text:
Read next
The Airports Council International (ACI) recently released its list of the busiest airports in the world. Once again, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) took the top spot, with more than 100 million passengers in 2015. According to the ACI, this represents an increase in traffic of over 5.5% over 2014. The trade group attributes Atlanta's success to its strategic location, where it is within a two-hour flight of 80% of the US population. In addition, the ACI credits the growth of ATL's largest tenant — Delta Air Lines — for the airport's continued expansion. Globally, the number of people traveling by air grew at a rate of 6.1% in 2015.
"It's impressive to witness the dynamic character of the aviation industry and its evolution over time," ACI World Director General Angela Gittens said in a statement. "Even in the most mature markets such as the United States and parts of Western Europe, several of the major hubs experienced year-over-year growth rates in passenger traffic that were well above the historical growth levels for these regions."
The trade group compiled its list using passenger-traffic data from 1,144 airports around the world.
Here are the 16 busiest airports in the world based on total passenger traffic:


text:
|Al Pacino. Download image
Friday, June 15, 2012
"Al Pacino: One Night Only," Viva Health Starlight Gala, 7 p.m., presented by UAB's Alys Stephens Center, 1200 10th Ave. South. The Viva Health Starlight Gala is Birmingham's premier performing arts event that benefits the programs and education initiatives of UAB's Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center. Pacino is one of the most respected actors in all film history and one of the greatest movie stars of our time. His name signifies artistry and legendary talent in the world of Hollywood and beyond, and for one night only the charismatic, passionate actor will be live from the Alys Stephens Center. "Pacino, One Night Only" will begin with the actor discussing his life, legendary career and backstage tales from a lifetime spent in the world of film and theater. He will show never-before-seen film clips and retrospectives and answer questions from the audience afterward. This show promises to be an informative, conversational, funny yet serious discussion of the art of film and Pacino's career. Tickets are $125; $175 and both include a red carpet-worthy, pre-show reception. Call 205-975-2787 or visit www.AlysStephens.org.
|Jason Isbell. Download image
Saturday, June 16, 2012
"An acoustic evening with Jason Isbell," 7:30 p.m., presented by UAB's Alys Stephens Center, 1200 10th Ave. South. Alabama's own singer, songwriter and guitarist Isbell will return to the South and his solo Alys Stephens Center show fresh from a European tour with Ryan Adams. The show will be in the Alys Stephens Center's "On Stage" format, which features 110 seats with the artist on the center's Jemison Concert Hall stage and 220 seats right above the stage in the choral balcony. Isbell is part of the "Good Songs, Good People" series presented by the ASC, Good People Brewing Co. and Birmingham Mountain Radio. Come early for cocktail hour at 6:30 p.m., with a cash bar featuring Good People's finest craft brews and food and snacks from Birmingham's favorite local eateries. For this special series, patrons can purchase a theater-friendly commemorative cup and take their drink into the show. Tickets are $29.50 plus a $2 building restoration fee. Earlier in the day Isbell will lead a one-hour songwriting clinic with a Q&A from the stage at 2 p.m., presented by ArtPlay. The clinic is free and open to the public. Call 205-975-2787 or visit www.AlysStephens.org for tickets or more information.
|Eric Benet. Download image
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Eric Benét and Ledisi, 7 p.m., presented by UAB's Alys Stephens Center, 1200 10th Ave. South. Coming together for the B.G.T.Y. Tour, R&B favorite Benét begins the night with a set of his biggest hits and new songs from his latest recording, "The One." Then, music's hot new sensation, Ledisi, takes the stage for a show. R&B crooner, songwriter and actor Benét was recently nominated for a 2012 Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance for his single "Sometimes I Cry," and was nominated for a 2011 Soul Train Award for Best Male R&B/Soul Artist. Ledisi's new album "Pieces of Me," follows her last two critically acclaimed albums, 2007's breakthrough hit "Lost and Found," nominated for two Grammy Awards including Best New Artist, and 2009's rock and funk, attention-stealing "Turn Me Loose," which garnered a number one debut position on the Billboard R&B chart. Tickets are $66.50, $57.50 and $46.50. Call 205-975-2787 or visit www.AlysStephens.org.
|Eric Essix. Download image
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Eric Essix, CD release celebration concert, 7:30 p.m., presented by UAB's Alys Stephens Center, 1200 10th Ave. South. Armed with talent for days, a huge fan base, integrity and an unequaled passion for the arts, Birmingham's Essix is set to once again make the music industry stand up and take notice with a recording of brand new music to be released in July. With nearly 20 albums as a solo artist, this latest will be his first "self-titled" project, which comes on the heels of his acclaimed "Retrospective: Ballads" CD released earlier this year. Essix is part of the "Good Songs, Good People" series presented by the ASC, Good People Brewing Co. and Birmingham Mountain Radio. Come early for cocktail hour at 6:30 p.m., with a cash bar featuring Good People's finest craft brews and food and snacks from Birmingham's favorite local eateries. For this special series, patrons can purchase a theater-friendly commemorative cup and take their drink into the show. Tickets are $37 and include a copy of the CD. Call 205-975-2787 or visit www.AlysStephens.org.
|Bob Schneider. Download image
Thursday, Aug. 2, 2012
Bob Schneider, 7:30 p.m., presented by UAB's Alys Stephens Center, 1200 10th Ave. South. "Eclectic" may not be a strong enough word to describe the musical style of singer, songwriter and guitar player Schneider. His sound is a mix of funk, country, rock and folk. As a solo artist he tours non-stop, has produced several acclaimed recordings and is known for producing songs for hit movies including "Miss Congeniality," "Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back," "40 Days and 40 Nights" and "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood." With his latest release "Lovely Creatures," Schneider will take you on a "dance in your seat" musical journey, from ballads to pop and even Latin beats. Schneider is part of the "Good Songs, Good People" series presented by the ASC, Good People Brewing Co. and Birmingham Mountain Radio. Come early for cocktail hour at 6:30 p.m., with a cash bar featuring Good People's finest craft brews and food and snacks from Birmingham's favorite local eateries. For this special series, patrons can purchase a theater-friendly commemorative cup and take their drink into the show. Tickets are $31.50. Call 205-975-2787 or visit www.AlysStephens.org.
|Wynonna. Download image
Friday, Aug. 10, 2012
Wynonna, 8 p.m., presented by UAB's Alys Stephens Center, 1200 10th Ave. South. Wynonna, with her mother Naomi Judd, rose to superstardom as The Judds in the early '80s, with chart toppers like "Mama He's Crazy," "Why Not Me" and "Grandpa (Tell Me 'Bout the Good Old Days)." Unstoppable for the rest of the decade, The Judds picked up multiple Grammy, CMA and ACM awards and sold more than 20 million albums. Wynonna went on to launch her wildly successful solo career and hasn't slowed down since. Her string of hit albums started with her quintuple platinum 1992 solo debut, "Wynonna," which spawned four No. 1 hits and was the bestselling country album ever by a female artist at that time. In 1994, Wynonna received the coveted Top Female Vocalist of the Year trophy at the ACM Awards. Engaging the soulful, bluesy side of her voice only hinted at with The Judds, Wynonna went on to sell more than 10 million albums and reach new creative heights with six chart toppers of her own. Now, her novel "Restless Heart" is in stores, "The Judds" docu-series is on the OWN channel, and she is recording her eighth studio album due out next year. Premium seating is $96.50; tickets are $80.50, $71.50 and $60.50. Call 205-975-2787 or visit www.AlysStephens.org.
|Red Baraat. Download image
Thursday, Sept. 13, 2012
Inter-ART-ive featuring Red Baraat, 6-9 p.m., presented by UAB's Alys Stephens Center, 1200 10th Ave. South. Join the ASC for the sixth annual inter-ART-ive outdoor party featuring Indian bhangra and funky brass band Red Baraat. This incredibly unique group has a sound so powerful it has placed the band in its own utterly unique and enviable class. Red Baraat is as likely to throw down at an overheated and unannounced warehouse party in their Brooklyn neighborhood as they are at the Barbican, the Montreal Jazz Festival or Lincoln Center. Leading an audience as diverse and joyful as the band itself, Red Baraat has subsumed a plateful of global influence, fused it and is now exporting it Brooklyn-style to the world. The Wall Street Journal calls them "A big band for the world." UAB's acclaimed Drumline will open, followed by a performance by Juka Tribe and a community drum circle with John Scalici and Friends. Cantina on Wheels, Spoonfed Grill, NOLA Ice and Dreamcakes will serve up food. Try out new craft brews by Birmingham Budweiser. Free admission for all, rain or shine. ArtPlay will present Red Baraat in a Meet the Artist school show Sept. 14 at the center. Call 205-975-2787 or visit www.AlysStephens.org
|Al Madrigal. Download image
Friday, Sept. 21, 2012
Indecision Tour 2012: "The Daily Show Live," sponsored by Comedy Central and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, 8 p.m., presented by UAB's Alys Stephens Center, 1200 10th Ave. South. Meet and laugh with the people behind this Emmy Award-winning show: John Hodgeman, Al Madrigal and Adam Lowitt. With 2012 being an election year, "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" promises to be one of the most popular and relevant shows on television. "The Daily Show," which has won 16 Emmy Awards, is going on tour and visiting college campuses and performing art centers across the country. The evening begins with a 10-minute video introduction by Jon Stewart, followed by stand-up performances and a Q&A with the audience, which will cover what it's like writing for and being part of a hugely successful television show and being in the world of political satire. Tickets are 48.50, $39.50 and $28.50. Call 205-975-2787 or visit www.AlysStephens.org.
|Cirque Alys. Download image
Friday, Sept. 28, 2012
Cirque Alys Aerial Music, 8 p.m. MASS Collective and the ASC present an original production created for UAB's Alys Stephens Center, 1200 10th Ave. South. Cirque Alys Aerial Music, an immersive theatrical experience combining music, one-of-a-kind instruments, aerial performers and sculpture, will explore the relationships of music to air and sound to space. Working with the experimental instruments created by William Close, the mastermind behind MASS Ensemble, along with aerial performers and musicians, Cirque Alys Aerial Music imagines moments of musical weightlessness. Close is an installation artist and musician who has developed more than 100 new types of musical instruments, including the majestic string instrument known as the Earth Harp, which was featured at the ASC in 2010. This one-time performance will begin inside the Jemison Concert Hall with the audience seated beneath the giant Earth Harp, while on stage and above, out-of-this-world floating percussion machines and dreamlike cirque performers will be suspended from silken ropes. The grand finale will take place in the Engel Outdoor Plaza where the performance will unfold on an elevated 25-foot truss sculpture that becomes both the instrument and the setting for a beautiful aerial performance. After the performance, the audience is invited to stay for a very special after-party featuring MASS Collective's resident DJ and a cash bar, gourmet food and Dreamcakes. Free events during the week-long residency leading up to the performance include free, outdoor demonstrations at noon and 5:30 p.m. Sept. 25-27 and a free lecture about the performance at 5 p.m. Sept. 25. ArtPlay will select students from a local ensemble to perform on stage with MASS during the Friday night performance. Tickets are $57 for premium seating inside and outside or $27 for seating inside and standing outside. ArtPlay will present Meet the Artist school shows at 11:15 a.m. Sept. 26 and 27. Call 205-975-2787 or visit www.AlysStephens.org.
