpigs' lineup. However, Donald is coming off knee surgery and was not scheduled to play with an early day game after a night game. Marson caught last night and also might be sitting out for the same reason.
An earlier report that outfielder Michael Taylor was not playing for Lehigh Valley is incorrect.
Meanwhile, ESPN.com is reporting that the Indians have three scouts at the Triple A game, possibly pointing to the acquisition of Cliff Lee.
Phillies scout Charley Kerfeld watched Lee pitch Sunday. He was in Seattle last night to see Jarrod Washburn and is scheduled to be there again today to see Toronto's Roy Halladay.
In another move, the Phillies promoted Scott Mathieson from Clearwater to Double A Reading. Lefthander reliever Jason Mackintosh was placed on the disabled list. Mathieson's promotion does not appear related to a potential deal, but he could be a late-season bullpen option for the Phillies if his recovery is coming along as well as reported.
More to come ...


text:
TheDarkOrc10 Hero Dark Order of Assassins Monday 05/07/2010, 23:19
Hey advise required on this deck, marina and striker are both banned, I like davinas solidness and she is equal with rob verus caleus and her higher power lets her match up better vs attack manipulators, yes there are cards like muze and betty and Jessie but they are shaky, its a pitty though that I cant fit in stacey. Besides marina is mabye a little too samy why have her when ella or charlie can do the job ( I prefer claras sob though). Advice would be good, but like shadow council said cards like kang can be better than robb in certain situations, have alexi with soa and the 2 star sob card gives options.
TheDarkOrc10 Hero Dark Order of Assassins Tuesday 06/07/2010, 13:09
Edit totally new look to my deck check it out please and see what you think of it!
TheDarkOrc10 Hero Dark Order of Assassins Tuesday 06/07/2010, 14:16
After playing with the deck I discovered that the weakest draw is a bit weaker than on paper and the strongest draw is good but I just need to keep playing with it to get used to it, however gwen seems a little bit of a libaility for that reason I am replacing her with brittany (some would prefer feelyn but I have came round to thinking that in a deck with allstars we need some attack manipulation to vary it up) and replace kahn with either the damage reducing Ashley or the Sheer power of Stacey who is a great 8/2 against sob or a great virtual 8/2 against soa when she goes up against the montans her virtual power may finally be enougth to defeat them and stop a key card in its tracks.
TheDarkOrc10 Hero Dark Order of Assassins Tuesday 06/07/2010, 15:52
The change of gwen to britanny helped but I found ellas damage reduction with a min 4 to be to high to reduce properly and then I was getting lots of sobs severely weakning ela, so I used ashley for alexi instead, allowing baby q to be drafted in as well, the deck now has a more balanced feel to it, although the weakest 3-1 draw with 4 2 stars is kind of crappy but having 2 or 3 2 stars with the stronger cards is quite ok because the abilities now have more synergy.
Your deck sucks seriously, you spent your clintz in not fully envolved cards and you think you are going to win, when all the other cards in your deck aren't the first choice for their stars?
Firstly , swap essie to alexei/striker/marina. This way you won't spent money to keep the deck at 25 stars.
Then, swap one of either ashley/ceasar to Jessie.
Upgrade ashley to robb, ceasar to randy. Kang and Davina are also good in weeks with soa.
Then downgrade baby q to wanda and change emma to Louise/ charlie or even clara .
Never forget to get yayoi : she is a must.
This will make a way better deck in my eyes.
Le Kaiszer Guru Wednesday 07/07/2010, 13:21
I'd love to have you as an opponent
TheDarkOrc10 Hero Dark Order of Assassins Wednesday 07/07/2010, 16:09
Seriously I had brittany and essie and casere and stacey vs an allstars deck of robb, randy stacey and eryton, guess who won? Caser ( with soa ) and stacey (+2 power and -2 power) beat robb and randy on head to head, do the math!
TheDarkOrc10 Hero Dark Order of Assassins Wednesday 07/07/2010, 16:36
Also the technequie of using unevolved cards is quite prevelanent, and essie is better pound for pound (clintz for clintz) at 4 stars than at 5.
TheDarkOrc10 Hero Dark Order of Assassins Wednesday 07/07/2010, 17:59
Hi I took on board your ideas but for me to get yayoi I need a 1 star wanda and theirs none on the market


