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Wednesday, July 19, 2006
A-League Anticipation, Part 1
It is now little more than a month away.
That glamorous but somewhat disappointing event in Europe is over, and the real business starts up again at Olympic Park on my cousin's 35th birthday, August 25.
Over the next few weeks, your favourite tragic will be presenting a brief piece on each team, in the lead-up to the national competition. And where better to start than with the defending champions, my very own hometown club?
Sydney FC
How should Sydney FC's off-season be described? Interesting, disquieting, dramatic? At times, it was all of these. The boardroom manoeuvres certainly took centre stage for the period immediately following the Grand Final, and with the World Cup commanding much of the fans' attention from May onwards, there has been little discussion about the team itself until now.
David Carney and Dwight Yorke will wear the light blue jersey again this season, much to the relief of the Cove. The retention of Carney is indeed a blessing, but the fans will be earnestly hoping that it is the Yorke of 2005, rather than the meek, uninterested midfielder of early 2006, who will take the field.
There is reason to assume that he will show a little more commitment this season. His dip in form towards the end of the 2005/06 A-League season seemed to have more than a little to do with Trinidad and Tobago's qualification for the World Cup; no way was Yorke going to let an injury sustained at club level prevent him from taking part.
There have been only two departures from the club during the off-season. Andy Packer has left for Queensland, and all those who remember his commanding display in the Grand Final will acknowledge that he is a considerable loss. Matthew Bingley has also ended his stint at Sydney FC, but most fans will feel that the veteran utility man, who saw perhaps more game time than he deserved last season, is eminently replaceable.
Sydney FC's playing roster still looks the best in the country. They have captured two exciting young players in Alex Brosque and Jeremy Brockie, and can still call upon the services of the estimable Clint Bolton in goal, and the still underestimated Steve Corica in midfield.
The acquisition of Brosque and Brockie does present an interesting conundrum: how will Sydney FC set out their stall on the flanks? The two young recruits both function most effectively on the wing, and with Carney, Robbie Middleby and Ruben Zadkovich already on the books of the defending champions, there will probably be a couple of talented players reduced to bit parts this term. Zadkovich, it must be said, looked ill at ease on the wing during the finals series; one hopes that he will have the opportunity to occupy a central position at times this season.
Midfield, then, appears to be the area of least concern for Sydney FC. Ufuk Talay - unfairly written off by some supporters last season - and the pugnacious Terry McFlynn are still there, to fill the central places. It is quite possible that the current midfield preponderance will induce Terry Butcher to move Dwight Yorke back into a striking role, a switch which would surely be welcomed by many fans. David Zdrilic is still there, and the consensus among the fans seems to be that he is something of a dead weight. I'll reserve judgement on that until he is able to play at full fitness for an extended period.
Perhaps the squad is short a defender at the moment, particularly in the light of Packer's departure. Nikolai Topor-Stanley, a short-term signing from the state league, apparently showed some form in the pre-season outing against Queensland, and Terry Butcher may be tempted to snap him up, rather than look for an established name to fill the breach.
Finally, there is the matter of the new manager.
Anxious perusals of Motherwell fansites by Sydney FC fans were rewarded with mostly positive references to our new man. By all accounts, his Motherwell charges played enterprising football, and he wrung more out of the squad than expected.
Those Sydney fans present must have groaned, however, when the team took the field against Queensland on the Gold Coast with Carney on the right and Corica on the left...exactly the deployments for which Pierre Littbarski was so roundly criticised last season. But Butcher shifted his formation as the game wore on, suggesting that the Littbarski system might not last too long under his stewardship.
Next: our pirate neighbours from up the coast.
Your blog is one of the shining lights of football sites on the internet. I very much enjoy reading it.
'Twill be interesting to see how he goes this season. The whole back line looked a bit shaky last season, at least at some points. In fact the goal by Qld against Sydney was due to crossed wavelengths between Milligan and Fyfe. But apparently Milligan was very impressive in Asia for the Olyroos just before the WC, which is why he made the squad (that, and Vidmar having to be rushed out).
Carney himself says he prefers to be on the right. I think it's a medium to long-term plan to turn himself into a genuine tvo-sided player. Remember that Littbarski himself would play Carney on the left for most of the match, then switch him to the right for the last 10 minutes.
Mikey did you happen to catch the live text commentary from the ground in Qld, relayed by the Chairman himself and one other Cove supporter? Sydney's second goal was supposedly the result of a 21-pass move. I don't know exactly who would have been counting passes all game, which is what they would have had to do.
That's not the way I recall it TBH, mags. Carney mostly started on the right and occasionally switched to the left during the game (during the regular season at least).
And as for his personal preference, he tended to hedge when he was seriously quizzed about his preferred position (trust me, I was at the press conferences ;-) ), and Jaza for one says he privately confessed he'd prefer to be playing on the left.
We shall see!
...Mikey did you happen to catch the live text commentary from the ground in Qld, relayed by the Chairman himself and one other Cove supporter? Sydney's second goal was supposedly the result of a 21-pass move. I don't know exactly who would have been counting passes all game, which is what they would have had to do....
Didn't catch it at the time unfortunately (I was up at Gosford for the Mariners-Perth game), but I saw the commentary later on SFCU. Counting 21 passes without the benefit of a replay is pretty damn impressive!!
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The US FDA has announced the availability of the first gene therapy in the USA. The novel gene therapy – tisagenlecleucel (Kymriah) – is intended for patients with B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) that has proved unresponsive to treatment, or has returned after initial treatments. The cell-based treatment will be restricted to patients of up to 25 years of age, with ALL that is refractory or post-first-stage relapse. This is estimated to occur in 15–20% of patients.
Kymriah is a genetically-modified, autologous T-cell immunotherapy. Each dose is customized by using the patient's own T-cells, which are collected and modified at a manufacturing center and then infused back into the patient. The cells contain a gene containing a chimeric antigen receptor that directs T-cells to combat leukemia cells with the CD19 antigen on their surface.
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A multicenter clinical trial demonstrated the efficacy of Kymriah, demonstrating that of 63 pediatric and young adult patients with relapsed or refractory B-Cell precursor ALL, the overall remission rate stood at 83% within 3 months. However, Kymriah does carry the potential to induce severe side effects. The therapy's warning list includes cytokine release syndrome and neurological events, both of which can be life-threatening. Most symptoms appear within 22 days of infusion. Kymriah will also destroy normal B-cells, due to the presence of CD19, resulting in a prolonged increase in the risk of infection.
Because of these risks, the FDA will require, amongst a number of safeguards, that all hospitals and associated clinics be specifically certified and all staff prescribing, dispensing or administering Kymriah, be trained in recognizing and treating cytokine release syndrome and neurological events. Patients will also be informed of the symptoms. Novartis will be conducting a post-marketing observational study involving patients treated with Kymriah.
Scott Gottlieb (FDA) commented: "We're entering a new frontier in medical innovation with the ability to reprogram a patient's own cells to attack a deadly cancer. New technologies such as gene and cell therapies hold out the potential to transform medicine and create an inflection point in our ability to treat and even cure many intractable illnesses."
Source: www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm574058.htm?source=govdelivery&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery')
Updated 31 January, 2019

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Cyber Security Conference – Romanian Police Academy
IT Teams participated at the Cyber Security Conference held at the Romanian Police Academy. The meeting brought together various leader multiple Governmental institutions such as the Presidential Office, DNA, Romanian police etc who are responsible for the security of the IT infrastructure of their respective units. IT Teams was represented by its CEO George Tudor, […]Read more »


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The animation shows a top view of four wires and a galvanometer in the lab. Current flowing into the + terminal, i.e., counterclockwise, will deflect the meter to the right. During the time interval t=2 s to t=8 s a magnet is slowly pushed completely through the rectangle from the bottom toward the top. (You can also think of the magnet as being pushed out of the computer monitor toward the user. Note: the magnet is not shown.) Observe the meter reading during this simulation.
Which pole was inserted first? North or south? The animation starts at t=0 and stops at t=10 seconds. Start.
© 2000 by Prentice-Hall, Inc. A Pearson Company


