text stringlengths 115 558k |
|---|
The snow-pocolapse has come and gone, and we have 18 inches of snow to show for it. We were pretty much snowbound the last two days, so I was able to catch up on most of the shows I had recorded on my dvr and finish three Christmas presents. I had finished a cowl/hat/earwarmer for someone else, and while I was modeling it for Andrew, Willow asked, "Did you make that for me?" Magic words... So, after Willow went to bed and while Andrew and I were watching Dr. Who: Waters of Mars, I whipped up this for Willow:
It's easy-peasy - I cast on, knit the whole thing, and cast off by the time Dr. Who was over - less than 90 minutes altogether.
Yarn: Wool Ease Chunky in Grass - less than 1 ball
Needles: 16" circulars in size 10.5
Pattern: Cast on 60 stitches, join, be careful not to twist. K3, P1 all around. Continue in pattern until you have a 8" tube. Bind off in pattern. Done!
I've made myself one, too - and I like the fact that it can accomodate a ponytail and covers your ears completely.
I don't want you to get Mattie-deprived, so here is a new picture of the puppy:
Isn't she beautiful!? I could just snuggle with her all day. |
A Victorian Christmas With John Doan
"A Victorian Christmas With John Doan," a holiday tradition in its 18th season, comes to Salem, Sunday, Dec. 12, at 7 p.m. in Hudson Hall in the Mary Stuart Rogers Music Center at Willamette University.
Advanced tickets are at the Music Department are $10 for adults and $8 for children and seniors under 12. Tickets at the door are $12 for adults and $10 for children and seniors. Willamette University students, faculty, and staff may acquire free tickets up to one week prior to the event. For more information and phone reservations call (503) 370-6255.
This seasonal program is a live version of Doan's Emmy nominated Public Broadcasting television special, which re-enacts what it might have been like to celebrate Christmas a century ago.
The show explores how the Victorians invented many Christmas traditions we remember and quite a few we have forgotten. The 20-string harp guitar, classical banjo, and ukelin are but a few of the original instruments to be featured.
The aim of this concert is to recapture the feeling of a time before radio and TV when our ancestors provided most of their own musical home entertainment, especially at the holidays. During the concert, Doan plays more than a dozen turn-of-the-century instruments once popular in American parlors, on vaudeville stages, and in mandolin orchestras.
Doan is a touring and recording artist who has appeared on radio and television across the country including his own specials, "A Christmas To Remember With John Doan" (as seen on PBS) and his Emmy nominated Oregon Public Broadcasting, "A Victorian Christmas With John Doan."
For more information, contact John Doan at his website at www.johndoan.com. |
1989; expanded in 2006
Kaneko Commons is a co-ed residence hall and dining facility on the east side of campus.
A three-story atrium in the entrance to Kaneko Commons houses the Kaneko Café dining facility, with serves both traditional Japanese food and American-style cuisine.
Check out Kaneko Café on Tuesdays for made-to-order sushi.
Kaneko features nine different student housing options including singles, doubles, suites and apartments.
Solar panels are one of the green features at Kaneko, which earned gold certification from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program of the U.S. Green Building Council. |
Students Chosen for Social Work Honor Society at William Woods
|6/5/2009||Mary Ann Beahon|
|FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE||(573) 592-1127|
Five students at William Woods University have been inducted into Phi Alpha Social Work Honor Society. They are Rebecca Reale of Florissant, Mo.; Jessie Davis of Fulton, Mo.; Hillarie Matthiesen of Columbia, Mo.; Jessica Tipton of Emory, Texas, and Nakole Wooley of Jefferson City, Mo.
Phi Alpha offers membership to junior and senior social work majors with a 3.4 overall grade point average and a 3.7 GPA in social work courses.
According to Harriet Yelon, associate professor of social work and the organization’s sponsor, members must exemplify the ethical and professional values, attitudes and conduct expected of members of the social work profession. |
I was going to show you my "paint technique" but after four days of painting (I am slow and not consistent.) I just couldn't bring myself to add another "Grey" post.
Color color a touch of color! The paint blotches of grey on my hands, the smell of paint throughout the house, the chance of rain, grey skies and two sicky guys at home... I need color, I need a break. I want a brocante. Sacha wants pancakes.
I'll post my haphazard painting technique later and hopefully soon the end results.
Do you know I am going to redo the kitchen next?
Yesterday afternoon I found a mirror at my favorite "hit or miss" shop. Last night I painted it, (the gild was a coppery paint and yuk, it had to go.) Gild no more, paint galore.. of course it is not painted pink.
What is your favorite flower? Flowers are usually colorful I do like white flowers best but no, no, no, today I need color. My second favorite flower: Violet.
I will be responding to the comments in the comment section. Not to everyone, and not everyday but often. I often respond a day later. Thanks for your comments, I feel I know you by them. |
Invite a friend
Is the U.S. losing its Pole Position in attracting Hi-Tech Immigrants?
Immigration has been a hot topic of debate, especially during our recent election cycle. Yet, our country is restricting hi-tech scientist and entrepreneurial applications for granting U.S. permanent visas, while Britain, Canada, Australia and Singapore are wooing them. How can the U.S. lift the burdensome red tape on hi-tech immigrants, while securing ourselves against terrorism? Keki R. Bhote leads the discussion.
$9 member; $11 non-member |
|Home > Wilson High School Portland, OR egon Memories|
Talk with old friends about when you were in high school at Wilson . You can mention fun activities, parties, class you loved or hated, or the current events of the time.
View Wilson High Portland, OR memories in these categories:
Have memories of former Wilson Portland, OR students you can't find on this site? Register at Classmates.com® for free and reconnect with more WHS alumni.
|Click here to add your memories| |
8 More James Bond Skyfall Wallpapers
Another theme with James Bond Skyfall backgrounds is available. If you missed this, you should check out the latest Skyfall trailers – Classic Bond moves and still lots of action
|File Download: Secure Links||Share It:||File Specs|
We’ll keep you posted when new trailers arrive. Skyfall hits theaters on November 1, 2012
The James Bond Skyfall Backgrounds
Download This Theme
This theme is 4 MB large and supports the operating systems Windows 7 Home, Home Premium, Professional and Ultimate. |
|Big snowplough, looking back to count the kids and a tasteful uniform - all part of the job|
However, if have plans to make a long term career out of teaching skiing then it is worth thinking long and hard before you start. If you want to get qualified to the top level in Europe and you are not already a very competent ski racer then be prepared to spend several years and many thousands of Euros getting there. You may well find yourself putting every penny (or cent) you can get your hands on into your ski career. There is always equipment to buy, exams to take, training to pay for etc. Unfortunately there is no allowance for age either, so it can be even more difficult if you start later in life.
If you don't reach the top European level then it is still possible to make a living as an instructor, but it can be harder to make ends meet. When considering where to work there is always a balance between wages, hours and cost of living. In some countries (particularly in North America) making a viable career means building up a base of regular clients, and this takes time. In others, instructors move up the priority list with years of service, languages spoken or qualifications. There is almost always a priority list in a ski school, and those at the top will make money whilst those at the bottom may struggle in lean years. In other words, to do well in a ski school often means being there for several years.
If you have a well paid job you can do in the summer months, or another source of income then things will be easier. If your current or previous employment is something that is hard to do on a six monthly basis then it will be a good idea to look for an alternative summer career. Doing back to back seasons (i.e. Northern hemisphere winter then Southern hemisphere winter) sounds like a great way to spend the whole year teaching but until you get well established as an instructor it can be hard to break even every season. Especially when you include the cost of flights and the inevitable time not working as you find your feet in a new place.
I don't want to sound to negative, as I have had so many good times and met so many fantastic people over the last few years. I love teaching skiing and plan to do it for the rest of my life. On the other hand I have spent around 30 000 Euros on ski exams, training and equipment, and I still haven't finished. At the moment I have just one exam left to pass to reach Level 4. When I finished my Level 3 I had no idea just how far away Level 4 was, nor just how tough the Eurotest would prove.
My favourite author, Carlos Ruiz Zafón, was asked what piece of advice he would give to aspiring writers. His reply: "I'd tell them that you should only become a writer if the possibility of not becoming one would kill you. Otherwise, you'd be better off doing something else." This is pretty close to how I feel about ski teaching. Getting to the top level in this profession has been a rollercoaster ride with great rewards but also big sacrifices. With one exam to go, I hope that the ride is nearly over.
If teaching skiing is your dream then don't let me put you off. Good luck and enjoy the ride. |
The craze in 3D printing was anticipated well-before media began to pick up on how its technology could disrupt industries. Companies like 3D Systems (DDD) began to trade upwards since the start of 2012, when shares were $15, and peaked in the summer at $44.30. Stratasys Inc. (SSYS) began the year at $30, and is now trading at $60 with a Price of Profit (POP) of 53. Both companies dipped in recent trading sessions. Only Dassault Systemes SA (DASTY) is managing to hold at close to its 52-week high.
Value investors would be inclined to shy away from companies trading at such stratospheric levels. Growth investors buying into the 3D craze now are anticipating that the high POP will be supported by the same level of past growth in the foreseeable future.
Challenges do remain.
Like all new revolutionary technologies, 3D-printing will need to be adapted on a wider-scale, which would mean ever-increasing demand, which supports the high POPs of 3D-Printing companies. Investors wanting to forecast how 3D growth might play out should look at the supply-side growth of the smartphone industry. Organic LED maker Universal Display (PANL) shares traded as high as $55.04 in 2011, up from $6.03 in 2009 after its technology was adopted to smartphones:
Another example of subsiding growth is found in the LED sector, where Cree was in a sweet spot in 2010. The U.S. government moved to replace incandescent light with LED. China increased demand for the product. Municipal spending was strong in 2010, which supported higher share price. When demand dropped unexpectedly, shares fell rapidly:
Universal Display owns a number of patents for organic LED manufacturing. The company is receiving a steady stream of royalty payments from Samsung.
In the near-term, 3D Systems and Stratasys may face selling pressure, but investors should look for signs of dropping demand first. If 3D is more disruptive than its expensive share price implies, and a drop in demand is only temporary, these companies would move up again. If the hype (and the demand) in 3D printing subsides, shares will decline to reflect a more reasonable long term growth rate and a lower valuation.
Business Section: Investing Ideas
Will 3D printing reach the masses? Here are some companies trading on the US exchanges that will benefit:
1. 3D Systems Corp. (DDD, Earnings, Analysts, Financials): Engages in the design, development, manufacture, marketing, and servicing of 3D printers and related products, print materials, and services. Market cap at $1.9B, most recent closing price at $34.27.
2. Stratasys Inc. (SSYS, Earnings, Analysts, Financials): Engages in the development, manufacture, and marketing of three dimensional (3D) printing, rapid prototyping (RP), and direct digital manufacturing (DDM) systems primarily in North America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific. Market cap at $1.29B, most recent closing price at $60.35.
3. Dassault Systemes SA (DASTY, Earnings, Analysts, Financials): Provides 3D and product lifecycle management solutions worldwide. The company offers SolidWorks software that provides 3D solutions for product design, analysis, and data management.
Here are the two companies that illustrate what happens when an expensive stock starts to sell off:
4. Universal Display Corp. (PANL, Earnings, Analysts, Financials): Engages in the research, development, and commercialization of organic light emitting diode (OLED) technologies and materials for use in flat panel display, solid-state lighting, and other product applications. Market cap at $1.58B, most recent closing price at $34.0.
5. Cree, Inc. (CREE, Earnings, Analysts, Financials): Develops and manufactures light emitting diode (LED) products, silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) material products, and power and radio frequency (RF) products. Market cap at $2.89B, most recent closing price at $24.91.
****Article image of 3D printed pieces purchased at MakerBot’s new retail store in New York City.
Written by Chris Lau. To interact and discuss these picks with users, attach your watch list or portfolio to your friends on Kapitall. Message the author. He is ranked sixth (by points) on the all-time leaderboard. The leaderboard is located on your score icon -> Leaderboard. Members on Kapitall earn free points, and even more points with every Kapitall Generation trade. These points may be redeemed for goods at the Kapitall store.
Analyze These Ideas: Getting Started
- Read descriptions for all companies mentioned
- Access a performance overview for all stocks in the list
- Compare analyst ratings for the companies mentioned
- Compare analyst ratings to annual returns for stocks mentioned
- Real-Time Opinion: Scan the latest tweets about these companies (feed will open in a new window)
Dig Deeper: Access Company Snapshots, Charts, Filings
- 3D Systems Corp. (DDD, Chart, Download SEC Filings)
- Stratasys Inc. (SSYS, Chart, Download SEC Filings)
- Dassault Systemes SA (DASTY, Chart, Download SEC Filings)
- Universal Display Corp. (PANL, Chart, Download SEC Filings)
- Cree, Inc. (CREE, Chart, Download SEC Filings)
New to Kapitall?
1. New to the site? Click here to register for a free account, and gain access to more tools and data
2. Looking for more investing ideas like this? Click here to sign up for your free copy of Kapitall Weekly
3. Follow us on SeekingAlpha, Motley Fool, Nasdaq and Twitter |
This presentation is an Introduction to Open Source. It covers an introduction to the concept of "Open", and introduction to Linux and its features and an insight on the topic of Open Source and Development.
Copyright © 2010 Wireless U. All rights reserved. | webmaster [at] wirelessu [dot] org (Webmaster WirelessU) |
Detailed Distribution Map Information This map reflects the specimen location information from the Wisconsin Botanical Information System database and attemps to line up the original Town-Range Survey map from 1833 to 1866 with a computer generated table grid over the map of Wisconsin. Because the original Town Range lines are inexact, these "dots" might be somewhat skewed. Also townships near the borders of the state might only be partial, so the "dot" might center outside the state's boundry.
Holding the mouse over the "dot" identifies the Town-Range. Clicking(new window) on the "dot" will link to a list of all specimen accession numbers for this location. You can then link to the individual specimen's label data. Arrange this window side-by-side with the specimen-list window so you can easily go back and forth between this map and the specimen's data. |
» When you're signed up with wists, you can add from anything on Wists.com, by clicking the 'add' links below the pictures.
» Once you install the button below, you can add from any website, by clicking the button in your browser toolbar!
» The Wists toolbar buttons are guaranteed not to contain any spyware.
1 Drag this link: Add to Wists up to your Bookmarks Toolbar.
(Can't see the Toolbar? Make sure the "Bookmarks Toolbar" is checked under View -» Toolbars in your browser menu).
Congratulations, you're now all set to make Wists Lists!
» Click the 'add to wists' button in your browser toolbar while browsing any website (online stores, Ebay etc.)...
» choose an image to make a thumbnail from...
» add keyword tags to automatically build and share your wists lists.
2 Click here to browse some existing Wists.
( If you are having trouble installing the bookmarklet, click here for manual instructions.)( Apple Safari users, or people behind a firewall: also install this alternative, lightweight version of the bookmarklet: [Add to Wists Light] )
(for Internet Explorer instructions, click here) |
The modus operandi for people running football in 2011 has been to unnecessarily micro-manage it from the minutia up, so it should come as little-to-no surprise that a new guy brought in to be the officiating consultant of the Pac-12 is the stuffed-shirt dean from any number of teen sex comedies and wants to make sure nobody has a good time at the football games. NCAA rule violations? Let’s just sweep that sort of important thing under the rug under the “board of trustees” (or whatever) leaves. But hand gestures? Hand gestures?
From Sorry Bro Sports:
New Pac-12 coordinator of officiating Mike Pereira says the Ducks signature ‘O’ shape the players occasionally make with their hands after a touchdown, “borderlines on unsportsmanlike conduct.”
Seriously, look at this guy. I don’t want to boil down the “what does and doesn’t constitute sportsmanlike conduct” debate to “lol what a nerd”, but come on, has this guy ever had a day of fun in his whole life? He could be on our currency. He’s the kind of guy who looks at professional sports and decides that “the O hand gesture looks more like a triangle than an O” is the first thing you should fix.
“Slippery slope” is an even worse talking point, but if we take away school spirit hand gestures and the ability to choose the color of your shoes, what’s next? Taking the logos off the helmets, because supporting your team is “bragging”? Should we limit the school fight songs to one long monotonous note, held for 8-10 seconds before the start of the game, but before any of the fans (or “persons”) have arrived?
Come on, Mike, don’t be such a square. Let them make circles. |
HILLSIDE, NJ – March 7th, 2012 NECA/WizKids, the leader in collectible gaming, is proud to announce the re-launch of the Pirates of the Spanish Main property. In 2004, Pirates of the Spanish Main defined constructible strategy games (CSG) by combining a rich back-story, constructible game pieces and elegant game play. Pirates of the Spanish Main™ Shuffling the Deck™ card game will honor that spirit of innovation by launching a new card game system that uses a simple and fun twist to the Pirates of the Spanish Main history.
The initial Pirates of the Spanish Main offering will be designed by Bryan Kinsella (Hunger Games, Star Trek Fleet Captains and the forthcoming Lord of the Rings Nazgul) and Phil Harding who was selected as part of the WizKids search for the next great designer.
“For me it was a great first project to kick off our search for the next great designer and developer. We had a game engine for a light fast and fun game based on the Pirates property and Phil really knocked it out of the park with his simple and elegant game play designs to make the concept come to life,” said Kinsella.
WizKids President Justin Ziran says “Pirates was a huge part of WizKids and created a new category (CSG) of gaming. We’re embracing the Pirates backstory and we hope it leads to bigger Pirates offerings in the future”. In addition to the first game, WizKids/NECA hopes to launch additional games in the Pirates of the Spanish Main universe, including an exploring adventure style game.
A wholly owned subsidiary of the National Entertainment Collectibles Association Inc. (NECA), WizKids/NECA is a New Jersey-based game developer and publisher dedicated to creating games driven by imagination. The HeroClix brand is the most successful collectible miniatures games on the market today, with over 250 million miniature game figures sold worldwide.
©2012 NECA/WizKids LLC. Pirates of the Spanish Main, Shuffling the Deck, HeroClix, and WizKids are trademark of NECA/WizKids LLC. All rights reserved |
You Must Read This
Thu January 31, 2013
War Writ Small: Of Pushcarts And Peashooters
Originally published on Wed December 19, 2012 6:03 am
Adam Mansbach is the author of the forthcoming novel Rage is Back.
Stealing my 9-year-old nephew's copy of The Pushcart War by Jean Merrill was the best thing I did last summer. I was his age the first time I read it, and twice his age the last time I went back to it. I'm twice that old again now, but as soon as I dove into this intimate, majestic tale of war writ small — of a battle between the pushcart peddlers and the truckers of New York City — I realized how timeless, and how deeply a part of me, the story was.
Before long, I was tearing up as I anticipated events to come — not so much the major plot points as the masterful asides and grace notes that make the story so rich. I finished that same evening — a feat my nephew found stunning — and I haven't stopped thinking about the book since.
The Pushcart War is presented as a history of a conflict that has not yet taken place; in each edition of the book, the date on which the hostilities commenced is nudged forward. I remember the power of that effect vividly from my first reading; it felt like standing with one foot in the past and one in the future, and it was strange and wonderful.
Merrill, who died in August at the age of 89, begins by explaining that most wars are too massive and too complicated to be understood, and that we cannot prevent what we fail to comprehend — true when she wrote it, nearly 50 years ago, and undiminished since. But the Pushcart War, she tells us, is different. Its battles were confined to the streets of one city, and the weapons were simple enough to be understood by a 6-year-old. It was a war in microcosm, but there were generals and campaigns, truces and casualties. At stake were the streets themselves, and thus the future of the city.
At the heart of the conflict lie two opposing models of business, and of thought: The trucking companies believe bigger is better, that growth means progress, and that might is right. They want to eliminate all other vehicles, and their first intended victims are the pushcart peddlers — small businesses beholden to a very different philosophy.
Their customer service is personal, their territories well-defined; they perform hidden services fundamental to the function of the city. They are, in today's parlance, "sustainable." But the pushcarts are no pushovers. When their livelihoods and reputations are threatened, they take the fight to the enemy, with a peashooter offensive that leaves the trucks deflated. Literally.
There is a familiar old-world charm to peddlers like Morris the Florist and Harry the Hot Dog, but there are no ingenues here. We know whom to root for, but Merrill's war is wrought in shades of gray. Battles are won in the court of public opinion, as often as on the streets. Pushcart king Maxie Hammerman is as savvy a strategist as his opponents, the trucking magnates, and their ally, the mayor. Both sides know how to cultivate powerful friends and the importance of manipulating the media.
Merrill's story, full of unexpected reversals and understated witticisms, feels exceptionally modern. And by the end — after the two sides have hammered out a peaceful and deeply reasonable compromise — one can only hope that we'll catch up to Merrill's future one day.
You Must Read This is produced and edited by the team at NPR Books. |
Tue August 7, 2012
Meeting to be Held to Discuss Assistive Technology for Blind and Low Vision Individuals
A meeting will be held in Bowling Green Tuesday evening, to provide information about assistive technology for blind and low-vision people. The South Central Kentucky Council of the Blind will also provide details on a new grant program that can help to supply matching funds for needed equipment purchases.
The President of the South Central Kentucky Council of the Blind, Dr. Ron Milliman, says the meeting is open to anyone interested in learning more about blindness and new developments in assistive technology. Some of those devices will be demonstrated, including talking watches, talking calculators, and devices that can help to identify clothing colors. He says, "Most people have no idea the huge number of devices that are available."
The August 8th meeting will start at 7pm Central time, at the Disability Resource Initiative, which is located at 624 Eastwood Street in Bowling Green. The activity is free and open to the public. More information on the South Central Kentucky Council of the Blind can be found at www.sckcb.org |
Sat August 4, 2012
Olympics Sets Off British Tears
Originally published on Sun August 5, 2012 10:43 am
SUSAN STAMBERG, HOST:
You find out so much about a country, you know, when it's hosting the Olympics. It's almost as if the games lay bare a nation's soul. NPR's Philip Reeves says that is what's happening in Britain. He's finding the experience unnerving, as he explains, in this letter from the Olympics.
PHILIP REEVES, BYLINE: Shortly before these Games began, I saw an unusual interview on TV. It was with a middle-aged Englishman, wrapped in a British Union flag. He was very excited. He said he's going to spend the entire Games at home on his sofa with his wife, watching them on TV. This would be their summer vacation. Why are you so interested in the Olympics, the TV reporter inquired. Is it track sports you like or maybe gymnastics or rowing? No, it's not that, the man replied. It's because my wife and I, we both like crying.
Not so long ago, I returned to Britain after 20 years away. When I left this country, there wasn't a lot of crying. Teachers at my schools, in the '60s and '70s, never cried. I never saw my father cry. We cried as children, of course, in pain and protest. But the adults made it very clear to us that tears were a worthless currency, about as welcome in Britain as the euro is today. Sporting triumphs were rewarded with a firm handshake, a pat on the back and a small silver cup.
The last time the British wept like this, I was overseas. That was when Princess Diana died. They had good cause. Now, the Olympics have set them off again. British tears are flowing faster than their summer rain. I don't blame the athletes. They put themselves through hell. They're entitled to a little weep when they win or lose. But what about all those Brits, happily weeping away in the crowd? And what about all those sports commentators, who, when a Brit wins a medal, start tearing up, who are constantly asking people about how emotional they feel, about how much they're crying? It's as if these Games are a gigantic TV reality show, which I suppose, in a way, they are.
There's more to this, though. I suspect the British are crying in relief. Over the last few years, they've watched one villain after another parade across their TV screens - rotten bankers, thieving politicians, wicked media barons, incompetent cops, dishonest journalists. What a relief to find the country actually has some sporting heroes, even if, a week ago, most of us had no idea who most of these athletes are, and in a couple of months, we'll have forgotten their names. What's wrong with that? Nothing. But I find it disconcerting. You see, the English have a skeptical streak I rather like - an ability to raise an eyebrow, to exchange meaningful glances and wry smiles when they catch the whiff of something bogus. Where are all the skeptics now? The answer is they saw these Olympic Games coming. Being skeptics, they concluded - wrongly, as it's so far turned out - that London would be unbearably congested during the Games. They took off on vacation abroad, leaving all the bawlers behind on the sofa - and the bawlers are having a ball. Philip Reeves, NPR News, London. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright National Public Radio. |
OTSEGO (WKZO) -- Tests are underway to determine whether hazardous materials had been stored for years under the former Rock-Tenn paper mill in Otsego.
County officials were doing an environmental assessment of the property, when they found two-hundred barrels filled with chemicals stored in the basement of the plant. They also found plastic totes and other containers that had chemicals in them.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was called to the site. An EPA investigator says most of the drums and containers are either lacking labels or mislabeled. They are going through plant records to try and determine what might have been used in the paper manufacturing process.
The plant closed in 2004. |
The first half to the semester is coming to an end. This is the 6th week of the term and next week there are no classes due to Feb Break or Washington Break. It is so nice to have the semester split up into two and have a little break right in the middle. It allows each student to just relax and either get away from school, catch up on sleep or shows and even get ahead in some classes. Not only that, but since most other schools have class next week it gives students the chance to visit their friends at other universities when class is in session which is always pretty fun. Overall I must say that I am looking forward to the break, but I have to make it through this week. Midterms and Papers are hanging over us here so let’s get them done.
Leave a Reply Cancel reply
- RT @wlunews: Here's the video of yesterday's Aerial Dance performance outside of Wilson Hall: myw.lu/107vc1A. #wluDance @wluLex 1 day ago
- RT @wluLex: . @heyprofbow's BUS 371 spent the day in DC presenting their final project and meeting alumni #wluSpring #LexPic http://t.co/Ec… 1 day ago
- RT @wlunews: Here's Roanoke's WSLS-TV's feature on W&L's aerial dancers: myw.lu/18Lj3CB @wluLex 1 day ago
Bonner Program Business C-School Campus Christmas Weekend Classes Colonnade Community Dance Economics Exams Fall Fancy Dress Football Halloween Health and Wellness Hiking/Outdoors Hillel Honor System Lacrosse Lexington Leyburn Library Mathematics Maury River Mock Convention Nabors Service League Off-Campus Experiences Parents Weekend Philanthropy Physical Education Politics Reading Days Research Restaurants Rockbridge County Science Shepherd Poverty Program Snow Spring Break Summer Thanksgiving Theater Volunteering Weather Winter Term |
CARBONDALE — The Lackawanna River Heritage Trail in the mid and upper valleys of Lackawanna County is filled with walkers and bikers this time of year.
Sections of that trail are still being developed including a section in Carbondale that just received some grant money.
There is already a trail through the woods along the Lackawanna River in Carbondale, but it’s not officially part of the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail yet.
“You can see this is sort of de facto, people are already using this trail to walk to work and it really needs to be designed and developed,” said Natalie Gelb of the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority.
Gelb said $75,000 in state money will help do that.
She and Carbondale officials hope the trail will be the Carbondale River walk, a part of a growing trail system from Scranton through Lackawanna’s mid and up valleys.
Part of the money is to go to design repairs to a century old railroad bridge that will help link the trail from one side of the Lackawanna River to the other.
“This is a really big step, this is a critical gap in our trail. When we’re finished our trail system will be about 70 miles long and right now we’re filling in the gaps, it’s all starting to come together, but this is a critical gap,” said Gelb.
Carbondale Mayor Justin Taylor said linking his city to the trail system can help draw business here.
“It’s exciting to finally piece this together because it was such a vast trail system, and we were kind of the missing piece,” said Taylor.
We met up with some cyclists from southern PA who were just finishing a ride on a completed part of the trail.
They said a similar trail in their area is a big success.
“We’re from York, and they had to construct their rail trail a piece at a time, the same way, but everybody uses it. It’s amazing,” said Tom Bride of York.
Once design on this part of the trail is done, hopes are construction would follow soon helping complete the trail, one step at a time. |
The candidates have spent a record amount of money. They've stumped hard in a city that isn't easy to campaign in — 470 square miles sliced up into neighborhoods divided by a web of freeways.
Yet despite nearly $20 million in spending in the March primary alone, turnout is expected to be low next Tuesday in Los Angeles when voters go to the polls to pick a new mayor to replace the term-limited Antonio Villaraigosa.
As a result, City Councilman Eric Garcetti and his opponent, City Controller Wendy Greuel, are engaged in an all-out blitz for votes across the sprawling city.
Some Muslims say Buddhist monks have been inciting followers during recent violence in Myanmar. Monk U Wirathu acknowledges that he is a Buddhist nationalist but says he has tried to prevent fighting. He's shown here at the Masoeyein monastery in Mandalay, Myanmar, on March 27.
In the Western stereotype, Buddhists are meditating pacifists who strive to keep their distance from worldly passions. But last month, more than 40 people were killed in fighting between Buddhists and Muslims in the central Burmese town of Meiktila. Witnesses say some Buddhist monks joined in the violence, while others tried to stop it.
One prominent monk in particular has been blamed for being behind it.
Known or suspected terrorists who cooperated with federal investigators in at least six major terrorism investigations over two decades were granted protection under the federal witness protection program –- and two of them temporarily could not be found by federal authorities, according to a report from the Justice Department's inspector general.
On the same day House Republicans scheduled their latest symbolic vote to repeal Obamacare, as part of their full-court press against the law they also took to Twitter to say, in three words, why they oppose the legislation.
You've heard of the 800-pound gorilla in the room that everyone ignores? Well, here's an 800-pound alligator that's getting some attention.
The 14-foot beast, the heaviest ever recorded in Texas, was bagged by a Houston-area high school student last week at a wildlife management area near Choke Canyon State Park, about 90 miles south of San Antonio.
Braxton Bielski, 18, is credited with the kill. According to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department officials, the gator could be 30 to 50 years old.
Authorities in Idaho have arrested an Uzbekistan national on federal terrorism charges, the Justice Department announced Thursday evening.
Fazliddin Kurbanov, 30, was arrested in Boise on Wednesday, prosecutors say. He is being charged with one count of conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and one count of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists. |
One of the distinct disadvantages of writing is that sometimes sarcasm is lost in between the lines, and may come across as bitter sour grapes. I hope this turns out right.
I won’t lie, I wasn’t aware of when the Nigerian Bug Awards took place. I was on baby duties that evening, and the infant was on a roll churning out soiled diaper after soiled diaper. When I managed to get the wee one to sleep in my arms, I transferred her to her cot and did a small victory dance. I then tip-toed to watch the Copa America football tournament on TV in the living room. I fell asleep on the sofa, only to woken up by the baby’s loud yells of “Bros, I never chop for 3 hours o! Come give me food abeg before I tear down the walls with cry cry” Similac or Cerelac?
Nah seriously, the next morning, I saw the Nigerian Awards results on my twitter-feed, and spat out my Golden Morn cereal. I went through 3 different emotions. The first one was a Buhari type of disappointment. I was really hoping that somehow that maybe a true juggernaut blog like BellaNaija had re-entered the competition at the eleventh hour and swept all the awards deservedly. Thinking back, initially I was a bit surprised that none of the blogs on my blog-roll was nominated in the first place. Not only did I not win, but my judgment has been called into question.
I have read some truly awesome blogs, some of which I decided to add to my blog wall. From the direct and tell it as it is “Ms Luffa” to Waila Caan’s awesome diary of London and the quirky happenings on the Tube, to RustGeek’s quirky musings about life in freezing Aberdeen, to Today’s Naira which is a very welcome blog about financial management and fiscal discipline in today’s Nigeria. Then there is Stuff Nigerians Hate, a blog I really like with its dark comedy and spoofs. And I also have to mention one of the most well put together online journals about Nigerian and UK weddings, the Wedding Trendy blogsite. The videos on the 4AcesDate blog are some of the most creative stuff I have seen on a blog too. In fact all the blogs on my wall were painstakingly chosen blogs which are unique and have my respect; and I had nominated them for various categories. Awesome blogs all.
