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*Another* programming(ish) text I wrote. I might as well share it with the world.
Easy HTML by Jethro
HTML Programming. I use the term "programming" lightly hre in this case
because some people would argue that HTML is not a programming
language, it is a formatting language. This is true, but I don't want
to call HTML Formatting.
HTML stands for Hyper-text Markup Language (stupid name, I know) and it
is the main structure behind all websites. To take a look at what HTML
looks like before we start, go to any website you want and then (in
Microsoft Internet Explorer) click View > Source. See all
stuff? That, is HTML!
If you have no knowledge of HTML (which I am assuming you don't) this
will all look like gibberish. But believe me, it's real easy once you
get the hang of it.
In this tutorial I will be taking you through the beginnings of your
first HTML page.
Note: A great resource for anyone interested in learning HTML (and web
design in general) is HTMLGoodies (http://www.htmlgoodies.com). A
college lecturer called Joe Burns started it up, then Internet.com
bought it and now a guy called "Curtis" owns it. It's a great resource
and they also have a fantastic newsletter. Just thought I'd give it a
quick mention.
HTML works in <tags>. These are commands inside the "more than" and
"less than" brackets: > and <. All open <tags> have to be closed: </tags>.
Of course there are a few exceptions to this rule, which we will encounter.
Here is a really basic HTML page.
************** firstpage.html *******************
<TITLE>My first HTML webpage</TITLE>

Big Writing

Smaller Writing

Smaller Still...

You get the idea!

Save that as firstpage.html (.html or .htm are the default extensions for HTML
pages, original aren't they? ) and open it in your web browser.
Double-clicking it will probably do that for you.
Here's what it does:
... - This tag opens a HTML page. You put
this at the start of every HTML page you make. you don't have to, but
it's best that you do.
... - Notice the way I put the HEAD tag on
the same line as the HTML tag. I wanted to show you that you an do
this, but you don't have to. HTML is a very slack language, not like
one of the regular languages like C++. Inside the  and
tags goes the TITLE, any METAS (we will talk about these later) and a
few other things which are a bit advanced for this tutorials like CSS
Stylesheets and JavaScripts...etc
- This is a comment. In every language,
there are comments/remarks and HTML is no exception. The HTML
interpreter (aka, your browser) will ignore anything put in these
comments so the only people who can see them are the people who look
at your source code. Why add them, I hear you ask? You decide.
... - This is the main body of the webpage.
Most of your stuff goes in here, like your text, your images, links,

...
 - This puts the writing really big. H1
through to H6 are different sizes of text. H1 being the biggest, H6
being the smallest.
Note: As you can see, HTML is not cAsE-sEnsItIvE either, so
 is
the same as
 and  is the same as !
Note #2: To tweak a tag you can add attributes to some of them. Attributes
come in the format <tag attribute="value">. Different tags supports different
attributes, some of which we will be covering shortly. </closing> tags never
attributes, even if the <opening> tags do.
Here is another example of a basic HTML page. In this example, I will
be including links, images, background color and tweaking the font.
******************** secondpage.html *************************
<TITLE>Page #2</TITLE>

Welcome to Page #2

Created by Me

For you!

Click here to go the First
Horrible Page isn't it? A lot of new stuff there, *sigh*, here we
... - We have already learnt the BODY tag,
now we learn BGCOLOR, one of BODY's many attributes. This changes the
background of the webpage to whatever value you give it. I think it's
pretty easy to spot that substituting "red" for "blue" would result
in a blue background. Another of BODY's attributes is BACKGROUND.
This is if you want to use an image as the background. For example:
 would use "image1.jpg" as the

...
 - The
tag starts a new
aragraph. The
align attribute aligns the text left, right or center.
... - This changes the
font. We are using three attributes here: color, size and face.
"color" changes the color of the font, size changes the size of the
font face changes the actual "font" of the text. There are only a
handful of different types of font faces you are meant to use, just
because a font is installed on your computer, doesn't mean it's
installed on everyone's though. Here is a list of a few common ones:
o Times New Roman o Arial
o Comic Sans MS o Tahoma
o Fixedsys o Verdana
... - This is one of the no-attribute one-letter text-formatting
tags. There are four of these to my knowledge. Here's a list:
o ... - This puts the text in bold
o ... - This puts the text in underline
o ... - This puts the text in italics
o <S>...</S> - This puts a line ("strike-though")through the text

 - This puts a HoRizontal line in the webpage to divide it.