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Otologics, LLC is a medical device company dedicated to the development of advanced amplification products to enhance communication and improve the quality of life of individuals with hearing loss.
Carina is a fully implantable hearing system for the treatment of all three types of hearing loss: sensorineural, conductive and mixed. The Carina fully implantable hearing system includes a microphone, which is implanted completely under the skin. The system is coupled to the middle ear anatomy, so the ear canal remains open. The implant consists of a microphone, a sound processor and a transducer. The transducer stimulates the ossicular chain and other parts of the middle ear. This system mimics natural hearing, and Carina users report a more natural sound quality than with conventional hearing aids.read more
Once your doctor has determined that Carina is the right choice for you, the Carina fully implantable hearing system will be implanted through a standard operation with general anesthesia. The auditory ossicles remain completely intact during the operation. After approximately eight weeks, the implant will be activated by an audiologist or hearing aid acoustician. Carina is currently being implanted in numerous clinics across Europe, Latin America and Asia.read more


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2016 Black Hanoverian,
FIORI is the looker. Born May 9, 2016, he is black, tall and masculine, his head is beautiful, his topline is strong and his shoulder is ideal. We can feel the strong influence of Floriscount and Donnerhall all over him. This is the whole package! World class dressage bloodlines, top producing sireline AND mareline for both the sport and the breeding shed. Take advantage of the very low exchange rate between Canada and USA to secure this rare Floriscount x De Niro 2016 black colt.
With his look, bloodlines and talent, FIORI would sell for 18k +++ in an heart beat, but due to a surgery historic at young age, we are setting his price to 13 000$ CAD (about 9750$ USD as of now). Full written vet report can be produced for the interested buyer from surgeons & Equine Hospital. This is a TOP TOP TOP dressage prospect, from a PROVEN mare and mareline. We expect Fiori to mature OVER 17hh. He is tall and powerfull, yet, very smart and trainable. Fiori was CALLED BACK for the FINAL RING (dressage bred foals) at his Hanoverian Verband inspection, as one of the best foals presented that day. He is fully registered and branded with the German Hanoverian Verband.
FLORISCOUNT (Fiori's sire) is surpassing even the highest expectations. Born in 2005, he clearly outshined all others at his stallion performance test and dominantly won the Dressage index with perfect scores of 10.0 for his rideability and canter. In 2010 and 2011, Floriscount achieved numerous victories and placings in tests for young dressage horses, and qualified repeatedly for the Bundeschampionate. Then, at the Nurnberger Burg-Pokal finals in December 2014, he was fantastic. Second in the qualifying round and silver medalist in the final with a standing ovation from the audience in the Musical Kur, earning an outstanding 9.0! Later, Floriscount was also honoured as the 2014 VTV Oldenburg dressage stallion of the year (award given to a 9 to 10 years old stallion, based on their own performance as well as that of their offspring). That year, the FN had rated him with an incredible Breeding Value Index of 170 with a 91% assurity.
With his first crops, Floriscount dominated the 2012 & 2013 Hanoverian licensings in Verden, having had the largest amount of offspring selected for both main licensings. In 2013, his first crop of three-year-old mares won several mare shows and did very well at their performance tests. Two black mares qualified for the Oldenburg Elite Mare Show in Rastede after a very good performance test where they received the State Premium award. He also had four mares selected for the prestigious Herward von der Decken Show (the Hanoverian Elite mares show) in Verden, where St.Pr.A. Fleur (Floriscount x Wild Dance), was the Reserve Champion and later went on to qualify for the Bundeschampionate, where she finished fourth overall in the 3 year old mares division.
SPS DESTEMONA (Fiori's dam) is a super broodmare. She comes from several generations of Hanoverian States Premium mares and carries a top motherline responsible for many approved stallions (Feuerspiel – Licencing Champion, Stakkato and Messenger – show jumping stars) as well as many top dressage horses (SPS Helline – 3rd Nurnberger Burgpokal qualifier, PSG/Inter I; SPS Helena – Bundeschampionate qualified, reservist for Germany for World Dressage Championships of Young horses; Higway – 2008 European Young Rider's Champion and Vice-Champion). But more interestingly, Destemona herself is has produced some outstanding foals, her older ones being:
– EM Hochkarat (2001 mare by Hohenstein), imported as a 2yo from Germany, was the Highest scoring mare in USA in 2004 for the whole Hanoverian Verband inspection tour, winning the Bari von Buedingen Memorial Trophee. Trained and shown up to Inter I so far.
– Sandro Khan (2004 gelding by Sandro Hit) is still in Germany and trained and shown up to M level so far.
– Rio de Janeiro (2005 gelding by Riccione), also still in Germany, trained and shown up so far to Intermediare II with his young rider and owner. Under Olympian Nicole Uphoff's supervision, together they won their class at CDI Hambourg – Dressage Derby Inter II U25 with a final score over 70% in May 2016. They were 3rd overall in the finals at that same show. In 2014, they were 9th at the German Federal Championships in Dresage for young and junior riders. In 2016, they showd at S level (Inter I +) with many firsts and 2nd placings at national level.
– Satisfaction HGB (2006 gelding by Samarant) was imported in USA and is actively competing in Hunters on the A circuit.
Registration Number: DE431316844916
Breeding Approval(s):
Terms: Applicable taxes for Canadian buyers are not included in the sale price.
Contact Information:
Jessica Lauzon
Les Écuries d'Automne
3957, ch. Val-Limoges
Mt.Laurier, Quebec J9L 3G6
Tel: (819) 436-2365
Email: email@example.com
Website: http://www.autumnsstables.com/eng/fiori.html
Video: https://youtu.be/iZygnmyPSLk
Owner of Record: Jessica Lauzon & Maxime Auclair
Breeder: Jessica Lauzon & Maxime Auclair


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BusinessScienceTop Stories
Subsea Thermal Insulation Materials Market Research Forecast With Trelleborg, BASF, SHAWCOR, Tenaris, TechnipFMC, Cabot Corporation, Aspen Aerogels, Advanced Insulation Limited
Global subsea thermal insulation materials market is expected to rise from its initial estimated value of USD 75.65 million in 2018 to a projected value of USD 102.58 million by 2026, registering a CAGR of 3.88% in the forecast period of 2019-2026. This rise in market value can be attributed to the growing prevalence of underwater and offshore energy extraction processes.
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Market Definition: Global Subsea Thermal Insulation Materials Market
Subsea thermal insulation is the process of maintaining the desired composite temperature of the materials undersea so that there is no formation of hydrate plugs or waxes in the pipes and tanks. Non-applicability of thermal insulation results in cooling of oils and gases extracted resulting in formulation of waxes causing blockages in the entire structure. This type of insulation involves covering the entire inner portion of the structure with modified chemicals and materials causing the temperature to remain constant.
Market Drivers:
- Recovering energy extraction industry
- Rise in prevalence of offshore oil & gas extraction methods and processes
Market Restraints:
- Fluctuation and vulnerable nature of prices of crude oil; this factor is expected to act as a restraint to the market growth
Key Developments in the Market:
- In September 2018, TechnicFMC plc announced that they had agreed with Equinor ASA for all of their offshore operations till the completion of these projects. This collaboration is expected to positively impact the demand for products and services of TechnicFMC plc in the market.
- In May 2018, The Dow Chemical Company announced that they had inaugurated a new technological and sales office in Toronto, Canada. The expansion of their office in the particular region is expected to meet the need and demand of consumers in the region.
Key Market Competitors: Global Subsea Thermal Insulation Materials Market
Few of the major competitors currently working in the subsea thermal insulation materials market are Cabot Corporation, Aspen Aerogels Inc., TechnipFMC plc, Advanced Insulation Limited, BASF SE, The Dow Chemical Company, Ameriforge Group Inc., Trelleborg AB (publ), SHAWCOR, Tenaris, Aegion Corporation, Balmoral Group Holdings Ltd, Engineered Syntactic Systems and Materia Inc.
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Segmentation: Global Subsea Thermal Insulation Materials Market
- By Type
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- Equipment
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- Europe
- Germany
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- Rest of Europe
- Asia-Pacific
- Japan
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Caroline Flack to host Hermes' management conference awards
International couriers, Hermes, have hired popular television presenter Caroline Flack to host their annual management conference awards. Best known for her presenting roles on Love Island and The X Factor, Caroline is well versed at presenting in front of a significant number of people.
These awards will acknowledge the fantastic work Hermes' employees have done over the last 12 months.
If you would like to book any of our renowned speakers for your next event or conference, get in touch with Champions After Dinner Speakers. Call us on 0207 1010 553 or complete our online form for more information.


