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Home Inspectors in New York
When purchasing a home, it is important to choose a professional New York home inspector. It's the home inspector's job to inform you of any defects in a home that might affect your purchase decision and make repair recommendations.
A thorough inspection includes:
Many New York home inspectors are also certified by one or more organizations such as NACHI or ASHI to demonstrate additional competence. These Inspectors in New York are the cream of the crop, using XSites technology to provide you with interactive, personalized, and responsive service via the web.
(If you're an Inspector, click here to find out more about XSites and how they help your business.)
List current as of: 3/26/2019
a la mode and its products are trademarks or registered trademarks of a la mode technologies, llc.


text: Liam Bowers 0 Posted January 23, 2012 Hi folks, I'm hopefully about to join the world of Focus drivers but before I do so, I'd appreciate a little help If I may. I might be doing up to 80 miles a day (mostly motorways and A roads) so have narrowed it down to either the 1.8 CDTi or the 2.0 CDTi. Ideally around 2008, price permitting. Most likely a Zetec, if it matters. I've had a brief test drive of a 58 plate 2.0 CDTi and enjoyed it but could do with comparing it to the 1.8 variant. a) What is the realistic MPG for each? On paper the 1.8 beats the 2.0 a little as you might expect but would like to know what it's like in reality. b) Oomph. As I was being a little sneaky and terrorising the staff at carcraft (or they were terrorising me, I'm not entirely sure) I couldn't properly put my foot down to give it a decent test. From what I could tell, it definitely had something there. How does this compare with the 1.8? The reason I ruled the 1.6 out was because of it apparently being underpowered. c) Are there any other notable differences between the two? d) What's the reliability like? Any issues I should be aware of? I don't think either option would be a bad one and I'd like to go for more power if it isn't too costly. I guess I'd just prefer to do my research now before finding out the hard way! Thanks for your help, Liam Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites

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Medium, hard-shell- wheeled suitcase with Ferrari Shield
Scuderia Ferrari Store Exclusive
The lightest, most durable and manageable wheeled suitcase ever was designed down to the last detail to guarantee excellent performance on every trip.
Made of metal polycarbonate in the iconic colors of the house of Maranello, the advanced technology on this hard-shell, medium size suitcase calls to mind a chassis on a Formula 1 car.. The elastic bands and twill lining on the inside is great for organizing clothes, and the concealed pocket makes it possible to separate small objects. The eight silent wheels branded Scuderia Ferrari were designed to keep the suitcase balanced at all times. The zipper comes with a new patented anti-burglary system. The design is finished off by the Ferrari Shield.
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- Composition: 100% Polycarbonate
We offer both Standard and Express shipping: choose the service that best meets your needs at checkout.
We provide an easy return service: just ship your items back to us with a shipping service of your choice within 30 days of delivery.


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- Home
- My NESTA
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Planet Found in Sweet Spot
Astronomers have recently discovered a planet in a "sweet spot" habitable region, relative to the star in its solar system HD 40307, which could potentially have water at its surface. The planet, which is seven times as massive as Earth, is only 42 light-years away in the constellation Pictor. For more information about this discovery, visit http://devel.sn-web01.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/346320/description/Super-Earth_joins_ranks_in_life-supporting_zone.


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- Home /
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Stan Richardson
Stan Richardson has studied the Japanese flute for over twenty years and travels extensively as a practitioner and teacher of the shakuhachi flute as meditation. He has recorded with the Turtle Creek Chorale and tours regularly around the United States. He has also performed throughout Japan with members of the Ki-Sui-An Shakuhachi Dojo. Stan currently resides in Dallas, Texas, where he teaches in his own small dojo.
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Moon on the Water
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Summer Collegiate Baseball
2013 Final Rankings, Top 50 Teams
Season-Long Excellence Pushes
TCL's Bombers To No. 1 Ranking
From start to finish in 2013, the
Brazos Valley Bombers dominated the Texas Collegiate League.
The Bryan, Texas-based club opened the
TCL campaign with eight straight wins and 15 victories in their first
16 contests, and closed it with seven wins in their last eight games,
climaxed by a 7-5 win over the Victoria Generals that resulted in
their first TCL championship.
Not only did the Bombers put the
finishing touch on a record-breaking season with their final triumph,
but national implications were also at stake as it put them in
position to finish atop Perfect Game's final ranking of the
nation's top 50 summer league clubs. When the four teams ranked
ahead of the Bombers bit the dust in their respective league
playoffs, a mythical national title was theirs for the taking.
"The Bombers are truly honored to be
ranked No. 1 in the country," said an ecstatic Uri Geva, the
Bombers club president. "This is an amazing accomplishment for our
coaching staff and players. We are thrilled to be the first Texas
Collegiate League champion to win the national championship from
Perfect Game, an incredible achievement."
Ranked No. 2 in Perfect Game's
initial weekly ranking in mid-June, the Bombers were the only
summer-league club to hold down a spot in the top five all season.
They never reached No. 1, though, until the final ranking as the Cape
Cod League's Chatham Anglers spent five weeks in the top spot and
the Cotuit Kettleers, the eventual Cape champion, occupied that
position on two other occasions. In the final in-season ranking, the
Northwoods League's Waterloo Bucks surged into the No. 1 spot.
Both Chatham and Waterloo, however,
failed to reach the championship series in their respective league
playoffs, as did Falmouth (Cape Cod) and Edenton (Coastal Plain), the
two other teams ranked ahead of Brazos Valley in the stretch run. And
that opened the door for the Bombers (49-15 on the season) to slip
into the top spot.
Cotuit (31-20) finished No. 2 behind
the Bombers, while the fast-charging Corvallis Knights (46-17),
winners of their last 14 games which propelled them to the West Coast
League title, surged into the No. 3 spot.
For all the on-field success the
Bombers enjoyed this summer, their magical season almost went up in
smoke in the third and deciding game of the TCL championship game as
Victoria jumped out to an early 5-1 lead. But stellar relief pitching
by the duo of Texas A&M righthanders Jason Freeman and Parker Ray
stymied the Generals the rest of the way, while the Bombers exploded
for six runs in the bottom of the fifth to pull ahead for good at
Freeman fanned 10 in 4 2/3 innings of
middle relief, while Ray closed things out, fanning three of the four
hitters he faced in his only relief appearance of the season.
Ray, who went 4-0, 1.69 in six
regular-season starts, had opened the playoffs for Brazos Valley four
days earlier by beating defending TCL champion East Texas 6-0 in a
dominating five-hit, 1-walk, 14 strikeout effort.
"When Parker Ray steps on the mound,
he takes ownership of the game," said a Texas-based major-league
scout who watched the Bombers on a nightly basis over the latter half
of the 2013 season. "When (Bombers coach Curt Dixon) brought him in
with two outs in the eighth, you knew it was over."
While Ray was instrumental in the
Bombers playoff success, much of the team's success over the course
of a long summer season was credited to Dixon, an assistant coach at
Eastern Oklahoma State College during the school year.
"We have had the best record in the
TCL the last two seasons, and the credit for our growing success on
the field goes to Curt and his entire coaching staff," Geva said.
"They have worked to ensure we have the best possible talent, while
keeping the players motivated to go out there and have fun, staying
calm throughout any situation on the field.
"This Bombers team came back from
being down 11-2 in the eighth inning and winning a game in extra
innings, and won the championship after being down 5-1 in the middle
of the fifth. Coach Dixon did a phenomenal job of putting together a
great group of players that never quit, molding them into a true team
that goes out there and plays their hearts out, every night of the
The major-league scout concurred, and
says Dixon was a difference-maker in the Bombers season-long success.
"Even down 5-1, they showed
resiliency in clawing back. They'd bend but wouldn't break. After the
last-out fly ball to center field and the dog pile—both joy they
won and the season finally done—there was some genuine exchanges
between players that lasted a long time, which I'll give the manager
the credit for creating that environment. The fan support was
tremendous, and the place exploded on the last out like they won the
World Series. Very, very entertaining."
A year ago, the Bombers posted the best
overall record in the TCL after a torrid second half, but lost in
excruciating fashion at Victoria in a one-game divisional series,
when they failed to hold a 7-3 lead going into the ninth as the
Generals won 8-7 victory in 11 innings.
This year, the Bombers lapped the field
in the TCL during the regular season, winning a league record 46
games, but an elusive title was still missing until their stunning
Game 3 comeback.
"This win was an exclamation
point," Dixon told the local Bryan-College Station Eagle.
"There's been a lot of firsts we've been doing, but we haven't won
a championship. We've won the first half, won the second half, set
the overall record, broke into the top five (PG's national summer
"I guess this is what you say is the
elephant in the room we haven't been able to get, and that is the
Perfect Game's national ranking of
summer college-league clubs are determined on the following criteria:
won-loss record, league dominance, depth and quality of
professional-level talent and the overall strength of the league.
Emphasis is given to teams that win league championships, but a
strong regular-season showing is also weighted heavily. Teams must
have at least a .500 record overall to earn consideration.


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Kourtney + Khloe Kardashian to Launch New Series in The Hamptons
Kardashian fans who can't get enough of the First Family of Reality TV, namely sisters Kourtney and Khloe, will be stoked about this news. There is a new series on the horizon.
Another spinoff of the 'Keeping Up With the Kardashians' franchise in the form of 'Kourtney and Khloe Take The Hamptons' is on deck for later this year, according to reports.
Previous cities "taken" by the family include 'Kourtney and Kim Take Miami,' 'Kourtney and Kim Take New York' and 'Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami.' These two have already had their way with Miami and now they are headed to the chicest place to "summer" – the Hamptons!
The series is slated to premiere in the fall.
It is suggested that the Kourtney and Khloe, who are the older and younger sister of Kim, respectively, will be joined by Kourtney's baby daddy Scott Disick as they settle in the posh and tony Hamptons. They will reside in East End through Labor Day Weekend.
But it won't be all play and no work, and the sisters won't simply be sunning themselves on the shores of the East Coast. They will be keeping busy with their business pursuits, as they work to open the first pop-up edition of their Dash boutique.
Another task at hand? Overseeing the relocation of Dash's SoHo store to a new spot in the city.
Maybe Khloe will find love, since she is now single after splitting with baller Lamar Odom. There should be a summer's worth of single men to spend time with!
Who plans to watch this latest Kardashian program?