text:
CALIFORNIA, U.S. - Even as Washington and the rest of the country continues to try and emerge from the shock of the revelations made in Michael Wolff's controversial book 'Fire and Fury' - copies of the book continued to fly off shelves in the blink of an eye.
With those that haven't read the book continuing to order it, Fire and Fury set a record in its debut week, selling over 29,000 hardcover copies in its first week of publication.
NPD BookScan announced the numbers and said it was the highest numbers recorded overall for books last week and is likely to grow far higher in future reports.
Meanwhile, the publisher said it was struggling to keep up with demand for the hardcover book after it was revealed that the book had debuted at No. 1 on The New York Times' best sellers list.
The controversial book about U.S. President Donald Trump's chaotic White House released four day earlier than planned as intensive global news coverage about excerpts from the book rose curiosity on what it contained.
The book also faced a legal threat from one of Trump's personal attorneys.
Last week, an attorney for the president sent a cease-and-desist letter to Holt, asking for publication to be withheld.
However, Sargent has issued a company memo defending the decision to publish "Fire and Fury" and a Macmillan attorney has said the publisher planned no retraction or apology.
Some explosive quotes attributed to Trump's former chief strategist Steve Bannon sent the book to the No. 1 on Amazon's best selling books chart.
The book has stayed on top ever since and now, Amazon shows a two to four-week delay in hardcover deliveries for the book.
On Thursday, the publisher, Henry Holt & Co., said the company has struggled to keep up with demand and said that it has received orders for more than one million copies.
Earlier this week, Macmillan, CEO of Henry Holt's parent company said, "We have never seen a book sell at this rate here at Macmillan."
The publisher is also facing harsh criticism for not printing more copies in advance of the release date.
In a statement to Wall Street Journal, Macmillan's CEO, John Sargent said that there "we would never have predicted" Trump's attacks against the book "and thus never have predicted the full scope of demand."
Meanwhile, according to reports, a shortage of hardcover copies has led to a spike in sales of the ebook.
Sargent was quoted as saying that "hundreds of thousands of e-books" have been purchased since last Friday, when the book was released.
Kristen McLean, the NPD Group's book industry analyst said, "The first couple of days of sales figures aren't giving us the full picture. Because of potential distribution issues related to the early release coupled with high demand, it may take a few weeks to see exactly where this book will land in comparison to other political best-sellers of the last few years."
McLean pointed out that Hillary Clinton's "What Happened," which came out last September, was on her stunning presidential election loss in 2016 to Trump and had one of the biggest first weeks in recent history for a non-fiction book.
Simon & Schuster announced at the time that the book averaged sales of over 30,000 hardcover copies in the combined formats of hardcover, e-book and audio per day in its opening week.
She said that that book "was hugely anticipated and very well stocked."


text:
VTel provides the best connectivity for your home, delivering up to 1,000 Mbps download and upload speeds, crystal clear video, and voice over fiber, and up to 24 Mbps download speeds and voice over DSL. Our entire network is being converted to fiber, with new homes being connected every day. Call us today at 802-885-9000 to sign up for service or to see what is available in your area!
With an incredibly robust regional fiber optic network and extensive capacity reaching from New York to Montreal, VTel GigEnterprise provides powerful solutions scaled to your needs. Our service offerings include hosted voice, data transport, dedicated Internet access, wireless backhaul, and more. Contact us to be put in touch with an enterprise account specialist to discuss your needs.


text:
Child Safe Blinds & Shades
- Ensures the safest room for children
- All products have cord-free options
- WCMA approved cordless options
- Cordless operation is easy at low heights
- Add motorization for hard to reach windows
Blindsgalore supports the Window Covering Safety Council (WCSC) and the Window Covering Manufacturers Association (WCMA) in providing window treatments that meet the highest standards in cord safety to avoid any unwanted injuries or mishaps. The WCMA has created the Certified Best for Kids label to help identify products that are both suitable and strongly recommended in homes with young children. This certification program is the first of its kind and cordless lift options with this label have undergone rigorous third-party testing to ensure they meet stringent safety criteria. Select lift options labeled as Certified Best for Kids for utmost safety. Blindsgalore also recommends upgrading to a motorized blind or shade when available for extra protection and greater accessibility. Window treatment options that have been Certified Best for Kids are the smartest and safest choice for all of your blinds and shades.
1 results
Sort By:
Customizeback to products
customer reviews for child safety
"Great affordable wood blinds"
By Gavin from Cincinnati
So far excellent build quality and they look great. Installation was very easy. Chose the safety button instead of drawstring because of our child and it works great.View this product
"Best Ever!"
By Teresa from Jonesport ME
We LOVE these blinds! They look great, the valance is pretty, and they work smoothly. A great look in all of our rooms. We ordered for every room in the house!View this product