|Paul Huang. Download image
Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012
Young Concert Artist Paul Huang, violin, 7 p.m., in the ArtPlay parlor, 1006 19th St. South. Part of the Patty McDonald presents ArtPlay's Parlor Music Series, featuring Young Concert Artists. The ASC introduces an exciting new setting for showcasing the world's best young rising stars of classical music: Parlor Music shows specifically designed for small audiences at ArtPlay, the ASC's education and outreach program headquarters. Huang won first prize at the 2011 Young Concert Artists International Auditions and the 2009 International Violin Competition Sion-Valais in Switzerland, and is quickly being recognized as an eloquent and magnetic violinist on the music scene. At the YCA Auditions, Huang was awarded the Helen Armstrong Violin Fellowship. He received the 2008 Juilliard Achievement Award and the 2009 Chi-Mei Cultural Foundation Arts Award for Taiwanese Most Promising Young Artists. A former recipient of the Stradivari Society, Huang's current instrument is on loan from the Chi-Mei Cultural Foundation in Tainan, Taiwan, which supports Taiwan's young, promising artists of exceptional talent and ability by providing precious antique instruments to the performers. Tickets are $37.50 with wine and hors d'oeuvres included. ArtPlay will present Huang for a Meet the Artist school show at 10 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 11 in the Alys Stephens Center's Jemison Concert Hall. The residency is made possible in part by the Annaliese Soros Educational Residency Fund of Young Concert Artists. Call 205-975-2787 or visit www.AlysStephens.org.
|Emmylou Harris. Download image
Friday, Oct. 19, 2012
Emmylou Harris and her Red Dirt Boys, 8 p.m., presented by UAB's Alys Stephens Center, 1200 10th Ave. South. A 12-time Grammy winner and Billboard Century Award recipient, Harris' contribution as a singer and songwriter spans 40 years. She has recorded more than 25 albums and has lent her talents to countless fellow artists' recordings. In recognition of her remarkable career, Harris was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008. A Birmingham native and audience favorite, Harris returns to the ASC for the first time in more than five years. Already celebrated as a discoverer and interpreter of other artists' songs, in the past decade Harris has gained admiration as much for her eloquently straightforward songwriting as for her incomparably expressive singing. In "Hard Bargain," released in April 2011, she offers 11 original songs. Three of them were co-written with Grammy and Oscar-winning composer Will Jennings and touch on the autobiographical while reaching for the universal. Tickets are $74.50, $65.50 and $54.50. Call 205-975-2787 or visit www.AlysStephens.org.
|Anthony Bourdain. Download image
Thursday, Nov. 1, 2012
Anthony Bourdain, 7 p.m., presented by UAB's Alys Stephens Center, 1200 10th Ave. South. Bourdain makes his first visit to the Magic City for an evening filled with eyebrow-raising stories and behind-the-scenes insights. Bourdain has been dubbed "the bad boy of cuisine" for his rock star look and blunt observations about the world of restaurants, chefs and cooking. As host of the Travel Channel's popular shows, "Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations" and "The Layover," he also is the honorary chef-at-large at New York's famed bistro Les Halles. Bourdain is well known for his bestselling books "Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly," a candid, hysterical and sometimes shocking portrait of life in restaurant kitchens, and his most recent New York Times best-seller, "Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook." As a celebrated chef, world traveler, best-selling author and host of two hit TV shows, he has played a major role in shaping the world of food in America. Featuring a VIP post-show party featuring Bourdain-inspired heavy hors d'oeuvres from Bottega Restaurant and Café, complimentary beer and wine and meet and greet with Bourdain; VIP tickets are $250. Tickets are $62, $53.50 and $41.50. Call 205-975-2787 or visit www.AlysStephens.org.
|Download image
Friday, Nov. 2-Friday, Nov. 9, 2012
Global Fest, inspired by the travels of Anthony Bourdain. A week of art, dance, music, lectures and more, presented by UAB's Alys Stephens Center, 1200 10th Ave. South. All events are free. Call 205-975-2787 or visit www.AlysStephens.org.
- Friday, Nov. 2, "The Beauty of Flamenco," noon, lunchtime performance and talk featuring dancer Irene Rimer.
- Monday, Nov. 5, "The Art of Origami," noon, lunchtime demonstration and art making.
- Monday, Nov. 5, "Healing and Hope in Africa," 5:30 p.m., by Michael S. Saag, M.D., director of UAB's Center for AIDS Research, who will discuss the medical advances and positive outcomes that have occurred through CFAR's work in Zambia.
- Tuesday, Nov. 6, "West African Dance," noon, lunchtime performance and talk featuring Nathifa Dance Company.
- Wednesday, Nov. 7, "Sounds of South America," noon, lunchtime performance and talk featuring guitarist Carlos Pino, UAB Department of Music and ArtPlay teaching artist.
- Thursday, Nov. 8, "UAB Goes to Antarctica," noon, featuring James McClintock, Ph.D., discussing his new book, "Lost Antarctica – Adventures in a Disappearing Land."
- Thursday, Nov. 8, "The Intersection of Art and Technology," 5:30 p.m. Happy hour demonstration and discussion by French artist Jean Jacques Gaudel, who will introduce the European art of architectural digital projection, a preview of the ASC's groundbreaking season closing event, "Light Dreams."
- Friday, Nov. 9, "World Instrument Exploration," 6 p.m. Happy hour performance and discussion by multi-talented artist Todd Green, who will take the group on a global journey of instruments and music.
|Peabo Bryson. Download image
Peabo Bryson, 8 p.m., presented by UAB's Alys Stephens Center, 1200 10th Ave. South. Over the course of a career spanning from the mid-1960s, two-time Grammy winner Bryson has amassed a huge fan base, critical acclaim, gold albums and awards. From ballads that gracefully continue the legacy of sweet soul music such as "Feel the Fire" and "I'm So Into You" to chart-topping pop hits such as "If Ever You're in My Arms Again" and "Can You Stop The Rain," Bryson has proven himself to be a consummate vocal professional. His award-winning duet collaborations include "Lovers After All" with Melissa Manchester, "By the Time This Night is Over" with instrumentalist Kenny G and "My Heart Belongs to You" with Jim Brickman. Bryson received back-to-back Oscars in 1991 and 1992 for his duets "Beauty and the Beast" with Celine Dion and "A Whole New World" with Regina Belle. With 20 albums to his credit, Peabo Bryson has enjoyed an unprecedented, across-the-board level of international success. Bryson also has the distinction of being the first artist in music history to have separate records topping four different charts. Tickets are $68.50, $59.50 and $48.50. Call 205-975-2787 or visit www.AlysStephens.org.
|Todd Green. Download image
Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012
ArtPlay presents Todd Green's "World Music Adventure," 1 p.m., presented by ArtPlay in UAB's Alys Stephens Center, 1200 10th Ave. South. Grab your passports and prepare for a musical adventure around the world with this multi-instrument solo artist and composer. His original music, an eclectic blend of classical, jazz, new age and world music, features more than 25 string, flute and percussion instruments from around the world. Using digital samplers to record and overdub himself live on stage, he essentially becomes a one-man orchestra of unique and exotic instruments. Give your family the opportunity to broaden their musical horizons through this unique "global" experience. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for children. ArtPlay will present a Meet the Artist school show at the ASC at 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 9. Call 205-975-2787 or visit www.AlysStephens.org.
|Martin Short. Download image
Friday, Dec. 14, 2012
Martin Short, 8 p.m., presented by UAB's Alys Stephens Center, 1200 10th Ave. South. Hilariously gifted, multi-talented performer Martin Short has a brand of comedy that is undeniable, with improvisation skills second to none and a supreme prowess for slapstick. The characters he creates such as nerdy Ed Grimley, albino entertainer Jackie Rogers, Jr. and celebrity talk show host Jiminy Glick are as wacky as they are enduring. For decades, Short has brought his own special concoction of quirkiness to screens both big and small with appearances and roles in "Saturday Night Live," "Arrested Development," "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Innerspace," "Three Amigos," "Father of the Bride," and many more. Get ready for an entertaining evening of stand-up comedy with audience interaction. Come early for the Falalalala Holiday Bash beginning at 7 p.m. with live music, drink specials and more. Tickets are $70.50, $61.50 and $50.50. Call 205-975-2787 or visit www.AlysStephens.org.
|Download image
Saturday, Dec. 15, 2012
ArtPlay presents "A Dickens Vest Pocket Christmas Carol," 11 a.m. and 7 p.m., presented by ArtPlay in UAB's Alys Stephens Center, 1200 10th Ave. South. Bah humbug! Join the Cratchets, Tiny Tim, all of the Spirits and Ebenezer Scrooge in the story of Scrooge's journey toward redemption and enlightenment. The play is adapted and directed by ArtPlay Teaching Artist Jerry Sims, whose popular original productions include "Yuletide in Dogtown," "Alice's EVEN BIGGER Tea Party" and "Down the Yellow Brick Road." Come early to enjoy holiday treats and more. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for children. ArtPlay will present Meet the Artist school shows at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Dec. 13-14. Call 205-975-2787 or visit www.AlysStephens.org.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Leave it to SEMA to cough up normal cars that have been rendered through the fantasy mill. We've already admitted that we like the Ford Fusion and our prayers for someone to tune a manual transmission model and bring it to SEMA have been answered
Meet Ice Nine Group's custom built Ford Fusion. It's bright green and comes with a 1.6-liter EcoBoost and a six-speed manual transmission. It is like they chugged a sixer of MONSTER and going to town with every add-on they could find. It's sort of tacky, honestly, but it's the model we're most excited about tuning.
The other sporty Fusions coming to SEMA are AWD 2.0-liter EcoBoost cars built by MRT Performance, 3dCarbon, and Tjin Edition — but alas, they're automatics.
If we had our druthers we'd take the bronze aesthetic and apply it to the 1.6-liter car. There's something about the color that's a big middle finger to beige cars with its bright metallic tan color. We'd drop the green calipers, though.
Now that they've got the Fusion's styling down, let's start stamping our feet and harrumphing loudly for bigger engines and turbo options.
Photo credit: Ford Photo Library
Photo credit: Ford Photo Library
Photo credit: Ford Photo Library