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Canada's Martha McCabe swam to a fifth-place finish in the women's 200m breastroke at the Aquatics Centre at the London 2012 Olympics.
McCabe posted a time of 2:23.16 minutes, 3.57 seconds behind the world-record time of 2:19.59 minutes set by gold medal winner Rebecca Soni of the United States.
Satomi Suzuki took silver with a time of 2:20.72, while Russia's Iuliia Efimova took bronze with a time of 2:20.92.
Meanwhile, Brent Hayden, who won a bronze medal in the men's 100m freestyle race yesterday, has finished seventh in his heat during the men's 50m freestyle semifinals and will not compete in the finals.
Hayden finished with a time of 22.12 seconds, .49 seconds behind Brazil's Bruno Fratus.
Canada's Sinead Russell finished the women's 200m backstroke event third in her heat with a time of 2:08.76 minutes and will advance to the finals.


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A community theater actress accused of covering for her former fiance after he allegedly killed two college students proclaimed her innocence during Tuesday's episode of "Dr. Phil."
Rachel Buffett, 25, of Long Beach has pleaded not guilty to being an accessory to murder after the fact in the May 2010 deaths of Sam Herr, 26, of Costa Mesa and Juri "Julie Kibuishi, 23, of Irvine.
Prosecutors allege that she lied to police about key details following the crimes in hopes of protecting accused killer Daniel Patrick Wozniak, 28, of Costa Mesa.
Talk show host Phillip McGraw zeroed in on alleged inconsistencies in the information Buffett gave police after Wozniak was arrested on suspicion of killing his neighbor, Herr, and then luring Kibuishi with text messages sent from Herr's phone to Herr's apartment, where she was killed and her body staged to look like she had been the victim of sexual assault.
McGraw, who told Buffett that he knew she was an actress and implored her to tell the truth, asked why she falsely told investigators that she saw a man with a black hat the night Herr was murdered and that Herr had family problems.
Buffett explained that she got the bad information from Wozniak and merely repeated it to police.
"I trusted him, and I trusted what he said was true," she told McGraw.
"She implicitly believed the man she was going to marry," Buffett's defense attorney, Ajna Devi Sharma-Wilson, told the talk show host.
The attorney said she did not coach her client before appearing on "Dr. Phil" beyond telling her to tell the truth.
Buffett was also asked why she told police she went home after appearing in a play in Fullerton with Wozniak and then went to sleep in their Costa Mesa apartment the night Herr was murdered. McGraw pointed out that she sent Kibuishi a Facebook message when she was supposedly sleeping.
Buffett explained that she told police she could not remember exactly what she did that night and that she spoke in generalities, saying that she usually goes home in the evening, pops in a movie and goes to sleep.
Buffett told the Daily Pilot in a previous interview that she was asleep the night Wozniak allegedly left their apartment, lured Herr to the military reserve base in Los Alamitos, shot him, and then spread parts of his decapitated body in a Long Beach park.
Prosecutors allege Wozniak killed his neighbor for his ATM card because he believed he had money saved up from his time in the Army, and then killed Kibuishi to make it look like Herr killed her.
Wozniak has pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of murder, plus six sentencing enhancements, and could face the death penalty if convicted. He is in custody in the Orange County Jail.
Buffett faces three felony counts of accessory after the fact and three years and eight months in jail if she is convicted. She has pleaded not guilty.
Herr's father, Steve Herr, appeared on the show, saying that he was certain Buffett was guilty. He accused Buffett of trying the case in the court of public opinion.
"I find it offensive I have to come on TV and do this," Herr said. "I think I should do this in a court of law."
Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas explained why he waited about two years after the crimes to charge Buffett.
"By the time we finally got to the point where it seems its going to be pretty clear additional evidence isn't going to come out, it was decided Rachel could only be charged with accessory after the fact," he said.
Rackauckas said he expected the case to go court in about a year from the Dec. 19 taping.
* An earlier version of this story stated that Buffett faces four years and eight months in prison, if convicted. In fact, she faces three years and eight months.
Twitter: @lawilliams30


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About this font family
Nono is the nickname of my oldest son, Konstantin. His little brother could not really speak yet, but he was always looking for him and said something to the tune of, "wea is a nono". From that time on I call Konstantin Nono.
I designed a handwritten script with his real name, that i named Konstantin. Now I made this slick version of that script – hence – Nono! I made three basic sets of characters plus a smallcaps version. To top things off, I designed a set of endletters that I throw in for free. Everything can be mixed! I sell single cuts but the best deal would be the entire packet, it goes for a very fair price. More…
Your generous typedesigner, Gert Wiescher
- Basic text strings
- Random text strings
- News feeds
- Pangrams
Nono A
Nono B
Nono C
Nono D
Nono E
Available formats
available in all of the styles:


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Ravens wide receiver Jacoby Jones spoke publicly for the first time since he was reportedly clocked in the head with a champagne bottle wielded by a stripper named Sweet Pea while celebrating Bryant McKinnie's birthday.
Well, sort of, as any attempt to talk around such a salacious set-up is always going to fall short.
"I'm going to take the responsibility that I was in the wrong place at the wrong time," Jones said on his radio show on 105.7 The Fan (via the Baltimore Sun). "There was no altercation. There's nothing wrong.
"I did nothing wrong but I take responsibility for being in wrong place at the wrong time. Enough said. I apologize to my teammates and everybody."
Asked about a meeting with coach John Harbaugh, Jones said only: "We're fine. Everything is good."
Jones is already ruled out this week, but that's because of his knee injury. Putting him on the report as Out (Sweet Pea) is a little much to ask for.


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What The Continuous Flourishing Of New Cocktails Can Teach Us About Intellectual Property
from the i'll-have-another dept
Ok, time to make a brief admission, oh Techdirt faithful. You see, we talk a great deal on this site about intellectual property and, while it certainly isn't a 100% thing, the most common topics in the discussion are movies, music, and books, particularly when it comes to copyright. Here's the problem: I'm not much of a customer for any of those things. I listen to almost no music as a talk radio junkie, my movie-viewing habits amount to seeing perhaps 3 films or so a year, and I write way more than I read these days. Even then, my reading habits tend to be from sources that are either free or in the public domain. So, while I care a great deal about intellectual property laws in this country, I tend not to have much interest in the practical applications as discussed here.
But that doesn't mean I don't still run into an IP law topic that does involve something I love dearly, something for which I could find no replacement in this little life of mine. Something that, were it to find itself suddenly locked up in a way that prevented me easy access, I might just lose my mind. I am speaking, of course, about alcohol. Cocktail recipes, thankfully, are famously not covered by copyright, which is why it's fun to see a legal explanation about how they're flourishing anyway.
If it has been accepted for at least two centuries that – absent state intervention – the fruits of intellectual labor are non-rivalrous and non-excludable, who but "a blockhead" would invest effort in concocting a commendable cocktail? Why, the free-riding barman next door is simply going to pilfer your tipple, put a foolish little umbrella in it and call it his own! Hence, new cocktails ought to be in scarce supply. But the problem is, they're not. Even after we largely wiped out our collective wisdom of creative imbibing with 14 years of Prohibition, we're knee-deep in cocktail recipes. Why is this?Part of the answer can be found in Kal Raustiala and Chris Sprigman's wonderful book, The Knockoff Economy, which lawyer Matt Schruers goes into with a nice little nod. It isn't just the absence of copyright that separates the world of cocktails from major media entertainment, the entire culture of alcohol and bartending is like a music and movie bizarro world, where the entire culture depends on freely sharing drink recipes, garnishment strategies, and success rates with different drinks. The result is not only that great drinks find notoriety, new or otherwise, but the other result is industry norms in bartending springing up organically to take the role of what otherwise would be government intrusion.
Like fashion, the industries for both stand-up comedy and culinary art, including cocktails, see considerable development of new ideas. In both cases, industry norms – not laws – govern copying. The formal code of ethics of culinary professionals, Raustiala and Sprigman note, requires attribution. (This has not forestalled the occasional demand for a sort of recipe copyright, designed to overturn the conventional rule that recipes do not qualify for copyright.). A second cause for cocktail innovation is that recipes sell the product. Here, the intellectual labor is undertaken at a loss to promote a spirit. Today, many spirits manufacturers employ "brand ambassadors," generally bartenders, to evangelize their product by devising and demonstrating new applications for it. Third, cocktails may be developed for reputational gain. A bartender may want his work to spread, because being known for his craft draws patrons to his establishment, and improves his job marketability. Of course, this why in cocktail arts, as in cuisine, attribution norms receive greater emphasis.If any of this is beginning to sound familiar to you, it should be, because this is the exact route the music and movie industries are being pushed into. You could replace "cocktail" above with "recorded music" or "film" and most of the statement would still work without any further edits. Musical sharing and attribution to drive up notoriety, with recordings given away to promote scarce seats at concerts, while creative output is achieved to build up the brand as well. The synergy is quite striking.
But the real point is that creative output is flourishing without copyright. Of course no industry is exactly the same as another, but who is really ready to say they're sure the same wouldn't occur with music and movies? After all, copyright is supposed to "promote the progress" and it seems like there are places where we judge it to be unnecessary to achieve that goal. Why not try it in music and movies?
Filed Under: bartenders, competition, copyright, creativity, drinks, intellectual property, mixed drinks, recipes


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The Mets won a coin-flip today with Milwaukee should the teams finish tied for the wild-card.
Speaking of coin flips, I don't know which Oliver Perez will show up tonight. He's pitched well against the Braves, winning five of his last seven starts over the last two seasons. Recently, he's been erratic with his control.
Here's tonight's lineup:
SS Jose Reyes
2B Luis Castillo
3B David Wright
CF Carlos Delgado
1B Carlos Beltran
C Ramon Castro
RF Ryan Church
LF Nick Evans
LH Oliver Perez
Comments: They won their last two games with Daniel Murphy in left and batting second. Why change?


