text:
Individual Giving
Annual Fund—be a part of all we do!
Gifts to the Annual Fund help the Fleet meet annual operating costs and support our dynamic hands-on exhibitions, Giant Dome IMAX and digital productions and other core programs that positively impact our community.
Support a Program or Project
Thank you for your interest in supporting our programs and projects. Your gift can ignite a student's curiosity and passion for science and technology.
Sponsor a Field Trip for 10 Students to the Fleet for Hands-on Science Learning
Beginning at $50
You can make it possible for ten students who otherwise would not have the opportunity to visit the Fleet for hands-on science education and exploration. A field trip may include seeing an IMAX documentary or a planetarium show and access to our exciting exhibit galleries.
Provide Science Workshops at the Fleet for 15 Students
Beginning at $100
Your gift provides students with open-ended scientific experiments on a wide range of topics. Visiting students will discover and learn through experimenting in a real way that relates the hands-on activities to their specific grade-level curriculum.
Sponsor a Science-Themed Field Trip
Beginning at $200
You can make a school trip possible for a class that otherwise would not have the opportunity to visit the Fleet for hands-on science education and exploration. A field trip may include seeing an IMAX documentary or a planetarium show and access to our exciting exhibit galleries.
Fleet Inquiry Institute Workshop for 10 Teachers
Beginning at $500
Provide an interactive learning experience that keeps on giving. Your gift will make it possible for 30 local educators to receive quality professional development in hands-on, inquiry-based science learning and teaching. Teachers will take new science-based skills directly back to their classroom where students will directly benefit.
Sponsor a Science Day at a Local School
Beginning at $800
Provide a Science Day to a local school that brings Investigation Stations for students to sample science activities, demonstrations and interactive presentations. Create a festival atmosphere for a school where science fun is the rule of the day. This unique experience provides an alternative to transportation challenges that many schools face.
Planned Giving
Thank you for your interest in learning more about Fleet's Planned Giving program. This page is currently under development. For more information about how you can make a legacy gift and be part of the Fleet's Infinity Society, please call Chris LaZich at (619) 685-5754 or firstname.lastname@example.com
Matching Gifts
Did you know that many employers sponsor matching gift programs and will match charitable contributions made by their employees? Matching gifts are a great way for you to increase the impact of your personal gift to the Fleet—doubling or even tripling your support. Check MatchingGifts.com to see if your company has a matching gift program that could increase your charitable giving power.


text:
The specific objective of semantic mapping is to spand the student characteristics in every aspect of learning, to be able to develop their vocabulary through maping of words.
Connecting Word Meanings Through Semantic Mapping
Semantic maps (or graphic organizers) help students, especially struggling students and those with disabilities, to identify, understand, and recall the meaning of words they read in the text.
Semantic maps (or graphic organizers) are maps or webs of words. The purpose of creating a map is to visually display the meaning-based connections between a word or phrase and a set of related words or concepts. Semantic maps help students, especially struggling students and those with disabilities, to identify, understand, and recall the meaning of words they read in the text.
Learning to create these maps aligns with three of the ELA Common Core State Standards:
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.L.3 Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.L.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference materials, as appropriate.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.L.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
Teaching students to use semantic maps
You can provide your students with direct instruction on how to use semantic maps. Below is an example of a step-by-step set of directions, which can be especially beneficial for struggling students.
- Pick a word you don't know from a text you are reading and mark the word. If you're using digital text, you can highlight, bold, or underline the word.
- Use a blank map or begin to draw a map or web (either on paper or using an online tool).
- Place the word you don't know in the center of the map.
- Pronounce the word. If necessary, use an online dictionary with audio to help you.
- Read the text around the word to see if there are related words you can add to your map. If you're using digital text, you can get the computer to read the text to you using the text-to-speech function (if necessary).
- Use an online dictionary or online thesaurus to look up the word and find a definition.
- Find words and phrases that fit with the meaning. Select pictures/images (online or from available resources) or draw pictures that fit with the meaning.
- Add these words, phrases, or images to your semantic map.
- If you're working online, print out the map.
- Read the text again, applying the meaning of the word to the text.
- Share and compare your map with your classmates.
With direct instruction and repeated practice, struggling students will find that using semantic maps is a very good way of expanding their vocabulary.
Integrating technology
There are many technology tools that can help students create semantic maps (including thinking maps, mind maps, bubble maps, and concept maps). You might want to check out Webspiration, Bubblus, Gliffy, Thinklinkr, Glinkr, Creately, Diagrammr, and Mindomo.
In addition, many websites (including those listed below) provide information about different types of graphic organizers that you can use as a starting point as you customize your instruction to meet your students' needs.
A semantic mapping lesson
Mr. Green's Grade 5 class is studying American presidents. He wants his 25 students to understand how the personality of each president may have impacted the president's political career. Although some students have no difficulty decoding, several students struggle to recognize or remember word meanings. Mr. Green is reintroducing the use of semantic maps to support vocabulary development.
The specific objective of the lesson is to have students expand their vocabulary by creating semantic maps to represent the different characteristics of a personality. Mr. Green plans to model this strategy first, and students will then have an opportunity to practice the strategy themselves. The unit will culminate in the creation of multimodal president cards — one component of which will be a semantic map — which will be posted on the class website.
As part of his ongoing practice, Mr. Green will use his interactive whiteboard to demonstrate and involve students in creating the maps. To gather information for vocabulary development, he will access a website titled Abraham Lincoln's Personality.
Mr. Green's lesson plan is outlined below. It is organized into three sections to show the steps he will take before reading, during reading, and after reading.
Lesson plan
Before Reading
- Introduce the unit's goals, which are to learn about presidents and create multimodal president cards with new vocabulary.
- Review and discuss three different types of semantic map.
- Display and discuss the website on Abraham Lincoln's personality.
- Invite students to fill out the semantic map with words, definitions, and images.
- Save the map on the class website.
During Reading
- Continue practicing using semantic maps.
- Have groups create new multimedia maps.
- Have students share and discuss new vocabulary in maps.
After Reading
- Have students begin making the multimodal president cards.
- Set the criteria for these cards: the name of the president, vocabulary words, definitions, images, and sentences.
More teacher resources on semantic mapping
This article draws from the PowerUp WHAT WORKS website, particularly the Semantic Mapping Instructional Strategy Guide. PowerUp is a free, teacher-friendly website that requires no log-in or registration. The Instructional Strategy Guide includes a brief overview that defines semantic mapping and an accompanying slide show; a list of the relevant ELA Common Core State Standards; evidence-based teaching strategies to differentiate instruction using technology; a case story; short videos; and links to resources that will help you use technology to support instruction in semantic mapping. If you are responsible for professional development, the PD Support Materials provide helpful ideas and materials for using the resources on semantic mapping. Want more information? See PowerUp WHAT WORKS.
It is very important to differentiate instruction. We need to make the curriculum accessible to students. We need to look for ways for the students to interact with the curriculum. We can differentiate instruction based on student readiness, interest or learning profile in terms on content, process, products or learning environment. One way is to help the students to construct meaning through graphic organizers or semantic maps and integrate technology while doing so. It is necessary to take into account the Standards for Mathematics Practice. This include the construction of viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others,attend to precision, use technology, create a word wall, provie ongoing formative assessment.
very educational

