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October 14, 2011
Section 1 - Innovation and Transparency
|Describe your top three E-Government IT accomplishments related to Open Government and innovation from this year and provide any related URL(s). You are encouraged to confer with your Open Government Senior Accountable Official. If you have questions on who is your agency's Senior Accountable Official, please see http://www.whitehouse.gov/open/documents/open-government-directive/working-group/
ED Data Express
Since its initial August 2010 launch, ED Data Express (http://eddataexpress.ed.gov) has been serving the public by providing access to high-value education data in an easy-to-use, interactive format. This year, ED Data Express expanded the data visualization tools, enhanced documentation, and provided social networking options for users.
Version 2.0 of ED Data Express offers a new visual layout and provides the public with more dynamic tools to interact with the data such as: a mapping feature that allows users to view the data displayed on a map of the United States; a trend line tool, which displays a data element graphed across multiple school years; and a conditional analysis tool, which allows users to view one data element based on conditions set by another data element.
In addition, the site has improved documentation and added the ability to share information from the site using social networking tools, such as Facebook or Twitter.
The Department is committed to continually updating the data and enhancing the tools available to users. Version 3.0 of ED Data Express will include a redesigned State Snapshots section that is under development and is scheduled to launch this winter.Data Strategy Team
The Department has placed a high priority on making more data publicly available and using data to inform education decision-making. Over the past year, we have successfully formed a Department-wide Data Strategy Team to collaborate across offices on a wide-range of issues related to making data available to the public. This team, as well as its sub-groups, meets frequently to discuss open data formats, examples of public websites created from open data, public interaction and other open government topics. These workgroups have elevated awareness of open data needs in the Department and will continue to have an impact on the future data set releases and related initiatives.
Section 2 - Compliance with Goals and Provisions of the Act
|A. Your agency's Information Resources Management (IRM) Strategic Plan and Enterprise Architecture (EA) Plan;
Information Resources Management Plan
Enterprise Transition Strategy Plan
|B. For each E-Gov initiative, provide final determinations, priorities, and schedules. Also include your agency's information dissemination product catalogs, directories, inventories, and any other management tools used to improve the dissemination of and access to your agency's information by the public;
The Department is committed to providing its full range of information to the public. A primary vehicle for doing so is the Department's main website, ED.gov.
The Department offers a one-stop system for ordering its publications (http://edpubs.ed.gov/), RSS feeds (http://www.ed.gov/news), and a new e-newsletter management system, GovDelivery, that allows citizens to subscribe to ED newsletters on more than 20 topics, is integrated with social media, and provides reports on how many emails are opened and what links the reader clicks (https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USED/subscriber/new?topic_id=USED_5). The Department also uses social media sites to help communicate the Secretary's message and priorities. A complete list of the agency's social media pages, feeds, and channels is at: http://www.ed.gov/about/overview/focus/social-media.html.
|C. Your agency's FOIA handbook, the URL of your agency's primary FOIA Web site, and the URL where frequent requests for records are made available to the public;
Freedom of Information Act
Making a Request
FOIA e-Reading Room
The Department provides a link from its primary FOIA website to the Department of Justice FOIA Guide:
|D. A list of your agency's public Web sites disseminating research and development (R&D) information to the public, describing for each whether the website provides the public information about federally funded R&D activities and/or provides the results of Federal research;
Research and Statistics
Institute of Education Sciences
The Department's primary Web site, ED.gov, hosts a portal page that serves as the starting point to ED research and statistics information (http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/landing.jhtml). The main ED organization that supports ED research and statistics is the Institute of Education Sciences (http://ies.ed.gov/).
|E. An inventory describing formal agency agreements (e.g., contracts, memorandum of understanding) with external entities (e.g., partnerships with State and local governments, public libraries, industry and commercial search engines) complementing your agency's information dissemination program, briefly explaining how each agreement improves the access to and dissemination of government information to the public;
The Department has contracted for the following to complement its information dissemination program: 1) EDpubs and FSAPubs, 2) the Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) for free access to bibliographic records of journal articles and other materials, 3) the What Works Clearinghouse for scientific evidence of what works in education, 4) Doing What Works for effective teaching practices and ways to implement them, 5) College.gov for information about planning, preparing and paying for college, 6) Frequently Asked Questions, and 7) Teach.gov, which aims to increase the number, quality, and diversity of people seeking to become teachers. The Department has the following cooperative agreements: 8) Federal Resources for Educational Excellence (FREE) for teaching and learning resources and 9) Opportunity.gov highlighting education and training opportunities for unemployed Americans.
|F. An inventory that describes your agency's NARA-approved records schedule(s) or the link to the publicly-posted records schedule(s), and a brief explanation of your agency's progress to implement NARA Bulletin 2006-02. For the brief explanation please report the number of systems for which a record schedule was submitted to NARA in FY 2011 and the number of systems still requiring records schedules.
ED's Records Disposition Schedule
Of the 107 electronic information systems containing Federal records, all are covered by a NARA-approved or NARA-submitted records retention schedule. Schedules for 26 new systems identified in FY11 will be completed in FY12.
|G. A description of how your agency has implemented the use of electronic signatures for appropriately secure electronic transactions with Government and established a framework to allow efficient interoperability.
The Department has an ongoing Email Encryption/Digital Signatures Project that will enable users to encrypt email that contains sensitive information prior to sending. This project will also allow users to attach a digital signature to an email prior to sending. As part of the project, the Department has created a key management infrastructure that will enable the Office of Inspector General and Office for Civil Rights to decrypt encrypted emails to meet investigative requirements and to support legal and Freedom of Information Act requests in a timely manner. This project is scheduled to be completed by March 30, 2012.
|H. A description of how your agency has enhanced public participation in Government by electronic means for development and issuance of regulations. (Ex: regulation.gov)
The Department continues to seek greater and more useful public participation in our rulemaking activities through the use of transparent and interactive rulemaking procedures and new technologies.
The Department participates in www.regulations.gov (Regulations.gov), an electronic, single, Government-wide access point that enables the public to submit comments on Federal regulatory documents and to read and respond to comments from other members of the public during the comment period. The Department accepts public comments on all of its proposed and interim final regulations, as well as a limited number of other regulatory documents, through Regulations.gov.
In addition to using Regulations.gov, the Department has sought to use blogs to obtain input from the public on regulatory documents. Notably, in 2011, the Department invited public participation as it developed an approach to the Race to the Top–Early Learning Challenge competition (RTT-ELC). Although the Department was waiving notice-and-comment rulemaking in establishing the priorities and requirements for this competition, we invited the public to provide general input on the ED.gov Blog. In response to this invitation, we received 199 responses, which we considered in our development of the RTT-ELC grant competition notice. We subsequently posted on the Department's website a draft Executive Summary of the competition and invited public input on draft competition priorities, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria. Through the Department's website, members of the public could submit comments directly on one or more of the key competition elements. We received 349 responses, which we also considered in developing the final competition notice.
|I. Performance measures that demonstrate how electronic government enables progress toward agency objectives, strategic goals, and statutory mandates, as identified in conformance with the implementation of the GPRA Modernization Act (including, but not limited to, your agency's performance.gov links at http://goals.performance.gov/agencies), including a description of how your agency has linked performance goals to key stakeholders, private sector, other agencies, and internal operations in delivering information and services through use of IT.
Department-wide annual plans and performance reports, http://www.ed.gov/about/reports/annual/index.html, describe the goals and intended outcomes of agency programs and initiatives. Annual strategies and targets are published in performance plans in advance of each fiscal year; results are reported in annual performance and accountability reports following the fiscal year end. In FY 11, the Department implemented several new strategies to facilitate transparency and improve stakeholder collaboration through improved use of technology. Specifically, the Department made significant progress in expanding access to education-related data, so that analysis of reports on education data can be done outside of the walls of the Department. This includes working to present data in formats that are easily accessed by the general public. These new tools allow users to track their state and the nation's progress on key indicators for early learning, elementary and secondary, and postsecondary education on the U.S. Education Dashboard (http://dashboard.ed.gov) and at Ed Data Express ( http://www.eddataexpress.ed.gov/). Performance.gov (http://goals.performance.gov/agency/ed) identifies the priority goals that will deliver improved educational outcomes for students.
|J. A description of how your agency has reduced errors through use of electronic submissions.
In accordance with the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act, prior to FY 2011, agencies were required to submit contract data to the Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS-NG) and separately submit the associated contract accounting information to USASpending.gov. At that time, FPDS-NG did not capture the accounting information, and ED's Contracts and Purchasing Support System (CPSS) maintained it separately. Therefore, twice a month, ED ran a query to extract this data from CPSS and submit it directly to USASpending.gov in order to update ED contract information that was pre-populated from FPDS-NG. This process was cumbersome and required extra measures to ensure the quality of ED contract accounting data on the USASpending.gov site.
In November 2010, FPDS-NG was enhanced to capture the accounting data. In addition, ED's CPSS was enhanced to require users to enter the accounting data in CPSS and automatically send the fields to FPDS-NG for approval at the time of contract award. As a result, contract accounting data is approved, completed and automatically transferred to the FPDS-NG system in real time. Today, the FPDS-NG system transmits all of ED's contract accounting data to USASpending.gov, and the monthly query that ED submitted separately is no longer required. This improved process puts quality first and reduces the risk that ED contract data will be incomplete or inaccurate when viewed by the public.
|K. A description of three key initiatives (provide specific examples) your agency is taking to improve compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.
The Department has embarked on an Accessibility Enhancement Program. This program is led by the Under Secretary and supported by the Deputy Secretary and Assistant Secretary for Communications and Outreach. An Accessibility Task Force has outlined several key initiatives that make up this program: increasing awareness about accessibility and the importance of accessible websites and electronic documents posted on websites; establishing more robust accessibility policies and standards; developing tools, support and training for those responsible for developing and maintaining content; and establishing processes for periodic review and evaluation of accessibility policies, standards, and practices at the Department.
The Department has distributed an enterprise memo outlining the accessibility program, 504 and 508 information, and requesting an accessibility team lead from each major office; provided multiple presentations on accessibility to staff, including Senior Leadership; worked with the Office of General Counsel to develop ED accessibility policies; worked with Accessibility Task Force to draft Strategic Plan for Accessibility Improvement; and purchased Adobe Pro for those responsible for electronic content.
Efforts under way include: evaluating new tools that improve accessibility for social media; documenting ED requirements for electronic documents (Word, PowerPoint, PDF and Excel); developing and delivering accessibility training (Word, PowerPoint, PDF and Excel); and developing standardized contract language to ensure accessibility is considered for non-IT projects.
|L. The quantified cost savings and cost avoidance achieved through implementation of IT programs.
The enterprise architecture segment modernization planning process has enabled line of business segment owners to increase the amount of development, modernization and enhancement funding across the IT portfolio from $45.17 million (10 percent of total IT spending) in FY 10 to $64.63 million (13 percent of total IT spending) in FY 11. The impact of these adjustments is that the Department has increased its spending for performance-improving IT innovations by $19.46 million. An example of the cost avoidance and cost savings that the segment modernization planning process has enabled can be found in our Grants segment. By opting to reuse the Grants Electronic Monitoring System developed by the Office of Postsecondary Education to support grants management operations in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Department was able to avoid a onetime $300,000 charge for software development and save $10,000 a year in software licensing costs.


