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I do enjoy good pickled red onions. We've all had them on sandwiches, hamburgers, in various salads or as a garnish. Have you ever thought of making your own pickled red onions? If you haven't you're in for a treat; pickled red onions are easy to make and can take just a few minutes.
So without further ado let's get to it.
Pickled Red Onions
Ingredients: Makes about 2 8oz. jars
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon whole pepper corns
- 1 garlic clove thinly sliced
- 1 3/4 cup thinly sliced red onions
Place the sliced onions and garlic in a small bowl, sprinkle the peppercorns over the top and set aside.
In a small saucepan, whisk the water, vinegar, salt, and sugar until dissolved and then bring it to a boil. Pour the hot vinegar mixture over the bowl of onions, peppercorns, and garlic. Make sure the onions are covered with the vinegar mixture. Let the onion mixture stand at room temperature for an hour. Spoon in an equal amount of the onions into 2 8oz. jars. Pour an equal amount of the remaining liquid over the onions. Screw the lids on the jars, tighten and chill. Once chilled, they're ready to use. Drain the onions prior serving.
Refrigerated, these pickled red onions will keep up to 4 weeks.
Notes: If you prefer your pickled red onions a bit softer, add the onion and garlic slices to the saucepan. Allow them to boil in the vinegar mixture for no more than 2 minutes then transfer the onions to the jars to cool for an hour and then refrigerate. Always use fresh firm onions and garlic; it will make all the difference in the overall result. If desired, this recipe can be doubled or tripled depending on the quantity you need.
Pickled Red Onions have so many uses too numerous to list. They can add a colorful, crunchy, delicious compliment to salads, sandwiches and as a garnish for many dishes. Oh, I mustn't forget, they also make super hostess gifts for an alfresco dinner or barbecue.
That's it, and these pickled red onions are fun to make too, so why not give them a whirl.
Time to eat…
P.S. Take a moment to check out my recipe booklet's for sale on this site and purchase some of the tools I used for this "Pickled Red Onions" below. 🙂


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1. Login to your TractionNext account.
2. Go to 'Contact – Lead Scoring' sub-menu. Click and it will display three options.
3. Click on the first option 'Fields' and then click the button 'Create LS Field'.
It will display the page to create your Lead Score Field.
Enter the value for Name, Minimum Value, Maximum Value, Initial Value. Set the Status to Active or Inactive.
Click the Save button at the bottom right of the screen to save the details.
Now in the second tab Thresholds:
Click on the Add Threshold button and a row will appear. Fill the values for Name, Description, Value From and Value To field respectively. When completed click on the Save button at the bottom right of the screen to save the details.
4. Next, click on Action Rules and then click the button Create LS Action rules to display the following:
Enter the value for Name and select the values for drop-down boxes for Lead Score Fields, Action, Segment, Score and Expire In. Then select the status as Active and click on the Save button to save the action rule details.
5. Click on the Contact Score option to see the lead score. See the below screen…
Lead Scoring by example, see the below screen:
If you click on "View Score Breakup", it will display the breakup of score earned by each contact. These scores have been determined by your lead scoring rules where points are assigned to various user actions. eg: when a contact opens your email campaign or clicks the link, they will score the defined points for them.
You can see how Score Breakdown is shown below. Note the Current Score is 10:
However, if the contact opens an email defined as 10 points, the score would change to 20. See the screen below:
In the Lead score list page, there is an option to Add/Subtract the scores manually. Click on the Add/Subtract Score button displayed next to the Email column. It will display the following:
Click the dropdown field Manual Action Rule to reveal two entries to manually modify the score rules.
Applied the rule with +5, it updated the score to 25. See below:
To see the Score Breakdown, click on the score to display the following:

subset: commoncrawl


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Intel's recent "Unwire" ads hawk the appeal of wireless Internet access from anywhere, but try finding a Wi-Fi hotspot for your Centrino laptop. Even in the tech-infested Bay Area, outside of a few hotels and coffee shops, you're usually out of luck. San Francisco Airport's international terminal is draped with Intel's banners, but its only hotspots are outside the security checkpoints. Once you've gotten past the TSA, you're stuck without access until the other end of your flight.
InsertArt(2040465)BUT THERE'S a different wireless service that's quietly sneaking up on Wi-Fi to offer the ubiquitous coverage that's teased in Intel's 30-second spots: Internet access over the same network that your cell phone uses. Think of it as the next generation of dial-up.
Sprint PCS (which technically isn't cellular), Verizon, and other wireless carriers sell Internet access cards that slide into a PC or PDA and tap into the Internet via the network they use to provide wireless phone service. Sprint's network is based on a wireless standard dubbed CDMA 2000, which some industry watchers say beats the European-style GSM networks now making their way across the United States. One thing's for sure: It'll undo Sprint's reputation for spotty coverage. A recent test drive of Sprint's service from Las Vegas to Silicon Valley demonstrated just how widespread PCS coverage has become, and just how tightly Wi-Fi addicts are tethered to their sparse, short-range hotspots. A Sprint-equipped laptop worked not only inside the airport, but also inside a car motoring through the Mojave Desert. (Yes, it works while you're rolling down the road, but pull over if you're driving. The dumb driving stunt worse than talking on the phone is reading your e-mail.) Coverage isn't ubiquitous-getting online from Baker, Calif., proved impossible despite the town's cell-phone networks-but it's miles ahead of hunting for a Starbucks with a T-Mobile sticker in the window.
Sprint's range of cards (there are currently four models) fit into the standard dock on the side of most laptops, or the Compact Flash slot on many PDAs. They connect directly to the company's national digital network, which runs up to 144 kilobits per second, three times faster than you can hope for from an old-fashioned dial-up connection. Sprint claims average connection speeds are closer to 50 to 70 Kbps, but I was able to get it up to 100 a couple of times. That makes the service slow for Web surfing but plenty fast for keeping up on e-mail, instant messages, and news headlines (via an aggregator). Downloading MapQuest pages can take a minute, but it saves you the embarrassment of rolling down the window to ask for directions.
There are two reasons that cellular Net access hasn't caught on yet: Price and hassle. The cards cost more than $150 each, and Sprint's service adds at least $40 a month. That's a worthwhile expense for a traveling sales rep, but a lot to swallow for a home consumer with an Internet addiction. On top of that, installing and configuring the cards can be an aggravation, with the confusing error messages that come with any PC hardware not already built into the box. One of our testers, a professional software engineer, blew part of his workday upgrading device drivers on his two laptops after getting an error message that said, "The PCS Connection Card is not present or is already in use," when the card was clearly in its slot and idle.
Sprint markets their Internet cards as a business productivity tool, rather than a consumer product like a cell phone, although anyone can buy one. That's probably smart: Most computer users won't like the service as long as it involves add-on cards and baffling software installs. So, don't be surprised if the next generation of Centrino laptops bundles similar hardware along with Wi-Fi to provide ubiquitous wireless access straight out of the box. But until Intel's products catch up with their ads, these cards are the real way to unwire your life.
Webhead thanks Cliff Skolnick of Iron Systems and Peter Sicilia of Addamark Technologies.
Paul Boutin is a Silicon Valley writer who spent 15 years as a software engineer and manager.


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Inspiration - Jennifer Lawrence
I feel like I'm heading to a sock hop! I really really like this silhouette. It's so lovely and feminine. I kept dancing around my bedroom. The outfit feels like a throwback to an old movie - either a 50s Sandy in Grease or maybe Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday. Either way I like how out of character (or IN character - hahahaha - I crack myself up!) the look is for me.
White peasant blouse - LOFT
Navy a-line skirt - Banana Republic
White pumps - Vince Camuto from Zappos
Red belt - TJMaxx


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Party Conferences
Members of each major party meet in closed sessions known as party conferences (or party caucuses) to elect floor leaders, make committee assignments, and set legislative agendas. The Democratic Leader serves as chair of the party conference, while the Republican party separates the positions, electing a chairperson for the party conference, apart from the Floor leader.
Democratic Conference Chair: Senator Harry Reid
Republican Conference Chair: Senator John Thune
See a list of former Conference Chairs in the History section.
Policy Committees
The Senate created Democratic and Republican Policy Committees in 1947. Until 2000, the Democratic Policy Committee was chaired by the party floor leader, who also served as chair of the Democratic Conference. A co-chair position was added in 1989. In the 106th Congress, the majority leader dropped his co-chair status and the chair of the policy committee is now an elected post. The Republican Policy Committee elects its chairperson separate from the party floor leader.
Democratic Policy Committee Chair: Senator Charles Schumer
Republican Policy Committee Chair: Senator John Barrasso
See a list of former Policy Committee chairs in the History section.
Party Conference Secretaries
Each party elects a Conference Secretary or Vice Chairman who is responsible for keeping the Minutes of the party conferences.
Democrat Conference Secretary: Senator Patty Murray
Republican Conference Vice-Chair: Senator Roy Blunt
See a list of former Conference Secretaries in the History section.