text:
Steve and I are looking for a home to purchase.
After lots of consideration about the economy, our finances and careers, the baby's nearing arrival, and other adult-ish matters, we decided that it was the right time.
So we've begun the exciting and complex process of searching the Los Angeles neighborhoods for a home to call our own.
It's all quite intimidating to me. I finally had the word "escrow" defined for me, and already that was enough information to make my brain go into hibernation mode for a few hours. Thank heavens for my husband, who is highly motivated to do most of the home-buying research and work.
There are a few houses that we've looked at, but we're still searching for something that really fits. It would be great to find a place that has at least three bedrooms, a front or back yard, and is near the college campus we work at.
Send us good house-hunting vibes, and hopefully I'll soon be able to write a post titled, "Yay, We Have a House!"


text:
Resident Cites D.C. Police Inaction During Brawl
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Residents in northeast Washington have filed a complaint over a District of Columbia police officer's inaction while responding to a street brawl.
The Washington Post reports the fight broke out Friday night in the Trinidad neighborhood. Eva Nash says she and her husband, Vinson, saw a crowd of 20 to 30 people with several fights underway. Nash says one fighter slammed another on her car, denting the hood.
Nash and her husband called police. She confronted the men but was shouted down and threatened.
When an officer arrived, most of the fighters scattered. Nash says the officer didn't make any effort to detain anyone and only asked if they wanted to file a report.
Vinson Nash filed a complaint Saturday about the inaction. Police wouldn't comment on the investigation.
(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
for more features.


text:
Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more.
No. The Steamboat Springs Airport does not have scheduled commercial airline service. However, the airport does have charter companies that can take you around the world on your schedule.
ALL commercial passenger service/flights land at the Yampa Valley Regional Airport (HDN) in Hayden, Colorado. Steamboat/HDN is located approximately 28 miles west of downtown Steamboat Springs and is served by a number of airlines.
Show All Answers
The Steamboat Springs Airport began in 1952 as a dirt landing strip. Mr. Bob Adams spearheaded an airport improvement plan in 1976 and by 1981, the airport received its FAA Part 139 certification. Commercial service ceased in 1995. Since that time, the Steamboat Springs Airport has operated as a general aviation airport.
Activity levels at airports are measured by aircraft operations. An operation is defined by the FAA as a takeoff or a landing. So, a "touch and go" conducted by a training aircraft counts as two operations. With 73 based aircraft, the Steamboat Springs Airport averages 10,000 operations per year.
The Steamboat Springs Airport is open for business 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in all weather conditions. The airport is attended daily 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the winter, and 7am to 6pm in the summer.
A 2013 Economic Impact Study performed by the Colorado Division of Aeronautics indicated that the Steamboat Springs Airport has a $8.8 million impact on the local and Colorado economies. The airport also generates nearly 100 jobs, both on and off the airport.
Commercial service ceased in 1995 and currently there is no scheduled commercial air carrier service. Due to factors including runway length, instrument approaches and economic factors related to the operations of Denver International Airport, the likelihood of air carrier service returning to the Steamboat Springs Airport is doubtful. The city intends to concentrate on operating the airport as a general aviation facility, maintaining the current infrastructure and levels of service.
Absolutely. Charter companies are more than willing to take you anywhere you like. Visit the links page for more information on their services.
There are no rental car companies based at the Steamboat Springs Airport. However, Hertz, Avis, Steamboat Motor Rentals, or GO Alpine provide requested service. All will deliver vehicles to the airport; however, a fee may be charged.
The Steamboat Springs Airport begins snow removal operations at 0600L (6 am local) and ends around 1700L (5 pm local) daily November through April. For a typical 6-inch storm, the runway is cleared and useable by 7am daily. If it's not snowing, ground operations may still be clearing snow to ready for the next storm.
Current airport conditions can be accessed by two cameras fixed to the terminal.
The City of Steamboat Springs owns and operates the Steamboat Springs Airport, as well as the sole Fixed Based Operation. Airport staffing consists of two full-time employees and four part-time employees, who report to the Airport Manager. The Yampa Valley Airport Commission and the Steamboat Springs City Council provide policy direction.
Airplanes must takeoff and land into the wind. The primary wind direction at the Steamboat Springs Airport is from the northwest. About 85% of the traffic takes off and lands to the north.