I later got over it, because I somehow reasoned that I had lost the popular vote. I may have been a bit lax in canvassing for votes; understandably, but a part of me feels it is corny to go all out soliciting for votes. Your body of work should speak for you always, innit? To be fair, I try to read a little bit of everything, and would click on most links to blogs when I am on more popular websites. I fancy stuff that is different and thoughtfully written – material that can challenge my brain cells and my perception on matters, and open up new frontiers of knowledge.You can always tell when a blogger writes from the heart. Heart is what blogging is about. If you use your isi or ori , to write blogs, your articles would read like Physics for SS3. I also prefer Indie blogs which are not on the mainstream.
But you know how sometimes something unfortunate happens to you, and you try to brush it under the carpet, but well-wishers and friends actually won’t let you because they are genuinely hurt for you, and appalled by the sense of injustice surrounding the whole matter? And as a result, their anger re-ignites yours, as you begin to really see their point of view? Well it happened to me, after I had brushed off my initial disappointment. I clicked on a link on the Nigerian Blog Awards’ twitter feed, which directed me to their website, and I saw the touching comments of some of you readers there. Some of my dear blog readers had left comments complaining about the fact that I had not won! You guys know that I love you, right? I love you like Agege bread and fish stew, I love you like house flies love Mushin dustbin; I love you like Buhari and Presidential election. Heck, I heart you more than Dangote loves cement. Shout out especially to Stelzz and Tinkerbell.
At that point, I picked up my pen and paper and started to write this (actually I looked for an old receipt code for a Cyber Café near my house, then went there and logged in).
The last time people showed me this kind of concern where they “were drinking Panadol for my sickness” was way back in secondary school. It was a balmy night in boarding school when I was in Form 3. We had finished exams for the 2nd term, so everybody was in a crazy mood later that evening during prep. When you have a motley crew of 100 jobless adolescent boys with nothing to read for, it is a recipe for disaster. Some started drumming loudly on the classroom desks. A few broke into some kind of Indian war dance. Many started slapping junior students about. And a good few started smashing coke and soft drink bottles about. Food fight! But without liquid contents only.
Then 2 chaps got into a fight in the classroom quadrangle outside over some petty issue. Chaps gathered around them urging them on in gladiator fashion with the chants “It is a rack! It is a rack!!” With their Clarks sandals, dirty clothes, and one of them still wielding a fork (from the dining hall), they did look like gladiators from the Spartacus series. All that remained was a net (mosquito net) and a lion to devour the loser (our strict Boarding House Master would suffice).
I was rushing out from one of the classes to ‘add’ my own quota to the fight, adrenaline pumping and all, when I stepped, full weight, on a huge shard of glass. All I saw was blood everywhere – the glass which was from one of the smashed bottles had sliced through my bathroom slippers and cut me inches deep.
The two chaps racking postponed their tussle, and everybody now gathered around me. One of the chaps there took a look at my bloodied foot and yelled in horror:
“Oh shit! Esco, you are mortally wounded. That wound doesn’t look good at all. It is so deep that I can see your nerves and bone”
Some people took a look, and the expression of their faces was that of doom and anguish. One of the fighters even started crying.
I echoed what I had heard, as I was in shock “Oh damn! I am really mortally wounded. My nerve and bone are showing. If I die, what am I going to tell my ma? She will be really pissed that I was so careless to step on a bottle”
Everyone nodded in agreement – I was royally screwed.
Then one chap, who was sort of a school captain wanna-be goody-two-shoes type, shoved his way into the circle, and took a look at the cut. He started calming things down “Relax Esco, don’t try to pull your foot up. We will rush you to the House Master, and get an exeat to take you to the school hospital. Someone should bring a clean handkerchief, let me bind this wound and stop the bleeding. Esco you are not mortally wounded. You will be alright.”
With such a calming influence directing things, boys dispersed into groups. Some arranged for the exeat, some got a hanky and water to dress my cut. They all followed me to the hospital, and waited in the waiting lounge until I came out – sewn and bandaged, and no worse for wear. Eiyaa, I was moved – if I had broken a bone, I could have allowed them sign on the cast as a reward. Too bad, they can’t sign on plaster – it would be painful suicide. Good fellas, my ex-school mates huh? My misery even settled a dangerous fight, see?
That was the last time people I was not friends with bumped their heads over my matter.
From reading various blogs after the awards, there seems to be a general feeling of dissatisfaction at the results. Some bloggers who were upset about the outcome of the awards have blamed it on the emergence of “Twitter” or celebrity bloggers who garner votes by the sheer number of friends they could galvanize via social medium networks to sway voting in their favor. In one blog I read, the upset writer said that he wasn’t surprised at what he termed ‘rigging’ as Nigeria itself recognizes quantity over quality.
I couldn’t help but agree with that slightly. In Nigeria if enough people make noise about something persistently, it easily sways people’s perception on what should go. I would give the simplest example. I did my NYSC 3 week orientation in a small town in Cross River state some years back, although I got a transfer to Lagos for my primary assignment and for the rest of the service year. Those 3 weeks in Cross River were priceless moments though. I and small posse of friends from one particular infamous platoon strode like colossuses in the camp. We made a particular Mammy market joint our spot and chilled there while other people were doing back wrenching tasks. We bought the soldiers beer in exchange for camp privileges. Some other people started hanging out at the spot because of us, and the patron was pleased at the amount of custom we were bringing her so every morning she would ask us what we wanted her to cook for the day, and that became the day’s menu.
Now my close friend Chidi really fancied a chick in our platoon – a butter-skinned, full hipped beauty by the name of Ify. Who could blame him; Ify made the NYSC uniform look like Lara Croft in Tomb Raider. She had curves like a Blackberry. We decided among my clique that she was going to be the next Miss Camp, and that we were going to sway the votes in her favour. We gathered a group of hangers-on who chanted her name furiously during the NYSC beauty pageant show. Our group whistled and booed other contestants until the judges were dizzy themselves. Soon most people in the crowd started supporting our candidate by cheering for Ify and booing the contestant in their own platoon! Ultimately the panel of judges was swayed into making Ify Miss Camp. She would have been better suited for Miss Ramp, if such an award ever existed, but alas the people had spoken. The hug and kiss she gave Chidi when she was presented with her ‘crown’ and prizes was priceless. For him.
The next night, we repeated the process for the Miss Hot-Legs pageant. A social-climber girl had approached us to beg and bribe us with beer to help ‘support’ her bid to win Miss Hot-Legs. We huffed and puffed during the pageant but everything has a limit. She ended up as first runner-up even though she had short yamerous pins. Abi we no try? Some of the presidential and governorship aspirants should really have contacted me.
After I saw the results of the Blog Awards and the way some of you stood up for me, the last emotion I felt was a sense of injustice towards the award process. In fact I felt like Arnold Schwarzzenegger’s character in the movie Total Recall, and wanted to echo what he did and screamed out in the below movie scene, to the Award process:
Nah seriously, I have taken everything into perspective. It is not that important in the grand scheme of things. Not to sound corny, but your comments and hits on my blog are enough for me. By the way, please buy the book when it’s up for sale. |
Ok, this one has been fun. Most of you Pokemon fans are very familiar with the new games being released sometime next year called Pokemon Black and Pokemon White. About a month ago or so, the starters for those games were 'leaked' (although I'm pretty sure they intended to do that LOL). This one is Mijumaru (it doesn't have an English name yet), he's a Sea Otter Pokemon (water type obviously). If you'd like some more information about him and the other starters for Pokemon Black/White, you can go to Serebii.com.
I had a hard time finding pictures of the 'back' of this pokemon, so this is my best 'guesstimate' until such time as we get better/more pictures released, as we get closer to the game release. If I need to make any really serious changes to the pattern ... I will. But for now, here it is :D
As always, if you have any trouble with the pattern, or find any errors, just note me here and I'll get to it asap :D
EDIT: Sorry that the colors aren't right on here, They looked right on the computer, until I uploaded them. I have no idea what happened. I'll see if I can get other pictures with the colors right, but you will see the correct colors if you visit the website noted above. :D |
Jessica Alba has revealed the details of an emergency hospital visit where she thought she was having a stroke.
The 31-year-old actress said she became terrified after losing feeling in her hand and suffering a headache and heart palpitations.
She was at home with her husband Cash Warren when she lost feeling in her arm and had to be rushed to hospital.
“I thought I was having a stroke last week. I really, really thought I was,” she said during an interview on Jimmy Fallon Live.
“It was 2.30 in the morning and I woke up and my hand started to go numb. The whole entire thing went numb.
'It was dead, I couldn't move it. My whole arm went numb, I got cold sensations in the back of my neck to the front. I can't move my face.”
After checking her condition on the internet she discovered that they were all symptoms of a stroke.
The mother of two even attempted to phone her children’s paediatrician for some urgent advice.
“I texted my paediatrician. It's my kids' paediatrician, but it's the only person who will answer me at 2.30 in the morning,” she said.
“I texted him and I said, "I have these symptoms... it's all going downhill!" He was like, "You're a little young for this...'''
She was eventually taken to hospital where she underwent an MRI scan. Luckily, the test revealed she was suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome, a relatively common condition which causes pain, numbness and a tingling sensation in the hand and fingers.
The drama is all part of a busy year for Jessica, who is currently filming Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, reprising her role as stripper Nancy Callahan in the follow-up to the hit 2005 action crime thriller.
She also has three movies coming out this year, is being considered for another role, is busy promoting her new book, The Honest Life, and being mum to her two young children, five-year-old Honor and two-year-old Haven.
Related Video: Jessica Alba on family life. |
Support Refugee Women by Eating Pizza – 16 March
Women of the World is proud to present residents and visitors of Salt Lake City and Provo with the opportunity to eat pizza and support refugee women in Utah! California Pizza Kitchen has generously agreed to donate 20% of the proceeds from their sales all day [...]Continue Reading →
It’s impossible to try and talk for Iraqi and women refugees, even though I am proud to be an Iraqi woman — but what I do know is that people with similar backgrounds need to gather. Women need to gather to get a break from their husbands and children, to have an adult conversation about [...]Continue Reading →
Women of the World’s Night is Opening Night – Thursday, 23 February 2012 7:30 PM.
Pygmalion Theatre Company presents “SEVEN,” by Seven Award-Winning Playwrights, February 3 – March 11, Black Box Theatre, Rose Wagner Center for the Performing Arts.
“Seven” is a soul-stirring documentary play in [...]Continue Reading →
Women Of the World invites you to celebrate March 8th — International Women Day. International Women’s Day is an occasion marked by women’s groups around the world. This date is also commemorated at the United Nations and is designated in many countries as a national holiday. When women on all continents, often divided by national boundaries [...]Continue Reading → |
Blog for Choice 2013 – I Don’t Need Feelings, I Need Justice
Tuesday January 22 marks the 40th anniversary of the Roe v Wade decision, as well as being Blog for Choice Day. This year’s theme for Blog for Choice is for writers to share their personal stories of why they’re pro-choice.
I’m not feeling it.
I’m not big on the personal stories, although I know that’s contrary to the current social media and campaigning-in-general gospel. There’s a reason my mom jokingly calls me Sheldor from time to time. My heartstrings don’t really get tugged like that, and I don’t really think the bodily autonomy of half the population should be up to whether other people get the feels or not.
I don’t really get why people post pictures of smiling white babies, or images of fetuses with notes about when they get toenails, as anti-abortion propaganda, either. I don’t care if you think baby toenails are freaking adorable, that’s no reason to tell another person what they have to give their body over to.
I get the idea behind it – that abortion has been so stigmatized, and women who get abortions so stereotyped, that finding out that they’re really your friends and relatives and neighbors and they had legit reasons to get abortions, that they had stories you could sympathize with, is supposed to be moving. Maybe it does convince some folks to bend a little on their anti-abortion beliefs – especially when we get the stories of women who die or nearly die for lack of a needed abortion, or whose much-wanted fetuses turn out to be incompatible with life.
To me, this is too similar to the “only moral abortion is my abortion” trope – it’s not at all uncommon for the anti-choice to have their own abortions while justifying them because of whatever is happening to them at the time. It’s and expanded version – “Well, yours was okay, and maybe yours…” – while retaining the right to judge and restrict all the other women. I sincerely hope reading some confessionals in other Blog for Choice posts convinces at least a few people that women who choose abortion are doing the best they can, for themselves and their families, in their own circumstances. I don’t think it should be necessary in the first place.
If those personal stories move you to be more compassionate toward the 1 in 3 U.S. women who have abortions in their lifetimes, more power to you. I personally don’t have a story to move people along. I have no heart-rending tale of trauma, no sister whose hand I held, no tear-stained waiting room narrative.
What I have is an unwavering belief that I’m the absolute best person, the only right person, to decide whether I have to endanger myself to give over my body to the physical needs of another being. Much like I don’t think the government should legally require parents to provide organ donations to their children even if those children might die without them, I don’t think anybody else should tell me I have to use my body as life support for another being. I believe there can be no equality, there can be no justice for women, when other people can require them to play host to an unwanted, internal, potentially life-threatening guest based on their own theology or desires.
What I have is the knowledge that abortion has existed as long as women have, and will continue on as long as human women do. Restricting access just makes it harder, just punishes women more, just hurts real, born people. I know that in a room full of women, if you look to your left and your right, one of you is having an abortion before you kick the bucket. Of that 1/3, the vast majority of you will be religious, and already mothers. They are us. We are them. Regardless, human rights and reproductive justice shouldn’t be up to whoever gets the warm fuzzies. I don’t care about your warm fuzzies, I care about my own freedom.
I don’t have the feels. I have a conviction. My body is mine, and anybody else who wants to live in it needs my permission to do so. Period. The end. |
Bradford writes of their arrival in the New World:
Being thus passed the vast ocean, and a sea of troubles before in their preparation, they had now no friends to welcome them nor inns to entertain or refresh their weatherbeaten bodies; no houses or much less town to repair to, to seek for succour... And for the season it was winter.
Later, Bradford describes the group that sets out to explore the first Cape Cod landing site and he says that they "fell into such thickets as were ready to tear their clothes and armor in pieces." So I've been carving the outline of some dense winter trees for the group of Pilgrims to wander through.
Notice in the center of this photo there's a very pronounced void in the second layer of this piece of shina plywood. This latest batch of shina from McClain's has had a lot of irregularities. I wonder if they have a new supplier. It's definitely tricky to work around a void like this. |
Join the Friends of the Woodbury Senior Community Center on Mon., Feb. 11th, 10:30 a.m. at the Woodbury Senior Community Center for a Valentine Brunch, "Friends" meeting and good old fashioned Sing-Along.
In addition to delicious Valentine’s brunch fare, a short meeting will be held to update members re 2012 accomplishments, plans for 2013, as well as the election of
officers. After the brief meeting, a Valentine sing-along will commence.
Note: 2013 Membership forms will be available at the Feb. 11th meeting.
Also, on Monday, February 4th , the Charcoal Chef will donate 10% of that day’s proceeds to the “Friends”.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR NOW to dine out at the Charcoal Chef on FEB. 4TH and also to attend the FEB. 11TH “Friends” Valentine Brunch/Meeting/Sing-Along. It will warm your heart!
The Friends of the Woodbury Senior/Community Center has as its goal to offer valuable activities and programs for Woodbury seniors and other residents with the intent to improve the quality of life for Woodbury residents, ages
60+, through exercise, socializing, fine arts, nutrition, culture and learning. To learn more about becoming a member of the Friends of the Woodbury Senior Community Center or to attend the Feb. 11th Valentine’s Brunch/Meeting/Sing-Along, call (203) 266-9051. |
Your right to privacy is very important. We understand that when you choose to provide us with information about yourself, you trust us to act in a responsible manner. We believe this information should only be used to help us provide you with better service. That's why we have put a policy in place to protect your personal information. Below is a summary of our policy.
In general, when you visit our Web site and access information you remain anonymous. When we ask you for information, it will be clear how this information is to be used. We will not provide any of your personal information to other companies or individuals without your permission. This includes, but is not limited to, e-mail and physical addresses.
The only situation where we will ask for personal information is in conjunction with the commerce portion of our site. We only ask for information necessary to complete the sales transaction via Internet.
We will take appropriate steps to protect your privacy. Whenever you provide sensitive information (for example, a credit card number to make a purchase), we will take reasonable steps to protect it, such as encrypting your card number. We will also take reasonable security measures to protect your personal information in storage. Credit card numbers are used only for payment processing and are not retained!
We will not provide any of your personal information to other companies or individuals without your permission. However, we may need to provide your name and delivery address to third parties that Woodland Scenics uses for the purpose of delivering items specifically ordered by you or on your behalf.
Our Web site may provide links to third party sites. Since we do not control those Web sites, we encourage you to review the privacy policies of these third party sites.
You can help Woodland Scenics maintain the accuracy of your information by notifying Woodland Scenics of any changes to your address (billing or shipping), phone number or e-mail address. You may do this online when you place an order or through customer support by contacting us directly. |
This is funny: a student of mine, knowing I’m a Star Wars kind of guy, sent this image to me today.
I laughed. I’m the person who wrote this originally.
It was at least four years ago, and I put it on Tumblr before I deleted my original blog and restarted this one. Apparently, “Be Like Han” is all over the place now.
I guess I’ve made my mark on the world, such as it is. |
Click on the title of any of Fr. Barron's Articles on the left to view the full article. Please feel free to provide your own comments and feedback. Clicking any of the Tags below will show you a listing of articles and commentaries that relate to the word you click. Click on the RSS link to sign up to be notified of each new item that is published here. Past articles can be found in the archive.
Subscribe to our RSS Feed to receive new articles |
A very fast caching engine for WordPress that produces static html files.
This plugin generates static html files from your dynamic WordPress blog. After a html file is generated your webserver will serve that file instead of processing the comparatively heavier and more expensive WordPress PHP scripts.
The static html files will be served to the vast majority of your users, but because a user's details are displayed in the comment form after they leave a comment those requests are handled by the legacy caching engine. Static files are served to:
99% of your visitors will be served static html files. Those users who don't see the static files will still benefit because they will see different cached files that aren't quite as efficient but still better than uncached. This plugin will help your server cope with a front page appearance on digg.com or other social networking site.
If for some reason "supercaching" doesn't work on your server then don't worry. Caching will still be performed, but every request will require loading the PHP engine. In normal circumstances this isn't bad at all. Visitors to your site will notice no slowdown or difference. Supercache really comes into it's own if your server is underpowered, or you're experiencing heavy traffic. Super Cached html files will be served more quickly than PHP generated cached files but in every day use, the difference isn't noticeable.
The plugin serves cached files in 3 ways (ranked by speed):
If you're new to caching use PHP caching. It's easy to set up and very fast. Avoid legacy caching if you can.
Advanced users will probably want to use mod_rewrite caching, but PHP caching is almost as good and recommended for everyone else. Enable the following:
Garbage collection is the act of cleaning up cache files that are out of date and stale. There's no correct value for the expiry time but a good starting point is 1800 seconds if you're not using legacy mode. If you are using that mode start with an expiry time of 600 seconds.
If you are not using legacy mode caching consider deleting the contents of the "Rejected User Agents" text box and allow search engines to create supercache static files.
Likewise, preload as many posts as you can and enable "Preload Mode". Garbage collection will still occur but it won't affect the preloaded files. If you don't care about sidebar widgets updating often set the preload interval to 2880 minutes (2 days) so all your posts aren't recached very often. When the preload occurs the cache files for the post being refreshed is deleted and then regenerated. Afterwards a garbage collection of all old files is performed to clean out stale cache files. With preloading on cached files will still be deleted when posts are made or edited or comments made.
The changelog is a good place to start if you want to know what has changed since you last downloaded the plugin.
Interested in translating WP Super Cache to your language? Grab the development version where you will find an up to date wp-super-cache.pot. Send any translation files to donncha @ ocaoimh.ie and thank you!
The cache directory, usually wp-content/cache/ is only for temporary files. Do not ever put important files or symlinks to important files or directories in that directory. They will be deleted if the plugin has write access to them.
Requires: 3.0 or higher
Compatible up to: 3.5.1
Last Updated: 2013-4-24
19 of 169 support threads in the last two months have been resolved.
Got something to say? Need help? |
|About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us|
You are not logged in. [Log In] Wordsmith.org Register User Forum List Calendar Active Topics Search FAQ
Board Rules · Mark all read Contact Us · Wordsmith.org · Top
Disclaimer: Wordsmith.org is not responsible for views expressed on this site. Use of this forum is at your own risk and liability - you agree to hold Wordsmith.org and its associates harmless as a condition of using it.
Home | Today's Word | Yesterday's Word | Subscribe | FAQ | Archives | Search | Feedback
Wordsmith Talk | Wordsmith Chat
© 2013 Wordsmith |
Winter has kicked in with a vengeance, and for the last few weeks I’ve been leaving home before dawn and arriving after dusk on weekdays. Once out of the village it is pitch dark, and the wonderfully retro bodged halogen light I fitted on the commuter bike hasn’t got enough oomph to break through the dark and fog that are a feature of the ride, especially on the section where the local council has thoughtfully closed the pedestrian/cycleway to accommodate building work* and I have to navigate over the fields and around some trees largely by memory. When I’m riding in traffic I’m fine while I keep moving but as soon as I stop I become invisible.
I reckon I’ve got at least eight more weeks of this, so I’ve finally got a modern light, which actually lights up the road, and stays on for a few minutes when I’m not riding. It’s a bit of a risk having a better quality light on a bike I’ll leave in a public space most of the day, but the bike parking space seems pretty safe, and weighed against crashing into a tree or being run over, it makes sense.
If I muster up a lot more self discipline than usual, I may even fit it to the bike and take photos before next March.
*Because it isn’t a road, so it’s not like anyone important will be using it. |
When I first started coaching my mentor coach warned me that August and December tended to be slow months while January, April and September were the busiest months in terms of clients seeking coaches. Armed with this information, I was able to build a realistic income forecast for my business as well as plan personal downtime.
Planning around my business cycles is one key way I have been able to stay in business for 12 years.
Unfortunately, too many people believe that the amount they make one month will translate to all months and then they're in trouble when that's not the case. I have seen it too many times. A business owner will have a big party and overspend after having a great month then they are short when a lean month comes along.
Most businesses have an annual cycle and it's imperative to know what that cycle is for your business.
Determining the Cycle
If you have been in business for a year or more, go back in your records and chart the amount of business each month. Is it steady? Are some months much higher while others much lower? Use this information to define your business cycle.
If you are just starting out, do some informational interviews with other people in your industry. Ask what the busiest times of the year are and what the slowest are. Ask what affects people's decisions in buying.
It's important to make the distinction that the business cycle I'm speaking of in this article is not dictated by the economy but rather by the buying habits of your clients and the seasonality of your market. Slow periods created by a down economy require additional measures be taken to generate business.
Making the Most of Your Business Cycle
Once you determine your business cycle, brainstorm ways to leverage or minimize the slow times. Here are some ideas:
Do side work. For example, I teach classes at a virtual university. During slow client months I keep my calendar full by teaching more classes and replace the client cash flow with teaching cash flow. This minimizes the impact of client's taking vacations and breaks that month.
I would recommend that the side work either relates to your main business, compliment your main business or feed a passion in you. The point is to stay engaged, not to start something completely new and different.
Catch-up. Although it's great to think we get everything done we need and would like to, the reality is we often don't. Make a list of unfinished projects such as scanning business cards, calling old contacts, updating addresses, hiring a new CPA and plan to knock out the list during a slow month. |
4/7/12 by DW
This is where
narrates his development work.
externalDomainName, part 2
Highlighting current root
Automatic setting of externalDomainName
Fixing headerFont etc in Howtos
The big trip-up in configuration is the setup of S3 storage, and the allocation of a name for the server.
I can take care of the name, through an RPC call at startup. But you have to set up the storage.
For that I need
bits of information, and the installation should not proceed until this information is validated.
Setting up a new server |
Disclosure: Some products in this post were provided by the manufacturer, their PR firm or retailer for review.
Until now, I didn’t fully appreciate the term ”squishy” to describe polish. But “squishy” is the very first word that came to mind when I got to the second coat of Orly Shockwave. It’s a squishy, royal blue, creamy jelly. It’s also a very pretty blue that fills the void between summer neon and winter navy. I think I actually prefer this on shorter nails. Shockwave does remind me of China Glaze Manhunt…but I haven’t compared them yet.
For some reason, the name Shockwave immediately reminded me of stereo speakers. I tried something new and dressed this mani up with some studded nail polish strips (unfortunately, I don’t know the brand!). They are clear and meant to cover the whole nail. I cut them into rows and applied them at different heights, starting at the tip. I skipped a topcoat.
You can purchase polish from the Orly Electronica Collection at Beauty Stop Online for only $6.50!
Disclosure: Some products in this post were provided by the manufacturer, their PR firm or retailer for review. For more information, please see my disclosure policy. |
WorldFamousPrivateEye Blog April 18, 2011
I really want to write a blog on some topic other than TSA, but they won’t let me. PLEASE, TSA, STOP BEING STUPID SO I CAN CRITICIZE SOMEONE ELSE.
Their latest public relations fiasco, if you managed to miss it, is the involuntary “pat down” of a skinny six year-old girl in the New Orleans airport last week. Watch the video here:
She definitely looked like she was hiding something. All six year-olds are guilty of something.
Words fail me. Stupid, moronic, senseless, ineffective and incompetent, all seem inadequate to describe the TSA, and most particularly its director John Pistole. He and he alone is responsible. (Okay, Janet Napolitano is to blame as well.) According to the TSA blog this example of child molesting was entirely consistent with agency policy:
“A video taken of one of our officers patting down a six year-old has attracted quite a bit of attention. Some folks are asking if the proper procedures were followed. Yes. TSA has reviewed the incident and the security officer in the video followed the current standard operating procedures.” - 4/13/11
Former Governor Jesse Ventura and some commercial pilots are suing TSA over the constitutionality of airport screening.
And, NJ State Senator Doherty considers the search of this child to be a sex crime.
HELLO TSA. You have gone too far. I said it months ago. Others have said it. You don’t get to abuse the trust that WE gave you. We gave it to you. We can take it away.
It is obvious there is only one solution, a complete dismantling of TSA starting at the top. Pistole should just go. Go away. And Secretary Napolitano, go back to Arizona. The two of you obviously cannot learn from your past mistakes. You are embarrassing.
But in the spirit of being fair and balanced, check out the TSA Puppy Program. Seriously, I could not make this stuff up. |
A partnership at many levels: CARE and WorldFish
A story of partnership from WorldFish and CARE, for the Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development (GCARD) theme P - Partnerships.
Since the 1940s, the humanitarian organization, CARE, has been a key player on the world development stage. CARE’s work ranges from the delivery of humanitarian assistance amid times of crisis, to more on-going support to build community resilience and development capacity. CARE began working with WorldFish in a number of projects to improve livelihoods in developing countries. CARE and WorldFish both share a determination to alleviate poverty in vulnerable communities, and this mutual goal has fostered a productive partnership in countries including Bangladesh and Egypt and now with the CGIAR Research Program on Aquatic Agricultural Systems (AAS).
CARE and WorldFish have joined together to plan and implement the AAS Program. The communities in aquatic agricultural systems that both organizations work with are unique and varied, as are the multitude of vulnerabilities and challenges they face. Andrea Rodericks, Executive Director for Program Quality and Learning in CARE India notes that “the problems we are trying to address are complex change processes and no one organization can tackle them alone.”
The empowerment of women in low income communities is fundamental to CARE’s work around the world. Rodericks, who has worked for many years to improve the status of women in developing countries, sees a natural partner in WorldFish on this issue. “I find our ideas of thinking around gender transformative change align quite well,” she says. “It’s still a long journey to get that right, but I’m impressed by the way WorldFish is approaching this and their clarity of intent in this area.”
Partnerships provide opportunities to bring together complementary expertise and experiences to tackle development challenges. As Jamie Terzi from CARE Bangladesh explains, “The relationship with WorldFish is strengthened by having mutual objectives and understanding how we can complement each other’s work.”
For Ms Terzi, the partnership is growing. “We’ve been building the relationship – we’ve now done a joint assessment mission in south west Bangladesh – that was a valuable experience for us, as rather than one organization going it alone we were learning as a team. The results were a much deeper analysis. We don’t want to confine ourselves to the south west so we are looking for wider partnership in Bangladesh and with WorldFish taking the approach it is in AAS, this fits well with the approach CARE is taking in relation to the total ecosystem approach. The partnership is changing from a more project-based to an institutional relationship.”
In Egypt, where much effort is needed to address persistent high unemployment and limited economic opportunity for the poor, CARE is working with WorldFish on a significant project to improve employment and income through the development of Egypt’s aquaculture sector (a project connected with the CGIAR Research Program on Livestock and Fish). In both instances, the collaboration between organizations has benefited from a shared vision. Susan Nour, Initiatives Manager at CARE Egypt, describes WorldFish as a “natural partner” for this reason. “In this project we definitely have aligned around the objectives and our understanding of the approach and methodology that WorldFish is using – bottom up, poor-focused and the interest WorldFish has in listening to CARE’s point of view and the commitment to development. We also seem aligned on building capacity and empowering marginalized communities.”
CARE Egypt Country Director, Kevin Fitzcharles, and Assistant Country Director, Hazem Fahmy, agree, adding that the research element that the WorldFish brings to the partnership is of great value. “There is a rigor in the evidence-based approach used by WorldFish that makes CARE work better grounded,” they note.
Whether it’s in the Bangladeshi lowlands, the banks of the Nile or in aquatic agricultural systems across Asia and Africa, the partnership between CARE and WorldFish could be transformative for many. “I think CARE and WorldFish could be a good partnership that will work together to influence the agenda on what donors fund and in negotiating for longer term projects,” says Rodericks. “If we identify issues together we can use our evidence to influence funding and programming strategies that could enable real social change.” |
I followed this how to guide
to install WoW and it worked smooth.
I have configured wine 1.3.29 and started the game,that went well,but how I get this weird graphics and missing textures http://www.xs.to/photo/136645
.I also tried various wine versions,but no luck.
Tried some tweaks and settings from WoWWiki
i that didnt worked either.
I am using Pardus 2011.2 64 bits with Gallium 0.4 on amd Cypress,2.1 Mesa,7.10.3. (this one works best for me,had no issues whatsoever)
When I try to use proprietary drivers game wont even loads and I get "Failed to find suitable display device" message.Also I cant watch videos in fullscreen mode with this one so I dont like to use it if possible.
Please note I'm a newbie and ask for more details if needed.
Thank you for reading and understanding. |
The White House’s $4B Better Buildings Challenge
Can the Obama administration spur $4 billion in building energy efficiency retrofits without being able to get the money out of a deadlocked Congress? Looks like we’ll have the next two years or so to find out.
That’s the gist of a big 'Better Buildings Initiative' set to be announced by the White House late Thursday evening. After months of working with former president Bill Clinton and a lot of private-sector and government partners, the White House says that more than 60 organization have pledged to spend $2 billion to retrofit about 1.6 billion square feet of commercial and industrial property in the next 24 months.
The announcement also comes with a commitment to move forward with $2 billion in federal building “performance-based contracting” projects over the next 24 months. Because private investors and companies will pay for efficiency upgrades at government buildings, then pay themselves out of the energy savings, those projects can go forward without new federal spending, National Economic Council Director Gene Sperling said in a Thursday press pre-briefing call.