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Her on-screen characters challenged social norms but in real life Neena Gupta says men became a priority and her focus shifted from career to finding the right partner.
The 64-year-old actor, who is known for her performance in TV shows such as "Khandaan", "Bharat Ek Khoj" and "Saans" and movies like "Woh Chokri", "Gandhi" and "Muhafiz", says her desire to have a healthy relationship diverted her attention from work.
"I always wanted to do good work and play strong parts. But when I look back now, I feel men became my priority and it was a big mistake. My focus shifted from career to finding the right man. Men should never be the prime focus of women's life," told Gupta.
"I was doing really well. I was writing, directing and producing some great things on television. What I went through in personal life had a big impression on my professional choices," she added.
The veteran actor believes women are conditioned to keep their relationships above their personal goals.
"As women, we always crave for family and a loving partner and in our quest to find that happy space we overlook a lot of things. I now understand I should have prioritised things better."
Gupta said it is still hard for women to have a life they aspire to and be with a man who treats them as an individual.
"It is close to impossible to find a man who can bear with a woman, who is a notch above or equal to him. Such men are still not there in this world. It is like we will always be facing trouble in our lives.
"If we act strong it is a problem, and if we don't it is a problem. I don't know if any woman is completely happy with the way she leads her life or with the way people treat her," she added.
The actor, however, believes #MeToo movement in India will change the status quo.
"#MeToo has shaken the whole industry. But the sad part is that it is so hard to prove such incidents. I have been on my own for the longest time and have faced a lot of such incidents during my days in college, National School of Drama. I don't know how we can get a proof of a person groping us or touching us inappropriately. All we could do at that time was get used to it or try our best to avoid it," she said.
Gupta hopes the movement will probably instill some fear in people who abuse their power.
"I am hopeful that some change will come. The movement will be able to instill some fear. But it will take time."
The actor, who will next be seen in "Badhaai Ho", said to change the way men treat women, society, especially mothers, need to get rid of the patriarchal mindset.
"Men can only change if they are taught right things by their mothers. I hope the coming generations of men will be much more sensitive towards women. Sadly mothers of my age still have the same patriarchal mindset."
"Badhaai Ho", directed by Amit Sharma and also featuring Ayushmann Khurrana, Sanya Malhotra, Gajraj Rao, releases Thursday.


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6:140-AP1 Education of Homeless Children
|School Board – Preliminary Step
Upon recommendation of the Superintendent, determine whether to expend transportation funds to provide financial homeless prevention assistance to the parents/guardians (or persons who enroll students) of children who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, in accordance with the provisions of 105 ILCS 5/29-5 (amended by P.A. 100-332); 105 ILCS 45/1-17 (added by P.A.100-332). See duties of the Liaison for Homeless Children below for specific eligibility requirements.
|Superintendent Preliminary Steps
Serve as or designate an appropriate staff person, who may also be a coordinator for other federal programs, to serve as a Liaison for Homeless Children. 42 U.S.C. §11432 (g)(1)(J)(ii).
Under the McKinney Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. §11434a), "homeless children" means individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence (within the meaning of 42 U.S.C. Section 11302(a)(1)). The term includes: 42 U.S.C. §11434a.
1. Children and youths who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations; are living in emergency or transitional shelters; are abandoned in hospitals; or are awaiting foster care placement;
2. Children and youths who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings (within the meaning of Section 11302(a)(2)(C);
3. Children and youths who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and
4. Migratory children (Sec. 1309 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965) who qualify as homeless under this subtitle because the children are living in clauses (1) through (3) above.
Under State law, 105 ILCS 45/1-5, "homeless person, child, or youth" includes, but is not limited to, any of the following:
1. An individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime place of abode.
2. An individual who has a primary nighttime place of abode that is:
a. A supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designed to provide temporary living accommodations (including welfare hotels, congregate shelters, and transitional housing);
b. An institution that provides a temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized; or
c. A public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings.
|Liaison for Homeless Children Duties
Review the information provided at www.isbe.net/homeless/default.htm to become aware of the resources and training materials provided by the Illinois State Board of Education with regard to the education of homeless children. See
www.2.ed.gov/programs/homeless/legislation.html for the U.S. Dept. of Education's information about federal requirements.
Ensure that homeless children and youths are identified by school personnel and through coordinated activities with other entities and agencies. 42 U.S.C. §11432(g)(6)(A)(i).
Ensure that homeless children and youths enroll in, and have full and equal opportunity to succeed in District programs. 42 U.S.C. §11432(g)(6)(A)(ii).
Ensure that homeless families, children and youths receive educational services for which they are eligible and make referrals to health care, mental health, dental, and other appropriate services. 42 U.S.C. §11432(g)(6)(A)(iii).
Inform parent(s)/guardian(s) of educational and related opportunities available to their child or ward, and provide them with meaningful opportunities to participate in their child or ward's education. 42 U.S.C. §11432(g)(6)(A)(iv).
Disseminate public notice of the educational rights of homeless children and youths in the location where they receive services (such as schools, family shelters, and soup kitchens). 42 U.S.C. §11432(g)(6)(A)(v).
Mediate enrollment disputes to:
a. Ensure the child/youth is immediately admitted to the school in which enrollment is sought, pending resolution of the dispute;
b. Provide the homeless child/youth's parent/guardian with a written explanation of the school's decision regarding school selection or enrollment, including their rights to appeal the decision;
c. Complete the dispute resolution process as expeditiously as possible; and
d. In the case of an unaccompanied youth, ensure that the youth is immediately enrolled in school pending resolution of the dispute.
Fully inform the parent/guardian of a homeless child/youth, and any unaccompanied youth, of all transportation services and assist in accessing transportation services. 42 U.S.C. §11432(g)(6)(A)(vii). Convene a meeting with the parent/guardian and teacher of the child if the travel time to a homeless child's school of origin is longer than one hour each way or if the travel time is shorter, but the District wishes to evaluate whether such travel is in the best interest of the child's development and education. 105 ILCS 45/1-15.
Assist unaccompanied youth in placement/enrollment decisions, consider the youth's wishes in those decisions, and provide notice to the youth of the right to appeal such decisions. 42 U.S.C. §11432(g)(3)(B)(iv).
Assist children/youth who do not have immunizations or medical records in obtaining necessary immunizations and/or medical records. 42 U.S.C. §11432(g)(3)(C)(iii).
If needed, verify children's homeless status so they may obtain free copies of their birth certificates, in accordance with procedures established by the State Registrar of Vital Records. 410 ILCS 535/25.3, amended by P.A. 100-506, eff. 1-1-18.
Collaborate with State and local social service agencies that provide services to the homeless as well as with community and school personnel responsible for the provision of education and related services to homeless children and youths. 42 U.S.C. §11432(g)(5)(A) and (g)(6)(C).
Conduct a hardship review whenever a child and his or her parent/guardian who initially share the housing of another person due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar hardship continue to share the housing; a hardship review should be performed after the passage of 18 months and annually thereafter. 105 ILCS 45/1-25(a-5).
Make a recommendation to the Superintendent regarding whether the Board should authorize financial homeless prevention assistance for families with children who are homeless or at risk of being homeless. 105 ILCS 45/1-17.
In those cases where the parties agree it is in the best interest of the child and District to do so, prepare a written housing plan (Plan) to provide financial assistance in an amount that will allow a child who is homeless or at risk of being homeless to remain permanently in his/her home or obtain new housing. Financial assistance may include: (1) mortgage or rental assistance that will allow a child to remain permanently in his/her living situation or obtain a new living situation and/or (2) assistance with unpaid bills, loans or other financial debts that result in housing being inadequate.
Before entering into any such Plan, verify that all of the following requirements have been met in order for the District to claim the financial assistance against its State transportation funds:
Refer the child or his or her parent/guardian to the ombudsperson appointed by the Regional Superintendent whenever a school denies a homeless child enrollment or transportation, and provide the child or his or her parent/guardian with a written statement of the basis for the denial. 105 ILCS 45/1-25(a).
Choose the child's attendance center between the following options (105 ILCS 45/1-10 controls because it exceeds the rights granted to parent(s)/guardian(s) in federal law.):
The term "school of origin" means the school that the student attended when permanently housed or the school in which the student was last enrolled. 42 U.S.C. §11432(g)(3)(I) and 105 ILCS 45/1-5.
If the child is attending his/her school of origin, make a good faith effort to provide or arrange for transportation to and from the school or origin, including authorizing relatives, friends or a program for homeless persons to provide the child with transportation.
|Building Principal Where Homeless Student Will be Enrolled Enrollment
Shall immediately enroll the homeless child/youth, even if the child/youth is unable to produce records normally required for enrollment, e.g., previous academic records, medical records, proof of residency, or other documentation. 42 U.S.C. §11432(g)(3)(C)(i) and 105 ILCS 45/1-20.
Shall immediately contact the school last attended by the child/youth to obtain relevant academic and other records. 42 U.S.C. §11432(g)(3)(C)(ii) and 105 ILCS 45/1-20.
If the child/youth needs to obtain immunizations, or immunization or medical records, shall immediately refer the child/youth's parent/guardian to the Liaison for Homeless Children. 42 U.S.C. §11432(g)(3)(C)(iii) and 105 ILCS 45/1-20.
Maintain records for the homeless child/youth that are ordinarily kept for students according to District policy and procedure on student school records. 42 U.S.C. §11432(g)(3)(D).
Ensure each homeless student is provided services comparable to services offered to other students including the following: 42 U.S.C. §11432(g)(4).
Shall require a parent/guardian of a homeless child/youth, if available, to submit contact information. 42 U.S.C. §11432(g)(3)(H) and 105 ILCS 45/1-20.
|Transportation Director and Building Principal Where Homeless Student Will be Enrolled Transportation
Ensure transportation is provided to a homeless child/youth, at the request of the parent/guardian (or in the case of an unaccompanied youth, the Liaison), to and from the school of origin. 42 U.S.C. §11432(g)(1)(J)(iii); State law, found at 105 ILCS 45/1-15, is superseded by federal law. The term "school of origin" means the school that the student attended when permanently housed or the school in which the student was last enrolled. 42 U.S.C. §11432(g)(3)(I). Transportation shall be arranged as follows: 42 U.S.C. §11432(g)(1)(J)(iii).
1. If the homeless child/youth continues to live in the area served by the school district in which the school of origin is located, the student's transportation to and from the school of origin shall be provided or arranged by the district in which the school of origin is located.
2. If the homeless child/youth's living arrangements in the area served by the district of origin terminate and the child/youth, though continuing his or her education in the school of origin, begins living in an area served by another school district, the district of origin and the district in which the homeless child/youth is living shall agree upon a method to apportion the responsibility and costs for providing the child/youth with transportation to and from the school of origin. If the local educational agencies are unable to agree upon such method, the responsibility and costs for transportation shall be shared equally.
|Superintendent or Designee Dispute
|If a dispute arises, shall inform the homeless child/youth's parent(s)/guardian(s) of the availability of an investigator, sources for low-cost or free legal assistance, and other advocacy services in the community.
Each Regional Superintendent appoints an ombudsperson to provide resource information and resolve disputes at schools within his or her jurisdiction relating to the rights of homeless children under this Act. 105 ILCS 45/1-25. The Homeless Family Placement Act governs shelter placement. 310 ILCS 85/1 et seq.
Date Adopted: September 22, 2010
Date Amended: January 23, 2018


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It is always there, the lightning, sometimes hovering over our heads flashing in the clouds…sometimes distant, below the horizon. But it is always there.
We all face it, death, the lightning in the clouds. No one escapes. It is as sure as being born. It unifies us, and the manner in which we face it is one measure of our lives.
'Lightning in the Clouds' is a collection of short stories dealing with the journey and passage that we all will take...alone. It is not intended as a statement of philosophy or religion. If they provoke some thought, so be it, but as all stories, these are intended to describe and take the reader into the lives and on the journey with the characters. Along the way perhaps they will entertain.