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Editor's note: To see our latest news of Rosetta's comet encounter, visit: Rosetta, Europe's Comet-Chaser: Latest News, Images and Video.
Images taken by a European probe en route to link up with a comet, have revealed a striking feature of the target comet coming into view.
Photos of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko captured by the European Space Agency's Rosetta mission reveal the comet's "neck." The pictures suggest that something interesting is going on in the connecting link between the smaller head and the larger body of the comet.
"The only thing we know for sure at this point is that this neck region appear brighter compared to the head and body of the nucleus," Holger Sierks, of the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Germany, said in a statement. [Photos: Europe's Rosetta Comet Mission in Pictures]
Sierks is the principle investigator for the OSIRIS instrument responsible for capturing the images.
The intensity difference could be caused by different materials, or by a variation in the sizes of the dust and ice grains that compose the comet. A topographical effect could also be responsible for the contrast.
A 2010 flyby of comet 103P/Hartley, visited by NASA's EPOXI mission, suggests a third possibility. Scientists think that comet Hartley's variations in surface texture are caused by a gravitational low in its middle, which captures material ejected from the surface of the comet's nucleus. A similar gravity well could exist around the neck of comet 67P.
Captured at a distance of 3,400 miles (5,500 kilometers), Rosetta's images have a resolution of 330 feet (100 meters) per pixel. As the spacecraft closes in on the comet in preparation for its August 6 rendezvous with the comet, the OSIRIS team hopes to study the light reflected from the comet's surface to identify its material composition.
Using the camera images, the team is also modeling the comet's three-dimensional shape. This data will not only help improve the understanding of comets, but also allow scientists to select a landing site for the Philae lander currently scheduled to touch down on the comet on November 11th.
Rosetta will be the first mission in history to rendezvous with a comet, travel with it around the sun, and send a lander to its surface. It will remain in orbit until the nominal mission end in December 2015.
Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.


text:
Nestled in the magic scenery of Trulli, Trulli Holiday offers the opportunity to stay in historic homes, unique in the world, Unesco World Heritage Site, an alternative to the classic Hotel in Alberobello. Our Trulli are carefully restored and furnished according to tradition without neglecting the comfort and refinement.
Trulli Holiday is happy to welcome you among the Pinnacles and the living stone of Alberobello magical Trulli, a town located in the hills of Valle d'Itria, small and unique, with the helpfulness and hospitality, being a precious trademark of ours.
Thanks to our customers Trulli Holiday is a leader in the rankings of the most important sites devoted to tourism. Upon your arrival you will be greeted by the receptionist, who will give you all the information regarding your holiday, the available servicesand the attractions of the Trulli Capital. The staff will be always willing to give information, answer concerns or desires during your holiday.
Unlike a common Hotel in Alberobello, Trulli Holiday will allow you to stay in Trulli who are ancient buildings, being still able to arousing feelings of excitement and interest in the visitors who come from all over the world to admire them. Our Resort is witness to this authentic beauty, the rich and fascinating history.


text:
Please read all of this before complaining the theme doesnt work!!
If you have a problem, please send me an email instead of leaving a negative comment. I can help you via email, not via a comment..
* Trebuchet force closes.
- Go to recovery and select factory reset
- Download the theme but do NOT set it
- Go to Settings --> Apps --> Trebuchet and remove all possible data
- Now enjoy the theme!
* Theme is inproperly compiled error. Solution: Set system theme, reboot your phone, set TouchWiz theme
* When installing this theme, you may ignore the "Sorry, this theme is missing assets for your device's screen size." message!
Designed for both HDPI and XHDPI devices! Works on CM10, CM9 and AOKP ROMS!
MDPI users please read this: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1668910
Please have a look at this xda thread for instructions and feedback!
[Themed (non)-system apps]
- Apex Launcher
- Nova Launcher
- Trebuchet
- Default launcher
- Action Launcher Pro
- ADW Launcher EX
- Apollo
- Android music player
- Poweramp
- Go Contacts EX
- Go Dialer EX
- exDialer & Contacts
- Root Explorer
- ASTRO Filemanager
- OI Filemanager
- ES File Explorer
- Solid Exporer Beta
- Camera ICS
- Camera ICS+
- Camera JB+
- Camera Launcher for Nexus 7
Now supporting Android 4.1 Jelly Bean! (CM10)
Now supporting Android 4.2 Jelly Bean! (CM10.1)
Now supporting Android 4.3 JellyBean! (CM10.2)
Now supporting Android 4.4 KitKat! (CM11)


text:
RN ICU - Full Time - Davis Hospital
Job Description
-$10,000 sign-on bonus with 2+ years of experience.
-Generous pay differentials for nights, weekends and extra shifts
-Great health benefits with zero co-pay and zero deductible plan
-401k and generous PTO
-Tuition Reimbursement
We have many plans with various deductibles, which can cover individuals or families so you can customize a plan that will work for you! Steward Health Care works with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts to provide affordable health insurance for our employees in benefit eligible positions. Our Health Plans Highlights are:
- Deductibles will not apply to services provided by a Steward provider (Tier 1).
- Office visits copays will be $0 when a member uses a Steward Provider (Tier 1).
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse office visits will be $0 for all In-Network providers (Tier1, Tier 2, and Tier 3).
Other Benefits provided:
- Dental, Vision, Health Care Savings Account, Life Insurance, Short Term and Long-Term Disability, Tuition Reimbursement, Paid Time Off, and more.
Davis Hospital and Medical Center is a 225-bed facility that opened in 1976 and has grown over the years to become a first class medical facility. By offering a broad range of healthcare services, advanced medical technology and a comfortable, convenient patient experience, Davis has become the hospital of choice for its community. The hospital's highly skilled doctors and experienced nurses keep a relentless focus on quality and constantly maintain their commitment to patient well-being and satisfaction.
Some of our area of expertise include: Emergency Services, Cardiac Care, Women's Health, Diagnostic Imaging, Rehabilitation Services, Surgical Services, and Behavioral Health.
Registered Nurse
- Provide direct care for critically ill patients.
- Provide assessment and planning for individualized patient care.
- Communicate with physicians about changes in patient's clinical condition.
- Respond quickly and accurately to changes in condition or response to treatment.
- Previous ICU or Telemetry experience required.
- Must have current RN license to work in the State of Utah or Interstate Compact.
- Need to complete cardiac monitoring course and ACLS within 90 Days of hire.
- Current BLS (CPR) issued by American Red Cross or American Heart Association Healthcare Provider
- Able to communicate effectively in English both verbally and in writing
Steward Hospitals are taking additional, necessary preparations to ensure patients can receive compassionate care in a safe, carefully managed environment – with confidence and without fear.
Our Safe and Ready program consists of a rigorous [five-point] standard ensuring patient safety, confidence and convenience:
- Expanded hours will allow previously canceled procedures to be scheduled as quickly as possible.
- Any COVID-19 related care takes place in designated areas away from other patients and their families.
- Emergency Departments are reorganized to be a safe place to treat all emergency patients.
- A stringent cleaning policy has been implemented throughout the hospital.
- A strictly controlled visitor and masking policy is required for patient safety.
You can rest assured that we have made the necessary preparations to provide care in a safe, controlled and professional way.
This position is subject to the COVID-19 Vaccination Policy for Steward Health Care Workforce. Employees in this position will be required to provide adequate proof of vaccination for COVID-19 by an FDA-approved vaccine prior to starting work. Steward will consider requests for exemptions from this vaccine requirement on the basis of medical condition or sincerely held religious belief in accordance with applicable Federal laws.
Application Instructions
Please click on the link below to apply for this position. A new window will open and direct you to apply at our corporate careers page. We look forward to hearing from you!Apply Online
Posted: 3/20/2023
Job Status: Full Time
Job Reference #: 119098


text:
Definition of an Ally:
– to combine or unite a resource or commodity with (another) for mutual benefit.
Allies or Friends can come in many forms. They might support you at the end of the phone, in person, or just by you knowing that they have your back. They make life easier and more pleasant.
You don't need an abundance of allies, even one or two makes life bearable. Maybe your best ally could be your own self.
Today's Sunday Sayings focuses on Allies.
Weekly proverb
"Friendship doubles our joy and divides our grief" -Swedish Proverb
Weekly Quotes
"Friends ask you questions; enemies question you." Criss Jami, (Healology)
"Dude. Every mom is the most annoying human in the universe, but most of them, besides the super-abusive genuinely bad ones, are in your corner."
― Mary H.K. Choi
Who is your ally?
How do they support you?
Everyone's opinion is important. What do you have to say?
Something to Ponder About
Several years ago, I became fascinated with traditional proverbs and
sayings, their metaphorical layers and the many different
interpretations found within those succinct few words. I marveled at
their ability to transcend race, religion, opinions and age.
Mostly anonymous, they are a portal through time to generations past and echo a diverse range of cultures, and the experiences of many lessons learned and the wisdom from thousands of lives already lived.
They offer us knowledge; knowledge that is passed to us in much the same way relay runners might pass a baton. Once it's handed over, it is up to us what we do with it and how we pass it on.