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Evening classes canceled Feb. 7, 2018. Learn more.
Home | Academics | Our Schools | Conservatory of Performing Arts | Conservatory News & Features
On Sat., March 24, the Hollywood Theater in Dormont is showing the film The Complex by Point Park alumnus Josh Spiegel.
Spiegel directed the movie and co-wrote it with fellow Pittsburgher Christy Mele.
Spiegel graduated from Point Park University in 1998 with a bachelor of fine arts degree in film and video production. He currently lives in Los Angeles and works on directing and editing projects. The Complex premiered in L.A. Spiegel plans to attend the showing in Pittsburgh.
The film is a comedy about two friends who move into an apartment complex in L.A., determined to start a new life, but are confronted with a strange series of events including tenants beginning to look alike.
Spiegel has entered The Complex in a number of film festivals and is currently looking for a distributor.
Among past projects Spiegel created a series of Web sitcoms called Headset Jockeys. The comedy/horror pieces revolved around a retail job from hell. The Plum native says he plans to make a feature film based on the webisodes in the future.
Read about The Complex on IMDb. For ticket prices and more information about Saturday's showing, visit the Hollywood Theater's website.
Learn about Point Park University's cinema and digital arts programs.
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(c) Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield MA. All rights reserved.
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This sonnet on the death of Mary Lyon celebrates the beauty of the middle Connecticut River Valley, but laments the landscape is darkened with the death of "our Patroness." Mary Lyon (1797-1849) was born in Buckland, Massachusetts, and made her living as a well-respected educator working in schools throughout the state. In 1837, Lyon opened the South Hadley Female Seminary, the first female institution of higher learning to present women the same curriculum as found in men's colleges. The Seminary had rigorous entrance exams, but a tuition low enough to be accessible to women from middle income families. Lyon called her school a "seminary," a term which encompassed various levels of education including, preparatory school, college and even graduate school, because she felt a "college" for women would find less support from financial backers. Society at the time questioned the need for women to achieve a higher education, believing instead, their primary role was the moral guidance of the family. Following her death, the Seminary continued to thrive. In 1888, the school achieved collegiate status and changed its name to Mount Holyoke Female Seminary and College.
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text:
Evans mobile home park flooding, stranding residents
Emergency crews spent several hours Friday helping residents of an Evans mobile home park escape their flooding homes, including some dramatic rescues.
Dozens of residents in the Eastwood Village mobile home park watched helplessly as their Evans mobile homes flooded from the rapidly rising South Platte River.
Emergency crews spent the morning rescuing residents on a jet ski and a raft, rescuing several stranded residents, including a young family that was stuck inside their trailer.
Jessica and Eugene Ortiz emerged from the virtual lake surrounding the park with their 3-year-old and 4-month-old daughters, with only the girls' birth certificates in hand. Eugene dropped his cell phone in the water as they escaped. Eugene works nights and the family was asleep during much of the melee.
Residents said the area was "fine" at 9 a.m., but two hours later, their homes were threatened.
Earlier, many residents waded through rapidly rising water to get out of the park at 200 37th St.
Raymond Cisneros and his son, Joeray Cisneros, 17, were able to save their German Shepherd, but Raymond's wallet remained inside.
"We just grabbed some pictures for the memories," Joeray said. "Within five minutes it was just gone."
As the water continued to grow, it took with it trash cans, tires and trees.
Stella Martinez just returned home from being away, only to find it flooded and inaccessible. She said she only has the clothes on her back.
"The last flood was around 1995, but it didn't reach this far," Martinez said.
Ilse Ortiz, could only save her children, 1, 3 and 5.
"I didn't get anything, just my three little ones," she said. "My trailer is the only thing I do have, and it got destroyed."
The flooding drew curiosity from area neighbors, as well. Don Brady, who has a home north of the trailer park, said he wasn't concerned about the water spreading much further.
"I'll either have to move stuff up (to the second floor), or just get a fishing pole and forget about the whole thing," Brady said.


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FEATURE: 2013 Internet Marketing Forecast by Bruce Clay
by Bruce Clay, January 16, 2013
2013 will be a year with a faster pace and more innovations in search and social than we've seen yet. For my predictions this year I've focused in on three areas of the Internet marketing industry: new spam, new search engine optimization tactics and new tools.
Traditional SEO: Tools Market Contracts Around Paid APIs, Rankings See Fresh Energy
In the area of ranking monitoring, we're going to see a continuation of Google making sure people adhere to the terms of service. There will be further spam crackdown on scrapers and we'll see a shift in the tool usage out there because a lot of the tools on the market are utilizing scraping in order to keep the cost down.
The position I've always had on ranking is that ranking is highly valuable when there was no personalization. If I can put in a query and see that I went up or down, that information is useful. With personalization, every individual searcher has different search results.
It is biased by geographical location. It is biased by Web history. The advantage of an API is that it takes out all the personalization, effectively taking you back to the 10 blue links. As a result, an SEO can see that when a change has been made, the rankings go up or down. It may not correspond to what a user may see, but its support for SEO is great because you can see the cause and effect of SEO changes.
The thing about personalization is that the biasing improves a site's performance in search by filtering out results for those outside of your target market. I may not show up for those outside my target market, but they weren't going to buy from me anyhow. And if I'm showing up as #20 in the API, I may be #10 for someone in my target market, making the API the worst-case scenario for my site's rankings.
Personalization eliminates ambiguity. An API answers the question, "If there is no bias for location or Web history, how do you rank?" And that is a number I need.
Google charges a high rate, making the cost of entry to use their API very high. Google will encourage people to use their API rather than scraping, both due to recognition of API revenue as a money-maker and giving Google more flexibility to support their terms of service. I think Google will find the API to be an anti-spam tactic.
We already know that Google is cracking down on scraping. What we don't know is how big it is. I think it's going to get bigger and it's going to force people to use the API if you want ranking. We're going to see a split in schools of thought. On one side there are going to be people who say ranking doesn't matter — not because it doesn't matter but because they don't want to pay for it. And then there's going to be people who are willing to pay for it who are able to make a difference. We're going to see a shift toward paid tools from free tools because that's the only way you can get access to rankings now.
More companies are going to recognize the value of tools and are going to be willing to pay for tools because the APIs are going to require that they be paid for. There will be a shakeout in the tool market. Last year, many of the tools out there reported rankings with scraped data. This year we're going to see more SAAS implementations. And I predict that overall there will be a net decrease in the number of free ranking tools available. The cost of monitoring rankings will increase, but a good tool is worth it.
SEO's Hot New Thing: Knowledge Graph Optimization
Knowledge graph optimization will be the SEO buzzword of 2013. The Knowledge Graph intersects content at a level that is unprecedented. The Knowledge Graph will be a major talking point for Google at the first search marketing conferences of the year. By midyear, most SEOs will be promoting Knowledge Graph optimization tactics and services.
As with many new website markups, people will implement Knowledge Graph Schemas incorrectly at first.
People are going to drill down too deep. Objects on a site should be defined in a siloed structure from the top down, rather than from the bottom up.
What we need to do in order to have a true Knowledge Graph optimization is to understand the things that we need to describe instead of the things we can describe.
On the search engine side, the Knowledge Graph is going to be used by the search engines to eliminate ambiguity within the Web page. That gives the search engines a better opportunity to match the Web page to the query. Add to that, the query ambiguity is being eliminated by Web history, making search results more relevant than ever before.
Social Surge: Spam, Tools and Quality Standards
What's the next area of spam Google will try to wipe out? It has to be social since that's the new area of spam. It's the new area of spam because it's Google's next frontier for relevancy signals.
Look at links; as soon as links were important to Google, overnight there were thousands of different ways to spam them. As soon as social is clearly important to Google rankings, there will be thousands of ways to spam social. Google has to find them one at a time, and it could take a year or two for them to find them all. I think social is going to follow the same path as links, and there will be a rapid increase in social spam.
Concurrently, social media users' will demand content of a high caliber. In part, this is due to fatigue of promotional and commercial content in social streams. In part, it is due to the influx of social spam. Regardless of the cause, users will reward with views, likes and shares, only the most interesting, unique, entertaining and relevant content.
Bounce rate from social sources will deteriorate rapidly. The bounce rate of social media will be so high that it will be a catalyst for businesses to revamp their content. Due to a decreasing tolerance for mediocre content, social communities will compel people and business to create higher quality content.
Improvements to social reporting tools from Facebook, Google and Twitter, as well as third-party analytics, make it possible to better track ROI of social media marketing and participation for brands. Just as the budgets for robust and accurate SEO tools grow, so does the budget for social reporting. Paying customers drive demand for ROI reporting and meaningful data, spurring the availability of more granular views of social traffic.
Social analytics brings privacy issues to a head, but marketers demanding attribution will ultimately win. A "global cookie" identification system that can maintain anonymity while tracking a single user, possibly even across devices, will be developed. The system will be able to report a user's sequence of events online while maintaining a level of anonymity that satisfies privacy advocates and users.
Bonus prediction: Someone will turn over the Mayan calendar and discover another 5000 years on the back.
For permission to reprint or reuse any materials, please contact us. To learn more about our authors, please visit the Bruce Clay Authors page. Copyright © 2011 Bruce Clay, Inc.