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What Happened: There was a two-car wreck in Greenville, North Carolina, on Route 11 near the Sam's Club. A Nissan Sentra and a Ford Escape were involved in the wreck, whose details still have not been released. Three people were sent to Vidant Medical Center with unknown injuries. A witness stated that one person appeared to be seriously injured.
Police continue to investigate this crash, and no charges have been filed at this time.
North Carolina Personal Injury Lawyer Perspective:
We hope that no one was seriously injured in this accident, and we extend our best wishes for a quick recovery to all those who were injured. While no charges have yet been filed in this case, the injured and their families should speak with an experienced North Carolina personal injury attorney. They could be entitled to financial compensation for pain and suffering, lost wages and medical expenses.
For More Information:
Read our guide about what to do if you are injured in a North Carolina car accident.
Have Questions?
Common questions from families about serious injuries in North Carolina car accidents.


text:
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'RoboCop' Panel Recap: OCP Peddles A Killing Machine With A Conscience [Comic Con 2013]
Our first real look at José Padilha's remake of RoboCop in motion features Samuel L. Jackson as a loud, opinionated television personality, on a stage emblazoned with American flags. This guy Pat Novak, whom Jackson describes as "Rush Sharpton," is talking about the use of drones in military service oversees. Indeed, in news footage of an operation in Tehran, we see ED-209 'bots patrolling war-torn streets, with smaller 208s backing them up.
Pat Novak hopes that these drones, which don't get angry, can be used to patrol American neighborhoods. But because drones can't be accountable for decision-making, there's legislation against using them on US soil. Enter OCP, which finds a way to bring a human consciousness into a drone, and in so doing creates the ability to make money by selling super-expensive human/drone hybrids. Enter RoboCop.
Already, you can tell that this is a very different film from Paul Verhoven's weird, raw satire released in 1987. Director José Padilha took the stage after that footage to discuss his new movie, including some talk about the future threat of drones and robotics technology used in war and law enforcement, as he described a remake that may have much less to do with the original than we had expected.
The biggest change in RoboCop could be to the main character, Alex Murphy.
While Peter Weller's original depiction was of a cop noted in the books as killed in the line of duty, this incarnation, played by Joel Kinnaman, doesn't die at all. This Murphy is critically wounded through what seems like a car bomb. (That, by the way, is something shown in the early cut of the trailer also premiered at the panel today. While I'm told the trailer won't go online soon, I expect what we do see eventually will be very similar, and so I'm treating the footage in that as non-spoiler stuff.)
The wounded Murphy, with the cooperation of his wife (Abbie Cornish), provides the raw material for the human side of this potentially lucrative hybrid that OCP has cooked up. And there are some interesting twists. In addition to multiple versions of his mechanical body, Murphy has to share a head with an AI that takes over during combat. Which is to say, the human brain becomes a "passenger" during combat as the AI takes control. As you might expect knowing the general plot path of the original, we're likely to see a point where Murphy's consciousness doesn't roll over for the AI.
The company OCP is run by Raymond Sellars, played by Michael Keaton. The actor said "I find this guy basically really mentally healthy, whether you agree with him or not." Keaton explained that Sellars understands the moral questions that underlie ideas such as using drones and robotics as machines of warfare or law enforcement, but simplifies everything to a pragmatic black and white situation. He thinks what he's doing is the right choice to make the world a better place.
So there's a pretty good situation set up: a bit of dark, angry satire about drones being used in "Operation Freedom Tehran," seen in part through a news story which also depicts locals working in "collaboration" with OCP robots. Collaboration there really meaning powerless coercion. There are digs at the media, through Jackson's character, who has a very exaggerated personality.
And there's a real paranoia about how technology and weapons could converge. There's the explanation that "machines feel no anger or fatigue, which makes them ideal for law enforcement." But Keaton's character is asked in a hearing, "if one killed a child, what would it feel?" Nothing, he says. Which isn't really the right answer — should something that kills in a way that seems intelligent be able to feel remorse? Or as the director said, "never fear the gun, fear the guy holding the gun. Having said that, and looking at what human beings have done with guns, perhaps we should be afraid of technology in the future."
Padilha says he "didn't try to redo the same RoboCop, because it was perfect the way it was." He wanted to modernize the basic concept, and says "the use of drones and robots in war is going to become a big issue. That's why we tackled this." He went on to say "our movie is about something. It's fun, but it talks about the near future."
In short, the footage is slick and sometimes flashy, and I don't quite know how all the elements — particularly the influence of Murphy's family — are going to fit together. But it's clear this isn't an imitation of Paul Verhoeven's film. I don't know if it will stand on it's own, but I'm more intrigued than before at the thought of this new telling. The focus on drones and the evolution of intelligent weaponry is provocative, and what we saw today suggests that there is more than simple lip service given to those ideas, at the same time as Padilha has put together enough action to connect the dots of deeper ideas.
RoboCop opens on February 7 2014.


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At E3 2016, the biggest gaming trade show in the world, we got a hands-on demo with Xbox's new drug-fueled nightmare game "We Happy Few." It's a game about balancing society's demands for self-intoxication with surviving in a crumbling WWII alternate reality.
Produced by Ben Gilbert and Corey Protin
Follow TI: On Facebook


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By popular demand (and a definite need) Sports & Collector Car Center is proud to announce the addition of our new 'European Services Division'.
The special interest car market has always been international. But now more than ever, European car enthusiasts are partaking in the purchasing of fine & special interest cars being offered here in the States. We previously entertained our European friends annually, during the magnificent collector car auctions that are held in Scottsdale, every January. But their interest has shifted from once a year to year-round. At Sports & Collector Car Center, we are proud to have been involved in the past, but are excited about our new dedication and efforts for the future. We are the perfect fit for our friends 'across the pond'. Our long standing reputation, product knowledge and expertise provides Europe with an industry partner, here in Arizona, the heart of the collector car market.
We are staffed and prepared to faciltate:
- Vehicle inspection & assessment (Eliminate the unknowns.)
- Transportation (We have partnered with the top logistics companies in both Long Beach, California and Houston, Texas for overseas shipping.)
- Vehicle locating and procurement (Looking for a certain vehicle? Let us assist you. We have a large database of vehicles and unlimited locating resources.)
- Secure vehicle storage at our facility, prior to shipping
- Full collector car auction services (If for some reason you cannot attend the magnificent Scottsdale auctions, let us be your eyes and ears. Eliminate the risk and guess work.)
We look forward to working with you.