text:
(CNN) - Over 300,000 individuals who enrolled in a healthcare plan through the Affordable Care Act could lose their coverage come the end of September if they fail to provide the proper documentation demonstrating legal residency, according to the Obama administration.
The issue at hand is not necessarily an immigration status problem, but a data-matching issue.
[twitter-follow screen_name='politicalticker']
The cases refer to individuals who have inconsistencies in the information they provided when they initially enrolled in a healthcare plan. The CMS, which oversees the federal healthcare exchange, said it has been reaching out to affected individuals via email, phone calls and letters, in English and Spanish, for several months. And while many cases have been resolved, there are around 310,000 consumers with outstanding documentation issues.
"We've closed about 450,000 of these cases and have an additional 210,000 cases in progress," CMS administrator Marilyn Tavenner said in a statement. "However, some still have not responded. We want as many consumers as possible to remain enrolled in Marketplace coverage, so we are giving these individuals a last chance to submit their documents before their coverage through the Marketplace will end."
Consumers have until September 5 to provide the necessary documents, and coverage will end for those who do not on September 30 - although if an individual provides information that resolves their issue after the September 5 deadline they will be eligible to re-enroll in the marketplace through a special enrollment period.
Immigration statuses that qualify for coverage under the ACA are listed on the healthcare.gov website. The list includes lawful permanent residents, refugees, victims of trafficking, among others. Officials from HHS caution that these data issues may not necessarily be an problem with the consumer's eligibility for a plan, but rather a bureaucratic problem.
Opponents of the ACA have long warned that the enrollment site is not adept at verifying the eligibility of applicants, and these latest numbers are another example of that on-going issue. A report released in June from the office of the inspector general for the HHS found "deficiencies" in some of the controls meant to prevent fraudulent or incorrect information submitted by applicants to the Federal marketplace.
The 310,000 cases only refers to those who enrolled in federal or partnership marketplaces. The 14 states that have implemented their own healthcare marketplaces are not included, as they have separate data respective to their state's enrollees.
You know why they have issues with immigration with Obamacare? Because they don't even have any option to upload a copy of your Green Card (Permanant Resident Card) where they allow illegals to get free insurance.
People, this is all very small potatoes! The REAL Obamacare mega-disasters are yet to be implemented!! The employer mandates will be a nuclear explosion in our healthcare system as employers who offer healthcare to tens of millions of Americans are forced to act. Why do you think Obama delayed the implementation until AFTER NOVEMBER?
And then there is the big luxury tax that is supposed to kick in! Do you think the unions will get an exemption from their buddies the Democrats while the rest of us get the screws? Count on it.
Bottom line is you ain't seen the worse of Obamacare yet. Not even close!!
-single payer? Ask Canadian. You see. They say taxes are killing them, waiting period in Hospitals is for ever. Ask Italians. They say the same thing. In fact this is best.
But El Presidente promised us free food, free housing, free schooling, free shoes, free phones, free healthcare! Amnesty! Why is he taking it all away!!!
Tommy G
Single Payer
A single payer system is the ONLY system that will allow us, as an entire nation, to negotiate better health care prices.
This is a lie because when the government controls all of healthcare there is no "negotiation" to control prices. There are government dictated prices just as there are now with Medicare. There are government dictated doctor payments (which is what the joke 'Doc Fix" is that keeps getting bypassed). What you end up with is many hospitals and clinics going out of business and massive healthcare shortages with long wait times, resulting in death, JUST like at the VA.
Gee Tommy, do explain then why our nation is the only First World nation without single payer system, and our health care is both the most expensive in the world, and only a little better than Costa Rica's (meaning ours is rated 38th) in quality. Ponder this- with a single payer system, i.e. one not run for-profit, costs are automatically lower (no one needs to get rich after all), and because everyone has it, the population as a whole is healthier-further reducing costs.
One can only imagine where it would all be if the GOP ran it.....
Obamacare Summary:
1. I wasn't able to keep my doctor. I was lied to.
2. I wasn't able to keep my hospital. I was lied to again.
3. I wasn't able to keep my healthcare plan that I liked. I was lied to a third time
4. I am still waiting for my $2500 a year savings. I was lied to a fourth time.
5. I am paying a higher deductible than I was. I am getting screwed once.
6. My new plan costs MORE, not less. I am getting screwed over twice.
7. I am paying 21 new Obamacare taxes. I am getting screwed over three times.
And the this disaster still isn't fully implemented. Do I really need to see more given what I have seen already?! I will never vote for a Democrat ever again.
So 10+ million newly insured less some fraction of the 310 thousand that will not supply proof needed will still be around 10 million.


text:
Luke and Lulu Apparel
Red Reindeer Empire Dress - Personalized
- Set includes dress + reindeer headband
- Available in sizes 12M-10Y
- True To Size
- Customizable - Message us with custom requests
- Ships in 3-5 Business Days
Standard Shipping (United States)
Domestic shipping rates are based on the total dollar amount of the order, minus tax or coupons. For standard shipping in the continental United States, orders $39 or over are always shipped free and orders under $39 are a flat fee of $4.99.
Expedited Shipping (United States Only)
Choose expedited shipping to enjoy your items sooner! This option is only available to customers who ship in the continental United States.
Standard Shipping (International)
International Shipping is $12.99 to all locations outside of the U.S.
Delivery Time
We ship within 1-5 business days of receiving your order. We ship from South Florida, zip code 33065. Click here to find out how long it will take the USPS to deliver to your zip code.