text: David Anderson, Executive Vice President, WISE at the 9th MoneyPOWER Conference for Financial Literacy. The conference brings together educators, leaders and experts in the field of personal finance education. The conference helps to further the shared mission to educate young people so that they can graduate high school with the knowledge and skills they need to be financially capable adults. More than 40,000 students in 27 states took the tests; 74.2% of students passed the Certification Test, earning our widely recognized CFL™ (Certified Financially Literate). ..The Conference featured workshops, educator led sessions, introductions to publications and resources at the Resources Fair, opportunities to consult with Certified Financial Planners and a chance to network with other participants. The keynote speaker was Karen Finerman, the well known Chair of CNBC's Fast Money and Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Metropolitan Capital Advisors. The McGraw-Hill Companies hosted the conference on November 8, 2011 in New York.Add to Cart Add to Lightbox Download


text:
After a two month hiatus, ABC's Cougar Town returns with new episodes tonight (and to its regular time slot on Wednesday). The show stars Courteney Cox and Busy Philipps, and while the former may be the better known the latter earns the most laughs. So we sat down with Philipps to chat about the long-awaited return of everyone's favorite group of winos. The charming and hilarious TV veteran spoke about her fashion missteps, why her daughter will not be wearing a bikini anytime soon, and of her time on Freaks & Geeks.
ELLE: When Cougar Town first began, it was less of an ensemble show than it is now. How did that change?
Busy Philipps: It happened organically in the first, I would say, seven episodes of the first season. Bill (Lawrence, co-creator of Cougar Town) had such an amazing track record with television shows and I think he just recognized where the show was really working and where the strengths of the characters were, and he and the writers starting writing that. In my experience in television, those are the shows that work, where the writers, producers and actors are able to roll with the flow as opposed to getting stuck in an idea of what they're supposed to be doing.
More From ELLE
ELLE:Your character Laurie Keller has some of the funniest lines. Is there a particular time where you had a hard time getting through because it was so ridiculous?
BP: I rarely laugh at myself. Most of the time, I don't think what I'm doing is very funny. Sometimes the things that I think I'm doing are really funny end up not being that funny (laughs). But I have a lot of trouble now when I'm in scenes with Courteney or Christa (Miller). It's more the other people on the show that crack me up rather than myself.
ELLE: Your character wears some very loud, bold outfits and accessories. What have been some of your fashion missteps?
BP: I'm somebody who doesn't work with a stylist. I'll be honest with you, I'm a mom and it's just not something I want to put money toward because it's expensive to have somebody who helps dress you and I feel like I have to pay for preschool and so many things... so I don't have a stylist. From time to time I think I made some errors in judgment, but I have some really fashionable friends and I feel I've cultivated my own sense of style and what I feel comfortable with over the years. In high school I had some famously egregious fashion missteps. I was really out there in fashion, I think because I wanted attention (laughs). I would wear crazy patterns, skin-tight pants and giant platform shoes. I was provocative in my dressing; my Mom really let me express myself in that way and she never told me I wasn't allowed to wear something and I think that's because deep down she knew I was a pretty good kid. I think it's important for kids to express themselves with bad fashion. I struggle a little bit now because I have a daughter and I feel with fashion, like they're sexualizing the kids so young. Little kids in high heels and that kind of thing is really difficult for me to wrap my head around. Even Courteney and I got into a discussion about this; I don't want my daughter wearing bikinis while she's a little kid. They make these super sexy little bikinis for toddlers and it just seems so strange to me. It's so fun to be a kid and wear ladybugs and rainbows and shit, why do they need to wear sexy bikinis?
ELLE: Who are your current fashion inspirations?
BP: I always think that Kate Winslet look sort of perfect. I like to mix it up a lot, try different things, different eras, different looks, and hairstyles. I wouldn't say that I've found my personal yet, more just a mish-mash.
ELLE: You were at the Academy Awards this year...
BP: It was the second time going with my best friend Michelle (Williams). I was her date five years ago when she was nominated for Brokeback (Mountain). And I have to say this year was a totally different experience. I'm so incredibly proud of her and what she's accomplished in a very short time in her career and the work that she does, and I was so excited that she wanted me to come with her. I sat in between Michelle and Hugh Jackman's wife who is so lovely. My agent calls me the "Mayor of Hollywood" because I weirdly know a lot of people, even though I'm just a lowly television actor (laughs).
ELLE: What can you tell us about the return of Cougar Town after it's brief hiatus?
BP: I think that the end of this season is really, really good. We have some ridiculous story lines going on. I'm sure you read about our trip to Hawaii. It was pretty hilarious.We're going because Travis goes into this downward spiral and decides he's going to just move to Hawaii and be a beach bum, so we have to go as a gang and get him back. It's just a lot of bikini time for me. I went to the Oscars and then the next day I flew to Hawaii to shoot Cougar Town. I remember thinking "Well this is as good as it's going to get for me right now. I've done all the work I can do for two months, I fit into that sample size dress, that's awesome, and now I'm going to go be in a bikini. This is it." Then right when I got there, I got some kind of stomach flu or food poisoning and I called my husband the next morning who was still in L.A. and I was like "Oh buddy, I'm so sick, it's been terrible," and he goes "Well you'll look really good in your bikini." What a dick—whom I love (laughs)!
ELLE: You recently reunited with the cast of Freaks and Geeks at last month's annual Paley Fest...
BP: It's so funny; Linda Cardellini and I just had dinner the other night. We had so many great times on that show and I remember a lot of the moments because it was my first experience on a show and because we were so young and none of us had really done anything before. I think of the whole time with such fondness. We were all hanging out after work. I'm sort of glad that everyone laments that it got canceled but to be honest who knows what would have happened had it gone on. I think the best thing that happened to any of us, regardless of the turnout, was that it was canceled because it remained perfect in it's eighteen episodes.
Elle: All of the cast members on Freaks and Geeks became these huge stars in their own right; Jason Segel, James Franco, Rashida Jones. During your time there did you feel there was someone that you just knew would make it?
BP: We all thought that Franco was going to be a movie star. He was gorgeous and super serious and talented.


text:
Archives: Events
Events for March 29, 2023
Events Search and Views Navigation
10:00 am
$15 Unlimited Play
Enjoy unlimited Topgolf game play for only $15 per person* from 10 a.m. – noon, every Monday through Friday. You heard that right, you can hit unlimited golf balls for up to 2 hours for just $15 per person. That's more swings and more savings. This gives you the flexibility to purchase the unlimited per … ContinuedFind out more »


text:
Use LorAnn Almond Flavor for making hard candies, chocolates, caramel popcorn, cookies and more. Flavoring oils can also be used in frosting in the place of traditional extracts. They are 3-4 times stronger than traditional water or alcohol based extracts, so this tiny bottle goes a long way! The flavoring oils are one of Esther's secret ingredients for her famous shortbread cookies, shhhh don't tell!
COUNT: two bottles
SIZE: 1 dram = about 1 teaspoon, .125 fl oz / 3.7ml
SUBSTITUTION: 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoons flavor oil = 1 teaspoon extract
NOTE: LorAnn Almond Flavor is suitable for use in chocolate and candy coating, use 1/4 -1/2 teaspoon per pound.• Kosher certified
• Gluten-free
• Packaged in glass bottles
NEED MORE: Multiple quantities are available. If you need more than you are able to add to your cart please email us and we would be happy to check our stock.
Have more questions: see our shipping, general & product FAQ pages.


text:
Power your marketing strategy with perfectly branded videos to drive better ROI.
Host virtual events and webinars to increase engagement and generate leads.
Inspire employees with compelling live and on-demand video experiences.
Build a site and generate income from purchases, subscriptions, and courses.
Stories from the New Aesthetic took place at The New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York City on October 11, 2012.
The New Aesthetic is an ongoing research project by James Bridle, investigating the intersections of culture and technology, history and memory, and the physical and the digital. For this event, Bridle will be joined by Aaron Straup Cope and Joanne McNeil to discuss stories related to these ideas.
James Bridle is a writer, publisher, and technologist. He writes a regular column for the Observer (UK) and his writing has also appeared in Wired, Domus, Icon, and widely online. He speaks worldwide on the intersections of literature, technology, and culture, and writes about what he does at booktwo.org.
Aaron Straup Cope is currently Senior Engineer at the Smithsonian Institution's Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. Before that, he was Senior Engineer at Flickr focusing on all things geo-, machinetag-, and galleries-related between 2004 and 2009. From 2009 to 2011, he was Design Technologist and Director of Inappropriate Project Names at Stamen Design, where he created the prettymaps project.
Joanne McNeil is the editor of Rhizome. She is a 2012 USC Annenberg-Getty Arts Journalism Fellow. Her writing has appeared in Modern Painters, Wired (UK), the Los Angeles Times, and other web and print publications.
Organized by Rhizome, the New Silent Series receives major support from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. Additional support is provided by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and the New York State Council on the Arts.


text:
Five Billionth ARM Processor for Mobile Devices
February 12, 2007 -- Another ARM® milestone is reached today as the five billionth ARM Powered® processor is shipped to the mobile device market. More than 90 percent of all mobile handsets shipped today contain ARM processors and are supported by a strong network of ARM Connected Community Partners. ARM has emerged as the architecture of choice for mobile devices featuring high performance and low-power consumption, and enhanced performance of Java and multimedia applications. Many smart phones now use multiple ARM processors - functioning not only as application processors, but also in the modem, WLAN and Bluetooth ICs. As a result of this growing trend, an estimated 1.6bn ARM Powered chips were shipped for mobile devices by ARM's silicon Partners in 2006.
Which ARM processor is in your new mobile phone? To find out and see ARM technology in action, visit the newly released JBenchmark ACE (ARM CPU Estimator) database at www.jbenchmark.com/ace. The database currently contains detailed information on more than 250 current mobile devices using the ARM7™, ARM9™ and ARM11™ processor families. The information is generated using the freely downloadable JBenchmark ACE software, which can be used to estimate the type of processor, clockspeed and the Java Virtual Machine used in each mobile handset.
About ARM
ARM designs the technology that lies at the heart of advanced digital products, from mobile, home and enterprise solutions to embedded and emerging applications. ARM's comprehensive product offering includes 16/32-bit RISC microprocessors, data engines, graphics processors, digital libraries, embedded memories, peripherals, software and development tools, as well as analog functions and high-speed connectivity products. Combined with the company's broad Partner community, they provide a total system solution that offers a fast, reliable path to market for leading electronics companies. More information on ARM is available at http://www.arm.com.
Home | Feedback | Register | Site Map
All material on this site Copyright © 2017 Design And Reuse S.A. All rights reserved.