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Why We're Still Fighting Over the Equal Rights Amendment in 2019
The amendment is brief—a mere 52 words—and its core sentiment appears utterly innocuous: "Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex." But the Equal Rights Amendment has been anything but anodyne since its original defeat in the late 1970s. Today's reignited movement has much in common with the earlier fight—including the vehement and powerful opposition of the religious right.
Amid the Women's March and #MeToo movements, the presidency of Donald Trump and the wave of women elected to public office, the ERA has become a renewed rallying cry for 21st century feminism. Celebrities such as Alyssa Milano and America Ferrera, the National Organization for Women, the Feminist Majority Foundation, Democratic politicians across the country, and a plethora of pro-ERA groups at the state and federal levels have taken up the cause, with special enthusiasm from media brands serving Millennial women (Cosmopolitan, Teen Vogue, and Refinery29).
A number of key legislatures are fielding ratification efforts—in Georgia, Florida, and Arizona (a bill recently failed in Virginia). These states are among the 15 holdouts that never passed the ERA during the major push in the 1970s. After Nevada's surprise ratification in 2017 and Illinois' in 2018, ERA activists now believe they need just one more state to reach the needed 38-state threshold. (Opponents argue the math is off, given that five states that originally passed the amendment subsequently rescinded, and even ERA supporters admit the road to ratification is winding, including the need for Congress to vote to override an original series of deadlines, something that would undoubtedly require Democratic control of both houses.) Many say they believe 2019 will bring a long-awaited victory, and while a single state may seem like a laughably low bar, it's not. Those left on the map remain under Republican control, making the proposition challenging at a minimum.
That hasn't deterred activists like Arizona's Dianne Post. "Nothing is dead until the session adjourns," she says. Like in other states, GOP lawmakers there have been stalling ERA bills in committees, refusing to allow a vote on the state's senate or house floor. If they did, she says, it would pass, thanks to the support of a handful of Republicans, "and they know that."
"If these people think we're going to give up—'Well let's just not hear [the bill] and they'll go home, and bake cookies'—well, no we won't," Post says. "Because we're never going to give up, and we're going to make your lives miserable as long as you continue to make our lives miserable."
"I started fighting for the ERA at 20, when we tried to get Congress to pass it, and I am 72 years old and sick to death of it," she adds.
ERA opponents during the early years of Post's activism argued it would upend gender norms and family life, put women in the military, enshrine gay rights, and lead to unfettered abortion access. Since then, opposition to women's equal participation in society—including the military—has dramatically waned, leaving both sides keen to argue that the other has little left to gain or lose. (In recent interviews, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said the ERA would not have a monumental impact on current law, but that she'd "like to be able to take out my pocket Constitution and say that the equal citizenship stature of men and women is a fundamental tenet of our society, like free speech.")
But an argument the anti-feminist firebrand Phyllis Schlafly—the woman who shaped the modern GOP—articulated on Good Morning America in 1976 has endured: Equality is actually bad for women. "When you make the laws apply equally to men and women, you end up taking away many of the rights that women now have," Schlafly said.
Modern ERA opponents agree. Kristi Hamrick, a spokesperson and media strategist for the pro-life group Students for Life, says many of the ERA's goals—largely protection from discrimination on the basis of sex—have been achieved by other means. "Women do need protection from unique harms," she adds, and the ERA could undo some of those protections (a view rejected by ERA supporters who argue it could have an especially broad impact on women's employment and access to birth control). But that's not the reason Hamrick's organization is getting into the fight.
"It would create an actual foothold for abortion in the Constitution," she says. "The sense that Roe v. Wade could be reversed is part of the impetus for [the] ERA coming back right now. This really is a Trojan horse for abortion."
Anti-abortion groups have swung into high gear against the amendment. The National Right to Life Committee is fighting the ERA in every state (including via a recent letter sent to Florida lawmakers). Phyllis Schlafly's descendant organizations—Phyllis Schlafly Eagles and the Eagle Forum—are warning of codifying government-funded abortions in the Constitution and furthering the "interests of the abortion industry." Last year, a lawyer with Americans United for Life, a powerful architect of state-level anti-abortion laws, said the ERA was "anti-woman." When a Georgia Republican pulled his support of the ERA last month, he said it was because "many believe this legislation could be used to remove the protections for the unborn," and he's "not willing to risk any living breathing humans' lives to find out."
Whether or not the ERA would de facto enshrine abortion rights (some ERA activists argue that it remains unclear and other have argued it would, in part based on a New Mexico Supreme Court decision), Marjorie J. Spruill sees something perhaps even more fundamental than abortion at the heart of it: the very foundation of hyper-partisan politics. As Spruill, a history professor at the University of South Carolina, documents in her book Divided We Stand: The Battle Over Women's Rights and Family Values That Polarized American Politics, the 1970s ERA was a casualty of the right-wing religious women's movement that arose to fight what its supporters saw as feminism's destruction of traditional gender roles—and polarized the nation's politics in the process. Under the influence of women like Schlafly, the GOP went from broadly supporting the ERA under a series of presidencies to handing it a chain of crushing defeats.
"The opposition to the ERA is left over from the period in which the right wing of the Republican Party took over the party, in which the religious right emerged as a massive factor in the GOP, and in which the establishment said, 'Well OK, we need your votes to become a majority party, so as long as you give us your votes we'll let you write party policy on social issues,'" Spruill says. Today's battle "is just the continuing of this polarized culture in which conservatives see the ERA as one of the things they're supposed to oppose."
The views of today's Republican voters remain harder to parse. A 2018 USA Today poll found that about 75 percent of Americans would be more likely to vote for a candidate who supported the ERA, but didn't distinguish between party leanings. In 2016, an online survey sponsored by a pro-ERA group found 90 percent of Republicans "would support an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that guarantees equal rights for both men and women."
Post believes the 38th state ratification of the ERA is just a matter of time, regardless of the power of the pro-life movement. Maybe it won't pass this year in Arizona—or Florida, or Georgia, or Louisiana, for that matter (not that she's giving up). But as long as more women keep getting elected, particularly more Democratic women, it's inevitable, she says: "What happened in Nevada is going to happen here. Nevada turned from red to blue, and they passed it in six weeks."


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About the Alpine MRP-M500
V-Power amplifiers deliver the sound quality that made Alpine famous. Highly efficient power supplies housed in sleek black casings guarantee that these amps stand out in performance and appearance. The thermal management system dissipates heat and saves power, so your V-Power amp will run reliably for years to come.
The Alpine MRP-M500 mono amplifier drives your subwoofer system with up to 500 watts RMS — enough to satisfy the hungriest bass setup. The low-pass filter puts you in command of the frequencies that reach your subs, while the variable bass boost is armed with plenty of low-end punch. A subsonic filter prevents wasted energy by eliminating ultra-low bass, putting all the power where you need it.
Preamp- and speaker-level inputs allow you to connect this amp in almost any vehicle. Let a V-Power amplifier transform the sound of your car's audio system.
Product highlights:
- mono subwoofer car amplifier
- 300 watts RMS x 1 at 4 ohms (500 watts RMS x 1 at 2 ohms)
- variable low-pass filter (50-200 Hz, 24 dB/octave)
- variable bass boost (0-12 dB at 50 Hz)
- subsonic filter (15 Hz, 24 dB/octave)
- Class D amp with MOSFET power supply
- CEA-2006 compliant
- STAR Topology (minimizes internal noise and prevents ground interference)
- speaker- and preamp-level inputs
- gold-plated screw terminals
- fuse rating: 30A x 2
- 8-gauge power and ground leads recommended wiring and hardware not included with amplifier
- 10-11/16"W x 2-7/16"H x 9-9/16"D
- warranty: 1 year
- Our 60-day money-back guarantee
What's in the box:
Alpine MRP-M500 owner's manual
- Mono amplifier
- Two 30 amp fuses (installed)
- 7" Speaker-level input harness (4-pin Molex plug on one end and bare wires on the other)
- 2 Terminal covers
- 4 Self-tapping hex-head screws (M4 x 20mm)
- 4 Machine screws for securing terminal covers (M3 x 12mm)
- Owner's Manual (English/French/Spanish)
- Customer Care Registration card
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More details on the Alpine MRP-M500
Features & specs
|RMS Power Output (Watts x Channels)
300 x 1
|Peak Power Output (Watts x Channels)
|Power at 2 Ohms (Watts x Channels)
|500 x 1
|Bridged Power (Watts x Channels)
|Minimum Impedance Bridged
|Minimum Impedance Unbridged
|Minimum Impedance
|Best Frequency Response
|20-200 Hz
|THD at Rated RMS Power
|Signal to Noise Ratio
|75 dB
|Input Voltage
|Amplifier Class
|Low-Pass Crossover Frequency
|50-200 Hz
|Low-Pass Slope (dB/octave)
|24 dB/oct
|High-Pass Crossover Frequency
|High-Pass Slope (dB/octave)
|Bass Boost
|0-12 dB
|Bass Boost Frequency
|50 Hz
|Fan Cooled
|Fuse Rating
|Speaker Level Inputs
|Preamp Outputs
|Width (inches)
|Height (inches)
|Depth (inches)
|Parts Warranty
|1 Year
|Labor Warranty
|1 Year
Product Research
Power Supply: The MRP-M500 amplifier's power supply uses MOSFETs to convert DC battery voltage to the higher DC voltages needed for high power. It supplies positive and negative voltages around 0V, rather than around 6V as with conventional single-polarity power supplies. The result is higher power levels and a dynamic range wider by as much as 10dB.
Inputs: The amplifier offers both line-level and speaker-level inputs for 2 channels. The supplied speaker-level input harness allows you to connect this amplifier to a receiver without preamp outputs; aftermarket or factory. The speaker level inputs will accept the output from a high powered radio.
Terminal Covers: The amp comes with two plastic covers that protect and insulate the RCA, power, and speaker connections. Four supplied machine screws attach the covers to the amplifier.
Low Pass Filter: The amp is equipped with a 50-200Hz variable low-pass filter with a slope of 24dB/octave. This being a mono subwoofer amp, the crossover is always engaged.
Subsonic Filter: This amp utilizes a subsonic filter at 15Hz to eliminate super low frequencies that can rob power and damage speakers. The subsonic filter operates at all times, and cannot be turned off.
Bass EQ: The Bass EQ circuit provides a variable boost (0-12dB) at 50 Hz.
Left Side Of Amplifier:
- GND (ground): gold-plated screw terminal, 0.33" wide
- Battery: gold-plated screw terminal, 0.33" wide
- Remote: gold-plated screw terminal, 0.33" wide
- Speaker Output: gold-plated screw terminal, 0.33" wide
Note: Alpine recommends 8 gauge power and ground wire (minimum).
Right Side Of Amplifier:
- Line Inputs: 1 pair of gold-plated stereo RCA jacks
- Speaker Level Input: Molex plug input for supplied 4-pin harness
The Alpine MRP-M500 replaces these items
1,000 watts RMS x 1 at 2 ohms
- 600 watts RMS x 1 at 4 ohms
- variable low-pass filter
- variable bass boost
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It was an extremely slow day today. Most regulars turned up. However the numbers were low.
One of the cancellations in Kuala Lumpur had a jagged edge rather than a smooth oval. Take a look:
The designer was not able to attend. He will be coming over in the next issue (World Post Day) to autograph the products. That should be 09 October 2017.
Today is another rare day without any setenants being sold. In its place, the Bandung Malaysia Serama was on sale. The response was again very slow. I believe the collectors have reached purchasing fatigue.
A Special Order form for the Straits Settlements issue was also released.
A set of Melaka cancellation FDC, Penang cancellation FDC and Straits Settlements Setenant retails at RM 12.50.
The Singapore FDC is sold at RM 25.00. Take note that the Singapore FDC image shown on the order form was an early design. The postmark has since changed. Here is the design circulating on the web for quite sometime:
The final cancellation has the word "150th" in the shape of the old postmark. Here is an actual personalised Singapore FDC with the actual cancellations.
The prices shown are before GST.
Feel free to download the form, fill in and fax in the order. It is for Standing Order Deposit Account (SODA) members only.