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Senior Raphaela Jann did not play.
"It hurts to have Raphaela out of the lineup today," said Lady Bisons coach Kristin Lusk. "But it was a good experience for everyone to step up."
Kara Jackson stepped up to play Jann's spot in No.1 singles. Jackson fell to Galbarini 6-1, 6-2.
Danielle Hansen went into a tie-breaker in her singles match, but lost 6-2, 7-6 (4).
"Stetson is a good team," said Lusk. "They were solid."
The Lady Bisons will travel to Buies Creek, N.C. for a conference match against Campbell University, March 27.
Lipscomb's next home match is April 3 against Kennesaw State University.
1. Galbarini/Purushotham def. Jackson/Keevil (Stetson 8-4)
2. Atkinson/Nowicki def. Ellis/Hansen (Stetson 8-0)
3. Gunning/St. Clair def. Landry/Bowman (Stetson 8-2)
1. Galbarini def. Jackson (SU 6-1, 6-2)
2. Atkinson def. Keevil (SU 6-1, 6-1)
3. Nowicki def. Hansen (SU 6-2, 7-6 (4)
4. Gunning def. Landry (SU 6-2, 6-2)
5. Lange def. Ellis (SU 6-4, 6-3)
6. Palmiotto def. Williams (SU 6-0, 6-2)


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Proceeds from all three themed nights will benefit our annual Back-to-School Bash and Stuff the Bus School Supply Drive in which we collect backpacks and school supplies for MISD students.
Don't forget to mention you are supporting MISD when making your purchase!
El Primos LogoEl Primo's Mexican Grill & Cantina2300 Matlock Rd #21, Mansfield, TX5 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Chipotle LogoChipotle Mexican Grill1971 U.S. 287 Frontage Rd, Mansfield, TX5 p.m. - 8 p.m.
R Taco LogoR Taco (Rusty Taco)1520 E Debbie Ln, Mansfield, TX5 p.m. - 8 p.m.
QDOBA LogoQDOBA Mexican Eats1401 E Debbie Ln Suite 109, Mansfield, TX5 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Fuzzy's Taco Shop LogoFuzzy's Taco Shop1601 E Debbie Ln #1101, Mansfield, TX5 p.m. - 8 p.m.Can't attend but would still like to help? You can also make a donation online here Opens a New Window. .
The Back-to-School Bash will be held on Saturday, August 4, 2018 from 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. at the Mansfield ISD Center for the Performing Arts.
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We in Ellis County need to get serious about water issues. Private wells are going dry all over the county. The pictures related to lack of water in Cedar Bluff Reservoir and the dryness of the Smoky Hill River and Big Creek are not only sad, but ominous as well.
Hays and Ellis County elected officials need to chart a prudent course that is sustainable. As residents we all need to determine that we are using our valuable water efficiently and judiciously. When our ancestors arrived here they soon learned the value of water. They conserved water. We need to regain that same appreciation for water if we haven't already.
We live in an ecosystem. There is (in the end) only so much water here. Many parts of rural Ellis County are already supplied with water from wells in Trego County (Ogallala Aquifer). Other attempts to have water "piped" in from ecosystems outside our area have failed to date, and I would suggest are not the way to go.
We here in Ellis County need to learn from and work with our friends and neighbors in Russell and other surrounding counties. Russell has "leased" two wells from area farmers. This makes perfect sense. Water previously used for agricultural purposes can now be used for municipal purposes. The farmers were compensated for their loss of productivity. This is as it should be.
The city of Hays has that exact same scenario. It is time to enter into mutually satisfactory agreements between farmers irrigating out of the Smoky Hill alluvium to the west of the Hays city well field. I do not have the statistics for how much water is drawn from these irrigation wells, but I do know any water that was would now be potentially available for domestic usage.
That is the initial step I believe that needs to be taken. Then we need to admit that the city of Russell was very wise when they purchased water from Cedar Bluff. It will rain again someday, and this lake will refill. When that will happen is anybody's guess -- it may be a long time. I farmed in the Cedar Bluff irrigation district. The district was all but abandoned in the late '70s when it was apparent the water supply from Cedar Bluff could not supply the district. After the district disbanded, the lake then refilled in the early '90s.
Yet lots of valuable water is lost when releasing this water and allowing it to naturally flow down the riverbed to the Russell well field. At the same time, the city of Hays well field is recharged every time Russell calls for a release. Ellis County and especially the city of Hays receive a benefit. It is time to acknowledge our good friends and neighbors to the east and partner with them to build a pipeline from Cedar Bluff, with the water to be released at a mutually agreed upon point. I don't know how much water can potentially be saved for the Hays and Russell well fields, but I would guess it could be substantial. I don't have any idea how much a pipeline would cost either. Would it be worth it? Just depends on how valuable water is. It also takes faith to believe our good Lord will supply the rain needed for this great resource (Cedar Bluff).
The third and final step (and maybe the one with the most potential benefits) is to seek ways to partner with Ellis, Russell and Trego County landowners to build dams and ponds. These dams and ponds would hold the rain when it falls and would be used to recharge our precious underground water resources. Partnering with federal resources and expertise could also help in this area.
Bottom line: A workable solution to Hays and Ellis County's long-term water needs will only be forged by working together with our friends and neighbors. There is enough water for everyone. Let common sense prevail. God will provide for his people who trust in him.
Lawrence J. Reichert


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MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga.- Georgia College & State University softball doubleheader against Lander University scheduled for Tuesday (March 17) has been postponed again. The Peach Belt Conference match-up has been rescheduled for Friday (March 20) beginning at 2 p.m.
The Bobcats are back in action Wednesday, March 18 at the Peeler Complex taking on Carson-Newman College in a doubleheader staring at 1 p.m.
Visit www.GCSUBobcats.com to nominate your favorite former Bobcats and Colonials to the GCSU Athletics Hall of Fame. The GCSU Department of Athletics sponsors 10 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. As a Division II program, GCSU prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by the Bobcats' multiple appearances in post-season competition as well as documented academic success and community-service involvement.


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Like a Bee to Honey
There are many ways to preserve the flavor of an area — creating ordinances and review boards are some of them — but Robin Blackley chooses a different and tastier way. She preserves the flavor of the East End through honey.
Ms. Blackley has been the proprietor of East End Apiaries since 1987. She is a real-life beekeeper and that makes her sort of a superhero of the farming world.
You may recall a "Morning Edition" on National Public Radio in 2006, which reported that "wild bees across the country are in a state of decline. A few may be headed for extinction." That was according to a report by the National Academy of Sciences. "And since bees help to pollinate many plants, that could cause problems for anybody in the following categories. See if this includes you: gardeners, farmers, people who like to eat."
Ms. Blackley's road to the bees was similar to the bee dance many people have seen in educational films in high school: a lot of wiggling and shifting to find the proper direction.
She was brought up in Southampton but went to college for lost-wax casting, worked in commercial art foundries casting bronze, and moved to Manhattan, where she was "slinging chili on the Upper West Side," she said.
Making a snap decision herself, Ms. Blackley quit her job and moved to the Outer Banks of North Carolina to open a restaurant with a partner who didn't come through. She returned to her parents' house in Southampton to regroup, but it was the beginning of summer, and all the jobs were taken.
To keep herself occupied, she started a 30-by-50-foot garden in the backyard, deciding what to grow based on what she wanted to eat. "I bought some seeds and threw them in."
That's when the bees came buzzing around. And the more curious they became about the garden goodies, the more curious Ms. Blackley became about them.
Tentatively, she started keeping bees, still not really sure if she was doing it right. Then, after her very first season, her honey took second place at the Empire State Beekeeping Association in Syracuse, and not long after that, she received a call from John Halsey.
"He wanted me to look at some hives he had," she said earlier this month at Amy's Flowers on Mecox Road, part of the farm owned by the Halsey family. The family also markets their wares, notably apples, at the Milk Pail, a stand on Montauk Highway in Water Mill. "There was one colony that wasn't doing well."
"Here I was petrified, dealing with farmers whose family had been farming for hundreds of years," she said.
But after looking at the hive, she was able to correctly identify the problem, and that, she said "validated me."
How do beekeepers support their business? Many apiarists work on a sort of "bee-for-hire" basis, traveling with their hives to farms in other areas and allowing the bees to pollinate the crops at faraway farms before bringing the hives home.
"The problem with that," Ms. Blackley said, "is that you dilute the original flavor we have here on the East End, with its lush, rich soil." Her own bees hunt for pollen in a two-mile radius of the Halsey farm, which keeps her product pure.
"If I can help a farmer farm longer, with a more productive yield, that makes me happy," she said.
Do you have a swarm of bees that you don't know what to do with? Ms. Blackley picks up bees and "takes them from where they shouldn't be to where they should be." Bees tend to swarm in the spring and early summer. If it's fall, she said, you've probably got yellow jackets.
Ms. Blackley will be setting up a colony at the East End Community Organic Farm on Long Lane soon. "Beekeeping is very heavy, hard, sweaty work," she said. "There's not a lot of glory in it if people are looking at doing this as a hobby. You have to be really committed."
East End Apiaries sells the honey generated on the Halsey Farm only at farmers markets, never at supermarkets. Ms. Blackley takes her bee products to the new farmers market at the Amagansett Legion Hall on Wednesdays, Hayground School on Fridays, Westhampton on Saturdays, and Southampton on Sundays. She also offers it online at eastendapiaries.com.
"There's such a demand right now" for hives on farms that Ms. Blackley said she is "waiting for bees and equipment." But in the meantime, she is happy taking care of the "girls" she has.
Oh, and does she get stung? Of course she does. They're bees! "They don't sting unless they have to," she said. "You get used to it."
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Elizabethtown students solving Gambian cellphone problem
Cellphones have become a social and business necessity not just in the United States, but around the world.
But what if you had no electricity and couldn't find a place to charge your phone for miles? That necessity becomes a paperweight.
It's the problem facing residents of developing nations, including Gambia on the west coast of Africa, where half of the country's 1.7 million residents live in remote villages without easy access to electricity. While that's been a mere inconvenience for years, it's left the community of mostly farmers without a reliable means of cellphone communication.
A professor and a group of students at Elizabethtown College in Lancaster County are trying to fix that. They designed and developed an inexpensive, solar-powered cellphone charger that will be manufactured, marketed and sold in the country, providing jobs and that all-important cellphone service.
The charger would sell in Gambia for about $10 American, or about 381 Gambian dalasis, its national currency, according to Kurt M. DeGoede, the engineering professor leading the group.
The project germinated when DeGoede spent the 2010-11 school year teaching at the University of the Gambia. He learned of the cellphone issue while he was there and decided his students back in the states could help while garnering real-world experience.
A team of four engineering students started the process during the 2012-13 school year. This year's team of Anthony Fraccica, 22, of Easton; Josh Frey, 22, of Kimberton; Tuen Le, 21, of Lawndale, Calif.; and Courtney Warlick, 21, of Baltimore, finished the job.
Another group of Elizabethtown international business students is working on the business plan for the charger, and a contingent of the entire group will travel to the country in January to gather information for its final production.
The group meets each week to discuss the project, and each individual has certain responsibilities, Fraccica said.
The trip is partially funded by the college, but the group is mostly paying its own way. The students are trying to raise money to offset the cost of the trip through crowdfunding site Launcht. As of early this week, they had raised $220 of the $6,000 goal.
As for the charger itself, the parts necessary to make the prototype are funded in the college's budget, and the students are not being paid.
The plan is to have the product — now fully functioning — ready to be sent into the country's market in early 2015. The design will be given to a nonprofit group in Gambia, which will then produce and market the charger to the people who need them the most.
"Maybe that's a naive, optimistic goal," DeGoede said, "considering we don't necessarily know where we'd be going if we launched today. But it's what we're shooting for."
DeGoede said a farmer with no electricity could be under-selling his crop because he can't find out what the current sale rate is — something that happens at remote Gambian farms, he said.
Without the chargers, he said, villagers are forced to travel miles to gas stations or to anyone who might have electricity. When they find that spot, they are often charged to power up their phones, making it not just a time inconvenience, but a financial one as well.
"There is only power on the (Atlantic Ocean) coast, and everyone else in Gambia is kind of stuck," Frey said.
The device currently will charge only older cellphones that are in common use in Gambia. If the project progresses, a new team of Elizabethtown students may try to upgrade the device so it could be used to charge more sophisticated phones.
In addition to providing a solution to the phone-charging issue, the project hopes to establish good-paying jobs in Gambia from the marketing and manufacture of the product through a business incubator in the country.
"The whole idea is to provide a sustainable social business in West Africa," DeGoede said. "We can do that with this product."