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Falcons score 18 straight to down Chargers
It seemed Tri-Point had all the momentum heading into the fourth quarter of Tuesday night's nonconference boys' basketball game against host Flanagan-Cornell. But the Falcons had other ideas.
Flanagan-Cornell scored the first 18 points of the final frame to rout the Chargers 60-49.
The Falcons were able to stymie The Point with a combination of good defense and methodical offense.
"We didn't turn the ball over as many times as we usually do and I think that helped," FCHS head coach Brian Yoder said. "You take care of the ball and play a little defense you're going to be OK."
Flanagan-Cornell had led by one point after each of the first two periods, but found itself down 38-35 after the third quarter. It took 85 seconds to rectify the situation.
Jonathan Barth hit a 3-pointer to tie the game 57 seconds into the period and Matt Harrison scored inside 28 seconds later to put the Falcons ahead 40-38.
Although most of the couple hundred people on hand may have expected a shootout down the stretch, it did not materialize, mainly because the Falcons did not let it.
The defense created turnovers and limited the Chargers to one-shot trips. The offense was taking care of the ball and, whether by design not, running the clock effectively.
Tri-Point got a timeout with 5:42 left in the game after a turnover. The Falcons tried to work its offense but only ran 55 seconds off the clock before calling timeout.
Barth buried another 3-pointer and Harrison scored five points as the lead grew to 48-38 with 2 1/2 minutes remaining.
"I think we picked up the intensity and played pretty well," Yoder said. "I think Matt touched the ball about four times and the freshman Barth hit two big 3s."
Tri-Point's Justin Cox found himself doing something he didn't want when the Falcons began to pull away.
"We talked during the (Flanagan-Cornell) timeout that we're going to have to extend and chase a little bit," Cox said. "We knew with the big boy inside we didn't want to give up easy layups. That's what ended up happening, giving him easy points at the end."
Harrison scored nine points in the fourth quarter as the Chargers extended the defense in order force Flanagan-Cornell's offense into making mistakes.
Tri-Point didn't score in the final frame until Nathan Hoffman nailed a 3-pointer with 1:17 left. By then the Falcons had built a 15-point advantage.
Cox bemoaned his team's recent woes in a five-game losing streak and pointed out that he got a good game from his kids over the first three quarters. He said he is looking for four good quarters to get out of the current funk.
The game was a tight battle for three periods. The Falcons had a seven-point lead a couple of times in the first quarter, but the Chargers trimmed the margin to 16-15 after a three-point play from Jordan Tharp and a nifty drive through the paint from Ryan DeFord.
Brandon Barton hit a 3, Alec Dutko made a free throw and Harrison scored inside as the Falcons held a 22-17 edge with 4:18 left in the first half.
Tri-Point responded with Tharp deuce and a Kyle Moritz 3-pointer to knot the game at 22-22. Tharp then got a steal and raced the length of the floor for a layup and the Chargers' first lead at 24-22.
Barth buried his first triple of the night to give the Falcons a 25-24 halftime lead.
Harrison scored off a lob 15 seconds into the third quarter, but Tri-Point responded quickly with another Moritz trey and a free throw from DeFord that gave the Chargers a 28-27 lead.
The Falcons were leading 31-28 when The Point rattled off eight points over a four-minute span that gave the visitors a 36-31 lead.
Tharp had a free throw and a 3-pointer in the run, and added a 17-footer as time expired to give the Chargers a 38-35 lead entering the fateful fourth frame.
Harrison finished with 19 points in pacing Flanagan-Cornell (13-10). Chad Gundy added 12 and Barth netted 9 markers. Tanner Bertsche had 6 points.
"Toward the end of the season you hope to be playing your best and we're going to try to string together five or six and give ourselves a chance to win," Yoder said.
Tharp had 16 points for the Chargers (11-12). Moritz checked in with 11 and DeFord collected 9 points. Josh Flessner had 5 points.