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Phone: 208-350-4105 ext 1405
Degrees and Certifications:
BA Elementary Education with minor in Early Childhood from Boise State University National Board Certified
Mrs. Dori Atterberry
Welcome to my website! I am a first grade teacher, and I'm starting my 31st year teaching. I love being a teacher! I have taught kindergarten, first grade, and second grade. I have been at Galileo since it opened, this is year 13. Before that I was at Hunter Elementary for 2 years; Meridian Elementary for 15 years; and 1 year at Central Elementary in Sugar City, Idaho. Bonus points for you if you know where Sugar City is. I grew up in Kuna, Idaho and attended college at Boise State University.
I have two children and 5 grandchildren.
For all you sports fans--my favorite team is the Seattle Seahawks!


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The National Football League is far and away the most popular and most bet on professional sports league in the United States. In fact, it is estimated that Americans bet nearly $5 billion on just the Super Bowl each year.
If you are interested in betting on the Super Bowl or NFL games this season, then buckle up that chinstrap because we want to plow through and stiff-arm the sketchy betting sites by providing you with only the best legal online sportsbooks available to residents in the United States.
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Is it legal to bet on NFL games online in the US?
There are no federal laws in the United States that prevent residents from placing online bets on NFL games through reputable offshore sportsbooks that are operating legally within the industry.
In addition, states have begun legalizing sports betting following the repeal of PASPA by the U.S. Supreme Court in May 2018, paving the way for wagering on sports to be taxed at the federal and state level and legally offered and located on U.S. soil.
This process has been a slow one and only a few states have opted to legalize and offer sports betting within state lines. Most states are taking a wait-and-see approach before committing to legislation. Also, states that have legalized sports betting may not be allowed to offer online or mobile betting and may only have limited betting lines available for the NFL and other sports.
A Step By Step Guide For Betting On NFL Games
Betting on football in the United States is safe and easy to do. Just follow our walkthrough in this step-by-step guide, and you'll be betting real money on the NFL in no time. The infographic below will take you through all the steps to get started, including:
Step 1: Sign up
Visit any of the betting sites we recommend and check out the odds and lines on NFL games to see which you prefer. Once you have decided on a sportsbook, just look for the 'join now' or 'sign up' button to enter in all the required information to verify who you are on the sign-up page.
Step 2: Claim Bonus
All of the sportsbooks we recommend offer a welcome bonus. Be sure to read the terms and conditions before you make your deposit to ensure you understand how to claim the bonus. Many premium sportsbooks also offer reload bonuses as well.
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Determine how much you'd like to deposit and the method you'd like to use whether it be via credit/debit card, money transfer, or cryptocurrency, which is the most popular method to bet online by far.
Step 4: View NFL lines and odds
The sites we recommend offer numerous games and sports to wager money on, but for this guide, go to the sports section and then click on the football tab to see all the current NFL betting lines available and the odds displayed for each line. We do recommend that you sign up for an account at multiple sportsbooks so that you can easily shop for the best odds for any game.
Step 5: Place bet
Once you see a betting line you like, then choose the type of bet you'd like to make and look at the odds to see how much you need to wager for your desired outcome (ex. -110 means 110 units needed to win 100 units, +110 means 100 units needed to win 110 units).
Step 6: Request a withdrawal
When you win, you have two options: You can keep betting to increase your bankroll or request a withdrawal. To withdraw funds, go to your account and select the withdraw option relevant to you. Allow the sportsbooks some time to process the transaction (typically 1-3 days for non-cryptocurrency transactions depending on the site) to receive your winnings.
NFL Odds To Win Super Bowl 55
2019 NFL Conference Winners
AFC Conference
- Kansas City Chiefs
NFC Conference
- San Francisco 49ers
Understanding NFL Betting Lines And Odds
If you're an experienced with betting, then you're probably familiar with all the different types of NFL bets you can make, but if you're a beginner, it's important to know what you're betting on before placing real money on betting lines.
Here are three examples of the most common football betting lines you'll see at an online sportsbook, and the ones we recommend wagering on to consistently increase your bankroll.
Point Spread
Teams Spread (Odds)
New England Patriots -8 (-110)
New York Jets +8 (-110)
The bottom team is always the home team. Negative numbers are assigned to the favorite and positive numbers are given to the underdog. In this example:
To win a bet on the Patriots, 110 units are needed to win 100 units, and the Patriots must win by 9 or more points.
To win a bet on the Jets, 110 units are needed to win 100 units, and the Jets can either with the game by any margin or lose by no more than 7 points.
Money Line
Teams Money Line
New England Patriots -400
New York Jets +300
The money line is a wager solely on which team will win the game. Only the odds are displayed, and the team with the negative number is the favorite while the team with the positive number is the underdog. In this example:
To win a bet on the Patriots, 400 units are needed to win 100 units, and the Patriots must win the game.
To win a bet on the Jets, 100 units are needed to win 300 units, and the Jets must win the game.
Total (Over/Under)
New England Patriots at New York Jets
O/U Total Points (Odds)
Over 47.0 (-105)
Under 47.0 (-115)
For an Over/Under bet, a set number of points is given by the sportsbook, and a bet must be placed on whether the total points scored by both teams at the end of a game will go over or under the set number. In this example:
To win a bet on the Over, 105 units are needed to win 100 units, and the total points scored by both teams must be 48 points or more.
To win a bet on the Under, 115 units are needed to win 100 units, the total points scored by both teams must be 46 points or fewer.
NFL Live Betting
Live in-game wagering is a revolution in the betting market. Traditionally, when you bet on a football game, your wagers must be submitted before the start of the contest in question. Live betting does away with that, letting fans immerse themselves in the action by betting on straights, spreads, over/unders, and select props throughout the game as they shift in real-time. Super Bowl props bets can be placed before and during the NFL Championship game and have no effect on the outcome of the game.
Live betting benefits everyone in the NFL equation: fans, bettors, and the league itself. Lve betting's perks include more audience engagement, higher viewership numbers, and overall better ratings. For fans and bettors, the benefits of live betting are more specific and granular.
Benefits Of Live Betting
- Get HUNDREDS of extra bets per game – Live betting adds literally hundreds of wagers to each game's docket. Because lines refresh every few minutes to reflect the action on the field, you'll never run out of opportunities to maximize your bankroll.
- Hedge your bets – If you place a pre-game bet and your favored team comes out looking flatter than you'd like, you can hedge that bet by picking the other side on a live line. Sure, your original pick might still win, but a guaranteed wash is sometimes the right play.
- Recoup early losses – For countless reasons, sometimes it becomes clear early in an NFL matchup that your pre-game pick isn't going to win. Live betting lets you put money on the other team so you can recoup some or all of your expected losses.
- Recover from injuries – A "sure thing" might turn into a major fiasco if a key player is injured in a game. Live betting lets you make new bets on lines and odds that reflect that injury. It's like a trip to the sideline medical tent for your bankroll!
- Get bigger payouts on favorites – If a pre-game favorite is -135 straight up and finds itself in an early 14-0 hole, their line might move to +165 or so. If you think they're still likely to win, you can make a lot more money betting on that outcome in-game at much longer odds.
- Double down on locks – Live betting allows you to double down on good pre-game picks. If your team is favored at -3.5 and scores three unanswered TDs in the first quarter, you might decide that you should have risked more than you did at the outset. With live betting, you can!
- Play the middle – Playing the middle is an advanced tactic that in-game NFL betting facilitates. Before a given game, let's say you bet on Team A at -7 to win, and they start racking up the points. Team B's odds might shift from +7 to +12.5. You can now bet on Team B to cover, and if Team A wins by 10 points, you'd win both sides of the bet!
Important 2020/21 Dates for the National Football League
July 15: Franchise Player Deadline.
July 22: Signing period ends for Transition Players.
July 22: Signing period ends for free agents.
Aug. 11: Deadline for players to report to their clubs.
Sept. 5: Clubs must reduce rosters to 53 players.
Sept. 10, 13-14: Regular Season Week 1.
Oct. 29: All trading ends for 2019.
Dec. 29: Final Week of Regular Season.
Jan. 9-10: Wild Card Playoffs.
Jan. 16-17: Divisional Playoffs.
Jan. 24: AFC and NFC Championship Games.
Jan. 31: NFL Pro Bowl.
Feb. 7: Super Bowl LV, Raymond James, Tampa, Florida.
April TBA: NFL Draft, Cleveland, Ohio
Additional Betting Resources
USA Sportsbooks Sites was created to provide valuable information give our visitors with the knowledge necessary to make an informed decision on where to bet legally online. It is our goal to provide only the most trusted offshore online sportsbooks to you and to encourage responsible gambling practices for all U.S. residents.
2019 - 2020 NFL Season Preview – Want to see how this season is shaping up? Check out our NFL preview of this season where we predict how this season with turn out for all 32 teams.
Thanksgiving Day Football Betting – Looking to place a bet on the NFL while chowing down on some turkey? Check our Thanksgiving Day previews to see the games and betting lines available this year.
Super Bowl 54 Betting Guide - Get insight and information for betting on Super Bowl 54, including the odds for who will win the Super Bowl in 2020, and a preview of what the odds have to say before this season even begins.
NCAAF Football Betting Guide – Do you prefer college football over the NFL? Here we run down the betting differences from college to pro that you need to know before wagering on NCAA Division I Football this season.
XFL Betting Guide - While not affiliated with the NFL the XFL will likely serve as a feeder system into the NFL, much like the NCAAF. The XFL is going to fully embrace legal sports betting and will likely try something the NFL has not in regards to sports betting in the USA.