text:
July 3, 1928 - March 27, 2014
New Windsor, NY
Eugene DeMarco, age 85, of New Windsor, NY died Thursday, March 27, 2014 at St. Luke's Cornwall Hospital of Newburgh, NY. Mr. DeMarco was born July 3, 1928 in Cedar Cliff, NY. He is the son of the late Louis and the late Mary Bisane DeMarco.
Eugene was an operating engineer for Local 825 and a former member of the Moose Lodge, Newburgh.
He is survived by his second wife, Virginia Clavio DeMarco and several nieces and nephews.
Eugene is predeceased by his first wife, Elsa Pignette; two brothers: Frank and James DeMarco and three sisters: Angelina DeMarco, Catherine Salvati and Dolly Vignona.
Visitation will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 29th at the DiDonato Funeral Home, 1290 Route 9W, Marlboro, NY. Funeral Services will follow visitation at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at the funeral home. Entombment will take place in Poughkeepsie Rural Mausoleum, Poughkeepsie at the convenience of the family.
Funeral arrangements were entrusted to The DiDonato Funeral Service, Inc. 845-236-4300, www.didonatofuneralservice.com


text:
Pro Tools
festival or a film
•Submit film to festivals Promote for free or with Promo Packages
FILMFESTIVALS | A world wide coverage
Enjoy here the best of both worlds: Portal with Film & Fest News and Social network for the festival community.
Since 1995 we connect films to festivals and document the world of festivals worldwide.
This website will soon be updated, as we currently are upgrading everything, new services and design for October 2018.
User login
Established 1995 with 192 000 subscribers filmfestivals.com has been serving and documenting relentless the fest community; offering 85.000 articles of news, free blog profiles and functions to enable festival matchmaking with filmmakers.
Useful Links
The Bulletin Board
> The Bulletin Board Blog
Useful links for the indies:
> Celebrities / Headlines / News / Gossip
User videos
User images
About Editor
Chatelin Bruno
The Editor's blog
Be sure to update your festival listing and feed your profile to enjoy the promotion to our network and audience of 350.000.
Ask us for lost password.
Follow me on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
View my profile
Send me a message
The Editor
User polls
User contributions
Dortmund | Cologne International Women's Film Festival 2019 appoints Dr. Maxa Zoller as new director
6th CIFF announces Jury and "Making the World a Better Place by Giving a Voice to the Unheard" again...


text:
2 results found
Inch Beach self catering cottages in Inch, County Kerry, offer spectacular views overlooking magnificent blue flag beach at Inch/Dingle Bay. The cottages are designed in keeping with their surroundings, furnished with wood floors and pine furniture.
Read more
Set amidst award-winning gardens and overlooking the sandy stretch of the Blue Flag, Inch Beach, Gleann Dearg is an exceptional four star property. This four bedroom very well appointed bungalow, in County Kerry.
Read more
Want to know more? Ask a question in our Community, they're the people who know Ireland best.
For more information on travel, accommodation and attractions have a look at our brochures and maps.
If you're a visitor from the island of Ireland you may want to visit one of these sites… Otherwise proceed to Ireland.com
Share this link
Ireland.com uses cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies from Ireland.com.