is one of the exceptions to the </closing> tag rule. It tags no
closing tag.
- This inserts
an IMaGe. The src attribute specifies the image to include. If the
image isn't found it will give you the horrible square with the X
thing in it. The alt attribute is a message which pops up when you
hover over the image (it appears in a yellow box which disappears
after you move your cursor away from it). The border attribute
specifies the border width. 0 is the default. So why add it you say?
Well, when an image is included in an  tag (explained below) it is
given an ugly blue border which border=0 gets rid of (makes it look
more crisp, in my opinion).
- Line break. Another no </closing> tag. This just goes to the
next line, directly under whatever was before it.
... - This is called
a hyperlink and this is how webpages are linked together, how you
get from one page to the other. A stands for Anchor (link) and
href stands for Hypertext REFerence, another stupid name. Basically
the href attribute tells the browser where to go when you click
on the link and the title attribute (no-one really uses this much
but I just decided to add it anyway) acts much like the ALT
attribute in the IMG tag. Another small pop-up box-messagey
thing. I don't like it, but maybe you do. You can put anything
in an Text Here tag. For example you have it
a text link, like the first example, or you can even put an image
in between the two tags, like in the second example, or you can
put a mixture of both.
And that's that. Now remember, this is a very basic tutorial. I will
release a more advanced HTML tutorial, covering layers, CSS, frames,
tables and all that messy stuff.
Have fun coding,


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In early 2009, then Federal Communications Commission Chair Michael Copps offered a frank assessment of the agency's website, fcc.gov. "The Commission has a wealth of resources on its website," Copps observed. "Some of it is easy to find and use; much of it is, unfortunately, difficult to locate and even more difficult to use—for us at the Commission, and, worse, for the public at large. The Commission must update its website to be more user-friendly."
A few months earlier, we had said the same. "Let's face it, fcc.gov still looks like it was thrown together six weeks after Netscape went public over a decade ago," our post complained. "The result: the only people who can really access it are telecom lawyers [and] public interest groups with their autoforms."
Since then the agency has gradually improved the site, making it much more search and comment friendly, more watchable, and adding staff blogs. But this week the Commission unveiled a new beta version (beta.fcc.gov) that doesn't just respond to Copp's concerns. It puts fcc.gov on the road to becoming one of the best government communications sites—anywhere.
First, there's the attractive and economic blue design. Instead of trying to stuff every conceivable department and category into the home page, like the current site does, beta.fcc offers four initial categories: "The FCC," "Our Work," "Tools and Data," and "Business and Legal," that more easily take users to everywhere else in the portal.
That's the key to this beta's success. Here are some of the best features of the new site.
Take action
Anyone who goes to beta.fcc will quickly notice a prominent subhead on the top right side of the page titled "Take Action." From there you'll be directed to a page where you can file public comments with the FCC on a wide variety of issues.
Back in the old days you had to know the docket number to file a comment on a hot proceeding. No more. The form offers a drop-down menu giving you a choice of over 30 proceedings from which to offer feedback, and a field into which you can type or paste text (of course, if you want to do it the old fashioned geeky way, no worries, the Commission's "expert" comment page is still there).
You can also easily get to the complaint and public discussion sections.
"Auctions" to "V-Chip"
Are you overwhelmed by the sheer volume of jargon and acronym-laden prose that accompanies FCC-talk? The new site now offers an encyclopedia! In beta form it seems to be a compendium of terms about telecommunications related issues—e.g., "roaming," and "retransmission consent"—plus a glossary about the FCC itself.
"Austin Schlick, General Counsel," for example, is an item, although oddly it can be found under "A" rather than "S." The encyclopedia addition is definitely a great move, but perhaps should focus less on the FCC's in-house biggies and more on the terms that tend to frustrate communications tech newbies, like "backhaul" and "intercarrier compensation."
Cool tools
Over the last year, the FCC has reconfigured or developed a host of new search engines, applications, and APIs. But they've been helter skelter all over the site. Now they're in one place—the Tools and Data section of the portal. These include the license search and overview tool, the broadband connection speed test, and the spectrum dashboard.
If you are a developer, all the APIs for FCC features and databases are now located in the same area. And the site sends you to the National Broadband Map, where you can track all kinds of high speed Internet trends across the country.
Where to find the mergers
One of the best things about the new fcc.gov is that it takes some of the really important issues with which the FCC deals and puts them on clearly identifiable pages. The present site has always had a mergers and acquisitions section, but it was something that users generally stumbled upon while searching for a particular case (e.g., Comcast and NBC Universal).
Now the "Business and Legal" section easily takes you to the mergers page. The "Our Work" section takes you to broadband, spectrum, and public safety pages. And lo and behold, the "The FCC" menu actually takes you to a page that explains what the FCC does.
The Federal Communications Commission regulates interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite and cable in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories. It was established by the Communications Act of 1934 and operates as an independent U.S. government agency overseen by Congress. The commission is committed to being a responsive, efficient and effective agency capable of facing the technological and economic opportunities of the new millennium.
Good luck with that last sentence. At least it will be a lot easier to tell the FCC if it is falling short of these promises, thanks to the agency's new web site. If you've got feedback to give on the new version, you can post comments here.