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We work with leading retailers and manufacturers to produce exceptional designs.
Interest in working with us? We'd love to hear from you.
See examples of our work below.
Our Ayrmer chair was created for TalentLab, Made's crowdfunding platforming that supports upcoming designers. Each of Ayrmer's elements stand out, from the copper legs to the dark grey seat and pale backrest. It's angled down at the back too - careful consideration for maximum comfort.
Elswick stools
The Elswick stools are a playful take on the traditional bar stool, revealing details of the construction of the stool and its framework. This was inspired by Newcastle ship building heritage.


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Seventeen civilians, including children and women, were killed on Wednesday in a series of raids by Saudi Arabian Airlines that targeted citizen's houses in Saada and Hajja.
After days the Human Rights Council failed to form an international commission of war crimes in Yemen, which Saudi Arabia considered it a diplomatic victory, and it sent its planes today to bomb the houses of citizens and kill children and women.
The Saudi coalition aircraft waging raids on the home of a citizen named "Hassan al-Maeed" in the Directorate of Baqam, Saada province, which led to the deaths of 12 citizens, including women and children, whose bodies were turned to pieces.
In the same Directorate, Saudi aircraft waging raids on a farm in Al-Ramah and killed two civilians.
And before that, the Saudi coalition aircraft waging raids on the home of a citizen named Ahmed Taher in Al-Jahdah district of Midi Directorate in Hajjah province, killing three civilians and one wounded.


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Intuition and Energy Exercises
June 5, 2019
In this episode of Mystical Lodge Radio, spiritual teachers Patti Stice and Brother Thomas discuss some developmental exercises you can do to increase your intuition and psychic abilities. Don't let the simplicity of these exercises fool you, these skills transfer and help you develop in other areas as well.
- Visit our websites: Spiritus Lumine and Sacred Circle Academy
- You may write to Brother Thomas at [email protected] or Patti Stice at [email protected]
- Podcast Cover Art: The fresco in the conch of the baptistery, Zica Monastery, Serbia picture used by permission of Creative Commons This file is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
- Music Suspended animation by Livio Amato is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License.


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The Wizards bounce back from a 2-game skid in a 122-112 win over the Detroit Pistons Friday night. Looking at the first quarter of the Wizards' matchup with the Pistons, it looked like they would lose yet another game. A slow first start and lack of defense, the Wizards found themselves down 15 points and looking like a downward spiral for the team of the nations capital.
Heading into the matchup, the Wizards were 10-11 away from Capital One Arena. They were also 13-10 against teams above .500 and 12-10 against teams under .500 including a blowout loss to the Charlotte Hornets. The Pistons are now at .500, so it's time for the Wizards continue to step on the gas pedal when it comes to teams that are not on their level.
The biggest player of the game was Kelly Oubre, who went absolutely bananas in this game. Oubre was beasting coming off the bench, scoring a career-high 26 points. He was the main reason as to why the Wizards stayed in the game, and it is close to certain that he might slide into the starting lineup sooner or later.
If they learn how to put the game away and not lose big leads and realize that they are one of the best teams in the East, this will be a dangerous team should they make the postseason.
Washington will continue their road trip as they head to the Dallas Mavericks, a team that has beat them earlier in the season. Tip off starts on Monday at 8:30.


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(PRWEB) November 29, 2016
"The Divine Power Of God: How God Mended My Broken Heart": the true story of God's love and ability to save a soul from spiritual bankruptcy to rise to greatness.
"The Divine Power Of God: How God Mended My Broken Heart" is the creation of published author, Pamela Jean Edgerton Shields, an intellectual and determined writer, entrepreneur, and devoted family-oriented individual who strives for success. Through her life struggles and sufferings, she presents not only a stable mind-set but displays her optimistic nature into a state-of-the-art work. While growing up, she was instilled with the good qualities of life, which included a sound Christian upbringing. Regardless of her past trials and tribulations, Pamela did not allow her life experiences to keep her from becoming an absolute success. In 2003, Pamela graduated from Old Dominion University with her bachelor of science degree. In March of 2009, she received her master of science in criminal justice administration and security from the University of Phoenix. She continued her education and received her PhD in post-secondary and adult education from Capella University in March of 2013.
This astounding author is sharing her life experiences with hopes that the world will know that God loves and cares for us. In the midst of all that she has endured for over forty years of her life, God's divine power has truly manifested itself right before her eyes. This work is a testimony of her firsthand experiences with God.
Pamela shares "When I look back over my life and I think things over, I can truly say that I've been blessed; I have a testimony. The amazing grace of God has truly preserved me and protected me from the darkness and powers of Satan".
She continues, "The devil wanted nothing more than to take my innocence during my childhood years and later use it against me. He used his servants to induce molestation, rape, and even tried to make me commit suicide and murder. However, the almighty power of God rescued me each and every time, reserving me so that I could live to tell others how he spared my life. I am still here, and it's by the grace of God to testify of his goodness, kindness, and tender mercies. Without God, I would be nothing. Without him, I would surely fail. Without God, I would be like a ship without a sail. Amen".
Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Pamela Jean Edgerton Shields's new book describes her life of overcoming challenges to rise to the beautiful sight and expectation of the heavenly Father.
View a synopsis of "The Divine Power Of God: How God Mended My Broken Heart" on YouTube.
Consumers can purchase "The Divine Power Of God: How God Mended My Broken Heart" at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, Kobo or Barnes and Noble.
For additional information or inquiries about "The Divine Power Of God: How God Mended My Broken Heart", contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2016/11/prweb13866999.htm.
|Source: PRWeb
Copyright©2016 Vocus, Inc.
All rights reserved