text:
Bicycle Victoria has called on the cyclist who knocked down a pedestrian in Melbourne's Bourke Street late yesterday to get in touch with police.
Don McFadyen, 62, was taken to hospital with a dislocated hip and a severe fracture of the arm above his elbow.
He was knocked down after getting off a tram in Swanston Street at 5.15pm (AEDT).
Bicycle Victoria chief executive Harry Barber said police wanted to talk to the cyclist and urged the man, believed to be in his 20s, to hand himself in.
Mr Barber believes paramedics at the scene treated both men and when the rider had recovered he got back on his bike and rode away.
"It wasn't that he knocked the pedestrian down and kept riding, he also needed treatment himself," Mr Barber told AAP.
"But when you cause an injury on the road, you have to leave your name and address - you need to hang around."
However, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Ambulance Service said paramedics' record of the incident showed that the cyclist had left the scene by the time they arrived.
Mr McFadyen's wife Jenny told Fairfax Radio Network her husband was lucky not to be more seriously injured.
"He was rather lucky, I think," Ms McFadyen said.
"The doctors said the cyclist must have been going at a fair pace because (Don) must have been thrown to be in the position he was in on the road."
Mr McFadyen remains in a stable condition in intensive care at the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
This story was found at: http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/ ... 31481.html
Police media release is also available at http://www.police.vic.gov.au/content.as ... t_ID=14484


text:
Wahoo's Fish Tacos
serves up better customer service with Aramark uniforms and supplies.
Toyota of Huntington Beach
believes that a professional image alongside great service and products are essential to customer satisfaction.
is dedicated to a safe and clean environment for their employees and customers.
Work Apparel
With an account you'll be able to save and revisit items later


text:
A few years ago I spent an obscene amount of time creating a website where I could offer a number of free video tutorials about SQL Server. My idea at the time was to eventually create enough content and attract enough users to 'entice' advertisers to make the site profitable. But, I only ever ended up creating about 4.5 hours' worth of content on the site (in large part because each minute of finalized video typically ends up taking about an average of an HOUR to produce – once you figure in all of the time needed to plan out a video, create samples as needed, then walk through a presentation, clean up the audio, and then 'produce' the video and such so that it doesn't waste people's time when they watch it).
Related: SQL Server Education and Training
And, while the site does attract thousands of visitors every month (and serves around 100GB of videos), I've yet to add more content to the site in way too long of a time. But, I also can't seem to stop myself from occasionally revamping the site and trying to make it easier to navigate and use. (Partially just because working on the site really appeals to the 'developer in me'.)
SQLServerVideos.com – New and Revamped
So, over the past few months I've been working on some changes to make the site easier to navigate and to make it easier for site visitors to start watching videos.
And, while I've mentioned SQLServerVideos.com a few times in previous posts (or linked to applicable videos here and there), I figured it wouldn't be too vile (or self-promoting) if I went ahead and made a full-blown post here announcing those new navigation changes and my hopes/intentions of picking things back up in terms of adding new content within the next few months – especially since I'm hoping that people who benefit from reading content on this blog (which primarily targets 'reluctant DBAs') will also be able to benefit from over four hours of totally free content on SQLServerVideos.com.
So, if you haven't heard of SQLServerVideos.com before, or if you haven't been to the site in a while, go take a peek and see if you find it easier to navigate – and to see if you can find any content or tutorials that you find useful.
Related: SQL Server Pro YouTube Channel


text:
OKANOGAN The Loup Loup Ski Bowl is toasting another successful Taste of Two Valleys fundraising dinner and auction.
The Oct. 19 gala was attended by more than 500 people, officials said.
And although final numbers haven't been tallied, Board President Dave Price said he expects more than $50,000 was raised for Loup Loup.
"It was really good event," Price said. "The food was fantastic… The band was a lot of fun and people were particularly generous."
This year was the 14th Taste of Two Valleys, so organizers have "gotten it down to a science," Price said.
"I tell people to bid often and bid high and they were," he added.
Price said the event acts as a kick-off to the ski season. By the time it's over, everybody is thinking about hitting the slopes.
"Us skiers are pretty excited about that," he said.
This year, the main fundraising focus was pointed at buying a new groomer for the mountain — the least expensive of which will run between $70,000 and $80,000.
Future plans also include building a new lodge and increasing the size of the ski shop.
Typically, the money raised goes toward capital improvements, such as paying off the loan for the chair lift and adding new administration buildings.
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.