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Ancestral Cults in Ancient Egypt
Juan Carlos Moreno García
The ancestor cult was a common feature of pharaonic society, aiming to provide social cohesion to extended families as well as close intermediaries with the netherworld. As active members of their respective households, ancestors were objects of veneration and care but were also subject to social obligations toward their kin. However, the continuity of such cults was not exempt from threats, from gradual oblivion to destruction of tombs. Furthermore, tensions between individual strategies and customary duties toward one's kin were another source of instability, especially when officials sought to create their own funerary services and to transfer them to their direct descendants. Such tensions are particularly visible in social sectors close to the king. The assertion of royal authority depended on the elimination of potential sources of political counterweight, and also on the weakening of kin solidarity among members of the elite. As such, the promotion of the cult of royal ancestors, granting individual rewards to selected members of the court and developing personal contact with gods, was part of this strategy. In other cases, "cultural ancestors" provided prestigious links with golden ages of the past, for instance when authorship of sapiential texts was attributed to famous officials of the past or when scribes wrote graffiti in their tombs. Finally, ancestors and ancestral memories were also invented and manipulated for ideological purposes, such as providing legitimacy in periods of political division or prestigious links with the royal palace and the values it promoted.
Ancestor worship thus appears as an active, multifaceted social activity, operating at different levels (individual, domestic/family, community, palace), whose distinctive idiosyncrasies depended on the context in which it operated. Tensions but also mutual influences permeated all these spheres, thus making ancestor cults a dynamic manifestation of social values, political practices, and religious beliefs in pharaonic Egypt.
Ancient Egyptian Religion
Korshi Dosoo
While ancient Egyptians had no conception of religion as a distinct sphere of life, modern scholars have identified a wide range of Egyptian beliefs and practices relating to the divine. Egyptian religion can be traced back to predynastic times, and it developed continuously until the decline of temple religion in the Roman Period. Three mythic cycles are key to its understanding: the creation of the world, and the related solar cycle, which describe the origin and maintenance of the world, and the Osiris cycle, which provides a justification for the human institutions of kingship and funerary rites. Egyptian religion may be seen as being centered on its temples, which functioned both as sites for the worship of the resident gods and the elaboration of their theologies and as important economic and political centers. In addition to gods, three other categories of divine beings played important roles in Egyptian religious practice: kings, sacred and divine animals, and the dead. The king was intimately involved in the temple religion, as the mediator between the divine and human spheres, the patron of the temples, and the beneficiary of his own rituals, while divine and sacred animals seem to have been likewise understood as living embodiments of divine power. Death was understood through a range of metaphors, to which the ritual response was to link the deceased to one or more of the cosmic cycles through practices aimed at translating them into the divine sphere and thus ensuring their continued existence. As with all aspects of the religion, these rituals changed over time but show remarkable consistency throughout recorded history. Alongside these rituals centered on temple, royal, and funerary cults, a number of personal religious practices have been reconstructed as well as one major break in continuity, the "Amarna Revolution," in which the ruling king seems to have briefly instituted a form of monotheism.
Archaeology of Ancient Religions
Caitlín E. Barrett
Archaeology is essential to the cross-cultural study of religion. Archaeologists' focus on material evidence enables them to investigate groups not represented or underrepresented in textual traditions, including non-literate societies and non-elite members of literate societies. Accordingly, archaeology provides a broad comparative lens and longue durée perspective, as well as a means to study the practices of individuals across the social spectrum. Additionally, a disciplinary emphasis on material culture and human-thing relationships enables archaeologists to investigate the materiality of ancient religious traditions—the entanglement of ancient beliefs and practices within the material world.
Because every stage of the archaeological process involves interpretation and theorization, archaeologists' theoretical stances and methodological choices shape the data they obtain. For example, any discussion of the "archaeology of religion" will be shaped by the author's (explicit or implicit) operational definition of "religion" itself (see Part I, "Considering 'Religion' and 'Ritual'"). Modern Western constructions of "religion" involve culturally specific concepts that developed within particular historical contexts, and ancient people's understandings of their beliefs, rituals, and objects may often have employed quite different analytical categories. Additionally, archaeological approaches to ancient religions have undergone significant transformation over the 20th and early 21st centuries (see Part II, "History of the Field"). In contrast to the "New Archaeology" of the 1960s–1970s, which portrayed religion as epiphenomenal and downplayed its significance as a primary generator of social change, late-20th-century movements brought renewed attention to ancient symbolism, ideology, and religion and encouraged scholars to seek methodologically rigorous ways to study ancient religion and ritual.
The third section of the article ("Current Perspectives and Developments") examines contemporary research on the archaeology of religion and analyzes the field's intersections with, and importance to, broader interdisciplinary debates. Today, a proliferation of new scholarship on the archaeology of ancient religions explores the complex interactions between people, objects, and ideas in antiquity. Within the resulting range of new and ongoing developments, this article emphasizes (1) a productive engagement with the broader "material turn" in the humanities and social sciences; (2) a renewed emphasis on religion as a causal force for social change; and (3) an increasing focus on religion's embeddedness within daily life, entailing the reconsideration of analytical categories such as "domestic cult," "personal religion," and "magic."
The contemporary archaeological study of ancient religions is a deeply multidisciplinary endeavor, frequently requiring archaeologists to engage with theories, methods, and specialists from fields that may include anthropology, religious studies, archaeometry, art history, philology, and more. Archaeologists not only generate empirical data about specific sites or cultures, but also investigate broader intellectual questions concerning the role of religion in society, the importance of material culture to religious experience, and the forms of agency wielded by both humans and objects. The archaeology of religion thus has important contributions to make to numerous subjects and debates throughout the humanities and social sciences.
Art and Religion in Ancient Greece and Rome
Robin Osborne and Caroline Vout
One of the challenges shared across cultures and faiths is the intangible, ineffable nature of the divine. One problematic, yet theologically productive, solution to this problem is to embody the divine in sculpture and painting; another is to seek divine aid and attest to divine presence by making votive offerings. In the absence of a sacred text, it was sculptural and graphic representation of the divine that made sanctuaries and temples in Greece and Rome theologically active places. But the need to experience god was not confined to these centers. Greek and Roman gods were everywhere—on coins, gems, drinking vessels, domestic wall paintings. Even when they were not there, their power could be felt in the representation of those who had felt their power. They were as pervasive as they were all seeing.
This article examines how this material culture worked to bring gods and mortals into contact. It does so by tackling three major issues: first, it discusses how a wide range of artifacts, monumental and modest, shaped sanctuary space and guided and recorded the worshipper's interaction with the divine; second, it looks at images of gods themselves and how these affected epiphany, while maintaining a critical gap and insisting on their strangeness; and third, it uses art to rethink the relationship of religion and myth. Although there are some continuities between cultures, the rise of Hellenistic and Roman ruler cults created a new subcategory of gods, creating additional representational challenges. Out of this came Christ, who was god incarnate. We briefly explore how early Christian artists used the problems of anthropomorphism to their spiritual advantage.
Egypt in the Old Testament
Christopher Hays
The relationship between Egypt and ancient Israel and Judah was far more complex than is often recognized. Egypt figures prominently in their national myths of origin as a way station for the patriarchs and as the "house of slaves" and starting point of the Exodus. Although no Exodus event can be confirmed from extrabiblical sources, its significance in the Bible suggests an historical kernel. The diverse existing traditions about Egypt in the texts of the Pentateuch and other early biblical writings, combined and written down at a later date, seem to reflect different experiences on the part of the groups that coalesced into Israel
By the time of the monarchy, there is more direct evidence for Egyptian influence on Israelite culture, particularly in administrative affairs. It is also clear that Egyptian religion was practiced in the Levant at this time and would have been known in Israel and Judah.
By the time of the divided monarchy, the historical picture comes into better focus. Relations between Egypt, Israel, and Judah were quite variable. Although Egypt's New Kingdom empire in the Levant had ended, the region continued to be a useful trading outlet, and the pharaohs were not above raiding to assert their power. However, there are numerous examples of fugitives from the Levant finding refuge from their enemies in Egypt. In the interest of maintaining a buffer zone against the northern empires that encroached, Egypt and Kush gave military aid to Israel and Judah at times, through both direct action and supplies.
The prophets had not forgotten Egypt's role as an oppressor and frequently condemned it, as well as the tendency of Israelite and Judahite rulers to seek its help. But at times the prophets also envisioned peace with Egypt.
There are a number of specific Egyptian texts that supply mutually illuminating points of comparison with biblical texts, including wisdom instructions, prayers, hymns, creation accounts, and autobiographies. These are indications of the extensive, ongoing, cultural interactions between Egypt and the cultures that produced the Old Testament.
Festivals in Ancient Greece and Rome
Fritz Graf
Festivals are periods of time, cut out from daily life, during which a group performs activities that are most often thought of as communications with the superhuman world. Festival names in Greece and Rome often express this close connection with a divinity, a hero, or a human founder, or they refer to a ritual activity that is characteristic for a festival. The basic ritual elements that underlie a specific festival scenario are similar in both cultures (as well as in other cultures of the ancient Mediterranean world): processions, sacrifices with ensuing banquets, and athletic and musical contests are most common and exist already in the festival descriptions in Homer, such as the New Moon festival on Ithaca in the Odyssey. Common festivals founded and expressed group identity, first and foremost on the city level, but also for smaller and larger groups, from the family and clan group to the tribe or the community of all Hellenes. Greek and Roman festivals were so similar in their basic forms that, during the Imperial epoch, cities in the eastern part of the Empire adopted Roman festivals despite the fact that Greek cities followed a lunar calendar, whereas Rome early on had introduced a luni-solar system. The one festival type absent from the Roman world, at least during the Republican epoch, was the mystery ritual that, typically through a one-time initiation ritual, founded groups that transcended a single city, as well as the limits of gender and social status.
During the Imperial epoch, both Rome and the cities of Greece continued their traditional festivals, but also developed their festival calendars in new directions, continuing and exploring innovations that had occurred already in Hellenistic times. An early development was ruler cult, developed in the Greek cities during Hellenistic times and adopted for the cult of Roman emperors, who exploited its potential to tie together a heterogeneous empire through shared cultic activities. The most important driving force was an understanding of divine power that was defined through its helpful manifestation and thus allowed the cult of outstandingly powerful humans. Wealthy citizens of Hellenistic cities also founded festivals in the memory of family members, and during the Imperial period, such foundations multiplied and gained in grandeur. The Imperial epoch also saw the extension of single festivals to events that lasted many days, if not an entire month and helped to shape the Christian festival calendar with its long festival periods.
Gods in Ancient Egypt
Oskar Kaelin
The ancient Egyptians were surrounded by various manifestations of their many gods. Though their gods usually lived in heaven or in the netherworlds, they were permanently represented on earth by monuments, statues, symbols, animals, and plants, as well as by social concepts. The Egyptians described their gods by various names and images, always aware that in the end their true personalities and characters remained elusive.