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We train in a family-friendly atmosphere, where you progress at your own pace. We work hard, but we have fun doing it. You'll learn something every night, guaranteed!
Bonneau's School of Taekwon-Do was founded in February of 1998 and has been an active school ever since. The Head Instructor, David H Bonneau, is a 6th Degree Black Belt who had been training since 1981. He is a retired Police Officer who spent over 30 years in Law Enforcement, many of those years teaching Defensive Tactics at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy. He was also the primary instructor in the southern Maine area for the pre-service program, where Summer Reserve Officers received their initial training before working the streets in several of the tourist communities.
The Class Theme for 2020 is Street Fighting. We will be working on an assortment of techniques to help keep you safe as you go about your daily business. We will hope for the best, but prepare for the worst! Our Mat Chats will be on Being Prepared. Preparation is half the battle, and we will discuss several aspects of this concept throughout the year.
Each month a different sub-theme is the focus of training. Some months we focus on the tuls. Other months we focus on self-defense training, while other months we work specifically on strength and conditioning drills. Training is varied to make sure students not only get a wide variety of topics, but there is little chance of getting bored.
You will meet new friends and learn a wide variety of practical skills. We start class with a brief warm-up, preparing your body for the work it is about to do. Then we get right down to business with the nights lesson.
We do various drills designed to improve skill, coordination and timing. On our specialty nights we practice patterns, sparring, grappling and pad work. Students are encouraged to work hard every class, with the goal being to improve their techniques to the point of them being automatic responses.
Taekwon-Do, as it is known today, is a relatively new martial art. The basis for the art can be traced back over 1,200 years ago, but over time the art evolved into what we practice today.
Initially called "Taekkyon", it was known as a foot-fighting art. However, the Japanese occupation of Korea changed how the art was practiced. It was forbidden to be practiced, though that didn't stop everyone. Some left the country to train, others trained in secret.
After the occupation ended, the martial arts leaders got together to discuss the future of their art. Since it had evolved during the occupation, the leaders were looking for a way to embrace this change. In 1955, General Choi Hong Hi offered up Taekwon-Do as the name of their new art. The name kept the spirit of the previous art alive, as well as being very descriptive of what the new art represented. Translated, Tae means to kick and smash with the feet; Kwon means to punch with the fists; and Do means art. Therefore, Taekwon-Do is the art of kicking and punching!
We follow the teachings of the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) and practice the Chang-Hon pattern set, which consist of 24 tuls (pre-arranged patterns). Each tul builds upon the students ever-increasing skills, and presents new challenges. While tuls don't directly relate to fighting drills, they are a great way for the student to practice their movements and techniques.
New Year's Special - New students in 2020 can sign up for the introductory price of $40 for their first month of training and receive a FREE uniform!
Single Membership - $60
Family Membership - $40 first additional member, $30 second additional member; all additional members are at NO additional cost.
Public Safety personnel, as well as members of the Armed Services, receive additional discounts for enrollment. This is a way to show my appreciation for the services they provide to their community and their country!
Sign up to get information about our specials, sales, and upcoming events.
Feel free to stop by to watch a class any time, or join in and give it a try. Feel free to sample two classes before making your decision. We are confident you'll be hooked if you try it out!
Recreation Department, 148 Saco Ave Old Orchard Beach, ME 04064
Open today
06:00 pm – 08:00 pm
Kids (ages 7-12) train from 6pm-7pm. Adults (ages 13 and up) train from 7pm-8pm.
Copyright © 2020 Bonneau's School of Taekwon-Do - All Rights Reserved.
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Casa Grande Ruins
National Monument
For over a thousand years, prehistoric farmers inhabited much of the present-day state of Arizona. When the first Europeans arrived, all that remained of this ancient culture were the ruins of villages, irrigation canals and various artifacts. Among these ruins is the Casa Grande, or "Big House," one of the largest and most mysterious prehistoric structures ever built in North America. Casa Grande Ruins, the nation's first archeological preserve, protects the Casa Grande and other archeological sites within its boundaries. You are invited to see the Casa Grande and to hear the story of the ancient ones the Pima call the Hohokam, "those who are gone."
SOURCE: Casa Grande Ruins National Monument Web Site
Last Updated: June 26, 1997
URL: www.nps.gov/cagr
All rights reserved. For details and contact information:
See License Agreement, Copyright Notice.


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Accelerate the Learning Process!
Training For Success LMS (TFSLMS) is a powerful, simple to use turn-key LMS that will help you increase productivity and reduce your training & development costs by up to
TFSLMS is designed to help you create, deliver, track, certify & manage engaging, interactive online and classroom training with ease.
Are you looking to improve efficiency, reduce training costs and increase revenue?
Training For Success Learning Management System (LMS) and CRM is a uniquely powerful cost effective training platform. It is designed to help companies provide interactive media rich training that accelerates the learning process and boost productivity through the following modes:
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As an internationally recognised and quality assured provider of job focussed training programmes, we understand what it takes to accelerate the learning process, and have taken this into consideration throughout every step of development of our uniquely built platform. Our number one goal is to provide a cost-effective platform that will enhance the user experience and make life easier for everyone. Our platform helps you maximise your time by minimising repetitive tasks.
Specially Branded and Customised for You
We understand that the training needs of our clients vary. We collaborate with them in tailoring our platform to suit their specific needs.
Our platform can be specially branded and customised for you and is designed to allow your administrator(s) create media-rich interactive training courses that accelerate the learning process. The platform is all about making life easy for managers, course designers, trainers, assessors, administration staff, and learners. Managers can assign training and track the progress of their staff in seconds.
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Our operational mantra has been "Make it Easy to Work with Us". Our mission statement is "Working for Excellence in the Training Industry".


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Hi there
I've been asked to firstly:
Read the list of contacts on a device.
Add contacts to the device's list.
Does anyone have any idea on how this may be achieved with Unity?
First of all that has nothing to do with Unity and is device specific (iOS / Android).
Second most applications that require such a permission is malware. The API documentation of the specific device uaually has a detailed documentation how this should be done. In most cases you need to code a native code plugin specific for the device. In the case of Android you can also use JNI.
The reason I ask if Unity has something is because I started mobile app dev with "CoronaSD$$anonymous$$" which the Corona $$anonymous$$m supplied a plugin for viewing and creating contacts.
I'll look into creating a native code plugin, thanks for the reply.
Having the same doubt :) In need of an answer.
Answer by multimediamarkers
Jul 01, 2019 at 11:21 AM
Hi Mushu,
Did you find any solution to add contacts to your phone contactlist?
Thanks in advance,
Up to 2 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 524.3 kB each and 1.0 MB total.
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There's a Reason Dry Cleaning is the Better Option
11 Nov
If you've used a dry-cleaning service, you understand why it's always a better option. Many people believe the misconception that dry cleaning is a luxury. On the other hand, a large number of people consider it extremely affordable and necessary for maintaining their clothes and extending its lifespan. If you have never opted for professional […]Read more