text:
Leesa mattress is among the bestsellers right now. The business has been rather aggressive with its discount rates recently. There have actually been routine discounts in recent months including the straight $100 decrease for Halloween. Leesa bed mattress is absolutely not the most affordable. Every size of Leesa bed mattress is really on the dearer side when you consider rivals like Casper, Purple or Nectar among others. Leesa offers its bed mattress online through the official site and there are affiliate sites too. You can utilize the in advance discount rate available online and you can also search for Leesa mattress coupon to conserve more. You may not get both at the exact same time. Otherwise it is a trouble totally free shopping experience. You get free shipping and a hundred nights' trial of the bed mattress. Leesa Mattress Vs Saatva
Attributes of the Leesa Mattress
Leesa bed mattress is made in the US. The mattress is well created. The engineering includes three layers of exceptional quality foams. The upper layer is Avena foam. It is two inches thick and is mostly accountable for two qualities of the bed mattress. Avena foam contributes to the cooling impact to make sure the mattress doesn't retain any temperature, thus enabling a great night's sleep. The foam likewise adds to the bounce that many people like. The topmost layer is firm enough to guarantee steadiness but the bouncy feel makes one conveniently lay on the bed mattress without sinking in. The second layer is the 2 inches of memory foam. This layer primarily eliminates all the pressure of the bodyweight. This is ultimate to guarantee even distribution of bodyweight so the sleeper doesn't feel any pressure point. Pressure relief as well as weight distribution naturally contribute to body contouring. It is this layer that makes sure the sleeper is sleeping in a comfy posture and has no discomfort whatsoever. The third or the bottom layer is 6 inches base foam. This is for strength, stability, core support and durability.
Every Leesa mattress has exactly what the company calls Universal Adaptive Feel. It is a trademarked technology that guarantees people of all sizes and with various sleeping choices will find equivalent convenience while using the bed mattress. The leading 2 layers have the capability to comply with the weight, size and sleeping choice of a private or of a couple. The base layer is thick and strong enough to supply the core support required for the two top layers to provide this level of personalization or adaptability. Nevertheless, the Leesa bed mattress can not be related with the Helix bed mattress which is actually personalized based upon inputs from the specific or couple through a Sleep Quiz.
Leesa mattress includes hundred nights of risk free trial. There is totally free shipping and returns. The business contributes one bed mattress for every 10 sold in the nation. As you explore Leesa evaluations, you would observe that the mattress is one the more expensive side however it is also a soft and helpful bed mattress compared with a lot of its competitors. Leesa bed mattress does not have the sinking in issue. It does not have the getting too hot issue. It is proper for those who lay on their back, side or stomach. Leesa bed mattress is available in the 6 standard sizes consisting of Twin that weighs 45 lbs, Twin XL which weighs 48 lbs, Full weighing 56 lbs, Queen weighing 71 lbs, King weighing 90 pounds and California King weighing 92 pounds. The 10 inches thick Leesa mattress is on the lighter end of the spectrum when you compare it with the closest competitors. Leesa bed mattress is CertiPUR-US ® certified. It is made with no product or process that triggers ozone depletion, there is no PBDE flame retardant or lead, mercury or any other heavy metal, there is no formaldehyde, phthalates and it sticks to the low unstable natural compound emissions standard, which is less than 0.5 parts per million for the appropriate quality of indoor air. There is a 10 year minimal guarantee.
Leesa Vs Competition
Leesa Vs Casper can be boiled down to 2 basic differences. Casper is significantly more budget-friendly than Leesa. Casper has four layers of foam including 2 layers of poly foam, one layer of memory foam and among base foam. While both have the same density, the additional layer of Casper definitely makes a distinction. Leesa Vs Tempurpedic has one similarity with Leesa Vs Casper, referring to the layers. Tempurpedic bed mattress has 4 layers, 2 of memory foam and 2 of polyurethane foam. The mattress is more than eleven inches thick however softer. Leesa is firmer. Nevertheless, the price of Tempurpedic makes it unaffordable for many people. A Twin XL Leesa mattress is tagged at $625. A Twin XL Tempurpedic mattress is tagged at $3,099.
Leesa Vs Purple is possibly the closest contrast you would get. Both have 3 layers. Leesa has 2 inches of Avena foam, two inches of memory foam and 6 inches of support foam. Purple has 2 inches of hyper-elastic polymer, three and a half inches of polyfoam and 4 inches of polyfoam. Leesa is 10 inches thick. Purple is nine and a half inches thick. Both have soft cover that is reasonably thin with excellent stretch and cooling. Leesa has a firmness rating of six out of ten. Purple's score is to six to 6 and a half out of ten. Both have equal assistance and very little motion transfer. Queen Leesa bed mattress costs $940 and you might get a discount or Leesa mattress coupon to conserve $100. Queen Purple bed mattress costs $999. King Leesa is $1,070 and you can get it at $970. King Purple is $1,299 which will not get discounted to below a grand. Both have ten years guarantee with a hundred nights trial. Leesa Mattress Vs Saatva
Leesa Mattress Vs Nectar Mattress
Many Leesa evaluations and contrast with Nectar will inform you that the latter is a far better alternative. You can check out the drawbacks of Leesa bed mattress on Amazon or you might carry out additional evaluation of Leesa Vs Tuft and Needle. If you mean to buy Leesa bed mattress topic to reviews then you will discover Nectar a far superior option. Nectar is numerous hundred less expensive than Leesa, without discount. It would be more sensible with discount. Nectar has more layers of memory foam, contributing to convenience and stability. Nectar has less bounce than Leesa which fits individuals who are somewhat overweight or obese and basically everyone who is on the bigger side. Nectar is an inch thicker. It has life time service warranty and 365 nights of trial. There is no comparison in these 2 regards.


text:
SGS's vendor development program ensures compliance with your quality standards, optimizing processes and improving customer service throughout your sales operations.
Car vendor development and compliance is a vital component in your quest for competitive advantage, since it ensures a consistency of service and competence that customers appreciate. We offer an independent monitoring and auditing service that makes sure your vendor network meets industry standards, as well as your own specific requirements. For example, we can audit against the exterior appearance of a vendor's premises, the staff's technical expertise, the range of services on offer and more.
Our auditors have the necessary commercial awareness and relevant industry knowledge to provide trusted advice to your vendors. In addition, our worldwide network means we can deliver this service wherever your sales operations are based.
Contact SGS now to find out how our vendor development services can raise quality standards and improve customer service.
6755 Mississauga Road, Suite 204,
Mississauga, Ontario, CA-ON, Canada


text:
Agnes The Movie (Full Length) from Shoulda Danished on Vimeo.
We spent the 2011/12 season living in our trusty 82' camper van Agnes searching the country for snow. This video follows our trip in chronological order with all the spots we hit and people we ran into along the way.
A film by Ben Giesbrecht & Dale Bailey.
Dylan Vachon
Dale Bailey
Craig Mcmorris
Kurtis Rothecker
Ben Giesbrecht
Connor Copithorn
Joe Hills
Will Fraser
Craig Beaulieu
Jesmond Dubeau
Alaura Ewen
Alex Murovec
Kyle Stainton
Jake Bergen
Nick Arsenault
Dave Kinskofer
Matt Cassidy
Jordan Marowitch
Reid Spak
Our friends at Timebomb Film
(New site in the works!)


text:
If Your Child Has Difficulty Adjusting
Symptoms that your child may be having difficulty adjusting
It is extremely difficult to cope with stressful situations that last for a long time. Children have less ability to cope with stress because of their limited life experiences. Some symptoms that your child may be having difficulty adjusting include:
Agitated behavior, such as crying or thumb sucking
Disturbed bodily functions, such as eating, sleeping, or elimination
Separation anxiety, such as clinging, refusing to sleep alone, or wanting to be held constantly
Sleep disturbances and nightmares
Regression in toilet training, dressing, or self-feeding skill. For instance, a child who is potty trained may suddenly begin having accidents.
Withdrawal from family or friends
Decreased self-confidence
Makes negative comments about self
Aggression, both verbal and physical
Repeated episodes of sadness
Continual acting out of traumatic events in play
Concentration difficulties
Behavior changes (the quiet child may become frantic and the energetic child may become lethargic)
Physical ailments, such as headaches, stomachaches, or dizziness
Increased dependence on parents or caregivers
Resentment of unfairness of situation, blaming
Difficulty with peers
Unrealistic expectations of self and others
Concern with body image
Frustration that produces rebellion
Avoidance and denial to avoid addressing an issue
Reluctance to trust or open self to others
Feelings of hopelessness, meaningless of life
Lowered impulse control, easily frustrated
Drug and alcohol abuse
Any unusual, persistent behavior should be evaluated by a qualified mental health professional. It is often very beneficial to seek professional care when you are concerned or unsure about what do next. If one or more of these behaviors persists over a long period of time, and to a marked degree, professional help may be needed.


text:
Westlake Village, CA—Wearing clothing with compression technology can provide both short-term symptom relief as well as long-term health benefits. However, many people are averse to using these products because they have not changed much since the 1950s and 1960s. Many companies still sell compression wear that is difficult to put on, unappealing to the eye, and synthetic in feel. However, for those looking for something better, Atom Compression Wear is seeking to revolutionize the compression wear industry with new innovations in material.
Atom Compression Wear seeks to create products that foster beautifully crafted comfort and effective performance through the introduction of a brand-new material to the industry: Lanati Milk Yarn. This material is made from fibers extracted from the milk protein casein. These fibers are mixed with natural viscose and Lycra to create a material that is easier to put on, comfortable, and health beneficial. Milk fiber is also eco-friendly as it is fully compostable.
Atom Compression Wear offers products to users of all ages from toddlers to seniors. Additionally, they offer products specially made for a variety of occasions such as traveling and maternity. Users of these products have reported that they will never wear any other kind of compression material again because of the extreme level of comfort and performance they experienced with Atom Compression Wear.
Another issue with traditional compression wear products that consumers bring up is the lack of style. Most options look as though they are serving a medical purpose and draw too much attention. They do not fit in seamlessly with the sophisticated wardrobes of many working professionals. This means that many on-the-go business people who could greatly benefit from using compression technology in their daily lives will not solely because of its look. Companies like Atom Compression Wear are seeking to change this with products that are designed to fit in perfectly with every lifestyle. They offer products in a variety of colors and styles to ensure that everyone will be able to incorporate the healing powers of compression wear into their daily fashion choices.
Compression wear, like the options offered by Atom Compression Wear, seeks to alleviate minor aches and pains while also making a statement that is fashion forward. People who want the advanced comfort of milk fiber technology coupled with a sophisticated style can now look to Atom Compression Wear for their active compression apparel.
Release ID: 346015