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|Place of Origin:
|Guangxi China
|Brand Name:
|Big Antu
|Model Number:
|Minimum Order Quantity:
|Packaging Details:
|silk stuff bag inner pack in carton
|Delivery Time:
|3-7 days
|Payment Terms:
|Supply Ability:
|Product Name:
|2019 Ultralight The Latest Anti-dirt Cotton Sleeping Bag Liner Close Skin Fabrics Sleeping Bag Liner For Home
|Easy To Carry,Foldable,Sleeping Bag + Quilt + Cushion
|100% Silk Or Customized
|Envelope Shape,Easy Folding
|220*110cm,210*85cm,210*170cm,or Customized
|Customized Color
|1pc/silk Stuff Bag
|100 Prices
|High Light:
100 silk sleeping bag liner,
pure silk sleeping bag liner
2019 Ultralight the latest anti-dirt cotton sleeping bag liner close skin fabrics sleeping bag liner for home
Commodity characteristics:
1. Adopt 100% silk
2. It feels very soft.
3. It can also be used as the sleeping bag liner of other sleeping bags in cold conditions. It is the best choice for business trips and outdoor camping.
4. Color: black, blue, pink, gray, orange.
Advantages :
1. It can be used as a summer sleeping bag or hotel sanitary sleeping bag.
2. It can be used with other sleeping bags in winter to enhance the thermal effect.
3. It can be covered in a down or cotton sleeping bag as an inner bladder for easy handling.
4. Friends who often go on business trips can be used in the hotel at night.More hygienic.
5. Use it in the middle of the summer if you can relax in the office.
6. small size, easy to carry.Take it wherever you want.
Company Profile
BigAntu is a professional supplier of outdoor equipment in China . Our main products include picnic mat ,canvas tote bag ,sleeping bag liner etc .Our products have received good reputation and high praise from customers of Europe,America,South Asia and other countries and regions. We have a professional export service team to help customers deal with the import process and find what they really want. We can provide the most competitive price with high qualtity product to you. If you are interested in any of our products, please feel free to contact us. We are looking forward to building cooperation relationship with new clients around the world in the near future.
Q1. What factors will effect the price?
Material, Size, Printing, Quantity, Quality request, Packing, Accessory etc.
Q2. Can the products be made all by customer's request?
Yes , OEM is highly welcome.
Q3. Can you take photos or videos when production?
Yes, of course, we always do that for customers, because you have the right of knowing all the
situation of production and we have the duty to do.
Q4. How many colors are available?
We match colors with Pantone Matching System. So you can just tell us the pantone color code you need. We will match the colors.
Or we will recommend some popular colors to you.
Q5. How long is the production lead time?
It takes 7-15 days for MOQ. We have large production capacity, which can ensure fast delivery time even for large quantity.
Q6. Do you provide after-sale service?
Yes, we pay much attention on after-sale service, if any problem we lead to that we must assume it,
we care about your opinion and experience, we are responsible for the customers.


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High point - obviously there will always be a lot of high points because my life is awesome. Last weekend was great - Friday night I drank wine and did exactly what I wanted, Saturday I went tailgating with the Boones and Monday my parents has a BBQ that was so delicious and awesome.
Wednesday at work I got SO MUCH DONE. That was for sure the high point of my work week. Ever since I took over nursing advising I have been so disorganized. I feel so good about where I'm at now.
Then tonight Missy, Katie and I went to dinner to celebrate Katie's birthday. A good dinner with good friends is refreshing to my soul.
Low point - Last night into this morning was for sure my low point. I didn't sleep well, and when I did sleep I had two terrible nightmares. I have this reoccurring nightmare where someone breaks into my apartment and when I'm trying to scream at them to get the fuck out, I open my mouth but nothing comes out. It's terrible. Then I forgot to turn my alarm off (my days off switched to Thursdays, but my alarm is still set for every weekday) so I got woke up at 630, but I couldn't go back to sleep because I was sick to my stomach. So I was up for a few hours, and then I napped and when I woke up, it was already 90 degrees out so my run was also a big bust.
Thanks for reading my high/low for this week, which may (or may not) becomes weekly thing.


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AKA Niccolò Fontana Tartaglia
Born: 1499Birthplace: Brescia, ItalyDied: 13-Dec-1557Location of death: Venice, ItalyCause of death: unspecified
Gender: MaleReligion: Roman CatholicRace or Ethnicity: WhiteOccupation: Mathematician
Nationality: ItalyExecutive summary: Inaugurated science of Ballistics
Italian mathematician, born at Brescia. His childhood was passed in dire poverty. During the sack of Brescia in 1512, he was horribly mutilated by some French soldiers. From these injuries he slowly recovered, but he long continued to stammer in his speech, whence the nickname, adopted by himself, of "Tartaglia." Save for the barest rudiments of reading and writing, he tells us that he had no master; yet we find him at Verona in 1521 an esteemed teacher of mathematics. In 1534 he went to Venice. In 1548 Tartaglia accepted a situation as professor of Euclid at Brescia, but returned to Venice at the end of eighteen months. He died at Venice in 1557.
Tartaglia's first printed work, entitled Nuova scienzia (Venice, 1537), dealt with the theory and practice of gunnery. He found the elevation giving the greatest range to be 45°, but failed to demonstrate the correctness of his intuition. Indeed, he never shook off the erroneous ideas of his time regarding the paths of projectiles, further than to see that no part of them could be a straight line. He nevertheless inaugurated the scientific treatment of the subject. His Quesiti et invenzioni diverse, a collection of the author's replies to questions addressed to him by persons of the most varied conditions, was published in 1546, with a dedication to King Henry VIII of England. Problems in artillery occupy two out of nine books; the sixth treats of fortification; the ninth gives several examples of the solution of cubic equations. He published in 1551 Regola generale per sollevire ogni affondata nave, intitolata la Travagliata Invenzione (an allusion to his personal troubles at Brescia), setting forth a method for raising sunken ships, and describing the diving-bell, then little known in western Europe. He pursued the subject in Ragionamenti sopra la Travagliata Invenzione (May 1551). His largest work, Trattato generale di numeri e misure, is a comprehensive mathematical treatise, including arithmetic, geometry, mensuration, and algebra as far as quadratic equations (Venice, 1556, 1560). He published the first Italian translation of Euclid (1543), and the earliest version from the Greek of some of the principal works of Archimedes (1543). These included the tract De insidentibus aquae, of which his Latin now holds the place of the lost Greek text. Tartaglia claimed the invention of the gunner's quadrant.
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text:
Earrings 30 – Fabrika collection.
Combination of a statement artisan earring and subtle elongated black stud earring make an excellent pair. Made of black clay, metallic silver quartz point drop and sterling silver. The gemstone is kept in its organic form, but polished to a smooth touch.
Length: 2.9″ = 7.5cm and 1.9″= 5cm
Production Time
Ready to ship
Silver Quartz, Clay, Sterling Silver
Hand wash using mild soap. Pat to dry.
Keep your jewelry away from chemicals, avoid taking a bath with your earrings on, store away from sunlight.
2.9″ = 7.5cm and 1.9″ = 5cm long


text:
It's finally Spring! A season that so many of us start looking forward to not long after winter starts. Partly because of somewhat warmer temps that let us know that patio time won't be far behind, and partly because it's a season of growth and renewal that feels optimistic and ripe with possibilities.
So I thought it would be fitting to dedicate our first post of Spring 2017 to a fresh and exciting new project that's already well underway at Schneiderman's.
After 32 years in Lakeville, over 20 of which were at our Juniper Path store, we're very excited to be building our new 2-story Lakeville showroom – scheduled to open this spring!
The new showroom, located west of 35 on Kenyon Avenue, is larger and more modern than the space we were previously leasing, and we're looking forward to the functionality, space, and visibility it will provide.
I had the opportunity to visit the site last week, and I snapped some pictures so that you could get a peek at our progress.
The showroom is definitely impressive – all 112,000 square feet of it – with an exterior that beautifully combines clean lines, white contrasted against warm limestone, and glass.
Those windows, though.
And did I mention glass? I know I did, but really. All. Those. Windows. They're one of my favorite parts so far.
They're so striking from the outside, and they provide a large dose of welcoming light once you're inside the showroom. I can imagine that they'll be just as impressive lit up at night.
There are north and south windows, as well, that span both floors in the open stairwells, which adds even more light further back in the showroom.
Deck time.
Continuing that light and airy connection with the outdoors is the second floor outside deck – a first for our stores.
We're excited to have this unique space to display our great selection of patio furniture!
The inside view.
The inside feels light and expansive, and the flooring will be a functional and interesting mix, including concrete and carpeting.
The walls will be a mix as well. Most will be painted, but some will have more unique finishes like white brick or wallpaper.
And just how much paint does it take to paint a showroom of this size? I don't have an exact number, but let's just say it's a lot.
Chad chose 15 versatile neutrals from Hirshfield's, and I'll be sharing those colors with you in a future post, along with some inspiration for using some of the colors.
Other unique and interesting interior design details are in the works, and they will be more in evidence as the showroom progresses.
Filling it up.
As you can imagine, much thought and planning went into deciding what should fill the showroom once it's completed.
Our dedicated (and busy) team has already completed much of that process, which means that some of the furniture is already waiting in the wings to make it's Lakeville debut.
Ready for pick-up.
Part of the crew was working on the loading dock when I was there last week.
And I received this pic a couple of days later. The dock looks like it's ready for business!
Come see us this spring!
We'll keep you posted on our progress, and we're excited to have you visit Schneiderman's new Lakeville showroom when it's completed this Spring!
Looking for decorating inspiration?
Click below to visit our How to Decorate page for design tips, room inspiration, paint tips, decorating ideas and more!