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- Starter Kits
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Over in Orange County, the mixers at Cosmic Fog are hardworking souls, dedicating seven to ten months to crafting every single flavor, and trying each resulting juice out themselves for weeks to ensure their customers get the best.
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Except for any products designated on the Website as non-returnable, we will accept a return of the products for a refund of your purchase price, less the original shipping and handling costs, provided such return is made within thirty (30) business days of shipment. All returned items must be unused, unopened, and in original packaging for a refund. All cartridges, atomizers, e-liquids, coils, RBA, disposable items and clearance items are final sale and are not covered by our return policy and warranty.
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For more details on vaping.com shipping please visit our shipping information page


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Faith Cafe Status: We are OPEN! Click
here for more photos
We have updated our volunteer sign-up to be online. Click
here for more detail to help facilitate the sign-up process. If
you need more information please email: email@example.com
Faith Café welcomes anyone that would like to
volunteer. We take donations of food or clothing
daily. Click here to learn more about how you can help
support this ministry.
Our primary goal at Faith Café is to feed the hungry. Monday through Saturday, we offer guests a comfortable, safe environment to come and enjoy a meal.Learn More
Our Address:S.T.E.M./Faith Cafe
1340 North Clearview Avenue
Tampa Florida, 33607
(813) 877-6889


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If you would like, please donate:
This is the package signature as generated by The GnuPG. This signature identifies the party that created the package. By verifying it you are sure that the package coming from a trustworty person or organization.
Here is the package signature:
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1 iEYEABECAAYFAle9mAIACgkQqesEzEdeXBG6BACeO8rkQav76FnUkQymxZFM6TCw GK8An0pkyH4V6Euf4h7Sn9De2vOFOHAf =PAfP -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
You can save this signature in a text file (e.g. libva-1.0.15-i486-1gds.txz.asc) in the same directory where the package file (libva-1.0.15-i486-1gds.txz) resides and you can verify it by issuing the following command:
gpg --verify libva-1.0.15-i486-1gds.txz.asc
NOTE: You need to import the public key of SlackPack first:
gpg --import KEY
Filename: libva-1.0.15-i486-1gds.txz
Filesize: 327.38 KB (335 232 B)
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MD5 Hash: 681dfb0eac319dae5cc29b583f24a585
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Create Your Own Perfume
- Duração: 1 Horas (Aproximadamente)
- Localização: Melbourne City, Victoria
The experience begins with the Fleurage perfumer's personal scent analysis of each participant which reveals the scent family and type of perfume that is most suited to their tastes.Explore the perfume ingredients
A simple set of questions will have you sampling from the area that is most likely aligned with your tastes.
All the ingredients have been specially selected to work harmoniously together. They are organised into the four major scent families floral, oriental, chypre and fougere. Each family is organised into base, middle and top notes.Your formula is then created from your selection
From your selected ingredients with the guidance of the perfumer your formula is created and recorded on your own work sheet for you to take with you.Create your fragrance
Add the ingredients. If you feel unsure about using the dropper, we are here to help. We check in with the fragrance to see how it is progressing to make sure you leave with something beautiful.Your finished fragrance
The completed perfume – An Eau De Parfum ready for you to name as you wish. The fragrance will take 24 hours to settle. Your formula goes with your creation and we have a copy for you to refill at any time. This is the story about who you are and what you like, captured in your very own fragrance.
The formula is recorded on a scent wheel and the perfume can be re-orded. You can bring a friend to observe the process.


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We've gotten a ton of feeback this morning about the iTunes Store or App Store being down, inaccessible, or just plain ornery this morning. Some of us here at iMore can get to it fine, others can't get to it at all. Apple's System Status tools shows an issue over the last hour or so:
Multiple Store Services - 9:40 AM - 11:50 AM - Some users affected
Users may have been unable to make purchases in the iTunes Store, Mac App Store, and App Store.
Which sounds like it's over, but still seems to be lingering for some.
There's not much we can do at this point except hope Apple's fixed it, and those fixes will get everyone back in and enjoying their content and games asap. In the meantime, let me know if you had any problems, or if you're still having problems.
This post may contain affiliate links. See our disclosure policy for more details.


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BMI Consulting necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 65 diseños de 18 diseñadores freelance.
Bariatric & Metabolic Intelligence (BMI)
BMI is a business consulting firm that specializes in working with surgeons and hospitals who have programs dedicated to weight loss surgery. The main types of surgery are adjustable gastric banding, gastric bypass (aka Roux-en-y) and the new vertical sleeve gastrectomy.
Our focus is to provide business analysis, advice and recommendations on how they can change their internal business processes and staffing in order to increase patient retention. For weight loss surgery patients, it is a very difficult and long process (6-12 months) to get a patient prepared, educated and approved by insurance for surgery. Our experience with programs across the country has allowed us to identify best practices for making this 6-12 month process much more patient friendly and shorter! Our average client sees a 30% increase in the # of surgeries they perform within 1 year of our engagement together.
These results are also a result of our significant market research and knowledge of best practices for appealing to potential patients as well as referring physicians. We also have extensive knowledge of the best information to provide on the web and how to increase visibility of websites.
Financially, we are able to provide a full financial performance analysis including contract pricing, coding and billing recommendations. We also offer program management services.
We are targeting weight loss surgeons and Hospital executives (i.e. CEO, COO, CNursingO)
Our customers are both clinical and business savvy. Surgeons are focused on clinical care but their most common complaint is that marketing is insufficient when, in reality, their internal processes and staffing are inadequate. Hospital executives are more business focused and concerned about the bottom line dollar and will do what it takes to get more patients to surgery.
I want a multi-colored logo (2-3 colors?). Our business cards and stationary will be white so something that will pop is preferred but keep it VERY business professional. We like deep and rich blues/dark grays as colors but please do not feel restricted by this. I am not looking for anything that utilizes clinical instruments like a stethoscope or healthy food like an apple. I would like some sort of ambiguous art or abstract design and a play on our initials "BMI." In bariatrics, BMI is the most common acronym, it stands for "Body Mass Index." Part of the reason for our name is to mimic that acronym although our play on words is "Bariatric & Metabolic Intelligence." Please ensure you use the "&" as opposed to the word "and."
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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Another Lesbian Gets At "The Biggest Dyke" & Defends Rick Ross: "You Embarrasing Us. Wack a$$ Song" + Spits Acapella Freestyle
Killa Kel response to Boi Sha Lesbian Video
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Rambler With Banana Trees, Echo Park | Photo by Stephen Roullier/Flickr
- Vote! Polls close at 8 p.m. Find your polling place at lavote.gov
- Councilman proposes $50,000 reward in connection with the slaying of a church goer who confronted a tagger outside a Historic Filipinotown church. L.A. Now
- Highland Park middle school dedicates $30 million multipurpose center. Boulevard Sentinel
- A close up view of a Silver Lake Red Shouldered Hawk. Corralitas Red Car