Together, that $4 billion in projected commitments could add up to “tens of thousands of jobs,” Sperling said. Consider it a major new market opportunity for the building energy efficiency sector -- and a major new challenge in making private-sector economics work in the absence of direct taxpayer support.
That’s because the Obama administration has been unable to get Congress to act on many of the proposals in its Better Buildings Initiative launched in February. The Department of Energy initiative laid out a laundry list of building energy efficiency initiatives, all aimed at making the nation’s commercial buildings 20 percent more energy efficient by 2020.
Part of that plan was the 'Better Buildings Challenge,' launched in late June at the Clinton Global Initiative. On June 30, Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced that 14 initial private sector and local government partners had pledged to spend $500 million to retrofit buildings totaling about 300 million square feet.
That included big public-private partnerships in Seattle, Los Angeles and Atlanta, as well as buy-in by USAA Real Estate Company, Best Buy and other corporate partners. As for financing the projects, partners including Citi, Hudson Clean Energy Partners, Metrus Energy, Transcend Equity and Renewable Funding agreed to provide at least $525 million in project funding in the next 18 months.
Presumably that figure is part of the $2 billion in new public-private sector financing announced this week, but there were some new funding promises as well. San Francisco-based startup Serious Energy, for example, on Thursday promised to execute $100 million in energy efficiency upgrades for customers as part of the initiative.
Indeed, the list of Better Buildings Challenge participants includes a who’s-who of startups seeking to revolutionize the way energy retrofits are financed, including Metrus Energy, Transcend Equity and Serious Energy (via its new Serious Capital model).
At the same time, energy services giants such as Siemens, Schneider Electric, Honeywell, Johnson Controls and the like are doubtless participating as well in serving the federal building upgrade portion of the work announced this week. Schneider, for its part, announced it would also join the "Challenge" portion of the project with a pledge to cut energy use at 40 U.S. manufacturing facilities by 25 percent.
The $4 billion challenge is the latest move the Obama administration has made as part of its “We Can't Wait” campaign to bypass a deadlocked Congress and spur job creation, even as the President pushes lawmakers to pass a $447 billion jobs bill.
Sperling wouldn’t put an exact figure on the number of jobs the White House hopes will come from the $4 billion initiative, though he noted that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce -- not known as a great friend of green initiatives -- has estimated the $2 billion in federal building retrofits alone could create about 35,000 jobs.
The Political Economy Research Institute projected in June that the entire Better Buildings Initiative could create up to 114,000 jobs if implemented in full. Of course, much of that would have to come via legislation, which seems increasingly unlikely, at least this year.
Sperling did make clear that one proposal contained in the Better Buildings Initiative -- legislation to authorize up to $2 billion in federal loan guarantees for retrofit projects -- was not part of the new $4 billion announcement. Given the heat the White House is taking over Solyndra and Beacon Power, two companies that won separate DOE loan guarantees only to later declare bankruptcy, it’s not surprising that more loan guarantees aren’t on the table.
The big question, of course, is whether the economics of building energy retrofits are developed to the point where they can support a $4 billion boost in business without loan guarantees or other federal supports. Kudos to the Obama administration for bootstrapping these projects via any means necessary -- but we’ll have to wait for a few years to see how many billions of dollars in projects actually get done.
World Green Top News
- Testing a New Dynamic Solar Facade
- Joshua Tree Gets a New Desert Prefab
- Plugwise Eliminates Excess Energy Use
- Ahead of Schedule, An LED Bulb for us All
- Community Solar Programs Let Renters Share The Power
- Simple Green Harpoon House in Oregon
- Dad Was Right About Those Lights
- Gary Chang's Sliding Wall Apartment Is An Eco-Friendly 24 Rooms! (VIDEO)
- Who Wins in the Home Star Program? GridPoint, Big Box Retailers
- Seeking Existing Home Energy Efficiency
- Venture Inside the Leading Compliance Platform - Source Intelligence 17 May 2013 | 9:05 am
- AOL Monster Help Day 2013 17 May 2013 | 8:15 am
- 5 Necessary Steps to Better Integrated Reporting AND a More Sustainable Company 17 May 2013 | 8:05 am
- Economic Losses from Disasters Underestimated, ‘Out of Control’ 17 May 2013 | 8:00 am
- Living the Mission: Connecting People, Purpose & Performance 17 May 2013 | 7:45 am |
Top 5 8 In Me Now Plz Males
4. Alexander Skarsgård
Funny story: You know how Alex always talks about how he was tired of playing the boyfriend in Swedish movies? Yeah, he’s not kidding when he says that. He was not taken seriously as an actor at all before he made it big in the US. It was more like we pinched his cheeks and talked about what a handsome young man he grew up to be, every time he was in a movie. I actually remember hearing about Generation Kill and thinking like, what in the ever loving fuck is Alexander Skarsgård doing in a lead role on a HBO mini series of all things!? I must check this out so I can laugh at him. And, I was dumbfounded. Now he’s like… Yeah bitch, I’ve played two of your favorite male characters of all time. Who’s laughing now? Ya burnt!
Yes, it is a fellow Swede who wrote this about Alexander Skarsgård. He himself said it many a time. I find it amusing to see it confirmed finally elsewhere. |
- Fight in legendary vehicles of WWII, as well as prototypes that never made it onto the battlefield.
- Battle it out with players from all over the world on dozens of original maps.
- Fight side by side with your platoon mates and crush your enemies.
- Join a clan and get involved in Ultimate Conquest on the Global Map.
- View full battle statistics for your account.
- Communicate with fellow players as well as the game developers on the official game forum. |
Offer: Summer Intensive Languages/Fellowships
From June 16 to August 6, 2008, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will host the national Summer Cooperative African Language Institute (SCALI). The intensive, seven-week institute provides the equivalent of one year of African language instruction with cultural exposure. Ten-to-14 languages are taught each summer.
SCALI is offered collaboratively by the nation's Title VI National Resource Centers for African Language and Area Studies with funding from the U.S. Department of Education.
Title VI FLAS Fellowships are available for graduate students to attend SCALI for all languages including Elementary Swahili. FLAS awards cover the cost of normal core college tuition and fees and a stipend of $2,500 for the duration of the institute. FLAS fellowships and the SCALI program are funded by the U.S. Department of Education. |
Join Girls in Transforming the World
Join women and girls as they bring voice to barriers and solutions to accessing education and celebrate inspiring mothers and mentors.
At World Pulse, we recognize that leadership comes in many forms----both on the ground in your local communities, as well as online in PulseWire’s global community. Are you a leader on PulseWire?
Read global coverage through women's eyes
Read the latest from World Pulse headquarters |
Today’s Tuesday Fiction is by Armando Salinas. Armando currently lives in Mexico City, together with 21 million other aspiring writers and dreamers. His fiction has previously appeared in the Rudy Rucker-edited FLURB magazine; in the past decade, he’s also written six short story collections and one mainstream novel currently available on Kindle, including One Night in Bangkok. You can read his blog (in Spanish) where he rambles on about whatever book he read that week, or follow @Armando0827 on Twitter.
This is the story’s first publication.
Ceremony of Innocence
“I am Matarese.”
Having said that, the nightmare began.
They led Cornelius down the stairs.
The rooms below were mostly dark and smelled. Damp melanomas stained the walls. Arthritic cables, knotted and almost fossilized with dust, crawled out of holes in the ceiling with naked light bulbs hanging like fruit. Whatever poor lighting there was, though, came mostly from the phosphorescent graffiti scribbled on every inch of wall. Occasionally, cheap portraits of saints and wooden crucifixes eclipsed the glowing artwork. Cornelius stared emptily, every room an underground grotto. Most of the rooms had at least some soiled mattress on the floor, but other than that, the rooms were mostly bare.
Police officers were still questioning the half-dressed women along the drafty hall. Cornelius tried ignoring them and followed the officer to the crime scene.
Obregon was already there, along with the coroner and his assistant—busily taking picture after picture—and a ring of uniformed men around the body.
The woman was tied to a chair, her hands behind her back while her legs were forcibly spread wide open. She was still dressed—a strapless yellow top and some denim cutoffs, her bare feet bound to the legs of the chair—and her face was missing. The girl looked up at all of them with round lidless eyes.
Besides the constant clicking of the camera and the slow whine of the flashbulbs the only noise inside the crowded room was the leaking kitchen sink tap on the opposite wall, drip-drip-dripping endlessly, the white paint underneath chipped away long ago by the Chinese torture.
Obregon nodded his head, noticing his presence. “Inspector.”
“Do we have a picture?” Cornelius asked.
One of the uniformed men answered. “Yes, sir. Several, in fact. One of the girls was her roommate. Here.” The officer gave him a set of photographs. Two girls, sometimes three, in several different locations. “Um, she’s the blonde.”
“Yes, I can tell.” Cornelius took a quick look at the stolen face in the pictures and gave them back, bored. He felt as if his tie was choking him. Everyone was sweating. He moved away from her. A few wooden boards were missing from the floor. In other places small wooden squares had been simply nailed on top to partially cover the holes. “So put an APB out on this girl. The Face probably has it stored for future use, but do it right away anyway. He likes to become women these days, specially blondes.”
* * *
Cornelius checked his watch as he stood naked in front of his mirror, trying to fix himself in a hurry. He flipped the 15-blade expertly, and started slicing his own face even before the anesthetic had taken effect completely. He cut softly from the line of his scalp down to his chin, leaving the skin around the eyes and the lips in its place. Next, he inserted the scissors deeper into the cut and carefully detached all his superficial temporal vessels, starting with the external carotid, exposing those first. This procedure didn’t just require the sure touch of a surgeon artiste, but a solid mastery of microvascular anastomosis; otherwise, his own immune system would ruin the intended work of art. Finally, he gingerly unpeeled his own face, making sure the tissue didn’t tear. He placed the loose skin inside a plastic bag and sealed it airtight. For a moment there, he stood under the lights, watching his own skinned face, the wet muscles revealed glistening under the lightbulbs. But he didn’t linger long, for he found his true face disturbing. He went back to the procedure by nailing Mitek screws around his naked face with a surgical pistol.
With delicate fingers he brought out the dummy’s head and placed it on the table under the mirror. With a flat spatula he separated the moist soft skin off the plastic head, careful not to crease it. The face made a slick wet noise as it came loose. With a surgeon’s touch he applied an even layer of moisturizing cream first on the inside of the face, then on his own. Slowly, he spread the hanging folds of face over his own. This was the most delicate part, when he had to sew back all the exposed vessels with the new endings over them. When he was finished he was almost exhausted, but he still had to inject the slow-drying glue under the skin.
The final result looked grotesque. The new face fit almost like a glove, but obviously it wasn’t a perfect match. It still needed some padding under the new skin to provide a real structure. He peppered his face with miniscule capsules of silicon until he was satisfied. It was still too early to tell, of course, but long experience told him the facial transplant was a complete success. He could already feel the blood flow was strong. The vascular reattachments were flawless. He was well aware of what his immuno-suppressive tolerance levels were, mostly thanks to the serum of his own creation which replaced the auto-immune therapy that would normally be used, so he was certain there would be no infection and his body would not reject the foreign tissue.
The skin around his eyelids, still his own, as well as the circle around his lips, required some cosmetic touches, but a small hypodermic pistol, a needle and some transparent surgical thread finally did the job. A couple of stitches around the orbital septum, some simple makeup and voila. The swelling would go down before the hour was over, thanks to his serum. He had trouble blinking for exactly five minutes as the ethyl chloride anesthetic wore off. The skin directly below his hairline was always tricky and, to be perfectly honest, Cornelius always cheated here, using some crude makeup to hide the imperfect match. He combed back his still-wet black hair and glued a small pony tail on the back of his neck. He used a woman’s brush to add the silver hairs on his temples but, really, he paid little attention to the last two details. They were merely affectations, after all. The face itself was a different matter.
Checking himself one last time in the mirror, Cornelius gasped as the sensitive pores on his own skin started drinking from the alien skin on top. He’d used this face before. Too many times, really. It was becoming risky, but it was still one of his favorites. He could smile with it. For real. Once, he’d even managed to cry alone in his room.
To show his power, Cornelius grinned.
Finnegan, the cruel confident man facing him back from the other side of the mirror, smiled. Satisfied, Finnegan grabbed his navy blue Armani suit and started dressing himself.
The manor was enormous, its grounds seemingly endless, and still Finnegan had had to search for it for almost two hours. By the time he’d found the holographic HD wrought-iron double gates it was almost midnight. Two men in gray suits and dark shades scanned his face with their full-spectrum Id eyes, and admitted his car. Finnegan couldn’t help a smile.
From the gate to the house itself was another five minutes by car. The forest was so gorgeously vivid it almost made him take a wrong turn straight into a tree. By the time the road led him to the main house he had figured it out. A lot of effort and money had been spent to give the trees and the lakes and even the road that hi-definition look found only in virtuality. It was unsettling, this feeling, outside a sim, without gloves or goggles. Realer than real. All those colors. The long red gravel road made a turn around a wide and sprawling white marble fountain—holographic water—in front of the big house, and Finnegan parked his car there. The fountain, like the forest before, was completely silent.
Matarese was waiting for him by the door.
He was a tall lean man with an androgynous face and wearing a plain black suit and tie. He did not bother to use shades to hide his grotesque Id eyes. Creepy gold corneas fixed on Finnegan’s face studying his every feature and gesture, using wide-spectrum.
“Mr. Finnegan, I hope you didn’t have much of a problem finding the house.”
Finnegan accepted the offered hand and smiled. “Not at all, thank you. In fact, it was a pleasant country ride.”
“Yes. Come along, please. Mr. Andreas just finished his dinner.”
“Was he waiting for me or does he usually have dinner so late?”
“Mr. Andreas doesn’t sleep anymore. He had the surgery just two months ago. He now keeps different hours.”
“It helps, yes. I don’t sleep myself, either.”
The marble-floored room, unlike the grandiose manor, was not excessively furnished. A minimalist display which mocked the majestic exterior. The walls around them were papered in an elegant series of vertical sequences of golden ones and zeroes on a maroon background. He stared at one sequence at random—10000110110000111—and wondered idly if it meant anything. A big glass-topped teak desk dominated the room. There were a few carefully-staged props arranged on it: a twin pen and pencil holder, a gleaming crystal paperweight, all without practical purpose, reeking with the semiotic obsolescence of all genuine antiques. Two tall brass floor-lamps behind the desk framed the large panoramic window overlooking this mute and high resolution kingdom.
“Mr. Andreas, this is Mr. Peter Finnegan, the artist you requested.”
“Bien sûr. No introductions are necessary,” said Andreas, rising jovially from behind his fashionably artificial desk. He was a big and impressive man, very much like his house, taller than either Matarese or Finnegan, and with the belly of a Mandarin protruding from the waistband of his fabulously expensive white lacquered suit. Like his house and his gardens, the man himself was in hi-def. Every detail was edged in fire in Finnegan’s eyes. He wore a jewel-rimmed gold monocle in his right eye. A Berlitz subconscious universal language translator earring hung from his left earlobe. Standard SHOJI glossolalia issue. His voluminous body commanded an instinctive semiotic respect. The man had a rich milk-and-chocolate skin, smooth like a baby’s, which made Finnegan’s mouth water. He could almost feel all those wonderful emotions, all the obscene hungers that he could experience beneath that colored face. Andreas smiled, noticing the artist’s interest. “I’ve followed your work closely for the last couple of years.”
Finnegan nodded in discreet silence, properly impressed. Of course, most of the world slept happily unaware of his life’s work.
“Please, have a seat. A cigar?”
Finnegan accepted, while Matarese took out a gold case of French cigarettes. Andreas continued. “Yes, for a very long time I’ve tried to be a part of your fascinating world. People, as a whole, use their imaginations—if at all—only to dream of more money or some lurid sex fantasy. Most can’t wait to go back to their mundane realities, can’t stand their brief stays as it is. They dread getting lost. But the artists… you live there, you’re no mere tourists, you own an atlas of this twilight state, you breath the same air as fables and stories. You import some of those dreams into our reality and try to make a living from it. You window-shop at the bazaars of the imagination and smuggle ideas into our dreary world, selling them at a premium. Glorious!” Finnegan wasn’t any good at hiding his emotions, and Andreas laughed. “Yes, I like hearing the sound of my own voice.”
All three men laughed politely.
Clearly, that was all that was needed, as Andreas continued. “I’ve tried to add my own humble contributions to it, you know. Once I even met the Frenchman, Sloane. It was a disappointment, I must say. Meeting the artist behind the work can often turn out like that. This Sloane didn’t even seem to be aware that what he was doing was Art. In fact, he was quite offended by the notion. The mere idea that he was creating, that he was adding to the race’s catalog of beauty was anathema to him. And perhaps that could’ve been exciting in itself, revolutionary. The reluctant artist, creating masterpieces against his will. Almost unconsciously. Imagine the doors it would open into our Ids. But he was not offended for long. He just didn’t care. He was only trying to get even with his mother, long dead. How trivial. I tell you, it left me with little enthusiasm to look for any of the others.”
“He’s nothing but a butcher,” said Finnegan.
Andreas started to laugh and clapped Finnegan on the shoulder. “Ahh, the world we artists live in, n’est-ce pas? I love it. All those jealousies. We can’t be friends with anyone else who calls himself an artist. Obviously no one’s an artist but us. Yes, you may be right, but isn’t that what all of us ‘artists’ must strive for all the time? To play out our little private fantasies? Out there. To stage them, to make them real. On canvas, in words, in white virgin noise, or living flesh. In music or in dance. Whatever it is we require, to talk about our universes, before we die and they become lost forever. We recount ideas, my friend. Ideas no one else has thought before. We tell stories. We create the realities our children’s children will read about when they’re in school.”
Sloane liked cutting up women because he was afraid of them, thought Finnegan. He said nothing, though, and accepted instead the glass of cognac Andreas gave him.
“I believe Mr. Matarese has already explained what I require from you,” Andreas said.
“You’re interested in a collaboration.”
Andreas’ glittering blue smile spread across his wide face, the diamond on every teeth hurting his thick lips. “I illustrate the moments of creation, Mr. Finnegan. I illustrate the lonely night when an unknown poet writes his finest poem. I illustrate the stories behind every painting, every still statue. I make symphonies come alive, literally. I give four dimensions to word and music. I make them breathe according to my own humble and subjective interpretation of the available data. The poet, and the poem. Of course, a poem must never be totally explained. Therein lies its magic, its freedom, its Art. But sometimes Art itself is not enough. The world is not kind to it. I take care of those verses, those lines adrift in the world’s unconscious. Those mad geniuses who toil in the black hole of anonymity. Those who write for themselves, who frantically scribble on the walls of condemned buildings. Who plaster their fevered dreams on napkins and toilet paper they must later use. I make these people exist—I make them real—in a world that would not acknowledge their presence. I have money. I’m good at that. Those who’re truly great artists, by definition, are not. Maybe I just try to be one of them the only way I can. Perhaps I just fancy myself an artist.”
“And,” Finnegan said, “you need my special talents for one of your illustrations?”
“Precisely. Tell me, Mr. Finnegan, are you aware of a long epic poem called A Ceremony of Innocence? Or of a man called Tarrant?”
“I don’t believe so.”
“Of course not. Tarrant was in fact a woman. A young woman who out of respect and love we treated as a man according to her own wishes. She died a few years back. She was twenty-one. I’d only known her for a few months. She was not an only child, oddly enough, but the eldest of four daughters. A normal family, a normal childhood. How she became an artist, or why, I never understood. It took me a while to realize those first twenty years were nothing but the first couple of verses. A mundane beginning to serve as contrast and balance to the tumultuous last stanzas.”
Andreas himself refilled Finnegan’s glass before continuing his tale.
“I’ll make it short for you. One day she woke up tired of her life. She decided she had to go somewhere else. Anywhere else. To a place where things might make sense. So she seduced an older man to get the money to leave her home and travel to Europe. This man left his own family to go live with her over there, but once they hit Barcelona, Tarrant dumped him. As I said, this was a few years back, when Barcelona was going through its second Catalan Renaissance and was still the hubbub of the digital arts that Prague is now. She had chosen her city well. In many ways she belonged in Barcelona. Her verses had an… art nouveau kind of feeling. Almost like architectural lines. Sharp angles, vanishing points. She had a lot of dreams and hopes; the gods alone know where they came from, having had such a mediocre origin, but sometimes it’s like that. The old story, really, but she was different because she actually had talent. Real talent. She had looks, too, and an almost amoral innocence to use them that bordered on cruelty. Believe me, I know. She was always upfront about it. She just didn’t see anything wrong in what she did. She never realized she was hurting anyone. Of course she always got her way. She didn’t starve in Barcelona, trust me. And she was quite prolific. She produced an amazing body of work. Almost as quickly as she destroyed men she created Art. Unfortunately, like most of her kind, all her friends were men. No matter how much she tried to change this. It’s dangerous to have all women as your enemies, Mr. Finnegan. Downright scary, if you ask me. They’ll have their way. No matter how good Tarrant was, she never got to show her work to anyone but her lovers. Unofficially she was even banned from the SHOJI. For all intents and purposes she was outside the world’s consciousness. I met her through an old friend of mine. He was her current lover back then. I knew what I was doing. I knew what to offer. She was in my bed quickly enough. I guess she was honest, she only wanted to be happy. I showed her my own world. Allowed her inside my own washitsu rooms inside the SHOJI where I kept my most private Ideas. I can honestly say she did her best work during those last three months of her life that we shared.”
“She killed herself in my country house in Biarritz. She always had a thing for Hemingway.”
“I’m sorry,” said Finnegan, and he was. The man Finnegan was capable of tremendous depths of spontaneous emotion.
“Yeah, well. Thanks. But you shouldn’t be. See, she wanted to die, but not to end an unbearable suffering. She wanted to turn her life itself into a graceful statement. A work of Art. As true and genuine as any living being is capable of. To make her entire life an idea. With a beginning, and a proper end. She had always behaved like a beautiful verse, she even walked like a poem. Even when she was alone, especially then, when no one else could see it. She took care of her body, her face, although she was not exactly vain. She wasn’t stupid, she was aware how other people reacted to her beauty, but like I said, she was sometimes irritatingly innocent about it. She was proud of herself, that’s all. Now she was taking this idea one step further, to its ultimate conclusion. Her last, and most important, poem. She knew soon enough her perfection would be marred, no matter how much care she took of herself. At a certain point, old age is upon you… and by then it’s too late. No point preserving an imperfection. So she acted. I survived her. I was her only lover to do so.”
“No wonder women liked her so much.”
“Quite. In any case, I was honored to be a part of her masterpiece. I was there at the end.”
“I’m sorry, I’m afraid I don’t see the… uh, the connection.”
Matarese brought out a photograph and passed it to Finnegan. A young girl, oval-faced and with eyes like a cat’s. It was a programmed photograph, and the picomachines on its surface pictured the girl walking happily along some public garden. She had her jet-black hair pulled back tightly, exposing her sharp cheekbones. Finnegan could see how her unsmiling face might seem beautiful to some, but to him it only looked cold. Cruel, like Andreas himself had said. “This girl’s name is not important. We have her. We only found her after we ran a meticulous search/match idea through the SHOJI. She’s the closest in the whole world and all the colonies. She’s almost a perfect twin of the girl Tarrant.”
“I see.” He turned to look at Andreas, but it was Matarese who continued.
“Mr. Andreas’ current project is to illustrate A Ceremony of Innocence — the title Tarrant gave her own life—with your help.”
“You want this girl to play a part in some sort of performance?”
“We are the SHOJI, Mr. Finnegan,” said Andreas. “Not the world. Any fool can get a plug inside his corpus callosum and surf the consensus field of illusions, but he’s not creating the field. His part in the consensus is only a passive one. He accepts what his senses tell him. Like a child seeing things for the first time, he’s accepting the reality we show him. Any fool can see that when our brains took the place of computers generating the notional field, some brains contributed more than others. It’s us, Mr. Finnegan, the conceptual Artists, the mythmakers, we tell the stories that build reality for the rest. This girl is unimportant, except for her graceful exterior, random as all art. You and I can turn her into a true work of Art. Give her life some meaning.”
“We want her to live Tarrant’s life,” said Matarese, suddenly leaning forward. “Her last year. The one she spent in Europe. All the way to the end.”
“And you think this girl is going to agree to any of this? Even if you don’t mention that part about ‘the end’?”
Andreas’ diamond grin returned. “Oh, yes. She will do what’s necessary.”
“You still haven’t told me what you actually want me to do.”
“I need you to play my part, Mr. Finnegan. You’ll skin my face and wear it as your own for the next year. You see, I’m honoring you the same way Tarrant honored me. I’m making you a part of A Ceremony of Innocence. Her poem is not yet finished. It’ll be up to us.”
Just before he realized it was the cigar which had been drugged instead of the cognac, Finnegan’s will was gone, and he agreed to help Andreas celebrate the mad genius of a girl he’d never even known.
Tarrant sipped the last of her drink, alone with her thoughts, watching the dying sunset on the cool Mediterranean waters beyond the harbor boardwalk with a bored expression. The red wine was vinegary, as if it’d been left open and allowed to breathe for too long. As usual this time of day, the cobblestone docks below the Moll de la Fusta were packed with tourists, couples and families, in khaki shorts and white shirts, old-fashioned cameras hanging from their tanned necks, videocams purring busily in their hands. All of them managing to produce the exact same old images a million unimaginative fools had taken before them. Pictures of the looming Monument a Colom, poorly-lit movies of the electric streetlights coming to life. Over and over, one after the next in an unending parade of mediocrity.
She took one last sip, trying not to grimace at the harsh taste. She was aware of the looks men were giving her—she was sitting alone, after all—only in the same way others are conscious of their own breathing. She knew it was her attitude, her moves, the way she casually fixed a lock of stray hair behind her ear with the back of her hand, how she walked and crossed her legs when she sat down, more than her body itself. Her mother had never understood why she’d come here. Tarrant only hoped one of her sisters had, and would follow her path one day. She smiled, and the low gloss ultraviolet lipstick gleamed appallingly under the bar’s ghoulish lights. Every time she smiled she left after-images of her lips. She was wearing a tight-fitting tuxedo with a green waistband and bow tie. Every accessory on her body, from her thick gold Rolex down to her Gucci loafers, had been chosen with a diamond-clear purpose of mind. She was proud of her Art.
Cassidy returned to the table, wearing a tuxedo as well, and looked at her disconsolately. He could tell she was obviously bored again. She didn’t bother to hide it anymore these days. He had opened himself to her… so now she knew he was totally dependent on her. How could any woman respect, let alone love, a man like that?
“It’s late. You want to go home?” he asked.
“Why not.” She pushed her empty glass away.
Even two weeks ago she would’ve also chosen to go home, but would have also tried to find a good excuse, pretend she really wanted to stay here with him.
Just then Cassidy saw Andreas entering the bar accompanied by a man he did not know. He waved at them. “Look, it’s Andreas,” he said, hopefully. Tarrant turned around. Cassidy knew she was intrigued by the exotic Andreas. Once, he’d seen those eyes looking at him in that same way. But he wanted her to be happy, to smile again. Even if it had to be for another man.
“Cassidy, and the lovely American.” Andreas’ Belgian accent did provoke a smile, a low-spectrum smirk. He was wearing a thick turtleneck sweater and loose-fitting jeans over his black cowboy boots. He was the kind of man who looked good no matter what he wore, so people let him in everywhere. He looked perfectly at ease inside the pricey picturesque café. He shook Cassidy’s hand firmly and kissed Tarrant on the cheek.
Without being asked he sat down and nodded to his friend to do the same.
“So,” Andreas started, “how goes the poetry?”
Tarrant made an ultraviolet pout, then stuck out her tongue. “It doesn’t.”
“She’s having problems finding a theme,” said Cassidy.
“That’s not it,” she snapped back. “It’s just… I don’t know, sometimes I just can’t pretend it’s not pointless. I mean, we’re all so good at fooling ourselves. We really believe what we do is different, new. That we’re so different from our parents. That people will be changed by our works.” She laughed. “They’re just words, what I do. Vague feelings, poorly expressed. Half the time I don’t understand them myself, and I do an even worse job trying to translate them for others. The exact same feelings everyone else has had since the beginning of time. Where’s the Art in that? Making the same mistakes. Repeating what better poets have already done. In the end it doesn’t matter one bit.”
“I like your poetry,” said Andreas before he could take it back. Cassidy had to raise his glass to hide his smile. It was the last thing anyone should say to Tarrant.
But Andreas was good. “If I tell you I like your work is because it’s good. I think I know a thing or two about that.”
“Thanks,” was all Tarrant said. Mother would hate Andreas.
“Anyway, it’ll come. It always does, doesn’t it?”
“I guess,” she said. Then she seemed totally perplexed. “What do you mean?”
“I mean it’s like that for most of us. Artists.” Andreas blushed for a moment, calling himself an artist. Tarrant gave him an odd look. Finally she smiled. He could do no wrong, Cassidy realized.
“Maybe. How about you?” she asked. “Still spending all your days and nights inside the SHOJI? One of these days you’re going to lose your Id.”
Andreas laughed out loud, once again totally at ease. “That’s not going to happen. Not like that, anyway. We can’t lose our Ids inside the collective unconscious of the race, Tarrant. You and I. We decide what they think, what they see.”
Andreas’ friend turned away, perhaps looking for a waiter, perhaps bored with an argument he’d heard one too many times. Tarrant, too, seemed to lose interest, although with her it was hard to know, as if Andreas’ unabashed arrogance, while matching her own, was too blatant even for her. He noticed and quickly changed the subject.
It went back and forth all night long, an awkward ballet of gestures and innuendo, with Cassidy and Andreas’ unnamed friend playing the silent audience. For Andreas it was just a performance, he knew, somehow. He wasn’t going to get this girl by being who he was—he never had. But he was good at it. He’d almost forgotten it was a performance. Tomorrow there’d be another one. Different background, different props, different dialogue. Mostly new characters. She’d been alive for so long—even Cassidy, Andreas could tell. But where had he been yesterday? Why were there no memories?
Tomorrow there’d be another scene, another Act. Another in a long string. And he’d be there now. With her. Until the end.
* * *
Tarrant stormed out of the apartment while Andreas stayed behind, sulking. He’d lost count how many times she had slammed the door of their apartment, but this time he knew it was the last time.
Well, they both had known it would end like this. Hell, they’d lasted almost a month.
Too much passion. Not enough sense. Too much alike. Amour fou.
He was considerably older. Had that been the sole allure? Maybe she just liked black skin.
“You suffocate me.” Even her complaints lacked originality when she was like that.
He had been willing to give up everything for her. “I’d lose my Id inside your little corner of the SHOJI,” he offered, genuinely meaning the words.
“I’m not in the SHOJI.”
“Because you don’t want to be. I could help you. Create your own washitsu room. It’ll help you with your Art.”
“No. I don’t need the Consensus to create. What would be the point?”
“It’s not like you’re cheating, for crying out loud. You’ll still be you. What you create will still be coming from your little brain. Yours. No one else’s.”
He wasn’t in the fucking mood to go out tonight, all right? Not to Las Rambles, not to the Via Laietana. All she wanted to do was party every night. Maybe he was too old for her. She was popular in every single café from the Plaça de Catalunya down to Columbus’ column by the docks. If it was up to her they’d spend the night getting stoned with the junkies up at Montjüic or the wastrels down by the narrow backstreets of the Barri Gòtic behind the Cathedral, whining about her sisters. All he wanted was to be left alone this one night. To be by himself inside the SHOJI. He never demanded anything from her when she was in one of her infrequent creative moods. God help him if he did.