text:
Vegan Almond and Pistachio Ice Cream
On St. Patrick's Day, our family always has a lot of fun. The naughty leprechaun comes to visit, sometimes he leaves us treats and gold coins, other times he just makes messes all around the house. Someone is always being pinched. We usually eat entirely green in our family for the whole day.
Breakfast might be whole-grain-pioneer-blender-pancakes colored green by adding spinach to the batter with honeydew and green grapes on the side. For lunch a green salad with a green goddess avocado and chive dressing is always in order. For an afternoon snack, I bust out the greenest smoothie you've ever seen. Dinner is a whole green affair: an appetizer of celery, cucumber, broccoli and green olives in edamame and avocado hummus. Main course might consist of spinach fettucine with green cashew alfredo (spinach is the star again!) topped with basil chiffonade. This year, we'll definitely be having THIS very green ice cream for dessert.
Vegan Almond and Pistachio Ice Cream
- 1 can full fat coconut milk
- 1 C. soymilk
- 1/4 C. raw almond butter
- 2 C. packed organic baby spinach
- 2/3 C. raw agave OR pure maple syrup
- 1/3 C. shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Method: In your blender, blend everything except for the pistachios until fully combined, about one to two minutes. There should be no visible spinach pieces! Pour into prepared ice cream maker and let churn for twenty five to thirty minutes, add pistachios during the last few minutes of churning. You can eat it straight away like soft serve, but for the best texture and flavor, pour ice cream into an airtight container and freeze for two hours or overnight before serving. If you don't have an ice cream maker, you can try this method.
Hesitant to try green ice cream using spinach? Prior to going vegan, Pistachio Almond Ice Cream was one of my very favorites. This is a reverse of that flavor, made vegan and health-ified. I don't use artificial coloring in my home, so spinach makes the ice cream green, while adding iron and calcium. If you don't tell anyone, they'd never guess it's in there! This ice cream tastes every bit as rich, creamy and delicious as dairy ice cream, but with much less guilt!
What are your St. Patrick's Day Traditions?


text:
When I tell my high school friends that I play powderpuff football in college, they laugh.
I'm SO unathletic. Like, disgustingly unathletic.
In fact, during my freshman year of high school, I made one of the worst decisions of my extracurricular career when I allowed my softball star friend to talk me into joining the freshman softball team. By the end of the season, I had experienced enough to convince myself to never try team sports ever again, including spraining BOTH of my ankles when sliding into second base, getting hit multiple times in the face with softballs, and of course, trying to steal
first base when I was really nervous during a game. On top of that, I could barely throw a ball! In high school, I was the band president my senior year - I loved music, and I didn't do sports. (Although marching band should be a sport - it's physically more strenuous than you'd think!)
More From Seventeen
Well, here I am, four years later, and I'm playing with the Will Rice Powderpuff team! Powderpuff is basically girls football with fewer players, which makes it fun since you aren't afraid to get hit by some big hunkering jock boy.
Rice's residential college system allows us all to play in team sport tournaments among the colleges. Sports and competitions encourage college pride, especially when you win. It just so happens that Will Rice College has a reputation for being really competitive - we like to think that we enjoy winning more than anyone else. (We are, after all, the best college!)
Powderpuff season takes place during this first semester, and even though it took some encouragement from the upperclassmen girls to get me to play, I decided to try it out. Our captains and coaches assured me that if I didn't like it, I could just quit.
I didn't!
As it turns out, even though I still not the best catcher/runner/thrower, I can sure pull flags and destroy an offensive line, despite my (relatively small) size. The defensive coaches decided to put me on defensive line, where I get to hit other people (I can get really aggressive when I'm competitive!), and rush the quarterback. We practice twice a week - our coaches are the best out of all the powderpuff coaches, the upperclassmen girls are amazingly helpful, and my fellow freshmen and I have so much fun.
So far, our powderpuff team has played games against two other colleges. We lost against Lovett, since it was our first game and we weren't well practiced (plus they have a lot of upperclassmen girls on their team). Last weekend, wewonreally
against Duncan College in overtime in front of a good set of fans from Will Rice! It was a tough game, and both teams put up a good fight. The adrenaline rush was extremely refreshing, especially once we won. This weekend, we're playing Hanszen College, and I'm SO excited! The Will Rice competitiveness is rubbing off on me, and I want to win. In fact, as I write this right now, I'm talking to another powderpuff freshman friend in the Will Rice Commons about what plays we're going to run against the Hanszen offense!
Ladies, even if you have all the proof in the world that you suck at something, never tell yourself you can't do it. I would have never thought I'd be playing any sport in college, and now I can't be more excited and happy about our powderpuff football team =)
PAIN TRAIN will BRING THE PAIN - Go Will Rice POWDERPUFF!!!


text:
Automated Inbound Receiving
Improve traceability, reduce manual handling, and lower operational costs during the inbound process
Related Products
5-Sided Modular Vision Tunnels
High-speed, multi-sided barcode reading tunnels for high-volume logistics automation applications such as ship sorters or at the dock door
Fixed-mount barcode readers solve complex, high-throughput manufacturing and logistics applications with ease.
In the race to respond to accelerated demand from customers to meet shorter and shorter delivery windows, retail distributors, fulfillment, and parcel processing organizations need to implement traceability solutions within their logistics operations to help meet delivery expectation goals. This is accomplished by more effectively managing inventory, capturing information needed to know where a package is at any time, and controlling loss. This starts at the inbound dock door: verifying what is supposed to be on the incoming truck is really on the truck. Scanning packages as they enter the truck creates an opportunity to find issues faster to reduce problems later and manage expectations with the store or end customer.
In many cases, organizations have no traceability at the receiving door, or the process is a manual check-off from a printed list. In other situations, handheld laser scanners are used to scan incoming items. However, in both situations, inaccuracies and inefficiencies can occur which can lead to lost money, poor inventory control, and the inability to trace a problem to its source.
Even with traceability methods in place, occasionally codes on boxes are mis-read or not read at all and without proper quality control measures, these issues can cause errors through the rest of the downstream processes. Inventory levels become inaccurate, the wrong product gets shipped to stores or customers, or the product gets lost all together – all which costs money, rework, and customer dissatisfaction. Misread items can also be stored in the wrong place and incur damage just by being stored in the wrong place (i.e. perishable food).
There are a few ways Cognex improves traceability at the receiving dock door. Solutions range based on factors including how many operators your facility requires as part of the inbound logistics process as well as throughput requirements. Adding touch points (operators) can add time and cost to the operation, so figuring out the right balance of automation and operator resources is key.
Cognex Modular Vision Tunnels, featuring DataMan barcode readers, offer a hands-free solution to reading codes quickly, efficiently, and accurately. Using advanced algorithms and decoding technology, Cognex barcode readers offer up to 99.9% read rates even for damaged and torn codes, or codes covered in shiny material. Additionally these readers capture and send output data and images that facility managers can use to identify problems more quickly during the inbound process, which saves time and money as well as minimizing rework.


text:
If you've ever wondered what cloud engineers or architects do on a day to day basis or what types of technologies they need to know this video will cover much of the information you're looking for.
Be sure to check out a FREE trial of Pluralsight if you're looking to learn more about cloud technologies: http://bit.ly/pluralsight-ITCQ-live (affiliate link)
Check out our interview with Sly Thompson mentioned in this video: https://youtu.be/oXlUdxh2Dfo
I.T. Career Questions Career Coaching, Resume Service, & Interview Preparation: https://www.itcareerquestions.com/consultation-services/
Please consider supporting our channel by becoming an Exclusive I.T. Career Questions Community Member – Exclusive Live Streams, Behind the Scenes, and Much More!: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt-Pwe2fODjH4Wuwf5VqE7A/join
All Stock Images Courtesy of: Pixabay – https://pixabay.com/
I.T. Certification Book recommendations:(affiliate link) https://www.amazon.com/shop/itcareerquestions
Top Recommendations!
CompTIA NET+ Guide to Troubleshooting: http://amzn.to/2oLnMmI (affiliate Link)
CompTIA A+ 1000 series Exam Cram: https://amzn.to/2N17Yct (affiliate link)
CompTIA A+ All-in-One Exam Guide 1000 Series: https://amzn.to/2Z5VMtp (affiliate link)
MCSA Server 2016 Study Guide: http://amzn.to/2Ff1tQw (affiliate link)
MCSA SQL 2016 Study Guide: http://amzn.to/2FXqCMR (affiliate link)
MTA OS Fundamentals: http://amzn.to/2FjOvNm (affiliate link)
CCENT Official Cert Guide: http://amzn.to/2FkcQT8 (affiliate link)
CCNA Routing & Switching: http://amzn.to/2oMv2id (affiliate link)
I.T. Career Questions March Link in Bio: https://teespring.com/stores/it-career-questions
Thank you for visiting my YouTube channel.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itcareerquestions
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ITCareerHelp
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itcareerquestions
Website: http://www.itcareerquestions.com
Information Systems: http://www.informationsystems.net


text:
Click a swatch below to change colors.
Hanes® - Essential-T 100% Cotton T-Shirt. 5280
Please note: This product is transitioning from tag-free labels to tearaway labels. Your order may contain a combination of both.
Adult Sizes: S-3XL
For detailed PRICING, please select "Add to
" to view the ordering/pricing grid.