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Saturday, February 13, 2010
A blogger friend, Sewshesews, had made her daughter the cutest little dresses. The pattern is from LeilaandBen. I whipped this up in a night...so, so easy (excuse the pun:) Little Miss G kept calling it her "blankie" all night long! She wouldn't keep still enough for me to take her picture but I managed to get a few shots.
As for other projects, I'm still waiting on some fabric so I can finish my Fresh Cut Rag Quilt. I just love the softness of the colours. I'm not sure how big I'm going to make it yet so I just keep adding squares. I think that's my biggest problem with quilting. I always want to make things so big so it takes me a while to get it done!
For Valentine's Day my hubby said I can order some fabric...so I'm going to peruse a few sites tonight and see what's out there!
I just wanted to say thank you to those who comment - I'm not always so good about getting back to people but I absolutely appreciate your thoughts - and for you taking the time to visit my blog:) Sometimes I feel like no one is "out there" per se....I'm sure anyone who blogs must feel like that at times. However, I have to say, blogging has inspired me to be more creative and this in turn has allowed me to be in touch with others who share the same passion...so it's definitely worth it!!!
Ciao for now!
Labels: LeilaandBen pattern
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text: Donna Gaines Donna Gaines is a speaker, author of Choose Wisely, Live Fully, Seated: Living from Our Position in Christ and Leaving Ordinary: Encounter God Through Extraordinary Prayer, and founder of Arise2Read - a nonprofit that recruits churches to adopt and provide tutors for inner-city elementary schools. Donna also teaches Bible study at her home church, Memphis-area Bellevue Baptist Church, in which her husband, Steve Gaines, Southern Baptist Convention President, pastors. She is the mother of four and "Nonna" to ten grandchildren.


text:
- Format: Ms Word Document
- Pages: 70
- Price: N 3,000
- Chapters: 1-5
- Download Full and Complete Project
This study explored the implications of overpopulation on teacher's job performance in Odeda Local Government Area Secondary Schools, Ogun State in areas in teaching, marking of students assignments and use of teaching – aids. Seven schools were randomly selected, as sample, out of the 1 secondary schools in Odeda Local Government Area of Ogun State. Ten teachers were then randomly selected from each of the sample schools. Five research questions were raised for the purpose of this study a researcher designed instrument titled, 'Students' Overpopulation and Teachers' Job Performance Questionnaire' (SOTJPQ) was used to collect data from the respondents. The data obtained were analysed using frequency counts and percentage. The findings showed that students' overpopulation affected teachers' marking of students' assignments, use of teaching aids and classroom teaching negatively by not being able to give each student individual attention to discover their learning weaknesses and help improve on them. Teacher-centered method of teaching was mostly used and this reduced students' participation. Group work was mostly encouraged and this leads to copying, cheating and exam malpractice. Also, assignments given in the classroom were not marked immediately and take-home assignments were not marked on time. Teaching aids could not go round and it was difficult for each individual to carryout practical work because of the class population. Based on the findings, it was recommended that more classrooms should be built by the government, so as to accommodate the students. More teachers should be employed and maximum of 40 students to a teacher should be implemented. Other stakeholders in education should be encouraged to donate facilities to the schools. Companies should be encouraged to provide infrastructure as part of their corporate social responsibility.
Since western education became firmly rooted in Nigeria. It has faced myriads of problems (Ijaiya 1999). Most of Nigerian governments have been battling with these problems during colonial or post independence era. It has resulted in the setting up of various commissions (e.g. The Asuby commission of 1960; the 1969 curriculum conference, Education Reform of Committee of 2006 etc) to examine Nigeria's educational problem and make recommendations.
Among the problems facing the Nigeria educational system is large and poorly resourced classes. The problems of shortage of teachers and classrooms are intricately interwoven and when both combine with large pupil enrolment, the consequence is over-crowded classrooms (Ijaiya 1999). This has become a reality that educators must see it as a challenge and must face it squarely. The social-demand for formal education in Nigeria resulted into an upsurge increase in school enrolment with a dramatic increase in the class size; thereby resulting into high teacher pupil ratio. Class size is a big factor in determining the attainment of educational goals and objectives. The recommended students population in a single classroom should not exceed 40 to a teacher.
Teaching and learning as well as classroom management becomes ineffective because teachers were predisposing to more stress in handling the students.
The introduction of UBE in the country depicts the fact that teachers are being saddled with greater responsibility because many schools have become congested. Overpopulated classrooms are considered to be unconductive for both teachers and students when it comes to the issue of continuous assessment marking and the ability to give individualized attention to students needing extra help. In teaching large classes, there is possibility of students copying and cheating; students negative attitude to learning new things; discipline problems; students using the mother tongue when asked to work in pairs or group; noise making; lack of opportunity for developing individual's communicative skills and problems of boredom in teaching and testing as well as teacher domination. All these affect the job performance of teachers.
In Nigeria, using selected secondary schools from Odeda Local Government Area as a case study, schools are highly populated and the national policy of education gave an ideal ratio of teacher to pupil in a secondary school as 1:40 maximum. This study was interested in identifying the major problems caused by overpopulated classes in Nigeria growing with a view to making suggestions that could help to alleviate the problems.
Knowing that the classroom is the heart of any educational system, no curriculum planning is complete without implementation and evaluation, both of which are mainly carried out in the classroom (Ijaiya1999). As rightly observed by Cohen and Manion (1983 p.221) a careful attention to seating arrangement contributes as effectively as any other aspect of classroom management and control to overall success with a class subsequently. The seating arrangement can affect the teacher's effectiveness and efficiency. Ideally, in a secondary school, seats should be arranged in rows with a reasonable amount of space between them to aid the teacher to teach effectively, as well as allow for individual and group work. To this end, the ratio of teacher to students should not exceed 1:40. But what one funds in many of these classes is between ratio 1:50 and 1:100 in certain cases.
This project is specifically designed to look into some secondary schools where classrooms are overcrowded and how it affects teachers job performances in the class. Job performance includes marking of assignment and continuous assessment, giving individualized attention to students needing extra help; control of students copying or cheating; carrying out practical work, controlling students negative attitude of learning new things; discipline; control of students using the mother tongue when asked to work in pairs or group; control of noise making; developing individuals communicative skills etc
This project looks into teachers job performance in terms of teaching giving assignment and marking.
The findings from this research can help the government in resource allocation which includes human, financial material and physical resources. School administrators will know the resources needed and how to administer the resources given. Teachers have direct relationship with the students and know when overpopulation affects how they impact knowledge. PTA and the community which are agents of school community relations can help fund building projects, outsource part time teachers etc. All these will help in implementing the stated policies as regards the recommended teacher. Pupil ratio, in order to achieve educational goals and objectives.
The scope of this study will cover selected schools in Odeda Local Government Area, Ogun State.
This study covers the concept of over populated classroom, effects of overpopulated classrooms, teaching, classroom management and teachers' job performance.
The outcome of this research will be useful for the Ministry of education, secondary schools, government educational planners and other agents interested in education.
Some terms specific to this study have been defined below:
Student overpopulation: any classroom above the recommended teacher to students' ratio of 1:40 is considered overpopulation.
Teaching: the process of giving lessons in a classroom. It is also the process of passing on knowledge, skills, and attitudes
Job performance: The way a teacher carries out his/her responsibilities which include teaching, giving assignment and marking.