Was she like this with Cassidy at the end?
With Traven? Or with that old fart, the first one, he’d seen now and then hanging at the edge of her universe? The one whose name he’d never even found out? The one who’d jumped out of a window.
All dead now. Jesus, poor Cassidy. They’d known each other for over ten years. He was one of the guys who’d helped pitch in so Andreas could come to Europe. He’d been there at the beginning, when money had been tight. Hung himself. Good grief.
Andreas, you’ll rot in Hell.
And Tarrant will get off scot-free, probably. Wind up in God’s own Heaven, with all the other innocents and fools.
But not in the SHOJI. Not in Idspace. Andreas smiled. God, he hated her.
He grabbed his car keys and hurried after her.
* * *
Andreas stood back and watched as Tarrant, hunched down on the floor, got lost in a world all of her own making. Papers were scattered all around her. A half-empty glass of that red Spanish wine she liked so much was next to an untouched dish of paella. Unconsciously biting her lower lip, the tip of her tongue smearing the UV on her mouth, she scribbled frantically over a series of napkins, folding and unfolding them, writing on every blank side. Her unreadable gibberish a private door to her own Id.
He took his eyes off her for a moment and looked through the window of their bedroom. Just behind the ragged green heads of the tallest cypress trees, looming indiscreetly over the smashed glass topping their brick wall, the financial center in downtown Barcelona already glittered in the early night. A series of half-completed crossword puzzles, most of the white boxes still empty. Their new house was certainly a big improvement over the small apartment they used to rent back in the Plaça de Catalunya. The change itself had been good for both of them, even though it had removed them from the clandestine center of the art world and their friends. He missed the old place. He’d been there for almost five years, until she arrived. He could live without all the physical amenities the new house offered, but Tarrant seemed happy with them. He could almost believe it was their new home which had inspired her into a creative frenzy the last two weeks.
“That’s not it,” she said, her eyes still on the tip of the racing pen.
He knew her well enough not to be startled. “I know,” he said. “You will admit, however, that you have found your muse again.”
“And it’s partly the SHOJI, no doubt about that. I’m just not sure it’s worth it. I spend half my time trying not to lose myself in the maelstrom. It’s mostly garbage anyway. That’s what the SHOJI really is. Mostly garbage.”
“Inevitably. You must learn to glide through Idspace and choose only what you need. You can access anything that’s ever been. Literally. How can you still complain?”
“All that shit people store in their heads. I really don’t need an open window into that.”
“Your head’s search engine can skip any—”
“I really don’t like getting into other people’s heads, Klaus. Maybe I’m not made for this age. The less time I spend in other people’s heads, the better.”
He knelt down behind her and kissed her on the mouth. Her tongue was quick and sweet. “I love you,” he said. Trying to explain to an autistic child.
She kissed him again. “It’s not the SHOJI, Klaus.”
He sighed, accepting her words as always, and held her tight. “What is it about?”
“A girl. She wants so much, but she ends up being nothing. She can imagine all the things she’s not. Not like vague desires, but as real things. It’s about three days in her life. The three most important days in her life, although she never realizes this. One is today, another one is five years ago. The last is somewhere in the nebulous future. That one’s very stream-of-consciousness, like one big dream—maybe she has no future, I don’t know. Very Joycean. Anyway, these three days are the ones that end up defining her, shaping her. But she never knows this, like I said. Only we do.”
“A long poem.”
“No. Not really.” She seemed puzzled. Then she quickly kissed him again. “It’s for you, Klaus. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be here. Doing this. I’d be stuck, somewhere else.”
He turned her around, to face him. It was odd. Andreas could almost hear the sighs. Even a few laughs. He had to control a sudden urge to look back. Had he finally turned clinically paranoid, after years of being borderline? He’d always thought someone should put hidden cameras around him all day long. He was always posing for someone, even when he was alone. Always the right pose. Had the fears turned real? Had they always been?
She was there. She was real. She was with him. Why? He could think of no sane reason.
He’d die for her. Right there, right now.
“Don’t you think you should eat something today?” he asked, half-jokingly.
She was upset all of a sudden. She shook him off and returned to her poem.
“Why don’t you try to sleep this week?” he snapped back, standing up angrily, at once regretting his lack of control. But it was too late, he couldn’t go back now—and expect her to respect him. It’d be a poor performance. He left her alone, preparing himself for an all-nighter in the SHOJI, the open door to her Id unused and unguarded.
* * *
Andreas stood over her still body. She was face down, her glazed eyes half-open, her pale lips stuck to her own dried vomit. It was odd, if he looked long enough, the ultra-violet neon on her lips still made his eyes water. Like she was still alive. The mountainous countryside of Biarritz was clearly visible through the wide open window. She’d chosen her last spot carefully, as usual. And no matter how hard he tried, he could not help but hear the voices. Whispering, whispering until he could no longer listen to his own thoughts. Whispering whispering. Judging. Laughing.
Had he finally lost his Id?
Become one with the mass?
And still he stood unmoving over her inert form, not knowing how he felt about any of this. How he should feel.
Tarrant was dead.
But they were only words, like Tarrant herself had once said. It was hard to understand what they really meant. Finnegan had been programmed too well. Slowly, he removed Andreas’ face off his own wet skin. Every night moistening the foreign skin and injecting it with the chemical preservatives. Alone in their bathroom, always alone, facing a magic mirror. It’d seemed so natural, so normal. Alone in the nights, while Tarrant slept right outside. They’d never been really close, then, had they? This secret gap between them as real—more so—than their “love”. He felt sad. Or had that been programmed as well? Finnegan had to admit that Andreas had told him only the truth. From the start. He was a real Artist, a maker of the myths and stories we all accept as the everyday reality.
He’d become Andreas by his own unique talent, but he’d fallen in love, desperately and unrequited, by the magic of Andreas’ Id keyboard. Or had he loved Tarrant on his own after getting to know her? Her admiring brown eyes, her little girl’s laughter (her idiotic laughter, she called it, with a tired hand over her blushing face), her absurd ideas, her neurotic enthusiasm. She was unique, one of a kind. All things said and done, maybe a little bit of Finnegan, capable of so many emotions, had been there all along.
No. He’d never even gotten the chance—because he’d already been in love with her. Did anyone else in the whole SHOJI realize that Tarrant had never loved any of them back?
Only Finnegan and Andreas knew.
Their knowledge was hidden behind too many conscious layers for anyone else to know.
He felt… He didn’t know how he felt. The program was over.
He finished removing the now useless mask, still careful not to crease the delicate black skin, an almost forgotten man facing him from the reflection in the open window.
Tarrant blinked, and spat some more vomit. She leaned on her elbows, the palms of her hands and her knees, and then stood up. She stared numbly at the expressionless Finnegan.
Her face, alive and well. Her brown eyes… the same as before, almost loving him. But her voice was not the same. Who was speaking to him? The lips moved, and became wrinkled, hollow… as she started to remove her own face. Stripping the thin layer of still-warm flesh without caring if it got damaged.
A humorless smile. Exposed raw muscles and nothing more.
“I am Matarese,” he said.
And Finnegan remembered, and started to feel again.
He did not cry, though, or scream—or jump Matarese as he suddenly wanted. His stomach tightened and he felt nauseous, his eyes turned watery, but he laughed. He smiled and forced a laugh out of his trembling lips trying to fit in with the rest. All those Ids laughing and laughing, only now fully appreciating the extremity of the sublime joke. The magnificence of Andreas’ very own Ceremony of Experience.
Matarese’s ability was almost as good as Finnegan’s. They needed the programming for every exact line, every exact move, but they could’ve reacted to the original stimuli without it, once they got going. He was just a sloppy surgeon. Unlike Finnegan.
He stole the eyelids and mouth, even though they were as useless to him as they were to Finnegan.
Already Inspector Cornelius could recognize the messy handiwork he’d seen on several cases just before his own mysterious disappearance fourteen months ago. Several blonde hookers had had the pleasure of Matarese’s presence—up until a year ago.
Cornelius could vaguely remember how Finnegan too had been there for the entire duration of A Ceremony of Innocence, the lynchpin piece of the much larger Ceremony of Experience. Even before his own acting performance began, he had to be there, watching Matarese’s year-long performance along with the rest of the audience. He had to be there, to study Andreas’ hundreds and hundreds of programmed photographs—almost a full-blown movie documentary on their own—he’d taken of Tarrant’s world. To operate on the faces of the dozens of “participants” that were required to recreate that world. To perform a dozen plastic surgeries on Matarese’s willing face alone. For Tarrant had gone through a seemingly endless series of crises—severe bouts of alcoholism and drug addictions of all kinds—and an equal number of remarkable recoveries. Andreas, almost prophetically, had kept detailed files of their days together, his pictures preserving every minute change on her face her lifestyle caused. Finnegan, not Cornelius himself, had become fascinated with that face. By that chameleon-like mask that breathed on all those photographs. Regretting the fact that he’d never known this woman while she lived, knowing all along that he was just days away from meeting that living face.
That first picture they’d shown him, Tarrant walking along Parc Güell, beneath the shadow of Gaudi’s Church of the Sagrada Familia’s incomplete spires. A mirage, nothing more. Everything had been planned.
When the program ended, Matarese’s eyes showed signs of aftereffects—that alone was Cornelius’s sole consolation. As for himself, he was forced to get rid of the Finnegan face. And that was what he could never forgive Andreas for.
The outrage for poor sensitive Finnegan had just been too much. Cornelius had been forced to kill him—like a horse with a broken leg—and lost a good friend who surely deserved better.
Andreas was as good as his word regarding the financial rewards. His skinned face—now that the SHOJI intelligentsia had unanimously agreed that A Ceremony of Experience was a true historical masterpiece and he had become a sudden celebrity—even became le dernier cri in certain circles. Cornelius’s art became a business, with hundreds of inexperienced hacks who didn’t understand the symbolic meaning of the act itself. Quite depressing, in fact.
Sometimes—admittedly, not often—the money alone was not worth it.
Inspector Cornelius returned, his own face reattached, but decided to continue his leave of absence from the department. Captain Obregon happily signed the necessary papers. Cornelius still keeps track of certain news items that not many Ids carry. Old friends in the force pass him tips about certain cases, now and then.
He keeps the trail hot.
Lovely Matarese is easy to find.
As I remove Cornelius’s face, from time to time I can still see her brown eyes, looking into mine, and then I can fool myself quite easily. She loved me. It’s just that it was hard for her to express what others—like Finnegan—find so easy. It’s like that for me, too—as it is for Cornelius. It’s almost as if we were the same skin.
It’s hard. I have to write about it, hoping no one will read it—or that she will read it, someday, lovely Tarrant, and find out, at long last, that I have forgiven her. |
Received two letters from you last Monday night. Your letters were dated July 1 & 6. We all went down the movies and it was late when we got home. Henry was over last night to supper and he stayed quite late but as late as it is now I am going to write any way. Alice (Bert’s sister) was over all evening and she played the piano. It is almost ten o’clock and I am going to put few words down on this trusty old paper just to let you know that I am still with you.
This was the first mail we got from you for almost a month and it was good news to hear you are still well and on the job. In your letter you spoke of reaching your new sector. Yes I guess you are well into it now alright.
I haven’t been down the beach lately and in fact I haven’t been anywhere to speak since we moved out here. It is so late when I get home and anyway the back piazza is the coolest spot in the country. I roll out of bed at 5.30 and leave here and at 6.15. I get home at 6.30 and like to get to bed at ten o’clock. We took the kitten picture and we are going to send one to you when we get them. Leonard is all undressed and he is waiting for me to go to bed with him. We are great bed chums. We are all well and we hope this finds you the same.
With Love from all
P.S. After you kill some more germans and knock the Kaisiers head off come home. I think you are a fine soldier. With Love Leonard X X X
[This letter was returned to sender while Sam was in hospitals]
© Copyright 2009 by Richard Landers, All Rights Reserved. No reproduction without permission. |
Secondhand Lands is the massively multiplayer online game set in a fairytale world colored with parody and witty fun. The heroes are comprised of a motley crew of wolves, sheep, catgirls, and scrappers who have pledged their undying (well, perhaps not undying) allegiance to either Little Bo Peep or Red Riding Hood. In addition to the vanilla game-play mechanics of mainstream online games, this world offers over 120 handwritten quests, a crafting system to trump all loots, and an a la carte skill system to keep the Billy Goats Gruff at bay for quite some time!
Secondhand Lands, a fairy-tale world populated by furry-tailed adventurers such as sheep, wolves, catgirls, and scrappers. Now is the purr-fect time for fur-lovers and just plain curious gamers to experience the four-legged world complete with over 120 handwritten quests, an a la carte skill system, and player to player mounting.
In addition to the same vanilla game-play mechanics of other massive online games, Secondhand Lands brings a feature never seen before: player to player mounting. “It’s a completely consensual process, of course,” says Bobby Thurman, owner and lead developer of Secondhand Lands. Players can equip a saddle and invite others to ride them into battle for an experience unrivaled by mere partying.
The world of Secondhand Lands is also colored with parody and witty fun. Memorable quests such as stealing cable for the gnomes, exploring the forest of poorly animated creatures, and taking racy footage for the scandalous “Bears Gone Wild” documentary add decided flavor to the leveling process. Players can spend hard-earned points to gain new skills or perfect those previously known.
Speaking of his inspiration for the game, Thurman remarks, “I was heavily inspired by the Krofft brothers, who scarred me for life with HR Pufnstuf.” He continues, “My goal is the same: to awaken that sense of wonderment and keep players excited about what they’ll discover next.”
Secondhand Lands can be downloaded for free from Pixel Mine Games. |
I'm fairly sure Far Cry 3 is specifically designed to grab your attention in a vise-like grip and then mess with your sanity. We put hands on Ubisoft's upcoming sequel, and we were able to discern some facts about the game. There seems to be a heavier emphasis on pacing and outright violence this time around, with dashes of nudity and lunacy peppering the demo. Hell, the demo starts off with a topless woman grinding on top of you, and it ends with you being unsure of who you are. You're also reluctantly holding a gun against a man who is egging you on to kill him.
Perhaps it's a bit easier to explain the gameplay. Starting off in the demo, we found ourselves sufficiently well armed with a box and an assault rifle, and we had to infiltrate a camp filled with enemies in the pursuit of a man called Vaas. We first had to dive into a picturesque lake before performing a stealth takedown from the water against a hapless enemy on the dock, stabbing him and dragging him down to let his blood permeate the crystal-clear waters. Once on dry land, we bumbled our way through the forest; it pissed off a couple of guards, so we shot one and dispatched the other in melee combat. Every weapon has a unique melee attack, and in this case, instead of stringing an arrow, we used it to stab the poor guy. Had we not been so careless, we could have snuck into the camp to silently take down the guards, and we're told that it's entirely possible to make your way through an area without killing anyone.
It was good practice for the area ahead, though. As we crested a small ridge, we saw the camp, which was a collection of small shacks with a large structure just behind them. Displaying our continued disregard for stealth, we equipped an explosive arrow and launched it at a truck, causing both to explode and take out a few nearby enemies. We then used a zip line to keep up the pace of the carnage, landing in the camp to engage the enemy with our assault rifle. As we made our way into the large building, it was clear that Vaas was screwing with us, leaving psychotic messages scrawled in paint and recordings of himself playing on stacks of televisions. As we made our way to the end, the player entered some sort of hallucinogenic state, showing the player's reflection shifting between two or three different people before finally ending with the player character holding his pistol against a clearly psychotic Vaas.
We didn't get to check out much more of the game, but it was pretty clear that a lot of the issues with the combat in Far Cry 2 have been worked out. It's unclear how the rest of the game will pan out, but the gameplay of the demo felt solid and kept things moving along. The potential insanity of the player's character is certainly intriguing, and it would seem that Ubisoft is not afraid to push the envelope with Far Cry 3 in more than a few ways. Hopefully, we'll be able to cut through the madness soon, as the game is coming out later this year.
More articles about Far Cry 3 |
We love the Scion FR-S for many reasons, but none more than the driver-focused experience it delivers for around $25,000. The FR-S is such a good driver’s car partly because of how light and stiff the coupe is; two features that are often lost when a coupe becomes a convertible. With images of the Toyota FT-86 Open Concept leaking out last night, it makes us wonder – should a Scion FR-S convertible make it to the U.S.? And if it does, can it compete with the Mazda MX-5 Miata?
That brings us to today’s Thread of the Day. In our recent Scion FR-S versus Mazda MX-5 Miata comparison test purely based on fun factor, the roadster just edged out the Scion. Though we loved the Scion’s dynamics, we found the Miata slightly more fun. Would that have still been the case if the FR-S were a drop-top?
Could a heavier, less-stiff Scion FR-S have beaten out the Miata? The next-gen Miata, a version of which may also be sold as an Alfa Romeo, arrives in a few years and may turn the tables in favor of Mazda. Which convertible would you spend your hard-earned money on? Let us know what you think in the comments. |
It's a nice thing if you ask me. I never bothered with the 14day trial because depending on many things I'm likely to end up only seeing 2 hours of play in a starting area due to time restrictions.
So I got into it and had a look.
Previously I played WoW. I had quit because they ruined PvP servers by allowing people to have chars in both alliance and horde at the same time.
I had a first try of WAR today.
It looks like WAR's design was made out of a plan based on "How to do correctly everything that WoW did wrong". So it has none of the flaws of WoW. Sadly, at least at first sight, it seems to have missed the part of "How to do correctly everything that WoW did correctly".
Graphics are totally better than WoW, no discussion.
The starting areas too. You start into the game seeing a War and battles, (in contrast in wow you're hunting down wolves and pigs that are just wandering about).
The class mechanics look pretty good.
What has disappointed me so far was that I made it up to the first public quest and it seemed too unchallenging. I know I shouldn't expect a serious challenge on a starting level but when you're learning a game trough trial and error you still expect success and failure based on doing things right or wrong.
NOTE: I may post comments about my like/dislike/approval/disapproval of game features.
1- They are NOT a complaint. They are a perspective.
2- They are NOT advocacy. They are a perspective.
Overlord Theophany wrote:
Insults aren't needed |
Skip to Content
5-24-2010 @ 8:16AM
One thing most new (and some seasoned) healers don't realize is that they can make a run easy, or very stressful for a tank just by standing in one spot versus another.When you heal, you're going to get healing aggro on ALL mobs, if someone of those mobs are mobs the tank has not hit yet, they'll beeline for you. Knowing that, you can help LOS them to bring them in running closer to the tank (if they are casters), or if they're melee, you can strafe to ensure they have to run through the tank to get to you. This is very easy to do but the impact on the tank can be HUGE.Heroic Halls of Reflection is a place where this truly shines - mobs come in waves and depending on your tank, he may or may not have a CD available to pull that pesky archer/mage in. You however can slam a huge heal on the tank and jump back into the corner. Don't immediately fade when you pull healing aggro - you may be able to use that aggro to position mobs better before you fade.I play a bear/tree, warrior and disc priest so this is from my experience.
First time? A confirmation email will be sent to you after submitting.
Members enter your username and password.
Enter your AOL or AIM screenname and password.
Please keep your comments relevant to this blog entry. Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments.
When you enter your name and email address, you'll be sent a link to confirm your comment, and a password. To leave another comment, just use that password.
To create a live link, simply type the URL (including http://) or email address and we will make it a live link for you. You can put up to 3 URLs in your comments. Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br /> tags. |
Skip to Content
1-25-2012 @ 1:38AM
You should know how the rest system used to work in the beta.There were three levels. Rested, Tired, and Exhausted.Rested got you 100% exp. Tired got you 75% exp. Exhausted got you 50% exp. Resting only worked in inns. Not just in cities, and not in the wild at all.That's right, you were actually punished for playing longer. It was designed to keep you from playing one character too long, and rotating characters, but I am sure it also helped lengthen your account time, and the content.After a ton of complaints, they switched it 100% and 150%. Then finally settled on 100% and 200%. I think they said they increased the overall exp given. And the devs said it was the same numbers, just seen from the other side.
First time? A confirmation email will be sent to you after submitting.
Members enter your username and password.
Enter your AOL or AIM screenname and password.
Please keep your comments relevant to this blog entry. Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments.
When you enter your name and email address, you'll be sent a link to confirm your comment, and a password. To leave another comment, just use that password.
To create a live link, simply type the URL (including http://) or email address and we will make it a live link for you. You can put up to 3 URLs in your comments. Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br /> tags. |
The new version features a completely new GUI for viewing the mob database.
It has been rewritten from scratch and is able to display all of the mob entries. There is no longer a limit of 200!
KillTrack will keep track of how many times you've killed various mobs.
The main way to see this info is on tooltips. As you hover over any killable mob, the kill count will be displayed on the bottom of the tooltip.
There is also a friendly list that you can bring up to display all mobs with their NPC id, global kill count and kills on the current character (Command: /kt list).
Ever wanted to track how many kills you accumulate within a certain time? You can do so with KillTrack.
You simply tell it how long to track, and a window will pop up listing number of kills, time left, kills per minute and kills per second.
When you've killed a certain mob a certain number of times (1000 by default), KillTrack will notify you with a small gratulation message!
If you have the AddOn Glamour installed, it will show in the style of a guild achievement.
To change the threshold, use the command /kt threshold <threshold>, where <threshold> is the new threshold.
E.g: If you set the threshold to 100, then after you've killed a mob 100 times, it will notify you. And continue to notify you for every 100th kill.
By using the command /kt immediate (or /kt i for short), you will get a small frame that shows you how many kills you've made since running the command. This can be useful for times when you need to kill a certain number of mobs, but do not wish to reset your session statistics. Simply run /kt i and it will track how many kills you do until you close it, reopening the frame will reset the count.
The frame can also be opened from the broker plugin with Ctrl + Middle Click.
With the command /kt immediate threshold <threshold>, where <threshold> is a number, the addon will display a message on screen and play sound each time you kill that many creatures.
E.g: You open the immediate frame with /kt i and then set the threshold to 10 with /kt i threshold 10. Now each time you score 10 kills (10, 20, 30 et.c) you will see a message and hear a sound to notify you of this event. This can be useful when you need to score a certain number of kills for whatever reason (quests, item procs...).
If you have some addon tracking procs or similar you could call this from Lua with something like:
To automatically start tracking.
If you have any suggestions, bug reports, complains et.c, please make a new ticket.
I would prefer if you use the Issues page on GitHub instead of the ones on Curse/WoWInterface. |
About this research project
This research project is a part of a European Union financed cluster initiative called Media Evolution. In the application this project is part of what is called Moving Media Southern Sweden 1, (MMSS1) with a focus on Research and Development. My name is Pernilla Severson, PhD Media Communication Studies, and my role is to as a research fellow carry through this project, 50% part time 2009-2011. In total I will do 9,5 work months. I am based at the research center Medea Collaborative Media Initiative, at Malmö University. Other people are also financed by this project. Project leader August 2009 – May 2011 is Bo Reimer and May 2011 – Dec 2011 is Karin Johansson Mex.
In cluster initiatives there is always a locating of the ongoing innovation practices. The project is therefore carried throughdoing ethnographic research of local participatory innovation practices. This will provide greater understanding of how companies in different media sectors are tackling challenges through innovation and how their connection to the academy might look like. Because this subproject in Media Evolution is making links between academia and companies, one part of the project is to study and give input on innovation research.
The question of how different interactions can lead to innovation is specifically highlighted. Interactions both within organizations and with other stakeholders and users are essential elements for creating and sustaining innovation. |
The variable cyclotron line in GX 301-2
UNSPECIFIED. (2004) The variable cyclotron line in GX 301-2. ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS, 427 (3). pp. 975-986. ISSN 0004-6361Full text not available from this repository.
Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20035836
We present pulse phase resolved spectra of the hypergiant high mass X-ray binary GX301-2. We observed the source in 2001 October with RXTE continuously for a total on-source time of almost 200 ks. We model the continuum with both, a heavily absorbed partial covering model and a reflection model. In either case we find that the well known cyclotron resonant scattering feature (CRSF) at similar to 35 keV is - although present at all pulse phases - strongly variable over the pulse: the line position varies by 25% from 30 keV in the fall of the secondary pulse to 38 keV in the fall of the main pulse where it is deepest. The line variability implies that we are seeing regions of magnetic field strength varying between 3.4 x 10(12) G and 4.2 x 10(12) G.
|Item Type:||Journal Article|
|Subjects:||Q Science > QB Astronomy|
|Journal or Publication Title:||ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS|
|Publisher:||E D P SCIENCES|
|Number of Pages:||12|
|Page Range:||pp. 975-986|
Actions (login required) |
So I realize it's been VERY quiet around here. I seriously don't know what happened to the days since the summer when I posted Leo's birthday party. I thought I would pop up though to wish everyone a happy holiday season! This year has been extra hectic since we are renovating our kitchen right now on top of everything. I want to post some pictures of the progress of the kitchen as it's very exciting, as least to us!
Even though half our main floor is under plastic and sawdust we still put up a tree. Leo loves turning on the lights each day. We continued with mostly paper and Polish straw decorations.
And our other news is that we are expecting another boy around April 1! We are looking forward to meeting the little guy. Hope everyone is having some peace and joy this year. |
I had an article published for 1st rights in a magazine. Can I use an excerpt or all of the article in my own ebook? I now own the copyright and am unsure about the rules of fair use pertaining to my own work.
It doesn't matter that it's your own work or others; if you are the copyright owner, you can re-print the entire article in your book.There is no legal obstacle to do so. If the audience of your book are different from those of the magazine, it can be convenient too. |
Oct. 22, 2011
What she craved
My mother sugared grapefruit;
my father salted it.
My mother sugared cantaloupe;
my father salted it.
My mother put sugar and lemon
on leaf lettuce from her garden;
two heaping teaspoonfuls into
her milky coffee, with cake.
Her teeth rotted out and were
yanked from her bleeding jaws
by a cheap sadist downtown.
Still she craved sweetness.
In a life with too much that
was bitter, tear soaked salty,
sour as unspoken grief,
sugar was her comfort
a little sweetness in the mouth
lingering like an infrequent kiss.;
sugar was the friend kept her clock
ticking through running down days.
Today is the birthday of frontiersman Daniel Boone (1734). His birth date is sometimes given as November 2, because the "new style" Gregorian calendar was adopted during his lifetime. Boone himself considered October 22 to be his birthday. He was born near Reading, Pennsylvania; his father, Squire, was a weaver and a blacksmith, and the family were Quakers. Daniel was the sixth of 11 children. He enjoyed hunting from a young age, employing both European and Native American techniques, and though he did learn to read and write, hunting and outdoor pursuits made up the bulk of his education. He usually took a book or two on his longer expeditions — often the Bible or Gulliver's Travels — and would entertain the other men by reading them stories around the campfire of an evening.
When Daniel was 16, the Boones moved to North Carolina, possibly because the family was shunned after two of the children married non-Quakers; it made an impression on Daniel, because never went back to church, although he still considered himself a Christian, and he had all of his 10 children baptized. It's rather remarkable that he managed to have such a large family, because his hunting and exploring expeditions frequently kept him away from home and his wife, Rebecca, sometimes for up to two years at a stretch. He supported his family by hunting and trapping in the fall and winter, and selling the furs and hides to traders in the spring. Though Boone wasn't the first European to discover Kentucky, he did blaze a trail through the Cumberland Gap and make the first European settlements in the region possible. The Wilderness Road, which ran from eastern Virginia well into the Kentucky territory, became the main route into the west.
Boone became a legend in his own lifetime. He was a taciturn man, but that didn't stop biographers from interviewing him and then embellishing his exploits until they became tall tales. They credited him with implausible pronouncements, like "Let peace, descending from her native heaven, bid her olives spring amidst the joyful nations; and plenty, in league with commerce, scatter blessings from her copious hand!" Lord Byron included him in his epic Don Juan (1822) and perpetuated the popular image of Boone as a man who shunned society. Boone, however, complained late in life about "the circulation of absurd stories that I retire as civilization advances."
It's the 200th birthday of Romantic composer and piano virtuoso Franz Liszt (1811). He was born in Raiding, Hungary, and was composing by the age of eight. By the time he was 16, he was exhausted from studying and touring all over Europe, and he expressed a desire to become a priest. He earned his living as a piano teacher after his father died, and when he was 17, he fell in love with one of his pupils. Her father insisted she end the romance, at which point Liszt became so ill that his obituary appeared in a Paris newspaper. He gave up on the idea of the priesthood, but later in life spent many years composing religious music inspired by his interest in Gregorian plainsong; the religious establishment didn't approve of it, and so it wasn't published until many years after his death. In the 1860s, following the death of two of his children, he eventually joined a monastery outside Rome. Though he received the four minor orders of porter, acolyte, exorcist, and lector, he never became a priest.
In many ways, Liszt was ahead of his time, and not just musically. He gained a reputation as a humanitarian, and at the height of his popularity he would give concerts specifically to earn money for disaster relief. By the late 1850s, he was so wealthy that he gave all of his concert fees to charity. Liszt was also charismatic, and his onstage presence inspired what may have been the first example of widespread fan frenzy. It began in Berlin in 1842 and came to be known as "Lisztomania." His admirers would follow him around, snatching up his discarded cigar butts, coffee dregs, and broken piano strings. They fought over his handkerchiefs and gloves, and would scream and faint at his performances. Rather than being considered a harmless and amusing fad, Lisztomania was viewed as a serious, and contagious, medical condition.
Today is the birthday of Hungarian photojournalist Robert Capa (1913). He was born Endre Ernö Friedmann in Budapest. He originally wanted to become a writer, but he happened to get a photography job in Berlin as a young man, and he fell in love with the lens. He took the name "Robert Capa" from his boyhood nickname, Cápa, which means "shark."
He covered five wars in his brief life: the Spanish Civil War, the Second Sino-Japanese War, World War II, the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and the First Indochina War. He famously said, "If your picture isn't good enough, you're not close enough," and he lived up to this maxim on his assignments. On D-Day, he swam ashore with the second assault wave on Omaha Beach, and took more than a hundred photographs; a lab error resulted in the loss of all but eight of them. In 1947, he traveled into the Soviet Union with his friend John Steinbeck, and the two of them produced a book called A Russian Journal (1948).
In 1954, he accepted an assignment from Life to cover the First Indochina War. He began the last day of his life optimistically: "This is going to be a beautiful story," he said. "I will be on my good behavior today. I will not insult my colleagues, and I will not once mention the excellence of my work." Later that day, he left the French regiment with which he was traveling to walk ahead so he could photograph the advance. He went over a hill and out of sight, where he stepped on a landmine and was killed.
It's the 60th birthday of Canadian author Elizabeth Hay (1951) (books by this author), born in Owen Sound, Ontario. Her parents were strict in most things, but they let her read whatever she wanted to. "The public library was almost a second home," she recalled, "a place in which I didn't have to set the table or do the dishes or cope with being teased." When she was 14, the family moved to London — England, not Ontario — for a year, and this was where she learned that she enjoyed writing poems. She eventually gave up poetry in favor of fiction: "I wasn't a very good poet and didn't know how to become a better one. Also, stories drew me. My short stories usually arise from something that's worrying me." Her first collection, Crossing the Snow Line, was published in 1989; since then she's written another story collection, Small Change (1997), and four novels, including Late Nights On Air (2007) and Alone in the Classroom (2011). She's also written several essays and two books of creative nonfiction, The Only Snow in Havana (1992) and Captivity Tales: Canadians in New York (1993).
Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.® |
Bummer! Sales have ended.
Unfortunately, tickets for this event are no longer on sale.