subset: commoncrawl


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For Advertisers
The Independent Media Network is building a sustainable business model for local news and information sites. Our more than 70 network partners generate millions of pageviews a month providing critical community news, information, and engagement opportunities for the readers they serve.
What's more, our buying power with other media providers like Patch and major newspapers means we can often negotiate ad buys with those publications for less than you're paying now.
You can even offset advertising costs by creating your own social media content and joining our network of publishers. We share net advertising revenue 50/50 with our member publishers – and they may even share your content free of charge.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Who are you?
The Independent Media Network LLC is a partnership between two experienced new media producers: CTNewsJunkie.com and LocalOnlineNews.TV.
How many page views per month?
The Independent Media Network publishers currently deliver 4 to 5 million page views monthly – and they are continuing to grow their audiences. Because this content is locally focused, visitors to our publishers' sites are living and working right here in Connecticut.
How much?
Our ad rates are the most competitive in the industry. Please contact us so we can put together an advertising plan that meets your objectives at an affordable price.
Can I pick and choose network sites?
Absolutely. You can buy across the network or tailor a specific campaign that reaches certain niche audiences.
What kind of advertisements can be placed?
Independent Media Network publishers produce quality written, video, and audio content. We accept banner advertisements (including flash-based ads), as well as video and audio spots. We also offer placements on our publishers' email newsletters.
What about statistics?
We run a state-of-the-art ad distribution system that delivers real-time traffic data via the web. We can also configure a daily email summary of ad impressions and clicks.
Other questions?
Please contact us and we'll promptly answer your questions! You may also call us at 860-577-0566.
[contact-form][contact-field label='Name' type='name' required='1'/][contact-field label='Email' type='email' required='1'/][contact-field label='Website' type='url'/][contact-field label='Comment' type='textarea' required='1'/][/contact-form]read more
For Journalists
The news industry is changing and many jobs have disappeared. If you are an out of work news professional looking for a way back in, we can help.
The Independent Media Network launched early in 2011 as a partnership between CTNewsJunkie.com and LocalOnlineNews.TV with an eye toward building a grassroots network of news websites, blogs, and businesses – all with a goal of reaching sustainability in this new world of online journalism.
We are now convinced that the online journalism model can be sustainable – particularly when a publication isn't burdened by the expensive overhead of a print operation and all the other problems and shortsighted thinking that tend to go with that. A lot of folks haven't launched their own website yet because they don't know how to set one up, or they think it costs too much or that they can't make enough money, etc. Or maybe you have tried and failed to get traction.We are here to tell you that there is a business model that can work. Create your own job.
We are offering:
- advice on how to develop the right business model specific to your publication
- free site hosting on a new WordPress install (along with problem solving backup when something goes wrong)
- use of our ad server (crucial to developing trust for sponsors)
- basic advertising tools including a rate card and ad contract
- a step by step plan to make the best use of social networks and email to build your audience, and…
- a community of journalists, bloggers, writers, photographers, and others who care about what you do. You don't need to re-invent the wheel.
If you're just thinking of blogging casually, we're still happy to host your site and provide some ad revenue via ads purchased across the network as a whole. But we are opening our doors to news professionals.
Be your own boss. Make your old boss spit out his/her coffee in the morning (or their scotch in the evening).
But we're more than just revenue and hosting. We're a community. We get together on a regular basis to share best practices and content. Fill out the form below and we'll get you started ASAP.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Who are you?
The Independent Media Network LLC is a partnership between two experienced new media producers: CTNewsJunkie.com and LocalOnlineNews.TV.
Why Should I Join?
The Independent Media Network is made up of people who are building the next generation of news. We're working together to experiment with new content and sustainability models, sharing revenue and ideas. Members often share 'fair use' links with each other that encourage cross-linking to build overall network traffic. You can subscribe to our daily email of all network traffic to find useful content to share on your site. We can also help you overcome some of the technical hurdles so you can focus on what you do best: generating quality content.
How Much Money Will I Make?
Unlike most networks, we split net revenue 50/50 with our member publishers. You're compensated based on the number of impressions you generate – not clicks. We are also a clearing house for companies and organizations looking for content creators, meaning we can help line you up with freelance opportunities.
Can I live off the revenue?
Not yet, but we're getting there.
Do I have a say over who advertises on my site?
Absolutely. We will notify you of advertisers shortly before their campaign begins and you have the right to not run the ad on your site.
Who owns my content?
You do. Unlike other hyperlocal sources you control and own everything you produce. We welcome members who publish on their own servers and also provide free hosting for those who need it. If you ever decide to leave our server we can export your content and help you set it up elsewhere.
Other questions?
Please contact us and we'll promptly answer your questions! You may also call us at 860-577-0566.
[contact-form][contact-field label='Name' type='name' required='1'/][contact-field label='Email' type='email' required='1'/][contact-field label='Website' type='url'/][contact-field label='Comment' type='textarea' required='1'/][/contact-form]read more
Member content is available through our master RSS feed. Simply point your favorite RSS reader to:
Additionally you can subscribe by email to member content by topic. Emails are automatically generated every morning at 4:00 a.m. Simply enter your email and follow the instructions:
read more