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Available from stock
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Heuver Tyrewholesale is one of the largest tyre specialists in Europe. We offer a comprehensive range for the truck, agriculture and earth-moving markets. This not only includes top brands, but also effective and affordable alternatives.
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Disneyland's Space Mountain is infamous for long lines, but the only visitors it literally scares away are those who suffer from macrophobia, the fear of waits.
Everyone has some kind of phobia, whether they admit it or not. Some are common and understandable like arachnophobia (fear of spiders), or the fear of flying, which plagues 6.5 percent of Americans, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. But other phobias…well, they're downright quirky. We've rounded up the strangest phobias that can be associated with travel and matched each with a challenge—the place to avoid, or to visit only when ready to conquer that fear.
Seattle, for instance, would intimidate anyone with aichmophobia, the fear of pointed objects. Just thinking of the Space Needle would be the stuff of nightmares. Or consider Hong Kong, built along steep, lush hills. Locals came up with an ingenious solution for getting around: the world's longest series of outdoor escalators, rising 443 feet during a 20-minute ride. But what's cool and convenient for most is terrifying for those few with escalaphobia—and yes, that term really exists.
Nomophobia, on the other hand, gives a strange name to a travel-related fear that you're more likely to have experienced—the sense of helplessness that comes with no cell phone contact, or even the anticipation of that situation. Donna Heckert of California's Treebones Resort knows to alert potential guests to its lack of reception. "There's a pay phone at the resort, or they can drive 15 minutes south," she says. "If you have a phobia about being without your cell, the property is so beautiful it might make you forget about your fear."
If total withdrawal is too much, as with any fear, it helps to test the waters gradually. That's advice even for those with limnophobia (fear of lakes), the only travelers who'd find the location of Migis Lodge—on the shores of Maine's Sebago Lake—disturbing. "Our water is exceptionally clear," says general manager Jed Porta encouragingly. "On a very sunny day you can see 35 feet of depth, and we don't have sea creatures or monsters to be frightened of."
See, no monsters! That's one fear resolved already. Read on for more places that can bring out the strangest phobias.


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JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Feb. 10, 2014) – A resurgent ETSU men's basketball team will be aiming to maintain its recent momentum as the squad begins its final stretch of regular season home games Monday evening against Atlantic Sun Conference foe USC Upstate.
Game time against the Spartans is set for 7 p.m. inside the ETSU/MSHA Athletic Center. The Bucs will be wrapping up its home conference slate this week in games against USC Upstate (Monday), FGCU (Thursday, 7 p.m.) and Stetson (Saturday, 4 p.m.)
The Bucs (14-11 overall, 7-5 A-Sun) enter Monday's contest having won five of their last six games, and have moved into a tie for third place with the Spartans, who also sport an identical 14-11, 7-5 record.
Fans are also encouraged to bring their children to games this year to take advantage of the special Sweet Frogs $5 kids' ticket during men's basketball games.
For more on Monday's game, read the game notes below or click on the game notebook link to the right. For more on ETSU men's basketball throughout the 2013-14 season, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the men's hoops link.
We are "ETSU"
The ETSU Department of Intercollegiate Athletics would like to ask both the print and broadcast media to honor our request to be called "ETSU" ... East Tennessee State University in first reference is acceptable, but subsequent references should be ETSU ... On TV graphics please use ETSU ... Our nickname is the Buccaneers, but Bucs is also acceptable.
Buc bits
The ETSU men's basketball program was glad to see the 2012-13 campaign come to an end, following a season which saw the team face multiple obstacles and challenges -- such as a brutal schedule that featured the likes of North Carolina, Arizona, Ole Miss, Virginia Tech, Georgia and Hawaii ... Other issues for the team included senior post Lukas Poderis (Port Richey,
Fla.) missing
the season with
ankle injury
that he suffered
in the preseason,
senior guard Jarvis Jones (Memphis) being academically ineligible for the first two months of the year, and two other senior guards who were expected to be major contributors were dismissed from the team in early November for violations of team rules … This left head coach Murry Bartow and his coaching staff with a young, inexperienced group of underclassmen, several true freshmen, one redshirt freshman and a pair of junior college transfers … Those obstacles proved to be tough to overcome, as the Buccaneers posted a 10-22 record and finished 8-10 in Atlantic Sun Conference play … It was the toughest campaign in Bartow's 10 seasons at ETSU, a tenure that has produced many championships, postseason tournament appearances and 20-win campaigns … In all, Bartow's teams have earned three NCAA Tournament invitations (2004, 2009 and 2010), one NIT appearance (2007), and one CIT berth (2011), and the Bucs have eclipsed 20 wins five times.
The series vs. USC Upstate
ETSU holds an 8-4 all-time record against the Spartans ... Upstate has won the last two meetings, including an 88-56 victory last season back on March 1, 2013.
Last time out vs. USC Upstate
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (March 1, 2013) – ETSU senior guard Jarvis Jones (Memphis) has enjoyed plenty of success during his five years as a member of the ETSU men's basketball team. Unfortunately, his last memory of the Dome will not be a good one. ... In front of 4,389 fans on Senior Night, Jones and the Buccaneers were unable to overcome a hot shooting start by the USC Upstate Spartans and ultimately dropped their regular season finale 88-56 Friday night in Atlantic Sun Conference basketball action at the ETSU/MSHA Athletic Center. ... Suffering their worst conference defeat in terms of point margin since joining the A-Sun in 2005-06, the Bucs dropped to 10-21 overall, 8-10 in league play. Meanwhile, USC Upstate improved to 15-16, 9-9 on the season. ... Things did not go well for the Bucs from the beginning of the game. Hitting five 3-pointers in the opening five minutes of the game, USC Upstate quickly jumped ahead by 14 points at 19-5 and never allowed the Bucs to cut the deficit closer than six points in the first half. ... Despite that tough start, the Bucs trailed 39-25 at the break and still had a shot at the win – especially with ETSU having rallied for multiple victories in the second half this season. However, it didn't work out that way this time. ...
In fact, the Spartans opened the second half by outscoring the Bucs 36-9 and simply dominated in every possible way. For the game, Upstate shot 49 percent from the field, 46 percent from 3-point range.
Last time out
NASHVILLE (Feb. 8, 2014) – Dramatic, pulse-quickening games have defined the Atlantic Sun Conference series between ETSU and Lipscomb since 2005. And in what could be the last meeting between the two teams for some time, there was once again no lack of drama. ... In a contest that featured 10 ties and 27 lead changes, ETSU junior guard Jalen Riley (Racine, Wisc.) scored a career high 30 points and fellow junior guard Rashawn Rembert (Tampa, Fla.) added 21 to lift the Buccaneers past Lipscomb 96-88 in a game highlighted by spectacular offense. ... For the game, the Bucs shot an impressive 61 percent from the floor and were a decisive 35-of-41 from the free throw line (85 percent). ... The opening half was highlighted by plenty of offensive production and large runs by both teams, as the Bucs went on a 17-4 burst to build a lead of 10 at 28-18 in the early going. However, Lipscomb responded by manufacturing its own 16-5 run to regain the advantage at 34-33 with 4:41 left before the break. ... From there, the scoring only increased along with multiple lead changes and ties, but the halftime score finally settled with ETSU leading, 50-48. It was the Bucs' highest first half offensive output of the season, as ETSU shot an amazing 70 percent from the field and 43 percent from 3-point range. However, Lipscomb was nearly as impressive with a 52 percent clip from the field. ... In the second half, the scoring pace continued but this time neither team pulled away at any point. For the half, there were six ties and 14 lead changes.
Riley breaks out; continues great "sixth man" play
For weeks, those around the ETSU men's basketball team have argued that junior guard Jalen Riley (Racine, Wis.) may be the best "sixth man" in the league ... Recently, Riley has been proving those people right ... In his last four games -- which includes a career-high, 30-point effort against Lipscomb (2/8) -- the junior guard has eclipsed double digits each time, averaging 18.0 points a game, while shooting 53 percent from the field, 56 percent from 3-point range, and 92 percent at the foul line.
Free throws key to ETSU victories this season
What a difference a year can make ... Last season, the Buccaneers struggled for consistency at the foul line, but this year has been a different story ... The Bucs currently lead the Atlantic Sun Conference with a 74 percent shooting clip from the charity stripe, and their numbers are also good enough to rank 30th in the country in free throws made as of Feb. 8 with 433 ... In fact, earlier this year the Bucs hit a remarkable 32-of-33 free throws in a single game ... In the last two games, they were 12-of-13 at the line against NKU (2/6) and then 35-of-41 at the stripe in the win over Lipscomb (2/8).
Resurgent Wilson giving Bucs a lift on offense
Sophomore Lester Wilson (Knoxville) was expected to be a major offensive weapon for the Buccaneers this season, but only recently has the forward made his presence felt ... In three of the Bucs last five games -- from Jan. 25 to Feb. 2 -- Wilson averaged 15.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game, shooting 54 percent from the field and from 3-point range ... He reached double figures in all three games, despite only reaching double figures once in the previous seven games ... By comparison, before his recent streak, Wilson had averaged 7.5 points and 2.6 rebounds per game on just 33 percent shooting from the field and 26 percent shooting from 3-point range.
Bartow gets win No. 300 overall and No. 200 at ETSU
ETSU head coach Murry Bartow won his 300th career game on Jan. 4 against Kennesaw State, and captured his 200th win on the ETSU bench on Jan. 25 against Jacksonville ... Bartow is the second winningest coach in program history, behind only legend Madison Brooks' 370 victories for the Blue and Gold. In addition, Bartow's .580 winning percentage also ranks second in the modern era for the Bucs, behind only Alan LeForce's .607 percentage.
Rembert hoping to stay hot as A-Sun schedule begins
Junior guard Rashawn Rembert (Tampa) has made the most of his increased playing time over the last two seasons ... Last season, Rembert ranked fourth in the A-Sun in 3-point field goal percentage at 39.7 percent for the year, and currently ranks third this year with a 43 percent mark ... This year, he has shown a marked improvement in his style of offensive play, and currently leads the team with 15.9 points per contest ... He also is second in the league in made 3-pointers with 2.8 per game ... In fact, his numbers are good enough to rank him nationally in both percentage and total makes from 3-point range (see NCAA list to the left).
Difference between winning and losing for ETSU
Rebounding has been a particular indicator for the Bucs this season when it comes to wins and losses ... The statistics below show the differences for the Bucs is several important categories so far this season.
Statistical category Wins (13-0) Losses (0-11)
ETSU scoring 82.4 PPG....................... 66.7 PPG
Opponent scoring 72.3 PPG........................ 78.9 PPG
Rebounding margin -0.5........................................ -7.9
Shooting % .480.................................... .387
3-pt. shooting % .399................................... .316
Assists 13.0 APG..................... 11.0 APG
Merriweather continues to shine, posts double-double
Freshman guard A.J. Merriweather (Jackson, Tenn.) has certainly made an impression this season, and he continued to make more news with his third career double-double in the win over Kennesaw State (1/4) ... In that game, Merriweather also netted a career high with 19 points, while grabbing 10 rebounds ... His current team ranks are first in rebounding (6.5 rpg), fourth in scoring (10.8 ppg), first in steals (1.4 spg), and third in minutes played (27.6 mpg). ... He followed that effort with a career high 20 points in the loss at Mercer (1/6).
All-around effort by Gadsden-Gilliard impressive
Setting new personal bests with 12 rebounds and six assists in the win over Samford (11/21), senior forward Kinard Gadsden-Gilliard (Georgetown, S.C.) had people thinking "triple-double" when he added an 18-point effort to his statistical line ... The Bucs hope that KGG can make these types of efforts more consistent ... KGG responded to that expectation by putting together a 19-point, seven-rebound and seven-assist outing against Marshall in an 88-78 victory on Nov. 30.
Bucs have tradition of postseason appearances, success
The ETSU men's basketball team has enjoyed its share of postseason success and ranks as one of the nation's most prestigious basketball programs ... The Buccaneers have earned berths to the NCAA Tournament nine times (1969, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010) and NIT twice (1983, 2007) ... In 2011, the Bucs made their first ever appearance in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament, winning twice and advancing to the semifinals of that event ... It was the program's 12th postseason tournament appearance all-time.
Three-point streak for Bucs dates back nearly 20 years
Since Feb. 16, 1987 in a game against Davidson, the Bucs have made at least one 3-pointer in 819 consecutive games. ... ETSU was 0-for-8 in that 1987 game. ... The Bucs currently rank as the 7th longest streak in the NCAA, just behind Arkansas and ahead of Oakland.
Shuffling starters was the "new normal" for Bucs
Last season, ETSU head coach Murry Bartow used 17 different starting lineups in the team's 33 games ... Injuries and dismissals left ETSU's coaches searching for the right combination all season. ... Bartow hoped to find more stability with his rotation in 2013-14, but he had used five different starting lineups in the first five games of the year. ... Since that time, he has played with the same starting lineup in 18 of the last 20 games, with the team going 12-6 in those contests.
ETSU picked among nation's best "Prestige" programs
In the modern era for NCAA Division I-A basketball – marked by the expansion of the NCAA Tournament field to 64 teams in 1984-85 – the ETSU men's basketball program ranks in the Top 30 percent of the 300 programs that were eligible for the postseason at that time, this according to ESPN.com's "Prestige" ranking released back in 2008 ... Since that time, the Bucs have only added to their list of prestigious honors … The Bucs -- who have enjoyed nine NCAA trips, one NIT and one CIT berth, 14 20-win seasons, and a slew of conference regular season and tournament championships since 1984-85 -- ranked tied for 82nd out of 300 teams, meaning they were in the Top 27 percent of schools making the list. ETSU was ranked ahead of every current Atlantic Sun team, as well as former SoCon rivals Appalachian State, Western Carolina, Georgia Southern and UNC Greensboro. In addition, at that time the Bucs ranked ahead of SEC schools such as Tennessee, Vanderbilt, South Carolina, Mississippi State, Georgia, Mississippi and Auburn, as well as programs such as Notre Dame, DePaul, Bradley, Clemson and Fla. State.