text:
June 10, 2010
More Than $4-Million Donated in Response to Gulf Coast Oil Spill
A month and a half after the start of the drilling disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, donors have contributed more than $4-million to support relief efforts.
Among the recipients:
Grant Makers
• The Gulf Coast Fund for Community Renewal and Ecological Health, a project started by Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors after Hurricane Katrina, had received more than $245,000 as of June 9. The fund has awarded $155,000 in emergency grants to 27 grass-roots environmental groups in the region. The Gulf Coast Fund also organized a three-day tour that allow potential donors to see the work and meet the leaders of the groups the fund supports, which resulted in commitments of at least $60,000 to those organizations.
• The Gulf Oil Spill Fund, created by the Greater New Orleans Foundation, stands at $130,000, including an initial gift of $60,000 from the foundation. The foundation has awarded a $50,000 grant to Seedco Financial for its Southeast Louisiana Fisheries Assistance Center, in Belle Chasse.
• A benefit concert in New Orleans headlined by the singer Lenny Kravitz brought in $300,000 for the newly formed Gulf Relief Foundation.
• The Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation, in Baton Rouge, has awarded emergency grants totaling $117,500 to nine local nonprofit groups that are providing assistance to communities affected by the spill.
Gulf-Coast Charities
• The Audubon Nature Institute, in New Orleans, had raised $42,735 as of June 8.
• Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans had received $882,850 as of June 8, including a $750,000 contribution from BP America.
• Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana had received $376,400 as of June 8, including two donations from BP America that totaled $350,000.
National Charities
• Greenpeace USA had received $260,000 as of June 8.
• The Audubon Society, in New York, had raised more than $1-million as of June 9, including a $750,000 gift from Chevron for group's new Volunteer Response Center in Moss Point, Miss.
• The National Wildlife Federation, in Reston, Va., had received $480,000 as of June 4, including $20,000 via text messaging.
• The Nature Conservancy, in Arlington, Va., had received 89,216 as of June 7.
• Oceana, in Washington, had received more than $15,000 as of June 8.
• Waterkeeper Alliance, in Irvington, N.Y., was awarded a $100,000 grant from the footwear company Teva on June 2.


text:
In the end, I received 120 entries in total – thank you to everybody who supported the competition; it's paved the way for future ones – look out for the August challenge starting soon. This means the total pot is USD$600 – $300 for the winner and $120 for the honourable mention.
The overall standard was good to high; of those, there were about 30 which stood out, requiring some significant contemplation to boil down to ten, and ultimately, a winner.
The first competition was set with a deliberately broad theme to allow as many interpretations of the subject as possible; common themes were portraits, street, babies, and humans in nature. There was hope and happiness, there was abstraction and dehumanisation, there was despair, and occasionally, hope in despair. The winner wasn't the one with the sharpest picture, but the one with the sharpest idea – the most creative interpretation of the theme, and the best execution of that – so that the subject would be immediately obvious to the viewer. Breaking this down into specific criteria, the image had to make either an emotional connection with the viewer – if a close shot – or juxtapose the subject into a context which elicited a response in the observer. Needless to say, the subject had to be obvious to the viewer – either separated by color, light or texture; if we had to look too hard to find the human element, it's probably unlikely that the photograph managed to keep to the theme. Finally, judgement was given to technical composition and execution – were there distracting things entering the edges of the frame? How as the image processed? Was it in focus? Etc.
With that, here are the top 10, in no particular order:
Alvan Yap – A mother's pride
A positively strong image with a clear relationship between subjects; emotions transfer from mother to daughter to viewer, as though she's being encouraged to be less shy towards the camera. Overall good frame balance, though the upper portion feels somewhat truncated and the left/right sides of the image are a little too prominent for my liking; it's as though the subjects are sticking to the frame. I would probably have burned out the odd looking cylindrical/ conical objects in the background of the house. Overall Excellent tones and processing.
Ben Hopkins – Ni Dios
Nice use of motion to isolate the subject; although there's a good balance of elements in the frame, the image feels a little top-heavy because of the lintel; framing higher to allow a little less foreground and a little more headroom would have helped this. I find the processing to lighten the sleeping figure somewhat overdone; there's a bit of a halo visible around him, and the whole area just seems a bit too bright. THe dog is a nice touch though – mirroring of the primary subject. Finally, although the verticals are straight, the horizontals are not – but too close to being straight to ignore, which results in a slightly uncomfortable feeling when looking at the top right portion of the image.
Rafael Macia – Broadway Bus
This strange man is a reminder to us that the human element is unpredictable, strange, but at the same time, perhaps not so different from ourselves – wearing a pair of goggles isn't that far off eyeglasses, for instance. To some, carrying little black boxes around and aiming them at various things is probably even stranger; who's to judge. Nice use of natural frames to isolate the subject – the bus window, and especially the little corner of the building that snakes around his head. I find the bright portion of floor at center-right to be somewhat distracting and empty, but it's mostly balanced to center left. Inclusion of the text at bottom left was a nice touch, too.
Travis Rhodes – untitled
This shot captures a nice innocent moment between two children – siblings, perhaps? The moment is very well timed and perfectly catches the expression of surprise of the girl on the right. Although the subjects are separated by depth of field, and to a lesser extent lighting, there's something slightly bothersome about the background chaos; a little less depth of field would have improved this image – just enough to give context, but not so much as to allow secondary elements to be distracting.
Dee Dee Yelverton – True Love
Lovely emotion, lighting and execution; excellent use of texture, too. The image also has good balance, and a little quirkiness that plays to the theme of the competition. There are two things that could use improvement here – firstly, I don't care much for the superimposed text; I feel it ruins a perfectly strong image. Secondly, the cut off watch at bottom right is distracting because it's the only hard, non-organic shape that intersects the edge of the frame.
Lynne Shaheen – Pure concentration
Here, the human element sits in isolation – total concentration is an apt title. The subject's difficult pose is isolated nicely by depth of field; however the bokeh also serves to provide psychological reinforcement for the title, as though the gymnast is completely focusing on the next pole only – and blurring out his environment. Overall though, the subject is vertical – but the frame is horizontal; this has resulted in a lot of empty space on left and right that don't particularly add anything to the shot, as well as a cut off hand at the top edge. It's important when shooting action to remember that there are other useable focus points apart from the center one, and that the camera can be rotated. Finally, lighting manages to be both somewhat flat and in the wrong place – the gymnast's legs are well highlighted, but his face and bulk of upper body are in shadow and not so well defined.
Ferry Zievinger – Bench sharing
This interesting split frame manages to do two interesting things – humanize an animal, and animalize a human. I find this juxtaposition interesting, and here, well executed; whilst there's symmetry to the frame, the precise balance has been adjusted to take into account the different shapes of animal and man. My one criticism of this image isn't to do with the framing, composition or execution; it's the processing. There's so much textural variation here, it's a shame that it isn't more obvious; the top third of the frame is actually quite flat. And a little strategic dodge and burn around the face and t-shirt of the man would have helped tonally balance out the bright white portion of the dog.
Kristian Dowling – untitled
A beautiful, tender moment captured between mother and daughter. The windblown hair, to me, adds a dynamic, transient feeling to the overall image; suggesting that perhaps such instants are fleeting and to be appreciated (and clearly, captured). It's a great moment, but the execution has opportunities for improvement – firstly, left-right balance of this image a bit off; the heads of the subjects blend into the trees, and the white sky feels empty. Secondly, the overall image is somewhat flat, especially in the facial tones; yet there's a clear halo behind the arms of the mother where the subjects were lightened.
Robert Yong Lee – Intersections
This image takes a very different interpretation of the topic – an abstract, almost painterly scene has an empty spot that's filled conveniently by a generic human shape – very much making it the human element of the scene, and nothing more. I like the use of large depth of field and texture here; amplified further by the highly directional light source, emphasizing textures in the frame. Overall, it's balanced; the window frame at left could perhaps have been dodged a little to separate it out from the shadow of the lamp post and visually balance the lighter right side, though. Similarly with the shadowed pavement.
Arthur Wang – Working men: a city street
Last, but not least – the utter chaos in the scene comes through well in the image; I almost feel like the atmospheric dust is amplified or reinforced by the slightly low contrast processing (though a little more contrast might have been nice). Here, the human element is everywhere but in the top left corner – and the slant of the frame doesn't help this at all; in fact, it causes the two people in the foreground to be a little cut off. Yet somehow, the frame works as a whole – these technical imperfections seem to reinforce the business and chaotic nature of the actual location. There are two distracting edge elements, though – the handlebars of the bicycle intersecting the shadow of the car at bottom center, and the large gray object on the right edge. Framing left and down a little would have solved both of these problems.
In the end, the image that drew my eye back to it time and again was Broadway Bus – congratulations to Rafael Macia! The image has soul, grit and emotion – those very human characteristics. You win the first prize of US$300. The honourable mention (and $120) goes to Robert Yong Lee for intersections – I love the abstract, painterly quality of the image, and the creative interpretation of the theme; however, the shadow casts a certain detachment to proceedings which doesn't quite lend the same impact as a non-abstracted person in the scene would. I think this was a very close fight between the finalists, and everybody should be proud of their work. I'll be in touch with both winners via email to sort out remittances.
Get ready for the next competition announcement, in a couple of hours. MT
Visit our Teaching Store to up your photographic game – including Photoshop Workflow DVDs and customized Email School of Photography; or go mobile with the Photography Compendium for iPad. You can also get your gear from B&H and Amazon. Prices are the same as normal, however a small portion of your purchase value is referred back to me. Thanks!
Don't forget to like us on Facebook and join the reader Flickr group!
Images and content copyright Ming Thein | mingthein.com 2012 onwards. All rights reserved