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2013: a challenging year: Over a million customers a day for the first time, and freight services move into the black.
Press release, 25.03.2014
In a challenging year, Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) carried more than a million customers a day for the first time ever. The increase can be attributed primarily to improved services. For the first time in over 40 years, and thanks to its consistent focus on the strengths of rail freight, SBB Cargo generated a positive net income figure (CHF 14.7 million). However, consolidated net income fell by CHF 184.2 mil-lion to CHF 238.2 million. The bulk of the CHF 332.1 million increase in operating expenses was due to higher train-path costs (CHF 163 million) and additional ex-penses, largely for maintenance of the rail network (CHF 128.6 million). SBB was only able to absorb part of these extra costs. The decline in net income and higher investments increased net interest-bearing debt by CHF 665 million to CHF 7.5 billion. While customer punctuality was a high 87.5% in 2013, it fell just short of the previous year's figure of 88.0%.
2013 was a challenging year for SBB. On the one hand, an excellent performance was delivered in all segments. In particular, passenger numbers reached a new record, the Freight Division generated positive net income, and income from station premises rented by third parties also rose. On the other hand, accidents and the impact of construction and maintenance work adversely affected punctuality and customer satisfaction.
SBB Passenger: more customers, lower segment result
For the first time in its history, SBB transported more than a million customers a day in 2013: 1,002,000, to be exact, or about 3.7% more than in the previous year. The number of passenger-kilometres travelled rose by 1.3% to 17.8 billion. This was largely made possible by improved services in French-speaking Switzerland, where there were 30% more seats and 14 additional trains, and by the twice-hourly service between Zurich and Schaffhausen.
Traffic volumes in the self-financing long-distance passenger business rose by 1.4% to 13.1 billion passenger-kilometres. Volumes on grant-aided regional services increased by a further 1.0% last year to 4.7 billion passenger-kilometres. Demand was up in both areas, mainly at peak hours. Leisure and tourist travel was stable in comparison with the previous year, while commuter and business travel increased once again. Rail accounted for a stable 25.0% (+0.1 procentpoints) market share of traffic in Switzerland.
The fare increases that came into force in December 2012, which averaged 5.2%, generated additional revenues of some CHF 129 million. These rises were sufficient to cover approximately 80% of the increase in train-path costs, which were up by CHF 163 million rise. These higher access charges and the increased expenses incurred by the expanded offering cut the Passenger Division's result drastically to CHF 96.1 million, only just over one third of the 2012 figure of CHF 268.9 million and significantly lower than it had been in earlier years.
SBB Real Estate: the expansion of station sites continues
SBB pressed on last year with its programme of turning station sites into customer service centres. Many stations have been modernised, with new product and service outlets, while the development of the main Lausanne and Geneva stations has begun. There has been no let-up in the demand for properties in central locations with good public transport links. By 2020, Zurich's new Europaallee district will boast some 2,500 study places and 6,000 jobs, 400 apartments, a hotel, and over 50 new shops and restaurants. Other site developments have also been initiated, such as the centrally-located Rösslimatt in Lucerne.
SBB Real Estate increased its segment result before transfer payments by 9.8% to CHF 211.3 million. CHF 150 million of this is helping to finance spending on infrastructure, while 96.5 million are contributing to the restructuring of the SBB pension fund.
SBB Cargo: net income in positive territory for the first time in over 40 years
In a highly competitive market, SBB Cargo increased its traffic volume by 1.5% to 12.3 billion net tonne-kilometres. The volume in the Swiss business gained slightly on the previous year, rising from 5.0 billion to 5.2 billion net tonne-kilometres. SBB Cargo rejigged its production networks, its fleet and its administration last year, achieving significant improvements in its cost structure. And SBB Cargo succeeded in gaining new customers, even though the number of service points has been reduced. In the intermodal freight sector, two new routes were opened and preliminary work for an additional one began.
By focusing consistently on the strengths of rail, SBB Cargo achieved its ambitious objective of breaking even and posted positive net income for the first time in over 40 years. This represented a major leap forward in its restructuring. At CHF 14.7 million, net income was CHF 65.9 million ahead of the previous year. Freight revenues overall rose by 4.7%. SBB Cargo International managed to maintain its market position, increase production efficiency and achieve financial stability: in the face of stiff competition, net income was CHF 8.2 million up on the previous year, though this still left it CHF 2.8 million in the red. SBB Cargo International broke even in the second half of 2013. The market environment in the freight sector remains challenging both nationally and internationally, and competitive pressure from road transport remains heavy.
SBB Infrastructure: more funds for maintenance
SBB's infrastructure network was once again subjected to still more intensive use in 2013: the number of track-kilometres travelled rose by 2.7% to 170.0 million. In its 2012 report on the condition of the network, SBB already highlighted some unanswered questions about the state of the permanent way. In the first few months of the year under review, the volume of track maintenance work exceeded the amount originally forecast by CHF 128.6 million. Deployment of a new diagnostics vehicle was instrumental in pinpointing the new maintenance requirements, as were the results of an inquiry into a broken rail incident at Schwerzenbach.
The safety and quality of the rail network continue to enjoy top priority. SBB is in talks with its owner regarding the funding of the additional maintenance work.
Favourable production conditions (above-average water flows) enabled the Energy area to achieve a good result (CHF 56.3 million, down from CHF 81.5 million in 2012). The overall segment result at the Infrastructure Division was negative, at CHF -72.3 million (previous year: CHF 37.1 million).
Consolidated net income down in 2013
SBB's consolidated net income fell by CHF 184.2 million to CHF 238.2 million in 2013 (2012: CHF 422.5 million). The bulk of the higher operating expenses of CHF 332.1 million was due to higher train-path costs (CHF 163 million) and additional expenses, largely for maintenance of the rail network (CHF 128.6 million). SBB was only able to absorb part of these extra costs.
Free cash flow after public-sector funding was CHF -652.9 million (2012: CHF +905.8 million). This decline was due to several factors: the lower net income, heavy investment totalling CHF 3,562.2 million (2012: 3,206.6 million), notably in rolling stock and real estate, and the disappearance of the previous year's extraordinary effects (sale of mortgages totalling CHF 604 million with the railway employees' building society (Eisenbahner-Baugenossenschaften, EBG) to the SBB pension fund).
The decline in net income and higher investments increased net interest-bearing debt by CHF 665 million to CHF 7.5 billion. Public-sector grants for infrastructure were substantially lower than in the previous year, decreasing by CHF 145.6 million to CHF 1,557.2 million. Grants for regional services amounted to CHF 591.3 million (CHF -4.9 million), grants for freight services to CHF 23.5 million (CHF +1.2 million).
Customer punctuality and customer satisfaction slightly down, but at a high level
Customer punctuality – the proportion of travellers who reach their destinations on time or with less than three minutes' delay – was at a high level in 2013, though at 87.5% it narrowly failed to equal the previous year's figure of 88.0%. In particular, delays on the S-Bahn network in the Greater Zurich area were mainly due to work on the major cross-city link project, to the simultaneous automation of signalling systems and to unscheduled track maintenance work being carried out without any cutbacks to customer services. In terms of meeting scheduled connections, SBB achieved a punctuality rate of 97.3% (2012: 97.4%), the second-best result since measurements began in 2008. Since December 2013 the figures for customer punctuality have again exceeded targets. On an international comparison, SBB has been the top performer in terms of punctuality for years.
Overall customer satisfaction fell slightly last year to 75.7 points, a drop of 0.3 points. Satisfaction with passenger information fell by 0.3 points to 80.0 points. SBB has work to do in this area, especially on customer information in the event of service disruptions. Corrective measures have been initiated.
Consistent progress towards a more customer-friendly railway
Owing to criticism of the rigid enforcement of the "buy before you board" rule and of ticket machine usability, SBB is striving to make public transport facilities more customer-friendly and easier to use. For example, it has introduced a "platform ticket" which, together with less rigid rules, has helped to defuse the criticism. As a result, negative customer feedback has declined. Jointly with the rest of the public transport sector, SBB has also initiated further measures such as simplifying the instructions for using ticket machines. Last year, together with the rest of the sector, SBB unveiled the new SwissPass. From mid-2015 this card will be able to incorporate GA and Half-Fare travelcards, followed in stages by regional travelcards and other services.
Fitting all long-distance carriages with signal amplifiers, which significantly improve reception quality for mobile phones and data transmission, had become a customer requirement. All 1,018 long-distance carriages will have therefore been fitted with signal amplifiers by the end of 2014. SBB is also keen to install signal amplifiers in its regional fleet, and is discussing funding possibilities with mobile-phone providers and purchasers as a matter of urgency. SBB is also offering customers more services of this nature at stations: the SBB FREE WiFi service, which gives customers internet access free of charge, was launched last year. By the end of 2015 the service will be available at the 100 busiest stations in Switzerland.
SBB broke new ground in 2013 by developing a masterplan for an entire region, the first time this had been done in Switzerland. Drawn up in collaboration with the cantons of Basel-Landschaft and Basel-Stadt, the Basel masterplan sets out how the customer rail offering, railway installations and railway property are to be developed in the coming two decades.
Motivated staff and an attractive employer
Despite the adverse effect of accidents and public criticism, satisfaction among the 31,000 or so SBB employees remained stable. In fact, this parameter gratifyingly gained one point over the previous year's figure to reach 73 points. SBB remains one of Switzerland's most attractive employers. According to the top-100 ranking produced by the consulting firm Universum, SBB is one of the three most attractive employers in Switzerland in several categories.
Important milestones in the current year
SBB will complete the tender process for the procurement of 29 new trains for the North-South corridor in the spring, and the result will be announced in May 2014. As in previous years, approximately one billion francs will be invested annually in new and modernised rolling stock for several years to come. The first phase of the Zurich cross-city link and the new underground through station at Löwenstrasse will both come into service in mid-June 2014: Switzerland's largest city-centre construction project will thus have been completed on schedule. Customers will benefit from faster and more frequent S-Bahn services. In autumn 2014 ground will be broken for the major "Léman 2030" project, which will significantly expand rail services in French-speaking Switzerland. SBB will double seating capacity between Lausanne and Geneva. The opening of Geneva's reconstructed, redesigned Cornavin station in the autumn will mark the successful completion of another major project in the French-speaking part of the country.
FABI: a vote of confidence in SBB and public transport, and also an obligation
The clear acceptance of the FABI rail infrastructure financing fund by the Swiss electorate in February 2014 ensures the long-term, transparent funding of the rail infrastructure. The vote in favour of FABI is also a vote of confidence in SBB, and at the same time it puts SBB under an obligation to deliver high-quality services to customers every day, now and in the future, and to keep future price increases within reasonable bounds. After FABI comes into force in 2016, more funds will be available for the maintenance and expansion of the network. This will enable SBB to successively meet the challenges it has highlighted, namely the maintenance backlog for railway installations (2009 network audit) and the follow-on costs of major construction projects. The first expansion phase, scheduled to be completed by 2025, consists of projects with a total volume of CHF 6.4 billion.
Ongoing improvements for enhanced safety
Problems in 2013 included a number of incidents on the rail network. An SBB train driver lost his life in a collision between two regional trains at Granges-Marnand (Vaud) last July, and at the beginning of the year two regional trains collided at Neuhausen (Schaffhausen). Passengers were injured in both these accidents, which SBB deeply regrets. In addition, the first half of 2013 saw a series of apparently unconnected minor collisions and derailments. SBB took emergency measures and initiated in-depth investigations, as a result of which various measures have been taken to improve safety. Work to fit 1,700 signals with speed-monitoring systems, already under way, was accelerated, and the two-person rule was reintroduced at a number of stations. SBB is currently considering whether the planned introduction of continuous speed monitoring in conformity with the ETCS Level 2 European standard can be expedited.
After the collision in Neuhausen, SBB commissioned two external reports examining train protection and the working environment of train drivers. Both reports confirmed that SBB has a highly developed safety culture, and has taken appropriate measures to bring safety to a still higher level. Despite the increasing use of the rail network, the overall trend in the number of incidents is down.
SBB Group: key figures
Consolidated income statement (CHF millions)
|Change (in %)
|Operating income
|8 319.1
|8 168.5
|Operating expenses
|-8 009.8
|-7 677.7
|Operating result/EBIT
|Financial result
|Non-operating result
|Pre-tax earnings
|Taxes and minority interests
|Consolidated net income
Segment results (CHF millions)
|Real Estate*
* before annual transfer payments
Traffic volumes
Passengers per day
Passenger-kilometres (millions)
1 002 000
17 773
967 000
17 545
Real Estate
Third-party rental income (CHF millions)
Net tonne-kilometres (millions)
|12 317
|12 132
Train-path kilometres (millions)
The complete 2013 SBB Annual Report may be downloaded free of charge from www.sbb.ch/en/annual_reportLink opens in new window..