text:
Here's a brand new promo poster for the upcoming series "The Walking Dead" season 3 by director Ernest Dickerson starring Jon Bernthal (Date Night, Numb3rs), Jeffrey DeMunn (The Majestic, The Shawshank Redemption) and Laurie Holden (Silent Hill, The Shield).
Synopsis: The world we knew is gone. An epidemic of apocalyptic proportions has swept the globe causing the dead to rise and feed on the living. In a matter of months society has crumbled. In a world ruled by the dead, we are forced to finally start living.
Based on a comic book series of the… More same name by Robert Kirkman, this AMC project focuses on the world after a zombie apocalypse.
The series follows a police officer, Rick Grimes, who wakes up from a coma to find the world ravaged with zombies. Looking for his family, he and a group of survivors attempt to battle against the zombies in order to stay alive.
Click Here to check out our "Walking Dead" photo gallery.


text: Back The Power of a Food Diary You can lose weight without a food diary, but according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, you're more likely to be successful if you keep one that tracks what, why, when, and where you eat. A food diary can provide insight into your hunger patterns and highlight emotional eating binges. In addition, you become much more aware when eating because of hunger or boredom. Diary details The easiest way to keep a food diary is to use a small notebook. This is what your diary should include: Time of day Place. If eating at home, record where you are: dining room, couch in front of the TV, or kitchen counter. If not at home, note if you were in a restaurant or a car. Food or beverage item. Include how it was prepared, primary ingredients, and any condiments. Amount. Use common measurements, such as tablespoons, slices, or cups. Mood. Did you feel stressed, bored, or neutral? Hunger rating. Note if you were hungry or not. Diary do's Include everything. Snacks, finger foods, candy, and all beverages should be included. Always have the journal handy so you can document your eating episode when it occurs. If you wait till the end of the day, you are likely to forget something. Tell it like it is. Be sure to keep a complete and accurate journal. This makes you much more accountable for the foods you eat and the amount eaten. Take a look After keeping the diary for a week or so, take a look at your record with an eye toward identifying patterns. For example, are you snacking late at night, eating huge portions, or eating when you're bored? A dietitian can provide additional insight and suggestions for success.


text:
President Obama's promise to "fundamentally transform the United States of America" continues apace. Despite the twin controversies surrounding the debt ceiling and gun control, senior administration officials and lawmakers have told the _New York Times _that Obama intends to push Congress to embrace comprehensive immigration reform that includes a "path to citizenship" for the nation's illegal alien population.
The bill proposed by Senate Democrats and the president runs counter to Republican efforts to break reform down into smaller segments. Republicans believe that such an approach that addresses the issues of young illegal immigrants, migrant farmworkers, or highly skilled foreigners separately could make anything that smacks of de facto amnesty more palatable to party members. At the same time, the administration and Democrats will oppose any measures that do not offer subsequently legalized immigrants the chance to become American citizens.
Democrats are facing competition from Republican Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL). In an interview with the _Wall Street Journal,_ the likely 2016 presidential candidate laid out his own agenda, characterized as an effort to "triangulate" the differences between hard-left liberals who want open borders, and the hard-right's effort, as the Journal puts it, to "close the door." As Rubio himself puts it, "legal immigration has been, for our country, one of the things that makes us vibrant and exceptional," even as he covers himself with commonsense notions that appeal to law-abiding Americans: "Every country in the world has immigration laws and expects to enforce them and we should be no different," he says.
An integral part of Rubio's plan, and one likely to resonate with most Americans, includes the "modernization" of legal immigration. "I'm a big believer in family-based immigration," he says. "But I don't think that in the 21st century we can continue to have an immigration system where only 6.5 percent of people who come here, come here based on labor and skill. We have to move toward merit and skill-based immigration." Thus, his preference is for lifting the current hard cap on skilled immigrants, adjusting the number on the basis of demand.
With respect to the other end of the spectrum, Rubio proposes a sufficient number of guest visas for the largely Hispanic (and largely illegal) agricultural workers who pick America's fruits and vegetables, in order to "give American agriculture a reliable work force and to give protection to these workers as well," he contends, further noting that illegals are "vulnerable to being exploited."
As part of his split-the-difference approach, Rubio has co-sponsored E-Verify legislation that would require employers to check the status of would-be hires against a federal database. E-Verfiy has been extended through September 30, 2015 after Congress approved the measure and the president signed the bill September 28. Yet on the state level, E-Verify requirements remain varied. Some require every employer to use the database, while others limit it to government agencies or, as in the case of Illinois, it is barred completely "until accuracy and timeliness issues are resolved."
With respect to illegals, Rubio's ideas sound almost exactly like what the president and Democrats are proposing. All of them would require the payment of fines, and back taxes, usage of the aforementioned verification system, an increase in the number of visas, and the creation of a guest worker program to accommodate low-skill workers.
The sticking points are both procedural and political. Rubio and other Republicans prefer a step-by-step approach rather than a catch-all bill, with Rubio warning that "comprehensive" reform, which he likens to the rancor surrounding Obamacare and the fiscal cliff deals, shows how bad policy "easily sneaks" into such legislation, even as it becomes an easier target for critics as a result. Democrats believe a comprehensive bill is necessary in order to address the more contentious issues. Rubio disagrees, but says it is not a make-or-break consideration with one exception: no bill should give illegals an edge over those who came here legally and applied for residency in the proper way.
Democrats insist that any bill must include eventual citizenship for illegals who meet certain conditions. "This is a bottom line," said Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) last Thursday. "The Democrats have made it clear we will not accept a bill without a direct path to earned citizenship." Republican resisters counter that a "pathway to citizenship" is nothing more than amnesty by another name.
The president will outline his proposals soon, possibly during his State of the Union speech February 12. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney alluded to that reality last Wednesday. "I would say, broadly speaking, that State of the Union addresses tend to include at least a sample of a president's agenda," Carney said. "And immigration reform, comprehensive immigration reform, is a very high priority of the president's. But I don't want to get ahead of the speech."
Rubio remains skeptical, noting that Obama has "not done a thing" regarding immigration reform, with the exception of his executive order allowing those who illegally entered the country as children to remain here and work for at least two years without fear of being deported. Rubio contends that move "may have even set back the cause a bit. (Obama) poisoned the well for people willing to take on this issue," he said. Rubio further notes that Democratic inaction includes the two years when they had complete control of Congress following the 2008 election.
The reason for such calculated reticence, despite all promises to the contrary, is obvious: Hispanics are a rock-solid Democrat constituency, regardless of whether or not the president pursues reform. In the 2012 election, 70 percent voted to reelect Obama, and a Pew Poll revealed that the number of Hispanic voters is expected to double within a generation. Furthermore, as it is with so many other issues, the failure to achieve immigration reform can be easily blamed on Republicans–with the full backing of the media–irrespective of virtually anything that actually occurs. Rubio notes the success of that gambit. "I think it's the rhetoric by a handful of voices in the minority, but loud nonetheless, that have allowed the left to create an unfair perception that conservatives and Republicans are anti-Hispanic and anti-immigration, and we do have to overcome that."
Yet for many Americans, reality trumps perception. The 2010 Census reveals that illegal aliens exploit welfare programs used by their American-born anchor babies, and immigrants as a whole use welfare programs at a higher rate than native-born Americans. Such usage contributes to the mind-bending reality that more than _100 million people_ are now receiving some form of federal welfare, excluding those who benefit solely from Social Security and/or Medicare. "These figures include not only citizens, but non-citizens as well," revealed the Republican side of the Senate Budget Committee.
As for whether illegal immigration is a net plus or minus for the American economy, the numbers are all over the place. In 2010, the conservative Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) contended illegals cost America $100 billion per year. The leftist Immigration Policy Center contends the economy comes out "slightly ahead." There are other contentious statistics regarding crime and competition for jobs that also surround the debate.
Yet the least discussed statistic may present the biggest problem. For the past several years, the same mainstream media that 60 percent of Americans currently distrust have consistently spoken of the 11-12 million illegal aliens who currently reside in the United States. Thus, it stands to reason that all of the reforms currently being considered are based on that approximation. What if that approximation is wrong? What if there are 20 million, or perhaps 30 million, illegal aliens in the nation? What if reform includes the ability to bring one's extended family into the country?
It is a testament to the level of corruption and/or calculated indifference on the part of both political parties, as well as the mainstream media, that one of the most essential elements of the debate is nowhere to be found. Even Americans who may be sympathetic to granting eventual citizenship to illegals might be alarmed if that legalization comprised ten percent–or more–of the nation's entire population.
It remains to be seen if immigration reform will be part of this year's agenda. The divide between the political parties that already exists will no doubt be exacerbated by negotiations on gun control and the fiscal cliff, to the point that another large and contentious issue may be a bridge too far. It may also be next to impossible to determine the precise number of illegals in the United States. But prior to enacting yet another round of immigration reform, much like the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act that granted more than 2.7 million illegals amnesty–even as the promises to tighten border security and crack down on employers hiring illegals were virtually ignored–it certainly behooves us to try. Irrespective of the political divide, the potential of completely altering the character of the nation should be impetus enough for such an undertaking.
Freedom Center pamphlets now available on Kindle: Click here.