text:
March 12, 2012— -- The evidence linking sugar-sweetened beverages with an array of health problems -- including obesity and diabetes -- keeps piling up. And a new study adds one more potential risk to the list: coronary heart disease.
According to a new study, men who drink one sugar-sweetened beverage daily have a 20 percent higher risk of coronary heart disease than men who drink none.
Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health tracked nearly 43,000 participants in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, which included male dentists, pharmacists, physicians, veterinarians and other health professionals ages 40 to 75, almost all of whom were of European descent.
For 22 years, the men filled out surveys about their diets and other health habits. The researchers also collected blood samples from more than 18,000 men who were demographically similar to those in the survey.
The results, published today in the American Heart Association's journal, Circulation, found that drinking 12 ounces of regular soda, fruit drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages daily was associated with a higher risk of heart disease, even after taking into account other cardiovascular risk factors, such as smoking, physical inactivity, alcohol use and a family history of heart disease.
Dr. Frank Hu, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health and the lead author of the study, said the findings were notable because even relatively modest consumption of sugary beverages – just one drink per day – was associated with an increased risk of heart disease.
"These drinks should be treated as a treat, not for all the time," Hu said.
Sugar-sweetened beverages include regular soda, fruit drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks and sugar-sweetened water.
A 2011 report from the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that about 25 percent of Americans drink the equivalent of more than one can of soda each day. The study also found that men who drank daily sugar-sweetened beverages had certain markers of cardiovascular disease in their blood, including higher levels of lipids like triglycerides and lower levels of HDL, or "good," cholesterol.
Hu said increases in these markers could give some clues about the biological mechanisms that may connect sugary drinks and heart disease.
Previous research suggests that the link between sugary drinks and heart disease may exist for women as well. The current study's findings mirror those of a study of nearly 89,000 women, the Nurses' Health Study, which Hu and his colleagues published in 2009. That study found that women who drank one or less than two sugary drinks per day had a 23 percent increased risk of a heart attack.
The current study didn't find an association between diet drinks and cardiovascular disease, and previous studies have failed to link diet drinks with an increase in diabetes risk or weight gain. This may be because people who choose diet drinks might be more likely to develop better diets and healthier lifestyles overall. In the current study, the men who drank diet soda often got more exercise and smoked less.
But some nutrition experts hesitate to suggest that people simply replace sugar-sweetened beverages with diet drinks because of inconclusive evidence about the long-term effects of artificial sweeteners. Some research also suggests that diet soda can condition the taste buds to crave sweets, leading to higher sugar intake in other parts of the diet.
A growing body of research connects sugary drinks with increased risk of diabetes, weight gain, high blood pressure and a number of other chronic diseases. But nutrition experts note that the current study doesn't show that sugar-sweetened beverages cause heart disease. Consuming sugary drinks every day may simply indicate less healthy lifestyles that could lead to heart disease.
"To some extent, people who drink more soda are apt to eat less well overall," said Dr. David Katz, director of the Yale Prevention Research Center. "Too much added sugar in the diet is likely a 'marker' of lower overall diet quality."
Nutrition experts emphasize that making any single ingredient out as the bad guy is a mistake.
"Attempting to blame or pinpoint any one cause for disease risk or overweight, fails to recognize that overall lifestyle is the key to health," said Connie Diekman, director of university nutrition at Washington University in St. Louis.
The American Beverage Association, a trade organization representing the beverage industry, disputed the study's findings.
"Drinking sweetened beverages does not cause an increased risk of heart disease – not based on this study or any other study in the available science," the ABA said in a statement, adding that a healthy weight, balanced diet and physical activity are the real keys to reducing the risk of heart disease.


text:
Calm in the municipal bond market might not last
NEW YORK – Municipal bonds are getting another chance.
Money is flowing once again into muni-bond mutual funds, a turnaround from last year's exodus. So far, investors have been rewarded for renewing their interest, but managers caution that several challenges remain.
It's just the latest turning point for an industry that has experienced many of them in recent years. In late 2010, investors stampeded out of muni-bond funds after a prediction that a wave of defaults would hit the market. The wave didn't materialize, and buyers returned. Last year, investors ran once again. The worries started in the spring when interest rates began rising and intensified after Detroit filed for bankruptcy.
The turn of the calendar brought a trickle of money back into muni-bond funds. Investors deposited a net $342 million in January, according to the Investment Company Institute. That's a drip compared with the nearly $10 billion that flowed out of muni-bond funds in December, though the pace has since picked up. About $1.4 billion came in the four weeks through Feb. 26.
Those investors who jumped in early profited: Municipal bonds have returned 3.2 percent this year, according to the Barclays Municipal Bond index. It's a sharp turnaround from the index's drop of 2.6 percent in 2013, its worst loss since 1994.
"It's unrealistic to think we can continue this pace that the first two months have had," says Rick Taormina, head of tax-aware strategies at J.P. Morgan Funds. "Really, it's almost mathematically impossible."
But before getting into why, here's a reminder of what municipal bonds are and what kinds of investors they tend to attract: Municipal bonds are issued by water and sewer authorities, cities and other local governments. The income that they produce is generally free from federal income taxes and sometimes from state and local income taxes.
The tax exemption means municipal bonds tend to attract investors in high tax brackets. Top federal tax rates have also risen in recent years — as much as 39.6 percent last year from 35 percent in 2012 — which makes the exemption even more valuable. Tax-exempt muni bonds are also most suited for an investor's taxable account. Putting them in a 401(k), individual retirement account or other tax-deferred retirement account would negate their big advantage.
This year's gains have come for a couple reasons. Chief among them is that interest rates have dropped, and falling rates push up bond prices. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note has sunk to about 2.73 percent from 3 percent in early January.
When interest rates fall, all types of municipal bonds benefit, particularly long-term bonds. That's because investors are locked into their yields for a longer period, yields that suddenly look better than they did at the start of the year. The average long-term national municipal bond fund has returned 3.7 percent this year, compared with 0.9 percent for short-term national municipal bond funds, according to Morningstar.
But many strategists don't expect rates to continue to decline. The economy is improving slowly, recent hiccups related to bad weather notwithstanding, and that should put upward pressure on interest rates.Given that, and other factors, J.P. Morgan's Taormina says investors shouldn't be surprised to see the recent jump in gains for muni-bond funds plateau, possibly with a break-even return for the rest of the year.
Muni bonds are compelling relative to other investments, he says. "But I think there will be plenty of dips through the year" during which losses for muni bonds will offer buying opportunities for investors.
Besides rising interest rates, here are some of the other concerns that could limit muni-bond returns:
Credit concerns
Detroit's bankruptcy last year got a lot of attention, but managers of muni-bond funds say they're hearing more questions now from investors about Puerto Rico. The territory has a smaller population than Oklahoma, but it has an outsized role in the muni-bond market.
Income from its bonds is tax-free for residents in other states, which made them particularly attractive to investors in New York and other high-tax states. Such demand allowed Puerto Rico to issue a lot of debt: It has almost $50 billion in municipal debt outstanding, according to T. Rowe Price. Fiscal problems in Puerto Rico, though, pushed credit-rating agencies to cut its rating to junk status this year.
But muni-bond fund managers say the larger market is nevertheless improving. The default rate for municipal bonds remains below 1 percent. Local governments have gotten a better handle on their pension problems, and tax revenues have strengthened.
What about the tax exemption?
Congress is debating whether to strip away, or at least reduce, one of the big advantages of muni bonds: their tax-exempt income. If the proposals turn into law, it could drive down demand for municipal bonds. Local government officials are lobbying against the proposals, saying they would make borrowing to pay for roads and other infrastructure projects more expensive.
But fund managers say they've seen similar threats many times before, which ended up fizzling, and they don't see this attempt as any more dire.
"The income tax is 100 years old, it goes back to 1913, and ever since then there have been people in Washington looking to take it away," says Gene Gard, a co-portfolio manager of Dupree Mutual Funds, which invests about $1.3 billion in municipal bonds. "It could happen someday, but we're not going to take steps to worry about it until something concrete happens."
Tax-exempt municipal bonds are most suited for an investor's taxable account. Putting them in a 401(k), individual retirement account or other tax-deferred retirement account would negate their big advantage.