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REVIEW: Terror Matrix by Zoe Tuck
(This is the fourth in a series of reviews focused on titles released by the Oakland-based small press/poetry cult Timeless, Infinite Light. TIL is currently on a West Coast tour.)
by Christine Holm
In her Poetry Foundation interview with Sara Wintz, poet Zoe Tuck discussed that as she worked on her chapbook Terror Matrix, she
was reading Elaine Scarry's The Body in Pain which is about how the experience of pain is this universal experience but it remains very undescribed and she talks about a lot of really heavy stuff like torture and war and what those do and then she moves to creativity and poetry and what that can do. I was reading that, I was reading a lot of Beckett and thinking about being a U.S. citizen and being complicit in a lot of nasty governmental extracurriculars. I knew that in part that story wasn't my story to tell, but I was trying to talk about being complicit in that. But it only fails. In a way that's interesting. It's poetry.
Complicity is a notion I seemed to return to time and again when I sat down with Tuck's new release from Oakland's Timeless, Infinite Light Press. Nearing the end of the collection is "[pretend some business]," a piece filled with prefixes of negation, un– this and no that, don't and isn't and without. In the margins, I scribbled: such refusal, such not-quite-understanding of what is 'un'natural; things out of proportion, out of expectation and the questions, really, become – why, and, why must these things be done?
Not yet an answer, but a complication from the poem which follows, the poem which begins:
The build here amounted to more marginalia – the thinking through of what struck me so about Tuck's poetry. For now: how stealthily these poems work, relying so much on preconceived notions many of us, however thoughtful we might like to see ourselves, don't sit down and examine. With that, Tuck weaves her poems which are at once felt full of a sense of the automatic, winding, moving observantly at a steady pace. At the same time, we are reminded Tuck doesn't spill herself on the page and walk away, leaving readers to make sense of the arcs and lines of written language. Moments when we can glimpse some of her craft's structure are where we feel most invited in, perhaps not to struggle with her, but enough to make sure we remember we're reading someone bare here, and that the access we are being offered – goodness, what a privilege.
This synergy is felt wonderfully with the closing of "[i have one job]" –
The focus of our collective gaze turns from mystery of the invited intruder to love, to love, to action. By letting our focus shift, we were made complicit in the crime, and not so unhappily, with Tuck as our guide, our binoculars.
With this language of kinds of torture, of war, of, at the very least, wounds or what wounds do, complicit was an easy and ready word which felt full, captivated, in my synapses as they sparked against the sounds of Tuck's poems.
Until I realized how perfectly wrong the term was.
A quiet part of the project with Terror Matrix is sussing out a feeling of how to be a citizen in a war-time country where we often feel neither responsible nor terribly involved in choices our government is making. This difficulty is paralleled in how Tuck dealt with understanding Scarry's The Body in Pain, and the larger project of how Tuck deals with understanding her own body in her own society.
"Complicit," of course, is all wrong because there is no crime, despite what we've been told. When we question our physical structures, the bruises made or the scars our bodies refuse to hold, we've done nothing wrong. What Terror Matrix praises is the questioning, binary or otherwise, and the opening of ourselves to uncertainty, to the admittance of unknowing. In her opening poem "[i am compelled to accept your jabs]," Tuck lays out much of the work we will wander around, in and through:
What does it mean to be – feminine? Injured? Privileged? What does it mean? These poems don't even have to resist a lofty eagerness to keep the reader at bay with philosophical wonderings, they do so with ease. Tuck uses language ranging from technical to colloquial, makes each poem compact in a justified column, and in doing so creates a kind of newspaper clipping. These are broadcasts from the edge of unknowns, but not unreachables.
As Tuck told Wintz in her interview, "sometimes when I'm reading a poem or writing a poem, it solves a problem that I didn't know existed while rearranging the inside of my body." These edges, these unknowns – these are the spaces where Tuck calls out to us from – simply, beautifully, to say this is where she is right now.
Terror Matrix is available from Timeless, Infinite Light
Christine Holm began writing poetry while employed in social services and continues to find spaces where creative work overlaps with community service, from writing with palliative care patients through Poesia del Sol to teaching inmates with The Writers in Prison Project.


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Appeals Court Lets Texas Enforce Anti-Abortion Law
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - A federal appeals court Thursday allowed Texas to immediately begin enforcing tough new abortion restrictions that will effectively close all but seven abortion facilities in America's second most-populous state.
A panel of the U.S. 5th Circuit Court in New Orleans stayed a lower judge's ruling while it considers the overall constitutionality of key portions of Texas' sweeping 2013 abortion law, which Republican Gov. Rick Perry and other conservatives say is designed to protect women's health.
The impact of the ruling will be most felt along the Texas-Mexico border and in the western half of the state, where access to a legal abortion is especially limited. The only abortion clinic in McAllen, which reopened after the lower court's ruling, now stands to close again. That would leave women in the area facing a 300-mile drive to the next-nearest abortion facility.
"Women from McAllen have been traveling outside their city for nearly a year and Plaintiffs made no showing that clinics in San Antonio (or any other city) have been deluged," the opinion read.
Abortion-rights groups that earlier prevailed in an Austin federal court bristled at having that victory taken away.
"Today's ruling has gutted Texas women's constitutional rights and access to critical reproductive health care and stands to make safe, legal abortion essentially disappear overnight," said Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights.
U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel ruled in August that part of the law requiring Texas clinics to spend millions of dollars on hospital-level upgrades was less about safety than making access to abortion difficult.
Yeakel's ruling in Austin suspended the upgrades requirement. But Texas asked the appeals court to let it enforce the law during the appeals process, clearing the way for the ruling Thursday.
Allowing to go forward the rules on hospital-level upgrades - including mandatory operating rooms and air filtration systems - would shutter more than a dozen clinics across Texas. It means only abortion facilities will remain open in the Houston, Austin, San Antonio and the Dallas-Fort Worth areas.
None will be left along the Texas-Mexico border or outside any of the state's largest urban areas.
Meanwhile, some clinics have already closed after another part of the 2013 law required doctors to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals. That portion of the law has already been upheld by the 5th U.S. Circuit, where the state is now seeking a second outright reversal.
The trial in Texas is the latest battle over tough new abortion restrictions sweeping across the U.S. The office of Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, a Republican who is the favorite to become governor in November, is leading the defense of the law.
Clinics call the measure a backdoor effort to outlaw abortions, which has been a constitutional right since the Roe v. Wade ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1973.
Attorneys for the state have denied that women would be burdened by fewer abortion facilities, saying nearly 9 in 10 Texas women would still live within 150 miles of a provider. The law's opponents, however, note that still leaves nearly a million Texas women embarking on drives longer than three hours to get an abortion.
Democrat Wendy Davis launched her campaign for governor behind the celebrity she achieved through a nearly 13-hour filibuster last summer that temporarily blocked the law in the state Senate. Her opponent in November is Abbott.
(© Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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2017 Overview. Don't hesitate, join NAFTC in 2018!
NAFTC Africa and NAFTC Middle-East look back to an exciting year. It is our pleasure to share with you an impression of our activities:
1. Land Development Model
In 2017, NAFTC Africa/Middle-East started its second project with activities for a Land Development Model in Egypt. In the framework of this ongoing successful program, Egyptian officials have also visited NAFTC members in The Netherlands, with many promising contacts made.
After its success in Egypt, NAFTC Africa/Middle-East entered the tender proces for similar projects in Ethiopia, Nigeria and Zimbabwe.
2. Cooperation model with SANEC
The unique cooperation model with SANEC for Africa was strengthened and local partnerships have become active with Teampro, Afric, Habair and Emea.
3. Roundtables, Trade Missions, Conferences and Networking Events
NAFTC Africa/Middle-East co-organised, joined and lectured at several key roundtables and networking events, see our news overview. In addition, we welcomed several key delegations from African countries!
4. Membership also open for local entities
In 2017, NAFTC Africa/Middle-East membership also opened for regional parties, thus facilitating international networking and knowledge sharing.
For more information about our activities, please see attached news release.


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Choosing A Modular Sign System
Every sign shops needs to have a modular sign system to offer to their customers. Even if you consider yourself a �custom shop� or a specialized manufacturer for specific types of signs like: electric or vehicle graphics, it�s a good idea to be able to offer a modular sign system. Some of your customers are bound to request you supply them with way-finding solutions.
Manufacturing signage based on modular systems requires some degree of expertise to the specific systems attributes in order to gain the maximum yield and desired results and profits. Therefore, it would be wise to invest some time and research when choosing a favored system. Switching systems too often can prove to be a waste of time and money spent on training, planning, and correction of mistakes.
With this in mind, how does one choose a single preferred system with the number of systems being offered today?
The first step is to ask for free samples. A company that will not offer free samples is an indication of their marketing strategy and their overall level of low awareness to service and should be avoided.
Check to see if the system offers reasonably priced sample kits. Some companies will offer their kits at cost or below cost, and some will ask you to cover the cost of shipping. Look for a vendor that offers a number of sample kit options to fit most budgets. Some will even offer to customize the kit to your specific needs.
The following points should help you choose the system that is right for you:
Quality of materials:
Check for compatibility with the types of graphic and sign making equipment you currently have available in your shop without making further investments in new technology and equipment. It is advisable to choose a flexible system that allows for a wide range of signage and graphic techniques. Systems that have been designed to "frame" or " "hold" other substrates, usually prove to be more flexible and accommodating both to the customer and the designer.
Wide range of sizes:
Wide range of applications:
ADA compatibility:
Service and support:
Check to see what fabrication services are offered by the vendor. Sometimes it will prove cost effective to have some of the fabrication done by the vendor. Also check the delivery times, as it's important to work with a vendor you can count on to deliver as quoted. Being late can be very expensive!
Finally, choose a system that you like. It will show when you sell it.
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