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Kay Hollander, director of sales and marketing at the Miami Beach Convention Center, has announced she will retire at the end of December after 33 years in the convention industry. Hollander has worked with convention facilities and CVBs alike during her career, including stops at the Los Angeles Convention & Visitors Bureau and Chicago's McCormick Place. "This industry, like any other, has changed in many ways over the last 30-plus years," said Hollander, who hasn't ruled out remaining involved as a consultant. "The key to sustaining success has been to adapt to those changes while staying true to the fundamentals that make all business work."
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First-grade reading gains following enrichment: phonics plus decodable texts compared to authentic literature read aloud.
Method: Thirty-two first-graders participated. One group practiced reading decodable texts after phonics instruction. Another group heard authentic literature read aloud, and the third group participated in phonics combined with authentic literature. Additionally an untreated classroom was compared to a treated classroom for a school-based reading measure, DIBELS.
Results: Significant gains on DIBELS were found for the treated classroom compared to an untreated classroom following the semester of the enrichment. All treatment groups showed measurable reading gains, but the effect of the treatment text varied by reading level. Below-average readers demonstrated greater comprehension increases than average readers given phonics plus decodable texts, but average readers had greater improvements following authentic literature read aloud.
Conclusions: Explicit phonics instruction and reading practice with decodable texts can be a prerequisite to successful comprehension for beginning readers; however, as readers advance, they are more likely to benefit from challenging and meaningful literature.
Key Words: beginning reading, decodable texts, authentic literature, phonics, struggling readers
Two chief classroom influences on first-grade reading ability are the methods of reading instruction and the texts used for word recognition practice. While systematic phonics instruction is considered an essential reading component, particularly for beginning and struggling readers (Adams, 1990: Briggs & Clark, 1997; National Reading Panel, 2000), the best type of text for beginning and struggling readers continues to be debated (Hiebert, 1999; Hoffman, Sailors, & Patterson, 2002; National Reading Panel, 2000). A broad range of options--including decodable texts, basals, easy readers, authentic children's literature, and nonfiction--have been championed (see for example, Brown, 1999/2000).
Decodable texts often accompany programs of systematic phonics instruction to assist children in applying phonetic knowledge (Brown, 1999/2000; Jenkins, Peyton, Sanders, & Vadasy, 2004; Juel & Roper/Schneider, 1985; Mesmer, 1999; National Reading Panel, 2000). Decodability, however, is a matter of degree (Beck & Juel, 1995). No text is entirely decodable because high frequency function words (e.g., is, are, the) and phonetically irregular content words (e.g., said, mountain) are included. Other types of decodable texts emphasize a lesson-to-text match, or the use of letter-sound correspondences that have been presented in prior reading lessons (Jenkins et al., 2004). In general, decodable texts are characterized by controlled text emphasizing letter-sound correspondences, spelling patterns, and high frequency irregular sight words embedded in simple sentences, basic storylines, and limited information per page (Brown 1999/2000).
Endorsement of decodable texts spans the past 20 years (Anderson, Hiebert, Scott, & Wilkinson, 1985; Beck & Juel, 1995; Jenkins, Vadasy, Peyton, & Sanders, 2003; Mesmer, 1999; Stahl, Duffy-Hester, & Stahl, 1998) with recent advocacy by state policy makers (e.g, California Department of Education, 2000; Denton, 1997). Foorman, Fletcher, and Francis (1997) have taken one of the strongest positions in favor of decodable texts stating that, "To immerse children in a print environment without instruction in letter-sound correspondences and practice in decodable text is to doom a large percentage of children to reading failure" (p. 16). Supporters posit that regular reading practice using decodable texts reinforces students' alphabetic knowledge, resulting in increased word identification, phonemic awareness, spelling proficiency, and reading fluency.
Despite these claims, a lack of research regarding the usefulness of decodable texts in teaching reading was reported by the National Reading Panel (2000). Research supporting systematic phonics approaches often includes decodable texts as one factor (Jenkins et al., 2003; National Reading Panel, 2000; Pullen, Lane, Lloyd, Nowak, & Ryals, 2005); however, few studies have attempted to isolate the effect of decodability. Juel and Roper/Schneider (1985) found that readers who used basal preprimers containing shorter, phonetically regular words, more word repetitions, and words built on word families were more likely to attempt to decode novel words based on letter-sound correspondences compared to readers who used preprimers with longer and more irregular words. Authors concluded that, "emphasis on a phonics method seems to make little sense if children are given initial texts to read where the words do not follow regular letter-sound correspondence generalizations" (p. 151). Similarly, Menon and Hiebert (2005) reported a significant reading increase by two first-grade classes given "little books" for reading practice. They gained 2.8 text levels compared to two first-grade classes using school-selected literature-based basal readers who gained 1.8 text levels, leading authors to conclude that these beginning readers benefited from phonetically regular words, fewer total words, more words repeated, and increased picture support.
In contrast, Jenkins and colleagues (2004) found no differences in word attack, word identification, or reading efficiency between at-risk first graders tutored using highly decodable texts and those tutored with less decodable texts. It appears, however, that there were minimal differences between the decodability of the texts for the two groups, which may have limited findings. More importantly, tutors mediated children's reading practice in both groups. Authors concluded that supplemental phonics instruction with mediated reading practice, regardless of text decodability, supported at-risk first graders' reading achievements.
The purpose of this study was to investigate reading improvements by first graders using decodable texts within enrichment sessions. Specifically, differences in accuracy for word recognition, oral reading fluency, and reading comprehension were examined. First graders who received systematic phonics instruction with reading practice using decodable texts (labeled the Texts group) were compared to first graders who received phonics instruction without reading practice (the Phonics group) and first graders who were read aloud to from authentic literature (the Literature group). The Texts group was the primary experimental group. The Phonics group was included to separate effects of phonics instruction with and without decodable texts, and the Literature group was considered a treated control group. It was hypothesized that both the Texts and Phonics groups would outperform the Literature group in reading accuracy and fluency. If the Texts group showed greater gains than Phonics, then there would be evidence for the differential benefit of decodable texts. Reading comprehension, although not a targeted skill, was assessed because children in the experimental groups might demonstrate comprehension improvements secondary to improved reading accuracy.
Thirty-two children (M age = 6 years; 9 mos., range = 6;2-7;7) from two first-grade classrooms in a southern public school participated. There were 14 girls and 18 boys: 15 participants were African American, and 17 were white. Fourteen participants, 11 boys and 3 girls, were considered by investigators to have backgrounds at-risk for reading difficulty based on a case history questionnaire completed by parents. At-risk factors included repeating a grade, being identified as speech-language or reading impaired, having late speech onset and immediate family members who were speech-language impaired, or having a significant birth history. The majority of participants, 26, were from two-parent households with at least one parent (i.e., 22 fathers and 25 mothers) who had progressed beyond high school educationally.
Because of the relatively small group sizes, several factors that can affect early reading success were considered during group assignment. Participants whose histories were significant for speech, language, or reading concerns were quasi-randomly distributed across the three groups with attention to gender and ethnicity. Consequently, each group had 6 girls, 5 African Americans, and 6 participants whose histories were unremarkable for speech, language, or reading concerns. Statistics confirmed that there were no significant differences between groups for performance on the reading pretests or for chronological age, p values > .05. Family status among groups was judged similar based on visual inspection of parent education data sorted by group.
The Gray Oral Reading Test, 4th Ed. (GORT-4; Weiderholt & Bryant, 2001) and a benchmark reading assessment associated with Preventing Academic Failure (PAF; Bertin & Perlman, 1998) were used for pre- and posttesting. Participants were assessed individually at the end of January. Examiners were blind to group assignments at pretesting. For reliability purposes, sessions were audio recorded using a digital voice recorder and downloaded to digital computer files.
For the GORT-4, participants were randomly assigned to either Form A or Form B, and, as specified in standardized procedures for administration, participants were directed to read individual stories aloud smoothly and quickly and to prepare to respond to content questions. Each story was timed, and the number of miscues was counted. Interval scores (0-5) were assigned and summed across stories to compute the Rate and Accuracy scores. These were added to get a Fluency score. The Comprehension score was the number correct out of five possible questions per story. All participants began with the first story and progressed until they reached the designated Fluency and Comprehension ceilings. Statistical analyses for Rate, Accuracy, Fluency, and Comprehension were based on summed scores. The Oral Reading Quotient (ORQ), a scaled score based on overall Fluency and Comprehension performance, was also included.
The PAF benchmark consisted of 14 sections of 20 words grouped by word structure (e.g., CVC words with short vowels, words with R-Controlled Vowels, and regularly phonetic multisyllabic words). Testing was discontinued in each section when there was only one correct pronunciation for five words attempted. Scoring consisted of correct or incorrect yielding a Total Correct Words Read out of 280 possible.