text:
SportRack Latitude Fit Kit SRK1618 for car roof rack
The SportRack fit kit is one component in a SportRack Latitude roof rack system. Mount a base roof rack to carry luggage or other cargo on top of your car when used with a Latitude foot pack. These kits are custom designed to clip around the door jamb without drilling, scratching, or damaging your car in any way. The fit kit requires a SportRack Latitude foot pack and load bars to create a complete roof rack system. Each kit works only with specific vehicles - check the fit guide to find the SportRack Latitude roof rack configuration for your car. Manufacturer's part number: SRK1618


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Valuing minority interests in a family-owned business can present a significant challenge to owners looking to take advantage of today's high gift tax exclusion. Even after obtaining a professional appraisal of the business' value, frequent IRS challenges to these appraisals have historically made it difficult to determine minority interests with any degree of certainty that your client will not incur gift tax liability. A recent Tax Court decision may have paved the way toward eliminating this problem for good, allowing your clients to give small interests in their companies without worrying about incurring gift tax liability if the IRS successfully challenges a valuation.
The Problem: Valuing the Gift of a Small Business Interest
Minority interests in a closely-held business are inherently difficult to value. Each case is unique, and there is usually no public market for the shares that would dictate their fair value. Because of this, the IRS requires that small business owners obtain a professional appraisal to determine the value of business interests for gift purposes.
Since the IRS is watchful of appraisals that may understate the value of assets to avoid gift taxes, it is difficult for a business owner to transfer portions of his or her business while taking full advantage of the gift tax exclusion. It may instead be tempting to give fewer interests and be certain not to exceed the annual limit.
For example, if your client owns a business and wants to make a gift of shares worth $13,000 (the 2012 annual exclusion), and an appraisal indicates that 100 shares can be transferred without exceeding this amount, the owner could transfer the shares without paying gift taxes. The IRS can later challenge this valuation and show that only ninety shares were worth $13,000. If the IRS is successful, the business owner would then be required to pay gift tax on the ten shares that exceeded the annual exclusion amount—a result that your clients would prefer to avoid.
The Wandry Case
In Wandry vs. Commissioner, the taxpayers owned a small business and wanted to give interests to their children and grandchildren while minimizing gift taxes. Because the value of the business had not yet been ascertained, the taxpayers specified in the documents governing the transfers of the business interests that the gifts were not to exceed the annual exclusion.
In other words, instead of giving a certain percentage of the business assets, the taxpayers in this case capped the gift at the amount of assets transferred. This was important because the IRS eventually challenged the appraisal that the taxpayers obtained and found that the value of the business was about 20% higher.
While the IRS argued that the taxpayers were required to pay gift taxes on the 20% increase, the court found that the additional value had never been given because the transfer documents limited the gifts to the exclusion amount instead of specified percentages of the business. Therefore, any interest in the business above the exclusion amount was treated as having been retained by the taxpayers. They were not required to pay gift taxes because the interests that exceeded the exclusion amount were simply never given.
Even though the IRS will likely appeal this decision, the Tax Court has, in the meantime, provided a way for small business owners to complete small transfers of their companies with the certainty that they will not incur gift tax liability should the IRS successfully challenge the valuation of the interests. Because we are not certain what the gift tax exemption and exclusion amounts will be after 2012, this is a planning technique your clients may want to make use of today.
For additional coverage of this issue and similar ones, we invite you to sign up with AdvisorOne's Summit Business Media partner, National Underwriter Advanced Markets, for a free trial.
You may also be interested in signing up for a free trial with another Summit Business Media partner, Tax Facts Online.