text:
ORLANDO, Fla., July 26 (UPI) -- Lockheed Martin's Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod is now the only targeting pod operational on all U.S. Air Force fighters and bombers.
The status was achieved when it gained operational flight status recently on a B-52 bomber at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana.
"Achieving operational flight status of the Sniper ATP on the B-52 delivers the pod's flexibility and advanced capabilities to additional warfighters," said Ken Fuhr, director of fixed wing programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. "Sniper integration will provide aircrews with critical long-range, positive target identification and video datalink capability, along with an updated software suite that streamlines the targeting process and improves crew safety."
Lockheed's Sniper ATP, with a high-resolution imagery capability, detects, identifies, automatically tracks and laser designates small tactical targets at long ranges. It also supports the use of laser- and GPS-guided weapons against multiple fixed and moving targets.
With the system's video datalink, real-time video can be transmitted to ground troops for enhanced situational awareness and target coordination, the company said.


text:
By Jason A. Hill & Ezra Stead
The MIDG Oscars Podcast, 2015 edition.
Oscar discussion and predictions for the show Sunday night, February 22nd, on ABC.
Part 1: 1 hour and 6 minutes.
Part 2: 1 hour and 11 minutes.
Intro Music: Theory Of Everything Theme
Outro Music: Whiplash Title Theme


text:
(CNN) - American Idol star turned congressional nominee Clay Aiken called the Department of Veterans Affairs "unwieldy," and said President Barack Obama is ultimately responsible for holding the VA accountable.
Asked by CNN's Brooke Baldwin on Wednesday whether the President should take a more hands-on approach to dealing the growing controversy, Aiken said, "I certainly think the President is responsible for it at the end of the day."
[twitter-follow screen_name='politicalticker'][twitter-follow screen_name='danadavidsenCNN']
"He is the commander in chief of the military. He is the executive, so the buck has to stop with him," he said.
Aiken's comments come on the heels of Obama's first public statement Wednesday on the flare up over fraudulent record-keeping that covered up excessive and sometimes deadly waiting times for veterans at some VA facilities.
Obama: Shinseki stays for now, but VA misconduct will be punished
Aiken noted that his brother is a veteran and acknowledged the large military population in his North Carolina district.
"I think people should all be very frustrated with the disorganization, to put it lightly, of the VA. The VA is an unwieldy organization, and I think that some of the mismanagement it's had over the past several years has started showing itself," he said.
The number of VA facilities under investigation has expanded to 26, the agency's Office of Inspector General said Tuesday. Aiken said he wouldn't be surprised if the issues were even more wide-spread.
Aiken's rise to Democratic nominee, challenging two-term Rep. Renee Ellmers in North Carolina's 2nd Congressional District, has been anything but conventional.
Last week, Aiken's primary opponent died on that same day he was expected to concede the race. Aiken told CNN he was speechless when he heard the news. His campaign temporarily suspended activities.
Looking forward to November, Aiken is maintaining his optimism against long odds in a heavily Republican district, insisting that his constituents aren't focused on politics.
Despite his star power, the 2003 "American Idol" runner-up will face an uphill battle in the reliably conservative district, which is located in the central part of the state, against Ellmers.
Related: GOP establishment 1, tea party 0 after North Carolina Senate primary
I'm certain that Obama will fire, or cause to be fired, anyone who is responsible for the VA scandal. But it may take some time to determine who all of them are. That's just realistic.
If Obama waits to investigate, haters will say "why doesn't he DO something"
If he cans someone now, haters will say "he is just doing that to cover up something worse"
If a government agency doesn't have the resources to serve its customers, that is a problem. The government administrators simply have to do their best and let their superiors know that there is an issue. People should protest, write their congressmen, and demand that budgets be expanded and services be improved. That's public administration in a democracy. The government may be slow, but that can be fixed. That's just a matter of allocating resources and setting priorities.
However, when government officials deliberately fake records to make their organizations look more efficient and effective than they actually are, that is a firing offense and possibly a criminal offense. If metrics are inflated, then there is no way to really know that there is a problem and direct the application of resources effectively.
Heads should definitely roll.
Yeah, and the right wing congress always does so much for our veterans. They never go to war, send our kids and then look the other way when they come home maimed. Don't blame Obama. Blame the right wing garbage that sold us all down the river.


text:
I ran into a fellow pastor/acquaintance at the Q Cafe yesterday. He's a good guy. We ended up having a short but substantive talk since I haven't seen him for several months. When I last chatted with him, he asked for some advice about churchplanting and so I did the good midrash thing and asked him a few questions which he said he really took to heart and got him thinking. Those questions led him down a road where he eventually left his denomination and go figure, joined the Mars Hill Church network. He'll soon be pastoring one of their zillion "campuses." That's just kind of funny to me that my advice got another pastor to join Mars Hill.
Mark Driscoll and Mars Hill has been on the national news a lot recently. The NY Times published an article couple months ago entitled, Who Would Jesus Smack Down? The reporter called last year and asked me for some quotes but I said, "No thanks." My ego was tempted since it would have been nice to be mentioned in the NY Times but not that way. I've got my differences with Mark but heck, we're still Facebook friends. BFF KIT TTYL. Meme me.
In previous entries on this blog, I've shared both the concerns and respect I have for Mark here and here. But my conversation yesterday with this soon to be MH elder got me thinking [again] about the church video venue. Honestly, it both fascinates and scares me. Fascinates me because of what it can accomplish and scares me for what it might destroy. Of course, MH is not the first and certainly will not be the last. LifeChurch.tv, which is part of my increasingly diverse denomination – the Evangelical Covenant Church, has 16 video venue churches in six states, the UK, and an actual internet campus.
Mars Hill has come out and publicly shared their goal of having 100 video campuses in the next 10 years. While I have and will likely always have some fundamental theological differences with Mark and Mars Hill, I genuinely share in the excitement of the gospel flourishing through their ministry. I know that despite the barrage of criticism they must receive, lives are being impacted by the Gospel and that's a beautiful thing. But this video venue thing is still something I can't wrap my heart around. I get the idea of the influential leader. I believe in leaders amongst leaders. I don't have any problems with the fact that Driscoll is a gifted and influential leader but even with 'campus pastors,' I wonder if the writing is on the walls: Churches with certain influential leaders will market those influential leaders and thus, those churches will grow bigger and larger through the medium of technology ultimately leading to the decline and death of local churches as we know it now. Bob Hyatt – a pastor in the Portland area – shared some of his thoughts and strong reservations about the whole video venue thing and the possibilities that it's like the Walmartization of churches.
"So-and-so church" video venue coming near you…
Quest will eventually stream video on our website as a resource to folks. But last year, I was stunned at the pushback I received in a membership class when I shared that Quest was committed to churchplanting which also included planting campuses. Instantaneously, several hands went up and some intense questions and conversations ensued because they [falsely] assumed they I meant planting video campuses. Now, I'm not going to say never but that's just not us. We do hope to plant a campus on the Eastside sometime later this year if the Elder Board jointly discerns it's the right time…
Supporters for the video venue churches will respond with the magic line that's really hard to respond to: "But the Gospel is flourishing…"
What do you think? What are the pros and cons? I know the elders/pastors at many of these churches are making prayerful decisions but I have my reservations if this is good for the Church – not for now but for the future.
But while we're at it, I want to claim this idea for myself. Don't steal it! Introducing…Quest Church's drive in Video Venue Campus coming near you.