The ancient Egyptian universe comprised heaven, earth, and netherworld, all part of creation and surrounded by eternal darkness. Though separate areas, they were permeable for the gods and the dead. The universe ran smoothly as long as there was respect and cooperation between them and the living. This formed an ideological, social, and economic cohesion.
The gods were powerful but benevolent, and approachable in many ways. The divine king was the hub between the world of the gods and the human sphere. He was the main entity responsible for organizing the supply and welfare of the humans, and for keeping order. During official festivals, the living, the gods, and the dead celebrated together, but there were also a number of more personal ways to approach deities. The various sites of interaction between gods and men formed a vast network connecting all the players: the gods were responsible for creation and abundance, the kings and elites were primarily responsible for ensuring that the system ran according to Maat ("Order"), and the people were responsible for living and working throughout the country.
The system of ancient Egyptian gods structured Egyptian ideas, policies, and everyday life from the end of the 4th millennium
Greek and Roman Priests and Religious Personnel
Robert Garland
The Christian word "priest," which is generally used to translate the Greek word hiereus and the Latin word sacerdos, only inadequately captures the essence of how those who bore this title functioned and were perceived in Greek and Roman polytheism. Foremost among the differences between pagan and Christian priests is the fact that the former did not have any pastoral responsibilities, were not expected to lead exemplary lives, and did not exist in a hierarchy under a centralized religious authority. Instead their duties were largely liturgical and administrative, the proper performing of sacrifice and the upkeep of the sanctuary being among the foremost. Methods of appointment varied—some priesthoods were reserved within specific kin-groups, others were available to the entire citizen body, and still others could be sold to the highest bidder.
There were, however, important distinctions between Greek and Roman priests. In the Roman world, for instance, there were far fewer priestesses and a closer connection between religion and politics. In both systems, however, religion provided important outlets for women, not least by presenting them with a unique opportunity to enhance their social status. In Rome the connection between religion and politics strengthened over time. Under the Augustan Principate the position of pontifex maximus, a kind of high priest, became central to the identity of the princeps and was filled by all his successors at least until the late-4th century. The Graeco-Roman world also had a variety of other religious personnel, who performed important functions like the supervising of temple finances or the expounding of sacral law. Among the most important were seers or diviners, who produced oracles and had the expertise to interpret omens.
Objects and Ancient Religions
Jay Johnston
Objects are implicit in understanding ancient religious practice. Taken as any material artifact used by an individual practitioner, faith community, or religious hierarchy for devotional or ritual purposes, objects can be interpreted as playing a number of roles in ancient religious practice. These roles include being a marker of faith identity; the physical locus of a metaphysical agent, able to be utilized in devotional practice; a talisman imbued with apotropaic effect; or an object ascribed with a ritual function (distinct from other objects of the same type), for example, a chalice. These objects are large and small, stationary and mobile. They can be carried by groups in ceremonial procession or by an individual person; worn as jewelry or installed on a domestic or public altar; buried or purposively broken; and exchanged with others to create and maintain social and interfaith relations. In addition to the recognized statue forms embodying divinities, examples may also include ancient Egyptian funerary goods, carved gemstones (e.g., Gnostic gems), pendants (e.g., Thor's hammer or a Christian cross),votive images and dedications (including small figurines and models of building complexes), amulets (e.g., inscribed objects or texts worn on the person), sacred robes or headdresses, temple furniture, musical instruments used in rituals, relics, and pilgrim's mementoes.
Religious studies as an academic discipline has historically emphasized the textual foundations of belief practice; however, a turn toward "Material Religion" since the beginning of the 21st century, informed by broader material culture studies, has increasingly focused research upon the significant role of objects in religious practice. Of especial interest is their role in establishing, signaling, and maintaining individual and community identity and worldviews. This emphasis on material agency, although initially applied to interpreting prehistoric and indigenous "religion," has more recently been employed to rethink identity and practice in faith traditions both ancient and contemporary. The very process of production (smelting, using naturally formed material, which may have been carved or painted,etc.), as well as how this is to be understood within a religious framework, including the metaphorical associations attributed to different types of material, has also been an area of sustained inquiry. Thus, these religious objects and what can be known of their use are "read" to understand lived religious practice. Rather than viewed as "secondary" to the written text, they are seen as crucial to the practice and development of faith. However, debate remains vibrant concerning those objects and their accompanying iconography when no, or limited, supporting textual sources exist and where conflicting interpretations have been presented. Further, there is increased recognition and critique of the degree to which academic fashions of the past have placed emphasis upon certain types of objects rather than others: for example, Greek statues contra artifacts involved in practices designated "magical" (and therefore not orthodox or mainstream; e.g., phylacteries, ritual handbooks, "demon bowls"), those employed in domestic piety (with associated gender bias), objects designated "low" culture, or objects of a rural or village practice rather than those found in urban centers.
Religion and Humanity in Mesopotamian Myth and Epic
Louise Pryke
Concepts of religion and humanity form an integral component of Mesopotamian narrative literature, and these ideas are evidenced in the frequent exploration of themes involving mortality and immortality, power and authority, and creation and destruction. Through the use of plot, characterization, literary themes and techniques, and also structure, Mesopotamian myths and epics transmit religious ideas and beliefs, as well as informing on cultural identity and meaning. In both oral and written transmission, storytelling is a powerful medium for exploring ancient theology.
Religious ideas are expressed in a wide array of Mesopotamian literary works, and while some features, such as the polytheistic view of the divine hierarchy, remain generally constant, different texts and "genres" show changes in focus and in the perception of the divine and the human. While deities and supernatural creatures have a prominent role in literature, Mesopotamian myth is not only concerned with theistic matters, but also with what it means to be human.
It is often observed in modern scholarly works that humans, in the Babylonian Flood narrative of Atrahasis, and the creation myth of Enuma Elish, were born to serve the gods and perform their menial tasks. This is undoubtedly an important observation for the analysis of humanity and religion, yet the presentation of human/divine relations as one of simple subjection gives a misleading and superficial impression of the interaction between the mortal and divine spheres, one that is at odds with the subject's complexity, variety, and subtlety.
Myths and epics provide a multifaceted picture of a number of different types of relationships between gods and humans: even in the narrative of Atrahasis, individual deities interact with humans in different ways; there is no "one size fits all" divine connection in Mesopotamian literature. Despite a rigid hierarchy in favor of the divine, these relationships are frequently close, involving strong emotional bonds. The human/divine connection is not solely beneficial to either party, but reciprocal and often mutually rewarding. At the same time, the relations between humans and deities can be destructive and damaging—with the harm most often depicted to occur on the human side, possibly because of the vulnerability offered by mortality and the lack of supernatural abilities. Humanity is reflected in the anthropomorphic representations of deities and also the sociomorphism of their family-oriented community structure. For heroes of epic literature, the divine connection can be perilous, but also rewarding. The success of heroes in accessing divine support is frequently (but not exclusively) linked to the morality of their actions.
Religion and humanity in literature concern not only deities' interactions with humans, but also how the authors of literature conceptualized and gave meaning to the human condition. It is clear from Mesopotamian literature that close, positive relationships with the divine were important for survival and success during the human lifespan (and even beyond), yet at the same time, the answer to questions of finding meaning in mortal existence is at times presented in very human terms. Love, alongside shared human achievements and experiences, is presented in several literary sources as essential for giving meaning to the human condition.
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WASHINGTON (AP) - The FBI has reached a milestone in its 63-year-old program of pursuing its "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives."
It has added the 499th and 500th names of fugitives to have appeared over the years on its regularly updated list.
The FBI says citizen cooperation has led to 155 of the fugitives being apprehended or their bodies found.
The two new additions are Jose Manuel Garcia Guevara, who allegedly murdered a 26-year-old woman in the presence of her 4-year-old stepson in Lake Charles, in 2008; and Walter Lee Williams, a former California professor wanted for the alleged sexual exploitation of children and traveling abroad to engage in illicit sex acts with children.
You can read KPLC's coverage of the Guevara case HERE.
Guevara is believed to be in Mexico. Williams has lived in Palm Springs, Calif., and has traveled extensively in the Philippines and has reportedly lived in Indonesia, Polynesia and Thailand.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Coolermaster ATCS840 Case Review
When you look at someone's computer for the first time, the first thing you notice is the case. Whether it looks bad or awesome, it's easy to have a quick judgement on the hardware that's probably resting inside. High end cases usually house high end components and the same is true of the opposite. Of course, looking good is always a nice thing, but it should also do a fine job at being a case. Important factors often looked for when shopping for one include, but not limited to, are size and air flow since all this precious hardware needs some of its own fresh air to cool down after a hard gaming session. Materials used by the manufacturer also often play an important role since nobody wants a flimsy piece of plastic falling apart within weeks. Finally, price is, of course, a vital sale argument, although most people are willing to pay the proper amount for their case. With so many different models available on the market, there is most likely one out there to fit everyone's want and needs.
Coolermaster specializes in designing and manufacturing thermal solutions for consumer applications like fans, heatsinks, cases and various other accessories. The company is dedicated to provide us with fine products so every design goes through a strict series of testing before it leaves the factory and is brought to retail market. Just a few weeks ago, we reviewed the HAF 932, which was Coolermaster's latest case before now. Today, I am looking at its newest piece of engineering - the ATCS 840. This one is also a full tower, but with a much classier look.
Closer look:
The first thing I noticed when I took the box inside is how big it is, the box is about two feet high and another two feet and a few inches long. The box is pretty sturdy and therefore arrived in good shape. As you can see from the pictures below, the box isn't flashy or anything, just plain cardboard. On the main side, there's a rough picture of what it looks like with what looks like circus themed art around. The back side gets a little interesting and technical, showcasing all the removable parts, which seems like pretty much everything.
On the left side is quick rundown of the features while the opposite end of the box gets all of the specifications in detail. Both side also sport a handle, which highly facilitates carrying this huge box around, which weighs in at a hefty 35 pounds.
With the box cracked open, I was welcomed by the top of the case housing two huge fans. It is tightly packaged and nothing worrying could be heard moving when shaking the box, but perhaps I was expecting a little more Styrofoam in there in order to better protect it from shipping damage, since you just never know what can happen during shipping. At least it arrived in good shape and that's all that really counts.
In the box itself, there is the ACTS manual floating around, while other case accessories are all hiding within the enclosure itself. The manual is very well done. Everything, from installing the power supply, drives and the motherboard to taking the whole thing apart is well detailed with plenty of pictures. Even though the pictures are in black and white, they are printed in higher than average quality so they are easy to read and understand. Fast forward into the case, a few, more precisely two, more boxes are found. One of them contains an air duct to attach to the back of the case. The other one contains a myriad of screws, mounting hardware and even a bunch of tie wraps. Bottom mount power supply implies you will most likely need a longer ATX12V connector, so they bundled an extension. The metal plate is used to support the back of the power supply for users wanting to install it on top. Basically, it's more than enough to successfully get going.
Read on for a 360 tour around this enclosure.