Treatment was 16 sessions--eight weeks of twice-weekly, 30-minute enrichment sessions. The Texts and Phonics groups received 10 minutes of multi-sensory, systematic phonics instruction using materials associated with PAF (see Appendix). PAF was selected because it is a systematic phonics approach with key words for letter-sound correspondences, published workbooks, and a set of decodable texts, the Merrill Readers, Levels A-F, 5th Ed. (Bertin, Perlman, Mercer, Rudolph, & Wilson, 1999) that fit PAF's scope and sequence. For the remaining 20 minutes, the Texts group practiced reading from the Merrill Readers, but the Phonics group joined the Literature group. The Literature group was read aloud to for the entire session using books selected from the Yonkers Public School System Summer 2004 Reading Lists, K-2. Examples included The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter and Arthur's Valentine by Marc Brown. Books with a phonological emphasis, including poetry, alphabet books, and other books with rhyme or alliteration, were removed to prevent additional phonological exposure. During each session, approximately three books, varied somewhat for grade level, length, topic, and genre, were read aloud by a teacher, who paused periodically to pose prediction questions.
The two classes participated separately, and treatment order for the classes alternated. Thirteen of the 16 treatment sessions were digitally audio-recorded for treatment integrity purposes. Actual treatment time averaged 26 minutes. Posttesting was completed in three weeks during April. The PAF benchmark and the alternating form of the GORT-4 were administered to each participant. Reading measures were rescored for reliability purposes and 100% agreement was found for scoring Rate and Comprehension on the GORT-4. Reliability for Accuracy on the GORT-4 and the PAF was over 90%.
Difference scores--posttesting scores minus pretesting scores--depict change on the GORT-4 subtests--Rate, Accuracy, Fluency, and Comprehension (see Figure 1). Both the Texts and Literature groups showed similar patterns for Rate, Accuracy, and Fluency. The Phonics group showed little to no increase for Accuracy. For Comprehension, the Literature group's gains appeared largest (M = 4.7), while Texts' mean difference was -0.6. Variation was high. As shown in Figure 2, the Literature group had the largest gain for the GORT-4 ORQ, approximately 8 points, and Phonics showed a small increase. The mean ORQ for the Texts group was unchanged, largely due to poor Comprehension results. Figure 3 depicts pre- to posttesting increases in Total Correct Words Read from the PAF benchmark assessment. All three groups had average increases of approximately 35 words.
Group statistical measures were employed to test for significant differences. The dependent variables were scores from the six reading measures: GORT-4 Rate summed score, GORT-4 Accuracy summed score, GORT-4 Fluency summed score, GORT-4 Comprehension summed score, GORT-4 ORQ, and the Total Correct Words Read from the PAF benchmark. The alpha level to determine statistical significance was set at 0.05. A mixed-model (6 Reading Measures X 2 Times X 3 Groups) analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted with Group as the between-subjects factor and two within-subjects factors, Reading Measure and Time, pre- and posttesting. Significant main effects of Reading Measure (p < .001) and Time (p < .001) and a significant interaction between Reading Measure and Time (p < .001) were found. The between-subjects factor of Group was not significant (p = .388), and no interactions between Reading Measure or Time with Group were significant (p values > .05).
Six paired-samples t tests were conducted to examine the Reading Measure X Time interaction. A one-time Bonferroni correction resulted in alpha equals .008. Statistically significant increases were found for: GORT-4 Rate, Accuracy, and Fluency, and the PAF benchmark Total Correct Words Read. Pre- to posttest increases for GORT-4 Comprehension and ORQ were nonsignificant.
Additionally, four paired-samples t tests for pre- and posttesting scores for Fluency, Comprehension, ORQ, and PAF were conducted for each participant group. Holm's sequential Bonferroni was used to control for false positive research findings. The Texts group showed significant differences for the PAF benchmark (p = .001) and GORT-4 Fluency (p < .001). The Literature group made the most gains, showing significant differences on all measures: PAF (p < .001), GORT-4 Fluency (p < .001), GORT-4 Comprehension (p = .008), and GORT-4 ORQ (p = .005). The Phonics group had a significant increase on the PAF (p = .009).
Gains were revealed for all groups regardless of treatment. For this reason, authors pursued comparison of treated participants to untreated participants using data from a school-based reading measure, Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS; Good & Kaminski, 2002). DIBELS consists of three subtests: Phoneme Segmentation Fluency (PS), Nonsense Word Fluency (NW), and Oral Reading Fluency (OR). Each subtest score is the number of items completed correctly in one minute. DIBELS data were administered by the reading resource teacher at the start of the school year, midyear, and end-of-year. DIBELS data from one treated class (n = 19) were compared to DIBELS data from an untreated class (n = 18). Because all identifying information was removed from DIBELS data prior to analysis, no additional description of children in the untreated class was available. Gain scores for the first half and the second half of the school year are shown in Table 1. When classes were compared for gain scores on the three DIBELS subtests for the first half of the year, no significant difference was found, indicating no differences between classes prior to the reading enrichment sessions. At the second half of the year, however, the treated class had gain scores that were significantly greater on the DIBELS subtests compared to the untreated class (F = 4.52, p = .041). Note that the effect size for this difference was moderate (d = .46).
Treatment effects for the Texts group versus the Phonics or Literature groups may have been difficult to measure in this investigation, because of participant differences in reading ability; therefore, results were re-examined by reading level. Pretreatment GORT-4 ORQs were used to classify participants by reading ability: "average" was an ORQ > 85, "below average" ORQ of 84-77, and "significantly below average" 76 or less, 1.5 SDs below the test mean. Using these criteria, 18 of 32 participants were in the average range, 6 were below average, and 8 were significantly below average. The number of children at each reading level differed somewhat in the three groups. That is, the Texts group had a large number of participants (5 of 11) who were significantly below average. Figure 4 depicts box plots of GORT-4 Comprehension difference scores by reading level within groups. All reading levels in the Literature group showed Comprehension gains, but gains were smallest for significantly below average readers. Increased Comprehension in the Phonics group also was represented in large part by average readers. In contrast, all below average and significantly below average readers in the Texts group had increases in Comprehension, but few average readers showed gains. Statistical analysis revealed nonsignificant differences between average and below average readers; however, a significant difference (p = .017) was indicated for the Texts group. That is, gains pre- to posttesting were significantly greater for below average readers than the gains for average readers in the Texts group.
Findings revealed significant reading gains by first graders following 16 reading enrichment sessions during the second half of the school year. All groups, regardless of the type of text for reading practice, showed significant improvements for decoding phonetically regular words of increasing complexity and significant improvements for reading fluency. This may be because children typically demonstrate substantial reading achievements during the second half of first grade. However, one classroom receiving our investigation enrichment demonstrated significantly greater increases on a school-based reading measure, DIBELS, when compared to an untreated classroom. That is, approximately 30 minutes of reading enrichment activities provided twice weekly for eight weeks resulted in statistically significant reading outcomes.
The original purpose of this study, however, was not to consider reading enrichment in general. Rather, we were interested in the role of phonics instruction plus decodable texts. Inclusion of a treated control group, Literature, was meant to facilitate isolation of treatment effects. This study, like many other intervention studies, resulted in positive outcomes for the treated control group. The original hypothesis was that the Texts group, who received phonics instruction plus reading practice with decodable texts, would show the greatest improvements in accuracy and fluency. Although gains were observed, similar results occurred for the Literature group. Thus, a differential effect of decodable texts cannot be concluded. Other researchers (e.g., Compton et al., 2005) have lamented the challenges of detecting group effects in the transfer of decoding skills following intervention. Gains in reading comprehension were not observed for the Texts group, but this was not surprising because reading accuracy and fluency, not comprehension, were the focal points of the experimental treatment. Not hypothesized were increases in word recognition by the Literature group, who also showed gains in comprehension.
The Phonics group received the same phonics instruction with the Texts group but without reading practice from decodable texts. Instead, they were read aloud to with the Literature group. In this manner, isolation of the effect of decodable texts from systematic phonics instruction was attempted. In fact, the Phonics group showed the smallest reading gains overall. Gains for the Phonics group were most notable on the PAF benchmark, the measure specifically designed to assess the phonics skills in this curriculum. One difference for the Phonics group was the treatment group size. Texts and Literature groups both received some small-group time (i.e., group size of 6 or 7), but the Phonics group was always paired with either Literature or Texts, resulting in larger treatment groups (12-14). It is interesting to consider whether or not group size could be a factor. The National Reading Panel (2000) reported no differences in the effectiveness of direct phonics reading instruction for small group versus whole classroom investigations.
Another barrier to interpreting differences between the Texts and Phonics groups comes from the significant increases displayed by the Literature group. In fact, the Literature group made significant gains on all measures of fluency and was the only group to show a significant comprehension gain. Although not hypothesized, this finding is not necessarily surprising. The benefits of reading aloud to children are well known, especially for vocabulary development (Elley, 1989; Robbins & Ehri, 1994; Scarborough & Dobrich, 1994; Snow, 1983). These established outcomes have made reading aloud to children, both at home and school, the most frequently recommended activity for encouraging language and literacy (e.g., Adams, 1990; Anderson et al., 1985). Authentic literature in beginning reading programs defined a shift in basal reading textbooks away from skill-based to quality literature that occurred in the early 1990s (e.g., California Department of Education, 2000; Denton, 1997; Hoffman et al., 2002). For that reason, many basal readers in classrooms continue to contain a large amount of classic and currently recognized children's literature (Hoffman et al., 2002; Reutzel & Larsen, 1995). Unlike decodable texts, authentic literature is not limited for word choices or sentence structure by phonetic aspects. Consequently, authentic literature is characterized by rich vocabulary, complex sentence structures, and varied literary styles (Beck & McKeown, 2001; Brown 1999/2000), and children benefit from hearing this challenging content. Feitelson, Kita, and Goldstein (1986) reported that disadvantaged children in Israel showed decoding increases, in addition to comprehension and oral language improvements, when teachers read aloud.