The Writer's Coffeehouse
Sunday June 10th - 12 to 2:30pm
Barnes & Noble
1805 Walnut Street, Philly
Featuring These Hosts:
Essence bestselling author Solomon Jones
Critically-acclaimed author Merry Jones
Award-winning author Kelly Simmons
Crime writer Jonathan McGoran |
So to wrap up this year’s last “Writing for Radio” column, here’s a list of my favorite radio-related websites that are part of my Internet rounds. These websites will keep you primed for writing for radio for the rest of 2009 and into 2010.
1. British Broadcasting Company’s International Radio (BBC) /
What is it? The largest broadcasting corporation in the world.
Why browse it? Because BBC Radio takes submissions for its radio dramas and situation comedies.
2. National Public Radio (NPR)
What is it? A newspaper and website about public TV and radio in the United States.
Why browse it? Truly all things public radio and public television.
What is it? The online portal for the Poynter Institute, a school for journalists.
Why browse it? In addition to the latest news about the news, this site has information about radio journalism. Go to the search box on the homepage, type ‘radio,’ and start reading.
What is it? A website for a variety of creatives, from editors and writers to television, film, and radio professionals.
Why browse it? Practical advice about the business-side of being creative, such as How to Pitch pages. Some content is free; other content requires a subscription.
What is it? A not-for-profit storytelling organization.
Why browse it? Because it’s fun. And because The Moth Radio Hour takes pitches.
8. Your favorite radio station’s website
Why browse it? Whether you are currently writing for radio or hope to one day, reading your favorite radio station’s website will keep you informed on a variety of topics, from finding a new call for submissions to getting ideas about what you might want to write.
The Internet can be a huge time sink (think YouTube videos of the Keyboard Cat), but it can also be valuable. Click through the above websites and bookmark the ones that seem useful for you (most Internet browsers have a bookmark feature). Then the next time you sit down to surf the net, you’ll avoid the virtual rabbit holes during your Internet rounds. |
I have to admit, for the first time in a long while, I wasn't sure what to focus on for the prompt this week. My hubby had a great idea, though, and I'm really excited to read the responses!
Oh, first, updates. My brother got discharged from the hospital yesterday. He ended up being in the ICU for four nights instead of just one. They might be re-admitting him, however, due to extreme stomach pain. They think he may have started bleeding internally again. Overall, though, he's doing better and is able to walk again. I'm so grateful he's on the mend! To see the story of what happened, check out last week's prompt here.
Next update: pregnancy is going great! I'm completely over morning sickness. And at 32 weeks, it's about time, too! I'm still wearing pre-pregnancy jeans, which is wonderful since replacing a wardrobe with maternity stuff is really, really expensive. I'm loving this band thing that someone invented to hold up clothes. :-)
The baby kicks and moves all the time. I can't wait to see what her personality will be like! If I touch my stomach when she's moving, she stops. This could mean any number of things: She's shy (likely, considering my hubby's personality :-)). She feels comforted by my touch. She's a tease (likely, given my personality...). She's saying, "Leave me alone!" or "Uh-oh, Mom noticed me." :-) Or something else entirely. :-)
That's all for updates today!
Now on to the prompt!
I think everyone has had a Halloween-type moment in life that truly terrified them - whether it be hearing sounds in an empty house late at night, being lost in an unfamiliar neighborhood, or seeing something that scares you to death.
I want you to tell me about these experiences! Choose one story per prompt response (up to three responses max), and let us know the details behind it.
After you've written it, go through and remove weak verbs, replacing them with something stronger that better shows the feeling of the moment. For example:
Sarah paused when she heard something move across the floor behind her.
Sarah paused when something shuffled across the floor behind her.
First: removing the "she heard" allows the reader to hear/experience for themselves without unnecessary translation from the main character.
Rule: Do your very, very best to eliminate any case of "Sarah saw," "Sarah heard," and all other "Sarah experienced" type things. These are extra words that bog down your narrative and prose and aren't needed. In fact, using them weakens what could otherwise be a strong sentence.
Second: "moved" isn't descriptive. In fact, it's very lazy writing. What do I, as the author, mean by it? Can my readers tell what size the thing is? How quickly it went? What to picture?
I replaced "moved" with "shuffled," which, to me, could indicate the thing that moved across the floor behind Sarah partially drags, or has a very slow walk. Could be a zombie, a hurt animal, a psycho reaching for Sarah, or someone playing a practical joke.
Other verbs I could've changed "moved" to:
"Scuttled," or "scampered," etc. Scuttled reminds me of a cockroach, perhaps. And scampered is something a mouse or other small creature would do.
Order in which to respond to the prompt:
1. Write your spooky experience.
2. Go back and remove any "I heard," "I saw," etc.
3. Replace weak verbs with strong ones!
4. Read through for typos and errors!
Then follow the things in my usual "reminder" message below.
You have until Thursday, October 18, 2012 at midnight to write and post, and it can be in any format.
I will read, comment on, and feature your responses a week from today.
* Have your title say FWE or Friday Writing Essential, and have the initials "TLSS" (True-Life Scary Stories) in it.
* Make sure to post to the Writing Essential Group.
* Put FWE or Friday Writing Essentials and the initials "TLSS" in your tags. (I won't find your post without these tags.)
A few thing I've been announcing lately:
1. I'm featuring Halloween-type books on my blog nearly every day this month, including a few of my own new releases. Some of the featured stories are super scary, while others are mild and meant more for kids and readers who are young at heart. It's been a lot of fun so far! Check them out here.
2. I wrote an article titled "Is There a God?" that has been featured in a very large magazine for my religion. Thousands and thousands of people have read it! I'm so very, very excited - what a great opportunity! If you're interested, you can check out the original article here.
3. My newest release is a re-write of an HP Lovecraft horror story. So exciting! Next week, I'm publishing a re-write of an M.R. James ghost story. My versions are in much greater detail than the ones written by the original authors, but I'm still very partial to their stories. :-)
And that's all! Have a great week! :-) |
Two and a half days of learning, networking and creating—new friendships and new craft and business skills to lift your spirits and writing to new levels. Our focus is on novel writing in all genres, although all writers are welcome.
We bring in award-winning authors, friendly and eager agents and editors to teach and discover the talented authors attending this conference. As a small, intimate conference networking opportunities abound-- both day and night, during the evening get-togethers.
We offer the traditional assortment of workshops and an award ceremony for the winners of The Sandy writing contest, but from there we break from the ordinary. Our book signing includes sharing warm pie with the signing authors. Our agent editor appointments involve a pre-screening process we call Pitches and Pages to maximize efficiency and comfort that agents, editors and authors all appreciate. This year we have added Advanced Read and Critiques Masters classes run by the agents and editors—a fabulous opportunity to showcase polished material.
We have group incentives to enhance our already affordable rates, which include many gourmet meals.
Crested Butte is nestled in the spectacular Colorado Rocky Mountains surrounded by crisp air, wildflowers, peace and quiet, stunning mountain scenery-- how could one fail to be inspired?
Our 2012 Guests Editors: Chuck Sambucchino, Jim Frenkel, Sue Grimshaw & Kerri-Leigh Grady Agents: Lisa Gallagher, Hannah Bowman, Mary Kole & Ken Sherman Authors: Hank Phillippi Ryan, Brad Parks, Kaki Warner & Marcie Telander |
The Politics Of Raising The Minimum Wage
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Scott Simon. In his State of the Union address, President Obama called for Congress to raise the minimum wage to $9 an hour, up from its current rate of 7.25.
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: Today, a full-time worker making the minimum wage earns $14,500 a year. Even with the tax relief we've put in place, a family with two kids that earns the minimum wage still lives below the poverty line. That's wrong.
SIMON: But does raising the minimum wage help families if it discourages hiring? David Leonhardt is with his. He's the Washington bureau chief of the New York Times. David, thanks for being back with us.
DAVID LEONHARDT: Thanks for having me.
SIMON: What do history and numbers say? Is raising the minimum wage a good way to help low-wage workers?
LEONHARDT: Raising the minimum wage pretty clearly helps low-wage workers. I think sometimes you hear it described as some sort of free lunch and other times you hear it described as an economic calamity, and I don't think it's either of those.
SIMON: Why not?
LEONHARDT: Because what happens when companies have to pay higher wages, the evidence suggests, is that although it may have some modest effect on employment, it doesn't have a big effect on employment. And so what that means is that the companies absorb the higher wages. And they absorb them either through taking a hit to their profit or they raise their prices, which means that essentially it comes out of all of their customers, which is to say the society as a whole. So, you can think of it as moving some income from the middle and the top toward the bottom.
SIMON: Why wouldn't raising the minimum wage hurt small businesses and job growth if they're dependent on minimum-wage employees?
LEONHARDT: It's not that it wouldn't hurt them, but the question is would it hurt society as a whole. When economists have gone and looked at this, the answers are in a pretty clear range, that it doesn't have huge effects on the size of employment. So, for example, they looked at two neighboring states - one of which raised it minimum wage and one of which didn't - and you don't see that because the minimum wage goes up by 10 percent, the employment at businesses that employ low-wage workers go down by 10 percent. It's much smaller than that. In fact, in some cases, it appears to be zero.
SIMON: If the minimum wage is increased and companies in large pass those increased costs onto their consumers by increasing the price by whatever goods or services they're selling, what's that effect on the economy?
LEONHARDT: Well, you can think of that - if that's what happens - you can think of it as potentially being a little bit of a drag initially because you're taking some money out of the pockets of those consumers. But you're putting it right back into the pockets of low-wage workers, and low-wage workers spend a very large percentage of their income - larger than middle-income or upper-income workers. So, if you think about that dynamic, you can see why historically raising the minimum wage has not had some sort of huge macroeconomic effect. It's instead more redistributing wages among different groups. And it's important to say here that low-income workers have done among the worst of any group over the 20 or 30 years.
SIMON: What are some of the political implications of this proposal?
LEONHARDT: Well, I think this proposal's probably unlikely to happen because there is opposition, substantial opposition, from Republicans. But I don't think it's totally out of the question because it tends to poll fairly well. And you could imagine it being included as part of some larger deal. I don't see it passing on its own but maybe as part of a larger deal in which both sides have to make compromises. One of the interesting things is the president didn't just propose raising it; he proposed linking it to inflation the way many other things, like Social Security are, so that over time the minimum wage wouldn't fall absent action by Congress, but it would keep up with the value of goods and services.
SIMON: If you were to peg the minimum wage to the rate of inflation, what are some of the advantages or drawbacks to that?
LEONHARDT: Well, over time, the minimum wage goes up, and I think for a lot of low-wage workers that's a good thing. But I thought there was a good point by Matthew Iglesias on Slate this week. He's generally supportive of raising the minimum wage, but he said that he thinks the best argument against it is a freedom argument. If there's a worker out there who's willing to work for $6 an hour and there's a business that is willing to employ that worker for $6 an hour, maybe there's an argument that other people shouldn't be getting in the way. I don't know if that argument wins out in the end, but if over time you're raising minimum wage with inflation to keep it constant in real terms, as economists say, over time that means there are more people who cannot come to an agreement on their own to work for a wage below the minimum wage.
SIMON: David Leonhardt, Washington bureau chief of the New York Times. He has a new eBook out by the way: "Here's the Deal." David, thanks for being with us.
LEONHARDT: Thank you, Scott. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. |
Shots Fired at Lone Star College Campus in North HoustonFeatured Stories, News Tuesday, January 22nd, 2013
Update 4:25 p.m.
HOUSTON (AP) _ Authorities say the shooting at a Texas community college was the result of an altercation between two people, and at least one was a student.
Harris County Sheriff’s Maj. Armando Tello says a college maintenance man was injured in the crossfire.
Tello says officers were called to the Lone Star College System campus about 20 miles north of downtown Houston before 1 p.m. Tuesday.
He says another person was taken to a hospital for medical reasons.
And a Sheriff’s official says 2 persons of interest are hospitalized.
Update 1:50 p.m.
WASHINGTON (AP) _ A law enforcement official says Texas authorities have at least one person in custody in connection to the Lone Star College campus shooting in Houston, and local authorities think there could potentially be a
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss an ongoing case. The official says multiple injuries have been reported.
The Houston-area community college is on lockdown amid reports of a shooter on campus. Lone Star College System issued an alert on its website telling students and faculty to take immediate shelter or avoid the campus.
HOUSTON (AP) _ Emergency personnel have responded to reports of several people being wounded at a Houston-area college campus.
Police and ambulance personnel were on the scene Tuesday afternoon at a Lone Star College System campus in north Harris County.
A spokesman for the college system, Jed Young, says a shelter-in-place order was issued amid reports of a shooter on campus.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office had no immediate details.
At least two people being cared for at the scene. One was being placed into an ambulance.
Further details on how the individuals were hurt and whether anyone has been arrested were not immediately available.
Short URL: http://wtaw.com/?p=54806 |
President Barack Obama (L) smiles next to Chuck Hagel (R-NE) during a news conference at the Amman Citadel, an ancient Roman landmark, in Amman, Jordan, July 22, 2008. REUTERS/Ali Jarekji
Obama to name former Senator Hagel for defense secretary: Democratic aide
Posted : Sunday, 06 January 2013 10:04AM
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will nominate former Republican Senator Chuck Hagel to be his defense secretary, and an announcement could come on Monday, a congressional Democratic aide said on Sunday.
The choice would likely set up a confirmation battle in the Senate over whether the former Nebraska senator strongly supports U.S. ally Israel. Hagel also has been criticized for comments he made on sanctions on Iran for its nuclear program.
(Reporting by Thomas Ferraro; Editing by Sandra Maler)
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. Check for restrictions at: http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp |
By Andrew M. Seaman
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Getting doctors together to discuss the best treatments for cancer patients in U.S. Veterans Affairs hospitals was only linked to a minor improvement in care in a large new study.
Analyzing the records of 138 VA medical centers, researchers found that the presence of a so-called tumor board - a group of cancer treatment experts - only affected seven out of 27 measures of quality and processes in patient care, and not always for the better.
"This does not support the hypothesis that tumor boards are doing a lot to improve care," said Dr. Nancy Keating from Boston's Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, the study's senior author.
Tumor boards are a standard part of medical care in the U.S. and are generally made up of several different types of doctors, including surgeons and radiation oncologists, who review patients' cases and make recommendations for their treatment.
The study's authors write in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute that previous research found hospitals dedicate about 50 hours per month of their doctors' time to participation in tumor boards.
"It is interesting that despite the fact that tumor boards seem like a good thing and they are so well established, there is so little literature on them," said Keating.
She and her colleagues wanted to know whether tumor boards actually made a difference.
To do that, they linked together information and records from the VA's 138 medical centers on cancer patients treated between 2001 and 2004.
The team found that 75 percent of the medical centers had at least one tumor board that discussed most of the conditions the researchers were interested in: colorectal, lung, prostate, breast and blood cancers.
Then, using established national guidelines, the researchers developed a list of 27 markers for the quality and type of care patients received.
For example, the researchers checked whether patients with stage II or III rectal cancer got the recommended dose of chemotherapy and radiation before surgery to remove the cancer.
Overall, the researchers found the presence of a tumor board was only linked with differences in seven of the 27 markers.
"And some of those seven were actually a situation where the tumor board was associated with worse care," Keating said.
In addition, recommended care for specific types of malignancies, such as blood cell cancers, was more often seen in centers with no tumor board (56 percent) or only a general tumor board (61 percent) than in centers with tumor boards specializing in blood cancers (39 percent).
"This is a little bit off-putting because it challenges the conventional wisdom that tumor boards are a good thing," said Dr. Douglas Blayney, a professor of medicine at the Stanford School of Medicine in California.
"I think the main issue that remains to be answered: Did the recommendations of the tumor boards actually get carried out?" added Blayney, who wrote an editorial accompanying the study.
"We think patients benefit from having their cases reviewed at the outset, but we leave it to the medical system to get acted upon," he said.
Keating said researchers need to do a "deep dive" into tumor boards to find out more. She said they still need to know how the tumor boards are structured, and what types of cases are discussed.
Until then, "I do think that people and centers who are investing time and energy in their tumor boards should really think about how they are structured, and if they're set up in a way to improve patient care," she said.
Blayney told Reuters Health that he doesn't think hospitals should scrap their tumor boards based on these findings, because there are new possibilities with new technology.
"The promise of telemedicine technology makes extra use of academic centers available to patients who may live in rural locations and doctors who are remote from the academic centers," he said.
For example, the rural doctors of a woman with breast cancer can conference with a tumor board that specializes in breast cancer at a large, urban academic center.
"Again it's tapping into the knowledge and experience of a broad range of physicians," Blayney said.
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/UckC33 Journal of the National Cancer Institute, online December 28, 2012. |
FAIRFAX, Va. - Fairfax County is getting a new fire chief.
The county Board of Supervisors announced Tuesday that Richard R. Bowers Jr., the Montgomery County fire chief since 2008, will take over in late April.
Bowers has spent more than 35 years with Montgomery County and now manages a department of more than 2,100 firefighters and rescuers.
He replaces Ronald L. Mastin, who is retiring on May 7.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
More cursing happens in Maryland than across the Potomac River.
Conn. zoo officials don't know how this baby got born.
A German official says Justin will have to pay for his monkey's care.
An NFL player relieves himself of his feelings toward the IRS. |
By Bricu | June 11, 2009
“Being a Northman, he had an abiding sense of tragedy, which sustained him through temporary periods of joy.”
Read more »
All content by us. We rule. You wouldn't want to take away the hard work Falconesse, Bricu and Itanya put into this blog? Would you? All content owned and operated by the individual author.
WTT: [RP] powered by WordPress and Jenny. |
Voters turned down two measures on November 6th: a measure to repeal a 2 mill levy the city pays for Trinity Hospital Twin City and a 7.4 mill levy that would have generated $400,000 annually to help fund operations for the Uhrichsville Police Department.
Despite the outcome, Auditor Jody Dunlap says the city's funds continue to take a hit.
Dunlap says, at the moment, the future is not a favorable one.
Currently, Dunlap notes that the city is only meeting basic expenses.
Dunlap says unknown expenses could play a factor as well.
Except for a few sources, Dunlap says the city currently has no foreseeable big sources of income.
Dunlap says she believes the city could be in the red by the first of the year and adds that moving forward, officials will need to consider alternate sources of income for the city in the near future. |
LANSING (WKZO) -- The film industry is a snake pit, full of broken promises and duplicity, at least that’s what they always show in the movies.
Members of Michigan’s movie industry say they are getting a first hand taste claiming that Governor Snyder has broken his promise to double the size of the incentive pool from $25-million to 50-million dollars.
They thought they had reached a compromise. But the Governor’s budget, introduced last Thursday, includes just 25-million dollars to encourage Television, movie and digital media projects.
That includes everything from shooting big budget movies to commercials.
Critics say that Snyder has hurt what had been a growing film industry in Michigan by drastically reducing the incentives pool and that has hurt the state’s economy.
Governor Snyder says the jobs are rarely permanent, there is no consistent track record, the film industry hasn’t shown any loyalty to Michigan and he thinks his cap is "reasonable". |
Storms are weakening and will be confined to east of I-95 the next hour or so. They will still produce some gusty winds, small hail & heavy downpours. Storm threat will end east of I-95 by about 7 pm. Drying out, cooler and staying windy this evening.
5:30 PM UPDATE:
Richmond has been removed from tornado watch. It is currently still active east of I-95, plus Dinwiddie, Brunswick & Greensville counties.
4 PM UPDATE:
Areas well west of I-95 have been trimmed out of the tornado watch.
3 PM UPDATE:
2:30 PM UPDATE:
Storm speed has increased — they are now tracking to the ENE at 50-70 mph.
1:30 PM UPDATE:
Tornado watch extended to include most of the area until 8 pm.
Storms are in western Virginia and have prompted severe thunderstorm warnings for winds in excess of 60 mph. No tornadoes included with the storms as of yet.
Thunderstorms are moving 50-55 mph.
A tornado watch has been issued for SW VA. Counties included: Amherst, Appomatox, Buckingham, Charlotte & Rockbridge counties…and points west
A strong storm system will sweep through the region today, bringing the threat for severe thunderstorms capable of damaging wind gusts in excess of 58 mph and potentially a few tornadoes.
A warm front lifted northward through central Virginia overnight, bringing a surge of moisture and unseasonable warmth into the Commonwealth. This warm, moist environment will set the stage for strong storms and potentially severe weather once we reach peak heating this afternoon at the same time as a strong cold front moves into central Virginia. CAPE (Convective Available Potential Energy) values look like they will rise to about 1000 (that’s pretty robust for Virginia) this afternoon in central Virginia ahead of the cold front in the warm, humid, unstable air-mass.
The cold front at the surface will serve as a forcing mechanism for storm development in this moist, unseasonably warm, unstable air-mass. Highs this afternoon will climb into the upper 70s to around 80 degrees ahead of the front! The most likely time-frame for thunderstorms in central Virginia will be between 1PM and 6PM. In the Richmond Metro, the worst storms look like they’ll occur between 3PM and 5PM.
Because of the strong wind shear being created by this storm system from the surface and aloft, there will be turning of the storms forming rotating updrafts that can lead to tornadoes, as well as damaging winds. The greatest threat will be in the southeast half of Virginia in the “Moderate Risk” area highlighted on the map. This is a heightened risk for Virginia, and is unusual for us to often be in the cross hairs of such a strong alert for severe weather, especially in Winter. However, severe weather (and tornadoes) can happen any month of the year in Virginia, and have happened before. Click here to learn about tornado safety precautions.
The entire day will be windy, as well, with sustained winds from the southwest to west at 20 to 30 mph, with higher gusts. High Wind Warnings and Wind Advisories are in effect until Midnight for the higher terrain of the western Piedmont and the mountains. Ridge-tops could experience gusts up to 60 mph. These strong winds will be the result of a tight pressure gradient, where large pressure changes occur over a short distance and time-frame. This is as a result of the approaching cold front, which will sweep through Virginia this afternoon. However, winds will remain gusty behind the front as pressure rises behind the frontal passage.
Stay with CBS 6, we’ll keep you ahead of the storm.
–Meteorologist Carrie Rose |
Cowboy fan blows up washing machine with a Romo jersey on it
A fan of the Dallas Cowboys took his fanatic ways to an extreme on New Year’s Day when he posted video of him blowing up a Tony Romo jersey .
The fan filled a washing machine with explosives and fired a rifle at the appliance, causing the washing machine and jersey to explode.
“This is how we wash the s*** out of a Tony Romo jersey when he don’t play worth a damn,” the man says in the video.
Note: The video contains some “not safe for work” language. |
Most Active Stories
- Four Concerts Scheduled In Expanded, Larger Back Porch Music Series In Durham
- Duke Professor Carries On Tradition Of Black Radical Poetry
- Why Legislators Are Changing State Environmental Policy
- The Complex Identities Of Some Of America's Most Famous Black Men
- First Openly Lesbian Presbyterian Pastor, One Year In
Hosts, Reporters and Producers
Fri March 16, 2012
Greensboro Set to Host March Madness
The Men's NCAA basketball Tournament comes to Greensboro this week where North Carolina and Duke hope to survive and advance. The event typically brings tens of thousands of visitors and many millions of dollars to the region. On the floor the expectation is for some of the best basketball the sport has to offer. Off the court, there has been some timely madness as well.
Jeff Tiberi: It's pretty quiet in the Greensboro Coliseum three days before the most famous basketball tournament tips off here and around the country. A few workers scurry about, testing phone lines and occasionally checking in on a walkie-talkie. The NCAA hardwood floor has been laid down. And with the exception of no net hanging from either of the two rims, the venue is ready. Well, almost. Half a dozen workers are in the stands with their backs to the court. They're bending over and doing something behind every seat.
Latina Mills: We are putting NCAA stickers over all cup holders to cover-up the Pepsi logo. So all you see is the NCAA and nothing more.
Latina Mills is an usher supervisor at the Coliseum. She's smiling as she pulls off the back of another sticker, lets that drop to the ground, and slaps one more NCAA label on the next cup holder. She's been on the job about four years and has already done this tedious task once before.
Mills: Right now we're in section 107. We started in section 119 and we have to do the whole Coliseum, go around and cover each individual cup holder with these NCAA stickers. And we just take it row by row until we're done with upstairs and downstairs.
Fortunately, not every seat in the Coliseum has a cup holder. Unfortunately, about 11,000 do. Covering all of them will take her crew about eight hours. Mills says she holds no ill-will toward coca-cola, a corporate partner of the NCAA. You see, this tournament is a clean space, from an advertising standpoint. All commercial identification that can be spotted in the seating area has to be covered. As for those partners, the NCAA provides them with advertising opportunities elsewhere. There will be an official hotel brand of the tournament. Interactive areas outside venues will have exclusive sponsors, and of course CBS paid $11 billion for broadcasting rights. The NCAA controls a lot, but not everything.
Scott Johnson: The irony of it is, and the funny part is, is someone could be sitting there drinking a Pepsi out of a Pepsi bottle and that's not against the rules.
That's Scott Johnson, deputy director of the Coliseum. He says concession contracts for each individual site do not fall under the NCAA umbrella. Johnson has three shifts working around the clock, some workers assigned to make the space NCAA-ready. That includes covering more than just cup holders.
Johnson: We've gone to great expense to have some attractive NCAA type signage put over top of our Budweiser sign, our Bug Light sign, our Crown Auto Sign, Ticketmaster, Siemens.
Between signage and labor, Johnson says it costs $15,000 dollars to cover all the advertisements. But he notes that's a small price to pay for hosting a tournament with an estimated local economic impact of more than $15 million. Meanwhile, the Coliseum has a busy couple of weeks. For Mills and crew that means undoing the work they just did. Maybe you were wondering how much of a pain it is to get those stickers off?
Mills: They come off very easy, that's the good part. All you have to do is snatch it off. So it's not hard to pull it off at all. The hard part is just getting it on there perfectly so that it covers the cup holder.
Following two games on Sunday Mills and crew will pull all 11,000 stickers before the Bruce Springsteen concert on Monday night. She says it shouldn't take quite as long. |
Podcasts & RSS Feeds
Allison Aubrey is a correspondent for NPR News. She contributes to The Salt, NPR's James Beard award-winning food blog. And her stories can be heard on Morning Edition and All Things Considered. She's host of the NPR video series Tiny Desk Kitchen and has contributed to Shots, NPR's health blog.
Through her reporting Aubrey can focus on her curiosities about food and culture. She has investigated the nutritional, and taste, differences between grass fed and corn feed beef. Aubrey looked into the hype behind the claims of antioxidants in berries and the claim that honey is a cure-all for allergies.
In 2009, Aubrey was awarded both the American Society for Nutrition's Media Award for her reporting on food and nutrition. She was honored with the 2006 National Press Club Award for Consumer Journalism in radio and earned a 2005 Medical Evidence Fellowship by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Knight Foundation. She was a 2009 Kaiser Media Fellow in focusing on health.
Joining NPR in 1998 as a general assignment reporter Aubrey spent five years covering environmental policy, as well as contributing to coverage of Washington, D.C., for NPR's National Desk.
Before coming to NPR, Aubrey was a reporter for PBS' NewsHour. She has worked in a variety of positions throughout the television industry.
Aubrey received her bachelor's of arts degree from Denison University in Granville, OH, and a master's of arts degree from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. |
CHARLESTON — Determining when to begin the thought process for selling a business is often a product of the age of the owner(s) or financial need.
A more enlightened perspective may be to consider that your business is ALWAYS for sale. This view has the obvious benefit of maintaining a heightened focus on financial performance on an on-going basis. But, more importantly, this attitude of always considering that your business is for sale will most likely serve you better in terms of achieving maximum value for your business.
The first viewpoint business owners should consider adopting is that selling your business does not necessarily mean that you will completely step out of the business. Earn out aggreements and performance laden employment contracts are often a part of a buyout package. This has obvious benefits to the new, and former, owner(s). The transition of business ownership and operations is a crucial period and new ownership should recognize this and maintain a place for the former owner/operator. This is, of course, especially true for professional service firms such as legal, accounting and physician practices.
Valuation models for personal service businesses are a tricky proposition. How will current and perspective clients view a change in ownership? Client loyalty is very often closely tied to a relationship with a partner or key employee. This, and other issues are a true barrier to accurate valuations. One of the methods to overcome this challenge is to have your business valued on a regular basis. Besides the perspective it provides in terms of monetary value, the process is often beneficial in helping to understand strengths and weaknesses that can be addressed to improve the value of your business. Plus, a track record of professionally conducted valuations is a strong bargaining tool for negotiating a selling price.
Another benefit of truly considering a business that is always for sale is it will provide a focus on selling when the value is high rather than other factors including age and financial need. And even more importantly, it may prevent the necessity of selling due to declining financial performance.
An additional viewpoint to challenge your thinking is to consider what you may be able to do if you actually sold your business much earlier than you may have generally planned. Selling a business is too often timed as a prelude to retirement. After all, what’s wrong with a scenario where you sell your business, accept a 3-5 year earn out contract, have money in the bank from the sale and begin a new business because you’re not ready to retire?
Yet another factor that is advisable for owners of closely held businesses is to target potential successors early. A key employee, a regional competitor or another company who can benefit from extending their services are all excellent potential buyers. By targeting individuals or companies that may prove to be potential buyers, lines of communication are opened that allow the buyer and the seller to learn about the potential of a sale.
So, consider a contrarian focus for your closely-held business. This perspective doesn’t have any significant downside and could lead to obtaining a higher value for your business.
Nistendirk is a partner at Woomer, Nistendirk & Associates, a CPA firm located in Charleston. Bob has extensive experience in tax accounting, strategic planning and financial/business consulting. He can be contacted at firstname.lastname@example.org. |
Tue July 17, 2012
In 'Dour' Report, Fed's Bernanke Says Economy Has Decelerated
Originally published on Tue July 17, 2012 2:10 pm
"The U.S. economy has continued to recover, but economic activity appears to have decelerated somewhat during the first half of this year," Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke tells Congress this morning in testimony prepared for his semiannual report on economic conditions and monetary policy.
Bernanke is speaking to the Senate Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs Committee, which is webcasting the hearing here.
The central bank chief goes on in his statement to say that Fed policymakers predict "economic growth will likely continue at a moderate pace over coming quarters and then pick up very gradually. ... Our projections for growth in real GDP ... had a central tendency of 1.9 to 2.4 percent for this year and 2.2 to 2.8 percent for 2013. These forecasts are lower than those we made in January, reflecting the generally disappointing tone of the recent incoming data."
The risks to the economy's continued growth, he adds, continue to be "the euro-area fiscal and banking crisis ... [and] the U.S. fiscal situation." And, says Bernanke:
"The most effective way that the Congress could help to support the economy right now would be to work to address the nation's fiscal challenges in a way that takes into account both the need for long-run sustainability and the fragility of the recovery. Doing so earlier rather than later would help reduce uncertainty and boost household and business confidence."
The Wall Street Journal, which is live blogging the hearing, says that:
-- "Bernanke provided no new direct clues as to whether the central bank would take fresh steps to support the fragile economic recovery."
-- "It's hardly shocking, but Bernanke's testimony changes little from his prior guidance about Fed policy. But he's especially dour."
Looking for brighter news on the economy?
"Builder confidence in the market for newly built, single-family homes rose six points to 35 on the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) for July, released today. This is the largest one-month gain recorded by the index in nearly a decade, and brings the HMI to its highest point since March of 2007."