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1 or more
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ABOUT THIS PRODUCT: 240 coins per pound. Coin Size 0.75 inches. Premium Belgian Milk Chocolate imported from Holland. Kosher OU-D. Black and White individually foiled chocolate coins. Mazel Tov imprinted in English and Hebrew.
This color theme is wonderful for an elegant event setting. Classic combination of black and white is great for dressing up your table decor. Add gold coins for extra shine. #minimazeltovs
It would be our pleasure to ship it to you!
Free shipping and more discounts! Chocolategelt.com is your online source for Mini Mazel Tovs BLACK & WHITE Chocolate Coins - 1LB Bulk (240 coins) Kosher OU-D. We serve schools, synagogues, non-profit organizations, as well as individuals. Mini Mazel Tovs BLACK & WHITE Chocolate Coins - 1LB Bulk (240 coins) Kosher OU-D sold retail and wholesale, you can see price break depending on quantity you buy on each product page. Our popular products are dreidels, chocolate coins also known as gelt, candles and party gifts for Chanukah. Our selection also includes wide variety of Purim supplies Thank you for shopping at our store!
- Wholesale - Contact/FAQ - Testimonials


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Jaime Hernandez: The 1973-D Eisenhower Dollar has a very low mintage once compared to Eisenhower Dollars from the previous years. For example, in 1972 alone the Denver Mint struck over 90 million coins. Where in 1973, the Denver Mint only struck 2 million Eisenhower Dollars.
© 1999-2018 Collectors Universe NASDAQ: CLCT


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Zac Efron - Teen Choice Awards 2008
Zac Efron arrives in Salvatore Ferragamo's "Nigel" boot at the 2008 Teen Choice Awards at Gibson Amphitheater on Sunday, August 3, 2008 in Los Angeles.
The 20-year-old High School Musical star was seen giving costar girlfriend a great big hug on the blue carpet. Zanessa also joined Hancock star Will Smith for a few pics. Zac was also seen taking pictures with Gossip Girl hunk Chace Crawford (pictured below).
The 2008 Teen Choice Awards is scheduled to air on Monday @ 8PM ET/PT on FOX.
10+ pictures inside of Zac Efron @ the 2008 Teen Choice Awards…


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Yung Ralph ft. Rich Homie Quan - Juugin Round The City [Unsigned Hype]
MixTape Name-
Juugin Round The City
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March 12, 2013
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text: B.O.B. aka Bobby Ray (Simmons) performs his smash hit single "Nothin' On You" ft. Bruno Mars, at a show for the troops at Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn NY, on July 4th, 2010. The show was hosted by MCMI and The SOURCE Magazine's own Mr. Mecca. Wendy Williams came out to specially announce Bobby Ray. He rocked with a live band, sang, rapped and played acoustic guitar.


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credit:: gabrielle kai
Friday, January 29, 2010
peace out
Posted by beachbungalow8 at 12:00 AM
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Labels: peace
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Blog Out Loud wants YOU
I've received many emails over the past year asking how one could be a part of the Blog Out Loud S.W.A.G. bags {if you haven't heard, they kick some serious ass} . Do you have a great, hand-made product that you'd like to promote? A little nibble of your creative genius you like to share? Our audiences are rich with various creatives, bloggers, writers and folks just like you. This is an excellent opportunity to get your beautiful work into the hands of the folks who matter and will make a difference.
If you're interested, drop me a line and I'll fill you in. And mark your calendars for March 4th, San Francisco. More info to come.....
Posted by beachbungalow8 at 2:02 PM
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the bookbook, protects you from that which blows
Your Macbook can take some serious blows. A slip off the table at the Java Hut, an errant trip over a cord, sending yourself and your precious lap top reeling. Death to the Macbook can come swiftly and without warning.
Twelve south {the genies behind this design} claim the glories of their product are three: to protect from the blows of life, to disguise from computer thieves by turning your precious lap top into what appears to be an antique, leather bound book and finally raising your rad factor, 10 fold by making your lap top look like nobody else's.
That's right, no two are a like. And all for around $80.00
like it? go here
via josh spear
stylin' with elodie rambaud
Come rest your weary eyes, It's been a long week. Or maybe you're like me, and just want a purpose to your procrastination. Whichever, here ya go - some hot, french, interior porn, from French stylist Elodie Rambaud's website.
Posted by beachbungalow8 at 12:00 AM
5 comments:
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Labels: interior design
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Amaison Gourmet shop
If you've ever experienced Amsterdam, you know these people have the design thing down. long time. Amaison gourmet food shop's concept was based on the idea of being your grandmother's kitchen, trying things as she cooks it and taking it home.
The Design group concrete used a 'house shaped building' block as the core design element to every aspect of the design in the space.
I'm hungry.
design:: concrete
Posted by beachbungalow8 at 11:15 PM
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Labels: interior design
quiet sky
Japanese artist, Misa Tanaka creates these vessels by fusing porcelain and glass, aptly entitled: Shizukana Sora:: Quiet Sky.
Posted by beachbungalow8 at 10:39 PM
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::chelsea cardinal::
Great pen and ink, watercolor illustrations by Brooklyn artist, Chelsea Cardinal.
Cardinal, an illustrator by study, works as a designer for GQ magazine, creating beautiful art at night. I'm really inspired these days by the laying down of an image via ink combined with the looseness of watercolor.I think those of us who are 'illustrators' can, pretty easily create art that looks like the subject. That's just what we do. But the real talent comes in with "what you do with it"; how you make it come alive with personality. It may be through the line weight {am I getting too technical?} or even the humor of the line laid down {too esoteric?}
My own work has always been so tight and when I've tried to be less so, I'm never happy with my results {perfectionist in me}
An approach like this combines both the exactness that I like but with an unpredictability {the hand lettering aspect is fantastic as well}
her paintings are pretty great too:
She sells prints.917-804-7992
along the same line: sujean rim
Posted by beachbungalow8 at 9:02 AM
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Labels: art, illustration
Monday, January 25, 2010
more things to do on a rainy day....
Stumbled across this great, DIY blog tonight. The girl is fearless with her cheap, diy projects. And when I say cheap, I mean, she didn't want to foot the bill for an electric saw to build a pelmet box, so she used FOAM CORE. Foam core and DUCK TAPE. And it turned out amazingly, well:
Oh, and here was the thing that piqued my interest initially,
A small Bombay chest from Homegoods, that she silver leafed. Really easy project. Don't go over to this blog until you have some time. And when you do, search her DIY section. You'll be headed over to craig's list and your local craft store, faster than you can say 'Eddie Ross' oh, and if you're in that DIY kind of mood and somehow missed Jennifer Boles' {Peak of Chic} bathroom re-do. Go check it out. You'll be warming up your glue gun with a whole new gusto.
and to add to the list, another elegant and spine tingiling DIY project by Patricia {Mrs. Blandings} here
Posted by beachbungalow8 at 10:43 PM
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color bath
Last week we sat inside and watched as the rain came down in torrents.... five days in a row. The sky was dark, there was thunder {unheard of}, power outages, threats of tornadoes {at the beach...think on that for a moment} high winds tossed bougainvillea up and through the, stuck-open, sky light pasting my floor with wet pink papery petals. I realize that most of you are in the dead center of 'winter'. And that this is the part when it becomes mind numbingly bleak and begins making even tempered people grouchy and unreasonable. And that my winter, with all of its greenery and blooming flowers and sub par rain fall averages, is almost an obnoxious mockery.
I ran across photographer, Debi Treloar's work over the weekend and thought, with all of its bright warm energy, that these would make for a great little 'welcome to your week' posting.
Here's to being hopeful that spring is 'round the bend.
and if you're needing more, warm-the-cockels-of-your-winter-bound-heart visuals check out: absolutely beautiful things. Anna's posts always make me happy.
Friday, January 22, 2010
peace out
Posted by beachbungalow8 at 12:00 AM
4 comments:
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Labels: peace
Thursday, January 21, 2010
loving. living. small. give away
Are you a small space dweller and loving it? Run over to my friend and Blog Out Loud co-founder's blog, loving.living.small - the blog that's all about small space dwelling with big design- and tell her about one of your favorite tips for living small. If you win you'll receive the, not yet released, DKNY fragrances; Delicious Candy Apple. Not just one, but the trio of scents.
A suite of sweets for your little suite...loving.living.small
fold school
patience and a lot of time on one's hand. Paper art has been around for over a thousand years, finding its roots in Japan, but rarely getting the mention that it deserves. Folded, cut, pasted, prodded, carved or quilled....these are all, so, completely off the hook.... Bovey Lee, Jolis Paon,Brian Dettmer,Richard Sweeney,Bert Simons, Su Blackwell, Yulia Brodskaya
images from web designer depot.com
Posted by beachbungalow8 at 2:12 AM
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Wednesday, January 20, 2010
bloomingdale's big window challenge...
photo credit:: eddie ross
It's up and running and ready for the voting to begin. Vote once, vote twice, for your favorite window vignette. Using a selection of Bloomingdales furniture line, each designer was challenged to come up with a window of their own creative invention.
Is it Maxwell from AT's "The Writer's Romantic Supper" room?
Eileen Joyce from Bloomingdales' "A sophisticated travel magazine editor" room?
or perhaps Eddie Ross for Elle Decor's "The Modern Woman" room { my personal favorite - but you're on your own. I love splatter paint as a design element} For those of you not able to stroll by the flagship store, hop over to Apartment Therapy log-in and vote. Or text message your vote {standard texting rates apply}
Please Send a Text to 89800—Enter Only 1, 2, or 3:
- 2—Apartment Therapy
- 3—Bloomingdale's
Oh and one other thing, if you're lucky enough to be in NYC January 28th, you're invited to attend the BWC celebratory party. 6-8 pm , 5th floor {rsvp.apartmenttherapy.com}. Meet all of the designers in person and check out their innovative hard work. In the end , they're pretty much all winners. Cheers!
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Jan 2010
- peace out
- Blog Out Loud wants YOU
- the bookbook, protects you from that which blows
- stylin' with elodie rambaud
- Amaison Gourmet shop
- quiet sky
- ::chelsea cardinal::
- more things to do on a rainy day....
- color bath
- peace out
- loving. living. small. give away
- fold school
- bloomingdale's big window challenge...
- how ever you slice it, it's good
- down came the rain
- peace out
- Production Designer, Beth Rubino on The Skirted Ro...
- found::
- reform school
- knot's landing- and old carpenter's shop turned ho...
- it's about the bones
- peace out
- in the throws of anthro
- This week on The Skirted Round Table:: Stephen Dru...
- How I Spent My Christmas Vacation.
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it's all about me, really.
- beachbungalow8
- Manhattan Beach, California, United States
- editor | interior designer | podcast personality | social media pollinator