text:
This is a new design and is based upon the very successful CBP 42" landing net. The handle is slimmer and can be supplied with either a 6' or 9' long (6' + 3') handles. This net employs a fully machined version of the 42" spreader block, but without the stainless steel pins. These are fitted to the arms on this version.
The twist and lock handles have been replaced with a lightweight version of the well accepted 42" standard 9' carp handle. The new model utilises a M14 high tensile alloy connector.
The poles and arms for these landing nets are constructed from Glass Hyperfil Composite Epoxy Resin (GHCER) which produces excellent characteristics in the material and is far superior to earlier glass fibre.
The spreader block is also new it is much lighter than the previous version.
The Big Tench and Carp Stalker uses a 36" frame and fine mesh net. Supplied with dark green whipping.


text:
9:00 pm
Old Guys "Hospital" When Sally goes into the hospital for a knee operation, Tom and Roy compete to be the best visitor.G
9:30 pm
My Family "Let's Not Be Heisty" Ben's attempt to pay money into his bank account is thwarted when someone else tries to take some out - with the aid of sawed-off shotguns. Ben and Susan, along with others, are held as hostages. Ben decides to act as a negotiator.G
10:00 pm
My Hero "Brain Drain" George decides to electronically filter people?s minds of prejudice and bad thoughts, but the results are stranger than expected.G
10:30 pm
Storied Life of Millie Benson Author, reporter and adventurer Mildred Wirt Benson, who died in 2002 at the age of 96, is better known as Carolyn Keene, the ghostwriter of the first 23 Nancy Drew mysteriesG
11:00 pm
As Time Goes By "You Must Remember This" Lionel and Jean meet by accident after not seeing each other for 38 years. Each has been married but is now alone. Much has changed in 38 years, including them.G
11:30 pm
The Cafe "Diminishing Returns" At Cyril's Cafe, Mary has evolved from knitting to tweeting. Stan has a ring for Carol and is looking for the right moment to pop the question. Sarah is still single, Kieran's depressed, and Chloe is seeing a married estate agent. They are all in for a surprise when Brenda books a photographer for her new tourist brochure.G


text:
Advanced Search
Hot Webinar: 12 Ways Hackers Get Around Two-Factor Authentication and How to Defend It
Pop Quiz
How to roll out Windows Server 2008 without touching all of the computers.
You're the network admin for Contoso.com. You've been assigned to design a deployment solution for a rollout of 25 installations of Windows Server 2008. Management requests the ability to deploy operating systems remotely from a central location. Which deployment solution should you use to meet this requirement?
D. System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) 2007 can be used to deploy Windows Server 2008 by creating fully managed, unattended deployments to remote computers.
SCCM 2007 can identify computers that meet the hardware requirements for a given OS; distribute the OS source files to all computers and sites (even those without technical staff); monitor distribution; automatically initiate installation; resolve problems during installation; report rate and success of deployments; and verify upgrades have finished.
Tip: SCCM 2007 can't deploy OSes to bare-metal systems.
Tech Reference: "Fundamentals of Configuration Manager," TechNet.
About the Author
Andy Barkl, MCT/MCITP/MCSA, A+, Network+, Security+, CCNA has been studying technology for 30 years. Of the last 15 years, he has spent much of his time parting the knowledge and experience he has gained through IT exams, over 300, to help others be prepared and successful. He teaches classes in Phoenix, Ariz. where he has lived most of his life. He can be reached by e-mail at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Printable Format
More Tech Library
Sign up for our newsletter.
I agree to this site's Privacy Policy.
More Webcasts