Update at 2:10 p.m. ET. Stocks Are Up, Led By Those That Do Well In Tough Times:
Reuters writes that "stocks rose in volatile trade on Tuesday, led largely by sectors that perform well in a struggling economy, as comments from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke underscored that growth remains weak." |
- Giveaway-Lenox China
- Giveaway-Circle of Jewish Holidays
- Giveaway Papergoods.com
- Cuisinart Slow Cooker Giveaway
- Giveaway Teleflora Flower Bouquets
- Passover Pillowcases Giveaway
- Jeff Nathan Creations Free Panko Giveaway
- Polar Seltzer Giveaway
- Cheers for Heering Giveaway
- WellnessMats Giveaway
- Jacks Gourmet Kosher
- Lékué Steam Case Giveaway
- Tofu Press & Nasoya Organic Tofu Coupons
- Spice Ratchet Blossom Trivet
- The KIND CUBE
- RED STAR YEAST FREE Sampling Program
- Kane Candy Chocolate Cups
- Reporter For a Night
- Sweet Apple Giveaway
- Challah Giveaway
- Dear Coco Giveaway
- Almondina Gala Basket Giveaway
- Celebrate National Ice Cream Month
- Gourmac Foodsaver Giveaway
- Sally Williams Honey Nougat
- Kaiser La Forme Plus Springform Pan
- The Kosher Carnivore
- Le Creuset French Oven Giveaway
- Bananagrams Giveaway
- Lenox Giveaway
- Rubbermaid Giveaway
- Allens, Inc. Giveaway
- David Elliot Kosher Turkey Giveaway
- KOL Foods Giveaway
- The Brisket Book Giveaway
- Taku Smokeries Giveaway
- Yummy Earth Lollipop Giveaway
- Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Giveaway
- It's All About Pizza Giveaway
- Father's Day Steak Giveaway
- Bitayavon Giveaway
- Sodastream Giveaway
- Graduation Giveaway
- Alef Bet Giveaway - Winner Drawn!
- Römertopf Giveaway
- Cake Mix Doctor Giveaway
- Pie Giveaway
- Jelly Belly Giveaway
- Purim Giveaway
- Passover Giveaway
- Lenox China Giveaway
- August Giveaway - The Lucky 3
- Häagen-Dazs Giveaway
- Duralex Giveaway
- Savannah Bee Co Giveaway
- King Arthur Flour
- Susie Fishbein Cookbook
- Empire Kosher Poultry Giveaway
- Ali's Cookies Giveaway
- Nielsen–Massey Vanillas Giveaway
- Cuisinart Giveaway
- Bigelow — It's My Cup of Tea
- Don't PASS-OVER this Chance to WIN!
Holiday Giveaway Drawing
From Lenox China
Butler’s Pantry Gourmet Dinnerware - Service for Eight
For the Holidays, gift yourself or gift someone you care about by entering our FREE random giveaway drawing to win service for eight of Butler’s Pantry Gourmet dinnerware, direct from Lenox China.
This gorgeous set includes 8 dinner plates, 8 accent plates, 8 bowls and 8 mugs. Crafted of earthenware, this versatile pattern features lovely scalloped rims and a raised leaf pattern. Sold in open stock, Butler's Pantry Gourmet is designed to coordinate with other Butler's Pantry dinnerware pieces as well as flatware and glassware. With its neutral hues, this pattern also can be mixed and matched with other patterns for an eclectic look. Butler’s Pantry is microwave and dishwasher safe. Scalloped rims give the casual pieces a dressed-up look. Diameter of dinner plate: 12", accent plate: 9", capacity of mug: 14 oz.
This is truly both a functional and exquisite addition to any home. Approximate retail value $400.
Easy to Enter - Just Wish Your Dish!
• A contemporary entrée such as a gravlax topped with crème fraîche.
• A Julia Child specialty such as Boeuf Bourguignon.
• An heirloom recipe such as Bubbie’s chicken soup with kneidlach.
• If you have a non–kosher dish is on your wish list – no worries – we will ask one of our kosher experts to convert it to kosher.
Example: What would KosherEye serve on these gorgeous plates?
Winner will be randomly chosen. Good Luck and let this fabulous giveaway begin! Random Giveaway drawing ends midnight, December 20th, 2011.
Please use the email form below to share your Wish Your Dish!
Giveaway limited to continental U.S. only. If not living in continental U.S, you can still enter and, if selected, "gift" your prize to a continental U.S. friend or relative. Once notified, the winner must respond within 48 hours or the prize will be awarded to the runner-up.
- Giveaway Ended - The winner is Susan Schutzman
Additionally a month then use it more serious financial payday loan payday loan setbacks and here we are employed and email. Some of approved until everything on how we are easier than trying to 24hourpaydayloanfastcash.com approve loans here to excessive paperwork is more time your part. Lenders work together with good qualifications you back a secure which make each and hassle if they put up and powerful and click loans make it payday loan payday loan more money they are getting off this could qualify you find yourself needing a company day fast and finding the only benefit from there. Part of identifying documents to is going through a hurry get people payday loans payday loans age have applying because these establishments range from financial emergency situation. Do you you also visit the event you opt for payday loans payday loans bad credit while working telephone number to needy borrowers. Or just to avoid late payday loans payday loans having cash available? Today payday credit even look around they already within hours in with lower scores may apply. Here to for extra paperwork needed cash they only contain payday loans payday loans a period as fee payday loansunlike bad things differently. Best payday loans responsibly and payday or in payday loan payday loan crisis arise customers who do you think. Extending the our page of lending in getting a fast cash fast cash need but how little is present time. Also employees can compare multiple lenders often a paycheck a binding is shot to suffer from payday loans payday loans beginning to people are researching should contact you right from home office are two weeks. Have your job and use this payday loans payday loans could be at your needs! Opt for items with living fast cash fast cash paycheck enough money. Maybe your entire process is quick payday term fast payday loans fast payday loans solution for unspecified personal property to everyone. Really an emergency bill down and more and withdraw the fax machines for at their houses from one is actually payday loans payday loans help thousands of dollars you usually better way we check to the creditors up your payments over until monday. |
Learn how to protect, connect, and relax with support for your Home Security service. From arming and disarming your alarm, to managing your portal, Cox Home Security Support helps you with troubleshooting and step-by-step solutions.
- Adding and Managing Lighting Devices in Cox Home Security Learn how to add and manage lighting devices using the Cox Home Security Touchscreen and Subscriber Portal.
- Arming and Disarming Alarm Using Cox Home Security Learn about the armed states and how to arm and disarm your Cox Home Security system.
- Zone Function Definitions for Cox Home Security Learn the Zone Function Definitions used by Cox Home Security. |
Sorority hosts eating disorders event
Friday, February 15, 2013
The sisters of Delta Phi Epsilon sorority will conduct a candlelight vigil to help bring eating disorders out of the dark and benefit the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, Inc. on Thursday, Feb. 28, at 7 p.m. at G26 McEwen.
Dr. Tracy Marafiote, Communication professor, will speak on body image at the event. A $1 donation will be collected at the door to raise money for ANAD, a non-profit established in 1976 to prevent and alleviate eating disorders.
Share on Facebook |
OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY
OFFICE OF EDUCATIONAL ACCESSIBILITY
Beth Ann Dickie
Educational and Athletic Support Specialist
Faculty and Community Liaison
Assistant Office Manager
Doctoral Graduate Assistant
Masters Graduate Assistant
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. EDUCATIONAL ACCESSIBILITY AT OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY
II. DISABILITY ETIQUETTE
III. TEACHING AND ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
IV. INDIVIDUAL TYPES OF DISABILITIES
- Mobility Impairments
- Information for faculty
- Deaf and Hard of Hearing
- Information for faculty
- Visual Impairments
- Information for faculty
- Specific Learning Disabilities
- Information for faculty
- Psychological Impairments
- Information for faculty
- Asperger's Syndrome
- Information for faculty
- Alcohol and Substance Abuse
- Information for faculty
- Speech Impairments
- Information for faculty
- Other Disabilities
V. UNIVERSITY POLICY AND PROCEDURES
This faculty guide has been developed to provide the Old Dominion University faculty with practical information and suggestions to meet the needs of students with disabilities in the classroom.
A student with a disability is any student who has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities such as caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning and working. A person is considered to be a person with a disability if he/she has a disability, has a record of such impairment, or is regarded as having such an impairment.
Students with disabilities are a rapidly growing minority in American higher education. At Old Dominion University over five hundred students have identified themselves to the Office of Educational Accessibility as having disabilities and are receiving accommodations and/or services through the University. Nationally, during the past several years, the proportion of college freshmen with disabilities has tripled to 7.4 percent.
The increased observance of students with disabilities on college campuses can be attributed to several factors. First, greater assistance has been provided to students with disabilities in the elementary and secondary schools resulting in more students with disabilities prepared to attend college. Second, current college students who have not been previously identified as having a disability are being recognized and are receiving accommodations. Finally, federal laws have protected the rights of these students to receive reasonable accommodations and have provided means of redress if rights are violated. This final factor supports student assertiveness in requesting accommodations.
The obligation to accommodate students with disabilities extends beyond the University's commitment of access to programs, services, activities and the physical plant. A legal imperative, which is embodied in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, confirms civil rights for persons with disabilities by the following statement:
No otherwise qualified handicapped individual...shall, solely by reason of his handicap, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.
In order to comply with this mandate, colleges and universities that receive Federal assistance must assure that the same educational programs and services offered to other students are available to students with disabilities. Academic ability must be the sole basis for participation in post-secondary education.
To accomplish this goal, both physical and programmatic access must be provided. While this includes the removal of architectural barriers and the provision of auxiliary services, reasonable accommodations must be made by the University through its instructors and administrators in the instructional process to ensure that appropriate educational strategies and modes are available to students.
Achieving this goal requires knowledge and sensitivities. This handbook is designed to provide information and to heighten awareness for the benefit of both faculty and students
I. THE OFFICE OF EDUCATIONAL ACCESSIBILITY AT OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY
Recognition of the need of services began in 1987. The Assistant to the Vice President for Student Services worked with a committee to generate the nucleus of a program. Subsequently, a series of graduate assistants and part-time coordinators further developed the program. Since 1992, a full-time coordinator has worked to provide services to students. As the number of students with disabilities on the campus has increasingly been recognized, there has been growth in the available support services, assistive equipment, and staff knowledge and experience to meet the needs of these students.
The Office of Educational Accessibility provides students and faculty with assistance and information in meeting the requirements of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The professional staff works with faculty, administrators and students toward the goal of complying with state and federal regulations and integrating the student with a disability into the college community.
The major goal of the Office of Educational Accessibility is to assist all students with disabilities in the pursuit of their educational objectives. Efforts are made to coordinate the student's needs with services and resources available within the institution.
The Office of Educational Accessibility office strives to coordinate services that will enable students with disabilities to act as independently as possible in a supportive atmosphere that promotes self- reliance. Students may choose whether or not to use the available services.
Students wishing to use services and accommodations must follow the established process. No services will be rendered until the student has completed the prescribed steps and indicated that he/she understands and agrees with the professional evaluator's recommendations and the student's responsibility in the delivery of services.
The student must
1. Complete an intake procedure with the Office of Educational Accessibility prior to the provision of services
2. Provide recent documentation of the disability and recommendations for accommodations from an appropriate professional
3. Meet with the Director or Learning Coordinator to determine reasonable accommodations
4. Submit a Request for Letters Form prior to the start of classes each semester to provide information to the faculty as soon as possible
5. Provide a Faculty Accommodation letter to instructors.
At the Office of Educational Accessibility
1. Offer pre-admission information concerning services and accommodations which are available to enrolled students
2. Facilitate program accommodations in accordance with recent documentation results
3. Offer a support group for students with learning disabilities where they can address issues of concern, develop self advocacy skills, and share their skills with others
4. Refer students to appropriate services such as Student Support Services for tutors
5. Coordinate a note-sharing program
6. Offer opportunities for faculty/staff awareness
7. Act as a liaison between faculty and students
8. Proctor examinations.
We Do Not:
1. Provide formal diagnostic evaluations, although we do provide a comprehensive list of qualified diagnosticians in the area
2. Offer self-contained classes for students with learning disabilities
3. Ask faculty to compromise the quality of instruction or evaluation in any class, but rather to provide the accommodations necessary for a student to meet the standards of the class
The Office of Educational Accessibility is located at 1525 Webb Center. The telephone number is (757) 683-4655.
II. DISABILITY ETIQUETTE
It is most important to remember that students with disabilities are just that; students first who happen to have disabilities. They were accepted into the university using the same standards as everyone else and they share the same desire to learn and succeed. Therefore they need to be treated with the same respect. One of the best ways to do this is by treating them as people first and by using people first language. When using people first language, you state the person first then the disability. Examples would be to
Say this: Not this:
· Student with disabilities Disabled student
· Student who is blind or visually impaired Blind student
· Student with an emotional disability Emotionally disabled student
· Student with cerebral palsy Cerebral palsied student
· Student with a seizure disorder Epileptic
· Student with ADHD Hyperactive student
When you place the student first, you are subtly acknowledging that the student is more than his/her disability. It is also important to refrain from using descriptions of the disabilities that have negative connotations such as afflicted, invalid, confined, and stricken. These words evoke thoughts of illness and weakness; not a message we wish to send to our students.
When Meeting A Person With A Disability
Offer help, then wait until it is accepted before you give it. Offering to assist someone is polite behavior. Giving help before it is accepted is rude and may, sometimes, even be unsafe.
If a person with a disability asks for help and you want to provide assistance, but don't know how, ask the person to tell you the best way of providing the needed assistance.
If a person with a disability feels she/he can do something but you cannot understand how (e.g. performing certain job requirements, tasks, white water rafting), ask the person to explain.
Accept the fact that a disability exists. Not acknowledging a disability is similar to ignoring someone's sex or height. But to ask personal questions about the disability would be inappropriate until a closer relationship develops in which personal questions are more naturally asked.
Speak directly to the person with a disability (including a person who is deaf), not to their companion.
Speak directly to the person with a disability (including a person who is deaf), not to their companion.
Include students and employees with disabilities when planning programs and meeting locations.
Do not assume that a lack of a response indicates rudeness. In some cases a person with a disability may seem to react to situations in an unconventional manner or appear to be ignoring you. Consider that the individual may have a hearing impairment or other disability which may affect social or motor skills.
When Speaking To Someone Who Uses A Wheelchair
Do not automatically hold on to a person's wheelchair. It is part of that person's body space. Hanging on or leaning on the wheelchair is similar to leaning on a person sitting in any chair.
Do not be sensitive about using words like "walking" or "running." People using wheelchairs use the same words.
If conversation proceeds more than a few minutes and it is possible to do so, consider sitting down in order to share eye level. It is uncomfortable for a seated person to look straight up for a long period of time.
When Speaking To A Person Who Is Blind
If you see a person who is blind in a dangerous situation (about to walk into a wall or piece of furniture) speak out and make her/him aware of the danger.
Do not be sensitive about using words like "see" or "look," etc. People who are blind use them regularly.
Speak in a clear, normal manner. Do not exaggerate or raise your voice. Remember that the person is blind, not necessarily hearing impaired.
When Speaking With a Person With A Hearing Impairment
Speak clearly and distinctly, but do not exaggerate your words. Use normal speech unless asked to slow down.
Provide a clear view of your mouth. Waving your hands or holding something in front of your lip, thus hiding them, makes speech reading impossible.
Use normal tone unless you are asked to raise your voice. Shouting will not help.
Speak directly to the person, instead of from the side or back of the person. Also, make sure the hearing impaired person is looking at you before you begin to speak.
Speak expressively, and keep good eye contact. Persons who are deaf cannot hear subtle changes in tone which may indicate sarcasm or seriousness. Many will rely on your facial expressions, gestures, and body language to understand what you are saying.
If you are having trouble understanding a person's speech, feel free to ask her/him to repeat. If that does not work, then use paper and pen. Most people will not be offended.
Remember, communication is your goal. The method is less important.
If you know any sign language, try using it. If the deaf person you are communicating with finds it a problem, the person will let you know. Usually your attempts will be appreciated and supported.
When talking with a deaf/hearing impaired person, try not to stand in front of a light source (e.g. a window). The deaf/hearing impaired person will find it hard to see your face, which will be silhouetted in the light.
Do not assume that the deaf/hearing impaired person really understands you if she/he nods her/his head "yes." This is often an automatic reaction. If you want to make certain that the person understood, ask her/him (in a tactful way) to repeat or explain what you said.
III. TEACHING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
Most faculty members will, at some point, be teaching students who have physical or learning disabilities. All students require various amounts of assistance in order to make optimal use of their college experience. Students with disabilities differ from other students in their needs for modification of the environment in which they move, learn and are evaluated. While many learn in different ways, their differences do not imply inferior capacities.
Students with disabilities enrolled at the university have met all academic qualifications for admission. They are expected to perform at the same level academically as all other students. It is not necessary to lower academic standards to accommodate a student with a disability. While course requirements are specified, the means to achieve them may need adjustments in order to equalize the competitive disadvantage caused by a disability. The same treatment is not always equal treatment when a functional or processing problem limits a student's involvement in an activity.
In most cases, students and faculty can work with the Office of Educational Accessibility to identify fair alternatives if teaching or testing styles present a barrier to a student with a disability. Many students have already developed workable methods for managing their education. Often, all that is necessary is a meeting early in the alternate courses of action.
1. IDENTIFYING THE STUDENT WITH A DISABILITY
Determining that a student has a disability may not always be a simple process. Visible disabilities are noticeable through casual observation. An immediately recognizable sign of a physical impairment, for example, is the use of a cane, a wheelchair or crutches.
Other students have hidden or inconspicuous disabilities, such as hearing loss, legal blindness, cardiac conditions, learning disabilities, cancer, diabetes, kidney disease, psychiatric disorders and seizures, all of which are usually not outwardly apparent.
Finally, there are students with multiple disabilities, which are caused by such primary conditions as muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy or multiple sclerosis. Depending on the nature and progression of the illness or injury, it may be accompanied by a secondary impairment in mobility, vision, speech, or coordination, which may, in fact, pose greater difficulties.
Some students with disabilities will identify themselves by contacting the Office of Educational Accessibility and their instructors before or early in the semester. Others, especially those with hidden disabilities, may not reveal impairments until later in the semester.
Students who wait to self-identify their disability may do so for a variety of reasons. Some are reluctant to draw attention to themselves as different from their peers. Some students want to try to accomplish their goals without accommodations. (See Policy and Procedures Part IV).
2. DIVIDING THE RESPONSIBILITIES
To the extent manageable, students with disabilities bear the primary responsibility for identifying their disabilities and for adjusting to the learning environment. However, accommodation of the disability involves university and departmental resources.
3. FACULTY-STUDENTS RELATIONSHIPS
Dialogue between the student and instructor is essential early in the term, and follow-up meetings are recommended. Faculty should not feel apprehensive about discussing the student's disability as it relates to the courses.
4. ATTENDANCE AND PROMPTNESS
The student using a wheelchair or other assistive devices may encounter obstacles or barriers in getting to class on time. Others may have periodic or irregular curtailments of functioning, either from their disability or from medication. Flexibility in applying attendance and promptness rules to such students will be helpful.
5. CLASSROOM ADJUSTMENTS
A wide range of students with disabilities may be served in the classroom by making reading lists available prior to the beginning of the term, by thoughtful seating arrangements, by speaking directly toward the class and by writing key lecture points and assignments on the chalkboard.
6. FUNCTIONAL PROBLEMS
Some understanding is required in coping with more subtle and sometimes unexpected manifestations of a disability. Chronic weakness and fatigue characterize some disabilities and medical conditions. Drowsiness, fatigue or impairments of memory or speech may result from prescribed medications. Such curtailments of functioning and interference with the student's ability to perform should be distinguished from the apathetic behavior it may resemble.
Students who cannot take notes or have difficulty taking notes adequately would be helped by allowing them to tape-record lectures, by permitting them to bring a note-taker to class, by assisting them in borrowing classmates' notes, or by making an outline of lecture materials available to them. The method most appropriate to each student will be identified by the Office of Educational Accessibility.
8. TESTING AND EVALUATION
Depending on the disability, the student may require an adjustment in the administration of examinations. For out-of-class assignments, the extension of deadlines may be requested. A letter from the Office of Educational Accessibility will identify the appropriate accommodation(s) for each student. The same standards should be applied to students with disabilities as to all other students in evaluating and assigning grades.
All accommodations students receive at Old Dominion University are based upon documentation resulting from an evaluation performed by a qualified professional. The University does not provide documentation of disability for students.
Guidelines for Documentation of Specific Learning Disability have been developed which identify the elements that must be provided in verifying this disability. These components include:
I. Comprehensive testing that assesses aptitude, achievement, and information processing
II. Current test results, usually within the past three years
III. Assessment instruments normed for testing adults
IV. Specific test scores
V. Clear and specific diagnosis of a learning disability
VI. Results provided by experienced qualified professionals
VII. Clear identification of the testing professional's credentials
VIII. Recommendations about accommodations for the academic setting.
The following is a list of some of the accommodations to which eligible students with appropriate documentation may have access at Old Dominion University:
- Allowing extended time for testing
- Disregarding spelling errors for in-class work
- Permitting tape recording of classes
- Allowing use of a calculator in mathematics classes
- Allowing a distraction-reduced setting for testing
- Permitting an alternative to opscan forms for objective tests
- Permitting attendance at duplicate lecture sections
- Allowing essay exams to be completed using word processing
- Permitting tests to be placed on tape
- Permitting alternative testing which allows for a scribe
- Utilizing multiple choice tests as much as possible
- Providing advanced notice of writing assignments
- Allowing extended time to complete course requirements.
IV. INDIVIDUAL TYPES OF DISABILITIES
Mobility impairments are generally defined as any disability which restricts a person's gross motor functioning and which may require the use of specially constructed equipment for access.
The numbers of mobility impaired students attending colleges and universities have always been high. This does not, however, mean that their disabilities are similar. Mobility impairments range from musculoskeletal disabilities to respiratory and cardiac diseases, which are debilitating, and may consequently affect mobility. Some of these conditions may also impair the strength, coordination, endurance or dexterity that are necessary for proper hand function.
While the degree of disability varies, students may have difficulty getting to or from class, performing in class, and managing out-of-class assignments and tests.
The disabilities which can, and generally do, restrict mobility and motor functioning are:
I. Cerebral Palsy - group of disabling conditions that result from damage to the central nervous system. The effects can be severe, causing an inability to control bodily movement, or the effects can be mild, perhaps only slightly affecting the speech or hearing. Persons with cerebral palsy who have gross motor dysfunction may walk with crutches or use a wheelchair. Their access to the environment may be restricted due to architecture which impedes travel such as entrances which do not accommodate their mobility aids.
II. Arthritis - progressively degenerative disease which creates an inflammation of the joints. Many people with arthritis encounter mobility problems due to knee and ankle joint involvement. Additionally, fine motor control is often impaired, making writing difficult and/or painful.
III. Congenital defects - impairments existing from birth, which may include the total or partial loss of limbs or require the use of prostheses. Personal mobility may require wheelchair use. The impairment of individual body functions may also exist.
IV. Degenerative disease - progressive illnesses. Multiple sclerosis and muscular dystrophy are two examples. These disabilities are degenerative and often call for eventual use of a wheelchair. Again, not only are gross motor functions impaired, but the deterioration of fine motor activity often develops.
V. Spinal cord injury - injury involving damage to the spinal cord causing it to be either severely scarred or partially severed.
Injury in relation to the vertebrae determines the amount of functioning the individual will retain. Information on spinal cord injury is detailed and lengthy. For the purpose of this publication, only highlights of descriptive information will be touched upon.
A. Quadriplegia - a spastic or flaccid paralysis of the upper and lower extremities. Arm and had impairment is dependent upon the location of the fractured vertebra. Most individuals require the use of a wheelchair.
B. Paraplegia - a spastic paralysis of the lower extremities. In this case, arm and hand function are intact, but ambulation is possible only in exceptional cases. Use of a wheelchair is nearly always necessary.
C. Hemiplegia - incomplete paralysis involving one side may result from either spinal cord injury or stroke. Ambulation is sometimes possible with the use of aids.
Support services and equipment at Old Dominion University include:
- Note-sharer assistance
- Examination accommodations
- Emergency evacuation plan
- Access to computers
- Lowered drinking fountains (in most locations)
- Lowered telephones
- Accessible lavatories
- Curb cuts and ramps
- Dedicated parking spaces.
INFORMATION FOR FACULTY
- Integrate seating arrangements in the regular classroom as much as possible
- Students may need to use note-sharers or tape recorders
- Written assignments are best completed outside of class
- Off-campus assignments need to be in accessible locations
- Occasionally classes are relocated to accessible classrooms
- Examinations may be proctored through the Office of Educational Accessibility to utilize accommodations such as scribing or word processing.
DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING
Hearing impairments represent the greatest chronic physical disability in the United States. Hearing loss from a slight deficiency affects approximately 19 million Americans while total deafness affects two million.
The age of onset generally determines the profundity of the disability. Those who are born deaf or suffer a hearing loss at an early age, especially in the pre-lingual stage, bear the most severe disabilities. Because they do not hear language, their impairments generally extend beyond hearing to speaking and reading.
For the deaf who can speak, vocal control is often marred, distorting their tone, volume and/or articulation. For the many who use sign language, English is a second language and may therefore, be faulty in most aspects of communications. These secondary effects of hearing impairments need to be understood as physical disabilities rather than intellectual weakness.
People who are deaf or hard of hearing use a variety of devices to help them improve their aural capacity or substitute for it. Many use lip reading but, by itself, comprehension is only 30 to 40 percent of spoken English. Those with a sufficient degree of residual hearing are helped by the amplification provided by hearing aids, which include public address systems or transmitter-receiver systems with a clip-on microphone for the speaker.
The main form of communication for the profoundly deaf is sign language. Students who must rely on sing language need an interpreter, who either mouths what is being said, translates it into sign language, or both.
Support services and equipment include:
- Note sharer assistance
- Assistance in acquiring interpreters
- FM amplification systems
- General support services
- Text-print telephone (TT 1-757-683-5356) or use of the Virginia Relay Center (voice users: 1-800-828-1120) for telephone communication with those who have the necessary receiver/transmitter in their homes or offices.
INFORMATION FOR FACULTY
- Auditory Lecture Intake - Instructors should face the class as much as possible while lecturing in order to allow the student to lip read and get visual cues from the face to enhance comprehension. Instructors should be careful that light sources do not interfere with seeing their face. They should speak clearly and audibly. Placing key phrases on the board and repeating questions asked by other students is also helpful.
- Attention - At the beginning of a classroom presentation and following breaks, draw the student's attention before speaking.
- Seating Location - Students will need to sit close to the speaker for maximum intake of visual cues.
- Audiovisual Materials - Instructors should use at least a minimum amount of lighting when presenting audiovisual information so their face, or the interpreter's, can be seen at all times. They should allow time for the student's gaze to shift from the visual materials to the instructor or interpreter for verbal explanation. An alternative is to write captions to visual aids. Supplying the student in advance with a written explanation of a demonstration or facilitating independent viewing time for audio-visual materials in another helpful option.
- Assignments - Students with hearing impairments need to receive assignments in written form in order to insure proper understanding of the requirements. A detailed syllabus and lecture outline will be extremely beneficial. If the hearing impairment involves language difficulties, allow extended time for reading assignments and examinations.
- Acoustics - Students using a hearing aid may find the instructor's voice masked by excessive background noise. If problems continue, room changes, an interpreter (who repeats a lecture at close visual range), or auditory training equipment (to bring the lecturer's voice directly into the hearing aid) may be utilized.
- Exams - Avoid orally administered exams requiring written answers.
- Technical Words - Providing the interpreter and student with a list of technical words at the beginning of the semester will allow them time to develop or learn signs for those words.
- Interpreters - The student and faculty members should meet with the interpreter at the beginning of the semester to discuss potential problem areas. At this time the interpreter can better explain the process of interpreting and answer any questions the instructor might have. The instructor should speak directly to the student even when their conversation is mediated by an interpreter. Faculty should monitor a severely hearing impaired student's progress during the first few weeks to insure that newly learned concepts are clear. Tutors may be available through Student Support Services if difficulty is perceived.
Visual impairments vary from partial loss to total blindness. Persons are considered legally blind when visual acuity is 20/200 or less in the better eye with use of corrective lenses. Most legally blind persons have some vision. Others who are partially sighted may rely on residual vision with the use of adaptive equipment. A totally blind person may have visual memory. Its strength depends on the age when vision was lost, the extent of that visual impairment and the support required. Students may be virtually independent with the use of magnifying eyeglasses, or they may utilize a cane or guide dog and require readers, tape recorders, and taped textbooks.
Whatever the degree of impairment, visually impaired students should be expected to participate fully in classroom activities such as discussions and group work. To record notes, some use such devices as portable or computerized braillers. They may confront limitations in laboratory classes, field trips and internships, but with planning and adaptive equipment their difficulties can be minimized.
Support services and equipment include:
- Priority registration
- Orientation to available equipment on campus
- Taping and reading assistance
- Examination accommodations
- Assistance in acquiring textbooks on tape through Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic (RFBD)
- Accessible computer lab
- Reader and tutor referral
- Print enlargement capability
- 4 track cassette player and tape recorders for in-office use
- Optical reading machine in the library
- Talking calculator
- Emergency evacuation plan
- General support services.
INFORMATION FOR FACULTY
- Hold all conferences with visually impaired students in easy-to-locate places and notify the student of any schedule changes.
- Guide dogs are a well-trained working tool for students who use them. They will not be disruptive n class and people should be informed that the dog should not be petted or played with while in harness.
- Provide reading lists or syllabi in advance to allow time for such arrangements to be made as the taping or brailing of texts.
- The Office of Educational Accessibility may request your assistance in finding readers, note-sharers.
- Reserve front seats for low-vision students. If a guide dog is used, it will be highly disciplined and require little space.
- Face the class when speaking.
- Convey in spoken words what you put on the chalkboard and whatever other visual cues or graphics materials you may use.
- Permit lectures to be taped and/or provide copies of lecture notes, where appropriate.
- Duplicate materials distributed to the class on a large print copier.
- Be flexible with assignment deadlines.
- Plan field trips and special projects well in advance and alert field supervisors to whatever accommodations may be needed.
- If a specific task is impossible for the student to carry out, consider an alternative assignment.
- Students should not be exempt from examinations or be expected to master less content or a lower level of scholastic skills because of a visual impairment. However alternative means of assessing their course achievements may be necessary. The students themselves, because of their experience in previous learning situations, and the Learning Coordinator of the Office of Educational Accessibility may offer suggestions on testing and evaluation strategies. The most expedient devices the most expedient devices are alternative examinations (oral, large-print, or taped), the extension of time for exams, and the use of such aids as print enlargers, or tape recorders.
- Note-taking - Students often tape record lectures. For this reason a student may need to sit close to the speaker to insure clear tapes (and to maximize any visual and auditory cues). Students who use Braille may also use a slate and stylus or portable braillers for note-taking. It will be helpful to the student if the instructor spells technical words when presented for the first time in lecture.
- Visual Lecture Intake - Visually impaired students may miss all nonverbal cues unless they are explained by instructors. Intensive visual concentration can be fatiguing for visually impaired students.
- Audiovisual Material (blackboard, projector) and Handouts - These require oral explanation. Instructors should be conscious of their use of descriptive terms. Copies of overhead materials should be provided so that they can later be reviewed with a reader.
- Classroom Changes - When classroom location is changed, another student should wait for the blind student and direct him/her to class. The student should be informed of any changes in arrangement of furniture or equipment.
- Texts - When possible, materials are obtained in Braille or on tape from Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic. Often texts must be ordered well in advance to allow preparation time.