text:
Sportscore Two improvements get 'green light'
ROCKFORD — Rockford Park District commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a $27.5 million financial plan to expand and improve both indoor and outdoor fields at Sportscore Two.
The district will borrow $27.5 million over three years to cover the construction of six artificial turf and multi-purpose lighted outdoor fields and upgrade Wedgebury soccer stadium. It will also expand the Indoor Sports Center, 8800 E. Riverside Blvd., to include three new indoor soccer fields and retrofit the existing structure to house two indoor fields rather than the one.
The board's approval of the financial plan is a significant step in roughly four years of work to realize Reclaiming First, the name given to the strategy to recapture and grow the region's sports tourism market.
The Park District's vote came one day after a significant vote by the Rockford City Council, which approved plans Monday to rebuild the former Ingersoll building into a downtown sports complex and purchase adjacent land for parking.
"To us the finance plan is the green light," Park District Executive Director Tim Dimke said. "This is it, tonight was a big night."
The district anticipates it will sell the first series of bonds to Riverside Bank this fall, who will work with other local banks to provide them an opportunity to be a part of the financing. Construction would begin in early winter with an anticipated opening in 2016.
"Now, if we get local contractors to bid on these contracts and we get local labor to build them, what a boost for our local economy in the short term and our citizens and our tourism economy in the long term," Dimke said.
District officials say the financial model they selected, which splits up debt so that cash is only borrowed when it's needed, will save an estimated $1.5 million over traditional bonding.
All the debt taken on will be repaid with a combination of the 2 percent hotel/motel tax implemented this year, state grants, naming rights and contributions from the Park District, Winnebago County, Loves Park, Machesney Park and Cherry Valley.
The district is still about $3 million short of the total funding needed, which the district wants to fill with grants or contributions from Machesney Park and Cherry Valley, which each haven't committed to the full amount requested by the district.
Commissioners also OK'd extending their financial commitment to the overall project cost to $300,000 per year for 25 years, rather than the original plan that covered 20 years. Dimke credited the need to extend the financial commitment to inflation that has occurred in the three years since the project was pitched and updated estimates on the revenue that will be generated by the 2 percent hotel tax.
As part of the Sportscore Two expansion costs, commissioners also authorized the $700,000 purchase of about 6 acres of property at neighboring Aviator Stadium, which will provide about 560 parking stalls to serve future fields. District officials say buying the existing Aviator parking was less expansive than the estimated $1.4 million cost to build new parking with a comparable number of stalls.
Kevin Haas: 815-987-1410; email@example.com; @KevinMHaas


text:
Welcome to Our New UNYG Blog!
Hi everyone. If you are reading this you know that we have finally moved our Blog to this new domain.
To all who are following us please make sure you subscribe to this new Blog by using the orange button at the top right which is for an RSS feed to your news reader and you will receive all future posts in your reader. If that seems a daunting task just use the Subscribe via Email form and then you will receive at the most once a day a listing of any new posts that we have published for that day. If no posts are made you will not get the email notification.
As all of you know who have been subscribers we will never spam you and your personal information is 100% secure with us. We never share, sell, trade, loan or in any way give out your email address to any one.
Glad to have you with us, remember to subscribe and we will be publishing a whole lot of new stuff that has been backing up.
Please leave comments or ask questions at the bottom of any of the Blog post articles or use the Contact form at the top if need be.


text:
OMAHA, Neb. -- Nathan Thornhill and John Curtiss pitched Texas' second consecutive shutout at the College World Series, and the Longhorns forced a second bracket final against Vanderbilt with a 4-0 victory Friday.
The Longhorns (46-20) and Commodores (48-20) will meet again Saturday, with the winner advancing to the best-of-three finals against Virginia or Mississippi. Those teams play a bracket final Friday night.For the second consecutive game, Texas pitchers didn't allow a runner past second base. The Longhorns have held opponents scoreless 19 consecutive innings and have given up four runs in their four games in Omaha.
Texas scored twice in each of the first two innings to lead 4-0, with a couple of the runs crossing the plate as a result of quirky plays.
The Longhorns are batting just .198 at the CWS, but have won three of four games. For them, it's all about pitching.
Chad Hollingsworth and Travis Duke combined on a four-hit shutout against UC Irvine on Wednesday, and Thornhill (9-3) led Texas to its 13th shutout of the season by holding Vanderbilt to six singles in eight innings. Curtiss pitched a 1-2-3 ninth.
Vanderbilt starter Tyler Ferguson (8-4) lasted just two-thirds of an inning. Reliever Brian Miller went the rest of the way, holding Texas to four hits and striking out eight.
The Commodores were without third baseman Xavier Turner, who was ruled ineligible by the NCAA for the rest of the CWS for an unspecified rules violation. Tyler Campbell, who had appeared in 14 games and had a total of 15 at-bats, started in Turner's place and went 2-for-3.
The Longhorns scored in some unusual ways to take the early lead.
After Texas loaded the bases in the first against Ferguson on two hit batters and a walk, C.J Hinojosa sent a low line drive up the middle. Second baseman Dansby Swanson was there to start a possible double play, but umpire Mark Uyl couldn't dodge the ball.
The ball struck Uyl, meaning the play was dead immediately, and runners by rule were allowed to advance one base. That allowed Brooks Marlow to score from third.
In the second, after Zane Gurwitz tripled, Vanderbilt right fielder Rhett Wiseman came up short when he dived to catch Marlow's dying fly. The ball rolled to the warning track and Marlow ended up on third.
Marlow came home when Miller, after tagging Mark Payton on a close play at first, dropped the ball as he rolled on his back after a near collision with the Payton. First-base umpire Jeff Head initially called Payton out, then reversed himself, and the call stood after an umpire conference.


text:
Upgrading Democracy
How Voting Could Work Now, 240 Years Later
We start from the following principle: An ideal government represents and is accountable to all its people equally.
In order to better realize this ideal government, we have set out to make voting more trustable, efficient, and accessible.
We believe modern technology, like digital devices and distributed ledgers, can help us more closely embody the democratic promise of the United States of America.
Democracy requires a fair, easy process that ensures each person's vote counts equally.
Here is what is possible right now, with currently available technology:
Each voter can verify that their vote was properly entered and counted. Everyone can view and validate every vote, and individual voter privacy can still be maintained. Even the software used to run the voting system itself can be inspected.
Voting can be an easy and simple process. Votes can be submitted, validated, and tallied in dramatically less time, in just minutes or hours. More votes can be conducted more frequently. Results can be counted and viewed in real-time. We can also reduce the costs and our dependency on physical infrastructure, ballot-workers, logistics, paper, and transportation.
Each voter can participate from the convenience of a digital device in their pocket, home, or community center. Many people find the current system archaic, unrelatable, and untrustworthy — why not allow for both in-person and digital voting while transitioning toward fully digital? Voting can be quick, easy, and convenient, rather than disrupting' voters lives and responsibilities.
Our Plan
We're working to create a new, efficient, and effective digital voting system that puts governance directly in people's hands. We're hosting a series of events, called DAPs, to use this software.
Our aim is to expand the conversation about how democracy can be better realized, and to foster a community of people interested in these goals. We believe our system can work better for everyone.
Join Us
Sign up for more information at https://join.liquid.vote (formerly thedap.org). Come engage in conversation in our chatroom.
David Ernst, Rohan Dixit, & Jared Scheib
Contact us to add your name.


text:
Here's where I lose half my readership, or gain half with the "you're such a prude" and "get with reality" hate mail: I don't think porn has a place in marriage. I don't think it has a place in relationships. I think it demoralizes women and keeps true intimacy away.
I bring this subject up based on this post where a young reader admits that she and her boyfriend watch porn together. She has no problem with it.
Call me an old lady, but I'm concerned that she's not concerned with having sex with someone she isn't married to while watching other people have sex.
More From Good Housekeeping
What's the big deal about porn? I'll tell you:
1. Real women can't live up to the false images on the screens. How will they not end up feeling ashamed of their own very real flaws? We all have them. If you don't yet, you will.
2. Human men can't possibly be expected to get true arousal (and intimacy) when true "perfection" resides in the box in front of them. Flat screens and big boobs are far more appealing than 3D women with flat boobs. And they won't want wives in surround sound chatting about their kids when they can have models moaning for more more more.
3. The regular media (as well as the porn industry) has set us all up to fail: Like McDonald French fries laden with addicting sugar, porn appeals to so many of our carnal instincts. (Nothing wrong with carnal instincts.) But instead of using these innate desires to build a relationship with another REAL LIFE person, we are using it as crack cocaine to make just ourselves feel good in the present.
With the power of a remote, we are made to feel we can control other people. We can stop and start things that pleasure us. We can turn it off when we're done.
We can't do the same with relationships. It's too hard. It's too messy. Porn can get hard and messy also, but it's a lot easier to clean up post solo-sex than a fight with a spouse or a lingering argument over who is supposed to take out the trash.
Marriages can be gruesome at times - no doubt about it. But if we don't run from the issues, and we aren't side tracked by false images that mean nothing in our daily lives, we can face our problems head on and heal.
If only all of us, like that famous "money shot", would put a magnifying glass on our own relationships. We would see in bright, technicolor magnificence everything that is and is not working.
In closing, I am not slamming my young reader for watching porn with her boyfriend. Why would she think it was damaging? Society makes it very clear on a daily basis that being sexy, doing sexy and acting sexy is what we need to be happy.
People, what we need to be happy is PEOPLE. Real people. Spouses who have faults and baggage but ultimately heart and soul. With heart and soul comes the power to heal, the power to forgive, and the power to love. Now try getting that from your boob tube. (Literally.)
Thoughts on porn? Here's an interesting article on it.
* Photo from I-stock. My husband does the laundry in our house. Yup, that's sexier than a blue video any day of the week.