text:
By Barbara Mhangami-Ruwende
There has been a robust discussion on the issue of white privilege in the world and in South Africa in the last few days on Facebook and I am relieved to see that finally people can have these discussions and express their views without the whole exercise degenerating into an e-blood bath. Therefore it was no surprise to wake up on Wednesday morning and find that one of my friends had tagged me to a response she had written to a blogger named Brendon, who had written a "mea culpa", confessing to his prejudices against black people. You can read the blog here. My friend Gillian Schutte is a white South African who has no problem discussing the devastating role that colonialism and its hideous cousin apartheid wreaked on the continent of Africa and she will never back down from challenging notions of white supremacy. Her rebuttal to Brandon can be read here.
However, after reading both Brendon's blog and Gillian's public response to it, where she basically tells Brendon that his views are not the views of all white people, and that his admittance of prejudice, with absolutely no sign that he was in any way trying to overcome those prejudices was in fact of no use to anyone but himself and others like him, I felt a compulsion to defend myself. Defend myself, you wonder. Yes, defend myself, my blackness, because this is what many black people will tell you: whenever a black person does something wrong, commits a crime, drops a piece of paper on the street, rapes, or murders, all black people are labelled negatively. All black people carry the burden of the guilt of one person or a small group, because of blanket statements many of us grew up hearing from the mouths of white people in southern Africa.
Many of these whites were raised with racism as the very backdrop of their lives, in which they had a black nanny or "house-girl" and a black "garden-boy". By the way these were usually grown men and women with families of their own, but they were infantilised even by the white children, who came of age totally believing that the sole purpose of black people was to be of service to them. These children grew up hearing their parents talk about the dangerous blacks who robbed murdered, raped littered, stank, were drunks and cared only about fucking, dancing and drinking beer all the while beating their women and living in squalor.
Brendon represents the kind of adults those children became and many stayed that way even as adults. Brendon basically believes that he can never be friends with blacks because blacks are not worthy of his friendship by virtue of their "nature". Brendon, and many whites have concluded that blacks are harbingers of all things evil and bad, and that blacks are a subspecies of lesser human form and because of this we, blacks will never reach a standard of intellectual or material accomplishment that would make us worthy of effort by white people.
Just to make things clear to Brendon and his ilk: the mimicry you see black people perform, the fawning and the bootlicking which you so accept as due worship, happens because we are survivors. Many blacks realised that it was a matter of survival to comply and bend with the sick wind that your ancestors belched over us. That is why we could be transported across seas and still thrive where we were enslaved and made to work like the beasts of burden white people saw us to be. Look around the world Brendon and you will see that blacks survived where other indigenous peoples died out in there millions. The US and Native Americans is a great example, as is Australia and the Aborigines.
At our core we have unpacked and deconstructed your bullshit and I am glad to say that my children will fare better in the new world order than yours will. My children are being raised to see human beings first not colour. My children are being raised to be conscious that there are other peoples on this globe and that a sense of entitlement is a dangerous quality to harbour, one that results in stereotyping others and bigotry. In the new world order your kind will be viewed as an aberration, a gross error on the landscape of history. You have shown the world your baseness, your arrogance and stupidity, quite frankly.
I grew up in a country where white people lamented the demise of minority white rule and they all predicted the fall of the great Zimbabwe, bread basket of southern Africa, all thanks to the white farmers of course. Well, Zimbabwe did fall, but rather than honestly analyse the root causes of the fall of Zimbabwe, many white people say: "Look what the blacks, ALL blacks have done to this country."
In the introduction his personal history of Biafra, Professor Chinua Achebe, Nigerian writer and scholar writes: "Africa's post-colonial disposition is the result of a people who have lost the habit of ruling themselves. We have also had difficulty running the new systems foisted upon us by 'our colonial masters'. Because the west has had a long but uneven engagement with the continent, it is imperative that it understand what happened to Africa. It must also play a part in the solution. A meaningful solution will require the goodwill and concerted efforts on the part of all those who share the weight of Africa's historical burden. (There was a Country. A Personal History of Biafra.)
In essence what white people on the continent and in southern Africa in particular do is to absolutely refuse to look at what black people have become and view it as a direct legacy of the work of their ancestors, who dehumanised, robbed, raped, disenfranchised and fragmented millions of organised black communities in order to enrich themselves. Therefore when people like Brendon throw out blanket statements about their racist selves and how they have stopped trying to be friends with blacks, it doesn't occur to them that blacks have a deep seated distrust for white people based on this ugly and relatively young history and that many blacks don't really care to make friends with them. They are so blinded by their position of power, they truly believe that to befriend black people is to do them a huge honour or favour. It is this mind-set that needs to be deconstructed in the minds of young people if there is ever any change to be made towards real and genuine respect for one another.
I have lived in several all-white communities since leaving Africa and believe me, white people's shit stinks just as much as black people's and at 19 years of age the scales fell off my eyes when I saw a German man snort and spit out a bolus of green mucus onto the pavement. I had never thought a white person capable of such a nasty act even in private and here I was, the only black person in middle Bavaria in a tiny village where people stared at me out of windows as I walked down the village streets.
In 2010, after running the Chicago marathon, I decided to stop and use one of the hotel restrooms in downtown Chicago and to my horror I found overflowing toilets with ugly turds floating on mounds of toilet paper, dubious looking liquids on the restroom floors and guess what, there were a handful of blacks who ran in that race which had over 35 000 runners that year. This was not black people's mess!
I use these two examples to illustrate how tragic it is to live an unreflected life in this global day and age. It is high time that black people speak out about racism and how it rears its ugly head, poorly disguised as honesty. While Brendon's confession is hardly a sophisticated one that requires genius to unpack, there are more subtle, insidious ways in which white people try to undermine black people and usurp any collective confidence we might try to gather as we go about our lives. A typical example of this is Donald Trump's demand that democratically elected US President Obama produce his long-form birth certificate, to prove he was an American citizen. That act, performed publicly was supposed to have the effect of humiliating a black man, in the highest office of this land because then surely that would result in the rest of the blacks cowering in shame also.
The white South African comedians and commentators who mock blacks under the guise of humour, by mimicking our accents when we speak English is a contemporary method of "putting us and keeping us in our place", which is as the "house-girl", the "garden-boy" and the cook. It is a subtle way of sending the message even to those who have done well: you are still black and will always be black and all the negativity that this term connotes.
Black people have a lot of work to do on ourselves in terms of throwing off the shackles of mental slavery that have us believing that we are inferior to white people. People like Brendon count on us cowering and living down to their low expectations of us. We are better than that and should teach our children the truth about who these racists are and who we really are: The original Africans who existed and had thriving civilisations before Brendon's ancestors came a-creeping.
That we are poor is because they are rich and have kept everything of the highest quality and standards for themselves. That is a fact and they sit in positions of privilege from which they write their unintelligent bull crap and call it confession! They believe they have superior knowledge through science and technology, all the while failing to accept that the reason the things are this way is because they kept all other peoples in various states of arrested development. Shame!
Brendon, I would encourage you to go back to Ireland and visit the ghettoes of Dublin and come and tell me that blacks are inherently dirty, loud, lazy and inept. There should be a sense of shame in prejudice as blatant and as archaic as yours and there should be shame at the fact that black Africa is in shambles because of the heinous acts of your ancestors. Other white people are trying to create a different legacy for their children than the one that will burden yours: a legacy of hate, oppression and imperial complex. They declared they came in friendship, your ancestors. Now we know different and you want to believe that blacks want your friendship?! Get real!
Barbara Ruwende is a writer and public health professional.