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Wales Street Primary School, in the inner Melbourne suburb of Thornbury about 7km from Melbourne's CBD, had a well-grassed oval, and decided to install an underground irrigation system to keep the ground in shape. However, after the system had been installed, the drought arrived and they were unable to use it. Water restrictions meant they couldn't use mains water, and the oval grass died. Despite several attempts to re-seed it, it developed into a summer dust bowl.
The Situation
The Wales Street Primary School community, including teachers and parents, became increasingly concerned about the state of the oval. They valued this grassy space as part of the educational environment – providing a softer playing surface for games, sport and class use. When rain did come, it caused substantial water erosion due to the slope of the land. They decided to do something about it.
The Grundfos Solution
The school approached IrwinConsult Pty Ltd to design a rainwater harvesting system, and to apply for a Federal Government Community Water Grant to install a 65,000 litre underground tank fed by an underground system of pipes.
The grant application secured $50,000 which enabled the work to proceed.
Rainwater is captured directly from the school hall and indirectly from two other school buildings via the stormwater drain which is diverted into the tank.
A Grundfos CHI4-50 multistage transfer pump, which delivers one litre per second at 380 kpa, was installed as part of the overall system and this pumps water through the irrigation system.
Designer Lance Blackley, of IrwinConsult, says the system will harvest almost three quarters of a million litres of water each year – more than enough to irrigate the 1,700 square metre school oval.
The tank is about a third full, and the school is now waiting for the autumn and winter rains to fill it.
The Outcome
The Wales Street Primary School Principal, Mr. Chris Sexton, says the system – while yet to be fully utilised – will prove highly beneficial.
"However, it has been tested and works extremely well," says Mr. Sexton.
"The installation has been a great lesson in water conservation for our young students, and I am particularly proud of the parent group, led by Kate Phillips, who made the system a reality.
An installation that has been a great lesson in water conservation to the students.
Wales Street Primary School, in the inner Melbourne suburb of Thornbury
IrwinConsult Pty Ltd
An installation that has been a great lesson in water conservation to the students.
Grundfos CHI4-50 multistage transfer pump
Relevant product family: CHI
If you need a similar solution, please contact us for further information.
If you need a similar solution, please contact us for further information.


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Gerard Way's comic book series The Umbrella Academy has already been adapted into a successful Netflix series that was quickly greenlit for a second season, and now it's going to be available in another format: a card game.
Production studio Studio71 and Dark Horse Comics recently announced they'd be launching a Kickstarter to help fund the game in early 2020.
"We are incredibly excited to partner with Dark Horse Comics, Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá to bring The Umbrella Academy card game to fans next year," says Dan Weinstein, President and Co-Founder, Studio71. "We've all been ardent consumers of the comic book series for years and are looking forward to launching the game. At Studio71 Games, we are passionate about building brands with long tail through a combination of premium expansion products as well as fan engagement across platforms, proprietary data analytics and out-of-the-box marketing."
"We're thrilled to be working with Studio71 on a The Umbrella Academy card game," adds Nick McWhorter, Chief Business Development Officer at Dark Horse Comics. "Studio71's previous success with game design, blockbuster Kickstarter campaigns and strong retail relationships make them an ideal partner for us."
Meanwhile, could My Chemical Romance fans be gifted with a reunion soon? According to an unlikely source, the answer is yes. During a recent interview, Joe Jonas revealed that MCR was rehearsing next to the Jonas Brothers in New York earlier this year. Way shut down those rumors back in February, but here's to hoping the middle Jonas brother knows what he's talking about.
Photo: YouTube


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Godsmack Premiere 'Rocky Mountain Way' Video
Godsmack's new disc 'Live & Inspired' features performances from collection from the band's 2010 concert at Detroit's Fox Theater and a handful of cover songs, including the Joe Walsh classic 'Rocky Mountain Way.'
The band performed 'Rocky Mountain Way' every night out during the recently wrapped Mass Chaos tour with Staind, and now they've just released a video for the tune.
The video is a performance based piece, showing clips of Godsmack playing the song during their live set. Part of the Godsmack concert experience over the last few years is the drum-off that usually goes down between Shannon Larkin and Sully Erna during their shows, and there is an instance of that in the new video as well.
The concert footage is interlaced with clips of the band backstage, hanging out in their dressing rooms and doing meet and greets with fans, giving you a full 360-degree look at life on the road, Godsmack-style.
As mentioned, Godsmack just finished up the Mass Chaos tour with co-headliner and hometown pals Staind. Check out our review of the New Hampshire show here. The 'Smack are now gearing up for the 2012 Uproar Festival with Shinedown, Papa Roach and Staind, among others.