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Harry Potter's favorite candy! Delicious "normal" jelly beans are mixed with crazy, creepy flavors in a 20-flavor magical medley!1.2 oz.
Flavors include: Banana, Black Pepper, Blueberry, Booger, Candyfloss, Cherry, Cinnamon, Dirt, Earthworm, Earwax, Grass, Green Apple, Marshmallow, Rotten Egg, Sausage, Lemon Soap, Tutti-Fruitti, Vomit, Watermelon
Made in the USA.
- Item #: 6-JB-61805


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Build Your Own Salad Table
In my ideal world I would skip out the backdoor into my luscious yard and pick a few leafy greens and vegetables out of my organic garden for a lovely summer's dinner each night. But in reality, I am just trying to make sure I water my plants without starving or drowning them on a daily basis. So building a salad table just might save the day.
I hadn't been familiar with salad tables until a few weeks ago when a friend of mine was building one. I have been trying to greenify my thumb since moving to the Pacific Northwest, and creating this edible garden just might be the way to kick it up a few notches.
Salad tables can be any size which is great for urban gardeners and small spaces like balconies or rooftops. Since the table is made at waist level it's ideal for people with back or knee issues. Salad tables are used to grow shallow rooted leafy vegetables like lettuce, kale, herbs, and other plants. The 3.5" depth provides prime growing conditions; and this special above ground container allows for rapid growth, fewer pest problems and no weeds to battle.
You can expect to harvest one to two pounds of leafy greens per salad table cutting. Here is a pdf with instructions on how to build a salad table, plant your garden, and keep it thriving.
Related Posts: Martha Stewart Info and Video on DIY Salad Tables
Images: Marie Moreau and Gaten Coulaud, Steve Masley, 5 Dollar Dinners


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Boston Red Sox Keychains
Boston Red Sox Keychains
Official Boston Red Sox keychain and lanyard for MLB baseball fans and team supporters. Lot of shapes and styles – bottle opener keychain, oval, rectangle, spinner and circle. Made of metal in several finishes and genuine leather. FREE shipping for orders exceeding $15. Fast delivery from central warehouse in California.
Option to personalize with laser engraving. Grab the best deals for Boston Red Sox logo keychain at DiscountedKeychains.com.


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Ard named A-Sun Player of the Week
Jan. 23, 2006
Macon, Ga. - Lipscomb's Eddie Ard received his first A-Sun Player of the Week nod after a week highlighted by pouring in a career-high 25 points to lead Lipscomb to their fifth straight victory, a 97-85 overtime decision versus Belmont before a standing room only crowd at Allen Arena on Friday night.Ard added a game-high 11 rebounds in the win over the Bruins to post his second double-double of the season. The 6-5 wingman drilled 11-of-12 shot from the foul line to help secure the victory as well. The win helped Lipscomb maintain their place in the standings, just one game behind league leader Kennesaw State in the loss column. Prior to the Belmont game, the sophomore dropped a game-high 22 points in a slim 57-52 win over visiting Stetson. In that game, Ard scored six of the Bisons final nine points. For the season, Ard leads the Bisons in scoring, averaging 16.2 points per game and has eclipsed the 20-point plateau six times. The LaPlace, La., native wins his first POTW award and the second for the Bisons this season. Junior guard Brian Fisk won for the week of Dec. 19-25. Ard is majoring in Organizational Communications at Lipscomb. The Bisons will play for sole possession of second place in the conference standings when they travel to Florida Atlantic for a Tuesday night tilt. The Atlantic Sun Conference hands out Player of the Week awards weekly during the 2005-06 basketball campaign. The 11-member league headquartered in Macon, Ga., consists of Belmont, Campbell, ETSU, Florida Atlantic, Gardner-Webb, Jacksonville, Kennesaw State, Lipscomb, Mercer, North Florida and Stetson.


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Telefax: No fax number available
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Biz owner? Moderate reviews or edit listing.
Search entire category for Moving Supplies & Equipment - Renting
Moving Supplies and Equipment - Renting, in Tukwila, refer to all the equipment that are needed for relocation purposes, and may be availed on rental basis at much economical rates.


text: Media, Sport and Entertainment Intelligence - August 2016 Media, Sport and Entertainment Intelligence Share this 6 AUG 2016 által: Nick Fitzpatrick Peter C. White Frank W. Ryan Patrick Mitchell Jamie Ryder Prof Dr Stefan Engels Richard van Schaik Robynne Sanders Scott Thiel Diego Ramos Overview The Rio 2016 Summer Olympics have been dominating the headlines worldwide for a number of reasons, ranging from broadcasting options, including virtual reality, through to doping accusations. Some of these issues are as yet unresolved, but what we do know is that the games will provide a spectacular month of sports viewing, whichever nation you're rooting for. This month's edition of MSE Intelligence focuses on proposed changes to TV and media rights in Europe, as well as some interesting changes to betting laws in South Australia. Media and broadcasting The European Commission presented its upcoming changes to the new Audio Visual Service Directive leading to less restrictive rules regarding advertisement in TV. For example, channels shall have more autonomy in deciding when and how often they broadcast advertisements, as long as they do not exceed the overall limit of 20 percent advertising content. There shall also be more freedom in the use of product placements and sponsoring, provided that viewers are informed accordingly. Changes shall further comprise a more effective control of video platforms like YouTube as well as a quota for on-demand and streaming services of at least 20 per cent content to be produced in the EU. In Italy, a new channel line-up for digital terrestrial television is expected that will create significant business opportunities, especially for newcomers. In fact, certain positions on the channel line-up are likely to be reserved for such operators by the public authorities. Italy is also discussing a brand-new proposal reforming broadcasting rights on sports events. The bill aims to develop competition in the relevant markets, opening the acquisition of such rights to publishers / aggregators that might not necessarily have authorisations in order to broadcast on traditional platforms (digital terrestrial television and satellite). Internet-based operators could compete in the tender procedures, given the light administrative procedures currently in place for on-demand content providers. Furthermore, the duty to broadcast at least one match of the Italian Serie A free-to-air is under discussion. In Australia, Ernst & Young's latest Internet of Things report highlights that the majority of Australians still watch free-to-air TV more than legal and illegal streaming. The report forecasts a time when consumers put so much personal information online that advertisers are able to select what mood they want to target in consumers. "If smart devices provide useful data ... that is perceived as non-intrusive and the resulting content experience correctly interprets consumers' current readings (mood, need, intention) ... the implications for improved brand loyalty could be vast," the report says. With reference to football audiovisual rights, the Italian Competition Authority imposed huge fines on operators (Football League Association, advisors and broadcasters) for agreements restricting competition in the relevant markets (both traditional media and online). The new tender procedure for the allocation of audiovisual rights for seasons 2018-2019, 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 will launch shortly. For more news on the impact of the fines and the tender procedure, please follow our blog. Gaming In Australia, the state of South Australia will become the first Australian jurisdiction to introduce a place-of-consumption tax of 15 per cent on the net wagering revenue (NWR) of betting companies offering services to South Australia, effective from July 1, 2017. All bets placed in South Australia with Australian-based betting companies will be liable for the tax. The place-of-consumption tax will apply to a whole host of sports, as well as entertainment, such as the Academy Awards, and political elections. Based on 2014-15 data, the wagering tax is expected to raise AUD$9.2 million each year in new revenue. Of that, AUD$500,000 will be contributed annually to the Gamblers Rehabilitation Fund, the first time that the betting industry has contributed to the fund. MSE blog updates These are the most popular of the new posts on our Media, Sport and Entertainment blog: Brexit and MSE: Post Brexit Trade Models- Hong Kong and Singapore Brexit: Impact on Media, Sport and Entertainment