text:
|Paul Debevec
|Camillo Taylor
|Jitendra Malik
Façade itself remains an unreleased research prototype, but much of its functionality is now available in commercial products. Façade was a source of inspiration for MetaCreations' product Canoma written by Robert Seidl and Tilman Reinhardt. In August 2000 Adobe Systems acquired Canoma and may integrate the technology into a new project to be released at a future date. Along with computer vision research led by Olivier Faugeras at INRIA, Façade was also a source of inspiration for RealViz's ImageModeler image-based modeling and rendering package, recently acquired by Autodesk. Other related software was surveyed in November 20, 2000 article (click here) by Terrence Masson on VFXPro.com. Façade was also the basis for the virtual cinematography technology used at MANEX Visual Effects and ESC Entertainment for films such as The Matrix, Mission Impossible II, and The Matrix sequels.
|Paul E. Debevec
|  /


text:
25% OFF! - Linda's Lil Blessings Clusters
By Kathryn Estry
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Product Information
- Type: Embellishment Pack
- Designer: Kathryn Estry
- Software Category: Everyday
- Download Size: 38.8 MB (approximate)
Design Elements
- Page Elements: 6
Terms of UseKathryn Estry's Terms of Use for this kit.
How do you know what Terms of Use a kit has?
Look in the lower right corner of the kit preview for one or more of the following icons.
|Personal Use
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Designer Notes
This collection was made in honor of my friend and CT member, Linda, and her work with all of the babies and toddlers she cares for. She calls them her Little Blessings. It has a vintage look and will make beautiful pages for children of all ages. See the bundle at 45% off!
Image Quality
High-resolution (print quality) JPG and PNG files (with transparency).
Download Options
Easy install directly into My Memories Suite software. Purchase My Memories Suite
General use installer for other software applications (i.e., Adobe Photoshop & Photoshop Elements, Paint Shop Pro, etc.).
Album and Photobook templates are intended for installation in the MyMemories Suite software only.
The General download will still contain all of the digital paper and page element files and template pages in a flat jpeg format so that you can recreate the template.
The layered pre-built pages are not available in the general download.
Download Access
All download options are available after checkout by clicking the "Access Your Downloads" provided on the order confirmation page. You may also access your downloads after logging into the My Account section located at the top right of the website.