text:
Inclusion Thurrock is a psychological therapy service, offering a simple gateway for those wanting to access talking therapies.
Visit Inclusion Thurrock
Inclusion Recovery college offers recover-focused education and training.
Visit Inclusion Recovery College
Inclusion Visions Thurrock (IVT) is for anyone aged 18 or over who is using, or affected by the problems associated with drugs and/or alcohol.
Visit Inclusion Visions
Coronavirus Information
If you use our services please visit our coronavirus page to see advice and information
0300 303 1018
Home > Accessibility


text:
Explore GIIS
GIIS offers a unique approach to learning through its educational initiatives. These programs and activities keep students acutely engaged while providing teachers and parents with the ability to remain connected and fully informed of how their child is performing and progressing..
9 Gems
Nine Gems is a dynamic framework for holistic education that brings the best of global learning to craft students into effective, peaceful, and well-educated leaders. Our focus is placed on universal values,ethics, discipline, creativity, and personality development in the initial years, and towards academic achievement, leadership and entrepreneurial skills, and key competencies for vocational and career progression..
Gold Squad Programme
The GIIS Gold Squad Programme provides those students with an aptitude for athletics with a platform to calibrate and improve their talents and learned skills by participating in a series of high-level competitions.
Leadership Lecture Series
GIIS brings in global leaders in arts, education, politics, athletics and more to bring their passion to students through the Leadership Lecture Series.
Global Knowledge Exchange
GIIS brings together students from each of its global campuses, ensuring a true multi-cultural experience. Through virtual connections, teachers from one campus can educate students at another, while students at one campus are learning alongside students from another, sharing their ideas, culture and experiences in the process.
To keep students, teachers and parents connected and working together as a team, GIIS offers the myGIIS app, a mobile intranet platform aimed to promote communication and track student performance.
Happiness Index
At GIIS, we want our students to be happy, so they can be as productive as possible, and turn out to be responsible citizens. The Happiness Index allows us to measure the "satisfaction quotient" of our students and thus the effectiveness of our educational offerings
Proprietary Activities
From spelling competitions to storytelling sessions, GIIS campuses routinely come together over friendly activities that allow them to showcase their skills while competing for awards and accolades.


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Former Republican California State Senator Jim Brulte
These are my links for December 28th:
- Union pickets gain special protections from state justices -"Signature gatherers and protesters may be ejected from privately owned walkways outside a store, but labor unions may picket there peacefully, the California Supreme Court decided Thursday.
- The state high court unanimously agreed that private walkways in front of stores, unlike public areas in shopping malls, are not open forums accessible to anyone who wants to assemble to express a view. But the justices split, 6 to 1, in upholding two state laws that prevent courts from issuing injunctions against peaceful labor pickets on private property.The laws protecting labor pickets are justified "by the state's interest in promoting collective bargaining to resolve labor disputes," Justice Joyce L. Kennard wrote for the courtCalifornia "may single out labor-related speech for particular protection or regulation" as an exercise in the economic regulation of labor relations, Kennard wrote."
- House members did not violate rule with Countrywide loans, ethics panel says -"The House Ethics Committee said Thursday it found no violations among House members whose mortgage loans went through the VIP section of Countrywide Financial Corp., the company whose subprime loans helped cause the foreclosure crisis.The committee said nearly all the allegations of favored treatment involved loans that were granted so long ago that they fell outside the panel's jurisdiction. The committee added that participation in the VIP program did not necessarily mean borrowers received the best loan deal available — and most lawmakers were not even aware they were placed in a VIP unit.Rep. Elton Gallegly, R-Simi Valley, and Howard "Buck" McKeon, R-Santa Clarita, were among the House members whose names were on the original list of VIP loans.The actions of unnamed House staff members were harshly criticized. Emails indicated they reached out to Countrywide lobbyists for help with their personal loans, but those actions also were too old to remain in the committee's jurisdiction. The panel said that if the incidents had been more recent, the staff members could have faced discipline."