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As the global economy improves, experts expect that business travel will also see an increase for 2014. Although the numbers were predicted to be higher than average this year, it was not as great of a jump as anticipated. As a result, there wasn't a huge change in airfare or rates for car rentals and hotel accommodations.
However, in the coming year, these three sectors will likely become more expensive. This will be in part due to inflation, but industry experts find it unlikely that significant fare hikes will occur - at least not among U.S. and European airlines.
There are some locales in which you may experience high rates in addition to limited resources. In Latin America, there has been carrier consolidation due to the recent surge of flights out of Brazil. As a result, air fares may increase by as much as 3 percent in 2014. On the other hand, flights between Africa, Europe and Asia Pacific are anticipated to decrease because of overcapacity from Gulf carriers.
Additionally, you may find that car rental companies are having their vehicles snatched up well in advance. So, if you are planning business travel any time in the next year, be sure to book your rental car, hotel and flight as far in advance as possible.


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All In The Family... And What I Think About It...
Keely came to visit today and she told me what classes she's taking duing the fall semester:
Lab for Organic Chemistry I
Organic Chemistry II
Physics II Light, Sound & Waves
Physics II Lab
Advanced Bio-Chemistry
Intro to Complex Variable Analysis (aka Calculus 5)
At her age, I might have been able to handle all that, but now, just thinking about it makes my head hurt!
No, I must be honest! I wouldn't have been able to handle those classes because I didn't take the math and science in high school that Keely did.
My high school didn't even offer some of the math and science classes that Keely took in high school, and I wasn't urged to take all of the classes that were offered. I was quite unprepared for college work in math and science.
Keely will have a Biology major and Chemistry and Math minors when she graduates. Or, she may make the Chemistry a second major instead of a second minor because she will only need two more classes.
She will be finished either in May of 2007 or in December of 2007, depending on what she decides about the Chemistry major. From there, she hopes to go to med school.


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Bakugan tells the story of Dan and his friends as they battle their Bakugan Brawlers to save the planet of Vestroia and, ultimately, Earth.
Everything a Bakugan enthusiast and gamer would love is here - intense battles, the ability to create your own Brawler, cartoon quality graphics and multiplayer combat.
Also known as: Bakugan
Release Region: United States
Release Date: October 20, 2009
Publisher: Activision
Release Region: United Kingdom
Release Date: October 23, 2009
Publisher: Activision
Release Region: Australia
Release Date: October 28, 2009
Publisher: Activision
Also available on: Nintendo DS, Nintendo DS, Wii, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Bakugan: Battle Brawlers at IGN
Bakugan: Battle Brawlers at GameSpy
Bakugan: Battle Brawlers at GameStats


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Including the change in gas prices in Texas during the past week, prices yesterday were 36.8 cents per gallon lower than the same day one year ago and are 8.3 cents per gallon lower than a month ago. The national average has decreased 9.3 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 32.8 cents per gallon lower than this day one year ago.
"Americans are spending $108 million less on gasoline every day than they were a year ago," said GasBuddy.com Senior Petroleum Analyst Patrick DeHaan. "Prices in nearly all Metropolitian Statistical Areas are lower today than a year ago. In all, 300 Metropolitan Statistical Areas saw cheaper first quarter prices for gasoline than in 2012, with two MSAs showing no statistically significant change. More expensive markets in 2013 included locations in Vermont, New York, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania. The most expensive market in the country was the Honolulu area, but the outright price of $4.157 gal this year was just 3cts gal above the 2012 number," DeHaan said.
About GasBuddy
GasBuddy operates TexasGasPrices.com and over 250 similar websites that track gasoline prices at over 140,000 gasoline stations in the United States and Canada. In addition, GasBuddy offers a free smartphone app which has been downloaded over 25 million times to help motorists find the lowest gasoline prices in their area.


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Advanced Search
(Actual Dupatta, Mojdi, Safa can vary from picture shown.We accept only bare feet size for mojdi and make final mojdi 1-2 inches bigger.)
Color: Cream
Fabric: Art Silk
Cream Art Silk Designer Kurta Pajama is designed with all over machine thread work, patch work & touch up of hand work like cutdana, stones and zari work.. Comes with a matching bottom. Actual product colors, patterns and designs may slightly vary.


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When prompted to consider water pollution, most people envision classic point sources: the corroded factory pipe pouring green sludge into a creek, the municipal waste treatment plant pumping stormwater runoff into an estuary, the oil behemoth's offshore well spewing millions of barrels of crude. But when I don my Water Pollution Contemplation Cap, I inevitably envision industrial livestock facilities.
Also known as concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) or factory farms, these facilities raise thousands (or in some cases, hundreds of thousands) of animals in confined conditions without access to pasture. Unfortunately, factory farms currently produce the vast majority of meat, eggs and dairy in the US. Unbeknown to most of us who don't have the misfortune of living nearby, they're also big-time polluters.
The fundamental cause of all this pollution is simply that industrial livestock operations confine too many animals in one place. As a result, they produce a tremendous amount of waste - and by waste, I don't mean a little bit of old bedding hay and some leftover feed, I mean urine and feces - hundreds of thousands of tons of urine and feces. Indeed, industrial livestock operations often produce as much excrement as entire human cities. But while municipalities process human waste at sewage treatment plants, factory farms typically embrace a decidedly lower-tech waste management strategy: they just shove all the manure into big open pits called manure lagoons.
As anyone who's graced the confines of a well-used Porta-Potty on a hot summer day can surely attest, the uncovered-pile-of-excrement waste management technique gets pretty gross pretty fast. And when the pile of excrement fills a hole that's several acres large, the situation becomes downright dangerous. Of course, this setup emits a host of hazardous air pollutants known to sicken workers and anyone living in nearby communities. And oh yeah, factory farms generate greenhouse gases like they're trying to outpace the transportation sector. But we'll save discussion of all things ambient for another Blog Action Day.
What could possibly go wrong when a few million gallons of manure are stored in an uncovered cesspool?
Turns out that manure lagoons are prone to leaks, which allow pollutants to seep into groundwater. They can also overflow during storms or when there's a mechanical problem with a pump or pipe. And every so often, a sidewall will collapse. In all cases, manure ends up being washed into surface waters, or seeping into groundwater.
But even when manure lagoons function properly, water pollution is commonplace. Since livestock continually produce waste, lagoons need to be periodically emptied. Factory farms handle this situation by sucking out the sludge and applying it to surrounding land. Unfortunately, since there's so much waste, industrial producers often over-apply it, ultimately causing manure to be washed into ground and surface waters.
But what's so bad about putting a little poop in the water?
In two words, the pollutants. Here're the big ones:
Nutrients - primarily nitrogen and phosphorous; these pollutants induce eutrophication. Think back to high school biology: excess nutrients cause algal growth, which blocks light, killing underwater plants; then the algae die and decompose, which reduces the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water, ultimately killing aquatic life and creating dead zones (see Gulf of Mexico, Chesapeake Bay or any waterway next to a CAFO). Nutrient pollution can also cause growth of the highly toxic alga, Pfiesteria piscicida (think bleeding sores on fish and neurological damage to humans).
Pathogens - manure is lousy with these pesky microorganisms (a few big players: Campylobacter Cryptosporidium, E. coli and Salmonella). When livestock feces gets in our food, people can get sick. Same thing happens when livestock feces gets in our water. But unlike food, water can't be recalled. And in addition to consuming it, people use water for things like bathing, swimming and fishing.
Antibiotics - factory farms administer this stuff with reckless abandon in order to compensate for the squalid conditions in which they raise livestock. Thing is, 25 to 75 percent of antibiotics pass into animal manure unchanged - so if you leave a few million gallons of CAFO waste sitting around in an open pit, you create a giant Petri dish perfectly suited to induce the proliferation of anitibiotic-resistant bacteria. When the manure enters water, these bacteria go with it.
Heavy Metals - Nope, not the kind peddled by these guys. The kind that poisons people. Factory farms add traces of heavy metals to livestock feed in order to boost growth rates, but some of it passes into the manure - and when waste from millions of animals is collected in one place, the metals eventually accumulate, contaminate soil and can leach into groundwater. Think I'm making this up? Note the rate of arsenic contamination in the Delmarva Peninsula, where poultry factories raise more than half a billion broilers per year.
Other Nasty Stuff - Hormones (they're administered to livestock, pass into manure, end up in water and impair the reproductive systems of fish and other aquatic species). Ammonia (toxic to fish and can be converted to nitrates, which can contaminate drinking water and sicken humans). Organic matter (bedding material, feed, hair, feathers, dust, etc. - this decomposes in water, further reducing oxygen levels and killing aquatic life).
Stealth Polluters
In stark contrast to the clean, bucolic imagery printed on milk cartons and meat packages, industrial livestock operations have always been filthy polluters - and as a result of Big Ag's tremendous political clout and a general lack of public awareness about their impacts, they've always gotten away with it. Regulation of industrial livestock facilities has never been sufficiently stringent - and enforcement of existing rules is notoriously lax.
But as much as I love to end posts with a hearty dose of doom and gloom, in this case, I'll bust out the optimism and mention Illinois. At the end of September, the Obama administration demanded that the IL EPA start enforcing the environmental regulations with which factory farms are supposed to comply, or else relinquish regulatory oversight to the US EPA. Although this may not sound particularly remarkable (environmental regulations are supposed to be enforced, right?), it's actually an unprecedented step toward cracking down on these chronic polluters. We're hoping the trend will continue. In the meantime, don't go swimming near any CAFOs.