text:
To be fair to the readers, I believe that it is time to explain the possible risks and threats associated with Public Key Infrastructure (PKI). Until now, I have given you a lot of information on how to use PKI. (Editor's note: see Eliana Stavrou's articles on ASP Free). Although PKI is considered a must-have technology, it is not bullet-proof. Any security solution we have applied has its own problems; so does PKI. A silver bullet may not exist to solve all the security issues, but a combination of solutions along with the knowledge of their drawbacks gives us the vantage to close open holes and create a strong security solution.
In this article, I will discuss concepts related to PKI technology, so you need to be familiar with the PKI process.
The risks that are described in this article are the following:
- Trust establishment
- Private key protection
- CRL availability
- Key generation
- Legislation compliance
{mospagebreak title=Trust establishment}
Although PKI aims to achieve a level of trust between individuals, issues such as inappropriate verification of trust procedures on behalf of the Certification Authority, and insecure configurations of the users' computers, can lead users to question the trust relationships they have with each other.
It is a big responsibility on behalf of a CA to certify the trustworthiness of the entities requesting a digital certificate. How can you be sure that the CA has appropriate and strong procedures to verify that the requester is who he or she claims to be? What if someone tricks the CA into issuing him or her a digital certificate based on fake personal information? What if a user's private key is stolen and he or she has not discovered and reported it in order for the certificate to be revoked? Simply put, you cannot be sure!
In addition to verifying the trustworthiness of the holders of a digital certificate, we have the issue of trusting the actual CA. How can we be sure that the CA has the appropriate resources, such as trusted personnel and a secure infrastructure? It is meaningless to trust a CA to issue certificates when physical security is absent and anyone can have access to the CA server and retrieve confidential information.
How to minimize the risk: Not everyone who possesses a digital certificate is actually trustable. Learn to be cautious in order to avoid future problems. When you receive a message signed by an individual, take a few moments to read the information contained on the digital certificate and then decide if you are going to trust the person who has sent it. You should consider these questions: "Do I know the person who owns the digital certificate?", "Does the digital certificate have a valid expiration date?", and "Is the digital certificate issued by an authority I already trust?"
{mospagebreak title=Private key protection}
The cornerstone of the PKI is the private key you use to encrypt or digitally sign information. One of the most significant things a PKI has to offer is non-repudiation. Non-repudiation guarantees that the parties involved in a transaction or communication cannot later on deny their participation. Imagine how vital this requirement is for e-commerce; as a consumer or a seller you have warranties that you will get what you have paid for or even that you will be paid as agreed.
Assuming that your private key is stolen, this will lead to the compromise of the authentication and non-repudiation gained through PKI because the attacker can use your private key to digitally sign documents and pretend to be you. This is obviously a situation you do not want to face. Imagine how much damage (economically, credibility etc.) can be caused by someone else running around masquerading as you!
Compromising the private key is a threat that involves not only the holders of the digital certificate but the CA itself. Compromising the CA's private key may lead to dramatic consequences if it is not detected immediately. The attacker can use the CA's private key to generate numerous fraudulent digital certificates that may then be used for illegal purposes.
How to minimize the risk: Both the holders of a digital certificate and the issuing authority must protect the computers, storage devices or whatever they use to keep the private keys. A combination of security solutions can be used to achieve a high-level of protection such as strong passwords, anti-virus, firewalls, intrusion detection tools etc.
{mospagebreak title=CRL availability}
Each issuing authority usually maintains a list containing the serial number of all the digital certificates that have been cancelled due to various reasons i.e. compromised private keys or changes in the information contained on the digital certificate. This list is called the CRL (Certification Revocation List) and the process of verifying whether a digital certificate has been cancelled is called revocation checking.
The risk related to the CRL is concerned with the availability of the list. Assume that the private key of Bob is compromised by Trudy the intruder. Bob has detected the compromise and asked the issuing authority to revoke his certificate and issue him another one. The issuing authority revokes Bob's digital certificate and places it in the CRL. Then, due to a virus infection, the issuing authority and its services become unavailable. In the meanwhile, Trudy the intruder has sent a digitally signed message to Alice, pretending to be Bob, asking her ID number because he will send her a present. When Alice receives the signed message, her email program, if configured appropriately, will try to verify the status of the digital certificate. Since the CRL is currently not available to any end entity, Alice's email program could not verify the certificate, even though it has been revoked. This would lead to the acceptance of the certificate as valid. Thus:
- digital signatures are wrongly viewed as valid, and
- confidentiality has been compromised without the knowledge of sender or recipient.
Alice is excited about her present, so she emails her ID number to Bob, and the message that is intercepted by Trudy the intruder for her own nefarious purposes.
How to minimize the risk: The responsibility of minimizing the risk associated with the CRL availability depends entirely on the issuing authority. Thus, the issuing authority must maintain a strong and secure architecture to avoid security breaches, and a comprehensive fail-over plan that provides a secondary infrastructure to maintain availability of services in the case of a failure of the primary infrastructure.
{mospagebreak title=Key generation}
The generation of the public and private key is done using a cryptographic algorithm, and the generation of a digital signature is done using a hash algorithm. Examples of well known cryptographic algorithms are RSA (Rivest – Shamir – Aldeman), Diffie – Hellman, Elliptic Curve and DSS (Digital Signature Standard). Examples of well known hash algorithms are MD2, MD4, MD5 and SHA (Secure Hash Algorithm).
The risk associated with the cryptographic or hash algorithm used to generate the keys or digital signature respectively, pertains to the length of the keys that define the strength of the algorithm. By using a limited bit length to generate the keys or the digital signature, you face the risk of a brute force attack, in which an intruder tests every possible key combination to break the cryptographic or hash algorithm. These days, a brute force attack is easily made as computers get faster and cheaper.
Keep in mind that, if an attacker uses brute force, the computing power that is needed to break the algorithm increases exponentially with the length of the key. For example, a 32 bit length key requires 232 combinations; a key of this length can be easily broken even by you using special software. These days, a 512 bit length key can be broken by major governments or university research groups within a few months.
In theory, any cryptographic method can be broken by trying all possible combinations. Fortunately, at the moment large length keys (i.e. 2048 bits) are unbreakable. By the time a cryptographic algorithm is broken, usually a new, stronger algorithm appears to cover the loss.
How to minimize the risk: There is always the risk of using weak algorithms, which generate the public key from the private key in a manner that allows the value of the private key to be determined. Each issuing authority must use well-known algorithms and a large bit length for the generated keys to prevent an attacker from predicting the keys and causing problems. In addition, anyone requesting a digital certificate should take some time reading the Certificate Practice Statement of the issuing authority; it states the key length and the cryptographic and hash algorithms used. By doing so, all parties could prevent the creation of weak keys that can be determined by an intruder.
{mospagebreak title=Legislation compliance}
Every country that either operates a national PKI system or has third-party organizations operating their own PKI system should have in place an appropriate legal framework to recognize the operation of the PKI and the usage of digital certificates and digital signatures.
Earlier, I talked about the non-repudiation requirement. It is crucial for every business and every individual to be assured that, when they engage in a transaction using digital certificates and/or signatures, the participants cannot later on deny their actions.
However, in order for the non-repudiation requirement to take effect and protect the holders of a digital certificate, appropriate legislation must exist; otherwise, if someone denies an action that was actually performed, the person or company on the other end of the transaction may have no rights or recourse.
For example, the European Union created a set of guidelines, called EU Directives, that cover the area of Public Key Infrastructure. The directives associated with the concept of PKI are:
- EU Electronic Signatures Directive
- EU Data Protection Directive
In my country (Argentina), the government signed the law for protection of personal information in 1987, but until recently there was no legal act concerning the usage of digital certificates and signatures. The lack of a legal act was a big drawback in using PKI technology, since most people felt that they could not trust it without the appropriate legal recognition. Fortunately, the government recently harmonized the law with EU's E-Signature Directive, anticipating to the spread of the PKI in the government and private sector.
How to minimize the risk: This risk depends entirely on the government of each country. The government has a responsibility to update its legislation framework. However, it is a good idea to investigate the situation in your country and find out whether you are covered by the law when using PKI technology. At least you will know where you stand if you choose to use PKI without the appropriate legislation.
Public Key Infrastructure is a favorite technology despite the risks that may stem from its usage. As with any other technology, it is up to us to minimize the risks and threats associated with this technology, and maximize the benefit of what it has to offer. Knowing these risks in advance, we could better prepare and prevent possible problems that may arise by using such technology. Nevertheless, I think that all of us have to recognize the significance of PKI technology at an individual, business and national level.


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The National Square Dance Convention® is an annual event occurring in late June each year moving from city to city based upon a bid process presented at the annual convention and awarded four years in the futures.
All members of the local convention committee are volunteers who donate their time, energy and expertise to produce the "World's Greatest Square Dance Event" each year.
The convention presents an extensive program of education through panels, seminars and workshops. But, the convention includes all phases of dancing, exhibitions, a fashion show, bid session, special events and much shopping opportunities at the Vendors. Most of all the convention provides fun and fellowship to dancers and leaders from around the world.
Many, many of the world's most able callers, cuers, and leaders include the National Square Dance Convention® in their busy schedules each year.
The convention is a one of a kind event that has been held annually for the past 60 years.
A square dance was held at Riverside, California in 1952. They called it a National Square Dance Convention. It was a great success and plans were made to do it again in another part of the country. The dancers in charge of these first Conventions met together and agreed on plans and guidelines for more Conventions. Thus the National Executive Committee (NEC) was formed.
- Each Director is first a General Chairman of a National Square Dance Convention®. Being a General Chairman is the only way to becoming a Director of the National Executive Committee for the National Square Dance Convention®. This National Executive Committee selects the future Convention sites from among those meeting the requirements and submitting a bid. Criteria for selection are broad and based on dancers needs and desires.
- A Pre-Convention meeting is held approximately 15 months prior to Convention. It is conducted by the Convention for their in-depth study, with the National Executive Committee observing and advising. Each member of the National Executive Committee is appointed as Advisor to a particular phase activity:
- Education
- Program
- Registration
- Services
- Other
The National Executive Committee meets at least twice a year, spending a week each time at Pre-Convention and Convention. They are also responsible for publishing the National Squares Online magazine, which benefits the upcoming National Square Dance Conventions®.
- Each Director is charged with a geographical area, and a bid inquiry from their area receives a prompt and informative response.
- The assigned Director selects other Directors to a total of three/four to instruct the bidding square dance organization and the supporting convention bureau on procedures and requirements.
- Prior to their first visit, they will forward all necessary forms and details for submitting a bid.
- The bidding city is required to pay travel expenses and furnish hotel/motel accommodations for this and a minimum of one other visit. Should any additional visits be needed, prior to presenting the bid, the bidding city requirements remain the same as outlined for the first two visits.
- The NEC President and NEC Advisors must approve any additional visit(s). These Directors serve as Advisors during the bid process and to the successful bidders in all phases of the Convention until the Convention is completed and a Final Report is submitted.
- There are no paid employees and no salaries. All time is gratuitous on the part of the Directors.
- A percentage fee, from Convention Registrations only, is paid to the National Executive Committee to offset expenses.
- No fees are collected from Vendor Booth rentals or other items.
Authorized National Executive Committee expenses include:
Clerical and promotional expense
Statistical reports
Special awards and plaques at conventions
- Certain expenses of the National Executive Committee for the Pre-Convention meeting or any specially called meeting.
The Directors pay their own Registration fee, Program Book, etc., travel, and expenses when attending National Square Dance Conventions®.
The hosting city is required to furnish hotel rooms to all members of the National Executive Committee for their stay at both Pre-Convention meeting and the National Square Dance Convention®.
A special luncheon on Friday of the Pre-Convention meeting is hosted by the local Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) for the VIPs of the city so they may learn about National Square Dance Conventions® and how their departments' involvement is critical.
Director Members of the National Executive Committee are added approximately 90 days prior to their Convention and serve continuously on the committee until they retire, decease, miss two consecutive Conventions, or are removed from the Committee.
They are all active square dancers and are available for discussion with any square dancer.
They may become Member Emeritus upon retirement. They are never replaced.