- GINGRICH AND NOLAN: Criminal justice reform saving states billions -"These victories for reform are the result of a growing movement among conservatives to offer alternatives to our current criminal justice policies. Both of us are part of the Right on Crime initiative which has united many prominent conservatives, including Jeb Bush, Ed Meese, Grover Norquist and William Bennett, to advocate sensible reforms that have proven effective at keeping communities safe while saving taxpayer dollars.Right on Crime supports effective programs that are less costly alternatives to prison such as drug courts, rehabilitation and programs that impose swift and certain sanctions.These conservative policy initiatives have attracted the support of leaders from across the political spectrum. The victories for criminal justice reform may not get as much publicity as the stories of gridlock emanating from Washington. Nevertheless, they are proof that even in times of great partisan tension, leaders on the left and the right can set aside their differences and make good public policy based on conservative principles. The result is safer communities and fewer victims."
- State GOP eyes Brulte as possible savior -"The buzz is growing about the prospects of former state Senate GOP Leader Jim Brulte becoming the next chairman of the struggling California Republican Party."He has no opposition and he wants it," said former CRP Chairman Shawn Steel. "He's been meeting with people to talk about it. He's the guy, probably more than anyone else in California, who can raise money for the party and at the same time speaks conservatism. And he speaks above the bickering of different factions.""Brulte has not made any public comments about the job, which state party Central Committee members will fill at their March convention. Incumbent Chairman Tom del Beccaro is not seeking reelection.The state GOP this year fell below a 30 percent share of registered voters. It is perpetually short on cash, holds no statewide offices, and is particularly weak among the growing Latino and Asian electorates.
Brulte spent 14 years in the state Legislature, serving as leader in both chambers. The Rancho Cucamonga consultant is known, respected and affable. And he's advocated more minority involvement in the party since at least 1998.
Rancho Santa Margarita attorney Steve Baric is vice chairman of the party and would be a likely candidate for the top spot, but is expected to stand aside if Brulte runs. The two are friendly and share the view that the party needs to rise above infighting if it's to return to relevancy in the state.
The only state constitutional office occupied by a Republican is the state Board of Equalization District 3 seat, held by Michelle Park Steel – who also happens to be Korean American and is married to Shawn Steel. The couple moved from the Palos Verdes Peninsula to Surfside in 2011. She is planning to run in 2014 for the supervisorial seat of John Moorlach, who is termed out.
- Californians to Watch: Peter Lee will launch California's health exchange –
- Fiscal cliff stumble could doom California's budget recovery -"Gov. Jerry Brown and California lawmakers struck an upbeat tone in recent weeks as they enjoyed their most positive budget outlook since the economic downturn.Whether that mood survives the winter depends on Washington.State budget experts say the biggest immediate threat to California finances is a recession triggered by automatic federal cuts and tax hikes, absent a political deal to avoid the so-called "fiscal cliff."The state's biggest federal program, Medi-Cal, is spared from automatic cuts. But a new recession could threaten the state tax revenue that serves as the lifeblood for California government."
- Political winners, losers of '12 emerge -Many people won't be sorry to see 2012 in the rearview mirror – it's been a political year dominated by a limping economy and a bruising and expensive national election, only to end at the edge of a "fiscal cliff." The political reverberations are being felt in California, where the year in politics was also colored by concerns over taxes, spending and red ink staining the budget. California's players in the political drama included labor unions, millionaires, consultants, celebrities and elected officials at all levels – starting at the top in Sacramento. Winners and losers emerged, and here are a few, starting with the losers:
- California Republican Party: It was, to borrow the words of Queen Elizabeth II, an "annus horribilis" for the GOP in California, where Republican voter registration on Ronald Reagan's home turf withered to 29 percent. The party's board of directors moved for a financial reorganization and state party Chairman Tom Del Beccaro decided not to run for re-election. In November, Democrats grabbed a two-thirds majority in both the state Senate and Assembly. In Congress, the much-touted "young guns" drive to elect GOP congressional candidates drew blanks – newcomer Ricky Gill lost to Democrat Jerry McNerney, and former Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado lost to Democrat Lois Capps.