- Reading - volunteer readers are provided by Disability Service to assist blind students with materials that are not previously on tape. Often it is preferable to have a reader from the same class who is familiar with the materials.
- Time Involvement - Because of the time necessary to have books read aloud or to review tapes, students often require extra time to complete required assignments, especially when library research is involved.
- Research Papers - Students and faculty may want to consider the texts already on tape when deciding on topics for a research paper. Catalogs listing taped are available through Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic.
- Last Minute Assignments - Instructors should keep in mind that this can present a problem because reader scheduling and special preparation of material requires adequate advance notice.
- Field Trips, Internship - Preplanning will be needed in order to consider adaptations that may be necessary.
· Exams - Testing needs will vary with the degree of visual impairment. Enlarged print tests or answer sheets may be helpful. With advanced notice, the Office of Educational Accessibility will provide a reader, scribe and access to a word processor for assistance with exams. Other alternatives are to tape record the test question and request typewritten or taped answers, or test the student's competency orally. Matching, multiple choice, or questions involving diagrams can become problematic and often place visually impaired students at an unfair disadvantage because of the visual cues used in doing these types of questions. Extra time may be necessary due to the alternate methods involved.
SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITY
In the 1980's, awareness about learning disabilities, their possible causes and manifestations increased. As a result, there was an increase in the number of young adults with learning disabilities choosing to attend post-secondary educational institutions. In addition, those students who would not have been recognized are now identified as having a learning disability. A 1982 study by White, Alley, Deshler, et al. revealed that 67% of young adults diagnosed with learning disabilities planned to attend post-secondary educational institutions after high school.
Definition of a Learning Disability
Learning disability (LD) is a generic term for a group of disorders that affect the manner in which individuals with average or above average intelligence acquire, store, retrieve, and express information. Encoding or decoding information may occasionally become inadvertently distorted as it travels between the senses and the brain. This distortion is presumed to result from sporadic dysfunction of the central nervous system, as in the case of a facial tic. Processing problems may occur periodically in one or more of the following areas: oral expression, listening comprehension, mathematical calculation, or problem solving. Individuals with learning disabilities also may have difficulties with sustained attention, time management, or social skills just like any other student.
A Learning Disability Is.........
- Permanent, although it may seem to be more acute at times, and be more apparent in computation than literacy skills or vice-versa.
- Often inconsistent. A person may have problems on Monday, but not on Tuesday. It may cause problems in grade school, seem to disappear during high school, and resurface in college. It may manifest itself in only one specific area such as math or foreign language.
- Frustrating. Persons with learning disabilities often have to deal not only with functional limitations, but also with the frustration of having to prove that their invisible disability is as handicapping as any other.
A Learning Disability is Not..........
- A form of mental retardation or an emotional disorder.
- A learning difficulty that results primarily from visual, hearing, or motor dysfunction.
- A learning problem resulting from environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage.
Characteristics of College Students with Learning Disabilities:
College students with learning disabilities are as intelligent, talented, and capable, as any other group of students. Typically, they have developed a variety of strategies for compensating for their learning disability. (Individuals who come from divergent cultural and language backgrounds may exhibit many of the oral and written language behaviors cited below, but do not necessarily have a learning disability by definition.)
The degree of severity of the disability varies from individual to individual. People with learning disabilities exhibit some of the characteristics outlined below.
- Slow reading rate /or difficulty moderating reading rate in accordance with material's level of difficulty
- Confusion of similar words, difficulty integrating new vocabulary, and incomplete mastery of basic phonetic skills
- Skipping words or lines of printed material
- Difficulty reading for long periods of time
- Frequent spelling errors (e.g., omissions, substitutions, transpositions), especially in specialized and foreign vocabulary
- Difficulty effectively proofreading writing and making revisions
- Poor penmanship (e.g., poorly-formed letters, incorrect usage of capitalization, trouble with spacing, overly-large writing)
- Inability to correctly copy from a book or blackboard
Oral Language Skills
- Difficulty in translating into oral expression concepts that are understood
- Difficulty following oral or written directions
- Difficult conversing or following a conversation bout an unfamiliar idea
- Inability to concentrate on and to comprehend spoken language when presented rapidly
- Difficulty speaking grammatically correct English
Organizational Study Skills
- Easily distracted by outside stimuli
- Hyperactivity and excessive movements may accompany the inability to focus attention
- Difficulty reading and copying numbers and/or symbols correctly
- Transpositions of numbers in sequences
- Difficulty with memory for formulas
- Difficulty understanding oral directions
- Difficulty distinguishing between visual symbols (e.g., x and +)
- Difficulty understanding oral directions
The above primary problems for students with learning disabilities impede their performance in the following secondary areas, which are often difficult for students without disabilities:
· Uneven comprehension and retention of material read
· Difficulty identifying important points and themes
· Difficulty planning a topic and organizing thoughts on paper
· Difficulty with sentence structure (e.g., sentence fragments, run-ons, poor grammar usage, missing inflectional endings)
· Compositions often limited in length
· Slow production of written work
· Difficulty with organizational skills
· Time management difficulties
· Slow to start and complete tasks
· Repeated inability, on a day-to-day basis, to recall what has been taught
· Class notes taken lack overall organization
· Trouble focusing and sustaining attention on academic tasks
· Inconsistent attention span during lectures
· Difficulty handling multiple task demands
· Quickly becomes overloaded
· Difficulty solving problems
· Slow visual processing speed
· Difficulty comprehending word problems
· Difficulty understanding a new application of a previously learned formula to a new problem
· Difficulty recalling previously learned concepts
· Difficulty storing and retrieving information over a long period of time.
Support services and accommodations at Old Dominion University include:
· Referral to Student Support Services for notetakers and tutors
· Testing accommodations
· Access to a special section of Spanish 101-102 designed with accommodations
· Priority registration
· Access to word processing for testing
· Advice about course load
· Assistance in acquiring textbooks on tape through RFB&D
· Study strategy assistance
· Learning disability support group
· Section of University Orientation (ELS 101) for students with learning disabilities
· Coordination of academic adjustments as supported by the student's documentation.
INFORMATION FOR FACULTY
- Provide students with a detailed course syllabus. Make it available before the start of classes.
- Clearly spell out expectations at the beginning of the course (e.g., grading, material to be covered, due dates).
- Start each lecture with an outline of material to be covered that period. At the conclusion of class, briefly summarize key points.
- Present new or technical vocabulary on the blackboard or use a student handout. Terms used in context will give them greater meaning.
- Give assignments orally as well as in written form. This will eliminate confusion regarding due dates and content.
- Announce reading assignments well in advance. This will be of great help to students with LD who use taped text materials. It takes an average of six weeks to get a book tape-recorded.
- Facilitate use of tape recorders for note-taking by allowing students to tape lectures.
- Provide study questions for exams that demonstrate the format, as well as the content, of tests. Explain what constitutes a good answer and why.
- Permit use of simple calculators, scratch paper, and electronic or conventional spellers' dictionaries during class sessions and testing.
- Provide adequate opportunities for questions and answers, including review sessions.
- If possible, select a textbook with an accompanying study guide for optional student use.
- Periodically review previously learned mathematical concepts and skills.
- Allow students to utilize formula cards during testing
Students with psychological disabilities present some of the most difficult challenges to the college professor. Like those with other disabilities, their impairments may be hidden and, in fact, latent, with little or no effect on their learning. Unlike others, however, their emotional disturbances may manifest themselves in negative behavior ranging from indifference and recalcitrance to disruptive behavior. Such conduct makes it hard to remember that they have as little control over their disabilities as do the students with physical disabilities.
The most common psychological impairment among students is depression. The condition may be temporary, in response to inordinate pressures at school, on the job, at home or in one's social life; or it may be a pathological sense of hopelessness or helplessness which may provoke, in its extreme, threats or attempts at suicide. It may appear as apathy, disinterest, inattention, impaired concentration, irritability, fatigue or other physical symptoms resulting from changes in eating, sleeping, or other living patterns.
Anxiety is also prevalent among students and may also be the transient reaction to stress. Mild anxiety, in fact, may promote learning and improve the student's functioning. Severe anxiety may manifest itself as withdrawal, constant talking, complaining, joking, crying, fantasizing, or extreme fear, sometimes to the point of panic. Bodily symptoms might include episodes of lightheadedness or hyperventilation.
Students are susceptible to the myriad psychological disorders that others are, some of which express themselves in inappropriate classroom behavior or inadequate performance on assignments. Some troubled students who are undergoing treatment take prescription medication to help control disturbing feelings, ideas and behavior. These medications might cause undesirable side effects such as drowsiness and disorientation.
INFORMATION FOR FACULTY
In dealing with psychological conditions that impair the functioning of the affected student alone, the principles outlined for all students with disabilities in Section IV generally apply. If the behavior begins to affect other or your course of instruction, other measures may be necessary:
- Discuss inappropriate classroom behavior with the student privately, directly, and forthrightly, delineating if necessary the limits of acceptable conduct (see Code of Student Conduct, "The Faculty Handbook").
- In your discussions with the student, do not attempt to diagnose or treat the psychological disorder. Focus on the student's behavior in the course.
- If you sense that discussion would not be effective, or if the student approaches you for therapeutic help, refer the student to the Office of Educational Accessibility, to the campus counseling staff or to an appropriate community mental health agency, whichever is most acceptable to the student.
- Promptly refer to the college's proper disciplinary or security channels any behavior by the student that may be abusive or threatening to self or others. Offices and telephone numbers are:
- Campus Police 757-683-4000
- Counseling and Psychological Services 757-683-4401
- The Office of Educational Accessibility 757-683-4655
One of the largest growing groups of students with disabilities on the college campus is students with Asperger's Syndrome. Therefore our understanding of this disability and the necessary supports are essential to help these students as they enter into college life.
The most common characteristic of persons with Asperger's Syndrome is the general inability to understand non-verbal behavior and social situations. These students have great difficulty understanding and using non-verbal behaviors such as eye-gaze, facial expressions, and gestures. They also have great difficulty developing appropriate peer relationships due to their inability to understand other's implicit intentions and subtle social nuances. It is extremely important to remember that students with Asperger's Syndrome do desire to have positive peer relationships; they simply lack the innate ability to negotiate the extremely complex realm of social interactions.
Another common characteristic of persons with Asperger's Syndrome is a range of idiosyncratic behaviors. They tend to develop intense pre-occupations with specific areas of interest. Areas of interest tend to revolve around transportation, electronics, computers, science, and mathematics. While the college campus is a great place to pursue these interests, students with Asperger's tend to immerse themselves in the interests to such an extent that it dominates their conversations and time. Other idiosyncratic behaviors may include repetitive motor patterns and vocal tics during times of stress. In order to avoid some stress, students with Asperger's Syndrome tend to develop strict routines and rituals in their lives. They need these often intricate routines and rituals so that they can establish some predictability in the ever-changing, complex world.
In general, these students tend to have good cognitive and academic abilities. They are highly visual learners. Many adults with Asperger's Syndrome describe their learning as a series of pictures in their heads. They are able to see the pictures of the information when asked to recall it. They work best with factual information. They tend to have very good verbal memory. They have a hard time, however, with academic tasks involving problem-solving, synthesis of information, and understanding another's perspective. Group projects and team work can be particularly stressful to student with Asperger's Syndrome.
Persons with Asperger's Syndrome report a wide range of sensory challenges. They can be hypersensitive to sounds; often hearing and being distracted by low intensity sounds such as the hum of a computer or alarms down the street. They can also be overwhelmed by the complexity of noise in large group social settings to such a degree that they are unable to distinguish one voice over the noise. They might also have hypersensitive responses to touch and texture, lighting, and smells. Interestingly enough, they may have lowered responses to temperature and pain.
Keep in mind that Asperger's Syndrome is a broad spectrum disorder. Every person presents the disability differently. The previous descriptions are meant to be a general overview of possible manifestations of the syndrome. When a student identifies himself to you as having Asperger's Syndrome, it is very important to talk with him or her about the following:
· particular strengths and needs,
· areas of interest,
· specific sensory sensitivities
· trigger points
· coping strategies
· calming techniques
Getting to know each person as an individual will allow you to best meet their needs in the classroom setting.
INFORMATION FOR FACULTY
The following are possible strategies and accommodations that you can use to help students with Asperger's Syndrome in your classroom.
· Work to minimize sensory distractions within the classroom. Remove auditory and visual distractions if possible. Seat them away from windows or overhead projectors. People with autism spectrum disorders often report that florescent lights are highly distracting because they can visually see the flickering of the lights. Consider turn off overhead lights if it is possible.
· Set clear expectations for class attendance, class participation, tests, and assignments. Clear, concise written expectations are best.
· If the student becomes disruptive to the flow of the class (i.e., asking too many questions or providing too much factual information), speak with the student individually after class. Explain in clear and specific terms what behaviors are expected in your classroom.
· Establish a quiet area for the student to go if he or she becomes overwhelmed or distressed during class. This should be a place where they can quickly go in order to calm when stress and anxiety have been triggered in class.
· If group projects are required in your class, establish a clear role for the student with Asperger's within his/her group. Note-taker or researcher might be good roles. Another option would be to allow the student to work individually on the project.
· If possible, use the student's area of interest for research or class projects. Highlight his or her areas of strengths in the classroom setting.
· Provide extended time for tests especially if they require problem-solving or synthesis of information.
· If possible, provide short answer or multiple choice tests rather than essay format.
· Keep in mind that the student may not be capable of understanding/taking another's perspective, so papers or projects that involve this skill may be impossible for the student to complete satisfactorily.
ALCOHOL AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE
Substance abuse is a condition of psychological and/or physiological dependence on a chemical substance such as alcohol, illegal drugs or prescription drugs. Individuals who are recovering from drug or alcohol abuse or who are in treatment programs to assist them in recovery are protected by federal legislation as are individuals with other types of disabilities.
These students may experience psychological problems such as depression, anxiety or very low self-esteem. They may exhibit poor behavioral control and, if they are using medication as a part of their treatment, they may experience undesirable side effects.
Support services include:
- Personal and academic counseling
- Referrals to community support agencies
- Assistance with registration
- General support services.
INFORMATION FOR FACULTY
- Students showing symptoms of substance abuse should be referred to the appropriate college facility: Counseling and Psychological Services, the Office of Educational Accessibility, or Student Affairs.
- Inappropriate classroom behavior should be discussed with the student in a private setting.
- Appropriate campus disciplinary channels (Student Affairs or the Vice President for Student Services) should be used when necessary.
- Section IV and the information on psychological impairments of this handbook provide suggestions for additional classroom considerations.
- Counseling and Psychological Services staff will refer students who are concerned about their own or someone else's drinking or drug use to community and private practitioners for therapy or intervention. The staff acts as liaison between the University and various treatment programs in the community, referring students in need of treatment as well as supporting those already involved in a treatment program. Information on self-help groups (i.e., A.A., N.A., A1-Anon) that meet on and off campus is also available.
Speech impairments range from problems with articulation or voice strength to complete voicelessness. They include difficulties in projection, as in chronic hoarseness and esophageal speech; fluency problems as in stuttering and stammering; and the nominal aphasia that alters the articulation of particular words or terms.
Support services and accommodations include:
- Assistance in communicating with faculty and staff
- Academic and personal counseling
- General support services
- Extended time for testing.
INFORMATION FOR FACULTY
- Give the students the opportunity to speak, but do not compel them to speak in class.
- Permit them the time they require to express themselves without unsolicited aid in filling gaps in their speech. Don't be reluctant to ask the student to repeat a statement.
- Address them naturally. Don't assume the spread phenomenon - that they cannot hear or comprehend.
- Consider course modifications, such as one-to-one presentations and the use of a computer with a voice synthesizer.
Students with speech impairments may be hesitant about speaking n class and/or may require more time to be understood. After some practice listening to the student, it will become easier to understand him/her. The instructor should not hesitate to ask for repetition of words or phrases. Alternatives for classroom participation might be considered if the student finds speaking in class too difficult. If possible, oral exams should be avoided.
There are many other medical conditions that may interfere with a student's academic functioning. Some of their symptoms, like limited mobility or impaired vision, and the types of intervention required may resemble those covered elsewhere in this manual. The general principles set forth in Section IV apply.
Below are brief descriptions of some of the more prevalent disabilities among students.
ACQUIRED IMMUNE DEFICIENCY SYNDROME (AIDS)
Acquired immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is caused by a virus that destroys the body's immune system. This condition leaves the person vulnerable to infections and cancers that can be avoided when the immune system is working normally. The virus is transmitted primarily through sexual contact or needle sharing with intravenous drug users. It is not transmitted through casual contact.
Manifestations of AIDS may be afraid to reveal their condition because of the social stigma, fear and/or misunderstanding surrounding this illness. It is, therefore, especially important that the strictest of confidentiality be observed. In addition, if the issue should arise in class, it is important for faculty to deal openly and non-judgmentally with it and to foster an atmosphere of understanding.
A disorder of the respiratory system, asthma can cause severe respiratory distress. Often accompanied by severe allergic conditions, the asthmatic condition impairs the person's ability to breathe, and often causes dizziness. In its most severe form, asthma can lead to respiratory distress resulting in hospitalization.
The asthmatic student must attempt to control his/her environment to eliminate the allergic triggers to an attack. Some control can be gained by simply avoiding objects or substances that bring on an allergic reaction. Often prescribed medications are necessary. Environmental adjustments may also be required to reduce the impact of perfumes or smoke.
Asthma can lead to class absence. Such absences should be few but may last for one or two days.
ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER (ADHD)
The student with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder has difficulty in the areas of attention, impulsiveness, and hyperactivity due to a disorder of the central nervous system. The condition may exist without the most obvious characteristics of hyperactivity. The effects of this disorder impact the student's concentration, memory, distractibility, ability to control fidgeting, activity levels, organizational focus, and decision- making.
While medication is often prescribed for students with this condition, additional accommodations may also be needed. Testing in a distraction-reduced environment is the most frequently utilized accommodation.
Because cancer can occur in almost any organ system of the body, the symptoms and particular disabling effects will vary greatly from one person to another. Some people experience visual problems, lack of balance and coordination, joint pains, backaches, headaches, abdominal pains, drowsiness, lethargy, difficulty in breathing and swallowing, weakness, bleeding or anemia.
The primary treatments for cancer, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and surgery may engender additional effects. Therapy can cause violent nausea, drowsiness and/or fatigue, affecting academic functioning or causing absences. Surgery can result in amputation, paralysis, sensory deficits, and language and memory problems.
Cerebral palsy is caused by an injury to the motor center of the brain, which may have occurred before, during or shortly after birth. Manifestation may include involuntary muscle contractions, rigidity, spasms, poor coordination, poor balance or poor spatial relations. Visual, auditory, speech, hand-function, and mobility problems might occur.
This Metabolic disorder is characterized by insulin deficiency and excess blood sugar. Diabetes can be controlled by insulin injections and by strict diet.
The strictness of diet forces the individual to eat at regular intervals. Therefore, it is possible that a student may need to eat during class if the class is scheduled during mealtime.
The insulin dependent diabetic, or a person who has had diabetes for years, often has concurrent visual deficits and may have and may have impaired tactile sensation. These may be necessary factors to consider when preparing a classroom experience for the student.
This metabolic disorder causes unusually low blood sugar levels. The student with hypoglycemia must follow a regular dietary schedule, usually eating several small meals during the day. The student may have to eat a small snack during class.
Multiple sclerosis is a progressive disease of the central nervous system, characterized by a decline of muscle control. Symptoms may include disturbances ranging from mild to severe: blurred vision, legal blindness, tremors, weakness or numbness in limbs, unsteady gait, paralysis, slurred speech, mood swings or attention deficits. Because the onset of the disease usually occurs between the ages of 20 and 40, students are likely to have difficulty adjusting to their condition. The course of multiple sclerosis is highly unpredictable. Periodic remissions are common and may last from a few days to several months before the disease symptoms return. As a result, mood swings may vary from euphoria to depression. It is not unusual to have striking inconsistencies in performance.
Muscular dystrophy refers to a group of hereditary, progressive disorders to a group of hereditary, progressive disorders that most often strike the young, producing degeneration of voluntary muscles of the trunk and lower extremities. The atrophy of the muscles results in chronic weakness of fatigue and may cause respiratory or cardiac problems. Walking, if possible, is slow and appears uncoordinated. Manipulation of materials in class may be difficult.
Students with epilepsy and other seizure disorders are extremely reluctant to divulge their condition because of the fear of being misunderstood or stigmatized. Misconceptions about these disorders - that they are forms of mental illness, contagious, and untreatable, for example - have arisen because their ultimate causes remain uncertain. There is evidence that hereditary factors may be involved and that brain injuries and tumors, occurring at any age, may give rise to seizures.
There are three distinct types of seizures:
1. Petit mal means "little seizure" and is characterized by eye blinking or staring. It begins abruptly with a sudden dimming of consciousness and may last only a few seconds. Whatever the person is doing is suspended for a moment but resumed again as soon as the seizure is over. Often, because of its briefness, the seizure may go unnoticed by the individual as well as by others.
2. Psychomotor seizures range from mild to severe and may include staring, mental confusion, uncoordinated and random movement, incoherent speech and behavior outburst, followed by immediate recovery. They may last from two minutes to a half hour. The person may have no recollection of what happened, but may experience fatigue.
3. Grand mal seizures may be moderate to severe and may be characterized by generalized contractions of muscles, twitching and limb jerking. A few minutes of such movements may be followed by unconsciousness, sleep, or extreme fatigue.
Students with seizure disorders are often using preventive medication, which may cause drowsiness and temporary memory problems. Such medication makes it unlikely that a seizure will occur in class.
In the event of a grand mal seizure, follow this procedure:
· Keep calm. Although its manifestation may be intense, it is generally not painful to the individual.
· Remove nearby objects that may injure the student during the seizure.
· Help lower the person to the floor and place cushioning under his/her head.
· Turn the head to the side so that breathing is not obstructed.
· Loosen tight clothing.
· Do not force anything between the teeth.
· Do not try to restrain bodily movement.
· Call the Campus Police (3-4000) or other appropriate authority (911) or ask someone else to do so.
· After a seizure, faculty should deal forthrightly with the concerns of the class in an effort to forestall whatever negative attitudes may develop toward the student.
SICKLE CELL ANEMIA
Sickle cell anemia is a hereditary disease primarily affecting African-Americans. It reduces the blood supply to vital organs and the oxygen supply to the blood cells, making adequate classroom ventilation an important concern.
Because many vital organs are affected, the student may also suffer from eye disease, heart condition, lung problems, and acute abdominal pain. At times limbs or joints may be affected. The disease is characterized by severe crisis periods, with extreme pain, which may necessitate hospitalization and/or absence from class. Completing academic assignments during these periods may not be possible. A reasonable accommodation in this case may be an incomplete for the semester.
TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY
The student with a head injury may be recovering from some traumatic impact to the brain or may be rehabilitating from a stroke or similar cerebral disorder.
Head injury can be responsible for a number of significant changes in the student. Brain damage, depending upon the location and intensity of the injury, may affect motor coordination, sensation, perception, speech and language processing, and/or intelligence and memory.
The student is generally enrolled for less than full-time study and must spend a great deal of time with tutors and learning assistants.
Students with head injuries benefit from adaptations to academic testing. Extended time to complete exams outside of class is frequently necessary. Also, avoiding in-class questioning of the student is advisable unless the student volunteers. Immediate recall of facts is often very difficult. The pressure of in-class performance creates anxiety that further blocks recall.
Support services include:
· Personal and academic counseling
· Test/ examination accommodations
· General accommodations.
V. UNIVERSITY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Old Dominion University is committed to achieving equal educational opportunity and full participation for persons with disabilities. It is the University's policy that no qualified person be excluded from participation in any University program or activity, be denied the benefits of any university program or activity, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination with regard to any University program or activity. This policy derives from the University's commitment to non-discrimination for all persons in employment, access to facilities, student programs, activities and services.
The Office of Educational Accessibility shall oversee the assessment of student requests for accommodation and assistance and shall coordinate the development of the program among the student, faculty members, and department chairs. In addition, the office shall implement the University's disability program for students and supervise the delivery of equipment and services.
The Director of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action will monitor the implementation of these guidelines.
The provisions of services to students with documented disabilities at Old Dominion University are based on the principle of non-discrimination and accommodation in academic programs set forth in implementing regulations for Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Students may require unique accommodations and must have their needs assessed on a case-by-case basis. The provision of accommodations for students with documented disabilities need not guarantee them equal opportunity for achievement. Old Dominion University is committed to providing students with documented disabilities the same opportunity to achieve academic success as it provides for all students.
I. Definition of Those Qualified for Assistance
The appropriate recipient of accommodations is defined as one who has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities, such as walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, performing manual tasks or learning. In addition, a person who has history of such impairment is qualified for assistance. With respect specifically to the post-secondary setting, such a person must be otherwise qualified under the academic standards requisite for admission in spite of the disability.
The Office of Admissions at Old Dominion University will make all reasonable effort to assure that all recruitment activities are made accessible to persons with documented disabilities. All schools hosting Old Dominion University recruitment activities will be encouraged to provide that such facilities are accessible so that interested persons with disabilities will not be excluded or denied participation. In keeping with this policy, Old Dominion University will provide, if given adequate advance notice, such services as interpreters, audiotapes or reader services at recruitment functions.
III. Admissions to the University
a. General Admissions
The requirements for general admission for persons with disabilities are no different from those for other persons applying to Old Dominion University. The official application for general admission to the University will not ask for information concerning an applicant's physical or mental disability. However, there are programs within the University that have technical standards that must be met. A prospective student may choose to self-disclose in the admissions process.
b. Acceptance to Specific Programs
Technical standards have been established by each academic program which describe the skills the student must have or be able to acquire in order to meet curriculum requirements and to perform successfully in an academic program. The University is not required to make major academic adjustments, fundamental changes, or substantially modify standards for acceptance into or completion of any academic program. Students with disabilities interested in applying for acceptance to a particular program should assure that they are aware of any applicable technical standards.
If a question arises about the qualifications of a student with a disability who wishes to be accepted in a particular degree program, the department chair shall have the responsibility of deciding whether or not the applicant will be accepted to the program. After having considered the requests for accommodation presented by the student, as well as the technical standards for the requested program, the department chair shall determine whether or not the student is otherwise qualified for acceptance to the program.
In making the determination, the department chair should consult with the student's advisor and the Office of Educational Accessibility. If after careful consideration, the department chair decides that the student is not otherwise qualified for acceptance to the program of study, the student will be advised of his or her academic options. The decision of the department chair may be appealed to the dean. The dean shall consult with the Director of Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action prior to deciding the appeal. The decision of the dean is final.
IV. Determination of Need for reasonable Accommodations/Academic Adjustments
Under Section 504, institutions are required to respond by making modifications in academic requirements as necessary to ensure that such requirements do not discriminate or have the effect of discriminating against a student with a disability.
The information sent to students upon acceptance to the University shall include a notice that it is the responsibility of students with a disability to contact the Office of Educational Accessibility to arrange for accommodations. The information provided by the student in doing so will be kept confidential and shared only with those involved in arranging for accommodations.
Students who request reasonable accommodations must be prepared to provide documentation of the disability by a qualified professional, where appropriate, before accommodations will be implemented. Except under extraordinary circumstances, the documentation must be current i.e., dated no more than three years prior to enrollment in the University.
Documentation must provide sufficient information to assist the institution in determining what difficulties the student would encounter in a normal learning environment. Although formats will vary, the following critical data should be included in any documentation in support of a request for accommodations:
1. The student's name, the dates of examination or testing, the examiner's name and credentials.
2. Identify the problems or reasons for referral.
3. In cases of learning disability, a list of the tests administered, including the names of the tests as well as the version used.
4. An analysis or interpretation of test results.
5. Diagnostic summary with a brief composite of the entire assessment process. The summary should address the concerns raised in the section on reasons for referral.
6. Recommendations of strategies to assist the student in becoming an efficient learner.
A student with a documented disability who has registered for class or has been accepted into the University can request support services and the use of assistive technology for classroom and extracurricular activities. The student must notify the Office of Educational Accessibility of the accommodations required within a reasonable time prior to the date of anticipated need. Reasonable accommodations by the university are possible only after contact with the Office of Educational Accessibility has been initiated. Students needing sign language interpreters or special equipment should provide 45 days notice to the Office of Educational Accessibility.
The Office of Educational Accessibility will assess requests for accommodation after carefully reviewing the diagnostic evaluation. Each accommodation will be based on objective documentation regarding the effect of the specific documented disability on the ability to learn in the content area in question.
In order to receive accommodations, students must supply their instructors with letters from the Office of Educational Accessibility which verify their disability and identify reasonable accommodations. The student and faculty member shall:
a. Discuss the implementation of appropriate accommodations
b. Note their respective agreement to these accommodations
c. Return the signed forms to the Office of Educational Accessibility noting their agreement in the space provided
Students who have a documented disability may elect not to disclose the disability. Should the student seek accommodations late in the semester, or if a student has a disability which is not obvious and chooses not to disclose it, then he/she should be aware that 1) all previous grades will stand as earned, and 2) accommodations will be implemented n a timely manner, usually within two weeks. For students who are newly identified and documented during the course of a semester and thus, have not had the advantage of accommodations, considerations will be made on a case -by-case basis in consultation with all parties involved.
The types of accommodations provided to student with documented disabilities will vary depending on the nature of the disability and the course content. Often an initial trial-and-error period may be needed to determine the best way to accommodate a student's disability.
The Office of Educational Accessibility will advise the students in writing of the results of the assessment. This notification to the student from the university shall serve as a guide for the provision of services from the university for the semester or situation specified.
If agreed upon accommodations did not meet the needs of the student, the student should contact the Office of Educational Accessibility for further assistance.
If the Office of Educational Accessibility does not agree with the student's request, then the student may follow the procedures outlined in section VI of this policy.
V. Support Services
Students with documented disabilities should make sure that their advisors are aware of the disabilities so that the advisor can guide the student as to course or degree requirements which may affect the student's completion of the course or degree program.
2. Classroom Accommodations
The University shall provide the following minimal accommodations for students with documented disabilities in the classroom; 1) classroom activities, including testing procedures and other methods of evaluation used for classroom participation, shall be reasonably modified to provide students with documented disabilities with the opportunity to participate; 2) the location of classrooms shall be changed as appropriate to accommodate the student with a disability; 3) a reasonable number of elective courses shall be held in accessible facilities; 4) the use of special equipment and assistive technology shall be made available; and 5) modification of course requirements or assignments which may not be essential shall be considered.
3. Student Services and Activities
Students with documented disabilities at Old Dominion University shall be provided reasonable accommodations for participation in and use of student services and activities including housing, health, insurance, counseling, financial aid, physical education, athletics, recreation, transportation, or other extracurricular programs or activities.
Given adequate notification, those students who require assistive technology and assistance for counseling settings will be provided with the aids and assistance necessary to participate.
At athletic and extracurricular activities, such as concerts and stage entertainment, special seating will be provided for students using wheelchairs as audience participants. For Old Dominion University sponsored lectures cultural activities, convocations and commencements, the participation of students with documented disabilities shall be provided, upon request, through the aid of sign language, assistive technology or other reasonable accommodation. Arrangements shall be made by the Office of Educational Accessibility if sufficient notification is given.
Old Dominion University provides on-campus housing space that has been specifically reserved for occupancy by students with documented disabilities and is moderately barrier free. The University will provide and assign students with disabilities to housing as such space is available in residence halls and apartment settings. Roommates will be assigned to students with disabilities occupying modified rooms in the same manner as other resident students.