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The international community has to be terminally naive to believe that words and threats that aren't backed up by force will deter Syrian President Bashar Assad from murdering his own people ("Killings intensify Syria crisis," May 31). Even at 10,000 civilians massacred by Syrian government forces, this catastrophe pales in comparison to his father's vendetta, when more than 30,000 Syrians were slaughtered.
Both men ruled by the sword; in light of Mr. Assad's continuing support from Iran and Russia, only a military response will lead to the overthrow of this dictator.
The U.S. has refused to take action. Our nation should be ashamed for not leading a coalition to stop the brutal slaughter of innocent people. Are we a light unto nations or not?
Nelson Marans, Silver Spring


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After 80 years, Powerdale Dam in Hood River is no longer cost effective to operate and is set to be removed in 2010.
The small electric plant, owned by PacifiCorp, was built during severe winter storms in late 1922 and early 1923. It began operating years before the U.S. Corps of Engineers constructed major hydropower operations along the Columbia River. Dave Kvamme, PacifiCorp spokesperson, said in the early stages of its operation, Powerdale generated so much power that about half of its production was sold on the open market.
"It was a state of the art dam for its time," Kvamme said.
However, during the next eight decades the consumer demand for electricity grew and the maximum output of six megawatts at Powerdale began to lag behind that of larger structures.
In addition, Kvamme said the aging plant required a multi-million dollar overhaul of its fish ladder and screens to better protect endangered salmon runs. Those pending expenditures were coupled with the need to make other capital improvements to extend the dam's predicted lifespan of 2018.
"The dam is not really putting out enough power at this point to justify those costs," Kvamme said.
Instead of seeking to re-license the project, PacifiCorp began settlement negotiations in 2000 for the dam's removal, These dicussions included state and federal agencies, the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, local river users and environmentalists.
Under that agreement, the company isn't required to install new fish facilities while operations continue. Instead, PacifiCorp has offered to halt turbines between April 15 and June 30 each year, when juvenile steelhead, chinook and other salmon are migrating to sea. More water will also be released into the river while the plant is running.
Under the settlement, PacifiCorp will transfer 465 acres of the property along the Hood River to a yet-unknown public or private entity and provide more than $150,000 in funding for long-term preservation of the land for habitat and public recreation. The state will take over water rights and commit them to instream flow.
Currently, Powerdale and Condit Dam, its sister operation in Klickitat County, Wash., share four employees. Kvamme said within the next eight years, three of these individuals will be eligible for retirement.
He said the remaining worker will be able to transfer to another project since Condit is also slated for removal in 2006.
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Style # 188854
What's the perfect gym outfit without the perfect gym bag? Complete your workout wardrobe with this bebe carryall, featuring metallic piping, logo across the front and side pockets. Sports hot pink interior lining, media compartments and plenty of room for a morning-to-nightfall outfit.
- 100% nylon.
- Length: 16" (41 cm). Height: 12" (31 cm). Width: 8" (20 cm). Handle height: 8" (20 cm).
- Imported.
Nylon Gym Bag - BEBE SPORT is rated out of 5 by 4.
Rated 5 out of 5 by NikkieGiovanni from So many uses! This bag is so practical! I use it for everything, not just the gym. I put all of my toletries in the many pockets. It's really big but not in a akward way and super soft. I would wear it as a purse if I could
Date published: 2012-12-31
Rated 5 out of 5 by CpopRocks from Picture doesn't do it justice I ordered this bag online thinking it would double well as a diaper bag. (I gotta be a cool mom, no winnie the pooh here) and I was sooo right. Not only that, but the picture just does not do it justice, it looks like a pseudo-bowling bag here, but it's so soft and nice plus has a ton of pockets for anything you need. I highly recommended and I am so happy that I got it.
Date published: 2012-12-06
Rated 5 out of 5 by ailina226 from Love my gym bag! Great gym bag..durable yet fashionable! Love the color and pockets.
Date published: 2012-11-13
Rated 5 out of 5 by armochik from very cute I saw this bag at the store and I had to get it despite the fact that I have so many bags. I loved the pockets and how the inside of the bag looks specially the color. Pair it with bebe sport outfits and oohh ya!
Date published: 2011-10-28


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7:30 pm
Oregon Field Guide "Brown Pelicans, Freeriding, Oak Savannah" The brown pelican has rebounded so successfully, the government has removed it from the endangered species list. Freeriding is a new twist on a style of mountain biking that originated in Canada where wooden ramps and bridges and logs were laid so bikers could avoid muddy forest trails.Several endangered Oregon species, including the Kincaid's lupine, rely on oak savannah, a type of habitat that once covered a million acres in the Willamette Valley.G
8:00 pm
Masterpiece Classic "Downton Abbey (S3 E3)" Two social revolutions arrive at Downton Abbey: the Irish civil war and the fight for women's suffrage. A mysterious conspiracy keeps Bates, who is imprisoned, and Anna from communicating in any way. Part 3 of 7G
9:00 pm
Masterpiece Classic "Downton Abbey (S3 E4)" The Crawley family faces its severest test yet. Meanwhile, new faces try to fit into the tight-knit circle of servants. New evidence turns up in a baffling case. Part 4 of 7G
10:00 pm
New Tricks "Big Topped" Sandra learns her police detective father killed himself while under investigation for corruption. Meanwhile, a woman asks the team to look into the death of the man she has recently discovered was her biological father.G
11:00 pm
The Abolitionists: American Experience "The Abolitionists, Part Three" During his raid on Harpers Ferry, John Brown is captured, then executed, becoming a martyr for the cause. Abraham Lincoln is elected president in 1860; war breaks out in 1861. On New Year's Day 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation is announced; African-American men may now enlist in the Union forces, and two of Frederick Douglass' sons go to war. In December 1865, the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is ratified, banning slavery in all states. Part 3 of 3G


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Release Date: February 5, 2014
BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Science & Art Cabaret, which features entertaining talks by leading artists and scientists, will travel to the Space Lab Planetarium at Williamsville North High School on the evening of Feb. 12.
The cabaret, held several times a year, will focus this time on the theme "Terra Cognita" — the known and mapped universe. Admission is free, and the event is open to the public.
Presenters include:
The event will begin at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 12, at the Williamsville Space Lab Planetarium at Williamsville North High School, 1595 Hopkins Road, Amherst.
The Science & Art Cabaret is a collaboration between the UB College of Arts and Sciences, Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center and the Buffalo Museum of Science.
At each event, a mix of artists and researchers share stories, discussing how a common theme relates to their work. Meant for a general audience, the talks are both enlightening and entertaining. Past cabaret topics have ranged from time and relativity to failure and "the end of the universe and the future of life."
The cabaret's usual home is the Ninth Ward at Babeville, a basement club in Buffalo. But the event travels to other venues for special presentations — like Percy's forthcoming planetarium talk.
Charlotte Hsu
News Content Manager
Sciences, Economic Development
Tel: 716-645-4655
Twitter: @UBScience
Pinterest: UB Science


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Style # 212402
With edgy shoulder cutouts and sweet textured stripes, this bebe top is sure to edge up your bottom collection. Try it with a pair of printed denim and a pair of neutral heels for a quick day look.
- 92% nylon, 8% spandex
- Center back to hem: 15" (38 cm)
- Machine wash
- Made in USA with imported materials
- Model is 5'9" and is wearing a US size S
Cold Shoulder Ottoman Top is rated out of 5 by 4.
Rated 5 out of 5 by BobbiRox from Love the open shoulder design I bought this top and love it. The fit is great and looks amazing on! I might just buy 2. I hope you make this top available in more colours. Thanks bebe.
Date published: 2013-03-18
Rated 5 out of 5 by Lenaaa from Great dress! I love this dress! I got it last week and it fits perfectly! Very sexy and classy at the same time! Hugs every part of your body. Love it!
Date published: 2013-02-10
Rated 4 out of 5 by abbb from cute top I love this shirt but its uncomfortable. It fits weird in the arm area. I ordered a m/l when im usually a small in tops.
Date published: 2013-01-04
Rated 5 out of 5 by Jazzy1217 from Cute and comfortable product This shirt is amazing. It looks comfortable enough to dress it up or down. Material is very nice.
Date published: 2013-01-03