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The Biggest Ever Storytelling Session to take place on World Book Day in Wales!
To celebrate World Book Day this year, the Welsh Books Council will be giving all primary schools throughout Wales the chance to participate in the biggest ever storytelling session, with specially commissioned stories being read to them via the internet. Four specially commissioned World Book Day stories by four Welsh authors will be beamed into schools for school children between 7 and 11 years old, via short films hosted online so that all schools across Wales can watch the stories come to life on the big day, Thursday 3rd of March.
With over 1,462 primary schools located in Wales, and over 232,865 pupils, the storytelling session could be the biggest ever session held in Wales. The main focus of the World Book Day campaign this year is to encourage more 7 to 11 year olds, especially boys, to read more and also to help close the literacy gap between the genders.P>
Delyth Humphreys, the World Book Day Co-ordinator, said: "This year we wanted to do something different, and as all children now relate to digital media and are online every day, we thought of bringing stories alive by having actor Iwan John reading the stories on video clips. We hope that everyone will take part and make it the biggest ever storytelling session!"
The four stories were written by Paul Manship, Ruth Morgan, Nicholas Daniels and Morgan Tomos. The stories range from tales about a tyrannical potato to a boy superhero, naughty boys being inspired by fictional pirates and a mystical wooden carving in a school hall. All the stories have been specially written to inspire children to read more.
Each story has been illustrated – most by well-known illustrators of children's books and one by a newcomer, Ben Hillman, who won a competition held at the Cardiff School of Art and Design at UWIC. Morgan Tomos illustrated his own story and those written by Nicholas Daniels and Paul Manship were illustrated by Noel Ford and Eric Heyman respectively.
Calling all dads to read to their children!
With World Book Day – 3 March – around the corner, the Welsh Books Council is working with the Welsh Assembly Government to encourage parents, carers and grandparents to read to their children, especially the boys. A recent survey of over 17,000 young people, conducted by the National Literacy Trust (2008), showed that 39% of girls read every day compared with only 28% of boys, and that this gap has increased since 2005.
The Books Council is calling all dads to pick up a book and read to, and with, their children, especially their sons. Some top tips for dads include setting aside ten minutes a day for reading, picking books that are suitable for the child's age, letting the child choose what he or she wants to read, and to talk about what's being read. Many boys and their dads like to read non-fiction, which can include books, magazines, websites, match-day programmes, sports reports, 'how to' manuals and comic books.
Children can benefit greatly when adults talk to them about what they like to read, and shared interests are often a good basis for shared reading. Many dads are also good at bringing stories alive, by acting out the characters and getting the children involved in the storytelling.
Jane McCarthy, Vale of Glamorgan's Development Adviser with responsibility for literacy, said: "It is interesting to see that children's literacy levels and motivation to read improve substantially when their dads or male carers get involved with reading. They are just as important as mums in encouraging children to enjoy reading, and perhaps even more so for boys, as they are important role models. Reading can be seen as a passive pastime more suited to girls' interests, but if young boys see their dads enjoying reading, it will help them to realise that reading can be an enjoyable activity for everyone."
Delyth Humphreys, the World Book Day Coordinator in Wales, said: "The experience of reading to children can be a two-way process, with both child and parent reaping the benefits, and the importance of fathers as reading role models cannot be underestimated."
1,000 school children taking part in World Book Day flagship events in Wales
World Book Day celebrations are starting early this year with two huge flagship events being held in February in Swansea and Wrexham. These events will see a total of a thousand local primary school children taking part in reading and sporting activities to inspire them to read more.
The events, organised by the Welsh Books Council, are designed to encourage more 7–11 year olds, especially boys, to read more and also to help close the literacy gap between the genders.
The two events are mainly sport-based and include reading sessions with well-known children's authors Cat Weatherill and Dan Anthony. There will even be special guest appearances by players from Swansea City FC, the Ospreys and Wrexham FC, who will emphasise to pupils that reading is important to get ahead even in the sporting world.
Elwyn Jones, Director of the Welsh Books Council, said "World Book Day has now established itself in the Welsh calendar and these major events are fundamental in presenting the message that reading is not only for pleasure but also an essential skill for each individual. It will be a wonderful opportunity for the children to hear their sporting idols and heroes talking about reading and sharing their enjoyment of books."
The schools taking part in Swansea are Townhill Community School and Terrace Road, Blaenymaes and St Illtyd's primary schools and, in Wrexham, Gwenfro, Rhosymedre and Hafod y Wern primary schools and Ysgol Gymraeg Bodhyfryd.
These events, which aim to make reading fun, have been arranged for schools in some of the most deprived areas in Wales. A recent report noted that 14% of children and young people in lower income homes rarely or never read books for pleasure.1
In Swansea the event is being held at the Liberty Stadium and the LC2 on Tuesday 15th February and the event in Wrexham will be at the Racecourse on Thursday 17th February, with celebrations culminating on World Book Day, Thursday 3rd March.
Other World Book Day activities in Wales include an Enormous Story Session for primary schools, and well-known faces will be supporting the 'Make Time to Read' campaign. Schools, colleges, universities and libraries that are organising activities for World Book Day are asked to upload the details to http://bit.ly/worldbookday.
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KEY BENEFIT "Thomas' Calculus Early Transcendentals Media Upgrade, Eleventh Edition, " responds to the needs of today's readers by developing their conceptual understanding while strengthening their skills in algebra and trigonometry, two areas of knowledge vital to the mastery of calculus. This book offers a full range of exercises, a precise and conceptual presentation, and a new media package designed specifically to meet the needs of today's readers. The exercises gradually increase in difficulty, helping readers learn to generalize and apply the concepts. The refined table of contents introduces the exponential, logarithmic, and trigonometric functions in Chapter 7 of the text. KEY TOPICS Functions, Limits and Continuity, Differentiation, Applications of Derivatives, Integration, Applications of Definite Integrals, Integrals and Transcendental Functions, Techniques of Integration, Further Applications of Integration, Conic Sections and Polar Coordinates, Infinite Sequences and Series, Vectors and the Geometry of Space, Vector-Valued Functions and Motion in Space, Partial Derivatives, Multiple Integrals, Integration in Vector Fields. MARKET For all readers interested in Calculus.Thomas, George Brinton is the author of 'Thomas' Calculus Early Transcendentals Media Update Early Transcendentals', published 2007 under ISBN 9780321495754 and ISBN 0321495756.[read more]
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