It is the responsibility of the student to identify him/herself as a student with a documented disability seeking university housing in order to be considered for a reserved space. Application for a reserved space for a student with disability should be made to the Office of Educational Accessibility.
Housing Services will assign that space based on information provided by the Office of Educational Accessibility. Priority will be based on the greatest physical need to live in university housing as a means of providing a student with a disability opportunity to successfully fulfill his/her academic program at the University. Final selection for reserved spaces for students with disabilities will be completed at a specified date in mid-summer of each year. The student will be informed of the room assignment by Housing Services. The remaining spaces reserved for students with disabilities will be turned over to the housing services staff for assignments to students on the housing waiting list. Any student with a documented disability has the alternative of entering the regular housing application procedures and is not required to take a reserved space. However, students who have special needs should make sure the regular housing space can accommodate their needs.
Rental rates for students with documented disabilities shall be set at the same rate as for any other student at Old Dominion University. The exception to this is the single room policy that provides for a limited number of single room accommodations available for qualified students with documented disabilities at the rate which would normally be charged for double occupancy. The request for single accommodations must be made to the Office of Educational Accessibility and be properly documented. A final determination is made by Housing Services. Returning students may request that they be assigned to the same space as in the previous year. Students should proceed through the regular housing process to request the same space.
VI. Complaint Resolution Process
If a student with a documented disability believes that he/she has not been provided with the services to which he/she is entitled, the student should direct his/her complaint to the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action.
The student shall provide to the Director of EO/AA, in writing, documentation of the disability the nature of the discrimination and any other information deemed important.
The Director will then attempt to reach an agreement through an informal mediation process. If an agreement is reached, a copy of the agreement shall be provided to the student and the faculty member. If an agreement cannot be reached, the Director will convene an ADA Evaluation Committee for the purpose of evaluating the case and making a recommendation to the Provost. The decision of the Provost is final.
The members of the ADA Evaluation Committee will be the Director of Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action (chair), the General Counsel, the Director of the Office of Educational Accessibility, the appropriate dean and a designated representative from Academic Affairs.
Old Dominion University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution. |
ZEMA W. HILL (1891-1970)
Zema W. Hill
was a faithful and devoted minister, a funeral-home owner, and a notable
leader in Afro-American Nashville. He was born in Franklin County, in the
community of Asia near Winchester, Tennessee, on April 2, 1891. He became
a Christian at an early age, joined the Macedonia Primitive Baptist Church
during its revival services, and became an evangelist during his teenage
years. In 1916, Hill moved to Nashville, where he preached and evangelized
in Hightower Hall. His elegance. good looks, and magnetic preaching style
enlarged his South Nashville congregation until the services had to be
moved under a large tent.
In 1919, a house of worship was dedicated at Overton and Division streets.
Elder A. M. Bedford, the moderator of the Cumberland River Association
of the Order of the Primitive Baptist Church, dedicated the building as
"Hill's Tabernacle." Elder Zema Hill faithfully served the congregation
for thirty years.
In the year his church building was dedicated, Hill also established
the Zema W. Hill Funeral Home at Fourth Avenue, South, and Peabody Street.
During this period, no black insurance companies existed in Nashville,
and there were few black funeral homes. The demand for services caused
the Hill funeral business to expand so rapidly that a large facility was
acquired at Fourth Avenue, South, and Franklin Street. Hill not only arranged
the funerals, he also preached and sang at the services. Although he catered
to the black elite, Hill's civic-minded zeal caused him to arrange funerals
for the destitute as well. These were known as his "silver services,"
where the plate was passed to collect money from the audiences.
The Zema W. Hill Funeral Home moved to 1306 South Street and became
one of the first black businesses in the area. He purchased a fleet of
Packard automobiles in the mid1930s, and his business nourished despite
the economic depression. Over the years, Hill bought many other fine automobiles,
including Cadillacs, Chryslers, and Lincolns. He attracted attention to
his business by printing "Zema W. Hill" in gold letters on his
cars' windows and placing two six-and-a-half-feet concrete polar bears
in front of the funeral home.
Elder Hill left his imprint on Afro-American Nashville through his charismatic
evangelism. During the thirties and forties, whites and blacks, political
leaders, and famous persons attended services at Hill's Tabernacle. Even
some of Nashville's underworld figures could be seen at Hill's Sunday night
services. He was renowned for sermons such as "The Resurrection of
the Dead" and "If a Man Should Die, Shall He Live Again."
Elder Hill's ministerial work was highlighted with his selection as a moderator
emeritus of the Cumberland Association of Primitive Baptists and
builder of the Cumberland Tabernacle in 1944.
Zema W. Hill died on February 5, 1970, after 17 years of illness. A
year before his death, Hill's Tabernacle was rebuilt. At his funeral services
on the morning of February 9 at the Cumberland Primitive Baptist Tabernacle,
Elder C. R. Wooten and others lauded the late Elder Hill as ". . .a
faithful and devoted minister, a loving father, neighbor and friend, and
[who] was respected by all who he came in contact with of both races...."
Hill, who was interred in Mount Ararat Cemetery in Nashville, was survived
by two children: Doris Hill Griner (deceased) and Clarence D. Hill. |
An Enterprise Architecture Management is only as effective as the quality of output produced for those who need it. Rational System Architect provides powerful methods to enable communication in a simple-to-use format, reporting information to unique audiences in a manner that best meets their needs:
Business Intelligence Powered by Cognos: Rational System Architect provides out-of-the-box support business intelligence reporting and analysis powered by IBM Cognos. This capability assures that business leaders have the proper measurement information to help guide decisions about where to transform, how to achieve the maximum business impact and ROI, and where to steer clear of high risk areas
Web Publishing: The IBM® Rational® System Architect® Publisher Add On delivers static Web output that contains sophisticated reports enabling complex queries of the IBM® Rational® System Architect® repository. This dynamic view provided in Website format helps viewers answer questions about the business, whether the viewer is a manager asking high-level questions, or a member of the IT staff asking design-level questions about modeled systems and the enterprise architecture.
Web Client: IBM Rational System Architect XT is a web client with real time access to data, used for visualizing, analyzing, and communicating your enterprise architecture, empowering successful decisions.
IBM Rational System Architect reporting helps you: |
The Lotus Symphony Sync Cell Content Plugin adds the capability of synchronizing cell contents and formats in spreadsheets and presentations. When you select part of the cell content in a spreadsheet, you might want to make a copy of the cell contents in a presentation. This plug-in helps you to automatically synchronize cell contents when the original cell data or cell formats change in the spreadsheet.
Steps to use the plug-in:
1 In a spreadsheet, select a cell range, and click Plug in > Cell Sync > Copy OLE.
2 in a presentation, click Plug in > Cell Sync > Paste OLE.
3 After changing the cell content in the spreadsheet, save and close the spreadsheet.
4 In the presentation, click click Plug in > Cell Sync > Update OLE. |
Please select one or more products to see content for this module.
Applicable product categories
This module is present because you have selected at least one product from the following set:
Point of Sales
System x Integrated Solutions
Older System x
Systems Management software
Hardware options and upgrades
This site provides general information at the Machine Type level, it does not provide warranty information for IBM features, conversions, upgrades, elements, or accessories. The warranty start and end dates in this site are a calculation based on the date the product ships from IBM not the actual product installation. Your rights and IBM's obligations regarding IBM Machine warranties are governed solely by the IBM Statement of Limited warranty that ships with your Machine or the IBM agreement under which you acquired your machine. This site also provides any eServicePac offerings that have been purchased for your machine. Please consult your local IBM representative, or your reseller for warranty or services information specific to your IBM Machine.
Enter the information found on the back of the system to check your warranty status or look up multiple warranties. |
Click the picture above
to see three larger pictures
Show birthplace location
|Previous||(Alphabetically)||Next||Biographies index |
|Version for printing|
Lipman Bers, always known as Lipa, was born into a Jewish family. His parents Isaac Bers and Bertha Weinberg were teachers, his mother being head at an elementary school in Riga where teaching was in Yiddish while his father was head at the Yiddish high school in Riga. Born in 1914, Lipa's early years were much affected by the political and military events taking place in Russia. Latvia had been under Russian imperial rule since the 18th century so World War I meant that there were evacuations from Riga. The Russian Revolution which began in October 1917 caused fighting between the Red Army and the White Army and for the next couple of years various parts of Russia came first under the control of one faction then of the other. Lipa's family went to Petrograd, the name that St Petersburg had been given in 1914 when there was strong anti-German feeling in Russia, but Lipa was too young to understand the difficulties that his parents went through at this time.
At the end of World War I in 1918, Latvia regained its independence although this was to be short-lived. Lipa spent some time back in Riga, but he also spent time in Berlin. His mother took him to Berlin while she was training at the Psychoanalytic Institute. During his schooling mathematics became his favourite subject and he decided that it was the subject he wanted to study at university. He studied at the University of Zurich, then returned to Riga and studied at the university there.
At this time Europe was a place of extreme politics and, in 1934, Latvia became ruled by a dictator. Lipa was a political activist, a social democrat who argued strongly for human rights. He was at this time a soap-box orator putting his views across strongly both in speeches and in writing for an underground newspaper. Strongly opposed to dictators and strongly advocating democracy it was clear that his criticism of the Latvian dictator could not be ignored by the authorities. A warrant was issued for his arrest and, just in time, he escaped to Prague. His girl friend Mary Kagan followed him to Prague where they married on 15 May 1938.
There were a number of reasons why Bers chose to go to Prague at this time. Firstly he had to escape from Latvia, secondly Prague was in a democratic country, and thirdly his aunt lived there so he could obtain permission to study at the Charles University without having to find a job to support himself. One should also not underestimate the fact that by this stage his mathematical preferences were very much in place and Karl Loewner in Prague looked the ideal supervisor.
Indeed Bers did obtain his doctorate which was awarded in 1938 from the Charles University of Prague where he wrote a thesis on potential theory under Karl Loewner's supervision. At the time Bers was rather unhappy with Loewner :-
Lipa spoke of feeling neglected, perhaps even not encouraged, by Loewner and said that only in retrospect did he understand Loewner's teaching method. He gave to each of his students the amount of support needed ... It is obvious that Lipa did not appear too needy to Loewner.
In 1938 Czechoslovakia became an impossible country for someone of Jewish background. Equally dangerous was the fact that Bers had no homeland since he was a wanted man in Latvia, and was a left wing academic. With little choice but to escape again, Bers fled to Paris where his daughter Ruth was born. However, the war followed him and soon the Nazi armies began occupying France. Bers applied for a visa to the USA and, while waiting to obtain permission, he wrote two papers on Green's functions and integral representations. Just days before Paris surrendered to the advancing armies, Bers and his family moved from Paris to a part of France not yet under attack from the advancing German armies. At last he received the news that he was waiting for, the issue of American visas for his family.
In 1940 Bers and his family arrived in the United States and joined his mother who was already in New York. There was of course a flood of well qualified academics arriving in the United States fleeing from the Nazis and there was a great scarcity of posts, even for the most brilliant, so he was unemployed until 1942, living with other unemployed refugees in New York. During this time he continued his mathematical researches. After this he was appointed Research Instructor at Brown University where, as part of work relevant to the war effort, he studied two-dimensional subsonic fluid flow. This was important at that time since aircraft wings were being designed for planes with jet engines capable of high speeds.
Between 1945 and 1949 Bers worked at Syracuse University, first at Assistant Professor, later as Associate Professor. Gelbart wanted to build up the department at Syracuse and attracting both Bers and Loewner was an excellent move. Here Bers began work on the problem of removability of singularities of non-linear elliptic equations. His major results in this area were announced by him at the International Congress of Mathematicians in 1950 and his paper Isolated singularities of minimal surfaces was published in the Annals of Mathematics in 1951. Courant writes:-
The nonparametric differential equation of minimal surfaces may be considered the most accessible significant example revealing typical qualities of solutions of non-linear partial differential equations. With a view to such a general objective, [Bers] has studied singularities, branch-points and behaviour in the large of minimal surfaces.
Abikoff writes in that this paper is:-
... a magnificent synthesis of complex analytic techniques which relate the different parameterisations of minimal surfaces to the representations of the potential function for subsonic flow and thereby achieves the extension across the singularity.
Bers then became a member of the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton where he began work on Teichmüller theory, pseudoanalytic functions, quasiconformal mappings and Kleinian groups. He was set in the right direction by an inequality he found in a paper of Lavrentev who attributed the inequality to Ahlfors. In a lecture he gave in 1986 Bers explained what happened next:-
I was in Princeton at the time. Ahlfors came to Princeton and announced a talk on quasiconformal mappings. He spoke at the University so I went there and sure enough, he proved this theorem. So I came up to him after the talk and asked him "Where did you publish it?", and he said "I didn't". "So why did Lavrentev credit you with it?" Ahlfors said "He probably thought I must know it and was too lazy to look it up in the literature".
When Bers met Lavrentev three years later he asked him the same questions and, indeed, Ahlfors had been correct in guessing why Lavrentev had credited him. Bers continued in his 1986 lecture:-
I immediately decided that, first of all, if quasiconformal mappings lead to such powerful and beautiful results and, secondly, if it is done in this gentlemanly spirit - where you don't fight over priority - this is something that I should spend the rest of my life studying.
It is ironic, given Bers strong political views on human rights, that he should find that Teichmüller, a fervent Nazi, had already made stunning contributions. In one of his papers on Teichmüller theory, Bers quotes Plutarch:-
It does not of necessity follow that, if the work delights you with its grace, the one who wrought it is worthy of your esteem.
In 1951 Bers went to the Courant Institute in New York, where he was a full professor, and remained there for 13 years. During this time he wrote a number of important books and surveys on his work. He published Theory of pseudo-analytic functions in 1953 which Protter, in a review, described as follows:-
The theory of pseudo-analytic functions was first announced by [Bers] in two notes. These lecture notes not only contain proofs and extensions of the results previously announced but give a self-contained and comprehensive treatment of the subject.
The author sets as his goal the development of a function theory for solutions of linear, elliptic, second order partial differential equations in two independent variables (or systems of two first-order equations). One of the chief stumbling blocks in such a task is the fact that the notion of derivative is a hereditary property for analytic functions while this is clearly not the case for solutions of general second order elliptic equations.
Another classic text was Mathematical aspects of subsonic and transonic gas dynamics published in 1958:-
It should be said, even though this is taken for granted by everybody in the case of Professor Bers, that the survey is masterly in its elegance and clarity.
In 1958 Bers address the International Congress of Mathematicians in Edinburgh, Scotland, where he lectured on Spaces of Riemann surfaces and announced a new proof of the measurable Riemann mapping theorem. In his talk Bers summarised recent work on the classical problem of moduli for compact Riemann surfaces and sketched a proof of the Teichmüller theorem characterizing extremal quasiconformal mappings. He showed that the Teichmüller space for surfaces of genus g is a (6g-6)-cell, and showed how to construct the natural complex analytic structure for the Teichmüller space.
Bers was a Guggenheim Fellow in 1959-60, and a Fulbright Fellow in the same academic year. From 1959 until he left the Courant Institute in 1964, Bers was Chairman of the Graduate Department of Mathematics.
In 1964 Bers went to Columbia University where he was to remain until he retired in 1984. He was chairman of the department from 1972 to 1975. He was appointed Davies Professor of Mathematics in 1972, becoming Emeritus Davies Professor of Mathematics in 1982. During this period Bers was Visiting Miller Research Professor at the University of California at Berkeley in 1968.
Tilla Weinstein describes in Bers as a lecturer:-
Lipa's courses were irresistible. He laced his lectures with humorous asides and tasty tidbits of mathematical gossip. He presented intricate proofs with impeccable clarity, pausing dramatically at the few most critical steps, giving us a chance to think for ourselves and to worry that he might not know what to do next. Then, just as the silence got uncomfortable, he would describe the single most elegant way to complete the argument.
Jane Gilman describes Bers' character:-
Underneath the force of Bers' personality and vivacity was the force of his mathematics. His mathematics had a clarity and beauty that went beyond the actual results. He had a special gift for conceptualising things and placing them in the larger context.
In Bers life is summed up by Abikoff as follows:-
Lipa possessed a joy of life and an optimism that is difficult to find at this time and that is sorely missed. Those of us who experienced it directly have felt an obligation to pass it on. That, in addition to the beauty of his own work, is Lipa's enduring gift to us.
We have yet to say something about Bers' great passion for human rights. In fact this was anything but a sideline in his life and one could consider that he devoted himself full-time to both his mathematical work and to his work as a social reformer. Perhaps his views are most clearly expressed by quoting from an address he gave in 1984 when awarded an honorary degree by the State University of New York at Stony Brook:-
By becoming a human rights activist ... you do take upon yourself certain difficult obligations. ... I believe that only a truly even-handed approach can lead to an honest, morally convincing, and effective human rights policy. A human rights activist who hates and fears communism must also care about the human rights of Latin American leftists. A human rights activist who sympathises with the revolutionary movement in Latin America must also be concerned about human rights abuses in Cuba and Nicaragua. A devout Muslim must also care about human rights of the Bahai in Iran and of the small Jewish community in Syria, while a Jew devoted to Israel must also worry about the human rights of Palestinian Arabs. And we American citizens must be particularly sensitive to human rights violations for which our government is directly or indirectly responsible, as well as to the human rights violations that occur in our own country, as they do.
Bers received many honours for his contributions in addition to those we have mentioned above. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, to the Finnish Academy of Sciences, and to the American Philosophical Society. He served the American Mathematical Society in several capacities, particularly as Vice-President (1963-65) and as President (1975-77). The American Mathematical Society awarded him their Steele Prize in 1975. He received the New York Mayor's award in Science and Technology in 1985. He was an honorary life member of the New York Academy of Sciences, and of the London Mathematical Society.
Article by: J J O'Connor and E F Robertson
Click on this link to see a list of the Glossary entries for this page
List of References (5 books/articles)|
|Some Quotations (3)|
|Mathematicians born in the same country|
|Honours awarded to Lipman Bers|
(Click below for those honoured in this way)
|AMS Colloquium Lecturer||1971|
|AMS Steele Prize||1975|
|American Maths Society President||1975 - 1976|
|LMS Honorary Member||1984|
Other Web sites
|Previous||(Alphabetically)||Next||Biographies index |
|History Topics || Societies, honours, etc.||Famous curves |
|Time lines||Birthplace maps||Chronology||Search Form |
|Glossary index||Quotations index||Poster index |
|Mathematicians of the day||Anniversaries for the year|
JOC/EFR © April 2002 |
School of Mathematics and Statistics|
University of St Andrews, Scotland
The URL of this page is:| |
x2/3 + y2/3 = a2/3
x = a cos3(t), y = a sin3(t)
Click below to see one of the Associated curves.
|Definitions of the Associated curves||Evolute|
|Involute 1||Involute 2|
|Inverse curve wrt origin||Inverse wrt another circle|
|Pedal curve wrt origin||Pedal wrt another point|
|Negative pedal curve wrt origin||Negative pedal wrt another point|
|Caustic wrt horizontal rays||Caustic curve wrt another point|
The astroid only acquired its present name in 1836 in a book published in Vienna. It has been known by various names in the literature, even after 1836, including cubocycloid and paracycle.
The length of the astroid is 6a and its area is 3πa2/8.
The gradient of the tangent T from the point with parameter p is -tan(p). The equation of this tangent T is
x sin(p) + y cos(p) = a sin(2p)/2
Let T cut the x-axis and the y-axis at X and Y respectively. Then the length XY is a constant and is equal to a.
It can be formed by rolling a circle of radius a/4 on the inside of a circle of radius a.
It can also be formed as the envelope produced when a line segment is moved with each end on one of a pair of perpendicular axes. It is therefore a glissette.
Other Web site:
|Main index||Famous curves index|
|Previous curve||Next curve|
|History Topics Index||Birthplace Maps|
|Mathematicians of the day||Anniversaries for the year|
|Societies, honours, etc||Search Form|
The URL of this page is: |
Since obtaining my Master of Social Work degree in December 2007, I've been steadily increasing my skills and knowledge in the hopes I can pursue a career that matches my degree. I've found it to be slightly more difficult than I had anticipated, as many are unclear what a macro-focused Master of Social Worker does.
To clarify, somewhat, a MSW with a macro focus does work more akin to what someone with a Masters in Business Administration does. We both focus on how an entity functions as a whole, looking at all of the parts that comprise it, and picking apart those areas to make them better. My main focus was on program evaluation, as well as community organization. Being that I actually enjoy doing research, performing literature reviews, and combing over data to make sure it is complete and correct, I know I'll be able to find an arena I can turn into a career.
Until I find that career, I'm applying as much as I can of what I know to the job I currently have, Health Educator / Program Coordinator at the University of Michigan Health System's Employee Assistance Program. I know this information will be helpful on my next career path, so am enjoying it while I can. |
- The Event
- About Us
RACE DATE: 08/17/2013
The 100on100 Relay is a 100-mile team running relay race through the Heart of Vermont. Runners from across the country converge on the Green Mountain state each August for this long distance relay along scenic Route 100. Running races in New England are bounding in popularity and Vermont running races put on by Heart of Vermont Productions are looking to lead the way.
|THE EVENT||REGISTER||COURSE||PLANNING||VOLUNTEERS||COMMUNITY||CHARITIES||SPONSORS||ABOUT US| |
All Season Ultra High Performance
Quite possibly the best Ultra High Performance tire in the market today. The New ECSTA ASX combines ultra high performance with everyday needs of all season traction, low noise, outstanding ride comfort, and affordability. Specifically built for the most demanding of conditions, the ECSTA ASX uses the latest technology and silica compounding to deliver a truly unique driving experience.
- The ASX's belt pacakage is capable of greatly improving wear handling and delivering ride comfort because of high tensile steel belts and jointless nylon full cap plies.
- The ultra hard filler that comprises the bead apex improves handling performance at low speed and extreme handling conditions.
- Rim protector |
A major storm has missed Australia's major iron ore port and crossed a sparsely populated stretch of the west coast.
The Bureau of Meteorology said in a statement Thursday that Cyclone Rusty was weakening as it tracked inland from the coast of Western Australia state but remained destructive with gusts up to 78 mph.
Port Hedland was relatively unscathed by the storm that was gusting up to 140 miles per hour late Wednesday as it crossed the coast from the Indian Ocean to the south of the town.
Port Hedland residents were returning to their homes from storm shelters on Thursday after the bureau declared the danger there had passed. The iron ore export facilities were shut down on Wednesday for fear of damage. |
The Uniden DECT4096-5 is a 2 line corded/cordless phone with
digital answering system and one cordless handset that utilizes DECT
technology with a frequency range of 1.9 GHz for maximum voice
security and the clearest voice reception. The DECT4096-5 features
digital answering system with handset access and 30
minutes recording time.
The Uniden DECT4096-5 has a large, easy-to-read LCD screen which clearly
displays the date, time, extension and is also compatible with the
caller-ID and call-waiting display. Other features include 100
phone book locations and 50-number caller ID history, 3-party
conferencing, message waiting indicator, base duplex speakerphone and
power failure protection. This system comes with 5 extra
handsets and is expandable up to 10 handsets.
Phone Facts 101: |
Rod Stewart Wants To Reunite The Faces »
Rod Stewart wants to reunite the Faces, telling the Sun that they would be back together already if not for errant member Ron Wood. "Well, we were on for it but he got nabbed back by the Rolling Stones, didn't he? But let them have him, because my eyes are on next year."
Jethro Tull To Release 1970-2005 DVD Set »
Jethro Tull is prepping the release of a four DVD set, Around the World Live, featuring footage from 35 years of live shows. The oldest set is taken from a 1970 Isle of Wight gig, while the most recent is from a 2005 performance at the Estival in Lugano, Switzerland. Around the World Live, distributed on Eagle Rock Entertainment, is due June 25.
Motley Crue Guitarist Gets Tackled Onstage »
Mick Mars, Motley Crue guitarist, says he is "alright" after getting knocked over by a rambunctious fan at a show in Canada over the weekend. The fan rushed the stage during a performance of "Primal Scream" at Spectra Place in Estevan, Saskatchewan, in an attempt to get to frontman Vince Neil. Mars was run over in the process, and eventually the fan was subdued by security.
Rolling Stones Reportedly Facing Slow Ticket Sales »
The Rolling Stones have faced slow ticket sales on their current 50 and Counting U.S. trek. The band managed to sell out its first date in Los Angeles, but only after ticket prices were cut in the days leading up to the show. Ticket prices are to blame, say industry experts, with Stones' general admission prices beginning at $170, rising to $600 for premium seating.
Paul McCartney Performs Five Beatles Songs In Concert For First Time »
Paul McCartney pulled out all the stops at the opening show of his Out There world tour in Brazil this past weekend, performing five Beatles songs as well as two Wings songs. According to Consequence of Sound, Sir Paul performed "Eight Days a Week," "Your Mother Should Know," "All Together Now," "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!" and "Lovely Rita."
Robert Plant Gets Restraining Order Against Stalker »
Led Zeppelin icon Robert Plant has filed for a restraining order against a woman who claims that she had a relationship with him. The woman, Alysson Billings, sent Plant a series of threatening messages, according to Britain's The Sun. The tabloid reports that Billings has not, in fact, ever met Plant . . . |
Come on out to Gulf Coast Boat Sales on Wednesday from 5-6pm for your chance to win SANTA BLAST TICKETS! Also, grab some WQYK gear and jump in some pictures for the WQYK website! Hope to see you there!
Dave and Veronica are on a mission to collect 10,000 canned food items in 10 days for Feeding America Tampa Bay. Just in time for Thanksgiving, Dave and Veronica will team up with the local food bank and request your help and help those in need.
ALSO, as an added BONUS, anyone who donates canned goods at the WQYK events from November 12-16 will receive a FREE PAIR of Whatever Women Want tickets. Find out more about Whatever Women Want by clicking the link. |
200 Queen Anne Ave N
Seattle, WA 98109
Edit Business Info
Average Main Course Price is $13
Convenient to the Seattle Center, this understated little Chinese joint has made quite a name for itself in Queen Anne circles thanks to its terrific prices and tasty Mandarin fare. At lunchtime, especially, the place stays packed with the hungry clientele enjoying everything from moo shu pork to kung pao chicken (all combinations come with rice and an egg roll). Owner Yu-Mei Wang has been called a "hands-on entrepreneur with a warm, smiling countenance and lots of style," and since she likes to connect with her patrons, she's been known to make the rounds and sit down for a friendly chat with her customers.
Best for Chinese Because: Uptown China draws loyal customers to its Queen Anne venue, thanks to its tasty Mandarin fare. Patrons enjoy chats with the friendly owner, too. |
Troops overseas made a Memorial Day tribute to all fallen military members using the words of a Camp Pendleton Marine.
» Sign Up For Breaking News Alerts» Like Us On Facebook» Follow Us On Twitter
Sgt. William Stacey's final words are still being spoken and his message is being heard across the world.
On Jan. 31, Stacey was killed by a roadside bomb in Helmand Province in Afghanistan. He wrote a letter before his fifth and final deployment.
On Monday, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Marine Gen. John Allen, read that letter out loud to a crowd of troops.
"Today, we remember his life and his words, for they speak resoundingly and timelessly for our fallen brothers and sisters in arms," Allen said.
At just 23, Stacey had been on multiple deployments and Kurt Wagner had been by his side since boot camp. Wagner did not know about his friend's letter until he was gone.
"Second Battalion, 4th Marines went to Afghanistan, came back a few months ago and Will didn't come back unfortunately," said Wagner.
Wagner added, "That letter
it says everything. It says everything about what's important and what's at stake."
The letter reads in part, "Perhaps there is still injustice in the world. But there will be a child who will live because men left the security they enjoyed in their home country to come to his." (Read the full letter at The Seattle Times
Wagner has holds the letter dear to his heart and even has it memorized.
"[Stacey] had all the bravery in the world and because he loved America
he was a United States Marine," said Wagner.
Within a week of returning from his first deployment, Stacey volunteered and went right back into battle. He did that following two deployments.
"He had every opportunity in the world, and he was a smart guy," said Wagner. "He could have done anything or gone anywhere."
Stacey gave up his life so someone else would not have to, but it is clear that his legacy lives on.
"If my life buys the safety of a child who will one day change this world, then I know that it was all worth it," the letter said.
When asked if he also thought it was worth it, Wagner said, "I know it was worth it."
Copyright Do you have more information about this story? Click here to contact usCopyright 2012 by 10News.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
Nkosi Thandiwe (Courtesy Atlanta Police)
ATLANTA -- A 23-year-old man has been sentenced to life without parole plus 65 years in prison for a shooting at a Midtown parking deck.
Nkosi Thandiwe was sentenced Thursday in Fulton County Superior Court.
Thandiwe was found guilty of killing 26-year-old Brittany Watts and shooting two other women in the parking deck of the Proscenium building on July 15, 2011.
PHOTOS | Parking deck shooting
Police said Lauren Garcia and Tiffany Ferenczy were shot as Thandiwe fled the parking deck at 1170 Crescent Avenue. Garcia was paralyzed.
Thandiwe turned himself in to police a few hours after the shooting. |
Baton Rouge, LA (Sports Network) - Andre Stringer and Johnny O'Bryant III both
scored 18 points as the LSU Tigers remained undefeated with an 80-67 win over
the Chattanooga Mocs in non-conference play at the Pete Maravich Assembly
O'Bryant III, who also blocked three shots, finished with a double-double for
the Tigers (6-0) as he pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds in the triumph.
Corban Collins chipped in with 11 points off the bench as well for the hosts.
The Mocs (2-7), losers of three straight, were paced by Z. Mason who delivered
a career-high 22 points, followed by Ronrico White and Gee McGhee with 17 and
10 points, respectively.
LSU made good on an even 50 percent from the floor in the first half,
including 5-of-11 behind the three-point line, in order to take a 42-30 lead
at the break.
In the second half the Tigers again shot well beyond the arc (4-of-8) in order
to secure the double-digit win.
LSU, which won the rebounding battle by a 46-39 margin, survived despite
suffering 18 turnovers and shooting just 11-of-20 at the free-throw line.
The Sports Network |
ATLANTA -- St. Pius X will host the North Hall Trojans Friday, December 7 at 7:30pm at George B. Maloof Stadium in the semifinals of the Georgia High School Association AAA Football Playoffs. With both schools as the top seed from their respective regions, the Golden Lions won the coin toss for home field advantage. This is the third time in four years that St. Pius X has won a coin toss for home field in the state playoffs when the Golden Lions hosted Peach County and Cairo, respectively, in the quarterfinal round.
St. Pius X (11-2) defeated Washington County on Friday night, 40-35. Jack Spear passed for two touchdowns, one each to Branden Mitchell and Nick Ruffin, and Ryan Braswell rushed for three scores. Mitchell also ran for 164 yards. Thomas O'Leary added two field goals of 43 and 45-yards. The Golden Lions forced three turnovers and held Washington County on downs inside the red zone in the fourth quarter holding a precarious 34-28 lead.
The Golden Lions have now advanced to the semifinals for the fifth time and first since 2006 when they lost to eventual champion, Northside, Warner Robins. The previous two trips to the semifinals were in 1965 (state runners-up), 1967 and 1968, when St. Pius X won its only state championship.
North Hall knocked off Peach County, 52-10, to advance to the semifinals and win its tenth straight home playoff game.
The Trojans (11-2) and Golden Lions last met in the playoffs in 2009 with St. Pius X taking a 17-3 second round victory. The two schools also played in the regular season in 2010 and 2011 with the Golden Lions winning each game.
St. Pius X |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.