This investigation did not attempt to control for participants' reading ability. Instead, reading ability varied substantially, consistent with the wide variation present in first-grade classrooms, and findings suggest that this was a factor. Below average readers in the Texts group showed comprehension gains while average readers did not. This indirectly supports the investigators' original premise that explicit phonics instruction and reading practice with decodable texts are prerequisites to successful comprehension for beginning readers. These struggling readers improved in comprehension, a skill not taught during the Texts treatment, highlighting the important relationship between decoding and comprehension. On the other hand, participation in the Texts group appeared detrimental to average readers' comprehension. According to Beck and McKeown (2001), text needs to be conceptually challenging, requiring readers to mentally manipulate and construct ideas and to engage actively in meaning construction. Unlike authentic literature, which includes rich details and carefully crafted story elements, meaning construction with decodable texts was not supported by either the texts or the investigator. Children in the Texts group repeatedly questioned the investigator regarding word and text meanings, but their questions were avoided in order to maintain the experimental focus.
A current philosophy is the recognition of the value of different texts for individual readers at specific ages and stages in their reading development (Brown, 1999/2000; Jenkins et al., 2003; Mesmer, 1999). Within this framework, decodable texts represent only one of several types of literature promoting reading acquisition (Hiebert, 1999), and decodability is only one aspect of "text leveling" (Compton, Appleton, & Hosp, 2004). Decodable texts may persuade beginning or struggling readers of the importance of phonics in reading (Jenkins et al., 2003) or serve as a transition to less controlled, more varied authentic stories (Mesmer, 1999). Decodable texts also can assist beginning readers to achieve automaticity for newly learned letter-sound correspondences and structural analysis strategies. Decodable texts, however, may not be requisite for these achievements. Other beginning reader texts can serve similar purposes. Moreover, overuse of decodable texts for average readers, beyond the preprimer level, may actually inhibit reading growth. As texts increase in decodability, predictability and engagingness tend to decrease (Hoffman et al., 2002). These are important considerations. Predictability within text impacts children's reading fluency, and engagingness of texts affects children's reading motivation.
Reading is a complex interaction that cannot be easily broken into a few components. Instead, a balanced literacy program--consisting of an effective combination of skills instruction with meaning-making authentic reading experiences in a highly engaging environment --is recommended (see Pressley, 2002). Successful teachers provide balanced literacy skills instruction by teaching word recognition and comprehension explicitly while fostering children's self-monitoring (Pressley et al., 2001). Highly effective teachers provide skills instruction in reaction to children's needs, prodding students to new heights.
Appendix Overview of the Phonics Instruction and Decodable Texts Practice Week Letter-Sound Correspondences (1) 1 16 Consonants: b, c (as in cat), d, f, g (as in girl), h, j, 1, m, n, p, r, s, t, v, y 3 Short Vowels: apple a, igloo i, umbrella u 2 4 Consonants: x, w, k, z 2 Short Vowels: octopus o, elephant e 3 Digraphs: thin th, check ch, book 00 3 3 Digraphs: sh, qu, and ng 1 Blend: nk 4 5 12 Blends: pl, gl, fl, sl, cl, bl, st, sp, sk, sm, sn, sw 6 5 R-Controlled Vowels: fern er, bird ir, purple ur, corn or, star ar 6 Long Vowels: y (as in fly), snake a-e, nine i-e, bone o-e, flute u-e, these e-e 7 2 Digraphs: ph, wh Week Sight Words (2) Structural Analysis Concepts 1 a, is, on, the, not, Syllable concept look, he, to, in, see, her, his, she, and, I, it 2 Open and Closed Syllables Digraph concept 3 said, for, do, was, Suffix concept you, your, are, have, with, my 4 Syllabication concept VC/CV Rule 5 why, all, there, Blend concept want, one, what, where, some 6 R-Controlled Syllable Silent e Syllable words including open, closed and R- Controlled Syllables Contrasted Closed and Silent-e Syllables 7 V/CV Syllabication Rule Silent-e Syllables Week Application (3) Decodable Texts 1 Short a word families MR (4) Levels A & B Word Families: an, at, ad, it, in, un, up 2 Open and Closed MR Level C Syllables Word Families: at, an, op, ot, et, en, ick, in 3 Derivatives with -s, MR Level D -ing, -ed Short vowels and ng, nk Words with ng, nk 4 VC/CV words MR Level D Short vowels, blends in initial and final positions (e.g., sk, ft, lk, mp), VC/CV words, suffixes 5 Open and Closed MR Level E Syllables Added blends: pl, bl, sp, st, sk 6 R-Controlled MR Level E syllables R blend families, short vowels, sight words, VC/CV7 7 VC/CV and V/CV MR Levels E & F words including short vowels, sight open, closed and R-Controlled words, VC/CV, and a-e Syllables Contrasted Closed word families (ape, ame, and Silent-e Syllables ate, ane) VC/CV words with MR Level F Closed and Silent-e i-e, o-e, u-e, ai, ee Syllables V/CV and VC/V with Open, Closed, and Silent-e Syllables Note. Treatment was designed and scheduled to occur twice weekly for eight weeks, so the Week column represents two treatment sessions. The Texts group participated in all components described above, but the Phonics group did not practice reading with the decodable texts. (1) Letter-Sound Correspondences were introduced and drilled using the Alphabet Picture Cards and Key Word Picture Cards associated with Preventing Academic Failure (Berlin & Penman, 1998). (2) Sight words were selected from Merrill Readers, 5th Ed., Levels A-F (Berlin, Penman, Mercer, Rudolph, & Wilson, 1999). (3) Application activities were created by the first author using materials modified from the Stepping Up in Reading, Books 1, 2, 3 (Berlin & Penman, 2002). (4) MR = Merrill Readers
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Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology
University of South Alabama
Department of Leadership and Teacher Education
University of South Alabama
KERI L. Buck
Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology
University of South Alabama
Table 1. DIBELS Gain Scores for the First and Second Half of First Grade for One Treated Class and One Untreated Class DIBELS Gain Aug-Dec DIBELS Gain Dec-April PS NW OR PS NW OR Treated Class 2.53 36.68 10.21 7.63 22.37 29.21 (n= 19) (16.71) (30.62) (19.47) (12.91) (20.60) -20.86 Untreated Class 9.78 22.28 12.17 4.78 6.11 22.94 (n= 18) (13.03) (11.58) (25.23) (13.52) (14.77) -31.08 Note. Group means (standard deviations) for three subtests-PS = Phoneme Segmentation Fluency, NW = Nonsense Word Reading Fluency, and OR = Oral Reading Fluency--on Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS; Good & Kaminski, 2002). Figure 1. Groups' mean difference scores based on pretesting and posttesting summed scores for Rate, Accuracy, Fluency, and Comprehension from the Gray Oral Reading Test, 4th Ed. (Weinderholt & Bryant, 2001). Texts Phonics Literature Rate 5.9 3.5 4.8 Accuracy 3.8 1 3.5 Fluency 9.1 4.8 8.1 Comprehension -0.6 1.8 4.7 Note: Table made from bar graph. Figure 2. Groups' prestesting and posttesting mean Oral Reading Quotients (ORQ) from the Gray Oral Reading Test, 4th Ed. (Weiderholt & Bryant, 2001). Texts Phonics Literature PreORQ 89.1 95.8 87.5 PostORQ 89.1 100.6 95.4 Note: Table made from bar graph. Figure 3. Prestesting and posttesting Total Correct Words Read on the benchmark associated with Preventing Academic Failure (Bertin & Perlman, 1998) Texts Phonics Literature PrePAF 74.1 102.9 66.3 PostPAF 110.7 137.7 99.1 Note: Table made from bar graph.
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28 February, 2013
The initiator of bringing the great master to Georgia was Ani Lagidze, founder of Tagiss Arts company, after having brought such sparkling and irreplaceable faces as Cesaria Evora, Richard Galliano two times, virtuoso Japanese pianist, Hiromi, Joaquin Cortes two times and Gotan Project. Now, Tagiss Arts features the pupil of great Dizzy Gillespie, incomparable jazz trumpeter, pianist and also a composer – his gratitude Arturo Sandoval.
"On February 23, I felt obliged to go to Athens, Greece, and meet with this maestro. It was my first ever meeting. I must tell you that he is not only a great musician, but a very simple and warm person. This nice persona of him is helping to be constantly staying on the very pinnacle of success," Ani Lagidze told us. They met at a very prestigious Gaz Arte Music Hall that can boast of a very solid public. "I saw how difficult it is to reach the attendance to his concerts because of the constant sold-outs even at huge halls."
Reportedly, Arturo Sandoval has his own institute and is very good at conducting master-classes and workshops. A lot of Georgian students at Georgian Conservatoire fell in love with trumpet thanks to him. On March 8, Tbilisi Concert Hall will listen to his jam – mix of different musical styles, which are straight bop-up, as well as classical jazz, traditional jazz etc. Very prestigious symphonic orchestras gladly play with him. Mr. Sandoval - a cavalier of honor, will perform in sextet with virtuoso young performers.
The 2013 Grammy winning Album's name is "Dear Diz" – a tribute to his legendary mentor who was the main person to define his future musical destiny. However, Arturo Sandoval has his own and very peculiar signature. He is said to be 'fluent in many musical languages'. We will see it and are looking forward to this exciting performance. Very fortunately so, Tbilisi has seen a bouquet of mega stars. However, one thing is clear: there was scarcely anybody who would offer himself to be playing on two different instruments – this is really exceptional – Arturo Sandoval – great trumpeter, pianist and composer.
Born in Cuba, Sandoval already played several instrument at age 16, but later on, fell in love with trumpet. Dizzy Gillespie's worthy pupil, he plays everything from Afro Cuban jazz to classical pieces and bop-up. He is a naturalized citizen of USA.
"It is a great honor to us and to me personally as to a producer and initiator that Tbilisi has found its way aside Munich, London, Zagreb and Bristol," Ani Lagidze confesses. After a short pause, Arturo Sandoval will be playing in Seattle, WA, in his naturalized homeland.