text:
Veronika Scott is 22 years old and the Founder of The Empowerment Plan, a nonprofit that hires Detroit's homeless women to make coats for the homeless.
I met Veronika in August 2011 when she spoke at the event my company powered at the United Nations - The International Year of Youth Culmination Celebration. Veronika wowed hundreds of girls and women who were joining together at the UN to create a global force of positive change. She stood at the UN podium and began telling her story: I started off with a college assignment in early 2010 to design and fulfill a need… I live in Detroit… there are 36,000 homeless individuals and 64,000 abandoned buildings… I didn't need to look very far to find others with greater needs than my own.
Veronika graduated from the College of Creative Studies in Detroit and the next day she flew from Detroit to New York to join me at the Forbes Gallery to share her intimate and passionate story about how she started her company, what motivates her, her mistakes and successes. She's an amazing young woman who is truly changing the world:
More great news for Veronika - today she was featured in the New York Times. But her story doesn't end here, this is only the beginning. Over the next few days I'll be updating this post with "What's next for Veronika, Detroit and the garment industry." Check out Part 2 of this Interview.


text:
Please Note: By clicking a link to any resource listed on this page, you will be leaving the KidsHealth site.
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS)
The AAOS provides information for the public on sports safety, and bone, joint, muscle, ligament and tendon injuries or conditions.
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
The AAP is committed to the health and well-being of infants, adolescents, and young adults. The website offers news articles and tips on health for families.
American Medical Association (AMA)
The AMA is leading meaningful innovation to enable a better health care system for patients, physicians and the country.