text:
From tiny plots to wide-open "rural cemeteries" and modern "memorial parks," the evolving design of cities of the dead
Before 1831, America had no cemeteries. It's not that Americans didn't bury their dead—just that large, modern graveyards did not exist. But with the construction of Mount Auburn Cemetery, a large burial ground in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the movement to build cemeteries in America began.
In his recently released Cemeteries, Keith Eggener, an associate professor of American art and architecture at the University of Missouri, uses more than 600 archival photos to depict the evolution of American cemeteries from small family plots into these very first "rural cemeteries" and, later, the less scenic 20th-century "memorial parks." Alongside this visual tour, Eggener offers historical context, explaining how the living have interacted with these resting places for the dead. Eggener spoke with The Atlantic about what drew him to these morbid locales, and how the design of cemeteries has reflected America's feelings about death.
Story continues below
How did you first become interested in cemeteries?
I always liked them as a kid. They're kind of like parks without the crowd—they're attractive places to walk around. In terms of how I became interested in them as a scholar, I found that a lot of the writing I've done has been on design landscapes that evoke or raise issues of memory, of loss, of decay. It's an interest I've had for a long time and one I've continued to feed—I always go to cemeteries when I travel.
What really fascinates me is the idea of liminality: the joining together of two very different states. You have a kind of intensification of knowledge and emotion. The Transcendentalists were fascinated by cemeteries, and I'm fascinated by the same things: the coming together of these disparate states of life and death, nature and culture. Cemeteries are the places that those kinds of meetings of the past and the future come to the fore.
How are these tensions reflected in the design of cemeteries?
Burial isn't just about celebrating the dead. It's about containing the dead—keeping them out of the realm of the living, which is why cemeteries were removed from cities. We would like to go into their world when it's convenient for us. Look at themes in popular culture, at how often the worlds of the living and dead intersect and how disastrous that often is. Think of zombie movies—havoc usually ensues.
Particularly in the great 19th-century cemeteries and as well in the 20th-century cemeteries, one of the great features is the entrance gate. Very elaborately fashioned, it marks the fact that you're leaving the mundane world behind. Another way it has played out is that American cities are gridded cities. Cemeteries operate as alternate cities—cities of the dead. They are often very complex.
Cemeteries we built for ourselves, increasingly after 1830, were places with winding roads and picturesque vistas. The idea being that you leave behind the mercantile world outside the gates and enter into the space where you can meditate, where you can come into contact with spirituality and concentrate. They were quite important spaces for recreation as well. Keep in mind, the great rural cemeteries were built at a time when there weren't public parks, or art museums, or botanical gardens in American cities. You suddenly had large pieces of ground, filled with beautiful sculptures and horticultural art. People flocked to cemeteries for picnics, for hunting and shooting and carriage racing. These places became so popular that not only were guidebooks issued to guide visitors, but also all kinds of rules were posted.
In the book, you note that cemeteries as we know them today first emerged in the 1830s, with the rural cemetery movement. As you mention, Americans had always buried their dead, but did so in churchyards, town commons, or municipal burial grounds. Why the shift to these larger cemeteries?
The old church burial grounds were beginning to be seen as inadequate, dangerous, crowded, expensive to maintain, and as carriers of disease. Thousands of burials had taken place on very small plots of ground; these places filled up. You often had burials five or six coffins deep. Sometimes the walls would break down during floods—it was actually rather horrible—coffins would break open and bodies would spill out into the street. During times of epidemics—yellow fever, cholera—cemeteries were seen as centers for the gathering of these diseases and their dissemination. At the same time, cities are becoming more crowded, real estate prices are rising. As the economy was growing, it also came to be the fact that Americans wanted to provide better amenities for their citizens. Cemeteries were seen as the last great necessity. By moving the dead out of the city center to places like Brooklyn and Cambridge, these "rural cemeteries" allowed for much larger burial grounds that also removed the dead from the immediate realm of the living.
You note that these 19th-century rural cemeteries are different from more modern, 20th-century cemeteries. How do they differ?
For the most part it used to be the case that in the 19th century people would die at home; funerals would happen at home. A middle-class house would typically have two parlors: a front parlor and a back parlor. The front parlor was a special formal room where you'd have major family rituals like marriages and funerals. People had a much more direct and visceral contact with death.
We don't even call them "cemeteries" anymore. We call them "memorial parks." In memorial parks across the country there is a lot less emphasis on death than in older cemeteries. It's mostly on beauty and memory and the living. The imagery becomes very stark. You don't go out to the memorial park very often. It's seen as an American phenomenon. We send our old people off to homes and hospitals to die; we only go to the cemetery for funerals and then avoid them.
You mentioned that cemetery imagery has become starker. How so?
If you look at grave markers in the 19th-century cemeteries, you'll see the weeping angels, the weeping willows, little sleeping children sitting on top of headstones. These all suggest that death is a kind of presence, it's a gentle sleep. Graves are set up as beds or houses. It's the last house. But, in the 20-century places like the memorial parks, that kind of imagery goes away for the most part. You have these flat stones that just have names and dates on them and maybe a cross. Instead of a lot of individual stones, you'll have occasional markers rising up, which will be identified as hope. The emphasis is not on death, but on hope, and the focus is on beauty, on art, on hopefulness.
Have any new cemetery or burial trends emerged recently?
Green burial is getting bigger and bigger, which is a return to first practices if you will. Instead of the embalmed body put into a metal coffin and sent into a hermetically sealed concrete vault, with green burial you don't embalm the body. It is just wrapped into a simple cotton shroud and put into a simple untreated box. As I understand, land is purchased by some kind of consortium, some kind of group, you or I could buy a plot there for our loved one, and then if you set up a marker it would just be a piece of wood or stone—something that would fall back into nature eventually. Once the site is all filled up, it just starts to look increasingly like a forest.
There are also all kinds of other things. There was a company I read about that was developing these computerized devices that you could have at the grave. You can access a terminal and find pictures of the dear departed and bios and excerpts from their favorite novels, or poems. It's indicative of the way the worlds of the living and the dead continue to be closely linked. As tech for the living evolves, so does tech for the dead.
After spending so much time in cemeteries, has it made you feel a certain way about death?
Frankly, death is inevitability. You know the old saw about death and taxes—it is something we all have to face. I don't necessarily welcome it for myself, but I think it's healthy to recognize its coming. It gives you a sense of the finiteness of your life, the preciousness of your life.
Cemeteries are places that make us reflect upon not just the mortality of those who are buried there, but on our own mortality. These are not scary, creepy places but moving, rich, provocative places, with really powerful and positive meanings. I think fleeing from the reality of our own mortality, isolating our elderly and dying in these bland memorial parks, I think that is a kind of escapism. I think it is sort of unhealthy, a denial of death as it has been called by various writers. You don't have to dwell upon death. You just have to recognize it.
So, what are your burial plans?
I've decided I'm environmentally concerned; I don't like introducing toxic chemicals into the ecosystem. I'm in the process right now of writing my first will, and I've included language that I want a natural burial, in Oregon, where I'm from. The idea of cremation is somehow a little violent and also, I like the idea of being connected back to the earth—becoming food for somebody or something, and also being connected to a place, just for a generation or two. I'm not vain enough to think people will come back and visit for generations. I'd like to have a place where my children and their children could commune, but it doesn't need to go on for more than a generation or two.
Main image: Library of Congress. Book cover: W. W. Norton & Company.
We want to hear what you think about this article. Submit a letter to the editor or write to email@example.com.


text: Rene Zuch 0 Posted April 22, 2013 (edited) Hi, I experimented yesterday in a pool and wanted to share some of the results with you. All done with the Nikon D800 and the Nikon 16-35mm and a prototype of a new dome. I went with Nat a good friend of mine. She already had some experience with this kind of stuff and is a diver what surely helps. In the end my daughter 3.5 years was jealous and wanted to be a model as well. I´m interested in your feedback. Cheers René Edited April 22, 2013 by Rene Zuch Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


text:
After attending 59 Detroit auto-show vehicle reveals, Autoweek editors holed up in a room at One Autoweek tower and debated their picks for the show's Editors' Choice Awards.
After nearly an hour of discussion, voting and horse-trading, we named the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray as Best in Show, the Hyundai HCD-14 as Best Concept, the Ford Atlas concept as Most Significant and the Audi RS7 Sportback as Most Fun.
You can watch our full debate on each in an upcoming video series, but for now, here's our explanation behind the picks:
The all-new C7 Corvette was, in short, our lights-out choice for Best in Show -- the car we'll easily remember from this show five years hence.
"On rare occasions, at least one car premieres at an auto show that absorbs all the light and air in the building, that takes our breath away, and takes every one of our editors' votes without debate," said Editor Wes Raynal. "The 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray is that car."
Others considered: None
The HCD-14, the latest in Hyundai's long line of conceptual offerings, could eventually become the next Genesis sedan in production guise -- and that would take the Korean automaker to yet another level of sophistication in styling as well as technological prowess.
"You look at this elegant sedan and say, 'That's a Hyundai?' This is a gorgeous concept car," said Davey G. Johnson, senior online editor.
"It's big, comfortable and luxurious," added Mark Vaughn, senior editor.
Others considered: BMW 4-series, Ford Atlas
Look past the Atlas concept's obvious truck styling for the real story in all the aerodynamic improvements and weight-saving high-strength steel parts.
"When the Atlas arrives as the 2015 Ford F-150 pickup, it will be a game-changer in terms of fuel economy in the segment," said Bob Gritzinger, executive editor. "And if aluminum replaces steel, as rumored, the significance of the Atlas grows astronomically."
Others considered: Jeep Grand Cherokee Diesel, Lincoln MKC concept
Superior performance and styling usually catch our attention when it comes to contenders for our Most Fun award. While the unusual Corvette LS9-powered Destino collaboration from Henrik Fisker and Bob Lutz turned our heads -- and the Mercedes E63 AMG's 3.5-second 0-60-mph time will snap them back -- ultimately it was the Audi RS7's combination of panache and power that earned our nod.
"Twin-turbocharged, 4.0-liter V8, 560-hp, quattro all-wheel drive, and a 3.7-second 0-60-mph time," said Germany correspondent Greg Kable. "And it looks great."
Others considered: Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG, VL Destino
The annual North American International Auto Show, better known as the Detroit auto show, has maintained its place as a barometer for the entire industry. For 2013, NAIAS takes place Jan. 14-27 and will host concept cars, green cars and supercars from all the major automakers, including what's expected to be a highlight this year: the new 2014 Chevrolet Corvette. Check out Autoweek's complete coverage of the Detroit auto show here.


text:
Obedience is a form of social influence where an individual acts in response to a direct order from another individual, who is usually an authority figure.
It is assumed that without such an order, the person would not have acted in this way.
Real-Life Example of Obedience
Millions of people were killed in Nazi Germany concentration camps, but Hitler couldn't have killed them all, nor could a handful of people. What made all those people follow the orders they were given?
Were they afraid, or was there something in their personality that made them like that? In order to obey authority, the obeying person has to accept that it is legitimate (i.e., rightful, legal) for the command to be made of them.
Adolf Eichmann was executed in 1962 for his part in organizing the Holocaust, in which six million Jewish people, as well as gypsies, communists, and trade unionists, were transported to death camps and murdered in Nazi Germany and surrounding countries under Nazi control.
Eichmann was a logistical genius whose part in the Holocaust was the planning of the efficient collection, transportation, and extermination of those to be killed. At his trial in 1961, Eichmann expressed surprise at being hated by Jewish people, saying that he had merely obeyed orders and that surely obeying orders could only be a good thing.
In his jail diary, Eichmann wrote, "The orders were, for me, the highest thing in my life and I had to obey them without question" (extract quoted in The Guardian, 12 August 1999, p. 13).
Eichmann was declared sane by six psychiatrists, he had a normal family life and observers at his trial described him as very average. Given that there appears to be nothing particularly unusual about Eichmann, we must face the uncomfortable possibility that his behavior was the product of the social situation in which he found himself and that under the right circumstances, we may all be capable of monstrous acts.
Following the Second World War – and in particular, the Holocaust – psychologists set out to investigate the phenomenon of human obedience. Early attempts to explain the Holocaust had focused on the idea that there was something distinctive about German culture that had allowed the Holocaust to take place.
Stanley Milgram set out to test the research question "are Germans different?" but he quickly found that we are all surprisingly obedient to people in authority.
In one of the most famous series of experiments in psychology, Milgram (1963-74) demonstrated that most participants would give a helpless victim fatal electric shocks when ordered to. Milgram later ran a number of variations to the basic study to find out more about the particular factors which might influence obedience.
What is the difference between compliance and obedience?
Obedience occurs when you are told to do something (authority), whereas conformity happens through social pressure (the norms of the majority).
Obedience involves a hierarchy of power/status. Therefore, the person giving the order has a higher status than the person receiving the order.


text:
Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more.
No. Residents must obtain a yard sign at City Hall, East Side Municipal Garage, or West Side Municipal Garage. Please bring proof of residency to show that you reside in the City of Green Bay.
Show All Answers
If you live in Allouez, Bellevue, New Franken, Ledgeview, Oneida, Pulaski, Suamico, or another local village, township, or municipality, contact your local government to find out if they will be participating in No Mow May and where you can register.
City of De Pere residents may participate by registering online at: https://deperewi.gov/nomowmay
Village of Howard residents may participate by registering online at: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc7OAMsoSZhWpUFfyLIydHFwsKZt2Mr7r6RTe_qpHw71VvHCg/viewform
No. It is a voluntary program during the month of May.
Register online at: https://greenbaywi.gov/NoMowMay
Mowing your lawn less creates habitat and can increase the abundance and diversity of wildlife including bees and other pollinators. The goal is to allow grass to grow unmown for the month of May, creating habitat for early season pollinators. This is particularly important in urban areas where floral resources are often limited (beecityusa.org).
If a property is registered for No Mow May, any grass that is maintained by the property owner/ tenant, including the terrace area, does not have to be mowed during the month of May.
Resume regular mowing of your lawn June 1, 2022. You can view Municipal Code 24-84, Noxious Weeds and Maintenance of Vegetation ordinance online.
Property owners are subject to enforcement of municipal code 24-84, Noxious Weeds and Maintenance of Vegetation ordinance. This ordinance applies to excessive growth of vegetation and weeds in yards. Failure by any property owner to keep grass and weed growth below eight (8) inches will result in DPW completing the work and invoicing the property owner for services rendered.
Displaying the City-issued yard sign signifies your participation. Failure to display the yard sign could result in enforcement of municipal code 24-84, Noxious Weeds and Maintenance of Vegetation ordinance.
*If you are unable to identify the numeric street address of the vacant parcel, come to City Hall, 3rd Floor to register the parcel in-person.